Chapter 43: Rest
Because Yam’s injuries were rather troublesome, he had no choice but to remain at the Marquis’s Estate in Red River City for a few more days to recuperate.
Coincidentally, during this period, Marquis Visen also seemed to have matters to discuss with several of the lords.
As a result, all the lords, including Baron Ster, ended up staying at the Marquis’s Estate. Since all the lords were staying there, the household knights and younger generation they brought with them naturally had to stay as well.
Those who were clever had already realized that this was a deliberate effort by Marquis Visen to form a social circle between his descendants and the other lords of the Marquisate.
Therefore, whether it was Viscount Agley or the other barons, none of them voiced any objections.
The only ones who might have felt somewhat helpless were probably Baron Ster and Baron Hess.
The former hadn’t brought his eldest son, Giggs Bole, simply because Baron Ster hadn’t anticipated things would develop like this.
He had originally thought he would just attend a banquet, express his stance to Marquis Visen, and hand over a token of allegiance, then return to the White Mountain Territory.
But he hadn’t expected that Marquis Visen would insist they remain for deeper discussions and even begin to envision and plan the future development of the Marquisate.
As a result, Giggs had completely missed the opportunity to build connections with the outstanding young talents of the future Red Eagle Territory.
Thinking of this, Baron Ster still felt a pang of regret.
At least he could comfort himself with the fact that his son-in-law, Yam Soderbell, had successfully established social ties with these young elites.
He even took the chance to mock Baron Hess from afar.
Yes, Baron Hess had now become the laughingstock of the entire Red Eagle Territory, though it hadn’t fully spread yet, that was likely just a matter of a month or two.
The only reason it hadn’t spread already was because all the influential and notable figures in the Red Eagle Territory were still gathered at the Marquis’s Estate. Once they returned to their own territories, the so-called “Gem Joke” would surely begin to circulate.
Naturally, the “Gem Joke” referred to Andre Billy.
As for the matter of him coveting his sister, Anna Billy, thanks to Monica’s intervention, no one would bring it up again.
After all, anyone who wasn’t blind could now see clearly that Marquis Visen intended for his fifth grandson, Joshua Kasein, to be engaged to Anna Billy.
So bringing up the past between Andre and Anna at this point would be no different from mocking Joshua.
Mocking Joshua might not matter much, but if it led Marquis Visen to think someone was targeting him, well, that would be troublesome.
So in the end, only one matter remained suitable for ridicule.
In the tale, Andre Billy appeared as the clown.
After a misunderstanding, he was defeated by Yam Soderbell. Still resentful, he then challenged Yam Soderbell to a death duel the very next day.
The result? Not only was he defeated once again by Yam Soderbell’s sword, but he was also spared by Yam Soderbell!
Yam Soderbell, the “Red Eagle Knight,” had already become the most celebrated hero in Red River City.
And along with him, the reputation of Akar’s “Blazing Bow” also soared.
What could Baron Hess do in response?
He could only console himself with the fact that he at least had a daughter, Anna, who could still garner some reputation within the circle of noble ladies.
And mock Baron Ster from afar in return, after all, neither his son nor daughter had come, and he gained nothing from the event.
...
The “adults” had their own social circles.
Naturally, the young had theirs.
Under the pretense of a visit, Monica had already come to see Yam twice in five days. Today marked the third time.
However, unlike the previous two visits when she was accompanied by Atork from Viscount Agley’s family, today Monica came alone.
“Thank you,” Yam said, accepting a thick book that Monica handed him, then returned the one he had finished reading.
Because of his injuries, Yam had been unable to train during this time. His bloodline concentration hadn’t improved for a while.
So when Monica and Atork first came to see him, he had expressed his wish to borrow some books. Monica had agreed, and on her second visit, she had brought him one.
It was a book more akin to a story.
Although it wasn’t the kind of content Yam had hoped to read, since it was the first book Monica had brought, he had been too polite to refuse.
But today, the second book Monica brought did raise his expectations slightly. After all, he had subtly hinted last time that he wanted something rarer than what was commonly available on the market.
“The Knighthood in Service”
Yam blinked, then opened the book and glanced through it.
There wasn’t much text; it was mostly illustrations.
He promptly closed the book.
“You’re still injured. Reading this sort of book too much... isn’t good for you,” Monica said, her cheeks slightly flushed, speaking softly.
Suddenly, Yam understood why Atork hadn’t come along today.
“Ahem.” Yam cleared his throat. After thinking for a moment, he decided perhaps he needed to be more direct.
Otherwise, he feared that next time, instead of a knightess, Monica might bring him a book about a male knight.
“Actually... I wanted to ask, Monica—”
“Could you help me find some books that record knowledge about bloodlines or explain battle arts? After all, I really lack sufficient insight and understanding of these things.”
Yam had not even finished speaking when Monica’s face turned as red as a ripe apple.
...
“Thump—”
“Thump—”
“Thump—”
Akar was not in the room with Yam.
He was not the type to sit still, so when Yam drove him out to train, he was actually quite pleased.
Because of the Red River Canal, the barony of Red River Territory had always been rather affluent.
The baron had once harbored considerable ambition, so he had built many related supporting facilities in the city lord’s manor, including a training ground equipped with targets.
Later, when Marquis Visen took residence and upgraded the manor to fit the standards of a marquis’s estate, many of the training ground’s facilities were also renovated and expanded.
This place had become Akar’s favorite destination during this time.
After all, the White Mountain Territory had no such facilities.
“Why do the arrows you shoot have no arrowheads?”
Anna’s voice suddenly sounded behind Akar.
He had just released the fourth arrow.
Just as Anna had noted, every arrow he shot lacked an arrowhead, having only a small cloth tip dusted with black powder.
When the arrows struck the target, they left black marks to indicate the point of impact.
“These are practice arrows,” Akar replied. He had already sensed someone behind him; he just hadn’t known it was Anna.
Making arrows was not an easy task. Even if Marquis Visen had craftsmen under his command, producing that many arrows for practice was still unlikely.
Most noble lords trained their archers with practice arrows and only used real arrows during combat training. If it weren’t for the need to help archers get used to the weight of real arrows to improve accuracy, these lords wouldn’t even let them waste actual arrows.
But Akar didn’t care about that.
He didn’t need real arrows for his archery; he was only practicing form and technique.
“Alright.” Anna glanced at Akar once more before turning her gaze back to the target. “Your archery seems really impressive. Every shot hits the bullseye.”
“Shooting isn’t actually that hard,” Akar shook his head. “The real challenge is judging distance. At one hundred paces, I can indeed hit the center, but if the distance stretches to two hundred paces, I find it hard to hit the bullseye.”
Here, Akar paused for a moment, then thought for a second before continuing, “Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. I should say, my ability can’t hit the bullseye beyond two hundred paces. At most, I can manage one hundred fifty.”
Akar drew his bow again.
But this time, he did not use a practice arrow. Instead, with a motion of his right hand over his bow-holding left, he conjured an arrow formed entirely of flame.
As he released the bowstring, the flaming arrow shot forth instantly.
Upon striking the target, it ignited it completely.
Watching the target reduced to ash in an instant under the burning blaze, Anna’s eyes lit up brightly. “Amazing! If only I could do that too.”
“It’s not impossible,” Akar replied without thinking. “The bloodline of the Tailfire Bull can also conjure flames. It probably can’t shoot too far, maybe around twenty to thirty paces.”
“Really?” Anna suddenly turned to look at Akar, so excited that she couldn’t help but step closer. “You’re not lying to me?”
Akar was momentarily dazed by her action.
It was then he noticed how smooth and delicate Anna’s skin was. Even from this close, he could not spot any blemishes or pores. Instinctively, he murmured, “So beautiful.”
Anna’s face instantly turned red. Realizing her own impropriety, she quickly stepped back.
Akar also realized how frivolous his words had been and awkwardly said, “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s... it’s fine,” Anna mumbled, not daring to meet Akar’s eyes.
She glanced around and noticed several servants nearby packing up equipment near the training ground.
She had the distinct feeling they were watching her, and the sensation made her skin crawl as if bugs were crawling on her. In a flustered panic, she mumbled an apology and left without waiting for Akar’s response.
Akar watched Anna’s retreating back.
For the first time, he felt a little restless.
But then he remembered what Yam had once told him, someone like Anna was not someone he should be dreaming about.
He took several deep breaths until he finally drove those fleeting thoughts away. However, with his mood disturbed by Anna’s interruption, Akar no longer felt like continuing his practice. He casually packed up and started heading back.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Anna, who had hurried away from the training ground, soon ran into Monica, who had just visited Yam.
Anna glanced at the two books in Monica’s hands and asked curiously, “Monica, weren’t you going to deliver books to Lord Yam?”
“Yes, I was,” Monica suddenly felt a jolt of anxiety and instinctively clutched the two books tighter. “This one... he didn’t quite like it, so I plan to replace it.”
“Oh, I see.” Anna nodded, then asked with some curiosity, “Why is your face so red?”
“Is it? I don’t think so,” Monica quickly touched her face and felt her palm heat up. “Maybe it’s just too hot. But, Anna, your face is a bit red too.”
“Huh?” Anna touched her own face. “Me too... maybe it’s... it’s just too hot.”
The two girls exchanged a glance and immediately fell into a moment of silence and embarrassment, unsure of what to say.
But the awkward atmosphere was quickly interrupted.
A bloodline knight suddenly approached. “Miss Monica, the Marquis is asking for you.”
“Alright.” Monica swiftly regained her usual composure. Then she glanced at Anna and, after a moment’s hesitation, said, “Could you help escort Anna back? Anna, go rest first. I’ll come find you shortly.”
“O-okay.” Anna nodded.