Chapter 175 - Investigation (1/2)

The rain stopped the next day, but the sky was still gloomy.

The Kant territory was cloaked in permanent dark clouds; the last rain before winter was always reluctant to leave. In the coming few days, this land would probably still receive multiple medium-scale rainfalls, and such plentiful rain was extremely beneficial for the territory’s specialty —— magical medicine.

The majority of magical medicine grew in winter as well. Although the plants and their roots would appear to be withered and dead, all spellcasters knew these ‘spiritual plants’ were still being nourished by the magical environment and would revitalize again during Revival Month the next year. And as for how much they could grow in the winter season, a significant portion depended on the last rain before frost and snow arrived.

Gawain had breakfast with Viscount Victor Kant in the dining room of the castle. As the Viscountess was unable to receive guests due to her poor health and the Viscount’s only son wasn’t at the territory, there were only the two of them dining at the huge table. Even though the tableware was splendid and the sumptuous food was delicious, such an atmosphere at breakfast had Gawain rather uncomfortable.

He preferred the atmosphere with a crowd surrounding the table, bustling with noise and excitement and not like how it was now, facing an old aristocrat with a long table between them, with a manner of wishing for time delay even when conversing with each other.

“I hope you’ve rested well in this old house,” Victor Kant cut the bread before him while saying. “This castle is too old. I intend to renovate it again in my remaining years.”

“It’s very comfortable here, more comfortable than I’d imagined,” Gawain praised slightly insincerely. “The old castle gives one a sense of security.”

Victor smiled and looked to Gawain’s side. “Your two personal attendants seemed to have left early in the morning?”

“They’re not too used to restraints. I had them go get some air in the town. They would instead be more comfortable in a rowdy tavern.”

“Understandable. In fact, I also preferred the taverns over this quiet castle in my younger days.” The old Viscount lifted the wine glass in front of him. “Of course, before you, I’m just a junior.”

Gawain lifted his glass in response and asked casually, “The Viscountess’s health is very worrying. What specifically is she ill with?”

Victor’s movement inconspicuously paused for a moment; a smile promptly hung on his face. “You’ve already met her?”

According to Lilith Kant, it should have been this old Viscount who arranged for her to go greet Gawain, but right now, Victor was acting like it was his first time learning about this!

Gawain concealed his psychological changes and maintained a faint smile. “After dinner yesterday, she came to greet me, but she looked really pale.”

“My pitiful Lilith,” Viscount Victor sighed. “Her health has always been no good. She cannot see sunlight, nor can she endure noise, such that she could only stay in the north tower in the long term and only come out to move about in the night. But she’s a very kind person. My lenient attitude toward my residents is in large part due to her influence —— she always urges me to give more consideration to the feelings of people who cannot afford to live in good houses and eat meat, yet her own health has been worsening.”

Viscount Kant’s benevolence and leniency toward his residents, this was something that Gawain had somewhat found out when he overheard some handymen in the castle chatting yesterday. This was also one aspect which surprised him greatly —— he’d originally, with a preconceived idea, judged that Victor Kant was very possibly a heretic with the Eternal Sleepers, or at least already bewitched and controlled by that heretic cult believer. Only for that reason would he commit something like capturing refugees for evil rituals, but he never would’ve expected that all the talk he’d heard after entering the Kant territory would be praises for this old feudal lord!

He could not determine how much of the chats that he’d heard from the castle’s handymen were truths. At this point, he could only go with the flow and carry on. “Treating the residents well is the responsibility of every feudal lord. Our aim in pioneering this kingdom at the beginning was to protect our people, and not lord over them and act as tyrants.”

“Yes, unfortunately there are few who still remember this.” Victor’s sigh seemed to come from the bottom of his heart. “More and more aristocrats have forgotten what the first time their ancestors raised their swords was for. We were originally a barrier in protecting the civilians, the backing that allowed them to live with peace of mind, the guides that led them to walk towards abundance and warmth, but right now, the majority of aristocrats have grown up in castles and manors. They take the service and worship of others for granted and have completely forgotten that they should still be responsible… Cough, cough…”

Victor seemed to be slightly agitated from his speech and started coughing involuntarily. When it finally subsided, he let out a long exhale. “I have to spend a lot of time every year inspecting every farm and medicine field in the territory so as to get an exact grasp of the harvests that year and avoid letting the pressures of overly high taxes leave my residents hungry. And I have to spend a lot of energy to go deal with merchants, to ensure that buyers are found for the territory’s surplus of herbs and rations. This way, my residents would get enough money to repair their houses and purchase fuel to get through the winter. However, I am therefore absent from many so-called ‘upper-class gatherings’ such that I am treated by those shallow aristocrats of the south as a weird person who dwells in deep seclusion, a mediocre person with bad taste… Sigh.”

Viscount Victor said a lot in one breath. Only when he was done did he belatedly let out an embarrassed smile. “Apologies. I tend to get talkative after getting on in my years, but I think you should be able to understand me ——because I heard that you, too, treat your residents very well.”

“Of course.” Gawain lifted his glass with a smile. “This is the duty of every feudal lord.”

…

At the same time, in the town outside the castle, Amber was holding a cup of ale that was bubbling with foam — listening to those idle farmers and craftsmen boasting about their boring daily lives, pretending to look interested but planning at heart about how many more cups of ale she had to drink before she could manage to exchange for what she wanted to hear.

Farming had already ended; the weather wasn’t suited for any outdoor work; hence, all rich farmers and craftsmen who had some spare money would waste away their idle time in the taverns in town. The Kant territory, like Tanzan Town, was one of the southern borders’ few prosperous territories; civilians living here naturally patronized places like taverns and casinos more frequently. And for these people, it only took a few cups of ale and some flattery for Amber to milk out all their secrets.