CHAPTER 224: CONFLICT OF INTEREST (1)

Three days later...

Nolan, Elina, Rafine, Luvistar, and the thousand troops accompanying them had finally crossed the border of the eastern region.

In a few more kilometers, they would leave the eastern region entirely, with only tens of kilometers left before reaching the Imperial palace.

At that moment, Nolan suddenly stopped his horse, startling Elina, Rafine, and Luvistar.

"What’s wrong, Brother? Why did you stop?" Elina asked, confused.

Nolan glanced at her, then at Rafine and Luvistar, before replying, "I’m sorry, I can’t go back with you."

His words surprised them all. Rafine frowned and asked, her tone tinged with annoyance, "Is it because I came with you that you feel uncomfortable?"

Her gaze narrowed, full of irritation and a hint of resentment. She hadn’t even reached the palace to carry out her mission of taking care of Nolan, yet this stubborn man was avoiding her—and that clearly upset her.

"No, you misunderstand, Rafine. That’s not what I mean," he said calmly, shaking his head. "I do have business in the Eastern region to attend to right now, so I apologize."

Sensing his sincerity, Rafine swallowed her annoyance, and her expression gradually softened.

"Alright, Brother. I understand," Elina said softly. "Just be careful, okay? If anything happens, please let me know."

She didn’t ask what her brother planned to do. After all, she trusted him completely. If he said something was wrong, then it must be true.

"Thank you." Nolan gave a small smile. "If I’m not mistaken, Mother has returned to the palace. Please tell her I’ll be home later. And for the old man, let him know I’m running late as well. I’ll bring gifts for both of them."

Elina nodded slightly. "I understand."

After exchanging a few brief words with Elina, Rafine, and Luvistar, Nolan tugged on his horse’s reins and headed left.

Watching him fade from view, Elina didn’t hesitate. "Let’s continue our journey."

Rafine and Luvistar nodded, and the group finally rode back toward the capital.

***

Once he felt far enough from the group, Nolan stopped his horse. He gently rubbed its head and whispered, "Let’s take the fastest route, my friend."

Hikk!

The horse whinnied and lifted its legs forward. Nolan smiled and snapped his fingers.

Snap!

A black portal suddenly appeared before them. The horse jumped in fright, but Nolan calmed it.

"Step inside so we can go faster," he said calmly, tugging on the saddle strap.

The horse cautiously approached, and then its body vanished into the portal. A few seconds later, the portal shrank and disappeared.

...

"Honey, are you okay? Why do you seem so lost in thought?"

In the dining room, a beautiful woman with brown hair looked at her husband with a worried gaze.

The man, Aston Valmire, snapped out of his reverie and gave a faint smile, shaking his head.

"It’s alright, dear. Don’t worry," he said softly, picking up his spoon and resuming his lunch.

Ena pressed her lips together in mild dissatisfaction but dared not ask further. After all, Aston was the head of the family, and as his wife, she had no right to question or pressure him.

She continued eating, but the atmosphere grew bland and awkward. Aston simply kept his head down as he ate his chicken soup.

"My lord! There’s bad news!"

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the dining room door as a maid came rushing in.

Aston looked up, startled. "What’s happening? Why are you running like that?"

The maid panted, wiping sweat from her brow. Straightening, she pointed back toward the direction she’d come and said, "It’s serious, my lord! The factory on the southeast side has been destroyed by an unknown group! The employees and soldiers guarding it have been badly injured, and some have been killed!"

At once, Aston and Ena’s expressions shifted dramatically.

"What? How could that be possible?" Aston roared, slamming his hand on the dining table. "Who would dare do this?"

His face flushed, and his breathing grew heavy.

"I don’t know, my lord," the maid replied nervously. "But I heard from some of the surviving employees that those who attacked were sent by the Marquis Castellan’s family."

"The Castellan family?" Aston’s eyes widened in shock. "So they really..."

His voice dripped with anger and hatred. The battle between the Valmire and Castellan families had begun ever since the Castellans dared to enter the weapons industry, once controlled solely by the Valmires.

At first, their conflicts were minor, mere friction between rival families. Over time, however, the Castellans resorted to violence and underhanded tactics.

The Valmires, with support from the Blue Moon Trading House—including access to markets and capital—held an advantage. The Castellans, losing out in weapons sales, eventually turned to dirty tricks.

Aston had anticipated such problems, stationing soldiers at multiple arms factories to guard against unexpected attacks.

But he had underestimated them. The Castellans were far more reckless than he expected, and the attack they launched was devastating.

"Don’t worry. I’ll handle this," Aston said coldly, rising to his feet.

"Honey..." Ena called out worriedly, but Aston gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don’t worry, my dear. Leave this to me. You can stay at home and rest."

Ena swallowed her words and nodded heavily. "Alright. Take care of yourself."

Aston gave a small nod and quickly left the dining room.

***

Nolan stared at the building before him, unable to hide his admiration for its architecture.

"The Valmire family certainly has good taste," he muttered, nodding slightly.

He guided his horse toward the mansion gates but was stopped by the two soldiers standing guard.

"Can you state your identity?" one of them asked cautiously.

From his appearance, Nolan clearly was no ordinary man, and they dared not act rashly.

Nolan didn’t get angry; he simply took out his Imperial family identity token.

When the soldiers saw it, their eyes widened.

"Forgive us, Prince Nolan," the soldier on the right said, bowing deeply. "We didn’t realize it was you."

The other soldier bowed as well. "Yes, Your Highness. Please forgive us."

"Don’t worry," Nolan said casually, slipping the token back into his pocket. "Is Marquis Valmire inside? I would like to see him."

"Of course, Your Highness. Marquis Valmire is inside. Please, come in."

The two soldiers straightened and quickly stepped aside.

Nolan gave a small nod and was about to lead his horse into the mansion when a man suddenly appeared in front of him, looking surprised.

"Your Highness Nolan?"