"Young Master! Young Master! The master has already returned, and he gave orders that you be notified the moment you reach shore!"
Almost as soon as he disembarked,
"Father has already returned? Good, I'll go see him right away! Tidy things up here, and see to the spoils and prisoners from the ship…"
Compared to the furtive stealth before the surprise attack, Leylin returned in a far more brazen fashion this time. He was even hoping to use this victory to deter any other would-be troublemakers.
However, the only ship to enter the port was Leylin's original flagship. The captured pirate vessel "Black Tiger," along with a large portion of the pirates — and even his cousin Isabelle — had vanished without a trace.
All that remained, aside from a meager haul of spoils, were a few unlucky pirates, and of course, Steve, the former pirate captain.
"At once, Young Master!" Lane bowed deeply. From the injuries on the several guards behind Leylin alone, he could tell the battle had been exceedingly brutal.
"Mm! Jacob, bring Steve. Let's go!"
Leylin climbed straight into the carriage, followed by Jacob and the prisoner Steve with a black bag still draped over his head — Leylin had no intention of leaving such a high-value prisoner in his subordinates' hands. Who knew what might happen otherwise.
"Father…"
The moment the carriage reached the estate, Leylin saw the parents of this body — Baron Jonas and his wife — standing at the entrance, waiting. Their eyes were filled with an indescribable worry.
Leylin promptly stepped down from the carriage and was immediately pulled into an embrace by Lady Sarah. "Oh, my poor child…"
It was obvious that even though she had only a vague idea of what Leylin had gone to do, Lady Sarah had been terribly worried.
"As long as you're safe, that's what matters!" Baron Jonas still maintained the composure befitting a nobleman, though a trace of joy had crept into his eyes.
Leylin's gaze drifted past his father, and he spotted his mentor
But at that moment, behind Baron Jonas, Leylin also noticed several elite soldiers clad in armour. Their cold, steely gazes gave even Leylin a faint sense of danger.
"Fifth-Circle combat warriors! And this many of them — where did Father find them?"
From the eyes of these warriors, especially their leader, Leylin could see respect — but not the dependence and worry typical of house retainers. It was obvious the Baron had brought in outside help.
But these were minor matters.
"You brat, you can't be so reckless again — leading troops out all on your own like that, it's far beneath the dignity of a nobleman…"
Baron Jonas warned him sternly, the thought that his heir might have perished in this battle enough to make him shudder at the prospect of what would come after.
"Speaking of which, Father, please allow me to show you the spoils of war and the prisoners I brought back…"
Leylin clapped his hands, and Jacob personally marched Steve forward in chains.
Though the man's limbs had already been crippled long ago — without high-level divine magic, he was nothing more than a cripple — a proper guard detail was still indispensable.
"Oh?" Baron Jonas raised an eyebrow, showing no particular reaction to the prisoners or the battered swords Leylin presented.
In his mind, Leylin had simply gone out to suppress a small band of pirates — probably fewer than twenty in number, nothing more than a pack of starving fishermen gone mad — so there was nothing worth paying attention to.
Leylin yanked the black cloth from Steve's head, exposing that hideous face — missing an eye — to the sunlight. The deathly pallor brought on by severe blood loss did nothing to soften the terror of his visage. Even Lady Sarah let out a startled gasp, stumbling back several steps in alarm and revulsion.
"Leylin, you've frightened your mother. There's no need to drag out such wretched prisoners and dirty the eyes of a noble lady…" Baron Jonas was, after all, a military nobleman by upbringing, and the sight didn't unsettle him — but his brow did crease slightly.
He was somewhat puzzled as to why Leylin would present a prisoner reeking of sweat and blood, gravely wounded, right in front of him.
What the Baron failed to notice was that the elite warriors behind him had already changed their expressions.
Though Steve had been crippled, the thick calluses on his hands, the broad slabs of muscle across his body, and especially the lingering aura of a high-level fighter had not entirely faded. The sharp-eyed warriors had already picked up on the clues.
"This prisoner's name is Steve — captain of the Black Tiger Pirate
Leylin said it simply enough, but the words immediately made Baron Jonas's eyes go wide.
"
The Baron no longer cared about the filth on the man's body. He strode directly up to Steve, brushed aside the matted hair hanging over the man's forehead, and examined his face carefully.
"It's him — it really is him! The captain of the Black Tiger Pirate Crew! Steve, the tenth-circle warrior! Several major trading guilds have pooled a bounty of five hundred gold coins to bring him in! There are wanted posters in our own ports — I wouldn't mistake him…"
After a long moment, the Baron finally exhaled, regarding his son with a complicated expression.
This child never failed to bring him surprises. Even this outing — had Leylin not requested Ernest to provide assistance, the Baron himself might very well have been cut down by those assassins.
"If Steve is here, then what about the Black Tiger Pirate Crew?"
Even so, the Baron still asked a somewhat uncertain question.
"They've been completely wiped out!" Leylin said it as if it were nothing. Behind him, Jacob and the other guards swelled with pride, their chests puffed out, their gazes cutting toward the elite warriors standing behind the Baron.
"Well done! I think we need to have a proper talk!"
Baron Jonas's expression was very complicated.
Once Leylin had returned as well, laughter and joy flooded back into the manor. Even the perpetually grim-faced butler, Lane, wore a rare smile as he directed the Claire sisters in preparing the evening feast.
Before those preparations were complete, however, in the Baron's study, Jonas dismissed all the maids and servants, leaving only Leylin and Ernest.
"This time, Leylin, your intelligence was of tremendous help to me. Even if the cost was steep, I will settle the matter with the Temple of Knowledge..."
Baron Jonas's voice was hoarse and low. Leylin keenly noticed the bloodshot veins in the man's eyes, even the strands of white hair creeping in at his temples.
It was clear that under the crushing pressure of Marquis Louis — a colossus of a man — the Baron had been tormented and worn to exhaustion.
Even now that there was a sliver of breathing room, the shadow of his adversary had never been lifted.
"This is only what I should have done. After all, I am also a member of the Faolan family!" Leylin said with great humility.
This display made Baron Jonas nod inwardly. "Now that we know who our enemy is, handling this matter becomes far easier. Though our trip to the mainland brought several assassination attempts, heaven saw fit to keep us unharmed — and furthermore, we were able to meet with Count Griffith!"
"Count Griffith — the influential regional noble?"
Leylin's eyes flickered as he immediately recalled the man's identity. So it seemed Baron Jonas, after paying a certain price and making certain concessions, had finally secured the support of the regional nobility?
"He dispatched a small squad of Knights, which includes several fifth-level warriors, and their leader is a ninth-level professional — more than sufficient to protect our manor's safety..."
Baron Jonas looked at Leylin with a trace of guilt in his eyes.
In his view, had he not taken the bulk of the elite forces with him, Leylin would never have been ambushed, nor forced into a deadly confrontation with a savage pirate crew — though he had done his best to leave Ernest and Jacob, two professionals, behind to guard the manor and the port.
Still, relying on another's protection was ultimately no long-term solution, and Leylin frowned slightly at the thought.
When Jonas noticed this expression, he nodded with even greater approval. This boy already possessed the wisdom befitting the future helmsman of the family.
"So then, in your view, how should we deal with that Steve? After all, he is your prisoner..."
Baron Jonas chuckled, wanting to see how Leylin would respond.
"Send a envoy to negotiate and hand him back to Marquis Louis, along with a peace treaty — how does that sound? After all, our family is still quite weak..." Leylin stated his thoughts without any pretense.
"Excellent!" Baron Jonas nearly applauded his child. He himself wouldn't have been this level-headed at that age — if insulted, he would have been clamoring for retaliation long ago.
The courage to abandon gains and lie low — that kind of foresight alone meant that even if Leylin accomplished nothing else, Baron Jonas had already decided to entrust the family to him.
"Then who do you think would be a suitable candidate?"
"Bishop Tabris of the Temple of Knowledge — he is a friend to both sides and would be perfect as an envoy for this!"
Leylin deliberately stressed the word "friend," and Baron Jonas clearly picked up on the subtext behind it.
He pondered for a moment: "He is indeed an excellent choice..."
As a bishop of the Temple of Knowledge, he would be well-suited as a neutral intermediary between both parties, and it would also serve to expand the prestige of the God of Knowledge. Tabris would surely not refuse.
"Father, and Master Ernest — there are a few more things I'd like to say..."
Only after this matter was settled did Leylin speak up in a measured tone. (……