Chapter 2447
An Understated Dominance
After hearing Nathanielâs words, Tristanâs expression darkened. His brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.
It seemed he had underestimated the situation. He had assumed it was just a simple rivalry between brothers; he hadnât anticipated Seamus seizing the chance to further his own agenda.
Seamus already wielded considerable influence. Under the guise of supporting Matthiasâ ascension to the throne, he had been forming alliances and recruiting talents. His influence had grown to rival the royal familyâs.
If Seamus really supported Matthiasâ ascension, heâd overshadow the king, and no one would be able to stop him. The worst-case scenario would be Seamus using Matthias as a puppet to overthrow the House of Linsor.
âNathaniel, is everything you said true?â Tristan frowned.
âAbsolutely. Every word,â Nathaniel replied solemnly. âOf course, if you donât believe me, you can send someone to investigate.â
âI believe you. But⦠taking down Seamus wonât be easy. Do you have a plan?â Tristan asked.
âIâve already sent someone to warn Matthias, but it hasnât done much good. He believes I have an agenda and doesnât trust me. Right now, the only option is for us to join forces and stop him from ascending to the throne. Thatâs the only way we can crush Seamusâs plot,â Nathaniel said.
His words contained a mix of truth and self -interest. While they seemed righteous, they also revealed his hidden agenda. At the moment, he couldnât match Matthiasâ influence.
But with Tristanâs help, their chances of success would be much higher. And once Matthias was out of the way, the throne would be his. He knew Tristan was no match for him this was the real heart of his scheme.
âI guess thatâs our only choice.â Tristan nodded thoughtfully. To protect both the House of Linsor and his own interests, he couldnât let Matthias ascend the throne.
âSo, does this mean you agree?â Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.
âFor both personal and political reasons, I canât let Seamusâ plan succeed. But with just the two of us, weâre not strong enough to take him on. Weâll need to secure a few more powerful allies,â Tristan explained.
âOf the eight great families, four have already sided with the Moseys. We can still try to get the other four, but weâll need your connections for that,â Nathaniel said.
âI know a few friends in the great families.
It shouldnât be too difficult to persuade them,â Tristan said and added, âBut rather than focusing on the great families, our priority should be the four ancient houses. Aside from the Moseys, there are also the Spanners, the Fallons, and the Ballards.
âThe Fallons are closely tied to the Moseys. Theyâre likely already allied with Matthias, so winning them over will be difficult. For the time being, weâll need to focus on the Spanners and Ballards.â
Nathaniel said calmly, âI have good relations with the Spanners, so Iâll talk to them. As for the Ballards, Iâll leave that to you.â
âOkay. Iâll visit the Ballards tomorrow morning and see where the Duke of Lachshire stands on this.â Tristan nodded and didnât reject the idea.
If they could secure the Ballardsâ support, it would be a huge advantage for them.
âI have one more favor to ask,â Nathaniel said after a moment.
âJust tell me. Weâre in this together, and we should help each other out,â Tristan responded confidently.
âTo stay ahead, we need a decisive advantage in intelligence, and that happens to be Graceâs specialty. Her Serenity Hall is one of the top three intelligence networks in Dragonmarsh. If we can get her to help us, everything will go a lot smoother,â Nathaniel explained.
Among the many royal siblings, Grace was undoubtedly the most outstanding. Unlike the rest of them, who focused on military or political matters, she had built an extensive intelligence network that spanned across the entire nation. She was certainly not someone to be underestimated.
âYou want me to recruit her to our cause?â
Tristan asked, narrowing his eyes.
âYouâve always had a good relationship with her. If you ask, I doubt sheâll turn you down,â Nathaniel said with a smile.
âThatâs not necessarily the case.â Tristan shook his head. âI know her well. She never takes sides in royal rivalries. Asking her to side against Matthias isnât something sheâd ever agree to.â
Graceâs intelligence network was unparalleled, but she was a woman of principle. She had always maintained neutrality regarding the rivalry among the royal siblings.
âAll we need is for Grace to provide us with intelligence. Weâre not asking her to take direct action. I donât think that would compromise her principles. If it comes to it, we can offer a higher fee for the information,â Nathaniel reasoned.
âButâ¦â Tristan frowned and hesitated.
âThink about the bigger picture,â
Nathaniel said earnestly.
After a moment, Tristan nodded. âFine. Iâll give it a try, but I canât make any promises.
Though reluctant to drag Grace into this, the current political instability and the growing tensions in the government left him with no other choice. As a royal heir, he couldnât afford to stand idly by. He had no choice but to face some things head-on, even if he didnât want to do them.