Unknowingly, time quietly slipped away, and soon it was almost lunchtime.
Hans saw that Karl was always focused on learning horsemanship, with no trace of fatigue or impatience on his face.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "The young master's enthusiasm for learning is truly rare."
I just don't know how long he can maintain it, after all, the learning process is always dry and boring.
"Karl, take a break, lunch is almost ready."
Hans waved, calling out to Karl and the other person who were riding side by side.
Karl lightly pressed his calf against the horse's flank, urging the horse forward until he reached Hans.
He dismounted and landed on the ground, then turned and gently patted the draft horse's shoulder and neck to soothe it.
"Hans, before coming to the manor, I brought the wild boar I hunted. Could I trouble you to cook it?"
"Oh, of course, no problem. I'll tell Marta to do it."
...At lunchtime, at the oval oak table, about four meters long and two meters wide, Karl and Jack sat to the right of Raymond, eating.
Hans, the butler, stood with his hands behind his back, straight within half a meter to Raymond's left.
As for Marta and the other maids, they had already discreetly withdrawn.
Raymond picked up his silver knife and fork, elegantly cutting the wild boar steak on his plate, putting a small piece of meat into his mouth, and chewing and savoring it carefully.
After chewing for a few seconds, he still couldn't bear to swallow, as if to let the aroma of the meat linger between his lips and teeth for a while longer.
With a look of emotion, he slowly said, "Thanks to you, Karl, I haven't enjoyed such a sumptuous dinner in a long time."
Hearing this, Karl was stunned, stopping the action of putting the meat on his fork into his mouth.
"Uh... Raymond, as far as I know, don't nobles generally have their own industries? Moreover, there's also the tithe..."
"Heh, it's true that there used to be people and shops that brewed and sold wine, but later they couldn't continue because of that bitch's family."
"Those jackal-like guys wouldn't easily let go of a fat piece of meat like me."
"As for the tithe, the annual tax revenue is only a little over 200 oren."
"Normal expenses within the manor alone take up a small portion, some needs to be paid to the king, and then I spent a lot seeking medical treatment everywhere due to the pale sickness."
For a moment, Karl was a bit speechless. He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say to comfort the other party.
He wanted to say, don't nobles all have relatives? But then he remembered what the other party had just said. Yes, Raymond himself was barely surviving.
At this point, seeking help from relatives, with people's hearts being unfathomable, who knew if it would be like inviting a wolf into the house.
When he first arrived at the manor, he had a rough guess about the situation within the manor, but he didn't expect the reality to be so bad.
Seeing Karl's expression, Raymond smiled indifferently and consoled him, "It's okay, Karl, I still have some savings."
"The money for a good warhorse and a custom plate armor can be scraped together."
"Now, I only hope that when I meet my ancestors after I die, I can stand tall and say that I did not fail the blood of Air, and that I was worthy of Elisa's love."
Listening to Raymond's words, Karl quietly watched the other party, feeling that the other party's indifferent posture was more like feigning ease.
That not-so-bad family fortune was most likely his last asset.
Jack had once told him that among a noble's assets, real estate was not the most valuable.
Among them, the most expensive items were warhorses and plate armor, both of which were priced in the hundreds.
Even if they were cheaper, both together, not counting subsequent maintenance and feeding, would cost hundreds of oren at least.
And this considerable sum of money, for a knight with a rich family, would almost bankrupt them to produce, and an ordinary baron simply couldn't afford it.
Both were symbols of strength and status; if one could afford them, regardless of whether they were exquisite, it would be enough to make ordinary nobles look up to them, and even envy them.
Karl was silent for a moment, then looked up and met Raymond's gaze. He said seriously, "Mr. Raymond, perhaps I can afford this money, you don't have to go through so much trouble for me..."
Raymond was stunned, then frowned slightly, looking into Karl's eyes, realizing that Karl wasn't joking.
He pursed his lips and slowly said, "Child, you need to be clear about what you're saying..."
"As your father, it's my duty to provide for my child. You don't have to feel guilty about it, nor lie to me because of it."
"An asset of several hundred oren is not easy for even me to produce, and you were just a commoner before."
"Perhaps what you've encountered has caused some misunderstanding in your perception of money... I apologize, Karl, I didn't mean to belittle you."
At this moment, even Jack, after finishing the red wine in his glass, couldn't help but quickly signal Karl with his eyes, telling him not to provoke Raymond any further.
Given the other party's current condition, he was really afraid that Karl would anger him to the point of fainting.
Karl naturally saw Jack's subtle signal, and he rolled his eyes at the other party in annoyance.
At this point, he knew that merely speaking wouldn't convince the two of them.
"Alright, I won't waste my breath. You two wait for me."
So, he put down his knife and fork, pushed his chair back, stood up, and quickly walked towards a staircase.
"Cough, cough, cough, Jack, was my tone too harsh and made him angry? Perhaps I should go and apologize to him."
Raymond saw Karl leave without eating, heading upstairs.
Immediately, he seemed a bit at a loss, his emotions fluctuating, and he couldn't stop a fit of coughing.
After all, there wasn't much affection between him and Karl, and they weren't familiar with each other.
He also didn't know how to get along with children, so conflicts were inevitable due to communication issues.
"Boy, don't worry, if Karl were truly angry, it wouldn't be like this."
...A few minutes later, Raymond and the other person stared wide-eyed, surprised at the obsidian necklace on the table, repeatedly leaning in to examine it closely.
Raymond gently stroked the white pearls on the necklace with his palm, confirming its value.
"Karl, this necklace is quite valuable. Where did you get it?" Jack asked, stroking his grizzled beard, puzzled.
"I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd lecture me. The necklace is a trophy from encountering and killing water ghouls in the forest the day before yesterday."
"It's not an ordinary necklace; it's a magical artifact used by a warlock."
"Selling it as ordinary jewelry would be too much of a loss. I originally planned to find an opportunity to sell it to a warlock later," Karl said softly, shrugging his shoulders with open hands.
Raymond withdrew his hand from the necklace, glancing at the almost vanished blue glow.
He shook his head and sighed, "I'm afraid I can't help with this matter. I've only heard that the royal advisor is a warlock, but I've never seen one with my own eyes."
At this moment, Jack clapped his hands, attracting their attention.
"A warlock? Karl... your mother might know one."
"Jack, you're saying Elisa knows one? She passed away long ago..."
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