25: Finery and bread

Vanka emerged from the cloakroom, her arms laden with clothes, careful not to let the valuable garments drag on the floor.

In her limited understanding, she couldn't fathom why a person needed an entire room full of clothes; could they even wear all of them?

However, thinking that these all belonged to Arthur, she readily accepted it; in her eyes, it was not excessive for this angelic man to possess an abundance of clothes.

Meanwhile, Arthur was in the cloakroom, examining the opulent formal attire his mother had gifted him in front of the mirror.

The complete ensemble included a silk velvet suit, a heavy bearskin cloak, a lightweight wool cape, a top hat, a pair of boots made from full-grain cowhide, and various decorative jewels.

According to his uncle, because it was purely custom-made, this set of formal wear was worth at least thirty gold coins.

The first time he heard this price, Arthur was secretly astonished.

One must know that the entire outfit he had prepared for Airo was only eleven gold coins; with just this one set of formal wear, he could equip three ordinary soldiers.

No wonder Bard complained after getting drunk the other day that the castle's expenses were too high, almost catching up to military expenditures.

Out of curiosity, Arthur decided to inspect his own cloakroom.

Not looking was fine, but looking was a shock.

Though called a cloakroom, the room was as large as a regular chamber.

It was filled with all sorts of hats, shoes, and clothes, from silk and wool to mink, everything imaginable.

These garments were meticulously crafted, and even in modern times, they could be considered high-end luxury items.

But for Arthur now, a room full of clothes was simply a burden.

He roughly estimated that to pack and transport all of them, at least two four-wheeled carriages would be needed.

Why wouldn't he use this space to carry more potatoes, corn, and wheat?

Therefore, while selecting, he also instructed Vanka to take out all the flashy yet impractical clothes from the cloakroom.

"Take out all those shoes, yes, those few pairs of colorful, netted ones," Arthur instructed the young maid who had just entered.

"Young Master, these clothes are so beautiful, are you planning to try them all on?"

"Try them on? For Mother Earth's sake, wouldn't I be exhausted to death after trying them all on? I'm going to sell them all."

"Sell them?" Vanka's eyes widened, her face full of bewilderment. "But these are top-quality clothes, what a shame to sell them."

Arthur waved his hand, "They can't be eaten or worn, so they just take up space."

As he spoke, he spun around, "Look, who would wear these clothes of mine out? The streets of Wolf Den City are full of sewage and feces; when it rains, the drains get clogged, and there's nowhere to even step.

"Wearing this out would be pure suffering, not to mention that cleaning and maintenance are a big problem. With this spare money, wouldn't it be better to recruit a few more skilled individuals and buy more food and weapons?"

Vanka couldn't fully comprehend Arthur's words, but she tacitly accepted that her Young Master's words were absolutely correct and that she had no need to question them.

It should be said that she had no right to question, and even having such a thought itself was a betrayal of her Young Master.

She said no more, obediently picked up the shoes, and walked out.

"Oh, if you like, pick something suitable, a hat, a cape, or a cloak will do," Arthur said without turning his head.

"Young Master, please don't joke, how could a servant like me wear these things?"

Arthur seemed not to hear, muttering to himself, "That's right, I can't wear them, but I can give them away. These things are quite good for winning people over."

Having made up his mind, he leaned out again and instructed Vanka, "Go find Drax at the Post station, the Orc, and tell him to bring Catherine and the others."

-----------------

When the Orc found Catherine, she was purchasing daily necessities with Old Joe and Philip.

The Orc explained his purpose, and Catherine told Old Joe to continue shopping while she took Philip to the castle.

Normally, slaves like them were not allowed to enter the castle, but the Earl had given Arthur special permission, so the guards allowed them through after a brief check.

However, upon reaching the gates of Wolf Fang Keep, the guards demanded that Philip leave his sword.

No matter how Catherine persuaded him, Philip refused to agree.

He claimed that this sword was personally given to him by his lord, and that as long as the sword was with him, he was alive; if the sword was lost, he would have to pay with his life.

Catherine couldn't argue him down, so she had to leave him outside and entered the castle with the Orc.

The Orc led her to the Post station and then handed her over to a young girl.

The girl introduced herself as Vanka, Arthur's personal maid.

Catherine had heard about Arthur's "illustrious past"; she knew that since she had decided to pledge herself to him, some things should naturally not be spoken of.

But upon seeing Vanka, dressed in an oversized maid's uniform, she couldn't help but ask, "Vanka, how old are you this year?"

The young girl slowed her steps, looking puzzled at this dignified and elegant lady.

"Sixteen," she replied.

Catherine's heart tightened. "He... I mean, Lord Arthur, has he... uh, done... that is..."

Vanka immediately understood what she meant.

She showed disgust, stepped back a few paces, and angrily reprimanded, "Shut up! Lord Arthur would never do such a thing to me. How dare you insult him like that!"

"I... I'm sorry," Catherine realized her slip of the tongue and quickly tried to salvage it. "I... I just... damn it, I was just being foolish. Forget what I just said."

"Even if my Lord did that to me, so what?" Vanka stepped forward, countering.

Catherine was left speechless by the question.

"Madam, let me tell you something: my Young Master's every decision has its reasons. If he needs me to do something, then I will do it. I advise you to do the same."

Catherine never expected to be rendered speechless by a young girl.

What surprised her even more was that there was no trace of doubt on the girl's face.

She had reason to believe that even if Arthur told this girl to die, the child would obey without hesitation.

"I understand," Catherine said.

-----------------

Clothes, pants, shoes... as Catherine entered Arthur's room, these were all that met her eyes.

The noble Young Master was struggling with a button on a complicated formal suit, and Vanka immediately stepped forward to help when she saw him.

"Ah, you're here," Arthur said. "I don't have much time to choose. You were once a noble yourself, so you probably know the value of these garments.

"Just leave me ten sets of clothes for changing, only those that are easy to wear, like these..."

Arthur pointed to the clothes he was wearing. "Clear them all out; we'll estimate their value and sell them all."

"Sell them?" Catherine asked, a little uncertainly. "Sell them all?"

"Yes, sell them all. Why is everyone so surprised about this? I can't possibly take all of these to Qingfeng Valley, can I? Although I've worn them all..."

Arthur hesitated, then corrected himself: "I've probably worn them all, but at least they can sell for some money, and that money can be used later."

Catherine didn't know how to respond.

Both Vanka's words just now and Arthur's demeanor greatly shocked her.

If it were her, she admitted she couldn't so calmly abandon her own possessions.

With Vanka's help, Arthur finally took off his formal attire.

As he changed into casual clothes, he said, "You can ask Vanka if you have any questions, but don't wander around the castle freely.

"Alright, I have to go eat with that annoying fellow. I hope Mother Earth blesses me with the patience to endure him."

"I'll accompany you out, Young Master," Vanka said.

"No need, I can go out by myself, it's not like..." Arthur noticed Vanka's unusual behavior. "Alright, you can accompany me out."