Four Thousand Denar, Make a Friend

The Heavy Cavalry dared not answer Henry's request and could only return to seek his lord's opinion.

Before long, the Heavy Cavalry returned and told Henry that the Countess was willing to see him, but Henry would have to go to her.

He really could not refuse that. If a countess invited a male knight to meet her and Henry refused, it would be beneath a noble's dignity.

"Henry, do you need us to accompany you?"

Henry shook his head, declining Boman and Fas's offer to follow him.

Led by the Heavy Cavalry, Henry came upon Countess Latifa's entourage.

Rich. That was Henry's first impression.

Latifa's carriage looked like a palace on wheels, incomparably luxurious.

Its body was draped in golden silk, gleaming with ostentatious wealth. Its windows were set with colorful glazed floral patterns, dazzling enough to nearly blind Henry.

Since the Empire had no specific regulations on how many horses carriages of each noble rank could use, Latifa's carriage was extravagantly drawn by four pure white horses without a single stray hair.

A grand carriage drawn by four steeds, the fine horses were sleek and vigorous, their coats as soft and smooth as silk...

Hiss... What kind of gap between rich and poor was this?

"Greetings, Countess Latifa Villarire. I am Knight Henry Bro, Lord of West Lyme, the King's Fief, and a Pioneer Noble."

A fair hand, so pale it reflected sunlight, lifted the curtain as its owner stepped out of the carriage.

"Greetings, Knight Henry. I am Countess Latifa Villarire, Lord of Tiar."

Latifa wore a magnificent formal gown, its hem trailing along the ground, the patterns upon it resembling flowers in full bloom.

Henry had spent three years in the royal capital. Even though he had never wanted to attend those tedious social functions, he still knew a little about the materials used in clothing.

Latifa's gown was made from the finest Desert Trade Route silk. Delicate and smooth to the touch, it was embroidered with exquisite patterns that complemented the jeweled hair ornaments atop her head.

As she slightly raised her hand, a section of her gloves, thin as cicada wings, was revealed. The gemstones glittering upon them, together with the necklace around her neck, made it impossible to look away.

Such a carriage and attire displayed the countess's noble status and luxurious life in every detail.

"Countess Latifa, you are like a star in the night sky. Your beauty leaves me in awe."

Henry stepped forward, gently took the hand before him, and lightly kissed it. "It is an honor to meet you."

Though Henry did not know Latifa, he was quite familiar with the Northern Snowfield. It had once been Sturgia, and its sea raiders had become the first escorts for the Empire's maritime trade.

The hand-kissing custom of the Calradia Empire was an ancient etiquette originating from Sturgia.

Originally, it had been used when presenting gifts by hand to a Prince. Over time, hand-kissing within the Empire had gradually evolved into a gesture of respect and esteem.

Especially between members of the opposite sex, it was regarded as the highest form of greeting.

"It is also an honor to meet you. You are quite famous. Count Sebastian and Marquis Alberti have greatly praised your valor. Everyone who has read the battle reports at the Imperial Office knows your name."

Henry nodded. It seemed the countess's willingness to meet him had something to do with his reputation.

Suddenly, Henry's wandering thoughts turned envious of the royal intelligence network. There were great numbers of carrier pigeons between the Imperial Offices in major cities and the military, allowing important intelligence to be delivered far more quickly.

Lesser Nobles like them did not have the money for such things, and since they were constantly on the move, they had no way to train pigeons capable of long-distance flights.

"Knight Henry, have you never seen a lady like me before?"

Henry came back to himself and said, "Of course. A lady as beautiful as you, I only saw one when the King bestowed knighthood upon me, at a court banquet."

Charm skill: Favorability with the opposite sex triggered...

Latifa smiled confidently. She had faith in her own charm. Money nurtured people, after all. At present, the Villarreal Family's army and wealth ranked among the top three in the entire Northern Snowfield.

"Then, Knight Henry, why did you wish to see me?"

"I wanted to know what your convoy is doing. This direction leads to the front-line battlefield."

Latifa blinked. "That's right. I'm here to do business. Large quantities of Half-Orc heads and prisoners are still on the way, but Baltahan's people have already completed the handover. I arrived too late and got nothing, so I intend to go directly to the legion and do business there."

Henry smiled. "I have a large number of Half-Orc heads in my possession. You can trade with me."

Latifa's interest was piqued. "What kinds are there, and how many?"

"Centaur, Minotaur, Tiger-man, Goatman, Gnoll, Kobold, Fox-person, Rabbit-person, Cat-person, and more. Four hundred and thirty-three in total."

Henry's army certainly had not taken that many overall, but he had served as a quartermaster for a month. If he did not skim a few heads, he would be letting his position down.

After thinking for a moment, Latifa proposed, "My Butler and I need to inspect them in person."

"Of course. My spoils are on my convoy, all processed by the army. They look rather ugly, so don't be frightened."

Latifa called over her butler, glanced at Henry, and said, "I have killed Horse Bandits on the battlefield. With a sword. By my own hand. Lead the way."

Henry shrugged. "Wow. Your family will be proud of you. Please, follow me."

Henry led Latifa to inspect his spoils. The considerable number of Half-Orc heads made Latifa nod to herself.

Although the Northern Snowfield had been conquered and assimilated by the Empire for centuries, it still retained Sturgia's wild and barbaric cultural traditions.

In the Northern Snowfield, heads of these Foreign Races were worth even more than the heads of fierce beasts.

"What's over there?"

"Those are all Half-Orc weapons, armor, and other military spoils. They are not for sale. I will take them back to my fief and place them in the castle armory, in preparation for future recruitment."

Latifa nodded, but then quickly looked at Henry in shock and asked uncertainly, "A castle? You have a castle?"

"That's right. I have a castle."

Latifa unconsciously straightened even more. She knew of Henry's various identities and accomplishments; no one would be uninterested in someone who had shone so brilliantly on the battlefield against the Foreign Races.

But she had not looked into the specific situation of Henry's fief, West Lyme, because it was too far away.

Soon, Latifa's female butler leaned close and whispered something in her ear.

Latifa looked at Henry and said, "All right, I'll take all these heads. Three thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven denar is a fair price... I'll give you Four Thousand Denar and make a friend of you. How about it?"

Trade Skill Fair Trade (Merchants may not fleece you like a fat sheep) activated...

"It is my honor for the Bro Family to be friends with the Villarreal Family."