193: Karl's attitude

"When Viscount Raine graduated from the Raging Bear Fortress Knight Academy, I personally conferred his knightly title and presented him with his awards."

"He is a young man with exceptional talent, extraordinary strength, and great ideas and drive!"

Although Belmont appeared quite young, looking only in his thirties because his strength had broken through to the Gold Rank, he was actually nearly fifty years old.

There was nothing wrong with him calling Raine a young man.

Karl continued to ask, "And besides that?"

"Besides that?"

Belmont thought for a moment and replied, "I heard he performed well at the Iron Wall Fortress, and Earl Sena spoke very highly of him. I don't know much else."

"Spoke very highly?"

"Given his performance, 'highly' is an understatement!"

Karl lamented.

"Father, it is indeed extraordinary for Viscount Raine to break through to the Gold Rank in his early twenties, but he only relied on the benefits of potions."

"Furthermore, the Red River Territory is located in a border region, surrounded on three sides by the Black Mountain Range. The foreign races and magical beasts there are as numerous as the hairs on an ox, and the Dragon Race is right beside them. While his strength is decent, developing the Red River Valley will likely not be easy."

"The Black Nightmare Magic Wolf and that Potion Master don't have much longer to live; they won't be able to help him for more than a few years. When that time comes, I expect the Red River Territory will face hard times."

Belmont voiced his thoughts; he looked down on the Red River Territory and felt quite resistant toward Raine.

"You are jealous, my son. You are jealous of that boy Raine!"

Karl only needed one look at Belmont to understand the jealousy in his heart.

"Father, I..." Belmont wanted to explain, but the words died in his throat.

"Hahahaha, it's normal to feel jealous. I once felt it too."

Karl told Belmont a story from his own experience.

"Over a hundred years ago, when His Highness Holden was traveling through the Northern Realm, he visited me at Rage Bear Fortress. At that time, I had just turned a hundred years old, and my strength was stuck at the Gold-rank Peak, unable to take a single step further."

"Holden's strength had also reached the Gold-rank Peak and was stuck at this bottleneck, so he chose to travel the four regions of the kingdom to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough."

"Do you know how old he was that year?"

Karl glanced at Belmont, then continued without waiting for an answer.

"Thirty. He had just turned thirty the year we met. At that time, he was His Majesty's youngest child and the kingdom's youngest prince."

"At thirty, his strength had reached the Gold-rank Peak and touched the edge of the Legendary Realm. When I saw him, I couldn't help but think about what I was doing at thirty."

"Son, when your father was thirty, I was still serving as an attendant to the Grand Duke of Stag in Stag City. It wasn't until I was thirty-one that I broke through to the Gold Rank and returned to the Raging Bear Tribe to take over your grandfather's position as leader."

"At that time, I was extremely jealous of Holden—jealous of his birth, jealous of his strength, and jealous of his youth."

"Seven or eight years later, when I heard news of His Highness Holden again, he had already broken through to the Legendary Realm, becoming a Legendary Highness who awed the four regions of the kingdom."

"Legendary... the goal I have struggled for my entire life. To this day, I have not broken through to Legendary, while His Highness Holden has been forging ahead on the path of Legends for over a hundred years."

"Four of His Majesty's children have stepped into the Legendary Realm. Among them, the youngest, His Highness Holden, is the strongest. Perhaps in the future, it will be this Highness who inherits the Golden Throne and becomes the new Golden King."

"Just like His Highness Holden, I once traveled the kingdom and met many others stuck at the Gold-rank Peak. Many of those people have now turned to dust, and quite a few of them were my close friends."

Karl became somewhat immersed in his past memories, sighing at the ruthlessness of time. After a moment, he said to Belmont:

"I really have grown old. When people get old, they like to tell stories from their youth."

"I told you this because I wanted you to let go of your jealousy. Whether it's Raine or any other genius, they will either break through to Legendary and continue their glory, or they will turn to dust like my close friends."

"The topic has strayed a bit. Look at these first!"

Karl handed a stack of prepared documents to Belmont for him to look through.

"This is the information Field brought back, along with some things I gathered through my own scouts."

"However, because that boy Raine has many magic wolves under his command and maintains a high degree of control over the Red River Territory, the gathered intelligence isn't extensive. Even so, it's enough to show you how unique the Red River Territory is."

Belmont didn't care at first, but after flipping through a few pages, his eyes filled with shock, and he began to read seriously.

"Is this true, Father?"

"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you?"

"I was also shocked when I first saw this intelligence. I didn't expect Raine to turn the Red River Territory into such a powerful domain in less than a year. It's truly incredible."

Through Field's descriptions and reports brought back by some rangers, Karl learned of Red River City's prosperity, the vast farmlands on both banks of the Red River, and the Magic Wolf Knights who patrolled the territory in significant numbers and with impressive strength.

"During the last Dragon Calamity, that boy Raine intercepted a large amount of population and resources, which caused his territory's development speed to skyrocket."

"And it seems Master Kapdo is extremely convinced by Raine and spares no effort in helping him. Those roads and city walls show traces of construction by mages."

"With the full support of a Gold Rank Archmage, territory construction cannot possibly be slow."

"That boy Raine not only has strong military leadership but is also no slouch when it comes to administrative affairs and territory building. Moreover, he doesn't care about the so-called unspoken rules of the kingdom."

"In my view, the Red River Territory is bound to flourish in his hands. In the future, he will be your most solid shield in the North."

Belmont hadn't expected the Red River Territory to be developing so well. According to the intelligence, the current Red River Territory had reached the limit of a Viscount's Territory and was about to touch the level of an Earl's Territory.

In fact, counting the three Gold Rank combatants currently in the Red River Territory, it already possessed the strength of an Earl's Territory.

"Father, do you really think so highly of Raine and his Red River Territory?"

"Although the Red River Territory is developing well now, its location ensures it will be surrounded by enemies. Once the Black Mountain Range erupts, the Red River Territory will be the first to be affected."

"The power of Dragon Peak is something even we cannot withstand, let alone the Red River Territory!"

Belmont still looked down on the Red River Territory and Raine. In his view, the prosperity of the Red River Territory was a flash in the pan without any security. At the first sign of trouble, it would be destroyed in an instant.

"It is precisely because of his special location that he needs our support, and we need him to become powerful."

Karl explained slowly, "If he were in the south or elsewhere, how could I allow him to develop like this?"

"The Red River Territory needs to grow strong. As long as he is strong, the North will be stable, just like how those Chaos Demons in the Blackstone Territory were handled this time."

"The northern border region, especially the part bordering the Black Mountain Range, needs a powerful barrier."

Karl paused and continued, "Things have been unsettled lately. Spatial rifts connecting to the Chaos Demon Abyss are appearing frequently, and the activities of the Demon God Cult are becoming increasingly rampant. The Stag Family and the Cold Wind Family have been hit hard, and we have also suffered significant losses."

"The Dragon Peak in the northern Black Mountain Range is watching like a tiger, and those Fel Orcs further north are also restless. Last year, a simple probe by the Fel Orcs caused considerable losses to the Iron Wall Fortress."

Belmont remembered that the Red River Territory had also encountered an invasion by Fel Orcs at that time and added a comment.

"The Red River Territory also suffered losses then. Those Fel Orcs found an underground cavern and suddenly appeared on our side."

"Yes, if the Fel Orcs can find one underground cavern, they can find a second one. The Iron Wall Fortress can no longer absolutely defend against their invasions."

"That's how it is now, and the situation looks set to worsen in the future. At a time like this, the northern border needs a strongman like Raine even more. Do you understand?"

"Even if Dragon Peak revolts again in the future and Raine might not be able to stop a dragon invasion, as long as he can give us warning, his purpose will have been served."

Belmont was a smart man. Once he set aside his jealous prejudice against Raine, he immediately understood the significance of a prosperous Red River Territory to the Raging Bear Family.

"I understand, Father!"

"Raine will be the most solid barrier for our Raging Bear Family!"

"I also understand why you didn't let those Ordinance Knights go to the North. If they had gone there, that boy Raine would have been in trouble."

"It wouldn't just be him in trouble; we would be too. The Ordinance Knights are not easy to deal with. Don't be fooled by how they've been running around Rage Bear City these past few days to eliminate demons without asking for reward or complaining."

"In truth, they are also constantly testing the depth of myself and His Highness Volrigard, and observing our loyalty to the Iron Laws of the Kingdom and the Royal Family."

"If they find even the slightest thing that doesn't align with the Iron Laws, you'll see just how stubborn and unreasonable these Ordinance Knights can be."

"If we hadn't been caught off guard by these demons and were short on manpower, I would never have allowed them to act so brazenly in the city."

"Father, does the Royal Family still not trust us?"

"They have never trusted us 'wild people' from the northern tribes. You must never place all your hopes on the Royal Family, even though His Majesty is wise and martial."

"But remember, Belmont: the Royal Family is the Royal Family, and His Majesty is His Majesty."