Chapter 25: 25 Unexpected Hospitality

Chapter 25: An Unexpected Welcome

Led by Andrea and the others, Romon stepped into Lakeside Keep.

The castles of the nobility in this world were generally divided into three distinct sections: the outer ward, the inner ward, and the keep.

The outer ward focused heavily on defense, encompassing fortified walls, gates, ramparts, and traps, with many servants' quarters built between the outer and inner walls.

Passing through the inner gate led to the inner ward, the true residence of the noble masters, where the surroundings were naturally a class above the outer ward.

Under normal circumstances, the residential houses of the nobles possessed very little defensive capability, and some lords even preferred living in structures built entirely of wood.

Therefore, if an enemy raid or a siege on the castle occurred, the nobility would retreat into the fortress.

Aside from that, some important occasions were also held within the fortress.

When Romon had first transmigrated, the place where the Blackwood family and the Hyde family negotiated their affairs had been the Blackwood Keep.

It was said that not only was Blackwood Keep constructed from the finest stone, but defensive magic circles were also set up within it, which, once activated, would be difficult for even several Gold Knights to breach in a short time.

The scale of Lakeside Keep naturally could not compare to Blackwood Keep, but it certainly ranked well among all the baron castles, as the aquatic trade in Lakeside Town was prosperous, bringing substantial wealth to the Green family.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Romon. Because we were unprepared, Baron Germain may need a little time before he can come over."

After instructing the servants to bring out fruit and juice, Andrea withdrew from the fortress.

Romon sat in the chair, taking in his surroundings.

The furnishings of this great hall were saturated with a heavy noble atmosphere; a towering stone fireplace stood on the left side of the hall, and once winter arrived and the hearth was lit, it would surely bake the entire hall to a comfortable warmth.

Romon glanced at the chair beneath him—though it was made of wood, it was carved with flowers, and the front ends of the armrests were even gilded?

"This probably isn't gold, right?"

He scratched at it a little, but it didn't come off.

He wanted to use a bit more force, but felt too embarrassed to do so.

Romon pulled back his subtle movements and looked toward the high seat in the hall, a chair that seemed to be forged from pure iron, bearing intricate patterns and designs, though he only recognized the fish in the very center of the emblem.

In addition, a complete bear skin was draped over the back of the seat, and judging by that massive and terrifying bear head, it must have been a powerful magical beast during its lifetime.

At that moment, Romon recalled some past events concerning the family of the Baron of Lakeside Town.

It was roughly eighteen winters ago when the previous Baron of Lakeside Town, Luton Green, went out hunting with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter.

This was an amusement many nobles partook in, and some even never tired of it.

Yet no one could have anticipated that on that very day, within a woodland that should not have held too much danger, a massive Tier 5 magical beast suddenly appeared—a Jungle Direbear!

Despite the protection of a squad of knights, and despite Baron Luton himself being an advanced knight, the Jungle Direbear nearly annihilated the entire Lakeside Town baron family during that battle.

In the end, only Germain, who was just a son at the time, survived, and he was the current lord of Lakeside Town.

Although this incident dealt a heavy blow to the Green family, fortunately, Germain possessed considerable prestige within the family and was highly talented in his cultivation, causing the Green family's situation to gradually improve.

However, destiny proved fickle; during a knight's tournament ten years ago, Germain faced Baron Rayson of the Thayne Fief, and in that battle, Baron Rayson severed Germain's left arm.

The relationship between the two families, which had never been particularly good to begin with, deteriorated even further.

The one-armed Germain sank into depression for a period of time, yet unexpectedly broke through to become a Bronze Knight, earning him the title of the "One-Armed Lone Wolf."

"This must be that Tier 5 magical beast, the Jungle Direbear, right?"

Romon stood up and walked forward, intending to inspect it closely.

But just at that moment, a woman's voice carried in from the doorway.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Baron of the Mountain Forest Town!"

Romon turned around to look, only to see a noble lady dressed in formal attire stepping slowly into the hall; she bowed slightly to Romon, "Flavia Raleigh offers you her respects. Thank you for your assistance, which allowed the Green family bloodline to fortunately survive!"

Flavia Raleigh was the second wife of Baron Germain.

Behind her, Malik, who had changed into a formal suit, also offered a salute.

Romon felt a bit strange in his heart; shouldn't the one appearing in the hall be Baron Germain, so why was it this mother and son?

Though he was puzzled, Romon maintained the etiquette he was supposed to have.

"Greetings to you, Lady Flavia."

Flavia signaled for Romon to please be seated, and she and Malik then sat in the chairs opposite him.

"I am very sorry, Lord Romon. My father's chest wound has not yet healed, and he cannot move about freely, so he has no way to come to Lakeside Keep to thank you in person for rescuing me and my elder sister."

Romon feigned a look of sudden realization, then smiled slightly, "The Baron's injury takes precedence!"

Earlier outside the castle, Andrea had told the siblings, Malik and Marina, that Baron Germain's injuries were almost fully recovered; judging by the relaxed manner in which the man had spoken at the time, it was estimated that normal movement would be absolutely no problem.

Yet now Malik claimed Germain's injuries had not healed and that he could not move freely—this was getting interesting.

The first thing Romon ruled out was any drama involving a fight for the title of baron within the Green family; after all, Germain was a Bronze Knight, the pillar of the Green family's military power, and his death would be a loss to the Green family.

Furthermore, Germain had only one son, which was Malik, who was still young and could not possibly carry out a plot to usurp the barony.

That left only one explanation: Baron Germain did not want to come out and see him.

Romon could not help but twitch the corner of his mouth, letting slip an imperceptible bitter smile; the other party acting like this seemed to indicate they didn't want to be associated with him.

Why would it be like this?

Romon thought about it; the other party taking such deliberate care to avoid suspicion was clearly out of fear that the outside world might misunderstand and think the Green family wanted to form ties with him.

Befriending someone whose inheritance rights had been stripped away—could that lead people to mistake it for the Green family's ambition to support a new lord?

After all, once the old Marquis passed away, there was no telling what the landscape of the Blackwood Fief would turn into.

Thus Romon guessed that the reason Germain did not show his face was likely a show put on for the Hyde family to see.

"Your Excellency Romon, thank you so much for this matter!"

Lady Flavia's grateful voice interrupted Romon's train of thought.

"Germain told me that the Mountain Forest Town is remote, the land is barren, and resources are scarce. He specially instructed me to prepare a batch of supplies and gold for you, which can both help you build up the Mountain Forest Town and express a bit of Lakeside Keep's gratitude toward you!"

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Romon could not help but laugh heartily upon hearing these words.

"Express my gratitude to Baron Germain on my behalf. I believe that with his support, the construction of the Mountain Forest Town will be faster than imagined!"

Whether they met or not didn't matter; it was nothing more than losing a bit of face, giving people something to laugh about if word got out.

None of that was the main point; the main point was being able to get the goods.

Had he not escorted the Malik siblings home specifically for this?

Flavia and Malik exchanged a glance, both feeling surprised that Romon did not show any displeasure; after all, it was rumored that Romon, like his father, possessed a violent temper and frequently loved to utter foul language.

But seeing him now, that did not seem to be the case.

Flavia sat up a little straighter, "Considering the poverty of Mountain Forest Town, we will provide you with a total of three thousand pounds of grain."

"In addition, hearing from Malik that your team's horses are somewhat insufficient, we will give you an extra three carriages, plus five ordinary horses, and two ordinary warhorses."

"Furthermore, to express our gratitude and also to ensure you are prepared should you have a need, we have also prepared two hundred gold coins!"

The more Romon listened, the more comfortable he felt in his heart.

Although Germain had not appeared, their gratitude was still exceedingly substantial.

Three thousand pounds of grain is manageable. The ten horses should amount to around two hundred gold coins, plus another two hundred gold coins. The gain from this trip to Lakeside Town exceeds four hundred gold coins—a very profitable venture!

He stood up involuntarily, bowing to Lady Flavia. "Thank you for your generosity, and please convey my most sincere gratitude to Baron Germain!"

He added, "If possible, could some of the gold coins be exchanged for copper coins? As you know, in a poor place like Forest Hill Town, gold and silver coins might not be very practical."

Lady Flavia and Malik also stood up. "You have considered everything thoroughly."

(End of Chapter)