Throne of Magical Arcana

Lucien deliberately expressed the doubts in his heart and said in his tone: "Mr. Ivanovsky? Is there anything to discuss so late? Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

This is the reaction a normal nobleman should have.

Ivanovsky kept a friendly tone and said with a smile: "A good thing. I know several viscounts of the Vladimir family and have a good relationship, so after seeing you, Mr. Peter, I feel very close. And Mr. Peter, you are brave He is firm and strictly abides by the knight's creed, and is a friend worth knowing and making deep friends with, so since there are good things, how can you take advantage of outsiders and not find friends?"

Good thing, hit it off, and other words always make Lucien feel like he has met a liar again, but Ivanovsky is a well-known big smuggler, so he can't "degenerate" to this point, right?

After thinking about it, seeing that Ivanovsky had come to his door, Lucien decided to hear what "good things" he had done so that he could deal with it later. Anyway, as long as he was not greedy, he would not be deceived. Besides, this kind of big smuggler relies on contacts and resources, and doesn't necessarily work hard on "acting skills". It is very likely that he can see through his every move and see through his real purpose.

Therefore, "The Actor's Self-Cultivation" is a divine book. Lucien sneered, while sensing the door with his knight's intuition, and found that there were indeed people following Ivanovsky who were difficult to sense clearly. But this man appeared openly as Ivanovsky's assistant and bodyguard, and did not hide.

Putting his left hand on "Frost", Lucien pretended to be normal and opened the door.

Ivanovsky was still dressed the same as at the ball, like a winter bear wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and beside him was a gray-haired old man in a black suit and black tie, with cloudy black pupils , Wrinkles that cannot be concealed and the cold feeling set off the feeling of shady prey. He was carrying a black suitcase and was a head shorter than Ivanovsky.

Seeing that it was Lucien himself who came to see the door, Ivanovsky said with a little doubt, "Mr. Peter, where is your butler? This kind of thing should not be done by a knight or a gentleman."

"My housekeeper fell ill because of the snowstorm. I asked him to rest early and not to hold on. I was admiring the moonlight myself, and I didn't expect outsiders to visit." Lucien explained casually, "Who is this?"

Ivanovsky smiled and pointed to the old man of prey: "This is my assistant Matvey. He has great business talents and has his own unique understanding of the economy."

"Really? I don't know Mr. Matvey, what unique insights do you have on the production, circulation, distribution and exchange of wealth? Do you think that the entire business process has its own laws, like an invisible hand manipulating everything?" Lu Sean asked solemnly, with a lot of "maliciousness" in his heart. This guy is like a thug, a bodyguard is better than a business consultant.

Matvey frowned and didn't answer, but Ivanovsky's smile froze on his face, and he laughed for a long time before saying: "I never thought that Mr. Peter, you not only focus on the way of chivalry, but also have such in-depth research on the economy. It's hard to meet a noble like you."

"Where, I just learned a little casually, otherwise I will have my own territory in the future, and I will be easily deceived by those business consultants and affairs managers." Lucien did not continue to ask, it is not suitable for the current situation to keep the other party from stepping up. It was more of a demonstration just now, don't take me for a fool!

Ivanovsky "showed" an expression of appreciation: "This is a good idea. In the future, more nobles should learn this knowledge, instead of simply handing it over to housekeepers and business consultants. Responsible for inspection and harvesting."

He also didn't mention the specific economic content. Under the hospitality of Lucien, he sat on the soft sofa, while Matvey stood quietly behind him, his eyes became a little sharp.

Lucien picked up the red porcelain kettle on the glass coffee table, and poured a glass of water for himself and Ivanovsky: "Mr. Ivanovsky, I don't know what you want from me?"

Ivanovsky held the white glazed porcelain teacup in his broad hand like holding a toy. He smiled without drinking water: "Mr. Peter, you should know that Earl Witte has the blood of the Vladimir family, right?"

"Of course, Earl Witte's mother is a member of the Vladimir family, a female knight and lady who inspired the family's unique 'Frost' blood. But what's the problem? Earl Witte still inspired the 'withering' of his own paternal family 'Blood, and more than the ancestors of the past generations, became the first member of the Werther family to advance to the sky knight, and repeatedly made meritorious service in the wars with the Holy Hiertz Empire, the Kingdom of Tria, and the Principality of Violet, and made the Werther family hereditary The title of baron has been promoted to earl, and he has controlled nearly half of the Ural state." Lucien talked eloquently, and Earl Werther was a nobleman he knew better.

Ivanovsky smiled inscrutablely: "So the good thing I asked you, Mr. Peter, is the title of an earl, which is comparable to the inheritance of an ordinary duke."

There are many mines in the Ural state, and the nobles here, large and small, are much richer than the nobles of the same level in other places.

"What do you want to do? Earl Witt, is he about to be called by the Lord?" Lucien asked in "panic and astonishment", "What does this have to do with me?"

Ivanovsky nodded lightly: "Kariliana is the niece of Earl Witte's second wife, and has a close relationship with the Earl. According to her, Cardinal Nevsky of the Ural City asserted that the Earl is the most He can live for half a year at most, and he is naturally aging and cannot be treated with magic."

"Earl Witt has a 'withered' bloodline, and his descendants are already difficult, and he has been fighting against heresy in the south during his prime. After becoming an earl and returning, he has only one son after three wives. Unfortunately, this young master is less than ten years old. Died at the young age."

"But what does this have to do with me?" Lucien asked emphatically again.

Ivanovsky put down the teacup in his hand, and signaled Lucien to calm down: "Mr. Peter, you should know that Earl Witte's parents died young because of the heresy war, and he failed to stimulate his blood until he was twenty-five years old, so Witte Those distant relatives of the family coveted many of his property and titles, which caused him a lot of grievances and suffered countless hardships. He hated those people deeply. In the process, the Vladimir family did business here Some of the members helped him to activate his bloodline safely."

"According to the words of the earl that Karilena inquired about, he seems to have decided to adopt a male member of the Vladimir family as his stepson, and then arrange for him to marry a girl from the Werther family who has no background and influence as his wife, so as to inherit The title and inheritance, let those collateral members give up. This news may be announced in a month, and there will definitely be many members of the Vladimir family coming. Why don't we seize this time and work hard? To impress Count Witte?"

"Mr. Peter, you are handsome and elegant, polite and gentle, you have a good conversation, and you have inspired the blood power at a very young age. With the status of a knight, I think Earl Witte will be very satisfied."

Lucien probably understood what they were planning. The earl's title and the inheritance of half of the Ural state, that is the wealth that Duke Vladimir would also be interested in, not to mention a smuggler like Ivanovsky.

After thinking about this, Lucien asked casually: "Mrs. Karelina has the blood of the Werther family?"

Ivanovsky was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed loudly: "Yes, it came from several generations ago. Although it is very thin, no one can deny it. Mr. Peter, without the cooperation of Karilena, it would be difficult for us to touch it." I know Earl Witte's preference, and she is very popular with him, and has the right to make the final decision. Therefore, it is impossible for us not to benefit her."

"I don't think any normal nobleman can refuse such a beautiful beauty as his wife, but also the earl's title and inheritance."

"From this point of view, it seems that the object of Sergey's fraud is not my gold coins and long sword, but hopes to control me through 'this business'. Unfortunately, I am not greedy. After Karilena's beauty trick also failed, Yi Vanovsky simply came to the door directly, and seduced him straight to the point with huge benefits." Lucien was pondering, but there were still many doubts that he couldn't figure out, for example, Earl Witt was still 20 to 30 years away from the end of the average lifespan of a sky knight. Why premature aging? Had he been wounded or cursed beyond repair in the Heretic Wars in his prime?

And it seems that after inheriting the title, Karilena's "Black Widow" reputation "will" become even louder in a few years.

So, Lucien smiled and said, "This is a difficult decision, but I still have to say sorry, Mr. Ivanovsky, I can't cooperate with you."

Although Lucien was a bit of a money fanatic, this was the Shahran Empire, and he was not a member of the Vladimir family at all, so he calmly refused.

The succession ceremony presided over by the cardinal will verify the bloodline!

There is no stupidity without greed!

"What?! Mr. Peter, you have to understand that what you are rejecting is the title of an earl, the inheritance of half of the Ural state, mines, and countless manors..." Ivanovsky said in surprise. He didn't believe that anyone could resist this kind of temptation, even the secular and supreme emperor in Dolgolu Palace in St. Ivan Castle!

Lucien said solemnly in an aria-like tone: "Because I can't give up my surname, Vladimir is a noble and honorable surname that has been passed down for many generations! I believe that one day I will be able to become another one with my own strength. Count Vladimir."

After finishing speaking, Lucien added with a straight face: "My surname is my pride!"

Ivanovsky stared at Lucien as if looking at a lunatic: "I thought that the kind of knights who simply pursued glory had disappeared among the nobles of the Shahran Empire, and only the paladins of the church were able to do so. But you, Mr. Peter, turned my mind around."

Then he stood up and bowed deeply: "I hope you, Mr. Peter, can go further and more smoothly on this road."

Although he tried his best to appear "admired", Lucien judged from his not-so-superior acting skills, which seemed to be an irony.

"Before the news is announced, I will keep it secret for you." Lucien said in the tone of an "upright knight".

Ivanovsky smiled kindly: "I believe in you, Mr. Peter, and hope to have the opportunity to cooperate in other things that do not violate your knight's creed in the future."

Then he left Lucien's room with Matvey, whose eyelids were half-lidded to block his gaze.

"Master, you have to be careful. Ivanovsky has always been ruthless and doesn't like to leave hidden dangers." Leo walked out of the room after Ivanovsky left and reminded Lucien worriedly.