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Chapter 526 The Secret Plan

?Heede inquired about Howard's well-being, to which Howard responded with a faint smile, indicating he was fine.

The two engaged in a half-hour conversation that yielded little fruit.

In the end, Howard informed Heede that he would not assist Castile in claiming the imperial throne.

Heede, feeling helpless, spread his hands and said, "I've said all I can. If you truly wish to confront the entire military force of Castile, there's nothing more I can do."

Bosiden cast a discreet glance at Howard, but there was no discernible change in Howard's expression.

Before concluding the conversation, Howard made a pointed remark: "If the whole of Castile supports you, wouldn't that mean the entire empire is against you?"

Initially, Heede did not grasp the meaning and stood pondering with a wine glass in hand, not noticing that Howard and Bosiden had already left.

When the realization finally dawned on him, Heede nodded slightly, now regarding Howard as a significant figure.

The banquet concluded smoothly, and the next day, Charles from the Fran Kingdom set off for his return journey.

Howard and his company accompanied him part of the way, turning back at the border.

On the way home, Howard mused, "I thought the spirit of the knight was lost in today's world, until I met Charles."

Anna chuckled, "Consider yourself lucky."

Howard, with self-deprecating humor, added, "The letter Edward sent to Provence took a long detour but ended up in my hands anyway. I wonder if Resarite feels he's been dealt a bad hand."

Anna replied, "That man is a traitor and rebel; his failure is only natural and just."

Recalling a crucial matter, Howard summoned Portia.

Portia approached and respectfully bowed to Howard.

Howard addressed her, "Yesterday, while conversing with the envoy of the Empire's Crown Prince, I stumbled upon something significant. I need you to send intelligence agents to Castile immediately to investigate this matter thoroughly."

Portia, head bowed, assured, "I shall spare no effort, my lord. May I inquire about the nature of this significant matter?"

Howard reminisced, "Yesterday, Heede let slip a plan concerning the King of Castile, who is also the Crown Prince. Although Heede quickly changed the subject, I caught something about a 'formation plan.' The expression on Heede's face indicated that this plan must be grand. I want you to uncover the details."

After receiving her orders, Portia departed.

Three days later, a man appeared outside the Duke's residence in Lagusa.

In his mid-forties, the man sported a thick, dark beard, with large eyes and moderately fair skin.

A sword hung from his waist, and he carried an air of confidence.

Stopped by the guards, he declared himself the Duke of Croatia, here for a personal audience with the Duke of Lagusa.

Howard personally greeted the Duke of Croatia, and the two sat face to face in the reception room.

Howard intended to offer the Croatian Duke a taste of his improved cake recipe, but the Duke, seeming somewhat irate from the start, declined with a wave of his hand.

Howard then leaned back in silence.

The Croatian Duke, with piercing eyes, stared into Howard's and declared, "Howard, I am the Duke of Croatia. The Duchy of Croatia rightfully includes three Earldoms. Yet, you have taken two of them. What is your intention? Return them to me immediately!"

Howard crossed his legs and responded that the lands were granted by the Empire and it had nothing to do with him.

Suddenly, the Croatian Duke flew into a rage, standing up as if ready for a physical confrontation.

Standing beside Howard, Golan swiftly drew his sword, pointing it at the Duke of Croatia, and warned, "Mind your manners, let's not have any unnecessary misunderstandings!"

At this, the red-clad royal guards burst in from outside, their flintlock guns aimed at the Croatian Duke.

Furious, the Duke of Croatia barked, "Howard, stop beating around the bush with me! Even if the territories were granted by the Emperor, you could simply return them to me now! If you refuse, I'll take it as a deliberate affront!"

Howard's face broke into a sly grin, "Why come to me, a mere figure, instead of the Emperor himself? Is it because you think I'm an easier target? Picking on the perceived weaker?"

The Croatian Duke gritted his teeth in anger.

"In any case, you must return the rightful territories of my Duchy of Croatia!"

Howard replied calmly, "I'm not sure why you're so confident. Please, think calmly about our current diplomatic relations. Out of the three territories of the entire Duchy of Croatia, I control two, over seventy percent of your land. Do you understand the implications of that?"

The Croatian Duke's eyes glazed over in a daze, his fury turning into vulnerability, followed by a facade of bravado masking fear.

Struggling to keep his voice steady, not wanting to show any weakness, yet his tone was significantly less assured than before.

"You're implying you could usurp my ducal title... But Howard, there's no need for us to reach such extremities, right?"

Howard chuckled and asked, "Why couldn't you think clearly in your own territory, instead choosing to come here?"

The Duke of Croatia, filled with regret, confessed, "I was misled. Someone told me that if I intimidated you, you'd readily hand over the two earldoms."

Howard queried, "And who fed you such advice?"

The Duke replied, "It was the fourth prince who instructed me to do so."

Howard sneered, then had the Duke of Croatia escorted out.

On the fourth day, Howard expended money, prestige, and piety to usurp the Duchy of Croatia.

Now, Howard himself was the Duke of Croatia.

He then used the same rationale to demand the original Duke of Croatia surrender his remaining lands.

The man refused.

Bosiden reported this to Howard, barely concealing his amusement.

Howard, upon hearing this, also found it comical, remarking, "Heh, this man is indeed a narrow-minded and selfish noble. He expects others to fully comply with the rights he possesses. Yet, when it comes to others' rights, he dismisses them completely. Such double standards, played out as precisely as a textbook example."

On the fifth day, Howard, citing the reclamation of rightful territories, launched a military campaign against him.

The man, originally a mere knight who had inexplicably been granted a ducal and earldom title by the emperor, lacked in both breadth of mind and strength of vision.

His political acumen and sensitivity were exceptionally low.

His military capabilities and mobilization efforts were also severely lacking.

Howard effortlessly defeated him, capturing the last earldom of Croatia.

He then led his troops to the Count of Goz's lands, found the knight's estate, and took it over.

Howard seized all of the man's fiefs.

The man, in utter despair, sought out the fourth prince, hoping for a resolution.

However, the prince refused to meet him, now a mere commoner, and turned him away.

Thus, in a mere five days, Howard became the Duke of Lagusa, the Duke of Croatia, the Count of Nok, the Count of Luka, and held several other directly governed earldoms in the regions of Lagusa and Croatia.

Just as a baron holding two baronies could be titled a viscount, and an earl with two earldoms could be titled a marquis, Howard, now possessing two ducal titles, earned the honorific title of Archduke.

Nora sent a special letter of congratulations to Howard, expressing her relief that he had strengthened his position at such a critical time.

Moreover, she acknowledged in the letter that all this was instigated by the fourth prince, promising to discipline him once she ascended as Empress.

Howard's emotions remained steady, but he was more intrigued by what the letter didn't mention.

It was peculiar that there was no reference to the Emperor's health.

Being landless, Nora should be the most informed about the Emperor's health among the four imperial heirs.

Understanding the Emperor's health condition is crucial; it informs subsequent actions and indicates how much time is available - a vital piece of intelligence.

However, Nora's omission of the Emperor's current health status in her letter puzzled Howard, leaving him with a sense of bewilderment and unease.

Catherine surmised that Nora currently had no access to the Emperor, hence her lack of knowledge about his health.

Howard felt this assessment made sense, considering Nora's evident concern in her letter; it seemed unlikely she would omit information about the Emperor's health deliberately.

Catherine, adorned in a water-blue round gown – a fashion trend recently emerging from the French court – remarked, "It's highly unusual for a princess like Nora to be unable to see the Emperor. Howard, you must be cautious."

Howard nodded, acknowledging Catherine's viewpoint.

Portia came to see Howard and informed him that the plan in Castile was kept under tight secrecy; her agents couldn't penetrate Castile's inner circle to gather information.

Howard inquired, "You didn't manage to get any intelligence at all?"

Portia replied, "Only a little."