Witch hunting. "Why do that? Isn't having wizards help something every noble looks forward to?" Sean asked, puzzled. Even when he was in Tyremian, if he'd had a few more wizards as allies, so many things afterward wouldn't have happened. And they were witches too... even if they weren't good-looking, there was no need to get rid of them all.
But Duke Haruman shook his head. "I know very little about it, since it's been over a hundred years. They say back then, that region was plagued by disease, and people blamed it all on wizards causing trouble... Of course, the specifics can't be verified now, but the story Archmage Ash just told reminded me of it," the Duke said.
"So you're suggesting I don't go?" "Yes, I feel like there's a connection... And besides the regular Black Feather Knights, I want to issue a hiring order to bring in mercenaries too." As the Duke said this, the sound of passing servants could be heard outside.
"I'd like to discuss the details with you later. You should head back first." After all, this was still the Prince's residence. Discussing such matters here probably made the Duke uneasy, but Sean's field of vision showed no signs of any activity nearby.
Forget it. The Duke probably hadn't fully thought it through himself, which was why he needed to go back and plan.
Still, what surprised Sean was that the Duke had approached him first. Did that mean the Duke already saw him as a vassal? But the favorability hadn't increased much... And throughout their conversation, the Duke had been in a state of [Thinking!].
Since he didn't yet know what was going on with Freya, Sean sometimes couldn't make sound judgments in the moment. Most of the time, he only understood things afterward when reflecting on them.
By the time Sean left the room, only Duke Haruman and Talisa remained inside. "What do you think of that baron?" Talisa looked toward the doorway... It was still raining, and the air carried a slight chill.
"He's quiet, seems like a very ordinary person." Talisa put it mildly. Whether in Rietis or in Sedia City, nobles and wealthy families gathered everywhere, and with her special status, she knew a great many people. Among all those people, this baron just now seemed very average—the kind who might not even get noticed in noble circles.
"An ordinary person could say what he just did? Could make the famous Red Dragon Witch seek his advice? They've known each other less than a month, haven't they? That alone shows this baron must have something exceptional about him." The Duke turned to his granddaughter with a smile.
"You, my dear, still judge people too superficially." "I've met plenty of people! Maybe Miss Freya just likes that type. I hear she rarely interacts with men."
If it were anything else, it might pass, but hearing such words from one of Sedia City's socialites was hard to swallow. Of course, Sean couldn't hear any of this...
Walking out of the corridor led him back to the main hall's exterior. Sean was still pondering what the Duke had said. Could the southeastern region really be connected to those witches? A curse? Ever since coming to this world, Sean had been forced to take curses seriously.
Just like being ambushed from behind, he himself had ended up on this irreversible path of learning magic because of a curse... Maybe he could ask Freya about it later. Given their current level of favorability, she probably wouldn't spread it around.
Goat-men, witch hunts. Could these two events, a century apart, really be connected as the Duke suggested?
As he was thinking, Sean suddenly felt someone staring at him... He looked up and saw a man with a full smile, but whose status read [Scorn!]. His attire was quite refined, and anyone who could freely walk around the Prince's residence was likely a noble from some region—and a well-known one at that.
"Baron Weigel, where did you go? We couldn't find you anywhere." The sarcastic tone made Sean recognize the man immediately. Wasn't this the noble who had jumped in to speak when Freya called him earlier, and had been glaring at him the whole time in the hall?
"Miss Talisa invited me for tea. My apologies for keeping you waiting." "It seems Baron Weigel is quite popular!"
Sean racked his brain but couldn't recall any grudge between them. Was this guy mentally unstable? Why was it that every time he saw Sean, it was either [Dissatisfied!] or [Scorn!], and occasionally [Anger!]... If he couldn't see people's attributes, it might be bearable, but once he saw their true thoughts, Sean couldn't even be bothered to pretend.
"May I ask who you are?" "Count Wolep!" the man replied with a nod.
He didn't even give his name, just his title. Wolep?! Why did that sound so familiar? Sean suddenly remembered a few days ago at the Scholar's Library, meeting someone named Harry Wolep. The man before him looked about thirty.
So this was the older brother of that young man from the other day? The current Count Wolep. "Hello, Count Wolep." Sean replied simply.
Such a flat tone probably came across as dismissive to the other man, and his status suddenly flared with [Anger!].
But just then, Freya and Sohana also emerged from the hall, looking troubled... "Sean, what are you doing here? I was just looking for you." Freya spotted Sean in the corridor and immediately approached.
As a baron in the Prince's residence, Sean's status felt quite low. Staying in the hall waiting would have been awkward, so he'd stepped out for a walk... The same thought had occurred to the other wizards accompanying them, so after Sean and Talisa left, quite a few others had also come out.
The two of them weren't particularly special. "Miss Freya." Wolep greeted her as she approached.
Freya simply nodded in response... "Let's go, Sean. We have things to discuss later. Apologies, Count Wolep." She gestured toward the other man, who could only smile and reply that it was no problem.
But his status had already shifted to [Displeased!]. "What's wrong with you two?"
Sean and Freya walked out of the corridor before he asked. "Nothing." "Really nothing?" Freya pressed.
It seemed she had clearly overheard some of their conversation... "These things aren't important. Let's head back first. I have something to tell you." "Perfect, I have something to tell you too..."
They exchanged a glance. At the entrance, the Prince's steward handed them their coats. They were just the clothes they'd come in.
Nobles didn't need to hold umbrellas themselves—someone else did. Most noblemen also wore a wide cloak that covered one shoulder, large enough to pull up and block some of the falling rain. Sean used his to gallantly shield Freya as he escorted her to the carriage first.