Chapter 253: The Arrival of the Minor Nobles!

"Mier, are we there yet?"

"Almost! Don't rush, you lot—my steward has been to Stormhold before; with him guiding us, we won't get lost!"

"Fine! But it's getting increasingly remote—I almost thought you'd led us into the Chaos Wastes!"

"Yes! Is this really Gervas's territory? It's so desolate!"

"You lot, don't you remember what Stormhold was like before? Sure, Gervas is here now, but he's only been here half a year!"

"Stormhold's desolation won't change overnight, so when we reach Stormhold Castle and meet Lord Gervas, watch your words—we're here to congratulate him, not to offend him!"

"Relax, Mier—I only say this because we're in the wilderness, and I'm not belittling Lord Gervas; it's just that this area is truly barren!"

"Exactly, Mier! Lord Gervas can now beat Lord Pack—he's famous all around Ironwolf City; who would dare insult him?"

"Good!" Mier finally nodded in relief.

After all, he brought them here to cultivate goodwill with Gervas—he didn't want to drive them away instead.

Soon, as the group crossed a dirt ridge, the land opened before them into an endless plain.

Admittedly, if not for Stormhold's reputation as a land of death, it was truly a fertile, cultivable territory.

"Look! There's the castle and the village!"

"Ha! Finally here—but Stormhold's size is rather small!"

"What can you do? Stormhold's population is still small."

"Alright, everyone—same warning as before: watch your words when we arrive!"

Thus, Mier led the nobles toward the distant castle and village.

Jiu jiu!

Yet, just minutes after they began moving, a cry echoed from above.

"Trouble! That size—it's a beast!"

The next instant, the nobles tensed.

Ahead, high in the sky, two avian shapes appeared.

Though distant, their experience told them: these were birds with wingspans exceeding four meters.

Flying beasts were far more troublesome than terrestrial ones.

"Don't panic—it looks like a Swiftwing Hawk!"

At that moment, a baron spoke up.

The other barons snapped back to attention and studied closely: "Indeed—it's a Swiftwing Hawk! No wonder Stormhold is called a neighbor to the Death Mountains—Swiftwing Hawks are already flying over its lands!"

The group relaxed, murmuring in wonder—they all assumed the Swiftwing Hawks were wild.

But soon, as the Swiftwing Hawks drew nearer, Mier suddenly said, "Look—aren't there people on their backs?"

"People?"

The nobles froze, staring again.

The Swiftwing Hawks, at that moment, flew closer and lowered their altitude.

"Good heavens—they really are people!"

"Could they be a noble's aerial cavalry? But this is the border!"

Like old Andrew before them, upon seeing riders on the beasts, the minor nobles instinctively assumed they didn't belong to Gervas.

Yet their doubts were resolved as the Swiftwing Hawks arrived close by.

"Welcome, honored guests, to Stormhold. I am a patrol squad soldier responsible for today's aerial surveillance. May I ask your purpose in visiting Stormhold?"

Mier and the others exchanged glances—now they confirmed the identity of the Swiftwing Hawks.

Though they'd vaguely suspected Gervas's military strength surpassed theirs, they hadn't imagined it could be this extreme.

They had an aerial squad?

Swiftwing Hawks cost only fifty gold coins each—but being able to afford them and being willing to spend on them were two entirely different things.

For them, fifty gold coins would buy dozens of fully armed soldiers—far more practical.

"Soldier, I'm Mier, lord of the neighboring Mier Barony. These others are lords from surrounding territories."

"We've come unannounced to pay respects to your lord, Lord Gervas. Please inform him of our arrival."

"Ah, Lord Mier—I'll return to the castle at once to notify my lord. Please follow the road; I must take my leave."

The two Swiftwing Hawk riders bowed politely, then shot skyward and vanished in an instant.

"How did Gervas manage this? He even has flying beasts!"

"I don't know—but now I understand why Gervas defeated Lord Pack! Did you hear those soldiers? Even his men are courteous—unbelievable!"

"Yes! My own servants aren't this refined!"

"By the way, Mier—didn't you say last time that Gervas and his knights still rode First-Rank Firehorses?"

"Correct. During the last campaign, Gervas initially covered the horses with cloaks—no one noticed!"

"But during the final battle, to prevent the horses from overheating, he removed the cloaks—and we saw: all six warhorses were uniform First-Rank Firehorse beasts!"

Mier nodded firmly.

Recalling his own shock upon first seeing the Firehorses, he guessed the nobles now felt much the same.

"What do you think Gervas's true identity is? Could he be some great noble's illegitimate son?"

"Very likely—otherwise, how could Gervas have so many impossible advantages… uh—Mier, we know to keep quiet—I'm shutting up now!"

Mier sighed. "Alright, everyone—Lord Gervas will soon know we've come. Let's hurry—we can't keep him waiting!"

Thus, the nobles quickened their pace.

Though Mier had silenced their wild speculation, even he couldn't help wondering what Gervas's true identity might be.

After all, whether the kingdom's war or this border dispute with Pack—any single feat, in the hands of a minor noble, would be miraculous.

Yet Gervas kept creating miracles, one after another.

Soon, the castle loomed before them.

Seeing the red carpet laid all the way to the castle's base, the minor nobles were stunned and delighted.

"They've already laid the red carpet—Lord Gervas must be delighted to welcome us!"

"Yes! The carpet stretches all the way to the castle's base—that's the highest honor! Is this really for us minor nobles?"

"It must be! From my own dealings, Lord Gervas is truly a kind noble."

"There's something you probably don't know—months ago, my lands suffered a locust plague, and I'd just sold all my chickens and ducks to Lord Gervas…"

Mier recounted the incident from months past.

"Really? You offered to repurchase them at triple price, and Lord Gervas refused—only accepted double?"

"Absolutely true—I swear on my honor! Baron Kane suffered the same fate—but he's dead now, so he can't vouch for it."

"And Lord Gervas said something then—relayed to me by my steward—that I still remember vividly!"

Mier fell into memory, his eyes glowing with strange wonder.