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The hall soon became like a powder keg that had just been lit, suddenly erupting in chaos.

A number of noblemen quickly advised: "No, Your Majesty! The matter of the heir is of utmost importance, it cannot be decided hastily!"

"Indeed, Your Majesty, the heir will determine the future of our empire, it must be handled with great care!"

…

Most of those who spoke up were nobles supporting the eldest prince, Leonie. The current situation was very unfavorable for him, and if the king made a decision now, it was highly likely he would choose the second prince.

This, naturally, was unacceptable to many of the nobles.

Of course, where there were those who opposed, there were also those who supported the decision.

The second prince\'s supporters were delighted with King Alfred\'s decision.

Before long, the hall was in complete turmoil. A group of nobles were shouting at the top of their lungs, their faces flushed and necks bulging. Some, unable to argue any further, even rolled up their sleeves, seemingly ready to resort to physical confrontation.

Luca watched with great interest. The sight of these nobles, disregarding their status and cursing at each other, was rather entertaining.

The king and several grand dukes, however, remained calm. Some of them even leisurely sipped tea as though they had seen nothing. It seemed they were long accustomed to such scenes.

"Silence!" The palace secretary-general, Yurian, slammed his hand on the table with a loud crash. Immediately, the nobles fell silent.

"What kind of image do you think you\'re presenting, squabbling all day like this?" Yurian scolded. "How the king makes decisions is not for you to dictate!"

Some of the nobles, displeased, retorted, "Yurian, what do you mean by that? We are only thinking about the king\'s best interests—how is that \'dictating\'?"

Others quickly chimed in, "Yes! Don\'t you dare slander us just because of your position. Our loyalty to the empire and the king is clear to all under heaven!"

Yurian sneered. "A bunch of self-serving fools. You all know what you\'re really after."

As the empire\'s secretary-general, he knew exactly what these people were like. They all claimed to be acting in the name of the country, the people, and the king, but in reality, they were a group of corrupt, power-hungry officials, only concerned with their own interests.

Even if the Clinton Empire were to fall, these people would only be out for their own gain, thinking nothing of how to save the country. In his eyes, these people all deserved to hang from streetlamps a thousand times over.

Ahem... Ahem... Alfred coughed lightly a few times, waving his hand. "Alright, since everyone thinks my decision may be premature, I\'ll wait until after Fratis\' wedding to announce it."

"Additionally, this is the second matter I wish to announce. The wedding of Princess Fratis and Finn Phillips will be held one week from today. I hope Duke Lyon can finalize all preparations in the coming days."

The room fell silent. No one expected Alfred to so easily brush over the topic. This left them confused—what exactly was the king planning?

However, those who supported the eldest prince let out a quiet sigh of relief. As long as there was still time, it meant they still had a chance to win.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will ensure everything is in order," Duke Lyon said, standing up and speaking calmly.

"I will take good care of Her Highness the Princess," Finn added with a smile, throwing a glance at Luca. His eyes gleamed with disdain and smugness, showing no attempt to hide his feelings.

Fratis didn\'t speak, her expression serene. It seemed as though the person responsible for this marriage was not her.

Luca furrowed his brows, a sense of worry creeping into his mind. He hoped the princess wouldn\'t do anything foolish...

Alfred lowered his gaze and spoke slowly, "The final matter concerns Southwind City, as I\'m sure you\'re all aware."

Everyone\'s eyes turned to Luca and Luna. They knew the next topic would be about their rewards.

Sure enough, Alfred waved his hand, and soon a group of attendants entered, each carrying a tray covered with red cloth.

Standing from his chair, Alfred looked at Luca and the others, saying, "During the recent disaster in the Southern Territory, Lord Luca, along with Bronte and others, made tremendous contributions, saving countless citizens of Southwind City. If it weren\'t for their tireless efforts in slaying the rebellious monster, the entire city might have been wiped out."

"As their king, I want to express my gratitude on behalf of the people!"

To everyone\'s surprise, Alfred actually bowed to Luca, as any ordinary person might. This was unexpected. As a king, he didn\'t need to do that.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. It was simply our duty," Luna said nervously. Even she was unsettled by this formality—it was her first time experiencing such an event.

"Merit is merit; there is no need for modesty," Alfred laughed. "Marquis Bronte fought valiantly to defend Southwind City, and Lord Luca personally struck down the monster causing chaos. Together, they saved millions of citizens. Truly a stroke of good fortune amid disaster. These coins and items are my reward for you."

"Furthermore, starting today, Lord Luca will become the youngest hero count in the history of the Clinton Empire!"

"The fief: Haillan County!"

At these words, the entire room erupted in surprise. Including Luca, everyone found it hard to believe.

Haillan County lies along the western coastline, at the junction of the Western and Northern Territories. It is an imperial port city and one of the wealthiest counties in the entire Clinton Empire—rich beyond measure.

The former lord of Haillan County, Oliver, was imprisoned for corruption. During his three-year tenure, he used his position to embezzle, accept bribes, and engage in illicit trade, accumulating a staggering 1.5 billion gold coins. For context, the annual tax revenue of the entire Clinton Empire is only a few hundred billion—this highlights just how lucrative the region was.

More importantly, Haillan County holds a unique position: a hotbed of power struggles, with various factions vying for influence. Currently, it is jointly managed by nobles from both the Western and Northern Territories.

Alfred\'s order was clear: he intended to carve a piece out of their territory!

At once, the nobles could no longer sit still. They hastily objected, "Your Majesty, this is unthinkable! Haillan County is strategically located and serves as a port city—how can you entrust it to a newly appointed count to manage?"

The second prince, Runne, narrowed his eyes and addressed Alfred, "Father, Luca, the count, is still young and lacks experience. If you assign Haillan County to him, there\'s bound to be more trouble."

The Grand Duke of the Northern Floating Islands, Mond Stein, also spoke in a deep voice, "Haillan County is a key trade city for the Empire. It cannot be handed over to a young and inexperienced man. We implore you, Your Majesty, to reconsider."

As Luca became the target of these objections, Finn couldn\'t help but wear a smug grin.

The empire\'s structure had long been solidified. Someone like Luca, a newcomer, had no choice but to either bow to the noble factions or suffer constant pressure from them. In either case, Finn found it a situation he\'d be happy to see unfold.

However, to his surprise, Alfred, despite his frail condition, showed an unexpectedly firm side this time.

The king surveyed the room, his expression calm as he spoke, "What\'s this? Am I not dead yet, and already my words mean nothing to you? Anyone who disagrees, step forward now!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the nobles fell silent, quickly scrambling to kneel, their faces showing panic, "We dare not, Your Majesty!"

Grand Duke Mond opened his mouth to speak, but eventually closed it without a word.

Even though Alfred\'s health was failing, as long as he still drew breath, he remained the king of the Clinton Empire. Whatever happened behind the scenes didn\'t matter, but no one dared openly challenge this ailing tiger.

So, even though Alfred\'s actions were undermining both the second prince and the noble factions, none of them dared openly defy him.

"I agree with His Majesty\'s decision," the Grand Duke of the Western Floating Islands, Evelyn, said with a playful smile, raising her hand. "I also believe that Count Luca will be able to govern Haillan County well."

Seeing that Evelyn, who was in charge of managing the Western Territory, had approved, the other nobles dared not speak further.

This caused Finn to feel somewhat disappointed.

However, he realized that he would likely never have the chance to leave Dawn City and go serve in Haillan County...

With that, Alfred finally turned his gaze toward Luca, smiling as he asked, "Tell me, Count Luca, do you have the confidence to manage Haillan County? If you feel your experience is lacking, I can send some officials to assist you."

The king\'s attitude was now a stark contrast to what it had been just moments before. This shift made the nobles wonder.

Could Luca be one of the king\'s illegitimate children? Otherwise, why was he receiving such favorable treatment when they had never seen anyone else take office with such privileges?

With things stated so plainly, Luca naturally couldn\'t refuse. He bowed respectfully, replying, "Thank you for Your Majesty\'s generous offer. I will certainly manage Haillan County well and will not disappoint you."

At almost the same moment, a system notification appeared in front of Luca.

[Ding! Congratulations to player "Luca" for receiving the fief "Haillan County." Reputation +100,000!]

Not only Luca, but even other players from the Clinton Empire also saw this notification.

Players around the empire were left in shock, their mouths agape.

"What the hell?! A fief? Someone actually got a fief!" Players still grinding mobs in the starting city were stunned.

They hadn\'t even left the newbie city yet, and someone had already been granted a fief—no, a county!

The difference was staggering!

"It\'s Luca again... He\'s just too powerful!" Players from Riverfall City sighed in amazement.

Luca had started in the same city as them, and now he was a major noble of the Clinton Empire, appointed to govern a county, while they were still out there killing NPC chickens and gathering fruit.

It was safe to say that the gap between people was so huge, it was like the difference between humans and dogs.

Meanwhile, players still in Southwind City found it easier to accept.

After all, they had known from the beginning that Luca had gone to Dawn City for an award ceremony.

At the same time, they felt a sense of pride.

Being in the same city as such a big shot, just mentioning it in a conversation would make them look impressive.