Chapter 78: Baron Edmond

In the evening, in the domain of Baron Evans, inside the castle, the nearly fifty-year-old Harold Evans, the baron himself, was having dinner with his family in the hall.

On the heavy oak dining table, the usual variety of meats such as pork and beef were absent. Lamb was long gone, and there were no fresh vegetables or fruits. In their place were chunks of dry and hard black bread, accompanied by a few slightly moldy pieces of cheese.

Under the dim candlelight, the baron's eldest daughter straightened her posture, carefully holding a piece of bread and attempting to tear it with her teeth. Meanwhile, her younger brother, a little boy, was resistant to the black bread, showing reluctance to eat.

"Raymond, be obedient. This is all we have for tonight," the boy's mother whispered to him. She glanced at the silent baron and added softly, "Don't anger your father; eat quickly."

"I still have some raspberry jam here."

The daughter handed over the jam, and the boy reluctantly dipped the bread into the jam and put it into his mouth.

Observing this scene, Harold's heart felt heavy. He was the first-generation baron of the Evans domain, having served the earl on the battlefield for half his life, achieving great feats. Finally, he thought he could retire and enjoy his later years after securing this baronial estate. However, life turned out worse than expected.

The invasion by the Hafdans a few months ago, unforeseen by everyone, completely disrupted his life. Villagers were killed, villages were destroyed, farmlands were left fallow, and even his own estate was ruined during the attack, wiping out the modest wealth he had accumulated.

Harold, being humble in origin, had a soft spot for the common people. He knew their hardships well. If possible, he also wanted to take better care of these subjects. Unfortunately, the circumstances didn't permit it.

Even his own family was now worried about food. After the estate was destroyed, all livestock, including cattle and sheep, were gone. The grains stored in the granary, like black barley and wheat, were almost depleted. Only these relatively easy-to-preserve black bread remained, barely enough to stave off hunger.

In fact, having black bread was considered fortunate. His guards, at this moment, were drinking wild vegetable soup in the courtyard.

Throwing a little black barley into a pot, adding a whole pot of water, sprinkling some wild vegetable leaves, and providing each person with a small piece of black bread—drinking the soup in this way could be considered a meal.

Presently, almost all the hundreds of people in the castle and estate were suffering from hunger and dizziness. However, there was nothing Harold could do. He had already sent messengers to the eastern part of the earl's domain to inquire with old acquaintances about the possibility of borrowing some food.

Until the messengers returned, they had to endure each day as it came.

"Don't be so pretentious! What's wrong with black bread? I used to eat it every day! If you don't want to eat, then starve!" Watching his son dawdle and refuse to eat, Harold couldn't contain his frustration.

Did he spoil him too much in the past? He couldn't even endure a bit of hardship.

As Harold frowned, sitting beside him, his wife cautiously suggested, "Should we ask our neighbors? I heard that he responded promptly, and his domain hardly suffered any losses..."

Harold shook his head decisively. "Gwenis Wentaling, we are not acquainted with him at all. I didn't even attend when he held the inheritance ceremony."

"Moreover, even if his wheat fields didn't suffer much damage, I reckon his granary is running low. I went to check, and he also has a lot of subjects. They probably took shelter in the castle during the Hafdan invasion. After a few months, his food reserves should be nearly depleted. Even if there's some left, it won't be much."

"At present, he might not have enough for himself. Where would he find the time to help us? Don't think too much about it."

The baroness felt a bit disheartened upon hearing this, but she wasn't ready to give up.

"What if there's still some left? We won't know unless we ask..."

Harold interrupted her firmly, "Even if there is, he won't lend it to us for free. With everyone facing a shortage of food, he will undoubtedly demand a high price."

"If it's money, I still have some jewelry..."

"Shut up!" Harold shouted.

The baron was angry, and the lady didn't dare to say more. The two children quickly lowered their heads to eat, and the atmosphere quieted down.

Harold regretted his outburst a bit, but he continued to stuff black bread into his mouth without saying a word. At this moment, a guard hurriedly entered the dining room, ignoring the awkward atmosphere, and whispered something to the baron.

Harold immediately stood up and walked out. After taking a few steps, he turned back and instructed his wife and children to quickly pack up the dinner and take it upstairs to eat. The maids also hurriedly joined in, tidying up the humble dining table.

As the scene was almost cleaned up, the baron reached the gate tower to personally welcome the arrival of the guest.

...

Gwenis watched as Baron Harold, who walked with a slight limp, came out to greet him. He quickly took a few steps forward and exchanged pleasantries.

"Long time no see, Lord Edmond. You personally came out to welcome me despite your inconvenience. It truly surprises me."

Gwenis slightly bowed.

"Nonsense, we are neighbors, and harmonious coexistence is only natural. I heard that Lord Wentaling faced the Hafdan invasion head-on and fought two battles with them. Oh my, truly commendable."

"It was just a stroke of luck, nothing worth mentioning."

"Please, come in, come in."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two entered the castle. In the hall, Gwenis was seated, and the maids were called to pour wine into the cups. Only then did the conversation turn to the main topic.

"I wonder what Lord Wentaling seeks by coming here?" Harold inquired cautiously.

In his mind, Gwenis's current situation should also be quite difficult. After the Hafdans withdrew, he had dragged his disabled body to nearby areas to gather information. What he learned about Gwenis was that, apart from the destruction of villages and manors, his subjects suffered almost no losses. Even the wheat fields were fairly intact.

During the investigation, many local subjects were bragging about how their lord fearlessly led them to victory against the Hafdans, defeating them in two battles and so on. Boasting too much, defeating over a thousand Hafdans with just a few hundred conscripts, it was hard to believe. Why didn't he mention killing the enemy commander? Why not claim to have wiped out the entire tribe's leader?

Well, young people were like that, fond of boasting and couldn't settle down. They needed to learn humility.

Moreover, Harold speculated that Gwenis's visit might be to ask for a loan of food. With his subjects surviving so many months, their food consumption was likely faster than his, and he probably hadn't eaten for several days...

Thinking about this, Harold glanced at Gwenis, already considering how to politely decline his request.

"To be frank..."

Sure enough, as soon as Gwenis spoke, Harold guessed what he was going to say next and prepared to politely refuse.

"I came this time to propose a business deal with you..."