Baron, Fool

He almost thought he'd misheard, because the person had called out the name of the young master of Tervain Village.

Instead of thinking he was truly Sir Davis, like the Holy See's pastor did.

For a moment, he couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.

If these two knights knew who he was, did that mean his facade had been completely exposed?

But where could it have leaked from?

The men under him were one hundred percent loyal. Where was the problem?

The older knight suddenly laughed, taking off his eagle-beaked helmet. His eyes, previously hidden in the helmet's shadow, suddenly shone brilliantly.

The man was fair-skinned, with a thick, short beard meticulously trimmed. His build was sturdy and showed no signs of age, though he was likely around sixty.

Judging by his demeanor alone, no one would believe he was just some nameless knight.

"Stop guessing. I am Nordus Tervain, the current Baron Tervain."

As he spoke, he surveyed the hall, casually found a seat, and sat down as if he were in his own home.

"Are you surprised to see me like this?" Although the Baron was dressed formally, his physical condition and face indicated he was quite healthy.

"Are you thinking about how I survived an assassination attempt and am still so spry? Or are you wondering how I know you're not David?"

The Baron casually picked up a date, chewing it forcefully with his back teeth. Seeing Ergons remain silent, he chuckled instead.

"The fact that you even doubt whether I'm the Baron is enough."

Right! Although it was said that Dai Weisi and the current Baron had a bad relationship, no matter how bad, they were still uncle and nephew. The look in their eyes couldn't be as unfamiliar as this.

This was something that couldn't fool acquaintances.

Not everyone was as easily fooled by this new version of him as Pastor Alphons and his group, who had never met them.

Ergons put away his contempt. He had become accustomed to the mindset that he could have anything he wanted thanks to his Cheat System.

This Baron's experience and wisdom were enough to make him put away his disdain.

However, he still didn't understand where the leak had come from. If the Baron hadn't had enough information about his situation, he wouldn't have come directly like this.

"No need to worry. The real problem comes from the Holy See. Do you remember killing Bane?

David would never kill Bane."

It's true that your greatest enemy often knows you best. Baron Nordus had thoroughly analyzed Sir Davis.

Ergons understood now. If Sir Davis didn't die at his hands, he certainly wouldn't be a match for Baron Nordus.

The Baron was still struggling with the date in his mouth. "Speaking of which, do you support the Holy See or the Duchy?"

He then seemed to think the question was premature and instead asked, "Do you know why the knightly orders controlled by the church later developed into knightly states, and then united to form duchies?"

"It's precisely because divine authority is far less reasonable than secular authority."

He answered his own question, "Take our Tevalinburg, for example. This Pastor Alphons is too young. He's far inferior to that old dog who raised David.

He thinks I've been sidelined, but in reality, Tevalinburg will always belong to the Tervain family. I'm fully aware of all his little schemes."

Ergons had to admit that the gap in experience and wisdom between a pastor and a noble was quite significant.

Baron Nordus looked at him with admiration, speaking with an air of authority and decisiveness.

"I didn't expect you, child, to have some substance. Putting aside personal feelings, I genuinely think you're more capable than David. Seeing that you've done well, this village will be yours from now on.

As for the Holy See's so-called ridiculous plan. Do you really think they're doing this for our Northern Knights?

They just want to re-establish divine authority over everything. And the Count doesn't agree with this... Elisa? You're really here."

Ergons was a bit flustered. When Elisa, looking charmingly tipsy, ran in cheerfully with a pot and a flower tucked behind her ear...

The air froze.

Seeing the Baron suddenly, Elisa was also startled.

She was no longer cheerful, her demeanor lost its charm, and the wine pot in her hand clattered to the floor. The flower behind her ear seemed to wilt.

However, the Baron didn't dwell on the matter. But he lost his air of complete control and simply asked, "The world says I'm foolishly loyal to the Count, and that I have the stain of killing my own brother to gain the title. Little do they know, I was once a top commander, personally granted military power by the Count, expanded our territory by a thousand miles, and commanded thousands of troops as a regional lord.

Between me and that imbecilic pastor, do you know who you should choose!"

His words were a bit abrupt and out of context.

"In Tevalinburg, I hold worldly power. The Holy See, on the other hand, wants to revive the outdated concept of divine right of kings. I hope you understand."

He didn't look at Elisa again from beginning to end, and his attitude shifted from initial admiration to a hint of anger.

But Ergons wasn't afraid of him. He thought, You mere pawn, daring to act profound in front of your transmigrator overlord? Do you truly not know that I'm famous for taking heads from a thousand miles away as easily as reaching into a pocket?

The Baron had no idea that, in just this short while, his head was still on his shoulders was a stroke of luck, yet he was still acting all mysterious and profound.

"True gold, through the tempering of time, will eventually shed its outer shell and reveal its brilliance, while stones will not.

That's how people in our family are. That's why I won't blame you for killing Dai Weisi. This has nothing to do with personal emotions; it's simply joy at having a successor. You know, I've always looked forward to seeing someone emerge among the younger generation."

The Baron seemed to have more to say, but his mood was spoiled by Elisa. He concluded perfunctorily, "I'm very happy to see you today. You are indeed qualified to grow and assist my son.

Alright, I won't say more, I should be going. Oh, right, although I've told you so much, I must emphasize one thing: you should be full of respect for the Holy Light, but you don't need to respect those fools who serve the Holy Light. They can't even deliver a gift properly."

With that cryptic remark, the Baron walked outside and mounted his griffon. "You must work hard enough, work hard so that no one can replace you, or you won't have the chance to assist my son."

The Baron had arrived in such a hurry, and left just as quickly.

The Knight left behind, however, took a new cloak from his satchel and put it on.

"Life still needs a sense of ritual. Now, I represent the Holy See to inform you about the matter of the looted supplies, and with Pastor Alphons's order, I command you to investigate the matter of the attackers."

After speaking, the Knight took off the cloak again, stuffed it back into his leather bag, and then left without looking back, mounting his griffon and flying away.

WTF!

He had previously pinned his hopes on the Holy See, believing they could give him opportunities to play both sides and successfully control Tevalinburg.

From the current situation.

Wasn't the Holy See being treated like fools by those great lords?

The newly dispatched griffon knight from the Holy See was the local lord himself, while the newly arrived chief executive seemed to have no concept of this matter at all.

Wasn't this just a joke?

They had even sent people to attack local nobles, thinking the other party was on their deathbed. All matters were arranged by them as they pleased, for them to take and demand whatever they wanted.

And the result?

"What a sin!"

Ergons, who had originally not wanted to get too close to any party, now felt that the Holy See didn't even qualify to let him play both sides!