At this moment, the carriage carrying Riezel and the others had arrived at Bessare's city gate, ready to enter the city.
Since it was approaching evening, more people were entering the city than leaving because few would choose to travel at night, so those entering the city had already lined up, undergoing inspections and checks from the gate guards as they waited to enter one by one.
Even though the line wasn't that long, Riezel and the others still had to wait a long time before it was their turn to enter the city.
It was inevitable.
Being a city that was no different from a military base, Bessare required stricter inspections and checks for both entering and leaving compared to other cities.
Moreover, unlike Karudia, there were no clusters of refugees near Bessare, perhaps because it was too close to the battlefield at the border or because they were intimidated by Bessare's presence as a military base.
Thanks to this, the guards at Bessare didn't need to focus on clearing the roads and maintaining order like those at Karudia and could devote most of their attention to inspections and checks, which slowed the entry process.
Fortunately, there weren't many people entering the city at this moment, so Riezel and the others managed to get in before sunset.
However—
"...Is that the Frenzel family's crest?"
"It definitely is the Frenzel family's crest, no doubt about it."
"Riding in the Frenzel family's carriage, with a beautiful girl driving..."
"No mistake about it. It's them."
When Lizbeth drove the carriage up to the city gate for inspection, the guards whispered among themselves.
"Excuse me, is there a problem?"
Nibald stepped out of the carriage on behalf of the group, showing his face to the guards, but unfortunately, he didn't get the answer he was expecting.
"No problem, just some idle chatter among us."
"Please don't mind us."
"You must be Grandmaster Nibald, right?"
"Welcome to Bessare. Marquis Mavros has already instructed us that if you arrive, you should be allowed through without delay."
"Please, go on ahead."
While bowing politely, the guards spoke calmly to Nibald as if nothing had happened, leaving him no choice but to return to the carriage and let Lizbeth continue driving into Bessare.
Riezel leaned against the carriage window, his eyes gleaming as he watched the city gate.
Over there, as the guards continued inspecting travelers' luggage and verifying their identities, everything seemed normal, with nothing out of the ordinary, but Riezel noticed one of the guards leaving the gate and entering a nearby building—it was unclear what he was up to.
Riezel watched this scene for a while before looking away, the gleam in his eyes fading.
And so, the carriage carrying the group continued moving forward and eventually entered a bustling street.
It was a street lined with restaurants, taverns, and inns.
Located on the eastern side of Bessare, it was the only area in the city that accommodated travelers, earning it the name 'Visitor's Street'.
A variety of outsiders stayed here, whether for food or lodging, making Visitor's Street a hub for all travelers.
Meanwhile, at the center of Visitor's Street stood the most luxurious inn in the area, an inn known as 'Peace Town'.
Its grander design and more elegant decor made it clear that it was a high-class establishment, though it had a rather unusual name for a place so close to a battlefield. It was obvious that the inn's owner loved and longed for peace, hoping for its arrival, or they wouldn't have chosen a name like Peace Town in a war-torn place.
"Let's stay here." Nibald suggested as he gazed at Peace Town.
It seemed like he had already decided on this inn when he planned to come to Bessare, as, judging by his demeanor, he must have done some research before setting off, eventually learning about the existence of Peace Town.
"H-Here...?"
"Well... this place is too..."
Fanny and Gerald muttered, both looking a bit uneasy.
Even though they were from a viscount family, a viscount was, after all, only one rank above a baron, merely a minor noble, far from being considered a major noble on the Akasha Continent.
As a minor noble, the Elyssir family wasn't exactly wealthy—at the very least, they couldn't compare to the Hadyth family, who were practically nouveau riche.
Besides, Fanny and Gerald had snuck out this time, so they didn't bring much money with them. Faced with the prospect of staying at such a luxurious-looking inn, it was no wonder they felt hesitant.
"Don't worry. I won't ask either of you to pay." Nibald said, stroking his long beard with a smile. "I was the one who brought you here, so naturally, I'll cover the expenses. Just relax and enjoy your stay."
Even though he wasn't a noble, that didn't mean he was short on money.
As a magician highly esteemed in the world of magic, he had received invitations from the royal family multiple times, including one from the king himself, asking him to serve as a court magician, which he declined.
However, if he hadn't declined, the chief court magician of Jinas right now might not have been Yuri but him instead.
Nonetheless, it wasn't like he didn't have a legitimate source of income.
Currently, he was the chief advisor of magic studies at Spriller Academy, and just by holding this position, he received a large salary every year. He had also been a tutor for many major noble families, and all he had to do was teach a lesson at their homes from time to time before receiving a generous payment.
Moreover, because he had developed many new types of magic, sold patents for magic, published books, built research labs, and conducted various magic-related studies, the profits from these activities were unimaginable, making him incredibly wealthy.
In fact, many wealthy major nobles might not even be as rich as him, and if he were to reveal all his assets, even the royal family might be a little envious.
Needless to say, with such wealth, paying for the lodging and meals of two people was no trouble at all.
"Th-That's..."
"We're really sorry, but we—"
"I'll pay for them."
Fanny and Gerald were too polite to accept such generosity without hesitation, so Gerald hurriedly tried to decline, but before he could, Riezel interrupted.
"I was the one who suggested they come, so it makes more sense for me to cover the costs."
Without giving Fanny and Gerald a chance to refuse, Riezel quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, you were invited by the Mavros family, right, Sir Garland? Aren't you planning to stay with them?"
"Hoho, I think I'll pass..." Nibald responded with a slight chuckle. "You know, the Mavros family is responsible for guarding the border, so their place is surely full of military secrets. Someone as free-spirited as me would be better off staying elsewhere."
Hearing this, Riezel nodded in understanding.
With that, Riezel and the others got off the carriage and entered Peace Town.
However, just as they finished checking in and were about to head to their respective rooms with their luggage, an elderly man dressed as a butler walked in.
He was quite old, possibly even older than Nibald, who was over sixty, yet he was impeccably dressed, his back straight as a rod, showing none of the frailty typical of someone his age as he exuded an imposing aura.
As soon as he entered Peace Town, the old butler scanned his surroundings before locking his eyes on Riezel and his group. In the next moment, he walked over with steady steps, his movements swift and graceful, and in no time, he was standing before them.
"Sir Riezel Brynhart, Grandmaster Nibald Garland."
As the old butler called the names of Riezel and Nibald while bowing to them, everyone immediately stopped in their tracks.
"Excuse me, you are...?" Nibald turned and asked in confusion.
Riezel also looked at the old butler, surprise showing in his eyes.
Why?
It was because this old butler was actually a skilled fighter, as through the Transparent World, Riezel could see that his muscles were firm, his body brimming with vitality, and the activity of his internal organs was remarkably strong.
Riezel had to admit, this old butler didn't seem like an old man at all, but more like a battle-hardened veteran. Even though he wasn't carrying any weapons, Riezel noticed that this old butler had several daggers hidden in his sleeves, seeming to be custom-made.
As Riezel examined the old butler closely, he almost confirmed his suspicions.
'Even if he isn't a Sword Saint, this old man's probably not far from it. At the very least, he wouldn't be weaker than that so-called best swordsman just below Sword Saint from the Borley family.'
Such a powerful person showing up suddenly at their lodging clearly wasn't just to exchange greetings.
"Greetings, I am Norman, steward of the Mavros family."
Ignoring the slight changes in expressions from Lizbeth, Andrea, Fanny, and Gerald, the old butler—or rather, the old steward, who introduced himself as Norman, handed two invitation letters to Riezel and Nibald.
"I'm here to give invitations from my master for both of you. Please accept them."
At this, Riezel narrowed his eyes, his face calm, while Nibald grew a bit concerned, his face laced with a frown.
"Your master is Marquis Raven Mavros, right? What is he planning?" Nibald asked cautiously.
It couldn't be helped for him to ask this.
From his perspective, delivering invitations like this was completely unnecessary because he was here because of Raven's invitation to investigate the mysterious disappearance incident, so there was no need to send another invitation.
As for Riezel, it was even more unnecessary.
Considering Riezel had shown up uninvited and had already indirectly clashed with Raven, for Raven to still send an invitation was practically a blatant signal that something was off.
Such an unusually straightforward approach made Nibald feel slightly uneasy.
Unfortunately for Nibald, at his question, Norman didn't provide any answer he wanted.
"I am not aware of my master's intentions. He only instructed me to make sure these invitation letters reached both of you. As for anything else, I am not privy to it."
As soon as Norman finished saying this, he bowed once more to Riezel and Nibald.
"Now that the invitation letters have been delivered, my task is complete. I will take my leave then. Excuse me."
Leaving these words behind, Norman immediately departed.
"Master..."
Lizbeth immediately stepped forward, tugging at Riezel's sleeve with a worried expression.
"Grandpa..."
Andrea also looked a bit uneasy as she tugged at Nibald's robe and tilted her little head, seemingly trying to catch a glimpse of the invitation letter in his hand.
Fanny and Gerald, looking a bit lost, stayed where they were, feeling like something big was about to happen.
Nibald, on the other hand, stared at the invitation letter in his hand, his expression shifting unpredictably.
Only Riezel, right in front of everyone present, tore open the invitation letter without hesitation and began to read its contents.
Surprisingly, the message inside was simple and straightforward.
It informed Riezel that the Mavros family would be hosting a family banquet tonight, where all the important members of the family would be present, and they hoped Riezel would do them the honor of attending.
'A family banquet? Bullshit.'
Riezel curled his lips into a smile, clearly not buying it.
Nibald, who had the same thought, furrowed his brow deeply.
"It seems that Sir Raven already knows about Young Master Felix's situation and plans to hold you accountable, Sir Brynhart..." Nibald said gravely. "Otherwise, knowing him, he wouldn't invite someone to a family banquet for no reason."
Nibald and Raven weren't exactly close friends, but they had quite a bit of history, so Nibald understood the personality of this Guardian Sword Saint very well.
"Sir Brynhart..." Nibald turned to Riezel, his expression solemn. "If you leave now, you can still avoid this."
It was clear that he had already foreseen the outcome of this so-called family banquet, so he wanted to persuade Riezel to avoid an unnecessary conflict.
"Let me go see Sir Raven first. I have some history with him, so if I show up, he'll definitely be willing to listen to my words." Nibald continued.
Hearing this, Riezel simply put the invitation letter away before asking casually.
"What kind of gift do you think I should bring? Since he invited me to his family banquet, it'd be rude not to bring a present, right?"
"Right, how about this—I'll bring his nephew's head and present it to him tonight."
"What do you think?"
Riezel spoke with a terrifyingly calm tone, but the air was heavy with an impending sense of danger, making Lizbeth, Andrea, Fanny, and Gerald all shiver in unison.
"Sir Brynhart, please be reasonable!"
Nibald, startled by Riezel's words, instinctively raised his voice to stop Riezel's crazy idea, but then, as if realizing something, he sighed before his face twisted into a bitter smile.
"I get it, I get it. I won't try to stop you anymore, alright?"
Nibald realized that Riezel was indirectly telling him to stop wasting his breath on pointless advice.
Riezel and Raven, two of the current era's Sword Saints, were clearly on a collision course, and there was no avoiding their first confrontation.
Nibald looked at the setting sun, imagining the events that would unfold tonight, his heart heavy with worry.
He could only hope that things wouldn't spiral out of control.
Yes, he could only hope.