Gavin, the middle-aged fatty, was one of the local magnates of Winterwind. His control over the city was certainly not as good as Mayor Uther's, but as a pioneer sent by the Guelph family, he valued intelligence a lot. Even though his intelligence network was not as good as that of the Guild of Assassins and the mayor's residence, it was not unusual for him to learn some special details.
Seeing that Liang Lidong was interested, he said, "However, the place is rather sensitive. It's an important place for my family. You can't go there by yourself. I'll have to take you there … Of course, there's nothing I can do if you resort to illegal methods."
Under normal circumstances, Liang Lidong could've secretly checked the place with his abilities. After all, certain sensitive places were not open to outsiders. However, after the middle-aged fatty put it that way, Liang Lidong could only say, "Then I'll have to trouble you to take me there. After all, the Necromancer has learned that we're looking for him. There's no time to lose."
The middle-aged fatty smiled and said, "That's not a problem. If I go back, I'll be able to pick up my relatives. Although the strength of my clan's guards wasn't bad, they couldn't protect them flawlessly under the watchful eyes of an assassin. However, there's one thing that I hope you can promise me. "
"What is it?"
"That place is considered a rather important place for our race." The middle-aged fatty put on a friendly smile on his round, fair face. "So, if you see anything weird later, please don't mind it, and don't tell anyone else. Okay? "
"Of course." Liang Lidong nodded his head.
Gavin heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, then."
On the surface, the middle-aged fatty was "asking" for Liang Lidong's help, but in fact, the latter knew very well that he owed the fatty a favor. People who were good at socializing could imperceptibly convey their thoughts without leaving a trace, and they wouldn't be annoyed by others. The fatty said that the place was an important place for his family, but Liang Lidong still wanted to go there. Now that the guy had agreed, it was a favor.
Some people were straightforward when it came to favors. Although the recipient accepted the favor, they would still be reluctant. But this fatty was different. He was very tactful when it came to giving favors. Whether the recipient was willing to accept it or not, they would feel very comfortable. Many people with abilities didn't think much of 'socializing', but in reality, the essence of socializing was an art of speaking. If one managed their social network well, they could do many things without taking many detours.
It was not without reason that the Guelph Family sent this fatty out as a pioneering member.
After the matter was settled, Fatty brought his few clan guardians and led Liang Lidong out of the castle in a carriage. The atmosphere on Liang Lidong's side was tense. Not only was there a great enemy like the Church of Life, but there was also a Necromancer lurking in the dark. If he made a wrong move, he might lose everything. But for the ordinary people, life was no different from the past. The competition between the Temple of Life and the mayor's office was just their gossip. As for the necromancers, they couldn't possibly know. Anyone with the slightest common sense knew that it would be a great shock for the peace and stability of Winterwind if it was spread out.
People were still coming and going on the street, calling for business and bargaining. Fatty Gavin opened the window and craned his head to look at the lively street outside. He said in a calm voice, "Sometimes, I envy those ordinary people. At the very least, they don't have to consider too many things. As long as they don't challenge authority and only think about how to fill their stomachs, they can live the rest of their lives in peace without much pressure. People like us, on the other hand, have to consider the big picture, not to mention the conflicts among the nobles. Is it really hard to live under such pressure every day? "
Liang Lidong looked at him and asked, "Why are you telling me all of this?"
The fatty put down the curtain and sat straight. "Mr. Beta must've become an ascetic believer because you don't like the seemingly decadent but stressful life of the nobles."
"I'm not a noble …" Liang Lidong considered for a moment and said, "At least not a noble like you."
The fatty smiled. "I know that I'm different from us decadent nobles. You should have your own pursuits. In fact, I also want to be like you and abandon my family to become a free mercenary or a believer of a god. But that's impossible. I was born in the Guelph Family, and the family treats us very well. Since I've enjoyed their care, I have the obligation to contribute to the family. I intend to wait until I have some achievements before considering this matter. "
This noble was not the other noble, and Fatty Gavin seemed to have misunderstood something. However, Liang Lidong did not intend to explain. He said, "If I remember correctly, the Guelph Family should have a patriarch system. It's not like other noble families, where the patriarch decides all the matters of the family. "
"That's right." The fatty nodded. The characteristics of the Guelph Family were completely different from other nobles. Anyone who had a little understanding of them would have heard of this patriarch system. "Although the patriarch system's shortcoming is that it is a little slow in dealing with matters, it can't be denied that it has many advantages. The patriarch system is the foundation of our Guelph Family's standing among the nobles. "
Liang Lidong heaved a long sigh. He remembered the concept of the patriarch system. He was the one who had told Dinah and Anna about it. They had indeed established a patriarch system in the game, and it was the same in reality. It seemed that the game and reality had a deep connection.
When Gavin saw that Liang Lidong was lost in thought, he smiled and did not disturb him. After a while, the carriage stopped in front of a large manor. A few guards rushed over and opened the door for the carriage. Gavin and Liang Lidong jumped down from the carriage and walked on the cyan-white stone path. The manor was very large. The southern garden was covered with green grass and many apple trees. Apart from that, there were many small animals such as cats and dogs playing on the lawn and among the trees.
At the end of the winding stone path was a large two-story wooden house. The house was painted light gold, but the wooden door was light purple.
They opened the door and walked in, only to see a young man and a young girl sitting opposite each other in the living room. The young man was waving his hands and saying something, and the girl was covering her mouth and smiling happily.
Hearing the noise, they turned around at the same time. Seeing the fatty, the young man stood up solemnly and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gavin. I've been waiting for you here for a while."
The girl, on the other hand, ran over and held the fatty's hand. She called him father sweetly and then looked at Liang Lidong curiously.
Gavin looked at the young man and said with a smile, "Mr. Darwin, I'm very happy to have you as my guest, but I know that your mind isn't on me, so let's dispense with the pleasantries. I still have some matters to take care of, so I'll leave it to Tina to entertain you. Don't blame me for not being a good host."
The young man and the girl blushed when they heard that.
Liang Lidong's eyes lingered on the girl's face for a while, and he even fell into a trance. This girl was indeed quite beautiful, but that wasn't the reason why Liang Lidong took a few more glances at her. Rather, it was because this girl named Tina looked very much like Dinah … However, the two of them shared the same ancestor and bloodline, so it wasn't strange for them to look alike.
Gavin turned to Liang Lidong and said, "Mr. Beta, please wait here for a moment. I'll go up and get something."
Liang Lidong nodded. After Gavin went upstairs, Liang Lidong sat down.
Originally, the atmosphere in the living room was filled with a sweet smell, but now with the addition of Liang Lidong, the third wheel, the atmosphere immediately became awkward. However, both of them were children of nobles and were good at socializing. They quickly adjusted their attitude. The young man named Darwin even took two steps forward and sat very close to Liang Lidong. He asked, "I heard from Mr. Gavin that your name is Beta?"
Liang Lidong nodded.
"Beta, the Red Priest?"
Liang Lidong nodded again. The young man sucked in a breath of cold air, and Tina also had a surprised look on her face. However, their surprise was different. The young man was more or less panicked, while Tina was more or less curious.
Thanks to the free promotion of the Guild of Mercenaries, Liang Lidong was as famous as Uther in Winterwind. Darwin's fair face was full of admiration. "Mr. Beta doesn't look much older than us, but he's already such a strong spellcaster. How enviable!"
Tina nodded in agreement. Powerful beings were respected no matter where they went.
Liang Lidong looked at them and smiled at Darwin. "Strength comes from one's own efforts. Let's not talk about you for now …" He turned his eyes to Tina and said in a weird tone, "You have the talent to become a powerful Paladin. Why don't you try?"
Tina stared blankly, and then she pointed a finger at her face, her face full of surprise!