Chapter 43: The Manor

Walking along the central avenue, the sun had completely set. Every ten meters or so on both sides of the road stood an iron pole about five meters tall. The poles were arranged in a crisscross pattern, and each one held a lantern covered with a shade. The central avenue of the Inner City was officially called Bar Avenue, named after the founding leader. This was the only street in all of Karada where streetlights were kept on all night. As for other places, besides the shops in the Commercial District lighting an oil lamp outside their doors, the roads in other areas were mostly pitch black at night.

Therefore, if people in the city needed to go out at night, whether on foot or by carriage, they had to bring their own lanterns. As for why the entire capital was not equipped with streetlights, if the government were to do it, not only would the cost of lighting up all of Karada be huge, but even just arranging the manpower to light and hang the lamps every night would be a massive project. If the residents were forced to take responsibility for lighting the road sections in front of their own homes, the various troubles that could arise would be truly chilling.

The central avenue was not actually that long. Not long after, George and his group could see the Tiarra Square at the end of the road. In the dim light, the outline of the fountain in the center of the square was faintly visible. When they reached the third house from the end of the avenue, George’s carriage stopped.

This was a building located on the central avenue near Tiarra Square. At first glance, it gave a unique feeling of solemnity and antiquity, like a Temple. If it were daytime, one could notice the weathered atmosphere brought by the slightly mottled marble walls. If one had studied the history of the Duchy and observed closely, they would know the building was constructed over a hundred years ago. This was because, in terms of style and specifications, it strictly followed the examples required for noble titles of that era. The only major difference was that all the windows of the house had been fitted with transparent glass panes.

Since it was already night, the place seemed very quiet. Only the family’s gold-inlaid crest embedded above the main gate told of the solemnity that should belong here, playing with the light and shadow under the dim lamps.

Sir Val got off his horse himself and pulled a long sky-blue silk ribbon hanging in front of the gate. Immediately, a crisp bell sound rang out. Following the sound, a small door on the main gate opened, and a young man appeared at the entrance. He was dressed neatly and wore a stern expression.

After looking at the group outside the gate, the young man said, “Wait a moment, my Lords. The Steward Mr. Craig will be here shortly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he pulled his head back and closed the small door.

Taking this opportunity, George also got off the carriage, while the Little Maid Ilena stood with her hands clasped in front of her, following closely one step behind him.

Not long after, the small door opened again. This time, a middle-aged man appeared at the entrance. His face vaguely resembled that of the Old Steward Craig.

“Oh! It’s actually the Young Master and Sir Val. You are truly late. The Master has been waiting in the study for a long time. But I suppose you haven’t had breakfast yet? The Master has already ordered me to prepare some for you. After you finish eating, you can go see the Master. As for the Guards, a large common bed has been prepared in the back of the house, and dinner and hot water will be sent to them immediately.” Saying this, the Steward turned to the side and waved his hand behind him. Accompanied by a relatively loud “creak,” the four-meter-high iron-reinforced wooden door slowly opened.

Walking into the Manor and stepping onto the floor made of snow-white marble, the pillars on both sides of the walls, which were just wide enough to be embraced by two arms, were also carved from marble.

Walking quickly to the hall, each person was guided by different servants to their respective places to eat. Since it was already past dinner time, even George and Sir Val and others did not go to the long dining table for guests. Instead, they were arranged in a smaller side hall nearby.

“I did not know when you would arrive, so I had the cooks prepare the food early. It is currently being kept warm in steamers, so the taste might be slightly inferior to freshly made dishes. However, I think, to avoid making the Master wait too long, this small loss is still worth it.” The Steward who had been following George and the others said.

Seeing this behavior, George knew immediately that this was the result of his father’s instructions, so he replied, “Then let it be, Little Craig. Priority must be given to important matters.”

“Then please wait a moment.” After bowing deeply, Little Craig Steward left first.

Sir Val’s face did not look very good. Touching his chin, he said, “I never thought the situation would be this serious.”

“It probably isn’t that bad. If war preparations were being made, the inspection at the pass earlier today would not have been so relaxed. I think Father probably wants us to have some mental preparation. Compared to the possibility of having nothing to eat for the next while, today’s situation is actually quite good.” George’s answer only slightly eased the gloom of war on everyone’s minds, but the oppressive atmosphere in the side hall was felt by everyone.

A special aroma of food wafted towards them. Combined with everyone’s hungry stomachs, this temporarily shifted everyone’s thoughts away from the heavy topic to some extent.

Under the Steward’s command, the servants opened the silver platters one by one. The first dish served was a golden-baked cod fish sprinkled with onions and bay leaves. The main course was a grilled steak covered in black pepper sauce. Added to this were mushroom-baked quail, one portion for each person, and a Sarah made of ham, eggs, and seasonal vegetables. Finally, there was even a dessert similar to caramel pudding. In addition, there were light side dishes like boiled spider legs. This meal could be called a true welcome banquet to wash away the dust and calm the nerves. At least, the last time George had eaten such a banquet was during the Spring Festival before.

Except for Little Craig, who was still happily enjoying his dinner, most people were distracted by their own worries. Even facing such delicious food that they rarely had the chance to eat in their daily lives, most people still looked a bit absent-minded. However, even so, no one ate as heartily as they did when camping outside. At least they maintained a certain level of table etiquette. This could be considered one of the ridiculous masks of the Nobles, but everyone had to wear them, and George was no exception.

After taking a bite of the dessert, George asked, “Has the Manor hired a new chef?”

“Truly befitting the Young Master. This chef just joined the Manor three months ago. This was personally arranged by the Master, so you had better ask him directly about his background.” The Steward flattered George.

After this little distraction, the shadow that had been suppressing everyone was truly scattered for the time being. Sir Bart even gave his portion of dessert to Little Craig. Speaking of Craig, we must mention the two people present. First, there was the Craig family, a steward family that had served the House Bolerum for generations. Second, there was the current heir of the Bart family, a Squire named Craig who loved to act cute. Because of the overlap in their first and last names, when both were present, people usually called the latter Little Bart.

“Alright! Young Master George, Sir Val, and Sir Bart, please follow me. The rest of you can go back to your rooms to rest, or you can sit around here or in the hall for a while. But remember not to stay up too late; there might be something happening tomorrow.” After finishing dinner, the Steward led George and the two Knights towards the study.

The study was on the second floor of the Manor. The second floor and the first floor were connected by a T-shaped redwood staircase. Hanging at the fork of the staircase were two huge portraits depicting two different Knights.

The painting on the left showed a Knight charging into battle amidst a chaotic army, bravely fighting enemies. The burnt hair, broken armor, and blood-stained body reflected against the background of blood and fire. This was the first generation ancestor of the family and the founder of the family, Cresida Ouster Bolerum. It was precisely because of his courage and struggle that the House Bolerum became a Noble class and a Hearth Noble with a Territory.

The painting on the right depicted a man waving a flag in the snow. His determined eyes and confident smile, combined with the white cape and the faint glow shining around his body, created a unique atmosphere. In the distance, the Northern Barbarians and soldiers surged like a tidal wave, fighting fiercely. This was the third head of the House Bolerum, the strongest in the family’s history, known as the Ice Fox of the Ice Plains, Alexis Ouster Bolerum. It was his achievements that allowed the House Bolerum to rise from a Baron to a Viscount, and his Territory also doubled in size.

On the corridor of the second floor, there were busts of all the members of the House Bolerum throughout history. However, since no one had made achievements comparable to the first two ancestors, they were only given busts.

“Tap! Tap! Tap!” The Steward knocked three times on the study door and asked, “Master, the Young Master and the others have arrived.”

A strong voice came from inside the room: “Let them in. There is nothing left for you to do. You can go down now.”

After opening the door, the Steward left. Before leaving, he said to us, “In a moment, I will arrange for servants to wait at the foot of the stairs. They will lead you to your rooms. If there are no problems, I will leave now.”

The three of them walked into the study. The study was extremely spacious. Tall redwood bookshelves were placed against three walls. A ladder was placed in the corner. Since the bookshelves reached the ceiling, without that ladder, no one could reach the top shelf. The bookshelves were filled with various books. There were bound volumes, but more were various Scrolls.

The only wall without bookshelves was a large floor-to-ceiling window, which had clearly been opened up and fitted with iron bars and large panes of glass.

The Lord Viscount was sitting in a chair in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, with his hands resting on the desk. Before George and the others could even stop walking, he said, “The Kingdom of Coruz and the Kingdom of Lucia have both simultaneously requested a marriage alliance with His Grace the Duke.”