Catherine urged, “Go ahead, speak.” Portia hesitated, then revealed, “The answers from my informants are somewhat varied.

But there are a few words that are consistently mentioned: ‘west,’ ‘tia,’ and ‘Aragon’.”

Catherine repeated these three words, utterly confused.

Howard stood up and walked towards the window, gazing out at the seascape.

Catherine asked if there was any more intelligence, to which Portia replied there wasn’t. .

Later, Howard left the ducal residence and rode to the Lagusa Merchants’ Guild.

He theorized that these merchants, with their wealth of information and unique experiences gathered from travels far and wide, might hold the key to this puzzle.

This idea was promising, but discretion was paramount.

Should this Castilian plan become common knowledge across the continent through the merchant network, the value of solving the mystery would be greatly diminished.

Therefore, maintaining secrecy while uncovering the truth was a delicate balance that needed to be struck.

Upon his arrival at the guild, an officer in charge of maintaining order immediately recognized Howard and saluted him.

The merchants followed suit, offering their respects.

Howard assured them of Lagusa’s excellent security and mentioned that any safety concerns could be directly addressed to the Minister of Finance, Vettel, who would take care of them.

After this, Howard made a pretense of touring the first floor of the guild, receiving praises from the merchants before departing.

Howard, unsuccessful in enlisting the help of merchants, then visited the library, a treasure trove of knowledge.

13:30

He hoped to sift through the materials there, looking for inspiration.

After spending the afternoon engrossed in a hefty tome, he returned to his estate deep in thought at dusk.

Catherine inquired where he had been, and Howard candidly shared his day.

During dinner, a maid accidentally broke a plate, prompting Catherine to scold her.

Howard intervened, urging Catherine not to berate the maid.

Despite this, Catherine continued her reprimand, reducing the maid to tears.

Howard then remarked, “What does it matter if a plate is broken? Objects are inanimate, but people are alive. Why focus on the lifeless when the living matter more?” This caused Catherine to cease her scolding, and the grateful maid thanked Howard.

The next morning, Howard headed to the library early.

Dressed in plain civilian clothes, he was leaving the library when an elderly man responsible for organizing the books commented, “Young man, what are you searching for?” Howard, preferring to keep it to himself, did not respond.

The old man pressed a few more times, but with no success.

Cotler, who had a brief encounter with Howard on the roads of Lagusa, was also present.

He was Resarite’s only son, on whom Resarite placed great hopes.

Today, Howard, dressed in commoner’s attire, was eager to return to the Lagusa library disguised as a civilian.

Seeing Resarite arrive with his family, seemingly ready to make a full apology, Howard felt it unnecessary.

Resarite’s wife attempted to kneel before Howard, but he firmly prevented her from doing so.

Cotler also tried to kneel, but Golan supported him, preventing the act.

This left Resarite in a state of confusion.

Howard rubbed his lips thoughtfully and said, “Resarite, please don’t act like this. Even though I was angry with you at that time, I still understood you. Reflecting on my own journey of ascension, haven’t I also overthrown various lords? As someone who often overthrew lords for promotion, what right do I have to hold a grudge against your rebellion?”

Bosiden comforted Resarite.

Vettel addressed Resarite, “Master, Lord Howard is truly magnanimous.” Alonso added, “Master Resarite, we all know your prowess in warfare. Lord Howard would be pleased to have you as the Minister of Military Affairs.”

Howard smiled and agreed, “Yes, indeed.” Consequently, the Countess, Resarite’s wife, left the room, and Cotler, who initially intended to leave, was stopped by Howard.

Howard had always had plans for Cotler’s development but had been too preoccupied with recent events. 𝘪.𝑐ℴ𝘮

Seizing this opportunity, he granted Cotler the honorary title of Swan Keeper, allowing him to tend to swans in Howard’s court.

Swans were a symbol of great significance on the continent, and being a Swan Keeper was an honor.

This delighted Resarite.

Anna frowned at this development.

Observing their reactions, Howard pondered internally: “Back in the days when we fought side by side against Baron Fernsouth Blima, how harmonious our relations were. But why, as we progressed, did gaps appear among us? Has the increase in status spoiled our temperaments? Or has the distance of our lands reduced our interactions?”

Bosiden, seeking a position for Cotler, said, “Gracious Duke, my respect for you is as endless as the flowing rivers. Cotler is young and energetic, with a strong sense of military discipline and empathy for his soldiers. I suggest appointing Cotler as a general in the standing army that Lord Howard plans to establish.”

Howard was slightly surprised.

The formation of a standing army was something he had never mentioned before, but recognizing it as an inevitable trend, he agreed to Bosiden’s proposal.

The position of general in the standing army, not being a noble title, required Cotler to demonstrate his military capabilities in the future.

Catherine, feeling the discussion was sufficient, instructed everyone to return to their respective lands to solve the puzzle but cautioned against revealing the information to untrustworthy individuals to prevent leaks.

Upon hearing this, Anna glanced around the room and noticed the absence of Kaido.

She wondered to herself: Does Lord Howard dislike Kaido so much? After all, it was Howard who had single-handedly facilitated the marriage years ago.

Five days passed, and Howard received many versions of so-called answers, none of which satisfied him.

Some claimed that Castile had discovered a sea beast with valuable teeth, leading the King of Castile to treat this as a grand plan.

Others speculated that Castile was preparing for war against its western neighbor, the Porlia Kingdom, and aimed to ally with Aragon for a joint attack.

Another rumor suggested that the King of Castile and the King of Aragon had a private feud, planning a surprise attack by biting the King of Aragon’s nose at a banquet in the Porlia Kingdom.

This content is taken from 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜