章 74: Chapter 74: The Future Core Power Circle of Rune
Chapter 74: The Future Core Power Circle of Rune
Cheerful's face was filled with terror as he shouted for help, struggling to swim to shore.
Despite his weight, his swimming skills were decent. However, just as he was about to climb ashore, Hastur kicked him back into the lake.
He was annoyed at not finding someone to provoke him, which would help speed up the digestion of his magic potion.
Viscount Cheerful Baron thought he could make a fool of Hastur, but he was sorely mistaken!
Hastur glanced around, lamenting the lack of a handy long weapon, like a bamboo pole or a wooden stick, otherwise, he would have given Viscount Cheerful Baron a taste of what it means to have one's head 'bloom'.
Soon, the commotion attracted nearby nobles.
Seeing someone in the water, they shouted for their servants to dive in and rescue the person.
Hastur stood by the shore, not intervening, until Cheerful was helped up by two servants, one on each side. Only then did Hastur approach, smiled, lifted his right foot, and kicked Cheerful squarely in the chest, sending him back into the lake.
Cheerful tried to curse out loud but ended up swallowing a mouthful of lake water.
The surrounding nobles realized that Cheerful's fall was not an accident but a result of a conflict.
Hastur was quite noticeable among the nobles and was quickly recognized.
The smarter nobles slipped away, not wanting to get involved in the messy situation.
Those nobles friendly with Cheerful shouted, trying to pin a charge of attempting to harm a noble on Hastur.
Audrey and Grelint also arrived nearby. Seeing that it was Hastur causing trouble, Audrey blinked in surprise.
Kicking a viscount into the lake in front of so many nobles was indeed a bold and fearless act.
Tonight's party was organized by the royal family, and even the great nobles had to restrain their temper, at least keeping up appearances of peace.
Grelint hurriedly stepped forward, pulling Hastur away from the scene to prevent him from kicking someone into the lake again.
"That Viscount Cheerful really isn't much, but this is a royal party. It's best not to make a scene, or it could leave a bad impression," Grelint advised Hastur seriously, weighing the pros and cons to prevent any more impulsive actions. Hastur just listened silently, unconcerned.
Even if the speaker had been a prince, Hastur would have kicked him just the same.
He had finally found an opportunity for legitimate self-defense and wasn't going to miss it.
After a while, Cheerful was finally rescued from the lake, coughing up a lot of water, clearly having swallowed quite a bit.
But he didn't dare confront Hastur directly, instead, he glared resentfully at Hastur and left the party early, looking dejected.
Kicking someone isn't dignified, but the person being kicked ends up even more embarrassed.
And soaking wet, staying at the party would only turn him into a laughingstock.
After the minor incident, the party resumed its previous liveliness.
When Grelint and the royal crown prince appeared, it signified the party was halfway through.
"This crown prince is deeply loved and trusted by the king, and he is very likely to become the new king," Grelint whispered softly.
It wasn't just likely; once George III failed to ascend as the Black Emperor, he would become Rune's new king, Covington II.
Hastur pondered this as he watched Grelint and the crown prince engage in friendly conversation. He couldn't help but admire the Nigen family's knack for backing the right horse.
After greeting the surrounding nobles, Grelint led the crown prince towards Hastur.
Grelint quickly straightened his attire, standing tall to appear more spirited and elegant, then took Hastur to greet them.
Grelint introduced, "This is Baron Hastur Campbell, the last heir of the Campbell family. This time, he helped the police solve the Sunrise Charity House case. He's also a good friend of mine."
The crown prince smiled and said, "The kingdom needs young and capable nobles like you, full of wisdom and courage."
Hastur exchanged a few pleasantries, and after a brief conversation, the crown prince left first.
Grelint glanced at Grelint, who understood and quietly turned to leave.
"How did Viscount Cheerful offend you tonight?"
"Just a small matter, and he received the punishment he deserved."
Grelint nodded, moving past the incident, and said, "Don't leave after the party ends."
"The king's reward?"
"Yes, the king had the crown prince present it, which clearly shows he thinks highly of you."
Hastur understood the implication; the king had the crown prince present the reward to make Hastur grateful to the crown prince for this favor.
It was indeed a favorable action.
After all, he was young, wise, and courageous, and the Campbell family had once been hereditary earls. His future prospects were indeed very bright.
Only someone as short-sighted and unintelligent as Cheerful would dare to offend him so blatantly.
Grelint didn't stay long, leaving after a few words, but his presence sent a signal to the surrounding nobles.
Hastur Campbell was a good friend of Grelint Nigen, and they had a very close relationship.
With Grelint's deterrence, the nobles who initially wanted to stand up for Cheerful tacitly moved past the incident.
Undisturbed, Hastur held a wine glass and joined Grelint and Audrey's small circle, exchanging pleasantries and blending into their group, quietly waiting for the party to end.
He was curious about what kind of reward the king would give.
It wouldn't be less than 2000 pounds, right?
If it were a direct gift of 10,000 pounds, he would have Grelint help invest it in stocks to make a profit first.
With Grelint and Audrey present, Hastur displayed the elegance and propriety expected of a noble, especially during casual conversations, always leaving a deep impression on each interlocutor.
Especially the young ladies who were not yet married, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity when they looked at him.
Curiosity is the beginning of downfall.
Fortunately, Hastur wasn't like Grelint. As soon as he sensed such a trend, he promptly stopped exuding charm to avoid truly being disturbed by these noble young ladies in his peaceful life.
After eleven, the nobles attending the party began to leave one after another. Grelint wanted to leave with Hastur but ended up leaving alone, enviously.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, a servant soon came to Hastur's side, leading him into the private space inside the manor.
The crown prince, Grelint, and Hibert were already sitting on the sofa, chatting.
This was the future core power circle of the Rune Kingdom.
Grelint represented the Nigen family, and Hibert was backed by Earl Holbert. Both were current heavyweights of the Rune Kingdom, nobles with power and wealth.
Hastur just scanned the room and naturally walked over, greeting each person.
In the future, he believed he would also enter the most central power circle of the Rune Kingdom.
After chatting for a while, the crown prince had someone bring over a yellow-brown box and placed it in front of Hastur, "This is a reward for courage and wisdom."
…
After the party, in the carriage.
Hastur placed the yellow box on his lap and slowly opened it.
With so many people around earlier, he was too embarrassed to open it in front of the crown prince.
He had to contain his curiosity, and now he could finally take a peek.
Inside the box lay three papers… precisely, three land deeds.
One of the deeds was for a large house in the Queen's District, originally belonging to the Campbell family but gambled away by Voltaire.
The other two deeds were for noble lands in South Wilshire, totaling about 1000 acres.
That's roughly 400 hectares.
Compared to a real noble's land, 1000 acres is about one-sixth of an earl's standard land.
This had to be mentioned about Voltaire, the talent who divided his land into fifteen parts, that is, fifteen land deeds, each roughly the same size.
Normally, a noble's land cannot be sold or gambled without the king's permission.
But Voltaire had his ways. He didn't directly say it was a bet, nor did he sell it to anyone. He just had the nobles with the deeds manage the land on his behalf.
The output and taxes from the land were the fees for managing it.
Hastur silently put away the deeds, placed them back in the box, and closed it.
Unfortunately, the king didn't give him a choice, or he would have chosen the equivalent in pounds.
With the repeal of the Corn Laws, the nobles' lands would become increasingly worthless, and the economic output from the lands would also significantly decrease.
He could have taken a large sum of pounds, made a profit in the stock market, and then bought a large amount of land that had become cheap.
That would have been a significant difference in pounds.
Fortunately, the house in the Queen's District was still nice, and living there was safer than in the West District.
As for the lands, he had no intention of managing them for now.
And they were far away in South Wilshire; he didn't have the time to visit.
He could only have Neil, the butler, send someone to investigate first, and consider other matters later.
…
Hall of Stars.
Fifteen days passed, and Hastur appeared as the Master of Stars, extending two chains of order, summoning the Lamp God and the Mother Tree of Desire.
(End of the chapter)
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