Chapter 71

Meanwhile, at that time.

A group of people visited the mansion of the Ulhart Viscount, located in the center of Urfen.

The group of about a dozen men were all clad in armor and armed with swords.

A guard, startled by the arrival of the armed group at the gate, raised his voice.

"Stop! Who are you!?"

The soldier guarding the gate, naturally, tried to stop the group that had suddenly appeared.

It was no wonder the soldiers were on high alert, as an armed group had shown up at the mansion of the town's highest authority, the lord, at a time when a clash with the kingdom's army was imminent.

"You, what unit do you belong to! You're not the viscount's soldiers, are you!?"

"I apologize for the shock. They are my subordinates."

"You are... Sven Arbeil!?"

The guard, surprised, bowed to the young man who stepped forward.

The one leading the armed group was Sven Arbeil, the sole survivor of the Arbeil Earl's family, which had been destroyed in the war with the Alslane Empire.

Normally, there would be no need to show such respect to the offspring of a noble family that had already been destroyed, no matter how privileged their upbringing.

However, Sven was also the nephew of the Viscountess Ulhart, their employer.

If he were treated rudely, it was uncertain what punishment the doting Viscountess would impose.

The guard switched to an overly polite tone, which was inappropriate for addressing a 13-year-old boy.

"Um, Lord Sven. These soldiers...?"

"They are vassals of my Arbeil Earl's family. We met again as they fled to this town among the refugees, and they have agreed to serve under me once more."

"Oh! That's wonderful, to have survived and made it this far!"

"I would like to introduce them to the viscount, so may we enter the mansion?"

"U... um, well, that's a bit...?"

The guard was taken aback by the unexpected request.

While Sven had been given permission to enter and exit the mansion freely, it was unclear if his armed subordinates could also enter.

Although he couldn't strongly refuse due to Sven's status, the guard, being a low-ranking soldier, couldn't make such a decision.

"Please, I will check with a superior, so just a moment..."

"Wait, I can give the permission."

The guard, who was about to run to the guardhouse for confirmation, was stopped by a well-dressed middle-aged man.

The man who called out to the guard was the head of the servants in the mansion, a position known as the "Steward."

Although not a noble, the man held the second-highest power in the town. Naturally, a mere soldier could not speak to him as an equal.

The guard, surprised by the unexpected appearance of such a high-ranking person, stood frozen with his mouth agape.

"Y... yes...?"

"A simple greeting won't take long. It's also a hassle to verify their identities and conduct body searches. Given our long-standing friendly relationship with the Arbeil Earl's family, we can trust them."

"H... huh? But, that..."

"Or... do you not trust my judgment?"

"N... no, never!"

Glared at by the steward, the guard hastily straightened his back.

The armed group, led by Sven, slipped past the now statue-like guard and entered the Ulhart Viscount's mansion.

"Thank you, Steward. I will not be a bother..."

"Yes, please make yourself at home. The lady will be pleased."

Just before entering the mansion, the steward winked at Sven.

However, no one noticed the secret signal.

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