The Wizarding World's Forbidden Book Administrator

Chapter 244 The Source of Surveillance

Chapter 244 The Source of Surveillance

"My first invitation was naturally written to the Duke of Montero."

Pena leaned back in his chair, indicating somewhat impatiently,

"But I can't ignore the other nobles in the hills either. However, Master Horney, you know that a loyal dog has friends everywhere. I really can't decide who I should ask for help from outside the hills."

"Those who have business dealings with Caogang must be invited."

As he spoke, Master Horney rummaged through the numerous documents on his desk, took out a few, and handed them to Pena.

"Those businesses are vital to the economy of the territory, sir, you must inherit them as well."

"Hmm—Master Horney," Pena raised an eyebrow, "I don't need these documents, all I need is a list. Can't you just organize it for me?"

"It will do you good to look through these business records. I can't do everything for you. Your father always did everything himself. He almost never let me—"

"I'm not a loyal dog!" Pena suddenly raised her voice. "I might have wanted to be like him before, but I gave up long ago. He was a genius, but unfortunately, I'm not!"

"Don't say that, sir," Horney said, crossing his fingers in front of his lower abdomen. "Lord Hubert is not omnipotent; he has his own weaknesses, just as you have your own strengths—"

"—But not dealing with these tedious documents," Pena interrupted Horney. "Master Horney, I should be doing something more meaningful."

"Something more meaningful?" Horney frowned. "Sir, for example?"

"This—you can give me a few examples, and I can choose from them."

"To reorganize the army, wage war on all fronts, and use military might to make Caogang famous?"

Pena shook his head: "You know, my combat skills are average, I've never fought in a war, and my understanding of tactics is only on paper."

"To travel to all corners of the land, to establish connections with various lords, and to build business relationships?"

"You know me, Master, I don't have that kind of eloquence, and I don't understand the ways of business either."

"So, how about we reorganize internal affairs, govern the people, and enrich the Payton family?"

"Just these past few days, I've heard so many old, trivial things that my ears are practically worn out!"

"well--"

Hearing this, Horney couldn't help but sigh. "Sir, I've listed many things for you as you requested, but you're unwilling to do any of them. 'I'm not good at any of these—'"

"That's why you have to learn," Horney said. "You'll never learn if you don't try."

“These things are your responsibility; you’ll definitely do them better than me,” Pena said. “However, I do have an idea: to attract talent to the port.”

Upon hearing this, old Horney nodded in agreement:

"In governing a territory, talent is indeed key. After all, no one can do everything perfectly. Knowing people and making good use of them, and entrusting tasks to the right people, is indeed a good method. So, sir, how do you plan to recruit talent?"

"Ha! I plan to hold a dueling tournament," Pena's expression immediately became excited. "With a high bounty, it will surely attract countless talented people."

Upon hearing this, Master Horney looked bewildered, and after a long pause, he finally spoke:

"My lord, what kind of idea is this! A dueling tournament? This kind of project is a complete waste of money and brings no benefit to the territory whatsoever!"

Pena seemed unconcerned: "Chao Port is not short of funds. My project would be terrible for a poor territory, but it's not for us. It will not only attract talent, but also promote Chao Port's wealth and bring more lords to trade with us."

"My lord, how come I never knew you were like this before—you must know, Lord Hubert has never approved of holding duels!"

"And he himself is a champion!" Peña retorted with a shrug.

"Sir, you!"

Horney was snorting loudly, as if he was extremely angry, and he angrily stated,

"My lord, I strongly object!"

Pena gave Horney an impatient look before turning her gaze to Dick:

"Sir Buchanan, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Dick also looked at Horney.

Only then did I realize that Horney's eyes were full of anticipation.

It was as if they were telling Dick that they hoped he and Horney would jointly oppose the proposal.

Upon hearing this, Dick thought for a moment before saying:

"Sir, I think your idea is excellent!"

Horney immediately flew into a rage and pointed his index finger at Dick:

"Buchanan, you..."

"Shut up, Horney!"

Pena scolded, then smiled and asked Dick,

Explain your reasons.

"The benefits have already been stated by the lord, so I naturally have no further insights," Dick said with a smile. "I imagine a spectacular martial arts competition will be held in the port."

"I feel the same way. So, since you agree, I think this matter can be put on the agenda."

"Yes, it's a pity I can't participate in this martial arts competition."

Hearing Dick say this, Pena asked curiously:

"Sir Buchanan, why do you say that? I've heard you're a champion too."

"That's why I'm likely to win if I participate," Dick said. "After all, I was trained by Lord Hubert, and his martial arts skills are beyond question."

"Yes," Pena shook his head repeatedly, "It's precisely because my father is so powerful that I realize my own mediocrity. But why is it that you were able to win the championship, yet you can't participate in this dueling tournament?"

"My lord, you have already said that your purpose is to recruit talent and demonstrate your wealth," Dick said with a smile. "And once I win, I will receive a bonus, but I am also your slave."

"At that time, the warriors will think that you are playing a trick on them and that you have no intention of letting them get the money. This will only make you lose their support."

"I see," Pena said with a look of sudden realization. "I hadn't considered that."

I really regret not being able to see you shine.

"Not only that, I also advise adults not to have too many expectations for the outcome."

Upon hearing this, Pena's face darkened:

"What do you mean?"

"The talents attracted by the dueling tournament are bound to be competitive or greedy martial artists. Unfortunately, I believe that their martial arts skills are generally inferior to mine. Therefore, I think that the benefits that Caogang can gain from this martial arts tournament are limited."

These words silenced Pena.

Dick continued, "On Insole Island, Lord Hubert had me participate in the tournament, and it was then that he told me about the purpose of the tournament."

Pena seemed intrigued and asked:

"What does it mean?"

"For the contestants, the goal should never be the prize money, but to gain the favor of high-ranking officials and dignitaries; for the organizers, it's about finding reliable pawns for future actions."

At this point, Dick paused for a moment and asked Pena,

"My lord, you will be taking on the role of the organizer. What kind of pawns will you select, and what actions will they take on your behalf?"

Just as Dick said, Pena was left speechless.

After a long silence, Pena finally spoke:

"I understand. We'll discuss this further later."

Upon hearing this, Horney responded in agreement:

"My lord, this is a wise decision!"

Pena sighed and turned to Dick:

"Have you spoken to my sister?"

Dick said, "Not yet."

"We need to hurry," Pena said. "Several nobles in the hills have already proposed marriage to the port after learning of my father's death, hoping that the Peyton family will marry Peggy to them."

"You agreed?" Dick asked.

"Of course not!" Pena sneered. "They chose this moment to propose marriage because they know that if Father were alive, he would never agree to it. They actually think I would agree? What a bunch of idiots. Even if Hong Kong wants to form an alliance through marriage, they should find a more powerful family."

"But I must remind you, Dick Buchanan, you'd better hurry. A more powerful lord might come to propose to me, and then I might actually be tempted."

Dick nodded: "I will, but I want to wait until after the funeral, when Miss Peggy is grieving for her father's death."

I couldn't bear to disturb her at a time like this.

"Do as you please, anyway, keep it in mind —"

Dick bowed.

After discussing political affairs for a while, Dick followed Horney and left the Earl's study together.

As soon as he stepped out of the study, Horney bowed to Dick and said:

"I apologize, Sir. I had doubted you just now, thinking that you would curry favor with the powerful and approve that foolish proposal. I never expected that you would be able to dissuade Lord Pena in such a clever way."

Dick smiled and said, "Rest assured, Master Horney, I am absolutely loyal to the Peyton family and will naturally prioritize the interests of the port."

Master Horney nodded repeatedly: "I finally understand why Lord Hubert chose you as his advisor in his succession. Lord Hubert knows you, and he knows his son even better. He must know that you can fulfill the mission he has entrusted to you."

Dick had no doubt that the loyal dog could see everyone around it.

However, he was still not confident that he could complete the mission.

Dick placed his hand on his chest: "Thank you for your trust, Master Horney."

"However, what surprised me most today was that Lord Pena would actually make such a suggestion. Indulging in pleasure is a sign of incompetence. I never realized that Lord Pena had this side to him before."

Dick reassured him, "Don't worry, Lord Pena has just gained power, so it's understandable that he might be a little lost at first. I believe he will soon find the right direction."

"I hope so," Horney shook his head, "but for that very reason, Sir Dick, I hope you will join me in righting the lord's carriage."

"Of course, this is my mission."

"I admire your integrity, Sir, but I am old and don't know how much longer I have to live. Sir, I can only ask that you continue to lend a helping hand—."

"Rest assured, Master Horney—"

Dick's days in the port became regular.

He would lead the army in physical and combat training every day, and then participate in Pena's political discussions.

In the afternoon, the army conducted tactical training.

And at night, that's when Dick wields his sword.

Although it was unchanging and monotonous, it brought Dick a lot of peace of mind.

Since Lord Hubert's death, the turmoil in Dick's heart has finally begun to subside little by little.

At the same time, the feeling of being watched every night when he wielded his sword was always there.

He was certain that the person watching him was hiding in the castle.

But Dick couldn't tell which person in the window was watching him.

But Dick did not stop training.

If someone truly harbors ill intentions towards him, Dick's task is to avoid alerting them.

If the other party doesn't realize that Dick has already noticed, they might reveal a flaw.

A few days later, in the afternoon, Dick led his troops in training as usual.

However, this time, his two knights under his spell fiercely expressed strong resistance.

"I don't think it makes any sense," Sir Evan said.

Mars chimed in, "Even Lord Hubert has never made me do this kind of meaningless training." Seeing the two men's attitudes so aligned, he immediately guessed that this was a result of their prior discussion.

Dick said, "Everything has meaning; training enables the military to respond to unexpected events."

"No surprises," Evan shrugged. "It's common knowledge that Trough Harbor is the safest city in the hills."

"But I've heard that even in such a city, under Lord Hubert's rule, it was attacked by pirates," Dick retorted.

"The attacker was the navigator, and now that the navigator is dead, there may never be a second navigator, just as there may never be a second loyal dog."

Miles countered,

"No one dares to attack Chau Harbor anymore, and even if someone attacks from the sea, it has nothing to do with us army soldiers. Lord Buchanan, you should apply to command the warships."

Upon hearing this, Evan burst into laughter.

Dick remained unfazed by their mockery.

"But I'm the commander, and I think it makes sense, so the training will continue."

"Pah!" Evan spat. "Commander? You're just lucky to be a loyal servant. You really think you're someone important!"

"Exactly! How old are you now? Over twenty, right?" Miles chimed in. "I graduated from knightly school at seventeen, but only became a squire at twenty, which speaks volumes about your mediocrity!"

Hearing this, Dick understood:

"You're not satisfied?"

"Of course!" they both replied in unison.

Dick also felt it was time to establish his prestige.

However, these two men were, after all, Pena's subjects, and he still had to continue using them, so he had to give them some face.

Dick ordered the entire team to disband and, with Evan and Miles, went to the castle's training ground.

In this way, even if the two suffer a crushing defeat, their soldiers will not see it.

Standing on the drill ground, Evan smiled smugly:

"What rules, you pretty boy? You expect me to give way to you?"

"It's up to you. Also, you two can come together."

.

"What did you say?!"

Evan was clearly enraged by Dick and drew his sword, charging at him.

Dick skillfully dodged the attack and tripped the man.

Only then did the two realize that Dick was no pushover.

The two became wary and began to surround and attack Dick.

The battle ended quickly; in short, Dick killed both of them instantly.

Dick simply smiled calmly at the two people sitting on the ground, panting.

Dick was indeed confident in his abilities, but the two of them were rather mediocre in martial arts.

But at least, the two of them were still able to use their martial arts skills.

Dick also noticed that the two men were looking at him with disbelief in their eyes.

He was quite satisfied, thinking that the two men would not talk about the duel in the army, nor would they dare to openly defy Dick again.

But just then, that feeling of being watched came back.

He immediately turned around and looked towards the castle.

Because it was nighttime, Dick was unable to pinpoint the source of the surveillance.

But it was daytime, and Dick finally realized which window was watching him.

If I remember correctly.

Dick stared at the window—

That's Miss Peggy's room—