Chapter 132

When the Duke first heard Sylas's scheme, he was incredulous.

"Lure him into a duel and kill him? By force?"

"Yes, just ensure there's a pretext for the duel and finish him off."

"What nonsense is this? You can hardly call this a strategy—it's a haphazard plan!"

"Exactly."

It was, indeed, a crude plan that could barely be called a strategy. Create a minimal pretense for a duel to prevent escape and then behead him.

"But surprisingly, simple plans like this tend to work."

"What?"

"Just try it. I'll take full responsibility."

The Count had no designated successor, not even a deputy. All his retainers were equally subordinated before him. It was a structure built out of a near-fanatical obsession with power. This arrangement posed no problem as long as the Count remained in control.

But he had overlooked one thing: if he lost his authority, no one was left to make decisions on his behalf.