Threat

Chapter 57 Threat

Upon seeing Alphonse striding towards him, Keberi's eyes widened immediately.

"Alphonse! What are you doing in my house?"

Enraged, Keberie stepped forward, pointing at Alphonse and yelling, "I was careless in our last duel, and you beat me, you country bumpkin! I'm going to fight you again!"

Alphonse flashed forward, as if teleporting, instantly closing the distance.

A hand flashed.

Snapped!

A crisp sound.

Alphonse slapped Keberie so hard he stumbled backward, glaring at him menacingly and baring his teeth. "No manners at all! You should call me Baron!"

Keberie was slapped so hard that stars were flying all over her face. She slumped to the ground, clutching her swollen cheek.

He was completely stunned by the slap.

Last time during the duel, he could be said to have been caught off guard, but this time, he didn't even see Alphonse's movements clearly, and before he could even react, he was struck hard. How could he not be terrified?

A middle-aged man, dressed in fine clothes and with his hand on the hilt of a sword, rushed out of the room where Keberi had come from.

The atmosphere immediately became tense.

Alphonse realized that the man was not staring at him, but at Mia behind him, his gaze filled with apprehension.

It seems I've seen him during that duel for honor.

He seems to be a knight of the House of Aldrich?

"Let Baron Tartarus in." A somber voice came from inside the door.

The knight then stepped aside.

Alphonse walked in with an air of nonchalance.

His gaze swept across the room discreetly.

The study is quite spacious, with a huge desk facing the room. The style is somewhat like a large executive desk from later times. It is made of dark wood with intricate patterns and fine carvings along the edges. You can vaguely see some traces of time along the wood grain.

Baron Aldrich sat behind the desk, looking over with a cold gaze.

She looks very similar to Keberie.

They all had the same thick eyebrows, bulging eyes, and hooked noses, with a sharp and mean look on their faces.

The difference is that her long, gray hair, which was almost reaching her shoulders, was deliberately permed into two curls, and she also had two mustaches with the ends curling upwards.

He looks like a rather sinister person.

Alphonse waved his hand, and a chair appeared out of thin air. He sat down without any hesitation.

Mia followed closely behind, standing quietly behind Alphonse like a javelin.

Alphonse's display of skill caused Baron Aldrich to show a slight look of surprise, but he still coldly said, "Baron Tartarus, you brazenly brought your men into my mansion and even assaulted my son. What exactly do you want?"

"Keberi is so rude, I couldn't help but teach him a lesson." Alphonse placed one hand on the table, tapping his fingers lightly. "I came here mainly because your dyeing workshop is discharging wastewater, polluting the river, and affecting the drinking water supply for the residents of my territory."

"Are you trying to protest against me? My dyeing workshop has always discharged wastewater this way. If you're dissatisfied, you can file a complaint against me directly with the Council of Nobles. You might have a good chance of winning, but I can't guarantee how long it will take for the verdict to be issued." Baron Aldrich laughed confidently.

It's obvious he has someone backing him.

A court controlled by nobles can hardly be considered fair.

"Sue you? No, no, no!" Alphonse laughed as well. "I have no such intention. I'm just here to inform you that if you continue to discharge wastewater like this, the Frostwind Territory will wage war against your territory."

Baron Aldrich's face hardened. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes, it's a threat." Alphonse laughed even more heartily, his disdain evident in his words.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Baron Aldridge's voice rose a few decibels.

"I don't need you to be afraid. There's an old saying that those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose. Cold Wind Territory is already so poor, I have nothing to worry about. Once the war starts, I can guarantee that it will be a fight to the death between us. The war will only end when one side falls. Do you think your dyeing workshop built by the river can still survive? I will destroy it immediately."

"You're on my turf now! How dare you speak to me like that? Aren't you afraid you won't leave here alive?" Baron Aldrich shouted sternly.

"You guys?" Alphonse pointed at Baron Aldrich and the knight standing behind him. "Don't make me laugh, you're really no good."

He chuckled and said, "Even if you go and gather guards now, you won't be able to keep me here. I dared to come here because I'm confident I can leave safely."

As soon as he finished speaking, Alphonse slammed his hand on the desk.

With a loud "boom".

The huge desk collapsed with a crash, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Baron Aldrich was startled and jumped back in a panic, even knocking over the chair he was sitting on.

The knight beside him quickly drew his sword and stood in front of him to protect him.

"Don't even think about harming my lord!"

Mia immediately placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, stepped forward, and stared intently at him.

Even though the knight shouted fiercely, he still had a deep fear of Mia. He had already witnessed Mia's strength and knew that he was no match for her, so he did not dare to take the initiative to attack.

Alphonse raised his hand to stop Mia and said leisurely, "Don't be nervous. I just want you to understand the current situation. Baron Aldrich, if you really send your guards to surround and kill me, I will have no choice but to take action against you."

"You brat! Aren't you afraid of legal repercussions? I will sue you in the Council of Nobles!" Baron Aldrich roared angrily.

"Go ahead and sue," Alphonse said dismissively, crossing his legs and casually folding his arms across his chest. "Your wastewater discharge has severely impacted the normal lives of my subjects. I have a legitimate reason to wage war, and the Council of Nobles has no right to interfere."

Knowing that the old baron's veteran army was relatively strong in the surrounding territories and that they had a legitimate reason to wage war against others, Alphonse became reckless.

They were certain that Baron Aldrich would not dare to accept the challenge easily.

His territory is much better developed than Coldwind Territory.

A person with a large and powerful family would not dare to start a war unless it was a matter of life and death for their family.

The reason we didn't use the Soul-Capturing Technique to control him was because there were too many people talking. If Baron Aldrich behaved too strangely or his attitude changed too much, it would definitely arouse suspicion. We had already caused trouble once at Earl Mujik's mansion, so we didn't want to create any more problems.

If people found out that I have the ability to control others, and I were attacked by the masses, that wouldn't be pleasant.

"You despicable brat! What do you want?" Baron Aldrich gritted his teeth in anger.

This scoundrel actually managed to become a nobleman.

(End of this chapter)