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The village itself was pretty small. Located a fair distance away from the local road, its position on the map was the main reason behind how obscure Saulus expected it to be. But standing in the middle of this tiny settlement, surrounded by nothing but nice houses, Saulus suddenly doubted his judgment.

Or rather, he realized that he had failed to account for the man standing in front of him. With him in the equation, all his calculations and predictions fell short of their mark.

The village itself wasn’t eye catching. Simple buildings which housed the local farmers were no different from what one could see all over the continent. Some made with wood, others made with stones, while small parts were constructed with reinforced mud. But as strange as it might seem, Saulus noticed marks proving that this underdeveloped area was long obsolete.

“Sir, I can’t quite recall… When could be… Or nevermind, that kind of talk can wait until later. For now, would you mind telling me where I could temporarily set my soldiers?”

Smiling gently at the prominent person before him, Saulus nodded towards his bodyguards. Still mounted atop their horses, they didn’t look the least bit calm. For them, even such a seemingly peaceful village was a potential source of threat. Especially how not even a single inhabitant, outside of the former aristocrat, dared to show themselves.

“It seems that these men truly have picked their leader wisely. As for a place to stay… I’m worried that the stables are the most that I can offer right now. I’m quite certain that you already noticed this, sir, but we do not waste anything here. Be it space, tools or time.”

Smiling with a certain degree of mystery behind his cheerful eyes, the man pointed his hand at a building that stood just a bit taller than its neighbors. Noticing the gesture, Saulus turned his head towards his men, urging them to follow the given direction.

Saulus didn’t think he had given away any hints that he noticed. Saulus liked to uncover the little secrets of others to make them act in ways he wished. Having the tables turned on him in this unexpected scenario enlightened Saulus as to how others felt when he acted in a similar manner.

Or maybe this former noble standing in front of him was just perfectly aware of what this village looked like upon closer inspection? Maybe all the traces and hints that Saulus used to derive how life looked here were planted in advance, aimed at suggesting a certain train of thought in him?

Unable to determine, all Saulus could do was to press on with the conversation. Only by clashing his words against the voice of this prominent man could he obtain more info to deduce the reality of this place.

“Would you mind if we sit somewhere? I believe my men are far more than capable of settling themselves in. Am I right?”

As reluctant as Saulus’ guards were to leave their commander, not a single one of them dared to oppose his command. If the general wanted to speak with someone in private, it was their job to make it happen.

“That’s indeed the case. How about we sit down at my place? I could spare you some fine root beer. Trust me, once heated up, it’s perfect to ward off the chill of the winter.”

From how this middle-aged man instantly turned around on his heel before heading back towards the buildings of the village, it was clear that this was his plan all along. Unable to fight off the feeling that he was following the path that this strange man set for him way before this meeting ever happened, Saulus could only shrug it off as he followed the former noble.

“It just occurred to me, I never asked for your name, sir. If I may ask for the honor…”

After a few moments of following the man, Saulus sparked up small talk to keep both of them occupied during this short journey. As such, he pretended not to know the man’s name.

“Oh, that seems to be true. As pointless as introductions are in our situation, it is still a part of common courtesy, isn’t that right?”

Raising just a single corner of his mouth in a mischievous smile, the middle-aged man stopped in his tracks before facing the younger general.

“My name is Rand. I do not have a family name and as such cannot be associated with any powers that you might potentially hope to bring to your side. As long as you remember this point, sir, our cooperation might flourish.”

Breaking all the etiquette of the old, Burnian court, the former noble reached out with his hand towards Saulus.

“From how you claimed you met me during my time as a cadet, I assume you are perfectly aware of my personal information. But surely, following common sense rather than the stiff rules sometimes is a better option.”

Grabbing the arm of the middle-aged man, Saulus shook it energetically.

“I’m Saulus in the service of the Burn household. I currently wield the position of the supreme commander of the reborn Burnian forces. It’s an honor to become your acquaintance.”

Surprisingly, Rand’s handshake was akin to steel. Even though his fingers were slender, they gripped at Saulus’ wrist like some kind of snake. But what was even more surprising, was how this prominent man finally concluded their short journey in front of the doors leading to the least conspicuous building in the entire village.

While it was clear that he was the leader, one would never come to such a conclusion if only presented with his house. Completely lacking any decorations or other useless stuff built just to improve the prestige of a particular person, it was nearly the same as other buildings that covered the area.

“Please, come in. Even though this village is remote, I can guarantee the quality of our drink with all my heart!”