Chapter 128: The Irongold Family

"Trenor, you're late again!"

At the front of the hall, standing upon a raised platform, a formidable middle-aged man frowned as he looked toward Li Ju. As he spoke, a booming voice resonated throughout the entire chamber.

"Fa... Father, I slept a bit late yesterday..."

Mimicking the behavior etched in the original owner's memories, Li Ju shrank his neck and spoke in a cautious, timid tone.

"...Get over here, right now!"

Rex fell silent for a moment before barking the order. Rex Iron-Gold was the current Earl of Iron-Gold and the biological father of the identity Li Ju inhabited in this life.

"O-okay."

Li Ju nodded timidly and, treading carefully, made his way along the wall toward the front row of the hall, where he found his seat and sat down.

"Very well, let us continue with the previous topic."

Seeing that Li Ju had taken his place, Rex withdrew his gaze and turned back to the others in the hall.

"The Viscount of Cold Wolf, who was previously subordinate to our Iron-Gold family, has recently gained control of an Earl-level Whirlwind Eagle nest. Having ascended to become the Earl of Whirlwind Eagle, he has expelled our family’s envoys from his territory, cleared out all of our assets, and is attempting to break free from our control."

"What are your thoughts on this?" Rex asked the assembly in a loud voice.

Although Li Ju sat in his chair appearing drowsy, just as his predecessor had, he was secretly listening intently to the discussions of the family council.

"The Whirlwind Eagle is merely a level 40 creature, having just crossed the threshold into the ranks of Earl-level nobility. For the Earl of Whirlwind Eagle to harbor delusions of opposing our Iron-Gold family simply by relying on one nest is truly an act of overreaching arrogance."

"In my opinion, the Iron-Gold family should send troops to attack the Whirlwind Eagle territory directly, so that he may learn that the authority of our family is not to be trifled with!"

No sooner had Rex finished speaking than a weathered old man in the front row stood up slowly. Li Ju recognized him; according to his memories, this was the Viscount of Poison Vine Snake, an important member of the Iron-Gold family.

As an Earl-level house, the Iron-Gold family was not limited to a single title. Beyond the Earl, the family included the Viscount of Poison Vine Snake, the Viscount of Thunder Tiger, as well as several Barons, seven Lords, and eleven Knights. Aside from the Earl-level nest controlled by Rex himself, all other nests were managed by these various nobles.

These nobles, who controlled nests, all occupied the front row of the council hall. That Li Ju was able to sit in the same row was entirely due to his status as the Earl’s eldest son.

"I second the motion."

Following the Viscount of Poison Vine Snake’s statement, a chorus of agreement filled the hall.

"Very well. Since everyone is in agreement, the Iron-Gold family will officially declare war and mobilize troops against the Earl of Whirlwind Eagle next month. Now, let us move to the next topic..."

The deliberation lasted for three hours. During this time, Li Ju sat in his seat, bored; he did not speak a single word, listening only to the resolutions regarding major family affairs. He had no right to speak on the family's business.

By rights, as the eldest son and primary heir, his voice should have carried weight equal to the other nobles. However, according to his memories, while Trenor Iron-Gold possessed the right to inherit the title and the nest, he had always been a debauched playboy, utterly uninterested in serious matters and a complete disgrace to the family name. Furthermore, in his conduct, he was servile toward his kin but arrogant toward the lower classes, possessing none of the grace expected of an heir.

Because of this constant foolish behavior, the other nobles could no longer tolerate him. They had once jointly proposed changing the heir for the sake of the family's future. Though Rex had blocked the move, he was eventually pressured into stripping Trenor of his speaking rights during council meetings to appease them. The eldest son had thus been reduced to a mere spectator.

"Very well, today's matters have all been discussed. You will be notified of the time for the next meeting. We are dism—"

"Wait!"

Suddenly, someone stood up and interrupted Rex. It was the Viscount of Poison Vine Snake.

"Rex, although I have said it many times, I must once again propose a change to the heir of the Earldom." The Viscount spoke with a solemn expression.

"Since the founding of our family, there has been no precedent for changing the heir, so..." Rex said slowly after a long silence.

"Rex, this is not just my request, but the collective demand of the entire Iron-Gold family. You know better than anyone that Trenor is not a qualified successor. Letting him inherit the title will not only ruin him but will also lead our entire family to disaster."

"We need a wise Earl to lead the Iron-Gold family toward greatness, not a 'useless' Earl who might drive the family into decline." The Viscount cut him off again.

"I agree with the Viscount of Poison Vine Snake." Another Viscount of the house stood up slowly.

"We agree as well." All the nobles in the front row rose to their feet and looked toward Rex.

"Compared to Trenor, Saker would make a fine successor," the Viscount of Poison Vine Snake added.

Saker was Rex’s second son, Trenor’s younger half-brother. Unlike his older brother, Saker had been a famous prodigy since childhood and had grown into an exemplary young noble, garnering the attention and favor of the entire house.

"Respected elders," a young man in the third row stood up. "As a younger brother, etiquette dictates that I should not vie for the inheritance. I ask you to retract these words. Even if my brother has been reckless in the past, I believe he will become a capable successor in the future."

"I will take everyone's suggestions into serious consideration." After a long silence, Rex finally spoke. Even as the Earl, he could not ignore the voice of the entire nobility, especially since he had already suppressed their demands several times.

"Sit down," Rex signaled to Saker.

"Rex, you must make a decision before the next family council. This is the demand of us all. I hope you do not disappoint us." The Viscount of Poison Vine Snake gave Rex a long, deep look before turning and walking out of the hall.

The other nobles followed him, casting smiles at Saker as they departed, while not even sparing a glance at Li Ju, who sat in their own row.

"Sigh." Rex watched them leave, then looked at Li Ju, who remained in his seat, and let out a long, slow sigh.