244: Flower of the North

Freya quietly watched the bustling city outside the window. Before coming here, she had never imagined that such a prosperous place could exist at the foot of the Black Mountain Range.

It seemed her impulsive decision this time would lead to unexpected gains.

"Miss, the Lord requests your presence in the drawing room."

The maid outside the door brought the good news Freya had been waiting for. After staying in Red River Fortress for three days, she had finally secured a meeting with this mysterious White Wolf Earl.

Freya tidied herself up briefly and followed the maid to the drawing room.

Reyn and Alistair were waiting for her arrival in the drawing room.

When Reyn saw Freya arrive, his eyes lit up.

Freya was tall, much like Alistair. Her fiery red hair was braided into a ponytail that hung behind her, and her crisp knight's uniform gave her an extraordinary, heroic appearance. Her lively eyes also sparkled with a spirited aura.

"As expected of the Flower of the North, Lady Freya truly lives up to her reputation."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Lordship. Freya sends her greetings!"

Freya bowed gracefully to Reyn. While Reyn was observing her, she was also observing the White Wolf Earl.

White Wolf Reyn. During the first Magic Stone War, he had led his Magic Wolf Knights to crush the army led by Earl Torrens and captured him alive. Since then, the name of the White Wolf had spread throughout the noble circles of the Stag Territory.

Freya was already well-acquainted with information regarding Reyn, but the words she had read on paper were far less shocking than this face-to-face encounter. She was surprised to find that all her previous intelligence might need to be overturned; the real Reyn was far more powerful than the reports suggested.

Reyn's powerful aura, like a deep abyss or a vast ocean, made Freya—a Gold Knight herself—feel as if a great mountain was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. Facing Reyn's gaze, she subconsciously didn't dare to meet his eyes, a situation that would have been impossible in the past.

"Alistair said you were looking for me. To be honest, I didn't expect the Flower of the North to appear here."

"Everyone in the North knows about the unrest in the Stag Territory. That you aren't in Violet Castle helping your mother right now, but have instead come to this remote place of mine, is truly beyond my expectations."

Freya was a direct descendant of the Stag Family. Her mother was Countess of Violet Lelia, the paternal half-sister of Grand Duke of Stag Heisenberg.

"Lord Earl, your territory is hardly a remote place. Its prosperity is something even Violet Castle cannot match. I suspect no one imagined such a flourishing territory existed under the Black Mountain Range."

Freya's praise for the Red River Territory was heartfelt. During the three days she had spent here, what she had seen and heard had greatly impacted the heart of this Flower of the North.

"Hahahaha!"

Reyn laughed a few times. He didn't refute Freya's praise. Lightly taking Alistair's small hand beside him, Reyn spoke:

"Lady Freya, I am very busy, so let's end the flattering pleasantries here. State your purpose. Once we finish talking, I still have to accompany my wife."

"You truly are an excellent husband!"

Freya glanced at Alistair, whom she had met a few times already. The other woman's strength surprised her, and Alistair's dazzling purple hair and eyes also sparked her imagination.

"Lord Earl, your name has resonated across the Stag Territory for years. I simply didn't expect a great figure like you would condone horse bandits plundering innocent people."

"Horse bandits?"

Freya's words took Reyn aback for a moment, but he immediately thought of Colt.

He now understood why the Flower of the North had suddenly appeared in the Red River Territory; she had been drawn here by Colt. Regarding Freya's accusation, Reyn certainly wasn't going to admit to anything.

"Lady Freya, I have never known any horse bandits, and no bandits exist within the Red River Territory."

Freya pursed her lips and showed a slight smile.

"Of course, My Lord. I suppose a Gold Knight certainly wouldn't be a bandit. If he were, then the quality of bandits these days is simply too high."

Colt operated in the northern part of the Stag Territory, which was the domain of Freya's mother, the Countess of Violet. Mobile horse bandit groups like Colt's were not uncommon and wouldn't normally have caught Freya's attention.

However, not long ago, when Colt led his team to attack the Thorn Territory mine, Freya happened to be a guest at Thorn Fortress. Hearing that a group was attacking the mine, Freya didn't hesitate to ride out alone to provide support. As a Gold Knight, she immediately noticed something was wrong upon seeing Colt.

Colt's strength was actually not inferior to her own. Having recently broken through, Colt couldn't perfectly conceal his aura, and his Gold Rank presence was extremely obvious to Freya.

Knowing Colt was not simple, Freya hid in the shadows and followed his team. She tracked them all the way to the Red River Territory based on the traces they left behind, and it was then that she discovered Colt's origins.

While the prosperous Red River Territory surprised Freya, she also immediately realized this might be an opportunity. Consequently, she stopped hiding and openly went to the Red River Territory Government Affairs Hall to state her purpose. Reyn wasn't in Red River City at the time, so Alistair was the one who received her.

As Lelia's daughter, Freya not only held high status but, more importantly, possessed exceptional talent. Combined with her beautiful and moving appearance, even Alistair had heard of the Flower of the North's fame. Alistair gave the arrival of this Flower of the North a certain level of importance.

"Lord Earl, I am not interested in horse bandits. I have come to Red River Fortress to visit you today solely on my own behalf. Please do not take offense that I haven't prepared any gifts due to my hasty departure."

"I have one specific purpose for seeking an audience with you, and that is to establish trade."

Freya's mother, Countess Lelia, had always been suppressed by Heisenberg. Life in the Violet Territory had been difficult for the past few years, and it became even harder after Lelia publicly opposed Heisenberg recently.

Located in the northernmost part of the Stag Territory, the Violet Territory was not rich in resources. Overall, the northern nobles of the Stag Territory were not as well-off as the southern ones. Territories near the northern Black Mountain Range were sparsely populated and not wealthy.

As Lelia's most outstanding child, Freya was well aware of her mother's current predicament. Thus, upon seeing the prosperous Red River Territory, she immediately thought of doing business with it to alleviate the Violet Territory's hardships.

Due to Heisenberg's presence in the Stag Territory, southern nobles could only contact the Violet Territory in secret. Those private trade dealings were nowhere near enough to resolve the Violet Territory's current crisis.

However, as neighbors, the relationship between the Rage Bear Territory and the Stag Territory was also extremely tense due to the two Magic Stone Wars. Most grizzly bear fief nobles were full of hostility toward the Stag Territory.

Freya's attempt this time was an uncertain and risky gamble.

When she saw the vast farmland of the Red River Territory and the towering Forge in the city, she keenly sensed the territory's staggering productivity.

The transcendent aura emanating from that incredible Forge in the city couldn't be faked, nor could the Magical Plant Garden to the east of Red River Fortress, which was covered by a Magic Array that blocked her vision.

Furthermore, the somewhat intimidating Mage Tower shocked Freya even more. The towering Crimson Glory Mage Tower was even more dazzling than the one in Violet Castle, and it solidified her determination to establish trade with the Red River Territory.

Moreover, Freya knew that the Red River Territory had a Potion Master who had come from the southern part of the kingdom.

From transcendent weapons and potions down to ordinary grain, these were all supplies that the Violet Territory desperately needed right now.

Therefore, even though it was risky, Freya had come to Red River Fortress to personally propose a trade agreement to Reyn.

"Trade?"

Reyn looked at Freya with interest. Before coming, he had already considered the purpose of her visit, and he already had some thoughts on the matter.

"What does the Violet Territory have that it can trade with me?"

Seeing that Reyn hadn't refused, Freya's eyes lit up. As long as he was willing to talk, she had already succeeded halfway.

She immediately began to speak about the local specialties and resources possessed by the Violet Territory and the northern region of the Stag Territory.