Chapter 66: To the Back Garden
Roland didn't bring up the matter right away. He played chess with the city lord and chatted about random matters.
Fredrinn became a spectator. He didn't join the conversation since the city lord didn't seem to be interested in conversing with him.
Luckily, the refreshments soon arrived so he finally had something to do other than awkwardly watching his father and the city lord play chess.
"I had the kitchen prepare a big meal for you guys." Ludwig was in a good mood now that he had someone to talk with.
"Thank you, city lord." Roland smiled in response. He wasn't in a hurry to discuss the main objective. He also wanted to catch up with the city lord who was like an older brother to him.
Ludwig turned his gaze to Fredrinn. "Fredrinn, why don't you look around the mansion? We will call you over once lunch is ready."
Hearing this, Fredrinn knew that the city lord wanted to speak with his father privately so he nodded in response. He stood up and bowed before he left.
Ludwig's gaze followed him for a while. "I'm surprised that he didn't throw a fit when I asked him to leave." He chuckled jokingly.
Roland laughed and shook his head. "City lord, I'm proud to say that my son is no longer the spoiled kid that he was before. He has become more mature in making decisions and he is now very serious in his martial training."
"Oh? I'm glad to hear that." Ludwig wasn't interested in continuing with the topic so he talked about another matter. "By the way…"
***
Fredrinn had already visited the city lord's mansion before so he was quite familiar with the place.
As he navigated through the hallway, he encountered Roderick who was on his way back to the lounge.
"Sir Fredrinn? What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Roderick glanced at him suspiciously.
Fredrinn bowed lightly at the old man. "The city lord asked me to look around the mansion." He responded in a calm voice.
"I see. Do you want me to send someone to accompany you?"
Fredrinn shook his head. "There's no need, Sir Roderick. I don't want to trouble you. Besides, I'm already familiar with the layout of the mansion so I won't get lost here."
Roderick's eyes flashed with surprise. If it was before, Fredrinn would have asked to be accompanied by a pretty maid. He didn't expect that Fredrinn would decline his offer. "Alright. Just find me if you need anything."
"I will." Fredrinn nodded. He bowed once again before he walked away without looking back.
Roderick stared at his back with a curious gaze. "Something is different about that kid…" He muttered.
Fredrinn had an arrogant personality. He wouldn't even glance at the servants and hired martial practitioners before. The only exception was if they were beautiful. He spoke with a lack of respect and he treated himself as above others. That was the reason why Roderick didn't like him. However, Fredrinn felt like a different person today.
He was very respectful and he spoke in a polite tone.
"Weird…" Roderick rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look. He then retracted his gaze and headed to the lounge.
Meanwhile, Fredrinn had already stepped out of the mansion. He went to the back garden to take a look at the sea of flowers. This was one of his favorite spots in the city lord's mansion.
When he was still a player, he was fascinated with the magical flowers. He couldn't forget their fragrant scent and their visually striking colors.
He soon found his way to the garden and the vast sea of flowers entered his field of vision. Their beautiful figures swayed along with the gentle wind. It was a feast for his eyes.
The serene atmosphere made him calm.
Suddenly, he saw two figures in the middle of the flower field. Their weapons clashed in the air, causing dull clanging sounds to echo across the garden.
Fredrinn stared at the familiar beautiful figure dressed in green cheongsam.
[Foundation Establishment 9th Layer]
[Samantha Springfield] Favorability: 11
"That woman…" Fredrinn almost stumbled when he saw the atrociously low favorability rating.
He then looked at the person she was fighting.
It was a tall man with a short black hair. He was wearing a green yishang and his weapon of choice was a halberd that was almost as tall as him. He had a playful look on his face as he effortlessly blocked Samantha's short sword.
[Core Formation 1st Layer]
[Lucas Springfield] Favorability: 25
He finally remembered who it was after seeing the name. That man was Samantha's older brother, the heir of the Springfield Household!
The previous Fredrinn hadn't seen Lucas in a long while since the latter was said to be sent to the battlefield in the northern part of the Star Wind Kingdom. From the looks of it, Lucas had just recently returned from his military service.
As if sensing his presence, Lucas pushed off Samantha's sword and turned his head in Fredrinn's direction.
Samantha followed her brother's gaze and when she saw Fredrinn standing in the distance, she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Sir Fredrinn?"
When Lucas heard this name, he frowned. "So it's him. Why did he come here? Is he here for you?" He asked his sister.
Samantha shook her head. "I don't know." She was uncertain.
Fredrinn smiled as he walked toward them. "You must be Sir Lucas. It has been a long time since I last saw you." This guy was only in his late thirties, but he was already a Core Formation realm martial practitioner.
Lucas didn't expect him to initiate a conversation. He smirked as he looked at Fredrinn with a curious gaze. He wondered what this guy was up to.
"I can't sense his cultivation…" Samantha muttered. When Fredrinn last visited her restaurant, she could still sense his cultivation. 'He's probably wearing an item that conceals his cultivation.'
Lucas laughed when he heard that. He guessed that Fredrinn hid his cultivation to avoid being mocked by others. He was aware of Fredrinn's lacking martial talent.
Seeing the disdainful smile on Lucas' face, Fredrinn could already tell what was on his mind.
"What are you doing here, Sir Fredrinn?" Samantha asked with a frown.
"My father has something to discuss with the city lord and he asked me to tag along. I had nothing to do at home so I decided to come with him." Fredrinn shrugged.
"Why don't you spar with my sister while you are here?" Lucas suddenly spoke.
Fredrinn narrowed his eyes at his words. This guy was up to no good. Lucas probably wanted Fredrinn to make a fool of himself.
Samantha was taken aback by her older brother's suggestion, but she wasn't against the idea. If she sparred with him, she would have a valid reason to beat up Fredrinn.
'I can finally avenge my subordinates.' She thought as a smile suffused on her lips.
Looking at the pair of siblings, Fredrinn's lips curved upwards. "Why not?"