IATVWAMOLS 97

97. Group Project: Despair and Hope (1)

I followed the steward and stepped into Baron Garrett’s estate.

At the main gate, a burly man was waiting.

“Ah, welcome! It’s an honor to meet you like this.”

Red hair and a rugged, fierce-looking face.

Tall and broad-shouldered, he looked more than just strong—he was intimidating.

Although he greeted me with a polite tone, his posture and mannerisms betrayed a careless attitude.

“You must be Baron Garrett?”

“That’s correct. I’m at a loss for words that someone so distinguished would come all the way to this humble place.”

He smiled slyly.

“I’ve prepared a dinner banquet. Please, come inside.”

At Baron Garrett’s invitation, we moved directly to the dining hall.

Seraphine, Philip, and I took our seats at the enormous table.

The household staff hovered nearby, ready to serve.

Across the table, my eyes met Kaien’s.

‘Judging by the atmosphere, it’s still the daytime personality.’

Unlike the sly, mischievous grin of his night personality, the daytime persona appeared gentle and somewhat naive. The sun hadn’t fully set yet, so it seemed he was still in his daytime state.

One by one, the dishes were brought to the table.

Baron Garrett spoke first.

“I did my best to prepare everything carefully, but I’m not sure if it will suit the tastes of someone from the capital. This place is rather rural, after all.”

“No, it’s already excellent! There are even dishes I’ve never seen before.”

“Is that so? Then it was worth preparing special regional delicacies.”

When Seraphine shook her head in polite disagreement, Baron Garrett chuckled satisfactorily.

With a light drink loosening him up, his expression began to soften.

“It’s nerve-wracking to be in the presence of such beautiful women. Had I known, I would’ve made more of an effort.”

He cast a subtle, lingering glance at Seraphine and me.

The gaze was so unnerving that it sent a chill down my spine.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.

Kaien, waiting across from me, glared at him as though ready to kill.

Just as Baron Garrett reached for his wine glass, his soup bowl wobbled violently.

“Ah!”

Scalding hot soup spilled over his front.

He let out a scream that sounded almost like a death cry. Shocked, the servants rushed to his side.

“My lord!”

“Damn it! Who placed the soup bowl like this?!”

His thunderous shout echoed through the dining hall.

Philip, Seraphine, and I froze in surprise.

Baron Garrett aggressively ripped at his front to clean the spill.

“Damn it all!”

The servants hurriedly brought wet towels to calm the situation, but his face was already bright red with anger.

“Who served this food? Step forward right now!”

He bellowed, veins bulging, while the servants desperately tried to restrain him.

“Calm down, my lord. You have guests.”

Only then did Baron Garrett glance at me, seemingly snapping back to his senses.

“Hahaha. My apologies for that.”

He forced a friendly smile and sat back down.

Adjusting the soup-stained front of his clothing, he attempted to continue the conversation.

“Sorry to ruin the mood. What were we discussing? Shall we continue with the meal…”

Clang—!

At that moment, Seraphine, seated next to me, dropped a dish.

She held her hands to her ears.

“Miss Seraphine? Are you all right?”

I shook her shoulder gently. Her hands fell, though her fingertips still trembled.

“Yes… yes.”

“You look quite pale. Wouldn’t it be better to rest first?”

“No, I’m fine.”

But Seraphine remained ghostly pale, half in shock, staring blankly at the fallen dish.

After the commotion, the air in the dining hall turned sharply cold.

Baron Garrett’s staff only dared to watch his every move, flinching whenever his expression stiffened.

“I heard that Count Vermon is acquiring the weaponsmith business in Serteia. Having the support of the Empire’s top arms family must be reassuring.”

Baron Garrett openly flattered me, but I remained unimpressed.

‘No wonder he was excluded early from succession.’

I had expected some issues with his manners, but I hadn’t anticipated someone unable to control their emotions even in front of strangers.

After witnessing his violent outburst, I didn’t want to remain in the same room for even a moment.

Kaien, who had moved closer to me, kept a wary eye on him.

“Yes, the reason I came here personally is precisely that.”

I got straight to the point.

“I heard there’s a problem with raw material supply. How can we help?”

“Ah…”

The usually friendly smile on Baron Garrett’s face stiffened.

“During Monster Wave season, the creatures around the mana stone mines become too fierce. Our miners cannot enter the mines safely, making extraction extremely difficult.”

“But Monster Waves happen every year, right? If supply suddenly dropped since last year, there must be another reason.”

“Well… I don’t know about that.”

“What?”

“I’ve never been to the site myself.”

He laughed it off awkwardly.

‘Are you serious?’

“You’re saying supply has drastically fallen, and you haven’t even investigated the cause?”

Philip looked equally frustrated.

Baron Garrett tried to explain.

“I can’t just manage the mines; I have to oversee the entire estate. I can’t handle every minor problem personally.”

“How is this a minor problem? If you don’t supply mana stones, our production schedules are affected. Investigate the cause immediately.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll have the steward ask the responsible personnel. I don’t know how long it will take to pinpoint the exact cause.”

“Do it as soon as possible.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

I spoke firmly, but he remained unserious.

“I’ll handle everything, so consider this a vacation while you’re here. Relax.”

“…”

“There’s a large shopping district in the commercial area. Even if it’s not like the capital, it’s not bad here either.”

“Are you seriously suggesting shopping right now?”

Clearly, he was trying to brush the matter off, knowing we wouldn’t stay long.

“Since Monster Wave is the issue, we’ll send our knights to handle it.”

“Excuse me?”

The once-smirking Baron Garrett widened his eyes.

“That’s partly why you came. You’re safe now with the elite knights of Serteia.”

“How could I impose on you? This is your estate; we’ll handle it ourselves.”

He offered a groveling smile.

“No, we’ll dispatch knights to the monster areas as soon as they’re ready.”

“Uh, that’s—”

“Our knights are experienced in monster extermination. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Ah, yes.”

I pressed the matter before he could respond. At last, Baron Garrett begrudgingly nodded.

After dinner, before entering the guest quarters, Philip and I spoke privately.

“I heard most of Baron Garrett’s estate income comes from the mana stone mines. It’s absurd that such a major source of revenue was neglected.”

“If there were really problems with the mines, the regional economy here would have faltered. Yet it seems fine, which is strange.”

“Do you think he’s deliberately hiding something?”

“Yes, there’s definitely something suspicious.”

Philip and I agreed for once.

“We’re only staying three days. Garrett will likely just waste time before sending us off. We should investigate ourselves.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll check the surroundings personally.”

At that moment, Seraphine, reclining on the sofa, interjected.

“May I come along?”

“Miss Seraphine, are you feeling better?”

“Yes, much better now.”

“You still look pale. Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

A complex mix of emotions passed across Seraphine’s weak smile.

“I guess… I got a bit nervous. I usually find people like Baron Garrett difficult to deal with.”

‘It wasn’t just difficulty; she seemed terrified.’

“I see.”

“I’d rather get some fresh air with Sir Philip than stay indoors. Is that alright?”

“If Sir Philip is okay with it.”

“Not for the whole schedule, but we can move together for parts of it.”

Philip hesitated briefly, then nodded.

“Then we’ll move together first thing tomorrow morning.”

And the next day, Philip and Seraphine set out to Baron Garrett’s estate, witnessing an unexpected scene.