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Chapter 232

Benneth was a man in his late fifties, with a stumpy and short build. His red hair was interspersed with grey, and he served as one of Christina’s gardeners after she had become the baroness of Bern. However, this man was in fact a guard sent by Christina’s father, Marquis Almadia, to watch over her.

In addition to Benneth, there were several other guards who had been ordered to prevent harm from befalling Christina. Christina’s doting father had dispatched guards to infiltrate the barony as new families relocating to the area, merchants, and mercenaries.

More so than Benneth and the other guards in disguise, there were subordinates serving other lords, spies of foreign kingdoms, and members of societies operating in the shadows. All these individuals had come to Bern.

Nonetheless, it was hard to criticize the excessive dispatching of personnel to this outlying frontier land due to the peculiar circumstances that led to its governance and its rulers’ capabilities.

Neighboring kingdoms were well aware that the combat abilities of Baroness Christina and her aide, Dran, were on par with the strongest magic users and warriors of the lands. These two were equivalent to a thousand-man army, and monstrosities that were evenly matched with an entire knighthood. Hence, there was no other choice but to leave the two to their own business.

Moreover, Christina and Dran had been responsible for establishing Arkrest Kingdom’s relationships with Water Dragon Ryoukichi’s Ryuuguu Kingdom and Ente Forest. Both regions had avoided interactions with human kingdoms for the longest time, yet these two individuals had met with success. This achievement then earned Christina and Dran greater trust from the kingdom’s leaders, making both of them the center of attention.

It was impossible to ignore the flow of information about these two individuals; news flooded in like light seeping in through closed eyes and sound humming through covered ears. Everyone in the barony of Bern was forced to pay attention to Christina and Dran.

Even the espionage and assassination units of respective forces were staying away from underhanded ambushes against each other. Rather, they were busy gathering information about the barony, where the population increased every minute, land expanded rapidly, and information and money flows were growing as complex as the tributaries branching forth from great rivers.

Benneth, however, had a thought lingering in his mind. From his observations, he was starting to suspect that the vampire named Dramina—Christina’s secretary—was well aware of these guards in disguise, including himself.

The beautiful vampire who served as a familiar to the aide, Dran, was rumored to have sparred with Prince Sperion and the elite imperial guards during Prince Sperion’s condolence visit to the Romal Empire. During their fight, she had beaten all of them without batting an eyelid.

In addition, Dramina mentored Christina like a seasoned politician and watched over Christina’s growth in leadership as a lord. The very sight of Dramina’s behavior made many others, including Benneth, suspicious of Dramina’s true identity.

The upper echelons of the barony of Bern were composed of several species, ones which were rare even in the mixed pot that was Arkrest Kingdom. These included Dramina, the Lamia young lady often with Christina, a Spirit of the black rose, and more. Moreover, each one of them possessed outstanding power, came from extraordinary backgrounds, and had valuable personal connections. Indeed, they were an invaluable collective of individuals.

Just the other day, a group of Lamias living in Mores mountains had been led into the lands. Once this had happened, Benneth and the other secret agents had sent word to their respective lords without delay.

「Yeah, I had just sent that information…」

Benneth gazed up at the sky and muttered involuntarily. Although there had been advance notice about the arrival of the Lamias, seeing them in person was still a tremendous shock. Even now, the eight dragons capable of rational thought and magic were soaring in the sky. More astonishingly, they were to form friendly relations with Bern.

「Milord, your daughter has turned out to be an extraordinary person.」

Fortunately, no one heard Benneth’s exclamation in the manor’s courtyard as he looked up at the sky. As for the secret agents who had infiltrated Bern village, they were also in a great hurry and panic to relay necessary information to their lords.

However, Benneth bore one sentiment that made him distinct from these other secret agents.

Fortunately, for the secret agents and the lords who served the Arkrest Kingdom just like Benneth, relief was one of the emotions welling in them. This was relief at being allies with the barony of Bern, whereas all others would no doubt view the barony as a potential threat.