The ride back to the mansion was markedly different from their journey to the countryside. Egon's warm embrace remained, but an uncomfortable silence enveloped the two of them. It was evident that Adela's reaction to his proposal of considering Bastian as a son had not met his expectations.
It can't be helped.
Upon arriving at the manor, Adela noticed the increased security measures. The estate was now teeming not only with her father's knights and her husband's guards but also with reinforcements from the Western and Eastern kingdoms.
"Looks like it's going to be a bloody winter," Egon murmured with a sense of appreciation in his tone.
Adela's heart weighed heavy as she observed the multitude of men. Among them, who would be the ones confronting the warlocks of Varinthia? Was there truly no way to capture Aldric and his counselors without resorting to violence?
