Chapter 1491 - 952: On the Past_2

Chapter 1491: Chapter 952: On the Past_2

Outside the castle, the deepening night had long swallowed the anger of a bygone era, scattering it into the howling, biting cold mountain wind beyond the heavy stone walls.

Inside the dining hall, the fire in the fireplace crackled.

The flickering firelight cast wavering shadows on the faces of Alfred and Count Raymond, creating an indescribably subtle stillness in the atmosphere.

Regarding Carroll’s earlier departure in a huff.

Count Raymond acted as if nothing had happened, elegantly picking up a napkin and carefully wiping his mouth, as if to dispel the lingering scent of gunpowder in the air.

His usual shrewd smile returned to his face, his eyes shifting warmly and considerately to Alfred, with just the right amount of genuine concern in his tone:

"Lord Alfred, it seemed you also suffered some injuries on the battlefield earlier? Is that Void-inflicted wound still bothersome?

"Do you need me to call upon the family physician who accompanied us to take a look? Our Golden Bird Family doctors do have some ancestral expertise in treating such tricky injuries."

Alfred moved his left shoulder slightly, where the priest’s healing spell had taken effect, though the wound, deep enough to reach bone, was still slightly painful but healing quickly, visibly.

He shook his head, his voice carrying a hint of deep battlefield fatigue and relief from surviving a catastrophe:

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Raymond. It’s merely a flesh wound; the priests with the army treated it promptly, and the Night Watcher’s healers followed up with thorough purification. It’s no longer troublesome.

"But those Void creatures... Facing them, the pure, nauseating malice that devours everything makes one shudder to their very soul.

"If the Night Watcher’s warriors hadn’t arrived in time, especially Captain Vane... today would have been the complete end for me and this land."

He took up his wineglass, sipping the fiery Dwarven Strong Alcohol, as if to use its scorching heat to dispel the lingering cold from his heart.

"Witnessing the swift and clean resolution of a Legendary-level Void monster in person, the sheer shock... is hard to express. The power of the Night Watchers really is beyond what we ordinary powers can even hope to touch."

"Indeed."

Count Raymond nodded with heartfelt agreement, his gaze carrying the merchant’s typical reverence for powerful forces and value assessment.

"At such a level, ordinary armies are nothing but lambs to the slaughter before them. The Night Watchers being able to cultivate such a commanding force in such a short time speaks to their profound depth and extraordinary means, commands admiration."

His tone shifted, with a hint of exploratory and playful smile, "However, Lord Alfred, you seem to have an unusual trust and closeness with the Night Watcher that far exceeds other lords?"

Alfred set down his wineglass, meeting Raymond’s eyes with forthrightness and determination:

"Trust stems from seeing the facts with my own eyes, Lord Raymond. When I was in my most perilous times, and the Kingdom was unable to reach, it was they who offered a helping hand.

"This favor, I, Alfred, will remember. Moreover..." He paused, surveying the sumptuous feast laid across the table, "The changes brought by the Night Watchers are tangible and substantial.

"My territory is safer because of them, my people live significantly better because of them. Isn’t that worthy of trust and closeness?"

"Well-spoken."

Count Raymond nodded in agreement, then brought in a hint of merchant-like, probing sly humor.

"However, Lord Alfred, I’m still curious. As a noble Guardian of the border, of esteemed status, always practical, and heavily relied upon by the Kingdom, why would you so...

"Hmm, unwaveringly choose to stand with the Night Watcher? After all, you should understand the political risks and external pressure better than I do. In the Royal Capital, there are quite a few opposing voices like Captain Carroll’s."

Hearing this, Alfred let out a short, slightly bitter and self-deprecating chuckle, leaned slightly forward, crossing his hands on the table, meeting Raymond’s gaze without pretense:

"Lord Raymond, neither of us is fond of beating around the bush, especially after such... unpleasant ’unpleasantries’.

"You, a pivotal figure in the Kingdom, captain of the always neutral Golden Bird Family, appear suddenly without warning in my remote, resource-poor frontier castle, likely not just to inspect trade routes or pay a courtesy call to an old friend?

"It’s even less likely to hear me and Captain Carroll’s futile argument. Please, do share your insights directly."

Count Raymond’s smile deepened suddenly, yet it carried not a hint of the embarrassment of being exposed, rather a look of "as expected" understanding.

He gently rubbed the edge of the jeweled wineglass with a finger, shedding the layer of a merchant’s superficial smoothness, his gaze becoming sharp as a knife, sharp and solemn:

"Lord Alfred, you are indeed frank. Yes, I do have other intentions on this trip. But rest assured, my purpose is not ill-intended probing or interference in your choices.

"I merely wish... to personally hear from you, a lord truly at the center of the storm, fighting alongside the Night Watcher, deeply experiencing their strength and intentions, about your genuine views on the future of this world."

He intentionally emphasized the words "genuine views."

Alfred is quite unique among the kingdom’s nobility.

In the noble banquets, his adventures as a young Knight are often talked about.

During his period of ventures outside, he practically experienced the entire rapid rise of the Night Watchers.

Therefore, his perspective is clearer and more understanding.

Alfred fell into a brief silence, his gaze thoughtfully lingering on the dancing flames in the fireplace, as if settling his thoughts.

The dining hall was left with only the monotonous crackling of burning wood.

After a long moment, he finally spoke slowly:

"Genuine views? Lord Raymond, since the shocking ’Blood Calamity’ descended upon the entire Anwein over twenty years ago, our world has irreversibly slipped towards the brink of the Abyss.

"For the past twenty years, wars, famines, the Evil God’s whispers, Void erosion... never truly ceased. We all are simply struggling to survive on the fragile edge of a precipice."

"It is the Night Watchers."

His tone turned resolute and affirmative.

"They are the ones who decisively curbed the madness of the Evil God, pulling us out of the quagmire of that descent nightmare.

"And now, they tell us that it was just a small prologue before a greater storm descends.

The Void apocalypse... is no longer a distant prophecy but a sword hanging above, ready to fall at any moment.

"Look at today’s rifts, at the unending, terrifying monsters pouring forth. The Night Watchers are not being alarmist."

Alfred refocused his gaze on Raymond’s face, carrying the undeniable certainty of history:

"As for the Night Watcher themselves... I admit, they are assertive. Their influence permeates into the Kingdom’s core without fail, their rules profoundly reshaping the economy, society, and even hearts.

"If their actions were in peacetime, it would be enough to regard them as threats to all kingdoms, becoming public enemies to be collectively opposed."

He paused, a deeply meaningful and complex curve lifting his lips:

"But the catch is, the benefits they bring are also tangibly substantial and beneficial to all people, making them impossible to ignore!

"Efficient and safe transportation networks, affordable space equipment, abundant low-cost supply provisions, weapons against the Void, and... hope that Ordinary folks can grab onto to change their fate."