Chapter 179: To Defeat Magic with Magic

Chapter 179: To Defeat Magic with Magic

After a tense and oppressive silence, Earl Hall finally spoke, "Why do you think I invited you to my home tonight?"

Eh? That was an unexpected question.

Hastur was slightly surprised; he thought Earl Hall was about to transform into the overbearing father who fiercely protects his daughter.

It seems that Earl Hall is indeed a nobleman of great demeanor, even his inquiries are indirect.

After pondering for a moment, Hastur replied, "Because I have grown too close to Miss Audrey, you deliberately invited me over as a guest. Firstly, to see what kind of person I am, and secondly, to make me realize the reality of our association, thereby reducing my interactions with Miss Audrey."

Before Earl Hall could respond, Hastur smiled and swiftly changed the topic, "If it were an ordinary nobleman, he might think this way."

"But the person standing before me is Earl Hall , a powerful nobleman in the king's court, whose breadth of mind and grace are incomparable to the average noble."

"Just as I trust Miss Audrey, Earl Hall also believes in his daughter."

Earl Hall 's expression remained unchanged as he said indifferently, "How so?"

"You would not intervene in Miss Audrey's choice of friends, nor would you invite me here out of some trivial notion."

"Under your guidance, Miss Audrey has grown to be elegant, confident, and intelligent. You trust her judgment of character, and you would only respect her choices of friends, without doing anything extra to influence or interfere with her decisions."

"You are a sage seasoned by the world, and you also trust in Miss Audrey's wisdom to handle affairs. She is starting to grow up, and you would only grant her the freedom to choose, rather than constantly restraining her growth."

Hastur's sincere and somewhat flattering words brought a rare glint of emotion to the usually stoic Earl Hall .

These words were not merely to please Earl Hall but were based on Hastur's understanding of him, combined with his demeanor tonight, leading to such a judgment.

He believed that Earl Hall was different from Greck and Hibert; Earl Hall was not a superficial man, such a person could not be deeply trusted by the king.

Reality is not a TV drama, and Earl Hall is not a character that can be summed up with a simple adjective.

He is a wise elder, despite his slightly prominent belly.

Earl Hall looked at Hastur and then slowly said, "I am very satisfied with your answer."

"It is because I understand you that I can make such a judgment."

"Oh, you understand me well?"

"I just know that no one in your position is a fool. Your thoughts differ from Greck and Hibert's. They only see how close I am with Miss Audrey and then jump to their own conclusions."

After speaking, Hastur gave Hibert, who stood behind Earl Hall , an apologetic look.

He couldn't help it; these were his true thoughts, and to please Earl Hall before him, he had to wrong Hibert first, trusting that he would understand his predicament.

A slight smile appeared on Earl Hall 's face, "Hibert does indeed like to take charge on his own. He seems to naively think that I invited you here tonight for matters concerning you and Audrey."

"As a father, I naturally dislike my daughter befriending those with ulterior motives, but I trust Audrey's judgment and discernment. She has grown up and is fully capable of making her own decisions, which is a matter of pride for a father."

"The reason I invited you over tonight was firstly to meet the young nobility of the Rune Kingdom, and secondly to see how outstanding the son of that fellow Voltaire Campbell is."

Ah? Hastur was genuinely stunned for a moment. Were Earl Hall and Voltaire Campbell on good terms? In his memory, there were no such harmonious scenes between the two.

Seeing Hastur's confusion, Earl Hall spoke with a hint of nostalgia, "The young Voltaire was indeed a commendable youth, praiseworthy in many aspects.

Unfortunately, after he got married and had children, he seemed to become a different person.

Unlike me, I only began to strive hard after having my own children, all for the sake of giving them a better future."

Through Earl Hall 's narrative, Hastur could imagine the stories of their youth.

Before Voltaire was married with children, his brilliance must have been dazzling, while Earl Hall seemed rather ordinary.

Later, as Voltaire changed drastically after having children, Earl Hall began to fight hard for his own.

One lay dead by the banks of the Tasok River, while the other had become a powerful nobleman of the Rune Kingdom.

If he had such a friend in his youth, he too would recount their stories with a tone full of emotion in his old age, just like Earl Hall .

Surprise was written all over Hibert's face as he stood behind Earl Hall .

He was unaware of his father's youthful past with Voltaire.

But upon reflection, it made sense. The original Voltaire was also a hereditary count, just like the Holle family.

People of the same class naturally come together.

Just like himself now, with Hastur and Greck.

History has come full circle.

"I hope you will always maintain your original intentions and not do anything disappointing," Earl Hall kindly advised.

"I will take it as a lesson; the Campbell family will not stumble in the same place twice," Hastur assured.

"The upper house will have a new round of elections next year, and I will recommend you to become a member of the upper house," Earl Hall suddenly declared, shocking even Hibert behind him.

Why such a sudden promise? Hastur was also startled by this statement. He hadn't even successfully bribed Earl Hall , so why would he say such a thing?

Earl Hall glanced at him and continued, "You studied under Professor Wayne, who has profound legal expertise. After two years of honing in the upper house, with your legal experience, you are well-suited to become a senior judge of the upper house."

"As for the title, baron is a bit low. You can purchase a sufficient amount of land, and with the help of Duke Nigen and myself during the transition of old and new nobility, you can easily advance your title."

"If you can make a strong impression on the king, then restoring your family's hereditary count status will not be difficult."

With just a few words, Earl Hall seemed to have paved the way for Hastur's future as a nobleman.

"…"

Hastur was at a loss for words.

Logically, even if Earl Hall didn't specifically target him, he wouldn't go out of his way to help him, right? Was it for the sake of Voltaire's face? But that didn't seem to make sense either!

After a moment of contemplation, Hastur still asked, "Why are you willing to help me like this?"

"You said earlier that I trust my daughter's judgment. Since she thinks highly of you and has sought my help for you, I will naturally fulfill her small request," Earl Hall said in a calm tone, as if becoming a member of the upper house, a senior judge, or advancing in nobility were easy matters.

So it was Miss Audrey who had spoken on his behalf and sought Earl Hall 's support.

Hastur's doubts were somewhat alleviated, but he soon felt something was amiss with these words.

Was Earl Hall saying this to make him owe a favor to Audrey?

"Emperor Roselle once said: Politics is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom."

"…"

Hastur's mouth twitched slightly, another classic quote from Roselle, who always seemed to have a presence.

"Thank you for your kindness. May I take some time to consider it seriously?" Hastur decided to buy some time, allowing himself enough time to reassess the situation and guess Earl Hall 's true intentions.

Otherwise, such kindness was hard to accept.

"Go back and consider?"

Earl Hall 's originally mild tone suddenly became colder, "Baron Hastur Campbell, are you refusing my kindness?"

"Emperor Roselle also said: There is no such thing as a free lunch."

Hastur decided to counter magic with magic, calmly stating, "I don't think I can bear such heavy kindness at the moment."

"Didn't you come to my house tonight seeking my help?"

"Yes, but your help is too direct, making me hesitant to accept it lightly."

Hastur spoke honestly; he indeed wanted Earl Hall 's help but didn't want to owe a huge favor in return.

Moreover, a path laid out by others always brought a sense of discomfort from deep within.

The help he wanted wasn't so direct; he simply hoped that Earl Hall wouldn't intentionally block his path to promotion in the future.

In short, he wished for a relationship based on mutual benefit, not personal favor.

Earl Hall saw through Hastur's thoughts and said with a cold smile, "Naive. Do you think everything can go as you wish?

In the face of noble interests, personal favor is just a tool to be used.

It seems you haven't grasped the essence of how to be a qualified noble."

"An unqualified, naive noble, huh, go back then."

Earl Hall didn't give Hastur another chance to speak, issuing an unceremonious dismissal.

(End of Chapter)