章 20: Chapter 19 Baron Hovern
In the deep of night, white candles were lit in the basement of the Fischer family mansion, the flickering flames driving away the darkness. Irene, Lucius, and Byrne were all gathered here.
Irene was still in a black dress, sitting on a chair, and said cautiously,
"From now on, our family meetings will be held in the basement. Even in the great hall, we are too conspicuous, and not even the servants within the family can be completely trusted."
Byrne nodded, adjusted his glasses, and said nothing.
Lucius suddenly spoke with gravity, "Remember, Byrne, only those bound by blood can be truly and fully trusted."
Irene nodded clearly in agreement, while Byrne remained noncommittal, voicing no thoughts of refute.
Lucius crossed his arms and looked towards the two younger family members, "Let's review. Why did those jungle natives die so miserably?"
"Remember, whether in success or failure, it's crucial to review our actions, otherwise we too will eventually taste bitter defeat."
Byrne immediately said, "I think the biggest issue is intelligence. If the natives weren't almost entirely ignorant of us, they probably wouldn't have dared to rush in recklessly."
"And the readiness of equipment and other external preparations are also very important, like alchemical explosives are the power of knowledge, while the natives are still using traditional and old weapons."
Irene shook her head and calmly stated what she believed to be the facts.
"They were doomed from the start. The Lord of Bloody Cult is but a weak and mysterious entity, nothing compared to the greatness of the Lord of the Lost — not even remotely noteworthy!"
After she finished, she closed her eyes devoutly.
O great Lord of the Lost, I have seen it!
That bullet could only have changed its trajectory and hit its mark by Your will!
As long as we are under the great Lord of the Lost's protection, the Fischer family is essentially invincible!
"The Lord of the Lost..."
Lucius pondered for a moment and, in a sense, it was indeed so.
If it weren't for the Lord of the Lost's prior warning, and instead, we had waited for the enemy to climb the wall and open the front gate from the courtyard before counterattacking, the outcome of the battle would have been unthinkable.
The presence of the Lord of the Lost ensured that the Fischer family wouldn't succumb to stealth attacks or ambushes; this was indeed a very important point.
It's more like our strength originates from it.
Yes, Him.
Lucius subconsciously looked towards the direction where the transparent bottle was enshrined, his emotions complex. Finally, he added,
"Ultimately, the most important reason is the leader's misjudgment. That so-called brave priest, no matter how much he thought of himself as noble and great, must bear full responsibility for the dozens of people who died."
"The warriors trusted the priest, and yet he rashly led them into battle, utterly unable to distinguish the strengths and weaknesses of friends and foes, a 'brave wreck' indeed."
He paused for a moment, then continued with utter disdain for the middle-aged priest.
"This incident is extremely vile, and such an event has been rare on the East Coast in years; both the governor and the baron will not miss an opportunity for revenge. The jungle natives who will die in retaliation also have that priest to blame."
Lucius took a deep breath, then turned to Irene and Byrne, "Remember, always be a wise coward, not a brave wreck, because your decisions will not just affect one person. Do not incur the wrath of entities that the Fischer family cannot afford to provoke."
Irene summarized calmly, "Caution and secrecy will always be the most important principles of the Fischer family."
Then she couldn't help but show a smile, excitement glinting in her eyes.
"The good news is we've acquired yet another fortune, and we've gained a new power for the great Lord of the Lost."
Byrne couldn't help but complain, "Besides money and the Lord of the Lost, the only thing you care about is the Fischer family. There is nothing else in life that occupies your thoughts."
Irene paused perplexed and asked, "Is there anything else I need to worry about besides these three things?"
Byrne was at a loss for words, as he could never focus on just a few aspects of life like Irene; not all books he read were just for their use.
There were many things Byrne simply wanted to explore and understand; the world had too many things worthy of interest.
After speaking, Irene suddenly looked towards Lucius; she knew the man had completely assimilated the "Gladiator" Magic Potion and was eligible to advance to the next stage.
"After deducting the pension money, we now have forty-five Gold Coins at our disposal. Should we purchase the Class 2 Extraordinary Material?"
Class 2 Extraordinary Material is worth at least thirty gold coins, and its price could possibly float upward by fifty percent, potentially emptying the family's entire savings in an instant.
Every day, each member of the family requires money, and Baron Hovern will soon be collecting a predicted "bandit suppression donation".
Lucius fell into deep thought and shook his head:
"Go to sleep, Irene, you and I have to attend Baron Hovern's banquet early tomorrow morning."
Baron Hovern had already rushed back from Fein City, and after expressing his outrage over the whole affair, he immediately summoned the town's influential people to a banquet.
With experienced eyes half-closed, Lucius said, "The purpose of this banquet called by the Baron is simple, whether it's suppressing bandits or similar affairs, the lord always requires every family to donate money, it's nothing new."
Upon hearing the mention of donating money, Irene's face showed distress, and she couldn't suppress the pain in her voice, "Can we give an IOU?"
"Clearly, that's not possible."
——
Upon Baron Hovern's return to Nasir from Fein City, the first thing he did was to invite the families with status in the town to a banquet.
His mansion in Nasir City, naturally located in the affluent North City, occupied a very large area, and even though Baron Hovern himself rarely returned to Nasir, the exquisite mansion was always staffed with numerous servants on standby.
Lucius and Irene, dressed in the best clothes they could find at home, rode together in a carriage to the doorstep of the Baron's residence, where they were actually meeting the true noble class for the first time.
The Cyart knight class had generally lost their lands, and their status was in a very awkward transitional period, thankfully the existence of extraordinary powers meant that knights would ultimately differ from ordinary people.
The nobility remained the true nobility.
In the center of the banquet hall was a long banquet table, covered with exquisite fabric and carved linen cloth, adorned with gold and silver vessels, porcelain, and fine cutlery, and filled with various delicacies.
The food was cooked to extreme delicacy, however, not a single person present was there simply to eat, everyone carried a social goal.
Irene, poised and calm, observed everyone in the banquet hall, and it could be said that all those with power and status in Nasir Town had arrived.
The leader of the silver descendants clan, including the heads of four knight families like the Taylor family, plus seven well-known rich merchants like sea merchant John, the town chief, the sheriff, a Priest of the Tempest Church...
Irene stared intently at the obese town chief standing in a corner.
No one talked to him, and his expression was very unpleasant, his body trembling.
Shortly after the start of the banquet, the influential people of Nasir Town began to exchange smiles and converse with the Baron, with Irene and Lucius of the Fischer family being the last ones.
Baron Hovern was tall and thin, wearing elaborate blue attire with very complex craftsmanship. Even though it didn't look much different from what others were wearing, each detail of its design was significantly different.
His skin was incredibly smooth and elastic, despite being in his thirties, he had the face of a younger man.
"The hero who killed the jungle native Priest, the great hero of the Fischer family! Hahaha, Mr. Lucius, I finally meet you!"
Baron Hovern greeted them with a nod and a smile, his eyes sparkling with warmth and composure.
"And the elegant and beautiful Madam Irene, your beauty adds luster to the entire East Coast!"
Irene was well aware of this man's identity, suspected to be the illegitimate son of Earl Hovern of the East Coast, officially claimed as the Earl's nephew.
Regardless, his status was far higher than that of an ordinary low-level noble.
"It is my honor to meet you, Baron Hovern."
"And mine as well, Lord Baron."
Irene and Lucius greeted the Baron with their most graceful manners, having gradually integrated into the upper circles over two years, they quickly learned social etiquette.
After a polite conversation, Baron Hovern directly addressed the core topic with a laugh.
"There are two main reasons for my return this time, The first is for post-disaster reconstruction; I cannot let down the people living on my land, and the second is to seek revenge against the shameless jungle natives, By the Tempest Overlord above, the Cyart people can no longer tolerate these barbarians."
He shifted his tone, speaking very calmly:
"However, with just my own resources, funds are terribly tight. Luckily, the various families in Nasir Town have expressed their willingness to contribute money and effort."
Irene and Lucius exchanged glances, deciding to follow the plan they had agreed upon.
She said with utmost calm, "The Fischer family is willing to donate money and effort... However, before this matter, I have someone I need to accuse to you."
"The town chief of Nasir has colluded with the jungle natives and deliberately redirected the patrol squads away. He must be held accountable for the tragedy that occurred several nights ago."
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