Chapter 66: Encounter with Valkyrie Tian Yan Again

There are about 5-6 kingdoms on the continent of Calradia. It wouldn’t be surprising if another nation took this opportunity to declare war on the Kingdom of Swadia. Draxel’s concern was not without reason.

“As you command.” Xiao Nan nodded respectfully and then turned to leave.

Watching Xiao Nan walk away, Draxel stretched and muttered to himself, “Damn, maybe now I can finally relax and take a break.”

Just as he was about to head to the garden, another guard came rushing over to report. 

“My noble lord…”

“No more reports! Leave me alone. Even if the Emperor himself comes, tell him to wait an hour. I need to rest,” Draxel said impatiently, dismissing the guard without turning around.

But then he heard a familiar voice.

“Well, well, a few days and your temper has grown~ Alright, I’m a reasonable person. Since you want to rest, I’ll wait here for an hour.”

That catchphrase… Could she have come in person?

Draxel turned around abruptly, and sure enough, it was her.

“So it’s Valkyrie Tian Yan. You’ve graced Uxkhal with your presence. You’re more important than the Emperor himself. I won’t rest. What brings you here?”

“Guess what it is?” Valkyrie Tian Yan said coldly, her face expressionless.

Draxel suddenly thought that Tian Yan bore a resemblance to Profit Empress Ronnie. Perhaps they really were biological sisters.

‘Since the peace treaty binds us now, she can’t do anything even if I joke around. So why not.’

“Anyway, it’s not like you’re here to talk about love with me. You’re probably here to ransom the Noyan lord, right? Hmm, Tulug is still locked up here with me. I wonder if he’s gotten any thinner after all these days.”

“Alright, you guessed right. Hand him over now. I have other matters to attend to and won’t stay long,” Valkyrie Tian Yan said as she prepared to head to the prison to take the prisoner.

“Hold on, hold on. Did you forget something? According to the treaty, you need to pay the ransom to take the prisoner.”

“You… Hmph…” 

Valkyrie Tian Yan was furious. This little count dared to talk money with her? She could crush him in a second. Last time, he was just lucky to have been saved by someone.

“Hmph what? Don’t pretend to be a pig. If you want to take Tulug, pay up 3,000 denars.”

“You little brat, how dare you speak to me like that!!!” 

Hearing Draxel’s audacious words, Valkyrie Tian Yan’s forehead veins bulged with anger. She had dominated the Calradia continent for over a decade, and no one had ever dared to disrespect her like this.

But Draxel wasn’t going to let up. Seeing that she was furious enough to want to strangle him, he continued to provoke her.

“So what if I talk to you like this? Are you going to set wolves on me? Darling, this is Uxkhal, the Kingdom of Swadia. We have a peace treaty. Oh dear, I’ve changed my mind. If you want to take him now, it’ll cost you 5,000 denars. And every time you argue, the price goes up by another 2,000.”

[System Prompt: Your friendliness with Valkyrie Tian Yan decreased by -10. Current friendliness: 30.]

[System Comment: You’re playing with fire here. I love it! Let’s make her even angrier together!]

“These two bags of gold are worth 5000 denars. Where is Noyan Tulug?” 

Valkyrie Tian Yan threw the bags onto the table, her eyes red with anger. She was trembling with rage, her fists tightly clenched.

“Marnid, go to the prison and bring Noyan Tulug here. Make sure you handle him carefully. He’s missing both his eyes and his nose now.”

“As you command.” 

Merchant Marnid quickly headed to the dungeon to fetch the prisoner.

At this moment, Draxel continued to push his luck, teetering on the edge of danger. 

He said, “Well, Little Tian Yan, why don’t you take a seat? It will take a little time to bring him here.”

“Call me Valkyrie Tian Yan. And I won’t sit.”

“Oh, alright then. Good, because I didn’t plan on serving you good tea anyway. You can stand and watch me drink. Ol’ Aubrey, bring me some snacks. Just one portion, remember, she won’t eat, so don’t waste any.”

[System Prompt: Your friendliness with Valkyrie Tian Yan decreased by -10. Current friendliness: 20.]

“Do you believe I could castrate you with one slash? Count, don’t push it.” 

Valkyrie Tian Yan was almost losing control, her face twisting in anger, nearly bursting into a spiteful laugh.

“Do you remember the last time you threatened me using my people, my family? Let me tell you, I’m not afraid of you. Today, I plan to offend you. So what? I, Draxel, may not be able to beat you now, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never be able to. For the sake of my people and family, I am willing to fight you to the death.”

These words made Valkyrie Tian Yan see him in a new light. This kid actually had a strong sense of loyalty and righteousness.

“Good, very good. Remember what you said. By the way, on my way here, I saw that Profit Empress Ronnie’s tavern was in ruins, and she was nowhere to be found. Do you know what happened to her?”

“She… huh, now you care about her?” 

Hearing her name again made Draxel’s heartache.

“A few nights ago, I dreamt that she was killed by a lion. Draxel, let’s set aside our personal grudges and the enmity between our kingdoms for now. I’m really worried about Ronnie. Do you know where she is?”

A trace of sorrow appeared in Draxel’s eyes. After a moment, he replied, “She… I don’t know either. Maybe… maybe your dream was true. It’s my fault. I attracted the lion.”

Valkyrie Tian Yan couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stood in a daze for a while, then shouted, “No way! My sister is so powerful. How could she die at the hands of a lion?”

“That wasn’t an ordinary lion. It was the King of the Land Lions. We had a hard time dealing with it, but Ronnie might not be truly dead. I just couldn’t find her afterward.”

“We? So you were there?” Valkyrie Tian Yan pressed on.

Draxel didn’t want to evade the truth. He answered honestly, “Yes, I was there. I couldn’t protect her.”

[System Prompt: Your friendliness with Valkyrie Tian Yan decreased by -20. Current friendliness: 0.]

“You! You!!!” 

At that moment, Valkyrie Tian Yan was on the verge of violating the peace treaty. She nearly drew her sword to stab Draxel through the heart and make him pay for Ronnie’s death.