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墨書 Inktalez
Sitting next to Zhang Lin was Eric, a boy who kept his head down and remained silent, lost in thought.
Before long, the intermittent sounds of conversation from Baron and others approached from a distance, growing louder.
"Send more people to the outskirts of the forest... I suspect those refugees... are in my territory!..."
"My lord... recently, the merchant caravans from the north... are not clean... perhaps it's the neighboring Viscount Belta..."
"Hmph! They want to take advantage of me... this year's iron ore..."
"Yes, my lord!"
As they drew closer, Baron and the person beside him gradually stopped talking.
Baron and a strong man dressed in white swordsman attire walked slowly to the dining table and sat down.
After glancing at everyone present, Baron reached for the knife and fork on the table and lightly tapped his plate.
"Let's eat!"
Perhaps he was preoccupied with something on his mind, Baron furrowed his brow absentmindedly, while Zhang Lin's gaze was fixed on the person sitting next to Baron.
Howard Bailey. Bailey was a man who had once fought alongside Baron on the battlefield and retired with him. It was said that he had once taken a blade for Baron; he was Baron's most trusted person and also the captain of the Castle Guard.
Compared to Baron, his physique was even more powerful.
The candle burned quietly, its light casting a soft glow on the serious face of the girl. Zhang Lin's gaze moved quickly; her significantly improved learning ability allowed her to understand and remember things almost after just one glance.
As the candle burned down to a third, there was already a pile of books at Freya's feet.
Most of these books were various biographies of famous people and other useless materials, with only a few being helpful to her.
Placing a poorly written book aside, Freya took out a red book from the middle of the bookshelf.
The red cover was not made of paper but something resembling leather, with the title embossed in gold at the most prominent place. The author was Leonardo Freyas.
Seeing this author's name, Zhang Lin frowned slightly. This person had been mentioned in the earlier biographies; he was a renowned noble swordsman from the Byron Empire two hundred years ago, and one of the most outstanding ones. He had once defeated a high-ranking general who had just come off the battlefield using an ornate stiletto meant for nobles. However, at the peak of his fame, he resolutely took his beloved stiletto to the battlefield to prove himself. He went missing during his first battle, and even though he might have died, no body was ever found. After the war, soldiers discovered a half-broken stiletto among many corpses, which symbolized the demise of this exceptional noble swordsman. The stiletto gradually became an object of mere decoration.
To her surprise, this book was authored by the same person.
The book was not very thick, and Zhang Lin finished flipping through it in no time.
Most of its content focused on the usage and maintenance of the stiletto, with a small portion discussing how it fared against other weapons. It mentioned an important point: using a stiletto did not require as much strength as military cross swords or broad swords; rather, it demanded agility and flexibility.
If cross swords were likened to upright military knights, then stiletto users could be compared to cunning assassins—two entirely different roles.
Closing the book, Zhang Lin placed it back in its spot. Although it didn't hold much significance for her at that moment, it would surely be useful in this strength-oriented world.
Just as Freya was about to take out another book, there was a knock at the door.
"Sister, dinner is ready," came the voice of the maid from outside.
Baron scanned the crowd with a serious gaze, pausing briefly beside Zhang Lin and Eric, before opening his arms to allow the servants behind him to remove his armor.
"Mary stays; the rest of you may disperse."
Upon receiving the command, the crowd scattered, especially Eric, who disappeared as soon as Baron finished speaking. As Zhang Lin walked out last, she faintly heard Mary reporting on Baron's recent work.
It was nothing more than a routine report regarding territorial taxes and some family income, which did not interest Zhang Lin.
At this time, there was still quite a while until dinner.
On the third floor, Zhang Lin walked down a bright yellow corridor holding a lit candle until she reached a room.
She took out her key and unlocked the door; the flame of the candle illuminated the dark room, allowing her to see what was inside.
This was a library, a place where the Green Family kept their collection of books.
In the past, Freya used to love coming here to play, but as she grew older, her curiosity about the outside world and her playful nature drew her away from this place. Now standing in this familiar yet strange location made Zhang Lin feel a sense of disorientation, as if two memories were overlapping.
In terms of knowledge such as books, this world was less developed than ancient China in her previous life. Commoners here had virtually no opportunity to read; in fact, very few could even recognize characters. To learn to read and write, one either had to attend a specialized school—where tuition fees were beyond the means of an ordinary family—or join a local faction or family, which was akin to selling oneself into servitude.
Although she possessed Freya's memories, they were far from sufficient for understanding her current situation. The contents of books represented Zhang Lin's most direct path forward.
The library was not very large, with only three bookshelves. There were many books neatly arranged on them, suggesting that someone frequently cleaned and organized the space.
She walked to the frontmost bookshelf and casually pulled out a geography magazine to look at.
"Oh, I understand. I'll go right away."
After receiving the response, the maid turned and left. Zhang Lin glanced at the nearby candle, which had already burned down halfway without her noticing.
"I didn't expect so much time to have passed."
She slightly tilted her stiff neck, rearranged the books on the floor, and picked up the candle as she walked out of the room.
As she walked, she reflected on what she had just learned.
At present, although the Byron Empire experienced occasional frictions with neighboring countries, it felt like a distant matter for the Green Family. Even though the Baron's territory was located on the border between nations, the dense forests made large-scale invasions impractical; at most, there were frequent disturbances from fleeing refugees and criminals.
In the Byron Kingdom, the power of the nobility was substantial. They not only held life-and-death authority over commoners but could also maintain private armies. In Freya's memory, the Baron's territory boasted a military force of around a thousand men, usually disguised as guards and enforcers.
As the Baron’s most cherished daughter, Freya had a bright future ahead of her, regardless of her current status.
However, despite Zhang Lin appearing carefree from any perspective at this moment, she felt a subtle sense of urgency within her. Perhaps it was due to being suddenly thrust into a world devoid of laws and morals; it felt as if she were stripped bare while still wearing clothes. Although no one was around her, she remained tense inside.
"I still need to prepare for unforeseen circumstances."
Resolving this in her mind, Zhang Lin looked up and realized that she was nearing the castle's dining hall.
Under a magnificent chandelier, a rectangular Wooden Dining Table was set in the center. The core family members had already arrived, leaving one main seat and three secondary seats unoccupied.
Seated at this table were not only relatives of the Green Family but also individuals holding significant positions and contributions to the family. As they noticed Zhang Lin's arrival, they all smiled and nodded slightly in her direction.
Zhang Lin smiled back and took a seat at one of the secondary places beside the main seat. The table was already filled with various Western dishes.
Sitting at the dining table, it felt as if shadows were cast all around. The originally sharp-looking swordsman's outfit on him gave off a sense of about to burst at the seams.
His short black hair stood on end, and on his rugged face, a diagonal scar ran from the corner of his right eye down to his mouth, giving him an exceptionally fierce appearance.
However, this fierce look seemed quite handsome in Freya's memory. In that memory, Zhang Lin even felt a hint of intimacy, as if it were a crush...
"Crush..." Zhang Lin looked at the fierce man in front of her and felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Perhaps sensing Zhang Lin's gaze, Howard Bailey smiled slightly, causing the scar at the corner of his mouth to stretch and appear even more menacing.
Seeing that terrifying smile, Zhang Lin quickly lowered her head, pretending to eat by lifting the soup in front of her.
"I didn't expect Freya to have such unique tastes!" Zhang Lin thought as she sipped the mushroom stew, feeling a strange sensation inside...
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