[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-176":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"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},2338639,4572,"Chapter 176: Catherine","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-176",176,"\u003Cp>The iron ore master stopped there, saying no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid of bringing trouble upon himself, he bowed deeply to Gervas, then boarded his carriage and left the mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… how can this man speak such nonsense? He has absolutely no professional integrity!” Old John’s face turned pale, fearing Gervas would be angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was the very first day of mining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the ore master to question the mine’s reserves—wasn’t that deliberately dousing their hopes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, our lord had said the discovery came from Yueyue’s survey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, our lord could not possibly be wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Gervas would not be angry; he smiled and said, “Old John, this ore master is good. If we have similar work in the future, we can hire him again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of the subordinates knew Parker had falsified the data, but Gervas knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Parker had meticulously disguised the mine tunnels to fabricate the ore reserves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ore master, despite risking trouble, still revealed some truths—his professional integrity was clearly intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he managed to identify two tunnels leading to the main vein despite the interference—he had real skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old John was bewildered, but still replied, “Yes, my lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, today is a joyous day for opening the mine. Every miner gets a bowl of meat tonight, and black bread is free—let them enjoy themselves!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord! The miners will be delighted by your kindness!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The House of Hernade lay in the eastern kingdom, bordering the ocean with hundreds of miles of coastline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though for many minor families, proximity to the ocean meant danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the House of Hernade, it became an unparalleled foundation for maritime trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on the sea, Hernade’s ships spread across the Podia Peninsula, the South Hurricane Isles, and even the Snow Lands to the northeast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade family’s seat, Blue Sea City, was vast—no smaller than the royal palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s out! The results are out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cry erupted from the outer parlor and pierced the luxurious inner chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the inner parlor—larger than her own viscount’s banquet hall—Catherine trembled slightly, a faint unease appearing on her pale face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t fear of failing to leverage this chance to climb into the famed Hernade ducal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was fear that, if the bloodline test confirmed it, she truly was a Hernade descendant—what then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How would she face this completely unfamiliar grandfather and family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had only resided here a few short days, Catherine had already sensed the hidden complexities and currents within the ducal house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the castle steward hurried into the inner chamber from the outer parlor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke, whose hair was now streaked with gray, showed rare concern. “What is the result?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone revealed no emotion, yet carried undeniable authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Grace, according to the court mage’s magical analysis, Miss Catherine carries strong Hernade bloodline—she is your direct descendant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade heirs around her stirred, all turning to Catherine with varied expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me see!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke took the evidence—a vial filled with rich golden liquid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke had heard of and seen other families’ bloodline tests before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They involved mixing two people’s blood into a vial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mage would cast the Bloodline Truth Spell; if the two drops fused and turned golden-yellow, it proved a blood connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deeper the gold, the tighter the bloodline bond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden hue in this vial now was unmistakably the mark of a third-generation connection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Catherine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke’s stern face softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That softness made the Hernade heirs’ thoughts turn even more active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Catherine, sister, bow and greet your grandfather—you truly are Hernade blood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. Grandfather had five sons, but no daughters. Your mother was his only daughter—you are our only maternal granddaughter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Catherine, I’m Bunardo. From now on, I’m your brother. Come to me for anything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet amid the clamor, Catherine grew even more uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the Hernade Duke immediately snapped, “Enough!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the hall fell silent, the Hernade Duke spoke gently: “Catherine, I failed your grandmother, and I failed your mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But they are gone now—I cannot make amends. Yet since you are my Hernade granddaughter, I will double my compensation to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catherine was immediately enrolled in the Hernade ducal family register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To better compensate her, the Hernade Duke even offered to grant Catherine a viscountcy-sized territory from the duchy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was land deep within the kingdom’s heartland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one had received a new land grant there in at least decades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The value of such a viscountcy was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as all the heirs stared at Catherine with envy, she suddenly shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, grandfather, but I do not want the land—I wish to remain in Violetland.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other heirs looked at Catherine as if she were a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Catherine, if you’re worried about the Violetland family’s holdings, don’t be—I’ll assign staff to manage them. That land will remain yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, when you marry and have children, you can send your second son to inherit it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke assumed Catherine feared losing Violetland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Catherine still refused: “Thank you, grandfather, but… I still wish to stay in Violetland.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke studied Catherine deeply, then did not press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well. Stay in Violetland for now. My promise still stands—when you change your mind, come to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, as my granddaughter, your safety is vital. I heard you were once kidnapped—I will assign you a cavalry unit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke then bestowed upon Catherine countless gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their total value reached three or four thousand gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heirs watched, envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Peter, find out why Catherine refuses to leave Violetland.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it truly out of simple attachment—or because of someone or something else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hernade Duke, old and shrewd, deduced possibilities in moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Catherine’s earlier expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, she had been slightly surprised—but then, as if recalling something, her gaze hardened, and she refused him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he suspected other reasons lay beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>",991,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e87f8ead90a9999eb9b36ae658020541c1f062c19b0c5c2a2bf271ba6a105530","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-177","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-175",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]