Chapter 487 - Volume 3 (1/2)
As the gargantuan Demon Whale sank beneath the waves, the soldiers of Ampere Seale nearly exploded with joy. As Faraway docked, Brendel and the rest were not questioned as Lord Qinoan was too busy wondering how he should embellish the report with his glorious deeds, chasing the legendary sea monster off. Thankfully there were other vessels entering the harbour too, so no one could have imagined that the Demon Whale was accompanying Faraway until the felucca entered the harbour safely.
Faraway docked at pier number 14. Brendel immediately noticed Sue, who had come to receive him. She had travelled to Ampere Seale earlier under her father’s orders. The almond-skinned girl who now wore her hair in a twisted braid was managing Trentheim’s trading with the rest of the world, so she held a tremendous amount of power. She displayed her dedication to her task in Braggs, so Brendel had a lot of faith in her, entrusting important tasks to be completed by her. Now, Sue controlled nearly the whole of Trentheim’s foreign income, yet she was still wearing the same checkered skirt as before.
Sue was slightly dumbfounded. She had been informed of the past year’s happenings through her father’s letters. However, being able to see Brendel in person still left her in awe.
A familiar face in an unfamiliar place. He mused to himself as the side of his mouth curled upwards.
The young lady wore a stony expression, but she did not forget the relations.h.i.+p between them. She had heard that Brendel had found a few more females to accompany him, thus she decided that she would never let Freya lie in the hands of such a womanizer. The only reason she was willing to work for him was because of her father.
“Sue!” Romaine skipped towards the young lady and grasped her hand. “Thank you for the past few months! How have you been? I heard from Uncle Leto that you’ve been working late recently.” Romaine was now in charge of Trentheim’s trading and finances, so in a way Sue was one of her underlings. Even though Romaine did not act like her superior, Sue could not get rid of the feeling that the gap between their statuses was too large.
The teen stared at Brendel for a moment longer, before nodding her head slightly. “Miss Romaine,” she greeted.
“Oh, don’t be like that! Are you trying to hide something from me? You know that I’ll sniff it out!”
Sue struggled to maintain her serious demeanor duwe to Romaine’s behaviour. “Is my father still well?”
“He is doing well,” Brendel found an opening to say something. “It is as you have received from the letter. The territorial conflict has been resolved, and the war is over. I am saddened to have known this, but your father has given up his post to become a farmer. He has done a lot for Mirtai, but did he really have to throw away his years of training only to pick up a hoe?” Brendel sighed dramatically.
“He has worked on a farm before,” Sue replied。
“Good, then he’s returning to his roots,” Brendel replied playfully.
The corner of Sue’s lips quirked upwards into a small smile. However, she disliked Brendel’s tone, glaring at him while asking rigidly, “So what does My Lord plan to do now?”
“Rest, of course.” After being out at sea for so long, Brendel felt that he needed more time to find his land legs once more. If that was how he felt, then others were having it worse. The youngsters of White Lion Legion were still doing well on the s.h.i.+p, but once their feet touched the ground, all of them hurled their stomachs out over the pier. Romaine was also slightly wobbly, but she did not seem to be affected otherwise.
“I have already arranged your lodgings at the Bauhinia Inn. My Lord has certainly brought more people than I expected, so I rented the apartment opposite so that you don’t draw too much attention. I had also bought a farmhouse for emergency purposes…” Sue looked at him and replied.
Brendel was mildly impressed. He had no idea that this girl was so capable. Initially, he noticed only her honesty and reliability when completing tasks. He did not antic.i.p.ate that she would predict he would have been tangled up in some trouble and have several hideouts prepared beforehand.
“Then let us leave at once.” Brendel felt relieved that such a capable person was working for him. “Is there a carriage?”
Sue nodded her head.
There was not a carriage, instead there were ten. Brendel let his underlings ride the carriages first. It was not his first time in Ampere Seale, and he knew that the young ones from Trentheim must have been excited to see the Aouine’s largest and busiest city for the first time.
The carriages veered out of the harbor into the city’s gates, onto a wet, slimy road that smelt of fish. The buildings lining the road were all for trading, from pelts to herbs, jewels to metals, goods from all over the world could be found on this street, along with the merchants who peddled their wares. These people hailed from the north, the south, and even from foreign countries. Amandina even saw merchants from Nine Phoenix. The carriage riders were shocked by the diversity within the walls.
The trading centers were tall and majestic, as intended by their owners to flaunt their wealth and authority. Amandina and Romaine could not stop marveling the magnificent establishments before their eyes. “Wow! Even the city hall of Braggs can barely compare with these buildings!”