"Ha ha ha ha…"
The Lord of Sakura City looked at the items on the table and laughed heartily, sounding like an excited little child. "The things have finally arrived. I've lost so much weight these past few days. I need to make up for it."
Andrew, standing opposite him, couldn't help but grin. The Lord, who appeared as fat as ever, didn't seem to have lost any weight at all. He looked just as he did during their last meeting.
Andrew's current mission in Sakura City was to deliver the milk tea and fish cans previously ordered by the City Lord. Additionally, he was tasked with recruiting more people from Sakura City.
On the surface, Andrew was the head of the merchant team. In reality, he had another mission: to distribute recruitment information for Sedona City discreetly. He wasn't just targeting Sakura City; he also planned to visit the surrounding cities.
"City Lord, I'll leave the decisions regarding the merchant team to you. I'll take my leave now." Andrew said softly.
"Alright. Don't forget to send my regards to Lord Lucas, and make sure the next batch of fish cans and milk tea arrives on time." The City Lord of Sakura City reminded him with a smile.
"Understood." Andrew bowed and departed.
As the City Lord of Sakura City watched Andrew's departing figure, his smile faded. He turned to the knight standing beside him and said, "Try both options and see which one works better."
"Yes." The knight stepped forward, carefully opening a can of fish and a packet of milk tea. He took both items to the servants to test for any potential poison.
The City Lord of Sakura City watched the canned fish, swallowing the saliva in his mouth. Being cautious was always wise; he certainly didn't want any mishaps. After all, not many people become city lords without being astute and cautious.
He glanced around the nearly empty hall, pondering the recent drop in the number of commoners in the city. "Is this decrease due to the recent bandit attack?" The City Lord frowned. Fewer commoners meant reduced tax revenue, and he was considering whether to implement a regulation to restrict commoners from leaving the territory.
In the world of nobles, each domain operated like a small kingdom, with the Lord having the authority to impose various rules. Many nobles had used such regulations in the past to control their subjects. However, the Sakura City Lord eventually decided against it. His city thrived on trade, and such a restriction would likely be counterproductive, impacting the city's economic activity more than it would benefit his revenue.
He sighed, turning his attention back to the task at hand. The welfare of his city and its prosperity were important. As long as he could ensure the city's growth and stability, he would keep exploring various ways to adapt and thrive.
'Tap, tap, tap...'
The knight entered and saluted, "My lord, no abnormalities were found in any of the things."
"Oh?" The City Lord of Sakura City glanced at the knight's greasy lips. Did he eat the items himself? If so, then he was the perfect test subject.
'Tap, tap, tap...' The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. A gatekeeper knight rushed in, urgently reporting, "My lord, Baron Adam requests an audience."
"Baron Adam? I haven't heard of him before." The Lord of Sakura City was taken aback and asked, "What else did he say?"
"He mentioned he is the second son of Count George and the brother of Baron Omar." The gatekeeper knight quickly explained.
"What? The son of Count George?"
The Lord of Sakura City's face darkened. Considering Baron Omar was the mastermind behind the bandit attack, what could his brother want here? Was it to confront him?
"My lord, we must not be rude." The knight nearby reminded.
"Hmph." The Lord of Sakura City's cheeks twitched in anger. He was on the verge of shouting curses, but unfortunately, Count George was not someone he could afford to offend.
'Huff...'
The Lord of Sakura City took a deep breath and said coldly, "Have him wait in the guest room. I'll be there shortly."
"My lord, it's lunchtime. According to noble etiquette, you should host a banquet for your guest." The knight softly reminded.
"..." The Lord of Sakura City shot a harsh glare at the knight, momentarily losing his composure and nearly forgetting the basic manners of nobility. He said coldly, "Prepare the banquet."
"Yes." The knight breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the city lord managed to control his temper; offending Count George would be very detrimental to Sakura City.
It's important to note that the Whispering river also passes through Count George's territory. If Count George were to block the river, preventing Sakura City's ships from passing, it would cripple half of Sakura City's trade.
"Wait." The Lord of Sakura City, realizing this, called the departing knight back and instructed, "Include these two items in the banquet."
"Yes." The knight hesitated for a moment before taking the cans of fish and the packets of milk tea and leaving.
The knight admired the city lord's patience and magnanimity. If it were him in the city lord's position, he would have certainly made things difficult for the guest.
After the knight left, the Lord of Sakura City gritted his teeth in frustration. If it weren't for the need to show off, he wouldn't have included the milk tea and fish cans in the banquet. After some time the lord of Sakura City arrived at the place where the banquet was being prepared for Adam. Soon Adam entered the banquet hall. After greeting each other, the banquet started.
"Please, Baron Adam, try some of Sakura City's delicacies." The Lord of Sakura City said, gesturing towards the ceramic plate with fish.
"Certainly." Baron Adam thought skeptically to himself that there could hardly be any fine cuisine in such a remote area. However, his nose twitched slightly, picking up a rich and enticing aroma.
"Wow?" Baron Adam was astonished as he looked at the piece of fish before him. It was the first time he had encountered such a delightful scent. He picked up a piece with the spoon and placed it in his mouth…
"It's delicious. Absolutely delicious."
Baron Adam's eyes widened in amazement. He stared dumbfounded at the figure of the city lord of Sakura City. Was this really a country bumpkin noble? How could the food here be so much better than what he had experienced with his friends?
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