Viktor's eyes, as deep as obsidian, fell on Michaela.
He could feel a calm and gentle presence brushing over his entire body.
Sensing this strange aura, Viktor's expression remained indifferent.
His voice, cold as ice, sounded faintly, "Have we met before?"
Michaela responded with a serene smile, "Of course not, Mr. Viktor."
"But your name, I believe very few people wouldn't know it."
She gently turned her head, like a soft breeze brushing away the tense atmosphere.
That faint, almost imperceptible gaze swept across each of the nobles present.
At once, a sense of gentleness passed through everyone's hearts, like spring rain drifting through, rippling across the entire hall.
At the same time, Michaela's voice gradually echoed in everyone's ears.
"In that case, everyone shouldn't have any other objections, right?"
The nobles looked at each other, and almost no one dared to say no.
Objections?
That was Viktor.
How could they dare have any objections?
But objectively speaking, Michaela's proposal actually had many flaws.
And the biggest issue among them was Viktor's origin.
He was not from the kingdom.
No matter what, he could not reasonably obtain the fertile land of Shulben.
Because of this, even when the nobles present saw Viktor come to the palace, when Grand Duke Barlow proposed selecting the next lord of Shulben, they had never considered Viktor at all.
But Michaela's proposal cleverly bypassed this problem.
Although Viktor, as someone from the empire, could not become a lord of the kingdom, he could completely take the place of the deceased Count Laurien to raise Priscilla.
In this way, Viktor could obtain this territory in the kingdom as Priscilla's adoptive father.
The true inheritor of this land would still be Priscilla.
However, to the nobles present, this matter still felt extremely absurd.
Just the day before, Viktor had personally killed Priscilla's father.
And in the blink of an eye, he was about to become Priscilla's adoptive father.
Wasn't this a bit too twisted?
But Michaela simply turned around, carrying a hint of delight, and lightly laughed toward Viktor, "You see, they have no objections."
Viktor only looked at her quietly. That gaze seemed to pass through the thin veil, as if it could directly see the mysterious eyes hidden behind it.
Then, his calm voice slowly echoed, "Since when can a church interfere in matters of territorial transfer?"
Viktor's words made the nobles present suddenly react.
That's right.
No matter how reasonable Michaela sounded, she was ultimately an outsider.
As the bishop of the Church of Abundance, how could she interfere in the kingdom's politics?
Hearing Viktor's words, Michaela smiled rationally and elegantly, "Mr. Viktor, I am only expressing a personal opinion."
"And you should know that the Church of Abundance exists by relying on the residents of Shulben."
"So this is not just my individual opinion, but the shared will of most of the residents within Shulben."
The issue Michaela raised was indeed troublesome.
If the residents of Shulben were determined not to accept another lord replacing Laurien, even if Grand Duke Barlow personally spoke, it would not lead to a good outcome.
The residents could simply collectively slack off.
They wouldn't seek a wealthy life, just ensure they didn't starve.
Shulben was different from other territories in the kingdom. Its year-round abundance allowed this vast land to generate immense value.
And the main force creating that value was naturally the residents of Shulben who believed in the Goddess of Abundance.
So the opinions of the residents had to be considered.
But the problem remained the same.
The nobles absolutely could not accept Priscilla inheriting the lordship.
But the residents of Shulben wanted Laurien's descendant to inherit.
So, if they wanted Priscilla to manage this land, Viktor had to take over raising her.
Looking at it this way, it seemed the position of Shulben's lord was destined to fall into Viktor's hands.
As for Viktor and the Grand Duke's views?
That was an entire territory, and Viktor wouldn't even need to personally manage it.
It was practically a windfall.
And the Grand Duke?
The only close relative he had left was Aurelian, the imperial princess.
To put it bluntly, the Grand Duke not directly handing the entire Cant Kingdom over to Aurelian was already a sign of respect to the previous Samuel royal family.
And if this territory went to Viktor, who would ultimately benefit?
In the end, it would still be Aurelian.
Thinking of this, the nobles' discussions gradually quieted down.
Then, the Grand Duke's words seemed to further confirm their thoughts.
His cloudy eyes swept across the crowd as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Since everyone has no objections to Bishop Michaela's proposal."
"Then I shall grant Viktor the status of an honorary three-star count of the kingdom."
After that, the Grand Duke struck his cane heavily against the ground.
A vast, ethereal aura like a starry nebula rose from the palace floor, slowly spiraling upward toward the dome.
The high ceiling of the palace was suddenly covered by a layer of crystalline starlight, like a translucent night sky veiling the heavens, mysterious, hazy, and beautiful.
Countless stars flickered above everyone's heads, like mischievous sprites winking at them.
Soon, as if summoned, three bright stars descended slowly from above.
Dragging long golden tails, they curved through the air and landed on Viktor.
The three stars gradually shed their shimmering light and transformed into metallic golden stars, settling on Viktor's chest.
[Stellar Blessing]
This represented the identity of the kingdom's nobility.
After obtaining the three-star rank, Viktor's expression remained calm, as if he had already expected this.
The nobles finally understood.
No wonder Viktor had come here, even though this was clearly about territorial transfer.
So this Bishop Michaela from the Church of Abundance had come specifically to find a way to persuade them.
All to allow Viktor to naturally obtain Shulben.
None of the lords seated here were fools.
They suddenly saw through everything.
This was a performance staged by the three of them for everyone present.
Otherwise, why would Grand Duke Barlow remain so calm when an outsider intruded into the palace?
Why hadn't the guards outside stopped her?
Everything now seemed to make sense.
Viktor needed a reason to take over a kingdom's territory as someone from the empire.
And that reason was Priscilla.
As for Priscilla's opinion?
The child of a criminal, and a vampire at that.
Did her opinion matter?
After figuring all this out, the anger in the nobles' hearts faded considerably.
They even began to feel that it was only natural.
Because strictly speaking, this territory of Shulben was something Viktor deserved.
If not for Viktor, many of them might have already died in that hellish night in Shulben.
Thinking about it this way, whether Priscilla should be exiled or whether she would become the lord of Shulben no longer mattered to them.
After Viktor obtained the status of honorary count of the kingdom, the nobles all greeted him with smiles.
Words of congratulations and flattery came one after another, "Congratulations, Councilor Clavenna."
"Congratulations, Lord Viktor."
"I felt a sense of familiarity the first time I saw Mr. Viktor. So this is why."
"Mr. Viktor has another new identity now, a count of the kingdom, hahaha."
The entire palace was filled with cheerful laughter, as if all the previous dissatisfaction had been wiped away.
The heavy atmosphere was swept aside by waves of laughter, and the air was filled with ease and joy.
The laughter drifted out of the palace, carried by the breeze and sunlight into the clear sky.
———
Rumble! Rumble!
The wheels rolled over the stone road, the crisp sounds of impact accompanying the speeding carriage.
The rhythmic shaking of the carriage mixed into the sound as it moved swiftly forward.
Inside the carriage, Viktor looked out at the scenery, somewhat absent-minded.
But in reality, Viktor was organizing his player-exclusive inventory.
Focusing on the neatly arranged illusory panels inside.
Outside the window, a streak of flowing golden light passed before Viktor's eyes, crossed through the window, and entered the carriage.
The intangible golden aura, like flowing water, slowly spread across the seat opposite Viktor, gradually gathering together.
As the faint glow faded, the figure of a black-robed nun appeared before him.
Michaela still had a calm expression, her body surrounded by a gentle, spring-like tranquility.
Viktor came back to his senses and looked at her, "As expected of the bishop of the Church of Abundance. Not bad."
Michaela raised her head. A soft breeze seemed to pass through the carriage as she smiled lightly, "If I didn't do this, how could I make a deal with you, Mr. Viktor?"
Viktor's face remained expressionless.
His deep gaze fell on Michaela's eyes, lightly covered by the thin veil, as he replied calmly, "Then let's be straightforward."
"Divine envoy of the Goddess of Abundance."