The Rise Of The Clydon Family-Chapter 25: Taking Back Goldspark Town—And He Owes Us for It

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Taking Back Goldspark Town—And He Owes Us for It 

When Elaina saw the haggard Rus step down from the carriage, a rare smile tugged at her lips. With a teasing tone, she said, "Well, Baron Rus, how did your grand 'recapture' of Goldspark Town go?"

"Thanks for your concern, Aunt," Rus said, stretching lazily. "It went perfectly. In less than a week, Goldspark Town will be back under Eagle's Nest."

Elaina clearly didn't buy it. She crossed her arms, emphasizing her generous bust, and sneered, "Ha! If that actually happens, I'll wash your feet myself."

Rus's eyes lit up instantly. "Then you'll have to wear a maid outfit while you do it."

"I'm not going! I'm not going! I'm not going to school—!"

A pig-like shriek echoed through the hall. Viston, tied up like a trussed hog, was being dragged out by Gaul and Link.

But the moment his eyes met Rus's, he froze. His face went deathly pale.

He was absolutely terrified of Rus, constantly haunted by the fear that one day the baron would draw that crossbow again and put a bolt in him.

Rus glanced at Viston. Thanks to divine magic, the wound on his shoulder had fully healed, but as for regrowing a severed limb—he didn't even bother hoping. Not in Eagle's Nest, and likely not even in Moen City.

"What's going on here?" Rus asked.

"We're sending him back to Moen City," Elaina said coolly. "He's been lounging around here long enough. Time for him to return to his studies."

It might not have been a lie—but it definitely wasn't the whole truth either.

Rus understood. No matter how much a mother loves her son, learning that he betrayed her would leave a lingering shadow in her heart.

Viston pleaded softly, "Mom... do I really have to go? Let me stay. I promise I'll be good..."

A flicker of genuine sadness and affection passed through Elaina's eyes. She patted Viston on the shoulder and said gently, "Be good. Go back, study hard, and become a real man. I'll find a way to fix your arm. I promise."

Watching the scene, Rus sighed inwardly.

Elaina's concern and love were real. So was her determination to send him away. Viston's betrayal had been real—but so was his reluctance to part.

Maybe this was just the nature of human complexity.

Back in the main hall, Rus ran into Old Gordon.

When the old steward saw him, he was visibly shocked. His expression quickly turned into one of anger. "Lord Rus, did Viscount John really dare humiliate you like this!?"

Rus felt a warmth rise in his chest and chuckled. "No, nothing like that. I just played along in a little performance."

"I'm heading to bed for a bit. Go find Erik, and divide the gold in the chest into three portions—three thousand, two thousand, and one thousand. Wake me the moment Viscount John's carriage appears on the horizon."

"Yes, Lord Rus..." Gordon nodded—then did a double take. "Wait... did you say gold coins!?"

"Of course," Rus replied matter-of-factly. "Why?"

Gordon swallowed hard. "You didn't... take this money from the Snow Maple treasury, did you?"

Rus laughed. "Relax. It's all legitimate. I'm not bold enough to rob a viscount."

"But don't go planning the budget around those six thousand coins. I can't guarantee how much we'll get to keep."

Gordon didn't quite understand what he meant, but since everything Rus had done since arriving in Eagle's Nest had worked out, he chose not to question it. Instead, he joined Erik in organizing the gold.

Even though he'd been mentally prepared, the moment Gordon saw the gleaming pile of gold coins, he couldn't help but hold his breath.

Six thousand gold coins!

At its peak, Eagle's Nest barely brought in a thousand gold coins a year. With this much money, not only could the castle be completely restored, they could also buy more peasants from other lords, clear more land, and grow their income even further.

Yes, slave trading was banned across the continent. But only those with legal rights could renounce them to become slaves. Serfs weren't legally people—so no one protected their rights.

After a century of peace, the population in many regions of the Cains Empire had ballooned. For many lords, serfs weren't wealth—they were a burden.

"I hope we get to keep some of this," Gordon prayed silently. "Even a thousand... no, even five hundred coins would be a godsend."

But Rus wasn't thinking about gold at all.

During last night's conversation, he'd planted three hooks: the Slater family, the Bloodsoaked Heights, and Angel's Tear. Whichever one John latched onto would eventually lead him to connect the bandit attack back to the Slater family.

Now, he just had to wait and see if Viscount John would take the bait.

Do what must be done and leave the rest to fate. No point overthinking it. Rus didn't even bother undressing—he was far too exhausted. He collapsed onto the bed.

But just as he drifted off, a heavy and urgent knocking slammed against the door.

Rus opened his eyes to find the noon sun filtering through the curtains. Irritated, he asked, "What is it?"

"It's Viscount John, Lord Rus!" Erik's voice called from outside. "His carriage just passed through Eagle Town!"

"What!?" Rus sat bolt upright, both shocked and delighted. "He's here already!?"

"I heard his steward had both legs broken in Goldspark Town."

"Well, well... didn't expect the good viscount to crack so quickly." Rus laughed.

He'd told Hyde to reject all approaches from the Luke family—and clearly, Hyde had gone even further than expected.

Then again, it made sense. Hyde was a proud man. First, Rus had him tightly by the throat, and then Viscount John had the nerve to send just a steward to speak to him? It was a miracle the man got away with just broken legs.

Rus threw open the door. "Go to the kitchen. Grab whatever's left from last night's dinner, serve it up on a plate, and bring it to the meeting room. And listen—you and Gordon need to act as indifferent toward me as possible. Got it?"

As he spoke, he pulled off his gloves and started slapping his cheeks hard to redden them.

Fifteen minutes later, when Viscount John walked into the meeting room and saw Rus, he was stunned.

Rus looked even worse than when they last met. His eyes were bloodshot and barely open, his cheeks red and raw. On the table was a piece of hard, dry black bread and a bowl of dark, murky soup, already surrounded by buzzing flies. If misery had a face, it would be this.

Now, John had no more doubts—he believed everything Rus had said.

When he'd entered the castle, he'd noticed a few familiar faces among the guards, but their chainmail and the unmistakable glint of violence in their eyes had told him they weren't ordinary farmers.

"Lord Baron, Viscount John has arrived," Old Gordon said in a low voice.

"Oh! Really?" Rus blinked slowly, then pointed to the seat across from him. "Please, Viscount John—take a seat. Forgive me, I'm not entirely lucid right now."

As he reached for the soup bowl, his hand brushed against it and suddenly he flew into a rage.

"Where's the maid!? The maid! Who let this filth stay on my meeting table!?"

Old Gordon reminded him flatly, "All the maids are dead."

"Oh... right. Dead." Rus nodded nervously, then turned to John. "So, Viscount John, what brings you to my humble ruin?"

Looking at Rus in such a pitiful state, John felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. A sense of impending doom crept into his heart.

If I continue to refuse to return Goldspark Town... will I end up like this too?

He swallowed hard. "Baron Rus, about Goldspark Town..."

"Goldspark is such a nice place," Rus muttered. "So many people, so beautiful... good tax revenue too. Yes, it's a wonderful place."

The more Rus rambled aimlessly, the more flustered John became.

"I've come to return Goldspark Town," John blurted. "If you can give me five thousand gold coins, I'll return the original lease documents to you immediately!"

He motioned to his retainer, Penglei, who handed over a sealed parchment folder and placed it in front of Rus.

But to John's surprise, Rus didn't even reach for it. Instead, he curled his lip slightly and pushed it back.

"Baron Rus... what are you doing?"

"It's too late, Viscount John," Rus said as he scratched his nose and leaned back in the chair, eyes blank as he stared at the ceiling. "Goldspark Town no longer matters to me..."

Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. "Oh, my little Jardi... my pearl... she's gone. Gone forever..."

Now even Gordon and Erik were confused.

Jardi? Who was that? There'd never been a maid by that name in the castle.

But John thought he understood.

Rus had a reputation—people called him "Little Bee." It would only be natural for a man like that to have an illegitimate daughter somewhere. Now it seemed Hyde had used her to threaten him... and when Rus failed, Hyde had simply killed her.

Yes, that must be it.

"Baron Rus," John said gently, "the dead can't return. But you're still young. You'll find a proper companion and have children again someday."

Of course, that was a lie. The Slater family would never allow their puppet to bear heirs.

Rus's eyes flickered with life again. "Yes... you're right. I'm still young. There's still time."

He straightened up and looked at John. "So... why are you here again?"

John nearly choked.

What the hell!? Everything I just said was for nothing!?

But with Snow Maple's safety on the line, he forced himself to stay composed.

"I'm here to return Goldspark Town," he repeated patiently. "If you can give me five thousand gold coins, the lease is yours."

"Oh! Goldspark Town!" Rus smacked his forehead and gave a bitter smile. "Too late. I already told you—Hyde only gave me four thousand gold coins. But since I couldn't persuade you, I wasn't able to keep all of it..."

"Now, I've only got my personal stash—one thousand gold coins."

John frowned. "That's far too little! I paid ten thousand in gold when I signed that lease!"

"Then take the document back," Rus said, sighing. "Hyde's gone. Even if I got the lease back now... what use is it?"

Now it was John's turn to plead.

"It still has value, Baron Rus! Think about it. You lost Jardi because you failed Hyde. That was your punishment. But if you can reclaim Goldspark Town, it'll be like atoning for your mistake. The Slater family will reward you!"

Rus's eyes lit up. "Reward me?"

"Yes! Reward you!" John leaned in. "Wine! Feasts! Women! The Slaters are a Count's family—they won't be stingy!"

"Well..." Rus scratched his head. "Aside from my own thousand, Hyde did leave me another three thousand in funds... meant for buying materials, building facilities, and hiring workers once Goldspark was back under his control."

John felt a wave of cold sweat and relief.

So the Slater family really was planning on seizing the town by force. If I'd come later, I'd have lost everything when the Bloodsoaked bandits swarmed in.

"Then four thousand gold!" John said quickly. "You can reclaim Goldspark Town for just four thousand!"

Rus raked his fingers through his hair, then looked at Gordon. "Go get all the gold from the storeroom."

He gave a subtle wink as he spoke.

Gordon, old and shrewd, still wasn't sure what Rus was plotting—but he'd caught on to most of the scheme from the conversation alone. Instantly, he stepped into his role.

"That's... a lot," he said hesitantly. "You can spend your own gold as you wish, but the Slater family's funds—"

Rus gave John a helpless look. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to refuse..."

"Three thousand gold!" John shouted, gritting his teeth. "Three thousand, and you get Goldspark Town back!"

He turned to Gordon, eyes sharp. "Mr. Gordon, this is a good deal. If bloodshed breaks out, the bandits will cause massive destruction to the territory. The cost to rebuild will far exceed a mere thousand or two in gold!"

"Hmm..." Gordon pushed up his monocle, calm on the outside but giddy on the inside.

John, Viscount of Snow Maple, begging at their door and willing to give up Goldspark for just three thousand gold! It was the kind of deal Gordon hadn't even dared to dream of.

How did the young baron pull this off?

"I think it's worth considering. What do you say, Lord Rus?"

Rus traced slow circles on the table. "But that means I'll be losing all my own gold..."

Gordon's heart skipped a beat. Don't push too far! What if John storms off in anger!?

"Two thousand five hundred!" John barked, desperate now. "At the very least, consider that I stood by your side at Donald's funeral!"

"That means I'd still have five hundred left..." Rus nodded listlessly. "Very well. If you insist, Viscount, Erik—go fetch the gold."

"Ah—right!" Erik jumped to his feet, still completely stunned.

Two thousand five hundred gold... for Goldspark Town!? How did that happen!?

But he didn't overthink it. Donning his full plate armor, he lumbered off toward the vault.

Before long, he returned carrying a heavy chest.

"Would you like to count it?" Gordon gestured to the box.

John waved him off. Penglei took the chest in his arms, bounced it lightly, then nodded at John.

The viscount let out a long breath of relief and shoved the parchment folder toward Rus like it burned his hands. "I've got matters to attend to—won't stay any longer."

He turned and left without another word.

Gordon snatched up the document and, with shaking hands, slit the seal with a letter opener. When he saw the lease document inside—emblazoned with both family seals—his eyes turned red with emotion.

Ten years. Goldspark Town had been leased away for ten whole years.

Gordon had thought he'd never live to see the day it returned to Eagle's Nest. And now, barely two months into Rus's rule, it was back—and at a price that should have been impossible: just 2,500 gold coins!

Thinking about the political repercussions, Gordon asked in a low voice, "My lord... wasn't this a bit too underhanded?"

Rus raised an eyebrow and whispered back, "Underhanded? He ought to be thanking us!"

Almost on cue, Viscount John turned at the door and gave a formal bow.

"Thank you for your generosity and magnanimity!"

As John's figure disappeared down the corridor, a relaxed smile spread across Rus's face.

The performances over the past two days hadn't been in vain.

Goldspark Town—was his again!

And in his hands remained a hefty sum of 3,500 gold coins.

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"Gordon! Erik!" Rus slammed the table with excitement. "Get ready—we're starting the meeting!"

"The agenda—is spending money!"