Entering Firefall Fortress

The caravan slowly rolled into the inner courtyard of Firefall Fortress, the oak wheels grinding against the gravel road with a low, rhythmic rumble.

Ye Wei'an took special care to change his attire inside the carriage. Ailian draped the Battlemage Academy robe over his shoulders; it was a deep, dark violet, tailored to fit his frame perfectly, with silver buckles cinching the cuffs to give him a sharp, cold, and capable appearance.

The moment Ye Wei'an stepped down from the carriage, the entire interior of the fortress seemed to fall under a mute spell.

Ye Wei'an led Ailian, Cain, and several infantrymen toward the lord's residence on foot, while the others went to see to the storage of the carriages and cargo.

The return of the "bastard" after a four-year absence naturally drew the gaze of everyone in the castle.

Servants poked their heads out from the corridors, maids whispered behind stone pillars, and even the patrolling guards slowed their pace, eyeing him with complex expressions.

"By Lady Firehair, is that Young Master Ye Wei'an? If it weren't for that black hair, I wouldn't dare recognize him... When did he become so imposing?" A young maid blushed, unable to tear her eyes away.

Lady Firehair, Sune, was the Faerûn goddess of love and beauty, worshipped by young men and women who yearned for romance.

"What's the use of looking pretty? A bastard is still a bastard." An old gardener curled his lip and muttered under his breath, "A good-for-nothing who went to Suzar for four years; aside from learning how to burn money, I doubt he could even cast a lowest-level Fireball."

"Is that really Young Master Ye Wei'an? Then what is this display about?" An old servant rubbed his eyes. "When he left four years ago, he even had to carry his own suitcase."

"What else could it be? He probably couldn't hack it in Suzar and used his pathetic living allowance to hire some people to put on a show." A young attendant leaned against the stable wall, his tone biting. "Trash is trash; putting on a robe won't turn you into a mage."

An Amarisk private soldier laughed even more brazenly: "Look, our 'Young Master' is back. What a pity, though. The Lady already said that Firefall Fortress doesn't keep useless idlers, let alone a squib who only knows how to perform parlor tricks."

These grating, mocking words reached the ears of Cain and the accompanying guards.

One of them couldn't take it anymore. Timothy stepped forward abruptly, hand on his sword hilt, eyes wide with fury: "By Torm's beard! You foul-mouthed little worm, if you dare show the Young Master disrespect again, I'll cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs right now!"

The castle guards were stunned by the roar, but they soon erupted into jeers.

"Yo, what kind of love potion did this 'trash' feed you? Is he worth throwing your lives away for?"

Those who knew him offered a warning: "Hey, buddy, is it worth it? Don't start a fight in Firefall Fortress over a bastard."

Cain held back Timothy, who was ready to charge, and swept his cold, sharp gaze across the crowd.

The genuine killing intent caused the laughter to gradually fade away.

"Trash? You dare call Lord Ye Wei'an trash?" Cain sneered, his voice booming loud enough for half the courtyard to hear. "You bunch of cowards who only know how to lick plates in this castle have no idea who you're talking about! Just five days ago, the very 'trash' you speak of led us to defeat 'Butcher' Grumman and his bandit gang!"

"'Butcher' Grumman?" someone in the crowd gasped.

"That's right! And not just that bandit gang that's been entrenched for years, but their backer, the 'Gray Crow' of Firefall Town, was also settled by the Young Master! The Young Master is not only a powerful mage but the savior in the eyes of thousands of Firefall Town residents. He distributed most of the ill-gotten gains squeezed by the Gray Crow back to the victims!"

Cain grew more animated as he spoke, his voice filled with pride: "While he was purging evil in Firefall Town and winning prestige for the family, what was your 'legitimate' young master doing?! You have no right to judge Lord Ye Wei'an. In my eyes, he is the true heir of the Baron!"

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

The maids stopped their whispering, and the attendant who had been full of disdain froze in place.

They looked at Ye Wei'an's straight, tall back, then at the imposing guard unit, and a sense of absurd yet undeniable shock rushed to their heads.

That bastard who didn't even dare to speak loudly four years ago had actually mastered powerful magic?

They all knew the name "Butcher" Grumman, and many knew of the "Gray Crow."

That bastard... had actually taken them both down?

On the other side, the caravan stopped near the stables and outer warehouse area.

The castle guards responsible for receiving supplies walked up, intending to inspect them with their usual arrogance, but were left speechless by the mountains of crates piled inside the carriages.

"By Waukeen's hem... what is in these carriages? Gold mines?" A guard stared at the axles sinking into the mud, his eyes nearly popping out. "So much grain, cloth, even crates of ironware. Where did that bastard get so many treasures?"

"Get your dirty hands off!" The soldier guarding the supplies shoved the man aside, patting his sword hilt with a boastful expression. "This is the loot the Young Master seized from bandits and black-hearted merchants, along with supplies 'voluntarily' donated by the merchants of Firefall Town. You ignorant bumpkins, stay back!"

Meanwhile, Renn was leading dozens of laborers toward the open space by the stables.

These laborers had worked alongside the caravan the whole way; though exhausted, their faces were filled with anticipation.

"The Young Master has ordered everyone to line up here."

Renn pulled out a heavy leather pouch and began distributing the final payment as Ye Wei'an had requested. "Five extra silver coins for everyone as a bonus for the forced march over the last two days. Additionally, the castle will provide hot water and hot soup; you will rest in the west wing tonight."

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" A castle steward hurried over, clutching his robes. He looked at Renn handing out money, his heart aching as if his own flesh were being cut. "By Sharess, you're not only giving these mud-crawlers silver coins? You want them to stay in the guest wing? Renn, has a warhorse kicked you in the head?"

Renn frowned, looking at the man coldly.

"The castle's guest wing is for decent noble retainers, not for these sweat-stinking peasants!" The steward pointed at the uneasy laborers with disgust. "Give them two pieces of black bread and let them huddle in the hay shed for the night; that is already the Baron's mercy."

Renn's expression darkened instantly.

Throughout this journey, he had long since been won over by Ye Wei'an's character.

Most of them came from commoner backgrounds, and while they were used to the past attitudes of mistreating the lower classes, they had gained respect when encountering a leader like Ye Wei'an.

If the Young Master was happy to treat commoners well, then it must be the right thing to do.

He grabbed the steward by the collar and lifted the fat pig clean off the ground.

"Say that to my face again!"

"You... what are you doing! I am the Baroness's..."

"I don't care whose lapdog you are!" Renn slammed him against the wall. "These people are hired hands invited by the Young Master, and they've put in plenty of work along the way. The Young Master said to take care of them, so you will arrange everything perfectly! Get their food and lodging sorted immediately. If I see anyone without hot soup tonight, I'll shove your head into a toilet tomorrow to see if your Baroness can save you!"

"The cost! Have you considered the cost?" the steward shrieked. "The castle's current expenses are strictly audited by the Lady..."

"Screw your expenses!" Renn grabbed a handful of silver coins and flung them directly at the steward's chest.

The silver coins clattered and scattered all over the floor.

"The Young Master will pay! This is just a deposit. Now, get out and get to work!"

The steward was dazed from being pelted by the coins, yet he greedily crouched down to pick them up, muttering incessantly, "He's mad, he's truly gone mad... May Sharess preserve us, I think this bastard son is trying to start a rebellion."

This scene was witnessed by the laborers in the distance.

Clutching the wages that still held the warmth of their hands, their eyes grew moist.

"Only Young Master Ye Wei'an treats us like human beings..." an old farmer wiped his tears and said to his companion.

"By Torm, even though they all carry the Summerstar name, how can the difference be so vast?" A young laborer glared hatefully at the cold, imposing manor of the lord. "Those noble masters are all rotten to the core, but Young Master Ye Wei'an... he is different."

"Indeed, aside from the Young Master, everyone else in the Summerstar Family is rotten to the core."