The Herb King

Aethelwolf was playing with his daughters when he received a report from the servants that a carriage of the Suliman Family was on its way to the Golden Lake Manor.

Hearing this, he let out a smile. "It seems like the mayor wants this to happen sooner."

"You guys play with Sister Anselm. Papa still has to take care of some matters."

After sending the two little girls off, he went to his study and prepared a rare tea for his guests.

Not long later, they finally arrived. It was Julie and Samira who brought them into his study. To his surprise, there was another person who came with Emerson. It was the young princess of the Suliman Family, Michelle Suliman.

"Good morning, Sir Aethelwolf!" The two greeted him respectfully.

Aethelwolf smiled at them and pointed at the empty seats in front of his desk. "You may sit. I prepared a rare tea for you guys when I heard that you were coming." While saying this, he gave his wives a look.

Samira and Julie understood his intentions so they helped him pour tea for Emerson and Michelle.

"How have you been, Miss Michelle?" Aethelwolf stared at her with a gentle smile.

Michelle was more reserved in his presence. She wanted to maintain her graceful image in front of him. "I have been well, Sir Aethelwolf. Thank you for asking." She smiled at him.

Aethelwolf nodded upon hearing this. "That's good to hear."

After pouring tea for Emerson and Michelle, Samira and Julie left the study.

"Sir Aethelwolf, my father has agreed to your terms. These are the documents I made. Please have a look at them." Emerson handed him a folder.

Aethelwolf took the folder and opened it. He scanned the documents using his perception and was satisfied with them. After making sure that nothing was wrong, he signed the documents. "It's a pleasure working with you guys." He smiled at them as he handed the folder back to Emerson.

"We will be in your care, Sir Aethelwolf." Emerson smiled in relief as he took the signed documents. This was only a minor business transaction for their family, but the most crucial thing about this was to get closer to Aethelwolf who was now a Nascent Soul expert! Although their family had three Espers at that level including the mayor himself, they still didn't dare treat him lightly.

Northern Trance was in a state of equilibrium because of the presence of these Nascent Soul Espers. If even one of them was enraged and decided to cause trouble, the entire city could be in chaos!

"Sir Aethelwolf, the situation in Warmridge is exactly as you had described. I sent our men to the city to investigate this and they found out that the gathering of beasts was real. The residents are still skeptical about this and they believe that the mayor of Warmridge was only increasing the tax for his benefit.

There's also a group of opportunistic men who are gathering the enraged people to form an organization. If nothing is done to stop them, they might rebel in a few days or so." Emerson took Aethelwolf's advice seriously and this made him learn that the situation in Warmridge was getting worse.

Michelle didn't know this so she revealed a look of shock. She wanted to ask her brother, but she tactfully remained silent.

Aethelwolf still had a calm look on his face, but he was also worried that Northern Trance would be affected by this situation. "I suggest that a meeting between the noble families should be held to tackle this issue. Warmridge couldn't handle this on its own. The gathering of beasts alone is already a very challenging matter. Now, they also have to defend against a potential revolt.

If we don't do something, Northern Trance could be affected." To maintain the peaceful life of his family, he had to make sure that Northern Trance would take action.

Emerson furrowed his eyebrows as he thought deeply. "Will you join the meeting, Sir Aethelwolf?" He asked. The five noble families of Northern Trance have a delicate relationship. Putting them all together in one room could be dangerous as it may spark some conflict. There should be one neutral party in the meeting who was sufficiently powerful to stop things from going in that direction.

The only person he could think of was the man before him. Although he just broke through recently, he believed that Aethelwolf was not just your average Nascent Soul Esper. It was an instinct forged from meeting all sorts of Nascent Soul Espers.

Aethelwolf appears to be easygoing and has a mild temperament. However, the sense of dignity he possesses is on par with the patriarchs of the five noble families. It was like he was born to be a leader!

Aethelwolf tapped his fingers on the table. He immediately understood Emerson's intentions. He could already guess the tense relationship between the five noble families. He wasn't a stranger to this since similar things happened in the Regalis Continent. The thin line that maintained the balance of these forces could break at any moment.

Aethelwolf was confident in his strength, but if he was gone, his family would be left defenseless.

Seeing his hesitation, Emerson opened his mouth. "If you're worried about your family's safety, you can bring them to the Suliman Family's estate. I guarantee that no harm will be done to them. Our family will ensure their safety."

Aethelwolf was surprised. He didn't expect this young lord to be so astute. He could even guess his worries. "That puts my mind at ease. In that case, I will join the meeting." He smiled at Emerson.

Emerson's eyebrows eased up upon hearing this. "Great! I will inform my father about this once we get home. We will send you a messenger who will inform you about the details of the meeting. I will also send Sir Tyrone together with our elite guards to escort your family to our estate."