Pioneer Wizard's Notebook

"In the blink of an eye, that shy child has grown up so much, carrying the safety of an entire territory on his shoulders. It must be tiring."

Mrs. Maria came over and said with empathy.

The lady reached out and took Agatha from Lind's arms, patted the girl's head, and told her to go back to the back and wait by her sister Monica's side.

He then opened his arms toward Lind.

It wasn't a nobleman's greeting, but rather a hug between family members.

Linde did not refuse and went up to hug her.

"Aunt Maria, it's been a year, and you are still so young and beautiful. Although Baron Pharos has passed away, he will live forever in the hearts of the people of Riverbank as a hero. Please accept my condolences."

Lind comforted him, then released his arm.

"As for the territory, this is a responsibility that the Sunflower Family must bear."

"With the arrival of winter, there must be pioneers to shield us from the wind and snow, and I am happy to accept this challenge."

Mrs. Maria sensed the passion and energy emanating from the boy's words.

The shy, timid child of the past and the strong lord who single-handedly supported the Flourishing Territory and withstood the attack of the Icefield Demons overlapped at this moment.

This suddenly filled Mrs. Maria with a bittersweet feeling.

She recalled the various disturbances caused by the Tianhetan garrison, which left her, a woman who had never participated in political affairs, feeling utterly exhausted.

If her son were still alive, and there were still people in the family she could rely on, perhaps things wouldn't be so bad.

Lady Maria sighed inwardly.

But her years of aristocratic upbringing made her behave normally, and she smiled as she welcomed Lind into River Bend.

"Good day, Brother Lin De, welcome to River Bend Town."

Monica, the older sister, bowed gracefully, while taking her younger sister Agatha's small hand in hers.

To avoid the situation where, without my noticing, my sister shamelessly throws herself into a man's arms again.

"Long time no see. You look more and more like your mother, just as dignified and beautiful."

Linde greeted the young lady with a smile, presented the two girls with the prepared agate necklace, and received two crisp thanks in return.

The welcoming ceremony at the main gate has now concluded.

Lind and the rangers handed the maned horse over to the town's stableman and took it to the stable for temporary shelter.

They followed Lady Maria, along with a group of soldiers and servants waiting beside them, into the town.

"Weary from your journey, I have prepared rooms and bathhouses for you in the castle. Please follow me."

Lady Maria led the way, preparing them to rest at the castle first.

Linde raised his hand in refusal.

"This journey is nothing to us. Let's take care of the important matter first. Where is that lucky shoemaker now?"

Linde was referring, of course, to Aubrey, the illegitimate son of the Riverbank Baron who initiated the illegitimate son challenge system.

The opponent has not yet completed the challenge, so they are unlikely to be so audacious as to enter the castle.

He's probably somewhere in River Bend Town right now, celebrating his rise to prominence.

Linde came here to deal with this potential problem for Mrs. Maria.

Now that I'm already here, it's best to resolve this as soon as possible.

Strangely, Lady Maria hesitated and declined, saying:

"Aren't you a little too tired? The hot water in the castle is ready. After a soak, you can take a nice nap. That's how Riverbank Territory treats its guests."

Linde shook his head and insisted, "We're in good condition, please lead the way."

Seeing his insistence, Mrs. Maria could no longer refuse and changed course.

Under the tense and curious gazes of the surrounding residents and vendors, the group crossed the bustling trade market and arrived at a special street with a pink sign.

The air was filled with the cheap perfume that only prostitutes would wear, masking the fishy stench.

Linde's gaze swept across the street, and after seeing several heavily made-up women hurriedly run into the room, he immediately understood what this place was all about.

Brothels, which arose alongside sex, were a characteristic feature of the Middle Ages.

You can find them in almost every larger town, and they never lack customers.

Their approaching group made a great commotion.

The streets were already crowded with curious residents, who were whispering about the rumors surrounding the Pharos family and their illegitimate son, Aubrey.

At that moment, a half-closed door was opened.

A naked man lying on the bed, with two women in his arms, came into view, causing a commotion among the residents.

The two prostitutes cried out and quickly scrambled under the covers.

The man, however, felt no shame whatsoever. He deliberately thrust his lower body forward to display his weapon, which drew laughter from the crowd.

"Laugh! What are you laughing at? Haven't you ever seen anything this big before?!"

Aubrey stood tall and proud for a while before reluctantly putting on his fur robe and shivering in the cold wind as he sneezed.

I saw Mrs. Maria and her two beautiful daughters outside.

Aubrey couldn't help but whistle, leaning forward in an inviting, flirtatious gesture, his expression excited.

Lady Maria's eyes were cold, and Monica, who was covering her sister's eyes, was even more disgusted.

Linde calmly sized up the illegitimate son, then raised his hand, signaling his men to make their move.

"My lord, leave it to me."

Warren, one of the three knights, drew his longsword, maintaining a serious, expressionless demeanor, and strode closer.

"Soldiers, keep your distance!"

Just as Warren was about to step through the door, a man standing guard by the wooden door with his arms crossed suddenly opened his eyes and issued a warning.

The man was unremarkable in appearance and dressed in very ordinary clothes.

The only unusual thing was the longsword he wore at his waist, the scabbard of which was engraved with intricate noble crests.

Warren ignored him and continued on his way.

The next second, the crisp sound of a blade being drawn rang out.

The longswords clashed and clashed incessantly, sparks flying in an instant.

They faced off repeatedly, but neither side could gain the upper hand.

The two distanced themselves from each other, both showing surprise in their eyes.

"So what if you're a knight? You can't stop me!"

Taking advantage of the moment when the other party was stunned, Warren retreated repeatedly, swiftly sheathed his sword, and picked up the longbow from his back.

His specialty is not swordsmanship, but archery, which is guided by the sun!

The wolf-tooth arrow was nocked, and the deadly threat made the man in the distance's hair stand on end. He quickly raised his hands and shouted:

"Wait, please wait! I am a knight from High Cliff Fortress! I am not your enemy!"

"No, damn it, put your bow down! Where's your chivalry?! Bastard, who draws a bow right away in a duel?!"

Seeing the young knight before him lack martial ethics, the man broke out in a sweat, his previous composure gone, and his voice became hoarse with anxiety.

Linde said, "Stop."

Upon hearing his command, Warren lowered his longbow and, amidst the astonished gazes of those around him, returned to the rear of the column.

"It seems that our shoemaker is not as simple as Aunt described in her letter."

Linde looked at his silent Aunt Maria and chuckled softly.

He was not surprised by the intervention of the High Cliff Fortress knights.

If Aubrey had truly been just an ordinary shoemaker in Riverlands, he could not have survived until the illegitimate child challenge system was implemented.

He probably revealed his identity and was buried in the ground by the Baroness's men that very night.

The fact that this illegitimate child has reached the stage of widespread public awareness can only mean that he has someone backing him.

Lady Maria was unable to deal with him in secret.

Linde had anticipated this when he arrived, so he didn't mind her concealment.

It's better to have trouble; the bigger the trouble, the higher the price he can ask for to help solve it.

This is a good thing.