“It can’t be helped!” Leylin spread his hands, “Someone must stay behind to look after the shop! Youngsters like you need to be more energetic!”
“My lord, forgive me for my being so direct about this, but you sell but a few items per year. It doesn’t make a difference whether you watch the shop or not. In addition, there’s a large difference between being energetic and sending myself to my death!”
Dragon-Blooded Flower Bud
“Don’t worry. You’re my employee after all; I won’t just send you to your death like that.”
Leylin waved his arms, saying things that were not helping Baelin calm down.
“I’ve already received more information. Jenny and the rest were trapped in a valley by Explosive Flaming Wolves, and temporarily will not meet with any danger…”
“I even prepared this for you!” Leylin passed a bag of medicinal powder to Baelin.
Baelin curiously sniffed at it, and then choked, sticking out his tongue, “What is this?”
“Stimulating medicinal powder! It can cover the smell of your live body scent and prevent the Explosive Flaming Wolves from finding you.”
Leylin gave a brief explanation, and that alone caused Baelin to light up, looking at the bag in his hands like it was filled with gold coins.
“Think about it. If you sprinkle the powder on yourself and walk into the valley, you’ll be able to rescue the princess easily. Reputation, power, money and even beautiful girls — they’ll all be yours…” Leylin’s voice was enticing.
“But…” Baelin struggled, but his tone was already not as resolute as before.
“No buts!” Leylin looked serious.
“This is an order. Baron Joseph has given me the rights to authorise this. To save Jenny, I can give out orders to any peasant of Potter Town!”
Leylin glanced at Baelin, obviously with bad intentions, “I remember that you’re a free resident of Potter Town, am I right? Do you want to go now, or do you want to be demoted to a slave and then go?”
In the face of Leylin’s methods using both the carrot and stick, Baelin could only raise his arms in protest, “All right, I’ll go!”
“That’s the way!” Leylin nodded in satisfaction.
That afternoon, Baelin had an expression like he was going to his death and, under the gazes of many residents of the town, he entered the Woody Wastelands.
Meanwhile, Leylin was lounging on a deck chair, his eyes closed as he took pleasure in the brightness given out from the sun stone. There was even a pot of hot tea and some snacks.
“A leisurely afternoon! I like this!”
Leylin contentedly poured himself a cup of black tea and blew away the rising steam.
“Shouldn’t the Explosive Flaming Wolves have long since migrated from the Woody Wastelands? And they bumped into them? This is getting increasingly interesting…”
He felt reassured sending Baelin. Not taking into consideration the fact that Baelin was just one step away from becoming a Grand Knight, just the powder Leylin had given him was enough for Baelin to return unscathed, as well as save Jenny and her companions.
“But this is just the start!”
Leylin had a feeling that the power struggle in the circle of aristocracy around Jenny had become very troublesome. It would involve everyone around her involuntarily.
However, this level of trouble was just like a few children playing house. If not for him feeling quite bored, as well as needing a reason to enter the eastern capital, he wouldn’t even bother playing with them.
The situation was just as Leylin predicted.
Two days later, Baelin energetically burst in, excitement apparent on his face.
“My lord, my lord, I did it! I successfully rescued Ms. Jenny and her companions! Haha… I’m a hero!”
“If you failed even with the powder I gave you, you’d be an idiot!” Leylin rolled his eyes, and then glanced at the entrance, “Are there customers?”
Next, Jenny, her butler, and the others walked in in a pitiful state. There was only one guard left, and his right arm was in a sling.
He could tell that they were in a difficult situation in the Woody Wastelands. However, they had directly come here without finding a chance to clean themselves first.
Though there was still some dust on her, Jenny’s face was still quite clean as she curtsied towards Leylin, “I heard from Baelin that it was all thanks to Sir that he was able to save me. Jenny is here to express her thanks! Sir’s powder is extremely miraculous, and even James couldn’t tell what the components were.”
“It’s nothing much. It’s part of my collection while I was still an adventurer!” Leylin put up his arm, evading any further explanations.
He was clear of the intentions this noble girl had in coming here. One part of this was to thank him, but more importantly, she was here to invite him to obtain the Dragon-Blooded Flower Bud.
At this thought, Leylin shot a glance at Baelin.
Under his gaze, the young fellow ducked his head, embarrassed.
This naive young man betrayed Leylin after being taken in by Jenny and the rest, leaking the information that Leylin used to be a powerful adventurer.
“Mister…” Jenny’s smile was forced as she ground her teeth, kneeling on the ground, “Sir! I’m here for the Dragon-Blooded Flower Bud. It’s not for my mother, but for my father. He…”
Then, there came the expected story of the power struggle between nobility.
The gist of it was that her two uncles coveted her father’s position as Marquis, and had used a strange toxin to harm him. In order to heal her father, this young girl had no choice but to bring her butler and guards to search for a cure.
“Mister Leylin, my father is a benevolent and wise leader! If the title of Marquis and its associated territories were to fall into the hands of one of my uncles, the people under him would definitely meet with a calamity. Please help them…”
Jenny pleaded, giving a very thorough and brilliant act of a pure, kind-hearted innocent victim. Baelin had already clenched his fist, and Leylin kept shaking his head.
He naturally knew about the conflicts there were between the upper class. After growing up in that circle, even the most innocent child would be influenced.
Besides, could there be an absolute right or wrong in these power struggles?
On the surface, however, Leylin had a righteous expression, “I admire the kind and fair old Master Marquis. I am duty bound to help. Baelin!”
“Huh? Yes!” Baelin suddenly felt like something bad was going to happen. This was an intuition he had developed after being cheated by Leylin on countless occasions.
As expected, Leylin ordered, “Go accompany Miss Jenny and enter the Woody Wastelands again until you obtain the Dragon-Blooded Flower Bud!”
“I knew it! I knew this would happen!”
Baelin roared in his heart, but upon seeing the grim look on Leylin’s face and the pitiful young girl, he could not bring it upon himself to reject.
“Alright then…”
Letting Baelin help was evidently not on Jenny and the others’ agenda. However, after seeing Leylin’s courteous but obvious refusal, this bright young girl knew it was impossible to get Leylin himself to act. She could only retreat regretfully.
“Can you tell if he’s a Magus?”
On the way, and after ensuring that there were no passers-by around them, Jenny spat out coldly. Her voice was cold, and her expression haughty. Where was that frail and delicate young girl seen only a few minutes back?
“I’m not sure. I couldn’t tell! If an official lord Magus really wants to conceal himself in front of me, I definitely won’t be able to tell at all!”
The butler, James, who was a level 3 acolyte, forced a laugh.
“Not being able to tell would be the best clue! A retired, powerful adventurer who was able to teach Baelin to become a knight in a year, his strength must be far beyond our imaginations!”
Jenny was astute.
“Not bad! I probed into this matter, and that young lad, Baelin, is quite lucky. The breathing technique he’s training in is at least that used by Grand Knights.”
James sighed in admiration. Upon hearing this, the eyes of the guard behind Jenny darkened.
He had risked his life for the Argus Family for so many years and gone through many loyalty tests before he was conferred a Knight’s breathing technique. He was only lucky enough to advance after bloody battles, and listening to this story gave him the urge to kill Baelin.
However, he quickly buried this at the bottom of his heart, not daring to think about this further.
Supporting Baelin was a lord who seemed to be an official Magus! Even the Argus Family would not dare offend him.
Though the Argus Family was a Marquis family with a high standing, this was only so by regular people’s standards.
In the eyes of Magi, the well-known Sun Vine Family was just as significant as a speck of dust.
Even in the entire Argus Family, there was only one rank 1 Magus whom they all respected. There was no need to choose who would be considered more important, an official Magus or a guard who was just a Knight!
“My Lord!”
After Jenny and her companions left, Baelin immediately gazed at Leylin with tears in his eyes, like a puppy that had been abandoned.
“Give it to me!” He stretched his hands out.
“What?”
“That secret potion, which is a powerful treasure! Don’t you want me to obtain the Dragon-Blooded Flower Bud?” Baelin thought it was only right that he received this.
*Bang!* He was struck heavily on the head by Leylin’s wooden sword, causing him to grimace from the pain.
“Baelin!” Leylin stood up, his tone sincere.
“After this experience, you should know where your strength lies, right?”
“Of course! Thanks to the guidance from my lord, I am now a Knight!”
Now that they were talking about business, Baelin’s expression became solemn. Though he had gotten past the pack of Explosive Flaming Wolves with Leylin’s powder, the Woody Wastelands had more dangers than just the wolves!
When he had split a large stork into two halves with a single strike, Baelin realised he had been played by Leylin. He had long since advanced to become a Knight!
In addition, through conversations with Jenny and the rest, he found out that Leylin had taught him very precious things!
Hence, though Baelin appeared frivolous out of habit, he revered Leylin more and more.
“Being a Knight is just the start, and it’s not the end!”
Leylin put his hands behind his back, putting on the airs of a powerful person.
Goat-Horned Earth Dragon
“Your goal is to become a Grand Knight! The distant stars are your goal!”
Leylin’s voice was filled with emotion, causing Baelin’s blood to heat up.
“Though your Knight training method came from me and is said to be the best of the best even by the standards of Grand Knights, you lack something important that the strong possess!”
“The strong? Something important?” Confusion appeared on Baelin’s face.
“Exactly! That is real bloody battles and confidence. The Knights who lacked the training methods you have developed their unrivalled confidence through constant bloody battles, smoothly stimulating their life energy and becoming Knights! You lack this process…”
“Hence, you need to take on an even more difficult task to stimulate your potential!”
Leylin’s expression looked like he was trying to tell Baelin it was all for his own good. “How about it? Can you see what I’m doing for you?”
“Though I don’t understand, it seems cool!” Baelin clenched his fists, “I’ll work hard, my lord!”
Next, this little fool who had been duped by Leylin began to truly prepare to leave the following day.
Seeing him in a frenzy of preparation, Leylin shook his head as he gave a gentle smile.
“Youths really forget things quickly. He was duped so easily…”
However, to make use of Jenny, this noblewoman, to enter the capital, Leylin didn’t mind helping them.
“Your sword…” Leylin took Baelin’s steel sword, which he had been holding. Having gone through numerous forging, it still held a cold glint, but a chip the size of an ant had appeared on the blade.
This kind of nick could only be formed from countless strikes made by a Knight using his full power. It was evident that Baelin had met with more dangers in the Woody Wastelands than just those Explosive Flaming Wolves.
“What’s wrong, my lord?” Baelin’s expression displayed his puzzlement.
“This sword is too old and not suitable for your expedition. I’ll give you a new one!” The corner of his lips lifted in a smile.
“Thank you! Thank you so much, my lord!” Baelin was so excited that he was almost incoherent in his gratitude.
After this battle, he finally discovered how difficult it was to groom a knight. On one hand, there was the secrecy of the breathing techniques, and on the other hand, there were the immense expenses in training and obtaining equipment.
Equipment forged by experts had a value of over 100 Gold. However, after explosively using his life essence a few times, a chip had appeared.
Wouldn’t regular weapons have simply snapped?
Knights grew through battles, and he wondered how many of these weapons would have to be used for this growth.
Baelin had originally intended to repair this sword and continue to use it. After all, he was used to living in poverty and couldn’t bear to waste resources. However, Leylin had simply given him another one!
“Don’t worry, I’ll send the bill to Ms. Jenny.”
However, Leylin’s next words caused Baelin’s grateful heart to burst into smithereens, “She’s the daughter of the Marquis and probably has more gold than their family will ever need. It doesn’t matter if they pay a little, right?”
Leylin tossed a new sword to Baelin.
“Aw, my lord! Can’t you let me continue to feel touched by your actions for a while longer?”
Baelin lamented, though his hands were not the least bit dissatisfied as he caught the sword.
*Clang!* Baelin gently caressed the sword, the blue edge of the blade having detailed, complicated patterns, and a cold air was emitted from it.
Based on his intuition after working here for so many years, Baelin could tell this was absolutely one of the best steel swords in the shop.
What he didn’t notice was that before his lamenting, Leylin’s palm had stroked the blade of the sword and left behind a dull red imprint.
This imprint had been carved into the sword itself and disappeared, and Baelin had not noticed at all.
……
Jenny’s team had rested and reorganized themselves in Potter Town and set off.
Though most of the adventurers and mercenaries who had followed her the last time had died or been injured, there was no lack of people who were so poor that they wanted to take the risk and strike it rich.
Jenny had simply given out a large amount of gold and gathered enough people. Of course, their strength was nothing much.
She had little choice. In Twilight Zone, the Goat-Horned Earth Dragon was a very rarely seen high-energy being. Only recently had people found traces of it in the Woody Wasteland.
If she let this opportunity go, she had no idea when she would get another chance to come across it.
Even if Jenny could wait, Marquis Argus — who was being tormented by poison — could not wait that long!
“Baelin, we’re depending on you!” There was another person in the group, and it was Baelin in his new armour. He had repaired it through the night, and he was somewhat able to continue using it. On his back was the sword that Leylin had messed with, giving him a very brave and formidable aura, and even caused some girls in the town to throw him coquettish glances.
No
w, however, with just a word from Jenny, Baelin was elated.
Feeling the reverence of the adventurers around him, as well as the ardent pleas from the noble girl, Baelin felt like he had downed several bottles of strong alcohol, and was beginning to feel giddy.
“I never imagined I, Baelin, would have such an impressive moment!” Baelin nodded as he glanced at Jenny, admiration apparent in his gaze, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely obtain the Dragon-Blooded Flower Bud!”
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