Chapter 219 – 219 – Wanting to Cross Blades Just Once

The city was abuzz with excitement, but even amidst the celebratory atmosphere, a contingent of guards remained stationed, watchful. Two carriages rolled through the city streets, cutting a path to the central market square. There was no pretense for stopping them—their passage was officially sanctioned, and they bore the mark of one of the great aristocrats of the region.

A coachman with muscular arms descended from the first carriage and opened its door, revealing a man with a strikingly groomed mustache.

“Count Molsen?” Marcus murmured under his breath, stepping forward to meet him.

“I heard there was a victory to celebrate, so I thought I’d stop by on my way,” said the Count.

The arrival of such a figure here was entirely unexpected—much less in the middle of the bustling market square. Even the squad leader, who also served as the city’s security captain, hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. Marcus gave him a subtle nod, and the captain wordlessly stepped back, leaving Marcus to face the Count.

The Count exuded an aura of confidence, an unshakable self-assurance stemming from a deep awareness of his own authority. His voice resonated through the quieted square, his commanding tone seeming to fill the space entirely.

“I hear the hero of this recent battlefield is among us,” the Count declared boldly. “I thought I’d like to see this gem for myself.”

Despite his aristocratic status, Count Molsen was no peacock. He wore no satin or silk but instead a simple, elegant linen outfit. Even so, there was a sense of nobility in his appearance, further emphasized by the clearly defined muscles visible beneath the light fabric.

The muddy, liquor-soaked ground of the market square squelched beneath his boots, yet he carried himself with the composure of someone who would seem regal even amidst filth.

Enkrid, observing from a distance, couldn’t help but find the Count intriguing. There was something undeniably striking about the man.

“I hear you’ve been keeping this treasure hidden away,” Molsen continued, his voice laden with good-natured curiosity. “Let me take a look, will you?”