Chapter 580 - 368: A Biting Dog Doesn’t Bark

In the reception hall, a personal Knight accompanying Bernard brought in three exquisite Red Agate Cups on a silver platter, a fiery red liquid swirling within them.

The Lord sized up the Knight, who wore a face-concealing Lion Helmet even while indoors. Only a pair of eyes were visible, but from them, Levi quickly deduced that this was a young person.

"Since you are His Majesty’s Governor, how do you find the time to step away from your military duties to visit a backwater place like High Cliff Castle?" Levi lifted his cup and took a small sip. The red liquid was refreshing, clearing his mind. It was slightly sweet. He had thought it was wine, so he couldn’t help but ask, "What is this?"

"Even as a Governor, I must have some personal time. Not even His Majesty can take that away. It’s a right everyone possesses."

Placed in a crowd, it would be difficult to imagine Bernard was the Governor in command of the Debei Army. He seemed less like a Governor and more like an unconventional Swordsman.

He raised his cup and downed the contents in one heroic gulp. The resulting clarity in his mind made him let out a long, satisfied breath before he slowly began to speak. "It’s made from the ground Magic Crystal of a High Tier Magical Beast—the Frost Snow White Deer—mixed with a touch of a special Red Heart Crystal Fruit. It sharpens your thoughts and gets rid of headaches. This one cup is worth Five Gold Coins."

"Sir Knight, another cup, please," Levi, who had been about to set his cup down, requested from the personal Knight without batting an eye.

"You’re a Duke, and a Dragon Knight no less, yet you’re still trying to freeload?" Bernard didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

In all his years, this was the first time he had met a young man with a personality like Levi’s. Surprisingly, he found it rather likable.

"By telling me the price, weren’t you just showing off how rich you are? If I’m not going to take advantage of you, who else is there?" Levi retorted with self-righteous conviction.

"Pfft—"

A soft chuckle escaped from within the personal Knight’s helmet, drawing the gazes of the three men.

"My apologies, Levi." Before the Knight could apologize for her actions, Bernard spoke up. "Allow me to introduce you. This Knight is my daughter, Tannis."

"Greetings, Lord Levi. I am Tannis Edward, and I apologize for my rudeness earlier." The Lion Helmet came off, and a cascade of light purple hair tumbled down like a waterfall, spilling freely over her shoulders like jacaranda blossoms in spring. Tannis spoke candidly, "It’s just that very few people can fluster Governor Bernard like that, so I couldn’t help myself."

"I forgive your rudeness. A sincere apology is a rare quality." Levi nodded slightly, then sized her up.

She was a beautiful young woman whose face carried a hint of Bernard’s features, suggesting the Governor must have been quite the handsome and dashing Swordsman in his youth. Her own long, beautiful eyes were fixed on him, studying him intently.

"Tannis, you can just call me Father," Bernard said with some resignation.

"Didn’t you tell me to address you by your title in front of outsiders?" Tannis shot back, giving him no quarter. Her words left the Lord Governor, who had never been treated this way, completely speechless.

"You’ll have to excuse us," he said with an awkward laugh.

’She’s definitely a wild one,’ Levi instantly concluded. He raised his Agate Cup and drained it.

Mandela, standing off to the side, rubbed his shaved head. He wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Even though Governor Bernard was missing an arm, his Combat Qi Cultivation was extremely profound. Mandela couldn’t have defeated him even when his own Blood Sword was intact, let alone now.

"Lord Bernard, what brings you to High Cliff Castle?" Levi finally got down to business.

"You may not know this yet, but a Three Kingdoms conference has been called. The meeting is to be held in Feilengcui, the Royal City of the Holy Sith Kingdom, and His Majesty is preparing to assemble a Delegation to attend," Bernard said, his expression turning serious. "The matter is of great importance, which is why I came to High Cliff Castle personally."

"Wait..." The Lord had a bad feeling. "Don’t tell me I’m part of this Delegation?"

"That’s right. I’ll be frank with you, Levi. The conference is being held to address the Persian Gulf Kingdom’s rash declaration of war. As the central figure in this incident, your attendance is required." The Governor lacked the typical arrogance of the nobility, and he explained methodically, "The leader of this Delegation must be someone of outstanding reputation, preferably with considerable power, who can represent Debei. After much thought, we realized there aren’t many such people. In the end, the Ministers and His Majesty jointly decided that you will lead the Delegation."

"His Majesty and the Ministers are in unanimous agreement that you can uphold Debei’s honor and bring this conference regarding the Persian Gulf Empire to a perfect conclusion."

In reality, there had been no debate. Almost everyone had subconsciously thought of the Lord of High Cliff Castle.

His fame was widespread, he was the central figure in the affair, and his strength was exceptional—he was one of the last remaining Dragon Knights in the world. There was simply no better candidate.

After all, a Delegation wasn’t just for attending conferences; it was also an opportunity to flex one’s muscles. It was just like when the Holy Sith Kingdom came to Debei and acted so tyrannically—their entire purpose had been to display the power of their Iron Men.

"Are we really going to war with the Persian Gulf Empire?" Levi neither refused nor agreed, asking instead.

"And why not? Do this bunch of Persians, huddled in their remote corner, really think they have ancient noble blood in their veins?" Bernard gave a rare, cold sneer, one that seemed colder than the icicles hanging from the hall’s eaves. "They’re nothing but a pack of pirate mongrels who massacred the ancient Andu Ancestors and stole their home!"