Chapter 371: The Biggest Weakness

Henwell isn’t too worried about Jansen’s concerns. “There are still twenty years! Uncle, you don’t need to fret so much. Besides, the Northern Mountain Raiders come from the northern mountains. The first to face them will be the Northern Grand Duke. That’s Mountain Fort’s problem.”

“Silver Peak City is close by, so Amir will be the one with the real headache. We just need to focus on the benefits of supporting the throne!”

Jansen glares at him, “Are you crazy? By then, Arius should be king. And your good buddy Fabio will likely take over as Grand Duke of the Western Regions. They’re the ones on the front lines. How can we just stand by and watch?”

“And your Peace Haven’s eastern district isn’t far from Ogiro’s Silent Forest. Do you really think those so-called Quiet Forest Wanderer armies will only attack Ogiro and ignore Peace Haven?”

Henwell scratches his head, “Uncle, I get it. I’ll make investigating this a priority. I’m now a Paladin of the Holy Spirit Church. Though it’s mostly a title, I can access some records. Once I prove myself and earn more trust, I should be able to get intelligence on these events from the Western Federation.

Since the Western Federation is the Abundant Continent’s monitoring point, they surely keep records of these incidents and have the means to track them.”

What Henwell doesn’t say is that he suspects these events are directly connected to the Western Federation.

Not that the Western Federation is orchestrating them, but that these incidents target the Western Federation as the watcher.

It sounds more like the natives’ united counterattack against invaders.

Of course, Henwell hasn’t ignored Jansen’s worries.

But that’s all future stuff. Twenty years might be a stretch, but ten years is certain.

Henwell himself can’t accurately predict how strong Peace Haven will be a decade from now.

He’s spent the last ten years going from nothing to a regional power.

Give him another ten years—ten relatively stable years. And while he won’t claim he’ll have founded a nation, he’ll have a force capable of competing with most of the country.

His first five-year plan is complete: Peace Haven’s population has surpassed four million, and industrial output has doubled.

Beyond defense, there’s a hundred thousand-strong elite field army ready for deployment.

For any country, that’s not a force to be underestimated.

Not to mention, Henwell has allies backing him.

Whether it’s the reorganized Iron Wall Legion, the neighboring Phoenix family, or even his own father-in-law—

These allies combined with Peace Haven’s own strength make Henwell a force no one can ignore.

It’s just that, in this political system that values inheritance and makes outright rebellion difficult, Henwell’s hands are tied.

Without the right opportunity or reason, launching a rebellion is nearly impossible.

That’s why Henwell isn’t overly concerned about the potential major conflicts ahead. It stems from confidence.

Besides, Henwell firmly believes in one truth: chaos is the ladder to rise!

After discussing the Western Federation, Henwell brings up possible upheavals in the Billie Kingdom.

Jansen shoots him another sharp look. “Can you just settle down for once? Your most important task right now is to get married. Nothing else matters. You still haven’t realized your biggest weakness! No matter how strong or capable you are, you’re still a bachelor!”

“As a general, a mighty knight, being single isn’t a problem. But as the leader of a regime, being unmarried is a fatal flaw! Only when you marry and have children will your subordinates feel at ease.”

“Peace Haven isn’t some toy castle made of sand! Your followers won’t worry about who their sons should be loyal to or what their futures hold!”

Henwell responds in silence. Like with the previous issue, he’s well aware of this reality.

But he knows even more clearly that having heirs, especially multiple heirs, could lead to endless internal strife among his followers, each backing different successors.

The saddest part is that everyone believes they’re acting for Peace Haven’s good, and each genuinely works hard for it.

Yet, such infighting is the most draining of all nobles, and Henwell doesn’t want to see that happen.

Moreover, Henwell has no intention of handing over power prematurely.

He’s currently an Iron Knight, and barring any unforeseen events, he expects to rule for at least a hundred years.

Imagine making his son a crown prince for a century!

But Henwell doesn’t dare entrust the future empire to his son, not because he’s greedy for power.

He fully understands how formidable the enemies ahead will be. He aims to unify the continent, to go head-to-head with the Holy Spirit Church and the Groias Empire.

He has the ability, confidence, and conviction to do so. But his son? That’s a different story.

If things go wrong, it won’t just be his own family that suffers; everyone who follows him will be affected.

That’s why Henwell often worries about his heirs, whether they can carry his will and shoulder such immense responsibility.

His backers, those who helped him rise, naturally expect him to keep delivering results.

Abandoning the cause midway and losing their support might be one thing, but drawing the attention of overseers like Newwood. That would spell ruin for his entire clan.

At this point, Henwell can only take things one step at a time.

When he finally founds his nation, his sons might not even be adults yet.

Or perhaps, during the wars to unify the land, many of his heirs will fall in battle.

Following this train of thought, Jansen brings up the wedding plans.

As Henwell’s elder, he takes full charge of the arrangements.

After the Midsummer Festival, the Duchess will move into the Blood Hill Manor in Peace Haven to oversee the wedding preparations.

She’ll handle everything—the ceremony, guest invitations, manor decorations, even the wedding attire.

Not even Henwell, nor Duke Jansen himself, can interfere with her decisions.

Henwell’s role is reduced to that of a puppet, accepting all these arrangements.

His only real responsibility is organizing security during the wedding.

Next, Jansen starts talking to Henwell about the internal situation of the Phoenix family.

Thanks to Jansen’s firm control, no one dares to step out and cause trouble anymore.