Chapter 326: Act 93 – The Return to Firburh
The gate behind the drawbridge creaked open, and a black coach glided into Firburh like a specter. The atmosphere inside the castle suddenly fell silent—mercenaries paused to watch, and almost everyone understood:
The young Lord has returned!
Since Juliette was still at the Schafflund mine, no one had yet brought back the events that transpired underground, but everyone in the castle at least knew that Brendel had quietly seized the mine with just over twenty individuals.
What an impressive maneuver!
Although the capabilities of the young Lord were already well-known, this act undoubtedly reinforced his image as someone who could do the impossible.
When Brendel opened the coach door, he saw the castle, which remained shrouded in tranquility and deep green even in late autumn—thanks to the first owner of the castle, who carefully chose tree species to ensure it retained its verdant charm during this season. However, there was not much change from how it was when he left, except that the distinctive features belonging to Grudin had diminished, and the curtains in the rooms were uniformly replaced with the beige he preferred.
Though the young man did not know how Flour learned of his preferences, the meticulous arrangements made by his sister among the wild elves, who always had a serious expression like a secretary, warmed his heart slightly.
If there was any change in the castle, it was that it felt more like home to him.
The word “home” felt both distant and unfamiliar to Brendel now, as if it had long ceased to be relevant to him. Buche’s old residence was merely a symbol in his mind, representing his origin in this world, unrelated to the concept of home.
Perhaps Brendel had another home in Bruglas, but whenever he thought of it, there was always a barrier in his heart. He knew that as long as he harbored doubts, he could not face everything with calmness.
But today, as he stepped out of the coach and took in every detail of this serene castle, his heart felt a slight sense of stability. Every blade of grass, every windowed room, and everyone standing nearby bore a penetrating essence that brought comfort to his soul.
He felt a sense of ‘coming back.’
Brendel instinctively closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Only at that moment could he truly feel that he was the master of this place—every person within the castle—especially those who looked at him.
What did they truly hope for? Stability, or a better life? Brendel suddenly felt that he was not alone in his struggles; he believed that so many dreams of others had united with his own. No matter their ultimate goals, he was confident he could satisfy everyone.
With a confidence that was foreseeable.
Brendel opened his eyes and saw that the expressionless wild elf sister was standing straight in front of him, holding her notebook in both hands, her expression meticulous, as if she were the most professional etiquette teacher who could not be faulted in any way.
To him, this Miss Elf was currently serving both as a secretary and a personal maid. He knew this was Husher’s command, but this young lady performed her duties diligently.
As someone who used to be a homebody, Brendel rarely harbored a fascination for uniforms, but he indeed felt that Flour’s attentiveness was heartwarming. He glanced at the young lady and softly said:
“Thank you.”
The wild elf sister looked up at him with lifeless eyes, then lowered her head. Her lack of argument was perhaps a sign that she was satisfied with the gratitude.
“How is it?” Brendel asked again.
“Lord Charles is still in the room,” Flour replied. Though she was a maid, she surprisingly possessed the strength of a Silver-level Elementalist. In fact, even many dukes might not have the honor of having such a personal maid—of course, shadow guards were another matter.
However, having a Silver-level Elementalist serve as a maid was astonishing to all who knew. Fortunately, Husher and the others had not yet revealed this level of strength; otherwise, Crenshia and Vurn, the two mercenary leaders who had been with them for a month, would probably be greatly shocked.
The increase in the strength of Lubis’s mercenaries stemmed from Brendel’s earlier integration of the Omnicentric card into their deck, but the effect of Omnicentric was somewhat weaker than expected, merely raising Lubis’s mercenaries to the Silver-level stage.
However, this meant that Brendel had almost instantly formed a team composed of Silver-level forces. Silver-level individuals could hold the rank of a company commander within the kingdom’s secondary military corps. Furthermore, Lubis’s mercenaries were not lacking in military training, and Brendel even contemplated making them the backbone of his officer corps.
However, summoning creatures posed some challenges; Brendel knew that no soldier would willingly charge into battle alongside a commander who would just revive after death.
This matter made him rub his forehead in frustration; the reason was simple: he had too few capable people around him. Aside from the summoned creatures, it was nearly impossible to find someone who could stand alone and handle their own affairs.
Antinna, although possessing calm analytical skills and a relatively broad vision, still lacked practical experience in Brendel’s eyes. This judgment had a hint of nitpicking; after all, he himself had survived through endless bloodshed and intrigue over a century—albeit in a game. Nevertheless, experience never fades, and his standards were perhaps too high.
In fact, many mercenary leaders considered Antinna to be the most excellent strategist, with meticulous and composed insights, her own opinions, far-reaching vision, and the ability to see things others could not.
Let alone her vast knowledge, which seemed all-encompassing; in this respect, only Charles could converse with her, whereas others often felt lost when she called a meeting.
But they had to admit that she made a lot of sense.
They had long speculated about who this lady really was. Those who strategized for the great nobles were likely to be nothing less than this in their view. In this aspect, Vurn had more experience, such that this former cavalry captain regarded Antinna with a strange expression.
In his eyes, this lady was akin to those who were specially cultivated from the historically affluent noble families to serve their offspring—of course, coming from a rough, uncultured lower-class soldier, Vurn could not help but have sordid thoughts—wondering if this young lady would also meet some of her Lord’s less-than-noble needs when necessary.
Such speculations were not solely in Vurn’s mind; the mercenaries harbored similar thoughts to varying degrees. After all, Antinna’s actions sometimes exceeded the range of advisors—Brendel had granted her considerable authority, and this level of trust was hard for them to comprehend, leaving only one conclusion.
That is, Antinna herself was that young Lord’s woman.
Unfortunately, Brendel was oblivious to such subtle matters, and the noble young lady, being aware, seemed to turn a blind eye, leaving this misunderstanding to persist amicably.
Of course, to get back to the topic.
Brendel’s occasional dissatisfaction with Antinna would sometimes surface. Such dissatisfaction, which resembled a form of guidance, did not imply that this noble young lady was out of favor, but rather a display of importance.
However, this also caused others to be astonished at the high expectations of this Lord, yet many of Brendel’s rebukes were not without reason. Consequently, a natural idea formed in everyone’s hearts:
What is high? This is high!
Thus, a halo was rightfully cast around Brendel; almost everyone believed that he was genuinely a noble heir sent out for training from those ancient and illustrious families.
This notion was only doubted by Juliette, the female mercenary leader who dealt most with nobles, while Crenshia and Vurn chose to trust their instincts—unfortunately, men’s instincts are often unreliable—regardless, they believed that Brendel would undoubtedly lead them to a bright future.
On the other hand, aside from Antinna, the only one who caught Brendel’s eye was Vurn, the former Karasu cavalry squad leader, perhaps the only stable and militarily knowledgeable person among the mercenaries. He was even more outstanding than Juliette, who was serious about her work.
Brendel perceived Juliette’s flaw in her overly meticulous nature. While women inherently possess a suspicious nature, sometimes successful individuals do not sweat the small stuff. Those fixated on details cannot see the bigger picture; this is why he felt that Vurn and Crenshia could quickly comprehend the situation and integrate into his group, while this female mercenary leader struggled to fit in.
The recent events surrounding the mine seemed to have truly alleviated her doubts. She had expressed her trust in him to leave Schafflund with peace of mind, leaving her behind to monitor Aokins’ every move. This agreement showed that Juliette was now comfortable entrusting her subordinates in Firburh to him, believing he would not take the opportunity to do something that would cause her regret.
But to be honest, it was already a bit too late. Crenshia and Vurn had found their places, while this female mercenary leader had to start anew, losing half a step right at the starting line.
Thus, for now, Brendel did not have high hopes for this female mercenary leader.
As for Crenshia, though capable, he was too smooth in character. Brendel absolutely would not offer full trust to such a person until he believed in their strength. Having been a former leader, he understood the importance of knowing how to utilize talent.
Only Vurn had the ambition and calmness to see the situation clearly, though his only flaw was a somewhat narrow perspective. Thinking of this, Brendel couldn’t help but smile; how far could he expect a former cavalry leader to see?
After all, they were not former players who could view the world’s problems from a perspective beyond this realm. Therefore, players could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with great nobles, but these people could not.
Though individuals can change, Brendel currently lacked the time. The troubles he faced were different from gradually leveling up as in a game.
His enemies were initially far stronger than him and would not give him time to gradually build his strength. Seeing Vurn and Crenshia standing nearby, he could not help but shake his head.
Where are the talents he desires?
…(To be continued. For the next developments in the story, please log on for more chapters and support the author for legitimate reading!)
