The office fell deathly silent, the only sound Banaby's ragged breathing. The eight guards of the Marquis exchanged glances, the ferocity on their faces long since replaced by terror and bewilderment.
Velin casually placed the document from the Noble Council on the table, where it landed with a soft THWAP.
Fifty thousand mu!
The shock in Caroline's eyes quickly gave way to admiration. 'So that's what he was waiting for!'
He had dared to play games with the Marquis's envoy, dared to put his entire territory at risk, all because his true ace was direct authorization from the apex of power in the Royal Capital.
Kael was inwardly reeling. 'A fifty-thousand-mu fief!'
Even if it was barren, saline marshland, that was still the size of a standard barony.
The way he looked at Velin now held a new, genuine awe.
The color drained from Banaby's face, going from white to ashen, then to a deathly gray.
