What he knew was that within the Winford Duchy, there were indeed many noble sons with nothing to do, while his domain happened to be in need of manpower. Gaspardon was an excellent tax officer, but Laine didn't want to burden him further, so taking this opportunity, Laine wanted to see if the Duke had any talents available.

"A steward? My Baron, what level of steward do you need?" Francois immediately began to ponder suitable candidates within his court: "Do you need a steward who can simply manage your castle well, or do you need someone who can assist you regularly?"

The female knight also turned her bright eyes towards Laine.

"I, of course, wish for a well-rounded steward who can jointly share various affairs with me." Laine immediately answered, wanting not just any steward who could manage a castle, but rather a more exceptional talent.

"There are countless folks willing to serve the Lady's champion and Holy Grail Knight, but since you have such requirements, perhaps Kasenberg is suitable for you... Get Kasenberg over here for me!" Francois affectionately instructed an attendant.

After a while, a tall, thin, bald-headed young man walked over. He looked under thirty, dressed appropriately, but Laine noticed that his clothes were somewhat worn.

"My Duke, you called for me?"

"Laine, Kasenberg is one of the finest courtier candidates I've seen in recent years. He hails from an excellent knight family and is an outstanding knight himself. Beyond that, his excellence lies in having completed all the courtier courses at Winford College. He can be your capable assistant in managing any affairs within your domain, whenever you need," detailed the Duke of Winford as he introduced Kasenberg's background and smilingly added, "Unfortunately, I cannot provide him an opportunity to fully wield his talents on my side."

The young man immediately understood something, his eyes lighting up while maintaining his respectful standing posture.

To serve Laine, the Divine Chosen Champion and Holy Grail Knight of the Lake Fairy, was his supreme honor.

A lean face, shiny bald head, bright eyes, at first glance, Laine felt this was a shrewd person. Considering that Duke Winford, being a Holy Grail Knight himself, wouldn't deceive him, Laine was relatively satisfied with this candidate, but he still jokingly said: "My Duke, are you giving me just one option? That's not very fair, is it?"

"I have other candidates, but I believe Kasenberg can absolutely meet your need. Let's do this," Duke Winford thought for a moment and continued, "You can try having Kasenberg work for a period, see how things go, and if you're not satisfied, I can recommend someone else for you."

"That sounds like a plan, but his salary..." Laine seemed to accept this suggestion but looked a bit hesitant.

"Hahaha, what a shrewd champion you are!" The Duke suddenly burst into laughter, pointing at Laine, "Now I begin to understand the reason for your excellence. Others your age wouldn't think this far—when they discover they've been tricked by swindlers, all they do is complain to me and nothing more."

"Alright! How about this, for two years, within these two years, I will cover his salary, how does that sound?"

"This is the best outcome, thank you very much, my Duke." Laine got the desired result, curling his lips, his handsome face full of cunning as the Duke sitting opposite him also gave a meaningful smile to the young man, with wisdom and admiration evident in his eyes.

Those present, Marquis Ascot and the Duke's daughter, exchanged knowing smiles.

Old fox and young fox.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.