Monster Girl Development Master

Page 54

At the meeting, Count Johnsen's only designated sister, Ange Leon, solemnly reiterated the principle that there is only one sun in the Land of Leon, and criticized the rash and greedy heart of the former Count Clos Leon, winning unanimous approval from the attendees. The meeting then entered a heated discussion. Under the leadership of Lady Ange Leon, the attendees fully exchanged opinions, reaching a consensus on Count Johnsen's ascension to the throne and severely criticizing Clos Leon's perverse actions, correcting the erroneous paths and perceptions during his leadership. Some attendees made clear and explicit self-criticisms at the meeting. It is reported that eleven nobles, including Baron Flor, Baron Kent, and Knight Tel, voluntarily resigned due to deep remorse. In response, Bishop Charles of the Church of War highly praised their repentance and, together with the priests of the Church of Healing, expressed their determination to redeem them, demonstrating the two churches' prayers for the suffering people and for the Land of Leon.

To put it another way, Ange used every means at her disposal—coercion and extortion—to seize the titles of eleven nobles, intending to use them to help Zhuang Sen win over his subordinates. At the same time, she kicked out Bishop Charles and the current administrator of the Healing Church. Although the church itself remained, without a high-ranking bloodline holder and without official backing, they were no match for the Church of Vengeance. From now on, the religious field of Leon Territory would be controlled by the Church of Vengeance, which could be considered a way of repaying Bishop Rosa for her unwavering support from the beginning until now.

As for the Church of the Goddess of Commerce, let Lady Lia deal with that.

Ange gave Bishop Bivoro a polite smile, which made his heart skip a beat. He silently raised the price of the life-saving money to another level... Sigh, Kross is such a waste. How come he can't even beat his own son? He's lost a fortune on his investment. I wonder if the prices of the supplies prepared for next year's big battle will change.

Anjie stood on a stool, looking down at the nobles below with varying expressions, all of whom were as submissive as chickens. Her heart was filled with immense excitement; the overwhelming pleasure made her face flush. She longed to fly back to the manor and have a three-hundred-round battle with Zhuang Sen. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible today; she had other things to do, and someone else was monopolizing her time.

Consider it a welcome bonus for new players.

Just like these people below, they are as docile as chickens now, but their thoughts may not be the same after they leave. But it doesn't matter, we can just kill them all. With land, how can we not find people who want to be nobles?

……

time flies.

News of the tragedy at Leon Manor spread rapidly, causing an uproar throughout the entire Leon Territory as if a magnitude 20 earthquake had struck. Even the entire Falling Star Kingdom was thrown into turmoil by the incident. After all, it was both hilarious and influential that a kingdom minister, and intelligence minister at that, had been killed by his own son on his own territory.

Putting everything else aside, will next year's war against the White City Federation be affected? Who will be the new Minister of Intelligence? And will the King use this as an excuse to interfere with the Leon family?

These are all issues that attract attention, but the people of Leon are not so concerned about them. They are more concerned about the new dynasty's policies and what benefits they can gain from the change of the earldom, especially the nobles who did not attend the banquet.

Because Count Cross wanted to acquire the delicious baby as soon as possible, the banquet was held in a very rushed manner. Some nobles who lived far away did not have time to attend. When many people received the message from the ravens, they wondered if their subordinates/allies/relatives were playing a joke on them. After verifying the information from multiple sources or personally arriving in Starry Night City to confirm the situation, they were initially incredulous, and then their noble instincts kicked in.

You mean, our lord is dead, the new earl hasn't taken office yet, and many of our "neighbors" have either died out, lost their heads of households, or even lost their entire families? What kind of banquet is this? We should just go and annex them... What they mean is, help our neighbors in need defend against bandits, robbers, and monsters—as for where these things come from, you don't need to worry about that.

Suddenly, the arms trade surged again, with prices soaring to almost four or five times their original value. A simple iron sword now cost more than a dozen gold coins. This made Ange want to ask her dear brother to postpone his coronation. After all, with the collapse of the Church of War, the arms trade was now mainly dominated by the Church of the Goddess of Vengeance, the Farau Merchant Guild, and Ange's Blue Raven Merchant Guild. The Church of the Goddess of Commerce was relegated to picking up scraps. Who told them to be so indecisive?

……

While Ange was struggling to calculate her income, Zhuang Sen was in the dungeon of Radiant Manor. Opposite him were the two members of the Bloodline Order locked to the wall. They appeared to be unharmed, but were listless. Whenever their eyes met Dantalian and the nuns of the Church of Vengeance, a deep fear would appear on their faces, as if it were a nerve reflex.

Zhuang Sen showed them no sympathy: "So, you're from the Bloodline Cult? What kind of organization is that?"

Lizad answered honestly, "We are just lower-level priests and don't know much. We only know that the Order is dedicated to the study of bloodlines and has developed many bloodline-related technologies. We also select partners to test and improve them."

"So Cross is your partner? What technology does he use? Didn't you warn him about the possibility of aberration?"

"Yes, the technique he used is a bloodline tracing and sacrificial ritual. However, the two of us are only here to observe the specific results. The rest is handled by specialized researchers who are responsible for communicating with him. We don't know anything about it. As for the distortion issue... even if we told him, he wouldn't believe us. He might even attack us. Besides, we don't have the ability to correct the results. We are really only responsible for observation."

Lizad answered very sincerely, but Johnson did not express his opinion on it. Instead, he continued to ask, "You two are both level three bloodline users. Is your status really that low?"

Lizad sighed helplessly: "Because we are not normal level three bloodline users. As I said, my original bloodline was the level one bloodline, Gluttonous Hippopotamus. The cult performed a modification on us, fusing me with another level two bloodline called Deadwood Crocodile. That's how I became like this. The same goes for Wall. He was originally supposed to be a level two bloodline Unsleeper. After fusing with another level two bloodline zombie, he became like this."

"Bloodline fusion?" Although Zhuang Sen had already heard Dantalian recount it once, he was still quite surprised to hear Lizad's confident account. Damn it, he couldn't even perform bloodline fusion, yet the locals could.

However, Lizad himself was not clear about the specific technical details. As he said, he was just a lower-ranking priest who was mainly responsible for military affairs, and he only knew how to use technology.

Zhuang Sen was silent for a moment, then continued, "Do you have a way to contact your cult? Perhaps we can cooperate..."

Lizad and Wall, who hadn't spoken until now: "Huh?"

Zhuang Sen laughed: "What's so surprising? Or are you going to seek revenge for your partner?"

The Bloodline Cult duo quickly shook their heads. They had already prepared themselves to die, but now that there was suddenly a chance to survive, how could they possibly give up? As for Kross? The two of them had wanted to tear Kross to pieces the moment they were exposed.

Seeing the two "Blood Priests'" desperate attempts to survive, Zhuang Sen smiled and stood up: "Then I'll trouble you to make the contact. But before the person arrives, I'll ask you to stay here for a while..."

As for the people who come, it depends on the technical details and sincerity of the Bloodline Cult. If it's still about sacrificing relatives or modifying flesh and blood, then Zhuang Sen can only express his regret.

Volume Two: Kingdom of Turbulent Times

Chapter 125: Princess, Prince, and King

In the heart of Grandia, the capital of the Fallen Star Kingdom, a magnificent, spire-topped palace basks in the midday sun, solemn and resplendent. Passing through pure white archways and climbing gilded stairs, ornate relief doors open inward, where the Titan King, who seals the stars, casts his gaze upon the noble courtiers standing on the blood-red carpet.

The guards, clad in azure robes, stood solemnly beside the massive pillars, their eyes, hidden beneath their helmets, scanning the distinguished guests within the palace and reminding them of their positions so as not to be impolite.

Baroo King Anser, the eighth King of the Fallen Stars, King of the Titans, founder of the Anser Dynasty, also known as the War Maniac, Bloodbeard, and Long Legs, but outwardly he looks like an ordinary middle-aged man. His black robes conceal his figure, revealing only that he is sturdy and broad, even somewhat bloated, with a square face covered in fat. His slightly curly blue hair is disheveled and draped behind his head. If he weren't sitting on the throne, he would look like a rogue mercenary who makes a living with a sword.

—If you don't look into his eyes!

Those triangular, yellowish-brown eyes seemed to burn with perpetual rage, constantly proclaiming the tyranny of the Titan King. Whenever his gaze fell upon a place, whether it was servants, guards, court nobles, or fiefdom nobles, they could only quietly bow their heads and await his summons.

Only two people dared to look those eyes directly in the eye.

One is Baro's son with his ex-wife, Gloria Anser, 38 years old, who has awakened the bloodline of the Earth Titan and has already completed three awakenings at the beginning of the year. He is considered to be the unappointed crown prince and the next King of Fallen Star.

One is Baloo's eldest daughter with his current wife, Serafina Anser, 24 years old. She has awakened the red dragon bloodline from her mother and also completed three awakenings at the beginning of the year. She is also considered an excellent crown princess and the next Queen of Fallen Stars.

Naturally, the two did not have a good relationship.

However, they didn't openly display this in front of their father, Baroo. The Titan King wasn't weak enough to tolerate the cubs' provocations. Although he had begun to select and test the two little ones in preparation for his own demise, it didn't mean they could start fighting over them.

Baro blinked, pulling his thoughts back, and said in a low voice, "You all probably know about Cross's situation, so let's hear your thoughts."

The eldest prince, Grean, interrupted Barroo and answered first: "Father, I think we should find out the truth of the matter first. Given Earl Cross's character, it is impossible for him to have his bloodline mutated. And even if he really did have a mutated bloodline, his combat power would be infinitely close to that of a level four bloodline. How could he possibly lose to his son, not to mention that that Johnson Leon has only been awakened for four months."

Baro squeezed out a noncommittal "Hmm?" through his nose.

Grean continued, as was his habit, "I suggest summoning Johnson Leon and other involved parties to the capital so that he can personally explain the facts before deciding on the specific course of action. At the same time, we can send people from the four major churches of War, Revenge, Healing, and Commerce to Leon Territory to conduct an investigation. Only by operating on both fronts can we ensure that no problems arise."

"Finished?" Barroo asked calmly, his gaze shifting to Serafina Anser. "And you, do you agree with Grean's method?"

With fiery red hair and a tall figure, the eldest daughter of the royal family glanced at her elder brother with a cold expression and a stiff tone, offering a completely different suggestion: "I think we should immediately send a letter recognizing Johnson Leon's status as a count and allow him to continue the mission of Count Cross!"

"..." Baro waited for a moment, but still heard nothing more. His thick eyebrows twitched slightly: "That's it?"

Serafina nodded: "That's all."

Baro pressed his temples, looking troubled, then waved his hand and said, "Why don't you all discuss this? Or does anyone else have any other suggestions?"

Thus, the nobles, who were subtly divided behind the two "crown princes," began a fierce debate. Interestingly, "traitors" emerged in both camps. Some of Prince Grean's supporters directly acknowledged Johnson, while others, including Queen Serafina's eldest daughter, supported summoning Johnson to investigate the truth behind Cross's death.

However, a closer look at their words reveals that there are actually two camps, but instead of the eldest prince and the queen, they are the "war faction" and the "peace faction."

Leon Territory is a crucial link in the war against the White City Federation, and also the starting point for the battle between Grean and Serafina. If Zhuang Sen is summoned to the capital for investigation at this juncture, not to mention how long the process would take and whether any unforeseen complications might arise, this act alone would inevitably displease Zhuang Sen Leon. It could very well lead to this madman who murdered his brother and father turning against him. If he were to betray the kingdom at a critical moment, it could very well result in the destruction of the two outstanding crown princes of the Fallen Star Kingdom along with tens of thousands of troops.

Perhaps Zhuang Sen wouldn't actually do that, perhaps he is very patriotic, but the question is, would the people present dare to believe him? Would they believe that a madman who murdered his brother and father was actually a tolerant and kind person who would forgive offenses?

Therefore, if Zhuang Sen is summoned, it will inevitably lead to changes in the original war plan, or even its cancellation. Those who hope to do so are naturally the peace faction.

The other option is obvious: to maintain the original plan and allow Zhuang Sen to continue doing what he was supposed to do in the plan by recognizing his title—which is what the pro-war faction expects.

However, just like in other courts, the pro-war and pro-peace factions argued for a long time, and even a few small-scale brawls broke out. Neither side was convinced. They were just wearing down the patience of the person who could actually make the decision and trying to show their own will.

Baroo slammed his hand on the armrest of the throne: "Quiet!"

The court fell silent. The nobles pulled their hands out of each other's mouths or crotches, picked up their fallen hats, badges, and gloves, and returned to their places with bruised faces. The atmosphere returned to tranquility.

Baro then spoke up, but instead of giving a decision, he raised a new question: "With Cross dead, the position of Minister of Intelligence is now vacant. Do you have any recommendations?"

Everyone looked at each other, somewhat tempted, while Grian and Seraphim remained silent as statues, not uttering a word. This made a red-haired girl standing behind Seraphim extremely anxious, almost jumping up, especially when she saw an old man behind Grian about to speak. She gritted her teeth and jumped out first: "Father! I think we should let Johnson Leon take over! It's tradition!"

The old man, who had been preempted, became anxious and immediately retorted, "Young Princess, are you going to let a patricide madman take over the high position of Minister of Intelligence of the Kingdom? Moreover, he is of holy blood. Can he do a good job?"

Serafina's younger sister, Celine Anser, suddenly changed her tune, even becoming quite fierce as she glared at Old Deng, who was refuting her: "He was able to kill that old raven Kloss and build a faction right under his nose. Doesn't he have strong intelligence capabilities? Could you do that?"

"I……"

"You son of a bitch!"

Celine launched into a tirade without any restraint, hands on her hips, fearless of anyone. The people of Grean didn't want to offend this little princess, who had actually done things like blocking a minister's door and yelling at him before. She had no princess demeanor or baggage whatsoever. After all, she was just an ordinary person who hadn't awakened her bloodline, so her arrogance wouldn't provoke hostility from her other royal brothers and sisters. They were even happy to see their cute little sister's energy.

However, Grean was not in a good mood today. Seeing his men give up, he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. But before he could speak, Barroo suddenly said, "Alright, do as you say. Celine, you take the documents to him personally to confer the title."

"Ah I?"

Celine froze, pointing at herself with her mouth slightly agape in surprise.

Baro nodded, then looked at Grean and said impartially, "As for you, Grean, aren't you quite close to the Church of War? Go and purchase some plate armor for the Star Guardians."

Grean shut his mouth and lowered his head: "Yes, Father."

The others were equally silent. Plate armor, this novel item, had already appeared in the capital and quickly become popular, partly because of its excellent performance and partly because it hadn't been monopolized by the Church of War. The nobles who were involved in this courtly debate naturally couldn't miss such important information, so they all knew that the plate armor came from the territory of Leon, from Zhuangsen Leon.

The crowd seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to. For a moment, only the sound of breathing filled the magnificent hall. But soon, as Baroo spoke, the atmosphere changed again: "By the way, everyone, does anyone know what the Bloodline Order is?"

The author says:

Author's Note: Happy Dragon Boat Festival~~ I've started writing Volume 2, and there will be a big surprise in it. I wonder if any of you can guess what it is. Finally, please vote for me! I'm about to be pushed down from tenth place (っ°Д °;)っ

Chapter 126: The Order, the Grand Duke

Black Swamp, the most desolate territory in the Fallen Star Kingdom, is covered by swamps and forests, which make up more than 70% of the land. Crocodiles, venomous snakes and other ferocious reptiles can be seen everywhere, as well as many other species. Apart from the ancient swamp dwellers, the only people living here are exiles, fugitive criminals, and a small number of adventurers and gold prospectors who come for the rare materials in the swamp. In short, it is a place that can be described as lawless.

This piece of land, though not small in size, is almost unusable and should theoretically belong to some poor wretches. However, its lord is actually the only duke of the Falling Star Kingdom—"Mud Feet" Borodi King Starr.

Of course, as a duke, Borodi King Starr would not only have this one territory. The entire Duchy of Starr consists of three territories: in addition to the Black Swamp, there is the Starr family's ancestral home, the [Mountain Territory], and the [Golden Lion Territory], the most prosperous financial base of the entire duchy. The three territories combined not only have an area far exceeding that of an ordinary duchy, but also have a very solid economic and political foundation. Moreover, even a rotten place like the Black Swamp can attract bloodlines that want to become nobles.

It could be said that the Duchy of Star was a state within a state of the Fallen Star Kingdom. Borodi King Star's power and prestige were no less than those of Baro King Anser, and in fact, his prestige even surpassed that of the king in the surrounding territories. And there were, of course, reasons for this.

Before Baroo King Anser became the King of Fallen Stars, the Fallen Star Kingdom was ruled by the Starr Dynasty. However, none of the Starr of Baroo's generation inherited the blood of the Titans, and none even inherited the fifth-level bloodline. Therefore, the royal power fell into the hands of the Anser family.

However, at that time, the Anser family had two Titans. Ultimately, Barroo was able to ascend the throne because of Borodi's full support. As one of the few members of the Starr family with a level four bloodline, Borodi supported Barroo and even married his sister to Barroo, which enabled Barroo to defeat his opponent and become king.

After that, Baroo did not treat his benefactor unfairly. He not only granted Borodi the title of Duke, but also granted him the Golden Lion Territory, where the largest gold mine in the Falling Star Kingdom was located, thus establishing the stable position and prestige of the Duchy of Star.

If things had continued this way, it might have become a beautiful story of harmonious relations between ruler and subject, and brothers working together. Unfortunately, reality doesn't allow for "what ifs."

With the death of Mary of the Starr family, Baroque then made Lena of the Morgan family his queen. A subtle rift emerged between the two brothers who had once worked together, separating the king from the grand duke.

……

Duke Borodi rubbed his eyes, refocusing his thoughts on the letter in front of him. In the prime of his life, he quickly finished reading it, then frowned slightly and looked at the old man sitting opposite him: "Brad, do you believe that little bastard's words?"

The old man named Brad wore a long red robe with intricate patterns that possessed a strange beauty, but looking at it for too long could make one feel extremely dizzy. He didn't wear a hood, and his entire head was bald, like a hard-boiled egg. Coupled with his wrinkled face and a smile that seemed kind but was actually increasingly repulsive, he was a complete freak.

"That's why we need to go and confirm it, Your Grace. If it's true, whether it's the Chimera bloodline or the bloodline technology that allows for three awakenings in four months, then your goal can be easily achieved, right? And even if all of these are false, it would still be a good thing to be able to cooperate with the new Earl Leon, the Kingdom's Minister of Intelligence, wouldn't it?"

The old man's casual remarks revealed something extraordinary: the letter in Duke Borodi's hand was related to Zhuang Sen, and judging from the content, it seemed to be the same letter Zhuang Sen had sent to the Bloodline Order.

In other words, both Brad and Duke Bologna are connected to the Bloodline Order.

Considering the fact that the Bloodline Cult colluded with Kross, a terrifying conclusion seems to be possible. If this were to leak out, the entire Fallen Star Kingdom would undergo a massive upheaval.

Unfortunately, this matter cannot be spread to anyone for the time being; the Black Swamp has swallowed too many secrets.

Duke Borodi put down the secret letter signed by Lizad and picked up his wine glass: "Alright, you are more familiar with matters of bloodline, but why are you coming to me when you are dealing with that kid?"

Brad also picked up his cup. His arms, beneath his red robe, were thin and withered, even showing signs of age spots. He trembled slightly as he held the cup, looking like a pitiful old man, weak and frail. He bowed respectfully to Duke Borodi: "For safety and to act discreetly, we wish to travel to the territory of Leon in Your Excellency's name. This will prevent that brat from killing and torturing us, and also avoid having too many of us on the road, which could attract unnecessary attention and lead to unforeseen events."

The events in Leon Territory greatly intrigued the Bloodline Cult. Kross's "success" alone was enough to provoke their serious study, not to mention the even more enigmatic Zhuang Sen. However, such research couldn't be undertaken empty-handed; they needed specialized, even unique, equipment, and experienced researchers. Naturally, these two elements required sufficient defensive support, which would make the size and quality of the team conspicuous. The sudden appearance of a group of bloodline members would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention.

Therefore, a plausible brand is needed, and the best one is naturally Duke Borodi's. It's perfectly normal for Duke Borodi to field such a team; it wouldn't seem out of place. Besides, no one would be foolish enough to try and poach his members. Even if they did, they wouldn't succeed, and no one would dare to retaliate. Even that madman Zhuang Sen, no matter how crazy he is, wouldn't challenge a duke in reality, so he naturally wouldn't dare to mess around with the Bloodline Order.

Of course, this is all predicated on the Grand Mission not doing anything excessive or giving Zhuang Sen any leverage; otherwise, that would be a different story. But it's still better than sneaking over and being caught on the spot, thrown into jail, and tortured.

Duke Bologna pondered for a moment, then finally asked a question: "On what grounds should we send someone over?"

Brad smiled: "It is Clos Leon who is loyal to the King, not Johnson Leon. Can't a duke bestow a title upon him before he takes his oath?"

The legendary aspect of the feudal system is that a nobleman doesn't necessarily have only one lord. Just because I'm a baron in France doesn't mean I can't be an earl in England. Not to mention that Johnson hasn't even sworn an oath to the king, and a duke can naturally grant an earldom, although that would inevitably cause trouble for the Land of Leon as a royal domain—but so what? There's plenty of land in the Black Marsh.

"That's settled then. You arrange the manpower." Duke Bologna drank the bright red liquid in his clear goblet in one gulp and closed his eyes to savor the sensation.

Brad stood up, bowed, and left the room.

Chapter 127: The Unbridled Undercurrent

Leon Territory, Glorious Manor.

While undercurrents surged within the Fallen Star Kingdom, the territory of Leon was far from tranquil. As mentioned before, with Kross having taken away a large number of nobles, the entire territory of Leon was now in chaos. Even though Johnson had issued an order prohibiting civil war, it was clear that, faced with enormous profits, many nobles could not contain their confident excitement, their hands trembling—they could always split the spoils with the Earl!

To put it bluntly, Zhuang Sen's prestige wasn't enough to control the greed in these people's hearts, and he couldn't make them obey his orders. Of course, they feared the power Zhuang Sen displayed, but at the same time, they also thought that no matter how strong Zhuang Sen was, could he really kill them, these noble vassals?

One or two might be possible, but all of them? That's impossible! Besides, they didn't object to Zhuang Sen becoming a count. It's not like he doesn't pay taxes or attack his neighbors to expand his territory. It's just a traditional practice among nobles. Look, Zhuang Sen didn't actually do anything, did he?

The more this happened, the bolder these nobles became. Although they were not as bold as Zhuang Sen, many nobles lost their territories, but not many died. After all, it wasn't a war between two countries. The methods they used for annexation were more like old men marrying widows, mature women marrying young boys, and signing permanent security agreements. Of course, small-scale battles were inevitable before these things happened, but a group of first- and second-level bloodlines could only destroy a few forests or a few wooden bridges at most, which wasn't a big problem.

Zhuang Sen had no interest in dealing with it. Otherwise, how would he have an excuse to eliminate all those who weren't absolutely loyal and replace them with his own people?

"But brother, if you kill them all, where will you find so many people to replace them?"

Anjie knelt in front of Zhuang Sen, looking up at him.

"You'll see later. Okay, stop talking, it's making my teeth chatter."

Zhuang Sen pressed down on Anjie's restless little head with one hand and picked up the newly delivered letter with the other. It was an urgent letter from the capital, recounting the king's judgment.