Chapter 602: 602:Rewards Or Punishment
"Furthermore," he continued smoothly, his voice remaining calm and professional as though what he was about to announce was nothing more than a routine matter.
"The compensation payment previously demanded by the royal treasury shall be reduced by half in recognition of your contribution toward ending the war."
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
Rathlos’s eyes widened slightly as he turned toward Ethan, disbelief clearly visible on his face as he processed the envoy’s words.
Even Ethan himself looked genuinely stunned now.
Half?
That was not some insignificant reduction that could simply be ignored.
That was billions of gold coins being erased with a single sentence.
A burden that had been hanging over his head for so long had suddenly been cut in half without any warning whatsoever.
Under normal circumstances, this should have been a moment of happiness.
Any noble in the Empire would have been celebrating after hearing such news.
Yet for some reason, Ethan did not feel particularly excited.
The envoy then smiled once again before lightly gesturing toward the guards standing behind him.
"And lastly, His Majesty has bestowed several additional gifts upon Lord Marquise."
The guards immediately stepped forward before carefully placing the decorated boxes onto the table.
One after another, the lids were opened slowly and respectfully.
The moment the boxes were opened, a faint magical glow spread throughout the room.
Rich energy fluctuations instantly filled the air.
Inside rested treasures that would make countless cultivators and nobles lose their minds with greed.
Rare crystals radiating dense mana.
High-grade magic ores that could be forged into powerful equipment.
Several precious potion bottles filled with liquids that shimmered under the light.
And among them was what appeared to be an extremely valuable cultivation resource wrapped carefully inside layers of silk cloth as though it were something priceless.
Rathlos stared at the collection of treasures for several moments before letting out a low whistle.
"Damn..." he muttered quietly.
Even someone like him could immediately tell that every single item here was worth a fortune.
Meanwhile, Ethan simply stared at the rewards in complete silence while question marks practically appeared above his head.
His expression became stranger the longer he looked.
"Wait," he finally muttered while slowly raising his head and looking toward the envoy.
"That g.... I mean... His Majesty is actually rewarding me properly?"
Rathlos instantly erupted into a violent coughing fit and nearly choked on his own saliva.
"COUGH! COUGH!"
The envoy’s polite smile twitched ever so slightly for a brief moment.
It was only for an instant, but it was enough to show that he had definitely heard what Ethan had almost said.
Still, years of diplomatic training prevented any reaction from appearing on his face.
"His Majesty naturally rewards merit fairly," he replied calmly.
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly before looking back toward the treasures.
His suspicious expression only deepened.
This sudden generosity felt wrong.
Very wrong.
It was almost making him uncomfortable.
Rathlos slowly leaned closer before lowering his voice.
"Why do you look disappointed after getting rewarded?"
Ethan frowned slightly while keeping his gaze fixed on the boxes.
"I am not disappointed," he muttered back quietly.
"I am just wondering if there is another hidden catch somewhere."
Rathlos stared at him for a moment before deciding that was actually a reasonable concern.
The envoy pretended not to hear any of that while continuing to smile politely as though nothing unusual had been said.
"His Majesty only wishes for capable individuals to continue serving the Empire well," he said smoothly.
Ethan looked at the treasures again before finally letting out a long and helpless sigh.
"Well... I guess I should not complain after receiving benefits," he muttered quietly.
Then he slowly raised his head and looked toward the envoy before giving a light nod.
"Please thank His Majesty on my behalf," he said calmly.
The envoy smiled respectfully before bowing once more.
"I shall relay your gratitude properly," he replied.
With that, the envoy completed his duties and took his leave.
The guards accompanying him quickly gathered themselves before escorting him out of the residence.
The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
The doors closed.
Silence returned to the room.
And the moment the envoy completely disappeared from sight, Ethan’s expression changed instantly.
The polite and calm look vanished without a trace.
The muscles on his face twitched.
A vein bulged on his forehead.
His jaw clenched tightly.
"Fucking hell!"
"This scam... you fucking scammer."
The words exploded out of his mouth the moment he could no longer be heard by anyone from the palace.
He rubbed both hands across his face before taking a deep breath filled with frustration.
First, he had been charged for offences that he had absolutely no hand in.
Then after all the trouble, all the expenses, all the resources burned during the war, the royal treasury suddenly acted generous by reducing the punishment that should never have existed in the first place.
And now they were presenting these rewards as though they had done him some tremendous favor.
His gaze swept across the treasures resting on the table.
Rare crystals.
High-grade ores.
Precious potions.
Valuable cultivation materials.
To most people, these would be treasures worth fighting wars over.
To Ethan?
They were practically useless.
Absolutely fucking useless.
With the amount of wealth he currently possessed and the businesses under his control, these rewards hardly meant anything.
Rathlos watched him quietly from the side before slowly taking a few steps backward.
He had seen this look before.
Whenever Ethan started calculating profits and losses, someone was usually about to get cursed.
Ethan pointed angrily toward the boxes.
"Cutting the penalty in half.... You are saying it’s as if I own all your ancestors, you pig."
The frustration in his voice grew stronger the more he thought about it.
A penalty that never should have existed had been reduced.
Yet they were acting as though they had granted him some incredible mercy.
The more Ethan thought about it, the more irritated he became.
