The Dawnstar Port was already close at hand.
Following the receding Pirate Tide and the decline of the Bodhi Archipelago, the Dawnstar Port had actually grown even more prosperous.
Numerous shipping routes had been opened up; the closer one got, the more ships could be seen.
The original port had undergone several expansions, and now it was no trouble to accommodate over a hundred sea vessels.
The docks were packed with dense crowds of people, and amongst them had gathered a distinct group.
Leading the group were several figures dressed in luxurious noble attire. With his keen eyesight, Leylin could vaguely make out familiar faces.
At the very front were Lord and Lady Jonas. Lady Jonas was waving a white handkerchief towards him, occasionally dabbing at her tears.
"Sob... child! My child! How could you be so cruel as to abandon us, leaving for so many years... sob..."
The moment Leylin stepped off the ship, before he could even greet anyone, he was swept into an embrace by the Baroness.
Seeing this, Leylin could only give a helpless nod towards Baron Jonas before comforting his mother.
"Alright! Alright, dear! Leylin's return is cause for celebration!"
Baron Jonas looked considerably aged, his temples already showing traces of white, though his spirit remained robust.
The aura of decisive military command he once possessed had faded greatly, replaced by an air of calm, composed authority.
"Father! I have returned!"
Leylin smiled and bowed.
"Returning is what matters!" Baron Jonas nodded, and at the same time, brought forth a pair of children around five or six years old from behind him.
"These are your younger brother and sister! Jack and Sharina. Come. Quickly, greet your big brother!"
"Big brother!" "Big brother!!"
The two children's eyes held both childish innocence and apprehension — they were still at an age of innocent confusion. Nevertheless, they obediently called out sweetly at their father's words.
"Mm!"
Leylin nodded. Through the bloodline connection, he could tell these were his father's children, though not from his mother's womb. But this was perfectly normal among nobility.
Children born of concubines had no real standing whatsoever — the fact that their mother hadn't even come along made that abundantly clear.
As illegitimate children, their only path forward in life would be to join the Church of the
Since they posed absolutely no threat to Leylin's position, even Madam Jonas hadn't shown any particular hostility.
"Jack! Sharina! Hello there!"
At this moment, Leylin naturally played the part of a warm and gentle big brother, even though he'd had no prior knowledge of them. He quickly produced his gifts — beautiful cloth dolls and exquisite deerskin boots — drawing cheers from his younger siblings.
Leylin had long since prepared an entire ship's worth of gifts to distribute upon his return, so he certainly didn't mind adding two more to the tally.
"Seeing you all getting along so well puts my mind at ease!"
Baron Jonas nodded with great satisfaction. Leylin's gesture was a clear statement — at the very least, he no longer had to worry about who would look after his younger children after he passed away.
With his understanding of Leylin's character, he knew full well that with Leylin's cunning and strength, these two younger siblings wouldn't stand a chance as rivals.
"Now, if only Jack and Sharina would learn to be content…"
Baron Jonas sighed inwardly.
"Jacob! Lane!"
Afterward, Leylin greeted the others as well and presented them with gifts.
"Young Master Leylin!" Jacob and Lane bowed respectfully, their eyes brimming with excitement.
They both looked quite aged — nearly at the point of retirement.
"You've worked hard, all of you!" Leylin swept his gaze across the group, then spotted Zona, the Gold Bishop of the Goddess of Wealth.
"And Bishop Zona! It's been a long time!"
"Indeed, it's been a long time!" Zona still had the same girlish appearance as before. The divine glory of her goddess had slowed her aging — she would maintain her youthful appearance even until death. Only her eyes had grown notably more mature.
"Regarding Dawn Star Port. And our future cooperation — there's so much I want to discuss with you. But it looks like I should save that for another visit!"
Bishop Zona said this with considerate understanding.
Leylin nodded. The head of the Temple of Wealth hadn't changed at all. However, the other two temples — those of Oghma, the God of Knowledge, and Ilmater, the God of Suffering — seemed to have unfamiliar new bishops, who were then introduced to Leylin one by one.
"Come to the mage tower tonight. I have something to show you!"
Leylin's lips curved slightly upward. The mage tower should be nearly complete by now — he figured his mentor's request must be related to that.
"When the time comes, I hope my progress won't scare him..."
After the tedious and convoluted welcoming ceremony, Leylin returned directly to his villa in Dawn Star Port.
With the maturation and growth of this place, the political center of Faolan Island had gradually shifted here as well. The original manor had been converted into a vacation estate.
"Young Master!" "Young Master!"
Two beautiful maids were already waiting inside the villa. Upon seeing Leylin, their eyes reddened with emotion.
"The Claire sisters!"
Leylin nodded. The two sisters had matured considerably, and right now they looked as though they were on the verge of tears.
"Everything in the rooms is just as I left it!"
Leylin strolled through the rooms with his hands clasped behind his back, finding that everything — the arrangement of furniture, the layout of carpets and curtains — was exactly as he had left it.
"The Madam was afraid you wouldn't feel at home if things had changed, Young Master, so she had us keep everything exactly as it was!"
Claire said softly. This girl had grown into a strong, resilient woman.
Leylin sighed inwardly.
Ordinary manor maids her age would long since have been married off. The fact that she was still here was surely because of him.
Before he said a word, even their father — old butler Laine — would not have dared to make decisions on his own.
Sometimes, a single whim from those in power could alter the lives of those beneath them in drastic ways.
Still, Leylin had no ulterior motives. What was done was done. At most, he could simply offer some extra compensation down the road.
"Boil some hot water — I want to take a bath and get a good night's sleep! I've had absolutely enough of life at sea!"
Leylin gave the order, and the Claire sisters carried it out efficiently, completing everything just as he had intended.
After a brief rest, Leylin did not get much free time. During his absence, far too many matters had piled up.
First was the evening banquet — a gathering to welcome his return and to exchange pleasantries with the various factions. That was one he could not skip.
Afterward, Leylin made his way to Baron Jonas's study.
"You've done well, my boy! You are my pride!"
The baron's study was far larger than before. Dark reddish coral wood gave off a faint, pleasant fragrance, and the room was even illuminated by magical artifacts — clearly, conditions had improved considerably.
Baron Jonas sat behind his desk, gazing at his son.
"What happened in the north is a bit of a shame. We had no choice but to give up that Violet fiefdom, but the title of Violet Baron can still be passed down to your other heirs…"
Leylin had, of course, already informed Baron Jonas about his enfeoffment in the north.
His Violet territory was now either occupied by the Beastkin or had fallen into the hands of the beastmen, becoming part of the Beastman Empire. Reclaiming it was clearly far from realistic.
But what Baron Jonas truly valued was the hereditary title of Baron!
After all, a hereditary noble title was far more impressive than those court-noble titles, and it could be inherited just the same!
Leylin's territory had been lost due to the chaos of war — his title had not been stripped away, so it still carried weight. Of course, it was worth considerably less than when the Silver Moon City still stood.
For many nobles, losing their own territory was an indescribable humiliation.
However, as long as the title remained, the threshold of enfeoffment had been crossed, and climbing higher in the future would be that much easier.
Even if the northern territory was gone, finding another fiefdom in Danbres was no difficult feat! The outer seas still had countless uninhabited islands, and with some maneuvering, Leylin's hereditary barony could be converted into a Danbres title! That would mean the Faolan family would possess two baronial titles in succession! Their nominal strength would instantly double!
Perhaps, in the Baron’s heart, being able to have the fiefdom transferred back was a matter for great celebration!
"With our family’s current strength and trade connections, influencing His Majesty shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, you are likewise a hereditary noble. As long as the fiefdom is in the outer seas and doesn’t infringe upon the interests of those continental nobles, there likely won’t be many who oppose it…"
Baron Jonas spoke with confidence.
However, that was as far as it went. The other party’s perspective was still confined to noble fiefs and the profits from trade.
Leylin listened noncommittally. His goal was, and always would be, the pursuit of eternity! But everyone had their own path and philosophies, and he didn’t insist on anything.
"What about Marquis Dim? Has he been causing us any trouble?"
"Him… He’s been much more well-behaved since returning from the royal capital last time, so not a major issue… The reason I called you back is because of a few other matters!"
At this, Baron Jonas’s expression gradually turned serious.
"What matters?" The previous letters had only mentioned that several things had happened, so Leylin wasn’t aware of the details.
"In the outer seas… the traces of devils and demons are growing more obvious, the Church of the God of Murder is also on the rise, and especially the return and expansion of the barbarian pirate bands…"
Baron Jonas spoke in a detached tone.