Chapter 123: Blood Bond
As Zera spoke in his head, a knocking sound came from outside.
"The door is open," Raven said.
The oak door creaked open, and soon, Emanuel entered the room while holding a file. His formal clothes were wrinkled, but his shoes were neatly polished. As he walked in, his eyes subconsciously moved towards the clock on the left side.
He soon arrived near the bed and bowed his head.
"How can I help you, My Lord?" He asked while putting his hand behind his back.
"Did anything happen when I was in closed-door training?" Raven asked.
"Yes, My Lord." Emanuel nodded and hurriedly took a sealed letter from the file.
"A letter came from the Mystic Cauldron shop, My Lord. They asked for the interest amount of 24,000 gold coins you borrowed."
'It must be Jacob's doing.'
"Keep it somewhere. We can pay the interest next year as a whole." Raven said while waving his hand, causing Emanuel to furrow his brow.
"You should at least send a letter informing them, My Lord." He suggested.
"I'll do that later. The reason I called you here is to discuss something important." Raven paused for a moment and then said with a smile.
"I'm planning on hosting a banquet, Emanuel."
"Pardon? My Lord?" Emanuel's eyes widened.
"Send invitations to all the Knight Households, important Businessmen, famous Merchants, Baronets, Barons, Viscounts, and Counts. The banquet will be held on September 29th." Raven said nonchalantly.
"Yes, My Lord." Emanuel quickly returned to a composed face and nodded.
Meanwhile, Raven thought of something and asked.
"Are you still in contact with the Humphery Household?"
"No, My Lord. I severed my ties with them after I came to the Holmes Household." He said while touching his nose.
"That's good." Raven nodded and asked further.
"Can you tell me how we should arrange the banquet?"
A hesitant look appeared on Emanuel's face. Then, he took a long pause and asked.
"May I know the reason for conducting a sudden banquet, My Lord?"
"What else? It's time to reclaim Azmar Town. I want to announce this news during the banquet and get official support from the nobles and important Knight households. That way, I'll have an easier time rebuilding the town, too." Raven answered while deeply looking into Emanuel's eyes, and added.
"But I'm not good at arrangements. That's why I asked you how we should proceed with this."
A troubled look appeared on Emanuel's face.
"First, we must rearrange the mansion itself, My Lord. Doors, windows, carpets, and curtains must be replaced with branded ones. The chandelier also looks old and makes sounds sometimes, so it needs a replacement. And nobles prefer elegant and quality items. So, we must buy custom-made suits for everyone working in the mansion. And it will be a lot better if you order a formal suit from Henry Royal Tailors. Accessories are also very important. Your amulet might look good, but the chain looks rusty and old, and the bracelet, ring, and even the monocle you wear look like you brought them from some alley shops. But if you wear a watch or an amulet brought from Carter Accessories or other branded shops, it will instantly attract everyone's attention. I suggest Carner Accessories because it is the most famous brand in the Empire. Even the lowest price of a watch should be around 500 gold coins, while the highest being 100k gold coins."
'What is he saying? My amulet is more expensive than Count's whole house!' Raven sighed heavily and asked.
"Wait… Are those accessory items artifacts?"
Emanuel shook his head and answered.
"They are normal items, but there are rumors that these items have been made using legendary metals like mithril, orichalcum, alexandrite gems, elven steels, Mystic Leather, etc. And during the banquet, nobles always do entertainment like sparring, dancing, and music. So, bringing a few famous actors and musicians from the capital would be best, too."
"Anything else?" Raven asked.
"Next should be gifts, My Lord. It's common for the guests to bring gifts to the host. The favorability of the nobles depends on how costly the gift you receive is. But as far as I know, no one has a favorable opinion of the Holmes Household after its fall. Even if we send invitations, only a few Knight Households might come to attend the banquet." Emanuel said solemnly.
'True. I have never been close to any nobles during the past few years. I never gave gifts to anyone, either. Worst of all, I also stopped attending banquets these past five years.' Raven felt troubled.
"It's nothing to worry about, My Lord. Nobles conduct banquets all the times. You can attend them and start giving gifts from now on. Now that I think about it, Count Spade is conducting a banquet for his 7th daughter's birthday on September 20th. There is also a rumor that Count Spade plans to announce her engagement." Emanuel spoke with a thoughtful look and suggested.
"Why not just attend the banquet and give her an expensive gift to show your goodwill, My Lord? At the same time, you might befriend a few nobles and even get a favorable opinion of the Count."
"I'll think about it." Raven nodded and asked further.
"How much should I allocate for the banquet?"
"What is your budget, My Lord?" In Emanuel's eyes, the Holmes Household hadn't produced any revenue other than the earnings from the few shops. Although he overheard Stephaine talking about the Royal Bank Manager visiting the house when he was away and gifting hundreds of thousands of gold coins, he never believed it.
'Lord Thomas has been spending money training kids to become his knights. But as far as I know, they only learned some weapon skills and horsemanship. Some are just staying in the training room and only meditating. With such kids, he dreams of recapturing the Azmar Town, which is said to be occupied by some people backed by Falconcrest.' Unlike others, Emanuel had long gathered information about Azmar town's current situation and knew how dangerous that place was.
'As far as I can tell, Holmes House has only about 20k gold coins. If she spends on the banquet, he will become penniless before recapturing the town.' That was only his assumption, as Raven never allowed him to look into Holmes House's bank account.
"Budget, huh? Maybe around 20,000 gold coins for the whole banquet?" Raven suggested.
'Isn't that the entire amount of the household's savings? Well, it's not my problem.'
Emanuel hesitated for a moment and answered.
"That will do, My Lord."
Raven nodded.
"This pouch has 200 platinum coins. First, decorate the mansion and the banquet hall as luxuriously as possible. Replace all the old furniture, too." Raven said and gave him a leather pouch filled with platinum coins.
A shock appeared on Emanuel's face.
'Is he serious? Is he a naïve man like Elder Dexter said?' He was momentarily stunned and then nodded.
"Yes, My Lord."
Emanuel took the pouch and kept it in his hand.
Meanwhile, Raven moved towards the nearby table, took a quill pen and paper, and started writing two letters. Then, he waxed the letter using his family seal and covered it.
"Send these two letters to the right address."
"Yes, My Lord." Emanuel nodded and looked at the address.
"To Daley Findlay and Anastasia Ravenshield?" He looked at the letters with a dubious look.
"Is there a problem?" Raven asked.
"N-No, My Lord." Emanuel shook his head and put the letters in his file.
"Go to the kitchen and bring some food for me." Raven sent him out and turned his face solemnly.
"This guy still looks down on the house he is working on. Tch." He couldn't help but click his tongue.
[He lied, too.] Zera added.
'I noticed it. I think he is still sending information to the Humphery Household.' Raven said.
[What are you planning to do?] Zera asked.
'If I kick him out or kill him, others might find another way to spy on the house and learn more about my strength. But if I control him, I can restrict important information from leaking and even fool others.' A cold glint appeared in his eyes.
A few minutes passed quietly.
Then, Emanuel entered the room while holding a large plate filled with bowls of different dishes—roasted lamb with rosemary, buttered vegetables, a fresh loaf of bread, and a bowl of thick stew. The rich aroma filled the room, but Raven barely paid attention as he tapped his fingers on the table.
Emanuel placed the plate down carefully and took a step back. "My Lord, your meal is ready."
Raven glanced at the food but didn't immediately eat. Instead, he looked up at Emanuel calmly and ordered while looking at the wooden chair beside him.
"Sit."
"Y-Yes, My Lord." Emanuel hesitated for a moment and nodded.
"Remove your shirt." He ordered.
Although startled, Emanuel didn't refute a word and quietly removed his shirt.
"Do you truly wish to serve the Holmes Household for the rest of your life?"
A startled look appeared on his face.
"Y-Yes, My Lord." He said in anxiety.
"You see, Emanuel. I don't trust people easily. And I don't have enough time to manage all my servants and subordinates." He paused for a moment and then added.
"So, I've prepared a simple spell to solve this problem."
Saying so, he calmly raised his hand and pointed his finger at his chest.
"Blood Bond." A cold voice echoed from Raven's mouth.
A moment later, a sudden droplet of blood came out of his finger and shot forth towards Emanuel's chest.
As it moved closer, the blood droplet turned into a sharp needle-like structure, directly penetrated his chest, and entered directly into his heart.
Before Emanuel could understand, the needle-like blood mingled with his blood and started spreading all over his body through the arteries.
At the same time, Emanuel felt a strange pain in his heart, and he grew more anxious.
"The spell I cast now is called 'Blood Bond.' It's a contract-type spell and gives me complete control over the people I cast it on. The special thing is that you can't disobey my order. If you do that, you will die in two minutes."
As soon as he spoke, Emanuel felt a burning sensation all over his body, followed by a suffocating feeling.
Emanuel instantly staggered from the chair and fell on the floor while panting heavily.
"Now, tell me truthfully. Have you been working for the Humphery Family all along?" Raven asked while starting to eat.
Emanuel was about to say no, but the pain in his heart intensified.
"Like I said, you can't lie anymore," Raven spoke coldly.
At that moment, Emanuel realized the young man before him was a Wizard's disciple!
"Y-Yes, My Lord. I'm still working for the Humphery House." As soon as he spoke, Emanuel felt the pain in his heart subside.
"Oh. How much information do they know about me?"
"E-Everything that's happening in the house, My Lord," Emanuel said stiffly and knelt on the floor.
'It means he only knows about household matters. Thankfully, I never allowed him to look into my bank account. Hmm, what about the graduates?' Raven asked questions about the kids, Sepoy Mercenaries, and other things.
'Oh? He thinks my knights only know some basic weapon skills and horsemanship?' He was grateful that he had built a separate training ground for the Knights and kept their training hidden even from his servants.
Raven quickly took out an empty paper and started writing down the names of graduates and a few information about them.
"You can send this information to the Humphery Household." He tossed the paper to the kneeling Emanuel.
Meanwhile, Emanuel took the letter and was startled.
' 8 members are still apprentice rank walkers, and the rest are official rank walkers? He even lists out their skills. What is he thinking?' He was puzzled inside.
Raven quietly tapped his finger on the table and then ordered.
"Tell me about Azmar's border territories and the nearby regions."
"Y-Yes, My Lord. Baroness Elara's territory lies in the north, while Baron Gideon's lands are to the south. To the northwest is Viscount Alaric's domain, and further west is Count Spade's territory. The eastern side, however, is covered by endless woods. A train route runs from Giaris to Viscountess Rowina's main city, Watchel, then passes through Baroness Elara's territory before entering the Margrave Blackwater family's domain. If we plan to reclaim the town, the best approach would be to take the train to Baroness Elara's Ythendale Town and continue the journey by carriage."
"Hmm, good idea. But it's better to go from here itself. Although it will take more than half a day by carriage, starting our journey here is better. I'm also planning on carrying lots of items from here." Raven muttered solemnly and then shook his head.
"You can go back and start buying things for the mansion. Also, tell Marcellus to come and meet me." Raven said coldly and turned his attention towards the food.
As he started eating, Emanuel slowly stood up with an anxious face and hurriedly left the room in panic and fear.
Meanwhile, Raven quietly ate breakfast and soon heard a knocking sound again.
"Come in." He said calmly.
A moment later, a burly man with a rugged face walked inside and bowed his head.
"Did you call me, My Lord?"
Raven nodded and spoke while eating.
"I'm planning on hosting a banquet on September 29th, Mr. Marcellus. Until then, stay close to Emanuel and watch over him."
"Watch over him?" Marcellus instantly caught on and asked.
"Isn't it better to kill the rat than let it roam freely, My Lord?"
"Kill it after the banquet. If we kill it now, others will think we are planning something and try to get in our way." Raven said with a smile.
"That's true. It's better to hide our strength until we capture the Azmar Town." Marcellus said with an understanding nod.
"You can go back now, Mr. Marcellus." Raven waved his hand and continued to eat.
Meanwhile, Marcellus gave him a light bow and hurriedly left the room.
…