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He greeted the two with composure and grace.

“Baron Kesse, Baron Leander, I have long heard your names and have thought about visiting,” Byrne said.

“However, the Fischer family has been so preoccupied with its own affairs that I, as the head, have been constantly busy and had no chance to make the trip, for which I apologize.”

The orange-hued dragon eyes of Baron Kesse shifted slightly, and his gaze on Byrne was clearly hostile.

“Well, it’s fine. It’s now our turn to visit you, Baron Byrne,” said Baron Kesse, his voice deep and unsettling.

“I didn’t expect you to actually become a baron. I just wonder which lands the Royal Family will bestow upon you. I do hope it’s not one of those.”

Byrne smiled faintly and said, “Whatever the Royal Family’s choice may be, the Fischer family will accept it.”

His understanding of history and law, of course, made clear the source of the other’s hostility.

The reason was simple: according to Cyart tradition, the Royal Family was most likely to choose a village surrounding Nasir as the territory for the Fischer family.

From those “unclaimed Royal lands,” one village would be selected to grant to the Fischer family.

However, the three masterless villages around Nasir Town had already fallen under the control of either the Kesse family or the Leander family.

The Fischer family was likely to be thrown a “meaty bone” from the jaws of one of these families.

Byrne, still smiling, knew he would feel the same hostility if he were the one being asked to slice off his own flesh.

The evident hostility from Baron Kesse and the lack thereof from Baron Leander suggested that the latter might be the more calculating of the two.

The two barons took their seats one after the other. Both men were Transmutation-level powerhouses with ill intentions, and the atmosphere of the gathering became tense and uncomfortable.

The mood at the banquet grew increasingly oppressive, and the portly Baron Leander squinted his eyes, expressing his desire for a private conversation with Byrne in the drawing-room.

Byrne agreed and accompanied Baron Leander to the drawing-room.

Baron Leander, ever jovial, took a seat and made a proposal.

“I have a suggestion, and I’m not sure what you’ll make of it, but if the Fischer family’s territory happens to fall within land controlled by our Leander family…”

“Then, we are willing to pay a rent to maintain control over that village. You won’t have to bother managing it, and the Fischer family will simply collect the money,” he offered.

Byrne, considering the proposal, asked, “What kind of figures are we talking about?”

After a moment of contemplation, Baron Leander stated seriously, “Fifty Gold Coins, annually, how about that?”

Byrne was silent for a while before shaking his head. The price offered was far too low; it was nothing more than a polite form of plundering.

The interests of the Fischer family came first, and he could not agree to such a deal.

“Well, let’s wait for the Royal Family’s decree, then we can negotiate,” he said.

Baron Leander wasn’t offended and continued with a smile, “You should hope the territory comes from Leander, we’re not like the domineering Kesse family. We’re civilized people who negotiate.”

Byrne smiled noncommittally.

Fifty Gold Coins a year to wrest control of an entire village—that was their idea of civilized robbery?

“However, I truly do not hope the lands granted to you fall under Leander territory. I sincerely wish to avoid any conflict with you.”

Byrne could see that the other’s temperament bore some resemblance to sea merchant John.

They both had the manner of businessmen, reluctant to fight unless absolutely necessary, but if there was a chance for exploitation, they certainly wouldn’t hold back.

“You needn’t worry about that, Baron Leander,” replied Byrne calmly.

He waved his hand nonchalantly and Vanessa walked in from outside, pouring tea for both of them before standing at a discreet distance.

Baron Leander was somewhat surprised to see that the steward of their family was a disabled person, which hardly seemed fitting.

Byrne had already noticed the other’s gaze on Vanessa’s leg, full of discrimination and disrespect.

Vanessa smiled calmly, hands clasped behind her back, seemingly indifferent to it all.

Byrne took a sip of black tea and said very indifferently,

“Our Fischer family originally lived just outside Nasir Town, a stone’s throw from the jungle. It wouldn’t be wrong to call us barbarians.”

He continued jokingly,

“Decency and elegance are but a façade for the Fischer family. Should any domineering family dare to bully us, they would find that beneath our veneer lies barbarity and ferocity, ready to bite the oppressor full of wounds.”

After hearing these statements “self-proclaiming as barbarians,” Baron Leander gave a cold, mocking laugh, apparently unconcerned by the veiled threats in Byrne’s words.

“Then, farewell, Baron Byrne. I still hope that the next time we meet, we are not enemies.”

Once Baron Leander had left the drawing room, Byrne rose calmly from his seat. Beneath the savage ferocity, the Fischer family harbored an even more terrifying aspect.

Secretive, cautious, silent, unforgiving.

All their power stemmed from the great Lord of the Lost.

Irene, looking at the hundreds of guests attending the banquet, felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The Fischer family had finally found its firm footing.

By the time Byrne returned to the banquet hall, the entire event had already reached its conclusion.

He approached Irene and the two exchanged a few words in private.

After listening, Irene’s expression turned subtle, and she laughed,

“They clearly want to snatch away Fischer land, yet they’re willing to symbolically offer fifty Gold Coins. The man is quite nice, haha.”

She understood why the Leander family was willing to pay this sum.

They were both greedy by nature and afraid to risk a desperate fight with the Fischer family.

Thirteen-year-old Chris now had the qualifications to attend formal banquets.

He suddenly noticed a gaze and furrowed his brow.

Baron Kesse sat in his seat, silently staring at him, with eyes like those of a snake or lizard, which sent chills down the spine, as if he had set his sights on prey.

At that moment, Assistant Priest Zayne, who had retired early from the banquet to rest, entered the hall.

Both Baron Kesse and Baron Leander could no longer sit still.

The seven viscounts and twelve barons of the East Coast Province, of course, all recognized Zayne.

The Tempest Bishop rarely handled matters personally; almost all significant issues involving the Tempest Church were usually attended to by Zayne, his right hand.

Why was Assistant Priest Zayne here?

The two, who had appeared composed at the banquet, immediately became respectful and hastened to greet Zayne.

Zayne wasn’t particularly close with them, merely nodding calmly and politely as they interacted.

As the banquet concluded, Byrne, accompanied by a dozen servants, personally escorted Assistant Priest Zayne and the two barons out of Nasir Town.

No sooner had they walked out of the estate than they saw hundreds of townsfolk gathered outside the main gate, blocking it so completely that not even water could pass through.

The two barons exchanged looks. Could it be that Fischer’s peasantry had rebelled?

Rebellions by the peasantry were rare indeed, given the overwhelming power held by the Extraordinary overlords.

No matter how desperate ordinary people were, it was futile; even with flintlocks, they struggled to contend with true powerhouses.

Zayne fell silent for a long while before asking, “What’s going on? Why have they all gathered here? Has the Fischer family gone too far in some matter?”

Burning houses, massacring, looting, and torturing commoners were all too common among nobles.

As long as there were no mass casualties, the Tempest Church wouldn’t concern itself with such trivial matters.

And why be concerned about mass casualties? Of course, because a high number of deaths might involve heretical sacrificial activities.

Since becoming a true noble, Byrne had also seen that the ordinary people who respected him also instinctively carried a hint of fear in their eyes.

He had heard of the evil deeds Baron Hovern had once committed in Nasir Town, such as tying a family to horses and dragging them through the streets without reason, or suddenly taking a daughter from a family.

That man, who was courteous and gentle in front of knights and the wealthy, was in fact a nightmare to the common people.

The Extraordinary overlords were lambs of the gods, and the common folk were nothing but grass meant for their sustenance, utterly bereft of any means to resist.