By the time Merlin returned to the manor, dusk had already fallen.
The drizzling rain had yet to stop completely, and a few icy drops still drifted through the air. When Merlin returned to the manor, he discovered that Count Stanwen was absent. During this period, Count Stanwen had been running himself ragged over Merlin's wedding, leaving early and returning late every day, as though there were endless matters demanding his attention.
"Milord has returned."
Not long afterward, a maid softly reported to Merlin. Soon, Count Stanwen entered from outside, looking travel-worn and dusty.
"Leo, preparations for your wedding are nearly complete. I had originally planned to hold it for you next month, but the Dread Crocodile Mercenary Group I formed has accepted a major job. We need to escort a merchant caravan for a long journey and likely will not return until three months later. Therefore, after discussing it with Count Otadi, we decided to wait half a year before holding the wedding for you and Miss Balasha."
The moment he entered the hall, Count Stanwen explained himself to Merlin. It turned out that his early departures and late returns during this time had not merely been for Merlin's wedding, but even more so for the mercenary group he had established.
Though Count Stanwen had accumulated considerable wealth when he was still a lord, he could not simply sit idle and eat away at his savings. Three hundred Heavy Guard Knights followed him, and while they were a formidable force, they also came with immense responsibility.
Nor could Count Stanwen go into business. The various trades in Sacred Dragon City were all controlled by massive merchant associations, leaving ordinary people with no room to intervene.
As for serving the empire, that was even less possible. Whether the Sacred Dragon