Wizard Earl

In name, the Ferguson Family Council is merely an institution, like a think tank, providing advice to successive heads of the Ferguson family. However, because Connor's father, the former head of the family, Earl Alfredo Ferguson, indulged in a life of pleasure and debauchery, coupled with poor health and a lack of concern for family affairs, the power of the family head gradually shifted to the Family Council. In the last decade or so, the Family Council has essentially become the highest authority in the Ferguson family, controlling everything within the family!

As a veteran steward of the family for three generations, starting with Sir Alex Ferguson's father, Steward Martinez wields considerable influence at the family council meetings. However, this does not mean that Steward Martinez can have absolute power or control the entire family council.

Bernardo, a short, stout Mediterranean old man who married into the Ferguson family and once managed Ferguson Estate, the largest family property, and Domenech Ferguson, an elderly man from a collateral branch of the family who rose to the rank of Major General in the Imperial Army through his own abilities and retired home, are the two men with the second most influential voices in the family council, second only to the head butler Martinez. One is wealthy, and the other controls military power. They form an alliance within the family, advancing and retreating together. Even the head butler Martinez usually treats them with respect!

Judging from Jack Ferguson's willingness to convene a meeting of the family elders, and Bernardo's standing up for Jack Ferguson at the meeting, Butler Martinez realized that Jack Ferguson might have promised Bernardo and Domenech something, such as not only not infringing on their interests after becoming the new head of the family, but also giving them some lucrative positions, thus gaining their support at the meeting of the family elders!

This was what infuriated Butler Martinez the most. Before this, to appease these two men and get their support for Connor's succession as head of the family, Butler Martinez had taken it upon himself to promise them some benefits on Connor's behalf, without touching the family's fundamental interests. The two men had promised Butler Martinez their full support for Connor's succession. Now, their sudden defection and choice to support Jack Ferguson at the family elders' meeting spoke volumes!

That is, the value of the promises Jack Ferguson made to them far exceeded the benefits promised to them by Butler Martinez, so much so that they dared to ignore the existence of Butler Martinez and support Jack Ferguson to ascend to the position of head of the family and become the new Earl of Ferguson!

Although it is still unknown what specific benefits Jack Ferguson promised Bernardo and Domenech, Butler Martinez is well aware that the benefits he offered to the two were the maximum compromise without touching the core interests of the family.

The fact that Jack Ferguson could get them to betray him shows that he had completely sold out the family's core interests. If Jack Ferguson becomes the new Earl of Ferguson, then without a doubt, the Ferguson family, this already declining earldom, will fall even faster into the abyss. This is something that Martinez, the old butler who has served the Ferguson family for decades and devoted his life to the family, cannot accept.

This is why, even knowing that Connor's fate was unknown, Butler Martinez still fought desperately to stop Jack Ferguson.

If Jack Ferguson were a reliable and qualified family heir, given the current situation where the Ferguson family is leaderless and the fate of the first in line to the throne, Connor Ferguson, is unknown, even though Butler Martinez wouldn't choose to support him as the new Earl of Ferguson, he wouldn't go to such lengths to obstruct him!

Thinking of this, Butler Martinez's eyes became somewhat complicated. Although he had temporarily stabilized the family by virtue of his decades of prestige and skill within the Ferguson family, he was well aware of the issue of succession. As long as Connor Ferguson did not return to the Ferguson family, it was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. The best course of action now was to find Connor Ferguson as soon as possible in order to resolve the current crisis of the Ferguson family and allow the already precarious and dilapidated Ferguson family to return to normalcy and achieve revival.

However, as for when Connor, the first heir of the family, will return, or whether he is still alive, although when facing his right-hand man Dzeko just now, Butler Martinez was very certain and resolute, firmly believing that Connor was not still alive!

But that was just a performance by Martinez's butler for Dzeko's benefit, to boost his morale. After all, Dzeko was his top lieutenant and the chief executor in the search for Connor. If even he was pessimistic about Connor's survival, it would be devastating for the search, essentially rendering it hopeless...

In reality, Butler Martinez wasn't as certain in his heart about whether Connor was still alive as he appeared. However, there was no other way. As long as he hadn't seen Connor's body and confirmed Connor Ferguson's death, out of loyalty to the Ferguson family, Martinez, as the family's butler, had to defend Connor Ferguson's legitimate rights every single day!

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A day later, in a cabin in the outskirts of Frosinone, after listening to Arbeloa recount the events of the family elders' meeting, Connor fell into deep thought. After a long while, he finally looked up and asked Arbeloa, "How is Jack Ferguson doing now?"

"We don't know yet. It's said that after leaving the family elders' meeting yesterday, he locked himself, his wife, and children in the courtyard of their Ferguson mansion, refusing to see anyone, including his subordinates. Now, many in the family are eyeing the lucrative positions he previously held, which will be vacated after he becomes the principal of Ferguson High School!" Arbeloa shook his head and said in a low voice.

After listening to Arbeloa's explanation, Connor nodded and continued to think. Seeing Connor's expression, Arbeloa hesitated for a moment before asking, "Young Master Connor, when do you plan to return to the family?"