Chapter 167: 167 The Grand Event Approaches

Chapter 167: 167. The Feast Approaches

In the midst of their sparring, Ronin discerned the boy’s exceptional raw talent.

Breton was a mere thirteen years old, yet the strength and swordsmanship he displayed were already remarkably sound.

Fortunately, thanks to the recent weeks Ronin had spent studying the blade under McCann and Rydal, he had achieved significant proficiency in both defense and swift counterattacks.

Consequently, throughout the duel, he held Breton in a state of absolute suppression.

He could see that Breton harbored a deep and earnest passion for martial cultivation.

Even when utterly overwhelmed, the boy betrayed not the slightest hint of vexation or wrath; on the contrary, once the match concluded, he specifically isolated his flawed maneuvers to seek guidance.

Ronin held nothing back in his instruction, unconcerned by the prospect of raising a formidable rival against himself in the days to come.

It was precisely this unreserved nature that allowed Breton to feel a genuine sense of mentorship and affection from Ronin, causing his respect, gratitude, and recognition of his brother to surge swiftly during their exchange.

"Hi, Ronin, good morning."

Blanche's figure appeared outside the courtyard gate, happening upon Ronin and Breton as they conversed with swords in hand, "What are you two brothers doing out here?"

"Good morning, Blanche."

"Good morning, Your Highness!"

The two brothers offered their greetings, and Breton hastily replied, "Ronin is guiding me in my swordsmanship, Your Highness. My brother's strength is truly immense, it fills me with utmost admiration!"

Blanche felt a touch of surprise; she had not expected the relationship between the brothers to appear so harmonious. After learning of Ronin's past, she had assumed he would harbor resentment toward Breton.

"Ronin is indeed the strongest knight among the younger generation I have ever seen," she said with absolute sincerity.

Breton perhaps realized he ought not to linger as an awkward third wheel, so he scratched his head, "Your Highness, brother, I shall leave you to converse. I still have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."

With that, he handed his longsword back to Tom and swiftly departed the courtyard, while Tom naturally took up a station just outside the gate.

Knight Mixi quietly scrutinized the masked warrior, speculating on Tom's prowess, sensing that a figure of such guise must be formidable—just as McCann had proven yesterday.

Within the courtyard, Ronin invited Blanche inside, commanding the servants who attended him to present the princess with a cup of morning tea.

"How are you feeling today?" Blanche inquired, her voice laced with concern.

For a princess to personally come and offer her regards so early in the morning spoke volumes of the weight Ronin held in her heart.

"I recovered long ago; I am entirely refreshed now."

Ronin observed her; Blanche had changed into a fresher, more casual gown today, looking somewhat less solemn than yesterday and radiating a greater breath of youthful vitality.

"Blanche, this gown suits you well. You look even more captivating than you did yesterday."

Faced with such direct praise, a faint blush touched Blanche's cheeks. She stood up, taking the hem of her skirt and spinning in a brief circle, "Is that so? You prefer this style?"

Ronin nodded, "I prefer a relaxed, casual style; it makes one appear far more vibrant."

Blanche committed those words to memory, resolving that upon her return to the royal palace, she would need to prepare a greater abundance of attire in this fashion.

The two conversed a while longer. As her host, Ronin was still meant to accompany Blanche on excursions today, but she had no desire for grand tours, wishing only to stroll with him through the castle grounds.

After all, Wushan Castle spanned a vast estate, complete with mountains and waters.

While they spoke, other visitors arrived.

Rogan, Marina, the Malik siblings, his elder sister McKinney, and Jamie, the son of Viscount Dennis of Sharp Peak City, among others.

There were many whom Ronin had never met before, yet they all came under the pretext of "visiting the hero," exchanging a few brief words with him to ensure their faces were remembered.

In truth, now that Ronin's strength had been exposed, many were speculating on the future direction of Wushan Castle. They might not have possessed a grand relationship with Ronin in the past, but that did not hinder them from fostering frequent interactions now.

Even if the inheritance of the Wushan territory remained in Breton's hands in the future, it did not preclude them from becoming friends with Ronin.

This spectacle gave Ronin a distinct taste of the old adage: "Ten years of bitter study unnoticed by any, a single stroke of fame known to all beneath the heavens."

After seeing these guests off, Ronin returned once more to his leisure, leading Blanche on a stroll through the mountains behind the castle, though they did not venture deep due to the presence of the Thunder Chasing Wind Beast.

In the afternoon, McCann returned with the latest results of the investigation.

The previous evening, he had conveyed Ronin's suspicions regarding the green-skinned troll to Toru, directing him to investigate along that line of inquiry.

However, the outcome remained unsatisfactory.

The Wushan City Colosseum caught the public eye every year by procuring rare and exotic magical beasts; though the transport costs were immense, the elevated admission fees were more than enough to compensate.

This green-skinned troll had long been slated as the grand finale for the final beast fight of the year-end—a matter settled far in advance. Toru's investigation unearthed nothing suspicious.

This also meant that the assassination incident had now entered a dead end; unless the escaped gold-level assassin could be apprehended, it was highly unlikely any resolution would be reached.

Though it sounded somewhat incredible, Wushan City lacked rigorous entry and exit control measures, and gold-level knights possessed various methods to depart even without utilizing the city gates.

"You need not distress yourself so deeply over investigating this matter,"

Blanche comforted him from the side, "In truth, history is rife with assassinations targeting the royal family, and more than half of them ultimately never uncover the perpetrator behind the scenes."

Those situated at the center of power were invariably entangled, to greater or lesser degrees, with the interests of various factions.

Take Blanche herself: though she was no prince and rarely meddled in state affairs, that did not stop others from exploiting her identity to achieve certain ends.

"You are remarkably philosophical about it."

Through further conversation, Ronin sensed her inner tranquility.

Yet, even if Blanche chose not to dwell on the matter, it did not mean it would be ignored by everyone.

Jesus and his companions were still watching intently; if Wushan Castle failed to deliver a satisfactory accounting, he would undoubtedly stir up further trouble, at the very least using the incident to disrupt the betrothal between Rulans and Bruno.

Ronin could not help but recall his discussion with Rulans the previous night regarding the disposal of Leisen of the Sienne territory; that particular scapegoat would almost certainly be unable to flee his fate.

Shifting the blame of the assassination onto the Skeleton Society and subsequently implicating Leisen was a reasonably logical sequence of events.

As for how Leisen had established contact with the Skeleton Society, that matter would require the professional agents of Wushan Castle and the Auduin royal family to investigate and interrogate.

Ronin’s thoughts involuntarily drifted to Ash Village and the Black Collar Tribe.

Once Leisen was ruined, Feridun and the others who followed him would inevitably be dragged down as well, and imprisonment was a certainty.

To survive, that group might very well plunge into the woodlands to become a new tribe of savages.

Thus, the battle against the Black Collar Tribe had to continue.

This battle would also serve as Ronin's crucible to test the combat readiness of the Mountain Town soldiers; without bathing in blood and fire, an army that merely rode the coattails of victory could never possess formidable real-combat capabilities.

"It is coming soon; within today or tomorrow, the Sienne territory shall fall."

It was said that the Sienne territory possessed a population of nearly ten thousand; if Ronin were to consume it entirely, he would likely gorge himself into quite a formidable power.

(End of Chapter)