CHAPTER 187: SUBMISSION

Private Room

"Lord, do you think the Crown Prince is trying to eliminate us here?" Ethan asked in concern.

This private room was equipped with multiple runes and formations. He could feel his mana was being restricted as well.

It would be difficult to defend themselves if the Crown Prince held such an intention to eliminate them.

"The Crown Prince isn’t foolish." Wesley chuckled softly.

"He toppled Darius down, but he can’t do the same to us. Darius belonged to the Noble Faction, so the Crown Prince’s status alone could suppress any insubordination or rebellion. However, we are from the Merchant Guild."

"But Lord, the Crown Prince forcefully elected that damnable gold ranked merchant to become the new representative," Ethan argued, and wanted to remind him that they lost their power.

"You mean that pathetic election?" Wesley was amused. Although the tax cut was a marvelous move, it was ultimately still a gamble with no substance.

Just because the Crown Prince had forcefully elected a new representative, his control in the economy remained unaffected whatsoever.

"I’m not like that fool Darius, who relied on the useless nobles to retain power. As long as the Crown Prince dares to act against me, I will make sure Velastra becomes a chaotic city. By then, he would have to answer to the other 4 Continents!" His eyes glinted in a cold light.

Naturally, this kind of self-destructive move was a last act.

If anything, Wesley didn’t wish to make such a move either. Velastra was his blood and sweat. To put it to ruin personally was equivalent to throwing away his years of hard work down the drain.

He claimed to have lost, but that didn’t mean the end of him.

At the very least, he was still playing on the chessboard, unlike Darius.

Darius was checkmated, with no hopes of ever returning to the chessboard.

Nobody would be willing to offer a helping hand to a fallen Marquis!

Whoever dared to do so was essentially trying to go against the Crown Prince.

Not even the other princes were going to intervene now that the situation was set in stone.

Sometime later, the door of the private room was open.

Alerted, Ethan swiftly stepped to the front and guarded Wesley.

"Lord Wesley must be really tense." Leonard chuckled in amusement when he spotted Ethan’s reaction. "I’m just a regular person. Is there a need to be on guard against me that much?"

"Stand down!" Wesley coldly told Ethan.

"Yes, Lord Wesley." Ethan didn’t dare to disobey and retreated to the sideline.

"Pardon my guard’s behavior. He’s been on the edge since the berserk slaves outbreak." Wesley then apologized on his behalf.

"Fret not, I understand that the outbreak is an unforeseeable tragedy." Leonard smiled and took a seat. He was guarded by Curtis and Mirelle, who stood behind him.

"To what honor do I hold to have the Crown Prince want a private conversation with me?" Wesley went straight to the point.

Seeing that he had no intention of beating around the bushes, Leonard also saved his saliva with flowery prose.

"I’ll get to the point then." He smirked and crossed his legs. "As you know, I plan to become the new controller of Velastra. So I’ll give you two options. Submit or die."

"Hahaha, the Crown Prince sure knows how to joke." Wesley cracked up in laughter and exuded a powerful aura. "May I ask what gives you the confidence that I will go down without any resistance?’

"Are you banking on the aspect that you control the city’s economy and the goods from other continents?"

Wesley’s eyes squinted slightly upon hearing that question.

So the Crown Prince knew he had this lifeline.

If he knew about it, then that should be more reason why he shouldn’t be shedding his facades.

’Could it be that I miscalculated something?’ Wesley pondered silently.

"The murder at the Merchant Guild," Leonard mentioned. "What do you think will happen if the murder was revealed as a cover-up of hiding banned substances?"

Instantly, Wesley’s eyes widened. He quickly realized what he intended to do.

Using that murder as a pretext and the banned substance, it effectively gave Leonard a legitimate reason to undermine the merchants in the guild.

At the same time, those merchants from other continents would also be hand-tied, unable to retaliate with economic pressure.

After all, banned substances were a heavy offense in the Valdoria Continent.

In the past, a banned substance that had been leaked resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands. Moreover, it was also linked with the Umbra Vex organization.

With all those in place, the Merchant Guild would make sure to steer away from him instantaneously.

Not even the Mage Association would be willing to protect their Mage if evidence linked them up with the Umbra Vex organization!

Wesley took a deep breath and glanced at Leonard. A hint of fear could be seen in his eyes as he realized the person in front of him was no simple 15-year-old.

Instead, it seemed like an old monster that had experienced many events and schemes.

"I thought the Butcherer was fearsome enough, but you are even more terrifying." Wesley sighed and commented.

"The Butcherer’s schemes aren’t that poisonous or lethal when compared to you."

"I’ll take that as a compliment." Leonard smiled lightly.

"Speak, what do you want from me?" Wesley had surrendered by now. The economic pressure he held as a trump card was effectively rendered useless by Leonard.

As long as he dared to use the move, he would truly be condemned to be an eternal sinner. Such a label was definitely not something he would carry on him.

Although he wasn’t a good person, he also cannot be called a complete villain. All along, he was only following the norm to survive. He never actively committed inhumane crimes as outrageous as those of Darius.

This was something Leonard knew as well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered forcing Wesley’s submission to him.

"As long as you’re willing to become my slave, you can still be Lord Wesley." Leonard snapped his fingers and had Mirelle bring out a magic contract.