"I'm Baron Asher Ashbourne, lord of Ash Fortress, and you are?" Asher said in a domineering tone.
Jeffrey frowned but quickly wiped the expression away. "Jeffrey Ashbourne, your elder brother."
Kelvin frowned deeply at Jeffrey's lack of respect. How dare he not bow to his lord?
Asher smiled. "An Ashbourne…" There were traces of disbelief in his voice.
"Aren't you the cripple? How are you able to walk?!" Aquila gasped.
"As you can see, I am no cripple, Miss Aquila Tyre." Although shocked that Asher knew her background, Aquila remained calm outwardly.
"Junior brother, I can see Father left a lot in your hands. Are you sure you can rule it alone?" Jeffrey said softly.
Asher tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"You're too young to rule a barony; don't be offended," Aquila added, her tone showing she wasn't trying to be kind.
They clearly thought Asher couldn't have transformed the wretched Ash town into this fortress with well-made houses and a stable society.
Kelvin's eyes narrowed. "Might be so, but the people don't seem to mind."
"Little brother, don't let the resources of this fortress blind you. This barony can only be ruled by a responsible Ashbourne. The others have failed, and I have proven to be the rightful heir by owning wheat farmlands, employing thousands of farmers, and hiring hundreds of warriors. With me as lord, our name will regain its honor."
"Apparently, you came to take my title away from me, and you brought a few men? That's insulting."
Asher stood up, his amicable expression turning cold. "Leave."
"Wrong choice." Aquila snickered, and in the next moment, ice crept up and locked Kelvin in place.
She stood up and cat-walked toward Asher with an ice spike in her hand. "You don't speak that way to a mage. Or have you forgotten that barbaric warriors like you were once our slaves?"
Asher looked around and saw ice spikes surrounding his chair. Any movement would result in the ice piercing his flesh.
"Last I remembered, the Tyres have never produced a mage, and the water element is even stranger. The baron nobles of the wasteland all have an ancestral lineage of fire except my family…" Asher tilted his head to face the approaching woman.
"You're not a true Tyre. Your elemental manipulation made you special, but it doesn't give you the right to threaten a baron."
"Maybe. But it gives me the right to threaten young boys, and I consider you one." She smirked and lifted the spike. "You will hand over the title, or you won't live to see my fiancé rule."
Asher chuckled. "Your brain might be damaged, Miss Tyre, because you probably did not consider how you would escape my men."
"She's a silver-ranked mage. The only one among all the baronies. Even if you have ten silver-ranked warriors, which I doubt you do, Aquila would still kill them," Jeffrey boasted.
"You're mad!" Kelvin roared in anger. Aquila sealed his mouth with ice and presented a paper, which Jeffrey handed to Asher. Asher was to write on it, stating he had handed his territory over to Jeffrey, sign it, and put his seal on it.
Asher remained calm as he looked at the paper. "Do you know the most powerful force of a true Ashbourne? It's not his men or his power, but…" He smiled.
Jeffrey frowned, and at that moment, the double doors swung open. A large, white wolf leisurely walked in and glanced at them.
Upon seeing the gold-ranked magic beast, Aquila's breath hitched. 'A bonded pet beast!' Her heart skipped a beat.
Her father had assured her that the Ashbournes had lost their heritage of powerful guardian wolves, giving her the courage to act so audaciously.
Jeffrey left his seat and shifted away. "H… How is this possible?!"
"Meet Sirius." Asher's deathly tone sent shivers down Aquila's and Jeffrey's spines. In the next moment, Sirius lunged at Jeffrey and tore him apart before Aquila's eyes.
She staggered backward and suddenly felt a presence behind her. Turning around, she saw Asher, who had been surrounded by ice spikes, standing there.
"You made a mistake, but to avoid problems, I won't ask Sirius to kill you. Jeffrey was a threat, and he gave me the chance to eliminate him. I wouldn't have done it if he had done nothing wrong, as my conscience would judge me. But as for you, I'll just make you what you called me."
Aquila's eyes widened. As she was about to thrust the ice spike into Asher's chest, Sirius slapped her with such force that she hit the table, breaking it in two.
"Ah!" she screamed and fell to the ground. The ice melted, allowing Kelvin to move.
"My Lord, why didn't you kill her?" Kelvin asked.
Asher glanced at the unconscious woman without much expression. "Because I don't want a war with Baron Tyre for now. But she called me a cripple, and I made her one. Send her back with a letter informing Baron Tyre that she threatened my life."
Asher walked to the door and paused. He then turned back. "Also tell him not to keep my bird, or I will be forced to send Sirius."
After Asher left, Sirius followed him while licking its mouth. The moment Asher entered his room, he sat on his bed and looked at his shivering hands. He sighed. "Playing strong there was tough, Sirius."
Asher looked at his wolf, which lay beside his bed, and then looked away. It seemed Sirius wasn't interested in listening to him. Having a mage cast a spell that could kill him in a second was frightening. It took a lot of willpower to hide his fear and summon Sirius.
He wasn't as brave as his men thought he was, but he wanted them to think that way, as it was more positive.
'It's the last time I will be receiving guests in the dining hall. From now on, I will receive all except acquaintances in the sacred hall. I also need to station guards there. No one should be able to reach me so easily.'
Asher's eyes flashed with resolve.