Hershey was a good talker. She managed to keep the conversation going with no hint of awkwardness.

She's still the same…

Alaric thought as he looked at her flawless face.

After another hour, they finally arrived at the main mansion of House Paxley.

The lord of the house, Baron Nathan Paxley, a slightly chubby middle-aged man with balding gray hair, greeted him in front of the mansion.

Beside the baron was a middle-aged woman wearing thick makeup, Vivian Harrison. She was the lady of the house and also Hershey's stepmother.

"Thank you for the warm welcome, Lord Nathan and Lady Vivian." Alaric slightly tilted his head to show his respect.

Nathan Paxley laughed heartily at his words. "I'm glad that you accepted our request despite the harsh weather."

Vivian also said something to him and Alaric replied appropriately.

After a round of exchanging greetings, they brought Alaric inside the mansion.

Warrick and Elena followed half a step behind them.

"I heard that you defeated the best Knight of Vale in an unofficial match. If only I wasn't busy with some matters, I would have joined the celebration and watched your performance." Nathan sighed to express his regret.

Alaric shook his head and waved his hand as he responded. "I was just lucky. If it was a real battle, it would have been my defeat. I still have so much to learn from my senior Knights."

"Hahaha! You're too modest. How about you come with me to the training grounds before we begin our discussion?" Nathan suddenly suggested, his intentions were clear.

His words ignited the interest of Hershey and Vivian. The former wanted to see Alaric's elegance in battle, while the latter was curious about the young Knight's power.

Alaric was surprised by his suggestion, but he also wanted to know the difference between the Knights of the two households. "If that's what the host wants, then I will gladly comply."

Hearing this, Nathan grinned. "Great!"

He took Alaric to the training ground which was located behind the main mansion.

Before they even reached the training grounds, Alaric could already hear the sound of intense training.

Upon their arrival, the warriors stopped what they were doing.

"My lord!"

"My lady!"

The Knights and the rest of the warriors greeted them.

Alaric observed them one by one and a particular Knight caught his attention. This was because she was the only woman in the crowd. However, her presence was not any weaker compared to the male Knights.

A female Knight? That's rare. I didn't know that House Paxley had one.

He thought to himself.

Four Elite Knights and eleven Knights. There might be more who aren't here.

He was impressed by their strong military force. If it was before, House Paxley was definitely stronger than them, but things were different now.

With the help of the Dragon Tail Ferns they found in the Red Toad Gorge, House Silversword managed to boost the strength of their people. Given some time, they would certainly surpass House Paxley's military power.

"What do you think of them, Lord Alaric?" Nathan smiled when he saw the change in his expression.

"They are powerful warriors. I can sense their strong presence from where I stand." Alaric remarked with a calm look.

"Hahaha!" Nathan looked pleased by his words.

"Why don't you spar with them for a bit? Maybe they can learn something from you." Nathan squinted his eyes.

When he heard the news about Alaric's amazing performance during the unofficial match held in House Silversword's estate, he had been eager to see his swordsmanship.

Now that he had the opportunity to see his abilities, how could he possibly let go of this chance?

Warrick who was standing behind Alaric frowned upon hearing this. He already had a bad feeling when Nathan mentioned visiting the training grounds.

He approached Alaric and muttered. "My lord."

Alaric turned his head and saw Warrick's stern gaze.

"It's fine, Sir Warrick. It's only a friendly spar. There's no need to be alarmed." Alaric tapped the man's arm.

Warrick stared deeply at him and nodded after a moment of silence.

He then looked at Nathan and cupped his fists.

"I apologize for the delay, Lord Nathan."

"Haha! It's alright." Nathan wasn't offended. He knew what the veteran warrior was worried about.

"Now that it has been made clear, let's begin." After saying this, Nathan beckoned to his Knights, indicating for them to come closer.

Nathan selected four of the best Knights and presented them before Alaric. "Who among them would you like to spar with?"

Alaric glanced at the four he had chosen. Their presence was the strongest among the eleven Knights present.

As expected, she is one of the best here.

Alaric thought as he looked at the female Knight.

When the female Knight sensed his gaze, she narrowed her eyes.

She stepped forward and cupped her fists as she said. "Please allow me to spar with you, my lord." Her voice was filled with strong confidence.

Nathan was a bit surprised that she had taken the initiative, but he didn't express any disapproval.

Hm… Cassandra is our second-best Knight. It shouldn't be a problem to let her fight with Alaric.

After thinking it through, he gave her a nod of approval.

"Alright," Alaric replied without hesitation.

The warriors of House Paxley smiled oddly when he accepted the challenge.

Alaric also sensed the weird atmosphere, but he didn't care because his attention was currently glued to the cyan screen.

___

Mission: Might of House Silversword II

Difficulty: Easy

The might of House Silversword is being doubted. Show them what would happen to those who doubt your power!

Rewards: 150 Battle Points, 30 EXP, Random Trait Upgrade Card x1

Penalty for failure: - 300 Battle Points

___

Alaric was ecstatic, but he didn't show it to his face. Missions rarely come, but they give generous rewards.

There's even a Random Trait Upgrade Card.

He had gotten this card once and it had improved his horseback riding.

Alaric closed the cyan screen and focused his attention on Cassandra.

I'm sorry, but I have to end this quickly.