Chapter 412: Chapter 407: Hardy’s Special Honor

After Duane spoke with Count Kais for a while, the Count went to find his vassals to arrange the upcoming tasks.

Just then, John arrived with the letters Viscount Freddy had written.

There were two letters. One was for his son, Wayne, who had fled to Sun Stealer Castle for refuge, and the other was for Prince Howard.

As for the contents, Freddy had simply explained his current situation as a captive. He hoped Prince Howard would step in to negotiate, and that Wayne would use the money he had taken with him to pay the ransom. If the ransom wasn’t enough, he hoped the Crown Prince could lend him some.

"John, go and get Hardy."

"Yes, Lord!"

Now that the letters were ready, someone had to deliver them. Duane could have chosen a few of Viscount Freddy’s men from among the captives at Scorching Wind Port to complete the task. However, he had other matters to discuss with Howard, so it was more fitting to send one of his own people.

Hardy soon ran over, a hint of excitement on his face.

With the war over, Kaelon had assigned Hardy to lead patrols and maintain order in the Scorching Wind Territory, where he had already settled a few disputes between local gang leaders.

He had, of course, heard that his commander, Kaelon, was about to be made a Baron. He was incredibly envious and had fantasized about becoming a noble himself one day, but ’sadly, there won’t be many chances for me to prove myself now.’

He hadn’t expected, however, to be summoned by the Lord again today.

He brought a fist to his chest in a heavy salute. "I await your command, Lord!"

Duane handed a letter to Hardy. "This is a letter I’ve written to His Highness Howard, Crown Prince of the Akutas Kingdom. It details the ransom in Gold Coins or materials required for the release of Eldrin, Freddy, and the others. These other two are distress letters from Freddy to his son and His Highness Howard."

As he spoke, he handed Freddy’s two letters to Hardy, who immediately understood. "Rest assured, Lord. I will ensure these letters are delivered safely!"

Duane nodded slightly, his eyes sizing up the warrior before him. Hardy was just over thirty and had been a Human Tier Warrior for two years. His aptitude wasn’t high—above average at best, but certainly not excellent. When Duane had first arrived on Black Forest Island, Hardy had even led a group to intercept his party.

However, his performance over the years had been commendable, and this war had proven his courage and loyalty. He could be held up as an example.

"I’ve never dealt with Howard before, and that group of people likely can’t be judged by normal standards. Therefore, you will be at risk of being killed on this mission."

’After all, the head of this Kingdom is likely an Ancient God Incarnation—a Demon who can create Sauce Meat Fruit. Howard is probably no better.’

Hardy puffed out his chest. "I do not fear death!"

A faint smile touched Duane’s lips. "Good. And this isn’t about avoiding shame. Before you leave, I can give you my word: if you return, I will name you my Knight in recognition of your courage. If you do not return, that honor will be bestowed upon your son."

Hardy’s pupils contracted sharply. A look of brief shock gave way to elation.

’He never imagined he could earn such a great honor just by delivering a letter.’

Hardy dropped to one knee, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for your trust, my Lord! Even if I die, I will not fail to meet your expectations!"

"Rise."

Duane raised a hand. "There is one more thing that I did not write in the letter. I need you to relay it to Howard verbally."

Hardy listened intently. "Please, speak!"

"Tell Howard that if he is willing to publicly acknowledge my ownership of the Starfall Islands and renounce any claim to retake them by force, Count Kais and I will accept a smaller ransom."

"Also, speaking from your own perspective, let him know that as long as he publicly acknowledges my ownership of the Starfall Islands, I might consider not taking the initiative to invade Twin Bay or the Golden Coast for five years."

Hardy, being quick-witted, immediately grasped the meaning behind this. "Yes, Lord. I understand!"

Duane nodded. "Go, then. I wish you a safe and successful return."

Hardy then rose to his feet, gave Duane a Knight’s salute, and strode out of the study.

Watching Hardy’s departing figure, John mustered his courage and said, "Lord, I can handle a task like that, too! I’m not afraid of death, either!"

Becoming a Knight was not just a change in status and wealth; it also signified the Lord’s personal recognition.

As someone who had followed Duane since his days at Lakefront Manor, John had more seniority than Hardy and was even more loyal.

Now, hearing his Lord promise to make Hardy a Knight, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy and jealousy, even though he knew the Lord had his reasons.

"You’re not as quick-witted as Hardy. Jack might have been suitable, but I didn’t bring him for this campaign."

Although Natalia and her Guard were on Black Forest Island, Duane still needed to leave some of his own men behind to defend it.

Jack, who was in charge of public order, as well as Gaius, Kubatu, and Benur, who were responsible for defense, had all remained behind.

John’s cheeks flushed, and he felt a little deflated.

’This mission requires not only quick wits but also great courage and composure.’ Compared to Hardy and Jack, John knew he didn’t quite measure up.

"I know you’re eager to prove yourself, but there’s a long road ahead. The Starfall Islands campaign is our first major battle, but it certainly won’t be our last."

Duane continued, "You’re only twenty years old and already an Advanced Peak Warrior. Your aptitude is several times greater than Hardy’s. As long as you train hard, you will surely have a chance to shine in the future!"

John’s confidence swelled upon hearing those words.

He had once barely managed to break through after drinking thirty bowls of Fire Source Beast Bone Soup, which made him think he wasn’t cut out for it, so he trained diligently every day.

Now, he was the first among that initial group to become an Advanced Warrior.

’As long as I maintain this momentum and perseverance, with the Lord’s occasional support, I’m confident I can reach the Celestial Tier within five years.’

Coincidentally, the Lord had just mentioned not initiating an invasion of Twin Bay or the Golden Coast for five years.

"Thank you for your encouragement, my Lord! I will not fail to live up to your expectations!"

Over the next few days, Duane and Count Kais, along with Baron Uriel, toured and inspected all the Secret Realms on the Starfall Islands.

Although the Secret Realms had new masters, the extraction of resources within them continued as before.

After some discussion, the three agreed to divide the responsibility for mining the resources. For example, the few Secret Realms in the former Duke’s Territory would go to Duane, while those in the Scorching Wind Territory would go to Count Kais of the Silent Shore.

Duane would take sixty percent of the Secret Realms’ resources, Count Kais would take thirty percent, and the remaining ten percent would go to Baron Uriel.

Duane could tell that both of them were deliberately giving him a larger share.

Take Baron Uriel, for example. Although he hadn’t contributed much on the front lines, the value of the Hemostatic Potions, Recovery Potions, and Burst Potions he had supplied for logistics was considerable.

Baron Uriel could have easily justified taking a larger share.

Of course, Duane also knew they were ceding profits and supporting his bid for the title of Duke in the hopes of securing even greater returns in the future.

Though the war seemed to be over, the Tripartite Alliance had only grown stronger.

Duane didn’t know how the two men explained the situation to their vassals, but none of them expressed any dissatisfaction with him.

In fact, Baron Cruz and Baron Jick, with whom Duane was more familiar, even asked him in private if they could purchase Demon Beast Contract Scrolls from him soon. They, too, were impatient to acquire Flying Mounts.

Duane promised them he would start making the scrolls in the next few days, and would even charge them a fee of only one thousand Gold Coins.

However, he warned them that if he couldn’t produce a single Contract Scroll from the remaining Demon Beast Hide, they would have to find a way to acquire more materials together.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.