At the entrance of the new manor, Lakyus felt extremely uncomfortable under the gaze of the two Tiger Knights guarding the gate.
Although the two men's gazes were calm and devoid of any emotion, the thought that they possessed strength even greater than her own still made her feel very uneasy.
Is this what it feels like for a little white rabbit standing in front of a big tiger? Lakyus thought, mocking herself.
However, when she turned her head and saw her teammates waiting beside her, she felt much more at ease.
"I'm really sorry to have you all accompany me here."
The warrior Gaguran immediately showed a hearty smile, with a hint of comfort but more of excitement, saying, "What are you talking about, Lakyus! We only came with you because we wanted to meet the legendary captain of the Crimson Dewdrops; he's a famous Adventurer senior!"
Lakyus could only smile helplessly; she, of course, knew her teammates had come purely out of concern.
If she could, she really didn't want to come to this place, after all, that Baron Lock...
Just as she was recalling an unpleasant past, two light footsteps sounded. Lakyus turned around and saw Lock and the other person gradually approaching. Her heart instinctively tightened, and after taking a deep breath, her expression became a little more composed.
"Long time no see, Lakyus, and everyone from Blue Rose," Lock greeted them warmly.
"Long time no see, Baron Lock... No, I suppose I should address you as Count now!"
"Don't worry too much about it. I'd rather you all call me by my name; it feels more intimate that way."
"Hehe," Lakyus chuckled awkwardly. If she were to call him that, it would be difficult to get used to, so she chose to skip the topic directly. "Count, by the way, why have you moved out of the palace? Is it because the palace's meals didn't suit your taste?"
"How should I put it, staying there for too long gives one an uncomfortable feeling. I prefer to live in places with more people." Lock gave a not-so-clever answer; everyone could tell it was an excuse. The real reason was the inconvenience of movement.
After all, in the past few days, Lock had received visits from a considerable number of nobles. Princess Lana, who was originally isolated and helpless, inexplicably gained many supporters, and some proposals that had once been rejected showed signs of being brought up again.
Anyone who paid a little attention would know this was the result of the person in front of them's active efforts.
But, how to put it? At least Lakyus felt that such a thing was quite good, and she was happy for her good friend.
"Lakyus, today should be the day I'm scheduled to meet your father, so why have you come?"
"It's like this, my father feels deeply honored by your invitation, but since he truly couldn't get away, he asked me to express his apologies to you. Moreover, regarding your request, my uncle has already agreed to meet with you. He has now returned to the royal capital, and I will lead you to the meeting shortly," Lakyus explained.
Her expression clearly showed a hint of something unusual when she mentioned 'uncle,' which Lock caught.
"I see. That's really troubling for you."
Lakyus shook her head and politely said, "Not at all. So, Count, are you convenient for travel now?"
"Of course." Lock nodded and looked at Vier beside him, "Prepare two carriages."
"Yes, Master."
Five minutes later, two magic carriages pulled by hybrid dragons departed from the new manor, heading towards the commercial district where the royal capital's high-end hotel, 'Dragon's Breath,' was located.
The Tiger Knights, leading the way, did not ride eye-catching magical beasts but opted for two ordinary warhorses.
However, many people in the royal capital still recognized this as Lock's carriage. Both ordinary residents of the royal capital and nobles visiting here all looked sideways, speculating about his destination.
"Lakyus, do you have any commissions to attend to recently?" Lock asked softly. At this moment, only he and Lakyus were in the carriage. To prevent the atmosphere from being too quiet, he deliberately started a conversation.
Lakyus held a cup of coffee and replied stiffly, "Not yet."
"I see." Lock took a sip of coffee. Sure enough, he still didn't like bitter things. "Actually, sometimes I'm quite interested in the life of anadventurers, Lakyus. You are the highest-ranked Adventurers in the Kingdom, so your adventures must be exciting, right? Are you interested in telling me about them?"
"Actually, it's nothing much. I initially chose to be an Adventurer purely out of curiosity. Then, during my AAdventurer'sjourney, I encountered many things and met some powerful seniors. It's thanks to their help that I've come this far and formed Blue Rose with my current companions. Thinking back now, those days were quite happy. Taking commissions, subjugating monsters, and sometimes escorting merchant caravans, things like that." Lakyus's face showed a reminiscent expression, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily curved upwards slightly.
"Is that so?" Lock also smiled. He didn't really care about the details; his main goal was to chat. The palm of his hand, hidden under the table, glowed with a faint magical light.
It proved that every adventurer inherently harbored an urge to show off.
When it came to adventure stories, especially discussing one's experiences in front of nnon-adventurers there was always a feeling of not being able to talk enough.
Lock would just interject occasionally, and Lakyus would vividly begin to narrate her story, the tale of a noble young lady running away from home and becoming a successful Adventurers.
Unconsciously, the sense of guard and distance on her part gradually disappeared, and excitement and pride filled her face.
It wasn't until the carriage stopped that Lakyus reluctantly closed her mouth, still wanting to say more.
"It seems we've arrived. Let's go," Lock said with a look of regret.
The carriage door was opened from the outside. Lock stepped down first and then extended his hand to Lakyus.
After a slight hesitation of a second, she placed her fair little hand on Lock's palm and slowly stepped down from the carriage.
Dragon's Breath was considered one of the top hotels in the royal capital. Although it didn't look as luxurious as the houses in the noble district, it was still very popular among Adventurerss.
After Lakyus reported her name at the hotel's front desk, she received the room number she wanted.
Then, she led Lock and the others to the second floor of the hotel. However, just as she was about to reach the room, she suddenly stopped. The unclear sounds of revelry emanating from within the room made her expression extremely awkward.
"Um... let me explain in advance. My uncle... while not exactly a bad person, he's definitely the kind of person who would have a bad influence on children."
Lakyus's words made the other members of Blue Rose feel a bit confused, but Lock, on the other hand, smiled faintly.
Under everyone's varied gazes, Lakyus had no choice but to bite the bullet, knock on the room door, and then open it.
"Yo, Lakyus, long time no see!"
What greeted their eyes was a shirtless middle-aged man. His muscles looked well-defined and very robust. He had a small, braided beard on his chin and a charming smile of a mature man on his face.
Huh?
The members of Blue Rose were momentarily stunned. This was the captain of the Kingdom's other Adamantite-ranked Adventurer, Lakyus's uncle, the legendary hero?
His image had somewhat collapsed!
Azuth Aindra, his real name was actually very long, but he was accustomed to using an abbreviated name.
At this moment, this gentleman had a mature older woman on each side, wrapped entirely in a piece of cloth, nestled in his embrace, occasionally letting out inexplicable giggles.
"Uncle! Don't you have more suitable attire for a meeting?" Lakyus said, annoyed and embarrassed. Azuth's image in her heart used to be very tall and imposing, but after growing up, it had somewhat collapsed.
"Ah? What does it matter?" Azuth paid no attention to the presence of others and continued to flirt with the two older women.
Yes, this highest-ranked Adventurer in the Kingdom was a lecher!
How shameful! Lakyus helplessly covered her face.
The members of Blue Rose exchanged glances. No wonder Lakyus reacted that way when they said they wanted to meet this senior.
"Alright, the farce ends here. You two, step back!" Lock suddenly stepped forward. He waved his hand, and the two high-class courtesans immediately lost their focus and slowly walked out of the room.
Azuth was slightly taken aback, then looked at the young man who appeared before him with interest, scrutinizing him.
"So, you are the Kingdom's noble my brother spoke of, who wanted to meet me, the Golden Princess's fiancé, Lock Kote Albert, I presume. Let me thank you in advance for saving my brother's and niece's lives from the magical beast."
After the courtesans left, although Azuth still had a frivolous smile on his face, his entire demeanor became more composed. His eyes directly met Lock's, seemingly exerting a subtle pressure on him. "So, Lock Kote Albert, what do you want with me?"
"The following conversation is somewhat private, Lakyus, and everyone from Blue Rose, please excuse us." Lock turned to Lakyus and the others, smiling as he spoke.
Lakyus was about to speak when Vier blocked her view. The maid politely extended her hand, gesturing to the group, "Everyone, please step aside!"
The bewildered Lakyus and her teammates exchanged glances, knowing they couldn't resist. Moreover, it was originally a private meeting between Lock and Azuth, and they were only there to lead the way, so they had no choice but to leave the room.
Once they had all left, Lock cast a silencing spell in the room and then sat on a nearby sofa.
"Alright, kid, they've all left. Say what you need to say," Azuth said indifferently, picking up a wine glass from the table and taking a sip of high-quality red wine.
"Then I'll get straight to the point. Azuth Aindra, do you think you're strong?"
"Hmm?" Azuth was confused and just looked at Lock. "For now, my strength is quite good."
"Then let's see if your strength is enough to save your life!!!"
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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