As the sun began to set, the temperature dropped rapidly, causing a chill to spread throughout the air. The sky turned a dark shade of blue, with stars twinkling in the distance. Snowflakes started to fall from the sky, gently covering the ground with a white blanket.
The streets were quiet as people hurriedly made their way back to their homes to escape the biting cold. The houses were adorned with beautiful lights and decorations, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
In the distance, the sound of children laughing and playing in the snow could be heard, adding to the enchanting ambiance of the winter evening. The scent of hot cocoa and freshly baked cookies wafted through the air, making everyone feel cozy and content.
As the night grew darker and the snowfall continued, the world outside slowly transformed into a winter wonderland, bringing joy and delight to all who witnessed it.
Inside the Whiteskeep Castle, Ethan stretched his arms as he put aside the quilt and looked out of the window. In front of him was a mahogany table on which two large stacks of paper lay. The fire in the fireplace crackled, burning away the wood as it warmed the room. In the distance, Aria and Ronan both sat solemnly observing Ethan like hawks not knowing what to do.
"It's snowing…" Ethan muttered to himself, feeling bored from doing all the work.
Suddenly a knock sounded on the door and Aria went ahead to open it. As the door opened, Ethan looked over at the entrance and saw Albert, Nevan Armford, and Gareth Hale entering the office.
All of them bowed in unison upon entering as both Albert and Nevan moved to the side, standing respectfully.
"Young Master, I have brought him," Albert said.
"Yes. So, Mr. Hale, how's it going?" Ethan asked casually.
"My Lord, it's going well. My men and I are using violence to rat out all the radicals. But the slums are large and there are multiple factions. For example, there is the Rave Scorpion Gang which has members from hundreds. These are more violent and experienced in combat. I have been trying to merge the smaller gangs into mine to create a large group but we're falling short. Not to mention that all those violence is upsetting the inhabitants." Gareth replied.
"Hmm… That will not be a problem. But… What happened to you?" Ethan asked in concern, noticing the bandage on Gareth's shoulder.
Gareth smiled bitterly glancing at the injury as painful memories flashes through his eyes. With a grieving tone, he said, "I was almost killed by the one I believed to be my friend. But he was just a spy. Fortunately, he missed and stabbed my shoulder instead and luckily I did not die."
With a sigh, Ethan said, "It seems you are giving it your all. I applaud you for your efforts and assure you that these efforts will not be in vain. After what I have planned comes to fruition, you will be one of the richest men in this city."
Gareth's eyes sparkled but then after hesitating he asked awkwardly, "If I may dare ask, what are Young Master's plans for the slums?"
Ethan grinned and said, "Well, let's just say that we will be revamping it completely. So much so that it will be known as Adenberd's identity. However, it's still far off. First, you must control the entire slums, remove any negative influences and control the minds of the masses. This may take time but great things are never accomplished in seconds."
Although Gareth wasn't completely sure what Ethan intended, he has already boarded the boat and now there was no going back anyways. And so he nodded albeit with some doubt in his heart.
Ethan nodded back and turned his head, looking at Albert he commanded, "Have my personal knights, Fred, Willkie, and Jason enter Mr.Hale's little group undercover. We cannot have him die on our watch."
"As you wish," Albert said with a bow.
"Give him five hundred tails of gold," Ethan said pointing at Hale as he looked at Nevan.
With hesitation, Nevan said as he looked back and forth between Ethan and Garath, "Young Master… "
Bluntly, Ethan replied, "What? Are you afraid he will run away with the money?"
Everyone nodded awkwardly, scratching their heads as they secretly shot glances at Gareth.
Ethan once again looked at Gareth who was standing awkwardly not knowing what to do. Seeing this, Ethan said, "You were a businessman before, you should know when to grasp an opportunity. It's on you if you still have that drive left or not. The desire to fulfill all your desires and goals. Five hundred gold tails are nothing for me. It's for you to decide to betray my trust or elevate your status by doing the right thing."
Gareth bowed deeply as he nodded his head profusely and said, "My Lord, I will not run. This I swear on my name!"
Smiling gently, Ethan shrugged and said, "Good, you may leave."
Gareth was very gratified by Ethan's friendly gesture and monetary assistance. He bowed deeply once again under everyone's skeptical gazes and then left with a smile on his face while clenching his fists.
As he left, Albert and everyone else including Renon thought that Ethan was being too soft and complacent. Only Albert had the heart to point this out to Ethan and as he was going to do just that, Ethan's cold voice sounded. "Old man, keep an eye on him. If he tries to run away, then kill him."
"Yes," Albert nodded with approval as an appreciating smile floated on his face.
Everyone's eyes widened with surprise as well. Who would have thought that the young master was also ruthless? Ronan was also baffled and reminded himself that Ethan was very different from the usual aristocratic children.
"By the way, Mr. Armford. I trust all the winter preparations are ready?" Ethan asked.
"We are ready, the food has been harvested and stored in the warehouses. The preparations for the winter festival are also going well. There is no need for concern."
"Good, before we retire for the day, I would like to discuss very important things with all of you," Ethan said in a serious tone garnering everyone's attention.
"Come here…" Ethan muttered.
Everyone moved closer to the table waiting patiently for Ethan to speak as their gaze involuntarily fell on the Whitesburg Duchy's map on the table.
Pointing along the edges of the map where the Duchy's outskirts lay bordering the Kahnver Kingdom and the Duchy of Ashley, Ethan said, "Here, here, and here. We need to send our elite scouts."
Hearing this, everyone narrowed their eyes in doubt and confusion not able to understand why this was to be done so suddenly.
"May I ask the reason, Young Master?" Albert asked seriously.
"Everyone, uncle is no more… Father has left for his quest for revenge and grandfather is unfortunately in the capital along with elder brother Shirin. What do you think our foolish enemies might make of this?" Ethan spoke sternly.
Suddenly everyone realized what Ethan was getting at as the realization dawned on them abruptly.
"That…" Albert muttered in a daze as he cursed himself for being complacent. He realized that years and years of peace had made him careless.
"These mines are one of our lifelines and we absolutely cannot afford to lose them. Old man, you yourself told me that the crown is in a precarious position. Our family's position has weakened and if we lose a mine or two to someone else, we might not even get any justice from the crown. On top of that, we will have no justification to get back the lost territories. However, if we lose our territory to someone then they might just blame us for being weak." Ethan explained further.
It may seem like a twisted logic but since technically all capable males of the white family were absent, the noble society and the capital would only blame the white family for being incompetent and weak as long as no large conflict is created that might result in the Kingdom's stability. As long as the neighboring enemies claim that only a small skirmish has happened, the crown might close its eyes.
"That is correct! I should have known this! I shall send our best men to the borders on lookouts for any suspicious activity!" Albert assured sternly.
"You made a good call on recognizing this issue. We are indeed vulnerable at this moment. In this situation, we should always expect the worst. Since this is the case, allow me to make preparations for the worse." Nevan Armford said with a somber tone in a weighty voice.
Ethan nodded with satisfaction and stood up from his chair. Stretching his body once again he said, "Right. We're done for this evening. Send word home that I will stay the night here in the castle today. I'm too tired to go to the mansion. Everyone can retire, have a good rest."
Seeing Ethan in such a light, Albert felt his eyes become moist. He could almost see the close resemblance of Albaer in Etham's countenance. He couldn't be more glad that Ethan was a lot more capable than anyone had ever expected.
Bowing respectfully Albert replied softly, "Please take care, it's cold today. Good night, Young master." Then with Nevan, he left the room.
Meanwhile, Ronan and Aria who had been quietly watching everything felt like working for Ethan wouldn't be so bad at all from what they had seen.
"Both of you can go to your chambers, from tomorrow I will begin the process of your awakening," Ethan muttered as he yawned casually while stepping out of the room.
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