High Above

"You are smarter than I thought, and you know how to measure things. Did Kurtag (Mr. Yinfang) teach you this? This outfit is very handsome, but I can see that you are the kind of person who thinks practicality is greater than beauty. people."

The Marquis of Barton clapped his hands, and a maid brought a document, and he signed it casually: "Listen, little Grant used the quota left by his father to recommend you. I originally didn't want to accept it, because his boy didn't have it. If he doesn't have the temperament of a patrol knight, what good talents can he bring out? I highly doubt this."

"Actually, if you ask me, Old Grant is just like that. Apart from being loyal and able to fight, his brain is indeed not very good. But who told me that I fought side by side with Old Grant back then? I am too embarrassed to refuse his son. "

"You're a surprise, Ian."

With a flick of his hand, the flimsy document was delivered directly to Ian and suspended in mid-air.

The young man carefully lifted it up slowly, and then gently removed it from the 'invisible wind pressure' without damaging the file.

Marquis Barton thought thoughtfully, then smiled - he waved his hand and asked the maid to retreat.

The second prepared document is no longer needed.

"Am I already?"

The young man scanned the contents and signatures on the document. Now Ian was really surprised: "There is no assessment? Or is it a test..."

"You just left Harrison Port and captured the special operations spies from the Flying Fire Land and exposed their biological warfare conspiracy."

Marquis Barton shook his head: "Then he killed the sharp-clawed tiger and protected Golden Leaf Town. Then he exposed the conspiracy of the Ryan Territory - Lapole is really stupid. He wants to ask me for help. Will I not help him? ? You have to cooperate with the people from the Lingzhiyuan, and you will be backlashed in the end."

"Especially because his son is actually the Chosen One... He didn't even report this to me. What are he planning to do? He died of his own greed and concealment. He didn't regard himself as a noble of Nanling or an empire at all. people!"

Ian pretended not to hear this, put down the file, and took a bite of bear meat.

"Your merits are completely sufficient. If you register at the Imperial Capital Headquarters, you will be an official patrol knight apprentice. Of course, you will have to wait until you reach the third level to become a full-time knight, which will probably not take more than ten years for you."

After scolding Baron Ryan for a while, Marquis Barton finally concluded: "The Grant family's luck has always been good. When Bai Wu went to his place, I said that their family's luck is good, and now you are here. He will To fulfill his father’s wish.”

"I will prepare a new set of armor and sword for you later, and then help me bring a document to the imperial capital. Now, keep eating."

The general's tone left no room for rejection, but the last sentence was the real point.

Ian narrowed his eyes slightly, and he felt a hint of crisis - where did the Marquis come from and needed a first-level document from him to deliver?

There must be some plan behind this.

But Ian knew very well that he had no right to refuse.

What's more... if it's as he guessed, then maybe it really isn't such a bad thing.

"Has it been used as bait? Are you trying to catch a mole or some other force? That's why you have been testing my observation skills. Do you want me to be able to confirm who it is then?"

Smiling in his heart, Ian showed just the right amount of hesitation, and then said firmly: "Promise to complete the mission, General."

The corners of Marquis Barton's lips raised and he nodded: "Very good. Then continue eating.

"Don't be dissatisfied. Even Master Oak and the others can't eat the prey I hunted with my own hands."

"With your own hands?" This surprised Ian, and he put down the cup he was drinking tea from: "The prey you hunted with your own hands?"

"of course."

Marquis Barton used his pocket knife to cut off a piece of grilled and oily beef brisket, and then took a big bite: "Do you think... is this table luxurious?"

Ian looked at it and saw that there was indeed a rich variety of ingredients on the table, including all kinds of Warcraft ingredients. Among other things, the plate of fresh fish fillets was made from the body of sea blue marlin, which is pure and nutritious. It will cause distortion and taste extremely delicious.

Such a small plate of fish fillets is enough for an average person to work for a year.

luxury? If calculated in terms of money, it cannot be more luxurious.

But what if, what if these are the proceeds from the ‘spare hunting’ that an ascendant usually enjoys for himself and the old man’s favorite ‘fishing’...

"That's really home-cooked food. It's even a bit shabby and frugal."

He murmured: "A third-level sublimator, eating these things is like a child drinking honey water, it's just a taste..."

"good."

The old general continued to eat indifferently. He was like a black hole, constantly devouring the dishes on the table and the dishes brought by the maid: "Some people think that I eat a lot and it is too wasteful, but these things are nothing like luxury. Can’t talk about it.”

"Look. This cow." He raised his hand and pointed to the brisket in front of him: "I went hunting in the mountains."

"Look at this bear paw again. It's dangerous to the townspeople. I saw it when I was walking and ran over to kill it."

"And this fish. To be honest, after fishing all afternoon, I was so angry that I almost went to the fish market to buy it, but I finally caught it."

Marquis Barton showed off his prey to Ian: "As a noble, you should not ask for it from your subjects, but give it to them."

"The late emperor once said, 'Those who ascend should not compete with the people for profit.' I have always believed that. This is the highest virtue of the nobility. It is far more pragmatic than the slogans of 'protection', 'humility' and 'compassion' - As long as we ascendants don’t keep thinking about collecting food from people’s homes and trivial Bysons and Tallers, the world will be ten times more peaceful.”

"Black King..."

Ian said this, then seemed to realize something, and changed his words: "The late emperor actually said such a thing? It sounds reasonable, but it is not practical..."

"As a knight, you should read more."

Marquis Barton squinted his eyes, stared at Ian, and then nodded slightly: "And it is indeed the case. Over with Ryan, Lapore failed precisely because he was too involved with ordinary people - he wanted to ask I beg for the help of cloning equipment and psykers to help transfer the soul of his chosen child into a new body. How could I not help him?"

"I will help him with great fanfare and make this matter a big event that will shock the whole empire... He will become the father of the resurrected person, and I will also gain great fame."

"It's a pity." The old general sighed: "He doesn't do that. Not only that, he also insists on making some boring calculations... La Boer and the people of Lingzhiyuan are too small."

"I do not understand……"

A chill ran down the spine, and Ian didn't dare to answer these words.

He finally figured it out. On the surface, the Marquis Barton looked like a dead-headed soldier, but in fact, he had three traps in one sentence.

If he dared to respond, everything would be exposed!

How come this person is so good at talking in clichés? And he suspected that he and the section chief of the Academy of Gnosis were related to the death of Baron Ryan? How did you guess this?

Ian was a little confused about this question, because Marquis Barton's speculation was completely illogical, and his actions would never be exposed according to ordinary thinking.

But he could tell by the reaction of the frost butterfly in the alchemy pouch on his waist that even if he was really exposed, at most it would only reduce the impression of Marquis Barton, and nothing bad would really happen.

--eccentric.

——By the way, why did he talk to me about the virtues of nobility? I am obviously just a knight, right?

This subtle, unclear and even confusing atmosphere made the young man feel quite bad.

But on the surface, he still pretended to be a normal knight, staring at the old general in front of him with a cautious, confused and puzzled expression.

"Actually, little Grant is like that too."

Marquis Barton looked at Ian, his eyes bright and sharp, as if he wanted to see through Ian's heart: "If he really wants to develop the labyrinth to benefit himself and his people - then he will Hold on to your good card of 'Lord of the Labyrinth' rather than throwing you in front of me."

"Unless it's a subtle way of showing weakness...but I don't think Grant Jr. has that ability."