Imperial Throne

Chapter 97: The First Soderbell Family Meeting

Deep in the White Mountain Territory, the Soderbell family remained unaware that, on this very night, Anna had officially become the Baroness of the Gem Territory.

Her title was granted through a formal document signed by Monica, acting on behalf of the Marquisate of Red Eagle and the Lord of Eaglehead Territory.

This lord also served as the protector of White Mountain, Gem, Bayor, Red Soil, Forest, and Red River Territories, and was the head of the Kasein Family, Marquis Visen Kasein.

The document, which affirmed Anna Billy’s rightful inheritance of the Gem Territory, had been issued a month and a half earlier.

Thus, after Anna had resolved all the inheritance claims before her and the testament written by the former Lord of Gem Territory, Baron Hess Billy, she became the undisputed Baroness of the Gem Territory.

At this moment.

In the study of the Lord’s Manor in the White Mountain Territory, the Soderbell family was holding their first official family meeting at Ion’s request.

“Where is Lily?”

“She has already gone to bed.” In response to his father’s inquiry, Yam answered, “She’s been very tired these past few days, so after eating a little just now, she went to rest.”

Ion nodded slightly.

“Father, is there something you wanted to say to us?” Yam asked.

“Yes.”

Ion responded and then placed a longsword on the long table in the study.

Alongside it, he placed two red orbs resembling jade.

“What I’m about to speak of concerns our family, and this sword.”

Akar and Yam exchanged a glance, then instinctively straightened their backs.

“These two stones are clearly accessories to this sword, but we’re not sure exactly which part they belong to. However, based on the circumstances when we first found the components, it’s likely we’re missing another critical configuration, which is why it cannot function properly,” Ion said in a grave tone.

“Over the past two days, I’ve also conducted tests. The blood energy drawn by this sword cannot be controlled. In other words, whenever this sword kills an enemy, all the blood energy within their body is completely extracted.”

Hearing this, Yam and Akar couldn’t help but grow solemn.

Previously, the two had considered feeding their own blood to the Demonic Sword in desperate times. But if what Ion said was true, the moment blood was “drawn,” the user would die under the sword as well.

“Additionally, the extraction of blood energy differs from the extraction of bloodline power.”

“When it draws only blood energy, there are no noticeable changes in the deceased’s physical characteristics, but the volume of blood does significantly decrease.”

Previously, when Lily had steeled herself to deal with those desperate individuals in White Mountain City, it was Ion who acted as the “executioner,” relieving them of further choices.

Naturally, Ion did not waste the opportunity and conducted several experiments with the Demonic Sword, thus learning much.

“Animals, humans, and magical beasts all provide different amounts of blood energy.”

“Humans roughly provide double that of animals, while a second-tier magical beast can yield an amount equivalent to five normal adults.”

“Furthermore, I discovered that magical beasts can provide bloodline power, though not as effectively as a Bloodline User.”

“About ten magical beasts are needed to condense a drop of True Blood equivalent to that of a Bloodline User of the same tier. Whether this is stronger than awakening via Bloodline Elixir still needs to be verified.”

“And magical beasts that have had their bloodline power drawn will undergo the same transformation as Bloodline Users who’ve been drained.”

Yam and Akar had both seen the state of Bloodline Users who had their bloodline power directly extracted: their bodies would be completely drained of blood in an instant, internal organs would melt, and the person would appear grotesquely gaunt like a mummy, sometimes bearing strange markings.

Anyone in their right mind would immediately know something was wrong upon seeing such a corpse.

“Also, Nirvana should not be used unless it’s absolutely necessary, such as in a life-or-death situation.”

“The side effects are immense. Even now, Yam hasn’t fully recovered from using it once.”

Yam nodded.

The effects of Nirvana were undeniable. In a life-or-death moment, it offered a chance at reversal. However, this ability also had limitations.

For instance, it couldn’t exceed the fourth tier.

And if one were to face a fourth-tier Bloodline User proficient in multiple battle arts or possessing highly mutated bloodline abilities, the outcome would still be uncertain.

Moreover, if one’s own blood did not meet the minimum sacrificial requirement, there was a real risk of immediate death upon activation, no different from suicide.

As for the aftereffects Yam experienced, severe depletion of blood energy that couldn’t be restored for two to three months, this was considered mild.

The true impact was the delay in Yam’s bloodline concentration stimulation. With such serious blood loss, bloodline concentration could not improve, effectively postponing his advancement to a fourth-tier Bloodline User.

“Do you have any thoughts or questions?”

After explaining the results of his recent tests with the Demonic Sword, Ion opened the floor to Yam and Akar.

Akar glanced at Yam, then quickly blinked to signal him.

Yam sighed lightly before speaking. “Father, Akar wants to...”

“Let him speak for himself,” Ion said in a stern voice.

Yam gave Akar a helpless look.

Akar looked a bit downcast, but still mustered the courage to say, “Anna is pregnant with my child. I want to extract that drop of True Blood from Burton inside the Demonic Sword so my child can awaken that bloodline power.”

“Impossible.” Upon hearing Akar’s words, Ion refused without a second thought.

“Why?” Akar looked utterly incredulous.

“What surname will the child bear?”

Akar fell silent.

Yam also let out a soft sigh.

He already understood what their father meant, and clearly, Akar understood as well,.whether Akar admitted it or not, the child Anna would give birth to would never carry the Soderbell surname, only the Kasein surname.

So, from the perspective of the Soderbell family, this child was destined to be seen as illegitimate.

And the more this child had to stay hidden from the Soderbell side, the more inclined he would be toward the Kasein Family.

Furthermore, if the Kasein Family provided him support far beyond what the Soderbell Family could offer, even elevating him to the future successor of the Red Eagle Territory, then he would never acknowledge being a member of the Soderbell Family. Given the Kasein Family’s methods of education, this was no exaggeration, but a well-known result.

“But he’s my child...” Akar looked visibly distressed.

“Then bring the child back to the family,” Ion said coldly. “On this point, there is absolutely no room for negotiation.”

“You want to pursue love, I won’t object. That’s your choice. Since you’ve decided to stake your future on it, I won’t stop you. I will respect your decision.”

“But. When it comes to matters that affect the entire family, I cannot let you do as you please.”

Ion’s tone grew firm, this was the first time he had shown such coldness since Akar came of age. “This sword is our foundation. It is the reason we possess a surname, and it is the key to our hope of becoming a ‘Bloodline Family.’ Yam named our family ‘Soderbell,’ meaning ‘Swordbearer.’ Then tell me, which sword do we bear? And on what grounds do we wield it?”

“So on this matter, there is no discussion.”

“If you want your child to possess this bloodline, then he must return to the Soderbell Family.”

Akar lowered his head, silent.

Seeing Akar’s expression, Yam couldn’t help but feel a bit of compassion. He said, “But Father, that drop of True Blood from Burton, we can’t use it either. After all, it’s part of the Kasein Family’s bloodline advancement path. If...”

“Just because we can’t use it now doesn’t mean we won’t be able to use it in the future,” Ion shook his head. “Once your child returns to the family, as long as one of his descendants can marry into the Kasein Family, that drop of True Blood can be put to use... A child born of Bloodline Users may sometimes fail to awaken, but it’s also possible they might inherit the maternal bloodline’s aptitude.”

Hearing Ion’s words, Yam understood what his father meant.

As long as someone in the Soderbell Family could marry a female member of the Kasein Family, regardless of whether she was a Bloodline User, that drop of True Blood from Burton could take effect.

Moreover, this method would ensure the child bore the Soderbell surname, while also providing legitimate grounds for the Soderbell Family to possess the Kasein Family’s bloodline power in the future, without raising suspicions.

“Also, you must take a wife.”

“What?” Akar looked up, shocked. “I refuse!”

“You refuse?” Ion let out a cold laugh. “Then what, do you want all your children to become Yam’s children? ...The children Anna gives birth to, whether you agree or not, will carry the Kasein surname. Even if you send them back, they can bear the Soderbell surname. But how does a man without a wife father children?”

“I...” Akar showed a hesitant look.

Conflicted and torn, his expression showed deep inner turmoil.

“Perhaps we don’t actually need Akar to get married,” Yam said, unable to bear the sight. “We only need to announce publicly that he is married. Given the calamity in the White Mountain Territory, we can declare Akar has taken a wife, without holding a wedding or celebration. We could say his wife is frail and unfit to meet others.”

“This way, Akar doesn’t truly need to marry, and no one will question not seeing his wife for a long time. Meanwhile, the child can be brought back and raised by us.”

Ion looked at Akar, then finally nodded, giving silent approval to Yam’s suggestion. “In that case, we’ll need Lily’s cooperation.”

“I’ll convince her,” Yam said. “As long as Anna becomes Baroness of the Gem Territory, she definitely won’t oppose the idea of the Gem Territory becoming a secret ally of the White Mountain Territory... But Akar, you and Anna...”

“I’ll convince Anna too,” Akar nodded firmly.

“With the Demonic Sword, there’s no doubt our family will become a ‘Bloodline User Family,’” Ion said as he looked at Yam and Akar, speaking slowly.

“Therefore, ‘The blade unsheathed shall never retreat’ will be the motto of our Soderbell Family... And ‘Family must stand united’ shall be the first family rule I write for the Soderbell Family.”

Yam and Akar both nodded.

At this moment, they truly realized that their family was no longer the same as before.

From now on, Soderbell would be a family, and it would continue and grow as a Bloodline User Family. It would no longer be like in the past, where the surname "Soderbell" was merely a symbol, not even a mark.

“Then, the second matter,” Ion continued.

“This time, aside from Knight Roda, thirteen veteran soldiers also returned alive. They have all gone through real life-and-death trials. From what I understand, the success rate of bloodline awakening for such seasoned veterans is not small, so I plan to make them all Bloodline Users.”

“All of them?” Akar was stunned.

Yam frowned slightly. “Can the White Mountain Territory afford so many Bloodline Knights? Besides, the Bloodline Potions alone are a considerable expense. With the current state of the White Mountain Territory...”

“No need,” Ion shook his head. “In fact, I intend to use this opportunity to test the Demonic Sword’s bloodline refining effect. I want to see the difference between True Blood refined from ten magical beasts and that refined using Bloodline Potions.”

“As for whether the White Mountain Territory can afford that many Bloodline Knights...”

“Fisher Village and Plain Village can each support two Bloodline Knights. Old Mountain Village can support one. That means we can maintain five Bloodline Knights.”

“Then what about Knight Roda? He lost his fief...” Akar asked.

The war was over. The villagers of Plain Village had returned to their original lands to rebuild their homes.

As for the looted Andar Village, there was no hope that the abducted villagers would return, let alone expect the Andar Family to have met a good end, the two Fourth-Tier Bloodline Users sent by the Western Wind Territory had died in the White Mountain Territory, especially one who was a direct member of the Karco Family, the ruling house of the Western Wind Territory.

Even if any members of the Andar Family were still alive, they would certainly be executed in retaliation.

What puzzled Ion and Roda the most, however, was that not a single villager from Mountain Ridge Village, who had fled into the Eaglehead Mountains, had returned.

No matter how dangerous the Eaglehead Mountains were, surely at least one person should have made it back?

Thus, after discussing with Roda, Ion decided to send him along with a group of soldiers to search the mountain path that the villagers of Mountain Ridge Village had taken, to find out what had happened.

After all, if Mountain Ridge Village could be rebuilt, it would not be a problem for it to support Roda.

This way, White Mountain City could potentially support one or two more Bloodline Knights, while these individuals would all be only First-Tier Bloodline Users, they would still be much stronger than ordinary people, and the White Mountain Territory would not lag far behind other territories in terms of Bloodline Knights.

Moreover, if the territory could make good use of the post-war recovery period, and manage to cultivate two or three more Second-Tier Bloodline Knights, then the White Mountain Territory could even gain some influence in terms of high-end combat power.

By then, the territory would have at least two Fourth-Tier Bloodline Users: Yam’s advancement was almost certain, and although Ion had lost an arm and would be weaker than peers at the same level, a Fourth-Tier Bloodline User defeating a Third-Tier Bloodline User was normally not an issue.

Not to mention, Akar could still bring reinforcements from the Gem Territory.

“The White Mountain Territory may not afford it, but the Gem Territory can,” Yam said after a brief silence, offering a new solution.

“The Gem Territory also suffered heavy losses. They certainly lack Bloodline Knights right now. Especially if your Anna wants to maintain stable control of the Gem Territory, she will need a large number of trusted people. Given how prosperous the Gem Territory is, supporting ten Second-Tier Bloodline Users is no problem.”

As Bloodline Users grew stronger, their needs also increased. Apart from the cost of Rare Iron Weapons, the main expenditure lay in diet, nutritional intake for bloodline stimulation training was included here.

The White Mountain Territory was relatively poor. Moreover, Baron Ster had never exploited the people, and few Bloodline Users had ever chosen to serve him.

As a result, the territory had only ever supported five Bloodline Users: one Fourth-Tier, two Third-Tier, and two First-Tier.

Later, although the Soderbell family and Lily joined, Lily was only a First-Tier Bloodline User, and both Nika and another First-Tier Bloodline User had died in battle.

Therefore, the supply from Plain Village and Mountain Ridge Village was centralized to White Mountain City. Baron Ster assigned Fisher Village and Old Mountain Village to Ion and Akar respectively.

Since Lily was only First-Tier at the time, the territory’s income and expenses were balanced, even producing a small surplus annually.

Later, when Roda joined, Akar had already left the White Mountain Territory, so the expenses didn’t increase, in fact, they slightly decreased.

According to the tax assessment compiled earlier by Sherry and Lily, the relatively wealthier Fisher Village and Plain Village could each support two First-Tier Bloodline Users with surplus; Old Mountain Village, being poorer, could support one First-Tier Bloodline User with surplus but would struggle with two. However, supporting one Second-Tier Bloodline User would be manageable.

White Mountain City, having lost Baron Ster, now had enough to support Ion and Yam as Second-Tier Bloodline Users. Roda and Lily were about to advance to Second-Tier as well.

Even calculating them as Second-Tier, the city could still support two more First-Tier Bloodline Users, especially since many residents had recently fled due to the upheaval.

But considering that Ion and Yam would eventually reach Fourth-Tier, and not all tax revenue could go toward this expenditure, reserves and soldiers' pay must also be accounted for, it was unrealistic to support even First-Tier Bloodline Users further.

Once Roda advanced to Second-Tier, it would put considerable pressure on the future of White Mountain City.

Now that Yam proposed sharing the burden with the Gem Territory, the situation changed.

Even Akar believed Anna would not refuse.

As Yam pointed out, once Anna became Baroness of the Gem Territory, she would need enough trusted aides to maintain order.

If chaos erupted, it would give the Kasein Family an excuse to intervene, and Anna’s authority in the Gem Territory would be completely undermined. Akar was certain Anna would never tolerate that.

“I’ll depart for Eaglehead Territory tomorrow to discuss this with Anna.”

“I’ll speak with Lily as well.”

“Then let’s proceed with the plans as we’ve discussed.”

Ion was very satisfied with Yam’s proposal. This was a method that could closely unite the two territories.

The veteran soldiers brought by Akar to the Gem Territory were comrades who had fought by his side, and it was thanks to his “favor” that they became Bloodline Knights. As long as he, Yam, or Akar were alive, these Bloodline Users were unlikely to betray them.

This bond could even last into the second or third generation.

After that, it would depend on whether future members of the Soderbell family had the ability to keep them loyal.

Of course, Ion didn’t actually believe the sons or grandsons of these veterans would become Bloodline Users, so such worries were probably unnecessary.

Ion supported Yam’s idea because it allowed the Soderbell Family to extend its influence into the Gem Territory.

As that influence grew, it would become easier for Akar’s descendants to marry a female member of the Kasein Family.

Not all benefits were visible in the short term.

Ion knew Yam had truly learned the mindset of the Bloodline Nobles.

He felt both proud and sorrowful.

...

A giant magical beast resembling a lion lay collapsed on the ground.

Its corpse alone stood several meters tall, making it easy to imagine how terrifying it had been while alive.

But now, its entire body was battered and broken, as if it had suffered terrifying torment and beatings.

Thick, red blood oozed from numerous wounds on its body.

Upon contact with air, the blood transformed into fire and ignited.

Yet, despite the flames burning fiercely, the massive lion-like magical beast did not turn to ash.

Marquis Visen did not look at the beast, his gaze fixed on the enormous door before him, standing over five meters tall.

It was a door inscribed with golden patterns.

Marquis Visen understood the meaning of this golden pattern mark: Proof of Bloodline.

It was a special craft technique originating from the People of the Abyss, and only born after countless refinements.

Its sole purpose was to ensure that unless this type of door was opened through bloodline verification, all the items stored within the internal space would be destroyed.

This was a security method used only by high-ranking Bloodline Nobles with deep foundations and great strength to safeguard their family’s secret treasury.

“I heard Yam and Akar are both geniuses?” Marquis Visen suddenly asked.

“Akar, I’m not sure, but Yam definitely can be considered one,” Marquis Visen’s third son, Wade Kasein, nodded.

“The Bloodline Gate requires Fourth-Tier to open. Judging by Yam’s displayed potential, it should just be a matter of a few years.”

Wade replied with great apprehension.

Earlier, they had finally broken through the trapdoor on the ground, only to find a Blood Flame Lion guarding below. Unprepared, they suffered heavy losses.

Therefore, Wade had no choice but to report this to Marquis Visen, who then personally took care of the lion.

“No rush, I already anticipated that this treasury would have a Bloodline Gate,” Marquis Visen slightly shook his head. “Just a few years, I can afford to wait. …Has our deal with Shuvaric Antares concluded?”

“Yes,” Wade nodded.

“According to the message from Monica, Baron Ster is dead. But no one expected the war to end so tragically.”

“The Abres Family of the Eastern Mountain Territory is completely wiped out. All their Bloodline Users are dead.”

“The Western Wind Territory lost the Blood Knight Molly. The Crimson Knight Regiment that Count Shuvaric had been preparing likely can’t be formed anymore.”

“The biggest winner, on the other hand, is the Spring Breeze Territory. They suffered almost no losses and even looted quite a bit from the Eastern Mountain Territory.”

“What a pity,” Marquis Visen sighed.

But Wade didn’t know exactly what his father found pitiful, so he wisely chose not to ask.

“Additionally, although Hans died in battle, before that he captured quite a few people in the Eaglehead Mountains. These people claimed to be villagers from Mountain Ridge Village of the White Mountain Territory, but now they’ve all been brought into our territory.”

“Send them all to the mines,” Marquis Visen casually dealt with them. “That place is short on labor.”

“Understood.”

“Any movements from Joshua?” After a brief silence, Marquis Visen asked again.

“None,” Wade shook his head. “Anna and Joshua are getting along quite naturally. We’re just waiting to see if the first child born from Anna possesses bloodline aptitude and what quality it will be.”

“What is Anna Billy doing now?”

“She… just killed her father, then attended Baron Hess’s funeral, and also recalled the Bole Family’s Knight Commander as well as Akar Soderbell. Akar Soderbell had just gotten married less than a day ago, but had to rush to the Gem Territory immediately.”

“Akar Soderbell got married?” Marquis Visen frowned slightly. “Which family is his wife from?”

“Reportedly just a commoner,” Wade replied quickly. “And it seems she’s also ill. Only two or three people saw her silhouette from afar. Since the White Mountain Territory is still in mourning, Akar’s wedding wasn’t held grandly, only members of the Soderbell family and the invited Atork Senels attended.”

“Then it seems Yam’s Bourbon bloodline is the purest,” Marquis Visen said calmly.

“The Bourbon Family’s notorious habit is that they only concentrate resources on the one with the purest bloodline. But that’s fine—it at least lets us know who can open this Bloodline Gate.”