This was different from his impression of aristocratic gentlemen, who were surrounded by attendants and held their heads high with arrogance.
But his doubts were quickly dispelled by the gradually clearing scene before him.
At the end of the road, a small but fortified manor came into view, with stone walls, watchtowers, and defensive battlements.
It stood in stark contrast to the low, dilapidated thatched houses in the village.
Dales couldn't help but stop, his eyes widening, his face full of shock and awe.
This was where the nobility lived...
At that moment, the guards patrolling behind the battlements on the wall also noticed two people gradually approaching.
A guard condescendingly stepped forward and shouted loudly: "Halt! Who are you? This is Baron Raymond's estate."
With this shout, two other guards immediately appeared behind the battlements.
The crossbows they held gleamed coldly in the sun, alert and aimed at Karl and Dales below.
Dales was frightened by this situation and subconsciously wanted to step back.
But he saw Karl's calm expression and forced himself to calm down.
However, Karl still stood calmly; these deadly crossbow bolts were just children's toys to him.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the guards on the wall, and clearly and smoothly announced his name.
"Karl El."
Four simple words were like throwing a boulder into a calm lake.
Uncontrollable exclamations and excited conversations broke out on the wall.
"It's the young master! It's Master Karl who has returned!"
"Really? Confirm it's the young master? He's not even riding a horse."
"Isn't that slowpoke down there Dales? Phillip, move faster!"
At the same time, a head eagerly peered out from behind the battlements.
He carefully looked down, trying to confirm whether the face of the person below was indeed the young master they had in mind.
Under the watchful eyes of several people, another call for confirmation came, and the shouts to open the gate became more urgent and louder.
The wooden gate, wrapped in iron sheets, was pushed inward by two guards amidst the creaking of the door hinges, revealing Karl's familiar yet unfamiliar home behind it.
And Dales stood behind Karl, watching the open door symbolizing another class, trembling slightly with excitement.
The manor gate slowly closed behind him with a dull thud.
Karl entered the manor, his gaze first sweeping over the battlements on the wall.
The three guards responsible for security were familiar faces, the old-timers who had been there when he first came to the manor, and Phillip waved to him.
To his slight surprise, he didn't see Dalton.
According to common sense, as his servant, especially when he was away, he should be responsible for protecting the estate.
Maybe training or some other task?
And the number of guards didn't seem to have increased; it was still these three.
It seemed Raymond hadn't expanded his security force due to the slight stabilization of his position and the order to return the Orens.
He suppressed his doubts and nodded to the three, Phillip and the others on the wall, who seemed a bit excited by his return and were saluting respectfully.
Then he took Dales and continued walking inside the manor.
Stepping inside this high wall, Dales behaved more restrainedly than outside, even with a hint of fear.
He hunched over, not daring to look around, but couldn't help sneaking glances; everything here was like another world to him.
A roughly trimmed stone path lay underfoot, a far cry from the muddy dirt road outside.
The strong smell of livestock manure was also absent from the air, replaced by the fresh scent of grass and earth.
Walking forward some distance, Karl noticed that the interior of the manor had become cleaner and more lively than when he left.
There were many unfamiliar craftsmen with tools, repairing and reinforcing the slightly stained walls and outbuildings.
Others were neatly pruning the shrubs and vines that had looked unkempt due to lack of care.
These craftsmen only cast a curious glance at Karl's appearance and then continued to focus on their work.
They were hired by Baron Raymond and didn't know everyone in the manor, only seeming to recognize that Karl and the others were someone from the estate.
Gradually approaching the main house, which was the central living area, Karl finally saw a familiar figure.
The maids busy in the courtyards and corridors, and the head maid Marta who commanded them.
The maids didn't immediately recognize Karl at first due to the distance; they just saw two figures approaching.
But when the distance shortened, Karl's face came into view.
They stopped, their faces full of surprise.
They quickly and neatly lined up on both sides of the road, bowed slightly, and greeted in unison with uncontrollable excitement: "Welcome back, young master!"
A gentle smile appeared on Karl's face, and he nodded to them.
His gaze immediately fell on Marta, and he asked directly: "Marta, how is Raymond? Where is he now?"
Hearing Karl's question, the excitement on the maids' faces dimmed slightly.
They exchanged glances, a little worry and hesitation in their eyes, and none of them dared to be the first to answer this question.
Seeing this, Marta's face showed mixed feelings. She took a deep breath, took the initiative to step forward, and bowed slightly to Karl.
Her tone was a bit heavy: "Young master, Master Raymond's body... hasn't been doing well lately. When the weather is good, he can sometimes walk around on his own, compared to when you left."
"But now, my lord... he is almost completely weak. He can only rely on others to support him to barely take a few steps."
"At this moment, he, the butler Hans, and Mr. Jack are sunbathing in the garden behind."
Hearing this, the smile vanished from Karl's face, his heart suddenly clenched, and his brows furrowed.
How could the illness have progressed so quickly?! How long had he been gone?
Immediately, he remembered something: the medical conditions and level of care in that era could not compare to the world of modern medicine in his subconscious.
In his past life memories, leukemia could be sustained for several years with modern medical support.
But in this world, lacking effective treatments, with sanitation concerns, and nutrition possibly falling short,
lasting a year and a half after the onset was probably considered a long time...
"Fortunately... fortunately, I remembered in time to ask the teacher about leukemia," a surge of fear washed over Karl's heart.
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