Lord of the Oasis - Chapter 85
Chapter 85: A Gift from Kant
A strange atmosphere filled the hall.
However, it was unusually quiet.
The dozen or so burly men who had just entered subconsciously glanced at each other.
Fear filled their eyes.
The calm sitting posture of the five Sarrandian Horsemen and the fact that Kant’s words could so easily make them so obedient particularly made them secretly clicked their tongues.
Such elite level discipline was nowhere to be seen in their remote and barren northern county.
The scene remained quiet.
Kant did not continue to say anything else.
He sat in his chair, together with Manid and the five Sarrandian Horsemen, on the seats for the guests.
After all, they were guests, to begin with.
“Ahem.”
A dry cough sounded outside the door.
Baron Dylan walked in with the butler.
He looked around in the hall, at the strange atmosphere and then at his dozen or so subordinate knights who were usually unruly and wild. Seeing how they had become so quiet, he could not help but snort coldly.
“Since everyone is here, let’s begin,” said Baron Dylan indifferently to the butler.
“Yes.” The butler immediately nodded.
At the same time, he quickly walked out of the hall and closed the door gently.
He went to prepare dinner.
Baron Dylan went to his seat and sat down.
The dozen or so tall and strong men on both sides bowed their heads to greet him.
These men were subordinate knights who were either attached to or conferred by Baron Dylan. They were the ultimate force that maintained the entire stone pass as well as the small castle. They were also the main generals during the wars.
“Uncle Dylan.”
Kant also stood up from his seat. He placed his hand on his chest slightly and said, “It has been a while.”
His movements were very elegant.
Moreover, his voice was calm. He really looked like someone from the younger generation who had not seen his uncle for a long time.
“Yes, it has been a while.”
Baron Dylan nodded. His face was cold and expressionless. “Also, Baron Kant, I think it’s best for you to address me as Baron Dylan at this time. We are at the same level.”
It did not sound like a reprimand. Only a reminder.
Nonetheless, it immediately attracted the muffled laughter of his vassal knights on both sides.
Clearly, in their eyes, their great lord and baron had just helped them with a strong retort in response to their earlier embarrassment.
His words were indeed unreasonable.
Even Manid’s face turned slightly stiff.
Not to mention the five Sarrandian horsemen, their faces were flushed red.
They could not tolerate these words that were close to insulting Kant.
Kant was able to tolerate it.
He was already dissatisfied, but for the sake of his development, he did not care.
As one whose soul had been transported, he did not place too much emphasis on class or status in this world. As for the so-called self-respect and pride, he also felt that it was especially laughable when people prioritized them when they did not have the strength to back them up.
If Kant had 1,000 Swadian knights in formation waiting outside the Stone Pass, the situation would probably be different.
In short, it was just a difference in strength.
Kant stood up.
He still spoke respectfully and sincerely, “Uncle Dylan, I still remember the shortsword that you gave me as a birthday gift when I turned six years old. It is still stored in my box.”
“Is that so?” Baron Dylan narrowed his eyes slightly, his face also showing some emotions.
Kant nodded and smiled, “Of course.”
Seeing Baron Dylan’s expression relax, Kant continued and said, “Uncle Dylan, I came to visit you this time but I bear no good gifts. I hope you will like these things.”
Beside him, Manid brought a package out.
It was a thin linen bag. Inside it was a relatively new urn.
Everyone’s eyes were on it, curious to know what was inside.
Kant did not let down everyone’s curiosity. He directly opened the urn, placed it on the table with both hands, and said, “This is fine white salt. As a baron, Uncle Dylan, only white salt like this which is as beautiful as snow can match your status.”
After saying this, the vassal knights on both sides of Baron Dylan exclaimed.
They were not ignorant.
This urn was the size of a human head. If it was filled with fine white salt, then its value would be very high.
It was a kind of salt that only high-ranking nobles could eat.
Although these vassal knights were also nobles, they could only eat brown salt that had a bitter taste, at most. It was still a lot better than the poor people who could not even afford salt.
At least they could still have salt in every meal.
“This gift is very expensive.”
However, Baron Dylan frowned slightly. Although his face was moved, it became solemn.
He looked at Kant and asked directly, “Such expensive white salt is really too valuable. Baron Kant, did you encounter any difficulties?”
“No, Uncle Dylan, this is just a token of my regard.”
Kant shook his head. A sincere smile still on his face.
Seeing that his question was not answered, Baron Dylan snorted coldly. Then, he nodded and said, “In that case, I’m very grateful for your gift. If you encounter any difficulties, let me know and I will try to solve them for you.”
Kant bowed slightly. “Thank you very much.”
At the same time, the servants brought dinner.
The dishes could be considered common. In fact, the quality was lower than the food at the Oasis Lookout.
Roasted pork, roasted sausages, and roasted birds.
Stewed mutton with chickpeas, cabbage soup, and an unlimited amount of lager beer.
Plates filled with the food items were placed in front of everyone while others were put inside wooden bowls.
Finally, the butler personally distributed a plate of salt.
“Let us begin.”
Baron Dylan announced the start of dinner.
Immediately, the dozen or so vassal knights began to gorge on the food.
Knights who only knew slaughter knew nothing about elegance or manners. Those were things that only knights who had noble backgrounds paid attention to. Knights who were promoted through civilian-military merits never paid attention to this.
Sometimes, when they were short of money, they would even act as bandits and rob trade caravans.
The fundamental meaning of being a knight was military force, not philanthropy.
Eat and drink. The atmosphere of the entire dinner was very strange.
Normally, a dinner would have conversations, banter, and laughter; however, this dinner ended in silence accompanied by the sounds of people drinking and eating.
Baron Dylan did not say much from the beginning to the end,
Occasionally, he would speak but it was always with his vassal knights, and these conversations usually did not last very long. The atmosphere of the entire dinner was extremely stiff and cold. It caused the butler waiting on the side to break out in cold sweat.
Dinner ended.
Desserts were served.
These were wild apples from the Senwaya Range. The desserts were made by first cooking the apples before having honey poured on them.
If one were to talk about the taste, at least Kant was having a hard time eating them.
Manid and Kant exchanged glances the entire time. They both understood each other’s thoughts, which was to wait for dinner to be over.
In fact, Baron Dylan thought the same.
And finally, dinner was over.
Those rude vassal knights thanked Baron Dylan before leaving.
However, before they left, with their faces flushed pink after drinking light beer, some still stared provocatively at Kant and his group. Even under the cold glares of the Sarrandian horsemen, they showed no fear.
A few knights were even looking at the exquisite Sarrandian Horsemen’s chain armor under their long robes with drooling eyes.
In the Dukedom of Leo, a full set of iron-made equipment was not cheap.
A set of armor that could save one’s life on the battlefield was the goal of every soldier and knight. However, apart from extremely wealthy nobles, a group of country bumpkin knights of the common class could never obtain this.
Their fiefs in the village could only support their daily lives.
The barren land could not produce too much food and economic crops to sustain their splurges.
“Baron Kant, tell me, what’s your reason for finding me?”
After everyone left, Baron Dylan did not wait for the servants to tidy up. He said, “Is it because your estate was attacked by the Jackalans again, and you want me to help you defeat them?”
Baron Dylan took the initiative and looked at Kant. “But you must know that I am not Sir Hobson from the Lion Fort. If you want me to help you solve your Jackalan crisis, this urn of white salt is far from enough.”
On this, Kant smiled. “No, Uncle Dylan. I remember that your wife is the daughter of a merchant?”
Baron Dylan’s expression turned ugly. His wife did not belong to a noble family, but a merchant. She was a laughing stock in the aristocratic circle. Although he was a warrior baron, he still had the status of a noble.
Baron Dylan snorted coldly and said, “Baron Kant, do you want to use your noble bloodline to humiliate me?”
“No, no, no. ”
Kant had a sincere smile on his face as he looked at the cold and cruel Baron Dylan. Instead, he said gently, “I don’t have a Jackalan crisis, nor do I have any intention of humiliating you. I just want to start a long-term trade agreement with you, Uncle Dylan.”
