Chapter 86 – Conditions (End)

“Are you Druid Rumont? The Lord Baron invites you to see him. Right, please remember to bring the already well drafted portion of the forest map. If there’s nothing else, please follow me back.” after seeing Rumont, the attendant first gave a few curious glances at the youth before then handing over what the Baron had said.

However, different to the Baron’s stiff attitude, the attendant had cleverly said it in a more tactful way.

“The Baron wishes to see me?” at this moment, it had only been a few months since the Baron handed the mission, the period of a year was still distantly away. Rumont didn’t understand why the Baron had suddenly wanted to see him at this time. However, since the Feudal Lord called for him, he couldn’t say no.

“I also have to bring the well drafter map of the forest right?” Rumont nodded his head. “That’s alright, can you please wait a moment, I need to go get the map.” saying this, he made the attendant wait in the lounge, himself going to grab the map from his own room at the back.

Rumont pondered as he went, the more the thought the more he helt it was odd. His own mission time was yet to expire, but the Baron unexpectedly couldn’t wait to see the map? Did an unforeseen event arise in the midst?

Forget it, since it’s already mostly drafted, I’ll first give it to him to have a look and conveniently see exactly what his intentions are.

Rumont returned to his own room and took out the map he was going to give the Baron from within a bag. After a thought, he also placed his own copy within his spatial region, afterwards he opened the door and returned to the lounge in the drugstore.

“Druid Rumont, is everything in order? May we depart now?” the attendant was just waiting in the centre of the lounge, when he saw him come out he then asked promptly.

“Yeah, we can leave now.” Rumont raised the item within his hand and said.

Afterwards, the two men left the store entrance, one in front of the other. Different to Rumont’s drugstore, the business of Jeff’s drugstore at the opposite was not doing too well. However, for some unknown reason today, there were people coming and going, not at all too tranquil.

A horse carriage had just stopped outside of Jeff’s drugstore, it looked just like the one that Jeff had ridden a few times in the past.

“Eh, this is Master Jeff? So it turns out the rumours in town are true eh.” it was apparent that the attendant in front rarely left the castle, he was still finding it novel and new that the town had unexpectedly opened two new drugstores at the same time.

However, hearing what the other had sudden said, Rumont, who was following behind, had sighed faintly.

Once he lifted his head, he saw a middle-aged man just standing at the opposite entrance, watching him carefully, yet with a evidently composed expression.

He would forever be like this, every time they met the Rank 5 Druid would forever look at him at a distance in this fashion. Rumont sighed once again.

“Master Jeff.” even though the other would always give him the cold shoulder, but every time they met, Rumont would still take the initiative to greet him. After all, the other person had once been his Master, he couldn’t lose his manners.

In regards to whether the other had a response, Rumont had never minded it. As expected, seeing Rumont ask of him, Druid Jeff’s complexion dropped slightly and neither speaking, turned back around into his own drugstore.

“Let’s go.” seeing the attendant by his side display an expression of as expected, Rumont once again sighed out and spoke. The attendant nodded, however he still had a rather nosey expression, which rather depressed Rumont.

It was at this time, several rather ill-intent looking burly men had suddenly headed in their direction, their body was also carrying a dense aura reeking of blood. This kind of aggressive nature made the attendant, who very rarely came into contacts with Adventurers, want to raise his guard and pull his sword out.

The first person that neared the two, first cast a glance at the attendant before then suddenly turning to face Rumont and hitting his shoulder violently and laughing, haha: “Rumont, you can’t escape this time now, go to Mort’s Inn tonight, I must get you drunk this time! You really sure can drink hey, you surprisingly got me drunk last time, I must return the favour today!”

“Brother Harmon, don’t make fun of me, last time was only because you let me……” Rumont forced out a smile. This Harmon was a person that was exceedingly influential as well as exceedingly straightforward; a new batch of Adventurers from the city. Having associated with Rumont a few times, the relationship between the two was great, thus he was always fond of Rumont for a drink. The other’s straightforward character would often make Rumont feel both happy and helpless.

“You don’t want to go? We can’t have that, if you don’t come you’re not giving me any face ah. You have to come tonight, it’ll be on me……” once the other again heard his declines, he haha laughed and again hit Rumont’s shoulder a few more times. Afterwards, he lead the others and abruptly left.

Looking at the attendant by his side with his mouth hanging wide opened, Rumont nodded his head. “Let’s go on.”

The pair finally reached the steps heading towards the castle.

“Rumont, you going out again ah!”

“Rumont, turn around and head back to Boss Mort, come have a drink with me ey!”

“Rumont, don’t forget to come drink with us!”

“Rumont……”

On the way, quite a few Adventurers had greeted out to Rumont. Rumont’s influence amongst the Adventurers had been talked about often, but personally witnessing it with his eyes right now, still made the attendant amazed.

He was astonished as he gazed at Rumont by his side, he never thought that such a young youth would not only be so gifted, but would even surprisingly have such great popularity. Thinking once again about the rumours concerning him and Miss Eleni, it forthwith made the attendant regard Rumont all the more enthusiastically.

The Baron’s castle. Garden.

Reclining in the chair as before, the Baron’s fury had already subsided quite a bit. His hands were currently just fiddling with a scroll. Although his eyes followed along, his mind was entirely elsewhere.

“What area should I give him I wonder? I heard that the kid found some ruins last time, quite a bit away from the town. How about……I give that place to him……” his mind settled on a decision and the Baron then placed the scroll by his side.

It was at this time, the attendant that he had dispatched just then, had entered in. “Lord Baron sir, I’ve bought Rumont, he’s waiting outside the garden.”

“Is that so?” the Baron considered it. “Let him come in then.”

“Yes……”

When Rumont entered the garden, the Baron had already swapped for a smiling face. Of course, once he saw that the symbol on Rumont had been exchanged for 3 copper lines, he was immediately lifeless.

Rank 3 Druid. This kid had crazily became a Rank 3 Druid!

Although he wasn’t a Druid, but the Lord still understood that there was a Rank 2 spell called “Entanglement”. This Entanglement, apart from stone tiles or within the castle, so long as as there was an area for plants to multiply, then it would immediately grow out a type of exceptionally durable vines within a 100 square metres. Able to trap the people within its scope and furthermore cause a certain amount of harm to them.

Once this spell was cast, it could easily ensnare a squadron of soldiers, which would then allow them to be easily picked off. Thus from the beginning of a Rank 3 Druid, they would have the possibility of confronting a small territorial Feudal Lord.

Seeing this situation, Rumont’s mind was jubilant. He had only changed the emblem just then on the road, and had already seen the innumerous amounts of amazed expressions on the others. But, this moment was especially refreshing. He gave a slight salute: “what commands does your Honour, the Baron, have?”

“Oh, Rumont, you’ve arrived hey!” the Baron’s lifeless expression was once again changed into a smile, a change occurred in his mind once again. His manner was amiable as he said to Rumont: “the mission I discussed with you last time, how far is it completed?”

“Reporting to the Lord Baron, I’ve already finished drafting a map of the two-thirds of the surrounding forest near the town.” Rumon was not at all deceived by the other’s enthusiasm, he only replied courteously.

The Baron’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve already drafted well two-thirds of the map? Excellent, excellent.”

This slight action of the baron was easily captured by Rumont. Rumont’s mind sunk a little. It looks like there was a catch with today’s topic.

“Your Honour, you wished for me to bring the map here because?” thereupon, Rumont brought out the map and probed out a question.

The Baron haha laughed: “it’s like this. Because the zone of the Briar Forest abyss is too dangerous, and additionally I don’t intend to manage that area, thus the current drafted map is, in regards to me, already sufficient enough.”

As he spoke, he took out a document he had already written up. Slightly adding another line, he then gave it to Rumont: “this document here, I’ve said it last time already. After you finished drafting the map, I would give you a Esquire’s piece of land. Presently, I’ll fulfill my original promise.”

Simultaneously he also received Rumont’s map. He only casually glanced at it, before then casually placing it to his side. Afterwards, he fixed his gaze and stared at Rumont’s face, taking note of the changes in his expression.

“A radius of two kilometres at the ruins?” Rumont looked at the location the Esquire certificate pointed out at the end, showing a touch of surprise.

He felt really surprised. Surprised that the Baron would actually give him that piece of land. That historical ruins was what he found the most appropriate for constructing a Druidic base of operations.

He had originally planned to wait until the Baron asked and suggest that location. He had truly never considered that he didn’t even need him to ask; the Baron had taken the initiative to give him that land. Additionally, it was also a radius of two kilometres.

The excellent censure that he had prepared eagerly for dealing with the Baron, he had never considered that it would unexpectedly be about this matter……

“What’s wrong? Think that the land isn’t good?” the Baron had mistaken Rumont’s intent, his face had fell slightly. “If you don’t like that place, I can give you another area at the borders of the forest. The town can’t be done. You know that even Master Jeff’s chose the forest for his home. The town no longer lacks a derelict area.”

“Also, if you build a medicine garden and undergo dealing in herbs at the town, I can also bestow to you a tax reduction, letting you enjoy the benefits of having the taxes on herbes reduced by half. How’s that sound?” seeing that Rumont still hadn’t said anything, the Baron spoke once again.

This was but the matter he had long thought well on, and further seeing that Rumont had became a Rank 3 Druid, he also added on another condition. His purpose was to make Rumont go to that remnant of an area and establish his base there; since he could save money in finding other territories as well as avoiding the other living in town, minimising the contact with his daughter.

Rumont was not a fool, why would the other person give him so many obvious advantages? Because the joy he felt just then, from obtaining the area he wanted, had shortly disappeared, what remained was a heart filled with uncertainty: “I don’t understand, Lord Baron why have……”

“You don’t understand? Good! I’ll say it directly to you so it’s clear then! The price of giving you land and bestowing you a tax reduction, is so that you no longer ever come into contact with Eleni, alright?” the Baron’s expression was cold as he gazed at Rumont.

So long as Rumont spoke one word of refusal, then even if he raised a quarrel with his daughter and took some desperate risks, he was also absolutely willing to risk it all. A Rank 3 Druid was already at the limit of tolerance.

“Make me stay away from Miss Eleni?” Rumont sunk as he asked. Currently it was considered that he understood, he understood why the Baron would have such hostility to him. He also understood why the Baron had initially wanted him to go complete the mission of drafting a map, as it turns out, the origin was this.

The Baron coldly sneered: “correct, if you want to have a future. I’ve already given you a future in becoming an Esquire, many roads have been opened for you now. With your capabilities it might not be possible to become a Knight in your lifetime, by it’s already extremely good in establishing your household foundations……Eleni also needs to have a good future. Hence, for your benefit and as well as hers, you two need to have as little contact as possible from now on. I’m currently using the status of a daughter’s father to beg of you, I hope that you won’t obstruct her development.”

Rumont stared at the Baron. The Baron also stared at Rumont.

A good while later, Rumont spat a sigh out and said: “I can’t guarantee to not see Miss Eleni anymore, but I can ensure I won’t take the initiative to find her.”

The Baron relaxed a mouthful of air. Although he did not entirely achieve his objective, but it was nearly the same. He hence said: “that’s good. Since it’s like this, 3 days later we’ll conduct the ceremony of title conferment!”

<-Previous–Next->