"Not bad, a little dry for my taste." I taste the wine again, this time taking a longer sip. "It's good, just different..." My taste buds are trying to pick up every possible flavor.
"I knew it! You have the palate of a child, you haven't changed at all. You need to become a real man, Young Lord, and start trying drier, less sweet wines." Farro fills his glass again after draining the first one.
"I'm a simple man, Farro. I prefer sweet things. I think this wine would go well with red meat." I taste it again, still not convinced by the flavor.
I know it's a high-quality wine, probably one of the best in its category, but it's simply not to my liking. I prefer sweet drinks, even coffee with a little sugar... my grandmother almost threw a condensed ball of mana at me when she saw me putting sugar in my coffee.
"You're a good observer, Young Lord Maki. I've already ordered several good cuts from the best grill restaurant in town. They'll arrive soon because I told them to mention your name with the order." Farro gives me a thumbs-up in approval.
I roll my eyes for a second, but my "anger" at him using my name disappears instantly when I realize delicious food is on its way.
"And I'm more of a man than many of the males you've met." I shrug as I take out a bottle of my own wine to share with him. "Now this is quality, try some." Two glasses appear in my other hand, and with subtle grace, I fill them to the perfect level.
"Having four women can certainly be considered pretty manly. Wait... it's five now, right? You managed to win over another beauty. Young Lord is quite capable when he wants to be." I can feel the sarcasm in his last words.
"Five?" It takes me a second to understand what he's talking about. "There's nothing between Lully and me. She's just a friend, she's not my fiancée or anything like that." I quickly clear up the misunderstanding. This old man really knows how to get on my nerves sometimes.
"Sure, whatever you say." Farro waves his hand from side to side. It doesn't matter what I tell him, he won't believe me. Once something gets into his head, it won't leave unless he sees actual proof.
"How can you be so shameless that you disrespect me while talking and still keep calling me Young Lord?" As I speak, I hand him a glass of one of the best wines in my collection.
"I have the utmost respect for you, Young Lord, but you also need to hear the voice of someone with many years of experience. You need someone who'll tell you things directly without being afraid of your position." Farro looks proud of what he's saying.
"I have Brendu, you know? She never holds back when it comes to criticizing me. Sometimes I think she's my greatest detractor." Just remembering all those occasions makes my once-straight shoulders slump.
"That's different. A friend sees situations from a different point of view than a girlfriend." Farro boasts about his words, then I see him shudder slightly. "But you're right, the princess is a little scary. I don't want to imagine her angry."
"That's nothing. Just imagine having four sharp-tongued noblewomen beside you all the time. My skin turned to steel after so much criticism. To the public, I might look lucky to be with four beauties, and I can't deny that, but it also comes with its difficulties." I remember every moment with them, and my heart feels a little warmer.
"It'll be five now." Farro's voice is a whisper that almost goes unnoticed. I smack him on the back of the head with my Imra, and he simply shrugs.
"Well, let's talk about more interesting things now. How true are the rumors about the super city they're planning to build? Is it true that it could become the hub connecting the Empire and two independent territories? Is that why you're going to get engaged to Lady Lully?" Farro's eyes shine like white pearls at the bottom of the sea.
I can see his Imra vibrating with anticipation, he's genuinely eager. His eyes move from side to side around me, searching my gestures for any sign that might confirm whether it's true or not. Unfortunately for him, I've gained enough experience and have a powerful mental ability that allows me to remain calm in any situation.
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"It's true. There'll be an enormous city capable of connecting the Empire with the Lepak and Sullan territories; prepare yourself for a busy era, you could make a fortune or get left behind." I don't hide it from him, I know Farro will keep the news to himself.
He gains nothing from spreading it. Other competitors could take advantage, or even larger agencies from around the Empire could come looking for a piece of that pie. I trust Farro enough to tell him about the future, he's someone who genuinely loves this territory.
Farro demonstrated unconditional support during several small monster invasions. He didn't just deploy his own forces to help, he also contributed medicine, food, and other necessities to the affected people without asking for anything in return.
When my grandmother asked him why, she was pleasantly surprised. Farro simply said he couldn't stand by and do nothing when a territory that cared so much about its people was in trouble, he had to act and help however he could; he sees this place as his home.
"I'll say it again, I don't have that kind of relationship with Lully, and we're not going to get engaged to solidify the partnership between my territory and hers." I let out a tired sigh.
Farro has a point about this. It's quite common for territorial alliances to involve some kind of marriage to give more weight to the pact, it's the most common approach. One territory's daughter marrying another territory's son is usually how it happens.
This time, I can't blame people for thinking the same thing as the person in front of me. The prodigious son of one territory getting engaged to the beautiful daughter of a neighboring territory; my reputation as a womanizer who collects beautiful women doesn't help either.
"Shit!" Farro brings a hand to his face and slowly rubs his beard. "I have the option of taking over two companies belonging to two friends of mine, they're on the verge of bankruptcy. They'd both rather sell everything they have to an old friend, and one of their conditions is that I hire them as regional managers." Farro continues scratching his beard.
"Looks like I need to make a decision soon. I'm going to be broke for a while." I hear him laugh. "They're both good people, they were simply devoured by much bigger sharks. They didn't listen when I told them they needed to move somewhere else."
"Looks like your company will have a new dawn once everything takes off." I raise my glass and bring it closer to his. "To a good future."
"To a good future." Farro clinks his glass against mine. The sound of our glasses meeting makes me think the future will be bright for good people.
"Have you heard anything about the small skirmishes happening in the Archduke's territory?" The subject comes to mind for no particular reason. We nobles can obtain good, reliable information, but small companies always have key pieces of information that get lost along the way.
"I know less than I'd like. Some trusted friends of mine are around those areas looking for opportunities to make quick money and disappear." Farro frowns slightly. "The monster invasion is worse than they're making it seem. Somehow, someone or something is controlling thousands of different kinds of monsters to repel the Emperor's forces."
"Several Grade 5 monsters have been seen being manipulated. That's not something just any Obsidian Rank or item can do. Something very big is behind all of this. The Archduchy has been sealed off, it's become completely isolated." Farro doesn't look happy at all.
"Mobilizing Obsidian Ranks will provoke an equal response, it already happened in one of the skirmishes. The Empire is avoiding sending Obsidian Ranks so they don't destroy the entire place with their battles." Farro downs his wine in a single gulp.
"For now, the Empire is winning. They're annihilating hundreds of monsters every day and slowly gaining ground; but anything could happen, we need to be prepared for a very long war." Farro lets out a restrained sigh.
I had more or less the same information, but he filled in a few gaps. Farro continues talking about specific situations involving his friends, and their personal experiences allow me to see the bigger picture a little more clearly.
"So the Withered Tree really is involved somehow." Farro's stories helped me confirm it.
"Yes, those sons of bitches are always involved whenever something bad happens. I don't know if they're the masterminds or simply part of the problem, but they're definitely involved somehow." Farro hates them with every fiber of his being as well.
"The Emperor will solve it sooner or later." I shrug. I could go help, but it doesn't concern me, I'm not a hero. "We should worry about our own affairs and leave the bigger problems to the people with power." It would be different if my territory or the Marquisate were attacked.
"It's better if you don't get involved, Young Lord. If you contribute more than necessary, I wouldn't be surprised if the Emperor offered one of his daughters or nieces to marry you. Princess Brendu would strangle you." Farro's voice is... serious, as though he genuinely believes that.
At that exact moment, one of his workers arrives with the food. "Don't talk nonsense, my friend. We'd better plan for a good future, there's a lot to discuss and plan." A mischievous smile appears on my face, and dollar signs appear in Farro's eyes. The wine and food only make this meeting better, it's going to be an excellent afternoon and evening.