"How has little Phoebe been doing recently? I heard that she stayed with you in the Valley of Sunshine for a period of time and even did some interesting things?" The old man narrowed his eyes and asked in a soft voice.
"Eh, she has already safely returned to the Empire from the Valley of Sunshine. However, she doesn't seem to be doing well at the moment." From the old man's words, it seemed that he wasn't clear about Phoebe's current situation. Han Shuo couldn't help but explain.
"What happened?" The old man furrowed his brows and asked with some concern.
"Teacher, it's like this." Lawrence hastily opened his mouth and rushed to describe what had happened. He then said with a wry smile, "You also know that little junior sister doesn't like to trouble people. She didn't tell me about this matter."
"That old fellow Ashburn is getting more and more unbridled. He clearly knows that Phoebe is my disciple, yet he still dares to be so impudent. It seems that I should go and have a chat with him." The old man had an angry expression as he lightly snorted.
When Lawrence saw that the old man was angry, not only was he not anxious at all, he instead revealed a trace of delight and hastily said, "Teacher, you also know that my father's health is getting worse and worse. Right now, my brothers are all making preparations. Lord Duke has spared no effort for Charles. Him daring to do this is indeed not giving Teacher face."
Han Shuo was silent, his torch-like gaze roaming over the two's faces. He suddenly understood something and then became even more silent.
The old man lightly laughed and looked thoughtfully at Lawrence. He nodded and said, "I know what I'm doing. Alright, let's not talk about these matters for now. Since you've come to see me, did you bring any good wine?"
"Of course, I wouldn't dare to disappoint you no matter what!" Lawrence chuckled. He took out a bottle that was sparkling and translucent like jade, filled with fine wine that was as red as blood. He respectfully handed it over and said, "This is a special wine from a small town in Kasi Empire. It is called Redbud Blood. Have a taste, Master."
Han Shuo knew that Lawrence's master must be a wine lover from the many types of alcohol placed in the waiting hall. Now that he saw it, it was indeed so.
His thoughts raced as Han Shuo recalled the fine wine brewed by the dwarves in the Dark Forest. He thought for a moment and took out a bag of wine from his space ring, handing it over respectfully and smiling, "This bag of wine was brewed by the dwarves in the Dark Forest. It may not be all that precious, but it's much stronger than some of the fine wines in the Empire."
Hearing Han Shuo's words, the old man looked at Han Shuo with interest. He picked up the bag of wine, twisted it open, and smelled it. He immediately smiled and nodded to Han Shuo, "What a thoughtful child. The wine brewed by the dwarves is naturally not bad. I can feel it just by smelling it."
Waving his hand, the old man took the wine that Han Shuo and Lawrence had handed over and said, "Alright, Lawrence, I'll remember your matter. You can leave now, I'll drink first."
Han Shuo was astonished, not knowing what was going on. However, Lawrence gave Han Shuo a meaningful look, indicating that Han Shuo shouldn't ask so many questions and should leave with him.
Afterwards, Lawrence brought Han Shuo to the hall where Bollands was. When Bollands saw Han Shuo appear, he stared at Han Shuo with sparkling eyes and said, "Can you tell me how you know how to use murderous aura?"
"This is a martial technique that I've trained in. I can't explain it to you, I'm very sorry!" Han Shuo, of course, couldn't tell him this kind of demonic secret technique.
"Grandpa Bollands, we'll be leaving first. I'll have to trouble you to take care of the Rose Garden." When Lawrence passed by Bollands, his footsteps suddenly sped up. It seemed that he really wasn't used to the pungent smell of blood on Bollands's body.
"Oh right, you're called Brian, right?" Bollands suddenly asked as Han Shuo and Lawrence went back the way they'd come.
His body slightly paused, Han Shuo turned back to look at Bollands and politely replied, "That's right!"
Nodding, Bollands pulled the corners of his mouth and said, "We'll meet again. I like the smell on your body. Heh heh, that kind of evil murderous aura!"
Han Shuo was stunned. Just as he was about to say something, he was forcefully pulled away by Lawrence and disappeared in a few steps.
Under Lawrence's guidance, the two returned to the quiet hall above. Letting out a light breath, Lawrence explained, "My master is called Karel Ascot. He possesses the strength of a sacred swordmaster and has made outstanding contributions to the Empire. He has an extremely high reputation in the Empire and can directly enter and exit the palace. My father trusts him a lot. Although I'm his disciple, he didn't clearly express his support for me. This makes me very puzzled.
Eh, but I know that he loves junior sister Phoebe very much. Even this Rose Garden used to belong to the Boozt Merchant Guild. Because he and Phoebe's father were old friends, due to some special reasons, this Rose Garden was managed by my master after his death. My master then passed it to me.
Grandpa Bollands used to be a famous assassin. Old Lucky was his personal disciple. I don't know why he followed my master. The smell of blood on his body is so heavy, I think you can imagine how many people he has killed. Every time I get close to him, I can't help but want to vomit. Therefore, I always stay far away from him. Otherwise, if I really vomit, I think he would be very unhappy. "
Although Lawrence was Karel's disciple, perhaps it was because of his identity as a prince that he didn't focus on martial arts, but rather on various strategies and military talents. As a result, his strength didn't appear to be very high. It was normal for him to feel uncomfortable when facing a person like Bollands.
Although he already knew that Phoebe's master was definitely extraordinary, Han Shuo was still endlessly shocked after Lawrence confirmed his identity. As a member of the Dark Mantle, coupled with Han Shuo's deliberate inquiries, he now had a good understanding of some of the Empire's overt and covert situations. It was naturally impossible for him to not have heard of a person like Karel Ascot.
Karel Ascot was born a commoner, but he was a genius. He graduated from the Babylon Swordsman Academy with the fastest speed and best results. He traveled the continent with the strength of a senior swordsman, experiencing hundreds of battles in various countries and rising to fame. When he returned to the Lancelot Empire, he already possessed the strength of a great swordmaster.
Afterwards, he received the invitation of the previous Emperor to teach at the Babylon Swordsman Academy with the identity of dean. When war broke out in the Lancelot Empire, not only did Karel nurture many talents for the Empire, he also personally went out to defeat a few provocative experts from the enemy countries.
When his reputation was at its peak, he resigned from his position as dean of the Swordsman Academy and went to the depths of the Dark Forest to train for ten years. When the Empire was facing imminent danger from the invasion of the Kasi Empire, Karel appeared with the strength of a sacred swordmaster and killed three great swordmasters from the Kasi Empire. This raised the morale of the Lancelot Empire and led to the Empire's victory in that battle.
For many years after that, all the citizens of the Empire, including the current Emperor, treated Karel Ascot as the protector of the Lancelot Empire. Although he didn't have an official position, he could influence the Emperor's decisions. Several of his personal disciples were involved in politics or the military, and had instead grasped great authority.
"It's actually him, no wonder!" Han Shuo couldn't help but cry out in surprise when he ran through this information in his mind.
"I'm bringing you to see him this time so that he can get to know you. As long as you leave a good impression on him and he puts in a few good words for you in front of my father, your days of meteoric success will not be far off." Lawrence's face was solemn as he said sincerely.
"I understand what you mean." Han Shuo nodded with a smile.
"Let's go, business is done. I'll take you to have some fun now." Lawrence saw that Han Shuo understood and didn't say anything else. He pulled Han Shuo away from this quiet, unguarded place and arrived at the liveliest area of the Rose Garden, which was bustling with noise.
"Young Master Lawrence, do you need a private room?" A middle-aged man wearing a fitting butler's attire, who should be the manager of the Rose Garden, asked with a smile when he saw Lawrence.
"Of course, it's the room that I always ask for. Help me arrange the best service so that my friend can enjoy himself to the fullest." Lawrence instructed straightforwardly.
Suddenly, Lawrence's expression changed as he looked behind Han Shuo. His originally cheerful expression turned murderous.
"Hi, Lawrence. I'm so happy to run into you." A voice suddenly came from behind Han Shuo. It sounded full of joy.
Turning around, Han Shuo saw a luxuriously dressed young man about 25 or 26 years old walking over with a few obviously high-born pleasure-seekers. This young man was slightly taller than Lawrence. His appearance was handsome and robust, and he had the awe-inspiring aura of a superior as he walked.
The pleasure-seekers around him obviously saw him as their leader. They all had flattering smiles on their faces as they looked at him. They even bowed slightly, further emphasizing his noble status.
"Hmph, I don't want to see you." Lawrence's expression didn't look too good as he looked coldly at this person.
"Heh heh, Lawrence, you're becoming more and more impolite. According to the rules of the Empire, shouldn't you at least greet me when you see me?" The tall, muscular young man looked at Lawrence with ridicule and said with a fake smile.
His cheeks trembling, Lawrence glared hatefully at the man, then said helplessly, "Greetings, Your Highness."
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