Chapter 26 (1/2)

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Gawain did not let the party get there too quickly because he could tell that the reception team had to rush their preparations so that the house at 4 Crown Street would be ready for its owner’s return. He did not want to trouble the workers who were only there following instructions. Though he had led the party for a detour around the streets, when he arrived at 4 Crown Street, there were still some people in attendants’ uniforms with sweat over their foreheads as they ran in and out of the house.

But fortunately, they were almost done with the preparations.

A tall, thin middle-aged man wearing a white wig and a black bow tie, looking like a butler, came out from the mansion to greet him. He stood before Gawain’s horse and bowed, “My Lord, your mansion is ready. I am the one responsible for managing these estates. My name is James Blaine. It is my honor to serve you during your stay in the capital.”

“Blaine… I remember this name,” Gawain thought for a moment (searching the memory), and he chuckled, “Ah, oh yes. Hawley Blaine, Charlie’s chamberlain back in the day. ‘Blaine’ was the name that Charlie gave him.”

James Blaine, the middle-aged man, was a little surprised. Everyone who was fortunate enough to meet this ancient (who even knew his own ancestor) would probably feel the same way. “Yes… Yes, Hawley Blaine is my ancestor. Our family has served as the royal family’s chamberlains for generations. The royal family’s estates in the capital are all managed by the Blaines… ”

Gawain chuckled. “Yeah, my house is also now part of the royal estates.”

James Blaine immediately broke out in a cold sweat. This topic was definitely ranked highest in awkwardness index in the capital today. To illustrate, it was as good as tying you to a chair and reciting your sob stories you wrote in your blog when you were fourteen…

But Gawain was only joking with him, and he quickly changed the subject. “Don’t stress yourselves over this. I won’t be staying long.”

James Blaine stood up straight. “As ordered, I will do my best to serve you. It is my responsibility to prepare the mansion.”

“You mean like clearing out the ticket booth at the entrance and the tour guides inside?”

“… Huh?”

How troublesome it was communicating with people of a different world. The same jokes would not work here.

Interest waning, Gawain waved it off, dismounted from the horse, and handed the reins to the chamberlain, who was already waiting beside him. Then he led his (n+1)th great-granddaughter and a group of people into this 700-year-old ancient mansion.

Indeed, as the previous inner court official mentioned, these historic and significant houses on Crown Street had not only been preserved, but they had also maintained their original look over the years with constant repairs. Even if unscientific things like magic existed, many things should have decayed in the span of 700 years. Thus Gawain was almost certain that at least half of the things here were no longer the original ones but only replicas. But he was not concerned about these things anyways since he was not even the real Gawain Cecil.

After passing through a small garden, vestibule, and a short corridor, it was the main hall. Being the mansion of the founding Grand Duke, 4 Crown Street was indeed a little too shabby. Basically any clan that could afford to buy an estate in the capital would be able to build a house twice the size of this. Thus, Amber muttered as soon as she entered the door, “That’s it? It’s far worse than I thought…”

“This was built seven hundred years ago,” Gawain looked at the half-elf. “At that time, the Silver Castle was only slightly bigger than this.”

“I think it’s pretty good…” Rebecca said softly. “Apart from being spacious, the castle I lived in doesn’t seem to be better than this in every other aspect…”

Amber rolled her eyes at her and said, “That’s because you guys have almost squandered all your inherited properties.”

“No throwing fireballs here.” Gawain held down Rebecca and Amber’s heads. “And you, dial it back a little. Stop asking for trouble. One day when you really meet a shadow master, you might just die on the spot.”

After telling Knight Byron and the soldiers to follow the chamberlain to find somewhere to rest, he told Betty to go to the kitchen to prepare dinner (the young lady’s pan finally came in handy), and then Gawain started walking around the main hall.

“They really preserved these things…”

After walking two rounds, Gawain sighed lightly. The memories in his head kept surging forth and matching with the items in his sight. Though many of the items were no longer the original ones, the familiarity of these things gave him a strong sense of nostalgia.

Following behind Gawain as he walked around, Rebecca looked through the objects in the main hall with curiosity and mixed feelings. Some of the descendants of the early pioneers were living right here in Crown Street, but as the descendant of the greatest of the pioneers, the lord of the Cecil Clan, Rebecca only just learned of how the house in which her Lord Ancestor lived looked like.

There were many things here that she had only read about in the clan’s books, such as the ancient battleaxe that was hanging on the wall of the main hall.