The two discussed recent events, with Ryan asking about Oliver and his group.
"I've arranged everything for them. I've helped Grayblade disband their mercenary group at the Mercenary Guild and assisted Blood Axe in resolving their potential demotion issues. Most of the payment has been settled. Wilt and the remaining dozen members have rented a farmer's longhouse and plan to stay in the city for the Winter Festival. They will consider moving elsewhere after spring." Teresa handed Ryan a contract. "This is their mercenary contract, verified and signed."
"And this." Teresa took out a bag of gold coins and handed it to Ryan. "This is the money Oliver gave us. I didn't take my share; I brought yours."
"You didn't take your share? That doesn't seem like you." Ryan took the bag and weighed it. There were at least one or two hundred gold coins. The White Wolf Knight calmly put the money away.
He knew that Oliver and Mats, the two merchants, had suffered heavy losses on this journey. Taking their money now would be a significant blow, but Ryan felt no guilt. The reason was simple: without Teresa's spells repelling the beastmen warband repeatedly, and without Teresa and Ryan personally holding off the Doombull, the group would have been a feast for the beastmen.
For Ryan, dealing with the Doombull was due to Ulric's divine command, but from another perspective, he had also contributed to the merchants' escape.
"And I've met with Count Albert Beck of Mjordenhaven. He's a middle-aged man in his forties. His title of Count of Mjordenhaven has been passed down from the Norsca tribes before the Great Holy War, so he is a genuine count, not just a feudal lord appointed by the Kingdom of Nord. Albert Beck is known for his tax collector-like nature and has many women. It's said that his castle has more than a dozen female courtiers and several mistresses kept outside." Teresa took out another document and handed it to Ryan. "He is a different kind of noble compared to Virarld. He isn't from a martial background. He prefers studying port taxes and is content with his quiet rule. Under his conservative policies, Mjordenhaven has enjoyed long-term prosperity."
"So, he's an inward-focused lord?" Ryan stroked his chin, noticing that his beard had grown stubbly after a few days in the wild.
"From the current intelligence, yes. Albert Beck is not unfamiliar with warfare, but his military actions in recent years have mostly been against bandits and beastmen tribes. He rarely takes to the field himself, preferring to delegate to his knights. Although rare, when he does fight, he is fully armed, rides a mixed-blood elven warhorse, and wields a lance." Teresa, leaning against Ryan's shoulder, seemed relaxed, exuding an irresistible charm. The faint scent of lavender wafted to Ryan.
"Here is the list of knights in this town. Mjordenhaven has two kingdom knights and five ranger knights stationed here. None of them are particularly famous or powerful, and none are members of knightly orders." Teresa was pleased that Ryan didn't instinctively shy away, her tone growing more cheerful. "So, from the looks of it, we won't stay here long and won't have much interaction with them."
"You're right." Ryan remained outwardly composed but was inwardly impressed, not by Teresa leaning on him, but by her ability to gather intelligence and handle various matters.
"This is the tax information for the city. It generates over three thousand gold coins annually for their lord. Mjordenhaven has over three thousand registered households and, as the largest port city on the west coast of the Kingdom of Nord, can mobilize five hundred regular troops and two thousand militia."
Collecting all this data in just one day was impressive. If it were Ryan, even as a kingdom knight, it would have taken at least three days.
Ryan gently pushed the sorceress off his shoulder and stood up from the soft sofa. Seeing him rise, Teresa instinctively stood and followed, asking softly, "What's wrong?"
"Thinking it over, I realize this mission has been a failure." Ryan shook his head with a bitter smile. "I've been away from my adoptive father in Winterhold for ten days now, and not only have I gained nothing, but I've also burdened Oliver's group. Do you know? That Doombull was alerted by Belette, who led his warband to us."
"But that isn't your fault. Chasing evil is our duty. If we hadn't pursued Belette, he wouldn't have committed these atrocities?" Teresa expressed her perspective. "The Corrupted Hunter's effect snowballs. If we don't respond early, its destructiveness grows. At least we've forced him out of Nord and killed two beastmen warlords during our journey."
"But that's not enough, far from it. Success means capturing or killing Belette, not counting insignificant victories." Ryan shook his head. "We were too slow at the start. If we hadn't been delayed by the beastmen warband in Mien Forest, we could have caught Belette in Karlzenhaven."
"You're right. We were too passive. Perhaps it's my fault." Teresa finally admitted her mistake. "I should have joined you from the start instead of stubbornly trying to prove I could do better on my own. Blood Axe guaranteed my safety but slowed us down."
"Heh." Ryan snorted. He never expected much help from those mercenaries, and as for the wandering knights? From Ike's actions, he saw him more as a shrewd mercenary or a cunning bandit leader. He never considered Ike a true knight, treating him more like a high-ranking mercenary.
And he kept a mental note of being coerced by Ike.
A vicious thought once crossed Ryan's mind. If, during the skirmish in Mien Forest, he had left the sorceress and the mercenary group to hold off the beastmen while he rushed to the port overnight, he might have caught Belette.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
First, as a knight, a White Wolf Knight, he couldn't abandon the Eight Virtues. Otherwise, he'd be no different from the mercenary knights, driven by greed.
Second, as the son of that man, he carried an unyielding pride. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't resort to such lowly tactics.
Moreover, the Blood Axe Mercenary Group had sacrificed much to protect Teresa, from a full strength of fifty down to a dozen. The next words were hard to continue, and since Teresa had already recognized her mistake, Ryan decided not to dwell on it. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's sit and talk."
"You tell me to stand, then to sit." Teresa smiled brightly, like a plum blossom blooming in winter.
Ryan had the illusion that her smile lit up the entire room.
That smile was mesmerizing.
For a moment, Ryan felt a rush of emotions, blushing slightly.
The two returned to the sofa. This time, Teresa kicked off her high heels, curling up on the sofa. Her long, almond-shaped eyes shifted between Ryan and herself, and she suddenly laughed. "This is my first time sitting so close to a man on a sofa."
"Uh... as long as you don't think I'm taking advantage of you." Ryan replied awkwardly.
"No... I always felt we shouldn't be so formal with each other." Teresa tapped Ryan's palm lightly with her painted nail. "You always think I put on a cold front, but that's for outsiders. We trust each other with our lives. I, as a woman, don't mind this. Why should you, as a man, feel awkward?"
Ryan thought it made sense. If Teresa, a Garon Council member, didn't mind, why should he? He wasn't losing anything.
So, the White Wolf Knight's gaze, which had been sneaking glances at her graceful figure and beautiful face, became more bold and unrestrained.
Teresa noticed where Ryan's gaze lingered but didn't mind.
What Ryan didn't know was that Teresa, being a normal woman, also experienced emotional changes due to her physiological cycle.
In short, she was more inclined to be close to men during this time.
As for which men were worth getting close to... need that even be said?
Having agreed to dine together that evening, Teresa spent an hour putting on makeup and another half-hour choosing an outfit. With Dietlinde's guidance, she carefully recalled Ryan's preferences and finally selected her attire.
As expected, Teresa was pleased with the man's awestruck gaze, confident in her beauty.
What am I thinking about?
Teresa's face turned as red as an apple.
She began to understand her feelings for the man before her.
"Why did your face suddenly turn red?" Ryan didn't know what Teresa was thinking but knew not to interrupt her thoughts. He patiently waited before speaking.
"Nothing, nothing. By the way, do you remember that female mercenary, Emilia, who took care of me on the journey?" Having sorted her feelings, the sorceress was more relaxed and leaned closer to Ryan, practically draping half her body over him. "Don't you find it odd?"
"Odd in what way?" Ryan felt a bit uncomfortable.
"Why would a teenage girl traveling alone be so clumsy with something like menstruation care?" Teresa wanted to shift the topic.
But Ryan suddenly remembered something and smiled mysteriously. "Indeed, why would a girl who lives independently in the wild, who has been a mercenary for years, skilled in cooking and medicine, and literate and good at arithmetic, be so inept at taking care of someone? So, what do you think the reason might be?"
"Two possibilities. First, she's afraid of me, worried I might harm her. This could mean she has magical talents and fears I'll take her to Skyhold to become a wizard apprentice, or she has a
special constitution and fears I'll experiment on her." Teresa raised her first finger.
Ryan extended his hand and gently pressed down on the finger. "That doesn't make sense. As a merchant's daughter, fleeing for her life, she wouldn't fear becoming a wizard apprentice like a noble's daughter. She'd welcome your protection. Similarly, a special constitution is possible but unlikely. Traveling with mercenaries for two years, if she had a special constitution, the mercenaries would have noticed. A woman among mercenaries is already conspicuous, let alone one with a special constitution."
Their fingers briefly touched, and Teresa instinctively shivered but didn't pull away.
It felt good. She sensed the beautiful sensation of their energies mingling.
Their energies were mutually attracted.
"Then the second possibility is that the girl has a secret she doesn't want others to know." Teresa extended her second finger. "Remember when we parted at the gate of the high mountain fortress?"
"Yes, you asked me to come back alive, and I promised. I did." Ryan retracted his hand, folding his arms.
"I wasn't talking about that. You know, before you arrived, I told Oliver and Wilt to flee, and I would face the beastmen alone. But Emilia didn't leave..." Teresa recounted how the female mercenary had given her sword.
"Gifting? After everything was over, did she ask for the sword back?" Ryan stroked his chin.
"No, she never mentioned the sword again after it was over." Teresa shook her head. She shifted, her body turned, leaning on the sofa, her long legs stretched out before Ryan. "This means the sword was important to her. She said it was a family heirloom, which I believe. So, it's likely she herself has a secret."
"Yes! She has a secret, and a big one at that!" Ryan said seriously, though his eyes twinkled with humor.
"A demon? Or an undead?" Teresa was puzzled. "Impossible, right? I would have sensed that."
"Neither." Ryan shook his finger, then said with mock seriousness, "The real answer is she's very beautiful, almost as much as you."
"Impossible! I've seen her face... wait, you're saying?!" Teresa began to understand what Ryan was implying.
"Her appearance could bring her trouble!" Ryan pinched his chin. "She likely used makeup or other means, highly skilled, so ordinary mercenaries couldn't tell. Even if they did, they'd help her keep the secret due to her indispensability. But outsiders would be different. Her appearance could bring her trouble!"
"Then it all makes sense." Teresa felt much of her confusion dissipate but then had a new question. "How do you know? And is she really that beautiful?"
"Because when I was searching, I observed closely." Ryan stared into Teresa's eyes. "Beauty often brings trouble, especially among women. Jealousy can make people unrecognizable. She didn't want to provoke you, am I right?"
Teresa was speechless. Jealousy among women was indeed complicated.
Never mind the lower class. As long as Ryan believed she wasn't like that, Teresa thought. To avoid possible arguments, she tried changing the subject.
"By the way, Ryan, your sword... is it also a family heirloom?" The sorceress suddenly brought up a topic she'd been curious about.
Because at all times, Ryan carried that sword on his back. Even tonight, while dining and sitting on the sofa, he only placed it within reach on the large wooden table.
"So curious?" Ryan's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"Do you have a reason not to tell me?" Teresa felt a bit dissatisfied seeing Ryan keep secrets from her. She wanted to know more about this man.
"This sword?" Ryan reached for it, and with a touch of psychic power, the longsword floated into his hand.
A zero-level cantrip, Mage Hand.
"Yes, that sword. Can you tell me more about it?" The sorceress's eyes sparkled like the bright moon as she eagerly sat up to hear Ryan's secret.
"Maybe someday, but not today." Ryan shook his head. "Our relationship isn't at the point where I can share this."
"You just need to know, this sword is the only thing my father left me."
Those who got the wrong idea from the title should go reflect!