Chapter 136: Compromise and Transaction

Dally Pawwood had never been this nervous in her life.

Standing outside the main gate of the Black family manor, she looked up at the dilapidated building and took a sharp, cold breath. Even so, she could feel her heart pounding against her ribs.

The Pawwood family was, by all accounts, a regional power. Eagle Heights was not far from Cardiff City or the Valkyrie Duchy, and thanks to the mercenaries and the strange occurrences at the Temple of the God of War, information traveled fast. Once the Pawwood family had gathered all the intelligence, they had collectively gasped in horror, realizing exactly what kind of trouble they had walked into.

Through their research, they had uncovered almost every detail of Jan’s background, including exactly why he had been granted the status of an honorary noble: he had assisted the Temple of the God of War in overcoming countless obstacles and the interference of the dark denizens of the Underdark to successfully recover a long-lost divine artifact. Given such a feat, granting him the status of an honorary noble was hardly an exaggeration.

However, what truly terrified everyone were Jan’s "combat achievements." He had single-handedly wiped out two hundred and eighty-five guards of the Valkyrie Duchy and slain both Gustav and his son. Gustav was one of the few legendary powerhouses of the Valkyrie Duchy, a man whose reputation as the "Storm Knight" was known to nearly everyone in the surrounding regions, and his son was a rising star. Yet, these two had been cut down by Jan as easily as chopping vegetables. It was chilling.

What was even more fatal was that this had happened before he even became an honorary noble. Back then, Jan was nothing more than a down-and-out aristocrat, yet he had blinked neither an eye nor a lash while slaughtering the two most powerful men in the Valkyrie Duchy, not to mention cutting down an entire detachment of guards. His audacity was beyond measure. Yet, even after such an event, the Holy Temple had still bestowed the honor upon him, completely disregarding the protests and fury of the Valkyrie Duchy. This alone proved that whatever Jan had done was of vital importance to the Holy Temple; otherwise, the bishops would never have made such a decision.

Upon learning of Jan’s "great achievements," the members of the Pawwood family had felt cold sweat drenching their backs. Previously, they had merely thought this young noble was arrogant, but now they realized he was not only incredibly powerful but also ruthless. Gustav was a legendary powerhouse! The fact that he could kill him meant that this young man was, at the very least, of legendary rank. On that basis alone, there were fewer than five people in the entire Eagle Heights region qualified to stand before him and issue a challenge. Most noble houses treated a high-ranking retainer like a god; a legendary powerhouse? That was an existence only the most influential figures could ever hope to encounter.

It was precisely because of this that the Pawwood family had immediately adjusted their stance. Before, they had wanted to storm over and demand justice; now, they were trembling with fear, terrified that he would come looking for trouble. This was a man who dared to slaughter the regular army of the Valkyrie Duchy—settling a score with them would be child’s play.

Ultimately, the elder Pawwood decided to let his daughter, Dally, visit in person, both to apologize and to establish a connection. The man was a legendary powerhouse; if the Pawwood family could forge a relationship with one, their status within the Federation would naturally rise. In this way, a bad situation could be turned into a good one. Even if the family had to lose a little face, gaining tangible benefits was far more important.

With this in mind, Dally took a deep breath and reached out to ring the bell beside the iron gate. Soon, the crisp sound of the bell echoed, and before long, Molly emerged from the house. Upon seeing Dally, the little maid clearly froze for a moment.

"May I ask who you are..."

"Hello, I am Dally Pawwood, here on behalf of the Pawwood family to pay a visit to Lady Lygia Black and Mr. Jan Baschanomons."

"This..."

Upon hearing the name "Pawwood," Molly’s expression immediately soured. However, seeing that Dally was also a girl, she hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"I will go inform my lady. Please wait a moment."

With that, Molly turned and hurried back into the house. Seeing this, the black-clad swordsman standing behind Dally couldn't help but snort.

"Dogs relying on their master’s power."

"Please, watch your tongue, Mr. Bardo."

Dally glared at the swordsman with dissatisfaction. While he was loyal to the Pawwood family, his personality was extremely haughty. He was fine with those inside the family, but he always maintained an indifferent and arrogant attitude toward outsiders. Truth be told, Dally hadn't intended to bring him along, but considering she was a young woman, it wouldn't have been appropriate to come alone, so she had brought the chief of the family guard.

"I think you should know better—don't say anything inside, and don't provoke that gentleman. We are here to apologize; do not make any unnecessary moves..." Dally sighed. "...Speaking of which, it’s my uncle’s old habits flaring up again. Otherwise, how could things have ended up like this?"

Hearing Dally’s complaint, the black-clad swordsman nodded slightly but said nothing more.

The reason the Pawwood family had been so aggressive toward a down-and-out noble was not without cause. A debt of five hundred gold coins was hardly a major issue. The real problem lay with Lygia; her beauty was famous for miles around, and Dally’s uncle was a man obsessed with lust. He had coveted Lygia’s beauty and had thus schemed to convince the old master to press for the debt collection. On the surface, they claimed they wanted to take over the Black family manor as a summer villa, but in reality, he wanted to use it to coerce Lygia into "serving" him. In fact, the thugs who had been pressing for the debt were the uncle’s own men.

Because of this, after uncovering the truth, Dally knew it was definitely her uncle’s old habits taking hold again. Only this time... his timing was disastrous.

Fortunately, no major chaos had ensued. According to intelligence, Jan had been wandering around the outskirts of Parsus for the past few days, looking no different from any other noble out for a leisurely hunt or excursion. But Dally didn't dare to lower her guard. What if he was just enjoying himself before coming to settle the score? It was always safer to be cautious.

After a few moments, Molly returned and respectfully opened the gate, welcoming Dally and the swordsman inside.

The Black manor still appeared somewhat dilapidated. Walking through the clean but desolate corridor, even Dally couldn't help but despise her uncle’s petty schemes. The people were already down on their luck, and he had still wanted to kick them while they were down. He truly deserved whatever misfortune came his way... If it weren't for the fact that it would implicate the Pawwood family, Dally wouldn't even have bothered with him.

"Please come in, Miss Pawwood."

As Molly spoke, Dally held her head high and stepped into the parlor.

A wave of warmth hit her.

Compared to the cold atmosphere outside, the parlor was quite lively. Dally looked up to see a lady in a black robe sitting on a velvet sofa; she must be the legendary "Flower of the Heights," Lady Black. Another maid stood beside her, holding a tea tray and snacks. Sitting next to them was a girl who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen, dressed in striking, pure white armor that seemed ill-suited to her innocent, cute face. However, Dally would not underestimate this girl; if her intelligence was correct, this girl had also participated in the battle against the Valkyrie Duchy’s guards. Having studied at the Star Tower for so many years, Dally’s greatest lesson was never to judge by appearances.

Beside the girl sat a young man—clearly, that was Jan Baschanomons.

Looking at Jan, Dally couldn't help but widen her eyes and study him carefully. On the surface, this young man didn't look much different from many other nobles Dally had seen: a lean but strikingly handsome face, jet-black hair combed back meticulously, and noble attire that was neat and tidy. He was currently leaning against the back of another sofa, watching everything with a languid smile.

"Greetings, Lady Black, Mr. Baschanomons."

In an instant, Dally withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and performed a respectful bow.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Dally Pawwood, the youngest daughter of the Pawwood family. I have come today on behalf of the Pawwood family to express our sincere apologies for our previous discourtesy..."

As Dally spoke, Jan leaned back on the sofa, squinting his eyes as he curiously studied her. To the eye, Dally was about the same age as him, with a delicate and graceful appearance. However, compared to Lygia, who looked as pitiful as a fragile flower, Dally stood tall, spoke with brevity and clarity, and carried herself with a sense of confidence and tension. She reminded him quite a bit of the white-collar professionals from his previous life.

Hearing her words, Jan gave a light chuckle.

"Since you are aware of your discourtesy, I assume you have brought some form of compensation?"

"Of course."

Dally glanced at Jan, and seeing that he didn't intend to press the attack further, she felt a wave of relief. She hurriedly reached into her pocket, pulled out a scroll, and placed it on the table in front of Lygia.

"This is a small token of our sincerity. Please, Lady Black, accept it."

"This is..."

Hearing Dally, Lygia hesitated for a moment before picking up the scroll. She opened it, glanced at it, and her expression changed slightly.

"A permit for the North Mountain Silver Mine?"

The ruler of a territory naturally held the rights to extract minerals within it. The permit in Lygia’s hand meant that these mineral resources now belonged to her. As long as she hired someone to mine the ore, she would have a constant stream of wealth. To some extent, this provided a stable future for Lygia and the others.

"Yes, Lady Black. Regarding Mr. Cotton, we also feel deeply regretful, and my father could not bear to see his family suffer, which is why he entrusted me with the permit for the North Mountain Silver Mine to pass on to you."

"No, no, Miss Dally, this gift is too precious, I cannot..."

Hearing this, Lygia’s expression changed drastically. She hurriedly reached out, attempting to return the permit. However, just then, Jan reached out and blocked her hand.

"Lady Black, the Pawwood family is being kind, so you should accept it. Besides, with the Pawwood family’s strength in Eagle Heights, a mere mine is nothing to them. But to you, it is the most important guarantee for your future."

Hearing Jan’s words, Lygia fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. She was no fool; she understood the stakes. But since Jan had said so, she had no choice but to accept.

Seeing Lygia accept the permit, Jan turned his head and looked at Dally with a playful, enigmatic smile.

"However, I truly didn't expect the Pawwood family to be so generous... That said, those idiots previously offended my lovely subordinates, so might I also request a little bit of compensation?"

Hearing Jan’s words, Dally’s eyes lit up. This was exactly what she had been waiting for! If Jan said nothing, he might come looking for trouble with her family later. But now that he had made a request, the Pawwood family had a way out!

"Please, just name it. As long as it is within our power, the Pawwood family will not hesitate."

"Actually, it’s nothing major."

Faced with Dally’s response, Jan displayed an elegant smile. He settled back into the sofa, relaxed and comfortable, and looked at the young girl with leisure.

"If I recall correctly, this entire area is within the Pawwood family’s sphere of influence, right... How about this? I think the scenery at the Starfall Tooth is quite nice. Why not gift it to me? What do you think?"

"What?"

Hearing this, both Dally and the black-clad swordsman beside her were shocked.