"Huh," she uttered softly.
"What is it?" Antitina looked in that direction in vain and asked as she turned back.
"Some strange folks have arrived."
Medisha murmured.
...
For the Tosankard Forest, the extended rainy weather seemed to return to Majitan and nearby areas after a brief spell of clear skies.
For the residents of the Mist Forest, ever since Duke Anliek’s visit, there haven’t been many good days. The gloomy skies laden with rain constantly hover overhead, though April and May mark the start of Tosankard’s rainy season.
But this year, it’s been extraordinarily excessive.
The wooden fence gate creaked and swayed as it was raised amidst the pouring rain, and a pair of cold eyes silently watched the rainwater slide down the gate, falling from the tips like broken strings and merging into the muddy ground.
Two attendants held up a cloak to shield Count Rangdenier from the continuous rain, and this Privileged Earl of the Kingdom silently watched the carriage on the drawbridge being led out of the outer city by guards, then turned back, quickly disappearing over the city gate.
Duke Anliek lifted the curtain of the carriage window with one hand, withdrawing his gaze from that direction, and snorted lightly. The inside of the carriage plunged back into darkness: "This old fox is both cautious and greedy. Indecisiveness and obstinacy are precisely his greatest weaknesses."
"That might also be the typical weakness of nobles, Lord Duke." A woman’s voice replied: "But at least we persuaded the guy, so it wasn’t a wasted trip."
"He’ll have his moment of regret." The hoarse voice coldly chuckled.
"He simply had no choice, yet he might not truly board our ship. On the other hand, how could such a mediocre noble understand deeper principles?" Duke Anliek shook his head.
"But Duke Cohen, this guy indeed isn’t trustworthy, so you’d better make other plans." He added a reminder.
"Already prepared." The hoarse voice answered eerily: "He’s but a sacrificial lamb anyway."
Anliek nodded, giving a final enigmatic glance in that direction—Majitan’s towering city walls had already become a faint outline in the rain. Then he lowered the curtain, and the carriage returned to darkness.
In the direction he couldn’t see, Count Rangdenier was descending the castle’s spiral staircase accompanied by a knight. The dim light in the colonnade reflected his face with varying brightness. Once an all-powerful Earl in the Kingdom, now every wrinkle seemed to be etched with cold doubt.
"Father, do you truly intend to ally with those things?" A figure had been waiting below, and the noble youth raised his head, asking somewhat urgently: "Once we agree, there’s no turning back."
Rangdenier glanced at his second son: "Do we have a way out now? It seems you haven’t figured out your situation."
"No, I mean..."
"Enough." Rangdenier interrupted impatiently: "I know what you want to say, of course, I’ll make the necessary preparations. Madara... at least on Madara’s side..."
He sighed: "Forget it, go contact the Cruz people."
"Cruz people?"
"Some things need to be made known to them."
Count Rangdenier replied softly after a moment of silence.
...
(PS: Day three! Went out to handle some affairs today, ended up really late! Wuwuwu, let’s leave it at that~) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)