Chapter 514: The Conqueror Duke

The study of the master of Miwu Castle.

Count Wulaer had furnished this place very luxuriously; it did not look like a war fortress at all.

Bruno observed every statue and every painting in the hall as if he were playing with a treasured collection, and the more he looked, the better his mood became.

As the knocking sounded and the Guard announced that Luoning had arrived, he put away his thoughts of sightseeing and sat down on the sofa in the study's parlor.

"Your Majesty, long time no see!"

Luoning walked in and greeted him politely.

Bruno rose, a rare gesture, and smilingly gestured for Luoning to sit down nearby, "This is not the Jinyu Palace, and we are not in the Auduin Hall, so there is no need to be so formal. You can call me Father-King, Father, or Father-in-law, just like Blanche does."

"Alright, Father-in-law!" Luoning said with a smile.

Bruno nodded with satisfaction. Even though Luoning was the strongest person in the Auduin Kingdom, his attitude toward him had always been respectful, which was something he was quite pleased with.

"I only found out about the foolish things Jialete did when the war broke out, but by then it was already too late to stop him."

Bruno said earnestly, "Although there was unpleasantness between you and him, I still hope you won't mind. After all, we are family, and I don't want you to remain at odds."

He did not start by talking about the promotion to Duke, but instead tried to ease the relationship between Jialete and Luoning with a hint of apology.

"I hope so too."

Luoning said frankly, "However, Your Majesty, I am not the party responsible for the conflict. On the contrary, I have maintained restraint for your sake and Blanche's."

Hearing this blunt statement, Bruno sighed; as expected, Luoning was still somewhat angry at Jialete in his heart.

"After I return this time, I will have him go to the Brown Forest to help Feilunsi fight against the Balton Principality. At the same time, I have arranged for several experienced teachers for him. I believe that before long, he will improve his attitude toward you. I ask that you have a little more patience."

Sure enough, keeping Jialete away from the front lines was Bruno's strategy.

It was just that Luoning remained skeptical about whether this arrangement would actually have any effect on Jialete.

After all, Jialete was no longer a child; he was over thirty, with a mature personality and style of doing things. The difficulty of changing him in a short time was simply too great.

Next, Bruno talked about Blanche, and about the deeds of the Great General Aruba, whom Luoning had killed, and so on. After more than half an hour, the topic finally returned to business.

"I heard from Blanche that you want a Duke title. I have been thinking the same, and I have even thought of several titles for you."

As Bruno spoke, he took a piece of paper from the side and handed it to Luoning: "This Mountain Forest Paper is quite good, though the yellow color is a bit ugly. If there were high-quality white paper, perhaps a batch could be sold to the Jinyu Palace."

"Haha, the white paper is still under development. If it is successfully produced in the future, I will send you a batch immediately."

As Luoning spoke, he looked at the titles on the paper:

Guardian Pioneer Duke, Kingdom Shield Duke, Frontier Guardian Duke, Kingdom Sword Duke, Conqueror Duke.

Luoning chuckled inwardly. The titles the other party thought of were all based on the Kingdom's perspective—protecting the Kingdom and expanding its territory.

"Which one do you like?" Bruno asked with a smile.

Luoning rested his chin on his hand and pondered for Along while before saying, "How about 'Conqueror' Duke?"

He explained, "I will wear this title and tread upon every city in the Telixiya Kingdom."

"Hahaha, good!"

Bruno was very satisfied, "If that day truly comes and the Auduin Kingdom can become an empire on the Aoerlante Continent, then I will crown you King of the Wushan Family!"

This was both a promise from Bruno and a probe.

It was normal for an empire to have subordinate kingdoms.

And Bruno wanted to see if Luoning was willing to help him sit on the imperial throne.

Luoning said with a smile, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I believe that day will come!"

Becoming a king was naturally his goal.

As for whether or not to become the master of an empire, that would depend on whether there was motivation later on.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Bruno continued, "Alright, Luoning, the rewards and titles are settled. Next, we should talk about the distribution of benefits."

He shrugged, "Blanche said you want to incorporate Watchtower into your territory?"

"To be precise, Watchtower and Miwu City, Your Majesty."

Luoning explained, "I want to build this place into a bridgehead for my conquest of the Telixiya Kingdom."

"Very well!"

Bruno actually agreed directly. In fact, he also wanted Luoning to become a Border Duke so that he could defend against invasions from the south.

After all, although Luoning was strong, the enemy country was not weak either, especially according to intelligence, that Holy Storm Organization was very powerful and could create a batch of strong individuals in a short time.

Conquering the Telixiya Kingdom was not a simple matter.

However, it was not as if Bruno did not have things he wanted; his tone shifted here:

"Watchtower, Miwu City, and even the Grey Valley managed by Meilongnika, I can assign them to your territory, but Luoning, being a Duke also comes with responsibilities."

He said, "You need to conquer broader territories for me. At the very least, I will not grant you any more territory until you have taken down one of the enemy's principalities."

"And the day you take Dragon City, I will grant you a sufficiently vast territory. To say nothing else, at the very least, I will make your territory the largest Duchy under the Auduin Kingdom!"

Luoning pondered slightly.

For him, once he became a Duke and obtained new territory, most of the tasks on his achievement panel would have the foundation for completion.

Therefore, before taking down a principality or conquering Dragon City, whether or not he obtained new territory was not that important.

Relatively speaking, population was the main thing.

Only with more people could the industrialization within the territory be pushed forward smoothly.

"Your Majesty, I can agree to your request, but I hope that after I take a city, I can take away a portion of the people there."

"That is only natural. Captives are just like other items; they are spoils of war. I grant you the right to take a portion."

Bruno was very satisfied with Luoning's answer.

What he wanted was to expand the territory and make the map of Auduin grow larger and larger, until it spanned the entire north and south like the former Aoerlante Empire.

Naturally, he did not want to take out a portion of the territory to reward Luoning or other nobles every time he conquered a place.

After this round of rewards concludes, unless there are particularly significant combat achievements, the next round of rewards will likely be Along time from now.

Next, the two discussed whether to resume the war after the truce.

Considering that the New Year celebration follows the truce period, and winter and spring plowing follow that, Luoning suggested adopting a conservative stance; as long as the other side does not attack, they would not take action.

They would continue to head south when May or June of next year arrives.

This period of time would also be perfect for him to arrange the affairs of Watchtower and Miwu City.

Bruno took this advice to heart.

He could not help but sigh, "Luoning, I am very gratified that the Kingdom suddenly has a powerhouse like you. It is just that you appeared too suddenly and rose too quickly; I always worry that one day I will suddenly lose you."

Bruno earnestly exhorted, "The leader of that Holy Storm Organization does not seem to be weaker than you; you must be extra careful."

Luoning took a deep look at him; the "lose" that Bruno spoke of carried a strong implication of worry that he might betray the Kingdom.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty!"

Luoning said with a smile, "As long as the Kingdom can support me, whether it is the Storm Envoy or the Flame Saint, it will not be so easy for them to defeat me."

Bruno nodded slowly, "Of course, the Auduin Kingdom will certainly support you!" (End of chapter)