Gift?

After a long day of sitting at the keep, with the tension there that could make any men nervous. It's finally over, Arden stretched himself a little before going back to his room.

While thinking about the gift he would be getting from Goswind, then he thought about Maverick.

It would be worse for a young boy like Maverick to stand for such a long time. Somehow he kept his composure steady and didn't do anything.

'Such an energetic, self-disciplined, calm minded person he is' Arden started to think to himself about his page and future squire.

Back at his room, Arden is greeted by his wife, already awake and sitting at the bed as she waits for Arden to come back.

"Let's go explore the town" Arden said happily to his wife, maybe this is a date? But there is Maverick following them and so it couldn't be considered as a date.

The town of Edklin is like most of the other town. But this town has the most rate of slavery in the entire kingdom, not sure what is the reason.

There is slave everywhere, working in the field, the streets, there are even some shops that sold them. But because of this, the town itself prospered.

There are many rich people and much weaker nobles lived on the town itself.

They are walking down the street, with Maverick behind, following them like a lost puppy. Arden turned to him and then gave 20 Aurens to him.

"Use this to buy your equipment, don't forget to bargain, understand?" Arden said with a smile at his face as he gave him some lesson about how to bargain.

Maverick stared at the money and after some time gone to his own way to buy all the things he needed.

Then both of them continue on their own way to explore the city. After some hours of walking down the busy street. Arden and his wife proceed to go to the local pub to get some meal.

At the same time resting so they could continue. The pub is filled with people and is very busy. Almost all tables are filled but there is one in the middle of the room empty.

Seeing it's the only table, Arden took it for himself and his wife. They decided to get the roasted beef as their meal that cost like 40 Ens each. One of the more expensive meals they served there.

Arden made some small conversation with his wife while waiting for the food to arrive.

"This town is amazing!" Said Valen with an excited tone, ready to explore more part of the town.

"Yea, you are right" Arden says in agreement with some light nod. Then the food came to them. The smell is unbelievable good.

"Let's eat first" Smiling lightly to his wife and told her to eat her food, while swallowing his own saliva.

The smell is irresistible. Many people turned to them as they smell the roasted beef. Perhaps it's attracting too much attention that they started feeling uncomfortable.

As fast as possible, they finished their food and the other continue their own business with a little sad expression since the smell is gone now.

Waiting for the food to be fully ingested, Arden heard some people talking at the next table. He told his wife to stay at her place then came up to them while they were talking.

"What are you guys talking about gentlemen" He asked and they are a little bit surprised. The person that could buy such expensive food for them came up to them.

"We are talking about how Sir Goswind is calling many slave trader to come to him" He told Arden before taking a gulp of his glass of beer.

"I heard he called them to give the slave as a gift to a powerful noble" The other person told Arden about it.

Then he came back to his seat and ask the waitress to come.

"Here, I would like to pay for that table too" He gave 1 Auren to the waitress and pointed to the previous table.

At first, the waitress thought he was joking since Arden only gave her one coin, Auren, Ren and En is basically the same size and texture.

But once the waitress saw the coin, she changed his mind and proceed to go back and serve other customers.

Arden and Valen proceed to leave the pub and continued to explore the town until the daylight slowly starts disappearing.

They came back to their room and there is already Maverick in front of the room. Surprisingly, he managed to get some really awesome deal.

7 Aurens for a set of chainmail armour, short sword and a shield. There is even the golden dragon that came from Arden's banner.

He never really thought of his banner ever again since he got the 3 things from the 3 different dukes at the day of his marriage.

He rarely uses it since it attracts a lot of attention but he brought it with him on this journey.

'Maybe I should start using it?' He thought to himself and then the answer came in his mind, a simple yes.

Tired because of the exploration, Arden chase to not think about it anymore and then proceed to enter his room and get ready to sleep.

The very next morning...

8 At the morning, he is woken up by the knock on his door to which he assumed from some maid.When he opened the door, he faced Maverick, his page.

"Sir, you are called by Sir Goswind to the keep" He simply said this that made Arden rushed to get ready.

With his nice clothes being worn after getting ready and the sword he got as a gift in the marriage that he recently decided to name "Amber" at the scabbard located at his hip.

He kissed Valen on her forehead before leaving the room and proceed to walk to the keep.

He opened the door, the sound could be heard echoing all over the room. Silent and there is not many people there. He realizes there is only Goswind there, sitting at the same seat as yesterday.

Arden recognizes there is also some small snack at the table and some cup of tea. Arden then proceeds to take the seat beside himself.

While Maverick excuses himself out of the keep to do something.

Sir Goswind just smiled and took a sip from his cup of tea and greeted Arden after he sat down.

"Good morning" Words came out from his mouth.

Arden responded and they soon drown on their conversation, some time has passed since Arden came to the keep and he mentioned some things to Goswind.

About his journey to the "Tadashima Shogunate" and also asked a bit about the gift he would be getting.

Suddenly, Arden needs to do his business at the toilet, so he excused himself with a bit of embarrassment.

It's not a polite thing to do when a noble is having a conversation with the other and then excuse himself out for something like that.

At the hallway to his own room, he saw the people that told him about this "gift" thingy from Goswind that would end up at Arden's hand.

They both noticed Arden and are giving a surprised face

"You are that rich noble from the pub!!" Still shocked seeing someone they knew.

But Arden just tried to walk past them while asking them to move to the side. Of course, any person would understand the expression on someone face when they are on emergency.

So they moved to the side and let Arden pass, Arden ended up safe and not embarrassing himself in front of another baron.

'Phew, that was close" He sighed and then left his room to the hallway

To which, he saw that two-people from earlier arguing with a little bit overweight woman... With better clothes, jewellery covering her whole body.

And a lot of makeup covering his face, you could see it clearly even when you are at the distance. Arden approached them...

"Sorry for before gentlemen" He said apologizing for earlier.

"Not a problem sir..." To which they responded before getting cut off by the woman.

"Ewwwww, why are you trying to dress up like a powerful nobleman, you don't need to dress up like this sweetheart, just became my plaything" With a flirty tone and some mocking sentences.

"Wait what??!?!" Confused and shocked, Arden raised one of his eyebrows. Also trying to hold a little laughter.

"You heard..." She tried to talk but Arden didn't care about her, calmed himself down and excuse himself out of the place to the other two-person.

That Woman is agitated and becoming mad from his response, she started cursing him with every word at the book.

But, Arden didn't give any attention toward her, not even looking back once as he makes his way back to the keep.

He talked to Goswind about the incident for a while before continuing on the topic last time.

"It seems it's the time already" Goswind said in the middle of the conversation and then called a person.

Confused, Arden just waited for whatever surprise he is going to get.

Then the sound of the keep's door being opened, many people rushed inside. Most of them using rags and some using nicer clothes

Arden is surprised and Goswind just looking relaxed and take a sip from his teacup.

"This is the gift from me, you could take all of them if you wanted, the person with nicer clothes is the slave trader" Goswind turned to Arden saying this as he did it normally or something.

Then he recognizes the two other people from earlier in the hallway and also that woman is there too. They are one of the many slave traders, with many slaves standing behind them.

That woman from earlier went pale as she saw Arden, the person she tried to make as a plaything is actually a real, powerful noble.

But then, Arden is a kind of person that doesn't pursue the past. here's how thing gonna work, the slave traders would show their slave to him.

In the end, he could choose which one he wants to take and which one that doesn't.

One by one showed their slaves to Arden, many got his attention but he only likes to get 1 slave. It's better to not bring many people on this dangerous journey.

"I would choose a person that could benefit me, my wife and my page" He thought for a bit then saw a perfect fit for it.

An 11 years old boy, with the natural black colour as his hair. Looking strong but scared to be amongst the other slave.

Goswind looks at him with a dropped jaw and confused look on his face. "There are many good choices here but you chose the 11 years old boy" look.

Then Arden explains what he is doing and then the 25 years old baron just laughed. Then quickly gave him the understood face after he could stop laughing.