Chapter 342

Chapter 342

After leaving the Magic Council, Lancelot and Lorant did not return to the beast pet store.

Instead, they used a teleportation circle to directly head to the ancestral territory of the Cavendish family located in the Kamku area.

This wasn't Lorant's first visit to Lancelot's territory, but it was his first time stepping onto this land after receiving the Cavendish family heirloom jewelry.

By accepting Lancelot's gift and wearing the jewelry that typically belonged to the lady of the house, Lorant had effectively become another leader of the Cavendish family.

Therefore, he also needed to take responsibility for his own land.

Like most noble lords, the Cavendish territory was not small, but it only had one main city, which was Blackgold Yew Castle, where the castle was located.

This city was situated in a valley, and not far from it was a tributary of the Holy Shield River that ran through the entire valley.

Geographically, this was the very edge of the Kamku area, with the entire territory leaning more towards the outskirts of Mauplan than Kamku itself, a characteristic advantage of old noble families.

In terms of safety, it was superior to others.

Before this, Lorant himself had not been particularly interested in the Cavendish territory. Even when he visited, it was mostly to check on his own businesses, such as the Slime ranch or the Candy Rabbit ranch.

Both ranches had their own teleportation circles, so there was no need to pass through the city. And since Ruth was no longer staying at the castle, Lorant had even less interest in the Cavendish castle.

He had only ever wandered through this massive and grand ancient castle once, when he accompanied the envious Ruth on a tour.

"I'm still not used to this place," Lorant couldn't help but complain to Lancelot as they walked through the ancient and dim central corridor of the castle. "People who live here must have leg and foot problems when they get older!"

Rheumatism would thrive in this environment!

The perpetually dark stone rooms, even with the ancient crystal lamps and exquisite murals hanging on the walls, couldn't hide the slight chill.

Lancelot was amused by Lorant's expression and shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. Our family hasn't had such issues for generations. Even my grandparents, who were ordinary people, didn't have the problems you mentioned."

Lorant made a face, silently reminding himself that the physical constitution of these natives was indeed beyond his comprehension.

Especially the noble lords who could afford to eat beast meat. Even if they hadn't become practitioners, their bodies, nourished by various energies, were extraordinary. Moreover, they had priests, who were like miracle-level healers. Even if they had some minor ailments, a healing spell would leave no serious aftereffects.

Not to mention the possibility of these seemingly ordinary humans awakening to become practitioners!

From this perspective, if not for the many dangers, the wealthy in this world could live quite comfortably even without being practitioners!

Old butler Peter, who had just finished arranging the two Windbreaking Horses and quickly caught up, smiled and explained to Lorant, "Master Lorant, although it seems a bit dark here now, all the rooms in the castle have large balconies. On sunny days, the rooms are filled with bright sunlight!"

"Of course, it can't compare to the current building at the beast pet store. This castle is, after all, quite old." Old Peter stroked the stone walls on either side with emotion. "Every brick and stone here bears the marks of history and is unique."

He was born and raised in the Cavendish territory, and his loyalty to the Cavendish family was unquestionable. He had deep feelings for this castle where he had spent half his life.

Lorant and Lancelot soon passed through the corridor illuminated by the faint light of crystal lamps and entered the largest lounge in the castle.

This was the main activity area on the second floor of the castle and the place where the castle's owners had spent the most time in their daily lives throughout the generations.

The lounge occupied nearly half of the main building's area, with space divided by screens and heavy velvet curtains, creating a fireplace area, a small tea-tasting room, and a game room.

Although this world was quite lacking in entertainment, indoor activities were not scarce among the noble lords.

The lounge looked somewhat spacious, with thick, soft carpets covering the floor. Although they were old items of unknown age, they still appeared quite clean due to regular cleaning spells.

Walking on them felt soft and very comfortable.

On one side of the activity room, there is a staircase that leads directly to the third floor of the castle, where the bedrooms are located.

Officially, the title of Duke Cavendish, the castle's owner, has been transferred to Lancelot, making him the castle's master. However, the master bedroom still contains the belongings of Lindbergh and his wife.

Lancelot took Lorant to visit his room on the third floor of the castle's side wing, and then escorted him to a nearby guest room.

The soft, comfortable bed gave Lorant a familiar feeling the moment he lay down. He didn't feel any discomfort or have trouble sleeping in the new environment, sleeping soundly until dawn.

Unbeknownst to him, there were originally no guest rooms on the castle's third floor.

The master bedroom took up most of the space, and Lancelot's room was just a corridor away from the main castle.

The entire third floor of the castle's side wing was Lancelot's domain.

The room Lorant was staying in was originally Lancelot's study, which Peter had transformed into its current layout.

The bed Lorant lay on was also custom-made by Lancelot to match the one in Lorant's room at the pet shop.

These subtle changes helped Lorant, a sensitive person, feel completely at ease in an unfamiliar place.

Lancelot's thoughtfulness was evident in every detail, silently enveloping Lorant.

The next morning, Lorant, unusually, got up early after Lancelot finished his training, and the two had breakfast together in the castle's dining room.

It was then that Lorant realized Cavendish Castle had a truly substantial number of servants.

Maintaining such a large castle daily required a staggering number of staff. Lorant spotted at least twenty different maids with brooms and dusters.

Dirtier and heavier tasks required even more male servants.

Peter was the castle's head butler. Under him were butlers in charge of the kitchen, managing the servants, and handling purchases.

The castle also had two head maids overseeing cleaning and organizing tasks.

Along with gardeners, chefs, and newly added pet servants, the castle employed hundreds of shop helpers!

Each servant supported a family, all relying on Cavendish Castle for their livelihood.

Lorant had previously wondered how Lancelot had left Earl Ridge so impoverished, but after living in the castle, he began to understand.

The daily upkeep of such a large castle was no small expense.

Not to mention the smokeless candlesticks required on the dining table during meals, which were likely a significant expense.

But these were all necessary.

For a noble, the castle was a matter of pride. No noble dared to say they could completely disregard their pride. Even when strapped for cash, they would discreetly mend their formal wear and attend banquets with pride.

Some might think they were being tormented by meaningless concerns of pride, preferring to live more freely and comfortably, but they relished it.

Neither the pet shop nor Moonlight Castle had the vast area of this ancient castle, and Lorant was experiencing for the first time what life in a castle was truly like.

After having breakfast in the spacious and somewhat empty dining room, Lorant and Lancelot walked from the still chilly castle into the sunlit garden.

The garden of Cavendish Castle was also exquisitely designed. Although it did not have as many rare plants as the pet shop, the arrangement and combination of plants exuded a grand and elegant style.

This made Lorant reflect on how these old nobles could always make people feel their long-standing heritage in the details.

This was true nobility, cultivated over generations with knowledge, wealth, and art.

Passing through the garden, the two soon arrived at the newly built stable in the castle.

This area was expanded primarily over the past two years to provide a comfortable space for the Cavendish family's Windbreaking Horses.

Currently, the castle houses quite a few Windbreaking Horses, including not only the special-grade Windbreaking Horses used to pull the extravagantly luxurious custom-made carriage on important occasions but also several Windbreaking Horses owned by practitioners of the Cavendish family, leisurely nodding their heads in the stables.

These guards usually live in a village not far from the castle. Although they have their own places to stay, not everyone is confident in taking good care of their Windbreaking Horses.

Therefore, after the castle employed certified Windbreaking Horse caretakers, many guards have opted to board their horses here out of convenience.

Each day, they simply need to come by to groom the horses and play with them, fostering a bond.

Little Qing and the dream unicorn named Jiao Jiao by Lorant are also here.

However, these two little ones receive exceptional treatment. Not only do they have their own separate rooms, but the two stables are also designed to be easily opened from the inside by the Windbreaking Horses.

This allows the two clever little ones to roam freely without any constraints. They can return to their stables anytime they wish, and if they don't want to go back, there are vast lawns in the castle for them to roam.

The naming of this dream unicorn also mirrors Lorant's consistently simple and straightforward style.

Because the most striking feature of this little one is the horn on its head, Lorant didn't think much and came up with the name 'Jiao Jiao' (meaning 'horn').

However, as they spent more time together, Lorant discovered that his SSR-bloodline Windbreaking Horse, though a little boy, not only has a beautiful appearance that often makes people think it's a little girl but also knows how to be endearing.

Perhaps all intelligent Windbreaking Horses have a bit of a 'cunning' streak, but in any case, Lorant found that Jiao Jiao is even better at acting cute and vying for attention than Little Qing.

Moreover, perhaps due to a natural dominance from its bloodline, most of the time, Little Qing has a kind of disdain for Jiao Jiao but dares not try to challenge it.

After being pushed aside by Jiao Jiao, Little Qing doesn't dare to get angry and can only snort and shake its big head, attempting to squeeze back in.

This adds a unique charm to their daily interactions.

This amuses Lorant, who silently changes the name from 'Jiao Jiao' (horn) to 'Jiao Jiao' (cute) in his mind.

However, the name he calls out remains the same, and the little Windbreaking Horse remains unaware of the name its owner has given it.

After bringing out both Jiao Jiao and Little Qing, Lorant and Lancelot first fed and watered them, then groomed their coats, before having someone bring over specially customized saddles to place on the backs of the Windbreaking Horses.

The current Windbreaking Horse saddles have undergone significant changes compared to the original designs. Lorant initially copied the saddles from his memory, but he soon realized that the inconvenience of mounting and dismounting wasn't a problem unique to him.

Therefore, the pet shop hired craftsmen to redesign the saddle structure. Now, saddles with lifting mechanisms allow people to easily mount the tall Windbreaking Horses directly from the ground, and sitting on them for long periods no longer causes leg numbness.

On Jiao Jiao, such issues are even rarer. Its size is perfect for Lorant, and except for the occasional need to look up at Lancelot when Little Qing is too close, everything is ideal.

The two rode away from the castle, beginning Lorant's first territory inspection.