Political Struggle in High Town

High Town, an aristocratic villa coated in crimson.

In the brightly lit study on the third floor, two figures could be seen in the shadows.

A boy of only fifteen or sixteen sat at the desk and calmly said to the man before him, who looked nearly thirty, "Mr. Joshua, lately, surely your mind hasn't still been on that woman named Jeffrey?"

"Lord Stelly, you know my greatest interest has always been women. The more unattainable a woman is, the more I want to possess her..."

Joshua's body trembled slightly. "This Jeffrey Elena is like a wild horse, unruly and impossible to tame. She needs to be suppressed and trained step by step over time before one can finally reap that suffocating sense of accomplishment!"

Stelly frowned slightly as he looked at the somewhat psychologically twisted man. "But if I remember correctly, you've already wasted a very long time on this woman, haven't you?"

"There's nothing to be done about that. After all, she isn't an ordinary commoner. Many things are much more troublesome to handle..."

Joshua was growing more animated, but his voice abruptly stopped when he heard Stelly impatiently tapping his fingers against the desk.

Stelly's voice turned cold. "Joshua, you know about the old king's assessment of me during this period, don't you?"

Joshua nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Lord Stelly, I know about it."

"This assessment by the old king will determine whether I am fit to inherit the throne."

Stelly rose to his feet. "Everyone knows that you and I have been associating for a long time, so keep yourself in line during this period!"

His voice carried a chilling frost that made one feel as though they had fallen into an ice cellar. "Don't think that what you've done has been seamless. Whether it was your past fraud that drove Lis Shipyard into bankruptcy, your current suppression of Jeffrey's business, or anything else, anyone with eyes can see it clearly. Who do you think has been speaking well of you before the king and helping you suppress these matters?"

Facing a boy half his age, Joshua felt immense pressure bearing down on him. Cold sweat broke out across his forehead as he stammered submissively, "Y-yes, thank you for your assistance, Lord Stelly. I will remember your teachings and keep a low profile."

The longer Joshua spent with Stelly, the more he understood how formidable this man was. Though only fifteen years old, he had won the old king's favor, made the princess fall for him without hesitation, built connections with powerful figures everywhere, and navigated smoothly among nobles and royalty. Yet deep within him, there seemed to be a powerful ambition hidden away...

Stelly said, "Also, stop associating with those rats hiding in dark corners. They will only deepen the stains on your record and give schemers something to use against you."

Like a student listening to a reprimand, Joshua did not even dare breathe loudly. "Yes."

"I'm not blaming you..."

Stelly looked at the bowed Joshua, a flash of disdain passing through his eyes. Then he placed his right hand on the latter's shoulder, trying to make his tone gentler.

"You are my right-hand man. If I ascend the throne in the future, your power will rise steadily as well, placing you above tens of thousands. I simply do not want you to make meaningless mistakes now and delay your future. Do you understand?"

Joshua's heart grew warm, and the last traces of dissatisfaction and resentment vanished. He nodded even more eagerly, practically wishing he could swear undying loyalty on the spot.

But at that moment, the outward-opening window was forcibly pushed inward.

"Was that the wind?"

Both Stelly and Joshua turned their heads to look. The latter suddenly jolted. "No!"

Immediately afterward, a pitch-black figure darted inside. A gleam flashed across the short-handled dagger in his hand, and scenes of terror instantly flooded into the two men's minds.

Stelly's and Joshua's pupils abruptly widened. They dropped to their knees, falling into terror.

"Bernal Joshua..." Duen strode quickly over to the two men. "And... Outlook Stelly."

Earlier, he had avoided the military police, used Geppo all the way to the third floor, and clung to the wall beside the window for quite some time, hearing every word of their conversation in the study. Only then had he rushed in and instantly activated the Nightmare Fruit's power to control them.

Without the slightest hesitation, Duen covered Joshua's mouth and drove the dagger straight into his throat.

The intense pain instantly restored Joshua's consciousness, but with Duen's hand covering his mouth, he could only make muffled sounds. Blood continuously bubbled from his throat as his hands struggled weakly.

This noble, who had always relied on his status to commit evil deeds, had never imagined that he would die this way. In the end, filled with boundless attachment to life and unwillingness to accept his fate, his head drooped as he died on his knees.

Duen released him, allowing Joshua's body to collapse at his feet. Then he glanced at Stelly, who was still caught in the mental shock.

Stelly's appearance had altered Duen's original plan somewhat, but perhaps this was even better. As someone close to the princess, Stelly carried greater weight. Making him an eyewitness would save a great deal of trouble.

The two Nightmares on Duen's dagger flew along his arm and into his eyes, turning into crimson rings that drifted around his pupils.

Seeing the vague human image forming in Stelly's pupils, Duen curled his lips slightly. Before leaving, he needed to make Joshua's death seem more reasonable.

About three seconds later, Stelly regained consciousness. The terrifying scenes in his mind were rapidly forgotten like a dream upon waking. Looking at the red-nosed man before him, he was filled with uncertainty. When the corner of his eye caught Joshua lying in a pool of blood, he sucked in a sharp breath.

This young master, who had never seen a dead person before, tried desperately to restrain the fear in his heart. At last, he rationally lowered his voice. "Who exactly are you?"

"Buggy the Clown."

"You're a pirate?" Countless pieces of information rapidly collided in Stelly's mind.

"Yes... I'm a law-abiding pirate."

"Why did you kill Bernal?" Stelly asked in a low voice.

"Someone merely hired me to do this. Of course, my task has now been completed..."

Duen smiled at Stelly, but in the latter's eyes, that smile appeared incomparably sinister.

Did they deliberately choose to kill Bernal during the old king's assessment of me...? Who exactly is behind all this? Is it those royal family members who oppose my inheritance of the throne?

In the space of a moment, thoughts raced through Stelly's mind. Yet cold sweat instinctively covered his face as he said, "Then why didn't you kill me... It must be because they do not dare let me die. If I were killed, this matter would spiral into something impossible to predict. Even those people would not dare take such a risk. That is why they chose that fool Bernal, who was closely associated with me."

He stared at Duen, trying to find a clue in his expression.

Duen silently nodded to himself at Stelly's rich imagination. As expected, for politicians and ambitious men, battling wits with thin air was one of the essential skills.

He put on a sinister smile. "That, I do not know... However, my purpose is to tell you that if you can give me the reward I want, you can also work with me and send your enemies to hell."

So that is why he revealed his identity. As expected... a foolish, greedy pirate, just like Brother Sabo, who ran away from home six years ago. Hopelessly stupid!

Even in such danger, Stelly could not help feeling a surge of contempt. But before he could speak, a heavy chop struck the back of his neck. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

"That is enough of a hint..."

Duen withdrew the Nightmares from his pupils, his expression returning to normal. He locked the study door, then extinguished the lights.

Returning to the window, he looked back once, closed it, then used Geppo and swiftly departed.