Villarld was a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a very strong build and a thick beard, though his temples had turned gray. It seemed that a quarrel with the Druid had left him looking a bit weary. Upon seeing Laine, he stood up directly: "You must be Laine! I've seen you! That 'Bald' Norman truly has a good son."
"You're too kind, Mr. Villarld." Laine replied modestly. Villarld's gaze quickly shifted to Teresa: "What a charming lady, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"
"Teresa, Teresa Trovik, from the Jialan Council." Laine introduced offhandedly.
"I see, hello." Just as Laine expected, at first mention of the Jialan Council, Villarld's demeanor immediately cooled considerably, and the female sorcerer, with a neither cold nor warm attitude, simply replied with a polite remark: "Hello, Mr. Villarld."
"Please sit, please sit." Villarld gestured for the two to sit down, seeing Laine lifted his spirits quite a bit: "It's really been a long time, Laine. The last time I saw you was when you were knighted as a Kingdom Knight, wasn't it?"
"Yes, that time Mr. Villarld came to see my investiture ceremony, I also remember." Laine nodded. Villarld had also advanced from a knight title to become a lord; he had been active on the front lines twenty or thirty years ago, and Laine showed respect for such a veteran of the battlefield.
"Time flies, it's been years again, and you've grown into an outstanding knight. So, is there something you came here for?" Villarld asked casually, and the lord took out a bottle of grape wine and three glasses from his cabinet, opened it and filled two glasses directly: "Have a taste, it's grape wine from the Southern Empire."
Teresa was a bit unaccustomed to such direct behavior from Villarld, as she hadn't even agreed to drink before the lord had already uncorked the bottle.
Seeing this, Laine gently patted the female sorcerer's hand, indicating she should follow the local customs, then informed Villarld about the matter involving Belte, stating that the two of them had come in pursuit of the Fallen Hunter.
"I see." Hearing that a powerful Fallen Hunter had arrived on his territory and then seized the opportunity to escape by sea, Villarld frowned and explained: "As a lord, to protect the safety of the people, I must enforce a sea ban during this period. As for the issue of setting sail, Laine, you understand, the ownership of the port ships rests with the ship owner, but the captain can choose to work, which is something I cannot control."
The implication being that it's not his responsibility.
"I understand that. What I want to ask is whether I can question those relevant guards and dockhands in detail? And also, can you help me contact the owner of the ship that Belte sailed out on?" Laine certainly knew Villarld wouldn't want to take on this responsibility; what he sought was permission to investigate from the lord.
"Is that so... Lauritz? Lauritz?" Villarld hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Laine's earnest expression, called out towards the outside.
A soldier in full chain armor, equipped with a standard longsword and kite shield, wearing a conical helmet, ran in: "What can I do for you, sir?"
"This is my Guard Commander, Lauritz. Laine, anything you need to investigate, Lauritz will assist you... Lauritz, this is the famous Kingdom Knight Mr. Laine. You'll assist him in the investigation." Villarld instructed.
"Yes, sir!"
"Very well, you may go. Laine, whatever you need to investigate, just find him, I won't be involved." The lord gave Laine an opening, but never granted him the authority to investigate. Seeing this, Teresa directly spoke up: "Mr. Villarld, aren't you planning to do anything about this matter?"
"Hahaha~ What could I do, lovely Miss Trovik? I've aged. At the time I attended Laine's investiture, I could still hunt bears deep in the mountains alone. Just a few years later, this year when I went into the mountains again to hunt bears, even before finding a bear, my body couldn't take it, and I had to rest for several days before recovering, so these matters are left to you young folks." Villarld laughed heartily, appearing younger for it: "Of course, if those Beastmen and Green Skin scum dare to invade my territory, I will certainly take the field personally and beat them soundly."
"Mr. Villarld is in his prime, how could you say you're old? We'll handle our affairs ourselves, your assistance is already very much appreciated." Laine stepped in to ease the tension, letting the topic end there. He understood in his heart that Villarld wasn't wrong.
Normal human physical functions begin to decline from the age of thirty, accelerating from the age of forty-five. Advancement should be pursued early; before the age of thirty is the best time to reach the Legendary Tier, and generally after forty-five, it's almost impossible to advance to Legendary.
Villarld's strength was at the Elite Peak, so his decline was slower than the average person. A lord in his fifties has indeed reached the age where he's gradually growing old, and the feeling of powerful capabilities from once-upon-a-time slowly drifting away is indeed unpleasant.
Only those like Laine or Teresa, who have reached the Legendary Tier, experience greatly increased lifespans and physical qualities. Normally, Legendary Tier powerhouses have a lifespan of over one hundred and fifty years; they typically don't begin to age until after a hundred years old, only entering old age after about one hundred and thirty years.