With Turam's arrival, the hall, which had been deathly still like stagnant water in an ancient well, suddenly became a babbling stream on a summer night. All the nobles came back to life, their expressions turning incomparably natural and composed. Even the nobles of the Gaul and Caesar Empires who had been caught up in that little incident just now wore easy smiles.
"Go on. Freely improvise, but don't stir up trouble!" Lin Qi sent Alda a soul ripple, then waved a hand behind him.
Under the watchful eyes of the Goldshell Family guards who kept arriving, Barrel led a large group of guards out of the hall. Meanwhile, Day and Night remained at Lin Qi's and Alda's sides respectively, never more than a step away.
After all, whether it was Alda posing as Dragon Mountain Count or Lin Qi playing Wan En Longshan, Dragon Mountain Count was only slightly more skilled than an ordinary warrior, while Wan En Longshan was simply an ordinary old man. After what had just happened, having two personal guards at their sides was something no one could find fault with.
After all, figures of sufficiently exalted status like Bicus in the hall were all accompanied by aides and a great many retainers.
Alda glanced at Turam, then held his head high and merged into the crowd. Before long, he was chatting animatedly among the gorgeously dressed young ladies and noblewomen. An excited flush gathered on his face, and an ambiguous mood swiftly fermented between him and those women.
Lin Qi, meanwhile, brought Night with him and walked up to Turam in measured, square steps. He respectfully bowed to him.
"Please forgive the Count's willfulness," Lin Qi said in a deep voice. "But please understand that the Count is still young. He has just suffered