Chapter 144: The Slovenly Man of Letters

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Slovenly Man of Letters

「Ten days later.」

Vili was riding a magnificent steed. Beside him were the high-spirited Sandoor and a few cavalrymen.

They were just returning to town after completing a tour of the hamlets and villages under White Bear Town’s jurisdiction.

As the new Baron of the domain, Vili needed to get a clear picture of the current situation in White Bear Town. Relying solely on written reports for information about his territory was simply not comprehensive enough.

A lack of information could lead to a discrepancy between his expectations and the actual results of future decisions. So, Vili had undertaken the arduous task, spending about ten days to traverse most of White Bear Town.

"Lord Baron, a gentleman claiming to be your friend came to visit you this morning."

Just as Vili rode into the manor, one of the gate Guards approached and reported to him.

"My friend?" Vili was surprised. "What’s his name?"

"He didn’t state his identity, only that you would surely want to see him," the Guard answered truthfully.

Vili furrowed his brow. ’Claiming to be my friend but refusing to give a name... that’s a breach of etiquette.’ ’None of my friends would do something like that.’

"Where is he now?" Vili asked.

"Since you weren’t here, and we didn’t dare to be neglectful, we showed him to the parlor next to the reception hall."

The Guard sounded a bit guilty as he spoke, stealing a glance at Vili’s expression, afraid the Baron would scold them for letting a stranger in.

But they hadn’t had much choice at the time. After all, they had no idea what the relationship was between this stranger and Vili. If they treated someone important to him poorly, they would surely face the Baron’s wrath.

"Alright, I understand."

Vili nodded, showing no sign of anger.

He understood the Guards’ predicament well, so he didn’t give them a hard time.

It just made him more curious. ’Who could this "friend" be?’

Vili handed his steed over to a Guard and walked toward the parlor alone.

Just as he reached the parlor door, before he even entered, Vili heard a strange man’s voice complaining.

"Why isn’t your Lord Baron here yet? How dare he treat such a distinguished guest as myself so poorly!" The man’s tone was extremely impatient as he prattled on. "And this tea is absolutely vile. Did you brew it with seawater? It has a salty, fishy smell that cheapens your Baron’s status."

Vili raised an eyebrow. He didn’t hesitate any longer and walked straight into the parlor.

As soon as he entered, Vili saw a middle-aged man stuffing his face with pastries.

The man was in his forties, slightly overweight, with a dark complexion. He wore a crooked, dusty gentleman’s hat and a wrinkled black formal suit. His cane, which lay on the table, was cracked, and his shoes were caked in mud.

Vili found it hard to believe this man would dare call himself his friend.

Standing before the man was a young female attendant, beads of cold sweat on her forehead. She looked timid and submissive, terrified that this bizarre friend of the Lord Baron would complain about her and get her punished.

"Lord Baron."

Just as she was at a loss for how to handle the guest, she saw Vili enter and quickly curtsied.

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, the strange man quickly turned around and saw Vili, who was giving him a scrutinizing look.

"You may go," Vili said, waving his hand at the female attendant.

The attendant looked as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She shot Vili a grateful glance and quickly left the parlor.

After the attendant left, the strange man smacked his lips and brushed the pastry crumbs from his mustache.

He stood up, straightened his gentleman’s hat slightly, tugged at his formal suit, and took his cane in hand.

Then, he straightened his back, cleared his throat, and adopted a serious expression. "Baron Vili, it is an honor to meet you."

Vili didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he casually sat down in a chair, popped a nearby pastry into his mouth, and said nothing.

"Ahem..."

The man grew awkward when Vili ignored him. ’In my script,’ he thought, ’Baron Vili was supposed to ask my identity at this point, after which I would give a solemn self-introduction.’

But this young Baron didn’t seem to play by the book.

The man rubbed his drinker’s nose, sounding a little less confident. "Greetings, Baron Vili. My name is Mibu, and I hail from Golden Flower City in Dawei Province."

A hint of confidence returned to him as he said this.

Golden Flower City was where Count Lumbar himself resided—the central city of the entire Dawei Province. By introducing himself this way, Mibu wanted to let Vili know that he came from a major city and that arriving in White Bear Town was like visiting the boondocks.

"Golden Flower City?" Vili lifted his gaze, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Seeing this, Mibu thought Vili had taken an interest in his identity and seized the opportunity. "That’s right. I’m from the rich and prosperous Golden Flower City. It’s not a place a small town like this can compare to."

As he spoke, Mibu gave Vili a self-satisfied look.

"I am a famous author from Golden Flower City. I’ve come to White Bear Town this time to tour some of the more remote towns and gather literary material. So, I hope Baron Vili can offer me some cooperation. If you do, I will write White Bear Town into my work and make your domain famous far and wide."

Having said this, Mibu finally felt as if he had regained control of the situation.

"You’re an author, you say?" Vili suddenly chuckled. It was the first time he had ever seen such a destitute-looking author.

This era was completely different from the world he’d transmigrated from. To become an author in this world, one had to be well-read from a young age and possess a vast amount of knowledge. Those with access to such things were almost all from noble or wealthy merchant families.

Take Vili’s former literacy teacher, Hudier, for example. His father had been a great merchant.

But even with his talent and background, he had only managed to become a scholar, not an author.

And yet this Mibu, slovenly and utterly lacking in refined bearing, called himself an author. Vili found it utterly ridiculous.

"Alright, Mr. Mibu, let’s put aside whether you’re an author or not. We have another matter to resolve right now."

Vili’s expression suddenly turned serious. "How do you intend to answer for the crime of impersonating a friend of a Baron?"

From the very beginning, Vili hadn’t believed a single word Mibu said.

As a One-Engraving Hanged Man who possessed the Power of Justice, he could easily sense any negative aspects of human nature.

Mibu’s mouthful of lies could not possibly escape the scrutiny of Vili’s Power of Justice.