In mid-September, the harvest month is held as scheduled.
This was the second grandest celebration in the Starry Principality after the New Year.
At this time, all noble lands hold celebrations to celebrate the year's harvest and pray for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
Since the beginning of the month, caravans and foreign travelers have been arriving in Shining City one after another.
By the time of the harvest celebration, Shining City was bustling with people, filled with a lively festive atmosphere.
In the shining castle and the banquet hall decorated with lanterns and decorations, invited guests drink and chat, laughter filling the air.
In the corner of the hall, a group of young men and women gathered together, enjoying delicious food while lively gossip.
"I heard Count Storm is still unconscious. His sons are fighting so hard they're fighting for the title, almost to the point of losing their brains."
"That's normal. After all, that's the title of Earl. If it were me, I'd definitely fight desperately for it."
"It's said that the Count of Storm's wife even hired a wizard to treat him. Tsk tsk, I didn't expect the legendary wizard to actually exist."
"Heh, they're just a bunch of pretentious guys, only knowing some tricks like juggling, no different from those acrobatics magicians in circuses. I've heard about this too—that so-called wizard couldn't cure Count Storm's illness at all, and was later killed by Count Storm's second son with a single sword."
The legend of the wizard has a considerable market among the upper class.
As the topic unfolded, many people showed interest, raising their glasses and joining the conversation.
"Speaking of which, it seems Blackstone City also produced a wizard."
"You're talking about Su Nan, the second son of the previous Flash Baron, right? I heard Blackstone City has developed to this extent because of his efforts behind the scenes."
"Really?"
Back when the brothers Kai and Su Nan were driven out of Flash City and exiled to Blackstone City in disguise, almost no one believed in this pair of brothers in distress.
After all, Blackstone City is located on the border of Jinyan Province, with an inconvenient geographical location, and the Black-scaled Lizard Men nearby are a major threat, making its development potential pitifully low.
With a handful of bad cards in hand, the two brothers simply couldn't possibly be a match for the current Shining Baron.
Once Owen finished integrating the territory's forces, he would have free hands to deal with them.
In everyone's eyes, the two brothers were almost no different from the dead.
But what followed took a dramatic turn, far beyond many people's expectations.
Not only did Blackstone City reopen the Blackstone mining area and earn a steady stream of gold coins, but it also wiped out the Black-scaled Lizard people in one fell swoop.
Today, anyone can see the thriving and thriving development potential of Blackstone City.
If Blackstone City continues to develop, in a few years it might become one of the top cities in Jinyan Province.
Many people are investigating the reasons behind the changes in Blackstone City.
Hearing that it might be related to southern Jiangsu, many present were half convinced and half skeptical.
After all, Su Nan's shy and introverted personality was no secret in aristocratic circles. Compared to his gifted older brother, the difference was huge.
No matter how you look at it, such a person could never be the mastermind behind the changes in Blackstone City.
"Wizards and all that talk are nonsense."
A young man snorted disdainfully.
"Su Nan is just a useless person who can't even cultivate breathing techniques. What great things could someone like that possibly accomplish?"
"Blackstone City is just a bit lucky; it can't really become a threat. Without Lord Owen taking action, my father can easily deal with them."
Someone recognized the young man speaking as the son of Lord Zoff, who had first sided with Owen, and smiled without arguing.
The conversation quickly shifted to other topics.
Although Blackrock City has been in the spotlight lately, as Lord Zoff's son said, no one believes Blackrock can stand against Baron Owen, who controls almost the entire Flash Territory.
Even without Baron Owen's elite cavalry regiment deploying, any one of the three lords would have the strength to deal with Blackstone City.
Meanwhile.
In the council chamber, Owen and the three lords sat facing each other.
"My two nephews are truly astonishing. They've quietly built up such a formidable force. It seems I underestimated them."
Owen gently swirled the wine in his glass, the crimson liquid gleaming alluringly under the lamplight.
"If we let them continue to grow unchecked—reopening the Blackrock mines, eradicating the Blackscale Lizardmen, and forming a cavalry regiment—they might actually become powerful enough to rival me."
"You flatter me, sir. Forming a cavalry regiment is no easy feat. Even if Blackrock City had enough gold, they wouldn't have the means to purchase enough warhorses. Forming a cavalry regiment is ultimately just wishful thinking," said
the tall, burly Zolf in a low voice.
His breathing technique emphasized physical strength, making him exceptionally robust, nearly two meters tall.
When the previous Baron of Light was still alive, Zolf was a renowned warrior; his reputation only grew after recently breaking through to become a peak knight.
"That's right, training cavalry is a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. Even if Blackrock City could raise a cavalry regiment in such a short time, its combat strength would be very limited and nothing to fear,"
Devon said with a smile, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
If a cavalry regiment were so easy to form, he would have done it himself long ago.
These two immature kids, with a little money, are already dreaming big, truly unaware of their own limitations.
Seeing his two colleagues speak up, Norwood also chimed in with a few words of agreement.
Owen narrowed his eyes and took a sip of wine.
Unlike Zolf and the other two, who were only speculating based on rumors, he had concrete intelligence proving that Blackrock City had tamed a new type of mount, which seemed to possess a certain combat capability.
Blackrock City had formed its cavalry regiment around this new mount.
According to scouts, Blackrock City suffered very few losses in the battle to exterminate the Blackscale Lizardmen.
This was very likely due to this cavalry regiment.
In that case, this cavalry regiment should not be underestimated.
Given time, it might really develop into an elite army.
Thinking of this, Owen felt a surge of anxiety welling up inside him.
He couldn't delay any longer!
It was time to nip the problem in the bud and eliminate the last threat!
Once those brothers were dead, Flashlands would be completely his, and he would no longer have to worry about any unforeseen events!
"What are your thoughts on Blackrock City?" Owen asked calmly.
The three lords present were all cunning and immediately understood Owen's plan.
Zolf spoke first: "If Your Excellency gives the order, I am willing to lead troops to attack Blackrock City."
Devon and Norwood were a step behind, inwardly cursing. This big guy had thick eyebrows and big eyes, but he was incredibly good at flattery, his skin as thick as a city wall. Despite
their inward curses, the two acted quickly, both volunteering for battle.
Seeing the three men's 'loyalty,' Owen smiled with satisfaction and waved his hand, saying, 'Sending troops to attack is out of the question; it's too unseemly. Besides, although Blackrock City's military strength isn't strong, taking it down will still cost us a lot of manpower.'
Zolf and the other two exchanged glances.
Devon hesitated, 'Then what does Your Excellency mean?'
Owen smiled mysteriously and said, 'As long as Kee and Sunan are dead, Blackrock City will naturally return to my hands.'
The three men immediately understood, their expressions showing sudden realization.
Assassination!
This was practically a common skill among nobles.
However, it was generally not advisable to send one's own men for such matters, lest they be caught red-handed.
But if he didn't send his subordinates, from where did Lord Owen plan to hire men?
It was said that Kee had already been promoted to Grand Knight.
Assassinating a Grand Knight was no easy task!
patreon.com/ehsanwilliam