Martin was anxious. The knight guarding the city came to inform him that his beloved daughter, Camilla, had been kidnapped at the Riverden River.
Without hesitation, he gathered his men: fifteen knights and about twenty soldiers, and they rushed straight toward the Riverden River. She was his only daughter, and he had hoped that Camilla would one day inherit the position of Lord of Riverden City. In the future, any husband she married would have to move into Riverden City.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
"Charge! Save Miss Camilla!"
The group left Riverden City, shouting and rushing toward the Riverden River. When they reached the ice, they all froze in surprise.
Camilla was sitting on a platform made of animal skins, with plates of roasted fish placed in front of her. She blankly stared at her father and the knights.
"Save... save her..." Save her? But Miss Camilla didn't look like she had been kidnapped at all. She clearly looked like she was attending a banquet.
"Protect the Lord!" Chris said sternly.
"Clang, clang..."
The seven members of the War Wolves stood ready, their swords drawn, blocking the way in front of Lucas and his group. Crossbows appeared in their hands, and an aura of cold killing intent instantly spread, causing the knights of Riverden City to step back two or three paces in fear.
"My lord, what are you trying to do?" Camilla stood up, hands on her hips, shouting.
"This..." Martin opened his mouth in surprise, realizing they had misunderstood, and quickly stuffed his sword back into its sheath.
"My lord, they're guests." Camilla, both amused and exasperated, apologized to Lucas and the others with a bow and hurriedly approached them.
"Forgive my father, lord Lucas. He loves me very much and sometimes his actions can be a bit excessive." Camilla said to Lucas while bowing her head.
"I heard you were kidnapped." Martin said, glaring irritably at the knight who had brought the news.
"Kidnapped?" Camilla's mouth twitched, rolling her eyes. "It's a misunderstanding! How could I be kidnapped?"
"Ha~" Martin gave an awkward laugh, then turned his gaze to the unfamiliar faces, quietly asking, "Camilla, who are they?"
"They are Lord Lucas and his group from Sedona City. They've come to discuss a potential cooperation with us..." Camilla softly explained the situation to her father, recounting the conversation she had had with Lucas earlier.
"What? You mean, he's the Lord of Sedona City?" Martin's mouth dropped open. His daughter might not know much about Sedona City, but he certainly did. He regarded Sedona City as the City of Miracles.
In just a few months, Sedona City had transformed from a barren little town into a place where the common folk no longer went hungry. To him, it was nothing short of a miracle.
"Uh..." Camilla froze for a moment, rolling her eyes at her father's reaction. Why was he focused on something else? Shouldn't they be discussing the cooperation? Why was he so concerned about Lord Lucas instead?
Ahem, ahem...
"Father, the cooperation... the cooperation," Camilla gently coughed, trying to steer the conversation back.
"Oh? Ah! Yes, yes... cooperation," Martin paused, then suddenly realized what they were supposed to be talking about. He awkwardly glanced at the shining, oddly shaped longswords held by the knights before him.
"No worries," Lucas's black eyes flashed as he clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone, sheathe your weapons."
"Yes, my lord."
The seven War Wolves stood by, their swords returning to their sheaths, though their hands didn't leave the hilt. They remained vigilant, fully confident that they could eliminate the knights before any of them could even charge.
"Lord Lucas, I sincerely apologize. My name is Martin and I am the lord of Riverden city." Martin stepped forward and immediately expressed his regret. According to what Camilla had told him, their food crisis in Riverden City could only be resolved with Lord Lucas's help.
"It's fine, you're just worried about your daughter," Lucas waved his hand nonchalantly. Such trivial matters weren't enough to anger him. He only found the situation amusing—after all, if they really had charged at him, he suspected the ground would already be covered in corpses.
"Truly impressive, Lord Lucas, very magnanimous," Martin praised. He had seen too many young noblemen who were petty and quick to anger.
It was common for a few words or a small conflict to lead to bloody battles, giving the impression of immaturity and narrow-mindedness. Only those with true refinement would laugh off such minor incidents.
Lord Lucas, in Martin's eyes, exuded the air of a person with true class—confident, even with a quiet pride that made him feel the matter wasn't even worth getting angry over. This was what true nobility looked like.
Over the years, Martin had been mocked as an "old softie," which troubled him greatly. His ancestors had been true nobles who fought for the common people, fought against bandits, and maintained peace in their territories, earning the respect of the citizens.
But at some point, the nobility had changed. They became selfish, exploiting the common people for their own pleasure. For the sake of a luxurious life, they would even wage wars.
"Your praise is undeserved," Lucas gave a polite smile, gesturing toward the animal skin platform. "Please, have a seat."
"Good," Martin grew more and more satisfied with Lucas. It almost seemed like he was considering him as a potential son-in-law.
"..." Camilla's mouth twitched. Seeing her father's expression, she immediately knew what he was thinking. Every time he saw a young man, he couldn't help but hope she would marry him and bring him into Riverden City.
"I'd like to ask, Lord Martin, do you know anything about the beastkin tribes on the Sahara Grasslands?" Lucas inquired.
"The beastkin tribes? They're not in a good situation on the Sahara Grasslands. They are isolated by the human race," Martin sighed. He had sent people to investigate the situation on the Sahara Grasslands.
"Isolated?" Lucas nodded, understanding the situation. But, this isolation was actually to his advantage.
"Yes, many human merchants refuse to trade with the beastkin tribes, fearing they might be robbed by the beastkins."
Martin recalled the intelligence gathered by his knights and said, "Actually, the beastkins are quite friendly. As long as you don't go too far, they're easy to talk to."
"Do you know the leader of the beastkin tribe?" Lucas asked again.
"No, I don't," Martin shook his head, frowning. "But I've heard that the leader of the beastkin tribe is a female beastkin."
Lucas nodded. This was valuable information. He was already considering whether he should make a trip to the Sahara Grasslands, but then he remembered the matters back in Sedona City. He had already been away for too long. The first transaction could be done through letters and by sending someone.
"Lord Martin, I'd like to ask you to act as an intermediary. Help me deliver a letter to the leader of the beastkin tribe. I'd like to do business with her," Lucas said earnestly.
"Of course," Martin immediately agreed. If this business deal went through, Riverden City could start transporting mutton and earn wheat in return.
"An ice sled. In a few days, I will send someone to exchange it with you and bring the grain back," Lucas said indifferently. He had already decided who would be sent: James. Someone needed to stay here to oversee things, and negotiations with the beastkin tribe would require one of their own to handle the talks.
Lucas then discussed the details of the ice sled and exchanged opinions on other matters. He also left behind several fishing hooks and methods for fishing before taking his leave. There were some important affairs back in Sedona City that required his attention.
Martin watched as Lucas's figure disappeared into the distance, then turned to look at Camilla, who was staring blankly at the fishing hooks. He said, "Camilla, Lord Lucas is really quite impressive. If it were him, I wouldn't mind you marrying him."
"What?" Camilla's eyes widened in shock. She shouted in frustration, "I'm not at the point where no one would want me!"
"But you're already nineteen, you're not gentle, and you love to dance with swords and throw spears," Martin remarked, his tone teasing.
"I'm not listening... Father, stop joking around!" Camilla retorted, her face flushed with embarrassment.
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