The Sinful Young Master

Nora crossed her arms over her chest, her expression still annoyed, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes. "Yeah," she said, her tone grudging. "I hope you don't die. It'd be a pain to find someone else like you."

Nora's words, he understood them. After all, they were from the same world.

Jolthar chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm too stubborn to die. Besides, who is gonna take care of my daughter?"

Nora grumbled as she stamped her foot on the ground.

Jolthar and Roblan chuckled seeing her reactions; at this point, he was saying all that to just tease her, and they both were enjoying it.

With that, he turned and climbed onto the drake's back, settling into the saddle with practised ease. The drake shifted beneath him, her muscles coiling like springs as she prepared to move. Jolthar looked down at Roblan and Nora one last time, his expression serious.

"Take care of the barony," he said. "I'll be back before you know it."

Roblan nodded, his face serious. "We will. Just… come back in one piece, all right?"

Nora didn't say anything, but her eyes met Jolthar's, and for a moment, the usual fire in her gaze was replaced by something softer. Jolthar gave her a small, reassuring smile before turning his attention to the road ahead.

"Let's go," he said, giving the drake a gentle nudge with his heels. The creature let out a low growl and began to move; her feet left prints against the ground as she walked out of the campsite.

The workers paused to watch as Jolthar and his drake disappeared into the distance, the early morning sun casting long shadows behind them.

Roblan and Nora stood side by side, watching until Jolthar was out of sight.

The camp was quieter now, the absence of Jolthar's larger-than-life presence leaving a noticeable void. But there was no time to dwell on it. They had work to do.

Nora said watching him leave, "Do you think it is all right? You know, they asked us to send 300 men, but we are sending only one. I'm not sure about how they would react."

Roblan sighed as he replied, "Well, we just have to leave it to Jolthar. And he is already going, so no use in fretting over the issue now. But I am more worried about the county and its count. I don't know if he is supporting the war or opposing it."

"You said it was a dangerous place; why?" Nora turned to him.

"That whole place is filled with monsters; that's what those beasts are. Purely bloodthirsty creatures. And the one controlling them is the Count Hamen. He is a very peculiar guy, and I don't know why they called the group in the county."

Nora frowned as she asked, "Brother, do you know about him?"

"Yes, I met him once. Father took me there for a trade with him. It was a long time ago, but I could remember him clearly, a very odd guy."

Roblan knew little about the county until he met Hamen outside its premises. They had only just heard about the rumours and are now hoping that they aren't all true.

Roblan sighed heavily. "All right, enough with the talk. Let's go, sister. We have work to do."

Nora wanted to ask, but she dropped the subject. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

As they turned back to the construction site, the sounds of hammers and voices filled the air once more. The barony of Tekkora was far from safe, but for now, they would keep moving forward. For Jolthar. For the forge. And for the future, they were fighting to build.

Jolthar momentarily thought about Nytheria. She had been absent since the battle. It would have been easy for him if she had been present. Even if she hadn't taken any action, just her presence would have scared many in the barony.

She said that she would stay with him but all she had done until now was expect that.

Nytheria had left not long ago, saying that she had matters of her own and she said would be back after a while.

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Jolthar pushed all thoughts of the forge and the barony to the back of his mind.@@novelbin@@

These past few days, he had spent most of his time with Roblan and Nora; he seemed to care about them without him knowing. He didn't know why he felt such a way. He thought he was far from this emotional dependence. He shook his head, shaking those thoughts.

For now, his focus was solely on the task at hand: the County of Godeylet.

He had heard stories about the place, whispers and rumours that painted it as a land of danger and intrigue. It was a place that made even the bravest soldiers of the Empire hesitate, a place where the line between civilization and chaos blurred.

He hadn't been to the place in the past, not that he knew from the memories. Only the rumours of the county being surrounded by the vile beasts, and they are very primal in nature.

Most people would shiver at the mere thought of venturing into its territory, but Jolthar was not most people. He had faced worse—much worse—and he wasn't about to let fear dictate his actions.

The drake beneath him moved with a powerful, ground-shaking rhythm, her massive feet pounding against the earth as she raced across the landscape. She was a magnificent creature, her crimson scales gleaming in the sunlight, her muscular frame rippling with every stride. Though she had wings, they were folded tightly against her flanks, unused for now. She didn't need them for speed—her legs carried her faster than any warhorse, her strength and agility unmatched.

Jolthar leaned forward, his hands gripping the reins as the wind whipped past him, the world blurring into a streak of green and brown as they sped southward.

The County of Godeylet lay about a few hundred miles to the south, a journey that would take days on horseback but only hours at the drake's pace.

Jolthar had never been there before, but he knew enough to be wary. It was a neutral territory, a place where the Empire's influence waned and the Chittera's presence loomed large.

It was a land of contradictions—a bustling hub of trade and commerce, yet teeming with danger at every turn. The city itself was said to be a marvel, a sprawling metropolis built on the edge of chaos, where people of all races and creeds mingled freely. But beyond its walls, the wilderness was untamed, a place where the Chittera roamed and the rules of the Empire held no sway.