Chapter 158: Rid Consults with Father
“Lord Rid, Lord Rainer has some time available and requests your presence in his office.”
“Understood. Thank you, Deanna.”
Upon hearing Deanna’s words as she returned, I promptly stood up from the sofa. Looking at Emma and Chris, I smiled.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way. I’ll let everyone in the mansion know that you two will be waiting here, so don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.”
“Lord Rid, we apologize for imposing on you. Thank you very much…”
As they began to stand up, just like me, they bowed slightly, but I hurriedly stopped them.
“Don’t worry about it so much. It’s necessary for us as well. I’ll be back once I’m done talking with my father.”
“Yes, we’ll be waiting.”
After finishing the conversation with Chris and Emma, I left the reception room. While heading towards my father’s room, I informed Deanna that the two of them would be waiting in the reception room until my father and I were done with our discussion.
“Understood. I will convey that to everyone.”
“Great, thank you.”
Deanna paused upon hearing my words, nodded in acknowledgment, and then continued in a different direction. She was likely going to inform the rest of the mansion’s occupants and Garn about Chris and Emma waiting.
Seeing her off, I hurried to my father’s office alone.
◇
Chapter 159: Rid Consults with Father
I arrived at the office door and was about to knock as usual when I heard voices from inside. I paused and listened for a moment.
“Who could that be? It’s a familiar voice…”
Curious, I decided to knock on the door. After hearing my father’s response, I entered the office to find two knights engaged in conversation with him.
One was a knight who, although slightly shorter than Rubens, had a similar sturdy physique and determined facial features. The other had a solid build, a bald head (not a ‘Ha…’), and an impressive beard. He exuded a tough, rough-and-tumble vibe.
When the tough-looking knight saw me, he grinned widely and greeted me enthusiastically, “Oh! Lord Rid, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
“Captain Dinas!? Are you back?”
Captain Dinas, the leader of the Bardia Knights, was revealed to be the identity of the tough knight. He was often absent from the mansion due to his responsibilities, which included border defense, dungeon exploration, and other law enforcement duties in Bardia.
However, he was said to be evenly matched with my father in swordsmanship and led the Bardia Knights with both his character and skills.
Dinas observed me intently and then broke into a hearty smile. “Hmm… your appearance has changed quite a bit from before. I’ve heard about the ‘unconventional prodigy’ from Rubens. With Lord Rid around, Bardia is in safe hands.”
Dinas finished speaking and chuckled heartily, “Gahaha!”
I looked at Dinas, a bit taken aback by his exuberance, but I met his smile with one of my own.
“Is that so? Thank you. But could you please drop the ‘unconventional prodigy’ part?”
“Is that so? I thought it was a good nickname. It’s better than having no nickname at all. No matter what they call you, just hold your head high!”
Dinas responded to my words and once again erupted into a hearty laughter, “Gahaha!”
I found myself slightly stunned by his boisterousness, but I smiled back at Dinas.
“Just like old times, Dinas.”
“Indeed! By the way, I heard you’ve become quite the skilled swordsman.”
Before we could continue our conversation, another knight in the room, Cross, intervened.
“Captain, both Lord Rid and Lord Rainer seem a bit startled, don’t you think? Your laughter is… well, quite loud.”
Upon being admonished, Dinas stopped laughing abruptly. He looked at Cross and, with a stern expression, took a deep breath before letting out a sigh.
“Sigh… Cross, you’re as serious as ever.”
“No, it’s just that the Captain can be a bit too exuberant at times.”
Cross, as he was called, had a noticeable height and build difference compared to Dinas, but he didn’t hesitate to respond to Dinas directly.
Seeing their interaction, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“Fu fu… Vice Captain Cross, you haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“My apologies for the delayed greeting, Lord Rid. But… as you say, I sincerely hope that someone else takes over the captain’s responsibilities soon. Today, I was actually discussing this with Lord Rainer.”
Cross spoke with a nonchalant tone, feigning amusement, and exchanged amused glances with Dinas. Cross served as the vice captain of the Bardia Knights. He, like Dinas, was mostly active in the field, so he spent little time at the mansion.
Their presence definitely brightened up the atmosphere in the office, although it also seemed to raise the room’s temperature a few degrees.
Watching our interactions, my father, who appeared somewhat tired, looked at Dinas and Cross.
“That’s enough now. I understand the captain and vice captain’s reports and requests. Especially the request, let’s consider it positively.”
Cross, responding to my father’s words, lit up with excitement and sparkling eyes.
“Lord Rainer… my wife is expecting our second child soon! Please, I beg you to consider the request!”
“I get it, I get it! Don’t be so desperate! I said we’d consider it, didn’t I? But for now, Rid and I have a meeting. I’m sorry, but could you both leave for now?”
“Understood. We’ll take our leave now. Let’s go, Cross!”
After hearing my father’s words, Dinas and Cross nodded, saluted us, and then left the office surprisingly politely and quietly.
After their departure, the office fell silent, and the room’s temperature returned to normal. It was as if a storm had passed.
I smiled wryly and looked at my father.
“Hehe… it’s been a while since I’ve seen those two, but Captain Dinas and Vice Captain Cross are as lively as ever.”
“Yes… Both of them are capable and have excellent skills and character, but…”
My father’s expression briefly relaxed, and he smiled in response to my wry smile. However, he quickly reverted to his usual strict demeanor and focused on me.
“So… you made time for an ‘urgent matter,’ as Deanna put it. What’s going on?”
“Actually, I received a report from Chris about purchasing slaves. That’s why I requested urgent consultation.”
Upon hearing my words, my father’s gaze sharpened.
“…I see. Let’s hear the details.”
“Thank you.”
My father got up from his desk, gestured for me to sit on the sofa as usual, and took a seat on the other side of the desk. We faced each other across the desk, and I began to speak.
“Straight to the point. Today, I received a report from Chris, and following her advice, I would like to proceed with purchasing slaves.”
“…I see. So, how many slaves are you planning to purchase? Around ten?”
At the mention of slave purchase, my father’s brows twitched slightly, and his expression turned stern. While keeping my eyes on my father’s changing expression, I calmly spoke.
“…Around 150.”
“…What did you say?”
Unusually, my father looked puzzled for a moment. In response, I reiterated the number of slaves we intended to purchase.
“Well, it’s around 150. By the way, they all belong to the same tribe, have more than ten members each, and are promising children aged six to seven, just like me.”
“I see… Tell me the details, we’ll discuss it afterward.”
My father seemed to have grasped the fact that he didn’t mishear my words, and he placed a hand on his forehead, lowered his head, lightly shook it from side to side, and then let out a sigh before speaking.
I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at his reaction.
“Haha… As expected, it’s not a simple ‘Alright, I understand,’ is it?”
“Of course not!”
The loud roar that followed was so different from the boisterous laughter Dinas had let out earlier that it almost felt endearing. It was a moment when I had managed to elicit such a reaction from my father.
