Next morning,
Demin comnced his day with a routine that he had beco familiar with over the years. The morning unfolded with the usual sequence of events—washing up, changing into fresh attire, and partaking in a breakfast.
Currently, he's sitting at the head of the table. A seat befitting his position as the head of the household.
The clattering sound of cutlery eting plates echoed through the dining hall. A result of the cause by Demin's wife and son who were engrossed in their morning al.
Despite their effort, a lavish spread of sumptuous dishes on the table shows no sign of reduction.
For a commoner, the sheer abundance of food presented on the table would be beyond their imagination. They'll never believe a mountainous food was prepared just for a single breakfast.
While his family engaged in the consumption of breakfast delights, Demin opted for a different pace.
The rising steam carries the rich aroma of the tea, wafting through the air and tantalizing his senses.
Slowly, Demin sips the tea.
The warmth spreads from his mouth to his throat before gradually enveloping his entire body.
Nothing beats the sensation of drinking a hot beverage on the brisk chill of the morning air.
Soon, the butler entered. His presence sowhat disrupted the soothing and invigorating atmosphere that enveloped the dining hall.
Nevertheless, the butler's arrival was not an unwelco intrusion. Rather, his presence had been expected by Demin and becoming a part of his morning routine.
With grace and formality, the butler presented the newspaper to Demin. "Here's the newspaper for today, Master."
The newspaper had beco an integral part of the daily life of the nobles in Barlia, weaving itself into the fabric of their routines.
For people in nobility, keeping up to date with the latest news is a must. If before they were only limited to the news within their border, now their situational awareness had expanded several folds beyond the Levianic Sea.
Though its sales and subscriptions were not as widespread as in Ryntum, the situation was gradually improving. The newspaper had begun to find its way into the hands of the rich commoners, marking a subtle shift in the dissemination of information.
There's also a ti when the newspaper finds itself in the hands of commoners at the bottom barrel of society. But it was only on a very rare occasion.
Demin took the newspaper from the butler. Right off the bat, the war between the Inverloch Empire and the Inver Kingdom was plastered on the front page.
"Things are getting ssier in the south," Demin murmured to himself as his eyes moved across the article.
His tone, surprisingly, was rather relaxed, considering the amount of the news about the war bombarding him.
To say he doesn't care simply because the conflict was far away from Barlia is wrong. The nearest one is just to the west of Barlia- the ongoing clash between the Duchy of Camble and the Sidgean Empire.
"How long has this war been going on?" Demin questioned aloud. "The Cambles surprisingly manage to hold up for this long. If Sarika and the soldiers had even half of Camble's resilience and ntal strength, there's no doubt we'd be victorious in the previous southern campaign."
Shaking his head, Demin swiftly finished his breakfast and promptly stood up from his seat.
Even though he wasn't a duke, he still had jobs to do.
Demin made his way toward his office. The butler follows closely behind.
Unlocking the door to his office, Demin entered unassumingly, expecting a regular start to his workday.
Crackle-
A subtle sound disrupted the usual silence— the crumple sound of paper.
Demin cast his gaze downward and discovered scattered papers on the floor.
"Weird. I don't rember discarding papers on the floor like this. Did you do it?" he asked the butler.
The butler swiftly denied any involvent. "I never did such a thing, master."
As he didn't want to waste ti pursuing fault, Demin simply picked up the papers.
"Envelopes?" Demin raised his eyebrows. He never expected to be intrigued so early in the morning.
Without further ado, he opens one of them. Seeing there's paper stored inside, Demin smiles, "I don't know who is the sender but this has to be interesting."
Demin's eyes widened as he read the letter. He receives more shock reading the content of this letter than reading about the updates on the ongoing war.
"Quick! Give the next one!"
The butler hurriedly opened the remaining envelopes and handed the rest of the letters to Demin.
As he perused through them, Demin couldn't contain his reactions.
"Oooh! Ooohhh! OOOHHH! This is big news!" he exclaid.
The butler, still in the dark, observed Demin's unprecedented excitent. When was the last ti Demin got excited like this? He can't rember.
Unable to contain his curiosity, the butler politely asked, "Master, is it good news written on that paper? For you to react like this..."
"Good news! This is a level that can put a blade on Johann's neck," Demin declared. A gleam of triumph can be seen in his eyes.
Demin passed the letters to the butler. He has no worries about the risk of the content being leaked. His butler is very tight-lipped and loyal. They have been working together for decades now.
The butler happily took the letter and began to read. Shortly thereafter, he begins to tremble.
"This—?! Who is—?! How did—?!" The butler's words stumbled over each other.
It seems like the butler's brain couldn't handle the shock. Before he finishes asking the first question, another one pops up in his mind.
Now, he completely understands why Demin give a strong reaction.
After calming himself down, the butler looks at his lord. "What are you going to do, master? This kind of information is too deadly. If mishandled, the injury will go in your direction."
"About that...I want you to validate the information in the letter first. If it turns out to be true, I will not let this chance be wasted. This is one in a lifeti opportunity to kill Johann."
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