Chapter 263: Imperial Border
Owen, sitting quietly, didn’t stand out. Though handsome, his unremarkable aura left little impression on those meeting him for the first time. It was hard to discern any striking traits in him, like the arrogance, suspicion, or greed common among nobles. He seemed polished and restrained, devoid of aggression or threat, even less noticeable than the legendary female warrior beside him. After all, none of the three had ever seen a legend dressed as a maid.
Despite Owen seeming ordinary, no one underestimated him. Besides the legendary warrior guarding him, their journey’s observations alone made Marquis Bergasos and his companions elevate Owen to their level, or even higher. With their strength, they couldn’t dream of building such a fortress in the Northland.
Whether commoner, noble, or professional, strength and influence were the ultimate currency. The weak had to acknowledge their place. So, discarding pointless probing and arrogance, they quickly transitioned into conversation.
Exchanges between nobles weren’t overly complex. If the main topic wasn’t broached after a while, it meant the other party wasn’t interested in talking or the stakes weren’t high enough. It was best to leave gracefully.
Through their conversation, Marquis Bergasos keenly observed that while Owen wasn’t eloquent, his knowledge was vast. He was a rare scholar-type noble.
Marquis Bergasos didn’t underestimate him for this. Though his mana-sensing amulet remained inert, a noble scholar whose home was filled with magic and possessed elf blood couldn’t possibly be ignorant of magic. To think otherwise was self-deception.
One could never be too cautious with a mage. Moreover, Owen might lack social grace, but his intelligence was undeniable. So, Marquis Bergasos chose his words carefully.
As the conversation paused, Owen clapped his hands. Sico, the house elf and castle cook, swiftly used magic to transport a meticulously prepared feast to the table.
Having come from a nation known for its cuisine in his past life, Owen wasn’t about to settle for less now that he had the means. He not only sought to recreate dishes from his previous world but also explored delicacies from this world and the numerous game worlds within his system.
All these tasks, of course, fell to the capable hands of Sico. While the cook wasn’t much to look at, her culinary skills were truly exceptional.
Hogwarts’ food magic combined with countless recipes and rare ingredients made even the Ninth Princess Thea, hailing from the royal family, unable to stop eating.
If not for their magical amulets remaining silent, they would’ve thought they were cursed or drugged.
Regardless of one’s composure, good food always lifted the mood and bridged distances. So, after the plates were cleared and replaced with desserts, the second round of conversation became much more relaxed.
Owen didn’t show any resistance towards traveling to the Imperial Capital to receive his enfeoffment, which relieved Marquis Bergasos, the envoy.
Hydra was arguably the strongest power in the Northland. Their refusal of the Imperial enfeoffment would undoubtedly have negative consequences.
While the Empire had the means to eliminate them, it was unnecessary and not easily achieved.
The fact that Owen used legendary warriors as maids was enough to give the Emperor pause.
While a legendary warrior on the battlefield could only influence the odds of victory and not threaten the Empire, could a faction that openly displayed magic lack a legendary mage?
A legendary warrior and a legendary mage were two entirely different concepts. The former could influence a war; the latter, an Empire.
No one knew the extent of destruction a disaster-seeking legendary mage could wreak, nor did anyone wish to find out.
Therefore, even if Hydra explicitly refused the enfeoffment, the Empire wouldn’t necessarily resort to force. However, as the Imperial envoy tasked with handling the Northland, he would become the scapegoat.
Fortunately, Owen’s attitude was amicable, and he seemed quite interested in the Imperial Academy.
With this thought, an idea sparked in Marquis Bergasos’ mind. Maintaining a neutral expression, he subtly steered the conversation towards the Imperial Academy, especially since Ninth Princess Thea was a student there.
Count Dekla didn’t interrupt their collaborative effort to guide the topic. Hydra joining the Empire and even entering the Imperial Academy would benefit him too.
This was a shared understanding. Only by bringing Owen into their circle could they explore further possibilities. No one would jeopardize that now.
Unlike their one-day trips to other Northland lords, the envoy mission stayed in North City for three full days before preparing to return.
Since they had to go to the Imperial Capital to receive their enfeoffment, the Northland nobles who passed the envoy mission’s assessment would travel with them. Owen, too, would join the journey, saving him a lot of trouble along the way.
Owen, of course, wouldn’t travel alone. Besides Charle as his personal guard and Shinobi secretly following, he also brought ten Witch Hunters, ten Teutonic Knights, ten Templar Knights, and a hundred Cuirassiers. A thousand ordinary soldiers posed no threat to him.
Seeing the elite troops Owen brought along, Marquis Bergasos and the others weren’t surprised. Even within the city, which noble didn’t travel with an entourage? Those who thought the world was peaceful and wandered around carelessly were all dead.
As they journeyed and gathered others, their numbers swelled to over two thousand upon reaching the Imperial border. If not for the Imperial envoy mission, they wouldn’t be allowed near the border, let alone cross it.
Arriving at a pass, the three members of the envoy mission didn’t even show themselves. Their subordinates handled everything.
Owen, with his sharp eyes, saw from afar that the envoy mission’s representative didn’t even bother showing any documents. After a few shouts, the guarding officer obediently ordered his men to open the gate. Both sides considered this routine; no one found it unusual.
From the envoy mission’s perspective, they were noble figures from the Imperial Capital, not needing to be deferential to anyone in this backwater region.
Coincidentally, the Imperial border army shared the sentiment.
Most Imperial border soldiers were merely passing time. They understood the consequences of strict vigilance: their superiors would offer them up to appease offended nobles. So, it was best to avoid offending anyone if possible.
As for the possibility of enemies disguising themselves, please. Since their grandfather’s grandfather’s generation, they had never seen any foreign enemies. Even when hundreds of thousands of refugees surged out of the border recently, few dared to cause trouble under the watch of the Imperial border army. Under such circumstances, vigilance was nonexistent.
With mixed feelings, Owen followed the envoy mission through the majestic border pass, over ten meters high and nearly ten meters wide, with four layers of gates. He thought to himself that if he were leading an army to attack, he would need to sacrifice eight or ten thousand men just to climb the walls. After all, the cannons on the pass weren’t decorations. But the laxity of the garrison made him wonder if it was a blessing or a curse for him.
Regardless, stepping out of the border pass meant that after years of quietly developing his territory in the Northland, he had finally arrived in the Empire, even if it was just the border region.
