Chapter 556: If I say I won’t go, I won’t go

Invitation to the banquet?

Garrett's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he almost blurted out a "no" on the spot. He had just arrived and hadn't yet had a chance to sit down and catch up with his family, and now this?

He had traveled far and wide, day and night, not to attend a banquet at some lord's mansion!

And with no notice at all, invited on the same day as the event. As the old saying goes, three days of notice is a request, two days a call, one day is dragging. They came knocking with a carriage, what does that mean?

However, before he could speak, a knight on the left side of the cottage stepped forward, bowing slightly. He then turned towards Garrett with a smile:

"The lord of the city has specially invited Mr. Calrend, his wife, and all the young masters and misses to join the banquet. Please—"

With Uncle Calrend's family involved, Garrett couldn’t make decisions for others. What if Uncle Calrend wanted to go? What if his family wanted to establish roots in Hartland City and needed to build relationships?

He glanced across. Uncle Calrend had already taken a step forward, looking flustered:

"How can this be..."

This middle-aged warrior didn’t know where to place his hands or feet. He was just an ordinary soldier who had struggled for over a decade and only reached the position of a small squad leader in the city guard. Age had caught up with him, and he could never step over the threshold to become a knight.

For him, the gap between him and a knight was a chasm.

The city lord's envoys, both knights, were the first to salute him?

He was very flustered. However, he genuinely didn't want to attend the banquet at the city lord's mansion!

The city lord's manor, the viscount's estate, those were not places they could enter. They were not sincerely invited; it was just a courtesy extended to Garrett, and they were merely being dragged along—

At the banquet, would they sit while the knights stood watching them eat? What about his young sons and daughters, who knows how they would be looked down upon!

Yet, as the city lord's invitation came through two knights as envoys, he had no room to refuse. In his dilemma, Uncle Calrend could only look at Garrett helplessly: are you going?

Garrett instead smiled. He calmly walked through the crowd to stand by Uncle Calrend's side, taking his hand and turning towards the speaking knight:

"I'm very sorry. I've traveled a long way and am quite tired. I just want to catch up with my family for now. I will not be attending tonight's dinner."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper and threw it into the air, without any noticeable action, the paper was filled with dense handwriting. With a casual flick, a mage's insignia fell on the paper, revealing a small oak staff entwined with a serpent:

"Please relay to the city lord that I will surely visit in three days."

With a casual push, the paper floated on a disc directly in front of the knight. This series of actions was smooth and displayed the flair of a mage.

In the eyes of a magician, it was nothing remarkable, but it was more than enough to impress others. Sure enough, the guards on both sides showed a look of awe and quietly stepped back.

The knight dared not make a sound and bowed to receive the paper. Captain Calrend was somewhat unsure:

"Ah, we're not going then? After all, it’s the city lord..."

"Uncle Calrend, it's okay," Garrett said with a smile, tightening his grip on Uncle Calrend's hand gently:

"Just a viscount. Back in Nevis, if viscounts wanted to see me for treatment, unless it was an emergency, they had to make an appointment at least three days in advance."

His tone was gentle, but his attitude was full of confidence. Captain Calrend was doubtful, looking at Garrett and then at the young girl beside him. Really, there's no problem?

Garrett, his demeanor hesitant, but the knight who had come to invite them was even less willing to retreat directly. Looking from one to another, trying to extract a definite answer to give to the city lord:

You say you won't go just like that?

You, a mere Level 6 mage, not even top among the casters in the city, can afford not to give face to the city lord?

Garrett smiled slowly. He straightened his clothes and casually adjusted the mage's insignia, setting it straight:

"Uncle, I've been away for four years and now am a Level 6 mage. Give me another four years, guess what level I might reach?"

As he spoke, he glanced sideways with a purpose. Humph, he had once been the deputy director of an emergency department. Turning away

 patients’ families and pharmaceutical reps, he knew all too well how to turn someone away!

The knight held the letter with both hands, meeting Garrett's gaze. Involuntarily, a shiver went through him:

What level could he reach? Mage Gelman, who had been overseeing the Mage Tower outside the city, had only advanced from Level 5 to Level 6 over many years. This Mage Nordmark, having risen from an apprentice to Level 6 in just four years, and in another four or even ten years, to what level could he advance?

A Level 6 mage could already sit on equal footing with a city lord; a Level 10 mage, even the earl of the county town, had to invite with courtesy, unable to issue direct commands!

Such a young mage truly had the stature to refuse anyone's face.

He bowed respectfully. Rising, his tone had softened considerably:

"I shall take my leave. Mage Nordmark, I will surely deliver your message."

Garrett waved, letting him go. Knight, guards, and carriage all hastily retreated, and in a moment, none were left. At this time, the doors and windows of the surrounding houses slowly opened just a crack, countless eyes peeking from behind.

These were all neighbors, broadly speaking, comrades of his biological father, who had watched Garrett grow up. He didn’t mind, pulling Uncle Calrend into the house to catch up slowly.

Hmm, Uncle Calrend had aged quite a bit in four years, and had also gained quite a bit of weight~~~

Ever since Garrett was directly taken to Nevis, Uncle Calrend had been transferred to the supply department, no longer having to painstakingly patrol outside the city. He had passed his physical prime, no longer hoping to become a knight, and now, he was wholeheartedly teaching his son.

His eldest son, Edward, followed him in the military; his second son, in Uncle Calrend's words, "thank goodness you left some books behind, and thank goodness Pastor John was willing to teach him." He learned a few characters, lacking the talent to become a pastor or a mage, was sent to be an apprentice, at least more secure than a foot soldier...

As they chatted, the sky darkened. Aunt Eileen called her two sons to help, bowl by bowl, bringing dishes out from the kitchen. Garrett, holding a steaming bowl of meat soup, smiled and listened quietly to Uncle Calrend speaking.

As they listened, the front door was knocked loudly, rattling the house. Uncle Calrend went to open the door, and the housewife from across the door held a clay bowl, peeking in with a smiling face:

"Little Garrett is back? — Our family just happened to stew some meat today, would you like a bowl to try?"

Uncle Calrend could only thank her and accept it. Just as they sat down and hadn’t spoken much, the neighbor's young son brought over a basket of fragrant roasted potatoes.

In half a dinner's time, the door to the Calrend house was knocked twenty or thirty times. Garrett had to summon two floating discs, aligning them next to the table to hold those bowls of food...

Seraina's gaze shifted, smiling non-stop. It was a lucky break for Bernard, sitting at the edge of a floating disc, burying his head in eating. When the meal was nearly finished, the door was banged loudly again and again.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay