Bradley sighed internally.

  This attitude had led many to wonder who Marcus had gotten it from.

  His father was a good and powerful man. His mother, a lovely soul she was.

  Perhaps because he didn't get the chance to spend some time with his mother, his personality had turned shrewd.

  “Lord Marcus, isn't this too much?”

  “No, not at all. In fact, I think I’m being merciful enough. If you disagree, then we can forget about everything that happened these past few minutes.” Marcus folded his arms across his chest.

  “Just be informed that the Royal Council will be receiving quite a complaint from my office.”

  Egar struggled to swallow.

  “Then… we’ll do as you said, my lord… I'll make a generous donation of two hundred and fifty thousand silver coins to Agard.”

  Baron Savani tried to force a smile onto his face, but it only made him look weird.

  ‘Almost half of what I’ve earned selling iron in the black market.’

  “I'll have to thank you for your generosity, but such gratifications will only proceed when the donation has been made. Is that clear, Lord Egar?”

  Egar nodded.

  He understood what the young man was implying.

  Without seeing the money, everything will remain as is.

  “I’ll have my men bring them silver over very soon. Please, excuse me for a moment, Lord Marcus. I'll have to take my leave now and hurry to send the donation over.”

  Egar exited the room with his men.

  At the back of his mind was Marcus’s smile that seemed to have burned itself into his mind.

  ‘Be smug about it now. But I swear, I won't let this slide so easily.’ Egar said to himself as his mind seethed with anger.

  As the door closed behind the Baron, Marcus couldn't help but chuckle.

  Two hundred and fifty thousand silver coins, so easily earned!

  ‘Corruption really does bring easy money.’

  But Marcus knew that this wouldn't end here. He would be foolish to assume so.

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  Baron Savani would surely bite back. How he was going to do it remained a mystery, but he was going to.

  That's how the nobles of Agard have always been, stubborn, corrupt, and difficult to reform.

  But none of that truly mattered to Marcus now.

  All he knew was that the money… or donation, though only a fraction, would be able to push his plans into fruition.

  “Lord Marcus, wasn’t that excessive?” Bradley questioned.

  “Not at all. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?”

  “If I say you did, you'd argue with me and try to convince me that you did nothing wrong. If I say otherwise, wouldn't I be biting my own fingers?’

  “Two hundred and fifty thousand silver coins is not a small amount for a Baron,” Bradley replied.

  “It is if you're a corrupt one. He must have earned double of that over these six months that he has been smuggling and selling iron in the black market. The money is illegal in the first place. I'm just helping him wash it.”

  Brown and Logail looked at each other, speechless.

  They were aware of rumors back in Duke Sirdi's estate of the last scion of the madame being a greedy grobber.

  But that's all it was, a rumor.

  And because they were young apprentices then, they didn't dare roam around the Duke’s home unwarranted.

  Now, they realized those rumors weren't unfounded.

  “Don't worry Bradley, I have more things planned for Baron Savani. This is just the beginning.” Marcus chuckled.

  “Bradley, make a list of seeds and grains we can purchase in bulk from the neighboring state. Also, I’ll need you to purchase a large amount of Limestone. Then put out a notice that we're recruiting skilled blacksmiths, carpenters, and farmers.”

  Everyone could understand the need for grains and seeds, however, they were lost when it came to the Limestone.

  “My lord, what's the Limestone for?” Bradley wondered.

  “Experiment.” Marcus moved to his feet. “Depending on how well it performs, the cost of Limestones in Agard, or perhaps, around the continent might increase. From Baron Savani's donation, set a good sum aside for Limestone.”

  “As you wish, my lord.” Bradley resigned to listening to the young lord.

  Two hundred and fifty thousand silver coins might seem like a lot, but in truth, for territory as big as Marcus's, it was just a drop in the bucket.

  Agard is a territory as big as a Duchy, and yet, it was given to him to manage at a young age.

  The same was done for Marcus’s older siblings. They all made Viscounts and were given a territory as big as a Duchy to govern.

  Which is totally abnormal, but no one in the Royal Council objected when this was proposed.

  The only condition was that these territories didn't mean much to the kingdom's economy.

  They occupied space with nothing much to offer.

  If the Sirdis could make something out of their Duchy, then it was to their benefit. If not, then it was their pot to stir in.

  “Also, when Baron Savani sends the complete donation over, release his son to him,” Marcus said to Brown.

  “What about his carts?”

  “What carts? They don't exist as a property of his anymore. They're now mine, or rather, Agard's.” He began walking towards the door.

  “I'll be in my office for a while. Let me know when the silver is here.” With a wave, he left the room.

  …

  Upon returning to his office, Marcus began drawing the blueprints in his head, carefully. Replicating every detail.

  About 4 hours passed, and the sun was already hanging at the edge of the sky, leaving the darkness of the night to bleed through.

  A knock came upon his door.

  “Lord Marcus, Baron Savani has delivered the silver.” It was Brown.

  “Already?”

  To Marcus, not that much time had gone by. Until he noticed the darkness in the room.

  Upon realization, a wave of fatigue hit him, forcing him to pinch the bridge of his nose.

  He proceeded to put the drawings he had made into a drawer in his desk and locked it.

  “Let's go have a look.”

  In the same parlor that they met earlier, Baron Savani, this time around, came with 5 hefty chests.

  Marcus scanned through the content of the chest, secretly pleased with what he was saying.

  “Well, then. I suppose I should bring your son to you.” With a look, Brown left the room and soon returned with Deril.

  “Father-” Deril started but was cut short by the sharp slap that landed on his cheek.

  “You insolent son! Be quiet lest I get overwhelmed with anger and kill you myself!” Egar bellowed.

  His lips trembled with anger the more his gaze fell upon the chests.

  Those were his silver coins! But they were being blackmailed out of his pockets.

  “We can call it a night now, right, Baron Savani?”

  Struggling to hold his anger back, Egar said; “What about my cargoes, my lord?”

  “What cargo?” Marcus arched a brow at the man, looking genuinely confused.

  Egar paused.

  “Good… hahaha! Very good. I have met a scion of the fallen Sirdi family.” Eager was pissed to the point of laughter.

  To the point where he could only laugh at his situation.

  Forgoing formalities, he began leaving the room.

  “A genuine piece of advice for the Baron,” Marcus began, causing Baron Savani to pause.

  “It will serve you well if you sit back and stay low. Agard is about to go through a rigorous change under my rule. And this time, all those who oppose me will be eliminated, one way or another.”

  Marcus uttered, his voice stern and threatening.

  With no response for the young governor, Baron Savani quietly left Marcus's estate.

  The humiliation he felt burned deeper than he wanted to admit.

  ‘You want me to bow my head in silence? You and what army!? This is not over Marcus Sirdi, not by a long shot.’