Chapter 51 Border Marquis
The Lord’s Mansion Office in Vist City, Brandenburg Border Marquisate, was not adorned with the same extravagance as that of other kingdom nobles. Even its size was far from befitting the esteemed identity of a marquisate noble. Viewed from afar, the gray and black manor seemed particularly oppressive amidst the bustling city.
The white flag with a red-crowned sword and an eagle, along with the black and white family crest representing the Wisniwyt family, bore witness to the ruling power of this not-so-ancient family on the Peka Border.
In the Marquis’s mansion, the maids cleaning the manor were exceptionally diligent, fearing that any noise they made might disturb the somber atmosphere.
Just as everyone spoke of its master, Marquis Keso de Wisniwyt, described as the King’s sharpest sword, was stern and taciturn. He possessed the strength of a wolf or a leopard yet was as steady as a mountain rock.
—It was precisely for this reason that His Majesty the King entrusted him with the most important gateway to the kingdom’s eastern regions.
The banner of the crowned eagle on a white background flew high. Suddenly, the oppressive silence in the mansion was shattered by hurried footsteps, accompanied by the clash of metal swords and armor.
The maids cleaning the garden were startled and quickly looked up.
Surrounded by a group of White Armored Guardsmen with powerful auras, was a middle-aged man clad in a simple black robe, appearing as placid as a tranquil pool. However, merely from the authoritative aura emanating from his high position, one could easily surmise his identity.
“My Lord Marquis!”
The maids exclaimed and quickly lowered their heads, curtsied, and gathered their skirts to pay their respects.
The Marquis of Brandenburg simply nodded to them before hurrying away with his guards towards the innermost part of the manor.
“Wasn’t the Marquis supposed to be out? Why did he return so quickly, and in such haste?”
The maids wondered curiously in their hearts, but after their thoughts yielded no answers, they bent down to continue clearing the fallen leaves in the garden.
The black-clad Marquis, escorted by knights, walked with hurried steps.
“Blade, is it an envoy from Duke Dawn? Where is he now?”
Upon arriving at the predetermined building, Marquis Keso casually took off the cloak he was wearing and threw it to an attendant, revealing his personal sword. He turned and asked a middle-aged man, dressed as a steward, who stood before him.
“Yes, my Lord Marquis. The attendant of Grand Duke Alaster is waiting for you in the council hall… According to the envoy, the Duke has important matters to convey to you privately.”
“Important matters, as Duke Dawn sees them?”
Marquis Keso frowned. Knowing his colleague, anything the Duke considered important would require serious attention even from His Majesty the King.
Marquis Keso turned to the knights beside him.
“Lorett, you all may leave. I will go meet the Duke’s envoy.”
“Yes.”
The council hall, built with magical materials worth thousands of Kingdom Gold Coins and crafted by Grandmasters of Alchemy, could block the perception of Saint Rank powerhouses. As Marquis Keso pushed the door open, he saw the envoy sitting on a long bench, waiting for him.
The black-robed envoy raised his head first, and a voice emerged from his mouth.
“Keso, you are finally here.”
Upon hearing the other party’s voice, Marquis Keso’s expression changed, “Dawn, why have you come personally? Could it be…”
Marquis Keso recalled the recent correspondence from the other party and the terrifyingly indelible bloody figure from his memory, his expression instantly turning solemn.
“Could it be that person, for you to come find me personally, Duke Dawn? If it really is him, does His Majesty know?”
The person opposite the Marquis nodded, reaching out to remove the cloak that concealed his identity.
Duke Dawn de Edrian, the Kingdom’s Knight Commander and the Golden Lion, was just like his title. His golden hair seemed cast in gold, and even in middle age, his handsome face retained a sense of power, making him resemble a majestic lion.
“Yes, I’ve been observing for months, and it is indeed his aura, and the powers he is involved with are not few. I have already dispatched an envoy urgently to the Royal Capital.”
Duke Dawn placed his sword on the table, gazed intently at Marquis Keso’s face, and then spoke solemnly to his colleague.
“However, His Majesty’s old wounds have not fully healed, Keso… Regardless, as subjects of His Majesty, we ought to share his burdens.”
—
The Setting Sun Forest was not, as most humans imagined, filled with constant battles among magical beasts and struggles for territory. On the contrary, for most of the time, the air here maintained a serene atmosphere.
The gentle breeze, formed by the natural movement of wind elements, rustled the strings of the emerald leaves, accompanying the crisp chirping of kites.
Only those who hid deeply could be the victors surviving in this perilous world… The victors who could last until the end should conceal their battles within the deep night, and even if there were ripples, what should be displayed should be a negligible ripple on the surface of tranquil water.
“Plop!”
A small stone was thrown forcefully into the clear spring water by the girl, creating large splashes on the calm surface.
Verafia, with her slender hands clasped on her small chest and her snow-white cheeks puffed out, looked rather displeased as she shouted loudly at Ig, who was squatting on the ground roasting fish not far away:
“Ig, why are you so slow! This young lady is starving to death!”
“Young Lady, didn’t you say yesterday that noble beings like yourself don’t need to acquire energy by eating like primitive and lowly humans like us?”
Ig raised his head helplessly, but he only dared to keep such a remark to himself.
Ig wiped the sweat from his face and quickly looked up with a forced smile.
“It’ll be ready soon, Young Lady, please wait a moment longer!”
Originally, Ig had been worried for a while about what kind of experiment this beautiful girl was talking about. He hadn’t expected that Verafia would lead him to this spring, chase away the original magical beast owner with a few waves of her hands, and then call out loudly, wanting to eat fish.
What kind of situation was this!
Speaking of which, do Phoenixes also eat fish?
Ig muttered to himself, then looked at the roasted fish, which looked quite unappetizing due to his clumsy efforts and the girl’s Phoenix True Fire, and his expression twitched again.
Ig had to admit that this was not Verafia’s fault. In fact, even though the Young Lady appeared unconcerned, her control over fire was quite exquisite, with not even a hint of excessive power appearing.
But… this was Ig’s first time roasting fish himself. If not for his experience in roasting monster meat, he wouldn’t even be able to do this much.
Ig suspected in his heart if this little phoenix would be poisoned if it ate this roasted fish?
The young man grumbled with malicious intent.
