Legacy of a Benevolent Lord
Chapter 45: The Duality of Man.

Chapter 45: The Duality of Man.

When the Pirate number dwindled, the Ashenvale guards and the three other guards sent by the Governor, who had hidden inside their boat, also joined.

It took two days to clean up, rob every penny, and set sail for the nearest port along with the ten other ships.

Once they got to the port, the Ashenvale stewards worked for two weeks before arranging for the ships to set sail for the Sundawn Commercial City port.

.....

The ships moved slowly, their sails catching weak winds.

Ten pirate warships now followed behind a single smaller vessel—the one carrying Riven, Selene, and the Ashenvale crest fluttering on its mast.

Another two weeks went by, and they finally handed the ships over to repairmen and arranged with the shipper’s alliance to charter the ships for a good sum of money on a monthly basis.

The income is to be sent to the Manor without any delay.

Carpenters and shipwrights were called.

Healers were sent to treat the sailors and guards. Some went home for leave, and some stayed.

Over the next two weeks, he spent time with his Grandmother and met with other nobles and representatives of the Ashvale house who had sponsored him previously.

He had a call with Grandmother Rosalind during which he shared his stories, which brought her much joy.

He also met with the Elite Army sent by her. For Riven, though, this army looked much more like Emotionless Killing Machines than ’humans’.

It would be madness to find out how many wars these Elites have fought.

The Elder Lady had already assigned them comfortable lodging, and they were waiting for the order to arrive.

Riven had to explain to the General that there might not be any ’wars’ just yet.

He also met with the Hands and kindly provided them with some resources, which he chose not to use from his Critical Refund system.

There were too many in the system inventory. For jokes, he gave Caldor 100 wood planks as a gift.

Once all that was arranged, Riven again said goodbye to his grandma and set sail to a different part of the Lake.

Oh! Azira also met Azhula to hug and share stories.

The little girl is now much more cheerful. Her eyes no longer held that constant tremble.

She laughed more. She smiled often.

The gloomy feeling of being sold was no more. She genuinely loved the time she spent with Riven and Selene.

It was understandable. After all, Riven had a sort of fatherly affection towards the little girl.

And so... after a year of entering into the Martial world, at nineteen years old, Riveron Ashvale once again shook the lands.

This time, the news even reached the Capital, although it didn’t make much of a stir.

The capital’s waters were deeper than that.

There, geniuses were born every year.

Sect scions with divine physiques.

Heirs of ancient bloodlines.

Cultivators who had passed trials ten times harder than what Riven had faced.

Nineteen? Entered Innate? Killed Spirit Harmonizing and Energy Channeling experts?

Good. But not worth losing sleep over.

However, that’s the capital.

The lands around the Great Lake were shaken to the very core.

Riveron Ashvale was slowly becoming a symbol.

Dear Mr. Murong wasn’t able to sleep for seven nights after hearing the news.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw that man again. Riveron Ashvale. Looking down at him from a Golden Throne, with mocking contempt.

They had mocked him for being young and naive, and they had already acted.

They had spread rumors to bounty hunters and mercenary sects, suggesting Riven was carrying several ancient treasures.

The damage had been done.

Now, the boy stood taller than ever.

Fuck around and find out?

Fuck around part had been done by spreading Rumors.

Now, the Murong clan is waiting to find out.

.......

While everything was happening, Riven’s crew went around enjoying the many scenic and tourist spots.

With pirates cleared, the Great Lake had returned to a strange kind of peace.

Scenic towns, floating restaurants, and vibrant marketplaces were all ’safe’ again.

........

Meanwhile, Riven kept mostly to himself. Training most of the time.

The rest of the time was spent day dreaming, falling asleep while reading, and cultivating (teasing) Selene.

He wasn’t thinking about money.

He wasn’t managing officials or trade routes.

There were no scrolls, no advisors, no responsibilities.

One morning, while Selene was reviewing cargo manifests and assigning new duties to the crew, Riven sat near the helm, legs dangling off the side of the ship.

The book he was reading rested open in his lap, but his eyes were unfocused, staring out over the calm lake.

Every few minutes, he flipped a page without reading it.

Selene passed by and paused.

She gave him a sideways glance.

"Are you even reading that?"

"Hm?" Riven blinked and looked down.

"Oh... yeah. I think so?"

He tilted his head and squinted at the page, then closed the book with a soft thump.

He leaned back, stretched his arms overhead, and let out a long yawn.

The wind caught his hair. He looked up at the sky with half-lidded eyes.

"Feels like I’m forgetting something..." he murmured.

He rubbed the back of his head, thinking.

A few moments passed.

Then, he suddenly sat upright with a jolt.

"Ah!! Cole Hart boy!"

His voice startled one of the sailors nearby.

Selene turned slowly, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Riven snapped his fingers.

"We sent him off to help with that flood relief thing, right? Didn’t bring him back, did we?"

He frowned, genuinely puzzled.

"I swear he was supposed to report back weeks...err...months ago...?"

Selene sighed. "No. You forgot. And it was drought relief, not flood relief."

"Hmm."

He nodded, expression completely casual.

He looked out at the water again.

"I wonder how he’s doing..."

He said it as if he were wondering if he had left the stove on at home.

Selene watched him for a moment longer, then shook her head, chuckling, and walked off.

Her beloved was a man of many talents. Forgetting was... one of them.

And so, beneath the quiet blue sky and the scent of lake wind, the monster who had torn apart pirates by the dozens now sat barefoot, legs swinging, face relaxed, drifting somewhere between curiosity and daydream.

Pirate slaughterer?

Hmm... nope... not here.

Just Riven.

Somewhat carefree.

A little forgetful.

And mildly concerned about a missing boy named Cole Hart. Which he’ll probably forget... soon.