[Let me officially announce to everyone that the Year of the Tiger is auspicious. I'm not slacking off. It's the New Year, and I'm still writing. Happy New Year, everyone.]
There weren't many big cities in the Phoenix Duchy. After walking for a whole day, the team only saw a few large manors. They didn't even see a small town like Deep Forest Town.
They rested four times along the way and ate some food. Ainphent was in better condition than expected, so they didn't delay the journey.
It was getting late, so the Nut Mercenary Team sped up.
"Mr. Ainphent, there's a castle 20 miles ahead. Is it okay if we spend the night there?" Flamingo asked Ainphent for his opinion.
"You're familiar with this route, so I won't interfere with your plan," Ainphent answered Flamingo gracefully.
Salin didn't comment and pretended he didn't hear Flamingo. Both he and Ainphent had a lot of gemstones, so they couldn't completely trust the Nut Mercenary Team. However, both of them had ways to hide the aura of the gemstones and didn't reveal any flaws, so the Nut Mercenary Team didn't have any bad intentions.
If Salin was nervous, these experienced mercenaries would be able to tell that something was wrong with them.
The team immediately turned north and sped all the way into a small path. On both sides of the path were no longer farmlands, but dense forests. The towering trees on both sides pressed down on the middle of the path, and the sky seemed to have darkened.
After speeding up for 20 miles, the team arrived in front of a castle in less than half an hour.
It was an ancient castle in the style of the Fourth Dynasty. It had a tall pointed roof and gorgeous stone carvings. The castle didn't have a battlement, but a V-shaped sawtooth gap. It even had a battery for magic cannons.
In the Fourth Dynasty, only a marquis or above could own a castle like this.
There was an eagle circling in the sky. Salin looked up, but he couldn't see the details of the eagle. In front of the castle, Javelin was chatting with two fully armored soldiers. They seemed to be familiar with each other.
Salin thought that the Nut Mercenary Team had already chosen this place to rest. They were just being polite to Ainphent.
"Baron Cook is my friend," Flamingo explained. He brought Ainphent and the others here to rest for safety reasons. Although this place was far from the border, it was still somewhat desolate. It would be very troublesome to encounter bandits while camping in the wild.
After entering the castle, the layout of the castle was not as rough as Scotia's, nor was it as dark and cramped as the Tanggulas Empire's. There were many stone houses on the side that could accommodate four soldiers. It was so spacious that it didn't look like a fortification.
In the hall of the castle, Baron Cook was beaming with joy as he personally received Flamingo and his entourage.
"Old friend, how long has it been since you last came to see me?" Baron Cook was tall, and the silk all over his body could not wrap around his muscles. He was in his thirties and was in the prime of his life. As he spoke, he gave Flamingo a big hug. He wasn't afraid that Flamingo's armor would tear through his expensive silk robe.
Salin couldn't help but think of Viscount Guge. They were the same age, and still had the same vigor.
After exchanging greetings with Flamingo, Baron Cook greeted Salin, "Sir Mage, I was busy catching up with an old friend. Please excuse me."
"Sir Baron, your wealth is really amazing!" Salin didn't beat around the bush. This castle was too luxurious for a baron.
Baron Cook didn't feel awkward at all. He laughed heartily and said, "Sir Mage, you must be from Scotia."
"How do you know?" Salin was a little surprised. Baron Cook was indeed impolite. After entering the hall, he didn't even ask Flamingo to introduce him. He kept exchanging greetings with Flamingo.
"So you won't know some of our little secrets here. I didn't spend much money on this castle. It's actually half a sale and half a gift, "Baron Cook said proudly.
"There's actually such a thing!" Salin looked at the decorations in the hall. It was completely in the style of the castle. It was obviously not added later. He had quite a bit of knowledge about nobles. At least he could tell the good from the bad.
"It's just a trick of the House of Lords. These are insignificant things to a mage." Baron Cook didn't laugh at Salin's superficiality.
Ainphent smiled silently in the corner. He knew all of this very well. Although there was sexual harassment involved, it was also consensual. He'd seen it many times in big families.
Baron Cook had a cheerful personality and seemed to be quite skilled. If it was during a time of war, he could lead an army to fight with the Emperor and get promoted quickly. Unfortunately, the continent had been peaceful for too long. Low-level nobles like him and Viscount Guge could only think of ways to curry favor or pass the time.
The castle was very spacious. It could even fit thousands of soldiers, let alone a dozen people. After settling the bedrooms and washing up, the banquet began.
The banquet was also an eye-opener for Salin. Although this was still the Phoenix Duchy, the habits of many nobles were no different from those of the Qinyin Empire. There were very few metal utensils on the table. Even the soup bowls were made of porcelain that was finer than jade.
There was a huge crystal chandelier hanging above the dining room. This kind of crystal used for decoration was made from magic crystals that had either lost any development value or had been scrapped. Even so, three crystal lamps cost thousands of gold coins to buy. Yet such expensive lamps hung above, together with the simple and elegant hand-painted roof, were exquisite without any exaggerated luxury.
Thinking of the viscount's dining hall, Salin felt like a pigsty.
There were snacks before the dishes were served. The mercenaries were very hungry. In order to get here in one day, they didn't eat anything in the afternoon to replenish their energy. The snacks were devoured like a whirlwind, but Salin didn't move.
Then there was light wine. A small cup was used to rinse the mouth and get rid of the sweetness in the mouth. The mercenaries were thirsty and wanted to drink, but there was no more.
Salin, on the other hand, focused on the details. If he wanted to live in the Qinyin Empire, he would have to deal with the nobles in the future. He found that the Qinyin nobles were very particular about details. Even a forthright person like Baron Cook was the same.
The maids were very well-behaved. They smiled faintly and quickly, quietly serving the guests. What made Salin most depressed was that the high-ranking maids were also wearing silk.
When he built a magic tower in the future, he would build it into the most tasteful magic tower on the continent.
Salin made up his mind and set a goal for himself. He forgot which great mage had said that mages didn't train to suffer, but to live a better life. Although Salin didn't agree with this saying, he was afraid of being poor when he was young. When he really became a great mage or an archmage, he might become a nouveau riche.
Baron Cook chatted with Flamingo and the others with a smile. Now that he knew that Ainphent was from the Clyde Family, he didn't deliberately flatter him. First, since Ainphent was sent to the Phoenix Duchy, it was unlikely that he was an important member of the family. Second, since Baron Cook volunteered to leave Qinyin to be a spy for His Majesty the Emperor, he had already severed his relationship with the House of Commons.
A person who was determined to rely on the Emperor wouldn't cling to someone else's thigh.
When each dish was placed on the plate in front of him, there were only a few bites. Although Salin was a mage, his body was still growing, so he ate happily. After 18 dishes, soup and sweet wine were served at the end. The mercenaries were still on a mission, so they didn't dare to drink hard liquor.
After eating, Salin didn't drink anymore. Instead, he made a Restoration Water for himself. Although the mercenaries thought that Salin was a playboy, they were also envious. The Restoration Water made by mages had no side effects, and was much better than the Holy Water of the Vatican. Unfortunately, mages wouldn't waste magic strings to make such things for others.
But Salin wasn't satisfied. If he became a Magic Shooter, he could drink magic fluid every day.
It was made with a level-seven spell. It had a shorter storage time, but its effect was more amazing. It could even cure chronic diseases and completely improve a person's physical condition. Some magic potions with special effects would often be mixed with some magic fluid.
To Salin's relief, because Nelis was a maid, she wasn't brought to the table. Instead, she was left in his room to have a meal alone. This was a good idea. It could save him a lot of trouble in the future.
"Baron."
"Sir Mage, just call me Cook. This is Phoenix, not Qinyin. There aren't so many rules."
Cook's words left a good impression on Salin. In comparison, Viscount Guge was a bit pretentious.
"When I came, I saw an eagle on the castle. I heard that the Qinyin Empire is good at domesticating this kind of animal. Is this eagle a magical beast?" Although Salin's senses were sharp, he also hoped to have a magical pet like this. At least when there was no swordsman to protect him, he could detect danger in advance.
"No, only the royal family can domesticate them." Baron Cook answered doubtfully. Then he whispered something to a servant behind him. The servant left the dining room and called for a fully-armed swordsman at the door.
According to the rules of the Qinyin Empire, a baron must have at least ten armored guards. And this kind of armored guard had to be on call.
"Sir." The guard put her hand on her sword and saluted. She looked valiant, but she was a beautiful woman. Her armor was made of metal with complicated patterns on the hollows. It was very different from the standard armor of the Qinyin Empire. Salin recognized that it was a magic armor, much more expensive than a crystal chandelier.
"Sijia, go to the tower and see what's going on."
"Yes, sir." The female swordsman, Sijia, walked out with her head held high. She was as proud as a peacock. She wasn't a commoner. Although she couldn't inherit anything from her family, after joining the army, she could earn merits. It was possible that she could become a noblewoman in the future.
Sijia quickly left the dining room, crossed the garden in the sky, and went straight to the tower. The soldiers guarding the tower saw Sijia and greeted her fawningly, "Captain Sijia …"
"Open the top door," Sijia said coldly. At the top of the tower, there was an alchemy equipment — a telescope.
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