Galahad didn't know if he should laugh or not at those words. He was not the kind of man who would slander a person because he was a straightforward person. His statements were backed with enough evidence and confidence befitting his image.
"Slandering you? Amongst your group and I, who slandered who first, isn't you? You were busy running around and telling the people that I do not care for them and that I do not plan on fulfilling what I have promised them when in reality it was you people who did not approve of the plans I've made." Ulysses gave the man a sharp gaze that shut him up.
"Please be careful of your words, duke," Enrick intervened. He doesn't like the way this conversation was going.
"I am careful Sir Enrick but the way I see it, you are all taking my tolerance as a free reign which you can exploit. My tolerance is a show of respect but I did not expect that you'll use it to try and make me your puppet. Should I remind you all whose territory you are in? Whose name this land was named after?" This statement further added to the discomfort of the council. "I know that all of you bear the name of Blackwell, but none of you are worthy of it."
At those words, the council members erupted into angry shouts. They even pointed their fingers towards the duke but he only watched all of these with a blank face. He couldn't be bothered by their accusations and anger because at that moment he was angrier than them.
"Are you done?" His voice was loud and cut through the noise that filled the room.
The raging council stopped altogether and looked at the man who looked so bored. They were irritated when they saw how nonchalant he was about what had happened. One of the council members couldn't take it anymore and took it upon himself to speak.
"You have crossed the line, duke." He was beyond angry that his hands were shaking and veins on his head were bulging. "Do you really think that because you are the duke, you can speak like that to us? Remember that we are members of the council!"
Galahad laughed and even tapped the table several times before he spoke. "I find it laughable that you really think that you have power within my territory. This land belongs to me and the rest of you are under my rule, even if you are sitting here as a council member."
"Duke Galahad, your words are indeed going too far. We know that our requests seem to be unreasonable but we are only doing all of this because we are thinking about our people. Choosing a suitable heir is something we should be concerned about because the future of Blackwell lies on it. Regarding the plans, we did not approve it because we thought that it wouldn't benefit the people in the long run." Enrick raised his hand to stop the other man from talking any further.
Galahad remained silent after those words. The council then thought that he was reflecting on it but in reality, Galahad was just baffled at how desperately they were trying to save their faces. 'Thinking about the people? They were only thinking about themselves,' he thought to himself.
"I've given you the respect you deserve as members of my council. I valued your opinion and heeded them just to avoid any of these power struggles. I lowered myself and acted timid in front of all of you because I was thinking of avoiding any conflicts and yet here you are all today, making decisions without my permission and trying to control everything. All of you are not thinking about the people, you are only here for yourselves, because instead of coming to me everyday and trying to convince me to give up my position, you should be out there and helping our citizens." Galahad wasn't moved by that seemingly heart warming speech from Enrick. "From now on, no matter what you say nor do the final decision will be coming from me."
"Duke Galahad! You can't do that! Are you willing to bear all of the consequences for every decision you will make without the council?" Enrick became agitated because of the duke's decision.
He couldn't let go of the duke because once their connection with him is broken, they couldn't proceed to the rest of their plans. If he knew that something like this would happen, he would not have called for a meeting. It was clear as day that Galahad wasn't acting his old self right now.
"He's not alone though, I'll help him bear all the consequences since I'll be his one and only trusted advisor. Oh and by the way, I forgot to inform you that I own a part of the Blackwell territory so I have a the rights to join in, in this meeting." Ulysses unexpectedly joined in the conversation. His presence was yet to be felt again.
"Is this true?" Enrick looked at Duke Galahad in bewilderment.
It was an impromptu speech but nonetheless, he would still agree to it. "Yes, that is true. It is also the reason why he is here today."
Silence shrouded the whole room after the duke confirmed Ulysses's claims. All people in that space aside from Ulysses and Galahad were in a state of shock. They were all wide eyed towards the direction of the two dukes.
"Duke Galahad, we cannot accept this decision!" One of them still tried to make his voice be heard but the duke only shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on his chair.
"Oh and by the way, I approve of Isaiah being the heir to Duke Galahad. That kid is sensible, calm and most importantly, he is very good at using magic which your sons or daughters don't have," Ulysses interrupted. After that he then looked apologetic and corrected his statement, "What I mean is, he is better than all of the candidates on your list."
There was another uproar at the unhidden insult left by Duke Ginehart. They were all furious at the meaning of his words that they wanted to confront him. The room became a mess as they all tried to get their hands on the intruder who insulted their family.
If not for the sentinels, they would undoubtedly reach the duke and give him a piece of their mind. Galahad wasn't happy about this because they were just showing how barbaric they were. His gaze shifted to Enrick who was clearly holding himself back which was a good move from him.
"If there's nothing more, we'll be leaving." Duke Galahad couldn't look at them anymore so he decided to leave them be.
More protests ensued but the duke ignored them all. Both mem traced the path to Galahad's study where breakfast was already served. Archmage Sigma and Isaiah were already there and waiting for them.
"That took quite a while," the archmage commented with a small laugh.
"Those council members are really exhausting," Ulysses complained. He slumped on the empty couch beside Isaiah followed by a deep sigh. "And so early in the morning! What a great way to ruin the day, tsk."
Galahad couldn't agree more. He didn't know how he had survived all those other meetings with those people. If not for Ulysses visiting him, his realization would be already too late.
"Do you really own a piece of land in my territory?" Galahad suddenly asked when remembered what his friend said during the meeting.
"What do you think?" Ulysses laughed and pretended to be mysterious.
"If you bought a piece of land, I should have been notified," Galahad mumbled as he tried to recall if he had signed documents with Ulysses's name on it.
"Strictly speaking, it is not my land but my youngest son's. He bought the land after I told him that I will be visiting you." He was not sure if his son knew about the conflict or he did it unintentionally, nevertheless everything worked out. "Clever, isn't he?"
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