Theo was starting to get anxious. He tried to talk with Alaric’s subordinates, but they pretended like they didn’t hear him. He would have lashed out if this had happened before, but he could only patiently stick close to them.
I have to make sure that our alliance with the Silverswords will not be affected by this incident. Once we lose their support, we might have to face another territorial conflict with the Tyrells.
On the surface, House Paxley was the local ruler of Ryvaad, but this was far from the truth. There existed another household that rivaled them in terms of military strength and political influence. They are the Tyrells, a noble household of the North known for having a hand in the salt business.
While he was immersed in his thoughts, he suddenly noticed someone approaching him.
Hm?
It was the young Knight who always stuck close to Charles Silversword.
“Lord Theo, my lord wishes to see you.” The young Knight respectfully said while cupping his fists.
Hearing this, Theo’s eyes lit up.
His chance had finally come.
He suppressed his joy and responded with a nod. “Alright. Take me to him.”
“Please follow me.”
Theo followed the young Knight who soon brought him to Alaric.
“Lord Alaric.” Theo cupped his fists and looked at the man who had defeated ‘The Butcher’.
Alaric was injured in the sacred duel and Theo even heard that he also broke a few bones. However, except for the bandages wrapped around his body, Alaric showed no signs of discomfort.
“Lord Theo, we have already wasted an entire day so I won’t bother you with useless nonsense. Please tell me everything you know about your younger brother. From the places he usually visits, his hobby, his favorite food, I want to know all of it.” Alaric stared calmly at him.
Theo rubbed his palms which had become stiff because of the cold air before he responded. “Why don’t we go somewhere more warm? I’ll tell you everything I know about my brother.”
Alaric didn’t make things difficult for him and nodded. “Alright. Please prepare a place for my subordinates to stay. We will rest for tonight and continue our search tomorrow.”
“No problem.” Theo agreed immediately.
…
Theo brought them to the guest mansion where they last stayed. The place was already cleaned up and there were even servants on standby to help them with their needs.
Alaric told everyone to rest before he went to chat with Theo on the balcony of the main hall.
“Before I tell you everything I know, can you promise me that House Silversword will remain as our ally?” Theo spoke as soon as they took their seats.
Alaric stared deeply at him.
They had no intention of cutting off their connection with the Paxleys so Alaric nodded indifferently. “I can promise you that. Now, tell me what you know about Liam.”
Theo adjusted his sitting posture and took a deep breath as he spoke. “Liam… he is…”
He spent over an hour telling him everything he knew about his younger brother. Theo included all the information that he deemed as important.
Alaric listened the whole time without saying a word. He only spoke to clarify a few things with Theo, but other than those few instances, he remained quiet.
“That’s all I know about him,” Theo muttered. His throat felt dry after all that talking.
Alaric leaned on his chair.
He was already aware of most of the information that Theo had disclosed, but he did learn a lot about Liam from him.
It was time to give them some reassurance.
“Thank you for giving me all this information, Lord Theo. I can feel your sincerity so you can rest assured. As long as House Paxley doesn’t betray us, then the Silverswords will remain as your ally.”
Hearing this, Theo heaved an internal sigh of relief. “Thank you, Lord Alaric.”
Alaric nodded. He stood up and offered a handshake which Theo took with a light smile.
After a few more exchanges, Theo bid him farewell and left.
Alaric headed to his room. Upon entering his room, he didn’t rest immediately. He noted down all the important details that he learned from Theo. He encircled the key information which might help them in their search.
He did all this in almost two hours and it was close to midnight when he completed this task.
Given the terrible weather, Liam should still be in Ryvaad, but it will be hard to find him.
Alaric rubbed his temples. He could already tell that this would be an arduous endeavor.
I must find him. I don’t like this uneasy feeling.
He felt deeply unsettled that an enemy like Liam was still alive and he knew that the only way to remove this uneasiness was to eliminate the threat!
I will find you no matter what it takes!
Alaric took off his winter clothes and wore something lighter. He then opened the cyan screen to check his progress.
Alaric Silversword [Knight] EXP: 403/500
Potential: B
Traits: Horseback Riding (C), Swordsmanship (SSS), Close Combat (C), Archery (F), Hunting (E), Tracking (F), Sixth Sense (F)
Strength: 100
Stamina: 34+
Agility: 43+
Vitality: 27+
Endurance: 42+
Mana: 48+
Battle Points: 2730
Stat Points: 6
(Requirements for next advancement: 500 EXP, 100 in all attributes, and 5000 Battle Points)
He only needed a hundred points to reach his EXP requirement, but he was still far from completing the attributes and battle points requirement.
His battle with the giant made him realize that there might be individuals who were more powerful than him in the Knight realm. For instance, the giant had superior physical attributes and his only weakness was his speed.
If the giant wasn’t occupied with the thought of saving his daughter, the battle might have ended differently.
Thinking about that pitiful man, Alaric sighed and shook his head.
If only I knew that he was innocent from the start…
He learned something from this battle. It was to never judge someone based on superficial information.