Chapter 107: We Are Not Enemies

After the banquet, Ronin pushed Wiggin back to the latter’s study, going through the motions to keep up appearances.

As far as Ronin was concerned, he felt no real familial affection for anyone in Wushan Castle.

But as he had said, the blood of the Wushan Family flowed through his veins, a fact he could neither change nor deny. His bond with the Wushan Clan was unbreakable, and that relationship needed to be maintained.

In the study, Ronin’s conversation with Wiggin didn’t last long. It was clear neither of them had much to talk about.

Ronin took the opportunity to mention his desire to recruit some artisans in Wushan City, and his request to relocate the families of the previous batch of Guards to Mountain Forest Town at the end of the year.

Whether it was because Ronin’s conquest of the Wilderness Tribes had fulfilled one of Wiggin’s long-held wishes, or because he had agreed to lead the army on behalf of the Wushan Clan, Wiggin was very accommodating and agreed to all his requests.

After their brief exchange, Ronin left Wiggin’s study.

Outside the study, Bretton was leaning against the wall. The Magic Crystal Lamp in the hallway cast his long shadow across the floor.

At only thirteen, Bretton was already over 1.6 meters tall and hardly looked like a child.

"Are you done talking with Father, brother?"

Ronin nodded. "What is it? Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes!"

Bretton said with a smile, "There’s a lot I want to talk to you about."

The two brothers had spoken before, but they were never particularly close, mainly because their lifestyles were so different.

His predecessor had been a hedonist who lived for pleasure;

Bretton, on the other hand, had poured most of his energy into Cultivation and his studies. That was how he had managed to activate his Fighting Qi Spirit Seed and become a Professional Knight at the young age of thirteen.

If this were Earth, his predecessor would have been a lazy, hedonistic, good-for-nothing rich kid, while Bretton would be the driven, hard-working rising star.

Now, the rich kid had fallen, and the rising star had taken his place.

The two of them found an empty room, and servants immediately brought in candles to light it.

Ronin waited quietly, curious to see what his younger brother, who was now bringing him a glass of juice, really wanted to say.

"To be honest, I’m very grateful that you were willing to give up the right of succession."

Bretton handed a glass of juice to Ronin, then took a sip from the other glass he was holding.

"Because I’ve always felt that our Wushan Clan needs a strong heir. Forgive me for being blunt, but Father isn’t up to it, and neither were you, brother."

’Is he about to put on a petty display of triumph right in front of me? Is he here to gloat?’

"You know, it wasn’t that I wanted to give up the inheritance. Grandfather thought you were more suitable."

Ronin raised his glass, took a sip, and said with a smile, "But it’s for the best. You awakened your Fighting Qi Spirit Seed at thirteen. As long as you cultivate diligently, you might even follow in Grandfather’s footsteps and become a Meteor Knight by the time you’re thirty."

"Someone like you is truly better suited to lead the Wushan Clan and restore its former glory!"

Bretton froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected Ronin to affirm him so strongly, and it stopped him from saying what he had originally planned.

But he wasn’t annoyed. On the contrary, his eyes lit up. "Really, brother? You truly think so?"

Ronin’s tone was unequivocal. "Of course. I’ve always thought so!"

"Thank you!"

Bretton’s smile widened. "I was worried that you would hate me after Grandfather gave the inheritance to me, but I’m so glad you don’t."

Of course, Ronin didn’t.

If he had lived in this world for over a decade before having his inheritance taken away, he might have resented Bretton.

But it was stripped from him on the very day he transmigrated. The right of succession felt like something completely unrelated to him, so he had no strong feelings about it.

As the saying goes, how can you feel a sense of loss for something you never loved?

In contrast, if something he already possessed were to be taken away—like his title as Baron of Mountain Forest Town—he would definitely not accept it meekly.

"Many people out there are saying that now that I have the inheritance, I’m going to suppress you, persecute you, and maybe even kill you."

Bretton’s tone was disdainful, but his gaze was serious as he stared into Ronin’s eyes.

"We both belong to Wushan. We have the same silver hair and black eyes. We’re brothers! How could I possibly move against you? They underestimate me!"

For a moment, Ronin couldn’t figure out what this kid was trying to say.

He could only reply, "You can’t stop people from talking."

"You’re right!"

Bretton laughed. "Besides that, there’s something else I came to find you for today. I need your help with something."

Ronin raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

Bretton hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard that your Mountain Forest Town has a very small population, probably only two or three thousand people even with the three Wilderness Tribes. That’s not even enough to develop Mountain Forest Town, so how about you give me the lands from those Wilderness Tribes?"

"What, you’re in the mood to manage that mountain territory?"

’These people have no idea about the value of sericulture and ceramics. Why is every last one of them coming to ask for this land?’

’Are they just hoarding it for fun?’

"My daily training and Cultivation already take up most of my time. Where would I find the time to manage that?"

Bretton shook his head. "You know that Sain Territory has a lot of swampland and lacks good land for growing crops. If we could take over the lands of the Wilderness Tribes, their development would be much faster, which would provide greater support for me in the future."

"So I plan to let Baron Reisen manage those lands."

’So it comes to this. He brought up Sain Territory in the end. It seems their relationship really is quite good, enough for Bretton to act as their mouthpiece.’

"But doesn’t Grandfather have the final say on the right to manage the land?"

Ronin looked Bretton up and down, his expression asking, ’Does your word even count?’

Bretton puffed out his chest and promised, "Don’t worry. Grandfather doesn’t care about trivial matters like this. He’ll just leave it for Father to decide. I just need to have a word with Father, and it’ll be done."

It was true. Many of the Wushan Territory’s political affairs were handled by Wiggin, and Lurans rarely intervened.

Ronin thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Bretton, I’m afraid you’re too late. I’ve already asked Grandfather for the right to manage those three pieces of land, and he has agreed to let me manage them."

Bretton was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected Ronin to move so quickly.

"That’s fine. As long as you go and tell Grandfather, transferring the management rights to Sain Territory won’t be a problem. I’ll take charge and have Baron Reisen pay you a reward of at least Five Hundred Gold Coins!"

A faint smile on his face, Ronin shook his head.

He had complimented Bretton earlier because kind words cost nothing. But now that they were talking about tangible benefits, he couldn’t just go along with what the other wanted.

"I’m sorry, but I don’t plan on giving up that right. Besides, who’s to say I’ll do a worse job managing those lands than Reisen of Sain Territory?"

Bretton frowned slightly. "But you have so few people. Where will you find the manpower to manage such a large area? Or do you think Five Hundred Gold Coins isn’t enough? If so, I can try to negotiate for you."

’Perhaps he didn’t expect me to refuse and didn’t have a contingency plan ready?’

He decided to test him and see if Bretton was really targeting him.

"Bretton, you just said that we are brothers."

Ronin looked him straight in the eye. "Then why are you willing to help an outsider persuade me to give up something that rightfully belongs to me?"

"I..."

Bretton suddenly felt that the Ronin before him was a complete stranger, totally different from before. The aura his brother exuded left him at a loss.

"Baron Reisen asked his son, my classmate Moravi, to have me speak with you."

He explained, "And I thought he had a point. After all, Sain Territory has plenty of manpower. They could develop those lands quickly and bring in more tax revenue for our Wushan Clan."

Ronin’s gaze softened considerably.

In the end, Bretton was still just a thirteen-year-old boy. Although he usually appeared confident and composed, that confidence came from his talent in Cultivation. In other areas, he was nothing special.

He was like a straight-A student who aced math, physics, and chemistry but failed miserably in physical education.

When it came to negotiation and acting as a persuader, Bretton was clearly out of his depth. His personality didn’t seem forceful enough, either.

"Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to solve the manpower shortage you mentioned."

Ronin said, "I guarantee I’ll manage it better than he ever could!"

"Okay, fine..."

Bretton threw up his hands. "I told you I’m not cut out to be a persuader. Negotiating with people is way more exhausting than Cultivation."

Ronin chuckled. "I can see that."

The atmosphere in the small room relaxed.

Bretton said helplessly, "Mother told me that many of the nobles have divided loyalties toward Wushan Castle, so I should try to win more of them over to our side. Baron Reisen of Sain Territory recently became a Bronze Knight, so he’s someone worth getting closer to."

Ronin’s heart stirred, and he filed that information away.

He remembered Baron Reisen being only an Advanced Level Knight. He hadn’t expected him to have a breakthrough recently.

"Dianey has a point."

Ronin nodded in agreement. "But no matter how you try to win over Reisen, he’s ultimately an outsider, whereas I am your brother. We may have different mothers, but like you just said, we both belong to Wushan."

"Yes, you’re right, brother!"

It seemed the topic had broken the ice, as Bretton relaxed and casually pulled over a chair to sit down.

"Father is failing, and Grandfather’s health is getting worse and worse. In the near future, the Wushan Clan will only have you and me."

Bretton said earnestly, "I hope you can carry on with the courage you showed when you conquered the Wilderness Tribes and become a powerful Lord. Together, we can restore our family’s former glory!"