The Byrnes didn't care if the sun rose in the east, but there was no doubt that it must have hung in the middle of Byrne's dome, just as the crystal chandelier must have hung in the middle of the dome in the palace hall.

The howling storms and winds don't belong to Byrne, and even winter is only poetic red maple leaves and golden sunshine;

Hunger and cold did not belong to Byrne, for the land was so rich that even the peasants of Sackland were envious, and the minerals were abundant, and the road led to the herdsmen's Duchy of Boe to the east, the babbling river of Jewel to the north, and the foothills of the south to the dwarven kingdoms.

Boredom and danger do not belong to Byrne, melodious music never stops, the Byrnes have as many festive feasts and summer fairs throughout the year as there are red grapes in their vineyards, and everywhere you go, you can see knights in full armor and on horses roaming the country lanes.

The whole of Byrne is made up of a total of thirteen counties, led by the Red Blood Castle, and the territory is the largest among all the principalities - in fact, the title of "earl" is far-fetched, because there is no such word in the ancient Byrne language, and the real title should be "knight lord".

The knighthood and spirit of the Empire today also have their origins in Byrne's ancient traditions and strong influence within the Empire.

For the aristocratic upper class of the empire, only the fine wines produced by Byrne's vineyards could be called true wines—whether it was white grapes from Ebotden or dry red from Sackland, they could only be regarded as "homegrown".

And a bottle of real Byrne wine is often expensive, and the aristocracy and rich people do not hesitate to spend a lot of money... This has also led to a thriving winemaking industry in the Duchy of Byrne, with vineyards and wineries dotted throughout the countryside.

The land of wine and knights is no means a lie... Within the Empire, Byrne was almost synonymous with "rich, strong, and southern", so much so that the true southernmost part of the Empire, the Duchy of Arles, a wasteland known for its "abundance" of trolls, beasts, and roaring warriors, was ignored.

But... And that's just once.

After the 10th generation of the "Dragon Queen" Charlotte de Salion "treasoned" with the Duke of Black, and after seizing the title of duke of the House of Turin, the Duchy of Byrne was once again divided into thirteen counties, which were directly governed by the royal family and sent by the governor to be in charge of management.

At the beginning of the tenth generation, the "Imperial Doge" was still only a mediator in the principality, and the family of Turin, who had been nominally stripped of the title of duke, was still the de facto ruler of Byrne.

It wasn't until the twelfth generation that this "balance" beneath the surface finally began to crumble... With the expansion of the Chamber of Commerce, the acquiescence and even connivance of the Empire, and the fact that the Turin family of the Red Blood Castle no longer has the name of ruling the entire Byrne, the Governor of Byrne has the right to collect taxes in the principality.

This once rich and prosperous land has also begun to become a battlefield with undercurrents... The expansion of the power of the Governor of Byrne has made the declining knight lords increasingly dissatisfied, and they have begun to miss the "glory days" of the past when they were united under the command of the House of Turin......

...............................................................

"Ain Rand, the wizard of Ebolden, come to Byrne to visit relatives, you can call me Ain. ”

The dark-haired wizard sitting at the counter in front of the delicately decorated country tavern holds a glass of wine in his hand, looks up at the enthusiastic tavern owner with a formulaic smile.

"I heard that the wizards of Eberden are all noble lords, I can't see that you are still a rich man, little brother!" The enthusiastic tavern owner laughed and winked at Loren: "How about it, are you interested in being my son-in-law, our little Vivian...... Ahh

Before he could finish his sentence, he let out a scream, and was suddenly gagged in the forehead by the sudden thrust of the bottle, but strangely there was no movement in the tavern, and there was still laughter, as if he had long been accustomed to such things.

"Stinky daddy, you're talking nonsense to the guests again!"

A young girl in a blue apron with a tray in her arms snorted softly and placed a plate of gingerbread in front of the black-haired wizard, and a somewhat surprised Loren bowed slightly at her, and Vivien, who was blushing, quickly turned around and ran to the back kitchen of the tavern in small steps.

"Hey!" the tavern owner who grinned in pain did not forget to continue to "sell" with Loren, and pressed one hand on his red and swollen forehead: "Don't look at her now, our little Vivian is virtuous - she alone makes wine and cooks, and even our vineyard is also taken care of by her, and you don't have to ask anything for the rest of your life if you marry her, it's all done for you!"

The black-haired wizard with the wine glass smiled awkwardly, the atmosphere in the tavern was still very lively, and there were many guests at the wine table gathered around to make a fuss.

"Old John, you're recruiting a foreigner to be your son-in-law again!"

"Last time, the knight master of Shanyan Fort was almost tied up by him!"

"It's the first time he's done this, counting the knights of Lion Castle, he must have two hands, right?"

"I don't care, he can't marry little Vivien to a foreigner anyway!"

"That's it, Vivian is all of us, if you want to find a son-in-law, you have to find it locally!"

"Shut up!" The cool tavern owner smashed his glass and calmed everyone: "Our little Vivian is going to be a noble lady, how can she marry you hillbillies!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several young men stood up with red faces and said that they were going to fight the black-haired wizard, and the tavern owner rolled up his sleeves and went up first, and the onlookers sitting at the table were also making a lively noise, and the air was cheerful inside and outside the tavern.

Loren couldn't help but chuckle and drank his glass, the sound of birds and flowers outside the door contrasting with the frolicking of the tavern.

This was the fourth day after the black-haired wizard arrived in Byrne, who had finally arrived in the Duchy of Byrne along the banks of the Gem River through the territory of East Sackland, without passing through any towns or castles.

Although the main purpose is to avoid the eyes of the night watch, Loren is also racing for time... He must arrive at the Red Blood Keep before Yod Jr. convinces Ebolden, ready for the next step.

The borders of the Turin family territory were not far from the already country tavern, and in two days at most he would be able to see the tower with the flag of the Turin family flying.

"Another drink?"

Timid, a small, mosquito-like voice interrupted the black-haired wizard's musings, and when he turned his head, a red-faced Vivien was standing beside him with a clay flask.

"Thanks, ah... Half a glass is fine, I can't get drunk on my way today, and ......" Loren quippedly pointed behind him, where several young men who had just been red-faced were being ravaged by the tavernkeeper's men:

"I'm just a wizard, not very good at fighting. ”

Vivien, who was holding the flask, blushed even more.

"Is Mr. Ain a Byrne?"

"No, I'm from Eboden, but my relatives are native Byrne. Loren lied without changing his face: "My parents passed away at an early age, and my only grandfather is no longer there. ”

"Ahh I see. Little Vivien's eyes moistened.

I didn't expect this wizard Mr. who seemed to be very kind and simple to have such a tragic past......

Loren didn't think much of it, for the tavern gave him a very good feeling—not like the bounty Lothair and East Sakland, nor the extravagance of Golovin, but even the people here were simple, kind, and welcoming, a little less philistine and cunning than Ebolden.

"Where is Mr. Ain going to visit his family?" asked Vivian curiously, "There are several places to go from here, and first-time visitors will always get lost in the vicinity - do you want us to help you find a guide, the price is absolutely fair!"

"Thanks, but no more. Loren smiled and waved his hand: "There are only two days left from here to the Red Blood Castle, and I can ...... it myself."

Just as the black-haired wizard was about to excuse himself, little Vivien in front of him suddenly froze.

Not only that, but the entire tavern also fell silent in an instant, and everyone stared at him intently, with a faint fear in their eyes.

Time... It was as if it was still.