Outnumbered

In the box, Song Lusi was sitting between the two Mo Family retainers. His face was respectful, but he was subtly watching their expressions out of the corner of his eye.

Did they enjoy the 'show' that was being put in front of them?

It was difficult to tell, as neither man wore their emotions on their face. However, he was not dissuaded by his lack of success.

Even the sturdiest wall showed some cracks. He would just keep watching.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

At that moment, Mo Seris began banging from inside of the cabin. The sound was muffled, but audible.

Song Lusi was startled, before he understood what was happening. A strange expression quickly came over his face, before disappearing just as quickly.

The retainer to his left transferred the reins smoothly to one hand, and waved towards the crowd of people.

"These gestures," he started, "they are unnecessary. The thing that is most important to us is that our departure is not delayed, so…"

The retainer did not finish his sentence. The implication was clear, and he was not afraid of the Master Steward misunderstanding. He took hold of the reins with both hands once again.

The retainer did not personally care for the 'honor' any more than Mo Seris did. If the roads were clear, then he would have urged the Demonbeast horses forward, bypassing the procession.

However, they were not clear, and he only considered the bowing people to be a minor inconvenience, nothing more. If Mo Seris had not spoken up, then he would have been content to proceed without mentioning anything.

As matters stood, since the assistant steward wanted to take action, he likewise would not resist.

"Yes, the speed can be increased. Just wait! In one minute, the crowds will be dispersed!" Song Lusi bobbed his head enthusiastically. 

He withdrew a golden talisman from his robes and sent a mental command through it. The Starblood emblem was conspicuous in the corner of the talisman.

It seemed that the new representative had not enjoyed the honor that had been prepared for him.

Song Lusi did not feel any sting from this revelation. After all, he was not the one who proposed sending off the representative with the grand Song procession, nor were the resources from his pockets.

The idea belonged to the Fourth Manager, whom he served. The funding came from the coffers of the vast Song Treasury, and would not be missed.

No doubt, he would receive some scolding for failing to execute the procession properly. Song Lusi was familiar with the principle that 'the failure of the mind is the fault of the hand.' 

However, such scolding was nothing new for the Master Steward. He had risen from the ranks of the lowest of workers, cleaning out stables for a small wage, to his current position. There were few situations that he could not tolerate.

The situation was not wholly without benefit either. As long as he took responsibility, the Fourth Manger would remember his earlier resistance to the idea and value him more.

The retainer who was sitting idly on his right-hand side had heard the conversation that just took place. He looked up and frowned slightly.

Contrarily to the feelings of his companions, he was quietly enjoying himself.

In the Mo Estate, they were all nobodies.

Now, in the Song Manor, they were finally being treated like dignitaries. It was a pleasant feeling, and he was prepared to bask in it for a while. Unfortunately, it was clear that he was outnumbered.

The retainer gazed down at the crowd of people who were preparing to line up.

As he watched, the leaders among them received the new orders. He saw the sudden anxiety on their faces, as they quickly signaled to the rest of the servants.

It was as though the news of a great catastrophe had just arrived. The crowd scrambled wildly. People fled from the road, as though their very lives were in jeopardy. Unsurprisingly, they managed to fully disperse in a matter of seconds.

The path ahead was clear.

He felt a twinge of pity. The basking was over, and it was time to return.

The other retainer whipped the reins, and spurred the Demonbeast horses. With loud neighs, the carriage launched forward. The wind whipped through the hair of the idle retainer, who once again relaxed, his back flat against the box as he reclined in his seat.

At least, it would not be long before they arrived at the Mo Estate.