CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 142 EVERYTHING FOR EXISTENCE

Standing by the window, watching Horn and his guards walk across the drawbridge, Dane tilted his head and drank the wine from the gilded floral cup in one go.

Picking up the note with blurred handwriting, Dane tore it into pieces and threw them into the fireplace.

The door of the waiting room was pushed open again. Accompanied by two maidservants, a blonde woman wearing a front-clasp long dress gracefully walked into the room.

"My dear fiancé, how did your conversation with that foolish farmer go?"

"He indeed gave me quite a surprise." Dane raised his head, looking at the woman whose veil towered hat was three times longer than her face, and gave a bitter smile.

The blonde woman moved to the window, watching Horn leading his horse slowly along the street, and softly asked, "Is it difficult to manage? Or perhaps we could find someone to..."

"That won’t do, he has a witch with him, and she’s an enchanter-type witch. If something happens to him and the witch goes berserk, that’s a major problem."

The blonde woman chuckled lightly, "Could she really break into the castle?"

Dane frowned, knocking the arm of the chair, "You are far from Black Snake Bay, and haven’t seen what a witch rampage is like.

Disasters like the Border Town fire depend on the Holy Father’s intention, but if it’s just about killing the two of us, it’s easier than you think."

The blonde woman merely shrugged nonchalantly.

"Bamanda, do you remember our previous plan?" Dane frowned, "I fear it won’t work now. This Saint’s Grandson is bound to leave."

"Is there really no way? He’s quite important, the Pope personally named him for capture."

Dane stared at the paper burning fiercely in the fireplace: "Let’s give him a pass, to avoid mutual destruction."

"I think it’s probably Casti causing trouble. He was the one accompanying this country bumpkin earlier."

"Enough, have you negotiated with the bank?" Dane stood up irritably, poured another glass of wine for himself and Bamanda.

Taking the wine cup, Bamanda sipped lightly, "The Holy Seat Bank’s agent Kreigsoff came to me this morning. He suggested setting the denomination at 1 gold pound."

"1 gold pound? Are you sure?" Dane widened his eyes, "That’s a heavy tax."

"This isn’t tax, it’s bonds. This slight difference affects whether we can collect the money or not."

Looking at Bamanda as if meeting her for the first time, Dane examined her: "I still don’t quite understand. Isn’t the money I saved earlier enough for us?"

"How much is that really? How much is this tax amount? My dear Dane, you’re too generous. These commoners become corrupt with money."

Bamanda stepped forward, resting her head on Dane’s chest: "My grandfather was so kind to those citizens initially, but they betrayed poor old Bronov, and sided with the royal family.

Guess how they obtained charters? Guess how they came up with such a hefty bribe? By amassing their treasury through generations of tax evasion!

Letting them continue like this will only lead you to the same fate as my ancestors."

"We’ve already collected a round of taxes from them. In such turbulent times, continuing this way won’t..."

Watching Dane’s hesitant face, Bamanda smiled tenderly, though a layer of frustration stirred in her heart.

If not for the family’s directive, why would she marry this rustic noble?

"If we don’t proceed, they’ll take advantage of the chaos to bribe their way into becoming the new free city." Despite her inner disdain, Bamanda gently comforted Dane.

"But the approach doesn’t have to be so harsh, does it?"

"This is equally part of the deal, my dear Dane."

Bamanda’s most important goal, besides making money for herself, was to utterly destroy Duke Kush’s status in the hearts of the Thousand River Valley people.

Ensuring the Thousand River Valley people wouldn’t exploit Duke Kush’s name to incite trouble, affecting the new rule.

Just like that Ruo’an III, Ruo’an died nearly two hundred years ago, yet they conjured a Ruo’an III.

That Ruo’an was clearly a witch, couldn’t have descendants, so where did Ruo’an III come from?

"I know it’s part of the deal." Dane’s face turned sour as Bamanda spoke, "But we’re still here, after all."

"The El people have an ancient saying, that man cannot remain angry thrice in a row. When the fury of the first two times calms, by the third time, they lose the ability and courage to be angry."

Turning, Bamanda gazed out the window, pointing at the commoners walking back and forth below: "Look, yesterday they were still contending with us, but now they’re obediently doing business."

"Will it really not incite rebellion? Will your methods truly work?"

"Compared to us Falan, the Leia people’s taxation methods are too outdated, too ineffective."

Bamanda couldn’t hold back anymore, she spoke disdainfully: "I’ve investigated. The annual tax revenue from Thousand River Valley to the Leia Royal Family is around 60,000 to 70,000 gold pounds, but by my estimation, Hotam County alone could collect over 200,000 gold pounds annually."

"The Leia Kingdom has its own national situation." Dane leaned on the chair with his hands holding his chubby belly, "The missing money is taken by the Church and local nobles, otherwise Old King Leia wouldn’t have gained Church and noble support."

"Yet he still couldn’t win, could he?" The noblewoman from Falan slightly ridiculed, "Though Windmill Land is not in our hands, the Leia Kingdom, due to foreign debts of 2.8 million gold pounds, split the dreaded edict team into six parts."

"Yes, times have changed." Dane said somewhat sadly, "The moment my ancestors waited an entire lifetime for has arrived in this era."

"Don’t be sad, my dear Dane." Seeing Dane’s emotions weren’t right, Bamanda immediately sat on his lap, "This has nothing to do with you, your great future is just starting."

Gently brushing the beast claw pattern on the armrest, Dane didn’t speak, until the city’s bells rung, he sighed deeply.

Supporting Bamanda by her waist, he helped her up, standing by the window, dumbly gazing at the land entrusted with multiple generations.

His grandfather died here, his father grew up here, and he was born here.

After watching for a long while, he laughed self-deprecatingly, this isn’t his ancestral land, his ancestral land is at Feiliu Castle, which was once known as Joan of Arc Castle.

He’s been to Feiliu Castle, where no trace of the Kush Family remains, an estranged place like another world.

From Feiliu Castle to Canal Town, King Reifland to Duke Kush, there’s no room for Dane to retreat.

Yet the family lineage must always continue, just like the Kush Family saying, "Family heritage is our responsibility."

To survive is more important than anything.

"Invite the agent from the Holy Seat Bank to dinner tonight. I intend to dine with him."

Looking down at the four rings on his left hand representing the family name, Dane adjusted their position and direction, transforming them into a new family name—

Jibashan [Kipa].