Once the elders recognized Eugene as Batla’s duke, he entered the castle’s palace along with Lanslo and Luke. The direct descendants of the previous duke had either died in the war or from various diseases. Laplas, the last remaining heir, had also been killed by the lycanthrope king. The elders were left to handle the internal and external matters of the duchy, and Eugene’s succession was completed in a swift manner.

However, the succession ceremony proved to be a bit of a headache. The succession of a ‘true duke' simply couldn’t be performed behind closed doors.

“Please, call in all the nobles and lords in the duchy’s vicinity.”

“Once upon a time, they were all loyal vassals of the duchy. You must summon them here and show them that you have become the master of the duchy. You must let them know that the great duchy of Batla still stands strong and tall.”

The elders shared their opinions. They had been acting proper and thoroughly treating Eugene as the duke immediately after recognizing him as the duke. They were respectful. However, they appeared a little too determined when it came to matters relating to the succession, and Eugene quickly realized the reason behind their attitudes.

“The nobles near the duchy. They must have been acting ill-mannered recently, hmm?” Eugene asked.

“Ah, yes. Yes, that’s right.” The elders were taken aback by Eugene’s straightforwardness. They responded with awkward expressions. However, some of the nobles gathered in the hall looked cheerful. It was clear that they had...