Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1172

That single word, "Lunvale", sent Rafael and Carissa hurrying back to Hell Monarch Estate as soon as the banquet had ended.

In the council hall, a large map was spread out before them. Lunvale was located in Ebonflow. It was once the fiefdom of Lorenzo, Augustus' brother. Generations later, it had become the domain of the Realm Defender.

The title of Realm Defender was just that—an honorary title with no military power behind it. The current Realm Defender was Tiberius Sanford. A Realm Defender usually received a salary from the court, but by this generation, the benefits had been significantly reduced.

During previous investigations, Tiberius hadn't been overlooked. Though Lunvale was still relatively prosperous, it was far removed from both Valken and Stonebridge County. Moving troops to Lunvale would take significant effort.

On top of that, Tiberius was someone with no great ambitions. He had all sorts of bad habits—drinking, gambling, and other vices. He had already squandered most of the family fortune passed down by his ancestors.

According to previous background checks, he had one wife and 32 concubines, and at least 50 to 60 women in his harem. His ability to gather women was unmatched—if he couldn't purchase them, he would trick them. If that didn't work, he simply took them by force.

Because of this, his relationship with the local authorities was also poor, and the officials often had headaches from his actions. Each year, there were at least a hundred cases involving him causing trouble and forcibly taking women.

However, Lunvale was his fiefdom and they couldn't drive him out. Even though he was causing trouble, he was still the Realm Defender. The officials couldn't be too harsh with him.

There weren't many complaints filed against him. The governor of Lunvale served for three years and was always careful to protect the royal family's image. They didn't dare submit too many reports because they were afraid Salvador might favor a relative, and that it would hurt their career. So, they just put up with it as much as possible.

This allowed Tiberius to keep causing trouble in Lunvale.

"He has one clear characteristic," Jacob said, breaking the silence. "He's reckless because he's desperate."

Rafael thought for a moment.

"When one gets desperate enough, he'll try anything to make money. But after all these years in Lunvale, Tiberius hardly has any friends left and doesn't have any real power. How does he make money? He can't even borrow any. Let's check which of his properties or land he owns privately."