In the marquis' study, Arnold could be seen sitting behind the big table while looking at the file in his hand. This file contained the information about the progress of his personal army that the Ehren family had developed for generations.
His expression was stiff as he read the content. He couldn't help but to bite his lower lips as he saw the statistical content in there.
And suddenly—
Knock knock*
Arnold: ".....ah Chadrac, come on in"
The door then opened up at his reply, and what appeared from behind it was Chadrac the head guard of this big estate of his.
He had been waiting for him this whole time after.
Arnold: "sit wherever you find it comfortable"
Chadrac who was coming in, nodded his head at Arnold's command and sat down on one of the couches at the side of the room. His expression was stiff, and there was an obvious sign of discomfort from how his body fidgeted from time to time.
Arnold sighed when he saw this reaction. He had already expected something like this was bound to happen right when he learned some facts from his son Yoro at the bath earlier.
Yes, he had called Chadrac here to discuss the topic about what happened to Yoro since this morning.
Chad: "s-sorry y-your highness. I initially didn't mean to do it, really. But-"
Arnold: "haaa….please just cut the chase and just tell me about what happened prior to the welcoming feast."
Chad: "r-right."
Chadrac started to sweat profusely when he saw those sharp gaze from his liege's eyes. As his close friends from when he was still a very little brat and also his trusted aid, Chad knew very well that the sharp gaze Arnold used now was the one he would usually use when he was pissed off.
And when it was involving a pissed off Arnold, he knew better than anyone that he should handle things very very carefully from here.
Chad: "w-well, its started with this-"
Chad then began to explain the event today with a stutter along the way. He explained it started right when Yoro was unusually woken up later than normal, until when they were shopping and came back home.
Chad constantly wiped his eyebrows with the handchickref from time to time he had prepared beforehand along with the explanation. Chad could feel his mouth was slowly filled with a bitter taste of regret as he did so.
Chad: "then after we were home, I immediately went back to my post while he said he will prepare himself with the feast…."
Chad's voice got lower and lower in the end as Arnold's brows were getting tighter and tighter. Chad knew he would be punished anyways, so he plumped his back to the couch while his soul almost could be seen flying out from his slightly opened mouth.
…
…
Tap.
After a moment of silence between them, Arnold then tapped his finger on the table and unexpectedly sighed in relief after digesting all that information.
Chad: "y-your highness?"
Arnold: "don't be so tense Chad, I know something like this was bound to happen right when I met Yoro."
Chad: "y-you know?!"
Chad involuntarily raised his voice up and called him in an informal manner. His face was decorated with a surprise-filled expression right now, and it was because he could no longer see the sharp gaze in Arnold's eyes. Rather, it was being replaced by something like a glint of glee right now.
Arnold: "well of course I know. I wasn't called a genius mage throughout the kingdom for nothing, you know."
A smile appeared on his lips as he closed his eyes while recalling the feeling when he sensed the mana inside Yoro's body prior to the discussion
Arnold didn't realize it much earlier because of his exhaustion, but when he got really close to Yoro in the entrance of the estate and when he was in the bath, he definitely sensed not only Yoro's mana was calming, but he could also feel it was getting stronger than before.
From how abundant the mana inside Yoro at this moment, and with how rapid it was growing at every second, there was a very big possibility that Yoro would become one of the best mages of this kingdom in the future.
And not only that, he might be known to the other country and might be invited to the Empire himself.
But while Arnold was thinking about this thing—
Chad: "your highness"
Arnold: "ah yes?"
Chad's calling then brought his consciousness back to the room, and he could see even after he already said he wouldn't give any punishment to Chadrac, he was for some reason still fidgeting in his seat while his eyes darted in the whole place.
Chad: "your highness…. young master Yoro…. umm...he, he also said that he wanted me to train him tomorrow"
Arnold: "he said that?" Asked Arnold back with an evident surprise.
Chad: "yes, he really said that. It seems he was interested in the sword arts at the moment for some reason"
Arnold was at a bit loss of words at this kind of development. It never came to him that an idea of a noble born like Yoro, who was born and raised in a magic oriented family like Ehren Marquesses, would place his interest in something like a sword art.
Feeling a headache coming, Arnold then massaged his temples and sighed helplessly at this revelation..
Arnold: "sword art...haaah fine. I think it's also better for him to not meddle with his own mana before I check it myself and make sure it is safe."
Chad: "then it settled."
Chad nodded his head in approval as he got up from his seat. He felt there was nothing to say anymore in here. Therefore, he bowed his head and about to leave the room.
But Arnold's voice then halted his steps mid-way.
Arnold: "ah and one more thing, Chad."
Chadrac turned his head behind and saw there was a different type of serious expression on Arnold's face now compared to before. If the one he wore before was his seriousness when it was involving his family, now was more like the seriousness when it was involving his territory and his subject.
Chad: "yes, your highness?"
Arnold: "bring the messenger over here. I want to say something to him."
Chad: "the content?"
Arnold: "I want to fortify the fortress wall. I got some disturbing news when I was in the western territory."
Chadrac's expression also turned sharp when he heard this. All of his fear and concern about the earlier topic was gone to the thin air as he bowed respectfully.
Chad: "understood. Then I will be going."
Arnold: "rest well."
Arnold then once again left alone in that room. His eyes were placed back on the paper in his table that also showed the map of his territory. But more precisely, his eyes were looking at the fortress symbol on the map, the one that having a mountain range in its right and left
Arnold: "as I thought it won't be sufficient."
While mumbling that in the quiet room, time then passed peacefully.