Nathan stood there for a few seconds, yet the king remained engrossed in whatever he was reading. It was blatant disrespect, but Nathan didn't let it show on his face. After all, he was used to it.
After some time, King Aldrich glanced up and gestured for Nathan to take a seat, then went straight to the point: "Welcome, Lord Cromwell. I hear you have something urgent to speak with me about. What is it?"
From his tone alone, it was easy to detect that King Aldrich didn't seem interested in whatever the baron had to say, appearing preoccupied with more important matters... but Nathan knew very well that this wasn't the case.
This new king was simply disrespecting him. Though Nathan was just a mere baron, even the former king had respected and treated him with importance.
His son, however, was different.
Because of the history between Arthur and the royal family, the Cromwell and Vermilion families didn't get along well.
"Yes, something very important," Nathan spoke, emphasizing the word *important.*
"Something *very* important?" The king raised an eyebrow, stopping his pretense by placing the parchment on the desk and holding Nathan's gaze. In truth, he had been curious to know what had brought the 'mad dog' to the capital.
It was common knowledge that Nathan disliked visiting the capital or seeking an audience with the king due to their differences. Even as king, though he wasn't on good terms with Nathan or his son, he decided to listen to what the baron had to say.
**Meanwhile, elsewhere in the capital...**
In one of the most influential areas of the Vermilion Royal Capital, a vast estate spanning several acres stood proudly. The estate bore a striking resemblance to the royal castle, though it was a smaller version. Towering spires and intricately carved stone facades surrounded meticulously landscaped gardens bursting with vibrant flowers.
In the courtyard, youths with silvery-white hair—each looking identical to one another—were training intensely under the strict supervision of an old, bald man. The youngsters sparred, displaying exceptional magical abilities and swordsmanship, far superior to most children their age back in the barony. It was evident that the kids from the west couldn't hold a candle to them.
This was the Silver family household, the same family Ren Silver belonged to.
Inside a lavishly designed room with a marble floor, a man was swimming in a freezing pool with cubes of ice floating on the surface. The air in the room was chilly, and fragments of frost filled the space. A woman stood at the edge of the pool, her eyes closed and one hand on the ground. From her palm, freezing ice spread across the floor, walls, and the pool itself.
It was clear that the icy atmosphere was a result of her efforts. She was expending a great deal of mana to keep the temperature extremely cold.
A while later, the man swam to the edge of the pool. As he stepped out, droplets of freezing water rolled off his well-toned, pale skin, revealing drenched silvery-white hair. He looked as if he were in his early twenties, but those who knew him were aware that he was one of the oldest nobles around.
This man was Lucas Silver, the head of the Silver family and one of the strongest individuals in the capital.
A few days ago, Lucas had learned about the death of his son, Ren. The news had devastated him. Though Ren wasn't the most talented youth in the Silver household, Lucas had always held a soft spot for him.
The reason? Ren was similar to him. They were both ruthless, the type who would sacrifice anyone to achieve their goals.
Lucas believed Ren would have made a great advisor or even a leader. The young-looking noble clenched his fists, his blue eyes flashing with anger.
"Those damn Cromwells!" Lucas spat through gritted teeth, blood dripping from his palms. The Vermilion Royal Academy had informed him that the ones responsible for Ren's death were none other than those country bumpkins from the western region.
The only reason he hadn't mobilized a small force to deal with the Cromwells was because he didn't want to provoke the sleeping dragon named Arthur. The last time they had attempted something , it had ended badly for all the nobles in the capital.
That event had instilled fear of the Cromwell family in the hearts of many nobles.
Still, this didn't mean Lucas wasn't plotting revenge against the Cromwells. His ritualistic swimming sessions helped him clear his head and improve his abilities.
With a deep breath, Lucas submerged himself into the freezing pool once more. The cold sharpened his mind. Although he was furious and wanted to raze the Cromwells from existence, Lucas had good control over his emotions, not allowing them to cloud his judgment.
As the family head swam back and forth, footsteps echoed against the marble floor, and a man clad in milky armor stepped into the chilly chamber. Like the other members of the family, this man had shoulder-length silver hair. However, what was unsettling about him was his eyes, which were concealed behind a white blindfold with runic engravings glowing intermittently with golden light.
Despite being blindfolded, the man walked with precision, as if he knew exactly where he was going. He briefly glanced at the woman in the corner before shifting his attention to Lucas, who was still submerged in the freezing pool—an environment that could turn a low-level Awakened into a frozen statue.
Though Lucas wasn't paying attention to the door, he had long since sensed the presence of the blindfolded man. Emerging from the pool, Lucas wrapped himself in a chilled towel and spoke in a low, commanding voice: "Zarek."
"Family head, I bring good news," the blindfolded man replied, his voice low and firm.
"Good news?" Lucas' eyes lit up, then dimmed slightly as silence fell over the room. Drying himself off, Lucas stared at Zarek. "What is this good news?" he asked, a hint of skepticism in his tone.
"The mad dog is currently in the capital," Zarek said. "Except for his granddaughter and wyvern, he's all alone."
Lucas' gaze narrowed. "How reliable is this information?"
"Very reliable, sir." Zarek's lips curled into a confident smile, revealing elongated, canine-like teeth.