Chapter 196 Just Need an Excuse.
Lord Hyratos resisted the urge to grab the fish with his hands and ate slowly, squinting at Adam, who looked like a starving ghost. He curled his lip in disdain, thinking, "A count's son? He eats like a commoner."
"Here, try this milk tea," Lord Hyratos said, picking up the milk tea with a grin. "A new drink that costs one silver coin per cup. I wonder if it suits Lord Adam's taste."
One silver coin per cup. Originally, Lord Hyratos thought of making several cups from one packet, but nobles are like this. Even if it pained him to spend on milk tea, he wouldn't miss a chance to show off his superiority. This is a typical case of saving face at all costs.
"One silver coin per cup?" Adam's hand trembled as he held the spoon. "So extravagant?"
Adam stared blankly at the light brown drink in the ceramic cup in front of him. It wasn't oat beer. He picked up the cup and sniffed it, catching a strong milky aroma mixed with a hint of freshness.
"Gulp..."
As the milk tea entered his mouth, Adam was stunned. The milky taste had a slight bitterness and a faint sweetness, leaving his taste buds savoring the flavor.
"What is this?"
Adam stared straight at Lord Hyratos, immediately thinking of the potential profit from this drink. He shouted in his heart that he must obtain this drink. If he offered it to the Fourth Prince, he might gain his support and become the heir to the count.
"Milk tea, a new type of drink. It's very rare and expensive, costing one silver coin per cup," Lord Hyratos said calmly.
"Lord Hyratos, who invented this milk tea?" Adam asked softly, quickly regaining his composure.
The main goal was to get the recipe for this milk tea. With the recipe, he could plan many things. In his view, milk tea was a revolutionary beverage.
"Uh..." Lord Hyratos hesitated. Just as he was considering how to profit from this, he saw Adam place three finger-sized red rubies on the table.
"Hahaha... This milk tea was invented by Lord Henry of Eldoria," Lord Hyratos said, a glint of greed in his eyes.
"I see. This is a small token of my appreciation," Adam said, pushing the rubies forward.
A maid immediately stepped forward to take the rubies, carefully placing them in front of Lord Hyratos.
"May I ask, Lord Adam, what brings you here today?" Lord Hyratos asked, picking up a ruby without showing any emotion.
"This visit is to seek your advice on something," Adam said seriously.
"Oh?" Lord Hyratos's heart skipped a beat. Could he really be here on behalf of Baron Omar? What should I say? Should I shift the blame to Henry?
"My brother, Baron Omar, has gone missing. I wanted to ask if you know who might have had a deep grudge against him," Adam said, staring directly at Lord Hyratos's face.
"What? How is that possible?"
Lord Hyratos was stunned, staring blankly at Adam. Could Baron Omar have fled after realizing his plans were exposed?
No, Baron Omar had Purley behind him. Even if his identity was exposed, he wouldn't need to fear retaliation.
"In fact, Omar has been missing for many days," Adam said, frowning. Lord Hyratos's reaction was not the panic he had expected but one of surprise.
"I'm really not sure about that," Lord Hyratos said calmly, thinking that Adam was probing him, so it was better to say less.
"If you hear any news about Omar, please be sure to inform me," Adam said seriously.
"Of course, of course," Lord Hyratos replied with a cold smile. He would be more than happy if Baron Omar were dead.
"Then I'll take my leave today. Thank you for the delicious food, Lord Hyratos," Adam said, standing up.
"Lord Adam, are you leaving already?" Lord Hyratos feigned concern. "I was hoping to discuss some political matters with you!"
"Sorry, I have to visit other cities in hopes of finding news about Omar," Adam said, shaking his head with a look of regret.
He decided not to mention his plan to win over the nobles for now. According to the information he had, Omar's disappearance was not simple. He didn't want to bring an enemy into his circle, which could be deadly.
"Then next time, Lord Adam, you must stay longer," Lord Hyratos said, pretending to be very regretful.
"Certainly," Adam nodded, then left the castle with his knights.
"How's the investigation going?" Adam asked indifferently as soon as he exited the castle. "How did my foolish brother's bandit plan fail?"
A figure emerged from the shadows and said coldly, "My lord, I interrogated Hyratos's commoners. They all said it was Eldoria Henry's knights who saved Hyratos."
"Oh? It seems this Eldoria is not simple," Adam said, narrowing his eyes, his mind racing with calculations.
As for how Adam knew about Omar's bandit plan, he had, of course, tortured that useless knight. After cutting off five fingers, the knight confessed everything.
The bandit plan, in Adam's view, was a brilliant decision, but unfortunately, Eldoria Henry had intervened.
"My lord, Hyratos's forces couldn't possibly withstand the bandits. This Eldoria is quite formidable."
"Indeed, or perhaps Omar's disappearance is closely related to this Eldoria?" Adam speculated.
Eldoria's ability to defeat Omar's hundreds of bandits was what concerned Adam the most.
Nobles sometimes don't dominate by title alone but by the power they wield. The number of knights and the quality of their armor are the greatest strengths.
"Send someone to inform my father of the situation here. I need a squad of elite knights," Adam's eyes gleamed with calculation.
He planned to use force to intimidate. He wanted to see what kind of person this Eldoria Henry was. He was determined to get the milk tea recipe.
"Yes, my lord!"
"Let's move on to the next city."
Adam headed towards the carriage. He still needed to continue winning over the nobles.
Moreover, he would wait for the knights to arrive before going to Eldoria. He didn't believe that a mere baron would dare to defy his father, Purley.
In the end, Adam just needed an excuse. Even if Omar's disappearance had nothing to do with Eldoria, he would still frame Henry for it.
