I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 198 The Baron's Second Son
As horseshoes trod outside the familiar Copenhagen fortress, moonlight shone through the gray arrow towers, casting a dirty yet radiant glow on the garbage-strewn moat.

Lukell reined in the black traveling horse, handed it to George behind him, straightened his clothes, and led Miller, whose face was grim, into the Cooper Castle.

"Don't make your hostility so obvious. You are now my squire, no longer Baldwin's subordinate. Don't cause unnecessary trouble because of hatred."

Despite rushing, Luc was still a day late, arriving at Cooper Castle in the evening.

At this moment, the castle gate was covered with piles of horse manure, and more than a dozen warhorses of different colors were tied up in the stables near the gate.

Watching George's retreating figure as he looked around, and hearing Luke's instructions, he raised his hand to touch the scar on his face and nodded silently.

"My God, sir, these warhorses are so tempting, several of them are excellent mountain horses!"

"Stop your thoughts, and don't steal again this time!"

Luke glared at George. He hadn't brought Ryan along on this trip. The manor needed a squire to oversee things, and the iron mine also needed his supervision and support. Incidentally, he hadn't ridden the stolen Andalusian horse; instead, he had ridden a mule out of the valley.

George shrugged, and as he grew closer to Luc, he gradually reverted to his usual carefree attitude. He stretched the coat of arms, leaving George and Miller outside, while he and Jean pushed open the castle gates.

"Hey, look who it is! Isn't this my loyal knight Luke? Welcome to my banquet. Please take a seat. Although you're late, I've still made sure to save a place for you."

As Luc stepped inside the groaning oak doors of the hall, the thick smoke from tallow candles, mingled with the aroma of roasted quail, wafted towards him.

At least twenty people were crammed into the small hall. A row of tables, each about twenty feet long, stood upright in the center, flanked by wooden chairs with backs. Seated on either side were men of varying appearances, but all exuding a fierce aura. Hearing the sound of the city gates open, they all looked at Luc. Berry, seated at the head of the table, immediately laughed and extended his hand, saying:

"Guys, let me introduce you. This is Sir Luke, the owner of the Treff Bridge and husband of Duss Baldwin."

Sparse applause broke out, but few people paid him any attention. Two hot-tempered knights even showed mocking expressions.

Ah, the Knight of a Bridge!
Luc didn't care about the others' attitudes, but glanced around and, sure enough, David wasn't there.

He greeted Berry, then discreetly pulled out the chair at the end of the table and sat down comfortably.

Luc's appearance was just a minor incident; the castle once again became lively. No one spoke to Luc, giving him the opportunity to freely contemplate the scene before him.

The closer Luc got to Cooper Castle, the more convinced he became that Berry probably hadn't discovered his secret.

This relieved Luke's anxiety considerably.

It seems there's only one reason I was summoned.
He also learned some new information:

The purpose of this banquet was actually to bestow the knighthood upon Baron Berry's eldest son, who had officially come of age.

After chatting for a while, Berry suddenly stood up and clapped his hands:
"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's officially begin the banquet. Keller, bring the drinks!"

As Butler Keller bowed, cans of ale and a small amount of wine were served on the main table, followed by classic apple stew with honey-roasted rabbit, black bread, and stewed vegetables.

Looking at the empty tableware in front of him, Luke thought for a moment, then reached out to grab the meat and began to eat heartily.

We don't know Berry's purpose yet, so let's fill our stomachs first.

Luc had a large appetite and ate quickly. He didn't need to toast others; he just focused on eating.

"The malt liquor tastes too astringent, and the stewed meat has too little salt."

As Luc ate, he savored the food, silently thinking of the wine from the valley.

When the meal was nearly finished, the servants cleared the table, and only then did the Baron finally announce the true protagonist of the banquet.
—A young man who bears a striking resemblance to Berry.

Berry's son, Joseph Jr., dressed in a magnificent purple robe and fine leather boots, strode out of the castle with his head held high and walked toward Berry in the flickering candlelight.

Joseph Jr.'s face was stern, but Luc saw a hint of arrogance in his eyes. A casual glance swept over the knights, and the contempt in his eyes dripped like wax. All the knights knew what was happening and rose to their feet, ready to witness the investiture ceremony.

Because Luc arrived late, the necessary abstinence and blessing had already been completed.

Luke hid at the very back of the crowd, leaning against an inconspicuous corner. After hearing that Joseph had been granted a knighthood and a village, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old standing in the darkness.

The boy, fully dressed, gazed at the bustling scene in the center of the hall with a complicated expression.

Rang suddenly leaned closer to Luc and whispered, "The Baron's second son."

"No wonder," Luke suddenly realized.

In a noble system based on primogeniture, the eldest son inherits the title and all the lands, while the second son, if his father is kind or his brother is friendly, may receive a barren village, but most likely he will only receive a suit of armor and a warhorse, and be left to fend for himself.

"Judging from Joseph's appearance, he probably won't even get a good horse."

Let's chuckle. This veteran, who has served the Baldwin family for nearly twenty years, knows a lot of inside information. At this moment, it's hard to tell whether he's gloating or not.

"I remember Duss saying that Berry was also a second son?"

The two spoke in hushed tones, glancing around to make sure everyone was watching Baron Berry. They lowered their voices further and said, "Hey, everyone says the previous baron's eldest son died suddenly from an illness, but Baldwin and I have always believed he was poisoned by Berry!"

Luke's eyes widened. No wonder Baldwin had always been unwilling to submit to Berry. Was there such a thing?

Suddenly, Luc couldn't help but look at the second son of the Baron beside him.

Whether it was my imagination or not, I noticed a strange glint in the boy's eyes.

Luc stopped Jean's shocking statement and returned to silence.

Compared to his own conferment of the rank, Joseph Jr.'s ceremony was particularly complicated, lasting until the moonlight was dim.

The sleepy knights were led back to their prepared rooms to sleep by their servants. Just as Luc was about to leave, Beryl suddenly called out to him.

"Sir Luke, please wait a moment!"

"What is it, Baron?" Luc stopped in his tracks, his mind immediately filled with a thousand precautions.

Something definitely happened!

"It's nothing serious, I just wanted to talk to you about the tax collection issue."

"Taxes?"

To Luc's surprise, the diminutive Berry didn't engage in much small talk and instead got straight to the point.

“That’s right, collecting taxes. As you probably know, last winter we suffered a snow disaster, and many bridges and granaries in my territory were damaged. In addition, there were bandits causing trouble, so I need a bridge maintenance fee.”

"Don't rush to refuse. Haven't you become the church's contractor? This amount of money shouldn't be a big deal for you. Besides, it's not just for you. All the knights have paid their fees, and you're the only one left to pay."

"How much money do you need?" Luke asked, holding his breath.

This guy is really trying to blackmail me.

"Not much, just five pounds."

(End of this chapter)