Rosie's Games

Chapter 344: The Duke's Name

"The Duke left for a few minutes before coming back as if nothing happened," Jean Hydran said. "It must have had something to do with that suffocating energy that we felt earlier. It has to be."

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"Yet, we still could not figure out what happened or where he went. I already sent my people and they came up with nothing. All they saw was a large clearing and trees that had been damaged as if someone used something explosive to destroy the place," Brinley sighed.

"Your Blessedness Martin, what can you say about the matter? You have been quiet since the tide ended," Jean Hydran spoke.

"Is there any point in concerning ourselves about this matter? The Duke has ended the tide." Martin was more concerned about the fact that everyone in the streets now spoke highly of the Duke. He was the hero. The one who ended the tide.

Naturally, this did not sit well with Martin.

How could he allow the Duke to become the Hero of the Empire?

For this reason, the Emperor was currently meeting with Federico. They wanted to discuss the next actions before they have a meeting involving the members of the seven families.

Martin wanted to be there for this meeting but the aftermath of the war was devastating. Many people were wounded and he needed to help out.

Just now, he excused himself to talk to the others, thinking that the meeting between the Emperor and his father had ended. It turned out that it was still happening until now.

He could not help but wonder what they were talking about.

"The Emperor would have no choice but to reward him. It was pretty clear that he was more powerful than Ena Thun and even Lachlan."

"I told you so." Lachlan was also inside the room. He was sitting by the window, his eyes closed.

He had no interest in joining this conversation.

He just fought for almost twenty-four straight hours. Naturally, he was very tired.

The only reason why he had survived was that he decided to push himself to prove that he could catch up to the Duke's strength.

He was wrong.

Duke Lucas Rothley was stronger than all of them.

*BANG*

The door burst open, revealing Ena Thun. She was frowning, which was very understandable. She must have already known that right now, everyone was praising the Duke and not the Goddess or the families who received the Goddess's Blessing.

"Everyone is calling his name," Ena was seething as he sat down on one of the unoccupied couches inside the room reserved for the blessed individuals. "He just showed up at a crucial time yet we have been fighting for days! Now everyone is speaking of his name! How dare he disrespect the Goddess? It should have been the Goddess's name that should be spoken by the people. After all, this success would not have happened without the help of the Goddess!"

"Calm down," Jean Hydran said as she handed Ena a glass of tea. "Soon, the people will realize that they are wrong."

Ena said nothing. However, she also did not accept the tea. Instead, she got up and left the room.

She had been in a very bad mood, not just because of the Duke, but because she had lost contact with Lurea. Was it possible that someone else was able to defeat Lurea?

She already sent her people to investigate, but none of them came up with anything.

She had an ominous feeling about the matter.

Meanwhile, Federico was also upset about the way the tide had ended.

"Your Majesty, I suggest that we investigate the Wugari Kingdom. We need to send more spies to the Rothley Estate. We need to find out how he was able to end the tide," Federico said. Just like what the rumors had said; the tide ended because the beasts were intimidated by the Duke's strength.

Or at least anyone would think that after what they saw during the war.

The Duke was showing off his skills.

This was intentional and Federico knew it!

The Duke wanted to make them look like useless fools. He wanted to overshadow them!

Sadly, it worked.

Now, everyone was thinking that the Duke really ended the tide when Federico knew that it was because the Duke's people secretly gathered the relic that attracted the beasts to the Empire.

He gritted his teeth.

Ena promised him that she would take care of things.

Whatever she had planned must have failed as the Duke successfully ended the tide.

"You know what happened in the past," Emperor Goosebourne said. As someone who witnessed the war, the Duke's actions clearly left him shaken. He had his back to Federico as he was looking out of the large window of his study. "Everyone that we sent died. Shall we sacrifice more life just to know the secrets of the Duke?"

"But we cannot just let this be. It is— an insult to the Goddess. This is an insult to the Blessed Families."

"Not rewarding him would only show how ungrateful we are. This would surely change the opinion of the people." The Emperor then turned towards him. "I know you dislike the Duke, but you have no choice but to acknowledge his strength and thank him in front of everyone."

"What did you say?"

"As the member of the seven families who lives here… you must be the one to give the reward."

"I would never betray the Goddess by giving someone who did not receive her Blessing a reward."

"This is not about who received the Blessing. This is about who ended the war. Right now, the citizens of the Aster Empire know that it was the Duke." Emperor Goosebourne sighed. "It is either you do it or the people will surely ask more questions. Without a proper explanation, they would then come up with their own conclusions and assumptions which could backfire on us."

Federico clenched his jaw. He knew that the Emperor was right. At this point, Federico felt defeated.

"It is either you reward him or the people will think we are ungrateful for the Duke's help." The Emperor said.