Adrian was surprised by Aldren’s words.
Is this man an idiot or what?
He came here to ask me for something?
Adrian finally spoke aloud.
“You know my bank is a bust, and yet you had the gall to come here and gloat about the success of your bank. Now you demand more people to expand your bank. Who do you think is the idiot here? You or me?”
Aldren remained calm.
He took a deep breath before answering.
“Your Highness, I have something you need, and you have something I need. Together, we can scratch each other’s backs and rule the whole of Valewood.”
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
“What is it that you have that I am in need of?”
“Connections, Your Highness.”
Aldren smiled and continued.
“I have money and connections all across Valewood. And you, Your Highness, have the knowledge and authority. If we combine them, no one can stop us.”
Adrian fell silent.
The offer was tempting.
He wasn’t going to rule Valewood forever anyway.
He wanted to become the King of Asterra.
Eventually, someone else would have to rule Valewood in his place.
So why not use this opportunity while he still could?
Adrian looked at Aldren and asked
“What is your goal?”
Aldren immediately replied, almost happily,
“Your Highness, I want my son to inherit everything I have built and pass it on to his future generations thereafter.”
He paused.
“Since we are not nobles, we cannot maintain a hereditary title. We can only transfer our inheritance. But I want my son to inherit my power and connections as well.”
Adrian began thinking.
Then he made an offer of his own.
“I want to be the King myself. And if you support me, I will grant you a noble title and make the whole of Valewood your hereditary inheritance, along with the noble title.”
Aldren’s expression changed slightly.
He began calculating the offer.
The King was already more than fifty years old.
The Crown Prince was approaching his forties.
And the Prince sitting before him was only six.
There was no doubt that Adrian was capable enough to become King one day.
But that day won’t be coming anytime soon.
It would be a very long bet.
At the very least twenty-five years.
And that was assuming Crown Prince Leon left Adrian alive after his ascension as the king.
Even then, Adrian would still have to overthrow him to become the king.
It wasn’t impossible.
But it was going to be extremely time-consuming.
Aldren finally spoke.
“Your Highness, please try to understand. Soon enough, I will become old enough to drop dead any day and no one would even bat eye. Yet you are asking me to place a long-term bet on your promise.”
He shook his head.
“It’s a very difficult—no, almost impossible—bet for me to analyze in my favour. So I won’t be able to accept it.” Get faster updates on g.com.
He bowed slightly.
“I am sorry, Your Highness.”
Adrian remained silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
“It’s okay. I understand that the bet you place on me will be an uncertain one.”
He looked at Aldren.
“I will think about your offer a little more before making any decision on it.”
Aldren nodded.
He got up from his seat and began walking toward the door.
He was confused.
Was that a rejection?
Or wasn’t it?
He hadn’t received a clear answer from the Prince.
Just as Aldren reached the door, Adrian called out to him.
“Wait.”
Aldren turned around.
Adrian gestured toward the box of gold bars and ordered the guards to give it back to him.
“You’ll be needing this gold yourself.”
Aldren stared at him.
He didn’t understand what the Prince meant once again.
Still, he accepted the box and left.
Once Aldren was gone, the smile disappeared from Adrian’s face.
His expression turned cold.
“That bastard…”
He clenched his fists.
He wants me to share power with him?
Me?
I am Adrian Valcrest.
I am a modern man with superior intellect.
I will never, not even in hell, join hands with someone to share my power.
I was born to rule this world.
I don’t need anyone’s help to gain power.
I will create my own power.
As Aldren left, Ronald returned to the room without Adrian calling him back.
Adrian had completely forgotten that he had ordered Ronald to stay outside until he called for him.
Ronald immediately noticed something was wrong.
Adrian was absolutely furious.
His hands were clenched so tightly that they had turned red.
His teeth were grinding against each other, and his breathing had become heavy.
Ronald couldn’t understand why the Prince was so angry.
“Your Highness—”
Before Ronald could finish, Adrian suddenly slammed his fist against the wall.
Nothing happened.
Adrian’s hand, however, hurt like hell.
Ronald rushed toward him.
“Your Highness!”
He tried to calm Adrian down, but Adrian shook him off and stormed out of the room.
He walked away, shaking his right hand slightly.
That damn wall.
He couldn’t admit that he had hurt himself.
So he swallowed the pain.
Then another thought entered his mind.
If he couldn’t defeat Aldren himself…
He needed someone who hated Aldren enough to do it for him.
Adrian immediately began searching for anyone in Valewood who bore a grudge against Aldren Morcant.
Soon enough, he heard about the man named Tuton.
And the story of what had happened years ago.
Eventually, Adrian found Tuton’s son.
His name was Denk.
Before his father’s fall, Tuton had separated himself from his son in an attempt to save him from Aldren and allow him to survive.
Denk had given up on revenge years ago.
Somehow, he had built a successful business of his own and was living a relatively peaceful life.
Until Adrian came crashing into it.
Adrian reminded him of what had happened to his father.
The same father who had loved him enough to sacrifice himself so that his son could survive.
Yet Denk had forgotten his father’s sacrifice and chosen to live beneath Aldren’s thumb like a rat trying to survive in a jungle—hiding and running whenever he saw the predators.
Adrian tried to awaken the desire for revenge that Denk had buried long ago.
But even after all the provocation, Denk refused.
He had witnessed his father’s execution himself.
He knew exactly what Aldren was capable of.
He knew that he could never oppose Aldren.
Not even with ten lives.
Aldren was simply far too powerful.
Denk had chosen survival.
Adrian stared at him.
Even this was a failure.
How do I even become successful?
I am failing at everything.
He could simply have Evran kill Aldren.
But that would be his loss.
He wouldn’t been able to destroy Aldren.
He would merely have eliminated him.
No.
That wasn’t enough.
Adrian clenched his fists.
“I will destroy him…”
He paused.
“… and then eliminate him.”