Chapter 390 - 269: Kurt, You Bot

Chapter 390: Chapter 269: Kurt, You Bot

He always kept his head down and rarely spoke first. Even when he did, it was just a few short words, and his eyes held a trace of shyness.

It felt like... like he was a child?

In truth, the Kurt of the past had been incredibly cheerful.

At past gatherings, he had always been the life of the party, sometimes even the source of all the noise.

His laughter was hearty and infectious, easily drawing the attention of everyone around him.

He was never stingy with his words. He could speak eloquently with nobles and commoners alike, as if the whole world was under his control.

However, his confidence didn’t come from within, but from his fief and his title.

The land, the wealth, and the title of Independent Noble were like a magnificent suit of armor, allowing him to hold his head high in a crowd.

But when it all crumbled overnight—when his fief was seized and his title stripped—that "armor" vanished into thin air, leaving him with nothing but his bare self.

Afraid, bashful, shy...

The Kurt of today, having lost all that external support, was like a lake that had been drained dry, leaving only an arid bed.

His eyes were no longer bright, his smile no longer brilliant. His former cheerfulness and confidence were replaced by bashfulness and shyness.

He no longer spoke up, always keeping his head down for fear his voice would bother others.

All he had left was the Martial Arts and strength he’d trained in since childhood, the only things that allowed him to continue surviving in this world.

Selas watched Kurt’s timid demeanor, feeling a sense of helplessness.

’F*cking hell. Only two of us came who can actually take charge, and one of them is practically a mute! It’s like a tsunami sweeping over the plains, the world is ending! Kurt, you’re a complete NPC!’

Selas shook his head and sighed, his gaze shifting to the distance as he began to think about the task ahead.

They were about to arrive in Tiyaer, and their meeting with Countess Ratifa was the key to this mission.

However, he knew he didn’t have much experience in this area. All the tedious diplomatic and political affairs had previously been handled by Claude.

At most, Bain and Leon had occasionally observed and learned from the sidelines. They had very little experience in these matters.

Even though they had all been Independent Knights, their titles weren’t high, and their fiefs were pitifully small. Daily administrative tasks could be handled by a capable steward, so they never had to worry about them.

Now, facing a noble like Countess Ratifa, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

’This is a real, bona fide Countess! I’ve only ever seen one at the Martial Arts tournaments in the cities near my old fief.’

’If only Claude were here,’ Selas couldn’t help but think.

Claude was always Skillful and Confident in complex situations, and his words and etiquette were always flawless.

He stubbornly turned to look at Kurt again, only to find him with his head down, fiddling with the reins in his hands. He seemed completely lost in his own world. ’This NPC Kurt is completely useless in a diplomatic setting.’

’Looks like I’ll have to rely on myself.’

「A few days later.」

Selas and his party finally arrived in the Tiyaer region.

After passing through a dense forest, resupplying their food stores in Amperela, and continuing north across several rivers, they entered an open plain and saw a Tiyaer patrol in the distance.

The patrol’s soldiers wore matching uniforms and rode tall, imposing horses, looking quite formidable.

They had clearly spotted Selas’s group, because by the time they drew near, the patrol had already formed up neatly to wait for them.

"It seems the Countess governs her army quite well."

After hearing Selas, Kurt held back for a long moment before managing a single "Mm."

Selas decided to drop it.

The captain of this patrol was a burly, middle-aged man with a thick beard.

He rode up to Selas. Without dismounting, they both gave a slight bow as a salute. His tone was respectful and polite. "Honored guests, we recognize that flag. It belongs to the Bro Clan."

"Welcome to Tiyaer. I am the captain of one of Her Ladyship the Countess’s patrols."

Selas nodded, trying his best to appear friendly and composed. "Thank you for the welcome," he replied. "We are here on a diplomatic mission and hope to discuss some important matters with Her Ladyship the Countess."

The captain smiled slightly and said courteously, "Please, follow me. I will lead the way."

He waved his hand, signaling for his soldiers to clear a path.

Selas nodded, motioning for his party to follow. However, just as they were about to set off, the captain added, "My friends, you’ve come a long way. I will have some drinks and food prepared for you to enjoy while you wait."

Selas fell silent for a moment. His eyes scanned the patrol captain’s face, and he frowned slightly, as if weighing whether this arrangement was appropriate.

But soon enough, he nodded slightly and said in a calm tone, "Then I’ll have to trouble you. We have indeed grown weary from our long journey. A chance to rest and refresh ourselves would be most welcome."

Hearing this, a subtle look of relief crossed the captain’s face. He smiled and replied, "It’s our duty. You’ve all come from afar and deserve to be treated well. Her Ladyship the Countess will surely be pleased to hear that envoys from the Bro Clan have arrived. Please, follow me. I will have someone make the arrangements at once."

After speaking, he turned and gave a few orders, and several of his soldiers immediately set off to carry them out.

The captain looked back at Selas, his tone laced with concern. "Come with me. I will get everything arranged as quickly as possible. I will also send someone to inform Her Ladyship the Countess, so I’m sure there will be further arrangements shortly."

Selas nodded slightly, but his gaze swept discreetly over their surroundings.

He noticed that the patrol’s soldiers maintained a respectful posture on the surface. But it was clear the captain had no intention of letting them easily enter Tiyaer’s core territory. Instead, he planned to stall for time and wait for further instructions from the Countess.

The patrol captain breathed a silent sigh of relief. He didn’t know what the envoys from the Bro Clan were here to discuss, but if he let them through rashly and the Countess wasn’t prepared, it would be a loss of face for the nobility.

If his patrol hadn’t spotted them, it would be one thing, but now they had run right into each other.

’As they say, the devil is in the details. Even though my position as patrol captain isn’t high, I still have to help ease my lady’s burdens.’

’If I can handle this properly, I might even make a good impression on the Countess and earn more opportunities for myself.’

The message was quickly delivered to Ratifa. She was sitting in her study, toying with a quill pen in her hand, her gaze fixed on the garden outside her window.

After hearing the guard’s report, she lifted her chin slightly, signaling for him to continue.

"My Lady, the envoy party from the Bro Clan has reached the Tiyaer border. Our patrol has met with them and arranged for drinks and food so they can rest for a while."

"The patrol captain also sent someone to ask for instructions on how to proceed," the guard said respectfully.

She put down her quill and stood up. "Arrange a private banquet."

After a moment of contemplation, she added, "The scale doesn’t need to be too grand, but it must be appropriate for Selas’s status and also show respect for Henry."

The guard immediately bowed. "Yes, My Lady. I’ll see to the arrangements at once."

Ratifa waved her hand, dismissing the guard. She turned back to her desk and sat down again, her fingers tapping lightly on the surface as her eyes filled with contemplation.

’The Bro Clan’s diplomatic mission this time must be related to Henry’s plans,’ she mused. ’Henry’s ambition is far greater than I imagined.’

’The scale of the banquet can’t be too high, lest I lose face, but it can’t be too shabby either, or it will seem disrespectful to Henry.’

’This banquet isn’t just to receive Selas; it’s a statement of my attitude toward Henry.’

’Our previous relationship is completely different from this new cooperation. This time, it’s a partnership between two nobles of the Count rank.’