Chapter 153: 153 Aosen Arrives

After Lulansi told Luoning that Princess Blanche would be coming to Wushan Castle, this matter swept through the entire castle like a gust of wind.

Although Blanche's reputation outside was not pleasant, the blood of the Auduin Royal Family flowed through her veins, and she represented the royal family wherever she went.

Therefore, once the nobles received this information, while they were expectant, they also speculated about the intentions of the royal family and His Majesty Bruno.

"Father, welcome to Wushan Castle."

At the front of a luxurious motorcade, Earl Aosen Haide of Black Python City arrived at Wushan Castle on the evening of the 26th; after receiving the report, Lady Daianni immediately brought Buleidun forward to welcome him.

"Grandfather, welcome to Wushan Castle!" Buleidun also followed over.

"Haha, long time no see, my dear!"

Aosen walked over with long strides and affectionately stroked Buleidun's head.

"Compared to last time, you seem to have grown taller. Your growth is the continuation of the Wushan Family's glory, not bad!"

He was actually seventy years old this year, but unlike Lulansi, his mental state was excellent, and he looked no different from a middle-aged man.

"Daianni, Weijinsi is currently unable to move easily; as his wife, you must do your utmost to host this banquet well. You must not lose face for the Haide Family, and even more so, you must not lose the etiquette of Wushan Castle."

He walked up and gave his daughter a brief hug, patting her on the back: "You've worked hard."

Daianni smiled: "Father, please rest assured, everything here is arranged properly. The sky is growing dark, please enter the castle with me."

With the arrival of such a heavyweight figure as Earl Aosen, basically all the nobles who were supposed to come to Wushan City had already arrived.

"My Lord."

Knight Laolunte, who had been following by Buleidun's side, walked to Aosen's side, "Not long ago, the Marquis revealed that Princess Blanche will arrive at Wushan Castle tomorrow, and Luoning is responsible for receiving her."

"Thank you for the information, Sir Laolunte, I am already aware of this matter."

Aosen's expression did not change, "The Marquis's prestige is far-reaching, and this birthday has received much attention from many sides; it is foreseeable that Wushan Castle will be very grand and lively the day after tomorrow!"

"Like everyone else, I am very much looking forward to it!"

Led by Daianni, Aosen first went to pay his respects to Lulansi; this was the etiquette a vassal should have.

Afterward, he stayed in an independent small courtyard; this was the courtesy Wushan Castle extended to Earl Aosen.

Here, Aosen engaged in friendly greetings and exchanges with many nobles, and it was very lively.

"Luoning, aren't you going to see Earl Aosen? It's very lively over there!"

Maijinni sat on the swing in the courtyard, swaying gently as a maid pushed her slowly.

She found it a bit hard to understand her younger brother now; Wushan Castle was so lively, yet Luoning was actually waving Along sword alone in the courtyard.

Even if he didn't go to see Aosen, he could at least socialize with other nobles.

"Why should I go see him?"

Luoning just swung his sword simply, practicing basic footwork.

If it weren't for Maijinni insisting on chatting with him, he should be studying those Battle Techniques and Magic right now.

"I am his fellow vassal to Grandfather; without the premise of interests or interaction, I don't need to take the initiative to visit him."

Luoning thrust his sword fiercely, the speed of which stirred up the sound of breaking air.

Maijinni was startled by this sword strike, "Your swordsmanship seems quite good, who did you learn it from?"

"From my knights, Maiken and Ruidar."

Maijinni couldn't help but look at the tall knight who had been standing not far away on the opposite side; she heard from Kabier that this Maiken didn't seem simple.

She had been by Kabier's side for many years and rarely heard him give such an evaluation of others.

It was truly rare for her younger brother to suddenly possess two such extraordinary knight retainers.

"You said it well, I also can't stand that old man."

Maijinni tilted her head to educate Luoning, as if worried that her younger brother didn't know about things that happened in the past.

"In his early years, Aosen was not Grandfather's follower; it was only before the Battle of Mist City that he lost to Grandfather at the Knight Tournament. According to the gambling agreement, the loser would pledge loyalty to the winner, and that was how he became Grandfather's follower."

Luoning's movements stopped, "There's such a thing?"

He carefully searched his memory, only to find that the memory regarding this matter was blurry; he didn't know if the predecessor simply hadn't bothered to learn about it, or if the memories of the predecessor in his mind were becoming increasingly faint.

"He still refuses to accept it in his heart!"

Maijinni complained: "He has tried many times to find Grandfather for a rematch, saying he must decide the winner once and for all."

Luoning nodded secretly; that was indeed possible.

If it weren't for considering the issue of reputation, perhaps the other party could have directly become a Kingdom Earl?

And...

Maijinni had already told him many things about Earl Aosen; although she didn't say it explicitly, she was conveying a message to Luoning—

The other party was an enemy, and he must be on guard at all times and be prepared to respond.

The sibling bond between Maijinni and Luoning was real and indeed good, but there was also a purpose in her conversation.

"My Lord, Steward Moste has arrived," Tangmu came in to report.

Maijinni was a bit curious; why did this knight still wear a mask on his face? Could it be that there was a scar underneath that was too hideous and affected his image?

"Please come in."

Moste walked in, followed by a manservant and a maid.

"Young Master Luoning, this is the formal attire the Master prepared for you in advance; you can wear it to receive Princess Blanche tomorrow."

"Wow~"

Maijinni jumped off the swing, ran over in surprise, and looked at the clothes with envious eyes.

"This fabric, these jewels, this pattern... it looks like Grandfather spent a lot of effort on this set of formal attire?"

Moste smiled: "The Master did indeed prepare for quite some time, just like Young Master Luoning prepared the Silk scarf for the Master."

Luoning threw the sword to Maiken and also walked over to take a look.

This should be formal attire made of Magic Beast Leather; it felt full and incredibly delicate to the touch, and it probably didn't lose to a fur coat of a Storm Magic Wolf.

"Thank my grandfather for me," he said.

Moste handed Luoning another piece of parchment, "This is the itinerary the master has planned for you; you can take the Princess around to sightsee for the next few days."

Lulansi really prepared everything in such detail, even arranging the itinerary.

Luoning took it and glanced over it; it mentioned parks, lakes, and other scenic spots, as well as elegant venues like the opera house and concert hall.

What caught his attention most was that there would be a spectacular beast-fighting match in the Wushancheng Doushouchang tomorrow afternoon, and it was said the opponent was a Tier 3 Magic Beast.

"I understand."

Luoning folded the paper and handed it to Maiken.

"You have to give it your all!"

Maijinni encouraged him, "Strive to win over the Princess in one go and capture her heart!"

Luoning said with a smile, "Sister, this is a political marriage; it's not like the free love between you and Kabier."

After calming his initial resistance to the political marriage, Luoning's mindset had leveled out, and he was even faintly looking forward to it now.

It wasn't that he was looking forward to a wonderful romance; he was looking forward to seeing this Princess Blanche sooner to see what she actually looked like.

Time passed quickly, and when the morning sun rose the next day, a black dot appeared on the horizon in the Southwest Territory.

The black dot grew larger and larger, and when it approached Wushan City, a loud, clear cry pierced the high sky, reaching Wushan Castle and drawing everyone's attention.

Luoning walked out quickly and arrived at the plaza in front of Wushan Castle.

By this time, the black dot in the sky had revealed its form; it was a giant flying bird!

It was diving down at an extremely high speed, and when it was only about ten meters above the ground, it suddenly spread its wings.

In an instant, a massive gust of air scattered in all directions; its speed dropped to a minimum, and it landed slowly.

Luoning's gaze had been fixed on this giant beast the entire time.

It had the body of a lion and powerful wings, while also possessing the head of an eagle and sharp claws. The feathers of this creature shimmered with a golden light, exuding an irresistible majesty.

A Griffin.

It is an extremely brave and proud creature.

It possesses immense strength and superior flight capabilities, which once made it the invincible overlord of the sky.

At this moment, Luoning was moved—by this Griffin.

He also wanted to have a flying mount like this.

But it was said that the nobles who possessed Griffins were extremely limited; as far as everyone knew, only the royal family and a few Grand Dukes had them.

Moste reminded him from the side, "Young Master, this is a vanguard Griffin Knight of the Royal Sky Guard; his arrival means the Princess's entourage will arrive soon."

"Have all the nobles prepare to come out and welcome them!" Luoning said.

Luoning looked down at his attire, and Maijinni helped him adjust the position of his collar and bowtie.

He walked forward with long strides.

Every Griffin Knight held an extraordinary status, and Wushan Castle likewise needed to treat them with courtesy.

(End of chapter)