King

"Don't worry, the Life Essence is only on temporary loan, it will be returned in a few years.

Life Essence may be valuable, but it's not unobtainable. After all, not every noble family is as prolific as ours, inevitably there will be excess.

Rest for now, don't think too much about it. Leave the rest to your father to sort out, he'll find a way."

The Lady Baron tried to sound calm.

But the worry between her brows betrayed her inner unease. As long as one was willing to pay the price, obtaining Life Essence was assured, but the timing was uncertain.

Nobility circles were closed, even if there was Life Essence to spare, it mostly circulated within their own circles.

After all, this strategic resource involved more than just economic profits, it also involved favor trading.

The hypersensitive Laisol watched his mother speak, his expression growing gloomier.

"Returning it in a few years", how many "few years" does one have in life?

Taking into account ages, by the time the Life Essence returns, his two younger brothers will also be of age.

As for himself, there was a high probability he was being abandoned.

This line of thought reignited Laisol's hatred for Hudson. In his eyes, all of this was Hudson's fault.

If it weren't for Hudson's previous provocation, he wouldn't have stolen the Life Essence, and he wouldn't be in this disgraceful situation.

"Revenge, I must have revenge!"

Inflamed by hatred, the only thought in Laisol's mind was to kill Hudson.

Unfortunately, as simple as the thought was, the actual execution was far more complicated.

A direct attack was obviously impossible, even a Rookie Knight was still a Knight; no group of men could match him, let alone a small child.

Poisoning, assassination, even these were unrealistic. It was unlikely that anyone would dare carry out such a dangerous plan. Even hinting at such a thought could lead to immediate reporting.

The Lady Baron in front of him would not support such an action either. Once started, the likely fallout was unthinkable.

Even if she held great resentment, the Lady Baron was not willing to take the risk. After all, Hudson, this troublesome lad, was about to leave and fend for himself. He could die out there at any time.

"Wait a moment, Mother!"

"Isn't there another war approaching?"

He stopped the Lady Baron just as she was about to leave and asked with an agitated tone.

The Lady Baron hesitated before nodding. From the moment the mobilization order was given, this was no longer a secret.

Baron Redman had a sleepless night, and as the woman by his side, how could she not share his concerns?

At the moment she was worried both about her son and her husband.

The uncertainty of war was terrifying. If something happened to Baron Redman on the battlefield, their good days as a mother and son would be over.

Although they wouldn't be thrown out into the streets, a great decline in their status would be inevitable. Even if the heir to the estate still showed her respect for the sake of public perception, the future of her sons would be precarious.

Siblings and fatherhood are completely different concepts. Especially when it comes to half-brothers, they typically try to rely on the support of their father.

"Let father take Hudson with him into the war. He is already a Knight, it's time for his battlefield debut.

The battlefield is filled with uncertainties; no one would find it strange if something happened to him. Just bribe a few people to act at the right time and it will be a guaranteed success." Laisol stated.

This is the only feasible plan he could think of to plot against Hudson.

After some consideration, the Lady Baron regretfully shook her head.

"It's impossible!

Not to mention, the soldiers who would go to battle together have sworn loyalty to the Koslow Family for generations and are not easily bribed.

Even if there are some willing to do it, it's impossible to execute without leaving a trace under your father's vigilant watch.

Keep in mind, Hudson is now a Knight. A regular person wouldn't be a match for him, so trying to ambush him would not be easy.

If the plan fails and leaves any trace, we could be in big trouble. Once your father starts to suspect us, the problem will be irreparable."

Another refusal made Laisol's heart bleed. He had painstakingly thought of this and yet his own mother shot it down. This deeply hurt him.

In his eyes, his mother was completely "long on hair, short on wisdom". If she was more decisive, Hudson and the others wouldn't have had a chance to rise.

The epic-level heroes praised in the songs by Wandering Poets only grew stronger after facing harsh suppression. Although he was playing a villain now, the detestable Hudson clearly wasn't destined to be the hero.

This, Laisol was certain of, for there was no protagonist as unremarkable as Hudson. There were no betrothed women pleading to annul their engagement, no childhood memories of eating coarse grain, not even a hint of exceptional Cultivation Talent.

They had all grown up together, and not once did he find anything exceptional about Hudson. If it weren't for his mother's hesitation, this nuisance would have been eliminated long ago.

If he could eliminate the other three nuisances, the Koslow clan would belong to him, Laisol, and his situation wouldn't be as desperate as it was now.

...

As Laisol was daydreaming, the Lady Baron, as if struck by a thought, said, "We may not be able to act directly, but, Hudson, that little rascal, in his eagerness to court favor, volunteered to lead troops alone on the battlefield just last night. However, your father refused."

"He should go!"

"Mother, at any cost, he must go!"

"Everything can change in an instant on the battlefield. Anyone could encounter an accident. If Hudson dies on the battlefield, even if father suspects something, he wouldn't be able to uncover anything."

Laisol said excitedly.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. To start with, plotting against Hudson, then two other brothers, he would then become the heir apparent.

"But Laisol, the battlefield is unpredictable. If our plan fails and Hudson emerges as a war hero, we will lose more than we gain." The Lady Baron said hesitantly.

Apparently, Baron Redman had not shared the details of his conversation with her, and does not know about Hudson's "shirking strategy". Otherwise, she wouldn't be so conflicted.

"Mother, you think too highly of Hudson. Don't listen to the boasts of father. He always encourages each of his sons before they leave, none of it means anything.

You know what Hudson is capable of, don't you?

Even if he is somewhat capable, he has no leadership experience. Just remaining steady on a battlefield would be good enough, let alone actual combat.

Thinking he can gain military merit is completely a pipe dream. The other nobles are not fools, they will scramble for advantages. Without father around, Hudson won't stand a chance. If he can't scoop any benefits, he might even end up as cannon fodder."

Laisol confidently analyzed the situation, as if a mysterious force had made his mind particularly clear.