Knight and Wand

Chapter 72: Celebration Inside and Outside
"Is he really called 'Atias'?" Leon heard the slightly familiar pronunciation and confirmed with his partner again and again.

"Well, that's what the nobles called him when they privately complained about the robed man's arrogance. I didn't dare interrupt them for fear of exposing my identity."

Seeing the surprised look on Leon's face, Azerien couldn't help but ask, "Do you know Atias?"

The son of nobility had never seen this title in books or on maps.

Leon nodded, this time he did know a little more than his knowledgeable companion.

All thanks to the information I got from Count Trosa's sorcerer advisor.

The Mage Empire is located in the far east of the continent.
If what the warlock consultant said was true, then the robed man who had been staring at Azerien for no apparent reason during the day must have been a foreign wizard?

But how did a distant empire in the far east end up in the westernmost part of the continent?

Thinking of those large ships with black sails, Leon raised his eyebrows in sudden realization.

So this alien world might also be a planet?

So did the Atias Empire really conquer the edge of the continent as the legend said, then sail across the ocean, make a circle and finally land in Kantadar?
Of course, it is also possible that it sailed around the sea along the contours of the continent.

Shaking off irrelevant fantasies, he didn't care for the time being where these foreigners came from.

What he was more concerned about was the other information his companions had extracted from the gossiping nobles.

There is a well-known restricted area in this castle. The Attias people turned the courtyard in the northeast corner of the castle into their embassy, ​​which is guarded day and night by special foreign soldiers. No outsiders are allowed to enter.

This made Leon think a lot.

He remembered it clearly from what the sailors who traveled to and from the dock had said when he first arrived at Western Harbor to investigate.

The people who got off the mysterious black-sailed ship were very interested in the slave trade.

After hearing this information, he was even worried about the possibility that the woman had really been sold overseas.

At the moment, it seems that there is another possibility besides this terrible result.

Although there are still too many places in the entire castle that they cannot investigate.

But if the truth is, Lohak's sister is really trapped in the Atiyas embassy.

Even if I turned the whole place upside down, I wouldn't be able to find her.
Having made up his mind, Leon told his speculation to his partner, and the three of them discussed their next tasks.

Time flies in the busy castle.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the wedding banquet of the heir of the Fercon family.

The weather is calm and sunny.

The grand banquet was held in the castle's most spacious and magnificent stone castle hall.

A long, precious carpet stretched all the way to the steps at the entrance to the courtyard.

Countless nobles and knights put on luxurious and expensive dresses, and entered the banquet hall one after another, some with their female companions on their arms, and some surrounded by different nobles, to take their seats.

Music played in the hall, poets sang, and dancers danced lightly.

The servants spread out a variety of delicious food and fine wines on the long tables.

The banquet of the Kantadar nobles was not overly elegant. In the spacious hall, the hearty laughter of the dignitaries could be heard everywhere.

But everything that could be seen at the wedding banquet had nothing to do with Leon and Lohak.

For only Azerien could go into the great hall of the keep, and he was the only one of the three who could search among the busy servants for Lohak's sister.

And he found it difficult to leave the banquet before the wedding ceremony was over.

Leon told him that if he had the chance, he could try to contact the nobles of the Falcon family at the next banquet and ask them whether Atias's embassy had purchased female slaves locally. Lohak went to other places in the castle to participate in civilian activities organized by the servants and search among the servants and slaves who had finally gathered.

Leon would join Lohak later, but before that, he wanted to venture to the Atias embassy.

Walking on the castle's road, bypassing the noisy crowd, the surroundings had turned into a sea of ​​celebration. Now even the castle guards did not notice him, an ordinary young "servant" moving among the crowd.

On this day, the wedding day, even the lowly servants have the right to enjoy this grand celebration.

The servants who got a chance to relax held their own banquet in the west and south areas of the castle under the arrangement of the steward.

The open-air dance parties in the courtyard outside the castle, the wrestling matches, and the banquets in the servants' quarters where the servants were allowed to enjoy delicious food were equally lively with the sound of singing and dancing.

Leon walked through the bustling courtyard without distraction, and quietly passed through the now quiet and deserted garden courtyard.

Recalling the direction from which the robed man came that day, Leon soon saw his destination.

It wasn't too hard to find.

After all, although Atias’ embassy was off-limits, its prominent location on the heights of the castle was no secret.

Anyone can find it by following the garden path from the central courtyard to the east area of ​​the castle.

But when he looked up from afar, he saw soldiers standing upright like sculptures on both sides of the embassy courtyard gate, wearing black armor with gold edges and holding axes and spears.

Leon was in a dilemma.

He certainly couldn't force his way in. Not to mention that in the castle where the wedding banquet was being held, guests were not even allowed to bring swords, so he was unarmed.

Even if he had weapons and was wearing armor, he alone could not defeat the twenty heavily armored infantrymen who were lined up against the high wall and were obviously well-armored.

Even if Olivia came, it would be impossible for her to rush in.

Sighing, he decided to give up for the time being and go back to look among the servants outside with Lohak. The matter of the embassy might require further consideration.

Taking a few steps back, Leon prepared to return the same way.

Just as he walked back into the quiet and deserted garden courtyard, a sudden rustling sound beside him suddenly attracted his attention.

Fearing that he would run into patrolling guards, Leon had prepared a lie in his mind saying he was lost, but in the end...
He actually saw a big red butt trying to get into the bushes in the corner of the high wall of the castle courtyard not far away!

Well, it’s not like I really saw the sticking out butt.

That particularly festive red seemed to be the color of the pants.

what's the situation?
Leon was a little confused. How long had the wedding banquet just started? No one should be drunk, right?
He doesn't look like a thief. How could a thief wear such conspicuous and bright clothes?

Leon quietly moved along the side road.

The big butt that was arching back and forth seemed to be stuck, and the two legs were pushing the ground hard, trying to get into the castle wall that was leaning against the bushes.

Is there a hole behind the bush?

Leon was puzzled and tiptoed closer.

He just started to hesitate whether he should meddle in other people's business, but the body suddenly stopped struggling, as if it heard Leon's footsteps.

"Ahem, well, I'm here to find the toilet, don't worry, I'm not a suspicious person.

Hey~ No matter if you are a brother or a sister, please help me. I will reward you handsomely after you come out!"

This voice seems a little familiar.

(End of this chapter)