Wizard: I Have a World of the Dead

A moment of silence fell over the manor entrance. All eyes were on Lynch, the guests coming and going, the servants at the door, and Hawke and his cronies.

What happened?

Has the Viscount gone mad?

Everyone was taken aback.

Lin Qi looked at the unfamiliar viscount with a puzzled expression and asked in a calm tone, "Do you know me?"

The viscount straightened up, his face beaming with a smile devoid of any reserve or arrogance, only a heartfelt, almost grateful enthusiasm. "Of course I know him."

His voice trembled slightly: "I was also present at Count Vinhart's banquet. I still vividly remember the scene of you repelling the assassin."

"It was you, Baron, who saved us."

As soon as he finished speaking, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

"A baron! This young man is a baron!"

"Wait, Earl Vinhart defeated the assassin at the banquet, could it be...?"

The answer is obvious.

"The Sword of Valen!"

"He is the Sword of Valen!"

All eyes were on Lynch, and cheers, surprise, and excitement rose and fell.

Hawke's cronies were instantly stunned; fear quickly filled their vision.

Hawke, who had instigated the conflict, felt a sudden, overwhelming shock, as if something had exploded in his head, leaving him completely blank.

"How could this be... How is this possible... How could he be a nobleman... He's clearly just a commoner..."

Hawke was already rambling incoherently.

Lynch shifted his gaze, sweeping over Hawke and then over the group of arrogant minor nobles who had just been with him.

Finally, returning to Viscount Fernandin, a hint of displeasure appeared on his face.

The viscount understood immediately and solemnly declared to Lin Qi, "I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer."

"Clang!"

Hawke collapsed to the ground, like a lump of mud.

This little incident did not affect Lynch's attendance at the banquet in the slightest, and the rest of the banquet proceeded in the usual order.

Listen to music, clink glasses, flatter and compliment each other with nobles of the same rank, and occasionally be invited by a noble lady or female relative to dance a song on the dance floor.

Noble banquets are all like this; the formatted process is almost no different from a pre-written program.

Boring and formulaic.

After attending to social engagements for an hour or two and completing most of the required procedures, Lin Qi finally had some time that he could control himself.

So he decisively said "excuse me" and left the banquet hall.

Holding a glass of red wine he hadn't finished, he walked through a side door to the estate's terrace, intending to get some fresh air and ease his stifling mood.

The terrace was small, paved with light gray stone slabs, with cast iron railings and several rose bushes in full bloom.

A night breeze blew in from the sea, carrying a salty, cool sensation, brushing against his slightly flushed cheeks.

He leaned against the railing, took a deep breath, placed his wine glass on the post, and unbuttoned the silver button on his collar, letting the wind blow into his shirt.

Slightly tipsy.

"Baron Lynch...?"

Just then, a cautious voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of probing and uncertainty.

Lynch turned his head and saw Jeffrey standing at the doorway of the terrace, with Jenny following behind him.

Both of them looked rather unnatural. Jeffrey scratched the back of his head, his eyes darting around, like a country boy visiting the city for the first time; Jenny lowered her head, twisting her skirt with her fingers, her ears almost transparently red.

He was separated from his two companions after entering the banquet hall.

Although they were in the same hall, they belonged to different social classes and had no chance to interact.

However, upon seeing these two classmates he had spent the past few days with, Lin Qi's vexed mood inexplicably eased.

He smiled and waved to them: "What are you doing standing there?"

Only after hearing Lin Qi's words did the two dare to come over.

Keeping a distance from Lin Qi, the two stopped and scanned the terrace as if to make sure no one else was around.

Jeffrey then spoke, "So...all of this is true? You really are the Baron? You really are...the Sword of Valen?"

Lin Qi nodded and smiled, "Sorry for keeping this from you for so long. A little surprised, aren't you?"

Jeffrey said, "I'm absolutely stunned!"

He pointed to the side and said, "Look, Jenny is so surprised by you that she can't speak."

Lynch's gaze fell on Jenny. The usually chattering girl, who talked non-stop like a torrent of beans, was now as quiet as a sparrow with its beak pinched shut.

She lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes, her hands behind her back, her body leaning slightly forward and backward, as if she were doing some kind of difficult mental preparation.

Lin Qi's lips curled up slightly, and he said in a relaxed, teasing tone, "Weren't you going to be my lover? You can't offer any emotional value by remaining silent."

Jenny's face flushed red.

The burn started at the base of her neck and went down to her forehead, then down to the tips of her ears, making even the pearl earrings on her earlobes appear darker.

"How...how could you do this?" She finally managed to squeeze out a complete sentence, her voice barely audible, "You've made me feel so ashamed..."

Lynch smiled and shook his head: "No need for that. Baron is just a title, a status."

"Putting aside this facade, I am essentially still a scholar at the Meris Library and a member of the Seagulls and Bread Restaurant."

He paused, turned his head to look at them, his gaze filled with a sincere and undisguised warmth. "I've had a very pleasant few days with you all. I should be thanking you."

Lynch was telling the truth.

Although the aristocratic life was comfortable in terms of food and clothing, they were not actually comfortable in terms of spirit.

People who come and go are all driven by self-interest, and every word spoken or even a glance must be carefully analyzed and considered in terms of the calculations behind it.

It was quite fun at first, but after a while, it was really tiring.

Of all the time he'd been traveling through time, Lin Qi felt that his time in Ouge Port had been the most relaxing.

Every day is just normal studying, chatting and joking, and the things we talk about are all meaningless nonsense. I wouldn't say there's absolutely no self-interest involved, but we don't have to be so careful at all.

The atmosphere immediately relaxed.

"Ha ha--"

Jenny laughed heartily, regaining her usual cheerful demeanor.

She even walked over and nudged Lynch with her elbow, as she always did, saying, "Honestly, you really gave us a shock."

He then made an exaggerated expression and said, "I never dreamed that a genuine nobleman would sit at the table with us and eat coarse wheat bread."

Jeffrey laughed and scratched his head: "Me too."

He paused, then chuckled gloatingly, "Hehehe, especially considering Jenny's been clamoring to be your lover these past few days..."

Jenny, who had finally managed to regain her composure, exploded again.

"Please don't mention it again!"

She blushed and screamed, throwing another punch.

"Ouch—it hurts! Are you really going to hit me?"

"Serves you right for being so cheeky!"

The two chased and played on the terrace, causing the rose trellis to sway gently, and petals fell softly, landing on Jenny's hair and Jeffrey's shoulders.

Lin Qi, holding a wine glass, leaned against the railing, watching them play and joke around, a smile curving his lips.

The night breeze blew in from the sea, carrying the scent of salt and the sound of songs drifting from distant ships.

The music in the banquet hall changed to a different tune, with a lighter rhythm, and drifted out faintly, mingling with the laughter and playful chatter from the terrace, floating into the star-studded night sky.

His journey in this world is still long. It's during this long journey that he'll meet different people and experience different things, making the journey even more interesting.

That's what makes life more interesting.

after all--

Life is a journey, isn't it?