Threat and Challenge

In the elegantly decorated study, Benedict Lucan, dressed casually, leaned back in his chair, cradling a white porcelain teacup in his hands, savoring the rich aroma of the red tea.

At the moment, tea was Britain's most luxurious commodity, with a single ounce of tea leaves worth its weight in gold. Only noble houses like the House of Lucan, with a long-standing heritage, had the privilege to enjoy it freely.

"You say, Lord Ferguson sent you?" Benedict inquired casually.

"Indeed, I am here on the orders of Lord Ferguson." A young man standing before him replied arrogantly.

Ferguson, once a servant of King Uther, had risen through the ranks to become the Minister of Internal Affairs. He had also been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of safeguarding the kingdom before King Uther's passing.

In the fifteen years of Camelot's kingless state, almost all affairs, big and small, were decided by Ferguson.

Besides his inability to mobilize the border forces, Ferguson wielded near-absolute power in Camelot, and the term 'one hand that covered the sky' was not an exaggeration.

Even the most prestigious and well-established noble houses hesitated to offend him.

A flash of displeasure crossed Benedict's eyes as he looked at the young man before him. How could a mere servant be so disrespectful in the presence of a duke?

Did he truly believe that having Ferguson's support made him untouchable?

With a faint, cold smile playing on his lips, Benedict placed the teacup down, clasped his hands in front of him, and spoke calmly, "Speak then, what does he want from me?"

"My Lord said—no matter what the new king wishes you to do, you must absolutely refuse." The young man replied.

*Bang!*

Benedict slammed his hand on the table as he rose to his feet and sneered.

"He has quite the audacity, not only did he fail to send the promised reinforcements, but now he seeks to meddle in the affairs of my House of Lucan. Who does he think he is, a king?"

The young man remained unruffled by the duke's show of authority.

"My Lord also mentioned that as long as you agree to his terms, the reinforcements will arrive at Lucanmont in no more than half a month."

Benedict's face darkened. "Is he threatening me?"

"It all depends on how you interpret it, Your Grace."

The young man only replied with a calm smile that appeared like a mock.

"On the way here, I heard that Lucanmont suffered severe losses from the recent beast tide, and no one knows when the next one will come. So, Your Grace, it would be wise to make a decision sooner rather than later. Every moment you delay could bring more suffering to the citizens of Lucanmont."

After finishing his words, the young man gave a slight nod, turned, and left the study.

*Creak!*

Benedict clenched his fists tightly, his eyes boiling with molten anger.

"Is this what they call 'a fox borrows the tiger's might'? I thought it was just a trope from a play, but now I've witnessed it myself." {T/N: Someone who bullies others by flaunting their powerful connections.}

"Hahaha..."

With a soft laugh, Arkhan set down his teacup and stood up from the sofa. Even though he had been sitting there the whole time, it was as if the young man hadn't even noticed him.

This was because Arkhan had used the power of Fenghuang Down to shield his presence from the young man's perception.

From the moment the young man stepped into Lucanmont, Arkhan had been monitoring his every move and every action.

"Your Majesty, shall I deal with that servant for you...?" Benedict's eyes flashed with a hint of menace.

Since ascending to the position of duke, he had never been shown such disrespect, let alone by a servant who, in his eyes, was no different from livestock!

This was nothing short of a great humiliation!

For nobles, aside from continuing their family line, face was of the utmost importance. Even if they had to put on a bold front and feign confidence, they couldn't afford to appear weak in front of other noble houses.

Now, in the presence of the new king, being slapped in the face by a mere servant, how could the duke endure it?

If he didn't utterly crush that damn servant, he couldn't ease the bitterness in his heart!

Arkhan could sense Benedict's thoughts, but he still shook his head.

"No need for that; just detain him for now."

"But Your Majesty, Ferguson has already shown clear hostility towards you. Keeping that servant is a waste of resources!" Benedict remained resolute.

Arkhan's lips curled into a faint smile. "Don't worry, I've already figured out how to handle this. I will personally avenge the insult you've received."

Though still bitter, since the new king had made a decision, Benedict had no choice but to accept it. He had already resolved to bind the House of Lucan tightly to the new king, enduring this slight in light of the family's future prosperity.

"Forget about Ferguson for now; we have more important matters at hand." Arkhan took a seat opposite Benedict. "Any news from Ganna?"

Ten days ago, he had ordered the duke to send an envoy to deliver a letter of challenge to Ganna. It was about time for a response.

"We should receive a response very soon." Benedict nodded.

Arkhan nodded and then heard a series of hurried footsteps outside.

*Click!*

As the door opened, a guard rushed in, holding a letter.

"Your Majesty, this is a message from the Kingdom of Ganna's envoy."

"Let me see." Arkhan said.

The guard respectfully handed over the letter and then left.

Arkhan opened the envelope and read the contents. Several seconds later, a cold smile played on his lips.

"It seems I underestimated them."

"Is there a problem, Your Majesty?" Benedict asked, puzzled.

Arkhan didn't respond and simply handed the letter to him.

"Read it, and you'll understand."

Benedict took the letter and carefully read its contents.

It was a standard response to the challenge, starting with some useless pleasantries about Ganna's desire for peace and their alliance with Camelot. However, they also stated that if war could not be avoided, Ganna was prepared to fight to defend their national honor and territorial integrity.

The essence of the letter was clear—"If you want to fight, we're ready!"

"What...?" Benedict furrowed his brows. "What is Ganna planning?"

As a seasoned military commander, Benedict couldn't accept the surface explanation. Ganna was a small nation of only a hundred thousand people, and before the beast tide occurred, Lucanmont alone could match them. However, now they were daring to challenge all of Camelot.

Benedict couldn't believe there wasn't something more to this.

"Either they're bluffing, or they have a strong hand to play." Arkhan tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "There are only these two possibilities."

"In that case... Your Majesty, what is your plan?"

"Once the arrow is on the string, it must be released. We've already sent the challenge; retracting it now would be nothing short of a joke."

Arkhan's lips curled slightly, his eyes filled with keen interest.

"I'm curious to see what they are really up to."