CHAPTER 192: VELASTRA’S RESTORATION

A week later...

Aldros Empire, Imperial Office

"This fifth son of mine sure is something." The Aldros Emperor, Kaelion, commented softly upon hearing the report of what Leonard had done since his arrival at Velastra.

"Should we do something about it, Your Majesty?" Russel, the Royal Imperial Guard, inquired.

"Velastra is known as the Trade Crown and the city of economy. For the Crown Prince to dabble and secretly take over the city, it’s hard to imagine the consequences."

Kaeilion’s expression remained indifferent. He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, seemingly in deep thought.

’If it weren’t for Inkveil’s re-emergence, I wouldn’t have been so occupied.’ Kaelion knew things weren’t as simple as they looked.

Inkveil, who had been lying low for so long, suddenly appeared as soon as he sent his fifth son to Velastra, which was definitely not a coincidence.

If anything, this incident had helped him confirm that Inkveil was indeed hiding under Leonard’s banner. It was just a shame that he still hadn’t identified who he was exactly.

The Royal Imperial Guards’ not being able to uncover anything had truly dissatisfied him to a great extent.

"Forget it, let the Crown Prince take over Velastra. My other sons failed to stop him, so it’s their fault." Kaelion ultimately decided to leave things as it was.

The revenue earned from Velastra would still come to his pocket one way or another. It didn’t even matter who was controlling the city as long as it didn’t require his attention or energy.

Russel appeared slightly disappointed about the decision, but kept quiet. Just when he was about to excuse himself, he received another order.

"By the way, give Sylas a warning. His actions aren’t that secretive, and Leonard doesn’t appear to be as incompetent as he thought. It wouldn’t be long till the new semester in the Imperial Aldros Academy began with Leonard’s enrollment. It’s best for him to lie low for the time being." Kaelion didn’t want their fighting to continue in the academy.

The academy was a special type of place, and their fighting would damage the royal’s reputation. He refused to allow anyone to bring disgrace to the Aldros Empire.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Russel obliged the command and left the office.

Shortly after his exit, Kaelion glanced at the document before burning it to a crisp with flame magic.

"Inkveil and Leonard... What kind of connection do the two of you have?" He murmured, feeling quite displeased with the situation.

...

Velastra, Royal Velastra Hotel

"Crown Prince, all the women have been rescued and are now residing in the shelter we built. Although there are a few who intend to return to their original place, the majority express desires to stay by your side." Curtis reported.

Following the information obtained from Wesley, Darius, and Darren, the cleansing process had been extremely smooth.

The Sunfire Road Incident, the Berserk Slaves Outbreak, and the recent disappearance of people also came to an end, with the culprits involved all executed in a gruesome manner.

To ensure absolute transparency, the citizens were also graced with the privilege to witness their execution.

Within the duration of the week, Leonard’s reputation in Velastra had already soared to an unimaginable degree. In their eyes, Leonard’s words were the law and authority.

"Those rescued women can be guided by Shirley." Leonard calmly said and turned to Shirley. "You have no problem taking care of them, right?"

"Not a problem." Shirley bowed her head slightly. She felt honored to be given such a task, which meant that he found her useful. As long as she remained useful, the chances of Leonard abandoning her would be slim.

"Do you still need some more time to rest?" Leonard asked in concern.

Having granted her the privilege to personally take revenge, he wondered if her psychological aspect was fine.

This current world didn’t have any psychologists or therapy, so he needed to confirm if Shirley was in the right state of mind.

Shirley’s face flushed red.

’Master is concerned about my mental health.’ Even if it was just a few sentences, she was touched by his words.

Their difference in status alone made her understand that she would never become his wife. But at the very least, she hoped to remain by his side. To have him care about her in such a manner was already a blessing.

"I don’t need any rest, Master." Shirley bowed her head and replied. "These days, the two sisters and I have been smiling at our new life. No longer do we have to be afraid to become merchandise or practice endlessly to please others."

"Is that so?" Leonard nodded and chose to believe her words. In any case, he hadn’t seen her this happy before.

Sometime later, Leonard finished drafting the new jurisdiction for Velastra.

’His Majesty probably already received news of my actions.’ Leonard thought to himself. It had been a week, and there had yet to be anyone coming in to stop him, which goes to show his control on Velastra was cemented.

As for Sylas and the other princes, they could only watch with seething teeth.

Such a big cash cow was now taken down by him.

Just when Leonard was about to call for Curtis to finalize the jurisdiction to be sent to Wesley, the latter had already arrived.

’Hmm, did he know I was going to call for you in advance?’ He wondered silently.

"Reporting to the Crown Prince, the capital had sent some news to us." Curtis cupped his fist and reported.

"Hmm, so His Majesty wants me to cough up 40% of the city’s revenue." Leonard came to a realization. It wasn’t that Kaelion had a sudden change of heart, but he planned on reaping rewards without making any efforts.

Nevertheless, Leonard reckoned there might be more information that he was unaware of.

Even if it were sharing revenue, Kaelion shouldn’t be asking for 40%. Instead, he should have been asking for the bigger cut.

"Curtis, are you hiding something from me?" Leonard narrowed his eyes and questioned.

Almost immediately, Curtis lowered his head. His action effectively confirmed Leonard’s suspicion.

’Damn, there really are more hidden people working for me behind the scenes.’ He clicked his tongue.