novelraw Chapter 278 - 277 - Clever Prince
Chapter 278 - 277 - Clever Prince
Lysanna seemed nervous but before Lind addressed her, he glanced to a corner of his office near the door and his left bookshelf. He stared at it until a faint orange shimmer revealed a frustrated Wyndam.
His hair was a much darker blue than his sister's but he had the same slim form. Anyone that thought he was weak, however, would be rudely surprised. His muscles were highly efficient and flexible. Rather than bulking up, his muscles seemed to simply become more dense.
His robes were a faded orange in color to represent his harmony but the golden Moebius strip on his right breast showed he was a core disciple of the sect.
"You can still see me?" His voice was rather deep for his frame but Lind only nodded before motioning the seat open next to his sister. Lysanna looked peeved at him but felt Lind would have dismissed her brother if he wanted him gone.
"You came in after the seal was released. You also likely know most of what happened at this meeting if I know you at all." Wyndam's smiling face became serious as he nodded.
"Father reached out to me to ask what I have seen but I refrained as that would be a violation of your trust." Wyndam took his oaths very seriously. Lind never asked for his loyalty but the joy the boy found in studying Arts and creating them made him swear an oath of discretion essentially.
Those discoveries he made while in the sect were for the sect until such time as Lind deemed them safe or free to distribute. Thus far, safety had not been an issue, so much as making sure results could be replicated.
"I thank you for that. Let me get you up to speed." Lind relayed most of what was discussed. At the part about Lysanna saying Lind already proposed due to panicking, he stared very hard at his sister which made her stick her tongue out at him.
"You really love him, don't you?" Wyndam's serious voice caught Lind off guard as he looked on. Lysanna suddenly looked away from them both, but it was not the time to delve away from the main topic.
"Regardless, you now know our issues. While I have some confidence in running a sect, my only experience running a kingdom was destroying it." His words took the teasing atmosphere out of the room. The story of what Lind did to Altair was now widely known and somewhat exaggerated.
Lind now single handedly brought it down instead of his connections and the Shadow Sect lending him strength. It was impossible to not have some parts exaggerated as it came down fairly quickly from when he arrived in the capital but there was more to his journey than that.
The 100 women that followed him were now all in Diamond Tier and followed his wives to the Floating Isles per his instruction. Reya was the most displeased about that but knew Lind would be making a journey soon where a large group would only paint a target.
"Ahem, yes, well Master Frey, there are several options. One of which, of course, is accepting my sister's feelings and becoming engaged." The small smirk on Wyndam's face was very punchable at that moment to Lind. Seeing he was not amused, the boy moved on. "The next thing is to explain to Father and Mother the truth. Lysanna has confessed and you are moving forward to see where those feelings go."
Lind did not much like that either but held up the scroll.
"In the normal course of events, not an issue, but this proposal changes things. I can tell by looking it over that several months went into it. Do you know anything about it?" Wyndam looked a little guilty but nodded. Lysanna whipped her head at him in anger but Lind held up his hand.
"I did not know it had progressed this far, but I knew Vell was smitten with my sister. He had been trying to get my help to get her attention and I honestly told him she liked someone else. My refusal to say who irritated him, but I thought he knew how seriously I take such things when asked." Lind nodded and even applauded Wyndam's approach. He did not deny the boy but knew his sister's feelings and relayed them honestly to a possible suitor.
The fact Prince Vell ignored it was not bad, but it showed a lack of concern for Lysanna's opinion on the matter.
"Was he involved with this proposal?" Lind's question got an immediate shake from Wyndam.
"My understanding of him is that all he would care about is Lysanna. He would not have come up with such a reasonable agreement." A palm hit him in the head and Lind smirked as Lysanna was now showing her spirited anger.
"YOU KNEW! You knew that fop was after me and said NOTHING?!" Lind felt calling the young cultivator a fob was a bit much but even he knew that his family liked to preen and strut. The thought made him frown.
"You know something else too or you would not be looking so calm. What is it?" Lind's words gave Lysanna hope but Wyndam first got up and activated the seals once more. He then summoned an artifact to dispel any stealth or formation that could listen in. Lind did not mind it.
He rarely spoke of important things in his office but that was due to it being cleaned by outer disciples as an easy mission if they could get it. While all disciples were taught to treat the sect at their home, it was always possible a spy was simply trying to get information people believed Lind was hiding from the world.
"I looked into those mines. While they were once quite rich, the last decade has seen a steep decline. Further, they have invested heavily into trying to reach even deeper depths but nothing save more stone has been found." Lind frowned deeply. The Seluthir Kingdom was not lying exactly.
There were still ores to get, but the cost of running the mine had exceeded their ability. Further, the revenue from this proposal would alleviate any shortfalls they were looking at in the future.
"Why were you looking into the mines if you did not know about the proposal?" Lysanna was now looking with narrowed eyes at her younger brother but he then pulled out a jade slip for her to examine.
"I do work in the sect and some resource gathering missions have run into issues. I thought it odd as those ores are readily available in Seluthir. I also found a few other issues but they seem seasonal and likely to recover." As one developing 6 elemental Arts, Wyndam would be concerned about resources.
In addition to the cultivator, a weapon, formation plate, or artifact would need to be tested to accept enhancements for such Arts. So a constant flow of ores and so forth would be needed at a large consumption rate.
"There is more. Seluthir has some questionable debt related to those mines I could not figure out. It was not terribly important as I confirmed a source dried up and no threat to us, but now that has changed." Lind agreed.
He examined the slip and saw the reports, interviews, and even evaluations of the local markets. He also saw something disturbing.
"The money flowing from the royal family has not stopped?" If they were in debt, why keep the money flowing to the mines?
"Appearances. They are keeping up normal operations, which is explained by that proposal. They have been targeting Lysanna the whole time. Vell may not actually like her or was guided to like her. He does find her attractive but I am unsure how he actually feels about her for sure." Wyndam spoke his mind and began to pull out another scroll.
"I do know there are several other nobles offered as his future bride. Some are a definitive no for good reasons but there are some that are odd." He laid out the list and 3 names were marked.
Two of them stood out to Lind.
"The twins of Calim?" It was an empire far to the northeast. They were firmly in the Divine Sword Sect but the Calim Empire was a high power. It had emperors consistently in the low to mid Diamond Tier. While there might be some interest in wedding his daughters to a single noble, why Seluthir?
It would be like the first daughter of the President of the USA marrying the son of a mayor for the separation of power comparison. It could happen as both were in government, but it was incredibly unlikely.
The stratum separation was even more strict in the cultivation world outside of miraculous encounters.
"I know, I could see one being on the list just for consideration for honor or something but both?" Lysanna was now in full princess mode. She was as curious as them at such an oddity. The last name was unfamiliar to Lind but both siblings seemed put off by it.
"I am unfamiliar with Tessa Cygnus. Who is she?" Lysanna seemed surprised but Wyndam was not. While the sect had a lot of interaction with local and supreme powers, the middle ground only had envoys or agents sent.
"She is fairly far away which is part of the oddity but they have always had an interest in this area. After all, they are originally from the Demon Empire." Now Lind was truly confused. What were they talking about?
"There is a clan of demons far to the south that emigrated from the Demon Empire to Darkmoor. It happens just as often the other way as I am sure you know. The Cygnus clan is odd for several reasons. Over the centuries they have come to this area but no one knows why." Wyndam spoke of it but Lind also found himself curious.
"Lately, they have been seen closer to Seluthir, even I saw those reports" Lysanna contributed and Lind cast his mind over any requests covering demons. They were rare but Lind had yet to meet a demon of 6 elements.
"There have been requests for special artifacts for demons but only I can Forge them and I am not allowed to yet." Lind's revelation was not a surprise to Wyndam who nodded his head.
"They are all from Cygnus. I just do not know why but it may be the way out of this. Father is unaware of the sudden interest in Seluthir. The Cygnus Clan is very powerful in Darkmoor. The only Clans above them are from the original Covenant.
Lind was truly surprised. Why was such a powerful clan on the fringes of Darkmoor? What were they looking for out there?
"We will start here for the proposal issue. Meanwhile, Lysanna and I need to have a talk, do you mind?" Lind went to undo the seals when he heard the words he should have expected.
"I do not mind at all. I will just sit over there at your desk if that is all right?" The expected smack came and Lind shook his head.
"You too are definitely siblings." He sounded very tired and if their parents could hear, they would have offered Lind a drink of commiseration. Sometimes their children had a little too much energy.