"That unfilial son offered my Joanne to those ruthless killers!"
Duke Bradley tearfully denounced his second son, Lemoster.
Lemoster showed an interest in power from a young age, but after a long period of observation, Duke Bradley believed that the boy's abilities did not match his passion for power, not to mention that he had an older brother.
Duke Bradley had made it clear to his second son early on that as long as his Joanne remained unharmed, Lemoster would not be entitled to the dukedom.
Unexpectedly, as if by design, Lemoster orchestrated an accident: Joanne died in a duel with the orcs, and Lemoster showed utter subservience to the orcs, allowing these barbarian tribes to squander the legacy passed down through generations of the Bradley Family.
"I regret it so much! I really regret my stupid decision!" Duke Bradley stamped his feet in remorse and cried out in anguish, "I shouldn't have spent so much money to ransom this guy after he was captured by the Kingdom Army. I should have just let this beast rot in the prison."
At this point, Duke Bradley's eyes suddenly widened, and he lunged forward, grabbing Paul's arm tightly. "You're also responsible! Why did you let him go back? Why did you send this devil back to wreak havoc on us?"
Paul gave a cold snort and unceremoniously shoved Bradley aside, letting him fall backward toward the floor. Bradley's servant rushed forward and stopped the duke from hitting the back of his head on the ground.
"Duke, you need to understand, this is the fine son you raised yourself! Shouldn't you look for the reasons within yourself for his behavior?"
Duke Bradley moved his lips, as if trying to defend himself.
But Paul was already tired of his performance.
"Listen, Antigone Bradley, you need to understand your situation—you're still a traitor! I don't care about the mess in your family; I only care about one thing: whether you can help me here—help me defeat the orcs!"
"Of course I can help you!" Duke Bradley seemed to have calmed down a bit.
"Don't forget, I've always been the Duke of Yellow Earth Land, and I have many loyal followers there. That brat Lemoster has only been on the throne for a few days! Glaeman, if you're willing to help me get revenge, kill that bastard Lemoster, and... help me reclaim the Bradley Family's territory, I'll contact them and have them act as inside agents for the army."
Duke Bradley's delusional words almost made Paul laugh; he was even dreaming of using the Northwest Legion's power to reclaim his territory.
In the future, I will definitely go to war with the orcs, but one thing is certain: no matter what, Yellow Earth Land will no longer be named after Bradley!
Paul neither immediately agreed nor immediately rejected the Duke's words, leaving the Duke with some hope that he might be more motivated to cooperate.
He began, "Alright, Duke Bradley! You can stay here for now, calm your mind and settle your emotions. If you have anything to say, write it down first, and we will study every word you write. But…"
Paul's eyes suddenly turned icy. "If I really need your help and you can't offer any valuable assistance, then I will definitely follow the rules."
Without waiting for Duke Bradley's reply, he led Duke out of the room.
After walking a little further away, he looked at Duke: "My dear Earl, do you like the gift I brought you?"
In the latter part of the match, although Duke's eyes were still blazing with anger, he remained silent, letting Duke Bradley shout as he pleased.
Upon hearing Paul's words, the Duke's weathered face froze for a moment: "You mean Antigone Bradley? That is indeed a fine gift, thank you, Marquis Glaeman, but I would like to make a presumptuous request: please allow me to dispose of this precious gift as I see fit."
Paul, as if he had anticipated Paul's words, joked, "Traditionally, the fate of nobles of earldom and above is decided by His Majesty the King."
"To hell with tradition!" Duke said bitterly. "Right now, all I want to do is cut Antigone Bradley's flesh piece by piece with a knife and watch this traitor fall into hell in agony and screams! Wait..."
He suddenly looked at Paul and said, " Marquis, if Bradley can indeed help you, would you forgive his sinful life for that?"
"Rest assured, Earl," Paul replied solemnly. " Watchers Fortress, Nerodan Corridor, Yellow Earth Land —the kingdom's army and people have suffered undeservedly because of this man. No matter what kind of atonement Bradley can make, he cannot erase the crimes he has committed."
Duke's face showed gratitude. "You have upheld justice and righteousness. The great Heavenly Father will bless you."
He added with some doubt, "Actually, I don't quite understand why Bradley seems to hate his second son, Lemoster, so much! If I had experienced what he went through, grief would have been my only emotion for a while."
"I have a guess!" Paul said. "Perhaps lashing out at Lemoster would lessen Bradley's guilt."
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Duke looked at him: "What does this mean?"
Paul explained with a cold laugh, "Before the orcs invaded the northeast of the kingdom, Duke Bradley was the undisputed ruler of Yellow Earth Land. Wasn't it his own decision to invite the orc army into Aldor? No matter how unsatisfactory the situation became afterward, he is the culprit who caused this situation today!"
"His performance in front of us today greatly downplayed his role as the mastermind, focusing instead on the betrayal of his second son, Lemoster, and portraying himself as a pitiful old man who suffered a great upheaval in his family."
Duke wholeheartedly agreed with Paul, "Now that you mention it, it's definitely possible, and very likely! That cunning fellow."
"But I also find it strange," Paul asked. "He only has two sons, the eldest of whom has been killed, leaving only Lemoster alive. Now he wants us to kill Lemoster. Isn't he afraid of dying out his own line?"
Duke sneered, "Do you think a nobleman like Bradley would only have one woman? Let me tell you, his bloodline among the common people could form a whole company!"