Chapter 516: Chapter 489: Marriage Alliance

After nearly two years of expansion, the permanent population of the Wubei Territory now exceeded two hundred thousand.

And as Ronin’s influence grew, coupled with the external reputations of men like Elron and Ridder, as well as Bellora’s endorsement, more and more talented people were thinking of coming to the Wubei Territory to seek opportunities.

By now, it was no longer like Mountain Forest Town in the beginning, where it was a struggle to even find someone who could read.

If Ronin needed it, assembling a team of one hundred clerks was no problem at all.

As a result, many new faces Ronin didn’t recognize had appeared among the officials and Knights.

He took advantage of his stay in the Wubei Territory to do a whirlwind tour, getting to know these newcomers, inspecting the territory’s major industries, and providing guidance for their future development.

In the process, Ronin also realized that his energy was limited; it was impossible for him to grasp every single detail.

Once the scale grew to a certain point, his job was to steer the direction of development.

Therefore, he decided to hold a large-scale territorial conference annually from now on. For now, attendance would be limited to each city’s Governor, Knight Commander, and key officials.

The conference would serve to report on the territory’s operational status and to facilitate the creation and implementation of new policies.

After staying in the Wubei Territory for a few days, Ronin returned to Moonlight Castle. Blanche, who had gone to the Golden Feather Palace, was already back.

"How did it go? What did His Majesty say?"

Blanche had a smile on her face, looking as if there was good news.

"Father couldn’t stop praising you!"

She said with a laugh, "He said that being able to marry a man like you is my blessing, and that I should cherish it and have a child for you soon to continue the Wushan Clan’s bloodline."

Ronin threw up his hands in mock exasperation. "Haven’t we been working on that? There’s just been no news yet. But Blanche, I’ve noticed you’ve gotten mischievous. You know that’s not what I was asking about."

"Hehe."

Smiling, Blanche sat in Ronin’s lap. "His Majesty agreed. He said you are the strongest in the Oduin Kingdom and have also slain two enemy generals for the Kingdom. With such outstanding military achievements, being promoted to Duke won’t be difficult."

Ronin nodded slightly. "From your tone, I gather there’s a ’but’?"

"Yes!"

Blanche sighed. "Father said he’ll discuss the matter of ennoblement with you in detail after you arrive at Mist Castle. I tried to get him to tell me what it involves, but he wouldn’t."

Dukes were certainly a different breed. Most who reached that position were people close to the Royal Family, such as the King’s brothers.

Take Andrea of the Villa Duchy. Although he wasn’t from the Royal Family, his spouse was His Majesty the King’s paternal aunt. It was only through years of bloody battles, the efforts of several generations, and the support of His Majesty Klinsmann that he finally ascended to the position of Duke.

Ronin now basically met all the conditions: marriage into the Royal Family, military victories, accumulation of wealth, and personal power to back it all up.

However, this didn’t mean Bruno would simply grant the title of Duke to Ronin without any strings attached. He would certainly want to discuss some terms of cooperation.

In the end, it was all a matter of interests.

"You’ve worked hard." Ronin wrapped his arm around Blanche’s waist and smiled, stroking her hair.

"It was no trouble at all. Carlos is so much faster than a Griffin. I could make several round trips from Moonlight Valley to Golden Feather City in a single day."

"He is an Eighth-level Magical Beast, after all. How could a Griffin compare?"

Speaking of which, Ronin had accumulated over twenty thousand Energy Essences, enough to raise Carlos to the Ninth Level.

However, during the battle for Mist City, he had seen the limitations of a Giant Dragon. After some thought, he decided it was more important to have another Legendary Level expert on his side first.

According to Sophia, the leap from Proud Sun to Legendary was a qualitative one.

It was often said that three Silver Moon Knights had a chance of defeating one Proud Sun Knight, but three Proud Sun Knights could absolutely not win against a single Legendary Knight.

Besides, with Carlos’s current strength, he was more than enough for siege warfare.

Therefore, Ronin decided to use the twenty-thousand-plus Energy Essences on Ridder first.

After an intimate moment with Blanche, Ronin went to find Carlos.

There were unlikely to be any siege battles in the short term, and Ronin no longer relied on the Giant Dragon for travel. With the Wind Shadow Skill, his own speed was nothing to scoff at.

So, he had Carlos return to the Wubei Territory to help Simon with welding—oh, no, with making rails.

With a Giant Dragon’s ability to control Flame, the railway project between Swamp Town and Wubei City would surely be completed sooner.

As a formerly imprisoned and withdrawn Giant Dragon, Carlos didn’t mind this arrangement at all. In fact, he threw himself into this creative work with tireless enthusiasm.

Soon, the end of the month arrived. As arranged by Bruno, a victory banquet for the frontline soldiers would be held in Mist Castle.

Ronin arrived at Mist Castle a day early with Blanche.

Not many nobles came to Mist City this time; it was mostly the major and minor nobles who had participated in the war.

It was worth noting that Ronin did not see Garrett anywhere in Mist Castle.

He learned from Blanche that the Crown Prince had already gone to the Ferrensburg Duchy to help his uncle, Ference, fight against the Balaton Duchy.

’This was probably a decision Bruno made after Garrett disobeyed his orders,’ Ronin thought, ’but on the surface, it doesn’t seem to damage Garrett’s reputation at all.’

After all, the battle for Mist Castle had just ended, and he had immediately rushed off to a new battlefield. To the public, it could easily be framed as him campaigning tirelessly for the Kingdom.

And those who knew the inside story were unlikely to publicize Garrett’s little affair.

"Haha, Ronin, over here!"

As the border Commander, Gushan had been tasked with hosting the banquet now that Bruno had arrived.

"Most of the nobles have arrived. Your grandfather is in the main hall chatting. We were just waiting for you!"

As he spoke, he also greeted Blanche, who was standing to the side.

"I thought I was early, but it turns out I’m the last to arrive."

Ronin laughed. "It seems everyone is very interested in this victory banquet."

When Ronin entered the main hall, all eyes immediately turned to him. Even Lurans nodded in pleased approval.

This place held painful memories for him. If not to witness his grandson’s moment of glory, he would have been very reluctant to come here.

After a brief reunion, Ronin received an invitation from His Majesty the King.

But just as he was about to go, Lurans found him.

"I never would have thought... In just a single campaign, your achievements have already surpassed what I accomplished in most of my life!"

Lurans clapped Ronin on the shoulder as the two of them strolled across the lawn.

"His Majesty is summoning you about the promotion, isn’t he?"

Ronin nodded and explained that he had sent Blanche to the Golden Feather Palace.

Hearing this, Lurans’s eyes filled with gratification. There were fewer and fewer things he could advise Ronin on now.

"I was going to give you some advice, but it seems there’s not much you need to be reminded of. However, there is one thing..."

He paused. "During the negotiations, even though he is the King and your father-in-law, you must stand firm on the things you need to stand firm on."

Lurans said with a smile, "In the more than two hundred years since the Oduin Kingdom was founded, there has never been a Proud Sun Knight, let alone the fact that you also have Ridder, another Proud Sun Knight, under your command. That is your capital, and that is your leverage."

"Don’t worry, Grandfather."

’I know Grandfather is worried I’ll be constrained by certain things,’ Ronin thought. ’After all, both of us harbor the ambition of one day seeing the Wushan name attached to the title of King.’

"By the way, the Black Jade Clan approached me recently about Bretton and William’s daughter, Lilith. Both Wiggin and Dianey think it’s a good idea. What are your thoughts?"

Ronin was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected William to move so quickly.

He thought for a moment and said, "The Black Jade Clan has a deep foundation. They not only control the Black Jade Ore but also possess unique forging techniques. With Viscount Willis’s death in battle, their clan has lost its pillar of support and will inevitably be coveted by outsiders. A marriage alliance between the Wushan and Black Jade clans would be mutually beneficial."

"I’ve also met that girl, Lilith. Her talent in Magic is indeed impressive, so she’s a worthy match for Bretton."

Lurans smiled. "So, you approve as well?"

Ronin nodded slightly. "I have no objections, but the most important thing is Bretton’s opinion. If he also agrees..."

"Haha, he’ll go along with whatever we arrange."

Lurans chuckled. "That boy Bretton is quite straightforward, not like you with all your schemes."

Ronin couldn’t help but smile wryly. "Why does that sound like you’re speaking ill of me? Am I not honest?"

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