-

Moshi does not ride two-horned horses – those horses are not even equipped with a saddle and require great strength and skill to drive. So he rode in the carriage of Dino, the son of the duke.

They traveled south to collect taxes from the remaining two villages, and then made a short walk across the plains to the area around "Mt. Wetha", where the Duke's castle was located.

During this period, Mo Shi gradually deepened his understanding of this northernmost country in his conversations with Dino.

It is said that Zhibei is indeed the cold country closest to the northern pole on this continent, and the Golden Lion Dynasty has ruled for more than a thousand years.

The family of the Duke of Firebird is one of the first great nobles to accompany the founding of the Golden Lion royal family, and it also has a long history.

The nobility of the northern kingdom was first divided into Khayar and other nobles. Hhyar are the so-called "lords", and in appearance, they are all half-human beings with human facial appearances like Dino Firesparrow. Other non-Heyar nobles who were knighted could not be hereditary unless the king granted it.

The hereditary system of titles in Hhyal is that the eldest son inherits the title from his father, and the second son automatically receives a lower title.

For example, among the titles of "duke and marquis", among the sons of dukes and marquises, the eldest son inherits the title, the rest of the sons are made counts, and the second sons born to the sons of those counts are named viscounts, and so on. And the duke and the marquis are basically the same level.

Dino was the second son of the Duke of Firesparrow, so when he came of age, he would be known as Count Dino. When his brother officially inherited the title, he went to the king and was given the name of earl.

Dino had just turned twenty-five years old this year, and he was still a teenager.

These snowwalkers are forty years old as the age of majority for men. They enter old age around the age of one hundred and fifty. Mo Shi deduced that if society developed to a level that was sufficient to ensure the safety and health of the people, the average life expectancy of snowwalkers should reach more than 250 years.

Dino, like all teenagers, is innocent, curious and kind-hearted about the world.

Although he lacks respect and love for his kindred, what he calls "commoners" by Moshi's standards, it seems that this is what the Heyal class was educated.

Dino wanted to learn magic from Moshi, so he asked Moshi to stay in the Duke's house and teach magic to Dino and his brother until he found his own family.

Of course, Mo Shi had no reason not to agree.

-

Half a month later, they came to the place known as "Shiba Castle".

It was a castle built against a mountain wall, half of which stood on a gentle slope.

It is said that in ancient times, the ancestors of the Duke of Firebird chased the giant bird here, because a sudden rain and snow wet the wings of the sacred bird, and finally people were able to catch the beautiful red bird. The name of the duke and the name of the mountain here are derived from this legend.

The Duke's castle was in the northernmost part of the city, built on the highest part of a gentle hill.

Many of the wagons carrying the tax had already been transported back to the city in advance in batches, so their team had been greatly reduced in personnel, and they could return to the city lightly, and they would soon arrive at the castle after entering the city.

In the carriage, Dino looked a little sullen.

Mo Shi had been unhappy because of some motion sickness, and the ride on the steep slope was too bumpy, which made him even more dizzy and nauseous. But the boy rarely showed such a look.

"What's the matter, young master," he pressed his temples and raised his eyes to look at the orc boy who seemed to be sitting across from him, "You don't want to go home?"

He was now accustomed to calling Dino "Young Master".

In fact, it was not easy to suddenly ask Mo Shi to adapt to the cultural traditions of feudal society. Fortunately, in order to survive, he can ask himself to try his best to keep up with the times.

"What? why wouldn't I—" The boy paused.

Mo Shi looked at the boy in bewilderment, and the boy lowered his head and scratched his curls in embarrassment.

The question apparently touched the deep secret emotions of the boy's soul and troubled him.

Mo Shi was thinking in his heart, sure enough, the expressions of human faces were richer and easier to read.

This realization made him instinctively feel reassured.

"In addition to my brother, I have a sister," said the boy, "and it seems that my sister's fiancé has come to the castle for the second time in the past two days. ”

"The second time?"

The young man nodded: "Last time was to discuss marriage, this time it is engagement." ”

"That should be a good thing?" asked Mo Shi tentatively, according to common sense.

The boy hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

Through the judgment of feudal society, Mo Shi asked: "Are you dissatisfied with the marriage?"

"The other party is the eldest son of the 'Marquis of Autumn Crow' in the eastern territory, of course, he is the right one...... Both father and mother approved of the marriage, accepted the gifts, and blessed the sister. ”

"Well, you're not happy with that boy personally. ”

The boy bowed his head and remained silent.

Obviously, Mo Shi guessed correctly.

"That son of the Marquis of Autumn Crow, is of bad character?" he asked bluntly.

After a long silence, the boy replied, "I can feel that my sister doesn't like him very much." She said he wasn't a man of integrity. Although I don't understand why she said that. ”

-

It is a castle made of dark masonry with towering spires.

In terms of the art and history of architecture and history known to Moshi, this is not spectacular and exquisite, but when compared with the houses of the surrounding commoners, it can be seen that it undoubtedly belongs to the supreme authority.

Cross the stone bridge, the city gate, and get off the carriage in the courtyard.

The vestibule is paved with stone slabs instead of mud, and the snow is swept into the corners in time, making it refreshing to the touch.

Duna stepped forward to hold Moshi and put a fur cloak on him.

She seemed to have adjusted to being a servant in just a few days.

Dino asked the guards and servants who had come to greet him if there were any guests in the castle.

"Young Master Dino, it's someone from the Marquis of Autumn Crow's family who came, and he just arrived yesterday. ”

Sure enough, a banquet was going on in the castle.

It's almost nightfall.

So Dino arranged for Moshi to stay in a room near his room, and agreed to visit his father again tomorrow.

-

The cold stone house was sprinkled and swept clean and the fireplace was lit.

The bed was covered with a futon made of animal skins.

Mo Shi noticed that there was a low couch next to the bed, which seemed to have been originally placed under the bed. At first he didn't pay attention to what it was. But when the attendants in Duke Firefinch's castle withdrew, he found Duna still standing in the room.

The girl saluted and bowed the dog's head respectfully.

He could see her still unhealed left ear, hanging down.

"Isn't there a place for you to spend the night?" asked Mo Shi.

The girl shook her head.

"Because, they found out that I was your only servant...... In other words, I am your personal attendant, and such a person should sleep by the master's bed and wait at all times......"

"What?"

Mo Shi was stunned, he didn't expect that there would be such a rule.

He was a little embarrassed and said, "That's rude......"

Duna lowered her head again and said, "Indeed, it is too rude. I'm not qualified to think of myself as a valet, I'm just Orion's daughter, and my hands don't know anything but sewing hides and linen—"

"No, no," Mo Shi quickly interrupted her and sighed, "...... I didn't mean that. ”

"Yes, sir, do you think I can do it?"

The joy in the girl's tone made Mo Shi startle slightly.

It was only after a moment that he realized again that he was now living in a poor, backward feudal society. I am afraid that for a young girl, it is also some kind of honor to be a servant of the nobility.

"So—" Mo Shi walked closer to her.

The girl looked up at him.

Canines can show such a gentle and soft gaze, which is a trait that most carnivores do not have.

"How old are you, Duna?"

The girl tilted her ears and replied, "Twenty-three, my lord." ”

"Twenty-three?"

“...... Twenty-two years old. There are still six months left before the age of twenty-three. ”

For orcs, even women who reach adulthood earlier than men are far from mature age.

In the social rules he knew, child labor was a bygone and unethical offense.

Mo Shi sighed again and clenched the staff in his hand.

But he still made a decision, and said, "I'm going to ask you to take care of it in the future, Duna." I can't even remember my last name, and I don't remember anything about this world at all, so I'm sure I'll cause you a lot of trouble in the future. ”

He knew he was lying.

And the girl seemed to smile. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her ears.

"Yes, sir. ”

Mo Shi originally wanted her not to call herself an "adult", but after hesitating for a moment, he decided not to have more complications.