"My northern borders do not border enemy kingdoms." Draven explained. "We border the Deadlands. Monster hordes attack my walls every winter and while we do win every single time, I hate seeing my men slaughtered by those mindless beasts. If you ever feel like testing your elite knights against real monsters, bring them to me. We could use the help."

It was a raw, genuine request for military aid.

"I cannot commit to anything right now." Adrian answered honestly. "My territory is still under construction thanks to a mercenary group burning everything down. But give me a few months and I will personally come with a unit to assist you."

Draven put his fist against his chest. "I will hold you to that, Baron." he said and then hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

"Just keep one thing in mind, Baron Sterling. Not all allies are friends..."

The Marquis turned and marched out of the dining room, leaving Adrian stuck with his own thoughts now. He had already began overthinking.

The Duke did not say a single word. He just slowly poured himself another glass of red wine and took a quiet sip.

Adrian didn’t even pay attention to him as he was lost in his own thoughts.

’I only had two allies when the attack happened... and considering that the count didn’t do it, it’s either Alexander or Kaldwin behind it. Fuck...’

Ten minutes passed, then twenty.

Adrian sorted his thoughts out and stared at the man. It was considered incredibly rude to just stand up and walk away from a high-ranking guest, but this man was sitting here for way too long already.

"You know what?" Adrian let out a long sigh after ten more minutes and stood up. "Let’s get out of this room and go to my study. I have a private collection that’s much better than the stuff here."

Silas smiled gently, already half drunk. "I would be delighted."

The two of them headed over to Adrian’s private study, which wasn’t anything grand. There were bookshelves, a few chairs, a table for writing and reading, and a cabinet.

Adrian went straight to the cabinet and grabbed a glass bottle.

None of the alcohol was actually his. The mansion already had all of this when he took over the territory and the previous owner didn’t take these with him, which was Count Frankenstein.

He didn’t like the man, but now... it was time to test the guy’s collection.

He picked up a square bottle of whiskey first and then grabbed a couple of glasses to pour it into. Then, he moved his table to the middle of the room and dragged some chairs closer.

Adrian poured a little into each glass and slid one across the table before sitting down.

But before Adrian could even do anything else, Silas just picked up the glass. The guy took a sip of the whiskey, shut his eyes close and shook his head violently.

"That’s a strong one..."

"Wait," Adrian said. "You just drink it straight? Warm?"

Silas blinked in confusion. "Is there another way?"

"Let me show you something much better." Adrian grinned.

Grabbed the glass and used the frost spell to it’s full effect. It took a few seconds but it managed to cool the whiskey down to a decent level before Adrian touched his earring and took out two big cubes of ice. He tossed them into each glass and took out a long, silver spoon to stir them well.

Adrian spun the ice and by the time he was done, the glasses had a layer of fog on them.

Try it now." Adrian said as he pushed the glass back to the Duke.

It had been a while since he had consumed alcohol so he was secretly enthusiastic about it.

The Duke looked at the glass for a few seconds before taking a slow sip, and the second that ice-cold whiskey hit the back of his throat, his eyes opened wide.

"Fascinating." the older man murmured. "The cold does change the taste of the alcohol. It actually brings out the deeper oak flavors. I must admit, I prefer your method." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Both men finally sank into their leather chairs.

And honestly, that chilled whiskey did miracles. It completely dissolved whatever political tension was left over from the dining room in Adrian and the entire vibe just shifted. A stiff formal negotiation suddenly turned into a quiet, late-night bar chat.

Silas just sat there swirling his glass and the talk of his past started flowing out. Crazy stories about his reckless days in the Royal Knight Academy, breaking out of the barracks, taking up dangerous mercenary requests just for the sheer thrill of a real fight. Apparently, the guy was a massive hotshot back in his youth, and also a playboy.

Adrian just leaned deep into his chair and listened as he nodded occasionally. He found the duke’s stories pretty fun, but he didn’t really have much to speak about his own life though.

"But all those thrilling adventures lost their shine the moment my first daughter was born." the duke smiled as he stared down at his glass. "That changes a man... a lot actually. You understand, do you not? Because once you hold your child, literally nothing else in the world matters. I would burn this entire empire to ash if it meant keeping them safe."

"I know exactly how you feel." Adrian agreed.

"My kids are the only source of light in my life." Silas said.

But that warm smile slowly began to fade. The elegant mastermind from a few minutes ago just vanished. He let out a soft, but long sigh before grabbing the bottle and pouring a bit more whiskey into his glass.

"She is a first-circle mage." Silas whispered. "But she was born with F-rank mana veins. She is too soft and frail to undergo physical knight training. And since her magical potential is completely limited, the high society nobles don’t really treat her well. In their eyes, everything has a value and... it pains me to say this, but she’s nothing but a pretty daughter of a duke to them. All they want from her is to become the wife of their sons..."

Silas took a huge sip of his whiskey before pouring more.