Chapter 65: Royal Messenger, Feeding Back

The Count tapped his fingers on the table unconsciously: "So, what is your suggestion?"

"Cut off the supply of magic stone fragments," Edmond said bluntly, though his voice trembled slightly due to his inner struggle:

"Father, Luo En has been in the Black Mist Forest for nearly a year. If he had any potential, he should have shown it by now. Continuing to exhaust the family's blood and capital will only..."

"He is your own brother!" The Count suddenly raised his voice: "Have you forgotten how you protected him back then?"

A flash of complex emotion crossed Edmond's eyes.

Indeed, when Luo En was a child, as his elder brother, he had been almost infinitely indulgent toward this youngest sibling.

Even when Luo En caused a scandal at a noble ball while drunk, it was he who stepped in to clean up the mess, carrying his brother home and shielding him from their father's wrath.

"Father, of course I remember those things," Edmond said in a low voice:

"But now is not the time to make decisions based on personal feelings. The livelihood of the entire family of over a hundred people hangs by a thread. We have already paid enough for Luo En. Those magic stone fragments..."

Edmond shook his head with a bitter smile: "You know very well that in our kingdom, a complete magic stone can buy a large castle. Even fragments are of extraordinary value. They only condense at specific intersections of spirit veins, and our mortal kingdom has almost no spirit veins at all."

He opened the ledger in his hand: "Last month, we exchanged family assets equivalent to several thousand gold coins just to get ten magic stone fragments. And even so, I heard that only six or seven pieces actually reached Luo En's hands each time."

The Count looked up abruptly: "What do you mean?"

"That cunning fellow Hawkins," Edmond sneered:

"I suspect he has been skimming off the top, but we have no concrete evidence, and we can't do anything about him. After all, he is a messenger appointed by the royal family, and he has people backing him."

The Count's expression turned gloomy, and silence spread through the study, broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire in the fireplace.

After a long while, the Count sighed deeply: "I understand. Perhaps you are right, Edmond. We do need to consider the entire family."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the withered fields outside the manor:

"Starting next month—no, this month is already prepared—starting the month after next... we will suspend our financial support for Luo En."

The moment these words were spoken, the Count seemed to age significantly, his shoulders slightly hunched as if bearing an invisible burden.

Just as Edmond was about to say something, a hurried knocking came from the door.

"Master!" The butler's voice came through the door, carrying an unusual excitement: "A royal envoy has arrived, saying there is an urgent matter!"

The Count and Edmond exchanged a look, both seeing doubt and vigilance in each other's eyes.

The unexpected arrival of a royal envoy usually meant something of great importance.

Count Ralph and Edmond hurried to the hall, where they saw a man wearing a black velvet cloak standing there, the royal sun crown emblem pinned to his chest.

The envoy was in his early thirties, with a rigid demeanor and a posture as straight as a sword, clearly of military background.

"Noble Count Ralph." The envoy performed a standard court salute, his voice low and powerful:

"I am Envoy Orlando Wilson, here on the orders of His Majesty."

After returning the salute, the Count gestured for him to sit: "I wonder what brings you here, my lord Wilson?"

After sitting down, Orlando took the teacup handed to him by a maid but did not take a sip: "Count, I have two important matters to convey."

He set down the teacup and said solemnly: "First, it is news regarding your fifth son, Young Master Luo En Ralph."

The Count looked up sharply, a hint of nervousness flashing in his eyes: "Luo En? What happened to that child?"

"According to news from the Black Mist Forest, Young Master Luo En has successfully passed the qualification assessment for a primary apprentice and has officially become a primary apprentice."

Orlando's voice carried a hint of respect:

"What is even more surprising is that although his initial mental aptitude was only a sixth-grade star, he achieved the breakthrough in less than ten months. The Black Mist School has rated him highly, classifying him as 'medium potential'."

This news struck the hall like a bolt of lightning. Both the Count and Edmond were stunned, struggling to digest this sudden and astonishing change.

"This—this is impossible!" Edmond blurted out subconsciously: "Luo En, his—his aptitude..."

Orlando smiled slightly: "In the world of wizards, anything is possible, Young Master Edmond. It is said that Young Master Luo En has shown rare talent in potion-making. He is now an assistant to Lady Allen and has even attracted the attention of the high-level apprentice, Lord Holt."

Hearing these names, although the Count did not know them well, he knew they must be extraordinary figures. A surge of indescribable pride and relief welled up in his heart.

Watching the smile bloom on his father's face, Edmond could not help but feel a sense of joy himself.

He had loved his youngest brother since childhood. Although Luo En had always done foolish things while still in the family, the bond of blood had never faded.

"And the second matter?" the Count asked after his emotions had calmed slightly.

Orlando's expression turned serious: "It concerns the messenger Hawkins, whom you entrusted to deliver the magic stone fragments."

He took a letter sealed with the royal seal from his bosom:

"It has been verified that Hawkins has been skimming off the magic stone fragments you sent to Young Master Luo En for the past several months. According to royal decree, he has been beheaded, and his family members have been sent into slavery."

As he spoke, he gave a look to his attendant, and a box was presented. When opened, it contained the head of a man with a face full of agony...

Seeing the familiar face in the box, the expressions of the Count and Edmond changed simultaneously.

Both were veteran knights who had seen many battlefields; their surprise was certainly not because of the bloody, pickled head before them.

They simply had not expected the royal family to be so decisive, executing Hawkins in one fell swoop and cleaning up his entire family as well.

"More importantly," Orlando continued: "After Young Master Luo En learned of this, he generously stated that he is willing to return the magic stone fragments skimmed over these months to the Ralph family in the form of equivalent value through the school."

He took a heavy box from his attendant and respectfully placed it on the table in the hall:

"Inside are twenty thousand pure gold coins and the deeds to two shops in the eastern district of the royal capital. These are the assets Young Master Luo En designated to be sent back to the family after exchanging those skimmed magic stone fragments at the school."