Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent-Chapter 235: William’s Report

William hesitated to speak because of the number of people around, but knowing that everyone was on their side, he eventually opened his mouth. "My lord, I would like to follow you…"

Other than his wife, everyone else was stunned by his words.

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William was a Transcendent Knight with no affiliation. A person of his caliber would be treated with respect anywhere in the empire, but here he was, offering himself to Alaric.

Alaric had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Even when William rejected his offer back then, he never gave up on getting this man to work for him.

"Have you thought it through, Sir William?" He asked with a deep look.

William nodded with a serious face. "Yes, my lord. I have already discussed this with my wife."

Alaric frowned. "What changed your decision?"

He didn't want the old man to regret his choice.

William recalled the scenes during the orc subjugation and replied with a smile. "I just realized that following you might be more meaningful than staying cooped up in the orphanage. My lord, I have already decided! I will devote my remaining life to serving you!"

He lowered his head and said.

"I hope you accept my unreasonable request!"

Hearing his firm resolution, Alaric no longer doubted him. He stood up and tapped the old man's shoulder. "I welcome you with open arms, Sir William."

William was overjoyed. He was about to kneel when Alaric stopped him.

"There is no need for such formalities, Sir William. We have already been through a lot together so there is no need to be like this."

William nodded and smiled. "Yes, my lord!"

The atmosphere became livelier after that and Hershey suggested a celebration which Alaric approved.

However, the old man refused their good intentions. He didn't want to trouble them since they were about to get married.

The couple understood his intentions so they no longer insisted on the celebration.

Suddenly, William recalled something important.

"By the way, my lord…"

He leaned forward and whispered to him.

"I heard from my friends that there have been sightings of barbarian warriors outside of Turtle Fort."

This was something that he couldn't disclose to everyone so he made sure that only Alaric could hear him.

Hearing this, Alaric frowned.

Turtle Fort was the first line of defense against the creatures of the Enchanted Woodlands and the barbarian tribes on the adjacent barren land.

The barbarians were known for their physical strength and talent for battle. A majority of them also had the gift to become warriors so almost all of them could fight. The only thing that limited their power was the lack of resources and their low birth rate. Otherwise, they would have long since destroyed Astania and even the neighboring empires.

Very rarely would they reveal themselves and the last time there was an encounter with them was a few decades ago.

"Thanks for letting me know. I will send someone to look into it." Alaric didn't remember anything like this in his past life.

The barbarians never showed up. They remained in the barren lands without showing any signs of aggression toward Astania.

So why did they suddenly reveal themselves now?

This was something that made Alaric feel alarmed.

A few decades ago, the emperor of Astania and the barbarian king signed a non-aggression pact. It was an event that was recorded in the history books and almost everyone in the empire knew about it.

Did something change again?

Alaric pondered deeply. He tried to guess what could have made the barbarians do something this suspicious.

Is this related to the fight between the elves and the goblins?

He thought, but he wasn't certain if the two events were related.

The group stayed at the orphanage for another thirty minutes before they left.

Initially, Alaric wanted to take a look at the soap shop, but William's report made him feel a sense of urgency so he decided to return to North Pine Town and discuss what he had heard with his father.

"Why do you look so serious, Alaric? Are you not happy?" Hershey's voice drifted into his ears. She noticed that Alaric had something on his mind.

Alaric glanced at her and hesitated.

"Alaric, whatever it is, you can share it with me. We will be husband and wife soon so you can share your troubles with me." She felt shy when she said this.

Alaric smiled at her words. She was right.

Hershey was no ordinary woman. She was smart and resourceful. Perhaps she could even provide him with useful insights about the situation.

"Barbarians have been spotted outside of Turtle Fort…" He told her what he had heard from William.

Hershey was shocked to hear this information.

She rubbed her chin and frowned. "There are many factors that we can consider as to why this happened. Maybe the barbarians are only searching for something near our borders. It is also possible that they have used up all their resources during winter so they risked their lives to cross our borders to gather more food and other supplies. However, these are only our speculations. We need to investigate this matter to get more information."

Alaric nodded in agreement. "I will inform my father about this."

***

In the headquarters of the Blood River Alliance.

"How is the acquisition going?" Liam asked while looking at the documents on his desk.

"Boss, we have already talked with the Tyler Household and they gave us a favorable response. They are only waiting for you, boss."

Hearing this, Liam put down the documents he was reading and lifted his head with a smile.

"Is that so?"

He stood up and tapped his subordinate's shoulder. "Good job. If things end well, you will be rewarded for your efforts."

"Thank you, boss! I will work harder for you!"

Liam grinned. "Prepare a carriage for me. I need to visit them and finalize this deal!"

He was finally one step closer to his goal!