Chapter 102: Is Gervas Your Master?

“Father, that woman is a viscountess—and she’s so young!”

Even after leaving the rest area, Ernst could not stop thinking of the viscountess with her exquisite aura and beautiful features.

“Her family must have suffered a disaster, forcing her to inherit the title early!”

Andrew knew what his son was thinking, but merely replied calmly.

Judging by the size of her procession and the luxury of her carriage, she must come from a very wealthy viscount family.

So, not only would our baron family be beneath her notice—even another viscount family might be rejected outright.

The most likely scenario is she’ll take a younger son from a count family as a son-in-law, ensuring her family’s wealth isn’t seized.

And she’ll also secure a powerful noble house as an ally through marriage.

The convoy continued forward for over two hours, when a dirt hill appeared ahead.

“Father, are we there yet? My butt’s about to split open!” Laniel complained.

“The guide says we’re almost there!” Andrew hadn’t expected the Storm Domain to be this remote.

“Father, if Gervas can rise from this, I think I could at least elevate the Gail family to viscount status!” Ernst chimed in with a sarcastic remark.

Just then, they finally crested the hill, and the view ahead opened up.

“Look, we’re finally here!”

In the distance, a castle stood atop the vast plain.

One mile outside the castle stood a small town built of wooden huts.

Clearly, this was their final destination.

But seeing the dilapidated town, Laniel and Ernst grew even more dismissive.

“This is called a town? It’s tiny—could it even have two thousand people? And not a single stone house in sight! If not for the castle, Father, I’d swear we got lost and ended up in the Chaos Wasteland!” Laniel sneered.

Ernst nodded. “Father, I agree with Laniel this time!”

“You two, don’t let Gervas hear any of this. I brought you all the way here to mend your relationship with him.”

“Not to drive an even deeper wedge between you and Gervas!” Andrew snapped, scolding them sharply.

Still, the domain ahead was even worse than he’d imagined.

In the past, Andrew had traveled the borders—north, south, and west.

Since the kingdom’s border wars never ceased, noble lords like him were conscripted every two or three years.

Even in the freezing north, he’d never seen such a destitute, tiny settlement.

“Understood, Father!”

Sensing the sharp change in Andrew’s tone, his two sons fell silent immediately.

The convoy resumed its advance.

As they descended the hill and rode across the plain, Laniel glanced up at the sky—and suddenly widened his eyes.

“Danger, Father! A beast!”

“Where?” Everyone startled, scanning frantically—but saw no beast at all.

“In the sky! Toward the sun!” Laniel pointed urgently.

Everyone looked up toward the blinding sunset—and indeed, two enormous flying birds were swooping toward them.

Though the glare made it hard to identify the species, such massive size left no doubt—they were beasts.

Ernst hurriedly grabbed his longbow from the saddle.

Fortunately, Andrew, a seasoned noble, studied them briefly before calming the group. “Don’t worry—they’re Storm Hawks. Harmless, and won’t attack unless provoked.”

“Storm Hawks? Father, the ones you can train as mounts?” Laniel’s eyes widened.

In the kingdom’s heartland, even ground beasts were rare outside dense forests—let alone flying ones.

To him, flying beasts were extraordinary.

Most importantly, he knew Storm Hawks could be tamed as mounts.

Who among the young didn’t dream of becoming a sky knight?

“Correct. Near the Death Mountains, Storm Hawks are common.”

“Usually they travel in flocks of ten or more. Only two here? That’s unusually few!” Andrew nodded.

“I wish we could catch one!”

Laniel gazed at the Storm Hawks with envy; Ernst’s expression was much the same.

Andrew knew it was pure fantasy. Storm Hawks had no offensive power—but they had wings.

Unless another aerial knight force intervened, capturing one was nearly impossible.

And aerial knights? Only the great nobles could afford them. Lesser nobles had no such means.

“Hey, Father! One just landed! A Storm Hawk landed!”

Just as Andrew was thinking this, his sons’ shouts pierced his ears.

Andrew froze, snapping his gaze upward.

The Storm Hawk had flown directly overhead—and now one was descending.

With a rustle of wings, it landed. Only then did they notice: a soldier armed with a longbow sat atop it.

“A great noble’s aerial cavalry?”

That was Andrew’s first thought.

But this was Gervas’s Storm Domain, wasn’t it?

Had something gone wrong?

He was about to ask—when the aerial rider spoke first.

“Gentlemen, you have entered the Storm Domain.”

“Since you are armed, state your identities and purpose for coming.”

This was the Storm Domain, then?

But Andrew grew even more confused.

“We are the Gail Baron family. We’ve come to the Storm Domain to find Gervas Gail.”

He paused, then asked, “Is Gervas Gail the lord here?”

He held his breath, waiting.

If the answer was no, the situation was dire.

It might mean Gervas was in trouble.

“Yes. Lord Gervas is the master of the Storm Domain—and my master.”

Andrew breathed slightly easier at the reply.

“Gervas is your master? That’s impossible! Only great nobles can field aerial knights!” Laniel blurted out.

The Storm Hawk rider frowned at Laniel.

Andrew realized trouble was coming and quickly interjected: “Aerial knight, please return and tell Lord Gervas his father, Andrew Gail, has come to visit.”

“You are Lord Gervas’s father?” The slave archer’s attention snapped to Andrew.

“Yes.”

With a thud, the slave archer dropped to his knees.

“Forgive me, Lord Andrew! I didn’t know you were my master’s father—I meant no offense!”

Andrew, seeing his sudden reaction, exchanged a glance with his eldest son—both saw shock in the other’s eyes.

“It’s fine. Aerial knight, your vigilance is commendable. Go at once and notify Gervas.”