Chapter 103: Bloody Bild City, the Competition for the Next Grand Duke

Verna did not stay long at Amelia’s place. After saying everything she needed to, she departed. At such a critical juncture, she had to make more preparations for herself.

Not long after Verna left, the news of Grand Duke Ogden’s death finally spread throughout Bild City.

The city was immediately thrown into an uproar!

By evening, the various evening newspapers had all published the news of Grand Duke Ogden’s passing. Musicians in the city played mournful tunes, and Bards sang of Ogden’s accomplishments.

Grand Duke Ogden, who had reigned for thirty years, had done nothing particularly dazzling, but neither had he committed any major errors. To the citizens of the Luban Duchy, he had been a rather decent ruler.

Thus, Ogden’s death inevitably cast a pall over the entire city.

More importantly, Ogden had not decided on the next Grand Duke.

So, who would be the next Grand Duke?

This question was inevitably raised and became the most hotly debated topic in Bild City.

“No matter how you look at it, we should support His Highness Bennett’s ascension!”

“His Highness Bennett has outstanding abilities. He is the most suitable.”

“I think His Highness Vincent is not bad either.”

“I, on the other hand, think…”

Discussions raged throughout the city. Bennett was undoubtedly the most favored candidate, his supporters endless and numerous.

But the others had their supporters as well.

Time flew by, and several days passed, arriving at November 21st.

The arrangements for Grand Duke Ogden’s burial had been made and were to be carried out today.

The weather in Bild City was cool. Under an overcast sky, a cold wind blew. Dewdrops on the branches clung together without scattering, occasionally shattering as a gust of wind knocked them to the ground.

The princes, princesses, and numerous nobles, all dressed in black, stood outside the castle east of Bild City, waiting for Grand Duke Ogden’s remains to be brought out.

To the north of the castle lay a mausoleum specifically for burying past Grand Dukes. Ogden would be laid to rest there.

However, as the Grand Duke, the deceased Ogden would not be buried immediately. His body needed to be taken on a circuit around Bild City first, allowing the citizens to pay their final respects, before the final burial.

During this procession, the princes, princesses, and the many nobles and invited guests were required to follow along.

Amelia was also present. Today, she wore a black dress and a wide-brimmed black lace hat, beneath which her long hair, dyed a watery blue, cascaded down and fluttered gently in the wind.

Her beautiful appearance drew the attention of passing nobles, but given the solemnity of the day, no one would approach her with casual conversation.

Beside Amelia was Eileen, dressed in a black-and-white Maid Outfit. She followed closely, cautiously guarding against anyone who passed near her.

“It’s about to start, isn’t it?”

Amelia looked towards the castle. A carriage was already approaching from that direction. One of the carriages, without a covered compartment, carried a black coffin. Inside lay, without a doubt, Grand Duke Ogden.

After glancing at Grand Duke Ogden’s coffin, Amelia looked towards the many princes and princesses nearby.

At this moment, the princes and princesses were keeping the peace among themselves, seemingly focused on bidding farewell to Grand Duke Ogden. But in truth, how many of them truly cared about this?

The competition for the next Grand Duke wasn’t happening openly, but the nobles had already chosen their sides, and military forces were silently gathering.

Ordinary citizens might not see anything amiss, but anyone with a modicum of status could sense a storm gathering over Bild City.

These people… each and every one of them was an unstable factor.

“Lily, let’s get into the carriage.” Verna came to Amelia’s side and said.

Amelia nodded.

She would follow Grand Duke Ogden’s coffin with the others to see him off. The procession would circle the entire city, requiring the use of carriages.

A line of carriages was ready. Amelia and Eileen got into one, and Verna joined them. The carriage was driven by Verna’s guard.

The other princes, princesses, and many nobles also entered their carriages.

The coffin bearing Grand Duke Ogden led the way, followed by a train of carriages. Along the route, large numbers of citizens already lined the streets on both sides, watching the coffin pass.

Inside the carriage, Verna sat beside Amelia. She leaned in and whispered, “Amelia, I’ve uncovered something very important these past few days.”

“What is it?”

“It concerns Vincent.” Verna’s expression turned serious. “I’ve discovered that Vincent has also gotten his hands into the military.”

“The military?”

“Yes. I have many people in the military, so I found some clues.”

She explained the situation in detail, stating her people had discovered some military personnel had been bought off. Following the trail, the clues pointed to a Noble Viscount named Harley Thomas.

“That Harley fellow appears quite neutral on the surface, not close to any prince or princess. But how could a truly neutral noble exist?” Verna couldn’t help but sneer at this point.

During a power transition, so-called neutrality brings no benefits. Neutrality represents instability, and who wants an unstable situation?

Anyone vying for the Grand Duke’s position wouldn’t tolerate neutrality. Everyone had to have a stance. So-called neutrality simply meant one had already chosen a side but was unwilling to reveal it.

“This Viscount Harley is one of Vincent’s men?” Amelia asked.

“Correct. Although he hid it well, no wall is completely impervious to the wind. Such things can be uncovered with a thorough investigation.” Verna’s expression was serious.

“How much control does Vincent have over the military’s strength?”

“That, I’m not sure. My own grasp on the military is only partial.”

“Then what do you plan to do with this information?”

“I need your help.” Verna looked earnestly at Amelia. “I need you to leak this information to Bennett. Let Bennett deal with Vincent.”

Verna couldn’t reveal her own position yet. But Amelia was different. Bennett knew Amelia’s identity. If Amelia mentioned this to Bennett, he would only assume it was uncovered by the power behind Amelia.

She needed to remain hidden behind the scenes, planning to let her competitors fight amongst themselves while she reaped the benefits.

Amelia nodded in understanding. “I understand your intention, but there’s still one problem.”

“What problem?”

“In the current situation, countless eyes are watching Bennett. It won’t be easy for me to make contact with him.”

Amelia’s answer made Verna ponder.

Amelia continued, “So, you’ll have to tell him yourself. You can say the information came from me. I’m sure Bennett won’t doubt it.”

“That could work.” Verna thought it over and decided Amelia’s reasoning was sound.

It also gave her more ideas. Any information she uncovered could be attributed to Amelia and then relayed to Bennett for him to handle.

Without Amelia, she clearly wouldn’t be able to pass on information so easily.

This made her feel that seeking an alliance with Amelia had been absolutely the right decision. With Amelia’s help, she was no longer constrained and hampered in many matters.

Thinking this, Verna said, “Amelia, you help me become Grand Duke. When you reclaim your kingdom in the future, I will give you my full support and help you succeed.”

Amelia smiled and nodded.

==========

By the time Grand Duke Ogden’s coffin had completed its circuit of Bild City, the day was nearly over.

Bathed in the twilight glow, the party finally arrived north of the Grand Duke’s Castle, at the Grand Duke Mausoleum.

After alighting from the carriage, Amelia glanced to the side. Getting out of another carriage nearby was Bennett himself.

Seeing Bennett, Verna walked straight over and spoke softly to him. Even Amelia, who was not far away, couldn’t hear their exchange.

In fact, Verna was telling him about Vincent buying people off in the military.

As Bennett listened, he was inevitably surprised. “Vincent? That guy dares covet the Grand Duke’s position?”

Verna nodded. “Exactly. He’s hidden it very deeply. He’s even moved against the military. We have reason to believe he has made even more preparations in other areas. We must guard against him.”

Bennett grew cautious.

Although he was the most favored prince, he understood all the more that he had to be careful at this moment. The final stage was upon him, and he absolutely could not stumble at the last hurdle.

However…

“Did Amelia tell you all this?” Bennett asked quietly.

“Yes, this was all uncovered by Amelia. She felt it inconvenient to contact you directly at the moment, lest she draw attention, so she asked me to relay the news,” Verna answered affirmatively.

“Is that so…”

Bennett glanced imperceptibly at Amelia, a sense of wariness rising in his heart.

Because what Verna had just mentioned concerned matters within the military, highly confidential matters at that. Unless someone had infiltrated the Luban Duchy’s military to a certain extent, they simply couldn’t have learned this.

Amelia was clearly a Queen of the Fallen Kingdom. Even with Elven support behind her, how could she have infiltrated the Luban Duchy’s military to this degree?

Bennett increasingly felt that Amelia was not simple at all.

Could Amelia have designs on the Luban Duchy?

Bennett couldn’t help but worry. If only he could sign a contract with Amelia under God’s Witness, he wouldn’t have to worry about this. But their contract signing kept being delayed.

Now, with so many eyes on him, it was also difficult for him to contact Amelia and sign the contract…

‘As long as Amelia doesn’t oppose me for now, I don’t need to worry too much. She should currently be supporting me. With the strength I currently control, it’s enough to deal with the other competitors.’

Bennett thought to himself, deciding there was no need to be overly anxious.

Soon after, Grand Duke Ogden was successfully laid to rest. After leaving a certain number of personnel to guard the mausoleum, the crowd dispersed as night fell.

==========

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye, arriving at November 23rd.

In just two days, Bild City had experienced earth-shattering changes and treacherous undercurrents.

The Seventh Prince was found dead on the streets one morning, his body covered with whip marks.

The Fourth Princess died by hanging in her residence. Whether it was truly suicide remained questionable.

The Ninth Prince was run over and killed by a carriage in broad daylight. The culprit had already taken their own life, leaving the mastermind unknown.

Two days!

In just two days, princes and princesses had died one after another.

And the number of nobles who died for various strange reasons was even greater. The entire Bild City was like a bloody maelstrom.

Vincent, who had played a significant role in all this, stood in an alley wearing a cloak, his hand gripping a fat man by the neck and lifting him high.

“Count Gane, of all people to support, you had to support Bennett. I can only bid you farewell from this world.”

Accompanied by cold words, Vincent squeezed. The sound of snapping bones rang out, and the fat man ceased struggling immediately.

Tossing the corpse aside, Vincent’s cold gaze swept the surroundings. Besides the fat man, numerous other bodies lay in the alley—all his guards.

“Your Highness, urgent news to report.” Viscount Harley Thomas stood behind him.

“What is it?” Vincent asked.

“Recently, someone has been investigating us. Their identity is currently unknown, but some of our affairs within the military may have been exposed,” Harley said gravely.

“Is that so?” Vincent narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists.

There wasn’t enough time.

If he had been given sufficient time, he could have arranged everything much more properly. But now, the power he had amassed might be enough to deal with the others, but too strained to handle Bennett.

“It seems I have no choice but to take an unconventional approach,” Vincent said heavily. “It’s most likely Bennett investigating us. He suspects us. In that case, we must move against Bennett first.”

In these past days, two princes, one princess, and numerous nobles had died. Many were killed by him, Vincent, but a considerable number of deaths were unrelated to him.

He suspected those were probably Bennett’s doing. That fellow was also pruning his competitors.

Under such circumstances, as the First Prince, he was still very conspicuous and would not be overlooked by the other party.

Then, before the other party could strike, he would have to find a way to eliminate them first.

“The next Grand Duke of the Luban Duchy can only be me, Vincent!”