Another week passed.
At noon.
Don Quixote saw Elise walk into the Iron Axe Tavern, her mood seemingly much improved.
After Elise finished checking the tavern's ledgers.
Don Quixote stood up, walked over to her, and smiled:
"Miss Elise, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Elise asked curiously.
Don Quixote pointed to a quiet corner nearby:
"Let's talk over there."
Hearing this, Elise was even more puzzled.
Ronan watched the two of them walk away, regretfully retracting his curiosity.
"I've noticed a lot of strange faces in the tavern lately," Don Quixote whispered.
"And they seem to be from the Dreadfort."
The Dreadfort was a fortress in the North, the seat of House Bolton, located in the eastern part of the region.
Elise was stunned, and her face quickly changed:
"Bolton men?"
Don Quixote guessed: "It's very likely."
For most Northerners, House Bolton was synonymous with fear.
Elise frowned:
"What are they doing in Castle Cerwyn?"
"I'm not sure. They seemed to be hiding something when they talked. If I hadn't been paying close attention, I wouldn't have discovered they were from the Dreadfort." Don Quixote said ominously:
"I suspect there must be a conspiracy."
"A conspiracy? What are those disgusting beasts planning now!" Elise was both angry and worried. Finally, she said:
"No, I have to tell Sister Jonelle about this."
"You should. If House Bolton really has a conspiracy, we must notify House Cerwyn!"
Seeing things developing in the direction he guided, Don Quixote breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as they didn't cause trouble, he didn't care where the tavern guests came from.
He said this only to achieve his own goal.
Yes, a rudimentary plan.
---
Over two hours later.
Jonelle and Elise stepped into the Iron Axe Tavern.
Jonelle first vigilantly scanned several customers in the tavern, only stopping when her gaze made them uncomfortable.
Then she walked with Elise to Don Quixote's side.
Don Quixote stood up and said:
"Hello, Miss Jonelle."
Jonelle nodded, her voice lowered and grave:
"Are there any Dreadfort men among these people?"
...How would I know?
Don Quixote shook his head:
"No."
Jonelle breathed a slight sigh of relief, but her tone was still heavy:
"Are you sure? Dreadfort men are frequently visiting this tavern?"
If it were just a scattered few, it wouldn't be much.
After all, due to its geographical location, Castle Cerwyn had designated a small area within the city for some simple commercial trade.
Naturally, it was expected that some outsiders would come here.
The trade area where the Iron Axe Tavern was located was intended to facilitate foreign merchants trading in Castle Cerwyn.
"I swear by the Old Gods!" Don Quixote said calmly.
"I'm not certain if those men are truly from the Dreadfort, but they are hiding something, and they often whisper about the Dreadfort and Lord Bolton.
"I only heard it because I was paying close attention!"
Seeing Don Quixote swear by the Old Gods, Jonelle's face became even graver.
After thinking for a long while, she shook her head and smiled bitterly:
"Without concrete evidence that they are from the Dreadfort, and without concrete evidence that they are plotting something, my father may not take it seriously."
...If I had concrete evidence, I would have left this troublesome place long ago.
Don Quixote had some self-awareness. Although he was now more than twice as strong as when he started...
If thrown into a battlefield, he could still easily die if he wasn't careful.
In the early stages, he needed to lay low and develop.
Only in the mid-to-late stages would he step by step participate in the major events that were about to happen.
Don Quixote hinted:
"The Boltons are madmen. Who knows what those lunatics will do on a whim! We must be on guard!"
Elise took the wine jug from Cole, dismissed him, and personally filled the cups in front of the three of them.
Jonelle drank while thinking.
After finishing almost a full cup, she said:
"I will speak to my father about this!"
"Then I leave it to you, Miss Jonelle!" Don Quixote put down his cup and said:
"We must be vigilant against those Bolton lunatics!"
Pausing, he added:
"Miss Jonelle, I actually have a humble suggestion."
Jonelle looked up at Don Quixote, surprised:
"Knight Don Quixote, please speak freely!"
Elise also turned her head to look at Don Quixote.
"I once traveled to the South. Most lord's cities there have fixed market squares around them to meet the trading needs of the local area and surrounding villages." Don Quixote said slowly:
"Perhaps we can learn from the practices of those Southern lord's cities.
"Establish a fixed market square outside Castle Cerwyn. That way, even if other lords' men want to secretly carry out shady business against Castle Cerwyn...
"At most, it would affect the market square outside the city, and have little impact on the safety of Castle Cerwyn itself."
Jonelle quickly understood:
"You mean, move this trade area inside the city to the outside?"
"Yes, that's roughly what I mean." Don Quixote nodded.
Hearing this, Elise immediately frowned.
Jonelle smiled bitterly:
"Knight Don Quixote, you might not be aware. When our House Cerwyn planned to open a trade area, someone suggested choosing a location outside the city.
"But in that case, House Cerwyn would have to invest a lot of knights and soldiers to protect the trade area outside the city.
"After all, bandits, wild beast attacks, and even Ironborn raids are all threats!
"And if we did that, the defensive strength of Castle Cerwyn would be significantly weakened."
"Perhaps you could hire some freelance knights to guard the trade area outside the city," Don Quixote smiled.
"The revenue from trade is actually very low for House Cerwyn. We can't afford to hire freelance knights long-term." Jonelle shook her head:
"Besides, freelance knights are unreliable. My father doesn't trust them."
Pausing, she seemed to remember that Don Quixote in front of her was a freelance knight, and added:
"Most freelance knights are unreliable."
Don Quixote didn't care in the slightest about the outside world's evaluation of freelance knights.
He sighed: "Then we can only be more guarded against those outsiders."
---
After Jonelle left.
Elise hesitated for a while, then looked directly at Don Quixote and said:
"If House Cerwyn plans to move the trade area outside the city, wouldn't the Iron Axe Tavern have to move too?"
The reason the Iron Axe Tavern could continue to operate and make good profits was that Elise's family had gained the trust of House Cerwyn, allowing them to dominate the market inside Castle Cerwyn.
If they moved outside the city, it was highly likely that House Cerwyn wouldn't stop others from opening shops.
Don Quixote nodded and said:
"If those Bolton lunatics really have a conspiracy, then the Iron Axe Tavern could easily become part of their plan right now.
"After all, the only places inside Castle Cerwyn convenient for outsiders to communicate are the Iron Axe Tavern and Windsor's Lodge.
"If something happens, we'll be the sinners of Castle Cerwyn!"
...