Watching the two "enemies" with different expressions and their own concerns, Roland made a welcoming gesture with a smile.

"Guests from afar deserve hospitality. Now that you're here, why not come in for a cup of tea? Let’s sit down together, shall we?"

Yanis and Luet exchanged glances without words.

Their initial goal was to swiftly conquer the Minhausen Barony with a blitzkrieg and showed the world the consequences of opposing them.

However, upon seeing the other party, their initial plan had to be adjusted.

Their target was no longer Roland but to outdo each other by competing for spoils.

Where there were people, there were interests; where there were interests, there were conflicts.

For gods’ servants, it mattered so much to make more people to believe in their gods. After all, if they could't even spread faith well, what was the use of them servants?

On their way into the castle, Yanis and Luet wore smiles to show their elegant composure.

But every now and then, they glanced at each other, and the meaning of the glances were simple.

"This was the domain of Divine Court of Light/Forest Brotherhood, and you shall not take it away!"

Their thoughts were surprisingly aligned.

Roland hosted the two guests in the main banquet hall. There were naturally no meats or wines, only vegetables, fruits, and tea.

Seeing the table full of "flowers" and "water boiled with leaves", Granni was utterly disappointed and took the opportunity to excuse herself for study,.

Roland knew such an occasion would be torture for her and nodded with a smile, allowing her to leave as she pleased.

Egillina attended the reception banquet.

When the conversation hit a deadlock, someone needed to mediate the atmosphere, and that task fell to her.

Roland had originally planned for Melannis to accompany them, as the elves and the Forest Brotherhood both worship the Goddess of Nature. He expected they would have much to share. Unfortunately, he couldn't find Melannis. The usually obedient girl had disappeared without a trace after Luet's appearance.

Roland did not wish to probe too deeply but vaguely felt that the relationship between the elves and druids was a bit complex.

The hosts and guests took their seats. Whether by design or coincidence, Roland and Egillina sat at opposite ends of the long table, with Yanis and Luet sitting face-to-face.

Although the dishes were meticulously prepared and thoughtful, the heavy-hearted guests found them tasteless.

Seeing that neither had much appetite and they only had a few bites out of politeness, Roland focused on his meal instead and ended up well-fed.

Negotiations were physically demanding, after all.

Racking one's brain, strategizing, and verbal sparring all consume tremendous energy. Roland couldn’t imagine negotiating on an empty stomach?

With the guests barely touching their food and himself fully satisfied, Roland gained a subtle advantage in momentum.

An elderly female servant came in to clear the plates and closed the door from outside.

Since the escape incident with Julie and Lana, Roland no longer trusted maids but hired several elderly men and women with families deeply rooted in the Minhausen Baront to serve or guard the door. These people, with happy families and several generations settled locally, were genuine old Minhausen folks. Despite of their age, they were loyal.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Staying at home was boring for these elderly folks. Thus, a not-too-demanding job with decent pay was very welcome, and their service was as tender as towards their own grandchildren.

Thus, the baron's castle staff became an elderly team. With their enthusiastic service attitude and proficient skills, except for being slightly older and unable to handle physical tasks like fending off invaders, this team were far superior to delicate young maids.

As the old maid left, Yanis asked out of curiosity, "Roland, I see your castle was staffed with elderly gentlemen and ladies. Don't you have any maids?"

"Who says there aren't? Wasn't Granny Nia who just brought in the dishes a maid?"

Yanis: "......"

Her casual remark, meant as an icebreaker, was met with Roland's earnest response.

Granni Nia was a woman and a servant, so calling her a maid was perfectly...perfectly accurate...probably?

Yanis was left speechless, and Luet put down his tea cup, praising in his deep voice, "Lord Roland, your domain has given me many surprises. The environment was beautiful, the people love nature, and your respect for the elderly was commendable."

"I’m flattered."

Roland calmly explained, "The forest was better left untouched. As long as human destruction was minimized, the trees will grow on their own."

"Employing the elderly was a necessity because I've been betrayed by maids before, which I really fear. Having them work gives me peace of mind, and they earn a living, so it's a win-win."

The escape of the maids wasn't a secret, and he believed both were aware, so it was better to be open and honest.

Those who knew how to lie understand that all lies were foolish, a mix of truth and falsehood was common, but the real experts in lying used sincerity to win trust, only editing out some truths at critical moments.

As long as trust was established, even without a single lie, misdirection could be achieved.

Sincerity was the best weapon to build trust and build lies.

As Luet smoothly took over the conversation, the sound of cutting trees came from the forest.

The massive axe hit the trees, emitting a dull sound that echoed through the forest. The four people present had exceptional hearing and could hear everything clearly.

Silence.

Just as Luet was pondering how to break the silence and sway Roland towards the Brotherhood, a towering tree was felled.

The heavy trunk hit the ground, making a loud noise.

Even Eglina couldn't hold back anymore.

Granni wouldn't attend a banquet without meat, so she went out to chop down trees...didn't she know that a great druid was visiting today?

Roland was too indulgent with her, this would lead to trouble sooner or later. The timing wasn't right today, I'll talk to Roland about it later.

Seeing Luet’s embarrassed look, Roland explained with a smile:

"That was my Guardian Knight. Luet , without climate affairs, the trees in the forest would grow uncontrollably, and the dense trees would block the sunlight, hindering the growth of smaller trees. So, we periodically cut down some excess trees to maintain an appropriate density."

Luet had an "aha" moment. He raised his thumb again and said with a smile, "I didn't expect Roland to also follow the path of balance. Our Brotherhood's attitude towards nature was to maintain balance, and it would be such a pity if you refused to join."

His words were impeccably crafted, showing that "Justice" was not rigid.

Before Roland could speak, Yanis jumped out in opposition.

"No, absolutely not! I've already reached an agreement with Roland, his territory must worship the Goddess of Light!"

Luet didn't argue with her, just smiled and turned his gaze towards Roland.

"Brother Roland, the Forest Brotherhood will never interfere with internal affairs of the territory, and will also send people to help with the territory's construction and popularize education. We are not as extreme as some religions."

He never mentioned the Divine Court of Light but never strayed from it. Yanis was a bit infuriated.

This wasn't hinting but outright insulting to her face!

And the Divine Court of Light only asks its followers to hold firm faith, follow teachings, abide by the precepts, pray on time, buy indulgences, support clergy, participate in free labor, and obey military conscription...it's not that extreme, right?

Seeing the two at loggerheads, Roland quickly stepped in to mediate.

If these two started fighting, the castle could be thrown into chaos, they absolutely couldn't fight.

"Both of you, I have a question: Why should I believe in the Goddess? Skip the brainwashing rhetoric, I want the real reason."

Yanis and Luet understood what Roland meant: Skip the nonsense, and show what I can get if I take refuge in your goddess.

That was shameless! However, they had to accept the situation,

As the two were considering what conditions to offer Roland, Roland smiled.

"Do you think I'm asking for benefits?"

Yanis and Luet didn't speak, which was as good as an agreement.

"I will find a way to get what I want, I will not beg for what I want!"

"But it's different for commoners. To make them believe in a religion, you have to offer something tangible."

"I have a suggestion. What about each of you choose a region in my territory to freely proselytize? Whichever goddess my people take refuge in, that will be my faith."

"What if it's about the same?" Yanis and Luet asked in unison.

Despite despising each other, they respected each other's abilities and believed there was a chance of a tie.

The rules must be clarified first.

"That's simple, I will take refuge in both Goddesses."

Roland said casually.