Chapter 313: Planning and Guidance

Chapter 313: Planning and Guidance



Moreover, the two of them were also quite impressed by their captain's ability to attract trouble.

Previously, both had experienced battles with the Bloodtop Mercenary Group. Although they arrived late and mainly focused on clearing the battlefield, they naturally understood the cause and effect afterward.

They knew that their captain, Rain, had a conflict with the Orenz Marquis Family of the Imperial Capital, one of the shareholders behind the Axson Auction House.

And this time, it was the Axson Auction House again, and it seemed to be a team subordinate to a marquis.

This is a marquis!

Who among those granted the title of marquis would be easy to deal with?

However, after witnessing Rain’s exaggerated and almost abnormal learning ability, the two of them developed a kind of (how to say it, nearly irrational) confidence in their captain.

They felt that their captain, even when facing a marquis, could still have the upper hand.

"Captain, what do we do with this guy?" Angus asked.

Rain thought for a moment and said, "No rush, let’s keep him detained first and see his reaction."

He had many things to do now, including changing his class and learning advanced meditation. He really didn't want to engage in some insincere and deceitful negotiations with these nobles.

Rain planned to wait for Jennifer to return and ask her.

She seemed to have mentioned that there was a shareholders' meeting today?

Since Jennifer became a shareholder of the Axson Auction House’s Minster Branch, her busyness had clearly increased by an order of magnitude.

It was precisely because Jennifer was in charge of the business side that Rain could fully devote himself to cultivation, avoiding a lot of trivial matters.

"By the way, inform Neor and Evelyn about this matter as well."

"Alright, Captain."

"Captain, this manor of yours is truly excellent, and there’s such a spacious indoor training room, it’s practically tailor-made for you." Vieri couldn't help but look around Rain's new manor after reporting.

Just now, when they two came to Rain's original manor and heard the servant say Rain was looking at the new manor, they were a bit surprised.

"Hmm, the training room is indeed great. Yes, Vieri, remember to pack up the things and move here today. It’s a good opportunity to practice together when it’s convenient." Rain smiled and said.

Vieri was still quite happy when he heard the firstHalf, but the second half of the sentence made him look like a bitter gourd.

He knew too well how arduous it was to be a training partner for his captain!

To describe it in two words, it would be 'sour comfort'.

However, the improvement in strength was indeed evident. Rain would point out their inadequacies and key points in details and essentials.

"Alright, Captain, I’ll go and pack up the things."

"Captain, I’ll help Vieri as well."

Just as the two were about to leave, Rain suddenly called them back, saying, "Wait, one of you stay and practice lance riding with me."

"Hmm?" Angus and Vieri looked at each other, both seeing surprise in the other's eyes.

Did they hear that right?

Lance riding?

But when the two looked at Rain's hands, they knew their ears were fine.

Because the dark metal in Rain's hands was slowly transforming into a lance of considerable length.

"Captain, this time, it’s not another whim, is it?" Vieri asked, his eyes wide open, staring at the lance.

"This time it’s not a whim, it's more of a long-planned decision. After all, I think it’s necessary for a knight to be proficient with a long weapon for charges." Rain said with a slight smile.

"Captain, I’ll move first and practice with you later. Angus, it’s up to you." Vieri said and darted out of the room.

Angus looked at the three-meter lance in Rain's hands and his own single-handed shield, feeling a bit speechless.

After all, facing such a lance, even with his shield, he felt he couldn’t withstand it!

Previously, those two short daggers made him feel heartache, and he had to repair his shield several times.

And now, this was a lance, the impact of a thrust far exceeded that of a short dagger.

The power difference was simply like heaven and earth!

---

In a manor near the Axson Auction House Minster Branch, which also counted as one of the auction house's properties, typically used to host important guests with more than three people.

Of course, if it was just one or two people, the auction house's VIP hall could still accommodate them, like how Delak preferred to stay in the VIP hall before.

But since Sam brought quite a few people this time, they were arranged here.

Sam, who was originally resting in the bedroom, came out, walked into the meeting hall, looked around, and found that Dixon wasn't back yet, so he asked the others in the team with a puzzled look:

"Hmm? Dixon isn't back yet?"

Several people shook their heads, saying, "No, he hasn’t returned yet."

"Something seems off. Garsia, you go check and find out what’s going on."

"Alright, Captain Sam."

"The tall woman with a longbow on her back stood up and nodded.

The remaining two glanced at each other, feeling that their boss might have overreacted a bit.

Sam, on the other hand, furrowed his brows and started thinking quickly.

Just a few hours ago, Dixon had sent a message saying that the elven maiden was going to the Swordsmen's Minster Branch to meet a Swordsman.

Judging by their ages, the elven maiden's friends were all very young, and they seemed to be new Swordsmen.

So at the time, he didn't take the news to heart.

'Could it be that Dixon saw the target as an easy fix and took action on his own?'

After some thought, Sam shook his head, feeling that this possibility was unlikely.

'Let's wait for Garcia to return before making any decisions.'

Before half an hour had passed, Garcia returned and his first words upon entering were enough to make Sam's face turn sour.

"Captain, Dixon is in trouble."

Garcia then quickly recounted the situation.

After all, there were quite a few witnesses to the conflict between Rain and Dixon, and Garcia, being a woman, had good interpersonal skills, so it wasn't difficult for her to find out what had happened.

Moreover, she had also communicated with the guards at the Swordsmen's entrance and confirmed that Dixon was currently being held inside the Swordsmen's Minster Branch.

"What? Dixon was locked up? In the Swordsmen's Minster Branch? This is an abuse of power. What charges are they using?" One person exclaimed indignantly.

This was the first time their 'Sam's Team' had encountered a situation where one of their team members had been detained by the Imperial Swordsmen.

"Suspected cultist, attacking the Imperial Swordsmen on the street." Garcia explained.

"Bullshit! They're just making up charges." A bald, muscular man rubbed his head and said.

"The Swordsmen's Minster Branch is a bit suspicious." Another person added.

Everyone present knew that the Blood Top Mercenary Group had reportedly been wiped out by a Diamond Rank Swordsman from Minster.

"You mean Dixon ran into that person?"

"The Swordsman who wiped out the Blood Top Mercenary Group? No way, Dixon's luck isn't that bad, is it?"

After listening to Garcia's report, Captain Sam, who had been deep in thought, spoke up.

"The person in charge of the Minster Branch should be Fabian. Ask him to help get Dixon out first, and also find out the details of the young Swordsman that Dixon had a conflict with."

"Garcia, you'll have to make another trip to the auction house."

Sam was well aware that in Minster, it was better to find someone like Fabian, a local bigwig, than to send his own people to investigate.

"Yes, Captain, I'll contact him right away." The bow-wielding woman named Garcia left the room.

Axson Auction House, Minster Branch.

A third-floor office.

"Hmm? Miss Garcia, you said that Sam's servant, Dixon, was detained by the Swordsmen's Minster Branch?" Fabian asked, his mouth twitching slightly.

"Yes, there might have been a misunderstanding, so I'd like to trouble you, Fabian, to help get him out." Garcia smiled and explained.

Fabian's mouth twitched again.

Whenever he heard the word 'Swordsman', he couldn't help but picture a young man's figure in his mind.

"Alright, I'll try, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to get him out." Fabian thought for a moment, but instead of refusing, he nodded in agreement.

After all, as a veteran of the auction house, he knew that 'Sam's Team' had the backing of Duke Dramm of the Imperial Capital, a powerful figure.

"Of course, I'll try to expedite the process. According to the plan, Sam will be leaving Minster tomorrow." Garcia nodded.

"Alright, I'll take care of it." Fabian nodded.

After Fabian contacted his acquaintance in the Swordsmen's Minster Branch and got the full story.

"What! It's Rain again!" Fabian stared at the note in his hand, his eyes widening and his mouth slightly agape, feeling utterly confused.

"Why does he always have to cause trouble?!" Fabian felt a throbbing pain in his forehead.

Both Sam's Team and Rain were people he couldn't afford to offend.

"Wait, that's not right. Rain is now a shareholder of the Minster Branch, no, to be precise, he's the actual controller. The shareholder is that beautiful woman." Fabian muttered to himself.

"And Sam is under the command of Duke Dramm, one of the major shareholders of the auction house."

"Since they're both 'insiders' of the auction house, let them handle it themselves. I won't get involved!" Fabian's eyes flashed with an idea.

Half an hour later.

Garcia returned to the temporary mansion from the auction house.

"What? It's really that Rain who wiped out the Blood Top Mercenary Group?" Sam was stunned.

"Yes, Fabian said that Rain is now a shareholder of the Minster Branch and his superior. And you are also his superior."

So, regarding the internal conflict within the auction house, he suggests that you directly communicate with Viscount Lein." Garcia said.

Just now, she heard Fabian's words, and she was speechless!

Who considers Lein as 'one of us'!

Sam, on the other hand, stroked his chin and quickly began calculating.

This Diamond Rank Swordsman named Lein, who defeated the Blood Peak Mercenary Group, is undoubtedly very powerful. There's no doubt about his strength.

It's not wise to confront him directly.

However, the Elven Maiden rarely appears in human territory.

As a former leader of the Slave Catchers, he naturally knew the risks involved in venturing into the Elven habitat to capture the Elven Maiden.

But precisely because of this, the Elven Maiden is a symbol of status and position among the top nobility.

Moreover, Duke Dramm has a particular preference for Elves. He remembers that a couple of years ago, he was also in Minster when he happened to capture an Elven woman.

It was precisely because of this outstanding performance that he received a substantial reward, greatly improving his strength, allowing him to leap from the leader of the Slave Catchers to become Duke Dramm's representative in several branches.

This time, such an opportunity has presented itself again.

If he were to give up, it would naturally be a bitter pill to swallow, and for a moment, Sam found it difficult to make a decision.

The other team members beside him, of course, also noticed their leader's hesitation.

But isn't there a saying that goes, "Where there's risk, there's opportunity"?

What doesn't have risk? High risk means high reward.

"Boss, I have a suggestion." The bald, burly man spoke up.

"Hmm? Go on." Sam, as the team leader, had a good quality—he was willing to listen to his subordinates' reasonable suggestions.

"Actually, our target is the Elven Maiden. In other words, as long as we find an opportunity to directly kidnap this Elven Maiden, why do we have to confront Lein head-on?"

The bald, burly man may look like a brute, but his suggestion was rather delicate.

"You mean..." Sam instantly understood the man's idea.

A diversionary tactic, and after dealing with the Elven Maiden, they could leave Minster immediately.

"Yes! Boss, we can split into two groups. One group will stall the opponent, while the other directly kidnaps the Elven Maiden. Then we can immediately leave Minster. What can they do to us?" Another team member's eyes lit up as he heard this, and he immediately agreed.

"That's not impossible. But who will distract or block Lein?" Sam looked around at his subordinates and asked.

Instantly, several people on the scene hesitated and glanced at each other.

"I'm willing to do it, but I'm afraid I'll hold up the captain's important matters." The bald, burly man scratched his head and chuckled.

"For distracting Lein, we don't necessarily need someone from our team. I suggest we ask Hansel to come and distract Lein." Garcia thought for a moment and said.

"The 'Earth Dragon Knight' Hansel?" Sam's eyebrows rose, and he immediately thought of a person.

"Yes, Captain."

"The 'Earth Dragon Knight' Hansel, with his Earth Dragon mount, is extremely fast. Having him distract Lein is a sure thing. At that time, we can directly kidnap the Elven Maiden."

The Earth Dragon is a sub-dragon beast with relatively thin dragon blood. Although, among the dragon-blooded creatures, its strength is not outstanding, but it is still a dragon-blooded creature.

Whether it's strength or speed, it's far superior to other ferocious beasts.

Without the Earth Dragon, Hansel would only be a High Knight, but with the Earth Dragon, he's almost a Legendary Rank.

Moreover, among the near-Legendary ranks, he's a very formidable character.

"But the 'Earth Dragon Knight' Hansel's employment fee is not low." The bald, burly man interjected.

"The fee is indeed high. But if he joins us, our risk will be greatly reduced."

After some thought, Sam nodded and said, "Okay, let's do that. Let's invite the 'Earth Dragon Knight' Hansel."

Paying a little more is worth it to greatly reduce the risk!

"Hmm, he's currently in Savva Province. It will take at least four days to contact him and have him come over." Garcia added.

"Okay, then four days. Tomorrow, we'll go to Norm Province as planned, and by the time we return, they should have arrived in Minster." Sam nodded.

---

When Vieri returned to Lein's new residence.

As soon as he entered the training room, he was startled by what he saw.

In the center of the room, Angus was holding a shield, defending with impeccable precision, but Captain Lein, holding a lance, was attacking with thrusts and jabs, leaving Angus unable to counterattack.

"Is that really a Knight's Lance?" Vieri muttered to himself.

"He's just picked it up, and he's already beating Angus like this? That's too exaggerated!"

Since he met Lein, this was the first time he had seen him use a Knight's Lance.

Moreover, it was evident that Captain Lein was handling the Knight's Lance with a bit of awkwardness, clearly having just started using it.

"But even with this, Angus was still being pushed back step by step.

This left Vieri a little confused.

Actually, it wasn't just Neor, Angus in the center of the arena didn't understand either.

Clearly, Rain's lance techniques were still a bit rough, and every time he seized the opportunity to counterattack, Rain would quickly adjust his position, preventing him from getting close enough to attack with a knight's longsword.

This sense of distance, alternating between far and near, was so frustrating that Angus almost wanted to vomit blood.

'Stop! Captain, I need a break, I can't go on.' Angus shouted.

'Okay, you've worked hard.'

'Captain, your control of distance is truly unbearable. Just as I was about to attack, I found the distance too far, and by the time I hesitated, the opportunity to counterattack was lost.'

'This is actually an insight I gained from practicing daggers a few days ago. It's a Secret Technique called 'Shadow Step'.'

'Using Primal Force in combination with leg strength to move rapidly twice in a short distance.' Rain shared without hesitation, explaining his own technique to his teammates.

'Also, Angus, when you're using your shield to defend, I feel like there are some areas where your strength and Primal Force could be better integrated.'

After sharing his insights, Rain pointed out some issues Angus was currently facing.

'Oh? Captain, can you help me identify them specifically?' Angus showed his delight.

This was also the reason why everyone was so eager to practice with Rain; his guidance was always spot-on.

Rain's expertise covered almost all the weapons used by his squad members, so he could pinpoint the problems they faced in combat.

'Okay, just these two areas.' Rain walked forward and patted Angus's left shoulder blade and right lower back.

'You should think about it more, and you'll likely gain some insights.'

'Thank you, Captain.' Angus bowed slightly in gratitude.

'You're welcome.' Rain waved his hand dismissively.

Angus's strength was actually quite impressive, and if he could adjust the force output in these two areas, his strength would likely increase by half a level within a week.

'Don't underestimate the importance of distance control. Often, two fighters of similar strength can have a half-level difference in their abilities, which can be the deciding factor in a fight.'

Rain checked his system, and his 'Longhorn Spear' had already reached level 4.

Ever since he obtained the Talent 'Advanced Extraordinary Insight', his speed of learning new Extraordinary Battle Techniques had skyrocketed like a rocket.

If there were no surprises, he should be able to comprehend the Secret Technique of the lance just like when he practiced 'Brakar's Assassination Dance Step', and in about three days, he would likely understand the Secret Technique of the lance.

'Captain, I've moved the items. Regarding this matter, I also informed Neor and Evelyn.' Vieri stepped forward with a smile.

'Okay, good that you informed them. Come, you can practice with me too.' Rain nodded.

'But I don't have a shield, how can I defend against you?' Vieri forced a bitter smile, but without hesitation, he stepped into the arena.

As evening approached...

Jennifer, the beautiful woman, returned with a tired expression, returned.

However, when she saw the new mansion, her delight was mixed with a clear sense of Rain's influence.

The mansion was a special reward personally granted by the Duke of Munster, an honor she had rarely heard of.

Originally, she had planned to wait for this year's auction house dividends to purchase a slightly larger mansion, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.

Moreover, it was a one-step upgrade! The mansion was even better than the best ones she had seen on the market.

Rain also briefly explained the day's events to the beautiful woman.

'Elven bloodline?' The woman covered her mouth in surprise upon learning that Anna was an elf.

'No wonder you're tracking her.'

'Is there anything to say?' Rain asked.

'Of course, Elven maidens are highly sought after by top-tier nobles.' The woman clearly had a good understanding of this and explained it to Rain.

'As for the Duke behind 'Sam's Team', I think I know who it is.'

'I'm not familiar with the Imperial Capital, but regarding the Munster branch, there are only two Dukes involved, the Duke of Munster and the Duke Dramm of the Imperial Capital.'

'Obviously, it's not the Duke of Munster. So, the answer is naturally the Duke Dramm of the Imperial Capital.'

Rain raised his eyebrows.

He hadn't expected that the Duke of Munster also had shares in Axson Auction House, but after a moment's thought, he understood.

As the family with the greatest influence in Munster, Axson Auction House would naturally want to partner with them.

'Darling, Elven maidens are very rare, you must not miss this opportunity.'

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end