Founder Of The Greatest Noble Family
Chapter 60

Chapter 60: 60

He blinked slowly, trying not to lose composure. Somehow, the floor beneath him felt a little less stable.

Still reeling, he asked carefully,

"Can you tell me about the general strength level of nobles in your Empire?"

Lana tilted her head thoughtfully.

"I haven’t seen many personally, but from what I’ve observed... the Barons we interacted with were usually around Rank 14, and those above them, like Counts or Margraves, were in the 17 to 16-17 range."

CRACK.

Roland didn’t know whether it was the chair beneath him or his will to live that just cracked, but something definitely broke.

’Rank 15? Rank 17?!’

’I thought I was doing well, being the strongest in the whole kingdom, but... I’m nothing but a strong foot soldier compared to them.’

He lowered his eyes for a moment, lips twitching.

’No, Roland. Don’t be disheartened. You’re still alive, aren’t you? You’re still growing. If you endure the storm, you’ll walk beyond the clouds.’

He straightened his back and smiled calmly.

"Lady Lana... may I ask, how did you end up in such a wounded state?"

At that question, Lana’s eyes widened suddenly as if she had just remembered something vital.

"Hiss... I forgot! What happened to the cultists?"

Roland blinked. "Cultists? What cultists?"

His voice rose, and a cold wave crept down his spine again.

Lana’s gaze turned sharp.

"The ones I was tracking. Masked, hooded figures they were performing a sacrificial ritual using beast cores and blood magic. That’s when the monsters turned frenzied. I tried to stop them, but..."

Roland’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, voice laced with tension. "Who are these cultists you’re talking about?"

Lana looked up, her blue eyes cold and focused. "They’re demon contractors."

Roland’s brows drew together in a tight frown.

"Just as there are gods who dwell in the heavens," Lana continued, her voice steady but heavy, "there are demons in the lower realms. These contractors... they worship those demons. In exchange for power, they sell their souls and form twisted contracts. They’ve infiltrated weaker regions like Jin, spreading influence under the cover of chaos. Their goal is to turn the entire Kingdom’s faith away from the gods... and toward the demons."

Roland’s expression darkened. "You’re saying they want to make demon worship the state religion?"

Lana gave a small nod. "That’s why the Church in the Vandemir Empire sent agents to track them down. I found a trace of them during my search and followed it here."

Her brows furrowed, as if the memory pained her. "There were too many. I managed to kill a few, but one of them hit me with a cursed relic. It messed with my internal channels. That’s how I ended up collapsing near your lands."

Roland slowly rose from his seat, thoughts racing. "So the beast tide wasn’t a natural occurrence?"

"No," Lana answered flatly. "It was man-made. They were using the beasts as sacrifices... just a warm-up. Next time, they might start using humans."

A cold chill ran through Roland’s spine. He clenched his fists tight, his knuckles whitening. "This isn’t just some wild monsters stirring trouble... It’s a calculated plot. A conspiracy involving demon cultists, black magic... and now, the Empire."

"Then why are you here alone?" he asked, voice laced with suspicion. "Shouldn’t the churches have sent an entire battalion? Don’t they have their so-called holy troops?"

Lana sighed, her shoulders lowering. "You think it’s that easy? There’s politics in the Empire too. Many nobles are already looking to carve up regions like this one once chaos breaks out. No one wants to waste their elite soldiers unless they get something in return."

Roland’s eyes narrowed even further, catching the implication. "You mean... they expect Kingdom Jin to fall?"

"There’s a high possibility," Lana said quietly. "With all the beasts stirring, civil unrest, the rising taxes, and no solid leadership—your kingdom is on the verge of collapse."

A deep, heavy silence fell between them. Roland’s mind raced with questions, doubts, and the weight of what he had just learned. Just then, Lana stood up and bowed lightly.

"Lord Roland, thank you for everything. I’ve recovered well enough. I should take my leave."

Roland almost choked on air.

’What the hell? Just like that? You’re going to walk out after using up 5,000 gold coins worth of healing potion like it was free bread?’

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as Lana turned and asked calmly, "Could you return my belongings?"

Roland snapped his fingers, and a servant brought over her ring and small satchel. Lana took them, then reached inside her ring. She pulled out two items and placed them on the table in front of him.

"One is a crystal," she said. "It detects demonic miasma. It can help you find any contractors hiding nearby. And this..." she placed a small pouch beside it, "is ten thousand gold coins. My thanks."

Roland froze.

"This... this is too much," he said, staring at the glittering crystal and the coin pouch. "I’ll take the crystal since we do need it. But the money... this crystal alone is worth more."

Lana shook her head gently. "No. The crystal isn’t that rare where I come from. And you spent a lot to save my life. You treated me kindly, sheltered me... and you didn’t even ask who I was. I owe you more than this."

Roland scratched the back of his neck, feeling strangely awkward. This is all a misunderstanding, he thought. If she knew Janet’s original plan was to marry her off to me...

Still, he composed himself and looked at her seriously.

"Miss Lana... since you’ve recovered, how about this..You stay a few days and recover after that let’s work together. Let’s track down the demon contractors who injured you. With your skills and mine, we might be able to deal with the threat directly."

Lana studied his face for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I’ll stay a little longer."

Roland smiled, but there was tension behind it. As he stepped out of the room, his eyes darkened.

The storm had already begun.