The Senate

"What? The Valaerys family's elephant carriage is heading for the Senate?"

Lamar Cyrenaica, who had just emerged from a brothel, froze for a moment before immediately understanding what was happening. He viciously lashed one of the slaves carrying his litter.

"Idiot, what are you waiting for? Get to the Senate!" He hurriedly turned to the slave who had just seen him out and casually gave him another whip. "Go find Lady Cleophina and Archon Vagadu. Tell them trouble is coming from the Tiger Party. Get our people there to back them up, now!"

The slave scrambled toward the Visama family estate.

"Hurry up!" Another lash struck the slaves carrying the litter. Furious but silent, they could only force themselves to move faster.

"By the gods' asses." Lamar deeply hated the Valaerys family's bizarre customs at that moment.

The people of Valantis kept slaves. It could even be said that every freeborn citizen of Valantis owned at least five slaves. Slaves supported the entire economy of Valantis.

Thus, Valantis had established countless rules related to slavery. For instance, they believed that only slaves and foreigners would let their feet touch the filthy ground.

Therefore, Valantine nobles generally traveled by litter. The more slaves carrying the litter, the higher and wealthier the noble's status. Free commoners traveled in carriages drawn by dwarf elephants.

Yes, dwarf elephants were abundant around Valantis. Freeborn citizens with some means could afford one for transportation, while poorer commoners could rent elephant carriages.

The Valaerys family was rather unconventional. Though it was one of the foremost great noble houses within the Black Wall, since Cleorius's reforms, the Valaerys family had at least nominally owned no slaves. Cleorius himself hated riding in litters. From his time onward, the Valaerys family's preferred mode of travel became the faster elephant carriage. Naturally, to avoid seeming too conspicuous, Cleorius had made certain compromises.

He had spent a fortune purchasing several enormous southern forest elephants from colonial towns on the mysterious southern continent of Sothoryos. These giant elephants were not as pretty as dwarf elephants, but each was exceptionally imposing, at least twice their size.

After Lonzell paid the price of suffering anemia for a long time, the Valaerys family successfully tamed two male elephants and six females, raising them in the zoo at the Valaerys estate.

Thus, an unusual sight rarely seen within the Black Wall appeared that day.

Upon receiving the news, nobles from both the Tiger Party and the Elephant Party who lived far from the Senate abandoned their luxurious golden litters.

More elephant carriages entered the Black Wall that day than on any previous day.

"As expected of the old wizard's son." Lady Cleophina, helped aboard an elephant carriage by her family, spoke with deep emotion to Archon Vagadu Cyrenaica seated opposite her.

Vagadu was a gaunt old man. His silver-gold hair had been frosted gray, but his eyes remained an unusually clear azure. "Lady Cleophina, whatever he intends to do, those Tiger Party fools have given him an excellent reason to profit from the struggle between the two parties."

"And we still have to help him." Lady Cleophina indifferently watched the senators hurrying past. "Even during the Bloodshed Era, assassinating important figures from an opposing party was disgraceful conduct."

"Do you have proof that Mogul Pentaro hired Regretful Guests to assassinate the boy?" Vagadu looked somewhat mysteriously into Lady Cleophina's pale violet eyes.

"Our people invested in the House of Regret, the Valantis base of the Regretful Guests," Lady Cleophina said quietly. "While we cannot interfere with the Regretful Guests' operations, our informants personally saw members of House Pentaro enter the House of Regret."

Vagadu nodded in understanding. "It seems the Cyrenaica Family's intelligence work has not been thorough enough."

"Elephant Party senators should look out for one another, Archon Vagadu." Lady Cleophina smiled in reply. "Now, we should discuss the matter of dividing the spoils."

"You old hag who won't yield an inch." Vagadu ground his teeth and cursed inwardly.

"No matter what, the Valaerys family will take a large share. Does the lady have any objection to that?"

Lady Cleophina shook her head. "Of course not. But judging from what Lonzell Varezes has done recently, he will most likely choose gold as compensation."

"We will provide the discounted gold," Vagadu decided. "Pay the slaves at their assessed value. The land and estates must remain."

Cleophina frowned tightly.

"What exactly does he want?"

The Senate.

People gradually entered the hall modeled after the Senate of the Valyrian Freehold, and it was soon filled with senators from both parties.

Naturally, there were more Elephant Party members. They occupied nearly two-thirds of the seats.

The Tiger Party, meanwhile, was sparse.

Bericio Megyr, the Tiger Party archon, sat calmly in his archon's seat, while House Pentaro's seats were completely empty.

The great doors slowly opened.

Crisp footsteps gradually approached.

"Heir to an ancient bloodline, enforcer of the seas, commander-in-chief of the Silver Blood Army, hereditary noble of Valantis, candidate senator, Lord Lonzell of House Valaerys has arrived."

Aslan Longdell called out Lonzell's titles in a powerful voice, then stood respectfully at one side of the Senate's circular mosaic hall.

"Lord Lonzell Varezes, for what reason have you convened the Senate?"

Lady Cleophina, the archon, was the first to speak.

"I accuse someone of hiring Regretful Guests to murder a noble of the Black Wall. Under the Valantis Black Wall Code, I have the right to demand that the Senate conduct a thorough search and uncover the culprit."

"Lord Valaerys." A Tiger Party senator raised his hand to ask a question. "You must provide the Senate with evidence proving that the assassination truly occurred."

Lonzell nodded toward the entrance.

Without a word, Lynn Valtaken dragged in a head attached to a mangled body. Without another word, he threw it directly onto the mosaic floor.

The blood-smeared face still bore unmistakable Qartheen features.

The senators in their seats began whispering among themselves.

"What can a corpse prove?" an Elephant Party senator shouted.

Lonzell raised his head toward the source of the voice.

It was Lamar Cyrenaica. Lonzell nodded slightly.

"My fellow senators, I trust you all know that my father possessed certain abilities beyond those of ordinary men." Lonzell swept his gaze across the senators.

These Valantine nobles were no strangers to magic. During the rule of Old Valyria, Valantis had been one of the Dragonlords' favored colonial cities and one of the world's busiest ports. Quite a few sorcerers from Asshai had displayed their abilities in the city. The red priests of the Great Temple often demonstrated their fire magic as well.

Quite a few nobles even kept sorcerers in their own homes.

"He left me a potion that can make the dead speak."

Lonzell took a faintly reddish potion from Lynn's hand.

It's really just my blood mixed with a few other things.

Lonzell poured the potion over the corpse.

A bizarre scene unfolded. The corpse suddenly began trembling violently, as though something were trying to grow from the places where it had been cut away.

A hoarse yet incomparably clear voice emerged from the dead man's throat.

"Pentaro... kill... the boy... the younger one... I am sorry."

The entire hall fell silent.

The potion's effects seemed to have faded. The corpse stopped trembling, and the newly sprouted flesh ceased growing.

"My fellow senators." Lonzell looked around. "Do you require any further evidence?"

He was not worried that the deaths of those two from House Pentaro would affect his plans. Alexius's death had been entirely his own doing. As for young Cavido, no toxins had been detected in his body. Every physician, even the red priests, could only conclude that he had died of cardiac arrest brought on by excessive drinking. Only Mogul refused to believe it.

Besides, Mogul had not attended the Senate session at all.

"I am deeply sorry." Bericio, the Tiger Party archon, lowered his head. "Lord Valaerys, we knew nothing of such a thing happening."

He looked at the Tiger Party senators beside him. "Where is Mogul Pentaro?"

"Archon." The senator answered, "Lord Mogul met with misfortune while on his way here today. A runaway dwarf elephant overturned House Pentaro's golden litter, and Lord Mogul was unfortunately trampled to death by the elephant."

"Lord Valaerys, I am sorry, but there is no way to punish the culprit according to the law."

"Then what I seek is compensation, Archon."

"Lord Valaerys, under the law, all of House Pentaro's property may serve as your compensation." Archon Vagadu offered a kindly reminder. "Lord Bericio, I trust you will not shield a fellow senator who has committed a crime."

"Of course not." Bericio shot Vagadu a glare before speaking amiably. "Lord Valaerys, what do you say?"

"I am not greedy." Lonzell looked at the three archons and spoke loudly. "But House Pentaro attempted to assassinate my younger brother, crossing the bottom line of House Valaerys. Moreover, my family is preparing to send out a fleet once more to clear the pirates from Lys and Tyrosh, protecting Valantis's trade routes. At such a critical moment, House Pentaro committed such an act. It is truly intolerable."

He wants to clear out pirates? Lady Cleophina thought. But what does that have to do with liquidating property? Could it be that he is building a fleet?

"Therefore, I ask the Senate to confiscate House Pentaro's lands and property, then compensate House Valaerys with sufficient gold and ships."

He formally announced House Valaerys's plan to the Senate. "I will continue my father's path. After clearing the trade routes, I will launch another great voyage, strengthen the trade routes to Yi Ti and Asshai, and further develop the southern sea routes."

So that's it.

The same thought arose in the minds of several archons at once.

No wonder he was so eager to liquidate the property. He intended to continue the old wizard's great maritime enterprise. They had to support it. No matter what, great voyages expanded the pie. They could only benefit Valantis.

As for House Pentaro, they had long since agreed to devour it whole. Why should they care about it?

"Lord Valaerys, we are willing to participate in your great voyage plan."

"Lord Lonzell, I can provide ships. Please be sure to consider our family."

"To hell with you. Why is a Tiger Party man trying to mingle with us Elephant Party people? Lord Lonzell, we can provide ships and funds as well."

The moment they heard of another great voyage, these nobles could no longer sit still. Such a high-risk, high-profit venture, and there was actually someone willing to bear the burden for them—it was simply wonderful.

The Senate instantly erupted into noise.

"Silence—"

Vagadu Cyrenaica's booming shout finally suppressed the clamor with great difficulty.

"As you wish, House Pentaro's assets will be provided to you in the form of gold, warships, and merchant vessels. As for your great voyage plan, do you require assistance from the Senate?"

"Not for now. However, once we return from this voyage, we may need a Senate resolution."

Lonzell said with a smile.

First update check-in today. The second update will be released around 23:00. This is a new author's first book, so please offer your criticism and corrections. I have extra work today, but tomorrow is a rest day, so the update will come earlier. Afterward, I will make some adjustments to stabilize the update schedule.