Even in the midst of the war, neither the continuous land struggle between the south and Rhodoc, nor the large-scale melee with the Nords in the north, affected this ancient and prosperous city, and the inhabitants of Sunoh continued to live as before, and the knights who had returned from the war resumed their jousting and hunting, and everything seemed to return to the old peacetime time.

Of course, as soon as people see the outrageously high prices of those imported goods, they immediately understand that the war is not over.

After returning to Suno and having held several banquets, the Count of Craggs began to close his doors and rarely set foot in his castle. He had some conflicts with the king before, and he returned with his troops in anger, but he had no intention of betraying. In order to restore relations between the two sides, the Count sent a large number of supplies and reinforcements of hundreds to the king's army, and then went out to express to the king that he was only old and had no intention of betraying him.

However, after Byron's troops arrived in Suno, and made a request to enter the city, the Count of Craggs not only agreed to his request, but also invited him to the castle for a banquet. The banquet invited very few people, and they were all members of the local Suno family, including Fatis's father, Benoit.

Byron himself went to the castle for a feast, while the rest of the people wandered around the city, and in order to prevent the Nord troops and pirates from falling into conflict with the locals, Mathilde, who could have gone with him, volunteered to stay with them.

There were not many people attending the banquet, but because of their status, the banquet was of a high order, and the Earl's family was present, and Table Mountain was filled with venison dishes, which were delicacies even at the banquets of the Svadian nobles, as well as fine wines from Viruga.

The protagonists of the table are good food and good wine, and the protagonists of the crowd...... You don't even need to be introduced to your guests.

The experience of surviving a great battle, returning from an enemy country, and assembling a warband comparable to the standing army of an earldom is comparable to heroic tales that have been handed down since ancient times. And as the protagonist of this story, Byron naturally became the focus of the crowd.

Guests came to chat with him, listen to him tell his story, and comment or praise him from time to time. Byron spoke like this for almost an hour, constantly answering the questions raised by the Suno magnates, and his voice was hoarse. At this time, he very much hoped that someone could help him cope, but unfortunately the heroes were not around.

But what made him feel a little relieved was Nerda's eyes that glanced at him from time to time, the expression of listening carefully to the story, and the smile that appeared from time to time, which was the motivation for him to continue talking. Count Craggs, as the host of the banquet, seldom spoke during the banquet, and all kinds of things were answered by Lady Anna. This made Byron a little flustered, the Earl's attitude was a little uncertain now, and the other party was very important to him, whether it was his support or the recognition of the relationship between him and Nerda.

Towards the end of the feast, Benoit came over and had a long one-on-one conversation with Byron, most of which was about Fatis, and he always maintained his loyalty to Byron, which made Benoit proud, but also worried about his current situation. He hoped that Byron would return to the south as soon as possible, lest the change of form put his son in danger. In addition, he handed Byron a parchment scroll containing information about the present South, none of which was good news for Byron. He also advised Byron not to fight with Rhodok's army, and if there was a problem, he would immediately abandon the lands around Pegand and Viruga, and that he could not retreat with the prince to Fort Gruenwald, as long as the Rhodoks could not take Fort Gruenwald, he would have a chance to regain his territory.

After saying goodbye to Benoit, Byron was left by the Count for the night, much to Byron's flattery and confusion. You must know that although he has successfully returned, after a big defeat, he has realized that he is still very weak compared to the old nobles. The Count had already taken him by surprise when he had arrived, let alone been left alone to talk. At such a critical time, the Earl's clear overture must have its intentions.

Byron remained, but was still apprehensive, and as the servants began to clean the banquet hall, Lady Anna and Nerda returned to the room, and he was taken to the room, where the Earl's chamberlain had just become aware of his room.

"Sit down, Byron, it's time to have a good talk."

Seeing Byron coming, the Count pointed to the chair that had been set up opposite him, and pushed him the red wine that had been poured into him.

Byron took a deep breath and sat down a little uneasily, he suddenly had the feeling of meeting his girlfriend's parents, although their relationship had never been recognized, it was difficult to say whether Nerda's love for him had reached that point.

"I'll admit you're more than I could have imagined." He raised his glass and said lightly.

"You mean that I came back alive?" Byron also took a sip of wine, which was probably better than the wine he had hidden in Pegand's cupboard, and the bottle was a trophy from the capture of Viruga, which he had been reluctant to drink when he had gone north to King Qin.

"I know you have a good impression of Nerda, but I really didn't think of you before, you are not from a noble background, you have no background, although you have been canonized by the king, but the relationship with the royal family has been handled in a mess, Count Claes and old Benoit are very optimistic about you, but I don't think so. I made a promise to you before, but the reason I say this is because the king doesn't want you to live, and I don't think you will live long. ”

Count Crags paused at this point, and found that Byron did not have an angry or dissatisfied expression, but only nodded slightly, as if agreeing with his words.

"But if you can tell me that, it proves that you don't see it that way now, doesn't it?" Byron didn't feel dissatisfied or angry in his heart, although the earl's words made people a little uncomfortable, but this was indeed the truth, he was indeed a little inflated before, and he didn't correctly estimate his strength. And since Craggs told him the truth, it meant that he intended to improve his attitude towards him, and it would be a huge change.

Hearing Byron say this, Count Craggs was a little more satisfied, compared to the last time they met, Byron's city has improved a lot, which really proves Byron's potential, and only in this way can he have the value of investment.

"To survive the battlefield, to even get back to Svadia through Nord and Vekia, to organize an army back to your fiefdom, I think you know how noticeable you are. I knew this when you set out from Dehrim, and I am afraid that His Majesty would have known sooner. That's why I'm telling you this, because His Majesty doesn't intend to do anything to you, but only if you pledge your loyalty to him and his heir. The Count put down his half-drunk glass, leaned back in his chair relaxed, and focused his eyes on Byron.

"My family was divided from the royal family, and our rule in Suno was stabilized after King Haraus succeeded to the throne, and I always wanted to marry my daughter to Harauau, but neither the king nor the arrogant child refused! So, I had to find a more suitable son-in-law, preferably from a long-established and powerful family, but also a young lord of humble origin but a promising young lord, which I had been thinking about for a long time. ”

Byron immediately sat up straight when he heard this, and took the conversation in as respectful and confident a tone as he could: "You're right, you need to find a lord who has enough gold, an army, great ambitions, and knows how to judge the situation, who doesn't have much background, but who has a loyal group of subordinates and soldiers, and who is very willing to join your family and form a strong alliance that no other family can reach with you." Trust me, give him a little confidence and expectation, and you can reap unimaginable rewards. Byron licked his face and sold himself, which was a bit exaggerated, but it hit the earl's heart.

Count Craggs' eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly.

"After careful consideration, I agree that you, Baron von Byron, may meet with my daughter in private, so long as you are doing what I permit. But I must warn you, Byron, that I would not marry my daughter to a country lord who did not even have a castle, for a tall fortress was essential to my daughter's safety and well-being. (It is also a need for a family to expand its power)"

"Of course, my lord, that's necessary, maybe those Rhodoc castles in the south will change hands in the next two years." For the earl's request, Byron naturally agreed, as long as his relationship with Nerda could be recognized, even if he let him take a city, he would agree. This is not to say that he really has the ability to occupy the city in the short term, but as long as the relationship is in place, the strength he has accumulated, the existing territory in his hands is not moved, and the dowry of hundreds of thousands of dinars continues, any Count of Svadia will be tempted.

"Also, you'd better improve your relationship with His Royal Highness the Prince, most of the King's resentment against you is because of our young little prince. As the sole heir to the royal family, he is now suffering from the headache of Rhodok's army, and if he gains his trust at this time, it will be tantamount to winning a place in the future king's court. At the very least, let King Harlaus divide you into "his own people". ”

"What a wise suggestion, I will certainly show my sincerity before Your Highness, and I trust that Prince Harauu will forgive me."

The two smiled at each other and raised their glasses to touch. And the girl who was hiding outside the door and eavesdropping, a hint of blush flashed on her face...