An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2455

Austin beamed with excitement as he welcomed Jovian into the meeting room.

Jovian felt a bit confused and unprepared. He had imagined many different scenarios for their meeting. He thought about how Austin might react—whether he would ignore him, show indifference, or come across as arrogant. He was ready for anything, especially since the rumors painted Austin as a troublemaker who did whatever he wanted.

But to Jovian’s surprise, Austin was nothing but warm and welcoming. This unexpected friendliness left Jovian puzzled. He couldn’t understand why Austin was acting this way, and he wondered what his true intentions were.

“Bring the tea!” Austin called out, inviting Jovian to sit down. He then signaled for the attendant to serve the tea.

The tea was a rare specialty from West Lucozia, a high-end elixir not available to the public and reserved for the elite. It had a black market value of nearly a million per ounce, and it was in high demand.

The moment the tea was brewed, a rich aroma filled the room, instantly refreshing anyone who took a breath of it. Even though Jovian wasn’t a big fan of tea, he could tell that this was something special. Austin’s choice to serve such high-quality tea showed how much he valued their meeting.

“Mr. Jovian, even though this is our first meeting, I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve always admired you and tried to follow your example in my own work,” Austin said, quickly showering Jovian with compliments. He knew he needed to make a good impression, especially since Dustin had advised him on how to approach this meeting.

determined to handle this situation properly. He knew it was important to get it right.

Even though the situation was unexpected, Jovian kept a polite smile. “Your Highness, you flatter me. I’m just an ordinary general officer, not someone deserving of your attention.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Austin replied sincerely. “Everyone knows about the three heroes of the Ballard family. The eldest is in politics, the second is in business, and you are the military hero. Each of you excels in your own area.”

“Take three years ago, for example. You led 800 elite troops to defeat 3,000 rebels at Mount Cloudcrest. That was an incredible achievement that made headlines throughout the region. You deserve respect for that,” Austin continued.

Jovian raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? I didn’t expect you to know about that, Your Highness.”

He had thought Austin was just making polite conversation, but it seemed he was genuinely aware of Jovian’s past successes.

The Mount Cloudcrest operation was one of Jovian’s few shining moments, and it had greatly boosted his reputation.

“I’ve always looked up to you as a role model. I may not know every detail of your achievements, but I am familiar with them. Your accomplishments have earned my deep respect,” Austin said with a warm smile.

While Boston went to pick up Jovian, Austin had already used his network to learn more about him.

Jovian felt he hadn’t done much in life. Besides the Mount Cloudcrest operation, there wasn’t much else to highlight. Austin had to embellish a bit to make a good impression.

Jovian laughed heartily. “I never expected you to be such a man of character, Your Highness.” He was genuinely impressed.

Austin was beaming with pride, unable to hide his happiness from the compliments he received. In the past, he often relied on the Ballard family name to get by, but today, it was his charm and charisma that had caught Jovian’s attention. If anyone heard about this, it would definitely be the talk of the town for a whole year.

“Of course! I don’t have many hobbies, but one of my favorites is meeting heroes like you. It’s a real honor to have someone like Mr. Jovian visiting my humble home,” Austin said, continuing to flatter Jovian.

Jovian smiled broadly, feeling truly appreciated. “You flatter me, Your Highness.”

Who said Austin was a troublemaker? He was actually quite impressive.

“Mr. Jovian, since you’re here, why don’t you stay with us for a while? Let’s have a drink tonight,” Austin suggested.

“I’d love to join you for a drink, Your Highness. But first, I have something I’d like to discuss with the Prince. Would you be able to introduce me?” Jovian replied, grateful for the praise but still focused on why he was there.

“If it were any other request, I’d gladly help, but this… I’m afraid I can’t,” Austin said, shaking his head.

“Is His Highness not available to meet with me?” Jovian asked, a bit uncertain.

“It’s not just you, Mr. Jovian. My father is recovering and isn’t seeing anyone right now—not even me,” Austin said, looking a bit helpless.

“I understand,” Jovian nodded thoughtfully.

“But you don’t need to meet my father. Right now, I’m in charge of all of West Lucozia. Whatever you need, just tell me directly,” Austin explained.

Before taking time to recover, Rufus had handed over all his authority to Austin. Now, he could make decisions without anyone opposing him.

“Your Highness, you’re truly a man of both skill and wisdom. You’re more than capable of handling this,” Jovian said, admiring Austin’s confidence.

Jovian nodded respectfully. “You’re in charge now,” he said. Then he asked carefully, “Your Highness, do you know what’s happening in Oakvale?”

Austin replied straightforwardly, “You mean the king is dying and we urgently need a successor, right?”

Jovian and Boston looked at each other in surprise at how direct he was.