Chapter 581: Rivalry and Jealousy

So, does that mean I still have to thank him?

The Silver Star Duke wore a cold smile, glanced at Lei En, and the resentment in her heart was about to overflow.

Back in the days before Lei En had ascended to Legend, there really was some pressure. But with his current strength, having just survived a Lich's pursuit and witnessed a battle between Holy Soul Wizards, that layer of unknown mystery has been lifted, and he now has some understanding of the mortal realm's top combat power.

Moreover, the Silver Star Duke performed terribly in this battle, and Lei En's awe of her has diminished greatly.

If the two actually fought, Lei En wouldn't dare claim victory; at least staying alive wouldn't be a problem.

So, there was not a ripple on his face.

This made the Silver Star Duke even more dissatisfied. A few years ago he was just a poor commoner; she kindly granted him an earldom, and now he dares to be so disrespectful—utterly lawless.

"Silver Star, calm down!"

Anxiwodasi thought it was not good; the Silver Star Duke and Lei En were really stepping up their game.

He knew Lei En's temperament well—a typical soft‑target, not a hard one. If he were gently persuaded, perhaps Lei En would listen; the harder others pressed him, the more displeased he became, yet this youngster's strength and ability are formidable, which in turn wears others out.

"Lei En, the Silver Star is your liege and also your elder; you must show some respect," Anxiwodasi gently advised.

"Yes, teacher," Lei En nodded.

The Silver Star Duke's folly could be overlooked, but the teacher has spoken, so she must give the teacher face.

In any case, she is Viola's great‑grandmother; if they fell out, Viola, caught between them, would surely be very upset.

Although in recent years Viola has been wholly devoted to the Longhaired Lady's church work, so busy her feet never touch the ground, the two have been apart for long periods, barely seeing each other once every few months, and their bond has grown distant; it's uncertain whether this relationship can endure, yet it's not at the point of breaking, so her feelings must be considered.

Most crucially, Glamorgan is a fief under the Silver Star Duke.

If she is determined to reclaim her earldom and lose the Glamorgan fief, it wouldn't be physically damaging, but many matters would become difficult and extremely troublesome.

Lei En rose and said, "Madam, please forgive my oversight, but the situation just now was too urgent; I didn't have time to explain, I ask for your understanding."

The Silver Star Duke remained expressionless and silent.

However, Lei En's soul‑eye saw her anger slowly subside and continued, "Madam, you haven't forgotten the matter I mentioned, have you?"

The Silver Star Duke's expression shifted slightly.

She, of course, hadn't forgotten, and for years has been covertly investigating Kellstone's conspiracy, but without any leads, making no progress.

"I remember," the Silver Star Duke's frosty expression cleared a bit, and she gave a slight nod.

Lei En said resolutely, "He definitely has no good intentions!"

Others were curious about what "that matter" Lei En referred to, but seeing both unwilling to elaborate, they didn't press further.

The Silver Star Duke gradually calmed down.

She wasn't truly foolish; it's just that the Hong Shi Duke offered terms that were too favorable, with great profit, and she was momentarily dazzled. Knowing the risk was huge, she still couldn't resist accepting, confident she could resolve future troubles.

Anxiwodasi said seriously, "The Iola Core is soul‑bound; unless the Hong Shi Duke's soul perishes, how could he hand over ParrasFloatingCity to you?"

"He says he has a way," the Silver Star Duke said lightly, though her tone was uncertain.

Storm Queen snorted, "Sister, would you dare believe him?"

Prophet Medif also shook his head, "Kellstone is the founder of psychics, most adept at manipulating hearts; deception and guile are his instincts, his thoughts are unfathomable, and behind the scenes he has plotted countless conspiracies."

"He endured in secrecy for over three hundred years before revealing his power, then rose as a new titan in one stroke. Don't you find such a person terrifying?"

"Not a single word of Kellstone can be trusted!"

Medif recalled that dream of his, still feeling lingering dread.

The Silver Star Duke remained silent.

Anxiwodasi sighed, knowing she was still unwilling, and urged, "Parras has been built and operated by him for over two hundred years; every arrangement in the floating city—the Wizard's tower, the formation arrays, enchantments, and the energy flow—were designed according to his will. Even if it truly were transferred to you, it would surely be unsuitable."

"And aren't you afraid he'll leave hidden passages?"

Facing Anxiwodasi's question, the Silver Star Duke's resolve wavered, yet she stubbornly replied, "I can ask the goddess to intervene and inspect the floating city's issues."

"Can you actually get her to?" Storm Queen retorted.

She is also a Chosen One of the goddess, fully aware of her sister's favored status in the goddess's eyes, cherished above other divine Chosen, but to have the goddess descend an avatar, expending great effort to examine the entire floating city, would certainly overstep, and the likelihood of the goddess agreeing is extremely low.

Even if the goddess were willing, it wouldn't guarantee flawless safety.

The greatness and terror of the God of Magic lie in that He is a deity wielding immense divine power, mastering magical truths beyond all mortals and gods, yet He is not all‑knowing; in unfamiliar realms, He may not surpass a Holy Soul Wizard by much.

Perhaps even the combined might of all spellcasters in the world would not match the God of Magic.

But the sum of all spellcasters' knowledge would certainly exceed the God of Magic!

"Silver Star, hear my advice."

Anxiwodasi's expression was utterly sincere, "The floating city must be built by one's own hands to fully leverage one's advantage."

"This is my experience speaking."

"Weizelan wasn't built by me; after I took over, it took me over a hundred years to remodel it into a state that best fits me."

"Moreover, Weizelan previously had no controller, making its remodeling less difficult."

"If you take over Kellstone's floating city, the time and effort you spend on remodeling may not be much less than building it yourself, not to mention the numerous hidden risks. Even if Kellstone trades sincerely without any scheme, can you truly be at ease?"

Anxiwodasi finished speaking and ceased urging.

Having said all this, if the Silver Star Duke remains obstinate, further words are meaningless.

"Sister, on the path of magic, shortcuts may grant a fleeting edge, but they'll never take you farther," the Storm Queen's mouth curled provocatively, "All these years, don't you finally understand why you're always one step behind me?"

The Silver Star Duke's eyes, originally a bit hazy, instantly narrowed upon hearing that.

"Elaslan, don't get ahead of yourself!"

"If you hadn't seduced King Halaika, draining him daily until his legs were weak and he couldn't rise, dying after only a few years, then seized the Sintaran family's throne and plundered the Hohawen kingdom's wealth, could you have built the floating city so early?"

"Nonsense, watch me tear your mouth apart!" Storm Queen erupted in fury, retorting, "I only wanted him to have a son; who could have known he was incompetent? He has no son, the throne was voluntarily passed to me, I never forced him."

"You lost your fertility in your teens; what could you bear?" the Silver Star Duke replied mercilessly, "A throne obtained by deception— isn't that a shortcut?"

"Of course not, this is a reward for sincere effort," Storm Queen, unwilling to be outdone, mocked, "You have seduced many men, so why haven't you..."

"Shameless!"

"You're jealous, jealous that I'm richer than you and stronger than you; do you want me to lend you a few million Gold Shields?"

"Who cares about your stinky money?"

The two women began arguing as if no one else were there.

Lei En's eyes widened as he listened; this was too explosive. Earlier at the Supreme Council, he had thought the sisters' bond was as solid as gold, but it turned out to be a plastic sisterhood!

Sabbath Dean was also seeing this scene for the first time, his expression was vivid.

Character: Anxiwodasi and Mei Dif were unfazed, the Prophet wore a helpless look, and Character: Anxiwodasi, with a slight headache, held his forehead and kept shaking his head.

But being able to argue is also a good sign; it shows the knot in their hearts has been untied.

The two sisters frantically exposed each other's dark pasts, daring to say anything; stealing men was just routine, and various scandals opened Lei En's eyes. He could only sigh that when women wield power and authority and become the elite, they have more fun than men!

Back then, Master Luo Jue's overnight escape was truly clever; had he stayed, who knows what melodramatic events might have occurred, perhaps even losing his life...

Their argument grew more intense, nearly turning physical.

Character: Anxiwodasi spoke up at the right moment to mediate; his timing was spot on, experienced, and a few sentences calmed the two women, clearly having acted as a peacemaker countless times.

Lei En suddenly felt some sympathy for the teacher; being the leader of the Mo Du faction is not an easy role!

Silver Star Duke Leng no longer paid attention to his sister, his face cold as he said to Lei En, "Considering Character: Anxiwodasi and Viola, I won't quarrel with you this time. If it happens again, I wouldn't mind having Earl of Glamorgan replace someone for the role."

Lei En listened, feeling quite displeased.

But before he could reply, Storm Queen sneered, "Tsk tsk... even an apology lacks sincerity, clinging to pride. You might as well find an excuse to strip his earldom; with Lei En's strength, why should he endure your anger?"

She turned to Lei En, her eyes rippling like water, smiling fully as she said, "Lei En, come to the Hohawen Principality and pledge loyalty to me; I'll grant you an earldom, guaranteed larger and better than Earl of Glamorgan's. How about it?"

From her expression, it was clear that loyalty was not the only matter.

Presumably, loyalty would extend to her bed.

Lei En forced a wry smile, wondering how the fire had turned onto him. He had no interest at all in this female sea‑queen who toys with men like a drum.

Before he could decide how to refuse, the Silver Star Duke began scolding.

"Ai La Si Lan, stop flaunting your charms in front of Lei En," she said with disdain, "In terms of looks, Viola is prettier than you, and she's not as wanton. She has only Lei En as a man; you should give up that hope quickly!"

Storm Queen seemed to have a sore spot hit.

"Viola is your great‑granddaughter? She's prettier than me?" she gazed at Lei En's face with a hint of obsession, murmuring, "Lei En, is that so?"

Women who can rival Viola's looks are few in the world; Storm Queen is indeed beautiful, a rare beauty, but in terms of appearance and temperament she is somewhat inferior to Viola, and the Silver Star Duke is similarly a bit lacking.

Lei En's silence amounted to tacit approval.

The Silver Star Duke saw that he had struck a blow to Storm Queen, and a smug expression appeared on his face.

Storm Queen's gaze turned dangerous; a jealous woman is terrifying. He didn't want to drag Viola into this perilous vortex, and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty's kindness is received. But I'm well settled at Earl of Glamorgan and have no desire to leave Mo Du and Weizelan."

Lei En hinted that he is a member of Weizelan and could not accept a domain from the Hohawen Principality.

Character: Anxiwodasi also said, "Weizelan needs Lei En's contribution."

Storm Queen nodded.

She stared at Lei En for a few seconds, her eyes flickering, thoughts unreadable, until Lei En felt a chill, then she smiled, "Then that's a pity; the gates of Hohawen are always open to you."

Lei En just let out a sigh of relief.

"By the way, it just came to mind," Storm Queen changed the subject, "You were friends with Luo Jue, Ya Si Ke, and Mei Li Ge, right? When the vampire nest was eradicated back then, you also took part; the person in full heavy armor was you, wasn't it?"

"It was me, Your Majesty," Lei En did not deny.

"Alas, what a pity, had I known you then..." Storm Queen's eyes were full of regret, then she brightened, "But it's not too late now; you're their friend, I'm good friends with them, so we're friends too, right, Lei En?"

Lei En caught the subtext.

Storm Queen used Luo Jue, Mei Li Ge, and Ya Si Ke as leverage; she spoke of friendship, but the hue of her soul was not friendly at all, tinged faintly red, harboring slight hostility.

He considered himself to have learned this woman's temperament.

Capricious, willful, and arrogant!

Lei En's expression instantly hardened: "Your Majesty, I am always clear about grudges and favors; I dislike that dirty, boring game. If you truly consider me a friend, I will acknowledge you as such; if you merely wish to toy with me to satisfy your own desires, I refuse to partake, and you should not involve my friends either."

"I don't understand your meaning; I truly just want to make a friend," Storm Queen looked aggrieved, on the verge of tears.

However, the eye of the soul saw her emotions grow colder.

"Making a friend is hard, but wanting an enemy is easy," Lei En warned her solemnly, "Your Majesty, he who plays with fire will be burned."

His words were not polite at all, bordering on tearing off the mask.

Storm Queen's gaze shifted slightly as she looked at Lei En; the seductive expression on her face gradually faded, finally realizing Lei En was not to be trifled with—unlike ordinary men, he is not easily tempted, strong, backed by Character: Anxiwodasi and the goddess, and those usual tactics don't work on him.

If Lei En were provoked into a grudge, it might be contained now, but once Lei En grows stronger, she would inevitably suffer retaliation.

There are so many handsome men in the world; no need to cling to this one.

Storm Queen felt uneasy inside, but her face couldn't hide it; she let out a cold snort, "How boring."

Lei En gave no further reply, lest she be embarrassed.

"Hehe... Ai La Si Lan, you got what you deserved!" Silver Star Duke, seeing Storm Queen take a hit from Lei En, instantly felt elated, casting all his displeasure with Lei En aside.

(End of Chapter)