Game World: I Can Share Talents

Chapter 107: The Shadow Flame Duke is an Honest Man After All

Westheid’s guess was correct. The next day, he heard from Yolanda that Reiya had left the Imperial Capital.

Upon her return, the Fourth Princess completed her deployments with incredible speed, petitioned to guard the border, and then left the Imperial Capital.

None of this was delayed in the slightest; she had used her Royal Family privileges to forcefully push it all through.

This caused a bit of a stir in the court of the Holy Tree Palace. After all, Reiya... was simply too special.

She was the Demigod scion personally chosen by the Divine Ancestor. Even though she had refused, who knew if the Radiant Holy Tree might have a whim and ask again? Besides, who said that refusing the position of Demigod meant she couldn’t compete for the Imperial throne?

Reiya’s sudden proactive attitude made the nobles of the Imperial Capital suspect the Fourth Princess might have designs on the throne.

Only Westheid knew why Reiya had left so decisively.

’The Silver-haired Princess is probably savoring her wonderful first experience every second of the day. If she didn’t get away from me soon, she probably wouldn’t be able to resist turning back to ruthlessly drain me dry again.’

’Just thinking about it is terrifying.’

After Reiya left, the other Branches of Prosperity also departed the Imperial Capital one after another, returning to their own territories.

Luyetan left Rozana behind to serve Duke Qinghui. At the same time, she gave Westheid a terrifyingly vast amount of wealth to command.

The wealth of the Yuanshi Territory was incomparable to that of the Qinghui Territory. Even if he borrowed from the Imperial Central Bank, he could never have secured such an astronomical sum.

The Shadow Flame Duke departed even before Luyetan. This elder among the Branches of Prosperity did not come to negotiate with Westheid in person as Luyetan had, but instead sent a direct and clear reply.

Friends of the Oath shall watch over one another.

I shall dispatch men to accompany you before Duke Qinghui’s departure at the end of the month, to assist you in reclaiming your homeland.

There was no mention of compensation at all. It seemed to be unconditional aid. And from the looks of it, was the Shadow Flame Duke planning to send troops directly?

This was something even Luyetan couldn’t do. To dispatch his trusted forces from his own territory to fight a reclamation war against Chaos would almost certainly result in heavy losses.

This was equivalent to him taking a huge loss just to help Westheid.

’The Shadow Flame Duke... what an honest man!’

Moved, Westheid began working nonstop on the preparations to return to the Qinghui Territory.

The specifics were just: buy, buy, buy. Supplies, vehicles, food, warships, weapons, and armaments—he bought them all in huge quantities. After all, Yuanxi Palace was footing the bill for everything!

With such lavish spending, everyone in the Imperial Capital knew Duke Qinghui intended to wipe away his past disgrace. And thanks to the publicity during this time, Westheid’s public image had greatly improved.

Therefore, everyone greatly admired Duke Qinghui’s spirit, but almost no noble was willing to make a large investment in the matter of retaking the Qinghui Territory.

It all came down to the same thing: the risk was simply too great, and any investment was almost guaranteed to be a total loss.

"Forget it. It’s not like I ever expected anything from those short-sighted fools anyway."

Early one morning, Westheid stood naked before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his bedroom, lightly sipping a cold morning drink. At his feet knelt a voluptuous, mature Half-Elf beauty.

Rozana gazed at the man with an infatuated look. Her condition was relatively stable; she didn’t rush forward to rape Duke Qinghui.

Or rather, she had indeed tried to, but the result was that she was thoroughly ravaged in return, conquered from body to soul.

Wiping the residue from the corner of her lips with a slender, pale finger, the Half-Elf Maid reported:

"Duke Qinghui, the purchased and stockpiled supplies have all been loaded onto the Floating Battleships. They are expected to arrive in the Imperial Capital by the end of the month."

"Floating Battleships... If cost is no object, what’s the maximum number we can buy?"

Rozana replied, "Floating Battleships are strategic weapons in high demand. Even using the authority of both you and Yuanxi Palace as two Branches of Prosperity, the most you could purchase is two Blazing Flame-class warships. There are thirteen civilian transport ships available to rent or buy, but their neutered performance can’t even be compared to a warship’s."

"Tsk, tsk. So we’re being bottlenecked," Westheid said with a shake of his head and a laugh.

Floating Battleships were a specialty of the Celestial Vault Kingdom. Only the Celestial Vault Kingdom possessed the manufacturing technology; even the Imperial, which had maxed out its imitation industry, couldn’t reverse-engineer the secrets of the Floating Battleships.

Although the Imperial had repeatedly called for the Celestial Vault Kingdom to open up its source technology and not let selfish desires affect the development of the Mortal Realm, the arrogant Celestial Vault People completely ignored these calls.

’Their production capacity for foreign trade was what it was, the price was what it was, take it or leave it!’

As a result, Floating Battleships were an extremely scarce resource within the Imperial as well, essentially monopolized by the Imperial Central Army. Other Lords who wanted to obtain a Floating Battleship had to see if they were qualified.

Even the Branches of Prosperity, who had the duty of guarding the frontiers, could only possess a few Floating Battleships. It was already quite an achievement for the Yuanshi Territory to procure two.

’I can’t say much about it. I’ll just have to wait until I go to the Celestial Vault Kingdom in the future and bring the price of Floating Battleships way down for my people!’

He sighed and said:

"Help me get dressed. I’m preparing to go out."

Rozana immediately stood up to serve him. Ever since she was sent over by Luyetan, she had taken over some of Yolanda’s duties, becoming the professional maid for "personal care."

"Are you planning to find some lady for your amusement again today? You lecherous Duke Qinghui?"

Westheid glanced at the Half-Elf Maid, then extended a finger and tapped it on the green-haired beauty’s delicate collarbone.

"Rozana, you’re sounding a little disrespectful again. It seems your education is still incomplete. In that case, perhaps I can spend a little more time today teaching you what respect means."

The moment the man’s finger touched her fair skin, Rozana froze completely, as if a memory she couldn’t bear to recall had been awakened. Her delicate body trembling, she knelt and kissed Westheid’s toes.

"No, no... I wouldn’t dare. Please, forgive me."

Westheid looked down at the trembling, kneeling Rozana and felt a wave of satisfaction.

’I’ve really built up my confidence by dominating weaker opponents lately. It goes without saying for the ordinary, delicate noblewomen, but now even Rozana, who could have been considered my equal before, is no match for me at all.’

’With just a few simple tricks, I’ve thoroughly imprinted the mark of Westheid upon the cold and beautiful Miss Half-Elf Maid, making her tremble at my slightest glance or touch.’

In Rozana’s own words, she never wanted to experience that "despairing pleasure" again.

’Yes, yes. This is how it should be.’

’Ruin! Conquer! Dominate!’

Westheid finally had the feeling that "he had truly gotten stronger."

’So what? It turns out it wasn’t my problem after all. Reiya was just special. Well, that’s fine then.’

「Half an hour later.」

Feeling refreshed, Westheid walked out of the bedroom and called for Yolanda to join him in the carriage heading to the Holy Tree Palace.

The platinum-blonde girl sat primly beside the Patriarch, paying no mind to the faint, strange smell on Westheid, and asked:

"Brother, do you have an appointment with someone at the Holy Tree Palace?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Is it with His Royal Highness Regent King?"

Westheid raised an eyebrow. "Why are you always so concerned with that damn Regent King? I have an appointment with Rafati."

Yolanda was taken aback. "Rafati... that Yonglan Knight? Why are you looking for him?"

Westheid laughed. "Isn’t it obvious? To obtain the complete Knight Path, of course."