Chapter 171: The Impoverished Baron

Mai had the children return to the castle first, while she patiently waited for Phield to finish setting up camp. Then she stepped forward, pressing a hand to her chest as she introduced herself:

"My name is Mai, from the Alpharo family. I’ve long heard of the great name of the Ross family. It is truly an honor to meet a real noble."

"Hello, beautiful lady." Phield had no interest in small talk. He swept his gaze around and said calmly, "I’m more concerned about my gold. May I receive my payment now?"

"I’ve already asked my husband to prepare it."

After waiting for a moment, two soldiers carried over a large wooden chest.

Phield gestured for them to open it.

"Creak—" The old chest let out a grating sound.

Inside was a pile of silver coins, mixed with a pitiful number of gold coins. There were also various random golden ornaments—like a gold candlestick, or perhaps it was just made of brass. The fact that they were using ornaments to settle debt made it clear that the Mountain Ape Baron had truly been squeezed dry.

"There’s nowhere near four thousand gold here."

Phield only gave it a brief glance before turning a questioning look toward Mai.

"These items are worth one thousand gold, if not more. You may verify it yourself, Sir Phield. As for the remaining three thousand, we need time to gather it—but we will not shortchange you."

"No need to count. I trust Lady Mai’s integrity."

Phield waved his hand generously, and the soldiers skillfully loaded the chest into a carriage.

"Now then, honored Sir Phield, would you care to accept our invitation?" Mai smiled. "If you don’t even step into the castle, we would be quite hurt."

"With pleasure."

Phield agreed immediately. He had come precisely to investigate the disappearance of the girls. The Mountain Ape Baron was far weaker than Baron Bull—starting here would make things much easier.

Following Mai into the castle, Phield noticed the townspeople along the way staring at him with numb expressions and strange gazes. It gave him an eerie feeling.

"There’s not even a single chicken in this town. If this is normal, I’d be shocked."

He muttered to himself.

No wonder it had been so unnaturally quiet—after walking through the town, he hadn’t seen even the most common livestock.

As the castle doors opened, a faint, fishy scent drifted out—resembling the fragrance of certain flowers, yet carrying a sharp, unpleasant edge. The smell made Phield’s nose twitch, and he waved his hand in front of him, trying to disperse the air.

"My apologies, it’s always like this here. It’s very damp." Mai looked embarrassed. "Also, our territory’s main industry is monkeys. Slaughtering them produces an unpleasant odor."

"It’s fine. I’ve smelled worse."

Stepping into the pitch-black stone castle, Phield became as tense as a drawn bowstring. Rosalia was also ready to strike at any moment, fully prepared for any potential threat.

"My dear daughter, I missed you so much."

The Mountain Ape Baron’s voice came from upstairs.

"Oh, why is everything always so terrible? Our castle should be torn down and rebuilt—made into something magnificent and resplendent! Not this wreck, worse than some countryside estate!"

"My child, our finances are stretched too thin. You understand that, don’t you?"

"Damn it! I shouldn’t be living like this—I should be living like a princess!"

The argument upstairs grew louder, followed by the sound of things shattering.

Phield clicked his tongue in amazement. He hadn’t expected nobles to live in such dire conditions. From the arrogant demeanor of the siblings earlier, he had assumed they were extremely wealthy.

"My apologies for the embarrassment."

Mai lowered her head, looking so mortified she seemed ready to bury her face in the ground. "We placed too many expectations on our children and gave them everything they asked for. Unfortunately... times have only grown harder. The eyes of magical monkeys, once used as materials, are now outdated—their value has plummeted."

Phield waved his hand and walked forward slowly, his gaze sweeping over the stone walls, where faint patches of sticky moisture clung to the surface. Turning his head, he spoke in a calm, reassuring tone:

"Everyone has their difficulties. Live each day well, and things will eventually improve."

There was a way to live in poverty, just as there was a way to live in wealth.

Back when Nightfall Domain had been struggling, things had gradually improved as well.

"You truly are a refined gentleman." Mai wiped the corner of her eyes and smiled. "Your wife must be very happy."

"I’m not married."

Legally speaking, Phield indeed had no wife.

"Oh~"

Mai gazed at him meaningfully for a long moment. "A gentleman as elegant and handsome as you should have a companion."

Is this woman interested in me?

Phield rubbed his chin, thinking: Why does everyone seem to want my body? Shameless.

"Baron Phield, please join us for a meal."

The Mountain Ape Baron came downstairs, looking utterly drained, his eyes filled with frustration and resignation.

"Just call me Phield. I won’t be eating—I’ve been observing a sacred purification prayer these past few days. I’m praying to the Goddess of Holy Light for my father’s recovery, so I cannot eat."

Phield was lying outright—he simply didn’t want to eat anything suspicious in the castle.

Prayer, however, was the perfect excuse.

"That’s quite a pity. You’re missing out on the finest cuisine."

The Mountain Ape Baron actually let out a sigh of relief before saying awkwardly, "Your room is on the second floor, first door down the hallway. Give us two days—we’ll gather the remaining gold. Also... we cannot afford servants in this castle, so..."

"I understand."

Phield smiled, though he thought to himself: There are barely any women in this entire territory. It would be strange if there were servants.

After a few casual exchanges, Phield retired to his room.

Not long after he returned, night fell, and a steady mountain rain began to fall.

Combined with the darkened town outside, the atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive.

Exhausted from days of travel, Phield quickly fell asleep.

It was not a good sleep.

He felt something heavy pressing down on him—especially on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. With each breath, a pleasant feminine fragrance filled his nose, and his hands were met with an exceptionally soft sensation.

Strangely, he couldn’t wake up, perhaps because the weight carried no sense of danger—on the contrary, it felt oddly comforting.

Only late into the night, as the rain intensified and the wind howled, did Phield finally awaken.

"I hope Gogris isn’t scared back in the camp..."

Looking out the window, still half-asleep, Phield murmured to himself.

"Heh~ holding one in your arms, yet thinking about another, are you?"

A seductive voice came from beneath the blanket.

"Damn it!"

Phield jolted in shock.

Throwing off the blanket, he saw Rosalia lying on top of him, grinning. Her collar was wide open, her alluring chest pressed into an enticing shape. Her light red hair spilled down, striking and vivid. She held a small lock of her hair, lazily tracing circles on his abdomen.

"No wonder I couldn’t breathe—you were lying on top of me." Phield was instantly wide awake. "Why did you climb onto me all of a sudden?"

"Don’t I lie on you all the time? Why does it suddenly feel strange now?"