Work Prophet
Chapter 445 - 63 Ferdinand’s Sense of Humor

Chapter 445: Chapter 63 Ferdinand’s Sense of Humor

Ireya had spent the majority of her life in Green Field, only occasionally venturing out to Black Stone City for play after the carrot harvest with her family’s grain transport team, and had hardly visited any other places.

It was not until her father sent her to the Temple to study that she took her first long journey, and the girl would never forget how she felt when leaving.

Despite her nursemaid’s pleas, she poked her head out of the carriage several times, continuously looking back at the castle she had lived in for over a decade, and the figure standing in front of the castle gates.

At that time, her heart was filled with trepidation and perplexity, yet she was vaguely excited about the new life that awaited her.

She just did not expect that it would be her last meeting with that person.

Now, Ireya was embarking on a journey again, and this time the destination was even further away.

— Lion Heart Castle, the Royal Capital of the Red Lion Empire, the foremost formidable city on the entire Bratis Continent, the center of power.

That place was filled with illustrious noble families and affluent houses; picking a minor noble at random, the history behind them would likely be longer than that of the Arias family, not to mention the twelve grand noble families at the empire’s top echelons.

Well, now there were only eleven.

But that was not the point; it is said that the city’s banquets never cease, with people partying all night, indulging in fine wines, and the markets overflowing with exotic treasures brought by foreign merchants...

Ireya had grown up listening to various stories about Lion Heart Castle.

Although the western territory was far from the Empire’s Royal Capital, it did not hinder the people here from fantasizing about the city and its inhabitants.

Or perhaps it was precisely because they were so far away that they could let their imaginations run wild without restraint.

The young Ireya had always dreamed of one day visiting that grand city, and now that wish was about to be fulfilled.

But the carefree little girl had grown into a Lady who oversaw a territory, assuming the responsibilities of a family, necessitating her to consider many more matters.

Ireya found it hard to possess that kind of simple, pure joy like before.

Moreover, during this trip to the Royal Capital, she also needed to explain to the Emperor why she could not participate in the martial arts tournament and dispel his misunderstandings about her.

Ireya was contemplating whether to draft a script first, organize her wording, and simply recite it from memory when needed to avoid mistakes, when suddenly Thomas’s voice came from up front.

"Lady Ireya, we have arrived."

The Lady looked up and saw a large lake with a city situated in its center. The city boasted high walls and was connected to the land on the opposite shore by only a bridge.

Ireya knew that it was the famed Lake City in the western territory.

Teacup Castle was already considered a formidable fortress in the western territory, entirely built of stone, easy to defend and hard to attack, but it seemed rather insignificant when compared to the city before her eyes.

Marier Family had built the Floating City by constructing dykes at both its north and south ends, cutting off the Dragon Saliva River that flowed through here and ultimately accumulating an artificial lake around the city.

Paired with the high walls, Lake City was tightly secured; anyone wishing to enter the city had no choice but to cross the bridge outside.

In other words, when an enemy came, Marier’s guards only needed to defend that bridge to ensure the city’s safety, and if necessary, the last section of the drawbridge could be raised, completely cutting off contact with the land.

Thomas looked back and sighed deeply, "With just a thousand men, no, seven hundred, I could use this city to hold back an army of tens of thousands."

Jude, standing beside him, was also looking up at the city completely surrounded by the lake, his expression somewhat complex.

Before she set off, Miss Rabbit had specifically sought out Fosto to brush up on the history of the Empire and immediately thought of something.

"If I remember correctly, just like the Immanuel Family, the Marier Family was also a vassal of the Enríquez Family. Moreover, after the Battle of the Blood Dragon’s Lament, they held out for a while and became the last Noble Family in the west to surrender."

"Because Lake City was really too difficult to attack, Alexander of the Furious Lion later reached an agreement with the Marier Family. He stripped them of their other lands and left only this Floating City to them in exchange for their loyalty."

"Those are all old stories now," Jude said softly, "No one in the West remembers the Enríquez Family anymore, and the Marier Family is no exception."

"That’s really true," Lady Irene nodded, "Everyone has gotten used to life as it is now. Let’s go, I think I have already seen the people from the Batorri Family."

Ireya had heard that Ferdinand was also planning to bring people to participate in the tournament, so she had agreed to set off together, choosing Lake City as their meeting point.

Since Ferdinand had walked faster, he had arrived first and had been waiting for the Lady for a day.

Upon learning that Ireya had also arrived, the Family Head of the Batorri Family personally went out of the city to welcome her.

The young Baron looked quite different from before, taller and more robust, even to the point of being considered muscular.

The fuzz under his nose had become denser, but the only thing that remained the same was his serious expression and his ever-puckered lips.

"Ferdinand!" Miss Rabbit, descending from the carriage, immediately gave the Family Head of the Batorri Family a bear hug, joyfully saying, "We meet again! You’re looking more and more like your father."

The smile on the Lady’s face was genuine, not the forced one she used to deal with those tedious nobles.

For hundreds of years, both families had been allies, watching over each other. When Teacup Castle was besieged by the lizard people, Ferdinand was the only one who risked delaying the autumn harvest to come to the rescue.

Later, when Miss Rabbit dealt with the Black Dragon, the Family Head of the Batorri Family also brought three hundred men to support her.

Marquis Kuren had once commented on Ferdinand, "In this young man, I see the most precious quality of a noble, those virtues that once shone on our ancestors but are gradually fading—loyalty, courage, and justice."

"You’ve also lost weight," replied the Family Head of the Batorri Family.

"Uh... I’ve been exercising just as Prophet Merlin advised recently, but then again, I wasn’t very fat before," the Lady said, a little embarrassed.

"Do you want to hear flattery or the truth?"

"Let’s try flattery first."

"You’re not fat at all, your figure is just right," Ferdinand said earnestly.

"And the truth?"

"The truth is, I can’t really tell," the Family Head of the Batorri Family paused, then added, "My advisor suggested that when I go to the Royal Capital and interact with people, I should try to be less serious and add some humor. Do you think that worked?"

"Haha," Ireya chuckled dryly, "That’s pretty funny, but I strongly suggest you not do that again next time, especially in the Royal Capital."