[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system":3,"chapter-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-96":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Exiled Duke's Lottery system",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1366804,1809,"Chapter 96 - 89: Knives in the Dark","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-96",96,"\u003Cp>The western frontier standoff ended without battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officially.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The southern commanders eventually withdrew their cavalry from the checkpoint roads while Elarion artillery remained aimed across the valley until the final soldier disappeared beyond the southern ridges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No shots fired. No cannons discharged. No war declared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone understood something irreversible had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The line between pressure and conflict no longer existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now there was only waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting for the next spark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news spread across the kingdom like wildfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobles whispered about:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elarion mobilizing artillery,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>rifle regiments facing knight detachments,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien threatening military retaliation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and Aurethar descending over the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some stories exaggerated events wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others underestimated them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one detail remained consistent in every version:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elarion had not backed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That frightened many people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially the southern hawks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night beneath the western estate district of the Valcriox capital, the secret meetings resumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear replaced confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lord Berengar slammed both hands against the strategy table violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You saw the reports!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several nobles around the chamber looked equally shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They mobilized an army over steel shipments,\" one muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" another corrected quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They mobilized because we threatened the foundation of their industry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That honestly sounded worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Military reports covered the table:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>disciplined rifle formations,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>artillery deployment speed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>organized logistics,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>coordinated troop movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not militia behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professional military response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One noble rubbed his forehead tiredly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We nearly started a civil war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Berengar’s expression darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And next time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that was the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There would be a next time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in that chamber knew it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One older lord finally spoke quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Lucien continues another year...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one needed him to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the conclusion terrified them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another year meant:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>more rifles,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>more cannons,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>larger armies,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>deeper industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And eventually—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe enough power that even House Valcriox and it’s allies could no longer contain Elarion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought poisoned the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A younger noble finally said what many secretly considered already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we remove Lucien.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because the idea shocked anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because hearing it aloud made everything suddenly real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One noble immediately frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Assassination?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Berengar slowly leaned back into his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"War against Elarion becomes harder every month.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes moved toward the frontier reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But one man still sits at the center of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factories followed him. Officers followed him. Industry followed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill the architect— perhaps the system fractures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or so they hoped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One older noble still looked uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this fails—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Berengar interrupted coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this fails, we proceed toward war eventually anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one argued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because deep down—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew he might be right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow fell heavily across Elarion while factory whistles echoed through the industrial district beneath the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The city remained awake despite the late hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furnaces still burned. Steel still flowed. Workers still moved through illuminated streets beneath rising smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Industry never truly slept anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And hidden among the late-night supply traffic—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassins entered the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not obvious killers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Professionals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four men disguised as southern merchants moving alongside legitimate trade groups allowed through before the recent frontier escalation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their forged documents were flawless. Their clothing intentionally plain. Their weapons hidden carefully inside supply crates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They moved quietly through the crowded lower industrial district while steam drifted between narrow streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One assassin glanced toward the massive refinery towers rising above the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...This place keeps growing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another answered quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s why we’re here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because even outsiders could feel it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elarion was changing too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassins’ orders were simple:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locate Lucien. Kill him. Escape during the confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrible mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the moment they entered deeper administrative districts—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Problems appeared immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patrols.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rifle patrols moved constantly through the streets while factory entrances remained guarded by armed soldiers rather than lazy gatekeepers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even worker districts possessed organized watch rotations now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One assassin frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is excessive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader observed another patrol passing nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is preparation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preparation for war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preparation for sabotage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Preparation for exactly this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That realization unsettled them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile high above the city atop the upper fortress walls—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar opened one golden eye slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancient dragon had been resting comfortably beside the fortress towers while warm smoke drifted lazily from his nostrils into the freezing air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted downward toward the city below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient instincts stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something felt wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden dragon slowly lifted his massive head while distant industrial lights reflected across his scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far below—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassins continued moving through Elarion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the central administrative fortress, Lucien reviewed frontier production reports beside Cedric and Lucas beneath dim lantern light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The western steel reserves stabilized,\" Lucas reported.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Coal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still delayed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien calmly continued reviewing logistics maps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No panic. No frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just adaptation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric leaned back in his chair afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know the south won’t stop.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They nearly triggered war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And learned Elarion would answer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That honestly worried Cedric more than reassured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Lucien no longer sounded defensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sounded prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Cedric could answer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud metallic bell suddenly rang outside the fortress walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then continuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every officer in the chamber immediately stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas looked startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soldier burst through the doorway moments later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Security breach!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room instantly sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lower administrative district!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric’s hand immediately moved toward his pistol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stood calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Details.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Armed infiltrators detected near the inner city checkpoints.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Cedric slowly smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not pleasantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked the pistol chamber carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The south finally became creative.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the fortress, alarm bells echoed across Elarion while rifle patrols rapidly flooded the industrial streets beneath the falling snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere within the city—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four assassins suddenly realized Elarion was far more prepared than they expected.\u003C\u002Fp>",971,"2026-06-05T21:32:57.730Z",1,"novelbin.me","7d253c507990e8d8cee4ec4a6fa5fdad62132708488f162cb773a6de6f85431c","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-97","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-95",144,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-cover.jpg"]