The Herb King

Everyone's expression turned grim upon hearing this. They all knew that the Zion Empire was one of the strongest empires in the Regalis Continent and it had several subordinate empires under its command. Just one of those subordinate empires alone already possessed military prowess that was comparable to the Leone Empire. In other words, they would be fighting against multiple empires once the Zion Empire decides to attack them.

"Our Leone Empire doesn't even have a Level 5 Esper to hold down the fort, while the Zion Empire has two of them. Not to mention that they are in command of a fearsome army. I gathered all of you here since I want to hear your thoughts about this matter. What do you think is the best thing to do in this situation?" Emperor Ragnar scanned everyone and saw that all of them were deep in thought. He then turned his gaze to Aethelwolf and noticed that the man had a calm look on his face. "Sir Aethelwolf, do you have any ideas in mind?"

Facing the emperor's question, Aethelwolf was silent for a moment.

The people gathered in the throne room were the best strategists of the empire and they were all looking at Aethelwolf. They knew that it was because of him that their army won against the two neighboring empires so they were looking forward to his answer.

"Your Majesty, it is still uncertain whether the Zion Empire will attack us. They might be interested in the Two Lion Sword, but they would have to pay a heavy price if they want to get their hands on this weapon. The reason for this is because of the great distance between the Zion Empire and the Leone Empire. They will need a lot of supplies for their army and I believe that they won't be foolish enough to waste so many resources and soldiers. If I were them, I would send an envoy to intimidate the Leone Empire into giving the Two Lion Sword. This way, they wouldn't have to waste so many resources." Aethelwolf explained in a calm voice.

When everyone heard his words, they nodded their heads in agreement.

"You mean that the Zion Empire will likely send an envoy and force us into giving the Two Lion Sword?" Emperor Ragnar asked.

Aethelwolf nodded his head. "I've been thinking about this since we won the war and based on my understanding of the Zion Empire's emperor, there is a high chance that he would do this. If we offer the Two Lion Sword to them, we can negotiate for peace and even possibly an alliance. This is the only way for us to prevent the war."

Emperor Ragnar leaned on his throne with a grim look. He didn't want to offer the family heirloom of the Leone Imperial Family, but he also wanted to avoid another war.

After a long time of hesitation, Emperor Ragnar sat up straight as he glanced at Aethelwolf. "If I leave this matter in your hands, how confident are you in signing a peace treaty with the Zion Empire?"

"Your Majesty..." Prince Renz called out worriedly. The Two Lion Sword was a mighty weapon with a soul of its own. It was a valuable family heirloom of their Leone Imperial Family.

Emperor Ragnar raised his hand and muttered with a heavy sigh. "Enough. We don't have the power to hold the Two Lion Sword and the only way to prevent a war against the Zion Empire is to do this. We have no choice."

Prince Renz shook his head dejectedly. His father was right. No one in the Leone Empire could protect the Two Lion Sword.

"Your Majesty, the Zion Empire would most probably send one of their Level 5 Espers to intimidate us. It will be difficult to negotiate with them, but I'll do my best." Aethelwolf replied.

The meeting soon concluded after a few small talks.

When Aethelwolf left the imperial castle, he saw a carriage of the Urgel Household waiting outside.

Julie Irish peek through the window of the carriage and called out. "Aethelwolf, I'll take you back to your estate!"

Aethelwolf smiled when he heard this. He then walked towards the carriage and entered.

"Why did His Majesty summon you?" Julie Irish asked as soon as he sat down.

"I knew you would ask me this." He smiled wryly at her. "You know about the matter of the Two Lion Sword, right?"

Julie Irish nodded her head.

"His Majesty is worried that the Zion Empire would attack us because of the weapon and he asked for my opinion on how we can avoid a war against them." Aethelwolf didn't hide anything from her. He already planned on integrating the Urgel Household into one of the Lassiter Household's closest allies or even its subordinate household, but that would have to wait depending on the Urgel Household's opinion.

"So it's all because of the Two Lion Sword, huh? A Divine-Rated artifact with a soul of its own is indeed attractive. Anyway, how is Chris? I heard that he was on the verge of death." She asked curiously.

"He is still unconscious, but his health is recovering to normal. He should wake up any time from now." Aethelwolf answered.

It was already nighttime when they arrived at the Lassiter Household's estate.

Aethelwolf brought Julie Irish to where Chris was resting.

Julie Irish stared at the thin man on the bed before turning her gaze to Aethelwolf. "If the Maynard Household knew that the man they are looking for is here, they would certainly send their army to attack you guys. Aren't you worried at all?"

Aethelwolf scoffed in disdain. "Maynard Household? I don't care about them at all. If they decide to provoke the Lassiter Household, we don't even have to make a move ourselves."

Julie Irish furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but then she suddenly recalled her conversation with him earlier. "You plan to use the Leone Imperial Family's name to deter them?"

Aethelwolf nodded and smiled coldly. "I don't want to waste my time with them. I just want all the relevant people to receive their punishment. If they surrender amicably, I won't dig into this matter anymore. Of course, I'll ask for some benefits first."

Julie's eyes widened as she looked incredulously at Aethelwolf. "You're ruthless!"

"The Maynard Household is rich anyway, it wouldn't hurt them to lose some of their treasures, right?" Aethelwolf chuckled lightly.

Julie stared at the smug Aethelwolf and shook her head. "Do what you want."

"Follow me. I need to tell you about something more important." Aethelwolf said as he led her to his study.

When they arrived, Julie Irish impatiently asked. "Are we finally discussing the bank you mentioned last time?"

Aethelwolf grinned when he saw her expression. "That's right. Although the Leone Empire is still in a tough position, it is also the best time for us to establish a bank. With the people's safety at risk, they would look for a chance to hide their wealth. We just have to assure them that their money would be safe in our hands."

Julie Irish pondered deeply. "We'll have to establish multiple branches if we want to maximize our profits at this period, but that would be difficult without proper channels... We still have to go through a lot of troublesome procedures." She muttered.

Aethelwolf tapped his fingers on the table as he said. "What if we have the Linaza Household's channels?"

Julie's eyes widened as she looked at him. "You are also working with Brian?! That man is a greedy wolf and he wouldn't agree to something detrimental to him! If he learns about our plan, he would certainly ask for a huge piece of the project!"

"Relax... I'll deal with him. He will let us use his channels and we wouldn't even need to pay him anything." Aethelwolf said with a mysterious smile.

"Impossible! I know what kind of person that guy is!" Julie Irish shook her head.

"Let's make a bet then. If I can make him agree to this, I want your Urgel Household to work for me. If I fail, the Lassiter Household will be at your disposal." Aethelwolf said in a calm tone.

Julie's eyes narrowed into slits when she heard about the stakes of the bet. She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "Dream on. Do you think I would fall for this bait? I'm not as naive as you think."

Aethelwolf shook his head regretfully. "Too bad... Anyway, just prepare all your movable funds so we can start with the project as soon as possible. I already discussed this with Hyacinth and she will represent me in this matter. I don't want anyone else to know this project so keep your subordinates in check."

Julie snorted at his words. "I'll handle my people, but are you sure that you can convince Brian?" She was still skeptical about his claim. After all, the family head of the Linaza Household is an individual who prioritizes profit above all.

"Just wait for my good news." Aethelwolf chuckled.