Chapter 388

By the following evening, a large group of guests had arrived at the manor in Maple Leaf Village, Keen Territory.

Keen Territory had one city and four villages, each with its own manor. The manors were the lord's property; if a village had an invested knight, it served as that knight's residence.

Maple Leaf Village currently had no invested knight and was directly owned by Baron Keen. This manor had once been where Crick Keen lived before inheriting the title. Later, after his elder brothers died and he inherited the barony, he moved to Keen City, leaving this manor vacant.

Normally, no one lived there. Only a few farming families stayed behind to guard the gates and clean it from time to time. A few days ago, the Baron had sent over a large number of people to thoroughly refurbish the manor inside and out. The old doors and windows had been replaced, the furniture polished until it gleamed, and even the floors scrubbed spotless. They had even hired a mage specializing in nature magic to adjust the manor's flowers and trees to their blooming season.

In an instant, the manor, which had gradually fallen into disrepair, was brimming with life again. Even the most demanding person would have had to admit that it was entirely worthy of a baron's daughter's engagement ceremony.

"Crick Keen truly is a capable man!" Duruk stood atop a small hill near the manor, gazing at the picturesque estate as he spoke to his subordinates. "Look at that. In the blink of an eye, he had this manor whipped into shape. That kind of efficiency would be first-rate anywhere!"

"Yes, he really is impressive!"

"It's a pity he's about to die." Duruk sighed regretfully. "If he could live another eight or ten years, then even