Chapter 51: The Hospitable Baron

Chapter 51: The Hospitable Baron

As for the practicality of magic, Axi had gotten quite accustomed to it these days.

During this time, Airael had used the Cleaning Spell quite a bit to keep the two of them hygienic.

Axi actually found himself quite fond of such a highly practical magic.

If he could, he certainly wished to be a little cleaner and tidier himself.

Then, the duo returned to the castle together.

Inside the castle, Baron Powell had already finished instructing the knights and soldiers in their training.

In the castle hall, upon seeing them return, Powell stood up from his seat and smiled, “Mr. Axi, Miss Ailia, you’ve finally come back!”

“Baron, is there something you need?” Axi asked aloud.

“Nothing in particular, just that lunchtime has come. I wanted to invite you both to join me for lunch, but I couldn’t find you.”

“Sorry! I had some matters to attend to with Ailia, so we temporarily left the castle.”

Hearing Powell’s response, Axi immediately apologized.

“You don’t need to apologize, Mr. Axi,” Powell quickly waved his hand in response.

“You and Miss Ailia are my honored guests, and I will treat you with my utmost hospitality, so you shouldn’t worry about me.”

“What a hospitable host the Baron is!” Airael praised in response to Powell’s words.

“Miss Ailia, you flatter me,” Powell said with a modest smile at Airael.

And so, this matter was quickly brushed aside.

“I wonder if Mr. Axi and Miss Ailia have already had lunch,” Powell inquired.

“Not yet!” Axi responded without reservation.

They had come back specifically to mooch off a meal.

“Perfect timing!”

Then, at Powell’s heartfelt invitation, Axi and Airael joined him for lunch.

After a rather sumptuous meal, Powell looked at Axi and asked, “Mr. Axi, just now I heard you mention that you and Miss Ailia had some business; may I ask what it was? Perhaps I could assist you.”

“No need to trouble the Baron. This morning’s matters are just fine with the two of us,” Airael quickly replied before Axi could answer.

Although Powell was not lacking in martial skills, Airael felt that his approach didn’t quite suit her.

Powell’s martial style gave off the impression of a cunning old fox, where every move was interconnected.

Such skills were indeed powerful, but they didn’t align with Airael’s ideals.

As mentioned earlier, her style was meant to be imposing and brimming with the aura of a ruler.

At this moment, she needed to pursue a straightforward path in martial arts.

Upon hearing this, Powell appeared quite disappointed.

Then, Axi, rather bluntly, said, “If the Baron truly wishes to help, I happen to have a matter where I need your assistance.”

“What is it?” Powell’s expression instantly brightened.

Now, that was some genuine hospitality!

Watching all of this, Airael couldn’t help but mentally roll her eyes.

But thinking about Axi’s reputation, plus the fact that Baron Powell seemed to be quite detail-oriented—after all, his martial skills were all about intricate connections—Airael couldn’t quite fault him for being so hospitable towards her and Axi, especially towards Axi.

Even though this world places great value on individual strength, human society has always been quite complex.

Having one more strong ally is equivalent to having another path available.

Not to mention, it wasn’t just human society; her current identity as an elf made the elven society equally convoluted.

If the elven population were to increase significantly, it would probably become even more complex.

Furthermore, one couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that Powell was genuinely being hospitable.

“I need a skilled blacksmith,” Axi stated.

Upon hearing this, Powell’s eyes lit up with understanding, “Mr. Axi, this afternoon I will have someone take you to the best blacksmith in the small town; I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with this master blacksmith.”

As he said this, a mysterious smile crossed Powell’s face.

He understood Axi’s thoughts well.

Because he was a warrior too.

For a warrior, after some time, especially after experiencing combat, it is essential to maintain and repair their weapons and armor.

While a warrior can do these tasks themselves, ultimately, warriors are meant to fight, and it’s the blacksmiths who are the true professionals in these matters.

Especially those blacksmiths who are highly skilled can restore weapons and armor to their peak condition through maintenance and repair.

“Thank you!” Axi expressed his gratitude.

Powell’s subsequent remarks didn’t receive much further thought from Axi.

His request wasn’t that high.

He just needed a blacksmith who wasn’t too shabby.

“This is merely a trifling matter, nothing to speak of,” Powell said, and Axi didn’t push the politeness any further.

Continuing to be overly polite might lead to an endless exchange.

Besides, he had never intended to be overly polite in the first place, or else he wouldn’t have made such a request to Powell.

By afternoon, guided by a knight assigned by Powell, Airael and Axi arrived at the best blacksmith in the small town.

At this moment, the blacksmith shop was buzzing with activity.

With the orc invasion, the blacksmith shop had become busier than ever.

The crafting and repairing of various weapons and armor were essentially carried out at the blacksmith shop.

These blacksmiths had become the busiest people during this time.

Hearing the continuous sounds of hammering from within, the group paused in their tracks.

To the untrained ear, the sounds of blacksmithing might seem quite noisy, but with careful listening, one could find a unique rhythm within.

Especially for warriors like Axi.

The weapons and armor on their bodies had all been forged piece by piece by blacksmiths using such techniques.

To them, these sounds were nothing short of divine music.

In comparison, Airael didn’t find herself as mesmerized.

She was at most half a warrior, so she didn’t find it as enchanting.

As she looked at the captivated Axi and knight, Airael couldn’t help but think to herself: Is it really that pleasant?

However, it did seem to indeed be quite nice.

Right after asking herself that question, she immediately answered her own thought.

Because she had also been briefly entranced, even if it was just a fleeting moment, it was an undeniable fact.

After a while, Axi and the knight finally snapped back to reality.

Originally not very concerned about the blacksmith, Axi was now quite looking forward to meeting this yet-unseen craftsman.