Chapter 132: The Unknown Noble—Claire

"My Lord, should we leave some men behind?" Kael asked Vaelin, brushing the dust off his clothes.

"Leave two men for now. Then, send someone back to inform Baird, and tell him to notify Raymondo to organize a dedicated merchant caravan to station here. Also, have them transport some goods over."

"Understood."

Kael acknowledged the order and immediately began assigning tasks. Watching this, Vaelin felt a sense of relief; having a capable attendant made his life much easier.

After securing the commercial plot, Vaelin looked up to see the sky darkening. Before long, a campfire was lit in the center of the courtyard. Two knights took iron pots from their horses, gathered sturdy branches to build a simple tripod, and hung the pot over the flames. Kael then stepped in as the chef, with the other two knights assisting, and they began preparing a meal on the spot.

"Excuse me, may I join you?"

Vaelin turned his head and saw three men at the entrance of the enclosure. The leader, a nobleman, greeted them very politely.

"Certainly, you are welcome to join us," Vaelin replied, standing up with a polite nod.

The young noble approached with his two attendants and introduced himself gracefully, "Greetings, Sir. You may call me Kaelor."

"Hello, Kaelor. I am Vaelin. As you can see, I am currently a baron," Vaelin said in a brief self-introduction.

Kaelor took a seat beside Vaelin, while his two knights tethered their horses and sat down with Vaelin’s men.

"Judging by your accent, you seem to be from the central region?" Kaelor asked kindly, taking the initiative to start a conversation when Vaelin remained silent.

"You could say that."

Vaelin tossed a piece of wood into the fire and watched the sparks rise, answering calmly.

"Then you are truly impressive. To be a baron at such a young age—meanwhile, I have to rely on my father’s influence just to make a living in the military," Kaelor said with enthusiastic flattery.

Vaelin turned and smiled, responding, "Compared to those who truly start from nothing, aren't we all relying on the strength of our families?"

"Hahaha, that is true enough."

Seeing the smile on the other man's face, Kaelor continued, "Are you here today because of those half-elves?"

"Not at all. I have no such interests. I came here simply to stake out a piece of land; after all, this war will last a long time, and it is a good opportunity to make money."

"You are truly a visionary lord, far better than those nobles who only care about men and women." Kaelor had already gathered from the implication that Vaelin’s status was not low, but his expression remained unchanged, and he responded with enthusiasm, his tone not shifting in the slightest.

"You are not bad yourself, my friend from the capital," Vaelin replied, looking at Kaelor with a calm expression.

"Uh, hahaha, Vaelin, what makes you think I'm from the capital?" Kaelor wondered how the other man had figured it out, believing he hadn't revealed a single clue.

"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Vaelin didn't answer directly, playing with him instead.

"A lie," Kaelor answered without hesitation.

Vaelin’s expression froze for a moment. Looking at the faint, lingering smile on the other man's face, he suppressed his inner reaction and replied, "From your attire, the mounts of the three of you, and the way your two attendants are dressed."

Kaelor scrutinized himself and his subordinates, then shook his head, saying, "That was indeed a lie, and polite banter at that. What, then, is the truth?"

"Your accent," Vaelin replied instantly.

"Accent? That shouldn't be right," Kaelor asked, genuinely curious. "I specifically disguised it. You shouldn't have been able to tell."

"Or perhaps you lived in the capital for a period of time, otherwise..." Vaelin shrugged and said, "Look..."

"Vaelin, I walked right into your trap." Kaelor saw the smile on the other man's face and suddenly understood.

"If I hadn't exposed myself, could you have guessed where I was from?"

"Your collar," Vaelin said, pointing to his own neck.

Kaelor subconsciously touched the silk scarf tucked inside his clothing, felt the material, and realized with a start, "Cloud-silk fabric. So that was the real answer. It seems my disguise wasn't good enough."

"I just happened to have come across it and observed it closely. If it were anyone else, it would be hard to discern your status," Vaelin explained.

Kaelor looked at Vaelin earnestly and asked, "I am curious, Vaelin, which province in the central region are you from? Just from your current attire, I cannot tell."

"Kaelor, seeking out the answers for oneself is a wonderful thing, isn't it?"

"You are right. Answers found for oneself are the most interesting. Since you are a man of the military and I am also about to report to a legion, I will eventually find out who you are."

"My Lord, the soup is ready," Kael reported, stepping forward respectfully.

"Prepare a bowl for Kaelor and his attendants as well."

Everyone praised the soup Kael had brewed; even Vaelin almost thought it was a waste of talent that Kael wasn't a professional chef.

An hour later, Kaelor stood up to bid Vaelin farewell. "Time is limited. I have to report to the front lines and must travel through the night, so I won't linger."

"Safe travels, Kaelor."

Mounted on his horse, Kaelor looked at Vaelin and said, "Next time, I will know who you are. I am already looking forward to it. Goodbye, Vaelin."

"Goodbye."

After Kaelor left, Vaelin sat by the fire to rest. The night passed quickly. Vaelin finished his nightly cultivation, stretched, and looked out at the morning scenery, feeling it was another beautiful day.

After making another round of the commercial district, Vaelin left two knights to guard the site while awaiting the merchant caravan sent by Raymondo, then departed with the remaining three. As the commander of the 13th Transport Battalion, he could not stay away from the Brasilia camp for too long; if an emergency occurred, he would be the one held responsible.

Upon arriving at the gates of the Brasilia base, Vaelin made a brief inquiry with the guards and learned that Kaelor had likely gone to the front lines to report, though it was unclear which legion he had joined.

The following period was leisurely. Vaelin observed the training of his 3,200 men, continued his druidic cultivation, and was occasionally caught by his aunt and forced to deal with official business.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was February 26th.

That morning, fifty Karkalos beasts were laden with various supplies: compressed military rations, replacement weapons, crossbow bolts, magic potions, diluted holy water of life, clothing, and more.

The Karkalos beast, thirteen meters long and four meters high with eight sturdy legs supporting its body, could carry enough compressed rations for a battalion of a thousand men for half a month. They were, without a doubt, the ultimate beasts of burden.