181: Nocturne's Choice

The delicate balance of the Salu Archipelago's waters became exceptionally sensitive due to the arrival of the Hanhai Legion. As the nominal supreme ruler of these islands and having deep ties with the Star Sea Territory, Count Vaughan Nocturne's current mood was far more complex and anxious than he appeared on the surface.

He left the earldom he had managed for many years and quietly returned to the ancestral home of the Nocturne Family, located in the prosperous Peru Province in the central part of the kingdom—the Nocturne Ducal Castle. Here lived his grandfather, the current head of the Nocturne Family, Duke Smith Nocturne.

Inside the study deep within the castle, the heavy velvet curtains were half-drawn, and the flames in the fireplace danced, reflecting the old Duke's wrinkled yet still wise face. He was over seven hundred years old; as a Sky Peak expert, if he could not achieve a Breakthrough to the Legendary Realm within his remaining century of Lifespan, the Nocturne Family would face the grim situation of losing their ducal title and being further weakened by the kingdom.

"Grandfather," Vaughan bowed respectfully and directly voiced his concerns. "Duke Linn's Hanhai Legion has already stationed itself in the Salu Archipelago. Although Duke Linn assured me through secret channels before the operation that this move was only to support the First Prince and had no intention of targeting the Salu Archipelago, still... with sixty thousand elite naval troops lurking nearby, I truly cannot feel at ease. Moreover, the other nobles around the archipelago are already panicking. If this continues, I fear trouble will arise."

Duke Smith slowly opened his half-closed eyes, looking deeply at his most outstanding grandson. He did not directly answer Vaughan's concerns but sighed deeply, his voice carrying the vicissitudes of time and a trace of undetectable helplessness. "Vaughan, you know that the core of the kingdom's definition of a 'Ducal' Family is the need for a Legendary Expert to preside over it. Since the Old Ancestor passed away a hundred years ago, our Family has had no more Legendary Experts. This ducal seat has been precarious. You have seen the Aolai Royal Family's overt and covert suppression and weakening over the years. I... fear I have no hope of stepping into that Legendary Realm in this lifetime."

He paused, turning his gaze toward Vaughan with expectation and determination in his eyes. "You are the most outstanding hope of this generation of the Nocturne Family. To step into the Sky Elementary stage at a hundred years old and even earn the title of Count through your own means and cooperation with Linn is no easy feat. Linn... his ambition and strength are far beyond ordinary imagination. This Aolai Kingdom may seem like a behemoth, but its interior is already rotten, and the struggle for royal power is pushing it to the brink of division. In my view, this kingdom... will be overturned by him sooner or later."

Vaughan was deeply shocked. He hadn't expected his grandfather's evaluation of Linn to be so high, nor his view of the kingdom to be so pessimistic.

Duke Smith's next words surprised Vaughan even more. "I won't hide it from you. Years ago, Duke Linn had already extended an olive branch to me through special channels."

"What?!" Vaughan gasped. He hadn't expected that his grandfather had already had such deep contact with Linn without his knowledge.

"Our Family's early support for Linn, as well as your close cooperation with him, has long since branded us as part of the 'Linn Faction' in the eyes of the kingdom's high-ranking officials. Now, it seems this is actually a fortunate thing," the old Duke said slowly. "Linn promised that if he succeeds, this Peru Province will remain the hereditary territory of our Nocturne Family, though the ducal title will need to be adjusted according to his new system. More importantly... he promised that on the day we explicitly state our support for him, he will help me... step into the Legendary Realm!"

Legendary! These two words were like a thunderclap exploding in Vaughan's ears. He knew all too well what the Legendary Realm meant for his grandfather and the entire Nocturne Family! It was the key to continuing the Family's glory and truly mastering their own destiny!

"At first, I was indeed wavering, as the Family has received royal favor for generations," Duke Smith's tone became firm. "But looking at the current situation, the conflict between the First Prince and the Second Prince is irreconcilable, and the kingdom's division is imminent. Linn's wings are full, his layout is profound, and he has the Eastern Desolation Kingdom as a shield. His naval power has already extended here. More importantly..." He lowered his voice and said word for word, "According to top-secret information I've obtained, the Star Sea Territory... already has an Epic-level existence presiding over it!"

"Epic?!" Vaughan gasped, his pupils shrinking. Epic-level! That was a Legendary Realm above the Legendary! One of the Aolai Royal Family's greatest trump cards was their hidden Epic foundation! If Linn also possessed power of this level, the balance of high-end combat power between the two sides would undergo a subversive change!

After the shock, Vaughan quickly calmed down. He understood his grandfather's purpose in telling him this top-secret information. He took a deep breath and bowed. "I understand. Everything... is as Grandfather decides!"

Seeing his grandson's reaction, a flicker of relief flashed in Duke Smith's eyes, which then became incredibly resolute. "Time waits for no one! From today on, I will secretly mobilize twenty thousand of the most reliable elites from the Family guards and private army. They will be disguised as merchant caravans or mercenaries and sent to the Salu Archipelago in batches via secret routes for you to command!"

Vaughan's expression turned solemn, knowing that the real test had come.

"Your mission is to lead these twenty thousand Family elites, along with your original Salu Archipelago garrison, under the guise of 'clearing pirates, stabilizing chaos, and maintaining sea routes.' Within the shortest time possible, you must capture and control the Salu Archipelago and the surrounding islands of several viscounties that are either attached to the Second Prince's faction or have an ambiguous attitude!" The old Duke's voice carried a blood-and-iron tone. "Remember, move fast and strike hard! Create a fait accompli!"

"This is..." Vaughan instantly understood his grandfather's deep meaning.

"Exactly! This is our 'nomination bond' for joining Duke Linn!" Duke Smith said decisively. "Your attack on other noble territories will inevitably draw strong condemnation and even suppression from the kingdom, especially the Second Prince's faction. But at that time, with General Hogan's Hanhai Legion blockading and deterring at sea, the kingdom's navy will find it difficult to intervene quickly, and the land army will be even further out of reach! You take the opportunity to secretly join the Star Sea Territory with the Salu Archipelago and surrounding islands as your capital, along with a total of tens of thousands of troops and this significant maritime territory!"

"And I," the old Duke's eyes flashed with a hint of complexity, but mostly resolve, "will, in my capacity as Duke Nocturne and a high official of the kingdom, publicly condemn your 'betrayal' in the royal court, and announce that you are 'forever expelled from the Nocturne Family,' cutting all ties with you!"

Vaughan's heart tightened, but he immediately understood that his grandfather was leaving a back door for the Family, performing a risk hedge. This way, regardless of Linn's future success or failure, the core of the Nocturne Family would retain a bit of room for maneuver and survival within the Aolai Kingdom's system. Meanwhile, he, Vaughan, would lead an army and a territory to fully integrate into the Star Sea Territory's system, becoming the Family's representative and spark within the new power.

"Your grandson... understands!" Vaughan kowtowed heavily, a blazing fighting spirit igniting in his eyes. This was both a massive gamble and an opportunity to open a new world for the Family.

"Go, Vaughan. Do what you must. Remember, the glory and future of the Nocturne Family rest on your shoulders. Also, trust in Duke Linn's promise." Duke Smith waved his hand, looking as if he had aged instantly, yet also as if he had laid down a thousand-pound burden.

Vaughan no longer said more, gave his grandfather a deep look, turned, and strode away, his back firm.