Chapter 480: The Puppet Seeking Freedom

Keynes fires an angry accusation, but Henwell remains calm and composed.

“That’s a bit harsh! How can you call it collusion? This is clearly mutual support between young men! You and I are old friends, and so am I with Doyle! We met back when I was walking the Path of Honor, and it was you who introduced us. Since then, we’ve had frequent contact, including fruitful business trade. When he sought help, of course, I couldn’t just stand by!”

Keynes’s face darkens. “So you seduce him into betraying his family and conspiring with you. You train his soldiers and officers, supply his weapons, and help him train administrative staff. All this so he can wipe out the core members of the Gilbert family and plant a thorn in Cloud Tree City!”

Henwell naturally denies these accusations.

“Lord Keynes, you know Peace Haven is open for business. Besides large foreign orders for arms, our internal military trade in Vorry always follows the principle that every visitor is a guest. Whether Doyle is my friend or not, even if it’s the kingdom’s army buying from me with suspicion, I deliver full payment and quality goods.”

“As for training officers, soldiers, and administrators, that’s a paid service from Peace Haven. You think I’m charging Doyle over two hundred thousand gold coins, but only half of that is for weapons. A full set of equipment for a thousand-man unit costs Doyle sixty thousand gold coins. That’s market price!”

“The two hundred cavalry were pricier, about fifty thousand gold coins. You’re a soldier yourself, so you know cavalry gear is expensive. Our Peace Haven cavalry equipment costs two hundred gold coins per set. Beyond that hundred and ten thousand, the rest is training fees Doyle pays.”

“Five hundred of his mid- and low-level officers study with me, and about two hundred more are still in training. Our military training has clear prices: a short two-year intermediate officer course costs four hundred gold coins per student. Administrative training is cheaper but still one hundred gold coins per person for two years.”

“Believe me, this isn’t some secret deal. It’s a genuine Peace Haven service. We guarantee value for money, two years of room and board, hands-on teaching, and guaranteed learning. Graduates pass exams and become competent mid-level commanders wherever they serve!”

“Take the kingdom’s standing army: many of their trained officers graduated from our Peace Haven Military Academy. They’re qualified centurions. Whether in soldier training, tactics, or battlefield command, they excel, far surpassing many noble-born mid- and high-ranking officers in quality.”

“You understand, Lord Keynes, knowledge is costly, especially the knowledge to kill. Under our all-inclusive training, producing capable officers justifies the fees charged!”

Keynes sneers, “You’re just exporting your own influence!”

Henwell sighs, “Lord Keynes, have you ever seen someone drowning? They desperately grab onto anything they can, whether it’s a blade of grass or a dead branch. In those moments of utter despair, even a venomous snake becomes something they instinctively clutch. It’s pure survival instinct.”

Keynes replies, “A fitting description, you’re like that giant venomous snake!”

Henwell shakes his head. “Call me whatever you want! Whether I’m a snake or a savior, the fact remains: I saved Doyle’s life.”

He then looks directly at Keynes. “Lord Keynes, I know you’re angry. You think I used Doyle to deceive you. That’s a ridiculous accusation! If you truly cared for Doyle, if you really saw him as your disciple, you’d be proud that he’s standing firm and achieving success now.”

“As his mentor, even if I did deceive you, the outcome is good, so why be angry? And if you see me and Doyle as enemies, then deception between enemies is normal. You shouldn’t be angry about that either.”

Keynes finally loses his temper. “You’re pushing him into the fire! He’s cut off his own escape! He’s almost wiped out the Gilbert family’s backbone, breaking noble taboos. Now he’s trapped, no allies left, forced to follow your path to the bitter end!”

Henwell laughs coldly. “Ha… Lord Keynes, this outcome is on you! When Doyle was restrained and repeatedly targeted for assassination, what were you doing as his mentor? Doyle fell into a deep pit, did you ever reach out to pull him out? “

”You’re the chief governor of the kingdom’s South Regions, commanding strong forces. If you’d stood behind Doyle, would he have ended up in such a desperate situation?”

“In the end, Lord Keynes, you watched him falter all this time. You never offered even a single word of support! You just stood on the shore, watching him struggle and call for help in the water, never once extending even a branch. “

”What else could he do? What did you expect him to do? Come to you on his knees, begging to leave the noble alliance and join the king’s faction? And then you would help him? Doyle had no choice but to reach out and grab hold of me, the snake. That’s his only chance to survive.”

Faced with Henwell’s relentless questioning, Keynes wants to argue back but doesn’t know where to begin. He even avoids meeting Henwell’s sharp gaze.

Henwell says softly, “Lord Keynes, a long time has passed, yet nothing has changed. When I first walked the Path of Honor, I was that snake, a venomous serpent people feared and dared not provoke. Back then, Doyle was just a puppet, a marionette everyone pulled at will.”

“Now, people still see us that way. The difference is, I’ve become more vicious and powerful, few dare to provoke me. Doyle has grown into a puppet with his own will and strong body. He no longer wants to be a puppet; he wants the chance to choose. No one offers that to him—he has to fight for it himself.”

“Lord Keynes, do you really consider Doyle your disciple? Look within yourself, have you ever thought that you also wanted to control Doyle? Just like before, controlling that frightened, dull puppet who was wary of everyone, born a serf and obedient?”

“I don’t!” Keynes protests weakly.

Henwell delivers the harshest truth, “Lord Keynes, you’re not angry at us. You’re angry at yourself. You know deep down your approach to Doyle is wrong. But bound by the king’s orders, you have no choice but to use and control this poor illegitimate son born a serf. You’re angry that you hesitate too much, angry that you lack the courage to stand up and protect your best disciple.”