Days went by as the master's plan to set up a shop pushed forward. It was the butler's responsibility to see the project through and this time Cygnus was scheduled to go with Linius to meet General Eric Cazal. Although he didn't want to meet the man, he was still convinced by Linius.
The general's manor was as splendid as the duke's manor back at the dukedom and Cygnus couldn't understand why these people wanted to live in such a spacious space. He looked around while they waited for the master of the house to come.
"Major Ginehart, it is nice to see you again inside of my manor," a loud voice came from the entrance of the room.
Linius and Cygnus, who were already seated, looked at the direction of the entrance. A man with a beard and a grin on his face stood there. He was tall and despite his age, he was fit and he was standing tall. The presence around him was no joke.
Linius stood up from his seat and went to meet the man. Cygnus followed behind as they welcomed the man inside the room. He remained silent on the side as he waited for the older man to notice his presence.
"I came to visit you General, since I am in the capital," Linius answered with a slight smile on his face. The older man returned the smile and even stepped forward to pat the major's shoulder. He even looked at Linius from head to toe as if he was assessing him.
According to Linius, this Eric Cazal was his mentor when he officially became a part of the kingdom's military and became an official. Based on how the major knew the man, he could say that he was righteous and upright but in the master's eyes, he was the same as everyone.
"It's my honor to finally meet my brother's mentor," Cygnus did not waste time and immediately made his presence known. "I am Rigel Ginehart." He was not patient enough to wait for the man to notice him.
"Oh, is this the rumored fearless brother?" The general's attention shifted to Cygnus. "You looked so fragile that I couldn't believe it when I heard what you did back at your territory." His gaze raked through his entire person just as he did with Linius but this time, he was judging him.
Cygnus chuckled, "Contrary to what you have heard, I am not fearless, it's just that I can easily succumb to my emotions so I did that." He just shrugged it off and didn't let the general notice anything unusual from him.
The general laughed and even patted his shoulder, "You do know your way with words. Alright, let's have some snacks first."
They entered the room and enjoyed the food that was served. They also started small talks which generally revolved about anything. There were some topics about the military but most of it was only understood by the both of them.
General Cazal noticed that the younger brother was silent and he appeared to be bored. He chuckled which startled the major and made Cygnus lift his head. He gestured for one of the servants inside the room and whispered something in his ear before his eyes returned to Cygnus.
"Why don't you go out first, you can visit the library or the garden if you want to while the major and I continue to talk." The general suggested so the master immediately gave Linius a look.
"Alright, you can go. I'll come find you once we are done," Linius agreed because even though the master was not there, he was sure that he'd be able to know what they talked about.
Just like that, one of the servants came to escort Cygnus to the library where he chose a book that fancied him. After asking if he could read it outside, they went straight to the manor's garden.
Just like the Ginehart's original manor, the garden in the general's home was a sight to behold. There were different kinds of flowers that bloomed vibrantly in the garden and in the middle of it all, there was a small hut made of wood and bamboo where one can read and rest and enjoy the view.
It looked out of place in the middle of that color but at the same time it was eye-catching. Cygnus touched the bamboo posts and hummed. The seats were topped with cushions and there were also pillows placed on them to make it more comfortable.
Cygnus sat down and let himself immerse on the book and the scenery. At the same time, he sent out Ari to listen in on the general and the major. He was bored but it doesn't mean that he was not interested in their topic.
After Cygnus left, the atmosphere inside the room changed and both men became serious but the general broke the silence first. There were things they needed to talk about so there's no point in remaining silent for the rest of the time.
"What happened to your mission regarding those bandits?" He went straight to the point because he wanted to hear what happened straight from the major's mouth.
As far as he can remember, the mission that was given to him was to deal with those bandits but he didn't receive any reports regarding it. Because he knew that the major might have an explanation for it, he waited for him to come to him.
Linius already expected this, "I apologize for not reporting to you immediately. The bandits were already taken care of when we reached their area of activity. According to the men I left to continue investigating, their base was already destroyed when they reached it. These past months, the bandit activity in that area decreased."
The general thought for a while before he spoke again. "Yes, bandit activity decreased but one concern arose. A group has taken over the town near that area, I had my people watching them and for now, they aren't doing anything suspicious and the town is still operating as normal."
Cygnus heard the general's voice through Ari and the statement made him stop. He raised his head and raised a brow at the news. He thought that those bandits would continue robbing people but he didn't expect them to take over a town.
"Oh, that guy is pretty impressive," he commented before he returned to what he was reading.
On the other room, the conversation continued. "If they aren't a threat, why do you need to still monitor them?" Linius asked. It was basic protocol to monitor anyone or anything suspicious, but based on the general's words, he had been monitoring that group for a long time now.
"Because they are very suspicious and according to reports, they use dark magic to take control of the town but the mages I sent there sensed nothing. Even so, I still believe that they should be watched thoroughly." General Cazal wasn't going to take any chances because he knew that those people were dangerous.
"Did they report anything back regarding the town?" Linius was curious if there were changes from the report.
"None, but my people are still on standby and observation mode. Anyway, if something comes up, I'll call you. Regarding your attempted assassination, we found some information which led us back to your household." The general looked at the major after the last sentence.
It was already expected. Even though he had offended many people, there was only one person who could truly attempt to take his life. He was not worried that he would be discovered because he was confident of his backer.
"I am already not surprised. Though several people came to mind, that person is still the number one," he didn't really care because the time to deal with that person will come in the future.
"Are you not going to deal with him?" The general was slightly surprised that Linius was so calm about the news and that he seemed indifferent about it even though his life was already threatened.
"Not now because even though we have information, I still need evidence to fully pin him down that he won't have the chance to stand up or return again." He shook his head besides he already had a deal with the master so he need not worry about those matters.
