Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree-Chapter 308 - 293: Border Earl (Two-in-One 5000 Words)

At the gate of the White Maple Castle.

The patrolling soldiers straightened their backs, standing on either side.

A luxurious four-wheeled carriage with a black base inlaid with gold, engraved with intricate openwork patterns, slowly entered the castle, escorted by dozens of knights.

On the side of the carriage, the shield emblem formed by a black lion and a red maple leaf looked particularly noble, belonging to the Border Earl of Fengye Territory.

And each of the dozens of knights rode a white steed, clad in silver armor, with solemn and dignified expressions.

They emanated a powerful aura; they were all without exception Silver Professionals!

The carriage stopped in the courtyard of the castle, and then, a nobleman appearing to be in his forties stepped down from it.

He had a tall stature, draped in a cape painted with red maple, and his black curly hair paired with a pale, gloomy face gave him a mysterious and noble look. Meanwhile, his deep blue eyes and high aquiline nose lent him an air of depth and severity.

Otto von Cappadocia.

One of the seven electors of the Holy Mania Empire, a White Knight, a Border Earl, the Lord of Fengye Domain...

With numerous illustrious titles, Otto was undoubtedly one of the most powerful individuals in the entire empire.

And his unfathomable strength, along with the formidable army at his command, made his name well known among all surrounding nations.

However, at this moment, this Border Earl, revered and envied by countless people, appeared to be in a rather bad mood.

"Count, Count!"

Just after the Border Earl alighted from the carriage, a joyful yet fearful voice called out from afar.

A short figure, wearing a butler’s uniform and a wig, hurriedly came forward.

Upon seeing the other person, the Border Earl’s eyes slightly narrowed.

"Anders..."

He called softly.

Yet, there seemed to be no emotion in his voice.

People who knew Otto understood that the more he was like this, the worse his mood must be.

"C-C-Count..."

Anders shuddered, becoming somewhat stammering.

"We’ll talk later."

The Border Earl waved his hand, and the knights dispersed, and the coachman drove the carriage away.

However, a single attendant remained, respectfully following behind the Border Earl...

It was a middle-aged man dressed as a mercenary, his complexion somewhat pale, with armor showing signs of battle, faintly stained with blood.

If players were present, they would recognize that he was one of the seven Silver Professionals who had pursued them, the only Sorren Commerce mercenary who had escaped!

"Mr. Mountain Eagle, what are you doing here?!"

Seeing this mercenary, Anders was startled.

And hearing Anders’s address, the mercenary merely cast a cold glance at him, letting out a cold laugh:

"What do you think?"

Anders:...

For a moment, his expression grew even uglier.

The Border Earl appeared indifferent to the interaction between the two.

With the service of four personal maids with elven blood, he removed his cape and changed into indoor noble boots before walking straight into his castle, arriving at his study.

He sat in his favorite elven-style wooden chair, sipping the premium Aries Coffee just brewed by the steward, playing with an exquisite black ring while listening to his old butler report the latest affairs in the territory.

Meanwhile, Anders and Mountain Eagle stood respectfully and cautiously at the door, not daring to utter a word.

The old butler’s report lasted about twenty minutes, and by the time he finished, he suddenly paused, glanced nonchalantly at Anders at the door, and then casually said:

"Additionally... in the past two days, there seems to have been some unpleasant incidents in the commercial district of the territory; and since you’ve seen Mr. Mountain Eagle, you should already know the specifics."

*That damned old thing!*

Listening to the old butler’s words, Anders glared at him with resentment, gritting his teeth.

The old butler lightly burdened Anders, the Slave Chief, and then respectfully excused himself, leaving only Mountain Eagle, Anders, and the Border Earl in the study.

"Tell me, what exactly happened? I’ve only been to the Imperial Capital, and so much has happened in the territory?"

The Border Earl’s voice was deep and heavy, faintly tinged with dissatisfaction and questioning.

"Nearly half of my underground industries in Fengye City suffered massive losses, and the elves prepared by the major Slave Trading Companies were all swindled away... Anders, what exactly is happening?!"

He cast a cold gaze at Anders.

Even Anders held shares in Sorren Commerce; as the City Lord of Fengye City, the Lord of the entire Border Domain, the Border Earl naturally took a share in the underground commerce.

The supplies plundered in the Eve Divine Country by the players were, in fact, almost half credited to him.

Upon hearing the Border Earl’s reprimand, Anders shivered.

He inwardly lamented and quickly said:

"It’s those southern nobles! They’re the ones who did it! I was deceived by them too!"

"Nobles?"

The Border Earl sneered, he turned his head to look at the Sorren Commerce mercenary:

"Mountain Eagle, tell Anders what you saw."

"Yes, Count."

Mountain Eagle bowed to the Border Earl, then looked at Anders with a cold snort:

"Noble, my ass! I took six Silver Professionals from various mercantile companies to track them. Those guys... each of them would rather choose suicide than compromise, and their manner of fighting was utterly shameless. How could they be considered nobles? They were clearly desperados!"