Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Hughes’ Confidence

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“You will handle it. Do you know what you are going to face? What are you going to use to handle it.”

Norton said helplessly.

“I know what his Majesty wants to do. He wants to use this matter to push our family to the opposition of the citizens and nobles of the Imperial City.”

“If I fail to pass the exam, I will fall into his trap. The entire Tulip family will be isolated by the citizens and nobles of the Imperial City because of me.”

“Even if I refuse his good intentions, he can also secretly describe this matter as us cherishing our reputation and not daring to use the backdoor overtly.”

“If I can pass the exam, he will incite the children of the nobles to duel with me. Using the heat of this matter, he will push that noble’s son into the public.”

“This person is most likely Duke Oscar’s son Lucian, who had a conflict with me yesterday.”

Listening to his son’s logical analysis, Norton nodded with appreciation.

But then he shook his head and sighed:

“I know what you want to do. You want to win in the duel to prove your strength and shut the mouths of the masses. That’s a good idea, but do you have the strength now?”

“As far as I know, every mage who refines the anti-magic stone for the first time will have a weak period of about half a month. However, the exam is only five days away from now. You don’t have enough time at all.”

At this point, Norton smiled bitterly and sighed “Admit defeat, son. Our king’s timing this time is too accurate. I have to admire him!”

“Go back. I will inform the butler later to temporarily close our shops in the imperial capital. I am a little tired. You can go back first.”

Looking at his father’s tired appearance, Hughes did not say much. He turned around and left the study room.

In the study room, Duke Norton let out a long breath. He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the palace not far away!

Napoleon VII was a skilled emperor. His every move wasn’t simple.

Hughes’ analysis was correct, but it was not entirely correct. At least, he did not get to the most crucial point.

The attack this time carrying the will of the people to lower the prestige of the Tulip family was only the surface.

The real killer move was to force the nobles in the imperial capital to declare their stance.

In this incident, those nobles who didn’t have the initiative to be used by Napoleon VII as a weapon, to target the Tulip family either overtly or subvertly would be secretly remembered by this deep minded emperor. 

After this incident, he would definitely start to suppress them.

As for those families that took the initiative to come forward and wave their flags and shout, they would be placed in important positions by the emperor and gradually step into the core circle of the Empire after this incident.

This was not a whim at all, but a deliberate plan!

The quarrel between Hughes and Lucian was only a catalyst. What Napoleon VII really wanted was to re-divide the power and take back the military power from Norton’s hands!

“I will not hand over the military power to you. If you have the ability, come and take it yourself!”

Looking at the distant palace, Norton’s face showed his determination.

However, at this moment, a crisp dragon’s roar tore apart the quiet night sky.

A fifty-meter-long water dragon spiralled into the sky above the duke’s residence.

Bang!

The water dragon exploded, and the shockwave shook the windows until they buzzed.

Water droplets filled the sky and poured down from the sky, washing away the accumulated dust on the eaves and dispelling the dark clouds that shrouded Norton’s heart.

“Tier 3 Magic!”

Silver spatial array pattern lit up, and Norton was instantly teleported to the courtyard where Hughes was.

“You did it?”

Hughes nodded, and then stretched out three fingers, pointing them in front of Norton.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, I can cast spells of this magnitude three more times.”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As soon as Hughes finished speaking, three water dragons that looked exactly the same as before rushed into the sky at lightning speed!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Another three explosions sounded, and a violent shockwave fell to the ground, blowing Norton’s hair that was scattered on his back high into the air.

“Oh right, it’s instant cast too.”

Norton looked at Hughes in shock, thinking to himself, ‘If you had the ability, you should have said so earlier!’ He had made me worry for so long!

Indeed, Napoleon VII’s overt scheme had caught the Tulip family by surprise.

However, this overt scheme had a fatal flaw.

Napoleon did not know that Hughes had already recovered his original talent.

Nor did he not know that Hughes had extraordinary talent. In just two days, he had overcome the weak period brought about by the anti-magic stone cultivation method.

As long as Hughes could win the duel after the exam, Napoleon VII’s plan would be in vain.

No, it wouldn’t be in vain. After this matter, the great emperor would be crowned by the people of the imperial city as a person who had discerning eyes!

“Hahaha, not bad. As expected of my son!”

Duke Norton was overjoyed. He walked behind Hughes and extended his strong right hand, firmly pressing on Hughes’ shoulder.

“It seems that the decision to allow you to participate in the exam was the right one. You didn’t disappoint me after all!”

“Don’t go anywhere for the next few days. Stay at home obediently and stabilize your cultivation. Try to give our respected king a surprise after the exam!”

Norton left happily and returned to his courtyard with happy steps.

Looking in the direction where Norton left, a faint smile appeared on Hughes’ lips.

‘Didn’t you stop me in every possible way back then? Why are you taking all the credit now? How shameless.’

…

Duke of Bauhinia’s mansion, in Mark Oscar’s study room.

“Remember what I told you just now. You have to win this battle. Losing will not be accepted!”

Duke mark looked at Lucian with a cold gaze and said coldly,

“Whether our family can truly rise in this opportunity and become a thousand-year-old aristocratic family like the Tulip family depends on your performance. Don’t let me down!”

“Don’t worry, father. I will definitely not let you down.”

Lucian clenched the bottle of black potion in his hand tightly. In his eyes, the flames of greed were burning fiercely!

…

The imperial capital, the imperial palace.

Napoleon VII, the Emperor of the Hiro Empire, was holding a glass of red wine and looking at the sky from afar.

At this moment, the night sky was pitch-black. The dark clouds that covered the entire imperial capital covered the stars in the sky.

However, the sky that was like an upside-down Black Sea could not stop the thunder-like gaze of a demigod.

“Ancestor, did you ever think that your empire would decay to such an extent?”

Napoleon VII took a sip of the wine and closed his eyes to savour it.

“Power is just like this red wine. It always intoxicates people, but there is something called propriety in this world. Naturally, the same goes for drinkin.”

“I am a good emperor. I want those who drink too much to give up their addiction to alcohol.”

“You will support me, won’t you?”