"Yes, my Lord. The Baron himself."

"Are you sure you haven't mistaken someone else for him?" Ethan asked with doubt.

"How could I make such a mistake?" the servant replied quickly, shaking his head.

Ethan blinked a few times, his mind running wild.

'What the hell? Why is he here all of a sudden? Don't tell me he wants the dungeon back?'

He turned to Otlo. "Keep a close eye on the weapon. Don't let anyone touch it out of curiosity." His tone grew sharp. "If anyone tries to play with it before I do, I'll skin them alive."

Otlo nodded stiffly. Ethan gave a snort and walked out of the forge.

...…

Back at the estate, Baron Fenwick sat waiting at the long wooden sofa. His fingers tapped lightly against its surface as his eyes rested on the woman before him. Sophia sat gracefully, her soft expression carrying a quiet strength.

Unlike before, she no longer looked naive or fragile. There was a mature calmness about her, a trace of dignity in her posture.

"You've grown splendidly," Baron Fenwick said, taking a slow sip from his cup.

Sophia smiled and nodded. "Thank you for the praise, Sir Fenwick."

He placed the cup down and studied her silently. Though his face stayed calm, he was shocked inside.

'Early stage of Intermediate Knight?' he thought in disbelief. 'Such progress... and she's a woman with four children?'

It wasn't that he held prejudice against the woman that surprised him rather it was pure astonishment. He remembered how busy she had been raising her family and giving birth to four children amidst..

How could she have found time to train, let alone reach this level?

"I can't believe you've reached the Intermediate stage at such a young age, especially with such responsibilities," he said slowly. "Your father would be proud of you."

"Of course he would," Sophia replied softly. "After all, you can see the present condition of the Blanks."

Fenwick's brows drew closer. 'Did the Blanks have some kind of secret treasure?' he wondered. But he stopped himself before asking. Some things were better left unspoken.

Just then, the heavy wooden doors opened with a soft creak.

Ethan stepped in with his usual confident smile on his face. His presence filled the room easily.

"So, Baron Fenwick," he said casually. "What business do I owe you? Don't tell me you came here to freeload snacks."

"..." Sophia blinked.

"..." Baron Fenwick's face went blank.

Sophia hid her amusement behind a faint smile and spoke in a firm tone.

"Ethan," she said coldly. "That's very rude."

"Cough…"

"I was just joking," Ethan said with a smile and sat down beside Sophia, who quietly poured him a cup of tea.

"Did you come here to ask about the dungeon?" he asked casually.

"It's not about that."

"I came this time to ask for your help," Baron Fenwick said firmly.

"What kind of help?" Ethan looked puzzled. He wondered if Baron Fenwick was in some kind of trouble or if he wanted money.

"I hope you can marry my daughter, Diana."

"Pfttt!" Ethan almost spit out the tea in shock. He coughed hard, staring at Fenwick in disbelief.

"What did you say?" His voice trembled, thinking he might have heard it wrong.

Sophia froze too, her expression filled with surprise.Sophia's eyes twitched and she wondered if she heard wrong.

"I said, I hope you can marry my daughter, Diana," Baron Fenwick repeated seriously.

"???" Ethan's mind was filled with confusion. His hand holding the cup trembled slightly.

'Didn't he say he needed help? What's this about marriage? Is this man serious? Has he gone mad?'

He looked at Sophia, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

'Could he be trying to plant a spy in my house?' Ethan thought sharply. His eyes narrowed, and the playfulness on his face faded away.

Before knowing the reason behind this, he didn't dare to accept anything.

"Baron Fenwick, your craftiness is well known. Is this another one of your sick games? I'm warning you, I'm not in the mood to play. If you piss me off this time, I won't be showing mercy!"

SWISH!

Ethan's aura flared, filling the room with strong pressure. The air seemed to shake.

Baron Fenwick froze on the spot. Sweat formed on his forehead, and his eyes widened in fear.

'What the hell? It hasn't even been a year, and his aura has become so terrifying?'

He swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"I understand your concern," he said in a shaky voice. "But I assure you, I'm not playing any tricks. Please listen to my words first."

"I don't have confidence in coming back alive from this border war," Baron Fenwick said with a bitter smile, clearly sensing the couple's thoughts. "You know how dangerous wars are. I don't want my lineage to end with me."

Sophia frowned and said seriously, "Then don't go to war. Why are you walking into danger willingly?"

"As far as I know, you have several Intermediate Knights under you. Why don't you send them instead?" she asked.

Baron Fenwick's family had a strong foundation, unlike the Blanks. Though smaller in number, his troops were of excellent quality. His forces were considered the strongest below the Duke's army.

A bitter smile appeared on Baron Fenwick's lips.

"You know, Baron, for nobles, rising to the top is the greatest honor," he said softly. "We live and die for it. Honor is everything to us. And after all these years, I don't want to die with only the title of a countryside Baron. People might call us nobles, but to the true elite, we're nothing more than small dogs guarding a village."

"Fenwick's strength was built on our dungeon. But as you know, the dungeon has dried up. Without it, our foundation will collapse. If I don't take action now, my family will slowly fall into decline."

A look of determination filled his eyes as he clenched his fists.

"I'm willing to take the risk for the sake of my descendants. But…" he stopped mid-sentence, and the pause told Ethan everything.

There were no rules on the battlefield.

For small nobles like him, wars were a gamble, life and death traded for a chance at wealth and honor. Even if he gathered other minor nobles, he couldn't guarantee his survival.

So in such cases,it's better to keep a safe route.

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