ã€ŠEpic Of The Demonic Sageã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Seeker Of Fate

    "How much further do we have to go? We won''tst long if this keeps on happening¡­" A man''s tired and slightly pain filled voice spoke.

    "Roy is right Lucius, we have been here for nearly a week now and still haven''t reached the end, our rations are already running low and the mana here is getting more and more unstable." A woman spoke with concern, looking at a man who was busy reading through a notebook.

    The man looked up from the book and one could see the frustration on his face for a moment. But as soon as he sensed the gaze of the woman on his face, he calmed down and a smile appeared on his face instead.

    "It shouldn''t be far. Look¡­" The man said as he pointed up at the roof. The woman looked up along with the five other people that were there.

    "Huh? What is there? Tell me guys, you know I''m the only one who can''t see in dark here." Spoke a short man who was wearing a vest packed with pockets.

    Meanwhile, the eyes of the woman and the other three people glowed faintly as they tried to read the carvings on the roof. The woman squinted as she found herself unable to recognize the words.

    "It''s in ancient Akalian, Michal can you trante it?" The woman asked another man who looked to be wearing a pair of square sses and a utility belt.

    "Of course I can! Even if Lucius here is the best researcher, I''m still the expert at ancient history." Michal said as he adjusted his sses.

    "We know, we know, just read for us now, please." A muscr and tall man that was wearing an armor spoke.

    "O'' seeker of fate, you''vee far and survived the trials. For this, you deserve the reward, but know this that what you seek may not be seeking you." Michal tranted with furrowed brows.

    A silence descended in the dark corridor as the people tried to understand what the words meant. There was darkness everywhere and a normal person would not be able to see anything. But this was not the problem for the people here, for they were nomoners but rather the members of the Great Barrom n.

    The Barrom n was one of the five great powers of the world of Revelia. But that wasn''t all, for the members of the n were all demon worshipers and sourced their magic from hell. Channeling the demonic energies of hell, they could use demonic magic.

    This made them the enemy of nearly half of the world. But they had great power, and even after thousands of years, they stood tall and unyielding. If anything, the endless wars and battles had only made their people more strong.

    And these people that were here in this ruin were notmon members of the n. They were amongst the topmost candidates that were chosen as captains. Each and every one of them had their different specialties that they were experts in.

    But unlike the other four people, Lucius was not a ''true blood'', as they were called. No, rather he was of low birth, having servants as his parents. Yet against all odds and defeating hundreds of others, he had reached his current position.

    ''I need to hurry up or they will figure out the truth. Thankfully, the next chamber should be the right one, but I still need to pick the sacrifices¡­'' Lucius thought as he secretly nced at the four members of his team.

    He couldn''t help but remember the joy that he had felt upon finding the document that pointed to the location of the artifact. Lucius also found it to be extremely ridiculous that the clues to the amulet that the Barrom n had been searching for had been hidden right under their noses.

    The true bloods of the n were far too proud and would never lower themselves to check the libraries of the servant academy. The servant academy was where the new servants of the Barrom n were trained and educated. Each and every adult servant of the Barrom n was required to produce at least ten children in their lifetime.

    Barrom n had arge requirement for servants, as they were pretty much used as disposable people. From assassination to sexual pleasure, the uses for servants were endless. Lucius too had been trained in everything that had been required of a servant, and it was during his time at the academy that he had found out about the relic.

    He had been nning this for about fifteen years now and finally, it wasing to fruition.

    "Now that you all have seen, let''s head further, no need to waste more time," Lucius said.

    "Wait, a minute! I don''t know about you, but that thing written there sounds like a warning." The man named Roy stated.

    "So what?" Lucius asked as he grasped Roy''s shirt. "Did a true blood like you turn a coward now?"

    The expression of others turned tense as they saw the conflict. "Lucius! Control yourself, we can''t afford a fight right now, we need everyone''s abilities to get back out." The woman urged while trying to hold him back.

    "Listen to Mira Lucius, I don''t want to go back empty handed either." The muscr man added.

    Lucius tightened his grip on Roy''s shirt as smoke starteding out of it. "Fine! But one more word and I''ll burn that heart of yours out. You all agreed on this beforehand, I want no more pointless words." He said while letting go of Roy''s shirt, which now had a hole with singed edges in it.

    A tactful silence was followed by everyone as they continued onward. The path in front of them was narrow and a deep chasm could be seen on both its sides. There were no railings or borders to the path, thus if anyone made a mistake they would fall to their deaths.

    While walking, Mira stared at the back of Lucius with aplex expression. She bit her lips slightly before letting out a sigh.

    "Hopefully, we''ll be able to marry once his rank rises¡­" She muttered to herself.

    A gentle smile appeared on her face as she secretly rubbed her stomach. ''I wonder how he''ll reactter¡­'' She thought.

    Meanwhile, Lucius who waspletely unaware of Mira''s thoughts was focused on the wall that had appeared in front of them, making them stop.

    "What now?" Michal questioned.

    "Just wait and watch¡­" Lucius stated before walking up to the wall.

    His fingers glowed in yellow light as he started writing on the wall with it. Everywhere his finger went, yellow letters were left behind. But the writing seemed to beplex, with the characters confusing the minds of others.

    "No¡­ it can''t be¡­" Mira muttered under her breath.

 Chapter 2 - Beginning Of The Conquest

    Five minutes passed by as Lucius kept on writing. The letters were now changed to constructs as he started making some diagrams on the wall as well. While the others didn''t know what he was writing as it was beyond the purview of their knowledge, they could very well see that it was a spell construct.

    The only person here other than Lucius that could somewhat understand what he was writing was none other than Mira. While she wasn''t an expert like Lucius, she still knew about a quarter of what Lucius had learned. Even Lucius was unaware that Mira had learned this secretly.

    She still remembered the day clearly when they had first met. It was the second assignment that she had ever been on, and it had been twelve years since then. It was simr to the one they were doing right now, except with much lower risk and proper supervision from the higher ups of the n.

    Lucius was the only one who was not a true blood in that group and thus received the usual treatment of a low born. Mira though could not be bothered with what others did and only kept to herself focusing on the mission, which was the retrieval of a few tomes that had been stolen.

    Lucius''s position in the team was that of a researcher and would be the one to verify the authenticity of the tomes. The other people in the group were not pleased that a mere low born would be given the position of the researcher and despised him, taking advantage and bullying him every chance that they got.

    But Lucius was not one to take it without fighting back either. He didn''t directly fight them though, no that would be stupidity. The others were not only much stronger than him, but also had a higher rank.

    While the Barrom n was a ce where the strong thrived and suppressed the weak, they still had a set of rules that they followed. Blindly fighting and eliciting enmity would only lead to their doom. One such rule was that while might was right, the n was still the highest priority.

    Thus during missions, while they could bully Lucius, they couldn''t straight up kill him no matter how much they wanted that. Neither could they injure him greatly nor cripple him. Lucius knew these things clearly and took his revenge cleverly, or rather one could even say effortlessly.

    What Lucius did was merely not inform them about the danger that was in front of them. They had casually walked into an area filled with traps and all those that had opposed him hade out injured except for one, Mira.

    He pretended as if he had only discovered the trap after it was activated and blocked it when it was about to harm Mira.

    It was from that day that she had started noticing him. Eventually, they went on more missions and she realized what a smart man he was while also being ruthless. She was after all, a Barrom woman and there was no way she would reject a quality like that in a man.

    Eventually, they got closer and closer and Lucius opened up to her, revealing his ns to her. She knew that he had been looking for the Lost Amulet of Barrom. It was said that it came from the Great Demon King Barrom himself, whom the n was named after.

    But there were very few people that even believed that the amulet existed and only considered it to be a myth now. In the past, hundreds of missions had beenmissioned to find the amulet, but not one hade close to it.

    Yet an unassuming low born like Lucius had discovered the clue to it, that too right under their noses. It had been with the Barrom n all along.

    Still, just this clue was not enough, and they needed to find a lot more documents to cross reference the location of the amulet. Then they had to find more documents to verify those documents. It was a nearly endless cycle of repetition that spanned fifteen years.

    Most people would have given it long ago and would have just epted it that it did not exist and that the clue they had found was merely a mistake. Yet, Lucius believed itpletely, and it was that unyielding personality of his that made Mira fall into love with him.

    It was during that time to read these documents Lucius had to learn a lot of ancientnguages and dialects along with spell scripts. To help speed up the process and to give him a surprise, Mira had started learning them on her own.

    But before she could even reach half of his level, he had alreadypleted his research and had found what he needed. It was a rather bittersweet moment for Mira as the surprise she had prepared for Lucius was wasted, but she was also happy that he had found one of the final clues.

    The true goal of this mission was only known to Mira and Lucius, with the others being in the blind about it. They had been only told that they were here for some lost relics and not for the amulet of Barrom himself.

    That is why Mira was so shocked upon seeing what was being written on the wall. It was aplex spell construct thatbined multiple spell scripts. But the thing that she recognized was a name, ''Ivalos''. This was none other than the true name of the man called Roy.

    True names were assigned to every true blood member of the n at birth and were their source of power. It was their link with hell and each of them was named after a fragment of a demon''s true name. By doing this they would be able to channel demonic energy and mana, allowing them to use demonic magic.

    This was what made the Barrom n one of the strongest in the world.

    But Mira didn''t know how Lucius knew the true name of Roy, even she only knew the name because Roy was technically her cousin by birth. Then she saw the other two names that were written next to it in a triangr construct.

    She couldn''t read the other two but knew that they were true names as well, belonging to Michal and Luke.

 Chapter 3 - Trap

    Lucius kept on writing the letters and drawing the diagrams. Eventually, an hour passed and aplex spell construct was now written on the wall. It glowed with a yellow light the same as Lucius''s fingers and seemed to have a strange power contained within.

    ''Hmm, they all seem to not suspect anything¡­'' Lucius thought while talking a look from the corner of his eyes.

    He couldn''t wait to get to the other side of this wall but knew that he had to be patient. One wrong step and all of his efforts these past fifteen years would go to waste. While he was stronger individuallypared to everyone here, he wouldn''t be able to hold for long if everyone decided to attack him together.

    Lucius knew better than to underestimate the True bloods and their powers. While he had obtained his by hard work and sheer dedication, theirs was simply bestowed upon them by their true name. His heart raced as he imagined the moment he would get hold of the Amulet of Barrom.

    Nearly everyone in the Barrom n from the servants to the leaders knew the legend behind the amulet. Whosoever became the owner of the amulet would instantly be the vessel for the power of the great demon king Barrom and would in turn be the owner of the entire Barrom n.

    This was his true aim and what he had been persevering for these past years.

    ''Now only the final trial remains.'' Lucius thought as he took a nce at Mira.

    Complex emotions stirred within his mind for a moment before immediately being suppressed by his fervor.

    "Alright, everyone get back. There may still be some danger ahead." Lucius warned.

    Hearing his words made Mira calm down, and she realized that she must have just been overthinking. The past week had been harsh for them being inside this ruin. Not to mention that the mana here was unstable, which they were not used to, pushing them to use their own mana to stabilize it.

    The team stepped back and Lucius held out his palms. Then closing his eyes, he focused and poured his mana into the spell construct, activating it.

    ~DENG~

    A loud sound was heard as the spell construct that was drawn on the wall started merging with it. Then the wall started morphing and transformed into a giant door.

    ~Keeeng~

    Another loud sound was heard as the door opened slowly, bit by bit. This spell construct that Lucius had used was the amalgamation of a ton of research. He had actually found out the location of the ruins a long time ago before Mira even knew it. But there was still the ''key'' that was missing.

    He had tried to find the Key, but it was impossible to find now. The few traces of it that he found pointed it to being in one of the forbidden locations all the way across the world, right in the heart of the Tharian theocracy.

    Tharian theocracy was the number one enemy of the Barrom n, and they had been mortal enemies for millenniums now. Lucius would have actually attempted to go there if he had not known that the forbidden area was struck by a spatial disaster over a century ago.

    Anything that was there would have either been utterly pulverized, or lost in the spatial rift.

    "Its¡­ its¡­ opening¡­" Michal uttered with shock.

    Once the door had opened wide enough to let them pass, they continued onward. But just as they stepped past the threshold, a blinding glow appeared.

    "Dammit! What''s that!" Luke cursed.

    Luke was the muscr man and was a specialist in physicalbat. He was also experienced in defensive techniques and thus stood at the front of the team to defend them from unexpected danger.

    A few secondster, when the light dimmed down, they could see countless spell constructs floating in the air, each one moreplex than thest.

    "What is this? This is not as how we expected¡­" Roy said, seeing the spell constructs.

    Except Lucius, all of them felt apprehensive and knew that there was no chance so many spell constructs would be made without a reason.

    "Michal, what are these can you tell? Did we activate a trap?" Mira questioned.

    "No¡­ no¡­ no¡­ this can''t be¡­ these spell constructs... they''re all forbidden!" He yelled, fear showing in his eyes for the first time.

    Upon hearing his revtion everyone''s face turned pale before they looked at Lucius.

    "YOU! This is nothing like what you told us! What kind of a researcher are you? Did you get it all wrong?" Roy yelled.

    Mira was also looking at her lover and feared that what she had thought earlier may have been true.

    "No, I am a hundred percent correct this is right," Lucius said in an almost nonchnt attitude.

    "Then what the fuck are these spell constructs that look like they can eliminate an entire army?" Luke questioned, feeling incredibly angry.

    The one rule of expeditions like this was to fully know about the location or ruin they were heading to. There were always traps in them and going without preparation was incredibly foolish. The duty of a researcher in a team was this, to ensure that everything was known.

    But Lucius had vited this very basic duty.

    Lucius lifted his right hand and drew a spell construct.

    ~Shing~

    "Minyos!" He said out loud, which utterly shocked Luke.

    "HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?" Luke yelled madly.

    "What does he mean?" Roy asked, feeling confused before he remembered the meaning of the word.

    "Is that¡­" he gasped.

    "TELL ME WHY DO YOU KNOW MY TRUE NAME? Luke shouted before rushing towards Lucius, his body glowing in red and veins bulging all over.

    It was evident that he had activated his magic, but s¡­ it was toote.

    Lucius flicked his hand and ropes made out of mana materialized, binding Luke up in an instant, pulling him up into the air.

    Roy and Michal realized that they had just been betrayed and readied their spells.

    "Ivalos!" Lucius said, binding up Roy.

    "Nikpodon!" He said next, binding Michal as well.

    Meanwhile, Mira could only watch in horror as her beloved strung up theirpanions and fellow nsmen.

    "Lucius¡­ why?"

 Chapter 4 - Most Powerful Woman In The World

    Lucius looked up at the three men that were being held up in the air with ropes made out of pure mana. He wouldn''t have been able to do something like this had it not been for him knowing their True names. In fact, he had chosen these three men as his team members after a couple of years of selection.

    The three of them had thought that it was a co-incidence that they had met during their first mission together four years ago¡­ but it was not so. Everything was fully coordinated by Lucius and even Mira didn''t know. To make sure the n went effortlessly Lucius had to make sure that even Mira was unaware.

    After that, he had to make the three of them learn some things that would be needed for the mission that they were in right now. All these years he had been ever so slightly prodding them on a specific path little by little.

    Lucius looked down upon hearing the voice of his lover.

    "Please Lucius¡­ don''t do this¡­ the n will not¡­ let us live if they find out¡­" Mira said with difficulty.

    For Mira, this was the harshest situation she had been in and the decision she had to make for it was even harsher. On one side was her lover who she had spent years with and was going the bear a child with, on the other side was her n and these nsmen.

    The loyalty to the Barrom n was one of the most basic things that were ingrained into the soul of every true blood member of the n. This was mostly due to the True Name that they were bestowed with, which made them feel closer to the n more than anything.

    "Ahaha¡­" Luciusughed after hearing Mira''s words as he couldn''t help but find them ridiculous.

    "Mira, you''ve spent years with me and you still doubt my actions?" He asked while waving his left hand moving the three men.

    In the hall, three pirs suddenly rose up. The three pirs were engraved with numerous runes most of which would have been illegible had it not been for the mana that was flowing through them. The runes glowed red with a faint ck outline.

    Mira didn''t look at the pirs as she couldn''t take off her eyes from the father of her unborn child.

    "I¡­ I know. But still, I thought we came here for the Amulet! Not this¡­" She said trembling.

    She didn''t know why but the magic within her was stirring as if responding to something. Mira thought that it was just the unstable mana in the environment but then realized that she had unconsciously stopped suppressing her magic a couple of minutes ago.

    ''Wait what¡­ the mana here¡­ ITS PURE DEMONIC ENERGY!'' Mira realized and her eyers went wide.

    A knowing smile appeared on Lucius''s face as he tilted his head.

    "So you finally realize," Lucius said before turning around and looking at the three pirs.

    He controlled the three bound men and floated them over to each of the pirs before cing them on it. The three of them were totally bound from head to toe with mana ropes with not an inch of their skin visible. They couldn''t speak nor could they see.

    If the restrictive power of the ropes wasn''t so Strong, one would have been able to see that the three of them were trembling in sheer terror. While Mira was feeling the pure power of Demonic energy, the three men were feeling somethingpletely different.

    It was as if thousands of knives were ced against their bodies, ready to pierce them at any time.

    "Now¡­ witness the glory of true power!" Lucian proimed.

    He waved his hands creating more runes in the air and the spell constructs started to activate one after the other.

    "O'' keeper of fate! I Lucius Barrom offer you Minyos, Ivalos and Nikpodon. As has been decreed in the scriptures, I fulfill my end of the bargain and I ask you to do the same." Lucius requested.

    As soon as he finished speaking, the three bound men as if under a massive force were crushed. The ropes kept on tightening until a finely minced mix of blood and sh was squeezed out. This spilled onto the pirs and was quickly absorbed.

    ~Humm~

    A humming sound was heard as the pirs started shaking. The red runes changed and fully turned ck in color. Then on the other side of the hall, a five sided tform appeared from the ground. There was an inverted pentagram drawn on it with runes written at the vertices.

    Mira couldn''t see what had exactly happened to the three men due to the pirs blocking her line of sight, but she was definitely able to hear the squelching sound.

    ~Blegh~

    She quickly held her mouth suppressing the bile that was rising from her throat. While she had borne witness to much more gruesome sights, seeing herpanions die like this without struggling was still a big blow to her. But her nausea wasn''t just because of that, but because of the menacing demonic energy that was nowing from the five sided pentagram.

    After the five sided tform was raised, the three pirs glowed even brighter before a beam of light was shot out from each of them. The three beams collided at the five sided tform and created a loud sound.

    ~Boom~

    "Wh-what! What is that! No¡­ it can''t be, can it? A hell portal!" Mira said feeling utterly shocked.

    "Yes, you got that right," Lucius confirmed.

    He then started walking towards the hell portal that was slowly being formed. Mira followed behind him, now fascinated by the hell portal. The faint wisps of demonic energy that wereing from the portal were incrediblyfortable to her.

    While she had seen hell portals before, this one was something different.

    "Do you now know why we needed to sacrifice them?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes¡­ No wonder the n could never find the Amulet of Barrom even after thousands of years. It was never in this world in the first ce!" Mira said understanding it all.

    "Now then my love, would you like to be the most powerful woman in the world?" Lucius whispered, his breath tickling Mira''s ear.

 Chapter 5 - Betrayal

    Mira had never expected Lucius to say something like this. She knew what he meant by this, he was letting her take hold of the Amulet first.

    Just from this Mira couldn''t help but feel her love deepen for Lucius. She knew how much this entire ordeal meant to Lucius; it was his fifteen years of work, his only goal in life, his very conquest. For him, it was everything to obtain this amulet, yet he was allowing her to get it first.

    ''He trusts me so much¡­ willing to sacrifice even this¡­'' Mira thought to herself.

    She smiled gently as she looked at the Amulet of Barrom that was manifesting in front of them. The amulet in question was rather mundane looking, it didn''t even have a peculiar shape. It was a in circr amulet that didn''t even have any inscriptions on it.

    Had it not been for the massive amount of demonic energy contained within it and the fluctuationsing off from it, Mira would have doubted that it was the mythic artifact that the Barrom n had been looking for.

    "Who would have thought something so powerful would be so¡­ ordinary looking," Mira muttered as she extended her hand towards the amulet.

    ~Humm~

    A humming sound was heard as Mira''s hand held onto the Amulet of Barrom. She could instantly feel the demonic energy pouring into her body, restoring its stores of magic and also healing the injuries she had sustained during this mission.

    "This is¡­ just¡­ amazing¡­" Mira uttered between the pleasure.

    But then she suddenly heard something that shook her soul.

    "Nitey¡­" Lucius uttered.

    Mira could feel a foreign power assault her senses as her magic was being suppressed. The pleasure she was feeling from the Amulet''s power was now turned into sheer pain.

    "AAAAAAH!" Mira screamed.

    Her face turned red and veins appeared in her eyes as she tried to fight against the power assaulting her.

    She looked at Lucius, who was creating runes in the air and forming spell constructs. Mira could sense that the power that was assaulting her came from none other than from her lover Lucius.

    "WHYYYY!!!" She yelled, while her heart broke to pieces.

    She had never expected him to betray her at this moment. Not when she held the amulet in her hand.

    "Because my love¡­ that is not the true power of the amulet¡­ there is still one more seal to go." He said while continuing on his task.

    Mira finally understood that she was part of his n all along. It was not his love or generosity because of which he had allowed her to obtain the Amulet of Barrom. No, rather it was because he knew something more, something that he kept from her.

    "YOU! After all these years! The things that we went through! The memories we shared! Do they mean nothing to you?" Mira questioned with anger.

    "I have always been honest with you. You''ve known what I am like, so why are you shocked now?" Lucius stated calmly.

    Mira only became more enraged after hearing his answer. She knew what he had said was right, she had seen him sacrifice hispanions, yet she thought that she would be the exception for him. Mira thought that his love made her the focal point, but that was utterly wrong.

    He had always been using her. Now that she recalled those events that they went through, those conflicts, and how she used to make more time for him, sacrificed for him just so that he could progress; all of them were his machinations.

    While Mira was going through her memories, Lucius was busy making the new spell constructs. The Amulet of Barrom would appear like a mundane looking artifact as he had calcted. It needed to be processed once again with another True Blood soul to make it show its true form.

    This was the final test that the Ruins had for the seeker of the Amulet. If the seeker took the amulet just like that, while he would get power for a while, it would be limited by a great amount and the curse of the amulet would also activate.

    To resolve all of this, Lucius needed to sacrifice another person and there was only one whose true name he knew, Mira or Nitey. She had in fact told him her True name herself a long time ago as a sign of trust. Lucius had asked her back then what she would do if he were to ever betray her.

    At that time, her answer made himugh.

    "If you really betrayed me, I would just think it was worth it."

    But now that was the very thing that was happening. He was sacrificing her for what he felt it was worth.

    Lucius was nearly done with everything when the Amulet finally started changing its form. From its in circr form, it transformed into an inverted pentagram. Its metallic form changed to a crystalline one, and the powering from it increased as well.

    A red glow ignited in the amulet and Lucius smiled upon seeing it.

    "Finally¡­" He muttered with relief.

    Mira was still stuck there, frozen in her position as she looked at him with spite in her eyes. Lucius extended his hand to take the amulet from Mira''s hand. But then¡­

    "NOO! You''re not getting this. Not after all that we''ve been through." Mira said as she suddenly grasped his hand in a tight grip.

    Lucius was startled by this, as he had not expected her to be able to move. Not to mention her strong grip that was like a vice pressing upon a sheet of metal.

    "Since you want this amulet for power that would make you the strongest in the world, I''ll take that away from you," Mira said, hatred dripping from her voice like venom off a snake''s fang.

    "NO! What are you doing!" Lucius shouted, now feeling afraid.

    He didn''t know why his spell constructs were not restraining her anymore. Even if the power of the amulet was less than its full potential, that was still enough to kill a few million people with ease, not to mention Lucius here alone.

    ''Where did I go wrong? Which calction was it?'' Lucius thought in his mind.

    But in the real world, Mira continued speaking.

    "I Nitey, sacrifice Ziyor my unborn to the Great Demon King Barrom. In exchange, may the soul of Lucius be forever unable to gain power in this world."

 Chapter 6 - Bargain

    As soon as the first few words came out of Mira''s mouth, Lucius knew what she was about to do. He could feel the determination that wasced with madness in her voice and could tell that she had lost her sense of self. The moment Mirapleted her deration, Lucius could feel the control he had on her weaken.

    "AARGH!" Lucius grunted as he recoiled from the bacsh.

    He had been controlling multiple spell constructs at the same time, which was quite difficult and taxing on his mind. If he had lost control of such arge number normally, it would have been enough to destroy his body. But thankfully, while he was controlling the spell constructs, he wasn''t actually supplying them with his own mana.

    About 95% of the entire load was on the native runes that were carved in this hall and the ancient spell constructs that were integrated into them. Lucius had merely modified them enough using a few adjunct spell constructs, so that he could turn them into a new functioning spell matrix.

    "Dammit! What part went wrong? How can she resist the control?" Lucius questioned in frustration.

    Mira had gone silent after her speaking her part, and the power that was filling her had also started dissipating. But it didn''t disappear into the air, rather it was starting to condense back into the Amulet of Barrom.

    Lucius saw the mana patterns that were appearing and realized that the sacrificial spell that Mira had used wasplete. He could only curse his luck that he was in the dark about Mira being pregnant.

    ''If I knew about this beforehand, I would have been able to figure out a different approach. It was that unborn child which prevented my restraints from working, and now it''s that very unborn child that is the fuel for the curse.'' Lucius quickly analyzed.

    When Lucius had made the restraints, they were only made to handle a single True blood at a time. He not only needed to know their True name but also their mana signature. And because the unborn child was unknown to him, the restraining spell had been unable to exert its full power as it was not restraining one, but two True Bloods.

    ''Looks like the sacrificial spell took all of her effort to cast¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as the weakness washed over him and he copsed on his knees.

    ~woosh~

    The Demonic energy started stirring as the Amulet of Barrom drew on more mana. The body of Mira started shriveling at a visible rate as the Amulet drew everything that she had. Finally, the beautiful and graceful Mira faded away into dust, leaving behind a curse as her final words.

    ~HONG~

    A loud noise was heard as the Amulet of Barrom floated up in the air and glowed with a deadly light. Lucius estimated that the amount of demonic energy that it had within it would be enough to rip this world in half if it went berserk.

    No artifact in the world was as strong as the Amulet of Barrom currently. Lucius was powerless to stop it and was unable to do anything right now. His magic had already been stripped by the Amulet, as part of the curse.

    ~Sigh~

    "All that effort¡­ all for nothing¡­" Lucius muttered in an unwilling tone.

    Then suddenly he shouted, "NOO! I HAVE FULFILLED MY END OF THE BARGAIN! I DEMAND IT! IN THE HONOR OF BARROM!"

    The spell contracts in the hall started glowing again and the runes flickered, as if uncertain whose orders to follow.

    Everything seemed to have frozen in time for a moment before a booming voice was heard.

    "A bargain has been fulfilled and a bargain has been paid. A bargain once paid cannot be returned, but another bargain shall be bnced against it." The voice said.

    Lucius felt his heart stop as soon as the sound was heard. He could feel the sheer power in it and knew that if it were tomand anyone to do something, they would have to do it. It had a power topel souls, the likes of which he had never seen, but had only read about in ancient tomes.

    Lucius reckoned that even the Supreme Pontiff of the Tharian Theocracy may have to obey the will of that voice.

    ~HWA~

    The next second after the voice disappeared, Lucius felt a strong gust of wind hitting his back. He turned his head with great difficulty and saw something that shocked his very core.

    "This¡­ it can''t be¡­" Lucius uttered in disbelief.

    The thing in front of him was a portal, but this one was different than the hell portal that he had seen previously. There was only absolute darkness behind that portal and an eerie aura emanating from it. Unlike the hell portal which had a powerful presence, this portal seemed rather weak.

    But Lucius knew that it was something that was not only rarer than a hell portal, but also countless times stronger.

    A few years ago, he hade across an ancient ruin that had some fragments of documents in them. They spoke of a ce called the Grand Void. It was said that the Grand Void was a realm beyond even the hell dimension and contained everything in this universe and even the things beyond it.

    Lucius had not believed it till now and had just thought that whoever wrote those documents mistook an abnormal spatial rift for something like that. But now that he matched the characteristics described in the documents, he couldn''t help but feel that it was all true.

    ~DENG~

    ~SHATTER~

    A loud explosion was heard as the Amulet Of Barrom shattered and a massive wave of energy came out of it. The energy struck Lucius''s body, reducing it to atoms in less than a second. Lucius didn''t feel anything, yet he could feel that he still existed.

    "What¡­ is¡­ this¡­" Lucius said, but no voice came.

    His body was gone, yet he was still there, but with no sight, no vision and no hearing.

    "The first bargain is fulfilled, now you shall fulfill the other bargainer''s debt." The voice spoke again, this time directly in his mind.

 Chapter 7 - The Thousand Threads

    Lucius felt his mind shatter into pieces and didn''t know what happened. The power of the voice had condemned him into a strange state which was indescribable to him. He felt as if a thousand threads had been bound to him and were pulling him all at the same time.

    His soul was pulled backwards into the portal, this he could somewhat tell. But when it entered the portal, he felt as if his vision had returned. But he wasn''t actually ''seeing'' in the normal sense, but rather it was as if he directly ''perceived'' it in his soul.

    Lucius was being pulled by the thousand threads into a random direction. At first, all of the threads were pulling him together in the same ce but after a certain point, their strengths and forces started to change. When all of them were pulling together, Lucius could only see absolute darkness.

    There were no objects in this ce, and neither was there air. Lucius reckoned that if someone came into this ce, they would probably be atomized in an instant. The environment here was a bit like the outer space, but even the outer space was much milder than this.

    Lucius could still feel as if something was passing over his soul, as if water touching his skin. It was almost as if he was in a river and was fully submerged. He could feel the current of water, but he couldn''t do anything about it.

    One of the threads pulling him suddenly got stronger, and he was sent hurling in a new direction. One the way there he saw things that blew his mind. Creatures of myths that he had only heard about. It was as if he was seeing them as a movie and could only observe them.

    An unknown amount of time passed before the pull of that thread got weaker and another thread took over.

    ~Swoosh~

    Lucius was now thrown in another direction, this time he could see new things. There was a massive sea that was bigger than anything he had ever see. It was as if an entire that was only covered with water. Yet on them floated giant inds.

    He focused on them and found that they were moving. Then arge mountain appeared from the corner of one of the inds. But that wasn''t a mountain but rather a head, a head of a colossal turtle. It had huge ck eyes that roamed around as its mouth opened to swallow the air.

    The turtle seemed to be eating the air and that seemed to be its food. The more air it ate, the more the trees and nts on its back grew. He observed them for what seemed like years before another thread started pulling him.

    This time the ce he was taken to was horrifying. There were eldritch beings everywhere that had no set shape or size. Creaturesposed of tentacles that had nails for teeth and scales for skin. Thousands of mouth that would eat anything and everything that approached them.

    Lucius actually recognized some of the beings as being regarded as apocalyptic ranked monsters. There was once a time in the world of Revelia that it was attacked by one of these Monsters. It was one of the handful of times where all of the powers of the world united to defeat it.

    But even then it wasn''t killed, but rather just pushed back to the ce that it hade from. Still, the damage that it had caused was massive and about half of the poption of the world had perished due to it. Lucius looked at these very creatures with horror and imagined what it would be like.

    If only a single one of them was enough to destroy half of the world''s poption then what would an entire army of them would do. The most terrifying thing was, it wasn''t even the strongest monster here. There were monsters a few thousand times bigger than them that would pinch his previous world in their nails.

    Just as Lucius felt like he was about to go insane, the thread''s pull became weaker and he was pulled in another direction. By now Lucius had understood that these ''directions'' he was going through were actually different dimensions themselves.

    Lucius had read the theory behind spatial travel, teleportation, and magic portals in his past life. While he was only an expert on hell portals and demonic portals, he still knew a bit about dimensional shifting that he was going through right now.

    The powers of his world had tried something like this, but had only failed in their every venture. The most they could do was teleportation and using demonic portals. Hell portals were also usable, but they were mostly unidirectional for humans.

    Lucius observed the new dimension that he was reaching and saw something which he could only describe as ''Heaven''. A scenery of impable beauty and serenity, such that even a cold heart such as was getting entranced by it.

    There were rivers that flowed like milk and honey with trees filled with the bounty of nature. But before he could watch it anymore, he was ripped from it and sent to a different dimension. He traveled to one dimension after the other, seeing and experiencing things that no one from his world had ever seen.

    Lucius saw worlds that were so technologically advanced that people there were no less than gods. He saw worlds filled with magic that had a myriad of races living in it. Races that he had only heard of in fairy tales before.

    But the worlds that made him confused the most were the worlds where the level of power waspletely messed up. People could destroy mountains with a causal punch and tear open space with a flick of a hand. They would travel upon flying swords andmand mystical creatures such as dragons and phoenixes, as if they were somemon pets.

    It was during one of these worlds that he suddenly found himself to be stuck. But the strange thing was, he wasn''t inside the world itself, but rather a section of the Grand Void itself. There he saw a colossal ash colored throne on which sat a person.

    It was wearingrge hooded robes that covered its face. The being seemed to have noticed him and stared into his eyes. But Lucius saw that there was nothing underneath that robe but a swirling mass of darkness and light that seemed like a gxy.

    The person raised their arm towards him and did a gesture that could only seem as if someone was pointing at him. It was this gesture that froze him in ce. No other being had been able to see him till now, and this was the only one that did.

    "What¡­ are¡­ you?" Lucius spoke after what must have been eons.

    "No¡­ rather the question is¡­ what are you?" The hooded person spoke in a voice that was neither feminine nor masculine. In fact, Lucius felt as if it was thousands of people speaking at the same time.

    "Oh? Now I see¡­ an outsider¡­ and what''s this? Fate¡­ not my ce to interfere then, go on." The person said, before waving his hand and sending Lucius hurtling off again.

 Chapter 8 - A Single Thread

    Lucius could barely understand what had happened there, but he realized one thing. Whatever or whoever that person was, it was the most powerful being he had seen till now. If they could make notice him and make him stop like that, then they were quite certainly beyond his understanding.

    Lucius''s travel continued as he saw more worlds. Now he had reached a world that was perhaps the most familiar to him. It looked exactly like what hell did. Lucius did not know if this was the main dimension of hell or one of the thousand minor ones.

    But looking at the demons and rivers ofva that flowed, he was pretty sure it was hell. He could recognize each and every demon that he saw there. From the lowly Imp demons to Cerberus all the way torge me demons that were made out of solid mes.

    Lucius saw the mountains in which the stronger demons lived in. They would eat and kill the smaller demons while procreating with the ones that they found attractive. He kept on looking and eventually found a demon that looked the most different from the others.

    It was much smaller than the others, being the size of a normal human adult, yet the power exuding from him was much greater than any other. Lucius could tell that this was nomon demon, but rather a demon lord. The demon lord looked down at the demons below that wereing towards his territory and opened his wings.

    He flew above them and dropped what looked like concentrated orbs of demonic energy. They worked like bombs and decimated the army of demons. This was a true demonic war.

    Lucius couldn''t help butpare it with the Magic and Powers that they used in the Barrom n and found them to be inferior.

    Perhaps only the higher ups of the Barrom n could wield a power like this. Lucius went on to see countless more demons and saw how their world worked. He learned more in a few hours than he did in his entire life researching them.

    He even discovered that a lot of theories that they had in the world of Revelia were false and some were partially incorrect.

    Lucius spent quite a while in this dimension before moving towards another one. At this point, he had lost count and didn''t know how many hundred dimensions had passed by.

    More time passed by as he suddenly felt the threads that were attached to him breaking.

    ~Snap~

    ~Snap~

    ~Snap~

    One by one they would break until only one single thread was left. Seeing that the influence of the other threads was no longer there, this thread started pulling him towards a new dimension. Perhaps it was because the power of this thread was the weakest that it only acted now, or maybe it was just a random chance.

    But this time Lucius felt that he was getting much more close to the dimension than he had thought. Unlike before, when he just passed by them, he was directly heading into one. The world kept expanding in front of his eyes and before he could even react he was sent forward and crashed into something.

    Yet no noise, as such was made as Lucius was but merely an incorporeal soul¡­ or so he thought until the pain hit him.

    "Ugh!¡­" Lucius groaned and felt pain all over his body.

    ''A body? What am I thinking¡­ I don''t have a body anymore¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    ~Swish~

    ''Huh, what was that I heard¡­ WAIT! HEARD?'' Lucius realized.

    It was as if something had flown over him very fast. He tried to see if he could control his eyes and felt that he did have eyes, actual physical eyes. Lucius used all his strength he could gather and opened his eyes.

    "A spear¡­?" Lucius muttered soundlessly.

    The moment he had opened his eyes, a saw a spear flying over his head. It was as if the spear was moving at a very slow speed, but Lucius could tell that it was merely an illusion due to his sense working extremely fast.

    ~Drip~

    As the spear passed over his head, he could see something dropping from its de. It was crimson red in color and dripped onto his forehead and his mouth, which he had unconsciously opened. He closed his eyes after that as he felt it as hard as lifting a mountain to keep them open.

    But when his vision darkened, another one of his senses returned. He felt the warm and iron like taste of the blood on his tongue. It was the blood that had dropped into his mouth.

    Because of this incident though, he realized that only a couple of his senses could work at the same time. His sense touch was active all the time and along with that, he could use one other sense. At first, he used his vision and then his sense of taste.

    ''Seems like I need to choose one to use. Vision seems too hard and taste is useless. That leaves me smell and hearing.'' Lucius thought.

    Even his thinking seemed to have gotten much slower than before when he was just a soul. It was as if he was wading through thick mud and his thoughts would be weighed down by them. Lucius was now starting to miss the instantaneous thoughts he had as a soul.

    He first tried to use a sense which seemed to be the easier one to use, his sense of smell. It took him a couple of attempts before he was sessfully able to activate it.

    ''Sulfur? No¡­ gunpowder. Blood¡­ that''s definitely blood. Smoke from burning wood? No, it''s mixed with something¡­ something more pungent. And what''s this¡­ barbecued meat?'' Lucius tried to identify the mixture of smells that were currently roiling in his nose.

    It seemed to be a tough challenge for his mind to separate them into individual scents and identify them, but eventually, he was able to do it. There was smoke from burning gunpowder and wood. A blood scent that came from corpses and an aroma that could only be described as barbecued meat.

    Combining these different smells, Lucius figured out that the ce that he was currently in was quite possibly a battlefield. And seeing the strong smell of gunpowder, he could tell that it was an old and obsolete form.

    ''Let''s try the sense of hearing now, shall we.'' Lucius thought to himself, manually directing his thoughts in the right direction.

 Chapter 9 - Asher

    It took Lucius a lot more effort than he had expected to use his hearing. He didn''t know if it was due to an injury or something but only one of his ears seemed to be working. His left ear gave no sensation while his right one was picking up some faint sounds.

    ''Seems like I may be deaf in the left ear now¡­ seeing as this is most likely a battlefield and this body seems difficult to move, it is probably broken in more ways than I thought. Though a proper assessment of the injuries would need to be done, or I would have a lot of problems.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    All Lucius could hear right now was the sound of wind blowing. His sense of touch was still working, which told him that his body was lying on something hard, like a t nk or a table. But when hebined all of the information that he got from his sense, he was able to paint a picture of the current scenario.

    ''So I''m most likely in a battlefield, probably in a small open trench. The smell of actively burning flesh, wood, and fire confirms that part. Though the most strange part is the silence, is the battle over or not yet? But if it isn''t over yet, then what was that spear I saw a while ago?'' Lucius analyzed.

    He wanted to think more and understand his current situation, but his current body seemed to disagree with him. A wave of weakness washed over him and he was unable to maintain his consciousness.

    ~Sigh~

    ''Seems like I have no choice but to leave it to luck¡­'' Lucius thought after sighing internally.

    Bit by bit, his thoughts slowed down, like mud hardening after a rainstorm, and his consciousness faded.

    An unknown amount of time passed before a streak of pain awakened Lucius again.

    ''GAH! What is that?'' Lucius thought to himself.

    His chest was burning, and he felt as if a ming red knife was cutting into his flesh. He wanted to clench his teeth in pain but found it impossible. Unable to do anything, he bore the entire thing in silence. Fortunately or unfortunately, his consciousness started fading away again and he fell into a deep slumber.

    More time passed and Lucius awakened again, but this time due to arge amount of movement that was happening. He could feel that he was now lying on a semi soft surface, as if someone had spread a thin quilt over a table.

    The surface would shake every so often, almost in a rhythmic manner.

    ''Hmm¡­ a makeshift bed? But what''s the movement?'' Lucius wondered.

    He tried to use his other sense and picked the sense of hearing to know more. He wanted to try to see but could feel that his head was currently covered with a tightly wrapped cloth. The kind that was probably used as a bandage.

    ~Clip~Clop~

    ~Clip~Clop~

    ~Clip~Clop~

    Lucius could hear a rhythmic sound that he could only identify to belong to that of a horse.

    ''Huh, so I''m on a horse drawn cart. ~Sniff~ Hmm¡­ no more burning smell, so I should not be at the battlefield anymore. Okay, that''s a good start, but the danger does not end here. Depending on where I''m being taken, I may as well be good as dead.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    As soon as he realized that he was on a horse drawn cart, Lucius knew that he was in a rtively old period. The use of spears, inbination with the olden style gunpowder and the horse cart made him think that he was in a world that was still in the medieval period, or somewhere near it.

    It was now that Lucius suddenly realized something.

    ''Wait! If I''m being taken somewhere on a horse cart, then there should be someone driving it. Why can''t I hear them? Even if there''s no one driving it, there should be someone else guiding the horse or walking along with it. What is this strange silence?'' Lucius thought.

    He focused his hearing but was still unable to hear anything. After multiple attempts, he gave up as his consciousness started to weaken again and he fell asleep.

    The next time he woke up, Lucius could feel something lying on top of him. It was soft, and even the surface below him was soft.

    ''Looks like I''ve reached whatever destination I was heading towards. I''m most definitely lying on a bed.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Just as he was thinking this, he felt something touching his mouth. It was warm and soft, making him alert. His lips were opened and he could feel a warm liquid being dropped into his mouth. The amount of the liquid was quite small, being only a spoonful.

    Lucius instantly activated his sense of taste and identified the liquid to be water.

    ''No wonder I didn''t feel thirsty, even after all this time. Someone has been feeding me water.'' Lucius understood.

    A minuteter, his lips were opened again and another liquid was poured into his mouth. This time the liquid was a bit thicker and on tasting it Lucius found it to be a bit sweet.

    ''Hmm¡­ is this some kind of porridge?'' He wondered.

    He was slowly fed about a cupful of porridge along with in water at sufficient intervals. Lucius was still able to control his ability to swallow thus had no problem getting the nutrition.

    He tried to open his eyes and still found it to be impossible due to them being covered with a bandage. Seeing that this was useless, he activated his sense of hearing.

    ~Thud~

    ~lock~

    But the moment he activated that all he could hear was the sound of a door closing and itstch being locked.

    ''Looks like I''ll have to wait.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Unlike before, he was able to maintain his consciousness for much longer before falling asleep.

    Lucius awakened after a few hours after feeling something warm and wet being rubbed on him. He instantly activated his hearing and heard a few words.

    "You need to recover, Asher. This family depends on it!"

 Chapter 10 - Inanis

    Lucius could instantly realize what was happening currently. The wet and warm touch and the loving words that were spoken. It was obvious that someone that knew him¡­ or rather the body he was currently in and was giving him a sponge bath.

    ''So this body''s name is Asher¡­ Hmm, did I forcefully take over its soul? Doesn''t seem like it. Or¡­ did I take over a dead body?'' Lucius thought.

    He went over all the soul theories he had read and learned in his past life and checked for all signs of possession. In his past world, the demonic magic could be used to take control over others'' bodies and souls. Thus this was a highly researched topic and even Lucius had learned it despite not being his main field.

    But when he learned that to get to the Amulet of Barrom he would have to make soul sacrifices, Lucius gave it his all to learn about soul theory. He went through every check mark before determining that he had taken over a dead body and that the original soul of this body had already passed away.

    Taking over a dead body was actually many times difficult than to take over another soul''s body. There were many conditions that needed to be fulfilled such as the body beingpatible, its soul capacity matching the capacity of the person who was taking it over and that it needed to have died very recently.

    Depending on thepatibility, the requirement on time of death could be anywhere from less than a second, all the way to an entire day. Another thing that needed to be ensured was that the body was in a good condition. Bodies that were damaged would hamper the soul that was talking over, and even if it was healedter, the soul would not be able to gain total control over it and would be slower.

    Lucius was in this very condition currently. He had taken over the body of someone who was greatly injured and had his bones broken. The reason for Lucius being unable to use multiple senses at once was also this. His soul was rejecting the body and thus could only operate a few senses at once.

    Lucius knew of methods to rectify these problems, of course, but the even bigger problem was that he couldn''t sense any mana here. The entirety of his research and skills were based on the existence of mana, and without it, he could do nothing.

    But Lucius didn''t freak out, and neither did he lose hope. There were some other ways that he could still figure out once he got a bit better. He had seen countless worlds before he reached here and had learned a lot of new things that he could apply.

    ''Just to wait and recover now¡­ though I wonder who this person is? From the voice, I can definitely tell it is a woman, probably in her mid tote thirties.'' Lucius guessed.

    But when he sensed the texture of the hands, he felt them to be a bit rough and calloused.

    ''She isn''t averse to manual work and has probably done it for a while. Considering that this may be a medieval world, perhaps she''s a peasant.'' Lucius analyzed.

    A few minutester, the bath was finished and the woman left the room. After she had spoken those few words to Lucius, he had not heard any more words from her. It was as if she hadpletely fallen silent or was suppressing herself.

    ''Looks like I''ll have to spend more time till I can recover. Though have the bandages removed on my eyes would be good.'' Lucius thought before falling asleep again.

    More time passed and he had finally gained a semnce of understanding. He learned that the person feeding and bathing him was a servant. He had first thought that she was perhaps rted to this body, but it was not so. He only found this out when he had heard another voice talking in the room.

    This voice belonged to a woman too, but it was a bit more older.

    "How is my child, Kiana?" The woman who was possibly the mother of Asher spoke.

    "He is feeding well madam and his wounds are also better than normal. I''ve seen him move at times on his own and it looks like it won''t be long before he gains consciousness." The woman named Kiana answered.

    ~Sigh~

    "Oh, how I dread that day. Why did he have to go and participate in the battle? I never forced him, and neither did his father." Asher''s mother said in a sad tone.

    "I''ve seen lord Asher''s determination all these years, madam. Even though he was unfortunate and was not bestowed with a gift, he still decided to gain his reputation through martial skills. He didn''t want to be called a useless lord that only seeded because he was the only heir.

    He wanted to gain merits and make his own name in the battles. He wanted to fight against Gisir''s army and return with honor¡­" The servant named Kiana said, her voice getting lighter at the end as if she was close to crying.

    "This foolish child! I dare someone to call him useless a useless heir. I shall have them strung up by their guts! He is the future Lord of the Etara! He is the future lord of the Inanis family!" The woman dered.

    Lucius could feel the traits of majesty in her voice and could tell that this woman had gone through a lot. Her words also confirmed the doubts he had about his identity.

    ''Seems like I was lucky enough to take over the body of a noble, the Inanis family. This should help me on the financial side and even the literary side. Though what is this ''gift'' she was talking about? Did she mean it in the normal sense or something else?'' Lucius thought.

    Soon the two women went away and Lucius was left alone with his thoughts, drifting away into sleep.

 Chapter 11 - Seeing Again

    Nearly a month had passed since Lucius had arrived in this ce, which was the castle of the Inanis family. Lucius had learned quite a lot of things while he was lying there and listened to the conversations that happened.

    Mostly it was just Kiana the maid and his mother talking. But asionally a few other servants would also drop by, along with a few friends of Asher. Another thing he learned was that his father was currently absent from the castle.

    Lord Gabriel Inanis was the Count of thend of Etara. He was a rtively powerful noble that served the king. Lucius had not been able to know what kingdom he was in, but did learn that it was currently fighting a war against another kingdom called Gisir.

    The Land of Etara was located near the border of the kingdom, and the battlefield was about four hundred kilometers from this location. It had been about eleven months since the war had started, and now both parties were getting tired of it.

    Both of them had lost a lot of their men and were now deliberating on an armistice.

    Lucius had a lot of questions and could not wait to obtain their answers. Thankfully, his new body had been healing well and now it was close to done¡­ at least as much as it was possible.

    He felt the touch of Kiana on his body and he activated his hearing.

    "Asher, the healer is here to take a look." Kiana spoke.

    "Miss, are you sure that he can hear you? Thest time I checked, he was still unresponsive." The healer spoke.

    Lucius could tell from his voice that the man was possibly in his fifties.

    "I believe that he can hear me and that''s all that matters. Why don''t you check up on his injuries and tell me how he''s faring?" Kiana replied.

    "Yes, I want to see it myself too." Asher''s mother Lita spoke.

    Lita had just entered the room after hearing that the healer had arrived. It had be hard to call the healer due to the war going on, and they had been waiting for him for a long time now. In fact, it had been a month.

    Lucius understood that this was the healer that had tended to his injuries back on the battlefield and had nowe to check up on him.

    "Have you been feeding him the medicines I asked of you?" The healed asked.

    "Yes, without fail. Asher has been eating his medicine as well as his food properly even though he''s unconscious." Kiana answered.

    "That''s a good sign. Perhaps he really is not unconscious and is merely unable to speak and move." The healed said.

    His words calmed down the two women, but also incited a bit of worry upon hearing that he may be mute and paralyzed now. The healer moved closer to Asher and put his hands on his body. Lucius felt the pressure on him and then suddenly an energy of some kind entered his body.

    ''What is this? Magic! No¡­ it''s different. It does not have the same feeling as mana. It this¡­ the ''gift'' that they have talked about a few times?'' Lucius wondered.

    The energy that entered his body roamed around and went to the sites of his injuries. Lucius couldn''t exactly tell what it was doing, he was even shocked that he was able to sense this energy. If it was not mana, then theoretically he should have been unable to sense it.

    ''Perhaps it is simr to mana, or is a derivative of it?'' Lucius thought.

    About ten minutes passed like this as the healer kept his hands ced on Lucius.

    ~Phew~

    The healer let out a breath of relief as he opened his eyes.

    "This is good. His injuries have healed much better than I had thought. I never expected that he would recover this much, this is almost a miracle." The healer said with a smile.

    The tense faces of the two women rxed as they looked towards Asher.

    "Let''s remove his bandages now, he should be rtively fine." The healer said before unwrapping and cutting the bandages.

    Lucius could feel the bandagesing off and could not wait to take a look again. He wanted to see who the people that have been taking care of him all this time looked like. Light rushed to his eyes as he flinched a bit due to the sudden brightness.

    ''This is better than before. At the battlefield, my eyes still felt a bit blurry, but now they have cleared up properly. But my left ear is still deaf. If I can find the kind of an injury it is, I may even be able to fix it.'' Lucius thought.

    The people that were all surrounding him looked at his eyes that instantly opened.

    "ASHER!" Kiana shouted with joy.

    "SON!" Lita did the same, but her eyes were already tearing up.

    She would have pounced on him had it not been for Asher''s injuries.

    "He''s already awake? This is¡­ unusual?" The healer said in an apprehensive tone.

    "Huh? What do you mean healer?" Kiana asked as she felt a bad feeling at the bottom of her stomach.

    "If he''s awake right now, the probability is¡­ he''s been awake this entire time¡­" The healer said in a serious tone.

    ~Gasp~

    Kiana gasped as she mmed her palms on her mouth.

    "Does that mean¡­ he''s been bearing everything till now, all the pain?" Lita asked as tears started to drip down from her eyes.

    "Yes¡­ he may have woken up a long time ago. But he''s paralyzed and cannot talk either, or we would have seen the reaction from it a while ago." The healer answered.

    ~Sob~

    ~Sob~

    ~Sob~

    Lucius witnessed how the two women burst into a rain of tears and hugged him. The healer on the other hand simply sighed with resignation and shook his head.

    "My child, why has fate been so cruel to you?" Lita said between her sobs.

    "Madam Lita ~Sob~ We need to let Lord Gabriel know of this, ~Sob~ perhaps he can request some priests of A to heal Asher," Kiana suggested.

    Lucius got some new information from all this. The first thing was that this world seemed to have healer priests too simr to Revelia. In Revelia, the Tharian theocracy had priests that had various magics, one of the basic ones being healing.

    ''If it is even ten percent close to the level of Tharian priests, then I would be able to heal up to a good enough level. But what kind of power are they using, is it the same one that this healer used, or is it like the holy magic of the Tharian priests?'' Lucius thought.

    Another thing Lucius noticed was the unusual manners of Kiana. While she was a maid, she acted way more close and informal than would have been expected of a servant. He couldn''t understand why this was so and wanted to know more.

    "His eyes they''re following us!" The healer suddenly said, this time with more shock.

    "Asher! Can you hear us? Can you understand us?" Lita immediately asked.

    Lucius had to alternate between his hearing and vision to understand what they were talking about.

    ~Sigh~

    ''This is gonna be problematic¡­''

 Chapter 12 - Gods And Blasphemy

    About three days had passed since the Inanis Family had found out about Asher''s awakening. They could tell that he was responsive to them and understood them by gestures and speaking to him. But one time someone tried to show him a letter, and he found it unable to read it.

    Lucius had thought that since he was able to understand theirnguage, perhaps the brain of Asher still had enough information stored in it that it allowed him to know it. Lucius could tell that thenguage they were speaking was not the same one that was spoken in his previous world, while there were a few simrities, this one was still different.

    ''Looks like while this body has the information from the speech area of the brain intact, it has lost the part for writtennguage. This is gonna make it a bit difficult for me, but I''ll learn thenguage in a couple of months; not like this would be my first time learning apletely newnguage.

    I''ve learned ancient Akalian so this one should be a piece of cakepared to it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Another thing he learned was that there were actually three different scripts for writing. Even though the pronunciations were the same, the letters themselves were different. What made this even moreplex was that these three scripts could then be mixed and matched to make even moreplex words.

    Lucius had seen syntax like this before in a fewnguages in his past world and even knew a couple that needed it. Fortunately, it was this very experience from his past life that would make him able to learn thenguage faster.

    The Inanis family was rather depressed upon hearing that its sole heir was now mute and paralyzed. But Lucius knew that this was temporary and his body should be able to recover in a few days. It was simply his soul which had not yet adapted to the body and thus couldn''t control it fully.

    He was lucky that this was the only kind of ipatibility that he got. There have been examples in the past, where a person whose soul was transnted could control the limbs and all voluntary functions, but their involuntary and autonomous functions were all in a disarray.

    Most of the subjects were barely alive for two minutes before dying. One couldn''t survive for long if their brain didn''t continuously tell their heart to pump, or their endocrine nds to secret hormones in a specified manner.

    Lucius was anxious about this very part, but his survival for these many days had ensured him that it was not his problem.

    ''At least it''s not as boring anymore.'' Lucius thought.

    Asher would get a lot of visitors every day that would talk to him and show him things. This was actually ordered in secret by Lady Lita. She thought that if Asher had people that would regrly talk to and interact with them, he would not lose hope and be depressed.

    She was also happy since Asher would respond to their queries and conversations in his own way. He would mostly blink to reply or give no reaction if he did not agree with something. Lucius had to alternate between his vision and hearing to make sense of the conversions.

    ''If it were thenguage from my past, then even if I didn''t have my hearing, I would have been able to read their lips. But here it is still too soon for me to read their lips.'' Lucius thought.

    Fifteen more days passed like this, and Kiana would take care of Lucius''s needs. She would feed him, clean him, and bathe him. Even the healer was shocked by his quick recovery and wondered if he would be able to break through his paralysis on his own.

    Lucius also heard that they had called for a certain priest from the Grand Cathedral of na. From the conversations of the people, Lucius had understood that na was a god they revered in this kingdom. He didn''t know if it was worshiped in the entire world, but it was the main religion of this kingdom at the very least.

    Apparently, the Priests of na had ''Divine gifts'' that could let them heal people. The priest that was called by his family was one that had a great status, such that even his father, the count, had to promise a heavy tithe in order to convince one of them to visit them.

    ''Hah, seems like no matter the world, the church will stay the same.'' Lucius scoffed.

    But even though Lucius scoffed at the church like this, he did not dare to spheme the god na. From the fact that it could bestow Divine gifts to people meant that the god was real. Lucius didn''t know what the penalty for sphemy was here in this world.

    In his previous world, the Tharian theocracy was the religious headquarters of the world. The Church of Thara was located there, and a majority of the people in the world were its followers. Even the enemies of the Tharian Theocracy itself were followers of the god Thara.

    While they had conflict in terms of worldly interests, it was not the same in terms of religion where they followed the same god. Even if the Tharian theocracy had the power of Thara on their side, they actually couldn''t ask the god to hurt their enemies as they were both under his grace.

    The punishment for sphemy was quite severe in his previous world. If one was found out, depending on the severity of the sphemous act, they would either be crippled or killed. If one sphemed in the secret, they would be free for a while, but eventually, the Divine wrath of Thara would descend and either injure or kill that person.

    The only ce that was safe from the influence of the god Thara was thends that were ruled by the Barrom n and a few more countries that had their own religions and gods.

 Chapter 13 - Gifts And Artifacts

    Lucius was lying on the bed while thinking of the ''Gift''s'' that he had learned of. From what he understood, they were quite different than magic and did not operate on mana. Some people would be born with gifts, while some would not. The people who had them were called ''Gifted''.

    The people who had gifts could do various feats such as creating fire, shooting thunderbolts, fly, heal people, read minds, and many more. The exact ratio of the gifted and non-gifted was unknown and would change over the years.

    Currently, Lucius only had a rudimentary understanding of the gifts such that what he had in his mind right now was just a hypothesis. For all he could know, this world had magic too, and he was just unable to sense it and people had just given it a different name.

    ''I need to wait till I recover so that I can learn more about the gifts.'' Lucius thought as he was fed more broth.

    Kiana was feeding him spoonfuls of meat broth and was wiping his mouth after each serving. She had a gentle smile on her face as she did this, and it did not seem like she regretted this or had something else that she wanted to do.

    "Ah Asher, I forgot to tell you, but your father should being to the city in a fortnight. We got the message from a falcon just in the afternoon. He left the battlefield about ten days ago, and it seems like the proceedings for the armistice are going well. There has been no battle for the past three days." Kiana suddenly spoke.

    Lucius, who had his eyes open yet could not see, was simply listening to her. His eyes actually went wide as he heard this. This was shocking to him on two levels. One because Count Gabriel Inanis was returning and another, his eyes actually worked when he had his hearing activated.

    ''I actually felt that¡­ my eyes twitched and my pupils dted¡­'' Lucius thought.

    Now that he had seen his progress in healing his excitement rose by a few times. Kiana had not realized this small change in Lucius, but could tell that he was shocked.

    "I know, right? I was shocked too when I heard this. Oh! And if the count is returning, that means that the priest from the Grand Cathedral should arrive a week after him too." Kiana Added.

    Lucius hadplex feelings for the priest. He didn''t know if the gods of this world interfered in the workings of the soul or not, or if there was a specific god that dealt with death and souls. He wondered if they could sense that he was not of this world and had taken over someone else''s body.

    On the other hand, Lucius could tell that the priest would be able to heal this body rather quick if he were to take the stories that the people had told him at face value.

    ''Even if they are not, it would be fine. But if even ten percent of what they say is urate, then I would have the best chance at healing this broken body.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "And, there we go done," Kiana said as she finished feeding the bowl of broth to Lucius.

    "Now, do you want me to leave you to sleep, or do you want me to read you something?" Kiana asked.

    Lucius blinked once to show his stance.

    "Alright, I''ll leave you alone to sleep then," Kiana replied before standing up and closing thergemp that hung in the room.

    This was another thing that had piqued Lucius''s interest. At first, he had thought that themp worked on magic, but apparently, it was a product of artificers. Lucius did not know the exact working behind it but knew that whenever Kiana pulled on a string that hung over the corner, themp could be turned on and off.

    Themp itself was made of multiple ss cylinders within which a small piece of crystal was kept. It was this very crystal that would light up and illuminate the area. It wasn''t like the fments in the bulbs though, as the ss cylinders were actually open on the upper end.

    Lucius had learned of these ''artifacts'' about a week ago from a few friends that hade to visit him.

    ***

    A week ago.

    "Did you hear, the new section of artifacts will be disyed in the Artificers guild tomorrow?" one of Asher''s friends, named Paul asked.

    "Of course I heard it! Everyone knows about it, heck I believe even Asher here knows about it, don''t you Asher?" The other friend Andrew asked.

    Lucius stared at them with no change in his eyes.

    "Ehehe¡­ sorry, I forgot you can''t respond again," Andrew said as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

    "Ah it''s fine I''m sure Asher doesn''t mind it. At least not when we''ll tell him of the various things that they will be having. After all, Asher loves artifacts." Paul said, trying to quell the awkwardness.

    ''Now this is interesting.'' Lucius thought and blinked.

    "See! He wants to hear it too." Paul pointed.

    "Then we shouldn''t keep him waiting. Let me get the brochure that they sent out yesterday." Andrew said before leaving the room anding back a couple of minutester with arge book in his hand.

    The book wasn''t thick per see, but just that the size of its pages was quiterge, about the size of a modern A1 size sheet of paper. Andrew showed the cover of the book to Lucius, who saw that it was olive green in color and had the symbol of a Compass, a hammer, a pen, and a sword on the cover.

    The symbol was rather unique, and the base of it was thepass. The Hammer and Sword were ced in a cross shape, as if the pointers on thepass. Finally, the pen was ced vertically, passing through the intercept of the hammer and sword.

    While Lucius couldn''t read the title that was written on top of the book, he could tell what the symbol meant.

    ''The crest of the artificers guild.''

 Chapter 14 - Appraisal Day?

    To Lucius, the artificers seemed to be simr to the enchanters and magic crafters of his previous world. They would imbue and enchant various items with magic to give them different effects. Some effects amplify their natural properties while some of them directly added new.

    Looking at the few artifacts that he had seen, Lucius was sure that they did not operate on normal physics. Thus the only thing that could work would be magic, or in this case ''gifts''.

    ''I wonder how these ''gifts'' are applied onto items. If they are unique to the people, then how are they converted to items? Are they permanent or temporary? Do they need to be supplied with power continually or can they sustain on their own?'' Multiple questions appeared in Lucius''s mind as his interest in artifacts increased.

    And it seemed like this was a thing he shared with the previous owner of this body, Asher. His friends had told him that Asher loved artifacts, which Lucius could honestly understand. Who wouldn''t like to learn about the theory behind the workings of something so¡­ magical.

    With that thought in mind, Lucius returned to the present. His eyes turned to the side and looked out of the window. The room that he was in was on the third floor from which he could tell that this was a ratherrge mansion, one that was made out of stone rather than wood.

    Which he honestly preferred, as he had doubts about the fire hazard level of a wooden mansion. It would have been fine if he was able to walk, but with him being paralyzed, he didn''t want to be killed again because of some random servant''s mistake.

    When Lucius had first woken up, this window was closed and hidden with a curtain. Lucius''s head was also at a different angle and thus he couldn''t see it. But Kiana had shifted the bed so that Lucius could at least watch the outside of the window.

    He could see the pale mountains in the distance, which towered above the clouds. Below on the ground, he could see the sprawling city that surrounded thends of the mansion, and beyond that was a wall. He could barely see that there were some farms beyond the city walks far off in the distance.

    ''Hmm¡­ this seems like a rather different city arrangementpared to the ones I''ve read about in medieval history. A city as big as this would need to have apletely differentyout to work normally. Not only would they need a river flowing through the city, but they would also need sewage channels.

    There doesn''t seem to be either of those things. This can only mean one thing, either they draw water from underground springs through the wells and that they have an actual drainage system. Manual collection of sewage doesn''t seem viable for a city asplex as this either.'' Lucius hypothesized from a single look.

    He went silent for a while as he focused on each and every aspect of the scenery that was in front of him.

    ~sigh~

    ''There are four more sides that I''ve not seen. Making a judgment from just one view would be greatly wrong.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He eventually fell asleep as time went by and woke up the next day to Kiana sitting at his side.

    "Oh, you''re finally awake!" She said with a smile.

    Lucius couldn''t tell why Kiana seemed to be more excited than usual today. While she usually showed him a rather jovial attitude to him, today seemed to be a bit extra.

    Kiana saw the eyes of Lucius follow her and knew that he had questions for her. She had learned to understand his gestures in this past month and thus kept an eye on them. She could tell from his inquisitive gaze that he was getting impatient and wanted her to spill the beans.

    "Oh, I forgot you don''t have a reference for time right now," Kiana said as she lightly tapped her head.

    "Today is the Gift Appraisal Day!" Kiana revealed.

    Hearing the two words: Gift appraisal; peaked Lucius''s interest by a few folds.

    "I heard that this time there are a lot of children that have awakened their gifts early. Amount them there are even three babies! Can you imagine, three entire babies! This is the highest number of babies that have awakened their gift in years." Kiana said with excitement.

    Lucius'' eyes'' looked confused as the informationpletely skewed his idea about the gifts that he had.

    ''Babies? Really? How they even handle them? Some of those gifts may straight kill the babies or their parents if an ident happened.'' Lucius thought.

    He had not expected that the gifts were awakened at such a young age. If anything, he would be worried rather than excited like Kiana.

    "I can''t wait to see what new and unique gifts we will see. If the babies have awakened their gifts, then they must be at least rare grade at the very least. Who knows, we may even be lucky and see an epic grade gift. AH! I''m so excited!" Kiana spoke in a very pepped-up voice.

    Lucius instantly understood that the grades were probably rted to the quality of the gifts and that the younger one awakened their gift, the higher grade they were likely to have. Lucius had actually heard a few words rted to the grades when he heard his friends talking, but had not rted them back then.

    ''No, they were talking about umon andmon gifts. That could have meant something else too. Seems like I now know at least four ranks of grades; Common, umon, rare, and epic. Seeing this grading, there is likely to be better ones ahead.'' Lucius guessed.

    "Hmm¡­ should I ask madam if you cane or not? Your injuries are already better than before and perhaps some fresh air would do you good." Kiana said with a finger ced at her chin.

    ''How are they gonna get me outside? Do they even have a wheelchair?'' Lucius wondered.

 Chapter 15 - Leaving The Bedroom For The First Time

    Lucius''s guess turned out to be true, as one of the servants really brought a wheelchair for him. He looked at it and found it to be rather exquisitely made. The wood was finely polished and a soft seat along with a back pillow had been attached to it.

    It had handles at the back so that others could push it. The only difference was that the wheelchair had three wheels instead of four. It had two small wheels at the front and onerge one at the back. Lucius would have avoided sitting on the wheelchair and would have thought it to be unstable had it not been for the fact that the back wheel was broader than normal, which enhanced its bnce.

    "We can make do with this old one for now, I''ll ask madam tomission the artificers to make you a better er on," Kiana spoke.

    ''Oh, so it is an old model.'' Lucius thought, feeling a bit intrigued.

    "Alright then! Let''s go meet the madam and ask her for permission." Kiana said before bending to put her hands below Lucius and picking him up.

    Lucius had not expected that she would be able to pick someone like him so easily. He could estimate that he weighed at least seventy kilograms and for a woman like Kiana it seemed rather unusual to be able to lift so much weight, unless she had practice.

    "There you go," Kiana said as she corrected the clothes of Lucius.

    He was wearing a pair of everyday clothes that were ratherfortable. He could tell that they were made of high quality cotton and seemed to be hand made.

    After that, Kiana started pushing the wheelchair, and they left the room. This was the very first time that Lucius was seeing something other than his room in this mansion. They were in a corridor currently that was illuminated by the sunlight that wasing from the windows.

    The windows were rather wide, which allowed the sunlight toe in at all times of the day. Only at night would one needmps to see things.

    ''Hmm¡­ so they use normalnterns andmps here and not the artifact like I have in my room. I guess I can estimate the level of wealth of this family from that. While it is not extremely opulent, it does have sufficient resources that can help me in my research, it seems.'' Lucius thought to himself, learning a new point about the Inanis family.

    He looked down at the floor and saw that it was made out of t stone tiles that were chiseled to perfection. The wheels of the wheelchair were made of solid wood and had no suspension or shock absorption, and yet he didn''t feel much difort.

    Otherwise, if this was some other medieval building from his past world and he was in a wheelchair like this, he would have been rocked all the time while traveling. Aftering to the end of the corridor, they reached the set of stairs that went down.

    ''How is she gonna take me down now?'' Lucius wondered.

    "SERVANTS!" Kiana called out.

    Not even ten secondster, two men came rushing up from the stairs and brought a nk with them.

    "I thought I already asked you to keep the ramp ready?" Kiana asked in a stern voice.

    "Sorry miss Kiana, it took us longer to get the proper sized nk." The servants spoke.

    "Humph, it is not me who you should apologize to. Did you forget who you are standing in front of?" Kiana spoke, this time with a hint of anger in her voice.

    It seemed like the servants had forgotten that they were here to serve the lord Asher in their hurriedness, and perhaps his current condition had also contributed a bit to it. Lucius could understand their thinking as people would often find it hard and may end up ignoring people when they were not in a normal condition.

    "We apologize, lord Asher." The servants said in a slightly scared voice.

    Lucius merely rolled his eyes as it wasn''t like he could answer them, anyway. Kiana harrumphed again and gestured for them to set up the nk to make a ramp.

    The two servants ced the nk against the stairs and then put a wooden wedge at its side to make it from sliding. One of them tested it for its stability before nodding to Kiana.

    "You can use it now, lord Asher." The servant assured.

    Kiana gently paused the wheelchair forward, and they were down the first flight of stairs. Lucius finally saw the rest of the flights of stairs at the turn and sighed internally. There were about seven more to go and none of them had ramps.

    The two servants repeated the same thing for each flight of stairs, and Lucius was brought down bit by bit. In the end, it took them fifteen minutes just to climb down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, Kiana looked at the servants and spoke.

    "I want the ramps ready before wee back to the mansion. You have three hours at the most." Kiana ordered.

    "Yes, miss Kiana. It shall be done." The servants spoke in a respectful tone.

    ''So she has a higher status among the servants, huh? Wonder how it is exactly decided, not to mention that her behavior with me is also rather liberal, which would be unbing of a master and a servant.'' Lucius wondered.

    After getting to the bottom floor, Lucius got a view of a broad hall. There were tapestries hanging from the walls that depicted the crest of the Inanis family, which was a shield with a three tailed dragon on it. Looking at it, Lucius found it to be a bit familiar but couldn''t exactly remember where he had seen it before.

    ''Hmm¡­ did I see it during my dimensional travel or in my past world?'' Lucius tried to remember but could not.

    "Ah, you''re finally here, son!" Lita''s voice echoed from the other end.

 Chapter 16 - A Spar Of Gifted

    Lucius couldn''t see to the side, but Kiana quickly turned the wheelchair around so that he would face his mother, countess Lita.

    Lucius blinked a couple of times, as if greeting her, and Lita smiled in response.

    "It''s good that you are getting down here now. Some fresh air outside should help you. Even the healer said that some sun and air would be good for you." Lita spoke.

    "I was thinking of taking him for a stroll around the mansion grounds for now or even to the city, maybe." Kiana said.

    "Hmm¡­ the mansion grounds is fine, but if you are going out to the city, then you need to take guards with you. With our current situation, I don''t want any unexpected surprises." Lita replied in a concerned tone.

    "Of course, madam. I wouldn''t dare to even think of letting Asher fall in harm''s way." Kiana stated.

    "Good. Well then go on, have fun." Lita said as she gestured for them to leave.

    Kiana nodded in response and turned the wheelchair towards another corridor. From what Lucius could tell, that hall was the main connecting hall of the mansion from where all the routes to the different parts passed.

    The corridor they were passing through right now was much smaller and only took them a minute to cross. They reached another hall, at the end of which there were tworge doors. Lucius moved his eyes around and saw the banners with the crest of the Inanis family hanging here too.

    ''I really need to improve my condition, I should be able to move my neck at the very least.'' Lucius thought to himself, feeling a bit frustrated.

    As soon as they approached the doors, a pair of servants opened them.

    "Lord Asher, miss Kiana, please." They said respectfully.

    Kiana gave them a slight nod before leaving the mansion.

    Bright sunlight greeted Kiana and Lucius as they saw the garden ahead of them. Finely prunedws and flowers were nted everywhere, along with shrubs and hedges. Some trees could also be seen nted at regr intervals that created an archway along the paths.

    The entire garden looked rather beautiful, and Lucius couldn''t help but appreciate it. Even in his past life, a garden like this would have been thought of to be good. At the distance, Lucius could see the guards that were patrolling the Manson grounds.

    "Now that I think of it, when you went to the battlefield it was still winter. It''s a rather opportune time for you to awaken, as now you can enjoy the spring." Kiana said with a gentle smile on her face.

    She started pushing the wheelchair on the stone paved paths as they looked around at all the flowers and nts. Eventually, they crossed the entire garden and reached the area where the stables were. Lucius could see around twenty well maintained horses that were either eating hay or being cleaned by the servants.

    Kiana didn''t take him there as the ground there was muddy and would trap the wheelchair. Thus they only watched from the distance and she could tell from Lucius''s eyes that he wasn''t much interested in it.

    "Let''s go ahead then," Kiana said before pushing him to the next area, which was a group of twenty houses.

    The houses were made of abination of wood and stone, and Lucius could see some people dressed in the attire of servants there.

    ~sigh~

    "Feels just like yesterday when I moved from the servant quarters to the mansion," Kiana said in a mncholic tone.

    ''Seems like she was indeed promoted or something. So the servants usually stay here while some of the more important ones with bigger duties stay at the mansion itself.'' Lucius inferred.

    They went ahead and finally reached the area where the guards lived at. This was a smaller guard barracks that was intended for the mansion guards to stay at. There was also a training ground in front of it where a few guards were gathered around.

    It was then that Lucius saw something that shocked him.

    "HAA! Take my Rock hammer fist!" One of the guards shouted.

    Lucius saw the right arm of the guard getting covered in rock likeyer. In less than two seconds, it was fully covered and he mmed his arms towards his opponent who he was sparring against. His rock covered arm was about to hit the other guard when suddenly he jumped to the side like a rabbit.

    ~BAM~

    The Rock covered arm of the guard hit the ground below and knocked up a small cloud of dust. The other guard though kept on hopping like a rabbit, his speed faster than what a normal human would be able to move at.

    "Ha ha, even if your Rock Arm gift is higher ranked than my rabbit feet, it can''t do much if you can''t hit me." The other guard taunted.

    "Don''t you run, Ian! Fight me like a man!" The guard with the rock arm shouted.

    "What use is fighting like a man if you''re going to die straight away. The true man doesn''t just fight with his brawns but also with his brain." The man named Ian shouted.

    ~Bam~

    ~Dham~

    ~Thwack~

    The rock armed guard kept on swinging his arms and attacking the guard named Ian. The first guard had covered both his arms with rocks now and was using them like sledgehammers. While their power was great, there wasn''t much damage caused by him to Ian.

    About two minutes had passed since the spar had begun and by now Lucius could see drops of sweat on the face of the rock armed guard.

    "Admit your defeat, Ron! You will be running out of aether soon. You can''t keep this up with your high level of consumption." Ian said while dodging another one of Ron''s blows.

    "SHUT UP!" Ron yelled as he lifted both his hands up high and sped them together to hammer them down.

    ~Crack~

    The stone ground beneath them cracked and created tremors, which made Ian stumble.

    "Now I got you!"

 Chapter 17 - A Quick Spar

    For the first time, a tinge of fear appeared on the face of Ian and his eyes went wide.

    "STOP!" The guard that was overseeing the spar shouted.

    ~Whoosh~

    The arms of Ron stopped just inches before they were about to hit the body of Ian.

    ~Phew~

    "Ron is the winner!" The referee dered.

    "Aw! No fair!" Ian protested.

    "Look who''s now crying like a baby. You weren''t like that a minute ago when you were taunting me, perhaps you should have used that brain of yours to put more effort into training and fighting me." Ron said in a smug tone.

    "Enough! Both of you get off the stage. The next two walk in," The referee ordered.

    "YES, CAPTAIN!" Ian and Ron hurriedly replied.

    ''So these are the ''gifts'' and they the gifted¡­'' Lucius understood.

    Both Ian and Ron knew better than to protest before the captain and that if they pissed him off, then their days would not be good after that.

    "Are these the new recruits, Captain Donald?" Kiana asked out loud.

    It was now that the man who had been acting as a referee till now realized that someone hade to visit them.

    "Oh? Miss Kiana, what brings you here¡­" Captain Donald asked before noticing the person in the wheelchair. "What a pleasant surprise! Lord Asher is here too." He hurriedly added.

    "What are you all imbeciles doing? Come greet lord Asher!" Caption Donald yelled at the guards who had been watching them.

    ''Seems like these guards either do not know about me or that Asher didn''t see them that often, or they should have recognized hi faster.'' Lucius thought.

    "Good morning, Lord Asher!" All the guards greeted while giving him a closed fist salute.

    Their right fist was ced at the position of the heart while the left hand was ced to the back of their waist. This was the formal salute a soldier or a guard would give to a nobleman or a lord. If it were a king, they would kneel instead.

    The guard did not seem to look Lucius directly in the eye, which was rather interesting to him.

    ''Is this the normal etiquette or are they avoiding it?'' Lucius wondered.

    He blinked at them and looked at all of the guards. There were both men and women in the guards but it was mostly just men and the women were a minority. But looking at their physiques, Lucius could tell that they were no less than men and a couple of them were even more buff than most men here.

    "It''s been a while since lord Asher went out, thus we came out to take a walk. We will also be leaving the mansion thus the madam asked us to take some guards with us." Kiana replied.

    "Oh is that so? Well that is no problem, are you leaving right? If so, then I''ll apany you myself." Captain Donald spoke.

    "Well, let me ask lord Asher," Kiana said before looking towards Lucius.

    Lucius blinked his eyes twice to say no to her. He wanted to see more of their battles and wanted to know what these ''gifts'' were. There were far too many variables and he wanted to know them all or his curiosity would not let him rest.

    "Seems like lord Asher would like you to finish your practice first," Kiana stated.

    "Alright, that will be good. We only have onest fight left, anyway." Captain Donald said before turning back to look at hate guards.

    "Nick and Alex step up," Captain Donald ordered.

    "YES, CAPTAIN!" The two people said.

    Nick was anky looking man with short hair while Alex was an athletic looking woman that had her hair in a tight braid. Both of them walked to the fighting ring and stood in the opposite ends.

    "FIGHT!" Captain Donald ordered.

    As soon as that was said, the fight initiated with Alex taking the first attack. Unlike the previous two guards Ian and Ron, she was using a sword as her weapon and did not use a gift right from the start. She lunged ahead and shed at Nick, who dodged it by bending his body in an awkward angle which should have not been possible for any normal human.

    He bent his waist to the right, all the way to the ground. If any other normal human did this, they would snap their spine. Yet Nick seemed to be able to do it with no problems.

    ~sh~

    Alex flicked the sword to the side and did a feint before kicking with her legs. But Nick dodged it at the right moment by kneeling to the ground and twisting his torso.

    Kiana looked at Lucius and saw that he was watching the battle with quite an interest.

    "You like them, don''t you. They do seem better than the previous batch of guards, I heard that we got a lot of gifted this time." Kiana spoke.

    Lucius heard her words and noted them in his mind.

    ~Sling~

    A reverberating sound was heard as if someone had plucked a stretched-out rubber band. Lucius looked at its source and found that it was none other than Nick who had made that wound. His torso was twisted to his back, and he snapped back with a sound.

    ~Thwack~

    "Take this Whip p!" Nick yelled before his palm hit the side of Alex.

    The force in the palm was quite strong and knocked Alex back, leaving a red palm print on her skin.

    "Damn you! I''m not holding back anymore, I don''t care if you have a low-ranked gift than me." Alex said in a pissed off tone before holding her sword straight, the tip pointed at Nick. She ced her other hand at her waist before moving fast.

    "Dash thrust!" She shouted.

    ~Zoom~

    Her body moved like a blur as the sword was stabbed into the hand of Nick in the next second.

    "Aargh!" Nick shouted in pain. "Did you really have to be so serious¡­ now it''s gonna take me three days to get it healed."

    "Oh, don''t be a pussy. Healer Delia will do it quickly if you go to her." Alex said before turning to Captain Donald.

    Seeing that Nick was out ofmission, he dered, "Alex wins!"

 Chapter 18 - Embarking

    Lucius had not expected that they would go this serious during a spar. He had seen spars like this before many times and had also participated in them, but even in the ruthless Barrom n, they avoided excessive injuring like this. If a servant or member was injured their capacity to do work would be reduced, which meant that it would result in more losses.

    Thus only in specific spars would they be allowed to go all in. Healing the injuries was possible of course, there were magics and potions that could be used to instantly heal injuries but they wouldn''t be used often like this as it would only cause unnecessary losses.

    ''These people are either careless, or have something to fall back on. Hmm¡­ this healer Delia, does she have a gift that can heal people instantly? If so, then how does shepare with the other healer that healed me?'' Lucius wondered.

    A healer was a prized profession in his past life, and anyone who specialized in healing could get a big sry. Some of the big powers even traded healers like money, their value often more than material assets. If a power had a group of expert healers, they could boost their influence more easily.

    More healers meant the survivability of people increased, which meant they could do missions more safely. This directly influenced the profits and thus their value directly increased.

    Though the power that had the most amount of healers that were considered the best was none other than the Tharian Theocracy. Even a basic priest who had just been initiated could heal cuts in a mere seconds. This was the reason why the Tharian Theocracy was such a pain in the ass for the Barrom n.

    Their people were just too difficult to kill. If they ever got into conflict, the Barrom n had to ensure that they were fully killed, or the priests would just heal them and send them back into the battle. Most of their people were also zealots and thus had no fear of pain or death. They were like a mad dog that once bit onto your leg would not let go.

    "Go to healer Delia and get it fixed." Captain Donald ordered Nick before turning to the rest of the guards.

    "Squad one and threee with me, the rest may return to their tasks." He ordered.

    The guards all stood up and hurriedly went to do their tasks. Three minutester, eight of the guards returned, decked in their uniform and gear. Their uniform was a leather armor that was reinforced with metal tes and had the crest of the Inanis family on its back.

    They were carrying standard issue swords with them and a few of them had shields with them as well. Lucius could tell their roles just by looking at them. The two men Ian and Ron were in the squad as well and looking at their equipment Lucius could tell that Ian was an offensive warrior while Ron was a defensive tank.

    ''Hmm, his gift is also suitable to be a tank. Covering his arms in that stone likeyer should be able to block mostmon attacks.'' Lucius thought.

    Captain Donald himself was already ready in his uniform, which was slightly different than the other guards as it had an additional badge added to the front. The badge hung from the right of his chest and had something written on it.

    Lucius could still not read yet, but could easily guess that it was probably his rank.

    "We are ready lord Asher, miss Kiana," Donald spoke.

    "Alright, we can go now." Kiana replied before turning around.

    "Should we take a carriage, miss Kiana?" Donald asked.

    "Yes, we should head to the appraisal hall right away. Sightseeing can be done after the ceremony isplete." Kiana agreed.

    Lucius was very interested in their appraisal ceremony and wanted to know how it worked. There were many questions in his mind about the gifts and how people got them. From what he had gathered till now, the gifts had many factors which could influence their appearance.

    Some gifts were unique to a family and could be inherited. Some gifts weremon, and many people could have the same gift. But in all, there was one thing that was constant, everyone could only have a single gift. Of course, there were also people that had no gifts and Asher was one of the examples.

    ~canter~

    While Lucius was thinking this, the guards quickly brought a carriage for them. The door of the carriage was opened and one of the guards walked forward to pick up Lucius.

    "Halt!" Kiana ordered.

    The guard froze in his position and looked at her.

    "Only I can touch lord Asher unless permitted otherwise." Kiana said with a serious expression.

    "Ye-yes miss Kiana," The guard hurriedly said, feeling slight fear from looking at Kiana.

    Kiana on the other hand showed a smile to Lucius before speaking, "let me put you in the carriage."

    She then slid her hands below him and effortlessly picked him up. She climbed the steps of the carriage and seated him on the soft couch that had been lined with furs.

    "Put the wheelchair in the back," She ordered.

    "Yes, miss!" The guards replied.

    ~Thud~

    A soft sound was heard as the wheelchair was put into the storage area at the back. Lucius could tell that this carriage was the equivalent of a high ss SUV from his past life. The quality of its interiors was quite good, and even the size of the carriage wasrge.

    In fact, it was bigger than most cars of his past life.

    ~Whip~

    ~Neigh~

    The crack of a whip was heard as the horses started moving with a loud neigh. There were four horses pulling the carriage due to itsrge size, and they moved rather steadily. Lucius could finally feel the bumps and knocks while sitting in the carriage and knew that the suspension of this carriage was rather primitive.

    ~Sigh~

    ''It''s gonna take a while to get used to...''

 Chapter 19 - Reaching The Appraisal Hall

    Ever since he arrived in this world, he had been having a hard time telling what its level of technology was. He wouldpare the level of magic, but he had no standard topare it with as the gifts didn''t seem to run on mana.

    ''Wait, they did talk about something called Aether¡­ is that perhaps what fuels the gifts? There should be a cost to using a gift.'' Lucius realized.

    If there was a cost to using the gifts, then it would be more bnced to Lucius. He would still be able to apply a few of the theories from his past life. Lucius knew that thew of physics could change from different worlds, or would be skewed in certain cases.

    But there were somews that were next to impossible to change, such as that of conservation of energy and mass. Energy could not be produced out of nothing and needed a source, simrly something could not be created out of nothing.

    ''If the gifts show their effect by the consumption of this ''Aether'' then it should be present in the air around. I haven''t seen them use any other resources to replenish their source of aether then that''s the likely option.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius moved his eyes and peeked out of the window, and saw a ratherrge buildingplex. The most eye-catching thing was none other than the symbol that was embroidered on arge tapestry that hung from the top of the building.

    ''The Artificers Guild¡­'' Lucius recognized.

    There was no way he would not recognize a symbol that was so unique. Not to mention the crowd of people that wereing in and out of the buildings. From the angle that Lucius was passing, he could see about six buildings in the entireplex.

    All of them had the same symbol hanging from them, but just their sizes were different. Before Lucius could see more though, the carriage had already passed the road. Kiana noticed his interested gaze and guessed what he must have been seeing.

    "Don''t worry, we will being back to the artificers guild after this. We need tomission a better wheelchair for you anyway." Kiana assured.

    Lucius blinked twice in a row to show his agreement, which made a smile appear on Kiana''s face.

    ~Screech~

    The sound of metal grinding against metal was hearding from the outside, which made Lucius look out again. He had gotten rather good at alternating between his vision and hearing and was now habituated. One second he would use his hearing and the next second he would use his vision.

    This was the way he was perceiving the world when he did not have to focus on anything. Another good thing was that the previous healer had already informed Kiana and Asher''s family that he may be deaf in one ear, and thus it would be better to tap him before talking to him so that he would pay attention.

    This made it easier for Lucius, as he could continually use his vision while he was with Kiana as she would tap him before she spoke to him.

    Looking outside, Lucius saw a bunch of shops that dealt with metal work. There were cksmiths, cobblers, toolsmiths, carriage makers, craftsmen, and many other simr shops. Lucius''s eyes went wide as he carefully scanned over the shops.

    These shops were very important to him, as he would be able to estimate the level of technology by observing their equipment and skills. At first, Lucius found them to match the description of how the medieval world was described in his past world, but then he saw a few advanced things that didn''t match.

    Lucius saw that the type of furnace they were using was way more modern than it should have been. They had automated bellows that moved with the power of the wind. A windmill was attached to the top of the building and gears were located at the back of it.

    The des of the windmill would move, which would turn the gears, which would then turn the belts that were attached to them. These belts would move another set of gears that then moved the bellows up and down. Lucius could imagine the ws in the design rather easily, but then noticed that there was a way to make it move manually as well.

    Five more minutes passed, and they reached their intended location.

    This was arge building that had a symbol carved at the top of it. The symbol was that of an open book over which a in white sphere floated.

    ~neigh~

    The horses stopped moving, and the guards halted around the carriage too.

    "We''re here Asher, the Appraisal hall!" Kiana spoke in a joyous tone.

    Lucius moved his eyes up and down to show his agreement as one of the guards opened the door for them and another one pulled out the wheelchair. Kiana picked up Lucius and stepped out of the carriage, putting him back in the wheelchair.

    She adjusted his clothes and hair one time, making sure he looked proper before nodding her head.

    "Ah, this is perfect. Let''s head inside now," Kiana said.

    Lucius''s eyes darted around as he saw the faces of everybody that was currently surrounding the building. There were around a hundred people here, around half of which were adults. They were apanied by children that varied in age.

    There was a wide range of kids, all the way from babies that looked less than six months old to teenagers that were probably seventeen or older. Some of them had excited expression on their face while the others had a saddened expression on their face.

    Lucius could corrte their age with whether they would be happy or not. From his initial observation, Lucius could tell that the younger one was, the happier they were. While the older they were, the more likely to be sad they were.

    In fact, Lucius even saw a couple of people that looked to be in their twenties and were here alone, not apanied by anyone nor apanying anyone.

 Chapter 20 - Priest Maleck

    Lucius watched the children with intrigue and wondered what new things he will get to witness today. The people who had all been waiting also noticed them and some of the kids pointed at him.

    "Mom, look! Is that the lord''s carriage?" a child that looked seven years old asked.

    "Shh! Don''t point it''s rude. And yes, that does look like the lord''s carriage." The mother answered.

    "Who is that? That doesn''t look like the lord¡­" A teenager spoke upon seeing Lucius in the wheelchair.

    Donald stepped forward and stood staunch in the front while looking around at the crowd.

    "Lord Asher Inanis has arrived,moners make way!" He announced.

    The people got a bit surprised upon hearing the name. They could tell that it was the lord''s carriage, but did not think it would be Asher who hade. They knew that he had been injured recently, as the news was quite a big thing in thends of Etara.

    Lord Gabriel''s son Asher had been injured in the battle greatly and was fighting for his life on the bed now. From the rumors people had heard, they thought that he would not be surviving. But now he was here, right in front of them.

    Lucius closely looked at the reactions of everybody, gauging what they thought of him.

    ''Hmm¡­ this is good. They barely have any impression of me, or rather of Asher. This means I can build it fresh from the beginning when I start my n.'' Lucius thought.

    If Asher had a bad impression in the eyes of people, Lucius knew that it would be hard to change that. And if he had a good impression, that could be bad for him too, as he would not be able to act the same as him. Having no impression was the best option he could have.

    The guards moved to the sides of Lucius and Kiana started pushing the wheelchair forward. The people made way for them and soon they entered the Appraisal hall. Lucius looked on the inside and found it to be rather simple.

    There were benches set up on two sides, simr to that of a church, and an altar was erected on the other side. On top of the altar, a book with a sphere floating over it was ced. The book was made of marble while the sphere made out of some kind of a crystal.

    Lucius couldn''t tell how the sphere was floating over the marble book without anything supporting it, but just attributed it to an artifact. Beside the altar, an old man was standing. He was wearing grey and blue robes simr to that of a cleric and had the symbol of the appraisal hall printed on it.

    "Lord Asher, Miss Kiana, it''s a pleasure to meet you." The priest spoke.

    "The pleasure is mine, Priest Maleck. Plus lord Asher wanted to go out for a stroll too, he''s been cooped up for far too long in his room." Kiana replied.

    ''Oh, another priest? A different church it seems like it though.'' Lucius thought.

    "May the divines bless the young lord. How is he faring now?" The priest called Maleck asked.

    Kiana looked at Lucius for a moment before a smile appeared on her face.

    "He''s doing good and he will be even better once the priest from the Grand Cathedral heals him," Kiana answered.

    "The Grand Cathedral? You mean a priest of na ising?" Maleck said in a rather surprised tone.

    "Yes! Lord Gabriel was able to convince one of them." Kiana confirmed.

    "That is amazing! Even healer Delia''s gift cannotpare to the divine gift of goddess na. Lord Asher will definitely be healed." Maleck said.

    "That''s what we are all hoping for. While healer Delia and healer Loy were able to heal Lord Asher''s surface injuries, they cannot fix his paralysis. Their gifts are not able to aplish that. That''s why our hope now lies with the church of na." Kiana spoke in a calm voice.

    Lucius picked up the new information and memorized it quickly.

    ''So the most influential church is this, the church of goddess na. They seem to have these ''divine gifts'' too. Hmm¡­ they sound simr to that of the blessings of Thara that the priests receive. Looks like some things in this world do match those of my past one.'' Lucius thought with intrigue.

    "I guess you all are here for the appraisal ceremony?" Maleck asked.

    "Of course," Kiana replied.

    "Alright, you can take the seats. We''ll start the ceremony in five minutes, I''m just waiting for my acolyte to bring in our special candidates." Maleck spoke with a smile.

    "Special candidates? Oh, you mean the babies?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yes yes, we had ast moment entry too. We now have four babies who awakened their gifts, Goddess Etara is definitely blessing us with her grace." Maleck said with a zeal in his voice.

    ''Another goddess¡­ Etara. Hmm¡­ looks like Maleck is the priest of Etara, but then what is the rtion between the appraisal hall and her?'' Lucius wondered.

    Kiana ced the wheelchair along the side of the bench and sat there. Capital Donald stood to the side while the guards split up. Four of them stood at the entrance while the rest stood around the hall at equal distances.

    Just like Maleck had told, five minutes passed and a young man who looked to be in his twenties walked in with eight people. The eight people were carrying babies with them and there were four of them. Looking at them, Lucius easily determined that they were the parents of those babies.

    "Please,e forward. We will appraise the babies first and then the rest of them in the ascending order of age." Maleck directed them towards the benches.

    The present seemed nervous at start, but then became a bit more calm after hearing Maleck''s words.

    "Call in the rest of them and we can start," Maleck spoke.

    "Yes, teacher." The young acolyte replied before going outside to call in the rest of the people.

 Chapter 21 - Rare Gifts

    Soon the entire hall was filled with the people, and they all looked at the front.

    There were a variety of emotions on their faces, from excited to nervous, to scared. They were all waiting for their turn and observed the ones that were getting appraised. The appraisal for gifts was always done ording to the age and Children would be first before teens and then adults.

    The process of appraisal was free for everyone up to the age of 18 and the ones above that could get themselves appraise for a fee. The fee wasn''t that much and could still be afforded by most people. The appraisal could be done twice a year at the most and could be done all the way till one was old and close to death.

    Most people that were going to awaken their gifts would do so in their younger years.

    50% awakened it between ten to fifteen years.

    30% did it between sixteen to eighteen years.

    9% did it between eighteen to twenty five years.

    5% did it between five to ten years.

    3% did it between one to four years of age.

    2% did it below one year of age.

    1% did it above twenty five years of age.

    Unless a child''s ability was very apparent, they would only start getting tested from the five years of age. Because the Appraisal process used up the aether from one''s body, it could potentially be harmful to the growth of a normal child.

    If there were signs that the child had awakened their gift naturally, they would be allowed to get it appraised. During the appraisal, the altar would give them a better clue about their gift and the others would also be able to see what it was as it would give its name.

    Lucius watched as the parents of the youngest baby brought it to the altar.

    "Carefully ce his hand on the sphere," Maleck directed.

    "Alright, priest Maleck." The parents said before holding the hand of the baby and cing it on top of the floating sphere.

    Lucius carefully watched it and had expected something to happen instantly, but nothing did. In fact, two minutes passed just like that without any reaction and they were just standing there same as before.

    ''Is there something wrong?'' Lucius wondered.

    His eyes moved around, taking in the reactions of everyone. No one seemed to be worried about it thus he thought that perhaps this was normal.

    "Priest Maleck?" the mother of the baby spoke, concern showing on her face.

    "Don''t worry, the aether in the baby''s body is very less thus it can take a longer time." Maleck assured.

    ~Shua~

    And just as Maleck said this, the floating sphere started to glow in a yellow light.

    ~Gasp~

    "The yellow light! It is a rare ranked gift!" Priest Maleck eximed.

    Joy appeared on the faces of the parents while the baby started crying instead, kicking its legs and trying to pull its hand back. It was evident that it had be quite ufortable due to all this.

    "You can let him rest now. I''ll read out the name of the gift." Maleck said.

    "Thank you, priest Maleck." The parents said before holding their baby boy close.

    Maleck looked into the book that was made out of marble below the floating sphere and chanted something before words started to appear on the marble book.

    "The gift that your baby has is¡­ Fire Whip!" Maleck announced.

    The parents of the baby seemed to be content with it and took a breath of relief.

    "We had seen mes light up on his hand before and knew that it was going to be a fire rted gift, but this is simply amazing." The father of the baby spoke.

    "Goddess Etara has blessed you, may your child''s gift bloom and prosper." Priest Maleck blessed and directed them to sit.

    As soon as the parents were seated, the next couple approached with their baby. Lucius had been watching the entire thing, and hearing the name ''Fire Whip'' made him feel a bit disappointed. Just from the name, he could imagine what kind of effects the gift would have, but if hepared it with his past world, such a thing could be aplished by anyone who knew intermediate level of fire magic.

    ''Just for something like this to be called rare¡­ I''m having a hard time understanding this world¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    The second baby''s hand had already been ced on the sphere for two minutes and it started to glow, which brought Lucius out of his thoughts.

    "Yellow Light! It is a rare ranked gift as well!" Maleck announced.

    A simr level of joy appeared on the faces of the parents, and they waited for Maleck to announce the name of the gift.

    "The gift your baby has is¡­ High Lancer!" Priest Maleck announced.

    The parents of the child seemed a bit confused after hearing the gift''s name, and Maleck understood their thoughts.

    "Congrattions, your child is a born soldier. High Lancer is a gift that makes one innately talented in usingnces. They can learn specialized martial arts that no normal soldier can use." Maleck exined.

    They took a breath of relief and walked away, letting the third couplee forward. Lucius was now getting interested more after having heard the effect of the gift ''highncer''.

    ''A gift that can innately increase one''s talent in using a specific type of weapon? Hmm¡­ this is rather unorthodox¡­ I don''t think there was any magic that increased one''s talent in the usage of weaponry specifically.'' Lucius thought.

    The sphere that was floating started to glow again, and it was the yellow light once again. Maleck read the name of the gift that had appeared in the book and nodded.

    "The gift that your child has is¡­ Schr''s Mind: Arithmetic." Maleck announced.

    Lucius was once again confused after hearing a name like this and could guess the effect, but didn''t know if he would be urate or not.

    "Priest Maleck what does the gift do? We knew our baby had awakened his gift when the book in our house started opening automatically." The parents asked.

 Chapter 22 - Epic Ranked Gift

    Lucius looked on in interest as he waited for Maleck''s answer.

    "The gift Schr''s mind: Arthritic is one of the many sub-types of the Schr mind''s gifts. Each and every type of the gift makes that person talented in a specific field of academia. With the Arithmetic one, your sun will be a genius at numerical calctions and theories.

    In fact, I believe the artificers guild may be willing to take over your child''s education." Maleck answered.

    Hearing the words of Maleck made the parents very happy, more so even after hearing that the gift their child had was so good. While it may not have any offensive value like the other two gifts, the gift will ensure that their child will be an artificer which was a rather lucrative trade.

    Lucius was intrigued by this even more. He knew there were people that were natural-born geniuses but it happening though a gift seemed rather strange. He couldn''t figure out how the gift would exactly work. Would it continuously be active or would they have to use Aether to keep it active?

    There were many questions that could not be answered for him, and thus he had to wait till he was healed. He was really getting frustrated because of his condition and wanted nothing more than for the priest of na to arrive and heal him.

    ''Kiana did say that they should be here anytime this week. Hopefully, it''s as early as it can be.'' Lucius thought.

    There was amotion in the audience as they heard that the baby had a schrly gift, more so because of the fact that the Artificers guild would be taking over the education of the child. A lot of parents whose children did not have good gifts or were gift less wished to get their children educated by the artificers guild.

    But the cost of education there was very expensive, and there were only a handful of families that would be able to afford it. The artificers guild did have recruitment exams for people though, which if they passed would merit them a schrship.

    Still, thepetition was tough and the contestants many. Thus having a gift like this was a direct entry to the future ranks of the artificers guild.

    Now, only the final baby was left to be appraised. These four babies were the most celebrated, as babies awakening their gifts was very rare. And if they awakened their gifts at that age, they were nearly guaranteed to have a gift that was at the rare rank.

    The parents of the final baby walked ahead, and Lucius closely observed them. Unlike the other three couples, this one seemed to be in a better financial condition. From the sword that hung on the father''s waist and the quality of the mother''s clothes, Lucius was sure that they were nomon peasants.

    "Ah! Sir John anddy Alessa, I''ve been waiting for you two. Etara has definitely blessed your child." Maleck said with a smile upon seeing the two.

    ''Sir anddy? So they really are notmoners.'' Lucius thought.

    "Whoa! So it was John and Alissa''s daughter that awakened her gift, I didn''t expect this. That''s why he came back from the border so quick." Kiana spoke.

    Lucius could hear the familiarity in her voice and assumed that these two were perhaps rted to his own family in some way. And ording to the words of Kiana, he concluded that John was a soldier himself, perhaps even an officer in the army.

    ''Hmm¡­ He''s not wearing any kind of a badge or anything that can confirm it, but he does have the demeanor.'' Lucius thought.

    "The pleasure is all ours, priest Maleck. We never expected Cia to awaken her gift like this. The circumstances of it were¡­ a bit surprising to us though." John spoke with a slight apprehension on his face.

    "Oh? What exactly happened?" Maleck asked in a low voice.

    Alessa raised her hand and showed them to Maleck.

    "Bandages? How did you get injured?" Maleck asked furtherer.

    "Let me show you¡­" Alessa spoke before removing the bandages on her hand slightly.

    "Oh, Etara!" Maleck said in shock.

    Deep cuts could be seen on the hand of Alessa and the bleeding was being stopped by some kind of an ointment. Still, the depth of the wounds was easily assessable to Maleck, and he knew that a wound this deep was quite severe.

    "And this was caused by little Cia here?" he questioned for confirmation.

    "We believe so, yes. I do not think anyone else would attack her for no reason in our home." John replied.

    "Alright, we''ll know for sure after the appraisal," Maleck said and took a deep breath.

    John held the hand of his baby daughter and ced it on the sphere floating over the marble book.

    ~Shua~

    Unlike the previous times, the sphere started glowing almost instantly. But upon seeing the color of the light, everyone''s eyes went wide and some people stood up in shock, their hands on their mouths.

    "Blu-blue light! It''s the Blue Light!" The people in the audience shouted, unable to hold back.

    "Etara''s Grace! Epic ranked gift!" Maleck dered.

    Lucius''s eyes went wide too as he heard the rank.

    ''Finally! Something more substantial. Now I can assess what the reach of the gifts can be a bit more¡­'' Lucius thought as the corner of his mouth started twitching.

    Unknown to him, a half-smile had appeared on his face. If Kiana saw this, she would have be shocked too, but she was already shocked seeing the appraisal so did not pay attention to Lucius''s face.

    John and Alessa were already ted due to the gift''s rank and now were anxiously waiting for it to be told to them.

    "The gift your child has is¡­ Thorn Mistress!" Maleck announced.

    As soon as the name was revealed, an even greater uproar was spread in the hall.

    "Thorn Mistress! It''s the lost gift of the great warrior Delia!" Someone in the audience shouted.

    "It has finally reappeared! After a century of wait!" Another person said.

 Chapter 23 - The Appraisal Ceremony Ends

    Lucius''s interest was finally peaked by this and he paid great attention to the baby. Unlike the other babies, this one seemed to be much calmer and also seemed to have a healthy skin. It was evident that it was properly being cared for.

    He also heard the name ''Great warrior Delia'' which made him realized that this may have been an inherited gift perhaps, but without more information, there was little he could think of further.

    It was now that Kiana stood up from the bench.

    "Guards! They are to be protected and more squads are to be called in." Kiana ordered.

    The public seemed a bit anxious after hearing her words and wondered if everything was fine. John and Alessa had a simr reaction but then calmed down after seeing the smile on Kiana''s face.

    "Congrattions! The lord will be extremely happy upon hearing the gift of your child. Baby Cia will be a great warrior one day." Kiana stated.

    Alessa had a pleased expression on her face after hearing her words and John took a breath of relief.

    "You do not need to go back to the army anymore Lieutenant John, I''m pretty sure the lord would rather have you close by. After all, your daughter will one day be a great person." Kiana said with a wink.

    The two parents had a short discussion with Kiana while a guard went back to the mansion to call for the squads. About ten minutester, fifteen guards were present at the hall and the security was greatly increased.

    "Come sit with us, I''m sure lord Asher would like to meet you too." Kiana invited.

    Asher blinked his eyes in agreement as he truly wanted to gain more information. He also wanted to know what the gifts of these two parents could be so he could derive a hypothesis.

    "Ah, this is lord Asher? Forgive my rudeness¡­ I didn''t recognize you." John said.

    Asher blinked again to show his acknowledgment, and Kiana tranted for him.

    "Lord Asher appreciates it and is fine with it. He is currently still unwell and is thus unable to speak. But he should be fine soon, once the priest of naes here." Kiana replied.

    "Priest of na? Oh wait, beforeing here I got a report that one of them was on the way." John said.

    "Really?" Kiana asked and even Lucius looked on intently.

    "Yes, it came from one of my subordinates thus I can confirm its true. It was in a personal letter, thus it is likely that you will be getting a formal letter soon enough. But ording to his words, the priest should be here in a day or two." John answered.

    "That would be great! Once lord Asher is healed, things would be back to good. Thank you for the information Lieutenant John, I''m sure madam Lita would be very appreciative of it. Perhaps you all should wait for the dinner tonight." Kiana proposed.

    Lucius was getting to learn more things about Kiana now.

    ''So she has a certain level of authority too. Able tomand guards like that and even a lieutenant while also inviting them for dinner¡­ Hmm¡­ what is her true identity? There is no way she can be amon servant maid.'' Lucius thought.

    "We would like that too, miss Kiana," Alessa replied and John nodded in agreement.

    They then went silent as Priest Maleck called in the next child. This time it was a boy that looked to be of five years of age. The boy seemed to be excited and kept on ying with his hands.

    Maleck looked at the boy, and a smile appeared on his face.

    "Oh already ying with your gift, very good." He said.

    "Yes, priest Maleck. He awakened the gift a week ago and since then hasn''t stopped. We know it is a wind type gift but still want to know its name." The parents of the child spoke.

    "Ah¡­ I see. So he had a partial awakening and hasn''t learned of the name on his own." Maleck said.

    "Yes." The response.

    "Well, that is still very impressive. Come on ce your hand here and I''ll determine." He instructed.

    The boy curiously looked at the floating sphere before cing his hand on it. Then almost instantly it started glowing in a yellow light, showing that it was a rare rank gift.

    "The gift that your child has is¡­ Far Caller." Maleck announced.

    "Far caller? But his ability seems to be different?" the father of the boy asked.

    "Far callers are able to direct the wind to assist in long distancemunications. While they can also manipte the wind as he is doing right now, it cannot be raised to the point of being used as an offensive skill." Priest Maleck exined.

    "Ah! I understand now, priest Maleck." The parents said before letting the next couple came forward.

    Lucius watched on as one by one, more children got appraised. There were a few rare ranked gifts, but he soon learned that they were the bare minority. After about nine rare gifts, no more of them appeared and the rest were just umon andmon ranked gifts.

    ''So themon ranked gifts give out a while light, while the umon ones give out green light. Wonder what color light the legendary gifts give out.'' Lucius thought.

    About two hours passed before the entire appraisal ceremony was finished. Themoners were the first ones to leave the hall as they made way for the carriage that wasing for Lucius and the others.

    "So where do you want to go now, Asher? The market, theke, or the Artificers guild?" Kiana questioned.

    Lucius blinked thrice to show his response.

    "Ah, so the artificers guild it is then. We willplete our errand first then." Kiana said.

    They were about to climb into the carriage and head their way when a guard came galloping towards them. He was already shouting from afar and telling them something.

    "Lord Asher, Miss Kiana, the madam has called you back to the mansion urgently." The messenger guard said.

    "Why?" Kiana simply questioned.

    "The priest has arrived!"

 Chapter 24 - Priest Josef

    Both Kiana and Lucius''s eyes went wide as they heard the words of the messenger.

    Kiana turned to Asher and picked him up immediately, putting him in the carriage while urging, "hurry up! Let''s go, put the wheelchair in the back."

    The other guards that had apanied them immediately reacted and put the wheelchair in the back while lieutenant John and his wife also climbed into the carriage with their baby daughter.

    ~Whip~

    ~Neigh~

    The horses let out a loud neigh as the whip cracked over them. They started galloping as the carriage moved at a fast pace. The rest of the guards sped up as well to stay behind the carriage on their own horses. Kiana''s expression was of excitement and unease, while Lucius was simr.

    Had it not been for his paralysis, his expressions would have been more clear, but for now, he could only do so in his thoughts.

    ''How did the priest arrive so quickly? Wasn''t he supposed to be still at a far enough distance?'' Lucius wondered.

    Even if John had said that it would take the priest one or two days, this was just too fast. Lucius couldn''t think of any way other than some kind of a modern transport that would allow them to travel this fast. He had also thought of certain magical means such as flying, of course, but since the priest had the divine gift of goddess na, he didn''t think he wasing by flight.

    ''Unless he was brought here on a flying creature¡­'' Lucius thought.

    In all his time here he had only seen some normal birds here, but nothing big enough that it would be able to carry a human. While Lucius was in his thoughts, time passed quickly and in the blink of an eye, they were already at the gates of the mansion.

    The gate was already kept open for them, and a pair of guards were waiting for them outside. The guards that were following them by the side of the carriage signaled to the guards and the gate, and they saluted as the carriage passed.

    The carriage came to a stop in front of the entrance of the mansion and there was another smaller carriage that could be seen standing there. The guards kept staring at the front of it for some reason, and Lucius couldn''t tell why. He was put in the wheelchair by Kiana and he finally got a good look at the carriage.

    The carriage was much smaller than the one he was in and had a sleeker build. One could tell that this one was built for speed rather thanfort or capacity. Also, unlike the carriage Lucius was in, this one even had a form of a suspension system in the form of long curved metal strips that wereyered.

    These were flexible and would bend to absorb the shock from the uneven roads. There was a crest present on the carriage which basically shouted that this belonged to a church. There were eight pairs of wings that rose from a golden ring on which characters of some kind were written.

    But when Lucius finally saw the animals that pulled the carriage did he understand the reason for the quick arrival of the priest.

    "Cheetah horses?" Lieutenant John said upon spotting the four beasts attached to the front of the carriage.

    They looked like horses that had the features of a Cheetah, like the spotted markings and the thicker tail, unlike that of a horse. It had hooves that extended outward like ws and an athletic build that was ratherpact. These horses were actually smaller than the ones that pulled Lucius''s carriage, but still seemed to have a rather powerful presence.

    ''So they are called Cheetah horse¡­ I guess they have a fast speed like that of a cheetah.'' Lucius hypothesized.

    Luckily a lot of the animals he had seen in this world matched that of his previous world so he didn''t have trouble recognizing them. In fact, Lucius had seen multiple worlds during his dimensional travels and about half of them would have simrities to that of the animals of his previous world.

    ''So this is what they mean by the convergence of evolutionary paths. Even in different worlds, the results seem to be simr. Hmm¡­ seems like a valid topic for research, I''ll add it to my list for the future.'' Lucius thought, invoking his inner scientist.

    Kiana on the other hand didn''t seem to mind the Cheetah horses that much and simply pushed Lucius into the mansion. It was obvious that she was rather excited and was covering for Lucius'' part as well.

    The guards halted outside and only the captain of the guard Donald followed them into the mansion.

    "John, Alessa, you two cane as well," Kiana said in a hurry and continued ahead.

    Lucius watched in anticipation as he was brought to a grand hall. This seemed to be the biggest area in the mansion and was the most luxuriously decorated as well. There Lucius saw five people, three of which were sitting around arge table and two that stood to the back.

    The five people included Asher''s mother Lita, two servants that attended to madam Lita and two men who were dressed in the robes of a priest. One of them looked much older than the other and was also wearing more borate priest robes than the other.

    When they turned around to take a look at Lucius and the others, Lucius was able to spot the same crest of the eight pairs of wings and the golden ring on their robes.

    ''So that''s the crest of the church of goddess na¡­'' Lucius observed.

    "Madam, we are here!" Kiana announced.

    "Come,e," Lita gestured.

    Kiana pushed Lucius further and halted near the table.

    "So this is the young lord?" the younger priest said, while looking at Lucius.

    "Yes priest Josef, it''s my son Asher," Lita confirmed.

    The sound of a chair being pushed back was heard as the priest abruptly stood up.

    "I''ll start right away, we have more urgent matters to deal with now."

 Chapter 25 - Healed

    Lucius watched as the priest walked up to him and ced his hand over his head. A bright white light came from his hand and slowly started to spread all over his body.

    Lucius who was well versed in the use of mana and mana circuits could tell that this was indeed quite different from normal magic. It was technically achieving the same thing, but through an alternative method. A peculiar energy was released from the hand of priest Josef and spread into Lucius''s body.

    It seemed to be simr to that of the one that the healer had done, but this one seemed to be significantly more potent. Lucius closed his eyes as well, focusing on the condition of his body as he felt it improve rapidly.

    The first to heal were the wounds that he had. Most of them had already healed over the month, but there were still some that needed a while more. Then came his internals, where he started to feel an increase in the sensation of the body.

    First came a tingling sensation and then pain, but that washed away soon, reced by a feeling of calmness.

    After this, Lucius could feel his limbs better and knew that he would be able to move them with no problem now. Still, he realized that his five senses were in disarray even now and had not been fixed. The light from the priest''s hand stopped, and a frown appeared on his face.

    Lucius opened his eyes and lifted his right hand. Kiana and the rest saw this and marveled at this miracle.

    "Amazing! Lord Asher can move again." Kiana said, while her eyes turned red.

    Lita had a simr reaction, but when she saw the frown on Josef''s face, she couldn''t help but feel anxious once again.

    "Is there something wrong, priest Josef?" Lita questioned.

    Kiana and the others went silent and finally understood that not all was good right now.

    "No, madam Lita. It seems that the injuries of Young lord Asher were much more serious than I expected. I was able to heal his paralysis, but I cannot fix the injuries that his brain has sustained. They are¡­ rather strange, and I haven''t seen anything like that before." Josef said.

    Lucius looked on, as he understood the gist of the priest''s word. He was the one who knew his condition better and also what the priest was perceived as brain damage. This was nothing but the damage caused due to the ipatibility of the soul and the body and why he was unable to use more than two senses at once.

    His sense of touch was always active, but he could only choose one of the other senses to use together with it. Usually, he alternated between his eyesight and ears to gain information, but this still caused him to lose a lot of information in between.

    "Even you can''t heal it, priest Josef?" Lita questioned, tears threatening to drop from her eyes as she clutched the hem of her dress.

    Priest Josef shook his head and spoke, "I''m afraid not¡­ this is beyond my skill with the divine gift of na."

    Kiana bit her lip as she looked at Lucius in sorrow. Lucius still had a calm expression on his face and did not seem bothered by it though. The people thought this was due to his brain damage as priest Josef had said, but it was not true. Rather, Lucius was truly not bothered by it.

    He was already content that his paralysis had been cured. For the rest of the problems, he had confidence that he would be able to solve them himself. All he needed was some money and a bit of time. Both of which he had in plenty due to his status.

    Lucius still couldn''t speak, otherwise he would have already told them to stop bothering about him, but a person who had been rather silent since the start suddenly stood up.

    "Let me take a look." The older priest said.

    Josef had a slightly stunned look on his face and spoke, "are you sure high priest Rooks? We were only given a tithe enough for one healing session."

    "It does not matter, I''m curious too and want to see what kind of a problem you''vee across. I shall forgo the tithe this time." Priest Rooks stated.

    Now it was the turn for others to be shocked. They had never heard that a priest would forgo a tithe like that so casually, that too a high priest who they had never expected to be here at all.

    "Let me take a look, and see what''s wrong with you child," Rooks said.

    He had a genial smile on his face, something which Lucius had seen many times before. It was the same smile that disgusted him when he saw the priests of Thara sacrifice themselves. They would keep the same smile on their face as they walked to their deaths.

    Had it not been for his experience, he would have scoffed at it.

    The old priest did the same thing as Josef and ced his hand on the head of Lucius. A bright light came from his hand too, but this time it was yellow in color.

    Lucius could feel a simr energy traveling into his body, but this time it was much more contained and targeted his brain instead. There, it began saturating each of his cells and they rapidly started healing. There were fine injuries that were invisible to the eyes caused due to the ipatibility of the body, but even they were healing.

    Lucius finally showed a shocked expression as he saw his entire understanding of soul ipatibility injuries being changed.

    Unlike Josef, Rooks took about two minutes longer and kept his eyes closed during the entire process. He finally lifted his hands and took a tired breath.

    "This is indeed something I had not expected to see here¡­" Rooks said.

    "What was the problem High priest Rooks?" Josef questioned.

    "This poor child was cursed," Rooks revealed.

    "WHAT!?"

 Chapter 26 - Curse

    A curse was something that Lucius had definitely not expected.

    ''How did he evene to this conclusion?'' Lucius wondered.

    "But how? I didn''t see any traces of curse on him, high priest Rooks," Josef asked.

    "It is not your fault, Josef. Even I would have been unable to recognize it had it not been for the fact that I have seen something like this once before." Rooks replied.

    Lita and the rest were now curious too about it. They were happy that Asher had been cured, but they still wanted to know who would curse the young lord and what kind of curse could cause something like this.

    "Where did you see it before high priest Rooks?" Josef questioned.

    "It was about ten years ago, during my time as a junior priest. I along with a few others had the chance to apany bishop Hawke on missionary work. We went to the border of the kingdom of Curia.

    There we visited the viges that were suffering from famine and gue." Rooks answered.

    "Wait, border of the kingdom of Curia? The Fands?" Josef asked with apprehension.

    "Indeed. That was the first time the church hadunched a missionary visit there. We had expected the opposition, but surprisingly there was none from the vigers. We discovered that the gue had in fact been caused by the tribals of the Fands. Because the border of the Curia Kingdom is shared by both parties, conflicts are not umon.

    The vigers had been confused about why they had no conflict or even a small fight since a year before that, and the reason for that was this very gue. The tribals of the Fands were behind it.

    But that was not all. We also found that one of the strongest gifted warrior that had been defending the viges had fallen sick as well. His condition was different from the others in that, he had lost control over his senses.

    Sometimes he would be able to hear, sometimes not, sometimes see, and then not. It was the same with the other three senses of his, and this had made him crippled for a few months. Upon conducting a bit of research, Bishop Hawke recognized that this was the work of a curse.

    He used the divine gift of na to purge it out of the warrior''s body and saw the traces of a tribal god in it. That confirmed it for us that it was caused by the tribal of the Fands." Rooks exined.

    The people were shocked by this information and couldn''t help but think more about it. It was not every day that they would get to learn things like these, as most information was restricted by the church and the kingdom.

    "But that still doesn''t exin one thing; how did young lord Asher get afflicted by the curse of the tribals here, more than three thousand kilometers away from the Fands." Josef questioned.

    "That is what''s bugging me too, priest Josef." Rook said, shaking his head.

    Lita looked at her son with tears in her eyes and could no longer hold back. She ran towards him and hugged him. She was waiting as it could have been considered rude to do this in front of the priests, but she did it, anyway.

    Thankfully, the two priests were more engrossed in their own conversation while the others listened on.

    "Thank the goddess! You are fine now, my son." Lita said as she held the face of Asher in her hands.

    Kiana kneeled beside Asher and looked him in the eyes.

    "Can you try to speak for us now?" She asked.

    Lucius closed his eyes for a moment topose himself before opening his lips.

    "Yes, I can." He spoke for the very first time.

    His voice was a bit hoarse, having not spoken for a long time, but it was still understandable. Lucius heard his new voice and found it to be alright, not having many thoughts about it as all he needed was the ability tomunicate more efficiently.

    He hummed to himself to clear his throat a bit and flexed his neck.

    "I''d like some water," he asked.

    "YES, YES!" Lita said before rushing to get the water herself.

    There was a jug kept on the table, and thus she didn''t have to go far. The servants felt a bit nervous as they saw thedy of the mansion pour water herself. She carried the ss of water to Lucius and was about to feed it to him when Lucius held her hand.

    "I''d like to do things on my own from now, can''t keep on being cared for," Lucius said in a calm voice.

    It was now that Lita realized there was no need for the previous things that they needed to do. Although Asher was now fully healed, he would still need a couple of days to fully adjust to his body.

    "Ahh¡­ this feels so much better¡­" Asher muttered to himself.

    He raised his eyes from the ss and saw the two priests staring at him.

    "Is there a priest Josef, high priest Rooks?" he asked with a raised brow.

    Kiana saw this expression of Asher and found it to be strange.

    ''He never really did something like this before¡­'' She thought.

    "Young lord Asher, what do you remember before you were injured?" Josef questioned.

    "Nothing. I remember nothing, my memory is gone." Asher said in a straightforward manner.

    ~Sigh~

    "Just as I expected¡­" Rooks said in a disappointed voice.

    "Wh-what do you mean, son?" Lita asked, as a bad feeling balled in her stomach.

    "I don''t remember anything before I was injured. I barely even remember you all." Asher spoke.

    Lucius knew that faking the memories would only cause trouble in the future, and it was only so long that he would be able to keep the pretenses. Thus, when the opportunity presented to him, he took it and dropped the bomb.

    Lita''s and Kiana''s hearts fell as they heard that he had lost his memories.

    "High priest Rooks, surely there must be some way to get his memories back?" Kiana asked, her voice bordering on sobbing.

 Chapter 27 - Bitter Sweet

    Rooks shook his head in response before speaking.

    "I''m afraid that even the cardinal would not be able to heal something such as this. The memories of a person are stored within their soul and anything that damages it cannot be dealt with easily.

    This is why I was afraid of the curse. The curse of the tribal gods can affect the souls and damage them directly, which is why they are considered so terrifying. Thankfully, they cannot inflict a curse on anyone without a cost.

    Anyone that casts a curse such as this will be forced to bear it himself." Rooks exined.

    ~thud~

    "MADAM!"

    Lita directly copsed on her knees from the shock, and her face turned pale. If even a cardinal was helpless, then there was basically no hope left for her.

    ~drip~

    ~drop~

    Teardrops fell from the eyes of Lita as she broke down. But suddenly she felt something on her shoulder, which prompted her to turn around to take a look. Standing behind her was no one but Asher, and his hand was on her shoulder.

    "Do not cry, mother. Even if I have lost my memories, I''ll just make more. Deep down inside, I''ll still be the same as before." Asher assured.

    Upon seeing Lita cry, Lucius had actually be a bit panicked and knew that it was a bad path that this situation was heading towards. The best course scenario for him would be that this passed quickly and no extra deliberation was done on it.

    Lucius knew that the priests had actually grasped the problem correctly about the memories of the soul. The only thing they got wrong was the fact that there was no soul in the body to behind with before Lucius took over.

    Thankfully, it seemed like his injuries had disguised it well enough and thatbined with theck of knowledge about soul theory made it so that the priests developed a misunderstanding.

    "Young Lord Asher is right, madam Lita. It would not do well for you to dwell on the past and would only cause further pain. Just be thankful that the Goddess has bestowed her grace and allowed him to survive." Josef consoled.

    ~sob~

    ~sniffle~

    "I thank you for your concern, kind sirs. I''ll do as advised and make more of my time with him from now¡­" Lita replied.

    Asher nodded at this, and a slight smile appeared on his face.

    "We will get through this madam, do not worry." Kiana said as she helped Lita stand back up.

    ~sniff~

    Lita wiped her face with a handkerchief and looked at the people.

    "Ah, I''ve embarrassed myself in front of guests. This is unbing of the Inanis family, please pardon me." Lita apologized to everyone.

    "It is fine, madam Lita. We would act the same if it was our child in the same position." John spoke.

    "John is right, madam. If it was little Cia, I don''t even know what I would do." Alessa added.

    Having been consoled by everyone Lita felt a bit better and looked at her son again, only for a smile to appear on her face too.

    "Come on, this calls for a celebration. Servants! Make preparations!" Lita Ordered.

    "Sirs, I know you are in a hurry but if you would stay for the celebration, I would be honored," Lita asked.

    Josef was about to speak something when he was interrupted by Rooks.

    "Yes, we will madam. I would also like to ask a few more things to the young lord and get to know more about this curse. I fear that something nefarious may be happening. If something like this can happen with him, then it can happen with anyone. We need to be more careful from now on." Rooks answered.

    "As you wish, High priest Rooks," Lita replied with a nod.

    And with that, the n was set and everyone became engrossed in some conversation. Lucius'' n to take a look around the city was stopped for now and he instated requested to be taken to the library instead.

    "Hmm¡­ I can see the simrities, but I''ll still need someone to teach me thenguages again." Lucius muttered to himself after flipping through the n''th book.

    He had been trying to see if he could figure out thenguage on his own. Lucius wanted to get the basic logic behind the syntax so that his pace of learning would be increased. Kiana had already told him that a tutor would be ready for him the first thing in the morning and not to be anxious.

    "Are you satisfied now? We should return to the main hall, the celebration will be starting soon." Kiana spoke.

    Ever since he had been healed, Kiana was discovering more and more behaviors that she had never seen in Asher before. She could only attribute this to his amnesia, but she still felt as if something was wrong.

    ''Only time will tell¡­'' Kiana thought to herself.

    "Mm¡­ let''s head back then," Lucius spoke.

    They went straight back to the main hall, where Lucius saw the tables that had been set up. For now, the only guests were Lieutenant John and his wife along with the two priests. Lita had sent out invitations for more people, but they would only be arriving at the given time.

    Lita was currently looking at baby Cia with stars in her eyes.

    "Goddess Etara has truly blessed us today. Not only did Asher recover, but we even got a precious new addition to the city." Lita said before lifting her head to look at Alessa, the mother of the baby.

    "You two should move into the noble district quickly. I''ll assign a bungalow for you two right away, and when Lord Gabriel gets here, I''ll talk to him about John''s position as well." Lita said.

    The couple was happy upon hearing this and thanked Lita multiple times. Lucius was looking on with interest as well and nced at the baby girl.

    But he suddenly saw something which surprised him.

    "Oh, my¡­ didn''t expect this¡­"

 Chapter 28 - A Gift?

    Lucius felt as if he was hallucinating at first and thus rubbed his eyes. Hallucinations were amon side effect of soul ipatibility, and thus he thought that was exactly what it was.

    But after confirming it for the third time, he knew it was true.

    Floating in front of him were a string of words that were written in thenguage of his past world.

    They read, "Thorn Mistress".

    As soon as Lucius saw it, only one idea appeared in his mind: Gift.

    ''This is unexpected. Is it truly a gift or something else? Looks like it allows me to see other''s gifts, but why only the baby and not the others? Hmm¡­ I''ll need to study it a bit more.'' Lucius thought, all the while keeping a calm expression so as to not alert the others.

    It was well known that Asher did not have a gift, and he did not want to pull more attention to himself by showing that he had awakened one. For now, he needed to figure out more of the workings of the gift, before he could reach a sufficient level for analysis.

    While it was possible for people to awaken giftster on in life, the chance for this was quite less. Thankfully, from what Lucius could tell, Asher was definitely less than twenty five years of age.

    Thus, if it ever came to it, he would be able to give the excuse ofte awakening.

    He looked at the people who were talking and searched for a suitable ce to sit. He didn''t have to look for more than a second as Kiana pointed at the ce that was reserved for them.

    "Come Asher, this way," Kiana said while tugging on Asher''s hand gently.

    She couldn''t help but repeat the habits that she had developed over the years and thus did this, even though Asher had said not to coddle him like before. But seeing that he didn''t mind it for now, she took a breath of relief.

    Asher and she sat in the chairs next to Lita, Asher''s mother. She was talking with the two priests along with a few nobles from the town who had been invited.

    "Ah! Young lord Asher is here finally!" An old man who was dressed in a silk shirt remembered with borate designs spoke.

    "Pardon me for my tardiness," Asher replied.

    "No, no, lord Asher. It is my honor that I get to meet you. Your bravery is quite impressive, even without a gift you fearlessly went to fight on the battlefield and even killed four squads of enemies all alone." The old man spoke.

    This was news to Lucius, as he had not known that Asher had such martial prowess to kill sixteen men. Of course, this was something Lucius could do with the snap of his finger had it been his previous world and he had his magic, but it was not.

    Rather it was a noble boy who was likely kept isted from most of the world''s cruelties. Lucius could tell from the body of Asher that it had not been properly trained and what little muscle he had was likely just naturally grown due to his good genes.

    "I''m ttered, sir¡­" Lucius replied.

    "This is sir Cambrian. He owns a few weapon retail shops in the cksmith''s district and the neighboring towns." Lita introduced, understanding that Asher did not remember who that was.

    Lucius nced at the old man to see his reaction to him not recognizing him, fully expecting him to be surprised; but he was not.

    ''Looks like Lita already informed the guests about my condition.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius exchanged a few more pleasantries with the other guests and soon food was served. The people enjoyed the food as Lucius nced at them one by one, wanting to test out his supposed ''gift''.

    He was still unsure about it being a gift and was wondering if it was a hallucination. But when he looked back at baby Cia, he saw the words appear again.

    ''There is some other condition that I''m missing. Hmm¡­ who are the people here that I know for sure have gifts; the two priests, Lita, Kiana, the guards, John and Alessa.'' Lucius thought as he nced at them one by one.

    No words appeared for any of them, and thus he thought of a different approach. He looked to his side where Kiana was sitting and eating calmly. Her manners and etiquettes were actually better than some of the nobles that were in attendance here, which prompted Lucius to think that she really wasn''t just a normal servant.

    ''Even her uniform is different than the other maids¡­'' Lucius thought.

    "Kiana," Lucius spoke.

    "Yes, Asher?" She responded.

    "What gift do you have? I''m curious as I don''t remember." Lucius questioned.

    "My gift? I have the gift called Stone Shooter." Kiana answered and then showed him her palm.

    In the next second, a small stone materialized out of thin air and floated above her palm. The stone looked unassuming, and one could find something like that anywhere on the ground. But Lucius could sense faint fluctuations from it that he had not sensed from others.

    Then, they appeared. Words materialized in front of Kiana saying: Stone Shooter.

    ''So knowing the name is one of the conditions? But that condition would make the gift rather useless. Unless¡­ there is more to it than meets the eye.'' Lucius thought.

    "Tell me, Kiana. How did you figure out the use of your gift? Did the priest tell you at the appraisal ceremony?" Lucius questioned.

    "Oh no, he didn''t. I never did a formal appraisal of my gift since I did a full awakening when I was fourteen." Kiana answered.

    "Full awakening? What''s that?" Lucius questioned.

    ~Sigh~

    "Seems like we need to set up some additional sses for you,ter. These things will have to be relearned." Kiana spoke.

    "Yes, that is indeed necessary, but do tell me what it means for now," Lucius spoke.

    "Alright then, listen to me closely."

 Chapter 29 - Nexus

    Kiana looked around and checked that the situation in the room was fine before speaking. If she spoke at an inopportune moment when someone was announcing something or the host was speaking, it would be considered dishonorable.

    Thankfully, everyone was busy in their own conversation and eating food, thus she was free to speak.

    "In general there are two ways one can find out if they have a gift or not. The first way is the mostmon one where a person can go to the appraisal hall to get it appraised. Even if one has not awakened their gift, the appraisal hall can assist them a little bit.

    The second method is the full awakening. This is rtively rare and happens for those that awaken their giftter in their lives; usually in thete teens. When a full awakening happens one will innately understand what their gift is, what its name is, and its effects." Kiana exined.

    "Ah¡­ I see. But is it still possible for one to find out the name of the gift, if only the ability is activated?" Lucius asked, wanting to expand his possibilities.

    He didn''t want to go to the appraisal hall to get his gift appraised, as he didn''t know much about it and revealing it directly could be potentially counterproductive to his ns in the future.

    Sometimes have no talent is considered better in the society than having little talent in something.

    Kiana thought for a bit before answering Lucius''s question.

    "For the specifics, you will have to ask Priest Maleck as he is the expert in this, but I have heard of several instances where some people were able to guess the names of the gifts.

    This is actually a gambling sport in some of the cities too. They bet on who will be able to guess the gift of a person. Though the people the usually participate in it are the ones who are yet to awaken their gift.

    The method to do that is to sense their Aether within their body. Since Gifts are considered to be part of one''s souls, the names of their gifts are innately linked to them.

    If I remember correctly, this is how the names of the gifts are created. The appraisal altar checks the soul of a person for the name of the gift. That is how the name of new gifts are found out as well." Kiana spoke.

    Lucius rubbed his chin while he pondered more on it. He felt like it was simr to some of the meditative techniques he had seen in his past life. For a lot of mages that used normal mana, their main method of increasing their magic was by either meditation or constant practice.

    Because of this, a lot of mediation methods were avable in the market. Lucius himself had researched them but hadn''t truly needed them because his magic was direly channeled from hell due to him being part of the Great Barrom n.

    "Thank you for the information, Kiana." Lucius said.

    "Ah, that was nothing. If you have any questions at all, I will always be there for you." Kiana replied with a smile.

    Lucius nodded his head and pretended to focus back on his te and the food on it. While he was doing this, he was recalling one of themon mediation methods of his past life. It wasn''t even used for the practice of magic and was a simple one that was used to increase one''s concentration.

    Anyone could use this mediation method and it wasmon knowledge to nearly everyone in the world, or if they didn''t know they could easily find out about it through many channels such as libraries.

    Lucius controlled his breathing and closed his eyes gently. He maintained this for a couple of minutes before calming down his breathing even more. He focused within his body and sensed a very faint energy of some kind flowing around.

    Lucius could tell that this was perhaps aether since he had felt a simr energy from the healers and the priests before. That had actually helped him in recognizing his Aether. His mind ''touched'' the Aether and then almost instantly a word came to his mind.

    "NEXUS"

    Lucius opened his eyes and innately understood that this was the name of his gift and that it truly was a gift. Along with the name, he also had some more information appear in his head; it was the method to use his gift.

    "So that''s why it didn''t work properly¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He closed his eyes again and followed the method of using his gift; then a wall of text appeared in his vision.

    Gift Name: Nexus

    Description: ess the records of the divines and peer into the gifts of all that exists.

    Type: Analytical

    Rank: Unranked

    Evolution: Not possible

    A smile appeared on Lucius''s face after reading the text. This time he had targeted himself and used the gift, this had lead to the information about his gift being revealed to himself.

    When he mediated and sensed the Aether in his body, he only got the understanding of the gift along with the name. The other things that were revealed when he use the gift on himself were rather surprising to him.

    The first two parts were what he had kind of known, but even then the description was rather interesting to him. The next three items; the type, rank, and evolution were intriguing as well. The type was understandable to Lucius as he figured that out from the use automatically.

    The Rank though, confused him a bit, as Unranked could either mean the gift was never seen before or that the gift was below themon rank. The final part about evolution sent a train of thoughts running across Lucius''s mind.

    ''Hmm¡­ so gifts can evolve too. But is thismon knowledge or something kept hidden¡­ I need to find out on my own.'' Lucius thought.

    He finished up the food on his te and asked for more serving. After all, if he wanted to be strong, he needed to be healthy first.

 Chapter 30 - Evolution Of Gifts?

    Lucius was lying on the bed for the first timefortably. Before he had been paralyzed and thus just bore with it, but now that he was healed and could move, he realized how ufortable he was sleeping like that before.

    The bed had been adjusted ording to his requirements, and the proper pillows had been acquired for him as well. In addition to that, an extra table had been added to his room. This was a study table that he had asked for.

    There was a study table in the room before too, but it was much smaller than this one. He wanted a bigger one so that it could amodate more books and notes at once. He was used to arge workspace due to researching in the past and having a small one was a problem.

    Another thing was theck of technology that bothered him. It was gonna make his research slower than before and storing data would also be much more difficult if it was going to be in the form of a solid book.

    Lucius knew that creating aputer may or may not be possible for now, but he made that as one of his goals for here. During the time he spent traveling across the dimensions, he had seen some worlds that were more than a hundred times more advanced than his.

    He had learned a few things from there and was looking forward to applying them in this world too. He knew that there were two paths to power in most worlds that he had been to.

    One was the physical strengths such as fighting skills, magic, and a strong body; while the second was the intelligence. If one took the route of intelligence, the surest way to get great power was nothing but technology.

    But this required a great base and needed many people to achieve. Lucius was looking to implement this too, but in a different way. He was gonna follow the path his previous world took, which was the hybrid one.

    Theybined the magic with technology that allowed them to ovee a lot of hurdles. In fact, that was the reason why they were able to do long distance space travel to distant gxies despitecking enough fuel to do the same.

    They had greatly developed portal technology that was powered by magic which would be used by anyone, regardless of if one knew magic or not.

    For this world, Lucius was betting on the Artifact''s. They seemed to be an application of the gifts, but he didn''t know how they came to be. For that reason, he had asked Kiana about books rted to artifacts and gifts.

    They were going to be delivered to him by tomorrow, but he didn''t want to wait at that time, as he felt impatient. But Lita and Kiana said that he had just recovered and needed to rest more.

    Even the two priests were of the same opinion. They had talked with him for a couple of hours after they had finished up eating but were disappointed as Lucius could barely answer their questions.

    But this was still beneficial to Lucius, as he was able to get some of his doubts cleared by the priests.

    One of the doubts was the existence of ''divine gifts''. He had understood that the goddess na bestowed them upon the people but how did it exactly work. Lucius found out that in order to receive a divine gift, one had to give up on the gift that they already had.

    Also depending on the rank of gift that they originally had, they would receive the stronger version of the divine gift.

    But along with this Lucius also got a hint of the evolution of Gifts. He learned that priests who were pious and did their duties well would gain an increase in their gift. Thus increasing their powers.

    This verified Lucius'' original hypothesis that gifts could indeed be evolved and this fact was not hidden. Rather, people were simply ignorant about it. They thought that getting proficient with their gift and it evolving was the same but it was not.

    Lucius also reckoned that it was actually quite difficult to evolve a gift and the requirement must also be unique, otherwise many people would have done the same a long time ago.

    After Lucius had checked his own gift''s details with Nexus, he tried to check the details of Kiana since he already knew the name of the gift. But this turned out to be rather disappointing as he suddenly felt drained of energy and the words that were once there disappeared directly.

    Lucius had checked the condition of the Aether in his body and figured out that it was all consumed.

    "I will need to increase my aether capacity. Hmm¡­ thankfully all that''s needed to do that is practice. That is the reason why the guards have duels every day, so that they can increase their Aether capacity and better use their gifts." Lucius muttered to himself.

    While thinking of this, Lucius was staring out of the window at the moon. It was at this time that he suddenly saw arge bird going across the visage of the moon.

    The appearance of this bird made Lucius stand up, and he leaned against the window to take a closer look. The bird was unusual to say the least, as it had two pairs of wings and was quiterge.

    It was almost the size of a bull and flew around in the sky in circles. Lucius didn''t know what it was exactly doing but when he looked at the ce below where it was flying, he saw a few people there.

    These people were rather small and Lucius had a hard time seeing them, but from the glints of light that reflected from their bodies, he assumed that they were soldiers or at the very least, mercenaries.

    "Are they looking for that bird?" Lucius wondered as he saw them looking up at therge bird.

    Then, a couple of secondster, one of the men pulled out a long sword and shed at the sky. The sword let out a strong aura and made the winds streak across the skies.

    "What the!¡­"

 Chapter 31 - Rune Beast?

    Lucius watched with wide eyes as a long red sh was released from the long sword. The sh went all the way into the sky and split therge bird into two. A rain of blood ensued and stained the people below red.

    They looked unfazed by it and dodged the two parts of the dead bird that fell to the ground with a loud thud.

    "What kind of a sword is that? Is that an artifact perhaps? Or was that the effect of a gift?" Lucius wondered.

    The man who had just killed therge bird searched through the two parts of the corpse and pulled out something from it. It was too small for Lucius to see and thus he couldn''t exactly tell what it was.

    After getting whatever they wanted from the corpse, the people left the ce and went towards the western district of the city. Lucius couldn''t really spot them after they entered the city due to the buildings and houses, making it hard to see them.

    Just seeing them would have been impossible normally had it not been for the fact that he was at a rather tall height. The mansion of the Count was located on a small hill, that had been ttened at the top.

    This gave him plenty of elevation along with this being on the highest floor also helped him see quite far. Feeling unable to hold back, Lucius left the room and went to the gallery that was located further up the mansion.

    It was one of those galleries with a conical roof and Lucius could see a three hundred and sixty degree view of the entire city. He looked in the direction that those people went and saw the western district, that had a lot of shops and taverns.

    It was also one of the few areas in the city that were still lit up.

    ''Doesn''t seem like I can spot them here¡­ I''ll need to ask Kianater.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He looked at the other parts of the city and learned quite a few things. The Appraisal hall he had gone to in the morning was located in the eastern part of the city, while there was ake in the southern part, right behind the mansion itself.

    A part of theke was attached to the backyard of the mansion and had a few boats floating in it. There were also guards patrolling along the edge of theke so as to prevent any intruders from entering. The mansion and itsnds were surrounded on three sides with tall stone walls while only the southern side was open to theke.

    Lucius saw the servant quarters and the fruit orchard that was located in thends.

    "This is almost like a small vige in itself. The only thing it iscking is perhaps grain farms, otherwise, it would be pretty much self-sufficient." Lucius thought to himself.

    The design actually reminded him of the medical castles that were nearly self-sustainable with farms located within their boundaries. The mansion itself was not asrge as a castle, but the surroundingnds were quitergepared to a castle.

    Lucius looked further south and saw the forest there. There were some lights glowing in the forest, which Lucius guessed were fireflies. There were farms beyond the limits of the city and guards could be seen patrolling there, too. Though they were very far and Lucius could barely make them out to be guards.

    "This is a nned city, no way it developed like this automatically." Lucius assessed.

    He went back to his room andid back on it before falling asleep.

    Morning soon came, and the sun shone on his face, waking him up. And just as he woke up, a knock on the door could be heard before the door opened.

    "Good morning, Asher!" Kiana greeted him with a smile.

    "Good morning," Lucius responded.

    "How did you sleep? Was there any problem?" Kiana questioned.

    "Not really, I slept well." Lucius answered.

    "That''s good. You can dress up now, the breakfast is ready and madam will be waiting for you in thirty minutes. I think your father will be arriving by the evening as well." Kiana spoke.

    "Alright, I''ll get ready," Lucius said.

    There were already a few sets of clothes that had been prepared for him in the wardrobe. They were matched and thus Lucius just had to randomly pick one to wear. This saved him time, and he didn''t have to think much about it. He wasn''t one for dressing up and mostly spent his time in research or on the field.

    For him, the most he would do in the case of dressing up would be the gear for a battle and expedition. Except for that, he mostly wore conformable clothes that allowed the erase of movement and allowed him to be functional for long periods of time.

    He had finished wearing his shirt and trousers while Kiana prepared his shoes for him. While he was wearing this, Lucius got a question in his mind.

    "Kiana, I saw someone kill arge birdst night. They were a few men and looked like mercenaries of soldiers." Lucius spoke.

    "Arge bird? Where did you see it?" Kiana asked.

    "There," Lucius pointed in the direction.

    But when he saw it, the corpse of the bird was long gone and no one could be seen there.

    "Hmm¡­ and where did these people go after killing that bird?" Kiana asked further.

    "They went to the western district," Lucius answered.

    "Looks like they were mercenaries then. Either they were doing a job or they just killed the bird since they got the opportunity." Kiana replied.

    "What was thatrge bird, though?" Lucius questioned again and described its appearance.

    "Hmm¡­ that sounds like a four winged hawk. It is a Rune beast that lives in the forest a few kilometers from the city." Kiana answered.

    "A Rune beast? Now what is that?" Lucius questioned.

 Chapter 32 - Feltan Kingdom

    Kiana looked at Asher and wondered how much they would have to teach him again. This was all basic information that every person knew here. She wished the tutor would get here quickly as she could tell Asher had a fire burning in him, that pushed him to learn.

    ''He wasn''t like this before¡­ looks like his memory loss changed him a lot more than we are expecting. I should inform the madam about this too¡­'' Kiana thought.

    She let out a silent sigh before speaking.

    "Just like how we have gifts, animals can also have gifts. The animals that have gifts are usually much stronger than normal and are called as rune beasts. When they are killed, there is a chance that their gift will condense into a rune crystal within their bodies.

    It is these rune crystals that are used by the artificers to make the various artifacts." Kiana answered.

    As soon as Lucius heard this, a big smile appeared on his face that sent a shiver down Kiana''s spine.

    ''What is that¡­ why does it feel¡­ so unnatural?'' She wondered.

    "I see. Now that is really interesting. Anyways, when is the tutor arriving?" Lucius asked, changing the topic.

    A lot of new ideas had appeared in his head after hearing about Rune beasts, and he needed time to ponder on them. He noted them down in his mind for now and would think in detail afterwards.

    "By the time we are done with the breakfast, the tutor should be here I think," Kiana answered, pushing the feeling of difort she felt from Asher away.

    Lucius nodded and both of them went downstairs to the dining hall. This hall was different from the one fromst night and was much smaller. This was only used by the family and thus didn''t need as big of an area as the main hall.

    The moment Lucius entered, he also saw Lita arriving along with her two attendants.

    "Asher! Good morning, how are you feeling now?" Lita questioned with a happy expression.

    "I am good mother. Much better than yesterday, I think I should recoverpletely in a few days." Lucius answered.

    "Etara''s grace! That is amazing news, I''m sure your father will be pleased when he arrives tonight." Lita said before sitting down at the table.

    Lucius did the same, and Kiana sat beside him. He looked at her for a few seconds and deliberate on a question he had been wondering about for a while.

    "Mother, Kiana¡­ I think this question will be rude but I need to know something." Lucius spoke.

    Lita and Kiana stopped what they were doing and looked at Asher with concerned expressions.

    "What is it, dear? You know you can ask us anything," Lita replied.

    "Yes, we will never find it to be rude," Kiana added.

    "The question is have is rted to Kiana." Lucius said.

    "Rted to me? Sure go ahead." Kiana replied.

    "Who¡­ are you, Kiana? I mean I know you are supposed to be my maid, but your actions and behaviors seem inappropriate for a servant." Lucius asked straightforwardly.

    Lucius had expected them to answer him seriously, but for some reason, Lita was chucking now and Kiana seemed to be close toughing too.

    "Hahaha! Sorry, we should have exined this to you earlier. Now that you don''t have memories I understated how difficult it must have been." Kiana spoke.

    "My dear, Kiana is your cousin," Lita revealed.

    "My cousin? But then why is she a maid?" Lucius questioned.

    ~Sigh~

    "It is mostly because of the situation from the past with my parents," Kiana spoke.

    Lucius looked on in interest, as he wanted to know more. He could tell that there must have been some kind of a solid reason behind this, otherwise something like this would be quite impossible.

    "Kiana, is the daughter of my half sister Melia. Before I was married to your father, I lived in the Feltan Kingdom. It used to be a neighboring kingdom to our Grantz kingdom but was annexed about twenty years ago in the ninth holy war." Lita exined.

    "Holy war? What exactly happened?" Lucius asked with great interest.

    He was finally getting to know more historical details about the world and had also gotten to know the name of the kingdom he was currently living in which had excited him.

    "The king of the Feltan Kingdom was an immature ruler. He became the king shortly after his father died and started abusing his power, just as a lot of people had expected. My father, your maternal grandfather was a Count as well. His loyalties belonged to the former king, and he was enraged after seeing the young kings'' actions.

    The nobles were split into two parties, one that was in the favor of the king and one that was not. There were many machinations that were hidden in the shadows and that led to the noble faction that supported the king to win.

    It was fine till now and the other kingdoms didn''t mind this, but then the king did the one thing that was taboo. He refused to let the priests of na to work freely in the kingdom and even dared to levy special taxes on them. He then refused to pay the tithe and threatened the church to ept his demands.

    What a fool he was¡­ people had forgotten the powers of the church after decades of peace, it seemed, and he mistook them for a w-less tiger. But the reality proved to be a wake up call.

    With the crime of sphemy, no kingdom dared to provide him aid as the crusaders invaded the Feltan kingdom. It took a mere two days for the kingdom to fall and the nobles to be arrested.

    Grantz kingdom was the biggest gainer due to the Grand Cathedral being located within its borders and thus got control of fifty percent of itsnds." Lita narrated.

    "Hmm¡­ but why were Kiana''s parents implicated then? Wasn''t grandfather opposed to the king?"

 Chapter 33 - Kianas Status And The Tutor

    Lucius had learned quite a lot of things from this conversation and was looking to learn more, thus he became silent and waited for his mother to continue.

    ~Sigh~

    "There is an oldw that has existed for many centuries now. ording to thisw, the nobles or the rulers of anynd that has been the target of a crusade cannot be left free.

    The situation back then was tense, and many nobles were executed straightway. Even your grandfather was going to have the same fate, but the people of the Church knew it would be unjust.

    But they were stuck between thew that could not be vited ording to the doctrines of the church and their own moral dignity. The archbishop eventually found a solution to that which was rather simple, but came at great cost.

    The nobles would have to give up on their status and also swear to never be one again. They would have to live as lowlymoners from there on, even their descendants would not be able to be nobles.

    Seeing as this was the option that would let them stay alive, your grandfather took it and so did my half sister along with her husband. I was safe from this, as I was married to your father and it did not apply to me.

    But my half sister was not married to a noble. Instead, her husband married into our family, which was why he had to give up on his status too. Though because he came from amoner background, he didn''t mind it as much.

    Your grandfather died two years after that due to old age and my half sister perished to a fever. It was sad since the fever could have been easily healed by a healer or a priest, but because their status had fallen and their fortune seized, they could not afford it.

    I had tried to contact her back then but grandfather had intentionally chosen to hide as he did not want his other daughter to get implicated in it. Kiana was five when her mother died and thus her father sent her to us when he had to enter the army again.

    Because she could not be given an official status, your father figured out a different method. You were young at that time and needed a personal maid, and thus he appointed her in that position.

    But we could not do it freely and had to let Kiana go through the proper training of a servant. We were already under scrutiny due to being rted to the Feltan kingdom and obliged." Lita exined.

    Lucius nodded his head in understanding. He figured out the two main culprits of this entire thing were the ipetent king and the oldw of the church. Had either of them not been there, no problem would have urred.

    Kiana lightly grasped Lucius''s palm and spoke.

    "Do not be sad, I am grateful that aunt Lita took me in. Even if I had to be a servant, I am happy to be with you." Kiana said with a smile.

    "Seems like there are a lot more things I need to learn now. This simply won''t do¡­" Lucius said.

    "That can be der. For now, you should eat the breakfast." Lita said.

    Lucius nodded his head and finished the breakfast. Just as he had finished up, a servant came to announce something.

    "Master Kain has arrived." The servant spoke.

    Lucius'' ears perked up as he guessed who that was.

    "Looks like your tutor is here, let''s go meet him," Lita said before standing up.

    They all went to the main hall where the tutor was being served some refreshments. He noticed Lita and the others approaching and horridly stood up.

    "Greetings madam Lita, and young lord Asher." Kain said in a respectful manner.

    "Master Kain, I''m happy you were able to take some time from your busy schedule." Lita replied.

    "Ahaha! The pleasure is mine, I already owe plenty of favors to Count Gabriel, how can I miss this opportunity. Besides, most of my projects are currentlyplete and my apprentices will be doing my job in my absence." Kain responded with a littleugh.

    Lucius was currently analyzing the man in front of him. Kain looked to be in his early fifties and had graying hair. He had a coarse beard and a full mustache. He was wearing some kind of robes that Lucius had not seen before, but there were no peculiar symbols or markings on it that would let Lucius recognize them.

    "Should we start? I would like to begin as soon as possible." Lucius said, cutting the pleasantries short.

    "Of course, I''m happy the young lord is taking initiate. Let''s go to the library, I believe most of the books we need should already be there. If not, I can get them at any time." Kain replied in a happy tone.

    "We will leave you to it then," Lita stated before leaving to do her preparations for the arrival of Count Gabriel tonight.

    Kiana on the other hand, apanied Lucius and Kain to the library but did not enter it.

    "If you need anything call me, I shall stay outside and avoid disturbing you," Kiana spoke.

    "That would be alright," Lucius said, feeling a bit impatient.

    ~thud~

    The doors of the Library closed as Kiana left it, and Lucius looked at Kain.

    "We should start then, I need to learnnguages," Lucius stated.

    "Sure, I already have some notes prepared that should help you. These are used to teach children but they are good and to the point." Kain said before withdrawing a notebook from a satchel bag that was hanging around his waist.

    "I''ll recite the letter for you and you repeat after me. After you are done memorizing them, we''ll move onto learningmon words." Kain suggested.

    Lucius nodded his head in acknowledgment and his first ever lesson innguage began.

    Beforeing here Kain would have never expected that today, he would be seeing the birth of a monster.

 Chapter 34 - First Lesson

    It had been about two hours since Kain had started the lesson and he was shocked by Lucius. In such a short time he had already memorized all of the letters there were in the alphabet.

    But that was not all. Not only did he memorize the letters from themon tongue he even memorized the three other dialects. He watched in shock and couldn''tprehend how.

    Kain had only seen something like this before in people who have gifts that rted to a literary talent or memory. But he knew for sure that Asher did not have any gifts at all. This only led him to believe that Asher was a genius waiting to be discovered.

    ''I''ll need to ask madam how was he at studies before this.'' Kain thought.

    "¡­. And that''s thest of them. Did I recite them correctly?" Lucius asked.

    "Ye-yes, that is absolutely correct. You did an amazing job at memorizing them, this will be much faster for you now. We can just move on memorizing somemon words now." Kain hurriedly replied, snapping out of his thoughts.

    "Alright," Lucius said and flipped to the next page of the notebook.

    There were around five hundredmon words that Lucius needed to memorize if he wanted to be able to writemon sentences. Since he already had the meanings of the words in his mind, he only needed to match them with the letters.

    Now, this would have been much easier if thenguage was written in a phic manner, but it was not. There were often letters that had no pronunciation and were silent. If these letters were not used, the entire meaning of the word could be changed.

    This part took him about four hours before he memorized them all. But by this time, it was already time for lunch and a knock was heard at the door.

    "Come in," Lucius spoke.

    The door opened and in walked Kiana.

    "The lunch has been set, pleasee eat now. It won''t do your body good if you don''t eat on time. Master Kain, please join us too." Kiana spoke.

    "We shall continue this after lunch then." Kain spoke, and Lucius nodded in agreement.

    In the dining hall, the servants had set up the tes and were just waiting for everyone to arrive. Lucius saw that Lita was missing this time and only he, Kiana, and Kain will be eating.

    "Where is mother?" Lucius questioned.

    "She needs to prepare for Count Gabriel''s return and is thus out of the mansion. She said to continue without her as it will take her a few more hours." Kiana answered.

    "Ah, I see. I''ll finally get to see father then¡­" Lucius muttered.

    Lucius has seen the areas in the mansion, but there didn''t seem to be any portraits of his father here. There were other portraits but he was sure that they did not belong to his father as they looked vastly different from him.

    ''Or I just saw it and can''t tell.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "So master Kain, how is young lord Asher doing in his first lesson?" Kiana asked.

    Kain who was about to put a piece of meat in his mouth, stopped mid way and spoke.

    "Ah! He is simply marvelous! I haven''t seen many people with his level of memorization speed. If I didn''t know better, I would have definitely thought he had a gift." Kain spoke with a chuckle at the end.

    "Oh? Really? That''s new." Kiana said with surprise.

    "Why do you say that?" Kain replied and even Lucius looked on with interest.

    "Well¡­ before Asher lost his memory he wasn''t exactly good at memorization. He knew the basics that a person should know of course be he wasn''t as good at studying. Though he still did like to read books from time to time." Kiana answered.

    Upon hearing this, a thought came into Lucius''s mind.

    ''Wait a second, the reason why this body didn''t have information about things may not be entirely due of ipatibility. Rather this guy was just dumb¡­ or maybe a poor student.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    ''No wonder he marched into battle straightaway and died there. Still¡­ if he wasn''t reckless, I may have not gotten this body.'' Lucius further thought.

    Kain seemed intrigued by this and nodded his head.

    "Master Kain, since you are so knowledgeable, do you know of others who lost their memories? What kind of changes were there in them?" Kiana questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ I do know a few people that went through memory loss, but the case with young lord Asher is rather unique. The ones I have seen either lost their memories due to old age or injuries to their head. Young master Asher falls in thetter category but usually, the ones with those kinds of injuries still retain their knowledge even if they forget people." Kain answered.

    "Plus, I haven''t seen anyone that became good at memorization after losing their memory so this is a unique case." Kain added.

    "I see¡­" Kiana responded.

    Lucius also heard Kain''s words and found them to be valid. He had enough medical knowledge to know that this was all true, although there were a lot more variations to it.

    About twenty minutester, they all had finished their lunch and returned to the library to continue their lessons. Lucius wanted the sessions to be as long as possible, thus Lita had already informed Kain about this and he was fine with it.

    If it were any other tutor or teacher, they probably wouldn''t have taken lessons like this. But what was more likely was that the student would have gotten tired before that thus a situation like this rarely came up.

    "I''m done with the words. Can I write them now?" Lucius said.

    "You''re done already?" Kain said, feeling shocked again.

    "Hmm¡­ I haven''t taught you how to write them but maybe you already know how to." Kain spoke.

    "I think so too. I''ll do it then and see how much I got." Lucius said before taking out a book to write in.

 Chapter 35 - Count Gabriels Arrival

    Kain was checking through the notebook that Lucius had written the words in and was in awe. While his handwriting was a bit hard to read, the words themselves were all correct. Lucius had fully learned the words that were needed of him.

    "Very well done, Young Lord Asher. Originally I had made the study ns for about a year as that''s the time which it should have normally taken someone to learn it. Some of the foreign delegates thate to the kingdom as ambassadors often need to learn it, thus I went from that time frame.

    But with your pace, I estimate you will do it much faster. Perhaps four to six months will be enough for you to finish learning it. Though you will need to work a bit on your penmanship." Kain praised.

    "Sure master Kain, I''ll do my best. What''s next now?" Lucius replied.

    For someone like him who had learned tens of ancientnguages and scripts in his past life, something like this was a piece of cake. In fact, Lucius had intentionally shown a little less ability than he had.

    He knew better than to show the entire hand in one game. Even the bad handwriting that he showed was intentional. Lucius was used to carving runes by hand and did them freely, which was not something that could be done by anyone.

    He had to show that his handwriting was bad, as directly showing a good one will be problematic.

    Lucius listened as Kain continued his lesson and moved on to the part about constructing actual sentences. Their lesson continued till four in the evening, where they stopped.

    "We should stop here and continue tomorrow. After all, count Gabriel will be arriving as well tonight, it won''t do you good to be unprepared for the arrival." Kain reminded.

    "That''s true master Kain. We will continue tomorrow then." Lucius said.

    Kain nodded his head and collected some of his things while leaving a few notes for Lucius to study in his spare time. He even pointed out a few books in the library that Lucius could read whenever he wanted.

    Lucius apanied Kain to the exit along with Kiana, and bade him farewell. But just as Kain was about to leave the mansion, a voice stopped him.

    "Master Kain, please wait. You have to attend the feast tonight as well." Lita spoke.

    "Will that be fine, Countess Lita?" Kain asked, feeling apprehensive.

    "Of course, I''m sure the count will appreciate your presence as well." Lita replied.

    "Yes, Master Kain. I''m sure the count will be pleased, after all you are teaching young Lord Asher." Kiana added.

    Lucius too, nodded his head to show his approval. He didn''t mind Kain being here and only thought that it could be beneficial. He knew that to be powerful, one needed connections as well.

    And from what he got, Kain was nomon person. He was not called a master for no reason, although Lucius still didn''t know what he was a master of.

    "Alright then, but I''ll return in an hour. My clothes are¡­ not exactly suitable for a feast." Kain said gesturing to his clothes.

    "That''s understandable, we''ll wait for your attendance." Lita replied.

    Kain left the mansion and Lucius turned to Lita.

    "When will father be arriving? And do I need to know anything before meeting him?" Lucius asked.

    "Hmm¡­ he should be here in an hour or two. As for your next question, there really isn''t anything. He was informed of your memory loss, so he will understand." Lita answered.

    "I see. Well, I should get dressed then, take a bath too maybe." Lucius replied.

    "Come, I guessed that you would want a bath, so I already had one prepared beforehand," Kiana said with a smile.

    ''Oh, that''s good. I do feel sweaty now." Lucius said and was guided to the bath house.

    There was an entire hall set up for him to take a bath. There was a small pool that had steaming hot water in it, while there were a few toiletries like soap and scrubber kept there as well.

    "This is rather good for a world of this standard¡­" Lucius said, seeing the entire set up.

    He looked around for pipes and saw that they didn''t have indoor plumbing, though. But when he looked near the pool, there was a channel that went into the wall.

    "Ah, looks like they heat the water outside and pour it through this¡­" Lucius guessed.

    About an hour passed before he was all cleaned up and dressed. He felt refreshed and rxed, too. Kiana was currently helping him dress up and was tying his belt. The belt was a diffrent design that Lucius had seen and wasplex to wear.

    It was obvious that it was something nobles would wear as it needed two people to put on. There were multiple hoops that linked to his pants and inner shirt, making them straight. Then finally he wore a long maroon coat that went a little below his waist.

    He looked rather dashing with his face and the way he was dressed.

    "You look handsome, Asher. I''m sure the girls will swoon when they see you tonight." Kiana teased.

    "Girls? What girls?" Lucius asked curiously.

    "Did you forget other nobles will be visiting, too? That means their daughters will being too." Kiana replied.

    "Ah, I see," Lucius replied.

    ~knock~

    ~knock~

    "Who is it?" Kiana asked, while turning her head.

    "Miss Kiana, Count Gabriel has arrived." A servant spoke from the outside.

    "Just in time. Come on, let''s go meet your father." Kiana said.

    "Hmm." Lucius hummed in response.

    Even he was looking forward to seeing who his father in this world was. From the people''s reactions and impression, he could tell that Gabriel was rather well thought of and popr. Still, Lucius knew better than to just assume from people''s impression as the true face of a person is often hidden behind a mask.

    ''Let''s see who Count Gabriel is¡­''

 Chapter 36 - Father And Son

    The doors of the grand hall made a sound as they opened up, revealing its interior.

    Lucius''s eyes directly went to the man who was sitting at the head of the hall at the very back. A throne had been set up for him and he sat on it with his back straight, a letter in his hand.

    His hair was neck length and dark brown with a few grey and white hairs mixed in. A coarse beard covered his face all the way to the base of his neck, and an amulet hung on his neck. The amulet was the same as that of the crest of the Inanis family, a dragon with three tails.

    Luciuspared the features of this man and found him to be quite simr to Asher. Though if hepared the builds, they were far apart, as the man was rather muscled and buff.

    Lucius was now sure that the man in front of him was no doubt Count Gabriel.

    The opening of the doors caused Gabriel to look up and spot Lucius approaching him.

    ~step~

    Gabriel stood up and walked ahead to meet Lucius midway before hugging him.

    "My son¡­ I''m happy you are safe." He said in a tired voice.

    It was evident that he had exhausted himself rushing all the way here and had probably not taken a rest the entire time.

    "I am pleased to finally meet you, father." Lucius replied perfunctorily, but the man did not seem to mind it.

    ~pat~pat~

    Gabriel lightly patted his son''s back before backing away.

    "I am proud of you for fighting against the enemies courageously but I am also angry at you for being so stupid, rushing into the battle like a fool." Gabriel said as a serious expression dressed his face.

    "Now there, both of you don''t just stand there ande sit. The guests should arrive soon as well." Lita, who had witnessed the entire seething from the start said.

    She had been standing at the side and discussing something with the steward of the mansion when Lucius had arrived. She was dressed in a rather beautiful dress and had some tasteful jewelry on her as well.

    "Yes, let''s sit. I want to hear how you are doing. Even if I''ve read the letters nothing canpare to a first-hand ount." Gabriel said before inviting Lucius to sit on the chair beside him.

    "How are your memories? Can you really not remember anything?" Gabriel said with concern.

    "Indeed, father. Except for some basic concepts and things, I seemed to have lost everything in my memories. Though, now that I have spent some time with everyone here, I seem to get a familiar feeling thates from deep within me.

    So I guess there is a part of me that still remembers everyone in a different kind of a way." Lucius said, giving a rather cheesy answer.

    This was something Lucius had direly picked from one of the many books of his world and was a rather overused part of the prose. But he had no doubt that it worked on Asher''s parents as he could already see the faint change in their eyes.

    Before they had a lost look in their eyes when they looked at him, but now there was a rather unique glint, which he could only guess was love.

    "That''s good¡­ at least Etara has saved you," Gabriel muttered.

    "Yes, father. Goddess Etara and na''s grace saved me from the curse." Lucius replied.

    As soon as Lucius said the word ''curse'' Gabriel gripped the hand rest of the throne hard. As a change in his expression could be seen.

    "That damned curse! I''ll rip those tribals limb to limb when I meet them and if I ever find out who schemed this against you, against the Inanis Family, I swear my life to Etara, I''ll ughter their n." Gabriel dered in an imposing voice.

    "Dear! This¡­" Lita said, feeling shocked.

    Even the expression of Kiana and the other servants were that of shock, and it could be perceived that what Gabriel had said was nothing usual and was very serious.

    Lucius was a bit impressed by this as he could tell from his experience that this was no conman man. Gabriel was a man of few words and a man who showed the way through his actions.

    If he had said something, there was an absolute chance that he was going to do that. Such was his way, the way of the Inanis family; he followed it, his father did, and so did the ones that came before him.

    After his deration, Gabriel looked at his son and spoke again.

    "Well, now that you are healed, I forbid you from leaving the city." Gabriel suddenly said.

    Now, this was not something Lucius had expected, and he could sense the anxiousness hidden in those words.

    "I understand father," Lucius replied straightforwardly.

    Gabriel raised his brows in response, as he felt a bit confused.

    "This is¡­ unexpected. You used to protest a lot before and would have asked many questions before agreeing to something like this." Gabriel said.

    Lucius was about to answer him, but Lita interrupted him.

    "Dear, it seems like our son losing his memories had changed him a lot. I had a talk with master Kain before and apparently, Asher has be much smarter than before. He actually finished learning a couple of months worth ofnguage studies in a single day. I reckon he has also gained a little more wisdom along with that." Lita praised with a chuckle at the end.

    "Etara taketh and she giveth!" Gabriel recited. "Seems like while Goddess Etara let your memories be taken away, she still gave you something in exchange. I hope you will make good use of it." Gabriel added.

    "Yes father, I will not let Goddess Etara''s grace go to waste," Lucius responded with a nod.

    "Good! As for your contributions, the kingdom has not forgotten them. The king has sent you a gift for it." Gabriel revealed.

 Chapter 37 - The King Sends A Gift

    Lucius looked on in interest as he heard his father''s words. A gift from the king must be something good he thought.

    "What did the king send, father?" Lucius asked.

    Even Kiana and Lita seemed to have not expected something like this and were surprised. The king sending a gift was not something that would happen often and if it did, then he must have thought that it must have been worth it.

    They now wondered what had Asher really done at the battlefield. All they had heard was that he had killed many enemies, but they were all second-hand ounts. The actual people who had seen the act were still at the battlefield or dead.

    "He sent an artifact for you, a sword." Gabriel said before gesturing to his attendant knight.

    Lucius had noticed the man who was standing in armor to the side of the hall. He had been carrying a leather bag in his hand, but Lucius had not paid much attention to that. Now he understood what it contained.

    The knight came forward and opened the bag before revealing a sheathed sword. It was the length of a normal sword, and even its handle was rather sober looking. The knight handed the sword to the count who took it carefully.

    ~shing~

    He pulled it from its sheath, revealing the green gem that was embedded at the base of the de. Soon the rest of the de was revealed that had been polished to a mirror finish.

    "Hold it and tell me what you think." Gabriel said before passing the sword to Lucius.

    Lucius was not unfamiliar with swords and had learned to use them in his past life. Although his mostmon way of fighting was to use spells and traps. He held the sword in his right hand and could instantly tell it was well bnced.

    Often there were swords that looked to be perfect, but there was an irregrity in the distribution of their weight. This would cause its user to use excess energy to wield it and would even make them averse to mistakes, while leaving them open to attacks.

    A well bnced de was the key to making a good sword; at least normally. There were of course, swords that were intentionally heavy on one side but they had different methods of use, than normal swords.

    The de was double edged and seventy centimeters long while being about an inch wide. The green gem at the base of the sword shimmered under the light of themps and Lucius could faintly see a rune inscribed in it.

    ''So this is what a rune crystal is¡­'' Lucius recognized.

    "It''s a good sword father, but what is its ability since it''s an artifact?" Lucius questioned.

    "The sword has a rune crystal embedded in it that is from a Wind scar hawk. It can create sharp wind des that can easily chop a man in half. Be very careful with that sword, if you make a mistake you can easily kill yourself. I would rmend you don''t use it until you recover fully and gain some practice with normal swords.

    I do not know how your swordsmanship is now that you have lost your memories." Gabriel answered.

    "I understand, father. I will not touch it till I gain your approval." Lucius said right away.

    Lucius knew how dangerous magic tools could be in his previous life, and these artifacts were pretty simr to them. Magic tools were also powered by crystals that were usually mana crystals. Though the effect they had could be changed ording to who manufactured them.

    In the case of the artifacts though, Lucius did not know if the power of the artifact came from the user or from itself. He also didn''t know if it was possible to control the output or not. He didn''t want to identally kill someone while he was just practicing, or worse, kill himself with it.

    He had seen plenty of idents, both magical and non-magical that happened due to a person''s negligence orck of experience.

    "Alright, I will keep the sword for now and assign an instructor for you to learn the swordsmanship from. I can also see that you have gotten much skinnier than before. Perhaps some physical workout will help you more." Gabriel replied.

    Lucius nodded his head, as this was what he was eventually going to do anyway. He knew in a world like this, physical strength was one of the other keys to bing powerful. Just intelligence may not cut it anymore.

    He needed both brains and brawns to get to the top. Another thing he needed to urgently figure out was the usage of his gift, ''Nexus''. While he could see the names of other gifts when they informed him, he discovered that he needed to use the Aether in his body to obtain the information.

    The more Aether he used, the more information that would be revealed. Since he got the gift, he had not been able to use it more than three times as his Aether would get exhausted and would take about six to twelve hours to replenish.

    He didn''t know if this was the normal capacity that people had or if he had a small capacity. Another possibility that he thought of was that his gift had a greater consumption, but he could not verify that, as there were no means ofparison.

    This led him back to a question that he had gotten a while ago.

    "Father, I wanted to ask you, what is your gift? It''s the gift that is inherited by the Inanis family, right? I don''t remember this either." Lucius questioned.

    "Ah, of course. The gift that our Inanis family is famous for is an Epic ranked gift called ''Phasing Strike''." Gabriel revealed.

    Lucius could derive some conclusions just from the name of the gift and was wondering if it really was as he had imagined.

    ''If it really is then, the gift would be quite powerful.'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 38 - Inanis

    Lucius now wanted to see how the gift would truly work.

    "Could you demonstrate it for me, father?" Lucius asked.

    "Of course," Gabriel said before looking towards the knight who was carrying the sword before.

    The knight understood the gesture and came to stand behind Lucius and held out his shield. The distance between Lucius and the Shield was about then inches. Then suddenly, Gabriel moved like a blur and punched Lucius.

    Lucius''s eyes went wide and he almost instinctively tensed his body about to dodge before holding back forcefully. He knew that Gabriel wouldn''t hurt him and was just demonstrating the gift.

    ~DENG~

    Gabriel''s hand passed through Lucius''s body as if it was air and hit the shield that was behind held behind his back. He pulled back his hand and Lucius turned around to take a look at the shield which now had a faint dent on it.

    "Indeed¡­ quite powerful," Lucius muttered.

    "Does this apply to the weapons you use too, father?" Lucius asked, without turning back.

    "Yes, it does. This gift is the reason why we are feared on the battlefield, for no shield or defense is useful in front of us." Gabriel said in a prideful tone.

    He took out the dagger he had on his waist and stabbed it through the armrest of the throne he was sitting on previously. The de passed through the armrest as if it was butter and when he pulled it out, no cut could be seen on the armrest.

    Lucius nodded his head at this, ideas appearing in his head. He could already imagine tens of different methods of using his gift. He could tell how much of an advantage this gift would be in war, even if there was a small squad of people with it.

    They could be almost undefeatable, for no attack would be able to hurt them while no defense would stop them.

    ''Hmm¡­ no, there must be some restrictions. If only a gift like this is epic ranked then the ones in legendary and above would be terrifying.'' Lucius thought before looking at his father.

    He slightly squinted his eyes, and a string of words appeared in front of him. He poured all of the Aether he had in his body and only stopped when there was nothing left. Lucius almost trembled due to the sudden depletion of Aether, but held on.

    Gift Name: Phasing Strike

    Description: Allows the owner to ignore solid objects and pass through them.

    Type: Physical

    Rank: Epic

    Evolution: Possible

    ''Hmm¡­ just as I had expected. It took more Aether just to show the same amount of information since the gift is higher ranked. But the description is stillcking, it doesn''t say what Gabriel said, that he can apply it to other objects as well. I''ve already seen it too, and it does work like that, so what''s the issue here.'' Lucius wondered.

    Lucius also didn''t forget to notice the fact that the gift was able to evolve. Though this gave rise to the question, how? There were no specific instructions given, and Lucius couldn''t figure them out on his own either.

    ''Either I amcking sufficient Aether to use the gift properly or this is just the limitation of the gift.'' Lucius concluded.

    While he was busy thinking, Lita spoke up.

    "Come on now, we shouldn''t ready. The guests will start to arrive any moment now." Lita said.

    "Ah, yes. I''ll go change my clothes quickly and be back for the celebration." Gabriel said before leaving.

    Lucius watched him leave and sat down at the table, waiting for the guests. He had learned a bit more about his gift, but he knew this was nowhere close to enough.

    ''I need to do more tests, and check the gifts of other people. I''ll have to use it on someone that has amon ranked gift and see how much information it gives.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    The rest of the evening passed rather quickly as the guests arrived and themon banter started. Lucius mixed in with them and got to know a few of the nobles that were part of his family''s circle. He got to know that there were five noble families in the city along with his, but the Inanis family was the highest ranked among them at the Count rank.

    Two of the families were of Baron ranked and the rest of the three were unranked minor noble families who just ran some businesses. The man he met yesterday, Cambrian was part of one of these unranked noble families too, but was surprisingly the richest among them. Apparently, he used to be a merchant and then bought the rank of a noble.

    A rich person could buy the most basic rank of a noble, but they won''t be able to buy the rest, at least not directly. They would have to do contributions to the kingdom if they wanted to increase their rank.

    The Inanis family took seven generations before it was able to reach the rank of a Count from an unknown family. ording to the history Lucius learned from Gabriel, the Inanis family was started by a man called Arthur who was the first to awaken the gift called Phasing strike.

    This happened about a thousand years ago when the Grantz Kingdom was still in its developing stage. That time was strife with wars and conflict. People died all the time and men were recruited to fight in the war effort.

    Arthur joined the army and made name for himself, quickly moving up in the ranks. His gift attracted the attention of the king and he praised him too. Eventually, a time came when he was injured in an assassination attempt and became weakened.

    Unable to fight anymore, his son took his ce instead. To the surprise of everyone, he awakened the same gift as his father. The king was informed of this as a gift that was epic ranked and even inheritable was quite valuable.

    He thus bestowed Arthur and his family with an official name: Inanis.

 Chapter 39 - Nobles And Relics

    The Inanis family had grown through the ranks of nobility one by one. The first rank granted to the son of Arthur, being Knight. From there it took two generations for the Inanis family to reach the rank of a baron, two more generations to reach Viscount, and then three more to reach the current rank of Count.

    The count was the fifth highest rank in the nobility and above them were the Earl, Marquis, Duke, and finally the King himself.

    Usually, a noble family would follow the hereditary rank of the male leader of the family, but some of the family had more ranked nobles underneath them. For example, the sons of a Viscount could be barons or knight themselves, thus gaining more power for the family.

    Currently in the Inanis family, there was only one person to have the status of a ranked noble, being Count Gabriel himself. Simr to his father, he was not blessed with more children and only had a sole son.

    This greatly restricted the growth of their family and due to Asher not having a gift, it was hard for him to gain merits through the military route, too. Before Lucius had taken over Asher''s body, Asher wasn''t really considered to be academically good.

    He was decent, but not good enough to gain merits that way. That was the reason why Gabriel had chosen to train his son in the military arts. But then his son turned out to be more reckless than expected and rushed headfirst into the battle, wanting to prove himself.

    Gabriel watched his son, who was sitting close to him, his expression calm. He did not know what was going through his son''s head, but he was now starting to like this version of this.

    ''If he really does prove to be better at academics, I may as well send him to the Royal university.'' Gabriel thought.

    Gabriel''s attention then went to lieutenant John and his wife Alessa, who was carrying their child Cia in her arms.

    ''That child too¡­ The epic ranked gift ''Thorn mistress'' never would have thought it would appear here. It''s a shame¡­ if this happened fifteen years ago, I would have asked for a betrothal right away.'' Gabriel thought.

    Each Epic ranked gifted was an important person and had the potential to greatly benefit a noble family. They were in fact the basis on which most noble families were formed on. Oftentimes, most noble families faded away into history after a generation or two, just because their descendants were not able to inherit the gift of their parents.

    This was in the case of umon or rare ranked gifts as while they had good potential, they could not be kept up if the next generation did not have them. But in the case of Epic rank gifts, even if they were not inheritable, as long as both of the parents had an epic ranked gift, their child would definitely have an epic ranked gift too.

    Since Asher was unable to inherit the Gift of the Inanis family, Gabriel knew that the family may notst another generation unless he did something quickly.

    His attention then went to his beautiful wife Lita, who had borne through all the difficulties with him.

    ~sigh~

    ''Please goddess Etara, bless us with another chance¡­'' Gabriel wished.

    The feast eventually ended, and the people left one by one. Gabriel stood up and bade his son farewell for the night before retiring to his chambers, where he was shortly joined by his wife for a night of pleasure.

    ***

    Lucius though, headed straight to read the books he had picked out in the evening. These books were suggested by Kain and were rted to Gifts, history and everything in between.

    "Hmm, so gifts have different consumptions depending on their rarity and their power. Some can be low ranked but have high consumption due to their power being greater while some can be high ranked but still have a low consumption." Lucius read.

    It took him a while to read as he had to cross reference between multiple books so as to get their meanings. He still didn''t know many words, but Kiana was there to help him read them out. This way he was also learning ahead of the scheduled n.

    He had been told that he could at most stay awake till midnight and not a minute more by his mother. Kiana too was insistent on it and was thus closely monitoring him, not wanting him to exhaust himself when he had barely recovered.

    "So there are a total of seven ranks in gifts¡­" Lucius learned as he looked at the page of a book.

    The seven ranks were:

    1. Common

    2. Umon

    3. Rare

    4. Epic

    5. Legendary

    6. Mythic

    7. Divine

    There were also examples of some famous gifts given in the book as well. But Lucius''s attention was caught by the second highest ranked Mythic gifts.

    "There are three known Mythic gifts in the Grantz kingdom and all of them belong to the different Churches of the gods. And are considered to be holy relics bestowed by the gods themselves." Lucius read.

    It was here that he learned there were even objects that could naturally have gifts in them. These objects were different from Artifacts as in that they were actually not manufactured though certain modifications could have been made so as to make them easier to use. The items that were bestowed by gifts like these were called relics and were incredibly rare.

    Their value was way beyond a person that had the same rank gift as a relic couldst for hundreds of years toe while the person will eventually disappear in the annals of time.

    The Church of na had the mythic ranked relic called Scepter of na. It was said to be able to call forth holy light that could erase sinners from the world.

    The Church of Etara had the mythic ranked relic called Tome of Etara. It was said to be able to reveal the secrets of any person that it was used on.

    Then there was the Church of Duran that had the mystic ranked relic called Sword of Duran. It was said to be the sharpest sword ever created and could cut through anything.

    Reading all this information only made Lucius look forward to the future.

 Chapter 40 - Hell Imprint

    Reading about these relics reminded Lucius of a few spells from his past life. They had simr effects to these gifts and one of them even seemed to be the same as that from his past life, the only difference being the name.

    ''The Sword of Duran, huh? The ability to cut anything, this is nearly the same as the sword of legends Durandal. Though that sword was said to have been lost a long time ago in one of the expeditions to the different worlds.

    It had switched owners many times and was even in the hands of the Barrom n once upon a time, though when it was lost, the Tharian theocracy had it in their handsst. Though... what was the world that they lost it in? Hmm¡­ I''ll need to remember.

    If it really is the same sword, then my previous world and this one may be linked in some way for it to end up here.'' Lucius thought.

    "I think that''s enough for now, Asher. You should retire to your bedroom." Kiana spoke.

    "Is it time already?" And just as Lucius said that, a chime of a bell was heard.

    ~DENG~

    This was the bell that chimed twice in a day, once at midnight and once at noon. Lucius had seen that the way the people in this world kept time was a bit modern, in that they actually had proper clocks.

    These clocks were mechanical, and there was even a clock tower in the center of the city. There was even a small clock that hung on the wall of his bedroom. Lucius had not checked the internals of the clock so he did not know how urate it was, but for now, anything would be better than nothing.

    "Looks like it really is the time," Lucius said before standing up and returning to his bedroom.

    Kiana didn''t let him take the books with him as she knew he would try to read them after she was gone, thus Lucius had no choice but to sleep. Though he had to admit that this body really was quite tired and could not bear to work for extended times.

    "I''ll need to strengthen it much more. Though I do not know how good this body''s potential is¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Whileying on the bed, a thought came to Lucius. It was about the linkage of the different worlds and the dimensions. His mind wandered to the dimensional theories and spatialws, before he realized something obvious.

    "Wait a minute, if I want to check the connections between words, I can test the hypothesis in a roundabout way. I can just see if I can connect to the hell dimension from here." Lucius thought out loud.

    Hell was considered to be a multi dimensional entity such that there were multiple versions of the same. Lucius had seen them first hand when he was traveling through the many dimensions and worlds.

    In that time he had seen many worlds that had religions and nearly every religion had something along the concept of hell.

    The members of the great Barrom n could channel the energies of hell using the true names of demons. Lucius knew that it would not be possible for him to do something like that, as a naming ceremony would require a lot of preparation and resources.

    In a world such as this where he didn''t know if there were any practitioner of the demonic arts or those that had links to hell, he didn''t want to attempt something like that without proper preparation.

    What Lucius wanted to attempt right now was something that every child that was part of the Barrom n was taught, no matter their status. Lucius was going to create a hell imprint on his soul.

    This was the very first thing one needed to do if they wanted to learn about demonic magics and abilities. Theoretically, anyone could create an imprint and all they needed was the specific set of coordinates that linked to a hell gate.

    Back at the Barrom n, there were millions if not tens of millions of these coordinatespiled in their libraries. But the tough part came from here as not all coordinates worked for everyone, so they often needed to spend time finding the correct one.

    For children that were born in the higher-ups of the Barrom n or those that were True Bloods, this part was easy as the coordinate that worked for their parents would work for them as well. Due to them having direct links to the demons and having a fraction of their bloodline in them, it was very natural for them.

    Some of the geniuses were even able to make their own coordinates when they attempted to make the imprint, as their innate connection with hell would be quite strong. Lucius remembered his own experience from back then.

    He had attempted to make a hell imprint for the first time when he was eight years old and only seeded when he twelve years old, taking a total of four years. This was considered to be averagepared to most children of his status as he was a low born servant.

    But while doing this, Lucius came upon another difficulty. He didn''t know if the same coordinates would work or not in this world. For all he knew, the hell dimension that the Barrom n used could bepletely detached from this world and the coordinates would not work, no matter what he tried.

    "Hmm¡­ I''ll have to try something else if this doesn''t work," Lucius muttered to himself.

    He stilled his mind and tried to ess his soul. For him who had spent who knows how much time as a soul travailing through the dimensions and the worlds it was rather easy. About thirty minutester, Lucius felt as if his body had disappeared and he was now in an empty space.

    His point of view was that of a third person and he was now staring at an illusory figure that looked like him from his past life; this was nothing but his soul.

    But when he was looking at it, he found there to be something peculiar about it.

    "What''s this?"

 Chapter 41 - First Attempt At Accessing The Soul

    Lucius looked at his soul closely and found there to be a symbol printed on the back. The symbol was rather small being about an inch in size, and was of an unknown script that he didn''t recognize at first.

    But the more he stared at it, the more he felt familiar with it. Then suddenly it struck him.

    "The gift? That''s the soul mark of my gift, Nexus?" Lucius realized.

    He had already learned that the gifts were something that was unique to a person''s soul and were part of it. Since he had it on his soul, it meant that it truly was a part of himself. Lucius initially had doubts about his gift too.

    He had thought that perhaps he had gotten this from Asher too, since he took over the body. Also, before he came to this world, he definitely did not have that symbol on his soul. This meant that it appeared on it only after he took over the body fully.

    Lucius observed it for a bit and ensured that there was nothing wrong with his soul. Having satisfied his need for caution, he decided to go ahead with what he originally wanted to do.

    "Hmm¡­ I should start with the coordinates I know from before. If they work, then it''ll be much easier for me. If not¡­ then I''ll just have to figure out something new on my own." Lucius spoke to himself.

    Lucius recalled the coordinates that he had used in his past life and began the process. There were a few thousand coordinates that he had used in his past life. For anyone to remember them would be quite difficult, but thankfully the Barrom n had also thought of this problem and had worked on it over the many centuries.

    What they had done was basically make a form that would allow one to get the coordinates as they wanted, as long as they were within the limits. This form amodated all the coordinates that had been used by the Barrom n members. All Lucius needed to do was to fill certain values in the variables and it would give him a coordinate.

    With that in mind, he began the process and used the form to get the first coordinate. But just after five minutes, he understood that he had failed, as no effect could be seen on his soul.

    ''Just as I expected, seeding on the first try would be some ridiculous type of luck.'' Lucius thought.

    He came up with a second coordinate and repeated the process, only to fail again. He repeated the process many times and had to stop because he was getting tired.

    "Can''t exhaust myself here or I risk damaging my soul. Appearing here is already risky as I don''t have external protections from interference. Looks like I can only do this when I''m sure I''ll be alone." Lucius thought to himself.

    He focused on his body and returned his consciousness to it. He opened his eyes and took a look at the clock on the wall.

    "Hmm¡­ it''s 3 am already. Being able to spend three hours in the form of a soul is already pretty good for a first try." Lucius muttered to himself, feeling a bit impressed.

    When Lucius had tried it for the first time and had essed his soul, he had barelysted for a single minute before he felt tired. To reach his current time limit of three hours, it had taken him nearly two years of constant practice.

    While this time in a new body, he had done the same on the very first try. He didn''t know the reason behind it though, and thought of researching it a bitter in the future. For now, he needed to sleep as his eyes were getting heavy.

    He turned off themp which was also an artifact, and soon slipped into a deep sleep. Time passed and soon the sun rose up.

    ~knock~knock~

    "Asher? Are you up yet?" Kiana called from the outside.

    She waited a minute for his response and seeing that there was none; she decided to enter.

    "So he''s still asleep. Hmm¡­ I guess we should just let him rest, his body should still be recovering." Kiana muttered to herself.

    She was about to leave when she heard a groan.

    "Ugh¡­ is it already morning?" Lucius asked, with his eyes still closed.

    "Yes, it''s actually past morning. It is 11 am now." Kiana replied.

    ''Looks like the exhaustion sustained from the creation of a hell imprint is still greater than normal. Even when I did it for the first time in my past life, I wasn''t this tired.'' Lucius noted.

    "I''ll get up then," Lucius said as he rubbed his eyes.

    Kiana nodded her head and poured some water into a basin for him to use. Lucius stood up and washed the sleep away with the cold water from the basin. Looking into the mirror, he could still see the red veins in his eyes.

    ''This''ll take a bit to get used to.'' Lucius thought.

    "You can change up ande down for breakfast. The others have already had breakfast, so I''ll set it up for you." Kiana spoke.

    "What about father? What is he doing?" Lucius questioned.

    He had expected that Gabriel may have asked Kiana to wake him up for breakfast, as he may have wanted for the family to have it together. But now it seemed to be otherwise.

    "Since your father hasn''t been in the city for nearly a year now, he is surveying the situation of the city. A lot of meetings have been pending with him and he now needs to sort them out. I think he''ll only return in the evening." Kiana answered.

    "Ah, I see." Lucius nodded his head.

    "Oh, and your father has assigned a swordsmanship teacher for you before leaving," Kiana informed.

    "He did? Who is it?" Lucius asked.

    "Well, you''ve already met him before, it''s lieutenant John." Kiana replied, surprising Lucius again.

 Chapter 42 - The Training Hall

    "Oh? Lieutenant John? That¡­ seems okay." Lucius said, not knowing what to reply.

    He did not know the man well enough to judge him, but from his father''s choice since he was picked that meant that he must have a certain level of skill. On the other hand, Lucius had seen his demeanor and could tell the man was quite disciplined.

    ''Also since his daughter Cia has an Epic ranked gift, it is likely he has a high ranked gift too. I''d like to see what it is. My Aether seems to have been restored so I should gather the information on as many gifts as I can.'' Lucius thought.

    Soon Lucius was done dressing up and went downstairs to have his breakfast. He was indeed feeling a bit hungry which was a good sign. It meant that his body was now actively trying to recover.

    Oftentimes, when a soul took over another body, due to the ipatibility things such as appetite, would be suppressed. This would lead to a slow recovery of the body and could cause more problems for the person.

    They reached the dining hall, where the servants had already set up the meal for him. Kiana threw a questioning gaze towards them, as she was the one who was supposed to do it. One of the servants mouthed something in silence, which made Kiana understand.

    "Seems like aunt Lita set up the breakfast for you in my stead," Kiana said.

    "Madam has also left five minutes ago to go on her tasks." One of the servants informed.

    "Where did mother go?" Lucius questioned, feeling a bit strange.

    "Aunt Lita probably went to set up the houses for the parents of the babies that awakened Rare gifts." Kiana answered.

    "I see¡­" Lucius said before sitting down at the table.

    He then had a scrupulous meal of eggs, bread, some sausages and fresh fruit that looked simr to an apple but tasted more citrus like.

    ''This bread though¡­ it seems a bit different. Is it just a different type of grain? Or something else.'' Lucius wondered.

    The bread seemed just like what normal wheat bread would look like but its taste was slightly different. There was this extra chewiness to it. It wasn''t too much, not too less. Many people would probably not tell the difference either.

    Lucius guessed that this was probably just due to the difference in the world. But after eating some more, he felt like he had eaten this in his previous world too. But he couldn''t recall where.

    ''I''ll think of itter. It doesn''t seem that important for now¡­'' Lucius thought.

    "Master Kain has arrived!" A servant announced.

    Just as Lucius had finished his breakfast, Kain had arrived for their daily lessons.

    "When will I do my swordsmanship training with lieutenant John?" Lucius questioned Kiana.

    "The training will start at 3 pm every day and lieutenant John will be waiting for you at the training hall." Kiana answered.

    "Alright, I''ll head to the library now then," Lucius replied.

    Lucius met up with Kain midway to the library and saw that he was carrying arger bag today. Kain noticed his look and knew what he was thinking.

    "I brought a few more lesson ns that you can read up. I was gonna give them to youter, but seeing your progress I thought it would be better to give them to you as early as possible." Kain replied.

    Lucius nodded his head in acknowledgment. He was now starting to like this man as he seemed to be a rtively good teacher that knew how to adapt to the student''s performance.

    Lucius had seen far too many teachers, masters, and tutors in his past life that stuck to their methods, which resulted in them being quite bad at teaching. He was pleased that this man was at least smart enough to know how to progress.

    At the library, Kain started his lesson and was pleased with the self study that Lucius had done with Kianast night. He had learned more than double the words that he had learned from him yesterday.

    Kain now knew that his effort was not as much needed as he thought. With a pupil this excellent, any teacher would start feeling a bit inadequate. Thus, he simply gave him the lesson n and taught him new words to further his vocabry.

    Lucius had already shown a decent grasp of the grammar and only needed to learn the more finer nuances which he would eventually get to once his vocabry wasrge enough.

    Time passed, and soon it was time for Lieutenant John''s lesson. Lucius bade farewell to Kain before Kiana came to take him to the training hall.

    The training hall was located at the back of the mansion and was an independent building of its own. It had everything that one would need to train in a variety of weapons. And not only that, it was even equipped so that one could train with different types of gifts.

    Usually this training hall was used by the guards, but originally it was for the personal practice of the Count and his family. But ever since Count Gabriel''s time, he had decided to let the guards use it as well. He thought that it would be a waste to let it stand there without much use, since he was away from the mansion most of the time and his son wasn''t old enough to practice.

    When Asher did grow old enough, he also practiced here at the training hall along with a few guards and this was where he learned the most basic of swordsmanship. And now, here was Lucius, repeating the cycle again.

    This training hall was different than the grounds where Lucius had seen the guards practice two days ago when he was still paralyzed. That was the ground near the guard barracks while this one was near the mansion and of a much huger quality.

    Upon entering the hall, Lucius saw all equipment that was neatly ced in their ces and a man who was practicing his swordsmanship against the captain of the guards, Donald.

 Chapter 43 - Requirements Of Nexus

    ~shing~

    ~clink~

    ~ng~

    The two men shed their swords and sparred, all the while disying their best to the others that were observing them. Both were almost the same in terms of skill, but if an experienced person saw it, they would be able to tell that one of them was actually holding back.

    ''Hmm¡­ his skill is indeed good.'' Lucius thought upon seeing John spar.

    He chose not to interrupt them and held Kiana back as well. He wanted to see how the spar would turn out and get a better judgment on the man. Till now, if hepared the man''s skill with the average swordsman from his past life, he could say for sure he was above them.

    "Seems like its time to get serious," John spoke.

    "You can feel free to use your gift lieutenant John, I''ll use mine too. Let''s give these kids some entertainment." Donald spoke with a smile.

    He was truly having a great time sparring with John and it was not something he got to do every day. Most of the other guards were no match for him and he was far too ahead of them in terms of experiences as well.

    To get to test out his skills to the full extent, Donald could only spar against Count Gabriel himself when he came here. But that was still quite rare, as the count was mostly away and busy with work.

    "If you say so, Donald. Mirror Coat!" John yelled.

    Lucius''s interest peaked the moment Donald said it was fine to use gifts. This meant that he would get to see a gift without having to use his own gift. And that was what he got because when John said Mirror Coat, Nexus activated automatically and the words popped up in front of him.

    Gift Name: Mirror coat

    ''Hmm¡­ so they don''t need to specifically tell me what their gift is, either. As long as they say the name, Nexus will pick it up and disy it without using Aether.'' Lucius understood.

    He watched as John''s arm suddenly changed in texture. It was as if a mirror likeyer had appareled on it, and one could see their reflections on it. John had used this on his left arm, which was free as he was using his right arm for the sword.

    John suddenly dodged and raised his hand.

    "Ow!" Donald yelped in pain as a beam of light directly hit his eyes.

    Still, he didn''t dare to keep them close for too long as he could already hear the sword of John shearing through the air.

    ~ng~

    Donald managed to block the sword strike and stomped his leg on the ground.

    ~Rumble~

    The stomp caused tremors in the ground which made everyone in the hall stumble except for Kiana, who easily adjusted her stance as if it was nothing. Lucius too stumbled, but Kiana held his hand at thest moment.

    John stumbled due to the sudden change but managed to morph that stumble into a roll and dodged again, appearing to the side of Donald.

    ~ng~

    Their sword met once again, and Donald was pushed back slightly. But when he took a step back, he suddenly lost bnce and fell.

    ~thud~

    John ced his sword at the neck of Donald and smiled.

    "Hahaha! I''ve been missing this for so long!" Donaldughed out loud, not bothered by his loss.

    Lucius was a bit confused as to how Donald suddenly slipped and thus looked at the ground. That''s where he saw the reason behind it. A patch of the ground had been turned into a mirror as well and Donald had slipped on this very patch.

    ''Looks like he can apply a mirror likeyer on anything he touches or on his body. When he rolled to dodge during the tremor, he touched the ground and made it turn into a mirror. Due to the surface bing extremely smooth, Donald slipped and fell on it.'' Lucius analyzed.

    Another surprise presented to Lucius when he finished his thought as more words appeared in front of him.

    Gift Name: Mirror coat

    Description: Transform a part of the body''s surface or anything that is touched into a mirror.

    ''Now this is a pleasant surprise¡­ guessing the description is also enough for Nexus to unlock it. Hmm¡­ will this work for its rank too? There are only seven ranks I can easily just go through them one by one.'' Lucius thought.

    Wanting to test his hypothesis, Lucius went through the seven ranks, but there was no change to the data he got from Nexus.

    ''So it does not work this way¡­ I guess asking should work for this case.'' Lucius inferred.

    John gave a hand to Donald, and he stood up with his help.

    "We should do this more often lieutenant John, I don''t have many people I can spar against here." Donald said.

    "Haha! Fear not, I''ll be here from now on every day. We will have plenty of time to spar." John replied.

    "That''s good, at least these kids will get to learn some real skills of an elite army man as well." Donald spoke, pointing to the other guards, who just felt a bit embarrassed.

    All of them knew they were far from being their captain''s match. They were all men and women who were unable to qualify the exam to join the army as an officer and while their skill was enough for them to join as a normal soldier, they would rather do the job of a guard here than do that as the pay was simply not worth the risk for them.

    "Seems like young lord Asher is in good hands then." Kiana spoke with a smile.

    It was now that they saw the duo of master and maid who had been standing at the entrance all this time. The other guards had been busy observing them, so had not seen them either.

    "Ah! Young lord Asher, you''re finally here! Come,e, we should start now. We have so many things to go over." John spoke with a jovial tone.

 Chapter 44 - Evolution Requirements

    Lucius nodded his head and walked forward.

    "That was an impressive fight, Lieutenant John." Lucius said.

    "Haha, no need for the formalities, you can just call me John." He replied.

    "Alright¡­ John." Lucius spoke.

    "That''s good. Now we should get to it." John said, before picking up a wooden sword from the stands.

    "Take this, it''s a weighted training sword. It will help you get used to an actual sword''s weight while also being able to practice well." John replied.

    Lucius took hold of the blunt sword and could tell that it was still a bit off bnce. But it wasn''t enough that it could be problematic.

    "I''ll show you some moves and we can start from there. You just need to imitate them for now and when you are well versed in them, we''ll start improving your form." John stated.

    Lucius nodded his head and they got to practice. The time passed by rather quickly in the training and Lucius gave it his all. He did not have the same stamina as he did in his past life and since this body had only recovered recently, there was still a lot of improvement needed.

    Though Lucius was content that it was not causing him that many problems. The other guards had long since went back to their own duties and only Captain Donald had stayed till the end.

    He did not speak anything and was simply observing Lucius from the start till the end of the training.

    ~huu~

    Lucius took some tired breaths as he put back the training sword on the stand.

    "You are surprisingly better than the first time I taught you, Young Master." Donald suddenly spoke.

    "Oh? You taught me before?" Lucius asked.

    "Indeed. When you were a child and were just starting to learn the art of swordsmanship, I was one of your teachers. I did not teach you that much though. Your main teacher was Master Frank." Donald replied.

    "Master Frank? Who was he?" Lucius asked, feeling curious.

    "Master Frank was one of the best swordsmen that were ever born on ournds. Sadly he passed away five years ago from old age. Even the count himself learned from Master Frank back then." Kiana was the one who spoke this time.

    Lucius was intrigued by this as not only he learned more about the Inanis family, but also about the title of ''Master.'' He knew there was a specific requirement for one to have it and it probably applied in multiple fields.

    "Indeed, Master Frank was perhaps the best teacher I had as well. He taught many people and was even one of the official royal instructors of the Grantz kingdom before he retired." John added.

    "You were taught by him too?" Lucius asked.

    "Indeed, even captain Donald was taught by him, if I remember correctly," John replied.

    ~Sigh~

    "He was one impressive man, with swordsmanship that spoke for itself. Even though he was gift-less there were many gifted who still feared him." Donald spoke.

    Lucius nodded his head in understanding and realized that this must have been an important figure in the Inanis family and even the kingdom, since so many people knew of him, that too one that was gift-less.

    "By the way, captain Donald¡­ what is your gift?" Lucius asked curiously.

    "Oh, my gift? It is a rare ranked gift called Tremor stomp. It does what it means, creates tremors." Donald said simply.

    And just as he did that, Nexus activated and Lucius could see new information.

    Gift Name: Tremor Stomp

    Rank: Rare

    Description: The user can stomp the ground and create tremors. The area of effect is determined by the amount of Aether used.

    ''Hmm¡­ this confirms it. But now to see what other information is there.'' Lucius thought.

    He slightly squinted his eyes and more information was added to the list with a drain on his Aether.

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution requirements: 10x Stampeding Bull rune crystals + 5x plow worm rune crystals + 100 Aether Crystals

    ~thud~

    As soon as the new information appeared, Lucius trembled and fell to the ground. He felt a wave of extreme fatigue washing over him and knew that he had overexerted himself.

    "ASHER!" Kiana shouted beforeing to his aid.

    John and Donald did the same and helped pick him up. They sat him down on a chair and Kiana checked him for injuries.

    "Are you alright?" Donald asked.

    "Yeah¡­ I just overexerted myself in the training I think." Lucius replied.

    Kiana turned and looked at John with a pissed look which sent shivers down his spine.

    "Ah, seems like we need to change the regimen a bit. From tomorrow we will reduce the practice time and I will let you strengthen your body more." John hurriedly spoke.

    He knew that if he let the young lord get hurt or sick, if not Kiana, Countess Lita would have his head. He had been married for five years and knew better than to earn the ire of a woman.

    Kiana eased her expression after hearing his words and nodded in acknowledgment. Lucius witnessed the entire thing, but did not say anything. He was simply content in finding out more about his gift.

    ''So as long as I have sufficient information beforehand, nexus can reveal more information. For the rare rank gift, I need to know the name, description and rank so that the rest of the information can be revealed.

    I need to test more and see what other ranks are like. If just a rare ranked gift made me this tired, it''s likely Epic ranked gifts may be out of the question for now. I should start with themon ranked, and umon ranked gifts.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    With all that done, Kiana and John helped Lucius back to the mansion. It was going to be time for dinner in an hour anyway and thus he just decided to take a bath first, since he was sweaty anyway.

    After the bath was over though, Lucius wanted to know more about the rune beasts. Particrly the ones that were told by the Nexus as being required for an upgrade.

 Chapter 45 - Kains Mastery

    Lucius wanted to take a quick look at the library about the particr rune beasts but was interrupted by Kiana.

    "And where are you going? It''s time for dinner." Kiana chided.

    Knowing that there was no getting out of it, Lucius just decided to get to dinner for now and eat. He had more time to readter on anyway.

    ''Or I could just ask others about them, I guess.'' Lucius thought.

    Soon Lucius and Kiana were in the dining hall where the servants were setting up the dinnerware.

    "Mother and father are not back yet?" Lucius questioned.

    "Count Gabriel is in his study and will be here in a bit while your mother is just finishing up some final tasks for the day." Kiana answered.

    "Ah, I see. So should we sit down for the time being?" Lucius said and thought it would be a good opportunity to ask questions.

    "Yes, let''s." Kiana replied before pulling the chair back for Lucius and then sitting down herself.

    "Kiana, I had a question," Lucius spoke.

    "Oh? What kind?" Kiana asked.

    "I wanted to know more about rune beasts." Lucius replied.

    "Rune beasts? I don''t know much about them, but can answer some basic questions I guess." Kiana stated.

    "Do you know what Stampeding Bulls are?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ I think I''ve heard of them. They are one of the E rank rune beasts found south of our territory." Kiana answered.

    "E Rank? Rune beasts have ranks too?" Lucius asked, though he had already guessed something like that.

    Since humans had gifts and beasts did too, there was of course a ranking system for them.

    "Yes they do, they go from F rank to A rank." Kiana replied.

    "Ah¡­ do they correspond to their ranks as gifts?" Lucius questioned.

    "I¡­ don''t know exactly. It would be better if you ask Master Kain, he is after all a master in Rune Beasts." Kiana replied.

    This was new information to Lucius as he had been wondering what Kain was the master of and now he finally had the information. But now this posed another question, if Kain was a master in Rune Beasts why was he teaching him knowledge.

    "I didn''t know that. I thought Master Kain was a master innguages or something like that." Lucius spoke.

    "Hahaha! Most masters that are from an academic field can do that. To be honest, he is way too overqualified to be teaching you." Kiana replied.

    "Why is he teaching me, then? Won''t it be a waste of his skills?" Lucius asked.

    "He is simply paying off his debts and favors to Count Gabriel." Kiana replied.

    "What kind of debt?" Lucius questioned further.

    "Well, when he was just a new schr, he wanted to specialize in rune beasts. But to do research in that, one needed quite a lot of money and opportunities. Back then, even though Master Kain was able to get into the artificers guild, he was not able to secure funds for his research, thus he needed to look for it elsewhere.

    That was when Count Gabriel saw potential in him and chose to sponsor his studies and research." Kiana exined.

    Lucius was rather surprised by this, as he had not expected Gabriel to be a man who appreciated academics like this.

    ''Seems like I may have a much better advantage than I thought.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius wanted to ask more, but he heard the sounds of footsteps approaching.

    "Good evening, Count Gabriel," All the servants greeted in unison.

    "Mmm," Gabriel hummed in response and looked at Lucius, who was already present at the table.

    "Seems like your first lesson on swordsmanship went good," Gabriel spoke.

    "It did, I learned a lot and feel like it is suited to me." Lucius replied.

    "Good, Lieutenant John is apetent swordsman, and I''ve seen his skills on the battlefield too. Learn well from him." Gabriel agreed.

    "My, my, you''ve really gotten obedient now Asher." Lita suddenly spoke from the archway before approaching them.

    Lucius simply nodded his head in response and the two parents took a seat.

    "So what were you talking about?" Gabriel asked while the servants got to serving them dishes.

    "Rune beasts father. I was reading some names of them and it sparked my curiosity." Lucius replied.

    "Ah, I see. That is good, it is always good to learn more. If you want to learn more about them, you can ask Master Kain." Gabriel spoke.

    "Oh, Kiana already told me about him." Lucius replied.

    Gabriel nodded in response and after that, the family had some mundane conversation about their day. Lucius asked what they did and learned quite a few things about the workings of the city and the administrative matters.

    One of the important matters he learned was that of robbers that had recently popped up in the region. While from Lita he learned that there was a reduction in edible oil supply to the region.

    He noted these matters in his mind and finished up his dinner.

    "I''ll take my leave for now, father, mother." Lucius spoke.

    "Alright, go and rest for now. You''ve had a long day." Lita spoke, and Gabriel chimed in.

    Lucius hummed in response before heading straight to the library. He knew he would not be able to spend much time here before Kiana would interrupt him and tell him to rest, and thus, he just chose to grab the books about the rune beasts.

    He had learned quite a lot of new words and felt like he would be able to read most of the things now. He still had some assertive dictionaries, so for the words that he did not understand he would not have much of a problem.

    Back in his room, Lucius opened the book called Compendium Of Rune Beasts, which spanned across 9 volumes. He had taken all of them and each of the books was four fingers in thickness.

    The rune beasts were arranged in an alphabetical order, thus he did not have a hard time finding about the two beasts.

    "Here we go, Stampeding Bull and plow worms¡­"

 Chapter 46 - Stampeding Bull And Plow Worms

    Lucius first read the entry for the Stampeding bulls.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Stampeding Bulls: E rank rune beastsmonly found living in the ins south of the Province of Etara.

    They are usually docile and live in heard but when threatened their entire herd will break into a terrifying stamped that can easily kill people and change they of thend. The stamped can cause tremors that can be felt for more than three kilometers away.

    A single herd of the stampeding bulls can contain hundreds of these rune beasts and need to be treated with caution. The territory of the stampeding bulls is to be marked and any migratory action noted.

    On an average, one in ten beasts will yield a Rune crystal.

    Rune crystal gift: Stampede

    Description: Creates tremors that increase in intensity the more number of beasts are present

    ¡ª¡ª

    "Hmm¡­ so they are like the wildebeest living in a heard can causing massive stampedes when they travel. Though their numbers are less than a wildebeest herd from my past world." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He then flipped the pages before reaching the page where the information for the Plow Worms was given.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Plow Worms: D rank rune beasts that arerge and solitary worms. The closest location to the province of Etara where they are found in is the hills surrounding Brion Forest. They live underground and make tunnels in the hills, unearthingrge amounts of soil and rocks.

    They are considered to be one of the protected rune beasts as the soil and rocks they unearth are used by people for many purposes. Their poption is widespread and can be found in all over the Grantz kingdom''snds.

    If they are sighted, they are to be reported to the closest settlement so that the authorities can take proper actions.

    On an average, one out of five beasts will yield a Rune Crystal

    Rune crystal gift: Plow

    Description: increases the strength of the beast while underground, allowing it to moverge amount of earth using its body.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "This is actually higher ranked than the Stampeding bull?" Lucius said, feeling surprised. "No wonder the requirement to evolve the tremor stomp skill needed half the amount of rune crystals as that of the stampeding bull." Lucius analyzed.

    Another thing he was amazed by was that there were actually rune beasts which were considered to be protected here. Lucius didn''t know if this world had the concept of ''Animal conservation'' but looking at this example, there definitely was.

    ''But it''s probably for those rune beasts which are considered beneficial to the humans. In the case of the Plow Worms, they probably unearth minerals and save a ton of work for the miners.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Still, this information opened up more avenues for experimentation for Lucius. He learned the difficulty level that would be needed in acquiring a rune crystal and the people that would be required in order to obtain them.

    "Whether it is the stampeding bulls or the plow worms, both of them have their own set of difficulties in obtaining their rune crystals. For stampeding bulls it''s their number, while for the plow worms it''s the kingdom itself that will protect them.

    Though¡­ considering they are D rank, I doubt they will not be dangerous. While it says they arerge, it doesn''t say exactly howrge." Lucius figured.

    He had seen a lot of animals that had mutated in his past life, including worms that reached massive sizes, and even while traveling through the various worlds and dimensions, Lucius had seen his share of monstrous worms.

    Even among the demons of hell, there were many demons that were in the form of worms and could be extremely powerful. He even knew a few people from the Barrom n that had their true names as one of these worm demons.

    ''I definitely won''t be collecting these any time soon. Besides¡­ this brings no personal benefit to me anyway. If I really do try to evolve someone''s gift, they would have to be someone that will support me and will be of use to me.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He had not spent that long in this world, but a couple of faces popped up in his mind. The very first of which was none other than Kiana. She had been taking care of him when he was paralyzed and was truly dedicated to him.

    Not only that, but her own power seemed to be decent and she was not a weak woman. He had seen the gazes with which the guards and servants looked at her and knew that she was not someone to be messed with.

    The second face that popped up in his mind was Gabriel himself. He was his current father and also had a great authority as a count. There was no doubt that if Gabriel got stronger, it would also help Lucius due to their influence getting stronger.

    "Hmm¡­ Gabriel is too far of an option. I doubt I''ll be able to see the requirements for the evolution even if I already have the information about his gift. Kiana it is then¡­" Lucius spoke to himself.

    He spent a little more time reading up on the other Rune beasts, and did his best to memorize them. He didn''t know at which moment this woulde in handy. He then thought of the goal he had in his past life.

    He wanted to be the strongest and to conquer the world. Lucius failed in his past life due to Mira but he knew he would not do the same this time. Since he didn''t have as much personal power in this world, and there didn''t seem to be a way to obtain it, he decided to grow his power along with other people.

    These people would be his pawns to use, his shield to defend against his enemies and his de to decimate his foes.

    A n started forming in Lucius''s mind as a smile appeared on his face.

    "It will take long¡­ but I''ll definitely get there!"

 Chapter 47 - Aether Crystals

    The next morning, Lucius woke up and waited for Kiana to appear. She would always greet him the first thing in the morning and this would be the best time to get more information from her.

    ~knock~ knock~

    "Asher are you awake?" Kiana asked from the outside.

    "Just in time¡­" Lucius muttered. "Come in," he said.

    The door opened and in walked Kiana, who was in her maid uniform as always.

    "Ah, you woke up early today?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, I felt much better and woke up," Lucius replied.

    "That''s good. It means your body is recovering and returning to a normal cycle." Kain said with a nod.

    Kiana then turned around and walked towards the wardrobe to pick out some clothes for Lucius. Taking this opportunity, Lucius used Nexus and looked at the information that appeared.

    Gift Name: Stone Shooter

    Description: Shoots stones at a great speed simr to bullets.

    Rank: Rare

    The information that appeared was what Lucius had been told by Kiana herself before. This part did not consume his Aether and appeared automatically. He then used his aether and fully activated Nexus.

    He felt the drain on his Aether and one by one; the words started appearing in front of him.

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: Rock Bee Rune Crystal 5x + 15 Aether crystals + 500 grams Trivonite Ore

    Looking at the new information that had appeared, Lucius was a bit surprised. While there was the rune crystal in the requirements for the evolution which was understandable, including the Aether Crystals, what he had not expected was this ore that he had never heard of.

    He went to the books on his study table and opened thependium of rune beasts. He flipped to the page where there was information on the Rock Bee.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Rock Bee: They are E ranked dangerous insect rune beasts that live high up on mountain cliffs. They are each about 12 centimeters in size with the queen rock bee being over thirty centimeters in size.

    They live inrge colonies of over ten thousand and create their hives attached to the cliffs.

    Their honey is also a highly prized delicacy, having medical properties and is also the antidote for their venom.

    On an average, one out of one thousand beasts will yield a rune crystal, while the queen will always have a rune crystal.

    Rune crystal gift: Petrifying Sting

    Description: Hardens the tissue where the venom is injected.

    ¡ª¡ª

    After reading the description, Lucius could tell that obtaining this rune crystal would be quite difficult on his own and unless there was someone selling them, it would be hard for him to get them.

    He could also see the danger level of these beasts. Alone they might be manageable and even their sting could be bearable. But bees seldom attack alone and once a single bee attacks, more of them will rush to attack the foe.

    Lucius could image an unsuspecting victim passing the mountain and being stung by them, bing stiff due to the effect of the venom and falling to the ground unable to move. Or worse, rolling off the mountain itself.

    But this was still not enough, as Lucius needed information on two more things. First was the Aether crystals, the use of which he could easily guess, and then next was the ore that he had never heard of.

    "Kiana, do you know about Aether crystals?" Lucius questioned.

    "Of course, nearly everyone should know about them." Kiana answered.

    "I see. Can you tell me more about them?" Lucius asked, while watching Kiana pick out a matching set of clothes for him.

    "Aether crystals are like containers of Aether. They can be found in a variety of ces but are mostmonly mined from Aether Mines." Kiana spoke.

    "I understand that, but how is the capacity of them decided. I mean if they are crystals, won''t there be many shapes and sizes of them?" Lucius questioned.

    "Oh, they are of the same size always," Kiana spoke.

    "Same size? How is that possible?" Lucius questioned, as he did not know how it was scientifically possible unless there was another factor linked to it.

    "It''s the grace of the gods, it is how they intended it to be. When we mine them, they are stuck in veins and need to be pulled out. But in other locations such as a forest deposit of Aether crystals, they will be growing in the trunks of trees.

    There are many other locations that they can be found and there are many ways by which they maye into existence." Kiana exined.

    ''This is interesting¡­ so the gods themselves made ws'' to make them equal.'' Lucius thought.

    "Then, how much Aether do they restore for the gifted when they are used?" Lucius questioned further.

    "Hmm¡­ this is a bit hard to answer as people''s Aether capacities vary greatly. But on an average, a person who has a rare ranked gift should be able to fully restore their stores of Aether with a single crystal.

    While those that are a rank up will need twice the amount and those that are one rank down will be able to use the same crystal twice. The amount doubles for each difference in rank.

    "Can I see what an Aether crystal looks like?" Lucius asked.

    "Sure, there should be an extra one left here." Kiana said and went to one of the cupboards which Lucius had not opened till now.

    Kiana opened the cupboard and revealed a small safe in it. She spun the dial on it and opened the safe, inside of which a in white crystal was lying on a velvet sheet.

    "People who can afford them usually carry it as an emergency backup to restore their store of Aether. Though mostly they are used for Artifacts and during the war." Kiana exined as she handed the Aether crystal to Lucius.

    "Why was this kept here?" Lucius questioned.

    "This is your allowance I think, or what''s left of it from thest time," Kiana spoke with a chuckle.

 Chapter 48 - Currency And Costs

    "An allowance?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, Aether crystals can also be used as a currency. In fact, it is the chief mode of exchange between different kingdoms since everyone can use them. While the gold and silver coins can still be used after being melted down and engraved gain." Kiana exined.

    Lucius nodded at her exnation and wondered how much it cost. From what he knew, the rates of the coins were rather simple, being in denominations of one hundred.

    i.e. 100 copper coins were equal to 1 silver, and 100 silver equal to 1 gold coin.

    "How much are Aether crystals worth?" Lucius questioned.

    "The current going rate is about Ten gold coins for one Aether Crystal. It has been fluctuatingtely though since the war was on going. But once the armistice is finalized, it is likely to be stable again." Kiana answered.

    "I see¡­" Lucius muttered as hepared the values.

    For one or two copper coins one could buy some bread, while for five copper coins one could buy an entire meal.

    Cheap clothes that peasants wore would cost about fifty to a hundred copper coins while those that the nobles wore would go anywhere for a few tens of slivers to even a gold coin.

    Weapon costs were rtive to their use and cost a minimum of one silver coin at the least all the way to hundreds of gold coins for a good one.

    As for the Artifacts, they were seldom bought using gold coins and one needed to use Aether crystals to obtain them. The prices of the Artifacts depended on the rank of the rune that was used to make them, along with the other ingredients and the cost ofbor.

    "How much does thismp cost?" Lucius asked curiously.

    He knew that themp was rtively simple for an artifact and should be on the lower end of the spectrum.

    "Themp costs about five Aether crystals." Kiana answered.

    "That''s¡­ kind of expensive, isn''t it?" Lucius questioned.

    "Well¡­ it is formoners, I suppose. But not for us, besides it does not have any operational costs, unlike normalmps that need oil or candles. Themp can absorb the ambient Aether and recharge itself like all the other artifacts." Kiana answered.

    ''Hmm¡­ so it''s renewable and can go on for a long time. They''re simr to the magicmps from my past life or the sr powered lights I suppose.'' Lucius thought.

    "Wait, you said leftover allowance. You mean there was more?" Lucius questioned, feeling curious.

    "Yes. I think you used to get five Aether crystals a month but since you left, there haven''t been any new ones given yet. You took the remaining crystals with you when you left for the battlefield." Kiana answered.

    "Now that I think of it, I should inform your mother to restart the allowance." Kiana said, as she held her chin.

    "That would be good. I could buy a few things that I want." Lucius spoke.

    "Oh? What is it that you want to buy?" Kiana questioned.

    "I want to get some rune crystals," Lucius replied.

    "Rune Crystals? What are you gonna do with them?" Kiana questioned, feeling confused.

    For a normal person, there wasn''t much use for a rune crystal unless they were going to sell them. Only the artifices could turn them into artifacts and make them usable. This made it a very lucrative business and thus many people wanted to do it.

    "I want to test some things, and experiment," Lucius answered.

    "Hmm¡­ I suppose there is no harm in that. Though I think it would be better if you consult master Kain about this. I don''t know much about artifact production but I''ve heard that some rune crystals can cause idents if handled wrongly." Kiana replied.

    "Alright, I''ll keep it in my mind," Lucius spoke before the two of them headed down to eat breakfast.

    Same as yesterday, there were only the two of them there as Count Gabriel and Lady Lita had already left to do their tasks. Once they were done, Lucius went to the library to wait for Kain to arrive.

    "Why is hete today?" Lucius wondered.

    "He could have been dyed by some emergency work. He has more than ten students under him who are all artificer apprentices. And there may be some things that they can''t do on their own since Master Kain is the Rune beast expert for the Artificers guild of our city." Kiana exined.

    "I see. He''s a rather busy man it seems, I should free him of this task quickly." Lucius spoke.

    "That''s up to you. But I think he rather likes teaching you." Kiana replied.

    Since Kain was not here yet, Lucius searched the library for a book on minerals and ores. He eventually found more than ten books on it that were all huge. It was hard for him to find information about the Trivonite Ore.

    Since he had decided that the first person whose gift he would be testing on is Kiana, he needed to know where to get all the materials for. He would not have a problem with the Aether crystals, but the Trivonite ore and the Rock Bee rune crystals were still an unknown factor.

    Eventually, Lucius found one book, that had a summary of the ores and minerals. There he found the information about the Trivonite ore.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Trivonite Ore: An ore from which Trivonite is refined from. The ore is found in iron ore mines but is quite rare. Trivonite is used in the production of high quality armor and weapons.

    It has great flexibility but its heat tolerance is less. It melts at a lower temperature than Iron and needs an expert smith to process it.

    ¡ª¡ª

    After reading the entry Lucius thought that getting this ore shouldn''t be as difficult either. Since it was ore and not refined Trivonite metal, the quantity should be sufficient.

    ''Now the only thing left is the Rock Bee Rune crystals¡­'' Lucius thought and then saw the door of the Library open.

    Kain was the one who had walked in, but he was now limping.

 Chapter 49 - Injured Kain And Cost Of Rune Crystals

    Lucius looked at Kain and his leg but could not see any apparent injury. Kain was now using a cane to walk and didn''t show any signs of pain on his face either.

    "Master Kain, what happened to your leg?" Lucius questioned.

    "Ah, a little ident happened with one of the Rune beasts we were working on. It got free and managed to injure a few of us. But don''t worry the healers were able to fix it¡­ well most of it.

    My injury is a little deep than the others and thus it will take more time for it to healpletely." Kain answered.

    "What kind of a rune beast was it?" Lucius questioned, feeling interested.

    "It was a rune beast called Ridge w Crab. Their ws are strong and have a vice like grip. One of them managed to cut his cage and escaped. I was trying to stop it when it cut me on my thigh.

    The grip was strong enough to cut cleanly through my flesh. Thankfully, the others acted quickly and were able to stop the beast." Kain exined.

    "I see. Must be quite a dangerous rune beast then." Lucius said.

    "Not really. It''s an E rank rune beast, but we were kind of restricted in our actions since we could not kill it. If it was just killing it, then we would have been able to stop it instantly, but we needed that beast for more studies and thus it took us a while to restrain it." Kain spoke.

    Lucius nodded his head as he had not expected something like this to have happened today.

    "Let''s get started with our lessons, shall we? It''s already been a bitte," Kain said before pulling out the lesson n.

    Kiana left the library and let the two men continue their lesson. Soon they were done with it since Lucius had already memorized the parts that were asked of him. He had even covered some extra parts and was ahead of the schedule officially.

    It was now lunchtime, and Kiana came to ask them for lunch.

    "I think we can end our lesson early today, you''ve already finished the part for a couple of days that I had nned out. I''ll need to prepare more before I can continue." Kain spoke.

    "That will be fine, Master Kain. You can rest your leg too, till then." Lucius replied.

    "That is kind of you, Young Lord Asher." Kain said with a smile.

    "Ah yes, I had some questions about rune beasts, Master Kain." Lucius suddenly spoke.

    Kain stopped midway when he was putting a piece of meat in his mouth. He put it down and spoke, "please do ask."

    "I was reading up on various rune beasts and a few of them interested me so I wanted to ask about them," Lucius replied.

    "What beasts?" Kain questioned.

    "There are many, but right now I wanted to ask about Rock Bees." Lucius answered.

    "Rock bees? Hmm¡­ they are a fierce bunch of rune beasts. Many travelers when they are passing by a mountain or hill identally disturb them and ended up bing their victims. It is not umon for them to stiffen a human''s body so much that it falls and simply rolls off the mountain.

    Since their hives are usually located at cliffs, the area there is steep, making it easier for the petrified bodies to roll off. In some regions, this is somon that at the base of mountains there are warning signs that say: caution falling bodies." Kain exined.

    "That is really terrifying. Though¡­ how much do the rune crystals of these Rock bees cost?" Lucius asked.

    "Why do you need them?" Kain asked, feeling a bit confused.

    "I''d like to experiment a bit on my own and learn more about them." Lucius replied.

    "Oh? Is the young lord interested in the field of artificers?" Kain asked.

    "Oh yes, I definitely am. But do I need to part of the artificers guild to do that?" Lucius inquired.

    "Well, most artificers are part of the Artificers guild, but there are some independent ones too. The reason why most of them join the artificers guild is because they studied there as it provides the best conditions and resources.

    Still, there are a few very affluent artificers who are independent from the artificers'' guild. They take in disciples too and those disciples often end up being much better than those from the artificers guild since all of the resources are focused on a single person.

    If the young lord really wants to go on this path, I can rmend some starting books for you. While you won''t be able to make artifacts any soon, you should still be able to grasp the theory behind it.

    As for the financial part, I believe the Count can very well take care of that, Haha." Kain said with a chuckle at the end.

    A smile appeared on Lucius''s face as he felt pleased.

    ''Just as I thought. Having a rich family is the best¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Though if you really want the rune crystal of a rock bee, you will have tomission some mercenaries to get them for you. Thest I checked, there weren''t any of them in the artificers guild.

    So unless some merchantes with them, you will have to depend on the mercenaries. Usually, a single rune crystal of a Rock bee costs about twenty Aether crystals if you buy from a merchant. But if you aremissioning a mercenary team, it will probably cost you about three thousand gold coins instead." Kain exined.

    Kiana did not interfere in their conversion and simply smiled upon hearing their words. She didn''t care if Asher really became an artificer or not, she was just happy that he had found something safe that interested him.

    After the meal was finished, Kain promised to send Lucius some books on artifact theory and basic principles.

    "Hmm¡­ there are still two hours till Lieutenant Johnes. Do you want to take a stroll outside?" Kiana questioned

 Chapter 50 - The Tavern

    Lucius thought about it a bit and figured that he may as well check out the Mercenarymissions till then.

    "Alright. I''d like to go and check out the mercenaries tomission. Though will I need to pay them in advance or after they return?" Lucius questioned.

    "Well this differs from mercenary to mercenary and the kind of a job they are being assigned. But most of them want a certain amount before they start the job since they often need to buy things for it. The advance just helps them start up." Kiana answered.

    "Hmm¡­ that''s reasonable. Now the only thing would be to get my allowance from mother." Lucius spoke.

    "You can get that tonight. Till then we can go and see which mercenaries are avable for it. I know a couple of them and if they are avable there we may have a good chance of getting the Rock Bee rune crystals." Kiana replied.

    "Alright then. Let''s head there." Lucius said.

    Kiana nodded her head and looked at one of the servants before speaking, "bring the carriage."

    "Yes miss Kiana." The servant said before swiftly heading to his task.

    In less than five minutes, the carriage was ready before the entrance of the mansion. Lucius and Kiana boarded the carriage and took off for the taverns that the mercenaries frequented.

    Lucius looked out of the carriage and observed everything carefully. Every little bit of information was important as he was foreign to this world. He had already been lucky that he got a body that was rtivelypatible and a Nobel family that was easy going.

    About twenty minutester, the carriage reached the western district. This was the district where a lot of taverns, inns and hotels were located. Most mercenaries frequented the taverns and they had notice boards wheremissions could be assigned.

    "There, stop at that tavern." Kiana directed.

    The carriage came to stop in front of what was perhaps the biggest tavern in the western district. Lucius got down from the carriage and saw therge name board that hung from the top.

    It read: Da''s Drunk Nest.

    "Hmm¡­ that''s a rather unique name¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "This is perhaps one of the oldest buildings in the city. Back when the Inanis city was still a small vige, this tavern existed even then. The woman that stated it was one widow of a nameless soldier who fought in the war back then. She was a stubborn and brave woman.

    In those times, the vige was located near to the battlefield and thus people were scared toe here. But Da went against all odds and created her tavern here, just because she wanted to stay near the grave of her husband.

    A lot of travelers and soldiers visited the establishment back then as it was the only ce where they could get any refreshments. Then the time came when your great-great-grandfather was assigned to the vige.

    He developed it further and saw that the tavern was a really good way to improve the economy of the vige. He invested more into it and allowed the mercenaries to operate from it. Due to that, this tavern has now be one of the main buildings in the city. It''s also the only tavern that has a branch of the mercenary guild attached to it.

    The mercenaries frequent other taverns as well, but this is the only one where they can get official jobmissions from that are guaranteed by the guild. We are also going to ask the guild to apply for themission on our behalf." Kiana exined in detail.

    Lucius nodded his head at this interesting piece of history. But that was not all, as he was now informed of the existence of the mercenary guild and how themissions worked.

    ''Hmm¡­ so they are like an official organization that helped regte the profession of mercenaries.'' Lucius thought.

    His past world used to have something like this hundreds of years ago, before he lived there. Lucius had read about that in history a lot, but in the modern times, there were better ways to do the jobs. There were properws and regtions without which one could not operate freely.

    Also, one did not need to go to a specific location to apply for a mercenary job, all they needed to do was to contact a mercenary on the inte. It was a fast and efficient way of doing business, plus with the banks as intermediaries, even their payments were insured.

    After briefly reminiscing his past worlds'' memories, Lucius walked into the tavern, with Kiana walking beside him. The guards also followed them to the back. There was no way they would leave Lucius alone, as they had strict orders from Count Gabriel and Lady Lita to watch Lucius when he was out of the manor.

    If any harm came to him under their watch, it was a fact that the countess would hang them from their guts, if the count did kill them before that. Asher was the only Heir of the Inanis family and perhaps the most important person after the count himself.

    Lucius looked around the tavern where almost a hundred people were situated. The tavern itself had two floors, the ground floor and an open first floor, which was visible from the ground floor.

    There were waitresses and waiters going around serving food and drinks to the people, who were easily recognized as mercenaries. Though the most eye-catching part of the tavern was the small section that was located on the right. A few mercenaries stood in line and waited for their turn.

    A name board hung on it which read: Mercenary guild (Inanis City branch)

    "There it is, that''s where we apply." Kiana pointed to the small section.

    Lucius nodded his head and headed there along with Kiana. There were two queues there, one for the mercenaries and one for themon people whomissioned jobs. But when Kiana was just about to speak to the man sitting at the desk, a voice called out.

    "Fancy seeing you here Kiana. What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 51 - Gellor The Mercenary

    The person who had just spoken had a slightly gruff voice and Kiana stopped upon hearing it. Lucius turned to see who had just spoken and saw a tall and broad man d in steel armor.

    "Gellor? You''re back?" Kiana asked.

    "Yeah, I came back a couple of days ago. Thest job took much longer than I had expected, even traveling was a hassle due to the war. We had to take longer routes to avoid the battle zones and the army checkpoints." The man named Gellor replied.

    Lucius looked at the man and found him to be a bit familiar.

    ''Wait, a minute¡­ isn''t he¡­'' Lucius thought.

    "Are you the one who killed that Four Winged hawk two days ago?" Lucius questioned.

    Kiana narrowed her eyes as she looked at Lucius.

    "You saw him that night?" Kiana spoke.

    "Yeah, him and a few others," Lucius replied.

    "Yeah, that was me." Gellor confirmed before looking at Kiana and asking, "may I ask who this is?"

    ~Ahem~

    Kiana immediately turned to a very formal stance before she spoke, "This is Young Lord Asher Inanis. The Heir of the Land of Etara!" Kiana introduced.

    The man named Gellor was a bit surprised by this before he hurriedly reacted.

    "Forgive me, my lord. I did not know." Gellor apologized.

    "Oh, it''s fine. No harm done." Lucius replied.

    He did not care about minor things such as this. What he did care about though, was who this man exactly was and why did he know Kiana.

    "Lord Asher this is Gellor, one of the mercenaries I know and was talking to you about. He once applied to work as a soldier but then chose a different pathter on. I met him back then when he was giving the test under Master Frank." Kiana exined.

    "Ah, I see. It''s good to meet you, Gellor." Lucius spoke.

    ''If he was under Master Frank too, then he should be a bit aplished. And from what I saw that night. He definitely has some skills to back it up too.'' Lucius thought and then looked at the sword that hung from the side of Gellor.

    ''Hmm¡­ this is not the sword that he used back then, though. Was that really an artifact or was it a gift that this man has?'' Lucius wondered.

    "This actually makes it easier for us now that Gellor is here." Kiana suddenly spoke.

    "Easy? You mean we hire him?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes. Gellor is an aplished mercenary with a good record, who even I can vouch for. For a difficult job like the one we want he should be able toplete it with his team." Kiana replied.

    Gellor was listening to the entire thing and was now getting interested in whatever Asher and Kiana were talking about.

    "Hmm, since you vouch for him I don''t have any concerns then." Lucius said.

    "Umm, does the young lord want tomission a job from me and my team?" Gellor questioned.

    "Yes, I do," Lucius answered.

    "Alright, if you tell me what the job is, I can give you an estimate of the payment." Gellor spoke.

    Just when Lucius was about to speak more, another person interrupted them by shouting.

    "Hey, Gellor! The drinks and food are here,e on eat!" A woman shouted from one of the tables.

    Kiana and Lucius''s gaze went to the table as they looked at the woman. Kiana though had a sharp look in her eyes, which Gellor noticed. He had seen the same look many times before and knew that whenever it appeared, nothing good woulde out of it. After all, even he had suffered from the fury of this woman in front of him.

    ~gulp~

    "Please don''t mind them. You can tell me." Gellor said before quickly snapping his neck back. "I''lleter, I got a job proposition here."

    It was now that the woman and the rest of his teammates noticed Kiana and Lucius standing near him. They also noticed the guards and realized that whoever Gellor was speaking to it was definitely some noble.

    "They''re your team right?" Lucius spoke while looking at the table.

    "Yes?¡­" Gellor replied with apprehension.

    "Then let''s just sit with them and talk further. If we are gonna discuss about the job, may as well involve them too." Lucius said in a calm tone.

    ~phew~

    Gellor took a breath of relief and nodded his head. "Yes, that would be good. Please do join us."

    Kiana rxed her expression as well and went to the table along with Lucius. There were four people sitting at the table already which included two women and two men. Lucius recognized them to be the same people from that night.

    A couple of chairs were pulled and everyone sat on the table. The guards that apanied Lucius made a circle around the table, leaving enough berth in between to give them privacy.

    Gellor introduced his teammates to Lucius and told them about his identity.

    "Young Lord Asher, these are my teammates- Albus, Ariana, Barty, and Finch." Gellor introduced.

    Albus and Barty were the two men, while Ariana and Finch were women. Lucius particrly paid attention to the woman named Finch as she was carrying the sword that Gellor had used to make therge red sh that killed the Four winged hawk.

    "Umm¡­ so what is it that the young lord wants us to do?" The woman named Ariana questioned. She was also the one who had interrupted Gellor before by shouting out for him.

    "I would like tomission you all for a mission. I want you all to hunt Rock Bees and get me their Rune crystals. I want at least five of them." Lucius answered.

    Gellor''s gaze stiffened upon hearing the request and the other teammates of his had uneasy expressions too.

    "Is there a problem?" Lucius questioned, noticing their expressions.

    "Not exactly. It''s just that while we can definitely do this job, we will just need a ratherrge amount of advanced payment." Gellor spoke.

 Chapter 52 - Strategy Against The Rock Bees

    Lucius raised his brows upon hearing Gellor''s words. He could tell that there was more to this and the man was not just saying it lightly.

    "Could you tell me the reason for it?" Lucius questioned.

    "Well, if the young lord is asking for the rune crystals of Rock Bees then he must know about their gift, right?" Gellor replied.

    "Yes," Lucius nodded his head. "Their venom can stiffen and petrify the victims." He spoke.

    "Indeed, young lord. But that''s not all. While we have no problem dealing with five, ten or even a hundred Rock bees confidently¡­ there is no way there are going to be just that many of them.

    Once a single Rock bee is hurt or attacks, the entire hive will rush in within moments. One needs to be extremely careful in dealing with them. Even ten stings of the rock bees will be fine and we will be able to bear them, but beyond that our abilities will get affected. If that happens there is no way we would be able to survive it.

    Thus to prevent it, we would need special armor. The armor we would need is a type of thick leather armor. This armor is different than that of metal armor and is better for defense against Rock Bees.

    If rock bees attack metal armor, they would be unable to pierce it but they won''t be harmed either. But, if they attack the thick leather armor, their stingers will be able to pierce through the armor partially.

    But this is exactly what we want as once they sting their stingers will get stuck and when they try to pull it out, it will break rendering theirbat ability to the minimum." Gellor exined.

    Lucius pondered over his words and found them to be logical.

    "Alright, that works. I believe you will fulfill the job since Kiana is vouching for you." Lucius replied while taking a nce at Kiana.

    Kiana had her chin in her hand as she thought.

    "Actually¡­ you won''t have to buy those thick leather armors." Kiana suddenly spoke.

    "What do you mean?" Gellor questioned, and even Lucius looked at Kiana with an inquisitive look.

    "Well, I believe we should already have some of those armors in the storage. I''ll ask the servants to check the armory when we get back." Kiana answered.

    Gellor face brightened up, upon hearing her words.

    "Really? That''s great! It will save our time as well. At least I won''t have to bargain with a cksmith and get them to make the leather armors." Gellor said, as he took a breath of relief.

    Lucius looked at his face in amazement.

    ''Seems like this guy can''t deal with businessmen or something¡­'' Lucius thought.

    "Well, then it''s decided. You five shalle to the mansion when you are done here. We will talk the rest of the things including the particrs about payment there." Lucius stated.

    "That is fine. We have a few minor tasks left to do here and after that, we cane." Finch was the one who spoke this time.

    Gellor looked at her and then at the sword in her hand before secretly clenching his fist.

    This minor action of his didn''t get past Lucius''s eyes, but he did not speak. He knew there was something more to them, but currently it was neither the time nor his ce to speak about it.

    "We shall return then. The guards will be informed of your arrival so they should not stop you." Kiana said before she and Lucius left the tavern.

    The people in the tavern could not help but watch as they left. It was not every day that a noble of his standing came here. Usually, it was their subordinates that came here tomissions jobs or they who were directly contacted by them.

    Some of them had heard when Kiana introduced Lucius and thus knew who he was now. Still, they did not dare to speak anything about him while he was in their presence and waited for him to leave before the gossips began.

    Unknown to Lucius, he had already made his first mark on the people of this world.

    ***

    At the mansion, Lucius and Kiana walked into the library. They had finished their task much earlier than they had expected, and John was still not here. Besides, hearing Gellor''s words had sparked some curiosity in Lucius''s mind.

    While he had read about the gifts and even knew what they did because of his own gift nexus, he realized he barely knew how to actually deal with them.

    For example, the use of thick leather armor instead of metal armor to not only defend but also disable the rock bees? That was a novel use.

    Lucius remembered he had passed over a couple of books that dealt with this and was now searching for them.

    "Ah, here it is." Lucius said as trailed his finger over a book.

    " ''Tactics against gifts'', a rather simple name but urate," Lucius said as he pulled the book out of the shelf.

    This was merely the first volume of the book and there were around eleven more of them lined up on the shelf. Merely this showed how many gifts there have been, both in humans and rune beasts and how many methods had been devised to deal with them.

    "You search for an entry on Rock Bee''s too in the other volumes. It should make our work easier." Lucius said.

    "Alright," Kiana said as she got to work.

    After fifteen minutes of search, Kiana spoke up, "Here it is!"

    Lucius took the book from her hands and started reading it.

    "Method 1st: Rock bees are territorial rune beasts that are protective of their queen. Killing their queen will copse their cooperation and make them scatter in the search for a new queen. The queen can also be captured to lure other rock bees once one hive has been killed.

    Method 2: Use of thick leather armor will cause the rock bees to break their stingers and disable theirbat abilities.

    Method 3: Dense smoke is a good repellent for the rock bees. While this won''t kill them, it will prevent them from approaching the smoke." Lucius read.

    "Hmm¡­ this should be easy enough¡­"

 Chapter 53 - A Tool And Progress

    The day had passed rather swiftly after Lucius was done with his daily training with lieutenant John. He had read about how to deal with the Rock Bees, and a few ideas had already formed in his mind.

    He was now taking a bath to get rid of all the sweat and grime he had umted throughout the day.

    "Hmm¡­ Gellor and those mercenaries should arrive soon." Lucius muttered to himself.

    After he was done with the bath and dressed, he called over a servant.

    "You asked for us, young lord?" The servant spoke.

    "Yes, I would like you to gather a few things for me. See if they are avable." Lucius said before passing the man a list.

    The servant took a look at the list of things and showed a look of confusion. He wondered why his lord needed these things, but didn''t question it. This was not his ce to ask and he did not want to do anything offensive.

    He swiftly went to do his task and brought back the things that his lord had asked.

    Lucius was currently sitting in his bedroom, and writing some things in a book.

    ~knock~ knock~

    Hearing the knock on the door, Lucius spoke up. "Come in!"

    ~creek~

    The door opened and there were two servants standing outside. One of them was carrying arge sack that while another one was carrying a box in his hand.

    "Here are the things you asked for my lord." The servant who was holding the box spoke.

    "Did you get them all?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, thankfully we had everything avable in the mansion or nearby." The servant answered.

    "Hmm¡­ good job." Lucius said before sending them away.

    Lucius then stood up and went to therge sack and the box before checking them. There were quite a few things in it, including a tin that contained a thick ck liquid. There were also some tools like a hammer and more metal containers.

    "Let''s get to work¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    For an hour, the sound of hammering and metal hitting metal was hearding from Lucius''s room. The sound continued until another knock was heard on his door.

    ~knock~ knock~

    "The mercenaries are here, Asher." Kiana spoke from outside the door.

    Lucius stopped what he was doing and took a look at his handiwork before nodding his head.

    ''Just in time.'' He thought before opening the door.

    "Let''s go meet them," Lucius said, and Kiana nodded to him.

    Both of them went downstairs to meet Gellor and his team, who were looking around curiously. The hall was definitely the most luxurious ce they had ever seen or been too. This was quite a novel experience for them.

    As mercenaries, most of their time was spent traveling out in the field, thus they had little time to enjoy things such as this if they ever got the opportunity.

    "Did you guys finish whatever it was that you needed to do?" Lucius questioned.

    "Y-yes, young lord Asher. We are done." Gellor replied, stumbling in his sentence as he had not seen Lucius approach.

    "Good. We can get down to it now." Lucius said before looking towards Kiana, who understood what he was about to say.

    "The Leather armors are in the armory, I''ll get the servants to fetch them," Kiana said before swiftly going to order the servants and returning.

    "I''ve taken the liberty to look up some things about the Rock Bees and I believe I have something that will make your task a bit easier." Lucius spoke.

    "You do? What is it, young lord?" Gellor questioned.

    "It is a tool¡­ that should help repel the rock bees when you are done obtaining the required amount of Rune crystals," Lucius answered.

    "What? Is it an artifact?" Albus questioned.

    From what they knew there was little that they could do again Rock bees. The leather armor was the one thing that they knew of. They had never actually fought rock bees before and thus did not know of any other methods.

    Rock bees weren''t really a rune beast that was often hunted and thus there weren''t many mercenaries that had knowledge about it.

    "It would be better if I just showed it to you," Lucius replied. "Kiana can you get the box that is kept on my desk." He spoke.

    "Sure," Kiana said, before getting what was asked of her.

    The box she was carrying didn''t feel that heavy to her, so she didn''t know what Lucius had prepared for them.

    ~thud~

    A low thud was heard as Kiana ced the box on the table, which Lucius then opened.

    The lid of the box slid out and within it, a cylindrical container was lying. The container had a handle on the side, along with a movable lever at the top.

    "Umm¡­ what is this?" Gellor asked, feeling confused.

    Lucius smiled lightly before exining the use of the tool to them. The more they listened, the more their expression lit up. Even Kiana was surprised by what Lucius had made, that too, in such a short time.

    "Young lord Asher is truly a genius. I never expected something like this could have been done with such simple objects." Gellor praised.

    "I only hope that you get the job done properly," Lucius replied.

    "Of course, with this tool and the armor, I believe we may even be able to get more rune crystals than asked." Gellor responded.

    Lucius nodded his head before speaking, "well then I guess we are done here. I need to rest now."

    "Ah, yes. Please pardon us for taking up so much of your time." Gellor said.

    "We shall take our leave now," Finch said, with a calm look on her face.

    Soon the team of mercenaries left the mansion''s grounds, and Lucius was free again.

    "I''d like to have dinner early today. I feel tired and want to rest." Lucius spoke to Kiana.

    "Okay¡­ I guess making that tool took up more of your energy. You shouldn''t have put so much effort into it. Even if you gave it to them tomorrow, it would have been fine I think." Kiana replied.

    ~Sigh~

    "Better to be done early thante," Lucius said before going to sit in the dining room.

    Kiana had a slightly confused expression on her face, but then she went to get dinner for Lucius.

    The dinner was quickly finished by Lucius, who actually ate more than he usually does. Kiana felt satisfied that he was eating well and bid him farewell for the night.

    Lucius locked the door of his room behind him before sitting on his bed in a meditative posture.

    ~huu~

    He took a deep breath before muttering, "today should be the day¡­"

    Lucius stilled his mind and appeared in the same empty space he hadst time. He could see his soul there and the mark that existed on its back. He started the process of forming the hell imprint and used the form to devise the coordinates.

    Time passed like this and hours went by. Lucius had lost track of time and was fully focused on his soul.

    But outside in the real world, an illusory image was forming around his body. The image was of a symbol and was moving around his body, as if trying to find a ce to settle down. But that image suddenly broke apart, and Lucius''s body trembled.

    ~cough~cough~

    Lucius suddenly coughed out some blood. But then, a wide smile appeared on his face.

    "It works¡­"

 Chapter 54 - A Direction To Head Towards

    Lucius had gone through many coordinates to make the hell imprint during this night and none of them had evene close to what had just happened. The coordinate Lucius had used this time was something he had tried on a whim.

    It wasn''t even part of the form that the Great Barrom n used. Rather the coordinates that he used were from one of the hell dimensions he had seen while he was traveling as a soul.

    He did so just to see if it would work as the coordinates were quite close to the ones from the form. Lucius reckoned that perhaps the great Barrom n''s form might be restricted to that world and maybe a different hell dimensions coordinates would work.

    But just testing out a random coordinate blindly could be dangerous. Thus when this coordinate came up that matched those from the form, Lucius reckoned that it may work or something of that sort of.

    Of course, he had failed in the end and had even sustained an injury, but it was worth it for him. He now had a direction to head towards instead of blindly wandering.

    ~Sigh~

    Lucius touched his chest, which was hurting and lightly sighed.

    "I''ll have to wait till I heal¡­ can''t risk permanently harming this body. Though I should try asking that healer, maybe he can help with it. The blood rush is always hard to control during the beginning attempts." Lucius muttered to himself.

    The blood rush was a phenomenon that happened when someone was trying to form a hell imprint. During the formation, what basically happened was that the person would let foreign energies of the hell dimension onto their bodies.

    These energies would then try to affect the body, making it morepatible with the hell energies. This resulted in the blood rush as the body elerated the pumping of the heart. The hell energies acted like adrenaline, increasing one''s pulse rate.

    Once this blood rush went out of control, one would bleed due to the bursting of blood vessels of the body. Usually, the smaller and weaker blood vessels would burst first, like those in the nose, eyes and ears.

    These wouldn''t cause permanent damage and could be recovered in time. But sometimes they can bust the blood vessels in the person''s lungs or throat.

    In Lucius''s case, he reckoned that he had probably burst some small vessels in his throat. That could be one of the reasons for coughing up blood like this. He didn''t think it was that deep in his lungs or it would have hurt much more than this.

    After all, he had plenty of experience with this and knew how that injury would feel like.

    ''Better see that healer tomorrow¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as heid down on the bed.

    This had taken up quite a bit of his energy and now he was truly tired. Thankfully Kiana and Lita knew he was still recovering, so would not mind if he sleptte.

    ***

    The morning arrived and Lucius woke up with a bad headache.

    "Ugh! I hoped this symptom won''t appear." Lucius muttered as he held his forehead.

    He slightly shook his head and washed his face with cold water. It slightly relieved the pain, but he knew it was temporary. He dressed himself and went down before Kiana even came to wake him up.

    "You''re up early!" Kiana who was walking up the stairs, spoke.

    "Yeah¡­ I have a headache and a slight throat ache. Perhaps I should meet the healer." Lucius replied.

    "Oh, Etara! You just go and rest, I''ll get healer Delia right away!" Kiana said with an anxious face before she left.

    Seeing Kiana rushing away Lucius said, "well¡­ that makes it easier."

    He turned back and returned to his room.

    ~creek~

    He pulled back the chair and read through a book while waiting for Kiana to bring in the healer. Thirty minutes passed like this and then finally, a knock was heard.

    ~knock~

    "I''ve brought healer Delia with me," Kiana spoke from the outside.

    "Come in, it''s open," Lucius responded before closing the book,

    The door opened and in walked Kiana, along with an old woman who seemed to be in her fifties. Her hair was starting to grey and a few strands mixed in with the ck. Though it was all tied in a tight braid at her back and she wore a pair of spectacles.

    Lucius couldn''t help but raise his brows at seeing the spectacles. This was the first time he was seeing them in this world and was unsure if they even existed before this.

    ''That''s another mark in the technological progress of this world. If they can make spectacles that means they can make clear ss and have the tools to cut and polish it properly.'' Lucius thought.

    Making ss itself wasn''t that difficult and had been done since before medieval times in his past world, but using that ss to make lenses that could correct vision was not easy. Not only would one need to have the skill to craft the ss, but they would also need to know how the eyes worked and the curvature that would be needed for the lenses to work properly.

    "Young Lord Asher, how do you feel?" Healer Delia questioned with concern on her face.

    "I got a headache and some pain in my throat. My chest hurts slightly too." Lucius answered straightaway.

    Delia walked close to Lucius and gently touched his forehead before checking his arms and his chest.

    "Hmm¡­ seems like a cold perhaps," Delia said.

    "Could you use your healing gift just in case?" Lucius asked.

    Delia raised her brows but did not deny right away.

    "That would be good if you can do that healer Delia. Asher is still recovering so maybe exerting himself too much is making him sick again." Kiana added.

    "If you say so¡­ I''ll use my gift. Now, please lie down." Delia said, and Lucius did as he was told.

    But that was not all Lucius did, he squinted his eyes slightly and a string of words appeared in front of him.

 Chapter 55 - Healer Gift

    Lucius carefully read the information that was given to him by nexus.

    Gift Name: Healing pulse

    Description: The user can heal the injuries of a person such as cuts, scratches, bruises. Infections, poisons, and diseases cannot be cured. Dismembered body parts cannot be healed.

    Rank: Rare

    He could tell that the gift was rather useful, even though the limitations of it were quite obvious. Lucius now understood why Delia had not been of much help when he was injured. She could not heal diseases.

    Though the description still left a lot for him to learn about. It didn''t say if internal injuries could be healed by it or not. Neither did it say if it could fix otherplex things such as blood clots or broken bones.

    Lucius wanted to know more information of course, but his Aether had already been drained from this single use. And since he did not know more information about her gift beforehand, only the basic information had been revealed.

    ''Though for her type of gift, I reckon it must be an emitter type of a gift.'' Lucius thought.

    He then watched as Delia extended her hand and ced it on his chest. A warm pulse of energy came from her hand that made him feelfortable. The energy spread from her hand and coursed through his body, reaching all the way to the tip of his toes.

    She kept her hand on his body for about a minute, after which she lifted it. Lucius looked at her for signs of exhaustion, but there were none. But he could also tell that whatever small vessels he had burst in his body had been healed.

    The pain in his chest and throat had disappeared. But the headache was still not gone, which he understood as it was not something that could be healed so easily. Lucius would have an easier time if he took some pain killer drugs instead.

    ''Hmm¡­ there should be those drugs¡­ or rather something simr to that in this world, too. I saw poppy seeds in the food, so they should definitely have poppy extract.'' Lucius thought.

    Delia lifted her hand and nodded her head.

    "There we go. How do you feel now?" Delia questioned.

    "Much better. The sect pain is gone, but the headache is still there." Lucius answered.

    "Ah, I see. That was expected. My gift is not effective on things like those. That''s why I use herbs and medicines for that." Delia said before looking at Kiana.

    "Give young lord Asher some tea made from willow bark. That should help with that headache and any leftover pain." Delia advised.

    "Thank you, healer Delia. I''ll get it made right away." Kiana said.

    "Alright, I''ll head back now. If you need me, I''ll be in my clinic." Delia said before leaving the room.

    Once she was gone Lucius spoke, "where is healer Delia''s clinic?"

    "It is down the road from the mansion. You must have seen it when we passed by there in carriaige, there''s usually a line of people standing outside it." Kiana answered.

    Lucius thought over it and indeed, recognized the ce. Though he had not seen any name board there.

    ''Must have been hidden behind something, or I just missed it somehow. Though using willow bark is a good remedy for pain. At least for the standard of this world, I suppose.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana then went to get medicine that was advised by healer Delia, while Asher read through more books. He thought that perhaps he should take a look at the medicinal books of this world, too.

    There were bound to be many of them that he had never heard nor seen. Not to mentions the various effects that could be shown by them.

    In his past life, Lucius had used quite a few drugs to boost his physical strength. These drugs were made from magical herbs and when used inbination with magic, strengthened the physique of the user.

    There were even some special potions that could boost the total capacity of one''s mana. These were quite rare and difficult to make, but he had some knowledge about them too. Sadly for him, his specialty was not in medicines and potions, thus he had not learned more about it in detail.

    "Hmm¡­ seeing as how many things match my previous world''s conditions, I wonder if there are potions or substances that can boost my Aether capacity just the way they boost mana?" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He had actually been looking for methods to boost his own Aether capacity as being able to use his gift only once was rather limiting. Lucius had learned from both Kiana and Kain in passing that regr use of gifts would boost one''s Aether capacity and just getting older would do the same as well.

    It was the reason why a lot of babies or children needed the help of the appraisal hall to disy their gifts, as they simply did not have enough capacity to do it on their own.

    ~Sigh~

    "I''m gonna need an extra pair of hands and eyes at this rate¡­" Lucius muttered, missing the tech from his past life.

    Eventually Kiana came back with a mug of tea for Lucius who quickly drank it down, wanting to get rid of the headache. The effect was shown rather quickly in less than five minutes. Feeling better, Lucius went to the library for his daily lessons.

    Though today Kain had a surprise for Lucius.

    "Take these. They should help you with the artifacts. It''s mostly basic stuff but once you are done with these, I can get you better books." Kain said as he handed Lucius a bundle of nearly twenty books.

    They were easily over thirty kilograms in weight and almost made Lucius fall when Kain handed them to him. The man was carrying them with ease and the weight did not seem to bother him, which made Lucius raise his brows.

    ''From his body, it doesn''t seem like he''s too strong either though¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Thank you for this, master Kain." Lucius said.

    "It''s no problem. If you truly get some skill with artifacts, it would only make me and the count proud." Kain replied.

 Chapter 56 - Shameless Demand

    ~shing~

    ~shing~

    ~thud~

    Lucius swung his sword hard and finally knocked down the training dummy. This was his third day of sword practice and he could see that his control was slightly better than before. Though he hoped that this body would improve faster.

    The body of Asher was already past its optimum growth years and it will take him even longer to make it grow better and improve the strength.

    ''Hopefully, I''m able to form a hell imprint to gain the ability to use the hell energies.'' Lucius thought as he wiped his sweat with a towel that Kiana passed to him.

    "Good!" Lieutenant John said. "Your dedication is much better than those of the new recruits I have seen." He added.

    Lucius simply nodded to this and put the training sword back. He had not gotten to the point where he could spar with another person and it would take him a week or more to reach that point.

    John was the one who had told him to just practice with the dummies for now as he didn''t want him to get injured so early after having recovered his body.

    "Let''s go back, you should rest now," Kiana said.

    "Alright. I want to take a bath too¡­" Lucius said before returning to the mansion.

    He went straight to the bathroom, where the hot water was already prepared for him. The servants now knew his routine and thus would keep everything ready. Quickly taking a bath, Lucius winced at his sore muscles. Though the hot water also helped rx them, eventually.

    Steam emitted from his body as he was putting on his clothes. It was near the end of summer and the weather would start to get cooler soon. Lucius walked to the dining hall where, to his surprise, the count and countess were already waiting.

    "Oh? You two are back early today." Lucius said.

    "Yes, we thankfully finished quickly today." Count Gabriel spoke as he took a sip from a wine ss, the pale yellow wine glistening in it.

    Lucius had seen this wine and knew that it was the mostmon type of wine that was made in the territory. Unlike his previous world, red wine wasn''t asmon here and the yellow wine that he was seeing was made from some local fruits called ''Jezens''.

    These fruits were yellow in color and had a pulpy interior. Their taste was citrus like but much sweeter. Their skin though, was inedible for humans and was used as feed for cattle.

    Jezens were an important produce of the territory and Lucius had taken note of this. Anything that contributed to the ie was important for him to know, as they would be part of his power one day too. Knowing his territory well would only give him an advantage.

    "I have been missing my son too, so I just dropped the remaining work for tomorrow," Lita said with a gentle smile.

    "I''m grateful that I get to see you too." Lucius said as he took a seat.

    "I heard youmissioned a team of mercenaries for something?" Gabriel asked.

    "I did indeed, father. I asked them to get me Rock Bee Rune crystals." Lucius said.

    "Why would you want them? Are you really intending to study artifacts?" Lita asked with concern.

    "Yes, mother. I reckon it would be better for me to study them. Perhaps I''d make a better man out of myself that way." Lucius said in a self depreciating manner.

    He knew how the Asher before him was, having a reckless nature and little talent. Being giftless had only made him insecure about himself. But Lucius was not like that. He knew that there were many paths to power and he was going to take the one he found the most essible.

    "Don''t say it like that. No matter what anyone says, you are the sole inheritor of the Inanis Family. You are a good person and have plenty of time to learn." Lita spoke.

    "I think Asher is right," Gabriel interrupted.

    "But dear¡­" Lita protested.

    "Lita¡­ no matter what you say, Asher is giftless. While we as his parents know that he is good, the others don''t. They will snub and insult him behind his back. Right now we are still here sot they won''t attempt anything directly for a while, but what if we are gone?" Gabriel said.

    ~Sigh~

    "If he truly does get some skill at artifacts, it would be a testament to his capabilities. Just that would be a matter of prestige that would allow him tomand respect in the circle of nobles and they would cooperate will. At least there won''t be anyone trying to poach on our territory then." Gabriel stated.

    "I¡­ I understand." Lita said with reddened eyes.

    As a mother, she did not want her son to suffer and knew his drawbacks. But she could also not help but want the best for him.

    "Yes, mother don''t worry. I am doing this on my own and am willing to learn. I know the artificers guild won''t take me in since I don''t fulfill their conditions but I can still try to be an independent artificer." Lucius added.

    Silence depended in the hall for a couple of minutes after which Lita took a breath and said, "alright. If you want to truly do this, then I shall support you."

    "Thank you, mother." Lucius replied.

    "Now then¡­ since you have hired those mercenaries, I suppose you need a little help in paying them." Gabriel said with a chuckle.

    "Yes father, if you would give me ten thousand gold coins I would be very grateful," Lucius asked, shamelessly.

    Gabriel raised his eyes at him but did not deny.

    "Okay, I shall grant that amount. But you will only use this for learning and nothing else. If I hear that you are using this for pleasure or to y around, I''ll punish you myself." Gabriel said with a fierce expression. "I shall not have you be like one of those good for nothing scums of noble children." He added with a hint of disgust.

 Chapter 57 - A Meeting Of Old Clerics

    Lucius felt a bit better upon seeing the attitude of Gabriel. The man was not like many of the nobles he had heard about before. Even in his past world, there were many people who would be hypocritical about themselves and would act differently.

    "I will not disappoint you father," Lucius said with determination in his eyes.

    "Very well. Collect the amount you want from the steward in the morning. I''ll give him the permission." Gabriel said.

    Lucius nodded his head and the three of them along with Kiana got busy eating dinner. After a little bit more chit-chat, they all went to their bedrooms, while Lucius sat down to meditate.

    "Ah, this is much better. Thankfully Delia was able to heal the damage or I would have had to wait much longer. Though I cannot get injured again, she is likely to get suspicious if I keep on turning up with the same kind of injuries." Lucius muttered to himself.

    A couple of minutester, he appeared in the empty space where his soul was located. It still floated there with its eyes closed and the mark on its back faintly glowing. Lucius inspected his soul for any abnormalities before beginning his task.

    This time he was a bit more careful and used the form with a few modifications and started to test out the coordinates he got to make a hell imprint. Over the night, the illusory image appeared over his body twice, but Lucius stopped it before it ever got close.

    He knew this would not seed and these attempts would only get him injured again. Lucius only wanted to go ahead with the formation of the hell imprint if he was a hundred percent sure of it seeding.

    He was already taking a risk by practicing here, as he did not know if the gods in this world would interfere. Though it didn''t seem like that. He had not even heard of any antagonists of the church till now either.

    Well, he did hear about the tribals but they were more of a rival than an outright antagonist. What Lucius was looking for was someone like the great Barrom n who opposed the theocracy of Thara in his past world.

    Lucius was betting on the fact that if a power like that existed here, there was a 90% chance they would have certain links with hell too. And if that was possible, then it was also possible for him to source their unique coordinates of the hell.

    After about three hours Lucius felt tired and decided to stop, falling into a deep sleep.

    ***

    Far from thends of Etara, at the capital of the Grantz kingdom, there existed the grand cathedral of na.

    Within this very cathedral, a few old men were having a discussion.

    "Archbishop Franklin, has there been any new developments on your side?" An old man dressed in the robes of Archbishop asked.

    "The region has been mostly calm but there have been reports of certain new substances that have gained use among the lower strata of the citizens." Archbishop Franklin replied.

    "And what kind of substances are these? The¡­ addictive kind?" Another Archbishop asked.

    "We do not know if they are addictive yet, but they do have the effects of providing a sense of relief and calm to the user." Archbishop Franklin answered.

    "What do you think of this Cardinal Lumen?" The first Archbishop who had spoken earlier said.

    The cardinal who had been listening with his eyes closed till now opened them and took a deep breath. His face was old and freckles were visible on it.

    ~cough~

    The old man lightly coughed before speaking.

    "We have dealt with these things a few times before, Archbishop Franklin. Just follow the same procedure. If it is found to be addictive, we condemn it to be forbidden and send a decree to the king.

    If it is not, but harms the people, it shall be restricted and the rest will be left to the king. But if it is any of the above, tithe shall be levied on it and the production methods are to be surrendered to the church." Cardinal Lumen spoke, with a clever glint in his eyes.

    "It shall be done as you said so, cardinal." Archbishop Franklin replied.

    "Anything else to report from the others? If not I shall go, these old bones are not going tost long." Cardinal Lumen replied.

    "We got a letter from the Royal court. It was sent by them in lieu of a noble, a count by the name of Gabriel Inanis." Archbishop Marcus said.

    "Oh? And what were the contents of the letter?" Cardinal Lumen questioned.

    "It was about a request to dispatch a bishop to heal the Count''s son. We''ve alreadypleted the request and the count has also paid the tithe promptly." Archbishop Marcus replied.

    "What would happen to a Count''s son? Did he indulge himself in the carnal pleasures too much?" Cardinal Lumen asked with a hint of ridicule in his voice.

    "No cardinal. Rather, it was something legitimate this time that I''m also a bit concerned about." Archbishop Marcus said.

    This time all the other members of the circle were also interested in this and paid attention to Marcus''s words.

    "Please do tell more, archbishop." The Cardinal said before coughing.

    "The boy was injured in one of the battles against the army of Gisir, but that is not what concerned me. Rather, it was how the boy was injured. Not only did he sustain injuries and was paralyzed, he was even cursed¡­ by the poison of the tribals of Fands." Archbishop Marcus revealed.

    Murmuring started in the room after hearing of the mention of tribals. They all knew about them and some of them had even gone to the Fands themselves to preach. They had seen the horrors that were the tribals.

    "And how is the boy after that? The curse of those tribal gods is not easy to dispel." Cardinal Lumen asked.

    "The boy''s body was healed but his memory is lost. Thankfully his mental state is said to be normal and he''s been handling it all well. But the question still stands¡­ did the kingdom of Gisir ally with the Tribals?"

 Chapter 58 - Mastery And Goals

    ~thud~

    Lucius closed a notebook and passed it to Kain.

    "Excellent work, as always!" Kain praised.

    "You helped me a lot too Master Kain," Lucius replied.

    "No, no. Students like you are rare like diamonds, it''s a pity I didn''t get to teach you when you were younger, or by now you would have easily been able to be a master yourself." Kain stated.

    Hearing this peaked Lucius''s interest and he finally decided to ask.

    "What does bing a master particrly entail, master Kain? And how does one go about bing one?" Lucius questioned.

    "A master is basically a rank in any upation. It could be any upation, whether one is a schr, a swordsman, a smith, or even a cook. In order for someone to be a master, all they need to do is make a great contribution to their field." Kain answered.

    "Hmm¡­ and who decides that someone has made a sizable contribution?" Lucius questioned.

    "It is mostly the unions and organizations that made the regtions of the upation that do that. For example in my case, I am a master of Rune Beasts, which falls under the authority of the artificers guild. For swordsmen, it would be the army or the royal academy that would confer them the rank of a master and so on and so forth." Kain exined.

    "Ah, I see. Though, what did you do that you became a master, master Kain?" Lucius questioned, feeling curious.

    "My contribution was barely enough for me to be a master. In fact, I tried three times before I was finally approved by the guild. My mastery was conferred upon me for discovering the application of the rune crystals of a beast called Drill Toe Armadillo." Kain answered.

    Lucius did not recognize the name of the beast and wondered what its rune crystal could do.

    "What is so special about this rune beast?" Lucius asked again.

    "The Drill Toe Armadillo''s are F rank rune beasts that mostly eat worms. Their toes are specialized for digging, but that''s not their only feature. You see, these beasts have the ability to lure out worms from the ground so they can eat them. They create vibrations from their toes that make the worms surface.

    Their gift is simply called as Toe Vibration. The application I found for it was¡­ farming." Kain exined.

    "Farming? How is it used in farming? I mean it would have to be turned into an artifact, won''t it before it is used, which would make it expensive for farmers?" Lucius questioned.

    "Well yes¡­ that was the reason why I was rejected three times before. But, it is not only for farming normal crops but certain herbs which are hard to grow. These herbs are mostly medicinal in value, while some are even used for the manufacturing of artifacts. They need very specific conditions to grow and need a lot of care.

    I discovered that a tool made from the rune crystal of the Drill Toe Armadillo can loosen the soil without harming the nt and allow it to grow better. While the effect is less for most crops, for precious herbs such as this every little bit counts so it was finally approved for my mastery." Kain said.

    "Is that the reason for three years? You had to record and show that it actually affects the growth of those herbs?" Lucius asked.

    Kain''s brows raised upon hearing Lucius''s assumption.

    "Very impressive, lord Asher. You were able to figure out my methodology just from this." Kain replied nodding his head.

    "It was just a fluke," Lucius said, but in his mind he felt like this was one of the most primitive methods of researching something.

    Kain had applied for his mastery even before he had proper proof of his research work. Lucius realized that getting a mastery was quite simr to getting a degree in his previous life and making a research paper for it.

    It was just that the standard of the world was low and thus this qualification was quite high. But now Lucius wondered what were the benefits of bing a master.

    "Master Kain, what are the advantages of being a master?" Lucius asked.

    "Well, there are many. You will get a set amount of stipend from the organization you belong to. Your work will be protected by them and you will bepensated for it too. Also, depending on the level of your contribution you may or may not be allowed to monopolize on it." Kain replied.

    "Oh, and of course the prestige thates with it is also good. In fact, it is one of the few ways by which amoner can be a noble. So a lot of people try to be a master." He added.

    After hearing the entire thing, Lucius understood how it all worked and thought about doing so himself. Though it was not for the status as he already had that, what he wanted to do it was for the monopoly that Kain had talked about. He reckoned that it was something along the lines of a patent and allowed only the creator to exploit his work for profit.

    Lucius knew the one thing he would always need a lot of is money. And thus this seemed like a good route to it. Plus, it wasn''t that far off from his past life''s upation and he already knew the finer nuances of doing research.

    With this all in mind, he now had an additional goal on his list, in addition to the creation of the hell imprint.

    It was at this moment that he heard the shouts of someoneing from outside the library.

    "HOW DARE HE!? IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIS FAMILY''S CONTRIBUTIONS, I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM MYSELF." Gabriel shouted in rage.

    Lucius''s ears perked up and he wondered what had happened. Kain though felt a hint of fear upon hearing the count''s voice.

    "Someone has messed up big time. I haven''t seen count Gabriel this angry in a long time." Kain spoke while looking at the door.

 Chapter 59 - Viscount Drew

    Lucius had not seen Count Gabriel furious since he got to this world either, although he had seen him being serious. He wondered what could have made him act like this. But he didn''t walk out of the library outright, as it would be rude.

    He waited for them to go away before standing up.

    "I think we can end our lesson here for today as well," Kain said, knowing that it was now time for him to leave as the situation here may be getting out of his status.

    Lucius nodded knowingly and left along with Kain. On the way out, he met Kiana who had a concerned look on her face.

    "What happened?" Lucius questioned.

    "One of the nobles¡­ has decided to separate his territory from thend of Etara." Kiana stated.

    Lucius furrowed his brows, as he was unable to understand what exactly was the problem with this.

    "Can you exin more?" Lucius asked.

    "Let''s continue ahead. I''ll exin on the way¡­ besides, I think the Count will announce itter himself, anyway." Kiana replied.

    "Alright¡­" Lucius said with a nod.

    "Thend of Etara is basically the main domain of the goddess Etara. Any god that has its headquarters in a specific ce would make that ce its domain. For the goddess na it''s the capital of the Grantz Kingdom instead.

    The Land of Etara has been united since its creation thousands of years ago. Even when it didn''te under the rule of the Grantz kingdom it was still called the Land of Etara. Since then it has only grown in size but has never decreased." Kiana said.

    "So that means¡­ that noble separating his territory from thend of Etara is essentially spheming the goddess?" Lucius asked.

    Kiana shook her head at this and spoke, "no, not exactly. There is no rule that equates this to sphemy, nor is there any penalty to this. The only thing is that this has never happened before and now that it has¡­ that too under the reign of Count Gabriel, it would be a blemish on his reputation.

    He would be the first count to have his territory reduce in size in this way. While other nobles lose territory from time to time, it is usually due to them falling in rank, selling it, or simply dying out. A noble voluntarily leaving a territory like this is unheard of." Kiana replied.

    "Then why is he leaving it? What is the benefit to it, anyway?" Lucius questioned.

    "He will no longer be paying tribute to the Inanis family, nor the tithe to the temple of Etara." Kiana answered.

    Lucius had an expression of realization on his face. He had seen things like this many times in his past life and understood exactly what it was.

    ''So rebellion against the ruling authority and ming independence¡­ wasn''t the Barrom n the same¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "If he is ming independence won''t the Grantz kingdom attack him?" Lucius further asked.

    "No¡­ he is not iming independence from the kingdom. He is simply saying that he will not be part of the Land of Etara. Saying that hisnd will now be called differently." Kiana answered.

    Lucius went silent for a moment and thought about it.

    "And who is this noble who dares to do this?" Lucius questioned.

    "Viscount Drew of Roldan Family." Kiana answered.

    Lucius felt like he had heard this name before and tried to remember where.

    "Isn''t he from the second strongest family in the Land Of Etara?" Lucius said.

    "Yes¡­ that is why it is problematic. Roldan family contributes about 30% of all tributes and a lot of trade routes pass through theirnds. If they leave the Land of Etara, all the trade agreements will have to be remade. The negotiations will take a long time and the businesses will be hit." Kiana replied.

    Lucius could now understand the greater implications of this entire thing. The Count could let go of the tribute that they get, but the trade agreements getting nullified would cause a lot of problems to themoners of thend.

    And every noble that is a good politician knows that unhappy citizens are the bane of their existence. They would need to cate the matter quickly or it may cost them a lot in the long term.

    Even Lucius was worried now as a lot of his ns needed money, money that he was going to get from the Inanis n, of course. If the Viscount was going to leave the Land Of Etara, he would be throwing a wrench into Lucius''s ns too.

    "There must be some disadvantage to him leaving thend of Etara, won''t he?" Lucius questioned.

    "Indeed, there are disadvantages. Because the trade agreements will be nullified, the merchants won''t be able to pass over hisnd either. This would stop supply to his territory too. But for this, he has already figured out a solution¡­ which is just to give them a free entry and not taxing them.

    Along with this, he would also be losing out on the protection offered by the army of the Land of Etara. But being the second biggest family, they have their own personal army as well." Kiana answered.

    Lucius nodded his head and saw that they had already reached the dining hall. Opening the door, he saw the hall was empty thus he went and took a seat. He couldn''t help but continue thinking more about the matter.

    Lucius realized that what Viscount Drew was doing was pretty simr to what the smaller nations from his previous world did. These nations had very small poptions and did not have many sources of revenue.

    So to address this, they would not charge tax on the businessmen and merchants, promoting them to do business here. In turn they would gain amunity base and could then change thews in the future to gain benefits.

    Since the merchants would have a customer base there too, they would continue to sell in the nation and would not mind the tax as it would often be lesser than the other bigger nations.

 Chapter 60 - A Trouble With Finances

    Having thought for plenty of time, Lucius knew that he could not just let it happen. He needed to interfere in it, but he knew it would be hard.

    ''Need to figure out something. This man¡­ needs to change his mind or be eliminated.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana who was standing beside Asher, had been observing him for a while. Ever since she had told him about Viscount Drew, he had been in deep thought, and she did not know why. But for a moment there though, she thought she saw a different look in Asher''s eyes.

    The look was fierce, almost bordering on murderous. She had never seen such a look in his eyes before and but could feel the intent from them. It was only for a brief moment, but it was strong.

    ''What¡­'' she didn''t know what to think of it.

    She held her chest and felt her heart that was beating hard. A memory suddenly appeared in her mind. It was of a long time ago. Back then she was merely a child and had been sent to the territory of the Inanis family for the first time.

    While traveling there, her caravan had encountered a group of bandits. Half of their people had been killed and she was very scared. But then a man had appeared out of nowhere, shing apart five bandits in one go.

    When the bodies of the bandits fell to the ground, she saw the man who was standing behind them. He was wielding a double edged sword and was wearing a bloodied armor with the symbol of a three tailed dragon.

    This man had the same look that Lucius had right now. But back then the look was directed towards the bandits who were killing his people. This man was none other than Count Gabriel himself.

    The memory faded away and Kiana''s attention returned to the current time.

    "He truly has the blood¡­ he onlycks the gift¡­" Kiana muttered to herself.

    ~creek~

    The doors of the dining hall opened and in walked Count Gabriel and Countess Lita. Lucius turned his neck to look at them and saw their tensed expressions. Lita though, smiled when she saw Asher sitting at the table. Gabriel still kept his expression even when he saw Asher, and it was evident that he was still troubled.

    "Bring the food," Gabriel said in a cold tone.

    The servants understood the state of the count and were already ready with food. The trays of food were quickly brought it and it was served to everyone. The lunch was eaten in silence and not one word was spoken.

    ~Sigh~

    Once it was done though, Gabriel sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked at his family and lightly shook his head.

    "I believe you already heard what happened, my son?" Gabriel asked.

    "I did, father." Lucius replied.

    "Turbulent times areing for us. I just want you to be ready¡­ we may need to take some drastic actions." Count Gabriel said.

    "I''ll be here for you, father. For whatever you need." Lucius stated with determination.

    Gabriel couldn''t help but raise his brows as he heard Lucius''s words.

    "Alright. That will be all. If the time arrives, I shall call for you. For now, you just focus on what you are doing." Gabriel said.

    Lita wanted to speak something but hesitated, finally choosing to keep silent.

    The nging of tes could be heard as the servants cleaned up the table. A brief farewell was said among the family before they all went on their separate ways. Lucius headed to the library, and Kiana followed behind him.

    "What do you think are the biggest revenue makers for us, Kiana?" Lucius questioned.

    Kiana was caught a bit off guard by this but managed to speak.

    "If you mean for the territory as whole as it is the taxes from all the trades that are made." Kiana answered.

    "That is not what I mean. What about a specific product?" Lucius asked.

    "Hmm¡­ I don''t think there is anything substantial. We have crops and fruits that grow and also the artifacts that the artificers guild makes, but they all contribute as taxes." Kiana answered.

    Lucius was a bit surprised by this and thought about something he dreaded.

    "You mean to say there is nothing the Inanis family owns that directly makes a revenue?" Lucius asked.

    "No. Why would we need that when we get taxes from everything? The merchants and lower nobles contribute from their business to us as well." Kiana replied.

    Upon hearing these words, Lucius could feel a headache iing.

    ~Sigh~

    ''Seems like the Inanis family might have been far too much focused on military might than the financial power¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He had read the history of the Inanis family and knew that most of theirnd was bestowed upon them by the King. But he had not known that in the many years they had existed, it nerves urred to them to start their own businesses.

    If they had their businesses, even if something like the current situation with Viscount Drew happened, they would still be able to manage by depending on their own coffers. Lucius now wondered if there was some deeper conspiracy to this than was being shown.

    In the library, he went to a different section which he had checked yet. This was the section that included books about the economics of the kingdom and also the Land Of Etara.

    Lucius''s aim was to find a resource that existed in their territory that was not being utilized properly. He knew that it was no longer possible to set up a tertiary kind of business and he would have to depend on something on the lines of production and processing.

    There was still time till the daily sword practice and Lucius decided to spend this in reading up on as many books as he could about this topic. And while he was reading them, his eyes settled on one thing that was quite profitable in his past world, too.

    "Wine¡­"

 Chapter 61 - Wine And A Few Grains Of Epiphany

    Alcohol had always been a substance that has entranced mankind. It has been brewed since ancient times and even animals were not averse to it, feeding on rotten fruits to gain the same effect.

    Lucius had seen the dietary habits here and knew most people drank wine, along with their meals. He had also seen the servants eat and even they drank wine with it, unlike something like beer.

    Lucius read more and realized that beer production, or rather any alcohol that was made from grains, was not produced in the region. What little amounts dide here was from the other regions.

    ''Is the grain production really this low here?'' Lucius wondered.

    He searched this up and discovered his guess was indeed true. While the soil in the territory was decent for growing fruits and vegetables, the amount of grains that grew here were less rtive to them.

    The meager amount that was produced was only enough to feed the people of the territory, but not enough to stockpile as surplus. There were even times when the territory had to import grain from othernds.

    The chief grain that grew here was wheat with a few coarse millets that were mostly used as animal feed. Though poor peasants still ate it sometimes. Another thing that caught Lucius''s eyes was the type of wheat that grew here.

    It was especially mentioned that the wheat that grew in thend of Etara was of a tougher variety and was harder than other types that grew outside the territory. It was now that an idea suddenly stuck Lucius.

    "Can it be?¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    "NO! I need to see it for myself." Lucius said out loud.

    Kiana was startled by this and looked in shock.

    "What''s the problem, Asher?" She questioned.

    "Quickly, take me to the kitchens. I need to check something." Lucius said.

    "O-okay, but why?" Kiana said, as she opened the door of the library.

    "I''ll exin to youter," Lucius said before rushing out.

    Kiana took him through the many corridors before they finally reached the kitchen of the mansion. The kitchen was rather big and was able to handle the food production of a thousand people easily. But right now it only fed a couple hundred, which included the guards and the servants of the Inanis family.

    Lucius saw therge ovens that were built in the walls themselves and the sacks of grains that were kept near it. The servants who were working in the kitchen were also a bit surprised upon seeing him and wondered what their young lord was doing here.

    "Do you need food, my lord?" A woman who was wearing a long apron covered with stains asked.

    Lucius paid her no attention for now and just went to the sacks of grains and opened one of them, finding wheat seeds lying in it. Lucius narrowed his eyes upon seeing them and picked up a single grain from it.

    He looked at it closely and could see the faint Grey specks that were present in its normal wheatish brown color. He then looked at a floured pan on one of the counters and saw that its color was also a bit different from normal flour.

    Finally he grabbed a few seeds of the wheat and put them in his mouth, chewing them.

    "Y-young lord! Why¡­" The cooks and the servants were confused by the actions of Asher and did not know why he was behaving like this.

    ''Why is he eating raw wheat? If he wants food, he can just tell us.'' They all thought.

    Asher though, was thinking somethingpletely different. As soon as he chewed the wheat seeds a few times, he realized his wild thought was true.

    "Its¡­ stone wheat¡­ but how¡­ in this world too?" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Lucius''s mind went to his past world''s memories. It wasn''t of any significance to him back then, and it was just some interesting fact that he had learned.

    In the world of Revelia, the various powers would often go on expeditions to the other nes and worlds that they discovered. Whenever the coordinates were discovered and they were considered to be stable, the first priority of every power was to check it out.

    Lucius himself had been part of a couple of such expeditions, but it wasn''t to any significant worlds. They were just some minor nes that had been discovered by the Barrom n that were said to contain some useful herbs and nts.

    It even had a native poption of humanoid creatures living which looked quite simr to humans. These creatures were surprisingly weing to the people who came for the expedition and even went back with themter on.

    They became one of the many races that joined the world of Revelia. But it was not those creatures that Lucius was thinking of, but rather their food. These creatures also did agriculture and grew grains.

    One of these very grains was none other than the stone wheat that Lucius ate. For him, this discovery was massive as it added another link between his old world and this world.

    Lucius''s brain started firing and he quickly analyzed the possible reasons behind the existence of this grain.

    ''That ne was not the only one where the stone wheat was found, if I remember correctly. Even the Tharian theocracy found a few small worlds that had the presence of the same type of wheat.

    Even this information was only revealed to the world, including the Barrom n, because it was deemed to be of little importance. Considering this, there is a great chance stone wheat is a type of multi-world nt species.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius finally came to the conclusion that even if his old world and this world were not directly connected, there was probably another world that formed amon link between those two.

    Otherwise, there was no way the stone wheat would propagate to different worlds. But after all this was done, Lucius suddenly smiled.

    "This will work... It will need time and nning¡­ but it will work¡­ I''ll make sure of it."

 Chapter 62 - Confused Servants And Ambition

    The day was quite strange for the servants of the Inanis family. First, the count seemed to have been upset about something and then their young lord Asher suddenly rushed into the kitchen before eating raw wheat.

    Then after that, he started smiling weirdly and asked for them to show all the fruits that they had in the kitchen. Not knowing what to think of all this, they did what they were supposed to do. Serve their young lord.

    Multiple fruits were kept on the table in front of Lucius, who was looking at them intently. He could recognize most of them, but there were a few that he had yet to see. Most of the time he only saw them during meal times and had eaten them. As for the ones that he did not see, the reason for that was¡­ the Count and countess didn''t like them.

    Two of such fruits were called Liben fruit and Caron fruit. The Liben looked simr to a deformed apple and was much tter. It had an uneven red color and its interior was the same as its outside.

    On the other hand, Caron was a long fruit that looked simr to a cucumber, but its interior was a pale white simile to a pear.

    Seeing all the fruits, Lucius tasted them one by one, finding that the ones that the Count and countess didn''t like were the more nder fruits. The Liben and Caron came into this category. The Caron was even a bit bitter, which was why a lot of people didn''t like it.

    "Which of these fruits grow in our territory?" Lucius questioned.

    The servants then pointed to about five fruits that grew in the territory of the Inanis family, which include Jezens and Caron. Lucius had an intrigued expression on his face upon hearing this and asked a few more questions to the servants.

    Since a lot of servants were also peasants before or knew about agriculture a bit, they could answer Lucius''s questions very well. In fact, Lucius thought that it may be much better if he asked these servants questions rted to daily matters.

    Lucius learned quite a lot of things from the servants. He learned which fruits were expensive and which were cheap, which grew inrge quantities and which were scant. After listening to all of them, he made up a few ns.

    ''Hmm¡­ while I can make wine with nearly any fruits I need to prioritize the source. For this Jezens and Caron seem like the best choice. Though¡­ Jezens are already used to make wine so they would already have a set price.'' Lucius analyzed.

    Lucius''s interest was mainly trained on the two fruits Jezens and Carons. Both were native to the region and grew well. But in the end, he couldn''t help but think about the Carons. While the fruit was mostly nd with a slight bitterness, he could tell that it was due to the starch in it.

    ''Carons seem like a good choice for making wine if I can get the process right. With the right method, the starch should be converted into sweet sugars and the bitterness should entuate the overall taste. Though¡­ I''ll need the proper kind of yeast as well.'' Lucius thought.

    Minutes passed by like this, and now it was time for Lucius''s swordsmanship lessons with lieutenant John. Before leaving for them, though, he left the servants with a few orders. He told them to prepare an empty room for him, along with some equipment.

    Lucius had already gotten the money he needed beforehand and gave the servants whatever they needed to buy the equipment, if they didn''t have that here. Lucius had mainly asked for brewing equipment used for making wine, along with a few other things.

    After the lesson was done, Lucius took a bath and ate an early dinner before retiring to his room.

    ~huu~

    "Things are really piling up now, aren''t they? ~Sigh~ being powerless like this is really frustrated even after all this time, I''m not used to it." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He then calmed himself down before entering the empty space where his soul was. Checking its condition onest time, Lucius began his attempts to form the hell imprint. He went through hundreds of coordinates but had no sess.

    Eventuate he was exhausted and went to sleep. The next day went the same for him, and the servants had yet to get all the things he had asked for. Some of the equipment even needed to be custom made because it was not sold so often. After all, it was not every day that someone bought brewing equipment.

    Another day passed and Lucius was informed in the morning that everything was finally here.

    "Are you really going to make wine now? I thought you were interested in artifacts." Kiana asked with curiosity, seeing all the things that Lucius had gotten.

    "Yes. While I am interested in artifacts, I would not be able to study them much if we don''t have the necessary finances for themter on. Our situation will be getting quiteplex from what I''ve learned till now." Lucius replied.

    "So¡­ you''re going to sell wine to solve that?" Kiana questioned with apprehension.

    "Not just wine, but high quality wine. Something that the nobles have probably never seen till now." Lucius responded.

    Kiana couldn''t help but feel a bit strange at this. From what she knew, making wine was easy but making high quality wine that the nobles liked was hard. It took years of expertise to make it, but here Asher was iming he could do so on his own.

    Still, she did not deny him as what he was doing was for the benefit of the Inanis family. She would never ridicule him for this. Another thing was, she liked the changes in Asher. He was much more proactive now¡­ well, he was proactive before too, but now he did not have the same recklessness with which he rushed into the battlefield.

    "If this works, I''ll make our family the richest in the entire kingdom¡­" Lucius said with a devilish smile.

 Chapter 63 - An Incomplete Hell Imprint?

    About five days had passed since Lucius had started his new venture of winemaking. He had made significant progress and hade to the conclusion that his choice of using Caron fruits for making wine was correct.

    These five days were enough for him to see some initial sess, and he had obtained the very first batch of crude wine. He had made about six batches, all with different types of yeast that he had gathered.

    Some of them were used for making dough, some were natural yeasts found on the fruits, while some were the brewer''s yeast that the other wine makers used. He had done this on a whim, but his broad test had given him surprising results.

    Instead of the brewer''s yeast which was made for wine, Lucius got better results with the baker''s yeast. Though he realized that this could have been due to the high starch content of the Caron fruit, which went well with the baker''s yeast.

    But this was not enough and was only the start. Lucius had tasted the crude wine that had been made and it was safe to say it was¡­ disgusting.

    The bitter taste of Caron fruits, along with the added bitterness of the alcohol, only made it vile. The first time Lucius had tasted it, he had almost vomited. Thus he had begun the first refinement process and had filtered it as much he could.

    ~drip~drip~drip~

    Drops of wine finally stoppeding out of the long vertical filter that Lucius had made and filled the cup to the brim.

    "Try and tell me what it feels like," Lucius said to Kiana.

    "You sure this is fine? It''s not gonna poison me, right?" Kiana asked, with hesitation.

    She had tasted the previous concoction, and it was definitely repulsive to her.

    "While it is not perfect, it will be better than before." Lucius lied casually.

    He himself had no idea of how it would taste and hence Kiana was the best test subject for him right now. At least he was sure the alcohol in the wine was ethanol and not methanol which would have probably made Kiana blind.

    Taking hold of the cup, Kiana carefully brought it to her lips before taking a sip. At first, she raised her brows in surprise and then a frown appeared on her face, which soon turned to a face of disgust.

    Still, she forcefully swallowed the wine and did not drink the rest of it. cing the cup back down on the table, she took deep breaths.

    ~huu~

    "That is¡­ still bad. Though it is less bad than before." Kiana stated.

    Lucius nodded his head and then picked up the cup before taking a sip himself. Now that his test subject was safe, he was gonna try and see it himself. After all, he had to judge it by his standards.

    ~sip~

    The sour and bitter taste of the wine spread in his mouth, which soon turned to a faint burning sensation. Lucius swallowed it quickly and felt the warmth traveling down his throat and finally into his belly.

    "Oh? The alcohol content is actually higher than normal wine¡­ not to mention it got ready much faster than normal wine." Lucius muttered to himself in realization.

    This discovery managed to almost suppress the disgust he felt from the wine.

    "Now I know where to improve¡­ the early filtration should help reduce the feel of the wine and maybe heating the pulp before starting the fermentation should help reduce the bitterness that is naturally present in it." Lucius murmured, much to Kiana''s amazement.

    She had no idea where Asher was getting all these ideas, and she could only attribute it all to him spending all his time in books and learning.

    "You should head to the dining hall, it''s almost time for dinner." Kiana said.

    "Mmm¡­ I''ll just finish a few minor adjustments," Lucius said before getting to work again.

    About fifteen minutester, he was done and went to the dining hall. In there, he saw Lita already sitting at the table. Though Count Gabriel was still missing. Taking his regr seat, Lucius looked at Lita.

    "Is father noting today?" Lucius questioned.

    "No," Lita shook her head. "We have gotten reports of bandits appearing in the territory today and your father has gone to the army barracks to check up." She answered.

    Lucius raised his brows upon hearing this and asked, "Bandits? In which location?"

    "North-Eastern part of the territory. About two hundred kilometers from here." Lita answered.

    "That distance¡­ Viscount Drew''s territory?" Lucius recognized.

    "No¡­ well it''s a buffer zone where our personal territory and Viscount Drew''s territory meet. Though officially his territory doesn''t start for fifty kilometers more from there." Lita stated.

    "Isn''t this a rather strange time for the bandits to appear? We are undergoing a territorial change and the guard patrols have increased in that part as well. Why would they do such activities now?" Lucius asked.

    "We have no idea. That is the reason why your father has gone to see if there is more information about it." Lita spoke.

    Lucius nodded his head but noted this fact in his mind. The food was soon brought to them and they quickly ate dinner before Lucius returned to his Lab-cum-brewery. He did a little more work on them before feeling satisfied and then returned to his daily search for the perfect coordinates with which he could make the hell imprint.

    ~huu~

    Lucius took a deep breath and appeared in the empty space where his soul was. Looking at his soul, one could see that there was a minor difference. Right where his heart was supposed to be, a faint crimson dot was present.

    Lucius focused for a bit, and a wisp of energy surrounded his body. This energy hade from that crimson dot that was on the left side of his chest and floated around his soul.

    "It worked for this one, but it''s useless¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    That crimson dot was actually a hell imprint that Lucius had managed to create somehow. Yet, it was not a proper hell imprint and probably belonged to some copsed and deteriorated hell dimension.

    The wisp of demonic energy came to float over the palm of Lucius''s palm and hovered. He clenched his hand, and the demonic energy was sucked into his soul.

 Chapter 64 - Vicious Bandits And The Rune Crystals Arrival

    "Ssss¡­" Lucius gasped in pain for a few seconds before rxing.

    "Even dissipating it is painful¡­ no doubt it''s from a copsed hell dimension," Lucius said.

    He could have said to be both lucky and unlucky as yesterday he had managed to randomly form this hell imprint. s, it was from a copse hell dimension which meant that it couldn''t really be used and even the demonic energy released from it was impure.

    Lucius could not have let it exist in the world, as it would have only brought trouble to him and thus chose to dispel it back. But that was simply not enough for him as he needed to dispel the current hell imprint that he had on his body.

    "Argh!" Lucius yelled in pain as he ced his hand over the left side of his chest where the hell imprint was.

    He pressed upon it, making the mark disfigure and eventually fading away.

    ~haa~haa~haa~

    Lucius took tired breaths as he reeled from the fatigue. He left the empty space and returned to the real world, opening his eyes that were now bloodshot due to the pain.

    ''I''ll just continue and see if I can find a better coordinate. Though the presence of that one can be both good or bad.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Too tired from this, he just decided to sleep for now and recover. Putting his body under undue strain was in no way good for him.

    ***

    Morning soon came and Lucius had woken upte as a few knocks were heard on the bedroom door.

    Lucius opened his eyes in response to the sound and rubbed them.

    "Come in¡­" He spoke in a low voice.

    Kiana walked in and saw the tired looking Lucius.

    "Do you not feel well?" She asked with concern.

    "I''m fine, it''ll just take me a little bit more to get sorted out," Lucius said before standing up to wash his face in the basin.

    "Oh yeah, a letter came from Gellor." Kiana suddenly said.

    Lucius who was midway to cleaning his teeth with salt, stopped and looked at Kiana.

    "What does it say?" he asked.

    "They are done with the job and areing back soon. Though they did sustain some injuries, so may be a bit slow. But if everything goes right, they will be here by tomorrow." Kiana said.

    "That''s good. They''re early too, aren''t they?" Lucius asked.

    "Indeed. I think they managed to get good weather which should have made their journey easier for them." Kiana replied.

    Feeling content at this pleasing news,pared tost night''s disappointment, Lucius felt his sleepiness fade away. Quickly changing into his clothes, he went to his daily routine.

    Though when it was lunch time, he got some shocking news at the dining table.

    "Thirty soldiers have been killed and among them, two of them even had rare ranked gifts." Lita read from the letter that had just arrived.

    Her forehead was covered in lines and one could tell that she was greatly concerned by this.

    "Those bandits are really going overboard now, aren''t they?" Lucius said with a frown.

    ~Sigh~

    "The troubles just keep on piling up. We''ve already had to cut our expenses since the trade is already slowing down. We have managed to handle the daily essentials for the city for about a month, but if it extends beyond that we will need to use our saved wealth." Lita said in a sad tone.

    Lucius did not feel good about this either as the loss of his family was a loss for him. It was HIS money that was being stolen this way, and it was not something he tolerated.

    The rest of his day passed in thinking about this and soon it was nighttime. He didn''t have any sess today either, and simply expended his remaining energy on it before sleeping. Though when the morning came, it was exciting for Lucius.

    ~Neigh~

    The sound of horses neighing could be heard, which prompted Lucius to take a look outside his window. There he saw a carriage leaving from the mansion''s ground. He couldn''t tell who that belonged to as there were no identification marks on it and it saws just a generic carriage anyone could hire.

    He quickly got dressed and went down to the main hall, where Kiana was standing, along with a couple of servants who were carrying a box.

    "What''s this?" Lucius questioned.

    "The Rune crystals of the Rock Bees¡­ they have finally arrived." Kiana said with a smile.

    A grin appeared on Lucius''s face as well, and he couldn''t wait to check them. He quickly asked the servants to bring the box to hisb and dismissed them.

    "So that carriage was Gellor and the rest I assume?" Lucius asked while he took out the nails from the box that were keeping it shut.

    "Indeed, I gave him the payment," Kiana answered.

    "Why did he leave so fast, though?" Lucius questioned.

    "Two of hispanions, Ariana and Barty, are injured and thus he wants to let them rest first. But to do that he would need payment and thus he came here first." Kiana exined.

    "Ah, I see¡­"

    ~creek~

    With that, the final nail was pulled out from the box and Lucius lifted the lid. The inside of the box was filled with straw, which Lucius quickly removed to reveal the five dull grey rune crystals of the rock bees.

    He picked up one of them and looked at it closely, particrly at the unique pattern that was imprinted on the rune crystal. This pattern was the ''Rune'' of the rune crystal and was used to identify what the rune crystal was and which beast it belonged to.

    "Perfect¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "Now then Kiana¡­ Would you like to help solve the problem of bandits and take revenge for our selfless soldiers who gave their lives?" Lucius asked with a grin.

    "If the bandits dared to kill our soldiers, then they should be ready to pay the price. If I can get revenge for them, I will happily oblige." Kiana said, with a hint of fierceness in her eyes not questioning why Lucius had said this.

    "Excellent¡­" Lucius said as he opened a drawer that contained certain materials.

 Chapter 65 - Method Of Evolving The Gift

    Two different types of objects were kept in the drawer that Lucius had just opened.

    First was a single chunk of rock, which was about the size of a palm. This was nothing but the Trivonite ore. He had procured this during the past five days and had gotten about a kilogram of it.

    Though he only needed 500 grams from this. Thankfully breaking it was simply as the ore itself was brittlepared to the pure version of the metal. The next item that he had there was the Aether crystals. There were fifteen of them, each perfectly lined up.

    "The requirements are finallyplete¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Kiana watched the items and felt a bit confused.

    "What are you going to do with these things?" Kiana asked.

    "Well, since we are going to take care of the bandits, we need strength. Since those bandits were able to kill arge group of soldiers, including two with rare ranked gifts, we would definitely need a higher power.

    And for that, we are going to evolve your gift." Lucius revealed.

    Kiana''s eyes went wide upon hearing this, and she didn''t know what to think of it.

    "What do you mean, evolve my gift?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, you know how the priests of na can grow the power of their gift as they get promoted, right? It is the same thing, except you are not getting it from a god." Lucius answered.

    "How... How is that even possible? Or rather¡­ why do you know this? HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?" Kiana shot off a string of questions.

    Lucius suddenly held the shoulders of Kiana and looked deep into her eyes.

    "Kiana¡­" He whispered.

    "Y-yes¡­?" Kiana responded, feeling unnerved.

    "Do you have faith in me? Do you trust me?" Lucius questioned.

    "YES, I will always believe in you, Asher." Kiana said hurriedly.

    "Then can you trust me this time too and see the results?" Lucius replied.

    Kiana could see a different look in Lucius''s eyes and felt safe. Knowing that this was someone she would never doubt, she nodded her head.

    "Alright. Show me what we are going to do." Kiana answered.

    Lucius turned around and took out all the materials, before using his gift nexus. The list of items needed for the evolution of Kiana''s gift appeared in front of him again.

    ''Hmm¡­ the method of evolution is still missing¡­ which means, more aether.'' Lucius thought before willing it.

    Aether rapidly started to drain from his body and new information appeared in his mind. Little by little it kept increasing and by the time he was done using up all his aether, he finally had the entire method of evolving the gift.

    Lucius opened his eyes, that flickered with glee as he looked at Kiana.

    "Such a method¡­ didn''t expect more simrities," Lucius muttered to himself.

    Lucius took out a sheet of silk that he spread on the work table. Then at the center of the sheet, he ced half of the Trivonite ore which he had prepared. Then he took the Rune crystals of the rock bees and ced them at five equidistant points surrounding the ore.

    Lucius picked up the Aether crystals and one by one, arranged them around each of the rune crystals. Every rune crystal had three aether crystals ced around them in a triangr formation with the tips pointed outward.

    "Your hand Kiana," Lucius spoke.

    Kiana extended her hand apprehensively, which Lucius took and lightly pricked with a needle. Kiana didn''t even flinch at this, and neither did she question why he did this. At this point, her faith in Lucius was very high.

    Lucius then ced her hand on the Trivonite Ore before letting go.

    "Activate your gift now," Lucius said.

    "Activate it? But how can I activate it when I have my hand here?" Kiana questioned.

    "You don''t have to summon your ''stones'' just do what you do when you are just about to activate your gift," Lucius instructed.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    Kiana swallowed her saliva, feeling a bit nervous, and nodded her head. She closed her eyes and did as she was told.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The moment she did that, the fifteen aether crystals all lit up and started to move around the rune crystals of the rock bees. Lucius closely watched it as this was the first time he was attempting something like this.

    It had taken him over a month of preparation, but he had finally reached this point. The only doubt that was left in his mind was whether this would be a sess or not. While he had Nexus, he still didn''t know its actual capabilities.

    For all he knew, the information provided by it could be wrong and he would just be in the blind.

    The rune crystals started to glow as well, and Lucius could see that the ''Rune'' on them seemed to havee alive. It flickered and moved around inside the crystal.

    <em>~shatter~</em>

    This processsted for about three minutes, after which the Aether crystals shattered, turning into dust. Kiana heard the noise and opened her eyes seeing the shocking scene.

    "Don''t move! Just let it happen." Lucius warned.

    Kiana lightly hummed in response, afraid that nodding may be problematic. The Rune crystals, which seemed to havee alive all let out a stream of energy from them. This energy traveled into the ore on which Kiana''s hand was ced and started to change it.

    Soon, the ore started to reduce in size, and the rocky part of it disappeared. What was left behind was the part which was mostly metal.

    The entire thing took ten minutes before the ore had been reduced to pure Trivonite. Lucius felt amazed by this and wondered about the principles behind it. Though once the ore had been fully converted to metal, the rune crystal hadpletely faded away, as if ice into steam.

    <em>~Ah!~ </em>

    Kiana suddenly grunted in pain as she felt something hot prick her hand. Even when she was pricked by Lucius, she hadn''t let out a sound, but now she did due to the high level of pain.

    "Wh-what''s happening?" Kiana couldn''t help but say, as she felt something stirring in her body.

 Chapter 66 - Sting Sniper

    Kiana suddenly felt as if her body was starting to disappear. A few secondster, she lost her sense of control and her vision went dark. By the time her vision came back, she found herself in Asher''s arms.

    "W-what happened?" Kiana asked, feeling fatigued.

    "You passed out." Lucius spoke with a calm look.

    "I did?" Kiana said, as she looked at her body.

    "Yes, though you should be fine. You don''t have any injuries." Lucius replied.

    "How long was I out for?" Kiana questioned.

    For her, it was as if only a few seconds that had passed, but from looking at the window she could tell the angle of sunlight had changed.

    "It''s been a little over an hour," Lucius answered.

    "An hour¡­ that was unexpected," Kiana spoke.

    "Indeed. Though, you should be able to test out your new gift." Lucius said with a smile.

    "Oh yeah. Wait! What''s my new gift?" Kiana asked.

    "Well, you should know that yourself, shouldn''t you?" Lucius stated.

    Kiana realized that her mind was still a bit dazed, and she needed a bit more rest. She had forgotten such an obvious fact. She rxed for a few minutes before she felt her strength return.

    Lucius though, was recalling all that had happened an hour ago. When Kiana ced her hand on the ore that was transformed into pure metal, it pierced her hand and traveled inside her body.

    Lucius could then see a few symbols appearing over Kiana''s chest that was the same as that of the rune of the rock bee. There was another symbol which Lucius had not seen but he reckoned it was that of Kiana''s own gift ''stone shooter''.

    The two symbols merged together before forming into a new symbol. Lucius reckoned he would be able to tell what her new gift was, but he was already out of Aether and he didn''t have any Aether crystal to restore his Aether either.

    Not that he would do that, as he had already spent quite a lot on them and would prefer to restore it himself naturally. After that, the symbol reentered Kiana''s body and that was the moment she fell unconscious.

    He didn''t know the reason behind it but assumed it to be her body adapting to the new gift. Or it could have also been the exhaustion caused due to the rapid drain of Aether. Lucius had already be used to the drain of his Aether, as he would use it daily.

    In these past days, he had learned of many gifts of the people around him. Though they were mostly servants and guards of the mansion. About ny five percent of them had gifts that were ofmon or umon rank, while only a couple of them were of rare rank.

    Of those that he saw had rare rank gifts were two guards and his own mother Lita. Lucius was rather surprised upon seeing what the gift of Lita was, as he had never asked her before.

    Countess Lita had a gift called ''Poet''s Gaze''.

    The gift was a mental type gift that allowed her to make poetry out of words of things that she observed. It was not really a practical gift and was mostly useful for artistic purposes, even though its rank was rare.

    That was probably the reason why Lucius never saw her using her gift or mentioning it, as it was quite peculiar. He didn''t even know if she used the gift or not, as he had not seen her do poetry before, either.

    Though seeing a rtively ''useless'' gift as this raised a question in Lucius''s mind. What would happen if gifts such as these were further evolved? Lucius had already seen the requirements needed for the evolution of Lita''s gift, but hadn''t put it as a priority yet.

    Besides, it needed ingredients that were not even found in this kingdom.

    Lucius looked at Kiana and waited for her to feel better.

    "I think I''m good now." Kiana spoke.

    "You sure?" Lucius asked with concern, which made Kiana smile.

    "Yes, don''t worry." Kiana said, as she stood up from the chair.

    "So then, can you tell what your new gift is yet?" Lucius asked.

    "Give me a moment." Kiana said, before closing her eyes and raising her hand.

    A thin circle that seemed to be metallic in nature appeared on Kiana''s palm before a needle floated out of it. The needle was in and looked like anymon needle, but Lucius knew there was more to it than just that.

    Before Kiana was able to make small stones that she could shoot out at a great speed, that were like bullets. They were already quite deadly and he assumed it would only get better from that.

    "I know it now." Kiana said with a smile.

    She felt content upon learning about her new gift. The information about it had directly appeared in her mind, just like when she first had her awakening. It just took a little effort on her part to make that information appear.

    But that was not all, as she also learned her gift had changed from a rare ranked gift into an Epic ranked gift.

    "Don''t leave me hanging, tell me what it is." Lucius urged.

    "My gift is an Epic ranked gift called Sting Sniper. I can shoot out small projectiles that I can freely shape as I want and whenever they hit something they will have a petrifying effect on a small area." Kiana said.

    "Does it work on everything? Or only living creatures?" Lucius asked with concern.

    There was a massive difference between the two effects. If it only worked on living creatures it was still fine, but if it could turn other things to stone as well, then that would be utterly terrifying.

    Lucius could imagine it hitting water and turning it into solid stone, or hitting an iron sword, turning it into stone and shattering it. The applications would be endless.

    "I¡­ I don''t know that." Kiana replied.

    "Hmm¡­ well then, I guess it''s time to test it out," Lucius stated with a grin.

 Chapter 67 - Testing Kianas New Gift

    Lucius and Kiana headed to the training area, as it had everything they would need to test out her new gift. There were plenty of practice dummies along with targets for archery practice, which they could use.

    They came to stand in front of one such practice dummy and started.

    "Alright, use it on the dummy and see how it goes." Lucius spoke.

    Kiana nodded her head and extended her hand towards the dummy.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    A needle formed from her palm and then shot out at a great speed. Lucius could barely see it due to being small and fast. The color of the needle was also silver, which made it a bit noticeable as light would flicker of it. If the color was changed, it could be a very good sneak attack.

    The needle hit the practice dummy and got embed in it instantly. Lucius and Kiana walked to check the damage and saw that the needle was pierced about three-quarters of the way in.

    One had to know that the dummy was made out of wood that was tough enough to withstand attacks from strengthening gifts. But even then, the needle had been able to piece that far into it. This showed the strength of the gift, which was already quite good.

    ''Even without the petrifying effect, this will still be lethal to most people.'' Lucius thought.

    But looking at the surface of the dummy, they couldn''t see any petrifying effect, which meant that it wouldn''t work on inanimate objects like these.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Should have expected this¡­" Lucius muttered to himself before looking at Kiana.

    "Let''s try it on something living now." Lucius spoke.

    "Won''t that be dangerous? Using someone as a target." Kiana asked with concern.

    "It doesn''t have to be a human or an animal. I reckon nts should work as well." Lucius replied.

    "Alright, let''s try." Kiana said, and they left the training hall.

    They didn''t have to walk far, as there were plenty of nts and trees in the mansion''s area. Finding a tree nearby, Kiana got ready to use her gift.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Unlike before, a peculiar thud could be heard as the needle got stuck in the bark. Even from this distance, they could see the change happening.

    "Look! It works!" Kiana said with excitement.

    Lucius nodded and got closer to see the effect better. On the bark of the tree, a radius of about three centimeters around the needle was petrified. It was transformed into a stonyyer and when Lucius tried to touch it, he found it to be hard.

    "How''s the drain on your Aether?" he questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ it''s higher than before, though it seems to be manageable." Kiana answered.

    "By higher than before do you mean the attempt on the dummy, or when you had your old gift." Lucius questioned.

    "Oh, I mean the attempt on the dummy. If Ipare it to my old gift, the consumption is slightly more than it. Though the speed and power are greatly increased from what I saw." Kiana replied.

    "How many times were you able to use your old gift before you ran out of Aether?" Lucius asked, wanting to get a rough estimate.

    "Hmm¡­ it varied, but it was usually 250 to 300 uses." Kiana replied after thinking for a couple of seconds.

    "I see¡­ we need more tests," Lucius said before getting Kiana to use her gift again.

    They kept on doing it till all of Kiana''s Aether stores were depleted.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Kiana took a tired breath as she sat down on the ground.

    "Haven''t exhausted my Aether like this in a long time." Kiana said.

    "I''ve read it''s good to do that. It increases your overall stores with each depletion. This will be beneficial since your gift needs more Aether." Lucius stated.

    Kiana had been able to shoot about 173 needles before all her Aether was drained. This number was when she used the petrification effect of the needle, but if she didn''t use that Lucius reckoned that she would be able to use the skill at least 200 times before exhausting herself.

    "This should be enough for now. Tomorrow we''ll test again and see what other effects your gift has and the limitations. It is best if we know more about your gift before we go hunt down the bandits." Lucius spoke.

    "As you suggest," Kiana said before going to rest for a bit more.

    Lucius though, waited there as it was nearly time for his daily swordsmanship lessons anyway. Soon John came and began the lessons. Though he saw that Lucius was a bit more sluggish today.

    "Are you feeling fine?" John asked with concern.

    "Yes, I''m fine. Just spent some extra time working earlier. I''ll be better tomorrow." Lucius replied.

    "Alright, if you say so." John said.

    They continued the practice for two hours before John said it was enough for today. Once they were done, though, an idea appeared to Lucius.

    "Lieutenant John, can I ask you a request?" Lucius spoke.

    "A request? Sure, though it will depend if it''s within my capabilities." John replied.

    "Yes, it should be definitely be possible for you. What I want is for you to apany me and Kiana in a mission." Lucius said.

    "What kind of a mission and where?" John asked, feeling apprehensive.

    "The mission is to¡­ hunt down some bandits who recently attacked the soldiers of our territory." Lucius revealed.

    "Wait! You want to go and kill those bandits that the Count talked about?" John asked for confirmation.

    "Yes, I''d like to take care of them, as they''re an extra thorn in our life. The territory is already strained as it is due to the Viscount leaving and the trade falling. Also, I would like to get some actual experience fighting bandits. After all, I can''t just stay home all the time." Lucius said.

    John did not answer straight away and thought for a few minutes. If he was honest to himself, he wanted to kill the bandits too when he heard about this. He was a soldier too, and this would actually be his duty had it not been for him teaching Lucius.

 Chapter 68 - Johns Opinion

    After having a long and hard think John spoke again.

    "It can be done, but I don''t know if you should be going out yet, Asher." John said and saw that Asher was about to speak.

    "But¡­ if you take more guards with you and stay away from the site, it would be fine¡­ Hopefully." John added.

    "Of course, lieutenant John. I am not reckless enough to go unprepared. There is something I would like to show you tomorrow that I think should be enough to confirm your doubts." Lucius replied.

    "Hmmm, if you say so. We shall see." John replied.

    He then went back to his house, and Lucius went to take a bath as well. He soaked his tired body in the pool of hot water and felt at ease.

    "The recovery of Aether has certainly gotten a few percent faster." Lucius realized.

    He closed his eyes and sensed that he probably had enough Aether right now to use it once on an umon gift and reveal its name, or once on amon gift and reveal more bits of information.

    Lucius got up from the pool and dried his body before changing into fresh clothes that were brought to him by the servants. He walked out of the bath and directly went to the dining hall.

    Lucius didn''t want to let Lita and Gabriel know about this yet and wanted to do figure out everything before proceeding. That way he would have lesser chances of getting rejected and making a mistake.

    The rest of the night went by quickly and Lucius returned to his room for his nightly practice of forming a hell imprint.

    "What coordinates would be more appropriate for this world. I''ve been able to narrow down a few that can form iplete hell imprints and they are all copsed worlds. There''s got to be some connection between them and this world." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He closed his eyes and appeared in the empty space where his soul was. Taking a look at his soul and ensuring that everything was fine, Lucius got to work and spent a few hours attempting to make a hell imprint.

    With yet another unsessful night, Lucius went to sleep.

    The morning was rather hectic as Lucius had a lot of things he needed to do today. He first went to hisb and checked up on his brewing project, ensuring that everything was going well. He tasted the wine as well, finding it to be slightly better than before.

    "Hmm¡­ I should set up the new batch as well." Lucius spoke to himself before getting to work.

    He opened a barrel that was kept to the side and took out a few tens of Caron fruits from it. He then put them all in a metal pot before mashing them all with arge pestle. Caron fruits were not that hard and thus it was easy for Lucius to do this.

    Then he put the metal pot on a stove that had been prepared for him and let it heat up. He did this to reduce the bitterness of the Caron fruit.

    "This should help in sterilizing it too. The other bacteria should be gone too¡­ if they exist here." Lucius spoke to himself.

    Lucius was still a bit confused about the diseases in this world as he had not seen any information about viruses, bacterias and other pathogens. There was information about the diseases themselves, but not their direct cause.

    Most of them showed causes as generalized terms like cold, getting cut by rusted weapons, ws of beast, things like these. But the actual concrete cause was not shown, except for poisons. For some reason, there was a lot of information on poisons which greatly piqued Lucius''s interest.

    Lucius looked over the authors of the book and found out that they were all Gifted who had poison rted gifts. There were also books written by some priests of na which showed the effects and cures of someplex poisons.

    Lucius let the pot boil for about thirty minutes, after which he removed it and set it to ferment in a different container. He added water and yeast to it before closing it tightly and attaching an air lock.

    Lucius had made a better air lock than the ones they used in this world, which would provide a better seal. He fashioned the airlock out of a metal tube that was bent and some vinegar that he got.

    He would have proffered some pure alcohol as the fluid for it, but there was none avable. Thus the vinegar was the second best thing he could think of. Lucius would have used water too, but there was still a slight chance of it contaminating the batch.

    With all that done, Lucius left the room to go to the library. Quickly finishing up his lessons with master Kain, Lucius waited for Kiana in the dining hall.

    ''Strange, haven''t seen Kiana since yesterday. Did she go somewhere perhaps?'' Lucius wondered.

    Usually, Kiana would be there to greet him in the morning but he didn''t see her today which made him feel weird.

    "Have you seen Kiana anywhere today?" Lucius asked a servant who was standing nearby.

    "Miss Kiana has been out since morning. She went to the city to do certain tasks but we do not know what exactly." The servant answered.

    "I see¡­ did she say when she''s gonnae back?" Lucius questioned.

    "She should be here in a few minutes. She said she would return by lunch at thetest." The servant answered.

    <em>~creek~</em>

    And just as Lucius asked this, the door of the dining hall opened before Lita walked in with Kiana.

    "Where did you go?" Lucius questioned.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Had some things madam needed help with. So I went to the city to do them and madam joined me there a little while after." Kiana answered.

    "And what kind of tasks were these?" Lucius asked, feeling curious.

    "Well¡­ since the trade will be slowing down soon enough, we need to ensure the people know about it and are calmed down. If they are warned beforehand, they will be better equipped to act and won''t be as much of a problem." Lita was the one who answered this time.

 Chapter 69 - Approval?

    "That''s¡­ nice. I guess it helps in maintaining our image too." Lucius replied to Lita.

    "Of course, as the nobles of thisnd, it is our duty to take care of our people. Those who do not do such a basic duty are not worthy of being a noble." Lita said with pride.

    Lucius nodded his head and found her words to be reasonable. Even if he did not consider himself to be a ''good'' person, Lucius would not govern the people but taking all their ie in taxes or something like that.

    He knew the rules of wealth and understood it was better for everyone to prosper together for higher benefits than to rule in a solitary manner while exploiting the people. While exploitation would give him short-term gains, it was not sustainable.

    The two women sat down to eat while Lucius was busy with his thoughts. He too joined them but did not speak, choosing to spend his time in his mind.

    The servants soon took away all the empty tes and dishes before cleaning up the table. Lucius stood up from the table before speaking, "you ready for our task?"

    "Yes, I feel much better after eating." Kiana said with a nod, and left with Lucius.

    Lita looked at the two with a smile and chuckled while thinking of something.

    ***

    "Alright, we got a few things to test out before lieutenant Johnes." Lucius spoke.

    "John? Why are we waiting for him?" Kiana asked.

    "I asked him about our mission, or rather suggested he join it. With his help and guidance, I reckon we would be much safer. Though it all depends on if your gift is impressive enough for him." Lucius answered.

    "You told him about my new gift?" Kiana questioned.

    "No, not exactly. I simply told him to observe something interesting." Lucius answered.

    "Alright. Johning with us will only be beneficial since he has actual experience in fighting bandits. Plus, he''s a soldier too so he would be working properly there." Kiana justified.

    "Indeed. Though if he does agree we will also be taking a few more guards with us." Lucius said to which Kiana responded with a nod.

    Kiana got into her position, and they started their practical session.

    The very first lesson was to check the range of Kiana''s gift. Depending on the length, the value of the gift would greatly rise. Currently, Kiana was able to easily shoot a target urately that was over a hundred meters away.

    They kept on increasing the distance and eventually stopped at three hundred meters. At that point, the momentum of the needle greatly reduced such that it could not even prate the bark. This now showed that they needed to be at a distance of about two hundred meters or fewer in order for the gift to be urate.

    The next test they did was the duration of the effect. They already had a tree that was fully covered in a stonyyer by now and all they had to do was wait and see the effect. They decided to give it an hour during which they chose to do other tests.

    They then tested the versatility of the projectiles. Kiana had said that she could adjust the shape of the projectile and its size to a certain extent as well. Lucius wanted to see to what limit she could to modify the projectile.

    Kiana thus flipped her palm and her usual needle appeared there. The needle then started to increase in size until it reached the maximum size of a golf ball. No matter how much Kiana tried the projectile would stop at that point.

    The needle was already the smallest form of the projectile and they now wanted to check the shape of the objects. It took them thirty minutes toe to the conclusion that Kiana could make them into anything that was in her mind.

    Though the moreplex the shape, the more difficult it got to make and the higher the drain on Kiana was. Eventually an entire hour had passed and they went to check up on the effects of the gift.

    "Oh? The petrification is reducing." Lucius said.

    The Grey stony spots all condensed before fading away from the tree. It looked rather surreal to them and they felt amazed.

    "Seems like an hour is a safe limit for it." Lucius stated.

    Kiana nodded her head and then heard a voice calling her from the back.

    "Kiana, Asher? What are you two doing here?" John, who had just arrives asked.

    "Ah, lieutenant John! Perfect timing. We have the thing we talked about getting ready." Lucius spoke.

    He then looked at Kiana before speaking, "show John what your gift can do."

    John felt a bit confused at the actions of Asher but did not question them. Kiana though, extended her hand and shot out a flurry of needles. Looking at the needles, John was astounded.

    "Such power¡­ only an Epic Ranked Gift can heave such power." John muttered to himself.

    He did not fully believe that it was an Epic ranked gift as he knew Kiana had a rare ranked gift. But when he saw the effect of the needles on the trees, he was absolutely shocked.

    "Petrification? Isn''t that ability used by Rock bees?" John asked out loud.

    "Indeed senior." Asher confirmed.

    "Bu-but how?" John couldn''t help but ask. "Kiana''s gift was stone shooter which does not have this effect."

    "Let''s just say I figured out a method to ''enhance'' the gifts of the people. Though it takes a lot of time and effort." Lucius answered.

    Hearing his words, John nodded his head and understood such kind of a thing would not be cheap.

    "Well then, instructor John, do you reckon it would be possible for us to head on to the mission?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, with someone like Kiana that has an Epic ranked gift, it should be possible. And if we add more guards to it, things should get easier even more." John added.

    "Perfect," Lucius replied with a smile.

 Chapter 70 - Getting The Permissions

    About a day had passed since Lucius had made the n and had gotten John''s approval. John in turn had picked the people who would being with them.

    John though wanted to keep the party big, but Lucius managed to convince him otherwise. He didn''t want Kiana''s gift to be revealed to many people so quickly. While he had managed to upgrade her gift, he didn''t know if there would be any side effectster.

    So far now, he was taking it like a trial. Once he was sure that there were no untoward effects, he would be able to let others know it as well. Though he would not be letting the secret about how he could upgrade them out.

    At least not now¡­ he had other ns on capitalizing on that.

    After all, this was done, there was only one thing left- to speak with Count Gabriel and Lita about this.

    Gabriel had asked Lucius to stay in the city till he gave the permission thus it was going to be a necessary thing. And Lita was the same. She did not want him to get injured so quickly after recovering either.

    Thus Lucius spent the entire afternoon trying to convince Lita about his n. It took him a lot of effort before Lita gave her permission and sent a letter to Gabriel about it as well. It was actually lieutenant John who ended up bing the decisive factor.

    Had Lucius not chosen to take him with him, Lita would have evener allowed him. Plus John''s choice of taking more guards turned out to be helpful for that as well. Kiana who had seen all this was a bit impressed.

    She had not seen Asher being so persuasive before. He had gained a certain kind of a ''charm'' that he did not have before his injury. She couldn''t put her finger on it, but it was as if Asher was apletely new person.

    Lucius prepared for the mission while waiting for Count Gabriel''s reply. The Count was currently at one of the army bases of the kingdom that was based in the territory. There were some new reports about the Gisir Kingdom which he urgently needed to deal with.

    By the time it was dinner time, Gabriels'' reply hade and Lucius was ready with everything. Though upon reading the letter he was a bit surprised.

    "Oh? He wants me to bring that artifact sword with me?" Lucius read.

    He remembered the sword was currently kept in the Count''s study under lock and key. The letter mentioned that he would have to ask Lita for the key and that''s what he did.

    "Father has instructed me to take the sword which was gifted by the king when I go on the mission. Would you please give it to me?" Lucius asked.

    "He did? Hmm¡­ it does make sense as it will allow you to defend better. Alright, you can go to the study and take it yourself." Lita replied before taking out a small key from her pouch that was hidden in the seam of her dress.

    "Thank you, mother." Lucius replied before taking the key and leaving for the study.

    The study of the Count was located up on the second floor of the mansion and was ratherrge. The only strange thing was that it didn''t have any windows and thus was quite dark. Had it not been for themp which illuminated, it would have been impossible for Lucius to see anything.

    Lucius also noticed that themp in the study was a bigger version of the samemp he had in his bedroom. It was also an artifact. Lucius looked around for the safe and found it to be behind therge desk that had a bunch of documents and books kept on it.

    He took a casual look through them finding them to be rted to the territories finances and well-being.

    Lucius took out the key and slid it into the safe before turning it to unlock it.

    <em>~click~</em>

    With a click, the metal door opened and Lucius saw the sword kept in the safe. The safe was rather big on the inside than it looked from the outside. The sword wasn''t the only weapon that was kept in it either. There was another sword in it along with an Axe.

    Surprisingly it had no other things which would usually be kept in a safe. Though Lucius did realize if these were artifacts too then they would probably be worth a lot anyway. Possibly more than their weight in gold.

    This was another thing Lucius had discovered in recent times. The value of gold was actually much less if he considered the weight of the gold coins. Each coin weighed a little more than one gram and was rtively pliable which showed its purity.

    The sword which Lucius had decided to call the Wind Scar Sword, weighed about a kilogram and was light. But its cost was definitely way more than just a thousand gold coins.

    Even the rune crystals of Rock bees which Lucius got were worth over three thousand gold coins not to mention that they were lower ranked beasts than the Wind scar hawk. If he estimated the cost of the sword, Lucius would say that it was easily more than ten thousand gold coins if not more.

    Lucius picked up the sword and closed the safe before leaving the study and handing the key back to Lita.

    "Hmm¡­ I should do some practice with the sword before I actually leave for the mission. Wouldn''t be good if I mess up during a battle just because I didn''t know how to use it." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He went to the Training Hall and pulled the Wind Scar sword out of its sheath. The green gem gleamed under the light of the oilmps and the mirror like surface of the de reflected Lucius''s face and his dark blonde hair.

    "Time to test it out¡­"

 Chapter 71 - Gearing Up

    Lucius took a proper stance and held the sword in front of him. He felt the weight of the sword and the faint powering from the gem at the base of the de. He knew this was the Aether of the Rune crystal, and he could activate the gift using his own Aether as amand.

    Lucius first swung the sword without using the gift to get a hang of it and then decided to use the gift. Aether flowed out of his body and into the sword before reacting with the Aether of the Rune crystal.

    <em>~whoosh~</em>

    The green rune crystal gainly glowed before the sound of wind could be heard. An invisibleyer had surrounded the de of the sword but Lucius could tell it was there.

    "So this is what using an artifact feels like. It''s almost as if I have an additional gift." Lucius muttered.

    Using an artifact felt quite unique to Lucius and he understood why so many people wanted them. He then aimed the sword at the training dummy before shing at it from a distance.

    There was about a distance of five meters between him and the dummy, yet that was nothing to the sword.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    An invisible de of wind easily cut through the training dummy as if a hot knife through butter. The top half of the wooden dummy fell to the ground with a thud, leaving Lucius surprised.

    "This¡­ this is significantly better than I thought," Lucius said.

    When Gabriel had said that it could cut through a man with ease, Lucius had thought he meant a man without an armor. He could understand if it could cut through flesh with ease, but this time it was solid wood.

    If the sword''s wind de could cut through what was eight inches of solid wood, then it would easily be able to cut through metal armor that was a couple of millimeters thick. Lucius realized that he may have underestimated the power of the sword.

    "This wind de¡­ it''s even powerful than simr spells of my past life." Luciuspared.

    There were many magics that had a simr effect. They were wind magics that would use the wind to cut things or push them back. While they were also powerful, the mostmon version of those spells was in no wayparable to the power of this gift.

    Lucius tried out the sword and its gift a few more times before feeling content. He had fully exhausted the Aether of the Rune crystal and discovered that the sword could execute the gift about twelve times before it would need to recharge.

    There were of course, multiple ways to speed up this process. Lucius could pour his own Aether to recharge it, use an Aether Crystal or let someone else charge it for him. Though if he considered it during a battle, using his own Aether seemed like the choice, though he was unsure if it would even be enough to use the gift once.

    Lucius had sensed the Aether capacity of the Rune crystal faintly, and it was definitely many times than his.

    ''Carrying this sword is definitely worth it.'' Lucius thought.

    Nodding his head in appreciation, he went back to his bedroom to practice forming his hell imprint again. He had gotten a few more insights into it and realized that if he used the coordinates derived from the hell dimensions he had seen beforeing to this world, he had a better chance of forming one.

    Although a few of them that he had derived from them ended up being destroyed dimension. Lucius didn''t mind that though, as he knew he was getting close to a correct one.

    The next morning, he woke up early and got ready for the long journey ahead. The location they were going to was about two hundred kilometers from here and it would take them a day to reach there.

    While Lucius got ready, Kiana knocked on the door of his room.

    "I''m here." Kiana said.

    "Come in, I kept the door unlocked," Lucius replied.

    "Oh, you''re already prepared?" Kiana asked.

    Lucius nodded his head before turning to look at Kiana. She was wearing different clothes than her regr uniform. She looked much more like a mercenary right now than a maid. She wore a multiyered armor that was metal on the top and leather on the bottom.

    She also had a rapier hanging on her waist, along with a dagger on the other side of her waist. Her hair was also in a tight braid, making it so that it would not interfere while fighting.

    "You''re looking good." Lucius replied.

    Even though Kiana was in her early thirties, she looked much younger than that. One would not be able to tell that there was a difference between her and Lucius''s age. This thought made Lucius wonder what her age actually was.

    "Kiana, how old are you?" Lucius casually asked, much to the surprise of Kiana.

    "I''m thirty one." Kiana answered, feeling a bit shy.

    "Ah¡­ your eight years older than me. Though we look the same age." Lucius replied.

    Kiana felt a bit pleased with Lucius''s words, taking them as apliment.

    "Ah yes, I almost forgot. Your armor is ready as well. It just came from the cksmith." Kiana suddenly spoke.

    "My armor? Don''t we have a few in the armory?" Lucius asked.

    "This one is different. You are the Young Lord of the Land of Etara. You need an appropriate armor for that." Kiana said with a stern look.

    "Alright, I''ll get into it. Hopefully it isfortable¡­" Lucius said.

    The two of them went downstairs, where the servants were ready with the armor.

    "Here it is." Kiana presented the metal armor.

    "May we?" The servants asked for permission to put it on Asher.

    "Go ahead," Lucius replied.

    The chest armor consisted of multiple parts, with it being split in the front and back te. There were steel gauntlets that slid onto Lucius''s hands and a cape that hung from the back. The cape had the three tailed dragon on it, being the crest of the Inanis family.

    "You look dashing¡­" Lita who had just appeared praised.

 Chapter 72 - Embarking

    Lucius turned his eyes to Lita, who had just appeared.

    "Thank you, mother." Lucius replied.

    "You remind me of your father in his younger years. Though he was much more reckless back then," Lita said with a chuckle.

    She then turned to look at Kiana, who was standing at the side, and spoke, "Take care of him."

    "Yes, countess." Kiana said with a serious face.

    "Make sure you judge the situation well and don''t hesitate to retreat when it''s bad. You are the Young Lord of the Land of Etara. You have far too many things to do in the future." Lita stated with slightly moist eyes.

    "I''ll heed your advice, mother. Fear not, I shall not make a mistake." Lucius replied.

    "Mm," Lita hummed in response.

    "We should take our leave now. We have a long journey ahead." Lucius said, wanting to end the conversation.

    He knew what these kinds of partings could be, and it was better that they ended swiftly. Prolonging them was only a waste of time.

    "Alright, take care." Lita said before Lucius and Kiana left the mansion.

    A carriage was already waiting for them at the front, and John was also there. Along with him, six more people were waiting on horseback. These were the guards that John had selected for the mission.

    "My lord," the guards saluted.

    "Shall we depart?" John inquired.

    "Yes, let''s leave." Lucius replied and got into the carriage, which started to move.

    One of the guards had chosen to act as the driver while John would be leading at the front on horseback. From the rest, two guards will be on the sides, while onest guard will be at the back of the carriage.

    Having made this formation, they began their journey.

    Inside the carriage, Lucius looked at Kiana and the things that she was carrying in her hands.

    "Did you prepare what I asked for?" Lucius asked.

    "Of course. This is the list of their gifts and information on it." Kiana replied.

    Lucius took the list from Kiana''s hand and read it. This list was for the guards that were apanying them on the journey. Lucius had asked for it so that he would have an idea about them, just in case he needed to make a n on the fly.

    There were many unexpected things that could happen during this mission and there were many variables during a battle as well. It would be in Lucius''s best interest to prepare for it the best as he could.

    In his past life, Lucius had led a lot of missions and expeditions. He knew very well on how to lead a team and how to best make use of their abilities. Still, he knew some things may not work here and thus he chose to let John pick out the people ording to his experience.

    He would then check their gifts and make his judgment on how to best utilize them.

    "Hmm¡­ three of them have the same umon ranked gift called muscle strengthening. It can increase the power of their attacks when it is activated." Lucius read, finding it interesting.

    These three guards were not rted to each other, yet they had the same gift. Lucius had read that despite the rankings, there were certain gifts that had be mon'' in certain regions. Though there was another factor which was that people with certain kinds of gifts would join a profession suitable to that.

    In the case of these guards, their gift was suited to any physical profession, whether it be a warrior, solider, cksmith or even a farmer. In the case of these guards, they were technically soldiers under the army of the Grantz kingdom, but they were currently under themand of John.

    They weren''t from the private force of the Inanis family, like captain Donald and the other guards were. They were only here because the mission of bandit extermination could be considered asing under the purview of official military business.

    With lieutenant John''s authority, it was easy to make it an official mission. Lucius was still part of the army since he had taken part in the battle against Gisir and thus could be considered as a soldier though he didn''t have an official military rank.

    Having read about the first three guards, Lucius moved onto the other three ones.

    They had the following gifts-

    One of them had an umon ranked gift called Air Shield. It did exactly what its name described and created a shield made out of air. The shield wasn''t that tough but it could parry attacks and knock-back strikes when used correctly.

    The second one had an umon ranked gift called, winding strike. It allowed his body to move in a winding manner automatically.

    The final one actually had a rare ranked gift called me Impact. It allowed him to create bursts of fire.

    Lucius could see how the team would work but it was still a bit iffy to him. Having learned of these gifts, he analyzed them a bit and started toe up with different applications. Although he would need to actually see these gifts in action before making a concrete strategy n.

    "I guess I''ll get them to demonstrate it when we take a break¡­" Lucius muttered.

    Kiana heard this and spoke, "it will be six hours till we take out first break. The horse will need to take a rest and be fed."

    "And how long till we actually get to our destination?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm, since we are in the carriage it will take us over a day. Though we may need to adjust ording to the weather. The horses we have are much faster than the average horses and should be able to run for longer." Kiana answered.

    "So to be on the safe side, I would assume two days." Lucius stated.

    "If the weather does get bad then it''s likely. Though we are traveling on the official roads so it should not give us much trouble." Kiana replied.

    ''Gives me plenty of time to think then¡­'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 73 - The Bandit Camp

    Twenty six hours had passed since Lucius and the team had left the city. They had traveled a majority of the distance and would be reaching their destination in a couple of hours.

    They had not met any bad weather in this time and hence were able to travelfortably. During this time, Lucius had also gotten to know the six guards and their gifts. He even used nexus to take a look at the muscle-strengthening gift which gave him a bit more information.

    Though he wanted to use it once more to see if it could tell him about its upgrade requirements. Lucius had found this gift to be rather simple and straightforward, yet it was this very simplicity that made its application endless.

    Lucius wondered what the upgraded form of a simple gift like this would be. Since it was an umon ranked gift, he reckoned that requirements for it would be much easier to find.

    <em>~clop~clop~clop~</em>

    The carriage came to a halt as the gravel on the ground got knocked away. Lucius lifted the window cover and peeked out.

    There were mountains in the distance and trees everywhere around them. Along the sides of the roads, a span of free area could be seen, and there were flowers blooming. Overall, it was a picturesque scene and no one would think it was a ce of conflict.

    "Are we there now?" Lucius questioned the guard standing outside.

    "We are nearly at the ce, my lord. ording to your n, we should leave the carrier here, right?" The guard asked.

    "Hmm¡­ that''s correct. Park it to the side." Lucius ordered.

    They had been switching driver''s turn by turn so that just one person did not get exhausted too much. Right now, it was another guard driving the carriage while John was scouting up ahead.

    <em>~creek~</em>

    The door of the carriage opened as Lucius and Kiana disembarked from the carriage. Lucius stretched his slightly sore body and looked around the area for any abnormalities. He could see that there were additional hoof prints on the roar which showed the presence of other people passing by.

    Though looking at the age of the tracks, Lucius guessed that they were over four days old.

    "Just about the same time as that attack¡­ the soldiers should have passed by here," Lucius said.

    "My lord, it rained two days ago here." One of the guards informed.

    "It did? But it didn''t say so in the report I saw." Lucius said.

    "I heard this from one of the couriers when we took a break in thest town. The rain was mostly confined to this area, so that is probably why it was not in the report." The guard replied.

    "I see¡­" Lucius muttered, feeling strange.

    If it had really rained, then these tracks should not have been so clear. It was likely that there some other factor in y here that he couldn''t ce his finger upon. Lucius decided to wait for John to return before making any further decision.

    About an hour passed after which John finally returned on horse back. Lucius saw that he had note back in the same state either. His face was tense, and he seemed to be carrying something with him that he didn''t have before.

    "What do you have to report?" Lucius questioned.

    "There is a small camp of bandits, north east of here. They are nestled at the side of a knoll and are surrounded by sparse trees. Looking at some of the tracks I saw there, I''m pretty sure they are the same bandits that attacked the soldiers." John answered.

    Lucius nodded before asking, "and how''s their camp? What kind of tents are they using and what about their other equipment?"

    "They''re usingmon canvas tents with no unique features. As for other equipment, I can see that they have four horses and some tools. Their weapons are either on their person and the rest in the other tents." John replied.

    "Hmm¡­ alright. We''ll take another look ande up with a n." Lucius spoke.

    They then discussed for a few minutes before leaving on foot. Going on horseback would be problematic and John only went on it because he had no idea where he would find the bandits. But now that they knew their location, it was best to be as silent as possible.

    It took Lucius and the rest about forty five minutes to reach the bandits'' camp. They had left behind one of the guards so that he could watch the carriage and the horses. Upon reaching the location, Lucius assessed the location.

    Though his gaze eventually settled on the knoll as an idea formed in his mind. They went around the area and finally reached the back side of the knoll. This area was steep to climb while the side where the bandits were located was more even.

    "This is where we''ll attack from," Lucius stated.

    "You sure?" John asked.

    "Yes, with Kiana''s gifts, she will be able to attack them with ease. Besides¡­ I doubt we will actually need to fight ourselves¡­" Lucius said with a smile.

    "Alright, if you say so." John replied, feeling satisfied since he had also seen the power of Kiana''s gift.

    Kiana could easily attack over a distance of three hundred meters now, and all she would need to do was to shoot in a horizontal line while targeting the tent. Just this would likely take out most of the bandits.

    They waited some more time to see how many bandits there actually were. There were seven tents set up there, so they reckoned there should be at least thirty or more bandits since the tents wererge enough to amodate six men each.

    Lucius''s guess turned out to be correct as there were thirty four bandits in total. They also got to see the gifts of a few of them.

    This was the thing that had shocked them at the end. Six of the bandits had rare ranked gifts that were of the offensive type.

    "Surprise attack is the way it seems¡­" Lucius muttered.

 Chapter 74 - Fake Bandits

    "Didn''t expect them to be this strong¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "I didn''t either¡­" John stated.

    John and the rest had been able to recognize the gifts that the bandits had, as they were well-known ones. Most of the people in this world would be able to recognize the popr gifts as they were often seen.

    In fact, the higher ranked gift someone had, the better the chance of people recognizing it because of how many stories there were about them.

    "Iron Edge, Bloody Nails, Bull Might, and Metal Arms¡­ there''s no way they are bandits," Kiana said.

    Lucius looked at Kiana and nodded at her conjecture. If a person had gifts like these they would very easily be able to find a well paying job. Not only would they have a conformable life but they would also be safe.

    It made no sense for them to be two bit bandits and then attack the soldiers of the kingdom. Normal bandits were smart enough to not attack the kingdom''s soldiers as that would only spell their doom.

    "It''s obvious¡­ they are here disguised as bandits¡­" Lucius said.

    "But why would they do something like this?" one of the guards asked.

    "Well, if they have been paid by a certain noble to sow chaos I''m sure they would do so with pleasure." Lucius said as he looked in the direction of Viscount Drew''s territory.

    "That bastard! He and his family never had trouble with the Inanis family and neither did they suffer. Why does he want to do this?" John cursed.

    "Wealth¡­ power¡­ control¡­ whatever it may be¡­ we''re here to stop it," Lucius said in a cold tone.

    Now that Lucius had seen their gifts, he had a baseline for the n. They waited for a bit more and saw the other ''bandits'' that were there as well. They didn''t have gifts that were as strong as the six who had demonstrated it, but their numbers could still be a problem.

    Even the reason why the bandits had demonstrated their gifts was because they were practicing and sparring. Looking at their methods and practice routines, John realized it was the Grantz Kingdoms Training manual.

    "They''re no bandits! They''re soldiers, too!" John stated.

    "Don''t worry¡­ we won''t let them get away with it. If they are soldiers, they must have been ordered and for orders, they must have documents. As long as we get them, we should have proof that we can show to the king. Perhaps it may even implicate the Viscount and we can get him punished." Lucius said.

    "That is unlikely, though. The viscount isn''t stupid. There is no way he would leave anything that would link him to these ''bandits'' at least not directly. There''s a third party involved in this motet likely." Kiana spoke.

    Lucius heard Kiana''s words and found them to be quite sensible. If he was in the viscount''s ce, he would do the same. He would hire a broker or a fixer instead of employing his own men for it.

    "Alright, now that we know their side, we can n. Listen to me carefully¡­" Lucius said before exining the n that he hade up with.

    Lucius and the teamter went back to the carrier and got ready for the attack, which they would be doing at night. There were still six hours till sunset, which gave them plenty of time to practice their n.

    Kiana would be the main offense for them, while the six guards will block the bandits from escaping. They would block their escape route on the other side, and John would defend Lucius and Kiana on the hill.

    It was a simple n, but what was not were the intricacies that Lucius had told everyone. He made scenarios and told them how they would need to act if they happened. While the guards didn''t think of this much, Kiana and John were quite shocked by Asher''s intellect.

    ''Such strategies¡­ he truly has the Count''s blood running in him.'' John thought to himself.

    Kiana felt impressed too and couldn''t help smile to herself, despite the fact that they would be heading into a bloody battle soon.

    Just like this, minutes turned into hours and it was time to act. Lucius and the rest silently made their way to the camp and split up. The guards positioned themselves around the choke point they had chosen while Lucius, Kiana, and John climbed the Knoll.

    Up at the hill, Lucius aged upon the tents of the bandits, his expression still. He observed for several minutes before taking a deep breath.

    "Are you ready?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, I am ready," Kiana affirmed.

    "I am ready, too. If anything happens, leave it to me." John said.

    Lucius nodded his head and looked back at the camp. The bandits were still outside, doing their tasks. Some were preparing food, some were polishing their weapons, while others were just chatting around.

    They were too far from them and thus couldn''t hear what they were talking about, but from their exaggerated expressions ofughter, it was evident they were having a jolly good time.

    ''Not for long though¡­'' Lucius muttered to himself as his hand gripped around the handle of the Wind Scar sword.

    By the time the moon came up, the bandits were done with everything and were getting ready to sleep. There were of course, a couple of them that were on night guard duty and would watch out for animals or any other intruders.

    This forest was inhabited by quite a lot of animals, along with rune beasts, so if any of them wandered in the camp, it could be problematic. Lucius lifted his hand up in the sky as a signal to the six guards to take out the night watch.

    They split into two groups and swiftly took out the night guards without making a noise. All they needed to do was stab a de through their throats, and it was done.

    "Alright¡­ time for the party to start!"

 Chapter 75 - Slaughter

    As soon as Lucius gave the signal, Kiana activated her gift.

    Instead of making them into needles, Lucius had asked her to turn them into bullets¡­ or as close to that shape as she could for now. She had both of her hands extended ahead as the bullets came out of them.

    <em>~Thiu~</em>

    <em>~Thiu~</em>

    <em>~Thiu~</em>

    A sound simr to that of muffled gunshot could be heard as the projectiles created by Kiana traveled at a great speed.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    These projectiles easily tore through the canvas of the tents and pierced the bandits that were sleeping inside.

    "ARGH!"

    "Gah!!"

    Pain filled cries could be hearding from the camp as Kiana kept on shooting the projectiles. She shot them non-stop and only when all of the tents were reduced to tatters did she stop.

    But by then the cries of the bandits had stopped as well and a bloody scent could be smelled.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    "This¡­" John couldn''t believe his eyes upon seeing the scene.

    Lucius nodded his head upon seeing this.

    ''Just as I expected¡­ the contingencies weren''t even needed.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Well! It is done, let''s do down and check them properly now, shall we?" Lucius said, snapping both Kiana and John out of her daze.

    While John was shocked due to the power of Kiana''s skill as this was the first time he was seeing it in full force. Back at the mansion, while he had seen its power, he didn''t know it could shoot so rapidly.

    Kiana herself was surprised by this. The power that she now had felt surreal to her. It was as if it didn''t belong to her, yet she had it.

    ''Of course, it doesn''t belong to just ''me''¡­ it belongs to Asher as well¡­'' Kiana thought, attributing this all to Asher''s help.

    If one thought about it, her justification was correct. Had it not been for Lucius gathering all the items and upgrading Kiana''s gift, there was no way she would have been able to do this. Kiana felt pleased in her heart as a smile appeared on her face.

    Though if one considered the situation and that Kiana had just murdered over thirty bandits, this smile would seem devious to them instead.

    The six guards who were ready to act any moment now felt awkward. They had barely done anything, and their mission was already over. They too were surprised with Kiana''s power, but not to the level of John. This was because they didn''t know this was not her original Gift. Even John was unaware of how Kiana had gained a new gift.

    The entire team gathered at the now destroyed a camp of the bandits and lifted the tattered tents, revealing the blood and gore hidden beneath.

    <em>~Ssss~</em>

    The guards couldn''t help but hiss upon seeing the mutted bodies of the bandits. This was the first time they had seen damage of this level. Even beasts did not damage the bodies of their preys like this.

    "Can I take this?" Lucius asked as he pointed at the dagger on Kiana''s waist.

    "Umm¡­ sure?" Kiana replied, not knowing why he needed her dagger.

    Lucius calmly walked to each of the bandits and stabbed all of them in their hearts.

    John and the rest of the team were absolutely puzzled by this action of Lucius. Why was he stabbing dead bodies? What they didn''t know was the trauma Lucius had suffered in his past life.

    ''No way I''m gonna let some random ''merciful priests''e in and revive them.'' Lucius thought.

    This was just some extra caution on his part to make sure the bandits were truly dead. He had already seen the healing power of the priest and knew there must be someone powerful enough to revive them. While it was a negligible chance that anyone would actually try to revive these bandits, Lucius still didn''t want to take a chance.

    Only when they were all killed did he feel at ease.

    "Now that, that''s done. Let''s search for clues. Hopefully, some of them are still intact¡­" Lucius said.

    Kiana and the rest nodded before searching among the remains of the camp. Their earlier guess turned out to be 100% correct, as these were indeed fake bandits. They didn''t find any loot robbed from people, nor did they find any other materials bandits would keep.

    They didn''t even have alcohol!

    After scrounging for a while they managed to chance upon a document that was half torn. Lucius took it and read through it, understanding a part of the situation.

    "What is this ce called Bergan''s Band?" Lucius questioned.

    "Bergan''s band? That''s no ce, that''s a mercenary group!" one of the guards answered.

    "Not just any mercenary group, they are one of the ouwed mercenary groups that operate out of the Aisse Territory." John added.

    Lucius remembered that Aisse territory was located to the south of the Land Of Etara. They were run by an aristocratic n by the name of Aisse who actually had the rank of Earl which was higher than the Inanis family.

    Lucius didn''t jump to any conclusion for now and just made a few hypotheses in his mind.

    "So what is the rtion of these fake bandits with the Bergan''s Band?" Kiana asked,ing to the main point.

    "Well¡­ they were promised that as long as they stayed here for a year and acted as bandits, preventing the soldiers from working normally and sowing chaos they would be allowed to join the Bergan''s Band." Lucius said as he showed them the half torn document.

    John and Kiana took a look over it and found it to be just as Lucius had stated.

    "Entry into the Bergan''s band is indeed difficult. While they are considered as Ouws they do have some strong people among them. From what I''ve heard they have over ten people with Epic Ranked gifts." John said.

    "What, 10?" Lucius said, finding it to be a bit too much.

    "Indeed. Their power is what has restricted the kingdom from wiping them out. Plus¡­ they have some political backing as well." John exined.

 Chapter 76 - Bergans Band

    Lucius was quite interested upon hearing the existence of a group such as the Bergan''s Band. He reckoned they were simr to the criminal gangs that existed in his past life that was secretly supported by politicians for their gains.

    "Can you tell me more about them?" Lucius questioned.

    "Sure. But I think it would be better for us to leave first." John said.

    Lucius looked around and nodded his head.

    "Let''s mark the area for the kingdom''s team that wille to clear this ce out. We will send a message in the nearby town and they should take care of the rest." Lucius said.

    "I didn''t expect that we would be done so quickly, but since we''re here, we may as well camp out for the night." Kiana suggested.

    Lucius thought over it and nodded his head.

    "Sure, though we need to spread the beast repellent powder first. Can''t have theming here for the dead bodies. They are bound to be attracted due to the scent." Lucius suggested.

    "we''ll get to it right away." The guards replied.

    "Thank you," Lucius said with a nod.

    The six guards soon spread around and got to sprinkling the beast repellent powder. This was a rather expensive item that cost about five gold coins for a kilogram of it. It would repel most of the beasts from approaching it.

    Lucius had seen the powder and guessed that it should have been made from a mixture of dried beast dung, urine of predatory beasts and some herbs that are repulsive to the sensitive noses of the beasts.

    Lucius even though that he may be able to make a better version of this at a cheaper cost if he was able to find out the exact ingredients used in it. Sadly, the recipe for it was in the hands of the Beast department of the Artificers guild.

    Kain was the one who suggested that he take this powder with him, as it maye in handy when camping out at night. It was also an Alumni of his department of beasts that hade up with the beast repellent powder over a hundred years ago.

    Since then it had be a staple item to take when traveling for merchants, mercenaries, and caravans. Lucius could only guess how much profit this brought them, though he wondered if the ingredients even cost that much to manufacture it.

    While he was thinking of this, the guards had finished spreading the powder and Kiana, along with John had set up four tents. One was for the six guards, while the three others were for Lucius, Kiana and John each.

    While Lucius could very well sleep in the carriage, he reckoned the extra leg space in the tent would be better. After all, he would have to sleep sitting up in the carriage since it didn''t have a long enough seat.

    They had not taken the bigger carriage that was luxurious and had instead taken a smaller one that was faster.

    The sat around the campfire which had been burning here since before they came and rxed for a bit.

    "So what more do you know about the Bergan''s Band?" Lucius questioned.

    "Ah, yes. Bergan''s Band was started about thirty years ago by a mercenary called Bergan. It was originally a small mercenary group and only had four members. But under the strength of Bergan who had an Epic Ranked gift, it soon gained a lot of members in theing few years.

    In ten years they reached a point where they had four mercenaries with Epic Ranked Gift in their members. Still¡­ they were well behaved back then. They followed thews and took jobs from the mercenarymission. Their reputation was also good back then." John answered.

    "What made them turn into ouws then?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ the exact reason is something people have guessed for a long time. Some say that Bergan just got greedy and started to take assassination jobs and other criminal jobs, while some say he was plotted against by a noble and was forced to be an ouw.

    Though there are some crazy theories that say Bergan was killed, and some imposter took over his ce. But these are just false, as if an imposter took over his ce, there is no way he would be able to replicate his gift too." John answered.

    "What gift does this Bergan have, do you know?" Lucius questioned.

    "Began has the Infamous Epic Ranked Gift, Toxic Touch. Anything he touches can be turned toxic and that toxin is very dangerous." John answers.

    "Just a toxin? Can''t the Priests of na do something to it?" Lucius questioned.

    "They can, but most people die before that. Still, that is not even the most terrifying part of his gift. The most terrifying part is his control over it. He can make toxins that take a long time to act. He can, for example, touch a surface and make it toxic. Whoever touches it would get poisoned, but this poison would not act for days, weeks or even months.

    Due to the long time it takes for it to act, more people would touch the surface and it would gopletely unnoticed. Until¡­ Bergan decides he doesn''t need to hold back and activates the poison hiding in their bodies." John exined.

    Lucius''s brows narrowed upon hearing John''s exnation and felt that the man Bergan deserved his reputation. He definitely did have the means to cause terror among the masses. Though there were some doubts that Lucius had.

    "There should be some limit to Bergan''s Gift, right? It can''t be that the toxin juststs on the surface indefinitely. And what about the people who have been poisoned, can he kill them from any location or does he need to be close to them?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm, I don''t know fully, but I can tell you about the first part. He can basically keep the poison active on the surface depending on the amount of Aether that has been infused in it." John replied.

 Chapter 77 - Wandering Souls

    Having heard about Bergan, Lucius could guess a bit more about his gift.

    "What about its members?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ like I said, as of now they have ten members with Epic ranked gifts and over three hundred with Rare ranked gifts. And these are just their main members. If we consider their extended group which includes those with Umon ranked andmon ranked gift, the number would probably go over a few thousand." John said.

    Lucius felt even more surprised by this, as he couldn''t ssify them as a mercenary group anymore.

    "Are they even a mercenary group at this point? They seem more like a private army." Lucius said.

    "Indeed. That is why even aristocrats tread carefully when dealing with Bergan''s Band. That is also the reason why the Grantz Kingdom has not chosen to forcefully exterminate them even though the location of their base is known.

    If they tried something like that, Bergan would just go on a massacre and start killing people all over the kingdom. This would bring the kingdom more trouble than it''s worth, since Bergan hasn''t actually done anything like that yet." John replied.

    "I see¡­ so he''s more of a man who looks for profit and won''t do anything that goes against that." Lucius summarized.

    "Correct¡­ at least ording to my understanding," John stated.

    Lucius thought about it a bit more while Kiana got their food ready. They had taken plenty of food from the mansion so they didn''t have to hunt for anything so they didn''t have any problem.

    Soon their dinner was finished, and they went to sleep. Two of the guards still decided to stay up to watch the area, just in case anything approached them.

    Though, while the others slept, Lucius was in his soul space. When he appeared there he could feel that there was something different about it.

    "Hmm¡­ what''s this¡­ it''s familiar¡­ yet different¡­" Lucius said as he looked around.

    His soul seemed to be normal, and there was no change in it. Rather, it was the vibe of the area that felt different to him. He didn''t attempt to form a hell imprint as he didn''t feelfortable and thatbined with his cautious nature, Lucius decided to properly check everything.

    After a while, Lucius recognized what it was that felt different.

    "Soul fluctuations?" Lucius said.

    Every soul would let out certain energy fluctuations that were unique to them. These were like a signature and were called soul fluctuations.

    Lucius sensed the fluctuations and could straightway tell they were not from his soul, they were different.

    "They can''t be from Kiana, John and the others either. I can''t sense the soul fluctuations of someone like that, at least not in my current level of strength. Which means¡­ they''re free or wandering souls." Lucius guessed.

    He then realized that they may being from the bandits that were killed by Kiana.

    "Wait, if they''re still lingering here after all this time, then that means there is no divine pull to guide them!" Lucius realized.

    From the theories Lucius had learned, he knew that most souls would be guided by a mechanism called divine pull. Every religion had its own version and depending on that, that person''s souls would be guided to the afterlife.

    Though the difference was that there could be dys in the divine pull. For example, if a god''s domain only existed in a certain area and the person who prayed to it died out of it, his souls would not be guided by the divine pull of that god and would just wander.

    These souls were called wandering souls. They could either be exercised by priests of any god or be taken by some mage that dabbled in the Dark arts. The wandering souls did not have as much of self awareness if onepared them to living humans.

    Then there were free souls. They had full awareness about them and their surroundings. The best example of this was none other than Lucius himself when he was traveling through the countless dimension and worlds.

    Seeing the soul fluctuations here, Lucius guessed that they must be wandering souls. If they were free souls, they would have the left the area long ago, searching for a ce that was morefortable for them. After all, most souls have a hard time existing under the sun and preferred sheltered ces.

    Though there were many exceptions to this and it was the very reason why soul studies was a very big field in Lucius''s past life.

    "Though if they are wandering souls and they have no divine pull, then¡­ I can make use of them." Lucius said as a smile appeared on his face.

    ''Let''s see if that method still works in this world or not¡­'' Lucius thought before merging with his soul.

    <em>~humm~</em>

    The surface of Lucius''s soul rippled like the surface of the water as visible waves of energy came out from it. These waves of energy became invisible the moment they left his body and spread around in the area.

    Soon, ethereal figures could be seen around the area. They had appeared out of thin air and were barely visible to one''s eyes. Even if one observed them, they would look like the distortion in air one would see when they saw something just above hot mes.

    These figures were none other than the wandering souls of the bandits that had been killed. They were attracted by the waves that wereing from Lucius''s soul and went towards him. In five minutes, over thirty ethereal figures were gathered around Lucius''s body, that was sleeping in the tent.

    They were very cramped in the tent, with some of them ovepping with each other. Yet they stayed there calmly, no change in them. Even their features could not be seen as they were mostly ethereal outlines.

    Seeing that it had worked, Lucius smiled again.

    "Perfect¡­" he muttered to himself.

    He observed for a little while more just to see if everything was normal, and then got to the next step.

    "Now then¡­ Get over here!"

 Chapter 78 - Soul Energy And Soul Essence

    A strong attractive force was released from Lucius''s soul which quickly pulled the wandering souls into his own body. If this was done by anyone else and wandering souls entered their body, they would be in fatal danger.

    At best they would go crazy, at worst their soul would perish and the body would be taken over by the wandering soul. Even if a wandering souls did not have self awareness, once one was able to get into a body, its instincts would take over and it would do its best to control that body.

    This was its another chance at life and it would do its best to seed.

    Still¡­ Lucius was fully aware of all this and had intentionally done this. His aim was different.

    Once the wandering souls entered his body, they didn''t even have a chance to struggle before they were sucked into Lucius''s soul space. In there, they were slowly suppressed into mere balls of smoke.

    Once they were fully turned into balls, Lucius waved his hands and gathered them together into arger ball.

    "Hmm¡­. The quality is shoddy, but workable¡­ the soul resonance spell actually still works. Though it''s quite taxing on my soul right now." Lucius said.

    The soul resonances spell belonged to a special category of spells that were different than normal magic spells. These spells did not use mana but used up soul energy. Soul energy was hard to gather and use as it could not regenerate quickly.

    Even using the spell now would prevent Lucius from using it for at least a month. There were of course methods to regenerate the soul energy faster our gain it from other sources but Lucius could not use that in this world.

    ''It''s was worth testing this out. At least I know that the souls here don''t have a divine pull. I can make use of this now¡­'' Lucius thought as he looked at therge ball made from the wandering souls.

    "With a bit more of processing, I should be able to make quite a bit of soul essence. This should make creating a hell imprint more easier." Lucius said to himself.

    He quickly got to processing the ball of souls and spent the rest of the night on it. It was a strange sight as nothing could actually be seen. The ball that was in Lucius''s hand just started to shrink over time and reached the size of a marble.

    At that point it was morning and Lucius decided to stop. Not only was he feeling tired he had not slept the entire night.

    ''Thankfully I can sleep more in the carriage. Though I won''t be able to further process the soul essence before getting to the mansion.'' Lucius thought as he split his consciousness from his soul and returned it to his body.

    Opening his eyes he saw the sunlighting through the gaps in the tent''s p. He rubbed his eyes and stood up, wobbling in the process. The soul energy that was drained from his soul would some physiological effects like these. But they should resolve on their own if he rests more.

    "You''re up?" John said upon seeing Lucius walk out of his tent.

    "Yeah¡­" Lucius said in a tired tone.

    "Couldn''t sleep well?" John asked.

    Lucius simply nodded his head in response.

    "I understand. Sleeping out like this is not something you have done much before. It takes time getting used to." John said, thinking it was due to Lucius being ufortable, when in reality it was due to him using the soul resonance spell.

    "That''s true." Lucius replied, not bothering to correct anything.

    Kiana noticed Lucius too and brought him a bowl of water so that he could wash his face and rinse his mouth. In a few minutes he had freshened up and was ready to leave. The others were long since ready and were only waiting for Lucius to wake up.

    They moved to their carriage and embarked on their return journey. But first, they needed to halt at the nearby town and inform the army officers there. There were always a few of them in each town as they were assigned there.

    It took them four hours before they reached the entrance of the town. It was a wide open road and there were no fences. There were a few town guards standing around but they were only there in case some beasts passed by and they would not check any passing carriages.

    Lucius and the team easily entered the town and went to the building where the army officers were located. They then dropped off a letter that Lucius had written and had stamped with the seal of the Inanis family along with John''s own signature of a lieutenant.

    This was enough to authenticate the letter and let it pass swiftly through the bureaucratic channels.

    <em>~Phew~</em>

    "There we go, the final part is now done. The kingdom''s clean up team will take care of the dead bandits while also gathering any clues we missed. We can head back to the mansion now and inform the Count about our sess." John said.

    Lucius simply nodded his head and didn''t speak much. He was still tired and was just waiting to go back to the carriage to sleep. While he had slept for three hours during the ride here, it simply wasn''t enough.

    Once he sat down on the seat of the carriage Lucius instantly fell asleep and stayed that way till evening. He only woke up because Kiana had gotten worried and shook him.

    "Are you fine?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yeah, just tired." Lucius answered.

    "Hmm¡­" Kiana hummed in response thinking that this journey may have been a bit more for Lucius and attributed him to still be recovering.

    "Eat first and then you can sleep more. It''s evening anyway. We''ll be reaching the next town in a short while. You can sleep at the inn there morefortably." Kiana suggested.

    "Alright." Lucius nodded his head before dozing off againpletely ignoring Kiana''s words.

 Chapter 79 - Four Fold Speed

    A day passed in the blink of an eye and Lucius and the team finally reached Inanis city. Since they had rushed without stopping, they had reached six hours earlier and it was still night time.

    The guards of the mansion noticed a carriageing towards them and became alert. But when they say who was apanying it on horseback they rxed.

    "Open the gate! It''s young lord Asher and Lieutenant John!" The guard ordered the ones inside.

    <em>~Creek~</em>

    Therge gate swung open and the carrier smoothly entered without needing to stop. Coming to a halt at the entrance of the mansion, Lucius got down along with Kiana. This time, his appearance was much better and he had recovered from the fatigue he had gained from using the soul resonances spell.

    The ball of unrefined soul essence was still there in his soul space and he would be processing it further tonight.

    "Is the count and countess awake?" John asked the servant standing outside.

    "No sir. Countess is already asleep while the Count has gone out to meet some nobles. He should be returningter at night." The servant hurriedly replied.

    "Hmm¡­ we should just rest. We''ll talk to them tomorrow." Lucius said, feeling impatient about processing the soul essence.

    No one disagreed with his words and just did as he said. Lucius gave some instructions to Kiana and John before quickly getting to his bedroom. He changed into somefortable clothes and entered his soul space. He saw the ball of unprocessed soul essence that was just floating around his soul.

    It had a natural affinity to a soul, thus wouldn''t go far from there. As for the souls that were in it¡­ well they didn''t exist anymore. Converting them in this form was no less than exterminating their consciousness and the memories they contained, leaving behind the materials that they were built with.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The marble sized ball started to reduce in size under the control of Lucius and soon turned into an even smaller form, before bing like a strand of hair.

    "Finally¡­" Lucius muttered.

    This small strand was pure soul essence and was quite beneficial to the growth of a soul and was used in many potions and rituals that were rted to the soul. Still using it was considered to be evil and in the world of Revelia, the Church of Thara would hunt down whoever tried to do that.

    Here though¡­ Lucius was free to do as he pleased and didn''t have to care about any random god interfering. At least for now¡­

    "Now then¡­ time to test out if it works," Lucius said as he attempted to make a hell imprint.

    This time though he infused the strand of soul essence whenever the pattern started to manifest on his soul. Whatever minor damage that was caused due to a wrong hell coordinate was immediately negated, leaving Lucius to attempt it many more times.

    While he was still not able to form a hell imprint tonight, he hade out of it unharmed and had gone through four times as many coordinates than before. But it was not without a price of course.

    "Should still be enough for ten more uses¡­" Lucius said as he looked at the strand of soul essence which had gotten slightly shorter.

    Not wanting a repeat of the past two days, Lucius decided to sleep and steadily continue his attempts at making a hell imprint.

    In the morning, Lucius went to talk with the Count and Countess who were ready at the dining hall.

    "Greetings! Father, mother." Lucius said.

    The two of them were a bit surprised but greeted in response.

    "You did amazing! Much better than I had expected." Gabriel stated right away.

    He truly did not think Asher would seed in what other trained soldiers would not be able to do. But what he did not know was that he had just done a sneak attack with the help of Kiana and her Epic Ranked gift.

    While there were many people with Epic ranked gifts in the army, not all of them would be able to do the same as what she had done. The six bandits who had the rare ranked gifts were strong enough to kill an epic ranked gift user if they acted in coordination.

    That was the reason why no one had been sent to take care of them then. They were simply waiting for the right opportunity to arrive. And it wasn''t like they could freely spare a soldier with an Epic Ranked gift either and risk them dying.

    Each such person was valuable and they would have to wait for every child to grow up before they could be trained to reach their level.

    "Indeed son, John couldn''t help but praise your strategy a lot. Though, what exactly did you do that pleased him so much? We asked him, but he wouldn''t tell. He said that it would be best if we listen it from you." Lita asked and Gabriel also looked at Lucius intently, wanting to hear what he had to say.

    Lucius knew this time would be arriving soon and he had prepared for it. He knew he would need to reveal him being able to upgrade gifts at some time and he had made an exnation for it.

    "I simply mounted a sneak attack against them. Though the main part behind our sess was Kiana." Lucius said.

    "Kiana? How did she help? And speaking of her, where is she?" Lita asked, not having seen her since morning.

    "I''m here," Kiana said, walking into the hall.

    In her hand, she was carrying a pair of bottles that were filled up with some liquid.

    "It was Kiana''s gift that helped us score the victory." Lucius stated before looking at Kiana. "Why don''t you show it to them now?" He said.

    Kiana furrowed her brows before asking, "are you sure?"

    "Yes, now''s the time." Lucius nodded his head.

    Kiana then extended her hand, flipping her palm upwards. Gabriel and Lita watched it before their eyes went wide.

    "This¡­ How is this possible?"

 Chapter 80 - Revealing His Hand

    Both Gabriel and Lita knew very well what Kiana''s Gift was, and they had seen it many times in the past. But what Kiana had just shown them was most definitely not the same gift that she had before.

    On the palm of Kiana, a metallicyer could be seen. And from thatyer, a needle was released. The needle came to float above her palm before morphing into the shape of a sphere, a cube, a cylinder, and then back into a needle.

    "How¡­ what happened to your gift?" Gabriel questioned, confusion visible on his face.

    "It has changed," Kiana said.

    "Changed? Changed how?" Lita asked, unable toprehend.

    "My Rare ranked Stone Shooter is now¡­ an Epic Ranked Sting Sniper." Kiana revealed, before flicking her hand towards one of the pirs.

    <em>~Shing~</em>

    <em>~slick~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The needle easily passed through four pirs in a row before embedding itself into the wall.

    Both the Count and the Countess were in awe of this and could not believe this.

    "Upgrading a gift like this¡­ only the priests of the church have this opportunity. But even that is because their gifts are bestowed upon by gods themselves." Gabriel said, as he looked at Kiana.

    "And that very feat has been aplished by Asher," Kiana said with a smile.

    The man and wife looked at their son, who was casually sipping on the ss of some beverage. They then realized it was something that Kiana had brought in the bottles with her. A sweet and slightly sour fragrance emanated from the ss and stimted their taste buds.

    Suppressing their curiosity about the drink that Asher was drinking, they focused on the more important part for now.

    "How did you do this, Asher? This¡­ something like this has never been seen before¡­" Gabriel stated.

    "It was abination of research, study, trial and luck." Lucius coolly said.

    "No, it can''t be just that. If it was that simple many would have aplished this." Gabriel said, still in denial.

    "Well of course, there was the additional hint of inspiration that I got." Lucius replied.

    Seeing as his parents were still confused, Lucius decided to exin a bit more.

    "At first I wondered what made gifts work and how they were given. Then I learned that the church could actually bestow gifts upon the people who became their priests, which led me to learn more about it.

    I found out that depending on the power of their gift, the people of the church would get assigned a different rank like a priest, high priest, Bishop, archbishop, and so forth. Depending on the rank of gift they had before they joined the church, they would get equivalent ''grace'' of the goddess.

    Those who had lower positions can also progress their ranks and be promoted, which would increase the power of their gifts, which was the same as increasing the rank of the gift itself. Though the church does not call it that.

    Corrting those factors, I reckoned if it was possible with that it should be possible with normal gifts too. Since all the gifts were a grace of the divines, then they should be able to be upgraded too.

    In the case of the church, the price for the upgrade is the piety and devotion of the priests. But in our case what can be the price? Since piety and devotion match the nature of the ''grace'' of the gods, I reckoned something simr must be needed for the other gifts.

    And thus I spent time on looking for things that could have a simr effect. Eventually, I learned about the Rock Bees and how they had a petrifying effect. Since both the gift of the Rock bee and Kiana''s gift were rted to rocks, I reckoned there should be some rtion.

    Of course, that did not work right away and I spent a bit more time before figuring out what could work. Then finally I got to doing it and Kiana truly managed to upgrade her gift." Lucius exined.

    All of this was a bit too much for the Count and Countess as they were not used to certain scientific terms that Lucius had used. Since he was using the syntax of this world''snguage, it seemed strange to them.

    This was intentional on Lucius''s part, as he wanted to keep the method obscure. After all, this was all made up and would not work no matter what others tried. He could only do this because of his own gift, The Nexus. But there was nothing that prevented Lucius from capitalizing on this and thus he decided to do it this way.

    "I¡­ son, I don''t fully understand what you said but I can see that it is something world shaking. You are truly blessed by the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom. Etara has blessed our family!" Lita said, with tears in her eyes.

    Gabriel though, had a slightly different reaction. He had a serious face instead as he thought about theplications of such a thing.

    "This cannot be revealed to the others!" Gabriel dered.

    "I agree, father." Lucius calmly stated.

    "Huh?"

    Gabriel was stunned by Lucius''s quick agreement. He had fully thought that Lucius would want to gain fame for himself and the family by bragging about this everywhere. If it was the Asher of the past, he would have definitely done this.

    But with this response of Asher, all that Gabriel had thought in his mind was doused.

    "We cannot reveal this to anyone. But¡­ we can still capitalize it." Lucius said.

    "What do you mean?" Gabriel asked, wanting to know his son''s thoughts.

    He had now epted that his son was vastly different from before and was entirely a new person. Gabriel couldn''t help but wonder if Etara had listened to his prayers from these past years and blessed Asher to this extent.

    "I know our family is in the decline, I believe this can help us affirm our position and expand it even more. We will nurture our people¡­ make them better than others, strongest than others, greater than others. Then¡­ we will crush them¡­ Crush all those that oppose us and have been suppressing us!" Lucius dered, a hint of his past life''s aura of authority exuding from him.

 Chapter 81 - Fangs Of Inanis

    Lita was Astonished by these scandalous words. If Asher''s words were heard by others and taken out of context, it would be no less than treason!

    But Gabriel on the other hand had his head lowered. Lita saw this and knew that he was feeling the same as her.

    "Dear, don''t take Asher''s words to heart! He doesn''t¡­." Lita was pleading when she was suddenly interrupted.

    "AHAHAHA! EXCELLENT! THE BLOOD OF INANIS HAS SHOWN ITS FANGS AGAIN!" Gabrielughed out loud, much to the shock of others.

    Even Lucius had not expected that the Count would react like this. But seeing this, he felt excited deep down. He wondered if the Count was as he thought he was¡­

    Gabriel calmed down a few secondster and looked at Lucius strongly.

    "Can you replicate this?" Gabriel asked.

    "Yes, I can do this with other gifts, too. Even yours¡­ if given time." Lucius answered, increasing the level of shock even more.

    Gabriel only smiled only more. The middle aged count had a frown or a straight face most of the time in these years. Things had only gotten worse over the years and hisnd was suffering along with his family.

    He had suppressed his true feelings all this time. He had been feeling helpless about himself, his family, his son and hisnd. But now¡­ his son, which was the source of his worry, had given him the best surprise that he could have.

    "Perfect! What do you need?" Gabriel stated right away.

    Lucius was pleased with the Count''s response and was already starting to like this ''father'' of his more than the one in his past life.

    "I''ll need information or more urately, information about the gifts, as detailed as possible. Then I need information about Rune beasts and either gifts. I will also need a ton of information on the various materials in this world, whether they be metals, woods, minerals, or anything simr.

    What we have here is not enough¡­ I''ll need more if I want to find the perfect solution to upgrading a gift." Lucius answered.

    The Count rubbed his coarse beard in a thinking gesture.

    "Getting the information ail be difficult¡­ the one that we have here in the mansion is already a lot. If you want more than this, then there are only a few ces that will have it." Gabriel stated.

    "And what are these ces?" Lucius asked.

    "If your want more information about gifts then it will be found at the Grand repository of Etara. There are also more books written by various schrs in the Royal Academy of the Grantz Kingdom. As for the information about various materials¡­ you will find it in the Artificers guild and the Royal Academy should have some too." Gabriel answered.

    "Gaining ess to any of these ces is not easy. The Grand Repository of Etara can only be essed by the high clergy of the Church of Etara. In the case of the Artificers guild it is even obvious as one needs to be an artificer to even be able to enter the building, not to mention depending on their contributions, they may or may not be allowed to view it.

    The Royal Academy though maybe the easier option among the three. Only needs to be a student and then visit their library. Though there are more restrictions from what I''ve heard. But I don''t know its specifics." Gabriel exined.

    Having heard all this, Lucius''s mind turned at great speed. He analyzed his options and made a few approaches to it.

    ''I''ll need more time to think about this. For now, I should still be able to upgrade low ranked gifts with the information that I have here.'' Lucius thought.

    "We''ll think of this in the future. For now, I reckon, I should be able to do it for some gifts. If I get stuck in some part which cannot be solved by the information here, I''ll try other options." Lucius replied.

    "Alright¡­ I''ll leave that up to you," Gabriel replied.

    "Well, now that we have a n for the long-term growth of our family, I believe there is a need to address the current problem that is guing us," Lucius said.

    "Current problem? You mean¡­ the Viscount?" Lita guessed.

    "Indeed, mother. Though that''s not just that. We are also having a financial crisis right now. And for that very thing, I have this prepared¡­" Lucius said as he pushed the tray in front of him towards them.

    The tray had two sses that had been filled with the same drink Lucius was previously drinking.

    "What is this?" Lita asked, while Gabriel smelled.

    "Wine? You made wine?" Gabriel suddenly said.

    "Yes, father. It is wine." Lucius replied.

    "Why did you make wine? Do you mean to say we should sell this wine?" Lita asked, connecting the dots.

    "Indeed mother," Lucius affirmed.

    "Selling wine¡­ it won''t be enough, though. How will we get past the other wine makers and brewers? Some of our lower ranked nobles already are in this business. Plus, even if we join now, it will not be profitable. It will take us far too long to turn a profit." Gabriel analyzed.

    "We won''t, father. Why don''t you taste and tell me what you think about the wine I made?" Lucius offered.

    Gabriel carefully picked up the ss of wine and took a small sip. The translucent liquid spread on his tongue while letting out a sweet and sour taste. He felt pleased with it and swallowed it down, only to realize the sweet and sour taste had be like fire!

    The heat spread from his throat all the way down to his stomach, where it settled like a drunkard''s bum!

    The kick from the drink was strong enough that Gabriel shook his head.

    "This is powerful¡­ yet delicious¡­ how did you make it?" Gabriel wondered, thinking that it must have used aplexbination of fruits to achieve a taste like this.

    Even Lita drank a little bit to see if her husband''s reaction was worth it, only to find out that it was only less. For a fair woman like her, the alcohol direly made her cheeks flush red.

 Chapter 82 - False Ownership And Tax Evasion

    Lucius was pleased with the reactions of his parents and was expecting this. With reactions like this, he reckoned they should be more open to his n.

    "I guess father and mother liked it?" Lucius questioned.

    "Of course, this is very good! If wepare the strength of the alcohol, I think only the spirits of the north canpare with it. But there is no way they canpare the delicate taste that it has." Gabriel Judged.

    "You made it very good, Lucius. Though how did you do it? Will we be able to bnce the budget with all the fruits that went into making it?" Lita questioned.

    "You don''t have to worry about the cost of the fruits at all. The fruit that I used to make this wine is¡­ Carom fruit!" Lucius revealed.

    Gabriel and Lita were shocked to say the least, upon hearing that the wine that they had very much enjoyed was made from a fruit that made them wince in disgust.

    "How¡­ how did you make this from a vile fruit like this?" Lita asked, disgust and surprise mixing on her face.

    "It took me a few trials before I was able to figure out a method by which the wine came out like this. The previous batches were either too bitter, or to sour. But this one had no bitterness and the sourness in apanied by a sweetness brought by the fermentation.

    Of course, the alcohol concentration is also quite high in this and should be twice as the normal Jezen wine we drink." Lucius answered.

    "This¡­" Gabriel couldn''t help but say in awe as he imagined the implications of this.

    A wine made from a cheap fruit like this was sold, the profit margin would be quite good. One had to know, Carom fruits were seldom liked by people and were mostly eaten by peasants to fill their bellies as they didn''t have anything.

    Most of the time it was not even eaten by humans and went into cattle feed!

    But then Gabriel realized there was more to this than just the cost of the fruits.

    "What are the requirements for making this?" Gabriel questioned.

    "The requirements are quite less and the only thing that is a bitplex is the process. The main ingredients are mainly the Carom fruits, and baker''s yeast. As for the equipment we just need a one-time investment in makingrge brewing vats and the concentrator vats.

    As for the process of boiling, it can be done inrge pans simr to the ones we have in the kitchen but it would be better if we were to get custom made vats for this too." Lucius answered.

    "I see¡­ if it is like this then we can definitely sell this." Gabriel said.

    "Indeed, father. But there is one thing I want to add to this." Lucius stated.

    "What is it?" Gabriel asked, feeling curious.

    "I think we should not let anyone know that we are the ones manufacturing it. Not only would it bring unnecessary attention to us it would also give our ''enemies'' a spot to target. Instead of this, we can put a figurehead in control of this wine brewing business." Lucius suggested.

    Gabriel thought over it and found it to be a valid idea.

    "This is good. We will even be able to save up on the yearly tribute we pay to the kingdom. If it is not technically owned by us, they won''t demand the tribute from us, leaving us with a greater share." Gabriel spoke.

    Lucius nodded at this idea, which was pretty much tax evasion¡­ but quite a simple one. He also wondered if the Grantz kingdom had some mechanism in ce to prevent something like this. Though he hoped that they were ignorant about this, or the nobles were arrogant enough that they wouldn''t lose the opportunity to brag about a business like this.

    Soon the family of three, along with the addition of Kiana, discussed the specifics of the n.

    There were many aspects that needed to be covered, such as procurement ofnd, sourcing the Carom Fruits in a way that did not seem suspicious and also getting the workers that would manufacture the wine.

    After all, Lucius couldn''t do everything alone, could he?

    Then came the part about the ownership of the brewery. They needed it to be someone that was loyal to them, but they couldn''t be directly linked to them either. This was aplex mix and it took them an hour to figure out the person who would fit this criteria perfectly.

    The person they finally choose was none other than Alessa, wife of Lieutenant John!

    Ever since they had been blessed with the news about Cia''s gift, they had been living in a new house that had been provided to them by the Inanis family. If everything went well, they would probably join the upper ss and be nobles themselves in a few years.

    But with the n Lucius suggested, this would be sped up a lot.

    "John would be probably be shocked to hear about thister." Kiana chuckled.

    "Indeed¡­ he is a simple man, yet loyal. His wife is also a good woman, but she also has a fierce side to her." Litamented, recalling her talks with Alessa.

    "Perfect¡­ but nowes the thing about location. Where will be the brewery located?" Gabriel questioned.

    They didn''t really have to worry about buying thend since everything was owned by the Inanis family by default, except for the parts that were taken up by the other lower ranked nobles.

    Lucius smiled, a suggestion was already prepared in his mind.

    "The empty fields outside the city seem the perfect choice. In the future, we will even be able to nt our own Carom fruits there and be self sustained. But for now, building a small warehouse should suffice." Lucius said.

    "Alright, I''ll get the paperwork ready and assign the steward to take over the construction. He should be able to get some craftsman to make it in no time." Gabriel replied.

 Chapter 83 - Humble Blaze

    Lucius nodded his head, feeling pleased with this.

    "How long will it take for them to make the building?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ procuring the wood should be easy, as we can get that from the forest. The only thing would be the craftsman. Though if we increase the number ofborers, it should be done in less than a month." Gabriel said.

    "There is another faster way." Kiana interrupted.

    "Oh? Please do tell." Lucius said.

    "We can hire Dorian''s constructionpany," Kiana answered.

    "What''s so special about them?" Lucius asked.

    "They are a group of artisans that all have gifts that help in construction and building. If we give this project to them, they will be able to finish it in less than a week I bet." Kiana replied.

    Lucius raised his brows upon this, as he had almost forgotten the aspect of gifts here. If normal people had gifts, of course they would capitalize on them and use them for traders like these.

    "Hmm¡­ I''ve heard of them. They are indeed fast but they are not easy to book or to buy. They charge six times the price of what a normal artisan would do. Besides, they work all over the kingdom and have a lot of bookings. We don''t even know if they are nearby for it." Gabriel said.

    Lucius thought it over and reckoned it would be a bit too much to get them for this.

    "I don''t think we should get them even if they are nearby. Not only would we be spending excess money on it, money that would be enough to provide for all the other materials we need, but we would also probably attract attention.

    If an unknown noble were to book a high profilepany like that, Alessa would definitelye under scrutiny from the other nobles. They would want to know how she got the money and the connections to hire them." Lucius said.

    Kiana''s lips were in the shape of an ''O'' as she realized the implications.

    "Alright, we''ll just go through the normal route. Besides getting the vats custom made will also take some time along with the procuring of Carom fruits. After all, we need a ratherrge quantity of them." Gabriel stated.

    The rest of the day was spent in nning and this was the first time Lucius had spent such a long time with his parents in this world. Gabriel and Lita even canceled their ns for the day, as this became their first priority for now. Kiana too gave some more valuable suggestions that even Lucius appreciated.

    It waste at night, and the family was now eating dinner. They had decided to take a break and rest for the night.

    "Ahh¡­ no matter how many times I taste it, it just gets better." Gabriel said after taking a sip of the wine made from carom fruits.

    Lita already had a red face from drinking a couple sses of the wine.

    "Careful though Father, the wine is strong. We don''t want you having a hangover tomorrow morning. After all, we have a lot of things to do." Lucius warned, not wanting to be slowed down just because the man got sick.

    "If you say so¡­ I''ll just finish this bottle. It doesn''t seem fair to leave it alone." Gabriel said with augh and poured the rest of the wine into the ss.

    Lita who had been silent for a while, looked at Lucius and spoke.

    "Son, while you made this wine, have you decided upon a name for it?" Lita asked.

    "Ah, I almost forgot. I do actually." Lucius replied.

    "Really? What is it? Come on, don''t leave us waiting." Gabriel urged.

    "Since it''s made from Carom Fruits that are not liked by many and the strength of the alcohol, I have named it ¡ª Humble ze!" Lucius revealed.

    The eyes of Gabriel and Lita lit up, as the name fell on their ears. They could see the corrtion and nodded their heads. Carom fruits were truly ''humble'' so humble that even peasants often shied away from eating them.

    And the kick from the alcohol was truly like a ze in one''s belly.

    "EXCELLENT NAME! I dare say, this name shall one day be heard across the kingdom as the number one wine!" Gabriel proimed.

    "Now, now, father. I don''t think that wille true." Lucius suddenly said.

    Lita and Kiana looked at him with confusion in his eyes, while Gabriel seemed to think Lucius was also being ''humble'' like his wine.

    "And why do you say that, dear?" Lita asked with concern in her voice.

    "Because there will be better wines than these that I will make." Lucius chuckled.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    "AHAHAHA!!!" The count broke out inughter as he mmed the dining table.

    "Of course! Of course! My son can make it even better. Why should we just aim for the kingdom, we may as well aim for the world!" Gabriel said, his voice slurring a bit.

    It was evident the wine was showing its colors.

    The Drunk sitting on his bum in the Count''s stomach had now climbed into his head!

    Laughter and jokes mixed as Lucius felt happy in after a long time. It was a strange feeling to him and was a bit foreign too.

    The night passed, and the four members returned to their chambers to retire. Later that night, the servants would hear the Count and the Countess having quite a bit of a Romp at night. The maids would blush and quickly get to their quarters.

    Lucius though, focused on creating the hell imprint. He was progressing quite fast today and it seemed like him being in a happy mood before this contributed to having good concentration. He had been able to form better hell imprints that still copsed, but he was able toplete them up to the 50% mark.

    This was an improvement from the previous 40%. This meant that he was getting close to the coordinates that would work perfectly for him.

    "Soon¡­ soon it shall be my time¡­"

 Chapter 84 - A Collaboration

    The next day, Lucius quickly finished up his daily lessons with Kain. Usually, he would dy it intentionally, making it seem like he had to put a little effort into learning. But after yesterday he realized the people were much more epting of his sudden increase in intelligence.

    They just attributed it all to the ''Grace of Etara''.

    ''It''s funny how the ''godly'' excuse is working for me in this world.'' Lucius chuckled to himself

    Kain also didn''t show any different reaction to Lucius upon seeing him finish up so quickly this time. It was evident that the man had gotten habituated to it as well. Lucius hurriedly sent him off before going to hisb to prepare for today''s work.

    Today was an important day and Lucius was going to finally start one of his long term ns. He checked the brewery and took out two more bottle''s worth of Humble ze from the vats before filtering it onest time and then filling it in bottles.

    John and his wife had been invited today for a special asion, and these would serve as the perfect apaniment. After all, Alessa as the ''owner'' of the establishment, should know about her product.

    Lucius and his parents had decided that today was the day that they were going to pull in John and his wife into the fold. Lita had already sent out an invitation to them formally and John would be arriving hereter anyway, for Lucius''s daily swordsmanship lessons.

    Lucius never got the opportunity to fight the bandits two days ago and thus John never got to witness the increase in his skill. This was something Lucius was a bit disappointed about as he wanted to test out the Wind scar Sword on some real humans.

    "I''ll get plenty of opportunities to test it in the future¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He went to the main hall to wait for the guests that would soon be arriving. There he saw that Kiana was already setting up the things for their visit. The servants were also doing their duty in cleaning up while Lita was having some tea while reading some documents.

    "I reckon everything is going fine, mother?" Lucius asked.

    "It is indeed. The invitation was sent out perfectly and they will be arriving any minute now." Lita replied.

    "What about father, where is he?" Lucius questioned.

    "He is writing out the directives for the steward so that they can start to draft the transfer of the ownership ofnd. Once we take the Signature of Alessa the final proceedings will be able to be done." Lita answered.

    "I see¡­" Lucius replied and sat down in the chair.

    They waited there in silence for about twenty minutes before a servant arrived in the hall.

    "Lieutenant John and Lady Alessa have arrived!" The servant announced.

    "Ah, they''re here." Kiana said. "I''ll go inform the count as well." She added.

    <em>~tak~tak~tak~</em>

    The sounds of steps could be heard as John and Alessa soon appeared in the archway. And in Alessa''s hand was the baby Cia, silently sleeping. Lita smiled seeing the happy family and gestured them to approach.

    "Greetings Countess Lita, Young Lord Asher." John and Alessa greeted with a light bow.

    "Come on, sit. We have a lot to talk about." Lita said.

    The husband and wife took seats, still unsure of why they were called here. Their lives had be a lot better ever since their daughter had awakened the epic ranked gift and the Count had offered them a better ce to live.

    Not only that, but Lieutenant John was also ted for promotion and had already gotten a raise in his sry. The only thing that was remaining was for his rank to be officially raised in the army.

    They truly felt like they were indebted to the Inanis family and thus were anxious about why they were called here. They wondered if something bad had happened or if they had offended them somehow.

    "What did you call us here for Countess Lita?" John asked respectfully.

    "We''ll speak as soon as the Count is here," Lita replied before looking at the hall way, impatiently.

    No less than a minuteter, the sound of metal boots could be heard as the Count appeared, along with Kiana in tow.

    "Wee John, Alessa." Gabriel greeted them with a smile, which did nothing to reduce the anxiety that the couple was feeling.

    He then quickly sat down before lightly clearing his throat.

    "So I believe you two must be wondering why you were called here?" Gabriel said.

    It was Lucius who had suggested that Gabriel be the one to speak mostly here, as it would be better to use his authority and reputation to tie the man and his wife to them. While Asher would also be able to do it, it would simply not be the same as a Count speaking.

    "Yes we do indeed. Is there any problem Count? I hope it was nothing we did¡­" John spoke cautiously.

    "HAHAHA!" Gabriel suddenlyughed out loud while Lita also chuckled a little bit.

    "No, no, no. It''s nothing like that. Rather, I asked you here for something important." Gabriel replied and took a pause to observe the two.

    "I would like to make you two nobles officially," Gabriel revealed.

    The two didn''t react at first as it took them time to register this fact. But once they did, their eyes went wide. They knew that they would be nobles eventually due to their daughter, but that would take at least ten years.

    "W-why¡­ why out of the blue, Count Gabriel?" John asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

    "Well, more urately it will be your wife who will be a noble while you will get it due to being her spouse," Lita said with a chuckle.

    "-Wha" John uttered in a confused tone.

    Alessa thought managed to control herself much quicker, and looked at the Count and countess calmly.

    "Pardon me Count, but bing even an unranked noble needs a certain level of fortune and influence, right? We have nothing of that sort. Even with John being promoted, it won''t be enough to warrant that." Alessa stated.

    "You won''t need to worry about that. With what we are nning, you two will be wealthy quite soon." Gabriel replied.

    Alessa and John narrowed, raised their brows but did not speak, wanting to know more.

    "I think you should fully exin to them now father, this is enough teasing." Lucius urged.

    "Alright then. Listen¡­" Gabriel said before exining the entire situation.

    It took them over two hours to exin the n and how it would be working. Alessa would be made the owner of the brewery on paper, while the profits would be taken by the Inanis family. John and Alessa would of course be getting a part of it, and it was decided it would be five percent.

    Even this was hard for them to decided upon, as Gabriel had stated ten percent at first. But then John insisted it be less, as it was the Asher''s work by which the wine came into existence and it was the Count''s money with which the entire thing was being built by.

    The husband and wife would just be benefiting without doing much and thus were staunch about this. They even swore their loyalty to the Inanis family formally and stated that they would do their best to fulfill their duty.

    Alessa was properly educated and thus could handle the daily workings of the brewery with no problem, so that was one less position they needed to worry about. As for John, he would be taking care of the security of the brewery as it would be a big secret and also train Lucius in the meantime.

    "We will be eternally grateful to you, Count Gabriel, Countess Lita, young Lord Asher." John and Alessa said with a bow.

    "Hahaha!" Gabrielughed before grabbing a bottle of Humble ze.

    "Well then, I believe it is time to introduce you two to the current best wine in the Grantz Kingdom." Gabriel boasted.

    John and Alessa were a bit surprised about the big ims but wanted to wait before judging it. Kiana poured out five sses and served them to each person, with one for herself. She hade to like the wine too and was not going to miss out on it.

    The count held out the ss of wine and spoke, "To Asher and his brew. May we prosper together because of it and may our foes perish!"

    "To Young lord Asher!" John and Alessa said with vigor.

    Lita and Kiana chimed in as well and sipped the wine.

    "Mmm!" John and Alessa had audible reactions to the wine''s kick and taste.

    "GREAT WINE!" John praised openly.

    "Indeed, young Lord Asher has made a miracle." Alessa joined in.

    Laughter and joy could be seen in the hall as the two families mixed and mingled.

    Nobody knew that today would be the day one of the richest nobles of the Grantz Kingdom woulde into existence.

 Chapter 85 - Commotion In The City And Nosy Nobles

    After exining the things to John and Alessa, five days passed by quickly.

    In those five days, the Inanis city saw quite a few changes. The first was the fact that there was suddenly a demand for workers in the city and someone was recruiting a lot of them.

    The types of workers that were needed were varied, too. There were unskilledborers involved along with skilled workers like carpenters, cksmiths, and woodworkers needed. This excited the people of the city a bit as the people that wanted these workers were paying a higher price than normal.

    The citizens also noticed that a basic fence had been created in the outskirts of the city. Soon the workers that were recruited were sent there, and they started preparing thend. First, they cleaned it up a bit and leveled it.

    Just this took them two days while the lumberjacks went to the forest and chopped down trees for the timber.

    By now the people had be aware that something was being built there, but they didn''t know. A few curious people even asked the workers that were working there on what was going to be built.

    But they received confusing answers. Some workers simply said they did not know, while others gave different answers. Some said a new barracks for the army was being made here, some said it was going to be arge mansion, while some said it was going to be a warehouse for crops.

    Overall, there were many rumors going around and these were all intentionally spread by Lucius. He didn''t want any nobles or their enemies getting a whiff of what was going to happen.

    He made sure no single person knew everything about the Brewery bypartmentalizing all the information. The workers only knew what they were ''supposed'' to know and nothing more.

    Thus they all added to the rumors by adding their own conclusions about what was being built.

    As for who had ordered this to be built, that was also a mystery. The order was directly sent through a steward who was representing said party. This was a different steward that Gabriel had hired.

    Though in reality, he was just one of the men that worked for him in the army unofficially. The Inanis family had nock of people that were willing to work for them, and there were far too many to know individually.

    Gabriel only needed to make sure the man would not leak anything and would keep his silence. Once those two things were confirmed, the process was swiftly started.

    The other nobles in the city were of course nosy, and wanted to know who could afford such arge chunk ofnd along with hiring so many people. They knew that it must be some other noble, and they wondered why they did it.

    The most obvious answer to them was it was a new venture. But some of them also argued that it may be a new noble moving into the Inanis city and getting their new mansion built. Of course, the nobles of the city tried to ask the Count, but he simply ignored them.

    The excuse that he was busy with military work was enough to shut them up. The kingdom was embroiled in war and was currently in a sensitive time as the Armistice was still being finalized.

    If they said anything or disturbed Gabriel too much, he was very well in his rights to punish them. After all, most of the nobles of Inanis city were not part of the Army and were merely richndlords or business owners.

    Forget Gabriel, if the other higher ups in the army found out letters were being sent to Gabriel involving some petty matters and they were taking up his time, they may themselves be angry with these nobles and would take action.

    Count Gabriel was a brave man who did not shy away from the front lines. To other higher nobles who were scared of death, he was a saving grace as they could easily push him to the front while saving their own asses.

    If they saw that their main man who protected them from the war front was being harassed by some lower nobles, they would not take it lightly.

    Of course, these nosy nobles won''t give up that easily. Since they could not contact Count Gabriel they went to the very next person who was likely to know about it- The Countess.

    Unlike the Count, the Countess lived in the city always and attended to certain administrative matters there. So there was a great chance that she would know about it, or so they thought.

    But the reality was sad as they were denied right away. Lita just said she didn''t know either and it was dealt with by men who worked with the Count. Now, having lost all points of ess, the nobles could only wait and see what it was going to be.

    During this time, Lucius was also doing his own work. Not only did he continue his practice of making the Hell imprint, but he also checked out the gifts of people that worked in the Inanis family. He was looking for the right person to be his next subject for the test.

    He wanted to find a suitable person whose gift woulde in handy to him and help him in the long term as well. Doing so was difficult, as he could only gather information about one gift in a single day.

    And in these five days, he had done six gifts. He had been able to do one extra gift because he used nexus on a servant with amon ranked gift. He discovered that doing so allowed him to directly gain all the information about that gift at once, including the requirements for the evolution of the gift.

    Though his assumption that the lower the rank the lower the requirements for the gift evolution turned out to be true. In fact, themon ranked gift that he had used nexus on, only needed Aether Crystals to be upgraded!

 Chapter 86 - Concluding Kains Lessons And A Letter

    Having learned more about his gift, Lucius wanted to do more tests. He learned that he could fully reveal the information about amon ranked gift. As for an umon ranked gift, he would get information till the evolution requirement but not the actual method of upgrading.

    And as expected, the umon ranked gifts needed a Rune beast''s Rune Crystal as well. This gave Lucius a good guess about how the requirements increased with each rank, withmon rank gifts only needed Aether crystals, Umon needing Rune Crystals as an additional requirement, and then finally a rare ranked crystal needing additional materials like ores.

    Lucius did not have the opportunity to check what the requirements for the upgrade to an Epic ranked Gift were, but he reckoned that they should definitely require more types of items for it.

    Today was the day Lucius had decided would be hisst with Kain. He reckoned he had learned enough from Kain, and now he could learn the rest on his own.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius closed the notebook and ced it on the side as he looked at Kain.

    "As good as always, Asher." Kain said, praising him.

    "I have you to thank as well, master Kain. If it were not for you, I would not have learned everything so fast." Lucius said. "Also, master Kain, I was thinking we can now wrap up our lessons from today. I think I''m now capable enough to learn the rest on my own." Lucius added.

    Kain looked a bit confused after hearing Lucius'' words but nodded. He gave a self-depreciating smile and said, "seems like the teacher could not keep up with the student, haha."

    "We will just be ending our current lessons, Master Kain. I would still like to learn more about rune beasts from you in the future." Lucius exined.

    "Ah, of course. It will be my please teaching you more about them." Kain said with a smile.

    He then turned around to pick up his bag and brought it to the front. He rummaged through the bag before taking out a slightly rusty metal badge.

    "Take this, it''s a visitor badge that you can use to enter the Artificers guild. If you need help from me, you cane visit." Kain said.

    Lucius took the badge which had the symbol of the artificers guild carved on it and thanked Kain. He then walked him to the entrance of the mansion and bid him farewell.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    "That''s one thing off the routine¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    "Are you gonna focus on the wine brewing now?" Kiana who had overheard Lucius, asked.

    "Well¡­ not exactly. Wine is just one of the things and it won''t need much since we''ve already have a grasp on the recipe. There is a little fine-tuning that will be needed once we set up therge brewery, but we should be fine for now.

    I''ll be doing some other things now, like learning more about the gifts and our situation with the Viscount." Lucius answered.

    "I see¡­ seems like your days would only get more busy from now on," Kiana stated.

    "You have no idea¡­" Lucius replied while staring out at the sky.

    ***

    Hours passed, and Lucius was now practicing his swordsmanship with John.

    "Young Lord, there is a letter for you." A servant suddenly interrupted them.

    <em>~Shing~</em>

    The blunt iron sword in Lucius''s hand trembled as he stopped it in mid-motion. He then put it down on the side and wiped his face with the towel that Kiana had just given him.

    "Pass it to me." Lucius extended his hand.

    The servant gave him the letter before taking his leave. Lucius curiously looked at the letter, wondering who it was that sent him the letter. This was the first time he was getting one ever since he took over Asher''s body.

    Lucius looked at the wax seal on the letter but saw that it was a in seal with no symbol.

    "Hmm¡­ who could it be from?" Lucius muttered before cracking the wax seal and flipping open the envelope.

    "Paul Faulkner?" Lucius read the name mentioned.

    He recalled that this was one of Asher''s old friends and hade to visit him a few times when he was paralyzed. He was the son of a rich merchant who had managed to buy his way into the ranks of nobility a long time ago.

    ''Dear Asher,

    Where have you been these days? I haven''t met you for a lorn time now. Andrew, me, and the rest were wondering if you got sick again. At first, I had thought you woulde to meet us when you got healed, but we didn''t hear anything from you.

    I couldn''t be patient anymore and thus wrote you a letter.

    Now to the main part; there is a party that is going to be held soon and I want us all to go there. We haven''t had fun in a long time together and I think it would be a good opportunity to catch up.

    The party I''m talking about is being organized by Bethany of the Harrels Barony. A lot of noble heirs will be there, and I heard even the son of Viscount Drew will be there. Andrew and I have been invited and you can join us as well.

    Don''t worry about the invitation as I think she didn''t invite you because your family is above her''s and she was probably afraid. So just hurry up and agree, the party will be next Friday.

    I''ll be waiting for your response.

    Paul Faulkner.''

    "What does it say?" Kiana who had been standing at the side, asked.

    "Hmm¡­ it is Paul. He is asking me to join him and the others at a party." Lucius said.

    "A party? Where?" Kiana asked, feeling interested.

    "It''s organized by the daughter of Baron Harrels, Bethany. Apparently, a lot of people areing." Lucius answered.

    "Well then, are you gonna go? I think it will be a good change of pace for you. It will help you get back into the social circles." Kiana suggested.

 Chapter 87 - Full Effort

    Lucius thought over the letter and Kiana''s suggestion, finding both to be good. He did need to be a bit more involved in the social circles of the nobles if he wanted to grow his power. After all, in a world such as this, an individual would not be able topete against an entire kingdom.

    "Alright, I''ll go there." Lucius agreed.

    "Great! I''ll get some special clothes prepared for you. After all this will be your first appearance after a long time." Kiana said, before rushing away to do what she said.

    Looking at her one would think that she was the one attending the Party rather than Lucius as she was more excited than him.

    "This woman¡­" Lucius Chuckled.

    Even though Kiana was in her thirties, she hadn''t lost her childish touch. Though she could be fierce when the time for it was there. Lucius couldn''t really find anything toin about her.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    He picked up the sword back and returned to practicing.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~zing~</em>

    His strikes were getting better with practice, and now he was nearly the same as that of a trained soldier. Even his body seemed to have improved greatly in this time and the outline of muscles could already be seen from his clothes.

    It was getting toned, and if he was shirtless, it was bound to attract attention from quite a lot of girls.

    Spending a couple more hours in practice, Lucius decided to windup for the night and returned to the mansion. Quickly heading to the Baths, he ordered a servant to get a change of clothes for him.

    Once he was done with the bath, he sat in the dining hall while thinking about the Hell imprint. All this time, Lucius had been desiring to make a hell imprint, but the thing was he didn''t even know what he was going to do with it.

    He actually didn''t know for sure if the demonic magics would work in this world or not. Or if there would be restrictions on it. Though seeing how the Soul resonance spell had worked made him think that his previous world''s spells might work.

    "What should be my first goal¡­ strengthening my body seems like the most obvious one, but I don''t think this one will be able to handle that level of demonic mana infusion. Plus the side effect may be too ring for other people to not notice." Lucius muttered to himself.

    There was no one in the hall except for a couple of servants who stood near the wall, waiting on Lucius if he needed anything. Thus they could not hear Lucius either and just thought he was mumbling to himself about work.

    <em>~tak~tak~tak~</em>

    The sound of shoes cking against the floor could be heard as Lita appeared in the hallway.

    "Kiana seemed excited for some reason. Did something happen?" Lita questioned, feeling curious.

    "Ah yes, I have yet to inform you. I got an invitation to a party. It''s being held by the daughter of Baron Harrels." Lucius answered.

    "Baron Harrels, huh¡­" Lita responded.

    "Is there a problem?" Lucius asked, seeing Lita''s reaction.

    "No¡­ it''s just that Baron Harrels has always had a close rtionship with Viscount Drew, although they are still part of our territory. I doubt they would invite you as well." Lita said.

    Upon hearing this, Lucius realized that he had actually made a mistake in assuming that Paul''s guess was correct.

    ''So it was intentional¡­ though it might be a good asion to scout out a few things.'' Lucius thought.

    "It wasn''t exactly her that invited me. It was Paul who invited me along with the others that are going there." Lucius replied.

    Lita''s expression visibly eased up after hearing his words.

    "Ah, if it''s him then it should be fine," Lita said.

    Lucius simply nodded his head and waited for the food to arrive.

    ***

    Back in his room, Lucius quickly got to making the hell imprints.

    With the help of the soul essence, he was progressing faster and was now able to reach at least 70% before the imprint copsed. Multiple hours had passed, and Lucius was probably on his thousandth attempt now.

    <em>~Shua~</em>

    The illusory symbols of the hell imprint started to form above Lucius''s chest as he kept on focusing on the form.

    "This has to be it!" Lucius eximed.

    While Lucius was going through the different coordinates, he had suddenly stumbled upon one that seemed to fit perfectly. It was almost like his luck had been increased greatly as something like this seldom happened. Though considering he was using up soul essence to shield himself from the damage, it could just have been the result of sheer numbers.

    The illusory symbol flickered and reached fifty percentpletion, after which it paused. Sweat dropped off Lucius''s forehead as he put his entire focus on pushing the hell imprint topletion.

    With his extra effort, it reached the seventy percent point once again. But this was the next bottleneck that Lucius needed to ovee.

    "Come on¡­e on¡­" Lucius mumbled.

    Lucius went through the forms again, finding the best approach to make progress, before trying the one he thought was best.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Another symbol joined the hell imprint, showing that it was progressing.

    "YES! Just like that!" Lucius said with excitement.

    Now he had slowed down his process as he wanted to take this extremely carefully. He was sure that he could actually form a proper hell imprint with these coordinates. All he needed to do was to just find thepatible symbols that fit the hell imprint.

    Minutes turned to hours as Lucius continued his work. Eventually, he reached the next step and the hell imprint had reached 90%pletion. By now a headache thrummed in Lucius''s head as he forced himself to continue.

    "Ah! Time to put all my stakes in!" Lucius stated with determination.

    He controlled the soul essence and poured it entirely into the Hell imprint.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Hundreds ofplex symbols started to suddenly appear around Lucius''s soul.

 Chapter 88 - A Clash Of Two Energies

    Lucius''s soul was also trembling right now and a thinyer of soul essence was the only thing keeping it from getting damaged.

    The symbols that had just appeared started to rain down onto the iplete hell imprint. What Lucius was doing right now was basically throwing everything at the hell imprint and waiting for the right one to stick.

    <em>~WEENG~</em>

    Suddenly one of the symbols reacted with the hell imprint and joined fully.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The progress that had been stuck at 90% rushed ahead at breakneck speed as the imprint finallypleted.

    <em>~humm~</em>

    The hell imprint trembled as it met theyer of soul essence that was surrounding Lucius''s soul as a protective barrier.

    "Let''s hope this one really works¡­" Lucius muttered before dispelling the soul essence barrier.

    The Hell imprint thus descended and stuck to the left side of the chest of Lucius''s soul. It was right where his heart was and it looked like it was being covered by the hell imprint.

    "<em>Ssss~</em>" Lucius hissed in pain as the Hell imprint attached to his soul.

    The process was quite painful as it was joining the soul to a dimension that was an unknown distance away. Some pain was bound to happen in the process and Lucius had experienced it before as well.

    He soldiered on and finally got through the entire thing.

    <em>~humm~</em>

    The hell imprint finally settled on Lucius''s soul, and everything stabilized.

    "It¡­ is¡­ done¡­" Lucius muttered between his breaths.

    He was incredibly tired and could not hold back anymore. He left the soul space and returned to his body, before copsing into his bed. He had no idea how much time had passed by then and only wanted to rest for now.

    Lucius entered deep sleep and had many dreams during it. He saw demons and the hell dimensions. He saw the demons fighting and the fires of hell seething. The demonic energies and mana swirled everywhere as they powered the beings of that world.

    Unknown to him, the hell imprint had appeared over his body in the real world too. There it started to thrum with power before releasing crimson strands of energy from it. These strands of energy trailed along Lucius''s body.

    The energy touched Lucius''s body and suddenly felt some resistance. From Lucius''s body, milky white energy emanated.

    It was this milky white energy that had stopped the crimson energy. The two energies shed and tried to ovee each other but were unable to¡­ they were equally matched. This seemed to have infuriated the hell imprint as it suddenly erged and tried to absorb the Milky White Energy into itself.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The conflict between the two energies got worse and Lucius''s body was now getting affected. ck spots started appearing on it due to the coteral damage caused by the two energies.

    <em>~groan~</em>

    Lucius let out a pain filled grunt due to this but could not wake up. The dream he was in had fully trapped him inside.

    In the dream, Lucius saw tworge armies fighting with each other. On one side was the great army of demons, while on the other sided was an army of knights. Lucius could not see what the knight looked like as they were covered fully in armor, but he could recognize the various demons as he had seen them during his journey through the worlds.

    Just when the sh of the two armies was getting to the climax, the army of knights suddenly decided to retreat and disappeared.

    In the real world, the milky white energy which had been fighting the crimson energy from the hell imprint stopped doing it once the ck spots started to appear on Lucius''s body. It entered his body, and the ck spots started to heal.

    After a few seconds, they all disappeared by the crimson energy had also taken advantage of this to enter his body.

    Inside the soul space, one could see that Lucius''s soul was glowing in two colors. One was a milky white color and the other the crimson red color. The milky white color wasing from the symbol of ''Nexus'' on his back, while the crimson color wasing from the hell imprint on his chest.

    The two colors intertwined before root like appendages raised from the hell imprint. These roots spread through Lucius''s translucent soul and reached for the pattern that was on his back. This was his ''gift'' Nexus itself.

    The roots attacked the symbol, gaining easy entry to it as it could not resist anymore. More and more roots joined up with the symbol of the nexus, before it was fully covered with them. Slowly a change could be seen in the symbol of nexus.

    From its previews Milky white color, it slowly started to be red. But it was not the crimson red of the hell imprint''s energy, rather it was a much lighter red like that of the sky during sunset. Once it was fully changed to light red, the hell imprint calmed down and returned to the surface of the chest.

    In the real world, the hell imprint which was erged also faded away into thin air, leaving no trace behind.

    <em>~Creek~</em>

    But the moment it disappeared, the door of the bedroom also opened.

    "Asher?" The voice of Kiana could be heard.

    She stepped into the bedroom, wanting to check up on Asher who had not woken up for a long time now.

    "Asher are you okay, it''s already past noon," Kiana said as she saw him lying on the bed on his back.

    She came closer and saw his face that was covered in sweat and his clothes that were drenched in sweat as well. Kiana suddenly felt like something was bad and touched the forehead of Asher.

    "Huh? He doesn''t have a fever either¡­ why is he sweating so much then, the weather is not hot either?" Kiana wondered.

    She tried to shake Asher a few times, but he gave no response. It was evident that the sleep he was in had grasped him tightly. Kiana''s eyes then wandered to the books that were spread around near the bed and the study table before she realized something.

    "This man¡­ did he spend all night reading?"

 Chapter 89 - Soul Mutation?

    Lucius didn''t know but him forgetting to close and putting the books properly had saved him from being exposed. Had it not been for Kiana thinking that it was just him being tired, they would have called in a priest or a healer.

    Kiana watched Lucius for a while, making sure that he really was fine and was not sick.

    "Is he having a nightmare?" Kiana wondered.

    But since Lucius was not moving or murmuring, she reckoned that the nightmare must have passed by now.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "I''ll just tell Aunt Lita he''s tired and sleeping," Kiana said to herself before leaving the room.

    Downstairs, Lita was sitting and sipping some tea.

    "I checked up on Asher, he''s just sleeping," Kiana stated.

    "Still sleeping? Why? He''s not sick or anything, right?" Lita asked with concern.

    Kiana shook her head in response before speaking.

    "No, he just spent the entire night reading some books. Probably got engrossed in them and forgot about the time." Kiana answered.

    "This boy¡­ before he barely used to open a book to read and now he can''t get enough of them," Lita said.

    "What should we do now?" Kiana asked.

    "Leave him be. If he was reading all night, then it must have been something important. He has already helped our family a lot in these past few days and has put a lot of effort into it. He deserves to rest more." Lita stated.

    "Alright. I''ll ask the cooks to prepare something more nutritious for him tonight. Since he has pretty much skipped on two entire meals, he may as wellpensate for it at dinner." Kiana replied.

    Lita nodded her head in approval before letting Kiana leave. She went to sipping her tea while reading a few more letters that had arrived.

    ***

    Lucius had been sleeping for over twelve hours now and would have skipped over the swordsmanship practice today had it not been for it being Sunday. By the time his eyes opened, it was past sunset.

    <em>~groan~</em>

    Lucius struggled to sit up from the lying position and felt like his body was quite sore. He looked out of the window and saw the dark sky, along with the faint lingering lights of themps in the city.

    "It''s already nighttime¡­ seems like I ended up sleeping the entire day," Lucius muttered to himself.

    He managed to rise from the bed and washed his face with the water in the basin. It had already been cleaned and refilled by Kiana, as she knew that he would need it when he woke up. Having washed his face, Lucius reached for the jug of water that was kept at the corner table.

    His throat was parched, having not drunk anything for the past twenty four hours or so. Thest time Lucius had drunk water was during dinnerst night and after that, he had just spent all his time in forming the hell imprint.

    "Ahh¡­" Lucius said in relief as the cool water rejuvenated his tongue and throat.

    <em>~pop~pop~pop~</em>

    He stretched his body, making its joints crackle and pop. It was evident they had gotten tensed during the long period that he had been motionless. After he felt a bit better, Lucius decided to check upon the hell imprint.

    Lucius actually didn''t know if he had fully seeded or not. Thest thing he remembered was it materializing fully before he passed out. He thus appeared in the Soul scape and saw the condition of his soul.

    "What the hell is this?" Lucius said in shock.

    The change in Lucius''s soul was massive and it was enough to shock even him, who had seen many different things. His consciousness got closer to the soul and observed the Hell imprint that was on the left side of his chest.

    There were tens of root like tendrils arising from it that went deep into his soul and came all the way across it on the other side. Here they joined with the symbol for Nexus and created a strange cycle.

    There was energy traveling between these two points and it would change between crimson red and light red.

    "What did the hell imprint do to Nexus?" Lucius wondered.

    Since he had never seen gifts before in this world and the energy called Aether also did not exist in the other worlds, Lucius could note up with any hypothesis.

    ''Should I try to enter my soul to see what the effect is?'' Lucius wondered.

    After thinking deeply for a few minutes, Lucius reckoned that he definitely needed to do it. He thus willed it and his consciousness merged with his soul.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    His soul faintly glowed in a red light before its eyes opened. Lucius first tried to see if anything felt wrong in his soul-body and ensure that it had not harmed it or anything.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    "Seems like a soul mutation instead¡­" Lucius analyzed.

    He had learned about soul mutations and had seen plenty of them in his past life. It was actually something that happened a lot in the members of the Great Barrom n. Because they interacted with the Demonic Mana and hell energies all the time, they would inadvertence affect their bodies and eventually their souls.

    Those who were True bloods of the Barrom n had a greater connection with hell, which caused their souls to interact directly with the Hell energies. Thisbined with the hell imprint they had caused their souls to take on different characteristics.

    Depending on the kind of True name they had, their souls may even gain some demonic aspects that belonged to the demon whose name they bore.

    "A soul mutation of this kind is not something I''ve seen before. Though¡­ it seems mostly benign and does not affect the actual functioning of my soul." Lucius analyzed.

    Lucius checked the root like tendrils and discovered that they were actually energy channels that were made between the hell imprint and the Nexus.

    "The nexus and the Hell Imprint are now linked?" Lucius said, feeling a bit bewildered.

 Chapter 90 - A New Type Of Energy

    Lucius checked the energy flow between the two points and sensed that it was rather smooth.

    "Hell energy and Aether are working in tandem and are rather synchronized," Lucius said.

    Lucius knew about the properties of Hell energy very well and knew that it could react violently with other types of energies. It needed an expert mage to make it harmonious with other types of energies.

    But Aether seemed to be naturally conducive to hell energy, such that it was actually the highest level of naturalpatibility that Lucius had ever seen till now.

    "I haven''t channeled any demonic mana yet, but if the hell energy can work so well with Aether then it should do the same with Demonic mana too." Lucius reckoned.

    While it seemed like hell energy and Demonic Mana were simr, they were actually different. Hell energy was the natural energy that was present in various hell dimensions. While Demonic energy was something that was produced by demons.

    For a member of the Great Barrom n, they would be able to use hell energy as soon as they were able to form a hell imprint, but if they wanted to use Demonic Mana, they needed to have a true name of a demon.

    This was the difference between the low-born and true blood members of the n. Demonic Mana was a higher, more refined form of mana that could be produced by the Demons after processing natural mana or hell energy.

    They could be used for demonic magic and other things. Even Lucius could not use Demonic mana directly in his past life and needed to use special demonic mana crystals, which acted like batteries for demonic mana. Most of his spells were powered by Hell energy or normal mana that was reinforced with hell energy.

    Having learned this, Lucius couldn''t wait to see how this newbination would work.

    ''There is still some time before I can take up a True Name, but I should still be able to use the hell energy for some spells.'' Lucius thought.

    "Enough of this, let''s see how it actually works¡­" Lucius said before leaving his soul and returning his consciousness to his body.

    Lucius then tried to sense the Aether within his body and discovered that he could use it the same way he was able to before. In addition to this, Lucius also sensed some slivers of hell energy that were present in his body.

    "Hmm¡­ this should be the current limit of the hell imprint. This is all it can channel at once." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He then lifted his palm and make a sliver of hell energy appear on it.

    <em>~humm~</em>

    The crimson red energy slithered around like a snake above his palm and looked to be unstable.

    ''Seems like handling it openly like this, so early might not be a good idea.'' Lucius thought.

    He then absorbed the hell energy back into his body and decided to try out something different. He tried to channel the Aether out of his body just like he had done with the hell energy but found it to be impossible.

    "The innate characteristics of Aether are quite different from hell energy or even normal mana in that sense. Once it enters the body, it is hard to make it leave. The only other way seems to be using it in activating a gift or an Artifact." Lucius hypothesized.

    He then tried to use thebined form of hell energy and Aether that he had seen within his soul, wanting to see its new properties.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Aether and hell energy mixed within his body before forming in a new light red form. This energy was like smoke and moved in a different manner than the hell energy. It slowly moved out of his body and came out of his hand.

    It collected over his palm in the form of a red mass of smoke.

    <em>~puff~</em>

    Lucius poked it with his other hand''s finger and saw that it moved just like smoke. Once he withdrew his finger though, it gathered back up into a single mass of smoke.

    "Hmm¡­ peculiar¡­ while it is stable¡­ it also seems a bit inert in the outer environment." Lucius muttered.

    Still, this could be considered to be good. If the new red energy was vtile instead of inert like this, Lucius would have had to be way more careful when using it.

    "Well then, time to see how it works with Nexus¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He sucked the red smoke back into his body before using that to active Nexus. The target of Nexus was nothing but himself. Lucius knew he could use nexus on itself and reckoned that this should be the best method to test it, since he knew both the control and sample.

    <em>~Hu~</em>

    Lucius felt his vision flicker a bit before a string of words started to appear in front of him.

    Gift Name: Nexus

    Description: ess the records of the divines and peer into the gifts of all that exists.

    Type: Analytical

    Rank: Unranked

    Evolution: Not possible

    Other owners: None

    There wasn''t much difference in the info that was shown to him, except for one single line that had been added at the end.

    "Other owners? Didn''t expect this¡­" Lucius said with surprise in his voice.

    At first, Lucius didn''t think much of this and found it to be rather underwhelming, but soon the cogs in his mind turned and he realized the implications of this.

    "If it can show the other owners of a gift, then¡­ the uses for this can be way more, especially in intelligence gathering and tactical advantages," Lucius muttered to himself.

    On the surface, this one line seemed quite simple. But its trueplexity was massive. Lucius knew how much intelligence and spy systems were important for great powers to sustain themselves and get rid of enemies.

    What could be terrifying than knowing that your enemy had the same weapon as you? Not know that they did. One could fall to illusions weaved by the enemy if they kept you in blind and used the very weapons that you had.

 Chapter 91 - Hell Aether

    If one knew that their enemies had the same weapons as them, they would know their weaknesses and their strengths, allowing them better maneuvers. This was arge advantage that could decide the oue of a battle or war.

    Having learned this, Lucius very well wanted to try it on other people. Though he didn''t know what the consumption of the new type of energy would be.

    ''I should name it something¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    After thinking for about five minutes, he decided upon a name.

    "It will be called Hell Aether from now on!" Lucius stated.

    It was a simple name, but it showed its meaning very well. Not only was the energy abination of Aether and Hell energy, it could even cooperate very well. Thus the name Hell Aether suited it, making it seem as if it was Aether taken from hell itself.

    "Now then¡­ time to test it out on others¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He left his bedroom and chose his first target, which was none other than a servant that was passing by. Lucius already knew the gift of this servant and thus had all the information on it. He lightly squinted his eyes and used Nexus with Hell Aether as the fuel.

    A string of words quickly started to appear in front of him.

    Gift Name: Sticky Touch

    Description: The user can secrete a weak adhesive from their hands.

    Rank: Common

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: Six Aether Crystals

    Other Owners: Samantha Clemons, J Shaw, Louis Stanley, Carl Burn¡­. (total Owners: 9257)

    Lucius felt his head throb with therge number of names that had just appeared in front of him. Thankfully nexus seemed to be better than he had thought and it automatically condensed all of them while giving him a number.

    He willed it and saw that the list could be extended if he wanted to see it. Still, the sheer number of people that had the same gift as this was shocking to him.

    "Over nine thousand people with the same gift¡­ is this the statistic for a specific area or does Nexus show it for the entire world?" Lucius wondered.

    Though there was another thing that had happened when he had used Nexus on the servant. All the Hell Aether that Lucius had was drained in one go. Since he was letting Aether and Hell energy freely mix, his stores of Aether were drained as well.

    "Seems like the more number of people the higher the requirement for Hell Aether¡­" Lucius realized.

    The servant who Lucius had been looking at felt a gaze on the back of his head and turned around.

    "Y-young Lord Asher!" The servant said, feeling a bit startled. "Do you need anything?" The Servant asked.

    Lucius finally realized what he had been doing and gave an excuse. "Where are my mother and Kiana?"

    "Countess is at the main hall, whiledy Kiana should be there as well. Ah, yes! I just remembered, the countess was saying something about informing her if you left your room." The serpent replied.

    "Is that so¡­ No need to inform her, I''ll just go down myself," Lucius said before leaving.

    The servant also bowed his head before leaving to do his duty. Reaching downstairs, Lucius saw Lita and Kiana in the main hall.

    "Asher!" Kiana said out loud upon spotting him.

    "Are you okay, son? Do you feel sick? You''ve been sleeping for a long time." Lita asked with concern.

    "I''m fine-" Lucius was just about toe up with an excuse when Kiana interrupted him.

    "You stayed up all night reading, didn''t you?" Kiana questioned with a knowing look.

    "Ah¡­ yes. I ended up reading too much and forgot to sleep." Lucius replied, taking advantage of the excuse that Kiana had just very conveniently given him.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "It''s alright. You should now eat dinner, you''ve skipped two meals already." Lita said, changing the topic.

    <em>~Rumble~</em>

    Just as she said that Lucius''s stomach groaned with hunger.

    "Yeah, I do need to eat now. My stomach feels like it''s gonna kill me." Lucius said with a chuckle.

    "You just take a seat at the table and I''ll get the food for you. We had something special made for you tonight." Kiana said before leaving.

    "Something special?" Lucius asked in an apprehensive tone while looking at Lita.

    "Since you were tired and stayed up all night, we decided that something heavy with nutrition might be better for you tonight. It will also help you sleep again, so that you don''t mess up your sleep schedule." Lita exined.

    "Oh, I see. Guess I''ll look forward to the meal then." Lucius said before going to the dining hall.

    About five minutester, a few trays were brought in by the servants along with Kiana. They ced the trays on the table before opening them, disying the dishes that were hidden within them.

    Lucius could see some kind of a steak that had been perfectly cooked, along with some roasted vegetables. Then there was arge bowl of soup that had pieces of fish floating around in it. The soup smelled delicious and made his mouth water. There was also some freshly baked bread, along with some pie for dessert.

    Overall the meal seemed to be quite familiar to himself and he wondered what was so different about it. Kiana noticed his questioning look and knew what he was thinking.

    "This meat is from a Rune beast called as the Joy Milk Cow. While this soup is made from a fish rune beast called as iron scale carp. This pie is also made using the milk of the Joy milk cow." Kiana exined.

    Seeing that all this spread was made using Rune beast made Lucius feel impressed.

    "Let''s see if it tastes better than normal food," Lucius said before starting his meal.

    It didn''t take him long to realize that normal food was nothingpared to rune beast meat.

    ''It can even speed up the regeneration of Aether in my body¡­'' Lucius discovered.

 Chapter 92 - A Venture And Improvement

    With the pleasant discovery about Rune Beast meat, Lucius had another idea appeared in his mind.

    ''I can''t leave the Rune Beast industry alone¡­ it is far too valuable to not be dabbled in.'' Lucius thought to himself as an idea formed in his mind.

    "Kiana," Lucius suddenly spoke.

    "Yes?" Kiana asked.

    "Where do we get the Rune Beast meat from?" Lucius questioned.

    "Umm¡­ the Joy Milk Cows are reared by a few merchants as for the Iron Scale Carp they are found in the rivers of our territory. They are asionally fished by the local fishermen." Kiana answered.

    "These Joy Milk Cows¡­ are they easy to rear?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ not really. They eat a lot and are hard to control due to their size. Most wild Joy Milk cows end up dying under the hands of the mercenaries when they try to capture them.

    Only a few of them are sessfully tamed as they have a much greater value alive. Their milk is a prized delicacy in our kingdom and is worth more than their meat. " Kiana answered.

    "I see¡­ and what about these Iron Scaled Carps, are they easy to fish?" Lucius asked.

    "It depends¡­ The problem with them is their weight. Their scales are hard like iron, and contribute a lot to their weight, not to mention that they also bite throughs and fishing lines.

    Only a handful of them are caught every month though it is never intentional. The ones that are caught by the fishermen are usually the ones which have already been injured and weakened." Kiana answered.

    Lucius nodded his head upon hearing this. Though he was also surprised that Kiana knew this much about rune beasts, as she usually didn''t know much about them.

    ''Must be because they are used as food that she knows¡­ after all, she was trained as a maid, so this is the most basic that she should know I suppose.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Why the sudden interest in them?" Kiana asked.

    "I found them to be quite delicious and wonder if it would be viable for us to start rearing them ourselves," Lucius replied.

    "Really? Usually, business with Rune beasts doesn''t go well. Only the artificers guild has been able to stably maintain them. Most other merchants only do it in the passing and don''t do it as a full-time business.

    Even the beast meat that we get is mostly supplied by mercenaries that hunt them down. This is in fact one of the main sources of their ie." Kiana exined.

    "I see¡­ this will need a lot more preparation than I thought." Lucius muttered to himself, putting the idea at the back of his mind.

    It was currently not viable for him to do this, as he neither had the expertise nor the capital needed to do it. Lucius added it to his list of future ventures that he may be able to take upon once the problems of the Inanis territory were taken care of.

    Lucius had finished the meal and found it to be really pleasant for his body. The Aether that was being generated by his body felt like warm water to him as it gently spread around his body.

    "So this is why they said it will make me feel sleepy once I finished eating it all. Of course, anyone would feel sleepy with this kind of an effect." Lucius said to himself with a chuckle.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lucius took a deep breath and dissipated the sleep that was settling down in his eyes. He stimted the Hell Imprint and started to replenish the Hell Energy that he had used up today.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    I could hear light humming sound as the illusionary pattern of the Hell Imprint appeared over Lucius''s chest. It was mostly hidden by his shirt, but a faint outline could still be seen due to the glow.

    Lucius spent a few hours like this before deciding to sleep. Even if he had slept for over twelve hours earlier, that was not normal sleep and was rather due to the exhaustion suffered by his body. The sleep that he was going to take now was the proper sleep that was needed to restore his body to the normal state.

    He thusid down and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

    ***

    By the time morning came, Lucius''s body had reached its optimum condition. When he woke up, he could feel the propers change in it.

    ''My Aether capacity has certainly increased¡­ though is this a natural increase or is it due to the influence of the Hell Energy?'' Lucius wondered to himself.

    Thinking that he may find it out eventually with time, he got ready for the day. He had a lot of things to do today, the first of which was to check up on his Humble ze''s production. Lucius hade up with a few ideas that may help improve the production of the wine and wanted to test them out.

    It was still early and thus Kiana had note to wake him up. He reckoned it was the perfect time to do some extra work before breakfast.

    <em>~creek~</em>

    The door of hisboratory opened, and Lucius saw the slightly messy look of the room. There were open barrels of Carom fruits andrge pots that have been set up on makeshift stoves. There was also arge pile of Carom fruit peels lying in one corner.

    "Hmm¡­" Lucius took one hard look at the peels as this was the factor he wanted to focus on.

    In the production of the wine, the first step was to wash the Carom fruits and then peel them before they would be mashed into a pulp. After this, they would be heated so that their bitterness was reduced.

    It was these two steps that Lucius wanted to modify.

    "Let''s see if this works¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He picked up one of the fruit from the barrel before dropping it in one of the smaller pots. He then ignited the stove and started heating the pot with the fruit.

 Chapter 93 - Improving The Recipe

    The new method Lucius had thought up of was actually quite simple. Since the peel of the Carom fruits was thick, boiling it should make it easier to remove. And along with this, there would be the added effect of the reduced bitterness due to the heat.

    Lucius was basically hitting two goals with one stone. The problem with the peels was that it would take way too long for someone to peel all fruits by hand. The amount that they were going to produce was simply massive and it would not be viable to peel each fruit.

    Even if they employed arge number of workers to do it, it would still take much longer than it was viable. Thus Lucius thought of this method and hoped that it would work.

    He watched as the fruit boiled in the water for about five minutes before he removed it. Cooling it down slightly with cold water, Lucius then pulled on its skin.

    <em>~mush~</em>

    The peel of the Carom Fruit came out entirely at once, like a sock from a leg.

    "PERFECT!" Lucius eximed.

    Noting this down in his notebook, Lucius did a few more tests such as if the bitterness was properly reduced or not, or if he boiled the fruit for too long, will it be too mushy to peel.

    After about ten trials, Lucius was able toe up with a time period that seemed to work on both aspects well. He discovered that leaving the Carom fruits for about ten minutes was the best. If it was boiled for even two minutes more, the fruit would be too mushy to peel.

    While if it was boiled for less than eight minutes, the bitterness was not sufficiently reduced. Thus he took an average and decided that ten minutes was the best time to boil the fruits for. Recording it in the notebook again, Lucius decided to leave for breakfast.

    All the notes that Lucius was taking in his notebook were precious and would be the base behind the fortune that he will be making from the wine. If the recipe was leaked, it would not take long for other copycats to pop up.

    Though it was going to be quite unlikely for it to be leaked, as Lucius was going to take multiple countermeasures. First of all, he wasn''t going to let the knowledge that the wine was made from Carom fruits, public.

    But he knew this would not be hidden for long and eventually someone would figure out that the wine was made from them after seeing therge amounts that were bought by them. To attest to this, Lucius was already preparing to make carom fruit fields near the brewery.

    This area would be fenced off and included in the area of the brewery, eventually. Though they would have to do it discreetly, or those nosy nobles would probably get involved again. Thankfully, the growing part of the equation was rtively easier as the Carom Fruits grew without much care and were almost like wild weeds.

    People often had a hard time getting rid of them, rather than growing them because they grew so fast and took up so much space once they started to spread. Lucius even learned that some farmers would try to destroy the opponents'' crops by secretly nting Carom fruits in their farm and letting them infest the fields.

    This was actually a punishable offense was duly recorded in thews of the kingdom.

    Lucius almostughed at this when he read about it and wondered how many times it must have happened for the kingdom to explicitly make it into aw.

    "You''re up early," Lita said upon seeing Asher enter the dining hall.

    Even though Lucius had spent nearly two hours in testing out the proper timing for boiling the carom fruits, it was still early for him to wake up. Or rather it could be said that it was an early time for ''him'' to eat breakfast.

    "Yes, mother I woke up early." Lucius replied, not bothering to tell that he had spent two hours working already.

    The two of them ate in silence as Kiana appeared with some letters and documents.

    "These are today''s," Kiana stated, as she ced them near Lita.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Will these nobles never learn¡­ asking irrelevant questions just for the sake of it¡­" Lita said while shaking her head.

    "How''s the brewerying along?" Lucius suddenly questioned.

    "The brewery? It''s going fine." Kiana was the one who replied.

    "What step are they at now?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ I heard yesterday that they were going to start on the foundation today. They are already done clearing out the area yesterday." Kiana replied.

    "I see¡­ that''s good then. Hopefully, it is finished quickly so that we can get started." Lucius stated.

    Both the women nodded their heads as they were looking forward to it as well. The fate of their territory was depending upon this n, and they were taking it very seriously.

    "Oh yes, I almost forgot. Your dress for the party is ready." Kiana said with excitement.

    "It''s ready?" Lucius asked, feeling a bit unsure.

    "Yeah!, you should be getting it by tonight." Kiana replied.

    "I''ll see it then," Lucius replied before focusing on eating.

    "The party is the day after tomorrow right?" Lita asked.

    "Yes, mother." Lucius answered.

    "Hmm¡­ take Donald and a few guards with you¡­ just in case." Lita said.

    Lucius raised his head and looked at Kiana.

    "I''ll have Kiana with me too, so there shouldn''t be any problems," Lucius said. "But since mother insists, I''ll take them with me." He added.

    The rest of the breakfast passed quickly, and Lucius went on to do his daily tasks. At night though, he had different things that he needed to do. Since Lucius had already formed the Hell Imprint, what he now needed to do was to increase the amounts of hell energy it channeled.

    The usual methods that he used in his past world would not work here, as he was using apletely different coordinate. Thus he would have to use different methods of doing it.

 Chapter 94 - Spell Matrix

    "Hmm¡­ if I can just use spells it would be much easier. The regr use of spells and consumption of hell energy would automatically increase the amount of hell energy that can be channeled by the hell imprint at once. Though considering the difference in the worlds, I don''t know how long it would take." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He sensed the Hell energy within his body and drew out one of them.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The crimson streak of hell energy floated over his hand as he observed it.

    "There is certainly some level of suppression on the hell energy in this world. I can feel the ''stiffness'' in its movements." Lucius concluded upon his observations.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    "Let''s see if a spell works," Lucius said, before closing his eyes.

    In his past life, using spells was the same as breathing to Lucius. But in this world, he would have to start all over again. In order to use a spell, a mage needed to create a spell matrix which would then give rise to the actual spell.

    The spell matrix was like a form that gave mana the ''function'' that it needed to do. Once a mage created a matrix in their mind, it would stay there and they would not need to recreate it.

    This would let them use the spell seamlessly. But now that Lucius was trying it¡­ he found it to be hard.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    The spell matrix that had just formed in Lucius''s mind crumbled like dust.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    ''First attempts are like this. Hopefully, theter ones are better.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He tried about five more times before he was finally able to make the spell matrix sessfully.

    "For a basic fireball spells matrix this is still decent, I suppose¡­" Lucius said with a nod.

    He could remember the other apprentice mages who took over a hundred tries to make the spell matrix. Though if he considered them, they were the bottom of the barrel kind of students. Lucius remembered that in his past life, this very imprint took him two attempts to sessfully create.

    If hepared the attempts, the difficulty in forming the spell matrix had increased by 2.5 times.

    "Let''s see how it works¡­" Lucius said before pouring the hell energy into the spell matrix.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The spell matrix within his mind lit up as the hell energy fueled it. Lucius ended up spending half of all of his hell energy before the spell matrix was fully active.

    <em>~humm~</em>

    The air above Lucius''s hand trembled slightly before a small spark appeared there. In the next second, the spark expanded like a sh and turned into a small orange fireball. The fireball crackled as heat emanated from it.

    Lucius then flicked his hand towards the basin that was full of water and shot the fireball.

    <em>~Zoom~</em>

    The fireball streaked across the room and uratelynded within the basin of water.

    <em>~fizz~</em>

    There it was instantly doused out by the water and disappeared as one would expect. But that was not the only effect that Lucius saw.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    "Huh? How''s this possible?" Lucius said in shock.

    The aether within his body suddenly became chaotic and attacked the spell matrix that he had just made. Even Nexus, despite being under the influence of hell imprint started to hum and let out more Aether.

    The Aether assaulted the spell matrix and it soon cracked before crumbling into nothingness. All the effort that Lucius had spent on making the spell matrix was reduced to nothing in the blink of an eye.

    Lucius had never seen spell matrix copse like this out of nothing. Sure he had seen them copse due to overuse or injuries, and he even had a few of them copse himself. But this was the first he was seeing copse due to external factors.

    Frankly, he was surprised that something was even able to affect a spell matrix like this. After all, the spell matrix was not something physical and was in reality, a mental construct.

    "If aether can affect a spell matrix like this, then using spells will not be viable for the most part¡­" Lucius realized.

    "Or maybe this is a one time urrence¡­ what if the Aether reacted as it had never seen a spell matrix before?" Lucius wondered.

    With this thought in mind, he made another spell matrix after six attempts. It took him an extra attempt, which was eptable as it was not always an urate number. Now with the spell matrix formed, Lucius poured the rest of his hell energy in it, depleting all his stores and created another fireball.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The fire ball appeared over his palm and he shot it back into the basin of water.

    <em>~fizz~</em>

    Just as the fireball disappeared, the aether within Lucius''s body attacked the spell matrix again and destroyed it.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "This will not work¡­" Lucius shook his head in disappointment.

    Lucius thought over it more and wondered what more factors could be there to this. He wanted to know if just activating the spell matrix was the trigger for the Aether to destroy it, or was it actually the actual use of the spell which caused this.

    Knowing that it will take him a while to test out this theory, Lucius got to constructing another spell matrix. Once that was done, he just slept and waited for the hell energy to naturally be regenerated by the hell imprint.

    By the time morning came, Lucius was refreshed and the hell imprint had restored the hell energy.

    Upon waking up, he didn''t even wash his face and straight away started to test out his theory. He activated the spell matrix and poured the hell energy into it.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The fireball appeared over his palm, but he did not shoot it out this time. He let it hover over his palm for a few seconds before deactivating the spell.

    <em>~poof~</em>

    The fireball disappeared, and Lucius watched the spell matrix closely.

    <em>~Phew~ </em>

    "Thankfully it is still intact," Lucius said in a relieved tone.

    The spell matrix was intact!

 Chapter 95 - Two Spell Matrices

    Having learned that the spell matrix won''t just copse on its own, Lucius felt relieved. He then focused on the aspect which actually caused its copse and realized that it was Nexus itself.

    "Seems like the conflict between Aether and Hell Energy might still be a problem." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Lucius had not seen the battle between the two energies as he was asleep. Back then the hell energy and Aether had shed many times, such that even Lucius''s body was getting damaged.

    Only when the Aether Voluntarily stopped, was the damage healed. But this had also allowed the hell energy to take over and created the channels between the hell imprint and the Nexus.

    Lucius still didn''t understand the exact nature of change that had been caused by the hell energy except for the creation of Hell Aether. But he knew there must be more to it than he was seeing.

    ''I''ll need to test out more¡­'' Lucius thought.

    The next thing that he needed to test was if he could handle more than one spell matrix. The spell matrix he was gonna attempt to make this time was not an offensive spell. The one he was going to make was actually one of his most used spells from his past life.

    Lucius closed his eyes and got to making the spell matrix. He spent about an hour before he was able to sessfully construct the spell matrix. This spell matrix lookedplex than the one for the basic fire ball that Lucius had made.

    "There we go¡­" Lucius muttered upon seeing that the spell matrix was stable and was not causing any problems.

    He tried to see if he could add more spell matrix but was met with a very obvious obstacle. The moment he tried to attempt the creation of the next spell matrix, the Aether from Nexus became active.

    "Looks like this won''t work. If I do it the two spell matrices will definitely copse." Lucius realized.

    He wondered what could be the reason for this but could note up with anything for now. Thinking that this was something he may not be able to solve quickly, Lucius decided to take it steady instead.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "I''ll figure it out eventually¡­" Lucius muttered. "At least I was able to make the second spell matrix¡­ this wille in handy¡­" Lucius said with a smile.

    Though Lucius understood that these spell matrices were like single use spell scrolls that would be destroyed after one use. It meant that in the time that he needed it, he would only have once attempt to use it. Any more and the spell matrix will just copse.

    ''I will have to make them count¡­'' Lucius thought.

    He finally stood up and decided to clean up before changing his clothes. There were a few preparations he needed to do before he went to the party tomorrow. He didn''t know what would happen there and he wanted to be ready for any possible event.

    Lucius had not checked the dress that was prepared by Kianast night and had simply let it hang on the stand near his wardrobe. He lifted the sheet that was covering it to prevent any dust from falling on it and saw its appearance.

    The clothes were a set made out of five parts. There were simple ck pants that didn''t have any pockets but they did have hoops around the waist. Then there was a basic undershirt that was in white in color. Over it was the main red shirt with pleats on it. There were two pockets in it on the sides while small buttons made out of gold were present on the front.

    Then there was the ck vest that could be worn over the shirt. It had a special silver broach that was pinned to the left side. The broach was nothing but the Crest of the Inanis Family; the three tailed dragon. Lucius had been intrigued by this recast and often felt like he had seen it somewhere before but could not tell where.

    Finally, there was the cape that hung from the very back. Frankly, it looked a bit too much to Lucius but he knew this was the formal dressing of this world and he needed to adapt to it. The cape itself was made out of some kind of beast skin and had fine fur on it.

    The cape was finely tailored and looked impable. The fur was soft and smooth to the touch being a te ck in color. The three different shades of ck really entuated theplete set and made it look amazing.

    "I''ll meet you tomorrow," Lucius said before leaving the bedroom.

    He went to hisb to check if everything was going well and how the wine batches wereing along. While Lucius had already gotten the recipe down for the Humble ze, he was not done. Rather he wanted to see what else he could improve on it.

    He had tried mixing more fruits in it to see if he could get different vors from it. This was something he would not be using straightway but would keep it when the demand in the market stabilized. Or¡­ when copycats started to appear he would release the new type of wine to the public.

    This was his n to ''future proof'' his business. At least he hoped that it would be like this.

    Once Lucius was done with his work in theb, he went downstairs and ate his breakfast with Lita and Gabriel. The Count had arrivedte at night after finishing up several tasks and wanted to rest for the day.

    Lucius and Gabriel talked at length about their ns with the brewery and made sure that everything was going well. The Count also got to know about the attempts by the nosy nobles, but he just told to ignore them for now.

    Though when he got to know that Lucius was heading to the party at Barron Harrels territory, he was intrigued.

 Chapter 96 - Investing In People

    Gabriel asked a few questions to Lucius but did not stop him from going to the party. He in fact approved his choice.

    "Keep an eye on how the children of the other nobles act. Most of them should be younger than you." Gabriel said.

    Lucius raised his brows, wondering what Gabriel meant by it.

    "You think something will happen there?" Lucius asked.

    "We don''t know. But observing the kids of the nobles will give us some insight into their standing, especially Baron Harrels. His daughter should be seventeen if I remember correctly.

    The children are like mirrors. They will reflect whatever his hiding behind the veil of the nobles." Gabriel replied.

    Upon hearing this Lucius immediately understood what Gabriel was getting at.

    ''Of course, there''s no way children of the nobles will behave calmly there. There shouldn''t be much supervision there so they will disy their true faces. Bragging and bravado shoulde rather quickly.

    That should give me an idea about where their parents stand in the equation. Their loyalties should be exposed with a little probing¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "I understand father," Lucius replied.

    He had finished his breakfast and was just about to leave when Gabriel interrupted him.

    "Remember, you are the future heir of Inanis family. While you must act in moderation with the other nobles, you must also know when to put your foot down. Don''t worry if anything problematic happens after that, we will be here to back you." Gabriel said with a fierce look in his eyes.

    Lucius smiled upon hearing this and realized that this man might be much more to his liking than he thought before. He simply nodded his head and left to do his tasks. The day passed rather quickly as Lucius spent it studying more about gifts and various Rune beasts along with using Nexus on another person.

    Lucius wanted to create a group of people who would be loyal to him and would have the perfect gifts to suit every situation. These would be the people he would be investing in and letting them grow.

    Kiana was the first one and more will be added to the fray soon. Lucius had seen how strong her gift was and was interested in other epic ranked gifts. The only other people who he knew had them was Gabriel and Cia the daughter of John.

    Adding Gabriel to the circle was an obvious no while Cia was far too young for this.

    "Hmm¡­ the rare ranked gifts it is¡­ I should select some from them." Lucius muttered to himself.

    The very first option that came to his mind was none other than John. He had proved that he was loyal to the Inanis family and had also shown the drive to serve Lucius since he would be the future lord.

    "I''ll see what the requirements for his gift is today, once he arrives," Lucius muttered to himself.

    Time passed and soon it was time for Asher''s training with John. He had been getting better and better and swordsmanship and his body had started to improve too.

    "Ah, you''re already here," John said upon seeing that Asher was standing in the training hall.

    "Yes, I finished up my studies early, so thought I may as well warm up." Lucius said while slightly squinting his eyes.

    Gift Name: Mirror Coat

    Description: Transform a part of the body''s surface or anything that is touched into a mirror.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical/Transmutation

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 20x Aether Crystals, 800ml Quicksilver, 3x Mist Veil Beast Rune Crystal

    Lucius had used Nexus on John bore and knew about the rank and type of his gift beforehand. Though he was surprised to learn that he actually had a dual type gift. This was the first time he was seeing this and wondered how many morebinations could there be.

    He knew that the evolution for the gift would be possible but didn''t know what the requirements were gonna be. But now that he saw them, he felt a bit overwhelmed.

    ''Twenty Aether Crystals should not be a problem to get but 800 ml of quicksilver? That should be mercury¡­ getting that in a world like this, I don''t know if they''ve seen that before.'' Lucius thought.

    Till now he had not seen pure mercury before. Even the mirrors that they used in this world were actually made from either polished metal or were made from a special type of ss that was naturally reflective.

    They did not use the method of staining transparent ss with a coat of mercury or silver. This was one of the things that Lucius had looked up so that he would be able to estimate the technological level of this world.

    Lucius also did not recognize the name of the Rune beast that was shown in the requirements. Though he was happy that the number of Rune crystals needed was less.

    "Hopefully they can be found easily¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "Hm? You said something?" John asked seeing Lucius muttered.

    "Uh, no nothing. We should start our practice I suppose." Lucius said.

    "Alright," John said with a nod and the two got busy.

    By the time they were done, Lucius was tired. John had shown him a few more sword moves since he was getting better and those had caused him to get tired faster. But now that he was done with it, he could go take a bath and rx.

    The hot water soothed the sore muscles of Lucius and he thought about the requirements for the evolution of John''s gift.

    "The Aether Crystals can be gathered in less than an hour, but the quicksilver and the rune crystals will be a bit problematic. Hopefully, people already knew about quicksilver in the world and it is easy to obtain or I''ll have to get cinnabar and refine it myself.

    Will also need tomission the mercenaries for the Rune crystals." Lucius made a few notes in his mind.

    ''So many things to do, so little time¡­'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 97 - Extra Regeneration

    Once Lucius was done with his bath, he quickly went to the library to search up more information.

    "Ahah! Quicksilver is avable here! Good good, they use it in the extraction of gold. It should be easy to get." Lucius said upon reading the contents of a book.

    Thankfully the uses of mercury in this world were still the same as what Lucius had seen in his past life. He would not even have to go far to get the quicksilver and any smithy should have a store of it.

    Even if they did not have the amount that Lucius needed, he was sure they would be able to gather more for him.

    "That''s one thing off the list." Lucius muttered and put the book back.

    The next thing he needed to search for was the Rune beast crystal. Lucius read through a few books about the gifts and finally came upon the right entry.

    "Here it is¡­ Mist Veil Beast." Lucius Read.

    The Mist Veil Beast was a rather unique beast and was of D rank. They lived in the foggy hills of Koran, east of the Land of Etara. These beasts were considered to be rtively safe but hunting them was very difficult.

    Their gift was what made it very difficult to hunt them. The gift was called as Mist Mask. This allowed them to hide their bodies in the fog that was everywhere in the hills of Koran. Very few people had actually seen the bodies of these beasts and there was no record of how they actually looked in the book Lucius was reading.

    "Hmm¡­ seems like I''ll need to talk with an expert¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Lucius looked through a few more books wanting to see if he could find more information about the Mist Veil Beasts but was unsessful. Giving up for now, he retreated to his bedroom.

    <em>~creek~</em>

    Lucius pulled the chair off his study table behind and sat down. He opened the drawer attached to the table and took out a sheet of parchment from it. ttening it out on the table, Lucius started to write a letter.

    The writing tool was actually quite simr to a modern fountain pen. Lucius was surprise by this and had seen the structure of it. The casing of the pen was made with wood but the interior was made with the bone of a bird that was unique to this world.

    The bone was naturally hollow and ink could be filled into this. Then they would just make a hole at the bottom end of this bone from which the ink would flow out. To this end, a flexible metal piece was attached which acted as the nib of the pen.

    It was quite a nifty design yet was simple. Lucius marveled at the use of a naturalponent such as that bone. A few minutester, Lucius finished writing the letter and folded it evenly before putting it in an envelope.

    He heated some wax in a wax cup and poured it over the lip of the envelope before cing his stamp on it.

    Lucius walked out of his bedroom and called out for a servant. There were always a couple of them standing nearby in attendance, just in case Lucius ever needed something.

    "Send this letter to the Artificers guild," Lucius ordered.

    "Yes, my lord¡­" The Servant replied before rushing to do his assigned task.

    Lucius on the other hand locked the door of his bedroom before sitting on his bed. He calmed his mind before appearing in his soul space. Looking around he could see that the borders of the soul space had been slightly expanded.

    "Hmm¡­ this is good. I should be able to add more spell matrices once the borders increase again. The Aether likely only acts because more and more space is taken by the Spell Matrices and it feels threatened." Lucius hypothesized.

    He then meditated for a couple of hours, trying to increase the channeling capacity of the hell imprint. This was one of the methods that can be used to increase the regeneration speed of the hell imprint.

    The hell imprint was like a tunnel that allowed hell energies toe to this world and allowed him to use them. By meditating and focusing on the hell imprint, he could expand this ''tunnel''. Though the speed of doing it like this was quite slow.

    In reality, this was not even a proper method for the expansion of the hell imprint. This was a method for increasing the normal mana capacity of a mage. But this was such a basic method that it could be applied to a lot of fields.

    Even hell energy could be practiced using it, but the problem would be that it would be highly inefficient. Still, this was better than nothing for Lucius as him using the proper methods of practicing the hell energy would only lead to Aether getting active and copsing the spell matrix.

    During this Lucius even had the thought about using spells when his Aether was fully depleted. He reckoned that if he did not have any Aether in his body, he may be able to use a spell matrix without it copsing.

    "It''s worth a try¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He first used up all of the remaining Aether that his body had regenerated in these few hours by using Nexus continuously on himself. It took him about fifteen minutes to do so, as he already had all the information that Nexus could show about itself. This still used up Aether but the quantity was small.

    But once it was fully depleted, Lucius activated the spell matrix of Fire Ball.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~fizz~</em>

    The fire ball shot out from his palm and fell into the basin of water, fizzling out instantly while some steam came out from the basin. As soon as this was done, Lucius put his full focus on the spell matrix.

    "Did it work?" Lucius wondered.

    For about a minute, nothing happened. But then Nexus started to tremble and streaks of Aether came out of it before attacking the Spell matrix.

 Chapter 98 - The Mist Veil Beasts Peculiarity

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    <em>~shatter~</em>

    The spell matrix suffered under the attack of the Aether and ended up crumbling into nothingness. Surprisingly Lucius was not disappointed by this.

    "No, I definitely did not expect this¡­" Lucius muttered.

    He had fully expended his Aether and there was none of it left in his body. Yet even after that, somehow Nexus regenerated Aether at a much faster pace than normal and then used that to attack the Spell matrix.

    "So the Nexus will actively regenerate more aether if there is none left¡­ this seems like an extra way to get more Aether when it gets depleted. Though¡­ considering the cost of the spell matrix and hell energy it will not be worth every time." Lucius said to himself. "But¡­ it will do in a pinch." He added.

    The additional discovery was still wroth in Lucius''s eyes and he did not feel like he had wasted his time. He got to reconstructing the spell matrix for the basic fireball again. In fifteen minutes and five attempts, a new spell matrix was built and Lucius could finally rest.

    "Need to be well rested for tomorrow¡­ reaching the territory of Baron Harrels will take three hours¡­" Lucius muttered andid down on the bed, falling into a deep slumber.

    <em>~knock~knock~</em>

    The next morning, Lucius was woken up by someone knocking on the door of the bedroom. He rubbed his eyes and reckoned it must be Kiana. He had locked the doorst night and thus she was unable toe in.

    "Coming¡­" Lucius said in a slightly groggy voice before getting up from the bed.

    "You should hurry, up! Paul already sent a letter that he will be waiting for you at his house. Oh, and another letter came for you from the artificers guild." Kiana said quickly.

    "Okay, just put the letters on the table, I''ll get ready," Lucius stated before washing his face and rinsing his mouth.

    He sat down on the table and broke the wax seal on the letter.

    ''Looks like Kain was quick to respond. Didn''t expect that he would find the information so fast for me.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius had asked Kain for the information on the Mist Veil Beasts since the library didn''t have much on them. And Kain definitely did not disappoint him.

    He learned that Mist Veil beasts were shaped like a round ball that had legs and hands attached. It had a single eye in the center of its body and small holes around it. The beast ate fog by sucking it in from the air which was one of its peculiarities.

    Lucius also learned that the reason why so few people ever saw its body was because their bodies would dissipate into mist the moment they died. Only their rune crystal would be left behind which was what most people wanted anyway.

    The only reason the Artificers guild knew about the physiology of the beast was that one of their old members had managed to capture the beast using their special gift which could make a prison made of wind.

    Even hunting the beast was difficult and one needed two people to do so. One of the people needed to have a gift that could manipte wind while the second one needed to be able to use fire. The one with the wind type gift would cut off the fog in the area where they suspected the Mist Veil beast was and then the person with the fire type gift would heat the area and wipe out all the fog in the cut-off area.

    With thebination of these two, the beast would have no fog to hide its body in and would be burned to death, leaving behind their rune crystal. This entire ordeal meant that it was even harder tomission mercenaries to hunt them.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "This will take a long time¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Though not all hoped was lost as Kain also mentioned that the artificers guild had a few rune crystals of the Mist Veil beast in storage. If Lucius wanted to, he could buy them, but the cost of that would be quite a lot.

    Kain did not mention the price as even he would need to discuss it with his superiors but he did say that if Lucius wanted them, he could put in a request to the guild. Usually, the Artificers guild would not sell their inventory to outsiders but with Lucius'' identity as the son of Count Gabriel, the guild would have to give him some face.

    Lucius straightaway wrote another letter in reply to Kain and mentioned that he was interested in this. He asked him to inquire about the price and reply to him once he had it. He then sealed the letter before handing it to another servant.

    Kiana had been watching him this entire time and was wondering what was it that he was writing.

    "What did the letter say and why did you reply to it so fast?" Kiana questioned.

    "I was just inquiring about a rune beast crystal," Lucius answered.

    "A rune beast crystal?" Kiana asked feeling a bit lost, but then realization dawned on her.

    "Do you mean to repeat what you did with me?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes," Lucius replied as he started to dress.

    "Who¡­ who do you want to test that on?" Kiana questioned.

    "John seems like a good candidate," Lucius replied casually.

    "Hmm¡­ John is indeed loyal and with Alessa''s involvement with the Brewery I guess this is the right choice." Kiana agreed.

    "Exactly. If I''m able to increase his strength we will benefit from it too." Lucius replied.

    Kiana simply nodded her head as Lucius got ready. He wore the dress that was specially prepared for the party and went downstairs to eat breakfast. Once they were done with everything, he bade farewell to Lita and Gabriel before boarding the carriage.

    "Shall we leave, lord Asher?" Donald Asked.

    "Yes, head out!" Lucius ordered with a mysterious look in his eyes.

 Chapter 99 - At The Harrels Mansion

    <em>~clop~</em>

    <em>~clop~</em>

    <em>~clop~</em>

    The hooves of the horses hit against the cobblestone paved road.

    "There he is," Lucius suddenly said upon spotting Paul from the window of the carriage.

    The carriage driver slowed down beforeing to a halt near the entrance of arge manor. Outside the manor, one could see a name te hung, that read ''Faulkner''. This was none other than the house of Paul Faulkner, Asher''s friend.

    A young man walked out along with a couple of guards.

    "There you are. I thought you were not gonnae today." Paul said.

    "Of course I was going toe. I did reply to you, didn''t I before." Lucius replied.

    "Yeah you did, I know. But still¡­" Paul spoke.

    "Let it be, for now, we got more important things to do for now." Another young man who approached from the side spoke.

    "Ah, you''re here too Andrew." Lucius said. "But yeah, we should leave now." He added.

    The two friends nodded their heads before getting into their respective carriages and continuing on the journey. It was going to take them around four to five hours to reach their destination, which was the territory of baron Harrels.

    Thankfully, the road was quite goodpared to most, and they were able to reach there safely with no dys. Lucius could already see the mansion of the baron far in the distance. It was the biggest building in the town, and was surrounded by an open garden.

    Beyond that garden was a wall and the rest of the houses of townsmen were present there. Lucius could also see some crop fields on the other side of the town, along with a lot of sheep and goats.

    This allowed Lucius to get an idea of how the baron ran his territory. So far he did not see anything exceptional and made Lucius think that Barron Harrels was a mediocre lord.

    ''If he''s really as I think, then his daughter shouldn''t be much, either. Dealing with them should be easy¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Right now it was a little past noon, but the sun could not be seen anywhere. Clouds covered the sky, causing the weather to be overcast. The townspeople going about their daily duties watched the carriages that approached the towns.

    The carriages were much more luxurious than what they were used to seeing and the one Lucius was traveling in was even more eye catching due to the three tailed dragon crest of the Inanis family that was inscribed on its sides.

    "I can''t believe it, someone from the Count''s family came."

    "Who could it be? Is it perhaps the Count himself?"

    "You buffoon, if it was the Count do you really think the Baron would be so calm."

    Various conversations could be heard on the street as themoners gazed upon the passing carriages. The guards of the town also didn''t bother to stop them as they already understood that they were Noble guests of the Baron.

    Plus, it was not like they would dare to stop a carriage that bore the Crest of the Inanis family. Doing so would only mean their doom, and they would get punished for it.

    Lucius also peered out from the window and took in the surroundings. He was memorizing the path and the routes that they took, just in case of an emergency. If something happened, it would only do him well to be cautious and be ready.

    It took them nearly twenty minutes to reach the mansion of the Baron due to the narrow roads and people there. But once they did, they could see the various other carriages of the nobles that were parked at the sides.

    The carriage came to a halt at the entrant, and Lucius alighted from it. Kiana followed behind him, and Donald also climbed down from his horse. He had been following them from the side, along with a couple more guards.

    One of the guards took the horses to the stable while the rest of them entered the mansion.

    "Wee! Wee!" The one who greeted them was a middle aged man.

    "I am the steward of Baron Harrels. I am honored to see the young lord of Inanis family." The Steward said with a bow.

    Lucius simply hummed in response and let Kiana do the talking, as was the etiquette.

    "Where is Miss Bethany? Young Lord Asher would like to pay his respects to the hostess." Kiana stated.

    "Young Lady is in the main hall, talking with other guests. Please¡­ I''ll guide you to them." The steward replied.

    Lucius and the others followed the steward into the mansion and saw the various decorations that had been put up for the event.

    A group of young men and women stood around while talking in arge hall. Some of them had sses filled with various drinks in their hand as they sipped from it. Some chuckled, someughed as they conversed among themselves.

    A few people spotted the appearance of Lucius and the others.

    "Young Lord Asher of the Inanis family has arrived." The Stewards announced. After Asher, he also announced the names of Paul and Andrew.

    "He''s¡­ Asher?" Some of the young women spoke with interest.

    "Young Lord Asher was invited too?" Another man spoke.

    "Bethany, did you invite him?" One of the younger girls, that seemed to be of sixteen years age, asked.

    "No, I didn''t¡­ how would I? I would never expect for the Count''s son toe." Another girl with reddish brown hair replied. Her hair was tied into a long braid and a few ornaments could be seen gracing it.

    A pair of small earrings hung from her ears, that shimmered upon her movement. She wore a long red dress, along with matching shoes that peeked from beneath it. Lucius''s eyes scanned the crowd before settling on her as a charming smile appeared on his face.

    He walked towards her confidently as everyone took in Asher''s appearance. The dress that Kiana had prepared for this asion did its work and garnered a lot of surprised looks. The women looked on, feeling impressed, while the men seemed envious.

 Chapter 100 - Keith Drew

    "Greetings, Lady Bethany." Lucius said with a smile, as he greeted her with the etiquette of a noble.

    His right hand was ced right below the broach as he slightly nodded his head. If his rank was lower than her, he would have lowered his head, but since it was above, just a nod was enough. Lucius had already memorized all the etiquette of a noble beforehand so that he would never make a mistake.

    "A-Ah¡­ Young Lord Asher, wee!" Bethany said, fumbling over her words and blushing.

    "The pleasure is all mine. Pardon me if I came without invitation, my friends assured me that it would be fine." Lucius stated.

    "Of course it is, isn''t it, Bethany?" Andrew suddenly said.

    "Yes, yes. If I knew you were so approachable, I would have sent a personal invitation to you too." Bethany replied.

    "Haha, it''s fine then. At least we get to meet properly now." Lucius stated.

    They exchanged a few more pleasantries with everyone before going to take a drink for themselves. Kiana silently followed Lucius from behind while keeping a calm face, and Donald did the same.

    Just as Lucius had taken a ss of wine, he heard something.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    <em>~Crash~</em>

    "You imbeciles! Can''t you even serve properly! Servants like you should just be beheaded at once." A blonde man who was wearing a white suit cursed.

    In front of him, a maid could be seen lying on the ground while her head bled. There were a bunch of broken sses and a tray lying near her feet. It was evident that this maid had some conflict with this blonde man just now.

    "Young Lord Keith!" The voice of Bethany could be hearding from the side.

    She hurriedly approached them and saw the scene.

    "What happened, young lord Keith?" She asked with concern.

    "What happened? Well, what happened is that this maid does not know how to behave with guests, that too a noble guest!" Keith answers with a scowl.

    Bethany seemed a bit lost but then secretly clenched her fist, before speaking.

    "Guards! Take this maid away!" Bethany ordered.

    The maid was too scared to speak about anything when the guards carried her away. She knew that anything she spoke about now would only cause her more problems. Lucius watched everything carefully and recognized who this blonde man was.

    "So this is the son of Viscount Drew¡­ Keith Drew." Lucius muttered. ''He will be easy to deal with¡­'' Lucius further thought.

    "Well, well, well! If it isn''t Young Lord Keith!" Lucius said while approaching.

    The blonde man, who still had a scowl on his face, turned around.

    "And who the he-¡­." He was about to say something in his rage but then saw the silver broach on Lucius''s chest.

    "Inanis¡­" Keith whispered under his breath.

    His scowl instantly turned into a smile as he spoke, "pardon me, young Lord Asher. I was too bothered by that servant that I did not recognize you quickly."

    "Don''t worry, it happens. What can we do about such servants when they don''t know their worth?" Lucius said.

    "Ahahha! Young Lord Asher knows how it is. Servants like these should be happy that they get to serve us and should do their absolute best. Yet even after that the maids, here don''t know how to appreciate our touch." Keith said causally.

    "Ah, I see." Lucius simply nodded his head in understanding.

    ''He''s just making this easier for me¡­'' Lucius thought.

    While Lucius and Keith were talking, Kiana was observing them. She was a bit shocked upon seeing how Lucius had casually said those words. She had not expected him to dismiss servants like that, since she knew how he usually acted with them.

    Lucius had been respectful at the very least to every servant in the Inanis mansion, and she had never seen him get angry with them either.

    ''No, no¡­ there must be some other reason for him to act like this. There is no way he would say something like this normally.'' Kiana thought to herself while shaking her head.

    Captain Donald was also watching the entire debacle and waspletely unfazed. He had seen far too many urrences such as these and knew how most nobles were. He often thanked Etara that the Count and his family were such much better than others.

    In addition to them, there was one more person who had been watching it all. This person was none other than Bethany Harrels herself. She was upset that the maid of her family had done such a mistake, but she could not me the maid either.

    Bethany knew the character of Keith when she invited him and had expected him to harass the servants. She had even warned the servants to not protest when that happened, but there was not much she could do at this point.

    If it were not for her father''s insistence and friendship with Viscount Drew, she would have not even chosen to invite Keith here.

    When she had seen Asher and his behavior, she found him to be a breath of fresh air. But then seeing him interact with Keith so freely instantly changed her opinion of him.

    ''Humph, all of them are the same.'' Bethany thought to herself as she clenched her hand secretly.

    But just as she was thinking this, she saw Asher whisper something to Keith. She did not see Keith''s expression at that time, as it was blocked by Asher''s head, but once Asher moved, she saw the face of absolute fury on Keith.

    She traced his gaze and saw that he was looking towards the other two maids that were currently cleaning up the broken ss on the ground.

    "No¡­" Bethany felt her heart fell.

    But then she saw something that terrified her. A soul chilling smile appeared on Asher''s face as he watched Keith walking towards the maids.

    <em>~Crash~</em>

    <em>~st~</em>

    In the next moment though¡­ everything changed. Keith was lying down on the ground with a long shard of ss pierced through his neck.

 Chapter 101 - Chaos At The Party

    Lucius kept a calm expression on his face as he saw Keith approaching the two maids that were cleaning the ss on the ground. He couldn''t help but smile upon seeing the ease with which he was able to manipte Keith.

    "Enrage truly was the perfect choice for my second spell matrix¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    But just as he had said this, he saw something hepletely did not expect. Keith had tripped on the edge of the carpet and then fell down. But the ce he fell had a long ss shard lying on the ground.

    The moment Keith''s neck met the ground it was pierced with the ss shard.

    ''Oh my¡­ I just wanted to test out Enrage but did not think it would give me a bonus like this.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    <em>~spurt~</em>

    Red blood started spurting from Keith''s neck as he struggled to lift himself. More ss shards pierced his hand when he ced them on the ground. The blood was gurgling in his throat making him unable to speak anything.

    <em>~gurgle~</em>

    He twitched in pain on the ground, unable to lift himself anymore. The rage he had felt just a second before faded away like smoke in the wind and utter fear reced it. Fear for his life.

    Keith couldn''t even tell what had happened and how he had ended up like this.

    "AHHHHHH!" Shrill screams could be heard as the woman in the hall witnessed the scene.

    The maids who were cleaning the ss were absolutely scarred and stumbled back upon seeing the bloodstained Keith in front of them. His white suit was now covered with blood, looking quite morose.

    "SOMEBODY HELP! SOMEONE HELP HIM!" Bethany shouted, tears appearing in the corner of her eyes.

    The guards that were at the sides of the hall quickly rushed forward upon hearing the screams of Bethany and the other people. They too saw the gruesome scene on the ground and were terrified.

    The most terrified though was none other than the guards of Keith Drew. They were scared for their young lord and were now thinking that their lives were done. There was no way their old Lord would forgive them for this.

    But they still rushed to help Keith as they knew if they let him die here, only death would be waiting for them back at home too.

    "CALL THE HEALERS!" The guard of Keith shouted.

    Andrew and Paul were surprised too but Paul managed to gain control of his wits quicker.

    "Does anyone have a healing gift? Does anyone have a healing gift here?!" Paul asked everyone.

    Andrew also snapped out of his shock after hearing Paul''s words and looked at Bethany. She was the host of this party and should have made sufficient arrangements.

    "Call your resident healer! Bethany!" Andrew urged.

    Lucius on the other hand stayed at the back while enjoying the entire thing.

    "Seems like we won''t need to do much¡­ our foes are falling by themselves¡­" Lucius joked in a low voice.

    Kiana who was beside him heard it fully though. Her eyes went wide as she connected the dots.

    ''How''d he?¡­ no that can''t be¡­ Keith fell on his own¡­ it was an ident¡­ but Asher spoke to him before that¡­ he said something that made him rush to the maids¡­'' Tens of thoughts ran in Kiana''s mind upon hearing Lucius''s words.

    But after a minute, she realized all these thoughts were unnecessary. She was thinking about a ''trash'' that was not worth it.

    ''If he died so be it.'' Kiana thought, as her eyes turned cold.

    Donald who was just a few steps behind Lucius had also witnessed the entire scene from the start to the end and could not tell how it ended up like this. They were just conversing and the next second Keith was on the ground with a ss shard embedded in his neck.

    The people in the hall were very uneasy and nervous now. Most of them were heirs of other nobles and half of them were even children. They simply had no idea how to deal with situations like these.

    Even Andrew and Paul who were the more older members of the nobility here were barely able to handle this. The guards were also putting pressure on the neck of Keith, trying to stop more blood froming out.

    s! It was all for naught. Even though they put pressure on his neck, the blood simply bled into the only other ce it could¡­ his throat.

    Keith kept on twitching on the ground, his eyes red and dripping with tears. His mouth was wide open as blood pooled out from it. Unknown to everyone besides Lucius, the first aid the guards were giving Keith was wrong.

    They thought they were helping but in reality, the blood was only filling the lungs of Keith when they propped him up.

    "Look! The bleeding is getting less!" one of the noble heirs pointed.

    Bethany and the others felt slight relief, while Lucius had a hard time holding in hisughter.

    ''These people truly are dumb, aren''t they? What kind of education do they get even while being nobles?'' Lucius wondered.

    He recalled the things he had learned from Kain, John, and Donald in these past couple of months and realized they did cover quite a lot of things. From swordsmanship to first aid, John taught him what would be needed on the battlefield.

    While Kain taught him literature and how to read. Just the vast array of books that he had given to Lucius was enough to expand Lucius''s vision.

    Lucius turned to look at the two men who were barely handling the situation; Andrew and Paul.

    "Hmm¡­ these two seem a bit better. They seem like good choices to invest in the future perhaps." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Barely five minutes had passed since Keith had fallen, and chaos had spread in the hall. By the time the healer finally arrived, Keith had stopped bleeding.

 Chapter 102 - The Healers Skill

    The Healer who had arrived in the hall was an old man who looked to be in his sixties. He had salt and pepper hair, while a long scar went from his left ear to the forehead. Just from the way he walked and his demeanor, Lucius could tell that he was a warrior¡­ or at least a former one.

    "YOU IDIOTS!" As soon as the healer saw the way the guards were handling Keith he yelled at the top of his lungs.

    "YOU NEARLY KILLED HIM!" The healer said upon checking Keith.

    "But¡­. But¡­ the bleeding stopped?" One of the guards barely managed to speak.

    "YEAH? AND SO DID HIS BREATHING! DID YOU IMBECILES JUST CHECK HIS BLEEDING AND NOT HIS BREATHING?!" The Healer scolded.

    "How in the name of Etara were you even deemed worthy of being guards?" The healer said before pushing the guards aside.

    He checked Keith''s wound realized the ss shard had cut his jugr vein and had gone diagonally into his throat, beforeing out from the back. It was simply aplex wound that would be immensely difficult to heal.

    The healer checked Keith''s pulse and saw that it was still there, albeit faint.

    "Quick! Hold his legs up!" The healer ordered.

    The guards hurriedly responded and lifted Keith''s legs up as far as they could.

    <em>~drip~drip~drip~</em>

    Blood gushed out from his mouth, as Keith started to cough. All the blood that had been filling his lungs was finally pushed out and he could barely breathe again. But this was not enough.

    The healer put his hands on Keith''s chest and activated his gift.

    <em>~Thud~~thud~Thud~ </em>

    A faint pounding sound could be heard as Keith''s heart was made to forcefully beat. This caused more blood to spurt from his neck, but then the healer ced a green paste on his neck. This paste let out a sizzling sound and started to stick to Keith''s neck, fully stopping the bleed.

    The Healer then carefully pulled out the ss shard before putting more of the green paste on the wound. Once that was done, he lifted his hands from Keith''s chest and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

    "He''ll be stable for a bit but this is not enough. We need a healer who can mend internal injures as well as a herbalist who can make blood replenishing medicines. He has lost a lot of blood and will not be able tost for long." The healer said hurriedly.

    The guards simply nodded their head while a few of them quickly ran out of the mansion; evidently to get the necessary healers.

    <em>~tch~</em>

    Lucius watched the entire thing and was a bit disappointed that the healer managed to stop Keith from truly dying. Though Lucius was impressed by his skills at the very least.

    ''While he can''t heal the wounds directly due to the restriction on his gift, he can still use other things to supplemental that. Plus from his actions, I can tell he is quite experienced. Though I do wonder what his gift actually is¡­'' Lucius thought.

    He wanted to use Nexus on the healer but chose to wait, just in case something unexpected happened. All the guests were gathered around in a circle, while Keith was lying in the center. His eyes were now closed and his breaths shallow.

    From time to time, the healer would put his hand on Keith''s chest and would make his heart pump more. This did give Lucius a little idea about his gift. He reckoned that it was a gift that helped increase the pumping of the heart, thus keeping the blood cirction active. Though he did not know what mechanism it used to do that.

    It could either be stimtion of the hormonal system to secrete adrenaline, which would make the heart pump faster, or it could be electrical stimtion that made the cardiac muscles contract.

    Or¡­ it could just be a gift that simply made a heart pump more, with no intermediary mechanism in between. Lucius knew gifts could have some unexinable effects; they were quite simr to magic in that way.

    Still, magic could be exined up to a certain extent due to the immense amount of research that had been done into it by countless mages, and schrs. But for gifts and the energy that powered it ''Aether'' there was barely any extra research done.

    Lucius had tried to find more, but all he got was that the Gifts were made by the divine power of the gods. There was simply no ''how'' or ''why'' when it came to the gods and people just epted it as it is.

    Soon the carriage was brought to the front, while the guards made a makeshift stretcher to carry Keith. While they were about to move him, Lucius took this chance to get closer. The guests all made way for them to pass in two lines and watched on.

    Many of the women still had tears in their eyes; they were simply too terrified and many of them had not seen someone nearly die before. At least not while being so close. As for the males, they were covered in a cold sweat and their hearts couldn''t help but throb with anxiety.

    ''Let''s see if this works¡­ I haven''t tested it before, but Keith will serve as the perfect guinea pig¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he made his way forward.

    He easily reached the front and secretly touched the leg of Keith when the guards passed by carrying the stretcher. No one noticed that Lucius''s hand had faintly glowed red for a moment. This red flow was then transferred into Keith and faded away into his body.

    A smile appeared on Lucius''s face again as he saw the hell energy easily entering Keith''s body.

    ''Wonder how long it will take to act¡­ or will it fail in the end.'' Lucius thought.

    "Still¡­ just this was worthing here¡­ the viscount should be busy for theing few days¡­" Lucius said after moving back.

 Chapter 103 - Accusations

    After the entire fiasco, the people in the mansion were shaken for a while. They couldn''t help but keep on thinking of how it had all happened in the blink of an eye. A few people couldn''t help but look at the site of the ident.

    The carpet there was still bloody and the ss shards were still spread around there. Bethany Harrels the host of this party, was extremely upset. This was the first time she had organized a social event like this all on her own, and it had gone wrong.

    She wanted to show her father that she could do things on her own as a noble, but now all of that had been wiped out in the blink of an eye. And not only that, but there was a great chance she may have also damaged the rtionship between her family and Viscount Drew.

    Viscount Drew''s son Keith had been injured greatly and was close to death in the four walls of the Harrels'' Mansion. There was no way the other nobles would not gossip about this. Their tongues would wag and new stories would be born from them.

    These stories would only get worse and worse as they spread from one tongue to the other, like a virus.

    Bethany had tears in her eyes, but she was trying her hardest to hold back from crying.

    "Why¡­ why did this happen¡­ how could this happen? When I nned it all so well¡­" Bethany sobbed to herself in a low voice.

    But just as she was doing this, she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand was warm and firm, making her turn to look at the person who had just appeared.

    "Are you okay, miss Bethany?" Lucius asked with a gentle expression on his face.

    Bethany couldn''t speak upon seeing Asher at first. His face looked just as handsome as she had seen him at start, but then she was reminded of how he mixed with Keith in less than a minute and even seemed to click well with him.

    ''Wait¡­ wasn''t he talking with Keith¡­ when that happened?'' Bethany thought to herself.

    Soon the memories came rushing back to Bethany. They had be suppressed for a bit due to the shocking ident that had happened just a little while ago, but now she was able to think a bit clearly.

    "YOU!!!" Bethany suddenly shouted, while pointing at Asher.

    Lucius raised his brows upon seeing Bethany''s reaction, while Kiana flipped her palms outwards while still keeping them down. No one noticed, but a circr metallicyer had appeared over it.

    "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DID THIS!" Bethany continued.

    Hearing this, Lucius almost chuckled but managed to hold it back. He wanted to see how this girl would be going on about this first.

    "Me?" Lucius spoke, innocently.

    "YEAH! YOU CAUSED THE ACCIDENT AND MADE LORD KEITH FALL!" Bethany used openly.

    The people all looked at Asher and Bethany with great interest. Their earlier unease was washed away instantly, like morning dew from a leaf. To them, getting to see drama like this was much more exciting. But while they liked drama, they didn''t want it to get to the level of someone dying in front of them.

    They were still not experienced enough to be able to enjoy that¡­ yet.

    "Miss Bethany¡­" Lucius gently spoke. "As the Young Lord of the Inanis family, I humbly ask that you withdraw your earlier words¡­ I am giving you this chance before you make a greater mistake."

    "NONSENSE! I saw you speak with Keith just before he got injured. I even saw you smiling as he walked towards the maids." Bethany shouted in rage.

    "Miss Bethany, I once again ask that you withdraw your words and think about what you are saying," Lucius repeated it again.

    "NO! You are the one who spoiled all this!" Bethany continued.

    By now, even captain Donald had understood that the situation was getting out of hand. He covertly looked around the hall and noticed the other guards, who were getting closer to them. His hand rested on the sword on his waist while his right leg rested on the top of his toes, with his heel raised.

    He did not act yet though, he simply watched on and waited for his young lord''s actions. Kiana did the same and a thin metal needle was already floating at her palm, hidden from the gazes of everyone. She eyed the girl in front of her and felt furious.

    Lucius could hear the whisper and gossips of the rest of the guests as they talked amongst themselves. Some of them hid their lips as a courtesy, while a few directly pointed at Lucius while speaking.

    ''Baron Harrels is a fool if he allowed such an event to go unsupervised. He must have been greatly confident in his daughter''s capabilities, or could not be bothered to deal with it. Even the guards he assigned are not up to the mark.'' Lucius thought.

    Bethany was looking at his expressionless face and couldn''t help but feel mocked. She almost felt like Asher was here to ridicule her.

    "THAT''S IT! You want to destroy the rtionship between the barony of Harrels and Viscount Drew!" Bethany suddenly proimed.

    Lucius was honestly a bit surprised upon hearing her words and didn''t know whether to think she was smart to grasp that, or dumb to speak it out so openly. No one should have dared to openly use Asher like this, at least not when they were of a lower rank than them.

    ''Even that guy Keith was tactful enough to behave when he saw me¡­ but this girl¡­'' Lucius internally sighed.

    His first impression of Bethany and Keith was flipped now. At first, he had thought Bethany had a little skill as a noble, but all of that was washed away. As for Keith, while Lucius did think he wasughable, at least the man had a little smartness to think of the situation and the location before acting.

    "You are stepping past your boundaries from this moment, Miss Bethany," Lucius said in a stern tone. "Do you want to implicate the entire Harrels barony in this?" He asked.

    While Bethany heard his words, she did not see the hidden chance to escape from this situation that Lucius had given her. Instead of that, she just said something worse.

    "SEE! He truly wants to destroy the reputation of the Harrels Barony! GUARD SEIZE HIM!" Bethany Ordered in the heat of the moment.

    A few of the heirs that were a little bit¡­ just a little bit wiser in the guests face-palmed upon hearing the words of Bethany. Even they knew what Bethany had just said was no less than causing enmity between them and the ruling noble family of thisnd.

    <em>~Ssssssss~</em>

    "How could she say that?" a few people had the question.

    Lucius though, smiled and felt like another path had just opened up for him.

    <em>~ng~ng~ng~</em>

    The guards of the Harrels family surrounded Lucius, Kiana, and Donald. Some of them seemed to be nervous and doubting this order. Lucius saw the look in their eyes and understood it very well.

    "Guards of the Harrels Family, I know you are under orders¡­ but I will give you a chance. Lay down your arms and no harm shalle to you." Lucius stated before looking Bethany straight in the eye.

    "The Daughter of Baron Harrels has gone insane for the time being and cannot think well. Anyone who dares take another step will be considered an enemy of the Inanis family!" Lucius dered.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    The guards were seriously conferring Lucius''s words, but that had toe to a stop.

    "WHAT ARE YOU ALL THINKING! Do you all think you will be alive if you do not follow orders now? If not my father, the Viscount will have you and your family''s heads." Bethany uttered, with a hint of craziness in her voice.

    Some guests couldn''t understand how the situation had descended into this level so fast. Even the actions of Bethany seemed to be very strange.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    The guards no longer hesitated and drew our their arms. Multiple swords were raised and all of them were pointed at Lucius. Not only that, but Lucius also saw a few guards using their gifts. One had mes appearing on his sword, one had frost swirling around him, while another person was covered in a scalyyer.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Seems like you have chosen the hard path¡­" Lucius muttered before raising his head.

    "I ASHER INANIS! Hereby dere that Bethany Harrels has falsely used me of harming Keith Drew and is now conspiring to harm me. For this, I shall issue punishment immediately!" Lucius said out loud, his voice filled with power.

    "WHY ARE YOU FOOLS JUST STANDING! ATTACK!" Bethany yelled at the top of her lungs.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    <em>~st~</em>

    But then, in the next second, she felt a chill go down her spine and felt a warm liquid on her face.

 Chapter 104 - A Quick Conclusion

    All the guests were dumbstruck by the sight in front of them. Three guards who were standing in front of Lucius had just been beheaded. The blood spurted from their necks and rained down on Bethany who was the closest.

    But that was not the most shocking part. The most shocking part was the fact that it was done with a single swing of a sword by none other than Lucius.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    Before the people could even have a chance to think more, Lucius swung the wind scar sword once more.

    <em>~Shua~</em>

    The wind de created by the Artifact sword traveled through the air and stuck the bodies of the two guards that were mid way to approaching Lucius. Their steel armor was like butter against a hot knife and was cut through.

    "ARGH!!" These guards were not killed in one hit thus they got the chance to scream in pain.

    But this was merely the start of it.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Donald stomped his leg, shaking the entire area at once.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    The unsuspecting guests all fell at once, including Bethany. Some of the guards did too, but a few who were at the edge of the area of effect, managed to maintain their bnce. Lucius and Kiana had no problem either as they were already expecting this.

    Lucius had actually practiced along with Donald before too, during his daily swordsmanship lessons, and had withstood the effect of his gift quite a few times. He now knew how to maintain his bnce when Donald used Tremor Stomp.

    ''It was a good decision choosing to bring Donald over John.'' Lucius thought.

    While John did have skills that were sluggishly better than Donald seeing as he had drafted Donald quite a few times in spars, Donald''s gift was suited in a situation like this. Since it was a wide area of skill, it was perfect for narrow locations like this.

    John could also have worked his gift in an area like this with his proficiency, but against weak enemies like this, it would have been overkill. Besides, that was not the only reason why Lucius had not brought John.

    The second reason was the creation of the brewery. John had been involved in it a lot and this hade under scrutiny by quite a few nobles, some of whose children were currently present here as well.

    Lucius did not want any unnecessary problems and rumors to be created with the presence of John. Thus, choosing to leave him in the city seemed to be the better choice for now. Besides, he had Kiana by his side¡­ who herself was more than enough to decimate each and every person here.

    <em>~thiu~thiu~thiu~</em>

    The muffled sound of something moving very fast was head.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    Three guards who were about to use their gifts instantly copsed to the ground. If one looked closer, they would see small holes in the center of their foreheads.

    "They¡­ they¡­ they''re DEAD!!!!" a couple of guests who were near the copsed guests shouted upon seeing them.

    That shout was the first call of pandemonium for the mansion.

    "RUN!!!"

    "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"

    All of the guests started to shout as they ran out of the mansion. The funny thing was that it was not them that were being targeted. In fact, none of the guest''s guards had been harmed by Lucius and hispanions.

    Lucius had specifically only targeted the guards who were wearing the armor with the badge of the Harrels family. He had a n and wanted to make sure everything went ording to it. So even if he was killing guards right now, he was not doing it indiscriminately.

    Lucius had a cold expression on his face as he faced the guards that came at him. Though this onlysted for less than ten seconds, because after that there were no guards left to face him. Kiana had taken care of the ones that were far, while Donald had dealt with the ones that wereing from the back.

    Lucius now approached Bethany, who was lying on the ground, too scared to do anything. All the rage and anger that she had felt earlier had been wiped out as if it was never there. And recing it was nothing but utter terror.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    Bethany who was looking at the ground, noticed a pair of boots in her field of vision. She raised her head and saw that it was none other than Lucius who was standing there looking at her with the same cold expression with which he had killed the guards.

    Bethany wanted to scream at that moment, but the fear had paralyzed her. Looking at the man in front of him, she trembled as he raised the sword in his hand. Strangely enough, there was no blood on it.

    Seeing the sword rising, Bethany thought about the worst thing that could have happened. There were dead guards everywhere, which prompted her to think that the same was going to happen to her. A stream of tears was alreadying out of her eyes as she silently sobbed.

    Eventually, closing her eyes in fear, she felt cold.

    ''Im going to die¡­'' She thought.

    But the pain that she had thought would being, never did. She couldn''t help but open her eyes and saw Lucius standing there with the sword in his sheath. This time he was looking at her with a smile and extended his hand towards her.

    "Come on now miss Bethany¡­ you shall be my prisoner," Lucius said in a gentle smile, as if he was asking the girl for a dance.

    Bethany subconsciously raised her hand and took Lucius''s hand. She did not know why she did it or why she did not resist anymore. She simply went with the flow, as her brain could not think ahead anymore.

    Lucius on the other hand, was pleased with the entire thing.

    ''It went smoother than I expected. Seems like I overestimated the level of guards a Baron may have.'' Lucius thought to himself.

 Chapter 105 - The Baron Arrives

    Lucius gazed at the helpless looking girl in front of him who was obeying him with ease.

    ''Didn''t think the mental effect caused by the spell Enrage inbination with fear will be this effective.'' Lucius thought.

    It was true that the reason why Bethany had acted so abruptly and without thinking was because of Lucius himself. He had used the spell Enrage on Bethany, just like he had with Keith.

    Except this time he had not said anything to incite hir. The spell was also so fast that Bethany did not notice anything and neither did anyone. Once the spell was in effect though, Lucius barely had to give a smile before Bethany made up a conclusion on her own.

    This was the n Lucius hade up with on the fly. Though it was notplete yet and there were still a few more steps that he needed to do. The guards were already taken care of, and the girl was incapacitated.

    Lucius looked at Kiana and Donald, who were looking at him with strange looks. In reality, they had been unnerved by the actions of Lucius. They never expected that he would be the first to attack and were fully thinking to defend him.

    But before they could even do that, Lucius had already behaved three of the closest guards with the Artifact. Kiana didn''t even know Lucius had brought the sword with him. He had switched the scabbed of the sword with one that looked much more in.

    The handle of the wind scar sword was already quite mundane, so it looked simr to other swords. But this formed the best disguise as it let him attack without the guards expecting that he had an artifact.

    Perhaps if they knew that Lucius had an artifact beforehand they would not have acted so casually. They definitely would have been more cautious and tactful. Most people knew the power of artifacts and knew they could turn the tides of a battle.

    "What are we doing now?" Kiana was the first to ask.

    "Now? Now we wait¡­ we wait for Baron Harrels to arrive. I''m sure he must have been informed by now." Lucius spoke.

    Lucius had already known that the Baron was currently not present in the mansion and was out doing some work. As for the baroness? Well, she was out with the other nobledies, gossiping and whatnot.

    "Are you sure, lord Asher?" Donald asked.

    "Yes, don''t worry. We are in the right here. Baron Harrels would not dare act against us¡­ especially when we have her." Lucius gazed at Bethany, who was standing at his side with her head lowered. One of her hands was in Lucius'' grasp.

    "If you say so, lord Asher." Donald replied.

    Lucius nodded and went to sit at one of the tables nearby. Kiana simply stood by his side while Bethany was made to sit in the chair next to him. Donald though stood at the entrance of the hall and was joined by the other guards who hade with them.

    The other guards seemed to be way more shocked by all this though. Barely thirty minutes had passed since they had arrived at the mansion, and a massacre like this had already happened. Even if they were prepared for a fight, they did not expect it would reach this level.

    Lucius calmly sipped some wine and ate some of the snacks that had been prepared for the guests. Kiana happily served him more of the food, and he ate in peace for the time being.

    Kiana looked at the girl to the side of Lucius and couldn''t help but feel angry again.

    ''This was supposed to be an event where Lucius could rx and reintroduce himself to the noble circle. But now because of this bitch, it is ruined.'' Kiana thought while staring daggers at the girl. Unaware that it was Lucius who had caused all of this.

    While Kiana had seen that Lucius had whispered something to Keith and may have caused him to fall, it was still not his fault directly. Lucius had not even touched the man himself, and Keith had fallenpletely by himself.

    There was nothing that could implicate Lucius in that. But it was different with Bethany because she had ordered the guards to attack them on her own. To this teenage girl, Kiana had no mercy in her heart.

    If it was up to her, she would have already killed her. But the implications of this would be bad for Lucius who, ording to her was already in a tough spot for now. Soon they would need to deal with Baron Harrels and also find a way to get out of all this.

    They could not ask the Count for help right away either, as he was three hours away from them at the moment. Even the fastest messenger would take two hours to reach there if he rushed there non-stop.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~clip~</em>

    The sound of the horse hooves could be hearding from the outside and it seemed like a carriage had arrived.

    "WHERE IS SHE! WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!" The sound of a man came from outside.

    Lucius raised his head and put down the wine ss in his hand as he looked at the entrance. Donald nodded to Lucius telling him that it was the person who they had been waiting for.

    "He''s finally here¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "Father!" Bethany suddenly shouted upon hearing the man''s voice.

    "What is the meaning of this?" The baron yelled at Donald and the other guards who were standing at the entrance of the hall.

    "Please baron Harrels, go in. Lord Asher will exin everything to you." Donald spoke curtly.

    The baron seemed enraged by the attitude of the guard captain, but suppressed his anger for the time being. Entering the hall, he saw the blood that was spilled everywhere, along with the dead bodies that were lying on the floor.

    "What in the name of Etara!" Baron Harrels shouted.

    "Wee Baron¡­ we have a lot to talk," Lucius spoke with a smile.

 Chapter 106 - Pressuring The Baron

    Lucius had thought of a few things that he needed to talk about with the baron while he was waiting there. And now that the man had finally arrived, he could not help but smile. This was the first time he was seeing the man.

    Baron Harrels was a slightly fat man who looked to be in his forties. He had dark brown hair along with a well trimmed mustache. He had no beard though and was clean shaves, giving the look of a proper noble.

    But currently, his facial expression was nothing like that of a reserved noble. Nervousness and anxiety were visible on his face along with the air of a man who had been shaken off from his seat.

    "What is the meaning of this Young Lord Asher?!" The Baron said in a slightly loud voice.

    Lucius could tell that the man was trying to control his anger but was barely managing to do so. He looked at his daughter, who was now standing by Lucius'' side and was a bit relieved.

    The dead bodies that filled the hall were already quite terrifying for him. The baron was not a man who was a warrior or a soldier. He was instead a businessman who traded in various goods.

    Lucius had read up about him beforeing here and knew that their revenue came from the sale of various textiles and fibers that were manufactured in their territory. The goats and sheep that Lucius had seen while entering the town were one of the sources of the raw fiber.

    "Well baron¡­ that is the question that I''m supposed to ask you." Lucius said curtly.

    "What! You are the one who has massacred my guards here." The Baron replied.

    "Well, Baron Harrels¡­ did you even learn what happened here?" Lucius asked the man again.

    "Of course! You killed the son of Viscount Drew, Keith by pushing him and when my daughter tried to arrest you, you killed all the guards." The Baron answered.

    "Ahahahah!" Lucius couldn''t help butugh upon hearing it all.

    Kiana and Donald, who had heard it, were pissed and wondered if the Baron was stupid.

    "And who was it that told you this?" Lucius questioned.

    "My guards, of course!" The Baron replied simply.

    "Your guards you say¡­ but I don''t see any of them alive here," Lucius replied with a smile.

    "Or do you mean the guards of Viscount Drew that are standing with you right now?" Lucius said, eyeing the ten guards that were apanying the Baron.

    "I-¡­ You¡­ That doesn''t matter! What matters is that you are the culprit here." The baron spoke hurriedly, as if something unspoken was close to being revealed.

    "Baron Harrels¡­ I wonder if you believe the words of these two bit guards or will you believe the words of other noble heirs that were here. They all watched it clearly and knew how the events proceeded.

    I''m sure if you ask them, they will recite it all from the very start and it should give you an idea of how it all happened." Lucius replied.

    The baron looked at Lucius with a frown on his face for a second before speaking again.

    "Fine!" The Baron turned around and spoke, "Call all the guests!"

    "Very good." Lucius chimed.

    The baron gritted his teeth and looked at his daughter, that seemed to be scared. He had not tried to approach them yet, as there were two dangerous people around her. Both Donald and Kiana could kill her in less than a second if given the chance.

    "You need to release my daughter too." The Baron spoke.

    "Tut-tut-tut~ how can I do that Baron Harrels? She''s my rightful prisoner, and I have arrested her for acting against the Heir of the Inanis family, the rightful lord of the Land Of Etara! The verynd that you live upon!" Lucius said with a fierce look.

    The Baron couldn''t help but feel a bit fearful upon seeing the look in Lucius''s eyes. They were far different from before. The baron had actually met Asher a few times before and could tell that the young man was now vastly changed.

    Before he looked to be a lot more na?ve and reckless. But now he had the gaze of a fierce warrior. And now that he heard Lucius''s words, he couldn''t help but be reminded of the Count himself.

    ''He''s definitely the spawn of that viper of a man¡­'' The Baron thought.

    In about five minutes, the guests who had all run away were brought back. This time there were Andrew and Paul with them too. The two friends of Asher seemed to be confused about the entire thing.

    The two young men had apanied the injured Keith, along with a few more nobles. That was the reason why they had not had the chance to witness the violent scene that had happened earlier.

    This was also the reason Lucius had been able to enact his n. Lucius knew that Andrew and Paul actually were friends with Bethany and if they were here, they would have stopped Bethany from doing anything bad.

    But now that they were not there, Lucius was free to manipte the poor girl as much as he wanted to. Scaring her into submission was just one part of it.

    "My fellow nobles and noble heirs," Lucius spoke up.

    "As you all witnessed here earlier, it was miss Bethany Harrels who had acted against me first and had fabricated the charges. I would like you all to attest to this. I assure you in the name of the Inanis family, that no harm shalle to you." Lucius announced while staring into the eyes of each noble.

    The poor, inexperienced heirs couldn''t help but shiver from his gaze. While Lucius did look young due to being in Asher''s body, one must not forget the man was over forty years old in his past life.

    Not to mention he had spent who knows how many years wandering the countless dimensions and worlds in the form of a soul. The number of things he had seen and experienced in that time would put nearly anyone to shame.

 Chapter 107 - Weaving A Trap

    Lucius''s eyes gazed at all the heirs, like a viper staring at its helpless prey.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    Upon hearing the name of the Inanis family, the noble heirs knew they would have to fully assist Lucius here. If they did not, their families would likely to be implicated and they would be in even greater trouble.

    ''Damn this brat¡­ too clever for his own good!'' Baron thought to himself.

    By invoking the name of the Inanis family, Lucius was pretty much bending the odds in his favor. While the baron could verify more informationter on, it would not spell good for him or his daughter in the current negotiation.

    The nobles would err on the side of Lucius and would not want to offend the family due to this. They may even change their perspective subconsciously to suit Lucius''s side. Such was the pressure exuded by mere words.

    "Honored guests, please go ahead and speak truthfully of all the events that transpired here." The Baron spoke as well.

    After hearing the words of the baron, the noble heirs felt a bit less tense and were ready to speak. One by one, they all spoke the story. Since the Baron did not want to lose any once of advantage and thought that he would be able to contradict Lucius with more guests, he listened to each and every person.

    One must know there were over fifty guests here, and listening to them all took over three hours. Lucius also understood what the Baron was attempting to do, but did not interfere. To him, this was just a childish trick and would not give him a problem.

    Once everyone had finished saying their part, the baron had aplex expression on his face. Everything that had happened was exactly as what Lucius had said earlier. While there were a few variations among the words of the people, the baron could not really do much with that.

    He couldn''t help but look at the guards of Keith and scowl.

    ''These morons! Why did they say all that! Now they justplicated the situation even more.'' The Baron thought.

    His gaze then went to his daughter, who was looking at the ground without moving her head.

    ''What happened to her that she acted so stupidly? It was obvious that even if Asher had said something to Keith, there was no actual physical contract involved.'' The baron wondered.

    To the Baron, no matter what Lucius said to Keith, it should not have caused him to get hurt like this. After all, what sane man would hurt himself after hearing the words of others. From what he heard, Keith was angry about the maids and simply tripped and fell.

    The man had basically been blinded by rage from what he could understand now.

    As for Bethany, the Baron didn''t know what to think. It was almost as if someone had bewitched her daughter to act like this. The baron had never seen his daughter act like this, as she was rtively smarter than her peers.

    That was one of the reasons why he had let her organize this party. Not only would it let her gain more experience, but it would also allow her reputation to increase, in the circle. And if that happened, the baron''s own reputation would also rise subsequently as she was his daughter.

    If he knew something like this was going to happen, he would have never let her do this party, or would have stayed with her himself, to ensure that nothing problematic happened during it. But now¡­ s, there was no medicine for regret.

    "See Baron Harrels, I was simply defending myself. Your daughter Bethany was the one in the wrong here. But that''s barely the start of her crimes. She even went so far as to im that I was intentionally spoiling the rtionship between you and Viscount Drew.

    I can''t help but wonder if these were really her words or was there some interface from your end in it. We all know that is a certain ''transition'' in the rtionship between the Viscount and Inanis family. By saying this she is clearly trying to muddy the waters even more." Lucius spoke with a devious grin.

    As soon as the Baron heard Lucius'' words, his eyes went wide.

    "NO! No, no Young lord Asher! I assure you it is nothing like that. My daughter is young and na?ve, perhaps even stupid. I should not have let her organize this party from the very start. Don''t believe the words of a child, my sire." The Baron hurriedly spoke.

    Once Baron Harrels understood that this was a lost battle, he knew better than to test his luck. He immediately went into damage control mode and tried to assuage Lucius''s concerns. The baron knew that even if Lucius was simply exaggerating or just guessing, it would still implicate the entire Harrels Barony in it.

    One must know the Harrels Barony was merely three hours away from the Inanis City. If the Count really took offense, it would take less than a day for the entire Harrels Barony to be seized.

    Even if the Baron tried to levy on his rtionship with the viscount and chose to join his side, it would be toote for the Viscount to send his troops to assist him. The Baron had been fully trapped on all sides now.

    Lucius looked on in pleasure at the squirming Baron.

    ''Seems like he walked right into the pit¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Well then, Baron Harrels¡­ I''ll be generous and give you the benefit of doubt. But still¡­ Bethany Harrels shall be the prisoner of the Inanis family, till we reach a formal agreement.

    I do not think I am qualified to discuss anymore and thus will withdraw for now. Any further discussion and negotiations shall take ce at the Inanis Mansion, under the authority of my father Count Gabriel himself." Lucius dered.

    The guests who had been watching it all couldn''t help but whisper amongst themselves. All of them knew that tough times wereing for the Harrels Barony.

 Chapter 108 - An Efficient Spell

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~clip~</em>

    The sound of a horse''s hoof hitting the gravel could be heard along with the shaking of a carriage. The carriage came to stop in front of a two story building and the door at its side opened.

    "So this is where the healer is keeping Keith." Lucius muttered.

    <em>~step~</em>

    <em>~step~</em>

    After him, two more people stepped out from the carriage. One was none other than Kiana and the next was Bethany. Since she had been taken prisoner by Lucius she had no option but to follow him around, at least until they got back to the Inanis mansion.

    Such was the decision that Lucius hade to and Baron Harrels had no option but to ept it. If he did not there was a great chance, the Harrels Barony would not exist past the next day.

    Thus he gritted his teeth and let Lucius take him. He himself though went to prepare for the negotiation that was to happen by the end of the next week. Lucius had purposely given the Baron time to prepare so that he could see who else would support him.

    This would allow him to pick out the potential traitors that were hiding within their midst. Lucius also wondered if the Baron would take help from the Viscount or not. While it would be fine getting the help, what would determine his fate would be the kind of help he got.

    If it was just mary help to get out his daughter from the clutches of Asher, it would be fine. But if he decided to get her out forcefully by exerting political pressure, it would be the final straw for him.

    Lucius had already gotten one of the guards that were apanying them, to take a letter to the count. The letter described all that had happened and what would happen letter. Lucius told the Count to prepare on his end too, just in case something unexpected happened.

    While Lucius hade out on top here, he was not so stupid as to wholeheartedly believe that everything would go their way. That was one of the reasons as to why he was here. Lucius wanted to see how his first part of the n was going.

    "Are you sure this is a good idea, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Mmm, we are here to just check up on our fellow noble, Kiana. We are ''concerned'' for his health after all; nothing bad about that, is there?" Lucius asked with azy smile.

    "If you say so¡­" Kiana replied with a nod, and followed behind him.

    Bethany too, walked behind them with her head lowered. Since they had left the manor of the Baron, Bethany had not spoken a single word and would just stare at the ground the entire time. Lucius sneaked a look back at her and nodded thoughtfully.

    ''Choosing the immediately reconstructing the spell matrix for Enrage was the right choice it seems.'' Lucius thought.

    One must not forget Lucius had used the spell Enrage twice in a short amount of time. Normally this would have been impossible, as the spell matrix would copse. But once Lucius had seen Keith''s reaction and the subsequent events that happened, he hade up with a n.

    He was not sure it would work, but he was willing to bet on it. But that entire n relied on one thing, which was nothing but the spell matrix for Enrage. If Lucius was able to rebuild it in that short amount of time again, he would go ahead with it and if not¡­ he had another n for that of course.

    Thankfully,dy luck was on his side and despite the numerous disturbances, Lucius was able to reconstruct the spell matrix for Enrage. And he actually built it in barely two attempts, which was a new record for him in this world.

    In his past life Lucius had used Enrage so many times, he could very well make the spell matrix while sleeping. But the thing about Enrage was that the spell was useless for most of the humans of his past life.

    It was somon that nearly everyone knew how to deal with it. One didn''t even need specific magical defenses; if one had a strong willpower, they would be able to ovee its effect. Plus even if the spell took effect, its duration was not that long,sting anywhere from less than a second to five seconds.

    But the way Lucius used the spell was quite different from its intended way. He would use it on beasts, who had no control like that of the humans or even when he used it on humans, he would do so when they were in critical situations.

    For example, fighters would curse and insult each other in the middle of the fight, but barely anyone would be affected by it after one point as they were used to it. They would simply ignore it.

    But what if the spell was used right after insulting the foe''s mother, who had slept with a harem of goblins?

    Even if the foe was good at ignoring such things, they would be subconsciously be affected by the spell which would throw them off. But in a crucial fight, even a split second was the difference between life and death.

    Lucius would weave the fights in such a way and use the spell Enrage like this. It was quite efficient too, as it barely needed any Hell energy for his past self and could use it as many times as he wanted.

    An enemy may be able to escape the pinch once, twice, or even ten times. But Lucius could keep it up for far longer than that, and after hundreds of attempts, they were bound to slip up. And that was exactly what he looked forward to.

    ''Time to see what Hell energy does to people of this world.'' Lucius thought to himself as he stepped through the door of the hospital.

 Chapter 109 - A Hospital

    Hell energy was quite versatile while also being vtile for most humans. The people in Lucius''s past world could resist it using various means, such as mana, healing spells, magical tools, natural resistances, and many more.

    In this world, there was no such thing as magic, and thus mana did not exist either. But what did exist was Aether which was preset in nearly every person in this world along with the myriad of creatures.

    Lucius himself had seen the reaction between Hell energy and Aether in his body. But he knew he was a big exception as he had the hell imprint to control it, along with having a soul that was not from this world.

    He wanted to see its effects on an average human of this world. And by average, Lucius meant physically and not financially. Keith was the son of Viscount Drew and was nothing but average for most people, but his physical condition was not that different from anymoners.

    Lucius had already known that he had an umon ranked gift, which was nothing special. If he were amoner, he would not have as many prospects, but with him being a noble, it did not matter as much.

    Thus to see this all, Lucius hade to this city. They had actually traveled for over five hours to reach the next city that was past the Harrels Barony. The city they were in was called Dond City and it was run by another Baron with the name Dond, of course.

    Baron Dond was one of the few people Lucius knew were loyal to the Count. Dond himself was a warrior and had served with the Count on the battlefield before. The only reason why he had retired to a life of administration was because he had been ill for a long time.

    There were diseases that even the Priests of na could not heal or would not heal, rather. Such diseases could not be healed bymon priests, and even bishops would find it hard to heal it. When Lucius had learned of this, he wondered how he had been healed, when the priest that had healed him was a mere High priest.

    He had realized that High Priest Josef was most likely not a normal high priest and probably had his own secrets. Lucius was extremely sure that the injuries he had were far greater than anything Baron Dond had.

    While Lucius did not learn what disease Dond had, he did learn that the city he ruled over was quite prosperous. It was also one of the few cities in thend of Etara that had a major hospital in it rather than smaller healers.

    Stepping into the hospital, the first thing Lucius saw was nothing but injured and sick people sitting at the benches to the side. The scene was quite simr to that of his past world, with only the setting changing.

    There were junior healers and nurses running around taking care of the patients who coughed, bled and wailed.

    "No matter where you go, hospitals never change¡­" Lucius muttered to himself as he saw the woman who was unable to pay the cost of her treatment. She was crying while holding a babe while another toddler stood at her side, clutching to the hem of her patched clothes.

    "Umm, can I help you?" One of the nurses who had seen Lucius enter the hospital spoke.

    Lucius looked handsome and was eye catching for most women, plus with his noble clothes, he was hard to miss.

    "Ah, yes miss. I would like to ask where Keith Drew, son of Viscount Drew, is being kept currently." Lucius spoke in a gentlemanly tone.

    The nurse was about to answer him without thinking much, but then remembered her duties.

    "And who might you be, sir?" The nurse asked as respectfully as she could.

    Lucius was about to answer her, but Kiana beat him to it.

    "This is Lord Asher Inanis, of the Inanis family. Future Count of The Land of Etara." Kiana answered.

    As soon as she spoke this, the nurse was stunned. Lucius gently moved the edge of the robe he was wearing over his clothes to reveal the silver Broach pinned on his chest.

    "I-¡­ Me-¡­ Forgiven me, Lord Asher. I did not recognize you." The nurse stuttered.

    "No worries. It''s all good. Now then¡­ can you show us to where Keith Drew is being kept at?" Lucius asked again.

    "Ah, sure! Please follow me." The Nurse hurriedly replied.

    Asher followed the nurse, while Kiana and Donald apanied them. The rest of the entourage was left back at the entrance of the hospital as it would be inappropriate for so many people to enter, not to mention that they were armed as well.

    This was one of the better rules that Lucius noticed this hospital had that was simr to the modern world.

    ''Baron Dond might not be that bad¡­'' Lucius thought to himself while he looked around.

    The hospital was made of wood and stone, like most of the buildings in this world. Lucius saw the many wards that were divided ording to the numbers and the kind of diseases that were treated in there.

    This was the highest number of healers that Lucius had seen till now and was surprised by them. They were properly assigned to different wards, eding to the kind of healing gift that they had.

    For example, there were healers that could create a thin silk-like thread from their hands. This gift was used to make stitches that they used to sew the wounds of the injured. Then there was a healer who could stimte the lungs of a patient, allowing them to expel the cough that was stuck in there.

    These healers were of the umon rank though as their gifts were rather narrow and could not heal directly like those of Healer Delia. Those that had gifts that could directly were greatly prized, and sometimes their value was even more than that of a person that had an Epic ranked gift.

 Chapter 110 - Head Healer Berk

    "Can you please wait here a moment, I need to get permission from the head healer." The nurse suddenly spoke.

    Lucius, who had been observing the wards, stopped mid way and looked at her.

    "Okay," Lucius replied.

    He looked at the guards that were standing around and narrowed his eyes.

    "I thought guards were not allowed inside the hospital," Lucius muttered.

    "They are not the guards of others, but rather those of the hospital itself. This is the highest level ward of the hospital and only the most important patients are brought here. This includes those with severe diseases or the nobles." Kiana informed.

    "Ah, I see." Lucius nodded his head.

    He observed the guards closely and saw the symbol of the hospital imprinted on their uniform. The symbol was that of a ss bottle that was suspended between two praying hands. This was actually the symbol that was used by healers all over the world.

    Surprisingly though, Goddess na who represented Healing, Light and Faith herself, did not use this symbol. It was not a religious symbol and was said to havee into existence a long time ago.

    It was said at that time the only way someone could be healed was through the grace of the gods. But then came a healer who created the healing arts and wrote the tomes about the medicines.

    That is the reason why the symbol is that of human hands holding a ss medicine bottle between them. This showed the capability of the humans when, gods had turned their faces.

    There was even said to be some friction between the Church of na and the healers guild once upon a time but over the years it got resolved as the Pope of the church said they were all followers of na in the end.

    Anyone that healed someone was said to be gaining merits for themselves and Goddess na would like them. Thus by default anyone that healed and took care of them would be a follower of na.

    When Lucius had found this out, he couldn''t help but praise the cleverness of the church. Not only had they resolved a conflict in a few words, but they had aromatically expanded the domain of their goddess.

    That way even if one did not believe in the Goddess na, they would still end up being considered as their followers. It could also be said to be sneaky. Games like these were something Lucius had seen a lot during his time in his past life.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of the ward opened and the nurse who had brought Lucius and hispanions here appeared.

    "You cane in, young lord Asher." The nurse spoke.

    "Thank you." Lucius spoke before entering the ward.

    This ce was quiterge and took up a quarter of the entire second floor. Lucius could also see decorations that were of a much better quality than other areas here. Just the floor itself was the same as the rest of the building.

    Currently, the ward was empty except for one bed where a man in blood stained white suit was lying. It had not been long since Keith had been brought here, and thus the healers and nurses had not gotten enough time to change him into different clothes.

    There were two guards who were supposed to look after Keith standing at the bedside. These guards were from the Drew Family and not from the hospital, as could be told from the crest on their uniforms.

    Along with these guards stood the most important personnel of the hospital. There was an old wizened man with a long beard standing near the head of the bed along with two senior healers and three nurses.

    "Head Healer Berk, this is Young Lord Asher Inanis." The nurse introduced Asher.

    The old wizened man turned around and saw Lucius standing there. His eyes twinkled upon seeing him and he nodded his head.

    "It''s been a long time since I saw you, Young lord Asher." Head Healer Berk spoke.

    "We''ve met before?" Lucius asked. He tried to go through his memories to see if anyone had told him about this or not, but could not find it.

    "Ah, I almost forgot you had amnesia. What a pity¡­" Head Healer Berk shook his head.

    "Head healer Berk was one of the people that were invited to heal you when you were injured," Kiana whispered to Lucius.

    Lucius raised his brows upon hearing it and wondered if this man had reallye at that time or not.

    "I wanted to heal you back when the Count requested me, but upon hearing the kind of injuries you were suffering, I realized that they were beyond the skill of my gift. As for the usage of the medicines and herbs, the resident healers of the Inanis family had already done what could be done." Head Healer Berk spoke.

    "Ah, I see. It''s still good to meet you, Head Healer Berk." Lucius replied.

    The old man nodded his head and looked back at the patient in the room. The senior healers had been checking up on his wounds and had not touched them yet. While the junior healers were simply observing without doing anything.

    It was not that they did not want to, but that they did not dare to. They were in the presence of the Head Healer Berk. He was a man with over seventy years of healing experience and had worked in various armies during his young.

    It was even said that he once gained the favor of the king when he saved one of his close confidantes. The king granted him a noble title andnd, but Healer Berk did not take it. Instead of that, he asked a hospital like this to be built in various cities of the kingdom, so that the people would benefit.

    This was one of the reasons why many nobles had great respect for the old man. Even the Count was in favor of the old man and had thus requested him for his help. s! Lucius'' injuries were something that needed direct divine intervention to be healed.

 Chapter 111 - Blood Replenishment

    "How is Keith''s condition, head healer Berk?" Lucius questioned.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "I was just about to start. We have already administered the sleep inducing medicine, so that he will not suffer in pain as much. We now need to take care of the actual injuries themselves. We were waiting for the sleeping medicine to take effect fully." Head Healer Berk answered.

    Lucius nodded his head and gestured for them to continue and not mind him.

    "Should we start, head healer Berk?" The senior healers asked.

    "Go ahead." Head Healer permitted.

    "The bleed arresting paste has been properly applied and has allowed him to keep his life, but it''s in a delicate bnce. If his blood is not replenished, he will not survive for long. Healer Toran managed to keep his heart pumping forcefully, but that is not a permanent solution." The senior healer assessed.

    Head Healer Berk simply nodded his head and did not speak, letting his students do the work. He would only interfere if something bad happened. Usually, he would not even appear here and was here by chance.

    Even if Keith had been brought here, Berk would not have necessarily been here to treat him. It would have been the senior healers who would take care of him. Berk usually spent his time in research and wandering around in the city''s slums where he would treat the poor and downtrodden.

    Lucius kept on watching and saw the senior healers, first cracking the paste that had hardened around the cut and then pulling out the long ss shard.

    <em>~drip~</em>

    Once the ss shard was pulled out, blood started to pour out from the wound again. But this time there were many healers here to handle it. The second senior healer simply ced his hands over the wound and created a small circr bubble around it.

    This bubble was transparent and seemed just like a soap bubble. Yet, no matter how much blood came out from the cut, it did not pop.

    "I''ll hold it here, please begin the blood replenishment." The senior healer spoke.

    "Yes!" The nurses spoke and got to work.

    They took out arge trunk and put it on the table next to them. Opening the trunk, they took outrge fleshy leaves from the truck. Lucius could see tens of different herbs that were kept in the trunk.

    But that was not all that made the trunk special. He could also see a few crystals embedded into the trunk.

    ''The trunk is an artifact?'' Lucius thought.

    Closely observing it, Lucius could tell that there were various herbs in it that needed very specific conditions for storage. Yet they were all kept in differentpartments of the same trunk. Looking at the Rune Crystals embedded on the sides of the trunk, one could tell that they corresponded to the different internalpartments of the trunk.

    ''So each rune crystal is for different types of herbs. Smart¡­ though the cost for something like this must be quite high.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He continued observing the nurses and saw that they were now crushing therge fleshy leaves in a mortar. The leaves themselves were as big as banana leaves but were thick, like a sulent nt.

    But when the leaves were being crushed they let out a dark red juice. The green color of the leaves contrasted greatly with the red juice and looked quite strange. Once the leaves were fully crushed, the nurses transferred all of the juice into arge metal bucket.

    Another nurse then brought hot water with her and poured it into the bucket into which the red juice had been poured into. Meanwhile, the junior healers started to grab some medicines from the shelves at the side.

    One of them was a white crystalline powder which Lucius recognized rather easily.

    "Salt?" Lucius couldn''t help but say.

    The junior healers put some salt into the bucket that contained the diluted red juice of the thick leaves. But that was not the end as one by one, more ingredients were added to it. Some Lucius could recognize, while some were out of his understanding for now.

    He could not tell what they were making at first, but as the process carried on, he got a hunch.

    ''They can''t be making that, can they?'' Lucius wondered.

    "It is prepared, Head Helen Berk!" the Nurses said at the end.

    Berk walked to the bucket and dipped his finger into the red liquid before rubbing it between his fingers.

    "Hmm¡­ can be improved but it''s decent enough for now." Head Healer Berk stated. "Now, begin the blood replenishment process." He ordered.

    "Yes!" The senior healers responded.

    The healer who had created the bubble around Keith''s neck turned around and created another bubble in the bucket full of red liquid. He then made the bubble float in the air, which carried the red liquid in it.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The red bubble was brought to Keith''s neck before being forced into the wound.

    "Rah¡­" Keith groaned, despite being sedated.

    Head Healer nodded seeing this and sat down on one of the stools, gesturing his students to continue. The senior healer repeated the process while the other senior healer ced his hands on the back of Keith. His hands started to glow in a bluish light as it was transmitted into his back.

    Over two hours passed, after which the blood replenishment process was finallypleted and all of the red fluid was depleted. Lucius now fully confirmed that what these people had just made was artificial blood.

    This made Lucius very interested, and he wondered how it worked. Blood had different blood groups, not all of which were interpatible between people. While Lucius did not know if blood groups even existed in this world or not, he was sure just mixing some herbs and ingredients like that must not be urate enough to make blood.

    ''That first senior healer¡­ it must be that gift which must be the secondary factor in this.'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 112 - Cost Of Healing

    Lucius watched on as the healers did their best to take care of the injured Keith. And it was obvious that whatever they were doing was helping the man. Lucius could see that color had returned to the man''s face and his lips had also be much redder than before.

    ''Seems like the blood replenishment really does work¡­ if it was some ipatible blood type or just some random fluid, the man should have died already.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Ten more minutes passed after the blood replenishment process wasplete. Even if the second healer was done, the first one was still continuing to use his gift on Keith. Lucius could now confirm that it was his gift that was the key to the blood replenishment.

    One would think that Lucius would regret that Keith was surviving this as he was the son of his foe. But it was not so. Lucius originally did not even intend for him to get injured. He had only used Enrage to see him fight a bit more and cause conflict.

    Lucius had seen who Bethany had reacted when the maid had rejected Keith''s advances and knew that even if she had sent the maid way, she did not like Keith. She was likely to only be tolerating him because of their rtionship with the viscount Drew.

    Lucius just wanted to strain their rtionship with them and make it harder for them to cooperate¡­ Or at least reluctant. Even if something like that was not going to happen in reality and Baron Harrels would stay loyal to the Count, Lucius didn''t think it was a waste being extra sure.

    As for the maids and servants that would suffer under Keith''s hand or the entire Harrels family itself? He didn''t care.

    ''At least him getting injured is letting me learn about the healing arts of this world. While they don''t have modern things like blood transfusion and IV fluid nutrition, they did manage to make their equivalents.

    Though I can''t really tell if this is only exclusive to this hospital or if there are others who can do the same. The senior healers'' gifts are key to this and both of them would be needed to aplish this.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius even wanted to use nexus on them and see their gifts but held back. He still had plenty of time to choose his target for nexus and did not want to use up the Aether right now. Plus there was still Keith whose exact gift he did not know.

    Since Hell Aether had some effect on Lucius'' own gift, he had a hypothesis that it would affect others too. In his own case, Lucius could enter his soul space and see the imprint of Nexus itself along with the hell imprint.

    But he would not be able to do this for others of course¡­ in most conditions. Thus his only insight into their gifts would be Nexus. Lucius had also inquired about the kind of gift that Keith had and got the answer that it was a gift that increased his kicking power.

    This was a rather vague description and he did not think, it would be enough. There were many gifts that could be described simrly and really did have simr effects but they would be different gifts.

    Lucius did not want to be careless and miss out on the kind of gift that he truly had. Because if he did and the Hell energy had some effect on it, he would need to know the original to know the difference.

    In research without a standard,paring a sample would often be useless. How would one tell it''s different if they did not know what is supposed to be different?

    <em>~phew~</em>

    "I''m done, head healer Berk." The senior healer spoke.

    Head Healer Berk did not speak directly but instead checked the body of Keith. First was the physical checks like pulse, breathing, and temperature before he used his gift to do a different kind of test.

    Head Healer held Keith''s head in his right hand and closed his eyes. Lucius could see that Keith''s eyes were glowing behind his eyelids and even his mount seemed to be glowing as could be seen from the raysing from between his teeth.

    It looked like someone had put a light bulb inside Keith''s skull and it was illuminating.

    "Hmm¡­ good work. His body should recover after a month or so. Though he will need to rest for longer, our gifts can only do so much." Head Healer Berk spoke before turning to the junior healers and nurses.

    "Always remember that gifts can only take one so far. They can save someone from the brink of death, even restore them to the peak but¡­ there is always a cost. And this cost is not just on the healer in the form of Aether but also the person being healed." Berk enlightened.

    The Junior healers and nurses almost had stars in their eyes upon hearing his words. To them, it was top notch wisdom that they would rarely get to hear, while to Lucius this was an important hint.

    ''Huh, so the healing gifts have additional costs than just Aether.'' Lucius noted.

    There were many healing spells in Lucius'' past life and he had seen quite a lot of them. He knew how they worked and what they needed to work. Most of them would work on mana, but some also worked on life force.

    Such spells were forbidden in most nations and rarely would they be used. One such famous spell was simply called as vitality split. It was a dark magic that could allow the caster to split their life force with another person.

    Depending on the state of the injured person, it could be extremely damaging to the caster. In some cases, the caster would even die instantly upon using a spell like this. But there were other spells that could forcefully drain someone''s life force while transferring it to a third party.

    "Hmm¡­ now a gift like that would be worth investing in," Lucius muttered.

 Chapter 113 - A Violent Change

    "Keith should be safe now. Has a message been sent to Viscount Drew yet?" Head Healer Berk questioned.

    "Yes, we sent it the moment he was brought here. I believe one of the guards apanying Young Lord Keith has taken it." The Junior healer answered.

    "Hmm¡­ alright." Head Healer Berk responded.

    Lucius noted the fact that Berk had not used a title for Keith when he spoke about him. He was reminded of the status of the Head Healer once again.

    ''If even Count Gabriel respects the healer then it''s obvious the Viscount would do the same. It''s a boon for Baron Dond to have him in his city.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius continued watching Keith and noted any changes in him. He could still feel the faint presence of hell energy in Keith''s body and it was hidden deep within it.

    ''Will the hell energy not do anything? That''s strange. Usually, it is vtile for most creatures.'' Lucius wondered.

    But just as he thought this, he felt a strange ripple of energying from Keith.

    "It''s time¡­" Lucius murmured and took a few steps back.

    Kiana who had heard Lucius faintly, wondered why he had said that. Him stepping back only confused her even more.

    "AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

    Out of nowhere, an ear piercing shriek was let out by Keith.

    Everyone in the room, except for Lucius were startled by this while one of the junior healers even fell on his back due to being startled.

    "What''s happening!?" The senior healers said before hurriedly checking Keith who was now iling around on the bed.

    "NOOO!!! STOP IT !!!! BURRNSSSSSSSS!!!!" Keith started wailing.

    Head Healer Berk who had been calm and kept aposed demeanor showed a surprised for the first time.

    "STOP!" Head Healer Berk ordered.

    The two senior healers were stunned by his words and wondered why he had asked such a thing when the patient in front of them was suffering. The hands of the senior healer were stopped about an inch from Keith, when something happened.

    <em>~clench~</em>

    Keith had now opened his eyes that were bloodshot and grabbed onto the nearest person to him. The second healer who had the bubble like gift.

    "STOP THIS!!! END IT!!!" Keith shouted, his voice turning hoarse.

    <em>~CRACK~</em>

    "AHHHHH!" The Senior healer cried in pain as his hand was crushed by Keith with a sickening crunch.

    Lucius couldn''t help but raise his brows upon seeing this.

    "Rudimentary Muscle Strengthening? Interesting¡­" Lucius muttered.

    ''Didn''t expect he would be able to do something like this¡­ amplifying his muscles using hell energy even while barely being in control¡­ even some talented members of the Barrom n would find this difficult.'' Lucius thought.

    But along with this, Lucius took a few more steps back as he anticipated something more.

    "Get back Kiana, Donald." Lucius ordered. "And get your gift ready Kiana."

    Kiana looked at Lucius and saw the glint in Lucius''s eyes. Then without questioning she raised her hand and activated Stone Sniper, creating a small needle in front of her palm. She could guess what Lucius wanted and thus did not act right away, waiting for his input.

    "GET THE RESTRAINTS!" Head Healer Berk ordered.

    The nurses rushed to get the restraints while the senior healer struggled under the vice grip of Keith.

    "How is he doing this?! He''s supposed to be under sedatives!" The first senior healers said feeling lost.

    "Quick, get me Noctus Bane!" Head Healer Berk spoke.

    But no one responded to his words. The junior healers were too shocked due to Keith, while the nurses had gone to get the restraints.

    "I SAID GET ME NOCTUS BANE!!" Head Healer Berk roared.

    The junior healers broke out of their stupor, while the senior healer attempted to pry the other senior healer''s hand free from Keith''s grasp.

    "Leave him! Let go of him Keith!" The senior healer spoke.

    But Keith was in no state to listen to it and only tightened his grip.

    "Here it is, head healer Berk!" one of the junior healers passed a small vial.

    Lucius gazed at it and saw that it had a single small flower kept in it. The flower''s petals were rolled up and it looked to be dried. Head Healer took the vial and opened its cap.

    "THE RESTRAINTS ARE HERE!" The nurses who had just entered the room along with guards announced.

    "Quick! Hold him down and apply the restraints!" head Healer Berk ordered, feeling a bit relieved upon the appearance of the guards and nurses.

    There were four guards apanying the nurses and each of them held down a limb. The three nurses tossed the restraints which were nothing butrge leather belts across the body of Keith and under the bed.

    Keith still struggled on the bed and it was getting hard for the guards to hold him.

    "Does he have some physical gift that can increase his strength? How is he so strong?" one of the junior healers questioned.

    "No! From what we were reported, his gift allows him to increase the power of his kicks. It does not have this kind of effect!" The senior healer who was freed due to the guard''s appearance spoke.

    His hand was still broken, but surprisingly he was not letting it show on his face now. He instead created arge bubble that surrounded his hand where it had been broken.

    "How is this possible then? Is this pure strength?" The junior healers wondered.

    No one could answer this question except for one person in this room and he was certainly not going to do that. Soon, the guards and nurses managed to restrain Keith but even then it was not enough.

    Keith was now shaking the entire bed with his movement.

    <em>~THUD~</em>

    <em>~THUD~</em>

    <em>~CLANG~</em>

    <em>~CLANG~</em>

    The metal frame of the bed shook and made loud noises, as Keith struggled with his full might.

    ''This is quite unusual¡­ the amount of Hell energy I gave him should have run out by now. There is no way it can amplify his strength for this long.'' Lucius wondered.

 Chapter 114 - A Confusing Condition

    Lucius''s observations were yielding him some interesting results and he knew by now that Hell energy was just as vtile as he remembered. Except in this case, it could interact with Aether on a certain level and make it a little tamer.

    There was no other reason than that Lucius could think of which would allow Keith to be able to control Hell energy to do strength amplification like this¡­ even if he was not doing it intentionally.

    Lucius guessed that it was his body doing it automatically to deplete the hell energy as a means of survival. Though he still did not know how had itsted this long. The amount injected by Lucius was quite less.

    "RAAAAAAHHHH!" Keith let out a distorted scream that was beyond what a normal human should have been able to do so.

    The Head Healer Berk, who was looking for the right opportunity, lunged at Keith and poured the vial into Keith''s mouth. The vial only had a single dried flower, so it fell quite easily into Keith''s mouth.

    The small flower easily fell down his throat and showed its effect.

    "GAH!!!" Keith Coughed and tried to hold his neck but could not because of the restraints that were tying down his hands.

    He continued to struggle for about two more minutes before he finally calmed down and fell unconscious. All the healers and the nurses took a breath of relief while the guards wiped the sweat from their forehead.

    "What¡­ in the name of na was that!?" one of the junior healers could not help but ask.

    "Whatever it must be¡­ this must not be spread out of the four walls of this room. This is an order!" Head Healer Berk spoke in a staunch voice.

    "YES, Head Healer Berk!" All of the healers, nurses and guards replied.

    Finally, Head Healer Berk turned around to face Lucius and his twopanions, with an inquisitive look on his face. Lucius instantly understood it and walked to meet the man.

    "Me and mypanions shall do the same Head Healer Berk. But I reckon informing the Count about this is important as well and can''t be hidden from him." Lucius spoke.

    "Mmm¡­ Young Lord Asher''s words are correct. And fear not, that was my intention as well. For now only Count Gabriel, Baron Dond, and Viscount Drew shall know about it except for the people in this room." Head Healer Berk replied.

    Lucius nodded his head and looked towards Kiana, gesturing to her. Kiana nodded and deactivated her gift, lowering her hands. Since the threat had passed, there would be no sense in keeping their offense up.

    "Though Head Healer Berk I have a question," Lucius spoke.

    "Please do ask, Young Lord Asher," Berk replied.

    "What do you think happened to Keith? I mean¡­ nothing that he did now matches up with his gift and no person would have the strength to act like this, especially after getting injured perversely like him." Lucius questioned with curiosity.

    Head haler Berk furrowed his brows as he thought over Lucius''s words. He himself was surprised by all that happened and was racking his brain for an answer. He had been a healer for several decades and had seen a myriad of gifts.

    He was sure that this was not the effect of Keith''s own gift, as it simply did not have the ability. Which left him with very few options.

    "Why the curiosity, Young Lord Asher?" Berk counter asked.

    "Hmm¡­ it''s mostly because of something I read. Since I got injured and lost my memorizes, I obviously tried to learn about it. I wanted to know why I lost them and how something like that would happen.

    The answer that was given to me by the High Priest who healed me was that it was a curse of the tribals from the Fands. So¡­ I learned more about those curses and discovered there were even more different curses that they could use.

    So this led me to wonder¡­ what if Keith was cursed as well?" Lucius replied.

    Upon hearing Lucius''s words, everyone in the room was stunned; some more than others. The junior healers were just shocked by the word curse, while the senior healers were simply surprised.

    As for Head Healer Berk, he furrowed his brows even more such that there was now a ''V'' on his forehead.

    "Young Lord Asher has certainly done his work. And I think this may be a curse too¡­ but, it''s too quick to reach that conclusion. I would like to observe Keith more beforeing to a conclusion." Head Healer Berk replied.

    "Of course, head healer Berk. Please do as you think is fit, I was just curious. I shall take my leave now, seeing as it is no longer appropriate and I shan''t intrude on your work anymore." Lucius excused himself politely.

    But while doing so, his eyes gazed over Keith for a couple of seconds as they squinted slightly before rxing. He then turned around and left the room.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Head Healer Berk rubbed his forehead as he felt a headache approaching. He did not know what woulde of this and knew that it would soon be a political yground. Viscount Drew was in conflict with Count Gabriel and had even dered that he was leaving the Land of Etara.

    But now that Keith had gotten injured in the territory of a Baron who was part of the Count''s territory, the Viscount was likely to make amotion. And since Keith was here at his hospital, Berk knew it would fall upon him to ay the two men.

    "What has this alle to¡­" Berk murmured to himself.

    But what he had not noticed was that a red glow slithered below Keith''s skin. One of the nurses noticed it though, and felt like she was mistaken. She rubbed her eyes and found that the red glow had disappeared.

    ''Strange¡­'' was all she thought.

    Unknown to everyone in this room, a disaster bigger than anything they knew was gonna happen soon.

 Chapter 115 - Corruption

    Lucius and hispanions left the hospital while thinking of all that had happened in the past hour. To them, it was all shocking and they had not seen anything like that before. Keith''s condition was peculiar and it was evident that it could not be suppressed for long.

    Lucius though, was thinking of the information Nexus had just given him when he used it on Keith.

    Gift Name: Whip Kick

    Description: The user can kick forcefully that can create winds that can attack like whips. The more force that is used, the more powerful the attack will be.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission/ Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    This was the information that Lucius had directly gotten at the start from Keith. But then additional information appeared that intrigued him greatly.

    Hell Energy Corruption: Minor

    Info: The person will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy.

    Corruption level: Minor

    Corrupted Gift: Locked

    (Corrupted Gift: Hellish Kick)

    ''My, my, my¡­ this is¡­ amazing!'' Lucius thought to himself.

    The new addition of the data showed that the injector nod Hell energy on others truly did have an effect. Though Lucius knew this was not enough, as this was just a single test subject for now.

    For all he knew, Keith may have just been lucky to survive this. And there would be way more different problems to this that Lucius would have to find outter.

    There were several questions that straight away appeared in Lucius''s mind.

    He wondered if the same effect would be there for people that did not have gifts and were gift less. Then he wondered if the rank of gift someone had affected the sess of hell energy corruption or not.

    He thought this because he understood it was Aether reacting with Hell energy as it did in his body, to attenuate its vtility. In his past world, Lucius had seen plenty of people who had died due to hell energy and its corruption.

    It was not a simple energy to handle and could affect everything from living creatures to inanimate objects. If an area reached up to acertain level of hell energy concentration, it would start to change.

    The hell energy would affect everything around it and modify them, turning the area simr to that of hell. This was the reason why hell energy was strictly forbidden for most nations.

    Well¡­ except for the Great Barrom n''s area. They were the main users of hell energy along with Demonic mana and thus were the arch enemies of the Theocracy of Thara. Their battles would leave behind areas that were devastated by hell energy, and the priests of Thara would then have toe and purge the area of hell energy.

    The same would be needed for other humans if they came in contact with hell energy. Certain people though, were naturally resistant to hell energy and could bearrge concentrations of it. These people were often of different races or had unique bloodlines.

    Formoners though, the priests would have toe to purify them. That is, if they survived till then. There were a few different results of hell energy corruption that were well known. The first was just death caused by hell energy as it would devastate the body.

    The second was when the body actually survived the corruption of the hell energy. If they did, then they were likely to be resistant to hell energy, but even then most people would end up bing crippled.

    The third option was that they would mutate due to the hell energy. Such people were called as the ''Lost'' as they would lose all semnce of humanity and would mutate grotesquely. They would either grow serial limbs, strange fangs, or gain new abilities like breathing fire.

    In a way, it was the body''s survival mechanism that would cause something like this. Though in ny percent of the cases, the infected person would just die while five percent would be able to survive. And the final five percent would just be the Lost.

    Though this five percent chance of bing a Lost could be increased by certain methods that the Great Barrom n was proficient in. In fact, these ''Lost'' were one of the several weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Great Barrom n.

    In many of the wars that had been fought, the ''lost'' were the cannon fodder that was used at the front lines. They could be replenished rather easily, and all captured prisoners of war would be turned into the Lost.

    It was this very corruption to be a ''Lost'' that Lucius was interested in. He himself had participated in the creation of several ''Lost'' and knew the process very well. He knew the power behind them and also knew how they could be controlled.

    Most people thought they were uncontroble beings that would do nothing but kill and destroy. But their creators obviously had the methods to control them.

    ''If I can make Lost¡­ or perhaps even more specimens like Keith, I may very well be able to make an entire army on my own.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius looked at Kiana and Donald with an interested glint in his eyes. He had seen that there was actually a different version of a gift that could be unlocked with the corruption of the hell energy and he was wondering how he could unlock that.

    ''The way Nexus can give me more information when I use Hell Aether must be my own version of the corrupted gift. But then why does it now show it like that?'' Lucius wondered.

    He and his twopanions reached the carriage just like this and boarded it, deciding to head to an inn for now. On the way, Lucius continued thinking, as he came up with more theories and from then he formed some hypothesis.

    ''Perhaps the difference lies in the control¡­ while I was able tobine the Hell energy with Aether, it is not necessary that everyone will be able to do the same. From seeing Keith, it did not seem like he was able to form that, he still had pure hell energy in his body.'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 116 - Pondering-I

    Lucius couldn''t help but feel that he may need to meet up with Keith a few more times more, but didn''t know if it would be possible.

    "What happened there, Asher?" Kiana suddenly spoke.

    "Huh? You mean with Keith?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes¡­ I''ve never seen anything like that. I know you understood a lot more than you were letting on." Kiana spoke.

    Lucius was intrigued that Kiana was able to pick on it, and wondered what he should say he thought for a bit beforeing up with a response.

    "I think what happened does not concern us as much for now. If anything, it has only given us a greater advantage. With Keith being in this condition, I doubt Viscount Drew would be able to fully focus on the separation of the territory.

    This will also us to get out end of the deal ready. Plus, with the brewery on the way, I think it will extend the time we have till we''ll need to start using our own savings to run the territory." Lucius replied.

    Kiana heard Lucius''s exnation and thought that there was a bit more that he did not borate not. But she reckoned there must be some other reason behind it, and that Lucius just did not think it was right to reveal it now.

    "Alright. I hope it is ording to what you said." Kiana spoke.

    Lucius nodded his head and the two went back to being silent again. But that was not for long, as they soon arrived at the inn. This was the best inn of the Dond city and only the rich merchants and visiting nobles could afford to stay here.

    Originally Lucius was going to return to the Inanis city after the party, but the n had been changed because of Keith. He had decided to check up on him bying to the Downd City which was further away from the Inanis city.

    It was already close to sunset and if they left now it would take them over seven hours to reach there. Which would be way past midnight. Thus Lucius reckoned that it was better to just get an inn in the city and rest for the night.

    Besides, he wanted to check up on Keith tomorrow as well. Another thing he was curious about was the small dried flower that Head Healer Berk had used.

    "Noctus Bane¡­ now that''s an interesting thing," Lucius muttered to himself.

    He had not read about it yet and thus wondered what its exact effects were. From what he saw though, he could tell that it had some very strong tranquilizing effects. If it could sedate someone who was berserking due to the Hell energy corruption, then it was bound to be strong.

    Lucius and hispanion took up rooms in the inn and slept for the night. Lucius spent his merry time thinking about the corruption with hell energy more and also remade the spell matrix for Enrage.

    He now knew that the spell could be used here too, and as long as he used it at the right moment, it could show rather impressive effects. Eventually, time passed and Lucius fell asleep.

    ***

    The morning arrived rather gently as Lucius woke upzily. He took his time to rest a bit extra as he had used a lot of Aether and Hell energy yesterday. It was now fully replenished and the fatigue had been washed away.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    Lucius opened the window of the room and gazed at the bright sunlight outside. He could see the clock tower in the distance and saw that it was about nine am now. Simr to Inanis city, Dond city had a clock tower, too.

    The only difference was that the clock tower here was shorter in height aspared to the one in Inanis city. Still, it was located near the center of the city and thus could be seen from nearly every point of the city.

    It was only the slums on the outskirt of the city that could not see the clock tower. Lucius stretched for a minute before getting ready to leave. He washed his face with the water that was kept in a jug and a basin that was at the side.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of the room was opened as Lucius waked out. At the lowermon area of the Inn, Kiana and Donald were already waiting for him.

    "What do we do now? Are we going to head back to the mansion?" Kiana questioned.

    "No¡­ not so fast. I wanna observe Keith a bit more. I think we can leave after I see Keith onest time." Lucius answered.

    Donald did not question this, as his job was to just guard Lucius. He did not care about what he did as long as he was safe, and he would be doing his best to do that. He had already seen the conduct of the Harrels heir and he did not want a repeat of that here.

    Kiana simply nodded her head and apanied Lucius to the hospital. They got into the carriage and swiftly reached the Hospital.

    "When do you think that the Viscount will be arriving here?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ it shouldn''t be long. Since the messenger left yesteryear, he should have reached the territory by midnight. And if we assume that Viscount left his territory right after that, he should be here in about six hours from now at the verytest." Kiana answered.

    "That seems urate enough. Though I don''t think we should interact with the Viscount for now. It may onlyplicate the situation more." Lucius spoke.

    "That''s right. We already saw how the people acted and even Baron Harrels was swayed by the words of a guard. I''m sure that the Viscount will assume the worst and will probablye here with quite a few guards.

    If we''re unlucky, we may even have to get into conflict with them. I''m sure that we can take care of them, but it would be better to prevent it at the start." Kiana replied.

 Chapter 117 - Pondering-II

    Lucius could very well agree with Kiana''s words and he did not want to reveal his trump cards so fast either. It was best if the Viscount did not meet him for quite a while. An unknown enemy was the hardest to deal with.

    In Lucius'' past world there were many methods of learning about others and spying and thus having information was quite easy. But in this world, while there were artifacts, they were not so prevalent as the ever-present surveince of his past world.

    Thus Lucius reckoned if he did not let the Viscount get an urate idea of himself, he would always be on the more favorable side. In the mean time, Lucius could let Count Gabriel take the full brunt of Viscount Drew. At least in that case, both the men knew each other for years and it would not be as problematic as before.

    As for whether the Viscount would spy on Lucius and get information from others? That would not work. Spying inside the Inanis mansion would be incredibly difficult as the servants there were all loyal to the Count, along with being there for a long time.

    Each servant in the family was trained and educated by the Inanis family for years before they were officially employed. Kiana had gone through the entire process and knew that it was rather rough.

    But it also allowed them to weed out the kind of servants that they definitely did not want. This prevented any spies and traitors from appearing in their midst. And in case they did manage to turn into someone that already worked in the mansion to their side, Lucius was sure the other servants or even Kiana would be able to find it out.

    Some would even think that the Viscount may try to get more information about Lucius from others. But that would prove to be futile as all he would get is information about the old Asher and not Lucius.

    This may even be favorable to Lucius, as he would be able to flip the odds in his favor. Though Lucius was sure that the Viscount would definitely want to know more about Lucius since he had killed so many guards.

    Even the other guests who had visited the part of Bethany would likely gossip about it, and the rumors would start to spread. Lucius actually wanted this to happen, as he could add his own fabricated rumors to it, making it hard for one to understand what was true and what was not.

    He would simply get more of their people to spread rumors around in the city, which would eventually get to other ces. The nosy nobles were bothersome most of the times, but this was one of the few asions when they would prove to be useful.

    ''I''ll mink them for all they''re worth¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    While doing this, his gaze went to Bethany, who was sitting in the second carriage to the side. The girl had almost be a mute since yesterday and had spent most of her time staring at the ground. Even when they rested at the Innst night, it was Kiana who had kept an eye on her.

    "How was she yesterday?" Lucius asked Kiana.

    "Hmm, she definitely changed after you imed her as a prisoner of the Inanis family. She barely ate and slept quitete at night. She tossed and turned on the bed and kept on muttering to herself.

    The entire experience has probably caused some trauma in the girl." Kiana replied.

    "I see¡­ well, some trauma will help her in the long term. It will allow her to grow her character, after all, she is a noble heir too. Without experience about things such as this, how can one be a good noble?

    If one is as na?ve as she is, they would probably be eliminated in this harsh world." Lucius said in a cold tone.

    Kiana listened to his words and found them to be very urate. She had first hand experienced severe mental and physical trauma, and it had only allowed her to be stronger. They had shown her what she should not do and what she could do to prevent it.

    She reckoned that had it not been for that, she may not have even lived for this long.

    ***

    The sound of horse hooves grinding against gravel could be heard as the carriage came to a stop in front of the hospital.

    Lucius and Kiana quickly boarded, while Donald got down from his horse, as well.

    "Take the carriage to the side and get down, Lady Bethany." Donald spoke to the other guards.

    While Donald was pissed at Bethany and would have killed her had he the chance, he still did not miss out on the decorum of a proper guard. He knew it would be bad for both him and his lord''s reputation if he did not speak to another noble formally.

    That was the only reason why he called Bethany Lady, otherwise, he would have just pulled her out by her hair.

    <em>~thud~ thud~</em>

    Bethany stepped down from the second carriage as well and walked to Lucius, while keeping her head down. If one looked at the second carriage, they would see that it was quite different from the previous one.

    This carriage had iron bars on the windows, while there were strong steeltches on the single door that was on its right. This was a carriage that was especially used to transport prisoners or criminals that had a high status like Nobles.

    Lucius had intentionally gotten this carriage hired so that the stance of the Inanis family could be shown. This carriage was not bad from the interior either. It hadfortable and soft seats along with a good suspension that did not let the carrier shake much.

    Most of the difference was only in the fact that if someone was ced inside, they would find it hard to leave. This would show the world that Bethany Harrels was their prisoner, while also showing them that she was not being mistreated.

    A rather clever approach by Lucius to avoid giving the other party an advantage during negotiations.

 Chapter 118 - Keiths Condition And Morals

    Lucius and his entourage entered the hospital and saw the same nurse as before sitting at the reception. Lucius smiled at her and spoke.

    "Can you take us to Keith Drew again? We''vee to check up on his condition." Lucius stated.

    The Nurse who was busy writing something in the register looked up and saw the handsome face of Asher. A slight blush appeared on her face before she managed to control herself.

    "Pleasee with me, Young Lord Asher." The nurse spoke and guided them to the top floor.

    Upon reaching there, Lucius could see that the security had been greatly increased since before. The number of hospital guards was more than tripled while the number of healers had also been increased. Though most of them were junior healers.

    "Head Healer Berk ordered to increase the security considering the condition of the patient and his identity." The nurse exined upon seeing Lucius''s curious look.

    Lucius simply nodded his head as they came to a stop in front of the entrance of the ward. The doors were locked from the inside and two strong looking guards were standing at its sides.

    They blocked them from progressing and simply stared at them.

    "Please inform Head Healer Berk, Young Lord Asher has arrived." The nurse requested.

    One of the guards nodded his head and opened the door before walking inside and closing the door on his back. A minuteter, the door opened again as the guard gestured to the nurse.

    "They can enter," he spoke.

    "Thank you," The nurse spoke, while Lucius and the rest entered the ward.

    Inside the ward, Lucius could see ten different healers surrounding Keith''s bed. This was in addition to Head Healer Berk, who was sitting at a desk nearby while reading a book. There were multiple stacks of thick books kept all over the table, and some of them looked to be quite old.

    ''Seems like the Head Healer is at an impasse and needs to revise his knowledge.'' Lucius thought upon seeing the titles of the books.

    There were all rted to the medical field, with a few of them dealing with the effects of certain gifts as well.

    "How are you, Head Healer Berk?" Lucius asked after approaching the old man.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Seems like this is going beyond my capabilities, Young Lord Asher." Head Healer Berk spoke.

    "Oh? What''s the problem?" Lucius questioned.

    "We are unable to truly understand what is wrong with Keith¡­ we tried many methods of diagnosing but all of them either give a wrong answer or just don''t give any." Head Healer Berk admitted.

    "Hmm¡­ can I see him?" Lucius asked, wanting to observe a bit more.

    "Sure. You may as well see him." Head Healer Berk replied, letting Lucius approach the bed.

    The Ten healers that were surrounding the bed parted, and Lucius could finally see Keith.

    "Oh Etara!" Lucius inadvertently let out.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Berk let out another sign and shook his head.

    "EEK!" Suddenly a shriek was heard, making everyone turn around to look at it.

    The source of the Shriek was none other than Bethany Harrels. The girl who had not spoken much since her capture had done this upon seeing the state of Keith. Fear was visible on her face as her eyes trembled.

    For a normal person, this was expected, as Keith did look quite different from before. There were red markings around his eyes that had appeared, and small fangs protruded from the corners of his lips.

    There were veins protruding on his arm, and its color had changed as well. His nails had grown by an inch and had turned ck while his skin itself had taken a deep maroon tone. There were even some cracks appearing on his skin, letting one see the pink flesh hidden underneath.

    His eyes were currently closed, but the rapid movement of his eyeballs could be seen below the eyelids. One could tell that he was either having a nightmare or was struggling.

    "What is your current diagnosis, head healer Berk? I don''t think I''ve ever seen anything like this before." Lucius spoke.

    This was actually true, as the kind of transformation Keith had undergone was different from what he had expected. It was not the same as that of the ''Lost'' and seemed to be much tamer.

    ''Though it could also be theck of hell energy. Perhaps if more of it is supplied, he''ll finish the transformation.'' Lucius thought.

    "While we haven''t reached a concrete diagnosis, we are considering him to be under some kind of a gift''s effect. ording to all our knowledge, only a gift can cause something like this." Head Healer Berk stated.

    "A gift? You don''t think it''s a curse?" Lucius asked, as he was sure that they would have picked up on that.

    "No¡­ actually, I did think it was a curse at first, but then the changes in Keith started and I discarded that idea. I read through all the information that we had on the curses of the Fand''s Tribals and none of it matched this.

    This leads me to believe that it was either a curse that has never been seen till now, or that it is somethingpletely different. After goings through a few more options, we ended uping to the most obvious one¡­ A gift." Head Healer Berk stated.

    Since times immemorial, gifts have been considered to be miracles that had been bestowed upon the beings of this world by the divines. Thus anything that was inexinable or could not be understood by the humans was said to be due to the effect of a gift.

    It was simr to some civilization''s superstitions that Lucius had seen. They were quite backward and their worlds did not have true magic. All they had were chatans and false prophets. The people were so ignorant that they would im everything that was inexinable as magic.

    Even some scientific discoveries were considered to be magic and would lead to the execution of the person who discovered them.

    Inventors and pioneers died due to the rule of the church and false gods.

    "A gift?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes¡­ the only way something like this could be done would be through the power of a gift." Head Healer Berk replied.

    "Do you know what gift caused this?" Lucius asked, wanting to know the thought process of the man.

    "Hmm¡­ while we don''t know the exact name, we can estimate that the gift must be at the Epic Rank at the very least to be able to cause a transformation of this level.

    A rare ranked gift can cause a transformation of this level too, but that would only be on the owner of the gift. But we know that in the case of Keith, he does not have a gift like that. His gift is Whip Kick, and not a transformation type of a gift." Head Healer Berk stated.

    Lucius listened to his words and would have found them to be valid had it not been for the fact that he knew what was the cause behind this. After all, it was he himself who had done this with the use of Hell energy.

    "It could also be an artifact though!" One of the junior healers suddenly spoke.

    The senior healers looked at the junior healer who had spoken out of turn with stern gazes. No matter what, they had to follow decorum and did not scold him right away. Had it not been for Head Healer Berk being here, they probably would have given him a verbalshing.

    "Oh? An artifact? How would that be possible?" Lucius asked, wanting to know this man''s perspective.

    While Lucius knew the real cause behind this all, he still wanted to know how the people of this world would react to it. In a way, this was a survey he was doing, the results of which would determine if he would be able to do his own experiments in this.

    If the people of this world were able to tell that this was due to hell energy and get wary about it, Lucius would have a harder time. There may even be someone among them who might be able to link him to it.

    Still, Lucius did not fear that as much because he could very well purge all the hell energy if the need came. While the hell imprint was difficult for him to form, he would destroy it in a heartbeat if it was going to risk his survival.

    Lucius could make a thousand hell imprints if he was alive, but if he was dead, nothing would matter.

    ''If I live I''m Superior, if I die I''m trash.'' This was the ideology that Lucius went by.

    It was something that was ingrained into him by birth and he had experienced it very well during his childhood at the Great Barrom n. Thepetition there was harsh and death was not umon.

    Lucius himself had seen many of his siblings die and had even killed a couple of them with his own two hands. He knew what true survival was and did not stand for the false, hypocritical morals of most people.

    There were many people who died for the so called honor, but Lucius would never be one of them.

    The Junior Healer had be nervous upon seeing the gazes of all his superiors and did not know if he should speak.

    "Go on, answer Young Lord Asher." Head Healer Berk prodded on.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    "Yes, please do speak freely." Lucius also encouraged.

    "Okay, but I''m not fully sure if this is correct." The Junior Healer said before he began his exnation.

 Chapter 119 - The Junior Healers Words And Leaving The Hospital

    The junior healer hesitated for a second but managed to build up his courage to speak.

    "I read about certain artifacts that the smaller kingdoms in the south make. They are single use artifacts that break after activation. These artifacts are made from special rune crystals.

    They are taken from certain suicidal Rune beasts such as the Exploding Dung Beetle. If onebines this with other rune crystal such as a transformation rune crystal, perhaps an effect such as that on Young Lord Keith can be achieved." The Junior healer exined.

    "This¡­" the senior healers didn''t know what to think of it.

    They weren''t really that knowledgeable about rune crystal and rune beasts, not to mention artifacts. Even the few rune beasts they did know about were those that were important to their field.

    Head Healer Berk though furrowed his brows and rubbed his chin. His beard rustled under his hand as he thought about the viability of the Junior healer''s words. Lucius himself was wondering the same thing.

    Lucius knew that an artifact could have more than one rune crystal used in its creation. But such artifacts were usually of a higher rank than most and were alsoplex to make. He couldn''t understand why someone would make a self destructive weapon and waste the cost.

    ''Unless of course, they can afford it, or the materials themself are cheap.'' Lucius thought.

    "This Exploding Dung Beetle you talked about¡­ what rank rune beast is it?" Lucius questioned, unable to recall any information about it.

    "Umm, I think it''s a D Rank Rune beast." The junior healer replied.

    "Hmm¡­ and what rank would a transformation gift like this would be at?" Lucius asked further.

    "At the C rank, I suppose?" The Junior healer replied.

    Expression of understanding dawned on the faces of the other healers as they came to the same conclusion as Lucius.

    "You idiot! Do you really think anyone would be dumb enough to make an artifact with a C rank rune crystal that self-destructs after one use?" A senior healer who felt pissed the most spoke.

    This junior healer was actually a student under him and him speaking out like this was embarrassing to not only himself but also his teacher. To the senior healer, the junior healer was dragging his name and reputation through the mud in front of Head Healer Berk.

    "See? Even young Lord Asher who is not an Artificer can understand a simple thing like this and you can''t." Another Senior healer chimed in.

    The junior healer only felt his face go pale as he regretted ever speaking. He felt that he was too enthusiastic about his own knowledge and wanted to prove himself in front of the head healer. Everyone in the hospital knew that whoever could be a student of Head Healer Berk would have a sessful life.

    Had it not been for the fact that the senior healers still had a lot to learn from Head Healer Berk, they would have long since taken up the many offers they got from the nobles to be their personal healers.

    Some of the more outstanding ones were even asked by the kingdom itself to join their Royal Court as the official healers. Head Healer Berk did not mind that his students were being poached by many people and was actually satisfied with it.

    To him, as long as they were doing their job and healing people, he would have seeded in having done his job. Being a true healer not only meant helping the injured and the sick but also training other new healers into bing proficient.

    This way more people could be helped by the healer. This was the code by which the healer''s guild went by and it was written in their code of ethics. Even if a healer was not part of the guild and was independent, they would still follow the code as not doing so would result in them being boycotted.

    While these codes were not absolute rules and no punishment woulde upon them by thew enforcement, they would still be persecuted by the masses and would not be able to work for long.

    But while the senior healers were mocking the junior healer and his other fellow junior healers were rejoicing due to the mistake of theirpanion, Lucius was thinking somethingpletely else.

    ''This man is actually good. Thinking like this is unusual for most people of this time I suppose. But for modern times and greater development, we need creative thinkers.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius made a mental note to himself and felt like he was done here for now.

    "Head healer Berk I think we''ll take out leave now," Lucius spoke.

    Head Healer Berk who was in a daze, thinking about the possible reasons behind Keith''s condition snapped out of it and looked at Lucius.

    "Oh? You''re leaving already?" the man asked.

    "Yes, it is actuallyte for me and I was supposed to return to Inanis city yesterday itself." Lucius repelled. "Beside¡­ I still have certain things to take care of," Lucius added while looking at Bethany.

    Head healer Berk followed Lucius''s gaze and recognized the girl standing at the back shyly. He had already heard of all that had happened earlier at the Harrels mansion and knew that the main reason behind this whole fiasco could be said to be Bethany herself.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    He simply shook his head and decided that it wall all too much for his old bones to bother with.

    "Sure, Young Lord Asher. Please have a safe journey." Head Healer Berk stated.

    Lucius nodded his head and turned around to leave the room. While Lucius felt interested in Keith and wanted to know what would happen to himter, he knew it was not the right time for him.

    Once the Viscount arrived, things were bound to get difficult and he did not want to encounter more trouble.

    ''I''ll get more opportunities to examine its effects anyway. Besides¡­ Keith will probably a shackle for Viscount for a while now.'' Lucius thought to himself.

 Chapter 120 - The Furious Parents

    The sound of horse hooves grinding against gravel could be heard as a carriage came to a stop. The carriage was standing in front of arge mansion that was none other than the Inanis mansion.

    Lucius and the rest had left the Dond City in the afternoon and it had taken them seven hours to reach here. It was already night time and everyone was tired by now. Their caged ''canary'' was also asleep due to being exhausted and did not wake even when the carriage came to a stop.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of the carriage peopled and out came Lucius. He felt like his body had gone sore from sitting the entire time. Even if the seats werefortable to sit on, after a certain period of item anyone would feel stiff.

    Another thing that happened was that it was raining the entire time during the journey and thus they could not stop and walk around to stretch their legs either. Doing so would only result in them getting wet.

    The rain was also the reason why they had to slow down the journey a bit and took them an extra hour to reach the city. But now that they were finally here they could rx for the time being.

    Lucius looked at the second carriage in which Bethany was kept and spoke.

    "Take her to the room which has been prepared," Lucius ordered.

    "Yes, my lord!" The guards that were there replied hurriedly before opening the door of the secure carriage.

    A few maids also came and woke up Bethany before taking her away to the room that had been assigned to her. Even if she was a prisoner, she was a noble and thus a certain level of decorum would have to be followed.

    If they did not do so, the things would only be more problematic. Lucius wanted the upper hand in the negations and would not allow anything that could affect his chances to happen now. That was the reason why he had written all that was needed in the letter he sent to Count Gabriel.

    "What will you do now?" Kiana asked.

    "Hmm¡­ I''ll take a bath first and change my clothes beforeing for dinner. As for what to do after that¡­ I believe father and mother will be there for it." Lucius replied.

    "Alright. I''ll get the servants to draw up the bath and go inform the Count and countess we have arrived officially." Kiana replied before leaving.

    Lucius on the other hand removed his outer cape and robes before handing them to the servants. He then walked into the bathroom and washed his body clean of the sweat and grime it had umted over the two days.

    The hot water soothed his sore body and rxed him. This gave him a good time to think of what he needed to do next. Once he was done with the bath, he quickly got dressed and headed to the dining hall.

    "There you are," Lita spoke upon seeing Lucius enter the hall.

    "Yes, mother. Forgive me if it took too long." Lucius replied politely.

    "No, no, no. It''s all fine. Though¡­ certain people have definitely overstepped their boundaries." Lita said with a smile on her face. But if one looked in her eyes they would see the concealed fury.

    It was evident that she had already learned all that had happened till now. When Lucius had written a letter it was addressed to Count Gabriel and not Lita, it was probably Kiana who had told her everything.

    Even in the letter, Lucius had only mentioned the important parts of the entire incident, telling the Count to focus on what was needed to be done now, rather than what had already urred in the past.

    Lucius looked around and saw that Gabriel was not here in the dining hall, although everything was already set up.

    "I guess so, mother. Though where is father?" Lucius questioned.

    "He has gone to take care of something that will be needed soon. You should eat for now, he should arrive by the time you are done." Lita replied.

    Lucius understood the tone of her voice and guessed that she was not in a good mood. He silently ate the food that the servants brought and was done in about twenty minutes.

    <em>~step~</em>

    <em>~step~</em>

    <em>~step~</em>

    Soon the sound of metal boots hitting the floor could be heard as someone appeared in the archway.

    "Greetings Father," Lucius greeted quickly.

    Gabriel had a still expression on his face but internally he was seething.

    "Are you fine?" The Count asked.

    "Yes, I ampletely fine," Lucius answered.

    <em>~Phew~</em>

    "Then it''s all good. If you are fine then it is time to serve some justice." Gabriel said with mes in her eyes.

    "Yes. Seems like we have been polite for far too long, such that even a Baron''s heiress thinks she can attack my son!" Lita said, anger fully visible on her face now.

    No longer was there a smile on her face and it looked like she had been suppressing this for a long time now already.

    "Father, mother. I understand you two must be displeased, but we must not act hastily." Lucius spoke in a calm tone.

    Lita and Gabriel looked at his expression and sighed to themselves.

    "Mmm¡­ Lucius is right. We need to think clearly and not with the anger in our minds." Gabriel greeted.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lita took a deep breath and forcibly calmed herself down as well.

    "Now that you two are rxed, let me tell you what we should do. I had plenty of time to think and I know how we can turn all of this to our advantage." Lucius spoke.

    "Our advantage? How?" Gabriel questioned

    "Did you get everything I asked you in the letter ready?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes, most of the things are ready. As for the people that are needed for thetter parts, they will be ready by tomorrow." Gabriel answered.

    "Good¡­ now listen to my n carefully¡­"

 Chapter 121 - The Plan - I

    Lucius looked at Gabriel and Lita for a moment before beginning to speak.

    "As we know that Viscount Drew is going to leave our territory and that will result in our tax agreements on trade being terminated. And if those are terminated, most of the trade woulde to a halt in our territory.

    But Viscount Drew himself is going to let the Merchants operate without the tax for the time being. This would not only allow him to attract more merchants to his territory, he may even get them to build their branches there.

    If he does that, even if he raises his tax in the future, he will keep it less than our territory, letting the merchants and other businessmen stay attached to his territory. We cannot lower our taxes as that would mean, draining our coffers.

    Viscount drew can afore something like this, but we can''t. Plus, even if we really do that the problem is the passage of the merchants themselves. Viscount Drew''s territory is to the east of ours and has a majority of the roads that go to the rest of the kingdom.

    While there are other roundabout ways we can use to transport goods and the merchants cane through, it would also mean letting them pass through other noble''s territories.

    This would only lead to the merchants being taxed in multiplends and thus by the time theye to ournd, the cost of their goods would increase once more. This will shorten our margin of profit by another chunk which we do not want." Lucius stated.

    The pair of husband and wife listened to Lucius'' words carefully as he built an image in their mind. This gave them an idea of where they were currently and how the situation would need to be changed.

    "Now, since Viscount Drew has decided to do something like this, there must be some assurance that he would have. We do not know what it is as of now, but there should be a hidden backing for him.

    Since he is also losing our protection, there is a greater chance of the merchants being attacked in their territory. And once that happens the merchants would be less reluctant to trade there. But I''m quite sure this would not happen.

    We already have an example of the bandits from thest time. They were set up by none other than the Viscount to cause trouble for us. But this is also smart on his end as this can work as a solution to other bandits.

    If there are already bandits in a certain region, the other bandits will be less inclined to rob on the same route. Unless of course, they want conflict which will also act as a control method.

    They may even want to join up with those bandits making a bigger group, which would still help the viscount as he would then be able to eliminate those groups. What Viscount Drew is doing is making his own enemy to prevent others from being his.

    Of course, since we killed all of his fake bandits there is a likely chance he will make more of them and spread them out around the edges of his territory. We will need to keep an eye out for them, but if our current n goes well, he may not have time to do anything else.

    You see, Keith Drew the son of the viscount, is currently in a life or death situation." Lucius exined.

    "Life or Death situation? We know about that, but how would that help?" Gabriel asked.

    "We simply need to keep the viscount upied with the state of his son for the time being. We can also spread the rumor that his son was cursed by someone as he is currently undergoing a strange transformation that is not rted to his gift.

    The healers of Dond city have already assessed his condition and are unable to find any cure. The Viscount will probably have to ask the Church of na for help and we all know how that will go." Lucius replied.

    As soon as Gabriel heard this, his eyes went wide.

    "OF COURSE! If he wants the church''s help, he will need to pay a tithe. And if Keith''s condition is really as severe as you say it is, then he may need to pay the same level of Tithe as we paid for when you were injured." Gabriel replied.

    "Exactly, that should cost him quite a bit and should slow down his work. But on the other hand, if he really does have someone supporting him in the dark, he may go to them for help. While this would help him get out of this situation early, it will also give us the chance to figure out who else is involved." Lucius said.

    Gabriel and Lita nodded their head in understanding and couldn''t help but feel that their son had really gained cleverness that was not seen previously. The blessing of Etara was still not gone!

    "Nowes the part about Baron Harrels." Lucius added.

    "That''s scum! I don''t know when he became so brave as to act against you. If it were not for him, there is no way his daughter would have acted like that. He must have been secretly encouraging all this." Lita said, feeling furious again.

    Lucius simply looked at her calmly and let her speak her mind. He knew that nothing Lita actually said was right as it was his own work due to which Bethany had acted against him. If he had not used Enraged, there was a great chance she would have not lost her cool and would have kept calm.

    Gabriel did not speak anything but the hint of anger could also be seen on his face. It was likely that if Baron Harrels was here and he was given the chance, Gabriel would have cut apart the man, limb from limb.

    Baron Harrels was not even a warrior, thus it was quite likely to happen as well.

 Chapter 122 - The Plan - II

    "What will we be doing about Baron Harrels?" Gabriel asked, afterposing himself a bit.

    "Well, we know that he has a good rtionship with Viscount Drew and that they have quite a few business exchanges as well. But officially they are still loyal to us and are thus part of our territory.

    I reckon that the Viscount may be thinking of using them as spies in a way or sow discord among us. This is still a hypothesis and is not confirmed but something like this happening seems likely.

    Thus before the Viscount gets the chance to do that, we eliminate the problem before it. Now that we have Bethany Harrels as our prisoner, we can forever anchor Baron Harrels to us. What I want is to set up terms that will force Viscount to rethink his rtionship with the baron, thus eliminating one of his potential pawns.

    Plus, this will add up to his list of troubles and will probably dy him further. We want to slow down his progress as much as possible so that the brewery can be set up and the wine starts to sell." Lucius exined.

    Gabriel and Lita finally understood what Lucius wanted to do, and their eyes lit up.

    "This¡­ if this really works then we may truly seed." Lita muttered.

    "Indeed, is that why you asked for the soldier to be sent to the borders from me?" Gabriel questioned.

    "Yes," Lucius confirmed.

    Lucius had written in his letter what was needed to be done so that they would be in the safe spot for the time being. The soldiers were sent to the borders of the territory so that they would be able to keep an eye on anything suspicious.

    Lucius didn''t know if the Viscount had anything set up any contingencies before that and would attack at the first sign of seeing his son injured. He was still in the blind about the mental stage of the Viscount and thus wanted to take as many precautions as he could.

    He had learned a lot in his past life and knew how easy it was to lose if one underestimated their enemy. There was no way Lucius was going to miss out on this aspect.

    "Then we have the thing about specific negotiations¡­ we need to set the terms with Baron Harrels in exchange for his daughter''s freedom," Lucius added.

    "Hmm, what terms do you suggest?" Gabriel questioned.

    "I would say that he allows us to keep a set of soldiers in his territory at all times and also some in his very residence as well. This will allow us to keep an eye on him and also prevent him from acting out much.

    The second condition would be that he forgoes all minor taxes that he gains from his territory. Plus¡­ he would also have to supply us with more Aether crystals." Lucius answered.

    Gabriel raised his brows at Lucius''s suggestions and thought them over.

    The first condition was pretty much inviting an enemy into one''s own home. This would put a shackle on himself and make him a prisoner in a low-key way. As for the second condition about the taxes, it would financially restrain the Baron and also free up the flow of trade into the Inanis territory.

    The part about the Aether crystals was something Lucius added on a whim, as he knew he needed a lot of them. He would be fine not getting them, but wanted to see if it would work out in the end.

    "The first, two conditions will be the most important ones and would allot us permanent control over the Baron. Plus, it is faster to get to the Viscount''s territory from his and thus will be helpful for us if we are to attack the man in the future." Lucius added.

    "They do seem to be great conditions. But levying them will be a bit difficult." Gabriel said.

    "Will it really be, though?" Lucius said, while raising a brow.

    "The man will agree to whatever we have to say. If not¡­ I''ll show him what bes of his little spawn," Lita said in a dangerous tone.

    Lucius was a bit surprised by this and did not think Lita would be willing to do something like this. He had understood that the woman was strong on her own and would not settle for less. But she had a kind demeanor for the most part, except when it came to her family.

    But now¡­ she was going beyond that.

    ''Interesting¡­'' Lucius thought.

    "Indeed, we have Bethany who will be the best thing to control the baron. I in fact had another option about keeping Bethany here for a long time¡­ or at least till our situation is resolved. We should try to finagle that into the negotiation too.

    As for how to do that¡­ I''ll leave that up to you, I''m sure father and mother have more experience in the matters of the nobles than me." Lucius stated.

    "Of course. You''ve already done a lot. We will handle the rest from this point. I''ll take care of the negotiations in theing days, while you can do the things you want to do for now." Gabriel quickly replied.

    "Yes, you should go rest now. You''ve had a long journey and had to do some exhausting things." Lita added, returning to her motherly demeanor.

    "I shall retire for the night then. Mother, father." Lucius stated before leaving the hall.

    Once Lucius was gone from the hall, Lita and Gabriel looked at each other.

    "He''se a long way¡­ I never expected my little boy to be so smart so fast." Lita said feeling a bit emotional.

    "Ahaha! It''s about time. He''s after all the blood of Inanis. There is no way he will be a waste. All he needed was time to blossom and as Etara blessed us he has gone beyond that." Gabriel stated.

    The paid of husband and wife chatted for a while before retiring to their own bedchambers for the night.

 Chapter 123 - Reports

    A week had passed since the incident with Keith Drew and Bethany Harrels.

    Baron Harrels and Count Gabriel finished their negotiations and the terms of the exchange were decided from that. Most of what Lucius had asked for was agreed upon except for the part about the Aether Crystals.

    Baron Harrels straightaway dered that he had no extra fortune to spend on Aether Crystals, and after all thepensations that he would have to give in the form of the tax reduction, he would not be able to afford it.

    Lucius had expected something like this and was fine with it. It was not like the Aether Crystals were absolutely necessary for him. Once their n was set up and the brewery was running at full force, they would be able to make arge profit rather early on.

    Once the negotiations done though, Bethany Harrels was released from the custody of the Inanis family back to the Baron. The Baron was quite worried for his daughter and checked her for any injuries or harm.

    Finding that she waspletely fine and in good condition, he took a breath of relief. He quickly left the territory of the Inanis family once Bethany was released and returned to his ownnd.

    The condition of the negotiations had alreadye in force, and the Count had also dispatched his men to the Barony of Harrels. They would be going there before the Baron even reached and would be ensuring that all was ording to the agreement.

    Plus, since Lucius had asked the Count to set up their men beforehand at the borders, they had been able to act quickly as the soldiers at the borders directly went to the Harrels Barony and new ones reced them.

    This way even if the Baron had any ideas of resisting, they were snuffed out in advance. The more the Baron thought, the more he understood the power of the Inanis Family. The Count had systematically taken away most of the power that he held, and had also suppressed him in his own territory.

    But with all this, another thing came to light. With the two nobles such as the Baron and Count being involved, someone had alerted the capital about this. Such kind of a takeover could be termed as hostile and may even be on the borders of being criminal.

    The kingdom liked to preventrge scale internal conflicts from happening as much as they could. And thus to oversee this, they actually sent a few people to investigate all that had happened.

    Both the Count and the Baron got official letters from the capital asking them to state their situation. They especially wanted to know what happened from both the sides while also making their own assumption.

    Currently though, they had just asked for the statement but it was highly likely, they would be sending an adjudicator.

    When Lucius heard of this, he was sure that someone had specifically alerted the capital about this and wanted the Inanis family to lose their reputation. With the help of a few of the Count''s informers at the capital, they learned that the notice that was sent to the capital was quite negative.

    It was sent by a ''concerned'' noble that the Count had let the power reach his head and had gone blind with ambition. It stated that he had started from one of the Barons of his territory and that the son of the baron had ughtered the baron''s men in broad daylight before kidnapping his daughter.

    On paper, it looked quite bad, but when the people from the capital did a preliminary investigation of the rumors, they realized that the notice held some level of truth. Especially once they heard the gossips of the nobles who had attended the party of Bethany Harrels.

    Of course the people of the Capital or one must say the royal court, were not na?ve enough to fully believe their words. Thus, taking it with a hint of salt, they decided to do a full investigation.

    "The one who sent the notice must be close to the Baron." Kiana who had brought the entire report to Lucius spoke.

    They were currently sitting in hisb, and Lucius had been working on something. He had paused to take the report from Kiana and learned of everything.

    "Hmm¡­ the most likely person seems to be Viscount Drew, but¡­ it may just be what the sender wants us to think," Lucius spoke.

    "Someone else? I think it''s Viscount Drew as well, it makes sense since they think you injured Keith too." Kiana replied.

    "No," Lucius shook his head. "Doing so would only be bringing a target on his head as well. If he mentioned about his own son, not only would it lead to the Kingdom investigating his transformation but they would also pay attention to the ''bandits'', the trade changes and the taxes.

    Currently, the kingdom can''t be bothered to keep an eye on every noble and thus lets them operate on their own as long as it does not cause too much of disturbance or if it affects their interests.

    But once a scandal like this is brought to their attention, they will try to suppress it as fast as possible. They may even force Viscount Drew to stop his separation from the Inanis territory and the Land of Etara if it was too damaging to their reputation.

    From what I''ve read till now, the Kingdom of Grantz has a staunch and upright reputation among the other nearby kingdoms. I doubt the Kingdom would want this to spread as rumors outside and let them know about our internal conflicts.

    Especially in a sensitive time as now when the Armistice is still being negotiated. If the Kingdom Of Gisir learns of this, I''m pretty sure they will try to levy it to their advantage. They may even employ more of their spies to sow discord.

    Viscount Keith would be opening a ratherrge can of worms by doing that. Plus the border of the Kingdom of Gisir is close by and even the battlefield is middle of our and Viscount Drew''s territory. If Gisir wants to let people infiltrate the Grantz kingdom, this could very well be a good spot for it." Lucius exined.

    Kiana was quite astounded by the level of thinking Lucius had just shown. He had thought so far that she had a hard timeprehending. While she would not say she was a genius she was definitely not dumb when it came to cleverness.

    But even for her, this level of politics was a bit hard to handle. All Kiana could think of now was that Asher was truly gaining the makings of a great noble.

    ''When he truly bes the Lord Of the Land of Etara, what kind of future would that be?'' Kiana thought to herself.

    "Continue what I said to do before and it should be fine," Lucius said before passing the report back to Kiana.

    "Alright, I''ll keep on gathering information," Kiana replied.

    She turned around to leave and was just about to step out the door when Lucius called out.

    "Wait!" He spoke.

    "Is there anything else?" Kiana asked.

    "About Keith¡­ did they manage to get any more intel? Or is he still hidden?" Lucius asked.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "He''s still hidden. I tried to get more people to check it, but the Viscount has taken him to an unknown location. We did manage to get a couple of spies into his mansion by turning a few of his servants, but no information could be leaked." Kiana replied.

    Lucius furrowed his brows as he thought about it. This was one of the things that had gone out of his expectations and he had been unable to find a solution for it currently.

    ording to the little conformity they had managed to get about Keith, it was said that after Lucius saw him thest time, he was taken away by the Viscount. The strange thing was the Viscount took him away, despite the risk of him dying.

    The people who had seen the Viscount''s expression upon witnessing Keith had said that he was eerily calm. He did not listen to any of the healers, or even Head Healer Berk. He forced the hospital to hand over Keith and directly left Dond city.

    Thest anyone noticed them was when they were leaving the borders of the Dond city and after that, it was as if they had disappeared into thin air. It was only three dayster that the Viscount reappeared in his territory.

    The strange thing was he was acting normally and did not show, as if anything had happened to Keith at all. And if any of his people asked him questions about where Keith was, he simply stated that Keith had gotten bored and went out for a vacation.

    He even denied the fact that he was injured and had transformed into a different form than normal.

 Chapter 124 - Checking The Brewery

    Having heard everything from Kiana, Lucius understood that only more investigation into this would get them any chance at getting the answers. Besides the obvious value of Keith as a test subject, he was also iimportant,as he could be used as the weakness of the Viscount.

    While the Viscount had three children of his own, Keith was the eldest and was the chosen heir. His other children were much younger, with a girl being nine years old and a boy of six years old.

    Meanwhile, Keith was twenty five years old and was undoubtedly going to be the heir of his territory. If Keith was gone, the Viscount may fall in trouble, as it would take him far too long to train his other children.

    His second child was a girl and was not someone who he wanted to be the heir. If she was the only child he had, it would have been possible, but since he had another son, he would be the one who would have to be the heir.

    But the problem was his youngest son was only six years old. Even if he were to train the boy till he was at least sixteen years of age, it would take him ten years. These were ten years that he would barely have.

    The Viscount himself was about sixty years old and had gotten childrente in his life. One could even say that this was one of the reasons why he had not acted out earlier. Now that he had Keith ready, it was the perfect time for him to separate his territory from the Land Of Etara.

    "Seems like we will need to make some changes ording to how the situation progresses," Lucius stated.

    "Yes. I''ll keep you updated on it." Kiana said, before taking her leave.

    Lucius nodded his head and went back to the work he was doing. He had already finished most of the work for the wine and the recipes were now set. The smaller changes that needed to be done forrge production quantities had already been done too.

    All that he was waiting for now was the brewery to bepleted.

    "Hmm¡­ I should take a look." Lucius muttered before leaving theb.

    He exited the mansion and quickly climbed onto a horse that a servant brought for him. Then galloping past the mansion gates, Lucius left for the brewery''s location. Two guards automatically started following him without question, as was their duty.

    Lucius didn''t mind this and actually preferred it, as it would save him from a few troubles. While Lucius knew he was not weak, he was not strong enough to go against multiple people at once.

    Even if he had the Wind Scar sword with him right now, it did not guarantee that he would be safe. Sometimes just having more numbers was enough to deter potential threats and that was exactly what Lucius was going for.

    It took Lucius about thirty minutes to leave the city itself and then five minutes more to reach the site of the brewery. Since the brewery was located on the barren outskirt of the city, Lucius had to take a rather longer route.

    This was another thing that Lucius had told Gabriel to do. They would need to made a new road that took to this exit of the city so that it made it faster to travel to the brewery. This exit was rather small and was not often used.

    The only people who used it were those who lived in these parts or a few lumberjacks who went to cut wood in the forest nearby. Since it was never used that much, the road was not properly developed.

    But even making a new road was not easy, as there were a lot of houses and buildings in the way. If they wanted to make a new road, they would need to get the people to move and demolish the houses.

    Of course, they could not do this withoutpensating the citizens first and that would be an additional expense that they did not want right now. So what Lucius had told Gabriel to do was to simply inform the citizens living near the supposed new road about its eventual construction.

    That way they would not be surprised and say that they were not informed beforehand. It was just making their own work easier, as they would get plenty of time to prepare themselves. The roar would likely be built once the first profits from the wine came.

    That would easily take over three to four months from now, and even that was an estimation that could change due to anything unexpected. Though so far, they had no hitches and their progress was going smoothly.

    Upon arriving at the site of the brewery Lucius saw that thend had already been cleared out and they had filled in the foundation now. The foundation here was made by digging deep holes and inserting four logs into it.

    After that, the area around the logs would be filled with stones and rocks all the way up to the brim. Then finally they would pour in mortal to fully seal the hole which would prevent the logs from moving.

    Because of the size of the building, they needed to use four logs, otherwise they only needed a single log as the foundation pir. But this was just a single pir. The entire brewery needed about ten such pirs.

    There were four pirs at each corner of the brewery, then one each between the corners, which led to a total of eight. The final two pirs were in the center of the brewery and were ced at an equal distance.

    By now they had finished filling in thest of the foundations and were getting to making the lower stone floor of the brewery. On top of this, another floor would be made of stone once again.

    "Ah, young lord Asher!" someone suddenly eximed upon seeing him.

 Chapter 125 - A Pest?

    Lucius turned his neck and saw that the person who had just approached him was none other than John.

    John had been ''hired'' as for security and was thus looking over the site. Of course, this was only possible because the owner of the said brewery was a ''noble''. If it was not so, it would have not been possible for John who was official a lieutenant in the army to do this.

    "Hello John," Lucius greeted the man.

    "Did youe to take a look?" John questioned.

    "Yeah, wanted to see how it was going. While I''ve seen plenty of reports, seeing it with my own two eyes still feels better." Lucius replied.

    "Indeed. But is this fine? I mean, won''t the other nobles notice youing here?" John asked.

    This was one of the concerns that they had. Since they needed to keep the identity of the owner of the brewery separate from the Inanis family, Luciusing here would only be a spark for gossip if any of the nosy nobles got news of this.

    "We don''t need to worry about that as of now. The guards I set up around the area will keep an eye on any noble that is nearby. So if there were any of them here I would have been informed in advanced.

    Think of it like scouts but especially for the nobles." Lucius exined.

    "Ah, you''ve really thought well ahead for everything. Young Lord Asher''s foresight is incredible." John Praised.

    Lucius simply nodded his head and looked back at the brewery.

    "And how''s the work? Any problems on your end?" Lucius questioned.

    "Nothing problematic. A couple of workers got injured while digging the holes for the foundations but they are fine now." John answered.

    "Injured? How did they get injured during that?" Lucius asked feeling confused.

    "It was nothing serious, just something unexpected happened. While digging for one of the holes a Rune Beast popped up and injured the leg of a worker." John replied.

    "A Rune beast? And you said it''s not serious?" Lucius questioned, finding this to be a bit absurd.

    "Oh, the rune beast was a F rank Rune beast. Nothing that we could not take care of. The workers were able to take care of it on their own too, it was not strong. Even the reason why the workers got injured was because the rune beast jumped them." John rified.

    "I see¡­ and what rune beast is this?" Lucius asked.

    "Oh, you can take a fool if you want to. The corpse is still lying around in the corner. Some of the workers wanted to sell it so they kept it around and since they were the ones who killed it, I let them keep it." John replied.

    Lucius nodded his head and followed him to where the Rune beast''s corpse was kept.

    "It''s a Bore Shrew?" Lucius instantly recognized.

    "Yes, I think that''s what they are called." John agreed.

    Lucius had read about these rune beasts before, as they were quitemon in this region. They were beasts that mostly lived underground like normal shrews and ate roots and tubers of nts along with some insects.

    The only difference between them and the nomad shrews was that the Bore Shrews were much faster at digging. They were said to create deep tunnels that could go hundreds of meters deep.

    They were technically a pest and could be a big problem if their poption in a certain region increased by too much. There were even cases of such Bore Shrews copsing entire castles at once.

    "Is it fine with them? If there is one, there were be hundreds more." Lucius spoke, feeling concerned about the brewery now.

    "It will be fine. We are used to the Bore Shrews and have the pesticide for them. We already spread it around in the area before making the foundation and had cleared out some of the dead ones that popped up.

    This is probably the final one that was left alive in the area I guess." John exined.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    Lucius secretly took a breath of relief at hearing this. He definitely did not want the brewery and all of their progress to be halted or even destroyed due to a pest. Thankfully, there were solutions to get rid of them and it would not be a major problem.

    "Good, keep up the progress and hopefully we''ll be done early," Lucius stated.

    "Indeed. The workers themselves are enthusiastic too since we are paying them five percent more than others. Plus because of this, they don''t question what they are building either." John added.

    "Perfect. Though if someone does start asking too many questions¡­ I believe it would be better to silence them." Lucius said in a low voice.

    John''s expression became still upon hearing Lucius''s words, as he understood their underlying meaning. He thought that it might be a bit too severe, but then the faces of Alessa and Cia reappeared in his mind.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    John took a deep breath and showed a determined expression.

    "You don''t have to worry, everything will go ording to our n." John assured.

    "That will be for the best." Lucius said, before taking a stroll around the brewery.

    John followed him along, and the two of them checked every small detail before Lucius was satisfied. After finishing up, Lucius decided to return back to the mansion. But just as he was about to leave, he heard some noise.

    "Dammit! Another one of them rats!" someone shouted.

    Lucius''s gaze went to the source of the sound and he saw two workers surrounding what was nothing but another Bore Shrew. The rune beast seemed to be startled, and did not know where to go.

    Upon hearing the call of the two workers, the remaining ones also surrounded the Bore shrew which was trying to escape. It tried to dig a hole but was smacked away with a shovel.

    "Filthy Beast!" The worker who had hit the rune beast with a shovel uttered. He was just about to smash the beast to death but was interrupted.

    "Stop!"

 Chapter 126 - Unexpected Visitors

    The worker stopped midway upon hearing the voice and looked at the person who had just called out. He saw a young handsome man who was dressed in high-quality clothes like those that the nobles would wear.

    "My lord," The worker greeted in deference.

    While the worker did not exactly know who Lucius was, they had seen John apanying him while being respectful. Plus with his noble appearance, it was obvious that he had a high status.

    While they did not know his exact rank, just calling a noble Lord was usually fine and thus that is what the man did.

    "My Lord," The other workers greeted as well.

    "Lieutenant John." The repeated for John who hade towards them as well.

    <em>~Skree~</em>

    Because the workers stopped the Bore Shrew got the chance to break free from the circle and escape. But just as it was about to go a meter away, it froze in ce. The workers were alerted by its screech and looked towards it, only to see that the beast had copsed on the ground.

    "Huh? Did it die?" Someone said.

    The worker who was the closest to the Bore Shrew touched it with a pickax.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore shrew woke up in the next second and started to run away again.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    But in the next moment, a boot fell over its tail, nailing it to the ce.

    "Not so fast¡­" Lucius said before bending down and picking it up with its tail.

    The Bore Shrew had a long thick tail simian to that of a rat, and now that Lucius looked at it, they did not look like shrews at all.

    ''Did they perhaps make a mistake in naming the beast?'' Lucius wondered.

    To him, the beast was more of a rodent than a shrew. Plus, from what he knew of shrews in his past life, they did not dig as much and used the tunnels and burrows of other burrowing animals like rats and moles.

    But the rune beast was able to create long tunnels that could potentially make a castle copse.

    "Perhaps there may be a need for name change in the future¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew struggled in Lucius''s hands and tried to get free, but Lucius had a firm grip on its tail. The beast''s tail was rather pliable, but the beast could not pull his body far enough to bite Lucius or scratch.

    John who had been watching the entire thing, wondered why Lucius was doing this.

    "What do you want to do, young Lord?" John asked.

    "I just wanna do a few tests and this would be the perfect subject," Lucius replied.

    "I see¡­" John responded.

    "You-e here," Lucius said, pointing to one of the guards who had apanied him here.

    "Yes, my lord." The Guard responded with his head lowered as was the etiquette.

    "Take this beast with you to the mansion and put it in a cage," Lucius ordered.

    "As youmand!" the guards said without questioning and took the Bore shrew from Lucius''s hands.

    He then tied it up with a sheet of thick leather so that the beast would not get free, and would not be able to bite through it. Having done that, the guard left to go back to the mansion.

    "I guess I should leave, too. Things seem going well here." Lucius spoke.

    "Alright, farewell Young Lord. I''ll see you in two hours." John said.

    "Farewell," Lucius replied before getting onto his horse and leaving for the mansion.

    It took Lucius the same amount of time that it had taken him toe here, and upon reaching the mansion, he saw a few people standing at the entrance. Once Lucius got closer he was able to recognize who they were.

    "Gellor and his team?" Lucius muttered.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~</em>

    The horse came to a halt at the entrance gate, which was currently blocked by the guards.

    "I''m telling you, it is Young Lord Asher who called for us," Barty spoke to the guards.

    "We cannot let you enter since we have not been informed by the Young Lord." The guards replied staunchly.

    While the guards knew about the identity of these mercenaries and also knew that they had worked for their Young Lord before, they still could not permit them to enter when they had not been informed about it in advance.

    Such was their duty and they would fulfill it truly.

    Lucius came right when these words were spoken, and was intrigued. The guards noticed when Lucius arrived and instantly became alert.

    "Young Lord Asher," The guards saluted.

    "Young Lord?" Gellor and hispanions turned around to see the person who had just arrived.

    Their faces lit up after seeing him, as if all of their troubles were solved in one go.

    "What are you people doing here? When did I call for you?" Lucius asked, feeling truly confused.

    If this was before, Lucius would have fully thought that they were here to infiltrate the mansion for something and were fabricating the fact that he had called them. He knew for sure that he had not told anyone toe to the mansion that day.

    But seeing their relieved expression, it did not look like they were panicking. Instead, it looked like someone had just thrown them a floater when they were just about to drown. Lucius wondered if there was a misunderstanding or something.

    "Ah, you''re here at the right time, Young Lord Asher." Gellor finally spoke.

    "What''s the problem exactly?" Lucius asked, letting them exin themselves.

    "We were informed by miss Kiana that you were looking for some mercenaries for a tough task." Gellor replied.

    "Tough task? And me?" Lucius repeated, trying to remember if he had missed something.

    "Yes, Miss Kiana sent out a few job recruitment letters to the guild and since we saw it we came right by," Barty exined.

    Lucius tried to think if he had ordered Kiana about anything like that and eventually realized it.

 Chapter 127 - A Request For Help

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Seems like there was some misunderstanding inmunication," Lucius spoke.

    As soon as he said this, the faces of all the mercenaries fell, and they felt like they were about to lose all of their fortunes at once.

    "You did not call for us?" Ariana asked.

    The guards who were at the entrance instantly became upon listening that it was not Lucius who had asked for their presence.

    "Oh no, it''s not like that. While I did call for you, the nature of the job is rather different." Lucius answered.

    "What kind of a job is it? Please tell us, we will do our best toplete it." Gellor said, urgency apparent in his eyes.

    Lucius noted the tone of his voice and guessed that there was perhaps more to their visit than just the job. Finding it to be a bit intriguing, he waved to the guards.

    "Let them in," Lucius said before entering with the horse.

    <em>~Phew~</em>

    Gellor and hisparison took a breath of relief and followed behind Lucius. They reached the entrance of the mansion where Lucius got down from his horse and let a servant take it away.

    "Come, let''s talk inside," Lucius spoke and walked to the main hall.

    Currently, the main hall was empty as Gabriel was out doing his work while Lita was doing the same. Both the husband and wife had been rendered busy with the tasks that had been raised due to Lucius''s ns.

    But it was not like they didn''t want to do it or that they were reluctant. Rather, they were happy to do and were giving it their all. That was the main reason for their absence from the mansion for most of the day.

    These days they would leave at around eight am in the morning ande back at dinner time directly. Lucius would talk to them in the morning about how their work was going and would work on his own stuff throughout the day, before meeting them again at night.

    Such was the routine they had formed, and it was steadily progressing towards the path Lucius had chosen upon.

    Still, the servants were quick to notice that Lucius had arrived and brought him refreshments without asking, while one of the servants went to inform Kiana. Thetter part was an order Kiana had given all the servants in rtion to Lucius.

    Even though Kiana was technically a maid herself, no servant in the family would dare to denigrate her for that. Even with her job as a maid, her status was far above them, and while they did not exactly know why, they knew better than to meddle with it.

    Since both the Count and the Countess were in agreement, there was nothing they could say. In fact, if one day even Lucius decided to be a servant, they would not question it either and would just think it was his will.

    Such was the training that they had received over the years.

    "Come sit," Lucius asked them.

    "Thank you, Young Lord Asher." Gellor spoke for him and hispanions.

    Sitting down on the soft couch, Lucius took a sip of the cool juice that had just been brought by the servants. The others also got their own individual sses and drank apprehensively. But now that Lucius was looking at them, he realized there was one person missing.

    "Wasn''t there one more person in your group?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes¡­ Finch." Gellor answered.

    "Oh yeah, where is she?" Lucius asked, feeling curious.

    "Umm¡­ that is also one of the reasons why we came here today, Young Lord Asher," Gellor replied.

    "Oh, is that so?" Lucius responded in a calm tone.

    "We-we¡­ we want jobs that can pay us arge amount of gold." Gellor let it out.

    "Haha! Well, isn''t that what any mercenary wants? Why is it that you all had toe to me personally?" Lucius questioned again, realizing that Kiana''s invitation to them may have given them this excuse.

    "Yes, you are right, Young Lord. But we need the gold for the treatment of Finch." Gellor revealed.

    "Treatment? Why''s that, is Finch injured or sick?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes¡­ She''s injured." Gellor replied.

    "Is it from the missionst time? But from what I heard it was Ariana and Barty that got injured." Lucius asked further.

    "No, they recovered after that. Finch got injured due to something else." Gellor spoke with slight hesitation.

    "And what is that?" Lucius questioned, feeling a bit more stance now.

    Gellor was now hesitating even more and didn''t know if he should speak or not. But then Ariana put her hand on his back.

    "Go ahead and tell him. We need to get her help somehow." Ariana said to him in a low voice.

    Lucius narrowed his eyes at this interaction, but did not question it for now.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Gellor let out a sigh of helplessness before lifting his head and looking straight at Lucius.

    "Finch was injured due to an artifact," Gellor revealed.

    Lucius simply tilted his head, gesturing him to continue.

    "Young Lord Asher must know that if one uses an artifact once they have exhausted their Aether it can cause some injuries. And depending on the level of Artifact it was, the injuries could vary in the severity.

    Finch was injured due to the forced usage of an Epic Ranked Artifact." Gellor exined.

    "An Epic ranked Artifact?!" Lucius was shocked, to say the least.

    Even for nobles, getting an epic ranked artifact was a tough task. In many cases, an Epic Ranked Artifact could be considered to even be more valuable than a person with an epic rank. The cause of this being that the person''s lifespan was limited to less than a hundred years while an artifact could potentiallyst for thousands of years.

    Many noble ns had heirlooms, which were nothing but artifacts that had been passed for many generations through their family. This was also one of the reasons why they even have epic ranked artifacts as buying a new one was immensely difficult.

 Chapter 128 - An Injured Mistress

    The problem with buying the artifact did not juste with the price, but rather the manufacturing itself. Most artificers would not just keep epic ranked artifacts lying around. They would only make one when they weremissioned to do so.

    Of course, there were many materials that were needed in the manufacture of an artifact and the most basic requirement was nothing but Rune beast Crystals. Getting one was a dangerous task and one would need to hunt down a C rank beast.

    These beasts were not only hard to find but were a death sentence to anyone that met them. It was a widely epted fact that if a person with an Epic ranked gift were topete against a C rank they would not necessarilye out on top.

    Most beasts had better bodies than humans and had better defenses. They were hard and could bear attacks much better than humans. Even the beasts that did not have defense gifts were way more durable than some humans with actual defensive gifts.

    This made it even more difficult to hunt C rank beasts. In the hierarchy of beasts, the highest that mercenaries went to hunt were beasts at the D rank who had gifts at the rare rank. But even then the mercenaries needed to hunt them down were multiple of the same rank or even higher.

    This was why Lucius was so shocked. He would have been fine if it was a noble who had this artifact, but these mercenaries, definitely not.

    "How did you guys even get an Epic Ranked artifact even?" Lucius questioned.

    "We¡­ we borrowed it," Gellor answered.

    "Who in their right minds would lend an epic ranked artifact?" Lucius couldn''t help but say.

    Gellor and hispanions now felt awkward.

    "Umm¡­ the person who let it to us was actually a noble," Gellor replied.

    "And why would they give you an artifact?" Lucius asked.

    Gellor looked at hispanions, and they nodded their heads at him.

    "Well¡­ the reason we were given it was because of finch herself. You see, the noble who gave it to her¡­ she''s his mistress." Gellor revealed.

    "Huh?" Lucius said, feeling a bit caught off guard.

    Seeing that Lucius was only getting more confused, Gellor decided to exin it all at once.

    "Finch has been the mistress of a noble by the name of Cambrian for a couple of years now. He would give her gifts and money, so she happily epted them. We didn''t mind it either as it was not our ce to interfere, plus she had helped us out with those very gifts when we werecking money." Gellor said.

    Lucius recognized the name Cambrian and realized that it was the man he had met before during the feast a couple of months ago. If he remembered correctly, the man was a rather rich noble who was originally a merchant and had bought his way into the nobility.

    "But if you need money and it is for Finch, then why don''t you go to Cambrian instead?" Lucius questioned, finding it all to be a bit absurd.

    "Well¡­ the reason we didn''t go there is because¡­ the wife of Cambrian found out about Finch. She now has him under lock down and the rumor is, has beaten him up plenty such that he''s scared to even leave the room." Gellor answered.

    Lucius couldn''t help but facepalm upon hearing all this.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "So how severe are her injuries? I mean you guys should have still been able to take up jobs from the mercenary guild right? Did you really have toe to me?" Lucius asked again.

    "Well, her injuries are quite bad. She has deep cuts and burns all over her body and the healers can only maintain her current condition while preventing it from getting worse. But they can''t fully heal her.

    For that, they would need some special herbs or the help of a priest from the Church of na." Gellor answered. "Plus, since her condition is so bad, we fear she may die if we take too long. Thus we need the money in advance so that we can treat her first." He added.

    "Please grant us this request, Young Lord Asher! We will be forever grateful!" Thepanions of Gellor all spoke up together.

    Lucius saw the looks on their faces and thought about it. Silence descended in the hall as no one spoke and only watched on apprehensively. After a minute of awkward silence, Lucius smiled, but the mercenaries who looked at his smile found it to be a bit strange.

    Gellor even felt goosebumps on his skin for a moment before they faded away. He thought that Lucius'' smile was a bit eerie, but he pushed that to the back of his mind. For him, the situation with Finch was the most important.

    "Alright! I''ll help you guys." Lucius spoke, this time his face calming down.

    The expression of all the mercenaries lit up with joy upon hearing Lucius''s words, and they were barely able to stop themselves from shouting out in joy. But then they remembered that they were in a Count''s mansion and doing so would be incredibly rude.

    "Thank you, young Lord Asher. We will do our best inpleting whatever job you give us." Gellor said and hispanions chimed in.

    "But before that¡­ I need a few more details." Lucius added.

    "Sure, please ask us, Lord Asher." Gellor agreed in a heartbeat.

    "What happened to the artifact that got Finch injured?" Lucius questioned.

    "It was confiscated by Nobel Cambrian''s wife when we went to ask him for help first." Gellor answered.

    ''Hmm¡­ should have expected something like this. Getting hands on an epic ranked artifact would be hard. Though¡­ Gabriel does have something in his safe. They should be epic ranked artifacts too. I should check them out sometime.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "I see. Well, how much is it that you need for the treatment of Finch?" Lucius questioned.

    "We need¡­ six thousand gold coins." Gellor answered nervously.

 Chapter 129 - Considering

    Lucius couldn''t help but raise his eyes upon hearing the cost. Six thousand gold coins were a ratherrge amount that even he barely had right now. He was now wondering whether this would be viable or not.

    "Hmm, I''d like to see Finch first if you don''t mind," Lucius spoke.

    He reckoned that seeing her actual condition might help him better and give him a proper idea of what was the actual problem. Lucius definitely had a lot more knowledge than most people in this world.

    He thought that he might be able to find a better solution to the problem, which might even be cheaper than the current one. If it really did turn out to be six thousand gold coins, he may need to double think this.

    "Sure, Young Lord Asher. You cane with us to see her." Gellor agreed right away.

    To him and hispanion, Luciusing to check up on theirpanion was nothing but assuring them of getting the money for the treatment. Thankfully, what they did not know would not hurt them¡­ for now.

    "When do you want to visit her, Lord Asher?" Gellor questioned.

    Lucius thought over it and remembered his schedule. There was still a little more than an hour left until his lessons with John. He was originally going to spend this time in reading in the library, but he reckoned it could be used for this.

    "Let''s go there right away," Lucius answered.

    "As you wish, Lord Asher," Gellor replied straight away, feeling content at the responsiveness of Lucius.

    Gellor and hispanion left the mansion, and Lucius followed behind them on horseback. They soon reached a small hospital that was located about ten minutes away from the mansion''s location.

    Lucius had seen this hospital many times before, as it was on the main path that led to the mansion.

    ''Doesn''t Healer Delia work here too?'' Lucius remembered.

    The resident healer of the Inanis family was Healer Delia, while the one who had taken care of Lucius when he was paralyzed was Healer Peron. Healer Peron was called from another town to take care of Lucius and did not work in this city particrly.

    The only reason why healer Peron was called instead of Healer Delia was because Healer Delia''s gift worked on cuts and open wounds, while Healer Peron''s gift worked on internal wounds.

    He was also knowledgeable about the internal injuries along with paralysis and thus was the preferred person for the job. Healer Delia usually did not have much work in the Inanis family as there was rarely anyone getting injured, except for the guards.

    Thus, the Count had permitted her to work at her clinic and the city hospital. The clinic was even closer to the mansion than the hospital and was often more busy than the hospital itself. People only went to the hospital if they were severely injured and needed long term bedside care.

    Lucius and the rest came to a stop at the entrance of the hospital and saw the line of people waiting there.

    "We can just go in since we are here to visit," Gellor said.

    He took the lead and directly entered through the secondary door and the rest followed him. Lucius did the same and upon entering saw a simr look to the hospital he had seen in the Dond city.

    There was a desk at the front and a male receptionist was sitting there. Though looking at it Lucius could tell that the man was a nurse as well, or perhaps a junior healer. The difference between a nurse and a healer was also uniform in this world.

    If a person had a healing type gift and they wanted to enter the field of medicine, they would be a healer. While if a person did not have a healing gift and still wanted to enter the field of medicine, they would be a nurse instead.

    "We''re here to see Finch," Gellor spoke to the receptionist.

    "Oh, it''s you guys. You can go ahead them, you should know where she is by now." The receptionist replied.

    It was evident that Gellor and the rest hade here enough times that the workers here were now used to seeing them. Gellor simply nodded his head and turned in the direction of the inner wards.

    "Pleasee with me, Young lord Asher." Gellor spoke.

    They then walked for a few meters before entering one of the smaller wards to the right. In there, Lucius could see about six beds and a couple of healers working on the patients. There were also a few nurses taking care of the patients.

    The entry of several people was quickly noticed by the healers inside and it seemed like they recognized Gellor and hispanions too.

    "Young Lord Asher?" An Old Woman''s voice spoke.

    "Greetings, Healer Delia." Lucius spoke.

    "Why have youe here? Are you sick?" Delia instantly went into concerned mode.

    She was the resident healer of the Inanis family and thus needed to care for them first. If she was called in the middle of treating someone else, she would probably leave right away as well. Thus she wondered why Lucius himself hade here, when he could have simply called for her.

    "Oh, I''m fine myself. Actually, I''m here to see someone else." Lucius replied.

    "You are, who?" Delia asked, but then her gaze went to Gellor and hispanions. "Is it Finch?" She guessed.

    "Indeed, healer Delia." Lucius replied.

    Delia furrowed her brows but did not question him. She simply moved the curtains of the bed to her right and revealed the person who was lying in there.

    It was a woman who seemed to be in her mid twenties and Lucius recognized her to be none other than Finch. But her current condition was indeed quite bad, as Gellor had stated. There were bandages all over her body that were red with blood, and burns could also be seen on her limbs.

 Chapter 130 - Emberian Herb

    Lucius observed Finch''s injuries and saw that most of the burns were concentration on her hands and arms with some on her torso. As for the cuts, they were all over her body and seemed to be strange.

    "These cuts¡­ they are far too many in number. Just what kind of effect did that artifact have?" Lucius muttered.

    Lucius then remembered the sword that Gellor had used to kill the Four Winged Hawk that night. He also remembered that Finch was the one holding the sword when he met Gellor and the rest for the first time.

    "The artifact that caused all this¡­ is it the same one you used to kill the Four Winged Hawk?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, that''s the one," Gellor replied.

    Lucius furrowed his brows as he recalled the effects of that artifact.

    "Doesn''t that sword send out an arc of red energy?" Lucius questioned.

    "That is just one of the effects. The attack can be in the form of a concentrated attack or multiple small attacks. The energy is also very hot and can easily burn flesh, but this heat can also be controlled.

    The attack can either be made to have a burning effect, or just a cutting effect. When the artifact went out of control for Finch, it caused both of the things at once, which should not have happened usually." Gellor answered.

    "Hmm¡­ I see." Lucius replied and went back to observing Finch.

    Her breathing was rather shallow, and she seemed to have a fever as well. Lucius could tell that she would not survive for long if this was kept up. He even reckoned that if this was in his past world, she would have already died if no healing spell of potion was used.

    "How''s the prognosis, Healer Delia?" Lucius questioned the old woman.

    Delia gazed at Finch for a moment before speaking.

    "Finch is in a rather bad condition and will only get worse as time passes. She needs immediate treatment with either the Emberiam herb or needs the healing from a priest of na." Delia answered.

    "I see¡­ how much does this Emberiam Herb cost?" Lucius questioned.

    "The Emberiam herb costs about three to four thousand gold coins, but procuring it is also a big problem. If someone is lucky, they may find it being sold in the herb market, but if not, they would need tomission mercenaries that specialize in harvesting herbs to get them." Healer Delia answered.

    Lucius had actually read about this herb and knew that it was found quite far from thend of Etara. The herb was found in a forest called Amber Forest and was considered to be rather dangerous location. Not only were there a lot of rune beasts living in the forest, but it was also filled with poisonous and toxic nts.

    The Emberian Herb grew there among hundreds of other herbs that could be poisonous or medicinal. Even harvesting it was aplex task and one needed to ensure that no part of it was damaged during it, or it would lose its potency quite fast.

    That was the reason why the mercenaries who were dispatched to get the herb needed to be experienced with that. There were actually different categories of mercenaries who specialized in types of jobs.

    Around fifty percent were those who could be said to be the jack of all trades and took every job they thought they could. The other fifty percent only took jobs that they specialized in. For example, there were mercenariness who specialized in the procurement and harvesting of herbs.

    Then there were mercenaries who were specialized in the hunting of rune beasts, along with others who worked as bodyguards or security for traveling caravans and merchants. There were many more categories, but these were the mostmon ones.

    Lucius knew the effects of the Emberian herb as well as it could help heal burns very well and could even help the body regenerate lost blood. If these two things were taken care of, Healer Delia would be able to heal the cuts on her own.

    Another reason as to why these injuries were hard to heal with normal methods was because they were caused by a gift. Gifts had this lingering effect, which often prevented the injuries caused by them from being healed by normal methods.

    This made it so that many of such injuries could only be healed by other gifts, or with the assistance of herbs. If one thought of herbs, they could also be considered to have gifts of their own, like the rune beasts.

    Except in the case of the herbs, they weren''t really longsting and would often fade away after the herb was removed from the ground or cut. There needed to be special methods of preserving them, if they were to be used after a certain wait period.

    Lucius thought over Finch''s current condition and realized that there really wasn''t much he could do on his own. If Finch was to be healed, they would need either a priest of the Church of na or the Emberian herb.

    Lucius also wondered if getting a priest would be cheaper or not. All he would have to do is pay a tithe to the church for using their services, which would likely be around three thousand gold coins.

    "Is there any priest of na that is currently nearby?" Lucius questioned.

    Delia shook her head before speaking, "there are none that we know of. At least not in this city."

    "I think I know where one of the priests currently is," One of the other healers suddenly spoke.

    "You do? Where?" Healer Delia and Lucius asked in unison.

    "I heard from one of my old friends who is also a healer at the Drew City that a priest of na has been staying there for a few days now." The Healer answered.

    "Viscount Drew''s territory¡­ ~Sigh~" Lucius muttered.

    Healer Delia and even Gellor knew that the current rtionship between the Inanis family and the Viscount was not good.

 Chapter 131 - Exclusive Job

    Getting that priest toe to Inanis city would be a difficult task and would probably end up costing more than the herb. And if they asked the church directly for a priest, the cost would end up being much higher than that too.

    This left them with only one option, which was nothing but to use the herb.

    "When can we get the herb healer Delia?" Lucius asked.

    "If the fee is paid to the supplier today, I think they should be able to get it by tomorrow. But you may need to hurry as the Emberian Herb is always in demand and hard to get. If it is sold, you may not be able to get another one in time." Delia answered.

    If one heard healer Delia''s words, they may think that she was trying to pressure them into buying the Emberian herb so that the supplier could profit. But in reality, it was not so. One must not forget that healer Delia was the resident healer of the Inanis family and she had no reason to do so to Lucius.

    Lucius thought about it a bit more and decided to do it. While it may seem to cost a bit more right now, he knew he would get a good team of mercenaries working for him from now on.

    He looked at Gellor and the rest before speaking.

    "I''ll do it." Lucius stated.

    The eyes of Gellor and hispanions lit up with joy and they felt like a mountain was lifted off their backs.

    "But on certain condition¡­" Lucius added.

    Hearing this, their excitement was dampened slightly but then Gellor perked himself up. They were already rejected by many other people before they hade to Lucius and they had no routes left.

    If they missed this opportunity, they did not know if Finch, who had been theirpanion since the start of their group would be gone. She had helped them a lot in their times of difficulty, and now it was their turn to do the same.

    "We''ll ept any condition you put forth, Lord Asher." Gellor replied in a determined tone.

    Hispanions looked to have the same expressions, and they were fully in support of this. Memories of Finch kept on running in their minds, making them feel emotionallypelled to do so.

    Lucius gently smiled and knew that he had hooked them now.

    "Perfect¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "But what is the condition, Lord Asher?" Gellor finally asked.

    "What I want is¡­ for you all to work for me exclusively," Lucius answered.

    "Exclusively?" Gellor heard and felt a bit regretful.

    To mercenaries as strong as them, they could have be the subordinates or guards of any noble if they wanted to. They could have even be a soldier in the kingdom''s army. But they did not do so.

    The main reason behind it is that most mercenaries valued their freedom and choice to do whatever they wanted at whatever time they chose to do so. Making them work for a noble was basically shackling them, which they did not like.

    Lucius could see the traces of change on their faces and knew exactly what they were thinking. But this was also a part of his scheme. If he gave a truly win win option to them, they would likely take it for granted and he would not be able to reap enough benefits.

    But if he showed them a carrot after making them suffer for a bit, they would be far more thankful and may even feel psychologically inclined to be in favor of him. Such was the y that Lucius had learned in his past life and used many times.

    "Of course it is not indefinably that you need to work for me," Lucius added.

    "Oh?" Gellor and the others spoke in surprise.

    "You will basically be working for me till you pay off the cost of this, in addition to a few more jobs that I will have in continuation. The only other condition is that you cannot do any other jobs thate from the union." Lucius exined.

    Gellor and hispanions thought over it and found it to be reasonable. In fact, to them, it just seemed like a long Jobmission. They had been on jobs such as these before that took over a year toplete.

    And since the job was notplete, they were technically employed by only one party. This would be the same as that for them and thus they nodded to each other.

    "We are fine with this, Lord Asher. We shall do as you say." Gellor replied in his capacity as the Leader.

    "Good, I''ll send the steward with the payment and we shall see to Finch''s treatment," Lucius stated.

    "That will not be necessary, Young Lord Asher. I can get the herb in advance and you can pay us after the treatment." Healer Delia spoke.

    "Oh? Howe?" Lucius asked, feeling a bit confused. Before she was saying that they needed to pay for the herb beforehand, but now she was telling that she would heal Finch in advance.

    "Since it is you who will be handling the payment, as your authority of the Young Lord of Inanis family, we can get the herb in advance. I doubt the supplier will not take this as a guarantee." Healer Delia exined.

    "Ah, I see. Fine then, get the herb as soon as possible and get her treated. We''ll do the rest as you said." Lucius replied.

    "Very well," Healer Delia said before leaving to do her work.

    Gellor and hispanions were a bit surprised upon this change in paradigm and wondered if they should havee to Young Lord Asher earlier.

    "I thank you again, Young Lord Asher. Had it not been for you, I don''t know how long Finch would have to suffer." Barty spoke.

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher. We shall be indebted to you for a while now." Gellor added.

    "It is fine. I''ll leave you here for the time being. I have some work to do." Lucius said before leaving the hospital.

 Chapter 132 - Modular Equipment

    Lucius was pleased with the events today. While he ended up spending quite a bit on getting the Emberian herb for Finch''s treatment, he now had a way to get a lot more Rune crystals.

    Usually, he would need tomission mercenaries every time he wanted them and would then needed to negotiate the terms. But now, he could just ask them to do whatever jobs he wanted to without needing to pay them the proportionate amount.

    There were many things that Lucius needed the Rune crystals for, and the very first thing was to upgrade the gifts of others. But he knew doing so would take much more time, as he would also need to gather different materials.

    Another thing that he needed to take care of would be to only upgrade the gifts of those that were loyal to him and would be useful to him for a long period of time. In addition to that, he needed them to make sure that his ability to upgrade gifts was not revealed to the public.

    If that happened, while he was sure that he will be able to suppress it somehow, it will still be a painful chore for him and the others that will get involved in it. Rather than that, he may as well take precautions and make it so that a situation like that never arose.

    ''I''ll need to do something for loyalty too¡­ no matter how much they are dedicated to me, there should be gifts that can charm the mind and control them. I''ll need to get working on that part too¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he rode on the horse.

    Soon he reached the mansion and got down from the horse, passing it to the servants to take it to the stables. At the corner, he also saw the guard who he had given a task before. The man was standing there with arge cage in his hand and had a beast inside it.

    "Ah, I almost forgot it in this hassle." Lucius said as he approached the guards.

    "As youmanded, Young Lord Asher." The guard said while lowering his head.

    "Good job," Lucius perfunctorily said while looking at the Bore Shrew in the cage with interest.

    Not paying attention to anyone else, he walked into the mansion and headed straight to theb. He took a look at the clock nearby and saw that it was nearly time for John toe for his swordsmanship lessons.

    "About fifteen minutes left¡­ I guess I''ll set this beast in a proper condition first." Lucius muttered to himself as he pushed out arge wooden crate from the side.

    There was a lot of equipment and items that Lucius had ordered but had never gotten around to using them. Since they were a hassle to take out, he had let them stay in the original packaging.

    This was of course, only until he actually had a use for them and now was the time.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    Lucius jammed a crowbar into the lid of the Crate and pried it open.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The nails popped up and the lid was finally opened. Inside the wooden crate, one could see several metal fixtures such as rods, grills, tes, and many more. These were the parts Lucius had gotten the cksmith to make for him.

    Since they were rather simple parts, they were easy to make and didn''t take that time. They could even be mass produced. The only difference was that they were quite versatile and could be arranged into various equipment such as shelves, tables, stools, or even cages.

    It was simr to a toy that existed in a world that Lucius had seen. It was simr to his own world, but it did not have any magic and their technological progress was a few centuries behind as well.

    He had seen several children ying with toys like these, which involved assembling different smaller parts that were modr and making bigger things such as vehicles, buildings, and much more. He had been inspired by it and thought, why not replicate it on a bigger scale.

    And that''s how the things Lucius had gotten made came to be.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew was getting impatient and was starting to bite the frames of the cage that the guard had put it in. Lucius already knew that this cage was going to be a temporary solution, as the Bore Shrews were well known for their teeth and ability to dig.

    They could bite through stone, so iron would only slow them down slightly. But eventually, they will get through it and break free. Seeing this, Lucius quickly assembled the metal parts and soon made a bigger cage.

    This cage was much stronger than the one guard had put the bore shrew in. This one was made out of alloyed steel and would be tough for the bore shrew to chew through. It was perhaps even stronger than the steel used for armors.

    But of course, all this did not exactlye cheap. While it was easy to forge and mold, the cost of materials themselves was twice as high as normal steel. Still, Lucius thought it was worth it and would help prevent any unexpected idents in theb.

    The one thing Lucius knew he was going to do at the very start was experiment on the gifts. And he could not really test on humans now, could he?¡­ at least not at this point. Thus, the closest option was Rune beasts that had gifts too.

    But of course, they were also a bit hard to get, and thus this Bore Shrew was going to serve as the perfect test subject for him. It was simr to how mice and rats were used for animal testing on many other worlds that Lucius had seen and even in how own world.

    <em>~Shing~</em>

    Once Lucius was done sliding in the base of the cage, it was finallypleted and he ced the bore shrew into it.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    "Finally done¡­"

 Chapter 133 - The Start Of The Experiment

    Lucius went to the training hall after leaving hisb and saw that John was already waiting for him.

    "Were you busy?" John questioned.

    "Just a little bit, but I''m done now." Lucius replied.

    "Mmm¡­ with all that you are doing, it is normal to be busy. If you want we can reduce the practice time." John said.

    "No, it''s fine. I need the practice regrly. Don''t want to fall back on that aspect." Lucius stated.

    Lucius knew how important regr training and exercise were. He himself had never missed it in his past life and the only times he had not done it was either because he was fighting someone or something, or in a ce where it was not needed such as during an expedition.

    He definitely did not want tog out here in this world as the power structure here was rather straightforward. Those who had gifts were the strongest but even then they could not battle against thousands in an army.

    Lucius wondered to what level the gifts could go and whether they would reach the same level as those of the mass destruction spells. So far, the strongest gifts he knew of were those in the mythic rank.

    More urately the three relics of the gods. But even they did not seem like they could turn one powerful enough to be a one man army. The Tome of Etara was not an offensive relic and while the Sword of Duran was powerful enough to cut anything it could still not kill multiple people at once.

    Even if one wielded the sword and marched into the army. While they would be able to kill thousands, they would still be drowned out by the army''sbined attacks. The army would merely need to use a human wave tactic and stop the person.

    Though there were a few ways this could be ovee. For example, the sword was wielded by someone that had a defensive gift that made them invulnerable to damage, they may be able tost longer, but even then, the human wave tactic would work.

    There was still a limit to the Aether that a person could use and they would run out soon. Even if they did not, the relic would run out as well. And if they wanted to recharge it with the Aether crystals it would not be fast enough and they would get overwhelmed.

    Then came the third relic, the Scepter Of na which was said to be able to smite the sinners. Lucius did not fully understand what it meant by that and how it decided who was a sinner. He did not know whether this was a restriction on it or something else, thus he could not fully judge this relic, either.

    Rather than these three powerful relics, what Lucius thought was more powerful and perhaps more dangerous was actually the gift a certain Mercenary had¡­ Bergan. He had the Infamous Epic Ranked gift Toxic Touch which could create mass hysteria if used right.

    It could easily be used as a weapon of dismay by killing people at random and them not knowing where the toxins were. Bergan did not even need to use it that many times. Even putting it in ten ces chosen urately would cause enough chaos to give the kingdom a headache.

    That, in Lucius'' opinion, was a more dangerous gift than the three mythic ranked relics. He did not know whether the kingdoms viewed it as such or not. And if they did, why had they let him stay alive all this time.

    If it were Lucius ruling in their ce, he would have found a covert way to get rid of him. Or if it was more favorable to him instead¡­ he may even be willing to recruit the man under his wing.

    Of course, would only do this if he was sure that he would be able to control the man. He did not even think loyalty would be worth it, Lucius would rather have absolute control over the man.

    And just while thinking of all this, Lucius got to training and practicing his swordy. He spent about two hours till it was the evening before stopping. Done with it all, he rushed to take a bath and retreated to theb.

    "Are you not gonna eat?" Kiana who had seen Lucius leave, quickly asked.

    "Hmm¡­ send the food to theb. I''ll just eat there while I work." Lucius replied.

    "Alright, I''ll do that. But don''t exhaust yourself too much and rest on time. I''ll bring the food in a bit." Kiana said before going to get the food.

    Lucius nodded his head and entered theb.

    <em>~SKREE~</em>

    As soon as he entered, he could hear the cry of the Bore Shrewing from the cage. He removed the cloth covering it and saw that the Bore Shrew was still trying to bite its way through the cage.

    He looked at the grill of the cage and saw that they were still intact. Except for the saliva of the Bore Shrew staining the grill, he did not see anything wrong with it.

    "Hmm¡­ at least it works as I thought it would," Lucius muttered.

    He then observed the Bore Shrew for a few minutes, seeing its condition and the peculiarity of its body. Before one began an experiment they needed to make sure they knew the condition of the subject properly.

    If they did not know this, how would theypare the results after the experiment? Thus Lucius made sure that he knew the bore shrew''s condition properly before wearing a thick leather glove on his hand.

    "Let''s see how nexus works on Rune Beasts¡­" Lucius muttered before activating it.

    Gift Name: Bore

    Description: The Beast can bore through the earth using its ws and teeth. Cutting through stone and metal is possible for the beast, though certain materials may slow it down.

    Rank: Common

    Beast Rank: F

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 9x Aether Crystals

    Seeing the information provided by the nexus, Lucius was a bit surprised. He knew that he would be getting nearly all of the information at once if he used Nexus due to the beast being F rank and he really did.

    Plus, since he already knew about several details about the beast beforehand, they directly showed up. The gift, rank and type were all that he had known, but when he saw the evolution requirement, he was rather surprised.

    "That''s rather high¡­ the othermon ranked gifts that I saw did not need these many Aether crystals." Lucius muttered.

    The most Lucius had seen was amonly ranked gift taking 5 Aether Crystals. But this rune beast took nearly twice that number.

    "Is it perhaps the Rune beasts that are the exceptions? Perhaps they just need more Aether crystals than the humans." Lucius hypothesized.

    After thinking for a bit, Lucius realized that he would need to check up on other rune beasts before he actually came to a conclusion. There were far too many factors involved in this that he did not understand yet.

    And in addition to that, his current sample size was quite small, being literally one.

    "Maybe I need to get more of these Bore Shrews for the tests¡­ they are prettymon in these parts, right? The peasants should be able to get me a few, hopefully¡­" Lucius said to himself.

    And with this one sentence, Lucius had sealed the fate of arge number of Bore Shrews. Done with all this, Lucius decided to proceed. He slid out the top lid of the cage and put his hand in.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew let out a cry as it tried to bite Lucius''s hand. Thankfully, the leather glove was enough to protect him for the time being. Though if he took longer, the rune beast might really get through the glove with its sharp teeth.

    "There you go," Lucius muttered as he grabbed the Bore Shrew with his gloved hand and pulled it out.

    The Bore Shrew struggled in his hand and tried to wiggle out of it, but it could not. Lucius was holding the beast in a vice grip and would not let go of it. He made sure the beast was immobilized and could not move before putting his free hand on its body.

    "Let''s see how youpare to a human¡­" Lucius said as his hand glowed in a crimson red light.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    A stream of red energy flowed out of his arm before entering the body of the bore shrew. The beast did not react to it at first, but soon Lucius could feel its body trembling in his hand.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius quickly put the Bore Shrew back into the cage before shutting the lid tight. He had done a simr experiment with animals before this and they did not always end well. Many times bing messy and bad.

    "Let''s see how you fare," Lucius said as he started his watch.

 Chapter 134 - The Slow Change

    Lucius had seen the effects of Hell energy on Keith before, although it was not for the entire duration. Still, Lucius knew that the Hell energy could change the person and transform them into a version of the Lost even in this world.

    Even their gift would be corrupted and a different version of it would be created depending on the original soever cantata they had. Lucius had also seen that the gift that Keith had was inactivated and did not know how it could be unlocked.

    While Lucius did have some theories about it, they could not be said to be urate. That was the entire reason why Lucius was testing it on the Rune beasts now. If it worked out as he hoped, Lucius would be able to increase his power quite soon.

    In the steel alloy cage, the Bore Shrew was trembling. It did not make any noise and was simply lying on the bottom of the cage without struggling. But the reason for it not crying was not be because it was not in pain, rather it was beachwear it was in so much pain that it could not move at all and was paralyzed.

    Keith was still human and thus had a higher tolerance to the hell energy, but the Bore shrew did not have that luck. It was now bearing the full power of hell energy despite its size that was twenty times smaller than Keith''s.

    Still, Lucius had not used the same amount of Hell energy that he had used on Keith, rather he had only used ten percent of that entire amount. He knew better than to go overboard and to start with a smaller amount.

    He would increase or taper the hell energy depending on the result that he would get. He just hoped that he needed fewer attempts to do so. The more attempts he did, the more hell energy he would need, and for that he would have to generate that much hell energy.

    This would mean that Lucius would have to wait for days upon days to get the results he wanted.

    ''Hopefully, I''ll have more than enough time, even if this one does not work out¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius kept on watching the Bore Shrew and realized the very first difference between it and Keith.

    "This Bore Shrew reacted to hell energy far quicker than Keith. It took Keith four hours to show the transformation, but for the bore shrew it took just a few seconds." Lucius muttered to himself.

    The bore shrew was slowly getting more and more stressed and it was visible on its body. Its fur that was like small bristles started to shed as well and about thirty minutester, itpletely fell off.

    During these thirty minutes, the Bore Shrew did not really move. Its eyes were also closed and Lucius wondered if he should try to touch and see its response, and that''s what he did. He picked up one of the many metal rods that he had gotten with the parts that he had gotten made and poked the Bore Shrew through the grill.

    <em>~poke~</em>

    "Oh? No reaction?" Lucius was a bit disappointed by this but just kept on watching for now.

    Thirty more minutes passed and the veins of the Bore Shrew started to bulge out more and more. Finally, they were fully covering the beast and made it increase in size. Its muscles were also getting buffer with each passing minutes.

    One and a half hours passed before the Bore Shrew gave a response.

    <em>~KREEE~</em>

    It let out a loud cry that was much more hoarse than before. Lucius guessed that its vocal chords must have been deformed due to the change as well. But even after letting out a cry, the bore shrew did not really move.

    It seemed like its limbs that had be buff were not under its control. All it could do now was to let out cries and move around its eyes. Even moving its head was a hard task for it, and it could barely do that.

    And since its body had swollen up a bit, its neck had shrunk, which only made it even more difficult for the Bore Shrew to move its neck. Overall, the beast was not in a good condition.

    "Will this beast even be able to move? If not, then this will be a failed experiment¡­" Lucius said upon observing it all till this point.

    But he did not give up. Lucius had seen that Keith only showed the major changes after over four hours. He wondered if him being unconscious and injured had dyed the effect of the Hell energy or not.

    ''If it truly got dyed due to him being unconscious and injured, then perhaps this is how the normal reaction is supposed to be. I''ll observe it for a few more hours just to confirm this all.'' Lucius analyzed.

    Time passed and the bore shrew kept on making noises at several intervals. In between that, Kiana also came and brought Lucius some food. She obviously heard the strange and slightly scary cries of the Bore Shrew and was surprised by it.

    She took a look at the beast lying in the cage and felt a bit disgusted.

    "What happened to it? Or rather¡­ what is that?" Kiana asked as she put two trays of food on one of the tables.

    "It''s a bore shrew," Lucius answered.

    "A Bore Shrew?! That thing is a Bore Shrew?" Kiana asked in a shocked tone.

    "Yes," Lucius replied.

    "What happened to it?" Kiana questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ how can I say this¡­ it''s just undergoing certain changes and I want to see how these changes happen and what they cause?" Lucius answered.

    Kiana didn''t know what to think of Lucius''s answer. It did not truly answer her question and was more of a way to dodge the true core of it. But she didn''t decide to push him and let it be for now. It was not her ce to interfere, and she wanted to let Lucius do whatever he wanted to do.

 Chapter 135 - The Sluggish Shrew

    Kiana had left an hour ago with the empty trays of food. Lucius had eaten all of his food while observing the Bore Shrew.

    Kiana was rather stunned by this, as he had not lifted his gaze from the beast for more than a few seconds while eating. And yet, he had properly eaten all of the food that she had brought him, which was actually more than his usual amount.

    Lucius did not realize, but he had eaten twice as much food as he normally did. But even if he did know that, he would just attribute it to his usage of Nexus and Hell energy. Both of them were something that depended on his body itself in the end. If his body was weak and did not have sufficient nutrition, either of them would suffer.

    This stimted his body''s appetite, making him eat much more than usual. Kiana did not mind this though and was rather happy with it. To her, the more Lucius ate, the better he would get as his condition had deteriorated quite a bit when he had been paralyzed.

    "It hasn''t changed much since then, huh." Lucius muttered as he got closer to the cage.

    The transformation of the Bore shrew had nearly stepped now and his size was now twenty percent more than it was originally. It still let out cries but they were less often. It seemed like the beast had be exhausted now.

    "This kind of rapid growth must consume a lot of the body''s stored nutriments. Even if the hell energy can cause cell generation, it will need a certain amount of nutrients to support it, especially in a world like this where there is no mana that could rece the nutrients for the growth." Lucius spoke.

    After thinking for a bit, Lucius thought about the next step. He left theb and called out for a servant.

    "You called for me, young Lord?" the servant questioned.

    This was the same servant that had themonly ranked gift sticky touch.

    "I need some raw meat, potatoes, and water." Lucius replied.

    "Uh¡­ okay. I''ll get them right away," The servant found the order to be a bit strange, but he did not question it and just went away.

    ''Why did the young Lord want this stuff? Didn''t he have dinner just a while ago?'' The servant thought while going away.

    Lucius waited for the servant toe back to theb and heard a knock on the door after ten minutes. This time was neither too long nor short since the Kitchen was definitely far from theb.

    <em>~Knock~</em>

    "It''s me, Young Lord Asher! I bought the items you asked for." The servant spoke.

    "Come in," Lucius permitted.

    <em>~CREAK~</em>

    The servant walked in with the items in his hands. In his left hand was a b of pork that was wrapped in cloth, and in his right hand was a small sack that probably contained potatoes. And finally, on his back a water skin hung.

    He came forward and ced all the items on the table before quickly leaving. All servants had been strictly warned by Kiana that they are not to spend even a second more in theb, and not to disturb Asher unless he asked for them.

    Thus, the servant lefts quickly without saying or even seeing anything. The entire time his head was lowered and he did not look at anything that he was not supposed to. He had learned well in the servant school and knew that there were many things that a servant must not see or should pretend not to see, lest they be quartered or beheaded the next day.

    Thus with the fear of death in their hearts, no servant dared to defy that order and stuck to it wholeheartedly. Lucius also appreciated this and was pleased that these people were far easier to deal with than a lot others.

    Of course, he had also taken precautions and had covered the cage where the bore shrew was kept with a thick cloth. This prevented the servant from seeing the strange beast and also muffled any sounds that maye from the beast.

    Thankfully, the beast had stayed silent most of the time on ount of being exhausted. But that was exactly why Lucius had brought all of these times from the servant.

    "Now let''s see if you can eat or not," Lucius said with a smile and opened the potato sack first. He took out a small potato from it and ced it in front of the beast using a spiked rod. He did not want to let the beast bite his fingers off, which Lucius was quite sure it could do now, if Keith was any example.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius immediately closed the cage back after cing the potato and observed the beast again. This time the beast''s nose moved slightly, and it opened its bloodshot eyes, that looked to be filled with rage and tired at the same time.

    <em>~Skree~</em>

    The beast let out cry upon seeing the food in front of it and moved its mouth. But it was still a little farther from the beast and it could not eat it. Lucius used the rod to push it a bit closer to the beast''s mouth and saw it take a bite.

    <em>~munch~</em>

    The Bore Shrew easily bit off a quarter of the potato in a single bite, which showed that it still had a bit of energy left and that it was just biding its time.

    "It would have definitely bitten my hand." Lucius stated.

    He then saw the beast eating the entire potato in about thirty seconds before getting a bit more energetic.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew let out a loud screech like before and was now a bit more reactive. Its muscles also twitched, which prompted Lucius to think that perhaps the beast was simplycking nutrition to be able to move.

    He took out another potato and put it in the cage. The bore shrew ate this one quickly as well and became even more energetic.

    "Huh¡­ interesting¡­"

 Chapter 136 - Sustenance

    Lucius could certainly tell that the Bore Shrew was in a much better condition than before now and was even starting to show better signs of movement. Its limbs now twitched in response and its screeches were also more animated.

    "Let''s see if the diet of the ''Lost'' is avable to the bore shrew or not¡­" Lucius said before opening the b of pork that was wrapped in cloth.

    He then cut a small one inch piece from it and dropped it in the cage.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The presence of meat made the Bore Shrew react with an excited reaction. It started to twitch and shuffle. Lucius watched as the beast figured out how to move without its limbs. It just made its body twitch and move forward till it was near the piece of the meat.

    Lucius had intentionally put the meat a bit far from the beast as he wanted to see if the beast would actually be able to do anything. And it was apparent that its greed for meat was far greater than that of the Potato.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew chomped on the meat and started eating it with gusto. It tookrge bites and in four bites, it had finished the entire piece. Its teeth were like sharp knives cutting through the meat easily.

    Once it finished the meat, its body''s veins started to throb as it gained more strength.

    <em>~thwack~</em>

    Then¡­ for the first time, the bore shrew moved its limbs. It managed to p its thick but stumpy leg onto the bottom of the cage. This caused the metallic cage to tremble. The power in that p was quite a lot for a creature of Bore Shrew''s size.

    "So it really didck nutrients¡­ proteins to be more urate. Hmm¡­ the physiology of the ''Lost'' is also apparent since it can metabolize what it consumes so fast." Lucius analyzed.

    The ''Lost'' were beings corrupted by the Hell energy. They could be humans, animals, beasts, other races or even nts. No matter what kind of being they were, after they became lost, they would gain several simr traits.

    One such trait was the ability to consume anything. Though most of the Lost preferred to eat meat and as such would chase down anything alive in its sensory radius. They were simr to zombies in this case, but the two beings could not bepared.

    While zombies were undead, the Lost were alive and actually had a certain level of intelligence. Stronger version of Lost were more intelligent and could speak as well. But this consumption of nutrients was also a curse for them.

    Once a being turned into Lost, they needed a lot of energy to live. This energy could be obtained in the form of either Mana, Hell energy or biomatter. Hell energy could provide them sustenance for a long time and they would be able to live longer.

    Mana was simr to this and they could also consume mana, but it needed to be in the form of a material object. They could either consume mana crystals or other things that were rich in mana.

    Then came biomatter which was nothing but nts or animals. The Lost needed to constantly consume them to sustain themselves. While they could eat nearly anything living, they preferred meat the most.

    There was plenty of research done on this by the Barron n and they discovered that the Lost that lived on a diet of Meat could sustain themselves for four times as long whenpared to those that were given a nt based diet.

    This was one of the more¡­ ''Civilized'' experiments that the Barrom n had done among the thousands immoral, terrifying and inhumane ones.

    The reason why it was done was also rather unique as the n wanted to know if it was viable to keep an army of active Lost. While they could always make more of them, making a substantial amount of them took long. So they wanted to make it so that they always had a standing army of lost ready.

    This was only because the Lost were in an environment that was not native to them. If they were in a hell dimension or an area that was tainted by hell energy, they did not need to eat anything and could live by absorbing the hell energy.

    The bore Shrew was not a carnivore and ate tubers and roots. It being able to meat now proved that the Hell energy had brought about the transformation of it into a being that was simr to that of a Lost.

    While it did not fully look like one, Lucius reckoned that it would either take more hell energy to do so or just more time for it to reach a full transformation.

    "Or it may just be how the rune beasts would present the signs¡­" Lucius muttered as he rubbed his chin.

    He sliced off more meat and dropped it in the cage.

    <em>~THUD~</em>

    The Bore Shrew pped its one leg that was moving onto the base of the cage and moved forward. It then started to eat the chunk of meat that Lucius had put there and ate it quickly. In less than ten seconds, it had finished if go again.

    <em>~thwack~</em>

    Lucius saw that it moved its right leg now, which was not moving fully.

    "It''s improving, so that''s a good sign. Looks like I won''t need another subject¡­ at least for now." Lucius said, feeling pleased.

    He sliced off more chunks of the meat from the b and put them all in the cage. The Bore Shrew looked as if it was in heaven and ate all of it with gusto. Soon the entire b of pork meat had disappeared down the gullet of the beast.

    The beast actually managed to increase by one more size and looked a bit more even than before. Now its limbs were also growing to meet the same standard as the rest of its torso.

    "Lack of nutrition, elerated growth upon administration of nutrition and change in physiology¡­" Lucius repeated as he noted it all down in a notebook.

 Chapter 137 - Recovered Bore Shrew

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The Bore Shrew was now able to move around with its limbs. Although its speed was not particrly fast. The first thing the Bore Shrew did after being able to move was to go to the edge of the cage and chew on the grill of the cage.

    <em>~SNAP~</em>

    "Oh my, it really managed to bite through it! The strength increase is certainly greater¡­" Lucius said.

    Still, the Bore Shrew had only managed to bite one of the many wires of the grill. Even biting this single one had taken it significant time and Lucius was not worried that the beast would escape the cage any time soon.

    After biting the first wire, it bit the one to it. It took the Bore Shrew about a minute to bit through the thick wires made out of alloyed steel.

    "Though his ability to bite through, this is still a bit questionable. Is it able to bite it due to the increase in its physical strength or is it the gift that it has?" Lucius wondered.

    Lucius knew that the gift of the Bore Shrew allowed it to bore through the soil, rocks and stones. Either of those things could have been the reason behind it being able to bite through this grill.

    ''Let''s see what Nexus says.'' Lucius thought before activating it.

    A string of words appeared in front of Lucius that he had seen before. But at its end, more information was now added.

    Hell Energy Corruption: Minor

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy.

    Corruption level: Minor

    Corrupted Gift: Locked

    (Corrupted Gift: Nefarious Bite )

    "Oh? The corrupted gift is different?" Lucius said with surprise upon seeing it.

    Previously, when Lucius had used Nexus on Keith, the corrupted gift he had was rted to his own gift Whip Kick. The corrupted gift shown was Hellish Kick, which Lucius guessed was the same as Whips kick, but would send out arcs of hell energy instead.

    Lucius wondered how the Corrupted gift could be unlocked. The most obvious answer seemed to be the use of more hell energy, but he wondered if there could be more requirements behind it or not.

    By now, the Bore Shrew had managed to bite about five wires of the grill and managed to insert one of its legs into it.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The beast let out a loud screech as it started to push with its leg.

    <em>~CREAK~</em>

    The part that had been cut started to bend and a few secondster, was fully bent out of shape. Lucius watched on in interest as if watching a mousepleting a maze at the end of which was a reward.

    Except in this case the mouse was ten times as big, buff and had a raging hunger.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew screeched as it started to push ahead with its strong legs. It managed to push its head through the gap that had been created in the grill and then continued to push with its legs.

    More and more deformation took ce as the grill started to break under the force of the Bore Shrew. Lucius wondered if the beast would get tired before it was able to escape or if it would be sessful.

    It took the Bore Shrew about an hour before it was finally able to push half of its body through the hole. Doing this had erged the hole by quite a bit and just one more push would be needed for it to get through it.

    But by now, it looked like the Rune beast was quite tired and was sluggish. Lucius did not give it anything though and wanted to see if it could persevere through. Since the cage was kept on the ground from the start, the bore Shrew managed to dig its ws into the stone floor and pull itself forward.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Then, despite its sluggishness, the Bore Shrew managed to push with its legs onest time and came out of the cage. Out of the cage, the Bore Shrew rested for a bit as it took heavy breaths. Lucius could see its torso moving ording to its breath and its veins throbbing.

    Having rested for about two minutes, the Bore Shrew gained back some of its stamina and looked around. Its snout moved and sniffed for food nearby. It soon sensed the sack of potatoes that was kept on the table and moved its head up.

    It skillfully climbed up on the table while gripping the legs of the table with its sharp ws. Upon getting to the top, it tore through the sack and started to eat all of the potatoes that were kept in it.

    There was also a water skin kept to its side that it identally scratched with its ws and punctured.

    <em>~drip~</em>

    <em>~drip~</em>

    <em>~drop~</em>

    Water started to leak out of it and attracted the Bore Shrew''s attention. Seeing that it was water, the bore shrew felt tempted and started to lick it all. It probably managed to finish half of the water skin while half of it had leaked out onto the ground.

    The potatoes in the sack had also been finished and now the Bore Shrew had nothing left to eat. It still kept on sniffing and soon turned its head to the only other thing that seemed edible to it¡­ Lucius.

    Lucius had moved away to sit on a chairfortably when the Bore Shrew had gotten out of the cage. He was taking notes in a notebook and thus wanted to sit in a morefortable position.

    If one looked into his notebook, they would see that it was written in a script that was not of this world. Lucius was using one of the manynguages of his past life so that even if someone discovered his notebook, they would not be able to do anything with it easily.

    <em>~SKREE~</em>

    He raised his head from the notebook and saw the Bore Shrew rushing at him.

 Chapter 138 - Controlling The Beast

    The Bore Shrew had a frenzied look as it literally leaped at Lucius, but the man was not surprised at all. He had an indifferent look on his face, as if the crazed beast in front of him was no danger at all.

    Lucius simply extended a finger at the beast as it started to glow red before simply speaking, "Stop."

    <em>~thud~</em>

    And as if his words were the absolute truth, the Bore Shrew stopped in its tracks, stumbling and rolling on the ground due to the momentum. It eventually crashed into the leg of a chair that was kept to the side and stopped.

    "<em>Tsk, tsk, tsk~</em>" Lucius clicked his tongue as he looked at the Bore Shrew.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The Bore Shrew let out a low cry as it managed to pick itself up from the ground and got on to its legs. It raised its snout and looked at Lucius. Its eyes were gazing at the red glow on his finger intently.

    Lucius moved his finger to the left and the beast followed it. He moved it to the right, to the bottom and to the top. The entire time, the beast''s eyes were locked onto his finger. Lucius nodded his head in approval and kneeled down.

    "Just as I thought, the desire for Hell energy will make them obedient. Though the limitations will need to be explored as well." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He then pointed to a location a meter away from where the Bore Shrew was and spoke.

    "Go there," He ordered.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The Bore Shrew did not seem to understand it and simply let out a low cry again. Its eyes were still fixed on his fingers, and it did not seem to want to leave them.

    ''Hmm, will need to think of a different method. Wonder if the method for controlling the Lost will work on this thing as well or not.'' Lucius thought.

    The Barrom n had several methods of controlling the Lost that they had devised over the many millenniums. The True Bloods of the n had the easiest method to do so and that was to just give them orders.

    Due to them having a part of a demon''s name, the Lost listened to them with no extra conditions needed. In the Hell dimension, the same thing would happen as the demons often employed them as front line soldiers in their dimensional wars.

    The Barrom n had of course, taken this as inspiration and started to use the Lost for their own armies as well. The second method that was used more widely was to control the Lost using Hell energy as a reward.

    It was simr to training animals and needed a little bit of effort. But this was a method that could only work in a world that did not naturally have Hell energy and if the Lost could not find any other sources of Hell energy.

    Then there was the third method which was used to control entire legions of Lost. This was usually done with the help of a magic artifact that was made to especially control them. Making one was quite difficult and needed a lot of resources that Lucius definitely did not have.

    Thus, the only option that he had left right now was the second option and that is what he decided to go with. He released a small hair sized sliver of hell energy from his finger. As soon as it appeared in front of the Bore Shrew, it became excited.

    Lucius waved the sliver of hell energy around and saw the beast follow it around. The range of its movement was currently quite limited for Lucius as he could only do so within a foot of his body. But once he saw that the beast was responsive to it, he shot the sliver of energy towards the beast.

    <em>~SKWEE~</em>

    The Bore Shrew devoured the sliver of hell energy that came towards and let out a pleased cry. Its eyes also became a bit less bloodshot and the faint twitches on its body had also lessened. Overall, it looked like a junkie had been given his daily hit.

    Lucius then moved to the location that he wanted to get the Bore Shrew to move to and made his finger glow with the Hell energy again.

    <em>~Skwee~</em>

    The Bore Shrew reacted almost instantly and came towards him. He repeated this several times and made the Bore Shrew moves before finally giving it another sliver of Hell energy.

    <em>~Skwee~</em>

    The Bore Shrew let out another pleased cry and closed its eyes.

    "Huh? It fell asleep?" Lucius was surprised.

    He poked the rune beast with a rod and saw it unresponsive. He even wondered if the beast had unexpectedly died or something, but then he saw it breathing and its veins throbbing from time to time.

    "It''s alive, but it seems like the hell energy must have done something." Lucius said before squinting his eyes.

    Nexus activated again and the information about the bore shrew appeared once again.

    Hell Energy Corruption: Lesser

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength, a slight increase in intelligence and overall increased stability. This can be increased further with the use of hell energy.

    Corruption level: Minor

    Corrupted Gift: Locked

    (Corrupted Gift: Nefarious Bite )

    The Hell energy Corruption had evidently increased due to Lucius feeding the beast two slivers of hell energy. Even if they were quite small, they were enough to trigger a change for the beast.

    "Hmm, though the Corruption level is still at minor¡­ so it semester like Hell Energy Corruption rted to the physical corruption and just the Corruption level is probably rted to the gift of the beast.

    Since it is still locked and the level is at minor, it will probably need more hell energy to unlock it. Or¡­ there may be an additional condition, perhaps." Lucius analyzed.

    He looked at the sleeping Bore Shrew and decided to end the experiment for today. He put the beast back in the cage and just reced the grill that had been bitten.

 Chapter 139 - A Productive Day

    Luciusid on the bed and let out a long breath.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    "Today was rather productive I suppose¡­ so many thingspleted," Lucius muttered to himself as he recalled everything.

    He had gotten himself a few ''employees'' in exchange for advanced payments and had also managed to begin his experiments with hell energy. Three different ns were currently underway for Lucius.

    ''Now that Baron Harrels is taken care of and is shackled, Viscount Drew should respond to it soon. There is no way he would take this lying down¡­ or perhaps he will, seeing how Keith has been hidden away.'' Lucius thought before falling asleep.

    The morning came quick and Lucius was woken up with a Knock on the door. He stood up from the bed and rubbed his eyes slightly before opening the door. But in a surprise to him, the one who was standing there was not Kiana but Lita.

    "Good morning, my son," Lita spoke with a smile.

    "Ah, good morning mother," Lucius replied, feeling a bit confused about why she hade here.

    "A few mercenaries are here, saying that they will be working for you now." Lita said.

    "Ah yes, it should be Gellor and hispanions," Lucius replied.

    "What will they be doing? Is it rted to our n?" Lita asked, apprehension on her face.

    "They will basically be doing the same jobs as they did before, just for us exclusively. I''m thinking of sending them out to hunt Rune beasts and gather some materials. And any other tasks that may arise." Lucius answered.

    Lita seemed visibly pleased and nodded his head.

    "That will be good. Those mercenaries seem strong and should be good for us. Even if your father canmand several soldiers, he can''t ask them to do personal tasks for the family. He can only do things that rte to the kingdom''s well being." Lita spoke.

    "That was exactly my intention. We need someone that is detached from us to do such tasks¡­ someone that is expendable¡­" Lucius said in a calm tone that unnerved Lita a bit.

    She thought over his words and found them to be reasonable.

    ''Better be strangers than our people¡­'' she thought.

    "Why did youe here thought mother? Usually, it''s Kiana thates here." Lucius asked.

    "Can''t a mother evene to see her son, first thing in the morning?" Lita said with a fake frown.

    "Ah, I see. I''m grateful that you came to see me then." Lucius cated the woman.

    Lita''s frown turned into a smile rather quickly and she spoke again.

    "Get dressed then. I''ll get the breakfast ready. Your Father is back as well." Lita said before leaving.

    Lucius watched her go down the stairs and turned back to wash his face in the basin. He then changed into his day clothes and went down. But instead of going to the main hall or the dining hall, he went to theb.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of theb opened and he walked in. His eyes wandered around, before settling onto the Bore Shrew in the cage. Lucius walked up to it and saw that it was still asleep.

    "Huh, it hasn''t moved from its position at all. That''s a rather deep sleep." Lucius said while observing the beast in the cage.

    He checked to see if the beast had any changes such as growth, but nothing seemed to be different than yesterday night. Having confirmed that the beast was fine and had not escaped, Lucius went to the dining hall.

    There he saw Gabriel sitting at the table reading what looked like some reports.

    "Good morning, father," Lucius spoke.

    "Ah, Asher! Good morning to you too. You came at the right time." Gabriel replied.

    "Oh, I did? How so?" Lucius questioned.

    "I was just about to authorize the payment for the hospital. You paid a guarantee for an Emberian Herb, I heard." Gabriel replied.

    "Yes, I did. In exchange for healing the mercenary Gellor''spanion Finch, he and his team shall now be working for our family exclusively." Lucius stated.

    "You got them to work for us¡­ for just Six thousand gold coins?" Gabriel asked.

    "Yes, they agreed to the conditions I set," Lucius replied.

    "Good, good. Even though we have our private guards, we can''t really send them out for tasks. These mercenaries will serve us perfectly. Though is there anything particr that you got them for?" Gabriel said, not minding the price that they needed to pay at all.

    Lucius nodded his head and exined the scope of duties that Gellor and his team would be doing. He told that he wanted them to specifically gather the Rune Crystals and such that were harder to find in the market. And if they still agreed to work for them after several jobs, he would start giving them other jobs.

    "But will they be willing to still work after they''ve paid off their debt?" Gabriel asked in doubt.

    "Oh, they will. I will make it so they will never want to work for anyone at all. Or rather¡­ they will be begging to work for us." Lucius said with a smile.

    Gabriel didn''t know how Lucius would be doing all this, but by now, seeing all that Lucius had done, he had developed a level of trust in him.

    "All right then. You can do as you please and inform me if anything changes." Gabriel replied before folding up the document that he had been reading.

    The Father and Son chatted about the workings of the brewery and some additional trivialities before the breakfast finally arrived. Lita joined them for the meal and they had a nice ''Family Breakfast'' though this time Kiana seemed to be missing.

    "Ah, yes! Where are the mercenaries waiting, though?" Lucius questioned.

    "They were originally waiting outside the mansion, but then Captain Donald noticed them and talked to them. After a couple of minutes of conversation, they are now back at the guard barracks." Kiana who had suddenly appeared from the back, spoke.

 Chapter 140 - Mercenary Versus Guard

    Lucius heard Kiana''s words and was intrigued.

    "Just what is it that they talked about?" He questioned.

    "I couldn''t really hear, but now they are sparring with the guards at the barracks." Kiana said with a sigh.

    "Ah, no wonder¡­ Donald did say something aboutcking some good sparring partnerstely since John has been busy with the brewery," Lucius said.

    "Donald has always been enthusiastic about sparring and improving his skills, ever since I''ve known him. That''s one of the reasons why I made him the captain of the guards." Gabriel added.

    "Well, I best get to them. At least I''ll get to see Gellor and his team''s skills first hand." Lucius said before standing up.

    "Yeah, get to know them. If they are decent, perhaps we may get them to train the guards further." Gabriel spoke.

    Lucius nodded his head and found it to be a reasonable venture. When the mercenaries were not on any missions or jobs given to them by Lucius, it would be good to let them train the guards.

    Lucius then left the mansion and went to the back of the mansion grounds where the guard barracks were located. Thest time he hade here was when he was still paralyzed and was in the wheelchair.

    But now he finally got to go there on his own two feet. He got to see the different parts of the mansion along with this and increased his understanding of them. Lucius already found a few ces that could be enhanced and improvedter on.

    In five minutes, Lucius reached the guard barracks, or more urately the training tform that was located outside of it.

    "Hah!"

    "Take this!"

    <em>~shing~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    The sound of people fighting could be heard even from the distance and Lucius saw one of the guards fighting the mercenaries. He recognized the guard to be none other than the guard that had apanied him to the bandit extermination before.

    This was the guard that had the rare ranked gift me Impact named Jay. And on the other side, the fighting was Gellor''s teammate Albus. The man was wielding an axe while Jay was using his standard issue sword.

    The two of them were not using their gifts and were simply fighting using their weapons skills.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    Strike after strike, was exchanged as neither of them came out on top.

    "You can do it, Jay! Show these mercenaries what the guards of the Inanis family can do!" The other guards cheered Jay on.

    "Show them your skills that were learned in the face of true danger, Albus!" Thepanions of Albus did the same.

    Lucius silently approached them from the side and since they were all focused on the spar, no one noticed him.

    ''This is a bit disappointing, they lose their sense of surroundings too easily.'' Lucius noted.

    But when he got right at the side of the stage, behind the crowd, Gellor''s neck snapped back.

    "Young Lord Asher?" Gellor said in a surprised tone.

    ''Seems like these guards will definitely need to learn a bit from them. Although Gellor was slow, he still reacted the first.'' Lucius thought.

    Gellor''s words were heard by the nearby people as well, and they turned to look at Lucius.

    "Ah, are you done with your breakfast, Young Lord Asher?" Donald asked upon seeing Lucius.

    "Yes. I was informed that you guys were having a sparring session and thus I came to see it myself." Lucius replied.

    "Oh, forgive us, Young Lord Asher. Perhaps we should have waited for you at the entrance." Gellor said, feeling a bit nervous.

    "No, no, it''s fine. At least this way I get to see your skills." Lucius replied and looked at the stage.

    The battle between Jay and Albus was getting tense and a couple of injuries could be seen on their bodies. Despite the armors they were wearing, their weapons had managed to make a few minor scratches and cuts.

    "You''re decent¡­. But not good as me," Jay said as he side stepped an attack and spun around to attack the handle of the Axe Albus was using.

    <em>~ng!~</em>

    Albus gave a short grin as he flicked his axe to the side from where Jay''s sword wasing from. Jay had not expected this and his sword was knocked out of his hand by the flying axe.

    "Ah!" Jay grunted in pain as his wrist was impacted.

    Albus took this opportunity to rush forward.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    He directly tackled the stunned Jay and pushed him to the ground.

    "Damn YOU!" Jay uttered as he recovered from the pain and started to punch Albus with his fists.

    Albus did the same, and soon the spar devolved into an exchange of fisticuffs. No more was there any elegance to it, and only pure unadulterated physical strength was used.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Lucius sighed and shook his head at seeing this.

    ''Albus''s tactic was good, but he should have ended the fight with a decisive blow after tackling down Jay.'' Lucius thought.

    Gellor noticed Lucius'' little reaction and didn''t know what to think of it. The fight continued for about two more minutes, after which both of the fighters were exhausted.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    They split apart and copsed to the ground.

    "ENOUGH!" Donald said out loud.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    <em>~huu~</em>

    The two men took tired breaths as they tried to get hold of their breaths. Theyid on the ground for about two more minutes, after which they finally stood up.

    "Good fight," Jay said to the mercenary Albus.

    "Indeed. While I get to fight enemies and beasts quite often, I don''t get to have scuffles like this. I enjoyed it." Albus replied genially.

    <em>~p~p~p~</em>

    A short round of apuse ensued as the two fighters parted.

    "Oh? Young Lord Asher is here!" Jay said upon seeing Lucius standing at the side of Donald.

    He then felt embarrassed and spoke, "I fear I''ve made a mess of myself in front of the young lord."

    "No, no, it''s fine. The spar was a good one, and improvements can always be made." Lucius replied, sparing the man any more words.

 Chapter 141 - Qualifications To Compete

    Jay picked up his sword from the ground and Albus did the same before leaving the training ground.

    Gellor looked at Lucius and spoke, "Should we head back to the mansion, Young Lord Asher?"

    "If you guys are done here and don''t want to spar anymore, we can head back." Lucius replied.

    "Of course, we should head back. We can after all sparter if we want." Gellor replied right away.

    "Forgive me for taking them away for this spar, Young Lord Asher." Donald said.

    Lucius simply shook his head to assure him that it was fine, and he did not mind it. To him, he had taken this chance to get a gauge on the strength of the guards here. From what Lucius had seen, Jay was one of the strongest among the guards if he excluded Donald himself.

    If Albus could match Jay in a fight like this, then Gellor''s otherpanions must not be weak either. Or so he thought. Lucius knew that to get a more urate measure of their strength, he would have to let them use their gifts as well.

    Gifts were one of the major factors that could decide the oue of the fight. If he took the example of Kiana, even if she could not match Jay in terms of sword fighting, all it would take her would be one second to blow off his head.

    Even with her previous gift, Kiana was no less deadly.

    The same could be said with Jay now. If he were to use his rare ranked gift me Burst, who knows what the oue would be. Lucius did not know what Albus''s gift was and thus he could not fully judge his strength, but from what Kiana had told him, all of Gellor''s teammates had rare ranked gifts.

    Thus, the oue of this fight if both the parties were allowed to use gifts could swerve in either direction. Lucius even felt tempted to use Nexus on Albus to see what his gift was, but thought that it would be better to wait and just ask himter. Not only would it save his Aether, he would be able to get more information that even the owners of the gift did not know.

    "Let''s head back then, shall we?" Lucius said before walking toward the mansion.

    Gellor and hispanions followed behind him while Capitan Donald continued his daily training with the guards. This training was something that the Count himself had ordered to be done. He wanted the guards to be trained every day without fail so that if anything troublesome happened, they would be ready to deal with it.

    After all, the Count was not at the Mansion always and left the safety of his family and property to the guards. Thus, he put Donald in charge and with his personality, it was ensured that the guards would never be allowed to ck off.

    And if they truly did dare to ck off, a grueling drill session would be waiting for them at the hands of Donald. Lucius approved of this and even wanted to increase the regimenter on. Right now, they mostly trained their physical skills, but he also wanted them to train their gifts.

    Lucius knew that training the gifts was different from the physical training, in that they could not standardize it. Everyone''s gift could be different and thus they would need different kinds of training for it.

    That was the reason why Lucius wanted to analyze their gifts, learn more about them and then devise a training n for them. He wanted there to be strong warriors under his hand that were better than these.

    If Luciuspared them to the servants of the Barron n in his past life, he reckoned even one servant would be enough to take down ten guards just with their physical skills. And if he considered magic, then perhaps all of the guards could be eliminated by one servant.

    There was a lot of road ahead of Lucius and he knew he could not travel alone. There will be many obstacles in the way that would need more than just his own strength to ovee.

    Lucius didn''t just pursue physical or magical power, he also wanted political, social, financial, and economic power. Only when he had all of them, would he consider himself to be qualified topete against the world.

    These were the minimum qualifications and if he wanted to rule the world one day, he would need to put in far more effort.

    Gellor looked at the back of Lucius and found it to be a bit strange. He couldn''t put a finger on it, but Lucius made him feel a bit ufortable. Gellor could only think that he was feeling like this due to being a stranger on the mansion''s grounds. After all, there was nothing that Lucius had done that should have made him feel like that.

    But despite ignoring the feeling, his instincts that were honed through battles with beasts kept on ring up from time to time.

    ''What''s up with me today?'' Gellor couldn''t help but ask himself.

    But if Lucius knew what Gellor was thinking, his opinion of him would rise up by a few notches. s, there was no way Gellor would say something like this and Lucius could not read the man''s mind either.

    They soon reached the mansion and at the entrance, Kiana was already waiting.

    "I''ve prepared the meeting hall, we can head there directly," Kiana spoke.

    "Thank you, Kiana." Lucius said and entered.

    Gellor and his teammates nodded to Kiana and greeting and followed behind them, before finally settling in the meeting hall. Each of them took a chair at the table and felt a bit nervous. They couldn''t help but feel the atmosphere had suddenly changed.

    "Well then, now that we are all here, I guess we can begin with the work." Lucius spoke.

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher. Please do tell us what is it that you need of us. I assure you we shall do our very best to aplish that." Gellor assured.

 Chapter 142 - Proposing The Job

    Lucius looked at Gellor who seemed to be determined to fulfill any request that he put forth and internally nodded.

    "The Job that I want to send you on is a Rune Beast hunt." Lucius said.

    "A Rune Beast hunt? What kind?" Gellor questioned.

    He actually felt better that Lucius had asked them for a rune beast hunt rather than other types of job as this was the kind of job they were proficient at. While Gellor and his team did a variety of jobs, they still preferred the Rune Beast hunts.

    Their team was optimized to handle and hunt beasts and thus, these kinds of jobs were the easiest for them. Of course, there were still several parameters that could change the level of difficulty of a job like this, but at least in this one they had far more experience.

    "The rune beast that I want you to hunt is not really dangerous per see, it''s just hard to track; a Mist Veil Beast." Lucius answered.

    "A Mist Veil Beast¡­ I don''t think I''ve ever heard of this rune beast before." Gellor said as his brows furrowed.

    "Oh, you don''t need to worry about that. I''ll provide you all the informative material needed to learn about the beast and its habitat." Lucius replied.

    Gellor nodded his head, thought that this would be fine. As long as they had the information about the beast, they should not have that many problems. Lucius gestured to the servants, and they went to bring in the documents that Lucius had prepared beforehand.

    "Here are the things you asked for, Young Lord Asher." The maid said before handing the stack of documents.

    Lucius took them and passed them to everyone at the table.

    "Take a look and tell me what you think," Lucius said to the mercenaries.

    Lucius''s original n was to get the Mist Veil Beast crystal from Kain through the Artificers guild. But a few days ago he had gotten a reply from Kain, in which he informed Lucius that each Rune beast crystal of the Mist Veil Beast would cost him around fifteen thousand gold or a thousand Aether crystals.

    The reason for this was because there was currently ack of supply of Aether crystals and their cost had risen once more. Usually, a rune beast crystal of a D rank beast should not be this expensive.

    At most, a D rank rune beast crystal would cost about five thousand gold coins or five hundred Aether crystals. But the cost in the case of the Mist Veil beast had been increased due to the distance at which the beast was found.

    It took one nearly a month to reach the Hills of Koran where the Mist Veil Beast lived and then it would depend on the hunters'' luck on how long it took them to find the Mist Veil beast.

    Plus, even if they found the Mist Veil beast, it was not a guarantee that they would be able to kill one. Mist Veil Beasts were hard to kill because of their gift and unless thebination of wind and fire gifts was used, it would be nearly impossible to hunt them down.

    Even the gifted who had fire and wind type gifts needed to be very skilled with them. If they missed their chance, the Mist Veil beast would escape and would leave them empty handed. The escape of one Mist Veil Beast might even lead to the entire area''s Mist Veil Beasts evacuating.

    On top of all this, Kain also told Lucius that there was currently only one Mist Veil Beast Rune crystal left in the Artificers guild. The information that he had about them was a bit outdated when he told them there were several of them in the guild.

    Because of this, Lucius was left with no other choice than tomission, some mercenaries to hunt down those beasts. He had even put the n on the back burner and thought that he might select someone other than John for the gift upgrade.

    But then the situation with Gellor and Finch came up, which allowed Lucius to rectify his n once again. Still, Lucius was not sure if they would be able to do this job since it needed a specificbination of gifts.

    He was just hoping that Gellor and his team had someone with these types of gifts. Lucius would have directly used Nexus to learn about their gifts, but knew that biding his time for now would be the better option.

    ''They are already indebted to me so it is only a matter of item till they tell me about their gifts¡­'' Lucius thought with a smile.

    The others would have seen his eerie smile had it not been for his hands that were covering his mouth and nose as he leaned on the table. Lucius watched on, as Gellor and his teammates read the documents.

    Thirty minutes passed like this, and Lucius patiently waited. He knew very well there was no rushing in matters such as these. Even if he insisted Gellor and his team to take up the job, while they would go on it, it was likely that they would just fail the job. Instead of pushing them to do something they were not confident in, Lucius would rather send them on a different job.

    This was how one was supposed to utilize man power. From what Lucius had seen till now, there were very few nobles here who seemed to know how to properly assign man power to tasks. They just seemed to put it on any random person, who ''they'' thought could do it and left it there. And if the person failed it, they would just keep on forcing them to do it till it worked.

    Such thinking was improper and highly inefficient. Better use of manpower could greatly increase productivity and profits, which Lucius knew very well.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Gellor put the stack of documents on the table and let out a long breath.

    "So what are your thoughts on it?" Lucius questioned.

 Chapter 143 - The Teams Gifts

    Lucius gazed at Gellor, wanting to see the man''s response.

    "Honestly, in the right conditions, we can definitely do this job, Young Lord Asher. But I don''t think we have those right now." Gellor answered.

    "Oh? What kind of conditions would you need? Pray, do tell." Lucius said in a calm tone.

    "As your provided information states, to hunt a Mist Veil beast, two different kinds of gifts are needed, fire and wind type. Those are crucial for hunting them and without them, the entire thing would be a waste.

    In my team, we do have people with those two types of gifts." Gellor replied.

    Lucius''s ears perked up upon hearing this and he seemed visibly interested.

    "And who are they?" Lucius questioned.

    "Barty has a Wind type gift that is quite suitable while the one that has the fire type gift is¡­ Finch." Gellor answered.

    As soon as Lucius heard his words, he understood the problem that was preventing them.

    "I see¡­ so if Finch is fully recovered, you would not have a problem inpleting the job?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes, I''m quite sure it would not be a problem. Actually, Finch''s Gift might be perfect for this job since we do not need to deal with a dangerous beast. Her gift is restrictive in that it needs close contact to work and thus she does not get many opportunities to use it." Gellor replied.

    "Ash, speaking of that. I do have more jobs such as these, but I would need to know what your gifts are so that I can choose which ones are appropriate." Lucius took this opportunity to ask them.

    He had a calm expression on his face, but did not know if these mercenaries would tell him about their gifts or not. He was prepared with a few other approaches, but wanted to take this one first and see if they could openly tell him.

    "Oh, sure," Gellor said in a rather casual tone.

    Lucius was internally surprised, but did not show it on his face right now. He wanted to see if they would hide something or fully exin their gifts to him.

    "All five of our members have rare ranked gifts. The gift that I personally have is called Muscle Strengthening." Gellor revealed.

    Lucius raised his brows upon hearing this.

    ''Another person with Muscle Strengthening¡­ Hmm, seems like most people with this kind of gift would enter upations that greatly involved their physical and martial might.'' Lucius thought.

    This was the fourth person he had seen with the Muscle Strengthening gift until now. The other three that he had seen were the soldiers that John had recruited for the bandit hunt they had gone on previously.

    All three of them had it and apparently, this was quite a popr gift in the army. After learning about this, Lucius had a few new ideas appear in his mind. Mainly about upgrading them. The problem with upgrades was that every gift had a different requirement and he didn''t know if people having the same gift would have the same requirements or not.

    And if it really was that the requirements were the same then the task of procuring the materials needed for the upgrade would be much simpler. After all, procuring things in bulk was often easier than ordering individual items.

    Plus, Lucius was sure that there must be a way to simplify the process that could make the entire process easier. He did not know how he would do that yet, but he was willing to look for it in the future.

    "My gift allows me to strengthen my muscles temporarily, which increased my overall strength. For aparison, I was able to pick up a horse cart that was over a thousand kilograms in weight when my gift was active." Gellor exined.

    "I see¡­ that is a rather good gift, very practical." Lucius said, already knowing about the effect of the gift since he had learned about them.

    Gellor then looked at the next team member and gestured him to introduce his gift.

    "My gift is Air Vortex. It is a wind type gift that allows me to create a spinning vortex of wind. Its duration depends on how much Aether I put into it." Barty was the one who had spoken.

    Hearing about his gift, Lucius understood that it would be perfect to hunt the Mist Veil Beast. The air vortex would be able to iste the fog in which the mist veil beast was hidden and then the fire type gift user could make it evaporate fully.

    "That''s quite appropriate for this job," Luciusmented in acknowledgment.

    Gellor nudged to the next person and they spoke.

    "My gift is Crane legs. It is a transformation type gift that allows me to change my legs into that of a crane. I have better stability in aquatic areas due to them and can move faster in swamps and marshes." Albus exined.

    Lucius heard about the gift but did not find it as impressive as the others. The uses for this were rather limited, but he reckoned it could prove to be quite an advantage if the habitat was right.

    He then turned his head to look at the next person remaining who was none other than Ariana. She was the only person who had not spoken anything since she had gotten here and overall, she seemed to be a rather silent type of person.

    "My gift is¡­ Serpentine fang." Ariana said in a low voice.

    She seemed to be a bit hesitant in speaking, but continued.

    "It allows me to grow snake like fangs on my body wherever I want." Ariana said before raising her hand and sprouting a snake fang out of her wrist.

    Lucius raised his brows upon seeing this and was rather intrigued. This gift seemed to be much more useful than the one that Albus had in his opinion. Lucius even thought of many applications of it and wondered what its upgraded version would be like.

 Chapter 144 - Change Of Mission

    Lucius looked at the fang on Ariana''s hand and thought for a moment before speaking.

    "Can you increase the size of them?" Lucius asked.

    Ariana her Lucius''s words and nodded.

    "Yes, I can¡­ but only up to a certain extent," Ariana said before erging the fang.

    The fang, which was only an inch long before, reached a length of six inches. Lucius was rather impressed by this and wondered how this gift worked. There were many questions in his mind and he knew he would like to use nexus on her giftter on.

    For now, he nodded his head at Ariana and allowed her to rest.

    "And what of Finch, what is her gift exactly?" Lucius questioned.

    "I know of it so I can tell." Gellor replied.

    "Sure, please do," Lucius said, allowing the man to speak.

    "The Gift Finch has is a Rare ranked gift called me Touch. It does what its name means. She can ignite mes on her hand that are rather hot. It isn''t hard for her to melt iron either after prolonged contact. The only restriction that she has is that the gift takes up a lot of Aether and has no range." Gellor exined.

    "Ah, so that''s why you said she would be the best for this job." Lucius stated upon hearing the exnation.

    "Indeed, Young Lord Asher. Since we need to evaporate the mistpletely, just the heat from her hands should be enough to do that." Gellor replied.

    "Hmm¡­ I understand. If we do decide to do this, then how long do you think Finch will take to recover? What did healer Delia say?" Lucius questioned.

    "While the Emberian Herb should take care of her injuries themselves, she will still need at least a month''s rest so that her body can get to the optimum condition. She said that the herb only increases the body''s own capability of healing and thus would need more time after that to recover from the fatigue." Gellor answered.

    "That does¡­ seem reasonable," Lucius said after thinking for a bit.

    A month in his mind was enough to get some more things set up so that the Brewery was up and running. Once that was done, it would not take them long to make the first batch and sell it. When that happened, the cost of procuring the Mist Veil beast''s rune crystal might be even easier to handle.

    ''Hmm, it will take a month for Finch to recover and then another month for Gellor and his team to reach the Koran Hills. Overall, I would get the rune beast crystals at least three to four monthster.'' Lucius calcted.

    He wondered if there was some other thing he could get Gellor and his team to do in the meantime and his attention went to another candidate that he had in his mind.

    "Say Gellor, in the time that it takes Finch to heal you can do another job." Lucius stated.

    "Umm, sure if you want we can take another one till then. But what''s the job?" Gellor asked.

    "It is the same, hunting down Rune beasts. But this time I want you to hunt two different beasts." Lucius replied.

    "And what beasts are they?" Gellor questioned, feeling a bit excited.

    "I want you to hunt down two different rune beasts. The first is Stampeding Bulls, and the second is Plow Worms." Lucius answered.

    "This¡­ We''ve hunted Stampeding Bulls before and would be able to manage, but plow worms¡­ they are protected, Young Lord Asher. Killing them would be problematic." Gellor said with slight apprehension.

    "Well, you don''t have to hunt both the beasts right away. For now, you can go and see if you can get five Rune crystals from the Stampeding bulls. Their location is also much closer than the Koran hills thus you should be able to return by the time Finch is recovered." Lucius said in an assuring tone.

    Gellor thought it over and nodded his head. While the Stampeding bulls were problematic beasts and also quite dangerous inrge numbers, as long as they used the proper hunting tactics, they would be able to hunt them without much problem.

    "Fine then, Young Lord Asher. We shall take up this job first then. We will go and hunt down the Stampeding bulls." Gellor said with a nod.

    "Perfect. When can you leave and would you need anything for the hunt?" Lucius questioned.

    "We can leave tomorrow morning after a bit of preparation. As for the hunt¡­ I guess a carriage would make our work easier. We can get there faster and transporting the corpses of the Stampeding bulls will be possible too. They are worth quite a sum if sold to the right merchant." Gellor said.

    Lucius had almost forgotten that the rune beasts were more than just their rune crystals and that their entire body was useful. Because of the peculiarity of the Mist Veil Beast Lucius had been a bit distracted as that beast did not leave anything other than a rune crystal behind upon its death.

    "Of course, you can take two carriages with you. One closed carriage for you to sit in and another open for bringing back the Stampeding bulls." Lucius replied.

    Lucius then looked towards the servant nearby and spoke.

    "Ask the steward to allot these gentlemen the carriages as needed." Lucius ordered.

    "As you wish, Lord Asher." The servant said before leaving to do his duty.

    "We shall not take up any more of your time, Young Lord Asher and leave as well." Gellor stated.

    "Sure, I hope you will seed in your endeavor. I''ll be waiting for the good news." Lucius said.

    Gellor and the other three stood up and walked out of the meeting hall. Lucius apanied them and squinted his eyes while ncing at Gellor for a second. As soon as he did, the information about his gift appeared in his mind.

    ''And just as I thought, no aether was used for it. As long as I have information about a gift beforehand and if I''ve used Aether on someone else with the same gift, nexus will not need any Aether.'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 145 - Unique Requirements And Alarmed Gellor

    Lucius looked at the information that had appeared and thought for a bit before using more Aether.

    Gift Name: Muscle Strengthening

    Description: The user can strengthen the power of their muscles, which allows them to exert greater force. Aether will be used for the entire duration that the gift is active.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 80x Aether Crystals, 2x Frenzy Ape Rune Crystal, 200 liters of Mixed beast blood.

    Lucius narrowed his eyes upon seeing the requirements of evolution for Muscle strengthening. While he could understand the need for Aether Crystals and the rune beast crystal, he had not expected the third requirement to be there.

    ''Mixed beast blood? So it needs a different kind of a secondary material, unlike Kiana who needed Trivonite ore. But beast blood¡­ this seems rather peculiar.'' Lucius thought.

    He tried to rte the changes that urred in Kiana''s gift after upgrading the gift and recalled them.

    ''Her projectiles changed from stone to metal and were now able to inflict the petrification as well. These properties were taken from the Trivonite ore and the rock bees, respectively.

    If Ipare the same in the case of Muscle Strengthening, then one of the materials should provide a qualitative change to the gift while the other one should add an additional effect to the gift.

    Hmm¡­ I''ll need to search up the gift that this Frenzy Ape has to see what kind of an effect it would add. As for the beast blood¡­ that seems a bit hard to estimate at this point.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius had been thinking about gifts and their evolution a lot and wondered if there was a way for him to predict what they would evolve into. Even if he was unable to find the name of the gift, he reckoned as long as he knew the potential changes, he might be able to narrow down the candidates.

    Then once he cross referenced them with the books in the library, he might even be able to devise a more concrete method of predicting what kind of a gift a person would get after upgrading.

    While he was thinking all this, another idea popped into his mind.

    ''Let''s see how Hell Aether holds up this time, I got plenty of aether left right now since I already had the information about Gellor''s gift.'' Lucius thought before using Hell Aether.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The moment he used it though, Gellor flinched and lunged to the side. His face seemed to be that of rm, and his fists were clenched. He immediately entered a defensive stance and seemed ready to attack.

    "Gellor!" Barty said out loud upon seeing his leader''s action.

    Lucius also narrowed his eyes with interest in seeing Gellor''s reaction.

    ''Did he sense something?'' Lucius wondered.

    Gellor who now snapped out of the momentary state of rm, looked at his teammates who had anxious expressions and then at Asher. The guards that were in the corridor were also staring at him and their weapons were pointed at him too, as if ready to act at any moment.

    While this was all happening, Lucius took the opportunity to gaze through the additional information that had appeared.

    Other Owners: Tommy Norris, Woody Riley, Tristram Harding¡­ (Total Owners: 3598)

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    "Forgive me, Young Lord Asher!" Gellor hurriedly apologized.

    What he had just done right now could easily be mistaken for trying to threaten the Young Lord''s life and could be very problematic. Gellor understood the implications of this and knew it was best if he rectified it as soon as possible.

    "Is there something wrong?" Lucius asked after quickly wiping away the information in front of him.

    "No, nothing. I just¡­ I don''t know why I acted like that." Gellor replied, unable to understand the reason himself.

    Lucius though, felt interested in it and felt like he needed to get more out of this man.

    ''If it happened because of Hell Aether, then I may need to be a bit more careful when using it. And if it really is Hell Aether that caused him to react like this then I need to know why the servant did not feel anything. What would be the requirement for them to act like this?'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Please, speak frankly. I can see the rm on your face. Something must have caused you to act like this." Lucius said, trying to persuade the man to speak.

    "Yeah, tell us Gellor. What spooked you? We''ve fought together many times and you''ve seldom had that kind of an expression." Barty said with concern.

    "I¡­<em> ~sigh~</em>" Gellor sighed and shook his head. "I felt danger¡­ an intense feeling of danger." He stated.

    "Danger? What kind of danger would be here?" Albus wondered.

    "I don''t know either. That''s why I''m confused too. This doesn''t make sense." Gellor replied.

    "Maybe you''re just stressed from the entire Finch situation. Having a good''s night rest should be a good solution for it." Lucius said in a calm tone, having gotten his answer.

    "YES! That must be it, Gellor. We''ve been running around for over a week now, trying to get help for Finch. You were the most worried among us. No wonder you''re acting like this. Your nerves are stretched too far." Barty assured.

    Gellor thought over it and nodded his head.

    "Perhaps Young Lord Asher is indeed right. I need to rest for a bit." Gellor replied.

    "Don''t worry and go rest now. If needed, you can dy your departure by a day or two." Lucius added.

    "No, no, we''ll be able to handle it on time, as agreed, young Lord Asher. I''ll be fine by tomorrow." Gellor said, trying to cate the young Lord even though he didn''t need it.

    Gellor was sure that Asher was displeased by his actions but was not showing it on his face due to his image. But he knew better than to just take the young lord''s words at face value and saw the underlying meaning.

    While this was what Gellor thought, Lucius was not thinking like this at all.

 Chapter 146 - Frenzy Ape

    Lucius was quite stringed by Gellor''s ability to sense things. While he said that it was danger that he felt, Lucius was quite sure he could sense more things than that. After all, Lucius had not targeted Gellor with malice and thus, there was no real danger.

    Hence Lucius guessed that it was the Hell Aether itself that had caused this. He had seen how Aether reacted with the hell energy and the violent reaction between them. Nexus had broken out in a protest when the Hell energy was introduced.

    Even now next would destroy his hell imprint once he used then, which showed the antagonism between the two types of energies. Thus, Lucius reckoned that it was the Aether in Gellor''s body that had warned him of this.

    ''If it really is like this, then I might need to find a way to mask it¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Still, if it was just Hell energy that had a reaction like this, Lucius wondered what would happen when he finally channeled some Demonic Mana into this world. He wondered if the reaction would be stronger or not.

    ''The reaction between the Demonic Mana and Aether will be interesting¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He looked at Gellor, who seemed to have be a bit calm than before, and gestured to him.

    "You should leave now, and get to preparing and if you want to rest, you can." Lucius said, wanting to end this now.

    Gellor nodded his head and spoke.

    "We shall take our leave then, young Lord Asher," Gellor said before turning around and leaving with his teammates.

    Once they were gone, Kiana approached Lucius from behind.

    "I''ve never seen Gellor react like that before." Kiana stated.

    "Hmm¡­ I don''t know what happened to him either." Lucius said in a calm tone, not giving away even a semnce that he knew about it.

    But then Lucius was reminded of something.

    "Kiana¡­ you said you''ve known and fought with Gellor before, right?" Lucius asked.

    "Mmhmm. When I was still training in the servant''s quarters, and joined the physical training sses, Gellor was a fellow student. He was originally going to be a soldier too, but then decided that doing that was too much for him and the free life of a mercenary was better.

    Sword Master Frank was the one who used to take sses back then, and nearly everyone wanted to attend them. Thus, he used to take them inrge groups and did live demonstrations. I was but a mere teen back then too." Kiana replied.

    "Hmm¡­ I see. And how was Gellor as in his battle instincts?" Lucius questioned.

    Kiana put her fingers on her chin and thought for about a minute before speaking.

    "As my training was different from the one that Gellor and the rest of the soldiers went through, I didn''t get to see him till the end. But even when I was there, I remember Gellor was consistently in the top five among hundreds." Kiana answered.

    The more Lucius heard, the more he was starting to think better of the man. His opinion of Gellor rose and he wondered if he had found a gem by luck.

    ''No, this is too quick to make a judgment. I''ll need to see his actual performanceter.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He then turned around to return to hisb. There were still plenty of tests that Lucius needed to do and time was the one thing he would always make use of frugally. Kiana saw the look on Lucius''s face and found it to be a bit strange but did not question it.

    ''Gellor''s actions must have bothered him. Better to let him figure it out on his own for a bit.'' Kiana thought before returning to her own work.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of theb opened and Lucius locked it behind him. In there he saw the Bore Shrew still sleeping in the cage.

    "Hmm¡­ still no difference, huh,." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He poked the beast a few times with a rod but there was no reaction on the beast''s end. It still seemed to be asleep. Thinking that he may as well do other things till it woke up, Lucius went to the bookshelf in the room and picked out a few to read.

    There was especially a Rune beast that he needed to learn about that the nexus had shown him. The beast in question was none other than the Frenzy Ape. Lucius had moved some books from the library that he needed, often like those on rune beasts here into theb.

    Thus, it was easier and faster for him to look through them. Pulling out one of the volumes of what was basically a Rune Beast Encyclopedia, Lucius started to search. It took him about five minutes to find the beast he was interested in.

    "Ah, here it is¡­ oh? this is a ratherrge entry¡­" Lucius muttered upon seeing it.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Frenzy Apes: They are D ranked beasts that are extremely violent and dangerous. Despite being D ranked, they are often considered to be more dangerous than a lot of C ranked beasts.

    Frenzy Apes live in tribes of up to a hundred individuals and are mostly found in the jungles of the south. Though from time to time, some beast traders from the south might capture them and sell them as tamed beasts in the north.

    They are quite fierce and have a lot of stamina, said to be able to fight for over ten hours without stopping. They are also rather social and have amunity that is based on individual strength.

    The Frenzy apes in a tribe fight nearly every day from their very childhood all the way till they die. The ape that is the oldest in the tribe is usually the strongest, as it is the only one that would have survived the harsh life of battle.

    Most weaker offspring die in the first year of their lives and over ny percent would die by the time they reach the age of five. The rest that remains be strong enough tost on their own.

    Because of their violent nature, the most that these beasts live for is twenty years. Maximum of them will die before ever reaching that age. To make sure that their poption does not die out the beasts breed through the entire year and can birth three to four offspring every six months.

    The females of the tribe are protected staunchly and any beast, or man found harming one or evening close to one is met with the entire tribe''s wrath. There have been many cases of Frenzy Ape tribes leaving their jungles to attack viges and towns, wiping them out in less than a day''s time.

    Their normal strength is enough to break normal metal armor and bend steel that is up to a centimeter thick. But they don''t just have strength. What makes Frenzy apes far more dangerous is that they actually have higher intelligence than most beasts and animals.

    An adult Frenzy Ape is said to have the intelligence of a ten year old child and canmunicate with others rtively decently, whether this be another frenzy ape that is a tribe member or even a human that has tamed the beast.

    Rune Crystal Gift: Frenzy

    Description: The gift that the Frenzy Ape has is what gave it its name, Frenzy. When the beast is agitated to a certain level, it transforms into its frenzy state. In this state, the size of its body increases, with major increases inrge muscle groups.

    Its strength is multiplied by over five times and turns into a deadly weapon in the hands of a skilled tamer. It is this ability of the Frenzy ape that made them to be feared and also brought the interest of hundreds of Beast schrs over the years.

    Extensive research has been done into the habits and abilities of the Frenzy ape and it can be considered to be one of the beast studied rune beasts. This was due to the practice of using them in wars in the previous era.

    While Frenzy allows the beast to increase its power by a lot, its stamina is depleted at a rapid pace when it is active. Most younger frenzy apes that are below the age of three can''t even use their gift due to not having sufficient Aether in their bodies.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Having read the entire entry, Lucius was very interested in this rune beast. He had not expected that he would be finding such an interesting specimen today just by a stroke of luck.

    "Hmm¡­ Frenzy apes are definitely worth investing in. If their gift Frenzy is what changes the Muscle Strengthening, then the effect must be quite significant." Lucius muttered to himself as a wide smile appeared on his face.

    Pleased with this finding, Lucius closed the book and put it back on the shelf. But just when he was about to turn back, he heard a noise.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

 Chapter 147 - Progress

    Upon turning around, Lucius saw that the Bore Shrew had woken up. It was shaking its head as if it was still groggy and moved around much better than before.

    "Oh? Seems like its transformation isplete." Lucius said.

    He walked closer to the cage and observed the Bore shrew calming down. While its eyes still seemed to have a hint of madness in them, they were still a bit coherent.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    It cried out again upon seeing Lucius and walked to the edge of the cage and started to chew on the grill.

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    Lucius raised his brows upon seeing the ease with which the beast was cutting the alloyed metal. Its bites had definitely gotten stronger than before and it took little to no effort for it to bite through it.

    Lucius watched the beast and wanted to see what it would do after it got out. Thankfully, the cages were modifiable and were modr. If Lucius wanted to fix it, he could just remove the grill that had the cut part and would not need to rece the entire thing.

    The Bore shrew continued to bite the cage and soon made an opening big enough for it to pass through. The edges of the grills that were cut were sharp and rubbed against the skin of the Boer Shrew, but they were unable to cause it any harm.

    "Seems like its defense has also increased. Its skin should have gotten tougher now along with its muscles that increased in number." Lucius analyzed.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The Bore Shrew finally got out of the cage and looked at Lucius, who was standing to the side. Its eyes were definitely looking at him with intent and did not move. Lucius waited for about a minute to see if the beast would do something else, but it did not.

    "Hmm¡­" Lucius rubbed his chin as he thought about what to do next.

    After thinking for a bit, he extended his finger that flowed with red light. As soon as the bore shrew saw it, it became excited.

    <em>~SKREEE~ </em>

    "Go there," Lucius ordered while pointing with the glowing finger.

    The bore shrew still looked at it without moving, but after a few seconds, it seemed to haveprehended it and moved to the location that Lucius had pointed to.

    "Good," Lucius said before shooting a small sliver of hell energy to the bore shrew.

    The beast pounced at it and quickly consumed the hell energy. To the bore shrew, hell energy was the best thing in the world. And since Lucius was the one providing the hell energy, it would obey what he said.

    Lucius observed to see if there would be additional changes or not, but did not see any.

    "Go there now," Lucius ordered and pointed to another part of the room, this time a bit farther than before.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The bore Shrew let out a low cry before looking towards the location that was being pointed. After hesitating for a couple of seconds, it moved there.

    "Very good!" Lucius said and send another small sliver of hell energy to the bore shrew, who quickly consumed it.

    ''If this method works, then controlling them would be a bit easier. Though once their numbers increase, it will be hard for me to keep up¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But during this entire time, he had a rather wide smile on his face. He continued a few more tests one by one and got even more pleased. The bore shrew was also getting habituated to the orders and was learning quickly.

    "Seems like the corruption of hell energy also increased its intelligence to a certain level. A normal Bore Shrew is definitely unable to do anything like this¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Just like this, he ended up spending his entire morning in testing. Soon it was time for lunch and a knock was heard on the door.

    <em>~knock~</em>

    "Go into the cage," Lucius ordered.

    This time he didn''t even have to give the Bore Shrew any hell energy, and it obediently went into the cage. Lucius thought a bit more and narrowed his eyes, before saying something.

    "Now sleep." He ordered before sending out a sliver of hell energy at the bore shrew.

    As soon as the hell energy was consumed by the bore shrew, it fell asleep.

    ''Hmm¡­ just as I thought. Smallmands can still be transmitted using hell energy.'' Lucius thought to himself while moving to the door of theb.

    <em>~Shing~</em>

    He moved thetch of the door and opened it. Standing in front was none other than Kiana.

    "It''s time for lunch, did you forget again?" Kiana said with a knowing look.

    "Hahaha! I kinda forgot while working¡­" Lucius replied.

    <em>~sigh~</em>

    Kiana took a look around the messy room and sighed to herself.

    "Come on now, or Aunt Lita will get upset." Kiana said, while turning away.

    Lucius followed behind her, and they soon reached the dining hall, where Lita was waiting for them. The tes were already set up and it was the servants were all standing ready to serve the food.

    It was evident that they had all been waiting for Lucius to appear till now.

    "Sorry for gettingte, mother," Lucius apologized.

    "Mmmhmm, just sit down and eat now. Don''t dy any further," Lita said before gesturing to the servants.

    One of the servants moved ahead to pull a chair for his young lord, and Lucius graciously sat down. The servants then served the food and Lucius saw that there were three different types of fish on the menu today.

    "We have fish today? That''s a bit unusual¡­" Lucius muttered.

    Lita instead had a smile on her face.

    "So you finally noticed." Lita said.

    "Oh?" Lucius gave her a questioning look.

    "Why do you think we have fish here now, that too of three different kinds?" Lita asked in a teasing manner.

    Lucius thought over it and couldn''te up with an answer right away. But then he tried to see if he could remember what kind of fishes they were.

    "Wait a minute, aren''t these¡­ from Baron Harrels territory?" Lucius questioned.

    "Indeed. The extra smaller deals we made with the Baron are finallying into effect. The fishermen are now allowed to freely fish in the rivers andkes of the Harrels Barony. These fishes are from the very first shipment that has arrived early in the morning." Lita answered.

 Chapter 148 - Commands And Control

    Lucius felt a bit happy seeing that the ns that he had made a while ago were finally showing their effects. This was just a small part of it and was not even that important, yet it was a confirmation that his n was working.

    If the trade between the Harrels Barony and the territory of the Inanis family was free, they will not have to worry about one branch of food now. Fishes were a rtively cheaper way of getting good protein.

    Before, the fishermen did not have the permission to fish in the waters of the Harrels Barony that had severalkes and small rivers passing through them and thus could only fish in thekes of the Inanis territory.

    While there were fishes here too, they were not as good as the fishes in the Harrels barony. Of course, it was not just the Harrels Barony that had fishes, the other territories on that side did as well, but it was the Harrels Barony with which they had a deal right now.

    This would ensure that the people of Inanis territory had another source of food now.

    "This is good then," Lucius said.

    "Indeed. That''s why I wanted you to be the first to eat them. Try out your ''fruits ofbor''." Lita chuckled.

    Lucius understood why Lita had been insistent oning for lunch today. She wanted to show him this. And Lucius truly did feel that it was worth it now. He simply nodded his head and got to eating.

    Today, they all had a rather leisurely lunch and took forty minutes to finish it. Once done, Lucius gently cleaned his lips with a napkin before standing up.

    "I shall head back to work, mother." Lucius said.

    "Go on then. Just make sure that you don''t strain your body too much. I don''t want you to exhaust yourself too much." Lita replied.

    "I''ll keep it in mind, mother." Lucius said before leaving for hisb.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door opened up and Lucius looked at the cage.

    "Hmm¡­ it''s still asleep." Lucius muttered with a hand on his chin.

    He then locked the door of theb behind him before lifting the cloth from the cage and fully exposing it. Since the cloth was not moved before, Lucius was sure that the bore shrew was still asleep.

    Lifting the cloth from the cage, he saw the beast fast asleep without moving at all.

    ''Let''s see if normalmands work¡­'' Lucius thought.

    "Wake up!" Lucius ordered.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The bore shrew woke up rather quickly in response to Lucius''s voice and shook its head once again. Lucius tested out, giving the beast a few moremands and saw its responses. It was going to be a long session and Lucius was noting down all things that he learned from this.

    He spent the rest of the afternoon in this until it was time for the swordsmanship practice. He made the bore Shrew sleep again, before going to the training hall. In the time that Lucius had tested outmands with the Bore shrew, he had learned quite a few things.

    When he gave the beastmands to move from one spot to the other, he could just say it and the beast wouldprehend it. He also did not need to reward the beast often, if that was the case.

    But if he wanted to give the beast aplexmand, it was easier for him to use hell energy for that. Hell energy could contain themand in the form of an intent and once Lucius send this to the bore shrew, it could innately understand it.

    But the moreplex themand was, the more hell energy Lucius would need up using it. Right now he had enough hell energy to give the bore shrew a hundredmands of the level of sleep that he had done before.

    He had also been giving the bore shrew rewards of small slivers of hell energy but they were mere fractions that did not really tax Lucius. In all the amount of hell energy slivers that he had given the bore shrew till now, he had used up less than twenty percent of his hell energy capacity.

    This was a reasonable amount that he could tolerate, at least for a thing such as training a beast. Though he did wonder if there could be a better way of training the beast that would not take up as much amount of hell energy.

    "Till I find that¡­ I guess I gotta make this work." Lucius muttered to himself while walking towards the training hall.

    John was already there waiting for him and seemed to be warming up.

    "How''re things going at the brewery?" Lucius questioned upon entering.

    John was mid stretch when he heard Lucius enter the hall.

    "Oh, the brewery ising along well. We should be done with the construction by next week and in theing three-four days after that, all the equipment should also be set up in there. The cksmiths have already made seventy percent of the things we asked of them." John said in one smooth motion, tilting his body to the side all the way.

    <em>~shing~ </em>

    "That''s good," Lucius said as he withdrew a practice sword from the rack.

    <em>~woom~</em>

    He swung the sword in a circle, freeing up his wrist joint a bit and his shoulders as well.

    "Yes, hopefully, we are done fully in two weeks and can begin work. The count has also said that he would give out a bonus to those who finished their work before the deadline. This has gotten the workers excited." John added.

    Of course, when John said the Count, he meant the ''noble'' who had gotten bought thend. The orders went through either John or the steward, anyway.

    Having said this, John stood up and picked out another training sword for himself, and came at Lucius.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    The two men broke out in battle instantly and exchanged blows.

    "Oh, by the way¡­ did you guys find any more of the bore shrews at the brewery?"

 Chapter 149 - A Few Spars And The Brewerys Construction Progress

    Hearing Lucius''s words, John was a bit thrown off.

    <em>~shing~</em>??

    Taking this opportunity, Lucius parried his attack and pushed him back. John though was well experienced and recovered in less than a second, using the moment of being pushed back to turn it into a roll.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    Lucius''s next attack missed and hit the ground instead. John got up from the ground with a leap and shed back at Lucius, whose sword was pointed downwards. But just when it was a few inches from him, Lucius tilted his body back and let it fall to the ground.

    But before it hit the ground, Lucius used his hands to cushion the impact and sprang back up. While this hand made the sword in his hand fall to the ground, Lucius kicked the base of the sword with his leg, sending it flying towards John.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    Unfortunately, the power of that attack was mediocre and John was able to block it with this own sword and knocked the de away.

    <em>~deng~deng~thud~</em>

    The sword ttered against the ground beforeing to a stop against the wall of the training hall. Lucius knew that he had lost this round but did not mind it. Till now he had been unable to win even once against John, which showed the level that he was at.

    "That was actually good! You did not give up even after losing your sword. It was defiantly a smart move, but it would have been better if you had a spare weapon with you. So make sure if you ever do this in a real fight, you have a secondary weapon with you." John praised.

    "I''ll keep that in mind, lieutenant John." Lucius said.

    "Please, like I said before¡­ Just call me John. It feels weird when you use the title like that." John said with a chuckle.

    "Alright, John," Lucius replied.

    Lucius then rxed for a bit before beginning the next round.

    "Oh yeah, you were asking something before?" John questioned, remembering Lucius''s words.

    "Yes, I asked if you were able to catch any more Bore Shrew at the brewery," Lucius answered.

    "Bore Shrews? Hmm¡­ I think the workers managed to catch three of them. But they are some pesky buggers, managed to chew through the box they were kept in. I dunno if they catched more though now." John replied.

    "Hmm¡­ I see. Send them to me if they find any more of them." Lucius stated.

    "Okay," John said, not questioning what Lucius was intending to do with them.

    To John, it was simply not his business, and plus Lucius was his lord and superior. There was no way he would ask about it unless Lucius spoke about it first. Having heard John reps one, Lucius simply nodded before entering a sword stance.

    The two men sparred for about four more rounds before stopping. Nearly two hours had passed since this and Lucius was now tired. He returned to the mansion while John himself went to the brewery to check up on things.

    Since the workers had been promised bonuses, they had been working for longer shifts, even extending it past the sunset when it was dark. With the help of several torches and braziers, the darkness was no problem.

    What they simply did was that to divide the kind of work they did into different hours. Then in the day time they would assemble the building itself, while during the dark they would instead cut and make the parts of the Brewery that were needed.

    This made the working far more efficient and they were able to do a lot more work than before. And since they were working tillte at night, John needed to be there to supervise as well. Although a steward was there all the time too, John being there meant that they would have extra security too.

    It was not like they have had not had any intrusion attempts at the site either. A few thieves had managed to sneak in from the forest side but were caught when they got into the main fenced area.

    The fence around the brewery was over three meters tall, made out of wooden logs that were covered with long sheets of canvas. While this didn''t really prevent people from entering it, it did manage to hide what was going on in there.

    Of course, this was just a temporary thing and a solid stone wall was also being built alongside it. This stone wall would be even taller than the current fences and would be five meters tall while having a thickness of about one and a half feet.

    One would think that this was a bit of overkill and that the expenditure would be too much, but surprisingly, it was not. Among the workers they had gotten, two of them had gifts that were specialized in the maniption of stones.

    While they couldn''t freely manipte them like it was y, they were still able to do things, such as making small grooves and notches on them. This had made the construction far easier, as they didn''t even need to have symmetrical stones.

    They could simply put the stones together, use their gift to make grooves and notches that interlocked and then manipte it again to make the said groove disappear. This would essentially cause the two stones to fuse together, turning them into a solid wall.

    Because of this, they needed no mortar or cement to make the wall and the cost of materials went down. The only restriction in this way that this greatly depended on the Aether capacities of the workers.

    Fortunately, these workers were older and experienced. Since Aether capacity grew with age by default, the two workers had a lot of it and due to their experience, they were able to use the Aether frugally, which prevented any excess waste.

    This optimized their Aether use and allowed them to work longer times, which in turn sped up the building of the wall.

 Chapter 150 - The Dorian Construction Company

    When Lucius learned of all this, he was quite impressed and had asked what kind of a gift did these workers have as it seemed to be quite useful. He was sure that it must have been a rare ranked gift at the very least.

    But then he then found out that it was actually only an umon ranked gift called Stone Meld. This was actually considered to be an inferior version of a rare ranked gift called Earth Meld.??

    The Dorian Constructionspany that Kiana had talked about was actually the one that hat people with this kind of gift. They had at least five people with the Earth Meld Gift and several tens of them with the Stone meld.

    This was the reason why they were able to finish building things so fast and efficiently. In fact, they were a benchmark in the private construction business in this world and a lot of masons and carpenters wished to join it.

    But the requirements for joining them were far too high such that even if someone had a high manual skills, they may be denied due to not having the right kind of gift. But if someone was not skilled yet, they had the kinds of gift thepany liked, they would be quickly recruited.

    They could, after all, train that person once they were done with everything. The Dorian Constructionpany had nock of talented workers that were considered to be one of the best at construction and had built various buildings across not only the Grantz kingdom, but even the other neighboring kingdoms.

    Their history spanned over two centuries and they were a very prominent name. It was even said that the original founder of thepany Dorian gained the then Grantz kingdom King''s favor when he built a long wall spanning over three kilometers in less than two days that helped defend a pass during a war.

    The king had even offered to make him a noble, turning his family into officially ranked nobles. But surprisingly, the man had denied the king. While most people would have taken the offer and lived a life offort as a noble, Dorian himself had a different outlook for the future.

    He had the foresight to see that bing a noble of the Grantz kingdom might not be good for him and hispany in the long run. What would happen is, that while he would be able to freely work across the Grantz kingdom, and perhaps would have even built a monopoly on the construction business, he would not have been able to take work contracts for the other kingdoms.

    Being a noble of the Grantz kingdom would shackle him and hispany to this very nation, as no one else would trust them with building anything that was of strategic importance or had a great value.

    Having guessed this, the founder of the Dorian Constructionpany rejected the offer and chose to stay amoner. But his choice turned out to be for the best as merely twenty years after that, he managed to get so many contracts that he got richer than any other noble of that rank.

    Even now, his descendant''s wealth wasparable to a lot of nobles and their families. In fact, if Lucius were topare the entire fortune of the Land Of Etara, perhaps it would not evene close to half that the Dorian constructionpany had managed to earn.

    There were many others who had tried to replicate his sess, gathering gifted that had gifts that were suitable for construction, but all of them were unsessful. First of all, to all the workers who were in the constriction business, the Dorian Constructionpany was one of the best ces to work at that paid handsomely.

    Thus, if they were worth their salt, they would be recruited by the Dorian Constructionpany first. As for the other constructionpanies, they would either have to pay these popes twice the amount that Dorian paid or have to bet on loyal employees.

    Lucius had read up about them and researched on the Dorian Constructionpany quite a bit since he had found them to be quite interesting. Thus, one could imagine his surprise at finding workers that actually had the Stone Meld Gift.

    Lucius just hoped that the brewery would be done as fast as possible. John hoped the same as he was spending most of his time there and only went back to his wife and daughter at night time.

    But till then he was dead tired and his wife hadined a few times that he did not need to work this long. The thing was, John was not even beingpelled to work this long. It waspletely voluntary on his part.

    Whenever his wife asked him to rx his working time, John would simplyugh and say that he was doing this for their bright future. After all, the owner of the brewery was going to be Alessa in the end¡­ at least on paper.

    Plus their new identities as nobles would be tied to this and thus John wanted to do everything in his power to ensure that everything went smoothly.

    Thus, one could imagine his feelings when some thieves tried to break in and steal from the site. Had it not been for the steward there, the thieves might not have been alive right now. Still, it was not like they were fully safe, as John had cut off their hands without hesitation.

    The thieves now rotted in the prison and from what Lucius heard, were interrogated quite well. This was to ensure that they really were just normal thieves and not some spies in disguise sent to look at what was being built.

    This was all done ording to the strict orders from the Count and thus the city guardsplied with it. Besides, it was not like they would worry about the human rights of some petty thief, either.

 Chapter 151 - The Hierarchies Of Power

    Thankfully, this treatment of thieves had sent a message across the criminal circle of the Inanis city that the site of the brewery was off limits. While they could try their luck, they would just end up getting arrested if they were lucky and killed at sight if they were not.

    John and the rest hoped that this would also dissuade the nobles from taking any risks. The noble hierarchy of the Grantz kingdom was ratherplex and had changed over time. It was said that the founding kings of the Grantz kingdom were much weaker than the more recent ones.??

    Because of this, they needed the help of other nobles who did not really have any ranks. They were just feudal lord with their independentnds and armies. Eventually they united under the first king of the Grantz kingdom, but even then the king himself was rtively weak.

    The kingdom''s own army was the army that belonged to the king and was its personal guard. If there was a war to be fought, the king could not do so on his own. He would need the support of all the nobles or at least the majority.

    The other nobles could choose not to fight and stay in their terrorist, but then they would not get a share of the spoils, either. At that time, the kingdom was not truly a kingdom and more of an alliance of different lords.

    But with each sessive generation of the king, their power rose. Their power structure changed as well before it finally reached the current one, which was a hybrid between a militaristic and aristocratic.

    The Current king of the Grantz kingdom would rule over the entire kingdom and would then assign parts ofnds to other nobles. Thisnd would either be theirs permanently if they were a ranked noble, such as a baron or above.

    If they were not a ranked noble and had instead been made newly noble or had bought their way in, they would not be assigned anynd and would need to procure it themselves. Any unimednd in the kingdom where no one lived belonged to the king by default.

    If an unranked noble built their terror onnd such as this while they would be safe, if the king desired so, he could freely usurp thisnd at any moment. Thus the unranked nobles always wanted to either rise up to the lowest rank or at least build up sufficient fortune before that ever happened.

    This was just the aristocratic structure of the kingdom. Then came the hybrid military part. Previously, the king needed the support of his fellow nobles, but over time, the army of the kingdom started to expand in size.

    Some nobles also fell and had to join the army to survive. Eventually, those very nobles rose up in ranks ording to their merits and gained power once again. But this was where the dichotomy between the military and aristocracy started.

    There ended up new kinds of aristocrat that held a military rank as well as a noble rank. This allowed them to have their own personal army as a noble and alsomand a certain number of the kingdom''s army.

    Then there were other nobles who weremoners who joined the army and gained great merits to that granted them the title of a noble. The main difference that was there between the nobles and military ranks was that one was inherited and the other was not.

    Thus many military personnel wanted to get a noble rank so that their family would have a secured future. But then the noble''s own power was often less than that of a high ranked warrior in the military.

    Thus the difference ended up being in either long term security, or short term power. If a sufficiently high ranked military officer had a valid reason, he could very well go and decimate a nobles territory and kill that noble.

    This was something the nobles greatly feared. But even if they wanted to increase their own personal army, it was often quite hard to do so. If they wanted good warrior, they needed to offer good conditions and pay, but it was only the kingdom''s royal army that could offer that.

    Thus no warrior would choose a lower nobles offer than that of the kingdoms. Thus, the nobles could only hope to recruit weaker warriors and nurture some of their offspring to make sure that they had some extra power.

    Gifts yed a great role here as any person with an Epic Ranked Gift was nearly guaranteed to be a noble if they chose to do so. And if it were a noble that got an epic ranked gift, they would have a greater chance to recruit stronger warriors and increase their own power.

    It was aplex power structure that interwove the different hierarchies that depended on each other. Thus, now the situation arose where a noble family needed some of their people to either be in the army as well or have a strong gift.

    The Inanis family was one of the best examples of thisplex situation.

    The founder was amoner who rose through the ranks of military before being made into a noble. Then the subsequent heirs kept up the military tradition and raised their noble rank as well till it reached the current level of Count.

    By now, needing military merits had be the chief method of raising the noble rank. If a noble family did not have anyone in the military, they would forever stay stagnant in their rank and eventually deteriorate.

    This was a very situation that was carefully crafted by the Royal family over the years as they gained several smart people among them. The situation kept most of the power in the hands of the king, but it also didn''t make them too powerful so as to force all the nobles.

    Even if the nobles wanted to do anything about it, they simply did not have the power and had to submit to the current structure.

 Chapter 152 - The Trinity Of Powers

    This thin bnce of power that was mostly tilted towards the Royal family''s favor was actually maintained by a third party¡­ The churches.

    They were the one wild card that could not be controlled by either the military nor the nobles. Their doctrines were followed by millions, including those in the nobility and the military, along with themoners of course, who were the majority.??

    The church was free from most of the influence of the kingdoms, and they even had to pay a tithe to the churches. While this made it seem like the Church held the supreme power, they were still limited by the tithes given by themoners and the kingdom.

    If the kingdom and its nobles collectively decided to stop paying tithe to the church, they may not be able to keep all their clergy working for long. Even with Faith, there was little a person could do.

    after all the biggest faith in the world was not god, but rather food. If themoners could starve, the clergy could do so too. After all, if they had no source of ie, would they resort to other jobs? Or would they be thieves?

    Going through any of these routes would ensure that they would no longer be part of the clergy. After all if one wanted to be part of the clergy, they had to have faith in the God of that church and also follow their doctrines.

    In the case of the Grantz kingdom, the main church was the Church of na. na was the goddess of Light and healing. Their clergy needed to be devoted to her and needed to follow the doctrines of Mercy, devotion, and kindness.

    If they resorted to other jobs, they would not be following the doctrine of devotion and if they resorted to bing thievery, they would not be following the doctrine of kindness. And if they became bandits or worse murderers, they would be viting the doctrine of Mercy.

    This locked the clergy into a specific state which they could note out of easily. Even their gift that was called the divine gift was given by the goddess na and if they vited her doctrines, they would lose their gifts.

    If one wanted to join the clergy, they didn''t really need to have gifts per see but having a gift allowed them to have greater power. Whenever a gifted person became the part of the clergy, the divine grace of na would take away their gift and in return give them the Divine gift that had power respective to their previous gift''s rank.

    So, for example, they had a Rare ranked gift before they became part of the clergy they would lose it and instead get a divine gift that would be at the Rare rank. But even among the church of na, they had different Divine gifts.

    The priests would have divine gifts that specialized in healing, while the pdins would have gifts that were specialized in battle. While either types of tier gifts could be used for battle and healing, their efficiency would vary.

    And thus came the problem of losing that divine gift. As a clergy that lost the grace of na would not only lose the divine gift, he would also not get his original gift back. Their original gift would be forever lost after they joined the church.

    Of course, this situation was particr to the Church of na, but since they were the main faith of the Grantz kingdom and were often the arbitrators, this mattered the most.

    While there were also the Church of Etara and the Church of Duran, their situation was quite different. The Church of Etara was mostly filled with schrs and researchers, while the Church of Duran was filled with Knights and Warriors of Justice.

    Etara was the goddess of Knowledge and while Duran was the God of Justice. Their doctrines didn''t interfere with that of Goddess na and thus they were allowed to exist freely. People were even allowed to freely follow all three faiths

    These two churches didn''t hold as much power as that of the Church of na and didn''t really hold the same power over the military and nobles.

    This was also the reason why Viscount Drew could leave the Land Of Etara on his own, despite the fact that it could be considered to be an insult to the faith of Etara. The church of Etara would not get involved in the matters of nobles for things such as this.

    But if this was the Church of na instead of Etara, Viscount Drew would have never dared to do this. Before he would even put forth the idea of separation, the Pdins of na would have chopped his head off for sphemy.

    In the end, everything came down to power and it didn''t matter which side you belonged to. Whether it be the nobles, themoners, the military, the royal family, or the churches themselves. All of them wanted power.

    The only difference was the level that they could grasp and whether they could continue to hold onto that power.

    Lucius had still been analyzing this all and was a bit intrigued by this system. From what he remembered of his past world''s history, the nobles often held absolute power for a period of time and then it would shift to the churches.

    As for the dictatorships, the power would be in the hands of military. It was much moreplex than his past world, while also being a bit primitive at the same time, ording to Lucius.

    Lucius had always wanted to be the most powerful in the world and that was his aim in the past world as well. It was his misfortune and miscalction that he ended up here, but in exchange for that, he had gained the knowledge about many worlds that perhaps no one in his world ever knew.

    "The future is vast and darkness mixes with light. There is no right path and no wrong path. The only thing that lies at the end is power." Lucius recited one of his favorite philosopher''s quote.

 Chapter 153 - The Human Limitations

    Another bright day arrived and Lucius got ready for it. Quickly finishing his morning routine, he got down to hisb to check up on his resident beast, the bore shrew. The beast had been fed once morest night by Lucius just to make sure that it would not wander out.

    For now, it seemed to be heeding hismands and when Lucius gave it the order to stay in the cage with hell energy, it had obeyed them. Even though it was awake when Lucius walked in, it stayed in its ce and moved in circles inside the cage.??

    "Hmm¡­ this seems to be stable. Far more than I would have expected." Lucius said upon observing the beast.

    He then extended a finger and released a small sliver of hell energy to feed the Bore Shrew along with themand to stay in the cage. Once that was done, Lucius left to eat breakfast.

    He entered the dining hall and sat down at the table. Today Lita and Gabriel both were not here which was a bit unusual.

    "Where is mother?" Lucius questioned Kiana, who was waiting at his side.

    Kiana was like a shadow to Lucius now. She would always be apanying him when she was not doing other things and would be there for Lucius if he ever called for her. The only times she would leave him alone was when Lucius specifically asked for it.

    It was an arrangement Lucius was fine with and made him feel a sense of nostalgia. In his past life, he had his little digital assistant watch that he used to wear. And now he just had a life sized living version of it.

    "Aunt Lita has gone to the monthly outing with the other nobledies," Kiana said.

    "Monthly Outing? They have something like that?" Lucius asked, feeling a bit strange.

    "Yes, all of the nobledies of the city meet up and visit different scenic spots in and around the city. They talk and gossip about things while having some snacks and plenty of wine." Kiana replied.

    Hearing Kiana''s words, Lucius didn''t know what to think of it. But he reckoned that it was just another part of the nobilities customs that was more oriented towards the female nobles.

    "I see. When will she be back?" Lucius questioned.

    "Hmm, that depends on how long Aunt Lita can hold back. She says those nobledies are quite tiresome, and she doesn''t really like them. She only goes there as a customary response from the Inanis family.

    She will stay with them till she can tolerate them and once she feels it is too exhausting, she will take her leave." Kiana answered, slight hints of pity obvious in her voice.

    It was evident that the nobledies were not really something that Lita particrly liked spending time with. Especially with the recent changes in the situation in the Inanis city and the overall Land of Etara, there was plenty of gossip and rumors to go around.

    "Alright then," Lucius replied and got to eating.

    Once he was done with his breakfast, he went to study in the library. He would study till it was time for lunch or something else came up. This was his regr schedule and he preferred keeping it like this.

    At least until he had learned a sufficient amount of things that were to learn about this world and how it worked. There were a lot more things he wanted to get started on, like the Artifacts, but he simply did not have the time for that as of now.

    Lucius reckoned that till the Brewery was up and running, doing anything with artifacts would be a long shot. He had already finished reading the theoretical books that Master Kain had left him, but those were simply the very basics of the basics.

    Lucius wanted to get more advanced books about the artifacts and how they were made, but he did not know if this would be the right time for it. He was already busy with multiple things and it would only get messy if he added more things to it.

    ''Waiting will be the better option. Once I have some things up and running, I can add more. A steady pace is better than rushing it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He closed the book he was reading and put it back on the shelf. The book was about the various noble families of the Land of Etara, and Lucius had tried to memorize as many of them as he could.

    This was when he realized something he had missed out on for a while.

    "My memory has certainly improved¡­ and not just by little but by a lot." Lucius muttered to himself.

    While his memory was not photographic, it was still far strong than it should have been. Lucius tried to think of what could be the reason behind it and coulde up with a few.

    The very first reason that he could think of was the unknown amount of years he had spent traveling across the many dimensions and worlds. He did not know what kind of long term effect it had on his soul, but he could remember everything that he saw and heard during that time quite vividly.

    "Is it the influence of the Amulet of Barrom?" Lucius wondered.

    Since he was in the soul form, when he was traveling through the worlds, Lucius understood that he was not restricted by the human body anymore. Lucius had studied the soul theory quite a bit in his past life and knew that a soul was often limited by the vessel it was in.

    It was a double edged sword in a way. While the body protected the soul and kept it stable, the soul was also limited in its capability ording to the vessel or the body that it resided in. For example, the normal capacity of an average human''s brain was about 2.5 Petabytes.

 Chapter 154 - Clarity Of The Bargain

    Of course, that was a capacity that was never reached by the average human. But when it came to the mages, sorcerers, priests, and many other powerful people of Lucius''s past world, that limit was not unreachable.

    Usually, how the brain worked was that it would push out or delete older and unused memories to make room for new ones. This way it would never run out of space as it would keep on cleaning the storage.??

    But this was a problem for the stronger mages.

    To mages, their memory was one of the most important things to them. All of the things that they learned, whether it be magic theory, spell matrices, spell forms, runes, scripts, curses, and many more things, they all needed a lot of memory.

    While it was not often, there were actually mages that ended up reaching the limits of the human brain. Of course, over the years there were many solutions to this that had been researched by the schrs.

    There were means such as magical herbs and medicines that increased the brain''s capacity, technological assistance in the form of imnted chips along with artificial intelligence that could asset them, gic modifications along with magical modifications that could be made as well.

    Even the priests of Thara were not free from this and needed the divine grace of Thara to boost the capacity of their brains. In all these options, at least during the time period that Lucius lived in, technological solutions were the most affordable and were used by nearly everyone.

    It didn''t matter whether they were amoner or a mage, they all used tech to assist them in daily life. The magical means of enhancing brains were a bit moreplex and were not possible for everyone, as it was needed for someone to be a mage themselves.

    But even if there were all these solutions, not everyone was satisfied by it. There were those powerful beings at the top that did not want the assistance of external means and had already exhausted the magical means of doing so.

    Thus, they wanted to tap into the hidden potential of the human soul. That was where the soul theory came from and how it was expanded upon. If one were to make aparison, the soul was like a software that could not exist without hardware, which was the body.

    But along with this, it was a software that could adapt and grow with the only thing limiting it to the hardware itself, i.e. the body. Once this point was established, the top mages of the words tried to find ways of raising the limits of the soul.

    They did find a few solutions to it eventually and even used them. One of them was nothing but soul transntation. Putting their souls into a body that was better than their previous one.

    Then there were a few that chose to put their souls into puppets instead. They had many names, such as golems, cyborgs, clones, avatars, etc. But they all had the same function, of having a secondary body.

    Of course, they came with their own set of problems, but that is a topic for another time.

    What Lucius grasped from this was that perhaps traveling in the soul form while being stable for so long may have allowed it to grow beyond what should have been possible. It was now that Lucius was reminded of his wish.

    ''I asked the Amulet of Barrom to make me the strongest in the world while Mira''s wish was to prevent that. But the sacrifices had already been made and debts were paid. The Amulet Of Barrom contained the will of the Great Demon Barrom. There is no way it would have denied one wish in the favor of other.

    It told that it would bnce one bargain against another. What if¡­ this is what it gave in exchange?'' Lucius thought to himself as a serious expression appeared on his face.

    He then recalled the exact wordings that Mira had used while asking for her wish.

    "May the soul of Lucius be forever unable to gain power in ''this world''." Lucius recited.

    After saying that, Lucius went silent for a bit. But then¡­

    "AHAHAHA! AHAHAHA! Mira, Mira, Mira¡­ You gave me an even better option than I could have asked for. Now I don''t know whether to curse you or thank you!" Luciusughed out loud.

    Lucius finally understood that the Amulet of Barrom did the best it could within the parameter that had been set by his wishes. Since his wish was for being the most powerful in the world and Mira''s was that he could not gain power in that world, the Amulet simply sent him to a different one.

    "The worlds and dimensions I saw¡­ was that the amulet''s way ofpensating me? Lucius wondered as a smile appeared on his face that would probably terrify most people.

    While the smile itself was quite normal as how novena would smile, but the aura that it emanated was nothing normal. It emanated an aura of ages, of experiences of power and of chaos.

    This was not something a human could have. But just as the aura appeared, it disappeared in the next moment. Neither Lucius nor anyone else felt that aura nor saw it.

    Having understood everything, Lucius felt a bit pleased. If there was one thing about power, he knew was that Knowledge was one of the pirs of power. If one could have knowledge, they could find other ways to gain power.

    And Lucius currently had more knowledge than perhaps anyone in this world. Sure, it was not the knowledge of this world, but he had learned countless things from the many worlds and dimensions he had seen.

    "Of course, the Great Demon Barrom would not make a mistake. An artifact like that is absolute and the human quality of error and mistakes do not exist for it." Lucius said with confidence.

    "Now I just have to capitalize on it. Though for that I will need to establish a foothold on this world¡­ a stable and unshakable one!" Lucius dered.

 Chapter 155 - The Brewery Is Complete!

    Time passed, and it was finally the day that the brewery was ready.

    Lucius had gotten the newsst night that the workers had finished up all of their work and the only thing that was left was the naming ceremony. In the past few days, Lucius had just worked on the ns that he already had going.??

    Though it mostly epassed of him studying and testing out the hell energy with the Bore Shrews. That''s right, Lucius had gotten two more bore shrewster on that he had trained in the same way as the first one.

    He was currently standing in front of the cage and looked at them.

    "The size difference between them is definitely distinguishing," Lucius said as he observed the three beasts.

    The first bore shrew that he had trained with hell energy was thergest in size and was about three times the size of a normal bore shrew. The other two were about twice the size of a normal bore shrew.

    Lucius didn''t know if there would be an additional difference in the bore shrews, thus he gave all of them equal amounts of hell energy. He even went so far as to not feeding the first bore shrew to make sure that they had all gotten the same amount of hell energy.

    "This is fascinating¡­ despite the same amount of resources spent, the results are quite different," Lucius said as he rubbed his chin in intrigue.

    Lucius had known that there could be a gic difference that influenced this, but he didn''t know how to factor in the existence of gifts and Aether into that. He had plenty of evidence that hell energy reacted with Aether and could have a violent effect.

    Thus, there should definitely be implications of it that he could not perceive as of now. But he knew they would be quite important in the long term and he would need more subjects to test them out with.

    "Hmm¡­ will need to put a reward for more Bore Shrews," Lucius muttered to himself when he heard a knock on the door.

    <em>~knock~ knock~</em>

    Lucius unlocked the door and saw Kiana standing in front of him with an excited expression on her face.

    "Are you going to miss out on the opening of the brewery? Come on, even if the owner is supposed to be Alessa, we still need to be there to officiate it." Kiana said.

    Because the on the paper owner of the Brewery was Alessa, the count could not go there as it would attract a lot of attention. Thus instead of that, Lucius was going to go there as a guest of honor, that had been invited by the supposed new noble.

    Of course, the fact that this was actually a brewery was going to be kept beneath the wraps for as long as possible and this was mere formalities that Lucius and the rest were doing. If it were up to Lucius he would have had them start the work right away, but of course, the people here were a bit superstitious.

    Especially the workers that they had recruited after a long period of verification that would be working at the brewery. These people needed to be loyal and tested for that. Thus, Lucius and the others needed to ensure that they were pleased to work there.

    To the workers, if a building or any workce was not officiated and named, it would bring bad luck. The name of goddess Etara needed to be invoked as well, to ensure the well being of the business.

    So if a little bit of time spent at the brewery for a ceremony was what was needed from Lucius, he would do it dly. Besides, he wanted to take a final look at the brewery''s condition as well.

    "Ah, yes. Let''s head out, shall we?" Lucius said with a smile and left theb with Kiana.

    The two of them got into a carriage and directly headed to the site of the brewery. There were no unusual activities in the city as of now, and no one knew that the brewery was now fullyplete.

    The walls that were nowplete were doing their function very well, and no one dared toe near it after the guards had arrested those that loitered around it. Lucius gazed at the long wall from the distance thatpletely hid the existence of the brewery within it with acknowledgment.

    "Those masons did good work on the wall. I can barely see any gaps in the stones and it''s as if it is a solid wall made from one rock." Luciusmented.

    "Mmhmm, we were lucky to get those two to work on it." Kiana replied.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~</em>

    The carriage finally came to a stop in front of the entrance of the brewery and the guards looked at it with sharp gazes. Once Lucius and Kiana got down though, they lowered their gazes.

    "Wee, Young Lord Asher!" The guards greeted them and opened the gate so that they could enter.

    Lucius gave them a simple nod and entered thepound, looking around everywhere.

    He could see the second gate on the right side of thepound. This gate was currently locked and was not in use. It was made while keeping the future expansion of the brewery in mind. Lucius not only wanted there to be a brewery here, he also wanted for them to add a field of Carom fruits in the future.

    This would make it so that the entire brewery was self sufficient and would not have to depend on the import of Carom fruits from other producers. This was to ensure people stayed in the blind for as long as possible.

    "Just from the first look, it seems good." Kiana said after seeing it all as well.

    This was the first time she was seeing it since the building wasmissioned and she had nevere to check up on its progress with Lucius as it often shed with her other tasks.

 Chapter 156 - Dionysia Brewery

    Now that Lucius and Kiana were seeing what was once on paper, in reality, they were impressed.

    "Ah! Young Lord Asher is finally here!" the voice of a woman came from the distance.??

    Lucius looked to the source and saw that it was none other than Alessa who had called out. She was standing at the main door of the brewery along with about forty workers and John who kept a secure eye on things.

    Today was the first day of the brewery and he definitely did not want anything to go wrong. If anything untoward happened, John would not know how he would exin himself to the Count.

    The workers, who heard their employer''s words, followed along her line of sight and saw the handsome figure of Lucius approaching from the main gate of the brewery.

    "It really is Young Lord Asher! I can''t believe someone from the Count''s family ising to officiate the ceremony." One of the workers said with excitement.

    "I never thought the owner would be so influential as to get young Lord Asher toe here." Another Workermented.

    All of these workers had been recruited from various ces in the city and had been vetted strictly to ensure they would not spread what happened within the four walls of thepound. But Lucius knew that it would not be fully assured, thus he especially got some of the loyal servants from the Inanis family to join them covertly.

    They would act as if they were newly recruited to work as well and listen to their fellow employee''s words. Then they would be doing daily reports of events to John and Lucius. This was to ensure that they were not going to have any problems.

    Lucius gazed at the few people who were the Inanis family''s servants and saw that they showed the same level of excitement as the others.

    ''Hmm, at least they are decent at acting.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius walked up to Alessa before greeting her with a nobleman''s etiquette.

    "It is my pleasure to officiate this ceremony¡­ Lady Alessa." Lucius said without a hitch in his voice.

    Alessa, who heard her name being called along with the title of a Lady, made her heart flutter. Even if she didn''t really care about nobility as much, every woman had dreamed of being a princess when she was a little girl and but bing that was impossible for most.

    The title of a nobledy was the closest that they could get to, and now she had finally attained that. Plus, with the genuine look of respect that Lucius had on his face, only made Alessa pleased further.

    Her faith and loyalty to the Inanis family were fully cemented today.

    "Should we get this started now?" Lucius asked in a calm tone.

    "As you please, Young Lord Asher. The dais is all yours." Alessa replied.

    Lucius walked onto the dais and looked at all the workers with a confident smile on his face. It was neither too big to seemical nor too small to seem inadequate, it was just perfect.

    The women and girls in the group of workers were already feeling happy seeing his handsome face.

    "I''m sure most of you already know who I am, but for the formalities let me introduce myself," Lucius spoke and took a pause, making the workers pay attention to him.

    "I am Asher Inanis, the Young Lord of Inanis family, son of Count Gabriel and the future Lord of the Land Of Etara!" Lucius announced.

    "Greetings to Young Lord Asher! Greetings to Young Lord Asher!" The workers all replied with excitement.

    "Now then, the reason I am here for¡­ The officiation ceremony of this establishment. I was informed that there are certain restrictions currently put on your with regards to the identity of this establishment and its ownership and thus I follow them too.

    Now then, with my authority as the Heir of Inanis, in the name of Goddess Etara whose domain we live in, I dere this ce¡­ Dionysia Brewery!" Lucius announced.

    "YEAAAAAH!" The sounds of the workers'' cheering resounded in thepound for about ten seconds before they finally stopped.

    The workers didn''t really care about the name of the brewery as much, and didn''t even know where the name Dionysia hade from. This name was of course, the choosing of Lucius himself.

    He had picked the name of a god from one of the many worlds that he had seen, Dionysus the Greek god of wine.

    How the name was picked was also quite interesting. They were originally going to blindly pick a name from a closed box after everyone had put their choices in. The ones who put the names in were of course, the Count, the Countess, Lucius, Kiana, John, Alessa and even Donald.

    After the first pick, the name that was chosen was Gold Heart Brewery. This was the choice dropped by Donald!

    But then the count and countess didn''t really like it and decided to see what other choices there were in the list and when they saw Lucius''s choice, they were intrigued. It was a word they had never seen and asked Lucius what it meant.

    The other were interested in seeing it as well and wanted to know more.

    It was then that Lucius told them that he came upon that name when he was studying in the library, which was an utter lie, but they didn''t need to know that. Lucius had not cared that much when he put the name in the poll, but now that they were interested in it he needed to make up a story for it.

    The Count and everyone else didn''t even question him much and decided to go with it right away. Donald also admitted that this name was way better than the one he had chosen and sounded special.

    And thus a god from another world got associated once again with his domain that was wine, but at the cost of his name being distorted.

 Chapter 157 - Precautions

    Lucius watched the faces of the workers that were filled with hope and joy. He turned his head to look at Alessa and John in the distance finding there to be smiles on their faces as well.

    "Guess this can be considered to be a sess¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.??

    A few secondster Alessa waked onto the dais as well and looked at Lucius.

    "I thank young Lord Asher for taking time out of his busy schedule anding here to officiate the ceremony. We can now end it here and finally get to work!" Alessa said with a smile.

    "YESSSS!" The workers all said out loud.

    It was evident that they were quite excited to work. After all, they were getting paid far more than they would usually get paid for this kind of a job. Currently, the workers would get around three to five silvers a week if they worked in a ce like this.

    But Alessa was paying them Ten silvers each for every week and they were even promised bonuses if their production targets were met beforehand. The workers did not doubt her words as they had seen the constructions workers get their share of the bonus before.

    This was the little scheme that wasn''t truly a scheme made by Lucius. It would ensure that the workers would diligently work and stay loyal to the brewery. Lucius had even suggested that they increase the wages of the workers to about twenty to twenty five silver coins a weekter on.

    This would ensure long term benefits to the brewery as well, beast once the profits start to roll in, the workers were bound to find out and if they thought that they were being paid unfairly, they might not be as loyal as before.

    "It was my honor, to officiate such an establishment. May it prosper forever and ever." Lucius said with a smile to Alessa before getting down from the dais.

    John, who had been watching from afar, approached him along with Kiana.

    "That was excellently done, I almost thought it was the Count himself that was conducting the ceremony." Kiana praised.

    "You tter me. I''m sure father will have an altogether different effect on people." Lucius replied.

    "It truly was impressing, Young Lord Asher." John chimed in as well.

    Lucius gave a little nod and looked at the brewery.

    "Shall we take a look inside?" John asked.

    "Oh yes, I''ve been meaning to do so." Lucius replied.

    The three of them entered the brewery while Alessa and the steward gave some final directions to the workers. Alessa had been preparing for this day for a long time and did not want anything to go wrong. If anything, she wanted this to be one of the best days of her life. Ashering to officiate it was barely the start of it for her.

    Lucius looked around at the different equipment that was set up in the brewery. The building had four floors in total, one was in the basement and the rest above ground. The first and second floors were merged as the second floor was more like an ess area for therge vats.

    The vats themselves were kept on the ground, but their opening was at the top and thus the workers needed to go to the second floor to ess it. That is from where they would be adding the ingredients to the vats.

    Then there were the pipes that had been set up for the transfer of water to these vats. These pipes were actually one of the more expensive things to get custom made as they were made of a custom alloy of steel that Lucius had asked to be made.

    This would ensure that there would be no contamination of the batches as well as the easy and quick transfer of water. In addition to this, there was a separate area where the fresh water that was brought by water carriages would be filtered and boiled.

    The filter was a multyer filter that had ground charcoal, coarse sand, gravel, small stones, and finally a muslin cloth at the end. When Lucius had suggested this to the others, they were confused why this needed to be done.

    The other breweries simply filtered the river water or well water with a fine cloth before boiling it. But Lucius went a few steps ahead to ensure an even better quality. He didn''t simply want to make a wine that tasted good, he wants a quality wine that could simply not be replicated by the masses.

    It was these small steps that would ensure the taste and quality of wine. That way, even if the recipe of the wine was leaked, the others who tried to copy it would be unable to do so.

    After all, those who tried to copy it would steal the recipe and maybe the design of the equipment used. The recipe was already hard to get and only Alessa and a few trusted workers truly knew it at this point.

    The other workers would not know anything other than the part that they performed and even if they got together to figure it out, they would still make some smaller fine tuning that was needed to make the wine.

    Of course, the other expert wine makers would be able to figure it out with their experience and skill, but then they wouldck the equipment. There was literally no merchant selling wine making equipment such as this, and it was all custom made.

    Even if the wine makers want tomission the cksmiths to make something like this, they would need the exact ratio of metals that were needed to make the alloy steel. And if they tried to steal the vats, they would only be spelling their own doom. As moving this kind of equipment was simply not possible on their own. At least not before getting found out.

    And then finally there were the raw materials, the Carom Fruits themselves. No sane wine maker or even amoner would think that wine could be made from that and would insteadugh if this was told to them.

 Chapter 158 - Expected Profits

    In the case of the carom fruits, the first shipment of them had already arrived about a day ago and was waiting in the storage to be processed. For now, Lucius had asked for about a hundred gold coins worth of carom fruits to be procured.

    This was in fact a massive quantity of them as one kilogram of carom fruits was worth only 10 copper coins. This meant that the number of carom fruits that Lucius had bought was about 100,000 kilograms.??

    There were currently over eighty barrels full of carom fruits stacked at the storage area of the brewery, just waiting to be opened. These barrels had needed multiple carriages to be brought to the brewery as well.

    If they included the transportation and logistical costs of bringing these carom fruits, it reached about 140 gold coins. To Lucius and the Inanis family, this was a meager sum and nothing in terms of the other expenditure that they were doing.

    Even the mostly sries of all the employees woulde around to about 50 gold coins and with the minor expenses added to it, the total cost to produce the wine came to about 200 gold coins per month.

    Then came the actual production of the wine. With the methodology and process that Lucius had devised over the months, one kilogram of carom fruits could produce about three liters of wine.

    But this was just the quantity produced, when it came to actual sales, every one liter bottle of Humble ze would be sold for ten silver coins. Which meant that the 10 copper''s worth of carom fruits were converted to about 30 silvers of wine.

    This was an over 300% profit margin, which was simply massive. Plus, a single batch of the wine could be produced in a week. It took one day to prepare and clean the carom fruits, four days for the fragmentation and one more day for the packaging.

    Then the final day would be needed for final checks and then sending it off to be sold. In all, they expected to be using about 25,000 kilograms of carom fruits if all the vats in the brewery were used.

    This meant that about 75,000 bottles of Humble ze would be produced every week, which was simply a massive quantity. Thankfully, this was the final volume that was made after diluting it with water or there was no way the vats would be able to hold such arge quantity.

    The wine in its pure form, was too concentrated to be enjoyed by the average person and needed to be diluted further. Plus, Lucius didn''t want there to be idental fires while producing and transporting said wine.

    He was going to make the concentrated version of this wine in the future anyway and it would be priced even higher. Lucius had a whole pipeline of ns ready for theing couple of years if everything went as expected.

    Lucius, John and Kiana wandered the brewery while it was still empty, and Lucius did some inspections on the equipment. Even if it was checked already, he still wanted to ensure it onest time on his own, to be sure.

    They spent about ten minutes in the brewery, after which the workers started to enter it and got to work.

    "Do you want to observe it a bit more?" John inquired.

    "Hmm¡­ let''s see how they do it." Lucius replied.

    "We can head to the third floor gallery then." John said, and the three of them climbed the stairs and went to the very top of the brewery.

    From there, Lucius could take in the entire brewery all at once. This was also where the office of Alessa was made, along with the other administrative parts of the brewery. This part was also Lucius''s design, which was then modified by the architects so that the workers could actually make it.

    The first two floors were the production area, while the top floor was the administrative area, then finally the basement was the storage area. This was where the carom fruits were currently stored and also the extra equipment.

    Lucius and the others watched as the workers brought up barrel upon barrel of carom fruits from the basement. Once the first few barrels were bought up, another group of workers opened them and took out the carom fruits.

    The fruits were then put into arge open tub, which was then filled with water and salt. This tub was also made of steel and was ced on what was basically arge stove. The workers started putting split logs underneath the tub before igniting it with some oil.

    Once the fire started raging, the tub got heated and after a few minutes, the water boiled. Lucius and the rest watched one for an hour, during which the workers took out the carom fruits and peeled them before sending them to a different section of the brewery where they would be mashed into a pulp.

    Two hours passed by in the blink of an eye, after which Lucius finally felt satisfied.

    "I guess this should be enough," Lucius muttered.

    "Is it up to your expectations, Young Lord Asher?" John questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ so far there have been no mistakes, so yes." Lucius answered.

    "Excellent. I''ll try to ensure that this is kept up and our first batch is ready as soon as possible." John replied with a big smile on his face.

    "I hope so too," Lucius said and nodded his head.

    The three of them headed downstairs and split up. John went to his duty, while Lucius and Kiana boarded the Carriage to head back to the mansion. During the journey, Lucius was silent and closed his eyes, resting them for a bit.

    Kiana looked at Lucius and wondered what he must be thinking in his head. So far, he had beening up with one surprise after the other and now that one of their major ns was set up and executed sessfully; she was greatly impressed.

 Chapter 159 - Sales And Advertisement?

    Lucius and Kiana soon reached the mansion and alighted from the carriage. They had spent quite a bit of time at the Brewery and it was already time for Lunch.

    "Let''s just head to the dining hall right away. We arete for lunch, anyway." Lucius said.??

    "Alright, I''ll get the servants to set up lunch if they haven''t already," Kiana replied before heading on ahead.

    Lucius leisurely walked to the dining hall and sat down on one of the chairs. The dining hall was currently empty and neither the count nor the countess were here.

    ''I did get over an hourte for lunch, so they must have gone to do their other tasks¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    A few minutester, Kiana and the other servants appeared with the food trays with them. They served Lucius lunch before taking a few steps back to stand. Kiana though sat at Lucius''s side and ate lunch with him.

    "It feels a little dreamy doesn''t it¡­" Kiana suddenly said.

    "Hmmm? What feels dreamy?" Lucius questioned.

    "The brewery. We''ve been nning for it such a long time ago and a few months ago we would have never thought of something like this." Kiana answered.

    "Mmm, I guess it is dreamy for you. But it was always a fact for me as I was sure that it was going to be built." Lucius replied in a calm tone as he sliced his steak.

    Hearing Lucius''s confident words, Kiana didn''t know what to say.

    ''So that''s the difference between us¡­ he ''knows'' it will happen, while I can only hope for it¡­'' Kiana thought to herself, her expressionsplex.

    The rest of the dinner was spent in silence as the two of them quickly finished the lunch. It was now that a steward entered the hall.

    "Pardon me for the intrusion, young lord Asher, I just have a few things to confirm with you." The steward said in a respectful tone.

    "Please, do speak." Lucius replied.

    "While the production has started in the brewery, I just wanted to confirm the sales n with you onest time before we instruct the workers." The steward replied.

    "Sure," Lucius spoke.

    "So as nned, by the end of this week, we will be packaging about fifty to sixty thousand bottles of Humble ze and sending it off to the nearby cities while avoiding Inanis city for now." The Steward stated.

    "That''s correct. Though¡­ you can prioritize the cities and towns that currently have a trade agreement with us first, such as Baron Harrels town and also Dond city." Lucius replied.

    "It shall be done as you said. Once the shipments are sent out, thetest it will take is the third day after the weekend which will be Tuesday. By Thursday we should have the first report of the sales if everything went well." The steward stated.

    "That''s fine. Oh, and when are the actual profits going to be sent back?" Lucius questioned.

    "Since our projected profits are about five thousand gold coins for the first shipment it shall be brought back by a few trusted men along with an entourage of guards. It shall be collected from the various cities before being brought back." The Steward answered.

    "Very well. Do ensure that the least number of people get a whiff of this in our city, but for other cities try to create an interest in our Humble ze." Lucius added.

    "Of course, young lord. As you said before, we already had a few people recruited in various cities that will be spreading the word about a new wine that is stronger than any other wine in the market." The steward replied.

    "And what about the samples?" Lucius questioned.

    "The samples have already been sent out to the wine merchants and retailers. We should start receiving their responses by tonight and all of them should be here by the day after tomorrow." The steward promptly answered.

    "Mm¡­ keep me informed about any changes or problems. You are dismissed for now." Lucius stated.

    "As youmand young master, Farewell." The steward replied before taking his leave.

    Once the steward was gone, Kiana looked at Lucius with a questioning expression.

    "What?" Lucius questioned.

    "Do you think the method you devised for ''advertisement'' would work?" Kiana asked.

    "Oh, I''m extremely sure it will work. With the quality and price we are offering, no merchant will deny it. Even they sell it at double the price that they get it at, our profits will be far more than that.

    If we see other wines that are also considered luxurious they cost at least thirty to a hundred silvers. While our''s is less than one third that cost and is even stronger. If the merchants don''t see the profit in this then they would be a stain on the profession of a merchant.

    Besides, once they taste it, I doubt they won''t like it." Lucius replied confidently.

    Kiana recalled the taste of the Humble ze that was the finalized product made by Lucius himself and remembered the warmth in her belly and the fuzzy feeling of the alcohol.

    "That does seem right, now that I think of it." Kiana agreed.

    Lucius nodded as well and smiled. This was a n that was very unlikely to fail since it was tested for a long time in his past life. Lucius doubted people who had worked in the advertising industry for decades would go wrong with such basic tactics.

    This was just spreading the name of the product by word of mouth and also giving some samples to hype up theunch. The samples that were sent out were specifically fine tuned by Lucius and he ensured that they were of the best quality that he could make as of now.

    In fact, the quality of the samples might even be higher than that of the actual product, but the customers would never get to taste it, anyway. Lucius had made about twenty liters of wine for giving away as samples to the wine merchants and retailers so that they would like their wine.

    This twenty liter was further divided into small bottles of two hundred milliliters so that they could give it to as many merchants as they could. Since they wanted them to buy their wine as soon as it arrived, Lucius had gotten the stewards to send out the samples about three days ago.

    That way, the samples had the chance of reaching the farthest city and town and they will also have plenty of time for them to give their feedback.

    "Now all that''s left to do is to wait¡­" Lucius muttered to himself before standing up from the dining table and going to hisb.

    In hisb, he spent about two hours reading some books when he heard a knock on the door.

    <em>~knock~knock~knock~</em>

    "It''s your servant, Young Lord Asher." A man spoke from outside.

    Lucius went to the door and unlocked it, seeing one of the regr servants in front of him. The man had a small cage in his hand in which a beast was present and was trying to break its way out.

    "Ah, they got another bore shrew?" Lucius said upon seeing the beast.

    "Yes, the guards just dropped it off and thus I brought it to you as you ordered." The servant replied hurriedly.

    "Excellent," Lucius replied before taking the cage from the servant and closing the door on his face.

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    The door was instantly locked and Lucius ced the cage on the table. The servant who was left standing on the outside had a wry smile on his face, but just sighed to himself before shaking his head.

    This was the same servant that had themon ranked gift Sticky touch. He was usually posed around Lucius''sb and was the first person to respond to his call. By now, the servant had learned his young lord''s behavior and knew that he didn''t mean to be rude when he closed the door on his face.

    "He''s as focused as always¡­" the servant muttered before going to do his chores which was scrubbing the stone walls, currently.

    Inside theb, Lucius didn''t even open the cage and simply pointed a finger at it. The finger started to glow red and he shot out a sliver of hell energy from it. Lucius''s control over hell energy was getting better and he could now freely release it in a far wider range than before.

    The sliver of hell energy entered the bore shrew, and it quickly reacted to it. The beast started to spasm and twitch in the cage, starting the process of transformation that Lucius had seen about three times till now.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    One of the three transformed bore shrews woke up in their cage and looked at the neer while letting out a low cry.

    Hearing its cry, the other two bore shrews woke up too and gazed at the new bore shrew with eyes filled with intent.

    "Let''s see how this one fares¡­" Lucius muttered as he took a seat.

 Chapter 160 - Feedback Letters

    Having given the new bore shrews hell energy, Lucius observed them for a few hours till they had reached the same kind of condition as that of the previous two bore shrews. While they had not fully grown like before, they were still one size bigger than the original.

    "Time for the nutrition¡­" Lucius muttered and dropped some food into the cage, which was nothing but potatoes.??

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The two new bore shrews let out a low cry before getting to eat the potatoes. Once they finished them, Lucius gave them more and waited for their bodies to grow a bit more. Another hour passed before Lucius was satisfied with it.

    "Hmm¡­ they should be ready to eat meat in a little while more." Lucius muttered to himself.

    <em>~knock~knock~</em>

    But just as he did, he heard another knock on the door.

    "It''s me, Asher." Kiana spoke from the outside.

    Lucius quickly covered the cages and send three slivers of hell energy to the first bore shrews to make them sleep. He then went to the door and opened it. Standing there was Kiana, with a stack of letters in her hand.

    "What''s this?" Lucius questioned.

    "The feedback from all the wine merchants and retailers has arrived." Kiana said with a smile.

    "Ah! Perfect!" Lucius said as he took the letters from Kiana''s hands.

    He then put them down on the table before taking a chair and sitting down. Lucius wanted to read the letters in peace and detail. He took a letter opener from the drawer of the table and opened the first letter.

    The letter was addressed to the ''Master Brewer of Humble ze'' which in the minds of the merchants and retailers was none other than Alessa but they didn''t know this for sure. Of course, the true creator was none other than Lucius himself, but he didn''t care for that point. After all, he himself had made this situation.

    He unfolded the letter and started to read it. Lucius took his merry time in reading the entire letter, which took him five minutes, he ensured that he didn''t miss anything in the two page letter. Whoever this merchant was he wrote a rather detailed letter praising the wine in many ways.

    ''Looks like we got our first fan¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he put down the letter and opened the next one.

    This one was addressed to the ''Master Brewer of Humble ze'' as well, but was far shorter. It read,

    "I greatly liked the brew you call Humble ze and would like to make a deal with you. I''d like to buy ten thousand bottles of this wine and would be willing to pay fifty percent of the payment in advance.

    I hope that you can send me a shipment at the earliest." The letter read.

    Lucius nodded upon seeing this letter, as it was to his liking. It was short and concise, just as he preferred. Lucius then put this letter down and read the rest of the letters as well. In total, there were sixteen letters that had arrived, which was a majority of the merchants and retailers they had contacted.

    After finishing all of the letters, Lucius put them to the side and rubbed his chin. Kiana, who had been sitting in silence at the side finally spoke after seeing that Lucius was done.

    "Well¡­ what did they say?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, the response is overwhelmingly positive with all of them liking the wine and are ready to buy from us." Lucius answered.

    But after hearing Lucius''s words, Kiana felt like there was something more to this.

    "Is there a problem? You don''t seem fully satisfied." Kiana questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ it''s not really a problem exactly, rather it''s a benefit for us. I''m just thinking how to make the most of it right now." Lucius replied.

    "Oh? What kind of a benefit?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, the merchant and retailers want a far greater quantity than what we will be able to produce as of now. But that is fine since they specified they would like a continued supply of it. This is where theplexity arises.

    Either we can have a team of workers recruited exclusively for the transport of the goods, or we can get the merchants to do it for us." Lucius answered.

    "How is thisplex, though?" Kiana asked, not understanding it fully.

    "Well, if we make our own team of workers that can transport the goods to the merchants and retailers, we will be making a greater profit in the future. But if we make use of the merchant''s own workers, it would relieve some of our workload and would allow us to focus on the production." Lucius replied.

    "I see¡­" Kiana responded and thought about it as well.

    After about five minutes of thinking, Kiana spoke again.

    "I think we should use the merchants for now," Kiana stated.

    "Oh? Why do you say so?" Lucius asked.

    While he had already made a decision in his mind about what they were going to do, he still wanted to listen to Kiana''s opinion and see what she coulde up with. One thing that Lucius had learned very well was that havingpetentpanions was very important.

    And thus testing their intellect from time to time was necessary.

    "Since we are already going to make a sizable profit from the sale of the wine, we don''t necessarily need to chase after extra profit that is a fraction of it right now. First, we should get out wine out into the market and establish a level of poprity.

    Once that is done, we can move on to the next step and make our own team to deliver it. Or perhaps¡­ even a tradepany of our own." Kiana said.

    Lucius couldn''t help but be impressed after hearing Kiana''s exnation. The option she had chosen was the one he had chosen as well and was satisfied. Being on the same frequency as each other often made things smoother.

 Chapter 161 - Six Days Later

    Lucius looked at Kiana with a calm look and pondered for a bit.

    ''Her thought process was quite simr to mine as well. And the option of making a tradingpany of our own in the future is one of my ns too. She''s worthy of nurturing in the long term.'' Lucius thought to himself with a nod.??

    "That''s right. We shall go with the merchants for now." Lucius said.

    "Yes, that would be the best for now," Kiana said, feeling happy that Lucius agreed with her idea, not knowing that Lucius had already made a decision.

    "You can show these letters to Father and mother too if they want to see it. And if they don''t want to you can finally send them to Alessa." Lucius spoke.

    "Sure, I''ll do that. Aunt Lita will definitely be happy reading these." Kiana said with a smile, and almost skipped away.

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    Lucius locked the door of theb behind her and went back to his test subjects. He lifted the cloth that was covering the two new bore shrews and saw that they were now ready for meat.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius dropped some pieces of meat in front of them and the bore shrews struggled to move, but eventually managed to get to the meat. It was now that Lucius realized one of the bore shrews was slightly faster in moving than the other.

    It was also able to move its limbs with greater dexterity than the other beast. Overall, he was pleased with the change and wondered if this will be the next outline in the samples. He watched them ate and fall asleep once they were done.

    "Hmm¡­ this will take a day more¡­" Lucius muttered to himself as he put the cloth back down on the cages.

    He then went out to eat dinner and do the rest of his tasks for the night.

    ***

    Six days passed quickly and it was finally the day when the wine was supposed to be sent out.

    Lucius had mostly been busy with his own things in these few days and had spent studying the effects of Hell energy on the bore shrews. He had gotten some interesting results, to say the least.

    One of the two new bore shrews that he got had reached the same size as the at of the very first bore shrew he had gotten. They were almost the same in size and strength too, with the first one being a bit superior due to being fed Hell energy for longer.

    Lucius had also trained all of the bore shrews and they now obeyed him very well. There were also three more additions to his little sample group, and it had reached a total of eight bore shrews now.

    The new ones were mutated using the hell energy as well and trained to Lucius''s satisfaction.

    Currently, Lucius was doing some of the moreplex tests that he had not done yet.

    "Let''s begin¡­" Lucius muttered to himself and looked at the eight bore shrews.

    "Come out!" Lucius ordered.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The bore shrews let out a low screech and woke up.

    <em>~clink~clink~clink~</em>

    They then opened what were smalltches on the bottom of their cages. Lucius had managed to train them to do this. Now that they were habituated to Lucius and desired the hell energy, they didn''t try to run away at all.

    They mostly spent their time asleep until Luciusmanded them to do something or when it was feeding time. They didn''t even need that much food, only once every three days. If they were fed hell energy though, they could stay satiated for longer.

    But Lucius found a loophole around it. He could simplymand them using hell energy and they would stay asleep for longer without needing any hell energy or food. But after a few days, they would wake up naturally and then need food.

    Lucius had been doing different experiments on the different bore shrews and thus had managed to do multiple of them.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The eight bore shrews came out of their cages and lined up in one file.

    "Turn left!" Lucius ordered and the beasts responded.

    "Turn right!" He ordered again.

    "Go forward ten steps!" anothermand was spoken.

    "Turn around!"

    "Split into two groups!"

    "Join back up!"

    "Assemble!"

    One after the other, differentmands were sent and all of the bore shrews responded promptly. While there were some inconsistencies in their movement, it was still negligible at this level. After all, these were beasts and not humans!

    "Perfect!" Lucius said upon seeing the sess of the beasts.

    "Return and sleep!" Lucius ordered onest time.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    The bore shrews responded and returned to their cages before locking their little doors. Seeing it all made Lucius feel pleased, and he covered the cages with the cloth once again.

    "Hmm¡­ it should nearly be time for them to leave." Lucius muttered to himself as he looked out the gap in the window.

    He left theb and locked the door on his way out before heading downstairs.

    "Ah Asher, you''re going to head to the brewery?" Kiana met him in the middle and asked.

    "Not fully there. I''m just going to observe from a distance. Me being there at this point could be troublesome if there was someone we don''t want observing." Lucius replied.

    "That''s true." Kiana nodded.

    "You want toe?" Lucius questioned.

    "Sure, I think the carriage is already drawn up to the front." Kiana answered.

    The two of them then headed outside and boarded the carriage before heading to a location that was slightly farther from the brewery. From there, they couldn''t see inside the walls of the brewery, but they could still see the transport carriages that were carrying the goods out of the brewery.

    Lucius and Kiana watched the wine being taken out of the brewery for about an hour before Lucius was finally satisfied.

    "Seems like everything is going well," Lucius stated.

    "Of course! John and Alessa have been double checking everything to ensure that nothing problematic happens." Kiana replied.

    "That''s good. Now we just wait for a while more to see our fruits ofbor¡­" Lucius muttered .

 Chapter 162 - First Profit Report

    About four days had passed since the first shipment of the wine had been sent out and the first ever profit had reached the Inanis family.

    Lucius, Count Gabriel, Lita, Kiana, Alessa, and John were all sitting together in the main hall of the Inanis mansion. All of them had gathered together to discuss thetest report and the profits that had just arrived.??

    On the table in the middle, a few pouches were kept that looked to be heavy andpletely filled.

    "Have they been counted?" Gabriel questioned.

    "Yes, my lord. The stewards have counted and tallied all of the coins. The report in front of you contains the exact numbers." John answered.

    "Hmm¡­ let''s see." Gabriel said before picking up the report.

    The hall went silent for about two minutes, during which Gabriel read the report in detail. Lucius also watched on in interest, wondering how much profit did they really make. He knew that even if he had made an estimate earlier, it would not be exact.

    The real figures would almost always vary from the theoretical ones.

    "What''s the number?" Lucius questioned Gabriel.

    Gabriel looked up from the report with a serious expression on his face.

    "After calcting all the sales and advanced payments that we got, the brewery has made 12,356 gold coins of profit in thest week!" by the end of his sentence, a smile had appeared on Gabriel''s face.

    "HAHAHA!" John and Alessa couldn''t help butugh upon hearing the number.

    "Excellent! I knew something made by my son would be worth a lot." Lita praised.

    "Now, now, we can''t get ahead of ourselves." Lucius said, calming everyone down a bit.

    "Our first goal should be to obtain the costs of making the brewery back. We''ve made over twelve thousand gold coins, which is enough for the payment of the raw materials and the workers'' sry for this month and also one third of the cost of setting up the brewery.

    We need to keep this up for at least two more weeks to gain back all of the costs and then the week after that would be our true profit." Lucius exined.

    "While you are right Asher, we still need to celebrate this!" Gabriel said out loud.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    "SERVANTS! BRING THE WINE!" Gabriel shouted while mming the table.

    Lucius looked at it and couldn''t help but smile helplessly. He wanted to get back to work for the day, but now it seemed like it would be spent here in celebration. Once the wine was brought, everyone started drinking and celebrating.

    Hours passed like this before they finally stopped. Lucius still felt a bit floaty from the alcohol and went to his bedroom directly. He changed into some conformable clothes and sat on the bed cross legged.

    "May as well mediate and try to increase the hell energy instead," Lucius muttered to himself.

    Once he closed his eyes, his vision went dark and calmness descended. About ten minutester, the buzz of the alcohol faded away as well and Lucius could focus far better than before.

    He sensed the hell imprint on his soul and invoked it.

    <em>~humm~</em>

    The hell imprint that had been silent all this while awakened and started to glow. Slowly, hell energy started toe out of it and floated around his soul. After more time passed, the hell energy spun around his soul, slowly increasing in density.

    This was one of the methods of increasing one''s Hell energy and was something nearly everyone in the Barrom n knew of, right from the ves and servants all the way to the true blood members.

    The only difference was that if they needed to do this or not. Those that were true blood had natural talent and also had higher stores of hell energy and thus didn''t need to practice using this method.

    The true bloods could increase their hell energy capacity automatically while using them in spells or while strengthening their bodies. Though True Bloods didn''t really use Hell energy as much once they learned to use Demonic mana.

    Those who weren''t true bloods though could not do the same and thus did not have the luxury. Because of that, they usually stuck to practicing hell energy as much as they could and increase their capacity and control over it.

    The hell energy kept on swirling around Lucius before he finally thought it was enough. He absorbed it all back into the hell imprint and felt his overall capacity increase slightly.

    "Hmm¡­ it is not much but it''s an improvement¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Unknown to himself though, a small ck spot had appeared on his back for a few seconds, after which it disappointed without leaving a trace.

    This wasn''t the only practice that Lucius was doing these days. He was also trying to increase heir Aether capacity by using Nexus as much as he could. He had already used Aether on nearly everyone in the mansion at least once.

    Soon he would run out of people to use it on, though thankfully he could still use extra aether to gain the information about the upgrades of the gifts. This had also allowed him to learn a lot about the different gifts that the people around him had.

    He had also found a few gifts that were rather interesting even if they were low ranked, such as those at themon and umon rank. While these gifts didn''t seem to have as much power as those of the Rare rank, they still had their own unique uses.

    The servants that worked in the mansion mostly had gifts that were at themon and umon ranked. In total, there were only two servants in the entire mansion that actually had gifts that were of the rare rank.

    The first was none other than Kiana, with her previous gift Stone shooter, while the second one was actually a new servant that was still under training. Lucius had only met the teenage boy by chance when he was being guided around the mansion by a few senior servants.

 Chapter 163 - The Servants And The Founders Effort

    About a week ago.

    Lucius had just left hisb when he spotted a young teenage boy that was likely about fourteen or fifteen years old. That was the first time that Lucius had seen someone younger than him in the mansion and thus, he was quite interested. ??

    Lucius looked at the other servant who always stood near hisb, the one with the sticky touch gift. By now, Lucius had learned that this servant''s name was Neta. He was one of the servants that had been in the same batch as that of Kiana and thus hade under her authority.

    Kiana knew his work discipline and had thus assigned him here near the Lab, so that Lucius would always have a servant to call to while also having privacy in hisb. ording to Kiana, Neta was a reserved man that kept to himself and didn''t really make any mistakes.

    Lucius approached Neta, making the servant straighten his posture.

    "Who''s that? A new servant?" Lucius questioned.

    Neta followed Lucius''s gaze and saw the teenager.

    "Ah, him? He''s Rio, a trainee servant from the academy. He''s one of the best ones till now and will probably be finishing it early." Neta answered.

    Lucius had once been confused about why the Inanis family needed so many servants that they made an entire academy. It waster that he learned from Kiana, it was a bit different from he had thought.

    The academy was started by the founder of the Inanis family when he was assigned thisnd upon being made into a noble. The people that lived here at that time didn''t have as many skills and thus couldn''t do that many jobs.

    Thus at that time, he had made the academy to train themoners and teach them skills that would allow them to make a living. Later on, the people grew and the town grew into the size of a city.

    Themoners didn''t really need the academy as much as before as the elders could teach the newer generation. But even then the academy existed and took in some students if they wanted to learn.

    More time passed and the Inanis family increased in rank, eventually needing more servants. And thus that academy ended up bing an academy to train servants, though it was still quite lucrative to a lot of people.

    After all, the Inanis family was the ruler of thend and paid a lot more than any other noble or business would usually pay them. Plus, there was a level of honor that came with working for the Count''s family and thus people still liked to work for them.

    Of course, the academy still had the other functions and they actually taught the servants everything from reading and writing, to etiquette, to cooking to evenbat. Although the levels that they learned varied depending on what they wanted to do.

    This way, even if one day they wanted to stop being a servant, they would still be able to do other jobs. Plus, this gave the Inanis family an extra advantage that a lot of other nobles didn''t have¡­ a steady supply ofpetent people.

    In the recent years, the number of servants graduating from the academy and the number of servants retiring from the servitude of the Inanis family were nearly the same. Every year a couple of servants would choose to stop working for the family and would resign.

    They were free to do so and would even receive a partingpensation. This had kept a good image of the Inanis family in the eyes of themoners and because of this, whenever someone badmouthed the Inanis family outside, they would either be met with a p or kick to the back.

    Lucius was rather impressed by this decision made by the founder of the Inanis family. He had sowed this seed hundreds of years ago and now it was him and his family that were reaping the benefits.

    Lucius knew that maintaining a reputation and public image was one of the pirs of power. If one could grasp that, and make their reputation great, then even if they were weak as an ant, their words would still be able to topple kings!

    Hearing that the boy named Rio was graduating early, Lucius felt a bit interested. After thinking for a bit, he didn''t decide to talk to him but just used nexus on him. By now Lucius had understood that he could use nexus on anyone as long as they were within the range of his vision.

    As long as he could see them, even if they were a dot in his vision, nexus would work. Thus, he used it on the boy named Rio and the information about his gift appeared in front of him.

    Gift Name: Mushroom Master

    Description: The owner can make mushrooms grow from their body and the ces they touch.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Seeing this rather percussive gift, Lucius was surprised. This was the second servant with a rare gift that he had seen, and it was also rather unique. Lucius poured more Aether into nexus and made it show more information.

    A secondter, the rest of the information also popped up.

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 10x Aether Crystals, 2x Swamp Stool rune crystal, 100 mushrooms of different types.

    Even the requirements of the evolution were strange to Lucius as this was the first time he was seeing something that like mushrooms, being the requirement. Though when he thought about the ability of the gift, it should have been apparent to him.

    "Now that''s a gift that is the strangest I can think of¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Though when he thought about the possible uses of the gift, Lucius smiled. There were many ways that he could think of, but since he didn''t know the current limits of the gift, he didn''t go further.

    Though Lucius did end up adding Rio to his list of investment worthy candidates.

 Chapter 164 - Arbitrator

    Lucius was eating dinner with Lita and Gabriel when a steward appeared with some letters. This was amon urrence and the servants would usually bring the letters unless it was something important that hade.

    "What is it?" Gabriel asked the steward.??

    "My lord, it is a letter from the Church of na." The steward answered.

    Gabriel furrowed his brows upon hearing this and took the letter from the man''s hands. Pausing his dinner for the time being, Gabriel chose to open the letter first. Lita and Lucius looked at him too and stopped eating.

    "Why would the church send us a letter?" Lucius asked.

    "We''ll know once I read it¡­" Gabriel said and cut the seal on it before removing the folded sheet from it.

    He read it with a serious look for about a minute before putting it down.

    "What does it say?" Lita was the one who questioned this time.

    "An arbitrator ising¡­" Gabriel answered.

    "An arbitrator?" Lucius repeated, feeling a bit confused.

    He then recalled what the function of a churches arbitrator was and rubbed his chin.

    "Why are they sending an arbitrator to us?" Lita asked with concern.

    "It''s because of the whole Harrels and Keith incident. Looks like Viscount Drew managed to convince the church to do its own investigation as well." Gabriel answered.

    "Hmm¡­ we did have an idea that they would being though, right? So what''s the problem we have all the evidence that we didn''t do anything." Lucius replied.

    "It would have been fine if it was someone actually from the church of na. I don''t know if it is our bad luck, and the church didn''t have other people avable or if they intentionally sent this arbitrator." Gabriel said with a sigh.

    "What''s the problem with this one?" Lucius questioned.

    "The arbitrator they have chosen to send is a priest from the church of Duran." Gabriel revealed.

    "What!?" Lita eximed. "Do they really think someone like that is necessary? Those arbitrators are not¡­ kind." Lita said, trying not to identally spheme.

    <strong>~Sigh~</strong>

    "It''s not like we really have a choice in this. We can just hope that the church of na is sending him because they didn''t have someone avable. But if they sententially sent him then¡­ it means they suspect us." Gabriel said in a serious tone.

    "Or someone is pulling the strings from behind," Lucius added.

    "Could it really be viscount Drew?" Kiana asked, feeling unsure.

    "Hmm¡­ it would take a lot of favors to make the church of Duran act. They act for justice and righteousness, they can''t just be bribed with a tithe." Gabriel said.

    "That is true¡­ that means someone managed to gather enough material to make us seem suspicious. And then sent it to the church of Duran to get them involved." Lucius spoke.

    "Dammit! Drew, if it really is you then you''re just making me want to kill you even more." Gabriel cursed, losing his cool.

    Lucius was a bit surprised after seeing Gabriel act like this, but after thinking for a bit understood the reason for it. Viscount Drew''s father and other ancestors were all allies of the Inanis family.

    They were actually one of the earlier members of the Land of Etara and thus were greatly involved in its growth. Viscount Drew choosing to split from the territory, was the same as spitting in the face of their ancestor''s efforts.

    ''What does Viscount Drew have that made him so sure of his victory? Getting a priest of Duran involved is not an easy task and will be free of repercussions if the interrogation fails.'' Lucius wondered to himself.

    Lucius had studied quite a bit about the three gods of this kingdom that were greatly worshiped. The three churches of the gods were all friendly to each other, as the gods were said to belong to the same pantheon.

    Of the three churches, while the church of nna was considered to be the biggest and strongest, The Church of Duran came in next. Even if they were in the second ce, their people weren''t particrly weak.

    In fact, the only reason why it was ranked second was because they had fewer priests and pdins than the church of na. If one considered their powers, the clergy of the Church Of na was at least a bit peaceful due to their doctrines.

    But the church of Duran''s doctrines didn''t really need for one to be kind. All that was needed was for them to be ''Just'' and ''Righteous''. And for this Justice of theirs, the clergy often went to great extents.

    They were not averse to violence and would regrly punish nobles and other rich people that made huge mistakes that affected a lot ofmoners. In a way, they could be said to be an independent police force, separate from Kingdom''s own guards and armies.

    The clergy of the Church of Duran had a certain level of independence in acting against suspected people, and they could easily arrest them if they had even a hint of suspicion. They were also experts at interrogation and the other churches, along with the kingdom itself, employed their services in certain cases.

    This was a simr situation where the Church Of na had sent out an arbitrator who would be a priest of Duran.

    "What do we do now?" Lita questioned.

    "We do nothing¡­ we have done nothing wrong and thus have nothing to fear. Rather, if we do something, the priest would find things to nitpick. Don''t forget their divine gift is specialized in that." Gabriel answered.

    Lucius furrowed his brows upon hearing this. He knew what the count was talking about. Each of the three churches gave their own unique kinds of divine gifts to their clergy. For example, those from the church of na got the healing and light based gifts.

    Whereas the clergy from the Church of Duran had divine gifts that allowed them to detect lies, affect the emotions of people they interrogate and inflict greater pain onto those that are found to be guilty.

 Chapter 165 - Bounties And Rewards

    Lucius knew that there would probably be more than just these few effects of the divine gift of Duran, but this was all that he could currently find in the library even after reading tens of books about them. The Priest of Duraning to the Inanis territory was a Double edged sword in a way for them.

    "Regardless of this, we do need to do some things," Lucius spoke.??

    "What do you think we need to do? Gabriel questioned.

    "From what I''ve read and heard till now, the clergy of Duran likes righteousness and justice. This also means that they hate any criminals and will frown upon us if they saw them in our territory.

    After all, they are infamous for nitpicking even the smallest of details and crime rate is definitely one of them." Lucius spoke.

    "Hmm¡­ I see. So what is it that you propose?" Gabriel asked his son''s opinion.

    Even if the count himself knew how to take care of some pretty criminals, he wanted to see what his son woulde up with.

    "Well, I was thinking ofing up with a bounty and reward system. Anyone who reports about a criminal or criminal activity will get rewarded a certain amount of money. As for the bounties, those will be for the more dangerous criminals.

    Also, since we currently have a certain amount of servants in the academy that are yet to undergo properbat training, we can take this opportunity to train them in dealing with crime.

    I rmend we post them at every alley and smaller streets of the city. While the guards do patrol the city regrly, they are ''visible'' to these criminals. It would be better to keep our servants hidden, not revealing what they are actually doing.

    They can do other jobs while in those ces and would not seem unusual either. This way, we will have a steady stream of inteling from all over the city. And¡­ perhaps we may even find some interesting things that we didn''t know before." Lucius exined.

    Gabriel felt his eyes light up and found his idea to be interesting. The more he thought about it the more novel it seemed to him. A minuteter, he was fully convinced by all that Lucius had said.

    "Perfect! We shall do as you said then." Gabriel stated.

    "But won''t we have to spend extra money on rewarding people? I mean, while we do have the brewery running now, it might still be a bit too much once more people start reporting." Lita voiced out her concerns.

    "Hmm, we will only be rewarding valid reports and if the citizens'' reports don''te to fruition, we won''t reward them and if they dare to make fake reports, it will be they that will be punished instead.

    As for the rewards, we won''t need to pay anything from our pockets at all. We will just be ''confiscating'' all that the criminals have stolen, burgled, robbed or umted in many other such ways. They won''t need that in the prison anyway¡­ or in the afterlife." Lucius replied.

    Having heard Lucius''s exnation, Lita felt like it was worth it as well. It was a rather different form of surveince that they had not seen till now and thus it felt unique to them. Till now, most of the kingdom depended on the guards on chancing upon crime scenes or people directly reporting to the guards once something happens to them.

    Most of these times, the victims would seldom be able to recoup their losses, whether they be material or immaterial. Oftentimes, these people didn''t report the crimes too as they didn''t know what to say or weren''t sure. Sometimes they were even threatened by these very criminals to not reveal their identities.

    Of course, the Inanis city was rtively safe and didn''t have that many serious crimes. Most of it was just petty theft and brawls amongst people. But there were still some crimes that happened.

    Crime would always exist unless there was absolute surveince on the people. Something like that was not possible here and thus the more likely thing was that the criminals had simply gotten better at hiding their crimes.

    Lucius was sure that he would get a lot of reports once his n was set in motion.

    "How long do we have till the Arbitrator arrives?" Lucius questioned.

    "That''s something hard to answer. If the arbitratores straight to the city without stopping for any extra time, he would reach in about ten days. If there was bad weather it would take him more time to about fifteen days.

    But¡­ the priests of Duran have the reputation of getting into matters that don''t involve them. They like to put their noses into every small thing that triggers their belief. If they witness a crime, they will try to stop it and resolve it.

    There is a chance that the priest may get involved in something like that and get dyed. Though even if we consider that, since they were directed by the Church of na officially, it would probably take him a month to reach our city." Gabriel answered.

    "Hmm¡­ I see." Lucius replied as he thought over the distance.

    The Grand Cathedral of Duran, which was considered to be the headquarters, was located to the south eastern edge of the Grantz kingdom. Unlike the Church of na and Etara, they didn''t really have that many smaller churches around the kingdom.

    In fact in total, they only had two in the entire kingdom. The first was their headquarters, the grand cathedral located in the south east and the second was a church located to the western edge of the Grantz kingdom, over a thousand kilometers away from the Land of Etara.

    It was unlikely that they would send someone from the western church as that would take them far longer as the Grand cathedral of na was located in the capital of the Grantz Kingdom, which was to the east of thend of Etara as well!

 Chapter 166 - A Little Revelation

    Having discussed the time that they had till the arrival of the arbitrator, Lucius felt like this n could be executed safely.

    "If we are lucky, two weeks would be enough to gather a sizable number of criminals. As for the rest, they will probably go into hiding and avoid any crimes till things cool down. This will still help us as the Arbitrator won''t be able to find any faults then either." Lucius spoke.??

    "Mmmhmm, that will be for the best." Gabriel agreed.

    They discussed a few more things before finalizing what needed to be done. Gabriel straightway wrote down the orders and passed them to the steward to be executed. Starting from tomorrow, the servants would be given some quickbat training that specialized in apprehension and restraining.

    After that, they would be assigned to the various ces in the city and they would be sent to find jobs there. With the skill they are already taught, they would be able to get most jobs.

    It was also specified that the pay of the job did not matter. What mattered was the location that the job was based in, as the Inanis family will be paying them their wages anyway.

    "Come with me Kiana¡­" Lucius whispered to her while leaving.

    Kiana didn''t question and simply followed him to theb. Once they were inside, Lucius locked the door and sat down on a chair.

    "What do you want to talk about?" Kiana questioned, knowing that Lucius must have had some reason before calling her here like this.

    "I do yes¡­ tell me, what do you think of those criminals?" Lucius questioned.

    "The Criminals? They''re just criminals that need to be punished and put in prison." Kiana answered quickly.

    "Indeed. But what of the more¡­ vile criminals¡­ the murderers, the rapists, and the treasonous wretches?" Lucius asked further.

    "They¡­ they are not worth being put into prison¡­ the best is to swiftly behead them and free thisnd of their presence," Kiana said with a stern look in her eyes.

    It was evident that she had not had a good experience with criminals such as those and there was more hidden behind here than she had let on. Lucius noted this and nodded his head.

    "Ipletely agree! But¡­ what if I told you there is a way these vile criminals can help us better the lives of our people? By letting them live¡­" Lucius asked.

    Kiana had a confused look on her face upon hearing this.

    "Why would you want to let them live? And how can they help? They are the worst of the worst and shouldn''t be allowed to live!" Kiana said, her voice getting agitated by the end.

    "Of course, even if they live¡­ they won''t be living a good life. Rather, they would be wishing they were dead instead. I believe this would be far more fitting for their crimes, wouldn''t it?" Lucius replied.

    Kiana finally understood what Lucius meant by his words.

    "You want to¡­ torture them?" Kiana asked with apprehension.

    "In a way yes," Lucius answered.

    "But that is prohibited by the Church of na. Only under specific conditions is torture allowed, whether it be for interrogation by the inquisitors, to weed out spies, or to take confessions from the sinners. Even for sinners, the church stops the torture when they have confessed and beheads them." Kiana said, feeling a bit uneasy.

    "I understand that. But I don''t want to torture them without a reason, of course. Like I said, I want to better the lives of our people and these criminals could be put to some really good use as test subjects." Lucius said in a calm tone.

    "Test subjects?¡­" Kiana repeated, not understanding it fully.

    "Let me show you," Lucius said before turning around.

    He moved to three square objects that seemed to be covered with a thick canvas sheet.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Lucius lifted the covers on all three cages, revealing the eight Bore Shrews that were currently sleeping in them. Kiana''s eyes fell on them and she felt confused at first, but then her eyes went wide.

    "What¡­ what are these?" Kiana questioned, feeling a bit queasy upon seeing the strangely mutated beasts that bordered on horrific.

    The muscles of the bore shrews were all too bulky and looked unnatural. A thickyer of skin that looked like patches of shell covered them and there were veins protruding from their bodies as well. Two pairs of sharp incisors jutted out of their snouts too, looking dangerous.

    Lucius didn''t tell her right away what they were, but instead spoke.

    "LINE UP!" Lucius ordered.

    <em>~SKEWEEEE~</em>

    As soon as Lucius''s voice entered the ears of the eight bore shrews, they woke up with a cry. Their thick limbs propped their bodies up as they hurriedly moved towards the small doors that were made on the cages.

    They expertly opened thetches on the cages before walking out of it. Then, like a trained squadron, they lined up in a straight file, looking towards Lucius with gleaming red eyes. Kiana slightly shuddered upon seeing these actions of the beasts and didn''t know what to think of it.

    "Behold, the new and enhanced Bore Shrews!" Lucius revealed.

    The moment Kiana heard this, she was surprised.

    "These are¡­ Bore Shrews? How¡­ how did they get this big¡­ and grotesque?" Kiana couldn''t help but question.

    "Yes, they are indeed bore shrews. These are my current ''test subjects'' and as you can see they are far different from their normal kin." Lucius spoke.

    The cogs in Kiana''s mind moved and meshed before she finally understood.

    "The upgrades you did with my gift¡­ did you do that with them too?" Kiana asked.

    "Well¡­ while it is an upgrade, it wasn''t directly to their gift, but rather to their bodies. Not only are they many times stronger than their original kin, they are also obedient to me and listen to my orders.

    If I want them to die they will die, if I want them to kill they will kill." Lucius said, as a wide smile appeared on his face that made Kiana tremble.

 Chapter 167 - Pledging Loyalty

    Kiana wondered what had suddenly happened to Asher. She had not seen him act like this before and the way he controlled the Bore Shrews also seemed rather eerie to him. She knew that beasts could be trained of course, but not in this way.

    This seemed too mechanical¡­ too unnatural.??

    "This¡­ is what you want to do to the criminals?" Kiana asked.

    "Well, it''s one of the things, yes." Lucius admitted,ying his cards on the table.

    His eyes were trained on Kiana the entire time, tracking her every move. Lucius wasn''t just revealing his secrets right now, he was also judging Kiana and whether she was truly worthy of staying with him for the long term.

    "This is wrong Asher¡­ it''s against the church''s directives¡­ against the kingdom''s rules¡­ against humanity¡­" Kiana spoke.

    "I think differently. Think of it, the church of na''s doctrine mentions mercy and kindness. Do you think these criminals are worthy of that? Do you think they act on these doctrines?

    But what if we can make them do that? What will be the greatest kindness if not for them protecting the people? What will be the greatest mercy for them, if not them contributing their lives to repent for their sins?" Lucius said, his voice echoing in the room.

    Kiana heard them and couldn''t help but think about them.

    "These people are incapable of atoning for their sins and need to be killed topensate for the losses they caused, but we are able to provide them the opportunity for atonement! With their sacrifices, with their sins, we can better the lives of our people, our family¡­" Lucius said, his tone bordering on obsessive.

    Kiana felt these words entering her soul, as she couldn''t help but feel her respective change.

    ''What really is the right way? Is just killing them better? Or what Asher said is better?'' Kiana was lost in her thoughts.

    Lucius stepped towards Kiana and came to her side before leaning into her ear, his breath tickling it.

    "What if I told you, or family¡­ the Inanis family can rise up far higher than anyone can think? We can be the strongest in the Kingdom¡­ nay, I say, in all kingdoms of this world," Lucius whispered.

    His words were like the promises of the devil, o'' so sweet and tempting, yet dangerous. Kiana felt her mind shake as a vision appeared in front of her. The Inanis family stood at the top, as countless people kneeled at the bottom.

    Their enemies died just from the terror while those that offended them,id to rest six feet deep.

    Kiana remembered the people who had wronged her¡­ wronged her family¡­ her parents. While she hade to terms with it over the years, she hadn''tpletely forgotten it.

    Her eyes closed for a minute before opening, but this time they were filled with an inferno of ambition.

    "Can we really do all this?" Kiana asked, her voice low.

    "I swear in the name of Inanis, and on my honor that I''ll take our family to the apex of this world." Lucius proimed.

    Kiana took a deep breath upon seeing the determination of Lucius. Her face flushed as she imagined the future that their family would have. The hesitation and doubt she had before were banished and all that was left was ambition with determination.

    "Then I, Kiana Wizen hereby pledge my undying eternal loyalty to my Lord Asher Inanis, forever and ever." She said as she kneeled down.

    Lucius had a smile on his face as he looked at Kiana. He extended his hand towards her and spoke, "take my hand."

    Kiana smiled and took it, but the moment she did she saw Lucius''s hand glow in a red light as it turned hot all of a sudden.

    "What is¡­" Kiana said but was then interrupted with a piercing pain.

    It was as if a searing energy flowed into her hand and entered her body. But the pain was as if an illusion, fading away in an instant, not even letting her express it. Still, she had winced and closed her eyes.

    But when she opened them though, she saw something written on top of her hand. It was a red symbol that seemed to be made out of multiple strokes and lines, making aplex structure. It faintly glowed with a red light and even seemed warm.

    "What''s this¡­?" Kiana couldn''t help but question.

    "This is your devotion, your loyalty¡­ this is my mark." Lucius answered.

    Kiana looked at the mark and soon saw it disappear.

    "Where did it go?" Kiana questioned.

    "It is still there. It''s just hidden for now. It will appear when there is a need." Lucius answered.

    "I see¡­ wait! How did you do this, though?" Kiana finally asked the question Lucius had been waiting for.

    "This is¡­ My gift." Lucius revealed.

    "Your gift?¡­ Y-you have a gift!?" Kiana eximed, feeling shocked.

    "Yes I do, indeed." Lucius replied with a little chuckle.

    "How did you get a gift? You didn''t have one for so long?" Kiana asked, feeling confused.

    "I didn''t have it before yes, but I seemed to have awakened it recently. I am still not fully aware of its effects and there seems to be more than just one." Lucius replied.

    "W-we have to go to the Appraisal hall! We have to see what gift you truly have!" Kiana said with excitement.

    "Now, now. Don''t get too excited just yet. There are still a few things we need to take care of before we do that. Besides, I do not want to reveal my gift to the world." Lucius replied.

    "What? W-why? Why don''t you want that? After all that you''ve suffered¡­ all that you''ve been called¡­ why would you not want that?" Kiana asked, her tone falling to a sorrowful level.

    "Oftentimes, a hidden dagger is far more effective than the one in hand. People already think I don''t have a gift and will be thinking that they have no risk from me¡­ imagine what will happen if that was not true." Lucius exined.

 Chapter 168 - Private Appraisal

    Having heard Lucius'' words, Kiana thought over them and found them to be reasonable. It wasn''t just Lucius who wanted to keep his gift hidden. There were actually many other nobles and evenmoners who kept their gifts hidden as well.

    This could be due to a variety of reasons. Either they were doing it intentionally so that it would be keeping others in the blind, thus giving them the advantage, just the way Lucius was saying.??

    Or they did it because of shame. Sometimes, even when they got a high ranked gift, it could be something that was deemed to be useless or close to that. After all, even if one had a high ranked gift, it did not guarantee that it would be powerful.

    That ranking merely showed the said gifts urrence among the popce. It was just that the more powerful gifts were also rarer than the other kinds of gifts and thus having a higher rank was considered a sign of status.

    A few examples of this were actually pretty close to them as well and could be seen in the Inanis family itself.

    The Countess Lita, had a rare ranked gift called Poet''s Gaze that allowed her to make poetry out of words of things that she observed. Her gift was rtively unknown to most people and even Lucius didn''t discover it muchter.

    It was also the fact that Lita didn''t really use that gift in front of others.

    The second example could be none other than Rio, the servant boy. He had a rare ranked gift as well that was called as Mushroom Master. It allowed him to grow mushrooms from their body and things they touched.

    This could also be said to be rather unless gift in the eyes of others and thus he became a servant at the Inanis family. He could actually choose to be a farmer, but the pay as a servant here was far more than what a farmer would make anyway, and thus it was the better choice.

    Having gone through all these thoughts, Kiana nodded her head.

    "I understand. It would be better to not reveal it to the others and not go to the appraisal hall." Kiana stated.

    "Actually, I do want to get it checked at the appraisal hall. It''s just that I don''t want any more people from knowing about it." Lucius replied.

    Lucius was actually quite curious about what the appraisal hall would show when it detected his own gift, Nexus. He couldn''t help but draw the parallels between the appraisal hall and his own gift, since they had simr functions.

    Lucius had been wondering if it really was a gift that was given by Etara, as it seemed to be right up there in her domain. Seeing as the Inanis family was the lord of thend of Etara, Lucius didn''t know if there was some diving intervention due to which he had been given this gift.

    "Hmm¡­ if you really want to do it privately, then it can be done. Priest Maleck has been friends with our family for many years now and will be fine with it. Besides, the priests of Etara have no obligation to announce the gifts of others if they are appraised.

    The appraisal ceremony is only held because it''s a tradition and people anticipate the different gifts among them and their loved ones. Though¡­ even if they do not announce your gift, it is said that the gifts are still recorded by the appraisal artifact.

    I do not know if this is true or not, or if others know about it, but we can ask him for a private appraisal." Kiana exined.

    Lucius thought over it for a few minutes before nodding his head.

    "We''ll do that then. Ask priest Maleck for a private appraisal when it''s possible." Lucius replied.

    "I''ll do it at the first opportunity. Though it shouldn''t take long as currently the next official appraisal ceremony is still a month away." Kiana stated.

    "Hmm¡­ though is there an extra requirement for doing a ceremony at a time not alloted by the church of Etara?" Lucius questioned.

    "There is, of course. We need to pay the Aether crystals needed to activate the appraisal hall on our own." Kiana answered.

    "Ah, I see. And how much does that cost?" Lucius questioned.

    "It is not really that much. Just two Aether crystals since it will just be you alone doing it." Kiana answered.

    "That shouldn''t be a problem, then. We can easily afford that." Lucius replied.

    "Indeed." Kiana nodded her head.

    After a few seconds of silence, Kiana asked again.

    "But Asher¡­ the gift you have. Even if you do not know what it is, you have seen some effects right? What are they?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well currently the gift allows me to make that mark that you saw. It also allows me to control the beasts like before and make them stronger than before." Lucius answered.

    "Hmm, I don''t think I''ve heard of any gift like that ever before. But it definitely does not seem weak and its ranking should not be low either." Kiana stated.

    Lucius didn''t answer and simply nodded his head in response.

    "Though, when did you really find out about your gift? When did you awaken it?" Kiana questioned again.

    She had many questions popping up in her mind one after the other, but it was not something that could be helped. After all, this was a very rare case of gift awakening that Kiana had never seen before.

    "I think you might be able to guess that," Lucius replied with a slight smile.

    "Oh?" Kiana thought about it for a bit and looked back at the bore Shrews.

    She found them to be a bit familiar¡­ or rather, their form that was familiar. About five minutester, her eyes went wide as a realization dawned upon her.

    "It can''t be Keith, right?" Kiana questioned, doubting her own thought process.

    Lucius lightly nodded his head in response and spoke, "Indeed. Keith was the first one."

 Chapter 169 - A Fake Gift

    Kiana was stunned after hearing this. She had seen the bore shrews and how they had changed, or rather¡­ mutated. Keith had undergone a rather drastic change as well and it could be called as a mutation too.

    She just didn''t think something like this could have been possible.??

    "But¡­ how?" Kiana questioned.

    "That''s the thing¡­ I don''t know. I know this, that the gift works from touch and I did shake hands with Keith. Perhaps my gift awakened at that time, but I never realized it." Lucius answered, giving a fake exnation.

    "Then Keith falling and injuring himself¡­ was that¡­" Kiana muttered.

    "No, I doubt that can be because of that. We all saw the man went to beat up the maids and fell down due to tripping. No one affected him there." Lucius assured.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    Kiana took a breath of relief and felt a lot better than before. If Keith''s fall was truly due to Lucius they might have had to change up their approach in dealings with the Drew familyter on.

    Technically, they would be at a fault there.

    "Plus the change in Keith happened quiteter after being injured and thus I doubt it was due to that either." Lucius added.

    "That¡­ does seem right now that I think about it." Kiana nodded her head and thought back to Keith''s condition.

    "He did seem to be much stronger than before after changing though," Kianamented.

    "That''s true. My gift increases the strength of others quite a bit, but I don''t know if it works on everyone or not. Right now, the only examples we have are these bore shrews and Keith.

    Keith isn''t really a good reference as there were a lot of additional factors that came into y there and they may have influenced his change too. With these bore shrews I''ve gotten to test out how my gift causes these changes a bit, but even then there were variations as you can see." Lucius said while pointing to the tworger bore shrews.

    Kiana followed his finger and saw the two bigger bore shrews that stood in the middle. Their bodies were about a size bigger than the others and they also had a more threatening vibe to them, with their throbbing veins.

    "All of them went the same exact process and despite that, the results were different. These two are superior among their kind, but I do not know what influences this. I hope to find that out and think that it will be very useful for us." Lucius exined.

    "That does seem like a lot of work¡­ and your n about the criminals doese in handy over here." Kiana replied.

    "Indeed. Plus, since I know I can control beasts with my gift, we might have a good chance." Lucius said.

    "But we still don''t have an assurance if your gift works on humans too. After all, humans have a stronger will and intelligence than the beasts. Perhaps they might be able to resist your control?" Kiana voiced out her doubts.

    Lucius smiled upon hearing this. He liked his subordinates to be able to think for themselves. After all, if he wanted subordinates that did not think, he would just gate some Lost and ves under him instead.

    Having smarter subordinates could give one perspective on many things and allow them to notice the things they missed. What Kiana had just done was point out one of the more problematic ws of his n.

    After all, Lucius wasn''t really using his gift, but rather Hell energy. He had merely mixed them together and made it seem like the Hell energy itself was his gift.

    "We will figure that outter when we have actual test subjects. At least in the case of Keith, I know I hadn''t controlled him and thus he reacted like that back then, so it is quite likely humans would need something more to control." Lucius stated.

    ''Though a ve mark should take care of that, anyway. Or if they are a Lost, just hell energy would be enough to make them obey.'' Lucius thought to himself, keeping this part to himself.

    "Alright, we shall do that then." Kiana agreed.

    "You can go off now, I''ll get back to work for now." Lucius stated.

    "Yes, I get to writing a request for Priest Maleck as well. The request should be given to him by morning and we''ll receive our answer soon enough." Kiana replied.

    Lucius nodded his head and closed the door after Kiana left theb. Once she was gone, Lucius suddenly coughed out.

    <em>~cough~</em>

    <em>~cough~</em>

    <em>~cough~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    He then uncontrobly stumbled and fell to the ground.

    <em>~huu~huu~huu~</em>

    Lucius took a deep breath and tried to stabilize his condition.

    "Didn''t think that one loyalty mark would take up that much hell energy¡­" Lucius muttered to himself as he felt the exhaustion washing over his body.

    While it had only taken a second for Kiana to get the mark of loyalty, it had taken Lucius far more than just that. In fact, the effort was quite strenuous and he had to carefully bnce the hell energy and Aether, just to make sure that there was no adverse reaction.

    "At least I know my limit for now¡­ a single Loyalty mark takes all of my hell energy." Lucius said to himself as he rested on the ground for a bit, not minding the messy ground staining his clothes.

    After about fifteen minutes of rest, Lucius felt a lot better and stood up. He looked at the bore shrews that were still following the order Lucius had given them earlier and standing in a straight line without moving.

    "Go back and sleep." Lucius ordered.

    <em>~SKWEE~</em>

    The eight bore shrews let out onest cry, before doing as they were ordered to.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius pulled a chair and sat down for a bit. He closed his eyes and entered the soul space to check the condition there.

    "Hmm¡­ it all seems normal. Oh? What''s this? The hell energy''swork increased?" Lucius said to himself.

 Chapter 170 - Increased Spell Uses?

    The patterns that were on Lucius'' soul and extended into his soul were far moreplex than before. If one looked at them now, they would think that they were veins that permeated his body.

    The only difference was that the number of veins were far less than there were in a normal person''s body. If one were topare, they would find that there were less than three percent.??

    "This is peculiar¡­ A Hell Imprint is all epassing in itself and doesn''t need anything else. And yet¡­ this one has expended more than should be possible. Can this even be called a hell imprint at this point?" Lucius said to himself.

    He then checked the pattern for the nexus on the back of his soul and found it to be the same as before.

    "This part is normal. Hmm¡­ could it be?" Lucius muttered to himself before withdrawing from the soul space.

    He stood up from the chair and left theb, directly heading to his bedroom. He closed the door and sat down on his bed cross legged before entering his mind where the spell matrices for the two spells floated.

    Lucius looked at the Enrage spell matrix and the Basic fireball spell matrix. Both of them were floating around gently and didn''t seem to be unstable before. Earlier when he had formed them, it was as if it was a house of cards that would fall with a single touch.

    And that was what usually happened as the spell matrices onlysted for a single use before copsing, which made Lucius form them again for repeat use.

    ''The stability is indeed far better than before. Let''s see if it is significant enough though¡­'' Lucius thought to himself before opening his eyes.

    He looked at the basin of water in the distance and flicked his finger.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    A small yellow fire ball formed above the finger tip and shot out towards the basin of water.

    <em>~fizz~</em>

    A steaming sound came from the water as the fireball was doused out by it. But as soon as the fireball was gone, Lucius smiled.

    "Ahahaha! It increased! It truly increased!" Luciusughed out.

    He flicked his finger again and sent out another fireball.

    <em>~fizz~</em>

    The fireball was also doused by the fire.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    A cracking sound that was audible only to Lucius was heard. He quickly entered his mind space and saw the spell matrix for the basic fireball copse. Though when he looked at the other spell matrix for Enrage, it still seemed to be stable.

    "So the number of uses for this spell is at two now. Though is it the same for the Enrage spell as well?" Lucius wondered and decided to try it out.

    While Enrage did need a target to use on, Lucius could still make it activate forcibly. It''s just that it would have no effect and would just end up consuming the hell energy.

    "Just as I thought," Lucius said after using Enrage.

    He used it once more and the spell matrix cracked too, confirming his hypothesis that the current use limit for him was at two. He felt pleased with this and went back into his soul space to observe the hell imprint more.

    "The glow of the ''veins'' is still the same as before. Hmm¡­ what else can be done?" Lucius muttered to himself and an idea presented to him a minuteter.

    Returning to the mind space, Lucius started to make a new spell matrix. This time, the spell matrix was one that he needed the most and was also far moreplex than the other two that he had made till now.

    In fact, this spell matrix was something that even he, in his past life, found it hard to make.

    ''Doesn''t matter how many tries this takes, I''ll do it!'' Lucius thought to himself with determination.

    He ended up spending the entire night in building and rebuilding the spell matrix and was still unable to do it. It was close to five am when Lucius decided to stop and go to sleep. He knew that he had already strained his body enough and that it needed to rest.

    The next day, he woke up quitete in the afternoon. Though Kiana had somewhat expected this and had thus told the servants to not disturb him for the day. Lucius appreciated this and called for a servant.

    "You called for me, Lord Asher?" Neta questioned.

    "Yes, send the food to my bedroom today, I''ll be taking a break today from everything. Inform this to Kiana and mother as well." Lucius spoke.

    The servant Neta couldn''t help but raise his brows upon hearing these words from Asher.

    ''Lord Asher taking a break? Though¡­ he has been working hard and tirelessly these past days, so I guess a wait is understandable. Even I get a break once a week¡­'' Neta thought to himself.

    He didn''t let his confusion show on his face and simply nodded his head.

    "I''ll do as you wish, Lord Asher." Neta said before leaving to execute his given orders.

    Lucius had decided that, till he managed to build the spell matrix, he would not do anything else. Plus, he had already set up most of the ns in motion and they didn''t need his direct interference for now.

    Even the arbitrator was at least ten days away from them at the earliest, and this gave Lucius some free time. The only thing that he would be missing out on was the swordsmanship practice, but that was something that he could afford with no problem.

    He thus left the door open and meditated on the bed, waiting for the servant to return with the food. Food was something he could not skip on as his body needed the nutrients to endure the stress of what he was about to do.

    About fifteen minutester, Neta appeared with two more servants. They were all carrying trays of food with them and put them in the bedroom before taking their leave.

    "I''ve informed miss Kiana and Countess Lita, they are fine with it and told me to tell you to rest well."

 Chapter 171 - A New Spell Matrix

    Lucius dismissed Neta and quickly got to eating the food. Once he was done, he got back to his practice.

    He needed to make the new spell imprint in an empty mind space, as he was worried that the other spell matrices may interfere with its creation. Only after this one was created would Lucius try to make the other ones.??

    After all, this was the moreplex one. Lucius also didn''t know if the number of different spell matrices that he could have, had increased or not. Though he hoped that it had.

    Inside his mind space, hell energy floated around him as it weaved into pattern after pattern. Some of these patterns became corporeal, while some of them faded away. It was a little bit like carving into stone.

    The first few scratches on a stone might not have any effect, but once it was done a sufficient number of times, the stone would inadvertently be scratched. And if it was done with the right skill, it could be carved in one go.

    This was what Lucius needed to get a grasp on. If this was his past life, he could have done it in less than five tries, but here, not only was his body different, but his soul had also changed from before.

    Then there was the additional new type of energy called Aether that could either make or break the spell matrix by its mere absence or presence. With all these extra parameters, Lucius had to go through multiple trials and errors before he was even able to make ten percent of the spell matrix.

    But just this ended up taking the entire day for him and he was yet to have aplete spell matrix creation, not to mention the inevitable copse that would happen after he finished it.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lucius opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The exhaustion was visible on his face and it was obvious that it had drained him mentally.

    "I''ll need to take it slow. Can''t risk making a mistake in haste and injuring myself due to the bacsh¡­" Lucius said to himself before eating the dinner that had been brought by the servants a few minutes ago.

    They had ced it outside of the bedroom on a table since Lucius''s door was locked. Since they were ordered not to disturb Lucius, this was the most that they could do. Besides, it was not like they couldn''t reheat the food if Lucius askedter.

    Quickly eating the food, Luciusid down on the bed to rest for the night.

    ''Tomorrow I''ll do it for sure!'' Lucius thought with determination.

    The next day, he told the servant that he will be resting today as well and to not disturb him. The servants heeded his words and informed Kiana and Lita. The two were pleased instead of getting worried as Lucius was finally resting.

    To them, he had been working far too much and needed to rx himself so as to not get hurt again. John was in agreement as well and gave off time for the swordsmanship training. This allowed him to work at the brewery more, as well.

    So far, they hadn''t had any security issues, but that could not be said for the future. They were still in the early phases of production and didn''t want to make any mistake now, letting it be as smooth flowing as possible.

    Lucius ate his breakfast and attempted to form the new spell matrix from the morning to the evening. By afternoon, Lucius was able toplete the spell matrix up to the fifty percent mark and finally, by evening, he reached the ny percent mark.

    Pausing to eat dinner, he went back to the process and finally finished the first spell matrix by midnight!

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The moment it wasplete, hell energy swirled around it, pouring into the spell matrix and stabilizing it. The pattern of Nexus within Lucius''s soul also lit up and sent out Aether to resist the formation of the spell matrix.

    <em>~Sizzle~</em>

    <em>~Sizzle~</em>

    <em>~Crackle~</em>

    The two energies fought each other, much to Lucius''s displeasure. He was sure that the spell matrix will copse now, but surprisingly it did not. The more he watched, the more surprised he got.

    The hell energy collided with Aether letting out interring sparks. It was as if someone was grinding metal on a sharpening mill. But what Lucius didn''t notice were a few ck dots that were appearing on his body.

    They were sparse and far away from each other, but they did appear. The more the hell energy and Aether collided, the more their numbers increased. But the bnce started to shift in the favor of hell energy as time passed.

    Eventually, an hour passed before the Hell energy finally managed to win. But it did so at the exhaustion of all Aether that Lucius had in his body. On one side Lucius was feeling happy due to the stabilization of the spell matrix and on the other side, his body felt like it had been put through a wringer.

    But seeing thepleted spell matrix made Lucius smile in pride.

    "It is done¡­ IT IS DONE!" Lucius said out loud.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Suddenly, something falling could be heard outside the bedroom.

    <em>~knock~knock~knock~</em>

    "Is everything alright, Young Lord Asher? Do you need some help?" The voice of Neta came from outside.

    Upon hearing the servant''s voice, a smile appeared on Lucius''s face as an idea popped up in his mind. He stood up from the bed, despite the exhaustion and opened the door of the bedroom.

    "Pleasee to Neta." Lucius asked.

    Neta obeyed his lord''s words and came in. But as a surprise to him, Lucius quickly locked the door behind him.

    "Is¡­ everything fine, my lord?" Neta asked apprehensively.

    "Oh, everything is fine¡­ very fine," Lucius said with a nod.

    "Tell me Neta¡­ do you want to be stronger?" Lucius questioned.

    "Stronger?" Neta repeated in confusion.

    "Yes, Stronger! Stronger than any other servant! Or perhaps even the strongest in this kingdom!"

 Chapter 172 - Netas Fortune

    Neta didn''t know what hade over Asher today, but the words he spoke did arouse his interest.

    Being stronger was something that everyone wanted. Sure their definition of ''strong'' would vary but they did want to be strong. Some wanted to be strong physically, some wanted to be strong mentally, some wanted to be strong in knowledge, some wanted to be strong financially and there were also some that wanted to be strong in love.??

    With thousands of definitions of strength, Neta could pick anyone and it wouldn''t matter to Lucius, after all, he knew where all paths led to¡­

    Lucius saw that he had pulled Neta''s attention and he had an interest in it now.

    "Tell me Neta, what if I told you there was a way you didn''t need to have themon ranked gift that you have right now? What if it could be better?" Lucius spoke, much to the shock of Neta.

    "B-but how can that be possible, my lord?" Neta said, his voice close to stuttering.

    "Oh, it is possible Neta. And I¡­ can give it to you?" Lucius tempted.

    "You¡­ Y-you can?" Neta said finding it to be unbelievable.

    "Yes indeed. And all you need to do is support me¡­ support your lord." Lucius replied.

    "Of course you have my support. Young Lord Asher is the future lord of Etara and thus will always have my support and I think all servants think the same." Neta said with determination.

    "Perfect¡­" Lucius said with a smile, that made Neta tremble.

    Lucius extended his hand to Neta and spoke, "so you agree to support me?"

    "Yes, my lord." Neta said as he held Lucius''s hand.

    "So mote it be¡­" Lucius whispered.

    In the next moment, Lucius''s eyes glowed in a red light and Neta felt them to be piercing. He couldn''t help but flinch as his heart ached for a moment. But in the next instant, it all faded away as if nothing had happened.

    "W-what was that?" Neta said upon opening his eyes.

    He saw that Lucius was looking through a drawer in his study table and pulled out a small box.

    "Just some assurance¡­ don''t worry about it. Now it''s time for me to fulfill my end of the bargain." Lucius said as he opened the box that he had just pulled out.

    Neta then saw Lucius take out six Aether crystals from that box. Seeing this Neta was surprised and wondered what Lucius was going to do with it.

    "Now then, let''s get to it¡­" Lucius said with a smile as he looked at Neta and used Nexus.

    While he had already known the requirements of his gift, he still needed to know the method to upgrade it. The strange thing about it was that, unlike the other data, it did not show up as a screen in front of him.

    Rather it was directly imprinted into his memories. Lucius did not know the reason for it as of now, but did realize that this was a much better method than giving text. The memories were like experiences themselves and thus allowed him a better grasp of the process.

    With text, there was a greater chance of mistake, whereas the memories gave him practical instructions. Neta watched as Lucius arranged the Aether crystals in a specific pattern.

    "Come here," Lucius called.

    "Y-yes my lord." Neta said feeling a bit hesitant.

    But in the next moment, he saw Lucius grab his hand and pricked it with a letter opener.

    "Ah!" Neta said in pain and tried to withdraw it, but Lucius'' grip was far stronger than he had expected.

    A drop of blood was squeezed out from his palm and dripped into the Aether crystal that was kept in the center of five other Aether crystals.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The moment this happened, all of the Aether crystal lit up and a bright light filled the bedroom. Neta closed his eyes in protest and felt a lot of energy filling him all at once. He could tell that this was nothing but Aether but it had reached a level that he had never felt before.

    <em>~Lub~dub~lub~dub~</em>

    He could hear his heart throbbing in his head as it only got faster. The amount of Aether in his body reached the peak of what it could contain, but it did not stop.

    "Aah! No more!" Neta cried in pain.

    He felt as if his body would swell up like a balloon and explode. The Aether continued pouring in his body and putting force on it. Veins popped up on his body as he copsed on the ground. Neta''s eyes turned bloodshot as he started to spasm on the ground.

    But just when he felt like he was about to explode, it suddenly becamefortable. If before there was a wall that prevented him from having any more Aether, that wall had now copsed and his body could contain far more Aether than before.

    But that was not all as new information started to appear in his mind. The more information appeared, the more shocked Neta got.

    ''This¡­ how can this be possible¡­'' Neta thought.

    The processsted for about five minutes, after which Neta woke up. Lucius had been observing him from the start and was now sitting down on the chair. The moment Neta woke up, a string of words appeared in front of Lucius''s eyes.

    Gift Name: Slimy Touch

    Description: The user can produce an adhesive slime from his hands that can stick to surfaces and anything that touches it can get stuck to it. The Strength and quantity of the adhesiveness depend on the quantity of Aether used.

    Rank: Umon

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 10x Aether crystals, 5x Glue Snail Rune Crystal

    Seeing the updated information that had just appeared in front of him Lucius smiled. He had just learned another thing about his gift.

    ''So the people whose gifts are upgraded with the information provided by Nexus don''t need any more Aether to scan.'' Lucius understood.

 Chapter 173 - Mark Of Obedience

    Lucius looked at the information that was provided by the Nexus and nodded his head. This gift was far more useful than the one before. The specific term about being able to control the Adhesiveness with the amount of Aether used was Key to the effectiveness of the gift.

    Lucius could think of several ways this could be used. Feints and facades would be greatly useful with a gift like this. Neta, who had been stunned from this, finally managed to get out of his daze.??

    "My Gift¡­ My lord¡­" Neta muttered, finally understanding all that had happened.

    He raised his hand and saw as slime started being produced from it. The slime was translucent and looked like water at first sight. Only after something came in contact with it, would they be able to see its effectiveness.

    "Try out your new gift, I wanna see how it works," Lucius ordered.

    "Yes, my lord," Neta said as he dripped some slime onto the ground.

    Lucius then took the chair he was sitting on and put it on the slime. The slime had spread around rather evenly than Lucius had expected and didn''t look to have changed. But when Lucius tried to move the chair, he found it to be quite difficult.

    "Hmm¡­" Lucius exerted some more force and saw the chair finally lift from the ground.

    The only difference was that the slime was joining the ground and the chair like an stic band. The moment Lucius let go, the chair was pulled back to the ground.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The chair hit the ground with some noise as the slime showed its effectiveness. Lucius then picked up a dagger and pulled the chair back up. This time though, he tried cutting the stringy slime that was connecting the floor and chair.

    <em>~twang~</em>

    The slime was pulled along with the dagger and was not cut, despite the sharpness of the de. In fact, the de got entangled in the slime as well, putting it out of use.

    ''This is far better than I thought¡­ for an umon gift this is very useful if one considered restrictive value.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He then picked up themp that was kept on the table and poured out some oil on the slime.

    <em>~click~</em>

    Lucius used the flint striker and ignited the oil.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The oil on the slime ignited instantly and with it the slime started to burn as well. About thirty secondster, the slime was burned away and so was the oil. Though the chair was now scorched as well.

    Neta who saw the slime, was surprised with its strength too. He had used a normal amount of Aether to make the slime and despite that, its adhesiveness was quite strong. Previous when he had sticky touch he would just use that to do his servant work.

    Carrying food trays and items such as that became easier, as they would be stuck to his hands. This would prevent him from identally spilling things. Neta knew that if he wanted to he could still use the gift that he had before. It was just that its use and ability had been further expanded.

    "I never thought this could be possible¡­ a gift increasing in grade¡­" Neta said.

    Since he had a full awakening when the gift was upgraded, Neta knew nearly everything about his gift, right from its name to its rarity.

    "This is only one of the things toe, Neta. If you continue to work hard, your gift would be upgraded even more." Lucius said, tempting the man even more.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Neta directly kneeled on one knee in a servile manner while lowering his head.

    "I shall devote my life to you, my lord. An opportunity like this, my lord¡­ I do not know if I can repay you with anything else." Neta stated.

    "Good! Just do as I saw and you will have a fulfilling life. Though what happened today cannot be revealed to the others. Unless I permit to do so." Lucius warned.

    "Of course, my lord. Not a single soul other than me and those permitted by you will know about what happened here." Neta replied with determination.

    "Mm¡­ your work here is done for now." Lucius said and dismissed the servant for now.

    Neta understood the gesture and left the bedroom swiftly. Lucius locked it on the way out and sat back on the bed. He looked into his mind space and saw the Spell matrix intact, albeit with some cracks here and there.

    "Hmm¡­ so a Mark of Obedience was able to withstand the use and can be used at least once more." Lucius muttered to himself.

    The Mark of Obedience was the next spell matrix that he had made. It was a spell that was farplex that''s the ones he had made before. In a way, it was simr to the Mark of Loyalty that he had given Kiana.

    Though there were some differences in them too. The Mark Of Loyalty was not exactly a spell and was more like a way to link two people. The Mark Of Obedience was a spell that could kill the person that it was used on if they didn''t listen to themands of the caster.

    Of course, there were specific conditions to its use and it could not just be forced on anyone. The basic condition for its use was that the person it was to be used on agreed to it. Only once that was done could the spell be executed.

    Of course, the mark of obedience could be operated in different ways. Either a specific rule could be added to it, the vition of which would kill the bearer of the mark, or the caster could trigger the mark on his own, killing the person.

    Because of the strict condition like this, there were very few people that were actually able to use this spell. But this was also a spell that could be said to be one of the strongest binding spells that could be done with Hell energy!

 Chapter 174 - Nobles Learn Of Humble Blaze

    With the Mark of Obedience added to his roster, Lucius felt a bit more relieved.

    "I can start the expansion n sooner now¡­ Neta was just the first¡­" Lucius smiled to himself.??

    Lucius went to bed after having done this. He had already been tired after forming the spell matrix and using it on neat had exhausted him even more. As soon as Lucius''s head hit the pill, he fell into a deep sleep.

    The next day, Lucius woke up feeling well rested. The exhaustion he had for the past two days had been swept away by a good night''s nest.

    <em>~knock~</em>

    Lucius heard a knock on the door and guessed that it must be Kiana who came today. He quickly opened the door and saw her holding a few letters.

    "Priest Maleck replied," Kiana said upon seeing Lucius.

    "Oh? What did he say?" Lucius questioned.

    "Priest Maleck has agreed to do a private appraisal and is fine doing it anytime you want. The only thing we need to do is take the required Aether crystals with us to the Appraisal hall and he will do it for us." Kiana answered.

    "Is that so? That''s mighty well then. We can go today itself, though what are the other letters you have?" Lucius questioned.

    "Oh, these are some letters Aunt Lita got," Kiana answered. "She thought you might like to read them too." She added.

    "Hmm¡­ something I''d like too?" Lucius said as he took the letters from Kiana and opened them.

    The letter was written by one of the nobles of the Inanis city. It was a typical letter that talked about the gossip in the city and the things that were happening in the circle of the nobles.

    Lucius was almost going to put the letter away until he reached the middle part.

    <em>''Countess Lita, I recently got some really good wine from Dond city. I assure you, it will probably be the best wine you''ve tasted till now.</em>

    <em>One of my friends whose husband is a merchant sent this to me, telling me that I had to try it. And just from tasting one sip, I was mesmerized. At first, I thought that it is some vintage wine from a distant part of the kingdom but it is actually a new one.</em>

    <em>The name of the wine is Humble ze and it is just as its name says. Oh! The pleasure! I can''t wait to tell you more in person. Come meet me, we''ll talk more and I''ll call the rest of thedies as well.''</em>

    This was the content of the letter, and Lucius was rather surprised by it.

    "Didn''t think Humble ze would reach back to our city so quickly," Lucius said.

    "It''s not just that one letter, read the others too." Kiana suggested.

    Lucius nodded his head and checked the other letters, finding that all of them had words simr to the one before and they were all talking about the new wine that had just appeared in the market.

    There was even spection about who was the creator of the wine and that it was an old wine master who had been persevering to make the wine for decades and was now finally sessful.

    They were assured that it was the best wine that the kingdom would see for years toe and that all other wines that they''ve tried till now were too weakpared to the Humble ze.

    "Oh my¡­ this is even better than I thought," Lucius said in a pleased tone.

    "Exactly right? We now have first hand ount of the noble''s feedback. And we know it is true since they don''t actually know who made it, so it is honest." Kiana replied.

    Lucius had not expected that he would be seeing the market response so fast and in this way. This was a pleasant surprise and a good way to start the day he thought.

    "I''ll get ready for the day and we''ll go to the Appraisal hall in the afternoon," Lucius said.

    "Alright, I''ll get things ready as well." Kiana said, and left to do her work.

    Lucius got some clothes and went down to take a bath. He had not had a bath these past two days and felt that it would be a good way to start the day. The servants got the bath ready in a couple of minutes and Lucius was done in thirty minutes.

    He then went to have his breakfast with Kiana. Lita was not here as she had gone to meet up with the other nobledies seeing from the letters that hade today. Usually she would have just denied them politely, but since it was rted to their brewery, she felt that it was important to go attend it.

    Gabriel on the other hand, was busy with army orders. The process of the armistice was currently halted and some problems had arrived. They didn''t know how or why it happened, but they had to do as they were told.

    Even Gabriel didn''t know what the king and his advisers were thinking as of now and was helpless. All he could do was to perform his duty to the best of his abilities. Lucius was quite interested in this and wondered if the situation at the border had changed or not.

    The Land Of Etara was rather narrow in shape than the other states of the kingdom. Its northern border was the same as that of the Grantz kingdom''s official border and thus one of the battlefields was located there.

    This was the same battlefield where the original Lucius had died.

    If anything were to happen due to the armistice, the Land of Etara was quite likely to be affected by it first. Overall, there were five battlefields and the one at the border of the Land of Etara was the second biggest one.

    In addition to this, there was another battlefield to the west of thend of Etara and three to the east of it. The main battlefield which was the biggest one was located north of the capital though and was the harshest one as well.

 Chapter 175 - Inheritance Of Knowledge

    Once the afternoon arrived, Lucius and Kiana left for the Appraisal hall in a carriage. In about fifteen minutes, they reached there and alighted. Lucius got to see apletely different scene from thest time here was here.

    Unlike before, the area waspletely empty and dead dried leaves were fallen on the ground everywhere. It was now Autumn and thus trees were shedding leaves everywhere. And since there were no people attending the appraisal hall, the area was not cleaned.??

    Though the dried leaves added a rather strange charm to the building along with the trees nted at the sides of the pathway and the inner garden of the appraisal hall.

    "There is more to the appraisal hall, huh¡­" Lucius muttered.

    He could see that the building extended further than just the front part that they had been in. There were actually three pathways that extended from the sides of the building and went in, while the main entrance was from the center.

    "Yes, the appraisal hall has more parts to it, but they are not essible to most people. Besides, those parts are not useful for most people anyway as they contain the living quarters of the priests and any schrs thate visit.

    And¡­ I think there is also a small library there for the priests of Etara. Though it is mostly used for training the acolytes." Kiana answered.

    "I see¡­ so does priest Maleck have any students?" Lucius questioned.

    "He does, yes. I think he has three students as of now." Kiana answered.

    Lucius nodded his head and walked ahead. Unlike the priests of na, the priests of Etara didn''t need to give up their original gift to be a priest. Since the appraisal was actually done using the unique artifact of the appraisal hall, the priests only needed to use that.

    Though it was not like that the Church did not have its own divine gift, it did have a couple of them, but they were only taken up by the ones who wanted them. Lucius had learned that the Divine Gift of Etara was a mental type of gift that increased one''s intelligence and thinking abilities.

    Overall, it seemed to be a rather useful gift to him and could be considered to be powerful that the gift of na, if one knew how to use it properly. After all, the one thing Lucius knew the best was that knowledge was power and Etara was the goddess of knowledge and wisdom.

    The Guild of artificers was born from a branch of the Church of Etara and thus all schrs of the guild were followers of the Etara, too.

    Having thend of Etara under them was the pride of the Inanis family and they were often envied for this. They were perhaps one of the lowest ranked noble familiespared to the others that had a major church based in their territory.

    The Grand cathedral of na was based in the capital of the Grantz Kingdom and thus came under the purview of the royal family. The Grand Cathedral of the Church of Duran came under the territory of a Duke named Rizal.

    The other bigger churches of na also came under the territories of other high ranked nobles, the lowest of which were Earls. Inanis family was one rank below them and was thus considered quite lucky.

    A lot of people had tried to get their hands on the territory, either by hook or by crook, but they had been unsessful. After all, even if the rank of the Inanis family was low in the nobility, they were still strong whenparing military ranks.

    Because of this, most of the nobles trod carefully around them. But in the past two generations, the Inanis family had shrunk quite a bit due to not having enough heirs. Both Asher and Gabriel were the sole heirs of their fathers.

    Gabriel had been quite worried about it too and wanted more children, but it seemed like fortune was against them. The Inanis family was once feared due to their gift and during the time of Gabriel and his father, the two of them were an unstoppable force on the battlefield.

    Back to back, they could take out hundreds of soldiers in mere minutes. Having the same gift also meant that specialized skills could be passed down from father to son. Usually, a person would need to spend years learning about their own gift and how to use them in different ways.

    But having an inherited gift solved this problem and allowed them to be far stronger early on in life and then expand upon those very gifts. That way, the experience of one generation was passed on to the next and built upon.

    Unfortunately, the cycle was broken upon Asher''s birth and he turned out to be giftless.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lucius took a deep breath and stepped into the hall. The sound of his footsteps echoed across the empty hall and reverberated, giving one an ethereal feeling.

    "Wee, Young Lord Asher!" The voice of Priest Maleck came from the end of the hall.

    Lucius could see the man standing at the altar, looking at him. He was dressed in his priest''s robes and a few books hung at his side. It was evident he had been waiting for him today.

    "Thank you for allowing us to do this, Priest Maleck." Lucius said in a polite tone.

    "Ah, there is no need for thanks, young lord Asher. If we truly get some good results, it will be the fortune of the entire territory." Maleck said with a smile.

    "Oh, yeah. Though we would prefer if the result is kept hidden for either of the choices." Lucius replied.

    Maleck maintained his smile and nodded his head.

    "If the young lord wishes so, it shall be done. After all, even if we hide it, the divines will always know. Etara is watching and so are the rest of the divines!" Maleck said out loud, a spark of devotion present in his eyes.

 Chapter 176 - Legendary Artifact

    Lucius noted Maleck''s words as he found a few specks of important information in them. He knew that the gods did actually watch mortals, though not as often as one would think. They were usually busy doing whatever they liked and only watched the mortals when something interesting happened or if an rm was detected.

    There were different methods that gods used to rule over the mortals, but most of them chose to automate it unless there was something very important to do. Though there were exceptions to this, of course.

    The smaller a god''s domain, the fewer people they would have. This almost meant that the god would watch their people more often than the bigger gods. It was simply a game of numbers and they wanted to ensure that their believers did not leave them or lose faith in them.

    This was one of the reasons why tribal gods showed a direct interaction with their believers that the gods ofrge churches. Lucius didn''t know if this world was bigger or smaller than his previous world, but he knew this, that the Grantz kingdom''s poption was far smaller than even the territory of the Barrom n.

    While there was no official poption census done for over a century in this kingdom, it was a widely epted fact that the kingdom had over two hundred million people living in it. This was calcted using the funds that the Church of na got every year.

    Lucius had even tried to verify it on his end and came up with the same conclusion that the poption of the Grantz Kingdom should be around two hundred and three hundred million people.

    It was safe to say that for a single kingdom of medical time, its poption was quite a lot. Though this was just one kingdom. One had to know that the three churches actually had believers out of the Grantz kingdom as well.

    If this was considered then the number of believers that the gods had under them would still be less than what was in Lucius''s past world. In those three gods, Etara had a rtively smaller base.

    In short, there was actually a significant chance that Etara was watching people. This was a worrying point for Lucius as it would mean that the gods would know of his secret that he was not from this world.

    And on top of that, they would also know of his affiliation with hell. Hell was something that most gods were opposed to and detested any being that was linked to it. A major part was because all things rted to hell could corrupt the domains of other gods.

    This was a great taboo, no matter where one went, and thus it was amon point among most gods that hell was dangerous and amon enemy.

    ''But if Etara is truly watching then there is a chance that she gave me Nexus as well. It is obvious that it did not belong to the original Asher as it was imprinted on my soul. The only way this could be done is by divine intervention.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    In the one minute, Maleck had spoken, Lucius hade up with all these ideas and inferences. If others were to see his thoughts, they would have probably been shocked by it, if not scared.

    "Shall we start the ceremony?" Priest Maleck questioned.

    "Of course, prise Maleck. Here are the Aether crystals." Lucius said as he handed the box with two Aether crystals to the man.

    Maleck took the box and opened it to reveal the two crystals in it. He then slotted them in two of the four empty sockets on the altar. Lucius had previously seen these sockets during thest ceremony, but they were empty back then too.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    But then he understood the reason for it. The rev next second after the aether crystals were slotted into the slots, they were drained of Aether and crumbled. In exchange, the book that was floating over the sphere opened up, showing that the altar was not active.

    "Everything is ready and running as we want. We can start as soon as you ce your hand on this, Young Lord Asher." Priest Maleck spoke.

    Lucius nodded his head and approached the altar. Kiana watched on, feeling a bit nervous as her hands sped tightly around each other.

    <em>~hum~</em>

    A low humming sound was heard as Lucius ced his hand on the sphere. Lucius watched on in anticipation to see the kind of light that was going to be shown to him, but something else happened.

    Lucius felt the Aether within his body being depleted at a rapid rate. But it was not being sucked by the Appraisal altar, but rather Nexus.

    ''Can it be¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he saw a string of words appearing in front of him.

    Artifact Name: Appraisal Sphere of Etara

    Artifact Grade: Legendary

    Description: The Appraisal sphere can scan the gift of a person andpare it with the stored information in the grand repository of Etara, disying the name of the gift. The artifact can only tell names of gifts that have already been in existence and all new gifts need to be recorded before it can show any information.

    Evolution: Possible

    Seeing the information in front of him, Lucius was shocked. He had not expected the appraisal sphere to be an artifact itself. Not only that, but a legendary artifact on top of that. But this was merely the start of the situation, as he wasn''t the only one shocked.

    "This¡­ it can''t be¡­" Priest Maleck said, while stammering.

    The sphere did not let out any light, but rather it became dimmer and dimmer until a pitch ck color covered it. The book that showed the name of the gift also didn''t open up and stayed closed.

    Kiana, who was watching it, was confused and didn''t know what was happening.

    "What''s the result, Priest Maleck?" Kiana asked, feeling nervous.

 Chapter 177 - Unique In The World?

    Maleck did not answer right away but just looked at the book in front of him. The marble book was shut tight and he even tried to open it with his hands, only for it to repel them.

    <em>~sua~</em>

    Then all of a sudden, the sphere returned to its normal white marble color and the booknded back on the altar as well, showing that the altar had run out of Aether.

    "In the thirty years I''ve been a priest of Etara, I''ve never seen something like this¡­" Maleck muttered.

    While Kiana was confused, Lucius already had a good guess of what had happened after seeing the information given by the Nexus. The Appraisal Sphere of Etara had been unable to find what his gift was because it had never existed before and thus there were no records of it.

    The ck color of the sphere was also because of this, as that was one of the signs of failure to appraise. This was different from when one did not have a gift as then the sphere would just not show any reaction.

    Plus another sign of it was that it had used up two entire Aether crystals in less than a minute, whereas these same Aether crystals would have been enough to appraise at least a hundred people.

    One would ask if two aether crystals were enough for hundred people, then why did priest Maleck ask for them only for Asher? The answer was simple¡­ that was the minimum number required to activate the altar.

    This was also the main reason why normal people waited for the actual appraisal ceremony toe beforeing to appraise their gifts as they simply could not afford the two Aether crystals needed for it.

    Usually, these two Aether crystals were supplied by the Church of Etara itself, as they considered this to be their basic duty. There were such appraisal halls all over the world, and not just in the Grantz kingdom. But despite that, there was just ''one'' Land of Etara in the world and that was where the Inanis family lived and ruled.

    "Priest Maleck?" Kiana spoke up again, seeing that the man had not responded yet.

    Lucius also looked up at the man and saw the shock apparent in his eyes.

    "I hope our earlier agreement will stay in effect, Priest Maleck despite what happened just now, which I believe is quite unusual," Lucius said just in case, though he was ready to act if something problematic happened.

    Maleck finally looked at him and shook his head.

    "Even if I wanted to tell the others, I would have nothing to say¡­ the altar has failed to appraise your gift." Maleck finally answered.

    "Failed to appraise? How can this be?" Kiana said, in shock.

    "It is rare¡­ extremely rare, such that I''ve never even seen this in my life. Forget me, I think in the past two hundred years there has been no such urrence recorded in the church of Etara." Priest Maleck replied.

    "But what exactly happened?" Kiana questioned.

    "Young Lord Asher''s gift¡­ it is unknown¡­" Maleck answered.

    "Unknown? Of course, it''s unknown, isn''t that why we are here?" Kiana asked, not fully understanding.

    "No, I don''t mean that. I mean that¡­ the gift itself has never been seen before in the world¡­ it means that it is apletely unique gift." Maleck exined.

    Kiana was stunned upon hearing this and didn''t know what to think of it.

    "So that''s why the sphere didn''t show any light and turned ck instead. The lights are based on the rarity of the gift. If there has literally been no urrence of a gift before, then there will simply be no light." Lucius simplified.

    "Indeed, Young Lord Asher." Priest Maleck agreed.

    Finally, Kiana understood.

    "Then does this mean¡­ Asher''s gift is perhaps the rarest gift in the world at this moment? Above legendary¡­ mythic¡­ or even the divine gifts?" Kiana asked in a trembling voice.

    "I fear spheming goddess Etara and thus I''ll control my words, but the divine gifts are in a league of their own. Even if they are the rarest, their power is not what other gifts canpare with. While Young Lord Asher''s gift might be the most unique in the world, its power is still something we don''t have an estimate on." Maleck exined carefully.

    Lucius had been looking into the eyes of the man the entire time and could judge that he was telling the truth. But that was not all he got from his eyes. Lucius could also tell that the man was afraid¡­ nay terrified of something.

    Kiana on the other hand, suddenly felt excited. While priest Maleck did not know the power of Lucius''s gift, Kiana had seen what it could do first hand. The uses of Lucius''s gifts were varied and not specific.

    This variation in use was a trait that was usually seen in legendary gifts as they were not as specific as those of the lower ranked gifts.

    For example, the rare ranked fire whip gift allowed the owner to create whips of fire that could be used to attack. But this was also a restriction on the user, as they would only be able to use fire in this form.

    If they want to turn that very fire into a sword, or just into a ball, they would be unable to do that. It was the restriction that came with the gift and was said to be a limiter set by the divine gods themselves.

    But legendary gifts did not really have such restrictions, at least not as strict as those. If onepared a fire type Legendary ranked gift, me Master, the user was able to use fire as he wanted.

    He could change it into whatever shape he wanted to while also controlling the range of it as they felt like it.

    Lucius'' gift had multiple uses, and this ced it at the legendary rank, at the very least, in Kiana''s eyes.

 Chapter 178 - Opportunity To Visit The Grand Repository Of Etara

    With the revtion, Lucius and Kiana had a lot to think about now. Even priest Maleck didn''t know what the next step should be. But after about five minutes of silence, he decided to speak up.

    "I know Young Lord Asher does not want his gift to be revealed as of now and wants to keep it a secret. But I do rmend that the Young master let his gift be recorded in the grand repository of Etara." Priest Maleck said.

    Lucius thought over it and didn''t know if it would even be worth it. But he still decided to inquire a bit more.

    "Priest Maleck, if I were to record my gift at the Grand Repository, will I get a chance to look at the other gifts? I''ve heard that the records at the Grand repository of Etara are vast and contain a lot of knowledge." Lucius replied.

    "Of course, Young Lord Asher. The Grand Repository of Etara has one of the biggest, if not the biggest library in the world. The records contained within it are not something that could be found elsewhere.

    And if Young Lord does chooses to record his gift at the Grand Repository, I''m sure the overseers would not mind rewarding you. If it is just the knowledge about gifts you want, it should be given to you without much problem.

    Though you would have to record your gift at the Grand Repository first." Priest Maleck answered.

    Hearing this, Lucius was intrigued. There were a lot of mysterious things about the Grand Repository of Etara that he did not know of. The Grand Repository was basically the headquarters of the faith of Etara.

    All the high leveled clergy of the church lived and worked there. Every schr in the world was considered to be a follower of Etara and wished to pay a visit to the Grand Repository.

    It was a shame that vesting the Grand Repository was easier said than done. A ce as sensitive and important as this was not something even the clergy of the church could ess easily, not to mention outsiders.

    The security there was probably the hugest in the world, simr to that of the other cathedrals of the gods or even the royal pce of the Grantz kingdom. One must not forget that the artificers guild was technically affiliated to the church of Etara and a lot of high level members of the clergy were also the members of the Artificer guild.

    One could imagine the number of defensive artifacts that would be present around the Grand Repository, protecting it from any harm. Lucius had been wanting to go to the Grand repository as well and had asked Gabriel if it would have been possible.

    At that time, there was no way for him to do so, but now an opportunity had presented itself.

    "I''ll think about it, Priest Maleck. If I feel like the time is right, I''ll record my gift at the Grand Repository of Etara." Lucius spoke.

    "As you wish, young lord. Whenever you want to get there, just inform me and I''ll send an official message to the Grand repository about a new gift." Priest Maleck replied.

    Lucius nodded his head and gave the official greeting of a noble.

    "Thank you for your help, Priest Maleck. I shall take my leave now." Lucius said before turning around and leaving the Appraisal hall along with Kiana.

    They quickly boarded the carriage and set off for the Mansion. While in the carriage, Lucius looked at his hand and spoke.

    "Do you think Priest Maleck is trustworthy with this information, Kiana?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, he is. Not only is he an honorable man, but he is also bound by the oath of goddess Etara. While the Goddess has dominion over knowledge and wisdom, lying goes against the doctrine of ''truth'' and thus he will not be able to lie." Kiana answered.

    Lucius nodded his head, pleased with the answer he got from Kiana. He had already known that the Priests of Etara cannot lie as they are bound by oath, but he still asked Kiana to see what the perspective of a second person was like.

    Plus, learning that there can be new gifts that the church did not have recorded made Lucius wonder if he could take further advantage of it. He knew that he could upgrade a gift and keep on doing it till he was limited by the gift itself, or theck of resources.

    He also knew that there were millions of gifts in the world, the majority of which were at themon rank. If he could keep on upgrading themon gift, Lucius wondered if it would eventually be a unique gift like his too, that was not recorded in the grand repository of Etara.

    With a myriad of thoughts running through their mind, Lucius and Kiana reached the mansion and got down. Both of them had felt changed after the visit to the appraisal hall. Lucius had gained a better perspective on gifts, while Kiana had felt her faith in Lucius deepen.

    At first, she had just been happy that Lucius had managed to awaken a gift after all these years, but now she learned that his gift might be the rarest gift in the world and seeing how its uses were varied and how it could control other beings, its potential was definitely high.

    If before Kiana had some doubts about whether Lucius would be able to keep up his objective of letting the Inanis family rising to the top, now they were all wiped away. If Lucius with such a gift was unable to do so, then perhaps no one else in this world would be able to do something like that.

    With newfound determination, Kiana decided to do the best she could to assist Lucius.

    ''I need to get working on other people¡­ we need trustworthy allies¡­'' Kiana thought to herself.

    While Kiana was worried about having trusty allies, she didn''t know Lucius had already found a way to ovee that.

 Chapter 179 - Re-education Center

    About a week had passed since the order to set up bounties and rewards had been given. A series of arrests had been made in session that had led to the decrease in the crime rate of the city rather quickly.

    Though it had also led to the overwhelming of the current prison system, but it was merely a temporary thing.

    Lucius, Gabriel, Lita and Kiana were sitting around on the table talking about the effects that had taken due to the changes they had made.

    "The number of criminals currently in prison had increased to over four hundred. I don''t think we will be able to hold much more without expanding the prison." Gabriel stated.

    "I''m also worried that we won''t be able to keep them for long seeing as the more criminals we have there for long periods, the more problems we would have in keeping them in line." Gabriel added.

    Lucius header it and found it to be reasonable. This was a problem that was observed by a lot of ces that had a high crime rate and low taxes such that they could not set up bigger prisons.

    "But now that we have put them in prison, we can''t just release them either, can we? It would just lead to them causing more crimester, plus in the way they were arrested there is also a chance that they might try to take revenge on us." Lita voiced her concerns.

    Lucius smiled as his time to speak had finallye.

    "I''ve already thought of all this Father, mother. I know that just letting the criminals out in the society might not be the best choice as they will probably just end up going back to their old lives.

    Instead of doing that, I have a different solution." Lucius spoke.

    "Oh? And what''s this solution that you have thought of?" Gabriel questioned.

    "Re-education centers. The criminals will be sent there to train them and change their mindset. That way they will be far less likely to be criminals again and we may even have letterer productive members of the society." Lucius answered.

    "And how will you be doing this?" Gabriel asked.

    "For this, I would like father to give me free rein to set it up. I would like to undertake this personally." Lucius stated.

    Gabriel furrowed his brows, as this was a ratherrge responsibility. Not only would it be difficult, but also dangerous on a certain level. While most of the criminals were petty ones, there were still a few dangerous ones among them.

    Gabriel was worried about Lucius getting hurt due to that.

    "I''ll fully support young lord Asher in this, Count. You won''t have to worry about it and I''ll be assisting him too, with a few more servants." Kiana suddenly spoke.

    Hearing the words of Kiana, Gabriel was a bit surprised, but after thinking for a bit, he nodded.

    "Fine, if you want to do it, you can go ahead. But don''t hesitate to contact me." Gabriel said.

    "Yes! Be careful and don''t let the criminals hurt you. Even if there will be other guards there, things can change very quickly." Lita said with concern.

    "Don''t worry mother, I''ll be taking all precautions," Lucius said before looking at Kiana. "Besides¡­ I don''t think Kiana will let anything happen to me." He added.

    "Of course. If anyone dares to harm the Young lord, they shall be executed without question." Kiana said with a spark of fury in her eyes.

    Just imagining Lucius getting hurt was painful to her and she would be the worst nightmare of anyone that tried to do that.

    ***

    After having convinced the parents, Lucius quickly set up his n. He had already discussed some initial parts of it with Kiana and thus she had actually been busy in seating up some basic requirements of the Re-education Center.

    The first thing they needed was manpower, which was easily solved with the help of certain servants from the mansion. These servants were handpicked by Kiana and were the most trustworthy, ording to her.

    In addition to this, several other acquaintances of Kiana that she knew outside of the mansion were also contacted. These people were either mercenaries,borers or themon folk.

    All of this was done before Lucius had even talked to Gabriel and Lita about the re-education centers. He did this so that they would be able to save as many time as they could and the process would be fast.

    Besides, it was not like they had much time left either. It had already been ten days since the letter about the arbitrator had arrived and if they were unlucky, the man would arrive in the next four days.

    And because of this, Lucius had decided to take a small risk and go ahead with the n in the background without informing Gabriel and Lita. He had already learned how much liberty he could take with the two of them, and all of this was within the purview of his authority anyway.

    Thus invitations were extended to the people Kiana had selected out of the mansion and several of them had responded to Kiana''s call. The only thing was that they did not know what they were being called for.

    "Are they all ready?" Lucius asked Kiana as he got put on his brooch on the vest.

    "Yes, they are all ready and waiting for you in the hall. They are all wondering what they are here for though," Kiana replied.

    "Mmm¡­ don''t worry, I''ll convince them all. And once that is done, the rest of it should be smooth sailing." Lucius said with confidence as he walked ahead.

    Outside, a crowd of around fifty people was standing around. Some of them seemed a little lost while some of them were nervous. There were also some servants of the Inanis family mixed in them, that were talking andforting them.

    After all, this was a rather strange situation that they were in.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    The sound of crisp footsteps pulled the attention of the crowd towards the small dais that had been set up.

    "Ladies and Gentlemen¡­ Wee!" Lucius greeted with a smile.

 Chapter 180 - A Speech

    The people who were waiting looked at Lucius, who had just appeared. He was dressed to the T and looked immactely handsome.

    His hair was slicked back, a smile dressed his face and his hands rested on a cane. The ck and gold vest he was wearing over the red shirt only added more to his handsomeness and pulled the eyes of women in the hall, particrly.

    "I''m sorry for the wait, but we can finally begin. Now then¡­ I''m sure you all are wondering why you have been called here, aren''t you?" Lucius spoke.

    Lucius could see the nods of the people in the audience, just like he wanted.

    "So let me tell you the reason why. I had Kiana find people who she thought deserved more in life, more than they have right now. It doesn''t matter what position they are in or what they are going to be, I thought it should be simple.

    Then in the end, you all are the ones that responded to it. I''ve heard the stories of some of you and am saddened to know that you all are in this condition." Lucius stated, confusing some of the people.

    His eyes snapped to an old man that looked to be in his sixties in the corner.

    "Mr. Johan, I''ve heard that your granddaughter diedst month due to being injured during a robbery?" Lucius questioned.

    The old man, who was taken aback for a bit, nodded his head.

    "Yes¡­ yes, she did¡­ they already took the things from our house¡­ why did they have to take her life as well¡­" The old man replied.

    "I was saddened to hear that. But fear not, justice will be served! For many such simr reasons, weunched our current attempt at the reward and bounty system." Lucius said, finally letting the people understand the context.

    He looked towards one of the women that looked to be in her twenties.

    "Miss Lerin, I heard that you were denied entry into the academy because you were unable to pay the fees in time?" Lucius questioned.

    The woman nodded her head and a spark of anger could be seen in her eyes as well.

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher. Those thieves stole my pouch in the middle of the roar and ran away. The guards couldn''t do much about it, as by the time they caught them, they had already spent all of the money.

    I tried to appeal to the academy but they can''t change things just for me." Lerin answered.

    "What audacity¡­" the other people couldn''t help but whisper.

    Lucius kept his expresser calm upon seeing this all, but he was internally smiling. One by one, he talked to each person in the room. They conversed about their situation and how they had gone through certain problems.

    Some people had more severe problems than others, but the one thing that was inmon was that they were all affected by the criminals in some ways. Many of them didn''t get sufficient justice because the criminals had either already left the city, or had spent whatever was stolen from them.

    As for the murderers, rapists, and other harsher crimes, their judgment was yet to be passed.

    "As you all can see, even if we enhance our security, take extra measures, criminals will always be there. Some of them don''t do crimes that are worth execution and will thus be released back into the society.

    These are simply thews of the Kingdom and thus we can''t do much to change them. We can''t go against the doctrines of the churches either and thus need to stay in their purview." Lucius said and took a pause, letting the audience simmer in it for a bit.

    "I know how it feels to be helpless and not be able to do anything. And that is exactly why I''ve called you all here." Lucius stated. "I want to give you all an opportunity to make a change¡­ a change in your life, a change in this city and eventually¡­ a change in this world," Lucius revealed.

    "How will you do this, Young Lord Asher?" someone asked.

    "That''s the good question, but it''s not how ''I'' will do it but rather how ''We'' will do it." Lucius said before starting his exnation about the Reeducation centers.

    "With the Reeducation centers, I guarantee you that the criminals will forever change their ways and instead vie to serve the society instead! As for the ones beyond saving, such as those that hurt mister Johan''s family¡­ they shall pay for it¡­ and you will be one''s done it." Lucius said, much to the shock of the people.

    "Bring them in!" Lucius said out loud.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door at the back opened up as a few men that had their heads covered with a ck sack and shackles on their hands were brought in. The ones that brought them in were a few guards that were familiar to Lucius.

    They gave him a salute before pushing the men forwards. In total, there were six men that had been brought in and none of them could be identified as of now due to their faces being covered.

    The Audience was a little confused as to who these men were, but seeing the manner in which they were bought in, they were sure they were criminals. Upon understanding this, a shocking thought appeared in the minds of everyone.

    "No way¡­"

    "Can it be¡­"

    "Will they¡­"

    Whispers and mutterings could be hearding from the audience as they tried to guess what was going to happen.

    Lucius looked at the guards and spoke, "let the faces be shown."

    One by one, the guards pulled off the ck sacks that were covering the heads of the criminals that had just been brought in.

    <em>~Hiss~</em>

    <em>~Gasp~ </em>

    Sounds of gasps could be hearding from the audience as they saw the men. Some of the people in the audience seemed to be greatly infuriated.

    "Him! It''s him! He''s the one that killed my granddaughter!"

 Chapter 181 - Justice

    A single word was enough to spark a fire of rage amongst the people

    "Why are they here!?"

    "Shouldn''t they be in the prison and waiting for judgment?"

    Various questioning voices were heard among the audience. Some questioned the reason for the criminals being here, while some just questioned them still being alive.

    "I know that my words will not be enough and it will be hard to fully believe them. And thus¡­ I thought rather than just my words, why don''t I show it with my actions instead?" Lucius spoke.

    "I want to show my sincerity and for that, I shall leave the fate of these degenerate, scums, and the vilest beings of this world in your hands. Feel free to get justice¡­ with your own hands!" Lucius said out loud, much to the terror of the six criminals.

    They were still gagged and thus could not speak, but the fear in their eyes was apparent. They tried to struggle, but it was useless. Lucius had already ensured beforehand that none of them had any gifts that would allow them to escape from their bindings.

    Lucius gazed at the people and saw the hesitation in their eyes.

    ''Just a small push¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "These are the very people that hurt you, hurt your loved ones, your friends, and your life¡­ I give you the opportunity to get justice on your own. And this will be considered the official judgment of the Inanis Family, so fear not of any repercussions." Lucius stated.

    Upon hearing Lucius''s words, the eyes of several people lit up and the sparks of violent desires were ignited.

    <em>~step~</em>

    <em>~step~</em>

    The first toe forwards was none other than Johan the old man. Rage flowed out of him like a stream and Lucius, who was very good at judging emotions could tell that the man was truly furious.

    "The demon exists within everyone and all that is needed is the right key to release it¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He looked towards the people who were still waiting, and his eyes shed for a second.

    "YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" In the next moment, another man from the audience jumped out like a beast and pounced on one of the criminals, knocking him down.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    "Hnghhh!" the criminal grunted.

    The fall and weight of a man on top of him were enough to break a few ribs, and the man couldn''t even cry out freely in pain.

    "You took my money, you took my job and you left me nothing!" Punch after punch started tond on the criminal''s face as the man started attacking him.

    As for Johan, he simply extended his hand as a glob of water appeared on it. He ced his hand on the face of the man that had killed his granddaughter and kept on producing more water.

    The criminals tried to struggle but were held in ce by the guard. More and more water poured into his mouth and nose as it started to fill his lungs.

    "Grhhhh!" the man tried to cough it out but Johan''s hand prevented him from even doing that.

    During the entire time, the old man stared into the eyes of the drawing man as they turned from white to red as veins popped up.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    About a minuteter, the man fell to the ground all life drained from him.

    <em>~step~</em>

    Johan seemed to have stumbled as well, but managed to gain control of himself.

    "Finally¡­ finally¡­ my granddaughter will get to rest¡­" Johan said, tears dripping down his face.

    Seeing the two men getting their ''justice'' the rest of the public got excited as well.

    "GET THEM!"

    "WE SHALL HAVE OUR JUSTICE!"

    "THEY SHALL PAY FOR THEIR SINS!"

    Like a flint striking the steel, Johan''s actions motivated others to do the same. And then that spark from the flint ignited the oil, spreading mes of vengeance among all.

    "Kill them!"

    "Rip their tongues thatughed at us!"

    "Break their fingers that stole from us!"

    "Pluck their eyes with which they watched our women!"

    Curses and swears flowed like a river as a storm of agony wasunched upon the criminal.

    During all this, Lucius took a step back and leaned against the wall, watching it all y out, a slight grin on his face.

    "Is this all fine?" Kiana questioned upon approaching him.

    She had been watching from the back room all this time and saw everything. Right from how Lucius ignited the interest of the people and now seeing them act on their desire for vengeance.

    Lucius turned to look at Kiana and nodded his head.

    "Look at them¡­ do you think they would normally be like this?" Lucius questioned.

    "No, they would never act like this¡­ they aren''t this kind of people¡­" Kiana said, feeling apprehensive.

    Their words had also caught the attention of the guards and they were hearing them as well now. Lucius took notice of it but did not react any differently.

    "Indeed. They are not these kinds of people. But have you thought how much pain they must be in? How much they must have suffered till now?" Lucius replied.

    Kiana could not answer him and kept on thinking.

    "Not only were they in pain due to the things that happened to them, they were also in despair due to being unable to do anything," Lucius added.

    "But this¡­ it seems wrong¡­ almost barbaric¡­" Kiana muttered.

    "It seems wrong on the surface, but it is not¡­ think of it, we are letting them release their suffering, their pain and providing them relief¡­ isn''t this mercy? The very mercy that Goddess na demands?" Lucius exined.

    "It is rather us who have sinned by letting these people suffer like this. Who knows how many more have died with grievances since they were unable to resolve their pain and grudges.

    At least this way they will be able to rest in peace while living out their lives." Lucius spoke in a maic tone.

    Hearing his words, it was as if a whole new world was opened for Kiana and the other guards.

 Chapter 182 - Savior

    By the time Lucius was done with his words, Kiana and the guards that had heard his words were fully convinced. They couldn''t help but think about the suffering of themoners and the criminals that taunted them.

    But now it was finally being addressed properly. Even when certain criminals were given the death penalty and were executed, the victims or the family of the victim were unable to get relief from that, because the execution would be done right after the verdict was passed and they didn''t get to see that.

    This was all done ording to the rules of the kingdom under the guideline of the churches. Lucius did not know how rules such as these were even implemented in a medical world such as this.

    It was far moremon for there to be public executions in worlds like this, but for some reason, they did not do them. Only the ruling authorities got to see it all and didn''t bother informing the victims, either.

    Plus, there was the constant prodding from churches to not let people see the execution as they thought it would lead to more sin as the emotion of violence and gratification would be obtained from seeing them.

    What Lucius had done today could get him into arge amount of trouble and he had to ensure that all of it was kept under wraps. Stepping on the toes of the church and the kingdom so early on could only lead to trouble for him right now.

    But this was also the fastest way of pulling the people to his side that he coulde up with. Vengeance and anger were a strong factor and if one was able to satisfy a person''s desire for these, it was far more likely for them to obtain their favor.

    While Kiana had already gone through a couple of Lucius''s ''counseling sessions'', this was the first time for the guards to hear all this. Plus, since they weren''t selectivity being spoken to, they found it to be even more intriguing and thoughtful.

    This sent them into their thoughts, making them rememberer their own experiences and the things they had seen happen. There were often times where they thought certain criminals were not worth letting live or even be arrested, but they were unable to go against the orders of their superiors.

    But now Lucius had given them an alternative option, an option that they felt content with. To them, Lucius was now a visionary, who had shown them a new path.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~ </em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The people had finally finished dealing with the remaining criminals and spat on their mangled corpses before withdrawing. Some of them felt inexplicably pleased, while some of them were crying instead.

    But one thing wasmon in all. They felt happy that they had finally gotten their revenge.

    ''Looks like they are done now¡­'' Lucius thought to himself and walked towards the dais again.

    <em>~step~</em>

    <em>~step~</em>

    "Now then, I believe all of you are done?" Lucius spoke.

    The people looked at Lucius, who hade back with gratitude in their eyes.

    <em>~pata~</em>

    Some of them directly fell to the ground, prostrating.

    "Today, Lord Asher has fulfilled our wishes!"

    "We were tormented by these beasts for so long¡­ even by just existing in our minds, they hurt us so much¡­"

    "I thank Lord Asher for giving us this chance, I¡­ I cannot express the level of gratitude I feel now."

    One by one, the people started to speak, sharing their heart''s contents. Lucius listened to all of them attentively, gaining even more points with them.

    "Lord Asher¡­ you have already fulfilled my dying wish by letting me have my justice, I have nothing more to demand from life. I will feel fine even if it is ended, right here right now at this moment." The Old Man Johan spoke with tears in his eyes.

    "Fellow citizens, my people¡­ my friends¡­ I see that some of you feel like you have nothing left in life anymore, that all you wanted has been granted and you have no more aims. What if I tell you, that you can do more?" Lucius said as he started to walk around, looking at each person.

    "What if I tell you, you can prevent what happened to you from happening to others? You will be able to save them from pain¡­ from sorrow¡­ from torment¡­" Lucius stated.

    The more Lucius spoke, the more the people got entranced. He didn''t stop there and kept on going for an hour, during which no one made a noise and listened attentively like a petitioner listening to a Reverend.

    Lucius also exined to them what he wanted them to do, how the reeducation centers would work, and what their duties would be. No one rejected his offer either and they all soundless epted it.

    It was as if the option of rejection did not even exist for them and they had epted it the moment it was spoken.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lucius took a deep breath after he was finally done speaking and looked at his new followers as they too gazed at him with obsessive eyes.

    "Well then, my people, what do you say?" Lucius asked onest time.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    In the very next instant, each and every person kneeled on the ground, ready to offer themselves.

    "We ept LORD ASHER!"

    "WE ACCEPT THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR!"

    Words of praise were spoken as the people epted Lucius''s proposal. Lucius nodded at all while Kiana watched on in awe.

    "He''s already gone beyond the Count''s charisma¡­ I''ve never seen people like this when the Count speaks¡­ Or even the King¡­" Kiana muttered to herself.

    Lucius couldn''t help but internallyugh to himself.

    ''O'' Thara, if only you knew how much your clergymen helped me today. Learning from them was perhaps a rather great choice¡­ hahahaha!'' Lucius thought.

    A smile appeared on his face as he gazed at the people below with a gentle gaze. The people too basked in it, feeling that they had found their savior, their benefactor¡­ their messiah.

 Chapter 183 - A Devoted Follower

    Lucius''s counseling session had gone as good as it could have and all of the people had epted his proposal. They were very enthusiastic about the new life and the duties that they would be having.

    Since these people already made quite less, this work was an upgrade to them anyway, as Lucius was paying them far more than what they originally made. That,bined with the moral obligation that they felt now, made them the perfect followers.

    Of course, Lucius wouldn''t just trust them from this and was intending to put the mark of obedience on each and every person. And that was exactly what he was doing right now.

    About two days had passed since the new followers had been added to his fold and they all had moved to the building that Lucius had chosen as the ''Reeducation center''. There were quarters where they could live if they wished to do so, while they could also live in their already existing houses.

    Though the ones that were going to be the ''Teachers'' were going to stay in the Reeducation center extensively and would not be living outside of it. Once the criminals were brought here they would be put in individual cells where they would first undergo individual counselling.

    After a certain threshold was reached, they would all be collected together before their official ''education'' would start. Lucius had made a very detailed n so that the new followers would not have any problem, though Lucius was intending to find a few substances that could act as ''learning supplements'' as well.

    Lucius was sure that if he was given enough time and resources, he would be able to make something himself, but he would prefer if there was something that already existed in this world.

    Frankly, it would save him a lot of time and money if this was possible. Of course, all this was only for the initial stages when Lucius''s own Hell energy stores were low. Once they increased, he would be able to convert more and more people every day.

    And for that very thing, he was in the Reeducation center. This was a room that had been selected as his office and two people were currently standing here along with Lucius. They were none other than Kiana and the old Man Johan.

    "You called for me, Young Lord Asher?" Johan asked.

    "Yes, I did mister Johan," Lucius spoke respectfully, making the old man feel even more humble and delighted.

    "Please young master, I do not deserve a title like that from you. Just calling me Johan will do," The old man requested.

    "Sure, I shall call you Johan from now." Lucius replied with a smile.

    "So what was it that you desire of me, Young lord Asher?" Johan inquired.

    "I know that everyone is willing to follow me and wants to do their best. But even among them, I feel that certain people are deserving of more." Lucius replied.

    "More? What more can we deserve?" Johan questioned.

    "I believe certain people among you all deserve to be my closer confidants," Lucius answered.

    "I¡­ this¡­ this would be a great honor, my lord!" Johan stammered, almost failing to speak.

    "And for that, I have selected you to be the first one. You had suffered a lot and were also the first to swear your fealty to me and thus I believe you deserve to be the first." Lucius stated.

    "This honor¡­ I am pleased to receive it. I assure you, my lord, I''ll do my best and won''t ever let you be disappointed till I live!" The old man spoke up, emotions apparent in his voice.

    "Very well then. As a sign of trust, I shall show you something that only two other people know in this world as of now. And you will be the third," Lucius replied.

    Johan felt overwhelmed by this and had not expected to receive such a chance.

    "What is it, my lord?" Johan asked with excitement in his voice.

    "I shall show you¡­ my gift." Lucius revealed.

    Johan''s eyes went wide upon hearing this. Till now everyone believed that Asher was gift less and this was a fact that had been established a long time ago, undisputed since then.

    "My lord has a gift, too? MY LORD HAS A GIFT! PRAISE BE TO ETARA!" Johan said out loud.

    In response, Lucius extended his hand and showed it to Johan.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    A red glow appeared on his hand that looked dazzling to the man. It was like blood by far more stunning. The red glow flickered before directlying out of Lucius''s hand and swirling around his body.

    "Give me your hand, Johan." Lucius spoke.

    "Absolutely, my lord." Johan hurriedly gave Lucius his old and wrinkled hand.

    Lucius firmly held the old man''s hand and activated the spell matrix of Mark of obedience.

    <em>~HONG~</em>

    Johan felt a buzzing in his ears for a moment, before he felt a strange energy enter his hand. The energy pricked him slightly, but it didn''t feel too bad. After a few seconds, the energy entered deep into his body and disappeared.

    Lucius smiled and turned his hand that was sped onto Johan''s revealing the top of Johan''s hand.

    "This¡­ my lord¡­" Johan muttered.

    "This is your sign of devotion. As long as you have this, know that I will be watching over you." Lucius spoke in a gentle voice.

    <em>~drip~</em>

    <em>~drip~</em>

    A tear slid out from the corners of Johan''s eyes as they dripped onto the table below.

    "I am the happiest I''ve ever been in my life today." Johan said. "I''ll be sure to treasure this and will do so till I breathe myst breath." He dered.

    ''Oh you will, Johan¡­ you will¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    The spell matrix that was within Lucius''s mind space also shattered after this, showing the dy from before.

    ''At least the stability is increasing now. Hopefully, it won''t be long before I''m able to use spells three times before the spell matrices copse¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

 Chapter 184 - Small Steps

    Lucius judged that the spell matrices were increasing in stability, but were not entirely strong enough to support another use of the spell. If he wanted to put a mark of obedience on another person, Lucius would have to make it again.

    ''At least this time it was easier since Johan was epting of it from the start.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    The Mark of Obedience was a peculiar spell that needed the agreement of the person it was being cast on. But this was a condition that was a bit flexible depending on the agreement of the person.

    If the person was devoted to the caster, the spell would work near instantly and would cause no pain to that person except for the pricking feeling upon initial entry of the Hell energy. But that was normal and could not really be avoided.

    As for those that were epting, but did not fully believe in the caster, the spell would work, but the person it was being used on would feel pain depending on how much they doubted the caster.

    Neta was an example of this and had felt the pain upon the usage of the spell.

    "You can take your leave, Johan, and keep this to yourself. Only the others who are the bearers of the same mark as you should know about it." Lucius instructed.

    "As youmand, Lord Asher." Johan said before taking his leave.

    Once Johan was gone, Kiana looked at Lucius.

    "That mark was different from the one I have, right?" Kiana said while looking at her hand.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    With her response, the mark on her hand reappeared and glowed to show its presence.

    "Yes, your mark is different from the mark Johan has. After all, you are not the same as them, you are far closer to me. Think of it has a higher ranking mark than Johan and Neta''s." Lucius replied.

    "I see¡­" Kiana said, feeling happy internally.

    "How are things going at the prison? They having trouble yet?" Lucius questioned.

    "Just as you predicted, the guards at the prison are indeed having quite a lot of trouble by now. Not only are they short on manpower, but they also have some prisoners with strong gifts that can''t be handled easily." Kiana answered.

    "Hmm¡­ looks like we''ll need to begin our work soon." Lucius muttered.

    "I can get them to send the prisoners if you so wish." Kiana quickly replied.

    "Get three of them tomorrow. I''ll need to prepare a bit before that... my gift will need to recover." Lucius spoke.

    "Ah, of course. Take as much time as you want. The guards will bring us the prisoners whenever we want." Kiana stated.

    "Though for the petty thieves and such, you can get some of them transferred to the cells here and begin their counseling," Lucius ordered.

    "I''ll do that then. I''m pretty sure the guards will be happy with your decision, Asher." Kiana said with a smile.

    Lucius nodded to himself and walked out of the room, along with Kiana. At the exit of the building, they split up, where Kiana went to the prison to talk with the guards while Lucius went back home to rest.

    ''I''ll need to recreate the spell matrix for the mark of obedience and also increase my hell energy for the experimentster on. Hopefully, I''m able to make it in one day this time¡­'' Lucius thought to himself while riding towards the Mansion.

    Upon reaching the mansion, he left the carriage to the servants while heading straight to his room.

    There he first spent a few hours in meditating and recovering the hell energy he had used up in casting the Mark of obedience on Johan. Only after it was at its peak did he begin to make the spell matrix for the mark of obedience.

    Lucius appeared in his mind space and saw the other two matrices for the spells, Enrage and Fireball floating in the space. Of these two, Lucius had mostly used Enrage and had not used Fireball to attack till now.

    One could even say that he was wasting his spell matrix slots on keeping fireball, but Lucius wanted to maintain it as it would be his trump card in case of a fight. No one would expect a fireball from him and it was one of the only offensive spells he could cast for a low Hell energy cost.

    Even though this fireball spell was very basic and weak, it was still useful for Lucius. As long as he aimed at the right spot, it would still render most people helpless. All Lucius would need to do was to blind their eyes using the fireball and they would lose 90% of theirbat effectiveness in one go.

    After all, people were heavily dependent on their eyes to see things and if they couldn''t do that, they would not be able to attack someone urately either. Once someone was blinder, Lucius could very Weill kill them in the N number of ways that he had in his mind.

    Though for Lucius, it would be better if it never came to violence.

    ''A fight that is fought without ever fighting is the true victory.'' This was the quote Lucius often read in his past life. ording to him, the enemy must lose the fight before he even knew he was an enemy or knew that he was fighting.

    And for that very reason, deceit and diplomacy could be the biggest weapons of them all. Enrage and Mark of obedience woulde in handy to Lucius far more than the fireball spell would right now.

    Fireball was only there for when he had no other choice left but to fight directly.

    Within Lucius''s mind space, the runes for the spell matrix were slowly being formed, but the instability could be easily seen. It took Lucius three tries before he was finally able to form the spell matrix for the mark of obedience.

    "This is far better than I thought¡­ seems like Aether is getting tamer than before." Lucius muttered to himself.

 Chapter 185 - Persevere Now Succeed Later

    The next day, Lucius woke up feeling a bit groggy, but it was nothing that he couldn''t handle. He had ended up spending extra time in making the spell matrix for the mark of obedience and had even asked for dinner to be delivered to his room directly.

    Neta was the one who would serve him in the absence and Lucius had already told Kiana about him and the mark of obedience that he had as well. Lucius himself didn''t really have any particr orders for Neta as of now and was just content with having a person that was unable to betray him, serve him.

    Lucius knew how important it was to have loyal people close to you, whether they be your important soldiers or servants. Assassinations weremon in the higher circles of power and the attack coulde from anywhere, whether it be in the open or in secret.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    Lucius walked down the stairs as the sound of his steps echoed through the stairwell.

    "I have the prisoners ready," Kiana who had been waiting for Lucius at the bottom, spoke after seeing him.

    "Good, we''ll head there soon." Lucius said before going to the dining hall.

    There, they ate their breakfast and discussed some things with Lita and Gabriel, talking about their current ns and how other things were going.

    Dionysia brewery was running very well and the next batch of wine was already sent out and was bought out instantly as well. There were a lot of fans that had been created upon the first sale of the wine a week ago, and it didn''t seem like it would stop any time soon.

    They had already gotten enough orders that it would take them over six months to produce them if they functioned at the same capacity that they had right now. Lucius had prepared a n for expansion earlier, and they now realized that it woulde in handy far quicker than expected.

    But even if they wanted to expand it further, it would still take them at least four months more. As not only would they need new equipment, but they would also need the new building for it.

    They already had thend for it though, so it was a plus point. Plus, they will need to find more workers to make the wine as well. Plus, these workers will need to undergo the same training others did and also need to be vetted for loyalty.

    All these were things that could not be rushed and if they tried to do both things at once, there was a great chance they may instead suffer in what they were doing right now. Instead of that, Lucius decided that it was better to focus on what they were doing right now and, once a consumer base had been built, they would expand further.

    Though one extra thing they did agree upon was the increase in price. Even the merchants were saying that they should increase the price and the demand from the public for the wine was unending as well.

    "Then as greed, we shall increase the price of the wine from the next month. From the previous ten silver coins, it shall now be twenty silver coins." Lucius dered.

    "I''ll inform John and Alessa in the afternoon, you don''t have to worry." Lita spoke with a smile.

    She had been seeing how hard Lucius was working all the time and felt both worried and proud of him at the same time.

    <em>~clink~ng~</em>

    Lucius put away the cutlery on the tes and stood up from the dining table.

    "I shall take my leave then, Mother, father." Lucius spoke.

    "Alright, don''t worry about anything here. We''ll take care of the rest." Gabriel said a few words of care before bidding him farewell.

    Lucius quickly headed to the reeducation center to start the tests. A smile was on his face the entire time, and he couldn''t wait to get his hands on some test subjects. He could almost say that his hands were itching to experiment.

    "Who are the prisoners that have been brought this time?" Lucius questioned.

    "We have filled the cells in the reeducation center by fifty percent as of now. Among those brought, over seventy of them are petty criminals and haven''t really done much. Some of them are just those that could not pay the fines and thus were imprisoned.

    The more problematic ones though, are two who have rare ranked gifts." Kiana answered.

    Lucius thought for a bit over Kiana''s words and nodded.

    "For the petty criminals that are only at the prison for inability to pay fines, you can start the counseling at a slow pace. As for the others who are there for multiple offenses, the counseling is to be done at full force." Lucius spoke and took a pause before continuing, "The notes that I wrote are ready, right?" he asked.

    "Yes, wepiled the notes into booklets that the ''teachers'' will be using to educate the criminals. They have already been distributed to themst night and most of them have already read it many times, while some of them have managed to memorize it as well." Kiana replied.

    "Oh? Memorized¡­ that''s good. At least they are taking this seriously¡­ I was half expecting there to be some discrepancies, but it is all going well." Lucius spoke freely.

    "Haha¡­" Kiana suddenly chuckled.

    "With the level of preparation and detailed nning you do, I would be more surprised if it failed instead. I don''t think even the king''s ministers do this much nning when they run the kingdom." Kiana joked.

    "Hmm¡­ we''ll see how it all goes and perhaps one day we may get to meet those very ministers ourselves." Lucius stated.

    The two of them lightly conversed while traveling to the reeducation center and Kiana, told Lucius more about the various prisoners. Lucius had particrly asked her about any interesting prisoners and their gifts.

    He got to learn quite a bit about them and was even more excited to get to the center now.

 Chapter 186 - The New Laboratory

    The carriage came to a stop in front of the reeducation center. The building that Lucius had picked for the reeducation center was an old guard barracks that had been abandoned after arger one had been built in the time of Count Gabriel''s father.

    It wasrge enough that a few hundred people could be easily amodated within it, and it also had the structures that were needed to keep prisoners. All that was needed was a little modification that was done in a couple of weeks.

    Till Lucius had asked for it, this old building was being used to store the surplus supplies and weapons of the guards. But with a little adjustment, the supplies were moved to a different warehouse, and the building was freed up.

    It was surprising how much could be done if one just had money. In the case of Lucius, he didn''t even need to spend anything for this as it was technically the property of the Inanis family from the start.

    The only thing they needed to pay was the cost to get it modified a little bit. But that was nothingpared to the profits they were gaining from the sale of the wine. Plus, that profit will only be doubling since Lucius had decided to increase the price to twenty silver coins per bottle.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of the reeducation center opened as Lucius was greeted with the view of the inside. The front part of the area had been changed to a reception and two people sat here at all times to greet people.

    The next area after that was the corridor that left to the separate wings of the building. The area where the prisoners were kept was at the very back, behind several reinforced and secured doors.

    While Lucius was sure that the prisoners will have a hard time escaping even from their individual cells, it was always better to err on the side of caution. The wings before the prisoner areas were either the living quarters of the teachers that will be here and also the ssrooms where the criminals will be taught.

    Of course, Lucius''s own personalb was situated on a different level than all this. It was located underground in the dungeons of the building. This dungeon was originally not even supposed to be a dungeon, but rather a storage area for the grains and food that the guards would use.

    But as time went by and years passed, the Inanis city kept on growing and this could no longer keep up with the needs of the guards. The number of guards expanded rather quickly, and they shifted to a new ce, leaving this building behind.

    The dungeons were in rather bad conditions and even now only a couple of rooms had been cleared out. The rest of them would be fixed upter on, but just those two rooms would be enough for Lucius right now.

    "Here''s the section where we have put the prisoners," Kiana spoke while gesturing to the wooden double doors that were reinforced with iron bars and tes.

    "Hmm¡­ bring in the most troublesome one first. I want to start with the harder parts first." Lucius spoke.

    "Okay," Kiana said before going to speak with a couple of guards.

    "They''ll bring him for us, we can head on ahead," Kiana said after returning.

    "Let''s head to myb then¡­ I want to see how it is finally looking." Lucius said, feeling a bit excited.

    While he did have ab in the Inanis mansion, it was not really up to his standards. Plus, there was also the question of privacy and thus he liked this one more. There was less chance of anyoneing to disturb him down here.

    In addition to that, Lucius would be surrounded by people who listen to his every order without hesitation. While the servants would do the same in the mansion, at least here, he would not have to answer for his actions to anyone.

    Lucius and Kiana went down a narrow set of stairs from the corner and reached the basement level of the building. This area was visibly cold, and the walls were slightly damp as well.

    There were corridors where water could be seen dripping from the walls slowly. This was the reason why Lucius was informed that it would be hard to fix the dungeons up quickly.

    "Hmm¡­ this will need more work than I thought," Lucius said.

    "We are getting some extra workers next week and they should be able to finish up the rest of the basement. Right now we have done the two rooms as you asked them to be. Hopefully, you''ll like them." Kiana replied.

    Lucius nodded his head and spoke, "I''ll see for myself."

    A few secondster, they reached a set of metal doors that were at least an inch thick.

    "Oh? Just as I asked them to be." Luciusmented upon seeing the dimensions of the doors.

    Kiana nodded her head and opened the lock on the door for him. The key was long and had three squat hoops at its end at perpendicr angles. It was a rather unique looking key and the lock was alsoplex in its function.

    But all this was hidden inside the door and could not be seen directly.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    The metal doors unlocked with an audible ng and revealed the interior to him. In there, Lucius could see the equipment he had asked to be procured. Among this equipment, there were several things that were rather unorthodox and were not avable in the territory and thus they had to be custom made.

    There were several tables, each with different functions, beds with restraints, hanging chains,rge scales that could be used to measure up to several quintiles of weight, hundreds of different tools and containers along with the final addition, which was therge ss tank.

    This was something that the Artificers guild usually used and was the most expensive item in the room.

 Chapter 187 - Special Equipment

    Lucius looked at therge ss tank with flickering eyes.

    "So Master Kain finally managed to get this one out, huh¡­" Lucius said.

    "Indeed. Master Kain did say that it took him a lot of effort to convince his superiors to sell this tank to us. And even then the price was almost the same as that of a newly made one." Kiana said with a helpless expression.

    "That''s fine, we''ll be able to recoup the cost of this in a few uses anyway. Besides, this looks to be in a good condition." Lucius said as he looked at the sides of the ss tank, inspecting all its edges for any ws and cracks.

    Kiana watched as Lucius observed the ss tank with an almost obsessed expression.

    "Umm¡­ I know this is used by the artificers guild, but what is this Asher? It looks like a simple ss tank to me. I''ve seen some nobles keeping fishes in these." Kiana questioned.

    "Ahahaha! An aquarium you mean¡­ yes, it is quite simr to that. Except you don''t keep fishes in these¡­ you keep artifact frames and rune crystals in these." Lucius answered.

    "Artifact frames and rune crystals? You mean¡­ this is how artifacts are made?" Kiana asked, feeling a bit stunned.

    "Well yes. But there are other ways to make them of course. This one is just used to make the moreplex artifacts." Lucius replied.

    "Oh, I didn''t know that. But how can something like this be used to make artifacts? This doesn''t seem¡­ that special?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, that''s true. It does seem quite mundane, but it truly is one of the invaluable tools needed in the creation of artifacts." Lucius assured.

    "As for how its use¡­ I''ll show that to youter," Lucius said before looking towards the doors of the room, or more urately, beyond them into the corridor. "For now, we have our ''subjects'' to tame." He added.

    Kiana turned to see where Asher was looking at and saw that the guards wereing here with two prisoners in tow. Both of them were gagged and bound, along with having a ck cloth bag over their head.

    This was all ording to the specific directives Lucius had given them whenever they were to transport or escort any kind of prisoner or criminal. Even petty criminals were not spared from this armament and it was equal for or.

    This ensured that there was as little interaction between different prisoners and they didn''t get any information about the location they were in. The less they knew, the fewer the chances of them escaping.

    Lucius walked closer to the prisoners and quickly scanned them from top to the bottom, finding everything normal.

    "So these are the ones?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes, my lord." The guards responded respectfully.

    "Keep this one here, and put the other one in the solitary there." Lucius ordered.

    "As you wish." The guards said before doing their jobs.

    One of the prisoners was taken to the wall where a metal cab had been built. Its walls were also an inch thick and the cab itself was only three feet wide on each side. Plus, along with that, there were fixtures inside that would allow one to attach the shackles to them.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    The prisoner heard another metal door opening and got a bit startled. In the next moment, he felt himself getting shoved into a narrow space. He tried to struggle, but the grip of the guard was strong.

    These were no normal guards either and had the gift Muscle strengthening as well, which was enough to restrain them and prevent them from struggling.

    <em>~ck~</em>

    The shackles were attached to the fixtures inside the metal cab, and the prisoner was secured.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    Once that was done, the metal door of the cab was shut and locked from the outside, preventing any movement of the prisoner. The entire time, Lucius did not even spend a second seeing them and was instead preparing the table in front of him.

    Kiana on the other hand, felt quite unconformable at seeing the man being shoved inside the metal cab. But she just took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts out of her mind. To her, only Lucius mattered and everything else was invalid.

    ''I''ll do my best¡­'' Kiana thought to herself.

    "Do you need any help?" Kiana asked Lucius, seeing as he was doing everything himself.

    "No, I''m nearly done," Lucius replied as he finished setting up the table.

    Even this table was rather unique and had two t and long extensions on the sides of it that were movable. They could be lowered or raised as needed and they even had extra restraints on them.

    "Bring that man here andy him down," Lucius ordered.

    "Yes, my lord." The other guard said as he pushed the man and forcefully made himy down on the metal table.

    The clinging and sound of metal scratching against metal could be heard as Lucius started attaching all the restraints on the prisoner, who was trying to struggle his way out. If it were not for the mouth gags Lucius had asked there to be put on all of them, all of this would have definitely been quite loud and involved a lot of expletives.

    Thankfully, Lucius''s foresight wasing in handy here and had made the entire process smoother. Even the guards here were handpicked and were perfect for restraining the guards. Muscle strengthening and muscle amplification were quickly bing Lucius''s favorite gifts.

    They were very simple and straightforward gifts, but even then their uses were quite varied. This had increased the value of the people with these gifts in Lucius''s eyes.

    "And, done. Look at him, so perfectly aligned and snugly fit." Lucius said with a smile as he gazed at the prisoner, who was now attached to the table in a ''T'' shape.

    "You guys did well. You two can wait on the floor above, we''ll call for you when your presence is needed." Lucius said, waving his hand.

 Chapter 188 - A Criminal Named Doyle

    With the guards done, Lucius locked the door of theb beforeing back to the table where the prisoner was currently restrained.

    Removing the ck cloth from the man''s head, Lucius allowed him to see everything.

    "Wee to myb, mister Doyle." Lucius greeted the prisoner with a smile.

    The man in question first flinched before being stunned upon gazing at Lucius. It was evident that the man had recognized who Lucius was.

    "Ah, I see you know who I am now. Well, I know who you are too, mister Doyle." Lucius said before walking around the man in circles.

    "I''ve heard all about you, your life, your acts, your gifts and your crimes¡­ and I have to say some of the points are quite interesting. Managing to rob three nobles by posing as a messenger, melting off their faces and running off with the valuables, and even escaping for over a year.

    This is not something an average man can do. Your gift too is something I find very interesting¡­ Acid touch, now that''s a good gift if I''ve ever seen one before." Lucius spoke as he continued to walk around in circles.

    His voice was even and varied in tone, sounding as if he truly was very interested in the life of the prisoner named Doyle.

    In reality, Lucius was quite interested in it and had heard everything from Kiana while he was on the carriage ride here. Lucius had instructed Kiana to gather the reports and documents that contained the information about the various prisoners so that he could take a look.

    Since the people in this world had gifts that could give them some very significant advantages, the gifts of criminals were specifically recorded so that the guards would know who to watch out for.

    The methodology was developed so much that even the Church of Etara was involved in this and provided their appraisal services to the guards in the prisons. In Inanis city, it was usually priest Maleck who did this or one of his students.

    This is what he did in his off time when there were no appraisal ceremonies to be done and also what they made most of their ie from. Of course, this was an officially sanctioned job and the fees for the services were paid by the kingdom directly to the church of Etara.

    This helped a lot since there were often criminals that would either lie about their gifts or just not speak anything at all. With the involvement of the appraisal sphere, there was no scope for a mistake left there.

    Lucius was going to take full advantage of this to update his knowledge about gifts and also to get information added to nexus without the cost of Aether. He would simply have to read up about it and gaze at the prisoners for it to be added.

    ''Let''s see more about him shall we¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he activated Nexus.

    Gift Name: Acid Touch

    Description: The user can produce acid from his hands and touching things with this would result in those objects being corroded by the acid.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 12x Aether crystals, 4x st beetle rune crystals, 100 liters of sewage water.

    Looking at the description, Lucius nodded his head as it was the same as what he had read in the report. Though when he saw the evolution requirement, he was a bit surprised.

    ''Sewage water? Now that''s a very peculiar choice of material¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But he was not satisfied with just this. Having information about a single person was not enough for Lucius. If he did only this, it would be a waste of his time and Aether. Rather than just this, he wanted more¡­ way more.

    "Now then¡­ let''s see who else is the same as you, shall we?" Lucius spoke as he got a bit closer to Doyle.

    The man tried to struggle and even used his gift acid touch on the restraints. Sadly for him, this metal was alloyed steel and won''t melt from the acid at this level so easily. While it wasn''t actually resistant to it, just surface contact of acid would barely cause any damage to it.

    Only if it was fully immersed in a vat of acid, for example, would it work. This was also the reason why Lucius had prepared equipment such as this ''T'' shaped table, as it was needed in restraining people with gifts like these.

    Lucius activated Nexus again, but this time he also used Hell Aether in it.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Lucius''s eyes glowed gainly for a moment, making Doyle flinch slightly. But with how quickly it disappeared, he mistook it as an imaginary thing. Lucius on the other hand, tried his best to not wince at the pain of the headache that was coursing through his head right now.

    Other Owners: Doyle Smith, Ava Dirk,¡­ (total: 1247 people)

    A long list of people had appeared in Lucius''s mind and he had to forcibly suppress it. He feared that if he let it fully expand, it might be a bit too much for him and he may let out a grunt.

    Losingposure was not something he liked not preferred and thus he nipped it in the bud. With the list condensed into a mere number, it became easier for Lucius.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    ''It''ll take a few more tries to prevent it from showing the entire list at once. At least it''s better than before when it still showed five names at once¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Still, Lucius was quite satisfied with this result. Now that he had the identities of the other owners of the gift whenever he saw them, he would automatically know that they had this particr gift.

    It also worked as an identifier¡­ but in a roundabout way that would only work, if he had used nexus with Hell Aether on other people with the same gift.

    ''Now I''ll be able to keep tabs on people with more dangerous gifts and have backup ns ready¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

 Chapter 189 - Test Or Torture?

    With new information in hand, Lucius felt pleased and felt like he should proceed ahead now.

    "Let''s get to the main course, shall we?" Lucius said as his hands glowed in red light.

    Streaks of red energy came out of his hand and they highly swirled around them. This was the second time Kiana was seeing the hell energy and found it to be just as stunning as before.

    Lucius lightly touched Doyle on his head and injected the hell energy.

    "HNGHHHHH!" Doyle grunted out as he stretched his body taut.

    The gag prevented him from screaming and the restraints prevented him from thrashing around. The injection of Hell energy was not something that could be easily handled by normal humans.

    Even back in Lucius''s past world, most people that became the Lost were not actively injected with hell energy. Instead, they were kept in an area tainted with hell energy and left to passively absorb it.

    This was more of a passive method of making Lost. After all, why would the Great Barrom n spend extra hell energy in making something as lowly as a Lost? It was far easier for them to just stuff a bunch of people in their dungeons where there was plenty of ambient hell energy.

    Due to therge number of Great Barrom n members living above and around the dungeons, the entire territory was usually tainted with hell energy. This was also the reason why the great Barrom n was protected from invasions and attacks.

    After all, no one would carelessly attack a territory and go there, when merely being there could kill them. This was also the reason why the area where the servants of the Barrom n lived was in a separate area.

    The living areas of the servants were especially enchanted with hell energy repelling barriers. This way they would be safe from the effects of the hell energy for the most part.

    But even then, most adult servants of the Great Barrom n knew how to use hell energy and were mostly immune to its effect. It was actually the children of the servants that this barrier was maintained.

    In a way, this was just the Great Barrom n rearing human servants for their needs. They would care for the young until they were strong enough to survive on their own. Plus, with the harshpetition that existed in the n, and even among the servants, the weak would perish quickly.

    Lucius himself had killed over ten siblings of his own toe out on top. Perhaps only the True bloods of the n were free from thepetition and could live in a rtive life of luxury. Of course, a majority of them didn''t actually do this.

    After all, the great Barrom n was mostly a warring n and wastrels would be wiped out either actively by the higher ups when they failed and died in a mission, or passively by simply letting them die out.

    With a few memories of his past passing through his mind in a sh, Lucius was brought back to the reality by the nging of the metal restraints.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    Various metallic sounds were heard as Doyle tried his best to struggle and get free. But even then it was no use, as the energy within him was hurting him far more than he could hurt himself.

    About a minuteter, his eyes started to spasm and rolled back into his head. His veins popped up and a red hue spread over his body as if he had just been brought out of a tub full of hot and steaming water.

    Kiana, who had been watching it all with rapt attention, finally spoke, seeing that the man had done silent.

    "Is it¡­ over?" She questioned.

    "Over? No¡­ it''s only just starting." Lucius answered as he took a seat in a chair.

    Picking up a notebook from the side, he started taking notes. And of course, these notes were written in thenguage of his past world, which would make it impossible for anyone else to read it. Lucius didn''t mind Kiana seeing it anymore either, as her loyalty was more or less guaranteed.

    Besides, she was seeing the actual live process of turning a human into a lost, a little notebook would be the least of Lucius''s worries if she was had not pledged her loyalty to him. The two watched on as small changes started to ur within Doyle''s body.

    The red hue on his body became darker and darker until the muscles below his skin started to get thicker.

    ''Hmm¡­ muscle fiber density is increasing¡­ the first step is nearlyplete¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he noted down the time period it took for it to reach this point.

    The process was uneven at first, almost seeming random. Some parts of Doyle''s muscles bulged out more than the others. For example, a part on his neck swelled into five times its size, looking like a tumor instead.

    But over time the increase in muscles got more and more even, until it reached equilibrium. The restraints on Doyle''s hands were almost cutting into his skin due to how much it had increased.

    <em>~Kaching~</em>

    Lucius loosed the mechanism on the restraints which increased the size of the hoop that held Doyle''s hands in ce. The injury made by the restraints also stopped bleeding rather quickly and filled up with more muscles.

    "Hmm¡­ the regenerative ability is significantly faster¡­ though the question is if this is a permanent change or a transient effect of the transformation?" Lucius questioned himself.

    Kiana was lost at several words that Lucius was speaking and just shook her head, thinking that it was best left to him. Lucius observed the man for about another hour before deciding that the first step was fullypleted.

    "Ah, now we can give him a bit more of the energy¡­" Lucius spoke.

    "More energy? But didn''t you give Keith only a little bit back then?" Kiana questioned.

    "I did yes, but it also took him a long time to transform. We will be elerating it a bit here." Lucius answered.

 Chapter 190 - A Completed Lost And Differences

    Letting Kiana think to herself for now Lucius proceeded to the next step. He injected more Hell energy into Doyle, this time double the dose that he had given the man before. The hell energy entered the man''s body rather smoothly this time.

    "HNGNGNGNN!!" A strange grunt came out from the man''s mouth when this was done and it could not be identified if this was due to pain or something else.

    Since he had already been infected by the hell energy and his body transformed up to a certain extent, Doyle had an easier time talking up all the hell energy. Also unlike the Bore Shrew''s, he was not malnourished.

    Lucius was able to skip the feeding step due to this and noted it down for future.

    ''Make sure that the subjects are well fed before beginning the procedure¡­ manual feeding might be troublesome¡­'' Lucius noted.

    For about a minute, no change could be seen in Doyle, as if the calm before the storm. But soon his body started to twitch and spasm again.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    He moved around, struggling to pull his limbs, but all that caused was for them to hit the metal table and create a lot of noise. The unevenly grown muscles became a bit more smooth and grew more.

    An hour passed like this and his body had grown about one size bigger. While Doyle had not grown any taller, his mass itself had increased by quite a lot. If he were a skinny man before, he was now a buff bodybuilder.

    "Looks like the body has grown enough to amodate thetter changes now¡­ only to wait for them toe¡­" Lucius muttered.

    Surely, about fifteen minutester, the body of Doyle started to transform again. This time his skin darkened to a more maroon shade and teeth popped out from the corners of his lips.

    In addition to that, small horns started to grow out from the sides of his head while his nails fell out. His finger tips then started to darken until a hard shell likeyer covered them fully, recing the nail and the first segment of the finger entirely.

    These changes were slower than before and it took two more hours before the rest of the spikes started to appear on his body. Spikes came out from his arms and upper torso like some insect.

    Looking at this, Lucius narrowed his eyes as it was a bit unexpected.

    ''Hmm¡­ I don''t think I''ve seen a Lost that looked like this before¡­. Even Keith was different from the normal ones. Is this due to the presence of Aether or just the innate differences in the humans of this world?'' Lucius wondered.

    There were a lot of things Lucius was getting to learn and he was only getting more and more interested.

    "Let''s see if there is a difference now or not¡­" Lucius muttered to himself as he activated Nexus again.

    Gift Name: Acid Touch

    Description: The user can produce acid from his hands and touching things with this would result in those objects being corroded by the acid.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 12x Aether crystals, 4x st beetle rune crystals, 100 liters of sewage water.

    Other Owners: Doyle Smith, Ava Dirk,¡­ (total: 1247 people)

    Hell Energy Corruption: Lesser

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy. The creature will also have slightly higher intelligence than before and can understandmands.

    Corruption level: Lesser

    Corrupted Gift: Locked

    (Corrupted Gift: Corrupting Touch)

    Other Owners: None

    The information that had appeared in front of Lucius surprised him again. This time the corruption was different from Minor and was at Lesser instead.

    ''So this is the next level of corruption¡­ though I wonder what the other ranks will be¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But that was not all, as the info about the corruption had changed as well. Not only was the strength of the Lost higher, but it also had higher intelligence than before. Lucius knew that those who became will lose all semnce of humanity and be mindless creatures, only living to satisfy their instinctive desires.

    Only those Lost that grew further would have better intellect and were also the ones who couldmand the other Lost. Lucius had seen some Lost that were perhaps stronger than even the Barrom n''s elders.

    They were called as the General Ranked Lost and were a nightmare on the battlefield. Lost that had managed to grow to this level were no less than humans in intelligence and could evenmunicate.

    Not only was their physical strength massive, but they could even use magic!

    But that was not the most terrifying feature of them, rather it was their ability tomand a literal army of the lost. A Single General Ranked Lost could easily lead an army of over a million Lost and decimate their enemies.

    These General Ranked Lost were one of the Trump cards of the Great Barrom n and there were only a few of them in the entire n. It had taken these Lost hundreds of years to reach this level and they actually had quite a respected position on the n as well.

    So far to Lucius, Doyle seemed to be at the average level. But he could only determine the actual limit after several tests.

    "Hopefully, he can takemands better than the bore shrews. At least him being human previously should make it so that its brain automatically understands what those words mean, unlike the Bore Shrews that needed to be trained like animals." Lucius said to himself.

    He observed the former human for a while before standing up from the chair.

    "Is it done now?" Kiana who had been silent all these hours, asked.

    To her, the entire process was rather fascinating. While she could not estimate the strength or power of the thing in front of her. From its size, she could at least tell that it would be stronger than what it was before.

    Lucius nodded his head upon hearing her words.

    "Even if its notpletely done, it should be close," Lucius replied.

    "What are you doing?" Kiana asked, seeing that Lucius had picked up what was a small knife from the table.

    "We need to see how tough this thing is, don''t we?" Lucius stated.

    "Ah, I see¡­" Kiana replied and watched attentively.

    Lucius brought the knife close to Doyle''s arm and slowly moved it over it in a cutting motion.

    "Okay... Good¡­ resistance to general cuts¡­" Lucius muttered before increasing the force.

    If before he was simply stroking the skin with the knife, now he was actively trying to chop it. But instead of piercing the skin, the knife was stopped by the thick maroon skin that had gained a shell like texture.

    "This is almost like steel armor, isn''t it?" Kiana said upon seeing the effect.

    "Mmhmm¡­ but the question remains how strong it is," Lucius said before lifting the Knife up high and holding it in a stabbing posture.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    Lucius brought the knife down and it hit the skin of Doyle. It managed to pierce into it slightly, but there was no blooding out from it. Lucius raised his brows and pulled out the knife before taking a pair of metal spreaders and pulling the cut part apart.

    "Huh, even after getting pierced, it did not reach its flesh. Just the tough armor like skin is this thick." Lucius said upon examining the cut.

    ''This is definitely far stronger than themon Lost I''ve seen in my past world. While there were some sses of them that were more defensive than others, they were made to grow that way. This one just did so on its own¡­'' Luciuspared.

    Kiana on the other hand, seemed shocked.

    "This level of defense¡­. Isn''t this already at the level of a Rare ranked gift?" Kiana said upon seeing the condition of Doyle.

    "Perhaps it can be considered that way. But there are more factors we need to check. I think their gift is still intact within them and they should be able to use that as well. I''ve already seen it in the bore shrews and their gift only got strengthened." Lucius spoke.

    "There are more features?!" Kiana was now truly overwhelmed.

    What Lucius had done was basically double or even triple the power of a person. Not only did their body increase in toughness, but their gift was also said to have be enhanced. She could only wonder how strong the raw physical power of the Lost would be.

    But she saw Lucius staring at Doyle with a hand on his chin as if deep in thought.

    "What are you thinking?" Kiana asked.

    "Hmm¡­ we need to find the actual limit of this thing. If it ever goes out of control, we need to know how to kill it and how much will be needed to do it." Lucius replied.

    Kiana''s eyes went wide as she finally realized that there was still a chance the thing in front of them might not work as they wanted it to.

 Chapter 191 - Breaking Defenses

    Lucius looked at Kiana as an idea appeared in his mind.

    They needed to test out the defensive limits of Doyle who had now turned into a Lost. While Lucius was sure that he would be able to control him due to hell energy, there was still a fractional chance that the man might get out of control.

    After all, there was the unknown factor of gifts in this world. Lucius didn''t know if there existed gifts that could control other people and if they did whether they would be able to control Doyle.

    There were many factors that could fall under this and Lucius wanted to have a backup in case someone ever took the control of Doyle away from him. He wanted to know the weakness that Doyle should have.

    "I want you to use Sting Sniper on Doyle," Lucius ordered.

    "Huh? Really?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, if it can break through his defense, then we will at least have a baseline of how much damage is needed to even start to hurt him." Lucius replied.

    Kiana thought over it and found his concerns to be rather valid.

    "Alright, I''ll do it," Kiana said as she got into a more proper position and came closer.

    "Where do you want me to attack him?" Kiana questioned.

    "Attack his shoulder. The thickness should be more than this and it will give us a better idea of breaching his torso." Lucius exined.

    "Okay," Kiana said as she aimed her hand at the shoulder of the former man.

    Ayer of metal appeared on her palm before a small protrusion came out. This protrusionpletely left the skin and floated over her palm, turning into a needle. Kiana aimed it at the shoulder of Doyle and shot it out.

    Not even a sound could be heard when it was shot, but the moment it hit the surface of Doyle''s shoulder a very crisp hum was heard.

    <em>~ting~</em>

    Lucius raised his brows and came to check what had happened to Doyle''s shoulder.

    "Doesn''t look much from just this¡­" Kiana said upon seeing that almost same shoulder.

    "No¡­ it has certainly done something." Lucius said as he picked up a pair of narrow tongs.

    He pried the skin from where the needle had entered and used the tongs to see if he could pull it out. Surprisingly he could not do so and it was as if there was nothing in there.

    "Let''s see if there''s anything on the other end." Lucius said before going to the other side.

    Kiana watched on and saw Lucius lift the shoulder of Doyle lightly. Since he was still restrained to the table, it could not be lifted up too much. But it was still enough for Lucius to examine it.

    "Oh? Seems like we didn''t need to lift it at all¡­ the needle passed straight through the table itself." Lucius said upon seeing the tiny hole in it.

    He ced the shoulder back on the table and bent down to see the bottom of the table, seeing the clear hole. Turning his neck to the floor, he could see that the needle had pierced even the stone floor and embedded itself fully.

    "Excellent!" Lucius said out loud.

    "Is everything good?" Kiana asked.

    "It''s very good! Now we know that something on the level of your gift can stop Doyle and we also got to know that your ability is far stronger than we expected." Lucius praised.

    Kiana had a smile on her face after seeing this and nodded he head.

    "So it should be fine now, right?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yes. Even if he breaks out of my control, we now know how to neutralize him." Lucius answered.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    Kiana couldn''t help but take a breath of relief after hearing this. She had seen how much Doyle had increased in size and while she did not know his strength, she had seen Keith rip chains and break the wrists of others like twigs.

    If even the slimmer Keith can do it, then Doyle, who was at least two sizes bigger in this state, would definitely be able to do a lot more than just that. It would be a terrifying thing if somehow he managed to get out of their control.

    This was not something they wanted at all. And while Kiana was now confident that she would be able to kill Doyle if it really came to it, she didn''t know if she would have the opportunity to do so during those particr moments.

    After all, if something were to go wrong despite Lucius''s nning and management, then it would have to be something really severe.

    "Now that we know this, what''s the next step?" Kiana questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ most of the development is already done for Doyle. I guess his brain only needs to adapt to it and awaken on its own. Once that is done, we should be ready to go." Lucius answered.

    "So¡­ we wait?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes¡­ we shall wait. I don''t think it will take much longer either." Lucius replied.

    "Though I think it''s nearly time for lunch. I''ll get us food till then. At least we might as well finish our lunch in that wait time." Kiana suggested.

    Lucius nodded his head and agreed, "please do then."

    Kiana left theb and quickly went to get some food for them to eat. She returned in less than five minutes with their lunch, which was just some sandwiches packed with meat and vegetables.

    As a surprise to Lucius, no matter how many worlds he saw during his journey through the dimensions, nearly every one of them had sandwiches as a type of dish. Even if their styles varied, the one thing that wasmon was that bread was used as a vessel and covering for the other ingredients.

    With the lunch ready, the two of them finished it quickly and cleaned up. It took about one and a half hour since the testing for Doyle to show some movement.

    "Hnghgh!" Doyle suddenly opened his eyes.

 Chapter 192 - The Awakened Doyle

    Lucius and Kiana watched as his eerie yellow eyes opened up. The sclera of the eye was yellow in color while the pupils were red in color. And at the very center of the pupil, a ck dot could also be seen.

    This was one of the major changes that had appeared in Doyle''s physiology. His eyes were enough to strike fear in most people''s hearts, while those that were of weaker will might just faint from one look.

    Lucius nodded his head upon seeing this and approached the newly awakened Lost.

    "Listen to me, Doyle," Lucius called out.

    "Hmm?" Doyle let out a strange grunt as he turned his neck in a rather extreme manner to look at Lucius.

    It was even a bit grotesque to see a neck stretched in a manner like that and if it were any normal human, they would have likely damaged their neck at that point. But to Doyle, who was now a lost, this seemed like a natural posture.

    "So he at least knows we are speaking to him." Lucius said. "His response to his name is a good sign."

    But when Kiana got a bit closer Doyle''s eyes snapped towards here.

    "HRNNNN!" A strange and violent sound was let out from his mouth as he bared his fangs at Kiana.

    That sharp tooth and the dark red mouth looked scary, and Kiana almost flinched at it.

    "Don''t show weakness," Lucius said as he grasped her hand.

    "They will determine their standing by this¡­" Lucius added.

    Kiana narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly before looking back at the being straight. This time there was no fear in her eyes and she stared down at the former human till it averted its gaze from her.

    "Can you get up Doyle?" Lucius questioned while waving his hand that was glowing with hell energy.

    Seeing the hell energy on Lucius''s hands, Doyle suddenly got excited.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    He pulled on his restraints to break free, but found it to be difficult.

    "HAAA!" Doyle grunted again as he put his entire force on it.

    "Is this fine?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yes¡­ at least we have the preliminary confirmation that he does understand to us. Now we get to test his strength and see if he can break free or not. It will give us a reference for future, just in case one of them does not want to listen to us for some reason and breaks free from their restraints." Lucius exined.

    "Though¡­ keep Sting Sniper ready, just in case." Lucius added.

    "Okay," Kiana said with a nod.

    She turned her hand behind her back so as to hide it from the view of the thing in front of her and activated her gift. It had already been established that Doyle could still think up to a certain level and might act against them if he detects direct antagonism.

    Kiana''s palm got a metallicyer before a small needle floated out of it. She kept it hidden in her palm as she lowered it to look normal. On the other hand, Lucius put one of his hands the handle of the sheathed sword that was on his waist.

    This was none other than the Wind scar sword that was a gift from the king. While in concentrated attack power it was weaker than that of Kiana''s gift Sting Sniper, Lucius reckoned that it should still do enough damage at close range, and even if that was not possible, it was still strange enough to push back an enemy.

    After all, even if the body of Doyle had a thick skin and high defense, it didn''t mean that he could not be pushed back. Though looking at his sharp toes there was a chance he might just be able to do that as well.

    ''Well¡­ better than nothing, I guess. If it really goes too much, I''ll just use soul implosion.'' Lucius thought to himself as he looked on at Doyle.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    The nging of metal restraints only got louder, until a creak was suddenly heard.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    One of the chains that held back Doyle''s wrist was pulled to the limit, before it finally cracked.

    "HRAAAAAAA!" Doyle let out a cry as his left hand was freed.

    As for why it was the left hand? Doyle''s right hand had been injured by Kiana using sting sniper before. Even if he had a higher healing rate than before, deep tissue damage like that was nothing, something that could be fully healed quickly.

    While the surfaces of his skin had closed up and there was no bleeding, it didn''t mean that there still wasn''t damage to it. Because of this, the strength of his right arm was lower than that of his left hand.

    But now that his left hand was free, Doyle was using that to free his right. Which was done rather easily.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    Doyle simply used his nails and pried open the shackle that held his right hand in ce. Once that was done he removed the restraints on his neck and then the waist.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    His feet on the other hand, managed to free themselves. Since they were locked together, Doyle used the nails of his toes to break the restraints that way.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    "HYAA!" Doyle let out a cry that was almost bordering on victorious as he made the table copse and he stood up.

    His hulking figure was now in full disy and was easier to judge for Lucius and Kiana.

    He was over six feet tall, and had wide shoulders looking like that of a wall. His legs were slimmerpared to his body structure, while his arms were a bit longer and muscr. Then there was the glimmer of his dark nails that flickered against themps of theb.

    Doyle turned around and looked at the two other people in theb before his pupils reduced in size.

    <em>~p~p~p~</em>

    "Very good Doyle¡­ very good." Lucius said with a p.

    "Now then¡­ KNEEL!"

 Chapter 193 - Obedience

    Lucius'' words were like the holy decree that had descended upon the earth. An imposing presence exuded off his body and pressured Doyle to no extend.

    At this movement, Lucius was the most terrifying thing to Doyle in the world. If before he was just showing interest and thus acting ording to Lucius, now he was doing it because of a fear that came from the depths of his soul.

    Even though most of Doyle''s intellect had faded away, there were still the self preservation instincts that were left intact within his body. It was these instincts that were telling him to obey the words of the man in front of him.

    They told him that if he did not obey him, his life would be snuffed out in the blink of an eye.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    As a surprise to Kiana, the violent looking Doyle suddenly kneeled down and became every subservient to Lucius. It did not even dare look up and had its head buried in the ground.

    His kneeling was strong enough to have created cracks on the stone floor.

    Lucius kept his posture and expression as he stared down at Doyle without moving his gaze. The longer he stared the more terrified Doyle felt. After a few seconds, he couldn''t help but start to shiver and Kiana felt even more surprised.

    She could tell that the thing in front of her was scare of Lucius.

    ''No¡­ not just scared¡­ it''s terrified out of its wits¡­'' Kiana thought to herself.

    She couldn''t help but take a look at Lucius only to find him looking normal.

    ''Huh¡­ so it is just the effect of his gift due to which this thing is acting like that. But if it really is like that then what will happen to Keith? Will he be controble for Lucius too?" Kiana couldn''t help but wonder to herself.

    With Doyle''s submissions, Lucius felt pleased internally and knew that the suppression of the hell energy was the same as that of hisst world. Since it was Lucius''s own hell energy that had caused the transformation, it was obvious that Doyle would be extra sensitive to it.

    Plus, the Lost desired Hell energy and fed on it for sustenance. They had the uncanny ability to find out sources of Hell energy in the world and they would often be found wandering areas that were either corrupted by hell energy or areas with spatial rifts.

    This was the case for the natural born Lost. As for the ones that were artificially created, they would obey anyone that gave them hell energy. Though the effect would be the strongest in someone who was created by a specific person''s hell energy.

    ''Hmm¡­ the response was faster than I expected. The intelligence should also be higher than an average lost then.'' Lucius assessed.

    About a minute passed like this, during which Lucius just gazed at Doyle and measured his reactions by the eye. The Lost was mostly unmoving and stayed in the Kneeling posture, but the tremors that arrived from time to time were also present.

    ''He might be smart enough to be a Lost Thrall. If he does, then that will be a nice upgrade to all this.'' Lucius thought to himself as a smile appeared on his face.

    The Lost had their own ranking with the Generals at the very top. At the bottom were the newly made Lost and were unranked. Another rank above them were those that had slightly better intelligence and could understand orders in greater depth.

    These Lost were given the rank called Thralls. They were often used to send messages and items to others and were mostly like servants. Most of the members of the Great Barrom n had their own Thralls, but still preferred the human servants over them.

    After all, the humans had a better appearance and could be used in more ways than just one. Plus, the Lost Thralls were only good for basic tasks that required little thinking.

    After all, the true bloods couldn''t ask a Thrall to open and serve a bottle of high quality magic wine, could they? It would just end up in a mess and loss of good wine if that ever happened.

    "Stand up," Lucius ordered after another minute.

    <em>~SNAP~</em>

    The tendons of the newly made Lost snapped as his limbs moved. Just from this, one could understand how tense the creature was.

    "You shall keep the name Doyle, but know that from now on I shall be your master!" Lucius said before cing his hand on the head of the Lost.

    Doyle didn''t dare move and let Lucius''s handnd on his head. But once it was on his head, the fear that the Lost was feeling this entire time vanished. Instead, what reced it was pleasure along with attachment.

    Lucius''s hand was glowing with a red light as a small amount of Hell energy was injected into the body of Doyle. Lucius hadn''t just done this to feed the being who had probably exhausted a lot of energy and nutrients and breaking out from its restraints, but rather because Lucius was also embedding the iron d rules into the soul of this Lost.

    The rules dictated nothing but absolute loyalty to Lucius and only him. He did leave some leeway for others tomand the Lost in absence of him, but that was only when Lucius himself had allocated the Lost to another person.

    After all, there was only him who could use hell energy in this world and he didn''t have ns of introducing this thing to others. Not only would it be dubious, but would also bring about the churchs'' eye. And if the churches suspected something and made him into a viin right away, Lucius would have no way of surviving it.

    Even Kiana, who had the mark of loyalty from Lucius, was told that this was due to Lucius''s gift and not actually somethingpletely different. To the people of this world, Aether was the sole energy that existed and no other thing such as mana or hell energy was in existence.

    <em>~Huu~</em>

    Lucius took a deep breath as he lifted his hand from the head of the Lost.

    Doyle also calmed down extensively after that and managed to lift his head to look at Lucius and then Kiana.

    "That is a vast difference," Kiana couldn''t help but say upon seeing the current face of Doyle.

    It was no longer as agitated as before, and the veins were not popping out. Even his eyes that had different colors than normal people seemed to be rxed and were not pin point anymore.

    "Indeed. Now we should have no problem with him." Lucius spoke.

    "Does that mean you have control over him?" Kiana questioned.

    "Not just control¡­ I can dictate its life or death if I want to¡­ I can feel it in my gift." Lucius answered.

    Kiana''s eyes flickered upon hearing this, and an awed expression dressed her face.

    ''A gift that can control others to this extent¡­ not even legendary gifts can reach this point, can they?'' Kiana wondered to herself.

    While Kiana was lost in her fantasy for the time being, Lucius decided to test out the responsiveness of Doyle.

    "Go there," he ordered.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Doyle''s steps resound in the room as he moved ording to Lucius''s directions.

    "Go left," Lucius ordered a gain.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    "Turn around and take ten steps,"

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~~thud~thud~thud~~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    Lucius couldn''t help but narrow his eyes upon seeing the amount of noise the foot steps of Doyle made.

    ''This might be too much for others. If I want to let him operate in the open, it will need to hide a lot of things and disguise well. But the steps will give him away no matter what and people will be suspicious. Even a heavy knight in full armor does not make this much noise and vibrations.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Lighter! You need to step lighter! Use gentle foot steps!" Lucius directed the Lost.

    Doyle stopped for a moment and gazed at Lucius as if trying toprehend his orders.

    Lucius didn''t mind this and knew that it would take the Lost a while to get adapted to everything. He let the being look at him andprehend the order.

    The way the Lost operated and thought was also a bit different. The reason why Doyle was looking at Lucius was not just because he had heard him, but because it was trying to understand the emotions behind Lucius''s orders.

    As a newly made lost, Doyle could not pick up emotions, tones, and intentions from just the voice and needed to see the expression of his master to get the most appropriate response. Without it, there was a great chance it might make a mistake.

    And that was not something they wanted after all.

    After staring at Lucius for about thirty seconds, Doyle turned around and started to walk again.

 Chapter 194 - Baza The Speedy Bandit

    Lucius observed the Lost and saw that it was indeed walking lighter than before. While his footsteps were still loud, they could at least be attributed to his size and weight now and wouldn''t bring too much attention.

    "Good! That''s how you should walk." Lucius said, making the Lost stop and turn around.

    After this, Lucius gave Doyle a few more orders and tested out some more things. Only after an entire hour had passed did he decide to stop.

    "Looks like your control is very good," Kianamented.

    "Indeed. This will make things far easier for us. Though¡­ there is still the question of more such creatures." Lucius spoke.

    "What do you mean?" Kiana questioned.

    "Having one of them doesn''t really feel much and the bore shrews didn''t feel hard to control either. But we have to remember these are far bigger and stronger than bore shrews." Lucius answered.

    "Ah, I understand. So you are worried that you might not be able to have the same level of control over more such beings." Kiana replied.

    "Exactly. Though it''s more because I don''t know if my gift is at that level yet or not. I''m sure as my gift grows and my proficiency with it increases, I won''t have as many problems." Lucius stated.

    Kiana nodded her head and suddenly remembered something. She looked towards the metal cab that was attached to the wall.

    "Are you going to stop here now?" Kiana asked.

    "No, we still have one more subject to test it out on. Another lostmb that needs guidance¡­" Lucius said as he went towards the metal cab.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    The door of the cab was opened and the other prisoner that was kept inside it was revealed. The man seemed to be hanging off his restrictions and was forcibly standing due to them.

    He had evidently passed out at some point in time. Lucius raised his brows upon seeing this and checked to see if the man was still alive or just unconscious.

    "Oh, he''s fine, just fainted." Lucius said before opening the restraints of the man.

    "Come, carry this man for me and ce it on the table there, Doyle." Lucius ordered.

    "Hmm!" A grunt of agreement came from Doyle as he walked towards the cab, before picking up the fainted man.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    Putting the man on the metal table, Doyle retreated and looked toward Lucius for further orders. In response to that, Lucius lifted his hand and pointed it towards Doyle.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    A red streak of energy was shot out from his hand that entered the head of Doyle making him feel pleased.

    "Go stand near the wall silently. I''ll call for you when needed." Lucius ordered.

    Having received a reward, Doyle immediately turned around and carried out the orders obediently. With him gone, Lucius put the restraints on the prisoner and got ready to do the same thing.

    "At least he won''t talk as he''s knocked out¡­" Lucius muttered before slightly squinting his eyes as Nexus activated.

    Gift Name: Wind Gait

    Description: Allows the user to gain the assistance of the wind, muffling their steps and increasing their speed greatly.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 5x Aether Crystals, 8x Stream Swallow Rune Crystals, 1 Kilogram of whistle weed.

    Other Owners: Sam Aldon¡­ (Total owners: 917)

    Seeing the information in front of him, Lucius nodded his head.

    "Just as reported¡­ though that name in the end¡­ Sam Aldon," Lucius muttered.

    He then looked towards Kiana and spoke, "the name of this prisoner is Baza Aldon right?"

    "Umm¡­ ording to the records, yes. This is Baza, the Speedy Bandit. He''s well known for stealing and robbing thousands of people. With his gift he has managed to get away always and was only caught because he was passed out drunk when someone recognized him.

    They broke his legs so that he could not use his gift, and I think he''s still recovering." Kiana replied.

    "I see¡­ does he have any family?" Lucius questioned.

    "He probably should. But we don''t have it on the records and neither has he mentioned it before. We do know that he is not from thend of Etara and is an outsider, so he probably has family living elsewhere." Kiana answered.

    Lucius nodded his head while thinking of the name that was in the other owner''s section of the information. While Nexus usually showed a lot of names upon being used with hell aether, Lucius had managed to suppress it by now since it just gave him a splitting headache.

    But even then it had shown one name due to Lucius not having full grasp over it yet.

    ''Though that did end up bringing me a pleasant surprise. Both have the same gift and the same surname, Aldon. They are definitely rted somehow and that should a family member of this guy.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "No wonder he passed out, though. I didn''t know they broke his legs. He was definitely in pain the entire time and being forced to stand on legs that had not fully recovered probably made him faint." Lucius said before getting closing his eyes.

    He checked how much hell energy he had left and realized that it was just enough for another trial.

    "Alright, let''s begin this. Hopefully, we are done before midnight." Lucius stated.

    "About that, I already have a room prepared for you in the next room, if you want to stay here. Though I think it would be best if you stay in the top floor''s room, as this area is still not fully prepared." Kiana reminded.

    "Alright, that will make things convenient," Lucius replied before walking towards Baza.

    He put his hand over his head and started to inject hell energy into his body. The same process as with Doyle started and progressed at the same rate.

    Lucius and Kiana watched on as the man started to transform and change. He let out several grunts but due to being unconscious since the start, he didn''t make much noise. Lucius took note of this and decided that having subjects sedated one way or the other might be a better choice.

    Lucius continued to watch on as the man reached the point where he needed the second infusion of Hell energy, which Lucius gave him quickly.

    "Oh?" Here was the point where the differentiation between Doyle and Baza started.

    While Baza''s body also grew a lot, it didn''t be muscr like Doyle. Instead of that, it became a bit more slimmer and athletic. His legs and arms grew longer while the muscles on his thighs and calves made snapping sounds.

    It looked like they were cramping real bad and if any normal person saw it they would wince in disgust. His bones were also making a lot of cracking and snapping sound and it was obvious they were changing greatly as well.

    Lucius paid particr attention to the man''s legs as they were having the most unique changes and saw that the soles of his feet were bing thicker and a rubberyyer of skin had covered it. The skin was darker than the rest of his body''s skin, looking more brown than maroon.

    The torso of the man stayed almost the same but got more athletic with ripped abs appearing on his stomach. The facial changes of Baza though were almost the same as that of Doyle and he grew fangs and different colored eyes.

    "Oh? He actually retained his hair¡­ Now that''s new." Lucius said upon noticing the hair that was slowly growing.

    Doyle had fully shed his hair upon transforming and had no hair on his head nor anywhere on his body. This was consistent with the other Lost that Lucius knew of and had seen. Nearly all lost has hair-less body that was more like toughed armor instead.

    But for Baza, the hair on his body increased in length and turned into an almost fur like level. Except for his face, the rest of his body was now fully covered in hair and he looked more like an ape.

    "That''s a strange mutation¡­" Lucius muttered.

    He could still understand the change in Baza''s legs as his gift was more oriented toward his legs and they were naturally more developed and stronger. But Hair was unrted to it and Lucius couldn''t understand why it had now grown to the level of an animal.

    Even the few rare Lost that did have hair in his past world had it on their head. As for the animals and beasts that were corrupted by hell energy, they weren''t called as lost even though the process was rtivity simr.

    They were instead called hell beasts. Not only did they have lower intelligence than the normal Lost, but they were also harder to control as well. But they were also stronger than the normal lost whenpared at the same level.

    This had often caused them to be picked as mounts for the true bloods of the Great Barrom n.

 Chapter 195 - Unlocked Corrupted Gift

    While Lucius was quite intrigued by the changes in Baza, he didn''t think they would bring about any particr difference in his capabilities.

    Lucius watched on as Bazapleted his transformation. A couple more hours passed, and it was official night time. Kiana had already asked Lucius to eat dinner, but he passed on it, saying that he''ll have it after he was done with Baza.

    Doyle on the other hand, was sleeping calmly against the wall while standing. It was as if he had turned into a solid statue. Even his breathing could not be seen, as his chest simply did not move.

    If someone walked into theb right now and saw Doyle, they would be scared at first, but then think that this was just a very borate statue made by an expert craftsman. There were many nobles that liked to keep stuffed taxidermy animals and rune beasts in their residences.

    So some might even think this was something like that. After all, Doyle looked no less than a rune beast and with the sheer number of weird rune beasts that existed in the world, it would not be hard to confuse it with one.

    Lucius did his third infusion of Hell energy into Baza, hereby depleting most of his hell energy. This was thest bit needed toplete Baza''s transformationpletely.

    "Hnggg!!!" Baza''s eyes suddenly opened as he woke up.

    "Break through your restraints, Baza," Lucius ordered, wanting to see the Lost''s strength.

    <em>~CLANG~ CLANG~</em>

    The restraints on his legs were instantly broken, showing the power of his legs while the ones on his arms were still a bit tough for it to break instantly. Baza struggled for about a minute, before finally managing to break the ones on his arm as well.

    And with his arms free, the other restraints were far easier for him to break.

    <em>~THUD~</em>

    Baza got down from the metal table and looked towards Lucius. His eyes were far calmer than Doyle''s and he did not react violently either.

    "Hmm¡­ this is certainly an improvement¡­" Lucius muttered before extending his hand towards him.

    The red glow of Hell energy appeared on his hand before flowing out towards Baza and entering his body.

    "Now then¡­ follow my ordered closely," Lucius said before directing Baza to follow the same routine as that of Doyle.

    Here he could figure out the differences that existed between the two lost. Baza was lighter in weight than Doyle and also had naturally light footsteps. In fact, when Lucius asked him to walk lightly, all sounds of his steps disappeared.

    This brought Lucius''s attention towards his feet, or more specifically towards the rubberyyer of skin that was on the bottom.

    "Huh, this is rather interesting. So his gift directly influenced his transformation by adding the traits of his gift directly to his legs." Lucius muttered.

    But this gave rise to another idea in his mind.

    "Hang on¡­ Could it be?" Lucius said before squinting his eyes and using Nexus on Baza again.

    Gift Name: Wind Gait

    Description: Allows the user to gain the assistance of the wind, muffling their steps and increasing their speed greatly.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 5x Aether Crystals, 8x Stream Swallow Rune Crystals, 1 Kilogram of whistle weed.

    Other Owners: Sam Aldon¡­ (Total owners: 917)

    Hell Energy Corruption: Lesser

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy. The creature will also have slightly higher intelligence than before and can understandmands.

    Corruption level: Lesser

    Corrupted Gift: Unlocked

    Corrupted Gift: Shadow Gait

    Description: The creature''s body has fully adapted the gift and allows it to walk with almost no sound. Even the vibrationsing from the footsteps well be dampened to a great extent. The creature''s speed increases greatly when in shadows.

    Other Owners: None

    Lucius got a little headache upon using the nexus to this extend and depleting his aether, but upon seeing the information shown by nexus he thought that it was definitely worth it.

    ''So he actually has a corrupted gift that is unlocked. But this doesn''t give an idea about how it is unlocked¡­ what are the specific conditions for it being unlocked?'' Lucius thought to himself.

    At first, Lucius had the assumption that when the corruption level increased above lesser, the corrupted gift might be unlocked. But now that seemed to not be the case. Lucius evenpared the amount of hell energy he had spent on each Lost and realized that it was nearly the same, with Doyle taking a bit more.

    "Is it a factor of time, then? No¡­ Doyle has been awake longer and took the same time to transform, too. Keith took far longer than them and still didn''t awaken his gift when I checked him back then¡­ although there is a chance he might have awakenedter on." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Lucius was speaking in quite a low voice such that even Kiana could not hear him. Kiana was also looking at the new Lost Baza and found him to be far less intimidating than Doyle. In fact, the fur that covered Baza made him look more like a fluffy animal instead.

    Lucius decided to stop for now and rest.

    ''I need to recover both Aether and Hell energy now¡­'' Lucius thought to himself before looking at Kiana.

    "Let''s go, we''ll have dinner." Lucius spoke.

    "You finally done?" Kiana asked for confirmation.

    "Yes. I''ll let these two stay here for the time being. Seeing Doyle didn''t move around it should be fine to keep them as it is." Lucius replied.

    "Okay," Kiana nodded and the two of them decided to leave.

    "Baza, go and sleep there," Lucius ordered while sending out whatever hell energy he could.

    It was only the size of single hair but it was enough to transmit the order.

    "Eng!!" once Baza absorbed the hell energy, he heeded the orders and went to stand opposite to Doyle and closed his eyes to fall asleep.

    With all that done, Lucius and Kiana went upstairs to eat their dinner. Quickly finishing their dinner in thirty minutes, Lucius went back downstairs to sleep. In the basement, two rooms were prepared right now and one of them was theb.

    The other room was the bedroom, Lucius had asked for. As of this moment, there was only a bed, and some curtains set up in the bedroom. It was also far colder than other parts of the building and needed a brazier to keep it warm.

    Thankfully, there was a firece that was built into the sides of its wall that went all the way to the top of the building. Kiana quickly set up some fire in there, allowing the room to get a bit warmer than before.

    The dampness was also reduced by quite a bit and allowed Lucius to sleep faster.

    Besides, Lucius had slept in far worse ces in his life before and this was nothing to him. In fact, this might actually be a better room than the one he had grown up in the Great Barrom n and that too all to himself.

    In the great Barrom n, he had his siblings slept in a small room together. The room had no windows or any decorations, built mainly of cold, hard stone. Only those that showed good aptitude and abilities would be allowed to have better living conditions.

    Reminiscing the memories of his past life, Lucius fell asleep and had a far better sleep than he had expected. Morning came, and he was woken up by Kiana.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The metal bed creaked under his movement, and Lucius rubbed his eyes.

    "Here you go," Kiana brought arge bowl and a jug of water to him.

    "Thank you¡­" Lucius said before using the water from the jug to wash his face and freshen up.

    After about a minute, Lucius was ready to go about his day. Once he washed off his grogginess, Lucius could feel the difference in his body.

    "Huh¡­ how did this happen?" Lucius was surprised by the chance in his body.

    He looked towards the door and saw that Kiana had left to get the breakfast for now. He quickly sat down on the bed and closed his eyes to check the situation of his soul scape. Appearing in it after a minute, Lucius could see his soul floating silently.

    But the biggest change was the hell energy that was surrounding it. The hell imprint was as if overflowing, and all theworks in the soul were filled up. The hell energy leaked out of the hell imprint and floated around the soul, slowing spinning around him.

    "The hell energy increased?" Lucius couldn''t believe his eyes.

    He took control of the hell energy manually to see how much of a difference it actually was and realized that it had increased by almost thirty percent from his initial amount.

    "What could have caused it?" Lucius wondered.

 Chapter 196 - Increased Hell Energy?

    Lucius was surprised by the increase in Hell energy, to say the least. He estimated that if he were to increase the hell energy to his level himself naturally, it might have taken him a couple of months or so.

    "Hmm, could it be because of the Lost?" Lucius wondered.

    That was the only thing he had done recently that could bring about such a vast change, and he truly wondered if that was the case.

    "No use in guessing, best go and see it myself¡­" Lucius said before leaving the bedroom.

    Even if Kiana had not returned yet, it was enough for Lucius to go and see. Besides, if she dide back, it was not like there would be a problem anyway.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The metal door of theb opened up, allowing Lucius to peer inside. He could see the two lost who were still in the same position as he had left them in and were standing like statues.

    "At least they heed the orders perfectly," Lucius said before entering theb.

    He first walked up to the first Lost he had transformed, Doyle, and ced a hand on his body. He then used his hell energy and made it resonate with the hell energy that was present in Doyle.

    This was a method that Lucius had devised after seeing several worlds when he traveled across dimensions. He had copied this method from the absurd world that had an entirely skewed power level.

    They too used their energy as a probe to observe many things and control finer things. While Lucius knew that Hell energy was vastly different from that and would not operate in the same way, it could definitely resonate though.

    This was something Lucius had learned a long time ago and had used it in certain spells too. It was only now that he used it in a way to probe things.

    The hell energy within his body and the body of Doyle resonated at the same frequency and it established a rather unique link between him and the lost. Lucius felt like he could see the inside of the Lost as if he was looking at an anatomical diagram.

    He could see the flesh, the vessels, and the organs of the creature along with the Hell energy that flowed through its body. Unlike Lucius, whose hell energy was concentrated into his soul space, only appearing when he willed it to, a Lost''s hell energy was diffused throughout its body.

    It was this very diffusion that kept them running and functioning. When the concentration of this diffused hell energy started to fall below a certain level though, they would get hungry. They would hunt down any source of hell energy that they could sense and if they could not, then they would devour the flesh of beings or anything they could find/

    They would kill and eat whatever they could, leaving death and destruction in their wake. It was amon tactic in Lucius''s past life to take such armies of starving Lost on conquest to other worlds.

    They would be mass produced and left to wander in the new world if it was considered to be hostile. The Lost would kill the natives of that world, opening up plenty of avenues for exploitation for the Great Barrom n.

    And if they were lucky, the lost might even end up finding a source of hell energy in that world, thus allowing the Great Barrom n to establish an outpost easily. This was a time and tested tactic, having been used thousands of times since its inception.

    "It is rather different than I thought¡­ a distant connection yet linked so closely?" Lucius muttered upon seeing the peculiarity.

    After thinking for a bit, he realized that he might need to research this more before getting a better idea.

    "There you are! I wondered why you left the bedroom." Kiana''s voice could be hearding from the back.

    It made Lucius snap out of his concentrated state and look back. There, he saw Kiana with a couple of trays in her hands, filled with food.

    "I just came to check up on our new ''employees''." Lucius said before taking his hand off Doyle''s body.

    "You should have at least waited for the food¡­<em> ~Sigh~</em> anyway, you should eat now," Kiana stated.

    "You''re not gonna eat?" Lucius questioned.

    "I woke up earlier than you and ate it already. I was prepping some things upstairs and only came back down when it was time to wake you up." Kiana answered.

    "Ah, I see." Lucius replied before sitting down at a table.

    Kiana ced the trays of food in front of Lucius, who then stated to scarf it down quickly. Unlike normal, Lucius was done eating the entire meal in five minutes.

    "That was fast¡­ you must be really hungry." Kianamented.

    "Hmm, I guess you could say that," Lucius said before standing up.

    "I''ll go put these away. Do you need anything while I''m upstairs?" Kiana questioned.

    "Pick out another prisoner from our list. I want to test more today." Lucius answered.

    "Just one?" Kiana asked for confirmation.

    "Yes, just one," Lucius affirmed.

    "Okay. But it might take some time. We are still getting the prisoners through their morning session of counseling." Kiana stated.

    "That''s fine. I''ll need to do something else before that, anyway." Lucius replied.

    Kiana nodded her head and left theb, going upstairs to do her tasks. Lucius, on the other hand looked towards the other Lost and thought something before walking in its direction.

    ''Hmm¡­ there is indeed something there. Hard to tell at this distance though.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Once he was in front of Baza, the second Lost he had transformed, he put his hand on his body and used the hell energy to create a resonating link between him and the creature. After a few minutes, the resonation reached harmony, allowing Lucius to see things just as before.

    He could see the internal condition of Baza and the hell energy that flowed through it. He observed each part closely, only letting go after about ten minutes. Once he opened his eyes, though, he furrowed his brows as if confounded.

    "The hell energy managed to link up somehow," Lucius said after a few seconds.

    He recalled how the Aether and Hell energy''s interaction had created a link between the two, which was also the reason behind the redwork he had in his soul, that joined the hell imprint with nexus.

    It was also how he came into touch with Hell Aether and managed to get control over it.

    "It is almost the same, but instead of a physical link, it made a soul link." Lucius eventually understood.

    He thought about it a bit more and sat down on the chair before losing his eyes and entering a meditative state. Quickly appearing in his soul space, Lucius tried to extend his consciousness beyond it.

    After ten minutes of attempting, he managed to do it without entering his souls directly.

    "Just as I thought, there are indeed links here connecting them to me." Lucius said to himself as he found two faint silhouettes of gates appearing inside his soul space.

    One of the doors went to Doyle''s body and the second one went to Baza''s body. Lucius felt like testing more and drew out some hell energy from the hell imprint, making it float around his soul.

    "Go," Lucius pointed towards the door on the right which led to Doyle and let the hell energy pass through it.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    As if pulled by a vacuum, the hell energy traveled through the gate at great speed, reaching Doyle. The Lost opened up his eyes in surprise and looked around, spotting his master sitting on the chair.

    It waited there for orders, but seeing that Lucius did not say anything, it went back to standing against the wall before closing its eyes. If no orders were given, it would go back to the previous order by default.

    Lucius was fully aware of this and had even felt the Lost wake up when he was sensing the hell energy in his body.

    "Hmm¡­ let''s see with the other one." Lucius said before withdrawing the hell energy he had sent to Doyle.

    When the energy returned back though, Lucius noticed that a small amount of it was missing.

    "Hmm, so there is a ten percent loss on transmission. Need to take note of that¡­" Lucius said before focusing on the other gate and sending the hell energy through it.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    The same reaction as before was seen and the hell energy behaved as if it was pulled by a vacuum. Baza woke up as well and looked around, before going back to sleep, seeing no orders were given to it.

    "Oh? The loss was slightly more. I guess it depends on the distance too." Lucius said, realizing that Baza was further away from him than Doyle was.

    This little experiment was enough for him to finally figure out why his hell energy had increased.

 Chapter 197 - Adjustments And A Weaker Test Subject

    Having seen the change, Lucius now understood why or how his Hell energy had increased.

    "The two Lost are now acting as an extra storage for the hell energy. Whenever my hell energy gets filled in my soul space, the extra amount will be transmitted to them. And if I want to use that, it can be withdrawn at a little cost.

    In addition to that, my own hell energy capacity can also be increased steadily." Lucius analyzed.

    He pondered over it for a bit and thought that this was most probably correct.

    ''I''ll figure the rest out eventually anyway as time passes¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    And just as he finished thinking about this, he heard the sound of footstepsing from far. Since the basement was mostly empty, any sound that was made in there echoed in every direction.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door of theb opened up and in walked Kiana with a guard who held onto the shackles of a prisoner, who was also gagged and had his face covered with a ck cloth. Kiana stopped him just at the door and spoke.

    "This is enough, I can take it from here," Kiana ordered.

    Even though the guard was standing right at the door, his view of the two Lost was blocked by the other equipment that was kept there. Plus it was dim in theb anyway and made it harder for most people to focus.

    "As you wish, Miss Kiana." The guard said before taking his leave.

    Since Lucius was sitting on a chair, he was not seen by the guard due to it being behind one of the upturned tables. The guard didn''t mind this and simply went back to do his work. There were many criminals in this building and it was his job to ensure that none of them escaped.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    The door of theb was locked as Kiana kicked the prisoner to walk forward.

    "Here''s our next subject," Kiana spoke.

    "Can I see the report?" Lucius asked.

    Kiana handed the document she had in her hand to Lucius, who then started to read it.

    "Hmm¡­ I see. An umon ranked gift and an average killer¡­" Lucius muttered.

    The prisoner in front of him was actually amon bandit who had killed several people in the past year and was caught recently by the guards about a week ago. He was supposed to have been executed already, but since there were a lot of other criminals ahead of him in the judgment queue, his verdict was left up to Lucius.

    Lucius was happy with another test subject even if he had no rare ranked gift.

    ''Testing it on umon ranked gift will be a new experience. But first¡­ let''s see how our subject actually is¡­'' Lucius thought to himself before squinting his eyes and used Nexus on him.

    The Aether and Hell Aether started being consumed as a string of words appeared in front of Lucius.

    Gift Name: Scaled Skin

    Description: The user can make scales appear on their skin, which increases the defense of their skin, preventing cuts and scratches.

    Rank: Umon

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 5x Aether Crystals, 1x Basalt Armadillo Rune Crystal

    Other Owners: Cobain Jowls,¡­ (Total Owners: 5842)

    This was actually a gift Lucius had seen before but had not gotten the chance to use Nexus on. It was owned by one of the soldiers that apanied Gabriel and Lucius had seen him use it before during a spar.

    Back then, Lucius was still conserving his Aether for only the most important bits and thus had not used it on that soldier but now that he used Hell Aether with Nexus, he could see the name of the guard at the front along with the number list of the rest.

    Overall, there were a lot of people with this gift, but it was still lower than that of amon ranked gift. The requirements to upgrade it were also quite low, requiring just 5 Aether crystals and the Rune crystal of a Basalt Armadillo which Lucius knew was an E ranked rune beast.

    Thinking about this rune beast also gave Lucius another idea.

    "Hmm¡­ I might get to test out the evolution of a gift after its owner has been transformed into a lost soon as well." Lucius muttered to himself.

    The Basalt Armadillo lived in the iron mines of the Land Of Etara and were not really that hard to find. The closest mine was only a hundred kilometers to the south, and Lucius could easily go there ande back within a day.

    "We should get started." Lucius said, gesturing to Kiana.

    Kiana nodded and kicked the prisoner.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The prisoner fell to the ground and let out a grunt, but it could not be clearly heard. Kiana then pulled on the chain that was attached to the cor on the prisoner''s neck and pulled hard.

    This tightened the cor that was on the neck of the prisoner, making him suffocate. A few secondster, the prisoner was knocked out and Kiana stopped squeezing the cor.

    "This does make things easier. I''d have knocked him out upstairs if it were not easier for him to walk down here himself." Kianamented.

    "Hmm¡­ this is a bit inefficient indeed. I''ll think of some other ways, though we may need to modify the basement even more." Lucius replied.

    "Just give the word and we''ll add it to our list of tasks. I''m sure the workers will be fine with more work as it just means more pay for them." Kiana stated.

    "Indeed. Though we will need to widen the hidden exit to the basementter as well." Lucius spoke.

    "That shouldn''t be a problem hopefully with the stone meld gift." Kiana replied.

    Since the basement was used for storage, there was actually a secondary entrance to it from the alleyway behind the building. The guards used to use that to push the carts filled with items into the basement.

 Chapter 198 - Dustin The Third Lost

    Over time, the gate had rusted and even the stone ramp that came all the way to the basement was weathered. Since the building was in bad condition for a long time, the basement had been all but abandoned.

    Had it not been for the fact that the entire building was made from stone and bricks, the water leaking in from the walls would have probably rotted any wood that may have been used back then, leading to the copse of the entire building.

    Lucius had to thank the great grandfather for having the smarts to think for the future and not using something like wood for foundation and flooring. This had now allowed him to have an almost perfect ce to do his experiments.

    The secondary entrance to the basement is what Lucius will be using to leave the ce secretly and also to transport any¡­ ''out ofmission'' subjects and broken samples. Plus other valuable things he did not want too many people to see.

    The current exit was in disrepair and had not been opened for a long time, causing it to get jammed. Though Lucius reckoned he might be able to get opened soon enough now that he had some new ''tools''.

    "Let''s get this man on the table first," Lucius said before turning to the statue like Lost on the side. "Doyle, pick this man up and put him on the table." He ordered.

    "Eng!" Doyle woke up in a second and proceeded to carry out the orders he had just been given.

    Lucius nodded at the responsiveness and went to stand beside the table.

    "Good, now go stand back there." Lucius ordered before working on the restraints.

    Kiana tied the restraints on the prisoner from the other side and together, they quickly prepared the man for the transformation.

    "Alright, here we go." Lucius said before cing his hand on the head of the man and injecting hell energy.

    He injected the same quantity as before and let it be fully absorbed. Lucius then took a seat while observing the transformation of the man. Overall, it was the same as before, but Lucius could tell that this transformation was leaning more towards the ''style'' that Doyle had.

    Once the first stage was done, Lucius injected the second dose of Hell energy and watched it transform further. At this point it was confirmed that this man will be a Lost simr to that of Doyle, bulky and tough.

    "Time to check the Corrupted gift," Lucius muttered to himself before using Nexus again.

    Hell Energy Corruption: Lesser

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy. The creature will also have slightly higher intelligence than before and can understandmands.

    Corruption level: Lesser

    Corrupted Gift: Locked

    (Corrupted Gift: Thorned Scales)

    Surprising the gift was locked even though the rest of the conditions that had been taken were the same as before.

    "Hmm¡­ intriguing. Perhaps it''s something to do with its rank." Lucius muttered to himself before continuing his work.

    The rest of the morning and afternoon was spent in this and Lucius eventually finished the third stage as well when the former man woke up.

    "Break your restraints Dustin." Lucius ordered.

    "Hnggg!" The Lost, who was named Dustin, struggled and eventually managed to break all of the restraints.

    "Hmm¡­ he took slightly longer than what Doyle and Baza too. Still, it should be fine." Lucius said before standing up as well.

    He carried out the same tests he did with the previous two Lost before getting this one to bind with him as well. Once that was done, Lucius sat down and closed his eyes to check the condition of his Soul space.

    "I''ll take a little nap, Kiana." Lucius said before heading to the bedroom.

    He wanted to see if the changes had already taken ce or not.

    ''Just from the surface I could not feel any change in hell energy, perhaps it takes longer than this and it is dyed.'' Lucius thought to himself as he soon appeared in the soul space.

    He could see his soul floating there along with the hell imprint and nexus on it calmly. Lucius let his gaze wander and sensed the two gates that led to the first two Lost he had made.

    "The gates are the same as before¡­ now where''s the third one?" Lucius wondered to himself as he searched for the third gate.

    He ended up spending an hour in the soul space before he detected the first signs of the gate. At the side of the second gate that led to Baza, Lucius saw the outline of the third gate appear.

    It was very faint, and it was slowly forming bit by bit. Observing the rate at which it was forming, Lucius estimated the amount of time it will take it to formpletely.

    "Hmm¡­ so it should take about six hours to formpletely." Lucius estimated. "The increase in the hell energy capacity should also take a simr amount of time, since the storage extends to the lost." He added.

    Having obtained a satisfactory answer to himself, Lucius left the soul space and opened his eyes. Kiana who had been cleaning up theb, saw that Lucius had woken up again.

    "Did you have a nice rest?" Kiana asked with a smile.

    "Yes, it was nice. I feel better." Lucius said casually before standing up and heading back to theb.

    He saw the new Lost, Dustin standing at the side as well, just as he had left him. It was now close to the evening and the sky was already turning dark. Since the winter wasing closer and closer, the daylight had reduced by an hour now.

    "Let''s head out and see hour our new members function," Lucius spoke.

    "Outside? But won''t that be a bit too revealing?" Kiana asked.

    "We won''t be going out from the front. We''ll be taking the secondary exit." Lucius said with a smile as he pointed towards the other corridor.

 Chapter 199 - Opening The Blocked Gate

    At the end of a corridor, several broken nks and old containers seemed to be lying. It was evident that it had be a ce to throw refuse and had not been in use for a long time.

    From the gaps of rubbish, one could see a metal gate hidden behind it all. That was nothing but the second gate of the basement. From the outside, it had been chained and locked, with its key been missing for ages.

    "That gate? We haven''t gotten around to opening it though?" Kiana questioned.

    "Oh, we will be able to do it rather easily, now that we have some new ''tools'' to ourselves," Lucius stated, gesturing to the Lost.

    "Ah, I see. But still, it might be a bit too much letting them be seen by others, won''t it?" Kiana asked.

    "For that, I have a solution¡­ well at least a temporary one." Lucius said and went to one of the cabs at the side of theb.

    Opening it, one could see different kinds of robes hanging inside it. Seeing them, Kiana instantly understood what Lucius was intending to do.

    "These should be fine¡­ might be a bit small, but will be enough to hide their appearance, mostly." Kiana said.

    "Mmhmm, we should get some that are their size made as well. Just so we are ready for the next time." Lucius replied.

    "Alright, I''ll get some tailors to make a few sets ofrge sized robes." Kiana replied.

    Lucius nodded his head and turned to the first Lost he had made.

    ''Let''s take only one of them for now.'' Lucius thought beforemanding Doyle, "follow me."

    "Eng!" Doyle grunted in repose and started to follow behind Lucius.

    They went to the blocked door at the end and stopped.

    "Clear this out and open the gate." Lucius ordered.

    Doyle immediately went ahead and pushed the items that were blocking the way with hisrge hands.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    They were like a kid''s toy to Doyle and he moved them around easily. Once a path was opened for them, Doyle looked at therge metal gate that blocked their path. Doyle didn''t directly attack it, though, which was what Lucius had actually guessed.

    "Oh¡­ interesting. His intelligence is certainly better." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Rather than attacking directly, Doyle looked at the gate and estimated what would be the best way to open it. He first ced his hands on the gates and tried to push them.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The doors made a creaking sound as a faint crack was also heard. Over time, the door had rusted and the seam that was between the two gates had joined up due to the growing rust.

    But now that seam was cracked by the force of Doyle and the gate was moved.

    <em>~Weeng~</em>

    The sound of metal bending could be heard as Doyle increased his force and thetch that blocked it started to bend. The Bar had rusted enough that it could no longer be moved and the only way to open it would be to fully break it.

    <em>~DENG~ </em>

    Thetch broke and the metal gates were directly pushed outwards.

    <em>~ng</em>~

    But before they could go beyond a certain point, they were blocked by the chains that restricted the gates from outside. But along with the opening of the gate, a faint breeze could be felting from the gaps.

    The fresh air entered from the outside, blowing the damp basement air to the back.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The Chain started being strained and the gate spread apart even more.

    "Hnggg!" Seeing the gap in the door and the Chain behind it, Doyle stopped pushing.

    Instead, he extended his hand and sped the chain, pulling on it inward. Then with both his hands, he pulled it apart.

    <em>~SNAP~</em>

    The chain broke apart like dried straw under the strength of Doyle and the gate was now free to be opened.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    Doyle pushed the gates apart, making a creaking sound. The hinges of the gates had also rusted, causing them to be hard to move.

    "There we go. That was perfect Doyle." Lucius couldn''t help but praise.

    He had seen Lost work before and they thought more with their muscles than they did with their brain. But it was evident the Lost he had made was far more intelligent than the ones he was used to before.

    ''The only question is if all of them will be like this, or is this one unique?'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Come here Doyle, put this on." Lucius ordered.

    Doyle walked towards him and picked up therge robe from his hands. He looked at it and moved it over his back, but it just ended up falling down.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "Seems like fine motor actions like these will need more experience." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He then picked up the robe and asked Doyle to kneel so that it could be put on. The robe was a rather simple robe with only a hood and no sleeves. It draped over the body and was tied at the front around the neck.

    This was the only robe that Doyle could use as all others that Lucius had here in theb came with sleeves that were far too small for Doyle. Besides, they would be getting bigger ones madeter, and thus Lucius didn''t really mind it for now.

    And Doyle wouldn''t mind it either as well¡­ he simply could not; he didn''t have the mental acuity for that yet.

    "Keep this part above your head at all times," Lucius said while pointing to the hood at the top.

    "Eng!" Doyle responded with a grunt and pulled on it to bring it to the front.

    <em>~RIP~</em>

    But then, a part of the hood was torn due to his strength and the sharp ws.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Shaking his head, Lucius simply decided to make better robester.

    "We''ll get some thick hide robes for them." Kianamented.

    "Yes, that might be for the best." Lucius nodded his head before looking outside the gate.

    "We should head out, now that we are finally done." Lucius stated.

 Chapter 200 - Sneaking Out Of The City

    Lucius and Kiana were the first to step out of the basement and needed to watch their steps over the slippery ramp. It was made of stone and due to the dampness and water that flowed over it from time to time, had grown moss.

    Doyle did not have any problems walking over it since his feet had ws that could easily grip the stone floor below him. In fact, the ce where he had stood and pushed the gate open, now had feet marks from it. Such was the force exerted by a Lost.

    "I''ll take a look around first and see if the way is clear or not." Kiana spoke.

    "Yes, do that. I''ll wait." Lucius replied.

    Kiana nodded and checked both the ends of the alley, going all the way to the start of the street to see if there was anyone outside. On the right of the alley, she found a few guards going about their regr patrol, while on the left she saw a couple of beggars that were sleeping.

    She returned to Lucius and informed him of the situation on both ends.

    "Let''s take the left route, then. Even if beggars see us, they won''t really think much with the appearance of Doyle hidden underneath the robe. Besides, no one would believe the words of a beggar if they even saw the true appearance of Doyle easily." Lucius stated.

    With the decision made, Lucius and Kiana made it to the left side of the alley beforeing out onto the street. A couple of beggars were sleeping at the sides of the buildings with their nkets and clothes all the way up to their heads, preventing as much heat from escaping as they could.

    While winter had not started fully yet, autumn was already here, and the temperature had started to fall over thest few weeks. Lucius and Kiana didn''t really feel the cold because of the clothes they were wearing, while Doyle could not really feel the cold anyway.

    The three of them made their way towards the borders of the city. Lucius had deliberately chosen this location to be on the more outer part of the city and thus it didn''t take them long to reach the city wall.

    This wall was something that had been broken and rebuilt multiple times over the years. Thest time it had been rebuilt was back in the time of the former Count who would be the Grandfather of Asher and father of Gabriel.

    The walls were only rebuilt because the city had expanded and not because it had been attacked. The Inanis city had been rtively safe despite being close to the border of the kingdom and had never been attacked.

    Lucius and Kiana stared at the straight-standing wall and looked at Doyle.

    "Let''s climb up," Lucius spoke, noting to himself that he needed another tunnel made that took them out of the city.

    There were actually three such tunnels in existence already, but their locations made it impossible for Lucius to use right now. Two of them were located in the Inanis mansion itself, while thest one was located in one of the city offices where all the administrative staff worked.

    It was also the ce where both the Count and the Countess often spent their daily time working. Countess Lita was an odd one out among the noblewomen choosing to work despite not really needing to.

    Other noblewomen simply rxed in their mansion while sipping wine and snacking on tiny dishes. Even the ones that were a bit more responsible did only the surface duties that didn''t really involve them mingling with themon workers and people that much.

    Count Gabriel never minded this as he had always been doing this, plus him being in the army had made him think of people ording to their qualities and not just a rank. The countess shared a simr mindset and thus were a perfect couple.

    "Let me make this a bit easier for us," Kiana said as she raised her palms.

    A metallicyer appeared over them as a metal shard came out of it. Kiana looked at it and manipted it, turning it back into stone.

    "Oh? You can return it to the original state as well?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes, I found out it was possible a few days ago. It doesn''t take much effort either and the finer size and shape maniption can still be applied to it." Kiana replied.

    "That''s excellent." Lucius couldn''t help but praise.

    ''Hmm¡­ so upgraded gifts retain the effects of old gifts. In a way, this is just the same as having multiple gifts, isn''t it¡­'' Lucius thought to himself and noted this point down in his mind for now.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    Kiana waved her hands and sent several stone spikes flying towards the wall. These spikes were embedded at equal intervals in two rows and went all the way to the top of the wall. The wall itself was five meters tall, which was a rather tall height for one to be able to climb over without equipment.

    Lucius and Kiana started to climb using the spikes as adder while Doyle simply jumped and held onto the wall using his wed fingers. He easily reached the top in a couple of seconds using his wed hands and legs, showing the superiority he had over normal humans.

    "Let''s just use him to get down," Lucius said, seeing that Kiana would not be able to use the same method as before.

    They got onto Doyle''s shoulders, who then brought them down on the other side. The three of them then headed out towards the woods in the distance, taking about twenty minutes to reach it.

    "What are we going to do now?" Kiana questioned.

    "Now? Now we see the true capabilities of our new Tools¡­ it''s time for them to hunt!" Lucius answered.

    "Grrr!" Lucius didn''t know if Doyle had understood his intentions, but he seemed to be excited as well.

 Chapter 201 - A Hunt For Test

    Hearing Lucius''s words Kiana was a bit confused.

    "What do you mean hunt?" Kiana questioned.

    "Just like I said, hunt. We shall be hunting for rune beasts." Lucius spoke. "Or rather¡­ Doyle will be." He added.

    "But rune beasts don''te this close to the city¡­ at least not usually," Kiana spoke.

    "Well¡­ we shall leave that up to Doyle here." Lucius said before he turned to face Doyle, "Go and see what you can find." He ordered.

    "ENG!" Doyle grunted in response and burst forward.

    ~whoosh~

    His movement knocked up a gust of wind and made Lucius and Kiana''s clothes flutter.

    "FAST!" Kiana eximed seeing Doyle move like a beast.

    She had never seen a normal human move at a speed unless they had a gift that allowed that. But even those with gifts with such a massive speed increase were far and few in between.

    One suchmon example of a speed type if a gift was the umon ranked gift Dash. It allows one to cover a short distance at a rapid speed, far faster than even a horse. But they could only move in a straight line and could not change their direction.

    It also could not be used multiple times in session as it put strain on their body and also consumed a lot of Aether. But Kiana could tell that in the case of Doyle, he was neither using a gift nor any Aether.

    All he was using was his own body, his own physique¡­ physique that had been granted by none other than Lucius himself. Kiana turned back to look at Lucius as she wondered about his gift again.

    ''There is no chance it is lower than a Legendary gift¡­ no with the ability to grant powers like this to others, it cannot be a Legendary gift either¡­ it must be a mythic ranked gift!'' Kiana thought to herself.

    Lucius who did not know what Kiana was thinking of nodded his head looking towards the direction that Doyle had gone in.

    ''His speed is certainly lower than that of a normal lost but his mass makes up for it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    That was right, the speed of Doyle that seemed fast to Kiana was not actually fast at all¡­ at least in terms of Lucius. He had seen what normal Lost ran like and they were at least thirty percent faster than Doyle.

    Butpared to the more defensive kind of Lost, Lucius understood that the speed had been sacrificed for the body to gain a greater mass and defensiveyers. In other words, Doyle was no less than a war elephant marching into the battlefield.

    Lucius sat down on a broken tree and closed his eyes, trying to sense the presence of Doyle. This was another one of his tests that he made up on the spot after learning that he was linked with the lost.

    He needed to know till what distance this linked worked and how much it would affect him¡­ or if it would even affect him.

    "Hmm¡­ so far it''s stable¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    But after just a little more than a minute, Lucius felt the extra hell energy capacity he had, reduce.

    "It really did fall!" Lucius realized.

    He sensed that his hell energy capacity was now ten percent less than before. This was a massive difference at this point for him as that ten percent could be the difference between life and death in a serious battle.

    Lucius continued to observe it for a bit and realized the changes that happened.

    ''So if they go past a certain distance, the link for hell energy storage will be disconnected, but the ve link I have will be sustained. Hmm¡­ while I can''t pinpoint where Doyle is, I can still roughly gauge where it might be right now.'' Lucius thought to himself as he turned his head about forty degrees to the right.

    Kiana noticed this and asked, "why are you looking there?"

    "I''m looking in the direction where Doyle went." Lucius replied.

    "But didn''t he¡­" Kiana paused after understanding midway what Lucius meant.

    "So you can tell their location as well," Kiana stated.

    "Indeed. While it is not fully urate, I would have no hard time tracking them down. And with that, I reckon it should be the same with the Mark of Loyalty you have and the mark of obedience the others have." Lucius replied.

    Kiana was impressed once again and the belief that Lucius''s gift was a mythic ranked gift was affirmed in her heart further.

    ~snap~

    But just as she was lost in her thoughts she saw Lucius stand up as a small dried twig snapped under his foot. Seeing him stand so abruptly made her a bit surprised.

    "What happened? Is something wrong?" Kiana asked.

    "Doyle is returning," Lucius replied.

    "Already? It has barely been ten minutes, hasn''t it?" Kiana questioned.

    "Either he met some danger that he cannot resolve¡­ or he has finished his task." Lucius answered.

    "Can it really finish it this quick?" Kiana couldn''t help but wonder.

    About a minuteter, Lucius could see the faint outline of a creature approaching from the distance.

    ~shua~

    Kiana readied her gift as a two metal shards floated above her palms. She was ready to act, just in case it was going to be dangerous. But as seconds passed, her wariness fell and finally she saw the figure getting clear.

    ~thud~

    ~thud~

    ~thud~

    Therge and bulky figure of Doyle returned from the depths of the forest with an object on his back. He was holding it with his left hand while his right hand was free and hidden behind the robe. It ran on its two legs at a great speed, creating footprints in the soil.

    If anyone were to see the footprints of Doyleter, they would be greatly confused and wonder if it was some sort of a bipedal beast.

    "HNG!" The grunt of Doyle could be heard as he finally returned, and on his back was the prize.

 Chapter 202 - A Human

    Seeing therge object on the back of Doyle, both Lucius and Kiana became curious. They could see that the object was a beast but in the darkness, it was hard to see. Only when Doyle came really close did they manage to get a proper look.

    "Huh, a wolf?" Kiana said.

    ~thud~

    Doyle put the bloodied body of the wolf on the ground to show his master. Lucius got closed and saw the multiple ws marks that had tore into the beast''s body and drawn out the blood and organs.

    After thinking for a bit, Lucius recognized the beast in question.

    "A long Fang wolf," Lucius stated. "It''s an E ranked Rune beast found in the forest here." He added.

    "So it''s that one¡­ I remember their fur is used for coats by the nobles." Kiana replied.

    "Indeed, they are mostly used for their fur. But¡­" Lucius took a pause and bent down to insert his hand into the cut open chest of the Long Fang wolf.

    He didn''t mind the blood that stained his cuffs or fingers. Lucius searched around the chest of the beast for a minute before pulling out a perfectly circr crystal from it.

    "Ah, the rune crystal of the Long Fang Wolf. Their gift is called as Piercing Fangs. It allows them to increase the power of their bites allowing them to tear through flesh and bones alike." Lucius exined.

    Kiana heard his words, feeling impressed by it. But she still took out a napkin from her pockets and gave it to Lucius to clean his hands. The maid uniforms of this world were rather functional than just looks.

    They had plenty of pockets to store tools and small pieces of equipment that they might need like napkins, brushes, sponges,bs, scissors, cleaning rags, spoons, and many more. Though all maids didn''t carry all this of course.

    They only carried the things that they most needed depending on the duties that were assigned to them.

    "This will do perfectly¡­" Lucius said while looking at the rune crystal.

    "What are you going to do with it?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, make artifacts of course," Lucius answered with a smile.

    Kiana raised her brows upon hearing this.

    "Your ready to make them?" Kiana asked.

    "I haven''t made any till now, but this gives me a point to start from. The other materials such as the metals and wood are not really hard to get and are reusable. What is more problematic to get are Aether crystals and rune crystals.

    We can still get Aether crystals due to our new ie stream, but a steady supply of rune crystals still needs mercenaries or soldiers to hunt them down. If we do assign others to procure rune crystals for us, we will need to pay them as well which will increase the cost of production.

    But¡­ if we get them for free, our profit margin basically doubles." Lucius exined and looked at Doyle.

    Kiana also understood what he was trying to say and her eyes went wide.

    "This¡­ if we can really do this¡­" Kiana muttered.

    "We can make a really good business out of it. And this will be something we will be able to keep out in open, unlike the brewery." Lucius spoke.

    "So, we just need to hunt more rune beasts?" Kiana questioned.

    While rune beasts and rune beast crystals were indeed profitable, the problem was always in their procurement. Most of the beasts that were valuable were hard to hunt and were even dangerous to most people.

    One would need to their trap or kill them which needed skill, strength and equipment. All of which varied the cost greatly. Then there was also the factor that something could always go wrong and the hunter could die.

    This was the reason why even if there were many mercenaries hunting, the costs of rune crystal and other beast materials stayed high. Plus there were some rune beasts that could not be hunted the conventional way and needed special strategies to do so.

    Only experienced mercenaries could do this which further increased their charges. But for Lucius, he now had a solution for that.

    "Doyle, go and hunt down as many of these beasts or other kinds you can find and bring their corpses here." Lucius ordered.

    "HNG!!!" Doyle was quite excited and sped away rather quickly.

    Lucius knew of the innate nature of a lost and the penchant for death and destruction they had. They were after all born from the influence of Hell energy and that is what transformed them.

    Him sending out Doyle to hunt down beasts was the same as asking a child to go and y with their favorite toys. Lucius was simply sending Doyle to do what he was supposed to be doing naturally.

    He sat back down on the broken tree and looked up at the starry sky. The moon was in a full bloom and spread its light far across thend.

    "Today is a rare night with no clouds at all." Kiana spoke.

    "Indeed. I haven''t seen such clear sky in months now." Lucius replied.

    The two of them waited there for about thirty minutes, after which they could hear the sound of Doyle once again. His footsteps were easy to distinguish for them now and hisrge figure was also visible against the streaks of moonlight that shone through the gaps in the trees.

    "Eng!" Doyle came to a stop in front of them and dropped two Long Fang wolves before running back into the forest.

    "Looks like he had a little snack as well¡­" Lucius said upon seeing the bite marks on one of the Long Fang Wolf corpses. "Well¡­ it doesn''t matter anyways."

    Kiana took out a dagger from her uniform and used that to take out the rune crystals from the body of the wolves while Lucius watched on. By the time they were done with it, Doyle had returned once again.

    This time though he had something else in his hands.

    "Oh my¡­ what have you got here Doyle? A human?"

 Chapter 203 - Gluttons

    Lucius and Kiana could see that in one hand of Doyle there was a Long Fang Wolf, but in his other hand was actually a human. Kiana''s eyes went wide, and she became uneasy upon seeing this.

    "Who is this?" Kiana couldn''t help but question.

    "Indeed¡­ who is this Doyle and why did you kill him? I thought I told you to hunt beasts?" Lucius asked as well.

    "HNG!!" In response, Doyle grunted and dropped the wolf''s corpse down before pointing to his chest.

    Lucius looked closer and saw an arrow tip embedded in there.

    "Ah! So he attacked you and you killed him?" Lucius asked.

    "Eng!" Doyle grunted in agreement.

    "Well, that makes sense." Lucius nodded his head before checking the arrowhead.

    He pulled it out and saw that it was of a rather high quality.

    "huh... interesting." Lucius muttered.

    Kiana on the other hand, was not fully assured of it.

    "Is this fine? Won''t it be problematic?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, I can''t fully control them to not attack and letting them be attacked while not doing anything seems foolish. Self-defense is fine if they do it. As for the man¡­ the problem will depend on his identity." Lucius answered.

    He then turned to Doyle and spoke, "put that man down and let me see who it actually is¡­ hopefully, his face is fine enough to be identified."

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Doyle ced the man''s corpse down and Lucius saw his face. But even after a minute, he could not recognize him.

    "I don''t think I''ve ever seen this person in my life before." Lucius spoke.

    "Neither have I, but¡­" Kiana said as she bent to check the man''s clothes. "I think this might just be a hunter." She added.

    "A hunter? Hunting out at night? And one that is able to pierce Doyle''s defenses? I doubt that." Lucius spoke.

    Upon hearing this, Kiana realized that this didn''t fully add up either. It had taken her epic ranked gift, one that had high power from the very start to be able to injure Doyle before.

    It was very doubtful that just any arrow might be able to pierce his defenses.

    "Your right¡­ this should not have been possible." Kiana admitted.

    "No hunter woulde out to hunt here at night, no matter how much strange he thought he was. Which means¡­" Lucius said, but was interrupted by Kiana.

    "He was here for something else!" Kiana spoke.

    "Indeed. Plus, I doubt most people would attack someone out of nowhere. Even if Doyle did look, it doesn''t seem normal to attack another human out of nowhere. Even if they were guarding something, giving out a warning is the normal procedure." Lucius exined.

    The more Kiana heard his words, the more she realized that they made sense.

    "What could have he been doing here?" Kiana said.

    "Well¡­ we can only tell that if we know where he was." Lucius replied.

    "Hmm¡­ it''ll take us some time to get there though," Kiana spoke.

    "Not necessarily¡­ after all, we have Doyle here," Lucius said with a smile.

    "You mean to say, he will carry us?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes. It will be the fastest way to confirm it. Even if wee in the morning, there are chances some of the clues might be erased. Plus, there might be more than just this one man if they are doing something, say¡­ nefarious." Lucius replied.

    Kiana felt a bit unnerved at the idea of Doyle carrying them but epted it nevertheless. The current times were sensitive for the Land of Etara and she knew this very well. It wouldn''t be unusual for there to be spies managing to infiltrate somehow and gathering all of their information.

    Besides, it would make sense to her that whoever this man was tried to kill Doyle directly upon seeing him. This meant that whatever this man was hiding or guiding, could not be seen by anyone else.

    "It is settled then, we shall go take a look," Lucius spoke.

    "Do we need to do anything about these corpses?" Kiana asked.

    "Hmm¡­ Doyle eat the wolves. As for the man, we''ll keep the corpse just in case we need to confirm his identityter or investigate more." Lucius stated.

    "HNGGG!!" That was all that was needed to get Doyle excited as he jumped at the wolf corpses and started devouring them. To a Lost, there was little difference between what was edible in a living creature. Hair, nails, and even clothes were often consumed by them in their hunger.

    At least in Doyle''s case, he had the hunger under control due to the Hell energy that Lucius gave him. But more food was always wee to a Lost as their hunger was endless.

    The Hunger of a Lost was actually a topic of great interest in Lucius''s past life and the Great Barrom n''s schrs had done a lot of research on it. The general consensus was that Lost would eat a lot and could stay without hell energy as long as they got nutrients in the form of blood and flesh of living creatures.

    But the schrs wanted to know just how much could a Lost eat, given that it had an endless supply of food but no Hell energy?

    The answer was¡­ there was no limit. Or rather, the tests that the schrs did reached the limit of what they could practically maintain. The Lost''s that they had done these experiments kept on eating and eating until they no longer looked like what they normally did.

    They would be morbidly obese and yet were able to maintain their mobility. This continued on till they changed their form entirely and became apletely new category of Lost. These lost were called as ''Gluttons''. They had massive bellies that hung at their back like a rucksack.

    They carried these bellies on their backs and crawled around using their legs. While they did be slower, they didn''t really lose full mobility. Plus, the continued nutrition made them gain a lot of fat that increased their defenses to the maximum and even increased their strength.

    One could imagine why the experiments needed to be stopped. Maintaining a controlled environment simply became impossible.

 Chapter 204 - A Mysterious Man And The Activation Of Nexus?

    These ''Gluttons'' became massive in size, often reaching heights of over ten meters. They were simply ''Giants'' in a sense and ate whatever came in their way. They were quite resistant to damage, both physical and magical.

    Only light magic and holy magic could harm them and as for the physical damage, an entire army would be needed to kill just one of them. But that was not the problem, as sending an army to fight a glutton was often a great mistake.

    While an army had the advantage of numbers, that didn''t really work well against a Glutton. An individual soldier of the army might not even be as strong as an average Lost, not to mention a Glutton.

    This ended up with the gluttons eating the army soldiers, while the rest exhausted their stamina. First of all, the damage done was quite less and even the little damage that was done was healed by the Glutton.

    There were actually instances in history where a single glutton had defeated an army and came out without a scratch in the end. In fact¡­ they might be even stronger.

    They were one of the trump cards of the Great Barrom n against their foes along with the Lost ''Generals''. In order to deal with a Glutton, a bishop of the Tharian theocracy was needed or even an elite pdin.

    Only their holy magic was potent enough to cause enough sustained damage that could kill a Glutton. Other than that, holy weapons that were personally blessed by an arch-bishop or higher were needed.

    While one would think that these Gluttons were very strong trump cards of the Barrom n, they wouldn''t be fully correct. While the gluttons were indeed quite strong, putting them into the battle was the tough part.

    Their size often made it difficult to transport them to battlefields. There were only a handful of airships that could even carry a Lost. Plus, there was the additional factor that the Glutton might just end up eating the handlers and the airship itself.

    While the gluttons were strong, they weren''t really smart. In fact, they might be far dumber than most animals. Even a general ss Lost could notmand them. Not because they could defy them, but that they simply did not understand orders.

    In simple words, they were simply brain dead. All they knew was to eat and then eat more.

    Of course, in the current situation, Doyle was far from bing a Glutton as that often needed several years of continued feeding to reach. But even then, he finished up the three Long Fang Wolf corpses in less than ten minutes.

    While he was doing this, Lucius decided to take care of the man''s corpse. Since they needed itter on, he couldn''t just let ity round in the open. While the chances were low, there was still the chance of another animaling here and eating it, or worse even another person.

    "Come help me carry him to the side." Lucius asked.

    "Sure," Kiana said, and assisted him.

    He picked his corpse along with Kiana and put it right beside the log where he had been sitting before. The log had rotten from one side and had thus be hollow. While it was not exactly the size of the corpse, it would still be enough to hide most of the corpse.

    But while he was doing this, Lucius suddenly felt something.

    "Huh?" Lucius narrowed his eyes and activated Nexus.

    In the next second, a string of words appeared in front of him.

    "This¡­ how is this possible?" Lucius muttered.

    Kiana heard his words too, but didn''t understand what he was talking about.

    Lucius had used Nexus on dead people before, and it had not worked. It was the same for dead rune beasts as well.

    As for whether the man was alive?

    He was obviously not considering that his torn heart was exposed in his chest right now.

    Doyle had evidently tried pulling it out before. But when the information that nexus showed Lucius became cleared, he realized it was not the usual information that he got.

    Gift Name: Prator Arrows

    Description: Allows the user to reinforce arrows and make them stronger. This also increases the prating strength of the arrow. The higher the quality of arrows used, the stronger the effect will be.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Enhancement

    Evolution: Not possibles

    Lucius could finally understand why the arrow had managed to pierce through the defense of Doyle before. But there were other factors that didn''t makeplete sense to him. The first being the evolution of the gift; it showed up as impossible.

    Other than his own gift, Lucius had not seen any other gift that could not be evolved. In fact, he was doubting whether this was even correct.

    ''What if¡­'' Lucius thought of something and used hell aether with nexus.

    But surprisingly, it failed. Nexus didn''t activate and his hell aether was not used either.

    ''Huh¡­ nexus should have shown more information¡­ information about other owners of the gift, but it shows nothing. Could it be picking up something else instead? What else could trigger Nexus¡­ it would have to be something with a gift in it. Which means¡­ another artifact?'' Lucius wondered.

    He quickly checked the body of the man but did not find any artifacts on him.

    "Not an artifact? That what else¡­" Lucius muttered in confusion.

    After thinking for five minutes, a thought came to him.

    ''The only other thing that can have a gift would be a rune crystal.'' Lucius thought.

    To confirm his theory, he took out one of the Long Fang Wolf Rune crystals he had and used nexus on it.

    "Lo-and-behold¡­ it works¡­" Lucius said to himself.

    The more he looks the more he smiled.

    "This might just open up more opportunities than I thought¡­" Lucius said as he put the rune crystal away for now.

    "First though¡­ I have to see what you are hiding within you, mystery man¡­" Lucius stated as he inserted his hand into the man''s chest!

 Chapter 205 - A Humans Rune Crystal?

    Lucius rummaged around in the chest of the dead man for about five minutes, when he finally found something. It was a small sphere that was stuck between the upper ribs and lungs and was hidden in the mashed up flesh of organs.

    <em>~slick~</em>

    He pulled out the sphere, letting more blood stter from the open wound. But once Lucius wiped the blood away from the sphere, he could see what it was.

    "Impossible! A Rune Crystal!" Kiana gasped.

    "Not just that¡­ it is a rune crystal that belongs to this man and contains his gift." Lucius spoke.

    Kiana was surprised how Lucius knew this.

    "My gift¡­ it seems to be able to sense other gifts as well. That was the reason why I found this to be strange, my gift suddenly acted up." Lucius replied.

    Hearing this, Kiana''s eyes lit up and the image of Lucius''s gift went up by another notch in her eyes.

    "I see¡­ your gift is truly profound." Kiana couldn''t help but say.

    "Mmmhmm¡­ though this is definitely quite peculiar." Lucius spoke.

    "Yeah. How can there be a rune crystal inside a human? They can only be found within rune beasts." Kiana questioned.

    "I don''t know for sure. This may be rted to this man''s secret, perhaps. Or even something else. We will need to investigate more." Lucius replied.

    "Alright. I guess we should go and see what the man was doing quickly then." Kiana spoke.

    "Indeed, let''s go." Lucius said before taking a look at Doyle. "Seems like he is done eating as well." He added.

    "Come here Doyle, carry us on your back." Lucius order.

    "Eng!" Doyle grunted in response and walked towards Lucius before turning around and kneeling on the ground.

    "Come on," Lucius gestured to Kiana.

    The two of them then climbed onto Doyle''s back and he held them with his hands, ensure that the sharp ws did not hurt them. With the firm grip of the Lost, the two of them were snugly stuck to the back of the creature.

    "Well then, take us to where you found this man." Lucius ordered.

    "HNG!" Doyle grunted before breaking into a sprint.

    <em>~Whoosh~</em>

    Lucius and Kiana felt the inertia hit them at the start and it took a few seconds for them to adjust to the momentum. Doyle was running at nearly the same speed as a horse and was even more agile due to being bipedal.

    He weaved through trees and bushes with ease, as if a true animal. Though a Lost might be far more than just that.

    Kiana couldn''t even speak due to the strong wind hitting her face, and Lucius had to squint his eyes as well. But after about a minute, they had adapted to the speed and felt a bit morefortable.

    "It takes a while getting used to." Lucius spoke,ing closer to Kiana''s ear.

    "IT DOES!" Kiana said out loud, unable to adjust the amplitude of her voice for now.

    The two of them just waited to reach their destination and kept looking around for anything that seemed suspicious or different. Lucius himself could not spot anything particr at this speed and only saw the trees pass by at a great speed.

    Plus, the darkness was not helping him much either. The two of them traveled on the back of Doyle for about fifteen minutes before they finally reached their destination. It was evident that Doyle''s speed was reduced by a bit due to carrying the two of them, but it didn''t matter to them for now as their purpose was fulfilled anyway.

    <em>~thud~ thud~</em>

    Doyle let the two of them down from his back and they stretched their bodies.

    "This is actually morefortable than a horse." Kiana said while feeling her waist that did not feel strained at all.

    "Indeed. Since we were sitting with our weight onto Doyle''s back, our waists had no stress like it does while riding on a horse." Lucius agreed.

    Once there, they took a look around. The area they were in was well lit due to being on a small hill with little to no trees.

    "There!" Kiana pointed.

    Lucius looked in the direction and saw a few objects lying around. The first object was a wooden bow, and a quiver filled with arrows. The second was a bag that seemed to have some food and water packed in it. Other than that, there was also a nket that seemed to be torn.

    "Huh¡­ this seems strange," Lucius muttered.

    He picked up the bow and found it to be rtively normal bow, something that could be bought in any weapon shop. But when he took a look at the quiver with the arrows, he realized that they were the same as the one that had hit Doyle.

    "This definitely belongs to that man. But what was he doing out here?" Lucius questioned.

    Kiana was also looking around the area and soon spotted something.

    "Asher! Come quick!" Kiana called out.

    Lucius hurried towards her and saw her pointing in the southern direction. It was dark currently, thus it was a bit hard to see, but he could tell that there was a building there. There weremps and torches flickering in the darkness once Lucius''s eyes adjusted to the darkness.

    "What is that building?" Lucius asked, unable to recognize.

    "That is the military outpost of the kingdom. It is also where the Count oftenes to do his work." Kiana answered.

    "Military outpost?¡­" After hearing that, Lucius got an idea of what that man must have been doing here.

    "Seems like we have a spy on our hand¡­ or maybe even an assassin." Lucius said.

    "Could he be targeting someone in the outpost?" Kiana questioned.

    "I''m very sure he was." Lucius said before pointing to the food and nket.

    "He was here with preparation. That food is enough tost him for at least a week while he can replenish that water skin at the nearby stream. That nket, on the other hand¡­ it''s a camouge tool." Lucius exined.

 Chapter 206 - A Spy

    Having heard Lucius''s exploitation, Kiana was shocked. She looked at the nket and saw that it was a dark grey color. If someoneid and covered themselves with it, they would look like a rock from the distance.

    "He couldn''t have really been able to target someone from this distance could he?" Kiana asked, finding it to be a bit too much.

    "Who knows? With his gift that can enhance arrows, it might be possible. We saw how his arrow was able to pierce through Doyle''s defenses. This shows that his gift can enhance or improve his arrows." Lucius replied.

    Kiana thought over it and indeed found it to be making sense. While she was thinking this, Lucius found something else nearby.

    "Look, the imprint on the grass." Lucius pointed.

    Kiana saw it and saw the grass being pressed into the ground, forming the shape of a manying down.

    "He really was here spying on them¡­" Kiana muttered.

    "Indeed, though the question is since when," Lucius spoke.

    "If he was here with all this preparation, he must be here for someone important. And that only leaves a few options; it''s either one of the higher ranking officers of the outpost or none other than Count Gabriel himself." Kiana analyzed.

    "Hmmm... When was thest time father came here?" Lucius asked.

    "I¡­ don''t think he hase here this entire week. He has mostly been busy in the city itself or at the other barracks." Kiana answered.

    "Hmm¡­ if webine that with the amount of food there is in his bag, then¡­ I estimate he has been here for at least five days now." Lucius stated.

    "Five days? That''s a long time to hide here. This part of the forest also has more rune beasts and there is a great chance of them attacking people." Kiana spoke.

    "That''s true. But I reckon, if this man truly was a spy and an assassin, a rune beast might not really be a problem for him. Perhaps even a D rank rune beast might not pose many problems to him if he could take them down from the distance without actually needing a head-on conflict." Lucius said in a calm tone.

    Kiana finally realized how serious this situation was. An act like this was of the highest concern and needed to be rectified soon.

    "We need to tell the count!" Kiana urged.

    "We will, but we can''t tell him how we found this man. Or how he was killed. I think it would be better to just tell him that we got a tip from one of the many criminals we had apprehended and this lead to this man being found. Plus, it would prevent the others from finding out more about it and keep the actions calm.

    If we directly tell father, it might cause him to act vastly different than normal which might rm whoever is behind the attack. We can assume that they have been observing father for a while now to be able to do this." Lucius suggested.

    Kiana thought over it and found Lucius''s reasoning to be fine. While it was a bit iffy in terms of the exnation that they would need to give the Count, she reckoned that the count may not question Asher if he was the one who told him this.

    Besides, they were merely going to tell him to be more cautious, so it shouldn''t really cause any problems.

    "Alright, I''ll inform the count in the morning." Kiana agreed.

    Lucius nodded his head and picked up the quiver and the bag along with the nket.

    "Best not leave any clues behind." Lucius said before calling Doyle over.

    "You actually did well this time. May have saved us from a lot of trouble in the long term." Lucius said to Doyle.

    "Eng!" While Doyle could not fully understand what he had done, he could tell that Lucius was pleased with his actions.

    "Now then, let''s head back. We got a lot more work to do." Lucius said.

    He and Kiana climbed back onto Doyle''s back, who then carried them back to the ce where they had left the spy''s corpse. Getting off from his back there, Lucius went to check up on the corpse of the spy and found it to be safely hidden below the hollowed-out trunk.

    "At least this is fine," Lucius said before taking a look around to ensure that there was no one there.

    "Pick this corpse up and carry it with you Doyle, we are heading back." Lucius ordered.

    "HNG!" Doyle grunted and did as he was told.

    The three of them then headed back to the city wall and climbed over. This time, with Doyle helping them, their task was made even easier. From there on, they only needed to sneak past the streets and return to the re-education center.

    It actually took them a bit longer than before since a new shift of guards was on patrol, but with Doyle carting them over the roofs of the buildings, they eventually managed to reach the back entrance of the basement.

    Lucius had locked it back when they left and it wasn''t like anyone was going to enter this alley, anyway. This area was known as a guard storage previously and thus not many people dared toe here anyway, lest they be caught by the guards and punished.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    <em>~ng~</em>

    The gates were locked behind them once they entered the basement, and they walked to theb.

    "ce the corpse on the table, Doyle." Lucius ordered.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Doyle did as was asked and ced the corpse with a thud onto the metal table. Lucius, meanwhile ced the quiver and bow on another table along with the other bag and started to study the objects in detail.

    "What are you doing?" Kiana questioned.

    "Since we can''t directly find out where this man came from, these objects might provide us a hint to his origin." Lucius answered.

    "This is what I''m the most curious about though," Lucius said, pointing to the arrows.

 Chapter 207 - True Shot Arrows

    Lucius pulled out one of the arrows from the quiver and also took out the arrow tip that he had taken from Doyle''s chest. Comparing both arrowheads, Lucius could tell that they were made from the same kind of metal and had the same craftsmanship as well.

    "Hmm¡­ they are definitely from the same source and even the same batch." Lucius spoke.

    He then used one of the arrow tips and tried to scratch the wood on the table.

    <em>~skrew~</em>

    A scratch that was easily created on the table, without Lucius needing to put much force into it. And when he put more power into it, the arrow tip easily buried itself into the wood, showing its sharpness and quality.

    "This is of made of top quality materials. I doubt even the army uses arrowheads of this quality." Lucius stated.

    "Oh? Let me see." Kiana spoke and picked up one of the arrows.

    She looked at the Grey metal arrow tip that had slight hints of blue on it. These blue parts looked like flecks of impurities embedded into the arrow tip.

    "I think I''ve heard of something like this before," Kiana said after a minute.

    "You have?" Lucius asked.

    "Hmmm¡­ I can''t tell surely but there was this name to it¡­ Ummm¡­. AH! Yes, the true shot arrows." Kiana answered after thinking for a minute.

    "True Shot arrows?" Lucius muttered in confusion.

    "Mmmhmm¡­ they are said to be very popr among the mercenaries who use bows and arrows. They''re said to be better than all themon arrows and are very expensive to get.

    Actually, I don''t think you can buy them either. You will need to find the metal and get them custom made from an expert cksmith that has had a lot of experience with that metal.

    I can''t remember the name of the metal though." Kiana exined.

    "Is that so? Hmm¡­ I guess the name True Shot should be enough for us to find out more." Lucius replied.

    "Though¡­ considering the value of the arrows, it seems even more apparent that the man was here to kill someone in the outpost. If the arrows really do as they say andbine that with the man''s gift, they must have been really strong.

    Actually, I don''t think when that man attacked Doyle, he even used his gift. Just the arrow tips on their own are sharp and have a great prating power." Lucius added after thinking for a bit.

    "That does seem rather concerning. Though I''ll go and get someone that can help us with this matter. I think there are a couple of former metal workers and even a former cksmith with us in the center." Kiana replied.

    "That will be good, please get them." Lucius said.

    Kiana nodded her head and went to find the people she had mentioned. Lucius had recruited a lot of people that had suffered under the hands of the criminal and thus had a vast variety of them to choose from.

    This was another one of Lucius''s goals which would allow him to have capable people all around him and help him with matters he could not deal with or did not know much about.

    While Kiana was gone, Lucius took the opportunity to check the dead man with some different methods that he could not use while Kiana was there.

    "Hopefully there are still some remnants of a soul on his body," Lucius muttered to himself.

    He first sat down on a chairfortably, as the next process was a bit sensitive. He entered a meditative state and appeared in his soul space. There, he let his consciousness merge with his soul and let it awaken.

    Lucius''s soul opened its eyes in the soul space and the Hell imprint glowed along with it. Nexus on the other hand, stayed static and did not really react in any way.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lucius let out a breath and felt his soul''s body. It was a rather peculiar sensation that could not be experienced with an actual body. Lucius felt ''free'' as if there were no burdens on his body.

    But after a few seconds, Lucius suppressed this feeling and recalled that he had been in a form such as this for a very long time when he was traveling through the myriad of the worlds and dimensions.

    "Let''s begin," Lucius said before his soul started to let off waves of a strange energy.

    It was such that even the hell imprint became dimmer and the imprint of Nexus even more so. With both of them bing suppressed, the waves of energy only became more apparent and stood out.

    "Eng!" Doyle, Baza, and Dustin all woke up when the energy waves reached them.

    "Grr!" A hint of fear appeared in the eyes of all three, as if they had met their mortal weakness and they shrunk back in fear.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    Burying themselves into the walls, the three Lost tried to stay as far as from Lucius as they could as of this moment. They felt fear that if they came close by, they may just get killed instantly.

    Even if the Lost were fearless in battle and did not mind getting killed, there were still a few methods that could scare them. But using these methods was difficult for most mages or priests.

    The waves of energy continued to emit from Lucius''s body and reached the dead spy''s body. They reverberate in it for a minute or so, before Lucius could sense a while blob of smoky mass floating inside the body.

    The blob was half hanging out of the body and was slowly getting dissipated.

    "Just in time," Lucius muttered in his mind upon seeing this.

    He knew that if he had waited any longer, there was a great chance the soul remnant of the dead spy may have faded away.

    ''Alright, at least there is something left behind there. Hopefully, I''m able to find something that is usable to me overall in a general sense.'' Lucius thought to himself as he got to work.

 Chapter 208 - A Soul Remnant

    Lucius was currently using a type of soul magic that was simr to the one he had used before, the resonance spell. This was called as the Soul sense spell and could be said to be a lower version of the same category of the spell.

    While the other one could attract the wandering souls, this one was used to find soul remnants and other such constructs. This consumed a very small amount of soul energy and thus could be used without him taxing his soul too much.

    Thest time Lucius used his soul energy was when he gathered the wandering souls of the fake bandits to refine soul essence. After that, it had taken him over a month to recover it all.

    White the soul remnant locked on, Lucius started to pull it towards him using the soul sense. Since it was just a remnant of a soul, it had no will and thus could be easily controlled.

    In other words, it was just like an object rather than a living thing. Though it still contained information that Lucius could very well use. And with that in mind, the blob like soul remnant released from the body of the spy and flew towards Lucius.

    Lucius quickly pulled the remnant into his soul space where its dissipation was stopped and it was isted from the influence of the outer world.

    "Hmm¡­ the remnant is mostly gone. Don''t know if I''ll get anything relevant from it, but it''s worth a try anyway." Lucius said to himself before his soul extended its hand and touched the remnant soul.

    The women, he did so a rush of information filled his mind. This gave him a splitting headache, but he forcefully withstood it for the time being. It was amon side effect of using such a direct method of extracting information from a soul remnant.

    But a few secondster, the headache went away on its own and Lucius felt much better.

    "Huh, that was unexpected," Lucius muttered to himself before he took a look at the information that hade pouring into his mind.

    Most of the information was a messy and jumbled mix that could not be used at all and was mostly a waste. Lucius directly cut off this part and only kept the parts that seemed to be a bit more coherent.

    But even then, there were parts that read like broken sentences to him. Still, they could be useful and thus he kept them. With all the extraction done, the soul remnant dissipated quickly as the only thing that it contained was now gone.

    Within Lucius''s mind, only a few lines of information were left that he could fully understand.

    ''Urgent contract''

    ''Count Gabriel''

    ''Food catering needed''

    ''Short time''

    These were the only four lines that Lucius could make sense of and were usable to him.

    "Of these, Count Gabriel seems like the biggest markers of what the spy intended to do. And that urgent contract as well, perhaps it''s a contract for the murder of the Count?" Lucius analyzed.

    "Food Catering needed seems rather mismatched and is probably unrted to everything. As for Short time, it is rather vague and can be used in many situations." He continued.

    With this little information obtained, Lucius decided to end his session and left his soul space, returning his consciousness to the body.

    "Ugh!" Lucius held his head for a bit and pressed upon his temples.

    ''There was far too much junk information in there. It strained my mind more than I thought it would.'' Lucius thought to himself and rested for a few minutes.

    He only woke up when a knock was heard on the door of theb.

    <em>~Knock~ knock~</em>

    "I''m here with them," Kiana called out from the outside.

    "Wait, just a moment," Lucius said before he covered up the dead spy.

    Even if he was sure of these people, Lucius didn''t trust that they wouldn''t let out something unconsciously to others. He had not yet put marks of obedience on them and he would prefer to keep his distance until then.

    Lucius then checked the three Lost and saw that they had strangely backed against the walls. Not knowing why Lucius furrowed his brows, but did not think much of it for now. He had known that these lost were different from others from his past life and there were a lot of things that he didn''t know about them just yet.

    He would need to figure out the other detailster on as time went by and things urred. For now though, he needed to attend to the helpers Kiana had brought.

    "You can enter now," Lucius announced.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The doors of theb opened and on walked three men. Two of them were young, looking like they were in theirte twenties, while one of them was an old man in his sixties.

    "Wee!" Lucius said with a smile.

    A little politeness and humbleness went quite far when dealing with subordinates. With basically no cost, one could increase the loyalty and favor that a subordinate would feel for their superior.

    Being polite was something that came at no cost and was something every sessful politician needed to learn, or at least needed to pretend to be on the surface.

    "Greetings, Lord Asher! We are pleased to help." The three men said, almost in sync.

    "Please do tell us what you need of us, Lord Asher. We shall do our best to help you." The old man spoke.

    "This is cksmith Milo, and metal workers Brian and Elmer." Kiana introduced.

    "Of course, of course, how can I forget our good friends?" Lucius said with a wide smile.

    "I need your help with something that needs your specialty," Lucius asked.

    "And what''s that, Lord Asher?" Milo questioned.

    "I need your help in the identification of a metal and perhaps who made it." Lucius stated.

    "Of course, we can do that my Lord." The two metal workers responded.

    Lucius gestured to the arrows, quiver, and the bow on the desk before saying, "please take a look."

 Chapter 209 - Leavanite

    The cksmith and the two metalworkers approached the table on which the arrows and the bow were kept before taking a look.

    The cksmith Milo first picked up the bow and examined it. He scanned it from end to end while also checking the string of the bow.

    "Hmm¡­ this is just amon cedar wood bow. Nothing unusual about it. It''s a prettymon design as well and can be found in nearly any shop." The cksmith Milo said confidently.

    He checked the quiver as well, but found it to be normal as well. "This is nothing special either and can be found in any weapon shop."

    Milo and the two metalworkers finally picked up the arrows and observed it closely.

    "This¡­ how can it be?!" Brain said while holding the arrow tip close to his eye.

    "Leavanite?" Elmer guessed while looking at the cksmith Milo.

    "Indeed¡­ this is tempered Leavanite." cksmith Milo confirmed.

    "What is that?" Lucius questioned, not recalling ever having heard or read of this material.

    "This is one of the metals that us cksmith dread to work with. But it is also a mark of respect for any cksmith that manages to master this metal." Milo answered.

    "What makes this metal so special, cksmith Milo?" Lucius asked, now getting even more curious.

    "Leavanite is very hard to work with and has a narrow temperature range below which it hardens quickly. This makes it hard to work with and even harder to temper sufficiently. Mostly this is used to make objects that don''t have very specific uses and is used as fixtures for things like safes, strongboxes and even cages.

    Making weapons with it is very difficult since sharpening it needs a long time and tempering it is even tougher. It can be used as a blunt weapon as well, but its mass is far lighter than other metals that are much easier to work with, thus making it a bad choice for that.

    But if a cksmith has the skill to work with Leavanite going so far as to temper it multiple times, it can be turned into one of the best weapons outside of Artifacts." cksmith Milo exined.

    "I see¡­" Lucius nodded. "Are these arrows very strong?" he continued.

    "Oh, of course! Its hardness allows it to hold the sharpness and points for long periods of use without much problem. In arrow tips like these, they will have a very good pration power despite not having much weight." cksmith Milo answered. "But this these arrows are strange¡­" he added.

    "Why do you say so?" Lucius questioned.

    "There is no signature of a cksmith on it." cksmith Milo replied.

    "No signature? Is that something that should be there?" Lucius asked, narrowing his eyes.

    "For normal weapons like this bow, it would bemon to not have a signature of some kind on it. But for a very high quality product such as these arrows, a signature is a must. No cksmith that is skilled enough to make tempered Leavanite will let his work go unrecognized.

    Not only is it a mark of quality, but it is also a mark of respect for that cksmith. In fact, in the entire Grantz kingdom, there are only two qualified cksmiths I know of that can make weapons with Leavanite.

    One of them is the royal cksmith of King himself, while the second one is the famous cksmith Bane." Milo replied.

    Hearing all this, Lucius narrowed his eyes as a few thoughts appeared in his mind.

    ''All of this is only getting more suspicious.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Where did you find these arrows, my lord?" Milo asked.

    "That''s the thing. We got this from a thief but he had managed to escape. We would have just let the guards find out the owner of this thing, but when they found the peculiarity of the arrows, they sent this to us." Lucius made up an answer.

    "I see¡­ this is quite unusual, though. Usually, the reason for a weapon not having a signature is if someone tried to get rid of the signature. But they would not be able to do so without also causing significant damage to the weapon.

    This would end up defeating the use of the weapon itself. The only person who would be able to do so would be another skilled cksmith, but at that point, they may as well make a Leavanite weapon on their own.

    It''s not like Leavanite is expensive either. Sure it''s a bit umon, but still not that expensive that people would have a hard time buying it. It''s the difficulty in working on it that increases its price this much.

    If you were to buy Leavanite ore, it would cost you only a few hundred copper coins." Milo spoke further.

    Hearing all this, only made Lucius more confused.

    ''With only two people able to make something, it narrows down the rtion to the culprit by a very narrow link. Even if the cksmiths didn''t have anything to do with the assassination, they must have some link with the person who set out the contract for it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Say cksmith Milo¡­ if someone were to ask for a custom request that the cksmith was not to put his signature on a Leavanite weapon, would that be possible?" Lucius questioned.

    "Impossible!" Milo replied right away.

    "No cksmith worth his salt would damage his pride like that. This would be the same as paying someone to beat their child just because you asked them to do so." cksmith Milo spoke.

    "So the royal cksmith and cksmith Bane would not take a request like this?" Lucius questioned.

    "First of all, the royal cksmith won''t take requests from anyone other than the king. As for cksmith Bane, he would not do it either. He is a very repeatable and prideful man. He would never let his work be demeaned like that.

    No matter how much someone pays him, the cksmith would never take a request like that. In fact, if someone asked that to them, they would only be signing their lives away. If that ever got out, no other cksmith would let that person be their customer and do business with them.

    And if an influential person like cksmith Bane with whom even the artificer guild coborates regrly with, denounces a person, many other businesses would shun them as well." cksmith Milo answered in detail.

    Hearing all this, Lucius wondered if it was someone other than these two cksmiths who could have been behind this. While there was a small chance that the royal cksmith could do this upon the request of the king, it would still be very minuscule.

    After all, if the King really wanted to get rid of a count, even if it were a loyal and long serving count, he would have no trouble to do so directly. There would be no need to do it so covertly.

    Lucius''s main suspect was actually none other than their most recent foe, Viscount Drew. They had an established enmity now and the only reason they were not in direct conflict was because thews of the kingdom restricted something like that.

    Whoever attacked first would be the losing party instead. Though taunting and picking on others would still be allowed, as long as it was not taken too far. Lucius wondered if this was viscount Drew''s method of doing it.

    But then Lucius''s thoughts went beyond that.

    ''Viscount Drew isn''t the only person who wants him dead though¡­ there are bigger enemies outside the kingdom.'' Lucius thought, recalling that Gabriel held the rank of a colonel in the Grantz kingdom army, which made him a rather high value target.

    Not to mention that he was a feared soldier on the battlefield as well.

    "What about outside the Grantz kingdom, cksmith Milo? Are there other cksmiths who can work with Leavanite like this?" Lucius questioned.

    "Outside of the Grantz kingdom?" Milo narrowed his eyes and ced his hand on his chin while thinking.

    "Hmm¡­ there are definitely more cksmiths in the other kingdoms, of course, but I don''t know any particr ones or their names." Milo replied. "Though¡­ I think I''ve heard that the kingdom of Gisir has a famous cksmith who is very skilled as well. While I don''t know if he works with Leavanite, but if he is that famous then there is a chance he could work with Leavanite as well." He added.

    Hearing this, Lucius almost felt like he had confirmed the identity, though there were still several doubts in his mind. Even if the arrows came from outside the kingdom, it didn''t particrly mean that it was actually the kingdom of Gisir that was attacking the count.

    It could still be someone else that got thesemissioned from outside the kingdom and then shipped them here to be used by the spy.

    The cogs in Lucius''s mind started to turn as more and more ideas popped into his mind.

    ''This is definitely way bigger than I expected it to be.''

 Chapter 210 - 5 Days Later

    Having learned of the material used for the arrow tips and the peculiarities associated with them, Lucius thought that it was time to send the helpers away for the time being.

    "Thank you for your help, cksmith Milo and also you two, Brian and Elmer." Lucius said with a smile.

    "The pleasure is all ours, lord Asher. If it were not for you, we would have never gotten justice and now we get to live a better life as well." Milo stated.

    "Indeed, had it not been for Lord Asher perhaps I would have still been drowning my sorrows in alcohol." Brian stated while Elmer nodded in agreement.

    The three of them then left theb and went upstairs, while Kiana locked the door behind them. She then saw Lucius, who was sitting with aplex expression on his face while thinking of something.

    "What should we do now?" Kiana questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ that is hard to decide without more information. The one thing we do know now is that father is in danger and that there will be more assassinsing after him. For now, they decided to stay low-key and target him from afar.

    But what if they decide it''s enough and attack him directly. We will need to keep an eye out. Though our other enemies might also get wary and wonder what happened to make the count act like this and perhaps take advantage of it.

    In short, we are surrounded by egg shells and need to tread carefully, lest someone decides to take advantage." Lucius answered.

    Kiana nodded her head and thought of what she could do for now.

    "Though¡­ there is a way we can reduce the numbers of egg shells we are surrounded by." Lucius spoke after thinking for a bit.

    "And how''s that?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, we simply reduce the number of enemies we have. Culling them should reduce our trouble and perhaps even end itpletely." Lucius answered.

    Hearing this, Kiana''s eyes went wide, as this was a rather drastic solution.

    "Will it work, though? Won''t it cause problems if we rush it?" Kiana asked.

    "It can¡­ but we will find ways to mitigate it. For now though, we will need to deal with the trouble that is closest to us¡­ The arbitrator. If everything goes well, we will be able to get rid of Viscount Drew as well." Lucius replied.

    Kiana could only keep a straight face and nod her head in response. Making deep ns and understanding them was slightly beyond her and even with all the education and skills she had gained over the years, this wasplex.

    Even if Kiana had grown up in difficulty in a fallen noble family, it was nothingpared to Lucius, who was born as a servant child in the Great Barrom n. Perhaps her problems multiplied a hundred times wouldn''t be enough topare with the danger Lucius had borne through in his past life.

    With all that done, Lucius sat down and wrote some things down, clearing out the points in his mind. While he was reminded of the chances of failure. So far, he had been able to get through by nning and it had worked out.

    But it was not like it would always be like that and Lucius knew he needed to have backup ns in case something problematic happened that was not ording to what he wanted.

    There were many wild cards that could be thrown to him, and he preferred to have backups for as many of them as possible.

    With this in mind, Lucius began to n what to do in case of a failure. He spent the rest of the day doing this and eventually returned to the mansion in the end.

    Another four days passed while Lucius worked more on the pipeline of things toe. He didn''t make any more Lost though as it would have only led to some difficulties such as storage.

    Three of them were easy to hide, but if he went to say¡­ ten, it would be quite difficult. Lucius quickly realized he may need another ce to keep all the lost and it would also have to be a ce from where he could easily gather them up.

    So in a way he just needed a barracks for the Lost. Then there was also the fact that he would need to let the other followers of his learn about the lost. Not as in how they were made, but that they existed.

    Lucius didn''t do that right away, though. Instead of that, he chose to put marks of obedience on more people. In the past five days, he managed to put them on ten people, which meant two of them in a day.

    With his increased Hell energy capacity, it was easier for him and the more he did, the easier was for him to remake the spell matrix. But the seventh time he did that, the spell matrix barely took him three hours to reconstruct, which was a shocking pace of improvement.

    It was now that Lucius realized making spell matrices was far easier for him in this world than it was in his past world. He didn''t understand this at first as he didn''t have arge enough sample size, but now he had a clear and defined data for it that he had seen himself.

    Lucius didn''t know how much of this was due to the world''s unique factors such as Aether, gifts or even the gods themselves, but he knew that there were certainly major differences in how the hell energy was operating here.

    Lucius also wanted to learn more about the Rune crystal he had gotten from the spy and wanted to know if humans could also make rune crystals but couldn''t really do much. For now, he only ended up asking Master Kain for more books on rune crystals and the theory behind them.

    Lucius had already read all the books in the library of the Inanis family about it and even the ones that were previously given by master Kain were quickly finished. He now needed new information and waited for it to arrive since even Master Kain needed to apply for those books if he were to borrow it from the artificers guild.

    The Count had also been informed of a threat to life, and the man simplyughed at it. Gabriel said that this was not the first time this had happened, and that it happened almost every year several times.

    Only when Lucius told him of the kind of an assassin that had been hired this time, did Gabriel became more serious. They changed up his schedule, making sure that it didn''t cause too many waves in the noble circle.

    On the military end, the soldiers were shuffled around in a ''routine'' change and made to undergo some training programs that Lucius had suggested they do. These were not anybat programs, but rather ones that could be used in the case of evacuation and attack.

    Even Lucius knew that if he gavebat programs to the soldiers there''s was a great chance, they would not take him seriously.

    But when it was the sixth day after the discovery of the spy arrived, Lucius and everyone got the news that the Arbitrator had finally entered the city. This alerted them all, and they got to work.

    The streets were patrolled regrly by now and the number of crimes had fallen to less than ten percent than a month ago. Plus with the many new criminals being caught before, the guards had a steady stream of intel about more criminals.

    Lucius and the rest of the Inanis family were now sitting in the meeting hall of the mansion, waiting for the arrival of the arbitrator.

    "Is everything done?" Gabriel questioned John who was also sitting along with them.

    "Yes, my lord. There have been no reports of any crime since yesterday and we have even increased the current number of guards patrolling by twenty percent. And with the informant n, young lord Asher enacted the other criminal are scared of getting sold out by their ownpanions." John answered.

    "Good! Hopefully, this will ensure that the Arbitrator doesn''t prod us for things like that. Though in the best case, we get an arbitrator who only does what he was asked to do and goes back swiftly." Gabriel replied.

    "That seems unlikely. It has been over twenty days since we got the news about the arbitrator. If he really was someone who stuck to his assigned task, he would have arrived here over a week ago, considering the distance and time required to travel." Lucius spoke in a straight tone.

    Gabriel stroked his beard and nodded his head.

    "That is indeed true. Hopefully, he was dyed because of other factors and not because of the usuals actions of a priest of Duran." Gabriel spoke.

    But just as he said this, a servant arrived and announced.

    "The Arbitrator from the church of Duran has arrived."

 Chapter 211 - The Arbitrator Arrives

    The words of the servant served to alert everyone in the hall and they all looked towards each other.

    "Seems like this is it. Let''s do our best," Count Gabriel stated.

    Everyone that was currently present in the hall nodded their heads while Alyssa took her leave as was decided. It was best that she was not involved in the arbitration so as to not cause any excess concerns on the end of the Arbitrator.

    John being here was legitimate, as he was a lieutenant under Gabriel anyway and no one would really question that. Everyone stood up and walked to the main hall of the mansion. There they saw a person standing with his backs to them.

    The footsteps of five people made the man turn around and they all could see the perchance of the man. Lucius observed the man from head to toe picking up all characteristics of the man.

    The arbitrator was a man that looked to be in histe thirties and had light brown hair that was cut short. He was wearing the robes of a priest of the Church of Duran and had a sword on the left side of his waist.

    On the chest of the priest, Lucius could see the crest of the Church of Duran, which was a sword and staffying in a pair of scales. One of the scales held the sword, while the other held the staff.

    The man had a straight expression that seemed to be neither too calm neither too agitated. Though there was a certain heavy vibe to it that everyone could sense.

    "Greetings, sir Arbitrator." Gabriel as the count was the first to greet the man.

    Usually, it would have to be the priest who would have to greet the Count due to being of a higher rank, but since he was in the capacity as an arbitrator, currently the Count''s status could be said to be on the same level.

    Seeing the entire get up of the man, Lucius found it to be rather unique. While it was not the first time he had seen priests using swords, it was quite rare. Even in his past life, it was the pdins from the church of Thara that used swords and other weapons.

    The priests mostly used holy and light spells, maces, ils and staffs. There were some special priests who wandered around thends also called as monks who would directly use their fists to preach the doctrines of the gods.

    "Greetings, sir arbitrator." Lucius and the rest also greeted the man now.

    Hearing everyone speaking, the priest showed no change of expression and continued to stare. Only after five minutes of silence did he open his mouth.

    "I am Priest Lyle and I''ll be proceeding over the matter assigned to the Church of Duran as an arbitrator." The man spoke in a forthright tone.

    "We wee you to our abode, priest Lyle." Lucius spoke before gesturing to the meeting hall''s direction. "Why don''t we all go and sit, while the servants bring us some refreshments. I''m sure Priest Lyle is exhausted from his long journey." Lucius said with a smile.

    Lyle didn''t say anything and simply stared at Lucius straight for two seconds before he walked in the direction of the meeting hall.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    Kiana and Lita let out a breath they didn''t even know they were holding. To them, the man in front had an oppressive aura that made it hard for them to befortable, despite the fact that he hadn''t even done anything yet.

    Lucius narrowed his eyes upon seeing the conduct of Lyle and knew that the man will be a tough nut to crack.

    ''This will need some extra effort.'' Lucius thought to himself as he stared at the man''s back.

    He lightly squinted his eyes and activated Nexus, before a string of words appeared in front of him.

    Gift Name: Tilting Scales

    Description: The owner can detect lies and falsehoods that are spoken by someone when the gift is used on them. Then, depending on the number of lies they have spoken, the greater damage they will sustain when the owner attacks them.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Mental/ Enhancement

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: Approval of the Altar of Duran

    Other Owners: High Priest Martin, High Priest Ford, Bishop Vince, ¡­ (total owners: 23)

    Seeing the details of Lyle''s gift, Lucius became a bit more alert. He now knew that this would be far more difficult than he had thought. Not only was the gift and epic ranked gift, but it was also the worst kind of gift that they could havee across in this situation.

    The gift was a lie detection gift and could even increase the power of its owner''s attacks depending on how many lies the other person spoke.

    The only other problem Lucius had with this was that he didn''t know of the consumption of Aether for the priest. There was also the surprising requirement for evolution that Lucius saw in it.

    The only requirement for evolution was the approval of the Altar of Duran, which seemed ording to the rumors that he had heard. Though ording to those rumors, the priests needed to do a great service and be devoted to the god to be promoted.

    Another thing he noted was the other owners of the gift. They all seemed to have far higher ranks than the man in front of him.

    ''Is it perhaps that he was ted for a promotion and this is his final task or something like that? Maybe that''s why they upgraded his gift¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But as he thought this, another idea entered his mind.

    ''Wait a minute, if he really did get the gift recently¡­ perhaps he doesn''t have as good of a control over it as he did with his previous gift, whatever it may be. And I doubt he got many chances to practice it either, after all the secondary effect of the gift can''t just be used on anyone.

    I don''t think he will just go around attacking¡­ no wait, he may actually do that if it was criminals.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    The more Lucius thought, the more confident he became of handling the situation. While there were of course, some unknown parameters that he had, there were still the backup ns he had ready.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The chairs were pulled back by the servants promptly upon their approach to the table and they all took a seat.

    "Well then, Priest Lyle. Where do we start?" Gabriel asked.

    Arbitration was a ratherplex process, which could end up being very hectic or very straightforward. It mostly depended on the kind of arbitrator that was assigned and what kind of a crime he was assigned to investigate.

    "I''ll start with the facts that have already been established and witnessed by plenty of people." Lyle spoke before he took out a scroll from his satchel bag.

    <em>~p~</em>

    The scroll was quickly opened, and Lyle gazed at it before starting to read.

    "Asher Inanis, son of Gabriel Inanis, the Count of the Land of Etara is used of forcefully usurping the territory of Harrels family, seizing the female heir of Harrels family, imprisoning the said girl and subjecting her to unknown actions.

    Asher Inanis is also suspected of having colluded with some unknown criminals and hypnotizing Keith Drew. This further led to the young man being cursed by some unknown gift and his status is now unknown." Lyle spoke.

    The more everyone heard it, the more horrified they felt.

    ''This¡­ this is not what they informed us of at all!'' Gabriel thought to himself.

    Lita, Kiana and John had simr thoughts, but Lucius on the other hand, kept a calm face.

    "Priest Lyle, may I ask on what basis were these facts verified and whether they are even ''Facts'' or mere spections?" Lucius questioned.

    Lyle raised his head and looked at the young man in front of him, who was campy gazing at him. Despite being used of severe crimes, the young man was not the least bit unnerved and looked like a thousand year old rock.

    "Some of them may be facts and some may be spections. The reason I am here is to verify exactly which of these are facts and which spections." Lyle answered.

    "I see¡­" Lucius nodded his head. "Then may I ask who was it that made up these spections? The church, Viscount Drew, someone else¡­ or you?" he questioned directly.

    Hearing Lucius''s almost rude questions, Lita and Kiana almost flinched. Gabriel on the other hand, clenched his fist, knowing that this may be one of the most difficult times for their family.

    Everything that they had been preparing all this time, seemed to be almost useless as the arbitrator in question directly set out usations. While Gabriel had heard of plenty of scornful arbitrators, this was the first time he was seeing someone who would use first before verifying it all.

 Chapter 212 - Offended

    Lucius''s question was certainly quite rude in a way and also intruded upon the integrity of the Arbitrator. Everyone knew that the priests of Duran were dedicated to justice and righteousness.

    What Lucius had done was already enough to make them angry. If this were amoner, the priest would have certainly been offended enough to punish them, but with Lucius, he could not do the same.

    Lucius had a higher status than amoner, even if he was not a ranked noble, yet. That was true, Lucius actually did not have an official noble rank. In the entire mansion, only the Count and Countess had the ranks.

    Lucius was technically an unranked noble and had a slightly higher standing due to being the heir of the Inanis family. This was enough for the arbitrator to not act out directly and kept a bit of control on himself.

    "I see the young Lord Asher does not seem convinced with my work?" Lyle questioned.

    "It is not that I am convinced, but more that I have no reason to feel convinced," Lucius answered.

    And just as Lucius said this, he felt something in his mind.

    ''That¡­ the hell imprint¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as he felt the hell energy pouring out of the hell imprint and surrounding his entire soul.

    Lucius didn''t know what exactly was happening, but he could definitely guess what it could be. To test it out, Lucius decided to take a little bit of a risk. He had several backup ns in case his test failed and he would still be able to change the situation a little bit.

    Lucius stared into the eyes of the arbitrator and could see the slight hints of anger present in his eyes.

    ''This will be perfect¡­'' Lucius thought to himself as some hell energy was consumed.

    In the next moment, Lyle felt a rush of rage in his body and he raised his hand.

    <em>~BANG~</em>

    He mmed the table hard and pointed his hand at Lucius.

    "A FILTHY NO GOOD NOBEL LIKE YOU DARES CHALLENGE THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH! YOU DARE OFFEND AN ARBITRATOR!" Lyle yelled directly.

    No more was there the calm and cool arbitrator there. The only thing left now was an angry and offended man. Seeing the drastic change in the emotions of the priest, everyone in the room was surprised.

    Lucius on the other hand, was simply smiling and knew that his spell had worked.

    ''That actually worked far better than I thought¡­ but even if it was so, it should have not been this expressive. Perhaps there really is something hidden that I can''t see yet.'' Lucius thought OT himself.

    "Priest Lyle, Please!" Gabriel was about to speak up when the priest reacted.

    "YOU! DAMNED NOBEL SHUT UP! You all should be whipped to death!" Lyle spoke without a hint of decency.

    Hearing the words of the arbitrator, Gabriel no longer felt anxious, rather than that he now felt angry himself. It was fine at the start, as the priest would have had a reason to be prodding towards them as part of the arbitration.

    But now¡­ this was no longer arbitration, this was direct and open enmity.

    "Priest Lyle, may I remind you that you are in the presence of a Count and Colonel of the Royal Army. Even with your authority as an arbitrator, you cannot act like this, especially when the arbitration is not evenpleted and approved by the Church of Duran." Gabriel said with a straight face.

    His voice was normal, but one could feel the pressure in it. Even Lita and Kiana were feeling displeased with the Priest and felt that he was acting in gross misconduct. Kiana even clenched her fist before opening it as ayer of metal appeared on it.

    John on the other hand, was a bit lost and didn''t know what to do.

    ''Even if young lord Asher''s words were a bit direct, they don''t necessitate the use of such rage by the arbitrator.'' John thought.

    After having watched the angry priest, Lucius finally decided to speak.

    "Well then, Priest Lyle¡­ I think you already have a judgment in your mind so I don''t know if this arbitration is even needed." Lucius spoke.

    "Humph, I could tell that you are truly a vile person and have even colluded with some tribals." The Arbitrator stated.

    "Oh? What if I tell you that I wasn''t even at the party?" Lucius said.

    The priest almost chuckled upon hearing the words of Lucius, but then his eyes narrowed and a troubled expression appeared on his face.

    "No¡­ it can''t be¡­" the priest muttered.

    "What if I tell you that Keith Drew was not hurt by me but by himself? What if I tell you we never took Bethany Harrels?" Lucius questioned further.

    The more the priest heard Lucius, the more his expression changed.

    "No, no, no¡­ this can''t be true¡­ WHY! How can this be true?" The priest was losing his sense of control at this point.

    ''So it really does work like that¡­ huh. Tilting scales might be far more controble than I thought.'' Lucius thought to himself as the smile on his face faded away.

    "I think it is time you take your leave, Priest Lyle. Nothing wille out of this arbitration, feel free to report to the church whatever you feel like. I believe in the church and know that they will learn the truth on their own.

    We don''t need your bias here." Lucius stated.

    At this point, Gabriel and Lita were thinking the same as what Lucius had just spoken and knew that the man in front of them was a lost cause. They had been dealt a bad hand and gotten the worse kind of an arbitrator they could have gotten.

    They were even feeling a bit pleased that it had reached conclusion this fast as usually, the process of arbitration was long and grueling. But now it had been less than ten minutes and they had gotten their answers.

 Chapter 213 - A Failed Arbitration

    The arbitrator looked at the people of the Inanis family with a mix of anger and confusion in his eyes.

    "YOU! YOU! YOU! I''ll get to the bottom of this! All of you nobles shall suffer! You have dared to challenge the church of Duran! Justice shall descend and take your lives!" Lyle dered before leaving in a huff.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    His steps were heavy and could be heard resounding in the hallway. Lucius watched the back of the man and silently muttered something before turning to face Gabriel and Lita. They too were looking at him and the worry was apparent in their eyes.

    "Will this be fine?" Kiana was the first to ask.

    By now, she had learned that Asher was very calctive and nned well ahead. If he had let it progress to this point, then she was sure that he had it all nned and that he had let this happen intentionally.

    Gabriel and Lita had some different concerns, though.

    "This was a disaster¡­" Lita said before looking at Gabriel. "You need to write a letter to the king and the Church exining the situation."

    "I''ll do it. Don''t worry. But this¡­ what kind of an arbitrator was this? I understand them having some level of dissatisfaction with nobles, but this¡­ this was straight hate." Gabriel said.

    "Indeed, father. That was the very first thing I felt the moment he walked into the mansion. I could tell that he had his agenda set and perhaps¡­ he was always meaning to tag us as the culprits." Lucius stated.

    Gabriel thought overs Lucius''s words and rubbed his beard.

    "Hmm¡­ while it is quite rare and does not happen as often, there are indeed some priests of Duran that can be overt like this. Most of them had been offended by nobles sometime before they became priests and then act like this.

    But still¡­ this will cause us some problems or even a lot of them depending on how far the higher ups of the church decide to believe the man''s words." Gabriel said.

    "Don''t worry, father. I think the church knew what kind of a man Lyle was. Don''t forget that he was just a priest, and not a high priest or even higher. ording to what I''ve heard and learned, only those above the rank of a priest are allowed to be arbitrator." Lucius exined.

    Lita seemed a bit confused upon hearing this and furrowed her brows.

    "What do you mean, Asher?" Lita questioned.

    "What I mean is that the church intentionally sent Priest Lyle to us. I think this was supposed to be his ''test'' or something like that. If he did the arbitration properly, he would probably be promoted to a higher rank.

    But if he did not, then he would be kept at the same rank. Not to mention, I think the church already knows of our reputation and thus intentionally chooses us." Lucius answered.

    "Intentionally chose us? Why would they do something like that?" Lita asked, feeling even more confused.

    "Perhaps they know that we are the more ''decent'' ones among the nobles and won''t take any drastic actions even if priest Lyle messed up. I''m sure they will have a second round of arbitration internallyter.

    After all, the church has been doing this for a long time and must have a better experience with things such as these. They should know when an arbitrator is exaggerating and when he is not doing so." Lucius replied.

    "Hmm¡­ now that I think of it¡­ that does seem likely. I doubt there has been any other priest of Duran that let an arbitration proceed like this." Gabriel stated.

    "Exactly father, this must be a test. I do say that you should write a stern letter to the church of Duran and also a letter to the king informing of the gross misconduct that priest Lyle has just done." Lucius suggested.

    "I''ll do it right away." Gabriel said as he stood up and went to his study.

    Lucius walked to Lita and ced his hands on her shoulders.

    "Don''t worry, mother. Everything will be fine. I assure you." Lucius stated in a calm voice.

    Lita felt very relieved hearing the assuring and calm voice of Lucius and felt like her son had matured and finally grown up.

    "I won''t then. I''ll let the two of you handle this." Lita said before taking her leave as well.

    Now there were only two others left in the meeting hall, Kiana and John. Kiana was already assured that everything would be fine seeing Lucius''s response, but John was still concerned.

    Lucius walked up to John and spoke.

    "I want you to keep an eye on priest Lyle. Inform me when he''s about to leave the city and continue to watch him the entire time." Lucius said in a slightlymanding tone. "I hope you can do that?" he added.

    John''s expression because serious and he nodded his head. "I''ll do as you wish, Young lord Asher."

    With that said and done, John left as well and now only Lucius and Kiana were left in the hall.

    <em>~step~step~</em>

    "Is this all fine? What do you have nned?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yes, it will be. As for the n, let''s get to work on it." Lucius said before gesturing for Kiana to follow him.

    The two of them walked through the corridors as a rather strange atmosphere descended into the mansion. It was almost as if the presence of the arbitrator had changed the entire atmosphere of the mansion and it had be a bit more depressive.

    Lucius could see that even the servants were a bit depressive right now and had downed expressions. While they did not know of the arbitration''s result, they could tell that something had gone wrong, perhaps.

    Lucius thought was unaffected by everything and was even a bit pleased. He had gained a few things from this and had learned a few important things from Lyle. While thinking of this, he finally reached the destination they were heading to.

 Chapter 214 - Back At The Lab

    Lucius and Kiana stood in front of hisb and he unlocked that door.

    <em>~CREAK~</em>

    He had not been to theb in a couple of days and had mostly spent them in his otherb. Theb in the reeducation center was far bigger than this and he also had a lot more privacy there.

    There he didn''t need to care much about how much noise he made either as the sound didn''t really escape the basement of the building. Still, Lucius had uses for thisb and was going to keep on using it till he felt like he couldn''t.

    "Why are we here?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, the backup n for taking care of the arbitrator is here." Lucius answered.

    "The backup n is¡­ here?" Kiana muttered in slight confusion.

    She looked around and couldn''t really see anything particr in theb. Most of the objects were now covered in sheets so that dust wouldn''t settle on them and a few things had already been moved into the biggerb in the basement of the reeducation center.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Lucius pulled off the sheet from one of the objects, which was revealed to be the cage. And in those cages were the bore shrews who had been sleeping all this time.

    "The bore shrews? This is the backup n?" Kiana questioned.

    "Indeed." Lucius nodded his head and ced his hand over the cage.

    "But I thought we were going to let the Priest report his judgment to the church and let the new round of arbitration fix this" Kiana asked not understanding it.

    "I know that we did think of doing that. But that is not a n that has a 100% sess rate. Rather than that, I would prefer us having multiple ns that can support each other and increase our overall rate of sess." Lucius replied.

    "And how will these bore shrews help us with that?" Kiana questioned.

    "I thought of it this way. On one hand, we will have father writing letters to the church of Duran and the king, exining the situation and on the other side we will get rid of the priest when he leaves the city." Lucius revealed.

    "Kill him?" Kiana asked in a bewildered tone.

    "Yes," Lucius replied.

    "But won''t that cause even more trouble?"

    "Normally it would, but with me here, it won''t. With the letters sent to the church and King, they will know that we had a problem with the arbitrator and they will be aware of it. But if our n goes well, priest Lyle would never reach the church of Duran.

    What will happen after this is likely that they will send out someone to investigate the missing priest and either find out he died or are not able to do that. If they do find out he died, they will then send people to interrogate us.

    And if they really do send people to interrogate us, I will answer them that we didn''t do anything. If they take it all as I have nned, we will get off scot-free and they will drop the charges as well.

    After all, all of this is just a formality from the king. Normally they wouldn''t have even bothered with this since we haven''t done anything that wasn''t unprovoked. Plus I know the king has great trust in father.

    Not just because he''s a Count but because he is also a colonel. Those two positionsbined elevate his position to that of someone who is perhaps even a marquis." Lucius exined.

    Kiana frankly felt a bit overwhelmed by the entire exnation and felt that there was a lot of thing of in it. She went silent for a bit and sat down while Lucius did some work on the Bore shrews.

    Lucius was checking the conditions of the bore shrews and seeing how they were faring. They had been asleep for about six days straight now and Lucius wanted to see what kind of an effect it had on them.

    From the surface, they seemed to be rather normal and the only difference Lucius felt in the end was that the amount of hell energy in their bodies had reduced significantly.

    "Hmm¡­ so it does work as I thought. This will make it much easier to take care of the Lost. The same thing should apply to them as well. This way I can feed them hell energy and keep them at standby for days." Lucius muttered to himself in a very low voice.

    Kiana was still digesting the information Lucius had told her and was trying to see if there were any problems with the n. If this was Kiana of the past she would have never done this.

    She would have either not epted the n saying that it was risky and even if she did, she would have just epted it straight up without thinking much about it. But Lucius''s guidance and changes had made her start to think differently.

    Lucius did not just want subordinates who followed orders without thinking. For that, he would have the lost and they will be his foot soldiers. He also needed subordinates that could help him out in the long journey to the top.

    As much as Lucius would like to do all of this alone, he knew that this was simply not possible at this point. This world was not something that allowed an individual''s power to reign supreme.

    In this world, the collective powers of many people were higher than that of an individual. In Lucius''s past world, a supremely strong person could alone take care of an entire kingdom and everyone would be scared to oppose them.

    The power level of this world was not at the same point and thus Lucius had to take a different route. Though Lucius had confidence that in the future he would reach a point where he alone would be enough to suppress the entire world with just his power alone.

    Such was his goal, such was the conquest he had chosen.

 Chapter 215 - The Start Of The Backup

    Kiana had been thinking about Lucius''s n for about thirty minutes now and Lucius had also finished checking the Bore shrew''s condition. He was just about to wake them when Kiana suddenly spoke.

    "I understand the n for the most part and I know how it will work if Priest Lyle is found to be dead. But¡­ what if the church never finds out he is dead?" Kiana questioned. "What if their investigation never reveals any results?" Kiana questioned.

    "Well, if that does happen then it will just make things even easier for us. With priest Lyle missing, the church will stille to us, but this time the terms would be different. They would of course check if we had any links to his disappearance but I''ll take care of that too.

    Even if they check the citizens of our city and ask them, they would only get the answer that priest Lyle left the city normally and was never seen after. Plus¡­ I''m not going to let the perpetrator of this entire thing go free either." Lucius answered.

    "Perpetrator¡­ you mean Viscount Drew?" Kiana questioned.

    "Indeed," Lucius said with a smile. "If all goes well, it will be Viscount Drew''s turn to undergo arbitration¡­ a counter arbitration by the church of Duran."

    Kiana''s eyes widened upon hearing this. She hadn''t thought that Lucius would have covered so many aspects for all this. But now she couldn''t help but nod that this n would work.

    It was nned in enough detail that there were few points where problems could be caused. The only thing that could happen was that either the priest would slip away from the city before they know of it or that he would escape their attack.

    But Kiana was doubtful as either of those were likely to happen since they had John watching the priest''s every move. And the best thing was, that they didn''t even need to do this secretly.

    As the lord of a region, it was their ''responsibility'' to ensure that their ''guests'' were safe. It waspletely valid to have someone provide security for a priest of Duran who had visited them in the capacity of an Arbitrator.

    While Kiana didn''t know how Lucius would be implicating Viscount Drew in it, but she had the confidence that Lucius had that nned too. Rather than prodding his mind and disturbing him, he let him work and figure things out before that.

    Lucius went to work on the Bore Shrews again and released the hell energy from his hand. The hell energy split into multiple streaks and entered the bodies of the bore shrews. Lucius now had ten bore shrews in total.

    He had actually gotten a couple more a week ago and he had changed them too. But since Lucius had finished with most experiments that he needed to do on the bore shrew, he simply let them sleep after transforming them with the hell energy.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Streaks of hell energy poured out of his hand as they quickly entered the bodies of the ten bore shrews. There were three bore shrews that wererger than the other seven. These ones were the size of a house cat while the rest were twice as big as normal bore shrews.

    Overall, ten of these beasts were taking up quite a bit of space in the cage and Lucius was thankful that he had this modr equipment made. He simply switched around a few panels and the cage was extended to amodate more of the bore shrews.

    <em>~SKWEE~</em>

    Once the hell energy entered their bodies, the bore shrews were revitalized and let out a cry upon awakening. They looked around and spotted the glowing red hand of Lucius above them.

    They immediately unlocked the cage on their own and left it before arranging themselves into a single file. Seeing this, Lucius couldn''t help but smile.

    <em>~p~</em>

    "Excellent!" Lucius said with a p.

    "You all have your very first task today. If youplete it sessfully, you will get a reward." Lucius said before sending out small strings of hell energy to each of the beasts, transmitting the details.

    As soon as the hell energy was fully consumed by the bore shrews, their eyes glinted with a fierce light.

    <em>~SKEWEEEEEEE!~</em>

    An excited cry was let out by them and they looked ready to act.

    "Ahahha! Not so fast¡­ we have to wait for the right moment. Though it wouldn''t hurt to be a bit early¡­" Lucius said as he looked outside the window.

    Kiana then watched as the ten Bore Shrews climbed up the wall and exited through the window. Once outside the window they quickly dug into the ground and disappeared.

    "Where did they go?" Kiana questioned.

    "They will be ready to act at any time now. I sent them outside the city." Lucius spoke.

    "I see¡­ what do we do now?" Kiana questioned.

    "Now? Now we wait¡­ at least until the Priest is ready to leave and John informs us about it." Lucius answered.

    "When do you think he will be leaving?" Kiana asked.

    "Hmm¡­ seeing as he came after a long journey, he should probably be resting here for a few hours before leaving," Lucius replied.

    "But won''t he leave on a carriage or something like that?" Kiana questioned.

    "I thought that at first too, but apparently this man left the carriage that he hired when he entered the city. I bet he didn''t think that he would need the carriage so fast. Now even if he wants a carriage he would not get one easily.

    Especially since the restrictions between us and Viscount Drew''s territory started." Lucius said with a knowing smile.

    Hearing thest sentence of Lucius, Kiana suddenly understood.

    "Viscount Drew just caused problems for himself, didn''t he?" Kiana stated.

    "Indeed. While other carriages can enter our territory and leave, since they don''t need to follow the same regional regtions, the same can''t be said for the carriages that are from our city.

    If anything, Priest Drew would need to walk to the territory of Viscount Drew to get a carriage." Lucius said with a chuckle.

 Chapter 216 - Getting Into Action

    After hearing the exnation from Lucius, Kiana couldn''t help but chuckle. Not only had Viscount Drew made himself a trap, but he was also taking others down with himself.

    "That is rather amazing. Though when do we act?" Kiana questioned.

    "It shouldn''t be long. Considering how angry the priest was, he should be wanting to leave the city as soon as possible. At most, it might take him a day since he will probably search for some carriages first.

    And I''m pretty sure he doesn''t know fully of the change in travel restrictions that are between the Inanis territory and Drew Territory. John should know when the priest leaves and should send someone to inform us.

    Till then we can wait." Lucius answered.

    Kiana nodded her head, and the two of them continued doing their tasks. Kiana went to supervise other servants while Lucius just read some books, not wanting to miss out on the opportunity with the priest in case it happened.

    ''Seeing how he is, I wouldn''t be surprised if he leaves at night, too. He should be at least strong enough to fight some beasts even if his gift wouldn''t directly help him.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He looked at the empty cage and wondered if the Bore Shrews would be enough.

    "For the n to work and to cover all bases, it is important that I only use a beast for the attack. Using the Lost might reveal a human link and see as the church of Duran has a gift that can detect lies, they might even have a gift that detects what killed something." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Time passed and hours flowed like a stream. In the blink of an eye, it was already night time and a knock was heard on the door of theb.

    <em>~knock~ knock~</em>

    "It''s me. John sent a messenger telling us that the priest has left." Kiana''s voice could be heard from outside.

    Lucius stood up from the chair and closed the book before heading to the door.

    ~Creak~

    "Very well, it''s a bit early but night time will be better for us to act." Lucius spoke.

    "Where do we go now?" Kiana asked. "Do we follow the priest?"

    "No, first we go to the reeducation center." Lucius replied.

    "Why there?" Kiana asked, not understanding.

    "We have to get our ride, of course¡­" Lucius said with a smile.

    Kiana finally understood what Lucius meant and widened her eyes. The two of them quickly left the mansion and headed for the reeducation center. Entering from the back, Lucius went to hisb.

    "Doyle,e on we got work to do." Lucius spoke.

    "ENG!" Doyle''s grunt was hearding from the corner as he woke up.

    <em>~swish~</em>

    The Lost picked up a robe that was hanging on the side and put it on his body. Kiana had already gotten a couple of such robes made and they were perfect to cover the body of Doyle.

    It had a string that tied at the front of the neck, while the hood covered the head. The rest of the long robe just hung down, hiding the rest of the body effectively. Only when Doyle was moving fast would his body would be seen, but at that speed, people would not be able to see it clearly anyway.

    The three of them left the area under the guise of darkness and quickly made their way to the city wall.

    "This should be far enough¡­" Lucius said as he looked around.

    "Lower your back," Lucius said to Doyle, and the Lostplied.

    "Come on now, climb up." Lucius said.

    "Okay," Kiana said with a slight reluctance.

    Even if she had been on Doyle''s back before, it was still a bit unnerving experience to Kiana. Lucius who was used to a much faster mode of travel, was not bothered by this speed at all.

    <em>~shua~ thud~</em>

    Doyle stood up and took a step, shooting up like a cannonball. Just like before, he reached the top of the wall and then jumped down with Lucius and Kiana.

    "Head there, Doyle. But from the forest." Lucius pointed.

    "Eng!" Doyle grunted in response as he moved like a deer weaving through bushes and rocks alike.

    With its speed, it didn''t take long for them to reach the border of the main road. The two sides of the roads were covered in dense trees from this point onwards and it was the perfect location to act.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    "This is far enough, stop." Lucius ordered, and Doyle came to a stop.

    Lucius and Kiana got down from his back and looked for the priest.

    "He''s not here?" Kiana asked.

    "He should still be a bit far. We were much faster in travel even if he had a head start." Lucius replied.

    "Oh yeah, where are the bore shrews?" Kiana questioned.

    Lucius closed his eyes in response and tried to sense the positions of the Bore Shrews. They were distributed around the area and had been silently lying in wait. Since Lucius didn''t fully know what ce the Priest could go to, he had gotten the bore shrews to spread around.

    This way, even if the Priest took any unexpected path, at least one bore shrew would be able to attack him.

    ''Come out,'' Lucius said in his mind.

    <em>~skwee~</em>

    A low cry could be heard from all around, but didn''t seem that disced in the forest. There were many animals and beasts living in the forest and strange sounds could be heard from time to time, making it easy to disguise this sound as normal.

    "You''re gathering them already?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, we will need to follow the priest for a bit. Can''t kill him this close to the city. He needs to be at least halfway to the territory of the bandits. I''ll need to do amand for the bore shrews and they should be able to take care of the rest." Lucius replied.

    Kiana didn''t know what exactly Lucius was going to do but she just nodded her head, deciding to wait and see.

 Chapter 217 - A Bloody Heart

    <em>~Skwee~</em>

    The bore shrew''s cry was heard again as Lucius and Kiana could feel the slight vibrations in the ground.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    One by one, all of the bore shrews popped up from the ground around Lucius.

    "There we go, now stay there in silence," Lucius said and sent out a string of hell energy.

    Doyle too watched the hell energy move with interest and desire but did not act or do anything. The hell energy entered the bore shrews, and they got their newmand.

    Lucius needed them to see who they were supposed to attack. He knew that a fullyplexmand, such as just telling them to find a priest and attack him after such a distance, would be impossible for the bore shrews to follow.

    This for that reason, he thought that letting them see the priest and then instructing them to attack after a certain time would be better. Of course, this was just a simple exnation and he could add some finer nuances with the hell energyter.

    The three of them hid in the trees and waited till the man they were looking for arrived. Priest Lyle still had a grumpy expression on his face and seemed to be muttering something to himself.

    Seeing him, Lucius''s eyes lit up. He pointed his hand towards the bore shrews and sent a few strings of hell energy into them.

    ''Kill that man, after six hours.'' Lucius ordered thought the hell of energy and added a few moremands.

    In the next second, the ten bore shrews burrowed into the ground and disappeared.

    Kiana watched everything happen but kept her silence. The three of them waited till the Priest was gone from the area.

    "Is that all?" Kiana questioned, finding it to be a bit underwhelming.

    "Yes, that''s all. The bore shrews will take care of the rest. If everything goes well, we should get confirmation by tomorrow morning." Lucius answered.

    Kiana was a bit doubtful at first, but then nodded her head, deciding to wait and see for herself. The two of them then got back onto Doyle''s back and returned to the city before going back to the reeducation center where they dropped off Doyle.

    <em>~yawn~</em>

    "Are you tired?" Kiana asked.

    "Yeah, I should go and rest for now. Most of our work is done now." Lucius replied.

    "Very well. Do you want to rest here or at the mansion?" Kiana questioned.

    "Here will be fine. No use going back, besides if anything happens, we will have the three of them to help us out." Lucius said while gesturing to the three Lost.

    Kiana nodded her head and set up the bed for Lucius before taking her leave. With her gone, Luciusid down on the bed and fell asleep rather quickly. Even for him, doing so many tasks was a tiring thing and today was hectic overall as well.

    The night passed rather quickly and Lucius didn''t even wake up for a second, sleeping soundly. When the morning finally arrived, Lucius woke up on his own. This time due to hunger.

    ''This is a bit strange¡­ I don''t feel this hungry usually¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But then he narrowed his eyes as a thought appeared in his mind. He quickly entered his Soul space and saw that five smaller doors had been added there.

    "No wonder¡­ those bore shrews also reached that level. But how¡­" It was then that Lucius noticed that there were less connections that he was feeling.

    "There are only five of them alive, huh¡­ well, that''s a better number than I had adoringly expected." Lucius said to himself.

    He could also see the glowing hell imprint, which was slowly releasing the hell energy from it. Lucius knew that his hell energy was growing once more and it might be the reason his body was feeling hungry.

    "Asher," Suddenly Kiana''s voice was heard by Lucius and he woke up from the meditative state.

    Opening his eyes, he could see Kiana standing in the doorway.

    "Are you okay?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yeah, I was just seeing if our little helpers are close by." Lucius replied.

    "Helpers? You mean the bore shrews?" Kiana questioned.

    "Yes them. They are on their way back now." Lucius answered.

    "That means¡­ they seeded?!" Kiana said with a slight hint of excrement.

    "Of course they seeded." Lucius stated.

    Kiana nodded her head and didn''t know how Lucius knew this for sure. But she just trusted him for now and decided to wait and see the bore shrews herself.

    "How will you know that the priest is dead for sure?" Kiana asked.

    "Oh, I asked them to get some proof for that," Lucius replied causally.

    "Proof of death?" Kiana wondered.

    "You''ll see¡­" Lucius replied.

    The two of them waited for about ten minutes before the cry of a bore shrew was heard.

    <em>~SKREEE~</em>

    Lucius stood up from his bead and looked towards the venttion window at the corner of the hall.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The window was a push window and thus when the bore shrews entered, they easily opened it by just pushing on the ss pane.

    <em>~scrit~scrit~scrit~</em>

    The five bore shrews crawled down the wall easily and came to stand in front of Lucius in a single file. Lucius finally got to see the five bore shrews and saw which ones were now alive.

    Of the three big ones, only two were now alive and of the seven smaller ones, only three were alive. They were all covered with blood and guts, but the most eye catching thing was the thing the biggest bore shrew was carrying in its mouth.

    <em>~gasp~</em>

    Kiana also saw the object and gasped in surprise.

    "Is that¡­ is that really¡­" Kiana stuttered.

    "Indeed¡­ that''s the heart of the priest." Lucius said as he kneeled in front of the bore shrew and took the bloody, red heart from its teeth.

    The heart had several marks on it and had been thoroughly punctured.

    "There we have it¡­ our first stepping stone."

 Chapter 218 - Playing Both Sides

    Seeing the perfect result of the Bore Shrew''s in his hand Lucius felt quite content.

    "Now that this is done¡­ all we need to do is wait. The rest of the things will be done by the church of Duran itself." Lucius stated.

    Kiana nodded her head and also felt a bit relieved. All this time there was still a tinge of doubt that was hidden in her heart, whether the bore shrews would be able to do this or not, but now she knew for sure that they could seed.

    ***

    A week had passed since the death of Priest Lyle and no one other than Lucius and Kiana knew about it. Even the Count and the countess were in the dark, as that was what Lucius wanted it to be like.

    If they knew about the truth, it would be hard to conceal the truth when the Church of Duran sent another person that could very lie. Rather than that, Lucius would much let it be on himself as he had a workaround the gift.

    The Dionysia brewery had been going well and had gotten its next share of profits, which was over twenty five thousand gold coins. The amount that remained after paying off the running costs, material costs and sries of the workers still left them with over twenty two thousand gold coins.

    Today, the entire Inanis family, along with John and his wife hade to the meeting hall to discuss the matter.

    "This is incredible, my lord. The number of orders we get only keeps on increasing." Alyssa spoke with excitement.

    "Hahaha! I always knew the wine my son made would be popr. It''s a shame that the world can''t know that it was really him that made it." Gabriel spoke.

    "I don''t really care for that, father. Rather than that, it''s more important that we keep our progress maintained and no problems ur." Lucius replied.

    "Of course, Young Lord Asher. We have even started to prepare more workers for the eventual expansion of the brewery. In a month, we should have them all vetted and picked for the time when the brewery is expanded." John spoke.

    "Very good. Hopefully, the workers are ready till then and can get to work on the brewery''s expansion." Lucius replied.

    "The response in the noble circle is also quite well. I keep on getting more and more letters from the nobledies about the wine and how they want to buy arge amount of it for their parties." Lita added.

    Hearing this, and idea appeared in Lucius''s mind.

    "I think it may be time for Alyssa''s Introduction to the noble circle mother." Lucius suddenly spoke.

    "Her introduction?" Lita asked.

    "Yes. I would like you to introduce her as the owner of the brewery and that she is the maker of it as well. It shouldn''t be hard to make up some facts, since I doubt the nobles would have known about her before.

    And since Alyssa''s parents were traders once as well, it shouldn''t be that hard to make a im that her parents simply obtained the recipe for the wine from some brewer a long time ago." Lucius replied.

    Hearing this, Lita nodded her head. "This should help assuage their curiosity a bit I suppose."

    "Mmmhmm¡­ also take several cases of wine when you do the introduction as gifts to the nobles. It should help elevate her reputation." Lucius spoke.

    "That''s a nice idea. It will help us in the long term too." Gabriel spoke.

    "Indeed father," Lucius replied.

    The little group discussed a few more things before finally ending their meeting. John and Alyssa went to their homes while Gabriel and Lita went to sleep for the night. Lucius on the other hand had a different task.

    He and Kiana left the mansion and headed to the reeducation center.

    "Do you have everything ready?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes. I got a few of them to gather. It took a few connections but with a little gold to smoothen it out, they agreed." Kiana replied.

    "Very good." Lucius said as his eyes flickered.

    After reaching the reeducation center, Lucius changed into a different set of clothes and put on a mask. Kiana did the same and the two of them waited until it was midnight before leaving the building.

    Their destination this time was quite different from usual. The two of them avoided the guards and spent about twenty minutes reaching the mercenary district of the city. In here they went to one of the more ''indecent'' taverns.

    Lucius saw the name of the tavern on the board hat hung at its top.

    "The Blind Crow¡­ a rather unusual name for a tavern." Lucius spoke.

    "If anything, it suits its owner I guess. This ce is infamous for illicit deals and is frequented by plenty of criminals and the owner just turns a ''Blind eye'' to them. Ever since weunched the initiative for the rewards and bounties, they have stoppeding here.

    But with the greed of gold, they agreed to our meeting." Kiana replied.

    "I see. Hopefully, this goes well." Lucius spoke.

    Kiana''s gaze lingered on Lucius for a bit before she said, "are you sure of this?"

    "I am¡­ it is better we capitalize on this than someone else. At least by ying on both sides we will have a chance to control the situations. It''s better if we control them rather than theme wreaking havoc." Lucius answered.

    "Alright." Kiana said with a sigh. "We are to head from the stables. There is a separate entrance there."

    Lucius nodded his head and the two of them entered the stables that were currently empty. It was evident that no mercenary that cared for his reputation would want toe here.

    As for the ones that didn''t, they either couldn''t afford a horse or wouldn''t wander out in open with them. The stable was just a disguise, and a good one at that.. In the stable, Kiana lifted a small hatch from the floor, revealing the passageway that went below the tavern.

 Chapter 219 - Three Masked Men

    Lucius and Kiana entered the passageway that took them to the secret area built below the tavern. The passageway was dark and only a faint light could be seen at the end of it which served as a guide.

    The two of them carefully walked to the end, watching for any dangers or problems in the passageway. Thankfully, while the passageway was dark, it didn''t really have anything that could serve as an obstacle to them or make them trip.

    The floor of the passageway was made out of stones that had been cut to fit the width of the path. Lucius could tell that something like this could not have been done easily and probably wasn''t done any time recently.

    <em>~ck~ck~ck~</em>

    The sound of their footsteps echoed across the passageway until they finally reached the other end. Here a smallmp hung in which a flickering me burned. With the light from themp, Lucius and Kiana could see the door beside it.

    "Is this it?" Lucius questioned.

    "Yes." Kiana nodded her head.

    "Go ahead then." Lucius replied.

    <em>~knock~knock~knock~knock~knock~</em>

    Kiana then knocked on the door five times in a specific rhythm, with each knock being one second longer than the previous one.

    <em>~kacha~</em>

    A small slot on the door opened up, and a pair of eyes peeked from it. After staring at them for a second, the slot closed up and the sound oftches opening behind the door could be heard.

    <em>~kacha~ kacha~</em>

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The door finally opened, and Lucius and Kiana could see inside. In there, three masked men were sitting while one stood at the side of the door. The one at the side of the door was none other than the one who had opened it.

    This was the only man who didn''t wear a mask and had his face bare. Lucius didn''t know who he was but it seemed like Kiana did.

    "Thank you, Leif." Kiana spoke.

    "Finish your business quickly. Only those that have an established reputation are allowed here for long." The man named Leif said before leaving through another door in the room.

    Lucius noted this as it was the only other door here. He reckoned that it probably led to the tavern above them. Surprisingly though, Lucius couldn''t hear any sounds of noise from the top, which made him wonder just how thick the floor above was.

    ''Rather than that¡­ they must have used some kind of an instion¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He then focused on the three men who were also masked. All of them were wearing simr masks and the only way to tell them apart was their bodies. One man was taller than the other two, while one of them was fatter than the others.

    "So¡­ what is it that we were called here for?" The fatter man among the three masked men questioned.

    "Ah, it will exin it all to you shortly. But before that, I believe introductions are in order." Lucius spoke.

    "I''ll start first. I am Lucius." Lucius said, using his past life''s name as a fake name now.

    Kiana didn''t seem surprised by this, as it had already been something Lucius discussed with her beforehand. She didn''t speak anything though and kept her silence.

    The fat man looked at the tall man and nodded.

    "If you managed to invite us, I believe you should already know who we are." The tall man stated. "Then there is no use for this, is there?" he asked.

    "Well, I do know. But I also believe a proper introduction is a good start to asting rtionship, whether it be business or otherwise." Lucius stated.

    The three men looked at Lucius for a few seconds before speaking, "fine, we''ll y your game." The slimmer man said.

    "I am Cohen." The fat man stated.

    "I am Arius." The Slim man said.

    "And I am Carlyle." The tall man added.

    "Ah, no need to be humble. Why don''t you use your titles? Cohen the Fang, Arius the Fierce Fist and Carlyle the Blood hammer." Lucius revealed.

    Hearing their titles being called out openly, the three men felt a bit upset, but seeing as how freely Lucius acted, they didn''t think he was someone to be easily dealt with.

    "Well, normally these titles would cause us problems, thus it''s better we avoid them." Cohen spoke.

    "Of course, of course. But we are in a private setting and I believe in offering respect where it is due. All three of you have significant aplishments in criminal endeavors and I am quite interested in you." Lucius said with a noble ir.

    "You are one strange man¡­ Lucius. Normally people would fear us and won''t dare to meet us like this¡­ at least not without security." Carlyle stated.

    "Yes, but the difference is that I do not fear." Lucius said freely.

    "I see¡­ and what is it that you invited us here for? That too with thousands of gold coins?" Arius questioned.

    "Well you see¡­ I am a nobleman myself, but I cannot reveal my identity, of course. There are many business endeavors and deals that require a certain set of skills that you three have. Whether it be assassination, intimidation or sabotage¡­ you got it all." Lucius answered.

    Hearing this, the three men were a bit surprised. To them, the price Lucius had paid to invite them was already several times more than what they took as fees for their services. This had now interested them and they looked on in anticipation.

    "So from your words, I get that you want to hire us to take care of your business opponents?" Carlyle questioned directly.

    "Indeed¡­ but that is not all. While I believe you three are used to jobmission, which are one time services, I am offering something else." Lucius answered.

    "Oh? And what is it that you are offering?" Arius asked with interest.

    "I am offering you to be part of something bigger than yourself, bigger than this entire kingdom, perhaps.. Something that will make you rich, very rich!" Lucius said with a smile.

 Chapter 220 - Baiting

    Hearing the words of Lucius, the three masked men felt a bit unnerved. To them, Lucius was saying stuff that didn''t really seem believable. But they didn''t feel like interrupting him right now and wanted to let him speak a bit more, with the hope that it would all make sense in the end.

    "You three gentlemen are used to temporary jobs, while I''m willing to employ you full time." Lucius stated.

    "Employ us? What do you mean, employ us?" The three of them said in unison.

    "Just what it means. You three will work for me full time, with a few adjustments, of course." Lucius spoke.

    "You do know us three aremissioned for more severe criminal acts like murder, right? How does it make sense employing us full time?" Carlyle questioned.

    "Well¡­ while I do say full time employment, I mean you will be at my call whenever I need you. Who knows when I might need you thus I would like you to stay avable all times." Lucius answered.

    "This doesn''t make sense. Even if you are a nobleman the cost needed to hire us like that would mean you would pay for each day. That cost would go far above what you paid us now." Arius said, finding it all to be strange.

    "Of course I know that. I mean topensate you for that in a different way in addition to paying you for the individual ''projects'' you would be taking on." Lucius replied.

    "What do you mean in a different way? You will not be paying us in money?" Cohen asked, feeling doubtful about the entire thing now.

    "It won''t be money. Rather, it will be something that is worth far more than just money. It is something you won''t be able to buy at all with money." Lucius answered.

    "I don''t believe you. If it''s not money, then it won''t be worth our time. And if it''s something immovable like property that is even more useless for people like us. We cannot put in roots and need to move around a lot." Arius said while shaking his head.

    The other two seemed to be done with Lucius as well, and decided to leave. But just as they were about to turn around, Lucius spoke.

    "What if I give you a sample of that?" Lucius threw out.

    "A sample?" Arius raised his brows under the mask.

    "From the information that is a bit ''public'' you three all have rare ranked gifts, right?" Lucius questioned.

    "We do yes," Arius replied.

    "What if I told you I can change that gift to an epic ranked gift?" Lucius said with a smile.

    His words were spoken in a slightly low voice, making the three masked men feel as if they were mistaken.

    "You mean to say you can give us new gifts?" Cohen asked for rification.

    "Indeed. They will be a better version of your own gift. Of course, this is only if you are willing to ept." Lucius replied.

    "What nonsense! Everyone knows gifts cannot be changed." Carlyle said out loud.

    "You do know there are gifts that people don''t even know exist, right?" Lucius countered.

    Carlyle narrowed his brows, but did not speak. Arius, who was the more knowledgeable of the three though, seemed a bit intrigued. He didn''t know why, but he felt a bit interested in the words of Lucius as they didn''t seem to be false.

    He was an assassin and in his line of business, it was very important to be able to judge people and tell whether they are lying or not. And Arius had faith in himself that he could judge people every well.

    He had met a lot of people including noblemen, that tried to hire him and tried to cheat him from the very start. He could tell their lies rather easily but in the case of Lucius, he seemed to be telling the truth.

    ''Heck even the name he gave ''Lucius'' seems to be real.'' Arius thought to himself.

    "Hmm¡­ there are indeed several gifts that are unknown or just new that people don''t know of." Arius decided to speak.

    ''He took the bait¡­'' Lucius thought as a smile appeared on his face.

    Fortunately, it was hidden beneath the mask or it might have caused the three men to feel even more strange seeing Lucius.

    "Then you must also know that gifts can have miraculous effects that can affect even other gifts? Most people only see Rare or Epic gifts to be strong at most. But the effects of Legendary and Mythic ranked gifts are even beyond what most imagine.

    What do you think a Mythic ranked gift can do?" Lucius questioned further.

    Unlike Lucius, the other three didn''t really have much knowledge about gifts above the epic ranked. Legendary and above ranked gifts almost never appeared and even if they did, they did so every thousand years or so.

    Plus, most of the detailed information about them was only avable to the nobles, the churches and higher organizations like the artificers guild. Other than them,moners had less to no chance of knowing about them.

    To them, those gifts were no less than mysterious and could do the unthinkable.

    "I''ve heard rumors that Mythic ranked gifts can affect the very basis of the world. The stories of Etara speak of Mythic gifts as something that is only sent when the world needs them.

    Theye in the times of disasters as divine intervention and help solve them." Arius answered after thinking for a bit.

    Lucius was rather surprised by the man''s level of knowledge. This was something anyone could learn if they read the scriptures of Etara, but not many couldprehend the truth about them since they were written a bit vaguely.

    But the first line like what Arius said, about mythic ranked gifts being able to change the very basis of the world, was something even Lucius hade to as a conclusion.

    ''Seems like this man might be a better pawn than I thought¡­''

 Chapter 221 - Drawing Them In

    Having heard of the entire discussion, the other two masked men, Carlyle and Cohen, seemed a bit confused. Unlike Arius, they didn''t know much about gifts and especially not about mythic ranked gifts.

    Lucius though, was quite pleased with it all.

    "You know it very well¡­ then you must also know why I said you three would be part of something much bigger than yourselves and even this kingdom." Lucius said with a smile.

    Hearing this, it finally struck Arius.

    "You mean to say¡­ You have a Mythic ranked gift?" Arius questioned with great doubt.

    "Indeed. I''ve even had it appraised and guess what¡­ the appraisal hall failed to even determine its rank." Lucius answered.

    Heading Lucius''s words, Arius found it hard to believe, but at the same time, he could judge that the man in front of him was not lying at all. Lucius observed the man in front of him and knew that he had captured his attention and all that was left was to reel him in.

    ''I only need one¡­ the others will follow.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "You only need to think¡­ what rank would you ce a gift that can increase the rank of other gifts?" Lucius ced a question in front of the three men.

    He looked all three of them in the eyes, presenting the question to them. While Arius was the only one who had been involved in it mostly, that would not be enough. He also wanted Carlyle and Cohen to participate.

    The two men went silent and thought to themselves. Then a minuteter, Cohen was the first to speak.

    "The Mythic ranked¡­" He said.

    "I think mythic ranked too." Carlyle added.

    "And what do the writings of Etara say¡­ Arius?" Lucius questioned the man.

    "¡­ when a Mythic ranked gift appears, it is as a direction from the divines. Its purpose is bigger than just an individual and it''s meant to help with a cmity¡­" Arius recited.

    Everyone in the room including Kiana, heard these words. Kiana was feeling a bit proud since she knew this was something to be expected. She had long since known that Lucius'' gift could not be anything weak ormon.

    Besides, even if his ability to upgrade gifts was not directly rted to his own gift, it was not something that could be fully confirmed otherwise either. So far, his gift had shown multiple abilities and she wouldn''t be surprised if Lucius''s increased intelligence was part of the gift as well.

    The only difference would be that it presented itself earlier and didn''t really show the usual signs of what would appear from a gift like that. Now that Kiana thought of it, she couldn''t ssify Lucius''s gift into the usual types of gifts.

    It fell under emission, since it could send out those strings of energy. It fell under enhancement since it could enhance the bodies of others, including their gifts. It could also fall under maniption and control types of gifts since Lucius could control others, too.

    Then there were the marks that he had made which Kiana couldn''t even tell which category they belonged to. But she knew one thing ¡ª the higher the rank of the gifts went, the more categories they could fall under.

    And seeing the myriad ways Lucius''s gift could be used, Kiana was now sure that it was a mythic ranked gift. She would have directly thought of it being a divine ranked gift, had it not been for the fact she knew those could only exist for the gods.

    Lucius observed the three men and saw the different levels of eptance in their eyes and body posture. Arius was the most epting, then Cohen, and finally Carlyle.

    "Well then¡­ what do you three gentlemen say? Will you allow me to demonstrate my gift and let one of your gifts be elevated to a new level?" Lucius tempted.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    The three men secretly gulped their saliva. Everyone in the world wished that they had a high ranked gift and that it was something strong. Even if it was someone really old, they always desired to grow stronger.

    Even those with epic ranked gifts wished their gifts were better and at the legendary rank. There was always envy for things that one did not own. From this, it was safe to assume that even if someone had a legendary ranked gift, they would desire more¡­ perhaps even a Mythic ranked gift.

    "If I do agree to this¡­ what will you be doing?" Arius finally asked.

    "Well first of all, I would use my gift on you and see what are the peculiarities of your gift. Then I''ll figure out how it can be upgraded." Lucius stated.

    "Figure out? You mean to say you can''t just upgrade the gift directly?" Carlyle questioned, his doubts resurfacing.

    "Of course not. Creating something out of nothing is something only the divines themselves can do. A gift requires Aether to function as you must all know and my gift is the same it needs Aether.

    But depending on the kind of gift that is to be upgraded, it would require different amounts of course. And I think you three should be able to guess that the amount of Aether needed must not be small." Lucius replied.

    "That¡­ does seem reasonable," Arius muttered.

    "I guess that can be it. But we won''t believe it full unless you show us the demonstration." Carlyle added.

    "Of course, I won''t force you to believe it without proof. I''ll let you judge for yourselves." Lucius assured.

    "Alright then¡­ I''ll agree." Arius spoke.

    Lucius smiled under his mask and extended his hand.

    "Well then do you, Arius Negan, willing choose out of your own free will to follow my words and allow me to do as I said?" Lucius asked, carefully choosing his words.

    Seeing the extended hand, Arius felt a bitpelled to oblige and extended his hand to meet it as well.

    "I do." The man replied.

    "Then¡­ the agreement is made," Lucius said, as a red light shone on his hand passing onto Arius.

 Chapter 222 - Gatling Fist

    The Mark of obedience was a spell that Lucius was highly confident of. And for him, that spell was a must if he were to take in any subordinates that needed to be ''loyal'' or servants that would be close to him and know his secrets.

    The day he had decided to recruit these three men, Lucius had sealed their fate. They would either all be his subordinates and take up the mark of obedience or they would be freely exterminated by Kiana.

    They didn''t know that the option of just leaving never existed for them the moment, Lucius stepped in through the door. Even though the three men were experienced killers and hadpleted many assassinations, they still had nothing on Lucius''s preparation and Kiana herself.

    While Lucius had shown as if he didn''t know them as well other than their names, he had actually spent enough time to research their gifts and weaknesses that came with them. And only after knowing that did he decide to go ahead with this n.

    If it were not for that, perhaps Lucius would have never attempted this in the first ce. Arius, who was the first to take the mark of obedience, felt the hell energy enter his body from his hand.

    It felt warm at first to him, but then a shooting pain went through his body. But before he could cry out in pain, the pain disappeared as if it were an illusion. Lucius on the other hand, felt pleased with the quickness of the spell.

    ''Seems like Arius truly believe in this for the spell to work this quick.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    For the Mark of obedience to work, the person it was being used on needed to be willing to ept the spell caster''s condition and believe in it. The stronger the faith, the faster the spell would work and the less pain the receiver would get.

    This also served as a way for the spell caster to judge just how strong of a belief the receiver had in their words. It wasn''t really an intentional feature of the spell, but it just ended up like that.

    "Excellent, Arius. Now let''s see how your gift goes¡­" Lucius said as he activated Nexus.

    He had already known several facts about his gift and thus the consumption of hell energy was less than normal. Additionally, Lucius''s own hell energy capacity had risen by a lot and thus he could use nexus more times than before.

    Lucius was sure that he could now fully obtain information about an epic ranked gift as well. So far, Lucius had not really managed to use nexus fully on an epic ranked gifts and gotten them to reveal all information about them.

    He only knew the information about Kiana''s and Gabriel''s gifts. But even then, finding the information about their evolution requirements and the other owners turned out to be difficult.

    It was as if he has met a barrier and thus Lucius ended up taking a pause from it. Rather than that, Lucius focused his time on growing the amount of hell energy he had. And now that he had the lost with him, he was sure that he might be able to fully reveal the information about an epic ranked gift as well.

    But for now, he focused on the information that had just appeared in front of him.

    Gift Name: Gatling Fist

    Description: Allows the user to increase the power of their punches and hand attacks while also increasing its speed. The more punches are used, the faster they get. This effect can be continued until the user runs out of Aether or sustains an injury.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Enhancement

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 4x Basalt Bison Rune crystals, 50x Aether Crystals, 200 milliliters of Rock Nut Oil.

    Other Owners:¡­ (total owners: 492)

    Seeing the rest of the information, Lucius was relieved. He had already known about the man''s gift, which was called Gatling fist. It was a gift that was also popr among the military, but in recent years, the number of people that had the gift had lessened.

    As for the requirements needed to upgrade the gift, Lucius realized that he wouldn''t have to worry much. The aether crystals were always ready for him, and the Rock Nut oil was also something that was easily obtainable.

    Rock Nut oil was a kind of lucubrating oil used in construction and things such as gears and cogs. It was a mass produced non-edible oil and could be found nearly everywhere. As for the Rune crystal, Lucius didn''t worry about it either.

    ''Basalt Bison rune crystal¡­ it''s a rathermon rune crystal that is often used by the artificers'' guild and is usually in good supply. I can easily buy it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He knew about the Basalt Bisons that were E ranked rune beasts and were also found to the south of the Land of Etara. Thankfully, these rune beasts were a bit more docilepared to their more fierce cousins, which were none other than the Stampeding bulls.

    Both of these rune beasts actually shared the same habitat and lived in closepany. Plus due to either great numbers, there was always a steady supply of their rune crystals.

    "We can do it tomorrow." Lucius stated.

    "You mean we can upgrade my gift tomorrow?" Arius questioned.

    "Indeed. I''ll get the things ready ande backnow, I rmend you stay in the tavern and don''t leave. You must be aware of the current situation of the Inanis city and the strict patrols that happen.

    If you are identally caught, it would be a shame for me. And if you try to fight you will just dig your grave deeper." Lucius warned.

    "We know. We were intending to stay in the tavern, anyway. Wandering around at night is more dangerous these days for us anyway." Arius replied.

    "Mmhmm¡­ I''lle to see you tomorrow at the same time.." Lucius said before he took his leave with Kiana.

 Chapter 223 - The Artificer Guilds Supply Of Resources

    At the side of the tavern, Lucius and Kiana exited out of the hidden hatch in the stables.

    "Will it be fine leaving them here?" Kiana questioned.

    "We''ll just post some guards here the entire day with some excuse. Hm¡­ get some random criminal get caught nearby, which should give us enough excuse to post guards here to keep watch.

    That way they won''t leave and make contact with others." Lucius answered.

    "Alright," Kiana said before gesturing to the carriage driver who was looking at them from the distance.

    <em>~ck~kc~kc~ </em>

    The carriage came to a stop near them, and the two of them boarded it. Kiana first talked to the driver and gave him some instructions before they left the area. They came to a stop near one of the patrol points, where the carriage halted for a minute.

    The driver spoke with one of the guards, who nodded his head and spoke, "it shall be done. My lord."

    With that done, Lucius and Kiana swiftly returned to the reeducation center. Changing back to normal clothes, Lucius entered hisb and took out a sheet of paper, and started writing a letter.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Five minutester, he was done and then stamped the letter with his seal.

    "Send this to the Artificers guild. Hopefully, we get the needed rune crystal by tomorrow." Lucius stated.

    "Alright." Kiana replied.

    Since the artificers worked nearly all day round, the artificers'' guild was one of the few ces in the city that were open 24 hours a day. It was not umon for them to receive requests from their artificer in the middle of the night because they got some epiphany about a theory or had a breakthrough about something.

    While there were also some artificers that just stayed there the entire day and worked all night. Lucius was sure that they wouldn''t mind a request, which just made them more money.

    Though for outsiders the supplies from the artificers guild cost more than what it would cost a member artificer. The extra cost was usually adjusted and varied depending on the item that was requested.

    Right now, Lucius could bear these costs since he wasn''t really buying much from them. But he was sure that when he started buying things in bulk from them, the extra costs would start to pile up.

    This just gave Lucius an extra reason to be an Artificer and get their membership. With that in his hand, it would be far more economical for him to buy supplies for them. While he did have Gellor and his team, they were more suited for obtaining specific resources that were either too expensive to buy directly or were simply not avable.

    Right now Gellor and his team were out hunting the Stampeding bulls and would return soon ording to the n that Lucius had made.

    "So many things to do, so little time¡­" Lucius muttered to himself, wishing that he could split himself into multiple clones that could do more work.

    There were actually spells in his past world and individual abilities as well that could do this, but Lucius couldn''t actually use them here. The problem being that those spells were of a very high level and Lucius never actually got to take a proper look at them.

    He didn''t know their spell matrices, nor did he know the more detailed requirements for them.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "I should sleep now¡­ waking me up in the morning if the suppliese early." Lucius said to Kiana before going to the bedroom.

    "Alright. Have a good sleep." Kiana said before taking her leave as well.

    Lucius sat on the bed and closed his eyes for a minute, before appearing in his soul space. There his soul floated peacefully while the hell imprint and nexus stayed inactive.

    "Hmm¡­ the damage to the spell matrices has reduced by a bit more." Lucius said as he observed the spell matrices in his mind as well.

    Currently, he had three of them in his mind space: The mark of obedience, basic fireball and Enrage. While he would prefer to have a lot more of them, Lucius knew that the offensive spells weren''t really going toe in handy for him as of now, since he was not going into any open conflicts.

    Rather than spells, Lucius wanted to use artifacts to rece its need. Since the spells had a limit to the number of uses, Lucius reckoned artifacts would be a bit more effective. He had not gotten to making them yet either.

    Lucius meditated and practiced increasing his hell energy for about an hour before finally falling asleep.

    ***

    In the morning, Lucius woke up just in time before Kiana came to report.

    "The rune crystals you asked for are here!" Kiana informed.

    Lucius, who had just woken up a few minutes ago, nodded his head.

    "Good, just in time. Though how much did it cost us?" Lucius questioned.

    Kiana then passed him a document, which Lucius unfolded and read.

    "Hmm¡­ twenty eight Aether crystals¡­ I guess the cost is bearable for now¡­ actually, it might be less than the old market price." Lucius muttered.

    "Indeed, we got it at a lower price than normal. A new stock of these rune crystals came just a week ago and thus the artificers guild has a surplus." Kiana stated.

    "That works in our favor. Why don''t you send another inquiry to the guild and ask them what other rune beast crystals, they have in surplus. We might buy some while they are a low cost." Lucius replied.

    "I''ll do it right away." Kiana said with a nod.

    "I''ll get ready till then," Lucius replied.

    Kiana turned around and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped in the doorway.

    "Do you want me to bring food whening back? Or will we be heading directly to the tavern?" Kiana questioned.

    "We''ll head direct- <em>~rumble~</em>" before Lucius couldplete his sentence, he felt his stomach rumble.

    "Looks like you''ll be having breakfast first~" Kiana chuckled before going away, having gotten an honest answer from Lucius''s body.

 Chapter 224 - Throwing Suspicion

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~clip~</em>

    The sound of horse hooves hitting the paved road could be heard as a few people saw a carriage approaching from the distance.

    "Huh? Who the hell is going to the Blind Crow tavern at this time?" A muscr man that was dressed in a sleeveless vest questioned.

    He was sitting on an outdoor tavern that was located at a short distance from the Blind Crow tavern. There were a few more people sitting around him and all of them had been chatting and eating their food with the drinks that were on the table.

    "Don''t know, but seeing the quality of the carriage, it shouldn''t be anyone important. Look, it''s amon carriage that you can hire anywhere." Another man dressed in a grey tunic spoke.

    "Bah! Why are you two even bothering with it? There are guards around there, anyway. They''ll handle it if something problematic happens." A waitress that was on the rather stout side said while cing another tray of drinks on the table.

    "What happened therest night? I heard some thief got caught?" the man in the vest questioned.

    "Nah, I heard it was some big time killer plotting to assassinate a noble that got caught." Another patron sitting on a table on the side chimed in.

    "Nothing of that sort happens in Inanis city, what joke! It was just amon robber that got caughtst night. He hid some items around there and the guards have been looking for the stolen goods but were unable to find them yet.

    Afraid that the robber''spanions mighte to get those stolen items, they have posted a few of the guards there." The waitress rified.

    After hearing the words of the waitress, the men seemed a bit appeased.

    "Hmm¡­ no wonder. The Count has certainly done far better than before interns of public security. I remember just a couple of months ago we could not stay out here like this freely without watching our backs." The man in the sect spoke.

    "Indeed. The Count and his family truly have our interests in their mind." Another waitress, that was a bit more older, stated.

    While these people were chatting, the carriage that had just appeared easily went to the back of the tavern where the stables were located, away from the prying sights.

    Once it stopped there, its door opened and two masked individuals walked out of here. These were of course, none other than Lucius and Kiana. The two of them quickly went to the hidden hatch in the stables while carrying a small box.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The hatch was opened and the two of them stepped in before closing it behind them.

    Since it was daytime, they had used the carriage itself to hide them leaving and entering the hatch.

    Whoever had designed this hatch and even theyout of the tavern knew very well why this was made and how it was going to be used in the future. Lucius had actually searched a bit about this tavern and had learned that this tavern was made fifty years ago.

    Its owners had changed hands a lot of times before the current owner finally took it. That was when it was named the blind crow tavern. In the passageway, the two of them quickly went to the room at the end and knocked in the same pattern as before.

    Thankfully, there was always someone waiting in the room and Lucius and Kiana didn''t just have to wait there the entire time.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The small slot on it opened, and a pair of eyes peeked out.

    "What are you two doing here at this time? Don''t you know there are guards outside?" Leif questioned.

    "Coming at night was not an option, besides we already have the things we needed ready. Call the three men, we have work to do." Kiana was the one who answered.

    "Hmm¡­ fine. But be careful when you leave the passageter and avoid guards." Leif stated.

    <em>~kacha~kacha~</em>

    With that done, thetches on the back of the door were moved, allowing Lucius and Kiana to freely enter the room. This time the room was empty since the three men they were supposed to meet were upstairs in the rooms.

    They had told them that they would be meeting at the same time as yesterday, which was at least twelve hours from now and thus not the same. They were quite early and also at a risky time ording to them due to it being day.

    But to Lucius and Kiana, it was no problem, since they already knew that nothing was going to happen. The thing about the burr was something they had set up by asking the guards.

    While the burr was indeed ry, the thing about his hiding items was false, and also the location was not exactly the same. But this was all that was needed to keep suspicion off of them and make it easier for them to restrict the three men to the tavern.

    While Lucius was sure Arius wouldn''t go anywhere, the same couldn''t be said for Cohen and Carlyle.

    Even if the chance was less, Lucius wanted to reduce it to as small as possible and prevent any trouble. By keeping the guards outside, this was made possible rather easily and also kept off suspicion.

    Lucius set up the things for the Upgrade as he had already gotten the instructionsst night as well. All that was now needed was to set it up and let Arius use it. Lucius took out a metal box and ced the fifty Aether crystals that were needed inside it in a specific pattern.

    This time the Aether crystals were the most expensive ingredient of all when usually it was the rune beast crystal. Then, when that was done, he filled the metal box with the Rock Nut oil, until all of the Aether crystals werepletely doused in them.

    Then finally the four Rune beast crystals were added, which rather floated on the oil.

 Chapter 225 - Upgrading Ariuss Gift

    Seeing the floating of the rune crystals, Lucius was surprised. He had not thought of them acting like this.

    "Hmm¡­ didn''t expect the density of these rune crystals to be lower than that of oil. But is this the same for all rune crystals or just these?" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He pushed aside his thoughts for now and focused on the task at hand. Once the Rune beast crystals were added, most of the preparation was done and he only needed to wait for the user to appear.

    Lucius closed the metal box and waited for Arius.

    <em>~CREAK~</em>

    The second door of the inner hall was opened and a masked Arius could be seen behind it.

    "There you are," Lucius spoke.

    "Weren''t we going to meet at night?" Arius questioned.

    "We were, but the situation changed. Plus, I was able to set up things much earlier than I thought. So it''s not really a problem, anyway." Lucius answered.

    Upon hearing this, it did make sense to Arius that getting the upgrade done earlier might be better anyway. He nodded his head and walked to the table.

    "So how do we do this?" Arius questioned.

    "You just need to drop some blood in the slit at the top of the metal box. After that, the process should be pretty much automatic." Lucius answered.

    Arius furrowed his brows underneath the mask and wondered if there was more to this. The box was closed and he could not see what was inside it which was also a choice on Lucius''s end.

    He decided to take this opportunity to keep it a bit more mysterious. While he could have done this before evening here, there were still restrictions on the upgrades. If he made this ''mixture'' or set it up beforehand, there was only a certain time limit to which it could be used.

    If it went beyond that time limit, the quality of the mixture would only start to degrade and the results of that were unknown to him. Lucius didn''t really want to try that out right now and decided he would test it out when he was free in the future.

    It was not like he had the extra resources to waste like that, either.

    ''For now, this will have to do¡­ I''ll keep it mysterious for as long as possible. The less others know about the exact process, the better.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Will there be any problems? You know doing this is strange for me." Arius finally asked.

    This was something Lucius had already expected him to ask and smirked below his mask. Any sensible person would ask what was inside the box or if it was safe or not. It was basic self preservation and there was little Lucius could do for it other than assurance.

    "You may feel some pain and difort at once but it should stabilize on its own as your new gift adapts to your body," Lucius replied.

    Arius felt a bit better upon hearing this. If Lucius had told him that there were no risks, Arius would have actually been a lot more suspicious and might not even had tried it. But after heartening honest words, he felt it was worthy to attempt it.

    "Alright¡­ may Etara bless me¡­" Arius muttered to himself.

    Arius then took out a small knife from his belt and cut his left thumb before cing it over the opening of the metal box. Although, Lucius had kept another knife ready on the table, Arius would much rather use his own known knife, which he knew was safe, rather than the one on the table which could be drugged or poisoned.

    Lucius internally approved of this action of Arius and found the man to be even better by his standards.

    ''He definitely knows how to be cautious¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    From the cut Arius had made on his thumb, blood dripped down into the metal boxed. Hidden to the eyes of everyone, the blood touched the rune beast crystals that were floating on top of the oil.

    When they touched one of the rune beast crystals, it seemed to release a faint wave of energy that was not sensible to anyone. The energy met the other rune beast crystal and all of them were attracted towards each other.

    More blood dripped on it, and the rune beast crystal started to melt. They were like a block of ice melting, yet when they met the Rock nut oil in the box, they easily mixed. Once that happened, the Aether crystals activated and started to infuse Aether into the mixture.

    Like a spark meeting fuel, the entire mixture showed a rapid and vtile reaction, changing into a gaseous form that quickly rushed into the hand of Arius.

    Arius, who for the first five seconds felt nothing, felt as if lightning was rushing through his body. It entered from his left hand and directly rushed to his heart, making it throb like thunder before moving to the rest of his body.

    He felt both pain and a strange sense offort from this as the energy started spreading more and more. He felt as if the inside of his body was melting and melding with the energy.

    The Aether within his body started to rise at a rapid pace. The speed was far quicker than any Aether crystal that he had used and he felt like he may even explode. Then the total pressure he had on him made it so that he could not move at all and neither could he speak.

    To Lucius and Kiana, it was as if Arius was frozen, or perhaps even paralyzed. This made Lucius narrow his eyes, as he had not seen a reaction like this before.

    ''This is a bit different. Kiana and Neta had directly fainted while this man seems to be having a paralytic state instead¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He then tried to use the mark of obedience he had on Arius to sense the condition of his body.

 Chapter 226 - Igneous Fist

    Lucius watched Arius for about ten minutes, in which he stayed in the same paralyzed state.

    "Is he fine?" Kiana asked in a low voice.

    "Yeah, he should be fine. Even if he''s not moving, his breathing is the same." Lucius replied.

    Kiana looked closer and saw that the man''s chest was still moving.

    "Hmm¡­ seems like it¡­" Kiana muttered before looking at Lucius.

    "Was I the same when you upgraded my gift?" Kiana questioned.

    "Not exactly. You fainted back then, and the rest of the process happened automatically thus I couldn''t really tell much. But now seeing this, I can tell that it was much different than this. You had a slightly harsher process." Lucius answered.

    "Why do you think that happened?" Kiana asked curiously.

    "Hmm¡­ it''s hard to tell. The only other sample I had before this was Neta but his gift was onlymon ranked thus I thought the higher the ranked gift the more difficult the process.

    But Arius has a rare ranked gift as well thus it should have been the same as yours but it isn''t. This leads me to believe that different types of gifts may have different processes. The major difference between you and his gift is that your''s is an emission type while his is enhancement.

    That could also be it maybe since Neta had an emission type gift as well, and he fainted for a bit as well." Lucius hypothesized.

    Kiana could only go along with Lucius'' words and think that they were correct as she herself had no idea at all. Upgrading gifts was in itself miraculous and no one other than perhaps the three churches had an idea about it.

    But then the gifts of the churches for the clergy were simr and thus they wouldn''t have the same effects, most likely. There were a lot of questions that they didn''t have answers to and they could only be answered in the future.

    Ten more minutes passed like this when Arius finally moaned.

    <em>~HUU~HUU~HUU~</em>

    Arius took deepbored breaths upon breaking out of his paralyzed state.

    <em>~RIP~ RIP~</em>

    While doing this he didn''t even realize the sleeves of his shirt had started to tear. Lucius and Kiana''s attention was pulled to it and they saw thick arms appearing from beneath them.

    Arius''s arms had almost quadrupled in size and were now Grey in color. The texture of the arms started to change next, and they took on a more grainy look.

    Arius who had finally caught his breath, looked at hisrge hand and arms in shock. The muscles on them were likerge balloons and the power within them could only be imagined.

    "This¡­ this¡­ SUCH POWER!" Arius suddenly eximed.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    He mmed his arm on top of the table in excitement and directly broke it before burying it into the floor.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    Kiana swelled her saliva while her fist clenched as ayer of metal appeared on it. Lucius, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as he quickly used Nexus. In the next moment, a string of information appeared in front of him.

    Gift Name: Igneous Fist

    Description: The owner can turn their hands into a rocky mineral material which can attack at great speeds. The owner can also create controlled explosions on their elbows and shoulders to increase the speed and impact of the attack.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Enhancement

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 10x Eight Limbed Gori Rune crystals, 12,000x Aether Crystals, 1 Kilogram of Ruby Grass Fruit, Lava pit, 3 tons of Iron

    Other Owners: Goran, Teleth, Talion, Finte, Daice

    ''Argh!'' Lucius held his head as a splitting headache filled it.

    All of Lucius''s Aether had been consumed in one go which was a bit unexpected to him. But the information that he got was certainly worth it he thought. Not only did Lucius get the information about Arius''s new gift ''Igneous Fist'' but it also showed in the requirements for the new upgrade.

    ''This is the first time I was able to see upgrade information about the legendary rank¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But when he saw the requirements for it, he was a bit lost and shocked at the same time. The rune beast crystal that it mentioned belonged to a beast Lucius had never heard of and it was the same for the Ruby Grass Fruit.

    As for the Aether Crystal requirement, it was absurdly high, thoughparing it to the number of people with legendary ranked gifts in the world, the cost was appropriate. If there was a person with a legendary ranked gift, and a power wanted to recruit them, 12,000 Aether crystal was a pittance, and would not even be enough to talk to them.

    The final two requirements for the upgrade, the 3 tons of iron also seemed excessive to Lucius and he didn''t even know how it would work out. As for theva pit, Lucius thought that it would be better if he didn''t think much of it or his headache might just worsen.

    Since it had taken all of Lucius''s Aether to obtain the information about the next upgrade, there was no way Lucius would be able to obtain the methodology for the upgrade either and know how these things were actually used.

    ''Theva pit though¡­ don''t tell me someone would actually have to enter that for the upgrade¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But upon seeing the upgrade requirements for the legendary rank for Arius, Lucius wondered what they would be for Kiana.

    ''If they are thisplex, then it might take me decades before I''m even able to attempt it¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    After getting through the shock of the evolution requirements, Lucius''s gaze finally settled on the other owners of the gift. There were only five owners for the gift, which showed just how rare even an epic ranked gift was.

    Lucius knew that there would only be one person with a unique legendary gift and no more in the world, but even the rarity of the epic ranked gifts was quite high.

 Chapter 227 - Uncontrolled Power

    Having gone through all of the details, Lucius finally came down to the other owners of the gift. Here he was quite intrigued by seeing the names.

    ''These names¡­ they don''t belong to this region¡­ neither the entire Grantz Kingdom. No, wait¡­ I don''t think they belong to any nearby kingdom either¡­'' Lucius analyzed.

    After a few seconds, Lucius realized that the names did not match any of the demographics of any of the kingdoms around the Grantz kingdom.

    ''If the names are this vastly different, then they must be from a very different kind of region. The culture in the Grantz kingdom and the ones that surrounded it is pretty simple. Even the churches are the same for the other kingdoms.

    For the names to be this different, they have to be from a different culture and that is only possible if they are far away from the Grantz kingdom.'' Lucius understood.

    While Lucius was curious about it more, he knew that this was not the time to think about it. Right now he had an excited person who did not have the full control of his powers yet.

    "Arius, halt!" Lucius ordered.

    Arius who was about to try out his strength again, suddenly felt apulsion to follow Lucius''s words. He didn''t even know why he did this, but Lucius''s words were like a mandate to him and he had no option but to follow them.

    Arius''s fist stopped in mid air, and he finally gained a better grasp of his situation.

    "What the hell was I even doing?" Arius suddenly said after looking at the damage that he had caused.

    Normally, he would have never caused something like this. He was an assassin and making big messes like this was very disadvantageous to him and his jobs. Right now he had damaged the furniture of the blind crow tavern for no reason other than to just get a taste of his new strength.

    "Seems like you need a little more will power now. Your newly increased power made you intoxicated." Lucius stated.

    Arius looked at Lucius and furrowed his brows.

    "How can this happen?" Arius questioned.

    "I do not know as of now, but we can figure it out together," Lucius answered.

    "Fine¡­ but I don''t know how to proceed," Arius replied.

    "First, we need to get out of here. Only then we can see the rest of it." Lucius spoke in a calm tone.

    And just as Lucius said that the sound of footstepsing from the upstairs door could be heard.

    <em>~bang~</em>

    "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

    The door was opened violently as an angry Leif came down. He looked at the broken table and the cracked ground with a hole in it. His nostrils red up after seeing this, but when his eyes went to the figure of Arius they stilled.

    He narrowed his eyes and a serpent like gaze appeared on his face.

    "Pay," He stated right away.

    <em>~ng~</em>

    Lucius threw a small pouch towards the man.

    "This should cover any repair costs for this incident and in the future," Lucius said causally.

    Leif peered into the pouch and counted the three gold coins in it before nodding.

    "Just don''t make too much noise. Some of the customers may get pissed." Leif said before going back.

    <em>~phew~</em>

    "That takes care of it." Lucius said as he looked at Arius.

    "I think we should get you out of here and stabilize your powers. Your body is still adapting to it and you may have a violent outbreak like this again." Lucius spoke.

    Arius heard Lucius''s word and looked down at his massive arms. He tried to control them to go back to normal, but realized they were not responding.

    "They don''t work¡­ I can''t control them." Arius spoke.

    "Just as I thought. Don''t worry, we''ll get to it." Lucius said as he gestured to the exit door.

    "How do we get out without others noticing, though?" Arius questioned.

    "I got that covered, you just follow." Lucius said before leaving through the door.

    Kiana and Arius followed behind and soon they exited out from the hatch hidden in the stables. There, Arius finally saw therge carriage blocking the view of the stables.

    "I see, this should indeed be fine," Arius said.

    "Indeed, now get in," Lucius ordered to which Arius obliged.

    After him, Lucius and Kiana got in too, before leaving the area.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~clip~</em>

    The horse started to move and soon started to canter through the streets.

    "Where to, master?" the carriage driver asked discreetly.

    "Take us to the overlook hill in the east of the city." Lucius quickly answered.

    "As you wish." The carrier driver said before quickly changing directions.

    The carriage sped through the streets before exiting the city in twenty minutes. The hill in the east was one of the more isted areas of the region and there was even an old tower built there.

    About a hundred years ago, when the city was still small, this tower was still in use and was used for observing and informing the guards in the city about iing caravans, enemies, officials, etc.

    But after the expansion of the city, the hill was almost at the border of the city and thus for advanced warnings newer watchtowers were built farther away. This served perfectly to Lucius''s interest and he could now use this area without the concern that others maye here.

    This was actually the area where a few thieves and other criminals traded and sold their ill-gotten wealth. But ever since the newws made by Lucius, this area had been cleared up and now no criminal would daree here, at least not in broad daylight.

    Thankfully to Lucius, neither of these things were of concern, as he could just control the guards either way.

    <em>~clop~clop~clop~</em>

    The carriage finally came to a stop as the hooves of the horses dug into the stiff soil of the hill.

    "Here we are¡­ this will be a good test location."

 Chapter 228 - Aether Overload

    Lucius, Kiana, and Arius got down from the carriage and looked around. The area was empty and not a single person could be seen there. This was perfect for them since they were about to do something that they didn''t really want many other people to witness anyway.

    Arius''s hands were still in the same form as before and they were erged.

    "How do they feel now? Can you do anything?" Lucius questioned.

    Arius shook his head, "no¡­ still no control. While I can still control the usual functions of my hands, I can''t seem to deactivate my gift."

    Lucius furrowed his brows as he looked at Kiana.

    "Was it like this for you too?" Lucius asked.

    "While I did feel it to be a bit difficult to control at first, it wasn''t like I couldn''t control the activation of the gift." Kiana replied.

    "Hmm¡­ seems like your gift being an enhancement type might be something to do with it. Though¡­ it might also be something to do with your Aether." Lucius spoke.

    "My Aether?" Arius asked.

    "Yes¡­ I think your body has absorbed far more Aether than it can handle at this moment and thus it is trying to get rid of it." Lucius spoke.

    This wouldn''t be something too off from what Lucius had learned in his past life as well. There were actually simrities between Mana and Aether here, as Lucius had used a lot of Aether crystal in making the upgrade solution for Arius.

    ''That might be one of the reasons. Even if he has an epic ranked gift, it''s not like his body can still handle that much Aether right away. In the case of Kiana, her Aether was already of a higher quantity due to her gift despite being in the rare rank.

    But for him who uses his gift often and it being of an Enhancement type, it has a lower consumption.'' Lucius analyzed.

    This reminded him of one of the mostmon conditions in his past life. It could even be said to be an illness that usually affected mages or any person that practiced magic of any kind.

    It had a very simple name, ''Mana Overload'', and meant exactly what its name meant; having an excess amount of mana in one''s body.

    "You may be having an Aether Overload," Lucius said, giving a name to the state now.

    He doubted anyone else had ever experienced a condition like thee in this world since the conditions for it to happen were close to impossible. For Arius, this was due to the Aether he got from the 50 Aether Crystal.

    To a normal Rare ranked gifted, just one Aether crystal was enough to fill their Aether capacity to the fullest. And if they tried to absorb more, their body would simply not allow that to happen.

    In case of Arius, Lucius reckoned most of the Aether from the Aether crystal should have been used up during the process of the upgrading of the gift, but even then perhaps there was still at least 10 Aether crystal worth of Aether left back that his body absorbed in its entirety.

    Lucius could estimate this due to the mark of obedience and was sensing the waves of Aether interacting with Hell energy. Since both types of energies were a bit antagonistic toward each other, Lucius could use this as a sensory function.

    "What do I do now?" Arius asked.

    "The solution is simple, you simply use up all that excess Aether." Lucius answered.

    "Take this opportunity to learn more about your gift if you don''t already know it and gain a better understanding." Lucius continued.

    Hearing Lucius''s words, Arius seemed convinced and also thought that Lucius''s assumption seem to be rather urate. Now that he felt his body, it felt a bit bloated to him, as if he had eaten too much.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Arius took a deep breath and looked at hisrge arms.

    "Let''s see what my new gift can do¡­" Arius said before raising his hands.

    <em>~woosh~</em>

    His right fist soared and hit the air in front, making a clear swooshing sound.

    <em>~whoosh~</em>

    His left fist did the same, and after that Arius just kept on punching the air non stop. He moved along with it and reached arge boulder that was half embedded in the ground. Since this was a hill, there were plenty of natural boulders lying around.

    Previously in the tavern, Arius had already seen the toughness of his arms and knew that these boulders might just be the perfect punching bag.

    <em>~BANG~</em>

    His right fist mmed into the boulder and impacted it, creating a spiderweb like crack on its surface.

    <em>~BAM~</em>

    His left fist hit the same way as the right fist was cocked back again.

    <em>~BOOM~BOOM~BOOM~</em>

    One after the other, Arius kept on punching the boulder as his attacks only kept on getting faster. Lucius could tell that the effect of his old gift was still here and his attacks would get faster and faster the more he used it.

    "Wonder how fast they can go when he is under an Aether Overload. Theoretically, he should have been restricted due to his Aether capacity but now he has over ten times that much, which means the gift should easily exceed it." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Lucius and Kiana watched on as Arius''s Grey fists were now just blurred. Even Arius himself could not see them and he was perceiving it all due to his body.

    The boulder was now reduced to half of its thickness due to Arius''s punches and they were still getting faster.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Then it finally happened. One of Arius''s attacks reached a speed that was far too much for the Boulder and it split apart before exploding into the chunks that were all shot backwards.

    <em>~SCATTER~</em>

    The chunks of the boulder flew away in the opposite direction, otherwise Lucius and Kiana might have been affected along with Arius himself.

    But this was just the beginning as in the next second, Arius shot forward.

 Chapter 229 - [Bonus ]Explosive Force And Quick Agreement

    <em>~KABOOM~</em>

    The sound of apletely different explosion was heard as a jet of mes sprouted from the elbows of Arius.

    The Grey stonyyer had heated up at a certain point and was now red hot. Orange mes exploded out from his elbow as they propelled Arius forward.

    "WHAT!" Kiana was more than shocked by this as she had not expected this to happen at all.

    ''So this is the secondary effect that was mentioned in the description of the gift¡­ it doesn''t seem very controlled though, but it is still an explosion.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    When Arius short forward due to the explosion, he had lost his footing, and it was as if he was flying in a superhero posture instead, with one hand extended forward.

    <em>~CRASH~</em>

    Of course, as expected, Arius crashed into the ground after about three meters face down. The mask and robes he was wearing managed to protect him from any major friction injuries, but Lucius was sure the man will have bruises for a week now.

    "Damn! That must hurt," Kiana winced upon seeing Arius crash.

    "Better now than in a battle. At least he now knows what his gift can and cannot do." Lucius replied.

    <em>~huu~huu~huu~</em>

    Ariusid on the ground as he took deep breaths reeling from the hundreds of punches he had thrown earlier. Even if the gift used Aether to function, Arius would still lose a portion of his stamina, retaining his posture and position.

    If he didn''t do that, he would have no counter force and he would stumble rather quickly while attacking. This could be said to be one of the disadvantages of his gift. While he had a good grasp on his stamina with his old gift, it was certain that the new gift was in apletely different league of its own.

    Lucius walked toward the man and came to stand at his side before extending his hand toward him.

    "Are you okay?" Lucius questioned.

    Arius looked up at Lucius and nodded his head in exhaustion.

    "I''ll be fine¡­ though my body''s gonna be sore as hell tonight." Arius spoke.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    At the same time as he looked up, the mask he was wearing cracked open, as it was no longer able to maintain its integrity.

    <em>~Crumble~</em>

    Four pieces of the mask fell from his face and Lucius could now see the face of Arius.

    The man himself didn''t care as much and neither did Arius. He knew that this was something bound to happen at once points and after seeing Lucius keep his promise of upgrading his gift, he didn''t mind at all.

    "Come on now, get up." Lucius shook his hand.

    "Uh!" Arius stood up with a grunt as he took Lucius''s hand.

    Arius had dark Grey hair and a rather in looking face. In fact, even if he walked around without the mask, no one would know that this was Arius.

    "No wonder they had a hard time catching you¡­ they would just end up mistaking others for you." Lucius said upon seeing his face.

    "Ahah! Yeah. One of the benefits of being amoner, I guess." Arius nodded his head.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    "Also, look¡ª" Lucius pointed at Arius''s hands.

    "Oh?! They are going back to normal!" Arius spoke with excitement.

    "Looks like that exceed Aether is now depleted and your own Aether should normalize," Lucius replied.

    The Grey grainy texture of Arius''s hands faded away and the size of his hands also started to reduce. Soon they reached his normal size and looked nothing like before. The ming red elbows also looked normal, and no one would believe they were burning like a stove earlier.

    "How does your body feel now?" Lucius asked.

    Arius clenched and unclenched his fist before flexing his arms a bit.

    "Hmm¡­ it is certainly better. That powerful feeling I felt earlier has passed too. But I do feel better than I used to." Arius stated.

    "Good. If you practice using your new gift a bit more, it should be the same as your old gift soon." Lucius replied.

    Arius felt a bit pleased now and wondered how he would be after gaining control over his new gift. Even before he could overwhelm multiple enemies when he fought, even if they had rare ranked gifts and now that he had an epic ranked gift, he didn''t even know how far he could go.

    "Thank you¡­ for giving me this opportunity." Arius spoke.

    "Well, you are the one willing to ept it thus, you have to thank yourself too." Lucius replied.

    ''It did save you from immediate death.'' Lucius internally said.

    A determined expression appeared on Arius''s face, and he looked towards Lucius before speaking.

    "You have fulfilled your end of the bargain and it''s time I do mine. Just point me to who you want to kill and I''ll have their heads!" Arius stated in a straightforward manner.

    Lucius smiled underneath his mask upon hearing this.

    ''The subtle effects of the mark of obedience are already showing its effects. Hmm¡­ as long as I manage to get it on the other two, they should have no reluctance in bing dedicated either.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Mmhmm¡­" Lucius nodded his head.

    "I do have an assignment for you," Lucius spoke.

    "Just speak," Arius said.

    "I want you to cause some disturbance in the territory of Viscount Drew. Nothing directly in the view of the viscount, but rather in the outskirts of his territory." Lucius replied.

    "Oh?" Arius had not expected it to be something like that, but he didn''t mind it either.

    "What kind of disturbance do you want? Will killing some guards or soldiers or travelers be fine?" Arius asked casually.

    "Excellent! I would like you to kill all the guards that you see around there in the borders. Make sure that they belong to the Viscount Drew''s forces and that all events happen within his territory." Lucius replied.

    "Oh, and you have to make it look like a bandit attack too.." Lucius added.

 Chapter 230 - Three In The Fold

    Lucius gave Arius several instructions, which the man took in easily without a question. Lucius was pleased with this and felt like if the other two were the same, they might be a much better investment than he would have originally expected it to be.

    Kiana on the other hand, stood at the other side and observed their new ''employee''.

    ''His power is certainly on a different level¡­ while I have confidence in taking him out at a distance, at close quarters, I don''t think I''ll be able to do much. His speed also increased with his attack and what the hell was that burst at the end? Can he fly too now?'' Kiana had several questions in her mind.

    But she knew that they were hard to get answers to. Not that Arius wouldn''t answer them, but rather that he wouldn''t even know about them either. All they could do was to wait and see their progress.

    After about five minutes of discussion, Arius and Lucius were done discussing.

    "Well then, when should I start?" Arius questioned.

    "We''ll get the other two ready¡­ if they want to and then get you set up for the journey." Lucius answered.

    Arius was willing to do the first few jobs for free since he already knew how much of a favor Lucius had done for him. The increase in a gift was not something that could be quantified in a mary value.

    It wasn''t just the requirements of it, but rather the ''knowing'' that was close to priceless.

    "You''ll be upgrading their gifts as well?" Arius asked.

    "Well yes, if they ept it." Lucius replied.

    "Very well," Arius replied. "Us three have worked on a couple of jobs together before and shouldn''t really have any problems."

    "That''ll be pleasant," Lucius said.

    Having done this, the three of them returned to the carriage, which then went back to the blind crow tavern again. It was parked back in the stables and prevented anyone seeing them from exiting and entering the hatch.

    Thankfully for them, there weren''t that many people passing by around here, either.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    About a minuteter, the three of them finally entered the hidden room and called for Leif.

    "What do you want?" the grumpy man came down to see them.

    "Call the other two. If all goes well, we''ll be out of your hair today." Arius was the one who spoke this time.

    "GOOD!" Leif said before going back upstairs.

    "May as well wait till then," Lucius said, looking at the damaged table.

    Thankfully, the stools and chairs in the room were still fine, thus they had no problems. About five minutester, the door opened again and Cohen and Carlyle finally appeared. The first thing they saw was nothing but the destroyed table and the hole in the floor.

    Only after that, they noticed that Arius was no longer wearing his mask.

    "Why''d you get rid of the mask? Already trusting him?" Cohen questioned.

    "Well, the mask was destroyed due to my mistake, but yeah, I do trust him now. He''s proved his ims." Arius answered.

    "Proved them? How?" Carlyle asked.

    "You two know my gift, right? You''ve seen it before." Arius replied.

    "Yes, we have," Cohen spoke.

    "Then see for yourself," Arius said before activating his gift and letting his arms transform into the massive size they reached with his new gift.

    Seeing it, the eyes of the two men widened in shock.

    "This¡­ it can really be done?" it was safe to say that the two masked men were blown away.

    They looked at each other and nodded before looking back at Lucius.

    "We''re in!" They said in unison.

    "Perfect!" Lucius replied.

    This was exactly the kind of decisiveness Lucius preferred in people, and they had already be a bit pleasing to him.

    After their approval, Lucius quickly got to putting the marks of obedience on both of them. This had exhausted the uses of that spell and the spell matrix of it copsed.

    ''Thankfully I reconstructed itst night, or I would have only been able to do this for one of them.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Having done this, Lucius quickly got to using nexus on their gifts and learning about them. He had already restored his Aether while on the ride back here, as he had expected to use Nexus.

    The two gifts that Cohen and Carlye had were quite different and Lucius felt like they had great potential as well. The requirements for them were thankfully something he could obtain rtively easily as well as long as he gave a request to the Artificers guild.

    What Lucius was doing was a rather big investment in the three men. He would be using up over eighty percent of the profits they had made from the sale of Humble ze. But this was an investment that was rather worth it.

    ''If only it was this easy to obtain rune beast crystals for Donald and John as well¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Once this was all done, Lucius told them that he would take a couple of days to get the things ready for the upgrade. During this time, they were asked to leave the Blind Crow tavern and live in a small residence that was located near the Reeducation center.

    It was one of the sets of residences. Lucius had asked to be renovated so that the extra workers of the reeducation center could live there. While there was still empty space in the reeducation center for staff, it wouldn''t hurt to have some space ready for the future, Lucius thought.

    And Lo-and-behold, he already had the first tenants for it.

    "I believe you three should be able to take care of the rest of the things on your own? The main this is to keep out of public sight." Lucius reminded.

    "We are used to it. Don''t worry about that." Cohen replied.

    "Good, I''ll call for you when it is time," Lucius said before taking his leave along with Kiana.

 Chapter 231 - New Market Penetration

    About a week had passed since Lucius had recruited the three assassins: Arius, Cohen, and Carlyle.

    About three days after making an agreement with them and giving them the mark of obedience, Lucius had upgraded both of their gifts. Once that was done, they too were a bit overwhelmed by the new power, but not as much as Arius.

    This led Lucius to believe that the specificities of a gift might differ far more than earlier. Keeping that in mind, he let them get limatized with their new gifts for two more days before sending them off on the mission.

    Their mission was rather simple, which was to cause trouble and tension for Viscount Drew. The same as Arius, Cohen and Carlyle didn''t ask any extra questions about why they were doing this, either.

    And along with Arius, they too agreed to do several jobs for free. They were especially pleased when Lucius told them that their gifts could be taken to another level in the future. This had excited them even more.

    They had already gotten a taste of power, and now they would want more. Of course, uncontrolled there would be a grave problem. But for Lucius, who had put the marks of obedience on them, they were tamed hounds.

    If he wanted to, he could kill them in less than a second and all it would take is a mere thought. With this assurance, Lucius had far fewer things to worry about.

    Currently, Lucius was sitting in the dining hall while eating lunch with the rest of the family.

    Lita and Gabriel of course, didn''t know of Lucius''s little recruitment and it was something that he wanted to keep off the books anyway.

    "How are things going with your work at the reeducation center?" Gabriel questioned.

    "Things are going rather well. It''s actually the more moderate criminals that have responded to the counsellings better than the petty criminals or more dangerous criminals." Lucius answered.

    "Oh? Anything special?" Gabriel asked.

    "A lot of them are already repentant about their crimes and are willing to reform. After going a little bit more counseling, they will be ready to be re-educated." Lucius replied.

    "Hmm¡­ I see. Well, our crime rate has certainly gone down due to the new reforms so I guess that''s a plus size. You just keep on doing what you do now." Gabriel said.

    "I will." Lucius nodded his head.

    "I head the brewery is going rather well as well. There is a chance we may get to increase our profits soon as some merchants are about to establish a sales agreement with Viscount Drew''s territory." Lita suddenly spoke.

    Hearing this, Lucius''s ears perked up.

    "Oh really? They don''t know about our involvement, right?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes, it is all going swimmingly. And with Alessa''s introduction to the noble circle, the reputation of Humble ze has only risen even more.

    Apparently, it was actually people from Viscount Drew''s side that contacted our merchants showing their interest in buying the wine." Lita replied.

    "I see¡­" Lucius said as a few thoughts shed by in his mind.

    "And how''s the response from that territory?" Lucius asked.

    "Well ording to the information the merchants gave us, a few unranked nobles have already tried humble ze there and are very pleased with it. In fact, I''m sure the wine made its way to Viscount Drew, that pest as well.

    After all, without his approval, there is little chance the local merchants would have been able to ask for official sales permission. And since the Humble ze is a product by a different noble, the Viscount doesn''t really have much he can disagree on." Lita replied.

    Lucius nodded his head, and it was almost the same as he had expected it to go. The only difference from his initial expectations was that the response came far quicker than he had thought.

    ''I estimated it would take at least six months for the perpetration of Humble ze in the market of Drew territory. Seems like I underestimated just how much nobles of thisnd like good wine¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Only the sound of utensils clinking against the te could be heard for a bit as the family continued its meal. Lucius took a bite of bread and his gaze lingered on it a bit.

    "Perhaps this method might really work¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    "You said something?" Gabriel, who heard a little bit, asked.

    "Oh? Yeah, I would like John or Alessa to inform me when the sales agreement in the territory of Drew isplete." Lucius replied.

    "Just that? Sure." Lita replied.

    Lucius nodded his head but Kiana, who was sitting on his side, looked at him, knowing that some new idea must have sprouted in his mind now. Over the past few months, she was starting to learn about the mannerisms of this ''new'' Asher.

    After the meal was over, the servants took away the empty tes and the family returned to their duties. Lucius headed to theb in the mansion and Kiana followed him. Once they were inside, though, she spoke.

    "What is it that I need to do?" Kiana asked.

    "Oh? You already know I wanted to do something?" Lucius asked with a chuckle and a little surprise.

    "You wouldn''t have asked Aunt Lita for that otherwise." Kiana replied.

    "Mmhmm¡­ I see. Well, I do have something." Lucius said.

    "What is it?" Kiana questioned.

    "Do we have any informants in the mansion of Viscount Drew?" Lucius asked.

    "Hmm¡­ we don''t really have anyone that can spy and get information on him. We do have some that are in the outer territory though," Kiana replied.

    "We don''t want anyone to spy on them. I don''t want an informant at that level. Rather, I just want a simple person who can get us information about what the man eats and likes to eat." Lucius spoke.

    "Huh? Just that?" Kiana asked for confirmation.

    "Yes, just that," Lucius repeated.

    "Then that will be far easier. We don''t even need to spy around for that, any servant will tell that information.." Kiana said.

 Chapter 232 - Stressing A Man

    Lucius had not expected that he would be able to get this information this quickly.

    "Really?" Lucius asked again.

    "Yes, that ismon information. After all, it isn''tmon for other nobles to send gifts to the viscount and to know what he likes is an important factor. The servants are also able to make some extra money on the side by helping them out.

    Since this isn''t exactly any sensitive information." Kiana exined.

    Hearing this, Lucius finally understood the issue.

    "I see. Then I would like to get information on what kind of food the Viscount generally eats. Right from the basic ingredients all the way to the people that prepare it." Lucius asked.

    "Hmm¡­ getting information about the food won''t be hard. And I''ll see what can be done about the rest." Kiana spoke.

    "Very well. I''ll wait for the news then." Lucius said as he went back to his work.

    Kiana went to do the task she was assigned as well, and the day passed rather quickly. In theing few days, Lucius read more books and tried to find information about the legendary gift requirements that he had seen for Arius, Cohen, and Carlyle.

    Lucius had also tried to see if he could see the upgrade requirements for Kiana, but they were simply unavable to him despite having all of his Aether avable to him. He guessed that Kiana''s gift might be just a little moreplex than the others and thus needed more Aether to nce at.

    About a week after the three assassins had left to do their mission, Lucius had started to get reports about their actions. This had actuallye as a general notice for everyone, and even themoners knew of it.

    It was sent out as a warning that there was a new group of bandits wandering thend of Viscount Drew and that passing through it was bing dangerous. Gabriel had also increased the security around the borders of Viscount Drew''s territory just in case they ever tried toe here.

    If it had been the past, then Gabriel might have even sent out more soldiers to check out the situation in the territory of Viscount Drew and help him out. But now, all they needed to do was wait and watch.

    As more days passed, the more uneasy the people became. The efficiency of the three assassins with their new gifts was simply too good, and they only left behind dead bodies. It had reached a point where the Viscount didn''t know what to do and had already requested the kingdom for help.

    The time needed for the kingdom to respond would obviously not be short and thus all Vi count Drew do right now was to bide his time. This in addition to some extra stress from other situations had made him tensed.

    People would of course, whispes behind his back and there were rumors aplenty about his son who had been hidden away because he became cursed and how leaving the Land of Etara had made him cursed.

    People didn''t really know why the man had left thend of Etara when it was clear that the risks outweighed the benefits. By effectively putting an embargo of travel and good to the Land of Etara, the Viscount had also insted himself from other territories.

    Of course, during a stressful time as such, a lot of other nobles would like to take advantage of it and raise their own standing in the noble circle. Thus they would send gifts and many such things to the Viscount.

    It was during this time that Lucius asked Alessa to make some changes to a certain batch of Humble ze that was going to be shipped to the territory of Viscount Drew.

    Lita, Gabriel, and others were a bit surprised and wondered if Lucius wanted to poison the viscount this was. It was not a good method and would be caught rather easily and would bring endless troubles if it got out.

    But when they heard the change Lucius wanted to make, they were relieved. One of the ingredients that they used in the surfactant of Humble ze was ked Lime, which was also called as Calcium Hydroxide.

    It was used to reduce the acidity of the wine and make it a bit more alkaline to bnce it out and enhance its shelf life. What Lucius asked was to simply increase the quantity of ked Lime by a certain amount.

    Now, this amount was definitely higher than what would normally be used in wine production, but the taste difference from it was barely perceptible. One could even say that it gave a slightly different vor, which some people might even like.

    Seeing this change to be rather mundane, they quickly made the change, and this particr batch of wine was sold off to the merchants who sold it off to the other retailers in the Territory of Viscount Drew.

    In the ten days, from the production of wine to the shipping of wine, Lucius kept a close eye on the different affairs of the kingdom along with the territory of Viscount drew.

    He also got the information about what the viscount liked to eat or what he ate in general. And when he saw the list Lucius couldn''t help but smile.

    "Perfect¡­ just the item that needs to be there¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    Kiana, who had brought the report, heard Lucius and was confused.

    "What item?" Kiana asked.

    "Nothing particr¡­ thanks for the work. I''m pleased with the report." Lucius replied.

    Getting the cue that Lucius didn''t really want to speak about it right now, Kiana held her silence and epted the gratitude.

    "The disturbance called by the three assassins, the modified wine and now this list. What exactly is our aim here?" Kiana asked.

    "Well¡­ I just want the Viscount to be very ufortable and stressed in his time. He cannot be left to rx after what he has done to us, of course.." Lucius simply stated.

 Chapter 233 - Gellors Return

    Hearing Lucius''s answer, Kiana didn''t know what to truly make of it. Another thing Kiana had started to note from the new ''Asher'' is that he was giving more and more vague answers.

    There were often things that he didn''t want to talk about and would just dodge it or switch the topic. He was also rather good at it and a person who saws talking with him wouldn''t even realize that he did so till they were done and in their different ways.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Silently sighing to herself, Kiana just decide to wait and watch. So far, doing this had not proved to be bad and thus she would do it unless Lucius said otherwise.

    This was the same with Gabriel and Lita now. The more they saw the capabilities of Lucius and the ideas that were all working, the more they thought that their son was grown up and the little they needed to interfere with him.

    By now, Lucius was mostly independent in that aspect and only needed permission for certain matters that directly involved them or their authority.

    <em>~KNOCK~ KNOCK~</em>

    Just as Kiana had decided to leave, a knock on the door was heard.

    "It''s me, I have some news," Neta spoke from the outside.

    Lucius turned towards the door and spoke, "let him in."

    Kiana nodded her head and unlocked the door for the other servant that Lucius had taken under his wing.

    "What is it?" Lucius asked the man.

    "Gellor and his team have returned! They were spotteding towards the town and should be here in a few minutes." Neta replied hurriedly.

    "Oh? They''re already here? Excellent¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    "Should I set up the meeting room?" Kiana asked.

    "Indeed, please do that Kiana," Lucius replied.

    Kiana nodded her head and went to do the task along with Neta, who apanied her. Neta was, after all, a servant as well, and considering the rank, he was below Kiana and thus needed to assist her.

    Lucius finished up the paragraph he was reading and closed the book before leaving the room and going to the private meeting hall. In the thirty or so minutes it took him to do this, Gellor and his team finally arrived.

    <em>~NEIGH!~</em>

    The sounds of the horses could be heard as they neighed and brought a ratherrge carriage with them. This was of course, the same ones Lucius had supplied them with and one could see thick canvas sheets that wereid on the carriages.

    One could tell that the carriages were packed with whatever goods they were carrying and the team of five seemed to be a little exhausted looking as well. Though one could also see a hint of excitement in their eyes.

    They came to a stop in front of the manor and walked the rest of their way. Gellor was in the front and a couple of new scars could be seen on his body. They were still red and the scabs on them looked fresh, which made Lucius think that they hadn''t happened that long ago.

    "Wee Gellor!" Lucius greeted the man.

    "Greetings! Lord Asher." Gellor greeted.

    "Greetings, Lord Asher." The other members of the team also responded, which included, Barty, Ariana, Finch, and Albus.

    Lucius took a look at Finch, who was once greatly injured and found her to be in tip-top condition. Though there were a few injuries on her body as well. Another particr thing Lucius noted was that there were actually some scorch marks on their weapons.

    "Come on, let''s talk inside," Lucius suggested.

    "At once, Lord Asher," Gellor replied and went inside the mansion along with the rest of his team.

    This was the first time Finch was seeing the interior of the Inanis mansion and thus was quite stunned. Even if she was once the mistress of a noble, she hadn''t seen the house of a noble from inside.

    Not to mention, the Inanis mansion, which was better than a lot of other nobles''s houses couldn''tpare at all.

    Thus she was in a bit of awe. She also saw the handsome face of Lucius and was a bit intrigued. A ting of pink appeared on her face the moment she saw Lucius now.

    ''Something is different about him¡­ but what?'' Finch couldn''t help but feel.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    The sounds of chairs being pulled around could be heard as Gellor and his team took seats. Once everyone was settled, the servants poured them some water to drink and also to make them rx a bit.

    "Well then, I''m guessing from your appearance and those filled carriages, your mission went well?" Lucius questioned.

    "Indeed, Lord Asher. We were able to track down the Stampeding Bulls and finished our mission." Gellor spoke and nudged Ariana.

    "Show him the box¡­" he gently whispered in her ear.

    Ariana nodded her head hurriedly and took out the small box that was kept on one of their bags.

    <em>~THUD~</em>

    "Please take a look, Lord Asher." Ariana spoke.

    <em>~eek~</em>

    The hinge of the box echoed a bit as it opened up. Finally, inside the box, Lucius could see ten circr marbles kept. Each of the marble was a yellowish brown in color and had a symbol that looked like a bull on it.

    Lucius picked up one of the rune crystals and observed it closely. He lightly squinted his eyes and some information popped up in front of him

    Gift Name: Stampede

    Description: This allows the user to create vibrations in the ground that can travel wide. The more the number of this gift''s bearers increases, the better the strength of the vibration will get. There is no definite limit.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Impossible

    This was the information Lucius obtained from the Rune beast crystal. He quickly used nexus on the other rune beast crystals as well and realized that he didn''t really need to use more Aether if he used Nexus with hell energy beforehand.

    Having confirmed that everything was fine and unto his standard, Lucius praised again, "perfect."

 Chapter 234 - An Unexpected Gain

    Lucius was rather pleased with the work that Gellor and his team had done.

    "How did the mission actually go?" Lucius asked.

    He now wanted to know how the progress of the group was. A mission could bepleted in many ways. It was the efficiency of it that determined how well it actually was. One couldplete a mission and stille back with a broken spine, while one could finish it ande back even better than before.

    Lucius had seen the injuries that they bore and knew that they must have gone through quite a bit. He knew of the stampeding bulls and the problems that could ur in hunting them down.

    "The hunt went as nned at first, but things got a bitplex mid way." Gellor spoke.

    "Oh? How?" Lucius questioned.

    "Our hunt started rather mundanely. We first found the herds of the Stampeding bulls and chose the smallest one we could. Once that was done, we created a few diverting traps and lures to separate out the bulls one by one.

    Only after that did we get to kill them. We know as long as they are together, they are terrifying. But once they are alone, killing them is no different from ughtering anymon bull.

    We managed to kill about ten Stampeding bulls this way and obtained four Rune crystals from them. But when we were about to go for the next herd, we ran into a problem¡­ more more like a beast." Gellor spoke.

    "What kind of a beast was it?" Lucius questioned.

    "We don''t know its name, but it was an insect rune beast and looked like a bulky fly. It was about three inches in size and was rather fast." Gellor answered.

    "Wait, it was just one rune beast?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes¡­ just one. But that single three inch long bug was enough to foil our entire n. The thing was¡­ it could create fire and speeding around, it could burn things. You can imagine what would happen if a bug like that flew around in a rather dry grasnd." Gellor replied.

    "Oh¡­ so that''s why your equipment has so many burn marks," Lucius spoke.

    "Indeed. The bug itself ran away due to his speed. But the fire that he set to the area startled the stampeding bulls and created a stamped. We barely managed to escape, but the bulls had run away by the end.

    After that, it took us a couple more days to find another suitable group and begin our hunt. But then that bug appeared again!" Gellor said in frustration.

    "We barely managed to get two more before that bug set off another fire." He said with a sigh.

    Lucius could tell now that they had truly had a rather bad experience with the hunt and it wasn''t even because of their intended target, but rather a random rune beast that was a small bug.

    "After that, we knew that unless we got rid of that bug, it would probably keep on troubling us. We didn''t know why it was doing that and didn''t even know why it was in that area. But we knew it had to die.

    We searched for the bug for a couple of days and eventually found it hiding in some grass. But it sensed us and started to zip around at great speed. It also spewed out fire, making things difficult for us.

    Only Finch was able to get somewhat close to the beast and use her own mes to resist the heat of the beast before managing to kill it." Gellor exined.

    "Oh? So you did manage to kill it." Lucius said expectedly.

    "Indeed we did," Gellor said before gesturing to Finch.

    Finch then took out a small box from her satchel and showed it to Lucius. In that box, there was the crushed corpse of the bug that had bugged the team and also a small pea sized marble in it.

    Lucius observed the insect corpse but couldn''t really tell what it was. Though when he looked at the small pea sized marble in it, he knew it was a rune crystal. He lightly squinted his eyes and Nexus Activated.

    Gift Name: sh Fire

    Description: Creates small high speed jets of fire that allows the user to fly around at great speed.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Impossible.

    Lucius''s eyes went wide upon seeing the rank of the gift that the rune crystal contained.

    ''How the hell? No way¡­ was the bug really a C ranked rune beast?'' Lucius couldn''t believe his eyes.

    But then he also knew that what he was seeing was true. So far, all that Nexus had shown him was true and correct. Lucius knew that he couldn''t let go of this opportunity when he had presented it to himself.

    "Hmm¡­ I see." Lucius muttered.

    "So, what is it that you are intending to do with the rune crystal?" Lucius asked.

    "Well, we don''t really know what this beast is at all. So we wonder if Young Master Asher can help us find out about it so we can sell this rune crystal." Gellor replied.

    "In that case, I can just buy this off your hands." Lucius spoke.

    "Really?" Gellor was surprised.

    Usually, merchants would never buy an unknown rune beast crystals. Doing so would most likely than not lead them to make losses. There was nock of people who tried to defraud others by selling fake rune crystals.

    There were even scams when people sold ''ancient'' rune crystals that had been in their families for generations and told people that they belonged to legendary rune beasts and things like that.

    Over 99% of the time, those ims were either exaggerated or straight up fake. If a merchant were to buy an unknown rune beast crystal, he would verify its authenticity, and only then would he buy it.

    Doing this needed the services of a schr who would either be an independent appraiser or more often than not, belong to the Artificers guild.

 Chapter 235 - Ember Flash Firefly

    "You want to buy this, Young Lord Asher?" Gellor questioned.

    "Yes," Lucius replied.

    "But you don''t know what beast it is." Gellor spoke.

    "Well I don''t, but I can find out. Plus, seeing how much it troubled you, we do have an idea of its abilities. I may as well keep it forter and see if some artifact can be made." Lucius replied.

    "Young Lord Asher will be making Artifacts too now?" Gellor and the team were shocked.

    "I will be, indeed. I just need some more time to prepare." Lucius replied.

    "I see¡­ Young Lord Asher is indeed talented. Way more than we all arebined, perhaps." Gellor couldn''t help but praise.

    "That all is forter, for now we should get to the next task." Lucius spoke.

    "Of course! The next beast we want to hunt is the Mist Veil Beast, right?" Gellor questioned.

    "Yes. You all can set up a n for and tell me what else you need. I already gave you the documents before." Lucius answered.

    "Yes, we do have the documents. We shall get it ready, but I think it will take us at least a week. We need to rest and recover, not to mention we have to sell off all these Stampeding Bull corpse.

    We had killed a lot more than we could bring, thus we sold them in the towns nearby to the hunting grounds for a lower price and brought as many of them as we could. They will start to rot soon so we need to hurry." Gellor stated.

    "Very well, do as you find fit." Lucius said.

    "We''ll take our leave then, Young Lord Asher." Gellor said and stood up.

    Finch and the rest did as well and left along with the carriages that contained the Stampeding bull corpses. Today, the Inanis city would be getting some fresh Rune beast meat and the nobles will probably be enjoying quite a bit.

    Lucius also knew that tonight''s dinner would probably have something from it.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    Lucius took a deep breath and took the two boxes with him and went to theboratory.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    He ced the boxes and opened several books, trying to find what rune beast that crushed bug was. Lucius couldn''t use Nexus on a dead creature and thus he would have to find it by corrting the features.

    Plus, since he already knew the name of the gift, it was a bit easier for him to find the rune beast.

    "Here it is¡­" Lucius muttered as he found the beast''s entry.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Beast Name: Ember sh Firefly

    Description: The Ember sh Firefly is a C grade rune beast that lives in mass groups of over hundreds. They live in the temperate fields of the southern kingdoms and are often found at night.

    They usually keep away from human settlements but can be dangerous when humans enter their territory. It isn''t umon for them to turn a human to ash by swarming them and covering them fully.

    When greatly agitated, their bodies will spurt out strong jets of fires that can cause wild fires. Thankfully, the areas that they live in are mostly moist and the trees there don''t catch fire easily.

    Capture and movement of these rune beasts is banned and will often be punished with a life sentence. There have been cases of these rune beasts being captured for the vanity of nobles who keep them in cages as a disy piece.

    Despite being C ranked they are weak when alone and can even be killed by a child with some luck. But when their numbers reach beyond ten, they can be dangerous.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Having read the entire entry, Lucius could kind of understand how the rune beast got to the grasnds. Their original habitat was further to the south, beyond the Grantz kingdom. Thus, the only reason one of them would be here is if some smuggler tried to smuggle it across the border and managed to let it escape.

    Lucius was surprised there was no news about more wild fires happening recently. If they did, then it would have been apparent that the rune beast was around. Though this also gave Lucius a timeline and he wondered if it had only been a few weeks since this Ember sh Firefly escaped captivity.

    ''Someone must have paid a great price to get one such beast. Though there is no information about their rune crystals in the entry here. I don''t know if they are used for artifacts or not and how rare is their drop rate.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius then tried to find more information about the Ember sh Firefly, but couldn''t really do that.

    "Perhaps I''ll need to get it from the artificers guild again." Lucius muttered.

    He knew that the books he had were only those for the beginner levels and contained the basic information about things. Seeing how this was a C ranked rune beast, he reckoned there was a chance it might be used in more advanced levels.

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    "I''ll do thatter. For now, at least I got the Stampeding bull rune crystal. The only ones remaining now are the Plow Worms." Lucius said to himself.

    Getting the Plow Worm rune crystals was a difficult task, as it was ouwed to harm them.

    ''Hmm¡­ I''ll first need to get information on some plow worms and see if any are nearby.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Kiana, who was waiting for him at the side, knew that he was looking for something and offered her services.

    "What is it that you need now?" Kiana asked.

    "I need information about Plow worms. More about the locations of them in the nearby regions." Lucius replied.

    "Alright. I''ll write some letters and see if we can get some information." Kiana nodded her head.

    "I''ll wait for it. Though I think for this one we might need to go out on our own. Sending others might not be right for it." Lucius stated.

    "Oh? I guess we will need to prepare for an outing then." Kiana replied.

 Chapter 236 - Unexpected News

    A few more days had passed and things in Inanis city went on smoothly. The Brewery wasing along great and so was the reeducation center. In fact, they had managed to reduce the number of criminals going to prison by thirty percent in simply two months.

    This was a great number and was the difference between the crime rate of a citypared to that of a vige. On a general basis, the crime rate in a city would be higher than that of a town, but now Inanis city had the same crime rate as that of a town.

    It was also due to the fact that the petty criminals were being ''counseled'' by the teachers at the Reeducation centers that they had managed to reduce it greatly. Since it was among these few petty criminals that bigger and more dangerous criminals would be born.

    It was during one of these days that Lucius got some pleasant news.

    "LORD ASHER! LORD ASHER!" Neta''s voice could be hearding from the corridors.

    He was shouting frantically and made Lucius furrow his brows upon hearing it.. He had just returned from the reeducation center after doing some work and was in his bedroom when he heard the man.

    "What is it this time?" Lucius wondered.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    He opened the door and saw the sweating man. His face was red and he was taking tired breaths.

    "What happened? Why are you like this?" Lucius questioned.

    "My lord¡­ Viscount Drew¡­ He¡­ he''s extremely sick!" Neta answered while stuttering.

    Hearing this, Lucius''s eyes went wide, but he quickly reeled in his excitement. He couldn''t let himself slip, no matter what. There could be potential leaks anywhere, and it was better to be cautious.

    "How?" Lucius asked simply.

    "We don''t exactly know there are too many ims. Though the mostmon one is that he was poisoned somehow." Neta said.

    "And how did we get this news?" Lucius questioned.

    "A few traders were talking about it." Neta answered.

    "Huh? Traders? Not our people?" Lucius asked for confirmation.

    "Yes, it wasn''t actually from our people there but traders," Neta replied.

    Hearing this, Lucius was surprised as he had not expected this.

    ''Kiana had several people in the Viscount territory that should have informed us of this¡­ how did the traders get this first and not them? Is it perhaps just a rumor?'' Lucius wondered.

    "Alright, do the others in the family know about it?" Lucius asked.

    "Not yet. I came to inform you first. Though Count might know about it thorough his men as well." Neta replied.

    "I see," Lucius said as he thought for a bit.

    "Go and contract John at the brewery and call him in. Mother and father shoulde back soon anyway, it''s nighttime." Lucius ordered.

    "At once, my lord," Neta said before going away.

    Once he was gone, Lucius closed his door and sat down to think.

    ''We have no information about his symptoms yet. If it really went as I wanted it to then as long as I know the symptoms, his death will be inevitable.'' Lucius thought to himself as a smile appeared on his face.

    "The only problem will be the usations that might potentiallye towards us¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    The n Lucius had prepared was something that might bring trouble to them, but he also had counter ns to solve them. All that was needed for him was to know more information.

    He waited in the bedroom for a few minutes while the news spread through the rest of the mansion. It was night time and Lucius had returned earlier today from work. Lita and Gabriel had yet to return from their duties and thus neither of them had dinner yet.

    <em>~knock~knock~knock~</em>

    A few knocks were heard on the door and Lucius''s ears perked up.

    "It''s me, the meeting will be downstairs." Kiana''s voice came from outside, slight excitement present in it as well.

    "I''ll be there, you go ahead." Lucius said.

    "Alright." Kiana went away.

    <em>~HUU~</em>

    Once she was gone, Lucius took a breath topose himself and looked at himself in the mirror.

    His dark blonde hair that bordered on brown was casually turned back and his ck eyes glimmered under the light of the Lamp which was an artifact. His smoothly curved jaw gave him more of a feminine vibe, but his broad shoulders countered it.

    The regr exercise had given him some muscles, but it was nowhere close to his past life yet. In fact, Lucius even wondered if this body could reach the same potential as that of his past life.

    "The ipatibility is something that cannot be fully solved¡­ the most I can do isprise and find a middle ground for it¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    While Lucius had intelligence, his body wasn''t particrly strong, which was a vulnerability for him. There was always a chance that someone could sneak in an attack and he would die.

    If he had the same physique as that of a human from his past work, Lucius reckoned he would have been able to use hell energy to change it greatly. Yet he knew the humans of this world could not do the same.

    They had innately different bodies that harbored Aether.

    ''Perhaps this is the biggest difference between the humans of this world and my past world. While humans are a greatly proliferated species and can be found in a myriad of worlds, they often have little difference and limiters.

    Unfortunately, I am in one of the worlds where they have a limiter¡­'' Lucius said to himself in his mind.

    <em>~huu~</em>

    "Nevertheless¡­ I''ll make do with what I can and fulfill my goals," Lucius said with determination before leaving his bedroom.

    He walked down the corridor and then went downstairs to the meeting hall. In there, he could see the count, Lita, John, Alessa, Donald, and Kiana waiting.

    Lucius pulled a chair and sat down before speaking.

    "Let''s begin¡­"

 Chapter 237 - A Gambit Of Bread And Wine

    Chapter 237 - A Gambit Of Bread And Wine

    The people looked at each other before Gabriel spoke up.

    "I believe everyone knows what has happened, but I''ll still say it formally for the sake of it. Viscount Drew has been taken ill. This news has been brought to us by the traders but I got it confirmed from my other links." Gabriel announced.

    "Can''t believe this would happen," Lita said in surprise.

    "Indeed¡­ for the man to get sick now. And they even saw it''s extremely bad, right?" John asked.

    "Yes. I got some more news and apparently, he has a severe stomach ache that has made him faint along with a high fever. He has been shivering as well and is now unresponsive.." Gabriel answered.

    Hearing this, Lucius smiled. It was all just as he had thought.

    ''So it took effect.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Kiana looked at him and wondered if the thing he had nned was the reason behind this. She had known that Lucius had been wanting to end the Viscount''s life, but the exact method behind it was unknown to her.

    At most, she knew that he was intending to use the Humble ze somehow for it. But she had seen the wine and knew that there was no poison added to it at all. Thus, she didn''t know if this was really due to that or something else.

    In reality, no person in this room was unhappy about the Viscount''s condition, and they were all pleased with it. It was simply the unexpectedness of it and the aftereffect that would be brought about by it that had them a bit concerned.

    "I guess we should discuss what to do next." Lucius spoke up.

    "Yes, that is exactly what we need to do." Gabriel agreed.

    "The nobles of the Viscount''s territory will suspect us, won''t they?" Donald was the one who spoke this time.

    "They will, of course. We have been in opposition with them for a while and the enmity between us is clear. Even the higher ups of the kingdoms from the capital will suspect the same." John replied.

    "This is all true. But we need to remember that they cannot do anything unless they have proof. And so far we know that nothing has been done by us." Gabriel spoke.

    It was at this moment, that Lucius interfered. He knew that the n he had initiated needed to be introduced to the rest or they may have conflicting problems with each otherter.

    "Actually, the condition of the Viscount is our doing." Lucius spoke.

    "What? How!?" Gabriel asked, feeling shocked.

    "Or rather¡­ it is something I have done." Lucius spoke.

    Hearing this, everyone in the room except Kiana were shocked.

    "What did you do? You didn''t poison him, did you?" Lita asked, feeling concerned.

    Gabriel and the rest were the same. They knew that if it really was them poisoning them, then the suspicion would be concreteter on.

    "Of course I didn''t poison him. Well¡­ not directly, at least. Rather than poisoning him, I gave him aplication." Lucius answered.

    "How?" Gabriel asked.

    "Yes? How is that possible? The viscount is sick with a stomach ache and I''m sure young Lord Asher never left the city." John was surprised too.

    While they knew Lucius was having people observe the viscount and gather information on him, they knew he wouldn''t act directly, as that would be counterintuitive.

    "Well, I used abination of things and situations to orchestrate this. But the chiefponent of this was none other than Humble ze." Lucius replied.

    "The wine? But I''m sure it wasn''t poisoned." Alessa said in confusion.

    "Well yes, it wasn''t poisoned. But we did make a change in it." Lucius replied.

    "A change?" Alessa furrowed her brows before she realized it.

    "The ked Lime! We increased the amount in it." Alessa spoke.

    "Indeed." Lucius nodded his head.

    This answer was not enough to solve the people''s confusion, but rather it just made them even more confused than before.

    "But how would that make the man sick? The only way would be to eat arge amount, but we definitely don''t put that much amount in the wine." Alessa asked, while the others agreed.

    "It wasn''t just the wine, but also another item. The bread we eat." Lucius revealed.

    "Huh?" This was somethingpletely out of their expectation and they didn''t know what to think of it.

    Lucius now knew that he needed to properly exin the method or these people would not understand it.

    "When I was making the wine''s recipe initially, I came across some rather interesting thing. The bread we eat is made from wheat, which is tougher than normal. Since I was testing making alcohol, I used that wheat for it as well.

    It was then that I realized that when ked lime is mixed with the wheat flour or anything that is made from it, for example bread; it starts to expand and after it a bit it will solidify." Lucius exined.

    "But¡­ how does this rte to the Viscount''s condition?" Gabriel asked.

    "Well¡­ I heard that the Viscount has been having troubles in his territory with bandits that have killed a lot of his guards posted there along with some travelers and merchants. This gave him a lot of stress and he had been tense ever since.

    Of course, this would cause a man to want to get rid of that stress. And for that, what is the mostmon thing Nobles do?" Lucius said.

    "Drink wine?" Lita was the one who spoke this time.

    "Exactly! I knew this and thus modified the next batch of humble ze we sent to the territory. I knew the nobles would gift some of the humble ze to the Viscount to curry favor, and that''s where the crux of our n lies.

    As long as the Viscount drank the modified wine with a higher concentration of ked lime and also ate the bread, the reaction I described earlier would happen within his stomach and intestines." Lucius exined.

    After this, it finally struck everyone.

 Chapter 238 - Death Of Viscount Drew

    <em>~Gasp~</em>

    The people in the hall couldn''t help but gasp upon imaging the effect. Though they still didn''t know just how much the stone wheat could expand.

    "So basically the bread that he ate is currently of a size several times bigger?" Gabriel asked.

    "From the tests I''ve done, it should be at least five times the normal size. Plus, depending on how fast his digestion was, the bread might have started expanding either in his stomach or his intestines.

    If it is in his stomach, he might survive for a longer time, but if it''s in his intestines¡­ then he''s rather unlucky, though it will be lucky for us." Lucius replied.

    An image of a balloon expanding till it popped, appeared in their minds as they heard the description of Lucius.

    "Huh¡­ Viscount Drew might be the first person to die from constipation I think.." John suddenly spoke.

    "That¡­" Alessa was a bit surprised upon hearing such awkward words from her husband''s mouth.

    They were rather rude for a setting of this kind and thepany that they were with right now.

    "Ahahahh!" but rather than getting angry, Gabrielughed out loud.

    "That roach deserves every bit of it! Not only is he a traitor, but he also disgraces the work of his ancestors." Gabriel added.

    The others nodded their heads in agreement. But now another aspect was presented to them. What were they to do now?

    "How do we progress from here, then?" Donald was the one to ask now.

    So far, Donald had been less involved in these affairs and mostly took care of the situation in the city. Before, he was just the captain of the guards for the personal guards of the Inanis family, but ever since the bounty and reward initiative wasunched, they needed someone closer and trusting to lead it.

    John was already busy with the Brewery and his own work as a lieutenant, thus he could not be selected for it. But Donald was the perfect first for it and since Lucius also wanted to upgrade his gift while adding him to his own circle, he was the perfect candidate for it.

    And because of that several things were revealed to him which he took without questioning. To him, he was doing duty and if hepared what the Inanis family was doing against the other nobles, then it was ten times better.

    Thus he had no reason to reject nor detest what they were doing or the methods that they used. Him joining the meetings such as these was just natural.

    "Why don''t you speak your mind, Asher?" Gabriel gave the stage to him.

    "The next few steps are simple, but also difficult at the same time. One thing we know for sure is that the Viscount will be dying. This will make them wonder how the viscount died and they will investigate.

    The mostmon idea for them should be poisoning, as there would be no other reason why the viscount would get so sick so fast. They may even try to heal him, but I doubt it would work.

    After all, it isn''t really a poisoning, nor is it a direct illness caused by some disease. If they want to heal him, they would have to directly cut open his stomach and take out the swollen chunks of bread from it.

    And this is ''if'' they even know what is the problem. But I reckon by the time they discover the problem, the viscount would already be dead. Thus, I wouldn''t worry too much about him surviving.

    Thinking of poisoning, they would point their fingers toward everything the man had eaten recently and test it out. Wine is a rtivelymon way of poisoning and we''ve heard plenty of stories about it so that should be their first target.

    From there on, they can take two routes. It can either be the fact that they realize the wine is just normal and move on to other avenues of suspicion, or just go ahead with the wine and me the brewery or me it on us, since the brewery is on our territory.

    If it''s the first option, they will still find other ways to me us though. I''m quite sure this matter would reach the king and we might even need to meet him to settle this. But if we seed properly, we will benefit a lot." Lucius exined.

    It took everyone several minutes to fully understand Lucius''s n, but they eventually nodded their heads.

    "I see. Guess we shall prepare for the bacsh then. We''ll pull the merchants on our side as well as the nobles of Viscount Drew''s territory, will me the retailer of the wine. More than that though, the person who gifted him the wine would get in trouble.

    Whoever that is should be the first sacrifice for them to assuage public outcry. But after they verify that it wasn''t really that noble, they will expand their range and get to ming the merchant.

    I wouldn''t be shocked if they ask forpensation for the Viscount''s death. The wife of the Viscount is especially vile and wille for the throat if given the chance. I reckon she would directly take everything from the merchants if given the chance." Gabriel replied.

    Hearing about the wife of the Viscount Drew, Lita furrowed her brows. This was also the first time Lucius was hearing about this and wondered who the wife of Viscount was. He hadn''t really heard much about her other than that she was a harsh woman.

    "That woman is a vixen and will try to get any benefit she can. I can only imagine just how much more crazy she must have be after the change in Keith''s condition." Lita spoke.

    They didn''t know that Keith''s condition was also Lucius''s work¡­ or rather, his experiment.

    "Hmm¡­ she might be a difficult person to deal with. But we shouldn''t have as much problem since she doesn''t have a direct heir to leverage power once the viscount is dead.

    Keith is hidden away somewhere and thus won''t appear in public. She will have to levy whatever influence she has on her own in the noble circle." Lucius analyzed.

    With all this said, everyone discussed more ns about what they needed to do and were finally done after three more hours. It was midnight by this time, thus everyone directly went to sleep.

    ***

    Only a day had passed and the news of Viscount Drew''s death finally arrived in the kingdom. The response was rtivity mixed, with mostmoners being unconcerned about it.

    The majority of responses were from the noble circle, though. Those who were against the Viscount directly expressed their disdain, while those that were in favor or have had dealings with the man showed a more neutral front.

    Lucius took note of such nobles and decided to spend a little more focus on their actions in the future. If they were¡­ problematic, he wouldn''t mind making a ''permanent solution'' for them.

    "It has begun," Gabriel spoke while standing at the head of the table.

    "Indeed. Is there any response from the capital or the king?" Lucius questioned.

    "Not yet. The news is still too fresh and yet to reach them. But we should hear it in a couple of days." Gabriel answered.

    "Alright. Until we get the official letter, there is little we can do. Hopefully, this goes in our favor." Lucius replied.

    "Indeed." Gabriel nodded his head.

    There were only the two of them in the dining hall right now as they were eating breakfast. Lita was away dealing with some things that would probablye across Alessa. The women''s side of the noble circle thrived on gossips and backstabbing thus they needed to take some different precautions that only Lita could do.

    Lucius though, already had several ideas on how to deal with things. There was even a rather overwhelming n he had in his mind that could be used if things really went south.

    Not only would it free them of suspicion, but it will also get rid of any other voices of dissent that speak out against them.

    ''Perhaps culling some nobles might be in the best interest as well¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "We should prepare for a battle as well." Gabriel suddenly spoke.

    "A battle?" Lucius asked.

    "If the wife of the viscount really decides to throw caution to the wind, I wouldn''t be surprised if she sends out their army to fight us." Gabriel said.

    Hearing this, Lucius couldn''t help but smile. While he preferred solving matters with other solutions than violence; oftentimes, a strong fist gave a proper answer than a written letter.

    "Let her do it then. We will crush the entire opposition at once." Lucius said in a strong voice.

    Hearing the tone of his son''s voice, Gabriel nodded his head in approval.

    "That''s just what I wanted. I''ve been wanting to fight it out, but we couldn''t do it directly, now this gives us the perfect excuse." He stated.

 Chapter 239 - Battle Plans

    Lucius and Gabriel drew up a few ground ns about how to proceed in case a battle really happens and finished it in just an hour. There wasn''t really much they needed to do since they had the number superiority.

    The number of soldiers and guards that Viscount Drew had were around half of the Inanis. But there was also the fact that unless they got a concrete reason that the Drew territory was betraying the Grantz kingdom, they wouldn''t be able to use the soldiers of the kingdom''s army.

    This left Gabriel and Lucius with only their personal guards who still numbered in the hundreds.

    "Hmm¡­ is this guard data urate?" Lucius asked Gabriel.

    "It should be. From what we know, the personal guards of Viscount number less than two hindered while we ourselves have about three hundred." Gabriel replied.

    "And we can''t use the rest of the soldiers, right?" Lucius asked again..

    "Indeed¡­ any that are linked with the royal army, including John, cannot participate in this battle. Even I''ll be fighting it as a Count and not a colonel in the army." Gabriel stated.

    While Lucius knew that they had a numerical superiority, he couldn''t help but be doubtful of the number of guards that Viscount Drew had.

    "You seem troubled? What''s wrong?" Gabriel asked.

    "I don''t think this number is correct¡­ at least not at this moment," Lucius spoke.

    "And why''s that?" Gabriel questioned.

    "We should remember that there are now other parties involved with the Viscount. We already know of Bergan''s band and I am sure they aren''t the only ones involved. With the confidence with which he withdrew, I reckon he should have some other power backing him too." Lucius answered.

    Hearing this, Gabriel was intrigued and thought over it a bit.

    "Hmm¡­ that is indeed possible. Either of those options would be bad for us." Gabriel spoke.

    "If the Viscount decided to hire some mercenaries from Bergan''s band, we could have several casualties. And I''m sure they will be hiding their identities as well. We may win, but the cost of causalities should not be too high." Lucius spoke.

    "Indeed. Then there is the hidden backer, too. We will need to be prepared for a far higher number than just double out forces." Gabriel spoke.

    "Yes. And I think I know when they will act." Lucius replied.

    "You do? When?" Gabriel questioned.

    "Rather, we''ll find out about it when they block the indirect export of Humble ze into their territory. They will have to me it on us and block all products thate from here. The merchants should whine about it enough that it''ll spread to us.

    We need to keep the merchants in our hands if we are to be ready for this." Lucius answered.

    "I see¡­ we''ll keep alert." Gabriel said.

    "Then there is also the chance that they might choose a different approach¡­ there was that spy or assassin that tried to kill you as well, father." Lucius said in a low tone.

    Being reminded of that, a cold look shed in Gabriel''s eyes and the hatred for the Viscount could be seen within them.

    "Yes¡­ of course, they would do that too. Perhaps even use both the methods, attacking on both fronts." Gabriel stated.

    "Exactly, we''ll need to keep an eye on who enters and exits the city and the region surrounding it." Lucius spoke.

    "I''ll increase the number of guards and checkpoints," Gabriel replied.

    "Mmmhmm," Lucius nodded his head.

    The two stayed there for a bit more and thought about potential threats. It was now that Lucius got an idea that he had shelved earlier, but now it would be perfect to initiate seeing the situation.

    "Father, seeing as how the Viscount may have some hidden cards, I believe we need some too." Lucius suddenly spoke.

    "Oh? What do you suggest?" Gabriel asked, feeling curious.

    "We do not know the extent of the battle we will be facing, thus it is best if we have strong warriors. This means they need to have strong and high ranked gifts. I know that among our guards we do have several that are at the rare rank, but that might not be enough.

    So just in case¡­ I have a ce from where we can recruit more strong warriors." Lucius spoke.

    Gabriel was now very interested in this and wondered what Lucius was talking about.

    "And what ce is this?" Gabriel asked.

    "None other than the reeducation center. We''ve had good progress with the criminals and there are a lot of them that have gifts that reach the rare ranked. If we add them, it will greatly increase our power." Lucius said.

    Gabriel furrowed his brows upon hearing this as he started to think about the advantages and disadvantages of it. He knew that most of the criminals that had higher ranked gifts were ones with severe crimes and it wouldn''t be unlikely for them to even be on a death row.

    "That might be problematical, if the pubic finds out that we are letting such criminal into our ranks, they might be displeased," Gabriel spoke. "And I know you are changing their perspective on life, but that is not something themoners will easily undertake." He added.

    "Oh, I know that very well. And for the problem about the public finding out about them, I have a very simple solution¡­ we hide their identities." Lucius replied.

    "How?" Gabriel asked.

    "We will be giving them armors that fully cover their bodies. I can assure you that they would not speak and no one would be able to find out who they truly are. And for them being in our ranks, we shall not do that directly.

    Instead, we will be turning them into a separate mercenarypany. They shall be called the masked legion." Lucius exined.

    Hearing this Gabriel felt enlightened. While what Lucius had said was a bit farfetched, it was still something his son had said and he that to toke it seriously.

    "Are you sure their identities won''t be revealed?" Gabriel asked.

    "Oh, I''m extremely sure. In fact, even if their faces are revealed, no one will identify them." Lucius replied.

    "Huh? How is that possible?" Gabriel asked.

    "We just get rid of their faces. They are vile criminals, something such as a face is a privilege that they do not deserve. It would be their redemption if they can serve us and help us fight in this battle." Lucius replied with a slight hint of fervor.

    Hearing this, Gabriel was a bit taken aback but didn''t express it on his face. This was the first time he had seen this aspect of his son and seeing the expression on his face, he was reminded of some people he had once seen.

    ''What am I thinking!? How can he be like those zealots? He has never evene in contact with them.'' Gabriel thought to himself.

    Scolding himself internally, Gabriel assured himself that he didn''t need to think like that. Lucius noticed some strange changes in Gabriel''s expression but did not really think much of them.

    "Alright¡­ as long as they are the worst criminals it would be fine to ''harm'' them. But for others, I believe you can judge who do not deserve it." Gabriel said.

    "Of course. This is something only the vilest of vile will get. As for other pretty and lower criminals like thieves they will have a much milder punishment. They will get a different treatment too." Lucius replied.

    "Good. And what do you need to hide them? I don''t think we will be letting them out whit their faces damaged, the people will find it rather¡­ revolting I believe." Gabriel asked.

    "Of course, we will be covering their faces. For this is the reason why we will be giving them armors. I''ll get a few armorers to make custom armors for them. We also need to give them legitimacy and thus a uniform armor would be the best." Lucius replied.

    "Very well. Do as you please, the coffers are your to use." Gabriel offered.

    "Thank you, father. Besides¡­ if we seed in this, we will make back ten times as much we spend." Lucius replied.

    "I know. Hopefully, none of this happens, but if it does, we will give them hell!" Gabriel dered.

    "Indeed, father¡­ indeed."

    ***

    A few days passed in the blink of an eye and just as Lucius had predicted, it happened.

    The merchants were all in an uproar since all trade routes to the Drew territory were blocked for those that were associated with the Inanis territory. Only those merchants that had not been to the Inanis territory were allowed in.

    Themoners also wondered if this was some new tactic the Viscount Drew was taking. What they didn''t know was that only a day after this the Viscount dered war on Inanis territory.

    The cause of the war?

    Attempted poisoning of the Viscount by Count Gabriel through the merchants as a proxy!

    It was a shocking revtion, and even the nobles were in shock.

 Chapter 240 - Battle Tactics

    "Looks like our negative assumption came true." Gabriel spoke at the table.

    "Yes, father. But at least¡­ we are prepared." Lucius replied.

    "Is that why you gathered the guardsst week and set them to the borders?" Lita questioned.

    "Yes, the guards have been sent to be ready for any impending conflict Countess." Captain Donald answered.

    "I see¡­ but do we know where they are going to attack us from?" Lita asked further.

    "We do have some intel," John added..

    "Indeed, my love. Our informants have been giving us information regrly. After all, their business is getting affected too." Gabriel replied.

    The informants were none other than the merchants that have been wronged by the Viscount. While they were prevented from entering the territory, the merchants themselves were interconnected and had good rtions with other merchants inside the territory.

    Thus for a certain price, they were very willing to pass on some information to them, and then it made its way to Inanis city.

    "But this option won''t be viable for long. They should soon start to seal all borders for the war. As for the supplies, they should switch to their own people by now." Lucius replied.

    Alessa who had been looking a bit anxious today spoke.

    "But Young Lord Asher, they say the charges were for the attempted murder of the viscount. Isn''t he supposed to be dead ording to you?" Alessa questioned.

    "Of course he''s dead. This is merely a strategy to keep up the morale of their people and also their image. If it was truly leaked that he died, the chaos that would break out will result in their downfall rather quickly.

    Still¡­ it''s not like the truth can be hidden for long. It is bound toe out in some time. After all, they are in the same position as us and cannot use the soldiers of the kingdom to attack us.

    And for them to use their guards, they will need amander. Though the wife of Viscount might be able to finagle her way out of this. Especially if their backers have already extended their support." Lucius answered.

    This was something the others were a bit confused about too, but now felt a bit relieved. To them, the words of Lucius were far more believable than that of the merchants or other informants.

    "If we want to copse their morale, we just need to reveal certain facts about the viscount''s condition. For example, if he was really this sick, then how did he get better? What healer was it? Or did they get a priest from the Church of na to help them?" Lucius said with a smile.

    Hearing this Gabriel nodded his head and so did John.

    "We shall do exactly that. Let the people ask the questions on their own and let it all copse." Gabriel replied.

    "Still there is a chance that the crazy woman might go ahead with it all." John added.

    "Oh she''s definitely going to do that whether we spread this or not." Lucius spoke.

    "Then why are we doing it?" John asked.

    "It is not for the wife of the Viscount to fail, but rather to give us a legitimate reason to take over thend. This way we will be able to give an excuse to the king and the church as well." Lucius replied.

    Everyone''s eyes went wide after hearing this. With a few simple words, Lucius had managed to find a solution that may flip everything in their favor.

    "This¡­ it might really be good!" Donald agreed.

    "Of course, all thisester. First, we need to win against them. If we don''t, everything will be in vain. I''m sure the other nobles will be waiting like vultures to dig through our territory.

    After all, everyone knows they are envious that we have the headquarters of a Church in ournd." Lucius warned.

    Gabriel''s gaze turned serious as he understood the danger from third parties that they needed to be cautious of. Not only was there Bergan''s band, but the secret backers of the Viscount may also very well be other nobles that were coveting thend of Etara.

    "We will ensure that nothing of this sort happens and we win," Gabriel said before looking at Lucius.

    "How is the preparation on your ending, with the¡­ masked legion?" Gabriel asked, much to the curiosity of others.

    Of the current people, only Kiana, and Lucius knew of the masked legion, while the others only had the idea that something like that was being made by Lucius. They didn''t know where they wereing from now though.

    "They areing along well father. We should have significant numbers by the time for battle." Lucius replied.

    "Alright, hopefully we can get everything right." Gabriel nodded his head.

    "We are ready for the battle as well." John and Donald spoke up.

    "You won''t be taking part in it, John," Gabriel said.

    "Why? But I serve under you." John asked.

    "You stille under the ranking of the royal army and do not have a noble rank that will allow you to do this. I cannot let you do this." Gabriel replied.

    "I see¡­" John understood.

    "It''s not that you can''t participate, it''s just that you can''t be on the battlefield, you can still guide the guards and direct them here. Believe me, we need you here more than there." Lucius spoke.

    "Thank you, Young Lord Asher." John said with gratitude.

    The Inanis family and their subordinates discussed the ns for a few more hours before finally separating. The time for the battle was close, and no one knew how it would proceed.

    Lucius and Kiana were heading to the re-education center and were in the carriage right now.

    "When do you think they will attack, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Hmm¡­ from what I can judge, they shouldn''t really have that much patience left. If anything, they would want to leave as fast as possible to assuage their condition. Viscount Drew dying in a battle would be a far better option for them.

    At least this is what I think they will be framing it as." Lucius replied.

    "Huh? But if the viscount is dead, how will they do that?" Kiana asked.

    "Faking someone''s death is rather easy. Especially when that person is already dead. If the wife of the viscount is really as what we have heard she is like, then I don''t think she will hesitate to desecrate the remains of the dead.

    All they would need to do is to send someone to fight on behalf of the viscount pretending that it''s him then let him die there. After that, they would just destroy the corpse or rece the man entirely with the damaged corpse parts of the viscount.

    To make it more believable, they might even burn it all down. After all, we know the cannons can create vast areas of mingnd when used correctly." Lucius exined.

    "Ugh, that woman is really devious if she goes along with all this. I wonder where she gets the courage from." Kiana spoke.

    "That is a hard thing to answer, even for me. It can be just her own self, or perhaps an external source of courage. It prods me to believe that the backer might be interfering in it as well." Lucius replied.

    Hearing this, Kiana was a bit taken aback.

    "You don''t think¡­ there might be someone controlling the entire situation from the start?" Kiana questioned in slight disbelief.

    "Oh? You caught on to that too." Lucius was impressed by Kiana.

    Her thinking ability was increasing by the day and the more she spent time with Lucius, the better it got. It was like she was observing and learning from every little thing Lucius spoke or did.

    If this was some other person and did not have a mark of loyalty on them, Lucius would have been rather concerned. But with the mark of loyalty that Kiana had, he could be calm and not worry about it.

    In fact, he had been feeling that the mark was only getting stronger as time went by. Which made him believe Kiana''s faith in him was only getting deeper. This was one of the difference between the mark of loyalty and the mark of obedience.

    The mark of obedience would not change once it was ced on a person, while the mark of loyalty would grow with them as their faith grew. It could also warn the caster when their faith started to fall and it would allow them to act when needed.

    "You really think that?" Kiana said upon hearing Lucius''s words.

    "Of course. I had my suspicions, since what the viscount did was rather adverse and did not make sense. Even with the trade embargo to hurt us, it was not something he could sustain for long unless they wanted to kill their people as well.

    The only option left was that they had additional people supporting them and would ensure that they don''t fail." Lucius exined.

 Chapter 241 - A Runaway Pupil

    Hearing Lucius''s words, Kiana felt a bit enlightened.

    "So, who do you think it could be?" Kiana asked.

    "There are many options but the most obvious ones would be none other than other nobles that have been coveting our territory. It could be anyone from an Earl all the way to a Duke. After all, the headquarter of the other two churches are located in the territories of the King or another duke." Lucius replied.

    "Though¡­ there is a chance there might be outside interference in it as well." Lucius added.

    "Outside interference? You mean some other kingdoms?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes.. They stand to benefit the most if we consider the current situation. Whether it be the war or the breakdown of order, both of these would benefit the kingdom of Gisir. And if by any chance they manage to take over the Land of Etara, they would be having the headquarter of a church within their kingdom as well.

    This is enough to raise their profits by a lot. And you know the churches won''t interfere in the war unless their interest or people are harmed as well." Lucius answered.

    "Hmm¡­ that does make sense. But if they really are doing something this daring, then they must be ready to deal with the consequences too." Kiana said with a fierce light in her eyes.

    "Of course. We will ensure that whoever dared to do this will pay a price several times over." Lucius said with a smile that bordered on dangerous.

    Soon the two of them reached the re-education center and got down from the carriage. Lucius looked around and saw the area to be empty of people other than the couple of guards that were doing their duties.

    "Wee, Young lord Asher." The guard standing at the gate greeted.

    "Mm," Lucius simply nodded his head in response and headed inside.

    Yet this little gesture of his was enough to make the guard feel better and do his work diligently. Getting slight approval from one''s superiors was something a lot of people desired. It didn''t matter what kind of superiors they were.

    It could be one''s employer, parent, teacher, priest, king, or even god. The equation was always the same. Humans sought validation in many ways and unless they got it, they were not satisfied.

    Paying little attention to the guard, Lucius walked through the corridors of the bailing before appearing before the inner gate. This looked like a metal grill door, like someone would see in a prison.

    It served to separate the outer area of the building where the staff lived and the area where the criminal were kept. It was one of the extra safety devices ced thereter on. So far, it has not been in use other than working as a normal gate.

    But today that was going to change. A few seconds after Lucius entered, he could hear some noiseing from one of the doors of the corridor.

    <em>~BANG~</em>

    In the next moment, the door blew off with a bang.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius was still a couple of steps away from it thus was able to dodge it in time. He and Kiana became alert and entered a defensive stance in the next second.

    <em>~slick~</em>

    Ayer of metal appeared on Kiana''s palms as several metal needles rose up from it before turning into thicker spikes. Lucius on the other hand, drew his wind scar sword and held it in both hands while keeping his gaze locked on the room.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    "AHH AH! FINALLY! I CAN LEAVE THIS HELL!" The loud voice of a man could be hearding from the inside.

    Then, from the smoke, the man''s appearance could be seen as he walked forward. He was shirtless and there were several bloody scars on his body. A couple of his nails seemed to be missing as well.

    "STOP HIM!" Another voice could be hearding from the inside.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    Without even blinking, Lucius swung the wind scar sword sending out a de of wind.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    In addition to that, Kiana shot out two of the metal spikes that headed towards the man who had just escaped.

    "AAARRRRGH!!!" The man cried out in pain.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    In the next instant, his legs fell to the side as his torso was pierced in two points. Two of the spikes that Kiana had shot embedded themselves into his shoulders and pinned him to the wall.

    The wind de that Lucius had used had cut off the man''s legs and now he was profusely bleeding while crying out. Lucius had a cold yet emotionless expression on his face as he stared at the man.

    A couple of secondster, two other men appeared from the room. They were wearing the uniform of the staff and looked to be injured as well. But when they finally stepped out and saw the state of the escaped man, they were shocked.

    And when they saw who was standing there, they were even more shocked.

    "YOUNG LORD ASHER! ARE YOU FINE!" The men cried out in concern.

    "I''m fine. How about you two?" Lucius questioned.

    "We are fine, but this pupil managed to escape his restraints. We were just about to reach the next ''lesson'' when he used his gift and caused an explosion." One of the men answered.

    "We were caught off guard and didn''t know how the man managed to do this," the second one added.

    <em>~shing~</em>

    Lucius sheathed the wind scar sword and approached the legless man, who was now pinned to the wall. The man was still crying, but his voice seemed to get weaker with each passing second.

    It was obvious with the amount of blood he was losing that he wouldn''tst long. Kiana kept an eye on the man and was ready with more spikes. If he did anything she wouldn''t hesitate to put another one between his eyes.

    "Hmm¡­ interesting¡­ how did you do this? You are named Jacob, right? I don''t think your gift description mentioned this¡­"

 Chapter 242 - A Wayward Pupil

    Lucius knew of this man as he had read nearly all of the biodata of each and every person that they had in the building. He had taken note of their gifts and ones that were troublesome and problematic had equivalent restrictions made ordingly.

    The one thing that didn''t exist in the world was something to restrain or inactivate a gift. The only way was to either drain a person''s aether or to use another gift to restrain them.

    Thankfully, most gifts needed specific body parts to be free to activate, thus over the years the people of this world had learned very well how to restrain the people with gifts and there were extensive books about this.

    But the man pinned in front of Lucius was not someone who was on his watch list. His gift was also not something that should have been able to cause an explosion. Still, just to confirm everything, Lucius used nexus on the man.

    Gift Name: Dust Ball

    Description: The user can create a ball of dust and shoot it out. .

    Rank: Umon

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 10x Chaff Butterfly Rune crystals, 10x Aether Crystals

    Other Owners: ¡­ (8,365)

    The gift was only of an umon rank and couldn''t even do damage directly. It was at most used to create a distraction or to cloud the vision of others. But to Lucius, it seemedpletely different.

    "Oh, my¡­ seems like someone figured out dust explosions¡­" Lucius muttered to himself as he looked at the bleeding man.

    His body had gotten considerably pale due to theck of blood, and his voice was also far weaker than before. Lucius paused for a few seconds before nodding his head.

    "He shall do for today." Lucius said before looking at the two teachers. "Cancel the transport from the prison today. I shall make do with him."

    "Are you sure, Young Lord?" One of the teachers asked.

    "Yes, no need for them today." Lucius reiterated.

    "If you say so. But¡­ what do we do with him." The man said while pointing to the bleeding ''pupil''.

    "I''ll take care of it for now." Lucius said as he ced his hand on one of the cut leg stumps of the man.

    <em>~SIZZLE~</em>

    In the next second, a sizzling sound came from the thigh of the legless man and a faint scent of burnt meat could be smelled. A low cry was released by the man as well, but he had no extra energy to continue it.

    Done with the leg, Lucius lifted his hand and one could see cauterized flesh beneath it. He did the same with the other leg as well and temporarily stopped the bleeding. Kiana came forwards knowing what Lucius wanted to do and helped pull the man off the wall.

    He was suspended by his shoulders with the metal spikes, and they started bleeding as well when he was pulled out. This time though, Lucius did not cauterize the wound and instead just pressed the spikes back in to stop the bleeding.

    <em>~gulp~</em>

    Seeing the ruthless manner of Lucius, the two men couldn''t help but gulp. They didn''t even pay attention to how Lucius cauterized the wounds of the injured man. By now, Lucius had already ced the mark of obedience on each and every person in this building and thus wasn''t worried about exposing his secrets as much.

    This was one of the ''works'' that he did in the past month or so. Once this was done, the two men brought a stretcher for Lucius and they then put the injured man on it. He had already been knocked out by the incessant pain and thus, it was easy for them to transport it.

    By now, the smoke in the ''ssroom'' had already dispersed and one could see the scene inside it. They would see a vertical table, that was tilted at an 85 degree angle along with restraints on several parts.

    Then there was another table put at the side, which held several fine tools. There were small hammers, t tip pliers, nails, pin nails, screws, saws, vice grips, and several tens of needles.

    There was an entire set of needles, half of which were bloody. These were just your everyday needles and weren''t hollow or anything. Yet looking at the numbers one would see that even the ones that were bloody were over fifty.

    Then on the other side of the ''ssroom'' one could see arge board, one which several rules were written. These would change ording to the ''pupil''s'' needs and requirement.

    For this current one, they were:

    ''I shall not steal.''

    ''To steal is to buy sin.''

    ''When one steals, they don''t gain but lose.''

    ''To be free of sin, open oneself up and let the guidance enlighten purify them.''

    There were twomps hanging by the side of the door as well. Though the most prominent was a white book that was opened and kept on a reading stand. The words on it were too hard to read from this distance.

    There was also a lot of blood spilled on the ground below the vertical table, though most of it was dried out.

    Lucius faintly gazed at the room and nodded.

    "Seems like you all are getting the hang of it now," Lucius spoke.

    "Of course, Young Lord Asher. Not only do we get to guide the lost sheep, but we get to better ourselves as well and this is all due to you." One of the men said with awe in his eyes.

    "Lord Asher is great, with just a few methods you have managed to teach us how to teach others to be good, to be better than they are, and to be the best that they can be. A lot of the pupils have already been learned and graduated from their current sses." The second man said.

    If one looked at them closely, they would see that other than the haggard appearance caused by the explosion, there were bloodstains on their clothes. They were prominent on their sleeves and chest, though.

 Chapter 243 - Increasing Lost

    Having seen their appearance and the interior of the room, anyone would realize that what went on in this ce was not exactly normal. But thankfully not many would ever find out about it.

    Lucius simply nodded his head while epting the praise of the two men.

    "Oh yeah, get those legs too." Lucius reminded.

    "Of course, Young Lord." One of the men said before he picked up the two legs that had been chopped off.

    They ced them on the stretcher along with the man and then brought him down to theb.

    "You can go ahead and do your tasks then. Tell the guards at the prison to stop today''s transport as well.." Lucius spoke.

    "We shall do as you ask, Young Lord." The men said before taking their leave.

    With them gone, Lucius was free to do whatever he wanted.

    "Open the door," Lucius ordered Kiana.

    She nodded her head and unlocked the metal doors of theb that were locked with chains. Once they were open, one would only see darkness inside. Kiana took one of themps that were hanging at the side and lit themp inside theb with it.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    As soon as one of themps was lit the others aromatically lit up as well. This was a system made using a rather simple artifact. Its only function was to ignite the othermps when any one of them was lit.

    If one looked closely they would see a thin wireing out from the top of themp. This wire then spread to the walls from where it went all over theb to the differentmps in theb.

    This was one of the cheapest artifacts Lucius had found that barely needed any aether to run. In fact, it could recharge on its own as well since it barely used any Aether. Its only function was to create a spark when mes were detected on one of themps.

    Since the energy was needed for the mes was provided by the oil in themps, there was no drain on the Aether itself. The cost of this artifact was about a single Aether crystal for every four meters of the wire.

    Lucius had gotten about a hundred meters worth since he liked it and it was a convenient method to lightrge areas. As for refilling themps, he could always have other servants fill the oil in them, thus it wasn''t really that bothersome for him.

    Though he did have the aim to rece most of themps with the automatic meless illuminatingmps such as the one that he had in his room. Lucius reckoned that with some adjustments he would be able to make some on his own.

    It was also the perfect artifact to start with since it was a low leveled artifact, only needing amon ranked rune beast crystal.

    Once theb was lit up, one would see several figures standing on the sides of the room. There were about twelve of them and, with the manner in which they were standing, one would think they were simply statues.

    If it were not for their terrifying looking bodies, one would not even mind them. But they were far too harsh to avoid.

    "Time to add another one to the team." Lucius spoke while looking at the now unconscious man.

    These twelve figures were the Lost that Lucius had made in the past days. They were going to be the Masked legion and Lucius was making at least one of them every day. It was very useful for him since they were not only powerful creatures but also increased his own hell energy capacity.

    Right now, as long as Lucius was within a kilometer range of the Lost, his hell energy would be three times the amount of what it normally would be. This had greatly increased the speed at which he was able to make the new Lost and was also managing to recover faster.

    It also allowed him to quickly put Mark''s of obedience on all of the staff working in the reeducation center.

    "Will it work on him? He''s too injured." Kiana spoke.

    "That''s what we''re here to test. If he survives, then we have another pawn added to the masked legion. If not¡­ well, it''s fine either way." Lucius replied.

    "Hmm¡­ but his gift¡­ it''s umon ranked. So far you''ve only made those that have rare ranked gifts into these creatures right?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, but his gift shouldn''t really be a problematic aspect here. If anything, having a lower ranked gift should only make it easier." Lucius said.

    He too was curious what kind of an effect hell energy would have on an umon ranked gift. So far, Lucius had only turned the rare ranked gifted into Lost. Of the ones that he converted, only half of them had unlocked their corrupted gift.

    Lucius could unlock them if he gave them more hell energy, but directly unlocking that took a lot of hell energy. Thus, he preferred to let them unlock it on their own. After all, as long as they had a steady supply of food and nutrition, they would do it automatically.

    And considering the battle that will being in the near future, there was going to be plenty of that avable. As for the umon ranked gift, Lucius was wondering if the corrupted form of his gift would be avable from the start or not.

    He also wanted to know how much hell energy would be required for someone who was in such a critical state to recover. In fact, Lucius didn''t even know if it was possible for the man to recover.

    After all, he had lost a lot of blood and would be dying at any time.

    "Let''s get started, shall we," Lucius said as he shifted the legless man to the T-shaped table and strapped him down.

    Once that was done, he ced his hands on his head and started to pour the hell energy.

 Chapter 244 - Strong Regeneration

    Not even a minute after Lucius had injected the hell energy into the body of the legless man named Jacob, his body started to show the usual changes. His skin changed colors and his body started to twitch as well.

    Lucius continued the process and poured more and more hell energy into the body of the man. He realized that the process this time was about thirty percent faster and also did not take as much hell energy as the other lost.

    Having converted around twelve Lost, Lucius had gained a rather good idea of all the changes that happened during the process, the hell energy required and the finer intricacies thatid within.

    Thus he was very efficient and in less than an hour, the man was already in the second stage of the process. .

    "Now to see if the legs can be reused or not¡­" Lucius muttered as he ced the legs against the stumps of the legless man.

    Ideally, the legs should have been kept on ice to keep them intact and prevent any cell death that might happen, but Lucius did not have that option back then. Besides, this was going to be a bare-bones experiment and Lucius simply wanted to see if hell energy could save someone who was this close to death.

    It was an opportunity that he would not usually get and he would have to deal with live subjects sometimes. Beating them close to death was also not a viable option as it meant intentionally damaging to test out sometimes that may simply not work in the end.

    Lucius''s end goal was to make more lost, thus it did not seem worth the risk to damage his test subject. But now that he had an already injured subject¡­ albeit injured by Lucius himself, it was still the perfect subject.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Lucius saw a rather unique change this time.

    "Oh? The angiogenesis is starting already?" Lucius muttered.

    On the stumps of Jacob, the cauterizedyer of the flesh had already sloughed off, and recing it was a freshyer of flesh. It was a dark red in color and throbbed with vitality. The only difference was that the blood did not leak from it.

    Jacob''s body had adapted ordingly to the lost legs. But when Lucius ced the legs against the exposed stumps of Jacob, they reacted aromatically and created blood vessels that started toe out of the stumps.

    If one looked at it at this moment, one would find the entire thing rather eerie. Like some kind of an alien, blood vessels came out like tendrils and touched the raw surface of the cut-off legs.

    Once they sensed the blood within the leg and recognized it, they quickly turned into sharp tips that dug into the legs before pulling them close. The proliferation of new cells happened rather quickly after it and the legs that looked like normal human legs also became the same as the rest of the body.

    After about another hour, Lucius could virtually see no difference between the cut off legs and normal legs. It looked like they were always there and now they were attached perfectly.

    It was at this point that Lucius noticed a change.

    "Hmm¡­ the hell energy needed to heal and rejoin his legs spiked significantly¡­ it''s almost the same as the amount needed to make an entirely new lost." Lucius noted it down in his mind.

    He had already known that in the second stage of the transformation, the body of the person would undergo a healing stage. In this stage, all the previous and hidden injuries of the person would be healed by the hell energy as part of the transformation.

    Though it was a process that could only happen at this moment and could not be triggered separately. It was more of a cellr process that only happened during the transformation.

    But still, once the transformation wasplete a lost had a great regeneration ability. Plus, as long as they had hell energy and nutrients, they could keep on healing on their own. It was one of the terrifying features of the Lost.

    The only way to stop their regeneration was to destroy their brains or to use holy magic on them to neutralize the hell energy. Or if one had enough power¡­ they could simply st them into small enough pieces that they could simply not regenerate.

    If their mouths and jaws were destroyed, they would be unable to eat to heal, but they could still absorb hell energy to do the same. Thus, destroying their heads was needed. Decapitation could only work if the head was kept separate for a while.

    Otherwise the lost would just let it reattach it. Since their bodies could stay alive for a while more after their heads were removed. One must remember, they weren''t just any normal creatures; they were creatures that were corrupted by hell energy and were magical in the end.

    That was also what Lucius wanted to test out and see how far it could be taken in this world. Seeing the body transform first and then detached limbs was a novel process. He got to observe some of the finer intricacies that he normally wouldn''t have.

    <em>~Splick~</em>

    But at the same time, Lucius saw something else happen. Most of the lost that he had made till now had slightly different body types depending on the kind of gift they had, and it was the same for this one too.

    It was just that the change that happened in the case of Jacob was quite mild. His body didn''t grow as big as the others but instead developed hundreds of small holes all over his limbs and even torso.

    If one looked at them, they would feel very disgusted and ufortable while the weak hearted might just vomit all together. Only when Lucius saw the information about the new corrupted gift of Jacob did, he realized why it was different.

    "Now this is interesting¡­ haha." Lucius chuckled.

 Chapter 245 - Tainting Dust

    Lucius took a look at the corrupted gift info of Jacob.

    Hell Energy Corruption: Lesser

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy. The creature will also have slightly higher intelligence than before and can understandmands.

    Corruption level: Lesser

    Corrupted Gift: Unlocked

    Corrupted Gift: Tainting Dust

    Description: The creature can continually release tainted dust from the many orifices on his body. Whatever surface this dust touches is ''tainted'' and will contain traces of hell energy. Any person or thing that touches this tainted dust will have this stuck on them for a long time.

    The dust is unaffected by external factors and will only disappear after a certain time period. It can also be forcefully be dispelled by the owner of the gift..

    The thing that was certain for Lucius was that the initial gift and corrupted gift of Jacob were vastly different from his actual gift. Not only had it turned from an ''Active'' skill to a ''passive'' one, but its effect had also changed significantly.

    Where there was no offensive aspect to this, the ability to ''taint'' a person or object could be used in many ways. Lucius knew very well how he would use this and could not help but smile upon seeing this.

    "A rather useful tool," Lucius spoke.

    Even though the rank of Jacob''s gift was lower ranked than the other lost right now, it had the potential to be the most useful of them all if used right.

    "What are you happy about?" Kiana asked, feeling curious.

    "Just something that might help us do a lot of things," Lucius replied.

    "Things like?" Kiana asked.

    "Imagine being able to tell where everyone is at all times," Lucius said with a smile.

    "Huh?" Kiana was confused upon hearing it, but after a few more moments of thinking, she started to understand.

    And about a minuteter, her eyes went wide as she fully understood the ramifications of this thing.

    "How far will this work?" Kiana asked.

    "I have yet to test it and I still need to figure out the intricacies, but it should be enough for our city at least." Lucius spoke.

    "And it will be working through this creature''s gift?" Kiana questioned.

    "Indeed. It is a bit different from normal and I think only I would be able to sense it anyway." Lucius answered.

    "I see¡­ but how did he create an explosion earlier? His gift isn''t capable of something like that." Kiana asked the question that had been guing her for a while.

    "Oh, that? Why don''t I show you," Lucius said before looking at the newly transformed Lost.

    "Jacob stand up!" Lucius ordered as he sent a streak of hell energy into the Lost''s head.

    In the next second, Jacob stood up from the table and came to stand before Lucius. He then kneeled down and let Lucius put his hand on him. After injecting a sufficient amount of Hell energy along with severalmands into Jacob, Lucius spoke again.

    "Shoot a dust ball there," Lucius pointed towards the empty wall.

    "ENG!" Jacob responded and pointed his hand towards the wall.

    <em>~Whoosh~</em>

    In the next second, a brownish mass of air came out of the orifices on Jacob''s arms and coalesced on his palm. It then shot out and turned into a ball of smoke that was about twelve inches wide.

    Just as it was about to reach the wall though, Lucius sent out a small ball of mes from his hand as well. Both of the balls met at the veryst moment, but the reaction that happened from it was far more stronger than expected.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    An explosion happened and the dust ball expanded the fire ball shot out by Lucius by over three times. The force of it was also stronger and made Kiana''s hair flutter.

    "What?!" Kiana was shocked to say the least.

    "That is something we call a dust explosion. While I showed you a quicker demonstration using the fireball, don''t think that it is the requirement. Even a small spark can be enough to ignite it if it''s in the right proportion." Lucius exined.

    "Then¡­ isn''t this the same as gunpowder?" Kiana asked.

    "Well, not exactly at the same level of power, but it''s enough to create a greater fire. It needs to be controlled well too." Lucius replied.

    "Then, is this how he managed to blow off the door of the counseling room?" Kiana asked.

    "Mmmhmm, usually he shouldn''t be able to cause explosions like this as thepositor of the dust ball would be too uneven. But over time, I reckon the man learned to control his gift better and learned how to change its uniformity as well. He might have identally discovered this ability and had been biding his time to use it.

    Shooting it at a small me would have been enough to trigger the explosion." Lucius answered.

    "No wonder¡­ never thought I''d see a gift like this. And it''s so¡­ weak too. But with this, it''s pretty much the same as a Rare ranked gift." Kiana said in amazement.

    "Kiana, the one thing I''ve learned from reading about all the gifts and even observing them is that the ranks of the gift matter less when the user of them is capable. I reckon if used correctly, even amon ranked gift might be able to defeat someone at the Epic rank." Lucius stated.

    Hearing this, Kiana was intrigued.

    "There was indeed a saying that we used to listen to in our childhood. It came from the idioms of Etara." Kiana said after thinking for a bit.

    "And what was it?" Lucius asked, feeling curious as he had not heard this before.

    There were a lot of religious, semi-religious and philosophical texts in this world, and there was no way he would be able to read all of them by now. Thus, if he got the chance to learn something new like this, he may as well take it.

 Chapter 246 - Rusty Armors

    "A fool may use a golden sword to mine, but a wise man will create gold from stones," Kiana stated.

    Hearing the idiom, Lucius felt a bit underwhelmed. He was expecting some grand statement as there were in the many texts, but this one was rather light.

    "I see¡­ it does make sense, I guess," Lucius replied.

    "It sounded way better when I was a child. To adults, it seems a little weird yes," Kiana admitted.

    Having heard that, Lucius simply nodded his head and looked at his new Lost.

    "So what is the n with him now?" Kiana asked.

    "Well¡­ he''ll be making dust¡­ a lot of dust¡­" Lucius spoke..

    Hearing that, Kiana''s fingers curled in disgust.

    "At least it will be contained, right?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, we need to do that at least," Lucius replied before turning to look at one of the empty rooms on the other side.

    "Looks like we can finally get to using that room as well. It would be better if we reduce the spread of the dust, as much as we can here¡­ at least until I get a better understanding of it." Lucius said.

    "Alright," Kiana nodded.

    After that, the two of them discussed a bit more and nned how the Lost would be assisting in the battle that was toe soon.

    <em>~tak~tak~tak~</em>

    The sound of metal boots walking on the stony floor could be hearding from the stairwell in the distance. Lucius and Kiana stopped talking and looked in the direction of the sound. Themps were already lit up, thus it was easy for them to spot who wasing from there.

    "My Lord," one of the guards came and saluted Lucius.

    "What is it?" Lucius asked.

    "The armors you asked for are ready. They are waiting upstairs in a carriage. Do you want me to transport them here?" The guard asked.

    "Ah! They''re here at the perfect time. Please do," Lucius replied.

    "At once, my lord." The guard said before hurriedly leaving to do his duty.

    Then in fifteen minutes, several boxes were brought from the back of the basement. They used the secondary entrance as it was thergest and made it easier forrge boxes such as these to be transported.

    In total, there were tenrge boxes. They were rather heavy and the sound of metal nging within it could be heard when they were being moved. Once the staff of the reeducation center finished moving in the boxes, they left under the orders of Lucius.

    "Finally¡­" Lucius muttered and looked towards the closedb.

    "Come, open this Doyle." Lucius ordered.

    "Eng!" A muffled grunt could be hearding from behind the doors.

    <em>~Creak~</em>

    Five secondster, the door of theb opened, and out walked Doyle. He had awakened upon hearing Lucius and the other Lost could also be seen within theb. Most of them were still asleep, and only Doyle and Jacob were awake for now.

    Doyle walked to the box that was closest to Lucius and ced his hands on it before prying apart the lid of the box with his nails.

    <em>~WEENG~</em>

    The sound of wood bending and metal nails being forcefully uprooted could be heard before the lid came off.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Doyle put the lid aside and the contents of the box were now visible. Lucius and Kiana peered inside it and saw about thirty metal helmets ced within it. They were a dark maroon in color and looked like they were rusted.

    But in reality, this was simply a metal alloy that was chieflyposed of copper, iron, along with a few more metals in minor quantities. This gave it its unique ''rust'' color, but it was also quite durable due to it.

    Lucius picked one of the helmets and looked at it. It was rather simple in design, having a broad dome shape that would easily allow therge heads of the Lost to fit in without problems.

    It had two rectangr slits for the eyes and had a mask like front which could be slid to the bottom to reveal the mouth. Lucius had specifically asked the cksmith to make them like this so that the Lost would have an easier time if they needed to ''feed'' in the middle of a battle.

    That way, they would not break or remove their helmets entirely. There were even some facial patterns carved on the mask that gave it an eerie vibe.

    "Huh, they made it rather well. The mask design is also sufficiently intimidating, I suppose." Lucius spoke.

    "You didn''t give them the design for this, did you?" Kiana asked.

    "Nope, I just asked them to make it as intimidating as possible and they delivered rather well." Lucius replied.

    "It was the right choice to pick the acquaintances of Johan for this," Kiana spoke.

    "Indeed, since they''ve done such good work, we may as well make them our permanent workers," Lucius stated.

    Kiana simply nodded, and they got to the next box.

    "Open the rest of the boxes as well, Doyle." Lucius ordered.

    "Eng!" Doyle replied before getting to the rest of the nine boxes.

    Five of the boxes contained the chest pieces of the armor set, while the remaining four contained the gauntlets and boots. They were simrly rust colored to the helmet and even had some additional reinforcements made on the joints with a special type of treaters rune beast leather.

    This prevented excess noise during movement and also reduced the chances of the rivets snapping or bending.

    The chest piece was simrly broad enough to fit therge frame of the Lost, but even for the ones that were a bit more slimmer like the most recent Jacob, the armor could be adjusted using some straps that were hidden underneath.

    The gauntlets and boots both had beast w like patterns on them and they looked rather intimidating as well. Lucius checked each of the armor pieces until he was satisfied and finally got to the main part.

    "Let''s see how it actually functions,"

 Chapter 247 - A Small Legion

    Looking at the armor, Lucius found it to be decent. But unless he actually put it on the Lost there would be no way to know how good it actually was.

    "Come here, Doyle. Put it on," Lucius ordered.

    "Eng!" Doyle walked ahead and looked at the various armor pieces.

    He stayed there for a few seconds, seemingly thinking of something. Seeing this, Lucius raised his hand and ced it on Doyle''s head before injecting a string of hell energy with the instructions.

    Doyle''s eyes glowed for a bit and he learned quickly. He picked up the chest piece first and opened it up. The chest piece wasposed of the front te and the backte. He first pout on the backte which was strapped on to his chest and then attached the front te that hooked onto the backte..

    Then strapping in both the parts, they were linkedpletely. After this was done, he put on the boots and the gauntlets, which were rtively easy to put on as they simply needed to be hooked to the chest armor.

    Finally, he picked up the helmet from the box and slid it onto his head, hiding itpletely.

    <em>~k~k~k~</em>

    A muffled sound was heard as Doyle turned around. The leather dampeners on the joints were doing their work, and the sound of metal hitting against metal was reduced. Thus, while the sound was not fully eliminated, one would not know that it was an armored warrior heading towards them.

    It would serve as an additional factor that might give them an advantage in battle. After all, an unknown enemy was far more dangerous than a known one.

    Lucius looked at Doyle from all angles, to ensure that the armor was fitting perfectly and there was no chance of others finding out who the Lost were. Of course, the size of the lost wasrge than an average human, but this was still reasonable as there were many warriors that were taller andrger than the normal humans.

    Plus, there were several gifts that made one increase their size, thus there were many excuses to their size. So far, Lucius did not have any Lost that were way bigger than what a human was, thus there was no problem.

    But he knew in the future, if these Lost grew, they may reach gigantic heights and will definitely be considered inhuman. Of course, he did think of the solution and even had several of them ready in case he ever needed them.

    But for now, this was enough. Plus, it was not as if all of the Lost he had were as big as Doyle. Jacob and three others, for example, were the size of normal humans. They were of a different type and also had gifts that were more focused on other aspects than just strength.

    "Hmm¡­ this looks good enough." Lucius said.

    "Just good? Isn''t this more close to perfect?" Kiana said while chuckling.

    "I suppose so." Lucius nodded his head.

    "It is certainly intimidating," Kiana said, looking at the Armored Lost.

    "It should be even more intimidating when they show their power," Lucius said.

    He thought for a bit more and decided to test out their mobility and power. He did several tests, all of which were satisfactory for him. It was safe to say he was smiling by the end of it and felt pleased.

    Kiana looked on with a mix of shock and awe at the broken sparring dummies and crushed metal tes that were lying around in one of the empty rooms in the basement. Not only that, but there were even cracks on the floor and one could see the imprints of the footsteps taken on it.

    "This is good," Lucius nodded his head.

    "What do we do now?" Kiana questioned.

    "Now? Now we get the rest ready." Lucius answered with a smirk.

    Lucius quickly got to awakening the rest of the Lost and let them put on their armor. About an hourter, thirteen Armored Warriors were standing in front of Lucius, ready for anything. Four of the Lost were the height of a normal human, while six of them were two meters tall. Three of them were rather bulky and tall at the same time, but not as tall as the six taller ones.

    "Now this looks good," Lucius said, feeling pleased looking at the small legion.

    "Isn''t this a bit small to call a legion?" Kiana asked.

    A legion in the army on an average had about four thousand men in them. The Count who had the ranking of a colonel, andmanded about five legions on his own.

    <em>~chuckle~</em>

    "Well this is just the start. It will soon be a legion. After all, it is only us that knows how many people are in this. The others will only know of it as the Masked Legion, and they won''t know more about its secrets.

    As long as they hear the word legion, they will instinctively think they have more people. And since we will be adding more people to it anyway, the name will be urate." Lucius exined.

    "Hmm¡­ that does make sense." Kiana muttered.

    She couldn''t help but imagine an entire legion descending on the battlefield. She had already seen the power of a single lost and knew that they were not less than a hundred men at once.

    If there were thousands of them, they could possibly defeat an army that was over a hundred times bigger than them. Not to mention, if gifts were added to the fold, their power might increase even more.

    Kiana was finally starting to understand what Lucius meant when he said about giving the criminals a chance for salvation. By serving him, they would be serving the people and protecting them

    This was opposite to what they did when they were still normal humans. This was a far fitting fate for them than just a simple death by execution. Kiana was feeling a bit proud of Lucius as well now.

 Chapter 248 - At The Edge Of A Battle

    The time of the battle arrived rather quickly. Within three days after the announcement, the troops were ready. The battlefield that was chosen was none other than the north western border of the Inanis territory.

    This was very close to the same battlefield where the original Asher had died and Lucius had taken over his body. Currently, about six hundred people stood on the side of Inanis territory.

    These were all the private guards of the Inanis family and there were even some that were recruited from the mercenaries. When the news of Inanis territory being attacked was released, while themoners were scared, the mercenaries were excited.

    War payments were always far greater than normal jobs and they seldom got them.

    When a kingdom went to war, it wasn''t just the normal soldiers that fought, mercenaries could join in as well. Though there were several restrictions on them, such as the fact that they must not have fought on the side of other kingdoms before..

    But if they willingly joined in, they would get good payment at the end. But it also came with extra risk. If the side they joined lost the war, they would most likely be killed rather than taken as a prisoner.

    After all, there was little to gain diplomatically from a free mercenary rather than a group of soldiers or a high ranking officer of the army.

    There were risks on the side of the kingdoms too, of course. There were often times when a mercenary would switch sides from the losing to the winning side. Of course, such mercenaries were banished from the mercenary guild after that and would not be recruited by any jobmissioners.

    They would be ouwed mercenaries. The Bergan''s Band was one such example of it.

    Thankfully, in the case of the Inanis territory, the mercenaries were in the favor of the Inanis family from the start.

    Not only did the count have a better reputation, but there was also the fact that they had a bigger army. The Count was an experienced warrior who had fought in multiple wars and even held the rank of a colonel in the royal army.

    Compared to him, Viscount Drew who only held a noble rank and no military rank, was nothing. The level of experience was iparable at that point.

    Thus, it was obvious that the mercenaries held great trust in the chances of winning for the Count. That''s why from four hundred soldiers''s the Inanis territory had managed to increase it to six hundred.

    Gellor and his team were not present here though as they were currently out on the job that Lucius had sent them on a week ago. But if they were here, it was far more likely for them to have participated in it as well.

    After all, they owed the life of theirpanion Finch to Lucius and the Inanis family.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    Behind the army of Inanis territory, there was a small hill. A few people stood on it and one of them walked forward to the one that was standing at the edge of the hill.

    "The soldiers are ready, my Lord." Donald Spoke.

    "Very well. What is the situation with the Drew army?" Gabriel questioned.

    "They are approaching from the pass and our scouts have already spotted them." Donald answered.

    "Hmm¡­ very well. Continue observing, we shall be prepared for anything." Gabriel repelled, without moving his gaze.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~clip~</em>

    The sound of horses cantering could be hearding from behind. Gabriel turned around and saw two people on horses arriving. One of them was none other than his son Asher and the second was his niece, Kiana.

    Both of them were dressed in battle attire, with Asher wearing a metal chest te with the Inanis Crest on its left and Kiana wearing apact armor that increased her mobility. Her hands had a different type of gauntlets though as the palm part of them was bare, revealing her skin.

    Asher on the other hand, wore shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets. He wore a light leather armor underneath which could be spotted from the gaps in his armor. The wind scar sword hung on his left while a dagger was on his right.

    "Are you ready?" Gabriel asked his son.

    "Yes, our secondary support is ready as well and will join whenever needed." Lucius replied.

    Lucius walked and maced to stand beside Gabriel while looking at the army below.

    "You don''t feel nervous?" Gabriel asked.

    This was Lucius''s first time joining a battle after he lost his memory, and it would have been normal for any person to feel nervous or anxious. Yet Gabriel could not see it on his son''s face, thus making him think that he was just hiding it.

    "No¡­" Lucius said casually. "Why do I need to be nervous about a battle what we are going to win?

    "Ahahah!" Hearing his words, Gabriel couldn''t help butugh.

    "Good! Good! good!" Gabriel felt pleased.

    "You should stay at the back, Young Lord Asher. Just you being here will be a good morale boost to the other soldiers." Donald suggested.

    "Now that I''m here, it would be a shame if I just stood at the back in safety. I''d like to fight on the front lines as well. After all¡­ father is doing the same, isn''t he?" Lucius replied.

    "That''s right! My son is no coward who will stand at the back. He shall fight those bastards and kill them all!" Gabriel spoke.

    Lucius simply nodded to it without speaking anything else. Normally Lucius would have preferred to stay at the back as well as it would give him the greatest safety. But he had a different reason for being at the front.

    ''With there being no Divine Pull in this world, it would be a shame if I missed out on this opportunity to gather wandering souls.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    That''s right, Lucius''s goal in being here was to gather more souls so that he could increase his power even more.

 Chapter 249 - Start With A Battle Cry

    Lucius gazed in the distance as he heard the faint tremors in the ground.

    "Oh?" His brows furrowed his he thought of something.

    He waited for a few seconds, before his brows furrowed even more. He turned towards Donald and spoke.

    "When was thest when we got a report from the scouts?" Lucius questioned.

    "About an hour ago," Donald answered.

    "An hour ago? And how many soldiers did they tell us?" Lucius asked again.

    "Four hundred." He replied..

    <em>~Sigh~</em>

    Lucius sighed and shook his head. Seeing his reaction, both Gabriel and Donald were confused and wondered what happened. Evenpared to Gabriel, who had fought in battles often, Lucius''s experience with battles was greater.

    After all, he had been in thousands of full scale conflicts right from when he was a child. The Barrom n was ruthless, and it wasn''t umon to see ten year old children fighting on the front lines.

    Even back then, Lucius was a force to reckon with whenpared to an average human. In fact, Lucius reckoned that if his ten year old self fought the current him, he would die in less than a minute.

    The spells and magic that he could use were simply too powerful and divisivepared to this world. While the gifts could certainly be considered to be stronger, magic was far more versatile.

    "What happened?" Gabriel asked, feeling concerned.

    "Our scout''s information is wrong," Lucius replied.

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Gabriel asked further, not understanding it.

    "There aren''t just four hundred soldiers heading our way, but more than double that." Lucius said.

    "That can''t be! Our scouts are experienced and won''t be mistaken." Donald said hurriedly.

    "Then either someone betrayed us, made a mistake, or was most likely just fooled. The tremors in the ground¡­ do you really think they can be made just from four hundred people?" Lucius stated.

    Hearing about the tremors, Gabriel and Donald had not even paid attention to them. Or rather, they were a bit too faint for them. But the time that Lucius and they had talked was enough for the soldiers of the Drew territory toe closer.

    <em>~tremble~</em>

    "How can this be?" Donald''s eyes went wide.

    They snapped their necks to see in the distance and finally witnessed the enemy appearing. They finally saw the full force of the enemy. The direction that they had expected toe from was correct.

    "No wonder¡­" Lucius said as he saw the four hundredrge, armying in from the front.

    But that wasn''t the only one that was there. There were two more regiments that were around three hundred eaching in from the north and the south. The Army of the Inanis family was now surrounded on three sides.

    "HOW? HOW DID WE MISS THIS?" Donald eximed in disbelief.

    "No, seems like I was wrong. The intel was correct. It''s just that it was iplete. There were two more regiments in different locations and from the looks of it, they had been waiting there for a while.

    The northern and southern part was a forest area while the eastern part was a pass between a few hills. The army of the Inanis family itself was in the western part of the area.

    Together they formed a plus shaped formation if one included all of the armies.

    "Those aren''t the men of Viscount Drew," Gabriel said upon seeing the two regiments.

    "Indeed. What we had talked about came true." Lucius replied.

    Gabriel furrowed his brows and nodded his head.

    "They couldn''t hold back anymore, huh¡­" Gabriel stated.

    "At least now that they have put their cards on the table first, we know what to expect," Lucius spoke.

    "We are outnumbered, my lords! What do we do now?" Donald asked, feeling worried now.

    "We fight, even if they have the numbers, we have the superiority." Lucius stated.

    "But¡­ we don''t have a location advantage either. It would have been fine if we were holding a narrow area, but we are in an open field here." Donald replied.

    "We do have the advantage¡­ both of location and the surprise." Lucius said before he took a breath. "Start the battle as previously discussed, we will have some help in a bit." He added.

    Donald seemed a bit hesitant, but then Gabriel nodded in agreement as well.

    "Do it!" Gabriel dered.

    "At once!" Donald said with a serious expression.

    He went to the open tent at the back and pulled out what looked like a war horn of some kind. It had a wide mouth on one end and several spirals that went through its neck. The other side of the horn was also wide, being twice as wider as the input part.

    Lucius looked at the unique looking instrument and saw Donald use it. The input part of the horn was ced on the mouth, covering it fully like a surgical mask. Donald then took a deep breath as the spiral neck of the horn started to shine.

    ''It''s an artifact too¡­ huh.'' Lucius thought.

    Once the glow of the horn''s neck reached the maximum, Donald let out a war cry.

    "ATTACK!" Donald said, his voice being changed by the horn to incredibly loud and a bit heavy.

    Lucius actually found the voice to be a bit familiar. It was simr to what a few monsters sounded like when they spoke in the media in his past life. In his previous world, people would think of it asical, but here it was terrifying.

    It pumped adrenaline into the soldiers and stirred fear into the hearts of enemies. Lucius narrowed his eyes and used nexus, quickly obtaining the information of the artifact.

    Name: Mighty Shouter Battle Horn

    Rank: Rare

    Description: Made with the rune crystal of Mighty Shouter Birds, the horn amplified and modtes the voice of a user, making it sound more intimidating.

    The Description of the artifact was rather straightforward and Lucius even knew of the beast that it was made from.

    ''Smart choice making it from that¡­'' Lucius thought as he gazed at the battlefield.

 Chapter 250 - Trapped From Three Sides

    The air was heavy with tension as three enemy regiments rushed towards the army of Inanis family. They were outnumbered, with more than two men for each soldier that they had.

    Still, the soldiers were brave and followed the orders that were given. The same could be said for the mercenaries as they believed in the experience of the Count. Even if one had a greater army, unless they had experience and someone skillful tomand them, they would be no less than toy soldiers.

    "EYAAAAAA!"

    "KILL THEM!"

    "KILL THE TRAITORS!"

    "FOR THE COUNT!"

    "FOR INANIS!"

    Various battle cries were let out by the soldiers as they rushed forward. A hundred of them were light cavalry units, fifty were heavy cavalry units, and a hundred more were infantry units that belonged to the count himself..

    The rest of them were a mixed bag of mercenaries that had chosen to participate. The mercenaries fought in different manner than the soldiers and thus they had their own different position in the battle formations.

    They were at the very edge of the formation so that they could split at the right moment and attack with their own method. This was done to confuse the enemy, as they would not think that soldiers would break rank for any reason.

    The mercenaries often relied on their gifts for individual fights, thus it was better for them to fight a little distance from the main army. The soldiers on the other hand, could coordinate with each other to do nned attacks while also using their gifts when needing to dorge damage.

    Most of the soldiers here were trained to work together and would follow that tacit set.

    Soon the middle regiment of the enemy reached the Inanis army and shed.

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    "SHIELDS LINE UP!"

    "SPEAR MEN! THRUST!"

    Orders were shouted by themander on the field and a wall of shields was created in the front. These were tower shields and were spiked on the front. These were enough to halt the advance of the cavalry of the enemy.

    But they only pulled the shields out from their back at thest moment, thus a lot of horses were unable to stop in time and ended up getting impaled.

    "YEAH!"

    "DON''T LET THEM LEAVE!"

    The spearmen started to thrust their spears forwards from between the gaps in the shield formation. The spears had a greater reach and managed to pierce the riders who were on the backs of horses.

    Those that had managed to turn around at thest moment, and those that were lucky that their horse bore the brunt of the attack, were now injured by the spears. The fortunate ones died quickly and did not suffer, while those that were not were left lying on the ground as guttural cries came out from their throats and blood bubbled from the points where the spear entered from.

    It was a fierce start to the battle, but it was just starting.

    <em>~BOOM~ BOOM~</em>

    Sound of an explosion suddenly came from the southern direction as what looked like two cannon balls soared into the sky. The strange thing was¡­ there was no cannon on the battlefield.

    "Cannon Balls iing! Dodge!" Themander yelled.

    The cannon balls were about the size of a foot ball and flew at a rather high speed. After doing an arch in the sky, it fell towards the Inanis army.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    <em>~crush~</em>

    <em>~shatter~</em>

    The two cannon balls managed to take out ten soldiers all at once and form that their power could be estimated. When the cannon balls met the soldiers, they managed to break their armor easily.

    The ones at the front were pierced directly by the cannon balls, killing them instantly, but the ones at the back did not do the same but instead experienced their ribs and bones getting crushed to bits.

    The tally of the soldiers killed was now the same between both parties. Even if the Inanis soldiers had managed to kill several soldiers during the charge, they still weren''t enough to put a big enough dent.

    "Argh!"

    "Save me!"

    Cries of pain rang on the southern end of the army as they were the ones impacted by the cannon balls. The soldiers of the Drew territory took this opportunity to rush in and break the defensive formation of Inanis.

    "Go around, go around! Don''t let them recover!" The enemymander could be heard shouting.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~</em>

    The enemy cavalry changed its direction and made their way around the defensive perimeter. If the Inanis family army wanted tost long, they would have to stay in a defensive formation to prevent the enemy from killing them.

    The tactic was to tire out the enemy while finding their weak link to attack. s, the cannon balls were enough to break that.

    The enemy cavalry weaved through the infantry shield men and entered their middle.

    "INNER CIRCLE SWITCH!" Themander shouted, his back covered with sweat.

    The inner circle of soldiers quickly flipped around and poked their weapons at the iing cavalry. A few of the cavalry soldiers managed to get killed under the quick attack, but their numbers were simply far too many to deal with.

    "Cavalry ahead!" themander said next.

    The horses that were in the middle circle rushed in from the gaps to repel the enemy cavalry.

    The sound of des shing could be heard as the soldiers fought. Every minute they were losing their men, but there was little they could do.

    Little did they know that their situation was only about to get worse.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Suddenly a cold wind started to blow from the northern side. Even though it was close to winter, the snow had not yet started. The wind that was blowing was cold enough that it seemed like a blizzard wasing.

    A few of the soldiers spotted something and shouted.

    "THEY HAVE A GIFTED! THEY HAVE AN ICE ELEMENTAL GIFTED!"

    Themander looked in the direction and saw a man dressed in slim armor raised his blue hands above his head.

 Chapter 251 - Out On The Battlefield

    <em>~Whoosh~</em>

    As if a snow storm had appeared, icy winds started to blow from the direction of the man. His blue hands let out a freezing wind that spread from the northern side of the army. In less than ten seconds, ice could be seen forming on the armor of the soldiers.

    The ice made it difficult for them to move and slowed them down. After about fifteen seconds, the icy wind stooped and one could see theyer of ice on the ground and on many soldiers.

    While they had not died, they had been considerably affected. The ice on their armors slowed them down due to the extra weight and the ones whose joints were frozen were in even greater trouble.

    In addition to this, the cold had entered their body, making them shiver and reduce their dexterity. The frozen ground was no help either, and all it would take is one wrong step for someone to slip and fall.

    Seeing the situation deteriorate, themander shouted again..

    "ALL GIFTED GO ALL OUT!" Themander shouted.

    s, they were caught in a disadvantageous position and the enemy gifted had taken the first attack. mes, winds and various other attacks were used by the soldiers, but they saw wind barriers rise up around the enemy soldiers.

    "Dammit! They have Gifted with Wind Curtain!"

    The Wind Curtain was another gift that was very useful for battles. A single gifted with wind curtain couldn''t do much, but when more of them were added, their power increased by multiples.

    When ten such were gathered, their wind curtain was enough to stop multiple rare ranked gifted attacks. While this was happening, Lucius was not sitting empty handed of course.

    While he was going to fight on the front lines, it did not mean he would take the first charge. He was not stupid enough to do that. He knew that the enemy must have some trump cards that they did not know about and it would be beneficial if it was revealed to them beforehand.

    Thus, he waited and asked Gabriel and Donald to do the same. Currently, the mercenaries were the ones that were least affected as they had split apart and dodged most of the attacks earlier.

    Lucius couldn''t release the Lost from the start either, as it might lead to more problems than when he picked a proper time for it. But now that he had seen the main trump cards that the enemy held, he knew exactly what to do.

    While the enemies were blocking the attacks of the Inanis soldiers with the wind curtain, they missed someone appearing at their side.

    <em>~sh~</em>

    <em>~whoosh~</em>

    <em>~thud~thud~thud~</em>

    All of a sudden, four heads fell to the ground, shocking the other enemy soldiers that were near them.

    "ENEMY!" Someone pointed in the direction where the supposed attack hade from.

    <em>~slick~</em>

    s! He was toote and a sword now stuck out of his neck.

    "Y-you¡­ y-Ou¡­" Blood gurgled from the man''s neck as he struggled to speak.

    In front of him was none other than Lucius. His face was hidden by a helmet, but the crest on his armor was enough to tell that he was no normal person.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    Lucius pulled out the wind scar sword from the man''s neck and looked at his next targets. His approach had been abrupt and had thus not given the enemy soldiers enough time to attack.

    "Hah! Losing tempo in a battle? Bad choice," Lucius said as he lunged ahead, beheading another soldier before jumping up in a spin.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~shua~</em>

    <em>~shua~</em>

    Four Wind des wereunched at a 360 degree angle while Lucius spun. The des traveled and cut apart the enemy soldiers.

    "DIE!" By now the enemy soldiers had realized that they were being attacked by Lucius and that he had an artifact.

    But the moment he stared at Lucius, he froze. His anger that he was already feeling was multipli, and he swung his sword in an incoherent rage.

    "AAHHHHHHH!" The man shouted.

    "Losing one''s mind in battle is even worse," Lucius muttered as he swiftly dodged with a side step.

    The enraged man had let go of all his training and was attacked as like a novice warrior. Although the power in his attack was definitely enough to kill someone.

    <em>~slick~</em>

    In the next moment, the enraged man''s expression froze and his eyes dimmed.

    "Bah!" Blood spilled out from the man''s mouth.

    If one looked at his back, one would see that a dagger was embedded in the gap between his chest piece and helmet. Lucius pulled out the dagger and put it back into the sheath.

    His earlier attack with the wind des had killed around twenty soldiers that were near him and thus there was now free area for him to walk around and he was not in immediate danger.

    But this also meant that the remaining enemy soldiers could spot him easily, too.

    "There he is! He belongs to the Inanis! Kill him!" The enemymander ordered.

    In response to this, Lucius simply raised the wind scar sword and held it in front. Themander understood what he was about to do and gave out the next order.

    "Don''t let the attack hit out men! Block them!" He ordered.

    <em>~shua~shua~shua~</em>

    Three wind des wereunched by Lucius of which, one of them was dodged by the soldiers and one was blocked using their own gifts. Only one of them had managed to hit the enemy and even then, only one soldier was killed.

    "Tch~ four uses left¡­" Lucius clicked his tongue.

    "You will die, you bastard!" a group of enemy soldiers ran towards him to attack.

    Lucius alone had taken out over twenty five of the enemy soldiers in this regiment. This was the biggest loss they had faced till now, and they were certainly pissed off. Still, Lucius was not nervous at all.

    <em>~TREMBLE~</em>

    "Right on time," Lucius said as the ground shook and tremors spread.

 Chapter 252 - In The Heat Of The Battle

    The tremors in the ground hade at the right time as the soldiers that were running towards Lucius stumbled and fell to the ground. Lucius on the other hand, spread his legs and stabilized himself so as not to fall.

    He was not in the middle of moving and thus didn''t fall like the others. Plus, he had already expected it to happen and was not caught by surprised.

    "You''ve done enough, now die!" The voice of Donald could be heard as he appeared from the side.

    The tremors were created by his gift, the tremor stomp of course. The soldiers that had fallen on the ground were quickly taken care of by Donald and Lucius, as all they had to do was stab them.

    Eight more soldiers died in this way, but the rest managed to recover.

    "Are you okay, Young Lord Asher?" Donald asked with concern as he came to stand behind him.

    They stood back to back, keeping an eye on the enemy soldiers.

    "I''m fine, I haven''t been injured at all." Lucius replied.

    "That''s good¡­" Donald said as he took a look around at the dead soldiers.

    He had seen how Lucius killed all of them and was both surprised and impressed.

    ''The training he got from John and me was certainly not something that would allow him to reach this level of skill¡­ he doesn''t fight like a novice at all. This is someone who has been in many battles before¡­ but how? Or is it just his innate talent?'' Donald was confused.

    While Lucius had not been able to replicate all of his skills from his past life due to theck of a proper body, the basic skills that he could use were already enough to surprise Donald. The enemy soldiers were also notparable to him either, plus Lucius'' speed was slightly better than theirs due to him wearing a lighter armor.

    "IT''S THE COUNT!!!" while Lucius and Donald were on the southern side, on the northern side, Gabriel had jumped into the fry.

    "AHAHAHA! You all made a huge mistakeing here!" Gabriel said as his sword struck five soldiers in one go.

    The moment his sword met the armors of the enemies, it was as if the armor had turned liquid and the sword passed through it. But then inside the armor, the sword cut apart their flesh and bones.

    Lucius couldn''t help but take a look and saw his current world''s father cleaving through soldiers easily.

    "Phase is certainly worth its reputation¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He had yet to use Nexus on it as he had been using up most of his Aether on making Lost these days. He needed to pick the candidates for bing lost using Nexus and then transforming them with Hell energy.

    Lucius couldn''t help but wonder just what level would Phase would reach once it was upgraded once again and reached the legendary rank. The enemies that were around Gabriel were terrorized just by the appearance of Gabriel and had lost their battle sense.

    They either attacked frantically without proper skill or just focused on running and dodging. After all, blocking Gabriel''s attacks was not an option. What use was a shield or armor when the sword could just ignore it.

    "EYAAAAH!" A few soldiers started attacking Lucius and Donald in this time and they continued their offense.

    As the battle progressed more and more soldiers died. Even with the addition of Lucius, Donald and Gabriel, they were still on the losing side for now. Till now, about two hundred of the enemy soldiers had died, and this was mostly due to the contribution of the three. Only fifty of them were actually killed by the Inanis army.

    But this was also due to the fact that they were trapped and restrained in one ce. The wind curtain was put up again and the enemy soldiers kept up their barrage of attacks. At this moment, the sound of an explosion was heard.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    "THE CANNON BALLS ARE COMING!" Themander in the middle of the army shouted.

    Lucius looked in the direction and spotted the person who had just shot the cannon balls. Earlier he had been unable to clearly spot it since the person who had used it was in the middle of the regiment, but now he knew who it was.

    Lucius narrowed his eyes as nexus quickly activated.

    Gift Name: Cannon Shot

    Description: The user can materialize cannonballs and shoot them out of their hands. The size and power of the cannon balls depends on the amount of Aether used. After each attack, the user needs to cool down his hands or they may get damaged.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission

    Other Owners: Stuart Hancock, Dwain Hancock,¡­ (total owners: 741)

    Lucius did not use Nexus fully as he only wanted a certain amount of information right now and did not want to waste more Aether right now either. Thus, he just obtained the basics of it and not how it was evolved. The information about evolving was also the part that took most Aether anyway and thus he could save a lot.

    As for the information about the other owners, that was also important for Lucius as he reckoned that there many not just be one person here with that gift. His eyes wandered and he soon spotted another person with the same gift.

    "Hmm¡­ Another pair of brothers?" Lucius muttered.

    Since nexus could give information about other users without using Aether if he had already gotten the information about the other owners, Lucius merely needed to nce around before the information would pop up automatically.

    He then saw how the two brothers brought their hands together in a praying gesture before pulling them apart. ck energy condensed between them before turning into cannon balls and being shot out.

    "They are pretty much human siege weapons," Lucius muttered as he blocked another attack.

    He had sustained a few injuries during this time, but they weren''t really serious.

 Chapter 253 - The Lost Arrive

    During this time, Donald had also been using Tremor Stomp intermittently, which kept the majority of the enemy soldiers away. As soon as more of them came forward, he would use it and it would make them fall.

    And if they really came too close, Lucius would use the wind de ability of the Wind scar sword. Though that had reached its limit now and only a single use had been left out of the twelve.

    Lucius knew that it was time to change the tide of the battle and now that he knew where to target, he was free to do it.

    "Donald! Get ready!" Lucius spoke.

    "Is it happening?" Donald asked.

    He knew that there was some trump card, Lucius was holding back but did not know what exactly. He was simply informed that it would appear when it was the right time.

    "Yes, it''s time." Lucius replied.

    "Okay, what do I do?" Donald questioned.

    "Just run to the side when I say so," Lucius answered.

    Donald nodded his head as he stomped on the ground again, sending out tremors to knock down a few more soldiers. Unfortunately, by now the enemy soldiers had learned of his gift and had an idea of how it worked, thus they were careful.

    They avoideding close and instead used remote attacks. There were some archers among the enemy soldiers as well, but they were busy in attacking the main force of the Inanis family.

    Thus, the ones that attacked Lucius and Donald were none other than the few soldiers that had gifts that could attack from distance. Of course, the ones who had specialized ranged gifts were in the middle attacking the main force, thus the ones that did attack Lucius and Donald were rtively easier for them to handle.

    Still, Lucius and Donald ended up suffering some injuries.

    Lucius took a look around and took advantage of the moment when the enemy soldiers wereposing themselves and sent out a signal using hell energy.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    In that moment, everyone in the area felt a chill go down their back. They didn''t know why but they had a bad premonition. And then a few secondster¡­ it happened.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    <em>~THUD~THUD~THUD~</em>

    <em>~CRASH~ </em>

    Fiverge warriors in a rust colored armor rushed in from behind the enemy soldiers. They were over two meters tall and looked rather intimidating on the battlefield. But what was even more terrifying was their charge.

    They were running at a speed that was unusual for a person of their size. In less than fifteen seconds, they had covered a distance of over two hundred meters. Each of them held arge mace in their hands that looked heavy.

    They charged straight into the enemy soldiers without a fear of death. Their bodies mmed into the enemy soldier who were knocked away like rag dolls.

    "ARGH!"

    "MY HAND!"

    "MY LEGS!"

    "MY BACK! I-I¡­ I CAN''T MOVE!"

    The five warriors in the maroon armor had taken down over thirty soldiers in one charge and all those that were surrounding Lucius and Donald were now either incapacitated or dead.

    "Who the hell are they?" A few enemy soldiers were confused.

    Someone among the regiment noticed the maroon armored warriors and shouted, "Enemy reinforcements! The Inanis family has reinforcements!!"

    s! His shout came toote as the Masked legion made its first appearance.

    <em>~THWACK~</em>

    A sickening crunch was heard as the mace of a Lost smashed the chest of one of the man that had just shouted. He bent like a cooked shrimp and wasunched for over fifty meters. When he fell, blood could be seen spilling out of the armor from everywhere.

    It was easy to say that the man was no longer alive.

    <em>~Boom~</em>

    <em>~thud~</em>

    <em>~ms</em>

    Simr scenes could be seen in the rest of the parts, as the other four Lost unleashed their might of the battlefield. It only took them a single attack to kill someone, thus their efficiency was very high.

    "STOP THEM! DON''T LET THEM GET CLOSE TO THE CANNON BROTHERS!" Themander of the regiment ordered.

    Half of the soldiers that were barraging the main army of the Inanis family turned around and targeted the five Lost instead.

    "DIE!"

    "BE BURNED!"

    Shouts of rage could be heard as the enemy soldiers unleashed the same attacks that they had used on the main army. The barrage of attacks hit the five Lost. Fire, wind, rocks, and various other attacks wereunched towards the Lost.

    For a few seconds, nothing could be seen as their figures were hidden under the barrage of attacks.

    "HALT!" Themander of the regiment ordered.

    The soldiers finally stopped and took a slight break. Lucius and Donald had already retreated to the back, taking this opportunity, and were observing the battle from the distance now.

    "Are they dead?" Donald said upon seeing the barrage of attacks.

    To him, anyone would die if they met so many attacks head on. While he had seen how strong those warriors were, this was a matter of numbers and concentrated attacks, but when the scene cleared up, Donald''s eyes went wide.

    "Hah! They need far more than that to die." Lucius chuckled.

    The lost who had been barraged with tens of attacks were standing slightly behind where they were originally. Their armors had a few scratches and scorch marks, but other than that, they seemed to be just fine.

    If one looked at the ground, one would see the trails on the ground from them being pushed back.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    But even if they were fine, their weapons were not exactly. The maces of two of the Lost were broken and fell to the ground. The other three''s weren''t exactly in the best condition either and looked like they would break after a while too.

    "Should have chosen solid metal maces¡­ wooden ones were not as durable." Lucius took note.

    The Lost who had broken their maces looked at their hands for a second and then at the enemy soldiers.. A red glow could be seening from their eye slits, sending chills down the backs of the enemies.

 Chapter 254 - Unstoppable Might

    The two Lost looked even more intimidating now, and the enemy soldiers couldn''t help but take a few steps back in shock.

    One of the Lost then broke into a sprint towards the enemy soldiers while the other one crouched on the ground.

    "What are they doing?" Donald was confused.

    "ATTACK! STOP HIM!" The enemymander shouted.

    <em>~Boom~boom~boom~</em>

    Various attacks wereunched towards the lost that was sprinting towards them, but he was simply too fast and managed to dodge all of them. The few that grazed by him left him unaffected and he simply kept on running.

    In the blink of an eye, he was just a couple of meters away from the enemy soldiers.

    <em>~Thud~</em>

    A visible imprint was left on the ground as the Lost leaped into the air. Then it spun around and flexed its leg.

    <em>~WHOOSH~</em>

    A mass of red energy formed on his leg in that instant and was sent out in an arc, shooting toward the enemy soldiers.

    <em>~BAM!~</em>

    The arc of red energy hit six soldiers at once and cut them in half.

    "This¡­ what kind of a gift is this?" The enemy soldiers were stunned to see this.

    This was another mistake that they made. While they were focused on the Lost that had kicked out, there was another that was rapidly approaching them. Except this time, it was not running, but rolling on the ground.

    <em>~RUMBLE~</em>

    Like a bowling ball striking the pins, the rolling Lost crushed and knocked away the unaware enemies. Themander was caught in this too and his body was reduced to a mangled mess.

    The Lost kept on rolling around, looking like a maroon ball that let off Grey gas.

    "Argh! Why does it burn?!" the enemy soldiers that had managed to survive the attack saw that their bodies felt like they were burning.

    "My hand! Why is it turning ck!?" The soldier shouted frantically.

    Multiple embroiders realized that their body parts that hade in contact with the grey gas that the Lost exuded were now turning ck. Soon they lost feeling in those parts and only pain was left behind.

    "NOOO!!!"

    The loss of a limb was often too much for most people to bear. But in this case, they were losing way more than just limbs. At least the ones that had their limbs or extremities affected were still able to live.

    Those who had their torso or other vital parts affected were now close to dying. The cking spread deep into their organs, making them shut down and effectively killing them.

    "POISON! THEY ARE POISON GIFTED!" The scared soldiers shouted.

    By now, over two hundred of the soldiers had been killed and it had not even been two minutes since the appearance of the Lost. The rate of killing was simply too shocking and caught the attention of everyone.

    The group that was attacking the main army of the Inanis family also had to stop and take a look. They could no longer afford to let the others handle their backs, as they had either been killed or crippled.

    The two brothers who used the cannon balls narrowed their eyes as they gazed at the two lost wreaking havoc. The other three were in the distance and were walking towards them as well, their maces resting on their shoulders.

    "What do you think, brother?" One of the cannon brothers asked.

    "They are certainly not from the Inanis family. We didn''t get any intel about this." The second brother spoke.

    "Which means¡­ they are hired mercenaries like the rest." The first brother spoke.

    "Possibly¡­ don''t know how they got a mercenary group this strong, but we should have known about this. Ugh! We need to get rid of them first, then we''ll report to the higher ups." The seconded brother said as he brought his arms together in a praying gesture.

    "Alright," the first one did the same and faced the iing Lost.

    Lucius who had been observing from the far, saw them turning around and smirked.

    "Can''t hold back anymore, can you?" Lucius said.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Two cannon balls wereunched from the hands of the two brothers and they soared towards the two Lost that were the closest.

    "They are done for now." A surviving soldier that was sitting on the ground spoke.

    He knew the might of the two cannon brothers and knew that their gift''s power was not something that could be easily stopped.

    The two cannon balls targeted each of the two lost, the one that kicked out arcs of energy and the other one that was rolling. They noticed the oing attacks of course, and responded.

    <em>~RUMBLE~</em>

    <em>~GONG~</em>

    The rolling Lost bounced up into the air and bashed into the cannonball directly. The second lost on the other hand, kicked the cannon ball as if it were a football.

    "IMPOSSIBLE!" the two brothers said in unison.

    They could have understood if the two Lost tried to dodge, but meeting the two cannon balls head-on was simply unfathomably to them.

    <em>~KABOOM!!~</em>

    A loud explosion echoed across the battlefield, shaking everyone''s eardrums.

    "What the hell was that?" the soldiers that were on the northern side looked in the direction of the southern side with confusion.

    "Big mistake," A low voice was hearding from their behind, but they didn''t even have the chance to respond.

    <em>~SHING~</em>

    A metallic glint was seen in one instant and blood spilled in the next. Gabriel withdrew his sword and lunged to the side, dodging a couple of strikes that hade his way.

    "Seems like they are really up to the mark¡­ or even better." Gabriel said, knowing what was likely happening on the southern side.

    ''Just hold on Asher, this battle will be ours.'' Gabriel said in his mind and stared at the soldiers like a wolf gazing upon its prey.

    He attacked the soldiers and weaved through them with ease.. If one looked at him right now, they would think that the man was simply dancing on the battlefield.

 Chapter 255 - End Of The Two Cannon Brothers

    Lucius didn''t know that Gabriel had seen them, but could tell that themotion they caused would be noticed soon enough.

    On the southern side, the cannonballs that had been shot out by the two brothers were blocked by the two Lost. The explosion had created a lot of smoke but once it faded away, they could see the scene again.

    The armor that the two lost were wearing was damaged and bent in the ce where it had made contact, but other than that they were fine.

    <em>~THUD~ THUD~</em>

    The Two lostnded on the ground and turned to look at the brothers. Their faces were hidden beneath the metal masks, but the auraing from there was hard to miss. It was certain that they were nothing about their wellbeing.

    On the side of Lucius, Donald was stunned, to say the least.

    "Amazing! An attack of that level¡­ how is this even possible? What kind of men are they?" Donald asked.

    "They are the masked legion¡­ a mercenary group." Lucius spoke.

    "A mercenary group? I''ve never heard of them. A group like this should have been well known. Their power is nothing simple. Heck, if they joined the army they would directly be promoted to the rank of a lieutenant!" Donald said, feeling bewildered.

    "Of course they are unknown, this is the first time they are appearing." Lucius spoke.

    It was now that Donald understood.

    "Hang on¡­ are they the same as the brewery? A secret project of yours?" Donald said.

    Donald was not stupid and could understand a lot of things without them being said. After all, he had spent working for quite a few nobles before he actually joined the Inanis family.

    "Indeed, this will be this first job and we will be building their portfolio from here. Once it is good enough, others will definitely want to hire them. I reckon we can obtain quite a lot of profits from them." Lucius spoke.

    "Hmm, that might be good. But who are they? And are they¡­ you know¡­ trustable?" Donald asked, feeling doubtful.

    "Trust is the one thing I am absolutely sure of. They will never, ever betray us. As for who they are¡­ I''ll just say they are the first graduates of the Re-education center." Lucius said.

    "The Reeducation center?!" Donald was shocked once again.

    "You mean to say¡­ those criminals¡­" He muttered.

    "Indeed. I said before that they will serve us and our people for their wellbeing, and here they are. They shall remove the threats that serve to destabilize our territory and will do it with their entire existence.

    They will serve forever to repay their sins and redeem themselves. This shall be their atonement¡­ their redemption." Lucius stated.

    Donald didn''t know what more to say after hearing all this. He trusted Lucius and thought that it would be better to just wait and watch now.

    And while Lucius and Donald had this little conversation, the Lost were not approaching the two brothers.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    <em>~Bash</em>

    <em>~Bam~</em>

    The other soldiers that were trying to run were killed swiftly by the three Lost that were at the back. They had split into the two directions to pincer them in between and prevent anyone from getting out.

    "IMPOSSIBLE!"

    "Just what kind of warriors are they? They don''t even have defensive gifts and they can still block out attacks?"

    The two brothers were at a loss and didn''t know what to do. They wanted to attack again, but their gifts made it so that they couldn''t do it right away.

    "PROTECT US!" The brothers shouted at the other enemy soldiers while they rushed into their group to hide.

    Unfortunately for them, those soldiers were no less shocked than them and the fear was starting to prate their hearts as well.

    <em>~HNG!~</em>

    A low grunt was hearding from the Lost and they suddenly started to rush towards the enemy soldiers.

    <em>"STOP THEM!!!!!" </em>

    <em>~pew~pew~pew~</em>

    Various gifts showed their effects as another barrage of attacks wasunched towards the Lost. It was all for naught though, as the lost had already learned from thest time and knew how these attacks worked.

    They moved with surprising agility, despite theirrge builds. They ran like bulls and directly mmed into the soldiers.

    <em>~CLANG~ CLANG~ CLANG~</em>

    <em>~DENG~~DENG~DENG~</em>

    Metal shed against metal as the unstoppable charge of the Lost overwhelmed the soldiers. In less than a minute, the entire regiment was killed by either being crushed to death, or being smashed to death.

    Blood and gore were amon sight on the battlefield, but this was far more terrifying than what most soldiers would ever see in their entire lives.

    "No! No! No!" Don''te close.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    One of the brothers stumbled and fell to the ground.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    The Lost which could kick out arcs of energy though, didn''t care about what the man said and approached him directly. He extended his hand towards the man who had fallen on the ground and grasped his neck.

    "GAH! UGH!" The man struggled in the grasp of the Lost as he lifted him up with his neck, as if he was a child.

    "LET GO OF MY BROTHER!" The other man shouted.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Another explosion was heard as a cannon bolt was shot out of his hands, leaving them bloodied and burned. It was evident that he had forced himself to use his gift, despite the fact that he was not ready.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    The cannon ball was stopped by the second lost, and he caught it directly using his hand.

    "Y-you¡­ you¡­ you''re not human¡­ no human can do this¡­" the brother said in shock.

    <em>~CRACK~CRUMBLE~</em>

    The Cannonball was crushed by the lost as its pieces fell to the ground like brittle chalk.

    "NOOO!!!" The brother shouted and tried to run.

    <em>~SPLAT~</em>

    s! He couldn''t even take a single step before therge fist of the Lost hammered his head, exploding it like a watermelon.

    The other brother, who was still hanging by his neck, passed out from shock before his head was separated forcefully as well.

 Chapter 256 - Southern Regiment Devastated

    With the death of the two cannon brothers, the pressure on the army of the Inanis army significantly reduced. But even still there were two areas where the attacks were stilling from, the west and the north.

    In the north, Count Gabriel was doing his best to kill as many soldiers as he could but even that was a tough task to do on his own. Thankfully he was going to get some help soon.

    Lucius saw that the Lost hadpleted their first task and were now free to proceed. He looked towards them and sent out a signal with hell energy to attack the enemies on the western side now.

    "ENG!" The Lost Grunted in response, startling the nearby enemy soldiers.

    They finally noticed that the southern regiment was entirely wiped out and were startled. The wind curtain that was set up by the enemy soldiers that was also blocking the line of sight of the other regiments, plus the Inanis army being in the middle made it so that they couldn''t fully see there.

    Once the wind curtain went down, they thought that the regiment was either taking a break or had aplished their goal. What they didn''t expect at all was that there was no more southern regiment there.

    Instead of that, all they saw were five tall warriors d in Maroon armor. They were bulky and looked like bulls on the battleground as they rushed towards the western regiment.

    "ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS!! Commander! It''s the new reinforcements from the Inanis family!" some of the soldiers shouted to quickly pass the message.

    From one soldier to the next, the message swiftly reached themander who came to the southern side to take a look. And what he saw shocked him. There were five warriors all who were fearlessly rushing in.

    "How the hell did the southern regiment get wiped out?! How is that even possible?" Themander was shocked.

    <em>~SHUA~</em>

    And just as he said that one of the Lost used his gift and started to roll on the ground, turning into arge ball that spun at rapid speed and emanated gray gas. Another one of them jumped straight into the sky and reached a height of twenty meters.

    "What in the name of na!" Themander was stunned.

    A human jumping that high was only possible due to a gift, but even then a gift like that would have to be either rare or Epic ranked at most. But if it was just a gift specialized in jumping it wouldn''t be too useful in a battle like this.

    Themander knew very well than to underestimate the enemy and knew that if the enemy had jumped, it was bound to have some motive behind it.

    "RETREAT! I SAID RETREAT!" Themander ordered decisively.

    "What?!" The soldiers around were shocked.

    They were on the winning side and didn''t know why they were retreating now.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Suddenly an explosion was heard on the northern side and made the ground shake.

    "Ahh!"

    "What the hell!"

    "Watch out!"

    Several of the soldiers both from the Inanis family and the Drew Army were caught off guard due to it and stumbled. Themander couldn''t help but look to the north too and saw a tall smoke tower rising from the middle of the Northern Regiment.

    <em>~WEENG~</em>

    A whistling sound came from behind him and he saw the Lost that had jumped into the sky falling towards them. A metallic glint had appeared over his legs that were joined together.

    The Lost had its arms close to his body and looked like a nail falling from the sky.

    Lucius of course saw it and smirked.

    "Pile Driver, the user can jump high and fall like a strong metal pile, impaling anything thates in its way." Lucius recalled the gift that the lost had.

    It was one of the more recent Lost that Lucius had made and was also a criminal. The only difference was that his gift was not like this originally Pile Driver was actually a corrupted gift and its original was called Ascending Jump.

    It was a rare ranked gift and the criminal that had it was arrested for espionage and murder. Apparently, the man who had it had stolen information from several nobles and even some military outposts.

    He was able to jump over the tall walls using his gift and quickly enter it before running away with the information. He hadmitted several such acts and had been on the run ever since.

    The only reason he was caught was due to luck. He hade to the Inanis territory due to some information that he had gotten and was eventually caught because another criminal had leaked his whereabouts.

    With that in hand, the guards of the territoryid a trap and caught the man. Since his gift was only usable in open areas, he was greatly restricted in closed spaces like buildings. And that was exactly where he was caught.

    Lucius of course took full advantage of it and quickly got him transferred to the reeducation center to be transformed. He wasn''t fully sure if his corrupted gift would unlock or not since many Lost with rare ranked gifts were unable to do so right now.

    Out of the fifteen Lost he had, only seven of them had unlocked their corrupted gifts and of these seven, two of them were ones with umon ranked gifts.

    This was the first time Lucius was seeing their gifts in full effect while also being used against enemies and thus he was quite excited.

    <em>~WEENG~</em>

    The whistling sound continued as the Lost descended at a rapid speed.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    A cloud of dust of debris wasunched up from the ground as he hit the ground. The ground trembled due to the impact and cracks spread all around the area where the Lost had fallen.

    A few secondster the dust cleared and one could see the aftermath of the entire area.

    A five meter wide crater had been created with a meter wide hole in the center of it.

 Chapter 257 - Falling Enemies

    The first explosion was already enough to disorient the soldiers and now the second tremor caused by the falling Lost had made them utterly dazed. Themander who had seen the entire thing from the start was speechless.

    He had barely managed to stay standing as he took the support of the spear that he had. He stuck it in the ground and held up using that.

    "Ten¡­ ten soldiers killed¡­ just from that¡­" Themander muttered as he saw the broken and mangled corpses of the soldiers near the crater.

    Some of them were impaled by the falling Lost, while the rest of them were injured by the impact and the debris that was shot out due to the impact. It was enough to say it was shocking for everyone.

    It was more so not because the soldiers were killed, but because the others were disoriented from the attack as well.

    "ATTACK!" The Inanis familymander saw that the attacks of the enemy regiment from the west had be weaker and had even halted on some fronts and swiftly gave out themand.

    "Kill them when they are down!"

    "KILL THEM!!!"

    "DON''T GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO RECOVER!"

    Various shouts were heard as the rage of the Inanis soldiers was disyed. They had been continually suppressed by the Drew Army and thus they were more than pissed from it. They had just been waiting for an opportunity like this and finally got it.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Another explosion urred in the north, pulling the attention of the enemymander.

    "Just what the hell is happening there?" he said.

    <em>~CLANG~</em>

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    Unfortunately, he had made a mistake in being distracted like this. The other lost that were heading their way from the south had arrived and were now clewing their way into the center of the regiment.

    The rolling lost ran over the enemy soldiers either knocking them down or directly crushing them. The Grey gasing from its body also weakened the others and made them crippled.

    The remaining three Lost simply used their maces and bodies to fight and broke through the ranks one by one.

    Lucius who had been observing everything nodded his head.

    "This seems to be going well¡­ time to head to the other side." Lucius muttered.

    He quickly got onto a horse and rushed to the northern side to observe the battle there. After about five minutes he reached the northern side and saw the lost wreaking havoc here as well.

    "WHY DON''T YOU FUCKERS JUST DIE!!!" A slim looking man shouted as his hands glowed in a blue light.

    He thruster them forwards and icy cold winds shot out from his hands.

    <em>~WHOOSH~</em>

    The icy winds traveled at a great speed, spreading ice over the ground and slowing down the movement of the Lost that wereing towards him.

    "Oh? He can actually slow them down? Interesting¡­" Lucius said while observing the five lost.

    He had equally sent out five lost in each direction, it was just that the ones in the south were the first to appear while the ones in the north were second.

    As for the ones in the West, they had yet to appear as Lucius didn''t want to reveal his hand just yet. Still, now that the ones from the south were entering the western side, Lucius reckoned he might not need to call the others anyway.

    He observed the slim man and slightly squinted his eyes as nexus activated.

    Gift Name: Icy Winds

    Description: The user can release freezing winds from his hands and body that can freeze water and other surfaces. The duration of winds generated is directly proportional to the amount of Aether used.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Emission / Physical

    Other owners: Barret Boone, ¡­(total: 74)

    Seeing the epic ranked gift, Lucius was surprised. He had not expected for there to be an Epic Ranked gifted on the battlefield and was now on guard about there being more of them.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    Another explosion happened while observing them and Lucius finally saw how it actually happened.

    "Oh, so it''s him." Lucius saw another one of his lost.

    <em>~Cough~cough~cough~</em>

    The Lost lifted half of his mask and coughed out a thick phlegm. The amount of phlegm produced was simply ungodly and looked more like a mass of weird slime instead. It was also letting out fumes that did not look any good either.

    It would then throw out this mass of phlegm at the enemy which would then explode on impact.

    "So this is how they had been standing so long. If it were not for this lost the Ice gifted might have already caused a tone more problems." Lucius said in an understanding tone.

    When the phlegm came in contact with the icy winds it would rapidly spread and then explode. The explosion would then block off the icy winds and also break any ice that was formed on the ground.

    That was also the reason why several of the enemy soldiers in the northern regiment were already killed. Lucius looked around and only saw about half of the original three hundred soldiers left here.

    And even these were currently split into two groups. One of them was facing three Lost. This was also the group that had the gifted with the ice gift. While the other group was facing the remaining two lost along with one other person.

    "That''s where the count is," Lucius said as he spotted a man moving through the enemies like a crane dancing in the water.

    His movement was swift and every step was sure. His sword would pass through the enemies and cut them before they even had a chance to defend. Well¡­ defending was not really an option anyway as their armors or weapons could not stop Phase.

    Lucius''s eyes gazed around the area and saw at least fifty of the enemy soldiers that had intact armors, yet bloodied bodies.

    "Hmm¡­ so he took all of these on his own¡­ his Aether must be running out by now he has been using it constantly," Lucius muttered.

 Chapter 258 - Aggrieved Enemy

    Just as Lucius had thought, Gabriel truly was running out of Aether. Even though he was very proficient with his gift and used his Aether prudently, killing so many men and using his gift had taken a lot of his stamina.

    <em>~huu~huu~huu~</em>

    Gabriel took deep breaths as he gazed at the enemies that were still left. They had been thinned down considerably, and he had gotten the chance to take a breather. None of them dared toe close to him now, due to the fact that any that had tried that died.

    "So they are what Asher has prepared, the masked legion¡­ Hmm¡­ they are certainly far more stronger than any soldier that I''ve seen." Gabriel couldn''t help but praise.

    Just from their build and raw strength that they showed, Gabriel could very well tell that they were not simple. And when that one Lost started to use his gift and threw out the explosive phlegm, it was even more shocking to him.

    ''A gift like should have been at least at the Epic rank¡­ how did a criminal even get caught by the guards?'' Gabriel wondered, not knowing that the lost''s original gift was entirely different.

    Lucius narrowed his eyes and gazed at the lost as well. He was interested in seeing just what gift he had awakened since the corrupted form of the gift was not unlocked when he sent them out to the battle.

    "He certainly ate a few of the soldiers¡­" Lucius guessed.

    Nexus activated as Aether and Hell Aether flowed into it, turning into strings of information that appeared in front of Lucius''s eyes.

    Gift Name: Repulsive Phlegm

    Description: The owner can cough and spit out thick phlegm that has a springy consistency. The phlegm can bounce back any attack that hits it. It can also be attached to different surfaces.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission

    Other Owners:¡­(Total owners: 289)

    Hell Energy Corruption: Lesser

    Info: The creature will have increased physical strength that can be increased further with the use of hell energy. The creature will also have slightly higher intelligence than before and can understandmands.

    Corruption level: Lesser

    Corrupted Gift: Unlocked

    Corrupted Gift: Propulsive Phlegm

    Description: The Phlegm can take on explosive properties and will repel anything that makes contact by exploding.

    Seeing the change in the original gift of the Lost, Lucius was rather surprised. The change was mild and the man property of repulsion was kept the same. The only difference was the way it was achieved.

    In the original, it was done by giving sticity to the phlegm, but in the corrupted form, it was done by making it explode. ''Propulsion'' felt a bit urate too, since it would propel the attack or anything that hit the phlegm¡­ just in an opposite direction.

    "The only bad point about the gift is the way it''s to be used¡­ the need to cough out makes it awkward to use¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    He knew about this Lost and his real identity when he was a human. The Lost was named Thomas and was amon thief. While he did have a rare ranked gift, it wasn''t really a pleasant one and cause a lot of awkward situations.

    His life wasn''t easy and he eventually ended up bing a thief. He continued his thieving ways and ended up killing several people due to being caught. After a certain point, he was caught by the guards of a different city but escaped by killing them.

    This raised the bounty on him by a lot and raised his danger level. An unfortunately during his run, he ended uping across a small patrol group that was headed by the kingdom''s royal army and ended up getting caught.

    Unlike normal guards, these were strong soldiers and easily got him under control. And since the patrol was passing by Inanis city, they decided to drop the man off there. That is how Lucius ended up getting the man under his authority and transformed him into a Lost.

    "Never expected that this one would be the first to unlock his corrupted gift¡­ but then, it is a rtively weaker rare ranked gift so guess that was the reason behind it being unlocked early." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He looked at Gabriel and saw that the man had taken this opportunity to retreat as well and was using Aether crystals to replenish his Aether. Nearly every Rare ranked soldier in the army was given a single Aether crystal so that they could use it in an emergency.

    Lucius and Gabriel too carried them, but they had far more than just a single crystal. Gabriel had an Epic ranked gift and needed three of them to replenish his Aether. Normally it would have just taken two, but his gift was one that had a high consumption and thus his natural capacity was also higher.

    Not to mention the more one used aether and their gifts, the more their capacity would increase. Lucius himself had over half of his Aether left and thus didn''t need to use the Aether Crystals yet on himself.

    It was different for the Wind Scar sword, though. It had just a single use left now and he was using an Aether crystal to fill it the moment he had retreated as well. He was on a battlefield and never knew when he would need it.

    Thus, it was best for him to be ready to act at any moment.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    The Lost spat out another mass of phlegm that exploded on contact, pushing the Ice gifted back even more.

    "GAH! DAMN YOU! DISGUSTING SCUM!" The Ice gifted, cursed.

    Lucius took note of the man and saw that there were some restrictions on his gift too that were hard to see at first.

    "So the Icy winds cannot just be used without stopping¡­ either it''s the bacsh thates with the gift or there is something else that is restricting the man¡­ the only question is¡­ what?" Lucius wondered.

    ¡ª¡ª

    "ALL OF YOU DIE!" The Icy Wind gifted got angry and rted another gust of wind.

    This time though, the Icy wind was far stronger than before and cold as well.

    <em>~BOOM~</em>

    The Lost threw out more Phlegm, and it exploded just like before, but here the difference between the Epic and rare ranked gifts was shown. Despite the explosive effect of the phlegm, the icy winds did not stop.

    For a moment, they were interrupted sure, but the winds soon picked up again and the ice started to spread everywhere. This time though, the Ice user disregarded his allies andpanions, letting the ice affect them too.

    "Interesting¡­ so this is the actual power of the gift¡­ before this, he was reducing the output so that the others were not affected as much." Lucius understood.

    The icy winds kept on spreading and soon ice started to settle on the armors of all of the soldiers. The ground was already frozen and an inch thickyer of ice was now present on it.

    If anyone stepped on it, they were bound to slip with the slightest imbnce.

    "DIE! DIE! DIE!" The man shouted as his hands kept on producing the icy winds.

    His breath was getting frosty and fog could be seening out of his mouth.

 Chapter 259 - Break Out!

    The sound of frost and ice settling on the ground could be heard as the moisture in the ground and surroundings started to freeze. The teeth of the soldiers couldn''t help but chatter and they shivered.

    Unfortunately for them, the cold was simply too much that they couldn''t evenin or cry about it. It had made them sluggish and unable to move anymore. While they weren''t frozen to death, if this kept up, they probably will.

    Gabriel who had wisely chosen to retreat, was watching the entire thing with sharp eyes. He looked at the Ice user and knew that he must not be just anyone.

    "An Ice gift such as this that can freeze this quickly and affect these many people¡­ he is definitely at the Epic Rank¡­ but where can someone like thise from. The Drew Territory doesn''t really have any official person who had a gift like this.

    The couple of Epic Ranked gifted that are in the territory there are not like these." Gabriel muttered to himself.

    The information about gifted was already well known to him since the Drew Territory was under the Land of Etara before and they had a lot of interactions. But now seeing this, Gabriel was more than sure that whoever was supporting the Drew territory in the background was not weak.

    ''For them to be able to afford to send someone like this¡­ an earl? Or perhaps even a marquis?'' Gabriel wondered to himself.

    One must know that hiring warriors or mercenaries that had Epic Ranked gifts was a very expensive affair. Oftentimes they charged several thousand Aether crystals and depending on the kind of a task they were employed for, their charges may rise even more.

    For something like guarding a ce or shipment temporarily didn''t cost as much, but to go and fight in a battle territory or war? That would take arge amount of fortune. If a noble could afford that, they may as well spend that on recruiting more of the normal soldiers and increase their chances of winning that way.

    Plus, there was always the chance that the warrior or mercenary may not even ept a job like that. After all, why would they choose to die in a battle like that when they could take low paying but safe jobs.

    And even if they survived the battle, there was always the chance that the party they fought against may take revenge in other ways. The mercenaries that usually took part in battles such as these were either at the Rare rank or lower.

    Those didn''t really have as high of a value as that of the Epic Ranked ones. Thus for them, the pay of a war or battle jobmission was always the best. That was also the reason why the Inanis family had been able to recruit a hundred mercenaries so easily.

    Gabriel looked at the enemy soldiers that were being frozen by the icy winds of the man and sighed in pity. He knew that if it was his own soldiers here, he would not have been able to retreat so easily.

    His gaze then went to the bulky warriors d in Maroon armors.

    "They''re really something else huh¡­ just what did Asher do to them to make them like this? I understand upgrading gifts but¡­ they are beyond that." Gabriel was truly perplexed.

    "Will they be fine from this?" Gabriel said, seeing the Lost getting slowed down.

    But just as he was watching, a different sound was heard.

    <em>~Crack~</em>

    "Huh?" Both Gabriel and the Icy wind user were a bit confused.

    <em>~crack~crack~</em>

    "No way!" The ice user finally got a view of the scene in front of him.

    His gift had been deactivated by him since he thought that this was enough. Due to using the Icy Winds, the view in front of him was like that of a blizzard before this and barely anything could be seen.

    But now that he had stopped, he could see that everything had been changed to a frosty white look. Hispanions were stuck in the positions they were in, while some of them had fallen on the ground due to losing their bnce.

    The ones who were injured and lying on the ground still had a chance had survival before, but now they had truly been frozen to death.

    <em>~CRACK!~</em>

    This time a very clear sound was heard, and even movement was witnessed. Gabriel and the Ice user saw the lost who was throwing out Phlegm move. But not just him, but the other four Lost also started to move.

    The cracking sound wasing from their armor. The ice that was inhibiting them was breaking. It had settled on their joints and now it was cracking as they tried to move.

    "HNG!" A strange grunt was hearding from the Lost as a jet of steam was let out from their masks.

    Their breaths seemed like they were filled with hot vapor.

    "HNG!HNG!HNG!" Their breaths got more intense and the density of the vapor also increased.

    Lucius who was at a distance, felt the change in the Lost.

    "They''re getting angry¡­ this won''t be good if they end up revealing themselves," Lucius muttered to himself.

    His gaze went to the army of Inanis and saw that they were now doing far better than before. With the constant barrage taken away from two sides, they could fight much better. The Lost that had entered the western side had also eased up the rate of attacks and now they were able to manage far better than before.

    "Maybe it won''t go so bad after all¡­" Lucius changed his mind and sent out a signal with hell energy.

    The signals that he sent out were in the form of pulses and were something that the Lost could sense rather easily. Of course, the message in them needed to be very brief and Lucius needed to be close enough for them to receive it.

    But the moment they got it, their eyes glowed in a red light and a beastly growl came out of their mouths.

    "HRNNGGG!"

 Chapter 260 - Drew Army Eradicated

    The Lost let out an aura of rage that startled the Ice user.

    "What the hell are they?" The man was confused and scared now.

    His gift was something he had often been praised for and not many had survived under its effect. Even the ones that did were greatly injured. As for the ones that were not, they either had gifts that were the counter to his gift, or just on the same rank as his.

    Having an Epic ranked gift usually meant that the person would have a decent life usually and that was exactly the same case with this man. But after a point, he realized life was boring, and he took up jobs such as these.

    He discovered that killing people was something that gave him joy and them despairing in loss was also something pleasurable. But what he had not thought was that today he would be the one despairing instead.

    "HNG! HAAA!" The Lost let out a growl and broke all of the ice around his body.

    <em>~CRACK~</em>

    <em>~SHATTER~</em>

    The rest of the Lost did the same, and now they were free.

    <em>~STEP~CRACK~STEP~CRACK~</em>

    With each step, the ice below them shattered into small pieces. A normal human would have slipped on the ice, but they took care of this by directly breaking it.

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    The lost raised his leg and stomped on the ground, cracking the entire ice floor.

    <em>~CRACK~</em>

    <em>~DENG~</em>

    He moved ahead and stomped again, shattering more ice. After two more such stomps the entire area was now rough again. Ice shards were still spreading on the ground though, making it cold. But at least no one would slip on it now.

    The lost walked and then broke into a spring.

    "EEE!" the ice user got startled and shot out more ice winds from his hands.

    Unfortunately for him, the lost had already gained momentum and was not going to stop just from that.

    <em>~WHOOSH~</em>

    A jet of icy wind barraged the lost, but he kept on running. His maroon armor had be white with frost and ice, but even then, he did not stop. The ice user was left baffled and in shock.

    He took a few steps back and gritted his teeth before starting to run as well.

    "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! THAT''S NOT A HUMAN!" The ice user was now scared.

    <em>~st~</em>

    Unfortunately, that was thest thing he could speak before blood spurted out of his chest and mouth. He felt incredibly weak and looked down. He couldn''t feel any pain which felt strange to him, but he also could not feel his body now.

    Arge and broad arm hade out of his chest. It had a crimson color on it, evidently due to his blood. The white frost had been stained by his blood now.

    <em>~cough~ cough~</em>

    The man coughed out more blood and soon his eyes dulled.

    <em>~thud~</em>

    The Lost flicked his hand, throwing out the now dead ice user. His body fell some distance away as more blood spilled from therge hole in his chest. The other Lost were not satisfied though, and wreaked havoc on the other frozen soldiers around them.

    Their bodies were stomped upon and crushed. A mess of flesh and blood was left on the ground, which made even the Count Shudder.

    "Are they¡­ even human at this point?" Gabriel muttered to himself.

    He felt relieved that these were on his side rather than the enemy. He had already seen the level of brutality they could express and the ruggedness that they had. Unleashing a group of them upon an army had proved to be enough to wipe them out.

    Gabriel even wondered what would happen if these Maroon armored warriors were assembled into a true army.

    "Perhaps it would be a true ''Legion'' then¡­" Gabriel said to himself.

    Having killed all those that they could even though they were mostly dead, the lost looked around. At this moment, they got another signal, and they changed to look at the final enemy regiment that had been left.

    Soon, the army of Drew experienced what was true fear. Even the army of the Inanis family was stunned seeing the appearance of the Masked legion. They had not known that they would be joining the battle and were stupefied that they were on their side.

    By now, the Inanis army had been reduced by about 40%. The remaining 60% were worried whether they would win or not, but the Lost had truly changed the tide of the battle.

    With the southern and northern regiments decimated, only the main western one was left. Themanders had already been killed and now the soldiers were left on their own. About thirty minutester, each and every enemy soldier was killed in a brutal way.

    The Inanis soldiers experienced the might of the masked legion for the first time. They didn''t even need weapons and could just use their fists and body to break apart armors. Their gifts were powerful too, and were more like siege weapons.

    They had thought that the cannon brothers and the ice user were already terrifying, but the Lost were on a different level. They didn''t speak, but the aura that they exuded was suppressive.

    The Lost that had the gift, Pile Driver had created several craters and holes across the battlefield along with impaling multiple enemy soldiers. The other lost that kicked out arcs of energy and released the Grey gas had stopped as they had run out of Hell Aether.

    Lucius had realized that they too could produce hell Aether, but at a far lower efficiency than him. Thus once they ran out of either hell energy or Aether, they would stop. Of course, in all cases it was them running out of Aether rather than hell energy.

    Lucius had made sure that each of the lost had more than enough hell energy tost for at least three days.. He didn''t really want them going on a rampage and ripping apart men to eat them.

 Chapter 261 - Joy And Grieving

    The soldiers of the Inanis family looked around with shock on their faces. They couldn''t believe that one moment they were in the jaws of death, being squeezed on three sides, but now they were free and alive.

    "Is¡­ is this real?" someone questioned.

    "It is¡­ they''re dead¡­ THEY''RE ALL DEAD!" another soldier replied.

    "WE WON!!!!"

    "THE INANIS FAMILY WON!"

    "THE DREW ARMY IS DEAD!"

    Shouts of joy were heard all over the battlefield as the soldiers took breaths of relief. They were under great stress and didn''t know if they would be dying today just a few minutes ago.

    The battle was fierce, and they were overpowered rather quickly. The three pronged attacks of the Drew army was not something that they had expected at all, more so the strong gifted that had arrived too.

    The barrage of the gifted was what had mainly suppressed them and made it hard for them to move and retaliate. Their numbers were then whittled down, and they had lost over forty percent of theirpanions.

    Once their joy passed, they noticed their fallenpanions as well. Their dead bodies and blood were hard to miss, making their hearts ache.

    Some of them broke down crying while some silently sobbed. Both the guards that directly belonged Inanis family, and the hired mercenaries had lost people and had to grieve for them.

    The only thing that gave them relief at this moment was that they didn''t need to battle anymore and that all of the enemies were dead.

    "Wait¡­ all are dead?" Themander that was within the army said after taking a look around.

    Usually in a battle or war, not all of the enemies would be killed. When forty or even thirty percent of the fighting soldiers were lost or killed on one side, that would be considered the end of the battle.

    Thus, there were almost always enemies left behind, but they would usually surrender at this point. They would then be considered as prisoners of war and could then be bargained withter on.

    The prisoners of war were good tools for diplomatic transactions and could bring a lot of fortune to the winning side, even more than what they would get from the battle directly. Thus, the prisoners of war were almost always considered to be valuable.

    It was not often that an enemy army was wiped outpletely. Cases such as these only happened when the battle was one to the death, against someone that had done heinous crimes.

    There were very few instances of it happening and it had almost never happened in a battle between nobles. This was also the point that themander was now worrying about.

    The name of themander was Taylor, and he was one of the highest ranked guards in the Inanis city after Donald. He was in his forties and had been a guard for a long time. He was even part of the royal army at the start and retired from it when his wife got sick and he had to stay in the city to take care of her.

    The Count knew of his capabilities and directly gave him the rank of a lieutenant among the city guards. Taylor didn''t really have a strong gift. His gift was merely at themon rank, but it was his leadership skills that had allowed him to be themander in the battle today.

    And with these leadership skills came the ability to think further and predict what could happen. That was exactly why he was worried about how the other nobles and the king would react.

    Killing all of the soldiers of the opposing side would make the Inanis family appear cruel and unkind. It would bring in question their integrity and ability to rule as well. If the nobles took the opportunity to spoil the name further, things could get problematic rather fast.

    They didn''t know just what kind of a situation they were truly in with the gifted that were attacking them, and neither did they know just how outnumbered they truly were. The nobles would not listen and even if they knew the truth, they would just try to turn it against them.

    "Oh, Etara¡­ what do we do now? We have ovee one tribtion and now another one wille." Taylor muttered.

    <em>~clip~clop~clip~clip~</em>

    It was now that the sound of horses could be heard and Taylor saw three people approaching on horseback.

    "Count Gabriel! Young Lord Asher! Captain Donald!" Themander called out.

    The surrounding soldiers heard it too and immediately became alert.

    "ATTENTION!" The injured deputymander on the side shouted.

    All of the soldiers assembled themselves into files while the mercenaries simply came together to the side. The Count approached themander and sighed to himself, seeing his appearance.

    Themander was actually injured and blood could be seen dripping out of several points on his armor. Multiple tes have been broken off as well, and it was obvious that the man had been fighting fiercely.

    His helmet was nowhere to be seen either, leaving his rugged face bare that was also sttered with blood.

    <em>~step~step~</em>

    Taylor kneeled on one leg respectfully, and the rest of the soldiers followed.

    "At ease! No need for this!" Gabriel said right away.

    To him, the soldiers had already done enough and there was no need for them to trouble themselves anymore.

    The soldiers looked at each other before looking at theirmander, who nodded his head. Only after getting that confirmation did they stand up, feeling a bit awkward.

    Gabriel, Lucius, and Donald got down from their horses and looked at the soldiers as well. They looked at the ones that had fallen and the ones that were injured. There was blood and guts on the battlefield, some from their own men and some from the enemies.

    But one thing was for sure, there was plenty of death that had urred today and some words would need to be said.

    "My soldiers, myrades, my friends¡­" the Count spoke out loud.

 Chapter 262 - A Short Speech

    The Count was a more than decent orator and knew very well how to speak to subordinates. Gaining the willing support and loyalty of subordinates was a delicate task and needed certain soft skills that were often not found in many nobles these days.

    But Count Gabriel was not one of them. His father had inculcated the proper values in him that had allowed him to gain a hold over his warriors which was unlike many other nobles.

    "Today¡­ we have fought¡­ we have fought and we have WON! But this hase at a cost of course, a cost which I would have liked to have avoided." The Count said, saddening the expression of many a soldier.

    "But this was a necessary fight. You have seen¡­ how the enemy forces fought! They brought deceit into the battle and used forces that were certainly not their own. We have long been suspicious of this and had thus prepared on our own as well.

    You have seen them as well." Count Gabriel said while gesturing to the Lost that were standing in the distance in three rows.

    There were fifteen of them, five in each row. Their armors were maroon, but some were a deeper crimson now instead, due to the blood staining them.

    Gabriel saw the questioning expression on the faces of the soldiers. He knew that they were wondering just who these warriors were. They looked far too organized and strong to be normal mercenaries ording to themon thinking.

    "I know you must be wondering who they are. Then let me tell you¡­ these are the mercenaries of the MASKED LEGION!" The Count announced. "They are the ones who have managed to flip this battle in our favor, granting us the victory." He added.

    <em>~whisper~</em>

    Faint whispers could be heard amongst the soldiers, but it was to be expected. They had seen the power of the Lost and were now in awe. To them, the name meant that there were far more than just these fifteen mercenaries.

    "My Count¡­ may I ask where they came from? I mean¡­ we''ve never heard of their name before." Themander Taylor questioned.

    "Of course. Theye from and far from our Kingdom. They are a mysterious group of mercenaries who have agreed to offer their services to us. They are very strong as you can see, and have done their job exactly as was intended." Gabriel answered.

    His answer was pretty much the same as not answering, since he had not addressed the main point of the question, anyway. Taylor was experienced enough that he could understand the underlying meaning behind Gabriel''s words.

    ''So it''s like that¡­ at least they are on our side. If the Count trusts them, then it''s fine¡­ hopefully, the kingdom and churches don''t find fault with them.'' Taylor thought, remembering the brutality that the Lost used in the battle.

    The other soldiers did not question anything either, as theirmander had not done so.

    It was now that Lucius decided to make his move.

    "I''d like to say a few words," Lucius said,ing to the front.

    "Please¡­ feel free." Gabriel replied.

    He had actually been intending to get Lucius to say something as well, but himing on his own was even better.

    "You all must be thinking that we won this battle because of the Masked Legion¡­ But it is not like that," Lucius said, contradicting the words of his father.

    Surprise spread through the soldiers as they had not expected these words from Lucius at all. Even Gabriel was a bit surprised but did not interfere, wanting to know just what Lucius was intending to say.

    Lucius looked at the soldiers and inwardly chuckled, having expected this reaction.

    "No¡­ the reason why we won this battle is because of all of you!" Lucius said out loud.

    "Us?" The soldiers couldn''t help but say in confusion.

    They had already epted the fact that they were barely able to do anything. ording to them, if it were not for the Masked Legion, all of them would have died at this ce today.

    "YES! You all!" Lucius continued. "If it were not for you all bravely fighting and holding your ground, even the Masked Legion would have been sessful."

    Hearing this, the eyes of the soldiers lit up as some of their confusion was wiped away.

    "So don''t think that you were inadequate or useless in the battle. Rather, you were the most essential part of it! We learned that there were certain unexpected people among the enemy soldiers because of you and managed to ovee them as well." Lucius stated and took a pause.

    "And that is exactly why¡­ I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!" Lucius said, holding his fist against his chest.

    Seeing this, the soldiers couldn''t help but feel touched.

    "Young Lord Asher¡­" they muttered in emotion.

    "And that''s all I wanted to say for now." Lucius said, ending his little speech.

    Gabriel nodded his head in approval.

    ''Perfect! He''ll be a great leader.'' Gabriel thought to himself.

    He took his position at the front again, and spoke, "now then¡­ since the battle is finished and we have won it, there is the next set of things we need to do¡­"

    Gabriel gave several orders, which mainly included the gathering of the corpses of the fallen soldiers that were on their side and also the mercenaries. All of them would be sent to their kin for the funeral proceedings.

    As for the ones that were injured, they would be taken to the recuperation camp that was already set a kilometer away from the battlefield. Then there was the matter of the enemy soldiers.

    Even if they knew that the enemy army had been wiped out, they still needed to check all of the corpses and figure out how many people died and what their identities were. The part about identities was especially important since there were several strong gifted among them and there were literally six hundred extra soldiers than they had expected!

 Chapter 263 - The Lost And Rune Crystals

    While Gabriel was giving his orders and figuring out the things to do after the battle, Lucius was looking around the battlefield. His mind was at work, sensing and feeling the faint presences that were in the area right now.

    ''<em>Ah~</em> just perfect. Theck of a divine pull is perfect! This will give me a decent enough boost.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    And while he was doing this, his eyes detected something shocking him.

    "What the hell¡­?" Lucius said as a few strings of words appeared in front of his eyes.

    Gift Name: Icy Winds

    Description: The user can release freezing winds from his hands and body that can freeze water and other surfaces. The duration of winds generated is directly proportional to the amount of Aether used.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Emission / Physical

    The information that had appeared in front of him was something he had seen before, of course. But what he was more surprised was the fact that he had not actually activated Nexus and had not felt the drain on his Aether either.

    "This only happens if¡­ I see something I had already used Nexus on. But if this is appearing, then it must mean that person is still alive?" Lucius muttered to himself.

    It was a shocking thing to Lucius not because he had seen the information, but because of the fact that the survivability of the Ice user was utterly zero. After all, he was missing the majority of his heart and a quarter of his lungs as well.

    And if that was not enough, over ny percent of his body''s blood was spilled outside on the ground. Thus, unless he had some special gift or artifact that allowed him to survive despite all that, there was no way for the gift''s information to appear.

    Lucius approached the dead body to check for himself. It was now that he noticed something rather specific.

    "Hang on¡­ this information¡­ it''s missing some parts." Lucius realized that the information about the other owners was not there anymore.

    He narrowed his eyes and thought over it a bit before finally realizing.

    "It can''t be, can it?" Lucius said in disbelief.

    He searched the mangled corpse but didn''t find anything on its surface. Lucius then inserted his hands into the hole that was in the dead man''s chest and probed around without caring about the blood dirtying his hands.

    After about a minute, Lucius finally found something. He pulled the spherical item out and looked at it. It was a blood covered marble that had a bluish sheen on it. Lucius rubbed the marble on his inner clothes and revealed its true look.

    "So it really is that¡­ A Rune Crystal." Lucius said as he looked at the blue marble that had a strange rune present on it.

    This was the second time he was finding a rune crystal like this, and he was left a bit baffled. He did not know how it had happened and it made him think as hard as he could for now.

    His mind ran at a great speed and it was as if lightning itself was fueling his thoughts. And then finally¡­ it struck him.

    "THE LOST!" Lucius eximed.

    He recognized the onemon link that was between the death of this ice user and the other spy that had been found by him and Kiana before. Both of them had been killed by a Lost.

    At that time, he had not thought much and had been unable toe to any conclusion as to why a gift had turned into a rune crystal. But now he knew that the Lost certainly had something to do with it.

    Of course, there could be other reasons that he was missing, but there was an easy way to confirm it right now.

    "I have to see the others," Lucius muttered to himself as he looked at the other corpses that he knew for sure were killed by Lost.

    <em>~shua~shua~shua~</em>

    And just as he had expected, Aether started to be drained at a great speed as one by one, strings of information started to pop up in front of him. Lucius had to forcibly stop Nexus as his Aether had been drained in just five seconds of use.

    This showed just how many gifts were currently present here. A slight headache appeared in Lucius''s head, but he did not wince. Rather than that, a wide smile appeared on his face as he searched through the corpses of the other dead enemy soldiers as well.

    About five minutester, Lucius had several small marbles in his hand, each having a different kind of a rune present on it.

    "So it is pretty much confirmed now¡­ Gifted humans that are killed by the Lost will have their gifts turned into Rune crystal upon death." Lucius concluded.

    He looked at the rune crystals for a few seconds before bursting intoughter.

    "AHAHAHA! PERFECT! THIS IS PERFECT!" Lucius said out loud, catching the attention of the nearby soldiers.

    <em>~step~step~step~</em>

    "Is there a problem, Young Lord Asher?" The soldiers asked with concern.

    Lucius looked at them and shook his head.

    "A problem? No¡­" Lucius said before thinking something.

    "Then do you need something from us?" The soldiers asked.

    "Ah yes, I''d like to sit and think for a bit. Please make sure no one disturbs me for an hour or two." Lucius replied.

    "Huh?" the soldiers were confused.

    "It shall be done, Young Lord Asher." Themander Taylor approached at this moment.

    He had heard what Lucius had said before and was not intending to question it.

    "Butmander¡­" the soldiers were about to speak but were interrupted.

    "That''s enough. Young Lord Asher just wants to think over the battle. Don''t forget this is his first battle like this." Taylor said, giving an excuse on behalf of Lucius.

    Lucius raised his brows at this and was intrigued by the man''s response, taking note to know more about himter.

    "At once!" the soldiers said before taking their leaves.

 Chapter 264 - 1,293 Wandering Souls

    Lucius found a rtively ''clean'' ce to sit down. It was a boulder that was on the northern side of the battlefield. It was actually not there before and was uprooted there due to the Lost.

    Nevertheless, it gave Lucius the perfect ce to sit and meditate for the time being. Plus, due to the distance, it also kept the eyes of the others away from him. Lucius had actually decided to join the battle because of a few reasons, with the main one being the souls of the dead.

    Theck of a divine pull was a key aspect that made him want to do this as souls were a very valuable resource and were also quite hard to get¡­ At least, normally. But in this world, he was free to do as he pleased and there was no divine intervention which was rather surprising to him.

    And thus, Lucius closed his eyes and entered a meditative state before entering his soul space. His soul was floating calmly with the mark of nexus and Hell imprint doing their work.

    The nexus regenerated the Aether had used up while the Hell imprint gathered more Hell energy. In addition to this, there were fifteen doors that had appeared in his soul space as well.

    The doors released a small amount of hell energy every so often, which met with the hell energy of his Hell imprint and then circted. This pattern continued non stop and slowly the amount of hell energy could be seen increasing.

    One thing was certain here, that being the fact that the total amount of hell energy that Lucius now had far many times more than about a month ago. This increase was almost exponential and was only possible due to the discovery of Lost and how they increased his hell energy capacity.

    "Let''s get to it, shall we¡­" Lucius muttered to himself and merged his consciousness with his soul.

    Once that was done, he was ready to use the soul resonance spell. The Soul resonance spell was a different type of a magic spell that came under soul spells. They did not use magic, but rather soul energy to cast.

    Thus, it limited the number of times that the caster could use it. And not only that, but the uses a single mage had were also dependent on their innate strength. Some of them would have more soul energy than others.

    In addition to this, if someone used a little too much of the soul energy, they would end up permanently damaging themselves. There were even cases when some desperate mages overdrew on their soul energy, causing them to break apart.

    For such mages, bing vegetables was a mercy, for the ones that were a bit more unfortunate, they would experience one of the worst pains known to people of getting their soul imploded.

    Perhaps only the hell torture was something that couldpare to pain of that level. But it was also said in the rumors that the pain of the dead in hell was far less than that of a soul implosion.

    This showed just how terrifying it was when even the devil did not reach it.

    But for Lucius, this was not really a troublesome thing, because he was not going to use soul spells that drew on too much soul energy. The soul resonance spell wasn''t something offensive or harmful either, thus it took even less energy.

    <em>~HONG~</em>

    An invisible wave of energy was emanated from Lucius''s soul as it spread out in the surroundings. The more the energy spread, the more Lucius could observe. Soon, the energy wave had spread in a range of about a kilometer.

    Within that radius, Lucius could sense nearly everything, including the souls.

    "One thousand two hundred, and ny three wandering souls¡­ perfect," Lucius said upon sensing the number.

    With the Soul resonance spell active, the wandering soul that were aimlessly floating around suddenly felt a calling. All of them looked in the direction of Lucius and started to float towards him.

    In just three seconds, the first wandering soul had entered Lucius''s body. Ten secondster, three more had entered. A minuteter, there were over a hundred souls. The number kept on increasing more and more and finally, ten minutester, all of the wandering souls on the battlefield had disappeared.

    But if one looked inside Lucius''s soul space at this moment, they would see it being filled with souls. The wandering souls had been pulled into his soul space and they were trapped here now.

    A wide smile appeared on Lucius''s face after seeing this.

    "Now¡­ for the next step¡­" Lucius muttered and spread his soul''s hands apart.

    <em>~shua~</em>

    All of the wandering souls shivered at that moment and looked towards Lucius. Their expressionless faces that were dull suddenly showed a fearful experience. Some of them even tried to run away from where Lucius was, but it was useless.

    <em>~HONG~</em>

    The Hell Imprint on Lucius''s chest let out a blinding goal as a long spike rushed out of it. The spike was made out of hell energy and attached to it were chain links. Each of the chain links had strange runes imprinted on them and if one looked at it they would hear the cries of a million people in their mind.

    The spike that had just appeared rushed towards the wandering souls and started to impale them. One soul, two soul, ten soul, hundred souls, thousand souls¡­ soon all of the wandering souls had been pierced by the spike.

    All of them were strung together into the chain that was attached to the spike. Once that was done, Lucius opened his eyes. He ced his hand on his chest, right where the chain attached to the hell imprint, and ruthlessly pulled out.

    It gave him a shock, but he held on while gritting his teeth.. The color of his soul had significantly paled after doing this, but the drive in his eyes was still present.

 Chapter 265 - Necklace Of The Damned

    Waves of pain spread through Lucius''s soul, but it was nothing he had not experienced before and was able to bear through. The Spike and chain had now been detached from the hell imprint and were held in his soul''s hands now.

    The chain was easily over a hundred meters long and had nearly thirteen hundred souls trapped in it. The chain started shrinking in Lucius''s hand and soon turned into what looked like a ne.

    There was a spike like pendant handing at the bottom of the ne and if one looked closely they would realize that this was the very same spike that had impaled all of the souls before trapping them into the chain.

    The souls themselves turned into motes of light that hung onto the ne like gems. They were tiny and looked like sparling particles of gemstone dust instead. Lucius looked at the ne in his hand and smiled.

    "Ne of the Damned¡­ never thought I would ever hold one in my hands¡­" Lucius muttered to himself.

    The ne of the Damned was a special kind of spell that was also a piece of equipment at the same time. It was made by trapping several souls using thebination of two different spells.

    The first spell was the Spike of the Damned and was the spike that impaled the souls. Then the second spell was the Chain of the Damned, which trapped the souls within them. Individually, the two spells had different effects.

    The Spike of the Damned was used to directly hurt the minds and souls of one''s enemies while the Chain of the Damned was used to restrain their spell casting and magical abilities. Of course, this was when the spells were used normally.

    In the case of Lucius, he had used them in the soul form and had even used the Hell imprint to empower them. This had resulted in a qualitative change and thus it could be used to make another spell called the Ne of the Damned.

    It came under a rather unique category and was ssified as ''Soul Equipment''. It was just as its name was, immaterial equipment that only souls could use. The function of the Ne of the Damned was rather simple. It was a battery.

    It could be used to power anything, from soul spells, to normal spells, to using them for alchemy and many such things. And since it was a piece of soul equipment, it could not be stolen nor could it be damaged.

    It would always stay with the owner and would not part from them unless it was depleted. More souls could be added to itter on if needed to recharge it or even increase its overall quantity.

    In Lucius''s past world, it was one of the most difficult things to make. While the ne of the Damned was a piece of Soul Equipment, it was not like it could not be separated from the owner.

    Of course, this could only be done by the owner themselves. They could transfer it into another vessel, which could then be given to another person, and they could take the Ne of the Damned for themselves.

    Every Ne of the Damned was easily ssified as top tier equipment in Lucius''s past world, and even if someone wanted to get their hands on one, they could not. This was not just because they were incapable of making it, rather because of the world itself.

    Unlike this world, Lucius''s past world had plenty of gods that had their divine pull. They would never let go of souls easily and if one wanted to make a Ne of the Damned, they would have to first deal with the divine pull of the gods.

    Only once that problem was solved could they do this. Of course, how many souls were used for the making of the Ne of the Damned also differed. A Ne made from a hundred souls was already a rarity, not to mention one that had a thousand souls.

    Even if there was a great massacre and tens of thousands of people died, a mage might not necessarily be able to capture more than ten souls from all those that died. Fighting the divine pull was just that hard.

    And this was ''IF'' they were able to do it safely. When the gods got pissed, they would send their priests and pdins to deal with the problem. This was another thing that the maker of a ne of a Damned needed to take care of.

    As for the kind that Lucius had just made, it was simply difficult. Going beyond a thousand souls was already pushing one''s luck and Lucius had reached almost thirteen hundred souls.

    If this Ne of the Damned was sold in Lucius''s past world, Lucius would gain enough fortune to set up an entire city of his own. Or¡­ if he gave this to the Great Barrom n as a tribute, his position would rise very quickly and he may even be made into a True Name.

    Such was the value of a Ne of the Damned. In fact, one of the most valuable artifacts of the Great Barrom n was none other than a Ne of the Damned. But this one was beyond anything that had ever been made.

    This Ne of the Damned was said to have been made from over a million souls. It was in the ownership of one of the elders of the Great Barrom n and allowed him to have almost endless Mana.

    "So much power and wealth¡­ the people from my world have sacrificed so much to make one with even a hundred soul one and here I am. From just a tiny battle, I manage to make a Ne of the Damned with over 1200 souls. Marvelous¡­ and ridiculous too." Lucius couldn''t help but say.

    Lucius looked at the Ne for another minute and then put it around his soul''s neck.

    <em>~SHUA~</em>

    The moment he did though, his soul glowed like a lighthouse, letting out a light that spread all the way in his soul space.

 Chapter 266 Massive Gains

    ? Lucius felt the power of the Ne of the damned surge through his soul.?

    A feeling of great ecstasy filled him, the likes of which he had never felt before. It was something Lucius doubted he would ever forget. The Ne of the damned glowed brighter and brighter, filling the entire soul space with its light.

    All the exhaustion that Lucius had felt till now was being washed away rapidly and the Soul energy he had exhausted was restored rapidly. And not only that, he could actually feel his innate soul energy capacity increase by the second.

    ~SHUA~

    The imprint of Nexus seemed to have awakened and quickly absorbed the Aether in the air. The Hell imprint started to react and rapidly produced Hell energy as a result of Aether being produced as well.

    The Hell Imprint and Nexus were as if in apetition, with neither wanting to fall back. It was like a battle between two lions for territory, as if the one who had less energy of its type would lose.

    Time continued to pass as Lucius felt the feeling ecstasy fade away. Instead of it, there was a state of calm left behind. It was a calmness he had seldom felt and was reliving to him. His body had soon reached the max amount of Aether it could hold and started to utilize it.

    Under the nourishment of the Aether, his body started to heal and the injuries he had sustained during the battle healed rapidly. And once his body was fully healed, the many doors in his Soul Space suddenly opened and absorbed the excess Hell energy and Aether that were produced.

    The Lost that were standing in five files in the distance shuddered lightly while their eyes glowed in a dark red light. Thankfully, it was daytime and under their helmets it was hard to see.

    Thought a few soldiers that were standing near the lost caught it for a moment.

    "Huh? Am I too tired?" One of the soldiers wondered if he had been mistaken.

    He took another look at the Lost but quickly looked away due to being intimidated. All the soldiers had witnessed the brutality of the Lost and didn''t want to get on their bad side at all.

    Even if he knew that the Masked Legion was on their side for now, their acts only made them feared.

    After all, the Masked legion were mercenaries in the end. For now, they might be on their side, but there was always a chance in the future that someone else might hire them and it would be them on the opposing side.

    This was themon fear that most people had when dealing with strong mercenaries. While they were powerful when on your own side, when they were on the other sideter, it would only make one frustrated.

    But that was simply the way of the mercenaries. The one that had coin would be king!

    "Hey! Come on, what''re you doing?" the soldier''spanion nudged his back.

    "Yeah, hurry up! We got more bodies to note!" another soldier who was checking a body spoke up.

    "Ah! Yeah! I''ming," The soldier who had gazed at the Lost said before running away to do his duties.

    The faint change in the Lost went unnoticed after that and the same could be said for Lucius. No one knew he would not be the same the next time they see in. Merely a single battle would be the catalyst for his rise.<sub> </sub>

    Time slipped by like water between the fingers, and two hours had psed.

    ~huu~

    Lucius took a deep breath and opened his eyes, that shimmered like a star. There were red, blue and white lights shimmering within his eyes, but they too disappeared after a couple of seconds.

    "Now that was a gain I certainly did not expecta€|" Lucius muttered to himself as he checked his body.

    He could see the injuries he had gained over the course of battle and the fatigue along with it having disappeared entirely.?

    "And the hidden gains are even morea€| Aether, Hell Energy, And Soul Energya€| all increased." Lucius said with upturned lips.

    From his rough estimate, he could tell that his Aether capacity had more that doubled and the same could be said for Hell Energy too. As for his soul energy, if he considered his innate capacity, it had increased by about forty percent.

    This gain might seem smallpared to the rest, but one must know that even in Lucius''s past world of Revelia, it took a person many years to increase it by this much.

    But what was even more impressive was the price that had been paid for it.

    Lucius could feel the Ne of the Damned on his soul''s neck even now. It was a pleasant feeling, to say the least, and he couldn''t help but trace his real hand over his neck.

    "A hundred and twenty three souls expended for thisa€|" Lucius counted. "And one thousand, one hundred and sevens souls left. A rather light pricea€| just the increase in Soul energy is more than three times worth the price." Lucius estimated.

    He knew just how much a Ne of the Damned that was made with just a hundred souls would cost. And if one exchanged that with other elixirs and items that could enhance and increase one''s soul energy, the price would be about this.

    But Lucius not only got that, he also increased his Aether and Hell Energy capacity at the same time.

    And just as Lucius was pondering on this, he felt a faint signaling from his Lost.

    "Oh? A little weasel managed to slip in?" Lucius smirked as his gaze went to a certain direction.

    The direction was among the injured that were allid on stretchers and were waiting to be taken to the camp.?

    "Let''s see what the weasel brings usa€| perhaps our gains are yet to enda€|" Lucius muttered with a chuckle.

    Standing up, he started walking toward the fifteen lost, not bothered whether the ''weasel'' would run or not.

 Chapter 267 A Weasel

    Casually walking towards the Lost, Lucius paid no attention to the ce where the ''weasel'' was.

    "Young Lord Asher!" The soldiers doing their work near the Lost all stood up to salute.

    "At ease." Lucius responded before looking at the Lost.

    Their faces were hidden behind the helmets, but Lucius didn''t need to look at them to know what they were thinking.

    ''The gains from the souls have increased their power on some level too. The feed back is steadily improving them¡­'' Lucius thought to himself.

    But he only thought about this for a second, as his main goal was something else here. Lucius essed the minds of the Lost and got the information from them.

    "Let''s see what the weasel wants and how it got here." Lucius muttered before directing the Lost to spread around.

    It was just as a precaution and would prevent the weasel from escaping and others of his kind froming in as a back up.

    The soldiers doing their duty felt strange seeing Lucius mutter a few words to the Lost before going away. Even the Lost who had not spoken a word since the start went somewhere.

    The lost were rather fast and they couldn''t even tell when they were out of their field of vision.

    Lucius on the other hand, continued to walk towards the camp for the injured.

    "How are our men doing?" Lucius asked one of the nurses tending to the soldiers.

    "Ah, Young Lord Asher!" The nurse was a bit surprised. "We thankfully had you so we can respond quick. All those that are not dead will survive and as long as we get them to the healers quickly, they will have nosting injuries." The nurse replied.

    "Is that so? Well, that''s good. Keep up the excellent work." Lucius replied with a smile.

    But at the same time, his eyes twitched as a string of words appeared in front of him.

    Gift Name: Lingering Mark

    Description: The owner can put an invisible mark made from the sweat secreted from their skin. This mark canst for up to a month and will be traceable using dogs and other such beasts.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Possible

    Lucius'' eyes narrowed as the information presented to him was a bit different than he had expected.

    ''It''s not really something that can harm directly¡­ while it can be a privacy and security threat, tracking injured soldiers isn''t of much use since they would be found simply by asking around.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    The nurse in front of him was the person that Lost had detected entering the camp. The Lost had better senses than most and was vigntly looking around all the time. Their sense of smell could even differential between the hundreds of people that were here right now.

    And they had informed Lucius that this nurse had appeared from outside the battlefield. It would have been normal if she hade along with the batches of other nurses, but she hade from an entirely different side of the battlefield and had sneaked her way in to make it seem like she was here the entire time.

    The others didn''t suspect anything at all as there were too many nurses and the injured soldiers were not in a state to be alert either.

    ''Seems like I''ll have to get to know her a bit more.'' Lucius thought as he gazed into the eyes of the nurse, making her avert her gaze and blush slightly.

    Lucius was after all, rather handsome and such an urrence was rathermon for him now when he met with most women.

    "May I have the honor of knowing what your name is Nurse?" Lucius gently asked.<sub> </sub>

    "Of course Young Lord! I''m June." The nurse hurriedly replied.

    "Ah, Nurse June. That is a sweet name." Luciusplemented, and maintained his smile, only make the nurse blush more.

    "Then, can I trouble Nurse June to take a look at my injuries?" Lucius questioned.

    "You are injured, my lord!?" The soldiers nearby heard it and said out loud in concern.

    "I am, but nothing you need to worry about right now, soldier. For now, you all just need to focus on resting and healing." Lucius quickly responded, only making the soldiers feel content that their young lord was worried about them.

    The nurse on the other hand, showed a slightly bothered expression. But this faded away almost instantly and was reced with the same worried expression.

    "YES! Please Young lord, we need to take care of your injuries quickly!" Nurse June answered.

    She seemed to be a bit eager and was about to pull on Lucius'' armor.

    "Wait, not here." Lucius interrupted. "We''ll go to my private tent." He added.

    "S-sure, Young lord Asher." The nurse said and her fingers eased up.

    ''Hmm¡­ is she pretending or making a mistake deliberately?'' Lucius wondered, noting her bodynguage.

    The two quickly left therge tent and went to another smaller tent that was built for Lucius to rest.

    The p was lifted, and Lucius entered first with the Nurse following behind him.

    "Please take a seat and let me take a look, Young lord." The Nurse said and gestured for Lucius.

    Lucius did as was asked, all the while maintaining a genial expression.

    ~ck~

    ~ck~

    One by one, the buckles of the armor were released before it finally came apart.

    With it off, the nurse gently touched Lucius''s skin, more specifically his right arm as there was quite some blood on it.

    "Young Lord has certainly fought valiantly." Nurse June said, but then her brows furrowed. "But you have surprisingly not sustained any injuries?"

    ~shua~

    At this time, Lucius felt faint waves of Aether swirling in the air. With his enhanced senses, he could easily tell that a gift had been activated.

    "Does Nurse June have a healing gift?" Lucius suddenly asked.

    ? "Huh?" The nurse was a bit startled. "No¡­" She replied.

    And as soon as she said this, Lucius''s expression turned cold.

    "Then what did you just use on me?"

 Chapter 268 Pop Goes The Weasel

    A shudder went down Nurse June''s spine. The Young Lord''s expression was frighteningpared to his genial manner earlier.

    More than that, it was the fact that Lucius discovered that she used her gift that alerted her. She did not realize that he was this extremely skilled at detecting Aether.

    Or perhaps he was simply too paranoid.

    Yes, that was more likely.

    "Forgive me¡­ this one does not understand what the Young Lord is speaking about." Nurse June tried to lie with a sweet smile.

    "You know very well what I am referring to." Lucius tly said.

    "Perhaps it is your imagination, Young Lord?"

    "You''re telling me that my judgment is clouded?" Lucius raised a brow, speaking more coldly.

    He would have preferred to not fool around any longer, but he was also interested in seeing how much further she''ll dig her own grave.

    "No, Young Lord. It is¡­"

    Nurse June vigorously shook her head and became desperate. It was clear that every minute she lingered here, the worse things were getting for her.

    "It is just¡­ after this exhrating battle, you must be exhausted and yet find yourself unable to rx. Would you like me to fetch you a drink? I can also call for a nurse with a healing gift at once!"

    Lucius faintly smiled at her feeble attempts of escaping. It was a smileparable to a predator staring down at its prey who didn''t realize that it was already trapped from all corners.

    "You must be so bold enough to attempt to deceive me, Nurse June. But isn''t it clear that you just used your gift right now? Lingering Mark, wasn''t it?"

    Nurse June''s eyes widened and her hand instinctively withdrew from Lucius''s right arm.

    Lucius instantly grabbed her wrist, a vice-like grip that prevented her from escaping.

    "Now tell me, while I''m still feeling generous, on why a weasel has sneaked her way into camp."

    The nurse stared at him with a frozen expression. She was now in aplete state of shock at the Young Lord''s words and was unable toprehend how he realized her gift and agenda.

    "Young Lord¡­"

    "Do not test my patience, Nurse June." Lucius said.

    He had no intentions of letting her off easily, but it was also important for him to discover how much she was willing to divulge on her own.

    Was this Nurse June willing to betray her orders to save her neck? Or would she remain silent throughout the duration of this?<novelnext></novelnext>

    What were the chances that Nurse June would kill herself to prevent information from being revealed?

    This would inform Lucius of the methods of the superiors who sent her. Were they ruthless as the Barrom n who had ways of finishing off servants who even thought of disobeying?

    Nurse June slightly swayed, her knees feeling weak, as she stood in front of the Young Lord. Out of all her missions, this was the first time that she ever gotten herself captured.

    Her thoughts raced in her head and her palms became sweaty. Nurse June looked everywhere at once in desperation before a crazy idea clung to her.

    "I¡­ I''ll scream, Young Lord," Nurse June trembled. "What would your soldiers think if they thought that their beloved Young Lord was forcing himself on a nurse? You''ll tarnish the Inanis Family''s name if you don''t let go of me now."

    Lucius stared disappointedly at the nurse before tightening his grip, crushing her wrist was an easy matter for him.

    Nurse June yelped in pain, tears springing up in her eyes.

    Even if she had screamed, Lucius'' amodations were built more for privacy andfort of a young lord. Hence why not much sounds would have left the tent in the first ce.

    "If you do not give me the truth now, I''m quite inclined to let you know that a broken wrist is the least thing for you to worry about." Lucius''s eyes glinted. "We can very much also solve this issue of you screaming right now as well if you wish."

    The thought of cutting up the insolent tongue of the nurse crossed Lucius''s mind alongside various torture methods. Of course, it was easier if she spoke up now as a mutted tongue would hinder it.

    Nurse June looked at Lucius and came to the realization that this was very real. If she did not speak up now, those threatening words of Lucius would very much turn into cruel actions.

    Gone was the amicable and kindly Young Lord, instead the full colors of his character was now fully revealed.

    "T-the reason why I am here is to use my gift, Young Lord." Nurse June said. "As you have already known, my gift is the Lingering Mark. I havee to mark the valuable soldiers who used their skills and strengths well."

    Lucius looked at her wordlessly, and it was enough to unnerve her further. Most people would have already said something, it was human nature to respond to social cues.

    But Lucius did the opposite for its intended effects.

    "N-not only that, but I also needed to find the documents where the soldiers'' gifts are recorded. This is all in order to be able to track themter by members from various mercenary groups."

    "And the purpose of all of this is to achieve what?" Lucius asked. The answer was evident already in between the lines, but it was still better for her to admit everything.

    Nurse June hesitated, because from her previous words, it was still possible to make the wrong conclusion that her superiors simply wanted intel on the personal army of the Inanis Family.

    However, she found herself unable to tell a lie in front of the Young Lord. Nurse June felt like he was able to see right through her no matter what.

    "All of this is to be done so that these soldiers willter be abducted or killed. The aim is to weaken the Inanis Family and its territory, Young Lord." Nurse June finally revealed.

 Chapter 269 Catching The Spy

    "Hmmm¡­ then who are these mercenary groups? And what is a woman like you doing by working with them?" Lucius asked.

    ? "I cannot tell you anything more, Young Lord." Nurse June looked at the Young Lord pleadingly. "Please have mercy. If I reveal it, they will kill and hunt me off."

    At those words, Lucius smiled and suddenly released his grip on her. "That''s thest thing you''ll need to worry about Nurse June."

    The nurse stumbled onto the ground and stared at Lucius with an iprehensible look on her face. The smile that was on the Young Lord''s face was terrifying.

    No, every single thing that the young lord did was frightening. Nurse June''s skin was covered with goosebumps, and a cold feeling washed over her.

    "W-will the Inanis Family offer protection, Young Lord? T-that is what you mean, yes?" Nurse June trembled.

    She did not think that a single Count was capable of protecting her from every enemy that was actually out to get them, but at this moment, Nurse June feared for her life in front of the Young Lord.

    The truth was that Nurse June falsely believed that the young lord Asher Inanis was someone who could be reasonable.

    That maybe, the Young Lord would offer a hand to her and assure her that no harm wille to her as long as she reveals who was after them.

    All of those thoughts crashed for Nurse June as she stared at the unnerving smile on Lucius''s face.

    "After all the inconvenience you''ve made, you still think you''re deserving to be taken under my wing?"

    The nurse suddenly smelled the scent of blood. When she nced behind her, the terrible Masked Legion appeared from out of nowhere.

    Before Nurse June shrieked again, one of them moved forward and knocked her out.

    The Lost then picked up her body, which was all ording to the orders that Lucius secretly sent out earlier.

    "It never fails to impress me on how some people are this delusional." Lucius muttered to himself as he eyed the body of Nurse June.

    The information she held was incredibly valuable, yes, but it was quite naive of her to think it was enough to give her some protection.

    Perhaps there might be a ''merciful'' lord who''d think it was awful to treat someone inhumanely. However, it was far more logical to presume to get tortured for the information that she had.

    Lucius stood up from his seat and left the tent. Meanwhile, the Lost slipped away at once, bringing Nurse June away.

    It didn''t take Lucius too long to look for the Count as he was not too far away in the camp. The man was surrounded by most of his immediate subordinates, still coordinating various things in regard to the recent battle.

    These people immediately gave their respectful greetings and moved back upon the arrival of their Young Lord.

    Count Gabriel also temporarily paused mid-conversation to look at his son. He raised his brows. "Are you not resting right now, my son?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Father, may I speak with you?" Lucius asked. "There is some urgent matter that I''d like to discuss with you in private."

    The Count immediately furrowed his brows, but quickly dismissed his men and led his son to his own private tent.

    If there was a reason why his son was opting not to rest after a great battle, it was surely an important matter.

    The Count then sat down and motioned for Asher to do the same. He had faith in his son''s judgment and immediately wanted to discuss the reason for their meeting.

    "What happened?" Count Gabriel could hardly wait, folding his hands together and looking at Asher.

    Lucius appreciated that the Count was a straightforward and direct man.

    "I would like to inform you that a spy hase in the midst of their camp, but worry not, she has already been apprehended." Lucius promptly informed.

    He said it all quickly to avoid any outbursts on the side of the Count, but it became momentarily visible that rage and surprise formed in the features of Count Gabriel.

    "As if it''s not enough that these enemies of ours create disruption in the battle, they do not waste their time and immediately send one of their own to infiltrate too." Count Gabriel clenched his fist but rxed it a secondter.

    "Indeed." Lucius acknowledged. "The purpose of their arrival was to mark all notable soldiers during the battle and to apprehend them at ater date. They wish to weaken the Inanis Family''s strength and territory this way."

    It was hard for most to mask one''s expressions, but Count Gabriel managed to retain a calm look on his face despite the news.

    "What is it then that you would like to do?" Count Gabriel asked. "You are the one who discovered this spy, naturally you must have some intentions to take care of this, right away."

    Lucius came here to get express permission from the Count, but found himself pleased once again that the man easily surmised what he had intended all along.

    It truly made things a lot easier for Lucius, the Count was exceedingly useful to keep around.

    "Yes, father. I''vee to ask your approval to interrogate the spy and discover more information." Lucius smiled. "It''s vital for us to know who the true enemies are now that we''ve more or less annihted the Viscount Drew''s forces."

    Count Gabriel slowly nodded his head, once again feeling a mixture of pride and a hint of surprise.

    It was in moments like these that it felt like he couldn''t recognize his own son, but that simply proved how much one can change given some time.

    He was proud and grateful to Etara for these changes, but that didn''tpletely erase a father''s worry about his child.

    "You have my permission, but be careful and on Guard." Count Gabriel said. "Also be ready for a few meetings in theing days."

    "Thank you, I will now take my leave, father."

 Chapter 270 Return To The Inanis Territory

    "Ah, I was about to send someone to look for you. It''s good that you''re here already." Lucius returned to his tent and found Kiana waiting for him.

    Lucius momentarily took note of Kiana''s condition and as expected found her to be in good shape.

    "I''m d that you came back unharmed." She said with a smile.

    The two of them hadn''tst seen each other except during the start of the battle, before the two went their own separate ways.

    Unlike him who took a more pivotal role during the battle on the front lines, Kiana only needed to stay at a certain position to attack enemy soldiers and didn''t need to approach.

    Lucius really didn''t need to worry about her, and would be more disappointed if she ended up injured. Seeing that there was nothing amiss, he could continue with his ns uninterrupted.

    "We''ll be leaving at once," Lucius said.

    "What happened?" Kiana''s brows furrowed together. "The soldiers I questioned earlier said that one of the nurses apanied you here to be treated. When I came into your tent, no one was here."

    "Oh, that." Lucius shook his head. "That was merely a method to lure that spy away from the others and corner her here."

    Kiana''s eyes widened and she looked at him with even more worry. A great amount of guilt struck her and she wished that she had been around during that time, even if Asher waspletely safe.

    "There was a spy, Asher?" Kiana asked with concern.

    "Yes, she wished to infiltrate the camp and mark our notable soldiers to either be abducted or killed." Lucius informed her. "She''s working with various mercenary groups."

    "Where is she now?" Kiana''s expression turned cold. The thought of a vile wench trying to threaten the Inanis Family, and especially Asher was enough to make her blood boil. "Who are these groups?"

    Inparison, Lucius was far more rxed, if not just more concentrated on getting things done as soon as possible.

    He actually disliked the fact that he had to repeat the story twice now and wanted to carry on at once, but patiently replied.

    "That is something for us to discover. As for the location of our spy, she is currently with the Masked Legion and we shall be bringing her back to theboratory for an interrogation. I''ve gotten permission from father already."

    "I see." Kiana said and stood up. "I''ll arrange our transportation at once then. Will we be heading to theboratory right away? I think it will be also good to visit the Countess, present that you are safe and deliver the good news."

    Lucius sighed inwardly. He would much rather avoid the social necessities of presenting himself to Countess Lita, but it did make sense for a son to do it.

    It would seem more suspicious if he didn''t.

    "I actually did have that in mind as well." Lucius lied. "I''m sure that mother is eager to hear the news."

    Kiana smiled, relieved to hear that. She knew that there was a lot to be done, especially with the spy being discovered.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, there always seemed to be something happening around Asher. Or rather, Asher made sure that there was much for him to aplish.

    If Kiana couldn''t convince Asher to rest, the Countess would surely want her son to do and he would be more obliged.

    Even though Asher proved himself to be incrediblypetent, Kiana couldn''t help but be concerned for the young lord''s well-being from time to time.

    "Okay, I''ll take my leave and return shortly once everything is prepared," Kiana said before she left Lucius by himself.

    As promised, it didn''t take Kiana that long to gather up Asher''s personal guards alongside their transportation.

    Lucius also brought in the Masked Legion, sending them their orders to travel separately and to deliver Nurse June as well.

    It was with this group that Lucius returned shortly after to the Inanis territory. Once they arrived at the mansion, it was none other than Countess Lita herself who personally rushed to wee them.

    "My son!" Countess Lita''s eyes brimmed with tears. Even though she had full confidence in her husband and son''s abilities, the Countess couldn''t help but still worry.

    But now that she saw that Asher was safe, her concerns were relieved.

    "We''ve returned with good news, mother." Lucius inclined his head.

    "I know." Countess Lita smiled. "I''m d that you are back. Surely you are exhausted or fatigued? Do you wish to rest immediately in your chambers? Were all of your injuries treated?"

    "He is in perfect condition," Kiana reassured the Countess.

    "I see, I see. Well, it still makes sense for both of you and everyone who''s arrived to rest a little. The chefs are already preparing a nourishing feast as well. Rest a little and perhaps inform me of what transpired."

    Countess Lita was looking for news, and though she wished that her husband was back already as well, she understood that there were reasons that kept him back with the army.

    Lucius knew that the quickest way to head back to hisboratory was to satisfy the desires of his ''mother'' for a while, and thus he spent about two hours aplishing everything that would get the Countess'' back off him.

    ? The young lord Asher rested, ate and told stories about what happened on the battlefield alongside Kiana at the dining hall.

    He also asked for any notable updates regarding the brewery, and what transpired during the time that he was gone and listened to the stories that his mother wanted to inform him.

    As for the personal guards of the young lord, Lucius gave them the chance to rest and recuperate from their battle while the Masked Legion headed back to the re-education center.

    Once everything was in order and Countess Lita insisted that Lucius head back into his chambers and rest, it was there that Lucius finally took his leave.

    Lucius wasn''t going to be interrupted for a while and so he headed to theboratory.

 Chapter 271 The Restrained June

    Lucius arrived in theboratory at the re-education center, having left Kiana behind to perform the interrogation by himself.

    While he could have made her apany him to observe the event, increase her exposure to what ''Asher'' was actually doing, the truth was that she had already seen him torture the prisoners and do other gruesome things.

    There was no tangible benefit to having her around for this too.

    Kiana was not really necessary for this asion and thus he opted to leave her behind.

    Lucius walked in to see June currently restrained on one of the tables and she was still knocked out.

    One of the reasons why he chose to prioritize the interrogation immediately was to ensure that June remained unconscious when he arrived.

    It had given him the time to consider his options.

    Lucius also preferred to be on top of things, not wanting to let work pile up on him when it was possible for it to be aplished immediately.

    He nced at the corner of the room. The Lost were currently standing in their ces near the walls, and yet they were also ready to perform any of his orders at a moment''s notice.

    Despite their lowered intelligence, all of them had carried out the tasks that he instructed them to do as long as Lucius was specific.

    It was how June was brought here without any hitches.

    Lucius nced at the avable tools for him inside theboratory. If he wanted to, he could easily perform a multitude of torture methods to get the answers that he wanted.

    There were a great number of Barrom n members who highly enjoyed the chance to inflict pain on other individuals, especially servants which made him quite familiar with such things.

    Lucius could easily match their methods or even exceed them, but he knew that wasn''t the only way.

    "Some individuals might still be able to lie in spite of torture or refuse to speak up depending on their willpower." Lucius muttered.

    He nced once again at June unconscious at the table and took notice of her broken wrist. Lucius already applied a certain measure of pain but June still managed to hold back on giving him the information he wanted.

    "The cruelty of such methods does not necessarily equate to their effectiveness." Lucius acknowledged with a thoughtful look.

    A number of the Barrom n members were predisposed to torture methods due to their innate sadism, but that didn''t mean that was the best option utilized by the experts within the n.

    Lucius slightly hummed and considered June''s condition once more.

    "It''s a fortunate matter that I do not have to worry about any anti-interrogative spells used on her if she reveals anything useful, I see no possible equivalents except for an exceedingly expensive and rare artifact, and even that is a bit unlikely."

    In the past, there were mages who could ce useful spells in order to keep information from being spread.<novelnext></novelnext>

    If a person was ever captured and interrogated, they would either bite their tongue off and die or even find themselves only able to speak lies to spread disinformation.

    However, that was not what Lucius was concerned about now. In his case, there was no one he was worried about revealing his secrets.

    The Mark of Obedience could instantly kill the individuals serving him in question if he triggered it, and it was something that Lucius might have used if the Church of Duran was to investigate the methods used in the re-education center and he wished to prevent any leaks.

    Or say, Neta if he were to prove a liability to be left alive.

    "Thinking of the Mark of Obedience, the answer is quite obvious now. A spell is the best method to get the answers that I want." Lucius said.

    It wasn''t visible on his physical body now, but Lucius felt the power of the Ne of the Damed on his soul space.

    There was no doubt that this soul artifact had greatly increased his capacity for spells. And so that was the method that he would be going with.

    "The only question now is what spell should I use?" Lucius rubbed his chin and considered his options.

    Out of all the spells that were in his knowledge, Lucius was highly inclined to use an enving or absolute truth spell as they were foolproof methods for getting the answers that he wanted.

    Unfortunately for Lucius, they were too difficult for him as of right now. Even with Ne of the Damned, that did not change the exorbitant amount of effort still needed to be exerted in creating spell matrices.

    Something along the lines of the Mark of Obedience already took him a while to create and it was one of the simpler spells that he knew when it came to controlling someone.

    If Lucius were to attempt to create a spell for envement that performed everything ordingly, it would be too strenuous for him and the chance for error and repetition was too much.

    The same went for the absolute truth spell.

    "A shame, since the Lingering Mark is actually quite a useful gift. I could have made use of it if I were to enve her." Lucius said to himself.

    If he had that gift in his hands, the applications for it were endless. But Lucius chose to put that thought away for now and considered his other options.

    It only took him a minute or two toe to a decision.

    "Hmmm¡­ I suppose this would do for now." Lucius nodded to himself. He then went for one of the chairs avable in theboratory and sat down to meditate.

    Lucius closed his eyes and focused on constructing the spell matrix.

    The spell in question had a high consumption rate. It demanded a lot from its user but in the hands of an experienced caster, its flexibility was remarkable.

    It would be useful for him in this situation and in several more toe. Lucius worked on creating the special spell from his past life, the Veil of Terror.

 Chapter 272 Veil Of Terror

    Lucius spent the next several hours inside theboratory creating the Spell Matrix, formting and crafting it with careful precision and avoiding even the most inane of errors and slips.

    He had to stop several times and check if each corner of the matrix was ording to its original design.

    It was something difficult even for him but he persevered until he finished it.

    Once Lucius was done, he quickly checked on the other spell matrices in his mind space. All of them were still intact and none of their integrity was actually affected.

    But Lucius still needed to test it.

    Lucius raised his hand, forming a small and swirling fireball within it, and was satisfied to see no damage to its spell matrix whatsoever and he did the same for each one of them.

    No cracks or damages urred which pleased Lucius greatly.

    He originally wanted to produce artifacts topensate for the limited use avable for the spell matrices he had, but in the future, there was also a great chance for him to be able to use them more than he initially surmised.

    Putting those thoughts aside for now, he checked on the Veil of Terror.

    The Veil of Terror was simple on the surface. One could easily surmise what this spell could do from its namesake alone.

    When a caster used this spell, the one affected by the Veil of Terror would see an illusion that would terrify them.

    By default, the spell would show something that was inherently scary to the person in question, hence why it took quite a lot of time to make as the spell needed to distinguish and personalize the terrors for each individual.

    However, in the hands of an experienced caster, they would be able to actually control the illusions themselves and create their own special terror inflicting illusion.

    Satisfied that he was finished, Lucius nced once again at June who was still unconscious. He approached the table and double-checked each restraint that the Lost used.

    It was far better to ensure that June was properly restrained because while it was easy enough to apprehend her by himself or with the Lost, that would waste his already precious time and would be a bother.

    "Alright, this was done adequately." Luciusmented, taking note that despite their incredibly huge figures, the Lost were still capable of careful handling such as using the restraints properly.

    "Doyle, fetch me that bucket of water." Lucius called out.

    The Lost responded and quickly fulfilled his orders, handing off the bucket to its master before turning back to its ce.

    Once he got the bucket in his hands, Lucius didn''t stall any further and immediately sshed June with the bucket''s contents.

    He watched the woman suddenly waking up, her eyes flickering and looking disoriented but she identally jerked her broken wrist around its restraint.

    "Argh!" June''s eyes widened as she gasped.

    The pain from her wrist quickly sobered June up and she realized that she was no longer at the camp.

    June''s gaze fell on Lucius and a terrible feeling sank into her stomach, but she refused to say a word.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Good. You''re awake now." Lucius folded his hands behind his back and stared at her for a moment, allowing her the chance to regain her bearings.

    "W-where am I?" June finally asked, unable to hold herself back.

    The eerie nature of the basement unnerved the woman and she became restless. June was aware that she couldn''t escape, but it didn''t stop her from wanting to know either.

    "Ah, it''s not you who''s supposed to ask questions around here, June." Lucius told her as he slowly paced back and forth near the table.

    "I''m the one who will be interrogating you, but I''ll extend you some courtesy. This is where I do most of my important work, you should feel privileged for being able to witness this ce."

    The Young Lord''s answer only increased the uneasiness of June. She could easily tell from the tables, restraints and tools that it was some vile location.

    "Now then, I think you''ve recovered enough to be able to ask questions, so it''s finally my turn." Lucius smiled. "It''s in your best interest to cooperate, although you must be well aware of that."

    June''s gaze hardened at him.

    Lucius ignored her look and began his questions. "Is your name really June or is that an alias?"

    June didn''t respond.

    "Is your wrist still in pain?" Lucius asked and raised a brow. "Would you care for it to be treated by a healer?"

    That question made June hesitate slightly, because her wrist was throbbing painfully and she was carefully trying not to move or twitch it unnecessarily.

    The idea of a healer was tempting.

    However, she refused to give in to her desires. June had already revealed too much thest time that they''d seen each other, and any more would be equivalent to her death.

    "Who are you working for?" Lucius asked, and this time, it was his real question.

    June looked away from him. She knew that the chances of her being killed were high here¡­ but she didn''t want to give in to the Young Lord''s methods.

    If June was going to die, she would do it with dignity and knowing that she had not betrayed her organization.

    Lucius saw the hardened expression on her face and could read her face and thoughts to a certain degree. It made him sigh and shake his head.

    "Very well. It seems like you''ve left me no choice." Lucius said before he activated the Veil of Terror.

    June didn''t understand what the Young Lord meant and quickly braced herself. However, all of a sudden, Asher warped before her very eyes.

    His entire body morphed, limbs transforming into grotesque appendages, horns sprouting out of his head and fangs jutting out of his mouth.

    June flinched away from Asher. However, it didn''t stop the sight that was happening in front of her and then Asher, his monstrous figure tore into her.

 Chapter 273 Obedience From Terror

    A scream pierced and echoed inside of theboratory as June wildly thrashed on the table.

    In that moment, she resembled the bore shrews undergoing their transformation, jerking uncontrobly within their cages, except it was a different case for her.

    Lucius observed it all with nothing more but an expressionless look. But at the same time, he had also shaped the Veil of Terror ording to his will.

    While there were probably a multitude of things that would make June''s mind tremble in fear and for her to cry as she was now, Lucius made it sure that she recognized that all of this was happening due to her disobedience.

    He had also taken some liberty with the design by following some of the strange creatures that he witnessed while traveling through the dimensions.

    Those had beenpletely unfathomable such that they would have torn through the mind, but luckily for June, Lucius only needed her to be subservient to his demands.

    In June''s mind, the now monstrous Asher ripped every part of her body, the grotesque appendages tearing into her skin and into her inner organs.

    Searing hot pain spread across her entire body, as if it was set on fire. Meanwhile, Asher''s voice filled her head and the entire room at once, torturing her with his questions and not letting her rest.

    His voice took on a quality that didn''t belong to any human at all.

    And soon, the pain didn''t stop, it only got worse.

    After ripping every little bit of her body and yet making each part of them painfully aware to her, the monster''s ws split open her stomach.

    Blood spilled out of her like a flood and the monster soon tugged out her intestines without hesitation. Asher feasted on her guts, it devoured her kidneys and then before she knew it¡ªstared at her then tore through her face.

    Tears, snot and saliva dribbled and coursed nonstop throughout the entire duration of the spell, the woman unable to control herself.

    And when it was done?

    June continued to be a crying mess even when the visions vanished before her eyes, the spell reaching its end. However, that wasn''t even all of it.

    Lucius wrinkled his nose slightly, every inch of her body was covered in cold sweat and there was the disgusting smell of her own bodily fluids. She had wet herself in fear.

    But all of this was something that Lucius ignored as he stepped closer to her and pulled open her eyes. Lucius made June stare directly at his face.

    "Will you now answer my questions, June?" Lucius asked.

    "Y-yes¡­" June answered in a meek voice.

    "Good."

    June''s body filled with relief. She was d that it was all over and that she was now staring at the normal face of the Young Lord Asher.<novelnext></novelnext>

    June did not understand what had led to her seeing all of those terrifying things, but she knew that if she upset him, she might witness it all over again.

    Everything else seemed so inconsequentialpared to the visions that she saw, that June was ready to spill it all if he asked. Actually, she was more than eager to please him.

    However, June was also afraid of upsetting him that she waited for him to address her first rather than say something by mistake.

    "Now then¡­ Who are you working for?" Lucius asked. He had taken one of the chairs inside of theboratory and ced it closer for him to sit down while listening.

    A part of him still chose to have a small berth to avoid the disgusting stench that came from the woman, but Lucius was more or less satisfied to focus on the information right away.

    "I''m from a special mercenary group known as the Arkaves, Young Lord." June said.

    Lucius stared at her and waited for her to say more, but it became clear to him that she wouldn''t continue unless prompted to.

    Compared to before, June became extremely hesitant and unsure of herself. Lucius sighed inwardly, taking note of how fragile the minds of the people were around here before asking again.

    "And what makes it so specialpared to the others?"

    "We¡­ we are specialized in spying and infiltration, Young Lord." June timidly replied, gulping slightly before speaking again. "T-that is why most of the members'' gifts are especially suited for those tasks."

    "I see. Good, that makes sense." Lucius nodded slightly, offering a tiny bit of praise to increase her willingness to speak and offer information faster than the rate that they were going on.

    June was relieved that things were going so well right now and nodded back slightly. In her mind, she silently berated herself for not cooperating until now.

    If she had said yes the first time, then things wouldn''t have had to escte. Maybe she wouldn''t be restrained on a table with a broken wrist.

    Everything that had happened to her was all her fault for failing to see how things could have worked better if she said yes right away.

    Lucius saw the woman''s expression and knew that she was beginning to make conclusions that tried to exin away her situation.

    Which was actually good, the effects of the Veil of Terror seemed to be much stronger on her mind, but Lucius didn''t have all the time to observe this development.

    "Alright, June. What is your position in this group of yours?" Lucius snapped his fingers to capture her attention.

    There was a reason why Lucius was interested in June''s position. He''d like to know where a rare ranked user would be ced within Arkaves, it would let him estimate the possible strength of the organization.

    "I-I''m one of their mid level members, Young Lord." June spoke hurriedly. She noticed the slight impatience in his words and wracked her brain for answers.

    "And what else can you tell me about Arkaves?" Lucius continued. "You''ve mentioned infiltration and spying, but what urs when you''re asked to engage in conflict?"

 Chapter 274 Arkaves Mercenaries

    "Arkaves is mostly a non-violent mercenary group, Young Lord." June replied. "Most of us simply focus on gathering information and avoid conflict where we can."

    "I see." Lucius eyed the woman and took note of her words. It was easy to make the assumption that they were incapable of conflict or weaker than other mercenary groups.

    But that was not the case.

    It simply meant that they had capable members who could probably go toe in toe with other mercenaries, but mostly chose to not engage inbat.

    "So there is still somebat proficiency among members of your group, but it''sparatively less than say other mercenaries." Lucius said.

    "Y-yes, Young Lord!" June rushed to assure him. "When I was sent here, I did not mean to fight with anyone throughout the mission."

    "Is that so?"

    "I was explicitly told by my superiors to avoid any conflict." June exined. "I had every intention to work properly as a nurse and am actually familiar with the tasks involved in it, Young Lord."

    Lucius listened to her words without batting an eye. And June immediately took it as a sign to exin the situation more to appease him.

    "The original condition for my mission was for the army of Inanis to have lost the battle or retreat. It was only then would I be able to work properly without there being a lot of people and the people left alive would be focused solely on getting treated, Young Lord¡­ but as you know very well, Inanis won."

    "And you still went for the mission despite that?" Lucius was mildly impressed.

    "I had confidence that I would still be able to perform my mission without any problems, Young Lord." June exined meekly. "On top of that, I was not asked to put a mark on you or the Count, only that I needed to mark soldiers that showed exemry work. Hence why I observed the entire battle."

    It was at those words that Lucius blinked momentarily and furrowed his brows. He was actually sure that there was no one within a kilometer radius of the battlefield.

    If they were actually within that scope of the battlefield, the Lost who he had stationed in various parts and were hidden away would have probably found her during the fight.

    "How were you able to observe the entire battle? I am positive that no one was around within a kilometer of the battle."

    "That is because of a special artifact that I had with me, Young Lord." June said. "The mission was of high importance that I was given the chance to use it, and it allowed me to observe everything from afar."

    "And you do not have it with you right now, do you?" Lucius said.

    If it was with her, then the Lost would have already ced it on one of the other tables for him to inspect but that was not the case.

    June shook her head.

    "No, Young Lord. It was too precious for me to carry around, and it would have been too strange if a nurse had it. It''s hidden away along with the rest of my supplies, far from the battlefield. I had been around the area for over two days to not arouse suspicion."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see. Well then, that''s an invitation to retrieve it." Lucius muttered to himself before he sends some hell energy toward some of the Lost.

    He gave them clear instructions to look for the cache of hidden supplies and artifact and to retrieve everything that could be intact.

    June ended up seeing some of the Masked Legion quickly disperse out from theboratory and the sight sent chills down her spine.

    The monster she had seen in the Veil of Terror was the most frightening, but there was something also so inhuman with how the Masked Legion operated that was just inherently wrong for her.

    Actually, it made sense to June that the monster of nightmares she had seen, was also apanied by others of its kind and that was nearly enough to make her soil herself again.

    "Alright, let''s continue." Lucius said, ncing back at June after he was satisfied with themands he sent with the Lost.

    "W-what else would you like to hear, Young Lord? I will answer them to the best of my abilities." June nervously said. She tried not to twitch every now and then, but there was still an uneasiness that seeped within her.

    It also didn''t help that her wrist still throbbed and ached, but she ignored it all in lieu of answering his questions.

    "Very well then." Lucius sped his hands together and looked down at the woman. "This time, I would like to hear more about the people in your group. Inform me of every detail, their identities, their whereabouts, missions and gifts."

    "Do you mean the entire Arkaves, Young Lord?" June asked, cold beads of sweat sliding down her forehead.

    "Yes." Lucius said.

    A sliver of lucidity crept back into June''s mind.

    If she revealed these things, then it wasn''t only her life in danger, but she would also be putting everyone else at risk as well.

    June already knew that there was no hope for herself, that she was trapped in here and every fiber of her being already feared the Young Lord before her.

    However, now it wasn''t only her own life that was at stake. June knew that the Inanis Family probably had enough resources to search and capture the other people.

    "I-I''m afraid that I do not know everyone that well¡­" June weakly said, avoiding his gaze. "We do not normally interact with one another, Young Lord."

    "Do you think I will believe that?" Lucius raised a brow. "You''ve said it yourself that Arkaves is a mercenary group that specializes in infiltration and spying. It makes a lot of sense for each member to gather information amongst themselves, especially those who truly are in this line of work."

    "T-that is¡­" June stuttered.

    "Do not make me repeat myself." Lucius coldly said.

 Chapter 275 Remembrance Of An Old Spy

    While Lucius appreciated individuals who were a testament to willpower and with the capacity to think beyond themselves in search of something greater them¡­ he did not appreciate it for his enemies.

    It simply meant that he would have to spend more effort into getting what he wanted.

    The Tharian Theocracy was a good example.

    The most devoted followers of Thara were willing to sacrifice themselves all for the purpose of worshiping their goddess and would dlyy their lives in service of their perceived greater good.

    Members of the Barrom n would find themselves frustrated with the most zealous members of the Theocracy, who wouldn''t flinch or break under their torture because of how fervent they were in their faith in Thara.

    Of course, it was also possible to put cracks into those beliefs and nt seeds of doubt into their spirit, and Lucius knew that there were methods that could make even the most pious waver¡­

    Given the right amount of knowledge and method, even the faithful would break but that was once again effort and time that could have been used elsewhere.

    Lucius didn''t waste that much time with June, he simply gave her a cold look and watched as the tiniest hint of resistance that she had with her broke.

    When given the chance, most people would selfishly choose self-preservation out of protecting the group, and with a broken mind and spirit, June started to ry the information that he wanted.

    Lucius listened to it all silently, taking note of everything that would prove valuable to him. While he did not have his photographic memory like in the past, the current body of Lucius was starting to catch up.

    ? However, something that June says suddenly caught his attention.

    "¡­This member of ours has a gift called Prator Arrows, and while it is of rare rank, simr to mine, because of itsck of use in the infiltration or spying methods¡­ he is only a low ranked member."

    Lucius blinked and remembered the rune crystal that he had with him matched June''s story. This was the very same crystal that belonged to the man that Doyle had killed a while back.

    Not only that, but even the man''s method of spying was simr to June which was no doubt a thing that was instilled in them.

    "Can you tell me more about this man? Is he still around?" Lucius wanted to verify first if this was truly him or someone who simply had the same gift as the spy that he had found.

    "His name is Cine, and he was assigned to a mission before he disappeared," June exined, before looking a little fearful. "I¡­ I do not know the specific details of his missions. I''m so sorry, Young Lord. I''m not lying at all!"

    Lucius took note of her trembling, but simply ignored it as he felt the connection between the two be more apparent than ever.

    "Disappeared?" he asked.

    "He had not returned in a very long time, and we were unable to find any news about him either. Arkaves believes that he has probably abandoned the mission or waspromised."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius nodded in satisfaction.

    "I see, it''s quite likely that this Cine that you''ve spoken about is the one that I''ve encountered in the past. The chances of himing to kill the Count seems probable as it would have truly weakened the Inanis Territory if he had seeded."

    June''s eyes widened and a shudder went down her spine. If the Young Lord believed that she knew even the slightest thing about this, then she might get punished for something that she didn''t even know about.

    "I-I do not know about this mission at all, Young Lord." June frantically said. "Assassinations arepletely out of my territory. I don''t have the appropriate skills nor strengths for them and so nobody would have informed me about this at all."

    Worried beyond belief, there was a desperate look on June''s face as she pleaded innocence from her former group member''s actions.

    At this point, she didn''t even care about whether he was dead or alive, as long as she would be unharmed by his actions.

    "Yes, I believe you." Lucius said.

    "T-thank you, Young Lord!" June said, a look of relief visible on her face. Her shoulders went ck for a moment as she escaped what she believed to be an even more terrible future.

    Lucius didn''t say anything and simply eyed her. If June was someone who had actually assassinated someone in the past, she would have probably been of a stronger mind.

    However, based on Lucius''s use of the Veil of Terror, that was extremely unlikely. Instead, she actually grew a lot more obedient than he had expected.

    While June showed a bit of a backbone with her hesitance in revealing information about the Arkaves mercenary group members, everything quickly went downhill after that.

    Now, June didn''t even seem to mind or notice that her wrist was still broken and that it needed to be treated immediately before furtherplications could arise.

    And that wasn''t even mentioning the fact that she was still grossly soiled by her own bodily fluids.

    Actually, Lucius had a feeling that if he applied the Mark of Obedience on June right now, it would be a simple process since she was practically forgoing everything just to survive.

    Of course, Lucius didn''t do it though. While he could easily do it now with the surplus of hell energy he got from the Ne of the Damned, he didn''t think it was entirely necessary at this point.

    With June trapped in theboratory, Lucius could easily kill her afterwards. For now though, Lucius still wasn''t done with the woman. He would wring out everyst drop of information he could obtain from her.

    "¡­is there anything else that you would like to hear, Young Lord?" June asked. "I can continue with the rest of the members of Arkaves and their gifts again."

    "No. Tell me about the base location of Arkaves instead."

 Chapter 276 Interrogation

    "No. Tell me about the base location of Arkaves instead."

    June hesitated at the Young Lord''s question, but only because she knew that the answer would displease Asher. However, she wasn''t left with much of a choice and knew that she still needed to answer.

    It was better to incur his wrath with a reply than not give one at all and be dealt with a greater punishment.

    "There is no base of locations for the Arkaves, Young Lord." June said.

    "And what do you mean by that?" Lucius narrowed his eyes.

    "What I mean to say by that, Young Lord is the reason why I said that it''s difficult for me to truly know everyone." June weakly said. "There is no fixed base and the members are spread around, not necessarily meeting that often."

    "How does one receive their orders then?" Lucius asked and crossed his arms.

    "We would simply get a letter that specifies the mission, Young Lord." June answered. "And once we receive it, we are then obliged to do it. We normally don''t see our superiors at all, and I''ve mostly onlye across the same rank or lower ranked than myself."

    "Because it would be unnecessary for lower ranked members to see their superiors when there are other methods to ry information and orders from them." Lucius nodded. "Yes, that makes a lot of sense."

    June nodded, feeling a little relieved that the Young Lord was pleased and epted her words.

    However, unbeknown to her, Lucius was mulling over the situation with Arkaves. It would have been simple if there was one fixed base for Lucius to head to, then he could simply send his men to deal with it.

    But it wasn''t just the Arkaves mercenary group that they were dealing with.

    "Do you know what other mercenary groups will be hired to abduct and kill the remarkable soldiers of Inanis Family?" Lucius asked.

    "N-no, I don''t know anything." June desperately shook her head. "Like with Cine, Young Lord¡­ I only know that he went on a mission but not the details. For this, I was only sent to do my job and gather information, but the actual process and forces that are to be involved afterwards is out of my knowledge."

    "Of course." Lucius said.

    He had expected that much of an answer. It was exactly the same to what he had done with the Dionysia Brewery a couple months back.

    Each of the construction worker, guards and even suppliers who brought the Carom fruits were all unaware of what was happening and only knew enough information to do their jobs properly.

    They were sometimes even given the wrong knowledge to spur on numerous rumors and cause confusion among the nobles. All of this was done in order to fully hide what they were actually doing and keep their cards from being revealed.

    What the Arkaves had done was along the same lines as Lucius did and that made him think. He rubbed his chin lightly and mused about it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It wasn''t strange for noble and royal courts, merchants and even the church itself to think of methods and perform even downright duplicitous acts to gain the upperhand from others.

    But the actual number of people who actually thought of and came up with these things were far lesser than you expected.

    The only reason Barrom n rose to great heights of power to challenge the Tharian Theocracy was not simply because of the raw power of its n members, it was also the leaders that strictly implemented their visions to the less capable ones.

    Not everyone was born to be a leader, and most were more than happy to just copy the crowd and didn''t deviate to the norm.

    "And yet it seems like Arkaves is being led by a smart individual, someone who knows how to use their head." Lucius silently acknowledged and nced at June.

    Once again, if it were not for the superior senses of the Lost within the battlefield, June''s careful preparations would have actually made her mission sessful even without the original condition of the Inanis Family losing the war.

    Nobody was aware, or even suspicious enough to think much about a nurse who simply wanted to treat others.

    And even a low ranked member of Arkaves, Cine was capable of actually observing the Count of the Inanis Family without alerting anyone for at least a week without interruptions.

    He had done that even when his gift was not actually suited for spying at all, which spoke much of his training.

    The only reason why the man was even stopped was by the chance that Lucius had been testing Doyle''s capabilities back then.

    Lucius tapped his finger idly on the armrest of his chair. It was easy for him to feel as if everything had gone well because of all the ns he had made and implemented working for him¡­

    But with the slightest off chance that Lucius hadn''t done a particr thing, the oue might have already changed drastically.

    The Arkaves mercenary group was already proficient enough on its own and it was only possible with the direction of a capable and intellectual individual.

    "Well, well¡­ I suppose this is a sign for me to be sharper than ever, the chance that there''s a worthy adversary in the realm of foresight is something that can''t be ignored." Lucius muttered.

    Lucius had the advantage now with the Lost and their capabilities, but people from across the kingdom were going to hear about the Masked Legion as a new mercenary group.

    That would put anyone with even half a head on their shoulders on guard, especially when news that the entire army of Count Drew was annihted alongside powerful and gifted people who weren''t supposed to be there in the first ce.

    And that wasn''t even Lucius thinking about the other things on his te. Well, this situation was taking precedence for now.

    He turned back to June, there was still a lot more he could gain from her.

 Chapter 277 Well Deserved Rest

    Since the time that she was discovered as a spy and knocked out by Lucius''s men, June remained unconscious until she was brought to the Inanis territory.

    It was only after June was harshly awakened by Lucius throwing water all over her did she be active again.

    But unlike for Lucius who remained concentrated on the task of interrogation, June had far less willpower than him.

    Perhaps it was also the effect of Veil of Terror as well, because the time that urred for June throughout the spell was actually much longer than its duration.

    This in addition with the broken wrist and the great physical turmoil that June underwent through had made her weak and exhausted beyond belief.

    Even with the fear that shackled her to remain subservient to Lucius, her own body was beginning to betray her in this instance.

    June''s eyes drifted to a close ever since Lucius looked away from her and muttered things with himself.

    "I hope that you remain wide awake, we''re still not done for the night, June." Lucius suddenly said.

    June''s eyes widened and she nearly soiled herself again at his voice. It wasn''t over yet.

    This time, Lucius had Doyle fetch him his notebook and pen. For the next several hours afterwards, Lucius continued to interrogate June about everything, including the things they''ve already discussed beforehand.

    June repeated the things that she already said and was forced to give additional information that she didn''t even think were all that relevant.

    But June didn''t understand what Lucius was going for. Even when it seemed like a minor thing, Lucius was learning as many details as possible and noted them all down.

    The smallest thing might help him gain an unexpected edge. Knowledge was power after all.

    Lucius was so engrossed in interrogating June, the hours quickly slipped by and he had almost missed someone knocking at his door.

    "Asher?" Kiana called out unsurely.

    "Come in." Lucius said and nced down at his notebook. It was mostly filled to his satisfaction and could be considered done.

    Kiana''s eyes widened and she quickly entered theboratory. She knew that Asher actually leftst night after his meal with Countless Lita to go to theboratory.

    She also knew that Asher preferred to work at once, but she hadn''t actually expected him to be awake right now since it was morning already.

    Kiana even had brought a tray filled with breakfast for him.

    "Did you¡­ did you actually get any sleep at all?" Kiana asked, hoping that she was mistaken.

    "No. But I did get valuable information from June over here." Lucius said closing his notebook and standing up.

    "Would you like to eat some breakfast then, Asher?"

    "No. I''m fine." Lucius waved a hand. "I think I''d much prefer to go back to the mansion and rest. As much as I''d like to stay here, I''m sure that mother will be looking for me if I''m not around."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kiana nodded. "Yes, the Countess will be displeased to know that you came here immediately instead of getting some rest. I can take care of matters here with our prisoner first if you''d like to go back before me."

    "There''s not much to be done. She just needs to be restrained for the time being." Lucius said and walked past after Kiana, actually looking forward to return to his chambers.

    While the Ne of the Damned had healed all of his injuries gained during the battle, it was not entirely an equivalent to actually getting some rest.

    If anything, Lucius needed to be in a more stable condition to be able to wield the soul artifact properly.

    Kiana trusted Asher''s judgment, but her attention still quickly shifted to June because she wanted to know if there was a lot of cleaning she needed to do to keep theboratory sanitary.

    It wasn''t something that Asher needed to think about after all, and it was something that Kiana took care of.

    However, Kiana''s eyes widen slightly when she checked June''s condition and found nothing more but a broken wrist.

    She almost expected there to be more blood and injuries, maybe even something worse but there was no harm on June at all besides the broken wrist.

    It almost reminded Kiana of the time when they held the daughter of Baron Harrels with them. There wasn''t much physical harm done to her.

    Except June wasn''t a nobleman''s daughter, but in Kiana''s eyes, she had mostly experienced the same thing.

    If only Kiana knew what Lucius had actually done. Then she would have realized that what June experienced was far more worse than what happened to Bethany Harrels.

    Lucius didn''t think that Kiana needed to know about the Veil of Terror at all. At least, not at the moment.

    "I will apany you back to the mansion then." Kiana said and followed after Asher. She didn''t need to stay in theboratory without him.

    Shortly after, Lucius returned back to the Inanis mansion with Kiana and was greeted by the servants and guards of the mansion.

    Lucius gave his people some nods and greetings here and there, but mostly walked with Kiana to his chambers.

    "Is there anything else that I can do for you, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "As of the moment, nothing. I''ll be resting, but if anything important or substantial happens which you deem as urgent and worthy of my attention then I would like you to inform me irregardless." Lucius said.

    "Of course, Asher." Kiana promised and stopped outside of his door.

    Lucius then stepped into his chambers and let out a sigh. He was exhausted, but hadn''t really showed it in front of the others.

    He quickly changed his clothes and then went to bed.

    After some time, Lita came by and checked on him since he missed breakfast and then lunch, but then chose to let him be once she saw how exhausted he looked.

    Lucius slept for over fifteen hours, and when he finally woke up, it was already quitete at night as well.

 Chapter 278 Increased Options And Increased Appetite

    Lucius checked the time and discovered that it was a couple of hours after midnight. He had missed breakfast all the way to dinner.

    "Kiana would have woken me up if there was anything of note, but I suppose everyone is still reeling from the aftermath of the war," Lucius muttered to himself.

    He thought about his options, and while it was quitete, he didn''t need any more sleep. He had already slept enough to recover and anymore was just wasteful.

    In fact, Lucius believed it was much better to wake his body up and take a walk around. It was a much better use of his time.

    "Maybe I''ll go back to theboratory again, check in with Kiana or determine which of my projects can be further worked on tonight." Lucius said to himself.

    Although, truthfully, there wasn''t much to be done right away. Lucius needed to report his findings with June''s interrogation with Count Gabriel, but the man was still not around, and Lucius preferred to ry the information in person although a letter could have still worked out fine.

    The Dionysia Brewery was self-sustainable and didn''t need much of his judgment now that things were running smoothly and he hadpetent people working there. The same applied to the re-education center.

    Gellor and his mercenary team hadn''t exactly returned so the rune beast crystals that he wanted were still unavable which meant that there wasn''t much he could do in terms of upgrading John''s gift.

    The Mist Veil Beasts were tricky to catch, but Finch''s gift would prove that there''d be no problems with the capture and Lucius had already given them information on how to deal with them.

    There was the situation with the Plow Worms being a protected rune beast They were ouwed to hunt and thus he was still waiting for Kiana to update him on their whereabouts in nearby regions.

    As for his three criminals, Arius and the other two had fulfilled his conditions by spreading chaos in the Drew Territory and were probably still biding their time before they could return due to the war.

    And finally, the Church of Duran had still yet to find the body of their Arbitrator and so there wasn''t much Lucius could do when they were ipetent in finding their own people. Lucius sighed and thought about other things he could work on.

    The Ember sh Firefly being found was notable, as some noble had probably paid an exorbitant amount to obtain one¡­ but it was mostly forter. The whereabouts of Keith Drew were also something that Lucius wanted to discover, but there was bound to be some informationing up especially now that the army of Count Drew was eliminated.

    "There is a chance that Viscount Drew might have asked for some help with his backer and that would reveal the changes of Keith to someone else, but there''s not much I can do about it if my assumption is correct." Lucius sighed and finally walked out of his bedroom.

    As soon as he stepped out, Lucius immediately noticed the presence of Neta outside. He was currently seated down and was reading a book, engrossed in it.

    "What are you doing here?" Lucius asked.

    Neta''s eyes widened at the sound of his master and he quickly took the book away, hurriedly greeting him with a bow.

    "P-pardon me for my intrusion, Lord Asher!" Neta said. "I hope that I have not disturbed you from resting. Miss Kiana has given me the instructions to wait here until you woke up."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Is that so?" Lucius raised his brows.

    "Y-yes, my lord."

    ''Hmmm, that means that she''s not personally around to wait on me.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    He knew that Kiana preferred to serve him and wouldn''t let other servants do it if given the chance. That meant that Kiana was either asleep or doing something else of importance. Although thetter was more likely than the first.

    "Lord Asher, since you are awake now, may I perhaps serve you in the dining hall?" Neta politely asked.

    "We did not know when you would wake up, but the chefs have prepared your meals or we could make them cook something else to your liking."

    Lucius blinked and realized that he did in fact miss breakfast all the way to dinner, and while the Lucius of the past often did that while engrossed in his own studies and research¡­ the same could not be said for Asher.

    In fact, it reminded Lucius that he needed to take care of his current body more. For the purposes of growing in strength and power, the monotonous routine of taking care of his health was something that should be observed.

    "Very well." Lucius said. "I''ll eat something now."

    Neta brought Lucius to the dining hall, pulling out his chair for him and then serving his lord with his meal. Lucius didn''t put much thought into eating at first, being familiar enough to do even while he was preupied with other things on his mind, but then he realized that Neta had refilled his cup and looked at him.

    "What is it?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "Shall I bring you another serving of dinner, my lord?" Neta asked.

    It actually surprised him that Asher ate his food so quickly, but it also made sense since the young lord hadn''t for so long. Lucius looked down at his te and found that it was already empty indeed and he was still holding his utensils instead of putting them down.

    Normally that much amount of food would have sufficed him already, but then he found that his appetite was still looking for something to eat.

    ''Huh. This is strange.'' Lucius thought. ''What exactly could have increased my appetite to this extent? There''s a lot of possible exnations, but not something I can urately pinpoint.''

    "Alright, please get me another serving." Lucius finally said. "At once, my lord!" Neta quickly fulfilled his master''s orders.

    Lucius ate again until he had his fill, and once he was finished, the man finally decided where to go. Since it was already quitete, he''d just headed to theboratory once more.

 Chapter 279 Junes Fealty

    "Will you be returning to your chambers, Lord Asher?" Neta asked, once Asher stood up.

    He was prepared to follow the lord once more or be told to return to his ce.

    "No." Lucius replied, finding no reason to lie.

    "I will be heading to the re-education center. There are some things that I''ll be checking there."

    "Let me call for your personal guards at once then, my lord. I will also prepare for your carriage immediately." Neta bowed and quickly departed to fulfill his master''s desires.

    Lucius would have been fine to have left by himself and had actually done it before but allowed Neta to do as he sought.

    It didn''t take too long before Lucius left the Inanis mansion and headed for theboratory. As he traveled through the roads, Lucius found them to be heavily patrolled by guards.

    The ones that Lucius passed through, looked at the carriage of the Inanis Family in surprise. They did not probably expect to see the young lord of the Inanis House to be out at thiste hour.

    "Hmmm¡­ it seems like they are more vignt than ever since the war of recent times." Lucius murmured to himself before he arrived at the re-education center.

    Lucius didn''t intend to interact with the people of the center, but naturally, the arrival of the Young Lord of the Inanis House roused up his loyal subjects.

    "Lord Asher!" Old Man Johan greeted him reverentially. "We are honored to be visited by you at thiste hour and by the blessings of Etara you have returned triumphantly in battle!"

    Everyone knew that Count Inanis went to war against Viscount Drew and had waited fervently for the return of the army. While the Count hadn''t returned yet to his territory, the news had already spread that they''d won.

    Most of the people in the re-education center expected Lord Asher to have been recovering and resting, but were blessed by his presence instead.

    "Thank you." Lucius nodded his head and exchanged a couple more words with the old man before he excused himself.

    "There is something I also needed to check now that I''ve returned."

    "Please do not let me intrude on your time any further, Lord Asher!" Old Man Johan bowed and stepped out of Lucius'' way.

    It didn''t take too long for him to arrive at theboratory, and when he arrived, he found Kiana to be present there.

    "Ah, Kiana, you''re here." Lucius remarked.

    He nced around theboratory and saw her finishing up her cleaning.

    "Asher, you''re awake now." Kiana quickly greeted him. "Are you alright? You have slept for quite a long time, though I''m d that you''re awake now. Have you eaten?"

    "I''m alright and yes I have eaten already." Lucius said. "You''ve left Neta with orders and he served me with some meals before I came back here."<novelnext></novelnext>

    That''s good to hear." Kiana smiled. "I would have waited for you to wake by myself, but I realized that it was better for me to take care of things here."

    "Indeed. You made the right call." Lucius nced around in satisfaction, and finally looked at June still restrained at the table.

    Unlike when he had left her, she was in a much better condition than before. June''s wrist was still broken, but Kiana had cleaned her. During that time, June had gotten some adequate rest while Lucius was away and she was not as haggard as before.

    "Since you told me that she was to remain restrained, I cleaned her up a little so she would be more tolerable when dealing with her." Kiana said.

    If Kiana had a choice, she wouldn''t have even touched June at all. Kiana was only willing to serve Asher and had done just that when he was paralyzed, but knew she didn''t want him to deal with the awful stench of the spy.

    "What do you intend to do with her now, Asher?" Kiana asked curiously.

    "G-good evening, Young Lord!" June weakly said when she realized that Asher''s eyes were on her.

    She had mostly stayed silent so as to not disturb her captors, but became subservient at once.

    "Indeed¡­" Lucius met June''s gaze and thought about his options before he turned to Kiana.

    "Hmm, I have to admit that June''s gift Lingering Mark is quite useful. A rare ranked gift, you know?"

    "Yes, it''s something that could be quite useful. Its applications are unique." Kiana nodded at once.

    She knew that Asher recognized useful gifts, and yet the way that Asher addressed Kiana instead of June somehow made her feel as if June wasn''t actually considered, as opposed to the gift itself.

    That difference meant everything. Kiana decided to be silent and instead observe what Asher would actually do, in case her judgment was wrong. She had started to learn how to read him better, but there were instances where she might be wrong.

    "Your gift is quite valuable, June." Lucius said as he approached her at the table.

    He crossed his arms over his chest.

    "I doubt that it would be easy for me to find someone else with your exact gift and also have the same skills and experience to perform infiltration like you."

    "Y-yes, Young Lord!" June desperately nodded her head. It was shameless, but she took her chance. "With your grace, I can easily perform numerous infiltration tasks for you and prove myself useful to you."

    "I am aware of that fact." Lucius agreed. "You could be quite an asset if you were to be entirely loyal to me."

    June''s chest eased up as the Young Lord said those words. She thought that she would have been disposed of after she gave him all the information that he wanted, but this changed things! She was going to be spared!

    "I will serve you with my life, Young Lord!" June swore to him, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. "I swear my fealty to the Inanis Family and will prove myself worthy!"

 Chapter 280 Failed Transformation

    Lucius couldn''t help but smile at June''s words. Oh, they were such sweet promises, but only a fool would believe them.

    "Yes, I have every intention of making youpletely loyal." Lucius said as his hands glowed with red light. "Do not worry about that, June."

    Those words and the smile on the young lord''s face sent shudders all over June''s body. Goosebumps spread across her skin and her heart pounded.

    "Y-yes, my lord." June said, despite the uncertainty in her chest.

    The words Lord Asher said were supposed to be relieving and yet every inch of her wanted to get away from the man at the very instant.

    Unfortunately, it was toote.

    The now familiar red streaks of energy swirled and flowed all around Lucius''s hand and while it was something that Kiana might have found stunning¡­

    June''s eyes widened at the sight of it, and she recoiled. Tried to back away from it as much as she could while restrained.

    This was her first time seeing it and it was a terrifying thing. Everyone had heard that the Young Lord of the Inanis Family did not have any gifts at all.

    Had it all been a well-guarded secret?

    Those were one of thest coherent thoughts that June thought to herself before Lucius sent her to a world of pain.

    The hell energy injected itself into her body.

    June let out an ear-piercing shriek that echoed across the entireboratory as her body convulsed and thrashed within her restraints.

    Lucius frowned at the noise, but continued to observe her. Kiana probably hadn''t been able to gag her because she thought that there would be more interrogation.

    Either way, the only thing that Lucius could do was wait and watch.

    However, Lucius was already displeased.

    He had only injected a sliver of hell energy, but the process was not the same as his previous attempts. It didn''t seem apparent to Kiana, but it was not as stable of a process as before.

    The energy caused so much pain to June that towards the end, no sounds longer came out of her mouth even while she tried to scream.

    Instead, hard andbored breathing came out of June, even whilst her eyes rolled back into her head as they spasmed.

    The thrashing and the metallic sounds that came with it as she tried to free herself from her restraints also reached a descent.

    It was as if she was already spent just absorbing the energy.

    "Had she already eaten before I came here?" Lucius asked and turned slightly to Kiana.

    "Yes, Asher. I had fed her already." Kiana nodded with a slight frown. Even she had noticed that there was something different about the process today.

    Inparison, Lucius thought that the process was simr to that of the Bore Shrew in the past. Or at least thought that was the case, but wasn''t so sure now.

    ''She should have had enough resources to undergo this transformation, even Baza was able to recover from his broken legs and we had Jacob whose legs were chopped off even.'' Lucius thought. ''Is the difference because June has a rare ranked gift as opposed to Jacob''s umon one in the past?''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius turned back to observe June with a stiff expression. Though she flitted through in between states of consciousness and unconsciousness, there were signs that the hell energy still did its job.

    All over June''s body, the red hue that ustomed itself to all the Lost spread itself along with the veins that popped out of her skin.

    "Hah¡­ argh." June let out pained sounds while tears rolled down her cheeks.

    "It''s much slower than before." Lucius muttered. He had familiarized himself with the process of making the Lost that he knew that after an hour, she should have already been by the second stage of transformation.

    "But she''s still changing, right?" Kiana asked.

    Lucius checked on her broken wrist and while it had originally been bent at an awkward angle, enough forplications to arise if untreated¡­ it had also recovered as well.

    But Lucius was unsatisfied.

    There was no intense source of vitality that urred for most of the Lost and on the contrary, it was almost as if June''s vitality was being used to actually go through the process of turning her into a Lost.

    "Tsk. We can''t lose the gift just because she''ll die." Lucius quickly turned to his Lost and sent out a streak of hell energy toward Doyle.

    Doyle quickly received his orders and stomped towards June and grabbed her throat. June''s entire body stiffens and yet she was unable to do anything.

    Either way, the Lost tightly clutched it once and then instantly broke her neck. June''s body went limp as her struggles ceased atst.

    Lucius didn''t look exactly happy, but quickly took out a sharp knife and attempted to slice through her chest.

    Compared to the hardened skin of the other Lost, June''s body still managed to retain its softness. The easily sliced flesh just told Asher that the process was a bust.

    However¡­ it wasn''t also aplete loss.

    Lucius slipped his hand through June''s chest and searched within the cavity of her body.

    "Asher, are you okay?" Kiana asked, a bit worried about his state and condition. She knew that he was able to transform other people through his gift and didn''t quite know what this meant that he had not seeded.

    "Yes, I''m fine," Lucius called out to her as he pulled out his prize atst. The blood-sttered Rune Crystal nowy in his hand.

    Gift Name: Lingering Mark

    Description: The owner can put an invisible mark made from the sweat secreted from their skin. This mark canst for up to a month and will be traceable using dogs and other such beasts.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Emission

    Evolution: Not possible

    "I''ve finally managed to confirm something," Lucius nced at the crystal in hand. His conjecture had been correct, a human Rune Crystal was formed by those killed by the Lost.

 Chapter 281 A Letter Of Congratulations

    "Is that¡­?" Kiana''s eye widened at the sight of the Rune Crystal. It was something that she hadn''t expected to see while under the impression that the transformation failed.

    "Yes, it''s a human Rune Crystal." Lucius nodded. "Simr to the one we found before on the man that Doyle killed."

    "This is incredible, Asher!" Kiana said, but then noticed that Asher was a bit lost in his thoughts. "Asher? It''s good that we can get human Rune Crystals, right?"

    "It is, but we still don''t know the exact reasoning behind why this happens." Lucius said.

    "Well, it''s bound to be because of your incredible gift." Kiana smiled. "I don''t see any other reason why except for the fact that it''s an additional blessing to it."

    Lucius resisted the urge to shake his head. For everyone else in this world, it was still closely tied to them that anything strange could only be linked to the divine.

    It made for a wonderful excuse, really.

    But unfortunately, that didn''t answer Lucius''s questions. There were still many factors as to why gifts worked or how they came into being.

    "I suppose the best thing is to really be recognized by the Artificer Guild. They will have a lot more information about the rune crystals aspared to the others." Lucius said.

    "That''s true." Kiana agreed, then turned to June''s corpse. "Shall I dispose of this body for you now, Asher? Or do you still intend to take a look at it?"

    "Give me a couple of minutes to assess all of the changes that urred with this one."

    Lucius first stored away June''s Rune Crystal and then went to get his notebook. He approached the corpse of June and checked all of the subtle differences that happened with her body andpared them to Doyle and the rest''s transformation.

    He made several notes on them in his notebook, scribbling them with much concentration. Lucius didn''t quite worry anymore if Kiana saw the othernguage or not, loyal as she was, and then finally closed his notebook.

    "While the transformation has been a lost, it will be valuable for the future attempts that will happen in the future." Lucius said.

    "You''ll be making more of them for the Masked Legion." Kiana acknowledged.

    "Indeed. This is just the start, Kiana." Lucius said. "When I be familiar with the process of using Rune Crystals into artifacts, we''ll be able to put to good use these human Rune Crystals as well."

    One could only imagine how different the Artifacts might be considering that the Rune Crystals used were human and not beast. It would offer certain uniqueness that no otherpetitor should be able to challenge.

    They would have no idea where the Rune Crystals even came from.

    Kiana listened to Asher''s words attentively. How he said those things to her once again painted the very picture that Asher told about her when she swore her loyalty to him.

    Absolute power for the Inanis Family, whether from wealth, strength and other means. Kiana''s faith in Asher couldn''t have possibly increased, but somehow it did again.

    "Since you''re done Asher, I''ll dispose of the body now then." Kiana smiled and turned to June''s corpse. "I think you should also go ahead and return to the mansion to rest some more."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius knew that Kiana enjoyed serving him, and while he could have easily ordered Doyle or any other of the Lost to actually take care of June''s body, he decided to let her do what she wanted.

    "Very well, I shall go ahead of you and take my leave, Kiana."

    "Oh wait, your hands." Kiana quickly procured a basin of water for him alongside with a towel. Lucius cleaned his hands before he bade the woman goodbye and returned to the mansion.

    While Lucius already slept fifteen hours prior, it was still important to maintain a semnce of a proper sleeping schedule and which was why he returned back to bed.

    When morning came, Lucius woke up to the sound of knocking on his door. A familiar voice called out to him and then eventually stepped inside the room.

    Kiana had returned muchter than him but didn''t even look like she had spent some of her time disposing of a corpse for him.

    "Good morning Asher, a letter has arrived and the Countess wishes for you to read it with her at breakfast." Kiana greeted him.

    "Hmm¡­ very well, I''ll be there shortly." Lucius said.

    Kiana took her leave, while Lucius prepared for the breakfast, cleaning and changing into more suitable clothes before heading into the dining hall.

    "Asher!" Countess Lita smiled warmly at the sight of her son and she held up an envelope that still had its seal on. "I believe that you will be delighted to read this."

    "Thank you, mother." Lucius joined her at the table as servants served him his breakfast. Kiana was also present as well and delivered the letter from the Countess to him.

    ? "Here you go," Kiana said.

    Lucius quickly took note of the seal and then took out the letter and read its contents. He nodded slowly in satisfaction and then handed back the letter to Kiana.

    "What was it, Asher?" Countess Lita asked.

    Kiana was curious as well as she handed the letter back to the Countess. Lucius quickly addressed the two people in the room.

    "It came from the nobles who were with our camp along with Inanis Family''s allies. It was a letter of congrattions for winning the battle and not only that¡­" Lucius said.

    Countess Lita took the time to read the letter herself and a smile formed across her face as she read what her son didn''t mention.

    "Of course, it makes sense that they would want to hold a banquet to celebrate the win of the Inanis Family. This is great news."

    "Indeed." Lucius agreed, but his reasons for thinking this was great news were not exactly the same as Countess Lita''s. "It will also be a good opportunity to promote Humble ze."

 Chapter 282 Plans For A Banquet

    "Certainly! I''m quite sure our fellow nobles will be excited to drink and toast to our victory," Countess Lita agreed with her son. "Kiana, we must inform Alessa at once in regards for the drinks."

    "Of course, Countess," Kiana said with a smile. As always, Asher thought of something to be able to fully take advantage of certain events.

    "Before all of that, I can''t help but wonder where they''ll n to host this banquet though." Lucius said. "It doesn''t state where they''ll be hosting yet, just that there''ll be celebrations. It''s unlikely to be in Inanis City."

    "It wouldn''t make sense for us to be the ones to arrange everything, so no doubt they''ll do it in one of the territories of our allies." Countess Lita exined.

    Lucius nodded. He expected that much, but he was also interested in knowing which exact territory it would be held.

    Even though it was ''just'' a banquet meant for celebration and festivities, it was also vital for Lucius to know enough information in regards to the whereabouts and who was possibly attending.

    Connections were his way of building more opportunities and in turn power.

    ''It''s about time that I''ve finally met more of the people who supported the Inanis Family.'' Lucius thought. ''It''ll be a chance to judge their worth and value.''

    Lucius hadn''t gotten much of the opportunity to meet the allies of the Inanis Family, and instead had only met the nobles who were from Inanis city back when he recently recovered.

    It was how he had met Sir Cambrian for example, an unranked noble who obtained it through means of wealth and knew that there were four other nobles within the Inanisnds.

    ''Well, there''s also the party at Barony Harrels, but the ones who attended it were mostly youth, practically children.'' Lucius said. ''And I was mostly preupied with Keith Drew back then to actually notice others noteworthy.''

    So Lucius hadn''t actually done much socialization beyond say, Asher''s original friends Paul and Andrew.

    ''The two were friends with Bethany, so I don''t actually know if they''re actual allies of the Inanis Family or their families tried to stay neutral.'' Lucius thought again.

    While Lucius held no actual sentiment with the two young men, if they were able to prove themselves valuable, then he could use them too.

    "My son, is there something on your mind?" Countess Lita asked her son when she noticed him lost in thought.

    "Besides the Humble ze, I''m wondering what else could we promote during the banquet." Lucius replied.

    "We don''t need to look any further, my son." Countess Lita smiled as her eyes twinkled. "If we''re promoting the Humble ze, then it also makes a lot of sense if we introduce Alessa to the rest of the nobles as her official debut."

    "Ah, yes that makes sense." Lucius acknowledged with a nod.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Of course, it doesn''t necessarily mean that she''ll be a noble right away, but it''ll put her in the scene and more people will consider it. This will give it more avenues in the future." Countess Lita continued.

    "If the right opportunity presents itself, we might be able to obtain the title of a baroness for Alessa." Lucius said, thinking about the situation more.

    "There''s also the merits of Lieutenant John during his time with the army, and even Baby Cia''s own epic ranked gift which will make it even more clear to those present that they need to be elevated." Countess Lita smiled.

    Lucius couldn''t help but agree that all of those factors, and especially the backing of the Inanis Family would propel the two into a station they would have never imagined before.

    "Kiana what do you think?" Lucius turned to Kiana who looked like she had something to say.

    "Hmm¡­ actually, it urred to me that after the loss of Viscount Drew''s territory, we might be able to take one of their baronies. That might help cement things for us." Kiana said.

    "Ah yes, that''s interesting." Lucius nodded at once, and couldn''t help but smile at the thought. "We should look into the ones that we can use to expand the Inanis territory further."

    "That''s shooting two birds with one arrow." Countess Lita looked pleased as well. "We''ll able to suppress future attempts by the Drew family as well. Even with Viscount Drew gone, there are still supporters that need to be taken care of, isn''t that right?"

    Lucius didn''t forget of the hidden backers of Viscount Drew and nodded. It was best to take care of this matter at once.

    "Then we should take advantage of this immediately. It would be best to get a detailed investigation so we know which ces would be the best."

    "I''ll take care of this and get back to youter, my son." Countess Lita promised as she dabbed her lips with a napkin. "Of course, there''s also the matter with Alessa, and I have to ry the news too. Ah, there''s so much to do, that I''ll take my leave for now."

    The woman was excited to move at once without any dy. Although Lucius had a feeling that there were other things that the Countess needed to take care of and she might not be able to do everything by herself.

    "Let me assist you, Countess." Kiana offered with a smile. She had nced at Asher and noticed his concern. "We''ll be able to aplish more if we divide the tasks between us."

    "I suppose that would be wonderful." Countess Lita nodded as she stood up to leave. "But won''t you need to apany Asher?"

    Lucius shook his head. "I''ll be able to handle things from here for now. I n to check on the reeducation center, and Kiana can meet meter once she''s done helping you, mother."

    "Then we should leave at once, Kiana. Let''s go." Countess Lita smiled and then bade her son goodbye. "I will see youter, Asher."

    Lucius nodded and once they were gone, he stood up as well to depart. "I''ll need to send a message to the owner of Blind Crow, regardless."

 Chapter 283 Meeting Leif Again

    This time, Lucius headed to the re education center to check on the ongoing work being done. While he had spent his time on theboratory when he first returned, it was also important to see if more work needed to be done.

    Old Man Johan and the rest of the people working in the center were thrilled at his return and were happy to inform him of the changes that urred over time.

    "How are the people responding to the counseling sessions?" Lucius asked. He walked through the corridors and checked on the prisoners first.

    Initially, there were a lot of people who filled the prisoner''s barracks, at that time, crime was high, as it was normal for being a densely popted city.

    And it had been the first time that the Inanis Family strictly used their own personal servants to take care of every crime and not just the major ones¡­

    But now, while it was not eradicatedpletely, there were fewer people than Lucius saw in prison cells before.

    Some were even empty.

    Lucius and the group soon moved through the ssrooms next, and one could see the teachers currently providing their lessons.

    "Young Lord Asher, in the past we have informed you that those whomitted petty crimes were stubborn and refused to respond to counsel, but over the course of time, a number of them became more willing to listen."

    "And not only that, those who have finished the counseling had moved on to their re-education and are learning well thanks to the materials you''ve provided us."

    "Finally those who received their education have started to reform as well."

    "A great number had a change of heart that they also willingly chose to help out here. We have been adding them to our ranks and everything is running smoothly."

    "That''s good to hear. Everyone here has done a great job." Lucius smiled for the people that apanied him, and it filled them with respect and admiration.

    A lot of them instantly shook their heads, insisted that it was not of their doing but through Young Lord Asher''s involvement and direction.

    "And yet all of this could not have been done without the efforts that all of you have done throughout the time that I was not here." Lucius insisted.

    The people bowed their heads, vowed to continue their work more and even do better. Once again, they were inspired and motivated because of the heartfelt and touching words of their master.

    "Will you be staying here and observe the center for a while more, Lord Asher?" Old Man Johan asked. "There is also some private space if you wish to rest. It''s nearly lunch time now, my lord."

    "And while we might not have the most expensive of ingredients, we will do our best to serve you to the best of our ability! If I remember, one of us here has a Gift rted to cooking, my lord."

    Lucius considered the situation and decided to stay a bit more to increase the morale. Since Kiana was yet to return, it was actually fine for him to stay here or at theboratory.

    "I need to write a letter and have it sent, but I will be joining all of you shortly." Lucius promised and the people quickly set out to work to prepare him a meal and give him the space to do his work.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius privately sent a letter to Leif, the owner of the Blind Crow tavern. After that, he was served by the re-education center workers.

    A lot of them were nervous about how their Young Lord Asher would respond to their meal preparation, but Luciusplimented the cooking and gratified everyone who heard of it.

    Lucius knew that he didn''t need to exert this much effort, already the vast majority of the people already had the Mark of Obedience but with new members being added to their ranks, he set out to meet and mark them as well.

    It was not enough that the vast majority of them were under the spell, Lucius wouldn''t allow for any unexpected events.

    Once he was done meeting with the new members of the re-education center, Lucius went to theboratory and did a couple more tasks on his own.

    At this time, Kiana returned after her errands from Countess Lita and greeted Asher with an envelope in her hands.

    "Asher, you''ve received a letter from Leif." Kiana informed him.

    "Ah yes, I wanted to set a meeting with him." Lucius epted the letter and checked its contents. "He''s agreed to meet with us. Shall we get going?"

    "Of course." Kiana nodded.

    Once Lucius and Kiana boarded their carriage, again with a nondescript one to avoid attention, the two talked as Lucius listened to what errands Kiana had done and took note of useful information.

    It didn''t take them too long to reach their destination nor for them to go to the underground room located at the tavern.

    Leif was already waiting for them.

    "Good afternoon, what can we do for you, my lord?" Leif addressed Kiana and Lucius with a straightforward expression.

    At this point, Leif was still wary about them heading here since their association was questionable but after Asher''s transaction with Arius and his two otherpanions, the man was willing to listen to Lucius and recognized him as a valuable client.

    "I need some people to look into the vulnerable territories of the former Viscount Drew''snd." Lucius said.

    Leif''s expression shifted for a moment only showing a hint of surprise, it showed that the man remained guarded and reserved.

    It made sense that the owner of the Blind Crow tavern would have an unreadable expression to some extent. But Lucius could see that Leif already had guesses on what he wanted to do and it made him hesitant.

    "It''s quite risky at this point. The war has only finished recently, my lord." Leif said. "Exchanging information between the territories is still difficult."

 Chapter 284 A Successful Agreement

    "That should be of no worry," Lucius assured Leif. "You''ll have my financial support and protection."

    "How much are we talking about, my lord?" Leif raised his brows suspiciously.

    "More than enough to make it worth your time." Lucius said and then nced at Kiana. "As for the specific numbers, I''m sure that we will be happy to discuss it with you in detail once we receive your confirmation."

    "You know that we''ll be able to pay you, Leif." Kiana stared seriously at the tavern owner, and even that made the usually calm man hesitate. "Please don''t waste any more of our time than necessary. ''Lucius'' is a busy man."

    Lucius couldn''t help but have his lips quirked slightly at hearing those words. Kiana remembered his ''fake'' name and decided to use it on this encounter with Leif.

    "I know that." Leif''s expression hardened slightly. "Every one of us is busy, but it doesn''t mean that you''ll coerce me into making a decision. I''ve already done you a favor before. Only people who established their reputation can linger, and yet you two are here."

    Kiana''s gaze was unwavering.

    "I also want to finish this business quickly!" Leif said, exasperated. "Again, I also have other things to take care of."

    "Good." Kiana said.

    Kiana had a certain reputation for some reason, or perhaps she was just naturally intimidating if she wanted to be. People usually were wary around her.

    "But yes, please take a bit more time to consider it carefully, Leif." Lucius said in a more amicable tone, to contrast himself from Kiana. "We would like to establish a better reputation here for future transactions, after all."

    There was no doubt that Lucius might find himselfing back to the Blind Crow tavern for other necessities, thus it was better to get on the good side of the owner instead of agitating him unnecessarily.

    "Thank you for being reasonable, my lord." Leif bowed his head a little and sighed. "I simply want to consider the pros and cons of this."

    "Of course," Lucius nodded.

    Lucius had already expected some resistance from the tavern owner and was prepared to give a lot to get what he wanted.

    He didn''te here to go back empty handed.

    While Countess Lita had already promised to look into things, there was something different about going through the proper channels as opposed to what Leif''s connections could provide.

    There was also the fact that Countess Lita investigating into it might take more time than what Lucius had wanted and this was an urgent matter.

    Truth be told, Lucius would have used Arius, Carlyle and Cohen for this situation, as they had already been in Viscount Drew''s territory, but they were still in hiding and will probably take a while to return.

    Which was why it was enough to make use of Leif''s connections.

    Lucius only needed to wait. He had given quite a good offer.

    Leif was tempted by the promise and allure of money.

    Now that there were fewer criminals using the Blind Crow tavern to exchange deals or even take shelter in it because of the fear of being captured by the Inanis guards¡­ there was some dent to his ie.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was never anything wrong with making extra money to be added to his pocket too. Saving up for a rainy day and the unexpected was good.

    However, there was the risk of exchanging information from the Viscount Drew''s territory and back into Count Inanis''snds.

    "What do you think?" Lucius asked a minute after. He saw that there was still something on Leif''s mind that had him stuck.

    "The sound of financial support is great, my lord." Leif said. "But you offering protection on top of that leads me to worry about the actual danger involved in this."

    "You know better than me on how much actual risk there''ll be, Leif." Lucius folded his hands together. "This protection onlyes when there''s actual danger involved in being discovered, but I am sure that your men are resourceful enough to have no need for it."

    Leif thought about Lucius''s words some more and couldn''t help but agree with it.

    When Viscount Drew opened his territory to the merchants by lowering his taxes, and the Inanis Family prevented merchants froming out of his territory to slip into theirs, Leif''s connections still found a way to get the goods.

    Other than that, there was also the fact that the information that the lord wanted from Leif was not actually bad.

    It was just looking into the stability of a territory and nothing too severe.

    If it had been anything else, smuggling illegal goods or more sensitive information, then Leif would have shot it down immediately.

    There was no way that the Inanis'' people would turn a blind eye, especially now that an army was returning soon. Count Gabriel Inanis was a ruthless man when he wanted to be.

    However, Leif stared at the younger lord in front of him and had a feeling creep up on him.

    As someone who operated a tavern for so long, and especially filled with criminals, Leif believed himself to be a good judge of character.

    There was something about ''Lucius'' that made Leif consider him as someone who he didn''t want to have as his enemy.

    This instinct as well as the other reasons above, led him to make a decision atst.

    "Very well, my lord. I think that we''ll be able to get the information that you wanted." Leif said.

    "Then we have an agreement." Lucius nodded.

    Kiana stepped forward and had some documents in her hands, which she handed to the tavern owner.

    "I took the time to give your men what I especially want to be looked into." Lucius said.

    Leif nced at them and his eyes widened. "They will be extremely useful, my lord."

    "Good. I will be hearing from you shortly then."

    Satisfied with the oue of their meeting, Lucius stood up, watched and listened Kiana discuss the matter with the man some more before they returned to the Inanis mansion.

 Chapter 285 Three Baronies To Choose From

    When Lucius returned to the Inanis Family''s mansion, he wound up waiting for a couple of days for the work of Leif''s men to be done.

    During that period of time, Lucius spent some of his time checking on the Dionysia Brewery.

    With the uing banquet celebration for the Inanis winning the war, it was good to see that the production continued on smoothly and that there were noplications that urred over time.

    While the initial months were a sess, it was also necessary to ensure that the same careful methods used at the start were continued without changes.

    Of course, Lucius couldn''t simply juste to the Dionsyia Brewery without any reason.

    Even when it was known to everyone thatdy Alessa owned the Brewery, there might be some individuals who''d realize how much involvement the Inanis Family had.

    That was why Lucius came under the pretense of visiting Alessa and for him to be toured within each part of the brewery.

    "How are things with the brewery,dy Alessa?" Lucius asked Alessa as they returned to her office.

    She was chosen because of how trustworthy she and her husband were, but Alessa also had merchant parents and actually knew about business practices too.

    "It''s all good, Young Lord Asher!" Alessa was respectful as she and him sat back at their tables. "If you would like to check the ie reports, I can also pull them up now."

    "Thank you. How about the news with the market? Any attempts at copying Humble ze?" Lucius asked. "People spying into the brewery and attempting to discover our recipe?"

    He knew that nobody would figure out about them using Carom fruits right away, but he could end up wrong depending on the circumstances and what actions people might make.

    "With Humble ze being thetest wine in the market, I believe somepetitors have already heard wind of it, but yet to make some noticeable reactions." Alessa said. "John and the other security measures you''ve implemented is protecting the brewery quite well."

    "And what do you think of the personnel? Is morale high? Are they satisfied?" Lucius asked.

    "More than satisfied. With us doubling the price of the wine before, we''ve increased our profit margins and gave some celebratory bonuses." Alessa exined. "The current sry we''re giving is already highpared to others that we don''t see any dissatisfaction."

    "Good. With this more or less settled." Lucius nodded. "I believe my mother has also informed you about the uing ns?"

    "Y-yes, already." Alessa straightened up at those words. The idea that she might be a baroness in the future was something she hadn''t predicted.

    She was already quite grateful to the Inanis Family along with her husband. Even more so that this would pave a way to her baby''s brighter future.

    "Is there something that I need to do, Lord Asher?" Alessa continued, a little hesitant.

    "I''m quite sure that my mother has already been preparing you beforehand." Lucius said, knowing how Countess Lita seemed excited with the uing event. "But I also have confidence that when the opportunityes, you''ll be able to seize it."

    "Thank you." Alessa said, gratefully.

    Lucius chose to subtly influence John''s wife in order to ensure that she''ll have the confidence to interact with the other nobility during the banquet.

    It wasn''t enough for the Inanis Family to promote her, but also for her to promote herself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Those were things that Lucius didn''t have active control on, but with the right words, he could manipte people into believing things about themselves that they never even once considered.

    After Lucius'' time at the Dionysia Brewery, he then spent the rest on his other works.

    He was still waiting for people to return like Gellor and his team, but other than that, he worked with what was avable for him to work on.

    Which wasn''t actually that much.

    It ended up giving Lucius the chance to increase his knowledge on things he deemed important.

    Lucius also spent a good portion of his time reading books about artifacts, rune beasts and other of the like. Master Kain wasn''t able to provide him everything since most information were given to artificers of the guild but he learned from what was given.

    While Lucius read a book about some rune crystals, Kiana ended up visiting him in the library.

    "I have the report now." Kiana handed him the sealed report.

    "Finally." Lucius said and immediately went to check its contents. It had taken exactly five days for the report to arrive and he was exceedingly curious to see the documents.

    Kiana, also looked excited to hear of the reports. She had been the one who originally gave the suggestion that they might be able to expand the Inanis territory and thus she was invested to see things seed.

    "What does it say?" Kiana asked.

    "We have three baronies to choose from." Lucius said, pleased. "All of them had contributed during the war between Drew and Inanis such that they''ve be weakened."

    "Three?"

    "Yes, we have the Lily, Smith and the Tarka Barony. Are any of them familiar to you?" Lucius asked. "I''d like to see if there are matches in the information they''ve provided."

    The truth was that Lucius wanted more insight. Even if Viscount Drew''s territory was separate, the Inanis Family and in part, Kiana should have been familiar with the most notable ones.

    "The Smith Barony was one of the weakened baronies?" Kiana blinked.

    "Yes, where they not supposed to have weakened?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "No, it makes sense. But it''s just one of the older baronies." Kiana said. "Meanwhile, the Lily barony is something I''ve only recently heard from. I think it''s new?"

    "You are correct." Lucius nodded. "ording to this report, the Baron of Lily is someone who was newly promoted from the rank of the Knight, so its existence is quite recent."

    "And that''s why it must have weakened." Kiana muttered. "It wasn''t able to fully control his territory."

    "That''s correct." Lucius said. "Its military strength decreased, fortunately it still has its supplies. But as you said, the man was unable to gain full control over his barony."

    "Which is an issue?" Kiana asked. "Won''t it be easier to take control away from him?"

 Chapter 286 A Barony That Submitted

    "While it is true that it''s easier to take the control away from him, we will still be doing more work than necessary in taking control of the barony as he hasn''t been able to do it before." Lucius said.

    "¡­That''s right." Kiana realized. "Then it''s either Smith or Tarka then. But the Smith barony has been around for so long, that its people no doubt will still hold reverence for it."

    "Well, it''s been around in its existence for a hundred years or so." Lucius said as he held the report. "And while there is a chance that they''re well-loved by its people, there''s also a good chance that theymight not."

    "I don''t quite remember the reason why it''s been able tost so long." Kiana muttered.

    "Lasting this long is impressive, but they''re not as great as they once were before. The first baron of Smithy had an epic ranked gift, but unfortunately, his heirs did not inherit it and soon they fell in rank and that exins the situation they''re in today."

    Lucius didn''t think a barony would fall that much if the first baron''s heirs were capable leaders, as long as they could take advantage of dependable subordinates and the like.

    However, Lucius could see why it was easy to fall into the trap of thinking that being giftless meant that you were incapable of doing great things.

    It was something that many individuals fell into. Something that Lucius didn''t have the time to feel when he was born in the Great Barrom n.

    "It''s a shame." Kiana quietly said. And her expression actually reflected the thoughts that were currently on her mind right now.

    The Inanis Family could as well have been very close to experiencing the same weakening of the Smith Family due to the fact that Asher didn''t have any gifts.

    Of course, the Count and Countess would have done everything to prevent it and so would have Kiana¡ªdedicating her life to her cousin.

    And yet if the circumstances were different, who knew what could have happened to them? Kiana tried not to think of it, but those thoughts still clung to her at the moment.

    "We will not be going with Smith Barony." Lucius'' voice snapped Kiana''s train of thoughts.

    "Howe?" Kiana asked, surprised.

    "They also have ack of soldiers and while they do have supplies and resources, that''s not what we''re after." Lucius said. "Instead, I would like you to put your attention to Tarka Barony."

    "I''m not familiar with it." Kiana admitted. "But it''s different from the other two. Otherwise you wouldn''t have your eyes on it."

    "Right, the Tarka Barony is the only barony from out of the three that does not originally belong to the Grantz Kingdom. Instead, they were part of the Kingdom of Gisir alongside theirnd, but they were absorbed by Grantz Kingdom when the Tarka family submitted to the rule."

    "That''s¡­" Kiana blinked.

    "Not only that, but the Tarka Barony is right at the border and is in quite a strategic spot. They have a narrow ess route through the bordering mountains if you check the map." Lucius handed the report to her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Kiana checked the reports, and it was clear that Asher took his time in checking everything. While it was easy to simply focus on the number of soldiers and the resources avable within thends of the barons¡­ he had taken a step further.

    Asher actually looked into the geographic sites, even if they weren''t explicitly highlighted in the reports of Leif''s men.

    "We will be going with the Tarka barony for ours to take. They have a great strategic importance that will be useful if the timees in the future, near or far¡­ but it is also quite suspicious to have the Tarka barony submit to Grantz Kingdom, don''t you think?" Lucius said. "It''s better to check now than let them have free reign."

    Kiana stared at Asher for a moment and her initial worries that came upon being reminded of the previous simrities between the Smith barony and the Inanis family vanished immediately.

    It was clear to Kiana that Asher was blessed with a gift that was grander than the likes that anyone has ever seen before.

    She had also seen how Asher persevered through his injuries after the war with Gisir and then changed into such a remarkable man in such a short amount of time.

    To evenpare the Smith barony''s situation to theirs was something unthinkable at this point. Kiana knew that Asher was destined for great things, and he would obtain them for himself and the Inanis Family if not.

    Right now, Asher had seen something about the Tarka barony that thete Viscount Drew probably didn''t even suspect at all.

    "You''re right." Kiana nodded as she lifted her gaze up from the reports. She focused on the details before her as her brows furrowed together in understanding. "They are suspicious¡­ who knows what else they must have hidden?"

    "It''s something that we clearly must investigate further." Lucius said.

    "But it''s not really something we could do right now." Kiana sighed. "Even if they had weakened, sending people is still not possible as a result of the war."

    "Don''t worry." Lucius told her. "I have the intention of sending Arius, Carlyle and Cohen once they are able to return, but I can still gather information on the open from other nobles."

    "The uing banquet for the Inanis''s win against the Drew will surely be an opportune time for that." Kiana realized. "And the information that the nobles can provide will always be a bit different from what we can learn from investigation. Some of them have surely interacted with the Tarka family before the Viscount Drew split up with Grantz Kingdom."

    "Indeed, but speaking about investigation has made me think of another idea." Lucius said. "Or rather, has reminded me of someone who once performed investigations."

    "Who?" Kiana raised a brow, then thought about Asher''s statement. "Are you referring to that spy?"

    "Yes," Lucius said.

    "But she''s dead."

    "And yet she did left us with something." Lucius said. "I''ll be heading to theboratory."

 Chapter 287 A Tool For Spying

    "Would you like me to apany you, Asher?" Kiana held on to the report.

    "If you wish to apany me, then you are free to do so." Lucius said. "But did we fully settle the bill with Leif? Or is there anything else that might take prime importance?"

    He didn''t mind Kiana''s presence, but Lucius still preferred to be alone most of the time. People could be distracting, and for this particr task, he didn''t actually need any hands.

    "There are always tasks that I do perform around the mansion, but if you need me, I can assign them to other people in the staff." Kiana said.

    "Hmm¡­ well, it''s nothing really that important." Lucius shrugged, and then eyed her. "You can perform your other tasks first and perhaps meet with meter. I don''t think I''ll actually be staying in theb long. I''ll just check what June has left for me."

    "Okay¡­" Kiana said. "Please don''t take too long. I''m sure that the Countess would like to see you present for the meals if possible. The Count has yet to return and it does make the Madam lonely, though she won''t admit."

    "Alright. I''ll make sure that I''m present for the next meal." Lucius nodded.

    He was interested in catching up news with whatever actually transpired for the past few days as well as perhaps inform the Countess about the baronies.

    Countess Lita herself might have information too about them, depending on the circumstances.

    Either way, Lucius still needed to perform the duties of a filial son every now and then because of how he was able to obtain what he wanted through the resources of the Inanis Family.

    Luckily for him, the Count and Countess allowed him enough room to do as he wished and if that had not been the case¡­ well, Lucius would have had his methods.

    "I''ll take my leave now, Kiana." Lucius bade her goodbye.

    "Take care, Asher! I''ll join you shortly."

    In the end, Kiana watched Asher leave the room, a little confused. She didn''t understand what the young lord meant when June left him something because all she could remember was the human rune crystal.

    "That''s the only thing that I can remember." Kiana frowned and rubbed her chin. "What else could she have left for him to go back to theb if not for the rune crystal?"

    However, it was far from the case.

    All the talk of investigation reminded Lucius that June was a spy, and while she was indeed dead as Kiana had put it, it didn''t mean that was all there it was to it.

    Lucius made haste and traveled from the Inanis Family mansion and returned to the re education center. Soon after, Lucius stepped inside of theboratory and walked back in towards the table.

    The cache of June''s supplies stillid there mostly untouched.

    "I would have checked up on it immediately when June was still alive, but it took the Lost a bit of time to search for it." Lucius muttered to himself. "She had hidden it quite well to prevent others from stumbling upon it by ident."

    And during the time that the Lost had retrieved atst, Lucius had been preupied with other things like the Dionsyia Brewery, the re education center and informing himself more of the rune beast knowledge.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "June said that she was able to observe the war despite not being anywhere close to the battlefield, and with that description alone, it means that I''m no doubt dealing with this world''s version of a telescope."

    Lucius knew that a lot of the technology these people had were mostly still in a medieval-like age, but they were able to recreate things that modern advancement had achieved through their gifts and artifacts.

    He remembered the instructions that Head Healer Berk was able to give to the healers when they had been treating Keith Drew before.

    What they weren''t able to get from actual technology, they afforded so with ingenuity and their gifts.

    "Alright, let''s see what we have here." Lucius unlocked the cache and quickly ignored the supplies that he had asked the Lost to get for him. "I''ve asked them to get everything that was useful¡­ but for now, there we have it. It must be here."

    Lucius picked up a small box that was quite secure. And it showed that the item inside of it was precious. Lucius opened it and saw something that resembled a telescope, in apressed form.

    There was soft cushioning that prevented it from getting damaged. He carefully picked it up and hummed slightly.

    "It''s not too heavy or light, which I suppose is perfect for people who''ll have to hold it for an extended amount of time, and while I can remark on its functionalitypared to a modern one, that''s not what we''re here for."

    Lucius eyed the small rune crystal that was embedded on its top and immediately activated Nexus.

    Gift Name: Zoom

    Description: Allows the user to see from afar.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Enhancement

    Evolution: Not possible

    "Hmmm¡­ well, its description basically tells me what it is and so does the gift name, but luckily, I was able to read about which rune beast it belonged to."

    ording to what Lucius read before, the Zoom gift belonged to the Yellow Winged Hawk. It was a rune beast that flew up very high and was rarely seen other than when it finally swooped down to catch its prey.

    It was how its Zoom gift proved to be very useful.

    "Of course, it doesn''t seem much since I knew of the existence of a telescope beforehand, but it is intriguing how these people really found a way to replicate and even improve a telescope this way." Lucius said as he held the artifact.

    It took the right person and the right resources to be able to create a telescope. You could have one but not the other and that could have prevented it froming into existence, and yet people here found the way at this age.

    "Now, I suppose I''ll keep this with me for now, but also check if it''s avable in the market." Lucius said. It was indeed useful for investigations.

 Chapter 288 The Question Of Physical Strength

    While Lucius could have given the artifact to someone else for them to use, for example to Arius and the others when they return to be utilized when they spy in Tarka barony, it was still probably a prized equipment.

    He needed to consider it carefully before just handing it over to someone else.

    "The crystales from a rare ranked beast, and considering that it''s a winged creature that can fly up higher than most¡­ it''s no doubt difficult to capture." Lucius said as he nced at the artifact. "I suppose, it''ll be with me until it is to be actually needed."

    Since Lucius had no capacity to make artifacts yet and make use of the rune crystals that he got with him, it was important to keep what artifacts he had with himself.

    They might be able to save his life or give him the edge that he needed in a situation.

    The Wind Scar for example had proved itself useful, during the party at Harrels barony to even the most recent battle between the Inanis and Drew armies.

    Lucius didn''t think much of the original owner of the body, Asher Inanis, but the fact that he was able to receive a powerful artifact from the king and also provided a body for Lucius to use was all thanks to the fact that he was a reckless young man.

    Instead of seeing all the things that the Inanis Family could offer him, Asher instead felt inadequate enough that he risked his life to remove the emotional turmoil within him for being giftless.

    If Lucius had been in his shoes¡­ well, Lucius was in Asher''s body now and the young man was out of the picture entirely.

    "I do not really feel indebted as his death was out of his own doing, but I suppose the Inanis Family will be rising through the ranks thanks to his death." Lucius said before storing away the artifact.

    Lucius wasn''t the type to be sentimental, but he did find it also necessary to look back from time to time to see how he had progressed and learn what he could do from there.

    His circumstances were a challenge, and he had exerted effort to aplish what he had right now, but that wasn''t the end all things.

    "I''ve aplished all my studies and have no need for Master Kain except for the information he can provide me via the Artificer''s Guild, but I do feel like I''ve been neglecting my own physical strength."

    Lucius had stopped his training with Lieutenant John since he reached a certain level of mastery. It was something that also allowed John to take care of the security for the Dionysia Brewery.

    "Hmmm, I have the Ne of the Damned and it has increased the use of spells that I''ve stored in my mind space, but it''s also necessary to catch up on physical training as well."

    While Lucius didn''t have a gift that wasbat based, it was up to his own physical prowess, constant training and his experience from the past to provide him his strength.

    "There''s not much I can do for the physical prowess, at least until I keep my training and look into ways to enhance this body." Lucius murmured.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was a lot of things that Lucius would have liked to aplish, and yet even for someone like him, he still needed to have to prioritize which one took precedence over the other.

    "Hell energy and demonic mana''s effect with a body can be hidden with careful effort perhaps, but while I see no divine interference now¡­ we can''t say for sure that things will remain as they are." Lucius eyed the Lost in front of him.

    If the church were to discover the methods he had to create the Masked Legion, chaos would ensue and that was something that Lucius would prevent for the time being or avoid all together if he could.

    But right now, Lucius remembered something.

    "Hah, I did promise that I won''t be taking too long here." Lucius sped his hands behind his back and made his way out of theboratory.

    Kiana had insisted for him to return as soon as he can since Countess Lita was actually lonely and missed her husband even if she hadn''t said it aloud. Thus it only made sense that her ''son'' who was around shouldfort her with his presence.

    "Attachments, are truly a bother to deal with." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He knew how to y the social game, and had performed it all to survive, but found no actual pleasure in it¡­ all rtionships were simply a stepping block to further his goals.

    Of course, Lucius didn''t want other people to be exactly like him. It simply made them harder to manipte if they were simr, so in a sense, it was actually a good thing that the Inanis Family were actually humans at the end of the day.

    Lucius was able to read into their desires and make sure that they closely matched with what he wanted to achieve.

    "At least, I''m only dealing with Countess Lita." Lucius said on his way back to the Inanis mansion. "If Kiana by chance was in some kind of rtionship too, that would have made it less likely for her to swear loyalty to me and I would have had to rectify it. Take some notes from Tharian theocracy."

    The Great Barrom n had its methods of instilling loyalty, but the Tharian theocracy made quite the fervent followers and worshipers. That was something Lucius could respect from them.

    Once Lucius arrived at the mansion, he met up with Countess Lita and Kiana. He dined and conversed, taking care of the filial duties of a son while also informing himself of news within the city and other ongoing proceedings.

    A couple more days passed, before Kiana once again disturbed Lucius in his room.

    "The Count has sent a letter! The Countess wishes to read it with you."

 Chapter 289 A Letter Of Warning

    Lucius met with Countess Lita in her personal study alongside with Kiana. She sat with the letter ced on her desk and she had an expression of someone eager to check out its contents.

    "Thank you for waiting, mother." Lucius said as he joined her at the desk. "I''ve heard that there was a letter from father?"

    "It''s addressed to you. It seems like my husband is a bit too busy to write to his wife." Countess Lita said, but she didn''t look at all put out. "I hope that he''ll inform you of what happened to him for the past days."

    "Of course, I''m sure that you are in his thoughts." Lucius said and quickly took the letter and scanned it as Kiana and the Countess waited.

    Once Lucius put down the letter, he had a thoughtful expression on his face.

    "What did the Count say?" Kiana asked.

    Contrary to expectations, Lita was actually used with the sudden urgency of matters due to their station and knew that something had happened which exined why Gabriel had yet to return.

    Asher''s mother was just d that the Count was finally able to send a letter atst.

    "As the reasons why father has been unable to return right away, it is because the king has summoned him to directly inquire into the war." Lucius said. "And it was addressed to me to warn that others might take this chance to take advantage of us."

    Countess Lita and Kiana''s expression sharpen slightly at those words.

    "There''s no doubt that everyone will be informed that the Count''s return is to be dyed." Kiana said.

    "And as much as I would like to avoid it, your father is correct. There''s a high chance that someone will try to do something now." Countess Lita said. "People were probably unwilling to attempt anything since they believe that your father is nearby, just dealing with Viscount Drew''s territory but this changes things."

    "Shall I increase the patrols of the guards, Madam?" Kiana asked then turned to Lucius. "What do you think we should do, Asher?"

    "I''d feel much morefortable if there was at least a guard with us at all times, in case anyone tries anything but there''s also a chance that they might try other methods." Countess Lita pursed her lips. "Poisoning, and the like might happen. We have to take measures against that as well."

    All of them remembered the way that Viscount Drew died was through the simple ingesting of what seemed like safe and harmless meals.

    Now, Kiana doubted that there''d be someone as intelligent as Asher who''d be able to calcte something like that and do the assignments to ensure the mealsbined would produce nasty effects, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

    "Asher?" Kiana turned to Lucius who had been quiet all this time.

    "Yes?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "What do you think of the ns? Should we do something else?" Kiana asked.

    "Lieutenant John takes care of the brewery''s security, but I think he''ll be willing to take some time away to guard the Inanis mansion until the Count returns at least."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It''s imperative that we take measures to protect ourselves." Countess Lita repeated. "Your father has warned us to be careful, so it really means that he thinks something might happen."

    "Hmmm, I think it''s all good." Lucius nodded. "Let us go with whatever you and father do whenever there is a chance for danger. I have faith that our countermeasures will prevent most if not all troubles."

    "Thank you." Countess Lita smiled.

    Truth be told, Lucius was curious about whether anything would happen¡­ and if something came up, it would be much better to capture the perpetrators than anything else.

    Of course, Lucius couldn''t say that out loud as both Kiana and the Countess would give him grievances over something like this, as it would endanger the safety of the Inanis Family.

    But it was actually a good idea.

    The people who wished to harm the Inanis Family proved themselves capable of hiding themselves, like June and the Arkaves mercenary group was mostly untouchable due to theirck of a base.

    However, if someone wasing up to them¡­ well, that granted Lucius a lot more opportunity. Of course, Lucius didn''t know when or how they would attack, but it didn''t mean that he couldn''t be prepared.

    Or that he couldn''t do things that might allow for the perpetrators to target a certain individual over the other. After his conversation with the Countess and Kiana, Lucius ended up having a separate conversation with Kiana altogether.

    As expected, the idea was met with a lot of resistance.

    "If you do not wish to have a guard be assigned to you, then I can personally watch over you, Asher." Kiana insisted. "I''ve done it before while you were still injured and I can do it again."

    "That''s a little unnecessary now." Lucius said. "I''m more open to the idea of having Neta sit outside of my room for example. If anything, you''re better off watching the Countess instead. She needs it more than me."

    Kiana''s expression shifted and she wished that she had something to say, but Asher was actually right. Even in the past, it was Kiana who tended to stay at her aunt''s side when it came to situations like this one.

    Since Kiana had a powerful gift, even when it was still Stone Shooter in the past, the Count actually trusted that she''d be able to keep the Countess safe when all else failed.

    "Alright¡­ but pleasure make sure that you keep yourself safe, Asher." Kiana said. "What if you actually had some of the Masked Legione here and stand guard? That''s how you captured June right?"

    "I''ve already thought about that, Kiana." Lucius said. "No need to worry about me. Everything will go smoothly."

    "Okay, I trust you." Kiana said. She didn''t need to worry since she knew how powerful even one Lost was, and with all of them, Asher was untouchable.

    The next two days soon passed for the Inanis Family without anything happening, but on the third night, something did.

 Chapter 290 An Assassin

    The Inanis Family mansion was a secure location that was hard to infiltrate.

    Its servants were loyal to the Inanis and could not be bought and the personal forces that they held were also a pain to deal with.

    If anything, it was much better to avoid all of the guards if you could and not run into servants at all because the fewer people involved then the better your chances of seeding.

    Of course, that was difficult in itself.

    The patrols of both the guards and the servants who resided within the Inanis mansion were numerous and were coordinated carefully so that not one corridor of the mansion was left unupied by at least two people.

    It was never going to be an easy task, but the assassin managed to do what might have been the impossible.

    Not because he was smarter or better than other assassins who could have tried to do the same and ended up failing, but it was because of the gift that the assassin had with him.

    It was with this rare gift that the assassin didn''t need to sneak into the mansion and attempt to hide from the guards and servants or finish them off one by one in secret.

    Instead, all the assassin really needed to do was covertly get into the roof of the Inanis mansion and make his work from down there.

    There was no trouble on the roof as he could make his steps quiet and with his attire, he was effectively hidden from the eyes of the guards who took their patrol routes outside of the Inanis Family mansion.

    Of course, any other assassin was capable of doing the same thing as he did.

    And maybe it was at this point the other assassins would attempt to find a window, or an empty room that they could break into without alerting anyone else.

    If they were good with disguises, they might have found clothes fit for a servant and maybe sneak their way to their target''s quarters and if they were skilled at fighting, knock out the guards and servants to lessen his potential enemies.

    However, that wasn''t the case for him.

    The assassin''s body morphed and shifted, his bones bing softer as he approached one of the narrow chimneys and sneaked his way from down there.

    There were only a few rooms that would have fireces within them, and if the assassin had chosen correctly then he was¡­ here!

    He poked his head from underneath the chimney and saw thevish room that was undoubtedly fit for a noble lord.

    The assassin also saw the target on his bed. Young Lord Asher Inanis was fast asleep and this was his chance to finish the noble off.

    He made his way down the chimney, as silent as a cat, and then crept towards the target. The assassin took out his weapon and approached Asher with the purpose of finishing the job in one quick sh.

    But before the weapon could touch the young noble''s neck, the young man suddenly dodged at thest minute.

    With his eyes now open, Lucius kicked at the assassin''s body and rolled away from the bed, avoiding the man''s reach.

    But the assassin recovered quickly from the attack and immediately lunged for Lucius.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However before he could touch the young lord, a bright fireball shot out of nowhere and struck the man in the face and knocked him back a couple of steps backward.

    This ignited the mask that the assassin was wearing, and he swore as he tried to put out the mes.

    It didn''t make any sense to the assassin at all since ording to the intel, Asher Inanis didn''t have any gifts.

    As the assassin became distracted by the fire, Lucius instantly activated his second spell and cast it on his target.

    The Veil of Terror immediately affected the assassin and his entire body stopped as if stunned into seeing something that he didn''t want to see, but that didn''t make Lucius satisfied at all.

    Compared to June''s reactions, this one was weaker than one should have been.

    Lucius picked up the Wind Scar sword that was kept just within his reach, hidden from the eyes of most people, and he immediately chopped off the legs of the assassin.

    It was only after a secondter that the assassin managed to recover and realized that he didn''t have any legs anymore.

    Lucius clicked his tongue, only a fraction surprised because he hadn''t been able to fully use the power of Veil of Terror, and this assassin no doubt had a stronger mind than June.

    However, before Lucius could do anything, the assassin simply slithered towards him like a snake and then propelled himself forward like a slingshot.

    The man had used his gift once again.

    Lucius'' eyes widened momentarily, stunned that the assassin would attack again, but he quickly used Ne of the Damned on a spell matrix and charged it up.

    A much stronger fireball shot out of Lucius''s reach and sted the assassin away.

    This time, the assassin was thrown back onto the floor, his body was badly burned up and he did not get up again, but Lucius saw that he was merely unconscious and was actually still alive.

    However, the same couldn''t be said for the other things in the room as the powerful fireball had set up Lucius''s entire room on fire and was only starting to grow bigger.

    Not only that, Lucius started to hear a lot of hurried footsteps and concerned shouting of Asher''s name.

    "I suppose this was enough of amotion."

    Lucius didn''t think that he''d alert everyone and actually intended to take the assassin by himself, but things didn''t exactly go as he wanted.

    "Asher!" Kiana''s voice shouted from the corridor, and it became clear that she and the others were almost close.

    The door quickly swung open.

    Lucius stepped outside of the room, which relieved the people, until they saw that he was dragging the assassin away from the fire.

 Chapter 291 City On High Alert

    "Asher, are you alright?" Countess Lita grabbed her son''s face and checked him.

    "I''m alright, mother." Lucius reassured her.

    "No, how could you be okay? Someone just attacked you in your room." Countess Lita was closed to tears as she hugged him. "I''m just d that you''re unharmed. But are you actually hurt anywhere?"

    "Put out the fire now." Kiana instructed some of the servants and guards with them to take care of the fire burning within Asher''s room at once.

    "And what do we do this with this one, ma''am?" one of the guards nced at the assassin on the floor.

    "Leave that one be, I''ll take care of it myself," Lucius said. "Or ensure that he remains unconscious, though I expect that he''ll stay that way for quite some time."

    If Lucius wanted to, he could have simply left the assassin''s body in the fire and nobody in the Inanis household would have taken a second look and simply allowed it to burn.

    However, Lucius wanted to keep the man alive in order to have answers pulled out of him.

    "This man¡­!" Countess Lita turned to look at the body, and while it might have made a nobledy nauseous to see a badly burnt body, she instead felt furious.

    "Are we sure that he''s the only one who attacked Asher?" Kiana asked, seething and looking around the corridor, almost as if daring any other assassin to reveal themselves. "We need to take care of this immediately Madam."

    "Yes, there''s no way that a single assassin can simply make his way here without any help. Send the rest of our guards in the city." Countess Lita agreed and turned to Lucius. "Are you really not injured? Let''s still call for Healer Delia and anyone else avable. I need a messenger too, we have to let your father know about this at once."

    "I''m safe now, I''ve managed to protect myself as you can see." Lucius said and did his best to calm down the Countess and Kiana''s wrath.

    However, they were more or less still vindicative about the events and continued to order the servants and guards to aplish their tasks.

    "This is still uneptable! I want this man executed." Countess Lita fumed. "These people dare think that they can simply trespass into the Inanis mansion without any consequences? Capture everyone that''s suspicious!"

    "I''ll have someonee over to Blind Crow''s tavern and get information from Leif too." Kiana furiously said to Lucius. "If there''s anyone who might know a thing or two, there''s no doubt that he''ll be able to help."

    "Do you think he''d really do something like that?" Lucius raised a brow, knowing how criminals worked in theforts of his tavern.

    "If he doesn''t want to get associated with them, then it''s best for him to cooperate." Kiana''s gaze hardened. "This is beyond eptable. This is an attempt at your life, Asher and that is the gravest of crimes."

    It didn''t take too long for the entire city of Inanis to go on high alert.

    Everyone from the most humble of its citizens to its criminals quickly caught wind of the news and the sight of guards roaming across the streets at thete hour was noughing matter.

    Anyone who acted suspiciously was quickly arrested alongside those individuals with even the smallest of criminal records and were brought into the prisons.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When someone actually came to the Blind Crow tavern, Leif personally went out at once and had a list of people with him.

    "You¡­" one of the guards looked suspiciously at the tavern owner. It was more or less an open secret that the Blind Crow tavern truly turned a blind eye to its criminals.

    "I believe that this will be helpful in identifying folks who might have been linked with the incident." Leif said.

    Even without Kiana prompting Leif to give up information, the tavern owner already took it upon himself to cooperate with the Inanis guards.

    This was a serious matter and Leif could only hope that no one who worked on the assassination was linked with him.

    As Lucius knew, Leif was fine with criminals working in his tavern as they paid him heftily for a ce to operate their dealings, but the assassination of a noble?

    Much less the noble of their city was something that shouldn''t have been attempted at all.

    This sudden event somehow reminded the people of the city of the time before the Priest of Church of Duran went by.

    A lot of criminals were swept up during that perioding to the priest''s arrival, butpared to before, the Inanis family''s guards literally purged the city of its criminals.

    Of course, to those criminals who were able to notice that the people were rmed and in a state of distress, a number of them immediately went on the run or went into hiding.

    This situation made the people of the city tense, and yet they were also relieved that the city of Inanis became a lot safer due to the guards rounding up all the criminals.

    Although, it was still a terrible event for people who learned why the Inanis guards roamed the streets.

    The people of the city were loyal to the Inanis family and to those who were in the know, it was uneptable to learn that the heir to the Inanis name had nearly been assassinated.

    A lot of people were furious, and the guards only spent an entire day to be rid of the criminals.

    Meanwhile, in that same span of time, Count Gabriel was able to receive word from a messenger that the Inanis Family, and most importantly, his son was attacked.

    This prompted the Count of Inanis to simply rush back home, to where he was needed by his family.

    As all these things happened in the background, Lucius calmed down Lita and Kiana. When they were more receptive to listen, he informed them of his intentions.

    "I will be getting all the answers that we need from this assassin."

    Lucius then took the unconscious assassin with him to theboratory.

 Chapter 292 A Soft Boned Assassin

    Once the assassin''s body was brought to theboratory, Lucius nced at it and was about to inspect it himself, but then withdrew his hand.

    "There are some individuals with traps nted in their bodies in ast-ditch effort to destroy the enemy¡­ and while none were activated when I sted him with the fireball, it''s still better to check from a safe distance."

    In the past, Lucius had already encountered such methods and was even familiar with them himself. The Great Barrom n was not hesitant in using their own servants as disposable weapons if the situation was right after all.

    So even if this was apletely different world, Lucius couldn''t put his guard down.

    Instead, Lucius motioned for one of the Lost toe forward and gave it orders.

    "Check for any traps and then remove any weapons or items that could be stashed away on him." Lucius said. He took several steps backward to create a berth between him and the body while also ordering others of the Lost to stand guard and shield him.

    The Lost he ordered to check the assassin quickly set out to work and after a couple of minutes, nothing exploded at all, and instead, the Lost drew out another dagger along with a few vials on his body.

    "Hmmm¡­ give me that." Lucius snatched the vial for a moment and inspected it closely. He hoped to see any marks or signs to identify the manufacturer or something else recognizable but saw nothing.

    Lucius sloshed the liquid around inside of the vial and knew better than to just open it without any precaution.

    He ordered one of the Lost to open it and pour some droplets on the dagger and he watched for its effects.

    It had no corrosive effect on the dagger, and while there was no obvious effect when it was tried on one of the Lost, it still satisfied Lucius''s curiosity about it.

    "Of course, an assassin would be carrying around a poison vial. Shame that I can''t identify who made it through the bottle, but since it was no exploding liquid simply means that I can finally inspect the body in question."

    Lucius temporarily ced the poison vials away for safekeeping and knew that it could at least be put to use for next time or have Kiana retrieve it to be inspected and identified if Lucius didn''t have the time to do it himself.

    The assassin''s body was badly burnt when Lucius inspected it up close and the man''s breathing was shallow.

    Lucius could have given it the same treatment as he did with June and startled the man awake with a water bucket, but something didn''t seem right to him.

    "Even her breathing wasn''t as weak as this." Lucius said and inspected the rest of the man''s body before he suddenly cursed.

    There was a dent in the back of the assassin''s head.

    "How did he get this?" Lucius shook his head and immediately called for the people at the re-education center and asked for healers toe under his name.

    Once he returned to theboratory, he nced back at the assassin''s body.

    His legs were gone and it was a poor sight for anyone squeamish but it only reminded Lucius of something that happened during the assassination attempt.

    "How he still managed tounch himself like some coiling serpent despite losing his legs¡­ it''s probably rted to his gift, isn''t it?"

    Lucius quickly activated his Nexus and checked on the man''s gift.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Gift Name: Soft Bones

    Description: Allows the user to soften their bones ording to their will as well as control them to a certain extent

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible

    "Tsk. I think I now understand what happened." Lucius nced at the assassin''s body and saw that there had been no signs of bleeding, and yet it still ended up injured.

    "When the man activated his gift, Soft Bones, he inadvertently still managed to soften his skull which allowed his brain to directly receive the impact when I had attacked him and sent him backwards."

    Lucius was displeased.

    It didn''t look wounded on the outside but the brain was still impacted as a result.

    "Something like this is difficult to treat, and the current technological advancement of this world does not really increase his chances whatsoever for waking up¡­ but I suppose I could be proved wrong by the healers with their gifts here."

    When Asher''s body had been paralyzed, Healer Josef was able to treat it. Then High Priest Rooks used his gift to heal the sustained injuries on his brain¡­ of course, the situation back then was still different from what the assassin was experiencing now.

    But it did give some hope.

    For now, Lucius ordered for the assassin''s body to be taken out of theboratory and brought into one of the spare rooms of the re-education center while he waited for the healers to arrive.

    "Young Lord Asher!" Healer Delia arrived and rushed into the room, but was surprised to see that Asher was standing and actually looked well.

    She was apanied by many other healers, who then quickly noticed the assassin lying prone in the corner.

    "You are alright, my lord?" Healer Delia had heard of the assassination attempt on Asher and presumed that she was brought to take care of the young lord but saw a different situation altogether.

    "You''re not here for me, but for the man right there." Lucius gestured at the assassin.

    "He¡­ he has no legs, my lord." One of the other healers said and nced around the room in search for the legs, but didn''t find anything.

    "You''re not here to take care of his legs, or to treat his burns." Lucius said as he eyed another healer who looked prepared to apply salves and creams on the assassin. "On the contrary, this is actually the man who attempted to kill me and I simply need him to wake up for questioning. That''s all. If you think treating these injuries would help him wake up, then do as you please."

    Lucius knew that a lot of healers probably had oaths about helping patients, but he was concerned for one thing alone: getting answers.

    "W-we''ll try to do our best then, Young Lord!"

 Chapter 293 How To Make A Vegetable Speak

    Lucius watched the healers attempt to treat and heal the man in order for him to wake up.

    Even though he specified that they were not really there to treat his burns or the loss of limbs, they still underwent the procedure.

    Lucius didn''t mind it that much as long as it actually helped in increasing the man''s survivability into waking up.

    However, after working on the assassin for a certain amount of time, the healers discussed the situation and then Healer Delia approached him.

    Lucius already had a feeling about what she was going to say, but still felt disappointed.

    "We apologize, Young Lord Asher. The man''s brain has been directly damaged and he will only be in this vegetative state from now on." Healer Delia exined.

    Lucius crossed his arms and nced at the assassin''s body.

    He couldn''t help but think about when Asher''s body had been treated well enough that he was able to move and talk again.

    Of course, that was through the gifts from the goddess na''s priests¡­ but surely there was probably a healer equivalent to them.

    "What if we get a healer with a stronger gift? Perhaps they might be able to help and actually treat this man." Lucius said.

    "That is¡­ that might be possible, my lord. However, even with our oaths, I don''t think a Healer would willingly use their gift to treat an assassin, someone who takes the lives of others. And even getting an appointment with someone with such a strong gift might not be possible."

    Lucius pinched the bridge of his nose and had expected that much.

    He hadn''t considered the priests of na for that very reason and knew that while the Inanis Family could pay for tithes¡­ it was still a rather costly affair for a mere assassin''s life.

    The Countess and Count would naturally protest and think it would be insane to even consider that after the assassin''s attempt on their son''s life so it really wouldn''t work even if he was willing to try.

    "Alright. I understand the situation now, Healer Delia. Thank you for trying for my sake." Lucius thanked the woman and the rest of the healers who came at a moment''s notice.

    "We''re honored to serve you, my lord." Healer Delia said.

    Lucius dismissed the healers and brought back the assassin''s body to theboratory. While the method of healing his injuries was now out of the question, there was still another approach that he could still take.

    However, before he could start, Kiana arrived at hisboratory and interrupted him from proceeding.

    "Asher?"

    "Ah, Kiana, what is it?" Lucius raised a brow. "Did something urgent came up?"

    "The Countess just wanted me to check on you, and I feel like she''s right. You haven''t been able to rest after that assassin attempted to take your life, and you even called for the healers to try to heal him. I encountered Healer Delia on her way out." Kiana said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Thank you for checking up on me, but please let my mother know that I am alright. It hadn''t actually been that long since I left the mansion." Lucius said. "Though I did hear that there''s an ongoing arrest of people in the streets?"

    While he was at the re-education center, he heard the news from the people there that a lot of guards were roaming the city and capturing criminals.

    "Yes, everyone with even the smallest criminal record to anyone lurking and being suspicious are being captured." Kiana informed him.

    "That''s good news. Have you also met with Leif?" Lucius asked.

    "I didn''t need to go there myself, the man submitted a list of possible people who could have been linked to the incident."

    "That''s great. There are more people so we can check up on then." Lucius said. "I''m interested in seeing the list at the most avable time."

    "Since that''s the case, how about I remove this body now, Asher?" Kiana nced at the assassin asleep and raised her hand, a dart appearing out of her palm as she activated her gift. "He''s good as dead now."

    "Not so fast, Kiana. He may look dead to you, but he''s still breathing." Lucius appreciated the assertiveness, but he was clearly not yet done with the assassin. "Either way, as much as I would like to join you and return to the Inanis mansion, there''s still something to be done here."

    "There is? Wouldn''t you rather rest first? It''s nearly morning and you haven''t been able to sleep properly." Kiana asked and then nced at the assassin''s body.

    She didn''t know what Asher wanted to do with it, until she thought of what were his possible options.

    "Or at least eat breakfast before you work on this assassin? Making him into one of the Masked Legion will probably take a lot of energypared to the others with his injuries." Kiana said and then paused. "That is what you''ll be doing, right Asher?"

    Kiana remembered that June hadn''t actually turned into a Lost and she had disposed of her body before. But if Asher wanted to try with this assassin, then he was free to do so.

    Lucius nced at the assassin''s body and shook his head.

    The thought of turning the assassin into one of the Lost seemed like Lucius''s next step, but that was because Kiana was unaware of what else Lucius could do.

    However, exining everything to Kiana right now was not Lucius'' priority aspared to actually getting the information that he wanted from the assassin.

    "I will probably be preupied for a day or two and require some time by myself to do what I need to do." Lucius said. "In the meantime, I will be staying here at the re-education center and can take care of myself. I trust that you''ll be able to exin this to mother, Kiana."

    Kiana blinked and then stared at Asher, she knew that there were things that he hadn''t shared¡­ but she trusted him implicitly.

    "Of course." Kiana nodded before she excused herself from theboratory.

    Once Kiana was gone, Lucius prepared himself and then entered into his mind space. He then started to remove all of his spell matrices.

 Chapter 294 The Soul Scry Spell

    Lucius would have wanted to avoid removing the spell matrices if he could since they took countless hours of trial and error to make them.

    It was why he had called for the healers.

    However, with the circumstances regarding the vegetative state of the assassin, Lucius was ready to drop it all in order to gather information from the man.

    "Since I''m left with no other option, I''ll be forming the Spell Matrix for Soul Scry."

    Lucius sat downfortably and prepared himself mentally.

    This was going to be the toughest spell he''d make at this point and he even had to remove all of the other spell matrices to amodate the tremendouslyplex spell.

    The next several hours, Lucius spent all of it in making the spell matrix for it as carefully as he could. Each time he''d go at an intricate part slowly and with an intensity to aplish it while he had the opportunity to do so.

    Time was of the essence and he didn''t have the luxury to take his time while their enemies probably continued to move in the background.

    Soon after, Lucius finally finished the Soul Scry spell and checked it once more before being satisfied. Even though he hadn''t done more beyond than work on the spell, Lucius was quickly filled with the vigor to perform the spell at once.

    "Normally, I''d rmend one to use this after some rest, but with the Ne of the Damned, I''ll be able to power this spell and also withstand any bacsh from casting it." Lucius approached the assassin''s body and looked over at it carefully.

    The Soul Scry spell operated as it was named, it allowed the user to scry into the soul of another individual and thus would bypass the trouble of the assassin being unable to wake up andmunicate with him directly.

    It was a highly advanced soul spell that could be used with mana as well as soul energy.

    Of course, a spell like this was risky to use and was something that should only be used when no other alternatives was left as it could also contaminate the caster''s soul.

    The soul was one of the most private thing in the universe and it contained all of the memories of an individual.

    If one attempted to use this spell and was unprepared, these memories could easy leech into the caster''s soul and cause irreparable damage, hence why it was dangerous. Of course, the Ne of the Damned would help mitigate the damage but it would still be a strenuous task even for Lucius.

    "Alright, let''s see what you have for me." Lucius envisioned himself in his mind space, taking note of the Ne of the Damned.

    Lucius then casted Soul Scry and the memories of the soul quickly came right at him.

    Another soul''s memoriesing at you in full force was an overwhelming matter and the torrent of it would have even physically knocked Lucius backwards, but the Ne of the Damned shone and shielded him.

    All of the assassin''s memories tried to reveal itself to Lucius, and as it came with a soul''s memories, some were brighter and more memorable than the others.

    If an ordinary man were somehow able to see the assassin''s memories, they would easily find themselves swept up in the man''s fondest and darkest memories. Most people clung to and remembered their happiest and saddest moments, and that somehow made a soul more vibrant.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Of course, Lucius did not allow such things to affect him and instead, he did his best to push away those senseless and nostalgic memories that weren''t exactly relevant or useful to him.

    And yet, they were so many.

    Some of the memories came from childhood.

    Of receiving and discovering his rare gift, ying with childhood friends and sharing dreams along with experiences at the side of parents orck thereof.

    There were also memories of a passionate youth, of experiencing first love and attraction to another individual and getting swept up in them.

    Trials and errors, conquering and defeat.

    Truly, it would have been easy enough to get fooled into thinking that you were the man experiencing the events themselves for the very first time.

    However, Lucius looked at them all with nothing but a detached and clinical manner.

    Dissecting and even shing through them all until he finally saw all the incidents that led to the man bing the assassin that he was today.

    And once he finally got a hold of the information, he immediately stopped the Soul Scry spell.

    He didn''t want to use the Ne of the Damned more than necessary and yet a portion of it had already been used to power the spell and for him to find the information that he wanted.

    "Biroy of¡­ Bergan''s Band." Lucius spoke with a cold yet furious smile.

    The moment that led to Biroy finally being epted into the Bergan''s Band was a triumphant moment for the assassin, achieved through a series of hardships, but Lucius saw it as nothing more as the answer that he had sought.

    "Of course, they''re the ones behind this." Lucius didn''t even care about the time as he stood up and nced at the Lost lined up in theboratory.

    If he could, he would have sent out the Lost to exact a suitable attack towards the group out of retaliation, but he knew that it was not a good idea.

    "At this point, they''re still out of reach and using these Lost is out of the question either." Lucius eyed them and shook his head.

    These Lost were monumental in his creation of the Masked Legion and could not be afforded to be expended.

    It was already difficult finding strong criminals to be made as the Lost, even after purging the entire city of Inanis from its scum and filth.

    "Of course, I do have these ones." Lucius nced at the Bore Shrew Lost that mostly hibernated in their cages, and they were disposablepared to the others. "However, their strength is not really enough to cause any actual trouble for the Bergan''s Band¡­ but it does present me with an idea."

 Chapter 295 Intense Exhaustion

    Lucius knew that it was possible to turn rune beasts into Lost, and this was the answer to his problem.

    "I''ll simply have to create special Lost from rune beasts and have them exact vengeance in my stead, and unlike these Lost, they''ll be usefully disposable." Lucius said.

    Compared to human turned into a Lost, the intellect of the Rune Beasts Lost were not exactly on a par with it and training one to understandplexmands were time-consuming.

    It was why they were mostly suitable for tasks that were simple, like creating chaos and trouble for the Bergan''s Band.

    However, before Lucius could start to think of what rune beasts he was going to use, the man suddenly weakened, and he caught himself from falling.

    "Tsk. A human body is still a human body." Lucius gritted his teeth and pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to alleviate the headache.

    Even with the use of the Ne of the Damned, Lucius couldn''t still avoid the exhaustion that filled him. He didn''t know how exactly long time passed while he used Soul Scry, but it was why he had asked Kiana for a day or two away from the mansion.

    "I suppose I still have to make room for rest." Lucius said. As much as he wanted to continue working, there was no use to it if he fell prey to any sickness due to him ignoring his health and well-being.

    Lucius could have chosen to stay at the reeducation center to rest, and when he went out of theboratory, the people working there tried to offer it, however he refused.

    He was notpletely secure in the location aspared to the Inanis mansion itself, even with the recent assassination attempt.

    Once Lucius arrived at the mansion, the servants quickly informed Kiana of the matter and she came out to meet him.

    "Asher!" Kiana said, and she quickly looked at him with a frown on her face.

    "Ah, Kiana. How long has it been since west met?"

    "A day and so."

    "Hmmm¡­ not too long as I expected. Thank you."

    "Were you able to rest and eat while you were there? The people from the re education center should have checked on your condition."

    "Hmm, I told them not to disturb me the same way that I asked you."

    "I see."

    "Well then, since my room has been burned thest time I was here¡­ where am I temporarily staying? I would like to get some sleep." Lucius nced tiredly around the hallway.

    It was clear to Kiana that the man had not actually taken care of himself while he was at theboratory.

    She had respected his wishes and gave him space to work on the things he wanted to do, but now that he returned to the Inanis mansion and looked exhausted, it was time for her to support him.

    "Before we get you to your room, you should eat something first." Kiana insisted. "As much as I''d like for you to eat in your bed, you look like you''d fall asleep while trying to eat."

    "Alright." Lucius could have argued with her and disagreed, but he really didn''t find the need to do so. He agreed with her decision.

    Lucius soon found himself in the dining hall where he waited for his meal to be prepared. Kiana made sure that he stayed up by talking with her while they waited, and it took a bit of effort to stay up.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He normally would have asked for updates about what happened while he was gone, this time, it was mostly Kiana informing him of what urred.

    "¡­ And you won''t be doing anything but rest after this, alright, Asher?" Kiana said.

    "Yes. That was what I had nned in mind."

    "If you change your mind and try to return to theb, I''ll forbid the carriage from leaving. But it''s good that you finally returned to eat and sleep."

    When the food arrived, Lucius quickly set out to eat and replenish his energy.

    He didn''t think that he''d be hungry as he mostly felt exhausted, but once he started eating, his appetite grew and he ate until he was fill.

    "And this will be your room temporarily. We tried to replicate it to the design of your old room." Kiana said once she led him to a spare room inside of the manor.

    However, she didn''t need to exin more because Lucius quickly made his way to the bed.

    "That will be all, Kiana. Thank you." Lucius called out to her, the drowsiness a heavy spell on him.

    Kiana took it as a cue to leave, and once she did, Lucius quickly went to sleep. The moment that Lucius closed his eyes, he instantly passed out and time quickly went by.

    When Lucius finally woke up, it was to the sound of quiet and hushed conversation.

    He opened his eyes and found three people within his bedroom. Kiana, Countess Lita and Healer Delia was present as well.

    Lucius raised a brow at the presence of the healer and wondered how long he had actually slept to warrant a healer''s visit.

    "O-oh! He''s finally awake!" Kiana noticed at once when Lucius sat up and she quickly went to greet him. "Asher, how are you feeling?"

    "Better. What is Healer Delia doing here? I haven''t been actually asleep that long, have I?" Lucius asked.

    He had used the Ne of the Damned to shield himself when he used the Soul Scry spell, it shouldn''t have actually been a lot of time.

    "You were asleep for almost an entire day now." Countess Lita''s brows furrowed together. "We were worried and had the healer check on you."

    "And as I''ve told the Countess and Miss Kiana here, you''re simply exhausted, my lord." Healer Delia said. "There''s no sign of any injuries on him."

    "Thank you, Healer Delia. Since Asher is awake now, that will be all." Countess Lita thanked the healer who then took her leave.

    Kiana meanwhile served a tray of breakfast for Asher.

    Lucius took a sip of water, before he nced at the two. Since they were both here, it was actually good to discuss what he had on mind right away.

    "I''d like to share my discovery, since I''ve been gone for the past few days."

 Chapter 296 A Beast As The Weapon

    Countess Lita sat down immediately at the side of her son''s bed and reached for his hand. "What is it, Asher? What did you discover?"

    Kiana had told her that he needed time away from the mansion to take care of the assassin, so she patiently waited for him.

    "There was¡­ there was this note on the assassin''s body. I had missed it before when I inspected him, and so did the healers when they tried to treat him, but I''ve discovered it recently and it showed me the details that I was looking for." Lucius said.

    Kiana pursed her lips. She wanted to believe Asher right away and thought that while he did have news¡­ the method that he discovered it through though, was a different matter.

    With the fire burning and even the healersbing through the assassin''s body, it should have been discovered right away¡­ but Asher took more than a day toe back with results.

    Kiana didn''t think the Lost were capable of giving answers too, if he had turned the assassin into one. However, Kiana didn''t want to ask and continued to listen to him.

    "Did you discover who he was working for?" Countess Lita''s eyes sharpened, her grip tightening slightly.

    "The man''s name was Biroy and he is an assassin of the Bergan''s band."

    "Bergan''s band?!" Countess Lita''s eyes widened as she nced at her son, who had never done anything wrong to warrant an assassination attempt. "What were they thinking touching you? They won''tst another day after this, I swear! We''ll inform your father and this group''s existence will end for their treachery!"

    Lucius watched Lita furiously make vows about annihting the Bergan''s Band, and while he did appreciate that this family greatly cared for the body that Lucius was upying, he didn''t want them making any errors in judgment.

    "I don''t think that''s a great idea, mother." Lucius said.

    "They need to suffer for what they did to you, what they did to our family!" the Countess raged.

    It only stopped when Lucius squeezed her hand and then offered her a smile.

    "It won''t do us any good to provoke them openly with our power, but there is a way we can covertly make them suffer instead, mother."

    Those words said with a smile was enough to make Countess Lita slow down a little to look at her son. Once again, she was reminded of how her son was like his father.

    "What did you have in mind, Asher?" the Countess asked. "We''ll do our best to support you where we can, we can''t let this group run free without consequences."

    "I share the same sentiment." Lucius nodded. "I n to use of rune beasts to enact this n, mother. They''ll serve as a way to make the Bergan''s Band suffer."

    Countess Lita looked at her son and knew that he probably thought of a brilliant way to make use of the beasts, but as her anger slowed down¡­ she suddenly worried about him again.

    "I''ll talk with your father about this, Asher. If we get express permission from him to do it, then we''ll proceed as you nned."

    "Thank you, mother." Lucius said.

    Countess Lita took a deep breath and nced around Asher''s current room and was grimly reminded of the fire and assassination attempt.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She thought that being part of the Inanis Family would shield her son from harm and danger. Lita and her husband would have done everything to protect Asher¡­ and yet it was probably because of the Inanis name that her son was targeted as a result.

    The Countess was d and relieved with all the changes that urred with Asher over the past few months. It was not only because he elevated the Inanis family with his innovation and genius¡­ but because she became a little at ease with her worries about him.

    Lita was confident that even without herself and the Count, Asher would be able to handle himself on his own.

    But for now, while Lita and his father were still around, they''d do their best to take care of him as much as they could.

    "I''ll let you get some more rest first, Asher. Don''t push yourself too hard today either." Countess Lita gently told her son, a smile on her face before she left the room.

    "I''ve spent too much time resting already," Lucius said as he nced at Kiana. "Would you like to hear more about my ns? I wasn''t able to fully discuss it with mother, but I''d like to hear your thoughts on it."

    Kiana knew that she wouldn''t be able to actually make Asher get some rest when he insisted on discussing his ns, so she decided to give in to his wishes instead.

    "Of course, I''ll do my best to help you where I can, Asher." Kiana said. "Are you finished with your meal, though?"

    There was still the tray of breakfast that Kiana had brought for Asher and he had mostly left it untouched while he had talked with them about the Bergan''s Band.

    "Fine, I''ll talk while I eat." Lucius knew that being stubborn with his meals won''t help him at maintaining his health.

    "Good." Kiana smiled, relieved to see him partake in his breakfast.

    She needed to remind him every now and then, because somehow, even a child was better at keeping track of when to eat or not.

    Asher prioritized other things over a meal.

    "¡­ So what beast will you be using, Asher?" Kiana asked after he ate a bit more.

    "Plow worms." Lucius said.

    Kiana blinked and stared at him. "Weren''t you going to need Plow worms for their rune crystals?"

    "Yes, and since you''ve informed me that we cannot kill Plow worms as they are a protected species, I''ll just allow them to wreak havoc themselves until they die and then recover the Rune Crystals from their bodies."

    Lucius had checked thew, and knew that it was alright to take rune crystals as long as their death was through natural means.

    "The rune crystals degrade quickly within a corpse though." Kiana frowned.

 Chapter 297 A Plow Worm In The Aisse Territory

    Plow worms were vastlyrge creatures and it was why Lucius had thought of them as the perfect beasts to exact his revenge on the Bergan''s Band.

    However, that was why Kiana''s concern also made sense.

    "While the Rune Crystal does degrade quickly within a corpse and trying to find it in its body is something difficult to do through normal means, I have my own way of retrieving it." Lucius said.

    Kiana couldn''t help but wonder if Asher would make use of the Lost to quickly search for the rune crystals, either way, she trusted that he''ll be able to obtain them as he wanted.

    "Now to exact this n, we need to obtain the location of a Plow Worm first. I would like you to take care of it. I''ve previously asked you to check where they reside, haven''t I?" Lucius said.

    Kiana nodded. "Yes, now that you''ve mentioned the Bergan''s Band. I recall that a number of Plow worms can be found in thend of the Aisse territory, Asher. But I''ll quickly set to work in pinpointing the exact location of one."

    "Good, in addition to that, it''ll be easy to put the me on the Aisse territory once the Plow Worm incident urs." Lucius nodded in satisfaction. "How long do you think it''ll take before you can give me the location of a Plow worms?"

    "I''ll be able to get it quickly." Kiana informed him. "The location of Plow worms are known by many due to the fact that plenty of mining areas that people work in are because of the Plow worms unearthing the materials."

    "That''s good. You''re free to take care of this right away." Lucius nodded as he finally finished his breakfast as well.

    "Then I''ll be taking this." Kiana picked up the meal tray but then looked at Asher. "Do you intend to leave today or go on any errands that I should know about?"

    "Hmmm¡­ well, until we get the information about the Plow worm''s location and for father to return and give us his permission, we won''t exactly be able to move forward with any ns, so I''m currently going to rest."

    Truth be told, Lucius wasn''t exactly pleased to sit around and wait for permission, especially with the chance that the Count might disagree with him, but in the long run, it was much better to get on the man''s good side.

    "And you''re not going to the Dionysia Brewery, re-education center or to yourboratory at all?" Kiana raised her brows, an unconvinced look on her face.

    Lucius sometimes forgot that Kiana believed herself to be the older one between the two of them, that even when ''Asher'' had proved himself as apetent young man, she and the rest of his family were still protective.

    It was always a strange thing, especially when Lucius had murdered his own siblings back in the Great Barrom n and thus had no particr attachment to people even rted to him by blood.

    "Asher?" Kiana asked again.

    "Very well. I will simply offer myself the books in the library here and refresh my mind on Plow worms and the like." Lucius dered. "As long as you get the information that I need as quickly as possible, I find no reason to not cooperate."

    Kiana let out an audible sigh but smiled at him.

    "You''ve really changed Asher. You haven''t even considered to contact Paul or Andrew to hang around with them, and while you''ve shown interest in artifacts before¡­ never to the extent of making one yourself."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius found no reason to associate with the youth but knew that his ''change'' was drastic for people who knew him for a long time indeed.

    "Circumstances have changed, Kiana." Lucius said. "And even if I were to make social calls with these two. It''s not really a good idea to call for them, especially after a recent assassination attempt. Who knows how much interest the Bergan''s Band have in attacking me?"

    Kiana blinked and realized her mistake.

    "Apologies for speaking out of turn, Asher. I know that you''ve changed especially with the loss of your memory¡­ and it must be tiring to hear me remind you of the past that you can''t recall. I''ll excuse myself now."

    Lucius watched Kiana leave the room, and while he could have lingered on her sentiments about the ''old'' Asher¡­ he really didn''t care as long as she remained useful and loyal to him.

    Attachment was a good way to keep people in control. Although there were chances of it backfiring too. Hence why Lucius had the Mark of Loyalty on Kiana.

    Either way, Lucius was indeed still exhausted after the Soul Scry spell and really had nned on recovering. He seemed idle right now, but it was simply him biding his time.

    When Kiana finally visited him the day after, she had the documents about the Plow Worms.

    "A local ore supplier has the locations right here." Kiana offered Asher the paper who then took his time to read it.

    "Hmmm¡­ there''s one right at the very border of the Aisse territory." Lucius said, pleased with the discovery. This specific Plow worm was the one that he''ll be targeting.

    "What''s your next step, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "It would be good to have ns for setting out at the ready." Lucius said. "While the Count is still not yet here, it''s better to be able to leave at a moment''s notice."

    "I''ll have the preparations be done then." Kiana nodded.

    "Thank you." Lucius said.

    More or less, things were going ordingly well to n and all that Lucius needed to do was wait.

    It was easy to get impatient, but Lucius knew that the Count was about to return since the Countess had also sent him a message regarding the assassination.

    In the meantime, Lucius was able to recover from the taxing costs of the spell and knew that he was in perfect condition to work again.

    And soon enough, the next day after, the Count arrived with an interesting group of warriors.

 Chapter 298 Arrival Of The Count

    The city of Inanis found themselves experiencing a great change in thest few months since Lucius had taken his ce in the world.

    He was not the sole reason why everything changed, but a lot of sudden things took ce when he took over as Asher Inanis.

    The citizens quickly came to discover that one of their nearby and long standing ally, the Drews, had stirred up discord.

    The current Viscount dered that he was going to be an independent territory that was free from the influence of Etara.

    A number of merchants from the city of Inanis was pulled away by the promises of lowered taxes and better opportunities.

    Such was the ongoing change that urred within the city of Inanis and that was not all.

    When vicious bandits roamed thend and caused chaos, and the results of Viscount Drew''s actions led to lowered trades and ie, it had been terrible events that the Count and Countess had to take care of.

    And that was a difficult thing.

    It was easy to be disheartened and lose hope for the future of the Inanis City.

    But fortunately, that was not the end of the story.

    Change happened thanks to Lucius'' discovery of the Carrom fruits'' uses and it was something that had taken a bit of a risk.

    The men and women, young and old soon experienced the sudden increase of employment when Dionysia Brewery first started to be built.

    It was a boon for many of its citizens who were in search of jobs with great pay.

    And it continued until the present time, many still employed by Lady Alessa to run the brewery.

    Somehow, the situation with Viscount Drew had not brought them down at all.

    And even when there was a situation with the Barony of Harrels that led to the Church of Duran to personally investigate, it had led to still good results.

    The crime rate of the city of Inanis plunged down and out of the criminals, something good came out of it with the establishment of the re education center.

    One after another, many things urred for the citizens of Inanis as troubles started but eventually ended with a war between the Inanis and Drew, that ended in their victory.

    It was easy enough to believe that was the end of it.

    However, the recent assassination attempt led to a more serious atmosphere in the city of Inanis when even a great number of criminals were captured alongside suspicious individuals.

    Sure, it made the citizens relieved that criminals were gone but also made them wary about what was going to happen next¡­ and they turned out to be right.

    Count Gabriel Inanis returned to his city alongside a group of warriors.

    Their appearance sent shock and surprise to the people.

    They wore ck armor that looked expensive and specifically suited for each one that wore them, and the way they carried themselves spoke of strength that surpassed a lot of soldiers and of elite quality.

    It was clear that even the Count Gabriel did not have something like this before, but that wasn''t what captured the attention of most people in the streets.

    "The Count looks terrifying." One of the young women whispered to their friends as she watched thepany of the Count pass through. "I''ve never seen the Count look this intense."

    A parent tried to shush a crying child in the street.

    The young child had looked up and saw the Count''s face and experienced what was akin to an instinct of death for the first time.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Older people gulped and yet shook their heads at the reactions of the younger folks.

    "We''ve seen something even more frightening during his youth all the way back." An old man said carefully.

    A name was whispered into the streets and spoken quietly as a mouse.

    "Rancor."

    "The young Count was¡ª"

    "Prayed to never see the man again."

    Many of even the young and adult men couldn''t help but step back in fear.

    People cleared the streets as the Count and hispanions made their way to the Inanis mansion.

    The Count seemed like he was ready to devour anyone who blocked his path towards his family.

    And though that was probably untrue, the Count cared for the people of Inanis and wouldn''t rule them unfairly, there was a light in the man''s eyes that made everyone uncertain still.

    Criminals who might have still roamed the street would second-guess their decisions to return.

    "Where is my family?" Count Gabriel practically leaped down his horse and tossed the reins to one of the servants.

    He didn''t wait for the servants to wee him into the Inanis mansion and quickly rushed inside even before the Countess and Asher were ready.

    Count Gabriel''s gaze searched among the people who met him at the entrance of the mansion, and he was not fully satisfied until he saw the Countess and Asher arrive.

    "Gabriel!" Lita called out to him.

    "Father," Lucius greeted with Kiana just situated behind him.

    The Count felt a certain weight disappear from his shoulders to see his family safe and sound.

    His wife looked unharmed and Asher also did not look troubled at all.

    It was almost as if the assassination attempt hadn''t happened at all.

    The reminder of the incident still clouded the Count''s features and it took him a bit of effort not to ask right away, but the servants quickly took the initiative to leave the family some time together.

    It was not their ce to disrupt an important moment.

    Once they were gone, Gabriel looked at Asher seriously.

    "I swear to you, we will find whoever is behind this attempt and they will pay for their acts¡ª"

    "Father, we already know who is behind this." Lucius said.

    "Now, Asher. We should let your father take a seat first and rest. It''s been a long and exhausting journey for him." Countess Lita tried to say.

    "No. Tell me who they are right away." The Count''s gaze hardened. There was no way that he would sit down when the information was before him.

 Chapter 299 Furious Gabriel

    "BERGAN''S BAND?!"

    The Count''s voice erupted inside of the Inanis mansion and shook everyone who heard it.

    Countess Lita grimaced and though she had been furious when she learned it from Asher, it was iparable to her husband''s wrath.

    Even Lucius was momentarily stunned by the Count''s reaction, but before he could speak up and calm down the man, some individuals beat him to it.

    While the servants originally left the Inanis family to reunite, some knights in dark armor stepped inside of the mansion and intercepted the Count.

    "To Aisse territory at once!" Count Gabriel''s voice bellowed towards the dark knights as he immediately turned towards the doors.

    "Count Gabriel, please hold on. We know that you''re agitated and furious, but take a moment to catch your breath."

    "It will not do us any good to ride out at once. You''re not going to win any battles at your current state."

    "It''s best to hold still for a moment, Count. Let us make better ns first before charging there heedlessly."

    "Even if we all apany you, the situation is still dire, Count Gabriel. Rushing is not good, especially at your state of mind."

    The Count hadn''t even caught his breath after traveling and meeting the King, but there was a torrent and rush of energy that coursed through the older man.

    He wanted to depart and leave for the Bergan''s Band at once.

    And yet when he nced at the knights and listened to their words, Count Gabriel clenched his fist and pounded the air but didn''t take another step out of the mansion.

    "They are right, father. It is better to think rationally, acting out like this would not be any good." Lucius added, though it was a little obvious to him that his words were unnecessary.

    The Count of the Inanis family actually calmed down and paid attention to the words of the knights that were with him.

    It was a surprising thing.

    Normally, someone of his father''s rank would be unstoppable without someone of a higher rank and mere knights wouldn''t be able to make him pause from doing anything.

    But somehow, they were able to do so.

    Lucius nced at the knights again, this time, giving them more attention to recognize them but his mind was nk for any answers.

    They wore unique armors, clearly built by great smiths even at one look, each one fitted for the bearer of the armor instead of manufactured for everyone.

    Not only that, their dark armor at least made Lucius feel like he had heard about them before or read about them.

    It wasn''t easy to see it at first due to the color of the armor, but there was a certain sigil imprinted on the armor.

    They were no doubt an elite and special group.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Once Count Gabriel fully calmed himself down, he cleared his throat and shook his head. He noticed the curious look on Asher''s face and gestured to the knights with him.

    "These are some members of the ck Rose Knights." Count Gabriel introduced.

    "They are a special group of knights that are directly under themand of the king. And as for the reason why they are here, the King has granted six warriors topany me on ount of the recent war as well as the assassination attempt."

    Lucius brows raised slightly at those words, but quickly cleared his features.

    It was a strange thing that the king of the Grantz kingdom would personally offer this much support for a Count.

    Even with Viscount Drew attacking Count Gabriel, he did not announce separation from the Grantz Kingdom but only the Etara Lands.

    Not only that, the attempted assassination on ''Asher Inanis'' was an unfortunate and unwanted incident¡­ but that didn''t take away the fact that nobilitymonly faced incidents such as assassination, poisoning and the like.

    Even if Asher performed valorous acts during the war against Gisir and Count Gabriel was a loyal servant to the king, it did not warrant for this much favor.

    Lucius doubted that a king would be this generous with every noble, unless he wished to be taken advantage of by others and seen as a fool.

    So what was the reason for this kind of treatment?

    Lucius activated his Nexus and discreetly checked the gifts of the six warriors and discovered that they all had rare ranked gifts.

    If all members of the ck Rose Knights had this rank of gifts, it was easy to understand why they were a special group for the king.

    "Now that we''ve been introduced, shall we go to the dining hall?" Countess Lita pped her hands and took the opportunity to intercede in the matter. "Everyone must be famished and tired. It will do us no good to discuss this whilst standing here."

    However, Count Gabriel shook his head, unwilling to even sit down until now.

    "I cannot rest until we actually take decisive actions against the Bergan''s Band. Even if I''m not riding to Aisse territory at once, surely there is something to be done right now."

    "We will look into this situation at once, rest assured, Count Gabriel." One of the knights said.

    "This is actually quite an important matter and we will delve deeply into it. The situation in Grantz Kingdom will change if Bergan''s Band actually dared to target a noble."

    "In the past, the King has let them roam free because there was no legitimate reason to act against them, but if proved to be behind this, well, it is not only us six who will ride against Bergan''s Band, Count Gabriel."

    "However¡­" one of the knights hesitated and nced at the other five. "Before we can act, it is truly vital to get solid proof that they are truly behind this. We cannot rush with just a mere statement."

    It was Asher who told the Count that it was the Bergan''s Band and he had faith in his son''s words.

    "Proof?" Count Gabriel seethed. "Go to Earl Aisse and demand the answers! Surely that man knows what the Bergan Band''s up to since they reside in hisnds!"

 Chapter 300 An Unsettling Name

    Lucius was a little d that Count Gabriel took his side and believed him wholeheartedly such that he reacted in this way towards the ck Rose Knights.

    Even though Lucius had told the Countess and Kiana that he had found a note in the assassin''s body, that was actually far from the case.

    If they had brought it up right now, the ck Rose Knights would want to see it for themselves and it wouldnd Lucius in a bit of a tricky situation.

    Naturally, Lucius could easily produce a fake note¡­ but it was still difficult to have it be authenticated andpared to say actual handwriting belonging to Biroy.

    Lucius would then need to scour the memories of Biroy again to produce a wless forgery¡­ and while entirely possible with his skills, it would again result in more effort than he would have wanted to expend.

    It was definitely a lot easier that the ck Rose Knights took the Inanis Count''s at straight value and reacted to how the man was feeling instead.

    "Count Gabriel, please calm down again. I''m sure that Earl Aisse is willing to cooperate¡ª" one of the knights said.

    "But the Earl will actually be a little uncooperative. It is the Bergan''s Band we''re talking¡­" another knight whispered.

    "Shh. I''m sure that it will all work out. Please forget mypanion''s words. We will truly be able to get to the bottom of this, Count Inanis."

    It was clear to the six ck Rose Knights that Count Gabriel was livid and couldn''t be easily assuaged this time.

    To Count Gabriel, now that they''ve questioned the validity of Asher''s statement, he was frustrated that they''d stall this much since he had faith in his son''s words.

    He only wanted to protect his family and it was clear that an assassination had taken ce and nearly taken the life of his son, but the ck Rose Knights remained hesitant from acting right away.

    It was much better if Count Gabriel could take care of this himself. Then he would be able to exact the retribution right away.

    There was a dangerous glint in Count Gabriel''s eyes as he spoke.

    "If the Earl Aisse does not have a proper answer to this situation and the Bergan''s Band''s actions, Rancor will return and pay them a visit himself!"

    At those words, the six ck Rose Knights expression became unsettled and they immediately went to reassure the Count.

    "¡ªthat will be unnecessary, Count Gabriel! Three of us will leave at once for Earl Aisse''s territory and three of us will remain here to ensure that your family will remain safe from future threats."

    "Yes! Rest assured, answers will be found and justice shall be exacted as fitting as Duran''s will!"

    "We will not linger here any longer. Come now, you two." One of the knights immediately gestured for hispanions and they moved forward, moving at a much more hurried pace than before. "When we return, it will be with good news!"

    The three ck Rose Knights didn''t even linger for another moment and quickly left as soon as they hade into the Inanis mansion.

    It made Lucius raise his brows slightly, and he quickly nced at Kiana and Countess Lita''s expressions.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They were less unsettled than the ck Rose Knights, but there was still an uneasy expression on their faces as if this was a topic best avoided.

    "Kiana, dear. Why don''t you take care of the aodations for all of the ck Rose Knights that will be remaining with us?" Countess Lita addressed her niece.

    Kiana luckily, only hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Right away, Madam. I will return shortly once I am done with your tasks."

    Countess Lita then reached out to Count Gabriel and touched his arm gently. But Count Gabriel still looked furious and not at all satisfied with everything that happened.

    Either way, this situation with Rancor was something that interested Lucius right away.

    The six ck Rose Knights all held rare ranked gifts and were formidable in their own right.

    Lucius was sure that Captain Donald and Lieutenant John would find themselves at a difficult position if they were to face the knights, with their armor and better experiencebined.

    He himself knew that if he did not have the element of surprise¡­ the Wind Scar sword would only be able to afford him so much if he were to hold himself against them.

    Which made it all the more surprising that the name Rancor evoked such an unsettled feeling among them.

    It meant that Rancor himself could probably solve the issue with Earl Aisse, that Lucius couldn''t help but want to inquire.

    And who else to ask but the man who mentioned the Rancor himself?

    Lucius stepped closer to Count Gabriel and cleared his throat respectfully. "Father, I was not aware of this person that you speak of. Who is this Rancor individual?"

    Lucius expected an answer from the man, no matter how livid he was, but in an unexpected turn of events, Count Gabriel didn''t give him another nce and merely stormed out of the hallway.

    Count Gabriel was headed to his study and didn''t even talk to the remaining ck Rose Knights and was quickly followed by his wife.

    Lucius''s brows furrowed together. He didn''t understand the Count''s reaction.

    Luckily for him, right before Lita could chase down after her husband, she turned back to look at her son and gave him a tired but kind smile.

    "Please wait for awhile, Asher. I will discuss this with you, but first I have to look after your father. He''s furious, but he really needs someone to talk with him." Countess Lita promised before she hurried after Count Gabriel.

    This left Lucius alone with the three remaining ck Rose Knights and without even Kiana by his side.

    It was a situation that Lucius wasn''t so thrilled about, as entertaining guests was something that Kiana should have done¡­ but then one of the ck Rose Knight called out to him.

    "You are Lord Asher Inanis, yes?"

 Chapter 301 Old Wounds Of The Count

    "Yes, I am." Lucius nodded briefly and looked at three ck Rose Knights in question. "Is there anything I can help you with? Kiana will probably return shortly to lead you to your amodations."

    The ck Rose Knight nced at hispanions.

    "Perhaps we may be able to inform you about Rancor, if you would allow us the opportunity to do so, Young Lord." The knight said.

    "My mother did say that she will return shortly to discuss things with me," Lucius said, but then smiled briefly as he assessed the three knights. "However, I would like to take you on your offer."

    It was actually a good chance for him to see if they were truly as promising as they seemed to be.

    This was a special group of the king of Grantz Kingdom, so it was a good chance topare them some more.

    "O-of course." The knight said, a bit startled and surprised with Asher Inanis'' demeanor.

    It was rare for Count Gabriel to speak on topics beyond those not pertaining to the subject back when he had met with the king of Grantz Kingdom, but Asher was brought up before.

    Asher Inanis was given a gift by the king for his valor in battle against Gisir Kingdom, but it was also known that the young man was gravely injured during that time.

    The ck Rose Knights weren''t solely an offensive power used by the king, but they were also given tasks that required more delicacy and tact at times.

    Whether that was dealing with nobles like Count Gabriel or Earl Aisse in the uing future, or with taking note of incidents that urred within the kingdom.

    The ck Rose Knights was thus capable of bing the eyes and ears of the king, and so the knight took one look at the current Asher and tried to match it with the earlier description found with the previous Asher.

    The way that Lucius carried himself was vastly different from the ounts of a much more reckless Asher Inanis during the battlefield.

    Paired with some information about the Count Gabriel tithing to the Church of na to heal his son and paying quite an exorbitant fee¡­ the ck Rose Knight came to a few conclusions.

    One was that Asher Inanis had lost his memory during the time after the war with Gisir which led to such drastic changes¡­ or that Count Gabriel had hidden his past from his son and that ounts on Asher Inanis'' personality were grossly misjudged.

    Either was actually possible, but the ck Rose Knight didn''t imagine Count Gabriel as someone who hid his past from his family, nor would witnesses be wrong about a young lord''s demeanor.

    It was not also easy for a man to suddenly change personality, even if someone were to take ount the traumas and terrors of war on the psyche of a young man.

    This was how the ck Rose Knight finally made a conclusion that Asher Inanis lost his memory.

    "Well¡­? I do not wish to seem a little impatient, but I am immensely curious about this subject on Rancor." Lucius crossed his arms, noticing that he had gone under the scrutiny of the ck Rose Knights.

    It wasn''t only a one-sided assessment, and while Lucius was confident about his ability to conceal things¡­ he preferred to keep his dealings with these men brief.

    Hopefully, they wouldn''t interview Lucius about the assassination attempt right away, or figure out that he was the one who ''discovered'' the assassin''s note.

    For now, it was good for Lucius to finally hear about this Rancor.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I believe that you have not been able to meet your grandmother, Young Lord Asher?" The ck Rose Knight carefully asked.

    Lucius kept his expression calm, but kept a tight smile on his face.

    He was confident that the news about him ''losing'' his memory was kept privately as a secret.

    It was to not allow other nobles to see it as an opportunity to seize more power, but the ck Rose Knight immediately had a question that only an Asher who had all his memories knew.

    Before Lucius could answer cryptically, one of the other ck Rose Knights narrowed his eyes at hispanion and took over speaking.

    "Please forgive mypanion''s rudeness, that was quite a callous way of informing you of telling the story behind Rancor''s identity. I am sure that even though you have not met your grandmother personally, she must have been mentioned by your father many times in the past. Or perhaps he may not have mentioned her at all?"

    The ck Rose Knights weren''t actually sure how Count Gabriel dealt with the loss, but the story of Rancor was a well-known one.

    "It is¡­ a subject that''s touched upon carefully."

    Lucius was grateful for the other knight''s interruption and nodded his head.

    "The memory of your grandmother, Count Gabriel''s mother''s is a painful one for the Count and with the recent assassination on his son''s life, I am sure that it has reminded the Count of the past, Young Lord."

    Lucius didn''t feel the need to say anything, but now knew what the ck Rose Knights were trying to say.

    Count Gabriel''s mother was assassinated sessfully.

    It was a stark reminder for the Count and also greatly exined why his reaction to the assassination was this way.

    This wasn''t only about Asher himself, but also old wounds that were opened once more.

    "What did my father do? Did he search for someone to avenge my grandmother?" Lucius asked. "Is this how he came across this Rancor individual?"

    The ck Rose Knights grimly smiled and shook their heads.

    "On the contrary, the younger Count was greatly furious back then and went on a rampage by himself, exacting revenge against anyone he had suspected."

    "Suspected?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "The suspect behind the assassination was unknown during that time and so the young Count took it upon himself to enact his revenge."

    "This¡­ this clearly wouldn''t have gone well with the other nobles." Lucius said.

    "You''re right, many nobles were offended and it earned Count Gabriel a lot of enmity. However, that didn''t make the young Count falter and wage his offense."

 Chapter 302 They Called Him... Rancor!

    "Wage his offense on anyone he suspected?" Lucius said. "I don''t think he was exactly clear-headed enough if this happened right away after the assassination attempt."

    "Yes, there were a lot of people who were threatened, hurt and even killed. One¡­ one can only presume how much they were truly involved in the assassination, the Count could hardly be stopped through any normal means." The ck Rose Knight said quietly.

    "However, it is something that anyone with much grief would probably go through. I am sure that the Count has thought back on the acts that he had caused that time and would have been more rational if given the chance."

    Lucius knew that the knights were trying to downy a little of how much actual chaos that the young Count Gabriel actually caused to make the man look good in front of his son.

    However, Lucius didn''t actually care if some innocent people died during Count Gabriel''s personal crusade for his mother.

    Even the most ''good'' people had their own dark secrets.

    Lucius found no reason to be guilty about any people dying. If they stood in the way of his goals, then that was enough reason to get rid of them.

    If anything, it made Lucius actually respect Count Gabriel even further because his hands were not that clean.

    "I take it that anyone who tried to make him see reason would find themselves testing his de and patience?"

    "Exactly. The nobles had to use their influence in another way, put on pressure that didn''t directly involved meeting the young Count personally but could have stopped him from going around in his sworn mission for revenge."

    "I see. I suppose in their eyes, they were trying to punish a rabid dog in a sense." Lucius said. "Make my father see reason and act more properly or else they''d take away everything the Inanis Family has strove for."

    The ck Rose Knights gawked for a moment, not expecting such a reaction from the Count''s own son.

    On the other hand Lucius found himself discovering a side of Count Gabriel that he hadn''t expected.

    Based on current times, the Count prioritized his family a lot but he also took care of the people in Inanis city.

    He was willing to ensure that they did not suffer during the period when Viscount Drew withdrew from Etara.

    However, gaining a lot of enmity in his youth meant the Inanis city suffered severely¡­ and yet the young Count was steadfast and didn''t lose sight of his goal.

    While respectable, it could also be interpreted as blind rage¡­ if not for the fact that the Count found himself back on top again.

    And Lucius thought that the many really did.

    Despite his past, the Count now had the favor of the king and even received the presence of the six ck Rose Knights as a result.

    "Pardon us, young lord?" one of the knights looked at him unsurely.

    Lucius raised a brow and merely shrugged.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I''m still in shock that the Inanis Family continues to exist today based on my father''s actions which earned him that many enemies. Other than that, when did he finally learn the truth about my grandmother''s assassination?"

    The ck Rose Knights were surprised at his question, but to Lucius it made a lot of sense.

    Based on the Count''s character, he would have never settled down if the people behind the assassination still roamed free.

    "It was during the time when he found that Gisir Kingdom made a conspiracy to sow discord in the Grantz Kingdom. Among their attempts to ruin Grantz Kingdom from the inside, the assassination of the Count''s mother was one of those acts."

    "There were actually four noble houses that were involved in it and to think of even touching them was something next to impossible, but your father was unwilling to stand down and went after them."

    "He then faced the private armies of those four noble houses all by himself."

    "All by himself, you say?"

    Lucius brows furrowed together and somehow, the real Asher Inanis putting himself in danger during the Gisir war made sense, but even Count Gabriel was even more rash.

    Luckily for Count Gabriel, he had that epic rank gift on his side, while Asher was less fortunate.

    But that wasn''t the only thing that allowed him to do so. Count Gabriel must have been truly gifted with the sword and with a rage so deep to have fought against that many men without tiring.

    Lucius could only imagine how long it actually took for Count Gabriel to cleave through that many soldiers without stopping or resting.

    "Yes, his gift and skills allowed him to go through nearly two thousands men and when he vanquished them, he went after the nobles involved in the conspiracy and took away their heads. It was a bloody massacre to say the least."

    "A violent one too."

    "Shhh, that''s not appropriate to say. But ah, it was during that day that the young Count Gabriel was able to earn the unofficial title..."

    "They called him... Rancor!"

    "I would have never expected that it was none other than my own father who turned out to be this person." Lucius nodded, suitably impressed.

    Such violent acts were grand, even to someone in the Great Barrom n. Although it was unlikely that anyone in the Great Barrom n would have been moved to act for losing a parent, the acts of violence were substantial.

    "What happened then after that? He may have discovered the conspiracy, but that doesn''t exactly fix the enmity that he had gained from the other nobles." Lucius asked.

    "Ah yes, while he may have found some peace after being able to avenge the assassination of his mother, it truly was not enough to salvage the rtions that he broke with a lot of nobility. Some people wanted him gone, while others saw his capacity for destruction. But the Count was able to think of a way to neutralize the enmities that he had."

 Chapter 303 A Captivating Tale

    "What did my father do to fix the aftermath of what had happened back then?" Lucius asked.

    He could surmise what happened after the death of the four noble houses, but allowed the three ck Rose Knights to tell the story.

    "The young Count chose to participate in several battles for the kingdom, and it was able to mitigate the damage that he had caused prior to the discovery of the conspiracy."

    "But most importantly, this allowed Count Gabriel to be well-known and his contributions to the kingdom made him gain the favor of the king along with further merits which allowed him to grow his territory to its current level."

    "All of this happened before your birth, young lord. I don''t think even the Countess was around during this period of time yet."

    "¡­ I hardly think any nobledy would be interested with the young Count during that time. But ah, what we wanted to say that this was all in the past and things have changed since then."

    "Not so long." One of the knights argued with theirpanion. "When we''ve traveled through the streets of Inanis City, many of the elderly were on edge at seeing the look on Count Gabriel''s face. It''s clear that the memory of Rancor still resides greatly in their minds."

    "I''m sure that they remember it for a great reason." Lucius said. Better to know of someone dangerous than to be ignorant of it after all.

    "But ah yes, the title of Rancor is quite infamous with even other kingdoms too. Oldermanders would tremble upon hearing that Rancor would be participating in a battle. That name alone is enough to spread fear."

    Lucius listened to it all and couldn''t help but think about everything that he''d learned from these ck Rose Knights.

    It was actually quite a captivating tale to take in and if by some chance this young Count Gabriel had been in his past world, there was no doubt that he would have climbed up the ranks of the Great Barrom n or even others.

    Lucius hadn''t been so sure before, but this was a sign of great prowess and genius.

    It wasn''t only the fact that Count Gabriel had a great gift, it was his personal strength and swordy that allowed him to survive through it all.

    "Thank you for informing me about my father''s past." Lucius said.

    "It is our honor, Young Lord Asher!"

    Lucius was able to receive useful information while staying with the knights and so he was more or less satisfied of the events.

    However, there was still that one ck Rose Knight who nearly had caught him on not knowing his own grandmother''s assassination.

    And not only that, the ck Rose Knights suddenly looked at each other and then turned to Lucius.

    "If we may bother you about this delicate situation however, Young Lord Asher¡­ it would be of greatest help in our quest to discover the culprits behind your assassination." One of the knights said.

    Lucius looked at them with a calm expression.

    "I believe that my father has already said that it was the Bergan''s Band who are the ones behind the attempted assassination, knights. I am not so sure what you mean by discovering the culprits?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We trust the Count''s words, but it is not so easy to wage a fight against the Bergan''s Band or request much information from Earl Aisse if there is no concrete proof that shows it was the Bergan''s Band, Young Lord."

    "We would just like to query on how it was discovered? Was it you who discovered the assassin''s identity or some other individual in the manor?"

    Lucius was prepared to give them an answer that would satisfy them as he considered his next steps to take, but he was able to save himself from the trouble by the arrival of someone else.

    It was about this time that Kiana returned from arranging the amodations for their guests and found that it was Asher alone who apanied the ck Rose Knights.

    While she wondered where the Count and Countess was, Kiana prioritized removing the knights from the presence of Asher in case the man was being bothered by them.

    "Excuse me!" Kiana stepped forward and approached the ck Rose Knights alongside other servants. "It would be an honor for me to escort you all to your quarters and ensure that the Inanis hospitality is provided."

    "Oh, that is¡­"

    "We were instructed to keep the Inanis family safe. It would do us better to stay here and apany the young lord for awhile."

    "Not with all of you having traveled and not taking a moment to recover from it." Kiana said.

    The ck Rose Knights nced at each other.

    While the three of them would have liked to work on the assassination case immediately to assist theirpanions who left for Aisse territory, it was also true that they had traveled greatly to reach Inanis City.

    While they asked the Count to take it slower, the man refused to slow down and it had actually exhausted them a great deal.

    These three knights were fortunate enough that they were not sent to Earl Aisse''snds.

    Now with Kiana tempting them to their own personal amodations however, the ck Rose Knights found it difficult to refuse and were soon led away by her and other servants.

    This finally allowed Lucius to be left alone.

    "That was¡­ rather difficult to deal with." Lucius said and shook his heads.

    The ck Rose Knights were doing their jobs, and it was a pity that they were actuallypetent ones because it temporarily put them at odds with Lucius.

    They might have been tasked to protect the Inanis family, but were also thorough enough to check and question the assassination in order to look for the truth.

    "But since it truly is the Bergan''s Band, I have no doubt that something will at leaste up in their investigation and get them off my back. It''d be impossible for one assassin toe here alone without any help from outside."

 Chapter 304 Leifs List

    During the entirety of the day, Count Gabriel Inanis did not show his face around the mansion or meet up with anyone besides the Countess herself.

    It was something that might have bugged the real Asher, but Lucius found no reason to worry. Although when Kiana met up with him in the library, he did ask about the Count.

    "Why was I not informed about the fact that my father is Rancor?" Lucius asked as he received a cup of freshly brewed tea from Kiana.

    Kiana blinked. She knew that the Countess and Count hadn''t revealed the information, and so it was the ck Rose Knights who told Asher about it.

    A frown crossed on her face and Lucius lowered his cup.

    "Since the Count threatened the knights that Rancor might show himself and I was confused, the ck Rose Knights offered to exin." Lucius eyed her. "It was a little difficult because these people were probably sharp enough to notice that I didn''t even know my own grandmother."

    "That''s¡ª!" Kiana''s eyes widened.

    The matter of Asher losing his memory was still a delicate subject. It was something that shouldn''t be revealed to anyone and they had done their best to inform him of everything but this still slipped.

    "Rest assured, that matter was handled as effectively as possible. I manged to evade from them thinking too much about it, but it would have been easier on my part if such important history about the Inanis Family was shared with me." Lucius said.

    "That is¡­ this is a matter that the Count himself should discuss with you. I am sure that he must have wanted to tell you, but it is quite a dark and painful part of your father''s life that he seldom discusses it." Kiana sighed softly. "He only mentioned Rancor because you nearly being assassinated opened bitter old scars. Of course he was enraged that someone tried to take someone important from his life again and he wasn''t around to prevent it."

    "I see." Lucius nodded. "That makes sense¡­"

    "Is something bothering you, Asher? Were those knights giving you trouble from earlier?" Kiana asked. "They''re currently in the soldier''s barracks and are sparring with some of the soldiers. If you''d like, I can give them a lesson or ask someone to do it in my stead."

    Lucius shook his head.

    "Even though you''ve used your powers in the battle against Viscount Drew''s army, it''s best not to use them openly. Remember, these ck Rose Knights do not serve the Inanis Family, but they must have checked on the people they''re supposed to protect. If they realize that your Stone Shooter which was a rare rank gift suddenly changed into that of an epic rank, it will be difficult for us."

    "Right, forgive me for thinking too brashly." Kiana sighed and massaged her forehead.

    She knew that Asher didn''t want to share the fact that he could upgrade gifts, and if the king had learned it... while the value of the Inanis Family will rise, it will also put them in the eyes of too many people.

    What if more people tried toe in contact with Asher or attempt to kidnap him to use for their own schemes and agendas? It was an unforgivable thing!

    Lucius watched Kiana and knew that she was lost in thought. He cleared his throat and captured her attention again.

    "Ah, do you need anything else, Asher?" Kiana asked. "I only brought tea since I figured you must be parched but is there something else you would like me to do?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The preparations for Aisse Territory is finished, isn''t it?"

    "Yes, Asher. We''re still waiting for the Count to approve of the n though and I don''t think we can get permission right now at his current mood. He''s still inconsble, but perhaps tomorrow?"

    "Don''t worry, I''m sure that he will approve. I am merely just checking, though there might be some things that I''ll change depending on the results of the conversation. For now though, I wanted to ask something else."

    "Ah, yes. What is it?"

    "Leif cooperated during the time when mother and you captured every criminal and suspicious individual people on the list, hasn''t he?"

    "Yes." Kiana nodded. "He gave a list of individuals who might know a thing or two about the assassination attempt. I would have gone over it myself, but other duties kept me preupied since the time I received it."

    "I''d like to see the list now then. Perhaps see if we have any people who could have been in cohorts with our assassin."

    "Okay. I''ll be right back."

    Kiana retrieved the document shortly and offered it to Lucius who gave it a read. The document was actually thorough and well-prepared by Leif which impressed Lucius.

    "He certainly knows a lot about the people who operates within his tavern." Luciusmented.

    "It might be the Blind Crow Tavern, but Leif wouldn''t allow anyone to operate there if he had no way of checking their character. They''re criminals, but they at least still stick to a certain code among them." Kiana said, displeasure evident in her face.

    "Indeed. He included the days when they were present in the tavern, their identities which is basic information¡­ but also the contacts that each of this associates have in touch with alongside the services that they provide to their clients."

    "The list is actually quite extensive, Asher." Kiana furrowed her brow. "Shall I assist you in reviewing them?"

    "I''m already narrowing it down as we speak." Lucius said as he eyed the document. "This individual doesn''t necessarily have to be someone powerful in terms of gifts or strength, but they have to be wealthy in information."

    "Just information?" Kiana asked, slightly surprised.

    "Since the Bergan''s Band is all the way from Aisse Territory, the assassin who came here knew next to nothing on how the Inanis Family''s security operated and yet they were able to slip in undetected. Thus we focus on people who provide intel, have contacts in Aisse Territory¡­ huh, we may have found our target, Kiana."

    "Already?"

    "This individual is said to have contact with Bergan''s Band."

 Chapter 305 The Calmed Count

    "Then we should report this right away to the Count¡­" Kiana stood up, but then hesitated. Even if she was a niece, there was still some reservation in going there to inform the Count about the sudden development.

    "Best to wait until tomorrow. Since father is trying to calm himself down, we shouldn''t try to provoke him any further. If he hears wind of this, he might just erupt again and it would be difficult if he cleaves through this man in rage." Lucius said.

    Even though Asher said it with a calm voice, Kiana couldn''t help but imagine it actually happening and knew that would put their chance of getting revenge against the Bergan''s Band into something more difficult to achieve.

    Kiana was confident about the Plow Worm attack that Asher was going tounch, but the Bergan''s Band was a powerful group and having the side of the king was better than tackling it on by themselves.

    "¡­ For now, shall we take care of this by ourselves?" Kiana asked. "We can arrest this man, put him in jail and just inform the Count and Countess by tomorrow."

    "You said that the ck Rose Knights are in the soldier''s barracks and training at the moment?" Lucius asked.

    Kiana nodded. "Yes, they are."

    Since these knights were people who served the king, it was her utmost importance to serve them to the best of her ability especially with the Count and Countess both preupied.

    "Then I suppose we''ll need to have some guards discreetly leave the barracks to capture this associate. It wouldn''t do us any good if the ck Rose Knights were to discover where our information came from, won''t it?"

    Kiana nodded and understood Asher''s wish to be discreet.

    Even though the Count and Countess were outraged by Asher being nearly assassinated, they wouldn''t resort to working with those who associated with criminals.

    It was also important to uphold a good image and so, Kiana nodded. "It will be done, Asher. You won''t have to worry about those knights."

    "Thank you." Lucius said.

    It was much easier to present the associate as one of those who were captured beforehand. Kiana quickly left Lucius to perform her task.

    Once she was gone, Lucius folded his hands together and sighed inwardly.

    "As much as I''d like to head to theboratory, and I can probably do it discreetly as well¡­ it will still be something that will get noticed by those ck Rose Knights and will bother me once I return."

    Since they were tasked to protect the Inanis Family members, it was natural that if Lucius went somewhere, they would want to insist to apany him.

    If not all three of them, but to have at least one ck Rose Knight at his side.

    Fortunately for Kiana, she was probably able to move a little more freely, even if the ck Rose Knights were aware of her identity.

    "Speaking of which, Kiana might have prepared my travel for Aisse territory to involve the personal guards of the Inanis Family to keep me safe, and while that''s all good and well¡­ it''s best to be discreet as possible and not gather any attention."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius decided to focus on the next steps that he was going to take once he was given permission by the Count to cause havoc against the Bergan''s Band.

    "I''ll be able to get the ck Rose Knight''s back off me once the Count allows me to do this mission, and while I can probably take the Lost with me as my own security, it will still result in certain questions. Especially, if I will enter Aisse territory with them."

    Lucius knew that controlling one single Plow Worm was not enough to cause permanent damage against the Bergan''s Band, which was why he needed to actually make a proper n in regards to do this.

    It was easy to imagine how things might be since Lucius nned it carefully in his head, but he still needed to be able to prepare in case anything doesn''t go ordingly well.

    "If I were to actually cause more than one Plow Worm to rampage in Aisse and truly create enough destruction, it will definitely lead to Rune Beast expertsing to investigate the sudden change in their nature. And it might even lead some folks to fear the creatures and attack them needlessly¡­ which will result into me having difficulty to obtain their Rune Crystals in the future if they try to flee."

    Lucius spent the rest of the evening in the library until Kiana returned and informed him of thepletion of her mission.

    The Count and Countess still hadn''t showed themselves at that point, so Lucius took over as the host alongside Kiana and invited the ck Rose Knights to dine with them.

    Luckily, the ck Rose Knights were too exhausted to ask him anything and soon enough Lucius retired for the night.

    When the next day finally came, Lucius was summoned by Count Gabriel first thing in the morning. He prepared and quickly met his father privately in his study.

    "Hmm¡­ are you feeling better now, father?" Lucius asked carefully.

    Count Gabriel nodded firmly. "Will youe take a seat first, Asher? I have much to discuss with you¡­ I wasn''t able to answer your question yesterday. It is a shame that I was overtaken by emotions and though your mother could have exined it to you, I told her that I want to tell you the story myself."

    "Of course, father." Lucius joined him at his desk.

    It was apparent that Count Gabriel had calmed down since yesterday and he soon began to tell the story in much greater detail than the ck Rose Knights.

    Lucius didn''t think that he''d be interested in it, having heard it already from the knights prior but it was still better to hear the ount from the person himself.

    Once the conversation reached its end, Count Gabriel thanked Lucius for listening to his story.

    "Not a problem, father." Lucius said.

    "It infuriated me when those knights were unwilling to move right away." Count Gabriel said. "I know that they''re doing their job, but you were able to discover that it was the Bergan''s Band doing."

    "Indeed. And now I can offer someone who will confirm what I told you, father. I''m sure that this will clear things up."

 Chapter 306 A Proof Of Identity

    "You have someone who''ll attest that the Bergan''s Band is the one behind everything?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "Yes. We have someone who will prove that the assassin Biroy is a member of Bergan''s Band and that they''ve assisted in the attempted assassination." Lucius nodded. "I believe this will satisfy any lingering doubts that the ck Rose Knights have, father."

    Count Gabriel had faith in his son''s words and immediately nodded. "Then let''s go there at once."

    On that particr day, Count Gabriel apanied Lucius and the three ck Rose Knights to the jail in Inanis City.

    "Our greetings to the Count and Young Lord!" the guards stationed at the jail greeted the two nobles of the Inanis family alongside the three ck Rose Knights.

    "Is there by any chance that the assassin is currently ced here?" one of the ck Rose Knights inquired.

    Since Count Gabriel was only informed that there had been an attempted assassination, the knights who were with him didn''t actually know what happened to the assassin.

    Lucius considered informing them on the fact that the assassin was still alive but in aatose, but then shook his head.

    "No. If the assassin was here, then he would have easily escaped due to his gift." Lucius said. "He would easily slip through the bars and then finish off our soldiers before making his escape. On the contrary, we simply have someone who will verify who he is."

    "I see. Thank you for informing us, Young Lord."

    The ck Rose Knights nced at the prison cell and were impressed.

    "The city of Inanis truly has a lowered crime rate. This is quite unprecedented for such a big city andparable to that of a small vige if we were to look at numbers."

    "While crime cannot truly be eradicated from a city, the Inanis family has done their part in reducing it greatly over the course of months." Lucius said. "It is something that was achieved with even the personal servants of the Inanis family."

    "Servants?" one knight asked.

    "Remember, that the Inanis is one of those who built an academy for those who wish to learn skills and train as one of their future servants and those who are interested in improving their employment chances." Hispanion answered.

    "Indeed. It''s impressive that even servants know how to hold themselves in the streets as well. You have our admiration, Count Gabriel and you as well, Young Lord."

    Lucius nodded briefly and continued on their walk through the prison.

    During the night of the attempted assassination, when Countess Lita gave the orders to arrest criminals and suspicious individuals, the jail cells were filled to the brim and nearly overflowing.

    People became a little used of the stricter Inanis City, and so were shocked during that time.

    Luckily, due to the presence of the re education center, the number had already dwindled down significantly. Especially since these people were not involved in the assassination either way, so it was better for them to just try to amend for their crimes.

    "This is uneptable!" someone cried out and shook the prison bars.

    When Count Gabriel walked past the cell, the prisoner immediately flinched away and shrank as if fearing for his life.

    Lucius knew that the Count had an intense gaze until now, even though the man had said he had calmed down, it was still enough to strike fear.<novelnext></novelnext>

    They soon reached an area of the prison that functioned as an interrogation room. All of them waited while the associate of Leif was brought forward.

    "Speak the truth or you''ll find your tongue cut." Count Gabriel''s gaze was hostile on the man.

    The associate gulped then looked across at the people who summoned him.

    "I¡­ I don''t know why I''m here, Count. Please have mercy. I''vemitted no crimes and have only been conducting my business in an orderly manner."

    "Business?" the ck Rose Knight raised a brow. "What kind of business?"

    "¡­information. I am an informant and a valuable member of the city. All types of peoplee to me for info, whether it''s merchants wanting theirpetitors secrets or people who wish to know details about well-known individuals. I¡­ I once sold information on what Viscount Drew likes to eat for example, for servants who wish to be employed by him or nobles who wish to know what to give him."

    Lucius''s lips pressed together into a thin line.

    This was truly one of the associates of Leif butpared to the tavern owner, he was unable to hold a nk face and instead considered himself to be free from any actual crimes.

    "Wouldn''t that also include information on how the Inanis guards operate on their shifts and their routes along the manor during the night?" Lucius said.

    The associate said but then raised his hands pleadingly. "What people do with the information is something out of my jurisdiction."

    "Of course." Lucius smiled and his eyes glinted together.

    It sent shivers down the spine of the associate who gulped and yet was unable to look away.

    "Tell me. I am going to give a description of a certain individual, their upation and gift and perhaps you''ll be able to identify who they are. This is the type of work that you do, right?"

    "I-I''ll try, Young Lord."

    "Good. Let''s see, this man is a rather tall andnky individual who operates from the shadows. They possess a gift that allows them to travel down from narrow and tight ces without anyplications. It''s a rare gift called Soft Bones, I believe."

    "B-Biroy!" the associate blurted out. "You''re talking about Biroy. He''s one of the assassins from Bergan''s Band."

    "Good." Lucius said. "So you know of him?"

    The associate grimaced and looked away. "People from the Bergan''s Band are famous¡ª"

    "Not the answer that we''re looking for." Lucius said and mmed his hands down the table. "You''ve seen him, haven''t you?"

    The associate wavered, but then finally nodded.

    "Yes. I know Biroy and I''ve met him quite a while back¡­"

 Chapter 307 Apprehension

    After a couple more questions, the associate confirmed that it was really Biroy who attempted to assassinate Asher Inanis.

    It was something that Lucius had expected all this time, but it was a different matter for the three ck Rose Knights.

    "This changes everything. When the others return here after visiting Earl Aisse, we''ll have to confer on what to do."

    "The king needs to hear of this. Surely, we''ll take more decisive steps against the Bergan''s Band."

    "For now we wait until the otherse back and just perform our duties of protection."

    The three ck Rose Knights discussed to themselves, finding the new findings as great discovery. Meanwhile, while the three were preupied, Lucius took it as a chance to talk with the Count.

    "Father, I have something to tell you now that everything''s been confirmed with Biroy and the Bergan''s Band." Lucius said. "Privately."

    "Of course, let''s return to the mansion first." Count Gabriel said. "I also have something I wish to discuss with you."

    "Is that so?" Lucius didn''t think that there''d be more to discuss after the conversation about Rancor, but he was mistaken.

    After the visit to the jail, Lucius and the Count conferred in the study to discuss their private matters. Lucius immediately decided to bring up the topic that he wished to get approval from.

    "Yesterday, I''m not sure if mother was able to tell you about my ns regarding the Bergan''s Band." Lucius said.

    "Unfortunately not, your mother had been preupied in helping me calm down." Count Gabriel shook his head but then eyed Asher with a look of pride. "But of course it makes sense that my son would like to take revenge himself! What is it that you have in mind? Now that these knights can confirm that it was Bergan''s Band, we can ask for aid from the king."

    "That is all well and good, father, but I also have ns on my own." Lucius said. "Also, I am not actually quite sure how much of those words are from the king himself or from the ck Rose Knights. They might still hesitate or stall since the Bergan''s Band is a powerful mercenary group after all."

    Count Gabriel''s expression hardened and he shook his head. "I do not think that the king will be a coward. If we let the power of the Bergan''s Band to umte even further after this transgression then we would certainly be fools who do not know how to run a kingdom."

    Lucius nodded briefly.

    "Regardless, I''ve already made up my mind that I wish to have my own way of causing initial havoc for the Bergan''s Band and I only need your permission to do it."

    "What did you have in mind?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "To put it simply, since we are personally unable to act against the Bergan''s Band, I will instead be using the power of Rune Beasts to make them pay for their crimes." Lucius said.

    "Rune Beasts?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "Yes. A Plow Worm to be exact." Lucius said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The Count mulled over Asher''s words, and he couldn''t think of a way for Plow Worms to be of any danger to the Bergan''s Band due to their non violent nature¡­ however, he had trust in Asher''s judgment.

    Maybe Asher learned something during Master Kain''s instructions? Count Gabriel wasn''t sure, but he wanted to warn his son.

    "I''ve been able to mostly redeem myself of my deeds as Rancor in the past due to the aplishments I''ve performed in war, but it does not necessarily clear things for everyone. In fact, Earl Aisse is one of those individuals who I''ve shared an enmity in the past with."

    "Do not worry about that, father. I have no interest in going head on conflict with Earl Aisse or Bergan''s Band. I will not be even going to Aisse territory as a young lord but will be going there in disguise instead."

    "That''s good." Count Gabriel agreed. "Of course, I take it that your preparations are already done?"

    "Yes, Kiana had already helped me prepare them beforehand."

    Count Gabriel is surprised but also impressed by his son''s decisive actions. "Will you be doing this even if I haven''t given you permission?"

    At those words, Lucius paused and simply smiled.

    "What do you think an Inanis lord will do in this situation?"

    "Well said!" Count Gabriel chuckled. He could see more of himself in Asher than he did before, although that didn''t mean that he wasn''t concerned of the young man''s safety. "Perhaps we can include at least one ck Rose Knight into your vassals who''ll apany you?"

    Even though Count Gabriel couldn''t personally apany Asher to allow the young man a chance to have vengeance of his own, he at least wanted more security.

    "I won''t be taking any of our guards, father." Lucius said. "Bringing them along would make things suspicious. We can''t have any of that happening while crossing towards the Aisse territory."

    Count Gabriel frowned and locked gazes with his son.

    Over the course of thest few months, the Count had seen his son grow and change into a mature young man unlike anything he''d seen before.

    It was a gift from Etara, a second chance for Asher and the Inanis Family¡­ but that didn''t remove the fears that the Count still had.

    Asher may have trained himself, but the fact remained that he had no gift and even with the Wind Scar sword, there was a limit to how many times one could use the artifact.

    Count Gabriel knew from his experience on rampaging as ''Rancor'' that there were many times that he could have lost his life over the course of his search for the ones behind his mother''s assassination.

    The Count could only imagine what it was like for his son to have nearly lost his own life while in theforts of his own home.

    "Asher, I do not mean to discourage you from your goals, but going alone by yourself like I did is too dangerous. Surely the time when you participated in the war against Gisir is enough to learn that."

 Chapter 308 Heirlooms

    "You did not let me finish what I was about to say, father." Lucius said. "I may not be taking any personal guards, but that does not mean that I''ll foolishly head there alone."

    "Of course, of course." Count Gabriel rxed a little at hearing his son''s words. He was wrong to assume that his son would make the same mistakes as he did before.

    Or that he''d be like ''Rancor'' and attempt to get vengeance by himself.

    "Yes, I''m not strong enough as you are, father." Lucius replied evenly. "Even if I''ve managed to train my physical capacities with Lieutenant John, I don''t think that I have the same prowess you have in swords, so of course I''ll be bringing people with me. Surely, it''s clear to me that using my head is how I''ll be able to get what I want."

    Count Gabriel noticed the underlying annoyance in Asher''s voice and knew that he overspoke this time.

    "My apologies. You''ve changed quite much over the past months, but I still can''t help but worry." The Count said.

    "Do not worry about it. I appreciate your concern." Lucius said. "But I won''t always be relying on you, father. A time wille where I''ll handle things by myself and I need to be prepared for that day."

    "I know." Count Gabriel nodded.

    Lucius sighed inwardly.

    If there was anything that Lucius found himself getting a little exasperated with was the concern of the Inanis Family with Asher.

    Of course, it was all to Lucius''s benefit, but it did grate on his nerves. If these people weren''t so useful, he would have reacted differently and gotten rid of them before.

    "Who were you nning to bring?" Count Gabriel asked, deciding to focus back on his conversation with Asher.

    "I''ll be taking Kiana alongside Gellor''s mercenaries." Lucius said. "Bringing guards from a foreign territory such as ours will cause panic and arouse suspicion in the Aisse territory, but no one will care that much about a mercenary group."

    "Not even Bergan''s Band?" Count Gabriel asked. "They are a mercenary grouping into Aisse territory which is the foothold of theirs."

    "Gellor''s group is too small to be a threat." Lucius said. "While they do have some notable gifts, it''s unlikely for Bergan''s Band to pay attention. If anything, there might be an assumption that Gellor''s mercenary group would be trying to join Bergan''s Band, but I''m sure that it''s amon urrence for them, so there will be no thoughts about."

    Now that Lucius thought about it, if there was actually a powerful member in Gellor''s group that grabbed Bergan''s Band''s attention, he could have sent one of them as a spy to be able to get information from the inside.

    However, Lucius doubted that anyone was talented in bing a spy and so it was an unnecessary risk.

    "I''m relieved to hear that, but where is the group right now?" Count Gabriel asked.

    During the battle against the Drew army, a lot of mercenary groups had participated and the Count did not recall seeing the presence of Gellor''s group.

    "They are currently undergoing a mission, but they should be back soon enough." Lucius said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He may have wanted to get revenge on the Bergan''s Band and cripple the enemy from increasing strength further, but Lucius knew how to bide his time.

    It was how Lucius managed to wait to enact his ns during his time as a servant in the Great Barrom n.

    Of course, things didn''t turn out perfectly due to theck of information about an unborn baby being involved, but this time, he intended to aplish his goals.

    "Can you tell me more details about your n, Asher?" Count Gabriel asked. "The Plow Beast is an enormous creature, solitary as it might be, there might be some innocent people who''d get affected once it strikes."

    "Do not worry about that, father. I will take care of it." Lucius said. "It''s my intention to prevent any casualties."

    "Good." Count Gabriel said, his expression turning serious and even regretful. "It''s easy to get consumed by rage and wrath, I know that from firsthand experience, so I do not want you to make the same mistakes as I did."

    "Thank you, father. I''ll take your words in mind." Lucius said.

    As much as Lucius couldn''t care about the victims who might find themselves in trouble once the Plow Worm strikes, he knew that the Plow Worm going on a rampage would alert the Bergans Band and allow them to take countermeasures.

    Not to mention that Lucius nned to retrieve a rune crystal from the Plow Worm once it was dead, so exposing it to more people was not in his favor.

    "One out of five chances of there being a crystal." Lucius reminded himself. He''d take those chances, but was also prepared to make new ns again if he was unlucky.

    Either way, Lucius remembered that his father also wanted to discuss something.

    "Father, you said that there was something you wanted to talk about?" Lucius asked, rather curious of what the man might bring up.

    "Ah yes, there''s something that I wanted to give to you, Asher." The Count stood up and went for the safe located behind his desk.

    Lucius remembered that this was where the Wind Scar Sword was formerly kept when the Count wanted Asher to train prior to wielding the weapon.

    However, it wasn''t the only weapon within the safe.

    Lucius watched Count open up the safe and revealed two weapons, one of them was a sword and another was an axe.

    When Lucius had first seen them, he actually wondered if they were precious artifacts like the Wind Scar Sword but hadn''t been able to check on them before.

    "Now, I would have normally waited until you were a bit much older¡­ or if I had known that you were going to Gisir in the past, then given it early, but this sword and axe is valuable to us. These were once the heirloom of of the Inanis n."

 Chapter 309 Broken Artifacts

    When Lucius heard Count Gabriel''s words, he looked at the two weapons with excitement. This was something that the man wanted to give him?

    This was an appropriate gift to give, and Lucius wondered how he would be able to make use of these.

    ''I have the Wind Scar sword, but it wouldn''t hurt to have another artifact or two. Depending on how useful they are, there''s also the chance that I might lend it to someone who''ll be able to make good use of it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Kiana didn''t need weapons, her Sting Sniper gift was perfect for both ranged and melee since her gift was fast but also quite effective.

    Lucius didn''t know how good she was with a sword or axe either.

    ''Then again, these are the Inanis n heirlooms, and I doubt that the Count will be pleased to have it be in the hands of other people. Nor will I willingly give it to someone who does not have a mark of obedience or loyalty.'' Lucius thought again.

    Artifacts were quite impressive in this world, so handing them out was no doubt a rare thing.

    Either way, Lucius was interested to know what abilities these two weapons had.

    Lucius activated his Nexus on the two weapons, but then nothing came up on his vision.

    He blinked in shock, since these were supposedly heirloom from the Inanis n but then hid his expression at once.

    These were not artifacts.

    They might have been Inanis n heirlooms but they were not artifacts whatsoever. Lucius was disappointed, but it was too early to be disgruntled. There had to be a reason why they were heirlooms in the first ce.

    Count Gabriel was unaware of all these thoughts in Asher''s head, and instead went to pick up the sword first and smiled bittersweetly.

    "This sword originally belonged to me, but has been a part of the n for a long time. It is an artifact, but I''ve used it too much in the past during my countless battles and the rune crystal is now degraded. You can see it for yourself." Count Gabriel gestured to the part of the sword where it was iid.

    Lucius inspected it and saw that the rune crystal in the sword had dimmed down, looking like a dull ssy marble which was quite different from the one on his Wind Scar sword.

    ''I''ve already surmised that artifacts have a particr lifespan, somesting longer than others but this is the first time that I''ve encountered one with my own eyes. Fascinating.'' Lucius said.

    "Now as for the axe," Count Gabriel ced the sword down and picked up the second weapon. "This belonged to my great grandfather, your ancestor and it is the first artifact that the Inanis n ever had and is our most prized possession. This was also the weapon that my father used before his passing."

    "And how is it used, father?" Lucius asked, wishing to know what had happened for it to change.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "The rune crystal on the axe was forcibly shattered and rendered it giftless. It was broken during one of the battles that your grandfather had fought in and where he sustained great injuries as a result." Count Gabriel held the weapon a bit tighter in his hands. "Those injuries of his weakened father greatly and thus how he allowed me to take over as the next count in our family."

    "I see." Lucius said.

    "And now I pass these weapons to you, Asher. While you may be disappointed that they no longer have gifts and cannot be considered as artifacts now, they are still fine weapons." The Count said. "If anything, I''m sure that you''ll be able to appreciate them. Not everything needs to have a gift to be useful or remarkable."

    Lucius wondered if that was the Count''s own attempt atforting or encouraging his ''gift-less'' son, but either way, he nodded and thanked the man anyway.

    "Thank you, father. I will make good use of them." Lucius said.

    "Good. You''ll bear the Inanis heirloom weapons well." Count Gabriel said. "Although, if I''m not mistaken, I recall that you only studied sword with Liutenant John? Let me know if you wish to study the axe or would like to learn it on your own. I''ve wielded that axe myself, and although it''s not my most preferred weapon, I can give you some tips on how to use it if you''re interested."

    "Your gift works perfectly with a sword, so I can understand why, father." Lucius said, then finally took the chance to pick up and observe the sword. "As for the lessons, I appreciate the offer and will try to inquire you about it if the two of us have the time. I''m quite sure that you''re preupied with a lot of duties as Count and I do not wish to take more time than necessary."

    "Nonsense. I''ll always make time for you, Asher. You only need to ask for it." Count Gabriel said.

    "Thank you, father." Lucius said. He guessed that the reason why the Count was like this at the moment was truly because of the attempted assassination.

    It had truly opened scars for the man.

    Either way, Lucius had handled a great number of weapons as a member of the Great Barrom n, and though he stuck more with magic and hell energy, he was certain that he could use the axe if he wanted to.

    Lucius chose to refocus back on the weapon in his hand.

    The sword was rather in looking and it was clear that it was meant for utility than show. It was about the same size as the Wind Scar sword and was equally, if not a little better when held in Lucius''s hands.

    It was well-crafted indeed.

    As for the axe, Lucius turned to look at it and picked it up with his other hand.

    It was an overbearing weapon and had several motifs carved on it, along with the crest of the Inanis n, the three tailed dragon.

    ''This will give me a chance to look into the unique state of an artifact that has no rune crystal in them.'' Lucius thought to himself satisfied. But that did leave him with onest question.

 Chapter 310 Support Of Necklace Of The Damned

    "Father, can these two weapons still be repaired?" Lucius asked. It would be a challenge for him if they were repairable.

    "It is possible." Count Gabriel said. "However, repairing them would be difficult, while one might think that one can simply acquire a rune crystal and slot it back¡­ I''m afraid that it does not work that way, from what I know. It takes much more crafting from the artificer''s guild."

    "Of course. The idea of putting a rune crystal without taking into ount how it was previously made does not make sense at all, father. Ludicrous even." Lucius chuckled. "If we perhaps grab the blueprint from the original maker, then we might be able to understand the necessaryponents? I presume that the rune crystals are measured in a certain way that generates enough power without destroying the weapon."

    "I doubt that the axe''s maker is still around, but getting blueprints is something difficult with how guarded the artificers are." Count Gabriel shook his head. "On the contrary, it would be much cheaper to buy a new artifact instead of trying to fix these."

    Lucius nodded. It seemed like repairing required someone who truly was an expert in creating artifacts, or was able to work back from the current state of the former artifact.

    This was something that Lucius would be able to work on his spare time, but for now he had other things to take care of.

    "I see, thank you, father. I will make sure to put these weapons to good use, but I''ll take my leave for now."

    "Of course." Count Gabriel nodded. "If you have any need, do not hesitate to ask me for it."

    "Hmm¡­ now that you''ve mentioned it, the ck Rose Knights are quite a diligent order, father." Lucius said, weighing his words properly. He didn''t want to put more suspicion than any necessary, but also wanted to avoid attention.

    "They''re an elite group after all, Asher." Count Gabriel said. "If they were not this diligent in conducting the culprits for your assassination, then I wouldn''t have epted their help from the king."

    Lucius'' brows raised at that.

    It was a bold statement considering that it was the king who personally lent them to Count Gabriel, but then Lucius now knew that the Count was someone who did what he wanted if pushed to a certain limit.

    "Do you have any issues with them?" Count Gabriel asked. "Three were sent to get answers from Earl Aisse, and the three who remain are to ensure your protection and of our family. I hope you understand that they''re simply trying to do their jobs, but feel free to state your concern."

    "I understand what you mean, father, but I''d rather have some freedom without anyone''s presence preventing me from doing what I want." Lucius said. "There are some works that I''d like to keep private, like the Dionysia Brewery for example. It would be quite troublesome if they were to learn that we''re behind it and not Alessa for example."

    "I see." Count Gabriel looked at Asher and knew that there was some truth to those words, and yet it almost felt like there was something else. "Anything else?"

    "Well, it did bother me when they attempted to privately question me about the¡­ incident." Lucius said, keeping his expression a little nk.

    However, that expression was enough to make Count Gabriel look at Asher carefully. It was much harder to read his son''s facial expressionspared to before, but there was some ufortableness?

    At least that was what Lucius wanted to give off to the Count. It was enough to make Count Gabriel worry that the ck Rose Knights were pushing him too much.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I see, thank you for letting me know. I''ll keep them off your back, although I''m quite sure that the information we''ve gotten from jail, they''ll be more or less satisfied for awhile." Count Gabriel said. "Though, while you''re here in the mansion, they won''t bother you either."

    "Thank you, father." Lucius said, finally satisfied with the oue as he took his leave.

    He then took his chance to grab a quick dinner before returning to his room.

    It had actually taken them much time in the jail questioning the associate of Leif before they''ve gotten answers and paired with his conversation with the Count.

    Since it was alreadyte, Lucius decided to meditate and check on his soul''s condition.

    To Lucius'' certain delight, there was a significant change in his soul. It had gotten stronger in a way that was difficult to describe, except it was something that he felt internally.

    However, Lucius at least knew where to attribute it.

    "Certainly this strength can be only because of one thing." Lucius took himself to his soul''s space and reached out for his soul equipment.

    The Ne of the Damned was still hanging on his neck and was slowly nourishing his soul.

    This was one of the passive effects of the soul equipment and also why they were considered so valuable.

    "But this reminds me, during my encounter with that assassin Biroy, instead of using hell energy, I''ve used the Ne of the Damned to power the Veil of Terror as well as the fireball spell." Lucius mused to himself.

    He had been wanting to give the spell additional power, so resorted to using soul energy, and luckily for him, it actually worked out naturally.

    The use was not difficult when he used the soul equipment''s power.

    On the contrary, it was quite easy and smooth.

    "Hah. This is incredible. The spell matrices did not be unstable during that period so it is quite a viable alternativepared to Hell Energy. So this means that using the Ne of Damned can take away my problems with the spell matrices copsing after several use."

    Lucius was d about this new discovery.

    "It''s certainly a convenient thing to use, unlike when the Hell Energy and Aether get in conflict with one another. However, if this was in my old world, this would be apletely terrible idea."

 Chapter 311 Growth Of Soul Space

    Lucius couldn''t help but remember that the Ne of the Damned was expensive to use in his previous world.

    He inspected the ne right now and took note of all its intricacies, also remembering that it had taken him two different soul spells andbining them.

    "Not only is it truly difficult to make, the one that I have with me right now is extremely valuable if I were to bring it there." Lucius said with a slightly amused tone. "To imagine that I''d be using it to activate a simple spell like fireball is not only an incredible luxury, but truly is a waste if I were to use the standards from my previous world."

    There were certainly a lot of things that Lucius remembered and enjoyed from his old world, his vast knowledge and experience allowed him to make use of the Lost again in apletely new world and also use Soul Spells to his advantage.

    However, it didn''t mean that he didn''t appreciate this new world as well.

    On the contrary, Lucius had warmed up to this world for a reason.

    "I do not have to worry about the divine pull, so the problem that the people from my old world faced before is something I won''t have. No more trying to foolishly sequester souls against multiple enemies, I can simply gather even more souls here without any worry at all."

    It was quite interesting, but the gods and goddesses here did not seem to really care much for the souls. Perhaps because they had nopetition beforehand and all souls simply returned to them?

    Lucius had yet to actually make any real encounter with the gods of this world and preferred to keep it that way until he was truly ready to take them on.

    "For now, with the support of this ne of the damned, I''ll be able to use Soul Spells and that will actually further and expand the ne''s strength, too. It''ll be a cycle. I''ll be able to regrly replenish this without straining myself ever again."

    Not only that, Lucius didn''t even have to wait for that long to take care of the ne''s need for souls.

    "The closest opportunity for me to replenish the Ne of the Damned will be when I face the Bergan''s Band. Their members will be sufficient fuel and I''ll undoubtedly reap more benefits, their soul strength will be likely stronger than average, and so I''ll continue to grow stronger."

    If he had the chance to use the Lost or Masked Legion, then taking their rune crystals as well would certainly be a great win for him. Although Lucius needed to weigh the risk and benefits, his Masked Legion wasn''t as dispensable as his lost rune beast crystals.

    For now, satisfied with the changes that happened with the Ne of the Damned''s nourishing effect, Lucius turned to the single spell matrix he had.

    "The Soul Scry spell is truly extensive than the other previous spellsbined, and yet I somehow can''t help but feel that it''s not actually ufortable as before."

    Lucius frowned and went to check the soul space to see if he was mistaken.

    "Huh? I was unable to fit any spells thest time but now I have increased my capacity for more spells again?"

    Lucius was shocked but quickly went to work and tried to form a spell matrix. After some time, he sessfully manages to add another matrix into his soul space.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Fireball." Lucius said with finality.

    It was a simple test, but this made Lucius realize something.

    "The constant soul nourishment that I''m receiving from the Ne of the Damned along with the heavy load of the Soul Scry uping my soul space became some kind of way to increase my capacity rapidly. Far greater than I expected. How long will this actuallyst though?"

    If it was a permanent thing, then Lucius would have heard something about this in his past studies.

    "Hmmm, this effect only urred because of theplexity of the Soul Scry''s matrix and the ''weight'' it carried. Not unlike bodybuilding, no doubt."

    Lucius knew that using heavier weights allowed one to grow their muscles better as long as they did it steadily.

    "Hmmm, I''ll keep the Soul Scry spell with me until its effects wane and it no longer helps me increase my spell capacity. Once its limit is reached, then I''ll simply remove it and add a far moreplex spell to strain the soul space once more."

    Now Lucius was able to form a preliminary ''training n'' for his soul space and look forward to its growth.

    "Should I try to add another spell matrix? Hmmm, it might be too heavy of a ''weight'' since I''ve only just added fireball. For now, this additional spell will be enough."

    Lucius already made ns on how to use the fireball to his advantage.

    "Apanied by Gellor''s mercenary group, I''ll be able to disguise myself as a mercenary, but with the additional proof of the fireball spell."

    Since Asher Inanis was known as gift less, Lucius using the fireball spell would prove that he was not the heir of the Inanis family.

    "Even though I''ve assured the Count that there won''t be anyone paying attention to the group, there will always be eyes and I''ll be able to throw off anyone that takes notice of us."

    If by some chance, someone came to inspect the group and took notice of its new mercenary, Lucius, then they''d realize that his gift was something that allowed him to shoot fireballs.

    "It''s a prettymon effect that can no doubt be done by several gifts, which means that this will me lots of leeway, even if someone tries to discover who I am and investigate." Lucius said.

    More or less satisfied with the results of meditating and looking at the positive effects of the Ne of the Damned on his soul''s nourishment and increasing the capacity of the soul space, Lucius decided to call it a night.

 Chapter 312 Gellor Returns

    There was a knocking on the door that woke Lucius up from his sleep.

    "Pardon me, Lord Asher? Are you awake? I will being in." Neta said.

    Lucius was often woken up by Kiana, but this time, she seemed to have left him in the care of one of the few people in the Inanis household that bore the mark of obedience.

    Lucius had never really gotten to cing mark of obedience on everyone, except for the ones in the re education center.

    This was a small reminder of something that Lucius needed toe around to, although most, if not all of the servants were loyal to the Inanis family, which made it unnecessary for him to do so, unless they personally served him.

    Either way, he was curious to know what happened for the sudden change of the person waking him up today.

    "What is it?" Lucius sat up from bed and waited for the servant toe in.

    Neta stepped inside and Lucius was quickly offered by a basin of water by the man. "The reason why I''m here is to inform you that Gellor and his mercenary group are back, my lord."

    "Is that so? That''s good news. I''d like them to be brought over while I get ready for the day."

    Lucius quickly washed the sleep away from his eyes and couldn''t help but be pleased with their arrival. It was quite the right timing.

    "Miss Kiana believed that you''d request for them right away and has them waiting already, my lord." Neta informed.

    Lucius nodded. It was quite good when you didn''t need to give someone orders and the person in question simply made the right call when it came to certain situations like this one.

    "Alright, I''ll be out shortly. Thank you, Neta." Lucius said.

    "Of course, my lord." Neta bowed and quickly left Asher to his own devices.

    Normally, a servant like Neta was tasked to take care of everything from waking up to dressing up a noble but Asher preferred to mostly do things by himself if given the opportunity to do so.

    Lucius watched the servant leave and for a moment, gauged the man.

    He conducted the gift upgrade on Neta previously just to see the Nexus'' ability on different ranked gifts, but other than that, the new gift was more or less underutilized by Lucius himself.

    "Well, it''s not a waste of resources when I can always get some more." Lucius said, but made a small promise to find a use for the servant if there was anything else possible.

    It was good to have one to serve him, but having multiple uses was always better.

    When Lucius came out of his room, he was quickly escorted to the room where Gellor and his mercenaries were waiting.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Simr tost time, they still seemed a little bit out of ce in the luxury of the Inanis house but quickly stood to attention when Lord Asher stepped in and paid respects to him.

    "Greetings, Lord Asher!" they greeted in unison.

    "Thank you for the greetings, but let''s sit down and get to business, shall we?" Lucius said.

    Respectfully, Gellor and his men quickly sat down again while Lucius took a momentary assessment of their physical state and was pleased to see that they were all together and rtively fine.

    There were instances of bandages here and there, but they didn''t seem to be that injured. And most importantly, no one was missing.

    ''More or less, at full capacity.'' Lucius thought.

    "Now, can you inform me how the mission went? I trust that things are well since you''ve returned safe." Lucius said.

    "It went excellently, Lord Asher." Gellor replied. "The information that you provided for us worked perfectly and allowed us to sessfullyplete the mission without any hindrances. We were able to make use of Finch''s gift during the Mist Veil Beasts alongside Barty''s Air Votex. "

    "That''s good to hear, things turned out well due to your group''s ability to follow the instructions after all." Lucius said.

    If they were ipetent enough to have failed the task even after everything that Lucius had provided them, he would have considered the fact of hiring them as a mistake on his part.

    "Thank you, Lord Asher. Let us now present to you the results of our mission." Gellor cleared his throat and carefully took out some items from his bag.

    These were the rune crystals that even the Artificer''s Guild had trouble obtaining and it was something that pleased Lucius to see as he epted them from Gellor.

    He used the Nexus on it to check, and was quickly informed of its identity and quality.

    "Three Mist Veil Beasts Rune Crystals and all in perfect condition. An outstanding job, Gellor. Thank you for your hard work."

    "We owe Finch''s recovery to you, Lord Asher. This is the least that we could do for you." Gellor said along with the agreement of the other members of the team.

    Finch herself seemed to blush at the sudden mention of her name and gingerly curtsied in front of the young lord. "Yes, we are in your debt. If you are to need Mist Veil Beasts'' Rune Crystals again, we would dly go to retrieve them once more."

    "At the moment, I have no more need for these crystals, but I''ll let you guys know when I am in need of them again." Lucius said, then eyed them again. "On the contrary, it seems like you all still managed to sustain injuries, despite the information I provided."

    "These are nothing, Lord Asher. Just a few scratches that''ll heal on their own." Gellor said. "In fact, these are quite lightpared to what we might obtain on other missions. We''re very fortunate with the information you provided for us."

    Lucius nodded. "Your words are reasonable, Gellor. However, it''s actually in my best interest to have all of you healed. I''ll be again in need of you and your team soon, so it''s far better to be in optimum condition."

 Chapter 313 A Gracious Offer For The Mercenaries

    "If that is the case, we will take it with grace, Lord Asher." Gellor thanked Lucius alongside his group.

    Even for them, going to a healer was an expensive procedure hence why they needed to approach Lord Asher in the first ce.

    Lucius nodded and called for Neta. The servant came quickly and bowed his head. "I''ll call for a healer, my lord?" Neta asked.

    "Call for all sorts of healers to check on each one of them. They might have sustained injuries that aren''t visible as well or might being down with fatigue or some sickness, so I''d like to take care of everything." Lucius said in a cordial tone.

    The effect of his words was incredible, all of the members in Gellor''s team and especially Gellor himself became shocked at the sudden words of the young lord.

    It wasn''t enough that their light injuries were treated, but they would also be given a chance to have other possible injuries, fatigue, but even possible chance of sickness to be taken care of?

    Gellor and his mercenary group had no idea what next mission Lord Asher Inanis had in store for them and though that made them a bit nervous, they were also immensely grateful.

    "This is all unnecessary, Lord Asher¡­ unless it truly is required for the mission?" Gellor asked, an unsure expression on his face.

    "Allow me to treat the hired mercenary group of the Inanis Family with proper care. The mission that will being soon is vital, so I''d like all of you to be in your best health and shape." Lucius said.

    It was easy for Lucius to see the awe in the face of Gellor and he couldn''t help but think of something.

    ''He probably has good skills and reflexes when ites to battling, but in terms of discerning the methods and intentions of other individuals, it''s a little on the naive side.'' Lucius thought and eyed the others within the group.

    Out all of them, perhaps the only one with enough experience dealing with nobles was Finch herself, being a mistress of a noble was no doubt an affair in of itself.

    However, due to the fact that Asher Inanis saved her life, she was also unlikely to think too much about his words and piece them together for any hidden meaning or agenda.

    ''Suffice to say, all of this kindness I''ve been extending to them is merely to gauge their behavior. They don''t seem greedy about taking more and instead are more or less gracious. They''re quite an upright group in that sense, which probably has to do with the fact that Gellor seems to be quite fair and loyal.''

    Lucius recalled the time when Gellor showed some hesitance when it came to Finch, and that was when she was wielding the artifact that came from Master Cambrian.

    ''Fair and loyal, but still with some doubts on his leadership and contribution to the team.'' Lucius thought silently as he waited for the healers toe and arrive.

    "Lord Asher, we are quite grateful for your time and offer. Will you be staying with us here though until the healers arrive? Perhaps we are keeping you from more important business." Finch tilted her head.

    While Gellor was the leader of the group, Finch seemed more willing to address Lord Asher now, not that Lucius had any problems with that.

    "Of course. I would like to personally oversee that all of you are well taken care of." Lucius said. "In fact, since all of you are here¡­ why not stay for a meal? I don''t quite recall if I''ve invited you all for a meal, but I am sure that you''ll find yourselves satisfied."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Food?" Albus asked, piquing up at the young lord''s words. "Did Lord Asher just say that he''s inviting us to a meal?"

    He was quickly elbowed by one of the other members, Ariana. "Don''t embarrass yourself, Albus." She hissed.

    If Lucius recalled correctly, she was the one with the Serpentine Fang gift.

    "We surely can''t ept that after the healers," Gellor tried to say, while Finch gave him a look that said they needed to ept.

    More or less, Lucius could see that they were divided. Not wanting to take up more space on their perceived young lord''s time, but also wanting to be modest and polite.

    They were more or less a really solid group.

    "Hmm, I''m not sure when all of you have arrived, but I do recall that hunting for the Mist Veil Beasts is quite an unforgiving task. Surely, someone like Barty could gain much from being able to recover Aether more quickly?" Lucius said. "The Air Vortex seems like something that takes a lot of Aether to use, doesn''t it?"

    "Well, that''s true, Lord Asher¡­" Barty said with a mild cough. "But recovering Aether?"

    "I''m sure that you are more or less familiar with rune beast meat? I''ve read that they help with Aether regeneration and have tried them myself." Lucius said.

    "That''s expensive, Lord Asher." Albus remarked.

    "Quite so, you honor us a great deal, Lord Asher." Finch added.

    "Then it''s more or less settled then." Lucius said. "I hope you all don''t mind apanying me for a meal? When west talked, I''ve sent you all out hastily for a mission and didn''t get a chance to know you all better."

    "Know us better?" Gellor blinked, not understanding.

    "It''s easy to have a transactional and professional rtionship, but I can''t help but admit that I am rather curious of the life of a mercenary group." Lucius said.

    Since Gellor looked a little hesitant, Lucius decided to y it up a little. He had pretended for almost all of his life and taking on another role was nearly second nature.

    "The life of a noble is rather monotonous in a sense, so hearing the lives of mercenaries does seem adventurous, if you could indulge me, Gellor?" Lucius said.

    "O-oh, of course, Lord Asher! How can we refuse?" Gellor replied. "We have lots of stories to tell."

 Chapter 314 Stories And Gratitude

    "The time with those Stampeding Bulls was a bit difficult, Albus here looked like he was ready to run, and with his gift active, he practically outran us back then." Ariana shook her head, retelling the time where they faced those beasts.

    "It wasn''t like that! You have to believe me, Lord Asher." Albus protested, red-faced. "It was along the lines of being the target."

    "No, you caught yourself back there. And those Rock Bees too." Ariana grinned, now more or rxed. "We had our armor on but you kept asking Barty to use his Air Vortex."

    "This isn''t the time to be sharing stories like that." Gellor coughed and interrupted his team. "Apologies, Lord Asher."

    While these were the type of stories that mercenaries liked to recall in the tavern after thepletion of a mission, he doubted that Asher would enjoy them since it showed a bit of the unprofessionalism of the team members.

    "Nonsense. It''s amusing to hear them, and it''s also good to see that everyone works well together and rely on each other. I doubt Albus here for example would lure any Stampeding Beast by himself if he did not have faith in his team members'' capacity to get him away from danger." Lucius said.

    "That is true." Albus said.

    "Then should we tell about the time we had to take on some other rune beasts? The Four Winged Hawk was difficult, it being an aerial beast and all but¡­"

    "Ah, Lord Asher already knows about that." Gellor said.

    "Yes, you wielded that sword well." Lucius remembered it. He had been impressed and told Kiana about it when he saw them.

    "It''s a bit difficult to wield, so it''s really important that it was used by someone with a good estimate." Finch said.

    "Everyone helped, don''t give all the credit to me." Gellor said.

    Lucius mostly listened and gave some reactions from time to time, which encouraged the others to speak more and allowed him to gauge the attitude of the members.

    Ariana and Albus seemed to have a friendly rivalry going on and didn''t mind teasing each other, while Barty and Finch seemed to be more reclusive and polite but liked everyone in the team and often had insightful things to say when they were giving input on the story.

    Nheless, it was Gellor who mostly acted as the glue between the team and made them all stick together. The others had unique and versatile gifts, but Gellor with his Muscle Strengthening carried the team and Lucius remembered Kiana''s description of the man.

    ''Someone who trained under Master Frank and consistently ranked at the top five among hundreds of individuals, Kiana included among them. I''ve previously wondered if he''s an unexpected gem, and told myself to weigh it some more, but the answer seems to be giving itself now.''

    When the healers finally arrived in the mansion, they quickly took care of Gellor and his mercenaries. And during that time, the meal was also being prepared by the cooks of the Inanis family.

    Now the reason why Lucius was going through all of this conversation and engagement was for one thing alone¡ªhis personal benefit.<novelnext></novelnext>

    He considered Gellor and his mercenary team as invaluable, and with his intention to take them with him to the Aisse territory, it was more important to assure that they were indeed loyal.

    ''During the time where I tried Hell Aether on Nexus, Gellor''s own Aether inside of his body reacted and he felt like his life was endangered, but that was because I''vebined Hell Energy with Aether¡­ and that isn''t necessarily a problem with the mark of obedience. I can power it with hell energy only or the Ne of the Damned.'' Lucius thought.

    Of course, Lucius had the Soul Scry Spell and the Fireball Spell in his soul space right now and still needed to add the Mark of Obedience spell again, but he could do itter once he was finished with ensuring that they agreed willingly to it.

    ''I really don''t think that there''s a chance that Gellor would go against me, even if he by some miracle discovered that I was the source of the ''dangerous'' energy he felt before¡ªbut even the slightest risk cannot be taken. I had underestimated Mira before and didn''t think that she''d hide anything from me.'' Lucius said with some distaste.

    "Ah, now that all of you are fully healed and recovered. Shall all of you join me in the dining hall?" Lucius stood up smoothly and gestured to the mercenaries.

    "Yes, Lord Asher!"

    Honored by the Young Lord of the Inanis House, the mercenaries quickly followed him to where they''d be eating.

    It was not amon thing formoners and nobles to share a table or even a meal together. However, Lucius crafted himself to be someone who was approachable.

    This was an effective way of gaining people''s trust and it had worked for him during his time at the re-education center.

    "Thank you once again for inviting us, Lord Asher." Gellor spoke for his team. "We are deeply gratified by all of this."

    "Think nothing of it and eat to your heart''s content." Lucius said rxedly. ''How will I make them receive the mark of the obedience? They need to be willing for it to work and they cannot be coerced into it. Hah, it seems like I''ll be having to lure them in with promises again.''

    In Lucius'' eyes, it was rare for people to willingly want to help another person unless there was something to be gained for themselves.

    Even those who did it out of kindness did it because they wanted to uphold the identity that they''d crafted for themselves.

    "Um, Lord Asher, may we perhaps ask a question as well?" Albus asked. "We were unable to participate in the war against Viscount Drew, but we heard some things about it."

    "And what would that be?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "There was a special group that came and saved the army, the Masked Legion?"

 Chapter 315 A Proposal

    "The Masked Legion, you say?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes. I heard they changed the tide of the battle¡­" Albus said.

    "Ahem." Gellor coughed.

    "The contributions of Lord Asher and Count Inanis are no doubt more important alongside the soldiers and every mercenary who participated." Finch protested.

    "It wasn''t really a legion though right? Like a couple of mercenaries only came, but I heard they were extremely powerful." Ariana added.

    Gellor looked embarrassed before ncing at someone who hadn''t spoken up yet.

    "This carp is really delicious," Barty suddenly said, a content look on his face. He really had experienced a drain of extensive Aether during the hunt for the Mist Veil Beasts and was benefiting from the meal served.

    Either way, it was a good enough distraction for the others, who looked like they were ready to chuck a ss at Barty but only held back because they were in the presence of the future lord of the Inanis family.

    "But ah, yes. Apologies, for bringing that up, Lord Asher. I was merely curious and you were there on the battlefield." Albus finally said, noticing the looks thrown by both Finch and Gellor.

    Lucius raised a brow at those words before he found himself certainly amused. Of course, certain people definitely would have spread word about the existence of the Masked Legion among the soldiers.

    Gellor who looked embarrassed, seemed to be the one who probably had connections with soldiers and learned the story from them or the other mercenary groups who participated.

    However, this conversation gave Lucius an even better way of luring in Gellor and his team members. It was probably no secret that his team was highlypetent.

    Kiana had vouched for Gellor and his team when they had first met and she was quite scrupulous with people and wouldn''t simply rmend someone just because she knew them.

    Lucius was certain that Gellor and his group were good. Still, of course, they would be capable but feel immensely curious and even jealous of a mercenary group that supposedly changed the tides of the battle.

    It was important for them to be aware of their potentialpetition after all, and Lucius was more than willing to use these feelings of inadequacy to his full advantage.

    "Well, they were certainly remarkable." Lucius said as he sipped his drink. "Miss Finch, you do not need to hold back your words, I am sure that everyone by now has heard that the victory of the Inanis against the Drew Army was practically a miracle."

    "They were several timesrger than what the Inanis family amassed, which doesn''t seem like a possible thing. The numbers don''t make sense to me." Ariana said truthfully.

    "But it was, and that is all the more reason that the Masked Legion arriving certainly changed the tide, as Albus said." Lucius said.

    "Of course. One can only wonder how the Count was able to find these people. It''s my first time hearing of them, Lord Asher." Gellor admitted. "And we''ve traveled here and there. Forgive us for our curiosity."

    "Nonsense, you''re all free to ask me and I''m more than happy to return the favor of your stories earlier." Lucius said as he ced down his goblets. "As for those Masked Legion, you''d be surprised where we found them."

    Gellor and the rest of the team couldn''t help but be rather intrigued with the mysterious way that Asher said those words.

    "They couldn''t possibly be from here, Lord Asher?" Gellor asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You''re quite perceptive, Gellor." Lucius acknowledged. "But for the answer, I will not be answering it and instead say something else. I have an opportunity that all of you might be interested in."

    "What is it, Lord Asher?" Finch asked.

    "I would like to ask all of you if you would like to officially join a special ss of warriors that I will be making." Lucius said.

    Gellor and all of the mercenary group exchanged looks in surprise.

    "That you will be making?" Gellor asked uncertainly.

    "Indeed. It''ll be quite a group, perhapsparable or even better than the Masked Legion." Lucius said.

    "Really?" Albus said in shock.

    "That is quite something, Lord Asher. We heard a lot about the Masked Legion." Finch admitted with an embarrassed look. "I don''t think recruiting us will be able to make your group stand out like them or be a special ss of warriors, forgive me for speaking forwardly."

    "Don''t be so hasty to look down on yourselves that much, Miss Finch." Lucius said. "Besides, before all of you turn down this offer, please do consider that all of you will bepensated well enough. Even far more than we originally agreed upon, as this is something new."

    "We are quite humbled." Gellor said.

    "Well then, what do you think?" Lucius asked.

    All of the members once again shared nces with each other, reading each other''s expression to measure their interest.

    There was some hesitance on the part of Finch and Albus for some reason, but Ariana and Barty looked ready or were tempted by the promise of even morepensation.

    This mostly left Gellor to be the one who called for the decision and he thought about everything that happened recently long and hard.

    The way that Lord Asher phrased his words cryptically instead of answering them straightforwardly about the Masked Legions was enough to pique Gellor''s interest.

    If his instincts were right, it wasn''t actually Count Gabriel Inanis but Lord Asher himself who was responsible for the recruitment of the Masked Legion.

    But if that was the case¡­ it confused Gellor on why Lord Asher wanted to make another group.

    However, if there was one thing that Gellor did know about Lord Asher was the fact that the young lord always held up his side of the bargain.

    In fact, today, Lord Asher showed them a lot of favor, which meant that he was truly keen on recruiting them.

    All of these made Gellor have little doubt about Lord Asher''s offer and he bowed his head respectfully.

    "We ept."

 Chapter 316 Allowing Them To Think Over It

    Little by little, Gellor and his mercenary group were about to find themselves lured into a situation that they would have never expected.

    All of it brought down carefully by Lucius.

    "I''m d that you and your team have chosen to ept this offer. I won''t take too much of your time now that everyone has said yes. I''m quite sure that you and your team must want to rest as well." Lucius said.

    Gellor and his mercenary member exchanged looks before Gellor slowly shook his head.

    "Lord Asher, if you must inform us about what are the requirements and responsibilities of bing a member of your special ss of warriors, we would be happy to hear it now."

    "Nonsense. I''ve already kept you and your people here too long at my insistence." Lucius said. "I''m sure that all of you were simply expecting that you''d drop the rune crystals and call it a day, right?"

    At those words, the other members of Gellor''s team looked embarrassed but nodded.

    "After we finish a mission, if we''re not all exhausted, we go to our favorite pub to drink and unwind, Lord Asher." Ariana said.

    "Or we take our time to go recuperate in an inn, since they have better beds most of the time." Albus added, rubbing the back of his neck and then ncing at Finch. "Although some of us have better beds to go to."

    Finch''s face turned bright red in anger and some shame as she red at Albus, but then cleared her throat discreetly and nodded.

    "We usually do go on our separate ways to take care of our personal and private matters, Lord Asher. However, after all this hospitality and kindness you''ve extended to us, we all feel quite refreshed and are more than ready to listen to what else you''ll have to say for us." Finch finished with a smile.

    "Yes, we''re all interested in what makes this special ss of warriors different from others, and how we might make it possible." Barty added.

    "We''re ready to listen." Gellor said with a respectful nod.

    "I''m grateful that you are all eager to listen, but it has urred to me that perhaps I have not given all of you enough time to think this thoroughly." Lucius said.

    "We¡­ we have epted, Lord Asher." Gellor said in confusion. "We trust in your capacity to hold up the end of your deal. So we do not know the issue."

    "It''s easy to pay for people to perform a certain task. However, I would like for the people who''ll be joining this special ss of warriors to do it because they also believe in what I stand for." Lucius smiled and looked at them sincerely. "I do not wish for all of you to feelpelled to say simply because I will be paying you, so I''ve thought about it just now."

    "What is it, Lord Asher?"

    "I would like all of you to go home for now and rest, recuperate and have the time to consider my offer and thenter meet me at the re-education center as I''ll share my ambitions and goals as to why I am forming this ss of warriors." Lucius said. "If I am able to convince you, then and only then will I be happy to receive all of you as members of my special ss."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We¡­ we are honored, Lord Asher." Gellor bowed his head alongside the rest of his mercenary group.

    Even though they had already said yes, the fact that Lord Asher was allowing them to think it over onest time was something incredible.

    Gellor, Finch and the rest of the group could tell that Lord Asher Inanis was truly creating something remarkable and only wanted the most devoted of them to take it.

    It was with these thoughts in their heads that Gellor and his mercenary group respectfully left the Inanis mansion, headed to a tavern and conversed among themselves about what had happened.

    ***

    Meanwhile, back at the Inanis mansion, Lucius knew that he had been able to make Gellor and his group willing to ept his offer, but that was not enough.

    He could tell that they were not naturally loyal to him as opposed to say feeling indebted to what he provided them and thinking that they had another new and good opportunity at their hands.

    There was a distinct difference between those two, and Lucius wanted to secure and have everything go his way when he would ce the Mark of Obedience on them.

    This was why it was far better for Gellor and his team to have gone away so that they''d be able to talk about their new opportunity among themselves and feel more grateful.

    If there was an off chance that Gellor and his mercenary group were to change their mind, they would feel like Lord Asher Inanis didn''t force them into saying yes because he also gave them an opportunity to talk among themselves.

    Of course, this was also Lucius''s chance to add the Mark of Obedience spell matrix, and prepare a far morepelling narrative that would make them submit willingly.

    He had no intention of letting them go now that he decided on their use.

    ''My promises to Kiana back then seem like the right ce to start, alongside what I''ve also done at the re-education before. Abination of those two should provide them the desire to want to devote themselves to me.'' Lucius thought.

    It was going to be a little different though, since Kiana was naturally loyal to ''Asher Inanis'' due to their upbringing and was naturally caring of the prosperity of the Inanis family.

    As for the ones in the re-education center, Lucius provided them the chance to have their revenge alongside promises of a better tomorrow.

    "Alright, let me just prepare the spell matrix for Mark of Obedience first." Lucius closed his eyes and meditated in his room.

    Once he finished the spell and added it into his soul space, Lucius headed for the re-education center.

 Chapter 317 Appealing To Their Minds

    During the night, Gellor and his mercenary group arrived at the re-education center. They found themselves in awe of the changes of the building that had been transformed into a center.

    "I''ve never actually been to this ce before." Albus said. "Wasn''t this an old barracks in the past?"

    "We''ve never really had the chance to go here, and it''s because we have no reason to." Barty said. "But it''s the Inanis Family who spearheaded this, and they were able to reduce crime significantly in the city."

    "I can''t help but feel like it''s Lord Asher once again who has made this all possible." Gellor mused to his mercenary group.

    "Well, that makes sense. The young lord Asher has a lot of ideas based on what we hear from him." Ariana nodded. "Collecting rune beast crystals to make artifacts, right? And then this special ss of warriors? It makes sense that this re-education center was his own idea too."

    "I believe that this was mostly done because of the incident at the Harrels Barony in the past. Lord Asher was used of something by a naive youngdy, and of course, he took it as a chance to reprimand them for theirck of respect." Finch said thoughtfully. She had more or less heard of the story as a gossip among nobles and contributed it into the conversation.

    More or less, all of the mercenary group of Gellor had a positive perspective on Lord Asher, and talking about him right now also made them remember it more.

    "I heard that even the people who were once criminals have actually changed for good, going under graduation and bing a part of the re-education center." Barty said.

    "What about the worst kind of criminals? You mean to say, even they''re now teaching there or something." Albus asked dubiously.

    "No. Lord Asher has taken care of them, those who arepletely irredeemable are removed all together, no doubt. Only those who can change are here." Barty reassured him.

    "You know, I have a feeling that the Masked Legion that came during the miraculous battle against the much bigger Drew Army was also because of Lord Asher." Gellor finally admitted.

    "Really?" Ariana''s eyes widened.

    "That''s now a lot of things of things he''s aplished." Albus whistled. "Man, if anyone could be so aplished at this age, it''s Lord Asher! He''s incredible."

    "There is this sword that he carries around, the Wind Scar sword is supposed to be a gift from the King of Grantz himself for all his contributions during the war against Gisir too." Finch said with a sigh filled with respect and admiration. "He did all of this without even a gift. Can you imagine that?"

    "All of the changes in Inanis city and beyond. Lord Asher truly is amazing." Ariana agreed. "We really shouldn''t let this chance slip us by. I''m sure that we''ll be great warriors."

    "And we will all bepensated well." Albus added.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Think about something beyond more than money, Albus. I think there''s a reason why Lord Asher is doing all of this, and we''ll find out his reasons why." Barty said.

    "And ording to Lord Asher, we should hear him out and think about this for ourselves." Gellor said firmly, remembering the young lord''s words.

    When Gellor and his mercenary group finally stepped inside of the re-education center, they were greeted warmly by the people who worked there.

    Soon enough, they were led to a main hall where Lord Asher Inanis was waiting for all of them.

    It was the same ce where Lucius conducted his speech for the people in the re-education center before its start and convinced the people to work together with him.

    Simrly to before, Lucius was dressed formally and to the nines. Even though his audience was focused mostly on Gellor and his mercenary group, he knew that showing them all of this would reveal his ''sincerity''.

    "Thank you for joining me tonight," Lucius weed Gellor and his group to pay attention to him. He wore a careful but charming smile on his face. "The reason why all of you are here is to understand why I''ve decided to form a special ss of warriors.

    "The reason is same among the other reasons as to why things like the re-education center, collecting rune beast crystals and even the presence of Dionysia Brewery and the Masked Legion exist for the Inanis family and the Land of Etara."

    Lucius words caused the group to be surprised, him revealing even the Masked Legion and Dionysia Brewery, and so he continued to speak.

    "My desire is to bring about a change and elevate us from a position much higher than we can all possibly dream and imagine. Whether it is through economic, technological, social and power of might and gifts, that is what I want for all of us.

    "I''ve been granted the position to be the next future lord of thend of Etara and it is my intention to bring about this change, even before I step in and take the position from my father¡­ but it is not something that I can do alone." Lucius revealed with a humble look on his face that swayed the hearts of Gellor and his mercenary group.

    However, Lucius'' gaze then suddenly became fiery and hopeful, almost as if he was emzing each and everyone of them, speaking directly to each member of the mercenary group.

    "It is through the help of people from the re-education center, from the Inanis city''s people and to respectable and excellent mercenaries and individuals like yourselves that this ambition of mine can be made possible. With your help, we can make this possible." Lucius said, but he was not finished.

    "And not only will it bring about a positive change for thend of Etera, but it will also allow each one of you the chance to rise above your current station. These special ss of warriors will be unlike any other, and it is my hope that you all join me for this opportunity."

 Chapter 318 Loyalty Of The Mercenaries

    Lucius knew that promises about the positive changes of thend of Etara were not enough to sway the minds of Gellor and his mercenary group.

    At the end of the day, they were all still mercenaries and were doing things out of their personal gain too.

    That was why he ended his speech with promises of what they could get, to tempt them to join¡­ and it worked out perfectly.

    Everyone from Albus all the way to Gellor, found their hearts pounding with what the young Lord Asher Inanis said to them.

    Each one of them had their thoughts filled with what Lucius whispered almost devilishly into their minds and spirit.

    ''Lord Asher has incredible ambitions and goals, and more importantly, he''s capable of doing them. Why shouldn''t I join this opportunity?''

    ''Why shouldn''t I follow someone who can lead with this fiery passion and solid goals? He''s a true leader. It''d be stupid to back out from this when the future that he''s describing is something I can almost see for myself?''

    ''Rise from our current station? Right now, we''re good mercenaries, but maybe with Lord Asher''smand, we''ll find ourselves bing into something as renowned as the Bergan''s Band? Something better?''

    ''He''s already done incredible things for the city of Inanis, and who knows what more he can do? Being able to contribute to that, and changing the future? I never thought that I''d be given such an opportunity to change things.''

    ''I thought that I''d be content just to finish missions with my team, get enough money and call it a day¡­ but Lord Asher is promising us to be greater than what we are now. I¡­ I want to be that person too.''

    Lucius saw the expression on each of their faces and knew that they were immensely close to signing away their lives to him, and it only needed one final push.

    "If you find yourself convinced of my goals and ambitions¡­ will you not give your word that you will join me?" Lucius asked.

    "I will serve you, Lord Asher!" Albus dered, and quickly fell onto one knee.

    Once one of the members in Gellor''s team did it, it didn''t take too long for everyone to follow suit and copy him.

    Soon everyone was on their knees and was swearing their fealty to Lucius, voicing out their loyalty to him.

    "So will I!"

    "Me too! I wish to ept this opportunity, Lord Asher!"

    "We would like to be used as your hand in changing thend of Etara, my lord!"

    "It would be our honor to serve and fulfill your wishes."

    Lucius nodded and approached them one by one, he had a devilish smile on his face, a certain glint in his eyes as he grasped the hand of Albus and cast the Mark of Obedience on him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Thank you, Lord Asher!" Albus said and bowed his head.

    Lucius noticed that there was almost practically no pain at all.

    And this would happen for Ariana, Finch, Barty and even Gellor as well.

    Lucius was actually mildly curious if Gellor would subtly react once he cast the spell, but unlike with Hell Energy, the Ne of the Damned powered up the Mark of Obedience with apletely different source.

    Once he was all done, Lucius cleared his throat one more time and addressed Gellor and his mercenary group, his newly found obedient servants.

    "Now that I have your word, I would also like to share something about myself that not many know." Lucius said. "I am sure that all of you are aware that I am known to be someone who is giftless."

    "But you have aplished so many things even without it, my lord!" Albus said. "If anything, it''s a sign of your brilliance. Isn''t that right, everyone?"

    "O-of course. Lord Asher is incredible. Everyone here already knows that." Finch blushed and red at Albus for speaking out of turn while Lord Asher was still speaking, but not all of them had the proper court manners around nobility.

    "Forgive us for interrupting, Lord Asher." Gellor winced. "Please feel free to continue with what you were about to say, we''re listening attentively, my lord."

    Lucius nodded and everyone in Gellor''s mercenary group looked relieved.

    Even though the Mark of Obedience made one subservient to Lucius, it didn''t necessarily change their personality that much and it reflected in their attitudes still remaining more or less the same.

    "What Albus said is quite true, all of these things that I''ve aplished is something that can be done even without any gifts¡­ but the truth is that I actually have a gift as well." Lucius revealed.

    There was a look of shock that spread across the faces of all the members in Gellor''s team, but this time, they held back their surprised reactions and waited for Lord Asher to continue and see if he was going to share his gift.

    While waiting, these people actually had a couple of thoughts about this sudden revtion.

    ''The reason why Lord Asher is giftless is because he was unable to inherit the Epic rank gift that was passed down from the Inanis n. Was that actually just a ruse?''

    ''Wait¡­ what if the reason why Lord Asher decided to hide his gift from everyone is because it''s something that''s toomon, unlike the Count''s? We need to keep our reactions careful. We don''t want to offend Lord Asher unknowingly if that is the case.''

    ''I heard that some people don''t really reveal their gifts, but to think that Lord Asher has been hiding his gift this entire time?! Didn''t he face some gossips from the noble circles because he didn''t have one? How was he able to endure all of that treatment before¡­ his gift must be something special if he was able to keep it to himself?''

    Lucius watched their reactions and knew that all of them had different thoughts about his revtion, and they would only end up even more surprised.

    "The reason why I''ve hidden it is simple, it is a great gift unlike any other."

 Chapter 319 Revealing The Gift

    "¡­ and this gift of mine has allowed me the ability to evolve the gift of others. Elevating them from one rank into another, higher and higher than what anyone could dream of possible for their lifetime." Lucius said.

    At those words, the already shocked people in Gellor''s team became stunned and unable to say anything at first. Even those who assumed that Lord Asher actually had an Epic Rank gift like Count Inanis still found themselves unable to wrap their heads around what Lucius had just said.

    Evolve¡­ gifts?

    That was somethingpletely unheard of for ordinary people, and even to those who belonged to the Church of na and many others.

    However, Lord Asher Inanis said that he had a gift that allowed him to do so? It must be greater than Epic Rank¡­ it felt to them that it was Legendary, Mythic or even Divine Rank!

    "Of course, the reason why I am sharing this secret of mine with all of you today is because I intend to use this very gift of mine to evolve yours. What I have done for others, I also intend to do the same for all of you." Lucius said and watched their stunned faces change once again.

    All of them had been shocked already to hear Lord Asher''s gift, but their shock quickly turned to incredulity and utter amazement once he dered those words.

    It seemed like some kind of whimsical dream or pure fantasy. This was them receiving the most delicious of waters when all of them were dehydrated and dying of thirst.

    "Of course, it is not something that I can do instantly for all of you. In fact, the missions that I have sent all of you was my first way of measuring if all of you are suitable to be part of my special ss of warriors, as well as to gather the materials needed to evolve gifts." Lucius exined.

    This exnation of Lucius reinforced Gellor and his mercenary group''s beliefs in him once again. This was an extraordinary opportunity and something that they couldn''t simply just hear without doing anything about it.

    "Lord Asher, if you truly give us this opportunity to raise the rank of our gifts, then we will serve you to the utmost of our ability! We will follow your orders and head to whichever direction you may point us to, be it to war, to rune beasts and any other danger¡ªwe will heed your word and swear our unfaltering service to you. We will be what you need us to be!" Gellor and his mercenary group made a great oath to Lucius right here and right now.

    Why wouldn''t Gellor and his people not do it?

    Everyone knew what having an epic ranked gift meant. It was something sopletely rare than what any other people could receive in their entire lifetime.

    ''My powers are already strong as it is right now at my rank¡­ but what could it be like once it bes an Epic Rank?'' Albus thought. ''I can''t even imagine what that would be like.''

    ''I''ve been a mistress to Sir Cambrian, someone who became a noble by purchasing it for himself through his wealth¡­ but if my gift bes an Epic Rank? It''s not impossible that I myself could be a noble myself.'' Finch thought.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''The chance to be greater than others? Most people would use Lord Asher''s gift for their own personal gain but he is giving us a chance to elevate our ranks? He is giving us a chance to rise through our current stations!''

    Gellor and everyone in his group knew that Lord Asher was incredible for being so willing to let them climb thedder of sess.

    ''Actually, now that I think about it¡­ the reason why Lord Asher called it his special order of warriors is probably because he will be having people with gifts that had been evolved by himself.'' Gellor realized.

    ''Did Lord Asher even just say that it could evolve to Epic Rank? He said he could evolve gifts and didn''t even mention ranks. What if it''s possible for us to be Legendary rank? We would bepletely above everyone else.''

    It became clear to Gellor and his mercenary group that they who were already stronger than normal people, they could also continue to grow even stronger than ever.

    "I am most grateful for your oaths, everyone," Lucius said, breaking everyone out of their reverie. "And know that once this current mission of ours is finished, I will finally look into evolving your gifts one by one."

    "We are most grateful, Lord Asher." Gellor bowed his head and waspletely humbled, trying to hide his embarrassment.

    Even Gellor couldn''t help but be swept up by the sweet revtion of Lord Asher''s great gift that he almost forgotten that they still had a mission that needed to be done.

    Lucius knew that from watching all of their reactions. It was like he had given them the sweetest of temptations, and thus he needed to remind them that this delightful evolving of gifts would only be given if they performed their services.

    It was something akin to offering a carrot and then once again using the stick as a reality check.

    "Alright, now that I''ve shared my gift with all of you, I will now be briefing you of the contents of the mission that all of you will be taking." Lucius said. "While all of you had been preupied with getting the Mist Veil Beasts'' rune crystals, a certain incident urred in the city of Inanis, particrly of my household, an attempted assassination on me."

    Gellor and his mercenary group reacted sharply to those words. They were surprised that Lord Asher didn''t actually start with this incident first because it seemed like the most important thing.

    It was an attempt at someone''s life, and this would have shaken up anyone. Now that they saw that Lord Asher was still calm even while speaking about this, their respect for him only grew as they paid attentively to his words.

 Chapter 320 Briefing For The Mission

    "Upon the assessment of the assassin''s body, we came upon a note that revealed his identity as that of Biroy from the Bergan''s Band which waster verified by one of the associates of Leif, the owner of the Blind Crow tavern¡­ and so we will be heading to Aisse territory. Are there any questions?"

    Lucius watched Gellor and his mercenary group exchange looks before Finch raised her hand and asked.

    "Lord Asher, wouldn''t the Count be more capable of dealing with this kind of threat? Is it not better to put yourself at a secure ce to prevent further attempts at your life?"

    Lucius couldn''t help but smile lightly at those words and shook his head.

    "As I''ve discussed earlier, I would like to start taking responsibility for myself even before thinking of approaching my father as a way to challenge myself for the time when I be the next leader of the Inanis Family. This assassination attempt was done to me, and I personally would like to take care of it rather than rely on someone else. It''s better to deliver swift judgment yourself, is it not?"

    "Yes, Lord Asher. Thank you." Finch''s cheeks flushed and she bowed her head. Truly in her eyes and that of Gellor and others, Lord Asher was not like any other noble they''ve encountered.

    Most nobles would simply have their soldiers and forces track down the ones responsible for their assassination or have guards hired to protect them at vulnerable moments, but Lord Asher was going to charge right into the mouth of the lion.

    This reminded them of Count Gabriel, and it seemed like it was a trait passed down from the Inanis family.

    "You can trust us with your life, Lord Asher. Not one finger shall beid on you when we head to Aisse territory, isn''t that right, Barty?" Albus called out to Barty who bowed his head and nodded. "One Air Vortex and they''ll never even know what hit them."

    "I''m grateful." Lucius said. "Now that I''ve briefed you about the mission, I''d like to understand how much information you have on the Aisse territory before we head there."

    "We know a little about Aisse territory, Lord Asher. We''ve been there before a couple of times and has taken missions there." Gellor replied politely.

    "I''ve noticed that none of you seemed bristled when I mentioned that it was the Bergan''s Band behind it. Didyou have any encounters with them before?" Lucius asked.

    "Bergan''s Band is one of the strongest mercenary group out there and has a great number of members, but it doesn''t mean that every mercenary group looks favorably upon them." Gellor said with mild distaste.

    "They give mercenaries a bad reputation," Ariana added. "With how they deal with their enemies, themon folk sometimes can''t help but think that mercenaries are all greedy and power hungry folks, but we''re not all like that."

    "As for any conflict between us and the Bergan''s Band, there actually was one a couple years ago, but it''s quite a small situation." Gellor admitted. "Nothing too drastic beyond some of their members feeling like we were unwee in Aisse."

    "They do tend to think that the entirend of Aisse belongs to themselves, far more than even the Earl there. But I think it''s because the Earl is afraid of their power and strength to do anything, from what I''ve heard." Barty replied helpfully.

    "Hmm¡­ if that is the case, then it''s quite unlikely that any of you are remembered. A lot of mercenary groups wander around so it isn''t your fault when you head up to Aisse territory. I''m sure that others do the same." Lucius said.

    "I think the mercenary groups there were either absorbed into Bergan''s Band if they were decently strong while others had to go elsewhere." Gellor shook his head.

    "Can you even call them a group at this point? It''s like an entire army of mercenaries!" Albus said, but then shook his head. "Either way, since they''re the ones who attempted to take Lord Asher''s life, we''ll make them pay."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius was happy enough with the motivation, but then cleared his throat.

    "I''ve informed all of you about this tonight, but it is not like we will be riding down to Aisse territory by tomorrow morning. Instead, I would like all of you to recover and get some rest and then be ready in two days time. Then we will see what goes on after there." Lucius said.

    "Thank you so much, Lord Asher!"

    "We will rest well and prepare for this mission right away."

    After Lucius finished informing them of the mission and their schedule, he bade them goodbye and returned to the Inanis mansion.

    ? Lucius made it a little past after dinner, something he did to avoid the attention of the ck Rose Knights that were still being served as guests by the Inanis Family.

    The less they saw of him, the better.

    Lucius knew that he more or less escaped from their desire to interrogate him about the assassination, but there was a chance that they might still want to speak to him and he was wary of revealing anything unnecessary.

    He admired their tenacity and due diligence, but needed them to be preupied while he took the matter of the Bergan''s Band into his own hands.

    It was something, people in knight orders might have understood if they took crusades, but Lucius did not count on it as he walked through the mansion.

    "Greetings, to you Young Lord Asher!" a ck Rose Knight greeted him in the hallway.

    "Hello." Lucius nodded briefly and continued down for the Count and Countess'' room, and leaving the ck Rose Knight unable to say another word or even follow him.

    If there was anywhere that these people wouldn''t eavesdrop, it would be at the bedroom of the Count.

    He knocked on the door. "Mother, Father?"

    "Come in." Count Gabriel said.

    "What is it, my son?" Countess Lita weed her son once he arrived. "You missed dinner, but we are happy that you''ve returned home atst."

    "I''ve finished some business with Gellor and his mercenary group, and so we will be heading out in two day''s time for Aisse territory."

 Chapter 321 Departure

    "Two days? That is quite sudden. Have you asked permission from your father?" Countess Lita nced at her husband.

    "He already asked, Lita. Didn''t I tell you that I passed down the heirlooms of the Inanis Family to him?" Count Gabriel replied.

    "Yes, you said that, but not this." Countess Lita shook her head, but then sighed softly as she rested a hand on her chest. "Are you¡­ are you sure about this, Asher? Perhaps you can send this mercenary group and let them do it by themselves?"

    "I''m afraid that I have to do this, mother." Lucius replied. "You must understand that this is a personal matter that I will not take lightly."

    If Count Gabriel was someone who had been furious and reminded of the time when his mother was assassinated, Countess Lita was someone who nearly lost her son while the two of them were in the same roof.

    "Lita, now''s not the time to stop Asher from doing something important like this." Count Gabriel saw himself in his son, and understood his position.

    "I know, I know¡­ I''m just quite worried about you, Asher." Countess Lita smiled weakly. "Please return safely¡­ of course, make those despicable Bergan''s Band pay for their transgressions bute back as soon as you can."

    "Of course, mother. In the meantime, I would also like to address the issue with the ck Rose Knights. I am quite sure that even with the testimony of the associate of the ck Crow tavern owner, they would like to see the corpse of Biroy for themselves, but unfortunately I''ve disposed of him along with the note, it was badly burnt during the fire you see." Lucius lied.

    Although, it wasn''t much of a lie considering that Biroy was more or less unattended since Lucius used Soul Scry on him. He had already gotten most use out of the assassin and wouldn''t waste any more resources on him.

    "Indeed, they''ve been requesting to inspect your burnt room and had made it their duty to interview all of the servants and guards about the night of that assassination." Count Gabriel said and massaged his forehead. "It''s a little difficult to refuse them when it was the king himself who asked them to assist me in the matter of this incident. Perhaps, they''re still a little unconvinced of everything."

    "Worry not about it, Father. Instead, I am sure that their attention will shift once I leave." Lucius said.

    "Were you not going to leave undetected?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "Yes, but let it be informed to them that I will be moved to a safe space in lieu of the recent assassination. They need to be reminded that the reason why they''re here is still primarily to catch the culprits over antagonizing me and the household." Lucius said.

    "Hmm, I think that will be quite a great excuse to throw them off their still lingered suspicion." Count Gabriel chuckled. "I am sure that they will be preupied with the thought that they weren''t able to do their jobs properly so you opted to leave. Knights can be like that."

    "Of course, father." Lucius said.

    Lucius knew what the Count meant, as there were knight orders in his past world that spent much more time focusing on their image and their chivalry codes over doing anything of actual substance.

    It was actually incredible on how some individuals could get preupied over things like that, but it was to each their own.

    "Now then, I''ll be taking my leave, mother and father." Lucius said and bade them goodnight.

    ***<novelnext></novelnext>

    Two dayster, Lucius and Kiana left the mansion of the Inanis family without drawing any attention to themselves and headed to the meeting ce where Gellor and his mercenary group were waiting for them.

    "I¡­ I can''t believe this is actually working." Kiana whispered to Lucius in disbelief.

    "Rest assured, I told you that nobody would be able to recognize us." Lucius said.

    "I can hardly recognize you myself if we hadn''t left together." Kiana frowned as she inspected Asher, he looked like apletely different person.

    Lucius and Kiana were both outfitted in mercenary gear, and Lucius took the opportunity to dye his hair to ck.

    For Kiana, she hadpletely changed the way she arranged her hair and also applied makeup differently than how she did in the past.

    She didn''t actually use makeup that much, so it was something that changed things greatly, but if Kiana''s transformation was decent, Lucius'' change was actually more drastic thanks to his experience in his previous world.

    It wasn''t only his hair that made other people not notice Lucius, he had taken the liberty to use the disguise tricks that he had and they became quite handy.

    With enough knowledge on the subject, one was able to use makeup to change the way their bone structure looked like and could make anyone presume they were some other person.

    "L-Lord Asher?" Gellor called out uncertainly when they arrived at the meeting ce. He somehow still managed to recognize Kiana due to him knowing her after quite some time, but he had to look twice at Lucius.

    "You and everyone here shall be referring to my alias while we''re traveling together." Lucius informed them. He didn''t want any of them to identally use his name while they were in the Aisse territory so it was better to practice right away.

    "O-of course," Gellor bowed his head.

    "Well then, this will be quite a trip." Lucius nced at the horses all prepared and ready to go. Albus and Barty were tending them as Ariana and Finch loaded their packs.

    "These were the adjustments done so we''ll look like mercenaries." Kiana said, not looking forward for the trip since Aisse territory was quite far away.

    "It''ll be seven days, if I recall." Lucius said.

    "Yes, seven days." Kiana nodded.

    It didn''t take too long for them to get on their horses and then ride out of the city, sessfully leaving without anyone recognizing Lucius or Kiana.

 Chapter 322 Travel In The Land Of Inanis

    "Hmm, so this is what things are like outside of the city walls." Lucius muttered quietly to himself as he rode on horseback, traveling through the roads and eying the conditions of the extended territory beyond Inanis City.

    "While it''s natural that the ones in the city are much more well-off to hold their establishments and abodes there, the difference is more or less negligible."

    It was clear to him that Count Gabriel made sure that the prosperity between different areas of his territories was more or less still the same.

    "What do you think, Asher?" Kiana asked as she rode closer to him. She wanted to know what he thought since it was his first time traveling out after the memory loss incident.

    "It''s all good. The extended territory is more or less well taken care of, isn''t it? Though I think the further we go from the capital city, the more humble it will be, right?" Lucius said.

    "Yes, there''s some far-flung areas with viges, but the ones on this road leading all the way to the royal highway are all rather the same as merchants travel and stop from city to city." Kiana exined.

    "Of course. I''m excited to see this highway soon." Lucius said, knowing that while it probably couldn''t bepared to the ones in his previous world, it probably meant that it was better than the ones that they were traveling in.

    Gellor and his mercenary group were riding ahead of Lucius and Kiana, who were at the back, allowing them a bit of privacy but also leading the way.

    Lucius appreciated it, but still made sure to keep most of his important observations to himself, as he didn''t want any of Gellor and his team to hear him.

    Even though Lucius had provided many revtions to Gellor and his team, hinting at the reason behind the Masked Legion and Dionysia Brewery''s existence, he did not trust them with the information about his ''lost'' memory.

    Or rather found it unnecessary to share as it would bring more people into knowing that Lucius didn''t know much about the world. It was important to keep secrets like that and make people presume that you knew better.

    Of course, Gellor and his mercenary group were already obedient to him with the mark of obedience, but that was notplete enough to make them his confidants.

    Lucius and his group then traveled for several hours until they stopped at a city for a meal and to catch a break for their horses.

    "Are you alright with the traveling pace we''re currently on, Lord¡ªer, Lucius?" Gellor asked during their short stay in one of the cities beyond Inanis.

    "Yes, it''s more than adequate." Lucius said.

    "That''s a relief to hear then. We''re moving at the fastest pace that we can, taking breaks every now and then isn''t bad as it helps with the maintenance of the horses and of course, there''s also the fatigue we experience." Gellor said.

    Albus was outside of the inn, stretching his legs and walking it off around the road while Finch and Ariana paid for their meal.

    Barty was already out to check on their horses while Kiana was finishing her meal.

    "But if you feel like we''re moving a little faster than you''d like, we can take more breaks too." Gellor reassured him. "It doesn''t have to be exactly seven days."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh, the faster that we get there, the better actually." Lucius reassured him. "Please don''t hesitate and travel at the pace that you and your team usually go at. You must understand that I''m eager to finish our mission there, after all."

    Gellor nearly bowed, but then nodded. "Understood."

    It was a little hard for the man to address Lord Asher in a less formal manner, but he tried his best and was more than watchful of Lucius'' conditions.

    On the contrary, Lucius thought they were actually slow, as servants in the Great Barrom n often didn''t think of leisure like stopping at a city for breaks when they were on a mission.

    Instead, they''d often continue traveling and only rested when it was absolutely necessary. However, it didn''t take too long for the first day to finish and the second day to arrive.

    Lucius was d to move past from cities on the roads as they moved into the ins, until he finally saw the royal highway before them.

    "The quality of this road is incredible." Luciusplimented.

    "This goes all the way to the Capital." Kiana said, referring to Grantz Kingdom with a pleased look on her face when she nced at Asher. "That''s why it''s so well maintained."

    "Even the rocks on this road are quite uniform, perfect to the road." Lucius said, not expecting this level of quality.

    "We can thank the Royal Builders for it. All of them have specialized gifts for this situation and are quite scrupulous about it too, rest assured." Kiana said. "People who''ve ever damaged a portion of the road, well, it''s quite a hefty fine from what I''ve heard."

    "I see." Lucius said as they rode down the highway.

    This time, their travel down the road was faster than when they were yesterday. It was a lot more efficient and no one came to stop them,pared to some checkpoints that urred yesterday.

    Along their travel, they''d encounter other travelers, even mercenaries¡ªsome that Gellor and his team members recognized, and finally soldiers that patrolled the highway.

    "We''ll be taking a break," Gellor called out and then slowed down with the others when the sun was at its highest.

    This was the first rest stop that Lucius stopped at, and it was exactly the same as the others they''d pass through.

    ? He couldn''t help but be impressed as it provided protection from the heat of the sun, was spacious enough for multiple groups of travelers and there was actually a lot of grass for the horses and even a water source avable.

    "Is this the same everywhere?" Lucius asked Kiana.

 Chapter 323 Banter Of The Team

    "Yes, this is the same standard for every royal highway." Kiana exined. "All of them need to have rest stops and water spots near them, or else they won''t be considered. It''s for the benefit of everyone."

    "I see. Thank you for the exnation. This ce is adequate even for sleep, isn''t it?" Lucius nodded.

    "It is. When it''s windy, it can fly away some tents. That''s why this rest stop offers some protection from stronger gusts too." Kiana nodded, then looked a little worried. "I tried to pack enough to make your tentfortable, but I''m a little worried¡­"

    "It''s fine, Kiana. Thank you." Lucius reassured her. "This is nothing for me."

    Meanwhile Gellor and his team, were more or less settled down for their temporary stop.

    "Phew, I''m d that we''ve caught the chance to drink and breath." Albus said, drinking from his waterskin.

    "Help me bring the horses to the water spot." Barty told the guy.

    "Feed them with the grass first, I bet they''re hungry, because I''m starving." Arianaughed as she plopped down on the ground. "Where''s the food, Finch? Wish we could start a fire and cook something."

    "I''d start a fire with my hands, but let''s just eat what we packed first." Finch said, unpacking some of their supplies and then helping distribute them with Gellor.

    This would go on for the entire second and even third day, all that Lucius and the people with him would see were the highway beyond them and the travelers that they''d encounter.

    "Okay, that was the sixth guy with a dark horse in the past two hours, Albus." Bartymented dryly.

    "No fair, who''d expect that much? Aren''t they supposed to be much more expensive and well-bred?" Albus sighed. "Man, do I have bad luck. Ariana, how''s your bet going?"

    "We''re not betting over the people we encounter down the road." Ariana called out. "That''s just stupid, we''re not that bored¡ªright, Finch?"

    "We''ve encountered at least three families on the road traveling together, more than double the number for merchants and as for the soldiers patrolling, they''re about a third than what I expected." Finch sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "How much are you guys betting on the horsesing, Barty?"

    "You sure?" Barty raised a brow. "I''ve been quite lucky the past two days. I don''t think you''re up for the challenge."

    "I''ll wager. You too, Ariana." Finch said.

    "Win back my money, Ariana." Albus called out with a painedugh.

    "I hope that you can uh excuse my team''s conversation at the moment, Lord Asher." Gellor said, feeling more or less sure with the name since there wasn''t anyone around to hear them. "It''s been a couple of days, and we tend to have little bets to pass the time."

    "It''s all good. Whatever preupies the mind during the travel," Lucius said, feeling a bit of the boredom as well but mostly keeping to himself.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Riding a horse was more or less easy for Lucius so he was able to meditate, although he didn''t quite left his body to enter his soul space in case of anything happening unexpected on the road.

    "Thank you, I think we will be reaching Etara''s Cross by tomorrow, Lord Asher. I think Kiana will be appreciating being able to sleep on a proper bed again." Gellor said and eyed Kiana.

    "That''s for Lord Asher!" Kiana protested, looking a bit embarrassed.

    "You wereining about your back, if I recall." Gellor said, slightly amused, but then shook his head when he looked at his team. "But ah, let me break up the bets between my team first. It sometimes gets a little too heated. Barty is unfortunately one of the people who instigates it."

    Once Gellor caught up with his team, Kiana cleared her throat and addressed Asher.

    "Etara''s Cross is aptly named for being one of the most important cities in the Land of Etara, Asher. I''m sure that Master Kain already taught to you about it, before, but please look forward to seeing it. It''s quite a sight." Kiana said.

    "Yes, I do recall it, Kiana. The city is run by Baron Hugh and is actually one of the main supporters of the Inanis Family, isn''t it? I recall their name being in the congrattory letter that was addressed to us once we won the war against the Drew army." Lucius said.

    "Oh yes," Kiana remembered. "Wouldn''t it be something for the celebratory banquet to be held in Etara''s Cross? It''s not too far from Inanis Citypared to others. Although, I think they''re dying it a little."

    "Dying it?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "Well, after you being nearly assassinated, I don''t think even our supporters are excited to meet the Count, since he is quite terrifying even for them." Kiana said seriously.

    Lucius noticed that her expression darkened, and he had a feeling it was because of the memory of the attempted assassination.

    "Once things are settled, I''m sure there''ll be time for more festivities and celebrations though." Kiana said, trying to cheer Asher and herself up.

    "Indeed." Lucius said. He had nned on connecting with the nobility once that event came up, along with expanding the reach of the Dionysia Brewery and the introduction of Miss Alessa.

    "But we''ll finish things with the Bergan''s Band first." Kiana reassured him with a smile.

    On the fourth day, just as Gellor promised, they reached Etara''s Cross.

    Lucius realized it was aptly named due to the sight of arge crossroads which the city was built around in, and it was filled with the movement of quite a number of travelers.

    Its numbers were far greater than the ones Lucius and the others encountered while on the road. Soon enough, they stepped into the city.

    It was a prosperous one that Lucius couldn''t help but be curious about what type of person Baron Hugh was, and knew that it could have been a good time to meet with one of the Inanis supporters.

 Chapter 324 Etaraâ€™s Cross

    ''It could have been a good time to meet this Baron Hugh, but meeting him at this particr time would leave unwanted traces that I was here.'' Lucius thought to himself as they rode into the city. ''Not to mention with my current attire, it''s quite unlikely for him to even recognize me.''

    Those were some of the thoughts of Lucius as they passed through the roads of the city. There was currently quite a bit of traffic, even more than Inanis city.

    "It truly is aptly named as Etara''s Cross." Lucius wryly said as he caught up to the mercenary leader. "Where will you be taking us, Gellor?"

    "Um, there are a lot of various inns in this city, Lo¡ªLucius. Some are quite expensive but incredible to sleep in if you''ve been looking for an amazing ce to rest and recover from the fatigue." Gellor said.

    "Ah, yes, I actually remember a good one from when Sir Cambrian and I were talking previously." Finch said, inserting herself into the conversation. "It''s something that he once rmended to me in case we travel here to Etara''s Cross."

    "Oh, oh are we going to stay at somewhere actually nice tonight?" Albus called out. "I''m excited to sleep in a soft bed for once. I can''t sleep with the horses, always making noises at night."

    "You''re the one who''s been making the noise. Snoring and moving in your sleep." Barty sighed as he shook his head.

    "And those inns always have special type of meals, right? There''s this one with someone who has a gift that''s rted to cooking, I think." Ariana added.

    All of them nced at Lord Asher and Kiana, waiting for his or her response.

    Even though Gellor and his mercenary group were surprised that Lord Asher were apanying them and masquerading as a fellow mercenary, they couldn''t help but still feel like they needed to amodate him and his needs.

    What if Lord Asher had grown weary of the travel for the past four days?

    What if he didn''t like the food that they were eating while on the road?

    What if the way they acted around Lord Asher made him reconsider his promise of evolving their gifts?

    Those things, and especially how they acted yesterday, made them want to fix things with Lord Asher and show that they were professionals who knew how to wee and take care of a noble.

    "Hmmm¡­ it''s not necessarily a bad idea." Kiana admitted. She was as concerned with the others on Asher''s well being, probably even more than them. "Mercenaries can sometimes stay in more expensive inns when they make decent money from their missions."

    It didn''t need to be said that the Inanis family, or rather Lucius paid them well and he did in fact, or to be specific, Kiana brought more than enough money to allow them to rest in a great ce if they wanted to.

    However, Lucius merely shook his head. He understood what their intentions were, but he disagreed with them.

    "Just because we''vee into a windfall of certain money doesn''t mean that we should spend it all on an inn, Gellor." Lucius said, portraying the role of a new mercenary well. "In fact, I''d rather see where you guys often stay in when you guys visit this ce."

    "Oh, of course. That ce isn''t actually so bad and the innkeeper already knows us well there." Gellor said and lead the way to the inn''s direction.

    Lucius and the rest of the team followed his advance and soon enough, they came across an inn that seemed specially catered to mercenaries.<novelnext></novelnext>

    There was a stable beside the inn for their horses and it didn''t take too long for them to get settled into their rooms, each one receiving a private one of their own.

    Once they went out of their rooms, Lucius and Kiana found themselves getting noticed by someone.

    "Hey, new faces." A young mercenary greeted them with a wave as he also left his room at the same time as them. "Which group are you guys from? Haven''t seen you guys before."

    "We''re with Gellor and his team." Lucius replied.

    "Oh, they''ve been here a couple of times, you guys must be new recruits." The mercenary said.

    "Not really, we just work with them from time to time." Kiana replied.

    "Fascinating. They must be on some important mission if they''re adding people for it." The mercenary chuckled. "I wonder if they''ll willing to add one to the team."

    Lucius mostly kept his expression neutral, but the mercenary couldn''t help but feel intimidated slightly.

    "But I''ll get out of your hair now. It''s nice to meet you guys. Send my regards to Gellor!" the mercenary waved and then went down the stairs.

    "Did you think¡­?" Kiana nced at Asher nervously.

    "We blended in fine." Lucius reassured her beforeing down and meeting up with Gellor and his group.

    "Lo¡ªLucius, there''s this nice ce to get some food. We could eat at this inn, but it''s a little full." Gellor exined.

    "That sounds good to me. We should go now." Lucius agreed.

    Even though they did stay in another town during the first night away from Inanis city, Lucius was actually quite interested to know how the gossip was like in a ce like Etara''s Cross.

    ''I''m sure that what we can hear from here is probably much better than what I heard from thest ce. All sorts of peoplee here after all, a melting pot of travelers from various locations¡­ we might be able to hear something interesting or useful.'' Lucius thought.

    While Lucius already had his ns and goals before him and knew the direction he would take with them, he was also open to hearing other things that might be able to aid him in his future endeavors.

    ''There could be anything out there, and to ignore that possibility is foolish.''

    Lucius, Kiana and the team of Gellor left the inn and then went to the city for a meal. It didn''t take too long for Lucius to listen in and find something interesting.

 Chapter 325 News In The Inn

    When they settled down for a meal in the ce that Gellor had rmended, at first, Lucius woulde to hear of gossip that he had personally been through.

    He didn''t care much for it as he knew the truth of the events, but it was also interesting to see how people viewed it through their own personal lenses.

    It was good to know what people felt about certain events, whether it was positive, negative or simply ambivalent.

    "The thing with Gisir feels like it''s been going on forever. How''s the Armistice going along?"

    "That''s like old news. Did you hear about what happened with the entire army of this Viscount to the north?"

    "What?"

    "Completely annihted, no survivors or anything at all. That''s terrifying, isn''t it? Did you think that some tried to beg mercy but just killed either way?"

    "Wait, who did that?"

    "Are you not paying attention to what''s been happening recently?"

    "I''ve been preupied with work, you can''t expect me to keep up with all the news, can you? So who''s this?"

    "Who else? It was Count Inanis, it has got to do with the fact that this Viscount was trying to separate himself from the entire Land of Etara. Crazy, isn''t it?"

    "Woah. Speaking of the Count, he''s been here recently, or passed through and based on how he was looking, it''s no surprise that he''d make an entire army perish like that."

    "I think Baron Hugh wanted to wee him when he passed here at the Cross, but it was just so terrifying to see the Count march through here that I don''t think it happened. Entire city went silent for an hour, just in case the Count returned and chose to vent his pent up wrath on us."

    "I don''t think that''s actually true."

    "You weren''t here!"

    "What made the Count so unhappy if he just won the battle against this Viscount? Shouldn''t he be celebrating if they''ve won?"

    "One of my rtives just came from Inanis City, and I think it''s got something to do with the son of the Count. Something happened so he rushed his way back."

    "Wasn''t he supposed to have been meeting with the king, though? It must be really important if he left the king just to get back to his territory."

    Lucius listened to all of these words with a bit of a passing attention.

    If he wasn''t listening to this particr gossip about Count Inanis'' recent actions, he''de across some other individuals discussing news from other nearby cities and towns and they were mostly mundane.

    "Oh, oh speaking about the king¡ªdid you know that fifty soldiers from the Royal Army got killed over a week ago?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Soldiers always die. That''s not really that much big of a deal. What makes that so different? Count Inanis just wiped out an entire army."

    "Well, sure, soldiers die while in service to the Royal Army but the ones behind the murder of all those soldiers? It was only one person alone."

    Lucius was ready to return to his meal and pay less attention to his surroundings, but this was something that captured his attention atst.

    ''Royal Army? And one murderer alone? Finally, something interesting.'' Lucius thought as he sipped his drink, tuning out the conversation of Gellor and his team in lieu of this.

    "How did you know that it was one person? Did they get captured already?"

    "No. The warrior is still on the run and there''s a bounty on him, but we really don''t know his appearance as there really weren''t any survivors when he attacked."

    "How''d people figure out it was him, then?"

    "There''s this unique gift I think that lets the user figure out how a person died. Probably healer rted or something. I''m not too sure, but the thing is that they were killed by one warrior alone and so swiftly in fact, that they only needed a single attack to do it."

    "One attack? For each one? That doesn''t sound real. We''ve had monsters like Count Inanis back in his youth, but now you''re saying there''s someone like him again and this time going around killing soldiers?"

    "Yeah. This guy must be some kind of genius to have been able to kill them with one strike only."

    "Or they got a special gift that lets them do just that. Could be an epic-rank?"

    "Don''t you think that would narrow down possible subjects?"

    "Well, not knowing their face isn''t really helping. Who knows if this person is just in our midst all this time?"

    "Oi! Don''t say stuff like that."

    Lucius listened to it all with a rather calm expression, and yet he couldn''t help but be impressed with what he heard.

    ''What kind of person would be so daring to kill royal soldiers like that? This person would have been foolish if not for the fact that he was able to escape without anyone knowing who he is. Is it someone from the kingdom of Gisir trying to sow discord within the Grantz kingdom, or is it someone with a personal vendetta against the king?'' Lucius wondered silently.

    ''It would be valuable to have a face to face with this person, but without having a way to know what their face is like, it''s important to be cautious. Is he only targeting people in the Royal Army, or is there a chance that he might go after soldiers of the nobility as well? What is this person even trying to aplish by doing this?''

    Lucius became focused on these thoughts as he continued to eat his meal and finish it. At this point, the gossip had shifted into something else, but Lucius was still preupied with it.

    ''If there''s anything interesting beyond this warrior, it is the fact that there''s a gift that allows a person to discover the way a person died. Nothingparable to Soul Scry, but still valuable. Regardless, if there''s any chance that I could encounter this warrior¡­ it would be quite a meeting. Strong people like this warrior are worth following me.''

 Chapter 326 Rough Paths

    Once they were finished with their meal and catching up on the interesting gossip surrounding the kingdom, Lucius and the group returned to the inn and spent the night there.

    Lucius would take it as an opportunity to look at the map that Kiana had given him earlier.

    It was something that showed the entire area of the Grantz Kingdom and featured the official roads that led to the various cities as well as marking which territories belonged to whom.

    ? "Hmmm, something like this doesn''t update so much considering how nobility don''t often change up over the course of time." Lucius muttered as his fingernded on the official road that led to Aisse Territory.

    There were areas that were marked with mountains and otherndmarks which still led to Aisse Territory and this was the area that Lucius was going to head to with Gellor and the group.

    "On my previous conversation with Kiana, these are the areas where the Plow Worms are staying at, and so we''ll be heading there instead of Aisse right away." Lucius muttered to himself.

    He had already gone over this with Kiana and even Gellor and his team two days prior, but this was something he liked to check onest time in case something came up.

    It was better to err on the side of caution than anything else.

    "I''ll be transforming a Plow Worm and it will be by far thergest creature that I''ll ever turn into a Lost here. It''s not something that can be changed with soul power from the Ne of the Damned, so I''ll have to build up my hell energy again." Lucius closed the map and then went for his bed to meditate.

    He''d spent the next few hours building his hell energy until he was satisfied, and then taking his time to finally rest.

    When early morning came up, everyone in Gellor''s mercenary group was already awake alongside Lucius and Kiana.

    Even though Lucius spent several hours meditating, he still felt mostly refreshed thanks to the power of the Ne of the Damned nourishing his soul.

    It was a contrast to the others who trudged down the stairs and looked like they wanted more sleep. Even though they were mercenaries, it was quite likely that Gellor and his group preferred to travel when they were ready as opposed to early mornings.

    "Is everyone ready to leave?" Gellor asked once they all met down at the stables. "Have you all checked your belongings and everything?"

    "Done. We also resupplied for today." Finch replied. "Got it yesterday night, so we''re all ready, Gellor"

    "We also got some nice meal for the road from the innkeeper as well." Barty said,ing in back from the inn, he had additional meals with him which he started to load onto the horse.

    "Ooh, I think she really likes you, Barty." Albus chuckled and elbowed his friend. "I never get that kind of special treatment even though we''ve been here like a hundred times."

    "You tried to dance on top of her tables with your crane legs and bet that you could jump from one table to the end of the room. Of course she''s not happy with you." Barty said with a roll of his eyes.

    "Alright, where''s Ariana?" Gellor sighed and looked at the others.

    Lucius and Kiana looked around, but finally the mercenary arrived at the stable.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So early huh." Ariana rubbed her eyes and bit back a yawn, noticing Lord Asher and Kiana. "W-which is good since the earlier we are, the less hot it''s going to be on the road."

    "Less traffic on the roads too. So we''ll be going now." Gellor nodded and then turned to Lord Asher. "We are ready to leave now, Lucius. Apologies for the dy."

    "Thank you." Lucius nodded.

    The group left Etara''s Cross and then headed down the southern road. This highway was going to be the one that took them to Aisse Territory as he read from the mapst night.

    It was around the end of the fifth day that they finally came across a fork in the road, it was something that wasn''t ced as an official route to Aisse Territory, but it was the one that would take them to there desired location.

    "Hmmm¡­ the road''s rather rough and unpaved huh." Albus whistled.

    "It''s not us who''ll be walking there, but our horses." Ariana said. "What are youining about, crane legs?"

    "Enough bickering." Gellor said and cleared his throat. "This is the path that we''ve discussed previously, right Lord Asher?"

    "Indeed. Is there any issue?" Lucius asked as he stopped at the fork of the road.

    "No, Lord Asher. It''s just a route that we haven''t been to before so we would like all of us to be on guard. It''s best that you ride in the middle as we make a circle formation. You too, Kiana." Gellor said.

    "You don''t have to worry about me, Gellor." Kiana said. She was ready to activate her gift at a moment''s notice, and even though she hadn''t tried to do it much while on horseback, she was confident about her skills.

    "Thank you. That sounds like a good n." Lucius said. "We don''t know what we''ll be encountering in this path, do we?"

    "There could be uh bandits on the road¡­" Finch frowned.

    While they were mostly equipped to focus on handling rune beasts during missions, not all of them were exactly happy with the idea of fighting other people if it came down to it.

    "Don''t say stuff like that, you might jinx us." Albusined. "What''s most likely is that there will be animals and rune beasts that we''ll see."

    "Hmmm, I suppose we haven''t been able to pack those beast repellent powder, did we?" Lucius remarked to Kiana. He remembered using them when they first defeated the fake bandits.

    "There''s been low supplies of it, Asher. Since the battle with Viscount Drew and all those dead bodies, I''m afraid that we''ve only acquired a certain amount." Kiana sighed.

    "Don''t worry, the team and I will be taking shifts for the night." Gellor said.

 Chapter 327 Night Attack

    Contrary to the worries and anxiety of Gellor''s group, the first night that they camped up at the unofficial route to Aisse territory, they did not encounter anything dangerous.

    Perhaps the beast repellent powder that Kiana provided was enough to deter most creatures, but even then, Gellor and his men stood by and had shifts to ensure that they were safe from any unexpected danger.

    Lucius appreciated their efforts, and soon enough they set out early. It was now the sixth day since they left Inanis City.

    After traveling for six more hours, they came across what was the end of the unpaved road.

    Instead, what was left was basically just an animal trail. Lucius checked the map and then gestured through the animal trail.

    "If we take this road, it''ll take us to the location of the Plow Worms. Let''s proceed now."

    "Of course, Lord Asher." Gellor said.

    It didn''t take them too long to venture forward, and headed down the trail. And while they traveled, a few words were exchanged between the members of Gellor''s team.

    "Mmm¡­ we''ll be going through the mountains aren''t we?" Albus said, eying thendmark ahead of them.

    "Yeah. There''s also a forest in between it as far as we can see, and that''s where we''ll be passing through." Ariana confirmed.

    Truth be told, Lucius hadn''t detailed everything to them as to how he would get the Plow Worm and use it as a weapon against the Bergan''s Band.

    In reality, they knew that they were going to escort Lord Asher to thend of Aisse in order to have revenge on the Bergan''s Band and did not know the exact details of how using a Plow Worm would help.

    "Do you think it''s going to be about getting rune crystals from the Plow Worm?" Ariana whispered.

    "I mean, it''ll probably be only one if ever. Or just a couple?" Albus said.

    "A couple." Ariana hummed. "Have you ever tried imagining what it''d be like to attack it?"

    "No, it''s extremely huge, but they''re not exactly hostile right? Do you think your thorns will be able to actually prate their thick skin?" Albus asked.

    "I''m not so sure." Ariana admitted. "But uh¡­ maybe Barty can lift one up into the air and then let it just die from the impact?"

    "You''re gonna drain the entire Aether out of him that way." Albus said.

    While there were protectionws against the harm of Plow Worms, at this point, Albus and the other members of the Gellor''s mercenary group were more or less neutral to it now.

    They were promised to be elevated from their ranks, and if all it took was a Plow Worm''s rune crystal being taken then they would not hesitate from that.

    If anything, they trusted that Lord Asher knew what he was doing and had faith in his decision.

    ***

    "Woah, easy girl." Finch said as she calmed her horse down. They''ve already gone down the animal trail and were heading through the forest.

    "Hmmm, I''m rather spooked out about this ce." Bartymented as they trotted down the path.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was a little difficult to travel it as it was not actually a paved road whatsoever, but Lucius and everyone did their best.

    Every now and then, they''d check for any possibility of any dangerous creatures encountering them, but luckily, none showed themselves.

    There were some birds that flew off and some distant cries that could be heard, but nothing rming.

    Instead, it was the terrain itself that proved itself to be the far more difficult reason as to why they were slowing down.

    "I don''t think we''ll be able to leave this forest tonight, Lord Asher." Gellor said. "We will be setting up a camp now. This is the best clearing that we could find, didn''t we?"

    "Yes, Barty checked and this is the one with the most space enough for us and the horses." Finch exined. "And it is starting to get dark soon."

    "That''s fine with me." Lucius reassured them.

    "For tonight, how''s the beast repellent powder?" Gellor asked Kiana.

    "We''ve used pretty much all of it while on the way here." Kiana sighed and massaged her forehead. "Should have saved more. The little we have left won''t probably make that big of a difference."

    "That should be fine, right?" Finch said.

    "We''ll handle anything that mighte our way." Gellor said.

    It didn''t take too long for Gellor and his team to set up a camp in the forest, tying their horses to some of the trees and also setting up a fire.

    Finch started the fire with her me Touch hands whilst Ariana and Albus set out to prepare some food.

    "We''re nearly there aren''t we, Asher?" Kiana sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. She was a little exhausted from all the riding for the past six days and was happy to be able to take a seat once again.

    "Indeed. It won''t take too long now." Lucius said, but then paused and looked around as the horses started neighing frantically.

    During the midst of Albus and Ariana cooking some food, the scent of cooking attracted the beasts that had been lurking in the forest all this time.

    "Long w Wolves!" Barty shouted and quickly sent out an air vortex that kept the wolves away from the horses.

    They tried to move towards the vortex but couldn''t approach the horses due to the strong winds, and soon quickly redirected their attention to the rest of the group.

    "Asher, with me!" Kiana immediately leapt up to her feet and activated her gift, standing in between Asher and the wolves, her fatigue immediately draining away and reced by adrenaline.

    Gellor and the rest of the team also rose up to action, taking out their weapons and fighting off the wolves and soon enough they quickly went to dispatching the group of wolves that arrived.

    It was quick work, that Lucius didn''t even actually need to move but he stood up and kept his hands on his Wind Scar Sword.

    Gellor and his team were highly efficient, but that was not the end of it.

 Chapter 328 Long Claw Wolves

    "We need a bigger fire, Finch." Gellor called out as he struck a wolf down with his sword, cleaving it in two.

    "A little preupied right now¡ª" Finch clicked her tongue and dodged a wolf''s attack, narrowly missing a strike at her chest.

    "Got it!" Ariana dove forward and took care of the creature, backing up with Finch.

    "He meant the fire!" Albus said, weaving back and forth across the wolves and attacking. "Need any help, Barty?"

    "Yes, obviously! I''m in a bind!" Barty responded, trying to keep the horses calm while discouraging any wolves from drawing closer with measured air vortexes now and then.

    "Tsk." Kiana shot out attacks and brought some wolves down, but also had to stop every now and then so she wouldn''t identally hit members of Gellor''s team.

    Lucius was at the ready and watched each of the wolves being defeated by the members of Gellor''s team. While they did their work, Lucius couldn''t help but recall what he knew about the creatures.

    ''Barty called them as Long w Wolves¡­ these are E Ranked Rune Beasts. So they''re not really too difficult for a team along their skill level. If I recall from my previous readings with Master Kain, the gift that they have is Dash.''

    Lucius was familiar with the Dash gift, he had seen members in the Inanis family guard who had these gifts and seen how they used it, and now this was his first time seeing the gift being used by beasts.

    ''While I can''tpare the intellect of a human from a beast, the way that these wolves are using the Dash is perhaps more instinctive and better than even some of the guards. They''ve relied on it more often and thus can use it to its full capacity.''

    The great example for their skill in using the Dash was the fact that Kiana herself was having some difficulty using the Sting Sniper to urately hit all of the wolves in one shot.

    A couple of the rune beasts had went down when they first attempted to jump at Kiana and Asher, but soon enough they were able to dodge and avoid the attacks from Kiana, and it took more effort on her part to strike them urately.

    ''Of course, there''s also the fact that it''s quite dark and with members of Gellor''s team on the move like Albus, it''s not so easy to attack hostiles without hitting any of them either.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius could have jumped into the fray of the fighting himself, but he was reserving the uses of the Wind Scar Sword and was waiting for the numbers to dwindle back down to zero.

    "Just a couple more!" Albus shouted.

    "Three!"

    "Two¡ª"

    "More!" Finch cried out at the same time as the sound of more wolves howlinge out from the trees and attack them all at once.

    It became clear to Lucius that the first number of wolves that they''ve sent were mostly scouts that were in search of food, but now they had most of the fighting force of the Long wed Wolves attacking them.

    "What are the chances that the Alphaes out?"

    "Haven''t seen it!"

    "Don''t make it any worse by making thate true!"

    Lucius nced around the dark forest, silently cursing that he didn''t have any particr spell to prepare for this situation except for fireball, but he wanted to avoid causing any more fires.<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was true that the human eyes adjusted to the darkness when given a chance, but with the light from the bonfire, it wasn''t exactly enough to make Lucius or anybody else adapt to the environment properly.

    Gellor who had mostly finished off most of the wolves that came at him, saw that Kiana was having a hard time with shooting down the creatures.

    ''I need to get closer to Lord Asher and make sure that he''s really safe.'' Gellor thought and nced in the direction of Ariana and Finch dealing with the new batch of wolves.

    On the other side, Albus was covering for Barty, but Gellor decided that there was enough time for him to close the distance without any problems.

    Gellor turned his back and headed for Lord Asher and Kiana.

    The moment that he turned, something huge bounded and leapt from the trees, aiming directly for the now vulnerable captain.

    Kiana was still preupied with the wolves that wereing from all over, and Lucius quickly dashed forward past Gellor.

    "Lord Asher¡ª!" Gellor called out in confusion, but then nced behind just in time to see himself saved.

    Lucius smoothly chopped off the legs of the Alpha Wolf, quickly moved right past it and stabbed another wolf that was headed down Kiana''s way, before finally piercing a third one that attempted toe at him from behind.

    Gellor and the rest of the team saw him do it all in one fluid motion, eyes widening in surprise at Lord Asher''s quick thinking and actions.

    ''That''s¡­ that''s the fighting skill of Lord Asher?!''

    ''I heard that he did greatly against the war of the Gisir kingdom and was given a gift from the king as a result, but I didn''t expect it to be that good!''

    ''Did he really need us in the first ce?''

    ''He has incredible swordsmanship!''

    Lucius didn''t need to use the power of the Wind Scar Sword, so he went on to assist with dealing with the new threat and simply cut off the limbs of the wolves or beheaded them in one go, making it easier for everyone.

    Gellor finished off the Alpha, and the rest of the team continued to do their jobs and before they knew it, it was finally over.

    A number of the wolves had actually fled when the Alpha died, but Lucius and everyone had mostly dealt with everything else.

    "Phew. We''ve done it." Albus said and wiped his forehead.

    "It wasn''t that big of a threat, Albus." Barty reminded as he leaned back against a tree, currently spent of his Aether.

    "Lord Asher, you were amazing!" Finch praised.

    "You saved Gellor''s life!" Ariana added.

 Chapter 329 Edge Of Aisse Territory

    "It''s nothing." Lucius shook his head.

    "I owe you my life, Lord Asher." Gellor insisted. "It should have made sense that some of the wolves were prepared to ambush us, but I failed to react properly."

    "Even if I hadn''t stepped in to save you, I have no doubt that you would have been able to catch it yourself." Lucius reassured Gellor, knowing the man''s awareness was better than others.

    "Thank you for saying that, Lord Asher." Gellor thanked him and then cleared his throat. "Your swordsmanship is incredible. I was not able to witness it before, but I think even my old mentor would have been in awe of it."

    "Why thank you, but I think it''s important to move on to far more immediate matters now, Gellor." Lucius said.

    "Oh, of course, right away, Lord Asher." Gellor nodded.

    It was the first time that Gellor''s team actually saw Lord Asher''s fighting capabilities and were thoroughly impressed with it.

    Either way, to Lucius, that was more or less a good show of their skills and he was ready to move on from it as he eyed the corpses of the wolves.

    There were several of them and if they were unable to take care of it, it would attract the attention of more creatures and especially the bugs.

    More importantly though, there was something that he wished to procure from it.

    "Gellor, I think we should start taking care of the corpses now." Finch pped her hands and then looked at Lucius'' way. "If we find any rune crystals, Lord Asher. We will give it to you right away."

    Lucius raised a brow, but then nodded his head.

    "Yes, that was what I had in mind. I''m also interested in the rune crystals of the Long wed Wolves and will be procuring it." Lucius said.

    As the adrenaline of the fight wore off, Gellor and everyone in their team started to make quick work of the wolf corpses and collected all of them.

    Kiana took over the bonfire and prepared some dinner for Asher as the two of them sat down together.

    "It''ll be good to cook some of the wolf meat tonight." Kiana said, but then cleared her throat. "How are you doing, Asher?"

    "I''m fine, Kiana." Lucius said, already having a feeling of what she was about to say.

    "Gellor would have been fine even if you haven''t stepped in." Kiana coughed lightly as she eyed the team working through the corpses. "My apologies, I was quite worried because I was trying to protect you, but then you stepped away and I couldn''t do a thing. I wasn''t there during the assassination either and I¡­ I''ll stop. Forgive me, I was just rather put out that even with my gift, I had some difficulty with dealing with those wolves."

    "I understand your frustration." Lucius said. "Of course, something like this will be easily rectified through constant practice and training, so we''ll be able to address that."

    It was clear that someone who had their gift be Epic ranked would be overjoyed, however it was not often that they would quickly find themselves understanding their limitations after an increase in power.

    "Thank you, Asher." Kiana said.

    "You''re wee," Lucius said, before looking at Gellor, who was approaching.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We''ve only obtained one rune crystal, Lord Asher. From the Alpha itself." Gellor offered the crystal to him.

    "Much appreciated." Lucius took the item, gave it a momentary nce with the Nexus and soon kept it with him.

    It was an eventful night,pared to the ones for the past six days, and soon enough they would finally end up to where the Plow Worms were.

    ***

    The next morning, Lucius and everyone were ready to leave once again. The pile of corpses was left where it was fromst night as they got on their horses.

    "These are all good meat." Albus shook his head.

    "And we haven''t even talked about the pelt or the ws." Ariana whistled.

    "Unfortunately, bringing all of them can''t be done. It''s too much weight and it''ll slow us all down." Finch said.

    "We''ll only be bringing the body of the Alpha Wolf. Compared to the others, his body is a lot more valuable and we''ll also still have some extra meat forter. Sounds good?" Gellor asked everyone.

    Once everyone was done, it didn''t take too long for Lucius and the group to finally exit the forest, and when they did, they wounded up at the base of the mountains and a beautiful smallke right beside of it.

    "¡­ It''s a really good thing that we didn''t insist on those corpses, didn''t we?" Albus said, looking at the mountains with an uneasy look.

    "It''ll be good to tie the horses here near theke. It''s unlikely they''ll be attackedpared to being in the forest, and they''ll be near a water source and the grass." Barty said.

    "Sounds like a n." Gellor agreed.

    While Gellor and his team took care of the horses, Lucius and Kiana waited for them as they stood at the bottom of the mountain.

    "This is it, isn''t it, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes, we''ll journey our way up there and find our way into the Aisse territory." Lucius noted, remembering the contents of the map. "While there''s no actual details of what this mountain terrain contains, there''s a great chance that we''ll encounter paths that will make it easier. And if not, we simply push through with it."

    "Of course." Kiana agreed.

    Once everyone was ready, they soon began their trek up the mountains. It was a long and winding time, and they took a break while on their way but after some time, they ended up seeing a pass that was hidden between the two mountains.

    Everyone entered the pass and then end up seeing more mountains and hills beyond their current ce.

    "And now we finally enter the Aisse territory¡­" Lucius said, but then paused as he took in the sight of the surrounding area. "There''s something strange with it."

 Chapter 330 The Plow Worms

    "What''s the matter, Asher?" Kiana said upon hearing his words. To her eyes, it was clear that they''ve entered the Aisse territory as he had wanted.

    "Do we venture forward, Lord Asher?" Gellor asked.

    "No." Lucius shook his head, his gaze not leaving the sight before him. "We''ll set up a small camp for now and set watch"

    "Understood. You hear that everyone, it''s time to set a camp." Gellor quickly set out to work with the members of his group as Kiana stepped closer to Asher.

    "We''ve reached where we wanted to be, right, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Yes. So, now, what do you see, Kiana?" Lucius asked.

    "I see¡­ the Aisse territory, the ce where we''re supposed to find the Plow Worms."

    "That is correct." Lucius said as he took in the view.

    The mountains and hills of the Aisse territory werepletely different from any other simr environments that Lucius has been to.

    One could see that there were severalrge holes in various ces that seemed toe out of nowhere, and there were also mounds of dirt that were piled up randomly without any reason or rhyme to it.

    Even to Lucius, who had seen humans from another worldpletely split and tear open a mountain to attack an enemy, this was still a strange sight to him.

    It was almost like a giant had decided to y with the ground and became bored with it halfway as Lucius eyed the ravines that went deep between the mountains.

    As far as Lucius could estimate, they were over a hundred meters deep or so, and it left him suitably impressed.

    "Is there anything wrong with it?" Kiana asked. "You look a little unhappy still, Asher."

    Lucius shook his head vehemently and nced at her.

    "On the contrary, we might as well have just found what we''re looking for. Judging by the size of the holes within the area, it''s not a stretch to say that one of the Plow Worms here at are least four meters thick, possibly more."

    "That''s incredible¡ªI mean, it really would be dangerous just going there recklessly, wouldn''t it?" Kiana murmured as she eyed the several heaps of mounds and holes.

    If an unsuspecting individual were to wander to this area at night, the idea that they''d end up falling into one of the chasms was not entirely unlikely.

    "Excuse me, it would be great to sit down here for a while." Albus cleared his throat and gestured to one of the rocks.

    It was not afortable chair, but it was positioned in such a way that Lucius easily overlooked the environment. Lucius thanked the mercenary and then took a seat.

    "Since we''re not quite sure how long we''ll be staying here and waiting for the Plow Worms to surface, it''ll be best to sit down and wait." Lucius told Kiana.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That sounds like a good idea." Kiana said, and joined him. After a minute, she cleared her throat and nced in Asher''s way. "Do¡­ do we not have any idea from reading books or Master Kain though? He might have discussed this before in one of his lectures?"

    "No. On the contrary, it''ll be quite a favor to those in the Artificer''s Guild if we were able to record all the information that we''re about to receive." Lucius said. "Since thews had asked these Plow Worms to be considered as a protected species, majority of individuals have left them mostly untouched and thus also not many know about its habits and tricks."

    "I see. What do you know already, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "I know that we''re already seeing one right now." Lucius bit back a look of amusement as a Plow Worm exited a mountain''s side and pushed out a mound of dirt along with it.

    "That''s¡­ actually not so bad." Kiana said.

    "Indeed, it''s not." Lucius watched the Plow Worm''s movements carefully, although all it did was excrete on the surface before entering another mountain again.

    "Did it just¡­ loose its bowels here?" Kiana scrunched up her nose, almost as if she could smell the stench from all the way they were standing in and turned to Asher. "That''s disgusting, but there''s something in its excretion, Asher. Do you want to send any one of Gellor''s men to check it out?"

    "There will be of no need for any of that."

    Lucius chose to employ the telescope artifact that he once retrieved from June''s cache of supplies and used it to inspect the excrement from afar.

    There were a lot of several shining spots in the excretion that Lucius quickly came to realize was metal ore.

    It was what miners were looking for when they heard a Plow Worm was in the area.

    This exined why miners loved and protected the Plow Worms as they made the lives of miner extremely easier if someone else was going to collect the minerals for them."

    "What do you see, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "It''s the ores. Plow worms consume dirt, detritus, tree roots, insects and another variety of items including any other rocks and minerals they encounter beforeing to the surface to defecate."

    "I see¡­ that''s interesting, Asher." Kiana looked far from happy and eyed the creature with disgust. If she had a chance, she would stop Asher from all together approaching the Plow Worm and tell him that it was dangerous.

    But she couldn''t stop him, even if she tried.

    "After some time, I expect that their defecation is what has made those hill-like structures." Lucius said as he eyed them.

    "It''s impressive, but I think Plow Worms only stay where they are until they''ve fully depleted its every bit ofst source." Kiana recalled.

    "That''s right, once they''ve consumed everything and left, it''s our moment where wee in and step right in after to collect what they''ve left for us. I can see why people chose to protect them." Lucius acknowledged. "But the reason why we aren''t rushing down to check on them in person is quite evident enough, isn''t it?"

    Kiana stared at the area before her and cleared her throat. "It''s dangerous to go there."

 Chapter 331 Long Distance Observation

    "That''s right." Lucius agreed. "The reason why we''ve chosen to set up a camp here instead of going down is because it''s quite clear that the area is unstable due to the Plow Worm''s activities."

    "All the holes and the tunnels they''re making..." Kiana watched the area before her and eyed the Plow Worm that disappeared back into the mountain.

    One could only imagine what it would be like for a Plow Worm to suddenly just chase after them.

    Kiana was confident about her Sting Sniper gift, but then wondered how her gift would rate against the thick skin of the Plow Worms.

    She wouldn''t be able to stop it if she tried.

    That fact made Kiana a little uneasy until she remembered that it was Asher who was going to take care of the Rune Beast.

    ''I''ve seen what Asher did before with the Bore Shrew and to those criminals, and now he''s going to do it to a Plow Worm. These things are quite massive, and I''m not confident with my skill even with Gellor and his team here, but if it''s Asher¡­ I''m sure that things will go well in the end.'' Kiana thought to herself and refocused on Asher.

    "In the case of the miners, it makes sense that one would need to let the area settle down for awhile, even if it leads to the certain copse of thend." Lucius said.

    "Are we going to do that?" Kiana asked. "I don''t think we have enough supplies to wait for that long, Asher. If you''d like, it''s possible that some of Gellor''s people could go back and retrieve more supplies, but I thought that this was going to be a quick mission?"

    "We''re not going to wait for that long, rest assured." Lucius said. "We''re fully capable of taking advantage of the situation right here and right now. I will just be needing some time to observe the schedule of the Plow Worms in order to ensure the sess of our mission. You are free to assist me, though I will be taking most of the note-taking myself. But it would be great to have another pair of eyes."

    "Of course, Asher." Kiana reassured him.

    As for Gellor and the rest of the team, Lucius didn''t give them any explicit orders to observe the Plow Worms themselves, but after finishing setting up the camp, the team didn''t actually have much to do either.

    Gellor and his team were situated at a rather appropriate distance away from Lord Asher and Kiana to give them privacy, but also was close enough to protect them in case anything happened or they were given a new set of orders.

    "What do you think will happen next?" Ariana asked as she sat down on the ground and looked over at the area. "Aren''t we going to go down to check the area ourselves?"

    "That''s not a good idea, Ariana. Many miners have sometimes rushed into a Plow Worm''s territory out of their greed and find themselves falling into the sinkhole and not even realizing, it was how they were going to die." Barty chided her.

    "I think Lord Asher is just admiring the scenery at the moment." Albus said.

    "Don''t make jokes like that. It''s not funny." Finch frowned. "There''s a clear reason why we''re here and it''s certainly not just to enjoy the view."

    "Sorry, I was just trying to lighten up the mood." Albus groaned and turned away from Finch. "Help me out, Gellor."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "At the moment, I think they''re currently observing the situation before us." Gellor guessed, noticing how Lord Asher was making notes on a journal. "However, we all need to be ready at a second''s notice, sinkholes or not. We''ll probably end up needing to go there. It''s rted to Lord Asher''s n no doubt."

    "¡­the thing with the Bergan''s Band?" Ariana raised a brow. "This isn''t about collecting rune crystals?"

    "It''s all connected. I think." Gellor said.

    "Well, we''re going to figure it out sooner orter." Finch said. "And since we''ve agreed to help, all we''ll be doing is waiting for Lord Asher''s nextmand."

    "We know that, Finch. You don''t have to remind us every second. I''m just trying not to get bored with sitting around here and realizing that the next most interesting thing is when the Plow Worm''s going toe up again." Albus said and rubbed the back of his neck.

    "I''d say that it''s most likely they''ll resurface in perhaps three to four hours." Barty said.

    "Oh, is this going to be another bet?" Ariana perked up a little. "I''d say it''ll take longer than that. Half a day."

    "Please don''t make too much of a ruckus this time." Gellor sighed, but then eyed the area below them. "I''d say just about an hour and a half, in my opinion."

    "Gellor, are you serious?" Finch narrowed her eyes at the captain, but little did she know that this was the exact question that Lucius had in mind.

    "How much time has passed, Kiana?" Lucius asked.

    "It''s about two and a half hours, Asher." Kiana said as she brought in his supper. "Thest time was about only two hours though, when they''vest resurfaced."

    "Indeed. Based on the previous instances, we can safely assume that the general schedule of these Plow Worms is around two to three hours." Lucius said. "They dig and then rise to the surface to defecate, which is substantial information, but not enough."

    "We''ll be starting a fire soon," Kiana said as she took in the now setting sun. "What other information do we need, Asher?"

    "Preferably their sleeping schedule and how they sleep. It''s their most vulnerable moment, which is what we need to record along with other details." Lucius said. "But even with the data that we gather today, we might still need to look for discrepancies."

    "I see. Hopefully, we''ll get to see it soon." Kiana said.

    "We will, and based on my presumptions, it''ll be the best chance to act."

 Chapter 332 Insightful Observations

    Lucius'' n to use the Plow Worms was simple¡ªbut the necessary information to gather it was not.

    It was easy to make the assumption that Plow Worms were diurnal, creatures who were active in the day and slept in the night, but the Plow Worms took quite some time before they actually fell asleep.

    "Ugh, when are they going to stop digging?" Albus groaned as he shifted in his makeshift sleeping bag. "Some people are trying to get some hours in."

    "I can feel all the vibrations all the way up from here." Arianained as she tried to bury her head in a pillow. "But it''s the noise that really gets you, isn''t it?"

    "People aren''t going to be able to rest if the two of youin that loudly." Finch shook her head as she stood outside of the tent and stayed by the fire with Barty and Gellor.

    "Will you not be trying to sleep yet, Finch?" Barty asked as he tended to the firece.

    "You don''t have to apany me and Barty for the first watch." Gellor insisted. "We''ve made our arrangements already."

    "No. Like the two said, it is a bit difficult to get some sleep now. And we''re not the only ones still currently up¡ªit doesn''t feel right to get some sleep while Lord Asher and Kiana is still awake." Finch said while ncing slightly further away from the camp.

    Unlike most members of Gellor''s team, Lucius was still sitting by the rock by himself and was still observing how and when the Plow Worms were finally going to stop.

    "Out of twenty four hours, how long exactly do they work?" Lucius muttered quietly to himself.

    "It''s getting cold, Asher." Kiana handed Lucius a thick nket. "Are you sure that you do not want to stay with Gellor and his team by the fire¡­ or for me to start one here?"

    Lucius shook his head. "No need, Kiana. We need to observe the Plow Worms in their natural state and theck of human activity is the most important thing. Having a fire this close to them, or even a bit of light, might change how they operate. We''re not going to¡­ aha, finally."

    As Lucius tried to exin to Kiana on why he needed to observe the Plow Worms without any visible light or fire, the Plow Worms rose to the surface of their tunnels.

    "So they only sleep with their heads outside of those holes to be able to breathe." Lucius observed and jotted down the note.

    "Does that mean that you''ll be able to sleep now, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "No. I need to record on how long exactly they''ll be sleeping." Lucius shook his head. "It''s not enough to know how they sleep, we also need the duration, among other things."

    "¡­how about I record that for you, Asher?" Kiana said and then nced towards Gellor and the others who were awake. "I think Gellor''s team would also be happy to do the same thing."

    "I''ll be fine. You can sleep for tonight, Kiana and if I feel exhausted, then I will swap out with you or have somebody in Gellor''s team fill over. Perhaps Finch or Gellor might be able to do it, but for now, I''ll be taking over." Lucius said.

    It wasn''t the fact that Lucius thought of Gellor''s team as ipetent when it came to this matter, but there were still a lot of moments where Lucius still preferred to do things by himself.

    When it came down to research, this had been Lucius''s forte and if anybody was going to do excellent work on it, then it would be him.

    ***<novelnext></novelnext>

    "How''s Plowy doing? Did he excrete a lot today and beat Wormling?" Albus asked when he woke upte and joined the others for lunch time.

    "Nope. Wormling still''s got more excrement covered." Ariana said and nced out into the area where the Plow Worms were digging. "But Plowy did make a lot more holes today if you''re going to be happy about that, Albus."

    "Why yes, Ariana? I will be happy about that. Pass me some of that wolf meat. I''m starving." Albus reached out to Barty''s food.

    "We''re going to be out of it soon with how much you''re asking. Don''t eat too much." Barty sighed.

    "You haven''t done anything for the past day, Albus. You''re going to have to work for the meat." Finch rolled her eyes and swatted his hand down.

    "No fair."

    "Oh, it is going to be fair." Finch said. "I can''t believe you and Ariana even went to the effort of naming all of the Plow Worms here."

    Ariana cleared her throat.

    "Actually, we still haven''t decided on that big one. We were either going for Pow, or Orm. Actually, Orm sounds really good, Albus. I don''t see why you''re disagreeing with me on this."

    "It just sounds ridiculous, Ariana."

    "¡­Well, we''re actually going to do something today, so please listen closely." Gellor interrupted the team from their bickering as Lord Asher approached them with Kiana.

    "I will be asking all of you to go down and check the area to see which ces are safe to pass through." Lucius said and offered them papers. "I''ve done the liberty of making a rough map, but the additional information will be filled in by the rest of you. Your work will be appreciated."

    "Of course, Lord Asher." Gellor said. "It will be done."

    "We''ll start right away." Finch added.

    "Alright, thank you." Lucius said.

    "Asher, I''ll be taking over the watching of the worms today, go get some rest, okay?" Kiana said, as she led Lucius to one of the tents. "I''ll just make sure that they did the same thing as yesterday and note discrepancies, right?"

    "Yes, that will be it." Lucius nodded, finally deciding that it would be better to delegate, at least in this matter.

    He was willing to do it by himself, but he needed to be in peak condition when it was finally time to encounter the Plow Worms.

    Two days soon quickly passed by as Lucius deepened his understanding of the Plow Worms and the general area of the rune beasts'' territory.

 Chapter 333 Insufficient Hell Energy

    "Guess who just earned their right to the wolf meat? Who was it?" Albus nearly danced around the camp in front of his teammates.

    "Shut up." Finch massaged her forehead as she looked over at the map that she was filling out for Lord Asher.

    "Was it you, Barty?" Albus asked.

    "Nono, he nearly fell into one of those holes." Ariana said with a chuckle.

    "Well, there''s no more wolf meat." Barty dryly said. "Besides, I have Wind Vortex to keep myself afloat."

    "Doesn''t matter. Guess who''s not so useless now? Who just proved themselves as a capable member of the team, right now? Hey, Gellor, I did a great job, right?"

    "Sure you did." Gellor chuckled and shook his head. "But please help out Finch with the map, we have to give it to Lord Asher."

    "Of course, right away. I just wanted to rub it in a little for Miss Finch here." Albus said as he settled down beside Finch.

    Meanwhile, Kiana went to check on Asher. She had given him her reports on the Plow Worms and he was checking andparing notes from the others as well.

    "Gellor''s team is quite a handful." Kiana said to Asher as she sat down with him and waited for more instructions.

    "But the truth is that Albus did indeed turn out to be invaluable for this particr task." Lucius acknowledged as he checked his own map.

    It was clear to everyone that with Albus'' Crane Legs gift, he had an easier time maneuvering the area and could react fast whenever he stepped on an unstable area.

    Albus quickly jumped back and avoided the trouble, whereas Finch and Barty stumbled a little while they navigated thend.

    "I guess you''re right. Gellor wouldn''t just put anyone in his team if they didn''t have skills." Kiana said. "Do we have enough information now, Asher? We''re just waiting for the reports from Gellor''s team, but we also observed how they dealt with the vicinity ourselves, and I believe it''ll be more or less the same."

    "Yes, suffice to say, we''ve finally charted a safe route and I will be making for the Plow Worm tonight." Lucius nodded. "Since the Plow Worms only sleep for around four to five hours every night, I will need to be quick."

    "You''re going for that¡­ big one, right?" Kiana asked nervously.

    "Yes. I think that''s one been named as Orm, but yes, I will be going for thergest one. Based on how we''ve seen it for the past days, it''s around fifty meters long and is actually the nearest one for me to approach."

    "Please be safe, Asher¡­ are you sure that you don''t want anyone around? Albus might be able to pluck you out of danger in case anything happened or for Barty to use his Wind Vortex?"

    "No. I will not be dealing with them. I prefer to do it by myself, Kiana." Lucius said.

    While Lucius had ced the Mark of Obedience on them, it did not mean that he would allow them the opportunity to see how his ''gift'' worked on transforming creatures into one of the Lost.

    The fewer people that knew, the better it was for him in the long run.

    ***

    When evening finally came, Gellor and his mercenary group found themselves at a loss for words when Lord Asher announced his intention to head for the Plow Worm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "By¡­ by yourself, Lord Asher?" Gellor asked. "Will you be bringing your Wind Scar sword? Not that¡­ would you like to take Albus or Barty?"

    "I have faith that the safety route charted by us and the observations on the Plow Worms for the past two days will be substantial enough for my sess." Lucius assured him and everyone else before he went down.

    "Watching is hard." Ariana grimaced as she looked down. "Are you sure that it''s a good¡­ ah, forgive me for speaking."

    Kiana narrowed her eyes on the mercenary before she followed and trained herself on Asher''s movements. If anything were to happen, she was prepared to go down in a single notice.

    Gellor, Albus and everyone else were also ready, but luckily, there was no need for it.

    Lucius did not waste his time and easily navigated to the terrible sleeping rune beast and then stopped right in front of it. He took onest nce at the gigantic worm before he carefully ced his hand on its head.

    A moment passed and nothing happened.

    "¡­unresponsive." Lucius quietly said.

    The skin of the Plow Worm was thick enough that it didn''t feel Lucius at all, which was a relieving thing to discover.

    Lucius quickly gathered the Hell Energy within him and started to inject it into the Plow Worm, feeding it with as much Hell Energy as possible.

    After a couple of moments, Lucius started to feel a huge drain on himself and he clicked his tongue, slowing down for a moment to catch himself.

    ''I''ve prepared myself to umte a lot of Hell Energy beforeing here and yet it still isn''t enough for this Plow Worm¡­. I''m in need of more Hell Energy than what I have now to match its great size.'' Lucius thought.

    After this realization, Lucius resumed injecting his Hell Energy into the Plow Worm beast until he was fully drained of the energy.

    "This will be it for tonight."

    Lucius stepped back and quickly made his retreat back up to the camp where he was weed back by his people.

    "How did it go, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Are you alright, Lord Asher?"

    "I''m fine, thank you." Lucius reassured them before he thought about Kiana''s question.

    Gellor and his team looked at the Plow Worm in confusion, not understanding what happened, but was mostly relieved to see that Lord Asher was safe and sound.

    From the safe distance, Lucius observed that the Hell Energy was present within the Plow Worm, but it still acted normally unlike any other specimens that had been injected by the same amount of energy.

    "¡­ It went well. But I will need toe revisit it, tomorrow night." Lucius said.

 Chapter 334 Agitated Plow Worm

    "Tomorrow night again?" Kiana asked uncertainly as she looked at the sleeping Plow Worm.

    Unlike the incident with the other transformation that urred, she could see that nothing of that sort had happened.

    It made Kiana rather uneasy, almost waiting for it to react like the others had did, but it did not happen.

    "Yes. Same thing as tomorrow. Thank you for watching over me, Gellor andpany. We''ll proceed with the same thing as tomorrow." Lucius nodded over to the mercenary group.

    "Of course, Lord Asher!"

    "For now, I will be taking my rest." Lucius bade the people goodnight before he went over to his tent. He did not immediately went back to rest and instead went over to meditate.

    Lucius needed to umte Hell Energy again and at a pace far more abrupt than before, although it wouldn''t pose a problem for him, even with theck of any Lost anywhere.

    However, he couldn''t help but still think if he did.

    ''Hmmm¡­ if I had known that it would take much more Hell Energy than the others, even with my preparations, I would have at least brought the Lost Bore Shrew with me.''

    Lucius could store extra Hell Energy in his Lost, so it would have been far more easier if he brought the remaining Bore Shrew with him.

    ''In the asion that I do this again with creatures of this gargantuan size, then I''ll be far more prepared. But for now, let''s gather Hell Energy again.''

    ***

    The next night came and it was simr tost night for Lucius. While Kiana, Gellor and hispany watched above at a safe territory, he came up to the Plow Worm and injected it with Hell Energy, this time filling it up with every amount he had umted sincest night.

    ''I wonder if this amount is enough, or will I need to return back here tomorrow night again¡­'' Lucius didn''t finish his thoughts.

    The Plow Worm''s head suddenly reared up and it let out an unnatural screech. Lucius recoiled at once and immediately ran back away from the rune beast, meanwhile it started to wreak havoc.

    Its sudden chaotic movements created trouble for Lucius as he ran. The path beneath his feet suddenly crumbled and gave away quickly. Lucius tried to step away and swerved to avoid the Plow Worm''s destruction of his path and failed.

    It wasn''t something that one could step away from easily as the radius of the Plow Worm''s devastation wreaked everywhere.

    Fortunately, Albus arrived at thest possible moment and caught Lucius before he fell into the ravine.

    "Lord Asher!" Albus cried out and grabbed him by the arms, and then quickly started to step back from the crumbling dirt.

    Thend beneath them was still heavily unstable and even for Albus, it was something that his crane legs couldn''t handle alone, especially when Lucius was being supported.

    "Hold on tight, Lord Asher." Albus said.

    Lucius didn''t need to ask as the air around them suddenly spun and grew stronger. As the ground cracked beneath them, Albus and Lucius were propelled into the air.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The two men reached the watch camp, bothnding on their feet.

    "Asher!" Kiana rushed towards him in worry. She knew that this had been about to happen sooner orter and would have gone down herself, but luckily, Albus and Barty were quick enough to think on their feet and saved him.

    "We were sessful." Lucius said with a chuckle. While taken aback by the sudden reaction of the Plow Worm and narrowly escaping, he was more pleased with how things turned out. "Great job, Albus and Barty. You''ve both done well."

    "It was an honor to serve you, Lord Asher." Both men bowed respectfully to the young lord and then copsed to the ground.

    Both of them might have saved Lord Asher, but the adrenaline washed over their body and they had been quite nervous about how things would have ended up if there was even one misstep in their acts.

    "You should rest now, Asher." Kiana scolded Lucius as she tried to bring him back to the camp, but Lucius held up a hand and watched over how the Plow Worm was reacting to the sudden inject of Hell Energy.

    ''This time, it had finally felt it.'' Lucius thought as it continued to crack thend furiously, the once docile Plow Worm acting in such a way that shocked Gellor and his team.

    "How did it get so angry? Lord Asher didn''t do anything to it except touch it." Ariana wondered.

    "Look at that, it''s running away. Hah." Albus wiped the sweat off his brow and pointed down at the rune beast.

    It didn''t take too long, but the giant Plow Worm finally ended its chaos and dug deep into the ground, burying itself away from the sight of the others.

    The other two Plow Worms that Gellor''s mercenary team had named before reacted to the actions of their oldpany with dread and fear, they had ran away and fled the area.

    "Lord Asher¡­ did things turn out alright?" Gellor carefully approached Lucius and eyed the disappearing Plow Worm. "The one that you''ve interacted with is now running away, should we do something about it? We could attempt to stop it from its tracks."

    The truth was that it was something difficult, even for Gellor and his team, but if Lord Asher demanded it of them then they would find a way to do so.

    "It''s fine. You do not have to worry about it any longer."

    "What will we be doing next, Lord Asher?"

    "For now, we will be staying here for a while."

    Lucius told Gellor before he nced down at the earth. He couldn''t see the Plow Worm any longer, but he didn''t need to.

    Lucius felt the Hell Energy was now working within the Plow Worm and the link between him and his soon to be Lost was now forming.

    "Alright, Kiana, I''ll finally be resting now." Lucius said, much to the relief of the woman.

    "Thank you, Asher." Kiana said.

    All Lucius needed to do for now was wait.

 Chapter 335 The Pending Transformation

    The next day, Gellor and his mercenary group found themselves sitting idly by the watch camp as Lord Asher rested.

    The sight of any Plow Worms was nowhere to be found and so they had the morning to themselves to chitchat idly.

    "So¡­ we''ll be staying here for how long again?" Albus whispered.

    "I don''t know, ask Gellor about it and not me." Barty coughed before he sipped some water. He was still rather exhausted after the Air Vortex yesterday as it actually taken him a lot of Aether.

    "He doesn''t know, but I think Lord Asher is still recovering, so we''ll wait until then." Finch interrupted the two as she joined them for breakfast. "Surely, you would know thatst night was crazy and that Plow Worm suddenly acted out of nowhere. I''ve never seen a rune beast act like that before."

    "Well, it''s not like we''ve seen a lot of Plow Worms. They''re described as docile, but it''s the first time someone actually disturbed them while they were sleeping." Ariana pointed out as she sat opposite of her.

    "Are you ming Lord Asher for its acts?" Finch frowned. "It''s a rune beast."

    "I don''t know, I just thought it was kind of weird. What do you think Lord Asher was doing with it? It''s not like we came all the way here to pet a Plow Worm. I thought we were going to collect its rune crystal at least." Ariana replied with a shrug. "What do you think, Gellor?"

    "I don''t know my way around rune beasts, even if we''ve fought countless of them already¡­ but I believe that Lord Asher knows what he is doing. There was a purpose to his acts even if we can''t understand it." Gellor replied.

    "Yes, it''s in our best interest to trust Lord Asher''s methods." Finch agreed. "I''m sure that we''ll be able to learn about it when he lets us to."

    "Okay, that makes sense." Ariana nodded. "I guess we''ll just wait until then."

    "¡­ my question really hasn''t been answered, you know?" Albus interrupted and rubbed the back of his neck. "When are we going to start moving again?"

    "It''s not like we''re going to return to Inanis City after this, Albus." Barty said.

    "We still have to go to Aisse Territory after our time is finished here, so take this time to get as much rest as you can." Gellor finally spoke, then turned to Ariana. "In the meantime, you''ll go check on the horses this time around, since Barty was exhaustedst night."

    "Ugh, I''m going to trek down the mountain by myself and then go up again?" Arianained, then turned to Finch. "Come with me?"

    "How about you ask Albus to go with you? He''s a lot better on his feet than any of us." Finch shrugged. "He''ll be able to catch you if you trip down the mountain."

    "Not funny." Ariana rolled her eyes.

    "Very funny." Albus chuckled.

    "Alright, don''t be too noisy. Lord Asher is resting and we do not wish to disturb him. I feel like we''ve been spending our time taking it easy¡­ that maybe we should spar after breakfast. Albus, you and me after." Gellor said.

    "What? Really?" Albus groaned. "I wasn''tining."

    "Hey, finish up your meal and check on the horses." Barty said.

    "After all my hard work, and yet it''s back to work again." Albusined as he started up on his meal.<novelnext></novelnext>

    While Gellor and his mercenary group spent their time at the watch camp and ensured that everything was in order, Lucius spent most of his time resting.

    Kiana watched and fussed over him, making sure that Asher actually sat down and rested.

    It had taken them about two days of nonstop observation of the Plow Worms to actually reach the information needed to approach them, but the unexpected danger still happened.

    Kiana was insistent on Asher getting some rest, and the young man did not argue whatsoever.

    ''It''s been around ten hours since I''ve finished injecting the Plow Worm with Hell Energy and the link is getting stronger.'' Lucius mused to himself as he ate his meal. ''It won''t be that long before I finally have this Plow Worm under my control.''

    When night finally came, Lucius took it as the opportunity to check on his soul space. As he expected, there was the presence of a new ''gate'' that was connected to the Plow Worm.

    A strong flow of Hell Energy was present in the new gate, which pleased Lucius.

    ''My capacity for Hell Energy has risen again. It won''t be too long since it''s fully transformed.'' Lucius thought as he returned back to his body.

    When Lucius checked outside of his tent, he took the moment to observe Gellor and his mercenary group.

    "You think we''ll ever see Plowy and Wormling again?" Albus bit back a yawn.

    "They ran like crazy when Orm started acting up, I don''t think we will." Ariana said. "Get over it."

    "I didn''t say that I was affected by it. I''m just asking." Albusined.

    "Do you want some alcohol to mourn their departure?" Barty joked. "I got some over here."

    "Ah, yes, that sounds nice¡­ wait, you brought alcohol?" Finch nced at Barty. "We''re on a mission."

    "A little doesn''t really hurt anyone, just know how to hold your alcohol." Gellor coughed.

    "I''m not the one who doesn''t know how to hold it, Gellor."

    Everyone was spending their time together and behaved like a team that they were, and they acted as if everything was fine.

    ''I''ve already ced the Mark of Obedience on them so I have nothing to worry about, but it is fortunate that the Plow Worm decided to spend its transformation underground. One can only wonder what they''ve thought about the urrence with the rune beast if they would see it for themselves.'' Lucius silently mused before he returned to bed.

    Another day soon passed again for Lucius and everyone, this time the team spending most of their time sparring and training together.

    They trained quite hard that their team practically fell into exhaustion once night came.

    It was around that point where Lucius found himself awakened by a strong surge of Hell Energy.

 Chapter 336 A Lost Plow Worm

    "Finally." Lucius said with a pleased smile on his face. The strong surge of Hell Energy was none other than from the fully transformed ''Lost'' Plow Worm.

    Even though it waspletely hidden underground, Lucius sent it a couple ofmands and went out of the tent to check how the Plow Worm would follow his orders.

    All of a sudden, the ground beneath them rumbled and quaked, much to the surprise of Gellor''s team, who were falling asleep in their tents.

    "Perfect." Lucius tested the rune beast a bit more and allowed it to move from one direction to another, but making sure that it waspletely hidden from the sight of the others.

    Once he was satisfied with how it followed orders, Lucius went back to bed, eager for the following day.

    "We''re finally leaving now." Gellor roused up his mercenary group to prepare for their departure.

    "Really? It''s been a good couple of days up here on the mountain. I''m going to miss it." Albus said, as he nced over their surroundings.

    "You were the oneining about it the most, Albus." Finch rolled her eyes.

    "Well, just because Iined doesn''t mean I didn''t like it. It''s a good opportunity to rx every once in a while in the open nature, and I''vee to appreciate it."

    "You''re probably eager to get to the closest inn we''ll reach. Tough luck." Ariana chuckled.

    "Well, enjoy riding the horses. The saddles are always just a tad ufortable." Albus grumbled.

    "For you, not for me."

    "We''ll be riding for hours again. How can your body not hurt? Even Bartyins and he''s the horse guy, you know?"

    As Gellor''s team members bickered around about as they disassembled the camp. Kiana and Lucius were together, waiting for them.

    "Did it go well, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "It did." Lucius nodded. "We were sessfulst night, hence why we''re leaving. Our new friend will be apanying us for the duration of the trip, as promised."

    "That''s terrific news." Kiana said.

    It didn''t take too long for Lucius and everyone to head back down the mountain and reaching their horses. It was the left over beast repellent powder that allowed them to mostly stay safe alongside the mercenaries visiting every now and then.

    Soon enough, they were on their way back to reach the split in path and then took the official route.

    "We''re finally heading to Aisse territory for real this time. How long till we get there? I can hardly remember." Albus asked while they rode down the path.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t worry, we''ll still be sleeping on the road for a bit." Ariana said. "Nothing to get too excited about."

    "Okay, okay, I just wanted to ask." Albus asked. "Man, it''s really been a while. I wonder what changes have urred since thest time we''ve been there."

    While the others concentrated on their conversations to pass the time on the road to Aisse territory, Lucius spent his time sensing the Plow Worm that traveled deep beneath them.

    If it was close to the surface, Lucius had no doubt that Gellor and his mercenary group would have felt its presence, but for now, it was a stealth mission.

    "The weather condition has been on our side, Lord Asher. I don''t think we''ve experienced much rain, especially when we were on the mountain." Gellormented as he rode with Lucius.

    "I can imagine that things might have been far more dangerous if we had to encounter slippery slopes and other things." Lucius said, not particrly enjoying the conversation but indulging the captain.

    However, it also did ur to him that it was vital to take note of the weather in case it proved useful, so Lucius discussed it with Gellor in case the captain knew anything.

    ''I''m quite certain that whether it''s rainy or dry there is no effect on the Plow Worm, but it''s best to be aware than not.''

    Later that evening, much to the disconcert of some people in Gellor''s team, they once again found themselves setting up a camp on the road.

    It was time for a break since their horses were fatigued, even more fatigued than them. So they just decided to spend the night there.

    While Gellor and everyone else were asleep, Lucius stepped out of his tent and went to take a short walk. Lucius had no problems with Kiana seeing it, but it would be an odd sight if any of Gellor''s team woke up to see Lucius dealing with the Lost.

    "Alright, there''s been some dys, but let''s take a good look at the conditions to see how you guys fared." Lucius stared down at the ground and waited only for a second for the Lost Bore Shrews to crawl out of the ground.

    They hadn''t been able to be present when Lucius was dealing with the Plow Worm, but now they were finally here.

    Lucius had given these creatures instructions to follow them right from the start, but perhaps even with the status of them being Lost, it still took them a bit of effort to arrive.

    ''I did lose about exactly five of them while they were dealing with the Arbitrator from the Duran Church so it''s fair to say that they might have also encountered unexpected peril as they followed after us, but I''m d to see that all of them are in good condition.''

    Lucius had individually checked each of the creature and assured himself that they did not need any repairs. Although he did take note that some of them seemed to have grown in size, perhaps also finding their own way to feast.

    ''I haven''t been able to give them Hell Energy, so they must have taken care of it for themselves.'' Lucius noted as he sent them some strands of Hell Energy.

    "Alright, all of you will be following after the Plow Worm, but keep your distance and ensure that you do not get crushed along the way." Lucius ordered.

    It was useful that both the Plow Worm and the Bore Shrews traveled underground, so it was an easy matter to hide them.

 Chapter 337 Encountering Mercenaries

    Back in Lucius'' old world, most of the Lost were unintelligible creatures and did not really notice one another when attacking others.

    However, for Lucius, all of the Lost in his Soul Space were capable of detecting each other and thus the Bore Shrews were able to follow the Plow Worm.

    Once Lucius was done giving orders and satisfied with the Bore Shrew following them, he returned to his tent and slept.

    The next day soon came with its own challenges.

    At first, it was just Lucius, Kiana and Gellor''s mercenary group that was on the road, but soon enough, they encountered two groups on the way to Aisse territory as well.

    Lucius took note of their attire and realized that they were mercenaries, but what surprised him was when one of the members in a group split up and rode towards them.

    Kiana immediately nced in Lucius'' direction, her hand tightening against her reins, but she chose to keep a calm smile on her face.

    It was clear that it was time for them to finally act like two people in mercenary groups, and it was going to be a challenge on how to hide their identities.

    "Hey, Gellor¡­ is that you?" a man called with a huge grin on his face.

    "Yes, it''s me, it''s been awhile since we''vest seen each other, haven''t we, Harold?" Gellor greeted the other mercenary.

    "You guys never take any more missions around the territory after all." The man clicked his tongue, then raised a hand, waving at the other mercenaries. "Finch, Albus, Barty and Ariana¡­ and neers. That''s a surprise, but how have you been, Gellor?"

    "Good. We''re doing good. Had a lot of good opportunities in Inanis, but things brought us back to Aisse again." Gellor carefully replied. He knew Harold, but was concerned that Lord Asher might be ufortable with the sudden influx of people.

    "Opportunities, you say? Did you join the war against that Viscount? Heard that one was a one-sided ughter, terrible thing, but hey, if you''re on the winning side, you''re on the winning side."

    "Well, we were preupied with another mission during that time and couldn''t participate." Gellor said. "But we did hear the news."

    "Must be something big if you were unable to join. Hmm¡­ maybe my team and I should drop by Inanis City some time soon and take missions there too if they''re that good, eh?"

    "We''re not too willing to share." Albus called out .

    "Ah, ah that''s mean." Harold chuckled. "How''s life been treating you, Albus? You still got your axe with you?"

    "Always. You up for a spar, or is Artur the one who wants a rematch?" Albus grinned and waved over to the other two mercenary groups that had paused from traveling and were waiting for them to approach.

    "Artur, not me. You''re too fast on your feet, but I wouldn''t mind sparring with say Ariana over here."

    "Hah. Come closer and you get the fangs." Ariana bared her teeth at Harold.

    "y nice, Ariana." Finch reminded. "It''s good to see you, Harold. How''s your family? How''s the wife?"

    Harold coughed. "Well, she''s always up on my ear, like always. Makes me realize that I should keep on taking missions and avoid her."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The mercenary named Harold didn''t pay much attention to Lucius and Kiana, much to the relief of thetter.

    Lucius was more than ready to engage, but it did make sense that someone who knew Gellor and his team were far more interested in catching up with them.

    However, once they reached the other mercenary group waiting for them, Lucius and Kiana were suddenly at the forefront of attention.

    "Ah, so you''re the ones that Henry has mentioned before." The mercenary leader from the second group greeted Gellor, then looked pointedly at Lucius and Kiana. "But we heard that there were five members in your team and not seven. Who might be these two people be?"

    "These are Lucius and Kristine." Gellor introduced. "They''re rather recent additions, and really just are temporary here for the mission we have for Aisse territory."

    "Oh, that''s nice. Your current mission to Aisse territory must be quite important if you''re bringing in two new people." The mercenary leader noted.

    "There''s always people looking for work." Gellor said.

    "And we''re more than happy to have some people join us. Maybe Harold and the others can join us for a new mission next time." Finch added, taking over with a careful smile.

    "Now I like the sound of that." Haroldughed. "So are you still with that noble in Inanis, Finch? How''s that working out for you?"

    Finch sighed, but then replied to Harold. She nced at Lord Asher''s way and hoped that was enough to put away the attention from them, but unfortunately, it didn''t quite work.

    "So are the two of you new to mercenary work?" the man nced at Kiana''s hands. "I must say, you guys really look like fresh blood and all that."

    "That''s¡­ quite a rude thing to say to someone you just met." Kiana narrowed her eyes at the man.

    "Just an observation, really. Better be less sensitive. There''s all sorts of people in our field of work." The mercenary leader smirked. "You wouldn''t know what to expect if you think everyone''s going to treat you like a flower, Miss."

    "Thank you. I''ll keep that in mind." Kiana finally decided to say. She preferred to keep the mercenary leader''s attention away from Asher, if possible.

    She knew that Asher''s makeup was good, but it was better to be wary, and the less attention on him, the better.

    "And what about you? Quiet one, aren''t you? Not too hasty on making friends?" another mercenary from the second group turned to Lucius.

    "The opposite of it really, but I''m selective of who I choose to interact with. It''s better to know who we''re dealing with, after all." Lucius replied and watched the mercenary leader''s group eyes narrow slightly.

    "I can''t help but feel the same as you are. I hope we get along then, Lucius." The other mercenary said.

    "Likewise."

    Lucius kept his expression calm, but it was quite clear to him that the second group were being rather strange.

 Chapter 338 Suspicion

    Instead of saying anything about the second group though, Lucius decided to keep his observations to himself for now and wait for a better time.

    At the moment, it was his and Kiana''s priority to stay undercover and so he kept himself attentive to how everyone interacted with each other.

    "Hello there! Nice to meet you, I believe we haven''t met?" Finch decided to interrupt the second group from speaking too much to Lord Asher and Kiana and introduced herself.

    "Oh, who might you be?" the second mercenary leader greeted Finch with a long and unsubtle gaze.

    "She''s Finch and I''m Ariana. We''re from Gellor''s team, we''ve been here a few years back." Ariana added and joined the conversation. "Not sure if you''ve heard of us."

    "Ah, yes, Harold did mention all of you. Quite apetent team. It''s a surprise that none of you have ever thought of expanding before, until now." The mercenary leader nced at Lucius and Kiana.

    "The reason why we''re such a good team is because we all know each other so well." Ariana said. "It takes a little bit more than just having arge number to make a teampetent after all. Knowing how each one of us works really helps."

    "Although we''re not entirely closed off to the idea of having some other mercenaries join us from time to time." Finch added in exnation. "New connections and rtionships are always wee."

    "d to hear that you''re not all too closed off to that." The second leader mercenary nodded. "I''m sure that these two newbies will learn a lot from you."

    Kiana tried not to bristle and kept a smile on her face, while Lucius inclined his head and chose not toment. They were free to believe whatever they wanted as long as it didn''t draw them any suspicion.

    "On the contrary, they''re actually quite good already." Finch said, ncing in Lord Asher''s way. She remembered his fighting skills and just couldn''t ept the fact that someone would try to say something like this about him.

    "Hah, then perhaps we''ll get to see how good they are." Another mercenary group member challenged. "What''s your gift?"

    "Come on now, don''t be rude and ask them what gift they have when we just first met them." The second mercenary leader lightly scolded his team member, but nced towards Lucius in a way that said they actually wanted to hear about it.

    "I have a fire gift. I can use it to throw fireballs." Lucius exined.

    "Oh, really? That''s useful. Fire''s always useful."

    "Indeed it is."

    ''How does Lord Asher have a fire gift? Does he have a secret artifact that''ll allow him to use fireballs? He''s probably lying¡­ but the others can''t know it.'' Finch silently thought the same thing as Ariana.

    "Anyway, it''s a surprise that you and Harold know each other. Are the two of you together on the same mission?" Finch said to change the subject.

    "Something like that. Isn''t that right, Harold?"

    "¡­ Oh, yes!" Harold called out.

    As Finch and Ariana talked with the second mercenary team, Gellor was the one mostly preupied with Harold and the rest of his team while Barty and Albus also did their best to converse with the others.

    Each member of Gellor''s team tried their best to draw attention to themselves as to keep them away from Lord Asher and Kiana.

    "So what really brings you guys along to Aisse territory if Inanis city has been giving you good opportunities?" Harold asked, temporarily pausing from his conversation with Gellor and nced at the team.

    "We have a mission to collect rune crystals around the Aisse territory." Lucius said.

    "Really?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, here''s the officialmission slip we''ve received." Lucius offered it up for everyone to see. "Since we knew that Gellor and his team were familiar with Aisse territory, we thought it was a good opportunity to team up and split the money."

    "Wow, that''s quite a nice sum. I''m jealous." Harold whistled. "You really weren''t lying about opportunities, Gellor."

    Documents and other rted information for their ''mission'' was something that Lucius had Kiana prepare beforehand so that they''d had something to show.

    It was quite official that even the second mercenary leader couldn''t say anything about it anymore and instead cleared his throat.

    "Since we''re all headed towards Aisse territory and we''ve all met now, how about we all travel together?"

    "We''ll get more time to catch up and share stories, Gellor. What do you say?" Harold asked.

    "Well¡­" Gellor took a deep sigh. If it had been any other time then he would have said yes, but he doubted that Lord Asher would like the fact that others were with them.

    It would increase the possibility that they might grow suspicious of Lord Asher and Kiana. Gellor needed to decline.

    "That sounds like a good idea, doesn''t it, Captain?" Lucius said.

    Gellor blinked and nced at Lord Asher in shock, but then nodded. "It does, we''d like to join the two of you."

    "Well that''s settled!" Haroldughed. "We''ve got quite a band here, don''t we?"

    "We sure do." The second mercenary leader said dryly.

    Gellor didn''t know what Lord Asher had in mind, but he trusted the man''s judgment and so they traveled with Harold''s team and the other mercenary group.

    Soon enough, they actually enter the Aisse territory as the sun went down.

    "Man, dark clouds finally rolling in." Albus whistled.

    "We haven''t seen rain for days. This might be a really strong one judging by the clouds." Barty said.

    "There''s a hillside over there. It''d be a perfect ce to weather against the storm." Harold called out to them.

    Lucius and the mercenary groups settled down at Harold''s suggestion and set up a proper camp. When evening finally came, the thunderstorm started and everyone was stuck inside their tents.

    "Man, we''re going to be here all night." Arianained.

    "It''s a chance to talk, so I don''t think it''s all that bad, eh, Gellor?" Harold chuckled.

    "Yes."

    As the groups engaged in conversation, Lucius took it as the perfect opportunity to observe the second mercenary team some more.

    ''Gellor doesn''t know them and there''s something that strikes them as suspicious.''

 Chapter 339 An Excuse For An Alibi

    "So, we never actually got the chance to get your name. We only know Harold and his people." Finch addressed the second mercenary team leader.

    "Well, we like to keep a little mystery." The second mercenary team leader chuckled. "Who knows what people might say if they realize who I am?"

    "Now, now, it''s not like everyone will know you from hearing your name." Harold grinned.

    "My name''s Carnus." The second mercenary leader narrowed his eyes at Harold, but true to what Harold said, Gellor and the other didn''t recognize him.

    "It''s finally good to have a name to the face." Albus said. "I''m Albus, in case anyone forgot about me."

    "Yes, a pleasure to meet you, Albus."

    There was a little tension in the air, but it was something that everyone tried to address by speaking with one another.

    "Oh, you guys should let Finch hold your food. She can warm them up real good." Ariana said. "I always make her heat my food up."

    "Please don''t make me a human food warmer, Ariana." Finch sighed.

    "Well, we have someone here who also knows how to use a fireball." Carnus said and nced in Lucius''s direction.

    "Ah, ah, making a fireball inside of a tent isn''t a good idea." Gellor shook his head.

    "Yes, I think I can warm up some drinks or meals for everyone. I can control the fire in my hands well." Finch said. "Here, let me do it for you, Carnus."

    Lucius didn''t even need to say a word because Gellor and his team were covering for him, which gave him the opportunity to observe from the sidelines.

    There were exactly six members on the second team of mercenaries. Carnus was the mercenary leader apanied by his five other members, Bram, Arne, Friedl, Weston and Calvert.

    None of them exactly seemed spectacr or different than say Gellor or Harold''s team, but Lucius didn''t allowed their appearances to deceive him.

    ''Let us see what you people have.'' Lucius thought to himself as he activated the Nexus and read everyone in Carnus'' team''s gifts.

    Out of all the six, it was Carnus and Weston that had Rare gifts while the other four had Umon gifts but were especially suitable forbat.

    In fact, there was a great synergy in Carnus''s team that was even greater than Gellor''s mercenary group if Lucius were to base it on gifts alone.

    Not to mention,pared to how Gellor''s and Harold''s mercenary groups interacted with each of their teammates, there was some professional distance between each of the members as if they had been assigned to the team by someone else''s choice and not out of their own personal preference.

    "So what''s the worst part of having each other as teammates? Barty here can snore up like he''s using his gift and drawing in all the air for some reason." Albus shook his head.

    "He moves and talks a lot in his sleep. Embarrassing stuff." Barty dryly said.

    "Hey! Nothing too private!" Albus protested with augh as he turned to Bram and Arne. "Don''t you sometimes just hate your teammates?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "We don''t really annoy each other at all." Bram shook his head and nced at Arne.

    "Yes, nor have I heard him snore. So we''re good." Arne replied with a shrug.

    "Oh, well, that''s good¡­" Albus scratched his head.

    Lucius knew that it might have appeared as if everything was merely coincidental, but that was an impossible matter with the information that he had in his head.

    ''These six are all members of Bergan''s Band. Not exactly in the inner circle, but they''re present and are even known by Biroy which is worth noting about.''

    With all of the information that Lucius had extracted from the assassin through the Soul Scry spell, he was finally able to confirm his suspicions.

    "Lucius, can you help me with something?" Kiana suddenly called out to him.

    "Of course." Lucius raised a brow but approached her as they separated from the group. He made sure that nobody followed them, but luckily most of them were too caught up in their own conversations.

    "How¡­ how are you faring?" Kiana asked quietly once they were out of earshot. "Was joining these other groups a really good idea? They''re asking rather too many questions, almost interrogative even."

    "Everything''s good from my side, the reason why I chose to apany them was for that same issue that you had and so I was able to verify that the team of Carnus are actually from Bergan''s Band." Lucius shared his discovery to her atst.

    Kiana''s eyes widened, but she calmed herself down and focused on Asher. "¡­ So is it really a good idea to keep following them then? You''ve discovered this already, so maybe it''s good to split up in the morning?"

    "Not entirely. Going along with them will work entirely in our favor as long as we keep their suspicion away from us." Lucius said.

    "Howe?" Kiana asked, slightly confused.

    At the moment, all Kiana could focus on about was the fact that Carnus and his team were too interrogative and even though she and Asher had rehearsed their stories and made documents as proof that they were mercenaries, it was almost a little stressful to keep up.

    Kiana had to be careful and was watchful of her words, something she hadn''t needed to do when she was in the Inanis household where mostly everyone listened to what she had to say.

    "I think you''re more than ready to discern what I have in mind." Lucius said and gave Kiana a chance to collect her thoughts.

    He wasn''t willing to give all his answers to a subordinate who was supposed to function as someone who''d inform him of any ws in his ns or designs.

    Kiana frowned slightly but then thought about the situation some more.

    ''The reason why we''re here is to get revenge on the Bergan''s Band for them trying to take Asher''s life. Now that we''re with some members of their group, it means that¡­''

    "Oh." Kiana realized what Asher had in his thoughts and slowly nodded. "That makes perfect sense."

    Lucius intended to use the people of Bergan''s Band as their alibi.

 Chapter 340 Parting From The Mercenaries

    Lucius and Kiana soon rejoined the others at their small circle. Everyone was enjoying a warm meal courtesy of Finch and it put everyone in a rtively good mood.

    "Oh, where did the two of you go?" Carnus asked. "Whispering to each other in the corner of the tent?"

    "We were discussing some matters regarding our uing mission and checking on our supplies." Lucius replied evenly. "I hope that isn''t any issue?"

    "No. Not at all."

    Carnus pursed his lips but couldn''t say anything else. There was something about the way that Lucius carried himself that prevented the normally interrogative mercenary captain to pry any further.

    It was a feeling that Carnus didn''t like.

    "Have you guys eaten already?" Ariana called out to Lucius and Kiana with a smile. She was nervous on how to treat Lord Asher, but did her best to y the role of someone who worked with them as part of a team.

    "No, in fact, we haven''t yet." Kiana replied and joined Ariana, making space for Lucius to join her. "What do we have, Ariana?"

    "Well, Finch heated some of this really nice broth." Ariana said and offered both Lucius and Kiana their own canisters.

    "Perfect for the cold and stormy weather." Albus added.

    "Mmm¡­ it does smell heavenly, what is it?" Harold asked. "Can I have some, Finch?"

    "It''s uh, just bone broth." Finch replied with a measured smile. "Nothing special. Ariana and Albus are just praising it too much."

    "Is that a no?" Harold said, disappointed.

    "There''s not much left unfortunately." Gellor said.

    Lucius sipped some of the broth he received and quickly identified that it was from the Alpha Long w Wolf''s bones. Since they spent enough days waiting for the Plow Worm to transform, it had been enough time to make broth from its bones.

    ''Of course, if these mercenaries were to figure out that it came from wolf bones, they''d start to ask on how we encountered wolves along the path to Aisse territory. One can easily make an excuse, but it''s better to withhold information if possible.'' Lucius thought, satisfied with the oue of the conversation.

    The rest of the night was spent in conversation as they waited for the storm to disappear. The next day soon arrived and the thunderstorm reached its end.

    Lucius and everyone in the mercenary groups went out to check the weather and found themselves cold.

    "Brr¡­ it''s rather chilly, isn''t it?" Albus rubbed his arms as he looked around their environment. "Barty, you want to give me a hug?"

    "No." Barty tly said.

    "We should start a fire so we can finally have a hot meal." Gellor decided too, much of the agreement of everyone in the group.

    "I''ll take care of the fire then." Finch said, but then paused when Lord Asher tapped her shoulder and smiled at her.

    "Well, if you''ll allow me to use my gift now, I''d like to help." Lucius said. He took it as a decisive moment to make his mark as the group gathered together materials for multiple fireces.

    Finch blinked feeling startled, but then nodded.

    "O-okay."

    "Good." Lucius took a step back and then cast his Fireball spell. It sent a small fireball for one bonfire and then doing the same for several others.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Carnus, and the others on his mercenary team watched Lucius create the warming bonfires for everyone and verified that it was truly his gift.

    "Thank you for the fire, Lucius. You really do have a fire gift." Carnus said and pped Lucius on his back.

    Lucius smiled inly and nced at the mercenary captain. "Indeed, I do. Please enjoy the fire."

    There was a look of dissatisfaction momentarily on Carnus''s face, but everyone soon settled down by the bonfires and cooked themselves a meal.

    "So, where are you guys heading after this? You guys are out to get rune crystals, right?" Harold asked Gellor as they all ate their hearty breakfasts.

    "Yeah, so I don''t think we''ll be able to join you guys to where you''re headed." Gellor said.

    "That''s fine. Maybe once you''re done with your mission, you guys can drop by to Cuss city and we can share a drink or two." Harold grinned. "Doesn''t that sound nice?"

    "Sure, if we find the time." Gellor said.

    "Don''t go all avoiding me, you''ll hurt my feelings." Harold chuckled.

    Once everyone was done with their meals, they all prepare to leave and soon enough it was time for them to head their separate ways.

    "You guys are always wee to join us once you''re done with the rune crystal mission. Don''t be a stranger, right Carnus?" Harold nced at the man atop his horse.

    "Of course, don''t be a stranger. Everyone''s wee to visit Cuss city." Carnus said.

    "Isn''t that the second biggest city in Aisse territory?" Kiana mused.

    "It is." Carnus said as he nced at both Kiana and Lucius with a smirk. "It''s also where the Bergan''s Band is based, but don''t let that intimidate you, Miss."

    "It won''t." Kiana said with a tight smile.

    "It''s good to have the spirit. Well, we''ll see you guys around. Gellor, and everyone."

    "We hope to see you guys again." Gellor said.

    Carnus and his men rode off and were quickly followed by Harold and his own team.

    The moment that they take off, Lucius nced down underneath the ground.

    There were exactly two Bore Shrews that he made them stay with him while the Plow Worm and the other Bore Shrews moved forward.

    ''Go and follow the Bergan''s band mercenaries.'' Lucius sent the instructions to the hidden Bore Shrews, who then quickly followed his orders and burrowed after them.

    "Shall we get going now?" Lucius called out to Gellor once the others went on their way.

    "Yes, Lord Asher." Gellor bowed. "Where shall we head next?"

    "We''ll be going along this path." Lucius motioned to the eastern path, the opposite of Harold and Carnus who took the western one. They didn''t need to follow the Bergan''s Band members directly, but they will eventually meet soon enough.

 Chapter 341 Approaching Cutlass City

    Lucius and Gellor''s team headed down towards the eastern path.

    It was a ce that Lucius checked beforehand on the map and it was something he considered being the best route to Bergan''s Band base as to not draw any attention.

    He hadn''t really expected that he''d meet with a teaming from Bergan''s band, but there was an additional benefit to it.

    ''Hmm, so that''s the pace that they''re going. Based on our current route, their team will probably reach Cuss city before we arrive there.'' Lucius thought.

    Every now and then, the Bore Shrew sent him updates on how Gellor''s mercenary friends and the secret members of the Bergan''s Band.

    Meanwhile, Lucius and Kiana mostly stayed in the back as the others talked about the groups that they encountered.

    "Man, Harold always gets on my nerves." Ariana said. "Don''t mean anything rude to you, since he''s your friend, Gellor¡­"

    "I never said we were friends." Gellor said.

    "Hah! He''d be quite sad to hear that." Albus shook his head. "I mean he''s not too bad, Ariana."

    "You''re not the one who''s experiencing him ogle at you out in the open." Ariana grumbled.

    "It''s even worse when you know that he has a wife." Finch rolled her eyes. "You have to remind him about it. A bad marriage doesn''t mean you get to pretend that you''re free. I don''t know how his teammates deal with him."

    "What he does isn''t really anyone''s business as long as he gets the work done." Barty said. "What people do in their private time is up to them."

    "Fine. As long as he doesn''t try to put an arm around me. I''ll let it slide." Ariana said. "Or else he''ll get the fangs."

    "Or the fire." Finch said.

    "If we''re really talking about problematic people, Carnus and his folks are kinda weird. It''s like they''re not actually a team for some reason. They all act formal with one another." Albus said. "Isn''t that right, Barty? They''re weirder than even him."

    "There''s a kind of distance between each other. Though we can''t really expect all of the mercenary groups to be like us." Barty said.

    "Well, it''s way more effective to be close to one another. I think that''s how things are. But yeah, they do seem to be weird. Even weirder than Harold for some reason, but I guess it''s expected that he''d get in touch with other people like that." Ariana said.

    "They were interrogative too. I''m not sure why they were being too focused on Lord Asher too. People join mercenary groups from time to time." Finch said with a frown. "We apologize that we haven''t been able to draw their attention too much. They were strangely persistent."

    "Do not worry about it. You and everyone had done as much as they could." Lucius replied. "You have my gratitude."

    "We¡­ we actually didn''t know that you had a Fire Gift, Lord Asher. Or was that an artifact that we didn''t see? Do you have something like gloves that shoot out fireballs?" Albus asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Lord Asher wasn''t wearing any gloves." Barty coughed. "And I haven''t actually seen gloves that were artifacts before."

    "You can make almost anything into an artifact. I think Lord Asher knows about it more than we do though." Finch said.

    It was clear to Lucius that everyone was interested in how he was able to perform the fireball spell without trying to expose him at that point he did it.

    Whether he''d tell them the truth was another thing entirely, though.

    "Lord Asher here has his own methods." Kiana interrupted with a careful look at Gellor and the others.

    "That''s why Lord Asher is quite incredible really." Gellor said.

    Lucius finally remembered that Kiana hadn''t seen him perform that spell before, but fortunately for him, Kiana believed that his gift was extraordinary and unlike anything before, so there was a fair chance that she''d just ept it as it was.

    "But ah, we''re going to be quite a bitte to get to Cuss city, aren''t we? I feel like the others we''ll get there first based on the pace that we''re going on." Albus said, finally deciding to change the subject.

    It was clear to them that they wouldn''t get answers about Lord Asher''s fireball, but they were mostly happy as long as they were on the young lord''s good side.

    "Well, it''s not us who will be engaging with them. I don''t think Harold is involved with the Bergan''s Band, he likes being an independent mercenary group." Gellor said.

    "But things might have changed. We don''t know since we haven''t seen him in a few years." Finch said with a frown.

    "Let''s hope not, but if he is, then he''s made his decision." Gellor seriously said.

    It was clear to them that the Bergan''s Band had earned the ire of Lord Asher due to the attempted assassination, and though they didn''t know the extent of Lord Asher''s ns against the Bergan''s Band, they knew that the mercenarypany was going to pay for things.

    ''Bergan''s Band is extremely strong because of how many Epic Rank gift users they have, but with Lord Asher''s ability to upgrade gifts, there''s no doubt that he''ll be able to match them in time.'' Finch silently thought.

    ''The Masked Legion was frightening, ording to the ones who told me about it. Who knows what will happen after we get ourselves elevated to Epic Rank too? Bergan''s Band will be facing a particr challenge in the near future¡­ but there''s a chance that something might also happen now. We wouldn''te here for nothing, and it''s got to do with the Plow Worm.'' Gellor thought. He put all the facts that he gathered from observing and made the conclusion for himself.

    Soon enough, Lucius and everyone passed through some hills, and it was at this point that the Bore Shrew that tailed the Bergan''s Band updated him on their whereabouts.

    ''Ah, they''ve finally arrived in Cuss city.'' Lucius realized.

    It would take a bit more time, but soon enough, Cuss city was visible in the distance.

 Chapter 342 Cutlass City

    "Oh, you can see Cuss city all the way from here. If you squint your eyes, that is." Albus said as he ced a hand over his eyes.

    "You don''t have the Eagle Sight gift, Albus. Quit kidding around." Ariana chuckled but checked out the distance too.

    "He''s actually right. You just need to sit up straighter or tiptoe on your horse''s saddle, Ariana." Barty said. "If you want, I could Air Vortex you up so you can see it."

    "No thanks! I''m all good from here."

    Everyone in Gellor''s mercenary team nced from afar and saw Cuss city visible in the distance. After traveling from the eastern path, they were happy to see the city after longst.

    Lucius on the other hand, took out June''s telescope and used it to view the city in a much closer perspective, and was satisfied to see that they were indeed nearer.

    There was a long river that passed through the city, and with the way it was shaped alongside the presence of a bridge that passed through it, made the name Cuss very fitting.

    "Well,pared to Harold and the others, we won''t be able to reach there tonight unless we rush." Gellormented before he turned to Lord Asher. "Should we move faster to catch up to them, Lord Asher?"

    "No need to rush and overexert the horses. We''ll get there in our own time. It''s far more likely that they''re already there and we''re not going to be meeting them right away." Lucius informed Gellor.

    "Then we''ll continue at our current pace, Lord Asher." Gellor said.

    Lucius and the team spend the next several hours making their way to Cuss city until early evening fell, and they reached a mountain much closer than the hills that they had traveled to.

    "We''ll allow the horses to rest for some time while we set up a camp, Lord Asher. But after this, it''s actually quite easy to head to Cuss city now if you wish." Gellor informed them as they went down their horses.

    "That sounds like a good idea. I''m interested in touring the city myself and collecting information about the Bergan''s Band." Lucius said.

    "Then we''ll finish setting up the camp as fast as we can, Lord Asher." Gellor bowed his head and then assisted the rest of his team with setting up the camp.

    Even though Gellor was technically the leader of the group, he did not shy away from assisting his teammates with their task.

    ? Lucius could have called him a good leader in a particr sense, as he was able to build a close rapport with his teammates, but if he were to base it on the Great Barrom n''s standards, then Gellor was missing a rather importantponent.

    ''There are those who operate via maniption of their subordinations, but for the most part, the Great Barrom n has preferred to operate under the idea that to be feared is to be far more useful than being loved.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "Is there anything I can do to help, Asher?" Kiana approached Asher and asked. She could have helped and assist with setting up the camp, but Gellor did not personally reach out to her to ask for her help.

    It was clear that there was a division of ranks between them, and Kiana was not necessarily under him just because she was a maid from the Inanis household.<novelnext></novelnext>

    On the contrary, she was of higher rank than him, and Gellor knew that.

    "We''ll be collecting information on the Bergan''s Band soon enough. So all I need is for you to assist me during that point and perhaps to stay around the perimeter. It''s unlikely that we''ll have people who''ll attack me under this disguise, but it''s better to be prepared than sorry." Lucius said.

    "Of course, Asher. I''ll protect you." Kiana nodded firmly.

    "Thank you. That''ll be all." Lucius said.

    Even though Lucius could protect himself with the fireball spell and had the Wind Scar sword on him, he wished to not draw any attention on his sword lest other people figured out that it was an expensive artifact.

    The fact that it came from the King of Grantz Kingdom was not any problem at all since he doubted that anyone would recognize it, but he doubted that most mercenaries were able to afford an artifact of its worth.

    Gellor and his team were only able to borrow a good artifact from Master Cambrian on the ount of Finch being his mistress and nothing more.

    That was also why Lucius didn''t choose to sparst night when there were some friendly challenges from Harold and Carnus'' team.

    ''But speaking about this secret Bergan''s Band mercenary team. They should have already arrived at their base even if there had been other errands.'' Lucius thought before checking the link he had with his Lost Rune Beast.

    The Lost Bore Shrew sessfully followed them to their headquarters and it rose above the ground slightly to peek at its surroundings.

    The Bergan''s Band base was located openly in Cuss city and was one of the biggest buildings in the entire ce, and that wasn''t all of it.

    There were several buildings adjoined to it, also ofrge sizes and seemed to serve as the housing quarters as well as the storage buildings.

    Satisfied with the confirmation that the Lost Bore Shrew reached its destination, Lucius turned to Gellor and his mercenary team to check on their status.

    "We''re finished with setting up the camp, Lord Asher. Shall we head down to Cuss city?"

    "We shall." Lucius nodded and soon enough, they were on their way to the city. "Have any of you checked the Bergan''s Band base prior to this?"

    "We have, Lord Asher. It''s of an incredible size." Gellor said. "They call the main building as the Bergan''s Hall."

    "It''s not that often that a mercenary group would reach the size and wealth that they''d be able to afford to have their own headquarters, so a lot of mercenaries actually visit it from time to time." Finch added.

 Chapter 343 Investigating The Band

    "Hmm, it''s less that they''re a mercenary group at this point as opposed to them being a private army kept by Bergan." Lucius noted.

    Gellor and everyone in the team exchanged looks, and Barty nearly stumbled off his horse.

    "Yes, I think you could say that, Lord Asher." Gellor coughed and nodded. "You''re quite urate to say that, don''t you agree, Finch?"

    "Very much so. Although not many would like to say it as straightforwardly unless in privatepany." Finch added with a sheepish smile.

    It was something that not many mercenaries wanted toment out in the open, in fear of any negative reaction if they were to be heard by any Bergan''s Band mercenary.

    Lucius however, didn''t have any issues with it as they were still on their way to Cuss city. He used his telescope artifact again and checked the area of the Bergan''s Band in the city and took note of how it differed from other sections of the city.

    "It''s also fair to say that their control is firm over Cuss city." Lucius said.

    "I think the Earl of Aisse really does not wish to interfere on this matter, Asher." Kianamented. "As you said, they''re basically an army at this point. Even a noble''s private soldiers wouldn''t be enough if they were to raise an issue."

    "It''s far more likely that the Earl cates the Bergan''s Band." Lucius added.

    He knew that there were ck Rose Knights that were sent to check in with the Earl demanding for answers, but he doubted that there''d be much sess on their part if the Bergan''s Band control extended even beyond Cuss city.

    It didn''t take too long for them to reach the gates of Cuss city atst. The moment that they arrive, they were made to dere their identities at once and their purpose for visiting.

    "This is my mercenary group and we came all the way here for a Rune Crystal gathering mission." Gellor replied to the guards stationed at the gates.

    ''One can only wonder if this is from the Earl of Aisse, or even if they are, no doubt that the Bergan''s Band ensures that all information is delivered to them.'' Lucius thought as Gellor dealt with their ess to the city.

    "We have our officialmission slip here." Gellor said and showed the document that Lucius prepared beforehand. "We''re not nning to take any more missions, but we''d like to have a ce for tonight. That''s all."

    Once the guards at the entrance of Cuss city were satisfied, Lucius and everyone were granted ess into the city.

    "It''s been a while since we''ve been here and it feels like they''re getting stricter and stricter for some reason. Doesn''t really feel weing does it, Barty?" Albus sighed as they took their horses to a stable.

    "There''s not much we can do." Barty said. "I wonder if Harold''s and Carnus''s teams encountered the same checking as we did."

    "Highly unlikely, they''ve worked around in the area, so they''re most likely well known already." Gellor said as they all gathered outside of the stable for Lord Asher''s next orders.

    "Do we stay with you for the entire duration of the night, Lucius?" Finch approached Lord Asher. "We''re still familiar with the locations here, so we can help show you around the ce."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "It won''t actually be that much of a big issue to go together as a group since we''re all mercenaries too. Although there''re moments where we all split up to attend to one another''s private affairs and business." Barty added helpfully.

    "For now, it''s best to stay together, as it''ll be easier for me to navigate. We''ll be collecting information about Bergan''s Band, and the reception might be difficult depending on how much influence they have." Lucius gave them the orders and Gellor''s team quicklyplied.

    They soon made their way around the city, showing various spots and locations to Lord Asher in case if it was of any help to him.

    Along the way, they''d make conversation with the local people of the city, and to Lucius''s mild surprise, they were quite open in regard to Bergan''s Band.

    ''Hmmm¡­ it''s likely that they benefit from the presence of Bergan''s Band power in the city. Instead of fearing them, they''re actually treated more akin to local heroes to some degree, a sense of pride knowing that the city they live in is host to a group of powerful people.'' Lucius thought as he interacted.

    "Oh! So you''re a mercenary group as well?" one of the men they interviewed looked at Gellor and everyone. "Why, the lot of you actually seem pretty good. Are you guys here to apply for Bergan''s Band? It''s a good time as any other."

    "And why is that?" Lucius asked.

    "Bergan''s Band has been recruiting strong candidates and filling up their ranks. We see a lot of mercenary groups visit Bergan Hall and then join up if they pass the requirements." The man replied.

    "It''s not like everyone gets in, those poor disappointed souls." A woman chimed in. "Don''t get discouraged if you don''t pass. It takes great gifts to be part of Bergan''s Band."

    "Not everyone is Epic rank, of course. Those are quite rare gifts¡­ so if you have the experience, there''s still a chance that you''ll get in. Maybe someone can rmend you guys if you already know someone inside."

    "And why are they recruiting these many people. They''re already quite huge, more people means that they''ll have to share their resources more." Kianamented. "It doesn''t really make sense to add more since they''re already quite strong at their current state."

    "Not just strong, Miss. They''re unbeatable¡­ but yeah, I think they''re nning to do an expansion? It wouldn''t be a surprise if they open bases in other cities in Aisse."

    "Oh."

    "I guess that''s the only way to go after you''ve reached their level of sess. Expand some more and consolidate your power. The lesspetition, the better."

    "Makes sense."

    The information from the people in Cuss city allowed Lucius to realize several things about the current situation of Bergan''s Band.

    While Gellor and the rest of his team were preupied with the local people of the city, Lucius pulled Kiana aside to discuss their findings.

 Chapter 344 Hitting Where It Hurts The Most

    "What do you think of everything we''ve heard so far, Kiana?" Lucius asked. He and Kiana had separated from Gellor and his group to talk in an empty alleyway.

    "They mentioned that Bergan''s Band is nning an expansion. One can perhaps guess that maybe Harold''s team was being recruited by Carnus¡­ but if they want to expand that much, it isn''t just feasible to recruit and recruit." Kiana frowned.

    "Precisely. If they''re nning an expansion, then the one thing that they''re in dire need of would be the funds to facilitate the expansion." Lucius nodded.

    Kiana blinked and then spoke in a hushed voice.

    "Do you think that is the reason why they''ve agreed to work for Viscount Drew before? They were the ones behind the fake bandit group and the strong people in Viscount Drew''s army back then should havee from them."

    "That''s highly likely what happened." Lucius nodded. "Of course, it isn''t only Bergan''s Band that was involved, the Arkaves mercenary group also spied on father and then attempted to spy on the army afterwards."

    "Are we going to go after this Arkaves mercenary group as well, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    Lucius nodded. "Everyone involved will get their due judgment, but for now, we are to concentrate on the main perpetrator. The Bergan''s Band downfall is our priority and with the new amount of information we''ve gained, I know where to strike them, where it would hurt them the most."

    "How are you going to do that, Asher?" Kiana asked. "There are indispensable members in Bergan''s Band, but from what I can see, a lot of their members can be easily reced. It''ll hurt their strength if you target them and reduce their numbers, but their ranks can still be filled as long as the main head of Bergan''s Band remains."

    It was safe to say that Kiana had an idea of what was about to happen. She understood what Asher had done to the Plow Worm so she could safely imagine of what was about toe.

    "The Bergan''s Band has storage buildings as well." Lucius said. "They''ll naturally pay with their lives, but it is also a great chance to hinder their progress for expansion by crippling them of their resources."

    "Oh, of course. That''ll make it harder for them to rebuild." Kiana realized and smiled. She was once again in awe of how Asher calcted each move of his.

    Asher had told Countess Lita and Count Gabriel beforehand that it was impossible to have a frontal assault on the Bergan''s Band and Kiana knew that was true, so it was this method that would allow them to make them pay for what they''ve attempted to do.

    ''These people tried to y with Asher''s life, so, of course, they''ll pay for their mistake. Everyone one of them will bear the burden of their choices.'' Kiana thought to herself, justified by what was about toe.

    "Alright, we''ll have Gellor and his team split up with us to gather information. Before we strike, we need other, more valuable information about how the Bergan''s Band is currently operating." Lucius said.

    When they stepped out of the alleyway, Gellor and his group were waiting for them.

    "Lord Asher." Gellor privately greeted him.

    "I''d like all of you to gather as much information as possible about the current standing of Bergan''s Band." Lucius instructed. "We''ll all go our own separate ways to do this as covertly as possible and then reunite the next day to share what you''ve gathered."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Will do, Lord Asher. We will return to this very spot or search for where you are to give you the updates on Bergan''s Band." Gellor inclined his head and turned to his team.

    They didn''t need any further instruction as they had heard the orders from Lord Asher himself and soon they went on their way.

    Once they were gone, Kiana cleared her throat.

    "Asher, since we''ve aplished all that we can do today, is it not a good time to take some rest until Gellor and his team return? You are much in need of rest."

    Lucius paused for a moment and considered her words. He did in fact been quite active for the past days since they''ve traveled to Aisse territory and dealt with obtaining the Plow Worm.

    "Very well."

    Overjoyed with such news, Kiana quickly searched for a suitable inn for her and Asher. She knew that they were undercover so they shouldn''t stay in an expensive one, but she also wanted to make sure that they''d get enough rest.

    ''Asher needs as much energy as possible. We don''t know what''ll happen when the Plow Wormes in and how Bergan''s Band reaction might be when it happens.'' Kiana thought.

    Lucius allowed Kiana to facilitate most of the necessary tasks and, soon enough, they both got their own rooms and retired for the night.

    At least, that was the presumption that Kiana believed.

    Contrary to her desires, Lucius was back in his meditative state to check on the various Gates that he had for all of his Lost and checked for the main actor of their uing attack.

    The Plow Worm was not currently in Cuss City and was instead located on the hill that Lucius and everyone previously upied during the thunderstorm.

    It was possible for the Plow Worm to move a lot quicker and arrive in Cuss City before them, but Lucius wanted to make sure that it remained undetected.

    There was no doubt people with gifts that could probably detect the presence of rune beasts in a certain vicinity, and so the Plow Worm needed to be hidden.

    The Plow Worm was in a dormant state by the hill, but it was ready to move upon Lucius''smands.

    ''Alright, it''s currently resting but even at this distance, I can still send it orders and have it respond at a moment''s notice.'' Lucius thought with satisfaction.

    When the next day finally came, Lucius and Kiana reunited with Gellor and his mercenary group. It was time for them to share what they''ve discovered about the Bergan''s Band.

 Chapter 345 Preparing To Strike

    "Good day, Lord Asher." Gellor and his team greeted Lucius discreetly when they all met again. "We have the news that you''re looking for."

    "Excellent. Let''s discuss it in a more private area then." Lucius said.

    The city of Cuss was brimmed with a lot of its local people busy with their daily lives and even though they were far from the actual headquarters of Bergan''s Band, it was unknown who could have been possible eyes and ears for them.

    ''I''m not quite sure if there is a good equivalent of a gift or artifact here in this world, but there are various spells that allow individuals to make their conversation undetectable to others. I should look into one when I''m given the opportunity to do so. Although, I''d take a far more useful spell if I had to choose between things.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana did not have the opportunity to find a ce simr to the basement of the Blind Crow''s tavern, but with enough money in one''s pocket, it was easy to get ess to a room that promised privacy.

    "Alright, inform me of what all of you''ve gathered." Lucius ordered once they''ve settled down in the room.

    "We''ve managed to discover that Bergan is currently out of the city, Lord Asher." Gellor informed him.

    "Oh, who is left in charge?" Lucius asked.

    "That would be Eric, his second inmand." Finch replied and sat up straighter. There was a smile on her face. "And it''s not only Bergan who''s currently gone, Lord Asher. He naturally took a number of his people with him."

    "Half of the strong members of the band are with Bergan at the moment, and that leaves this ce at half of its usual strength, Lord Asher." Barty finished.

    "Hmmm¡­ did any of you figure out where Bergan is currently at?" Lucius asked. "There must be a certain reason as to why he took half of his men."

    "Unfortunately, we weren''t able to discover the reason for that." Gellor shook his head. "But we do know that they''re located far away and cannote back so quickly. Perhaps they are preupied with the expansion elsewhere or are dealing with a difficult mission."

    "I see. Well, no matter where they are, the situation is still the same." Lucius said, satisfied with the information he received. "This is the best opportunity to act and I can finally go through with a n."

    "What shall we do next, Lord Asher?" Gellor asked. This was something that he and everyone in his team were quite curious about.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even with the half capacity of Bergan''s Band, Gellor and his team were incapable of going toe to toe with them and if it was something that had to do with subterfuge and spying, they were at ack of skills.

    "For now, I need all of you to be prepared to run at anytime. I do not know where all of you stayed inst night, but for this uing evening you must all go to the border of the city and stay hidden in some of the inns there, ready to leave at a moment''s notice." Lucius said.

    "Understood." Gellor said alongside his team.

    "Very well. All of you are dismissed for now." Lucius said as Kiana opened the door for them to leave.

    ''It seems like Lord Asher has a n that does not involve anybody in my team. How does he n to take care of the Bergan''s band on his own? I''m not sure, but I believe that he surely has his own way of getting to them and he just doesn''t want us to impede on things.'' Gellor thought as he stepped out of the door.

    ''What''s going to happen? Lord Asher hasn''t mentioned anything, but if we need to be ready to leave at any time, then something quite huge will ur. I hope nothing dangerous happens to Lord Asher while all of us are gone. I know that he can protect himself¡­ so there''s no reason to worry that much.'' Finch considered Lord Asher''s words as she left.

    ''Running. Lord Asher said that we need to be prepared to run at a moment''s notice. Does that mean that there''s a likely chance that we will be found out and would need to escape?'' Barty pondered with a frown. ''I don''t think that''s the case. Lord Asher is a careful young man, but it does make feel a little uneasy.''

    ''In case we have to escape, we need to be able to get past the gates. Should be easy enough with Barty''s Air Vortex if things get dire.'' Ariana thought. ''Would Lord Asher being by that point or would we need to go find him? He didn''t say anything else, so we''re just sitting dummies. I hope everything goes well, so this bes all unnecessary.''

    ''Phew, I thought we were going to get asked to do something crazy like infiltrate the Bergan''s Band base ourselves, but Lord Asher has another method. I don''t know what it is, but I guess we''re not supposed to think about it too much. Although it doesn''t really seem fair that we''ll just be resting at inns while Lord Asher does his n, but if that''s what he wants, then we just need to follow his directive.'' Albus thought feeling relieved.

    Each member of Gellor''s team was quite curious but knew better than to pry into Lord Asher''s business. They had been hired to escort him and do what he asked, nothing more and nothing less.

    With that thought in mind, they departed and did as they were instructed to.

    "What''s your n, Asher?" Kiana asked, wanting to be sure. "Is the Plow Worm going to strike the Bergan''s Band atst?"

    "No." Lucius shook his head. "It would be easy to do just that and cause massive destruction and chaos all at once, but as we''ve discussed before, we will make them suffer and give them a headache. If they are in dire need of funds, well, I''ll be sending bore shrews to their storage areas tonight."

 Chapter 346 Sneaking Out Wealth

    During that night, the Bore Shrews made their way to the Bergan''s Band buildings. With the direction given by Lucius, they made their way to the storage vaults while traveling underground.

    The vaults were naturally encased in a particr type of stone, a material to prevent anyone from essing it and it was very sturdy.

    However, the Lost Bore Shrews dug hard and cracked the stone, breaking into the vaults. All of them only entered through one small passage to ensure that it was unnoticeable.

    Although as it was the Bergan''s Band vault, no one was around at the particr time.

    The Bergan''s Band vaults were filled to the brim with a variety of wealth to steal, there were a lot of coins, gems but most importantly there were rune crystals.

    Given orders to steal the most valuable items, the Lost Bore Shrews quickly set to work and brought the items through the holes for the next several hours while the unsuspecting members of Bergan''s Band loitered in their buildings without even a single clue of what were happening to their most valuable possessions.

    Meanwhile, Lucius and Kiana stayed inside of their inn and waited for the Lost Bore Shrews to return.

    Kiana was at the edge of her seat, practically gripping the table in front of her in both anticipation and worry. She had confidence in Asher''s brilliance, but she was also worried about what was going to happen when the Bore Shrews made their way to the Bergan''s Band''s vaults.

    ''What if someone detects the creatures while they''re in there? Of course, it''s easy to pretend that it''s nothing more but an infestation of Bore Shrews, we''ve had to deal with them while building the Dionysia Brewery so they''ll most likely be considered as pests if discovered and won''t actually be connected to Lord Asher at all.'' Kiana thought and bit at her lip.

    "What is it, Kiana?" Lucius noticed the uneasy look on her face and it slightly amused. Compared to the woman, he was seated in his own chair rxed and lounging¡ªhe knew how the Lost Bore Shrews were doing so he had nothing to worry about.

    In case of any unexpected changes during the stealing in the storage vault, Lucius could easily send new orders and give them directives.

    While Gellor and his team were unable to discover what the routine and schedule of the Bergan''s Band was when it came to guarding their headquarters, Lucius highly doubted that they''d have someone stationed inside of the vault itself.

    "What if someone stumbles into the Bore Shrews?" Kiana asked.

    "What if¡­ what if." Lucius pondered on her question. "The risk of that happening is highly unlikely. There''s no doubt that there will be guards stationed at the vault but no one will be inside itself. And with how thick vaults are, they will be unable to hear the Bore Shrews entering the vault and will be none the wiser."

    "Yes, that is true¡­" Kiana said, slightly calming down.

    "But on the asion that someone happened to stumble into the vault while the Bore Shrews were working, well¡ªthe first order is to hide themselves and stay undetected, the second order is to pretend to be pests that somehow managed to make their way in through weakened stone¡­ but there is also the option of eliminating the person." Lucius said.

    "But wouldn''t that pose a threat? People will realize if one of them went missing for too long." Kiana said.

    "Yes, that''s why it''s ast case scenario." Lucius exined but then chuckled. "The chances of these things happening are zero, Kiana."

    "And why is that, Asher?" Kiana asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Because they''ve returned atst." Lucius announced as he nced down into the wooden floor of their rented room.

    Lucius had made it a point to stay in one of the inn''s rooms that were on the first floor and the reason for that was to allow the Lost Bore Shrews an opportunity to make their way back to him.

    They dug through the wooden board and popped up, a Lost Bore Shrew had a Rune Crystal in its mouth.

    Lucius plucked it up and admired the crystal in his hand and knew that there were more toe.

    "This is amon Rune Crystal, hmm, it seems like Bergan''s Band isn''t as wealthy as I thought if they only have a majority ofmon ranked Rune Crystals, but either way, there is more toe." Luciusmented as he ced one in his pocket. "And it will be a headache for them all the same."

    Kiana watched a multitude of rune crystals and gems pushed out of the opening in the ground quickly followed by the Lost Bore Shrews themselves.

    There was a sudden overflow of wealth in the floorboards of the inn while the Bergan''s Band members all remained unaware of this.

    The sight of the treasures in front of her and the thought of theck of knowledge of the Bergan''s Band losing a great amount of their wealth via Bore Shrews made Kianaugh for a moment.

    Kiana''s shoulders shook and she shook her head in disbelief. She was overjoyed and the distraught that she had vanished all away as she nced in Asher''s direction.

    "You did it, Asher! And they don''t know a single thing!" Kiana bursted.

    "Hush now, Kiana." Lucius said. "We must remain silent and avoid as much attention, shouldn''t we?"

    "Oh, of course. My apologies." Kiana cleared her throat and straightened up. "Will I be storing these away now, Asher?"

    "I''ve onlye to show you, but the Bore Shrews will be the ones in charge of storing these treasures. The Bergan''s Band will definitely search for their treasure and so we must not have anything on our person." Lucius exined.

    "Of course." Kiana nodded fervently.

    Kiana already had the Mark of Loyalty on her person, Lucius had ensured all of this beforehand, but even now, Kiana continued to find herself falling deeper into her faith and trust in Lord Asher.

    ''This fealty and zealousness, even the Tharian Theocracy would find it at an incredible level.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "I can''t wait for when the Bergan''s Band realizes what they''re missing, Asher."

 Chapter 347 Panic At Cutlass

    When the next day finally came, the members of Gellor''s mercenary group found themselves enjoying what they presumed was going to be a peaceful morning.

    "Mmmm¡­ it''s always nice to have a drink when you first wake up in the morning. It really gets my blood pumping." Ariana held a tankard in her hand and took a long sip of her alcohol.

    "I suppose." Finch said, nursing a drink and a headache at the same time. "I''m surprised that you were able to sleep well after what happened. I could barely fall asleep while worried sick if we needed to leave in the middle of the night, but nothing happened. So I stayed up not getting a single wink."

    "We were asked to stay in inns and be prepared to leave just in case. The wording was very clear that there was only a chance, and well, don''t you have faith in Lord Asher?" Ariana whispered underneath her breath. "I''ve had my frets too, but worrying won''t do you anything. You should know that. Frown too much and you''re going to get wrinkles¡ªSir Cambrian''s not going to like that."

    "Then I''ll make him pay for my beauty products." Finch rolled her eyes. "He knows how stressful this line of work is."

    "Not as stressful when we saw Sir Cambrian''s wife though. She was scarier than any Rune Beasts we''ve ever encountered. I reckon that Frenzy Apes are nothing but small pupspared to her." Arianaughed and elbowed her friend.

    "Hah." Finch shook her head. "Please spare me the opportunity of thinking about that old hag. I''ve already suffered enough."

    "You say that, but I can''t help but notice you eyeing Lord Asher." Ariana coughed quietly into her drink.

    "What?" Finch turned to Ariana, red-faced. "Did I hear you correctly?"

    "Huh. No denial." Ariana smirked. "Typical, Finch."

    "Where''s Gellor and the others? They went on another inn didn''t they?" Finch said, changing the conversation and craning her neck to look at the window. "You told them where we were staying right?"

    "I did, but¡­"

    The door to the inn mmed open and a multitude of mercenaries stepped inside of the inn. They gazed around the vicinity and then eyed the two women at their table, alongside other folks that were dressed in mercenary-like attires.

    "You two!" a man stepped forward and glowered at them. "Where were the two of youst night? What are your gifts?"

    "Huh." Ariana blinked.

    "That''s¡­" Finch frowned.

    "Under the Bergan''s Band authority, you are required toply and provide us answers or face serious consequences." The man barked then turned to the innkeeper serving his clients. "Give us the keys to their rooms."

    "Woah, woah, that''s not something you guys should do! You just can''t barge into someone''s room without any permission." Ariana protested andunched to her feet, eyes shing with furiousness.

    "Apologies for my friend here." Finch smiled catingly and pushed Ariana back down to her chair. "We''re a little surprised, but what seems to have happened? Our innkeeper can attest that we were here all night. We''re more than willing to cooperate with you folks."

    Finch''s words calmed the angered man a little, and he looked around the entire inn before speaking loudly.

    "The Bergan''s Band has experienced some theft and we''re looking for the culprits. It is in everyone''s best interest toply with our search."

    This time the man no longer threatened them as much, but the message was still received.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ariana and Finch shared discreet looks with one another.

    ''Did Lord Asher do this? Nobody else could have done something like that and pull it off sessfully!'' Ariana thought, feeling impressed.

    ''Is this why he asked us to stay put in inns? So we wouldn''t get involved in the danger of the situation. We all have our alibis thanks to Lord Asher.'' Finch thought, feeling relieved.

    Elsewhere in the city, the rest of Bergan''s Band marched through the streets and searched for the culprits of the theft.

    "Somebody, no doubt has a gift that allowed them to sneak into the vaults." One of the members hissed to another. "We need to find the ones responsible for it, everyone is suspect otherwise."

    Gellor, Albus and Barty who were on their way to Finch and Ariana''s inn found themselves getting stopped by a familiar face.

    "Hey!" Harold looked visibly stressed out and waved them over. "Where were the three of youst night? Where are the girls and those two new recruits too? You guys haven''t been anywhere suspicious, have you?"

    "What''s the matter?" Gellor asked.

    "We were just in our inns the whole night." Barty said.

    "But the atmosphere seems really tense, doesn''t it?" Albus noted as he nced around the street. It was filled with a lot of Bergan''s Band mercenaries investigating and interrogating everyone.

    If it hadn''t been obvious before, it was clear that Bergan''s Band had a strong force in Cuss City as everyoneplied to their demands.

    "I trust you guys to have not done anything crazy." Harold said, looking stressed and tired. "But either way, be careful. Someone stole from Bergan''s Band and the whole city is being searched for the ones responsible."

    Gellor, Barty and Albus all paused for a moment but then quickly talked.

    "Is that so? That''s terrible." Gellor said.

    "How could someone have stolen from the Bergan''s Band?" Barty asked. "Their storage buildings are incredibly secure."

    "Yeah, that''s the thing we''d like to know too." Harold said.

    "That''s something real bad isn''t it? Was it stolen right from underneath their noses?" Albus asked before whistling slightly. "Incredibly talented, would have liked to seen it happen."

    "Hey, speak a little more carefully." Harold narrowed his eyes on them. "Again, I trust you guys but the others don''t. So be on your best behavior and keep your heads down."

    "Will do. Thank you for informing us." Gellor pped Harold''s back. "We appreciate it a lot."

    "Okay, carry on." Harold rubbed his face. "I''ll see you guys next time, hopefully when things aren''t as bad as today."

    But that wasn''t even the end of things.

 Chapter 348 The Great Heist

    "And who might the two of you be? We heard from the innkeeper that the two of you were mercenaries."

    "We''re mercenaries from Gellor''s group. My name is Kristine and this is Lucius." Kiana stood straight in front of the Bergan''s Band members and gestured to Asher in the room.

    "Is¡­ is that so?" the man seemed intimidated by Kiana. The way she looked down at him seemed befitting of a woman from a higher station.

    "Yes."

    "We''d like to ask what gifts the two of you possess." The man said and nced towards Lucius.

    "Mypanion has a fire gift and I have a stone shooter gift." Kiana exined as she stood in between the Bergan''s Band member and Asher inside of the room.

    "Isn''t that a rare gift?" the man said but then cleared his throat. "Where were your whereaboutsst night?"

    "Just in this inn, we never left the ce." Kiana replied curtly. "What seems to be the issue?"

    "Nothing. We''d like to inspect your rooms."

    "Is that allowed? We have the right to refuse that, don''t we." Kiana frowned deeply at the man.

    "You must cooperate!" the man insisted. "We are searching for criminals and if you two refuse to undergo through this search, then I''m afraid that the two of you may be considered as possible suspects."

    "Let him in, Kristine." Lucius called out. "We have nothing to hide, so let the man in and finish what he wants to do. It''ll be a waste for both of our times if we continue to refuse."

    "Alright, Lucius." Kiana said with a sigh.

    In the back of her mind, there was a huge smile written all across her face as she saw the Bergan''s Band member venture forward and attempted to search for any evidence that they were the ones behind the incident fromst night.

    There was not one hint or trace of evidence.

    The Bergan''s Band was unable to find any culprits among the people in the city of Cuss.

    Most of its citizens did not have the proper gift that was capable of sneaking into the vault and stealing their possessions, all mercenaries had their alibis or didn''t fit the bill.

    Inside of the Bergan''s Band Hall, the second-inmand, Eric stood in front of everyone with a harsh re on his face.

    He had heard thest of the reports of his men.

    "Nothing? Absolutely nothing and not even one found anything substantial?!" Eric barked. "Did all of you actually work through the city or do the job properly?"

    "We''re afraid that whoever stole those rune crystals and gems must have probably fled the city of Cuss immediately. They didn''t decide to stick around any longer in fear of being caught hence why they escaped." One of the people offered as an answer.

    "Is that what you think?" Eric asked with a narrowed stare.

    The person gulped but nodded bravely.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes, they were unable tomit to a full clearing of the vault so it means that they''re at a loss for time. It''s probably a quick work and won''t happen again. No person is crazy enough to steal from Bergan''s Band twice. They were just lucky. Doing it twice is just asking for a death wish!"

    The person''s words made the other nervous members of the Bergan''s Band to slowly nod in agreement. It made logical sense to them and this might allow them to finally take a break from all their hard work of searching for culprits.

    "Besides, the amount of treasures lost, we can easily make it back again!" the man dered, feeling a lot more confident as the others supported him.

    Eric smiled tightly and raised his hand, silencing the murmurs of the crowd.

    "Is that what you think? Are you willing to stake your position on the line¡­ no, are all of you willing to work twice as hard to rece everything?"

    The man who first spoke gulped again as he saw Eric''s hand. Everyone eyed Eric uneasily as the mercenary strolled in the front row of the group and then grabbed the first speaker''s face.

    "Tell me. How confident are you?"

    "¡­ a hundred percent, sir!" the man squeaked as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Any other answer might have resulted into death and this was the best one that he could think of.

    "Very well." Eric sighed and let his hand dropped. His head was aching from all the stress and he had actuallye to the same conclusion as the man he was harassing.

    There was no way that the thieves would strike twice.

    "Today, all of you will start getting more missions to earn back what we lost. No excuses. We will need to pay for the results of everyone''s mistakes." Eric said.

    And it was for that very reason that when the next day came and they went to check the remainder of the treasury in the vault that everyone in the Bergan''s Band grew shocked and then turned to uproar once again.

    "Again? AGAIN?" Eric''s face was red as he threw his fist into a wall.

    The members of the Bergan''s Band winced but avoided the second-inmand''s gaze. They were foolish to think that the thieves escaped from Cuss city and wouldn''t return, but they just stole again and rubbed it into their faces.

    It meant that they either returned to Cuss city or never left in the first ce.

    "Forget about the missions." Eric growled and gestured at over a fourth of the Bergan''s Band members currently present in the hall. "All of you. Yes, all of you will be stationed at the vault and not just outside of it this time. Inside and outside, both. Let those thieves try again with everyone of you filling up the ce."

    "Yes, Eric!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    Everyone in the Bergan''s Band hall shouted their agreement and cheers at Eric''s newmands.

    This time, with the strength of the Bergan''s Band, no thief woulde and steal again. They would make sure of it.

    And they turned out to be right, but only because Lucius was done with stealing.

 Chapter 349 Quake!

    It was a cool temperature that evening.

    Lucius stood atop a building, hidden away from the gaze of the unsuspecting citizens that crawled through the streets below him.

    Lucius was located about half a kilometer away from the Bergan''s Band base and vaults.

    He had yed mind games with the members of the mercenary group, leading them to act like cogs in a machine that ced them where they were now and now it was finally time for the final act.

    ''It''s time for you to move atst.''

    The signal was sent to the Plow Worm located at the hill beyond Cuss city. And for the next hour that passed, nothing happened.

    But Lucius was not an impatient man.

    He had waited several years to enact his n against the unsuspecting Great Barrom n''s true blood members and had gained the power to rule the world.

    What was an hour to him?

    Elsewhere, members of Bergan''s Band watched vigntly within the vaults, daring for any thief toe and approach again.

    "I don''t think anyone would be dumb enough to strike three times in a row now, wouldn''t they?" one of the members grumbled to their friend.

    "We''re all packed here like horses in a crowded stable." Another agreed with a sigh. "Let them try toe here, they''d have to squeeze through."

    "It''s more likely for one of us to just grab something and have it slipped unnoticed."

    "Shhh, don''t let the others hear you. I mean, that''s a terrible idea. You should be ashamed of yourself, we have already lost quite a lot treasure. We haven''t even fully ounted to everything that vanished."

    "Oh, we hadn''t?"

    "They did, but it wouldn''t be missed if a rune crystal or two went missing. We''ve already lost a lot. What''s a couple more?"

    "Eric will kill you if he ever finds out that one of us were trying to steal under his noses."

    "That''s why it''s good to have friends who''ve got your back now, don''t you think?"

    "Do you think it was someone who worked in the inside that stole it?"

    "That''d be crazy!"

    "Hey, can you quit moving around."

    "I''m not moving. I''m just standing up straight over here."

    "Then who''s moving¡­ wait, nobody. But there''s a slight tremor. Did you feel that?"

    "No. You must be imagining it."

    "Hey, there it was again."

    "Eh."

    "Don''t you feel it too."

    "Stupid. You feel that, right?"

    "Don''t worry too much about it. It''s just a tremor, man."

    "Okay, now I''m feeling it too."

    "Took you long enough."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uh, it''s not stopping. Should we try to go out?"

    "Are you insane? Eric would personally take care of anyone who''d try to ck off work. Stay put and shut up. Don''t be a baby."

    "Fine, fine."

    For the next two hours, the people of Bergan''s Band all felt the continuous tremor that ran through the entire city. However, they remained where they were and tried their best to ignore it.

    But then it started to get stronger.

    "This¡­ this is an earthquake now!" Several people ced their hands against the wall to steady themselves.

    Others tried to keep their bnce to no avail, knocking back against each other and some tried to knock on the vault''s door and begged to be let out.

    "Somebody open up the vault!"

    "We''re getting sick here!"

    "What are you guys being frantic about for? We''re also feeling it outside." Somebody called from the outside of the vault.

    The people not inside the vault were just as nervous about the earthquake as them, but they didn''t feel much as trapped. Eric''s orders were quite clear to them. Everyone was going to stay put and catch the thief if it dared toe back a third time.

    "Stay in your positions everyone!"

    While the people from Bergan''s Band and also everyone across the Cuss city reacted frantically to the earthquake, the perpetrator of it stood calmly atop the building as he waited.

    The Lost Plow Worm was actually underneath the Bergan''s Band''s vaults all this time and was creating several tunnels deep down the ground.

    Once Lucius had ascertained that the number of tunnels were at the right amount, he gave the Plow Worm its permission to go.

    "Damn! If I''m going to stay here all night, I''m going to grab some for myself. Screw it all!" one of the mercenary started to shove some rune crystals in his pocket.

    "Oi, oi, you don''t want to do that." Another tried to stop him.

    "If none of you opens up your mouths, we can at least all get a piece of this¡­"

    The mercenary''s words ended halfway as the earthquake increased to a greater intensity and the entire vault shook.

    "It''s like the earthquake''s just below us. That doesn''t make any sense¡ª"

    The Lost Plow Worm burst through the ground and copsed the entire vault, the tunnels it created aiding it to cause oblivion.

    A multitude of the members found themselves dead even before they knew it, some fell down into the tunnels and were crushed.

    Others were less lucky and found themselves in the maw of the Lost Plow Worm and devoured, suffering an even more painful death as the creature reared its frightening head for everyone to see.

    Outside of the vault, several members of the Bergan''s Band ran away at the same time as the other citizens who were able to witness the arrival of the Lost Plow Worm.

    It was clear to everyone that it was a Plow Worm, but then it was vastly different from a regr one that it could have been mistaken for something else.

    There were hundreds of spikes that shot out across its body, a far more tougher and thicker carapace covered the rune beast creature.

    For those who found themselves devoured, they witnessed its sharp teeth that ground and tore through flesh, bone and stone.

    The Lost Plow Worm shrieked an ungodly sound that pierced and brought fear into the hearts of everyone who heard it.

    Bergan''s Band was now forced to act.

 Chapter 350 Havoc

    Eric was not someone who was at the storage buildings or vaults.

    As the second inmand of Bergan''s Band, he was afforded the opportunity to rx at night and let his underlings take care of the matter with the vault security.

    It was something that concerned the higher-ups and the whole organization of Bergan''s Band, but it was natural to delegate the tasks to your lower ssed members.

    However, when the earthquake started and the Lost Plow Worm emerged out of the ground, Eric was finally forced to react to the situation.

    "There''s arge-scale rune beast attack at the vaults, Eric!" Someone shouted.

    "Our men are dying out there¡ª!"

    "Gather our elites and get into formation!" Eric gritted his teeth and made the remaining strong members of Bergan''s Band to join him and rushed for the vaults.

    Once they arrived, they saw the Lost Plow Worm rampaging and destroying its surroundings mercilessly while also devouring every unlucky mercenary that came close and attempted to stop it, or was just in its way.

    Many of them were just crushed in the rubble and died, not even escaping with their life intact.

    Eric and the stronger members kept their distance as the other members fled.

    Normally, the arrival of the strong members of Bergan''s Band was enough to calm down the fears of the less stronger ones, but in the chaos, nobody saw them arrive.

    Or even if they saw Eric, it didn''t matter to them.

    "What the heck is that thing?!" one of them shouted in confusion.

    "It kinda looks like a Plow Worm, but no kind of Plow Worm actually has all that spikes or that kind of carapace. Is it one of its somewhat close species?"

    "I''ve never seen anything like it before."

    "Does anyone know what we''re dealing? I haven''t encountered anything like it before."

    "Enough spection. Ranged gift users¡ªfire based ones, attack!" Eric shouted.

    It was clear that there was a lot of people dying and it annoyed Eric, but the Bergan''s Band was not an ipetent group that panicked in the midst of chaos.

    They were still professional, and the stronger ones, the elites knew what to do when faced in such a dangerous situation.

    "Let''s cook this thing alive, now shall we?"

    "Heating things up! Get a taste of fire, beast!"

    "BURN! BURN!"

    "¡­."

    Four different fire-based gift users stepped closer and directed four various fire attacks on the Lost Plow Worm.

    One of them created a huge tornado of fire that swirled towards the rune beast rapidly.

    The second one''s fire based attack was akin to more of a concentrated heat ray that tried to pierce a portion of the Plow Worm''s head.

    The third one threw consecutive fireballs at the hostile creature angrily and violently.

    The fourth one was silent, but his fire bordered into the color of blue and shaped into little fire bird like creatures that dove for the Plow Worm.<novelnext></novelnext>

    All of their attacks hit the Lost Plow Worm creature all at the same time and it created a huge explosion, but when the smoke cleared up, the Lost Plow Worm only looked mildly charred.

    "What the¡­?" Eric was in utter disbelief alongside every member that saw the intense fire power that hit it.

    But somehow, their attacks only made the Plow Worm even angrier and soon it crashed its body against the nearby buildings and toppled them.

    More members of the Bergan''s Band and even citizens fled the scene.

    "Forget the formations, every ranged user attack!" Eric shouted and this time it wasn''t just a st of fire that tormented the Lost Plow Worm but lightning, wind and even water as well.

    They tried to to destroy it, but the creature was extremely sturdy and even resistant to the attacks that the Bergan''s Band found themselves in the toughest fight of their lives.

    "Hey! One of the attacks went through!"

    Somebody shouted and pointed at the Plow Worm''s head.

    The Plow Worm opened its mouth angrily and let out a shriek, but it was visible that there was a charred area in its mouth which had inflicted it pain.

    This time, the strong members of Bergan''s Band were forced to separate as the Plow Worm blitzed through them angrily, realizing its enemies.

    "Target the mouth!"

    "It''s hard! It''s now keeping its mouth shut and just crashing against things."

    "Maybe let''s break one of the areas, just focus on one part of the body and not all of it!"

    "We should have gone for the head!"

    "Don''t you think it''s slowing down?"

    "Eric? What do we do?"

    "Alright, I''ll create the opening." Eric dered with narrowed eyes. He had seen that the carapace of the Plow Worm was near indestructible, but it was clear that its internal parts were vulnerable and that was what they were going to target.

    "Take its eyes off me, everyone!" Eric shouted as he dodged across multiple debris that covered the ground and aimed for the stationary part of the Lost Plow Worm.

    It might have been attacking everywhere, but a portion of its body was still underground and it was there at the hole''s opening that Eric went to target the rune beast.

    "Watch out!"

    "Eric!"

    Out of nowhere, one of the buildings that the Plow Worm crashed into somehow let out a massive chunk of stone and hurtled towards Eric.

    It was an impossiblyrge size and it was something that he couldn''t outrun or dodge.

    Eric''s eyes widened momentarily, but he gritted his teeth and then touched the chunk of stone before it could crush him with its entire weight.

    A good amount of Aether flowed out of Eric and the massive chunk of stone immediately grew half its size and allowed Eric to dodge to the right and avoided being crushed by its size.

    It was a brush with death, but Eric kept moving towards the Plow Worm while aided by his team members.

    "Just a couple of touches, just enough to break its carapace down." Eric muttered as he reached the Plow Worm atst.

 Chapter 351 An Explosive End

    Eric reached the Plow Worm atst and touched the carapace of the rune beast.

    His touch doesn''t seem obvious at first, especially with how thick the carapace was but there was some effect as he touched it once more and then pressed his hand against it another time.

    Each time Eric touched it, Aether flowed out of his body but the results were starting to show itself as the Plow Worm finally noticed the presence of the mercenary and tried to crush him to no avail.

    But the deed was already done.

    The strong and thick carapace of the Plow Worm was now weakened tremendously and even cracked enough to show the much softer interior of the rune beast.

    "Attack it here!" Eric called out to everyone as he dodged back and made his way back to the ranged gift users.

    Those who were melee fighters took it as a chance to draw closer, avoiding the attacks of the Plow Worm and went to assault the creature on its now possible opening.

    While the melee fighters attacked it on its side, the ranged users tried to prate and distract the Plow Worm by attacking its mouth as it writhed wildly in ce.

    The damage it was taking was now far more significant than it did before.

    Lucius who used June''s artifact telescope saw the results from afar and looked at it all with a calm expression. His gaze flickered momentarily to Eric as he activated his Nexus.

    Gift Name: Fragmentor

    Rank: Epic

    Description: Allows a user to break objects into small fragments depending on the number of touches provided by the user. One can reduce objects into half of their size with each touch, but the consumption rate of Aether increases with each consecutive touch on the same object

    "So that''s his powerful skill. I can see why this is Bergan''s second inmand to some degree, this Plow Worm that seemed indestructible has now be a lot weaker and vulnerable due to his actions. He even risked his life to attack it personally,mendable to some degree." Lucius noted to himself. "But one can only wonder how he''d react in the face of utter defeat."

    "Just a bit more!"

    "We''ve got this¡­ continue with our attacks!"

    "Don''t stop, we''re nearly there!"

    Lucius allowed the Plow Worm to create more chaos, and inflict a bit more damage as it was on the verge of death. He allowed the members of the Bergan''s Band to think that victory was just in reach and they could finally savor the sweet freedom of relief and sess.

    However, just about before the Plow Worm took itsst breath, Lucius tampered with the hell energy that resided within the Lost and fed it at a density that was too much for the poor creature.

    "What''s happening? Is it dying?"

    "It''s slowing down, just take its head!"

    "Everybody get away!"

    The shouts were a bit toote as the entire Plow Worm exploded into a massive eruption that took out nearly every one in the midst of the battle area.

    "Let''s see how many can survive that." Lucius said as he listened to the explosion in satisfaction.<novelnext></novelnext>

    When the explosion dissipates and the remaining members of the Bergan''s Band shows themselves from the damage of everything.

    Half of the strongest members that attacked the Plow Worm were gone, the ones who attacked it closely taking the brunt of the damage.

    Meanwhile, Eric and the others who survived found themselves in a state of shock and were stupefied over what happened.

    They pulled themselves out of the debris, up to their feet and checked at everyone who were still alive with a haunted and terrified look on their faces.

    "Is it dead¡­?"

    "Everyone''s gone, it took out nearly everyone."

    "What else is there?"

    "What if something elsees up?"

    "Shut shut up. Don''t say anything like that."

    "Bergan isn''t going to like this. He''s not going to like any of this."

    "Count the dead. It''s time we count the dead."

    "Where is he? He''s not supposed to have died. He was strong. That explosion, it shouldn''t have happened. He''s alive, isn''t he?"

    Lucius eyed them with a calm look as he sent orders to the Bore Shrews to arrive at the scene of the explosion.

    The rune beasts were nearly invisible amidst the state of chaos and quickly worked on recovering the rune crystals that were from the ones who had died, including the Plow Worm crystal as well.

    When they returned to Lucius, he had collected a total of five rune crystals from everyone that had died in the aftermath.

    "Let''s see, this is from the Plow Worm. We''ve got two umon rank crystals and two rare ranked crystals as well from those who died from the creature. An incredible harvest this one, but we''re still not yet even done with all of it." Lucius muttered to himself.

    Those who had died from the Plow Worm were also going to prove themselves as a worthy resource for Lucius to take and he immediately sat down and activated his soul collecting spell.

    The spirits of those who died quickly found themselves dragged into Lucius'' Ne of the Damned and were quickly added into the ranks of those who would strengthen him with their soul''s power.

    "And a good number of them are quite delectable souls as well." Lucius said.

    There was a difference in the level of strengths of souls, and though none of them probably had trained their souls as it was not something done in this world, there were those who still had stronger ones.

    It was a natural aftermath after all and with that in mind, Lucius considered everything a truly bountiful harvest as he stepped down from the building and made his way back to the inn.

    "Asher, where have you been?" Kiana asked upon his return. "Are you alright? What happened? There was this earthquake and you weren''t around¡­"

    "No need to worry, I''ve aplished what we came here for." Lucius said as he revealed the rune crystals. "Now it''s time to stay low and wait for everything to blow over."

 Chapter 352 Aftermath Of The Attack

    "Understood." Kiana nodded.

    "Thank you." Lucius said and made his way to his bed to rest.

    While he was not fatigued, but instead revitalized with the absorption of new souls for the Ne of the Damned, Lucius also considered it necessary to hide.

    Meanwhile, there were a lot of questions that Kiana had in mind for Asher and she was immensely curious after the earthquake, but she first prioritized their safety.

    "Do you think anybody has seen you, Asher?" Kiana asked as she checked the windows for any sign of suspicious individuals.

    Kiana''s gift was activated, palm ready and at any moment''s notice, she was prepared to strike down whoever dared even make a strange look at their direction.

    "No. I''ve made sure to ce myself at quite an appropriate distance and to hide myself atop a building and its shadows, but I may be mistaken." Lucius said.

    While he hadn''t been attacked on his way back to the inn, there was always room for caution.

    "Mistaken?" Kiana raised a brow. "I haven''t seen you make any mistakes in judgments, Asher. You''re careful and take everything seriously."

    "It''s better to err on the side of safety, regardless." Lucius shrugged. "The people in Bergan''s Band host a variety of gifts and there might be one of them with incredibly sharp eyesight that could have seen me from a distance away and such. I was able to witness the second-inmand''s power and it''s a bit frightening."

    One can only imagine what an epic rank gift would transform to if it were upgraded again.

    "Is that so?" Kiana asked.

    "Hmm¡­ but based on how his gift operated, you''re quite the perfect match against him." Lucius chuckled. "With the advantage of being able to perform ranged attacks with high-speed projectiles, you''ll be able to put him down, especially with the element of surprise taken into ount."

    "Well, perhaps you should have taken me with you." Kiana said. "We are after revenge against them, Asher for what they did to you."

    "It wille in time." Lucius reassured her. "At the moment, we''ve dealt a debilitating amount of damage to the Bergan''s Band. And while it could have been optimal for Eric to have died in the aftermath of the Plow Worm attack, we''ll surely have other opportunities in the future. For now, let''s ensure that no attackerse after us. Depending on how Bergan''s Band team takes their loss, they might be prone to needless violence."

    "Not one will make their way here, Asher. I''ll assure you of that." Kiana swore as she stayed on guard. "If you need to rest, please do so now. One can only imagine what tomorrow will be like once they recover a little after the attacks."

    "Indeed." Lucius agreed.

    The night then passed for Kiana and Lucius, and his earlier assumption turned out to be right, no one came to disturb them.

    ***

    When the next morning came, the entire city was in a tense moment after the series of deaths and loss that urredst night.

    Gellor''s team which had been staying in their respective inns went out to search for Lord Asher at once and were relieved to find him safe in the inn.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Everybody has heard it, haven''t they?" Finch said.

    "Only a deaf man won''t be able to listen to the news, but even they''d be able to tell that something went wrong." Albus said. "Isn''t that right, Barty?"

    "Of course. You wouldn''t believe how many animals were rearing in their stables. I had to help calm our horses down." Barty said.

    "As for me, I could hardly sleep with the earthquake, and then the news sprang up. I couldn''t believe it." Ariana admitted. "Some kind of giant worm attack they said."

    "That¡­ that shouldn''t concern us." Gellor reminded his group before they met with Lord Asher.

    It was not difficult to put two and two together, but there were other things that were of importance.

    "Ah, Gellor and his team. I''m d to see that each one of you is in good and a safe condition afterst night." Lucius greeted them.

    "Thank you, Lord Asher."

    All of them couldn''t help but feel that they were mostly safe due to Lord Asher asking them to stay in the furthest points of Cuss city and so the tremors they experienced were the least in intensity.

    "I''m d that all of you came here. I was about to ask Kiana to search for all of you." Lucius said. "How are things in the city?"

    "Everything''s in uproar, Lord Asher. But most importantly, I came across some newsst night while everyone was awake and couldn''t sleep." Finch said.

    "Hmm¡­ I''ve seen some members of Bergan''s Band leaving the cityst night. They were all in a state of frenzy and rush." Gellor said. "Is that what you were going to mention, Finch?"

    "Why, yes. That indeed." Finch said. "You''ve seen them leaving the gates, but as for the particr reason why they were departing is¡­"

    "They have to report it to their leader naturally. Obviously they have to let Bergan know or else he might get frightening when hees back, right?" Albus shrugged. "Makes sense, doesn''t it, Ariana?"

    "Yes, I think that''s what happened." Ariana nodded.

    "We''ve all heard the same thing as Finch, Lord Asher." Barty said. "What would you like us to do next then?"

    Gellor and his team were quite curious of Lord Asher''s next steps. Even if they did not have concrete proof, the attack on Bergan''s Band was no doubt of his doing.

    "We''ve aplished what we came here for and for that, I''d like to thank you for all your cooperation." Lucius informed them. "We''ll leave Cuss city right away and head not on the road to Aisse territory, but to our camp instead."

    "That seems like the best decision, Lord Asher. We''ll make the preparations at once." Gellor and his team said.

    While Lucius and his team could head for Inanis city right away, if they were to encounter Bergan on his way back to Cuss city, there was no doubt that it would seem suspicious.

 Chapter 353 Bergans Message

    While Lucius, Kiana and Gellor''s team hid away and stayed at their camp by the hills, a messenger quickly returned to Cuss city bringing frightening news.

    "Out of my way!" The messenger was white-faced and stricken pale. He looked deathly sick as if he was on hisst final hours.

    Fortunately for him, his horse was like lightning on its hooves, and sped through the streets as they arrived at Bergan''s Hall.

    The messenger forced himself down and rushed to find Eric.

    "Eric! Message from Bergan!" the messenger announced with deep breaths once he''d reach the office.

    "I''ve sent several messengers to inform Bergan. Tell me, why are you the only one who''d return?" Eric asked calmly as he eyed the messenger that remained alone without his earlierpanions.

    "¡­ he was unhappy with the news. H-he told me that if I was unable to deliver the message, my family will get nothing when I die. Please tell him that I''ve made it, at least, Eric. I beg of you."

    "Of course." Eric eyed the messenger with a frown. "But the chances that you''ve actually been affected by Bergan''s Toxic Touch truly depends. Sometimes he merely threatens people so they work themselves to death¡­"

    "Does that mean that I''m not going to die, sir?"

    "Or that he did poison you, and is just waiting for a more opportune time to kill you." Eric smiled icily. "Now tell me¡­ what did he say? He''sing back at once, isn''t he?"

    Whenever there was bad news, it was far moremon to send more than one messenger so that at least one was able to return alive to deliver the news.

    The messenger who arrived looked sick to death, butpared to Eric, the man was not injured physically.

    Even though Eric had survived the explosion, it did not mean that he waspletely free from any injuries whatsoever.

    "I¡­ you''re not going to like the news." The messenger took a deep breath.

    ***

    "Uneptable!" Eric was red-faced and red at the remaining members of the Bergan''s Band. "Not one survived inside the vault?Surely, there is one who can tell me anything they''ve seen. Anything suspicious at all?"

    "I-it was an attack by a rune beast, Eric. I don''t think there was anything suspicious except for that!"

    "Hah!" Ericughed hysterically and mmed his hand on one of the nearby tables. "Think hard you fools. This isn''t only for my sake but everyone else''s as well. Bergan is furious beyond relief and if we do not have even a scrounge of information, you might as well all join our members who were devoured by that beast."

    It was enough to shake up the entire Bergan''s Band as they started to panic even further. Although a lot of them were exhausted and injured, the knowledge that Bergan was about to arrive made them frightened.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uh, uh what about other mercenaries not from Bergan''s Band? They might have some information or are the ones behind it, Eric."

    "And where is the list thatpiled every single mercenary that was nearby then?! If I don''t have it in my hands in the next couple of minutes, we won''t even have to wait for Bergan to arrive. I''ll be the one punishing all of you for our failures." Eric barked.

    All of the mercenaries quickly nced at each other restlessly, until a smarter mercenary quickly moved forward with a document in hand.

    "This was from the guards, Eric! Every mercenary that has visited for thest few days are here, even the ones who left the city today or the ones still remaining."

    "Good." Eric narrowed his eyes as he epted the paper. "If one of you recognizes these people, let everyone know and inform us of their credibility. Now this one is a team from Etara''s Cross, the members are as followed¡­"

    Even though it was clear that many mercenaries would leave Cuss city after experiencing a dangerous earthquake and rune beast within the city, Eric didn''t falter and hoped that one of them would turn out suspicious or had gifts that might allow them to control the rune beast.

    "Gellor and his Muscle Strengthening, Finch with me Touch, Albus and his Crane Legs, Barty with Air Vortex and two new additional mercenaries." Eric read aloud with a deep frown. "Kristine with Stone Shooter, and Lucius with a Fireball gift."

    This had been one of thetest team that had arrived and Eric crumpled up the paper and threw it away.

    "This is all useless! None of the mercenaries would ever attest to being rted to the beast attack nor would they have any gifts concerning it. I want someone to check the vicinity of the vaults."

    "But the area is quite unstable, Eric. We''ve tried to discourage people froming lest they fall into the tunnels of that beast."

    "We''re waiting for a group of builders to arrive and fix it with their gifts. Maybe we''ll be able to repair it even before Bergan arrives and he wouldn''t get as upset."

    Ericughed and then red at one of the members.

    "Do you want to cover any possible evidence we might find there? Hold off the builders and have several people with gifts that allow them to fly temporarily or with steady footing to search and scrounge for clues. Searching the mercenaries is useless, we''ll work with what we can with the environment."

    That was what Eric could do for now, search for any other avenues.

    "Others check the rune beast records or find a Rune Beast Master that might help us identify what attacked us. We''re looking for even the smallest information."

    Meanwhile, as this all happened, a single Lost Bore Shrew was hidden in the Bergan''s hall and observed everything for Lucius.

    Even though Lucius was not physically present, he wanted all the information that he could gather and it helped him make a decision as he and everyone stayed at the hill nearby Cuss city.

    "We''ll be leaving Aisse territory tomorrow morning." Lucius informed Gellor and his group. "Let''s make a quick return to Inanis City."

 Chapter 354 Black Rose Knights Shock

    "Is everyone ready to leave?" Gellor addressed the group.

    Each one of them were atop their horses again, packs in the back and they had cleared the hill vicinity from any traces of their presence.

    "Yes!" they all chorused.

    Gellor turned to Lord Asher and Kiana who were waiting on their own rides. "We are prepared to leave now, Lord Asher."

    "Very well, let us all move in haste." Lucius said.

    In a moment''s time, they started to set their way back to Inanis Territory. There was a wind behind their gates and the sun shone on them.

    "Oh man, we''re finally getting back home." Albus said.

    "What''s with that grin on your face? We''re still a long way back." Ariana said with a shake of her head, riding beside him.

    "We''ll be back before we know it though." Barty said.

    "See? Even Barty agrees." Albusughed. "I''m looking forward to getting proper rest when we get back. The nights at the inn in Cuss are terrible. Earthquakes and everything. Couldn''t even get a wink you know?"

    "You say that but you''ve snored a great deal while you were resting in the hills." Finch shook her head. "You could honestly sleep in the stables with horses and you''d turn out just fine, Albus. No bed of roses necessary."

    "Hey, that''s mean. Not everyone of us has a wonderful mattress they can slip into when they return."

    Finch''s lips pressed into a thin line.

    "We don''t necessarily know if that''s true. Sir Cambrian''s wife¡­ has been quite upset when you guys visited. I''d rather not deal with any of it when I return."

    "Then you don''t have to. Who says that you have to deal with it?" Ariana said. "Don''t listen to Albus and Barty here."

    "What did I even say?" Barty muttered.

    ***

    One day after Lucius and his team left for Inanis City, arge group of soldiers arrived at Cuss City and were apanied by one man at the forefront.

    "Alright, we''ve finally arrived." The man said with some ease.

    He was dressed in an armor that would have been very familiar to Lucius if he had seen him. This man was none other but a member of the ck Rose Knight.

    He was one of the knights that actually apanied Count Gabriel and was made to move for Aisse territory and to meet with Earl Aisse and demand for answers.

    The knight and his two otherpanions dealt with a lot of diplomatic efforts of speaking with Earl Aisse. Even though they were from the king of Grantz personal order, Earl Aisse proved to be still a difficult man to deal with.

    "Hah. We could have arrived sooner if they weren''t so stubborn. It didn''t necessitate for for me to mention that Rancor wanted to go on a rampage for things to be dealt with." The knight muttered as they entered the city, and immediately they noticed that there was a strange atmosphere to the city.

    "What has happened here?" one of the soldiers asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Everybody looks spooked out."

    "That''s not Bergan but from Earl Aisse!" one of the citizens gawked and pointed at them.

    "Have theye here to give aid and relief?"

    "They''re just soldiers. They''re not gong to be bringing anything."

    "Who is the man in the dark armor? That¡­ that can''t be one of the personal vassals of His Majesty, is it?"

    "What are they doing?"

    The ck Rose Knight ignored the looks thrown in his direction and focused instead on the soldiers that were closest to him and gave them instructions.

    "Inform me of what events transpired here in Cuss City before we''ve arrived." The knight said.

    When the soldiers of Earl Aisse returned minutester and bore news of what had happened with Bergan''s Band, the earthquake and the arrival of an unrecognizable rune beast, it left the ck Rose Knight in a state of stupor.

    "What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard correctly.

    Even the King of Grantz himself had hesitations on acting against the Bergan''s Band due to theirbined power and the gift of Bergan, but now they were beset by tragedy.

    "Is this¡­ is this somehow a way of the gods to exact divine retribution?" the ck Rose Knight asked himself quietly before sighing softly. "Either way, once Count Gabrieles to hear of this news, perhaps his anger will be assuaged a little. This is a good thing, but for now, there are still matters to attend to."

    ***

    Lucius did not have a single idea of what had transpired in Cuss City when he left it. Instead, he and his group merely traveled their way back to Inanis Territory at a pace that beat theirst one to journey to Aisse Territory.

    "We are going on the official route, no more hidden paths this time." Lucius informed Gellor who epted the young man''s orders at once.

    "Of course, Lord Asher. We''ll ride at yourmand. We will not stop at any ces at all." Gellor said.

    "Huh, does that mean we''re not going to Etara''s Cross anymore?" Albus whispered to Ariana.

    It was Gellor, Lord Asher and Kiana that rode mostly in the front this time while the other mercenaries stayed at the back to serve as guards.

    "No. Don''t have any hopes for it. Weren''t you supposed to be excited at getting back to Inanis?" Ariana said.

    "I am. I just thought we''d be stopping there even briefly to get some rest likest time." Albus said as he watched Lord Asher ride ahead of them. "Lord Asher certainly concentrates on getting where he wants without stopping at all, doesn''t he?"

    "Have you only noticed it now, Albus?" Finch said. "It has been quite obvious for awhile now. Lord Asher is incredible and does not hesitate to move for his goals. We have no reason to stay at Etara''s Cross, because most likely there is much to do at Inanis. We''re fortunate to have the chance to serve him."

    "Indeed."

    They continue their way back to Inanis City, and this time, it only takes nine days to return.

 Chapter 355 Return To Safety

    "Lord Asher, shall we ride to the Inanis mansion at once?" Gellor said as they reached the outskirts of the Inanis City.

    "No. We shall not be going there right away." Lucius shook his head. "Instead, Kiana and I shall be going to the re education center."

    "Then we shall escort you to there." Gellor said.

    "No need. All of you are free to return to your respective ces and I shall hail upon you and your team at another time, once the opportunity allows me to do so." Lucius said.

    "Oh, of course, Lord Asher." Gellor said and bowed his head.

    "Fret not. I have not forgotten my promise to you and your team, Gellor." Lucius said.

    "The thought never crossed my mind at all, Lord Asher!" Gellor profusely shook his head. He didn''t want Lord Asher to think that they were only focused on the benefits that he was going to provide them.

    "Is that so? It''s normal for mercenaries to think about themselves primarily. That is how most people function even." Luciusmented. "You do not have to shy away from such beliefs."

    "Well, it''s not only that, Lord Asher. Your ideals and your hope for Inanis Territory, wanting to elevate everyone''s positions even before you be the Lord of Etara is worthy of praise, Lord Asher. We are quite happy to serve you and be a part of the change that you desire." Gellor insisted.

    Lucius nced briefly at Gellor''s earnest expression.

    It was rare to meet someone with little personal desire for themselves, or someone who aspired to make the world into a better ce without thinking much of themselves or the sacrifices that they''ve had to offer.

    In his old world, these people were called heroes. Although, frankly, Lucius had barely encountered any individuals that were truly befitting of that title, and most only used it to umte power for themselves.

    ''Hypocrites. It''s far easier to simply admit that one is a selfish and self-serving individual. Better to be a conqueror than a self-proimed hero, at least one''s perceptions are not tainted with rose stained sses.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Now, Lucius didn''t exactly think the word hero fit Gellor. The man was still a mercenary through and through, but there were some potentials to him that were unlike most that he''d encounter so far in this world.

    ''One can only imagine how this man will be like though once he acquires the Frenzy Ape rune crystals and I elevate his gift to Epic rank. I''m expecting a certain change that influences even their own very psyche even.'' Lucius thought.

    He was fascinated to experiment and see the results for himself. But for now, Lucius intended to return back to Inanis mansion and deliver his news to the his parents on the sess of the mission.

    "We can split from here, Gellor. I will prevail on you and your men at another opportunity." Lucius said and then smiled at his people. "Thank you for your service everyone. I wish all of you a chance to recuperate from our tiresome journey."

    "Thank you, Lord Asher!" Finch and everyone expressed their gratitudes.

    Once they were gone, the smile slipped from Lucius'' face and he turned to Kiana. "Let us go the other way and return to the re education center."

    "Of course, Asher." Kiana nodded.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Even though Gellor and his mercenary group now swore allegiance to Lucius, it was still far better to keep his secrets and that included the secret passageway that he and Kiana took to arrive at theboratory.

    When they arrived there, Lucius immediately sat at his chair and rubbed his face. He had rushed back to Inanis City, but only because he wanted to avoid any possible traces back to him.

    "I''ll fetch you some water, Asher." Kiana quickly gathered a basin as well as a jug of water for Lucius.

    "Thank you. It''s good to finally be rid of the disguises." Lucius said as he epted the basin and washed his face. "We left some of our clothes here. Once I''ve changed, we shall be burning every item that belonged to the mercenaries, Kristine and Lucius."

    "Of course." Kiana nodded promptly as she also removed the makeup on her face. "I''ve also promised the Count that we will send a message. I''ll have it delivered discreetly so they''ll know we''re safe and here now. I''m sure that both of them are worried sick, Asher."

    "Yes, we shall be informing them of our sess once we return to Inanis mansion." Lucius agreed.

    "I do hope that the ck Rose Knights are gone." Kiana said, remembering how much they troubled Asher with their questions.

    "Unlikely, but since they are under the assumption that we went to a safe house, we shall be mostly fine." Lucius said. "And if they dare to interrogate, well, I''m sure that father will be dealing with them. Besides, there''s not much stories that can be said when one is in a safe house after all."

    "I will match with you, though, Asher." Kiana said, determined.

    "Of course, we''ll have our story all the same. But it is much better if we can avoid them altogether."

    Lucius couldn''t help but remember the meticulous way that the ck Rose Knights operated. They were befitting of the role as vassals of the King, but Lucius had no intentions of getting caught.

    And the less interactions, the better.

    Once Kiana had ascertained her tasks from Asher, she quickly set out to handle everything while she allowed the young man to rest.

    A question suddenly came to Kiana''s mind before she left to send a message to the Count.

    ''The treasures that Asher obtained from stealing from the vaults of the Bergan''s Band. Did he¡­ did those Bore Shrews take them all the way here or did he dispose of them altogether?''

    "What is it, Kiana?" Lucius asked, noticing her stare.

    "Wee back to Inanis city, Asher. I''m simply d to be back home atst." Kiana said.

    Questions on whether Asher did something or not, Kiana was mostly reassured that Asher did the right thing and would inform her if it was necessary.

    "Indeed. There''s much to be done, still."

 Chapter 356 Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

    On the very next day, a carriage from Inanis mansion was sent to the re-education center privately. Most of the residents in the ce were actually surprised when Lord Asher appeared in the open with Kiana, but then many knew that he holed up in theboratory.

    Of course, these people weren''t very sure if he really had been there for the entire duration, but they were all in awe either way.

    Among them, Old Man Johan greeted Lord Asher as he reached the outside of the building.

    "Lord Asher!" Johan greeted him with a reverential bow. "If we had known that your presence was here all this this time then we would have prepared a proper meal."

    "You do not have to worry about such things. Keep up with the good work here in the re-education center, I trust that everything has been going well?" Lucius asked.

    If there was anything that needed to be fixed and premeditated upon, then Lucius was actually willing to check.

    Even though Lucius was the one who had established this ce and done his best to keep everything ordingly to the process he had provided them for, after some time, there was a chance that there''d be some slowing down in terms of effectiveness.

    "Everything has been going well, Lord Asher!" Old Man Johan reassured. "The flow of the criminals are always there, but they have experienced a reduction unlike when everything first started. One of the secretaries have made files on it. Actually it''s something that we''ve been meaning to show you alongside the graduates of the re-education center."

    "Is that so? I''ll be happy to take a look over the document once I visit here again if everything has been going steadily." Lucius dipped his head in acknowledgment. "In regards to the type of criminals here, how are the state? Petty crimes or¡­ has there been any major crimes?"

    Old Man Johan found himself honored by Lord Asher''s manners. As always, despite their difference in station, it was clear that Lord Asher never made anyone feel different from him.

    "Major crimes are quite few and in between, Lord Asher." Old Man Johan said. "Of course, there are some¡­ but they are being dealt with as always."

    Lucius nodded. He was naturally interested in the benefit of Inanis City''s reduction in crimes, but it was always the criminals with the heavier crimes that interested him.

    With his ns to make the Masked Legion into an actual legion, it became necessary to have a steady inflow of people with extreme crimes and useful gifts.

    ''At the moment, it''s easier to simply use these individuals who are sentenced to death, but the time wille where I''ll be able to transform whomever I choose with ease.'' Lucius thought.

    "Asher, we are ready to leave." Kiana called out to him.

    "Then I shall be leaving now." Lucius bade the old man and the other people from the re-education center goodbye and headed to the Inanis mansion.

    Upon their arrival, both Kiana and Lucius intended to make it seem that they''ve only left a safe house.

    The driver who had picked them up from the re-education center no doubt wouldn''t say a single word to the ck Rose Knights, and so, Kiana and Lucius left the carriage with ease.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Wee back, Lord Asher!" Neta and other servants inside of the mansion greeted them at once.

    "Everyone take our belongings inside of the carriage." Kiana instructed at once.

    They had left many things in the re-education center and among them had been luggage to make their deceit more believable.

    Once the servants have left, it was at that point that the three ck Rose Knights appeared out of the hallway and bowed down to Lord Asher.

    "A safe return to you, Lord Asher!" one of the knights said and was chorused by his otherpanions.

    "Thank you." Lucius nodded and he tried to slip past them, but the path was more or less blocked.

    Not in an intentional or obvious way, because Lucius could have ordered them to move away, but they were present in a cloying and annoying way.

    "We heard that you went to a safe house, Lord Asher. It is a shame that you did not bring at least one of us to use as your guard."

    "Ah yes, that would have been nice, but the preparations were already made even before the arrival of yourpany¡­ and it is something that only the most trusted of the Inanis family uses. Outsiders aren''t usually taken there."

    "Of course. It''s just that we were given orders by His Majesty himself to aid the Count and his family, and it would have been something we could have assisted with regardless, Lord Asher." It was the same nosy knight that Lucius encountered before.

    It was probably because their station was that belonging to the king of Grantz private vassals that they were able to speak freely to nobles as they represented the king himself.

    It also wouldn''t be strange if they were also from a noble bloodline either, now that Lucius considered it.

    "Lord Asher, we really should get going and greet the Count and Countess¡­" Kiana''s words quickly fell to deaf ears as the ck Rose Knight cleared his throat and approached them.

    "On ourst conversation, we weren''t able to discuss the incident with your attempted assassination, Lord Asher. It is a delicate matter that I do not wish to intrude upon, after all some of mypanions have taken to Aisse territory upon the Count''s orders, and there was that informant who had testified the testament of your statement on the assassin''s identity¡­ but would it still be possible to discuss it with you again?"

    "Is it truly that necessary?" Lucius raised a brow. "We have found the answers."

    "Well¡­ even though the informant said yes on this individual being Biroy, we still haven''t actually been able to check on the body of the assassin."

    "I''m afraid that at this point, one would rather let the body remain in the ground than to dig it up at this point." Luciusmented. "Let sleeping dogs lie."

 Chapter 357 Revelation Of Gift

    Lucius didn''t think that the idiom was something used in this world, but back in his old world, it was said to warn against someone waking up a matter that they were unprepared to deal with.

    The ck Rose Knight was afforded certain privileges because of his station and rtion to the King of Grantz, but if the man tested Lucius''s nerves too much, then he wasn''tpletely safe.

    An unfortunate identing across this ck Rose Knight would be something he might encounter.

    Luckily for the ck Rose Knight, Count Gabriel Inanis descended down from the staircase bearing the authority and air befitting of his status.

    "Gentlemen, my son has only returned from the safe house and though I appreciate all of you checking on his condition, it is also important that he be given some time to catch his breath and rx. Save your questions forter."

    "O-of course, Count Inanis! Pardon me for my manners. It is simply a matter that deeply concerns His Majesty that I sometimes can''t help but forget matters such as this one." The ck Rose Knight bowed respectfully. "My apologies to you as well, Lord Asher. I hope that you will forgive me for my impudence."

    "Your apology is epted." Lucius said with a tight smile before he joined the Count up the stairs and headed for the man''s office.

    Kiana quickly went after him and left the ck Rose Knights by themselves. When they arrived at the office, Lucius was surprised to see the Countess also there.

    "Asher, wee home!" Countess Lita stood up eagerly and hugged her son tightly. "I''ve missed you so dearly. I would havee checked on you myself if you hadn''t insisted on returning today instead."

    It made sense that Countess Lita would not go on any trips because she had wanted to see Asher right away.

    Both Lucius and Kiana had been away for nearly two weeks, and it must have worried them greatly not being able to check on Asher''s whereabouts and conditions, even with Kiana around.

    "I am good, mother. It''s been awhile indeed." Lucius greeted with a nod and turned to his father who had taken a seat at his desk table. "I''vee bearing good news."

    "Yes, I take it that the mission has been a sess?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "We would not return if that hadn''t been the case." Lucius said.

    Those words nearly made Countess Lita''s eyes bulge, but Count Gabriel onlyughed and nodded his head. "That makes perfect sense! Tell me more about the details. We''d like to hear everything that transpired, spare nothing from our ears."

    "We''ve reached the Aisse Territory and it took us several days to get there, primarily a week or so, and we took an unofficial path initially to get to the location of the Plow Worms." Lucius said.

    "Right, the Plow Worms." Count Gabriel remembered it alongside Countess Lita. "How did it go? Did you encounter anything else while along the way? If all of you took the unofficial route, those areas are less secure than the ones patrolled by the guards."

    "We fought some Long w Wolves in a forest that night, but other than that, the journey was mostly uneventful, Count Gabriel." Kiana said. "Gellor''s team performed their duties well. They had saved Asher during an encounter with a Plow Worm."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Saved Asher? What happened?" Countess Lita''s creased in worry.

    "The Plow Worm''s territory is riddled with a lot of holes and uneven ground. And of them¡­ well, there was a Plow Worm that caused an tremor that split the ground while Asher took care of it." Kiana said. She knew that the Count and Countess didn''t know of Asher''s gift so she tried to be brief.

    However, it only made them all the more curious.

    "I did hear of your n on using the Rune Beasts to get vengeance against the Bergan''s Band, but I do not understand how approaching a Plow Worm had done it. Did you learn something from the Kain? He is a Beast Master, although he was originally here to tutor you on relearning things." Count Gabriel murmured.

    Thest time that Asher and the Count had met, he didn''t ask a lot of details and simply allowed his son to do what he wanted, but now that Asher returned, the curiosity was palpable for both the Count and Countess.

    "The reason for that is because I have a gift, mother and father." Lucius said.

    The two parents stared at Asher for a heartbeat before surprise and shock washed over their faces. Countess Lita nearly lost her bnce while she stood and Count Gabriel''s brows furrowed together, unsure if he had heard correctly.

    Kiana mostly retained a neutral expression, but she was excited that Asher was finally sharing it to his parents. It was about time that they knew how incredible Asher was.

    "A gift?" Countess Lita said. "You¡­ you have gained a gift?"

    "And it is rted to Rune Beasts?" Count Gabriel said.

    "It is a gift that allows me topel other beings into following me." Lucius said with an even expression. "It is why I had needed to touch the Plow Worm to make it follow mymand to destroy the Bergan''s Band vaults and cause chaos there."

    "Compel?" Countess Lita blinked.

    "Allowing beings? Not merely rune beasts but even people as well?" Count Gabriel nced at his wife.

    The two of them had loved and protected Asher all of their life since they discovered that he was giftless, and now that they heard that he had discovered a gift at his age brought them into a state of confusion.

    It wasn''t so easy to ept.

    "Yes, it''s a gift that I''ve only recently discovered. Etara must have truly blessed me and given me a second chance for living." Lucius lied. "The reason why I haven''t told anyone was the fact that it''s easier to hide my gifts so that people will underestimate me. I''ve learned how to control my gift better, so now I can finally share it with the two of you."

    The couple nced at each other and made up their minds. "We have a small request, Asher."

 Chapter 358 A Request For Appraisal

    "What is it, mother and father?" Lucius asked.

    He knew that they were curious about the revtion of his gift and wanted to know more, but he allowed them the opportunity to ask all the same.

    "We do not know the full extent of your gift, Asher. But more importantly, we do not know the exact rank of your gift." Count Gabriel said.

    "However, we do understand that you wish to keep your a gift secret from others. In fact, we think it''s a good idea, don''t we, Gabriel?" Countess Lita turned to her husband.

    "Of course, the hidden de is the most useful one. But in order to understand it better, we would still like to know the rank. Even if others do not know of it, it would be good to check on it, yes?"

    Kiana didn''t say anything about them having already checked it beforehand and simply allowed Asher to tell what details he wanted to his parents.

    It was how she was impressed and how Asher inspired her confidence in him more.

    "Yes, I agree that it is a good idea." Lucius said.

    Kiana''s eyes widened momentarily, but she figured that Asher would like to show his parents the ceremony in person. The price of the rune crystals to have a private one was something that they could easily pay for their own so it wasn''t an issue to repeat the ceremony.

    ''I''m sure that Asher simply cannot wait but reveal it again. It''s better to see it in person after all to understand how unique it is.'' Kiana thought silently.

    "Well then, how soon is the next gift appraisal ceremony?" Countess Lita asked.

    "I''d prefer it to be done in private, mother. We can afford it by ourselves, and it''s how I''ll remain giftless in the eyes of others." Lucius reminded her.

    "Of course. Kiana, I''ll be making a letter addressed to a Priest of Etara. Allow me a couple of minutes and then have it sent to them. We would like to have it checked at the most avable time, today if possible." Count Gabriel said as he pulled out a piece of parchment from his desk.

    Kiana waited patiently as the Count worked on the letter, a pleased smile on her face. She waspletely unaware of the thoughts and reasons behind why Lucius agreed in the first ce.

    ''Once the Count and Countess see the appraisal results, they wille to realize that their son Asher holds a unique gift. They have mostly been lenient, but there''s still a lot of protectiveness over them that restricts me from doing whatever I wish without their permission.'' Lucius thought.

    That wasn''t the only reason why he was here though.

    ''Priest Maleck is the one most likely toe over. He had insisted on sharing the unique results of my gift to the Grand Repository of Etara so that I may gain ess to it before, but I am unwilling to let everybody know. This will be our second encounter, and this time, I''ll make sure to inspire great faith in me.''

    "I will be preparing a little for the Priest''s arrival." Lucius suddenly dered. He had mostly used up his Soul Space to fit for fewer spells now, but he had to add another addition in time for the Priest of Etara''s arrival.

    "Oh, then please do so." Count Lita smiled, then turned to Count Gabriel. "Actually, our son has just arrived and we''re immediately forcing him to take a gift appraisal test. Reword your letter, Gabriel. Allow him some time to recuperate and get some rest. We can do it tomorrow."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hmm, we can do it tonight, mother. I will be able to rest a little by then." Lucius reassured the woman.

    As much as he''d like to leave things for tomorrow, this was actually something that Lucius wanted to do right away.

    "Are you sure, Asher?" Countess Lita asked.

    "We don''t have to rush this today at all. We''re all deeply curious, but your health takes precedence first."

    "Thank you, I appreciate your concern for me, mother. But I will be fine." Lucius said again.

    He knew that it''d bepletely impossible to remove a parent''s worry and concern over their child¡­ at least for Asher and other more normal families, but he was fine.

    Born from lowly servants in the Great Barrom n, Lucius had been simply one out of many and did not experience such preferential love as the Count and Countess provided Asher.

    There was a chance to luxuriate in it, to be a trash son of the Count''s family if he wanted to and had everything provided for him easily, but Lucius was not someone so willing to settle for just that kind of living.

    Lucius''s aspirations and ambitions stretched far more than just being a noble son of a Count.

    He wanted more, to have this entire world in his palms. And perhaps even that wouldn''t be enough to stave his ambition.

    Lucius had seen countless worlds before, each one unique and different from thest one. Beings with so much power, colossal and enormous as well that they filled his entire vision and allowed him to understand how the universe worked.

    ''Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves.'' Lucius thought. There was so much work that had to be done and he was barely at the cusp of it all.

    "Well then, we will see youter, Asher. It appears that it''s better to invite Priest Maleck for dinner as well and prepare a carriage for him so that he could get here quickly."

    Countess Lita already decided what to do next now that she knew what Asher wanted.

    "Thank you, mother." Lucius said and then took his leave. All of his items and belongings were taken care of by Kiana so he hadn''t need to bring anything with him.

    Instead, Lucius focused on getting to his bed and sat down to meditate. The Soul Space opened up before him and he weighed the heaviness of the spell and checked for room.

    "It''s time to relearn another Spell."

 Chapter 359 A Devotional Revelation

    Later that evening, a carriage arrived at the Inanis mansion. An old priest went inside and carried a box with him.

    Upon his entry, he was greeted none other than the servants but also by Lord Asher, Kiana along with the Count and Countess.

    "Young Lord Asher, it has been so long since we have seen each other." Priest Maleck greeted Lucius once he arrived at the Inanis mansion.

    "Indeed it has been. I hope you have been well." Lucius replied. Thest time that they have been together was already quite a long time as Lucius took care of other matters of precedence.

    Now Lucius had the opportunity to focus on it again.

    "Etara has blessed me and thisnd." Priest Maleck said. "I had heard news of trouble, so I am relieved that Etara has also shielded you from danger, Young Lord."

    Lucius smiled tightly but then nodded.

    "Shall we proceed?"

    All the members of the Inanis family and Priest Maleck headed towards the Count''s study for privacy and away from the eyes of servants and guards alike.

    Even the ck Rose Knights were not informed of this meeting and had been distracted by Captain Donald in the barracks to keep the news from being spread or notice.

    Once they were in the study, Priest Maleck took off the lid of the box. In it were several crystals, each one of a different quality and luster than the other.

    ''Somehow each one seems quite high grade on its own, but there is a certain change.'' Lucius noted silently.

    "Priest Maleck, I presume that this is a different method of appraising gifts?" Lucius asked.

    He had remembered when Kiana and him privately went to the church of Etara in the city and had witnessed the appraisal ceremony and Lucius''s private one that used an extraordinary artifact.

    The details were still vivid in Lucius''s mind.

    Artifact Name: Appraisal Sphere of Etara

    Artifact Grade: Legendary

    Description: The Appraisal sphere can scan the gift of a person andpare it with the stored information in the grand repository of Etara, disying the name of the gift. The artifact can only tell names of gifts that have already been in existence and all new gifts need to be recorded before it can show any information.

    Evolution: Possible

    "Unfortunately, I could not bring the Appraisal Sphere of Etara, even for you, Young Lord Asher. Forgive me Count and Countess Inanis, the grand cathedral had strict orders on what type of appraisals can be done in private away from the church itself." Priest Maleck exined.

    "How is this different from the Appraisal Sphere of Etara? The uracy of that Legendary artifact cannot bepared to¡­ rune crystals?" Count Gabriel noted with a clipped tone.

    "Do not worry about the uracy, Count Inanis. The artificer''s guild has worked with grand respository of Etara to create appraisal crystals. Each one is still blessed with the same ability as the Appraisal Sphere." Priest Maleck said as he picked up another heavy book and ced it on the table.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Priest Maleck and Lord Asher had already done this before, and it dered Lord Asher''s gift as unique and unlike anything in this world as it had not been recorded prior, but perhaps time has changed it?

    There were countless of appraisal halls around the world for people to discover their gifts. What were the chances that someone else might have gotten a simr or exact same gift as Asher''s?

    While not exactly privy to Priest Maleck''s thoughts, Lucius became surprised when the priest picked up a chalk and apologized to the Count before drawing on the table that encircled the book that contained gifts alongside the crystal.

    Priest Maleck''s methods were not necessarily foreign to Lucius as he knew how important conduits were. With theck of a legendary artifact, Priest Maleck stuck to what was avable.

    "To begin, please ce your hand on the crystal, Young Lord Asher." Priest Maleck said. "And infuse it with your Aether, or activate your gift."

    "Of course." Lucius said.

    Count Gabriel and Countess Lita watched with bated breaths as their son ced his hand on the crystal and infused it with his Aether.

    The crystal remained lifeless and it made everyone except Lucius blink. Priest Maleck bowed his head profusely.

    "It seems that this crystal is not working or it cannot measure the Young Lord''s gift. Allow me to use this one." Out of all the carefully arranged crystals, Priest Maleck chose thergest and most beautiful one next.

    It had to be far more expensive than the two rune crystals that was used in the Appraisal Sphere of Etara, however Lucius and everyone said not a word.

    Price was not an issue here.

    Lucius then ced his hand on the crystal. This time, he chose to activate the Nexus gift and suddenly the crystal burned into a brilliant white light that plunged into everyone''s senses.

    Count Gabriel and Countess Lita shielded their eyes alongside Kiana, while Priest Maleck practically copsed on the floor and was in shock of what happened.

    Only Lucius stood unflinching.

    "This light¡­ its pure white brilliance." Priest Maleck stammered and was unable to process it for a moment. To him it emitted a holy light and once the light vanished fully, the crystal which Asher held shattered into multiple pieces.

    "What was that?" Kiana rubbed her eyes. This hadn''t happened during theirst appraisal and she didn''t know what it meant.

    However, Priest Maleck didn''t answer. Instead, his face became flushed, his eyes dted wildly as if he was seeing something that the other four couldn''t see.

    It was a divine calling from none other than Ettara herself!

    Priest Maleck knew it in his bones and it all happened because of his appraisal of Young Lord Asher''s gift.

    Priest Maleck quickly made his way to Lord Asher and then promptly fell on his knees. He could have bowed his head, but in that moment, he only had eyes for Lord Asher alone.

    "I once again devote my life to Etara¡­ and her chosen apostle, Young Lord Asher Inanis!"

 Chapter 360 Fervor And Vow

    "Etara''s¡­?"

    "Apostle?"

    "¡­ Asher?"

    All three people, the Countess, Count and Kiana were stunned with the sudden fervor that Priest Maleck suddenly showed to Asher.

    They all did not know if they were hearing this correctly at first, but Priest Maleck was still on his knees with the most reverential look towards Asher.

    And that wasn''t even the end of it.

    "I have served Etara all of my life and we have always searched for the truth and wisdom in everywhere, but now that she has finally given us an apostle ordained from herself, it is fully right that I must vow my life to Young Lord Asher as well."

    It was an unexpected thing, but Priest Maleck suddenly drew out a dagger from his robes.

    "A dagger?" Countess Lita was mildly shocked and drew a hand to her chest, looking at the Count and Kiana, but neither made a move all at once.

    The idea that a priest would keep a weapon on their person wasn''t exactly the most surprising thing to have realized.

    Even if they were not from the Church of Duran, it made sense that a Priest would try to have a form of self-defense on them.

    But this was also no ordinary dagger, but something akin to a ceremonial dagger as well. Priest Maleck held it up and quickly shed his chest as blood quickly spurted out.

    The wound was not deep, but it drew blood and it was something that Priest Maleck fervently dipped his fingers into and then dabbed across his forehead.

    It was quite a submissive act that Lucius and everyone watched in silence, unable to say a single word.

    "May this be a proof of my humble vow to Etara''s apostle." Priest Maleck said.

    Asher simply kept a cid expression on his face, but he knew what was happeningpletely and was not actually surprised with the results.

    While Priest Maleck saw visions of holy light alongside Kiana, the Count and Countess, and even heard a special message from ''Etara'' herself, it was all actually his own doing.

    ''I''ve expected there to be some fealty, faith and devotion but never to this extent. Then again, all religions tend to have this intense fervor, especially if they think that they aremuning with the principal head of their religion.'' Lucius thought silently.

    The truth of the matter was that Lucius had taken some time in his bedroom to once again add the Veil of Terror into his spell slots when he felt that his soul space was ready for another weight added into it.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Since I''ve made sure that Priest Maleck would being, it''s something that I had to prepare to inspire loyalty to me. Of course,pared to what I have done to June, this was more or less customized to be at a milder and less threatening use of the Veil of Terror. I''m d that it all worked out ordingly to what I have envisioned.''

    The Veil of Terror was aplex spell.

    Perhaps not asplex and as consuming as Soul Scry, but it was still something that many mages would have a hard time using, even more to manipte and tweak its conditions enough to produce a slightly different effect from its usual purpose.

    Lucius with all of his experience in his past world of using the Veil of Terror had done it with mild ease to not only Priest Maleck, the main subject of the spell but for the Count, Countess and Kiana to a certain degree.

    One could only wonder what they were thinking of, but luckily for Lucius, it was still more or less easy to read.

    Countess Lita''s eyes sprang up with tears as she sped her hand together and nced immediately towards her husband.

    ''Something like this¡­ this has never happened before, has it? A gift¡­ Asher. And what is Priest Maleck saying about being Etara''s apostle? It must be an incredible thing. Our son, he has a gift and was chosen by Etara herself! After all these years¡­''

    Count Gabriel''s expression was harder to distinguish, but there was a softer expression on his face. The lines on his face was less harsher than usual if you knew where to look.

    ''It was a miracle that Asher was able to survive the war against Gisir. It was already something that Etara has already given to our family, but to imagine that the goddess herself also selected him to be an apostle? I am notpletely sure if that is truly great news, how it will affect him taking over the Inanis family and what Asher truly wants¡­but this is somethingpletely unprecedented.''

    On the otherhand, Kiana was a mixture of joy, surprise and awe, but she held back from making any overt expression and simply nced in Asher''s way as if she couldn''t understand what had happened.

    ''Asher was chosen by Etara? I¡­ why did she only reveal it to us now? I don''t understand the ways of a goddess, but if that is truly her will then Asher has once again aplished something outstanding.''

    ? Within the silence of the room, after Priest Maleck''s deration, everyone held their breaths until Count Gabriel cleared his throat and asked.

    "What exactly is Asher''s gift, Priest Maleck? You mentioned him being an apostle of Etara as well, and that''s something unheard of even for me."

    "The Young Lord Asher''s gift is from Etara herself and it is her will that made him into her one and only chosen disciple." Priest Maleck exined.

    "That doesn''t¡­ what about its rank? Do you know what rank this gift is?" Count Gabriel asked. He knew that divine gifts were special, but there was also the possibility that they were simr to what you had previously before you entered the church.

    It was no doubt different since Asher had been giftless before, so the Count was quite curious. The Countess and Kiana also paid attention well.

    "Something as lowly as these appraisal crystals cannot bear to just ''check'' something that was given by Etara herself, Count Inanis."

 Chapter 361 Apostle Of Etara

    Priest Maleck''s head was wrapped up in a fervent desire to bow to Young Lord Asher, the cut on his chest bleeding and seeping his robes red, a sign, but he also didn''t forget to respectfully answer the Count.

    "However, it is quite possible that only the Grand Cathedral of Etara might have the ability to check Young Lord''s Asher gift if he wishes to go there." Priest Maleck replied.

    "Is that so?" Count Gabriel said.

    His expression grew a lot more thoughtfulpared to his wife. His thoughts on the matter was once again made with the thought of how things might change for Asher if his status was revealed.

    ''Asher is no longer a child though, Gabriel. You''ve even passed the Inanis heirlooms to him because you trust that he is now an adult and capable of making decisions for himself. Even with this sudden news of him being Etara''s apostle shouldn''t make it any different, but this is quite big news no matter how much I think of it.''

    Count Gabriel couldn''t help but be lost in his thoughts, thinking back on all the recent events and sesses that his son brought to them in the time after the war with Gisir.

    ''It''s a little sphemous to think of this, but is the reason why Etara blessed our son was for this purpose alone and not simply because she wished to reward him for all that he had done or as something of mercy for his suffering in the past years? Asher has be more and more like a suitable heir for the Inanis family, but now I can''t help but think that it might actually be a different path for him depending on how things happen from now on.''

    "Um, Priest Maleck¡­ pardon me for my words, but you are still bleeding." Kiana politely pointed out.

    Countess Lita who was also wrapped up in her own private thoughts stirred to attention and cleared her throat.

    "Priest Maleck, would you like us to call for Healer Delia at once? I understand that this has been done as an act of fealty towards our son and goddess Etara, but your wound has not stopped bleeding, I believe." Countess Lita said with a kind smile.

    "Oh, I am quite fine. Please do not worry about me, Countess." Priest Maleck shook his head with a smile, the blood still visible on his forehead. It had dried up slightly, but it was still there.

    While the Countess and Priest Maleck were going on their small conversation, trying to insist that Kiana should go for a healer while the Count also thought about this new situation, something else was happening for Lucius.

    Lucius had already stopped the Veil of Terror, confident that it was no longer necessary but then some strange energy cloaks him all of a sudden.

    ''What is this¡­? I couldn''t have casted the Veil of Terror on myself, so this is an unknown energy instead.'' Lucius'' brows creased together.

    The energy''s feeling was not at all pleasant to deal with, not entirely hostile, but it was still an ufortable sensation as it didn''t belong to him at all.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The moment that Lucius tried to sense the foreign energy, it quickly disappeared and left him stunned as it was something that he couldn''t identify in the short amount of time.

    ''Was that Aether? No it wasn''t at all¡­'' Lucius frowned.

    "Young Lord Asher, would you like to go to Grand Cathedral of Etara?" Priest Maleck asked. "It would be a great blessing if the cathedral was informed of what has happened today."

    Previously, Priest Maleck thought it was simply an unknown gift. Even though this had never happened in all of the years that Priest Maleck had appraised people, it didn''t mean that it waspletely new.

    ''There was probably a time where everyone had gifts that were still unknown to the church as Etara''s followers simply started on gathering information about gifts¡­ but this is Etara''s apostle! Ordained by herself, this is different fromst time.'' Priest Maleck thought.

    The words of Priest Maleck made both Count Gabriel and Lucius to pay attention to him.

    Even though they were not truly rted, Lucius and Count Gabriel''s line of thoughts were made around the same thread and made evident when Lucius finally supplied an answer.

    "The thought does honor me, Priest Maleck. However, it would certainly bring too much attention on me which is something that I am not looking forward to. I''ve already had a lot on my te at the moment and bringing this to the light will bring a lot of unexpected things for me to deal with. I hope that this is something that you would understand." Lucius said with a smile.

    "O-of course, Young Lord Asher!" Priest Maleck immediately nodded his head. He ced a hand on his bloodied robe and then lowly bowed. "Whatever it is that you''ve gauged as your best judgment, it is what I will listen to. Etara herself has blessed you and so your knowledge is akin from hers as well! I have vowed my life in order to serve Etara and her apostle."

    Lucius knew that if Etara herself was present now, she would have probably struck down Priest Maleck for saying such sphemous words.

    However, as Lucius already knew from his experience with theck of Divine Pull and the amount of people in Grantz Kingdom and across the entire world, it was much unlikely for her to have heard it.

    Meanwhile, Count Gabriel himself was also relieved to hear Asher''s words. He did not know if it meant that Asher was fullymitted to the idea of being the next Inanis heir, but there was no one else but him whom he could pass it onto.

    ''Perhaps Asher has taken that into ount and rejected it?'' Count Gabriel thought. In the past, it was much easier to determine what was on his son''s mind by virtue of how he acted and talked, but now it was like Count Gabriel was dealing with apletely new person.

    "However, there is something that I would like to ask¡­" Lucius said.

 Chapter 362 Request For Knowledge

    "However, there is something that I would like to ask¡­" Asher said.

    Upon Asher''s opening words, Kiana, Count Gabriel and Countess Lita immediately found themselves intrigued and excited about what he would ask for.

    ''In the past, Asher expressed his interest in visiting the Grand Repository of Etara to obtain more knowledge. Perhaps Priest Maleck will now be more lenient and give a chance to visit that ce without needing to expose, Asher''s identity?'' Kiana thought silently. ''A bit unlikely, based on how he said it¡­ but he still has to listen to Asher.''

    ''Of course. Even with this sudden revtion of Asher''s gift, it would not simply be Etara benefiting from this kind of arrangement but my son as well. What will he be asking for? It has to be something that our family won''t be able to provide easily, but something that the church has in abundance.'' Count Gabriel mused to himself.

    ''I''m proud to know that my son is already opening up to the role and knowing what to ask for. He had expressed his interest on rune beasts and artifacts before, had used them during the incident with Bergan''s Band, will it be rted to that?'' Countess Lita wondered.

    "Just say the word, Young Lord Asher." Priest Maleck said immediately, unaware of the thoughts of everyone else in the room. "I will try to assist you as much as I can."

    "That is much appreciated. While I do not wish for my status to be revealed all at once, I would still like your help in regards to obtaining books and other information about artifacts and their methods of manufacturing." Lucius said.

    Lucius could have asked for anything, knowing that Priest Maleck would do everything in his power to obtain them for him, but this was a good start.

    This was a project that Lucius wanted to do in the first ce when the original Asher''s friends brought him artifacts.

    ''Artifacts can power up my army and if I can mass-produce things, or even just create ones that are unique in the market and useful, there will be another supplement of money into the Inanis family, not withstanding what it could do to increase my reputation and value in the eyes of others.'' Lucius thought.

    Artifacts were an important thing in this world for those who could afford them.

    And Lucius having personally benefited from artifacts with the Wind Scar Sword and June''s telescope prior and so Lucius could see the possible applications if he were to have the knowledge to create them.

    More importantly, this was not exactly an absurd request to ask from the Church of Etara.

    Etara was the Goddess of Knowledge and thus her churches no doubt had ess to arge number of books, even far more than a wealthy noble household would acquire for themselves.

    "If that is what you wish, Young Lord Asher then it shall be done. I will have everything that you desire to be sent here." Priest Maleck said.

    Priests of Etara were also encouraged to be schrs and to fill themselves with knowledge as much as possible in honor of the goddess and for the pursuit of knowledge alone, this was something easy for Priest Maleck.<novelnext></novelnext>

    However, a thought suddenly urred to the Priest now that his head already cleared up a little from the effects of Veil of Terror.

    "But based on the topics that you''ve wished to study, Young Lord Asher¡­ is it not wrong for me to assume that you wish to be an artificer too?"

    "Yes. It''s something that I wish to undergo when opportunity allows me too." Lucius said. "I hope that you find no trouble with it, Priest Maleck?"

    The old man shook his head vehemently, as if the thought would never ur to him and instead said.

    "There is no problem, whatsoever! Instead, I believe Etara is leading you to a path that you must take, then perhaps in addition to the books and resources for artifact making, it would be better to have a teacher who can instruct you during your free time, Young Lord Asher?"

    "A teacher? That does sound like a good idea, doesn''t it?" Lucius said.

    "Yes, with all the responsibilities of Asher, it''s important to have someone who is willing to work with him on times when he is avable." Countess Lita murmured.

    Previously, Master Kain had already informed Lucius on the necessities of bing part of the Artificer''s Guild, and with the man''s influence, it was also quite likely that Lucius could enter based on the man''s rmendation and by presenting a vital study to earn their support.

    ''However, the path of being under the Artificer''s guild would mean that there''s a chance to expose further more information of how much I have to learn, something that''s best avoided. Not to mention that I would be under watchful eyes.'' Lucius thought.

    Even though Lucius had poured most of his energy on learning everything there was to learn about this world and how to blend in with Master Kain, there were instances where hisck of knowledge could still put him in a difficult position.

    The ck Rose Knight who questioned him initially nearly exposed the fact that Lucius was not aware of his own ''family'' history in regards to Count Gabriel''s parents and background.

    ''The Artificer''s Guild is no doubt filled with intellectual individuals and there is quite a chance that I''ll be scrutinized heavily, especially when it''s someone of my station trying to be an Artificer. While they might not try to steal any artifact that I''ll suggest unless they wish to earn the ire of the Inanis family, they will still analyze me well.''

    Lucius truly wanted to avoid as much attention as possible, so if he were able to gain his hands on a private tutor then it was all the better.

    "Then I will do my best to prevail on this individual, Young Lord Asher." Priest Maleck bowed his head.

    Lucius was pleased to hear that, but he also had his own questions about this individual that the priest was talking about.

 Chapter 363 Erudite Will

    "May I perhaps get some answers in regards to who this teacher of mine will be?" Lucius asked.

    While information like their name and position was something that Lucius was quite interested in, he was more concerned on their ability to teach more than anything else.

    "Oh, you do not have to worry about their character and credentials, Young Lord Asher. This is another clergy from the Cathedral of Etara that is actually an artificer." Priest Maleck said.

    "Is that so? Then I''ll trust your judgment in this." Lucius said. He wanted more details, but it seemed Priest Maleck was far more interested in keeping such a thing a secret until they were to meet in person.

    Or perhaps Priest Maleck was still befuddled by the Veil of Terror to think clearly.

    There was no doubt still some lingering effects, even if Lucius only used it mildly.

    "Although ah¡­" Priest Maleck ced a hand on his forehead and winced slightly. "They are actually quite a well-sought out artificer and rather busy most of the time. However, if Young Lord Asher''s status as apostle is revealed then I am quite certain that this person will dly teach you and make time in their schedule."

    "Hmmm¡­" Lucius hummed slightly.

    "I hope that you forgive me for only realizing it now, Young Lord Asher. They just instantly came to mind."

    While Lucius personally preferred the idea that he kept his status a secret even from the teacher, it was almost something that he couldn''t avoid at this point.

    ''Based on how Priest Maleck described this person, then there''s no doubt that this artificer is a good one if they are being searched for by countless other individuals. Their reputation precedes them, and if they do see me as an apostle, their respect and faith will rise in me. Another possible tool to be used in the future.'' Lucius thought.

    "What do you think, mother and father?" Lucius decided to consult the Count and Countess.

    It was mostly a token act since he had alreadye to a decision, but he was curious on how they judged the situation.

    "I think it''s a good opportunity." Count Gabriel said.

    "Yes, I agree." Countess Lita nodded.

    "My same line of thoughts exactly." Lucius nodded then turned to Priest Maleck. "I agree with this condition, I hope to meet them at the most expedient time possible."

    "Of course! I will get my tasks done at once, Young Lord Asher." Priest Maleck bowed.

    "What about your wound¡­ and dinner, Priest Maleck?" Kiana tried to point out.

    She had mostly stayed quiet throughout the entire duration but remembered all the preparations they have done prior to wee Priest Maleck.

    "It is a great honor to be invited to dine with the Inanis family, but I think it is also the will of Etara to have all of the tasks that Young Lord Asher has asked of me to be done at once."

    Even while Priest Maleck spoke, he was already clearing the table where he had tried to perform the appraisal test and returned all the items he had used in the wooden box and also cleared out the shattered rune crystals.

    "If you truly insist, then it seems that we cannot stop you, Priest Maleck." Lucius said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I will bid you farewell¡­ Kiana will you handle his departure or assign a servant to apany him?"

    "I will do it quickly." Kiana dipped her head and then went for the door.

    She quickly summoned a servant to escort Priest Maleck out and chose to remain instead.

    There was no argument from the Count and Countess and they didn''t even seem bothered that the Priest refused to dine with them in order to do the tasks that their son wanted him to.

    It was clear to Lucius that they wished to privately speak with him once Priest Maleck was gone.

    "How did it go, mother and father?" Lucius asked once the priest was gone.

    He had gauged their expressions earlier as something akin to joy and relief upon the knowledge of his gift, but they still looked curious.

    Even Kiana herself seemed to have questions lingering in her head, in spite of the mark of loyalty.

    ''Hmm¡­ I know that creating a mark of loyalty takes quite a great amount of Hell Energy when Ist did it with Kiana, but it has not urred to me to do it with the Count and Countess.'' Lucius thought. ''Gellor once showed a sensitivity to the Hell Aether before, and I know not how perceptive Count Gabriel is.

    If Gellor was one in several hundreds, the Count is more than one in a thousand. Their parental affection is good in the mean time, but when the opportunity strikes, that is also something for me to consider.''

    "We''re so proud of you, Asher. Etara has blessed us." Countess Lita stepped forward and engulfed her son in a hug. "You¡­ we have always loved you Asher, even when you did not have any gift. It did not make you anything less, even though you may have previously felt that way, right, Gabriel?"

    "You were quite skilled with the de, Asher." Count Gabriel nodded. "You had your talents, even prior to everything. You would have turned out as a good heir to the Inanis name before even without all of this for you are my son."

    "Thank you, father."

    "But this something incredible and I am happy that you have gotten this, Asher." Countess Lita finished with tears pricking in her eyes.

    Lucius bit back a remark.

    He had a feeling that the fact that Asher was giftless had gued both the Count and Countess, so this news was certainly good for them.

    "However, if the Priest was unable to determine the rank of your gift, I am also quite certain that you at least know the name and parameters of it. It''s an instinctive thing."

    Count Gabriel said. "Are you willing to tell us what the gift''s name is, Asher?"

    "Of course." Lucius said. While he did not have ess to the Repository of Gifts that the legendary artifact of Etara had privy to, he had already seen countless gifts with his Nexus and could make one up on the spot.

    Kiana''s eyes widened slightly and both the Count and Countess waited with curiosity.

    "It is called the Erudite Will."

 Chapter 364 The News Arrives

    "Erudite''s Will?" Kiana said in a hushed voice of awe.

    "Yes, that is the name of the gift that Etara has bestowed upon me." Lucius nodded.

    "An impressive gift, my son." Countess Lita smiled.

    "Indeed it is." Count Gabriel nodded. "A fitting name for a gift from a goddess. I can imagine that you will be able to put it to good use, Asher."

    "I already have, father, and I will continue to do so." Lucius reassured them.

    Based on how Asher exined his gift of being able topel others to follow him, it matchedpletely and the Count and Countess were satisfied to hear it.

    Even though Asher had the right to keep things for himself as someone who was already of age, the fact that he still shared the information meant that he still trusted his family to have his best interest''s in mind.

    "We should all celebrate with a meal!" Kiana blurted. "Priest Maleck has already gone and declined dinner but we''ve made preparations."

    "That does sound like a pleasant thing. Shall we wine and dine, Asher? You must at least eat something before you go to rest, you too Kiana." Countess Lita said.

    Even though Asher and Kiana had just recently arrived from Aisse territory, the Countess was quite keen in making sure that they ate well.

    "Of course. Let us dine before I resign for the night." Lucius said. With how things turned out with the Bergan''s Band, there was nothing wrong with basking in a bit of luxury.

    ''While I''m used to staying in humbler ces when I''ve been a servant of the Barrom n. It is far better to restore my body and energy with the more luxurious and healthier meals in this house than what I encountered down the road.'' Lucius thought.

    And so for that evening, the Inanis family ate dinner together. The meal was once again made from Rune Beasts meat and included the Carrom wine which lifted the spirits of the family as they celebrated Asher''s aplishments in Aisse territory.

    Once they were done, Lucius went to his room to rest.

    ***

    The next two days immediately flew by for Lucius.

    ''While there''s no immediate news from Priest Maleck yet, there''s still much to be done.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius preupied himself with matters of the Dionysia Brewery and the re education center. He made sure that everything went ordingly well with their business and things went smoothly.

    It was easy to want to stay at the Inanis mansion and stay idle, but Lucius was more interested in moving around and also avoiding the annoying ck Rose Knights that tried to interrogate him whenever they got the opportunity to do so.

    "Asher, where are we going next?" Kiana asked as they sat in the carriage. "Will you be summoning Gellor and his team next?"

    "Not exactly. We''ll give them a chance to recuperate. On the contrary, it''s been a couple of days and I''m interested in the whereabouts of Carlyle and his team."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh yes, we haven''t seen them even before the army of Viscount Drew." Kiana nodded.

    Lucius went to Blind Crow Tavern to visit Leif to gather news about the criminals. Once he stepped inside of the safe room, the tavern owner met him.

    "Young Lord Asher! It''s been awhile!" Leif greeted him with a reverential bow when they met. "I heard that you went to a safe house."

    "Indeed we have." Lucius said. While Leif was good at gathering information, he wasn''t good enough to have obtained everything.

    "What can I do for you today, Young Lord Asher? Have you heard of the news that arrived here in Inanis city? It is certainly good news!"

    "Oh, is that so? What is it?" Lucius asked, though he already had a feeling of what the man was about to say.

    "The city of Cuss, the base of the Bergan''s Band has faced a certain cmity. They''ve experienced an earthquake and a great Rune Beast has shaken up the entire city. Many lives were lost, but since they are the Bergan''s Band, perhaps it is simply the gods enacting their judgment." Leif said.

    While Leif was not the most religious one, it was clear that gaining favor from Young Lord Asher was also vital.

    "Perhaps so." Lucius said.

    "¡­" Kiana didn''t say anything, but her lips were pursed into a small ''o''.

    ''For those who do not know that Asher is the one behind the Plow Worm incident, it can really seem like it was an act of a god. Well¡­ Asher is the apostle of Etara so one can almost say the same exact thing.'' Kiana thought.

    "The rune beast that attacked was said to have been a Plow Worm, but there are several peculiarities to it that has frightened a lot of the inhabitants even all the way here." Leifmented.

    "I can imagine that." Lucius nodded. "I''ve onlye here to check on the whereabouts of Caryle, Arius and Cohen, but I am grateful for this update." Lucius said.

    "Oh, they must still be making their way back to Inanis city. When Count Inanis stormed all the way back from the capital, I am sure that they had taken a detour lest they get caught up in his rampage." Leif said. "Even if they''re your men, I don''t think Count Inanis will spare them if they get caught."

    "Makes sense, thank you." Lucius said.

    As Lucius and Kiana made their way back to the Inanis family mansion, it was just in time for the arrival of a certain ck Rose Knight.

    "Young Lord Asher! A pleasure to meet you." The man greeted him respectfully as he got off his horse. "I''vee from all the way to Aisse territory."

    "Weren''t there three of you who went to Aisse territory?" Lucius asked, remembering the exact number his father sent.

    "Oh yes, mypanions have went back to the capital to report the king of what transpired in Aisse territory. Please allow me to report it back to the Count and you in a proper setting, Young Lord."

    "Very well." Lucius said.

 Chapter 365 Opportunity To Suppress

    Count Gabriel invited the newly arrived ck Rose Knight and the ones who had remaining in the Inanis mansion for the reporting.

    Lucius wasn''t quite pleased with the other three who had been around all this time and the ones who mostly gued him with their incessant questions, but he stood to listen to the report.

    Countess Lita and Kiana were also present to listen to the news, mostly staying on the sidelines.

    "Count Gabriel, as you have explicitly ordered, mypanions and I went to Aisse territory. The reason why I am the only one who has returned is because the others returned to His Majesty." The ck Rose Knight exined.

    ''Did they return to the King of Grantz before or after the attack on Cuss City and the Bergan''s Band? How the king will respond will still be dependent on how he views the situation.'' Lucius thought to himself with a frown.

    "How did the Earl of Aisse respond to your words?" Lucius asked.

    "The Earl of Aisse is willing to meet and discuss everything with Count Gabriel." The ck Rose Knight said.

    "Of course he should be!" Count Gabriel scoffed. With the threat of Rancor being mentioned, it made sense that the Earl of Aisse was ready to be supplicant.

    "Unfortunately, there has been a certain change in circumstances." The ck Rose Knight said. "I went to visit Cuss City to check on the Bergan''s Band with Earl Aisse''s soldiers, but when we came there¡­ there has been great chaos in the city."

    "Is it the work of someone who wished to attack Bergan''s Band?" another ck Rose Knight asked. It was the same perceptive one who asked Lucius questions before. "The timing couldn''t be anymore better."

    "Is there anyone who can actually fight Bergan''s Band head on, that is a silly idea." Another knight chided hispanion and apologized to the Count and his family for daring such statements.

    The newly returned knight shook his head. "There was an earthquake and an attack of a mighty Rune Beast that most identified to be close to a Plow Worm."

    "Oh, a Plow Worm?"

    "ording to the testimonies of those who survived the attacks, they carapace was far thicker and it had several spikes on its body alongside great teeth that devoured a lot of the Bergan''s Band members. It was even able to take on a lot of hits from numerous powerful gifted users, main forces from Bergan''s Band."

    "Where was Bergan?"

    "He was not around. The second-inmand, Eric managed to use his gift to create an opening, but about a half or potentially more had their lives lost and taken away." The ck Rose Knight shook his head.

    "Well, that''s quite interesting. An unfortunate incident, but certainly something that I don''t mind hearing." Count Gabriel said in a cool tone. He had already heard all the details from Asher, but pretended to be hearing all of this for the first time.

    "This must be a new variant of the Plow Worm!" one of the knights said in an outburst. "I haven''t heard of anything like this happening recently... pardon me, I''ve read books about Rune Beasts in my spare time."

    "Then you must know that there''s still urrences from time to time that a Rune Beast will gain new characteristics, certainly." Lucius said evenly.

    "¡­ but in this amount of time? That amount of change should take at least years¡­" the ck Rose Knight said, then coughed. "Forgive me, Young Lord Asher. I am simply speaking my thoughts."

    "Apologies given." Lucius said.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Regardless, what shall be done for now?" Count Gabriel asked breaking off the conversation.

    The Count knew that the changes of the Plow Worm most likely had to do with the Erudite''s Will that Asher had used so he wanted to draw attention away from it.

    "Since we''ve sent some of our men to return to His Majesty, we will be waiting for the next orders thate from him, Count Gabriel." The first knight said.

    "Very well then. You are all dismissed."

    "Thank you, Count Gabriel!"

    All of the ck Rose Knights bowed and then quickly departed to give the Count and his son privacy to talk.

    It also allowed the ck Rose Knights to confer among themselves after having not seen each other in weeks.

    Once they were gone, Countess Lita let out a breath that she didn''t know she had been holding.

    Out of everyone in the Inanis family, she was the one who was most nervous and looked at her husband and son with worried eyes.

    "Do you think¡­ they might have noticed anything? I do not think that any of them has any gifts simr to that of the Church of Duran, but I''m quite uneasy all the same." Countess Lita said.

    "That''s quite unlikely, Lita. They might be the vassals of His Majesty, but their talents still lie primarily inbat and not information gathering to have any kind of gift." Count Gabriel said.

    Lucius who had ascertained all of the gifts of the ck Rose Knights prior also nodded. "Yes, do not fret, mother. Father has spoken correctly about this matter."

    "Actually, even if the ck Rose Knight was rather unsure of how His Majesty might respond to the information, once they hear of what happened to Bergan''s Band, it''s far more likely that the king will try to suppress them." Count Gabriel said.

    "You think so, father?" Lucius asked.

    "I am positive. They''ve been a thorn to his side." Count Gabriel said. "And any thorns that oppose the king will be plucked out."

    It was almost a fitting statement, based on how the king of Grantz was able to use Count Gabriel as Rancor in the past.

    ''There''s no doubt that if the king hadn''t used my father, the Inanis family would have already been disposed of.'' Lucius thought.

    "Then we shall be waiting for the uing news then, Father." Lucius said.

    It would be a bit of waiting, but Lucius already had his revenge on Bergan''s Band and so he was willing to wait for further retribution.

 Chapter 366 Not Guilty

    "Asher! There are several letters and news that have arrived for you today." Kiana stepped inside of the library and found Lucius reading books again.

    "Really, what are they?" Lucius closed a book.

    When Lucius was mostly done with the basics of running the re education center and the Diosnysia Brewery, and he only needed a bit of time as it was mostly monitoring, he spent time in the library reading books.

    "Well, the first letter is something that both the Count and Countess have already read before they continued on with their daily tasks, Asher, but it is something that you''re interested in." Kiana said. "So they made me give it to you."

    "Hmm¡­ I suppose you already know." Lucius said as he epted the first letter and opened it.

    "Yes, but please read it for yourself, Asher. I think you will be pleased to know it." Kiana said with a smile.

    Lucius read the letter and let out a small hum. Out of everything that he expected, this was something that he took in with a small passing nod.

    "So the nobles who wished to organize the banquet for the victory of the Inanis army has finally chosen a location at longst." Lucius said wryly. "Etara''s Cross. I guess that is a suitable location."

    "Are you not excited about it, Asher?" Kiana said, expecting more of an enthusiastic response. "You mentioned in passing that you could have met the lord in charge at Etara''s Cross but wasn''t able to."

    "Oh, I am certainly looking forward to it. It''s an opportunity to mingle with other nobles, and we''ll also be introducing Alessa to the circle, but it does ur to me on how nobility tend to slow and linger over these matters." Lucius shrugged and handed the letter back to Kiana.

    "There''s aways going to be some debates on where it''s going to be held and the preparations to be done." Kiana pointed out, but then held the letter in her hand. "But I suppose, you would have already finished all the ns in less time wouldn''t you, Asher?"

    "Precisely. But I suppose the benefit of them taking so long to decide is that I was able to handle all my personal affairs beforehand, so there is some good to it." Lucius said.

    If the victory party had taken ce earlier and coincided with Lucius''s n on visiting the Aisse territory, then they would have run in with some issues.

    At least, this way, Lucius managed the affair and was able to take on Bergan''s Band.

    "I think they also dyed slightly because of the attempted assassination, Asher. But I suppose you''re right." Kiana said and then cleared her throat. "My next report is something that came from Leif."

    "Ah, so it''s Arius, Carlyle and Cohen. Good. In their circumstances I would expect there to some reasonable excuses." Lucius folded his hands together. "When are they avable?"

    "They will be on standby and just waiting for you toe meet with them, Asher."

    "Alright. What''s the next one?"

    "Oh, this one is thest report I have for you today, Asher." Kiana straightened and handed Lucius a letter. "I''ve chosen to deliver this letter to you first, although I think the Count and Countess will also be interested in reading this, if only so you can appease their worries and concerns."

    Compared to the nobility''s seal on the first letter, theck of any actual paper from Leif''s report¡­ this one was a letter that bore the seal of the Church of Duran.<novelnext></novelnext>

    This was by far, the longest one that arrived after some time.

    "They certainly took their time." Lucius wasn''t the least bit nervous as he was positive that he made their case properly when he met with the people from the Church of Duran, and soon he took out the letter to read.

    "What does it say?" Kiana chewed on her lip. She trusted Asher, but couldn''t help but be more worried than him.

    "Church of Duran has determined me, not guilty." Lucius said. "I''ve merely acted on my own volition during the time with the Barony among other things¡­ but ah yes, they are also inquiring on the whereabouts of Priest Josef."

    It was the Priest whom Lucius sent five Bore Shrews after.

    "What will you say, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Nothing out of ordinary." Lucius said with a chuckle. "Do they have any gifts that can also measure the truth of writing? I hardly doubt there''s anything like that and they''ve already given their response. Fetch me a parchment and quill, Kiana."

    "Yes, Asher."

    Lucius wrote down a customary response in regards to the ruling of the Church of Duran and also denied any extra knowledge in regards to the Priest.

    Once he was finished, Lucius handed the letter to Kiana.

    "Please send it at once and also arrange a meeting at the Blind Crow Tavern with Arius and the others. Since they''ve arrived, I''d like to meet with them shortly."

    "Of course, Asher." Kiana bowed her head and then went out to do Lucius''s bidding.

    It didn''t take too long for Kiana to prepare him a carriage for him to leave, and he went out of the Inanis mansion without any pesky ck Rose Knightsing to look for him either.

    Once he arrived at the basement, he quickly greeted the three criminals and sat down at the table. Lucius assessed their conditions and they did not seem to be in any sort of great injury, which Lucius was satisfied.

    It simply meant that there was another reason for their dy, something that he was interested in hearing.

    "Gentlemen, it''s been awhile since we''ve met. How are things? Did any of you encounter anything unexpected while on the road here?" Lucius asked.

    "We apologize for the dys, Lucius." Arius hastily said and bowed his head. "A lot has happened. We had to go to the kingdom of Gisir for awhile to stay low."

    "There were some soldiers from the Grantz kingdom that spotted us before we could try to leave Viscount Drew''s territory, so we had to run all the way there." Carlyle exined.

    "Oh, what happened during your time there?"

 Chapter 367 Guerilla Troops

    Lucius kept his expression calm and unconcerned, but there was a certain edge to his tone, almost too casual, that Kiana and the criminals noticed.

    Kiana presumed it was because of the fact that it was Gisir''s kingdom that was at fault for all the harm that happened to Asher when he fought against them.

    On the contrary, the edge was actually some excitement in Lucius'' voice.

    That was something the criminals recognized as they all exchanged discreet looks.

    Arius and his team knew that they did a good job.

    ''We haven''t heard anything from Gisir for quite some time, that I''m curious on what exactly they''ve been doing. There''s the armistice, but based on my experience, nothing is truly as simple as it seems.'' Lucius thought.

    "We were hoping to find a good ce to hide in the Gisir border, but all we found were soldiers camping." Arius said.

    "And not just like a couple to watch and maintain the border, but more than necessary." Cohen shook his head. "Fighting them was tiring."

    "But we''ve managed to deal with them all effectively." Carlyle said and nodded slowly. "This time it wasn''t only Arius being the powerhouse. We all got our fair share in the action, right Cohen?"

    "Definitely!" Cohen grinned.

    Lucius nearly forgotten that he had upgraded the gifts of both Cohen and Carlyle already.

    ''I''ve spent nearly 80% of the ie from Dionysia Brewery for their upgrades, but it seems like it has only been an apt thing considering that they faced the Gisir army and came back unharmed.'' Lucius thought.

    The amount of wealth was something that Lucius didn''t need to worry about with everything he gained from Bergan''s Band vaults and the continued sess of the Dionsyia Brewery.

    "How did it go? Were the upgrades to your liking? Compared to before you had your gifts, would Arius the Fist, Cohen the Fang and Carlyle the Blood Hammere out the same given the same situation?"

    "Well, we would have survived all the same, but it would be with some injuries unlike now." Carlyle admitted. "I''ve been able to use my blood to form it into the hammer, but now I can shape it into something more projectile-like."

    "Projectile?" Lucius asked.

    Carlyle took out a knife and shed his palm. Blood seeped out and quickly formed into shards which he used to attack the wall of the tavern.

    "You''re going to have to pay for that." Arius said with a shake of his head.

    "Better to demonstrate it here than in our cozy new ce." Carlyle shrugged apologetically.

    "As for me the fangs I have are now poisoned." Cohen said. "Nothing as shy as Carlyle''s upgrade, but still effective."

    ''Hmm, now that I''ve thought about it... Ariana from Gellor''s team also has a fang-based gift. A coincidence maybe? They don''t necessarily have to be rted to have simr gifts.''

    "To keep it short for you though, Lucius. We managed to killed all the soldiers in the camp and found documents." Arius said and passed the documents to Asher.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hmmm... it''s good that your superior power made dealing with the soldiers easy." Lucius said as he read the document.

    It was one of the reasons why he made the Masked Legion in the first ce and nned to create another force with Gellor and the criminals as well.

    Creating elites was far better than simply having more troops and numbers.

    "What is it... Lucius?" Kiana said, not being able to stop herself. She restrained herself from peeking over his shoulders, but she also wanted to hear the news at once.

    "The Gisir Kingdom has created that particr group of soldiers as a camp of gueri troops. Stationed at the border, they''re ready to receive orders at a moment''s notice." Lucius read aloud.

    Kiana''s eyes widened. "That''s a vition of the armistice! If Grantz Kingdom were to discover it, this could cause the war to break out again. This is... this is horrible."

    "Indeed it is." Lucius said as he returned the documents to their envelope. "How many did the three of you see while you guys were in Gisir?"

    "Around ten camps, Lucius. We didn''t fight with all of them, wanting to reserve our strength since it was just the three of us, but also because we promised to get back here as well." Arius said.

    "Of course, that makes sense." Lucius nodded.

    Kiana bit down on her lip, and the other three criminals nced at Lucius in interest. This was vital and earth shaking news.

    How Lucius responded to this information would say a lot about how he managed and worked through things, although Arius and his men already had a feeling that Lucius was no ordinary man.

    Most of the nobility wouldn''t even work with criminals in the first ce, and even if they did, it would be through some otherwork or people so as to not trace it back to them.

    On the contrary, Lucius personally came forward.

    Cohen and Carlyle thought ''Lucius'' was a disguise name, but it was still a lot of couragepared to other nobles who might have wanted to have several guards instead of just one maid.

    Arius nced slightly at Kiana. Even though there was a look of worry on her face, one couldn''t also miss the way that her shoulders were straightened and her body was in a position ready to fight at a moment''s notice.

    "Thank you for the information, gentlemen." Lucius nodded. "This will be put into good hands. But this certainly does bring me into a new possible proposition for you three."

    "What is it, Lucius?" Arius asked.

    A smile yed mildly on Lucius''s lips and a cold look appeared in his eyes.

    "Well, how do the three of you feel returning to Gisir again? The three of you finished off a camp all by yourselves, so it wouldn''t be bad to deal with other ones given the right amount of time and preparation."

    "Right amount of time and preparation?" Carlyle raised his brow.

    "We are ready to act at a moment''s notice, Lucius." Arius said. "Just say the word."

 Chapter 368 Faith In Person

    "I''m d that we''ve finally finished our conversation with those people." Kiana said once they stepped back inside the carriage. She let out a sigh and rxed against her seat.

    Even though Arius and his team had agreed to be subordinates of Asher, she was always still wary that maybe they''d double-cross him and she would have to fight against three Epic Rank users.

    When it was just Arius, Kiana had been confident that she''d be able to take him down and the other two, but it was intimidating to have them all be powerful and being stuck in the same closed room as them.

    "How so? Are you nervous about their character? They''ve proved to bepetent." Luciusmented. "The mission that they''ll be undertaking is another way for them to assist us with our ns, Kiana. Simr to the Masked Legion, they are tools and so long as you know how to wield them, then there are no issues with it."

    "I suppose so, Asher. You''re right¡­ but it''s just something I''m getting used to." Kiana admitted but then sighed. "Gellor and his team are good, but I doubt that they''ll agree to do something like attack the Gisir army would they?"

    "Yes, you see my purpose for Arius and his men exactly." Lucius said.

    "Of course." Kiana nodded proudly. "It''s just¡­ well, I suppose they won''t be doing anything drastic as long as they trust that you''ll upgrade their gifts again, Asher. But it''s not going to be easy since the materials will be hard to acquire won''t it, Asher? I worry that they''ll get impatient and snap."

    Lucius hadn''t exactly gone into the full details of everything that he was capable with so he understood Kiana''s concerns.

    Even though he had the mark of loyalty on her, it was still under the presumption that Kiana was dealing with Asher and not Lucius from the Barrom n.

    But perhaps he could mention something.

    "You do know that the Erudite''s Will is not something I can only use for the Masked Legion and the creatures you know?"

    "You mean you canpel other people as well?" Kiana blinked.

    "To a certain degree, yes. But they need to have faith in me, or trust that I have the best intentions for them or that what I say is something that makes sense. People all have certain willpower, so they won''t easily sumb to my will, Kiana." Lucius said.

    Lucius wondered if that was the best thing to say as Kiana had an uncertain look on her face. It was easy to almost read her mind.

    ''Am I¡­ beingpelled to follow, Asher?'' Kiana thought. ''It''s my own choice, even before everything happened though, so I don''t think that''s the case.''

    "If your willpower is strong, then you need not worry about those things. And I won''t use my powers indiscriminately, you know that, Kiana." Lucius said.

    "O-of course. Asher."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "But yes, among other things besides Arius and his team. I''ve mentioned to father beforehand that I''ll look into upgrading his Epic rank gift and that has been a bit of an issue in terms of procuring everything that we need. Same goes with you, Kiana."

    While Lucius had increased his capacity for Hell Energy drastically with all the new Lost he had created, there was the fact that using Nexus still took a certain chunk.

    And the death of the Lost Plow Worm did also affect him to some degree.

    "Yes¡­" Kiana nodded slowly. "I know that you''ve recently upgraded my gift, and making it into a Legendary rank will require a lot more than what we''ve previously used. So it''s not a priority now either, right?"

    "Once we get everything in order then we''ll make it so." Lucius said. "I still have to check all of the rune crystals that we''ve acquired from Bergan''s Band after all and see if it matches with what we need for you¡­ not to mention all the materials either. Those are harder to procure than rune crystals sometimes."

    "No worries, Asher. I''ll train hard using my Sting Sniper." Kiana reassured him. "I''ve been doing my best to improve where I can. If I could go search for materials by myself, then I would have done so¡­ but there are other more important things and tasks that I do as the servant of the household."

    "Thank you, Kiana. I''m d that you understand, and we have other servants at our disposal for those things."

    Among the things that was hard to deal with after the Bergan''s Band incident, it was the amount of treasure that Lucius acquired from their vaults and how much time and effort it would be to transfer everything to Inanis City.

    ''I could have easily gotten Gellor and his mercenary team to do it for me, especially with how they already have the mark of obedience on their person, but if I had traveled with them while they carried everything, it would attract too much attention.'' Lucius thought. ''The Bergan''s Band would have caught wind of it and it would be a pain to deal with. At my current state, we would have been annihted.''

    Lucius wasn''t worried of Gellor''s team being greedy, even if they were mercenaries since he could have killed them with the spell active, but it was something he''d rather avoid.

    The lessplications, the better.

    The Bore Shrews used the same route that they''ve taken beforehand and worked nonstop to bring all the wealth into the re education center. Lucius was positive that the wealth wouldn''t be traced back to him, but he still made sure to make everything as organized and undetectable.

    ''The money is something I can store in the re education center. I''ll keep most of the rune crystals since we don''t know when I''lle in need of them, and I''ve already sent some to dispose of the gems."

    Once they arrived back at the Inanis Mansion, they woulde see Neta holding up an envelope.

    "Young Lord Asher, a letter from Priest Maleck has arrived."

 Chapter 369 Bishop Reynald

    "Ah, thank you, Neta." Lucius epted the letter from the servant and checked its contents. He walked inside of the Inanis mansion.

    "Is the teachering today, Asher?" Kiana asked and straightened up. She nced at Neta and seemed ready to give orders at once.

    Neta''s face turned slightly pale, knowing how Kiana was willing to work him and the other servants, but also stood at the ready.

    "The teacher will be arriving soon. Since he''sing from the Grand Cathedral of Etara, I''m sure that Priest Maleck wanted to let us know beforehand. You can make do with the preparations, although I can imagine that most of the training will be taking ce in the library here¡­"

    Lucius had most of his artificer''s equipment in the re education center but with the presence of the Lost as well as the wealth he had gained from the Bergan''s Band, that area was entirely out of the question.

    "I''ll do what I can." Kiana promised and bowed her head. "Please excuse me for a moment, Asher."

    "No worries. I''ll take care of things from here, Netae with me and be at the ready if I were to need anything."

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher." Neta bowed. He was honored that he was chosen by Asher to assist him, but it also meant that Kiana wouldn''t be able to give him any orders while he mostly waited outside of the young lord''s door.

    ''In the meanwhile, I will need to get my act ready.'' Lucius had done a bit of preparation when he dealt with Priest Maleck and made himself go with the story of Etara the goddess of Knowledge ordaining him as her apostle, but now it made more sense to look over it again and make it more cohesive.

    Lucius headed to his room and grabbed his journal.

    He wrote in his originalnguage meant and understandable for his eyes only. There were things that he''d keep as a secret, and it was primarily this. He had wondered briefly if he were to instruct anyone in the future, but even Kiana was not exactly prepared for anything.

    At the end of the day, Lucius still trusted himself the most.

    Even when he had taken a ''lover'' that was mostly out of the benefits that she provided to him, and Lucius had made his mistakes by not being entirely careful back then.

    This time, there was no more room for anypses in judgment.

    ''Apostle of Etara.''

    "Neta,e bring me some books." Lucius called out.

    Lucius sent Neta to the library ti get books about the gods and goddess in Grantz Kingdom, and among them was none other than Etara herself.

    "I may be seen as the apostle of Etara, but if I make any mistakes in my depiction of her, there''s a chance that it might get out of hand and I''ll be deemed as a heretic." Lucius murmured. "They are maybe other apostles of the goddess of knowledge, so they could still be able to see through things."

    The chances of that was quite low in Lucius''s opinion as he made sure to keep everything aligned with the premise of Etara as the Goddess of Knowledge, but he needed to acknowledged the possibility of an issue.

    "Of course, the Veil of Terror will take care most of it, but I have to be in control still of the story and make it convincing."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Lucius jotted down on his notebook, making notes with the books that Neta brought for him.

    ***

    The next day, Priest Maleck and an old man went over and visited the Inanis Mansion. Lucius came to meet them with Kiana.

    "We pay our respects to the Young Lord of the Inanis Family. May Goddess Etara bless you and hernds." The old man bowed his head reverentially. "We did not expected to be personally greeted, so it is an honor to meet you. I havee all the way from the Grand Cathedral and decided toe here with Priest Maleck''s invitations, I hope that we have note here uninvited."

    "No. We were expecting you¡­"

    "Bishop Reynald."

    "An honor to meet you, Bishop Reynald."

    Lucius was mildly surprised since Priest Maleck didn''t specify the teacher, but of course, it made sense that the artificer was someone mature and beyond his years.

    He looked to be in sixties, and had a long beard that reached all the way to his waist. He was also bald, something that he must have personally kept shaved if he was able to still grow his beard long.

    Other than that, Bishop Reynald was garbed in the vestments of someone in his station and there was a hint of intelligence in his eyes that Lucius expected from thoseing from the Church of Etara.

    ''So this is the man who will be my teacher. I will be deceiving him, but I hope that his knowledge in regards to artifacts remain untouched.''

    Priest Maleck hadn''t properly introduced Lucius as the apostle of Etara yet to the old man, so in the eyes of the man, he was simply but the future young lord of Etara.

    "Ah, the title doesn''t fit me that well." Bishop Reynald shook his head. "I mostly became a Bishop to study and search for more knowledge. If there''s anyone who deserves the title of Bishop more, it''s Priest Maleck. He serves themunity more than I."

    "I do not think Goddess Etara stops you from pursuing what you desire and wish." Lucius replied. Bishop Reynald didn''t hesitate to cite his true reasons for joining the church, and while Lucius was not the most honest man, he appreciated the Bishop.

    ''A man who seeks knowledge, a true schr in every sense as opposed to Priest Maleck here.'' Lucius thought. ''It reminds me of myself, although in terms of actual knowledge, I''m afraid that mine is more vast than his concentrated studies.''

    The vast amount of things that Lucius gathered from the different worlds was a lot, although he didn''t understand everything truly.

    "But ah yes, Bishop Reynald¡­ this is Young Lord Asher, also the apostle of Etara herself."

 Chapter 370 Obedience Of A Scholar

    "Apostle of Etara?" Bishop Reynald repeated and looked at Priest Maleck with a raised brow.

    "Yes, this is Asher, the Apostle of Etara."

    "Even though I have spent most of my time in the library instead of attending gatherings within the Grand Cathedral, this is the first time that I have heard of this. Even I would have heard of something if a new title is bestowed to people. What is the meaning of this, Maleck?"

    Lucius was d that this revtion was met with suspicion instead of simply believing it in one go. It attested that there was truly some intelligence in the head of the Bishop.

    "Well, my old friend, this is a new revtion to me, by Etara herself." Priest Maleck said.

    "Etara has spoken to you?" Bishop Reynald blinked.

    Priest Maleck turned reverentially to Asher. "I have brought the same appraisal crystals, Apostle Asher Would you allow us to demonstrate the test to Bishop Reynald?"

    "Of course. Let us go to my designated area." Lucius said and allowed Kiana to lead them to the library.

    Priest Maleck took out the same crystals and performed the same tests. Simr to before, the appraisal crystals shattered at first contact with Lucius''s Aether before he casted the Veil of Terror on the third crystal.

    A bright light emanated and covered the entire library, blinding everyone in the room.

    ''I could have simply casted the spell even without the appraisal crystal, but this will convince the Bishop even further than before.'' Lucius thought, pleased with Priest Maleck''s personal decision to bring the crystal.

    It was time for another hallucination.

    ***

    Bishop Reynald squinted his eyes and tried to shield them from the bright light, but suddenly he heard a warm and elegant voice that belonged to no simple woman but a goddess.

    "Bishop Reynald, long have I watched you undertake the principles of my domain and you have pleased me well," she said.

    "Etara?" Bishop Reynald called out uncertainly.

    "Yes, it is I, the Goddess of Knowledge, Truth and Wisdom."

    Bishop Reynald fell down on his knees and offered his hands up in supplication. "Goddess Etara, I implore you to show this servant of yours the truth of all things. Long have I wondered and searched for a chance to learn from you. I have looked for your truth in the books, and find themcking."

    "My humble seeker of knowledge, you have spent many decades of your life in pursuit of it¡ªand now I listen to your pleas and give you the chance to reach another apex of knowledge. If you wish to seek the secrets of this world, look no longer in the books of the Grand Cathedral but turn to my chosen one. Asher Inanis, son of mynds. He will usher you into this new knowledge that you desire of."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Bishop Reynald couldn''t believe it, but the divine presence that he felt wrap around him was a miraculous feeling that made him understand that this would havee from none other than the Goddess of Etara herself.

    "Yes, my goddess." Bishop Reynald touched his forehead on the ground, before finally he raised his head and looked up towards the young lord Asher Inanis.

    There was no crazed and frenzied look in Bishop Reynald''s eyespared to when Priest Maleck first heard Etara''s voice, but it was probably because it was hidden deeply in those eyes of his.

    It was a hunger and yearning that he tried to restrain in order to be supplicant and humble in the face of Etara''s chosen one.

    "My lord, Apostle of Etara, I pledge myself to you." Bishop Reynald said.

    "Bishop Reynald, I only seek one thing from you. My knowledge is broad and vast, expanding far beyond things that you do not know¡­ but I would like the experience and intimate knowledge that you have as a long-time artificer." Lucius said.

    "I will impart my knowledge to you, Apostle Asher! Let there be nothing that separates a humble man from his teacher. You will need no other person in regards to artificing except for myself!" Bishop Reynald fervently said.

    "Thank you. I understand that this will take some time and you are a busy man, Priest Maleck have told me that. I would like to arrange a payment for your time, as I expect you to reject other offers from people who desire to learn from you."

    "There is no need for any mary payment, Apostle Asher! All I ask is for the opportunity to follow you until the end, to hear the wisdom of Etara imparted from your own lips. That would be enough for me." Bishop Reynald said.

    "Is that so? Then I will allow you the opportunity to do so." Lucius said and offered a hand. "Take my hand, Reynald. We are both learners and schrs in our own ways, the two of us will learn greatly from each other so no need for such disys."

    "It humbles me greatly that Apostle Asher would think like that. But it is clear that Etara herself has selected you out of many and I am but one of her servants, granted the blessing and opportunity of meeting you in person." Bishop Reynald epted Lucius'' hand as an energy coursed between them.

    It was only the mildest amount of pain, barely noticeable, but somehow, it strengthened the faith that Bishop Reynald had in Apostle Asher.

    There was an even deeper obligation in Bishop Reynald''s chest to serve the young man in front of him, several decades his junior to the best of his abilities.

    "I am already at your service, Apostle Asher. Simply say the word and I will begin our lessons at once. I have already excused myself from the Grand Cathedral for my own personal reasons and so I am at yourplete disposal."

    Lucius nodded slowly.

    The Mark of Obedience had worked perfectly and finalized the agreement between him and Bishop Reynald.

    "If that is truly the case, then I would like to begin today at once. I have been searching for someone to teach me for some time and would like to get to it at once."

 Chapter 371 First Lessons On Artificing

    "If that is what Apostle Asher decides then it shall be done." Bishop Reynald agreed immediately. "Let us start at once."

    "I will see myself out then, Apostle Asher." Priest Maleck bowed lowly. "I will not disturb the two of you any longer."

    "I''ll lead you out, Priest Maleck." Kiana said.

    She was mildly interested in the study of artifacts, but with other tasks on her shoulder, she needed to leave Asher to his own devices.

    "What time would you like me to return, Asher? Perhaps a cup of afternoon tea or would you prefer to be called during dinner instead?"

    "Hmm, as long as you let us know beforehand when you''ll enter the library, it won''t be of any issue, Kiana." Lucius said. "I leave it to your judgment as always."

    "Okay, Asher. Thank you." Kiana smiled brightly before she left with Priest Maleck.

    She was satisfied that Asher had faith in her decisions and so she would return after about three hours to give him and the Bishop something to eat.

    ''While I''ve immersed myself in studying constantly, skipping meals and such when throughly engrossed in such things, I do not think that it will be optimal to skip meals. Especially for Bishop Reynald.'' Lucius thought as he nced at the older man.

    Bishop Reynald was in by no means frail or weak. With the fact that he had been an aplished Artificer beforeing into the covenant of Goddess Etara spoke of certain wealth, prestige and so there was not much to worry about.

    However, the man was still old and Lucius had yet to thoroughly research if the effects of Aether was in anyway simr to Mana or scientific advancements that could prolong one''s lifespan.

    "Ahem." Bishop Reynald cleared his throat and inclined his head reverentially. "May I ask what level of understanding do you currently have on artifacts, Apostle Asher? We shall begin from there."

    "You can teach me as if I am but a neer into artifacts, Bishop Reynald." Lucius said.

    Normally, he would have wanted to start at an upper level and trusted his intellect to help him fill in the gaps of knowledge easily, but it was actually far better to grasp ahold of the fundamentals before starting with anything in-depth.

    "Artifacts are vital to our world in the same way as gifts. While not exactly recing gifts, they do provide a certain way in improving the lives of ordinary people and it is why Artificers work hard in building them." Bishop Reynald said then gestured to one of themps within the room. "It is easy to use a candle produced out of wax, but if one was able to get their hands on amp artifact, then they''ll be able to benefit from it at a longer duration and without the risk of fire."

    "Yes, there are certain benefits to it." Lucius acknowledged with a nod.

    "We do our best to keep the prices of artifacts at a level where people can afford them, but the amount of time dedicated into researching, creating and the trial and error does lend to a certain price higher than what most ordinary people can afford." Bishop Reynald continued.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''That isn''t exactly an issue with me. My purpose of creating them is to amass more wealth for myself.'' Lucius thought silently to himself.

    "But ah yes, another thing that adds to the price of such artifacts includes the necessary equipment and materials needed prior to make one. There are Artificers who can undergo a ton of materials and thus make it costly, but with careful precision and tact, we will do our best to minimize the cost associated in creation." Bishop Reynald said.

    "I''d like to get a list of the equipment and materials we''ll be needing, Bishop Reynald." Lucius said. He already had one or two in the re education center but knew that he might need to buy more.

    "Of course, but we will begin with theoretical knowledge beforehand." Bishop Reynald said and then cleared his throat. "Now that I have given you the importance of artifacts in the lives of themunity, I am sure that you are eager to undertake the creation of an artifact."

    Lucius nodded. "Quite so."

    "The first step is naturally the method by which one decides what is to be made. The selection can be done through either having a specific type of artifact in mind or you can focus primarily on the rune crystal from which you wish to build upon."

    Lucius made a quick jot down on his notebook, although he could already see the simrities of what Bishop Reynald was speaking about to what he had learned prior.

    ''Artifacts. Magical Equipment. cksmithing. Anything manufacturing rted naturally undergoes through this process beforehand.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius had briefly seen in the world where people could split mountains with their bare hands selecting herbs, and other precious minerals to create antidotes, potions and pills.

    His own world had prided itself inbining technology and magic to create a synergy of both. Truthfully, this was not all new, but Lucius was d that this world had formed its own body of creating knowledge.

    "Do you have any specific artifact with you, Apostle Asher?" Bishop Reynald asked.

    "I have a sword artifact." Lucius supplied, not providing the full details, but citing it still.

    "If for example, you were to wish to create a sword artifact then it means that you have an intended shape and type of artifact in mind already. This is called targeted development and the rune crystal you''ll be choosing must match the sword you wish to create. If you wish for a sword to have fire effects then you''ll be in search for a specific rune crystal that provides such."

    "And what if you have a rune crystal that you wish to use?" Lucius asked. He had collected many rune crystals, and knew that he could put many to good use, especially the human ones.

    "Then that is under exploratory development. The artifact you''ll be making is based on the gift that the rune crystal has." Bishop Reynald exined. "The first one is suitable formercial ones, while thetter is how new artifacts are researched and developed."

 Chapter 372 Artifact Creation

    ''Hmm¡­ depending on the time that I have in my hands, I''ll have to prioritize one over the other.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius was interested in both themercial as well as the research and development side of artifact creation.

    He had hundreds of rune crystals from his raid on the Bergan''s Band vaults which he could choose from, so what he only needed was the amount of time to dedicate to each artifact creation on top of everything that he had on his te.

    ''Depending on whether it''s from a rune beast or a human, I suppose it''ll determine where I''ll put it to use.'' Lucius considered as he paid attention to Bishop Reynald''s lessons.

    While he was willing to use human rune crystals, if people were to discover it¡­ then it would be a less than positive reaction.

    "The second step is the materialponent for the artifact. It needs to bepatible with the rune crystal and also conform to the type of artifact you wish to create." Bishop Reynald exined. "Do you have any other artifact in mind we can use as an example, Apostle Asher?"

    Lucius nodded.

    "A shield artifact, perhaps, Bishop Reynald. I can think of the Gift, Iron Skin can be utilized to create a shield¡­ its strength and durability can be disyed. It''s most likely to create a double effect if you used it on a shield already made from metal, but if you were to put it on a wooden shield, then it can drastically improve the wooden shield. Of course, one would only opt for wood if you were at a loss for materials but had excess rune crystals."

    It wasn''t exactly the best example, but Lucius wanted to hear what the Bishop had in mind.

    "That''s a good example to consider." Bishop Reynald said. "Have you been reading on Gifts? I do not think Priest Maleck is usually allowed to provide the book on all the repository of gifts that is associated with the legendary Appraisal Sphere of Etara although there are simrities with human and beast gifts at times, but there are various books on the gifts of rune beasts that you can read about. I will have more books sent from my personal library."

    "I''ve read some before with the help of Master Kain. He also works with the Artificer''s Guild."

    "Ah, yes, I''ve heard of him. A fine fellow." Bishop Reynald nodded. "He is aplished for a man his age and his expertise on Rune Beasts does prove helpful for artificers who wish to safely procure rune crystals. Actually, if I may go into a tangent, it''s also quite likely that he may go to Aisse territory, or some other Rune Beast Master."

    "Aisse territory?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "There were some people from Bergan''s Band that have approached the Artificer''s Guild to study a recent rune beast that assailed them." Bishop Reynald''s gaze went slightly distant. "We do not usually interfere with affairs and matters outside of research, especially with the reputation of the mercenary group, but I think them mentioning it as a new variation of Plow Worm has caught the attention of others."

    "Is that so?" Lucius murmured. The Lost Plow Worm was something that he had made explode as ast ditch attack that took out half of the Bergan''s Band military strength.<novelnext></novelnext>

    While there were several eyewitnesses and survivors, the chances that they''d find something substantial in the chaos was quite slim. The area was still dangerous with all the uneven ground and tunnels that surrounded the area.

    Lucius was mildly interested if it would bear them any fruit, and if it did¡­ then it would be something that he would need to intervene upon.

    Bishop Reynald cleared his throat.

    "Ahem, but I am straying from my topic. It''s not unusual to be forced to use avable materials if they''re scarce and I know that the material wood ispatible with the Iron Skin rune crystal."

    Lucius nodded. It was a pretty basic example he had given.

    "¡­But even the material wool can bepatible with Iron Skin rune crystal, although its counterintuitive to use a soft material with a shield for example. Some kind of cloth, perhaps, but not a shield. We wouldn''t want a soft shield that can be pierced through easily. A rune crystal can only do so much for a material."

    "Thank you for the exnation, Bishop Reynald."

    "You''re wee, and so we move on to the next step which actually prevents most people from bing Artificers. The theoretical know how can be overwhelming and shocking. I am talking about Inscription. This takes into ount the use of runes as well as the unique channels that allows Aether to be carried within them."

    Lucius remembered Priest Maleck using some chalk when he activated the appraisal crystal and this was something he was already familiar with as something he''d done prior.

    ''I''ve done a lot of simr things when upgrading the gifts of the people here in this world, and it''s not actually that different from what I''ve done in my old world. Truly the fundamentals of each world may slightly differ but still be simr.'' Lucius said.

    He was looking forward to doing this.

    If anything, Lucius already contemted on inscribing on materials that would send Bishop Reynald into a fit of incredulity.

    ''Materials such as bones or bodies already have natural channels for Aether, and they normally allow for one Gift, but depending on how I familiarize myself with the channels and add additional inscriptions¡­ perhaps it will not actually be a stretch to conduct experiments and imnt more than one rune crystal into a human, or Lost.'' Lucius mused silently to himself and weighed the benefits and cons of doing so.

    "Apostle Asher, I will be providing you a lot of books, and we''ll also be carving and drawing rune channels on different materials to help you familiarize yourself with them. I am sure that Etara has granted her Apostle a deep understanding of this or else she wouldn''t lead you to take this path, but practice with materials will help." Bishop Reynald said. "And so, we move on to the final step."

 Chapter 373 Successful Lessons

    "This is the part where most Artificers take pride and enjoyment the most." Bishop Reynald''s eyes twinkled. "The socketing is the final step and as its namesake, it''s when one ces the rune crystal on the artifact and this will determine whether the artifact is a sess or not."

    Lucius remembered the socket of June''s telescope alongside the Inanis family heirlooms that he had received.

    While Count Gabriel spoke of how much easier and less expensive it was to simply purchase another artifact instead of repairing the ones they had, Lucius considered it as a possible experiment.

    "After long and grievous hours of inscription, somehow cing a rune crystal in its socket seems fun and easy," Bishop Reynald chuckled lightly. "And yet, there are instances where it fails so spectacrly that the artifact blows up in your face. I believe one Artificer, a peer of mine had his entire eye destroyed. He was fortunate that the other one was saved, but the other was thoroughly untreatable."

    "Mmm¡­ an unfortunate incident." Lucius murmured.

    Although in the back of his head, Lucius was already wrinkling his nose at the thought of someone being so ipetent enough to experience such an ident.

    ''Mistakes can be made, but surely there should be precautions and safety equipment when doing such things. The incident speaks of theck of procedure and is more or less a well-deserved consequence.''

    "Indeed. He really should have waited until he got more sleep, but his excitement got the best of him." Bishop Reynald shook his head and then sighed. "Needless to say, it hampered his status as Artificer, but it is also why he wanted to dabble into the idea of putting a rune crystal into his eye socket."

    "Has there been any sess so far then?" Lucius asked in a casual tone.

    While the medical advancement of this world paled inparison to Lucius''s old world, he was actually impressed with how they managed to substitute their Gifts for other things.

    ''Head Healer Berk in Baron Dond''s city was quite familiar with the process of treating the life-threatening injury on Viscount Drew''s son. Which reminds me mildly how Keith could have progressed¡­ I haven''t actually noticed any Hell Gates so it''s either that the man died or is kept too far away. A Lost on his own.'' Lucius thought.

    "He is trying to coborate with some Healers in that regard, but at his current station and with the busyness of most Healers, it is quite a slow progress." Bishop Reynald shook his head. "He had quite high hopes though, using the Rune Crystal of a Far Seeing Eagle to improve his vision, to even something more oundish like a fire Rune Crystal that could emitser like projectiles. He is an ambitious man."

    "I see, that does seemplex. One can only wish that he finds sess in his endeavor." Lucius acknowledged.

    The work necessary to connect the rune crystals to the nerves and allowing the aether to run through such channels was probably a difficult task at their current stage of development.

    ''Naturally, I''ll be able to undertake these. My own knowledge from my previous world will prove itself useful in this matter.'' Lucius thought as he awaited for the Bishop to continue.

    "But ah yes, these are but interesting anecdotes and tales of caution on what to do and not to do." Bishop Reynald exined.

    Before the old man talked some more, a knock on the library door signified the arrival of none other than Kiana herself.

    "Come in."

    "I''ve brought some snacks and refreshments, Asher." Kiana said.

    "Thank you, please leave it here, Kiana."<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Even though a lot of people are referring to him as Apostle and other titles of esteem¡­ somehow I can''t help but feel like he''s still Asher to me.'' Kiana thought as she delivered the tray.

    Kiana knew that Asher had changed over the course since the incident at Gisir, his amnesia also making it seem like he was a new person altogether, but Kiana thought it would be fine to call Asher as simply Asher.

    ''If he wanted me to call him Apostle then he would have asked me already.'' Kiana thought as she bowed.

    "I''ll take my leave ande back after an hour or two to retrieve the tray," Kiana said.

    "Thank you."

    Once she was gone, Bishop Reynald and Lucius had some tea together before proceeding with the rest of the lessons.

    Since they underwent the fundamentals, Bishop Reynald then started to exin everything in a far more vivid andprehensive details.

    Either Bishop Reynald cited actual incidents of his colleagues during his decades of experience or he allowed Asher to ask questions and the two of them worked on it together, mostly Bishop Reynald undergoing the minutiae of it all.

    "Hmm¡­ I will be testing you now, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald said. "I have full confidence, but the best way to measure understanding is being able to check back on things. It will only be a few questions, Apostle Asher."

    "Of course. Ask away." Lucius said.

    The set of questions that Bishop Reynald asked where nothing too difficult, but allowed Lucius to think back on all the lessons that they''ve tackled on for thest several hours.

    Lucius''s answers left the old man impressed.

    "Etara truly has selected her Apostle well. I don''t think I''ve ever met someone with such strong grasps on the concepts all at once¡­ it''s a shame that this is all we can tackle on today." Bishop Reynald nced out at the window and noticed that the sun was beginning to set.

    Even though Apostle Asher was Etara''s chosen one, it was still clear that he had responsibilities as a young lord that couldn''t be dismissed.

    "Indeed. Please join me for dinner, Bishop Reynald. I am sure that my parents will be pleased to meet you." Lucius mostly took in all of the information with rtive ease.

    "It would be an honor."

    Unlike Master Kain that started initially with easier topics and progressed into harder ones when he realized that Lucius could take it, Bishop Reynald sometimes went off into difficult topics when he became engrossed in them.

    It benefited Lucius greatly.

    And so, today and the next couple of days, Bishop Reynald came and visited the Inanis Mansion to teach Lucius.

 Chapter 374 Setting Off For The Banquet

    During one evening while gathered in the dining room, the Inanis family were having their dinner together and discussing an uing event.

    "We will be setting off for Etara''s Cross for the banquet tomorrow, Asher. Have you already let Bishop Reynald know beforehand that you will be gone?" Countess Lita asked.

    "Yes, I''ve already informed him, mother." Lucius replied.

    "Good. The Bishop has been present quite a lot recently such that I''m afraid that he mighte here even with us gone. Other than that, while I''m proud that you are progressing well in your studies, this event is not something that you must miss." Countess Lita reminded. "So I''m grateful that you spoke to him already."

    Count Gabriel sipped his wine. He was more than happy to let his wife speak with Asher in regards to the uing banquet and simply listened in.

    "Of course, mother. This isn''t something I would miss for the world." Lucius reassured the Countess that he would be going. There was much to be gained from mingling with those in their circle. "In fact, I have already asked Kiana beforehand to prepare my suit."

    "Oh yes, she did check in with me on that." Countess Lita smiled in relief and rested a hand to her chest. "You have selected quite a suitable attire, Asher. Forgive me, I''ve gotten a little preupied with Alessa''s outfit that I''d nearly forgotten."

    "Do not fret about it, mother." Lucius waved a hand. "With Alessa being introduced to the noble society, it makes sense that you would be more concerned with her than with me. I take no offense to it."

    It was also visible and clear in Countess Lita''s gaze that she was enraptured with the idea of dressing up Alessa.

    ''Hmm¡­ one can almost wonder if Kiana herself was subjected to the same treatment before.'' Lucius thought about Asher''s older cousin and couldn''t quite imagine it.

    Kiana was dressed for practicality and was no-nonsense that Countess Lita probably hadn''t gotten a chance for it.

    "You should see what I''ve chosen for her, Gabriel. We hid it from John so he''ll only see it by tomorrow, but I am sure that the man will fall madly in love with her again," Countess Lita said eagerly.

    "Mmm¡­ if they have another child with an Epic Rank gift then I see no issue with that," Count Gabriel said as he put down his wine ss and smiled a little.

    It was clear that the man was joking, but it was also said in a tone that was enough to make one wonder if the Count was actually serious.

    "About that, mother, will they be bringing Cia?" Lucius asked. "They will, right?"

    "Of course, I''ve actually rmended Kiana to be the babysitter so Alessa and John can mingle with the others." Countess Lita said.

    While Lucius had no interest in children whatsoever, and his downfall was even brought about because he had been unaware of an unborn child in his former lover''s body, Lucius didn''t dismiss Cia entirely.

    There were certain uses for children, and bringing Cia would highlight the matter all together that Alessa and John were suitable to enter the nobility circle.

    Albeit they could also be under a disadvantage in case that Cia was one of those unruly babies and caused amotion in the banquet.

    "That''s good to hear," Lucius said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ***

    The next day soon arrived and the Inanis family departed for Etara''s Cross.

    Compared to when Lucius had traveled with Gellor and his mercenary team, the journey was smooth and had no dy whatsoever.

    Lucius joined both his father and mother in the Inanis Family''s official carriage, the same family insignia iid on the carriage with crested gold.

    Meanwhile, Alessa, John and Cia with Kiana were in another carriage and traveled after them.

    "There''s no traffic at all is there?" Lucius murmured as he checked behind the curtains.

    "Of course there won''t be any." Countess Lita smiled. "It''s officially known that your father and you will be traveling to Etara''s Cross for the banquet and for those who did not hear the news, well, they''ll figure it out for themselves."

    Upon the sight of Count Inanis'' carriage whilst apanied by his personal soldiers, any other traveler immediately made way for them to pass through.

    In fact a lot of them immediately left the road and gave great clearance.

    Additionally, the soldiers from the royal army who patrolled the highway themselves also made sure they would be uninterrupted and provided them a path.

    While there were other nobility in Inanis City, most of which were also allies of the Count and under his care, only a selected few were given an invitation and needed to be present.

    ''This will be a chance to check which ones are truly allies and which are less than suitable.'' Lucius thought.

    He had confidence that Count Inanis knew his people well, in fact, the Inanis Family would have not survived if there was ack of good judgment in the family.

    However, there were also people who were great at camouging their intentions and were not truly vested in the Inanis Family.

    ''While my encounter with most of the nobility have been rather questionable from Viscount Drew, to Baron of Harrels and I have not even heard good things from the Earl of Aisse Territory, there is no doubt that there will be high-functioning nobility there that needs to be watched as well.''

    Lucius didn''t forget the leader of the Arkaves Guild, nor the unknown stranger that killed countless of royal soldiers and escaped unseen.

    ''There are talented people in this world and I must see to it whether they are with or against me so I can decide on their fate.'' Lucius decided.

    It didn''t take too long before they arrived at Etara''s Cross and unlike Lucius''s discreet appearance before as he blended in with the crowd, their carriage''s approach was met with great joy and celebration.

    A festivity took ce as Count Inanis, his family andpanions made their way to the heart of the city.

 Chapter 375 A Great Welcome

    The citizens of Etara''s Cross threw flower petals and other assortments that resembled confetti as the carriage of the Inanis Family entered the city.

    On both sides of the street, each one was lined up fully by people, young and old as they cheered and chanted the Inanis name.

    "To the Lord of Etara!"

    "All hail the Count of Etara;snds!"

    "Victory to the Inanis Family!"

    Even though Lucius was inside of the carriage and the window had decent soundproofing, the cheers were quite audible and the sight of him peeking out was only met with even more cries!

    "That''s the son of Count Inanis!"

    "He has participated in the battle against Viscount Drew and came out victorious!"

    "Hmmm¡­ they''re far more eager than before." Luciusmented as he shut the curtains.

    "What is it, Asher?" Countess Lita asked.

    "Ah, when I was previously here, I caught wind of the news that when father passed by here, everyone in Etara''s Cross avoided him and even Baron Hugh thought twice ining to meet him." Lucius said. "So it''s quite a different atmosphere than before."

    "Oh, that''s understandable." Countess Lita pursed her lips and nced at her husband''s way.

    It was during that time when Asher was nearly assassinated and so it made sense that her husband zed through Etara''s Cross with a fury that sent others away from him.

    "Your father may evoke fear upon his passage, but the reaction of the people are better since this is an official visit." Countess Lita smiled. "They can rest assure that this is a time for celebration and nothing else."

    "Indeed." Lucius said.

    Count Gabriel let out a sigh as Captain Donald approached them at the door and knocked politely.

    "We have prepared your horse, I think the people would like to see you outside and greet them, I''m afraid, Count Inanis."

    "The people love your father, don''t they?" Countess Lita smiled proudly in a way that signified that she shared the same joy and relished whenever her husband was praised.

    "Would you care to join me, Asher? I think it''s far better for the two of us to be present." Count Gabriel cleared his throat before he stepped down the carriage.

    While Lucius would have preferred to stay inside of the carriage and avoid the zing heat of the sun, he also understood the importance of showing his face to the citizens of Etara''s Cross.

    "Of course, father. I''ll join you at once." Lucius said.

    Captain Donald quickly fetched for a second horse for Young Lord Asher and the parade in the Etara''s Cross tomence once more.

    Lucius met the gaze of the citizens of Baron Hugh''s city and though they hadn''t seen him before, was quickly epted with amazement and admiration.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "So that is the son of Count Inanis! One can immediately sense his aura is to that of a leader. He truly had participated in the battle against Viscount Drew."

    "He looks so dignified and handsome like his father!"

    "Oh, he''s looking this way. Hide me."

    Count Gabriel and Young Lord Asher followed the crowd''s guide and found themselves headed for the mansion of the Baron.

    Instead of the mansion being surrounded by a vast amount of gardens and lofty tall gates that bordered around its perimeter, it was right next to a multitude of houses and buildings instead.

    "Baron Hugh wanted to live in the center of the city, and thought it more wise to be among his people rather than be separated from them." Count Gabriel exined briefly to Asher.

    It was enough for Lucius to form an opinion around the man. There were certain choices and decisions in one life that could say a lot about how a person ran and operated their business and Baron Hugh left him intrigued.

    ''He''s no doubt more amicable and friendlier than Count Inanis. While the Countmanded respect and obedience, it is clear that Baron Hugh has taken into much more softer forms of influence. Etara''s Cross is no doubt prosperous also because of how he manages it, once again attributable to the fact that this is a trade city and needs good rtionship with various powers.'' Lucius thought.

    Soon enough they arrive at the Baron''s mansion and it was there that Baron Hugh and his family awaited them.

    They were a family of four and were surrounded by an entourage of servants ready to assist the Inanis family and their guests into the mansion.

    "Count Inanis! It is great to finally see you once again! This must be your son, Young Lord Asher, a pleasure to meet you atst." Baron Hugh greeted them with a jovial tone even before the Count and Lucius went down from their horses.

    He was not too far apart in age from Count Gabriel, but there were smile lines on his face and a cheerful disposition that marked Lucius''s discernment as correct.

    "Greetings, Baron Hugh. Thank you for agreeing to host the banquet here. I am looking forward to the festivities." Count Gabriel nodded curtly. "My greetings to Lady Hugh and your two children, they have grown much since thest I saw them."

    "Oh yes, they have. And ah, there''s the Countess!" Baron Hugh smiled as Countess Lita joined her family and stepped out of the carriage.

    "Hello there, Baron Hugh." Countess Lita smiled.

    "Since this is the first time that our children are meeting together, may I introduce my eldest son, Benjamin and my beloved daughter, Lily." Baron Hugh proudly gestured to his children.

    Lucius gazed at them. They were not too far apart in age from Asher''s own age, which truly signified that Baron Hugh and Count Inanis were peers.

    ''Hmm¡­ it seems like Asher has never met them in person before. Which is fortunate, I do not wish to pretend or act as if they were my childhood friends or anything like that.'' Lucius thought.

    He had already dealt with Paul Faulkner and Ian before and could only tolerate much people that were perceived to be in his age group.

    However, if there was something that alerted Lucius more from the seemingly warm family was the wife of Baron Hugh.

    While Baron Hugh stepped out of the sun, she had remained under her umbre and could barely even force a smile that it made Count Gabriel actually look friendly.

    It was a strange thing.

 Chapter 376 Meeting The Baron

    Before Lucius could dwell further on the attitude of Baron Hugh''s wife, he was quickly greeted by the baron''s son and daughter.

    "A pleasure to meet you, Lord Asher Inanis." Benjamin smiled. "I hope that we can get along."

    "It is good to be of your acquaintanceship, as well." Lily curtsied shyly.

    "Likewise." Lucius nodded and gave his own smile.

    Luckily for him, before the two could speak further, they were interrupted by the arrival of John, Alessa, Kiana and baby Cia.

    "May we also introduce to you our guests for tonight''s banquet? This is John and Alessa along with their child, Cia." Countess Lita said as she gestured with an elegant smile.

    "Greetings, Baron Hugh." The two bowed respectfully.

    "Oh, what a lovely couple and what a healthy-looking child!" Baron Hugh greeted them warmly and then nced in his wife''s direction. "You two remind me of when I first had Benjamin, isn''t that right? What a cute child."

    "Ah, please be a little careful of touching this little one." Kiana warned. "She''s a little thorny sometimes around strangers."

    "Thorny? Oh, she already has her gift at her age! Quite brilliant¡ªahem, incredible." Baron Hugh was enthusiastic but cut back his voice a little.

    It was well known among the circle of nobility that Asher Inanis did not have any gifts and Baron Hugh had already instructed his children not to make any mention of it.

    Lucius noticed the way that the expression of Baron Hugh and his children lit up at the sight of the baby, but even until this moment, his wife merely had the iciest of dispositions.

    "We should head back inside now, Hugh. I am sure that our guests are quite exhausted from the trip." Baron Hugh''s wife curtly said. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but here with the others.

    "Oh, right." Baron Hugh pped his hands together andughed merrily. "Ah, what would I do without my wife? Forgive me for letting all of you stand around here,ee, let us all go inside. The quarters where everyone will be staying is prepared beforehand."

    "Thank you, that is appreciated." Count Gabriel nodded and allowed the Baron to lead them all inside.

    The servants went over to their carriage to take care of their belongings while Lucius and everyone else stepped inside of the Hugh mansion.

    "With the banquet happening at night, we have a little bit of time to recover and rest. Some of our friends are already here, Count Gabriel but others will be arrivingter." Baron Hugh exined.

    "I will be going ahead to check on everything else." Baron Hugh''s wife said before she nodded towards the Count and Countess and then leaving them all behind.

    "Ah, she''s really quite preupied with making sure that the banquet is in perfect condition," Baron Hugh said with an appreciative shake of his head. "You know how it is, fussing and everything."

    Countess Lita lifted a brow at the word, while Count Gabriel didn''t quitement about it.

    "Your wife must run this household well, because I can imagine how preupied you are with how you''re running Etara''s Cross, Baron Hugh." Lucius said. Even though the man seemed to hold his wife in great esteem, it was unlikely that she truly controlled everything.

    In fact, it mostly sounded like an excuse to leave the guests than anything else.

    "I do what I can for the city." Baron Hugh said humbly.

    "You''ve done really quite well in my eyes, Baron Hugh. From theyout of the city and to how its visitors from all over the area visit this and yet still progress without even a hint of dy? Etara''s Cross functions smoothly. Even with the parade at the gates, the people were quite disciplined." Lucius said.

    "Thank you." Baron Hugh looked pleased. "But it really does not shine a lightpared to how much progress the Inanis City has experienced over the course of months. If anything, it seems like I ought to receive some advice from your father but he has mentioned that I should address it to you. Do you have any suggestions?"

    "Hmm, with a city of this size, there are no doubt a great number of visitorsing in from various locations and it would be wise to take care of the crime." Lucius said. "What we did in Inanis City is reduce the number of criminals, capturing them and then also ensuring in the long term that there''d be less by building up a re education center."

    p¨£§ád¨£ §«?¦Í¨º1,§ã¨°§® "Yes, I believe that''s wise. It is certainly something that needs to be handled carefully. Especially if it is a matter rted to trade." Baron Hugh said. "Although, ah, we have already tried it before but there is ack of manpower and capability. I must admit that Count Inanis'' people are some of the most well-trained individuals in the kingdom. I really ought to hire more from the academy, but all the best ones get taken so quickly."

    Lucius chuckled. "If it''s manpower that you need, then I may be of help. The Masked Legion, a mercenary group can help with it."

    "A mercenary group?" Baron Hugh asked hesitantly. "It''s my first time of hearing of them."

    "I rmend them, Baron Hugh. They participated in my battle against Viscount Drew and they truly turned the tide. They''re organized and powerful, and I believe will be a good asset to this city if you hire them." Count Gabriel said.

    "Oh, is that so?" Baron Hugh said, convinced. "If the Count says so, then I believe that I will look into this, Lord Asher. Thank you for your input."

    "Other than that, for the re education center, we also have people who are trained already in how it is to be done. I can simply rmend some people toe here from Inanis City to help you start your own, Baron Hugh." Lucius continued.

    It would be good for the Masked Legion to be hired as it would increase the inflow of money into the coffers of Inanis.

    "Ah, you truly are incredible, young man." Baron Hugh said. "My children can learn a lot from you, Asher."

 Chapter 377 A Well Read Man

    Even though Baron Hugh said those words, his children did not actually feel insecure about what he said because their thoughts were actually in the same direction.

    ''Imagine that, his own father rmended and backed him with his proposals¡­ even actually listened to them in the first ce and it all turned out incredible. Father''s right, there is much to be gleaned from someone like him.'' Benjamin humbly thought.

    ''He''s not much older than me but why is he so experienced? I don''t think even Benjamin is as great as Asher and he''s quite well-read. Father said that we shouldn''t mention about Asher''sck of a gift, but somehow he''s achieved far more than brother.'' Lily thought. ''Not to mention¡­ he''s quite handsome too.''

    Lily cast a few looks in Asher''s direction, her cheeks heating up. As a youngdy, it was unwise to be so bold but her gaze kept getting drawn to him.

    Lucius who had noticed the look from Lily, gave her a smile before he turned back to Baron Hugh and shook his head to contradict genially.

    "I''m quite sure that there''s much I can learn from your children as well, Baron Hugh. We can obtain knowledge from multiple sources and we all have our own specialty." Lucius remarked. "I am sure that Sir Benjamin and Lady Lily here will make quite a contribution."

    "Actually, now that you mentioned a re education center, Lord Asher, it somehow reminded me of this book that I have read. I think na''s priests have done the same as well, trying to help people whomitted crimes to turn for a better and more spiritual life." Benjamin said. "I''ve researched andpiled some of it, and though you already have done your own, perhaps it will be a good supplementary?"

    Lucius raised his brows mildly, somewhat surprised but decided that perhaps this young man wasn''t so bad if he had time to read and contribute.

    "Is that so? I''d like to see it if you''re willing. I''m quite curious with how the church of na has done it and if they have numbers on it. It does not surprise me that it''s already been done before, there''s not much new ideas under the sun and what differentiates is mostly the execution." Lucius said amicably.

    "Well, I''ll be happy to bring you to the library. You can almost say that it''s my personal little nook. I spend way more time there than in my room or banquets really." Benjamin said with a sheepish chuckle.

    "What other books have you read, Benjamin?" Lucius asked. "I''ve recently done some reading on Artificer books and Rune Beasts one as well."

    "Ah, well, too many to count actually. In recent times though, just yesterday, I''ve read about two or three." Benjamin admitted. "History, economics and tax as well¡­ Etara''s Cross is quite a business hub and I''ve been trying to get father to support me in starting my own business."

    "And I''ve told you that I need to see your product or service first." Baron Hugh shook his head with a chuckle. "I''m proud of him, and fortunate that he''s quite well-read¡­ he just needs to learn where to apply them."

    "It''s a good thing to read, and especially better to be able to use them indeed. What about the book on na? When did youst read it?" Lucius said.

    "Maybe a couple years back. But I remember it clearly and can recite several passages if you want me too." Benjamin said, eager to prove himself.

    "You can remember that much?" Lucius raised a brow. He didn''t think that there were great spells that allowed one to have such good memory so it only meant one thing. "I don''t think people can remember what they even ate a few weeks ago, but you remember something you''ve encountered years prior."

    "Oh, that''s because I have a Gift for it." Benjamin scratched his cheek sheepishly. "It''s a Rare gift called the Book Archiver. It allows me to read and memorize them at a rate far better than other people."

    "Is that so? What a useful gift." Lucius remarked.

    "You think so?" Benjamin said pleased.

    "Indeed. Knowledge is one way of umting power." Lucius said. "So the fact that you can pull them out from your memory easier than others is quite a good gift."

    It was actually intriguing that Lucius finally found someone with a gift that was more rted to mental skills than anything else. Upon activation of Nexus, he read the contents.

    Gift Name: Book Archiver

    Description: It is a memory rted gift that allows a user to read and memorize books better than others.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Mental

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 2x ss Eye beast rune crystals + 100 Aether Crystals

    ''Hmmm¡­ the requirements are quite lowpared to other Rare gifts that are needed. This is actually quite a useful gift and one can only imagine what it''ll be like once it reaches an Epic Rank. He might actually be useful if I were to have my hands on him.'' Lucius nced in Benjamin''s way. ''It''s a support gift, but this is quite excellent for administrative work and others if one can direct this young man well. I''ll see to it to add himter into my ranks and create another loyal supporter.''

    "See, Father? Someone appreciates my gift." Benjamin grinned in relief.

    "I never said that it was bad, my son." Baron Hugh chuckled. "It''s just that you haven''t been able to put it to good use yet is all I said."

    "Because you haven''t been giving me any chances yet." Benjamin sighed.

    "Ahem, once the banquet is over, would it be possible if Baron Hugh and his family visited Inanis City? I think it will be greatly beneficial to see how the city runs and perhaps we can discuss the Masked Legion after festivities." Lucius said.

    "That''s a good idea, Asher." Count Gabriel nodded.

    "Why, I wouldn''t turn down a chance to get away from Etara''s Cross for awhile." Baron Hugh chuckled. "A little vacation doesn''t sound bad¡­ and ah yes, for the purpose of seeing the changes in Inanis city from upclose, yes it will be a good experience for both Benjamin and Lily here."

 Chapter 378 The Barons Children

    Lily''s eyes widened but then she smiled widely upon hearing those words. It wasn''t visible but there was a skip to her steps.

    ''I haven''t been able to say much, but if I go there to Inanis City then I can probably engage in conversation with Lord Asher by asking questions by then.'' Lily thought happily.

    ''Father has spoken much about how Inanis City improved, it''ll be truly great to see it for myself as well.'' Benjamin mused silently.

    So far, the conversation was going well. None of them chose to retire so far into their quarters until baby Cia suddenly let out a huge wail. For no apparent reason, she sniffed and sobbed.

    "Oh dear, she''s usually so well behaved but now she''s being so unruly. Apologies, dear Cia." Alessa flushed in embarrassment and went over to take care of the baby in Kiana''s arms.

    "Well, she must be tired from all that traveling." John cleared his throat and looked over at their child and tried to pat her back.

    It was an unexpected reaction and it was enough to catch the attention of Baron Hugh and his children, alongside the sudden arrival of the Baroness.

    The Baroness'' gaze flickered towards the child before she cleared her throat.

    "Hugh, I''m preparing a small afternoon tea break for our guests. How many of them will be apanying us?"

    Lucius knew that it wasn''t a good impression on the Baroness and while he did not know how much influence the woman actually wielded, a nobledy''s word could still affect the perception of neers, especially that of Alessa and John.

    "Kiana, I think it''ll be best if you soothe Cia in her parent''s room perhaps?" Lucius said.

    "Oh, that isn''t necessary, Lord Asher!" Alessa tried to protest.

    "All of us except Kiana will be joining you for tea, Baroness." Lucius turned to the older woman with a charismatic smile.

    The Baroness did not so much look affected, and only nodded curtly. "Thank you. Let me lead you all to the balcony garden then, it has a lovely view there. Isn''t that right, Lily?"

    "O-oh yes, mother!" Lily blushed and nodded determinedly now that everyone''s attention was on her. "The flowers are quite fragrant and there are butterflies. It''s quite a cozy ce."

    While they had no gardens due to being in between several buildings, Baron Hugh''s family did their best to make it amodating for everyone.

    "Please follow me." the Baroness said and stepped forwards.

    Lucius didn''t allow himself to be fazed by the Baroness''sck of reaction and simply trailed after her. He would make it sure that Alessa and John''s reputation would be respected despite the slight mishap.

    Once they have seated at the balcony garden, Countess Lita paidpliments to the tea brewery.

    "This is quite lovely. I adore this vor, Baroness. Wouldn''t you agree, Alessa?"

    "Yes. It''s quite lovely." Alessa smiled and nodded in agreement.

    "Servant, prepare arge pot for the Countess and her friend to bring back forter." The Baroness turned curtly to the servant who served them tea.

    "O-oh thank you." Countess Lita smiled, albeit even she looked slightly at loss on what to say to a curt woman.

    "Speaking about drinks, we have brought some alcohol for tonight''s banquet from Dionysia''s Brewery, courtesy of Lady Alessa and Sir John here." Lucius said.

    "Humble ze?" Baron Hugh''s eyes widened.

    "Yes, the brewery is owned by Lady Alessa here." Lucius said. This would at least give the couple a way to make up for the slight mishap earlier.

    "By Lady Alessa?" The Baroness finally lifted a brow and nced towards Alessa. "You are the one who facilitated everything?"

    "Oh yes. I manage and oversee everything." Alessa said. "My parents have a background of being merchants and I''ve taken after them."

    "Is that so?" the Baroness pursed her lips. "Did you think of the Humble ze''s recipe as well?"

    Alessa smiled, a bit awkwardly. She really didn''t want to take credit but that was the arrangement. "It is, but it''s a brewer''s secret, you must understand."

    "Of course, of course. I understand that." Baroness nodded, realized that she had spoken too much and then cleared her throat. "This topic must certainly be boring everyone else and I''m dominating the conversation. Lady Alessa, would you care to discuss this elsewhere with me so as to not interrupt everyone here?"

    Alessa felt nervous but then nodded and smiled. "Of course, Baroness."

    This was an opportunity to make her way into the nobility''s circle so she stood up and excused herself.

    "We will see you allter at the party." the Baroness said before she left with Lady Alessa.

    Lucius raised a brow.

    ''The Baroness seemed strange and odd at first, but she warmed up to Lady Alessa. I presumed that she disliked us or had some vendetta of some sort, but what are the chances that she''s only wary of strangers?''

    "Haha, my dear wife finally spoke up and couldn''t even control herself and dragged one of our friends away. I haven''t even managed to tell her that we''re going to Inanis City." Baron Hugh chuckled.

    "If she''s that interested in Dionisya Brewery, I think she''d be receptive to it, Baron Hugh." Luciusmented.

    "Indeed, indeed. Makes sense. I think you''re right, Lord Asher. Now where we?" Baron Hugh asked as he sipped his drink and became museful. "Oh, Count Gabriel, you must tell me of what happened when you visited His Majesty. How is he?"

    "Don''t you think that will be more appropriate forter?" Count Gabriel remarked.

    "I suppose you''re right. I think everyone will ask the same questions forter." Baron Hugh chuckled, but then suddenly snapped his fingers. "Sir John, how does it feel like to have a very sessful wife?"

    "I''m certainly proud of my wife." John remarked with a smile. "But it certainly means that when it''ste at night, I''m the one who takes care of Cia more."

    "I can imagine that. Well, it''s good to spend time with your children, they grow up so fast." Baron Hugh nodded amicably. "I remember when Benjamin here once tripped himself over while holding up a sword, we were so relieved that he didn''t impale himself. I tried to make him take swordsmanship lessons."

    "Father, must we really go through such stories? Why not share some of Lily''s instead?" Benjamin coughed.

    "Brother!"

    The conversation was lively andsted until evening. And soon enough the banquet was about to begin.

 Chapter 379 Start Of The Banquet

    "Baron Hugh, the rest of the nobles have arrived atst." A servant came into the balcony and interrupted Baron Hugh who was mid-way to another story.

    "Oh? They''ve arrived already? Haha, the time passed so quickly. Please excuse me as I go wee them in, please feel free to go ahead to the banquet hall already." Baron Hugh stood up and left the Count with the others.

    "If you''ll allow me to escort you to the banquet hall. I will be happy to do so!" Lily said with a disarming smile.

    "We would appreciate that greatly dear." Countess Lita returned that smile and shared a look with her husband.

    Lucius was not the only one who observed that Lily was throwing discreet looks in his way, but even the Count and Countess as well.

    ''We haven''t known that girl very well, but she is quite cute and polite.'' Countess Lita thought. ''Although, I''m not sure if she''s quite a good match for Asher.''

    Count Gabriel also had the same line of thoughts. Although Lily had done her best to converse more during the afternoon tea, the topics that she had divulged in were something that any other nobledy would have done so.

    "We''re here. Would everyone like to go for some refreshments?" Lily smiled as she led them towards a table.

    "Thank you, we would appreciate that. Although feel free to mingle with others as well, dear. You have already weed us quite a lot." Countess Lita said.

    "Oh, that''s fine, the guests of honor are none other than Count Inanis. So it makes more sense that we pay more attention to you guys." Lily said with a shy smile.

    "Ah, but it does make sense to say hi to some of the others. If you will excuse us then, Count and Countess. I am sure that there''s also much who would wish to talk with you." Benjamin ced his shoulders on his sister''s back and bowed his head lowly.

    ''Lily is eager to stick around but at least Benjamin was able to read in between the lines.'' Lucius thought to himself and smiled as the two siblings left to head to their own devices.

    "Ah, I wonder where Alessa is?" John murmured as he searched for his wife, but then realized something. "Count and Countess, would you like me to get Kiana back? I can take care of Cia in the meantime. I would hate for her to miss the banquet."

    "Do you wish to escape from this event?" Count Gabriel lifted a brow.

    "No, of course not, Count Inanis." Johnughed a bit. "But I do admit that I am out of my natural environment."

    "Well, you need not to worry about Cia and Kiana because they''re here atst." Countess Lita said.

    John perked up at the sight of his child more calmed down, and he quickly offered to take Cia from out of Kiana''s arms. "Thank you. I''ll take it from here."

    "It was a pleasure to help you, John." Kiana smiled and then rubbed her shoulders. Without the duties of taking care of a baby, Kiana instantly went towards Asher.

    "How''s the banquet so far? I''ll help identity the ones who you need to know the most, although I imagine that most of them wille forward and introduce themselves." Kiana said.

    "That would be appreciated," Lucius discreetly said. Although he was certain that the Count and Countess would also do their best to assist him in case it was necessary.

    Lucius nced around the banquet hall and was greeted by the sight of numerous people he had never met before.

    However, a great number of them when they had noticed the arrival of the Count went forwards to share their congrattions in person.

    Lucius took it as an opportunity to stand by the side, although it was actually impossible for him to truly avoid any sort of conversation.

    "Baron Harmund, how are you doing?" Count Gabriel nodded briefly at a young man who seemed to have only reached the age of thirty.

    "Quite well, Count Inanis. Congrattions to another victory." Baron Harmund smiled although his shoulders were tense. "And you must be Young Lord Asher. I am d that you have recovered well from your injuries. I''m certainly impressed that you still participated in the battle against Viscount Drew even after the events of Gisir."

    "My responsibilities are something that I wish to take, Baron Harmund." Lucius smiled.

    Baron Harmund bowed. "Indeed. We cannot escape from them and so we must rise to the asion."

    The young man paid quick respects to the Count before excusing himself to return to his ce with some other minor nobility who had already greeted the Count.

    Once the Baron was gone, Kiana quickly lowered her voice and spoke.

    "Baron Harmund''s father diedst year in the same battle as you did, Asher. I suppose seeding after his father is something that he hasn''t been taking too well."

    "Indeed." Lucius noticed the stressed demeanor of the man.

    However, another man quickly strode up and approached Count Gabriel.

    Everyone else stepped out of the way and even Lucius couldn''t help but be drawn in his direction because of how tall the man waspared to the others.

    "Baron Glintaxe. Greetings." Count Gabriel looked up briefly at the nearly seven feet tall man.

    Lucius noticed that the man was in his fifties and there was an axe present on his back. Despite the fact that he was in a banquet, he didn''t seem keen on dropping his weapon.

    "Congrattions to another sessful battle, Count Gabriel. You have done well yet again." Baron Glintaxe bowed respectfully. "Let us celebrate to your victory tonight."

    "We shall. Thank you foring, Baron." Count Gabriel said.

    "Of course. If you''ll excuse me, I''ll give others a chance to speak with you and your family as well." Baron Glintaxe bowed again and then went on his way again.

    "The Glintaxe started out as warrior n and became part of the Grantz Kingdom three hundred years ago." Kiana exined.

    "Indeed." Lucius nodded. The man was nonsensical and spoke with reserve, which was befitting someone who adhered to warrior like principles.

    ''An interesting figure.'' Lucius thought then eyed the others who were approaching. ''But by far not the only one I''ll encounter tonight.''

 Chapter 380 A Jovial Baron

    "Oh my, is that Asher Inanis? Count Gabriel! It''s been so long! Congrattions once again to your victory, although what else could we have expected from someone as excellent of a warrior as you are?" a voice spoke excitedly.

    Lucius nced briefly at a man that was barely five feet in height but his loud and jovial voice caught the attention of everyone.

    "Thank you for the warm regards, Baron Ridel. This is Asher indeed." Count Gabriel gestured to his son who smiled politely.

    "Haha, look at how much you''ve grown like your father, that is quite impressive." Baron Ridel said with a chuckled. "I''ve heard that you also became quite impulsive and went against the Gisir army even without permission from your father. Recklessness truly runs in the family doesn''t it?"

    This was a topic that Lucius was aware most nobility would steer away from or at least deal with a more serious or even hopeful tone.

    ''They''d at least wish me well that I''ve recovered, but this man is instead able to focus on my supposed character instead of anything else.'' Lucius thought. ''What an interesting fellow, though I do not understand why he''s interested with me and not my father of all people.''

    "I would like to think that my experiences has helped shaped me into a better man, Baron Ridel." Lucius replied.

    "Oh, you have the tongue of your mother. Countess Lita must be so proud." Baron Ridel grinned and inclined his head to the Countess who was actually preupied with the others who were speaking with her.

    "You''ve¡­ you''ve known of my mother''s gift?" Lucius said in mild surprise. He knew that his reaction was supposed to be moreposed as it was the gift of Countess Lita and it was quite likely that Asher had already witnessed it beforehand.

    "Oh yes, of course I have." Baron Ridel said, somewhat amused. "Hmm, it''s a rare gift that truly makes your mother shine when given a chance. I''d say it''s her sweet words that won your father''s heart once upon a time."

    Count Gabriel looked barely fazed by the other Barons who came by, but somehow the short Baron Ridel managed to speak a lot that somehow hit the nail on the head almost perfectly.

    "Must we really speak of such things at this moment? Do you have no inquiries of what transpired during the fight against Viscount Drew, Asher himself has also participated in it you know?"

    "Huh. Not so reckless, is that so?" Baron Ridel chuckled and his eyes crinkled in a way that a cat might like as he looked up at Asher. "How was the fight? Do you think that you''ll follow in the footsteps of your father?"

    "We won in the end, Baron Ridel. And of course, I would like to follow the footsteps of my father. I have to admit that I still have much to learn, but I''m doing my best." Lucius replied.

    "Attaboy!" Baron Ridel patted Lucius'' arm. "You''ve got quite a lot of catching up to do since I heard that you mostly focused on the swordsmanship aspect which is not what a Count solely does, but unlike Baron Harmund over there, poord, you have a lot of time on your shoulders. Don''t forget to rx too, you''re so stiff."

    "Thank you for your advice and suggestion." Lucius calmly said. "I''ll take them into ount."

    "Of course, it is a pleasure to help lead the youth, our future lies in with you and the rest of the folks here like Baron Hugh''s son Benjamin and daughter Lily." Baron Ridel nodded. "If you have any questions, I suppose you could alsoe approach me for help. I''m no Count, but if it''s for you, young man, then I''ll do my best."

    ''Yes, it''s quite clear that he has a lot of interest in me. I''m not sure if I''ll take this in the most calmest of manner, but Count Gabriel does not even seem to notice, so perhaps he is harmless or I am misreading things. For the first time since I''ve gotten here, I hope that my judgment is incorrect and I''m merely predisposed to suspicion.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius was a former servant of the Great Barrom n and was familiar with all modes of services that needed to be done to their superiors, and among them had included things that rted in the realm of sexual services.

    "My son speaks of such things as if he needs to learn, but he''s actually proved to be quitepetent and I have been allowing him free reign to do as he pleases. He''s no longer a young boy, Baron Ridel." Count Gabriel said. "He''s only being humble about his recent aplishments."

    "Aplishments? Why, Asher has been humble indeed. I did hear that he has beenmended by His Majesty himself, and among other things, perhaps you can enlighten me?"

    "Asher has started a re education center for rehabilitating criminals in our city, our crime rate has dropped to such considerably low levels that it can bepared to a small vige and of course, he was able to connect us with a good mercenary group that helped turn the tide during the war against Viscount Drew, Baron Ridel." Kiana finally spoke atst.

    ''I don''t think Asher is enjoying his conversation with Baron Ridel and it has indeed been quite long. It''s far better to intervene.'' Kiana thought to herself.

    Lucius could have handled it by himself, but he was at least a little grateful that Kiana stepped in.

    "Oh, really? That''s wonderful news! I would love to hear all the details. And ah, Miss Kiana, I have almost not noticed that you were here if you haven''t spoken up." Baron Ridel smiled. "I hope you are doing well."

    "Thank you. I have been doing well, indeed. But ah, yes, Asher, you seem like you want to get a drink? I think Lord Benjamin and Lady Lily are there by the banquet table." Kiana pointed out.

    "Perhaps I''ll mingle a little with people my age." Lucius agreed and excused himself.

    ''If there''s anything that Baron Ridel has spoken correctly about, it''s the fact that the younger generation will be taking after the older ones. There''s also some use to interacting with them.''

 Chapter 381 Youth Of The Banquet

    The banquet that celebrated Count Gabriel''s victory against Viscount Drew was primarily preupied by nobility around the Count''s age group.

    The people were his primary supporters after all, but there was actually also a circle of young men and women around Asher''s age.

    They were mostly situated and separate from themselves, as most youth often did when in gatherings such as this one.

    Out of all the people in the circle however, it was not Baron Hugh''s children that were leading the group of youth but instead it was a young man that was exceedingly beautiful in ways that caught the attention of everyone else.

    ''If Baron Ridel was looking for someone in that particr area, this person can fill the role far better than Asher can.'' Lucius mildly thought before he stepped into the crowd.

    "Oh, Lord Asher!" Benjamin noticed him first and perked up. He had a drink in his hand and was mostly conversing with a group of young men and a few women. "This is whom I was speaking of, this is Lord Asher, the son of Count Inanis."

    "Ah, you''ve spoken about me?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "O-oh, apologies. I was merely rying what transpired when I met you for the first time."

    Benjamin''s eyes widened and for a moment he wondered if he said something wrong, but then Asher suddenly chuckled and pped his back amicably.

    "Why don''t you introduce me to your friends? It''s not always fun being the center of attention is it not? I would like to hear about you guys next." Lucius said with a charismatic smile.

    "Oh, this is¡­ well, I think you''ve already met Baron Harmund earlier." Benjamin smiled and gestured to the highest-rank among the circle of youth around them.

    "Indeed. We meet again, Baron Harmund."

    Lucius said and nodded.

    ''It seems like Baron Harmund certainly would like to relieve his youth, then again, he''s not actually too far apart in age except for a couple of years so it makes sense.'' Lucius thought silently. ''That means in the future, there is quite a high chance that we''ll work together and it''ll be easier to push him into a certain direction if he truly thinks there''s too much on his shoulders.''

    "It''s good to speak with you in less strict setting, Lord Asher. And please, everyone, I insist that you don''t have to call me Baron all the time," Baron Harmund said with a less stressed look as he twirled his drink and took a sip. "Well, I know it''s a proper title¡­ but I''ve only had it for a year so I don''t feel like it truly belongs to me that yet."

    "Of course, of course. If it''s just us, we''ll treat you as you wish." Benjamin nodded amicably.

    "If you truly are stressed with your responsibilities, then perhaps you need someone to lighten your load and share it with someone, Harmund." A youngdy flicked her fan open and clearly smiled underneath them.

    Lucius didn''t think that there was someone who''d be that willing to speak openly.

    The two young nobledies he had encountered were more or less delicate, Lady Lily being a good example and Lady Bethany Harrels if he had not used the Inciting spell on her before.

    Even Ariana who was a mistress to Sir Cambrian also had an air of sophistication that probably attracted the old man in the first ce.

    "No one likes you being too forward, Lady Beatrice. It''s unbing of you." Baron Harmund said.

    "As if the wrinkles on your forehead are the most appealing thing either." Lady Beatrice harrumphed and closed her fan. "Stress some more and you''ll lose all of your hair even before you turn forty."

    "Open your tongue further and you won''t attract any other nobleman because they know how you speak." Baron Harmund countered.

    "Come now, don''t act like children in front of Lord Asher." Benjamin chuckled. "Forgive us, Lady Beatrice is a bit of temperamental personality."

    "No need to apologize. I''m pleased to meet all of you." Lucius said as he spoke and was introduced to the rest of the young noblemen anddies.

    However, if there was someone that hadn''t made a point to mingle with Lucius yet, it was still the young man who took the attention of everyone else.

    Even Lily seemed charmed with the person.

    "Who''s that?" Lucius finally asked quietly.

    "It''s my first time seeing them frankly."

    Benjamin said. "But he looks awfully familiar."

    Baron Harmund made a face and then muttered something underneath his breath.

    "You seem to know him, Lord Harmund?" Lucius noted.

    "Ah, this must be the Young Lord Asher that everyone has been talking about." Out of the blue, almost as if he noticed that he was being spoken about, the beautiful youth stepped forward and entered their circle immediately.

    ''Young Lord Asher?'' Lucius raised a brow at those words. It was clear that this young man was actually younger than Asher''s physical age, he was someone who didn''t even touch his twenties.

    Without even waiting for Asher to reply, the youth nced towards Count Gabriel who was still talking with Baron Ridel.

    "A pleasure to meet you. I''ve been meaning to talk with your father but got a little preupied, shall we go?" the youth spoke with an air of authority that exceeded his age.

    Intrigued with the sudden proposition and what would happen if the two met, Lucius nodded and excused himself from the group.

    Before Lucius left, he tried to catch the look of Baron Harmund again for some clues, but the young baron had returned to talking with the others.

    The youth walked with purpose towards the Count and somehow managed to ignore the gazes of everyone on him. He had a charismatic smile on his face and waved.

    "Count Gabriel! It''s been so long since we''vest met. Greetings to you too, Baron Ridel. Would you mind if I borrowed the Count? It''s been so long since we''ve talked that I wish to upy his time and also get a chance to speak with his son as well." The youthughed with an air of ease.

    "Viscount Felldan. Well met."

 Chapter 382 The Viscounts Of The Land Of Etara

    Lucius kept his expression neutral, but already took a step back to let the two engage.

    Luckily, Kiana was already whispering underneath her breath so that he would understand who this individual was.

    "Felldan is a sneaky man. His gift is called the sh of Youth and allows him to maintain his youthful appearance through the use of Aether. He''s also one of the most promising and adept politician as well. Many think that he will be a Count soon in the near future. Out of everyone here, he''s the one who''s doing quite well."

    "Is that so¡­?" Lucius blinked and nced once again at the youth. Everything that Kiana said so far was interesting.

    Upon further inspection with the Nexus, Kiana''s words were confirmed, and it allowed Lucius to realize why Baron Harmund seemed mildly upset earlier.

    ''This is truly an incredible gift. Youth has always been something that has been aspired to by many people when they reach a certain age and so it makes sense that he would be the envy of a lot of people due to his gifts. But is he really that adept in politics? What kind of man is he truly?'' Lucius thought before he quickly observed the interaction between Viscount Felldan and Count Inanis.

    "Viscount Felldan. Well met." Count Gabriel greeted the young man with a smile on his face.

    "Well met indeed! It''s been so long and you look like you haven''t aged a day at all!" Viscount Felldan said.

    "You jest once again, Viscount. If there''s one of us who doesn''t look like he''s barely past twenty, it''s you." Count Gabriel shook his head amicably.

    "Ah, ah, but appearances are simply one thing! You still hold the aura and regal presence that you''ve had since we''ve first met." Viscount Felldan said. "Some people change over time, but I''m happy to see that you''re as consistent as ever. To another victory for the Inanis n!"

    At Viscount Felldan''s words, a lot of people who had their eyes and were discreetly listening in quickly raised their voices in unison.

    "To the Inanis n!" they chorused.

    "Thank you, Viscount." Count Gabriel nodded.

    "If it were up to me, I would have held a far more grand asion to celebrate your victory." Viscount Felldan said. "However, Baron Hugh has already done quite a great job. It''s intimate, which is far more suitable to you, Count Inanis."

    "If you were the one who hosted the banquet, you wouldn''t have had the opportunity to linger and mingle with the younger nobility." Count Gabriel mused.

    "Oh, well, it''s always so interesting to see what the bright and young mind are thinking of." Viscount Felldan said.

    "You rather enjoy being treated as one of them, as most of them are yet unaware of your presence." Count Gabriel said.

    "Ah, well, partly, there is some excitement there. I''m sure that their parents have already warned them, but it''s a good way to hone my skills and see if I can match their temperaments." Viscount Felldan shrugged amicably.

    It wasn''t the first time that Lucius had seen Count Gabriel smile or talk with other nobility, but there was a genuine look to it that had to be notedpared to that of the others.

    ''Incredible. Count Inanis does not usually engage with a lot of people amicably, but Viscount Felldan does it with certain ease. But is this truly a genuine friendship or merely something done to elevate his position? He does know his way around words, so it''s something I have to be on guard with. Or rather, notice more if he tries something like influencing Count Inanis in a certain direction.''

    "So when are you going to aspire further, Count Gabriel?" Viscount Felldan asked. "You''ve won another victory for the Grantz Kingdom."

    "Viscount Drew wasn''t necessarily going against the Grantz Kingdom, only wishing to separate himself from the Land of Etara, you know that." Count Gabriel pointed out.

    "Ah, but ambition and elevation are always possible for you, Count Inanis. You already have the favor of His Majesty."

    "Between the two of us, you''re the one with far more ambition." Count Gabriel wryly said.

    "We''re still young after all!" Viscount Felldan chuckled. "Of course, we''ll do our best to maintain our current positions, but if we continue to do our positions well, it only makes sense that we will elevate ourselves. Besides, it''s not only the war against Viscount Drew that I was talking about. News of Dionysia Brewery being in Inanis City has already spread fast along with the reduction of crimes. You certainly are amassing quite a goodwork and reputation sincest year."

    "We''ll see." Count Gabriel nodded. "You are perceptive, as always, with the happenings, Viscount Felldan¡­ but it seems like Viscount ckshield has arrived as well."

    Lucius nced up to see the Viscount and quickly realized that they were a Viscountess instead.

    Kiana quickly supplied the information that Asher needed to understand who this woman was.

    "Viscountess ckshield is a widow, and she did not marry again. She is someone who is a good person, in my opinion." Kiana said. "You''ll understand when shees here."

    Unlike Viscount Felldan, who maintained his youth through Aether and caught the attention of everyone in the circle, Viscountess ckshield did nothing to hide her age, but it simply came off as a mature beauty instead.

    However, that wasn''t what drew Lucius'' attention to her.

    ''Appearances can be deceiving, but one can feel that we''re dealing with a fire of a warrior within her. Although it''s quite visible as well if you inspect closely.''

    Upon a quick nce, she was dressed in a shapely raiment that was pleasing to the eyes, but if one observed Viscount ckshield a little longer, then the muscles hidden underneath were quite visible.

    It was abination of allowing the charm of being an aesthetically pleasing woman, paired with the hidden strength underneath.

    "Count Inanis and Viscount Felldan. Greetings to the two of you." The Viscountess greeted in a calm tone.

    However, it did not escape Lucius''s observation that she nced in Viscount Felldan''s direction with some hostility.

 Chapter 383 Kindness And Hidden Gift

    "A bitte to make a grand entrance, Viscountess?" Viscount Felldan chuckled.

    "I arrive when I am most needed, Viscount Felldan. There have been some dys, but it was not my intention toest." The Viscountess said.

    "Of course, of course. I only wish to lighten the mood." Viscount Felldan waved a hand. "I was merely catching up with Count Gabriel here, but it''s also good to see that you have arrived. It wouldn''t be the same without you here yet."

    "You have my thanks. But my presence is not necessarily that important, the purpose of this banquet is to celebrate the victory of Count Gabriel against Viscount Drew." Countess ckshield smiled politely before she inclined her head to Count Gabriel. "You have my warmest congrattions, Count Gabriel. It was a fierce battle, but you were able to turn the tides and make it your victory."

    "Thank you, Viscountess." Count Gabriel said.

    ''There''s some history between Felldan and ckshield, or perhaps she sees him as a rival, which also makes perfect sense.'' Lucius thought as the Viscountess engaged with the Count and Viscount.

    ''She''s not exactly as strange as Baron Hugh''s wife that was already quite cold, instead she manages to retain a calm and polite demeanor while simply using barbs in her words every now and then.''

    "But ah yes, the victory does not only lie in the head of the family but to also those who participated and risked their lives. You have my deep respect, young Asher, for not only participating in the Gisir with your valorous acts but also helped with the victory against Viscount Drew as well." The Viscountess turned to Lucius with a more softened gaze.

    It wasn''t entirely soft, but there was at least a less hint of coldnesspared to when she dealt with Viscount Felldan.

    "Thank you, Viscountess. I do my best." Lucius replied. He was a little surprised with the attention, but figured it was because of his position as Count Gabriel''s son.

    That was until the Viscountess'' expression hardened slightly. She looked serious, but somehow it didn''t seem like it was necessarily pointed at him.

    "Yes. You''ve done quite an incredible job, Young Lord Asher, that sometimes it draws the attention of unsavory individuals who need to be taught severely. May you continue to be strong, Young Lord. There are many challenges that you will face if you are to seed your father."

    Lucius blinked.

    ''Had the word spread already about the assassination attempt? Of course it has, since the King of Grantz knows it along with his ck Rose Knights, but for it to be heard already and for her to even mention it while Count Gabriel is here is quite a risky endeavor.''

    "I will excuse myself now to speak with the others. Count Inanis, Viscount Felldan and Young Lord Asher, may we talk at another time." The Viscountess nodded and then left to join another group.

    Once the Viscountess was gone, Kiana quickly stepped forward and then led Asher away from the Count and Viscount Felldan to speak more privately.

    "I was unable to mention the rest since she arrived so quickly, but Viscountess ckshield has lost her husband and child to an assassination ten years ago. She had to take on the role of the Viscount after her husband''s death, and she has changed ever since. From what I''ve heard, she was more kind and gentle, but now she''s a lot fiercer and colder as a result."

    "Ah." Lucius realized why she had acted that way around him now. It was something that touched upon her personally, so she felt invested to speak about it even though most would have avoided the topic altogether.

    "Truth be told, she has quite a reputation now. Rancor is said to have spread fear all those years ago due to his acts in the past, but in recent times, it''s the ckshield Viscountess who takes and preupies the mind of others."

    "What has she aplished?" Lucius asked, interested in the feats of a woman. He was already impressed that Count Gabriel was Rancor, but if the Viscountess was able to take a ce in people''s recent memory, then her achievements were worth knowing about.

    "Although it''s not necessary, she is said to be quite cruel to her enemies, and she personally participates in battles, even if it''s clear that her personal army can handle it. The Viscountess is actually not part of the royal army of the Grantz Kingdom, but she has taken part in the war against Gisir because she merely wished to involve herself in it."

    "I see. That truly can amass quite a reputation." Lucius said.

    ''It seems like the assassination has made her more prone to violence. A driven need for blood-thirst to cope with the loss of her husband and child¡­ which is useful as long as it''s against people who are my enemies as well. If the asion arises, we can simply steer her into the direction where she ought to be and allow her to deal with things.''

    "But speaking of that, what gift does the Viscountess possesses to be able to participate in battles and wars?" Lucius asked. "I presume that ckshieldst name speaks to herte husband''s family, though I can also be mistaken."

    "Well, she is currently using her family name ckshield which coincides with her gift. It''s a family gift of a rare rank. I do not think she used her husband''sst name at all."

    "Ah, that exins it." Lucius said as he searched for the Viscountess among the group of people.

    Once he finally found her, he activated his Nexus and checked.

    Gift Name: ck Bulwark

    Description: allows the user to summon arge defensive barrier and also use it as a weapon.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Emission

    "ck Shield, you say, Kiana?" Lucius asked again.

    "Yes, ck Shield." Kiana repeated.

    "I see¡­" Lucius kept his expression calm, but he only did it to hide the surprise and confusion that he felt upon seeing the gift.

    ''Is this an upgraded version of the ck Shield gift? It has to be and yet¡­''

 Chapter 384 A Beginning Speech

    ''I must not conclude too hastily on what actually transpired. I''m not sure how it''s possible for her to have an Epic Rank gift when people have said that that it''s ck Shield, a Rare Rank Gift.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "What''s on your mind, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "I was thinking of what it would be like to spar Viscountess ckshield." Lucius said.

    "That''s¡­" Kiana''s eyes widened.

    She knew that Asher was great with the sword after having learned from Lieutenant John and being gifted with Wind Scar Sword Artifact, Asher also skillfully saved Gellor from the Alpha wolf that they encountered in Aisse Territory.

    There were other instances too where Asher showed hispetency in the battlefield however, Viscountess ckshield''s gift was like the perfect counter to Asher''s sword.

    "I won''t be asking her right now." Lucius chuckled when he noticed the apprehension on Kiana''s face. "It''s not the proper asion for it, Kiana. I''m aware. We have a banquet tonight and it''s a time for celebration, not exactly sparring."

    "It''s less of that and more of¡­" Kiana pursed her lips and didn''t know how to put it in words. "You are¡­"

    "Are you concerned with how I''ll face the situation, Kiana?" Lucius asked.

    ''I''m already aware that there are probably instances where nobility and other people ask one another to spar. It wouldn''t even actually be that strange if I were to ask her now, but for decorum''s sake, I have to relinquish the thought and put it at ater asion.'' Lucius thought.

    In his past world, Lucius was familiar with nobility engaging in duels of honor and sometimes merely out of pettiness and hostility against one another.

    It was something of a spectacle for others, and he knew that if he were to ask Viscountess ckshield to spar, there would be interested spectators that wouldn''t actually stop them and instead encourage it to be done.

    ''However, this will show my ability with the sword to others and though they might be already aware of it due to the actual Asher''s efforts in the Gisir war before he died. He and I aren''t exactly the same.'' Lucius thought.

    "You need not to hesitate with your words, Kiana." Lucius said.

    Kiana hadn''t said a word all this time and she was merely biting down on her lip as if restraining herself.

    Lucius reckoned it was the Mark of Loyalty that made her feel as if she couldn''t say it, almost as if she was betraying Asher by stating her thoughts but Lucius was all for opposition from his closest advisers.

    "How else would I be informed if you do not share with me what you think of such situations, Kiana?" Lucius asked.

    "Viscountess ckshield is just ten years your senior in terms of fighting. Of course there''s the fact that you probably retained your fighting prowess, Asher but she''s vicious and even if she feels sympathetic because of the assassination attempt, that doesn''t mean that she would go soft on you or anything." Kiana said with a worried look on her face. "I do not wish to see you get hurt, Asher. Depending on her self control, she might not be able to effectively restrain herself and while we have Healers and everything¡­ it does feel like something that can be avoided entirely. Perhaps the Count could merely ask her in your stead to show the gift?"

    "Hmm¡­ I am not worried about that. I am simply interested in seeing how her gift operates. Asking to see what it is without asking for a spar seems like something she wouldn''t be willing to do is all. She''d do it for the sake of father, but that will not reflect good on me." Lucius pointed out.

    ''With her tendency for violence, I think she''d be far more willing to use her gift when actually engaged inbat and not merely for presentation. Of course, that would allow me to judge her gift far more urately.'' Lucius thought.

    The reason why Lucius said that he wanted to spar was merely for observation. It would be interesting to see how he would fair against the woman, but truth be told, Lucius actually wanted to see her have a great fighting capacity.

    ''I''m not always going to be on the battlefield. In fact, I''d rather manipte the events and let people go for my sake as it''s a better use of my time to redirect it and control from the shadows. So I''d actually be more pleased if Viscountess ckshield is truly as good as Kiana builds her up to be, she''d be useful in that ount. Count Gabriel is a useful weapon, but he needs to be alive for me to benefit from it, so if there''s another potential warrior to use that''s a little more disposable then it would be good to have them.''

    "I think you''re right, Asher." Kiana agreed with a small sigh. She haven''t actually interacted with the Viscountess that much due to her position, but the way that Asher assessed Viscountess ckshield was not out of reason.

    "Let''s not fret about it right now, look, all of the guests seemed to have arrived atst, Kiana." Lucius gestured as he saw the next flock of nobility arrive from the double doors. "Is there anyone in particr that I should take notice?"

    "No. Most of them are lower-ranked nobility now." Kiana whispered.

    Out of the in flock of new nobility guests, Lucius finally saw Baron Hugh arrive with a smile on his face. The man didn''t even look tired after greeting with all of the guests before he approached and took center stage.

    In fact, Baron Hugh actually looked excited about it.

    ''Ah, a voice-enhancing artifact.'' Lucius thought when he saw the Baron Hugh take out something out of his pocket and smiled warmly.

    "Good evening guests, friends and honored individuals! Now that everyone has arrived, the festivities of tonight can finally begin. Please drink, eat and mingle to all of our heart''s contents for all of us here are gathered tonight for one purpose only. To celebrate the victory of Inanis Family!"

 Chapter 385 Reminiscing The Battle

    Baron Hugh''s opening speech was warm, gregarious and weing to all of the guests that arrived at the banquet and they all finished it off with a round of apuse as he finished.

    Lucius eyed all of the nobility and guests, and everyone seemed to like it and were most attentive to Baron Hugh''s words

    .

    Even the ones like Baron Glintaxe and Viscountess ckshield looked at him attentively even though the two seemed to be quite reserved people.

    Baron Hugh''s children, Lord Benjamin and Lady Lily were still at the circle of the youth and were paying attention dly with a look of pride and respect to their father.

    "Count Gabriel, where are you at the moment?" Baron Hugh called out as he nced about the room and then finally located the Count still speaking with Viscount Felldan.

    Nearby, one could see Sir John with baby Cia in his arms. He had luckily managed to make the young baby fall asleep and was avoiding noble women who found the child cute and tried to talk with Sir John who they noticed was alone.

    Elsewhere, Alessa was still with Baron Hugh''s wife, the Baroness stopping from speaking and looking impatiently at her husband who deigned to speak while she was still conversing with the owner of Dionysia Brewery.

    Lucius raised a brow at that, but decided that out of everyone, it was most likely the wife who would find the words of her husband too repetitive.

    Baron Hugh swept forward towards Count Gabriel and Viscount Felldan.

    "Haha, there you are! Perhaps Count Inanis will be willing to share with us the events of the battle that transpired? Share a couple words with us and describe the events that everyone wishes to hear about?"

    "Everyone already knows what happened, Baron Hugh." Count Gabriel pointed out with a neutral expression. "It''s why we''re all here tonight, is it not?"

    Baron Hugh blinked and the congregation of nobles slightly shifted at those words. They became a little nervous and wondered if something happened that made Count Gabriel''s temperament change slightly.

    If Rancor was to show himself in the banquet tonight, Viscountess ckshield, Baron Glintaxe and other warriors in the nobility would find themselves trying to calm down the man without any bloodshed.

    Another second passed before Viscount Felldanughed and apuded at those words. "Ah, a man of few words as always and yet his humor is always on point. I can see the beads of sweat rolling down your forehead, Baron Hugh."

    "Do you wish to say something in my stead, Viscount Felldan?" Count Gabriel asked, the barest hint of a smile on his face.

    "You''re the one who was present during the battle against Viscount Drew, Count Gabriel. I''m afraid that you must be the one who will recount everything."

    Baron Hugh was a little surprised, dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief, but quickly decided to ept that it was Count Gabriel''s humor and offered him the voice-enhancing artifact.

    "Thank you, Baron Hugh." Count Gabriel nodded briefly and turned towards the guests. This time, everyone was truly paying attention to him.

    Everyone could easily join in and p whenever the others started to apuse, but the little y that Viscount Felldan and Count Gabriel did was enough to ensure that the attention truly were on Count Gabriel as hemenced with his speech.

    Lucius couldn''t help but wonder if that was intentional on their part but simply paid attention and listened to Count Gabriel.

    As Lucius already knew beforehand, despite Count Gabriel''s stern appearance, he was actually an apt and capable speaker and everyone paid attention to him.

    There was even a ir in Count Gabriel''s narration as he spoke of the beginning of the battle which didn''t start out in their favor.

    Lucius remembered it vividly in his head and was more or less content to observe, until he noticed Count Gabriel look in his direction.

    "As for the rest of what transpired when we were at the bleakest moments and when hope was seemingly lost. I believe my son, Asher Inanis, will have a better way of introducing what changed and turned the tides of the battle."

    ''Ah, it seems like my deeds have finally proved some fruition.'' Lucius took a step forward and smiled charismatically in front of the nobility.

    It was rare for a "young" noble to be given the floor, perhaps excluding Viscount Felldan, so everyone was going to assess Asher and judge him on his capabilities based on this.

    "The battle had taken a sharpest turn for the worst, we were greatly outnumbered and even the sheer capability of the soldiers and hired mercenaries on our side were overtaken by those with great and powerful ranked gifts on Viscount Drew''s army."

    Lucius said which drew the attention of the nobles.

    "One can say that having one or two elites sometimes changes a battlefield, and their people were capable of controlling their environment. Boulders rained down from the sky like a hail of fire and brimstone, spreading and wreaking havoc among us, and the coldest of winters froze and weakened the hearts and vitality of our men and yet we all fought on with courage."

    Lucius made sure to highlight the bravery and contribution of the soldiers and mercenaries who participated in the battle against Viscount Drew, but then finally decided to bring in what he wanted to say.

    "However, it was not only Viscount Drew who had cards up in his sleeves. While he may have been able to gather support from unknown sources, we were also able to meet a group of mercenaries beforehand¡­ a legion that changed the tide and allowed us victory. The Masked Legion arrived and swept in from multiple points, their gifts and strength taking the army of Viscount Drew by surprise and more importantly skill."

    The words lit curiosity and intrigue among the nobles who only heard of them for the first time, but Lucius did not only mention them for the purpose of narration.

    "The Masked Legion has served us well and aided us tremendously to our victory, and they are also willing and are avable for hire as well. If you need of their services, I will be willing to speak with them in your behalf."

 Chapter 386 A Tempting Prospect

    The words of the Young Lord Asher Inanis stirred the hearts and minds of the nobility.

    If they were able to afford great mercenaries with great gifts that actually turned and changed the tides of the battle, then they would do so at their disposal.

    However, there was a bit of skepticism from some of the nobility as they addressed one another privately.

    "Turned the tide for a battle where Viscount Drew''s army outnumbered the Inanis one? That''s a little hard to believe¡­"

    "All ounts say that there''s no survivor, not one from Drew''s army and that is well known now. And if this young man says that it''s the Masked Legion that allowed this to happen then wouldn''t it be great to hire them? I wonder how much do they cost? I hope it''s not an arm and a leg."

    "But it''s already quite well known that the personal army of Count Inanis has one of the most disciplined and skilled men due to the training that he puts them through. Surely it''s more of that over the mercenaries themselves?"

    "Count Gabriel is not saying anything to oppose his son''s words so by all means that ount must be truly urate. A group of mercenaries were able to change the tides and that is an incredible feat isn''t it?"

    "Where do theye from? It''s my first time hearing of them and I''m aware of mercenaries in our region. Where did Young Lord Asher and the Count encounter them?"

    "Do you really think that matters? We don''t know who or who doesn''t approach the Count. It''s difficult to always be aware of his whereabouts. Ahem."

    "Obviously we need to know their background before we put our faith in such mercenaries¡­ why are they even Masked? Are they hiding disfigured faces underneath? I want to see them for myself before judging things."

    "They wear masks to protect their heads, isn''t that like basic knowledge, sir?"

    "I think the most important thing is not their history but by what they can offer and do for us right now, gentlemen." Viscount Felldan mused aloud. He had heard everyone''s whispers andints and was able to control them. "However, if some people are hesitant, then it simply means that there''s more opportunity for those who wish to employ them, isn''t that right, Baron Harmund?"

    "I¡­ I suppose so," the slightly younger man agreed with a small nod.

    Out of all of the nobility listening in, Viscount Felldan noticed the most enraptured expression on the young baron''s face while Young Lord Asher spoke about how the Masked Legion defeated their enemies with ease and annihted them without trouble.

    After being dealt with the position of bing the Harmund Baron, the younger man definitely found himself interested at the prospect of strength and power¡­ and with his resources at his disposal, then it made sense that he should approach Asher andmunicate his interest and desire to hire them.

    ''I need to do it fast because Viscount Felldan might try to outbid me first.'' Baron Harmund thought with a small frown. ''Ah, luckily it''s a legion of mercenaries, so hopefully there''ll be enough to go around¡­ maybe I can just hire a couple first and see how it goes?''

    ***

    Lucius noticed that they were already engaged with the prospect of new mercenaries, and he immediately took it as a chance to discuss other things that was going to be of interest and more importantly, of use to him in the long run.

    "With the recent and unfortunate events with Viscount Drew, it has alsoe to our attention that there needs to be a new reform within the Land of Etara. The reason for his desire to leave is unknown to us all truly as he is no longer with us, but one can specte that it may also be born out of the need for change within thends." Lucius said.

    It was a controversial statement.

    And it effectively drew the attention away from the Masked Legion and back to Lucius. There were some looksing from Count Gabriel and Countess Lita, but they didn''te forward to stop him or anything of that matter.

    They had full faith in Asher''s ability tomunicate his thoughts effectively and Lucius did not let them down.

    "I am sure that many of you are already aware of what the Inanis city has aplished beforehand. With an academy that sought to equip and teach prospective employees, we were able to create a talented field for everyone to hire and gave people a chance to earn their keep."

    Lucius gave credit to the thing that happened before his arrival before he continued to his current reform.

    "And upon recent times, we were able build a re education center that sought to reduce the crimes in our city which I am proud to say has been sessful. There has been significant change in the city, as even those who presume that their lives are already hopeless will find themselves a second chance at reform."

    Lucius noticed the whispers of the nobility but continued undeterred. In fact, their whispers were merely a sign that he had their attention and they were immersed with what he was trying to say.

    "Our current state and position is good, but we can always strive for more and one can see the positive changes already upon our establishment of the re education center. There is a reduction in crimes, an increase in work and not to mention a better living for everyone in the city. And at what cost? It only takes an initial bit of effort and investment from the part of us who are tasked with the welfare of our people."

    This exnation worked for those who werewful and inclined to think about the prosperity of their people, but Lucius knew he could hit both parties motivated by selfishness and selfless purpose.

    "What benefits the people surely benefits all of us. I am sure that many of you can imagine what it would be like to have reduced crime, more productivity and overall satisfaction."

 Chapter 387 Hushed Voices

    "Of course, the first step is the hardest part in the journey towards development and progress. I must acknowledge that and so in order to assist with the trouble of facing this issue, I would like to offer my guidance to those who wish to implement the same thing in their own settlements." Lucius offered with a calm smile on his face to win over the crowd.

    "Ah yes, it really is hard to start things. I''ve already tried to do something like this before, you know?" Baron Hugh whispered to the people who were willing to listen to him. "Unfortunately, I did not have enough manpower to implement it fully and neither did I have the resources to teach and change the mindset of the people who get captured¡­ that''s a long process, I''m afraid."

    "Church of na has already tried to do the same, but of course the context is a little bit different and the people who are reformed be servants of the church, but can you imagine what it would be like for the problematic ones in your city to reform and do better? They''ll contribute to the growth of the city instead of being a pain to deal with," Benjamin said. He also wished to assist Asher in his progress and so addressed those who might listen to him as well.

    "It really is true, I''ve heard from a rtive of mine that stays in Inanis city that you feel safe enough to walk around at night. Their female servants would hesitate to go out before, but now they feel safer. Late night errands now seem possible without worrying."

    "Hah, if the pain in our cities actually start reforming wouldn''t that be good? I wonder if this Young Lord Asher also has advice for those who do not wish to work effectively. But yes, the idea of criminals doing less crime is already enticing. I''ve been threatened by bandits before."

    Overall, Lucius''s words had the effect that got him what he wanted. The nobility who listened to him all became enraptured in the information that they have heard about the re education center along with whatever gossip they have heard beforehand.

    The reaction was overall positive, but it was truly impossible for it to bepletely good. The nobility who were in the forefront were attentive and discussing Asher''s words with appreciation, but those further away did not share the same sentiment.

    Unlike the other nobles who were actively discussing the Young Lord Asher''s words, they were separated and only spoke in hushed whispers afraid to get caught.

    "Do you not think that this is all too contrived by the Inanis Family?"

    "Mention a mercenary group and then say that thend of Etara needs to reform and to handle the criminal poption within our settlements. It''s obvious that he''s trying to sell us the Masked Legion so we would get their services. Everyone''s interested, but surely, don''t you think it''s too in of a ploy?"

    "I really don''t think they''re as good as they say. Turn the tides of an army? Count Gabriel''s personal army should have probably dealt with the Viscount Drew''s army greatly but just allowed his son to say that this mercenary group did the finishing blow."

    "But even if that''s truly the case and that these Masked Legion are truly powerful¡­ why did they try to find a mercenary group unknown to everyone which such destructive force and power in the first ce? Is this to umte power? What arrangements did they make with them?"

    "Why does it feel like this is Bergan''s Band and the Aisse¡­"

    "Shhh. We''re talking about Count Inanis now and this Masked Legion."

    "All that I can say is that they''re bing far too ambitious now. I understand that Count Gabriel is the Lord of Etara, but these talk of reforms are something that His Majesty of Grantz need to address himself and not just some young lord who came from the ''right'' family."

    "Now that''s something I can agree on. This young man speaks excellently as his father and Viscount Felldan, but surely, those who have heads on their shoulder can see through such honeyed words that''s decaying the brains of the others here."

    "Viscount Drew tried to separate himself from the Land of Etara beforehand, but he didn''t go against the King of Grantz. If you look at it another way, Count Inanis went and personally dealt with him because he didn''t like the idea of losing out on the resources that Viscount Drew used to contribute to him. It''s clear that he''s doing his best to umte power. Why did he have to go through the route of heedless violence?"

    "What if¡­ what if this is all to go beyond the control of the Grantz Royal Family? Count Gabriel''s reputation already precedes him. He was able to go against the nobility before and was given pardon, and now that''s all gone through his head. Who''s to say that he won''t try to strive for more?"

    "Mark my words, this is just the beginning."

    All of the nobility spoke it in hushed tones between themselves, but unaware to them all, there were actually some obscure people who managed to hear of this.

    Captain Donald and his guards were not too far away keeping a secure and safe appearance for the rest of the guests under the order of the Count Inanis.

    After the instance of the assassination on Asher, the Count was too wary of any other attempts that might ur whether it was through another assassin or a suspicious individual attending the event secretly.

    Captain Donald''s lips pressed down into a thin line and he exchanged looks with the guards who he was with and they made their way discreetly to Kiana who was closer upfront in the banquet hall.

    "Miss Kiana, we have something we wish to report." Captain Donald spoke in a low tone.

    "What is it?" Kiana''s eyes narrowed.

    Captain Donald and the guards quickly ryed the events to her.

    "What do you wish for us to do?"

    "I''ll tell Asher right away. Keep an eye on them but do not act," Kiana said before she made her way to Lucius.

 Chapter 388 In Comes The Booze

    "Once again, we appreciate everyone whoe here to celebrate this momentous asion with all of us and may we all look forward to a much better future for everyone," Lucius said.

    "Thank you so much for your words, Count Gabriel and Young Lord Asher! I hope that everyone has enjoyed listening and have also taken something from it. I know I have," Baron Hugh said with a smile as he received the voice-enhancing artifact once more and took center stage.

    Lucius finished his speech to a round of apuse before Baron Hugh once again took over for him. The reason for it was simple, Lucius could only say so much before the nobility found it aggravating and too much.

    But it was also worth mentioning that Kiana gave him a discreet gesture that signaled that she had something to say to him.

    "Asher. There''s some issues happening, I''m afraid that some of the nobility are speaking out against what you have said and taken it in apletely different light altogether. They presume that the Inanis family is trying to elevate themselves beyond the Grantz royal family," Kiana said.

    "Is that so?"

    "Yes. Do you wish for me to do something with them? I told you first, but perhaps it''s good to tell this to the Count too¡ª"

    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® "That won''t be necessary," Lucius said. "Tonight is a night of celebration, we do not wish to put an additional burden into my father''s night when this is supposed to be a party that honors the victory of the Inanis in battle."

    "Then we will just stand here and do nothing?" Kiana asked. Her face was nk and devoid of emotions, but she balled her hands into fists.

    "No. On the contrary, this is a chance for us to observe the situation. I''ve expressed some of my interest with dealing with all of the nobility because while you may say that these are allposed of supporters for the Inanis family, we can both see that they''re is a division between them," Lucius said.

    "People¡­ nobles who only pay lip service." Kiana gritted her teeth lightly.

    "Indeed. That''s why we have to weed and root them out effectively so we cannot simply act now when they are at their most prepared condition. Far better to wait for an opportune time to deal with such threats effectively in one blow or perhaps see other alternatives," Lucius said.

    "Alternatives?"

    "Yes. Perhaps there is a chance to turn a couple of them to our side if given enough reason to, but that is something that I cannot truly attest to unless I were able to react ordingly to what it is that they desire." Lucius shrugged.

    "You think we can change others to our side? Kiana asked.

    "Once again, it depends. But first, may I know of the identities of these nobility? What do they have allmon and do they have a ring leader? Someone who operates their little group and facilitates them to act like this seemingly unprompted?"

    "Well, ording to Captain Donald, they are the ones situated at the back of the banquet hall and upon checking on them, it urs to me that they are all minor nobles, but more importantly that they are independent ones."

    "Independent ones?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "Yes, they live in the Land of Etara but they have not sworn to any nobles living in our area. One can almost say that they do not also have any ties to Gisir Kingdom or anywhere else, only living through their own means."

    "Ah, so this independence is what Viscount Drew wanted for himself, didn''t he to some extent? I can understand why they would have found offense in what I said, but I am acting mostly retired, am I not?" Lucius chuckled without any actual humor. "I hardly attend any of the balls or asions when I have been invited in them in my spare time."

    "More inactive than retired¡­ but you''re right." Kiana nodded. "They seem to have reacted in such a way that''s not befitting of their roles and station. I wish we could get rid of them now¡­"

    "That''s wishful thinking, Kiana. We must cement our feet to reality and do what we can."

    ''Hmm, it would do me well to actually get to know these nobility better and address the situation calmly.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "What will we do then?"

    "An idea hase to mind, but this will be requiring a lot of alcohol. Kiana, approach my mother and tell her to find Alessa and introduce her to society right now and also to have the Humble ze be brought out and served to everyone," Lucius said,

    "O-okay, Asher." Kiana wanted to know, but since she made an agreement not to point out any thing that Asher decided without him telling her about, she was going to fill her quota with the work that she had mostly given. "He needs a lot of alcohol, will everyone be drinking alcohol like water now?"

    Once Kiana departed away to handle all of her orders given to her, Lucius himself turned to search for the most attractive young man he could see and quickly located the Viscount speaking with some other nobilities within his circle.

    "Viscount Felldan." Lucius murmured.

    Out of everyone within the group of nobility, Viscount Felldan was said to have the most excellent chance when it came to rising through the ranks and so his political skill was unmatched.

    Lucius didn''t think it wouldpare to his own ability, but it was going to be extremely useful for him to be able to gauge if he was dealing with someone who''d fall to cheap tricks of ttery, someone ipetent, or was perhals truly something more.

    "He will be the one that I''ll ask in regards to the information that he''d gathered from these nobles¡­ but it will require his lips loosening up a little since I do think he''s actually genuinely good with what he does." Lucius said to himself.

    Even though Viscount Felldan had a ''good'' rtionship with his father, it was better to err on the safe side of caution. Alcohol would do the trick.

 Chapter 389 A Ladys Debut

    Lucius knew that if he wanted to, it was easy to simply ask Count Gabriel to take care of things as Kiana suggested earlier, but this was something that he''d take care of himself.

    ''Far better to address the issue myself and learn something out from it. It''s also an excuse to engage with Viscount Felldan and perhaps get a read on where his true intentions lie.'' Lucius thought.

    Across the banquet hall, Kiana already approached Countess Lita and whispered in her ear.

    "Asher thinks it''s a good opportunity to introduce Alessa now and serve Humble ze too."

    "Does he?" Countess Lita nced at her son. She noticed that Asher had a concentrated look on his face, something that resembled his father''s when he was thinking about something important. "Very well, now is a good time as any."

    "When did you want to do it, Countess?" Kiana asked, out of curiosity.

    "I was nning to do it a bitter when everyone actually sits down to have a meal and when Alessa''s conversation is done with the Baroness." Countess Lita admitted as she searched among the crowds for the two.

    Most of the nobility were mingling around by the banquet table and merely picking up hors d''oeuvres and sampling other appetizers. Others were also sitting down at their tables, rxing and exchanging words.

    A lot of the younger nobility were also gathered in a circle, even Baron Harmund, and were engaged in rapt conversation with a lot ofughter and merriment as they took a portion of the banquet hall.

    One of the young noblemen was trying to ask Lady Lily to dance with them, whereas Benjamin was getting flocked with certain queries about the young lord Asher and his rtionship with him.

    Somehow, the talk of Asher attracted the attention of young nobledies. Not necessarily paying attention to his words, as opposed to gawking at his face and whispering to each other of how good-looking and handsome he was.

    Elsewhere, Baron Hugh already ced down his voice-enhancing artifact and was sipping down some water as he spoke in a private conversation with Baron Ridel and Baron Glintaxe. There was a rxed smile on his face.

    Even Count Gabriel had taken the time to step towards Sir John, who was still carrying the sleeping baby Cia in his arms and tending to her.

    "Ah, Asher''s so serious." Countess Lita sighed softly and pressed a hand to her chest. "I''m truly d that he has matured and grown into the young man that he is, but somehow it feels like he''s grown far too quickly. None of the younger nobles in his age are doing the same thing as he is, Kiana."

    "That simply means that Asher is special, Countess. You already know that," Kiana said.

    "I do, but look at the othersughing and giggling with each other and being young. I haven''t thought about Asher getting married before because I knew that it woulde in time, but somehow, it feels like he''s quite preupied with a lot of things for anything else to grab his attention."

    "Countess you are being quite sentimental, Asher is still young. He still has a lot of time," Kiana calmed the Countess down while she motioned for Captain Donald and the others to approach.

    "What is it, Miss Kiana?"

    "Please ask the servants to bring in the supplies of the Humble ze that Lady Alessa and Sir John have brought. Did you see Lady Alessa anywhere alongside the wife of Baron Hugh?"

    "They are in that area over there, Miss Kiana." Captain Donald answered. He was tasked to look over the entire perimeter of the banquet hall so he knew where each respective one was located.

    "Good. I''ll go fetch them myself. Countess, will you apany me?" Kiana asked.

    "Ah, you''re so organized, Kiana. I''m happy that you''ve remained at our side for all these years, but I can''t help but also think about you. You''ve turned down prospective suitors in the past before." Countess Lita murmured. "I know it''s a little sudden, but have you considered Baron Harmund? He is around your age and¡­"

    "Thank you for your concern, Countess, but I need no matchmaking at the moment and neither would Asher. I''m content with my position in the Inanis Family and would not ask for anything more." Kiana smiled.

    ''Asher has already promised to elevate the Inanis Family to levels beyond what we could even dream of. The thought of leaving that all behind simply to be with a man is a foolish endeavor.'' Kiana thought.

    While Lucius noticed that Kiana and the Countess took a bit of time to approach the Baroness and Alessa while stuck in a conversation, he also took the chance to approach Baron Hugh again.

    "I believe my mother has a few words to say to the crowd herself and Lady Alessa herself has asked our people to bring out certain gifts for everyone," Lucius said.

    "Is that so?" Baron Hugh''s eyes widened, and he put down his ss of water on a passing servant''s tray. "That is the most perfect of timing."

    "Gifts?" Baron Ridel asked.

    "Who is this Lady Alessa?" Baron Glintaxe asked.

    "Please see for yourselves." Lucius said as the double doors to the banquet hall opened. A great number of servants entered while holding bottles of the Humble ze in their hands.

    It was something of a presentation, which Lucius appreciated as everyone''s attention turned to the crowd of servants.

    "A-ah, I wish to get the first drink." Baron Hughughed, but he already went back to the stage and gestured to Countess Lita, Lady Alessa and his wife who wereing their way. "I believe Countess Lita has a few words to share herself and all of that while, in the courtesy of drinking Humble ze! What a mighty entrance, I must say."

    "Yes, thank you so much, Baron Hugh." Countess Lita smiled and nced at Alessa, who was nervous and pale.

    Out of all the people who you''d expect tofort Alessa, it was none other than the Baroness who gave her an encouraging smile.

    ''This will certainly draw the attention away, even from someone as popr as Viscount Felldan.'' Lucius thought as the gazes of the nobility drew to the women. It was his time to strike.

 Chapter 390 Tipsy Conversations

    Many of the nobility found themselves pleased when the servants brought out the drinks and quickly received a drink. "Didn''t you already say that had you run out of supply?"

    When the evening banquet started, there actually had been some Humble ze included, but it was quickly drank off by some of the more alcoholic nobility before the others were even given a chance to taste it.

    "This is not from our current stock, Sir." A servant replied as he served them a drink.

    "Really? Did Count Gabriel bring this? Do you think they have an ample supply? I want to purchase some¡­"

    "Shh, look the Countess is about to speak and there''s someone with her. Do you know who that one is? I haven''t seen her before."

    "You can listen all you want, but I''m drinking what I can get now before all of this goes away."

    Baron Hugh had served them wine and other fine alcohol, but he was unable to get enough supply of Humble ze due to how much the market was getting them.

    The merchants bought up all the alcohol from Dionysia Brewery and while there was already an allocated price established in Inanis City, a number of the merchants decided to be greedy and hoard it among themselves to decrease the supply and increase the price to turn a profit.

    Lucius didn''t particrly concern himself with how the merchants operated as long as he was able to turn a profit, but it did ur to him that he could start selling Humble ze at a higher profit margin if he wished to sell to the nobility and not go with a middleman if he so desired.

    ''But this isn''t my main agenda tonight. While everyone''s distracted, I''ll approach Viscount Felldan.'' Lucius thought as he made his way to the noble.

    "Good evening everyone. It hase to my attention that Humble ze has quickly grown to be a well-loved drink amongst our people and so, it is with great interest that I present to you the one behind it all. Miss Alessa here is the owner of Dionysia Brewery and the creator of Humble ze."

    "Ah, thank you so much, Countess. I hope everyone will enjoy my gifts tonight." Alessa said with a practiced smile. "It is a recipe that is quite dear to my heart, so I hope everyone drinks to their heart''s content."

    Everyone''s gazes were on them. Even Viscount Felldan looked interested but Lucius quickly grabbed a couple of bottles from the servants and drew closer to the Viscount with a smile on his face.

    "Viscount Felldan, would you care to drink a little more tonight?" Lucius asked.

    Viscount Felldan''s gaze fell to the two bottles in the young Lord Asher''s hands and he couldn''t help but smirk in amusement.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    "I was not aware that you are an alcoholic, Young Lord Asher. Do you have the same tolerance as your father?"

    "It''s more of the fact that I know everyone will be trying to get their hands on as much Humble ze as possible so I''m securing enough drinks for the rest of the evening," Lucius said as he ced the bottles down on the table nearby.

    "Thinking ahead, yes, I''ve noticed that you are always one step ahead. It seems with current events and even this." Viscount Felldan mused as he epted a drink from the servant and drained it in one go.

    Lucius took it as a chance to open one of the bottles and refilled the older man''s cup. "I wouldn''t exactly say so, but if I were, I would say that you are also most excellent with it as well. One can almost say that if there''s anyone to be inspired with¡­ it could also be you that one can take inspiration."

    "You tter me. I''m not sure if your father would be so happy to hear that, though." Viscount Felldan mused aloud as he sipped again. "He has mentioned you before. Do you know that?"

    "What kind of father does not mention his son, Viscount Felldan?" Lucius raised a brow with a precise smile.

    "Perhaps so. But I do attest that you have changed drastically since your time after the Gisir War. A battle can truly change a person, does it not? Certain events in one''s life be a turning point."

    "Indeed. I nearly lost my life back then." Lucius said. He was happy to let the Viscount presume that his changes were born out of the war as a life-changing event. "Do you have simr events, Viscount Felldan? I''m afraid that I was a poor listener to my father before and preferred to deal with swords than anything else."

    "Haha, I was almost afraid that you would mention that your father does not speak about me. I would haveined to your father this instance and brought him here." Viscount Felldan chuckled. "But ah, stories? Are you sure? I don''t have excellent ones like your father."

    "You humble yourself, Viscount Felldan."

    "In terms of reputation, I was severelycking behind your father. But that is a natural urrence. Your father is incredible with the sword¡­ not just in the sword, but in many aspects. I sometimes fear that I just attract attention because I haven''t aged a day." Viscount Felldan smiled and rubbed his face. "You can surely imagine what it''s like to look much younger than others? At this age, it is a blessing, but when you''re younger, it does make one get worried."

    "You''ve had issues with your gift?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "When you are born, some tend to have a natural affinity for using one''s gift. Can you imagine how worrisome it was for a mother to see that their child was growing dyed even after several months? They presumed I was sick until they decided to take me to the ceremony to appraise the gift. I''ve also had an extensive amount of Aether, which proved to be a bit of an issue." Viscount Felldan chuckled. "It wasn''t until I was a bit older did I learn how to use my gift properly, and now I use it to my advantage."

 Chapter 391 A Fascinating Viscount

    "Fascinating," Lucius said as he filled his own cup and took a quick drink.

    "If you look that way, you can almost see what I mean." Viscount Felldan chuckled and gestured discreetly in one direction.

    Lucius noticed Lieutenant John holding up baby Cia away from his face while she was using her gift with a small smile on her face.

    ''Impressive that he noticed these two amongst everything taking ce.'' Lucius thought.

    "I see what you mean, Viscount Felldan."

    ''I have this suspicion that he is lying, but the truth of the matter based on the Nexus is that he can retain his youthful appearance and not actually dy his growth. Perhaps there is a little embellishment within this story to paint a certain picture¡­ which isn''t actually the most surprising.''

    "This is certainly incredible." Viscount Felldan said as he drank some more and then looked towards Alessa who was getting swarmed by the nobles and then back to John with the child. "These are the ones who''ve been with you during this trip. An interesting couple, you can almost say that their sess is almost guaranteed. Good for them."

    "Indeed so. Although whether everyone thinks the same way is something that one cannot certainly guarantee." Lucius said.

    "Of course, there will always be opposition." Viscount Felldan said with a rxed smile. "That is an unavoidable part of life, Young Lord Asher and the earlier one realizes it, the faster one learns how to ignore useless gossip or perhaps be able to use it."

    "Yes, I suppose so. It has juste to my attention that there are some among the nobility who have spoken ill about how I spoke earlier and it reflected badly on the name of my family. It certainly has been bothering me as I did not expect for things to turn that way." Lucius said. He did his best to portray the role of a filial son.

    Viscount Felldan''s smile became a bit more gentle and he nced about the room as if searching for the group. "I am sorry to hear that, Young Lord Asher. Do you know who they are?"

    Lucius mentioned the five nobles that Kiana supplied for him and Viscount Felldan nodded in understanding.

    "Ah, these people. Interesting, but also not entirely surprising given their current status and condition."

    "Status and condition?" Lucius asked.

    "Your family''s friend, Lady Alessa and her husband are experiencing a sudden growth in approval and esteem among the circle of nobility, wouldn''t you agree?" Viscount Felldan said. "If I remember correctly, and based on how Count Gabriel interacted with the man earlier, I recall that this man is Lieutenant John and is also part of the army. One can elevate through service in the army, but now he has also received great wealth. One can almost wonder where he and his wife got the funds to start the brewery?"

    Lucius kept his expression calm and cid. Viscount Felldan was able to see through the events with ease, but didn''t exactly push him to make an answer and neither would Lucius actually give anything.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Viscount Felldan chuckled. "But ah, I am digressing from your question, Young Lord Asher, but it is merely to paint a picture that these nobles who are speaking ill of you are quite at odds with Alessa and John as well."

    "Hmm, I understand what you''re saying, Viscount Felldan. But a bit more specificity would also paint it better if you don''t mind me perusing you for details?" Lucius asked.

    "Oh, will you be intervening by yourself?" Viscount Felldan raised a brow but then continued to smile and sip his drink. He reached for the bottle of Humble ze and refilled his own cup. "Either way, out of the five that have spoken, three of them used toe from an elevated position but have fallen in rank due to weakness and debt."

    "As for the other two?"

    "They''re doing a simr thing to Lady Alessa and Lieutenant John and trying to make their way up into the circle of nobility. Of course, they will feel threatened by such things. Look at them, even now, not taking the owners of Dionysia Brewery with well-meaning looks either." Viscount Felldan said.

    Lucius nced discreetly towards them and true to what Viscount Felldan said, they all looked unhappy with the good fortune that fell on Alessa.

    A number of the nobles were greatly speaking with Countess Lita, the Baroness and Lady Alessa, but the five and some others were not trying to engage.

    Instead, they were once again muttering among themselves.

    "Do you know where exactly theye from? Kiana has informed me that they''re mostly independent nobles¡­" Lucius said.

    "Ah, well, they''re mostly from the borders of the Land of Etara. Quite close to either the Aisse Territory or the Kutan ins, which of course is mostly a small ins east, but the more important thing is that Duke Wilda''s territoryes closely there."

    "Indeed." Lucius said.

    "Do you have trouble recalling their significance, Young Lord?" Viscount Felldan asked. "You did mention that you''ve not been quite excellent in studies prior¡­"

    "Well, their relevance was not always so important to me when I mostly poured and devoted my energy to studying the sword." Lucius lied. "It''s a little embarrassing to admit aloud, Viscount Felldan, but since you are a friend of my father, I feel like I can be entirely honest with you about this."

    Lucius didn''t want to give away that hecked much information about the world, but under the pretense of being an unknowledgeable young noble, it was also easy to act like he wascking in information.

    "Ah, you greatly honor me with those words, Young Lord Asher. Fret not. This is certainly something that requires due diligence and is expected for most nobles who wish to have great connections, so listen well and I will inform you of what you need to know. Duke Wilda is one of the three Dukes of the Land of Etara, alongside Duke Rizal and Duke Vons."

 Chapter 392 Who Stands With Us

    "Hmm, if I recall, Duke Rizal is the one that holds the Grand Cathedral of Durand does it not?" Lucius said.

    "Yes, exactly. I reckon that you would remember it after the little incident that urred," Viscount Felldan said with a gentle smile on his face.

    Lucius couldn''t help but want to smile as well. The incident was because of the ''outburst'' he had done in Baron Harrels''nd and it was hardly small in any sort of way knowing that he had used Wind Scar back then and ''punished'' those who spoke ill of the Inanis family name.

    The fact that Viscount Felldan spoke of it lightly simply showed how practically careful and tact the man was when it came to interacting with those within his circle.

    Kiana was right about the nobleman knowing his way around political situations. Perhaps in another time, Viscount Felldan would im it as a much bigger incident, but for now, he called it small in the face of Young Lord Asher.

    "I did what had to be done, Viscount Felldan," Lucius said. "But moving on from that topic, what about Duke Wilda and Duke Vons?"

    "They are the three dukes of the Land of Etara, one of the most powerful individuals in all thend and at a much higher position than any of us. Duke Wilda can be said to be the closest one to us as I''ve discussed already with him being just past the Kutan ins and Duke Vons is at the very western edge of the kingdom."

    "Indeed. Anything of significance beyond their location and the presence of the Grand Cathedral, Viscount Felldan?"

    "Well, out of them all, we must discuss about Duke Wilda. Despite the fact that he is located here in the Land of Etara, you can say that he is a great supporter of the Church of na."

    "It''s not entirely strange¡­ although it does pose a question as to why he wouldn''t be a much greater supporter of the Church of Etara," Lucius said to himself.

    "The reasons for it this can truly be something that can only be answered urately by questioning the man himself. But there is a reason for spection that the Church of na may have healed him or one of his closest people in the past back when he tried to search for cures and answers through the wisdom of Etara''s priests, but that is simply something discussed and has not been proved yet," Viscount Felldan exined.

    "Ah, rumors and gossip." Lucius took note of it with the intent to remember it forter. Whether it was urate or not would be something for him to learn.

    ''With this Duke Wilda being located nearby, only being beyond the Kutan ins, it wouldn''t actually be a strange notion for me to meet him in the future and far better to know a potential friend or enemy beforehand.'' Lucius thought.

    "As for something with great credibility, however, is that the rtionship between Duke Wilda and His Majesty of Grantz is incredibly strong. He is one of the King''s greatest supporters. Not necessarily a force like your father, but someone who champions up the cause of His Majesty too," Viscount Felldan said.

    "Is that so?" Lucius paused and took the information in.

    "Yes. They truly are one of the greatest supporters of His Majesty and in a simr fashion, His Majesty also shows favor to the Duke of Wilda."<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    ''Greatest supporters of His Majesty? Does that mean in terms of military strength or through some other aspect like financial support, information or through some other means? While Viscount Felldan did not specify, it will also lend a good picture as to what I must ovee in the future.'' Lucius thought. ''How the current strength of the Inanis Familypares with that of the Duke will paint a goodparison for me, but this is a long term thing. As for now¡­''

    Viscount Felldan saw the look on Lucius''s face and couldn''t help but keep a smile on his face, almost as if he was able to estimate and guess what the young man was thinking and soon enough, Lucius asked him the next question that the Viscount expected it to be.

    "How is Duka Wilda''s rtionship with the rest of the Land of Etara?" Lucius asked.

    "You can be honest with me, Young Lord Asher," Viscount Felldan said. "I can go in great length with all the details of how Duke Wilda works with most of the nobility, but you''re curious about his rtionship with your father, am I right?"

    Lucius raised a brow and shrugged, pretending to be a youth caught red-handed by a more experienced adult.

    "I think that should be obvious, Viscount Felldan. Of course, I''m naturally more concerned with Duke Wilda''s rtionship with my father."

    Viscount Felldan''s expression shifted slightly, but it vanished all too quickly for Lucius to catch as he smiled once again in earnest.

    "Yes, it''s not exactly something surprising to be interested in. Duke Wilda''s rtionship with your father is most¡­ cordial. That is to say, that Duke Wilda tolerates your father out of the fact that His Majesty of Grantz forgave the Count for his past actions as Rancor but¡­"

    "You mean to say that Duke Wilda does not favor my father at all," Lucius finished.

    Viscount Felldan''s smile didn''t slip from his face at all and he simply nodded.

    "In the most forward of ways, yes, he does not favor Count Gabriel at all. He thought your father''s deeds and actions while being Rancor were outrageous and unnecessary due to the amount of bloodshed that urred during those times. He tried to argue against Count Gabriel during the time when such decisions were being made¡­"

    "But you rallied support on my father''s side too," Lucius said, guessing what the Viscount wanted to say.

    "Ah, my contributions are little, but I stand with what I believe in." Viscount Felldan said before he reached out for the Humble ze bottle and refilled his cup. "I hope this has been most informative to you, Young Lord Asher."

    "It has been," Lucius said. He had made a conclusion thanks to the information he''d received.

 Chapter 393 Help For A Conversation

    "I''m d then to have been helpful to you." Viscount Felldan said. "It will take some time and experience to be a proper lord, but with due diligence, I believe that you will take after your father well."

    Lucius held back from making anyments and instead focused on the information he had gained from Viscount Felldan.

    ''The minor nobles who wereining about how the Inanis Family is operating are located alongside the borders of the Land of Etara, near the Aisse territory and the Kutan ins. I already know beforehand that the ruler of the Aisse territory does not have much love for Count Gabriel and neither does Duke Wilda. Lucius thought to himself.

    Viscount Felldan noticed the quietness of Young Lord Asher but didn''t make anyments, he simply took his time to drink Humble ze and observed the rest of the nobility interacting among themselves.

    Perhaps, Viscount Felldan thought that Asher was taking in and absorbing all the information that he was given and made no move to speak with him any further until then.

    And if that was the case, then Viscount Felldan''s assumption was partly right, except for the assumption that ''Asher'' was trying to learn all of this for the first time.

    On the contrary, Lucius was already quite used to the politicalndscape due to his background of being a servant who had ascended through the ranks of the Great Barrom n through his knowledge.

    ''As I''ve discussed with Kiana earlier, my conclusion on how to deal with these minor nobility is still the same. They are either reflecting the views of Duke Wilda and the Earl Aisse¡­ and thus I would either need to get rid of them or turn them to our side.'' Lucius mused to himself. ''ording to Viscount Felldan, some of them have fallen in rank and others wish to grow and that means that they will w through whatever they will to obtain what their hearts covet and desire. If wielded properly, they can be useful tools and can be thorns on the side of Duke Wilda and Earl Aisse.''

    It was a natural move in Lucius''s mind. If he was able to control the pawns that belonged on the enemy''s side then there was much he could gain and benefit from it.

    Knowing this, Lucius turned to look at Viscount Felldan and decided to address him.

    "Viscount Felldan, may I perhaps implore you again for some aid?"

    "In what manner, Young Lord Asher?" Viscount Felldan asked with a genial smile.

    ''I still need to certainly assess Viscount Felldan as well and whatever he truly is, but for now, since he ims to be someone on the side of Count Inanis, then it will be of use to have him apany me.'' Lucius thought. ''Baron Hugh''s wife has given me and the rest of the Inanis family some odd looks earlier, and while I may be mistaken, there is always a chance for them to truly be different from what they im to be.''

    "You have informed me greatly on the current political atmosphere that we have today, but as Baron Hugh once told his son, Lord Benjamin, a wealth of information at your disposal will do little without any concrete actions and decisive ns," Lucius said.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    "Baron Hugh is an excellent man, is he not?" Viscount Felldan said. "I pay him respects for his dedication and it is good that you''ve gleaned knowledge from him too, Young Lord."

    "Indeed, and now I wish to go on and test other areas in which a lord is required to participate in. I''m fairly confident in how I wield my sword, but I''m afraid that I may be poor when ites to the manner of speech."

    "Is that so? I''ve found our current conversation most pleasing," Viscount Felldan said.

    "You oblige me with your rtionship with my father, but I do not think that I will be afforded the same graces if I were to speak with other individuals who do not share the same sentiments as you do, Viscount Felldan," Lucius said. "If you will, could you perhaps indulge me and judge my skills in conversation?"

    Viscount Felldan looked at the young lord Asher in front of him and then immediately nced towards the minor nobles.

    The five of them were now drinking Humble zes as well. Their faces were a little red, drunk from alcohol, but their spirits were still unpleasant still as they continued to bicker and whisper among themselves.

    "When you speak of the people who do not share the same sentiments as I¡­ am I under the correct presumption that you do not wish to talk with people like Baron Hugh''s children, Baron Glintaxe or others of the same temperament but wish to converse with the most ill-mannered ones instead? Those who have spoken so almost openly against you and your family, Young Lord Asher?"

    "That is correct, Viscount Felldan," Lucius said. "I wish for you to assess how I deal with them and measure mypetency from there."

    ''Any other noble would perhaps see my desire and talk me out of it as it is a risky endeavor to approach these five nobles, minor as they are, without the knowledge of Count Gabriel or Countess Inanis. My actions as their son, Asher Inanis, may implicate them if I were to do something grave and rash¡­ so what will Viscount Felldan do?''

    "Hmm, some may discourage you from doing so, Young Lord Asher," Viscount Felldan said with a smile. "However, since you have asked me politely, I cannot find it within me to refuse. Besides, if you are to find yourself in a difficult position while speaking with them, I will naturally intervene and assist you so as to notnd yourself in trouble."

    "Is that so, Viscount Felldan?" Lucius asked.

    "Haha, I''m a little worried that if I refuse then you will simply go ahead and do it without me anyway. You''re still your father''s son, after all."

    It was almost impressive for Viscount Felldan to say such things, but Lucius saw the intrigue in the nobleman''s eyes.

 Chapter 394 Carrying A Conversation

    "Shall we go now, Young Lord Asher?" Viscount Felldan asked.

    "Let''s go." Lucius nodded in an agreement. The two of them made their way to the five minor nobilities while Lucius thought about Viscount Felldan''s reaction to what he said.

    ''How much of his words are a genuine concern and how much is him only being intrigued with what I''m presenting to him? No doubt that he finds this conversation with me interesting, but he may find reasons to find it useful in future instances. It''s hard to find him genuine, even after everything.''

    Lucius''s experience in the Great Barrom n and his old world found it hard for him to rx around presences like Viscount Felldan because of how they could easily portray themselves in one particr manner and then actually do something else entirely.

    ''Compared to these five minor nobles who are tantly grumbling about the Inanis Family or even Earl Aisse and Duke Wilda who have shown their disapproval of Count Inanis due to his actions as Rancor in the past, it''s a bit rming to deal with someone who acts like a friend openly in front of you and then bes a backstabbing enemy when you are not around.'' Lucius thought.

    Along the way to the five minor nobles, it became a little hard to go directly there when Viscount Felldan found himself getting greeted by others along his circle and him engaging with them briefly before excusing himself.

    "A pleasure to see you once again, Baroness, but I''m afraid that I may have to excuse myself briefly. I am helping Young Lord Asher, ahem, apanying him tonight," Viscount Felldan said.

    Lucius knew all too well that it was unnecessary to mention such things, but Viscount Felldan yed it off like it was some kind ofmon joke or mistake.

    "Excuse me!" a group of youngdies suddenly encircled Viscount Felldan and Lucius before they could take a step forward.

    This group of women did not include Baron Hugh''s daughter Lily and neither did it include the associates of Baron Harmund and Lord Benjamin either. These young women seemed to have formed a clique of their own and mustered up the courage to approach the two handsome young men.

    "Ah, it would be impolite to simply leave without speaking a little first, Young Lord Asher. How may we help you?" Viscount Felldan smiled at the youngdies.

    Lucius didn''t wish to involve himself with this group and already found it a nuisance, especially as they could barely control their decorum, but he stood for a moment and nced at them with a polite nod.

    "Is¡­ it true that you are quite older than us? My father said that you are around his age, but you have been mingling with us earlier and found it difficult to believe." One of the youngdies looked at Viscount Felldan with a blush across her cheeks.

    "Your father seems to have spoken well, Miss. I''m afraid that he has said the truth. I am by far much older than you think I am," Viscount Felldan said. "I hope you do not take my actions earlier while joining your circle as some form of deceit as I was merely enjoying my time being surrounded by the youth and learning from you and others."

    "None at all, Viscount Felldan!"

    ''I do take it that some men in theirter ages would like to go for younger women, but it seems like Viscount Felldan also enjoys messing around with them from time to time.'' Lucius thought to himself.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Another youngdy then turned to Young Lord Asher with a bright smile and said.

    "Your speech from earlier was quite amazing, Young Lord Asher. I¡­ I like the way you speak."

    "Is that so?" Lucius asked as he did his best to hold himself back from sighing. "What in particr did you like from my speech? Did anything catch your eye? I am quite interested to hear what you have to say, mydy."

    The youngdy''s bright smile froze a little slightly and she turned to her friends for help.

    "Well¡­ the thing that stood out to me the most was¡­"

    It was clear from the set go that these young women were only interested in the looks, prestige and power associated with being the son of the Count and also with Viscount Felldan''s manner of dealing with them.

    Lucius really didn''t want to deal with this headache as he eyed the five nobility across.

    Luckily for him, they did not seem to have any notice of what was happening around their surroundings and were mostly content staying put and drowning themselves in Humble ze.

    "Young Lord Asher has ces to go, unfortunately, and though it saddens me that we cannot talk with all of youdies any longer, I''m afraid that we must go now," Viscount Felldan suddenly said with an apologetic smile.

    "O-oh, is that so?" the women found themselves nearly tripping themselves over in front of the two handsome men.

    "Indeed. Perhaps another time,dies. Please do not drink too much Humble ze tonight, it is quite a strong alcohol," Viscount Felldan said before he and Asher moved away from the circle of women and went for the nobility again.

    "Ah, it''s always a bit of a hassle dealing with them, doesn''t it, Young Lord Asher?" Viscount Felldan smiled.

    "You did not seem like you were having any difficulty engaging with them whatsoever," Lucius said.

    "Oh? Does that appear that way? You learn how to deal with the people in the most genial way possible, Young Lord Asher. If it did not appear that I was bothered with them, then I have fulfilled my role as a noble quite well. It''s something that you''ll have to put in mind when we finally engage with our five friends soon," Viscount Felldan said, nodding to the five minor nobilities ahead of him. "I''m quite eager to see how you deal with it, quite frankly."

    "Of course, I''ll do my best," Lucius said. While he barely exerted any effort in dealing with the group of youngdies, he was prepared to do so in front of these nobles.

 Chapter 395 Playing The Five Nobles

    "Greetings! Is there any chance that we can join you five this evening?" Lucius smiled and held up the second bottle of Humble ze that he had been saving.

    "Y-Young Lord Asher?" All five of the minor nobility spluttered in shock, but then quickly bowed and gave their respectful greetings to him and hispanion. "Greetings to you too, Viscount Felldan. To what do we owe the pleasure of the two of your presence?"

    "Since I have made my speech from earlier, it hase to my attention that I did not finish greeting each and every noble who hase to celebrate my father''s victory against Viscount Drew," Lucius said with a well practiced smile.

    "You are a busy young lord, Young Lord Asher. It makes sense that you will not be able to greet all of us. We do not take any offense in it, none at all." One of the nobles said. "Should you need to leave to greet the others in the banquet, we would also understand well."

    "Oh, are you guys turning me away?" Lucius asked.

    The five minor nobles all cursed inwardly in their own way. They didn''t need to show their tant dislike for the young lord and quickly thought of an excuse that would save their faces.

    "Please do not take what mypanion said in the wrong way, Young Lord Asher. The truth is that we are most honored by your appearance and that of Viscount Felldan. It makes us so gratified that it feels like you could have greeted other people instead of us." Another noble said.

    "In fact, we are most surprised that you would approach us. There are far many nobles with higher ranks and stations than us. It would be a lot more beneficial for you to speak and greet them than us. I think Viscount Felldan knows it well."

    The five minor nobles did not wish to offend Young Lord Asher''s feelings and it made them feel like they were stepping on ss, and in addition to that, the presence of Viscount Felldan was also not helping them in the slightest.

    With the addition of the Viscount Felldan in their midst, despite the amount of alcohol they had intoxicated themselves with, the five minor nobles found it within themselves, sobering up quickly, lest they find themselves at the wrong end of the conversation.

    Everyone was aware that Viscount Felldan was a great supporter of Count Inanis and with the man''s son around, the five minor nobles were exceptionally frightened that Count Inanis might suddenly arrive and join them in for the conversation as well.

    Lucius knew that they were underestimating ''Asher Inanis'' already and it was because of that reason that he used it to his full advantage.

    "Far more beneficial to speak with others?" Lucius raised a brow. "I do not think that we must only engage with those who benefit us in one way or another, my dear friends. Each one of us here supports amon ideal, and so it makes sense to not look at things such as rank or status."

    "Oh, Young Lord Asher, you speak humbly, but it is simply the truth." One of the oldest of the five minor nobles spoke with a hollow smile on their face, the age in their face most visible. "Once upon a time when you are elevated in rank, the people flock to you, but when they see that you are no longer at your highest, then they will simply leave you for something else."

    "Let us not bore, Young Lord Asher with such things now. Tonight is that of a celebration, is it not?" A much younger face in the five nobles spoke with a slight scowl at his elderly counterpart. It was clear from their appearance that they were one of the nobles that were trying to scale up the ranks.

    "On the contrary, I am actually quite curious about what they have said," Lucius said. "All of you five must have heard my speech earlier, did you not?"<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Viscount Felldan couldn''t help but keep his expression cid when he saw the slight shift in the demeanor of the five nobles.

    Young Lord Asher knew exactly what to say to make them react in such intriguing and interesting ways.

    "A-ah yes! We have indeed, Lord Asher."

    "You spoke of needing change and reform in the Land of Etara did you not, Young Lord Asher? We were listening quite well about it."

    "We have given it much thought even, as we were most impressed with what you have pointed out. The City of Inanis truly has greatly improved in a vast amount of time with these sudden changes you''ve brought in."

    "Even from the time of Count Inanis, they have already introduced good ideas like the academy for servants who wish to improve their skills, and now it is Young Lord Asher''s turn to share his knowledge with us. It is most humbling."

    "Is that so? Based on how you have spoken earlier, it seems like there might be some issues that you are facing from earlier before?"

    "O-oh that''s¡­ that''s just age speaking. Please ignore it and do not give further thought to what I have said, Young Lord Asher."

    "I have not spoken and addressed everyone earlier to simply ignore the troubles that are being experienced by my fellow nobility," Lucius said. "Please, I would be most interested to hear about your territories and whatever problems that you and the others here might be encountering."

    "Is that so, Young Lord Asher?"

    "Yes, I''m quite earnest in this regard," Lucius said with a smile.

    The five minor nobles exchanged looks. Some of them looked a bit suspicious of what the Young Lord Asher suddenly said, but others also seemed like they were finally acknowledged by the young lord which gratified them.

    "It would take too long for us to throughly discuss this, Young Lord Asher. We may briefly tell you about ournds and what issues that we face, but it will not be an interesting thing."

    "Nor does it seem possible that you would quickly be able to think of a solution as you did with the crime reduction in Inanis City¡­ but only because we have faced such incidents for a long time."

    "If there is not enough time tonight, then it seems like the solution to that is simple enough. I would like to invite all of you to go to Inanis territory," Lucius said.

 Chapter 396 A Persuasive Invitation

    Viscount Felldan''s brows rose slightly at Young Lord Asher''s words. It was clear that these five minor nobles couldn''t outwardly refuse Asher''s extended invitation to them and thus were put in a difficult position.

    ''Based on how things are going, Young Lord Asher is putting them in his territory where he is in much more control of things than Baron Hugh''s party. What he''ll do in Inanis Territory will be interesting¡­ but ah, already, to have thought of it on the spot is quite incredible enough.'' Viscount Felldan thought.

    The noble was familiar with how Count Gabriel Inanis worked and thought through things, which was why Asher''s immediate reaction was interesting and impressive.

    ''Who did he learn this from though? I do not think he could have easily gained this from his father, who''s still prone to do what he wishes¡­ and I do not think Countess Lita is an expert in these things as well. There''s a likelihood that they''ve taught him this without it even being needed for them to learn themselves¡ªbut somehow, that does not even seem to be the case here.'' Viscount Felldan thought.

    The Viscount observed how the Count and Countess interacted with Young Lord Asher and treated him like he was already an adult in his own right.

    ''Unlike how Baron Hugh treats Lord Benjamin and Lady Lily like they''re still young adults and treats them with guidance, it can be established that the Count and Countess treat Lord Asher as his own person. Did this allow the formtion of growth and maturity? Or is it paired with the incident against Gisir''s battle?''

    Viscount Felldan didn''t know the answer to it, as it could have been a mixture of several things, but either way, it established the same thing in the end.

    "Invite us all to Inanis territory, Young Lord Asher?" the five nobles became shocked.

    "Would that truly be alright, Young Lord Asher?"

    "Why wouldn''t it be?" Lucius asked.

    "I do not think that the Count and Countess would like us to visit there without any proper warning¡­"

    "Warning? Why would there need to be a warning? I have extended an invitation already and that alone should be enough for both of them. They''re my parents and will appreciate visitors from afar," Lucius said with a smile.

    "Er¡­"

    "Well¡­"

    "Young Lord Asher, do you know where we reside in?"

    "All of you managed toe here to Etara''s Cross without any issue, did you not?" Lucius pointed out with a smile. "I do not see howing to Inanis City will be much of a problem considering how close they are together. It''ll only be an additional few days of traveling¡­ Actually, if you wish perhaps we can travel right away?"

    "Right away?!" the five nobilities were quickly thrown back by what Young Lord Asher said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The idea that they were invited to Inanis City was already heart shaking enough, but the fact that Young Lord Asher invited them to travel right away would have sent many to their deaths.

    All of them were quite aware of what they have said in private about the Inanis family and if they weren''t prepared, it was all too possible that they might slip up and do the wrong thing.

    In fact, even now the five minor nobles were trying their best to keep up the facade that everything was alright in front of Young Lord Asher and especially Viscount Felldan.

    They knew how sharp Viscount Felldan was and were extremely worried that they''d be seen through their lies and deceit and be sent off to the chopping block prepared by Count Inanis himself.

    "It seems Young Lord Asher is quite persuasive." One of the five nobles finally said as they licked their lips and dabbed a handkerchief across their forehead.

    "Do you think so?" Lucius smiled almost innocently. "Does that mean that we will be leaving together by tomorrow?"

    "Ah, unfortunately, you must understand that we have duties in our estates and territories, Young Lord Asher¡­" another noble said, wishing to get out, but their shoulders sank slightly. "However, if you will allow us some time to prepare, then we will do our best to visit you."

    "Yes, that sounds proper. Perhaps we can all coordinate together on our next avable schedule?" another noble said and looked at theirpanions.

    If it was just each one of them alone who came to visit Young Lord Asher and his family in Inanis City, they were afraid that things would turn out dire, but if all five of them came together, then it was possible that they''d be able to survive.

    "Well, as long as all of youe to visit Inanis city, then I do not have any issue with it," Lucius said. "I truly do wish to discuss with you guys in length about all that you''re facing. I may be young, but I do wish to be able to help all of you, and this is the first step in the right direction."

    The five minor nobles nced at Asher and found themselves unable to say a word. The way he spoke was so genuine that they were almost touched by it, even though it was like they were coerced into joining the young lord.

    "W-we appreciate what you do, Young Lord Asher. In fact, what you spoke at length earlier. The need for reform and change in the Land of Etara is something that we can all agree upon."

    "Yes! Who wouldn''t want to experience a reduction in crime in their own cities? My, if I was wealthier than I am now, then I would have liked to inquire into this Masked Legion mercenary group as well, since you and your father, Count Inanis, have spoken greatly about them."

    "We are looking forward to visiting Inanis territory, Young Lord Asher. We thank you yet again for the invitation that you have bestowed to us. We will do our best to visit you at our most avable and nearest time so as to not keep you waiting, Young Lord Asher."

    "I will be looking forward to it."

 Chapter 397 A Nice Play

    Lucius smiled at their promises and the five minor nobles did their best to smile back in return.

    All of them werepletely unaware that they were likembs being led to the ughterhouse and willingly came forward.

    "Well then, I do not wish to take up too much more of your time now that I already have your answers," Lucius said. "I would like to bid all of you a wonderful evening and hope that you can enjoy the rest of the night."

    "T-thank you, Young Lord Asher!"

    "And to you too, Viscount Felldan. It is a shame that we were not able to speak with you." A noble tried to say politely.

    "Oh, is that the case? I can perhaps linger here for another conversation or two¡­" Viscount Felldan said with a teasing smile. He had already enjoyed seeing Asher torment them in length and didn''t actually mind doing it yet again.

    "A-ah! I am sure that Viscount Felldan is searched upon more by various other nobilities alongside Young Lord Asher."

    "We already appreciate your presence and will not also keep the two of you here with us any longer. Thank you so much once again for the invitation, Young Lord Asher."

    It was almost clear and visible in their faces that the conversation with Young Lord Asher had aged the five minor nobles immensely as they struggled to keep up with his demands and friendliness.

    "Haha, shall we go now, Viscount Felldan?" Lucius said with a polite smile.

    "Of course, I will apany you to where you wish to go, Young Lord Asher," Viscount Felldan said, and looked at the five nobles with one final smile. "Until next time."

    The two nobility then left the other five and went on to a far less popted area so that they could speak in private without any concern of anyone eavesdropping on them.

    Once they were out of earshot and sight, Lucius decided to ask Viscount Felldan some questions.

    "What do you think, Viscount Felldan? Have I spoken well enough?"

    "You were remarkable, Young Lord Asher." Viscount Felldan turned to Asher with a genial smile on his face. "I love how you ''yed'' and led the conversation. I think they were a bit preupied with my presence, but perhaps you also thought about that?"

    "Well, you are known as a good speaker. Of course, they will be bristled when you are there and pay less attention to me," Lucius said. The reason why Lucius brought Viscount Felldan was merely to observe him, but the Viscount assumed that his presence was beneficial.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was true, but Lucius knew that either with or without Viscount Felldan, he would have still insisted on the five minor nobles and they would find it hard to reject him due to his position.

    "Haha, you''ve thought about everything and used it all to your advantage, Young Lord Asher. You''re already quite remarkable enough on your own and I think you would have fared well even without my presence there," Viscount Felldan admitted with a rub of his chin. "Though I can''t help but wonder¡­"

    "Wonder about what, Viscount Felldan?"

    "Have you thought all of this through when you invited them to Inanis territory? It is clear that you wished to see them struggle and bend themselves a little over upon your arrival. I understand that it is a way of punishing them for their words earlier, but what will happen when they go to Inanis city?"

    "I will be the one who will take care of it, Viscount Felldan. You need not worry about it," Lucius said with a smile.

    "Well, I am quite sure that you''ll be able to think of something and use it to your advantage. It is actually quite good to bring them into a territory where you control the environment more. Perhaps you thought of that already," Viscount Felldan said. "I can perhaps give a couple of suggestions on what you can do now that you have another advantage. Or perhaps Count Inanis will help you once he hears about this. You still intend to inform your father about this, right?"

    "Of course, Viscount Felldan," Lucius said. "My father will be informed that these five nobles will be visiting and why they are there in the first ce."

    "Good. Good. I trust and hope that Count Gabriel will be able to handle things in case they slightly get out of hand," Viscount Felldan chuckled. "I would love to be there myself, but simr to their excuses, I also have to take care of matters in my own estate."

    "Please do not worry about it, Viscount Felldan. You''ve helped me enough tonight," Lucius said.

    "I am d to be of service to you, Young Lord Asher," Viscount Felldan said. "In fact, please do not hesitate toe see and approach me again if you are in need of anything else. While I do not have all the resources like your father has, I will help you in any other way that I can."

    "Is that so, Viscount Felldan?"

    "Yes, I promise you that." Viscount Felldan smiled.

    ''It is quite clear to me that Viscount Felldan sees my ability in speaking but does not seem to really think much of me beyond that of a child trying to establish and find my footing for the first time. Of course, it is what I''ve portrayed to him to lower his guard, but it is mildly infuriating to be treated in such this way.'' Lucius thought.

    Viscount Felldan assumed that Lucius went through all his ways to interact with the five minor nobilities out of impulse and childish feelings? How antagonizing.

    ''You may not be aware of it or think that I cannot see where I''ve put myself in to, but all of this is simply to seal the fates of the five minor nobles already. They are unable to reject my invitation due to my position and when they doe to Inanis city¡­ well, they will either follow the Inanis family or perish through ''unfortunate'' incidents beyond my control.''

 Chapter 398 A Question That Keeps One Intrigued

    "I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how you interact with those nobles. I can''t help but be reminded of myself back when I was a bit younger, although it doesn''t seem quite apparent." Viscount Felldan continued with a smile.

    Once again, Lucius was pointed out to the Viscount''s gift of sh of Youth. He didn''t have many words he wished to say to the Viscount, but that did give him a certain idea.

    "It does not seem quite apparent, does it not, Viscount Felldan? But have you ever thought what your gift would be like if it were of a higher rank?" Lucius asked.

    Viscount Felldan blinked and the smile on his face slipped for a moment. His brows furrowed together and he stared at Young Lord Asher.

    "That is¡­ that is quite a provoking thought, Young Lord Asher. It''s not something that I''ve thought of myself, but it certainly does get a person off their footing," Viscount Felldan said with a smile. "Would you mind if I use that question too? I''d like to catch some people offguard as you have done so for me."

    ''Ah, once again Viscount Felldan assumes that it''s merely a ploy or tactic to get people surprised. And while it certainly does get the reaction that I''m hoping for, it''s not merely for that purpose alone.'' Lucius thought and wore a smile on his face.

    "Feel free to use it to your heart''s content, Viscount Felldan, but I wish to reassure you that I did not simply ask it just to provoke your thoughts. I would like to discuss something interesting in regard to that topic. It''s something I''ve discovered while I was undergoing through my studies as ofte, which you may be of interest in," Lucius said.

    "¡­ Is that so?" Viscount Felldan asked.

    "Yes. I have immersed myself in studies after my recovery from the Gisir War. You could say that I''ve taken an interest in researching things since I was given a second chance at living," Lucius said. "One ends up discovering a lot of interesting things."

    The smile on the Viscount''s face remained on his face, but it was now a little more careful and cautious, almost as if he had encountered something strange instead of a familiar figure.

    He looked almost unsure, but Viscount Felldan was someone smart enough to have caught the hint and bait that Asher had given him. The only question that remained now was what he was going to do about it?

    ''This¡­ does Count Gabriel know what his son is doing?'' Viscount Felldan thought. He tried to gather his wits and remembered what he knew about the young lord Asher and then rxed slightly.

    "Something just urred to me, Young Lord Asher. You mentioned imagining what it''s like for someone''s gift to be elevated in rank, but have you considered what it''s like for someone to have no gift to suddenly receive one?" Viscount Felldan asked. "How do you feel about those things? Forgive me if it''s mildly offputting, but it''s something that struck me based on your statement too."

    Lucius wanted to acknowledge that the man worked fast enough to recover from such a question and even turn it around.

    ''He''s already trying to see and weigh if Asher now has some sort of gift based on how I said things. Not bad. But whether I''ll answer that or not is entirely up to me.'' Lucius thought and then nced at the approaching figure. ''Fate is a bit on my side today too.''

    "Ah, Asher and Viscount Felldan! I did not expect to see the two of you together, but I am certainly happy to see it either way." Count Gabriel Inanis approached them with a smile.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He had a bottle of Humble ze in hand and looked far more rxed than when he had first arrived with them in Etara''s Cross.

    "Father, good evening. You seem to be enjoying yourself quite well," Lucius said with a smile.

    "Count Gabriel, you''ve caught us at a good time." Viscount Felldan added.

    "Have I? Am I already disturbing a friendship between the two of you?" Count Gabriel raised a brow and then chuckled. He turned to Lucius and addressed his son. "You should know that Felldan is one of the few people that have always been in my support, even when I had gone on a rampage as Rancor."

    "Yes, father. I think Viscount Felldan mentioned it earlier." Lucius said.

    "Why would I not support someone who simply wishes to discover the truth about what happened? It strikes me even more cumbersome that the others were unwilling to cooperate. The blood on their hands is because of their actions and not the other way around, Count Gabriel," Viscount Felldan said.

    "You certainly always have a way with words, Felldan. Even when I need support in the royal court, Viscount Felldan has always lent me aid and used that very silver tongue of his to help sway the court to our side whenever it is needed," Count Gabriel said to Asher.

    "It is incredible that this friendship of yours is this strong. We are fortunate to have a good ally in our midst," Lucius said.

    "I simply stand by what I believe in. Count Gabriel is worth supporting, and so I do." Viscount Felldan said.

    "You say that almost as if we''re not friends."

    "Of course we are, Count Gabriel. But there wille a time where I will also speak to you when there is something that we disagree upon," Viscount Felldan chuckled. "It''s just that the two of us get along, hence why we''re friends and support each other."

    "And I will appreciate it when the timees that we have something to disagree upon. For now, there is a matter that I wish to discuss with you, but I do not wish to bore Asher with the details." Count Gabriel said. "Would you like to head elsewhere, Asher?"

    "Of course, father. I''ve enjoyed my time with Viscount Felldan, but I also intended to speak with others as well. A good evening to the two of you, I shall be off," Lucius said before he left the two of them.

    He did his best to hide it, but the suspicion remained.

 Chapter 399 Approaching The Viscountess

    ''I didn''t outwardly show my suspicion, but Viscount Felldan''s rtionship with Count Gabriel is truly worth looking into.'' Lucius frowned as he stepped away from them and nced over his shoulder.

    Viscount Felldan and Count Gabriel were already in a deep conversation and had their backs turned away from him.

    ''I am sure that they knew each other beforehand the Rancor Rampage, but it is hard to simply believe that it''s true loyalty as opposed to all of this simply being a way for Viscount Felldan to y and raise his standing.''

    Lucius nced about the banquet hall to locate the next person that he wished to speak with.

    A great number of people were all gathered together and merrily drinking with one another.

    Lady Alessa was still with Countess Lita, the Baroness and Baron Hugh with most of the nobility flocking to them for a conversation.

    Baron Glintaxe was in discussion with Baron Ridel which was quite a sight when the tall Baron was seated on a chair and Baron Ridel was standing up but still shorter.

    The five minor nobilities were still caught up in their own little circle, looking like they were in a heated debate but once they noticed Asher looking at them, their expressions turned to genial smiles.

    Captain Donald was still with the rest of the Inanis Family guards and keeping an eye on everyone. Despite the fact that everyone had their hands on a Humble ze bottle or drink, the Captain refused to rx.

    Sir John was still with Cia, but this time, some of the younger nobledies and some older women had found themselves raptured by the sight of a baby and were flocking towards him to ask about Cia perhaps.

    Kiana herself was surprisingly getting some conversations from Baron Harmund, but it did not look like they were talking in any sort of way that indicated an interest in both sides beyond a single topic it seemed.

    Benjamin was now getting some conversations from other nobledies, but he was actively looking around the room almost as if to locate Asher.

    Lucius slipped behind some other nobility to avoid the gaze and wished to avoid the attention of the women, not wishing to y as a matchmaker of any sort at all.

    Of course, there was some music ying around and it was clear that Lady Lily was also getting offered to dance with by a great number of young men.

    Lucius and her gazes met at this point, but Lucius did not make a move to save her whatsoever. While it could have increased his upstanding with Baron Hugh, the boost in reputation was not really worth going through all that effort.

    Instead, Lucius continued to think about the true motivations of Viscount Felldan even as he searched for the most elusive noble yet.

    "But if it is all a y, then Viscount Felldan is quite an excellent one or someone who gambles quite a bit," Lucius said to himself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The rampage of Rancor was something that could have ended badly for Count Gabriel Inanis. While his feats with his swordsmanship and ability with his Epic Rank gift were undeniable, he was a poor man when it came to ruing sympathy due to the fact that he did murder a lot of nobility during his rampage.

    ''The fact that the King of Grantz was not swayed by the nobility who opposed Count Gabriel, and even when Duke Wilda, one of His Majesty''s greatest supporters showed disapproval, is quite something short of¡­ a miracle. Of course, unless the Epic Rank gift is truly that amazing, but even then, it is surprising still.''

    Lucius came to that conclusion and yet at the same time, he still ended up at a loss.

    "I don''t have enough details still. It''s best to gather enough information first before concluding, and that is something I may perhaps discover with her," Lucius said.

    There were a lot of empty tables in a particr corner of the ballroom. These were the ones reserved for the most important of the nobility and there was one woman sitting by herself at the table.

    Nobody else was approaching Viscountess ckshield.

    Some were gazing at her, stuck in their own conversation, but none dared to actually get close whatsoever.

    ''Well, it''s not something I can ask outrightly as it will arouse suspicion and it will not be taken kindly, but I do remember there was a tension between the two.'' Lucius thought once he remembered the way the Viscountess looked at the Viscount.

    There was something that had gone between the two of them and it was something that Lucius wished to discover, although it was not exactly the main reason as to why he sought after the Viscountess.

    For now, Lucius was undeterred by her being seated alone and looking unapproachable. He simply fetched a servant for two more drinks of Humble ze and made his way to the older woman with a polite smile on his face.

    "Good evening, Viscountess ckshield. How are you liking the banquet this night? May you perhaps allow me the chance to sit and drink with you for some time?"

    Viscountess ckshield looked up mildly in surprise, almost as if she was shocked that someone approached her, but then a polite smile curled on her lips and she inclined her head.

    "The Inanis Family is the star of tonight''s banquet, Young Lord Asher. My opinion does not matter much in the span of things tonight as opposed to yours." Viscountess ckshield gestured to one of the chairs. "As for your question, you are also free to choose whichever seat that you like."

    Some might have asked why Young Lord Asher would sit beside an older noble instead of hanging out of his peers, but Viscountess ckshield said nothing of that note.

    "Thank you for your generosity, Viscountess." Lucius sat down and offered her one of the drinks and smiled in returned. "However, if I have to say something honestly, I would like to say that you are wrong in your opinion. You are part of the same Land of Etara and thus your voice is also of great importance."

 Chapter 400 The Emotional Viscountess

    Viscountess ckshield stared at the young man in front of her with a momentary look of surprise.

    Not everyone approached the Viscountess because they were nervous of her and among those who did, not many would try to argue with her in regards to certain matters at all.

    The fact that the Young Lord Asher would speak freely with her was something strange and yet it led to certain thoughts slip into Viscountess ckshield''s mind.

    She nursed the drink in her hand and stared at Asher.

    ''My son would have been around the same age as Young Lord Asher if he were still alive right now. Would he have also been as straightforward and spoken freely like him? Or would he have been shy? More taciturn like me? Would he look like his father or¡­'' Viscountess ckshield became a little lost in her thoughts.

    Lucius noticed that there was a small slip up in the Viscountess'' cold expression, there was a look of conflict in her eyes and she had stiffened up slightly.

    "Are you alright, Viscountess? Is everything fine¡­? Would you like me to fetch you another drink or something else?" Lucius asked.

    Viscountess ckshield immediately shook her head and tried her best to smile. It was a poor one, but Lucius didn''t say anything.

    "It is nothing, Young Lord Asher. What you have given to me is fine already," Viscountess ckshield raised the ss to her lips and took a long and heavy sip. She nearly drained the Humble ze in one go with little to no reaction. "It is quite enjoyable. I will pay my respectster to Lady Alessa. She is the owner of Dionisya Brewery, is she not?"

    "Yes, yes she is," Lucius nodded. "She is apanied by her husband Lieutenant John and their child, baby Cia. You can see them over there. My parents have grown an interest in the couple due to their discoveries and the nature of the gift of their child as well."

    "I see¡­ what a lovely young child," Viscountess ckshield murmured, almost to herself and then nced at Asher''s face once more. The same unease in her eyes was still there if you looked at it closely, but then she resumed drinking again.

    "Your ss is empty, Viscountess." Lucius said.

    "Is it?" Viscountess ckshield chuckled to herself, and then waved at a servant to bring her another. "I think this alcohol is simply divine. I really need to speak with Lady Alessa and let her know that I am interested in buying some wholesale. Best to not go through the merchants if I can have the option of going directly to the brewery owner instead."

    "That makes sense, Viscountess. I am sure that she will be happy to amodate you. After all, alcohol is the perfect way to celebrate joyous asions such as this one and among others."

    "Joyous asions, indeed. Perhaps in a lot of asions, but of course, for joyous ones the most." Viscountess ckshield stared at the now refilled ss of Humble ze, twirling the contents slightly inside. She didn''t immediately drink and instead only smiled lightly. "You have spoken well, Young Lord Asher."

    "Forgive me for saying something that does not epass all aspects of one''s life, Viscountess."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You do not need to apologize. It is easy to be reminded that alcohol is for banquets and celebrations such as this one when you are in the midst of it happening," Viscountess ckshield said. "Not only that, but it is also natural for most youth to speak what is on their mind without much afterthought, is it not?"

    "Indeed¡­"

    ''I''m all too aware that my presence has triggered something within the Viscountess. Kiana has told me that she has lost her son due to assassination so she is reminded once again of her loss now that she has witnessed me interacting with her again and my choice of topics aren''t exactly the most helpful either in steering her away from ruminations about the past. Now the question is whether do I allow these sentiments to linger and use them to my advantage or something else entirely?'' Lucius mused to himself.

    Even though Viscountess ckshield tried her best to hold herself and remain steady, there was the ever-growing swirl of emotions that was growing within the back of her eyes.

    Lucius cleared his throat. "May I perhaps say something else again, Viscountess?"

    "What is it, Young Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield asked.

    "It is the notion that when one ignores a small thing, it can often turn into something big if left untouched. That is what I wish to say," Lucius said. He didn''t need to mention it was because of what Viscountess ckshield said earlier, because he was confident that the Viscountess understood it well.

    ''What matters most is whether she is actually receptive to such things or if she will deny them altogether. That is something I cannot control.''

    "You do not mean toment about how an individual can sometimes make Plow Worm mountains out of Bore Shrew mounds?" Viscountess ckshield''s expression flickered lightly into amusement.

    "No, Viscountess." Lucius said. He raised a brow at the analogy, but decided to be more upfront. "I simply wish to say that speaking and sharing your problems when you can is something that can relieve the feelings behind them and perhaps even reveal a solution hidden in in sight."

    "Is that so?" the Viscountess asked.

    "Yes, that is what I believe in," Lucius said. "As much as we would like to shoulder everything without anyints, we all have our limitations."

    Before the Viscountess''s eyes, Lucius reached for the spare wine sses on the table and stacked them together a bit unevenly to make something akin to a pyramid with thest part missing.

    The structure was able to hold itself, but the foundation was unsteady.

    "Right now, it seems like it can hold everything, but if you were to add another wine ss on top of it, it''ll alle crashing down. That is an umtive thing. The little things build up if you do not take care of them."

 Chapter 401 Rather Not Be At The Banquet

    Viscountess ckshield stared at the sight before her as she listened to Asher''s words.

    It was almost a childish thing to do something like this in front of her, stacking sses when one wrong move could lead to everything shattering in front of them.

    The mess would be something hard for the servants to take care of, and yet Asher''s words and acts somehow managed to get a hold of Viscountess ckshield''s mind.

    The image of her son, as a baby, ying with building blocks shed through her head.

    A memory of simpler times where she held her son and soon slowly watched him grow up little by little, holding his hand in hers. They coursed through her mind like an all too familiar melody.

    It was something that made her heart ache once again.

    ''Is this truly something one can even open up with to others? If one shares what''s on their mind, it will all be too untidy and a mess that I do not think many will even find themselves capable of handling it, much less desire to.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    "Please be careful. It will be a lot to clean up if everything falls, Young Lord Asher," Viscountess ckshield murmured.

    "Of course, I will fix this immediately, Viscountess ckshield. You need not worry." Lucius said. He had already started to put the sses back down on the table and into their rightful ces.

    However, Lucius nced at Viscountess ckshield and noticed that she was lost in thought again. His words were able to hit their mark precisely.

    ''Far better for it to be acknowledged now and let her consider that it is worth opening up to someone. The chances of being treated like a surrogate son are something I do not wish to y upon for the Viscountess. Her pain is usable, but if allowed to linger too much will be something more of a nuisance. She cannot be too distraught.'' Lucius thought.

    After a couple of minutes, Lucius decided to change the topic atst and went for a smile as he nced at Count Gabriel and Viscount Felldan in the distance.

    "Viscountess, may I perhaps ask you what your thoughts were on the previous battle against Viscount Drew?"

    Viscountess ckshield looked at Asher in surprise, but happy to focus on something else. "You wish to know what I thought of it? But the battle has already been won, Young Lord Asher. I do not think it''s necessary to dwell on something that''s already finished."

    "I find myself once again disagreeing with you, Viscountess. There is a lot one can learn from one''s past and it is why I wish to seek for your observation."

    "Even when everything has ended in the total victory of the Inanis family?"

    "Yes, even the most perfect of ns and attempts at battle will have their own trials and troubles. Even back then, some things happened that I did not wish for to happen."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "For example, not knowing the exact amount of people in Viscount Drew''s army?" Viscountess ckshield raised a brow.

    "Indeed, if we had known beforehand, then there would have been more preparations. It would have been nice for no soldiers to have lost their lives and so this is where perhaps you may have insights into Viscountess. As I said before, each one of us has something to contribute, as we are all part of the Land of Etara," Lucius said.

    "Indeed, you have mentioned that." Viscountess ckshield nodded.

    "However, since you are not most interested in it, perhaps let me just ask you another question instead, Viscountess. What do you yourself specialize in?"

    Viscountess ckshield chuckled atst and looked carefully at Asher. She didn''t think it was apt to suddenly think of Viscount Felldan, but the way Asher spoke with her somehow reminded her of the man.

    Luckily, it was not in the same feeling or else she would have not allowed Asher to sit in the first ce.

    "It seems like you have heard of what I do, Young Lord Asher. I also participate in battles," Viscountess ckshield said.

    "Yes, I have heard of them."

    "Then it seems like you must have heard my reputation for violence as well."

    "I have indeed heard of those things, but on the contrary, I do not think that you are all that violent as they make it out to be," Lucius said. "The fact that I am able to sit down here with you and enjoy a conversation is something that proves otherwise, does it not?"

    "I''m afraid that the rumors are all correct, Young Lord Asher. What they speak about me being violent is true and while it does not apply to me now that we are situated in a banquet ce, know that I am quite bloodthirsty when ites to situations where I am allowed to act to what I desire," Viscountess ckshield said.

    Lucius looked at the Viscountess and realized that it must have been the longest thing that he had ever heard from the Viscountess since they''d actually started to talk.

    This was something that she truly thought and believed in.

    ''When something happens to a person, whether good or bad, they end up forming an identity to exin things simpler. For things with negative impact, the identity now acts as some kind of buffer and shield¡­ almost too uncanny now that I''m dealing with Viscountess ckshield.''

    Without Asher speaking back to Viscountess ckshield in regards to what she said, the older woman took a sip of her drink and ced it down.

    "It is a little hard to believe perhaps, but what they say about me is urate. The few joys that I experience in this life now are the thrill of a battle and so even things like managing and running my territory is nothing more but a chore that I attend to," Viscountess ckshield admitted. "I would have loved to skip this banquet, but it is expected for everyone who supports Count Gabriel toe here and so I am present, but know that I would have preferred to be anywhere else but here."

 Chapter 402 An Offer For A Spar

    After hearing those words from Viscountess ckshield, Lucius immediately smiled and saw a chance to say what he wanted to from the start.

    "If you find everything so tedious nowadays, Viscountess ckshield, what do you think of having a spar with me?" Lucius asked.

    Viscountess ckshield raised a brow at the young man''s sudden words. She tilted her head slightly as her lips pressed down into a thin line.

    ''I am almost unsure if this young man is joking with me, but he has been honest and straightforward, so it has to be the truth.''

    "It will be a chance to alleviate the feeling of boredom that you speak of, Viscountess ckshield," Lucius continued in her silence. "I know that I am not my father, Count Gabriel, with his incredible gift and swordsmanship, but I also did participate in the war against Gisir and the battle against Viscount Drew. I can assure you that the battle will at least be entertaining for you."

    It was easy to presume that Viscountess ckshield''s silence was her gauging Young Lord Asher and trying to assess whether or not he would actually be worth fighting with, hence why Lucius said those things in order to convince her.

    "I am not underestimating your battle prowess, Young Lord Asher. On the contrary, I have heard of your story as well and know that you are a capable young man who is excellent with swordsmanship and received a gift from His Majesty of Grantz due to your valor¡­ additionally you wouldn''t have been able to survive an assassin if you were not quick on your feet and your mind either," Viscountess ckshield said with a measured tone.

    "Then does that mean that you are hesitating, Viscountess ckshield?" Lucius asked next. "It will not be much of a spar if I do not use my natural skills to my advantage. In fact, it makes more sense that I be wary of you Viscountess, since you have an incredible gift, whereas I did not inherit mine from my father as most of the nobility already know."

    Viscountess ckshield''s lips quirked at his words.

    ''Indeed. He knows about my gifts and also knows his ownck of innate gift and yet still seems to continue to wish to spar with me. He is being quite odd, but that is not even the oddest thing out of them all. This desire to fight me is¡­''

    Viscountess ckshield cleared her throat. "It is no spar if one''s natural aptitude is forgotten, Young Lord Asher. Of course, it is also possible to set out rules in a spar and ensure that it most friendly and no one is hurt¡­"

    "Or we can simply have healerse and station themselves. I understand that you have a penchant for violence and I will not be deterred by such a thing, Viscountess ckshield. Some will take for a more friendly match to ensure fewer injuries, but the two of us can afford to truly go for that rush of a battle that you are aiming for," Lucius said. "We can discuss more rules at ater date, but I am quite open to it being blood pumping."

    "Young Lord Asher, I truly appreciate that you woulde and offer these things for me and yet there is one thing that continues to boggle me," Viscountess ckshield said.

    "And what is it, Viscountess?" Lucius raised a brow.<novelsnext>¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom</novelsnext>

    ''I have already tackled myck of a gift and not being bothered if she uses hers and for it to be a far more deadlier match so that it will not be boring has also been stated. What else would make someone like her hesitate if she truly lives for the thrill of violence and bloodshed?''

    "Do you¡­ do you not find it offensive to fight a woman?" Viscountess ckshield asked.

    "Ah, that is quite simple, Viscountess." Lucius chuckled, a bit in disbelief that this was what had bothered the Viscountess all this time, but he was happy to assuage her problems at once. "I believe everyone is equal in war. Men and women can fight as they please. I see no issue in fighting you at all, Viscountess. I truly hope that you do not have any hesitations with it as well."

    ''It only urred to me at this moment that of course, she would have some qualms about this. I''ve seen Ariana and Finch fight together alongside Gellor and the rest of his team that I was under the impression that fights between men and women aremon, but it seems that the traditional standards remain still in this world.'' Lucius thought.

    In his past world, there were still some reservations among other groups that didn''t quite go away, but the Great Barrom n was a ce where one''s gender did not even affect one''s expectations for battle. Men and women, were all the same to Lucius and you couldn''t go softer for one and harsher for the other.

    Viscountess ckshield''s eyes widened at his reply, before she finally let out augh. Everyone who was paying attention in the banquet found themselves in shock to see the Viscountess react in such a way.

    p¦Ánd¦Á`no¦Í?1~§ão§® It was a rare thing for her tough and not many were able to witness it.

    Lucius himself was satisfied with the reaction because it meant that he finally managed to get the response that he had been waiting for.

    Viscountess ckshield''s expression lightened up and a fire lit up in her eyes.

    "Very well, if that is the case, then I see no more reason to turn down your proposition, Young Lord Asher. You have tackled my reservation and also spoken of other things in length already. I''ve already heard of your skills and it will be good to test them, that much I am excited for."

    "Thank you, Viscountess ckshield," Lucius said. "You honor me a great deal by saying such things. When do you think is the most appropriate date for us to set our spar then? What is your current schedule like, Viscountess?"

    "Why not spar right away? Right now?"

 Chapter 403 A Quick Response

    "Right away, Viscountess?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes. Please do not tell me that you are finally getting cold feet now that I have said yes to your proposal?" Viscountess ckshield said and nced around the room. "I am not most familiar with Baron Hugh''s mansion, and it is exceptionally small due to all the surrounding buildings and establishment around it, but we can easily find a room or space. Maybe even ask some of the servants to clear some things for us. I do not have qualms doing it indoors. Ah, but we still need to fetch for a Healer too. A specific one will take hours to a day, and we can''t forgo that, do we?"

    The truth of the matter was that Lucius only intended for tonight to be spent on speaking andmunicating with the nobility of the banquet.

    This time, it was Lucius''s turn to be surprised by Viscountess ckshield''s response and eagerness to go for a spar right away.

    ''If Viscountess ckshield is aware that her gift has been upgraded from ckshield to Bulwark, then she probably would have actually hesitated a little bit. Or perhaps it works simrly to Kiana where she can use the base form and effectively hide the original effects? Other than that, her enthusiasm for battle is truly remarkable. What do I say to this¡­?''

    "Asher, there you are!" Kiana appeared and approached them. She gave a courteous smile and curtsied in front of the Viscountess. "Greetings to you, Viscountess ckshield."

    p¦Á§ád¦Á`no¦Í?1`§ão§® "Ah, you must be¡­" Viscountess ckshield''s brows furrowed as she looked at the woman in front of her. "Kiana. One of the longest serving members of the Inanis family. A capable one too. You have been in service for the family for more than a decade, if I remember."

    "Yes, that is me, Viscountess. I am humbled that you remember me," Kiana said.

    "Of course, I would. I have seen you grow up in thest decade or so. It makes sense to remember people vital to a family," Viscountess ckshield said but then frowned a little. "Is there any particr reason as to why you''ve sought out Young Lord Asher? Are the Count and Countess looking for him already? Does he need to make another speech or go about those Masked Legion Mercenaries?"

    Lucius became clearly aware that with the promise of a spar in Viscountess ckshield''s mind, she had be far more animated than before and spoke at a length.

    Somehow it was Baron Hugh''s wife all over again when she learned that Alessa handled the Dionysia Brewery, except this time, it was for battle.

    "No. Worry not, Viscountess ckshield. It is not any of those things. On the contrary, I merely do my best to stay at Asher''s side and ensure of his well being," Kiana said. "It is also an honor to be able to speak with you as well, Viscountess ckshield. People speak of your name¡­"

    "In far less respectable terms, I presume." Viscountess ckshield mused with a little smile on her face. "But it did not ur to me that Young Lord Asher still required the presence of a chaperone. He is dearly loved by his family, is he not?"

    "Immensely, Viscountess ckshield."

    At those words, Viscountess ckshield managed to calm herself a little and thought about the situation a bit more carefully.<novelsnext>¦Ñ¦Á§ád¦Á `n?¦Í?| §ãom</novelsnext>

    ''While Young Lord Asher invited me to a spar and he is already a young man who can make his own decisions, the fact that I would challenge him during the night of the Inanis Family''s celebration banquet can be taken wrongly by others and even Count Inanis. While I have never quite cared about what others speak about me, this may have negative consequences. Not to mention, the Count and Countess may react strongly if I were to harm even a single hair on their son''s head.''

    Kiana nced in Asher''s direction.

    ''The reason why I came here is because one of the servants informed that Viscountess ckshield hadughed while she spoke with Asher. I didn''t know what to expect so I came here to check it out myself but I am not quite sure what to make of this situation¡­'' Kiana thought, a bit clueless, but also determined to take care of Asher.

    "But ah, Viscountess, whatever that people speak about you is something that cannot be stopped. Gossip will emerge and, although I believe you know this beforehand, there is not much use to listening to senseless prattle," Kiana said.

    "Thank you, Kiana. Your words are gratifying, but it did ur to me that perhaps your timing is most fortuitous. I was about to have a spar with Young Lord Asher right now if you haven''t had arrived, so some of what these gossipers say is quite true," Viscountess ckshield admitted.

    "A spar?" Kiana''s eyes widened and she looked at Asher.

    ''I thought Asher already said that he wouldn''t do it right away. Now''s not really the time for it...''

    "It does not have to be right away, Viscountess ckshield. Perhaps we can set a far more appropriate time than right now, so we can also prepare everything. If you are willing toe visit Inanis city, it would be my pleasure to spar with you," Lucius said.

    "And is that fine with the Inanis family?" Viscountess ckshield nced at Kiana. "Will they not have any qualms about it?''

    "Asher is already of age and the Count and Countess both trust him and his discernment, Viscountess. You need not worry about what they will think," Kiana said in reply.

    ''I would have talked Asher down from this, but he is insistent¡­ and he had already saved my life before. I trust him as well. And perhaps if things were to take a sudden sharp turn if the Viscountess bes too violent, then I can intervene easily.'' Kiana thought.

    "What do you say, Viscountess ckshield?" Lucius asked. "There is nothing to worry about, only your schedule from here on out."

    "Schedule?" Viscountess ckshield smiled lightly. "While I did mention that I''ve gotten bored with tending to my territory, it does not mean that I do not have capable people who can take care of it for me."

 Chapter 404 Parting Conversations

    "Then we''ll be looking forward to traveling with you soon, Viscountess ckshield." Lucius smiled and inclined his head.

    "The same to you, Young Lord Asher." Viscountess ckshield nodded. "Now then, will the two of you be staying here with me, or will you go elsewhere? You have already confirmed that I will be joining you guys tomorrow."

    "Do you wish us to leave you alone, Viscountess?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "I just find it strange that a young man is spending a lot of time with me instead of people around his age."

    "I find myself interacting with people of various ages, Viscountess. I assure you that sometimes I find it easier to interact with people much older than me due to my interests lying elsewhere."

    "That''s true. Sometimes I do find it hard to believe that Asher is younger than me. He has grown so much in a year." Kiana said, joining the conversation.

    "Hmm, while the two of you are here, I would perhaps like to inquire about the Masked Legion Mercenaries. You and your father, Count Inanis have spoken about how they turned the edge of the battle against Viscount Drew, but it is my first time hearing of them."

    "Well, they are a group of mercenaries that I found myself meeting before," Lucius said. "I am sure that everyone is curious about where theye from, but it is something that they wish to keep to themselves privately for now. Are you interested in hiring them, Viscountess?"

    "I am curious about their rtive power. The fact that Count Gabriel has spoken highly of them seems to indicate a certain level of strength that is worth noting, but I do not feelpletelyfortable with strangers entering mynd if I do not even know where theye from or what lies underneath their masks," Viscountess ckshield said.

    There was a certain look in her eyes that seemed to indicate that she was also thinking about assassins at the moment. The fact that most of them were masked and hiding their face did not sit well with the Viscountess.

    "Of course, I understand your reservations. I would like to vouch for their characters, and I hope that you would consider them. If not for your territory, then when fighting in the territory of others," Lucius said. "I think that will be much morefortable to you, Viscountess?"

    "Perhaps. If there was a fight in another territory, then I''ll consider it. But that would require a conflict being in ce first, before I was to find myself joining a battle," Viscountess ckshield said.

    Kiana and Lucius nced at each other. It was something that many would perhaps hesitate in saying aloud but true to her nature; the Viscountess didn''t have any reservations in stating her thoughts aloud.

    "Truly." Viscountess ckshield sipped her drink again and didn''t say anything more.

    For the duration of their entire conversation, it was mostly Lucius who had done an effort in speaking with the Viscountess and not the other way around. Perhaps it was finally time to leave the Viscountess and redirect his attention elsewhere.

    Lucius nced around the banquet and took in the ongoing proceedings. Count Gabriel was still speaking with Viscount Felldan.

    One quick look at Viscountess ckshield indicated that there was little to no joy in her eyes as she eyed the Viscount and continued to mull in her seat.

    ''I would ask her about her sentiments about Viscount Felldan, but this is something that I should save for ater time than anything else. Not to mention that Viscount Felldan is also keeping an eye on the current engagement as well.'' Lucius thought.

    As expected for Viscount Felldan, he was able to hold a conversation with Count Gabriel and engage with him properly, but also somehow managed to nce in his direction.

    ''Perhaps he is wondering what I''m speaking about with the Viscountess. Better to be wary than anything else.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Is there anywhere else you wish to go to, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "I am simply checking how everything has progressed so far," Lucius said. "I think this banquet tonight has been most sessful, isn''t it?"

    "Yes, Asher. Even now Lady Alessa, Countess Lita and Baroness Hugh are still gathered together with the rest of the nobility. They are quite the stars of the ball," Kiana said.

    "Ah, that reminds me to speak with her. Thank you for mentioning that, Kiana." Viscountess ckshield raised her head and turned to the other women gathered.

    While Viscountess ckshield did not seem to have any actual interest in interacting with groups, and Lady Alessa was surrounded by a lot of people, she did not have any issue standing up and excusing herself.

    With her gone, it left Kiana and Lucius together at the table, and the two sat down for a moment.

    "Have you aplished everything that you intended for tonight, Asher?"

    "Yes, I''ve spoken with the five nobilities you mentioned earlier and invited them to our estate," Lucius said.

    "Invited them?" Kiana said.

    "We will be most weing with them, Kiana."

    Kiana nced at Asher and noticed the tone of his voice. In the past, she would have been bothered by the hidden meaning between his words, but now she had mostly gotten used to it.

    In fact, she was appreciative of it because it meant that Asher was truly doing everything for the Inanis family.

    "Of course, Asher. Please let me know ahead. What about your conversation with Viscount Felldan?"

    "It has been most interesting. I appreciate your information about him," Lucius said.

    "Yes. He is an important figure, after all." Kiana said.

    ''I noticed that she does not seem to speak about Viscount Felldan in a negative or positive light. It''s mostly neutral. It makes me wonder if Count Gabriel is the only one who sees things in a positive light or even Countess Lita shares the same sentiment as him. Something worth noting about. I can''t make any specific conclusions due to myck of background.''

    "And is there anything else that you wish to do, Asher?"

    "In particr? At this moment? No. I will be awaiting the results of what we did for tonight."

 Chapter 405 Retiring For The Night

    "Some of the nobility are actually starting to quiet down now that you''ve mentioned it," Kiana said as she took in the sight of the banquet.

    "Indeed. The festivities are dying down for others."

    "It wouldn''t actually be bad to retire tonight if you wish to, Asher. I do not think that everyone will stay up until dawn to spend it on drinking and partying." Kiana said. "Most people who''ve arrived at this banquet are the peers of Count Inanis, and for those along your age, some are sneaking out¡­"

    "Yes, I''ve noticed." Lucius said. He thought he saw Benjamin and his friends leave the banquet a little earlier and headed elsewhere.

    "Do you truly not wish to go with them? I think you''ve gotten along with Baron Hugh''s son and daughter, did you not?" Kiana asked.

    "I get along with them as well as you do with Baron Harmund." Lucius said as he eyed Kiana.

    "It was Countess Lita who put me up with it," Kiana sighed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Of course, she cares about my well being and I believe that she does it with the best intention, but we are not children anymore, Asher."

    "Indeed. But if you were to consider it, you would rise up in rank. If you were not here with us, and certain events have not happened in the past, then you would have perhaps been ady elsewhere," Lucius acknowledged. "Have you ever thought about that, Kiana?"

    "Hardly. I am more than content with my life right now," Kiana said. "Can you imagine what would it be like if I were to be ady? I do not think that I would have been as skilled withbat as I am now, nor would I have put more effort into using my gift. Status is one thing, but I do not like the thought of being powerless, Asher."

    "Indeed." Lucius nodded.

    "In fact, our conversation was not exactly about myself or him, Asher. We were simply talking about the Masked Legion. Since you were unavable and preupied with talking to others, he inquired it to me instead."

    "Ah, a potential client. An understandable development of things," Lucius said. "There is him, Baron Hugh and Viscount Felldan. That''s a good number, to begin with and once they''ve shared their results, the number will grow."

    "Indeed. We need to think about actually growing the legion, Asher," Kiana whispered under her breath. "If they all coincide at the same time, it would make sense that the Masked Legion needs to be able to handle them all at the same time."

    "Of course, that will be something we''ll take care of once we return to Inanis territory. Return to the re-education center and see to it how many more are willing to undergo through redemption." Lucius said. "Hmmm¡­"

    "What is it, Asher?"

    "Perhaps it is finally time to retire. I am not actively looking for anyone to speak with now, nor are othersing to approach me. Shall we leave now, Kiana?"

    "Of course, Asher."

    Lucius was not exactly the most gregarious person. Even back then in his past world, he preferred to work by himself.

    Now that he had finished most of his tasks and goals in regard to his purpose ofing here to the nobility banquet, it was time to head to the assigned room given to him.

    The fact that he seemed undisturbed by others would allow the less favorable people toe meet with him if he lingered any longer. Even now, Lucius thought he saw some of the youngerdies eye him from afar.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I will excuse myself now and thank our host first," Lucius said and approached Baron Hugh.

    "Ah, Young Lord Asher! How are you doing?" Baron Hugh was speaking with Baron Glintaxe and Baron Ridel before he turned to him.

    "I am well, Baron Hugh. I simply wish to thank you for the night and head to my chambers."

    "So soon?" Baron Ridel asked. "The night is still young."

    "It is better to sleep. I think Count Inanis and his family will return at once to their territory this morning," Baron Glintaxe said.

    "Makes sense, it is Count Gabriel we are speaking of." Baron Hugh nodded and then called for one of his servants. "Allow one of my people to escort you to your quarters, Young Lord Asher."

    "Thank you, Baron Hugh. Baron Glintaxe, Baron Ridel, I will go ahead now."

    It took a couple of minutes of navigation, but with the help of Kiana and a servant from Baron Hugh''s manor, he arrived at his ce and retired for the night.

    Lucius had spent most of the time heading to Etara''s Cross while on the road and so he was nning to go to sleep to recover from fatigue.

    However, before he could actually sleep, the sound of his doorknob being rattled sounded. Lucius sat up and became alert, his brows furrowing.

    ''Is it an assassin? No. If someone were toe here in an attempt to assassinate me then they would have done a better job at waiting for me to fall asleep truly. Who''s trying toe inside without knocking?'' Lucius thought.

    A couple of seconds passed and Lucius almost believed that it was over.

    ''Perhaps someone drunkenly mistaken this to be their room and tried to enter, to no avail.''

    However, this time, there was another knock on the door.

    Lucius sighed and made his way to the door and partly opened it. The people at the door made his expression turn stone cold and he narrowed his eyes at the young women.

    "May I ask what all of you are doing here at thiste hour?" Lucius asked, forgoing any formalities.

    These youngdies were red-faced and looked drunk from Humble ze, but Lucius didn''t care about that, only the fact that they were being a nuisance.

    They were the ones who had been eyeing him from earlier and the ones who tried to interact with him while he was with Viscount Felldan earlier.

    "Y-Young Lord Asher!" one of the women stepped forward.

 Chapter 406 Besotted And Drunk

    When the young woman stepped forward, she lost her bnce and went tumbling towards Asher.

    "Ah! Save me!"

    Lucius had no intention of dealing with the women and was more than willing to let the one who approached him fall to the floor, but fortunately for him, the sound of footsteps arrived along with a familiar voice.

    "What do you people think you''re doing?" Kiana barked.

    Surprised by the sudden voice, thedy''s friends caught the young woman by the arm and she stumbled back clumsily and looked at Kiana with some surprise.

    "Who¡­ who are you, old hag?" one of the women slurred and then turned to her friend. "She''s an old hag isn''t she?"

    "Haven''t seen her before. I don''t know who she is."

    "I think she was one of the maids? Why would a maid just approach us and scold us? Does she not know who we are?"

    "I recognize her! She''s the one who shamelessly talked with Baron Harmund as if they were of equal standing!"

    Lucius sighed and was tempted to close the door already and go back to bed and leave the situation behind, but nced at Kiana to check on how she would handle things.

    ''She''s older than most of them, but I do sometimes worry about Kiana''s temper. How she acts will naturally be reflected on me so if she does anything out of the line, it will be most imprudent to just leave her.''

    Kiana''s gaze narrowed imperceptibly, and Lucius was worried that she might use her Gift, but she did not rise to the scathing and tantly tasteless remarks and merely snapped her fingers.

    Out of another hallway, Inanis'' family guards stepped out and went to approach thedies. Each of them moved quickly and fast, encircling the group of young women and keeping them from running away.

    "You may be youngdies and are inebriated, but we do not take it kindly for you to disturb Asher. All of you will be escorted to your rooms." Kiana said.

    "And who are you to stop us?" one of the braver women asked, somehow not even caring about the guards that were already encircling them.

    "If youy one hand on me, I will shriek and call for my father." Anotherdy challenged as she eyed one of the guards vehemently.

    "It is unwise for a mere guard to touch ady of my standing¡­er, wait, you''re kind of cute. My head''s spinning." One of thedies stumbled into one of the guards and smiled dopily.

    Lucius'' expression remained stony all throughout but just seeing and hearing the women speak was already giving him a headache.

    ''To think that these are thedies that are considered nobility in this world. They''re quitecking in sense¡­ I hope that this isn''t the case for most of them.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana herself seemed irritated as well and narrowed her eyes.

    "Under the orders of Count Gabriel Inanis, any intruder who wishes to disturb his son''s peace will be held ountable. If it came to the wrong asion, it will be natural to use force if Asher''s life is toe to any harm."

    "We''re not doing anything wrong!"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Why would we harm Young Lord Asher''s life!"

    "We only wanted to see him!"

    The protest fell on deaf ears as Kiana gestured for the guards to take all the women away before she sighed and rubbed her forehead.

    "Are you alright, Asher? We stationed guards to watch the nearby hallways, but they probably didn''t think that it would be your door that thesedies will be disturbing until it was toote."

    "No worries. I can imagine that they will be receiving a lot of scolding from their families," Lucius said.

    "Indeed. It''s no secret that you¡­ you were attacked in recent time at Inanis territory, so the fact that they chose to approach you at thiste hour is a grave offense." Kiana said coldly.

    "Grave? Perhaps. I do not think my father will be pursuing any of their heads, but it really can be taken as a foolish thing to do. I do not know thedies and their family names, but it will be good to remember them." Lucius said.

    "Of course. Though I believe that their families will naturally profusely apologize in the morning," Kiana said. "And if they do not? Well, the Count will already hear of this so they best do just that."

    After a couple more words exchanged with Kiana, Lucius bade her goodnight and returned to bed. The rest of the night proceeded calmly without any more disturbance from any individuals.

    The next day, true to Kiana''s expectations, a lot of noble heads went over to apologize to Count Gabriel Inanis and Asher for the incident when morning came.

    "I have spoken greatly¡­ I have reprimanded my daughter harshly, Count Inanis! This behavior will never ur again, I assure you."

    "Make sure of it, indeed. A repeat will be uneptable." Count Inanis narrowed his eyes.

    "I apologize greatly to you, Young Lord Asher. My daughter was greatly besotted with you and did not think clearly along with the alcohol, but I assure you that on normal asions, she is most¡­"

    "Thank you. I do not need to hear anything further," Lucius said.

    This dyed their departure a little, which Lucius wasn''t so happy about, but there was nothing he could do about it as he waited for things to finish.

    "Hah. What foolish women." Viscountess ckshield said as she crossed her arms. The carriage was already prepared, but they were still stuck with the nobles. "We could have left earlier if it weren''t for them."

    "Viscountess ckshield, good morning to you," Lucius greeted.

    Most of the nobility were being handled by Count Gabriel now, but fortunately for them, most of the offending parties were quick to leave as they noticed the dark res from both Count Inanis and Viscountess ckshield.

    "Yes, if one can really call it that¡­" Viscountess ckshield said.

    "I hope thating to Inanis territory is something that you would look forward to, Viscountess." Lucius said. "That is what I at least wish to focus on now."

 Chapter 407 Departing For Inanis City

    "Of course, it makes sense to forget about the incident fromst night." Viscountess ckshield said. "Let us focus on that."

    Before the two could speak any further, a familiar Baron made his way to them with a jovial expression on his face.

    "Young Lord Asher. I''m afraid that I won''t be able to join you right away, but my family and I will being over as soon as we can and we will send a letter too." Baron Hugh said.

    "Do not worry about it, Baron Hugh, we will be looking forward to it." Lucius said.

    "Perhaps we will see each other too, Viscountess." Baron Hugh added with a smile and inclined his head to the Viscountess. "I do not know how long you are staying there, but it would be nice to speak with you as well."

    "Thank you, Baron Hugh. We appreciated your hospitality for the banquet tonight. Perhaps you will be interested in sparring with me if you arrive there."

    "Sparring?" Baron Hugh''s eyes widened and he let out a nervousugh. "Ah, Viscountess is incredible at making jokes. Young Lord Asher, you may not know of it, but Viscountess ckshield is excellent with such things paired with her expression."

    "Hmm¡­" Viscountess ckshield didn''t say anything to contradict or argue with the statement, which only made it even slightly more nervous inducing.

    "Ahem. I look forward to discussing the reform that you speak about, Young Lord Asher. In addition, my son and daughter, Benjamin and Lily are also looking forward toing to Inanis City and spend time with you. In that regard, I am most apologetic that there were these youngdies that do not know how to hold themselves back. I swear, some do not know how to discipline their children."

    "Do not worry about it, Baron Hugh." Lucius said.

    Baron Hugh was able to segue back to his children in such an efficient manner that it was almost slightly impressive to Lucius.

    ''Of course, in addition to what I may be able to provide to Etara''s Cross on a whole, Baron Hugh is also interested in forming good rtionships between his children and me. A little too forward, but at least he is not exactly speaking about marriage or anything like that. He knows his limits well.''

    "Thank you, Young Lord Asher. I''ve spoken with my own servants as well in regards to the amount of alcohol they''ve given. I still feel partly responsible for what happened," Baron Hugh sighed.

    "You do not need to worry about such things. They were the ones who were unable to control themselves, Baron Hugh. I believe my father and I will find no issue with it, nor can we me the servants when I am sure that they were afraid of the consequences of not giving thedies what they wanted."

    ''It will do no good if the alcohol is the one med for such an incident. The Humble ze is strong, but really, those who do not know how to control themselves are most at fault.'' Lucius thought. He found no appreciation for people without self discipline.

    "That is a relief. Thank you for your generosity, Young Lord Asher. I wish you and your family, alongside the Viscountess a safe journey ahead!"

    ***

    The return to Inanis City was most unobtrusive and peaceful. Simr to what happened before, the sight of the Inanis carriage was enough to make drivers clear the road for them to travel safely and without any dy.

    With the escort of the Inanis Family guards and with the addition of Viscountess ckshield and her attendants in their own carriages, only fools would have attempted to try and harm them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Did you enjoy yourself during the banquet, Asher?" Countess Lita asked.

    "I did, mother." Lucius said.

    Countess Lita was actually livid because of all the noble youngdies that tried to disturb Asher and it was only the efforts of Kiana and Alessa from earlier that prevented her from doing so.

    "That''s good. What did you enjoy the most?" Countess Lita asked, relieved.

    "Interacting with the people, I was finally able to meet everyone who are on our side and even gave a speech. Hopefully, this will allow us to make more progress with the business of our family," Lucius said. "I have high hopes. Viscount Felldan, Baron Harmund and Baron Hugh all expressed interest."

    Countess Lita smiled and rxed slightly. "You''re always so concentrated on those things. You certainly have a lot of projects already, Asher¡­ although if there is one thing that I am curious about, it''s why Viscountess ckshield ising with us."

    Count Gabriel had mostly stayed quiet after dealing with all of the nobility that apologized earlier but did pay attention to the conversation. He was in fact quite curious as well, especially when Viscountess ckshield said that she was invited by Asher, he made no inquiries.

    Kiana had yet to fill in all the details, which left Lucius responsible for it.

    "Ah, Kiana hasn''t mentioned it yet?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "I was more concerned with the incident fromst night." Countess Lita sighed.

    "Of course, the reason for it is simr to Baron Hugh''s reasons foring inter. Although, there is the difference of there being a spar with her," Lucius said.

    "A spar?" Countess Lita''s eyes widened. She had expected a number of responses, but not a spar.

    She nced at Count Gabriel, but the man looked neutral about it.

    "A spar with Viscountess ckshield? That is a rare opportunity¡­" Count Gabriel said. "I presume that you are the one who asked her."

    "Yes. I was the one who asked it. Would you be interested in sparring with her as well, father?" Lucius asked.

    "Her gift is immensely useful, but you already know what my gift can do, Asher." Count Gabriel said with a slight chuckle. "It will be a good challenge for you. I can imagine."

    ''Depending on the Bulwark Gift that Viscountess has, I am actually curious on how it might interact with Count Inanis'' gift as both are on the same rank.'' Lucius thought but kept such thoughts to himself.

    For now, they continued to travel.

 Chapter 408 Rising Humble Blaze

    When Lucius and everyone arrived in Inanis City, it was already quitete at night. The streets they passed through were quiet and nobody seemed to be out at all except for a few individuals.

    On the event that there was someone in the street, there was no sign of fear on their face and they walked about easily.

    It was a peaceful asion, something that pleased both the Count and Countess Lita.

    "The city was not the worst in crime due to the fact that your father was around, Asher, but this is truly the most peaceful I''ve ever seen this ce." Countess Lita murmured.

    "I couldn''t be everywhere at once, and neither did the people expect for me to do such a thing and so they thought they could simply keep their heads down and not attract any attention as long as they didn''tmit anything heinous, but this is truly something good." Count Gabriel acknowledged. "I''m sure that the Viscountess is already seeing the effects of the re education center and so will Baron Hugh when he arrives."

    "Thank you for entrusting me with the chance to prove myself before," Lucius said. "These changes wouldn''t be possible if you had no faith in me, father, mother."

    It was clear that Lucius could have implemented this all by himself, but at this point, it was still crucial for him to have the support of the Count and Countess. They made things easier for him to achieve his goals, and he wouldn''t squander such an opportunity.

    Even if it meant ying the role of a ''filial'' son, Lucius was willing to do just that until circumstances made it necessary for him to change tactics.

    "We are just happy to support you in any way we can, Asher." Count Gabriel said.

    "Thank you, father."

    Lucius checked out the streets through the window.

    He was satisfied with the oue of the Inanis city. He intended to make the city safer as it benefited him, but one of the main reasons why he had chosen to build the rehabilitation center was now bing a bit more difficult to achieve.

    ''Crime has reduced significantly enough that it''s actually unlikely for there to be criminals who''ve done atrocious deeds at least in the public.'' Lucius thought with a frown. ''They would have chosen to leave to avoid getting caught if there is any and most would go to other territories. Establishing re education centers elsewhere will fix the problem in the future, but at the present, we do need to increase the manpower of Masked Legion if we''re going to fulfill the orders of the nobility.''

    Kiana nced at Asher and noticed his slightly dissatisfied expression. The Count and Countess did not interact with Asher as much as Kiana, so she was able to notice the changes in his mood unlike them.

    "Asher¡­"

    Countess Lita peeked out the curtain and then let out a smile. "Ah, we''re almost there. I''ve been aching to go back to bed. I''m afraid that we won''t be able to speak with Viscountess ckshield until tomorrow. I am sure that she is fatigued too. Kiana, will you handle her and her people''s amodations?"

    "Of course, Countess." Kiana said.

    When they arrived at the Inanis mansion, there was little that Kiana needed to do because the servants were already present.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Wee back, Count, Countess, Young Lord Asher!" the servants greeted, and among them was Neta, someone who had quickly grown to be Kiana''s own second inmand.

    "I''ve told them beforehand to expect us to return a few days after the banquet." Kiana exined before she turned to a few of the servants. "We have important guests tonight. Please prepare a room for the Viscountess alongside her attendants please."

    "Ah, it''s quitete so we''ll be seeing you in the morning, Young Lord Asher," Viscountess nodded at Lucius and then exchanged a few perfunctory exchanges with the Count and Countess before she went on her way.

    Kiana could have gone with the Viscountess herself, but chose to remain by Asher''s side. She wanted to make sure that his safety was a priority, even now that they were home on their own estate.

    "We will also be going on ahead now, Asher and Kiana." Countess Lita said as she hugged Count Gabriel''s arm. "Please go get some rest too."

    Lucius appreciated the sentiment and thought it was a good idea too, until Neta suddenly approached and cleared his throat.

    "Young Lord Asher, there are some letters that have arrived during your absence." Neta said.

    "We''ve just arrived, Neta." Kiana frowned. "Couldn''t that have waited until tomorrow morning?"

    "Apologies, I merely wished to inform Young Lord Asher at once." Neta bowed his head apologetically. It was difficult getting on the bad side of Kiana, but he had a feeling that Young Lord Asher would appreciate an update on what happened during his absence.

    "No need to worry. Thank you for informing me right away. Take the letters to my room. I will be checking them there," Lucius said.

    ''If I were to say that I will read them in the library or elsewhere, Kiana will naturally makeints. Far better to say that I will be only giving them a quick read through.'' Lucius thought.

    While Lucius was indeed fatigued by the travel, the urrence of letters made it important for him to check in case they had something important.

    When Lucius arrived in the room, he sat down by his desk and checked out the letters. The first one was rted to Humble ze.

    "Hmm, I''ve already confirmed this already with theints from Baron Hugh during the banquet that the merchants are overcharging, but to think that they''re truly selling it at twice the price of what I''ve established before." Lucius chuckled at the immense greed of the merchants. "I suppose if they''re going this way, then it seems that raising the price of Humble ze again seems proper."

    The initial cost of 10 copper coins for a kilo of carom fruit gave Dionsyia Brewery a profit margin of 300% due to them being able to sell it at 30 silver for the three liters produced per kilo.

    Some time ago, he had already raised it to 20 silver per liter which meant that he already made 600%.

    "And now, if I raise it by 30% of the base price¡­"

 Chapter 409 Tax Plans And Criminals

    Lucius''s train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.

    "Asher?" Kiana called out. "I''ve brought you tea."

    ''Since I do not think that I can convince Asher to sleep early, the best I can do is provide him a drink.'' Kiana thought.

    "Ah, thank you. Please bring it in." Lucius replied.

    Kiana stepped inside and carried the tray filled with the brew of tea. The scent was different from what she usually brought him, which made Lucius pause for a moment.

    "What is this?" he asked.

    "Ah, this is one of the blends that Baron Hugh''s wife gave to Countess Lita. It''s said to promote good and rxing sleep." Kiana said with a smile.

    "I see," Lucius nodded and took a small sip of the tea. It was ptable and easy to drink, which was actually quite nice. "This is well-done. The Baroness has good taste¡­ I can specte that she''s probably the one who created this perhaps."

    "You think so too, Asher?" Kiana asked.

    "Based on how enthusiastic she was when she learned that Alessa was the owner of Dionsyia Brewery and invited her to talk separately away from all of us, it''s hard to not make that conclusion," Lucius said. "Of course, we might be wrong, but it''s not too far fetched of an idea."

    "It truly isn''t¡­ perhaps she also wishes to grow a business as sessful as Dionsyia," Kiana nodded thoughtfully.

    "If she does seek out advice, then I think Alessa wille to approach us. For now though, I am checking on the sales of Humble ze and also how the merchants are acting. I''ve chosen to raise the price again by 30%."

    "We raised the price from ten silver to twenty silver before¡­ do you think they''ll make a fuss about it?" Kiana asked.

    "I presume that there will be someints with us raising the price again, butpared to 100% increase from ten to twenty silver, they can''t really say much," Lucius said.

    He jotted down the new price and other necessary details that he wanted to inform Alessa about and then enclosed it in an envelope.

    "It''ll be good to deliver this to Alessa tomorrow." Lucius said.

    "Of course, I will do just that," Kiana replied as she epted the letter.

    Lucius nodded and thought about his decision.

    The increase was minor enough that merchants wouldn''t find any reason to stop buying, and it would bring the Inanis Family even more wealth.

    "Do you think this will discourage them from raising the price?"

    "Hardly. They can simply raise the price again if they''re finding it difficult to remain satisfied with their current profit margins which are already at 100%. Still, in the long run, it would be best to maintain the affordability of Humble ze to keep it a favorite of nobility."

    "Indeed. It''s more affordable than others and is quite good."

    "¡­ And in fact, there are also other ways to obtain profits from these merchants."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Kiana blinked and stared at him unsurely. "There is?"

    Lucius smiled deviously and nodded.

    ''In the past, we''ve alreadymitted tax evasion by choosing Alessa as the owner of the brewery to avoid getting taxed by the royal family, but now there is another option that will bring in more money without necessarily having to raise the price again.''

    "I will be suggesting to Father to increase the tax on alcohol that is traded within this territory of ours."

    "But didn''t we wish to avoid¡­ no, if we tax Dionysia Brewery, then they will be paying us and not the other way around," Kiana said in understanding.

    "There might be some protests, but they cannot do anything about it and it will not really be suspicious. The Inanis Family and the Dionysia Brewery are unrted. In fact, this will avoid too much security from others. I am sure that many others must have already noticed the amount of money they''re bringing in." Lucius exined.

    "Still¡­ won''t the others simply think that the Inanis family is being greedy?"

    "On the contrary, as long as others benefit from this as well, they will be most lenient with the taxation. And so we will also include a 2% tithe from our newly extracted tax to each of the three churches," Lucius said.

    ''Some churches may have opinions about drunkenness and imbibing too much alcohol, others may find the price too much, or they''ll find some other reason toin and nitpick¡­ but with this way, they will not protest or stand in the Inanis family''s way as long as they get a portion.'' Lucius thought.

    "Incredible." Kiana said. She realized that once again, Asher was able to find a way to benefit from thew and bring in more wealth for the Inanis family.

    Lucius grabbed another set of paper and made the tax n. Satisfied with the oue, he ced it aside and then focused on the next letter.

    "Who is it from?" Kiana asked.

    "This one¡­ this one is from Leif." Lucius said as he sipped from his teacup again and scanned the letter.

    Kiana''s eyes widened slightly in worry. "Leif? He sent a letter to the mansion while we were gone."

    "I am sure that Neta is the one who received the letter, Kiana." Lucius said, noticing her concern and worry.

    "Of course, he knows what to do." Kiana sighed softly and nodded.

    There were some things that Asher and Kiana hid from the Count and Countess like the full extent of how the Masked Legion was made and this.

    Although Kiana was mostly on board with everything, she still sometimes had reservations with their dealings, even if she was the one who brought Asher to Blind Crow Tavern in the first ce.

    "What does it say?" Kiana said, choosing to focus on the present.

    "We have ourselves some few new criminals," Lucius said. "Already, one is spotted in the city and ording to Leif, two will be arriving in the city soon enough."

    "Criminals?" Kiana''s eyes widened. "Why would theye here to Inanis city when it''s known that we''re reducing the crime and capturing criminals left and right?"

    "That''s a good question, Kiana."

 Chapter 410 Why Would The Criminals Come To The City?

    "The reason why these people areing here to Inanis City may speak of fearlessness, a disregard for the fact of what we''re doing, or general recklessness," Lucius said.

    "You think so?" Kiana asked. "Do you think that there are people who are reckless and fearless enough toe here even with the increased number of people capturing criminals?"

    "It might be rted to the Gifts that they possess that would make them confident that they''ll be able to avoid the eye of those who areing for them. Without much criminal activity here, it''s more likely that they''ll see this ce as an open invitation to do their business here as they''ll have fewerpetitors than others."

    "That¡­ that does sound like a certain possibility, but they truly must not be thinking straight toe here." Kiana shook her head.

    "On the other hand, it''s far more likely that there might be something that forced them toe here as well," Lucius said.

    "Forced them toe here?" Kiana''s eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you mean that some enemies of ours sent their criminals to do the dirty work here? Did they not already know what happened thest time that someone tried to assassinate you?"

    "It depends on what they''re after. They might not truly be here toe after my life, but for other purposes¡­ or there''s simply a bigger problem elsewhere." Lucius said. "Do you recall what we''ve heard in Etara''s Cross before?"

    "Huh? During the banquet or¡­?"

    "When we were with Gellor and his team," Lucius said. "There was one person who took care of a group of Royal Army soldiers by himself and was able to escape undetected by others. If that type of person was around your vicinity and they''re looking for bloodshed beyond that of just the royal family''s army, there might be a reason for some criminals to choose to leave to avoid unnecessary conflict with that person."

    "Then¡­ is it that person then?"

    "We can''t really say. I don''t know how many more dangerous people are out there, so it may be in fact,pletely unrted to that and I''m merely guessing. As we stand now, we don''t have any concrete answers as to why they''reing here, but I will be asking Leif to keep an eye on them."

    "That makes sense¡­" Kiana nodded. She was now more alert than ever, thanks to Asher''s words.

    ''Whether these criminals are dangerous themselves or there''s a far bigger threat out there, I''ll make sure to protect Asher and the Inanis family. This strength I have now is¡­ Epic Rank, but I need to get better... Stronger than ever.'' Kiana thought.

    While Kiana was lost in her thoughts, Lucius himself was already writing down a note to Leif. It was only a short one and he asked the man only a few things.

    "While Alessa and the brewery can wait until tomorrow, it''s in our best interest to send this right away. This is far more urgent, as I expect these people to move far more quickly," Lucius said as he handed the note to Kiana.

    "Leif and his men are to watch out for these individuals and to report as soon as anything substantial happened." Kiana checked out the missive and pocketed it. "Don''t worry, I''ll get this to him right away."

    "And Kiana?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yes, Asher?"

    "It''s not all bad that these criminals areing here to Inanis City," Lucius said.

    "It''s¡­ not?" Kiana said uprehendingly.

    ''After everything that Asher has said about what the criminals are here for, somehow he still somehow says it''s not all bad? How can something be like that?''

    "Yes, with these criminalsing in, and perhaps there are others already here that have remained unmentioned, I am sure that you already know that we can take care of these people and rehabilitate them, don''t we?" Lucius said.

    "Oh, yes." Kiana realized and nodded. It was already in her thoughts before, but somehow everything that happened made her get caught up and lost in the details to see the big picture.

    "This can be considered a boon especially once the nobles start hiring the Masked Legion." Lucius said.

    "Yes, it will be¡­ but what if the numbers aren''t enough?" Kiana asked uncertainly. "It''s not like we''ll have enough murderers, and other big criminals left and right who''ll perform heinous crimes, right, Asher? What if they''re not the ones with death sentences?"

    Lucius nced at Kiana and assessed her stomach for this new line of thinking. He had the Mark of Loyalty on her and she was naturally attuned to it, but if he were to shock her enough and say something "outrageous", then it was possible that she might protest and attempt to fight back.

    ''I need to indoctrinate her even further than I do now. Her moral qualms are getting in the way, but if I do try to get more ''innocent'' people and turn them into Lost, then I am sure that certain individuals wille investigating. I''ve already dealt with the ck Rose Knights before and they were a pain even without them catching a whiff of this¡­ imagine what they''ll be like if I turned to ordinary people?''

    Lucius smiled and nced at Kiana.

    "You do not need to worry about it so much, Kiana. We''ll cross that bridge when we get there."

    "Cross that bridge¡­?"

    "We haven''t even checked the number of criminals at the rehabilitation center yet, and you already know that one member of the Masked Legion can do an excellent jobpared to a single ordinary mercenary. If we exin to the nobles that the number of people they need is less than they''d expect, I believe they''ll actually see it as proof ofpetency than it being due to ack of numbers. You''ve seen me speak with them before. It''s easy enough to reason with them. Other than that¡­" Lucius said as he nced at Kiana. "We must sometimes do things that are necessary to ensure the growth of the Inanis Family. Haven''t we already decided that we''ll do whatever it takes?"

    Kiana blinked and somehow, the memory of her making a vow to Asher rekindled in her chest and she nodded. "Yes, yes we have, Asher."

 Chapter 411 A Bloody Dream

    "That''s right. With that in mind, thank you for bringing me the tea, Kiana. I think I''ll be retiring for the night now." Lucius said as he finished the contents of the cup.

    Kiana nced at Asher and noticed that he did look exhausted. She then nced at the letters remaining on the table and saw the ones that came from the Humble ze''s ie, the reports on the merchants and other details pertaining to Dionysia Brewery as well as the one that came from Leif.

    ''Asher¡­ Asher has been doing and managing all of these for quite some time now and he has taken it all to himself to help our family. When Viscount Drew separated from the Inanis territory and we experienced a financial crisis, he managed to make something out of Carom fruits and turn them profitable. He built the rehabilitation center and did all of its modules by himself as well.'' Kiana thought.

    "Is something amiss, Kiana?" Lucius asked, although aware that she was once again lost in her thoughts. There was a distant look of reverie on her face that Lucius didn''t actually mind because he knew that once again, she was trying to make a reason for herself.

    ''When a person has a conflicting belief that does not align with their original perception of the world, it''s far too often that they''ll do anything to remove themselves from the cognitive dissonance that they''re in. Of course, that is what Kiana is once again doing. Finding reasons, excuses and such. Naturally, the Mark of Loyalty is doing its own work, but so does the mind itself, which is a wonderful tool.'' Lucius thought as he ced the teacup back on its saucer.

    ''And now even from the moment that he arrived back here in the manor, instead of going back to rest right away, he instead chooses to focus on the letters he received. He nned and penned out a new tax system himself and even took into ount all the possible deterrences that might prevent it froming to bear fruit.'' Kiana''s fists clenched together. ''He''s handled the banquet as well, interacting with nobility and even the ones who were against the Inanis family and disparaged our names. He''s doing everything for us, and I¡­ I need to do the same as well. I swore fealty before and this hesitance I feel? It''s not worth mulling over.''

    "Are you alright, Kiana? You''ve been lost in thoughts for a while now." Lucius called out again, and this time, Kiana returned back to her senses.

    "Ah, Asher. Forgive me. I was a little distracted, but I''ll get this and remove myself so you can sleep now," Kiana smiled as she picked up the tray for the tea and also checked the contents of her pockets for the letter intended for both Leif and Alessa. "Have a goodnight Asher and I''ll see you in the morning."

    Without another hint of dy, Kiana excused herself and left Asher alone.

    "Hah. That took some time." Lucius was waiting for some time and gauging her reaction in case anything unsavory happened, but none urred.

    With that in mind, Lucius finally rxed a little and retired to his bed now that everything was over.

    Once his head hit the pillow, everything quickly faded back into darkness.

    ***

    The world before him was a thick pool of blood. It was dark red and even the sky above him was tinted in the same hue that made it clear that what was above was also below.

    It was hard to make his own body move, almost as if he was trapped in the sticky liquid and he realized that he was slowly descending into the pool of blood.

    Lucius looked down and realized that someone had grabbed onto his ankle. A familiar woman''s hand and face appeared before him, and though her eyes ran pools of blood as if she was weeping, he recognized her at once.

    "Mira," Lucius said.

    "My blood and your child''s blood are in your hands! You''ll pay it with your life!" Mira howled at him as she continued to drag him down, but it was a pathetic attempt.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Until another hand appeared out of the blood and reached for Lucius'' other ankle.

    "We trusted you! Treated you like one of our own!" a schrly man said. It was Michal Barrom¡ªone of the members who participated in the false expedition.

    Someone whom Lucius sacrificed back then for power as well. He hadn''t thought about it before, but there was the off chance that perhaps Michal had treated him a little better than some of the others and saw him as an intellectual rival.

    But as if that wasn''t even enough, even before Lucius could react, more hands and faces appear out from the blood.

    Some were people that he recognized and knew well, even after the years that he hadst seen them.

    His siblings, who he had to kill to stay as a member of the Great Barrom n, all howled and shrieked their pain at him as they clung to his legs, and arms and tried to pull him down.

    "How could you do this to me?!"

    "We''re brothers¡­ how could you stab me in the back?"

    Even the ones who had killed during his missions as a servant of the n, whether they were from the Thassarian Theocracy to others, also less well known, all appeared that what started as a smallpany of people grew into a vast multitude.

    "You monster!"

    "You fiend!"

    "You are the worst!"

    Even the ones whom he had killed in this new world also appeared. June the Spy appeared alongside the others and shrieked at him in pain.

    Lucius took it all in with a neutral expression on his face.

    The numerous souls tried to drag him down with their wailing voices in an attempt to haunt him and spoke of his sins against them, but the truth of the matter was that he hadn''t actually sunk down the pool of blood at all.

    "It''s perhaps a little too on the nose that all this blood and this world created was because of me, but that''s a small price to pay to get what I want," Lucius said dismissively. "I have no time for such dreams."

 Chapter 412 A Sweaty Morning

    The reaction on the faces of those who he killed was almost priceless to Lucius.

    Pure shock ran across their faces as if they were all in bewilderment that Lucius could utter such a thing in the privy of his own mind.

    However, their surprise onlysted for a couple of seconds before they all sumbed to fury.

    "You don''t even have the gall to feel anything, do you?! No regrets, no heart, nothing at all¡­ you''re a monster!" Mira cried out andshed out at him, even more furiously than before. Tears continued to pour down her face. "I had loved you! Wanted the good for you! I was ready to bear your child!"

    "To think that we even trusted you for a single moment. You''re more of a devil than any of us!" Michal shouted.

    "Devil? He''s deceptively good. Pretending to be like some angel, when he''s all rotten on the inside. This insidious man, he has made a fool of all of us." Another voice said.

    "Why would you have so much ambition?" Mira''s voice suddenly turned to pain. "You were already rising through the ranks. You''ve aplished so much already than any servant of Barrom n has ever had before."

    "You''ve gained knowledge, far more than any of us, and yet you turned it for your own self gain without any regard for any of us."

    "Couldn''t things have been enough?" Mira asked, her voice raw with emotion. "Couldn''t you have been satisfied with what we had? You had suffered much, but¡­ did you really need the whole world under your control? Isn''t there a limit to one''s desires?"

    Lucius''s face became cold as he stared at the visage of Mira. Out of everyone who shouted and cursed him in his dream, she was somehow far louder than others and the first one who had grabbed onto his leg and tried to drag him down.

    Perhaps it was because she was the one who had been at his side for a number of years before his n hade to fruition.

    However, Lucius knew that the ''Mira'' in front of him was not the woman who had sacrificed her own child to get back at him.

    It was a figment of his own mind, maybe.

    "Begone," Lucius said. "I have already said it earlier, but these dreams have no meaning or purpose to me whatsoever."

    ***

    Lucius opened his eyes and found sunlight seeping in through the curtains to his room. It was actually a bit brighter than he was used to, to which he frowned.

    But more important than that, was the sensation that he felt.

    "I''m covered in all this sweat," Lucius said with a shake of his head. He was a bit displeased with his own body, and even more so that he would even have a dream like the one he had before. "Was I too tired fromst night? Exhaustion can do so many things to the mind, it seems."

    He stood up and quickly went for his wardrobe to get a fresh change of shirt. Lucius removed his shirt without any dy and he slipped another new one on.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    A couple of ck spots were on Lucius''s back, unseen by the man himself, but they quickly disappeared after lingering for only a few seconds.

    Lucius quickly made his way down for breakfast, his own stomach growling in hunger.

    "The fatigue fromst night must have truly done a number on me," Lucius muttered before he arrived in the dining hall.

    The Count, Countess and Viscountess ckshield were all present already and looked up at his arrival.

    "Ah, good morning Young Lord Asher. Did you n on keeping us waiting for this long? I know I arrivedte during the banquet at Etara''s Cross, but you need not dy yourself as well," Viscountess ckshield said with a wry smile on her face.

    "I need not to, indeed, Viscountess. Forgive me for the dy." Luciusughed lightly before he took a seat. "I have been actually feeling quite hungry, so I am looking forward to eating."

    "You truly didn''t eat much during the time during the banquet. You were too busy mingling with everyone," the Countess lightly scolded Asher.

    "I think that was the primary purpose of the banquet, mother. To meet, celebrate, and interact with everyone who joined in honoring our victory." Lucius responded before he received his food.

    Lucius started to eat his food quickly, and ate it all at a good pace, which surprised the Count, Countess and even Viscountess ckshield herself.

    "With the pace that you''re going at, Young Lord Asher, somehow I can''t help but feel as if you''ve slept longer and are eating a lot in order to prepare for our spar," the Viscountess said with a chuckle.

    Compared to how the Viscountess seemed cold and distant from everyone during the time of the banquet, with hardly anyone evening to speak with her, this time she was a lot more talkative and friendly.

    It was actually a little surprising to Lucius, but he epted it without much issue and merelyughed.

    "That did note across my mind at all, Viscountess. Truly, I am only famished after traveling from Etara''s Cross and the journey must have also winded me down."

    "Did you sleep properlyst night, Asher?" the Countess asked with a slight furrow in her brow. She turned to Viscountess ckshield. "Before, Kiana informed me that he spent quite some time readingte at night. There have even been times when he slept for more than twelve hours."

    Viscountess ckshield was a little upbeat, but at those words, she suddenly frowned a little and nced in Asher''s way.

    Countess Lita''s motherly nature somehow almost reminded the Viscountess that she was truly dealing with someone who would have probably been around the same age as her son.

    A more mncholic look crossed her face and she smiled somberly.

    "It''s not good to worry the Countess like that, Young Lord Asher. I hope that you managed to sleep properlyst night and eat more if you''re feeling hungry."

 Chapter 413 No Wait For A Spar

    "I''ll keep that in mind, Viscountess ckshield. Thank you for your concern, but you and Mother need not worry because I have been taking care of myself," Lucius said. "I won''t be able to take after my father if I cannot even do such a simple thing like that."

    Count Gabriel''s lips quirked slightly at Lucius''s words. The man was immensely pleased to hear of that.

    While the Viscountess was not aware of Asher''s gift and his rtionship with the Church of Etara and his people, it truly did worry the Count sometimes about what would happen in the future.

    ''Viscount Drew died without much of an heir. It was probably his wife, the Viscountess that led the army back then during the war and had disposed of his body there like Asher said¡­ but there were and are no signs of his son, Young Lord Keith Drew.'' The Count thought silently to himself.

    It was easy to presume that things were over now that he had won the battle against Viscount Drew and probably crippled the Viscount''s territory to a great degree, but the Count was too experienced to simply rx.

    ''Nothing dangerous happened at the banquet, only certain nobilities grumbling and the incident with the youngdies attempting to sneak into Asher''s room, but one cannot be at ease. The ck Rose Knights may have gone to His Majesty now and the Earl of Aisse also cooperated with the investigation, but there might be other things that are unexpected for me.'' The Count thought.

    "Say something to your son, Gabriel." Countess Lita nudged her husband a little which took him out of his thoughts.

    "I trust that Asher knows what he is doing. There are certain times when a man must make sacrifices to achieve his goal, and it will be up to him to measure when they are," Count Gabriel said.

    "Thank you for your confidence in me, father." Lucius said.

    "Of course." Count Gabriel nodded.

    Once again, Viscountess ckshield noticed the interaction between father and son alongside the husband and wife.

    There was a certain reason why the Viscountess sometimes kept to herself, and she was reminded of it now.

    ''Even Count Gabriel has a soft side for his family. This man who is said to have been more frightening than me when he rampaged across the Grantz Kingdom by himself. Of course, this much is to be expected. One cannot have rage if there are no other strong emotions as well.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    The conversation turned into a bit of a lull until the breakfast reached its end and the Viscountess turned to Asher and cleared her throat.

    "Young Lord Asher, do you wish to spar now that we''ve finished our meal? It is the main reason why I came here and I''d rather not dy it any further if there is no issue with you right now," the Viscountess said.

    ''I''m not aware of Young Lord Asher''s schedule, but with his rtionship to the Masked Legion mercenary group and the fact that he is the one who also managed this rehabilitation center that he proposed to be implemented elsewhere, it is fair to say that he is a busy young man.''

    "Now would be good," Lucius said. "I''ve made a promise to spar with the Viscountess and I have every intention of fulfilling it."

    ''After that strange nightmare fromst night, this will also be a good chance to clear my head. Perhaps getting proper exercise will also help me sleep better tonight as well.'' Lucius thought.

    "Great." The Viscountess said.

    "Mother and Father, will we leave the two of you here now?"

    "Oh, we wish to watch this spar between the two of you," the Countess said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "In fact, it will probably be a good idea to have the guards also see this spar. It will be an excellent learning experience for them, as this is a unique fight. However, if that is fine for the two of you?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "I am fine with it. What about you, Young Lord Asher?"

    "I certainly do not mind either, father. Please invite the guards," Lucius said with a smile.

    ''It will be a chance to put the guards under my influence more. They have already started to respect me due to what I''ve aplished before with the fake bandits and during the battle with Viscount Drew, butpared to Neta or the rehabilitation center, their faith in me is too little.'' Lucius thought.

    "Now what type of spar shall we be doing, Young Lord Asher?" the Viscountess said and turned to Asher.

    "Until the other person is either unable to fight any longer or would be considered dead in that situation."

    The Viscountess'' eyes glinted slightly at those words.

    Something which Lucius noted with interest.

    ''It''s much better to deal with this violent-inclined Viscountess than the one dealing with grief. In fact, I can also tip her to the edge a little further.''

    "Are you sure, Young Lord Asher?"

    "Yes, in fact, I wish for you to use your gift too, Viscountess ckshield. I have heard praises about your gift and would like to see it in person," Lucius said.

    "Well, if we''re going to go with that, then it''s best for you to use an artifact as well. We cannot let you be at too much of a disadvantage, Young Lord Asher."

    Viscountess ckshield said it, but it was clear that it was said out of a desire for an actual fight.

    ''Some people might enjoy a one-sided rampage, but some do prefer when the other person hasbat ability as well.'' Lucius noted.

    "Well then, I''ll inform Captain Donald to gather his men and prepare the training grounds. We''ll have our servant escort you there once it''s ready Viscountess, so you can prepare for the spar," Count Gabriel said.

    "Thank you, Count and Countess. The hospitality the two of you have given me alongside Young Lord Asher has been the warmest." The Viscountess said with a respectful nod.

    "Think nothing of it. We are looking forward to this match."

    At this point, the servants of the mansion were already cleaning the dishes, but they all looked interested in the discussion.

    ''It won''t take too long for this to spread.'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 414 Day Of The Spar

    As Lucius expected, word quickly spread among the servants that a match between their young lord and the Viscountess ckshield was going to ur.

    It caused a certain amount of visible excitement to spread across the servants who clearly were invested in the fight.

    Every servant, young and old, was caught up in the news and spoke to each other about it.

    "Young Lord Asher is going to fight the Viscountess ckshield?" Neta eximed with widened eyes.

    ''Even though Young Lord Asher arrivedst night, no news of it was heard until today. I suppose Miss Kiana probably has already heard of it even before¡­ but there was no mention of it around me, which I supposed to be expected for a mere servant.'' Neta thought.

    He may have initially assumed that things were a little special since he was chosen to serve closely for Young Lord Asher, but now that didn''t seem to be the case.

    The young servant, Rio, nodded. "Yes. Several of the people who cleaned up the dishes during breakfast said so. Is this Viscountess strong?"

    It was amon thing for servants to gossip while they worked and Rio sometimes found himself being taken under the wing of Neta and the other older male servants.

    Shaking his head out of his thoughts, the servant Neta, nodded. "I think so¡­ I''ve heard some things about Viscountess ckshield. But I think Young Lord Asher will do well on his own."

    "You think so?" Rio asked curiously. "I remember a long time ago that he was still in a wheelchair and¡­"

    "That was ages ago, Rio. I''m sure that Young Lord Asher will do well." Neta said with a touch of pride in his voice. Whether or not he was a valued servant, it didn''t remove his confidence in their master.

    "I wish we could see it¡­" Rio mumbled to himself.

    "We''ll probably hear from the guards. Or maybe we can find a way to get there ourselves." Neta considered thoughtfully.

    Half an hourter, Captain Donald and a selected number of guards were taken to the training grounds. The rest were tasked to continue with their jobs, which left several to envy.

    "I think Ron is already crying that he isn''t here with us," Ian said as he watched over the training grounds. He wore an eager expression on his face, practically bouncing on his feet.

    "I''m surprised that Nick isn''t here either, but there''s got to be a reason for it." Alex crossed her arms over her chest. "Must be rted to how much we can learn from the spar?"

    "Look, Young Lord Asher is already there." Jay said, and gestured to Asher respectfully.

    "It only feels like yesterday since we saw him with Miss Kiana constantly on his side. Now he''s fine on his own." Ian said.

    Lucius was dressed in a light armor dressed for mobility.

    "Who is he fighting again?" Ian asked.

    "Wait, I think that''s her." Jay nced to the other end of the training grounds, where the Viscountess ckshield arrived with her attendants. "He''s supposed to be fighting a noblewoman today."

    "Don''t make it sound like it''s a different thing altogether from him fighting a man," Alex said.

    "There''s¡­ there''s something about her. I can''t quite ce it but she reminds me of the Count?" Ian said.

    Viscountess ckshield wore a simr outfit to Asher, her muscr figure was well defined and disyed finely, and a distinctive and almost heroic aura was palpable in the air.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yeah, that''s exactly like the Count when hees here and spars sometimes," Jay remarked in awe.

    "There''s also something slightly different about her too, though." Alex said. "The two just can''t be the same."

    "Pay attention well. You will see how Viscountess ckshield will fight. All of you will learn how to deal with someone as defensive and yet extremely strong like her." Captain Donald said.

    ''They remark that they''re reminded of Count Gabriel, which is true, butpared to how she was on thest fight I''ve seen her before¡­ there''s this excitement in her actions which is a contrast to her usual fighting style during spars. She''s really going to let loose this time.'' Captain Donald mused to himself.

    "Captain Donald."

    Captain Donald nced to the side and saw Gellor, Barty, and Albus present.

    "Oh, you three are here as well? Did the word get out that quickly?" Captain Donald raised a brow.

    "Ah, Miss Kiana told us toe here. We didn''t know this was happening." Gellor admitted.

    "This is gonna be exciting, isn''t it? I''m betting on Young Lord Asher." Albus said.

    The Captain of the Guards shook his head slightly, but finally turned to the two nobles who were prepared for the fight.

    "A fine day for a spar, isn''t it, Young Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield greeted.

    "Indeed it is. Will the servants bring our weapons now?" Lucius called out.

    To the side, Rio stepped forward carefully and brought him the Wind Scar Sword.

    "Your sword, Lord Asher."

    Lucius was mildly surprised, but then nced to the other end and saw Neta struggling to bring arge spiked mace for the Viscountess ckshield.

    Perhaps, if it weren''t for Neta''s Gift, he may have dropped it already. However, there was at least some muscle in the servant as he bowed to the Viscountess and then went aside from the training ground.

    Lucius raised a brow at the choice of weapon.

    ''It''s not exactly a type of weapon that one can use for a long period of time with ease unless they have excellent arm strength¡­ but I reckon Viscountess ckshield is more than used to it.'' Lucius thought.

    Viscountess ckshield held the mace in her finely toned arm with apparent ease, a great contrast to Neta, who used both arms earlier.

    The mace was long and had a spiked head.

    ''It''s got a good reach, and it''ll be painful if I get hit with that. I would get a shield, but it''s better to avoid getting hit altogether.'' Lucius thought.

    "Are you ready now, Young Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield asked politely.

    "Yes, let us begin." Lucius said.

 Chapter 415 A Woman Of Might

    After the moment Lucius spoke, Viscountess ckshield immediately dashed forward toward him at a speed greater than one could imagine.

    At the same time, Viscountess ckshield stretched her left hand as a ck long shield materialized from it.

    It was rather narrow, instead of a wide shield, which Lucius had expected.

    ''Bulwark? Is that really a kind of Bulwark? A bit strange.'' Lucius thought before quickly moving aside and dodging the Viscountess''s attack.

    The Viscountess hammered down her mace at him, but Lucius moved aside swiftly and then dealt a counter-sh.

    It struck hard against the shield, but its effects were barely there and the shield blocked his attack effectively.

    ''It''s really strong.'' Lucius thought. ''As expected from an Epic Rank Gift.''

    The two of them quickly descended into an exchange of blows. Viscountess ckshield hammered down the mace and blocked Lucius''s shes with ease, using her shield.

    Meanwhile, Lucius was left to move hastily on his feet. The swing of Viscountess'' mace caused quite an impact as it somehow even knocked some of the wind back by sheer force.

    ''I''ve already realized it before, but it''s quite clear that getting hit by it will injure me. Maybe even enough to deal with me in one hit.'' Lucius thought.

    "Man, look at that strength. Do you think you can wield a mace like that just as effectively, Gellor?" Albus asked, entranced with the fight.

    "Of course, he can with his gift, but the fact that the Viscountess can do it is a hallmark of her own umted strength," Barty said.

    "How is she carrying both the shield and the mace evenly? One''s obviously heavier than the other, and I can''t tell which." Ian muttered to his fellow soldiers.

    "She''s moving the shield like it''s mere paper," Alex said. "Look at that. Here and there. Even Nick with his Limber Body, wouldn''t be able to get past that if she can move it that fast."

    "What about you and your Dash Thrust, Alex?" Jay asked.

    "That''s¡­"

    Captain Donald chuckled but mostly kept his eye on the battle going on between Young Lord Asher and the Viscountess.

    ''There''s a lot more surprisesing the young lord''s way.'' He thought.

    ''The reason why she can move the shield is no doubt because it is an effect of her gift. But as long as I can get through that narrow shield, then I can hit an unprotected area.''

    At the moment, the Viscountess used her narrow and long shield to thrust at him, forcing him back, but it left her a little slower.

    ''An opening over there!'' Lucius spun and moved towards an unprotected area.

    However, before he couldnd a strike, the ck Bulwark suddenly grew wider and blocked him from shing through.

    "That''s¡­" Lucius''s eyes widened, but he didn''t finish his sentence before he found himself again on the defensive.

    The shield changed shape again, turning it into a domed one to parry against Lucius, which he narrowly avoided.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Viscountess ckshield grinned a visible delight in her eyes and not one word leaving her lips as she moved towards him.

    Somehow, she resembled an insatiable beast, moving only to target him, and with both the mace and shield being used as weapons, it truly left the Young Lord Asher on the defensive.

    "This¡­ this doesn''t really look good for Lord Asher," Rio said worriedly. "I think he will be tired out and the Viscountess will defeat him."

    "Shhh, don''t say that." Neta scolded him.

    "Young Lord Asher has dealt with faster things than the Viscountess. I think he''ll be able to hold up and get used to the pace of Viscountess. It''s not easy using two weapons at the same time." Gellor said to his two members discreetly.

    Not everyone was aware of what Young Lord Asher was capable of, and even less so when he went to Aisse Territory and dealt with a vicious pack of wolves.

    "That''s really strong!" Ian turned to Jay with widened eyes. "That''s got to be a really rare gift. I''ve never seen anything quite like that before. She''s imprable."

    "But look, Young Lord Asher is already getting used to it. He''s brilliant." Alex eximed.

    While Lucius was initially surprised by the changing form of the shield, he was able to recognize what each shield was being used for.

    ''She uses the narrow and long one for thrusting, the wide shield for blocking, and the domed one to parry my attacks. The way she reacts is predictable to a certain degree. All I need to do is catch her off-guard¡­'' Lucius thought.

    Captain Donald observed it all in silence, but was also curious about how things would turn out.

    ''Even if Young Lord Asher keeps up with the Viscountess, it really is only a matter of time before he gets exhausted. Will he be able tond a decisive blow that will change the circumstances?''

    Elsewhere on the training ground, Countess Lita and Count Gabriel were also observing the fight.

    Countess Lita held her husband''s arm tightly in a vice-like grip as she watched with unease. She was confident about her son''s fighting ability, but also couldn''t help but worry.

    Meanwhile, Count Gabriel observed something that Asher hadn''t been using for all this time.

    ''The Viscountess is readily using her gift now¡­ but Asher still hasn''t exactly used the Wind Scar sword at all. I don''t think Viscountess ckshield has noticed due to how much fun she''s having.'' Count Gabriel thought with a neutral expression.

    It was true, Viscountess ckshield was getting caught up in the spar and was bing less worried about attacks from Asher.

    She moved and ebbed within the training grounds with ease and a natural pattern, almost as if she was only dancing, and there was a great show of enjoyment in her eyes.

    This was Asher''s chance!

    Lucius quickly activated the Wind Scar sword''s ability in rapid session and struck at various lengths. Terrible gusts of wind throwing everyone off.

    Viscountess ckshield''s eyes widened, but she dodged where she could and blocked the others with her shield and was getting slightly sent back.

    However, the majority of those attacks were merely a way to guide her to a specific location and get her shield in an awkward angle.

    Thest attack from Lucius went for the least protected side of Viscountess ckshield!

 Chapter 416 A Rightful Spar

    And the shield suddenly disappeared from Viscountess ckshield''s left hand and reappeared in the vulnerable area.

    Lucius''s eyes widened and he became stunned for a moment, lowering his sword as he had used up all the charges of the Wind Scar Sword.

    ''That¡­ that is the full extent of her abilities?'' Lucius thought. ''It is far greater than I have expected. At my current state now? With this body and its limitations¡­ this does not seem like a winnable fight. I have used up my possible ace and she countered it effectively.''

    Viscountess ckshield on the other hand squared her shoulders, withstanding most of the attacks on her own. She was slightly off bnce, but then quickly dashed forwards to Asher and gained her footing that sway.

    The Viscountess swung her mace andunched several attacks on Asher. This time, they were even stronger than thest time. A huge grin on Viscountess ckshield''s face.

    Asher''sst series of attacks had made her blood pump in excitement, and she was thrilled to have such a fast opponent with such tricks at his disposal.

    The Viscountess ckshield thought she had her edge, getting used to what Asher provided earlier, but he managed to shock her.

    "Incredible, Young Lord Asher!" Viscountess ckshield''s mace struck the training ground hard, cracking the ground slightly.

    Even without any enhanced strength like Gellor, the mere strength in her attack was enough to surprise others as Asher''s own footing became slightly off bnce.

    While it was no Captain Donald''s tremor stomp, the radius of the attack was enough to make Asher lose his footing just enough and the Viscountess threw onest mace attack¡­ stopping it directly at Asher''s face.

    "Hah¡­ That was a good fight," Viscountess ckshield said. "I am not sure how you''d react to a bash to the face though, Young Lord Asher."

    "You would have destroyed my head, Viscountess ckshield. I admit my defeat." Lucius chuckled and sheathed his Wind Scar Sword. "You have a greater advantage than me, Viscountess ckshield. It was an enlightening experience."

    "You did well, Young Lord Asher." Viscountess ckshield made her shield disappear and she offered her mace to a nearby servant before she offered a hand to the young nobleman.

    "Thank you. But I understand where I need to do work," Lucius said as he epted her hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.

    Elsewhere across the training ground, there was a certain silence that emanated from the crowd of watchers.

    All of them were all stunned by the results and didn''t know how to react.

    Albus suddenly pped and then everyone suddenly joined in. The silence was dispelled as the individuals descended into a roar of conversation.

    "That was amazing! I didn''t think Young Lord Asher could keep up on his feet, but even without any kind of Gift, his reflexes were amazing, wasn''t it?" Ian said.

    "Yeah. It was a good ending." Alex nodded. "To be able to survive that long against the Viscountess is already a feat in of itself. My own Gift wouldn''t have been able to survive that long against Viscountess ckshield."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You''d just bash yourself in her shield and knock yourself out," Jaymented.

    "You wouldn''t do any better than yourself." Alex chuckled.

    "I hope that all of you learned something from watching this spar between them. We could all learn how to use everything to our disposal," Captain Donald said. "Even without any gifts, you saw all how Young Lord Asher managed tost against someone as powerful as Viscountess ckshield. A gift can only get you so far without any ns."

    Elsewhere, the three mercenaries were also talking about how the spar ended.

    "How would you have faced someone like her, Albus?" Gellor asked. "Do you think your Crane Legs could match the extent of her gift?"

    "Are you joking with me, Gellor? Unless I suddenly manage to get to two ces at once, I don''t think I can prate her defenses either." Albus chuckled. "But it''s a good thing that we work as mercenaries, eh?"

    "I might be able to do something about it, but I''ll have to use up a lot of Aether just to get attacks in." Bartymented. "Actually, what Young Lord Asher did with the Wind Scar Sword, is something that I would have done myself on arger scale."

    "Yeah, Young Lord Asher was brilliant." Albus said. "I''m d we managed to watch this. You don''t see this kind of vicious fighting elsewhere. I''m so d it was a spar."

    Meanwhile, Lucius himself was also running the fight through his mind and ncing at Viscountess ckshield as he caught his breath.

    ''The way that Viscountess ckshield used her gift is different. One can really tell that she has trained her gift to a terrifying extent. To call this a Rare Rank gift is underestimating the actual capabilities that she''s disyed. It''s not ckshield as Kiana said but ck Bulwark indeed.'' Lucius thought.

    A servant offered to retrieve the Wind Scar Sword and the other offered refreshments, which Viscountess ckshield happily epted.

    "Young Lord Asher." Neta quickly approached with a basin of water and a towel for the young nobleman.

    "Thank you, Neta." Lucius epted the towel and wiped the sweat off his brow.

    ''I can''t help but wonder if the original ckshield Gift had the capacity to make different types of shields, but I am sure that the ability to have the shield disappear and then reappear at different locations is not something a Rare Rank gift can do.''

    "Have something to drink, Young Lord Asher." Viscountess ckshield said, noticing his stare.

    "Thank you, Viscountess. I''m still catching my breath. You''ve caught me off guard with your gift," Lucius said.

    "Then it means that you did not hear about my gift in great detail before," Viscountess ckshield chuckled as she finished her drink and then rubbed her shoulders. "Ah, it seems like my age is getting to me. It''s nice to be as limber as you are, Young Lord Asher. I don''t think I would havested if it weren''t for my family''s gift."

 Chapter 417 Praise

    "You''re praising me too much, Viscountess," Lucius said. "But yes, the ckshield is an incredible gift, isn''t it?"

    Lucius made sure that he used the word ''ckshield'' to gauge the Viscountess'' reaction. She did a wonderful cold and neutral expression, but there was the fact that microexpressions weren''t easily controlled like other things.

    It may have only been less than a few seconds to even a split one, but since Lucius watched for it, he would have caught any sudden and minute changes.

    "It is what helped my family rise through the rank, so we are most fortunate because of it." Viscountess ckshield acknowledged with a polite smile. "We''ve chosen our name solely because of how our life changed thanks to this particr gift."

    ''There was no shift or anything.'' Lucius noticed.

    "Indeed, Viscountess. But I think it is not merely the gift but how one utilizes it that makes all the difference as well," Lucius said. "It must have taken a lot of trial and error to learn how to change from one shield to another and to do it while in the heat of thebat."

    "Yes, that is where experience lends its help to me." Viscountess ckshield smiled. "I was able to refine my Gift through countless years on the battlefield. Perhaps I would have¡­ been better if I started right away, but I am happy where I am now."

    "I would also be pleased with myself if I had your gift and talent with it, Viscountess." Lucius said.

    ''If I were to ask her if she had always the ability to change the shield, I do not think that she will be that willing to answer, or would brush it off and give a vague answer. I wonder if she ever got her gift tested and merely kept silent about it?'' Lucius thought. ''The name Bulwark means a defensive wall instead of a shield. Would that mean that she truly can protect herself at all times? If that is the case, I can reckon that''s why she''s able to go crazy on the battlefield and not think about defense and just pour her energy into fighting with all focus.''

    The idea that a shield would upgrade to a wall was an incredible thing and Lucius was actually interested in truly testing his theory, but at the moment, he had enough.

    Count Gabriel and Countess Lita approached the two.

    There was a smile on the Count''s face and the Countess had anxiety written on hers, though she tried to hide it well.

    "You''ve done an excellent job, Asher. Your skills were incredible," Count Gabriel praised his son.

    During the war on Gisir, Count Gabriel was not exactly able to fight on the same battlefield as his son in the past, and even then, he had lost his memories, so he wasn''t taught in the same way as before.

    However, the fact that Asher had to relearn almost everything and still managed to hold himself out against someone as skilled as the Viscountess was a feat worth praising his son.

    ''The blood of the Inanis family runs deep through his veins. He has a great instinct for battle even against enemies who are quite a grade above him in experience and power.'' Count Gabriel thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Indeed. I have never seen you fight like that before." Countess Lita nodded. There was a smile on her face, but it didn''t quite reach her eyes. "¡­I wanted to ask you to be more careful, but I know such things may be bothersome. You already are aware of what you need to do after all, Asher."

    "Yes, mother." Lucius said with a smile.

    Lucius didn''t exactly feel the need to interfere with Countess Lita''s current mood, knowing and chalking it up to a mother''s protectiveness, meanwhile Viscountess ckshield also noticed it as well and had a different reaction.

    ''I¡­ I may no longer be with my son, but it must have been painful to watch your child fight someone much older and experienced than them.'' Viscountess ckshield realized. ''I''ve set aside my emotions during the battle and also ended up having fun on my own, but I can imagine¡­ no, understand, what the Countess may be going through right now.''

    Meanwhile, Count Gabriel didn''t seem to notice, or Countess Lita was great at keeping her husband from noticing. Perhaps he was also too caught up in the spar to have noticed.

    Viscountess ckshield sighed a little inwardly and also nced at Asher, who simply had a smile on his face.

    ''I thought of him as a mature young man, but perhaps even someone such as him won''t be able to understand the full length that his mother is going through. I suppose I have to rectify this a little.''

    "Countess Lita, your son did extremely well. I had found myself both enjoying the spar and also being on guard. Hisst attacks using the artifact sword were incredible and I forgot that he had an artifact because he refrained from using it."

    Countess Lita smiled a little at Viscountess ckshield''s words, knowing that the woman may have sensed her unease.

    "Truly, Viscountess?"

    "I did not hold back or anything," Viscountess ckshield said, noticing Countess Lita wincing slightly, "And yet your son, Young Lord Asher performed beyond my expectations. Even without a gift, he was able to hold himself out against me."

    Count Gabriel and Countess Lita''s faces didn''t even shift at the mention of ''no gift'' and merely smiled.

    Lucius knew that they were nobility and learned how to feign their emotions, but was struck with how remarkable they hid it when they were stunned during the revtion of ''Asher''s'' gift from the Goddess Etara herself.

    "Yes, based on my experience, Asher has done his best and taken the most logical possible actions in the spar. If I was in the same position and did not have a gift, I do not think that I would perform any better than our son as well." Count Gabriel said and nced at Countess Lita meaningfully. "We will always worry, but also, we need to have faith in our son''s ability."

    As the Count said those words, a couple of people also approached respectfully.

 Chapter 418 Compliments And Jokes

    The people who approached them were none other than Captain Donald and his group, with Gellor and his own mercenaries.

    When they heard Count Gabriel''s praise, they all immediately chimed in as well.

    "Young Lord Asher has performed remarkably well! It was quite a great fight." Captain Donald said before he paid his respects to Viscountess ckshield. "To you as well, Viscountess ckshield. My people here have learned a great deal from observing the two of you. We give you our thanks."

    Viscountess ckshield''s expression cooled slightly at the appearance of several people she didn''t recognize, but Lucius quickly stepped in to introduce them.

    "I believe you may already know Captain Donald. He is the Captain of the Guards here in the Inanis Family," Lucius said.

    "I do not think Viscountess will remember me. I was merely an observer in one of her past fights." Captain Donald said humbly.

    "I apologize that I do not recall, but it is a pleasure to meet the Guard Captain of the Inanis Family. You must be quite strong." Viscountess ckshield replied politely. "I know that Count Inanis does not take in any weak people, so all of you must be quite adept."

    The words of the Viscountess ckshield made Captain Donald, and his apanying guards pleased at the statement.

    "Thank you so much, Viscountess. You honor all of us a great deal!" Captain Donald said.

    While Viscountess ckshield was not as charismatic as Viscount Felldan, the straightforwardness of her words made it all the more appealing when she praised someone.

    "Perhaps if you are all here to observe the fight, if opportunity allows, I can spar with you Captain Donald and some of your excellent guards here as a demonstration." Viscountess ckshield said.

    "T-that would be an amazing offer, Viscountess! We are looking forward to it." Captain Donald said with a calm smile. The rest of his guards looked a bit queasy at the offer but did their best to restrain their emotions from showing on their faces.

    Once the interaction between the Captain and his men was done, Lucius then also gestured to Gellor, Albus and Barty.

    "Meanwhile, these are three out of the five mercenaries that are working for the Inanis Family. This is Captain Gellor. He has trained under Master Frank in the past, and these are some of hispanions, Albus and Barty. All of them are incredible mercenaries that I can say for certain they are one of the best."

    Asher''s words lifted up the spirits of the mercenaries even under the scrutiny of the Viscountess.

    "Master Frank?" Viscountess ckshield''s eyes lit up in recognition, and she nced at Gellor with interest. "A pleasure to meet all of you. Countless have learned under Master Frank¡­ but one can say for certain that all those who train under him are aplished due to his efforts."

    "I was fortunate to have studied under him before he passed away." Gellor humbly said, but then cleared his throat. "We are here to congratte Young Lord Asher on his excellent spar with you, Viscountess ckshield. It was a thrilling one."

    "Indeed! Young Lord Asher was nimble and agile, moving here and there gracefully like a crane!" Albus said.

    "You are trying to praise yourself while praising Young Lord Asher." Barty covered his face and shook his head.

    "Then what would you have described, Barty? The wind?"

    Barty''s face turned a bit red, but he nodded.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yes, I believe the more apt term would be topare Young Lord Asher''s movements to the wind. He darts back and forth, speeding up and then slowing down in unexpected ways. While not invisible, it is unpredictable. It is a great contrast to Viscountess ckshield who reminds me of a great unmovable force, like a wall that tanks each attack and also uses her strength incredibly. Her ability with the mace is like someone ying with water, whereas you''re like a child waving around a stick."

    "Hey!" Albus frowned. "That''s¡­"

    "Mercenary Albus. What would you describe to me if Young Lord Asher is a crane of some sort?" Viscountess ckshield asked.

    The question struck everyone who was paying attention.

    Albus quickly paused and considered the Viscountess'' words. He scratched his head and nced at both Gellor and Barty who didn''t seem willing to help him.

    "Er¡­ for the Viscountess. I think, like one of those creatures with thick and imprable skin. Uh, I can''t recall¡­ " Albus thought hard. "Like a Plow Worm."

    "Did you just call her a Plow Worm?" Barty muttered.

    Albus''s eyes widened as he realized the connotations of his word and he immediately bowed deeply.

    "No! I did not mean to offend you, Viscountess ckshield! I was thinking of how great Plow Worms are! I mean it in apliment."

    Viscountess ckshield stared at Albus nkly for a second before she suddenlyughed.

    "A Plow Worm? That''s the first time someone has everpared me to such an animal. A fascinating one, Mercenary Albus. Thank you for yourpliments as well, Mercenary Barty."

    When Viscountess ckshieldughed, everyone couldn''t help but rx slightly as well.

    ''I have to remember that Albus has a certain sense of humor, but fortunately, the Viscountess took it in well.'' Lucius thought with some relief.

    "This has been a wonderful spar, but perhaps it is also time to get changed?" Countess Lita remarked.

    Both Viscountess ckshield and Asher were covered with a decent amount of sweat even though both of them had worn armor for mobility.

    "That seems like a good idea," Lucius agreed, then considered the situation some more. "Viscountess, after we are both changed, would you be interested in going on a tour of the city? It is a fine day for it."

    Even though Lucius woke up a littleter than usual that morning due to exhaustion, the time leading up and the actual spar as well didn''t take much time.

    Since Lucius was the one who first invited Viscountess ckshield to visit the Inanis Territory, it was also his main responsibility to act as the host.

    "That sounds lovely, Young Lord Asher. However, I am not interested in your offer at the moment. Tomorrow will be a better time." Viscountess ckshield replied.

 Chapter 419 A Lazy Day For The Women

    "Tomorrow?" Lucius asked, feeling mildly surprised. "Will you be sparring with either Captain Donald or Gellor now?"

    Captain Donald and Gellor immediately both looked rmed at Asher''s words.

    Even though Viscountess ckshield finished her spar with the Young Lord, somehow, both of them were actually on guard as if a spar were about to take ce.

    ''Even though there is nothing shameful about losing during a spar, it will be mildly embarrassing if Viscountess ckshield defeats me after just finishing a spar with Young Lord Asher.'' Captain Donald thought as his back straightened slightly. ''Count Gabriel will understand¡­ but it is also not a good look either way.''

    ''I do not think Albus will ever let me forget that I was once defeated by Viscountess ckshield after her spar with Young Lord Asher if it happens. He''ll even bring it up even more if it''s after Captain Donald and Viscountess ckshield''s spar as well.'' Gellor thought. ''Ariana and Finch will constantly ask about it as well.''

    The two men were excellent warriors by all metrics, both having been trained by Master Frank, with even Gellor being constantly in the top five out of hundreds of Master Frank''s students and Captain Donald being entrusted by Count Gabriel, and it was why they were both on guard.

    It was a foolish thing to be overconfident, and while they both had an understanding of their own strength and gifts, the two preferred to be more logical in their analysis.

    Meanwhile, Viscountess ckshield who heard Lucius''s question, couldn''t help butugh again.

    It was hard to tell whether Lucius had gotten it right or wrong. Either way would have worked, but the Viscountess finally replied.

    "I am not as energetic as you are, Young Lord Asher."

    "I find that hard to believe, Viscountess ckshield." Lucius remarked. "Our spar proves fully just that. And your stance also says otherwise."

    ''Is there any particr reason as to why the Viscountess does not wish to leave today? It is of no issue to me, but there might be something that needs to be taken care of.''

    Viscountess ckshield then smiled a little. "I simply wish to sit on the balcony of the mansion today and drink some Humble ze. It''s been a while since I''ve done something like that and the scenery you can view here in Inanis City is much more beautiful than what you can see in my mansion. I wish to take advantage of that."

    "Oh, so that is the reason, Viscountess," Lucius said. "If that is the case, then I wish you a good time."

    Both the Captain and Gellor inaudibly sighed in relief at those words and were actually considering excusing themselves to head in their own directions.

    Meanwhile, Countess Litaughed at the remark as her eyes lit up. "A day at the balcony and with nothing but Humble ze? That sounds like a wonderful time. I''ll join you today, Viscountess and the two of us can have azy day."

    "That sounds like a pleasant day indeed, Countess." Viscountess ckshield smiled and nodded. "Will it be alright for you, Count Gabriel? Or would you like to join us as well?"

    "Please enjoy yourselves today, perhaps I will join shortly if I have the time." Count Gabriel wished the two women well. "However, there are other things that preupy me for today."

    "Thank you for allowing us the chance to observe the spar," Captain Donald once again thanked the Count, Countess and Asher. "Now that it is finished, I will be taking my guards back to work and also discuss our experience."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    They were the first group to leave, with both the Viscountess and Countess Lita leaving the next after they bade the Count and Asher goodbye.

    "Please get changed right away, Asher and perhaps consider resting as well," Countess Lita said in a motherly tone. "It is a tiring day. If necessary, or if you wish, perhaps have Healer Delia check on you."

    "I think Young Lord Asher is fine, Countess Lita. Let us go." Viscountess ckshield remarked before she bade him goodbye.

    "I will see you at dinner I believe, Asher." Count Gabriel said and then went on his way as well.

    This left Lucius with Gellor and his mercenary team.

    "Now that I''ve thought about it, it is a surprise to see the three of you here at Inanis Mansion today," Lucius said and nced at Gellor and his men. "You are also not apanied by Ariana and Finch. Did something happen of particr importance?"

    The only asion where Gellor and his team sought him out was when they had needed his help with taking care of Finch''s injuries.

    ''If the two of them were in any sort of risk, then I''ll be disappointed to hear of it.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    "No, not at all, Young Lord Asher." Gellor shook his head. "We were invited by Miss Kiana toe and observe. It is a pity that Finch and Ariana were not here to observe the spar, but we will tell of the events today."

    "They will be sorely jealous as to have missed quite an opportunity to witness your battle prowess, Young Lord Asher." Albus added.

    "Very well. If there is nothing of urgent matters, then I will be taking my leave as well." Lucius said. "I know that there are things that I have to take care of with your team, Gellor. I did make promises with all of you that I intend to keep, but some important things have taken priority as ofte. Please wait until then."

    "We understand, Young Lord Asher. We are already quite grateful to be under your service." Gellor reassured him.

    ''I suppose the Mark of Obedience is doing a fine job with keeping them patient. Or they''re naturally this professional. Either way, today I can deal with far more urgent tasks.'' Lucius thought.

    As he left the training grounds, Kiana appeared with a new envelope in her hand.

    "Young Lord Asher. How was the spar? I have a letter for you." Kiana greeted with a bow.

    "Who is it from?" Lucius said as they walked into the mansion.

    "Leif." Kiana replied.

    "I was nning on seeing him today. It''s good timing. I will get changed first and then meet with him then."

 Chapter 420 News About The Criminals

    It was a quick and discreet trip from the Inanis Mansion to the Blind Crow Tavern. Since it was still broad daylight, there was nothing amiss as Lucius and Kiana traveled.

    "With Leif informing us that there''s a criminal on the loose and others more toe, it''s a little surprising that it all looks so peaceful here, doesn''t it?" Lucius said to Kiana as he peeked out the window.

    "It means that this person who''s here must be lying low or something." Kiana frowned. "There is a good reason for them to lie low. I wouldn''t havee here in the first ce if I were them."

    "And yet you went outst night to deliver the letter to Leif yourself," Lucius said as he remembered. Before he had retired on the night from exhaustion, he had asked Kiana to deliver his reply to Leif.

    "I did not encounter anything odd or anyone criminal while I was outst night, Asher. You need not worry," Kiana said with a smile. "In fact, if I were to encounter this so-called criminal, I am sure that there is much more to worry about them than it is for me. You have given me a great Gift, Asher."

    The confidence that Kiana had in herself was not only abination of her experiences in life but also that of what Asher had bestowed on her.

    However, contrary to what Kiana expected, Asher''s reaction was a bit more mild.

    "While it is good to be confident, it is still better to be wary, Kiana. I shouldn''t have asked you to do itst night. It must have slipped my mind out of exhaustion," Lucius said. "Or you could have at least taken some guards. While you were lucky enough to have not encountered the criminal, we truly do not know enough details about them. They could be stronger than you or could have caught you by surprise. Your gift mostly functions better when you have distance away from your enemy, Kiana."

    Kiana blushed and bowed her head.

    ''Somehow, this reminds me of the time when I fought those wolves in Aisse Territory. I had a difficult time back then because they all moved fast and the lighting was dark due to it all being a fire. Asher is right. I should be more wary than overconfident. I''m fortunate that he cares about me.''

    "Forgive me, Asher. I will be more careful next time," Kiana said. "Thank you for reminding me."

    "Thank you as well for taking it all well, Kiana," Lucius said. "I know that it may seem a bit nagging."

    "Not at all. It is simply proof that you care about my well being. I am happy about that." Kiana said with a smile.

    Lucius faked his own smile. "Of course."

    ''It would have done me no good if I have lost a valuable individual like Kiana. Not only have I used the Mark of Loyalty on her, but I have also already invested resources into improving her gift.

    Not to mention that she''s already in the know with the Inanis family dealings and alongside others, like training under Master Frank and her ownworks with people like Gellor. She will be a bit difficult to rece.'' Lucius thought.

    While Kiana was content with her current position, Lucius himself was once again considering the situation a little bit.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Baron Hugh''s son¡­ Lord Benjamin may have a useful gift that is suited for document work and other administrative tasks, but it really cannot bepared to the experience that Kiana already possesses.'' Lucius thought. ''I need to think about my approach when the Baron and his familye, but for now, I''ll focus on the current agenda of the day.''

    ***

    "Lucius, thank you foring at a moment''s notice," the tavern owner, Leif, greeted Asher and Kiana with a respectful nod and even used the "pseudonym" that Lucius had introduced himself in. "The room has already been ready, along with the source of info."

    "It is of prime importance to me to know of such things. Of course, I would havee at once," Lucius said. "But I''m honestly impressed that you would have the information all at once. I reckon that this criminal would have been avoiding the eyes of yours, Leif, in case you were to sell him out."

    "We do not sell anyone out easily, Lucius. Ites with a price, or if it bes a danger to keep them a secret," Leif said as he opened the door to a private room. "But as for the reason why we were able to find information, we always find ways¡­ but it does not also hinder that there were some willing sources."

    Inside of the room were the familiar faces of Arius, Carlyle and Cohen.

    "We meet again, Lucius." The three criminals greeted him respectfully.

    Even though he hadn''t actually revealed his true identity, it was clear that he was an important person to hold knowledge about upgrading gifts and also being able to pay for them.

    "Ah, it''s been a while. You three also know of the criminals that have entered the city?" Lucius sat down in a chair across from them and raised a brow.

    Kiana immediately stood behind Asher, but mostly kept quiet and observed the three criminals and Leif as well. Even though they had gone through several meetings already, she did not lower her guard or caution.

    ''It''s even more important to be on guard now that I know that all of their gifts have been upgraded in the past.'' Kiana thought. ''Of course, they''re loyal to Asher because they want to grow stronger¡­ but after our talk, I''ll still be careful.''

    Leif cleared his throat and excused himself. "I will just be getting my document from the tavern and will return shortly to hand the organized information about ourtest criminal, but I think that they will have other information that will also be of use."

    Once the tavern owner was gone, Arius leaned forward almost menacingly before he smiled.

    "We will be happy to provide information, Lucius."

    "And how do all three of you know of this criminal?"

 Chapter 421 Bordeaux The Mad Blade

    "The reason why we all know of this criminal is because he is an acquaintance of ours," Arius said.

    "Just an acquaintance, though." Carlyle added.

    "You can''t help but end up knowing a lot of people in this field after all. Knowing who''s who, who''s a good person to work with, who doesn''t y well with others and those who you need to avoid at all costs," Cohen said.

    "Only a few you can really end up working with well," Arius said as he looked meaningfully toward Cohen and Carlyle.

    "Sometimes, it''s just circumstance or chance," Carlyle added with a shrug. "As Cohen said, one really needs to know who''s the one dealing with."

    Lucius raised a brow at their statement. Most of the time, it was usually Arius who conducted most of the speaking and he was quite upfront and blunt.

    It was a straightforward transaction most of the time, but this time, the three men were a little more chatty.

    ''Now whether it is because they truly wish to avoid being linked to this particr acquaintance of theirs or they''re feeling more rxed with our agreement is up to anyone''s guess. It''s most likely abination of both, something in between.'' Lucius thought as he assessed the situation.

    "Based on these criteria that you have given us, Cohen¡­ where does this acquaintance of yours end up on the scale?" Lucius asked as he folded his hands together and leaned slightly in interest. "Would you consider him as someone who you can work with, someone who''s not all that interested in working with others¡­ or someone who you need to avoid?"

    Cohen, Arius and Carlyle all exchanged looks.

    All of them wanted to say something, but all of them were also weighing their words in their mind.

    ''An interesting reaction. This individual must be a strong one if they''re hesitant to give an answer right away¡­ which is quite intriguing. I''ve already upgraded all of their gifts and yet their reaction is still that of hesitance. Perhaps it is out of caution, but it''s three criminals against one.''

    Arius scratched his cheek and sighed deeply.

    "Well¡­ personally, I hope that these two agree with me, but Bordeaux is someone who you need to avoid. It''s best to leave him to himself."

    "I mean, you can work with him, but it''s better to keep your eyes peeled open. You already do that when you''re a criminal and working with new people or even old friends, but if you have extra eyes on your back, then keep them open." Carlyle let out augh.

    "The man''s frankly a mad one. It''s no good trying to work with him," Cohen said.

    "Alright, mad''s¡­ quite a good word," Arius said once he had heard the reaction from the other two. "We don''t know if you are interested in recruiting him, Lucius. But he''s not someone who we can really rmend."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Nasty fellow, that one. And it''s not because we''re trying to keep this well-paying job for ourselves," Carlyle agreed with a nod.

    "Consider it as a valuable information. Completely free of charge. But also because it''s in our best interest as well," Cohen admitted.

    "And what do you guys know of his past?" Lucius asked.

    "Er, we haven''t really bothered to get to know him that well. As we''ve said, Lucius. A mad one, that one. He''s not someone you''d like to hold a conversation with, or else you''d get your own self stuck in a difficult position," Cohen said.

    "I think he bragged about it before. Honestly, that''s what he tends to brag about. Doesn''t help with his image at all," Arius shook his head. "But as for theplete details, I think Leif''s already got it all organized."

    It was at this point that Leif returned with the document in hand. He passed it to Lucius, who immediately skimmed it with interest. When Lucius noticed that the three criminals were also looking in interest, he cleared his throat and read aloud.

    "Bordeaux used to be a knight from a distant kingdom left his station, became a mercenary and then eventually gave up the life to turn to the life of crime. He is known as Bordeaux the Mad de, a man who''s unafraid of anything¡­ not even of the king of any kingdom," Lucius said aloud.

    "Sounds about right. He frequently challenges anyone who gives him the time of day," Cohen shook his head. "I don''t know why he even became a knight in the first ce. I wonder if the folks ever noticed he was already wrong in the head."

    "I think being a knight kind of already means challenging whoeveres in your way, so I don''t think they''re the best candidates in knowing who''s right in the head." Carlyle rubbed his chin. "It might just mean that he bested everyone in his order and then left to go challenge others. Or maybe he found it restrictive? All the rules, so he became a mercenary? And then found that too boring so became a criminal?"

    "While all of these spections are nice, one thing we can know for certain is that Bordeaux the de came to Inanis City because he does not fear any king, soing to Inanis territory is of no issue to him¡­ but is there any particr reason? The reason why he came still stands, gentleman."

    "Well, all of the recent changes in Inanis city might have made him curious. There''s the Dionysia Brewery, the rehabilitation center, and overall the reduction of crime here. It''s most likely that he came here on a whim, Lucius."

    "It does get boring from time to time, but honestly, only Bordeaux would be mad enough toe here," Carlyle said. "Then again, he is strong¡­ so he probably thinks that he can get away with it. Maybe."

    "Do you honestly think he thought that far ahead? Mad de Bordeaux nned that much? Cohen scoffed a little.

    "All three of you know his gift, then?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes, it is a rare ranked gift called the de Fury. It gives him a high aptitude with ded weapons and also an increased power when he uses them."

 Chapter 422 Blade Fury

    "de Fury?" Lucius mused to himself aloud.

    Kiana behind him stiffened slightly at the mention of the gift but didn''t say anything else.

    It was possible to have all sorts of gifts, that much was clear to anyone, but the fact that it was a Rare Gift rted to ded weapons was most worrisome because the abundance of des was everywhere.

    ''It doesn''t even have to necessarily be a sword, even a simple knife can be considered a de. And so long as he has one in his hands, he could end up being much more powerful than most people.''

    To be fair, everything that Kiana had heard mentioned from Arius, Carlyle and Cohen was enough to put anyone at unease, especially when she and everyone knew that this mad man was prowling the streets.

    ''I am not sure how I''d fare if I truly was caught in surprise, even though my gift is now at Epic Rank, I can''t help but feel like he''s still a dangerous threat.'' Kiana thought to herself.

    Meanwhile, Lucius himself went into an opposite line of thinking with the mention and exnation of the de Fury.

    "While it is enough to be uneasy of a man with a gift such as de Fury, I reckon that it is still abination of his own personal and physical skills trained and refined that has led him to this level of notoriety, I presume," Lucius finally said.

    "Well, if he did work as a knight before then it makes sense that he''s got proper training unless the rest of us when ites to des." Arius nodded slightly.

    "Psh, a knight is a knight. Even if you learn things from an order, it doesn''t necessarily mean that he learned everything from them or refined such skills. It alsoes from experience too in the field." Cohen said.

    "If we were only considering the refined nature of his swordsmanship akin to a knight, then perhaps it would be a little easier to read this man and assess how dangerous he is, but paired with the fact that he is as crazy as all of you say he is¡­ then it lends to a certain sense of unpredictability with his movements." Lucius murmured. "This will in fact turn him more dangerous than others."

    "Well, he''s not as strong as us." Carlyle said.

    Lucius chuckled, and knew where their confidence came from, but Leif who was still present in the private room looked ill at ease.

    Leif cleared his throat.

    "The three of you may find it in your nature to rx considering that all of you know your own individual strength, but it is vital for Lucius here to be careful. In fact, something like this may be of need to report to Count Inanis."

    "Count Inanis?" Carlyle said bbergasted. "You''re going to send information to the lord of the city, Leif? Isn''t that too much? I''m sure that Bordeaux will end up getting bored and leaving out of his own volition."

    "We''ve already lost many good men in our city thanks to the Count''s actions," Arius said.

    "Yeah. Well, lesspetition for us¡­ but you know what we mean," Cohen added. "The city''s peaceful, but sometimes you have to shake it up."

    Kiana clenched her fists lightly, but refused to say a word. Meanwhile, Lucius was too distracted by the implications of the mad man Bordeauxing to the territory of Inanis city and what it would mean to them.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Hmm¡­ an expert with the sword and someone who works alone primarily," Lucius murmured.

    "Bad news, best left alone, Lucius." Arius said before he received a scathing look from Leif.

    "This individual somehow reminds me of an incident that I''ve heard about while I was in¡­ certain areas," Lucius said.

    ''I need not mention that I was in Etara''s Cross. Even though all three of them are already in my employ with the Mark of Obedience and Leif undoubtedly knows who he is dealing with, it is better to err on the side of caution.''

    "Incident?" Arius asked.

    "Was it a bloody ident of some sort?"

    "On the contrary, I can''t help but feel as if he might be the one involved in the killing of the kingdom''s soldiers. Multiple sources dictate that there was someone who defeated royal soldiers all by himself and left without a trace. What are the chances that we are dealing with the very same person?" Lucius asked as he folded his hands together.

    Kiana''s eyes widened once more and she stifled a gasp.

    It was one of the stories that they''d heard while they were on their way to Aisse Territory, and though it was quite vital and important news, somehow she had forgotten it alongside all the other events that urred.

    ''The fact that Asher remembers such incidents and is able to rte our current information to this other one is incredible.'' Kiana thought. ''What are the chances that he''s correct? If that is the case then¡­''

    ''¡­ We would be dealing with a huge threat that immediately needs to be taken care of. While I''ve had an interest in recruiting such a strong individual, if they''re unpredictable and as crazy as Arius and the others have said then it will be a little difficult to control him as I don''t know what makes the man tick. I''d have to measure the risks.''

    Leif''s face suddenly hardened slightly at Lucius''s statement. He had also heard of the news of this evasive murderer that killed off the royal soldiers of Grantz, but if that man was truly Bordeaux then, well, all the more reason to report quickly to the Count or avoid getting on Bordeaux''s bad side.

    However, Arius, Cohen and Carlyle all nced at each other and immediately shook their heads.

    "No. Can''t be him." Arius said.

    "Yeah, definitely can''t be Bordeaux."

    "If the two were one and the same, well, I''d cut off my own toe." Carlyle said.

    Lucius was impressed that they were confident about this information. He raised a brow slightly and gestured at them.

    "Would you gentlemen care to exin why he''s not the same person?"

 Chapter 423 Choice Of A Criminal

    Lucius was fairly certain that his conclusion was made from a logical standpoint.

    Bordeaux was a master of ded weapons and the person who killed off those royal soldiers of Grantz was someone with the same skill set.

    ''However,pared to Arius, Cohen and Carlyle, I am basing this on theirck of intimate knowledge of said man. I don''t have theplete information either on everything that transpired during the killing, so it is indeed most likely that I am wrong.'' Lucius thought.

    While Lucius normally wouldn''t specte, his own expression of such a statement was enough to make Arius, Cohen and Carlyle provide answers.

    ''It''s quite a silly thing between social norms that when a person says something wrong or inurate, there is a good deal of individuals who will take glee in trying to correct you. While a bit unnecessary as they''ll answer without a need for me to be wrong, it''s an effective way of getting answers.'' Lucius thought.

    Ignorance in a ptable dose often made other people more willing to offer the correct response in an effort to appear more knowledgeable or superior.

    "The reason why it''s not Bordeaux is because the direction of those soldier killings is the opposite of the one where he came from," Arius said.

    "Oh, yes, that''s right." Leif blinked and remembered that. He had nearly forgotten that fact and was caught up in Lucius''s words, the nobleman was able to sound persuasive and certain that it made Leif worry for a second.

    "And besides that, if it was Bordeaux? He''d love to take the credit for killing instead of being nameless. I''m sure that if we found him right now and asked him if he did it¡­ well, he''d answer yes or no." Cohen said.

    "The man isn''t one to deny or lie about who he killed. On the contrary, I think he''d leave a giant message telling people that he''s the one who''s killed this and this or that he was around the area."

    "Whether that''s from the blood of the victims or something more obvious." Arius said with a slight grimace. "Honestly, that''s quite a waste of time and goes against trying to keep your head low as a criminal. Even more reasons to avoid working with him. He might sign it with his and your name."

    "Hah. Did he really do something with using blood?" Cohen snickered then turned to Carlyle. "Shouldn''t that be more of your thing, considering your gift and all."

    "Just because I have Blood Hammer as my criminal name doesn''t mean I''d go around dipping my finger in blood and leaving notes." Carlyle rolled his eyes, but then rubbed his chin. "¡­ And now you''re making me curious about trying it."

    "Don''t pretend like you haven''t actually done it." Cohen rolled his eyes, but then he cleared his throat and turned to Lucius. "But to also ease up your concern a little, Lucius¡­ while Bordeaux is strong, he isn''t as skilled enough to be killed without being seen and leaving no clues at all."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yeah, he isn''t that smart enough to think ahead." Carlyle said.

    "While the killer of the royal soldiers isn''t Bordeaux, he''s still someone to be reckoned with, Lucius," Arius said.

    "I see, thank you for the piece of advice. I will take that into ount¡­" Lucius tapped a finger idly on the table.

    It was a rather small tic, Lucius only did it once, but Arius, Leif and Kiana noticed it all the same.

    ''I''ve already been advised to not approach this Bordeaux individual, with everyone here iming him to be a mad man¡­ and yet all that does is invoke my curiosity.'' Lucius sighed inwardly although if he was given a chance, he might have smiled a little and shook his head. ''Meeting someone as mad as Bordeaux isn''t exactly new, in fact, it''s actually extremely familiar to deal with such individuals as I''ve already done so in the past.''

    Lucius was from the Great Barrom n, everyone was used to their disposal and that included insane and deranged individuals as long as they were capable of being used as a weapon.

    They were most often not suited for work that involved critical thinking or espionage, but it also depended on the individual.

    ''¡­ If I were to get this man to work for me, then it will be a great chance to expand the scope of my power once more. While I won''t necessarily add him to the ranks of Arius and his group unless certain situations call for it, it will be good to have someone as skilled as him. If he does not cooperate, perhaps it will be nice to add him to the Lost ranks¡­ but that might decrease his swordsmanship capacity. Either way, before I am to consider that, I''d need to learn what makes Bordeaux tick so I can approach him.''

    Arius nced discreetly in Leif''s way and then that of Cohen and Carlyle.

    ''I''m not exactly certain since I don''t know how Lucius works. But I can''t help but have a certain feeling that we might end up getting sent to apprehend Bordeaux for him. And with that happening, while it''ll be a three against one scenario in addition to our gifts being upgraded into Epic Ranks¡­ it''s still going to be a pain to deal with. Bordeaux isn''t going to make it easy for us.'' Arius sighed inwardly. ''Of course, there''s also the chance that we might be able to hold a proper conversation with him and just invite him, but the chances may not be on our side.''

    Meanwhile, Kiana herself closed her eyes and thought about the situation for a moment.

    ''Knowing Asher, he might really want to meet this Bordeaux individual. I know I won''t be able to dissuade him, but Leif did have a certain point about needing to report it to Count Gabriel. The situation almost warrants for it¡­ and yet that''s not the only thing that we''re supposed to be worrying about right now. Bordeaux isn''t the only criminal that''s lurking in our city right now.''

 Chapter 424 Bandits Hunting Bandits

    "Excuse me, I think we''ve already received enough information about this Bordeaux individual," Kiana said curtly. "We already know that he''s a threat but there has been no mention of the other criminals that are supposed to be here."

    "Huh, so it''s been a she all along." Carlyle whispered and nudged Cohen with his elbow. "You owe me money."

    Kiana had mostly kept her distance when dealing with the criminals and always kept her hood on alongside Asher, and she also didn''t talk much either except for now.

    "Now''s not the time, Carlyle." Cohen hissed slightly and tried to look more pissed at hispanion.

    There had been some asional bets on whaty underneath the hood or who they have been dealing with, but it was mostly discussed when they were in their private rooms or their home in the rehabilitation center.

    Of course, the fact that Carlyle said it now in the presence of Lucius was most frightening because the man might take it the wrong way and feel like he was being impugned.

    Lucius only kept his expression calm however and nodded towards Kiana and then turned back to the criminals. "Thank you for the reminder. I''ve gotten a little caught up with this Mad de, but it is true that he''s not the only one who''s here, oring here rather. What other information do you guys know?"

    Since Lucius was more or less used to dealing with all sorts of individuals from the Great Barrom n, the attitude and behavior of the three criminals were of no issue to him as long as they managed to do their work for him.

    "Since they''ve yet to arrive, we haven''t been able to identify the two criminals by name and gift, but we do know that these people may actually be on the run from someone else," Leif said. "There are rumors about several bandit groups being hunted down by other bandits, though we''ve yet to actually validate that¡­ so it is debatable."

    "Is that so?" Lucius raised a brow. ''So we may have other bandits hunting fellow bandits. While it''s not the most odd thing to do as there may be territorial disputes and other reasons for bandit groups to fight, it makes no sense that they''d invest too many resources into drivingpetition out. They mostly have aimed to kill and so the other group is fleeing for their life most likely¡­?''

    Once again, with the limited amount of information that Lucius had received, he was making the most eptable conclusions that he could arrive to.

    "Sounds quite possible," Arius murmured after awhile. "While I''ve never really liked the idea of joining bandit groups since the hierarchy can get all convoluted and tiring to deal with, the fact remains that some bandit groups are hostile to others."

    "Since it''s only two criminals, then if they''re bandits, they''re most likely survivors of some sort," Cohen muttered. "Or maybe they''re actually just scouts? We might be wrong."

    "You think some bandit group is seeing an opportunity to start up a ce here since it''s been mostly cleared off by other criminals?" Carlyle grinned a little. "They might not be right in the head like Bordeaux then. He might fit right in with this group."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "He''ll most likely kill them if they were to encounter each other and the two rub him in the wrong way." Arius said.

    "Hah. Then that''ll be a nice cleanup, won''t it?" Cohen said.

    Lucius himself also had his own thoughts about the situation.

    ''It may be a bit of a stretch itself, but if there''s any group that has once masqueraded as bandits, it''s the Bergan''s Band. What are the chances that they''re the ones driving out other bandits? Of course, I''ve already cut off their current manpower by a good chunk when I visited Aisse Territory, but they can easily recruit more individuals to fill up the ranks and there might be a purpose to them driving out criminals. Although it''s not much clear cut right now as to why if it''s really them.''

    "Is there any other information that you can provide me, Leif?" Lucius nced at the tavern owner.

    The fact that Arius, Carlyle and Cohen had information about Bordeaux was something out of a lucky chance, but the one who really was responsible for finding them in the first ce was Leif.

    "I''m afraid not, Lucius." Leif shook his head and was about to end it there until he hesitated and then spoke honestly. "¡­ my associates, some of them have grown too wary ofmunicating here in Inanis City due to the fact of the increased surveince of the Inanis Guards. I''m trying to re-establishmunications, and some are still in contact, but they''re more on guard than before. Once the two criminals arrive though, it''ll be easier to get information about them."

    "I see, thank you, Leif."

    Leif provided good and fast information already which Lucius was satisfied with, and maybe Lucius couldn''t expect much more information given the circumstances¡­ but there were a lot of things left up to ''we''ll figure it out once they arrive here'' as an answer.

    ''It''s a little bit out of my current goals and reach, but the Arkaves mercenaries are also good at gathering intel. I wonder how theypare with Leif''s sources? Of course, they might not deal with criminals and could be clueless¡­ no, who am I kidding? They''ve agreed to work with Bergan''s Band before. I''m sure that they also have dipped their toes into far more criminal sources.'' Lucius thought, before he nced at the three criminals.

    "Since we''ve finished tackling the information we have on hand, it seems like it''s time for an assignment for the three of you."

    "What is it, Lucius?" Arius asked.

    "Since you''re all here in Inanis City, keep an eye out for these people and capture them if you ever see them and bring them to me alive," Lucius said. "Of course, it''ll be better if they cooperate with us, but don''t leave it to chance and capture them if they refuse."

 Chapter 425 Capture At First Sight

    Arius, Cohen and Carlyle all traded looks before the three nodded at once.

    "We''d be happy to do this for you, Lucius." Arius said.

    "Honestly, we''ve been a little cooped up here since you postponed our mission to Gisir Kingdom, so this is actually a chance to get some work done in," Carlyle admitted.

    "Beats sparring one another too." Cohen added.

    "Sparring?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "Training our newfound gifts," Arius exined. "But unseen, of course."

    The three had mostly stayed in the space that Lucius had provided them near the rehabilitation center.

    Arius, Carlyle and Cohen kept their heads down except for the asion when they werepletely restless and chose to fight with one another.

    "Good." Lucius nodded. "It would be an issue if you three were discovered."

    Originally, Lucius had nned to send the three men to the Gisir Kingdom when they informed him of the news that the Gisir Soldiers were settling in the border between Gisir and Grantz.

    It was vital to gain more information about their movements, and more importantly, stop whatever they were doing and cripple them from doing anything to attack the Grantz Kingdom if that was their goal.

    While Lucius held no loyalty or love to the Grantz Kingdom, the fact remained that the Inanis Territory was under the domain of the Grantz Kingdom and if anything were to happen, then Count Gabriel would be called again to fight in a war.

    ''It''ll be taking up away the resources that I currently have in my hand,'' Lucius thought. ''While there certainly is a profit to be made during war between territories if I were to be a supplier¡­ at my current position, I stand more to lose than to gain if Gisir and Grantz were to immediately turn to war once more.''

    The Dionysia Brewery was earning, and while there were no doubt buyers from even humbler backgrounds, as Lucius had intended with the Humble ze, a decent and notable chunk came from nobility.

    The nobility would also postpone adopting the rehabilitation center in their cities if a war were to ur since their attention would be divested elsewhere too.

    And the Masked Legion was still currently too small in numbers if Lucius were to interest others in using them in a war against Gisir too.

    "Ahem, Lucius?" Kiana cleared her throat a little.

    "Right, I think that will be all for today from me. Have Leif report to me once these new criminalse in, we''ll leave for now." Lucius said as he rose up and left the Blind Crow''s Tavern.

    ***

    "It''s good that I made them stay with these other criminals arriving," Luciusmented to Kiana as they made their way to the rehabilitation center.

    Since Lucius needed to invest his attention to the banquet at Etara''s Cross prior, he had held Arius and the others before.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I thought it would be best to send them earlier, but you''re right, this is proper timing." Kiana nodded as she nced out the window of the carriage and looked at the streets.

    "While they could have done a decent amount of work already while in Gisir and Grantz borders, I do not think Gellor and his men would be ready to take on this Bordeaux individual," Lucius said.

    "¡­ You don''t think so?" Kiana looked back at him surprised. "Gellor was trained by Master Frank himself and Master Frank was a genius swordsman while having no gift whatsoever!"

    "Do you think Master Frank would have been able to best Mad de Bordeaux?" Lucius asked.

    "His years of experience and expertise will prevail him." Kiana said with a bit of a frown. "¡­ He was unlike any other, Asher. I know that you do not remember him, but his impable swordsmanship was incredible."

    "I see, perhaps I am mistaken in that regard," Lucius said with a shake of his head. "Either way, I''d rather not mix in Gellor with these people for now. While I''ve asked Arius and the others to capture these men alive, other circumstances might still happen. Mercenaries may fight in a battlefield, but it''s not often that they kill other people."

    Kiana nodded slowly. She understood why Asher and her were doing this, but for others, they might not see the good intentions that they were doing.

    Soon enough, Lucius and Kiana arrived at the rehabilitation center. As before, Old Man Johan and the others weed Lucius eagerly and with open arms.

    "Wee back, Young Lord Asher!" Old Man Johan bowed.

    "Greetings. I''vee here to share some good news about the rehabiliation center, Mister Johan." Lucius said with a smile. "I''d like for you to gather all of our people and set up a meeting."

    "At once, Young Lord Asher," Old Man Johan said.

    "Before that, I will be checking the criminals we''ve captured," Lucius informed the old man before he asked. "¡­ Are there any in particr that are of in heavy need of re-education?"

    "Oh, there is one, Young Lord Asher," Old Man Johan said. "He is already ready for your guidance."

    Lucius nodded and then turned to Kiana. "Have this person brought to me."

    "Will do, Asher." Kiana nodded.

    While Lucius headed down to theboratory, he couldn''t help but think about the situation of the rehabilitation center and the Masked Legion.

    ''As I''ve expected, the numbers are dwindling here in Inanis City. The expansion to other cities is at good time to fill up the ranks of the Lost. And of course, depending on the usefulness of the two uing criminals, they might also end up bing Lost as well.'' Lucius thought.

    The familiar appearance of Lucius''sboratory weed him in as he arrived and the presence of the Masked Legion and the Lost Bore Shrew also became evident. He checked on their hell energy levels before Lucius sent slivers of energy towards them.

    They had mostly stayed dormant, so their energy depletion was actually quite low, instead, they mostly helped him increase his own space.

    "A shame that I lost the Lost Plow Worm, but there''s always next time," Lucius said to himself until the door opened and Kiana arrived with his new subject.

 Chapter 426 Life Drain

    "We have our criminal here, Asher." Kiana announced promptly. Normally, the rehabilitation people would volunteer to help bring the criminal down, all of them curious about theboratory of Young Lord Asher, but this time, it was just Kiana alone.

    Kiana didn''t ask for any assistance from the rehabilitation people as they were all busy gathering and preparing the hall where the Young Lord Asher was going to speak to them.

    In fact, for this particr criminal, Kiana really didn''t even need help at all.

    "Excellent, Kiana. Put him on the table," Lucius said.

    Normally, the criminal would kick up a fuss, screaming and trying to escape his bindings and gag. But, in this particr instance, the man only had a defeated and helpless appearance.

    The man''s head was bowed down, his unruly dark hair covering all of his face and his shoulders were hunched together as if to make himself smaller than possible.

    It was as if the person''s motivation and fighting will were lost during the entire duration that he had spent in the rehabilitation center.

    ''Odd.'' Lucius noted slightly. ''Then again, it''s not only the most violent of criminals thatmit the most heinous deeds, and I''m not even aware of what transpired while I was gone. It''s incredible that this man isn''t frightened of what he''s seeing though. Or he just hasn''t noticed.''

    Kiana brought the criminal to the table and bound him at once. Even though the man was silent and mostlypliant, she had no sense of trust for this person''s attitude.

    ''He''s a criminal for a reason. He must have done something unforgivable if he''s here right now¡­'' Kiana thought to herself as she bound and strapped him.

    "Done, Asher." Kiana said and turned to Asher.

    Unlike her, Asher''s face was incrediblyposed and neutral as he eyed the criminal and out of everything that he could ever say, he only said these words.

    "I do hope that this one survives. It''ll be a shame if he dies," Lucius said. There were at least some failures during the transformation from human to Lost, and it would be a pity if this one failed to be a Lost due to his inherent lifelessness.

    At the mention of ''dying'', the man''s gaze flitted slightly over to Asher, but with the gag in his mouth, didn''t say anything in particr.

    Lucius raised a brow.

    ''Incredible¡­ he did not even flinch at the mention of death. It must mean that he truly has lost all hope and will die during this experiment, or he might actually just have what it takes. Of course, it is also dependent on his Gift.''

    "Kiana, do you know what in particr this man has done?" Lucius asked, mildly interested. He normally had no need for any background history, but it had been a while since he turned someone in the Lost and could afford a few minutes to investigate a little.

    "The teacher said that the crime he has done is unforgivable, but I did not ask for the details," Kiana said. "Do you wish for me to ask them now?"

    "I see, and no need for that, Kiana." Lucius proceeded to use Nexus on the criminal and then blinked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Gift Name: Life Drain

    Description: The user can absorb the life force of the people within their vicinity and use it to revitalize themselves to a certain degree.

    Rank: Rare

    "Huh." Lucius''s lips curled a little in amusement and his own eyes glinted. While he was actually disappointed that only one criminal was going to be turned into a Lost, the fact remained that the Gift of the man in front of him was special and unique.

    ''Not entirely special, as I know countless spells that operate and do exactly the same thing as this gift, but the fact that this world would have such a gift avable for an individual. The applications and use for this person bing a Lost are truly there. I''m surprised that this is even Rare ranked, I''d reckoned that it should at least be Epic.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana was a little surprised at the sudden expression on Asher''s face.

    It was the face of someone who looked like they had found a new toy for them to y with¡­ and it made Kiana a little uncertain.

    ''No. Asher is doing this to make things right. These criminals have done indescribable crimes and this is the only way that they can amend themselves for their own wrongdoings.'' Kiana thought.

    "Alright, let''s make this quick and easy for you." Lucius went over to the criminal and ced a hand over their head. "I do not know how you''ve used your time and how you ended up here, but rest assured, you''ll be of good service to the Inanis family."

    While Lucius could easily just send Hell Energy without any issue from a distance, he approached them due to observe the reaction on the man''s face.

    The man''s eyes suddenly widened atst, and they finally shot a look at Asher''s face. Even though the criminal''s spirit was broken even before he came to the rehabilitation center, they suddenly sensed a negative energy from Asher.

    The surrounding Aether in their surroundings suddenly shifted and Lucius felt a drain on himself, which only made the man smile and shake his head.

    "Should have done that a little earlier or before," Lucius sent the Hell Energy to the man and instantly the man convulsed.

    The reaction with the man was immense and his entire body jerked while strapped to the table as Lucius drew back and checked on himself.

    ''The life drain isn''t as threatening, or he only utilized it when he felt that he was in danger. Either way, it''s toote,'' Lucius thought as he watched and observed the transformation.

    The duration of the time was a little faster than usual, perhaps because of the man''s gift, but once it was finished, Lucius had a shiny new addition to the Masked Legion that he created.

    Even though Lucius was interested in testing the new Lost, he knew that he spent a lot of time in theboratory.

    "Alright, we''ll save it forter. It''s time for the meeting now."

 Chapter 427 An Offer For Expansion And Teaching

    The people of the rehabilitation center once again increased in number when Lucius arrived at the hall and he nced at the faces.

    A multitude of new recruits, men and women, young and old were now in the ranks and waited for the first time that they would hear of Young Lord Asher address them.

    "Mister Johan, Young Lord Asher is really the one who started all of this?" a young man asked.

    "Yes, all of this wouldn''t have been possible if it were not for him." Old Man Johan whispered to one of thetest recruits. "Listen to him well. When he speaks, it is far better than any of the teachers here. What we teach is what we have first learned from him."

    "I see¡­" The young man waited in awe.

    "Hmm, this is perfect timing. There''s a lot more than when Ist visited." Lucius said to himself as he made his way to the stage and greeted the people of the rehabilitation center.

    Gone was the dark expression that he showed the criminal earlier, and it was reced by a light and easy expression that put everyone who saw him at ease.

    "I''ve only been gone for some time but once again I am overjoyed to see new faces who''ve agreed to help our cause," Lucius said charismatically. "The timing couldn''t be more proper for everyone because the rehabilitation center will be expanding, so this is most fortunate."

    The news made a great silence fall over the people in awe, and Lucius knew that his control over the people in the rehabilitation center wasplete.

    Even those who did not receive the Mark of Obedience were almost allpletely indoctrinated by the others before them that they all looked at Asher with fervor and hunger that might have equaled that of a Lost searching for Hell Energy and Demonic Mana.

    Possibly even more.

    People could be even sometimes scarier and even more instinctive than the Lost with how they all searched and sought desperately for meaning and purpose.

    Lucius used it to his advantage now and would give them what they want. A cause and a calling that would sweep them up all into thend of Etara to do his bidding.

    "When we first started this rehabilitation center, it was Kiana who reached out to the first of you and brought you here for a chance to correct and amend the error of those in the past. And now once again, the opportunity bes open once more, not only for those of Inanis City but to other cities as well.

    "We have already aplished much here in Inanis City, I hope that all of you are aware of the achievements of the rehabilitation center in changing not only your lives but that of other people, and now I hope that there will be people here who are willing to extend the same change here to others who are in dire need as well."

    Lucius gauged the reaction of the people and all of them were surprised but greedily and readily drank in his words as they listened attentively.

    "During my visit to Etara''s Cross, I was able to talk with many nobles and they also share the same burden as Inanis City once has; a multitude of individuals that are in dire need of reform and instruction.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The situation rmed me and so I promised them that I would lend them my aid, but I cannot do it alone¡­ it is only through our collective efforts that the change in Inanis City became possible and I hope that it can be recreated elsewhere.

    Of course, I cannot make any of you do anything. That is why I am here to ask how many teachers would be willing to spread their teachings. The job here in Inanis City will continue, but your skills are also needed elsewhere if you are willing to go there." Lucius said.

    Once he had finished his word, the first of the group of teachers that Lucius taught all eagerly rose to their feet and raise their hands alongside the newer batches as well.

    "We would like to teach and inform the unreformed!"

    "We wish to serve and we will continue to serve!"

    "Young Lord Asher, we will do as you say! Tell us where to go and we will head there at once!"

    "I am most pleased that there are many who wish to help this endeavor. It seems like all of you are so eager to even leave at once, but as much as I praise this fervor, we cannot do it simply and just walk out of the door and head to new cities¡­ instead, I would like the brilliant and capable minds of the people of this center to formte a few ns of how the operation will proceed. I will personally check to see how viable they are and these will be discussed another time when I return."

    The people of the rehabilitation nced at each other, it was a chance to speak with Young Lord Asher in person and in private too.

    During the early days, Young Lord Asher was able to speak andmunicate with everyone but as the organization had grown to an immense size, a great number weren''t able to speak with him in person.

    Thus Lucius''s words inspired them to work hard, and many already formted ns in their head of what they would do in their operations.

    "That will be all, thank you," Lucius smiled and walked off the stage. Old Man Johan took over for him while he and Kiana greeted some of the people, but then excused themselves to head back to the Inanis Mansion.

    When they were finally able to leave the rehabilitation center, it was actually almost evening and time had passed so swiftly.

    "Everyone was excited to meet with you." Kiana had said in their carriage. "I thought we would never leave."

    "We have other matters to attend to so we cannot," Lucius said. He met some new faces and even put the Mark of Obedience on them, and it had drained him a little.

    However, once he arrived at the Inanis Mansion, he wasn''t able to rest at once. There were some people who had just arrived too.

 Chapter 428 Surprise Visit

    Out of everyone who could have arrived in the Inanis Mansion that particr evening, he didn''t expect it to be Finch and Ariana.

    "Do you have anything to do with this, Kiana? Or are people reallying here out of their own volition?" Lucius asked as the carriage reached the mansion.

    Since the carriage arrived a littleter than Finch and Ariana, it was noticed by them, and the two women both stopped and waited for Lucius and Kiana to step out of the carriage.

    Kiana blinked and looked a little confused. She pursed her lips and peeked out through the curtain and noticed the two women before she turned and addressed Asher.

    "Earlier this morning, when the Count and Countess said that they wished for the Captain and his people to observe the spar between you and the Viscountess, I also asked them permission to bring Gellor and his mercenary team."

    "Yes, I recall Gellor mentioning that," Lucius said as he eyed Kiana. "It''s actually a little surprising when I saw them earlier."

    "I figured that they might benefit from being able to observe a great fight between the two of you," Kiana said. "I hope that you did not mind them? I can ask for Finch and Ariana to leave now and ask Gellor to reprimand them."

    ''Asher seems a little stressed out. It''s apparent in his tone¡­ he must be exhausted after today that it''s better to chase the two women out now.''

    "No, it''s fine. Let''s just see what they''re here for," Lucius said as he stepped out of the carriage atst.

    Both Ariana and Finch stood out of the Inanis mansion with calm expressions on their face, but once they saw Young Lord Asher, their eyes both lit up.

    "Young Lord Asher. Wee back to the city and greetings to you, I hope that we did note at an improper time." Finch said with a respectful tone and Ariana followed along.

    "We heard that you were in a spar with a powerful Viscountess and missed itpletely!" Ariana suddenly said, a little more energetic than Finch, but at least a bit more restrained than Albus.

    The two mercenaries seemed to be much more boisterous when together, and maybe even Ariana was loud by herself, but Finch probably made her more subdued.

    "Ah, yes, greetings to the two of you. The timing is not unfortunate, Miss Finch and Ariana. I am always happy to amodate the two of you. Would the two of you like to enter the mansion. I presume that the news came from Gellor andpany?" Lucius said with a polite smile.

    ''I''m sure that Finch already knows that it''s an improper time but still came here, so there has to be some purpose to this visit.'' Lucius thought.

    "On the contrary, we were able to hear it from Mister Cambrian''s weapon shop. One of the aides of Viscountess ckshield came there while we were browsing and tried to find any suitable mace or weapons for her." Finch replied. "And as for Gellor and the other two, that is actually the main purpose of our visit. We''re trying to locate them, Young Lord Asher so we would politely decline your offer. Instead, I wish to express that we also deeply regret missing the spar. We''ve heard incredible feats performed by you, Young Lord Asher."

    "Yeah. The Viscountess''s said to have a Rare Rank gift, but it makes sense that you''d do well since you were amazing during the pack against the Long w Wolves." Ariana said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Ah, that is something best left to be untold, Miss Ariana." Lucius chuckled.

    "O-oh, of course. I nearly forgot." Ariana said but then nced around the vicinity. "Er, I doubt Gellor and the two are here, Finch. I think we should go since it''s gettingte and Young Lord Asher is a host with his family to that Viscountess too, right?"

    Lucius blinked for a moment, startled by Ariana having a sense of decorum to a certain degree.

    Finch''s face grew a tad red. "Y-yes, that''s what I said, Ariana. And please refer to the Viscountess properly and not just ''that'' Viscountess, she''s Viscountess ckshield. But you know that you may be in fact wrong and Young Lord Asher may perhaps know¡­?"

    "I''m afraid not. I was out of the mansion for the rest of the day and did not inquire of their whereabouts," Lucius replied. "I was under the presumption that a mercenary team would know each other''s locations at all time¡­ but Kiana?"

    "I don''t know either." Kiana curtly said.

    "Ah, then it''s best that we do leave. Thank you for your time, Young Lord Asher and apologies for the disturbance. May you have a pleasant and good evening!" Finch said and was followed by a still polite greeting of Ariana''s and the two left.

    Kiana sighed a little and shook her head once they were gone.

    "I don''t like Miss Finch that much." Kiana said, more to herself than Asher, but still audible.

    "And why is that? But first, let''s get inside too." Lucius said as he stepped inside of the mansion.

    ''I have no need for any emotional issues that may arise from any other individual as they mostly stem from illogical things, but there might be a good reason to it.''

    "Wee back, Young Lord Asher! Dinner is ready." A servant said. "The Count and Countess both retired early, but Viscountess ckshield is there."

    "Thank you, I will go there with Kiana." Lucius said then turned to the woman. "And you were saying?"

    Kiana''s cheeks flushed red a little and she crossed her arms over her chest. "It''s¡­ it''s not really that important. I just had a feeling that perhaps she simply made her way here to see you and used the spar as an excuse? Maybe I''m wrong. She could have been with Gellor and the others earlier, so maybe I''m just being¡­ hostile."

    "I appreciate your candidness then, Kiana. I do not find any harm as long as they''re all respectful and they do not disturb me, but your gut instincts may also be useful so do not forgo it as well."

 Chapter 429 Retiring For The Night

    "Well, it''s not just a gut instinct," Kiana said with a sigh. "I suppose it all seems on the surface that Gellor and his mercenary team operate all smoothly, but there is some conflict here and there too."

    "You''ve spoken highly of them when you first rmended them to me," Lucius pointed out.

    "And they are an incredible and professional group, I never said that they were not! But sometimes it does ur to me that Finch may be taking a more active role in leadership even when Gellor is doing a fine job already. It''s a bit unasked for and Gellor doesn''t always say anything since it''s Gellor, but I''m sure that he''s also mildly off-put by it too." Kiana said. "He''s quite a rxed leader that it seems that his people sometimes take advantage of it is all."

    Lucius nced at Kiana''s somewhat distressed expression. Even though she didn''t say it out loud, it was somewhat clear that she was invested in Gellor and the mercenary group to care about such things.

    ''While it wasn''t apparent during our time in Aisse and Kiana does a good job of appearing professional, she does care about things.'' Lucius thought.

    "I think there will always be a bit of friction within groups that exist and so long as it''s not enough to dissolve the group from functioning then I see no reason to worry," Lucius said. "If Gellor had any problems then I think that he will address it himself. Do not consider the man as some sort of pushover, Kiana. There is still a reason why he is regarded by his team as the leader, and if Finch was interested in bing the leader then she would have contested it already."

    "Perhaps you''re right¡­ it just irks me a little that the members of his team are quite rxed. I nearly wished to strangle both Albus and Ariana while we were on our way to Aisse Territory." Kiana muttered. "I suppose Barty was alright, quiet and everything, and he did fine with taking care of the horses, but then again, he also likes to gamble a lot."

    "It seems to me that you''ve repressed quite some things during the trip to Aisse Territory," Lucius expressed with an amused look.

    ''Of course, Kiana mostly kept to herself and stuck to my side during the duration of the trip but of course she would have her own observations.''

    "Did they truly not bother you, Asher?" Kiana asked curiously.

    "I did not worry about those things." Lucius said. "But it urs to me that perhaps another reason why you''re somewhat frustrated with Finch and the others may stem from the fact that you keep an orderly way of things here in the mansion with those in our employ. The fact that Gellor does not the same with his people leaves you upset."

    Kiana blinked and nced at Asher in surprise.

    ''I''m¡­ I''m not supposed to be surprised anymore whenever Asher makes insightfulments since I am talking with Asher after all, but he still manages to make me shocked and somehow it really can''t be helped.''

    ***

    "Young Lord Asher, it is good to see you. How was your day outside?" Viscountess ckshield greeted with a rxed smile on her face.

    Dinner was already served but the Viscountess mostly nursed a ss of Humble ze in her hand and was sipping merrily.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "It was good, Viscountess. I hope that today was pleasant for you while you were in the manor," Lucius greeted. "I would have brought something from the city but I wasn''t able to do so."

    "Do not worry. I presume that you had other important errands. Besides, I''ll be visiting the city tomorrow, remember? ¡­well, I admit that I may have already sent an aide of mine to check one of the finest weapon shops here to purchase anything that might caught my eye, but other than that, the city is still unexplored," the Viscountess said.

    ''Since the Viscountess has been drinking since this afternoon after the spar, it makes sense that she is a little inebriated. I suppose that also ounts for as to why the Countess isn''t here?''

    Viscountess ckshield noted Asher''s silence and made a guess.

    "The Count was supposed to join us, and he did manage to do so for a little, but the Countess was exhausted and so he chose to retire with her early tonight."

    "Yes, I am impressed that you are able to hold your liquor well, Viscountess." Lucius said as he sipped his own drink.

    After an exhausting day of being outside of the manor, Lucius was in fact a bit famished, but it was not like the ravenous hunger he experienced before.

    "It is something of a talent," Viscountess ckshield smiled. "But please do not feel the need to drink with me. It must have been a long day for you, Young Lord Asher."

    "I admit that is a bit true," Lucius chuckled. "I would have liked the opportunity to also spend a day rxing on the balcony, but if I were to rx, then I would also miss the chance to do things of importance."

    "You work harder than any of your peers and perhaps even those around my age and older," the Viscountess ckshield murmured. "Please do not forget to also have time to unwind and take care of yourself, Young Lord Asher."

    "Thank you for the reminder, Viscountess." Lucius said. "I n to keep that in mind and retire a little early tonight once I''ve finished eating. Our spar did exhaust me quite and I''m afraid that I''ll need all the rest for our trip to the city tomorrow."

    "By all means then, do not let my presence stop you. I have fallen asleep many times after a battle since I''ve pushed myself." The Viscountess said with a smile. "Also, nourish yourself with the meal and try to eat a lot. I think the Countess has insisted the food to be nutritious for both of us to recover. You are probably already familiar with it."

    "Thank you." Lucius soon delved into eating his dinner which was a quick and sumptuous affair.

    The Viscountess was more than happy to drink and only engaged in a few more conversations with Asher before he turned in for the night.

 Chapter 430 Tour Day For The Viscountess

    Unlike yesterday, where Lucius was gued with dreams about people he had killed in the past, it was a dreamless night.

    Lucius awoke the next morning feeling more refreshed than ever and when he checked the window, at a more reasonable hour.

    "I suppose Viscountess ckshield cannot joke about me waking upte any longer." Lucius said to himself, not exactly amused and mostly just recounting what he needed to do for the day. "I promised her that I''ll be taking her to the city."

    Before he could muse some more on other tasks and events for the day, a knock disturbed him.

    "Young Lord Asher? I have been asked to wake you up." Neta called out politely.

    Even though the Count and Countess were more than willing to let Asher sleep in due to them knowing how exhausted the young man must have been after the trip to Etara''s Cross and being lenient with him, the same couldn''t be said for today.

    While the Count and Countess were higher ranked than the Viscountess, it was also vital to be proper and on time as decorum.

    Thus it was important to show up for breakfast, especially when they knew that Asher was to take the Viscountess around the city.

    "I am awake. You may proceed toe in." Lucius replied.

    It was usually Kiana who brought him the water basin for him to clean his eyes and face, but the duty seemed to have mostly passed on entirely to Neta.

    The rtionship between Neta and Lucius was perfunctory and the reason why the man served him now was mostly due to the fact that the servant did his job well enough and Kiana was the one who assigned him before.

    Neta never made any unnecessary remarks and mostly kept his head down, but this morning, Neta cleared his throat.

    "You were excellent yesterday on the spar, Young Lord Asher. I found myself in awe and was fortunate to have witnessed it."

    Lucius raised a brow as he wiped his hands. He had heard this praise reiterated countless times since yesterday and at this point was already tired of it, but knew that it was said in an attempt to get on his good side.

    ''I didn''t expect that he''d also try to ingratiate himself to me when he is already a servant in the Inanis household and it is a well-paying job, but it makes sense that there will be attempts to elevate himself from his current position. I suppose out of everyone in the household, he is next in line to Kiana in serving me.''

    "Thank you." Lucius finally said.

    ''Unfortunately, I see no reason to indulge in this man''s desires or ambition. His gift is of no particr use to me and his skills are not all that necessarily indispensable. The fact that he has the Mark of Obedience makes him alreadypliant, so there is nothing really much to worry about.''

    ***

    When Lucius arrived at the dining hall, the Count, Countess and everyone was there already.

    "Good morning, Asher. I am d that you''ve woken up on time." Countess Lita looked a little ill, but kept a smile on her face. She was hungover from drinking too much with Viscountess ckshield yesterday.

    "You do not look particrly well, Mother," Lucius said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Your mother has overexerted herself with the drinking." The Count shook his head slightly.

    "Indeed. Otherwise I would have loved to go with you and the Viscountess on your trip around the city today."

    "Do not worry about that Countess Lita, please get some rest. And even if Young Lord Asher had failed to woken up on time today, I would have not minded," Viscountess ckshield said before she turned to Asher. "I actually expected that you''d be exhausted beyond relief after our spar yesterday."

    "Since I was able to retire early, I was able to recover fast. In fact, I have slept well," Lucius remarked.

    "That is good. I am looking forward to where you''ll take me today. Though I think I have some ideas where they may be."

    "The main ones are quite obvious, but we will also take you to various ces, Viscountess." Lucius said.

    ***

    Once breakfast was done, the Viscountess, Lucius along with Kiana and several guards made their way out of the Inanis Mansion.

    "Viscountess, since the Dionysia Brewery is not in the main part of the city, would you be alright going there first and then making our way to closer locations?" Lucius asked for her preferences.

    "I have tasted and drank a lot of Humble ze yesterday and yet surprisingly, I am not at all opposed to seeing the brewery and getting more alcohol." The Viscountess ckshield said with an amused smile. "It will be good to go there first."

    "Alright. I have already asked Miss Alessa through Kiana beforehand for permission, so we will go ahead there." Lucius said with a nod.

    Even though the Viscountess ckshield seemed to be earnest and straightforward, it was still better to withhold as much information as possible.

    "I am d that they''ve agreed to such a request." Viscountess ckshield murmured as they made their way to their destination. "I imagined that they would be a little reluctant in showing it since there might bepetitors who wish to know their secrets."

    "I think that they know well how to guard it, Viscountess," Lucius said. "And I am sure that it is also in the favor of Miss Alessa to establish good rtions with those who wish to see the brewery."

    "Ah, yes, the political side of things." Viscountess ckshield''s shoulders sagged a little, before she caught herself and then exined. "It is good that she is moving up, but I do find it exhausting even imagining all the necessary pleasantries and backforth that is required."

    "Indeed." Lucius said.

    "I hope that you do not get exhausted. I know that there are some that enjoy it heavily¡­" Viscountess said.

    Lucius knew that she was referring to Viscount Felldan, but before she could say anything else, the carriage stopped.

    "Ah, we have arrived."

 Chapter 431 A Sense Of Danger

    The trip to Dionysia Brewery was something that perhaps every noble would appreciate even though not everyone was capable of understanding or cared much about the brewing process unless they were interested in the business as well.

    Viscountess ckshield was not extensively interested in the brewery, but she enjoyed herself as Alessa toured her, Lucius, Kiana and the rest through the brewery.

    "And this is just a fresh batch finished, Viscountess. I hope that you can enjoy it." Alessa smiled and offered everyone a drink with some of her people that apanied them.

    "Mmm¡­ it is delicious. I know that wine gets better as time passes, but even at this stage, it is already quite pleasant," Viscountess ckshield said. "This recipe is quite great."

    Compared to how cold and aloof the Viscountess was during at Etara''s Cross while surrounded by every nobility, she was much more rxed and at ease.

    "Thank you, Viscountess." Alessa smiled. It was always a surreal feeling for Alessa to say such things especially when Young Lord Asher was around, but she was getting more used to it.

    ''She''s improving with how she engages and deals with the people. Countess Lita truly prepared her well and she learns fast too. The decision to choose them as the puppet for the brewery was quite apt.'' Lucius thought as he sipped some of the fresh Humble ze.

    "I am curious though. Do you intend to make more kinds of alcohol? Or perhaps there is a secret batch that is already being made? I do not mind being a taste tester if that is the case and will seal my lips from letting the word out," the Viscountess said with some mirth in her eyes.

    Alessa chuckled and shook her head.

    "I am afraid that we currently do not have any secret alcohol being produced right now, Viscountess ckshield. At the moment, we are still trying to establish ourselves and get more stability in the market. Once we have that and enough time, then we would enjoy experimenting. For now though, Humble ze would continue to be our main and primary product."

    "I see. It appeared to me that this brewery is already well-established, but I am not all that well-versed in how these work," Viscountess ckshield said with a smile. "I am looking forward to the future though."

    "Thank you. We will keep you in mind if we need someone to taste," Alessa replied cordially.

    After exchanging a couple more pleasantries, the group did not linger in Dionysia Brewery much longer after that time, and soon enough, they head out.

    "We will be heading to the re-education center now, Viscountess, but first, we will also be visiting other ces that are along the way. Please tell me if a particr ce is not that entertaining to you though," Lucius said.

    "It is not often that I''d hear someone worry about my entertainment, much less for someone to express that a particr area that is under their territory might not be entertaining."

    Lucius chuckled. "Your enjoyment is a valuable thing, Viscountess and we are not so conceited to think that every ce we might bring you will be pleasant to you."

    "I will be honest then."

    ***

    Inanis City was a thriving city, and while it was no royal capital or a trade hub like Etara''s Cross, it was still the home of the Count and sessful enough to have its own charm and sights that could engage any visitors who came.

    Not everything was entertaining for someone like Viscountess ckshield, but she was refined and also knew how to enjoy whatever ce they went to, though she also had her own particr favorites.

    "This weapon shop is good. Not as extensive as mine, but it serves its purpose well," the Viscountess said as she and Lucius left the shop.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Sir Cambrian himself was actually present during that time and greeted them cordially.

    A gift was actually being ced in the carriage.

    "And how is the weapon shop in your ce, Viscountess?" Lucius inquired.

    "More extensive, and well¡­ there''s a lot morepetitors." Viscountess ckshield confessed. "I understand why Sir Cambrian has quite a great hold over Inanis City, however."

    The ces that they visited were all smiles and greeted them with much vigor when Kiana and the guards announced their presence.

    "Greetings, Young Lord Asher and Viscountess!"

    The Viscountess did not hesitate to purchase things for herself, but also epted the hospitality of Asher from time to time.

    "You wish to see what the streets are like, Viscountess?"

    "You and your father have both praised the re-education center and the reduced crime in the city," Viscountess ckshield pointed out. "Also, I have stayed in the mansion all day yesterday and would like to also walk as well."

    "Very well." Lucius said.

    This time, Kiana and the guards mostly kept their ces around the two nobles, but the Viscountess did not shy away from visiting stalls or even greeting the local people of the city.

    Lucius expected her to be more distant, but whenever children pointed at the Viscountess in awe of her, she did not hesitate to smile and even converse briefly with the children''s parents.

    There was a soft side to the Viscountess that she mostly held back, but now felt a bit morefortable to express without the eyes of other nobility on her.

    Lucius himself did the same as Viscountess ckshield, joining her until he stopped in his tracks and nced around the area with a frown.

    Their journey across the city was mostly safe and pleasant, but now a strange feeling overcame Lucius and he did not ignore it.

    His years of instinct that was established during his time in the Great Barrom n did not fail him and it was telling him that there was danger, albeit it was hard to tell the exact direction.

    The streets were flooded with individuals and as Lucius nced left and right, he didn''t say a word and instead chose to approach Viscountess ckshield.

    ''It would be a terrible thing if everyone panics in this street, so I will cause no rm.'' Lucius thought.

    "Viscountess, may I have a word?"

 Chapter 432 The Mad Blades Aggression

    When Lucius spoke to Viscountess ckshield, there was a well-practiced smile on his face and his tone was calm.

    "Hmm¡­?" Viscountess ckshield momentarily turned away from the stall where she was perusing the wares. "Do we need to go to the re-education center now, Young Lord Asher?"

    Lucius shook his head and spoke in a low voice.

    "Please keep yourself ready, Viscountess ckshield. I have no evidence to give you yet, but there might be something wrong. I can feel it."

    Viscount ckshield''s expression didn''t shift at all and instead, she briefly nodded.

    "I am ready for anything, Young Lord Asher. What is it that you have in mind?"

    "I do not wish to cause any rm or panic in this street, so if you are ready, please follow me to somewhere¡­ more isted," Lucius said.

    ''To some people, it makes more sense to stick within a crowd. The bodies can easily make it hard to navigate within a crowd and that will act as some sort of shield that will allow an individual to remain safer longer as long as they know how to use it to advantage.'' Viscount ckshield thought. ''Of course, if they''re already spotted and a target, it will be much harder to hide¡­ but Young Lord Asher does not wish to put anyone else in danger.''

    "Viscountess?"

    "I will follow you."

    "Thank you for your cooperation," Lucius said.

    ''If my instincts prove to be correct, then it''s far better to have this danger reveal itself where we can confront them. To cause any other more danger for the people in Inanis City will cause damage to the reputation of the Count and myself in turn if anyone were to be harmed.'' Lucius thought.

    Contrary to Viscountess ckshield''s judgment, the reason why Lucius didn''t want the people of Inanis City to be harmed was because of a far more practical purpose.

    Kiana and the guards were around the area but also gave some room to allow Young Lord Asher and Viscountess ckshield some privacy to engage and interact.

    They were mostly keeping watch of the people and ensuring that the safety of the two nobles was a top priority, but then Young Lord Asher and Viscountess ckshield quickly started to move to another area.

    "Where are they going next?" one of the guards asked as he kept pace with the way the two nobles were heading to. "Is there anything interesting in that direction?"

    "I do not know, but Young Lord Asher doesn''t really know this area, so maybe we let him know?" another said.

    "Are they exploring?"

    "That''s too strange."

    All of the guards were a little confused with the sudden direction but remained resolute in their duty of watching over the nobles.

    Meanwhile, it was only Kiana who pursed her lips and furrowed her brows. Based on the actions of Asher in the past, she knew that the young man really didn''t do anything without any particr reason.

    "Something must be up. Keep your eyes peeled and open," Kiana ordered.

    ***<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lucius, Viscountess ckshield and the rest arrived in a street that was empty and devoid of people.

    Kiana was about to go forward and approach Asher to question him, but augh suddenly echoed behind them.

    Lucius and everyone''s gazes quickly turn to a tall and huge hooded man. The man pped his hands before he pointed to Lucius.

    "Haha, it''s quite great that you were able to bring me here without alerting anyone else. You are one sharp boy."

    "Who¡­ who are you?" Kiana and the guards shifted tobat stances, Kiana''s palms already ready to shoot her Sting Sniper if the situation called for it.

    All of their eyes showed wariness about the hooded figure, but they did not engage him in a fight right away.

    The man waspletely suspicious, but they wouldn''t immediately harm a person who hadn''t done anything yet.

    "Oh, you folks will know soon." The hooded figureughed. "But ah, maybe you guys are interested in ying a guessing game? Of course, there are penalties if you get it wrong."

    Lucius''s eyes narrowed at the figure, at the brazen way that this man was addressing them, and quickly figured it out. And so Lucius immediately called out a name.

    "We have no interest in your little games, but you must be Bordeaux, the Mad de."

    "Ahaha! Incredible! I didn''t even give a clue!" Bordeaux the Mad de immediately lunged forward at a neck breaking speed.

    At this, all the guards immediately moved into position to defend Young Lord Asher and Viscountess ckshield.

    Kiana shot projectiles towards him, but despite his huge and bulking figure, the man was evasive, and moved agilely, dodging a great number of them.

    When Bordeaux was close to the guards, he immediately grabbed one of them and used the man as a meat shield to avoid Kiana''s blows.

    Kiana hesitated for a second, not wanting to injure the guards, and that was enough for Bordeaux to kick back the guard in her direction harshly before he moved to the other guards.

    Bordeaux drew out a short sword and a dagger and quickly engaged with the still standing men, and all of the guards move at once towards him. They knew that fighting the man alone was already an insane idea, so they chose to fight all at once, but they were quickly overpowered by the man.

    Despite being outnumbered, Bordeaux''s movements were fast and his attacks were exceedingly skillful.

    All of the Inanis Guards wore protective armors and were trained well by Captain Donald and yet they were thrown off guard.

    Bordeaux the Mad de waspletely above their level.

    All it took was several quick and decisive blow towards them and the gaps in their armor were utilized effectively by Bordeaux.

    Bordeaux could have easily killed them in that moment, but once he had disabled the guards and prevented them from being able to make another move, the Mad de immediatelyunched himself towards Asher once more.

    However, before Mad de could approach Asher, a spray of projectiles shoots from behind him. Kiana having recovered already.

 Chapter 433 Clash!

    Kiana''s Sting Sniper projectiles were swift, silent, and deadly and she hadn''t even let out a single word as she activated her Gift, but somehow, Bordeaux was able to sense the danger even with his back turned to her.

    The countless years of experience of being a knight, mercenary and the life of being a criminal had honed his instincts far well enough that it was almost as if Bordeaux knew it wasing.

    Bordeaux the Mad de rolled away from the direction of the Sting Sniper''s projectiles at a speed that would have left many to envy him, but Kiana''s Gift was faster and a number of the projectiles struck against his waist.

    "¡­ What?!" Kiana knew that it was an attack that should have put the man in a state of misery, the Sting Sniper was an Epic Rank Gift bestowed to her by Asher, but the attack failed.

    Instead, Kiana''s gaze immediately fell onto Bordeaux''s hooded robes that were riddled with holes and were actually torn and ripped effectively, because they revealed the armor underneath it.

    ''That''s impossible¡­ his armor was able to block my attack? That''s no ordinary armor then, but something to a high grade Artifact Armor then. How could he have gotten his hands on something like that?'' Kiana was still in a state of shock for a moment, trying to wrap her head around it.

    However, that was all that Bordeaux needed as he continued towards Asher without a moment''s hesitation. Bordeaux the Mad de really didn''t stop and his eyes were solely on Asher.

    "Your head is mine!" Bordeauxughed.

    However, for all the man''s violence and quick aggressive fighting style, the expression on Lucius''s face was nothing more but calm, serious and even distant.

    It was enough to make even Bordeaux the Mad de falter slightly. As if not understanding why a young lord was not shaking, quivering, and fearing for his life.

    Instead, Lucius''s gaze was actually something more akin to someone who was dissecting Bordeaux the Mad de with his eyes andpletely unbothered at all.

    And it was for that very reason that Bordeaux failed to notice that there was another person left who he had yet to engage.

    Viscountess ckshield activated her gift and the familiar long ckshield appeared from her hand and she used it to bash the man against a wall.

    Bordeaux the Mad de was knocked backpletely, and the wall behind him suffered the brunt of the impact, breaking slightly.

    Viscountess ckshield didn''t hesitate, and even allowed her guard to be down.

    Lucius''s gaze flickered towards the Viscountess to gauge her current emotions, but unlike their spar yesterday where Viscountess ckshield was filled with adrenaline and a gleam in her eye that held excitement over fighting, there was only a cold and calctive expression on her face.

    A merciless look that probably rivaled Count Gabriel''s.

    ''I have yet to engage inbat because I know that I have the Viscountess with me and her powers are quite strong, but how does a Viscountess fare well against someone like the Mad de? Which one is stronger?''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Viscountess ckshield quickly pulled out a baton from the side of her skirt with her other hand and raised it to m and smash Bordeaux without a moment''s hesitation.

    However, once again, right before the weapon could bash again the Mad de, he recovered from the impact and rolled away from the Viscountess''s attack, even knocking the woman off her footing with a quick jab at her leg that made her be off bnce.

    It was enough for Bordeaux to get enough space away from the Viscountess.

    ''Hmm... His footwork is good. Impable even. Not to mention that he is able to bear pain quite well and quickly too. Perhaps it is rted to his ''madness'' that he is able to shrug off the pain or his experience¡­ either way, he is called mad but his movements are all made with enough foresight and thought.'' Lucius thought.

    Contrary to expectations, being ''mad'' did not always equate to being terrible and unable to make coherent decisions¡­ in fact, it sometimes made someone too good at something due to their obsession and drive.

    ''I''m not too sure, but is this man really after my head or did he just say that to see my reaction? He''s not too bloodthirsty to kill all the guards right off the bat. But perhaps that is also just sadism and wanting them to suffer longer.'' Lucius thought to himself as he kept his eyes on the criminal.

    "Ahaha, I did not expect to be struck by a woman." Bordeauxughed and nced towards Kiana. She shot him with several projectiles again, which he dodged easily again, before his gazed returned to the Viscountess. "Same with her. But wow, I really didn''t expect that a woman would be too good at fighting. You have my respect, woman."

    Somehow, the words of Bordeaux didn''t actually please the Viscountess, instead it only made her angry and irked.

    Lucius saw the Viscountess ckshield''s expression harden and she charged towards Bordeaux without a moment''s hesitation.

    "Hah!"

    "Hahaha, why are you so upset?" Bordeaux asked as he met the Viscountess''s shield, sword and dagger ready.

    However, his brows suddenly knot a little when the Viscountess''s shield doesn''t give in under his strength and he is pushed back once more while the dagger bounced off the shield.

    Bordeaux immediately refocused on using his short sword, switching gears immediately while Viscountess ckshield does the same exact thing.

    The long ckshield immediately changed to a wide bucker as she blocked the shortsword''s quick and devastating cuts.

    "A shield to my sword! Ahaha, I would have never expected this when I came here!" Bordeaux chuckled as the two quickly move back and forth, and he even called out to Kiana with a mad grin. "Wanna try hitting me too, girlie! How good is your aim?"

    Kiana, couldn''t help but grit her teeth, because while she could do exactly just that¡­ she wasn''t actually that confident. Viscountess ckshield may have her shield, but they were also moving too fast and she could identally hit her.

 Chapter 434 Blocked And Cornered

    The Viscountess and Mad de went back and forth, his sword and dagger meeting her shield and baton.

    It was at a speed that left many of the Inanis Guards in awe as they all tried to force themselves up to their feet and rejoin the fight.

    For all the increasing effort and anger that Viscountess ckshield extended, however, Bordeaux managed to gain an upper hand. The taunts and jeers that the Mad de shouted were enough to make the Viscountess lose concentration, and in a fight where they were of mostly equal terms, the tiniest slip ups had devastating consequences.

    ''If I get close, I can still probably make an impact. Corner him with the rest of the guards.'' Kiana thought as her gaze swept up to the Inanis guards who all looked ready to engage once more.

    While Kiana''s Sting Sniper was most effective as projectile range, she could still make it grow into her palms and function like daggers to a certain degree.

    ''Let''s see how he''d like to get stabbed too.''

    With only a quick nce thatmunicated her intentions, Kiana and the Inanis Guards quickly moved up to their feet and ran for the Mad de.

    "Ahaha, everyone wants a piece of me!" Bordeaux barked a loudugh but then gestured towards Kiana and the guards. "Wait your turn!"

    Right before they could approach Bordeaux, Viscountess and Young Lord Asher, a sudden dome and barrier extended from the Mad de''s hands and cast out Kiana and the rest froming close.

    "AHH!" Kiana shot out several projectiles at the barrier and watched each one shatter at impact. She continued to do so in frustration and turned to the guards. "Break it open!"

    All of the guards moved forward and those who had the apt gifts that could attempt to destroy barriers were used, with little to no sess.

    "This is¡­ it''s too strong, Miss Kiana!"

    "Keep on trying then! It still has to break, there are limitations to it!" Kiana ordered as she continued to use her projectiles. The Aether in her body was reducing rapidly at the rate she was going through the projectiles, so she forced herself to slow down and grit her teeth.

    ''If I use all my Aether up, then I''ll bepletely useless if an opportunityes. Asher is¡­ Asher hasn''t done anything yet and is calm.'' Kiana looked beyond the barrier and stared at Asher standing a couple of feet away from Bordeaux and Viscountess ckshield.

    If one was unaware and was unable to see it, they could have easily presumed or mistaken the barrier for the man''s gift, but Lucius noticed the sudden glow of something in Bordeaux''s hand.

    It was another Artifact. The first had been the armor able to withstand the Epic Ranked Gift of Kiana''s Sting Sniper, the second one was actually the boots that Bordeaux wore on his feet.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Even if the Mad de was incredible with his sword and dagger due to de Fury, he was not supposed to be able to move so quickly on his feet if it weren''t for the boots.

    Andst but certainly not least was the third artifact that allowed a dome barrier to protect Bordeaux from the others¡­

    ''Or it''s far more likely that he uses this to prevent his victims from escaping more than anything else.'' Lucius thought.

    While he had mostly left Viscountess and the others to do their best in protecting him, Lucius was more or less ready to give his aid.

    ''Kiana cannote close with the others now due to the barrier, and while I do have the Fireball Spell with me, I cannot use it in close range of the Viscountess being around, nor do I n to expose my ability to use spells. Instead, there is only one thing that I can do right now¡­ well a couple of things, but the most avable to me right now is this.'' Lucius thought as he concentrated his mind on Bordeaux.

    The Veil of Terror activated and wrapped itself around the Mad de. Visions of terror and haunting swam in the man''s mind and Bordeaux actually slowed down for a moment.

    Viscountess ckshield''s baton smacked harshly against Bordeaux''s armor and knocked him back several steps.

    "Argh. Thank you!" Bordeaux said as his gaze concentrated on Viscountess ckshield. He charged towards her again. "I''ll keep my eyes on you!"

    Viscountess ckshield''s expression hardened. All of the earlier taunts were beginning to lose their effectiveness on her so it seemed like the Mad de was now just saying nonsense to keep her mind affixed on them to keep her distracted.

    The Viscountess didn''t say a word in rebuttal and met him head on.

    Lucius''s gaze narrowed slightly. He used Veil of Terror on the Mad de, but somehow he was able to distinguish enough between fiction and reality to continue fighting the Viscountess.

    ''If its normal base form can be shrugged off, then an overpowered one will at least manage to ensnare his mind and lead to his downfall at the hands of Viscountess ckshield.'' Lucius thought.

    The amount of Hell Energy used to power up the spell increased drastically and its effects on Bordeaux were bound to increase. Whatever the man was seeing before was kicked up to a great notch and yet Bordeaux didn''t even falter this time.

    The Mad de spat at something and continued to fight without breaking into any cold sweat and Lucius''s gaze hardened, albeit there was a little bit of impression on him as well.

    ''With how the man is able to move even after everything, it''s clear that he is on another level. His own madness somehow makes his mental strength stronger than anyone I''ve witnessed before and that''s inparison to clergy and priests in the Church of Etara.'' Lucius thought as he shook his head in disbelief and then nced down at the sword that was sheathed at his side. He went and pulled it out in one swift and smooth movement and took a measured breath. ''I suppose this is what it all leads to.''

 Chapter 435 Saved At Last

    Unlike Kiana who was unconfident about her uracy, Lucius immediately watched the movements between Bordeaux and the Viscountess and then stepped in and shed towards the Mad de.

    Lucius''s timing was impable, Viscountess ckshield had moved back at that exact moment to avoid Bordeaux''s blow, and this actually left an opening to the man''s side.

    If it were not for Bordeaux''s boots that hastened his speed, sharpened senses or not, he might have gotten hit. He stepped back a little, a grin curled on his lips as he nodded at Asher.

    "Was wondering when you''d join in, young lord!" Bordeaux called out.

    Fights were supposed to be fast, quick and ended decisively with the least amount of conversation but somehow the Mad de was able to make it so that he could speak, prattle and annoy the ones he was fighting with while not even breaking a sweat.

    "Viscountess, if I could assist you¡­" Lucius said, Wind Scar Sword in hand. He created a huge gust of wind that sent Bordeaux backward as he avoided the blow.

    "It seems like I would require of it. We''ve been stalemating." Viscountess ckshield said with a quick cursory nod. "You already know how to work with me though, Young Lord Asher?"

    "I won''t get in your way." Lucius said as he kept his eyes on Bordeaux. ''I''ve already managed to see how Viscountess ckshield fights during our spar yesterday and I can at least more or less work with her effectively to bring this man down.''

    "I''d expect more confidence from you, Young Lord Asher, but let''s go." Viscountess charged forward towards Bordeaux, her shield once again changing to its tall height to counter the man.

    "I like your sword, young lord! I''d love to get my hands on it. I''d have a four match artifact set that way!" Bordeaux chuckled when Lucius dove in.

    The Mad de blocked Viscountess ckshield''s shield with his dagger, exerting another showcase of strength, and then parried the Wind Scar Sword with his short sword.

    Before Viscountess ckshield attacked him with her baton, Bordeaux already moved to the left and spun out of the way and dealing another blow as he evaded.

    Behind him, the attacks of the Inanis Guards continued to pummel against the barrier.

    Lucius eyed the artifact that Bordeaux had, but it was too difficult to reach as the man guarded it well as he fought.

    The fight continued on for some more time and somehow, despite Lucius and Viscountess ckshield working together, they were still being stalemated.

    ''I thought we were on even grounds¡­ but he is fighting both me and Young Lord Asher at the same time now and he''s doing so almost effortlessly.'' Viscountess ckshield thought with annoyance. ''I need to use the full extent of my gift¡­ but I''d rather not reveal all the cards I have with me.''

    "Viscountess, are you alright?" Lucius asked as he sent several shes of Wind Scars towards Bordeaux''s way to keep the man a distance away from them. He had noticed the frustration on the Viscountess''s face and wondered if her stamina was down.

    ''We''ve been fighting for too long now and Bordeaux doesn''t even seem to be getting winded down.'' Lucius thought. ''Whatever the reason for his strength, he still needs to be dealt with in one blow and with something unexpected.''

    And it was true.

    The series of attacks from the Wind Scar Sword was akin to Lucius''s trump card and it should have dealt debilitating blows to Bordeaux and pushed him back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Unfortunately, instead of pushing him back, it only egged the Mad de to move forward, dodging and evading most of the winds, taking the others fully on with his armor, a flurry on his own as he shouted.

    "Eyes on me, young lord!" Bordeaux had a wide and mad grin on his face. Finally, finally, after so long¡­ he raised his shortsword to catch the young man offguard.

    Viscountess ckshield''s eyes widened and she leapt towards Asher to intercept the blow. She raised her shield to block it, but the expression on Mad de''s face turned to fury and he blocked the shield with the shortsword and then attacked once more with the dagger, cutting across Viscountess ckshield''s baton arm.

    He let out a tsk as he jumped back and eyed the blood on Viscountess''s arm. The shield had been effectively blocking him wherever he tried to hit her, but it seemed like as long as one weapon touched the shield, she couldn''t teleport it to another area.

    Viscountess ckshield''s face also crumpled into anger and she shook at being struck.

    ''To have been struck at this time when everywhere else I was untouchable¡­ I won''t let this happen again. Damn hiding my full strength!''

    All of a sudden though, three figures suddenly dropped from above. They hade from the rooftops and pierced down into the barrier in one go.

    One of them effectively dropped atop Bordeaux''s head, mming hard and making the man copse onto the street.

    Before Bordeaux could pick himself up, cursing and disoriented, the three figures immediately apprehend him.

    Viscountess ckshield stared at the three figures in awe and confusion. She didn''t know where they hade from¡­ but they were d in crimson armor and their faces were covered entirely by simr colored helmets.

    Their appearance was unnerving and ufortable but Viscountess ckshield''s eyes widened.

    "This is¡­"

    "The Masked Legion mercenary group." Lucius said behind her. Bordeaux lunged and shouted, his head was bleeding profusely and yet he wasn''t even going down yet, enraged and furious, the adrenaline was an additional strength.

    Lucius quickly nced at one of the Lost, it was histest subject. It was the man with the Drain Life skill and he quickly approached Bordeaux.

    "ARGH!" Bordeaux shouted as he felt his stamina drain away. He tried to fight back and free himself, animalistic grunts escaping him but then all of his strength vanishes and he passed out. His body became limp and the Lost immediately bound him further.

    "Is he dead?" the Viscountess asked.

    Lucius shook his head. "No."

    Viscountess ckshield''s anger returned and she stepped towards Bordeaux, blood boiling, before she ground her teeth and restrained herself.

 Chapter 436 Capture And Return

    Viscountess ckshield''s urge to kill was restrained by herself because she decided that they needed to maintain a degree of levelheadedness.

    "Is he the only one who attacked us? He must have worked alone, didn''t he? Someone else shouldn''t have tolerated working with someone like him unless they''re wrong in the head like him too." Viscountess ckshield asked, stillpletely wary. She was not aware of the fact that the Mad de worked alone and so decided to put her attention to other matters like watching their environment.

    "I would hope so, Viscountess." Lucius said, choosing to not give the fact that he knew the man worked alone. "But fear not, the Masked Legion here are capable of protecting us."

    Viscountess ckshield''s gaze fell on the masked men. She stiffened lightly but nodded curtly towards them. "Your timing has been most impable. You have my thanks and that of my people."

    The Masked Legion mercenaries stayed silent, but luckily the Viscountess didn''t dwell on it and simply nced back at him.

    "Are you alright, Young Lord Asher?"

    "It''s not me but you who I should be asking if you''re alright, Viscountess ckshield."

    "It''s just a scratch. Don''t worry about me. If anyone elsees up, they''d still have a hard time putting me down, even without the Masked Legion." Viscountess ckshield said. "Not that I am dismissing their contributions, but have they not arrived, we would still have won against this Bordeaux individual."

    Lucius knew that if she was allowed to consider the situation a bit longer, she''d start to suspect about the Masked Legion since she was a sharp woman, but luckily it was also easy enough for someone to make their own conclusions.

    "Yes, but we shouldn''t linger anymore here." Lucius said and then turned to the Masked Legion. "Please keep the man alive, he is to be questioned forter."

    Meanwhile, Kiana was cursing up a storm and was shaking in fury. However, she was on her knees and tending to the guards that had taken the brunt of the injuries.

    Some were heavily bleeding and forced themselves to try and save Asher, but now that the threat was gone, they copsed and were now being tended by her.

    "That insufferable and deranged maggot¡­" Kiana cussed out so hard that the guard being bandaged by her shuddered.

    "Miss Kiana, it''s starting to hurt." He winced slightly.

    "Right. Sorry." Kiana let out a frustrated sigh and moved on to the next one. She ripped out a portion of her dress and used it to wrap and stop the bleeding. "Stay down. Not everyone of our guards is here with us, right?"

    "No, Miss Kiana. They were assigned to¡­"

    "Then they should be here now." Kiana clicked her tongue. The number of guards assigned to watch over Asher and the Viscountess were numerous.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Half of them were always constantly in the area close by while the other half stayed ahead and ensured that the next area was safe too.

    In addition, with themotion caused by Bordeaux and the series of attacks on the barrier, the guards would have to end uping whether they liked to or not.

    "Young Lord Asher!" A couple of guards arrived. They were prepared to face whatever danger, but a few of them stopped in their tracks when they saw the injured guards on the ground.

    Not many would be able to put down the Inanis Guards, and the fact that there was only one criminal caught their attention alongside the intimidating men in crimson armor.

    "It''s about time that you men arrived here." Kiana narrowed her eyes at them, but then reined in her frustration. "Tend to your fellow injured ones and also bring back the carriage here. We need to head back to the mansion."

    "I''m presuming that someone like this Bordeaux won''t be put in the rehabilitation center." Viscountess ckshield said. "Honestly, having his own head seems fair. He attacked two nobles, and I can only imagine what other crimes this man must havemitted."

    "We will not be bringing him to the rehab center, and we wouldn''t put him in the prison cell here either. I do not think that the Count will be happy to know that we brought him anywhere else but back home." Kiana replied as she stood up. "Right, Asher?"

    "Yes. That is my intention from the start as well."

    Kiana nodded and then spoke again. "Viscountess, we also need to tend to your injuries too. We''ll call for a healer right away. Have someone call for Healer Delia and head to the mansion right away."

    One of the guards nodded and immediately followed Kiana''s barked order.

    Kiana massaged her forehead but then nced at the Masked Legion mercenary. Unlike the Viscountess, she knew what they were and how they arrived.

    ''I¡­ I know that Asher can call them and summon them to help us, and I''ve ridden in one of their back''s before to know how fast they are, but Asher should have called them right away. Or maybe he did and they just arrived a bitte?'' Kiana would have preferred if the Viscountess wasn''t injured and nobody was put in any harm''s way. ''Ah, what am I saying? I got too caught up in the fight and didn''t even realize that Asher would summon them. Unlike me, Asher can think coolly even with the sudden circumstances.''

    "Honestly, this isn''t much." Viscountess said and turned to Asher. "If you and your father is interrogating this man, then also let me join in. I am interested in hearing his reasons for attacking us."

    "You wish to know of a mad man''s reasoning?" Lucius asked.

    Viscountess ckshield grinned tightly. "You make it sound like a terrible idea, Young Lord Asher, but this man was able to stalemate us for quite some time and had his hands on numerous artifacts. It''d make sense to want to listen to him, even a little. I am invested in knowing what will happen to him as well. I might make some suggestions myself if it''s open for discussion."

 Chapter 437 Dungeon Interrogation

    The return to the Inanis Mansion was a quick and hasty affair. A separate carriage was arranged for Bordeaux and the three Masked Legion mercenaries to transport them.

    Along the way, there was still an uneasy and tense atmosphere in the air, both the Viscountess and Kiana were stressed beyond relief and it showed in their faces.

    "How are you remaining calm, Young Lord Asher?" The Viscountess asked.

    "We''ve already apprehended him and so most of our job is done already. Or at least the hardest part is aplished." Lucius pointed out. "Naturally, I can already expect some resistance from this Mad de, but that cannot be avoided."

    "Speaking of which¡­ how do you know of this criminal''s identity?" Viscountess ckshield asked.

    ''This was one of the questions that I''d hoped the Viscountess wouldn''t ask me, but I''ve already prepared an answer beforehand.'' Lucius thought as he cleared his throat.

    "You know that one of the things that I''ve started is the rehabilitation center, Viscountess and the reduction of the crime rate. Thus, it was also in my efforts to achieve those things that I took it upon myself to also research criminals that pose a significant threat and risk from achieving my goals. I did not expect that such a person would actually arrive in the Inanis territory, but I was mistaken." Lucius said.

    "I see. That makes sense." Viscountess ckshield said with a soft sigh. "I really haven''t done many efforts into keeping up with such news myself."

    "Do not worry about it, Viscountess ckshield. Concern yourself more with resting for now." Lucius said with a kind smile.

    "Thank you, I will. Though when the Healer Delia arrives?" Viscountess ckshield turned to Kiana questioningly.

    "Yes that is her name."

    "Well, have her prioritize those guards who were attacked by Bordeaux. They are in a much more dangerous state than I am. Compared to what they experienced, mine is only a scratch."

    "Thank you, Viscountess but you need not worry. There are also other avability healers we can turn to." Kiana reassured and tried for a smile.

    When they arrived at the Inanis Mansion, the Masked Mercenary stepped out and brought Bordeaux the Mad de who was still passed outpletely.

    "Here atst," the Viscountess said with a soft sigh. The adrenaline from her body had reached its climax and some exhaustion was now making its way to her body.

    "Bring him to our underground dungeon." Kiana ordered one of the guards to lead the way for the Masked Legion mercenaries.

    Lucius hadn''t exactly familiarized himself with the wholeyout of the mansion and was thankful for her taking charge and lead, but Kiana was about to get some rest as well.

    "We have already informed the Count and Countess of the incident." One of the guards said. "They are on their way here."

    "Okay." Kiana said.

    "Asher!" Countess Lita rushed towards Lucius and quickly engulfed him in a hug. "Are you okay? Where are the healers? Did we already summon them?"

    "They are on their way here as we speak, Countess." Kiana replied.

    "Good. Good." Countess Lita was pale faced when she looked at Viscountess ckshield''s arm.

    "Count and Countess." Viscountess ckshield nodded respectfully.

    "You have injured yourself." Count Gabriel said with some surprise in his voice.

    Viscountess ckshield smiled. "I''d rather be the one to get attacked than your son."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You have my gratitude, Viscountess. May I perhaps request that I thank you properly at another time? There is this situation that needs to be tend to." Count Gabriel replied. He spoke in a calm and modted voice, but there was a tightness in his expression and tone that said that he was only keeping himself restrained.

    "You do not have to worry, Count Gabriel."

    "Thank you. Captain Donald?"

    Captain Donald was just right behind the two nobles and inclined his head. "Yes, Count?"

    "Summon all of your guards and put the entire city in a lockdown. We will not lift this until we have discovered the reason for this attack."

    "Of course."

    Captain Donald didn''t even need to ry it to his subordinates. The ones who were present already made their way back up to the mansion to pursue the man''s orders and aplish it.

    "With that finished, it''s time to begin the interrogation. Viscountess would you like to retire first?"

    "She wishes to be here, father." Lucius replied.

    "Very well¡­ Countess?" Count Gabriel nced down at his wife.

    Countess Lita was pale, but she shook her head firmly. "I will remain here. The fact that someone tried to attack Asher again ispletely uneptable."

    The first time that Asher was attacked by the assassin, Countess Lita and Kiana were nowhere to be found when they were needed, now they had the intention of sticking around.

    "Alright."

    Bordeaux the Mad de was bounded properly in the interrogation room. The Masked Legion were present as Count Gabriel, Lucius and Viscountess stepped inside.

    Kiana stuck with Countess Lita, but they were able to observe the situation from afar.

    "Wake him up." Count Gabriel sternly said.

    "Yes, Count." Captain Donald nodded to one of his guards who quickly threw a bucket of cold water at the man.

    It took a couple of minutes, but Bordeaux eventually woke up and stared in confusion. His head that was bleeding early from being smashed with the armored boot of a Lost had mostly stopped, but unlike the others, he wasn''t actually tended to properly.

    Bordeaux let out a groan. His vision adjusted until he saw the people in front of him and noticed their icy and intimidating stares.

    The Mad de should have been scared, but instead he broke intoughter and rolled his head back lightly, smacking it against the wall.

    "Ahahaha! I have been captured!" Bordeaux grinned wildly. "Who knocked me out? They got me in surprise, but if I fought them again, they wouldn''t get a chance to do it twice. Where are they? Who was it? Was it you? Or you?"

    "Enough." Count Gabriel''s stern voice cut into the room. "You will cooperate with us or face the consequences."

    "Haha!"

 Chapter 438 Ineffective Torture

    It was a difficult thing. Lucius would have immediately gone for torture with Bordeaux, but Count Gabriel went for the slower method of asking questions with an icy demeanor.

    Threats that fell into a deaf man''s ears.

    ''I presume it is because he wishes to move past his life and memory as Rancor that he chooses to undergo this, but it''s clear that this will not proceed smoothly.'' Lucius thought. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched the ordeal, and he even nced towards Kiana and Countess. ''And yet the likelihood that he caves into a suitable method is little with the Countess around. One can see that he wishes to stifle his dark side and perhaps evenmand my respect?''

    "Haha!" Bordeaux''s eyes glinted in a way that said showed he was enjoying the frustration on Count Gabriel''s face.

    "Count Gabriel, I can undertake this if you wish for me to." Captain Donald said with a tone of respect.

    "No need."

    "You will not go anywhere with this method, Count Inanis. There is no fear in this man." Viscountess ckshield interrupted.

    ''Of course, I could have spoken up myself, but it is far better that one of Count Gabriel''s peers is the one who is mentioning this fact. He will be much more persuaded to do such a thing if it is Viscountess ckshield that makes mention of it being ineffective.''

    "¡­" Count Gabriel''s face was inscrutable and indiscernible. It was a face that could strike fear into his enemies, but now it was useless in the face of this mad man.

    After a couple moments that lingered hard and tense, Count Gabriel slowly nodded.

    "You are right, Viscountess. I have been trying to go through the proper methods, but it seems like they are ineffective with this man. Countess?"

    "Yes, dear?" Countess Lita asked. "Were you holding back yourself for me? We are making a great deal of disrespect to the Viscountess by making this take far longer than necessary."

    "Then I would like to ask for you to step out of this dungeon, Countess. You speak confidently, but your demeanor can only stomach so much." Count Gabriel said. His own fingers twitched, but then he nced over at Captain Donald. "Are you fine with taking over this?"

    "Yes, Count."

    "Asher?"

    "Yes, father?"

    "Do you understand why we have to undertake this method? I''d rather not have you watch, but this is sometimes a path that is necessary." Count Gabriel spoke. "If we could have avoided it altogether, it would have been easier, but if one does not live up to their word andmit to the consequences that they have spoken about, then you will lose the respect and reputation that you''ve built."

    "I understand. I will not leave." Lucius said.

    "Very well." Count Gabriel nodded. "Proceed."

    "Yes, Count."

    ''I''m a little surprised that Captain Donald himself can take over Count Inanis, but I guess he wouldn''t have be Captain if he was not able to deal with this more perceived unsavory methods.'' Lucius thought.

    The torture that took ce afterward,s was something that Lucius could have said was mild inparison to what the Great Barrom n did.

    Flogging. Whipping.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    A lot of pain was inflicted on Bordeaux the Mad de and yet there was only a crazed look in his eyes as heughed.

    "Ahaha, must I give you all the satisfaction? Where''s the fun in that?" Bordeaux chuckled, even when numerous red painful welts appeared on his skin.

    Bordeaux was stripped of his armor and his body was exposed to the torture, but he didn''t have even flinch, or wince in pain. He took it all with a mad grin on his face.

    Captain Donald smacked the man hard across the face that a couple of teeth broke from the man''s mouth. He spat it at the Captain and even the Count and then even tried to bash Captain Donald''s head.

    "Aww, you don''t believe in tooth for a tooth."

    ''I would have considered chopping off limbs by now if I were solely interested in torturing him¡­ but even I can see that this man is truly not right in the head.'' Lucius was displeased with the methods, but while some other men would have broken already at this stage, Bordeaux was still ill at ease.

    ''This is really going nowhere.''

    "Please knock him out instead, Captain. This is a waste of time." Lucius said.

    It was a statement that shocked both the Count and Viscountess. The two were familiar with torture methods and were on the way of esction, but Asher stopped the proceedings.

    "What is the matter, Asher? If you are uneasy, then you can leave if you wish." Count Gabriel said.

    "He is right."

    "Father, you haven''t forgotten that I once asked permission to take care of my own assassin right? I have also taught the Barony of Harrels a lesson that is far worse than this. I am not a child¡­ but I can also clearly see that this method will not work."

    "Smart boy ,that one!" Bordeaux chuckled. "Wish I''d have a head as smart as yours, or something harder. Could have gone for a helmet, but it''s too tight."

    "Captain Donald?"

    "Yes."

    Bordeaux was knocked out and Lucius turned to the Count and Viscountess.

    "I think we are better off obtaining this particr herb that will make him speak the truth. It may be a little expensive, but it is within our means to do so, father."

    "¡­where did you learn of this?" Count Gabriel and Viscountess ckshield both became intrigued.

    "I havee across it before while studying. But this will save us the time as we only need to forcefeed it to Bordeaux and avoid any fingers from getting bitten off." Lucius shrugged.

    "Very well. That seems like a good method. Captain Donald?"

    "Tell me of the name, Young Lord Asher and we will procure it."

    "It is something that Healer Delia may know of. It''s true properties are something that is a bit of a side effect, it is known as the Calming Root. When fed in quantities, it calms the mind enough to loosen the tongue."

 Chapter 439 Sedation

    ''While it would have been interesting for the Nexus to be able to assess nts, I suppose it being useable on people and beasts is good enough. I''ve familiarized myself with studying and schrly works even without it before so I need not be trulypliant¡­ its convenience is only applicable when the subject is present, not when it''s unavable after all too.'' Lucius thought as he waited alongside the Viscountess, Captain Donald and the Count for the herb to be delivered.

    The herb was essentially a sedative and when ingested in quantitiesrge enough, it would function exactly as the sedatives that were avable in Lucius''s old world.

    ''Now that I have observed Bordeaux up close and personal, it has be quite clear to me that he is thoroughly uncooperative and that turning him to my side in his current state is too much of an effort with little return. Restraining him from causing too much damage to others and keeping himself hidden will be akin to asking water to stop flowing. Once this interrogation is over, turning him into the Lost is the most useful choice.'' Lucius thought as he observed the knocked out man.

    "Viscountess, in regards to this situation¡­" Count Gabriel suddenly spoke as they waited.

    "What about it, Count Inanis?" Viscountess ckshield asked.

    "As Countess Lita said, we have put you and our son''s life in danger. We will see to it that this man is punished sufficiently."

    Viscountess ckshield''s gaze lingered on Bordeaux and her shoulders squared a little.

    "This is an unfortunate situation, Count Inanis. It was also unforseeable so please do not worry about it. I have no intentions of spreading this if that is what you have been concerned about."

    "I do not wish to withhold you from speaking about what you wish to discuss, Viscountess. We''ve already had a lockdown here in the city, but I am sure that word will eventually spread either way. It is far better for you to give a more urate telling of the events than anything else."

    "Hah. If I am, to be honest, Count Inanis, I would have preferred for word not to go around. It''s not often that I find myself bested by an individual. I have a reputation to uphold, so once word arrives that I was injured by such a criminal, it will make people think I am weak." Viscountess ckshield said.

    "You can simply prove them wrong when you encounter them, Viscountess."

    "I suppose. Thank you, Count Inanis. I would have preferred to be known aspletely untouchable, but what happened has already happened."

    Lucius didn''t say a word as the two nobles talked with each other. While Viscountess ckshield wore a smile around Lucius and seemed more rxed, she was stiff and courteous once again with Count Inanis.

    ''With the two beingpared to one another, it isn''t so surprising that they act like this. In addition, the fact that Viscount Felldan is also close to Count Inanis does notpletely escape the Viscountess'' perception as well.''

    At longst, a guard arrived with a bag of the herbs who bowed respectfully. "The Calming Root herb, Count, Viscountess , Captain Donald and Lord Asher."

    "You may go."

    "We can finally get on with this then." Viscountess ckshield said impatiently.

    "Bind him properly." Captain Donald made his guards resecure Bordeaux''s restraints before they force-fed him the herbs.

    "Ughhh¡­ that tastes like crap." Bordeaux muttered with a groggy and dazed appearance.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Enough. You will answer our questions. Why did youe here to this city?"

    "Why wouldn''t anyone want to go to this city? Heh." Bordeaux chuckled weakly. "Rancor was acting up again and the man''s child, someone giftless, survived an assassination attempt all by himself. That had to be bullshit, so I came to check, wanted to see it for myself heh. I guess by the looks of things, it was right."

    Count Inanis''s face hardened.

    "You do not work for anyone?"

    "Psh, working for someone. I hated working for my knight order, hated dealing with mercenaries and their politics. Why would I go through the trouble of getting an employer when I can take whatever I want. Ugh, I wanted that guy''s sword. It was useful." Bordeaux slurred and eyed Asher. "Once I get out of this, I''ll take it. And oh, that shield that changes shapes. I want that too. Of course, it''s no fun trying to kill someone when they''re asleep, since they can''t struggle as much, but I guess that''s an option now."

    Count Inanis''s eyes glinted at the same time as Viscountess ckshield.

    There was a tenseness in the air.

    Lucius cursed inwardly and cut in.

    "Father, if you will allow me to take this man, I will find more useful information from him. We''ve already allowed this man to waste your and the Viscountess''s time when it could have been put into other more important things."

    "Very well, but I will still keep my word." Count Gabriel stepped forward and grabbed Bordeaux''s arms. He shattered them in one go as Bordeaux let out a small howl of pain.

    His dulled senses made it so that while under sedative, he couldn''t restrain himself from his own reactions.

    "If the Count is doing that then I hope there is no harm in doing what this bastard has attempted to do to me earlier." Viscountess ckshield approached and kicked the man''s legs until she finally crushed the man''s feet.

    A delicious crunch echoed inside of the underground dungeon alongside another sound of pain from Bordeaux.

    Captain Donald''s features were schooled calmly while Lucius held back from gritting his teeth.

    ''These injuries will elevate the chances that turning the Mad de into a Lost will fail. Curses.'' Lucius thought, but couldn''t do anything except watch.

    Without Countess Lita around, the two nobles were more willing to pour out their frustration on Bordeaux and might end up killing him too.

    ''No. They still have restraint, they are notplete animals subject to their whims and fancies.'' Lucius thought with growing concern until Kiana arrived.

    "Count Inanis? Countess Lita is searching for you."

 Chapter 440 Slight Treatment

    Count Gabriel paused from his actions atst alongside Viscountess ckshield.

    "How long has it been?" Count Gabriel asked.

    "Not too long." Captain Donald replied. "But perhaps it is a good time to stop now, Count Inanis?"

    "Alright. I will leave things to you, Asher, Captain Donald." Count Gabriel said. "Viscountess? Will you be remaining here with them?"

    Viscountess ckshield nced in Asher''s way.

    ''The trust that Count Gabriel has on his son is great¡­ but if it weren''t for Kiana''s interruption, I might have gotten overboard with this criminal.''

    Viscountess ckshield shook her head.

    "I''ve already spent enough time down here. I''m going up the manor to catch some fresh air and collect myself, Count Inanis. Perhaps, I will also ask for some more Humble ze."

    "I see. Then shall we leave together?"

    "That sounds good." Viscountess ckshield nodded.

    The two nobles excused themselves and then left the underground dungeon together, leaving Asher, Captain Donald and Kiana with Bordeaux.

    Kiana stood outside of Bordeaux''s prison cell with a calm expression on her face, not even flinching from the sight of Bordeaux''s poor condition.

    On the contrary, when Kiana''s gaze fell on the Mad de, a hint of satisfaction coursed through her.

    ''After all the harm that he has inflicted on the Inanis guards and also keeping me away from Asher, this is the least that he could¡­'' Kiana''s thoughts trailed a little when she nced at Asher''s face. ''But Asher looks unhappy with what happened. Is it¡­ ah, he must have intended to turn Bordeaux into one of his people. With how much injuries are inflicted on him, I can''t imagine it seeding.''

    "Young Lord Asher, will you need any assistance with the continued interrogation?" Captain Donald asked.

    "No need." Lucius shook his head. "You are relieved of your duties here, Captain Donald. I will take over from here with Kiana."

    "Very well. Miss Wizen?" Captain Donald turned to Kiana.

    "Yes, Captain?"

    "How are my guards?"

    "They are being treated in the barracks by Healer Delia and the others. Most of their conditions are stable now."

    Captain Donald''s expression turned to relief. He nced coldly at the Mad de and clenched his fists a little, but then he bowed his head and left the underground dungeon.

    Once the Captain of the Guards was gone, Lucius turned to Kiana. "It''s good that you''re here. Would you care to call for one of the healers? Of course, if there is no one capable of treating Bordeaux then also let me know. Time is of the essence."

    "I think there is someone who fits your need, Asher. I will call for him discretely." Kiana bowed her head and quickly left to do Asher''s orders.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "A healer? I''m getting special treatment from you?" Bordeaux the Mad de spoke up. He looked greatly in pain, but still managed to grin and nce at the Young Lord.

    "It''s impressive that you''re still able to hold a conversation right now, Bordeaux." Lucius said as he assessed the conditions of the man. Both the Count and Viscountess did a great number on him.

    All of his limbs were bent in the wrong way and were limp. Even if Bordeaux''s internal organs were all safe, suffice to say, he was bound to be a cripple.

    Bordeaux howled a little inughter and shook his head. "Everything hurts like a bitch, but they didn''t kill me. So here I am, breathing and still alive aha. What else do you want to know, Young Lord?"

    "I didn''t expect that you''d offer now." Lucius muttered. "If you were more cooperative earlier, none of this would have happened."

    "I''d still end up getting killed now that I''m captured." Bordeaux chuckled. "What''s the difference? Now that I''m willing to open up, take your chance, Young Lord! I might change my mind. Actually. Nah. Yes? No? Depends on the question you''ll ask, Young Lord."

    "¡­ The only reason why you''re here right now is because I deem you useful." Lucius said.

    Bordeaux''s eyes glinted and he bared his teeth. "The Mad de doesn''t work for anyone!"

    "I''m not asking for your permission." Lucius said with a wry smile and shook his head. "But it might have served you better if you pretended to bepliant. Not that I''d be fooled by such a thing if you did pretend to be submissive."

    "Ahahahaha! Two faced!" the Mad de howled inughter, his body shaking even despite the pain that must have coursed through it. "It made me curious how a giftless man survived an assassination attempt but now it makes sense! You are like this! You could have made a great criminal."

    Lucius didn''t bother to make a response to Bordeaux. Instead he only nced at the dungeon entrance and waited for Kiana to return.

    After some time, Kiana returned while apanied by a healer. The healer looked nervous and faint when he saw Bordeaux.

    "What kind of gift do you have?" Lucius asked the person at once, though he also checked via Nexus.

    "I¡­ I can try to mend the bones a little with my gift. It is not a full recovery though, Young Lord Asher." The healer said.

    "He''s the best one I found avable." Kiana dipped her head apologetically. "It''s actually a little rare for someone like him to be avable."

    "It will have to do. Anything to increase the chances." Lucius sighed inwardly and allowed the healer to approach Bordeaux.

    ''The fact that Kiana found someone who could repair the bones even by a small portion is indeed rare. Will this increase the chances? I can only hope that it does. I could use Hell Energy to try and heal it myself, but this process could help. At least, it will make the transport to the rehabilitation center less dangerous.''

    "Kiana will you arrange a carriage to the re-education center?"

    "It''s already prepared, Asher."

    "Good. Once we''re done here, we''ll head there at once." Lucius said.

    Kiana looked at Asher. It was clear that Count Inanis initiated a lockdown and that it was far better for them to stay at the mansion, but she did not go against Asher''s desires.

 Chapter 441 An Insufferable Man

    "Ow, ow ow!" Bordeaux cursed as he was transported by the Masked Legion from out of the underground dungeon and into the carriage. "Can''t you all carry me a little gentler?"

    The Lost didn''t respond to him and simply fulfilled the orders of Lucius.

    Bordeaux narrowed his eyes at them. He could notice that there was something wrong with these mercenaries, he just couldn''t put his finger on it so he chose to rattle them with conversation.

    "Hah. It feels like I''m talking to someone dead. What''s up with the helmets? Actually, which one of you hit me in the head earlier? I''d want to return the favor. It''s three against one poor man. What do you say? Eh? No takers?"

    "I''m happy with the choice that you''ve made, Asher." Kiana silently whispered to Asher once they took a separate carriage to the rehabilitation center. ''If this man would have be hired by Asher at his current state, I do not think that I will be happy with it at all. He is too much aggravating to deal with.''

    Lucius nodded as he sat down in the carriage. "Have youpensated the healer properly?"

    "Yes." Kiana nodded.

    When the healer was using his Gift earlier, Bordeaux managed to grab ahold of the man despite his shattered arm and threatened to break the healer''s own arm unless he was set free.

    Despite the fact that Bordeaux was probably aware of how useless it was, he still did it until Kiana promised to pierce his skull with one of her Sting Sniper.

    ''His sense of self-preservation is there¡­ though his impulsive nature sometimes overrides it.'' Lucius noted to himself.

    ***

    "Nice ce you have here, Young Lord." Bordeauxmented once he was taken to theboratory. There was no hint of fear in his face as he took in the surroundings. "A bit stuffy for my tastes. Is there any lights? It smells too. Though it''s a little cleaner than the one at your home though."

    "Does he know what''s going to happen to him?" Kiana sighed softly and shook her head.

    She would have bound his mouth, but she didn''t do it because she knew that the man would have tried to bite her or something else.

    "What do you mean?" Bordeaux asked, as he nced at Kiana. "What''s happening to me? More torture? Did you guys heal me and brought me to a new ce just for a change of scenery? That''s nasty. I like letting my victims run a little too and give them a dash of hope before ruining it haha. The Young Lord and I seem to think alike!"

    Kiana''s gaze narrowed at him. "You¡­"

    "Don''t allow his words to control you, Kiana." Lucius said. "He is only trying to get a reaction out of you."

    "Alright, he''s no fun. My only problem." The Mad de said.

    The Masked Legion brought him to the table and bound him. There was some mild resistance, but in the end, Bordeaux still ended up chained and bound.

    Lucius nced at him emotionlessly.

    ''Compared to thest one with severe injuries, he is speaking far morefortably, and I''m not interrupting him. It is with some hope that this is a good sign despite the extent of how much the Count and Viscountess destroyed his limbs.'' Lucius thought. ''Should I feed him? I haven''t exactly done that for the other criminals as I expect their bodies to have stored energy for the transformation, but if we''re going to increase his chances of sess, I might as well.''

    "How do you feel?" Lucius asked.

    "Eh?" Bordeaux''s eyes bulged. "What''s this? You were ignoring me earlier but now you''re asking about my feelings haha."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I will allow you to eat before we start," Lucius said.

    "Ohoho! Last meal before I die? Can I request something delicious then?" Bordeaux said. "You could have also brought a woman too."

    Kiana''s nose scrunched up in disgust, but she didn''t make anyments.

    "Kiana, get whatever''s avable and quick from Old Man Johan." Lucius said.

    "Yes, Asher." Kiana nodded.

    "You''re terrible." Bordeaux shook his head. "¡­and now you''re back to ignoring me again, aha! It''s like I''m already dead!"

    When Kiana returned with the food, the Masked Legion was the one who fed Bordeaux. The processsted for a couple of minutes before the man nced at Lucius.

    "So are we doing this?" the Mad de asked. "Do I get to say anything else."

    Lucius shook his head. "That might very well be yourst words, Bordeaux."

    "What?"

    Lucius sent out strands of Hell Energy towards the Mad de. His body immediately responded to the foreign energy and he let out a howl of pain alongside a string of curses.

    "What the?! AH!" There was no moreughter from Bordeaux as acute pain spread all over his body.

    Kiana watched from the sidelines, biting down on her lip. She didn''t care about the man itself, but she wanted Asher to seed so she waited with interest.

    The process was simr to others transformed by Asher before, except there was some issue that became apparent in Lucius''s eyes.

    Bordeaux''s body was trying to reject the energy even as the hell energy tried to exert its influence on his body.

    Lucius and Kiana observed the man, and though it became increasingly obvious that it would end in failure, Lucius didn''t give up and instead increased the output of Hell Energy on the man.

    ''Is it still not enough?'' Lucius''s gaze narrowed as Bordeaux convulsed on the table. The man was frothing, his eyes rolled back in his head and the screams had died down and was reced by the jerking of his body uncontrobly.

    He was in too much pain to even scream.

    ''Very well. There is no other choice if I wish to salvage him.'' Lucius concentrated all of the Hell Energy in his body and sent it towards Bordeaux.

    The man''s condition began to stabilize and the transformation process started to began in earnest, but unlike the others like Doyle, Baza and the rest, he was not turning into a normal kind of Lost.

    Bordeaux''s limbs elongated greatly while his body changed drastically. The man was tall but his height extended to nearly seven feet while his hands and feet took another shape.

    Instead of the hands and feet recovering, they turned into ws and Bordeaux''s posture became hunched over.

 Chapter 442 A Stalker Lost

    Kiana''s eyes widened and a shudder went down her spine.

    Out of all the criminals that turned into Lost, this was her first time witnessing something like this. Each and every single Lost was menacing and frightening, it had made her once wonder about the monstrosity that urred to them and only the fact that Asher was the one in control of them that made her at ease.

    Now the situation was different.

    Kiana thought that Bordeaux''s change was different from all of the others. Her body tensed up and she immediately activated her gift, even without Asher''s consent.

    ''Of course someone monstrous like Bordeaux¡­ he''d end up in a state like this as well. Why does it feel like this individual can kill me in one go and I wouldn''t be able to do even a single thing about it?'' Kiana''s heart pounded and sweat slightly drenched her back.

    Thest Lost that transformed did not scare Kiana even with the man''s Gift but Bordeaux''s new form was exceedingly powerful.

    The chains that bound Bordeaux to the table broke and practically crumbled upon his transformation and for a second, Kiana stepped back instinctively.

    ''Asher¡­ I never doubted the greatness of his gift that exceeds Legendary rank, but is there actually any chances that he might make someone who won''t submit to him?'' Kiana''s heart was stuck in her throat. She couldn''t take her eyes away from Bordeaux.

    It was why she failed to see the way Lucius''s expression lit up at the sight of Bordeaux''s new transformation.

    "Aha. It worked out well in the end." Lucius said, but that was an understatement.

    There was ranks among the Lost, and Thralls were a higher form of Lost than and there were other variants as well, and the one that Bordeaux transformed into one was exceedingly useful.

    "Worked out well?" Kiana asked, a tiny hitch in her voice.

    "Yes. Kiana. Watch and observe. Rise." Lucius made an order and the former man known as Bordeaux rose up from the table.

    Despite the fact that he was a huge hunched and hulking figure at seven feet tall, Bordeaux made no sound or single tter.

    Compared to Doyle whom Lucius needed to instruct to lighten his steps so as to not have his presence revealed, the sound that Bordeaux emitted was practically nonexistent.

    ''Out of all the types of Lost that he could have turned into, it''s almost surprising that he became a Stalker Lost. He had talked such a storm and yet became a Lost that hardly makes a sound. I am sure that if he couldin now, he would have done so¡­ and yet now he became a true weapon.'' Lucius thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Bordeaux the Mad de was deadly, excellent and was quite a terror on his own that Lucius was actually tempted to have turned him into a criminal hire simr to Arius, Carlyle, and Cohen.

    ''However, unlike the three, he cannot be steered properly from what I''ve seen. A powerful sword that cannot be used and directed as the swordmaster wishes it to move to is useless, but now with his current form, he is nothing more but a precise and deadly weapon. A machine even.''

    Luciusparing Bordeaux to a technology tool was a highpliment. A smile curled on his lips that only became tarnished when a thought snuck its way to his mind.

    ''I''ve rushed here to salvage his limbs and transform him into a Lost that it didn''t even ur to me that I should have upgraded his gift. It might have been better if his rare gift ded Fury was upgraded into epic rank before I transformed him.''

    The way that Gifts turned into Hellish Gifts had their own way of changing into something useful and a darker version of their original gift which was why Lucius became a little disappointed that he didn''t raise Bordeaux''s gift rank to epic beforehand.

    ''I have no time chiding myself on what I have or haven''t done. I''ve managed to aplished this despite being rattled by Count and Viscountess''s actions earlier. Let us see what this man has now for me.''

    Lucius activated his Gift Nexus and became pleased at what he read.

    ''Tainted de Fury. Bordeaux now leaves a corrosive energy whenever he strikes something with his de. He is already deadly before but now this is excellent. I must see the extent of this gift and how corrosive it really is¡­ how would Bordeaux fare against someone like Bergan from his Band?'' Lucius thought.

    "Asher¡­?" Kiana asked hesitantly. She had noticed that the young lord had stayed silent all this time and while she was more than pleased that there didn''t seem to be any dissatisfaction on Asher''s face, she was still cautious and even worried.

    "Do not fret about him, Kiana. The results we have are good. His size is not something for you to get intimidated by, instead I would like for Bordeaux to have his own armor especially suited to him. You are the one who handled the Masked Legion''s armor, right?"

    "Yes¡­" Kiana nodded slowly. "What kind of armor do you wish for me to prepare for him? I will contact the cksmith and ensure that he will not be curious about the man''s height."

    "He is not exactly that tall. Baron Glintaxe was a tall fellow." Lucius recalled but then shook his head. "Compared to the others, Bordeaux''s armor shall be light and will ensure that he can actually perform assassination without any issues. In fact, I am also considering just having this man be our main guard, although it might be a waste of his talents. With the other nobility visiting after Viscountess ckshield and Baron Hugh with his family, we will be able to see just how good he is as well. Overall, this is a good boon for us, Kiana. Not just an armor actually, Kiana. Have a sword made for him as well, a whole set of equipment."

    "¡­ but is this man really going to follow your orders, Asher?"

    "Yes, Kiana." Lucius said. "He is under myplete control. In fact, the things that he had been hiding during the interrogation? We can also get answers for it."

 Chapter 443 Life Of Bordeaux

    "Really, Asher?"

    "Yes."

    Lucius did not make much efforts to speak with Bordeaux during the time that the man was willing to speak with him.

    ''Even if he says that he was willing to speak with me during that time, it is actually likely that he could be speaking lies and I will not have anything to prove the validity of his statements. And while I do have the Soul Scry spell which I could have used to thoroughly search him prior¡­ with his body and brain still intact, I can also do this.'' Lucius thought.

    There was a link between Lucius and all of the Lost that he had made. It was easy for him to read their motivations, feelings and instincts and for someone like Bordeaux, it was also possible to search through his memories.

    ''Or at least whatever has survived during the transformation process.''

    If there was no retention of basic instincts and even some memories, it was impossible for a Lost to be able to stand up, fight and perform their tasks.

    And now, Lucius searched through Bordeaux''s remaining memories.

    ***

    "Ahahaha! Is that all the best that you can do, master?" Bordeaux let out a loud boisterousugh as he eyed the man in front of him.

    It was a bald man, wearing a unique set of clothespared to those of Bordeaux''s peers who watched them from the corner of his vision.

    The bald man shook his head and merely rose to his feet. Thend that they were in was something across a desert, it was hot and dry, with the sun beating harshly across their back.

    Bordeaux''s sweat dripped down his face but the mad grin on his face couldn''t be wiped out despite the sweltering heat.

    "Perhaps the student has already outgrown his teacher¡­ is what I wish to say but you are only giving me lip service."

    "Tch. This has gotten boring. You''ve got nothing to teach me now, old bastard." Bordeaux''s face morphed into disgust as he threw his sword into the ground.

    It nged loudly in the training floor.

    "Well, you''re the one who learned the curriculum that I''ve prepared for years and finished it in a couple of months." An old man with a beard grunted. A greatsword rested on his shoulder. "So if you''ve got anyone to me, me yourself. If you''ve got nothing better to do, pick up your sword and leave. I have other students to teach."

    "Yeah? Well, good riddance!"

    A couple more memories flickered into Bordeaux''s thoughts, each one traveling to different locations and learning from various masters. Whenever he finished training from one, he would move on and find another.

    "Ahaha! Did you really think you could defeat me?" Bordeaux''s fists were bloody as he beat up one of hispanions.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Enough! Sir Bordeaux, stand your ground or¡­"

    "Or what? I''ll kill you too if you try and stop me! I won''t hesitate!" Bordeaux red daggers at everyone who looked at him. "Come on! Anyone wants to test their luck? I don''t need swords or any fancy Gift."

    A chair crashed into the back of Bordeaux''s head. A couple of drunk and angry mercenaries filled the tavern and were fighting.

    Bordeaux threw his tankard into the ground and his eyes glinted. The rest of the mercenaries were too drunk to realize it until they pummeled into the ground and their heads were bashed in.

    "Ahaha! I was trying to keep my head low but I keep getting dragged into fights! This must be fate! Ahaha, what''s with that look on your face? You started it and I''m just returning the favor!"

    Bordeaux stopped for a moment and nced at the poor bastard''s bashed head. No amount of guilt was on his face, instead, he noticed the golden ne on the man''s neck.

    "Huh¡­ this is some artifact, isn''t it?" Bordeaux hummed and then nced over his shoulders at the rest of the bodies that littered across the floor on the tavern.

    A wide grin crawled on his face before he bursted intoughter. He recklessly smacked a table hard and despite his palm turning red, he continued to chuckle.

    "Ahahhaa! I should have done this ages ago!" Bordeaux turned to the cowering innkeeper hidden underneath the bar area. "Fill up my tankard and I''ll let you live! I''ve got bodies to loot! Actually, you know a good ce to get more artifacts? These mercenaries probably don''t have anything good on them."

    When the innkeeper shakily filled up his tankard and gave Bordeaux directions to the nearest merchants to steal from, a smile curled on his face and he patted the man''s head affectionately like a dog''s.

    "Good. Good. Have to leave this ce once I finished¡­" Bordeaux drank up his ale and tossed it into the ground. Hezily looted the bodies, and even picked up a nice dagger that he liked. He reached the door of the tavern, and the innkeeper quivered in his ce.

    "¡­ I changed my mind though."

    ***

    All of the memories shed through Lucius''s head so quickly that Kiana looked at him curiously and was waiting for the man to respond.

    "Bordeaux truly was a man who simply did he what wanted. And he has trained himself through various martial arts and masters." Lucius murmured. "As for the artifacts that he has with him, most of them were from the victims he killed and looted from. He is a powerful man, and now he will lend us his strength to achieve our goals without us worrying about his allegiance."

    "I see¡­" Kiana sighed softly and rxed a little. Even though she was nervous from the sight of the new Lost, she had more confidence in Asher''s words and was once again reminded of why she swore fealty to him.

    ''If there is anyone in this world who can do the impossible then it is Asher alone. No matter how talented or powerful Bordeaux previously was, all of that raw strength was nothing in the face of Asher''s ability and skill. There is nothing for me to worry about.''

    "Shall we return back to the mansion, Kiana? I am sure that the others will be looking for us."

 Chapter 444 Two Days Of Curfew

    Lucius and Kiana returned to the mansion and found themselves being waited upon in the dining hall.

    The Count and Countess were together, and even the Viscountess was present and simply drinking her Humble ze.

    ''Perhaps at another time, I wouldn''t even be allowed to leave the Inanis mansion, but now that the trust Count Inanis has in me has grown enough to let me leave unattended, even with the Countess''s worry and concern about me.''

    "Asher, you have returned atst." Count Inanis greeted him with a nod. "I did not expect you''d leave to deal with the man as the underground dungeon is already sufficient enough, but I am d that you''ve returned safe. For the next following days, the city will be in high alert. The presence of Bordeaux has been disconcerting and we shall have all the guards patrol the area."

    "While you and the Viscountess are safe now¡­ it is better to stay where we are, Asher. I heard that you went to the rehabilitation center but please let it be thest time you go out until this matter settles down." Countess Lita said, forehead creased with worry. There was so much concern on her face that even Count Gabriel couldn''t do anything about it.

    "Yes, it is best to take rest for now." Count Inanis nodded. "We are unsure if there are other criminals like him that are around, but either way, it is enough to once again have the streets be patrolled. Perhaps we have grown a bit too rxed and at ease."

    "I see. Thank you for informing me of this, I will reassure you that I will not be going anywhere else, Mother and Father." Lucius said. "I owe a lot to Viscountess ckshield for being around and being there during Bordeaux''s attack, but I also wish to apologize for the situation that urred. It must have been unpleasant that your travel around Inanis city led to this."

    "It is not like we can control situations, Young Lord Asher. This is fine." Viscountess ckshield smiled and sipped her cup. There was a slightly tense look in her eyes which she relieved by downing more of her alcohol. "While I might be the first one to feel cooped up with being simply in one ce, I do not think that this will apply here in this situation. In fact, I will find it a restful time. I hope that you also take it as a chance to recuperate too."

    "I will."

    "Thank you. The Inanis Family has in fact been quite hospitable that I worry that I am the one overstaying my wee." Viscountess ckshield wryly said.

    "You are free to remain as long as you like, Viscountess."

    "You are our guest, the circumstances have not changed."

    ''As far as I know, there are no other criminals that are on the same level of danger as Bordeaux¡­ and with him being turned into a Stalker Lost, the danger posed to me continues to to lower, but I shall abide by their rules in their own way.'' Lucius thought. ''It wouldn''t actually be a bad thing for me to rest. I will simply have to use others to do my bidding for me.''

    ***

    The next two days passed in the Inanis mansion peacefully and without any issues.

    Lucius initially wished for Kiana to run errands for him, but even she was forbidden to go out and thus left him rather stuck and cooped indeed.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The man did not let it stall him, Lucius spent the next two days meditating, gathering the Hell Energy that he used up when creating Bordeaux and recovering from the fatigue of use.

    ''It is perhaps a fitting thing.'' Lucius thought to himself as the fatigue ebbed within his body for the next few days.

    On the third day of the city lockdown, the curfew was finally lifted.

    "Atst, we can finally leave." Lucius said to Kiana when she reported to him that Count Gabriel had spoken with Captain Donald and received word about the safety of the city. "Prepare a carriage at once."

    "Very well, Asher. To whom are we visiting today?"

    "We are visiting Leif and the others." Lucius said. "It has been enough time since then."

    Kiana''s expression flickered slightly and her back stiffened lightly. "I will do as you ask, Asher. It will be good to visit them, they failed to give us enough information about the whereabouts of Bordeaux, didn''t they?"

    Even though it has been three days since the incident with the Mad de, Kiana continued to beat herself up over the incident and now subconsciously wanted to shift the me, if only a little to Leif and the others.

    "Do not be overly hostile, Kiana. There are limitations to what they can or cannot do." Lucius said. "They simply deal with information and not actual tracking of individuals. And even if they provided such services, I do not think any of Leif''s men would havested against Bordeaux in the first ce. You know how long we''vested. If it weren''t for Viscountess ckshield and catching the man in surprise with the Masked Legion, then the situation might have ended differently."

    "Apologies, Asher. You''re right¡­ please wait for a moment and I''ll arrange our transportation now." Kiana bowed and went to finish her task.

    It didn''t take too long for them to make their way to the Blind Crow''s Tavern.

    Upon their arrival, Lucius would meet Leif, Arius, Carlyle and Cohen and somehow, their sentiments were along the same as Kiana.

    "Lord¡­ Lucius." Leif''s expression usually didn''t portray much, but this time there was a sense of concern on his face. "The situation with Bordeaux became out of hand, I hope that you have remained safe¡­ but we have failed to act on time."

    "Failed to act on time? I did not expect the people here toe out and apprehend Bordeaux." Lucius raised a brow and then nced at Arius, Cohen and Carlyle. "The advice you three have given was mostly to avoid the man at all costs and also informed me of his madness. That had been useful warning to me."

 Chapter 445 Sowing Discord In Guerilla Troops

    Out of everyone in the Blind Crow Tavern, it was mostly Leif who was aware of Lucius''s true identity.

    With the amount of information readily avable with him, it would be a disgrace if Leif didn''t actually know who ''Lucius'' was.

    It was only for the sake of business that Leif didn''t say a word.

    Meanwhile, Arius, Cohen and Carlyle were still mostly left in the dark, but it didn''t mean that they couldn''t also intuit who they might be dealing with.

    From the information being asked by ''Lucius'', to their current living quarters near the rehabilitation center and what it previously used to be, it was simply a matter of connecting the dots.

    Out of all of them, Arius was the one who had figured it out the fastest, though he made no outward mention of it.

    Cohen and Carlyle were¡­ close.

    ''News had quickly spread that the Young Lord Asher Inanis and Viscountess ckshield were attacked by Bordeaux the Mad de and somehow survived the encounter. It might just be mere coincidence¡­ but this man also inquired about the Mad de.'' Cohen thought. ''We''re also apologizing to him¡­ well, Leif is so it means that we are dealing with the Lord Asher? Could it be Count Inanis himself? No. The man is too scrupulous?''

    ''I mean, this man initially paid us 1000 gold coins to attract us at the start. Hmm, I thought it was Sir Cambrian wanting to eliminate businesspetitors, but our employer is too quick witted and incredible to be the man. A person hiding his Mythic Rank gift.'' Carlyle thought.

    "It would still have been far more appropriate if we had taken him down by ourselves." Arius said with a frown. "He is one man alone and his gift''s rank was only Rarepared to what you have given us, Lucius. Although, we weren''t exactly sure if you intended to add him to our ranks before¡­"

    "Yes, I understand why there were no actions from the three of you. I was piqued by the man''s ability and background, but your testimony proved to be true that this man was incapable of following rules and orders. He was not a good fit at all." Lucius said.

    He could have easily hidden such information but with the Mark of Obedience on them, there was no harm in rying a tad more information.

    If Lucius wanted them to die then they would die. Instead, Lucius cleared his throat and smiled underneath his mask.

    "However, the matter has already been dealt with, is it not? Count Inanis has put the entire city under lockdown and even captured Bordeaux the Mad de himself so it is far better to put our attention to current issues."

    "Current issues¡­?" Cohen and Carlyle seemed confused.

    "You wish for us to finally return to the borders of Gisir territory, Lucius?" Arius asked.

    "Precisely. Since I have put that on hold before due to certain prioritiesing to my attention, I will now ask the three of you to head there and eliminate as many camps of guerr soldiers as you can without being caught."

    Arius, Cohen and Carlyle immediately became interested. They were still criminals and had actually enjoyed using the full extent of their upgraded powers before and could only imagine what it would be like to let loose again.

    Being cooped up in Inanis City and getting anxious was not really something that they''d enjoy.

    "We will set forth at once!" Cohen stood up.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I have actually been looking forward to this." Carlyle grinned.

    "Good. I am pleased with all of your enthusiasm for this mission but take note to avoid any leaks and prioritize yourselves. There is not much use of power when someone is dead after all." Lucius said. "Additionally, do all of your best to sow discord and conflict among these gueri camps. I need not exin any further as this is something you are all familiar with."

    "Of course, we are not only good with murder, Lucius. These Gisir group will find ''dissent'' among their group and other issues that will cripple their morale." Arius reassured him.

    "And then they''ll end up dying before they know it." Cohen chuckled.

    "Good. As for the intel that you will find in the gueri camps, I will be setting up special drop off points with Leif so that it can be ryed to me." Lucius said. "Since it has been only dyed, I take it that all of you are mostly prepared for this mission and only need a bit amount of time to head to the borders?"

    "Yes, we are all ready for this mission." The three said in unison.

    "Alright. If this mission is performed excellently, I will start looking into upgrading all three of your gifts even further."

    ''We haven''t even started that long with him but he is also promising us Legendary rank Gifts. He sure knows how to motivate us and fill us with greed and fervor¡­ he is truly frightening.'' Arius thought.

    Even though Arius was aware of what Lucius was doing, it didn''t exactly stop his own excitement and fervor growing alongside Cohen and Carlyle.

    ''He can speak all he wishes to and yet at the end of the day, he can actually fulfill them. That is why we are looking forward to this immensely.'' Arius thought.

    "We will vow to do our best and achieve your standard!"

    "Yes, be prepared for the results."

    "Excellent. That will be all that I need for the three of you today. I wish toe back and hear good results from all the three of you." Lucius stood up and left the tavern with Kiana.

    As they stepped into the carriage, Kiana seemed a little lost in thought.

    "What is it, Kiana? You have something on your mind." Lucius said as he sat down.

    It wasn''t only Kiana who noticed the change in ''Asher'' but Lucius could easily notice Kiana''s mood as well.

    It only depended on Lucius on whether or not he''d look into it.

    "It is good to promise them such things, they have been following your orders well, Asher. But I think it is also good to upgrade my Gift as well." Kiana admitted. "I wish to protect you better and facing Bordeaux made me realize how useless I''ve been. Even an Epic Rank gift failed? I thought it was enough."

 Chapter 446 Eager Kiana

    ''It seems like Kiana is growing power hungry.'' Lucius thought. ''The motivation behind it seems quite benevolent as it stems from a desire to protect me, but underneath it is also the sense of helplessness that she does not wish to experience once more. Most likely brought on by her experience in her earlier years.''

    "¡­ What do you think, Asher?" Kiana asked tentatively. She sat down on the chair opposite of him and squeezed her hands tightly. "I know that materials must be hard to obtain, either expensive or time consuming to get and I wish I would get it myself but there are matters in which I am required in the household. Although, you must have also promised the same to other people and they take precedence to mine."

    "You''re rambling, Kiana." Lucius pointed out calmly.

    "R-right. Sorry. I''m just a little frazzled with how everything went." Kiana waved a hand.

    "I understand. You have spoken correctly that there are various matters to attend to and sometimes it bes apparent that they need to take priority due to urgency or importance, but I will look into your request. There is some worth to it." Lucius rested a finger beneath his chin. "However, I must remind you that Bordeaux has already be one of my followers and so our strength has already increased. It means that your current fear has been mostly absolved. At the moment, we are also not fighting incredibly wealthy individuals, so their use of artifacts may be limited."

    "I¡­ you are correct," Kiana said, shoulders rxing just slightly. "I¡­ I will try to improve where I can then, from now. If I knew how to aim better then I might have been able to hit Bordeaux¡­ though, I guess it is also a good thing that I did not kill him since he was added into your ranks."

    "Good. You''re seeing the benefit of the oue rather than letting your emotions take hold of you. That is one way of looking at things if you wish to." Lucius said. "Sometimes, things do not always go our way even with the most careful of preparations and so we need to adjust our ns or see what we can gain from our current circumstances."

    "Your ns always seem to turn out well, Asher," Kiana said. "Everything. From the winery, to the rehabilitation center, the matter with Viscount Drew in the past, and I need not list all of the scenarios¡­ but I think you''re right. I was just focused on that feeling of helplessness earlier."

    "Indeed. Well, I think the matter has been settled now, right?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes." Kiana nodded firmly.

    "Good," Lucius said.

    ''Managing and maintaining the morale of these people certainly takes effort, but it is a necessary task that urs in this setup of mine.'' Lucius thought.

    ***

    Once Lucius and Kiana returned home, they were quickly greeted by Neta, who looked urgent.

    "Young Lord Asher!" Neta bowed. "Bishop Reynald is currently being entertained by the Count, Countess and Viscountess."

    "The Bishop?" Kiana''s brows lifted in surprise. She hadn''t expected him toe and neither did she remember Asher summoning the Bishop either.

    "We shall go there at once," Lucius said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''When my Artificer lessons were put on pause because I had to go attend the celebration banquet, I ryed that he will return once I havee back from the banquet in a few days to allow me some rest. With the Viscountess apanying us, I may have forgotten to ry the new events, but this is fine.'' Lucius thought. ''We already made agreements to keep my position a secret, so there should be nothing to get worried about with the Bishop and Viscountess meeting.''

    Lucius soon arrived at the drawing room where guests were entertained. Bishop Reynald was having a cup of tea with the rest of the nobility.

    "Young Lord Asher!" Bishop Reynald''s eyes lit up at the sight of Lucius. He looked ready to prostrate himself, but held himself back.

    The eagerness was prevalent in his voice though.

    "I apologize for not being able toe right away. The sudden lockdown of the city actually has made me quite worried but I am."

    "It is good to see you, Bishop Reynalds." Lucius nodded in greeting. "My apologies for not sending a letter when I''ve arrived informing you."

    "Oh, you will not be taking lessons today, Young Lord Asher?"

    "If you are worried about being hospitable to me as your guest, do not think too much about it." Viscountess ckshield waved a hand idly. "It is impressive that you have a Bishop from the Church of Etaraing here personally to teach you of their artificer methods. I do not recall if you''ve mentioned this before, but you truly are a brilliant young man."

    "Thank you, Viscountess." Lucius said.

    ''It is a little hard to read Viscountess ckshield''s face, even right now that she has opened up a little. But judging by her words, I do not think that she will put much attention to my connections to the Church of Etara which is a relief. She prefers to mind her own business.''

    "Of course, once you are done with your lessons, do not alsoe hesitate to visit the guards barrack." Viscountess ckshield nced out the window, and her lips curled into a small smile. "It will be good to practice not only one''s mind but body too."

    ''It seems like Viscountess ckshield is thoroughly enjoying her time here in the Inanis City and doesn''t seem to have many ns on returning yet.'' Lucius thought. ''She did mention that there are capable people in hernds. Well, I see nothing wrong with it.''

    "Thank you for your consideration, Viscountess. I will keep that in mind and thank you for hosting Bishop Reynalds while I was gone." Lucius added, looking at her, alongside the Count and Countess.

    "Well, best not dy your lessons now, Asher." Countess Lita smiled. It was an activity which Asher participated in that she could find herself rxing to.

    "Of course." Lucius excused himself with Bishop Reynald and proceeded to their lesson.

 Chapter 447 Practical Lessons

    "It is good to see you once again, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald bowed more lowly once he and Lucius arrived in the library.

    "Indeed. Thank you foring here, Bishop Reynald. Shall we proceed with the lessons?" Lucius asked.

    "Of course." Bishop Reynald had some servants bring up some things.

    It became clear that if Lucius had actually turned down Bishop Reynald''s visit, then all of the equipment that the Bishop brought would have to be returned to the ce where he was currently staying at.

    And while Lucius did not have much concern for Bishop Reynald''s feelings as he was already feverish due to the belief of Asher as an Apostle of Etara, he thought it would be a waste to make the man return.

    "Today we shall be looking into the basic equipment used by Artificers. I hope that you will be able to differentiate them, and I will also be exining about what each one does. If there are further questions, please do not hesitate to ask me right away, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald said.

    "I will."

    "Thank you." Bishop Reynald was fervent about Apostle Asher, but when it came to the matters of teaching and introducing him to the equipment used by Artificers, his lessons were excellent.

    ''Blinded by fervor and deceit, it does not actually change much on how he proceeds with the lesson. It truly was a good choice that he was the one given to me.'' Lucius thought.

    It was something more of a passing thought for Lucius before he found himself paying full attention to Bishop Reynald''s teachings.

    ''Hmm¡­ all of these are mostly familiar to me. They don''t actually differ that much from other magical equipment that I''ve used before and observed from others in my past world.'' Lucius thought.

    Whenever Bishop Reynald allowed Asher to try one of the equipment to get a feel for it, the man would find himself astounded by how easily Asher picked it up.

    "By far, you truly are one of the most¡­ No, the brilliant of them all. Which is to be expected from Etara''s chosen apostle." Bishop Reynald said in awe.

    ***

    "Ah, lessons are over, Young Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield had a sword in her hand this time. There was a smile on her face as opposite of her, one of the guards sat on the floor and stared at her in awe.

    "Yes, and it seems you have also been conducting yours as well." Lucius noted.

    Captain Donald and the others were watching Viscountess ckshield spar with the rest of the guards.

    "I am having fun and just giving a few pointers." Viscountess ckshield shrugged easily.

    "You''ve been very helpful, Viscountess. I think you underestimate your guidance." Lucius said.

    "Well, I am up for a spar with you, Young Lord Asher. Would you care to go for one?"

    "It seems like a good chance to do so." Lucius nodded. "Would anyone care to give me a sword?"

    "Have mine, Young Lord Asher!"

    ***

    The next few days passed by with Bishop Reynald''s lessons in the morning and with Asher watching and sometimes joining Viscountess sparring with the rest of the guards.

    ''My earlier assessment seemed to be urate. There are no signs of Viscountess ckshield wishing to return home. Will she be staying long here? I haven''t exactly gotten the chance to make her into a useful ally, though we shared a ''near death'' experience together.'' Lucius thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Viscountess?"

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher?"

    "Nothing. Nevermind, Viscountess."

    "You''ve already gotten my attention, Young Lord Asher. It is quite impolite of you to leave me curious."

    "I simply find myself wondering when Baron Hugh ising." Lucius said.

    "Oh. Yes, I remember that he ising with his family. Hmm, there might be some dys. He is not so easily able to leave Etara''s Cross such as me." Viscountess ckshield said. "Are you looking forward to seeing new people and have grown weary of my presence?"

    "I was hoping that you did not misinterpret my statement, Viscountess ckshield."

    "Haha, I simply mean to tease. I would like to see them myself." Viscountess ckshield admitted. "They are good people. "

    "Of course."

    "Will you be making anything soon under Bishop Reynald''s lessons, Young Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield asked.

    "Not yet, our lessons are still mostly theoretical, but I am looking forward to it."

    "Hmm, I suppose the next thing to ask is for what purpose? Is this a hobby of yours or something¡­"

    "Knowledge as a pursuit of itself can be said to be a worthy goal in of itself, but for me, I wish to utilize it. That is what I wish to do. Commercial and perhaps even schrly methods."

    "You never fail to impress, Young Lord Asher. Now keep your guard up!" Viscountess ckshield dashed forward.

    ***

    It was a peaceful time for Lucius as he mostly concentrated on the schedule given before him.

    Soon enough, a week passed entirely and Lucius found himself in a good learning experience.

    ''Of course, this is a good pace, and while my information about the magical equipment from my past world has greatly contributed to my current understanding, there are also still some things that I learned from Bishop Reynald. But now I find myself ready to work with something more practical though. Perhaps I ought to let the Bishop know?''

    "Ah, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald greeted him. "Today, we shall finally be moving into practical work. I will be demonstrating one of the most basic of artifacts. Do you know what is one of the most produced ones?"

    "Hmm¡­ I suppose to those who can afford it, it should be practical. Something like themp that we have here right now." Lucius nodded to one of the lights.

    "Excellent deduction, Apostle Asher. Today we shall be making a simplemp artifact. And it only needs a simple rune crystal from an E-rank rune beast."

    "Hmm, you must be speaking of the Lamp Light Bug, Bishop Reynald. If I recall, it has the gift called Illumination."

    "That is correct."

 Chapter 448 A Simple Lamp

    "I hope that Apostle Asher will appreciate it. There are actual simpler versions of it, one not needing suitable metals and such, but this is good for any beginner Artificer who wishes to start working into other types of artifacts." Bishop Reynald exined.

    "I see, thank you, Bishop Reynald. You may proceed."

    "Thismp will be made out of a suitable metal, and though there are those who may try for other materials like wood, metal makes it more longsting. Once you have the base fixture, this is where we startying out conducive wires. Please try and feel it."

    Lucius felt the wire and noticed that while it was thin, it was sturdy and durable. It was a different thing from the metal for themp, but this was something that he identified before.

    "I believe you may be able to identify this wire, Apostle Asher."

    "If I were to surmise it, this is definitely Aetherite, one of the mostmon metals used in artifact building."

    "That is correct."

    "However, it is also to my understanding that while Aetherite is something that can be naturally found in our environment, there is also the artificial method of creating it with Iron being infused with Aether for a long time. It can be reflected a little in the price of the Aetherite to determine whether it''s naturally sourced or artificial, although the avability itself also fluctuates from time to time." Lucius said.

    "That is true, Apostle Asher. Those are good things to keep in mind. However, I may have to ask you to refocus your attention beforehand to the task we have at hand. Please worry about the prices of materials at ater time." Bishop Reynald chuckled. "In fact, it is surprising that you are already thinking about such things. If you wish to, it is possible for your household to pay for these materials, or perhaps for the Church of Etara to provide some."

    "Church of Etara herself?"

    "Yes, materials are given to the most promising of Artificers, well, it is not too different from funding an Artificer or a Master of something, but the Church of Etara also wishes to encourage her people to seek knowledge and such, hence why it provides gifts."

    "I see." Lucius nodded. ''My influence in the Church of Etara isn''t exactly something I have been affecting right now on a wide-scale due to how I have other priorities, but if I were to exert some influence, then I suppose I can also gain some benefit. Mary is one thing, but gaining more ess to knowledge would be another.''

    "Forgive me, Apostle Asher. I have told you to focus on ourmp artifact and I have gotten a little bit carried away with the exnation of the church. It reallyes with age sometimes." Bishop Reynald sighed softly.

    "Please do not mind it. I am learning from your talks, and most schrs cannot help but engross themselves in conversation when they are finally given a chance to speak. However, it is also good to continue at the same time." Lucius nced down at the table before him which held the artifact to be made. "These wires are¡­?"

    "We have this rune crystal here." Bishop Reynald opened a box to reveal the E-rank crystal rune. "We willy out the Aetherite wires in such a way that they connect the rune crystal with this ss bead and a button. Can you guess as to the purpose of this ss bead?"

    "It will function as a bulb¡­ the one which will provide the rune crystal a way to expand its reach and provide the desired energy and effect, and in this case, Illumination," Lucius answered easily.

    "That is correct. Please allow me to do this first one so you can observe how I do it."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Bishop Reynald does the wiring of the Aetherite wires with rtive ease. Despite his age, the man''s hands are quick and skillful and he fashioned the artifactmp quickly.

    "If you press the button here, then we have ourselves the artifactmp." Bishop Reynald demonstrated.

    The glow of themp was something that calmly lit the room and enveloped it in its nice illumination.

    ''I know already what I was expecting when Bishop Reynald said that we were making amp, but it is also possible to improve this existingmp if one wishes to. In several ways in fact.'' Lucius thought.

    With his experience from the past world, in both the magical equipment area and in the schrly part of things, he could find ways to improve the currentmp.

    "May I perhaps try it now on my own, Bishop Reynald?"

    "Of course, of course, Apostle Asher. I did not wish to dy you. I am sure that you are most excited to make a trial version yourself." Bishop Reynald said.

    ''Trial? Even though Bishop Reynald has been constantly praising my intellect on theory, I suppose he does not think that I have much experience like he does to perform the practical part with ease, like he has done.'' Lucius thought.

    It was something that made Lucius wryly smile as he set his hands on the material given before him.

    Under the same amount of time as Bishop Reynald, actually a little faster, Lucius built themp artifact ording to his own specifications.

    "Apostle Asher¡­" Bishop Reynald''s eyes widened.

    The way that Lucius moved was fluid an not only that, themp artifact that he made was not only the right kind of shape but also had a great illumination.

    "What do you think, Bishop Reynald? Have I performed this satisfactorily?" Lucius asked, refraining from making any outward reaction.

    Bishop Reynald nced at him in awe, barely able to hide the increasing respect that he had for the young man.

    "This is¡­ you managed to improve themp''s illumination, Apostle Asher. This is not many would notice, especially those who are not used to making artifacts, and its buyers might not always realize the difference, but I can feel and see it somehow. How did you achieve this, Apostle Asher?"

 Chapter 449 A Not So Simple Lamp

    "Ah, it''s quite simple, Bishop Reynald. You told me that Aetherite wires are used to conduit the energy from the rune crystal to the ss bead, right?" Lucius said.

    "I did."

    "It urred to me that while it is simpler to have these Aetherite wires be as they are now in their current forms, if I were to make the wires much more thinner while increasing the number then this will allow for better conduction and smoother flow of the energy from the rune crystal." Lucius replied. "I reckoned that there is still some existing¡­ ''resistance'' in the wires if they are too thick. The aether from the rune crystal itself and the aether inside of the Aetherite, might be opposing each other? Thus, choosing to go for thinner wires allowed for better efficiency as there is less resistance."

    Bishop Reynald looked at Asher in awe.

    "This is¡­"

    "I do not think this is a new concept to you, Bishop Reynald?" Lucius asked.

    Bishop Reynald shook his head. "No. This is something that is actually known by other Artificers. We simply choose thicker wires during lessons for the ease of the learner, but the fact that you were able to figure it out on your own with little to no information is outstanding, Apostle Asher. It is like Etara herself is giving you the knowledge¡­ of course she is, you are her Apostle."

    "Thank you for your praise, Bishop Reynald. I will improve more as long as you teach me further. This is not something that I can achieve only through myself," Lucius said.

    "You humble me, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald bowed his head and then nced out the window. The time wasn''t actually thatte yet as the demonstration of themp artifact was one of the easiest to do.

    A knock on the door interrupted them.

    "Lord Asher, Bishop Reynald, pardon me for the intrusion, but it is already time for lunch. I hope that you may join us." Kiana said once she stepped inside.

    ***

    With the visit of Viscountess ckshield, the lecture from Bishop Reynald did not often happen for a full day.

    Lucius allowed himself to take some ''rest'' and observe the Viscountess ckshield sparring with the guards and even participating himself.

    At this time, Bishop Reynald would usually return to his current abode.

    "How is Asher doing, Bishop Reynald? It''s been more than a week since he has returned from his lessons." Countess Lita pointed out with a polite smile.

    "Your son is exceedingly brilliant, Countess. Thismp artifact is something that takes beginners some time to finish, but he was not only able to do it quickly, but also improve it."

    "That''s great." Countess Lita was pleased with the results. At this moment, Count Gabriel was preupied with some other task and was unable to join them and so it was Asher, Kiana, Bishop Reynald, Countess Lita and Viscountess ckshield.

    ''While it''s not ordinarily allowed for someone like Kiana to sit and dine with the table, it really is more of an open secret about her connections with Countess Lita.'' Lucius thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Kiana herself seemed to have also something on her mind.

    The past week, she mostly did not disturb Asher, who was busy with his studies and she mostly conducted the household duties assigned to her by the Count and Countess, but now, she also came to a decision.

    "Viscountess ckshield?" Kiana called out.

    "Hmm?" Viscountess ckshield lowered down her cup of Humble ze. She had grown rxed within the estate of Count Inanis that it almost felt like a second home to her, although it was notpletely true.

    "Perhaps you would allow me the chance to spar with you, today?" Kiana cleared her throat and also nced at Countess Lita. "Please do not worry about the tasks for today as well, Countess. They are all in order."

    "Oh." Countess Lita nced at her niece. If there was anyone who knew about the suffering of Kiana, it would Countess Lita, and though the woman didn''t go for violence unless she was thoroughly moved, she was now more lenient.

    "That is fine with me." Viscountess ckshield smiled. There was an excited glint in her eyes. "I have always been curious of your gift since I witnessed it, Miss Kiana."

    "Really, Viscountess?" Kiana blinked ,but then returned the smile. "I am also curious to see the limitations of your shield."

    "Haha! The people here in the Inanis Household are truly exciting." Viscountess ckshieldughed and it reached her eyes. She nced at Countess Lita and the Bishop and bowed her head a little. "Pardon me, I simply get a bit too excited."

    ''I can only imagine what my family could have been like if they were still here with me. Would it have been as lively as this one? Would they have joined me in this trip to Inanis City or would I have been doing something else entirely?''

    "That is fine, please do not worry about it." Countess Lita smiled.

    "There is knowledge and skill in utilizing one''s mind and body during battle. I can understand the excitement and thrill myself." Bishop Reynald said with an understanding chuckle. "It is akin to new discoveries. But I suppose this means that Young Lord Asher must witness this spar after lunch it seems."

    Lucius was indeed interested in seeing the spar, but there was the fact that he could easily guess on the possible oue.

    ''It will be good for Kiana to spar against the Viscountess. She should have done it earlier. And while it might be interesting, I have no need to always be watching. It''s far better to make progress on my own activities.''

    "On the contrary, Bishop Reynald. I was hoping that we could continue our lessons today. We have made good progress on the first artifact, but I think we have more time to also make some others as well," Lucius said.

    Bishop Reynald looked at Asher in surprise, but then smiled and nodded. "Very well then, we shall continue."

    "Goodluck with your studies, Asher." Kiana said alongside the Countess and Viscountess. ''It is far better that Asher doesn''t see it anyway so I can improve while he''s gone¡­''

    After lunch, Lucius excused himself with Bishop Reynald and return to their lessons.

 Chapter 450 Opportunity To Meet The Royalty

    The lessons from Bishop Reynald continued that day untilte evening. All manners of simple but useful artifacts were shown to Lucius and he was given a chance to replicate them.

    "It is far easier to create artifacts that are made from metal and metal-like substances," Bishop Reynald exined to Apostle Asher. "As you''ve seen with the Aetherite, it helps effectively be a conduit of the rune crystal to the base object."

    "And that is why it is actually difficult, even impossible to create artifacts that are made with cloth as the base?" Lucius hummed slightly under his breath.

    ''In my own world, there are all fashions of magical pieces of equipment. And while they are simr to the artifacts of today''s world, the idea of magical carpets to be used as transportation was actually something found in my past world, though not necessarily within the regions of the Barrom n or the Tharian Theocracy. I suppose there are limitations to this world.''

    "Yes, it is far better to have something made fromponents or a base that can allow the Aether to conduit properly. There are things like a view enhancer, a telescope for the eyes, the armors and weapons which are well known to even essories used by the royalty and nobility."

    "essories. Do you mean their crowns, Bishop Reynald?"

    "Indeed. I have once beenmissioned to repair, or rather rece a princess''s tiara before. It was ordinarily decorated with precious gems which made it already valuable before, but it also has some special rune crystals embedded on it. In the case that their knights are vanquished and they are left in a vulnerable position, they will be able to protect themselves while they try to flee or perhaps wait for reinforcements to arrive."

    Lucius was surprised and looked at Bishop Reynald. The idea of a rune tiara was a fascinating ordeal in of itself, witnessing Bordeaux using artifacts himself being a good example as to how it could turn the tides even against Epic Ranked Gifts, but it was not the thing that captured his attention the most.

    Bishop Reynald was a bit vague about who he was referring to.

    "Do you mean the Grantz Royal family?"

    "A long time ago." Bishop Reynald smiled at the memory. "It was a great honor bestowed upon me back then. And while many do still seek my services or knowledge, such as yourself, Apostle Asher, they are hard pressed to do so due to my decision to dedicate and pour my time and energy into research."

    "I see¡­ I am quite fortunate to have your dedicated time, Bishop Reynald." Lucius said.

    ''Since he wasmissioned long ago, and with how most royal families function, I do not think that they are able to show some favoritism between the three churches here in their kingdom. Any signs of favor might create mistrust and disharmony, so it is unlikely for me to approach the royal family in any case except for that of a noble if the timees.'' Lucius thought.

    Since Asher Inanis was given the Wind Scar Sword by the King himself out of the young man''s deeds of fervor and also was willing to show favor to Rancor, or Count Inanis, despite his bloody past, it meant that the King knew how to reward people but also find their use.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Duke Wilda is one of His Majesty''s greatest supporters and was antagonistic against Count Inanis but the King still went along with his own decision and was not swayed, despite no doubt earning the displeasure of the Duke. I can only deduce what kind of man the King of Grantz is. Or know of the people rted to him.''

    The few weaker noblesined about Inanis Family desiring and coveting much during the banquet made in the Count''s honor and while Lucius did not think that Count Inanis had such lofty ambitions¡­ the same could not be applied to Lucius.

    "It seems you are curious about the royal family, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald pointed out. He noticed the way that Apostle Asher seemed to look, while normally attentive, he was now a bit lost in thought.

    "A little. I have not been able to gain an audience with His Majesty before due to the injuries I sustained during the war, so I admit to my curiosity."

    "Oh. Perhaps once you decide to reveal yourself to others in the Church of Etara, Apostle Asher then you can hold an audience with His Majesty by yourself. As you are the divine messenger of Etara herself, it is only right, no, an obligation of His Majesty toe see you and learn of her desire!" Bishop Reynald said fervently.

    "We shall see about it sometime in the future then, Bishop Reynald. Perhaps we should continue with the lessons?"

    "Very well, Apostle Asher."

    "I am actually curious about some artifacts that I have inherited from my father, Bishop Reynald. They were bestowed to me recently and while they are good weapons, the state of their rune crystals, orck thereof has made them more or less just good and sturdy weapons." Lucius said.

    ''It is possible that I might be able to get Bishop Reynald to repair these artifacts for me without any cost. While these lessons are substantial, it would also be good to gain more powerful artifact. Maybe find some use for it and reward it to someone.'' Lucius thought.

    "Perhaps it will be a great project to you then, Apostle Asher. When we have gone into more advanced lessons then you will be able to repair them yourself. While it is often sometimes better to rece an already worn down artifact with a new one, there is no doubt about the lingering attachment that one feels for artifacts. Especially ones that are handed down from family member to family member such as yours."

    "Then I will look forward to our next lessons then, Bishop Reynald." Lucius said.

    "Indeed, Apostle Asher!"

    Once their lessons ended that evening, Bishop Reynald bade the young man a good evening and left for his current residence. It left Lucius by himself until he remembered something. ''Ah, the spar between Viscountess and Kiana. How did it go?''

 Chapter 451 A Tiring Morning

    ''While I am curious about what happened¡­ knowing how Viscountess ckshield can sometimes be too exhrated with battles and Kiana''s current difficulties epting her weakness, I think I should just head to bed.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    Lucius was not normally predisposed to fatigue and tiredness, and in fact, the schedule he was going on was less of a strainpared to his constant training with Sir John before, but tonight he felt his body being ragged.

    ''Truly, even though I have already limated to this body, it continues to be a hurdle. I have already trained it before but it still is far weaker than my previous form and I had been a schr before.'' Lucius thought with an inward sigh as he made his way to his chambers.

    Lucius retired for the night and went to sleep. As he closed his eyes and drifted off, the man found himself once again returning to a familiar world.

    The same blood world that epassed him before. It was the same people and the same drivel that tried to haunt him.

    Lucius scoffed in derision. It was not easy to exin why his subconscious dreams were showing him this when there was no shred of guilt or shame in him as he encountered the shadows of his past.

    Even the new addition of Bordeaux in the dream and constant maniacalughter only served to annoy him.

    "Enough. I have no need for repeated attempts. Begone."

    Soon enough, morning came in a sh and Lucius awakened with a bit of an ache in his body. He was not actually well-rested at all.

    Lucius''s back was drenched in sweat and he sat up with a frown on his face. He ran his fingers through his hair and moved to his feet, only to hear a knock on the door.

    "Asher?"

    It was Kiana.

    "Come in." Lucius said as he made his way to his closet to get a change of clothes.

    Kiana stepped inside, bringing Asher the basin of water that he used to wash the sleep from his eyes. Neta was the one who usually did this in recent times, due to the tasks that Kiana often found herself with, but today it was her.

    It seemed like Kiana wanted to say something to him. Which was most likely the result of the spar yesterday.

    However, Lucius was too exhausted to even bother pretending to be polite and attentive to his older cousin and head servant.

    Instead, Lucius merely tugged off his shirt and looked for the one he would change to. Kiana already took care of him before and there was no hint of shame considering how she took care of "Asher" even during hisplete paralysis prior.

    Kiana cleared her throat lightly, waiting to speak to Asher, but then blinked when she looked at his back.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was covered with multiple ck dots.

    "Asher¡­?" Kiana called.

    "What is it, Kiana? I presume it is about the results of the spar with Viscountess yesterday? How did it go?" Lucius asked.

    "No, I¡ªhuh." Kiana rubbed her eyes and the ck spots that covered Asher''s back werepletely gone. Almost as if it was never there before.

    ''Am I overfatigued that I am now seeing things such as those? They looked incredibly unnatural. It is not like the spots that are prevalent in one''s body like moles and other things.'' Kiana stared at the ceiling and tried to see if she was dizzy or fatigued.

    After a moment, Lucius turned to her impatiently. He took a long and inwardly, breath before he addressed her.

    "Yes, Kiana?"

    "It''s nothing. My apologies, Asher. I thought I saw something but maybe it''s my exhaustion. I waspletely outmatched by Viscountess ckshield yesterday, and while it was a loss, she offered to give some advice and tips. We will spar again today in fact." Kiana ryed with a somewhat eager smile. "I also n to continue practicing my aim during my spare time, but is there anything else that you will need my assistance with, Asher?"

    "No. You are free to do as you wish, Kiana. My schedule for the following days will be lessons with Bishop Reynald. I will try to drop from time to time to check on things at the barracks, but most of my attention will be on learning about artifacts."

    "You really wish to make artifacts, Asher?" Kiana asked. "With how things are currently, the profits from Dionysia Brewery and the uing Masked Legion will be quite plentiful. I can imagine that we will be making a great amount of wealth even surpassing that of our current treasury."

    "The Dionysia Brewery is self sustaintable already and needs little to no guidance, especially with Lady Alessa learning the ropes and acting as its owner. In fact, there are ns for expansion already when we visited there with Viscountess ckshield. One only needs to see to it that it is going smoothly, but even without much monitoring, it shall be fine. Meanwhile, I am creating more members of the Masked Legion when there are people avable. Which does remind me, have you gotten the chance tomission the equipment set for Bordeaux?"

    "Yes, Asher." Kiana nodded firmly. "It will take a bit of time as there is discretion, but it should not be a long job. We have already worked with them before."

    "Good." Lucius nodded. He turned towards the window. The sun was seeping in and allowed warm sunlight to shine through. It was supposed to be a wee and warm sight, but instead, Lucius only looked at it with a lukewarm gaze.

    "Are you alright, Asher?" Kiana asked, sensing the mood. She didn''t make anyment about it, but now she was a little worried.

    "I''m fine. It seems like the next few days will be clear skies and sunny weather. A good chance for training for you and the other people in the barracks." Luciusmented. "If you wish to, or perhaps I''ll do it myself, I will ask if Viscountess ckshield is interested in sparring with Gellor''s team."

    "I do think she will just enjoy it."

    "And it will be good training."

 Chapter 452 Halting The Lessons

    Lucius was busy for the day, his lessons with Bishop Reynald continued from today to the next day without any issue.

    Due to his prior experience in his past world, Lucius was able to utilize his former knowledge to bring in improvements and adjustments to his artifact creation, which created great efficiency.

    Bishop Reynald found himself clearly in awe and shock whenever Lucius performed such a feat that was befitting of an Apostle of Etara.

    While it did get a little tiring to hear constant praises, Lucius was steadfast in his studies and soon grew more and more.

    ''Hmm, I think it''s now appropriate for me to slow down the lessons a little bit. While Bishop Reynald is unwilling to repair the old Inanis artifacts by himself, I also need to preupy myself with the other uing tasks for theing days and weeks.'' Lucius thought.

    Since Lucius''s first talk in Etara''s Cross with Baron Hugh and his speech, the need for the Masked Legion Mercenaries and the rehabilitation center became prominent and a forefront of his attention.

    ''I''ve given the people there enough time to prepare. I have expectations that they are able to bring for viable ns for the expansion to the other cities, and if there are any other things to correct then I must need to look into them.'' Lucius thought.

    "Apostle Asher, is something of the matter?" Bishop Reynald asked, noticing that the young man''s attention was not on him.

    ''Even though he is the Apostle of Etara, the truth of the matter is that he is still also a young man. Blessed with divine wisdom, it is also up to him to decide how to use it. Perhaps he is now experiencing some fatigue from the continuous study.'' Bishop Reynald thought.

    "Ah, Bishop. I was perhaps wondering if we could take a few day''s break." Lucius said. "There are some other matters that I will need to aplish beforehand before I can once again devote my attention to artifact creation."

    "Please do not worry about it, Apostle Asher. Your grasp of both the concept and practical application far exceeds that of any apprentice and peer I have ever met so we are actually far ahead of schedule in my eyes. If you wish to take some time off, we can easily resume it at another time." Bishop Reynald said.

    "I have matters uing, Bishop Reynald," Lucius said, noticing that the old man had made some assumptions of what Lucius was nning to do.

    While it was not a requirement to correct Bishop Reynald, at that particr moment, Lucius stopped writing down in his script parchment and cleared his throat.

    "You have already noticed Viscountess''s ckshield presence, Bishop Reynald?"

    "Yes, the Viscountess is a fierce woman. To be able to sit down with her at a table and actually hear her speak is something akin to obtaining a rare tome." Bishop Reynald chuckled. "While not well-versed in things of the artifact, the way that she discusses and engages with Count Inanis about better steps on how to improve the guards of Count Inanis''s barracks is most informative for those who are uninitiated in all thingsbat."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    It was exceedingly true that the fact that Viscountess ckshield was giving advice to Count Inanis was something akin to dropping multiple siege cannonball attacks, there was a chance that the Count might get offended but Viscountess ckshield was zealous in pointing out where improvements needed to be made in an unforgiving manner.

    Lucius noted thepliment paid forward to the Viscountess before he cleared his throat to return the subject back to the matter at hand.

    "Well, she is not the only one who will be visiting here, Bishop Reynald. I have not yet received word, but Baron Hugh''s visit is alsoing for which I need to cater, and along with it is another project rted to the growth of the Inanis'' Family name that is worth investing time too. We have made contact with the Masked Legion and are working with them to expand their reach across the kingdom and elsewhere if possible." Lucius exined.

    "Ah. So many projects indeed." Bishop Reynald shook his head. "I have forgotten that a young nobleman such as yourself is required to participate in numerous activities. It is not actually that far from the church, but we also dedicate adequate periods of rest, Apostle Asher."

    "Yes. I am doing my best to manage myself ordingly, Bishop Reynald. You need not to worry." Lucius said,pletely unaware that his own back was dotted with ck spots for a couple seconds, lingering over his skin before they all disappeared once more.

    Lucius didn''t feel it, but unconsciously, he shifted a little in his seat and felt a certain ache.

    "Of course, forgive me for thinking too forwardly, Apostle Asher. If you wish to cut the lessons today, then I shall be departing back to my residence today and shall return at your call." Bishop Reynald bowed his head. It was wrong for him to assume that the Young Lord Asher Inanis was like any other youth among his age and was only given a brilliant gift, in fact, the young man was advanced in years as well.

    "Thank you."

    Once Bishop Reynald excused himself and made his way out of the Inanis Mansion. Lucius allowed himself a moment of rest andid his head against the back of the chair.

    "Asher?" Kiana''s knock and interruption came in after a few minutes. "Bishop Reynald left for the day. Is something the matter?"

    "No. I need to head to the re education center, Kiana. Prepare me a carriage ride, I shall be heading over there once you''re done."

    Kiana looked hard at Asher and thought that he looked a bit sickly. However, she knew that Asher was a man with a stubbornness greater than anything that she had ever witnessed.

    "Very well, Asher." Kiana excused herself to aplish her task, and after about ten minutes, she and Lucius were heading towards the re education center.

    It was time to check on how they were.

 Chapter 453 Suitable Plans For Expansion

    "Young Lord Asher!" Old Man Johan along with other residents of the re education center was eager at Lucius''s arrival, even more so than usual.

    "Ah, Mister Johan. It has been a while, it is good to see you and the others here." Lucius greeted with a crafted smile on his face. "I havee to check on the results."

    The reason why these people were gathered in the first ce was because Kiana saw them as useful people to Asher and that they were also individuals who suffered injustice, both great and small.

    Their time in the re education center filled them with a sense of purpose and calling. It was a vocation for them and a mission to do better for the world and Young Lord Asher''sst request was something that was asked to make them work twice as harder.

    During the time when Lucius exined the expansion, a great number of the existing teachers all volunteered to take part in the mission to spread to the other cities, they were eager to introduce this ''reformation'' that would change the lives of the city and its people for the better.

    "Pleasee in right away, Young Lord Asher. We have been anxiously waiting for you. If it weren''t for the lockdown of the city prior, we would have gone to the Inanis mansion ourselves and delivered our ns¡­" Old Man Johan said with a chuckle as he and the others led Lucius and Kiana inside of the rehabilitation center. "But of course, we realized that it would be a terrible thing to disturb you because you have other projects. Instead, it is far better that youe here when you find the time than the other way around, after all."

    ''Interesting. Despite the fact that a criminal, Bordeaux the Mad de, was discovered to be in the city, there is no hint of any such fear on the faces of these people. Their hearts and mind have truly given in and are filled with such fervor.'' Lucius thought.

    The re education center was spotless and shining, the corridors that they walked through was clean, almost glowing with the same spark of artifacts made for worship, and soon Lucius found himself meeting up with Old Man Johan and a few selected in an office.

    These volunteers were the most brilliant among them. Not everyone was capable of reading and writing, and not everyone was sharp-witted or great atmunication but out of the great number that Kiana had gathered, there were a select few that stood out and was able to present their ns to Asher and witness their founder''s reaction.

    "These are the documents, Young Lord Asher."

    "Thank you. These all looked organized with care." Lucius said, choosing to offer somepliments, before opening the folder.

    Lucius took a quick moment to nce at the title of the document before scanning through everything. He was a fast reader and thus was able to check the details rather quickly.

    All of the people held their breaths in anticipation. Kiana was curious and tried to discreetly nce over Lucius''s shoulder to see what the people created, but Lucius snapped the folder shut.

    Silence echoed inside the room as they nced at Asher''s handsome features that was marred by not a single emotion.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I have a few pointers to give to this n, but it is overall excellent and can be implemented at once." Lucius said.

    One of the people sighed in relief, their hearts nearly about to burst in anxiety. The teacher stepped forward, a fervent look on her face. "I will correct them immediately, Young Lord Asher."

    Lucius spent the next few minutes exining the issue to the woman before the woman quickly scribbled edits on the document.

    Once Lucius was done, he moved on to the next set of ns and checked them at a faster speed this time and finding little to no error.

    ''They are the cream of the crop here in this re education center and shall be traveling to different cities. Their hearts and mind are mostly transformed now with the ''teaching'' and ''training'' I have provided before so it is a necessity to ensure that they are not wasted when they are sent to other cities¡­'' Lucius thought for a moment and then nced down at the floor. He imagined the secretboratory beneath the re education center, which was filled with things that people who wished to avoid his ire were best to leave it unattended and untouched.

    "After checking all of your work, it is clear that I can actually send all of you to the following cities that have disyed interest, in learning about our center," Lucius said. "You all will first form one team and then be sent to the first city that is closest to us. Etara''s Cross''s Baron Hugh will be checking to see if we can prove that there truly can be a reduction in crimes." Lucius said.

    "Thank you for your trust in us, Young Lord Asher!" the people chorused as one.

    "In addition, it has also urred to me that traveling in such arge group may attract attention. It may be enough to deter some bandits and other unsavory individuals from causing any trouble, but I will be assigning a few members from the Masked Legion Mercenary to act as your guards."

    The residence of the re education center stared in shock at Young Lord Asher. It was unimaginable that their founder would not only send them on a mission that they were all eager to devote themselves to but also personally fund an escort group for them.

    It was quite well known that mercenaries were paid well for dangerous and important tasks.

    The re education center was mostly made of volunteers who chose to humble themselves and live simpler lives that sought to change their current city''s and kingdom''s problems.

    It meant that they did not have a lot of funding aside from what Asher has gave them at the start and could only imagine the price of such an elite group that saved the Inanis army from Viscount Drew''s army.

    They werepletely unaware that the Masked Legion Mercenaries that they were eager to meet were made in the very same building where they were residing in.

 Chapter 454 Letters Of Intent And Expansion Of The Brewery

    "Where shall we be going next to, Asher?" Kiana asked once they left the rehabilitation center and returned to the carriage.

    "Hmm¡­ I was unable to speak with Alessast time due to Viscountess ckshield''s presence there, but since I have some free time on my hands, it will be good to check on how things are." Lucius said.

    "Alright, Asher." Kianamunicated his desires to the carriage driver and soon they were off.

    Along their ride to Dionysia''s Brewery, Lucius thought about the following nobles who expressed their interest in the re education center and hiring the Masked Legion mercenaries.

    ''Most of them did show a favorable stance during Count Inanis''s banquet, but considering that most did not take any initiative, we only have a selected number of nobility who will be the first to experience our services.'' Lucius thought.

    "Kiana, do you remember Baron Harmund?" Lucius asked.

    Kiana''s expression suddenly scrunched up at the mention of the nobleman''s name. It didn''t escape Lucius''s attention even while she cleared her throat.

    "He was one of the supporters of Count Inanis during the banquet, Asher. As I have told you before, his father participated in the battle against Gisirst year and passed away hence he was able to inherit the rank of a Baron at his age." Kiana rattled off the detail in a perfunctory manner.

    "Yes, I remember that. I''ve met the man as well, Kiana." Lucius said, raising his brows at the woman''s temper. "What I was trying to ask of you was that you were conversing with him if I remember."

    "Countess Lita was the one who initiated the talk first and introduced me, Asher." Kiana sighed a little with dismay and folded her hands on herp.

    ''I know that my status is different from Asher''s, but we have grown close enough that I do not think that he finds any issues that I am much more frank than other servants. Not to mention that we are rted¡­ so he should be able to understand.'' Kiana thought.

    "Regardless, you have spoken in length with him far more than I have." Lucius said.

    "Yes¡­ and it has been a certain experience." Kiana said, wanting to speak more but then restrained herself. "He is quite pressured by the responsibilities of a Baron. There has been a lot of interest shown by some young women in his during the banquet, though not as much as towards you, Asher."

    Kiana said thest part with a bit of pride but also some disgust toward the girls. She knew that it wasmon to marry for the sake of convenience, a transaction between two families, but if they were interested in Asher then they needed to act with more civility and levelheadedness if they were to actually engage with him.

    "If you are close with him, Kiana. I''d like you to write up a draft yourself and send a letter addressed to him in regards to the Masked Legion mercenary and the rehabilitation center. I think he might be interested in the former than thetter, but having two there will be more good." Lucius said.

    It was his intention to create as many Lost as possible and thus the more rehabilitation center he had across the kingdom of Grantz then the more that his potential power increased.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''We''ll start small, but once there are rehabilitation centers everywhere then it''ll allow me to have Lost and I''ll extend my influence.''

    "You¡­ you wish for me to write a letter to Baron Harmund?" Kiana asked in surprise. She didn''t expect anything like this from Asher.

    "Yes, it is a business letter but the fact that the two of you have conversed may also make it more likely for him to agree to both." Lucius said. "Do you have any issues with it?"

    "No. Not at all, Asher. I am simply surprised. I¡­ I suppose that Baron Harmund had confided in me a lot during our conversation back at the banquet and it has made me exhausted. While I''ve been sympathetic as I knew his story, interacting with the man in person is a different thing all together." Kiana said wearily. "But since this is for the case of the Inanis family then I will do so."

    "Good," Lucius said as he checked through the window of Dionysia Brewery. There were a few more people than usual outside which made him raise his brows.

    The two quickly stepped out and went to approach the people gathered. Kiana was ready for anything, while Lucius carried himself in a rxed manner.

    "What happened here?" Lucius called out. The people were construction workers, individuals that he had hired before during the start of the brewery''s creation.

    "Ah, Young Lord Asher!" the people greeted him at once, recognizing his face.

    It was John who came forward and bowed his head. "Young Lord Asher, a good day to you. To what do we owe the honor of the visit?"

    With their internal arrangement, John had to act like someone who owned the brewery through his wife.

    "I have visited thest time here with Viscountess, but was also tempted toe here alone to check some of your wine and see if I can do some free tasting myself." Lucius said with a chuckle.

    John joined in amicably with a smile. "You are the future Lord of this city, Young Lord Asher. We cannot turn you away even if we wanted to. Pleasee in. One of you let my wife know that Young Lord Asher has arrived."

    "Is the brewery expanding again?" Lucius asked as the construction workers resumed back to work. There were a lot of materials outside and what appeared to be the start of new buildings.

    "Yes, there is that, Young Lord Asher." John nodded but then cleared his throat. "But there was also a small incident some time ago that we haven''t actually shared that much before¡­"

    "And what is that" Lucius''s gaze sharpened as he eyed the man before him. If there was anything that happened to Dionysia Brewery while he was gone, Lucius needed to know of it.

 Chapter 455 A Failed Attempt At Intrusion

    ?

    John led Asher and Kiana towards a more secluded area of the brewery, and then he gestured discreetly to the building.

    "If you have noticed Young Lord Asher, we have already repaired the sustained damage before but there have been some attempts a few weeks ago at what I believe to be entering the brewery."

    "I see. Was it during the time of the banquet?" Lucius asked. The only time when John was unable to function as the private security of the Dionysia Brewery was that time.

    "No, it was when we returned, Young Lord Asher. I encountered the attempt myself," John exined. "It was during one of my patrols at night. There was someone who came and evaded the attention of other men here, but I was able to witness his speed and attempt at breaking in."

    "I see. Thank you for informing me now, Sir John but you have chosen not to report this because you were able to prevent it?" Lucius asked.

    "No. I ryed it to Count Inanis, Young Lord Asher. It was a day before the lockdown, so I think that perhaps Count Inanis may have forgotten to address it to you." John said.

    When Viscountess ckshield apanied them all the way back to Inanis City, both John and Alessa were mostly delegated back into their daily duties without much recognition.

    Of course, it was natural that an up-anding merchant would find herself preupied with the daily running of Dionysia Brewery, and John was needed, but they were still somewhat separated from the circle of nobility.

    "I see¡­ and you say that it was a day before the lockdown?" Lucius asked. He became intrigued and it felt familiar all of a sudden as he nced at Sir John. There was no injury on the man''s person and he lookedpletely fine, unbothered by anything.

    And yet Lucius had a feeling that he knew who might have thought that it was a great idea toe to break into Dionysia''s Brewery without any forethought.

    ''If I were Bordeaux and had just arrived in Inanis City on a whim because of what I''ve heard about Rancor and his giftless son, I would also most likely check out other new things like the rehabilitation center¡­ but most importantly this brewery.'' Lucius thought.

    "Yes, it waste at night. The person who came in was a huge and tall figure dressed in a cloak, rather bigger than Captain Donald, but what was most intriguing was that in his own attempts to enter the brewery, he tried to break down the building''s walls. I do not think the person was sound of mind." John exined.

    "And how were you able to deal with this individual? Were they skilled in the de or any form of weapon?" Lucius said. "Were they using a sword and a short dagger, perhaps?"

    "¡­I do remember the glint of such weapons, but during my encounter, I immediately applied Mirror Coat on several area of the ground and memorized where they were. His attempts at trying to run me through was a poor pathetic attempt." John chuckled. "He was fast enough to evade the other patrols, but I think he experienced quite much slipping that he chose to leave out of his own volition¡­ I should have given chase, but he was extremely fast."

    "I see." Lucius said. "Thank you for informing me, Sir John. I am d that there were no other damage to the brewery, and there have been no other attempts from this cloaked man?"

    "No. He did not return."

    "Good." Lucius said with a calm nod.

    Kiana looked extremely close to blurting and cursing, but she held herself back when Asher didn''t say anything.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''This¡­ this person who came to Dionysia''s Brewery should be Bordeaux! And Sir John faced that mad man all by himself and survived?'' Kiana thought in rm. ''He does not even know that he evaded such a monster of a man. Asher isn''t saying anything but this is¡­''

    ''What devilish luck. Simr to his gift, Mirror Coat, somehow he was able to slip away from dying at the hands of Bordeaux. Now that I think about it, Sir John was blessed with his daughter receiving a powerful gift, is close to Count Inanis and also has experienced quite advancements in a short period of time.'' Lucius thought. ''It is almost like there has been providence provided to him. I wonder how much luck this man actually has¡­''

    The concept of luck was something that could be debated greatly by people, but there was also the fact that it was an actual thing and others gambled with it or siphoned it from other sources.

    ''With everything that has happened, I have nearly forgotten about things. But if luck is on his side, then it will be in his favor too.''

    Lucius checked at John''s gift once more.

    Gift Name: Mirror Coat

    Description: Transform a part of the body''s surface or anything that is touched into a mirror.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical/Transmutation

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 20x Aether Crystals, 800ml Quicksilver, 3x Mist Veil Beast Rune Crystal

    When Lucius saw the requirements, he became greatly pleased.

    ''Right. I''ve already obtained Mist Veil Beast Rune Crystals already with the assistance of Gellor''s team, with Finch acting at the forefront of the group with her me Touch ability. The twenty Aether crystals are easy to obtain and as for the Quicksilver? I thought it was hard to obtain at first, not being used in mirrors and other items, but I can have Kiana simply go to a smithy to get it.'' Lucius thought as a smile curled on his lips.

    "Young Lord Asher?" both Kiana and John became confused.

    "You are quite a lucky man, Sir John."

    "I¡­ I am indeed quite fortunate, Young Lord Asher." John said humbly, though also a little confused as to why the young nobleman brought it up.

    "Once I have finished dealing with the matter here in Dionysia Brewery, I think it will also be a good opportunity to talk in private, Sir John." Lucius said. "We have much to discuss."

 Chapter 456 A Cause For Celebration

    ?

    The main purpose of Lucius''s visit to Dionysia Brewery was to check on how the business was going and so he finished the task first.

    "Young Lord Asher, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Lady Alessa greeted once Asher and Kiana stepped into her office. There was a smile on her face as she looked at them and raised her head from writing a parchment.

    ''It seems like visiting Etara''s Cross and being introduced to the circle of nobility has good effects and allowed some exuberance for Alessapared to how she was before. I was almost suspecting that they might feel some disconcert at being left in the background when Viscountess ckshield joined us on our way back, but the contrary is disyed.'' Lucius thought, observing the situation.

    "We''vee to check on how things are going on here, Lady Alessa. Is that a document regarding the state of the brewery?" Lucius asked as he motioned to the parchment.

    "O-oh, please let me retrieve them first. This is from Baroness Hugh, I''m afraid." Alessa said as she immediately opened some drawers and located the documents about the brewery. "I will also put this away first."

    Lucius didn''tment on anything and neither did it show on his face, but he was surprised that Baroness Hugh actually exchanged letters with Alessa already.

    ''There is quite an importance in being able towork, so it is quite good that Alessa and even Baroness Hugh have connected in ways that are good for the brewery. Baron Hugh will naturally follow once the people from the rehabilitation arrive and that wille in a few days or so.'' Lucius thought.

    After a moment of consideration, Lucius cleared his throat.

    "It seems like Baroness Hugh and you get along well now, Lady Alessa. I am d of this. From what I remember of her during the banquet, she is quite cold and detached but you two are talking."

    "Yes, I was a little nervous about it as well, Young Lord Asher." Alessa said with an embarrassed smile. "But Baroness Hugh has proven to be quite a good person despite her appearances."

    "Indeed. One should not let ourselves be conformed by initial perception." Luciusmented in a rxed tone. He did not necessarily have to get along well with Alessa, but there was the perfunctory role of being a noble and so he asked a little before they settled into discussing business manners.

    "We''ve already raised the prices before, but I think it will not hurt our profit margin if we increase it some more," Lucius said.

    Alessa blinked, she knew how much profit the brewery was making and would have been proud of it already, however, Asher was not satisfied. She regained herposure and nodded.

    "If that is what you think, Young Lord Asher, I will follow what you have said. I do not think it will be odd at all with how merchants are already increasing the price rapidly. We should take the chance as well. Shall we raise it to 40 silvers per bottle then?" Alessa suggested.

    "Yes, let us go with that." Lucius nodded. He briefly checked the documents and ascertained everything was in order and discussed a little with Alessa about the general direction of the brewery.

    "The development of new vats and another building is already on the way, Young Lord Asher to satisfy the demand. It has decreased the profit margin a bit but¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "It is a good choice. I think this is all that I came here for, Lady Alessa. I will be meeting with your husband and borrowing him tonight." Lucius said.

    ***

    Sir John did not have any idea what Young Lord Asher had in mind, but he ended up quite surprised when the man did not take him to the Inanis Mansion but instead to one of the more popr restaurants in the city.

    ''Young Lord Asher¡­ is not the type of man to suddenly take someone somewhere. I wonder what he wishes to discuss?'' John thought.

    "Since I''ve said it is a time of celebration, I hope that you do not mind me taking you here, Sir John." Lucius said.

    Kiana was gone and had left to retrieve the materials needed for the Gift Upgrade at the rehabilitation center and was to return as fast as she could.

    "I am deeply humbled, Young Lord Asher. I do not have any idea as to what there is to celebrate unless it is a continuation of the festivities from Count Inanis''s battle, but I was no participant there." Sir John said.

    "It is not about that, but I am referring to the sudden rise of events for you and your family. Life has been good to you, Sir John." Lucius said.

    John was a little surprised by the words of Asher. Earlier it was genuine praise but now it became a little serious. It made the man a little frantic on his chair, cautious of what might happen.

    ''I have not done anything wrong did I? There was the fact that the attempted break in at the brewery was not ryed properly, but Young Lord Asher has been most gracious all this time. I hope that we do not appear like we''re trying to take more than we deserve.'' Sir John thought with trepidation in his chest.

    The Lieutenant was simple in the sense that he cared greatly for his family and wanted the best for them so in the case that he or Alessa may have offended Young Lord Asher in anyway, then it only made sense for him to rectify the situation.

    This was for him, his wife and most importantly their baby, Cia.

    ''I want a good future for me and my family, especially Cia¡­ if we were to dare offend Asher and his family, it will be a difficult thing to do. I must make reparations.'' Sir John thought. ''I may have gotten too big of myself and used to their grace. The fact that I allowed that attempted trespasser away without giving chase is truly enough to gain the ire of Young Lord Asher.''

    "I apologize profusely for what happened, Young Lord Asher."

 Chapter 457 Paving Way For A Better Future

    ?

    "Hmmm? What are you talking about, Lieutenant John?" Lucius raised his brow, momentarily pausing from slicing the steak he had.

    Instead of enjoying the dinner at this well-loved restaurant in Inanis City, Lieutenant John looked like he was given hisst meal at death row.

    "I did not think that I would forget my ce and position, Young Lord Asher, but it hase to this¡­ that I thought that an incident at the Dionysia Brewery would be easy to forget." Sir John said while his head hung low. "I am terribly ashamed for simplyughing about it earlier when it is a dire situation. I was unable to think about things clearly."

    "We do not need to talk about this in an environment like this, Sir John." Lucius said.

    "Ah, I have forgotten yet again." Sir John winced when he realized that they were in a restaurant and the chances that there might be eavesdroppers might happen.

    "Do not worry about those things, Lieutenant John. If the situation was truly dire then I would have spoken more quickly about it, but that is not what I came here for with you." Lucius said. "We are not here to talk about that. Instead, I want you to think about something else, even more contradictory to what you are speaking about."

    "Contradictory?" John didn''t understand but he hung to every word.

    "While the grievances of such an incident hase to pass, I do not wish for you to think about forgetting your ce. The Inanis Family is already grateful for your service and loyalty, but have you thought about reaching for more?"

    "Reaching¡­ reaching for more?"

    "Yes. While my father, Count Inanis hase from a family who was already of the rank of nobility, the same cannot be said for you, Lieutenant John and I do not speak about it with ill intent, but merely to point out that my ancestors were in the same position as you are and then climbed the ranks so that their future children would obtain more."

    "I¡­ I understand what you are trying to say, Young Lord Asher, but to tell you the truth is that I am not a person like Count Inanis or his predecessors. I took my job in the military necessary I am good at it and wish to contribute to the kingdom of Grantz as well as take care of my family. I do not have the same ambition as you do as well, Young Lord Asher." Sir John chuckled and shook his head as he epted his wine. "Imagining things like trying to gain more distinction in the military to be a noble and then strive for more¡­ I am content with the life I have now. In fact, Alessa and I are most grateful for what you and your family has bestowed to us, Young Lord Asher."

    Lucius stared at Lieutenant John and reigned back in a sigh. He truly did not have much understanding for those without ambition and goals. He understood the notion of a simple life which many might have wanted, but Lucius was someone who wanted the whole world to himself.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''It seems like I have to take this into another direction then. The reason why this has all happened in the first ce and what drew the Count and Countess'' attention. If the Appraisal Ceremony did not happen, John and his wife would have truly been able to fade into the background of obscurity.'' Lucius thought.

    "I understand, you, Lieutenant John. To have a family, a beautiful wife and a precious daughter must be something that brings you great joy."

    "They are the love of my life." Lieutenant John said with a smile full of fondness. "Alessa sometimesins that I love our daughter a little bit more than her, but she has her mother''s eyes and spirit. Ah, forgive me for speaking too forwardly, Young Lord Asher."

    "No need to worry. Even though I do not gave a child of my own, I can imagine how much she means to you¡­" Lucius said with well-crafted smile. "Your daughter, Cia¡­ as you said, isn''t she a beautiful reflection of you and your wife? I can say that I think her future is bright. She has an Epic Rank gift, Thorn Mistress, originally belonging to that of the Great Warrior Delia. It is a gift that appeared after a century of waiting. What kind of future do you see your child growing up in? If I were a father, I would do my best to pave the future for her as much as possible."

    Sir John found himself blinking and staring at Young Lord Asher in confusion and awe. The way that the young man spoke almost seemed like he was someone who was a father as well.

    It made Lieutenant John gulp.

    ''I¡­ at my status and rank now, the future I can provide for Cia is good but it cannot bepared to that of other people. Young Lord Asher is right, I want to provide the best for my daughter. To dedicate all the resources I have and make sure that she can achieve all she wants to achieve in this life.'' Lieutenant John nced at Asher''s warm smile.

    ''The Count and Countess are good people alongside Young Lord Asher, but if we had been in any other city, the situation might be more serious. They would grow to have much interest in Cia and mold her in a way to be used as a weapon¡­ there''s not much interference now that she''s a baby, but when she grows older then things will change. We cannot always rely on the goodwill of the Inanis Fanily.'' John pondered

    "I think I understand what you mean now, Young Lord Asher. A motivation to do better than you think you''re capable of, to give the entire world to the people you love? I thank you for your words or encouragement, I think, no, I will strive for more. My daughter Cia needs all the support that she can get." Sir John said earnestly.

    Lucius stared at the man for a moment, before he nodded. "Then I, Asher, will help you pave that way, Sir John."

 Chapter 458 Time For John

    ?

    Lieutenant John smiled and felt immensely grateful towards Asher, so when the Young Lord extended his hand for a shake, he quickly shook the man''s hand.

    There was a quick, numb feeling that passed, but overall, it ended so quickly that Lieutenant John imagined that it was nothing.

    To him, it was an incredible thing that someone as young as the Lord Asher would feel like someone advanced in his years right now.

    As they finished up their dinner, Kiana soon returned with a couple of items in tow.

    "Good evening. I have done as you asked, Asher." Kiana said with a smile, and nced over at Lieutenant John. "It is good to see that you are feeling better too, Sir John."

    "Ah, we''ve discussed much, Young Lord Asher and I." Lieutenant John said, slightly embarrassed.

    "That''s great. I have already talked with the nearest innkeeper, Asher. A room is already avable." Kiana said.

    "Thank you. Shall we get going now, Lieutenant John?"

    Meanwhile, within the famous restaurant in Inanis City, there was the presence of two people that Lucius both knew.

    The first was Sir Cambrian, the weapon shop owner and a noble, who was seated and having dinner with Finch.

    After the time that Finch was discovered by Sir Cambrian''s wife, the rtionship between the two had changed a little, and so it was with great effort that Sir Cambrian brought Finch to restaurants to treat her.

    "Finch? Did you listen to what I''ve said?"

    "Hmmm?" Finch lowered her wine ss down and nced at Sir Cambrian. "What was that you said? Something about Viscountess ckshield, right?"

    "Yes, I''ve said something about that." Sir Cambrian nodded. "I was mostly asking about what you''ve done recently. It''s been a while since the two of us had gotten a chance to meet together."

    Finch smiled a little tired, but then shrugged a little helplessly. Compared to when she was out with other people who knew her, the Finch with Sir Cambrian was a lot more rxed and less stressed with expressing what was on her mind.

    "Ariana has been starting to see someone I think, but for the life of me, I don''t know if it''s Barty or Albus. My intuition says it''s Albus, but it could be Barty, since that guy is a little sneaky when given the chance."

    "Hmm, the members of your team¡­" Sir Cambrian noted. "Why do you not think that it''s someone outside of your group? That is also possible."

    "It''s just better to meet with someone around the same line of your work." Finch said. "That means that the two of you will get to see each other more frequently."

    Sir Cambrian was about to say something in response to Finch''s words but then noticed the presence of the two men.

    "Hah. I think we should pay respect to the Lord Inanis." Sir Cambrian said.

    "Lord Inanis?" Finch''s expression suddenly shifted slightly and she looked up expectantly at the Young Lord, Miss Kiana and Lieutenant John.

    "Ah, Sir Cambrian, Miss Finch. A good evening to the two of you." Lucius momentarily greeted alongside Lieutenant John.

    Lucius didn''t expect that he''d see the two together, but then he really didn''t care much for the lives of his hire unless it was rted to their work.

    Kiana and Lieutenant John also paid their greetings, but it was Young Lord Asher whom the people wanted to talk to.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I did not expect that the busy Young Lord would have time to get out at all." Sir Cambrian greeted with a chuckle. "It''s been a while since we''ve seen each other."

    "Indeed, it has been. Unfortunately, I have something of an important matter to discuss with Lieutenant John." Lucius said respectfully. "And ah, Miss Finch. Perhaps around this time this week, please inform Gellor toe visit our residence. There are some things that I would like to discuss with him and your group."

    "O-of course, Young Lord Asher." Finch nodded. "Please have a good evening to all of you."

    ***

    Once they''ve ended their festivities and made their way to the private inn, Lucius allowed himself to prepare the materials for the evolution of John''s gift.

    ''I could have done the upgrading of the gift at the Inanis Mansion, but with Viscountess ckshield''s presence over there, I cannot risk myself revealing this gift of mine unless I were certain of her allegiances.'' Lucius thought.

    Instead, Sir John and Kiana stayed inside the inn and looked at the materials with a mesmerized look.

    "20 Aether Crystals, 800mL of Quicksilver and 3 Mist Veil Rune Crystals." Lucius said underneath his breath.

    Even though Sir John witnessed the itemsid out before him, Lucius didn''t have any issues with it and knew that the man was under his control.

    While Lucius originally kept his methods a secret from Arius and hispanions, the same was not the case for Gellor and now Sir John.

    Although, John was actually still confused about what was about to happen.

    "Why is¡­ heying out all of these materials? What is the purpose of this?" Sir John asked with a hint of concern. "I have no knowledge of artifact building, which I heard is something that Asher is doing while training under an Artificer, but this feels a bit different."

    Lucius''s ears pricked up a little at the mention of the Artificer. Even though Sir John and Alessa''s presence was missing from the Inanis Mansion frequently, the same could not be said for their eyes and ears.

    ''I wonder who told them about it? The Count? The Countess? Both are possible.'' Lucius thought, but then he cleared his throat and offered the man a smile.

    "This is how I have chosen to help you, Lieutenant John. While it hase to your understanding that I am Giftless, the truth is that I was blessed to have a Gift." Lucius said.

    Lieutenant John reacted in the same way that the others in the past have done, with shock, surprise and then joy for Asher.

    It was nothing new, but soon enough, the evolution of John''s gift came.

    Gift Name: Counter Mirror

    Description: Can create mirrors which can reflect attacks. the effectiveness depends on the strength of the attack and the consumption of Aether will vary ordingly.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Physical/Transmutation

    Evolution: Possible

 Chapter 459 Counter Mirror

    Lieutenant John''s eyes widened as he realized what his Gift had be. He stared in awe at Young Lord Asher and didn''t even know what to say.

    "My Gift¡­ is now Epic Rank?"

    "Yes, just like your daughter''s." Lucius chuckled wryly. "I do not know if this is something that you wish to report to others, Lieutenant John but I would suggest that you keep it to yourself and then use it as a chance to catch enemies off guard. Your enemies underestimating you is a great way to ovee them."

    Lucius didn''t have to tell others that much to keep it a secret, mostly because it was understood how special it was to have someone who was capable of increasing one''s Gift rank.

    However, Lieutenant John immediately bowed and smiled. "I merely wish to report it to your father, Count Gabriel, and perhaps to my wife as well, Young Lord Asher. I hope that will be fine?"

    "Very well. I do not think there will be any harm in letting a select others know about it. However, keep the fact that your gift has upgraded being something that came from me a secret." Lucius said. "While this may elevate the rank of the Inanis Family, it will also draw the ire and envy of others. The gifts that I have with me, the knowledge that I am sharing and bestowing, I prefer to be the one who chooses where to put my resources into."

    "Of course, it is your Gift. It should be yours to control." Lieutenant John agreed.

    "But I am quite curious in seeing how well your Gift can function. Kiana here has an Epic Rank gift as well, so please allow her to use her gift in one of your mirrors if you will, Sir John." Lucius said.

    "Of course."

    A beautiful silver-like mirror appeared around the wall of the inn. Some hesitation appeared on John''s face.

    "If I were unable to reflect the attack, I am afraid that the damage we may cause is¡­"

    "Have more confidence in yourself, Lieutenant John. This gift is yours, you know it best and to what extent it can take," Lucius said, not bothering to exin that he also knew the contents of said gift.

    "I will start weakly first, Lieutenant John." Kiana said as her palm released one Sting. It was around the length of her finger and she allowed it to attack at a moderate speed towards the mirror.

    John''s mirror immediately reflected the attack back at Kiana to which she quickly dodged. Her eyes widened, but she was impressed and so was Lucius.

    ''While it is easier to see how it works against Kiana''s gift that works as a projectile, I am curious about how it will work on others less easy toprehend. Barty''s wind gift, Bergan''s poison in his hand¡­ those things cannot be easily reflected, can it?'' Lucius thought.

    "Was that satisfactory?" Lieutenant John asked. He was proud of himself for being able to do something.

    ''In the past, I have witnessed Kiana''s attack kill a great number of bandits. The fact that I can do such a thing now means that I truly have grown stronger.'' Lieutenant John thought.

    ''Once again, another person has grown able to withstand my attacks.'' Kiana thought with some displeasure as she hid it in her expression. ''Viscountess ckshield''s shield that blocks everything to Lieutenant John, who can now reflect attacks. If I were to attempt to shower a multitude of Sting Sniper at him, I would simply find myself having to dodge the effects of my own attack.'' Kiana thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Indeed it was, Sir John. I can imagine that it will be a great asset in the future for you and for others," Lucius said.

    The conversation didn''tst that long and soon enough, Sir John asked permission to return to Dionysia Brewery.

    "I will need toe and fetch Alessa to share the good news." Sir John said with a smile. "Perhaps we could even share a bottle of Humble ze before the price increase happens, haha."

    The Lieutenant was earnest and decisive, and Lucius didn''t realize that it was something that the man possessed.

    ''When you have a clear goal in life, whether it is to protect your family or conquer the world, the vision is clear in your eyes and you know which path to go.'' Lucius thought.

    Even though there was a great difference between Lucius and Lieutenant John and the path that they walked on, the two at least were both clear and had rity on their vision.

    "Come now, Kiana. We should head back." Lucius said.

    Along their carriage ride back to the Inanis Mansion, Lucius nced out at the window.

    "We will need to work on the others who need their gifts to be upgraded. Who do you suggest we work on next, Kiana?"

    "You spoke with Miss Finch earlier, didn''t you and asked her toe with Gellor this week. Do you have enough time to upgrade someone else''s gift, Asher?"

    Even though Kiana did not have the concept of Hell Energy, she was under the presumption that all Gifts required Aether and thus Asher was in a weaker position after he upgraded someone else''s gift.

    "I do. I was actually thinking of one particr candidate. He has served the Inanis Family for a long time, and while I would have liked to upgrade an Epic rank gift now to Legendary¡­ at this particr point in time, it will be great to focus on those with Rare Rank Gifts and then go from there."

    "That makes Asher. It is far better to focus on building more people under you." Kiana agreed. "And if you were to simply keep upgrading and upgrading, it does make sense that some would take it for granted¡­"

    "Why does it seem like you are talking about yourself, Kiana?" Lucius asked with slight humor in his voice.

    It had been quite some time that Lucius had been in this world, and thus, it was not exactly wrong to say that he had a certain grasp on other people.

    "¡­ It''s fine, Asher. Who will you be upgrading next?"

 Chapter 460 A Spar With The Captain

    ?

    "Captain Donald will be my next subject, the next person, to whom I wish to upgrade his gift. Unlike Lieutenant John who can only actually act in the capacity of being part of the royal family, Captain Donald''s contribution to the Inanis Family has already been proven." Lucius said.

    "I see. What were the materials that you wanted before, Asher?" Kiana asked. "If I remembered the things that you asked for before I upgraded my Stone Shooter, it was rted to those bees that Gellor and his group defeated before."

    If anybody who didn''t have the Mark of Obedience or Mark of Loyalty were to have the same enthusiasm in learning how Lucius did certain things, it was easy toe to an understanding that it was because they were interested in gaining the powers for themselves.

    ''While I know how to upgrade the Gifts through the use of specific materials, what if the user themselves were able to acquire the materials on their own and ingest it? I know that it is not exactly the same process, but what are the chances that simply absorbing or collecting certain materials might make one opt to develop their gifts? I haven''t been able to discover the reason behind Viscountess ckshield''s own upgrade.'' Lucius thought. He thought about the use of Nexus and its applications, but couldn''t think of much after that.

    "Asher?" Kiana asked, noticing hisck of response.

    Lucius blinked and realized that he had been lost in thought. He cleared his throat and head before he continued.

    "The materials to upgrade Captain Donald''s Rare Gift of Tremor Stomp are as follow, the 10 Stampeding Bull rune crystals, the single Plow Worm rune crystal and then 100 Aether Crystals." Lucius listed.

    Awhile ago, the price of 100 Aether Crystals might have deterred even Lucius who was from a noble family. The situation with Viscount Drew back then had tightened the purse strings of the Inanis Family.

    However, at this moment, it was all simply something he had to obtain with via Kiana getting them to reach his goal.

    "100 Aether Rune Crystals?"

    "The crystals that we''ve obtained from Bergan''s Band. It should be enough to cover it all." Lucius said with an incline of his head as they made their way back to Inanis Mansion.

    The Stampeding Bull Rune Crystals was easy enough to obtain with Gellor and his team''spetency, but it had been the gigantic Plow Worm that took a certain effort.

    Kiana naturally had the same line of thoughts but understood that it was impossible to gain sess and be stronger during the upgrade of gifts without something in exchange. Compared to the actual slow growth that takes ce after years of consistent work, this one was instant and the results were immediately visible.

    "Shall I do it right away?" Kiana asked. "I am free tonight and can go gather them now."

    "It is a bitte, so you can wait until tomorrow morning to proceed if you wish." Lucius said, taking note of the time that he and Kiana left with Sir John.

    When they returned to the Inanis Mansion, Lucius visited the dining hall to pay respect to his mother and father. Viscountess ckshield raised her head at the appearance of Asher.

    "Young Lord Asher. Where have you been? It''s a bitte for dinner, but I hope that you can join us."

    "Indeed."

    "Ah, I''ve simply visited the rehabilitation center, Viscountess. We were unable to go there prior, and while I should have asked once the lockdown was lifted, it did not ur to me." Lucius said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Fret not. I am curious but with your studies resuming after a while, it is actually good to pay attention to these things." Viscountess ckshield said. "A young man such as yourself should not hold yourself back."

    "Thank you."

    The exchange of words between the Viscountess and Asher continued for the next minute with the count and countess, both sharing their days as well. Soon enough, Lucius return to his room and went back to sleep.

    ***

    The next day, Lucius woke up and did not attend any lessons from Bishop Reynald. Instead, he went immediately to the Inanis guard barracks to meet up with Captain Donald.

    It was actually quite early, but Lucius knew that he needed to be early in order to talk with the captain in private without any other person, noticing what was happening.

    "Good morning, Captain Donald. Fine day for practicing in the barracks isn''t it?

    "Isn''t it, Young Lord Asher. I did not expect to see you so early, though." Captain Donald greeted. "Is there anything you would like to do today, hence the visit, Young Lord Asher?"

    "I am interested in sparring with you. It has been awhile since ourst one together. Would you like to finish your warm-ups though?" Lucius asked.

    "Thank you for the consideration, Young Lord Asher. If you would also like to do yours, I will also be willing to wait."

    ''Captain Donald has been one, if not, the best fighter in the Inanis Guards for quite a while and his position was no doubt earned that way. Even his own encounter with Lieutenant John had been most insightful to his strengths and weakness, so it is important for me to do better than before.'' Lucius thought.

    While it was easier to simply just speak with Captain Donald forwardly and exin the situation, Lucius had been wanting to go up against individuals he had sparred before in the past.

    Not to mention, if proved better than Captain Donald, it could work in Lucius''s favor. Unlike Lieutenant John, whose family was used as the pawns to make the man submit and have his Gift be Epic Rank, the knowledge that Lucius had on Captain Donald was quite scarce.

    "Shall we begin, Young Lord Asher?"

    "Of course, sparring rules?"

    "Until the other person decides that they''ve had enough. Or perhaps not too long. I still have to train my guardster, Young Lord Asher." Captain Donald chuckled amicably.

    "Then I will cut this shortly then," Lucius said as he unsheathed his sword.

 Chapter 461 Opportunity For The Captain

    ?

    Lucius carried his Wind Scar Sword. Captain Donald set himself in the center of the training ground. Most of the guards were still in the barracks, a couple of servants who prepared for the day early noticed the fight and stood a bit to watch.

    As usual, Lucius used his youth and agility to his advantage, against someone like Captain Donald, it was being light on one''s feet that needed practicing.

    Captain Donald didn''t rush in like the Viscountess nor did he have any projectiled attacke like Kiana. He was simply a steady fighter who knew how to hold his ground.

    ''He''s not activating his gift. He wants me to tire myself out first so I can''t react to when he''ll use Tremor Stomp.'' Lucius thought as they shed des and he withdrew to check Captain Donald''s feet.

    It wasn''t exactly hard to keep watch, and with the distance already being crossed, it was easier to draw the man''s attention away from using his gift if Lucius wanted to.

    "Will you be using that artifact, Young Lord Asher?" Captain Donald asked.

    "Perhaps. When will you use your gift?"

    "At the right time."

    Lucius chuckled and spun back. The fight drew out a little longer, even when Lucius intended for it to be a quick and short one.

    Captain Donald was waiting for the right opportunity¡­ and then it hit. He didn''t even do much lifting of his foot this time, it happened rapidly that when it did, the ground shook and Lucius performed the same evasive maneuver that Lieutenant John did.

    In that moment, Lucius rolled over and then blocked Captain Donald''s attack.

    "You''ve anticipated it." Captain Donald said both in awe and with slight disappointment.

    Lucius saw the look in Captain Donald''s eyes and knew that this was something that he could use.

    "It is because I have already seen you do it, Captain Donald."

    "You and most other people. Though not everyone is as skilled as you and Lieutenant John to get back on your feet as quickly."

    "I see. What about your guards though?"

    "They are learning fast and well, even Gifts like Rabbit Feet be useable in such an instance against me when the guard knows how to use it well." Captain Donald chuckled.

    ''He is skilled but there is of course some worry about his gift and position maybe. Not too difficult to entice.''

    "And wouldn''t you like to catch them off guard once again, Captain Donald?"

    "I can still do that, Young Lord Asher," Captain Donald activated his gift again and Lucius nearly twisted his ankle in one position and scarcely saved himself.

    "You only need proper timing?" Lucius said with a chuckle.

    "Reading the environment yes."

    The two met des. Captain Donald wasn''t actually a frequent talker aspared to someone like Gellor and especially Viscount Felldan.

    The Captain that Count Inanis chose was someone who was able to lead a group effectively while also being able to make rapport with a man such as the Count.

    However,pared to Gellor with a far more rxed stance when it came to dealing with his teammates, Captain Donald still had some hierarchy within their ranks and that was made very clear on a day to day basis.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ***

    "I mean it, Captain Donald." Lucius said after the spar. He broke into sweat and was wiping a towel across his face courtesy of Neta who came at the word that Asher was fighting Captain Donald.

    "Mean what, Young Lord Asher?" Captain Donald asked.

    "A chance to catch everyone off guard again. You are already quite an incredible warrior, Captain Donald but I think that someone like you is probably curious about what else he can achieve and do right? If you were a little bit stronger, would you have been able to do this or do that? Thoughts like wondering if your Gift was an Epic Rank, Legendary or higher than those. This fantasies of what-ifs, a chance to experience them, wouldn''t you want that, Captain Donald."

    Captain Donald had been a long time servant of the Inanis Family and found himself in one of the highest position avable and now Asher asked him about something that caught his attention.

    "Perhaps so, Lord Asher. But I try to separate dreams from reality."

    "And what if one was able to show that it is not mere fabrication but actual truth?"

    "¡­ then I do not know. I must see things for myself before I decide what I can believe in." Captain Donald said. "That is at least how I try to train my guards. To know what''s right in front of them and what is or isn''t possible."

    ''Empirical Proof first. That is a good thing, to never trust what you cannot see.'' Lucius thought.

    It was around the same time that Kiana arrived in the barracks ce. She didn''t have anything on her, but her presence meant that everything was prepared.

    At this moment, the guards of Captain Donald also arrived and greeted their Captain as well as Young Lord Asher.

    "Greetings, Young Lord Asher!"

    "Captain Donald!"

    "Is Viscountess ckshield not awake yet?"

    "She promised to teach me today and give tips."

    Lucius was surprised but it became much more exinable as to why the Viscountess liked being at Inanis City, the guards were all extremely fond of her and were excited to see her.

    Meanwhile, Captain Donald was present, but somehow seemed to pale inparison for the recent weeks because of it.

    ''I guess this morning is the chance where he gets to teach everyone without any interruption.''

    "Captain Donald, I do not think that you have had the chance to eat breakfast." Lucius said.

    "Oh, Young Lord Asher, that is not actually¡­"

    "If you woulde with me, I actually have a few things that I wish to discuss with over breakfast. Please leave instructions to your guards and return at ater time."

    Even though Lucius was polite, inexplicably, it was an order that Captain Donald couldn''t disagree on and soon the man found himself led away from the barracks.

    "What is it that you wished to make me believe in, Young Lord Asher?"

    "In growth and power. For those who are willing to serve." Lucius said.

 Chapter 462 Donalds Honest Concern

    ?

    "A-ah, that." Captain Donald blinked and finally realized what the Young Lord Asher was talking about.

    It wasn''t like the man was someone who missed social cues and important conversations, it was an important thing for someone as a Captain to know the ins and outs of managing people hence why being able to know when a guard was being witty and yful or was showing disobedience became an important thing.

    Learning how to read between the lines was important.

    "Is this something¡­ from Artificers, Young Lord Asher? A new body of knowledge that''s kept private from others?" Captain Donald looked at the rune crystals and knew that both Artificers and the Beast Master worked hand in hand often to create things.

    "I do not think that any ordinary Artificer or schr would have been able to think of something like this, Captain Donald!" Kiana said with a flurry of emotions. "When I first witnessed this, I was blown away because I have never heard and seen anything like this before."

    "Well, my knowledge on those things isckingpared to that of others, so I won''t be surprised if anythinges up. And Young Lord Asher has been meeting with impressive people like Master Kain and even Bishop Reynald from the Church of Etara, yes?"

    "Ah, you think this is a recent discovery," Lucius said. It was a little surprising that Captain Donald didn''t react in shock as the others, but he seemed to have epted things that were beyond hisprehension as being that could be exined by those with more understanding than he was.

    "Yes? Or something hidden by the Church but only revealedter? Do these rune crystals help with one getting stronger? I know some superstitious people who keep specific rune beast crystals on their person because they believe that it will make them be stronger and be imbued with the character of the animal they''ve obtained." Captain Donald said. "But I do not think having all 100 Aether Crystals will be that helpful, I can absorb some of them when I am running low of Aether to be stronger, but cannot carry them all."

    Lucius finally realized the issue in Captain Donald''s thinking.

    "You are presuming that I am giving all of these Aether Crystals for you to observe, but on the contrary, we will be using all of them right now to make you stronger instantaneously, Captain Donald. Your current gift will be elevated by one rank. That is what I wish to tell you." Lucius said.

    "Instantaneous?" Captain Donald frowned and finally became concerned once again.

    ''Young Lord Asher said that he wishes to keep some secrets from Count Inanis, and right now he is showing me all of these Aether Crystals that he has obtained, along with a rare rune crystal that''s normally supposed to be from a protected species. Kiana is here and does not seem to have any intention of reporting it to the Count and Countess either. What if¡­''

    "Yes, Captain Donald."

    "I¡­ I do not wish to make it seem like I am being disrespectful, Young Lord Asher. I have known of your great sess and achievements in all manners of things for nearly this year, but I am¡­ a bit concerned."

    "A bit concerned?"

    "Yes." Captain Donald nodded. ''I can still remember the Asher from before the Gisir War. It''s hard to imagine him now because of how much he has changed, but¡­ there were times where he had been duped by others and taken advantage of due to his position and knowing that he was Giftless.''

    "About what?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "All of these crystals can be used, so I do not think that it is a bad thing, but¡­ ah, to grow immediately strong? I believe that whoever may have sold you these crystals were looking for a quick profit, Young Lord Asher." Captain Donald said. "If you could inform me of their details, I will have my guards sent over to bring them here for questioning."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lucius stared at Captain Donald before chuckling.

    ''Ah, the reaction of others had always been shock and awe whenever I revealed it, especially because I''ve maintained by identity to create that effect. However, as for someone who has worked for the Inanis Family for long and no doubt knew how "Asher" acted from a younger age, then their expectations are a little different.''

    "This is not some kind of scam, Captain Donald. Have you not heard of Kiana''s words? There is already concrete proof of what these can do." Lucius said. "Besides, this is all because of my Gift, Captain Donald. Something that I have obtained, well, received from the Goddess of Etara herself, perhaps in a reward to service my contributions to the war against Gisir."

    "Reward?"

    "Yes. What I mean by that is I have been given an incredible gift that can elevate the gift of others and apanied it is the wisdom by the Goddess of Etara herself."

    Captain Donald looked stunned.

    "So this is¡­"

    "Yes, this is all rted to how I will be able to make you stronger, Captain Donald. Come closer. If you seek to see the results for yourself, then allow me to show you the way."

    "And your request from me, Young Lord Asher?" Captain Donald asked.

    "I think that you will be able to make that decision yourself." Lucius said and offered him a hand. "Will you ept, Captain Donald?"

    ''He will feel grateful for an increase of power. Normally, the Mark of Obedience is required before I upgrade one''s gift for my sake, but I am confident that he will end up as one of my subordinates.''

    "Okay, Young Lord Asher." Captain Donald reached out and shook his hand. A sizzle of energy crossing between the two of them.

    "Thank you for the trust."

    And so, simr to how Asher performed the upgrading of gifts, the same was applied in that instance to Captain Donald.

    Once it was all over, fatigue racked all over Asher''s body, but he kept himself neutral and waited for Captain Donald''s reaction.

    "How did it go, Captain?"

 Chapter 463 Fissure Smash

    ?

    "It feels¡­ well, I cannot check it here, Young Lord Asher, but my gift feels like it has grown stronger." Captain Donald said in awe.

    Lucius didn''t need to know the exact details, as the Nexus already disyed the new information to him, but he wanted to have the man''s loyalty hence why it was important to check on Captain Donald''s well-being and make sure the man was satisfied.

    "If you''d like, perhaps we can return to the training grounds and see." Lucius suggested.

    Captain Donald paused for a moment. The urge to test his newfound gift was strong, but at the same time, he also did not wish to boast about it in front of his guards.

    "This is¡­ a gift from Young Lord Asher, I do not think I can carelessly expose it without much thought." Captain Donald said.

    "True. But I do not think that everyone will immediately be able to tell." Lucius said.

    "Perhapster, I will check out the results for myself and then report it to you, Young Lord Asher." Captain Donald said.

    Compared to Lieutenant John who easily agreed to have his gift be tested in front of Asher and Kiana, Captain Donald was more concerned about keeping it to himself and checking it at a private area unseen from others.

    ''Then again, Captain Donald''s gift can cause much more immediate wreck than Lieutenant John here so I understand his hesitation.'' Lucius thought.

    "Very well, I hope you will consider my request, Captain Donald."

    "My apologies once again for the mistaken assumption. I did not expect that there truly was a way to upgrade one''s gifts with another gift. It was hard to believe and I thought you were mistaken." Captain Donald cleared his throat and looked incredibly embarrassed, especially with Kiana looking unimpressed and even offended in the corner of the room.

    "Do not worry about it, I appreciate a person with skepticism." Lucius said. "Far better to have hesitations before diving into something unknown to you."

    "Thank you, Young Lord Asher. I shall return to my duties now." Captain Donald said, but before he left, he stopped at the door. "As for your request, Young Lord Asher. I hope that we can take it from a case to case basis¡­ though I do not think that you will be making any decisions that Count Inanis will argue against. In fact, your father is quite proud, that perhaps, this is what he might have wanted for his young son as well. Someone capable of doing things without his permission."

    ''The Mark of Obedience is a little different with Captain Donald, but it does not exactly warp someone''s personality in obvious ways. So this is merely his way of showing obedience¡­ albeit in a less obvious manner. He is still a person with a higher position in a hierarchy and with his own character, so it affects how he interacts.''

    "Thank you, Captain Donald. See you at another time."

    As the Captain disappeared, Lucius took onest chance to nce at the Gift in the Nexus.

    Gift Name: Fissure Smash

    Description: User can create fissures on the gorund with great power, splitting apart the earth. Can also apply the same force to other surfaces. Has a high consumption of Aether.

    Rank: Epic

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ***

    "Is that everyone, Asher?" Kiana asked once Captain Donald was gone.

    "Hmm, I will be meeting with Gellor and the rest of his team sometime this week. I do not think that I can upgrade everyone''s gift, so I will start with their leader first." Lucius exined.

    "I see. That makes sense." Kiana nodded. "I am sure that they will be thrilled with that. After Gellor, Asher, is there anyone else you n to upgrade after?"

    "I will still have to check, but if I had to choose between the rest of the members of Gellor, then it would have to be¡­ Barty maybe. His Air Vortex gift has after all saved my life from the Plow Worm, though I am curious on how Ariana''s gift might develop if given a chance to rise in rank." Lucius exined. "Finch''s gift is mostly limited in range, and I am not sure if elevating her gift rank might improve that, and Albus''s gift is mostly self-contained."

    "He was able to save you too, Asher." Kiana said.

    "Yes, but whenpared with the aspect of utility, Barty''s still has the most use." Lucius said.

    "I see. That makes the most sense." Kiana agreed.

    "Indeed." Lucius nodded.

    "Ah, by the way, Asher. The people from the rehabilitation center are done with their preparations. I think they are only waiting for your go-signal before they can leave alongside that of the Masked Legion." Kiana said.

    "I will send a few with them as I''ve promised." Lucius considered the current avable Lost that were with him and their respective gifts.

    ''The chances ofbat are rare, but in the asion that they are to use their Gifts, it is far better than it be the ones who are less¡­ sinister.'' Lucius thought.

    Out of the original twelve Masked Legion, the ones like Doyle had their Corrupted Gifts locked. It was about a half of them who had theirs locked.

    "I guess, Jacob will be a good addition."

    "Who?" Kiana blinked. She didn''t actually quite remember the names of the Lost, nor did she care that much.

    "His gift will be much useful in keeping track of our volunteers." Lucius exined as he recalled the specifics of Jacob''s gift.

    Corrupted Gift: Tainting Dust

    Description: The creature can continually release tainted dust from the many orifices on his body. Whatever surface this dust touches is ''tainted'' and will contain traces of hell energy. Any person or thing that touches this tainted dust will have this stuck on them for a long time.

    ''Hmm, Doyle, Baza, Dustin¡­ Jacob. One only needs a few to safeguard them. And with Jacob''s gift, I''ll keep track in any unfortunate circumstances where one gets into any sort of unexpected danger.'' Lucius thought.

    It was a shame to lose useful tools afterall.

 Chapter 464 Gellors Turn

    ?

    "Good afternoon, Asher. May I intrude?" Kiana stepped into the library that afternoon.

    The young noble was currently preupied with a lot of books all detailing the methods of Artificers as well as the most basic ones made from the mostmon materials.

    ''Even though Asher hasn''t called for Bishop Reynald, he is studying on his own in his free time¡­ and that is all on top of everything else that he is doing for the Inanis Family. He is¡­ quite a light now to us. When Count Inanis used to worry about him and his recklessness, now what we witness is a great change.'' Kiana thought.

    Lucius was preupied with books and also the note-taking. While it was possible to have called for Bishop Reynald, Lucius really didn''t find the need to call for the old man when he preferred to study on his own.

    ''The teaching style of Bishop Reynald does adjust to cater to me, but at times, he still prefers to go at a slower pace than what I would have liked to. Master Kain was more flexible, but either way, this is¡­ hmm, there is a simple Illumination artifact and most of them are in the shape ofmps, but have they considered shlights? I do not recall anything like it being mentioned or used by Gellor and his team, and for those without the Gift of fire and other light gifts, then it is a useful tool.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana realized that Asher was so absorbed with studying, that she could only stare for a moment.

    ''I wonder what goes through his head. I''ve grown to learn how to read him better, and he is much more willing to share his thoughts with me as opposed to when he was younger¡­ but I do find myself not knowing what truly goes through his head.''

    "Kiana, was it?" Lucius asked, momentarily putting his quill down and looking at her. She didn''t even need to say a word before Lucius stood up and closed his notebook. "If I am to assume the purpose of your visit in ordance to likelihood, either Viscountess ckshield is requesting for me to participate in the barracks training grounds, there is some lettering from Dionysia Brewery or Leif¡­ well, thetter being less likely until we hear of the uing bandits¡­ I presume it is Gellor and his team, yes?"

    "Yes, that is the case. You did tell Finchst time during that evening with Lieutenant John toe visit."

    "I did. Shall we go meet up with them, then?" Lucius asked.

    The two didn''t need to exchange any more words before Lucius and Kiana headed to the drawing room where Gellor and his mercenary once again found themselves amodated in.

    ***

    "Do you think¡­ this is it?" Albus asked with excitement in his tone. There was an eager look in his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings, eager to finally know what Young Lord Asher prepared for them.

    "Hold your horses, you don''t know what exactly we''re here for, right, Finch?" Barty said as he addressed the woman sitting elegantly beside Gellor who was standing up.

    "Based on what Young Lord Asher said back then¡­" Finch said. "I am confident that he means what he means."

    "That''s hardly an answer from you, Finch! It''s like you don''t actually know what we''re here for." Albusined.

    There were a lot of couches in the drawing room to amodate the guests, but Gellor was too nervous to actually be able to sit down.

    The mercenary captain stood with his feet tapping nervously on the rug. Compared to Finch, Barty and even Albus who lookedposed, the team captain was immensely curious and looking forward to it that it drew his difort.

    "Whatever the case, we all agreed to serve, Young Lord Asher because of his cause, you know that, right, guys?" Ariana called out as she looked at some caricatures, pottery and other fine elements that were present within the room.

    "Young Lord Asher Inanis has arrived." A voice called out from the doorway.

    Everyone quickly rose to their feet to wee the Young Lord of the House.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lucius walked in with Kiana, gaze meeting the entire team as he checked on their emotional states.

    "Good afternoon. Thank you for waiting." Lucius said as he took the seat opposite the team. He steepled his fingers together and looked at the entire team.

    "I believe that there is something quite important that we ought to discuss."

    "Y-yes, Young Lord Asher. Is it another mission? What kind of rune crystal are we needing to collect next?" Gellor said, with a slight unease.

    Lucius noticed the emotions of Gellor and merely chuckled.

    "That which I will ask of you shall be something that will prove all of you worthy and show im to what I have promised to all of you before." Lucius said.

    While they were all under the Mark of Obedience, it did not mean that Lucius waspletely free of the responsibility of educating his followers and leading them the way that was necessary if need to be.

    "For now, I will be focusing on one individual alone. Gellor, your gift is Muscle Strengthening is it not?"

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher."

    "We shall elevate that to a new position." Lucius said as he once again read the Nexus to confirm that what he had prepared beforehand would be enough.

    Gift Name: Muscle Strengthening

    Description: The user can strengthen the power of their muscles, which allows them to exert greater force. Aether will be used for the entire duration that the gift is active.

    Rank: Rare

    Type: Physical

    Evolution: Possible Evolution

    Requirements: 80x Aether Crystals, 2x Frenzy Ape Rune Crystal, 200 liters of Mixed beast blood.

    "All of you have heard of the Frenzy Apes, have you not?" Lucius asked.

    Rune Crystal Gift: Frenzy

    Description: The gift that the Frenzy Ape has is what gave it its name, Frenzy. When the beast is agitated to a certain level, it transforms into its frenzy state. In this state, the size of its body increases, with major increases inrge muscle groups.

    "Yes, Young Lord Asher."

 Chapter 465 Heading To South Shine Town

    ?

    "Yes, of course, mercenaries such as yourself would be no doubt familiar with creatures such as these. Do any of you have any personal encounter with them?" Lucius asked.

    "We''d rather hope not to ever have any encounter with them." Barty said quickly.

    "Everyone knows that Frenzy Apes are dangerous creatures, Young Lord Asher. They are ssified as D ranked beasts, but by far, they are most likely more dangerous than even a lot of C ranked beasts due to their nature." Finch added with a helpful smile.

    "Er, it''s really nothing to smile about. They can break through metal armor, but most importantly, are intelligent. Somepared them to maybe a child that''s ten years old? Not much to us, but to beasts, that means that they''re intelligent enough to coordinate and n attacks against their enemies." Albus said.

    "Huh, didn''t think that you''d actually know anything about it, Albus." Ariana suddenly teased with a grin. "Sounds like someone''s mostmon nightmare huh? Frenzy Apes in your dreams."

    "Shut it." Albus rolled his eyes. "You were the one who''s been dreaming about¡­"

    "Ahem. The Frenzy Apes are known to have gathered their tribes and then go bearing down on whatever vige has earned their strife. They are a catastrophic group. Not only because of their power alone but because of theirbined efforts as Albus has stated, Young Lord Asher." Gellor said, straightening up. "If you were to ask all five of us to lead an expedition there, I am afraid that even we will find ourselves incredibly at a risk¡­"

    While the rest of Gellor''s team were more than happy to provide information to Young Lord Asher and had grown to trust him and felt immensely loyal to him, Gellor at least had the sense to distinguish that mentioning it meant something.

    The faces of Barty, Albus, Ariana and even Finch sobered. They were a good team, praised and with a good track record that they were reliable and hence became rmended by Kiana when Asher first sought mercenaries¡­

    However, it did not mean that they were miracle makers.

    If one Frenzy Ape tribe had at least 100 members, it would be a fight of 1 against 20 Frenzy Apes and that was simply too much of a death wish.

    "We could perhaps make coborations with other teams, Young Lord Asher. It will be anothermission, but if the value of these rune crystals are necessary for you, then we will find a way." Gellor added earnestly.

    "That will not be necessary, at least, I hope that it will not be so. I also wish to avoid risks such as that." Lucius exined. "I merely wish for you to obtain Frenzy Ape Rune Crystals. No need to personally make battles if they are beyond your current means. I only ask because Frenzy Apes Rune Crystals are unavable here in Inanis City."

    "Well, they are from the south, Young Lord Asher. That much is to be expected." Finch said with a courteous nod. "There are traders thate from the south that wish to sell off their wares, so perhaps we might find an opportunity to¡­"

    "I have already checked. There are no Frenzy Ape rune crystals within the city and other nearby locations." Kiana said primly and eyed the woman with a normal, but slightly difort-inducing stare.

    "Then it seems like we only have to return to the home of Albus here." Finch said.

    "My home?" Albus frowned. "I don''t live anywhere close¡­ wait, the forests and the apes, huh? Very funny, Finch."

    Ariana chuckled alongside Barty. Meanwhile Finch simply smiled and continued with her exnation.

    "The area is beyond Aisse Territory, Young Lord Asher, and from what I know, the closest ce to that location is none other than the South Shine town."

    Albus brows raised. "Huh, there''s actually a ce that exists even though Frenzy Apes are¡­"

    "It''s not a small vige, Albus. It''s a town and far more equipped with the methods of dealing with Frenzy Apes bing restless. They also have high ranked hunters, gatherers and tamers there."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Right. Wait, gatherers?"

    "Despite being filled with Frenzy Apes, there are a lot of exotic nts and other materials that are of great interests to schrs, researchers and other individuals."

    "Ah." Albus said.

    "Well once again, there is no need to go to the jungle yourself. Instead, I will be sending all of you with enough funds to head there and also purchase Frenzy Ape rune crystals. They most likely have it in store." Lucius said.

    A look of relief crossed over Gellor''s face. He''d rather not put any of his team in any danger, before he nodded.

    "We will do as you ask, Young Lord Asher."

    "Good. Please report that to me alongside 200 liters of Mixed Beast Blood. With the assortment of creatures in the southern jungles, they most likely have more stock there than we have here." Lucius said.

    "We understand, Young Lord Asher."

    After a couple more conversations, the meeting with Gellor and his group soon came to an end with Kiana coordinating and facilitating with Gellor in terms of the funds that they will be bringing.

    Lucius was a little out of earshot when Albus joked.

    "That''s a lot of money, we can get that and retire to the jungles."

    Kiana sent the mercenary a scathing look, whereas Gellor merely shook his head and sighed, practically at used to it.

    "Ignore him, Kiana. I''d leave and dump him in the jungles if I get the chance." Gellor said.

    "That''s not very nice to hear, Captain." Albus said with a chuckle.

    Kiana herself didn''t exactly smile, but she let out a nod and rxed a little. She may not have liked everyone in Gellor''s group, but she trusted the man, and so trusted that he knew how to pick his men.

    "But ah¡­ if I may ask you something, Kiana." Gellor cleared his throat.

    "You can just spit it out now, Gellor." Kiana said. "No need to hesitate around me."

    "These things that Young Lord Asher is asking for¡­"

    "I think you already know what it''s for. Juste back as soon as you can."

 Chapter 466 Baron Hughs Letter

    ?

    Gellor and his team left Inanis City to head for the southern jungles. Based on Lucius''s estimates, since it was further than the Aisse Territory, he wouldn''t be able to make contact with them for perhaps a minimum of two weeks.

    ''With Gellor and his team now doing their mission, Arius and his group at the Gisir borders¡­ that leaves not many people to work with as they''re all doing their own assigned tasks.'' Lucius thought.

    It was another afternoon in the Inanis Mansion and Lucius was preupied with more fine-tuning work while thinking about the other tasks that he needed to do.

    ''Lieutenant John is busy with both the work of a Lieutenant and his time at the Dionysia Brewery, and Captain Donald is no different from him due to his duties towards the Inanis guards and maintaining the safety of the city.''

    Lucius had finished making some sketches of possible artifacts that he could produce. Bishop Reynald discussed that there were primarily two Artificers, those who worked on makingmercial products for their target demographic and those who funded their own research to create something that they wished to build.

    ''While I am capable of funding my own research now if I were to wish to do so, it is far better to make another stream of ie where I can. It is far better than putting down one''s eggs all in one basket at this point.'' Lucius said as he finished some illustrations.

    There was the fact that the artifacts, the broken ones that Count Inanis lent him, were currently good weapons and might benefit from getting repaired, but that was also not his utmost priority.

    ''Have I asked Kiana to coordinate with Leif in regards to the pick up areas for whatever resources and information that Arius and the other two will obtain? ¡­ I have already done that and am only waiting for the other bandits that have yet to reveal and show themselves here in Inanis.'' Lucius thought with a frown as he worked.

    The man''s mind was organized, sharp and was able to work through everything that he was going through with a precision that would leave many envious.

    But somehow, Lucius thought that he was losing some of his edge. It was¡­ a not pleasant feeling. Perhaps it was just his imagination.

    ''Well,pared to my previous body that I was able to improve through the use of hell energy and other methods in the Barrom n, this one was heavily injured during the Gisir war and I struggled to piece it all back together by myself.'' Lucius thought with a calctive look at it. ''In fact, only the higher-ranked individual from the Church of na was able to help my condition and even they were unaware of what was happening and believe it was a curse from the tribal god in the Fands.''

    High Priest Rooks was the individual who healed him of the soul''s ipatibility and thought of him as afflicted by a tribal god by matching a simr set of conditions to it.

    ''While I am aware that it is not some tribal god that put me here, it does remind me that I have not looked into it. Compared to that of the Church of na and Church of Etara, this tribal god seemed to be much more attentive to their poption. While I do not wish to draw any attention, it might be able to exin the reason why souls here are untethered and do not go to any particr destination.'' Lucius thought.

    There truly were a lot of things on Lucius''s te. Many other people might have found that the Young Lord Asher was productive and on top of things, in fact, maybe even excellent and greater among his peers and that of other people more senior his year¡­ but Lucius was unsatisfied.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Kingdom of Curia that sits three thousand kilometers away from here, the southern jungles way past the Aisse Territory, this so called Fands and so many other locations that are beyond my current capacity to visit. I''ve sent other individuals to do it for me, but I find myself cooped up here. Though one can say that I am simply building up my resources and future opportunities¡­ if I find myself too absorbed by everything that I have not done, I will be too caught up and not do anything at all.''

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Asher?" There was a knock on the door of the library.

    "Come in."

    To no surprise, it was none other than Kiana. She stepped into the library with a tray filled with tea and snacks. However, there was also another thing with her, it was a letter.

    "You need to take a break, Asher. You''ve been here almost nonstop. If it weren''t for the Countess and Viscountess being around here, I''m almost afraid that you would skip your meals entirely." Kiana said as she set the tray down.

    She poured him a cup of tea and offered him a te filled with some light snacks for him to consume.

    Lucius allowed himself to rx momentarily and partook in some of the fruit slices, biscuits and other finger foods as Kiana served him the cup of tea.

    "From whom did the lettere from?" Lucius asked.

    "The seal on the letter says that ites from Baron Hugh."

    "Ah, it means that the people from the rehabilitation center have arrived sessfully." Lucius mused. "Still, can you open and confirm that for me, Kiana?"

    "O-oh, I will." Kiana stared at Asher in surprise. She had almost expected him to read it privately, but now she was being allowed the opportunity to read it for him.

    Lucius noticed the woman''s slight increase in happiness but made noment as Kiana reviewed the letter.

    "It is what you have expected, Asher. The volunteers from the rehab center have arrived at Etara''s Cross and have shown themselves to Baron Hugh. Included here is a separate letter of eptance from him that employs them of their services, but in addition, he has also confirmed his visit atst too."

 Chapter 467 The Barons Arrival

    ?

    "Be on your best behavior, everyone." Baron Hugh reminded his family once they started to approach the Inanis city.

    It was a visit that Young Lord Asher personally gave to them, and it was something important and valuable.

    "It''s¡­ a little smaller than I expected." Benjamin said as he peered through the curtains that showed them the city.

    "Well, it is not like Etara''s Cross where everyonees and visit through the royal highways, so its size is not as tremendous as ours due to needing to only cater to their people and the number of travelers thate by here." Baron Hugh said. "Please do not say that to Count Inanis when we arrive though. Lily, don''t call it cozy either."

    Even though Benjamin and Lily were close to Young Lord Asher''s age, the two were less mature¡­ and worldly than him.

    It was perhaps the result of being spoiled and pampered by both the Baron and Baroness that they grew up this way.

    Benjamin was steadfast with books and studying, and so, Baron Hugh knew that his intellect was great, but it also made him a little too focused on them, especially with his gift, and so was a littlecking in terms of social engagement.

    On the other hand, Baron Hugh knew that he spoiled Lily by far more, and was softer on the girl. She was a demure personality, and so Baron Hugh often protected her from any interested suitors that expressed their interests and hoped that Benjamin did the same.

    Even his strong and beautiful wife, the Baroness, was milder and gentler on Lily too, which spoke a lot.

    That was why, it was at this age that Baron Hugh found himself trying to instill into them the same foundation that his own parents taught him.

    ''I do not wish for any of them to be so stressed out. While I am in good health alongside of their mother, even Baron Harmmund who''s at thirty years of age found himself ill-equipped to take after his father''s position after the man''s death. If I do not do this now, they will surelyg behind¡­ which is why going here to Inanis City is also good. It is a chance for them to witness Young Lord Asher at up close and perhaps learn from him and his experience.'' Baron Hugh thought.

    The main purpose of Baron Hugh''s visit to Inanis City was to primarily witness the effects of the rehabilitation center within the city.

    Both Young Lord Asher and Count Inanis spoke a great deal about the reduction of crime, and even though Count Inanis was a father himself, Baron Hugh knew that the man did not spoil his child as much as he did.

    It truly meant that Asher was the real deal.

    In fact, it was actually why Baron Hugh was surprised when the volunteers from the rehabilitation center came to Etara''s Cross bearing the name of Young Lord Asher.

    ''I''ve seen the outlines myself and the pamphlets, and it was all amazing. Of course, I need to check the Masked Legion too. The number that was with them were mostly just escorts too¡­'' Baron Hugh thought.

    Despite his friendly and genial manner, Baron Hugh was not by far a simple man. There was a reason why Etara''s Cross was still prospering until this very day, and it was him, and not simply the Baroness whom he often spoke praises about.

    ***

    "It is good to see you atst, Baron Hugh, Baroness, Lord Benjamin and Lady Lily." Lucius greeted the guests with the rest of the Inanis family, and with Viscountess as well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I offer my apologies for the great dy. I''ve spoken abouting here after the banquet with the Inanis family to wrap everything up, but it took far longer than¡­ my word, is that you, Viscountess ckshield?"

    Baron Hugh paid his greetings alongside the others but stopped at the sight of the Viscountess.

    "Baron Hugh. Greetings." Viscountess ckshield nodded.

    "R-right. Greetings, Viscountess ckshield. It is good to see you." Baron Hugh managed augh. He bowed his head to Young Lord Asher and to the Count and Countess. "The generosity and hospitality of the Inanis Family knows no bounds."

    "I think you are directly insulting me with those words, Baron Hugh." Viscountess coldly said.

    Baron Hugh froze mid-way from raising his bow. It was important to pay respect to the highest-ranking nobles, but it also meant disaster to offend other nobles.

    This was something that he had been dreading, any noble would be dreading and he was no Viscount Felldan who could smoothen the conversation and y it up with a disarming smile.

    However, when Baron Hugh finally looked up to check on the Viscountess as well as the Count and Countess, there were tiny amused smiles on their faces.

    Even Count Inanis was amused!

    Relief coursed through Baron Hugh''s body. This was a good thing, right?

    The man was no longer Rancor who''d dispatch of people''s without any reason and the Viscountess was¡­

    "I am by far aware that I am staying here for quite so long." Viscountess ckshield dered with an amused wrinkle in her brow. "I am also quite grateful for the Count and Countess for allowing me to stay as long as I wish."

    "Viscountess ckshield has been a delightful presence in our home as a guest and based on what she has said, her time here has been good. Which is why I so hope that for your visits as well, Baron Hugh and family, may it be a pleasant time here," Countess Lita said with a kind smile.

    "Thank you, Countess Lita."

    "But ah yes, shall we allow all of you to settle down first and rest. It must be exhausting to have arrived. Come in." Countess Lita said, taking a bit more charge in weing them.

    Even though it was Young Lord Asher who initially invited them, it also made sense that the headdy of the house would like to do the entertaining and weing the guests.

    Lucius did not have any issues with it. Instead, he was looking forward to what this visit might bring him instead.

 Chapter 468 A Stiff Yet Agreeable Dinner

    ?

    Once Baron Hugh and his family were settled in, all four of them found themselves served by Kiana and the rest of the servants to make them feel wee.

    Simr to the hospitality that Baron Hugh provided to his guests during the celebratory banquet in Etara''s Cross, the same was returned in spades in Inanis City.

    Lucius prioritized their rxation first for the first day, serving them delicious and fine meals prepared by the chef of the Inanis Mansion and weing them with the rest of the family.

    "Those youngdies were heavily reprimanded by their families once I talked sternly with all of them," Baron Hugh said. "Well¡­ it is the Baroness who spoke with the youngdies themselves and they have sworn to be upstandingdies. Of course, they won''t be like Lily, but let me reassure you now, Young Lord Asher that incident shall not happen again."

    "Thank you, Baron Hugh. I appreciate it." Lucius said. "I can only imagine that some parents might have found themselves also upset with what urred and may think that we''re overreacting¡­"

    "Hardly! If there are any, and I suppose, there were some insufferable parents who wanted their daughters excused and thought my meddling was cumbersome. Well, it merely speaks to the type of people that they are and I have no interest in engaging with them. They''ll have to find their business elsewhere," Baron Hugh said as he cut through his steak and then put a slice in his mouth. "This is simply, divine. Mmm, are these the Joy Cows that I''ve heard so much about? We''re not exactly low in supply as nearby farms do import tons every day, but it can get all gobbled up by the fancy restaurants in Etara''s Cross that even I have trouble getting ess to them."

    Baroness Hugh looked like she wanted to strangle her husband, but at the same time, didn''t have any reaction to her face at all as she sipped her drink and then cleared her throat.

    "This is¡­ Humble ze, is it not?" she asked.

    Everyone who was rapt with the boisterous story of Baron Hugh found themselves suddenly meeting the icy gaze of the Baroness.

    It was something that even Viscountess ckshield, a veteran of cold faces, to slightly choke on her drink about.

    The Viscountess became cold due to the events that happened in her life, whereas, as far as everyone knew from the Baroness, she mostly had an affluent noble life and yet was incredibly stiff.

    "Yes, it''s the Humble ze. With Dionysia Brewery being present in the city, Count Gabriel and I often find ourselves enjoying a drink more than every day." Countess Lita added with a diplomatic and winning smile.

    "I see. How fortunate. Countess Lita, have you tried the tea?" the Baroness asked next.

    The smile on Countess Lita''s face froze for a split second. Lucius knew that the Countess was great at concealing her emotions, but in that particr moment, there was a small slip up.

    "The tea. Ah, yes, you''ve given me quite a great gift, Baroness Hugh. I have sampled it when I came back home after the banquet, but I almost fear that my tastebuds are a little¡­ indelicate for the specific blend you''ve created. Shall we drink it this afternoon with the Viscountess?"

    Viscountess ckshield now choked on her own wine but discreetly coughed.

    "That''s perfect now that I''ve thought about it, Viscountess ckshield. You haven''t had the chance to sample it, and with Baroness Hugh here, then you can perhaps give her some feedback on it."

    Viscountess ckshield almost looked like she wanted to throw daggers at Countess Lita, but instead, she smiled simply and nodded. "I suppose it will be a wee change to not have much alcohol in my body for once."

    "I will be looking forward to it. Perhaps Countess Lita''s niece and my daughter can join too." Baroness Hugh added.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lucius had seen all sorts of people from this life and his past life, but the Baroness was one of the people who managed to shine out by the mere fact of how odd she was.

    "A-ah, Mother. I am afraid that I cannot join you¡­ Brother Benjamin needs me." Lily wiped her mouth with a napkin and tried to smile.

    "Benjamin?"

    "U-uh," Benjamin panicked, threw a pointed look at his sister but then met Lucius''s gaze. "It''s because uh, we''re hanging out with uh¡­"

    "My apologies, Baroness. I''m afraid that before this impromptu tea party was decided, I have already asked your two children to apany me this afternoon." Lucius said.

    While Lucius did not have any interest in Lily, the fact remained that Benjamin at least had a Gift that the man found useful. It was a fair trade to save them from their current predicament in exchange for the chance to speak with Benjamin in person.

    Even if it meant that they would have a third party thrown into the mix.

    ''Luckily enough, this Lily is akin to her namesake. A flower that''s easy enough to ignore and dismiss without much consequences and hardly any effort necessary.'' Lucius thought.

    Unaware of the thoughts in Young Lord Asher''s mind, Lily couldn''t help but suddenly blush and hid her smile underneath her napkin.

    She had only chosen to ask help from her brother but did not expect that it would turn out that she''d get an opportunity to spend time with Young Lord Asher as well.

    ''I¡­ I didn''t think things would turn out this way! I''m fortunate.''

    Meanwhile, Baroness Hugh looked at Young Lord Asher for about thirty seconds, unnervingly so, before she dipped her head and nodded.

    "Very well, then it seems that there is nothing I can do. Perhaps, Lady Alessa is avable this afternoon?" she inquired, mostly to herself than Lucius.

    "We shall see about that!" Countess Lita said, once again filling in the conversation.

    "Haha, if the women are having a tea party and the children will be on their own events this afternoon, Count Gabriel, what should we do?" Baron Hugh chuckled and addressed the Count.

    "It has been a while since we''ve sparred, Baron Hugh."

    The Baron regretted asking his question.

 Chapter 469 Plans For The Hugh Children

    ?

    Once the meal time was over, Lucius found himself now being apanied by both Benjamin and Lily.

    While this was not actually in his immediate ns for that particr day, Lucius did not really mind.

    "I must admit that when your father sent us the letter and confirmed about your arrival, I have found myself wondering what activities we will do." Lucius confessed in what was an eptable way for a young man.

    While Lucius could have remained simply as himself, and it had worked, it was also much better to at least shift his personality a little for the intended audience who was going to receive his message.

    It made them much more receptive to such things, though Lucius had already formted his own schedule for the possible duration of the Baron Hugh and his family''s stay.

    "Well¡­ I''m fine with anything, Lord Asher." Benjamin said, then looked over at Lily.

    The younger woman remained by her brother''s side, looking shy and demure, and didn''t even say a word.

    "And the same goes with my sister. We''re fine doing whatever it is that you like, Lord Asher. You know the city better than us."

    "Hmm, well, the trip in the city is something that I''ve nned to do when everyone is more rxed after their exhausting trip." Lucius confided. "So, instead, I am wondering of the possible things that we can do. There is the Guards Barracks¡­"

    "Guards Barracks?"

    "Yes, Captain Donald, is willing to let many people participate or at least watch whenever he is training his guards. It is quite a sight. In fact, if Viscountess ckshield does not find herself apanying your mother, Baroness Hugh, and my mother, well it wouldn''t be strange to see her there too."

    "Oh."

    "Huh."

    Both of the siblings made different reactions this time. Benjamin looked like he was quite uninterested in seeing the Guard Barracks, meanwhile, for some reason, Lily actually looked a bit interested.

    ''Hmmm, I suppose simplybeling her as demure and being done with it is rather too fast of an assessment, but I expect it to be around mild curiosity as the environment she grew up in has sheltered her.'' Lucius thought.

    "Does it not seem like a good ce?" Lucius asked. "I myself have participated in spars with the guards. It''s an exhrating activity if one participates in it, I rmend it to you, Lord Benjamin."

    "Perhaps we could uh, watch? I do not wish to participate haha." Benjamin admitted with a nervousugh. "I have been trained when I was younger, my father would never let me read books if I didn''t pick up a sword at least a couple times in my lifetime, but it''s not my way, really."

    "Then that is fine. We can also do something else entirely. I have thought about showing the personal library here in the Inanis Mansion. Are you interested in that, Lord Benjamin and to you too, Miss Lily?"

    At this statement, both of the two siblings made their reaction. Upon being called by Young Lord Asher by name, Lily immediately felt a flutter in her heart.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lily was no reader like her brother, but if that was where Young Lord Asher wanted to be then she was more than happy to go.

    ''¡­ It would have been nice to see um, maybe, Young Lord Asher participating in the battle and witnessing it with my own eyes. They say that his valor in Gisir War was incredible¡­ but if he prefers books now, then that is fine too.''

    ''Ah, Lord Asher actually remembered that I liked books. Is that why he is rmending it or is it because he likes books as well? Either way, I''m d that we''d go check out the books instead of the barracks.'' Benjamin thought.

    "We did discuss sharing books when you were in Etara''s Cross, Lord Asher. I would be more than happy to have it continued." Benjamin said with a smile.

    "S-same here, Lord Asher. I haven''t been able to read much like my brother here, but if you have any rmendations?"

    "You don''t read the books I rmend you, Lily." Benjamin muttered underneath his breath.

    Lily''s smile on her face was immacte, disarming even, as she nced at her brother and spoke honestly.

    "I¡­ I did not find them interesting, that''s why, Benjamin."

    Young Lord Asher let out a small amused chuckle. He nced towards Lily and his eyes were lit up.

    "You do me a great disservice, Miss Lily."

    "P-pardon?" Lily blinked and became both nervous and flustered. She had never expected Young Lord Asher to give her any particr attention even though she tried her best to speak up.

    "Based on the interaction between the two of you, it seems like I will be hard-pressed to provide you with a particr book that you will like." The Young Lord said with a teasing tone but his eyes twinkled once more. "But that will be a challenge that I''ll take you up on, Miss Lily."

    Lily might have staggered already in that particr moment, whereas Benjamin''s own eyes bulged a little at the sudden change of demeanor of Young Lord Asher.

    ''S-should this be something I''m worried about? How can he be good at being so formal and well-liked by adults and then suddenly turn up his own charm and act this way around my sister¡­ it''s impressive. I''m actually more jealous of it than anything.'' Benjamin thought. ''Father already told me to try and learn the ropes from Lord Asher¡­ will this be something I can learn from observing him as well?''

    "I-it''ll be a bit of a challenge indeed, Lord Asher. I have particr tastes." Lily said and puffed up a little and now showed a more yful but still innocent smile, revealing a bit more personality in that moment.

    p¦Ánd¦Á---no¦Í?1,§ão§® "Of course, Miss Lily." Lucius nodded as he led the two siblings to the library.

    ''She''s saying that, but the truth of the matter is that once I give her a book, she''d try hard to read it in order to have something to talk about with me, and so it will actually give me enough time to speak with Benjamin.''

 Chapter 470 A Choice For A Book

    ?

    "Hmmm, what kind of book do you think suits me?" Lily nced up at the handsome face of the Young Lord Asher.

    She was rather happy and pleased with the attention that the handsome Lord was giving her.

    ''Even though both my mother and father seem to approve and speak highly of him and be someone that my brother should aspire to¡­ I think even without their own words, I would have liked him anyway.'' Lily thought, a faint blush on her cheeks.

    Lucius''s expression was kind and pleasant, but on the inside, he truly did not share the same feelings as he was portraying himself.

    "For someone as refined of ady as you, Miss Lily¡­ well, hmm. Are you perhaps fond of fairytales?" Lucius eyed the selection avable before him.

    In the corner of the room, Benjamin looked like he nearly wanted to gag, but chose not to say anything.

    ''I don''t think I saw Lord Asher showing any preferences for thedies during the Etara''s Cross banquet, but right now he''s showing interest in Lily. I think even our father would approve of this friendship if it happens. Father was always saying that nobody is good enough for Lily, but if it''s Lord Asher¡­''

    Lucius eyed the array of books, and he intentionally chose to pick up the most difficult one he could have chosen while having it fit within the ''theme'' that Lily gave.

    ''She''d most likely read anything that I''d give her, but if I make it too hard, well, my intentions might also be clear. If not her, then Benjamin might be able to tell. To presume that they won''t know that I''m trying to distract Lily is too haughty of an assessment, they''re still nobles at the end of the day and are familiar with the back and forth of engagements. Even for the most ill-suited and sheltered ones.'' Lucius thought.

    "Here, I have read this myself, Miss Lily. I think you might be able to enjoy it." Lucius said with a careful ced smile.

    It was Lily''s new assignment.

    "I''ll have to check it out myself then," Lily curtsied. "Thank you so much, Lord Asher. If¡­ if I were to find myself needing more books, may I perhaps ask you for another rmendation?"

    "Hmm, if you find yourself needing one, then I''ll be happy to give you one, Miss Lily." Asher replied.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ''I don''t quite recall how long we''re staying here, but if I became pen pals with Lord Asher¡­''

    Lily''s maiden heart started to swoon and flutter. The imagination of romantic love letters exchanged with the aromatic candles burning through the night.

    ''I''d have to sign it properly. Perfumed paper? Yes, I can maybe press some of the flowers¡­ not like the dried tea leaves and flowers that my mother likes, but something cute and pretty? Rose petals? Ah, I have to ask him what kind of flower he likes!''

    Lucius suddenly leaned towards Lily''s ears discreetly. Not close enough that it would trigger Benjamin''s elderly brother instincts, but just enough to make the youngdy''s heart flutter.

    "However, I must confess, it would also greatly please me if you and I could discuss the contents of that book, Miss Lily. I hope that you do not find it boring because I have enjoyed it myself," Lucius whispered.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I-is that so, Lord Asher?" Lily said in a hushed voice. She had forgotten about her brother''s presencepletely. "I will¡­ I will do my best to let you know about it then."

    ***

    With one of Baron Hugh''s offspring now preupied fully, the young maiden taking the time to find a seat among the library tables and checking out the book, it left Lucius with the free time to focus on the only one he had actual interest in.

    "What about you, Lord Benjamin?" Lucius smiled in a genial manner. "I have some particr titles I think that might suit you, but it''s a little further from here. Will you apany me?"

    "Of course, Lord Asher. I''m interested." Benjamin stepped forward and strode after the other lord.

    ''I almost assumed that Lily would have Lord Asher''s attention all day, but luckily that isn''t the case. In fact, it''s almost like Lily is quite behaved all by herself thanks to the book that Lord Asher gave her¡­ er, a coincidence?'' Benjamin thought. ''I mean, Lily never reads any of the books I give her and would rather do gardening, but now her book''s all covered up in that book. It''s almost impressive.''

    "Lord Benjamin?"

    "P-Pardon, Lord Asher?" Benjamin blinked and realized that he might have missed some things that the other lord said.

    "Ah, I was just checking. You seem concerned with your sister, it seems." Lucius said. "I hope that my acts did not seem uncouth and untowardly towards Miss Lily."

    "Do not worry about it, Lord Asher," Benjamin said, then caught himself. "I mean, I greatly appreciate your concern and kindness earlier, Lord Asher. Lily has been¡­ well has experienced some unpleasant situations simr to that of yours."

    "I see, you must be speaking about the nobledies¡­" Lucius muttered.

    "Ah, forgive me for bringing that up." Benjamin apologized. "I would like to talk about the topics that you wish to, Lord Asher. What kind of books did you have in mind?"

    "Business books. Merchant ones. You spoke about your interest in creating a business of your own, did you not?" Lucius carefully selected some titles from the shelf. "These are some anecdotes, stories and even real advice that I''ve found most useful."

    Benjamin''s eyes widened. ''Lord Asher remembered my pleas back then. It''s been weeks ago and I scarcely mentioned it but he remembers that detail well enough. Wait, I have to say something.''

    "My father says that all of these books are nothing but fluff inside of my head unless I were to go out and put myself out there, Lord Asher."

    "Application is indeed necessary."

    "And yet the fact remains that my father, er, Baron Hugh won''t do anything to assist me unless he sees it as feasible. It''s rather frustrating."

 Chapter 471 An Offer For A Position

    ?

    ''Hmm, I haven''t thought about it earlier, but hisints and circumstances are actually symbiotic in the n that I wish to implement.''

    "Ah, forgive me forining." Benjamin scratched his head and bowed a little sheepishly. "I have already vented in the past about this, and it might have been too much if this is what Lord Asher rmends me."

    "¡­ I suppose it is difficult to get one parent''s trust," Lucius said.

    It was hardly the case for Lucius. In his previous world, his parents were nothing more¡­ almost just as irrelevant, or maybe even more irrelevant than the siblings that he killed with his own hands.

    Meanwhile, it also took some effort on ''Lord Asher''s'' part to gain the trust of the Count and Countess when they originally chose to build Dionysia''s Brewery and he worked himself from up there.

    Not that Lucius could and would ry such vital information to the young man with him.

    "But Lord Asher seems to have a great rtionship with the Count and Countess. The Masked Legion Mercenary is in contact with you and the Count is it not, and the same could be said for the rehabilitation center. My father says that the apple does not fall far from the tree, because Count Inanis was also the one who chose to implement academies to train future servants¡­ but what does that make me with my own father?" Benjamin chuckled sheepishly.

    "Hmm, if Baron Hugh is difficult to please with all of his demands and it does not work out with you, Lord Benjamin¡­ I confess that I have something to tell you."

    "Confess to me?" Benjamin blinked and became a little nervous. His head start to go in multiple directions but the most prevalent one was this.

    ''Is this the part where Lord Asher says that I cannot be like him. He must have already proved himself from such a young age and I wouldn''t have any way of catching up¡­ it''s why my father is forcing me to be here right now. To learn, even as much as I can¡­ but it''s not like people are the same as books.''

    "It''s not something for you to worry about. In fact, it might be something that you would find useful."

    "Useful¡­ confession?" Benjamin looked lost.

    "Yes, I was actually looking for someone to work as my administrative head." Lucius exined atst. "If you are in need of capital to start your business venture¡­ what do you think ofing to work for me?"

    Benjamin''s eyes widened and he stared at Lucius with his mouth hanging slightly open.

    Out of everything that he expected toe out of the mouth of Lord Asher, it was hardly the proposal for work.

    "M-Me? Work?" Benjamin pointed at himself unsurely. "You wish for me to work for you, Lord Asher? Are you sure about this¡­? I do not think that I am especially equipped for such a role¡­"

    "Mmhmm, I am serious." Lucius said. "While you are not confident about your ability, Lord Benjamin. I think that you have what it takes."

    "You¡­ you truly think so, Lord Asher?"

    "Hmm, if I have to ry the reasons why I have chosen you, Lord Benjamin, then I might be able to convince you." Lucius said.

    "If it''s not a bother."

    "Haha, of course not. One of the reasons is already your background as Baron Hugh''s son, Lord Benjamin. I am by far aware thatpared to Inanis City, Etara''s Cross is much more monumental to the trade than ours." Lucius said. "Hence why Baron Hugh is a bit hard on you since the trade between differing cities and travelers is of much importance."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I¡­ I understand that well, Lord Asher. But that does not mean¡­"

    "Compared to others around our age, perhaps it will be difficult to find someone who is as well-versed with business than you already are, Lord Benjamin."

    "There are others older than us¡­"

    "And I am taking age into the factor, I wish for us to have an amicable working rtionship."

    Benjamin was surprised, but could also understand why.

    e¦Áglesn?¦Íel ''It''s much easier to talk when you two are of the same age. If Lord Asher were to hire someone older and more experienced than him, even if he were a noble, it would be a different dynamic altogether. In fact, even talking to my own father is difficult, what more if it were other people? They''ll all presume that they know better than me¡­''

    "Is that all, Lord Asher?" Benjamin asked.

    Lucius chuckled and his eyes gleamed as he looked at the young man, the Hell Aether within him being used to active his Nexus.

    "I have also chosen and selected you base on your Gift, Lord Benjamin. A Rare Gift such as the Book Archiver¡­ is extremely special." Lucius said.

    "But it''s not really as great as others¡­"

    "Do you remember whom you are speaking to, Lord Benjamin?" Lucius asked.

    Benjamin stopped in his tracks and froze. Even though they were nearly the same age, the son of a Baron and the son of a Count were of still different hierarchies.

    "My apologies for speaking informally to you, Lord Asher, I do not¡­"

    "I am speaking about me being known for not having a gift." Lucius said. It was a cryptic message. Viscount Felldan would easily parse the meaning behind the words, but the ones who didn''t know how to catch it would find themselves deceived easily.

    It wasn''t even a lie.

    Truth in all its technicality.

    The obfuscation of words was better as a form of lying, instead of not hiding thingspletely, but mixing it in with the truth or having the statement appear like something else.

    "A-ah!" Benjamin''s eyes widened and the warning of his father immediately came to him. If his earlier apology was already worded deeply, this kind of apology was even more important.

    Lucius smiled in amusement. He was eager to know what kind of person Benjamin was and how he might respond to what he gave him.

    Was it all book smarts?

 Chapter 472 Benjamins Answer

    ?

    Benjamin bowed his head low. "Forgive me, Lord Asher. I was too blinded by my own insecurity with my gift¡­ that I failed to realize that one''s ability and talents are not merely determined by what one has, but by how one uses it instead. Gift. No gift. It is how one takes advantage of all that he has with him at his disposal that makes one be a better person or not."

    Lucius looked at Benjamin for a moment.

    ''Am I mildly disappointed that he did not understand the true meaning behind my words? To a great extent, I am not that surprised that he did not get what I mean considering how focused he is on his own insecurity¡­ but the fact that he can acknowledge his weakness and still be able to spin and craft his words around to save face is at least of good quality. He won''t do badly under proper training.''

    Compared to Benjamin, Lucius''s own past was far more brutal and unforgiving than the young lord would ever be. Topare the two was akin to saying a bed of rose petals was as ufortable as that of just thorns.

    ''Of course, growing up in an environment where one is coddled and cared for, it is natural that he''d find himself under stress at what he thinks hecks, unable to clearly and effectively use everything that he does have.''

    Benjamin waited in silence for Lord Asher''s words. The next reply determined whether or not the friendship between Benjamin and Asher might be formed.

    ''All I had to do was not offend him and be in Lord Asher''s good graces. How could I have messed that up so bad? If Father were to learn of this¡­ hah, I just hope that Lord Asher isn''t so petty enough to drag this with Count Inanis. It wouldn''t even be petty at this point because how obtuse did I have to be to say it in his face that my Gift sucks when he doesn''t have one? I should have buried my face into whatever book, Lord Asher gives me next. I''m good as dead anyway.''

    "I agree with your statement, Lord Benjamin."

    "H-huh?" Benjamin looked up in disbelief.

    "I did not find myself offended at all by what you have said, Lord Benjamin. In fact, I have gone through the same exact thing as you did." Lucius said. "In my earlier years, I have been so focused on theck that I experience within me. Thatck of a Gift had bothered me for a longest time, and I tried to bury myself in swordsmanship. I wanted to be like¡­ Master Frank, that excellent swordsman who proved himself exceptional even without a Gift."

    "But¡­ but you''re good at it, Lord Asher. Did you not receive a personal de from the King of Gisir himself?" Benjamin pointed out.

    "While that is the case, I had done so while still being reckless. I nearly lost my life back then," Lucius chuckled. "It is not something I rmend you do for the risks that it might propose. Not everyone is willing to do everything that it takes to seed after all."

    Benjamin listened to Lord Asher''s words. He knew from the bottom of his heart that what the Lord was saying was correct.

    ''I¡­ my Father at one point wanted me to be like the other noblemen my age. Able to handle weapons and other things expected from us, the fact that I had failed him made him quite upset that I couldn''t live up to it.'' Benjamin thought.

    "What about you¡­ Lord Benjamin?" Lucius asked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "What is it?"

    "Do you think that you have what it takes to make your way up from your current position into that of someone at a higher status." Lucius asked. "Etara''s Cross is a prosperous city thanks to the contributions of both the Baron and Baroness. Are you ready to take up the challenge and uphold the long standing tradition of keeping Etara''s Cross as one of the most sessful trade hubs in Gisir, or do you wish to do something else?"

    ''If I had the choice, I''d rather just stay in the library and read books, maybe make some documents and assist where I can. It''s rxing and not stressful. I like to have a cup of tea and some biscuits¡­ it''s not much, but it makes me happy.'' Benjamin thought.

    However, that was not something that Benjamin could do for all of his life.

    "I¡­ I do not wish to let my family down, Lord Asher. The Etara''s Cross is something that my family has taken care of for a certain amount of time. Even before anybody in our family became a noble." Benjamin exined.

    The history of the Hugh Family bing the nobility of the Etara''s Cross was a story that stretched long.

    It wasn''t simply something that happened for them in one snap like a great valor or feat.

    Each generation contributed to making thest one better than the next.

    "And so you wish to build a business like what Baron Hugh wants."

    "I mean¡­ if I may be so frank, Lord Asher?"

    "You may."

    "Isn''t that what you said is the reason why you''ve spoken to me as well? It''s not like I''m terrible at business work. Or rather, I''m actually, uh, good with some things. Like the administrative work and the things that happen in the background." Benjamin scratched his head. "If it''s uh, meeting with possible clients and others. I honestly don''t find myself reallyfortable with it. But just because I''m notfortable¡­ doesn''t mean I can''t try, right?"

    "Hmm, that is a good way of looking at things." Lucius said. "I do hope that you consider my offer though."

    "O-oh, I will!" Benjamin quickly said. "In fact, I think this is the best opportunity that has arrived for me. It would be a wrong decision to let this go when you''re being quite kind already. I am grateful, though I''m not so sure about all the details and how our workflow will be like? The distance between us will slow downmunications."

 Chapter 473 Lifting The Spirits

    ?

    "We shall finalize and iron those things out, Lord Benjamin." Lucius easily supplied. "In fact, I have every reason to believe that Baron Hugh might see it as a good thing for you to gain experience outside of Etara''s Cross if you are willing to step away from your home."

    "O-oh. Yes, now that I think about it¡­ that does make certain sense. It didn''t ur to me until you mentioned it." Benjamin chuckled.

    ''Living in Inanis City? Compared to the hustle and bustle of Etara''s Cross constant traffic and busyness, the life here in Inanis City will be much quieter and peaceful. I can get a small house here? Ah, I''m not sure if I can afford the housing or whether or not Father will provide¡­''

    "Let me talk with Baron Hugh if you''re willing. I am sure that we can work something out. In fact, since I am the one who is offering you to stay here, it makes much more sense to offer incentives like housing, transportation and other amenities."

    "W-what?" Benjamin stared at Lord Asher in shock.

    "Indeed."

    "But isn''t that too much, Lord Asher? You''re already offering to hire me so I could start a business, so for you to offer¡­ er, I am most grateful for it." Benjamin caught himself and bowed awkwardly.

    ''It''s rude to reject a gift and here I am, already doing such a thing. This is an opportunity that I wouldn''t get anywhere and to speak so negatively about it is something that could displease Lord Asher. Father would have already scolded me if I was here.''

    Lucius noticed the hesitation in the younger man''s stance and decided to fix the issue himself.

    ''While not exactly abat person, it is actually good to pass on certain administrative work to someone else so I can do other more important things.'' Lucius thought. ''Not to mention, I have found myself curious about what his Gift might be at an Epic Rank.''

    Gift Name: Book Archiver

    Description: It is a memory rted gift that allows a user to read and memorize books better than others.

    Rank: Rare

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Type: Mental

    Evolution: Possible

    Evolution Requirements: 2x ss Eye beast rune crystals + 100 Aether Crystals

    Benjamin found himself waiting once again for Lord Asher''s reply. The two of them were close in age, but the gap and difference in maturity and skills were clearly obvious to him.

    "You need to be more confident with yourself, Lord Benjamin." Lucius said. "When opportunity does strike, do not find yourself diminishing your worth and wondering whether you deserve it or not. One way or another, it hase to your hands and it is up to you to decide whether or not you''ll use it. The choice is entirely yours."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Haha," Benjamin chuckled weakly, but nodded. "Thank you, Lord Asher. It''s just¡­ it''s easy to read books. They''re safe, familiar and they won''t bite back at you or make you feel bad about yourself. Dealing with people is unpredictable. You have to watch and guard yourself to make sure that you do the right thing, this and that¡­ it gets a little wearisome that I find myself once again retreating into books."

    "People are not so much different with books, Lord Benjamin." Lucius replied. It was clear that Baron Hugh was an excellent baron, but his own rtionship with his family was not as picture perfect as some might believe it was.

    "You think they are like books?"

    "Well, first and foremost, books are in fact, written by people, Lord Benjamin. The very people you wish to avoid, which is quite something, don''t you think?" Lucius said in slight amusement.

    Lord Benjamin couldn''t help but cough. He became a little embarrassed, but tried to exin himself some more.

    "But books are more detailed, they tell you everything¡­"

    "Do they?" Lucius raised a brow. "I find myself hard to believe if you are a reader if you have yet to witness stories where the author does not implement certain twists and turns, perhaps give a false start, a different kind of ending. You must have read those stories too, right?"

    "I¡­ I suppose. But people are much more difficult¡­"

    "It is true, not all people are like open books. They''re not at all easy to read, harder to distinguish and check. They might say one thing and then do another. But as I''ve said, isn''t that simr to the books that we''ve both read?" Lucius chuckled. "I think it can be difficult at first to approach people, it is simr to how you might hesitate from reading a book with a topic that''s beyond your grasp, but if you do your best to observe and read what is in front of you, search for clues and hints, then you''ll find things about them that you wouldn''t have even imagined before."

    Benjamin stared in shock at Lord Asher. Out of every single phrase, line or advice that he heard from his own father, Baron Hugh, tell him, most of them were like a sieve that passed through easily in his head and out of his ears.

    However,pared to what Lord Asher was saying now¡­ and using it all with analogies of books, it was like someone had finally given Benjamin a cup to fill himself properly.

    ''This is¡­''

    "You are truly brilliant, Lord Asher!" Benjamin said in awe, not able to hide it anymore in his thoughts. "That''s my first-time hearing someone saying it like that, and it''s like¡­ you allowed me to read a good summary of a book, or the beginning and the ending and then having fullprehension of it. I''ve always kind of gotten stuck in the middle part, where it''s all convoluted, the pacing is slow and everything seems getting dragged, but now it''s all cleared up."

    Lucius nodded. The man''s intention was not exactly to lift the younger man''s spirit, but it was perhaps a side effect of trying to recruit him as one of his supporters.

    "I am d that my words have been able to be of help to you, Lord Benjamin."

    "Yes. They truly have. I''m excited to work for you, Lord Asher."

 Chapter 474 The Counts Surprising Battle

    ?

    In the training grounds of the Inanis Guards barracks, there was a huge crowd of people that were all gathered together.

    People were cheering, and a great number of servants and especially the guards were all witnessing the rare sight of Count Inanis on the grounds.

    It wasn''t a normal asion for the Count to actually go out of his way to fight, even the Viscountess herself had trouble initiating one with the Count, but somehow the man went out of his way this time for Baron Hugh.

    "Hmm, he had always found one way or another to not fight me, but this time, he''s actually gone out and initiated it himself." Viscountess ckshield said with a small mutter underneath her breath.

    "Viscountess ckshield, it is a surprise to see you here." Captain Donald said.

    "Yes, I couldn''t miss something like this for the world, you know?"

    "Ah, so it''s why the state of your estate is of a small matter to you." Captain Donald muttered under his breath.

    The two of them had fought each other before and Captain Donald thought of himself as a gentleman who was able to work with other people, butpared to Count Inanis who was his direct superior, Viscountess ckshield was¡­ while not necessarily equal in rank, seemed much closer to him than Count Inanis.

    Viscountess ckshield''s face schooled over into a cool feature. She was much more expressive now than she had been before at the Etara''s Cross banquet, but only because the people here were much more willing to open up andmunicate with her genuinely.

    However, when it came to the fact that someone like Captain Donald was bing a little passive aggressive or showed hints of spite, that was when the cold personality of Viscountess ckshield came back.

    ''I understand that my presence has been perhaps a nuisance to the authority of this Captain, but I am free to do as I wish. Hah, I suppose if I was more bloodthirsty as I was before, I would have already challenged him to a match but somehow¡­ being here in Inanis City surrounded by other people has made me softer.'' Viscountess ckshield thought. ''Well, not soft enough to not be here.''

    She was originally supposed to be with Countess Lita, Baroness Hugh and even Lady Alessa, but the promise of a fight was far more interesting than any kind of tea time with thedies for her.

    Count Inanis was a natural fighter and leader. He was Rancor, the great renowned fighter who was able to y hundreds.

    Meanwhile, Baron Hugh himself was rather shorter and had a portlier body. But somehow, the Baron was able to hold a sword well and looked actually focused that time.

    ''I¡­ don''t exactly recall Baron Hugh''s gift. Hah, I never really bothered with the other nobles'' Gifts unless they are particrly strong or rted inbat, so I am assuming that his Gift is much more rted to merchant stuff.'' Viscountess ckshield crossed her arms over her chest.

    "Have you ever encountered Baron Hugh before?" Viscountess ckshield decided to reach out a little. Extend an olive branch of goodwill to Captain Donald.

    "I''m afraid not, Viscountess. I am not sure, but I did hear stories that Baron Hugh and Count Inanis''s rtionship during their younger years was also good. Not as good as with Viscount Felldan, but they have a strong amicable rtionship due to the close distance between the Inanis territory and Baron Hugh''snds."

    At the mention of Viscount Felldan, the smile on Viscount ckshield''s face became a little even more icier. ''Ah, yes, the bane of my existence him.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Hmm, pardon me for speaking so frankly around you, Viscountess." Captain Donald said.

    "We have already been here together for weeks, Captain Donald. I do not see any issue with you being much more candid with me. In fact, it is something that I will appreciateing from you." Viscountess ckshield said. "Not everyone has to array themselves in a gand of lies and parade around."

    Captain Donald noticed the edge in Viscountess ckshield''s voice. He was sure that she was implying someone else, but at the moment, it was a conversation that didn''t really seem appropriate in the battle grounds.

    ''I¡­ I have been a little more upset due to what I am feeling, but I am a little cold to Viscountess ckshield despite her position.''

    "What were you going to ask?"

    "Ah, well, it is simply my observation over the years of working with Count Inanis that you are not among the number of people that he considers his closest confidants."

    "That much is true." Viscountess ckshield said. ''If anyone were to find themselves eating out from the hand of that Viscount Felldan, I don''t think I would have liked being around them, Count or not.''

    "Yes, but you must already know that it is not the Count Inanis himself who invited me here but Lord Asher Inanis. And so by default, I am under the grace of Count Inanis in this particr situation." Viscountess ckshield said. "Does that bother you, Captain?"

    "No. It does not."

    "Hmm, based on how you are acting around yourself, it feels like a lie, but that is not my issue." Viscountess ckshield said. She hated thinking of words as much as Viscount Felldan. There was an icky and slimy feeling that permeated her skin where she was to ever find herself beingpared to the Viscount.

    ''But it''s natural, considering that we both share the same rank. I am a threat to him, and Count Inanis his own personal way of getting a leg up.''

    "Do you know of Baron Hugh''s Gift?"

    It was an interesting conjecture.

    Nobody was actually quite sure what was the Baron''s Gift, and perhaps, none of the soldiers would figure it out as Baron Hugh called out a request.

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "No Gifts, Count Inanis. I actually want to have a chance this time instead of fearing that I''ll get plunged into death." Baron Hugh called out with a nervousugh.

    "Of course." Count Inanis nodded.

    Those were the termsid out for their current battle as Lucius and Benjamin arrived to witness the battle and speak with the young man''s father.

 Chapter 475 A Parents Loss

    ?

    "Ah, what perfect timing, it''s just about to begin," Lucius said. It was easy to learn more about a person through the way they operated through life.

    ''In fact, it might be even telling of what type of a person will be depending on their gift. Of course, it''s the old nature vs nurture conundrum, and yet the answer does always lie somewhere in between.'' Lucius thought.

    Benjamin nced at his father, Baron Hugh, and a mixture of feelings coursed through him.

    Respect. Fear. Love.

    It was a strange tonic of emotions that whirled around the young Lord''s mind as he witnessed his father, the man who strove and drove him hard to study swordsmanship, also carry a sword himself.

    ''Father always said that noblemen have to be good at every matter regarding to all areas in our life. I know that Count Inanis is exceptional, but if Father truly shows some skill in using the sword¡­ then perhaps it simply shows that he is not a hypocrite as I''ve assumed him to be.'' Benjamin thought.

    Lucius nced at Benjamin''s slightly hardened expression and noticed the way the man''s jaw tightened slightly as his fist clenched together.

    This was not the stance of a man that respected or adored his father wholeheartedly. There was friction there. Some undercurrent that perhaps many might have ignored in fear of finding themselves being pulled down under than what was necessary.

    ''Hmm, while I have not much experience with my own parents due to their positions mostly as breeders for the Barrom n, it does not mean that even I was thoroughly immune to some thoughts that might be guing Benjamin right now.'' Lucius thought.

    It seemed natural to dere to the world that one''s parents were special, provided to by the gods or fates, or whatever conspired things in a way to help you reach and survive in this world.

    But there was also a feeling that it was random, mere chance, and you could have ended up with parents born from the lowest of the low which could have been the case for Lucius who was born in the highly hated Great Barrom n that spanned across nearly half the world due to their influences.

    ''While one does not often acknowledge it aloud in fear of being reprimanded and pped out of disrespect, one sometimes does find themselves wishing what it might be like with different parents, more so, one cannot truly be a true adult without resolving whatever issues may haveid forgotten in one''s chest in regards to their guardians.'' Lucius thought.

    ''To hold one''s parent in great esteem and to always value their opinion above yours. To make anyone''s opinion matter more than oneself is a path that cuts down to quite a treacherous road led by the crossroads and signs made by others¡­ instead of forging one''s own path on their own.''

    So right now, Benjamin was like¡­ an unfinished book in Lucius''s eyes if he were to go with the very same analogy that Benjamin had used.

    ''His story is unfinished. It''s still ongoing and one can only wonder what paths are branching out right now for him. Of course, for those who are unaware and are incapable of making their own decisions¡­ it truly makes sense that one needs to lead and guide them likembs.''

    "Lord Benjamin, you seem a little stiff. Are you worried about what will happen to your father?" Lucius asked.

    "A-ah, yeah." Benjamin said with a nervousugh. "I haven''t exactly seen him pick up a sword at all. He tends to busy himself with paperwork, spending most of the rest of his time eating and drinking so it''s a little¡­ worrisome. But I think Count Inanis will not go too far, so it is safe."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Indeed. Once this fight is over, we will need to approach Baron Hugh. I hope that he will be in a good mood regardless of the oue."

    At those words, Benjamin froze a little. Baron Hugh and good mood. It was abination of something that triggered him and made his thoughts run amok.

    ''He''ll be defeated and he''llugh it off. That''s what my father always does¡­ others won''t really notice his sour mood. Even people like Count Inanis are said to enjoy my father''s social and outgoing nature. It''s not as extravagant as Viscount Felldan''s, but it is a type of social friendliness that he has mastered and crafted over the years¡­''

    "Well, we are sharing good news with Baron Hugh, so there is nothing to worry about."

    eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "Y-yeah."

    ***

    The result of the fight between Count Inanis and Baron Hugh was not at all surprising. Someone was at their top peak physical condition and the other one less so.

    However, there was some fight in Baron Hugh''s method that spoke of how he actually tried hard and gave it his all.

    Baron Hugh went down out of the training ground while sweating hard and epting a drink from one of the Inanis servants.

    Rio epted the tossed sword and went on his merry way. The little mushroom boy had nothing but a background in that particr moment.

    "Baron Hugh, may I have a word with you right now?" Lucius approached the Baron alongside Benjamin.

    "Ah, Young Lord Asher!" Baron Hughughed. "It is a little embarrassing to be seenpletely defeated in the training grounds, but it is good to see you, Benjamin and¡­"

    "Ah, Lily is still in the library, reading." Benjamin replied.

    Baron Hugh''s expression narrowed imperceptibly to almost everyone. However, to Benjamin who expected it and flinched slightly and Lucius, who was actively waiting for it, it was clear as day.

    "I hope that she is having a fine time there then," Baron Hugh said. "But ah, yes, I am forgetting. What manner of good is it that you have to share with me, Young Lord Asher?"

    ''Based on how things turned out. It does not seem that Lord Asher has shown any interest towards my daughter if she was left by herself¡­ but perhaps I could be mistaken. Perhaps it is Lord Asher asking permission for my hand''s daughter?''

 Chapter 476 The Baffled Baron

    ?

    Baron Hugh was no Viscount Felldan, but it did not mean that he was not a man of ambition. While Viscount Felldan drew others through his appearance which was the envy of others, Baron Hugh worked on his own.

    However, not all dreams were achieved by a person in their lifespan due to circumstances in their own life.

    A person might have found himself marrying and settling down, building a family and putting aside whatever goals and ambitions that he had in his youth to be the provider of his family.

    It was not something umon.

    In fact, it was sometimes why children were sometimes to be had. The unfulfilled ambitions of the parents were often, unconsciously or consciously, passed down to their children.

    If someone did not achieve their dream, at least their child might do it.

    ''There are romantic stories from other nobles and ndestine affairs that tell of infatuated young men being so enamored with women that they would approach the fathers and brothers in private to ask for their daughter''s hand. I do not think Young Lord Asher is a romantic individual, but my daughter is unlike any other youngdies in the circle. And people can be surprising when they want it to be.'' Baron Hugh thought.

    Lucius stared at Baron Hugh''s expression and wore a smile on his face.

    "I have been talking with Lord Benjamin here, and your son has impressed me so much, Baron Hugh. I do not find it often that I get along with so many peers as I do with him, that in fact, I would like to work with him in certain ventures."

    "Oh!" Baron Hugh''s expression grew into surprise and shock before he smiled and nodded. "That is quite a blossoming friendship between the two of you, Young Lord Asher. That is indeed good news, my son here has always been stuck with his nose in books that for you and him to get along together is quite the beginning for a longsting friendship."

    ''While it''s not as quick as it would be if Lily were to find herself marrying Young Lord Asher and tying the knot between the two families, this is actually great too. My son really is in need of learning how to be a better young man and this is the way to go.'' Baron Hugh thought. ''And who says that the chance of my daughter and the young lord might not happen? As opposed to friendship, romance may blossom and take more time to grow. In fact, was I ever interested indies at this age? I think it was only a littleter in age that I nned tomit.''

    If there was a solid difference between Viscount Felldan and Baron Hugh, it was this difference. Baron Hugh looked at possibilities and tried to find the appropriate pieces to make his move, whereas, Viscount Felldan took whatever was in his hand and made it work or simply stole the hand of the other person.

    One was open to different possibilities, the other was focused on one path and did everything to clear the obstacles that stood in his past.

    ''Hmmm, it almost seems like Baron Hugh is already fantasizing about what possibilities mighte into his hand with this newfound friend and didn''t even show a single change in response.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "In fact, I think that the two of us would work together here in Inanis City." Lucius continued and startled the dreaming Baron. ''There is a current project that I wish to discuss with Lord Benjamin and while it may be possible to send letters, I find myself thinking that perhaps it is better for him to stay within the city for easy contact."

    Baron Hugh blinked and nced at his son. This was surprising news and already a few thoughts came into the baron''s mind.

    ''Was my son able to actually speak with him properly? Moving to another city will require money, and I have not really given Benjamin an allowance beyond providing the necessary things in order to have him understand the importance of money. While I do not underestimate Lord Asher''s current sess, there is also the fact that Count Inanis''s coffers are far more deeper than mine. If there were any previous business ventures that did not work, we wouldn''t even know of it anyway. Nobody would dere their own weaknesses, but if I do not prepare anything for him then it will make me look bad too.''

    Lord Benjamin shifted on his feet uneasily and saw the expression on his father''s face and knew exactly where the issue was going to begin.

    "I appreciate the idea, Young Lord Asher. I have always thought that independence would be good for him." Baron Hugh said. "I do have some inquiries though."

    "Feel free to ask them, Baron Hugh. The reason why we came here in the first ce is to get your permission and perhaps a blessing. It is after all no easy business to be one of the most sessfulmercial noble." Lucius said.

    Those words of his were something akin to a bit of truth embellished with something to improve the man''s chance to say yes and it looked like it really did.

    Baron Hugh found himself gratified by the situation. The respect that other nobles gave to others were mostly because of cliques, the circles that they have formed and those of the higher nobilities found themselves less appreciative of the lower ones, not really finding the need to cater to them, but Lord Asher did.

    "Well, I am doing my best to teach my son the importance of work, so it is actually a little embarrassing that.."

    "Please do not worry about your som, Baron Hugh. I will take care of him." Lucius said. "I have already discussed this with him earlier and he shall be living in a dormitory of his choosing and it shall be funded." Lucius exined. "In fact, that and other things will be provided. His Gift is a treasure, Baron Hugh."

    Baron Hugh stared at Lucius in bafflement before he cleared his throat.

    "Are you¡­"

 Chapter 477 Acceptance Of The Baron

    ?

    "Are you¡­ have you considered this, Young Lord Asher?" Baron Hugh blinked before he offered a sheepish smile. "It is quite an opportunity that you are giving my son and I am quite grateful for it. I am sure that my son has expressed the same thing."

    "I-I did, father." Benjamin said.

    Lucius was honestly getting tired of the dynamic and intery between the father and son that he cleared his throat and dipped his head.

    "My father, Count Inanis, already trusts in me to make decisions, Baron Hugh. And while it may seem a little rming to you, it is in fact something that most people at this age learn to do, or even younger."

    "My apologies, Young Lord Asher. I did not mean to offend you with my statement." Baron Hugh quickly said, as he became more attentive to the young man''s condition.

    "You do not do me much of a disservice here, Baron Hugh. In fact, I am aware that many treat me with an elevated position due to my recent achievements and feats against the Gisir Kingdom during the war and for my contribution in improving Inanis City as a whole." Lucius added. "If there''s anyone who might find reason to offend, it would be your son, Benjamin here."

    "L-Lord Asher¡ª!" Benjamin became startled at the way that the lord was addressing his father so straightforwardly.

    It was such a candid thing. Neither the Baron and Lord Benjamin might have been able to witness it before, but it was almost akin to the time when he confronted Lady Harrels when she had used him during her party.

    ''Not that it''s too necessary for me toe between the two of them as it might instigate unwanted conflict, but when I think about it more. This is the better option. If Benjamin were to find himself far more confident about his skills now than before, well, it shall be to my advantage. Better to take care of the person who will take over than the one who will relinquish his power in the end.'' Lucius thought.

    It was a measured decision on his part and with that in mind, Lucius bore a smile on his face and stared at Baron Hugh who looked a little red in the face.

    Baron Hugh had always been a wee part in the banquets that he had hosted and knew how to interact with business people, nobility and people from all sorts and walks of life¡­ but when it came to matters about his own family, he was a poormunicator.

    "And why would my son find a reason to offend, Young Lord Asher?" Baron Hugh said. "How I treat my children may be different from how Count Inanis treats you, Young Lord Asher, but it is because I know my children well. Far more than anyone else would know."

    Lucius could have been morebative, critical and even spout Baron Hugh to anger if he so desired and wished, but instead ofing to that¡­ he found an answer that would turn things aroundpletely.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Hmmm, and there is a difference between me and Lord Benjamin isn''t there?" Lucius said. "By most standards, withstanding my position as the son of a Count, I am also aplished by my contributions, as I''ve pointed out earlier. And how did Ie across to achieve them, Baron Hugh?"

    "¡­ because you are a brilliant young Lord Asher. Among others your age, you have shown yourself to be matured and disciplined in ways that strike me that of someone twice your age."

    "I wish that was easily just the case, Baron Hugh, but it is also in the circumstances that we find ourselves into. I''ve received the support of my family continually and believe in my vision. And yes, it is with, some concrete evidence too¡­ but when put in boiling water, some things like eggs harden their shells and others be soft. One needs more awareness to know which is which, but a tumultuous terrain is far harder for grass to spring up in."

    Baron Hugh was not a deaf man, and neither was hepletely out of touch with what Lord Asher was saying.

    ''When ites to other people, I may have been lenient and kind to them, but I suppose it is possible that maybe I''m more critical? No. I treat everything like a business. There are no friends and family in the business side of life and so¡­''

    "What you mean to say is that if my son, Benjamin were to stay here with you in the same environment that you are currently in, Lord Asher, he will prosper like you are?"

    "I have confidence in it." Lucius said. "I hope that you would be able to give and express your approval."

    "¡­" Baron Hugh stayed silent for a moment. He looked at Benjamin and saw the way that his son finally looked more like a young man instead of a boy. And yet the timidness was still there. Would that change? Hadn''t Baron Hugh wanted that oue? "I believe that you have made a strong enough case, Lord Asher. Benjamin, you are free to remain here immediately if you wish¡­ or perhaps to return with us to collect your belongings. It would be rude to stay here without taking some of your own possessions, and I will give you some allowances that are for your discretion."

    Benjamin stared shell-shocked at Baron Hugh. While it was by no means any actual apology, not stated at all, there was at least some more leniency which was a great step forward in the right direction.

    ''I wasn''t even expecting anything¡­ I mean Lord Asher promised me that he would talk with my father, but for it to turn out this well. His charisma and diplomatic levels are incredibly out of this world.'' Benjamin said. ''I want to be like him.''

    "Baron Hugh, are you going to take a break now?" Count Inanis called out from the training grounds. He had just finished off about three guards while they had been talking with each other.

    "Perhaps another match won''t be that bad." Baron Hugh muttered. "Give me a second to get back there, Count Inanis."

 Chapter 478 Lilys Demand

    ?

    It was easy to appear genial and an amicable person but to have internal selfish motivations, that was how the world worked¡­ but in that particr moment, Benjamin was struck with Lord Asher.

    When Baron Hugh stepped back into the training ground to spar with Count Inanis once more, the young lord cleared his throat and approached Lucius.

    "Lord Asher, I did not¡­ I do not know how to express my gratitude to you for speaking with my father, I''m not exactly sure how I will repay you for this." Benjamin said.

    Lucius chuckled. "It''s a simple matter really, Lord Benjamin. Just do your best and it will be a lot already."

    "Haha, you make me feel unconfident about it, Lord Asher."

    "Do not worry about it. If there is anything that you feel nervous about then you can consult me, but by far, I think you have more experience than me."

    "You think I do?"

    "Hmm, yes. I''ve only recently grown interested in the administrative side of business, whereas you were probably trained even as a young boy, didn''t you?"

    "I suppose so."

    "Big Brother!"

    Lily wore a pout on her face as she walked down the barracks area of the Inanis Mansion. She had tried her best to read the book that Lord Asher rmended her, but it was rather exhausting.

    Her mind became fatigued and it only cemented the idea that Lord Asher was an incredible and amazing man that was someone she could admire.

    When Lily got up to find Lord Asher again with her brother after an hour of reading, she btedly realized that they had gone missing.

    Lily only decided to stay put but became anxious and searched for them. It made her rather put out that she could get so stuck in reading a book that she''d end up not noticing when the two left.

    "Ah, Lily." Benjamin bit back a grimace at the sight of his sister''s face. To some people, they would find it endearing and lovable, but to him, it was just that of his ordinary bratty sister that tried her best to appear like the angel between the two of them.

    "Miss Lily, you''ve arrived. How was the book?" Lucius immediately graced the young woman with a charming bright smile.

    Lily''s pouting face immediately faltered at the sight of the dazzling face of the handsome lord and she blushed instead.

    ''A-ah, did I appear too upset? I hope he doesn''t see it that way. I''m just upset that Benjamin didn''t even say a word before he left so I could tag along. It made me feel silly that I read while the two went off on their own¡­ I''m not that bad of apany, am I?'' Lily thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I-it was a difficult read, Lord Asher! I''m rather abashed that this was what you rmended to me, but I have tried my best and actually think I have a few ideas to discuss with you." Lily said and ced her hands across her hips.

    It was a little udy-like, but without Lily''s mother around and Baron Hugh preupied with his spar with Count Inanis, nobody else would have an effect.

    ''Ah, I was hoping that she remained the demuredy that she presented herself to be, but it seems like she''s far more engaging than she lets herself be known by others.'' Lucius thought.

    It was enough to spark a bit of interest in her, but only in ways that Lily might be useful to him.

    ''The idea of being with someone who offers no substantial gain is a losing thing. However, if I were to manipte her¡­ no, it would be too troublesome to deal with her suitors if there were brazen ones and Baron Hugh will insist on tying down knots between the Inanis Family and theirs. Overall, it is a time waster. If she had something else, then it would be good, but really¡­ what is her Gift anyway?''

    "Is that so? Ah, perhaps we could discuss it at another time. Your brother and I currently have something to talk about that is of important and urgent interest." Lucius said.

    Lily''s expression froze a little and her arms drooped a little and fell to her sides. Her already blushing cheeks became inmed to a bright red, and she nodded slowly.

    "O-of course, it must be really important, Lord Asher." Lily said, throwing a nce in Benjamin''s way.

    ''Aw man, what does she want me to do? I''m actually surprised that Lord Asher is helping me in so many ways already that it is actually not a good thing to push things with Lily. Father will most likely do something in the future if the working rtionship continues to be good¡­''

    "I''m working for Lord Asher and staying here in Inanis City." Benjamin blurted.

    Lucius''s expression didn''t so much as twitch at the sudden deration, and some disappointment did ur, but only because he already had a feeling of what was going to happen next.

    "Y-you''re staying here?" Lily''s eyes widened and she stared at Benjamin in shock. Even the disappointment she felt with Lord Asher''s rejection was ovee.

    "Yes, and father is actually giving me an allowance." Benjamin said in a rush. He was happy about it, and it was a little childish, but the urge to share it with his sister was something instinctive, even though they don''t always get along.

    "That''s¡­" Lily''s emotions flooded in her chest. Envy at the opportunity, missing her brother, though she''d never admit that aloud to herself. Instead, her gaze flickered back up to Lord Asher and his handsome visage.

    ''It is not like most rtionships blossom at an instance¡­ but if I were to stay here in proximity with Lord Asher, then maybe¡­ just maybe.'' Lily''s own heart was fanned a little.

    Benjamin noticed the dreamy look on his sister''s face and finally realized the horror of his deration. And yet it was already toote to take back what he said or pretend that it didn''t happen.

    "I want to stay here too." Lily pouted.

 Chapter 479 Conditions For Approval

    ?

    ''It would have been far easier if Lord Benjamin didn''t say a word until his sister got home with the family, but this might be a rather big issue if Lily is troublesome.'' Lucius thought. ''Not that it will be difficult to deal with, just a pain in the head.''

    "You can''t stay here, Lily." Benjamin said.

    "And why can''t I?" Lily replied.

    "Obviously there''s no reason too. And it''s not like I''d like to have you around with me. That means that I''ll have to take care of you."

    Lily frowned at her brother, but then cleared her throat and turned to Lord Asher.

    "Lord Asher¡­ what kind of work will my brother be doing? Perhaps I can do a better job than him." Lily said.

    Lucius''s brows raised slightly at the deration, while Benjamin frowned. "Hey, that''s not a very nice thing to say, Lily."

    "Your brother will be doing a lot of administrative work. It is something that he has learned from Baron Hugh as his sessor." Lucius said.

    "Well¡­ you know what they say, or rather, what my father says whenever people ask him how he manages Etara''s Cross effectively. It is because of the support of my mother and I have learned a great deal from her as well." Lily said.

    Benjamin clicked his tongue, but didn''t say anything. Honestly, he wanted to chide his sister for speaking up too much, but there were a few thoughts in his head.

    ''I am quite sure that my father and mother would both like Lily to marry Lord Asher, and they are trying to do it by pushing the image of Lily being a pure, sweet and demure maiden, but that''s not the case. So, the fact that Lord Asher is seeing Lily''s true personality now is a far better indicator of what he can expect from my sister and wouldn''t get duped.'' Benjamin thought.

    Even though Benjamin''s loyalties were supposed to lie with his family and their methods of elevating themselves up the rank and making Etara''s Cross prosperous, at the moment, he felt very firm with his ideals.

    Lord Asher provided him an opportunity and a chance to make something for himself.

    ''It is¡­ early to say, and Lord Asher has been quite friendly and amicable, but I think it is important to uphold friendship over that of women, even if that woman is my sister.'' Benjamin thought.

    ''Hmm, I know that a woman dedicated to her goals can be quite¡­ incessantly too much. And a woman scorned is rather a headache.'' Lucius thought.

    He didn''t need to think back too much to realize how he ended up here in the first ce. It was Mira''s influence that brought him here into this world when the power to be the strongest in his world urred.

    ''However, it does mean that as long as the tool is used properly and there have been preparations done, then the tool will simply remain a tool and cannot be wielded against you.''

    The Mark of Obedience and the Mark of Loyalty were something that Lucius had used freely at his disposal.

    Unfortunately, these tools of his had beenpletely out of the question when it was with Mira. She was from the same n and was a True Blood and would have realized the effects of the spell constructs even before they finished.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The issues that urred before would not happen again in this world. Lucius learned far too well from his mistakes to repeat them.

    "The Baroness has trained you?" Lucius asked.

    "Yes!" Lily nodded proudly. "In fact¡­ well, while my brother is truly an intellectual due to his Gift, it does not mean that he can do everything by himself. He is actually quite hopeless in everything else."

    Benjamin wished to not be embarrassed at this hour and was already throwing daggers at Lily, who wouldn''t stop.

    ''I do not think Lord Asher will consider it truly. My sister is just being herself again. But with how Lord Asher is being silent¡­ it''s like he''s almost considering it.''

    ''She''s not actually bad with her manner of skills in speaking, and her beauty does attract the eye of others. Hmm¡­ I have already done a lot of advertising for Humble ze using tactics, but not exactly that of aesthetics and I could go that route. She could be the person who engages with clients and softens them¡­ but of course, this all depends once again on whether the Baron and Baroness will be willing to let her go. Either way, she could be of value.''

    Lucius thought.

    ''I have killed my own siblings by hand, but the hostility is not the case here for this two. They might be able to work together effectively and bring more time for me which is my valuable resource. I have to finalize the deal with in regards to the Masked Legion mercenaries too. I could hand this to Lord Benjamin in fact, but there could be potential bias there.''

    "Lord Asher¡­?" Lily asked again.

    "Ah, you made me think of what you said, and we may¡­ have a possible role for you, but only if you are capable of convincing the Baron, Baroness, and perhaps other people of note within thepany."

    "Other people of note?" Lily asked.

    "Yes. You could share your desire with the Count and Countess. Maybe the Viscountess. If they admit that it''s a good idea for you to stay here, then we will have no issues whatsoever." Lucius said.

    ''This will be an appropriate test on how well she can actually do in convincing other people. I would do a far more intense test to determine her skills, but this will have to do without anything being associated with me.''

    "I¡­ I''ll do it!" Lily said, nodding determinedly. With a clear goal in mind, Lily was going to make her way here in Inanis City and be closer with Lord Asher.

    "Onest person though." Lucius said.

    "Onest person?"

    "Miss Kiana Wizen. If you can convince everyone and her, that will be an aplishment." Lucius said.

 Chapter 480 A Truce Between Siblings

    ?

    ''That''s enough time on my hands.'' Lucius thought as he watched the rather fired up Lily.

    "Just you wait, Lord Asher, I will remain here with my brother," Lily smiled then blushed demurely. She nced to the side shyly. "And¡­ and well, we shall cross paths often then. However, I will mostly prove my brother here wrong and win the conditions you''ve set out for me."

    "¡­Then would you like for me to set a deadline?" Lucius chuckled. "Today is the first day of your arrival, tomorrow you and your family will be shown the city sights and henceforth, after dinner, I hope to have everything prepared with the Masked Legions. That''s more or less, maybe twenty-four hours. A day to get everyone to say yes, Miss Lily. Can you handle that for me?"

    Both Benjamin and Lily''s eyes widened at the sudden deadline, and yet their reaction was for different reasons.

    ''T-that short amount of time¡­? I have to meet the Count, Countess, Viscountess and that''ll be during dinner hours with my mother and father. If I were to reveal everything all at once during dinner, there will be an upheaval and a contrasting amount of emotions that it almost seems easier to approach them individually and slowly get each one to agree, but will be more time consuming. What''s the Count and Countess'' schedule like?'' Lily''s thoughts ran quickly as she clenched her fist.

    ''Lord Asher has probably set this kind of deadline to be polite with my sister and allow her to gracefully fail toe here. It is a bit of an impossible task. Tomorrow, the Count and Countess won''t be around since we will be touring the city if I am not mistaken. Viscountess ckshield¡­ I don''t know much about her except for the party but she seems difficult to talk and we can''t even forget Miss Kiana Wizen. Who was she again?'' Benjamin thought.

    Lucius nced at the two siblings and took note of their reactions. Both of them were working their brains off, trying toprehend the task and the possibility of it.

    For Lucius, the results were akin to separating the wheat from the chaff. A measure to test the resolve and skills.

    If Lily couldn''t do this much, then well, she would hardly be worth the effort to make her stay.

    "Now then, in case the two of you need anything from me, I shall be going ahead to the library once more." Lucius said.

    "Where are you going, Lord Asher?" Lily suddenly looked up, getting distracted from her thoughts.

    "I apologize for being unable to host properly, but I have a feeling that you and your brother has much to discuss about, Miss Lily." Lucius responded before he bade them goodbye.

    As he went off out of earshot, the two siblings immediately looked around the barracks.

    Many of the male and female guards were looking at Lily. They were all impressed with her beauty and were even a little envious of it.

    "Shall we get out of here first?" Benjamin sighed and rubbed his face. "I can''t believe of what you brought yourself into this time, Lily."

    With the Baron and Count still exchanged in swordy, the two siblings had the urge to both follow Lord Asher and have the time of the man to themselves, but first they needed to settle things first.

    "Hmmm, you''re the one who''s suddenly making ns out of nowhere, Benjamin. You didn''t even consult with the whole family and just epted the offer," Lily pointed out with a pout.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Do you think a chance like thises knocking twice? I had to think on my feet. Isn''t that what father always says that he does. He thinks on his feet and gets himself all the connections and contacts he wants."

    "Well¡­ hmm, not all opportunities are great." Lily muttered and crossed her arms over her chest.

    "Pfft, are you actually going to miss your brother so that''s why you decided to want toe with me?"

    "No! Hardly. Go skin yourself and cook yourself in an open me, Benjamin." Lily half-red at him and crossed her arms. "I came here for Lord Asher. But¡­ ah, how do I exin what I like about him?"

    "You like him already?" Benjamin asked.

    "I mean, don''t you too?"

    "Lord Asher is excellent, mature and has a good head on his shoulders. Did you know that he spoke to me on behalf of our father? Can you imagine that? He is incredible."

    "Pfft¡­ why don''t you get married to him then if you''re so mesmerized by him." Lily joked lightly.

    "Well, I''m unwilling to share him with you." Benjamin chuckled, but then poked his finger in the forehead. "You keep your head on your shoulders and not your heart on the sleeves, alright?"

    "It''s not like he''s the only reason why I want to stay here in Inanis City." Lily pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "I also want to get away from Mother and Father too. So why not just help me too, Benjamin? Let''s call it a truce."

    Benjamin stared at his sister. "You know, I don''t think Lord Asher is interested in you at all."

    "Why are you so blunt? You didn''t even soften your words for your poor little hopeless romantic sister." Lily ced a hand on her chest. "Father would be¡­ well, we need to split up and talk to each separately."

    "Do you think I can actually speak to other people? You just called me useless."

    "I don''t need you to do any convincing, brother. All I need is for you to act as a decoy and slow them down from leaving. Our first target is Count and Countess Inanis. They''ll be in different states. Hmm, alcohol will make Countess and Viscountess ckshield honest."

    "You just have to y up your cuteness, well, I don''t think it''ll work. It might work with mom and dad, but that''s because they refuse to see you as anything but such."

    "Well, I''ll give them a performance! Sooner orter, Lord Asher''s eyes will be on me."

 Chapter 481 Business Rates

    ?

    "Atst, I can finally have some peace," Lucius told the two that he was heading to the library, but that was a lie.

    ''The most important thing that you''d have to learn to increase your security is to never reveal your true location. While they can easily verify it now, it''ll at least give me some time to work.''

    There was a familiar room that Lucius stayed in after the attack of the assassin, it was modified to his liking, but while it functioned well enough to be searched upon, he went to the original room he first stayed in.

    ''The renovation is mostly done. I just haven''t moved in yet to keep this room isted and away from the eyes of everyone else.'' Lucius thought.

    It was perhaps a case of paranoia to hide within the confines of one''s own private mansion, but while Lucius waited for the assassin to arrive back then, in this situation¡­ he clearly didn''t wish to be found.

    "Everything has been burned back then with my fireball, but they''ve done a great job at doing it." Lucius said as he eyed the room''s current condition.

    From the bed, mattress, cab and everything waspletely new and even remodeled slightly to fit with the aesthetic that originally belonged to Asher Inanis but also adjusted to perhaps not remind the young man of the unfortunate incident.

    "I suppose it is my mother who must have felt the need to do this." Lucius said.

    The man distinguished them ordingly in his head, feeling not much of an attachment to the family and seeing them as separate to his own identity, but in ever the asion that he was being heard by others, it was better to keep it safe.

    Lucius''s eyes nced at the several corners of the room and he quickly started to check each one, under the bed, the cabs, drawers and every possible spot that he knew of that might have possibly included an Artifact.

    ''ording to my lessons with Bishop Reynolds, it is possible to create Artifacts that function really close to surveince. Of course, I''m not exactly sure if the Arkaves Guild produces their own artifacts or makes them themselves¡­ but that is actually a good inquiry. If there''s anyone who might know and have contacts, if not Leif, then Bishop Reynold might have a lead.'' Lucius thought.

    Once he was satisfied with how he scoured the room, Lucius went to the new study desk and took out his notebook. The original script of his old worldy before him and he continued to write while thinking of his proposal.

    ''While I was busy speaking with that young Lord, I had taken the liberty to speedread through the documents about mercenaries. I am sure that Benjamin might have moreprehensive information about the rates and I have already asked around here in the city beforehand¡­ so since they are an up and starting mercenary group in newnds, it is natural to have it all discounted to entice.''

    The basics of business included sometimes having to lower your initial cost to entice consumers to try your product. It was only big brands that allowed them to charge however they liked.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I suppose Bergan''s Band is not going to have any much leeway." Lucius said to himself as he scribbled down. "Of course, they have full control of the city there so they might not even look much¡­ except for the recruitment and everything."

    Lucius listed down the names of each ''Mercenary'' he had under his employ and easily recalled all the information about who they were and what their gifts were.

    ''I may know it innately through the connection via Hell Aether, but I have to adjust everything when ites to exining it to potential clients.'' Lucius thought to himself.

    This was usually the job of someone more business oriented, but as a Schr in his past life, Lucius had countless experiences in creating a pitch to have his ideas approved.

    All those years of experience helped him to create a list of the Mercenaries and their now ''new'' Gifts.

    "I''ll have to ask Kiana to create fake identities through Leif for this to work. Hmm, if I were to let him do it, then he''d really have a way to trace it all back to me though. Although they are professionals for a reason.'' Lucius thought. ''I''d have to recheck how Arius and the others are doing in Gisir. I don''t have to think about it now though, it''ll take a while. Back to the mercenary guide price.''

    In addition to the inquiries that Kiana made for Lucius when he was trying to "relearn" everything, there was also the time when he talked with Gellor and his mercenaries.

    It had allowed him to get a current grasp on how things were for every kind of mercenary.

    "Two silver a day. The ones that Alessa hired said that they were normally paid three to five silvers per week, but we settled with ten silvers. Mmm, two silvers is quite cheap due to the danger associated with the line of work of mercenaries. Well, these ones from Masked Legion will primarily perform as guards and enforcers within the city and not exactly go out to get creatures for me or like other mercenaries."

    If the task was mindless enough, it was easy enough to let one of the Lost do it, but if it required more critical thinking then it paid to find an actual person.

    "However, pricing them all at two silvers would do a disservice to the current Gifts that they have. Some are far more suited for the position of the tank other than the one withnded the finishing blow." Lucius said as he nced down at the document.

    The amount that Bergan''s Band was exorbitant and the people in Aisse Territory and around the general vicinity were under Bergan''s control.

    "Hmm, for now, let us set the rate at two gold coins for the strongest ones as well. Still cheaper, but will bring me profits."

 Chapter 482 Innermost Thoughts

    ?

    The next few hours passed by at the Inanis Mansion and the sun was about to set down.

    Lucius had finally finished writing the proposal that he made regarding the mercenaries.

    Without any disturbance from the outside world, Lucius found himself focused and directed without any issues.

    This was what he liked the most when working. While it was also necessary to engage and interact with other individuals from time to time, it was something more akin to a requirement than something he enjoyed.

    "Back then, I had to stifle my boredoms and reactions from being impatient with that Mira." Lucius muttered.

    It wasn''t like him to speak about his thoughts candidly and aloud. However, at the sanctuary of this room and the next few hours, he allowed himself the chance to linger on the memory, if only for cold hearted analysis.

    "She tried so hard to impress with the reading of the texts alongside me, trying to learn the ancient Akaliannguage just so she could have a reason to stay by my side. Honestly, indulging her back then was a stifling affair." Lucius said. "If I were to owe her anything then it is her stupidity to only prevent me from gaining power in that original world."

    And Lucius meant every word.

    The cutthroat words that left from his mouth were true to him and his innermost self. There was no room for anything but the desire for the self and selfishness alone.

    At the bare minimum¡­ he was at least honest with her about it.

    That was as much mercy Lucius had extended to Mira back then.

    But even that was simply said to intoxicate her with little hints of carefully ced vulnerable moments.

    Lucius only shared what he thought might have purpose and value to him.

    "What would you do if I betrayed you? You''d think that it was worth it. Pfft, lies." Lucius chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

    Words were nothing but words, and those who wore their emotions on their sleeve said something so often without thinking of what the implications and consequences were.

    It wasn''t like Mira was an unintelligent woman. Contrary to what Lucius said about her being ''dumb''¡­ it was only because she had topare herself to his standard that was above everything that made her seemingly unbrilliant and a paleparison to what he was.

    "To have everything within her palm. She was much more fortunate than me, a True Blood Barrom n member." Lucius stared up at the ceiling.

    After the hours of spending time with both Benjamin and Lily, he was d of this reprieve and couldn''t help but draw analyses that were of simr waves.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Patterns that were simr needed to be dissected and measured.

    ''Countess Lita is an overbearing mother, and so is Kiana, hah. There is no useining and I should be utilizing everything to my advantage but it does grate on one''s nerves to always keep it to myself. If Kiana wasn''t at least somewhat useful with her Sting Shooter Sniper, I would have already had her plucked up by that Baron Harmund to gain more resources since the man seemed interested in her.''

    Lucius chose not toin. He preferred to take logical, rational andplete actions.

    Why botherining when it was enough time to adjust, adapt and rework one''s n? In order to survive and be able to live this long, Lucius needed to do all sorts of work as a servant of Barrom n and all the way up now.

    There were no scars to be checked for, if there were any wounds, it was to be treated with precision and then one moved on.

    Being allowed to feel for too long was akin to exposing yourself to weakness. It was an exposure that Lucius did not have any need for because his goals and motivations have been mapped out from the start.

    "Mmm¡­ whatever urs with Baron Hugh''s daughter, whether it be of sess or failure has no particr significance to me. Only that I will rework my ns with whatever the results ur." Lucius muttered as he checked the documents once more for final revisions.

    Once Lucius was satisfied with the result, he nced at the setting sun. He steepled his fingers together and allowed himself to enjoy thest moments of the sun basking away, until he heard the sound of footstepsing across the hallway.

    "Mmm, I did wonder how much time it would actually take her to find me. She''s starting to catch up good." Lucius muttered until he heard the knock on the door.

    "Asher?"

    "¡­" Lucius didn''t say anything. He held his tongue and silence for the next second, the next few seconds until a minute already passed without the door opening.

    "¡­ You''re there, aren''t you?" Kiana''s voice held some suspicion, but also doubt in her tone.

    ''Asher always replied to me after some time unless he is heavily asleep. While the room is near done in its renovation, I do not think that he will actually go here to nap. I could be wrong but¡­'' Kiana was hesitating as she wracked her brain. ''I don''t really know why I checked here. I just felt like he might be here for some reason¡­ but if he''s not around the library, his current bedroom then it always had been the rehabiliation center and not this room. He always goes there on his own without even prompting me. Going here is silly.''

    Lucius continued on with his silent vigil. Not a word left his mouth and the silence trickled in hard for another couple of minutes, there was the sound of someone''s hand on the doorknob, just a slight shake, until finally, he heard the sound of footsteps walking away.

    Lucius''s lips curled slightly into a small smile. Oh, yes, the importance of predictability for one''s most important servants was necessary.

    How else would Lucius find another body willing to be a weapon or his shield when necessary? But at the end of the day, it was truly important to be unknown to anyone but yourself.

 Chapter 483 Thoughts Of The Guests

    ?

    "Mmm, I suppose it will be necessary to reveal myself so as to not worry anyone. It''d be troublesome if they sent people to search for me. But Kiana going to the rehabilitation center will at least give Miss Lily enough trouble as well." Lucius thought.

    Once he was certain that Kiana Wizen left the hallway and was likely heading to the rehabiliation center to check on his whereabouts, Lucius arrived at the dining hall of the Inanis Mansion.

    The particr set of individuals that were there was Benjamin, Lily, Count, Countess, Baron and Baroness alongside with the Viscountess.

    Benjamin and Lily both looked up immediately at his arrival, the two looked rather happy at his presence.

    ''When Lord Asher said that he needed to go elsewhere, I thought it was the library, but he wasn''t there. I didn''t want to disturb him since I understand what it is like to wish to have some time away for oneself''s. I think he looks alright, good even which is a relief.'' Benjamin thought. ''I know my sister has requested me to assist her in gaining Lord Asher''s affection, but it truly seems like he does not like Lily. But if I happen to be wrong¡­ well, I don''t know. I wish to support him either way. Er, even if it''s Lily¡­ no no, I doubt it. It''s just Lily, there are far more higher-ranked women who would find themselves besotted with Lord Asher if given the opportunity.''

    ''He left so quickly back then that I wasn''t able to catch up with him, and I wish that I could have spoken with him¡­ but it is also because I needed to match his condition that I needed to talk with my brother in the first ce. Stupid Benjamin. Things aren''t going so well¡­'' Lily puffed up her cheeks to try to hide her frustration, but it was a little hard.

    "Lily." Baroness Hugh nced at her daughter, speaking in a neutral tone, and the young woman immediately straightened up and smoothened her expression to a smile.

    There. That was much better.

    That much was clear from Baroness Hugh''s expression. Once again, the dynamic between the families became a little clear in that moment.

    Baron Hugh was sipping his drink and speaking with Count Inanis in an animated manner, speaking about another story until the servants announced Lord Asher''s presence.

    "Ah! There he is! Young Lord Asher, everyone was looking for you. You were in the training grounds but then disappeared haha." Baron Hugh chuckled.

    ''After all that conversation with me, this young man just left. If it weren''t for the good of my family, I do not think I would be able to respect him¡­ but then again, he is the blood of his father. Count Inanis''s son would have someone cold and straightforward. It is probably tempered because of Countess Lita''s more social butterfly personality that Lord Asher knows how to engage with people, but the blood of the Inanis family still runs through him.''

    That was the conclusion that Baron Hugh found himself making when he saw Lord Asher.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "He simply goes where he pleases," Count Inanis chuckled a little, taking the time to drink his Humble ze. The Count was able to rx after letting out some stress and fatigue on the training grounds and thus was actually on a far more rxed manner than he usually was.

    Countess Lita''s expression was rather calm, if not a little tense. She was happy and relieved to see her son, but there was also another matter that was on her mind that preupied her greatly.

    ''Hah, drinking Baroness Hugh''s tea is quite an affair. Viscountess ckshield just going up and leaving was a social disaster and the Baroness looked so offended. I know a Viscountess should have no issues with offending a Baroness, but Viscountess''s actions were an insult to me, but then I had to keep the Baroness happy. Poor Alessa, no, if it weren''t for Alessa being around and doing her best to meditate, I really would have grown gray hair out of this stress.''

    For one of the few moments in Countess Lita''s life, she found herself in a social situation that was too rming that it took so much effort in keeping together.

    It wasn''t as if that was the most stressful situation¡­ but perhaps it actually was due to all of the opposing personalities in one tea party.

    Viscountess ckshieldpared to her earlier personality at Etara''s Cross was now more or less rxed yet also vignt at the same time, she was bing much and much more rxed.

    Albeit, there was also a little thought in her mind.

    ''I have been staying here for long overdue. While I did leavepetent people back there in my estate¡­ I do have to leave eventually. Hah, leaving this ce is hard. The alcohol is good and the fights here are great. I''m honestly envious of how Count Inanis''s guards are and I''m learning as much as I can. The guards back at my estate could brush up when I get back, yes. I''ll train them myself if I have to. Yes, I''ll put in a little more effort¡­'' Viscountess ckshield thought. Her face was calm, but countless thoughts ran in her head. ''¡­ but when did I start thinking about these things now? Before, managing my estate was a chore, a bore and I prefer to fight and drown myself in alcohol. I suppose seeing Young Lord Asher taking control of his life and seizing things for himself is a little¡­ inspirational.''

    Lucius nced at all of these people all at once. Each of them was all preupied with their thoughts, preconceived concepts and other things running through their head.

    However, in that particr moment, when Lucius stepped into the room¡­ a contrast to them all so caught up, he simply observed them all and took what he could garner from everyone''s reactions, bodynguage and micro-expressions.

    "Good evening to you all, thank you for waiting for me." Lucius replied with the most pleasant smile on his face.

 Chapter 484 Proceeds At The Dinner

    ?

    "What is it that we''re doing tomorrow?" Baron Hugh asked as he took a sip of the Humble ze and then let out a relieved sigh. "Ah, this is truly worth the trip alone. I haven''t felt anything as good as this in a while and it''s certainly the best. The merchants in my city are asking for too much with their profit margins."

    "Baron Hugh, by tomorrow, we shall be visiting the area around Inanis City. I wish to let you see the streets and how safe it is from any sort of crimepared to how it was before." Lucius said. "Of course, it is also important that you get to enjoy yourselves during the time that you are here. I do not think that a person of your busyness will be staying long?"

    Baron Hugh looked at Lord Asher and swallowed some of his wine, it didn''t take much for him to understand what the young man was going about.

    Although the matter was still sore in the Baron''s head.

    ''He is like Count Inanis and thus is very brash and straightforward when he wants to be unlike his social butterfly mother.'' Baron Hugh thought. ''But my son will be learning from under him, so I think it''s actually good to have someone who can speak out against me now that I think about it. Benjamin never makes any retorts, he just hides in the library all day.''

    "Well, Lord Asher, you happen to be actually right." Baron Hughughed and nced lovingly at his wife. The Baroness was a beauty who kept the man''s heart ame. "I know that my wife is so eager to stay here for long, but we cannot actually tarry much longer. I hope the Count and Countess, as well as Young Lord Asher, does not find any fault in it."

    "None of course. We understand your position is crucial to the Etara''s Cross proceeding." Countess Lita said with a disarming smile. "However, I hope the timees that you are able to rx and linger a little, Baron Hugh. We would love for you and your family toe here."

    Countess Lita said those words even though the Baroness was not actually a delight in her presence. It was simply how the rules were yed in social settings and she watched how things were essential.

    ''Lady Alessa and Sir John need more support, and it is not only thebacking of ours that can assist in their elevation but even those of established names like Baron Hugh and his wife.''

    Meanwhile, Lucius simply dabbed a napkin across his mouth and nced at the Baron.

    "There is no issue, Baron Hugh. I''m really d that you''ve epted my invitation alongside that of your family. Both Lord Benjamin and Lady Lily are a delight to interact with." Lucius said.

    "Haha, my son is finally opening up more to you which is what I wanted. It is good to make friends at this age. And of course, our dearest daughter is someone who knows how to get well with others," Baron Hugh said. "She has learned from the best. Isn''t that right, honey?"

    "Yes." Baroness Hugh sighed a little and nodded. She drank a bit of the Humble ze and her cheeks were flushed already, which was probably the only reason why she actually found it within her to sigh.

    Once again, Lucius couldn''t help but simply keep his expression neutral to positive.

    ''Once again, there are the lenses of love on. Well, I do not know what actually happens behind the scenes and so I cannot tell the reality of everything. It could be so likely that they''re not simply in love and the rtionship is mostly one sided¡­ but it is none of my business. I simply came here to utilize potential pawns.'' Lucius thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Both Lily and Benjamin were eating dinner as silently as possible.

    Each acted normal and fine, but they were also sometimes exchanging looks.

    ''Based on how things are right now, it''s hard to see what they''ve done. Baron Hugh has no reaction in regards to Lily and still building her up, so it''s safe to say that she still hasn''t approached them. In fact, if she were to approach anyone, it would be¡­''

    The doors to the dining room nearly mmed open. Kiana stepped in with a frantic look but noticed Asher and sighed in relief.

    It caught the attention of everyone at the table, so Kiana quickly curtsied and apologized.

    "Forgive me, I seem to have missed Lord Asher while trying to look for him that I have unintentionally caused a disturbance."

    Kiana''s appearance was a bit disheveled. Her thoughts had gone through all sorts of directions when she looked for Lord Asher.

    ''I''ve checked all of the Lost present in theboratory so they were all there except for the ones in the expedition, so they''re safe. Meanwhile, I don''t think Lord Asher would have gone to Leif, but I still did¡­ and yet he was here all this time. This is a relief.''

    Kiana maintained an air of professionalism, but it was clear from her stance that there was more to the picture than anything else.

    And the one who noticed it the most was Lily. She suddenly focused on Kiana and her grip tightened on the cutlery she had in her hands.

    ''Er¡­ I don''t actually quite remember this woman. She was at the party, wasn''t she? The one always hovering at Lord Asher''s shoulder. She kind of blends in the background, maybe because she keeps an eye on Lord Asher and also¡­ it''s a little hard to take my eyes away from Lord Asher himself.'' Lily thought.

    The young woman lifted her fork to her mouth and chewed silently as taught to her by her mother.

    ''It''s actually rather hmm, difficult, back then. All of those girls were talking about Lord Asher in front of me as if I¡­ I didn''t have my eyes on him too. By offhandedly encouraging them back then to pursue their desires, they ended up embarrassing themselves. Not sure how I''ll deal with Miss Kiana Wizen though.''

 Chapter 485 Kianas Change

    ?

    There were little things that one grew up with in the family that it became normal in one''s eyes.

    Among those who came from nobility it was the ability to hide one''s thoughts and feelings, and utilize others to their own benefit.

    The daughter of Baron Hugh was a far more excellent child, managing to appeal to both her father and mother.

    It was because Benjamin didn''t fit in the standard of a typical nobleman that led to this, whereas Lily grew up allowing herself to be controlled by her parents and learning things along the way.

    "Why not sit down and join us now for dinner, Kiana? You''ve been running and been all over the ce now, dear." Countess Lita said.

    While the connections between Kiana Wizen and the Countess were not ''officially'' made, it was something that most knew about due to how candid the Countess Lita was at times.

    "Thank you so much for your kindness, Countess. However, I do not wish to¡­"

    "Juste down and sit down, Miss Kiana. Everyone''s eating and so you should too." Viscountess ckshield said.

    The Viscountess was someone who liked social norms and the rules, but she also preferred the much more rxed way in handling things and being direct.

    Kiana Wizen was strong as far as Viscountess ckshield knew from experience, hence why, the Viscountess didn''t know why the younger woman was hesitating.

    "Alright, thank you for the invitation, Countess and Viscountess." Kiana curtsied and joined the table. Thest time that she recalled more vividly was when she was taking care of Lord Asher and the rest were a little less memorable.

    The truth of the matter was that Kiana Wizen was detached. When Countess Lita asked for her to be taken to the Grantz Kingdom, a lot of events led up to it that made for the woman to be a bit of a shell.

    Grateful for her position, and doing her best to maintain control and also prove herself worthy of her position, Kiana did the best that she could¡­ but not enough.

    It was never enough.

    ''Back then, I should have grown a little closer to Asher instead of being distant from my own cousin. And now, here I thought that I knew him so well, instinctively, almost as if I know where he is at all times, but I got it wrong.'' Kiana thought as she sat down and smiled.

    The effects of the Mark of Loyalty on Kiana were¡­ pervasive. It allowed her to be much more open to the suggestions of the one who cast the Spell Matrix. It was notplete subordination, like the Mark of Obedience, but it allowed the loyalty to grow in her heart to the point that the thought of Asher being missing made her wish to run and search for him.

    ''I know that he''s already a young man and is quite capable on his own, but somehow, I can''t help but feel the impulse and urge to always stay by his side. It is apulsion that I do not mind, but it is Lord Asher who might be displeased with it.'' Kiana shifted in her seat and tried to return to her manners.

    She learned and knew them well.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Well enough to be part of the nobility ofdies, if she actually desired so.

    ''I¡­ I''m at the age where it would seem necessary to be focused on settling down with someone to marry because I''m getting older and less desirable¡­ but somehow, I do not feel like it. Lord Asher has given me hope of a future for the Inanis family, and that''s all I feel like I need and could want.''

    Once upon a time, Kiana did also have some desires for herself, but when Lord Asher told her about his goals, dreams and ambitions to elevate the Inanis Family to soar above incredible heights, it made those other desires wane in the background.

    They became much more duller, less important, secondary¡­ until now, she didn''t quite so much give thought to it.

    ''What did I dream before? I studied to be a fighter in order to protect myself. Ah. Right¡­ my father was in the army. I nned on visiting him, but the work here is necessary.''

    Kiana''s father sent her to the Inanis Family at the age of 5 years old so he could return to the army. It was a decision that was a little heartbreaking if one thought about it.

    A father and daughter separated.

    However, there was no sense of that in Kiana right now. There was some minor guilt, as she knew logically that a daughter ought to pay visits to her only surviving parent, but she had buried herself into work and found her control there.

    Lucius simply ate his dinner and chitchatted with the rest of the people, not paying much mind to what Kiana was feeling since the Mark of Loyalty was already on her.

    It meant that she was under his control and couldn''t do anything about it.

    Once the evening came to an end, Lucius excused himself from the dining hall.

    "I wish all of you a good evening." Lucius bowed his head. "I think I will be retiring to bed early tonight, Mother, Father and honored guests."

    "See you tomorrow, Lord Asher!" Lily curtsied politely and wore a gentle smile on her face. Her thoughts were already running as they spoke, but it was because she needed to prioritize the Count and Countess who surely would retire for the night as well.

    ''Is there any way I can make everyone stay here in the dining hall?'' Lily thought. ''Benjamin wasn''t much of help and I need to talk them fast. Lord Asher will be taking us tomorrow to the city, so I need to get a definitive yes from everyone.''

    Lucius and Lily''s eyes met at that moment. The man could read her intentions, and yet it was enough to make Lily blush and be demure.

    Lily''s heart fluttered and she balled her hands into a fist. ''Alright, I''ll work hard and surprise him tomorrow.''

 Chapter 486 Lilys Attempt

    ?

    The next day arrived quickly. Lucius woke up and found himself waking early. Once again, unaware of the things that happened to him, a familiar set of ck dots appeared on his skin right as he woke up.

    Lucius massaged his forehead.

    "This splitting headache is infuriating. If there''s one thing to truly not like about this world, then it''s this." Lucius muttered.

    The fact that Lucius could perform Soul Spells due to the existence of the Ne of the Damned with him was not entirely lost, the number was at a greater pull here.

    However, it also came with the reduction of his ability to modify his own body and that of the capacity to use Hell Energy as effectively as he could.

    If there was anything that he was d of though, was the existence of the Hell Gates. Even while Lucius closed his eyes, over the distance to the Etara''s Cross, he noticed the presence of the Lost that was connected to him.

    It was fainterpared to the ones avable in Inanis City, but their pull was strong enough that Lucius could directly and inherently still give orders, despite the location.

    ''I admit that I''ve been a little worried before about how a Lost would disguise themselves along that of the people since it is quite clear that even with their armor on, they do not know how to thoroughly act like humans well.'' Lucius thought.

    Instead, what Lucius did before during the time that he was immersed in the training of the Lost, he also made them capable of following other people''smands but Lucius''s was the most vital speaker if there ever was a time that the Lost had to choose.

    Only that wasn''t an entirely clear exnation.

    ''Command isn''t exactly the greatest of words due to the deterioration of their brain, leaving only a fragment of their instinctive selves on the line.'' Lucius thought. ''It''s more to decipher and recognize the human speech that the others say and pairing if it matches with what I''ve instilled in them.

    It had taken him so much time to make them ''trained'' in that when another person spoke, then the word was registered and a premeditated action was performed.

    ''They did not necessarily need to eat or drink, but upon inquiry of such things among the people, it was important that it appeared like that they were in a contract and were quite focused on achieving their goals and missions without interfering with the lives of others.

    Be it even among others themselves. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''When the topic is brought up, they will be going on their food breaks with their own rations and seclude themselves from the offer of others at inquiry. Hah. It did not appear like a lot of work, but the time I''ve spent instilling those things into their mind was troublesome.'' Lucius thought.

    It was easy to use the Mark of Obedience and know what it did to someone, and make them work ordingly since they were semi functional on their own, only needing guidance from Lucius here and there while also epting the possibility, no matter how slim, that things might not go in his favor.

    The Lost themselves werepletely submitted to him. It also meant that they weren''t capable of doing most things beyond that of instincts hence the training.

    ***

    "Good morning." Lucius greeted the people at the Inanis Mansion''s dining hall. The atmosphere in the dining room was a little different fromst night.

    There was a far more thoughtful look on the faces of the Count and Countess''s faces and it became clear to Lucius as to why they were looking that way.

    ''It seems like Miss Lily has actually managed to get to them. For some reason, I cannot tell whether that is approval or disapproval. It is more like uncertainty on their faces more than anything else.'' Lucius thought before he nced in the young woman''s direction.

    That early morning, Lily chose to dress up nicely in a beautiful white gown that made her pretty. It was an outfit that was both simple, delicate and ssy and it was something that Lily chose for that specific reason.

    ''Can you see, Asher? I¡­ I haven''t exactly gotten a yes from your mother and father, but it wasn''t a no either. Hah, I wish my family''s rank was higher than that of a Baron because obviously, it seems like I''m only marrying up for ess to the Inanis n family ranks, but the truth of the matter is that it seems like your parents love you very much so,'' Lily thought with a well-kept smile. ''Even more, than mine does.''

    ''While Baron Hugh''s daughter seems like a lovely young woman. I do not know how Asher feels about the matter himself, so I cannot give any kind of input without seeing how my son actually reacts to the presence of Miss Lily here.'' Countess Lita thought. ''I¡­ I do not mind Baron Hugh, but the Baroness is a little entric if Asher and Lily were to end up together. Hah, it''s not really the best of matches, though I do like the girl. She knows what she wants and is unafraid to pursue it. We need more of that today.''

    ''The only thing that matters is whether or not Asher wishes for the girl to stay. The fact that Lily is asking around for permission reminds me more of a young suitor trying to court ady properly, which is a little¡­ udylike, but it is a strong personality trait that could be of use to the people here. It''s too early to think about things, but there is the chance of offspring.'' Count Inanis thought.

    In the past, there was a worry between the Count and Countess that Asher was going to suffer a future of being Giftless and disrespected by the people around him, that was why they tried their best to make him feel safe and loved.

    But now, Asher was finally at the age where he could make his own decisions.

 Chapter 487 Tour Of The City

    ?

    Lucius''s face was mostly a well-practiced mask. He wore the same smile that was enough to make people believe that he was alright, that he was fine.

    And that he liked other people.

    The truth of the matter was that it was something that made both the Count and Countess unable to decipher what Asher wanted.

    ''The fact that Miss Lily was given the chance¡­ then it means that my son might be interested?'' the Countess thought. ''Maybe he is just being too shy about expressing his feelings. I certainly do not recall him interacting with women before everything during his time in the army against the battle with Gisir, and it¡­ the same can be said now today. What if he was only having some difficulty just saying no? I¡­ no, Asher is quite upfront about things that he wishes or does not wish to do. So the fact that this Lily person isn''t given a direct yes is interesting. Hah, is my son testing this woman''s resolve?''

    ''If he were to marry anyone else, then it has to be someone who he truly does not mind as apanion. Someone who is not only willing to stay during the good times but also during the difficult times as well.'' Count Inanis thought. ''Someone who appears like the sun but disappears over the change of the weather is truly not someone who is fit to stay by the side of my son.'' Count Inanis thought.

    The two parents were extremely discriminating. It wasn''t only because Asher was their one and only son, but they treasured him a lot and cared for him even though they were not the most outspoken¡­ well, Count Inanis was not outspoken.

    Countess Lita was another matter altogether.

    She was mostly outspoken but held her tongue for this particr matter.

    ''I wonder what Asher truly feels about this matter. Since Lily approached usst night, I was not able to ask Kiana about it, but I truly wish to understand what particr reason might be for it.'' Countess Lita thought. ''When I look at the Baron and Baroness, they do not seem to know anything¡­ but what if they put their daughter to it?''

    ''Baron Hugh has always been a good friend of mine. And the Etara''s Cross is actually a good location to conduct business with. If our families were to join together, it will not actually be a terrible match. It could be a good one, and so long as the Baron continues to elevate in position.'' Count Inanis thought.

    "You guys will be going to the city today, right, Young Lord Asher and everyone here in Baron Hugh''spany?" Viscountess ckshield said. Everybody seemed to have held their silence, but the Viscountess was more willing to disrupt it. She had a tankard of Humble ze in her mug and was being more outspoken.

    "Yes, that is right, Viscountess ckshield." Lucius said.

    "I see¡­"

    "It would be a delight for you to join us, Viscountess ckshield." Lily suddenly said. She blurted it out of nowhere, but then sheepishly smiled as if she made a mistake. She lowered her head demurely. "Forgive me, Lord Asher, I shouldn''t have spoken up for you."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lucius kept his expression nk. It was a little hard to actually read Miss Lily''s face, whether it was a genuine mistake or something along the lines of a coy move.

    ''She''s actually not a far rival to Viscount Felldan''s own skill with charming the crowds. If only a little different in method.'' Lucius thought. ''Did she think I would be impressed by it?''

    "Think nothing about it, Miss Lily. I was about to extend the same invitation to Viscountess ckshield myself." Lucius said.

    ''She wanted to invite Viscountess ckshield in order to speak with her and probably make her say yes around the same time as her own parents. And it is also to showcase that she can at least read into my intentions and decipher things I will do. She truly is trying to be my assistant and wishes to stay by my side¡­ a possibility for usefulness, but I do not particrly enjoy women throwing themselves at my feet.'' Lucius thought.

    Viscountess ckshield observed the interaction between the two. She pursed her lips and became a little curious, piqued even.

    ''I was nning to simply stay here because I''ve already seen the city before and after that incident with the Mad de Bordeaux, I''d rather not test my chances again¡­ or rather, hah. I do not think Young Lord Asher has ever made much interaction with the women, and yet when I look at this young woman, she does not give me a true countenance of a pure woman. I can''t help but think of Viscount Felldan and it does not please me.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    "Would you care to join us, Viscountess?"

    "Very well, I will. It has been some time since I''ve left the mansion, so let us go." Viscountess ckshield agreed.

    ''I think I''ve fallen into a state of inertia, not wanting to get up from the sanctuary here in the Inanis family''s mansion, but I do have to get going. I may have been of assistance to the guards of Count Inanis, but there is a limitation to it.'' Viscountess ckshield thought. ''Going out now will be a start.''

    ''Lord Asher always has this Miss Kiana Wizen with him, so I will be certain that I can talk with her as well by today when I''m given the chance.'' Lily thought and thought back towards the older woman. ''Hah, she''s truly hard to speak with from the set go, but I do think that she would agree that Lord Asher needs someone. Not¡­ her being a baby sitter of some sort. Well, it''ll be harder because I''m threatening her position by being around.''

    "I''m looking forward this," Baron Hugh said.

    After a short and thoughtful breakfast with everyone, Young Lord Asher Inanis brought the family of Baron Hugh and Viscountess ckshield herself to the city.

 Chapter 488 A Tour Of The City - II

    ?

    The people in the city of Inanis went about their business as usual, even with the presence of the Inanis Guards.

    Since the decision of Lord Asher to reduce crime within the city and it being done through the presence of the guards and other volunteers, it wasn''t odd to see them around.

    However, it didn''t mean the people couldn''t find themselves being drawn to the particr sight of the nobility within the streets.

    Most especially with a beautiful young woman apanying their very own Lord Asher.

    "Ah, it''s so pretty here!" Lily gushed happily. She would have normally been quiet and demure, but there was a light in her eyes as she gazed about her surroundings. This was going to be her future home, so it was actually better for her to start admiring the sights.

    It was more peaceful than Etara''s Cross and she could already imagine romantic walks down the street with Lord Asher.

    If not that, then something else.

    ''What are the nice restaurants here? After a day of working with Lord Asher, the two of us could dine together in a restaurant, stay somewhere else...'' Lily''s thoughts were already fantasizing about the future possibilities.

    The young woman hadn''t even actually aplished much yet, but the imagination of the reward was almost too wonderful to ignore.

    "Miss Lily, we haven''t even really gone that far." Lucius said with a soft sigh. He needed to hide his annoyance, but the young woman was grating on his nerves for the past hour that they''d toured around the city.

    ''If she actually knew how old I was, old enough to be her father, I doubt that she would be so willing to interact with me in a manner like this¡­ and yet folks like Viscount Felldan also thrive in this kind of thing.'' Lucius thought.

    "Haha, my dear. You''re so energetic today." Baron Hughughed as he looked at his daughter.

    There was some slight worry in Baron Hugh''s chest, but it was clear that his daughter''s happiness and the fact that she was growing closer to Lord Asher was all that mattered in the span of things.

    ''Lord Asher has already decided to hire my son, Benjamin, and while the opportunity with Lily still needs to be done in the near future, if circumstances change now, I also have no issue with the two being wedded together right away. Lord Asher is from the Count Inanis family and I have all of my instincts as a merchant and business man that Lord Asher will elevate the status of the Inanis Family far beyond what he already aplished in the past.'' Baron Hugh thought.

    "Why wouldn''t I be, father? It''s been a while since I''ve gone out." Lily smiled. "And we''re quite fortunate to have such an experience right now, thanks to Lord Asher. Thank you for the invitation, and I am not sure if my older brother has thanked you enough, but we are all quite grateful for the opportunity you bestowed on us."

    Lord Benjamin couldn''t help but grumble underneath his breath. He had already thanked Lord Asher enough and was still actually against the idea of his sister being around.

    ''I do think Lord Asher just indulged my sister, but she''s really not going to be here, won''t she? I¡­ I don''t think I can take it if Lily also gets to have Lord Asher too. She doesn''t know what she''s getting herself into though.'' Lord Benjamin thought. ''Lord Asher is not simply someone to let feelings get in the way of his rationality.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    There was a rivalry between Lily and Benjamin, with Lily being more favored by the family and everyone else, so of course, when it came to Lord Asher, Lord Benjamin was being more possessive.

    But mostly upset for the man''s sake.

    "The streets are quite clear, yes." Baroness Hugh spoke up. She had mostly observed everything in silence, taking things into ount.

    At this particr point, the Baroness might have scolded Lily for being too close to Lord Asher but she agreed with her husband in the assessment that it would be good for Lily to be married to Lord Asher.

    ''It means that there would be more reason toe here to Inanis City. More importantly, we could also have less importation tax when the timees. Get more of the Humble ze at a cheaper price.'' Baroness Hugh thought. ''I did not have any particr good feelings with those Masked Legion, but so far, the city here is safe.''

    There was a reason as to why the Masked Legion Mercenaries hadn''t begun working immediately. It was because the prices were not yet set and a contract hasn''t been provided for yet.

    ''Mmm, everyone seems to be impressed with how the city is. Nobody would believe that just a couple weeks ago, a madman was just here.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    All of the nobility were gathered together, and as for Kiana, she was with the guards and could only keep an eye from afar.

    ''I¡­ I''m not sure, but Miss Lily somehow seems like a wonderful target practice today for no particr reason.'' Kiana thought.

    Lily hadn''t even revealed any of her intentions yet and Kiana was already disliking the woman, but soon it exacerbated when Lily opened her mouth once more.

    "Father, mother¡­ It''s a little sudden, but what do you think of me staying here with my brother and also working under Lord Asher? It''ll be a good idea, yes?"

    "T-that is a good idea. But only if Lord Asher is willing to. He had already hired your brother, so if he were to¡­"

    "Can she do the work?" Baroness Hugh nced at Lord Asher and quickly nodded. "I am confident that she can, the work that you are talking about is in the realm of business and finances, right? It should pose no issue. She will be an asset."

    ''As expected, the answer from these two are positive¡­ but what about the other two?'' Lucius thought as he nced at Kiana and Viscountess ckshield.

    The challenge always had been all of them convinced.

 Chapter 489 A Surprising Decision

    ?

    "I''m fine with Miss Lily being here, but I think it is far better for her to get permission first from her parents." Lucius said with a smile.

    Lily smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do hope that everyone thinks it''s a good idea. I will try my best to fulfill whatever position, Lord Asher needs of me, after all."

    ''It''s a prompt trying to get agreement from everyone else. Will they actually say anything though?'' Lucius thought. ''Viscountess ckshield has rxed more during her stay here in the Inanis Mansion, but she usually does not interfere with other matters. And as for Kiana, she always finds it in herself to intrude when ites to me, just like the Countess.''

    That was the conclusion that Lucius arrived in, but his influence on the other people was actually farrger.

    "Hmm, Miss Lily, if Lord Asher here thinks that you are fit to work at his side and need only the permission of your parents, then I think it is better for you to have more confidence in yourself than to be shy with it," Viscountess ckshield said.

    "¡­ I agree with that notion." Kiana said as she drew closer to the group. She approached to actually state her mind against Lily working here, but when Lord Asher said that he was only waiting for the confirmation of her parents, then it meant that it was a decision already to form up together and make a team.

    And Kiana, while she gave advice to Lord Asher, also knew when to step out to allow him to make the decisions that he felt were the best.

    ''Lord Asher knows what he is doing¡­ I cannot let this lingering feeling of dislike that I have for this girl to be something that prevents me from supporting Lord Asher. If this is what Lord Asher wants then so be it.''

    Lily''s expression brightened at their words. She hadn''t even done anything much but it all worked out in her favor.

    ''This¡­ this means that it''s a yes, right? The Count and the Countess will both agree if everyone is happy with this arrangement.'' Lily thought and nced at Lord Asher''s expression, wistful at what the handsome young man was thinking.

    "If that is the case, then that is all good. I was actually thinking of rmending her to Miss Alessa in Dionysia''s Brewery." Lucius finally admitted with a well-measured smile.

    "Is that so?" Baroness Hugh''s face lit up a little. She was someone who became close friends with Alessa already and actually liked the idea of it.

    However, the expression of the energetic Lily suddenly became stone cold at those words.

    ''¡­Wait, he does not intend to let me stay by his side? He wanted me to work with the brewery and not with him? That¡­ that is not what I intended for when I chose to stay here.''

    Benjamin, Kiana and the Viscountess all saw the expression on her face and couldn''t help but try hard to remain neutral.

    Benjamin was the least happy because it still meant something.

    ''If she still epts, I''m still going to have to take care of her. The benefit only lies with Lord Asher not having to deal with Lily¡­ but that isn''t necessarily a bad thing.'' Benjamin thought.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''Ah, the misconception of things. You end up believing one thing but then it turns out to be an entirely diferrent matter altogether. What a life.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    Kiana however, couldn''t help but inwardly sigh in relief.

    ''This is what a young child like her deserves to get. She''s nice, but someone like her will certainly distract and turn away Lord Asher''s attention. Well, it won''t turn away Asher''s goals, but she would have been a nuisance that would be difficult to get rid of from my position.''

    Kiana wasn''t actually sure of what Lord Asher wanted, but so far, she thought that the man didn''t like Lily that much.

    ''She has some use, but not enough for her to be kept at his side.''

    The rest of the tour happened with less enthusiasm and more silence from Lily, but it was something that Lucius appreciated.

    ''If she were truly that interested in proving herself to me, then it''s far better to see if she''s willing to go that far, or if she simply wishes to pursue things when it''s all in her favor.'' Lucius thought. ''I requireplete loyalty from all those who wish to serve me.''

    The man was aware that there were things that were easier for some people, so it was necessary to measure their grit and determination.

    But at the same time, Lucius really didn''t care if the young woman stepped out or not.

    She was good, but not that incredible. When Lucius used the Nexus to check on Lily''s Gift, it wasn''t actually outstanding enough to even be mentioned or thought upon.

    Additionally, Lucius already had gotten the individual that he had aimed for when he attended the celebration banquet at Etara''s Cross.

    Benjamin Hugh was now on his side and would prove to be a useful asset. The reeducation center n in Etara''s Cross would y out and it was only the recruitment of the Masked Legion mercenaries that he was trying to confirm.

    ''There are other things on my mind, but securing additional funds and improving the publicity of the Masked Legion is what I''m choosing to focus on right now. Everything else is secondary.'' Lucius thought.

    When the tour came to an end, everyone was already exhausted by that point and decided it was time to return to the Inanis mansion.

    "Hah, I haven''t actually gotten much time to exercise, but I feel like I''m a changed man now that I''ve stayed here for less than three days." Baron Hugh chuckled as they sat down at the carriage. "I saw that everything has changed in Inanis since thest time that I have gotten here. I am interested in introducing it to Etara''s Cross. What do I need to know to hire your mercenaries, Lord Asher?"

 Chapter 490 The Price For Mercenaries

    ?

    "Well, I''ve already made a list of all the Mercenaries avable for working, their specific gifts and they all have the prices listed here in this brochure for you to choose from," Lucius said.

    Kiana who was with them in the carriage, offered the brochure that she had brought, making sure that it was provided to the Baron with care.

    In this particr carriage, there was no Lily or Benjamin, or even the Viscountess ckshield. The two were delegated into another carriage while Viscountess ckshield opted to ride on horseback for this time.

    Once Baron Hugh received the brochure in his hands, Baroness Hugh immediately nced over the shoulder of her husband, piqued about the prospect.

    Her eyes widened slightly in surprise once she saw the prices, but it was Baron Hugh who let out a cry of rm.

    "Two silvers for one mercenary and up to one gold for the most expensive one?" Baron Hugh looked in Lord Asher''s way.

    "Yes, that is the case." Lucius replied with a nod. The surprise was not borne out of outrageousness, as he had already made sure of the prices beforehand and checked the current market rates with Kiana.

    The reaction of Baron Hugh was expected in this regard, and Lucius nned to take advantage of it.

    "This is¡­ a stealpared to the others. Pricing it like this might infer to others that the quality of your mercenaries is a little less than ster, Lord Asher." Baron Hugh said.

    "On the contrary, since I am simply going about this endeavor for the first time, it makes much more sense that I will price it a lower and discounted price, Baron Hugh. And while some may believe that it speaks of a diminished quality, I know by a fact that if people were to hear that Baron Hugh, a sharp business man hires them as his people, then I think any rumors that will wonder about the quality of the mercenaries will be diminished or forgone altogether." Lucius exined.

    "Of course, this is all under my hopes that you may promote them. Please do not simply take my word for it, but that of the state of the city here as well as the ount of the people who witnessed the appearance of the Masked Legion during our battle against Viscount Drew." Asher added

    "Haha, I am simply worried. These mercenaries are asking help from you, Lord Asher to be their intermediary, yes?" Baron Hugh asked.

    "Yes." Lucius nodded. That was the story that he told when asked about it. Truth be told, the Count and Countess didn''t have any specific idea about how the Masked Legion came to be.

    ''The two are aware of my ability tomand other people because I''ve imed to be from the Goddess Etara, but I have not really brought them in to witness the transformation of prisoners to the Lost.'' Lucius thought. ''So, if anybody were truly to investigate this matter, then it would be necessary to find a way to subdue them. Fortunately, the two trust me that much.''

    "Then, are you not taking any cuts or percentages from this, Lord Asher?" Baron Hugh asked with concern. "I hope that you are taking a cut, but if you are not, then I implore you to do it for the sake of increased ie."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Please do not worry about things for now, Baron Hugh. I am mostly happy to have met the Masked Legion. They have been my dailypanions during the time when we''ve first encountered each other and I am happy to share their services with anyone who finds them useful." Lucius said. "This is but small work, considering what they''ve done for me."

    With his less than ster experience with the ck Rose Petal Knights from before, it became more conscious to Lucius that there were people who might be able to poke through the veil of disguises that he put up.

    Hence why, the most important thing was keeping it all together.

    "Ah, you have done this from the generosity of your heart." Baron Hugh said with a shake of his head. "Truly, you are beyond words, Lord Asher. Of course, I will do my best to spread this news through the word of mouth. You need not worry about it. In fact, this is much more than what we''ve expected to gain from our visit here, Lord Asher."

    "What are you talking about, Baron Hugh?"

    "You have assisted my son, Benjamin to take more leaps of faith from out of his books and into this world. The rity that you''ve given him is far more precious than anything else, Lord Asher." Baron Hugh said before he coughed lightly. It was embarrassing to say aloud, but Baron Hugh thought it was needed to be said. "And it¡­ it is not only him who has learned something if you understand what I mean, Lord Asher."

    It wasn''t so often that Baron Hugh found himself getting a word of lecture from someone younger than him, but it had been able to improve his self-awareness.

    "It is my pleasure to be of help to you and your family, Baron Hugh. I know that you will not be staying long due to your preupation with work, but the friendship between you and my father is something I am also grateful for. I wish to perhaps establish the same thing with your son." Lucius said with a smile.

    "Haha, I can already imagine that myself, Lord Asher." Baron Hugh nodded. "Frankly, I was also a little surprised by your invitation with my dearest Lily. Isn''t that right, dear?"

    "Hmm, yes." Baroness Hugh nodded curtly. "But it is also a good opportunity for her."

    Baron Hugh coughed. It was one of those rare moments where he didn''t quite see eye to eye with his beautiful wife.

    However, Baron Hugh needed to convince himself of it.

    ''It is good in the long-run. It will be good in the long run for everyone if Lily stays here, even though I cannot help but worry.''

    "Just as with my son, I hope that you may also take care of my daughter, Lord Asher."

 Chapter 491 Final Decisions

    ?

    Lucius nced at the two nobles in front of him.

    It was clear that their agendas were out in the open now that Baron Hugh expressed his wishes about their one and only daughter.

    From the looks of it, both were easy enough to part ways with Benjamin because they had their disappointments with him and saw that growth and connection were possible if Benjamin left, but it was a little hard for it to be the same case with their only daughter.

    At least for Baron Hugh.

    As for the Baroness, she was a little easier to read now. A poker cold face could only take one so far when one''s actions and words spoke far more about what the Baroness was interested in.

    In the case of the Baroness, it was less with their love of their daughter, and more of the Baroness'' own personal desires pushed onto her child and allowing it toe true.

    It was Baron Hugh who seemed more emotionally vulnerable.

    ''A father''s love for their daughter is making him both want to have her stay in the household, but also allow her the chance to be with me. It''s quite often that a businessman will find himself in this situation, and often needing to choose his business over rtionships, but in this case, it might be two birds with one stone.''

    "If Miss Lily wishes to stay here, then by all means, I will do my best, Baron Hugh. Rest assured, I will take care of her, and I am sure that Lady Alessa will do the same." Lucius replied.

    ''She was overly eager to stay here because she was under the presumption that she will be staying closely by my side. The dejection of being put elsewhere might make her just give up altogether. Which I do not particrly mind. She does things fairly well, but it''s not executed well enough.'' Lucius thought.

    In the grand scheme of things, it was hard to find someone who was capable of being someone like Lucius.

    If that had been the case, then there would have been genuine back and forth.

    However, so far, everyone he encountered seemed to be a littlecking. They were close but failed to close the gap.

    Everyone else had their own weaknesses and strengths, thus it was up to Lucius to find ways to utilize both of those to get the people that he wanted to either work for him or have them fail.

    "Thank you, Lord Asher. I can actually rest a little easier with those words of yours." Baron Hughughed. "I''ve¡­ I''ve never imagined that my only daughter would find interest in leaving the nest so soon, but I cannot stop her aspirations. I am simply happy that she chose to stay here in a ce like this. But ah, I''m letting my sentimentality get ahead of me¡­ I think I will be choosing a number among these mercenaries? Where are the others?" <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The Masked Legion wasn''tpletely a legion yet in number, but it posed no issue to Lucius.

    "I''ve personally curated the ones that might be of interest to you right now, Baron Hugh. If I were to give you the selection of every member, then it will leave you paralyze to choose from among them." Lucius said. "It is far easier to make a selection from a smaller sample size."

    "That¡­ that is true. Too many choices can be dangerous. One needs to be able to narrow them down." Baron Hugh nodded as he briefly nced at the brochure once more.

    "Will there be any particr discounts if we hire more than one?" Baroness Hugh asked.

    "Of course, depending on the number of mercenaries, then there''ll be a certain deduction in percentage." Lucius agreed readily. One had to incentive them to keep them looking for more.

    "Mmm, how many do you think we''ll need, Lord Asher?" Baron Hugh tapped his finger on the couch.

    ''I need to consider the expenditures that I am giving Benjamin an allowance and if Lily wants to stay here that is an additional expense. I do not wish for Lord Asher to feel as if I''ve shirked responsibility from my children or for him to feel that I am taking advantage of his family''s generosity. I can''t hire too much, but I also do not wish to seem like I cannot afford things.'' Baron Hugh thought.

    Lucius saw the expression on Baron Hugh''s face and knew exactly why he was bothered.

    ''If I were to cover all the expenses of Benjamin while he stays here, it will be a loss on my part and not necessarily something I can recoup easily. Luckily Baron Hugh needs to save face. And in that turn, the number of mercenaries he needs will be fewer.'' Lucius thought.

    Everything was premeditated from the moment that Lucius decided to take Benjamin as one of his people¡­ granted that the situation with Lily had also thrown him into a curve ball, but things were still in his control as the possible paths of the woman were also in his mindset.

    "The number depends on you, Baron Hugh. Though frankly, each of our mercenaries is quite capable and can do much workpared to others. That is what others have witnessed during their arrival before, against the battle with Viscount Drew. Only a few of them were able to change the tide. So I will rmend perhaps a start of six mercenaries and give a three percent discount upon the hiring of them all." Lucius offered. "Any of them from the two silvers up to the gold ones, if you will."

    Baron Hugh knew that he couldn''t ask for any more discount. The situation had already been exined to him.

    He ran the numbers through his head and tried to think of how to divide the six among his people.

    "Hmm, well, I need not cover all districts right away, only the ones with more crime than others. Thank you, Lord Asher. I think that will be a good number to start with."

 Chapter 492 Lilys Distaste And Agreements

    ?

    Upon their arrival at Inanis Manor, Lucius, and the others soon left their carriage.

    Baron Hugh and his wife looked satisfied and pleased with the oue of their talk with Lord Asher and were actually looking forward to seeing the changes that were going to be implemented in their own city.

    Meanwhile, Benjamin and Lily left their carriage with a look of not being entirely happy with one another.

    ''Hah, I don''t know what to feel about this situation with my sister. I''d still have to take care of her if she chooses to be here, but I''m mostly concerned with how she''d act if she gets to stay here in the Inanis City too. She''ll probably bug and annoy Lord Asher that it''ll worsen our working rtionship and friendship.'' Benjamin thought with some annoyance. ''I''d tell my father that Lily needs to be in Etara''s Cross instead of here, but of course, with how my old man thinks, he will not take anything for a no and he''d actually just use me to push his agenda on me so that we could profit and benefit.''

    Benjamin was aware of and used to some of the shortcuts and techniques that were implemented by his very own father, Baron Hugh.

    Using information to avoid the tax.

    Forming good friendships with merchants and other important individuals to experience favors and such.

    Benjamin wasn''t very good at it, but Baron Hugh was at least good, like Viscount Felldan.

    Maybe even better because Benjamin''s father was capable of getting along with more people than even Viscount Felldan who chose to be divisive.

    ''Hah. My father is savvy in the business world but is not really the most self-aware when ites to his own family. He''d probably me me and say that I''m not seeing how great my sister is, but I mean, look at her right now. She doesn''t really look pleased with the oue, doesn''t she? Please say you''ll give up on this.''

    The normally angelic and beautiful Lily was biting down on her lip hard, not hard enough to bleed because that would mar her beautiful lips, but also she was gripping the edge of her dress tightly.

    It wound tightly across her fists as she nced at Lord Asher from the distance as he was talking with her parents.

    Kiana was present as well, being close to Lord Asher and she threw Lily a quick snide look when their gazes met.

    A scorch of fire burnt up within Lily, irritation ring in her stomach and was begging to be released.

    ''She¡­ she doesn''t really want me by Lord Asher''s side, does she? I bet if there''s anyone that Lord Asher listen and counsels to, it''s her, and she''s been feeding him lies. Stupid girl. I¡­ I don''t want to work at a brewery, so far away from Lord Asher''s side¡­ but at the same time, it''s at least away from my family, isn''t it?''

    There were multiple reasons as to why Lily decided that going to stick with the n was the best course of action.

    But a part of Lily also wanted to throw a tantrum. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''If it''s Lord Asher who decided it all by himself¡­ then it means that he does not see me useful at his side. It might mean that he also doesn''t think I''m pretty¡­ no, no, I am certain that my charms are great. People love me. It''s just him who''s different. Ah, it really makes me want him more. I have to keep trying, right? If he gives me a chance, then¡­ well, I just have to say yes and see where it goes. Giving up now means that I''m choosing to dere defeat.''

    ***

    "Here''s the contract. Finalized and will only need to be signed and sealed, Baron Hugh."

    "You are quite meticulous, Lord Asher." Baron Hughmended the young lord as they all sat down at his office.

    It was something that could have been conducted somewhere in a more ceremonial way, but Lucius'' own personal workspace was enough.

    ''Baron Hugh is not really someone who goes for that extravagant things. He is a reliable consumer, but will not exactly be the one that I''m looking for at the moment to actually bring money,'' Lucius thought. ''It''s discounted because I''ll be getting some recoup with his currentwork. And when that timees in, well, there will be those who will be more willing to pay more. Baron Harmmund seems like someone who''d pay more, but I need someone who will allow me to amass greater wealth than before.''

    The people in the re education center knew how things worked, so Lucius was going to get a steady supply of bodies soon enough.

    "Thank you, Baron Hugh. I do my best to do the work and I''ve also asked for help from other people." Lucius chuckled humbly. "It is something that I wish to learn myself, and so even if it takes a bit more time, I''ll put in the effort¡­ but that is also where Benjamin will also assist me in."

    Inside of the office, it wasn''t the Baroness who apanied Baron Hugh but Benjamin instead.

    The contract for the hiring of mercenaries was mostly for Baron Hugh''s sake, but it also allowed Benjamin the chance to observe how things worked.

    "Shall we also work out the terms on Benjamin''s stay here?" Lucius said, addressing both the Baron and Benjamin.

    "O-oh, yes. That haha." Baron Hughughed and nced at Benjamin.

    ''I am not actually sure if Benjamin will aplish anything, but he did ask me to have more faith in him so I will try to do just that. Even if he is ate bloomer, Benjamin is still my son and won''t make the same mistakes that I''ve done while I was starting out in the streets.'' Baron Hugh thought.

    "If you fail, make it fast enough."

    "Pardon?" Lucius raised a brow at the interesting choice of words from Baron Hugh.

    "Well, it is hard to aplish anything if you do not attempt things."

 Chapter 493 Honest Words

    ?

    Benjamin couldn''t help but feel a little discouraged at what Baron Hugh said.

    ''He thinks that I will be failing? It almost like he expects me to fail¡­ and a lot of times too. He doesn''t really trust me that I''ll do anything good and substantial, won''t I?''

    Meanwhile, Lucius immediately figured out what the Baron Hugh intended to say with his words.

    There were no emotions that clouded Lucius'' brain, so it was clear as day to him and also made him recall his times back on earth.

    ''This is a statement that I''ve heard before. And it is perhaps something that someone who is uncareful does. Make mistakes and learn from them.'' Lucius thought. ''The far better alternative is of course, learning from other people and about the people. If you can control the oue, then there is no need for the uncertainty.''

    "Haha, my business ventures do not always work out. This is my piece of advice to you, Lord Asher. I know that you''ve already done an incredible thing with the re education center and also working with the Masked Legion, but sometimes it is quite hard to replicate sess sometimes." Baron Hugh. "Hence, it is better to learn from trial and error. You have to fail a couple of times to be much morefortable with it and then find the diamonds in the rough."

    Lucius smiled. "Thank you for the input, Baron Hugh."

    ''There are times where even an ''expert'' in his field turns out to be wrong, and sometimes, while there are asions where it is far better to correct them so as to update their belief, there are far much more many situations where I need not to involve myself.'' Lucius thought. ''I''ve already ensnared and gotten Benjamin, and while I have intentions of taking everything, it will be something that I will do piece by piece. If there are people stuck in their own self-awareness, then it shall be to my own benefit.''

    "Of course, I have learned some things from you, Lord Asher, but allow me to also offer you some wisdom from my own experience." Baron Hugh said.

    Benjamin still looked upset, but it was something that Lucius allowed to stay.

    ''I''ve already had the Mark of Obedience on him, so I really have no need to coddle his feelings any longer. It''s much easier to manipte him in some regards with this¡­ although, I suppose also allowing this one to grow a bit more will also be useful.''

    When the conversation was done with Baron Hugh and Benjamin, Lucius stepped out with them to find Lily by the door.

    "Lily¡­"

    "Hello, father and brother." Lily smiled and curtsied. "I¡­ I was hoping to speak with Lord Asher privately about the rmendation that he was interested in giving me?"

    Baron Hugh became immensely worried and so did Benjamin, but for different reasons.

    Lucius cleared his throat and nced at the smaller woman. She was small, and yet her personality was quite big.

    ''Well, if there is a tool that insists on being used and it can be used. Why not use it?'' Lucius thought.

    "Very well, Miss Lily. Baron Hugh and Benjamin, it has been a pleasure talking with you. I hope that the rest of the day goes well before we meet again. I promise to return, Miss Lily promptly and take care of her." Lucius said.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ***

    Once the doors were closed, Lily became a little more rxed, but also determined.

    Lily nced up at Lord Asher''s face, who chose to remain silent and wait for her to say something.

    It was far easier to be the listener and observer, to wait and assess the enemy before making any actions.

    It made Lily unnerved and she cleared her throat delicately.

    "I¡­ I have been thinking of your offer, Lord Asher."

    "Yes. Have you made a decision already?" Lucius raised a brow.

    "I¡­" Lily pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn''t think of anything to say right now besides feeling the blushing on her cheek.

    "Yes?"

    "¡­I admire you, Lord Asher." Lily shyly said and looked down at her feet. "I¡­ wanted to work at your side too like my brother, so I was actually disheartened when you told me that you''d rmend me to Dionysia''s Brewery. It''s something that my mom likes really much and I think she''ll push for me to get it too, but do you think there''s also any chance that I might be able to work at your side too?"

    Lucius blinked and stared at her.

    ''I''ve expected her to still act coy and shy, but I must have unnerved her far enough that she''s disying her feelings now more. Hmm, I''m not sure if that''s an entirely good thing. Well, it simply means that she can still be controlled easily and these feelings of hers are useful for my sake.''

    "There''s not much I can do for you, Miss Lily besides that. The risk of working with your brother, Benjamin, is actually a bit high already so if I were to offer a sry or stipend to you as well, well, it is possible, but I would like to only focus on your brother first." Lucius said.

    It was a mix of truth and lies. It was to see how far she was willing to go in this matter.

    Lily let out a soft sigh but then nodded. "I-I understand, Lord Asher. I¡­ I hope that you will at least consider me for the future then. Thank you for the time, my answer is a yes to Dionysia''s Brewery, by the way. Even though it''s not at your side, it''s at least close enough."

    "You''re being quite vocal about what you desire, Miss Lily."

    Lily blushed and brushed back a lock of her hair. "I¡­ I think that trying to be coy with Lord Asher won''t work, so the best way I can see things working out is by being true with you. It''s also nice to actually speak without having to measure them too much, Lord Asher."

 Chapter 494 A Little Treat Of Acceptance

    ?

    ''What a majority of people desire in this world is a connection. I''ve observed that for so long, that even those who try their best to fit in with their environment also find it slipping.'' Lucius thought.

    Some were able to maintain their control like Viscount Felldan, who controlled the center stage by using his Gift and then there were others like Baron Hugh who were good at keeping it together with outside people but were more expressive with his family.

    ''These people tend to think they''ll end up being an exception to the rule if you show them even a little bit of love.'' Lucius thought as he nced at Lily''s face.

    Lily was blushing hard and her heart pounded at the silence Lucius was giving. She couldn''t wait to hear from him.

    "L-Lord Asher?" Lily tried hard to maintain herposure, but she was quaking a little on the inside. Only the teachings of her mother allowed her to maintain some fashion of dignity.

    ''I¡­ I''ve never really opened my heart this much. It''s scary. Why won''t you say anything, Lord Asher? Has somebody else caught your eye?'' Lily thought with some panic.

    "Lord Asher, have I spoken too much?" Lily asked again. "This¡­ this isn''t reallydylike of me, is it?"

    Lucius couldn''t help but remember Mira, who believed that Lucius was capable of loving someone.

    "You are fine as you are, Miss Lily." Lucius smiled kindly at her. "As nobles, we are expected to act in certain ways that are befitting that of our family and society. We wear masks and do our best to fit in, understand how social circles work and such things¡­ so it is actually quite admirable that you are able to be honest. I do not think I''m deserving of such things¡­"

    "B-but you are incredible, Lord Asher!" Lily readily replied. "You have done so much for your family and even for my brother¡­ I hope that you would at least let me try to stay by your side. I know that I am being too forward right now..."

    "You have no reason to be ashamed of how you act. Just know who to trust, alright Miss Lily?" Lucius chuckled. "And I am not preventing you from staying here."

    A look of relief crossed over Lily''s face and her shoulders sagged slightly.

    ''I¡­ I didn''t think that Lord Asher would like me. But he epts me for who I am. Benjamin says that he''s helping me, but I really thought that he was sabotaging my attempts. I did the right and proper thing by approaching Lord Asher.'' Lily thought as her cheeks tinged pink.

    "T-thank you so much, Lord Asher." Lily added. "I should probably leave before my father gets a heart attack. Well, I think my father likes you very much already so it should not be that bad, but, ah. I need to excuse myself."

    ''I¡­ I said too much. If anybody in my family knew how forward I was with Lord Asher, they''d never let me live with it. How shameful.'' Lily thought.

    "I am looking forward to your stay here, Miss Lily." Lucius chuckled and bowed his head regally. "I know that we will not often cross paths¡­"<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I-I will visit you¡­ my brother too, I mean." Lily blushed harder and then shook her head. She needed to be more truthful with the person she wanted to marry. "I know that you are a very busy person, Lord Asher and it seems like I won''t be able to help you right away, but I''ll prove that I am quite capable while working in Dionysia''s Brewery."

    "I have my confidence in you, Miss Lily. Let us see what will happen." Lucius smiled. "For now, I shall meet with you and your family. I''ve asked Kiana to assist with thest night of your stay here and I believe there shall be a banquet."

    "Lst night?" Lily''s eyes widened, but then she remembered that was true. "O-oh yes, my family was only here to check up on how Inanis City is and determine whether it is good to ept the services of the Masked Legion."

    "Mhmm." Lucius nodded. He gave her a charming smile. "I know that this is not the final night as you''ve made your choice to stay here in Inanis City, so let us celebrate that, shall we?"

    "Y-yes!" Lily agreed with a blush. "Shall we go together to the dining hall, Lord Asher?"

    Lucius chuckled and offered her his arm. "Do you think your father will be surprised by this¡­?"

    Lily stared at Lord Asher''s offered arm and tried not to gulp.

    He had a beautiful body that was toned and pleasing to the eyes and she wanted to quickly reach out and touch it.

    It made Lily very jealous when she heard about how Viscountess ckshield was around and was able to witness Lord Asher''s training and not to mention the woman that was always at his side as well.

    ''I¡­ I need to hold myself back. I''ve already did so much by speaking so honestly around him that if I were to take his arm now, then I''ll be looking like an extremely easy woman.'' Lily thought.

    "Well, Miss Lily?" Lucius prompted with a kind smile. "You do not have to take my arm if you are ufortable. Please let me know right away if it is too much."

    ''I do not know when Lord Asher will ever offer something like this again. I might miss my chance if I don''t take this now.'' Lily thought and quickly bit down on her lip. ''My family will be very happy with the oue. Yes, they will be pleased with this development, even though the truth is that I have to work harder to actually gain Lord Asher''s affections. Is this a sign that he likes me? He''s not saying anything outright. This is difficult.''

    "Miss Lily, do you trust me?" Lucius asked once more and extended his hand instead. "I mean no harm to you."

    Lily gingerly reached out to touch his hand. "I-I do."

 Chapter 495 Drink And Be Merry

    ?

    A great shock spread throughout the dining hall of the Inanis Family when both Lord Asher and Lily came down together.

    Baron Hugh didn''t know if he wanted to cry out of joy and sadness.

    ''My daughter¡­ she''s growing up so fast. I know I told her that she should find a way to be closer to Lord Asher, but she has quickly done so. She takes so much after me and her mother. Hah, this is good, Hugh. This is just the beginning and so many things might happen. Calm down. Do not panic.'' The Baron thought. ''Things are going all ording to n.''

    ''Is¡­ is this my son''s way of showing interest now? He hasn''t said a word but is speaking through actions.'' Countess Lita thought privately to herself. ''I¡­ I do not mind this, but there are far more suitable partners for my son. He''s handsome, intelligent and amazing enough to even win the hand of a princess. But ah, if this is what my son wants, then I am happy with this arrangement. It is possible to elevate Baron Hugh''s family from their current standing. As what will happen with Lady Alessa and Lieutenant John shall be the case here as well.''

    ''Hmm, he has pursued Baron Hugh''s daughter. Although, at this point, it is difficult to identify who actually pursued who. Miss Lily possesses a certain ability to chase after what she wants and reminds me¡­ of Lita when she was younger.'' Count Gabriel thought with a hint of fondness. ''If my son is truly happy with this arrangement then I can see a wedding, but perhaps I am thinking too hastily. A lot can happen.''

    Kiana who stood at the side, wore a neutral expression that was more akin to a frown.

    Unlike the rest of the people within the dining hall, Kiana couldn''t help but try to look at Lord Asher''s expression.

    ''I¡­ It''s a little hard. I still think I know Asher well enough, but I have a feeling that he does not really like the woman but is only tolerating her because she has thrown herself at him.'' Kiana thought with mild disgust. ''B-but, I could be wrong and if that is the case well¡­ it''s up to me to let him know about how dangerous it might be? Yes, I must speak with him in confidenceter.''

    Benjamin who had been sipping his water and just enjoying a pocket book he brought along wheezed at the sight of Lily hugging Lord Asher''s arm.

    ''I¡­ I thought that Lily''s personality would have repulsed, Lord Asher. Did he fall for the charms of my sister as well? No, no, how can my sister be charming. Maybe Lord Asher has peculiar tastes in women¡­ er, I should let him know more about my sister, just in case. I do not wish for him to get with my sister without truly knowing what is there.''

    Viscountess ckshield kept a cool face. She was expressionless like the Baroness, and actually drank water instead of the Humble ze this time.

    ''I¡­ I need to sober up, since I need to actually find it within me to leave thisfortable ce. But it feels hard to stay sober. It''s¡­ a sanctuary. Hah, but I need to get up and leave. I''ve overstayed my wee and it seems Lord Asher will be entertaining the two children of Baron Hugh. What kind of woman shall I be if I keep running away from problems? The young ones like Lord Asher, they are still full of life and hope, I should copy them.''

    Normally at this point, Baron Hugh would haveughed and make a joke that teased Lord Asher, but he couldn''t do it when it was his daughter''s arm hugging Lord Asher''s.

    "Ah, Lord Asher! We were almost afraid that you''d miss the celebration." Baron Hugh managed to say.

    "How could I forget? It is a celebratory period, is it not?" Lucius chuckled. "I am most grateful for our agreement, not only with the mercenaries, but to several things. We have much to celebrate for."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Ahem, if I could speak as well," Viscountess ckshield suddenly spoke.

    "Viscountess ckshield?" Lucius turned to the woman and then smiled. "What is it that you wish to say?"

    ''Hah, I''ve really be much more sentimental. This is quite embarrassing. I should have remained silent but I''ve really grown much softer around here than I expected.'' Viscountess ckshield thought as her gaze softened slightly.

    "Well, I think it is also a good night to celebrate my soon departure as well." Viscountess ckshield said.

    ''Now that I have said it, I cannot do anything but just go with it right? I have sealed my fate and shall be finally leaving. I cannot take back my own words. Which is good.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    "Then it truly is a night for celebrations. Ahem," Baron Hugh shook his head when he realized what he said and how it could be taken the wrong way.

    "There is much celebration tonight, but it seems that it is also of departures." Lord Asher said as he came forward with Lily and assisted her by offering her a chair.

    Lily blushed at the gesture as she sat down. Her eyes were on him and him alone.

    Meanwhile, Lord Asher quickly reached out to a goblet and filled it with Humble ze to the brim and gave them all a dazzling smile. "However, I do not think that it is much to be lonesome and weary about, for there will always be another time. Another meeting and another opportunity to find reunite once more. May I propose a toast?"

    Viscountess ckshield listened to the young Lord''s speech and couldn''t help butugh.

    It was clear and rang through the dining hall, which surprised the Baron and his family alongside of that of the Count and Countess.

    "Haha! I''m about to leave, but you wish to make us all drink Humble ze once more, Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield chuckled.

    "Yes, let us all drink and be merry!"

 Chapter 496 Drunken Headaches

    ?

    When morning finally came, the departure of Baron Hugh and his family was a prompt one.

    It was apanied with the nursing of some drunken headaches, but it was an overall good affair made in good spirits.

    "We shall see each other again, quite soon." Baron Hugh exchanged words with Count Inanis, Lord Asher and everyone else.

    "That is true." Count Inanis nodded.

    "Well, I do not think Viscountess ckshield made it, though." Baron Hughughed. "Ah, she went drinking hardst night, so please give my regards to her when she does leave."

    "I am sure that she would be here if she held herself back," Lucius chuckled.

    "Indeed. Haha, she truly does not hold back. But ah, time is so limited. I wish to share a word with Benjamin and Lily in private."

    "Of course, Baron Hugh."

    Baron Hugh addressed his children as well, and in an act of fatherly nature, he reached out and pulled the two of them together into a hug.

    It was something not often done by nobles in public, but at this moment, Baron Hugh was willing to do so as he was ovee by emotions.

    "Now be good. I''ll have money sent over, so be good." Baron Hugh whispered to the two of them. "I do not think I have to tell you two what to do, so it shall be reminders."

    "Y-yes, father." Benjamin and Lily said.

    It was a little surprising for them, but it was a wee affection that the two received well.

    Once the two were addressed, Baron Hugh approached Lucius once more and smiled friendlily.

    "Lord Asher, please take good care of my children."

    "Please do not worry about them, Baron Hugh. You have a city to take care of. They shall be in my care and that of the Inanis Family," Lucius said with a genial smile.

    "Haha, thank you very much." Baron Hugh shook Lucius''s hand.

    Once Baron Hugh and his wife left via carriage, Lucius addressed the two siblings with another crafted smile.

    "Due to how recent things are, I must say that things are a bit rushed with the amodations and everything else, but I hope that it will suffice the two of you." Lucius said. "There are things of importance for me to take care of today, so I will leave it to you and my trusted servant Neta."

    "O-of course, Lord Asher."

    "You have our thanks!"

    Both were rather disappointed by such an oue, but hid their reaction. The two were immensely grateful and thus did their best to ept the reality of such things.

    Once the two were addressed, it was finally another thing off of Lucius'' to-do-list.

    ''I suppose the only thing left in the household now is Viscountess ckshield. I do not think she thoroughly wasted resources as she did contribute in helping defend my life against the Mad de Bordeaux¡­ and because I do wish to understand the nature of her gift.'' Lucius thought.

    "Hah. When do you think the Viscountess will wake up?" Countess Lita asked. "We should prepare something for her to nurse the headache."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Not another drink at least." Count Gabriel said with some humor.

    "Certainly not."

    "I can take after, Father and Mother." Lucius said. "If there is anything that you need to do today. I was the one who invited Viscountess ckshield in the first ce, so it is mostly my responsibility."

    "Hmm¡­" Count Inanis thought about it.

    "Now, she''s our guest too." Countess Lita scolded her husband. "Even if she did leave the tea party to watch the spars more."

    Compared to Baron Hugh who was great at engaging well with others, Viscountess ckshield was someone who didn''t do as well as others.

    It made Count Gabriel and Countess Lita a bit more tempted to just skirt the social lines a little bit more.

    "Will that truly be fine with you, Asher?" Countess Lita asked and nced at her husband. "I¡­ I am feeling under the weather. I wish to rest."

    Count Gabriel raised a brow, but then cleared his throat. "Shall I call for Healer Delia? No, she''s not really someone who can take care of such things."

    Countess Lita pursed her lips mildly, but then sighed softly. "I think my headache just grew worse." She turned to her son and then smiled kindly. "I would appreciate it, Asher. Please express my gratitude for Viscountess'' visit, Asher."

    "Of course, Mother." Lucius said. "I wish you a swift recovery from your headache. I heard that the tea that Baroness Hugh gave you is quite good for it."

    "Yes, staying in bed does sound nice." Countess Lita said with a soft sigh. "Will you join me for some tea, Gabriel?"

    "Tea after drinking?" Count Gabriel''s expression flickered lightly, but then he nodded. "Sounds eptable. I''ll stay with you until you recover."

    Countess Lita shook her head, but then chose to smile. "Alright, let''s go."

    Lucius kept his expression mostly neutral as he did his best to ignore the interaction between the Count and Countess.

    Even the ones at the highest noble circles did find themselves sometimes loosening up and then, and it was most often in theforts of their home.

    The fact that the two did it around Lucius was another thingpletely, but Lucius didn''t allow himself to be bothered by such things.

    Once the Count and Countess found themselves back inside the manor, and the rest of the servants departed back to their duties, it only left Lucius with one person as hispanion.

    "Now that''s finished, there are things we have to take care of, don''t we?" Lucius addressed Kiana.

    "Yes, Lord Asher. Here is a letter sent by Gellor and his team. Once you have sent a reply, it shall be delivered at the shortest time to them." Kiana said.

    "Is that so?" Lucius epted the letter and checked its content. He let out a small nod of approval.

    "W-what did it say, Lord Asher?" Kiana asked, a little curious.

    "They found a way to acquire the Frenzy Ape Rune Crystals." Lucius said.

 Chapter 497 Alternate Method Of Acquisition

    ?

    "That''s incredible." Kiana''s eyes widened. Even though she was not quite aware of the specifics of the Frenzy Apes as much as a Master of Beasts, she at least had a little information about the existence of such dangerous creatures.

    "You did say that they were a capable team," Lucius said as he briefed over the letter.

    "They''ve managed to acquire the Frenzy Apes not through going through the jungles themselves, but by acquiring them through two of the rune beasts being sold by a person in the vige that they''ve arrived in." Lucius exined.

    "That''s fortunate¡­ but surely that should be expensive as well," Kiana said.

    "It is, and they did not have enough money, but Finch was capable of securing some money from Sir Cambrian it seems. They will be asking for reimbursement." Lucius said.

    "Then we shall await their arrival before we confirm it," Kiana said.

    "Mmm, do you not trust their word, Kiana?" Lucius asked.

    "I¡­" Kiana shook her head and then bit down on her lip. "My apologies. I''m a little ovee by emotions. I think they are trustworthy, Lord Asher, but I¡­ I just do not like the idea of that Miss Lily being around in the same area as you do, Lord Asher. I wish to confide that with you, Lord Asher."

    "I see." Lucius nodded slowly. "There is a reason as to why you feel that way, and I understand that."

    "So¡­ you are aware, Lord Asher?" Kiana asked, sounding a bit relieved.

    "I do not have any time for such things, Kiana and neither do I have any interest in doing so." Lucius expressed with a chuckle. "I need to work on contacting the Bishop once more to finally start working on the artifacts. Back and forth constantly."

    "Of course, Lord Asher," Kiana said with a smile on her face. She was feeling much better than anything now, knowing that Lord Asher was still aligned with his goals.

    "I am far more interested in a lot of other tasks, Kiana." Lucius chuckled.

    "O-of course, and I will be of help to them." Kiana eagerly nodded. "But yes, Gellor and his team are trustworthy. I trust in the man, but even then, it is still better to exercise precaution. I am d that¡­ Finch, was able to acquire money through Sir Cambrian, so now we just have to pay him back in the full amount and price once we''ve received the rune crystals, right?"

    "Yes, Kiana. That is exactly what I n to do." Lucius nodded.

    "Thank you, Asher." Kiana said with a look of relief on her face.

    ''It''s unfortunate, but there are times where people are ovee with emotion. It''s far better to lead and direct them as much as one can.'' Lucius thought.

    Lucius made his way back to his study and wrote a prompt reply to Captain Gellor and his team.

    "But ah yes, I will contact Bishop Reynold about your return to studies then?" Kiana said.

    "Yes and no. I will mostly be doing as much work as possible. It is time to create an artifact that will bring more money in the future to the Inanis family." Lucius exined.

    "That sounds like a great n, Asher." Kiana nodded in agreement. At the end of the day, it was always the Inanis Family that Lord Asher prioritized which was the same for Kiana. "I will start making some preparations for¡­ Gellor''s reward too."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yes, acquire what''s necessary. Though most of it will be taken from the area where Gellor and his team are currently in so they mostly have it. Will you check instead on how Leif is doing with the condition of our three favorite men?" Lucius said.

    "Y-yes, of course. I will do that right away, Asher." Kiana promptly bowed her head and then bade her farewell. "I will return as promptly as I can."

    "Appreciated, Kiana."

    After Lucius''s conversation with Kiana, the young man immediately made his way to the library, made a reply to Gellor and his team, and then decide on which artifacts were the mostmercially sound ones to create.

    "Lamps are quitemon already. I''ve already witnessed it beforehand and so are other weapons¡­" Lucius muttered to himself as he wrote on his journal.

    It was time for him to choose.

    ***

    Elsewhere in the inanis mansion, Viscountess ckshield woke up with a headache. She had overdone herself with drinking even when she promised herself not to.

    "Ugh, I missed the farewells with Baron Hugh and his family, didn''t I? I want to go back to bed and sleep the days away."

    However, the Viscountess already made a promise to leave and that was what she wished to do.

    "At least let me hold that ountable to myself." Viscountess ckshield told herself.

    It was about somewhat after lunch when Lucius and Viscountess ckshield soon met, and it was when Viscountess ckshield asked around for the presence of Asher even when it was past meal time.

    Viscountess ckshield looked embarrassed, a sheepish expression on the woman''s face.

    "Ah, Lord Asher." Viscountess greeted. "I have overstayed my wee, but I thank you and your family for letting me stay."

    "It is of no issue, Viscountess ckshield. Your presence has been a wee and not at all a burden." Lucius said.

    "I am d that I''ve contributed." Viscountess ckshield replied with a small smile. It was easier to express her emotions around now and it was with some help with Lord Asher''s presence.

    "But ah yes, before I leave, is there anything else I can help you with, Lord Asher?" Viscountess ckshield asked. "I''ve enjoyed my spars with you greatly and am grateful for your invitation here."

    "There has been something that has preupied my mind, though I am concerned that it may be a little too private." Lucius admitted.

    "Please ask. I will let you know if it''s too much for me to handle, Lord Asher." Viscountess ckshield said.

    "Then I shall be forward then, Viscountess ckshield." Lucius said. He cleared his throat and then looked at her. "May I perhaps inquire into the nature of your Gift?"

 Chapter 498 Blackshields Secret

    ?

    "The nature of my gift¡­" Viscountess ckshield raised a brow and looked at the young lord in front of him. "You''ve already seen me use it beforehand, did you not?"

    "Indeed. And it is well known from your namesake alone that it is a ck Shield, and yet when I¡­ look at it, Viscountess, it seems to be far greater than a shield. It is like a wall, a fortress." Lucius said.

    ''I''ve made no mentions of the word, Bulwark, but if the time that Viscountess ckshield has spent here has actually meant anything, then even someone who is cold and distant will have something to say since I''ve mentioned it straightforwardly.'' Lucius thought.

    Viscountess ckshield paused for a moment and nced around their immediate vicinity. There was no presence of any guards or servants within the area, and most of her own personnel were already doing their preparations in getting the carriage ready for her departure.

    ''I¡­ I''ve always told myself that I am a frank person who does not hesitate to say what is on my mind, but this is a matter pertaining to a family secret. Even something like this is not often shared with others, and even being truthful may do more harm than good.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    However, when Viscountess ckshield stared at Young Lord Asher, she couldn''t help but feel more at ease.

    ''Is¡­ is it because I can''t help but remember my own son and wonder how he and Young Lord Asher could have been around the same age if he were still alive.'' Viscountess ckshield thought.

    The truth was that even the most isted of people yearned for emotional connection, even when they''ve denied themselves of it. Some had coped through constant imbibing of alcohol, a propensity for bloodthirstiness and battle while throwing all caution to the wind.

    Viscountess ckshield acknowledged it mildly to herself and thought that was fine. An eptable way of approaching life and living because there was nothing much else for her to do and maintaining things like her estate and everything else seemed burdensome.

    However, now that Viscountess ckshield was invited by Lord Asher Inanis and she stayed with the presence of him and his family, sojourning over the past few weeks, it was suffice to say that her heart opened up a little.

    Emotional connection.

    Intimacy.

    Viscountess ckshield found her tongue loosening up slightly, just in particr, for Lord Asher alone.

    "Ahem. Normally, in situations such as this one, what is well-known by the general popce is what it is on paper, Lord Asher." Viscountess ckshield said. "Most of the nobility''s gift are well-known, and that is because they are used and inherited¡­"

    Lucius nodded. "Yes, Viscountess."

    "Hah. You are already aware of those things and yet I find myself repeating them as if I''m being Viscount Felldan." Viscountess ckshield rubbed her face annoyedly and looked at Lord Asher. "Suffice to say, your judgment is correct, Lord Asher. My gift is something beyond that of the Rare Gift ckshield, but it is actually an Epic Gift now known as ck Bulwark."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Lucius feigned a look of surprise and yet it wasn''t so hard when there was something that he was truly curious about.

    "And¡­ how did that happen, Viscountess? I have never heard of anything like this before, it must be unprecedented." Lucius remarked, his voice tinged with marvel.

    "I do not think that this is unprecedented, but mostly something that nobility wishes to hide. I was born with this Gift already with me and my parents simply wished for it to be kept a secret." Viscountess ckshield exined. "And it is for that very reason why I''ve hidden it until now."

    "Oh, it happened during your birth." Lucius said, as he kept his expression curious.

    ''It seems like there is not much to expect in terms of other people having the same knowledge as I do when ites to upgrading Gifts, which is a relief and yet a bit disappointing at the same time. Of course, the information that I''ve gained is quite substantial. It means that people''s Gift upgrades over time, although the specifics as to how it urs does not have any specific reason why.''

    "Yes." Viscountess ckshield said with a smile. "I do not think that it will sound so good if the ckshield Family will have their name changed to ckbulwark."

    "I¡­ yes, that appears to be the case." Lucius nodded slowly.

    "Haha, you are young, Lord Asher. Please lighten up a bit more and do not be like me." Viscountess ckshield''s gaze softened lightly as she nced at him. "And¡­ and if I were to give some words to you, unsolicited advice. Would that be alright?"

    "There is much to learn from most people, Viscountess ckshield. I''d be willing to hear from your insight." Lucius said, mildly surprised at the decision of the Viscountess to speak.

    ''I''ve expected her to open up, but not to this extent. I suppose she is quite vulnerable at this moment and the alcohol has also made her tongue quite loose.'' Lucius thought.

    "I¡­ don''t be like, Viscount Felldan." Viscountess ckshield said. She sighed and massaged her forehead. "I know I''m not supposed to say it in the directpany of the Inanis Family, especially when he is the greatest supporter of your family, but I still do not like him. Not necessarily your father, Count Inanis, but Viscount Felldan."

    "¡­ and what has brought this on, Viscountess ckshield?" Lucius asked.

    "I am not quite sure. Perhaps it''s just our methods being different. I do not quite like how he acts like a slithering snake among most individuals. A snake that can change colors wherever he is needed to match those of hispany."

    "But do you not think that it is appropriate¡­?" Lucius tried to say, before he noticed the expression on Viscountess ckshield''s face.

    "I know. I am aware that he is far more well-liked than me and even Baron Hugh knows how to treat people well. Perhaps this is simply borne out of my own way. But yes, do not pay too much mind to this older woman''s rambling. I am sure that you can draw your own conclusions well enough."

 Chapter 499 An Idea For An Artifact

    ?

    The departure of Viscountess ckshield was not exactly the mightiest of affairs, and when theck of both the Count and Countess were evident, she only had a smile on her face.

    "Perhaps when there is time once again, I will visit if you will have me, Lord Asher." Viscountess ckshield said.

    "It will be an honor to have you here once more, Viscountess ckshield." Lucius said. "Thank you for entrusting me with your secrets as well as giving me advice."

    Viscountess ckshield cleared her throat, looked at Lord Asher and the Inanis Mansion before she smiled briefly and nodded.

    Once the Viscountess departed, it was around the same time that Kiana returned to the mansion.

    "Ah, Kiana perfect timing." Lucius said once he noticed her arrival.

    "Lord Asher." Kiana greeted. She nced at the departing carriage and mostly found herself relieved that the people were finally leaving the Inanis Mansion.

    ''I have not spoken a word, but everyone here has been looking for Lord Asher that he finds himself unable to concentrate on the things that he wishes to do. The biggest perpetrator could have been Miss Lily, but Viscountess ckshield also overstayed her wee far too much.'' Kiana thought.

    "Is there anything substantial to report?" Lucius asked as he and Kiana made their way back to the library.

    With both the Count and Countess preupied with their own business, it was finally peace and silence for Lucius with only Kiana around to discuss his ideas and ns with.

    "I''ve sent the response to Gellor and his team, and I have also made my visit with Leif to check on how Arius and the rest are doing. So far, they have not sent back anything of worth, but there are reports here." Kiana offered Lord Asher the letter.

    Lucius sat down at his study desk and checked on the documents. Things were going well in the Gisir territory and it satisfied him, although there was still one thing that made him consider the situation.

    "We have not received any reports about the criminals that are heading in our direction, yet?" Lucius asked.

    "Not yet, Lord Asher." Kiana promptly shook her head. "Leif would have informed me otherwise, but that has been far from the case."

    ''Most often, people would wish for criminals to be kept out of our territory, but Lord Asher knows how to reform these people into something far more useful. And with Baron Hugh hiring a total of six mercenaries, it means that we''re in the need to truly add more to our number.'' Kiana thought.

    "Alright." Lucius nodded. "Have you heard anything from Neta then, Kiana?"

    "Not yet. I suppose he is still taking care of both Lord Benjamin and¡­ that of Lady Lily. I will work on informing Lady Alessa about putting her to work then, Asher." Kiana said, already intuiting what Lucius needed from him.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Yes, thank you, Kiana." Lucius nodded. "Have you also contacted Bishop Reynalds as well? Well, I suppose it would be far better when I have finished my own prototype, but I wish to discuss ideas with him on what might be amercial sess."

    Kiana nced around the area of the library. The prevalence of the light fixtures being artifacts was not lost upon her, they were good artifacts.

    "However, the market is already predominated by it." Kiana murmured.

    "Which market?" Lucius raised a brow. "We''ve already known beforehand that the alcohol industry is filled with countlesspetitors before and we''ve managed to overthrow them with some clever thinking and preparation, Kiana. Do not automatically assume that we will not do well in a particr market. We simply need to identify a certain niche yet unprovided."

    Kiana paused and realized that Lord Asher was right. Back then, the idea of entering the wine industry seemed like a difficult endeavor and task, but Asher was able to use the Carrom Fruits and make them into the flourishing wine industry that they were in now.

    "What did you have in mind, Lord Asher?"

    "Well, I am considering the idea of making a ''sh-light''¡­ as I''ve yet to encounter such an item when we worked with Gellor and his team during our time at the Aisse Territory, if not that, well, there is something that perhaps the nobility will like far more." Lucius exined. "And their funds are farrger than that of adventurers."

    Kiana looked intrigued and she was once again curious about what Asher had in mind.

    "What is something that nobility would like and will be willing to pay for when they''ve already have artifacts that rece ordinarymps and lights?" Kiana asked.

    "I have not yet finished the nning yet, but one can say it is when most people wish to look at the night sky and realize all of the stars existing far above your head." Lucius said.

    While Lucius was not often drawn to sentimentality and such things, the moment that he found himself leaving his past world and being taken into a vast expanse of space far beyond than what he''d ever experienced before spoke of gxies and unfathomable knowledge beyond what he could dare experience in his mortal existence.

    "Look at the stars?" Kiana blinked and frowned a little, as it was something she was unfamiliar with and did not actually do very often. "You mean when people go¡­ stargazing?"

    "Yes. I n to make an artifact, or rather, artifacts that are more, aesthetic driven for a certain client¨¨le that wish to decorate their room with stars and other shapes that will function not as brightly as the Illumination Gift avable in that ofmps and other simr light fixtures, but more akin to softer lights. Something perhaps pleasant to look at when one wishes to navigate through the dark." Lucius exined.

    Kiana tried to imagine what it would be like and found herself a little lost in the thought. However, she nced at Asher''s face and knew that he thought about the item greatly and it did seem like something wonderful, even though she had yet to see it herself.

    "That sounds incredible, Asher."

 Chapter 500 An Artifact To Grasp The Stars

    <h4>Chapter 500 An Artifact To Grasp The Stars</h4>

    "Apostle Asher!" Bishop Reynald bowed respectfully to Lucius once he returned to the Inanis mansion.

    Their meetings and lessons had mostly been cut short due to the arrival of Viscountess ckshield, who had stayed for a long duration, but now Bishop Reynald was d to have been able to return.

    "It has been quite some time, Bishop Reynald." Lucius greeted with a smile on his face. "I hope that you have been well for the past weeks."

    "It has been a peaceful time, Apostle Asher. I have mostly stayed in my abode that Priest Maleck has provided me with and was mostly researching as usual. However, I was looking forward to continuing our lessons together, Apostle Asher. Or rather, whatever it is that Goddess Etara has in store for us. Perhaps it is time for a teacher to also be a student."

    Even with the Bishop being ensnared by the delusions that Lucius gave him about being the Apostle of the Goddess Etara, there was still a necessity to conduct the pleasantries in order to keep things running smoothly with the Bishop.

    ''So far, I have been able to decline any invitations in being brought to the Church of the Goddess Etara and that is because the Bishop believes my word to being from the Goddess herself. However, I have also promised to give some knowledge.'' Lucius thought.

    "I actually desire to discuss with you some ideas for amercial artifact that could possibly bring a sense of wonder and creation for everyone who seeks to understand the world." Lucius exined.

    ''I have told Kiana that the nobility will be the ones who will be the market that will appreciate it the most, but a truly good product will also be capable of hitting other markets as well.'' Lucius thought.

    "This must have been a divine insight from Goddess Etara herself!" Bishop Reynald immediately said. Even though he had yet to hear the idea itself, the mere fact that it came out from Apostle Asher''s mouth meant truly a lot to the Bishop who had great faith.

    "I think you are right, Bishop Reynald." Lucius nodded. "While I was preupied for the past weeks with entertaining guests, there was a moment where I found myself having the time and opportunity of gazing up at the skies during one evening to catch my breath. I beheld the world in that one starry night and saw the great expanse before us. It is something out of reach, is it not? Akin to the Divine who are far above us."

    "That is true, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald found himself enraptured with the scene that the young man was painting for him.

    "When I look at the stars, it beckons me to a world beyond that of ours, lofty and far above us." Lucius said. "And yet they offer us not only their presence, but a light, and a guide towards the future. These stars above us and the celestial bodies are a wonderful thing, created by the Divine themselves and I wish to have it be within the reach of individuals who seem to find themselves forgetting from time to time."

    "Be within the reach?"

    "Yes, that is what I wish to do with this particr artifact that I have in mind."

    "An artifact that can do it¡­?" Bishop Reynald found himself confused.

    ''Is there anything that can actually gather the stars? Nobody has even reached it. However, if there is anyone who can collect the stars and bring it for the mortals like me, then it is certainly Lord Asher. The Goddess Etara stands with him. Anything is possible when it is with him.'' Bishop Reynald thought.

    Lucius cleared his throat and painted a scene.

    "I wish to create an artifact that will collect all the stars in my hand and put it into a room, to remind me of the things that are far out of reach, wisdom, hope and guidance¡­ it is always possible to be found if one only looks up. Yes, the Goddess Etara wishes to instill a renewed sense of hope and guidance to those who aim for it and thus I year to create this artifact."

    "Will you tell me what artifact it is, Apostle Asher and how I may help you in creating them?" Bishop Reynald asked. "If it is the will of the Goddess Etara to instill wisdom into the hearts of everyone, then we will spare no effort in creating this artifact. Of course, your presence will be required Apostle Asher, if I were to bring this forward to the Church of Etara. They will understand once I''ve introduced you to them, Apostle Asher."

    "If I were to be entirely honest, Bishop Reynald, a fraction of it will certainly go back into the work of restoring the coffers of the Inanis Family after our encounter with Viscount Drew, hence it will still be amercial product, but at the same time, the intentions of Goddess Etara is within those words." Lucius rified.

    ''The resources of the Inanis Family is more than enough to fund the creation of this artifact, especially with the Dioynsia''s Brewery sess, and so I''d rather not split the profits with that of the Church of Etara or have them truly involved beyond that of a word.''

    "I see." Bishop Reynald nodded slowly.

    ''There is still a lot of role that Apostle Asher is handling and among them is being the future Lord of the Land of Etara. I cannotprehend his decisions, but I am far certain that it is because this is the will of the Goddess of Etara. Yes, the ways of the Divine cannot be truly understood, and though I continue to grasp it, in a search for knowledge, I will always be missing it.''

    "Then I will do my best to be of assistance in any other way that I can. And once the first product is created, then I will inform the Church of Etara about the wonders of this artifact, Apostle Asher." Bishop Reynald said reverently.

 Chapter 501 Expanding Work

    <h4>Chapter 501 Expanding Work</h4>

    "The first matter that I wish to discuss with you is that Rune Crystals are difficult to break apart, isn''t that right, Bishop Reynalds? Are there tools that can do that for us?"

    "Break apart?" Bishop Reynald suddenly became shocked. "You mean like the dust from before when an appraisal crystal is incapable of reading or that of the Illumination?"

    "The idea of creating tiny vessels shaped like stars, moons and other celestial bodies mean the necessity for multiple of them to have crystals in ce, but perhaps it is not all too necessary to do that. Though I wish to achieve it. It is possible, isn''t it, Bishop Reynald?" Lucius said.

    ''It will be quite an intellectual challenge to break down the rune crystal to multiple pieces and have all of them work to power each individual light piece.''

    Most of themercial artifacts were easy to make and produce, not necessarily somethingparable to those done of research.

    Lucius wanted to do both, but at the moment, his prioritization was that ofmercial.

    ''If I figure out a way to make use of one rune crystal and have it create more of the delicate night lights, then it will be far more reduction of a cost. It''s not really just an intellectual stimtion but something that can and will widen the profit margin of these new sets or artifacts.''

    "We can reduce the sizes of rune crystals, Apostle Asher. We have already done it before with tiaras and other weapons, but I think you wish to create each one? The inscription will be hard to do. The handiwork and everything else will require a precision that is unlike anything done before. It will be difficult to aplish, Apostle Asher unless we were simply to scale it in size."

    ''And unfortunately, it is far harder to do since most of the Artificers already have their own projects. It will take a certain chunk of ie to hire Artificers¡­ newer ones. Ah.''

    "Bishop Reynald, there are many individuals who wish to seek your tutge, do they not?"

    "Yes, I have declined them because I do not have the time to teach them, Apostle Asher. I would rather make use of my time in my personal research or expand the knowledge that Goddess Etara has given me."

    "Since we are having trouble with the necessity of people being capable of doing the fine work needed to create these, then perhaps it would actually be best to make use of beginners who wish to learn. They can perhaps learn under you while at the same time, lending us a hand in the production."

    "That is¡­" Bishop Reynald blinked and considered it.

    "There will be some necessities in keeping the specific steps separate from each other. They will only do the handiwork, but not know what rune crystal will be used, for example." Lucius exined.

    Simr to how the different step by step process of creating the Humble ze was not necessarily taught openly to the employees and each one was only segregated to having a certain role to mitigate the spread of information, that would be done here in this situation as well.

    ''Compared to hiring Artificers who are already aware of the handiwork, these beginners and novices will not necessarily be able to copy it right away, and while the sess rate of them creating the rune work is more or less, not at a hundred percent, they will learn how to do it better over time.'' Lucius thought. ''Of course, it is also possible to establish a copyright, that is something avable here. However, I am still not officially recognized as an Artificer as I''m still under the tutge of Bishop Reynald."

    The creation of artifacts was something that Lucius ready to do by himself as his knowledge in the past world of magical tools were simr to that of artifacts here, but with the assistance of Bishop Reynald and the man''s knowledge about the materials avable to create the artifact that Lucius had in mind was easy.

    Not to mention the manpower required was something that Lucius couldn''t actually do just by himself.

    Hence why it was necessary to approach Bishop Reynald and offer him a solution as to how Lucius would be able to get what he wanted and yet also ''assist'' Bishop Reynald at the same time.

    ''Most desire to learn from him, and while he is rejecting it, there is actually still some good to found from teaching¡­ albeit, more for my benefit than it is of his.'' Lucius thought.

    "What do you think, Bishop Reynald? I presume that many of the people who seek your knowledge only wish to learn from one of the best and though you have grown weary and wish to seek the Goddess Etara through books¡­ there is much to be learned from approaching the world once more." Lucius said. "One can still learn from individuals even though it is not always what it appears to be at the surface. It takes an open mind to always be curious about the world, Bishop Reynald."

    Bishop Reynald looked at Apostle Asher in awe.

    ''It seems like this is the message that Goddess Etara has in store for me. Not to iste myself into research, but to explore the world once more. I feel weary and old, but whenever I am with Apostle Asher, he has made me feel young again, as if I''m truly entering a new stage once again.''

    "I believe that it is a marvelous idea, Apostle Asher! I¡­ I will have to recheck the people who have sent me countless letters because I am afraid that I have mostly kept them unoragnized and untaken care of, but I will do it." Bishop Reynald said.

    "Hmmm¡­ there is someone I have with me who will actually be of a good assistant to you, Bishop Reynald. He is skilled with administrative work and can definitely assist us in this endeavour of ours." Lucius exined. "He is the son of Baron Hugh. I believe he will solve your problems for you in that regard."

 Chapter 502 Assignment For Benjamin

    <h4>Chapter 502 Assignment For Benjamin</h4>

    Benjamin Hugh was someone who was excited about the new role that he found in life due to his meeting with Lord Asher Inanis.

    So when Benjamin was assigned to a lovely but quaint area with his sister Lily at the assistance of Lord Asher''s servant, Neta, he found himself curious about when Lord Asher woulde to find him.

    ''I hope that he does not change his mind. He does not seem like the type to do that, as when he has made his choice, I do not think that he cares much about what is in his way as long as he gets what he wants.'' Benjamin thought.

    It was at that point in his life when he witnessed how Lord Asher bravely confronted his father, Baron Hugh, without a hint of any issues or insecurities that he realized this and desired to be like Lord Asher.

    ''And I do not think that it has merely gotten to do with the fact that his parents are of a higher station than my father''s but he had done it because he wished for me to stay by his side.

    I have seen other people who are of his rank but without the confidence that he has equipped within himself. I am not sure how he does it, the urge to look at the world and decide that it is alright to take what he wishes to take bravely without backing down. I find it hard to imagine being in his role.''

    Suffice to say, Benjamin was someone who received opportunities in life that he didn''t feel like he deserved.

    It was only by chance that he had been born into the right family, and yet on the contrary there were always a number of internalized feelings that Benjamin kept to himself in order to protect himself from feeling inadequate.

    Among them was actually not hearingments about the expectations of his family that gave him an ease of mind and along it was getting lost in the allure of books and stories.

    ''But Lord Asher already took quite a risk when deciding what he wishes to do¡­ and thought of me as someone worth it. How do I prove it when he hasn''t yet given me anything to do?''

    It was a great contrast to the hubbub of life that was across the room.

    Lily paced back and forth as she collected her things, checked herself on a mirror and then made a small strangled sound in her throat.

    "AH! I do not wish to leave at all." Lily immediately spun to her feet and nced at Benjamin. "You have nothing to do all day so at least let me know of how it''d go with Lord Asher if he were to ever find himself visiting. Please give him my kind regards and ensure that everything is well-lit ording to what I perceive as standards of cleanliness, Benjamin."

    Lily said as she prepared herself for another day at the Dionysia Brewery.

    At the urge of their mother, the Baroness Hugh, it sufficed to say that even without Lord Asher''s word, Lily might have ended up in Inanis City due to their mother''s insistence.

    But yes,pared to Benjamin who had yet to receive a role from Lord Asher in getting an assigned task, the response for Lily was almost instantaneous.

    It meant that Lily found herself working daily already, which was a great contrast to Benjamin who was lounging around.

    "It seems like he needs more help than I expected," Lily muttered underneath her breath before she left for the day.

    "Excuse me?" Benjamin raised a brow and yet could kinda infer what his sister was trying to say.

    ''I could have gone and approached Lord Asher myself but I do not want to be a bother.''

    Even though the interaction between him and Lord Asher had mostly been brief, he would like to imagine that the rtionship between the two of them was perhaps something unavoidable at this point.

    And so it was a great thing when Lord Asher finally arrived.

    ***

    "You wish to assign me to Bishop Reynald?" Benjamin blinked.

    "Yes, he is from the church of the goddess Etara. And this is actually aligned with the business that I n on doing with you, Lord Benjamin. Most of the administrative tasks I wish to give you full control over as it is something along your expertise." Lucius said.

    Benjamin felt appreciated and grateful, and yet there was something that he suddenly felt the urge to say.

    "The Goddess Etara¡­ of Knowledge. I will be meeting someone who is from that church. It is quite an opportunity."

    Lucius raised a brow at the uncertain look on Benjamin''s face.

    ''There truly are people who have much with themselves and yet cannot help but be weak and not do anything about it. It''s a little frustrating, but it simply means that they are far easier to manipte in the long run.'' Lucius thought.

    "What opportunity are you talking about?" Lucius asked.

    "It is just¡­ the Grand Repository of the Goddess Etara. It is quite something that most would dream of visiting." Benjamin exined with a sheepish expression on his face.

    At the words of the young man, an idea instantly grasped Lucius'' mind.

    ''What if I were to simply send this young man in my stead and make him be the puppet apostle of the Goddess Etara? Though it''s not really the best to involve him at this point and far better to include fewer people and have them mess things up.'' Lucius thought.

    He weighed the pros and cons of it and came out with an answer that he could find himself working with.

    "Lord Benjamin if I were able to find a way to let you visit the Archives of the Goddess Etara, would you allow me the opportunity to have you find certain texts and have them remembered for me?" Lucius asked.

    If there was a role beyond administrative work for Benjamin, then it would be this infiltration and knowledge acquisition.

    Benjamin blinked at the sudden request that came from Lord Asher.

    It was an unexpected role that the young man did not think he would get.

    ''This is¡­ this is a role that is beyond that of administrative work. We haven''t discussed this when he first mentioned that he wished for me to work for him. However, if this is what it takes to be the person that I desire to be, then so be it.''

    "I¡­ I can also do that, Lord Asher if you wish for me to do it. You can put your trust in me." Benjamin immediately said.

    If there was anything that a man who was willing to find self worth in himself, then it was to find himself fulfilling the desires of those who he chose to look up to and receiving the validation that came along with it.

    "It is not yet a concrete thing, Lord Benjamin. However, I would like you to be prepared just in case that it hase to a situation where I will send you to locations where information needs to be obtained and I need your Gift to help us gain ess to such things." Lucius said.

    ''I have originally intentioned to merely just use him for administrative roles as there is a certainck of muchbat ability as far as Baron Hugh is concerned, but it also means that it is a perfect way of allowing a spy into the midsts of people undetected.'' Lucius thought. ''Of course, this is something that I may implement in the future when the timees.''

    The Grand Repository was something that came to mind, but there was another thing that preupied Lucius''s mind.

    ''Aarkaves Guild. I haven''t had the time to actually make a list of information that is worth for me to look over constantly as they are a group that has hidden well, but if there''s anyone who has the time to go research for me, then I think Benjamin will be up to the task.''

    "I think I am willing to take it easy, Lord Asher." Someone said.

    Lucius blinked and nced over his shoulder. Luckily, it was simply Kiana who had some snacks prepared for most things.

    "Is something the matter, Lord Asher?" Benjamin asked, feeling a little curious about what was happening in his own private world.

    "It is nothing. The next days shall be immediately preupied, and until then, I wish for you to keep pace with me, Lord Benjamin."

    As promised, the next few days would soone by and while the conversation about visiting the Grand Repository was made prior, it wasn''t exactly necessarily brought up in the presence of Bishop Reynald.

    Lucius wanted to find the perfect timing to speak to Bishop Reynald about allowing Benjamin to visit the Repository, but so far, the main priority that came was themercial sess of the night light that the Inanis family was going to sell.

    ''I can already imagine that a great number of people will find themselves enamored with such an idea.'' Lucius thought.

 Chapter 503 Night Lights

    <h4>Chapter 503 Night Lights</h4>

    Night lights.

    Why would someone desire for such small things whennterns, candles and other things already existed beforehand?

    The reason was quite simple in Lucius''s mind, as he was someone that understood the behavior of people worked across various demographics.

    Mostmonly, there were things that a person wished to obtain for himself and among those would be items that allowed them a chance for self-expression.

    A poor man didn''t usually have much options, but for those who had the capacity to do so, then they''d do it.

    It was why the nobility often adorned themselves with countless clothings, filled their wardrobes to the fullest and ensured that their fashion styles changed per season depending on the event, g or situation.

    And so the same thing applied for a home.

    It was a living space where most individuals spent a vast majority of their time with hence it became important to have things that made a person feelfortable with their space and also engaged their senses.

    Which was why Lucius thought of the night light as a perfect item to create and that was achievable through Lucius coborating with Bishop Reynald and including the young lord Benjamin into the team.

    The next few days passed by quickly, it didn''t take too long for Benjamin toe fill the role that Bishop Reynald was looking for and satisfy the usually isted man.

    "You''ve done an excellent work today, Lord Benjamin." Bishop Reynald marveled as he checked all the documents that the young lord passed to him.

    All of the envelopes that Bishop Reynald requested to be brought to him were all neatly arranged on a wooden desk behind Benjamin. These envelopes contained invitations from countless people who were interested in Bishop Reynald for various reasons.

    Benjamin read all of them and arranged them ording to their main topic of interest and in addition, the document in Bishop Reynald''s hand contained all the information that the man needed so he could easily contact the people whom were interested in learning under him.

    It was incredible for Bishop Reynald and he could only attribute it to one person.

    ''Of course, Apostle Asher will not be rmending anyone who is difficult to work with. Simr to how he have sought for me, the same could be said for the young man with me. We have both been chosen well by Apostle Asher.'' Bishop Reynald thought.

    "T-Thank you, Bishop Reynald. I am d to be of your service." Benjamin said with a respectful bow.

    ''I was rather hesitant about working for another person besides Lord Asher, especially with a man that''s older than my own father as I imagined him to be stricter, but fortunately, things have been easy with working with Bishop Reynald. I haven''t been able to pick up the studying of other things, but so far, despite the slew of documents, it''s all under control now.''

    "You have no need to thank me, Lord Benjamin. I give credit where credit is due." Bishop Reynald said. "Speaking of which, if you need any more rifications thene approach me so that I can teach you as well. Perhaps there will also be good in learning a bit on how the industry of Artificers worked." The Bishop said with a grandfatherly smile on his face.

    "I would be honored, Bishop Reynald. I am afraid that I am not good as Lord Asher here, who is skilled in many things, but I will do my best to learn." Lord Benjamin said. "If you will take it slowly with me, I will absorb as much as I can."

    "Do not worry about such things. Everyone learns at their own pace." Bishop Reynald reassured the young man, which was something that the Bishop did not think that he would be saying aloud.

    ''Truth be told, I did not think that it would be possible for me to wish to teach someone again, but I have been prove wrong by Lord Asher once again.''

    And while the two engaged with one another, the one individual that brought the two together and made this meeting possible was satisfied to observe for awhile.

    A look of satisfaction was visible on Lord Asher''s face as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched the interaction.

    ''The rtionship between the Bishop and Baron Hugh''s son is improving that it is suffice to say that both respect each other. One can almost say that the two will use both of their brains in order to fulfill their needs for mental stimtion without me even needing to stay.'' Lucius thought. ''Of course, I am overseeing things, but so far, everything has been going ording to n and schedule.''

    Of course, before everything was allowed to function as smoothly as Lucius wanted, there were certain things that Lucius had prepared beforehand and it was informing Bishop Reynald not to inform Benjamin about his role in the church of Etara.

    Bishop Reynald did his best to not make any mention of the position of Asher and did as he asked, despite the fact that the Bishop would rather shout it out to the heavens above about how fortunate he was to work with Lord Asher.

    ***

    Soon enough, the time finally came where a lecture was to be done for those who have replied at the shortest amount of time and were urgent to learn from the best.

    Bishop Reynald still found it tiring, but with the assistance of both Lord Asher and Lord Benjamin, the bishop found himself being much more willing to tolerate what he was seeing and be a bit more kinder around his new students.

    It was a step by step process in order to find the talented ones and Lucius would be the first to weed them out if he could.

    The ones who were sent there were all mostly unaware of what materials were important certain things and the Artificer Master, or rather, the current Bishop Reynald was having a difficult time, but there was resilience in his voice and a conviction in his beliefs once more.

    A few more days passed by, and the numbers of students who learned better were able to listen to more useful information and not just the harsh criticism of Bishop Reynald.

    They were also doing the ''exercises'' that Bishop Reynald asked of them.

    It was a series of activities hence why it was crucial that each partially done exercise was delivered to Lord Asher afterwards.

    However, that also meant that Benjamin''s workload increased and along with other new roles and tasks.

    It was why it was at that point that Benjamin finally approached Lucius and asked for help.

    "Lord Asher, may I intrude on your time?" Benjamin coughed.

    "What is the matter, Lord Benjamin?" Lucius found himself a bit intrigued about what the young man was dealing with.

    "I am not really sure if this within my capacity. The additional workload¡­ is not usually part of my description." Benjamin exined with a sheepish expression. "I understand that this is important¡­ but wouldn''t it also make sense to hire other people. Er, forgive me, Lord Asher. It''s a bit of that and well, my sister, Lily is actually quite willing to lend a hand."

    "That is¡­ certainly a possibility." Lucius said with a neutral expression. He wasn''t sure on whether the young man was truly having a difficult time or the will of his sister was being amodated, but either way, since it came to this. There was perhaps a necessity for it.

    "If your sister is not having any work at the Dionysia''s Brewery then she is free toe here from time to time, Lord Benjamin. However I am also quite certain that it is within your ability to do this." Lucius said with a smile. "Have more faith in yourself. It takes time to grow, but I believe that you will establish yourself well."

    While the conversation was going on and the lecture of Bishop Reynald was proceeding, Kiana Wizen suddenly arrived and approached Lord Asher with an urgent look on her face.

    She tried to remain calm with the presence of other individuals, but she quickly asked Lord Asher to go aside and then spoke with him in private.

    "What is it, Kiana?"

    "Leif has finally contacted me about the arrival of the two other criminals, Asher. I think it is vital to go there now."

    Lucius raised a brow, but considered it as an emergency. He had no idea of what kind of criminals he was going to face and if they were anything like the Mad de Bordeaux then it was all the more reason to go and prepare.

    ''The artifact business will go on as it is nned and for that to truly ur, then there should be no disturbances or interferences from any other side. The visit of these two criminals needs to be addressed.'' Lucius thought.

    Once Lucius received the message, he informed Lord Benjamin that he would be leaving and to inform Bishop Reynald before he departed with Kiana.

 Chapter 504 Hiding From Danger

    <h4>Chapter 504 Hiding From Danger</h4>

    When Lucius arrived at the Blind Crow''s Tavern, he knew what to expect to a certain extent, as Kiana informed him that Leif wished to inform him about the details of the two criminals'' arrival.

    ''Now I''m only curious as to whether or not we''ll be dealing with a threat simr to that of Mad de Bordeaux or something more different. They''ve taken their timeing here since I''ve heard of them. It''s almost like they were on a stroll.''

    Without any immediate information on hand, Lucius met up with the tavern owner and was granted a meeting in the usual meeting spot.

    "Good evening, Leif. Thank you for readily informing us at a prompt time." Lucius greeted the man before he sat down.

    "It is a pleasure to readily convey the information to you, Lucius." Leif said with a bow. "After thest encounter with Mad de Bordeaux¡­ it is in my inclination to prove better this time and provide things. It shall be a one time urrence, Lord¡­ Lucius."

    "That would be optimal. However, these things can happen from time to time as there are things beyond our control, Leif. I am simply d that we''ve managed to ovee that situation." Lucius nodded with an amicable tone in his voice. "In fact, it is good to learn from the mistakes of the past, but it is also best not to dwell on them."

    "Of course. I agree with that." Leif said with a gruff tone. He usually didn''t like being wrong as the mistakes could have high costs, and might have ended dangerously for him and his subordinates, but around Lucius, or the noble in front of him, the young man took it all with a rather rxed tone that made Leif both uneasy and easy at the same time.

    The silence hung in the air for a moment. Leif felt a bit unnerved and paid attention to the only person far more silent than him throughout the duration of the conversation.

    ''I do not usually pay any heed to the servant that Lucius brings with him. There is no use in learning whether they are male and female. However, I''ve enough information to know who she is¡­ except some things are not exactly adding up.'' Leif nced in Kiana''s way.

    It wasn''t like Leif was exactly ''Blind'' as the Blind Crow Tavern, he may have turned a ''Blind Eye'' to certain things but if he was incapable of getting enough information while on his own establishment, then he would be a poor information dealer.

    ''Lucius is¡­''

    "Shall we get right on to business, Leif?" Lucius suddenly said.

    At this point, there was almost no need for pleasantries, as Lucius and Leif had dealt with each other for quite a period of time now¡­ but it did not necessarily mean that they were to always be removed.

    Pleasantries were often called that way because of how they set the mood, and even though some people may have gotten sick of it, some often did stick with it for the purpose of pleasantness.

    "Very well. Forgive me for the dys, Lucius. Here are some documents which detail the arrival of the two criminals. They have made contact with me now and have chosen to visit the Inanis city not for any reason simr to that of Mad de Bordeaux, but they wish toe here for what I''ve determined to be sanctuary purposes."

    "Sanctuary?" Lucius lifted a brow in surprise.

    ''That is an odd thing, considering the fact that the rehabilitation center and the increased surveince on the street would normally deter most criminals, so it can only speak of their desperation toe here.'' Lucius thought.

    Kiana blinked as well, but did not react much beyond her, twitching her fingers while she stayed leaning against a wall, but she stood with enough angles to actually strike the man known as Leif if it ever bes necessary.

    Precaution was necessary, so Kiana stayed still and reined back her expression.

    Leif nodded his head and expressed his thoughts.

    "Yes, I was surprised too. Out of anywhere else in the world to hide in, they''ve chosen Inanis City where it''s more secure and safe now from criminal activity, however from what I can surmise, they do not have any intention of causing trouble."

    It was rather impressive that Leif spoke it all without even showing much beyond a hint of distaste for what it meant to the information dealer.

    It truly showed his professionalism with each client.

    "Regardless, they will be approaching you," Lucius said as he thumbed through the documents and gave them a quick look. "Hmm, these are records about bandit groups. Ah, the mostmon denominator between them all is the fact that they''ve all vanished in recent time. You believe that these two criminals are from a bandit group?"

    "I hope to receive confirmation when they have arrived, but that is the conclusion that I''ve drawn when they said that they were seeking for shelter," Leif exined. "It is the most likely thing unless they simply are just two criminals on their own, but an indication says that this is likely."

    "Yes, the information so far tracks with what we''re about to encounter." Lucius nodded as he rested the document back on the table. "In the likelihood that this is wrong, at least we''re able to determine and discover a certain event. I was not aware of this. Thank you, Leif."

    Lucius wouldn''t have heard of the event of such bandit groups disappearing if it were not for the sources of Leif and others who were in the criminal world.

    Otherwise, it would have been a difficult endeavor, and while not impossible, the channels of Count Inanis would have not necessarily been that useful, or rather, they were slower.

    Lucius had far more need for immediate information.

    "You''re wee. They are about toe here in about an hour and so you are free to interrogate them yourself."

    "I will." Lucius replied.

    ***

    The two criminals arrived in the city of Inanis and did their best to locate the whereabouts of the Blind Crow Tavern.

    It was a difficult time, evading the guards of the Inanis family and the servants who were ordered to keep the city safe, but with help from the instructions they''d gotten from Leif, they were able to locate the area.

    There was panic and weariness in their body when they stumbled into the Blind Crow Tavern and yet instead of being allowed to rest immediately, they were brought down underground of the tavern.

    "Should we¡­ run?"

    "This is the only ce I can think of. We have no other choice. We''ve got to trust that they''ll take care of us."

    "Why here?"

    "It''s the least ce you''d expect criminals to go. We just need to stay low and undercover, you got that?"

    Once the two entered the room, they saw not only one person who immediately was identified as Leif, but two other individuals.

    One was sitting by the desk and looked like an important person, while another remained by the wall.

    ''What is this? Is this the boss of Leif? Seems rather important, but if we''re going to stay here, then we have to adapt immediately.'' One of the criminal thought and nudged the other to kneel alongside him.

    Lucius raised a brow at the sudden gesture. It was a rather subservient thing to do and Lucius hadn''t even said a word.

    ''It is clear that the direness of their situation is really upon them. A life and death situation. It seems like Leif''s assessment is correct.''

    Instead of Leif saying a word, he simply grunted at the two criminals and then nced in Lucius''s direction.

    "Very well. What brings the two of you here to Inanis City?" Lucius asked in a casual and rxed tone.

    The first and moreposed criminal immediately spoke with a tone.

    "We came here to seek shelter, sir. We mean to cause no harm."

    Lucius hummed slightly. It was a polite answer, but it was hardly satisfying. He nced at the other criminal, who seemed more uneasy.

    "¡­ we need a ce to hide, sir, lord! Our lives are in danger, and this is the only ce we could think of."

    "Who are you hiding from? What has caused two criminals to actually want to seek a ce that''s done their best to reduce criminals?"

    "There¡­ there is a group of people that are hunting bandit groups, my lord. Mypanion and I are the survivors and we barely escaped with our life."

    "We really need just a ce to hide. We know that this ce is trying to minimize crimes and we won''t do any of those while we''re here. We''ll behave and follow orders as long as we''re allowed to protect ourselves."

    Lucius saw the fear on their faces, even on the one that was doing his best to hold it together but was barely holding on.

    However, while they were no Mad de Bordeaux, it also meant that Lucius could at least gather information from them.

    "I have a couple of questions for the two of you."

 Chapter 505 Bandit Hunters

    <h4>Chapter 505 Bandit Hunters</h4>

    "Anything, sir, lord!" the nervous one said while the other also nodded his head promptly.

    "You have mentioned that there is a group of people hunting down bandits? Tell me more about who they are and how the two of you evaded their capture." Lucius said.

    ''Based on the dys of their arrival here, I can easily conclude that they must have done a lot of running and hiding to survive.'' Lucius thought.

    The two were indeed bandits and were dressed in a manner that was actually befitting of their station. However, in addition to the usual bandit attire, one could notice the grass, mud and other signs of running for their lives on their attire.

    ''If it truly weren''t for Lord Asher needing answers from them, then I wouldn''t have even allowed a single one of them to approach. I can smell their stench all the way from here. It''s an unpleasant odor of sweat along with grass and others¡­'' Kiana thought as she scrunched up her nose in disgust.

    True to Lucius''s conclusion, the two bandits began to exin their situation and were actually stuck in a strange contradiction.

    One wanted to ramble and exin everything.

    The other wanted to keep it brief and straight to the point.

    "We were able to escape by the skin of our teeth, sir, lord! Multiple bandit groups have been taken out!"

    "We don''t know what happened. When the first group went down, we assumed that it was just the local nobility getting lucky and capturing them. Our bandit chief was mostly just happy that we lostpetition because it''s tough being a bandit group when there are others in the same area."

    "Either way, that was the first mistake that our bandit chief and the others within the nearby territories made when we simply assumed it was a one way deal."

    "It''s¡­ hard, but even if there''s conflict andpetition between the groups, we still sometimes end up needing to trade and barter with one another. And when the first bandit group didn''t start contacting us, well, we and several other bandit groups thought it was pretty much a good idea to raid their base. It was practically up for grabs, sir."

    "Yes, I can see why your group and the others would think it was a good idea to pursue that." Lucius nodded.

    When apetition was eliminated, it was only natural to wish and check their areas to gather any possible spoils.

    "It¡­ it was to our surprise to know that the Blue Th¡ª"

    "Don''t say their names." The second man hissed.

    "They''re already all dead. What difference would it make, Helm?" the first one snapped back. "But yes, sir, lord, you could imagine the shock and horror in our faces when we saw the people killed there."

    "Only your face." The second one said, already looking slightly annoyed at the way that the first one mentioned his name, even though it was most likely an alias.

    Suffice to say, they didn''t exactly feel safe, and it was up to Lucius to facilitate a certain level of trust in order to make the process easier.

    The process of interrogation wasn''t necessarily easy unless there was a rapport between the people and thus Lucius cleared his throat.

    "Please call me by the name of Lucius, Helm. I understand that there truly was a level of shock that urred during such an ordeal. I actually do appreciate the details," Lucius said with a far more genial in his tone and voice.

    His initial decision to choose an interrogative method was rapidly switched to this method, and could have been the first one that Lucius adapted to for high-stakes situations where answers were needed.

    ''Well, I did not necessarily need tomunicate in a manner as I did have the upper hand and it is clear to these two criminals that their safety depends on me, but without allowing them to trust me, then they''ll find themselves at a certain state of unease.''

    If one had to choose between fear and love, it was better to be feared than loved. However, a greater number of people were most likely to respond to some level of rapport and trust.

    As Lucius finished his words, the two criminals exchanged looks and were a little shocked at the change in demeanor.

    It was something that eased the tension a little for the first bandit who threw a look at Helm as if to say that it was better to speak more.

    Helm seemed a little on edge still, but also loosened up lightly.

    ''As long as our information makes this man say yes and allow us to stay here, then it is better for him to sympathize and like us. We have to survive, and damn, Peter already revealed my name anyway so there''s not much use hiding his. We have aliases for a reason but he goes out and uses my real one.'' Helm thought frustratedly.

    "Thank you for your kind words, Sir Lucius." Peter said with a far more easy smile. "It¡­ not every one of us was as shocked as I was, but it was a terrible event regardless, and it made all of us really cautious. The bodies were rotting, infested with flies, and left there when we arrived at their base."

    "But especially because the ones who were involved in the murder of the Blue Thieves were also there, it was an ambush. Fortunately, since a lot of bandit groups were there, I think there wasn''t much engagement besides it being meant for gathering of information I think, now that I''m thinking about it now.

    Back then, we thought they were stragglers also wanting to raid the base, but they were actually the ones responsible for murdering all of the Blue Thieves and we didn''t even have a single clue. They were right under our noses back then."

    "We saw some of them, but they mostly escaped and just attacked again in the future. They took out one bandit group after another. It was terrifying, Sir Lucius."

    "I see. I can understand why it''s frightening. This is a premeditated attack. Something that was thought upon by an organized group of people, and with how the two of you had described them, they were able to do it with a level of strategy that made you guys underestimate them at first." Lucius acknowledged.

    ''I cannot help but think if this is the Aarkaves Mercenaries. Well, a certain group of them is designated for information gathering and they also have had individuals good withbat like Doyle was to a certain extent, and he was just at the lower ranks.

    But there is no credibility and certainty to my words unless I were to gather more information from these two. Nurse June back then was a difficult threat, even at her rank, so if these people were truly from the same organization, then they would have been strong enough to handle multiple bandit groups.'' Lucius thought.

    It was far better to not instantly jump to a certain conclusion, and Lucius was open to having the truth revealed to him on the proper asion, but without the information, Lucius was fine enough to specte about it.

    If anything, Lucius''s instincts were clear cut above everyone else due to his experience in the past life, so if he was actually wrong about this, then he would have gotten disappointed in himself.

    There was a level of certainty needed in his past life as a schr, researcher and even a mage where even one little mistake had dire consequences and so he also applied it now in his new life.

    "We really missed the signs until it was toote and that was frustrating." Helm said and grabbed his head, frustratedly. "It should have been so obvious, but we still missed it until everyone was dying and there was nothing we could do until it was our turn to be the next victims."

    "We could have all banded together, stayed to be more cohesive and stronger, but everyone thought it was far better to stay at their own locations than work with any of them, afraid that there was a traitor and a spy in their midsts." Peter added with a shake of his head. "It''s a terrible world, not being able to trust, but I guess it reallyes down to the line of work too."

    Lucius found themselves to be interesting enough of a tail and was already trying to find ways as to how to operate with this, but it still begged for a farrger question at the end of the day once Peter and Helm were done with them recounting the tales.

    ''I need to gather information on how they look, act and speak and I will leave it for Kiana to pursue while I do not have the time to do it myself.'' Lucius thought.

    "Did any of you either catch a glimpse of this group of people who finished off the bandit groups by any chance, gentlemen?"

 Chapter 506 Nervous Bantering

    <h4>Chapter 506 Nervous Bantering</h4>

    "Pretty strong?" Lucius raised a brow and crossed his arms together. "I do need far more details than this, gentlemen."

    Helm and Peter nced at the bodynguage of Lucius and immediately felt nervous.

    From the way that Lucius crossed his arms, to the way that he sat on his chair and nced in their direction¡ªit was unnerving.

    The two bandits ended up racking their brains hard.

    ''I do not think that Leif will actually help us if we were to displease this man in front of us. We''vee here asking for shelter but if we don''t actually do anything, well then we''re dying.'' Helm thought.

    "T-that''s easy, you saw the Gifts that they were using, right, Helm?" Peter turned to his friend, trying to ignore the death looks that wereing from the other person behind Sir Lucius.

    "We were all trying to raid the base of the Blue Thieves, and while we did say that, they mostly ran away¡­ there were some others who had good noses and started talking with the six. The one with the scar. Who was it?"

    "Scar Face?" Peter provided.

    "Yeah, that guy. Got a bit too many scars not only on his face¡ªthat doesn''t matter much. But when he saw the six people when we arrived at the Blue Thieves base, well, he started asking and talking with them. Trying to dig into them too much."

    "You know, we can''t really say he has a good nose if he approached those six in the first ce." Peter said.

    "Well, there were too many bandit groups. Of course, he''d assume that he was safe, to some degree. Maybe he was overtly confident, but either way, what happened is that Scar Face asked too many questions and then reacted toote."

    "I didn''t quite see that. But Scar Face is¡­ he''s got a good Gift, right?"

    Lucius drummed his fingers impatiently across the table. While the back and forth of the two bandits were something he could listen to, he was getting impatient with their storytelling.

    "Gentlemen, I presumed that Scar Face died based on the story. You have my condolences." Lucius said.

    ''While I do not necessarily care about these, far better to show sympathy. Even among bandits, death is still an experience that would shake many of them. Though that''s also dependent on their reaction.''

    "T-thank you, Sir Lucius. W-we''re rambling, but ah, he was just well known. Pretty strong enough to hold himself out. There''s a reason why he survived so far for a reason¡­ but well, his luck didn''tst long against those six." Peter said.

    "It happened so fast, er, Scar Face''s Gift is something called, Gazelle''s Gait. I think it was a Rare Rank gift. Higher? Either way, that Gift usually had allowed him to survive far too many instances in the nick of time."

    "But it didn''t, this time. The six were well-informed maybe. Far too informed now that I think about it since they were able to anticipate Scar Face''s movements and then went ahead and blocked it right?"

    "We were fortunate to be not close to when it happened so we ended up not having to deal with those six, but they were really trained."

    Lucius stayed silent and allowed the people to simply exin, although he couldn''t help but feel like they were truly speaking about a certain group.

    ''Trained to gather intel on the various bandit groups, set out traps and also effectively escape but then also using the general mistrust of the bandit groups to eliminate them one by one, this truly is a good group. Aarkaves? I haven''t been able to look into them after killing Nurse June. But they do match the description.'' Lucius thought.

    At the silence of Lucius, it was enough to make Peter nervous again. It was hard to imagine how the man was able in a bandit group due to his own skittishness.

    "E-er, before everyone started getting killed, S-Sir Lucius, I think we did see the following Skills being used. Something with Thorn Hands."

    "Thorn Hands?" Lucius raised a brow.

    ''It seems like the kind of Gift that Lieutenant John''s daughter, baby Cia has, or at least a weaker version of it.'' Lucius thought.

    "Y-yes, I wasn''t able to check, but everyone who saw said that they were able to grow arge stabbing thorn from their hands. And and¡­ did you hear anything else, Helm?"

    "We weren''t able to get more information. The Bandit Lords were mostly keeping the information to themselves and trying not to scare the heck out of everyone." Helm said.

    "I see." Lucius nodded slowly.

    It was amon thing for there to be a repression of information. Perhaps it was truly in an attempt to stop fear from spreading, or trying to also maintain a level of control and not give in to the panic.

    "And how did the two of you escape?" Lucius asked. "It is fortunate that the two of you were able to survive."

    Peter smiled in relief, although he still looked shaken up.

    "The six were well-trained and were dispatching the smaller bandit groups first. We came from one of thergest one and¡­"

    The smile on Peter''s face gradually disappeared as emotions flickered through his eyes, sentimentality showed on his face.

    Memories of countless friends who ended up dead flickered in his head. He swallowed hard and became ufortable.

    Helm scowled at hispanion''s reaction. He was shaken up too by the incident, but they couldn''t show any signs of weakness in front of the others.

    ''That''s the kind of thing that''ll get you stabbed in the first ce. Showing an ounce of vulnerability.''

    "From what I can see, it must have been difficult to leave yourpanions back then." Lucius kindly said. "But you did what had to be done for you to survive."

    Peter''s shoulders shook. He tried to be okay and didn''t actually trust his memories that much.

    "W-well, maybe somebody else also survived, r-right Helm?"

    "Not the time for that, Peter." Helm said, vexed.

 Chapter 507 A Nobel Bandit Lord?

    <h4>Chapter 507 A Nobel Bandit Lord?</h4>

    "Do you think some people have survived based on the strength of those six, Peter?" Lucius asked. "You guys were part of thisrge bandit group¡­ may I perchance know of their name?"

    Helm looked rmed, but then realized the importance of answering this.

    ''They''re all dead now, so we could actually make up everything, give a name¡­ but lying about them, right now. Tch. Spending too much with Peter made me too sentimental as well. Besides, Leif here too can fact check.''

    "W-we were part of the glorious Ashen Raiders, S-Sir Lucius." Peter said with a touch of pride in his voice. "Our Bandit Lord, Sable, he was someone who epted everyone willing to join us. As long as they knew what they wanted, from wherever they came from. He was willing to take them in, and that''s why we were one of thergest bandit groups."

    Helm listened hard and kept a straight face, but even he couldn''t help but let emotion seep into him.

    "Dredges, Peter." Helm muttered, more to himself than anyone. "Mostly the ones from the dredges of society."

    "What was he like? Do you think he survived?" Lucius asked.

    Peter sucked in a breath butughed weakly and shook his head.

    "N-no. Bandit Lord Sable was the best out of the rest of the bandits, I mean, it may be hard to believe that¡­ but when everyone was starting to get attacked, he said that it was best to form a huge group together. Gather everyone. The bigger the group, the harder it was to take everyone down, but the others were uncooperative."

    "Thought we were safe. We were alreadyrge. Most bandit groups are small, maybe around thirty people, sometimes more, but we were at nearly a hundred bandits, Sir Lucius." Helm said, sighing and trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

    ''In hindsight, even though we were alreadyrge, it should have still been scary. We should have been more prepared. It''s¡­ it''s hard. Not everyone is as strong and powerful as Lord Sable, but he went down like the rest of us.''

    "A-and well, maybe that was the wrong decision. So, when those six, those six folks came around, well, it became quite clear that they can handle more than ten times their number. Maybe more. And Bandit Lord Sable, he was with the strongest, we had our own elites too. Er, Bandit Lord Sable could have probably run away back then. Left everyone behind, and tried to get away by himself if he wanted to, we had time, the six were taking out other bandit groups left and right, everyone was making their final stand."

    "They thought it was a threat that could be handled. There were only six of them, they couldn''t have been that good." Helm said. "Each of the bandit lord must have thought that they could take them on, some stood with pride, sentimentality¡­ not that it really mattered since they''re dead now, and so is Bandit Lord Sable."

    "H-he was a good man!" Peter looked back at Helm with a re.

    "You think we''re good people?" Helm chuckled sardonically.

    "Within the circumstances that you guys experienced, I think only a natural urrence. And while I do not think you''re all good people, it does not mean that you''re all necessarily bad either." Lucius said. "Perhaps I am wrong, but as I''ve stated earlier, the circumstances¡­"

    It was a strange thing to hear for the two. Bandits were people who stole from the others to survive, and it wasn''t like their hands were clear of blood either.

    At the time and ce that they were in, it should have been a norm, but there were people who were weak minded and couldn''t take it.

    "Bandit Lord Sable, he¡­ he really wasn''t uh, like us." Peterughed. "He came from a wealthy family, didn''t he? He had a good Gift, a great one. It was the Shadow Sword, with every cut of his de, they always deal an extra cut. And he was smart, incredible, he had good wits. Could have run away."

    "But he stood his ground." Helm''s shoulders lowered. "You can say that he¡­ well, he along with the rest tried their best. He would spout about something called noblesse oblige if you got him drunk enough to talk. That''s how we ended up kinda learning of his past. He''s got a weak tolerance to alcohol."

    Lucius'' face remained expressionless for a moment.

    In his past life, there were an asional number of people who were like that, perhaps far fewer due to his experience of being in the Great Barrom n¡­ but there had been an asional man or woman who''d go on about how it wasn''t actually toote to give up their life.

    Most of the people in the True Family of the Barrom n were mostly considered evil and irrevocable, but there were a few idiotic people who presumed that people who were in the lower and bottom rung of the Barrom n would open up to kindness and generosity.

    There was a time when Lucius wasn''t always as expert and skilled as he was, and there came a time when his allegiance as a member of the Great Barrom n became known.

    It happened when Lucius was still a kid. He had still been in the process of gathering knowledge, and everything else, but he was sent out on a mission.

    A look of displeasure momentarily flickered in Lucius'' face. It was a memory that he preferred forgotten, but suffice to say, to the individual who presumed that a young boy from the ves of Barrom n could be saved, that clearly wasn''t the case for him.

    It might have worked, an ounce of kindness, but Lucius had survived for a reason and it was not due to the goodness of life.

    ''A pathetic end to that man then. Sacrificing himself for his people, based on how his story goes. Not unheard of. It''s truly incredible what entire lengths that people will go through, and yet that ideal of his ended when his life vanished too.''

 Chapter 508 Signs Of Struggle And Weakness

    508 Signs Of Struggle And Weakness ''As far as I''ve experienced in this world, the souls merely wander and are untethered. While the gods in thesends exist no doubt due to the presence of Gifts, I do not see their actual concern for the mortals here since their souls were mostly left for mine to take.''

    For a moment, Lucius'' thoughts lingered on the beliefs of the Tharian Theocracy, and even the Great Barrom n.

    ''Well, all of them promise one thing. Some would call it a reward for their duty and allegiances, but, regardless, it is far more weaker to protect others. The respect and camaraderie he may have experienced and being remembered fondly by these people¡­ all of it will fade away, eventually. Already, these Ashen Raiders are actually dust and ash.''

    Lucius realized it now, the desire to be the greatest in his past world had mostly been something of his ambition and it was something that the Great Barrom was capable of providing, but somehow, there truly was a far greater universe out there.

    The Grand Void.

    The sights, visions and all of it had struck Lucius''s soul and made him aware of the far greater scale that everything operated in.

    He understood the vastness of it all, and how little his own ambition had been, and it made him desire for more.

    ''However, these things are best kept to be put away. They''re sign posts of what I am aiming for, but the current state of mine is far lesser, and it is far better to deal with the current circumstances and then work my way up. One step at a time while also keeping the long-term in mind. That is how one must proceed.''

    Meanwhile, both Peter and Helm also became a little too lost in their own thoughts and nostalgia too.

    It wasn''t even about Bandit Lord Sable anymore.

    "I¡­ you really don''t think anyone else made it out, Helm? Cass was always fast too. Maybe he escaped?" Peter nced at his friend.

    Helm didn''t want to look at it that way. It was better to think they were all dead¡­ they didn''t have the opportunity to think about others at this point, but for a moment, Helm allowed a bit of hope into his voice.

    "I wouldn''t put it right past him to escape. He''s got good senses too, like me. Who knows, maybe he pulled along Raul too. We were too busy running away to notice, Peter."

    "Y-yeah, so we can''t really say that they''re dead." Peter said. He became focused on the thought and whispered underneath his breath. "Hey¡­ once we''re done here, do you think, do you think we could go out and look for them?"

    Helm clicked his tongue. When he nced at Lucius and noticed the man''s silence, he didn''t allow it to worry him, but Helm allowed himself to smile, even for a bit.

    "Y-yeah, sure, once we actually get ourselves safe first."

    "The others can also take care of themselves." Peter said. "There have to be other survivors than just us. I mean, even old man, Calder. Well, yeah¡­"

    "If that old bastard lived long to that age, I think there''s a reason for that." Helm said. "¡­He''d smack me hard with that cane of his. There''s a chance he''s alive."

    Both Peter and Helm realized that they were talking too long and that Lucius had grown silent. Both the two bandits immediately stopped talking about it, but their thoughts were around simr wavelengths.

    ''We have to make it out here from Blind Crow''s Tavern. Then, when we do, well, it''ll be hard¡­ trying to find the others will be like searching for needles in a haystack, but there''s a chance that we can find them.''

    ''We were too afraid to find the safehouses since those six are most likely to have ess to that information, but there are other areas too. If we could get to the Wickham Forest. Yeah, I think that''s a ce worth risking it. See if any left signs. Directions and clues.''

    ''Oh man, I know Bandit Lord Sable wouldn''t want us to allpletely die¡­ he stood his ground that day for a reason. For some of us to get away, that was it, he even apologized for making us stay. But with me and Helm here, and when the otherse, then we can revive the Ashen Raiders.''

    ''And hah. Even if it turns out that it''s just really me and Peter. Well, who''s to say that we can''t recruit new people to fill up and we just use the same name, Ashen Raiders? No, we have to change the name, can''t let those six find us again, if we keep using the same name. But hah, you know what, who cares? Maybe when we get stronger, we could reveal ourselves¡­ ''

    ''Pay them back. And Helm can be the leader, though I have to er, make him more positive from time to time. It''ll be hard to live up to what Bandit Lord Sable was, but I think he wouldn''t have wanted us to give up. Yeah.''

    ''And Lord Sable did always try to train us and say that he did bury some of his treasure in Wickham Forest. It''ll be a little scavenger hunt¡­ but that requires us to survive right now.''

    "Ahem." Helm cleared his throat and spoke again. "Er, it was a difficult fight. I think when west checked¡­ there was also someone who had a me Gift. Saw some fire, er, it was probably greater than Common or Umon Rank, it was pretty big and the control on the mes was long range."

    "That was maybe the Liquid me Gift, though er, I could be wrong. Uh¡­ and there was that gift that causes you to loose your footing? Was that an earth type Gift or was that the Wind? It was storming hard on that day too. Yeah, the fire was strong even when it had been raining."

    Both of them remembered that day far too well, the skies had been quite dark for them and everything was raging, like a howl of a storm, but they had run back then.

    Did their best to live.

    "What else, Helm?"

 Chapter 509 Chance For Payback

    509 Chance For Payback

    "What else, Helm?" Lucius asked. "And you two, Peter? Is there anything else that you''ve recalled? From the six that you have met and experienced? It would be helpful if you can share it more."

    "A-ah, sorry, Sir Lucius. Peter and I were running away at that point. We were unable to truly discover anything else." Helm exined.

    "Yeah, Helm and I were really not part of the upper ranks of Ashen Raiders haha." Peterughed sheepishly.

    "But Lord Sable still did his best to treat everyone as equally as possible. Even the ones from well, weaker ones in the group were protected and helped. Peter here for example¡­"

    "I''m not that weak, Helm!"

    "B-but ah yes, that is what Peter has said. However, even though we don''t know the ins and outs of the group, we can still try our best to remember... but we really don''t know much information about what happened with the six people." Helm sighed. "We¡­ we fled for our lives, Peter and I, I had to save you back then, don''t you remember?"

    "A-ah that''s not really that important right now, Helm. If I recall, you were about to leave me and the others too."

    "We should stop arguing. It''s embarrassing that we''re doing it in front of Sir Lucius. You have our apologies once again, Sir Lucius." Helm said, trying his best to remain formal.

    ''It''s clear from the way that he presents and carries himself. I''ve seen it before in the Lord Sable. Although it''s a little different to some extent.'' Helm said.

    Lucius leaned forward and smiled. He sped his hands together and looked at them one by one.

    ''I''ve now asked this people to retell their story, and it has stirred up their nostalgia. Perhaps I''ll ask Leif to look into the Bandit Lord Sable if there''s anything worth with him. His ties may be rted to something, but only if I can afford to track and trail such things.'' Lucius thought.

    ''However, it does not necessarily mean that I am always objective. Hmm, the Mark of Obedience would work, as long as they both agree to it. Or perhaps it is far better for them to be under my control. Truly under my control.''

    There were certain criteria that Lucius used in order to determine whether or not they were fit to be his subordinates or if they were better to be stripped offpletely and turned into tools, otherwise, known as the Lost.

    And if he were going to use them then¡­

    "There is nothing to be feared about, Helm and Peter. I understand that this is quite a story of inspiration and great motivation." Lucius said. "I can reckon that if there''s anything that you desire the most, it would be anger and resentment¡­ ahem, otherwise, the two of you would live differently."

    "Y-yes, this anger of ours, we shall use it to avenge Bandit Lord Sable!" Peter said with conviction in his voice. "We''ll use it as a motivation."

    "Hmmm, I have been touched by this story that the two of you have said. It seems like my heart strings have gotten tugged and I seek to help the two of you."

    Both Peter and Helm looked up in surprise at Sir Lucius. The fact that someone would not only offer safety but generosity as well at this time and hour.

    It was a little scary, but also relieving.

    "H-help us?" Peter became hopeful.

    ''It seems like it''s true that a story from a person can change one''s perspective. Is this the grace of the gods and goddesses to bestow it to us.'' Peter thought.

    Meanwhile, Helm was a little more cautious despite his own feelings, and so he chose to ask.

    "Help us¡­ in what way, Sir Lucius?"

    "Well, the current situation that you feel in is rage, resentment and bitterness that overflows. When used well, it can be a great motivator. And so I wish to give you all the resources in order for you to seed."

    "¡­and what''s the catch, Sir Lucius? Sorry if ites across too mistrustful but one does not necessarily uh help without strings." Helm asked.

    "Hmm¡­"

    ''A clever one that one.'' Lucius thought. A charismatic smile curled on his lips.

    "Well, I only want what you want. Let us say that I am touched by this story and conviction of this Bandit Lord, but at the same time, I am also interested in hearing more. And there is some use and purpose to eliminating potential threats." Lucius said as he drummed his finger across the table.

    It was a calcted move. He wanted them both to make the decision themselves and for them to ept this carrot that he had swung above the donkeys eagerly..

    ''Asher is¡­ he is making a decision once more. He doesn''t even need to consult me or ask for my opinion.'' Kiana thought, a little bit proud and also ufortable.

    Proud of the intellect that was given to him. The gift from the Goddesss of Etara. Kiana trusted in his ability to make the right decision for himself.

    However, she was also a little ufortable. Asher was still a young man in her eyes. Someone who was still someone who perhaps didn''t know everything in certain factors in life.

    ''No, he''s not a child anymore and does not need me to always be constantly hovering over him.'' Kiana thought as she struggled with her own desire to step forward and say something.

    ''So far, the decision doesn''t seem like something bad and if it happens, then it will be something that I am willing to take care of them for him.'' Kiana thought. She wanted be able to let Lucius take the center stage once more.

    "Hmmm¡­" Lucius realized that he was still waiting for the reply of the two.

    Their hesitation was not very different from each other. There was a reason why the two criminals ended up together, their dichotomy was quite prevalent.

    Peter gulped and looked at Helm, trying to weigh everything.

    "It would be good to gain the power to pay back these people who have hurt you, right?" Lucius asked with a smile.

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