After finishing his speech, Erich paused and then continued: "I'm not the only one who came this time. Quevedo and his friend are also here. Mr. Furen, you and Quevedo must be quite close, right?"
At that moment, the young man finally seemed to notice Quevedo and said in a somewhat cold but enthusiastic tone: "Ah, Quevedo, I'm sorry, I was simply too happy to see Mr. Erich. Please excuse this unusual burst of enthusiasm. Welcome."
Then this young man, who had seemed proud and indifferent, finally resumed his usual demeanor. He nodded to Furen and said in a naturally cool and polite tone: "Welcome as well, Mr. Furen. Since you are a friend of Quevedo, your erudition cannot fail to impress me. I am delighted by your presence."
After speaking, the young man still seemed to want to talk to Erich, but remembering that he had to lead the philosophy salon, he simply had Erich, Quevedo and Furen sign in to take their seats, then returned himself to his main seat.
Although Erich and the host were close, it was clear the latter wasn't the type to abuse personal relationships or act recklessly. He didn't push people out of the front row to make room for Erich. That's why Quevedo, Erich, and Furen were able to sit at the same table.
During the young man's speech, Furen remained silent, paying no attention to his slight coldness. No, he was polite, impeccable even, but his cold tone and distant demeanor made him seem effortlessly distant.
Throughout the incident, Quevedo maintained a fixed expression. He only relaxed when the young man greeted him, and stiffened again once the young man had moved away. And yet, he said nothing.
Once Furen and the others were seated, Quevedo looked left and right to make sure no one could hear them. His expression suddenly softened, and he complained to Furen:
"Good heavens, what's wrong with Karl today? He was so close to me, but as soon as he met Erich, he became so warm with him and so cold with me. Do you have some kind of strange magic power or something?"
The last sentence was sent to Erich. He, however, didn't react in the slightest. He simply glanced at Quevedo without saying a word. Seeing his reaction, Quevedo could only force a smile and say, "Come on, don't get mad, it's my fault, hehe."
He then turns to Furen. "The host of this philosophical salon was originally a good friend of mine. Now he's... well... his best friend." Quevedo points at Erich, then continues: "Tsk tsk, we barely know each other, how is that possible? Birds of a feather flock together? It makes no sense."
Erich's icy gaze seemed capable of freezing Quevedo to the spot. The latter shuddered, acquiescing, and raised his hand in mock supplication. Erich, finding this man somewhat ridiculous, stopped staring and resumed listening.
Quevedo laughed and continued: "Karl, yes… you heard right what I called him. His full name is Karl Green. Yes, the Green of the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.' Ah, the 'Four Horsemen,' that was my dream back then. I never imagined I'd meet the descendants of such legends. It's like touching a living myth."
"However," Quevedo sighed, "Karl wasn't fortunate enough to inherit his father's position and follow in Mr. Roselle's footsteps. I initially wanted to question him about Mr. Roselle's exploits, or even have the shameless supplier recommend me. But I didn't expect… Anyway, Mr. Roselle has been very generous to Karl. He's now a viscount and his fortune is in the tens of millions, hehe."
After listening, Furen could only reply, "It seems that Mr. Roselle is taking very good care of Karl."
Quevedo nodded vigorously. "Yes. When Mr. Green died, Karl had just been born. Upon his return, Mr. Roselle bequeathed half of his personal estate to Mr. Green's wife. Then, once in power, he granted titles and lands to Green and the other 'Four Horsemen,' and even bestowed upon them an even greater fortune. Mr. Roselle is truly admirable."
It was only then that Furen understood Roselle's unwavering loyalty. Many people speak well when they're plotting together, but once their needs are met, they discard others like trash. Accomplishing great things without forgetting those under his command—this was the first time Furen truly felt the magnanimity of this "transmigrant" he barely knew.
Reflecting on the many dishonest conspiracies he had read about in history books, Furen sincerely replied, "Yes, such magnanimity is extremely rare."
Upon learning that he had managed to introduce his idol to a friend, Quevedo was thrilled. "Isn't that right? Isn't that right? And that's just one of his many qualities..."
Furen expected to hear this fervent admirer endlessly praise his idol, but at that moment, the sound of chimes echoed through the rather small room. Quevedo reluctantly fell silent at this remark. Then, remembering the grandeur of the philosophical salon, his disgruntled air vanished, and he instead displayed an enthusiastic expression.
After a series of clear, albeit discreet, chimes, Karl stood up, glanced around to make sure his gaze was still present, cleared his throat slightly, and then spoke in a tone and manner quite different from Intis's: "Welcome to my philosophical salon. As you know, I'm not one for idle chatter, so let's begin."
Fortunately, Furen had received a noble education in his youth and could understand that Karl still spoke Intis, but the version used exclusively by the nobles of Trier, quite different from the current Intis.
Once the host finished his opening remarks, waiters began bringing coffee, fruit, and cakes to the tables. Meanwhile, Karl continued talking, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Instead, Karl began reciting famous philosophical passages in his aristocratic Intis accent. Furen had often encountered these phrases in his lectures, and books revered them as classics. And so, under the host's cool demeanor, the salon slowly began.
(End of chapter)