Chapter 107: Entering the City

As the residence of a Viscount, Sanglake Castle is not particularly large; led by the young Knight, Snorri soon arrived at the entrance of the reception hall.

"Longbeard Elder, um, may I ask your honorable name? We've arrived!" The young man pushed open the door, intending to announce Snorri, but suddenly realized the two of them had not yet exchanged names.

"My name is Snorri Thorsson; by the standards of us Sons of the Mountains, I am still considered young!" Snorri said. He spoke with modesty, as in his view, his reputation should not have spread this far yet.

Watching the somewhat dazed look in the young Knight's eyes, Snorri did not wait for him to utter any polite phrases like "I have long admired you!", and pushed the door open to enter directly.

He saw Fatisi Qishi sitting and chatting with a middle-aged man whose shoulder was bandaged. This middle-aged man looked to be about the same age as Fatisi; one had a face full of weathered traces, while the other was already slightly bald on top.

"This is Viscount Akeman, my old friend! This is Master Snorri, my current employer!" Fatisi Qishi introduced the two to each other.

Viscount Akeman stood up to show his gratitude to Snorri, his savior. Seeing him wince slightly as he moved his wound, Snorri quickly gestured for him to forgo such formalities.

"Thank you both for your timely support! Otherwise, I and my subjects would have all suffered!" Viscount Akeman waved his uninjured left hand.

"Do try this, respected Elder; this is the best wine in the Duchy of Pala Weng, and it is by no means inferior to whatever 'Duke's Special Reserve' the people of Kakasong have!" Viscount Akeman picked up a bottle of red wine from the table and poured a glass for everyone into the goblets before them.

Snorri had heard the Changxu Dwarf around him mention the Duke's Special Reserve; this wine was considered the highest quality wine in Bretonnia because only twelve bottles were produced each year.

Two of these bottles would be presented as tribute to the Knight King, while the remaining ten bottles sold for a full one hundred gold coins each. Selling this wine was also a not-insignificant source of income for the Duke of Kakasong.

When Snorri first heard this news, he secretly scoffed. Because famous wines like "82 Lafite" and "Romanée-Conti" appeared quite often in the film and television works of his past life, he had specifically learned a little bit of related knowledge.

From the knowledge he had gathered, even if it were rare, an annual production of twelve bottles was a bit exaggerated; this must be the result of deliberate limitation. In that case, the Duke who set this rule had quite a business mind.

Of course, throughout the Old World, many wine tasters—including Dwarfs and Humans—had doubted whether this wine was worth such hype. Because wine has a low alcohol content and a mild kick, it was not particularly popular in the Mountain Kingdom.

Snorri took a small sip and began to try to savor this beverage he did not often drink in his past life; that sweet taste was very different from the beer he had been drinking since he crossed over.

"What brings the two of you with such a large troop to my mountain city?" After clinking glasses once, Viscount Akeman asked the topic he cared about most.

"It is like this: I am going to rescue my kin living in Karak-Azgalaz, which you call Fearless Fort, and after that, I will head further west to Weifengbao." Snorri said simply.

"Hmm, indeed; these Greenskins, who are like straw and cannot be killed off, pop up in large patches. That place must have suffered incursions too!" Viscount Akeman shouted with fury. Snorri felt that his temper must have been extremely violent when he was young.

"If I hadn't been hit by a Small Waaagh Spell from a Greenskin Shaman while dealing with those disgusting Trolls, and then been unable to dodge and taken a club to the body, I would certainly have gone with you to rescue your kin." Viscount Akeman hammered the table with his left hand.

"Father, perhaps I can go! The Knightly Vow tells me I should be brave and honorable! Repaying the kindness of this Elder's assistance is a duty I cannot shirk!" The young Knight called out from behind Viscount Akeman.

"Good lad!" Fatisi Qishi praised. "I haven't seen Maldini in all these years, and he has grown so big. When we met on the battlefield just now, I didn't dare to recognize him. The way he rode the Pegasus truly had your style from back in the day!"

Only then did Snorri realize that the Pegasus Knight from just now was the Viscount's son. This made him very tempted; all he wanted was an aerial scout riding a Pegasus, and as for whether he was old or young, Snorri did not care.

"Hahaha, I saw the battle was going poorly and had him ride the Pegasus out to seek reinforcements. By my original intent, I hoped the lad would escape if he could, but I didn't expect him to actually bring a group of helpers back!" Viscount Akeman was very satisfied with his son's performance and also very receptive to his old friend's praise.

"How could I abandon you, Father, and the subjects to escape alone?" Maldini shouted, "If I committed such an act that does not conform to the Knightly Vow, how would I have the face to serve the Lady?"

Hearing this, the expressions of Akeman and Fatisi stiffened, and Maldini also realized he had said the wrong thing, "Uncle Fatisi, I did not mean to offend..."

"It's alright; a person should be responsible for the mistakes they have made! If the Lady is willing to forgive me, that is Her mercy; if She is not willing, then I shall just atone with my death!" Fatisi Qishi sighed; years of adventure had made him somewhat resigned.

"Sigh, brother Fatisi, if you ask me, you should also go home and take a look. If your family line really dies out..." Akeman took a sip of wine and offered advice.

"I have laid down my lance, which was once the symbol of my duty; I have abandoned those I love, and also abandoned those who love me; I have given up everything, taking only what I need for my trials; no difficulty can stop me! I will not seek help; I will not stay in the same place for two nights; I will offer my body, mind, and soul to the Lady I seek and am to serve!"

Fatisi Qishi's voice rose slowly. He sat up straight and repeated his Crusade Vow; the flames of faith seemed to burn in his eyes, and seeing this, Viscount Akeman found it hard to persuade him further.

"My eldest son at home has followed His Majesty Chalun east to clear out the Greenskins. When he returns, he will surely have grown into an excellent lord capable of managing the territory well! By then, I can also lay down my lance to pursue the Grail!" Viscount Akeman clinked glasses with Fatisi.

"Don't look at me as if I've been busy managing the territory all these years; my skills have not fallen behind! My flail, combined with the impact force of Yapo descending from the sky—heh, the Trolls didn't even have a chance to regenerate before I cracked their skulls open!"

Viscount Akeman's personality seemed somewhat like a Dwarf's; after drinking some wine, he gestured wildly while speaking. Snorri guessed that this was the very reason he ended up as a lord in such a remote place.

Thanks to French Chasseur Major Yuli, the Black Apostle of Chaos, Titan, barryyu, and Night Monkey Momo for the monthly tickets.