Chapter 64: Kin-Slaying

Evening, the moonlight was hazy.

After experiencing a three-day great cleanup, the Ore Town was now peaceful as never before.

The brothel, which used to be brightly lit all night, was now long empty, leaving only a stretch of darkness.

On the other side, the town dungeon was overcrowded.

The lowest level of the dungeon.

It was damp and cold here, the walls were covered in moss, the floor was paved with black mud, and the air was filled with a rotting and foul stench that was nauseating.

However, unlike the crowded scenes on the other levels of the dungeon, there were only two prisoners on this level—Fran Hughes and Eli Hughes.

"Kalen, you beast! To actually lock your own uncle in a cell!"

"That poisonous woman will sooner or later lead the entire Hughes family into the abyss!"

Fran, who hadn't had a drop of water for three days, still roared with full vigor while gripping the cell door.

After all, although he was already a sixty-year-old man, having long since achieved the rank of Transcendent Knight, he could still hold on after a few days of hunger.

If he were ten or twenty years younger, he could even smash the rusty cell door in front of him with his bare hands.

"Grandpa Fran, can you please stop shouting? I want to sleep for a while..."

Eli, in the next cell, curled his body up on the hay, shivering from the cold as he spoke.

Having been driven out of the castle since childhood without receiving an elite noble education, and with no one to discipline him, he had indulged in women and exhausted his vitality early, only attaining the mortal profession of a Knight Apprentice.

Without a drop of water for three days, not even the black bread that commoners used to fill their stomachs, coupled with the cold and damp environment of the dungeon, his body already felt extremely weak.

If this continued, he feared that in a few days' time, he would be able to go see his unfilial father.

Damn it! If you had behaved yourself back then and not molested the aunt, I might have been a lord by now!

"Sigh." Fran glared with disappointment at Eli, who was shivering and clearly running a fever.

Then he let out a long sigh and stopped roaring.

Although Eli was a typical case of mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall, he did, after all, have the blood of the Hughes family flowing through him, and he was someone he had watched grow up since childhood, so there was some family affection and concern there.

"Kalen that guy is soft-hearted and lacks his own opinions; it is absolutely impossible for him to commit such an outrageous act as imprisoning his uncle and nephew. It must be that woman, Danielle Masha, guiding him from behind."

"How is it that Kalen's last two wives have both been poisonous women? Could it be that there is some strange blessing on this guy?"

After calming down, Fran couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Kalen's previous wife was a maid by origin, who had stubbornly relied on sowing discord to kill Kalen's elder brother and indirectly anger his eldest brother to death.

Fortunately, she died of illness early, but unexpectedly, this eldest daughter of the Masha family whom he remarried was even more ruthless. Now it looked like even he, Kalen's own uncle, was going to be tortured to death.

"However, what exactly is the purpose of that poisonous woman doing this?" Fran's heart became even more puzzled.

He didn't believe that such a ruthless woman would do this for some ethereal justice; it could only be for profit.

But whether it was cleaning up the brothels or the gangs, it would only bring negative benefits!

Brothels were undoubtedly a major pillar for increasing tax revenue; after all, for passing merchants, adventurers, bards, and other travelers, only flirtatious prostitutes or male prostitutes could make them willingly take large amounts of coins out of their purses.

And most of this money would eventually become part of the tax revenue and enter the lord's purse.

As for the gangs, they were even more the black gloves of the nobles; after all, a qualified lord should always be great, bright, and upright, at least on the surface there shouldn't be any darkness.

This was also why he had supported Eli to unify the brothels and gangs within the territory; outsiders were definitely not as reliable as one's own family.

"Is it because she feels threatened for her young son? That's not right either; Kalen alone is enough to slaughter his way through the entire territory."

"Or is the real purpose to get rid of me? But since Haidun Hughes is indeed of my Hughes family bloodline and possesses the blessing of great strength and is gifted, I would definitely support him unconditionally!"

Fran's brows were tightly furrowed. He pondered for a long time, but no matter what, he couldn't figure out the real reason for Danielle doing this.

He made several assumptions, but none of them fit the position.

What kind of benefit could make Danielle go so far as to persuade Kalen to imprison his uncle and nephew?

Tap, tap, tap.

Just at this moment, two sets of footsteps sounded abruptly.

It was Kalen and Danielle; they were carrying an oil lamp as they stepped into the lowest level of the dungeon.

"Kalen, don't listen to that poisonous woman's bewitchment anymore. Stop your radical behavior immediately, or you will drag the entire Black Wolf Territory into the abyss!"

As soon as he saw the people arriving, Fran immediately grabbed the cell door and roared at Kalen.

"Uncle, Aunt, please let me go. I really haven't done anything wrong..."

And Eli, who was about to fall asleep, was also startled awake by the bright light emitted by the oil lamp. He knelt on the ground and begged bitterly.

"Sigh."

Seeing this scene, Kalen's expression became complex; for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

"You unscrupulous poisonous woman, what is your purpose in inciting Kalen to do this!"

Seeing that Kalen didn't answer, Fran sternly questioned Danielle instead.

Even if he were to die, he must be a person who understands; he could not die with his eyes unclosed!

"Hehe, why is Uncle so angry? This is also for the sake of the Hughes family."

Even though she was called a poisonous woman to her face, there was no anger on Danielle's exquisite face; instead, she said with a smiling tone.

"Bullshit! Could closing all the brothels and gangs and cutting off the branches of the Hughes family be of any benefit to the Black Wolf Territory?"

"Are you stupid from reading fairy tales and stories made up by bards!" Fran cursed with a face full of anger.

Seeing this, Danielle walked to the side of the cell door unhurriedly and whispered a few words to Fran.

Afterwards, the anger on Fran's face gradually dissipated, replaced by extreme shock, mixed with a trace of joy; his expression was as complex as a chameleon.

"Kalen, did that Highness really promise that as long as the brothels and gangs in the territory are cleaned up and the evildoers are brought to justice, he is willing to be little Haidun's godfather?"

Fran immediately confirmed with Kalen.

"Yes... That Highness is very kind and would never break his promise," Kalen said hesitantly.

"Hahahaha, one hundred years! My Hughes family has hope for promotion!" After receiving the confirmed answer, Fran looked up to the sky and laughed wildly as if he had gone mad.

"Grandpa Fran, you..." Eli, on the side, looked at this scene in shock. Was this still the old man who had watched him grow up, serious, earnest, and meticulous?

"Danielle Masha, I retract my previous slander and offer you my most sincere apologies and praise—you are definitely the most virtuous and wise wife the Hughes family has had in a hundred years!" Fran praised without stint, his furrowed face full of ecstasy.

Danielle just smiled without saying a word.

This old thing, just a moment ago he was calling her unscrupulous, and now that he knows there is a huge benefit for the Hughes family, he immediately changed his face.

But it's fine; with him here, Kalen won't have to stain his hands with the blood of kin, which might have caused a rift between him and me later on.

"Open the cell door." After the ecstatic expression gradually dissipated, Fran took a deep breath and said with a calm expression.

Crack.

Before Kalen could react, Danielle had already opened the cell door that locked Fran in.

Then, in Eli Hughes's incredulous gaze, his Grandpa Fran pushed open the cell door with an expressionless face, walked in front of him, and tightly pinched his neck.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 65 =====