Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 916 - 33 Snape’s Wine

Chapter 916: Chapter 33 Snape’s Wine

As one of the five Marquis attendees of the Neville Federation Supreme Council, Marquis Snape could be considered among the few individuals with the highest status within the Neville Federation, even across the entire human world. Although the attending Marquises do not qualify to become the rotating President, they do have the right to submit issues as members of the council. More importantly, they have the power to impeach the President and veto issues. Just like he himself said, with his status, as long as he was willing, such an important meeting would certainly qualify him to attend, even if he wasn’t responsible for managing most of the logistical work.

"This is a good opportunity." Despite the severity of the situation, the Old Marquis was still pleased, "After several masters enter the forest, you can stay here for a few more days. I’ll hire you to take charge of the supply transport for the logistics troops. This is also a major matter that could determine the direction of the war, so it’s not excessive at all to employ you masters to assist."

"Uh..." Catherine hesitated, ultimately choosing to keep silent with a wry smile. But Freya narrowed her eyes, smiling slyly like a little fox, and said in a low voice, "Marquis, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you. This time going into the forest, we are all accompanying them, including your little Catherine. So, the task of transport for the logistics troops will have to be given to someone else."

Catherine turned abruptly, glaring at Freya’s smiling face, but Freya remained unmoved, leaning back in her chair, calmly returning the gaze with a teasing look that hid a deeper meaning. After a moment, Catherine let out a long sigh, withdrew her angry gaze, and nodded with a wry smile, "Yes, Grandpa Snape, we must also participate in the expedition into the Forest of Death."

The Old Marquis still wore his smile, but his body stiffened for a moment before he took a deep breath and turned to his butler who had followed him for decades, "Send Linda to get some wine, why hasn’t she come back yet."

"She has returned, master, I saw her running this way," said the butler before he could finish his sentence, a chubby woman in her fifties dressed in a maid’s outfit entered the living room at a trot, carefully cradling a deep blue bottle in her hands, sealed with a cork and, unsurprisingly, without any packaging or label.

The Old Marquis took the opened wine bottle, poured a glass for both Catherine and himself, then motioned the butler to fill the glasses of everyone else with their drinks of choice. Only then did he extend his hand to lightly clink glasses with Catherine and brought the glass to his nose to take a sniff. Catherine, seeing the Old Marquis maintaining an apparently undisturbed demeanor, forced a smile, repeated the same action, swirled the glass with her eyes closed, took a deep breath, and after pondering for a moment, remarked, "Mackinway wine, aged twenty... huh?"

"You guessed right," the Old Marquis sighed, keeping his smile, "That was bought in the year you were born. That year, the wine production from Mackinway was not high. Apart from my own allocation, I relinquished a third of that year’s profit to exchange for some from several other families, and in total bought a hundred bottles. Normally, I would only open one bottle every year, but this time, knowing you would be coming, I specially brought a bottle here. As expected, it came to use."

Catherine’s gaze was downcast, the wine in her glass rippling with the motion of her trembling hand. Beneath her composed exterior, her heart was churning like the wine, utterly unsettled. The old man’s voice was soft, but the emotions lurking beneath his words were heavy. The knight girl could even imagine the Old Marquis, on her birthday each year, locking himself in the study to pour two glasses of wine, silently drinking to the empty seat across from him. The person who should have been there, accompanying the old man, was habitually in danger for various reasons.

The girl sipped her wine in silence. The beverage, usually fragrant and delicious, tasted bitter this time. Sighing deeply with resigned helplessness, Catherine whispered, "Grandpa, I’m sorry."

In those few minutes, Marquis Snape aged several years. He touched Catherine’s lowered head in a coordinated gesture, speaking bitterly, "Your family, ah. After your grandfather passed away, he left me in pain for years. I wanted to pay tribute to him, but I couldn’t even find his body. Thankfully, your father was still with me. I transferred my guilt over your grandfather’s death to your father, and I even thought about naming your father as my heir before I died. But your father also passed away too early. All these years, I’ve been very afraid, terribly afraid, that you might also leave me one day. Your deeds are being sung about by minstrels; I’ve even hired a few to sing of your stories. However, every time I listen, the exploits that should make me proud only intensify my fear, as I know that with every legend comes the risk of death at any moment. Even so, even as you often face danger and reject my care and concern in the name of family honor, I still hope days like these can continue. As long as I hear news of your safety every day, it is enough for me. Unfortunately, unfortunately, are you about to walk that path as well?"

"Don’t worry, Grandpa." Catherine bit her lip hard, her head still bowed as she spoke, "Though the Forest of Death is dangerous, we’re not blindly rushing in to die. We’ll only make this decision if we’re fairly certain. So rest assured, we’ll come back safely. When you come to the Holy City for vacation, we will attend your ball."

"Ah, I’m not senile yet," Snape shook his head and said, "I know the level of danger there, the two young ones told me about it today. Even demigods have a low chance of surviving there, and you are just several at Legendary Rank. And, if it weren’t for being prepared to die, that lady wouldn’t have gone against your wishes and told me the truth earlier, would she? You told me the truth for the same reason, didn’t you?"

"I’m really sorry, Grandpa," Catherine said softly, "The truth is, we are always prepared for death with any adventure. It’s the fate of adventurers; no one can change that. Although the odds are higher this time, we will do our utmost to fight the danger, and we will not die."

"Is that so?" The Old Marquis’s smile was filled with melancholy as he drifted into a daze for a long moment before grasping Catherine’s hand tightly and saying, "Child, I won’t give you any advice, but you must come back alive."

"Hm?" Pannis raised an eyebrow in surprise at the Old Marquis’s remark but said nothing. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)