"Don't use a lifetime request like that to beg others!" Laing said with a dark expression.
"But I don't think I can continue like this." Frey was still in pain. "Eight hundred crowns a year, a villa or castle no less than 150 square meters, and a title as a royal knight. Even if I work hard for another 20 years, I might not be able to achieve that."
"Mister Frey, based on what you said, how many nobles in the Old World can satisfy her request?" "If I bring a waitress from the state guesthouse back to Father and tell him I want to marry her, he'll definitely throw me off the Mannan Dry Dock to feed the sharks!" Feedmond tried to explain.
"Of course, it's also possible that Miss Claudia doesn't like you at all. She's just making an unacceptable request to make you back off," Laing said with a frown. "Eight hundred crowns a year? The Empire's great alchemist, Bayershazer Gelt, only earns eight hundred gold marks a year. Take the Empire's top bureaucrat, Nur's Chief Justice, Theodore Bruckner, for example, earns only two thousand gold marks a year. "
Al- Frey shook his head in pain.
The Paladins were a subordinate order of the Church of Justice. The order's purpose was to deal with the undead and chaos. The income of a Paladin was related to the parish they were in, the donations they received, and the salary they received from the Church of Justice.
Taking everything into account, Al- Frey's annual income was between 100 to 150 crowns, which was considered average for a Paladin.
However, it was still far from Miss Claudia's expectations.
Thinking up to this point, Ryan decided to persuade his childhood friend. "Ah Fu, calm down. If you really like women who look like waitresses, there are plenty of them in Estalia. There are also plenty who are willing to go with you. I've said it before. I've seen too many waitresses in the state guesthouse. They receive all kinds of nobles, merchants, and famous mercenary leaders from the Old World all day long. There are even high elves and dwarves …"
Since there was still time, Laing, Al- Frey, and Al- Frey discussed the matter.
Although it was almost impossible for a waitress to marry a man of such high status, it was not impossible. Both in the history of the Empire and Brittania, there had been such lucky women who were favored by the great nobles and became the wives of the great nobles. Of course, their stories had been written into poems by the bards and sung widely. This gave them the illusion that they had a great chance of marrying into a rich family. Not only could they marry into a rich family, but they could also choose a man that they were satisfied with.
"In this circle, the scariest thing isn't having too high of a standard, but comparing." Laing said to Al- Frey, "I can guarantee that as long as one of the waitresses in this state guesthouse successfully marries a man with ideal conditions within five years, the rest of the waitresses will naturally raise their standards greatly, making it difficult for them to get married in the end … Of course, I still say the same thing. Maybe she just doesn't like you."
"Mr. Al- Frey, you're a Paladin. You're only in your thirties this year. With your legendary strength, you still have at least a hundred years to live. There's no need for you to be in such a hurry." Al- Frey also smiled and persuaded him. "I'm already in my fifties this year, and I'm still considering whether to get married in such a hurry. You can find more girlfriends and find suitable ones."
"Laing, you know me. Ever since I failed to confess to the maid next door when I was young, I haven't seen a woman who can move my heart." Al- Frey was still a bit stubborn, but the Paladin finally withdrew from his brainless fanaticism. "I don't want to give up so easily."
"But that's where Miss Claudia's price is now." Laing deliberately attacked Al- Frey. "Whether or not she's worth that price, she has already put herself on the auction, and as a participant, you don't even have the right to call out a starting price. It's that simple."
"That's the situation now. If you want to win Miss Claudia's favor, you have to work hard to meet her requirements. This process may take ten or twenty years." Frey also nodded. "But during this period, Miss Claudia will change with time. Maybe she'll stick to this standard for twenty years, or maybe she'll lower her standards and follow someone else after two years. This is out of our control, Mr. Al- Frey. You don't have to be so persistent."
"Laing, I know you're very popular with women. Can you give me some ideas?" Al- Frey was still trying his best. "How did you win the hearts of so many women in this auction?"
"Because I never go to the auction house to buy things." Laing said calmly with a hint of disdain in his voice. "The things in the auction house are always overpriced, especially these waitresses. Their profession is destined to have high premiums and low returns."
After thinking for a while, Laing said meaningfully, "Frey, I hope you understand that the really good things never enter the market."
"Just like you?" Al- Frey looked thoughtful. The Paladin said jokingly, "My good friend, you've never entered the market before you've been booked by Sir François and the Lady of the Lake as the husband of Madame Suria."
"Well, there are exceptions." Laing nodded. "Finding a boyfriend is like finding a bar. Miss Claudia sets the entrance fee at a hundred crowns. After entering the bar, the men are divided into private rooms, booths and the bar counter. The men in the private rooms are naturally the best, but the men here are so good that they have to fight for them. They can choose any wine they want, and they can change if they're not satisfied. They can do whatever they want, and there's no shortage of women who like them. They don't even know if they've brought their own wine in."
"Just like you right now." Al- Frey nodded in agreement.
"The men in the booths are relatively inferior, but they also have waitresses who specialize in serving wine and food. They can't fit many women in their booths, but it's not a problem for them to serve two or three people at the same time."
"Just like me," Fedmond said with a smile.
"So that leaves me, the man who sits at the bar counter and doesn't even have a seat?" Al- Frey said self-deprecatingly, "So I can only wander around with cheap beer? Looking for a target I like? "
"You've neglected one thing, Frey. You already have the right to enter." Laing said with a half-smile, "You have the right to enter. You've already checked into the state guesthouse, which is why you have the chance to meet Miss Claudia and talk to her. You should know that the entrance fee is a hundred crowns. The men outside the bar, whether they have ninety-nine crowns or just one, are all blocked outside the door. Even though it's quite pitiful, the men outside the bar don't stand a chance at all."
"So, my advice to you is to slowly search for what you want in the bar. Also, work hard and find a way to sit in one of the booths," Laing concluded. "Being outstanding is more important than anything else."
The paladin fell silent for twenty seconds before he finally nodded. He suddenly asked Laing, "Friend, you were just like me back then. When you didn't have a seat in the bar, Veronica took a liking to you? When you entered the booth, Teresa, Emilia and Olica took a liking to you. By the time you entered the booth, Madam Suria had already reserved it? "
"No, I met Veronica outside the bar." At the mention of that, Laing's gaze wavered. "She didn't care about how much money I had, nor did she care about my background. I had nothing at the time, while she was very beautiful. You know what I mean? She was willing to bet on me because she saw a bright future ahead of me. "
"Madam Veronica is quite daring," Frey said. The paladin nodded repeatedly. He felt that it was a very chivalrous thing to do.
Alfreid muttered to himself after hearing that. What he meant was, why wasn't Miss Claudia such a woman? That bastard Ryan was too lucky.
"Well, it's about time." Laing took out the exquisite pocket watch made by the dwarves and looked at the time. "We have to get ready to go to the Eastern Palace."
"Is Madam Veronica still sleeping?" Ald- Frey felt much better after Laing's explanation.
He felt that Laing was right. For a man, the most important thing was to be outstanding, not to blame others.
"I'll go wake her up." Laing got up.
When he opened the door to the master bedroom, Garland was already awake. She was squirming under the blanket. When she saw Laing, she shivered. "Laing! Why didn't you knock before coming in? "
"What are you doing, darling?" Laing saw that Veronica was blushing as she used a jar of ointment. She put her fingers into her dress and applied it.
"Maintenance ointment!" Garland was a little embarrassed. She quickly put the milky white ointment aside and tidied up her dress.
"Maintenance ointment?" Laing picked up the jar and found that it was made of high elven white jade. The ointment contained great divine power.
"The Lady of the Lake gave it to us during the turkey banquet. Everyone has a share." Veronica's face was red. "This ointment can maintain our body and maintain its pink color. But there are some side effects. After applying it, there will be some changes to the body …"
"What changes?" Laing asked curiously.
"Just think … Anyway, you only need to know that I'll only apply this when we're together." Veronica looked away shyly. She shook her head and changed the topic. "What's wrong? Is it time? "
"Yes, it's time. Get ready. We're going to the banquet." Ryan nodded. He smiled and kissed Veronica's cherry-red lips. "Tonight is your stage ~"
"Okay."
… I'm the cutoff for the banquet …
That night, Estalia, Magritte, Eastern Palace.
The Eastern Palace was the oldest and most exquisite palace in Magritte. Its exterior had a strong Brittany style. It was majestic, but the interior was authentic Tyrell. Historically, this palace had been converted into the palace of King Jafar due to the Arabian invasion. Therefore, many parts of the palace had a strong Arabian style. The four corners of the palace were prominent, and the inside was a square courtyard. This was a typical traditional Estalian architectural style.
The Eastern Palace was not only a palace, but also an art treasure house. It had a large collection of paintings, tapestries, antique furniture, and other cultural relics. The four walls were mounted with red and gold velvet. Under the colorful giant magic lamps, the entire hall shone with silver light. The most unique and beautiful hall in the palace was the Porcelain Hall. The walls and roof of the Porcelain Hall were all built with artistic ceramic tiles. It was gorgeous and dazzling.
This used to be the palace of the Duke of Magritte's Sungazer family. However, after the ascension of the current Duke Rubio, the Duke decided to turn this palace into the "Celebration Palace." It was usually rented out to the Estalia Merchant Alliance and the Church of the Goddess of War for business activities. Other than meeting with foreign envoys and holding wedding celebrations, the Duke's family usually did not live here.
On the red carpet in the banquet hall, there was a huge oval-shaped banquet table with dazzling tableware all year round. The leader of the Estalia Merchant Alliance, Amancio Perez, was already standing there waiting for them.
"Welcome! Your Excellency Laing Macado, I've heard a lot about you. There's no need to talk about your deeds. Your deeds are known by everyone from Kislöw to Estalia. " Amancio Perez looked like an old man in his sixties. He was wearing a plain silk robe. Half of his hair was white, and he had thick eyebrows and big eyes. He had a square face and a slightly chubby body. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. The muscles on his face had already loosened due to the passage of time. Even though he took care of it well, there was still a small bald patch on the back of his head. Accompanied by two Flaming Sun Knights, Amancio took the initiative to greet Laing like a passionate host.
"Hello, Mr. Amancio." Laing's face was filled with a sincere smile as he extended his hand to shake hands with this famous tycoon.
Speaking of Amancio, this old man's life was also a legend. He was born into a merchant family in Magritte. At the age of 23, he obtained a bachelor's degree in commerce from the Goddess of War Academy. At the age of 32, he became a merchant who controlled several trade routes. At the age of 39, he was elected mayor of Magritte. His personal prestige and wealth reached the peak.
After retiring from his position as mayor at the age of 46, Amancio controlled three merchant guilds to merge and form the Estalia Merchant Alliance. He himself became the chairman and supreme leader of the Estalia Merchant Alliance. At the age of 55, Amancio officially became the honorary dean of Magritte's Goddess of War Academy. His authority in the city was even higher than that of Duke Rubio Sungazer of Magritte.
"Welcome, Baron Fedmond de Bordero of Bordero. Bordero's red wine is my favorite." Amancio then said to Fedmond, "I'm very happy to have you in the Eastern Palace."
"Hello, Chairman Amancio." Fedmond squeezed out a smile.
"Of course, there's also Lady Veronica Benadotte, the Garland Elder. I have to say, you're dressed beautifully today." Amancio shook hands with Veronica and Alfred Frey. "And Paladin Alfred Frey. Your contribution to spreading the teachings of the God of Justice is obvious to all."
"Dinner is ready. Please take a seat. We'll talk as we eat."
"Please!"
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