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An Understated Dominance Chapter 1803
Dustin and Austin opted to skip sleep, and the following morning, they swiftly arrived at Southvista. This territory belonged to Elijah Valor, the Marquis of Silvercrest. It was renowned for having the largest military force and the strongest economy among the Southern Four Sovereigns. However, Elijah was a stubborn and unpredictable man. There were instances where he showed no respect, even to Rufus. This unpredictability made Austin doubtful about convincing him. "Logan, we've arrived at the Marquis of Silvercrest's residence," Austin informed as they, along with a few others, disembarked from the car. "It's been two days. We can't keep your absence from the castle under wraps much longer. We need to speed up our efforts," Dustin reminded."I understand." Austin nodded."Elijah might not be easy to deal with, but he's not entirely without integrity. With the right incentives and an emotional appeal, we should be able to convince him."Dustin nodded. "Alright, let's head i
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1804
Only Elijah remained standing after his spear completed its sweeping motion. "You are all becoming increasingly incompetent. From now on, you need to practice diligently. Do you understand?" Elijah reprimanded the guards."Yes, sir!" The guards responded while on their knees. "Alright, you can all leave now." Elijah waved, signaling the guards to depart. Only then did he turn his attention to Austin and his entourage. "Uncle Elijah, your spear technique is truly exceptional. No one in West Lucozia comes close. It's admirable," Austin said as a way of greeting. "Your Highness, I'm certain your presence holds a purpose after such a long journey. What instructions do you have for me?" Elijah wiped himself off with a towel."I dare not give instructions, Uncle Elijah. I come with a request," Austin responded. "Is this about your father?" Elijah was not surprised. It was as if he had anticipated it."You already know about it?" Austin raised an eyebrow."The Prince of West Lu
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1805
Seeing Elijah's piercing glance and his raised spear, Austin was not afraid at all. He continued to keep his back straight."Uncle Elijah, the temptation of acquiring two cities is indeed huge. I probably wouldn't refuse if I was you. If you want to use my life in exchange for the two cities, I'm willing to make that sacrifice."Austin clasped his hands calmly."What? Aren't you afraid of death?" Elijah narrowed his eyes. "Or do you think that I don't dare to kill you?""Of course, I'm afraid of death. If I could choose, I wouldn't choose to die either," Austin replied calmly. He continued, "Plus, you've been on the battlefield for many years, killing all kinds of enemies. If you want to kill me, it won't take much effort for you to do so.""Since you're afraid of death, why are you so calm?" Elijah was a bit confused."Fear of death is one thing, but having the courage to face death is another. I've prepared myself for the worst ever since I entered," Austin replied seriously.
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1806
In the evening, Austin, Dustin, and a few others arrived at the border fortress, Peace City.Peace City was Lincon's territory. A decade ago, it was still a deserted small town.However, under Lincon's leadership, it became West Lucozia's top-five city in less than ten years.Peace City was one of the best in the military, economy, politics, culture, education, and even medicine sector.It could be said that Peace City's achievements were all thanks to Lincon's knowledge and outstanding capability.If Elijah was considered a hero in chaotic times, Lincon was a capable marquis in peaceful times.…A black SUV slowly stopped beside the road outside the Marquis of Riverside's residence.The car door opened, and Dustin and Austin got out of the car one after another."Dustin, this is the last stop." Austin looked at the Marquis Riverside's door plate and sighed. He continued, "Lincon has quite a good relationship with Dad, not to mention he's also righteous, and we have Elijah's
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1807
"Sir Blaze knows that you're coming, so he asked me to wait for you," the old butler admitted with a nod."He knows that I'm coming?" Austin raised an eyebrow. Then, he took a look at Dustin uneasily.There were only two possibilities why Lincon could guess they were coming beforehand. Either Elijah made a phone call to inform, or Julius' envoy arrived ahead of them."Your Highness, Sir Blaze has been waiting. Please come inside." The old butler bent over and extended his hand, beckoning them inside.Austin nodded. Then, he made his way inside without a word.Since they were already here, there was no way they could just leave. Austin must gave it a shot, even if it meant they were going inside the lion's den.They followed the old butler inside. After passing through various rooms, they arrived at the dining hall.At that moment, the dining hall was already set with a table of delicious food.The aroma of food mixed with the smell of wine stirred their appetite.Austin and th
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1808
Lincon didn't reply to Austin right away. Instead, he sat down and poured wine for himself and Austin.After gently clinking glasses, Lincon downed the wine."Nice wine!" Lincon clicked his tongue and smiled in satisfaction.Austin wasn't in a hurry, either. He also drank the wine and stared at Lincon, waiting for his reply."Julius invited me to join his team and even promised to give me a lot of benefits. However, I rejected him."Upon hearing that, Austin couldn't help but show a hint of joy on his face. However, Lincon's following words caused him to feel stunned."Your Highness, don't get so excited. Although I rejected Julius' invitation, I won't send my troops to help you, either. I don't like war, so I'll choose to remain neutral," Lincon said frankly."Neutral?" Austin furrowed his brow. Then, he quickly advised, "You're a citizen of West Lucozia. How could you bear looking at the country being split up?""Your Highness, my abilities are limited. Thus, I can't be of mu
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1809
"Since you don't want to inherit the throne, why do you want to fight for it?" Lincon remained indifferent."Although I'm not capable enough to become the ruler of Lucozia, someone is. That person is even more suitable than Julius!" Austin said with determination."Oh? Who is it?" Lincon raised an eyebrow."It's my eldest brother, Logan!" Austin replied."Logan?" Lincon narrowed his eyes and nodded. "You're right. He's more than suitable to become the ruler of Lucozia. "However, the problem is that he has been missing for the past ten years. There has been no news about whether he was alive or not. How can he inherit the throne?""Logan is still alive. Plus, he has already returned to West Lucozia. The throne should definitely be his!" Austin said seriously."Talk is cheap. Do you have evidence?" Lincon asked.If Logan really returned to West Lucozia, everyone would have known about it.In Lincon's eyes, Austin was trying to find an excuse to get him on his side."I can prov
An Understated Dominance Chapter 1810
"Uncle Lincon, thank you for worrying about me. I'm indeed still alive." Dustin nodded.Dustin didn't know about Lincon's past. Thus, he felt a bit taken aback by how emotional Lincon got."It's a good thing that you're still alive!" Lincon was both surprised and happy. "Ten years have passed so quickly. You've gotten so tall. I almost didn't manage to recognize you.""That's right. It's been ten years. A lot of things are different now," Dustin replied with a sigh.Ten years ago, his mother passed away, and his father was also assassinated ten years later.Over the course of ten years, both of his parents were no longer around. It was a tragic fact."Uncle Lincon, you said you would fully support the monarchy if you met Logan. Now that you've seen my eldest brother, you won't go back on your word, right?" Austin tried asking."If His Highness is willing to inherit the throne, I'll support him to ascend the throne even if I have to sacrifice myself!" Lincon replied earnestly.C
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Chapter 2530
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
Chapter 2529
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
Chapter 2528
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Chapter 2527
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
Chapter 2526
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Chapter 2525
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
Chapter 2524
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
Chapter 2523
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
Chapter 2522
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr
