Chapter 192 - Volume 2
Chapter 137 – Gift
Brendel proclaimed himself as ‘Viscount Gunston’, a noble who traveled south from the north. The papers he had on him were given by the cripple Roen, and the craftsmanship on them was as perfect as the papers handed down straight from the capital’s parliament. Even the original Viscount Gunston would wonder if his papers were fake if he ever saw them.
When the riders’ leader received the papers and read them, he bowed politely and said: “My lord, my name is Colton. I will report to my superiors so they can arrange a meeting between you and Lord Trentheim. Would you allow one of my men to accompany you and let him direct you to the best inn in the city?”
Brendel nodded, and Colton quickly gave orders to his men to clean up the street, and got one of the younger riders to escort Brendel.
The capital of Trentheim was called Fohre. Its streets spread out like spiderwebs, narrow and many, and the roofs of the buildings were a spectacular crimson due to the red soil used. Colton’s subordinate lead them to an inn called The Brave Fist, a unique building that was high enough to allow its guests to look at the city’s grey outer walls.
With such close borders to the wilderness that was outside Mother’s Marsha protection, humans had to rely on the city walls to defend against magical creatures, beasts and demi-races.
Brendel and the others only had to wait a few hours after their meals at the inn before Baron Graudin’s invitation arrived. Although it was only a small group of Graudin’s men who escorted them, when they arrived at Graudin’s manor, he found two rows of elite soldiers standing at the gates. They wore heavy armor, equipped with lances, and were neatly lined up and without expressions on their faces.
But Graudin merely smiled at her remark, before he cast his slightly clouded eyeballs at Brendel. The latter also gazed back at him without any fear. He was acting as an arrogant noble who did not care who or what was in front of him, even more so than the typical young nobles in the kingdom.
“Viscount Gunston.” Graudin said after a pause. He had a warm smile.
“Baron Graudin.” Brendel nodded.
“Since Lord Gunston came from the north, does the weather in the south cause any discomfort to you?”
“As a knight of the kingdom, there is no difference whether the weather changes or not. The frail idiots who can’t even withstand such changes are not worth being called as nobles in my eyes.” Brendel’s mouth fired back with conceit, and he wondered for a moment if he was actually a talented noble in the arts of arrogance.
The air in the grand hall continued became even more unbearable. This was another attempt to slap Graudin’s face, and the nobles wondered who exactly the youth was.
“A young man like yourself should not bring us old bones into the discussion. If you find that the food is not to your taste, I have a gift prepared for you as an apology.” Graudin’s smile was ever polite and even appeared sincere.
[Gift? What the fuck is he up to?]
Brendel narrowed his eyes. He was trying to get the idiot to back down and get him to let them leave. It was more important to get his own territory, and coming back to pick a fight with him could come later.