Chapter 371: The Imperial Capital's Noble Families

Chapter 371: The Imperial Capital's Noble Families

As Rain skillfully maneuvered the Talon Eagle to land, he noticed the road leading to Hammerstone Fortress was bustling with merchant caravans and travelers.

Apparently, since his last visit, the underground lava creatures in the tunnel must have been thoroughly eradicated by the Empire, otherwise, such a large number of caravans wouldn't have appeared.

Thus, Rain and Anna smoothly passed through Hammerstone Fortress without any hindrance.

After several more hours of flying, the majestic and familiar Hosska Mountains finally came into view.

And along the mountainside, the city of Minster naturally caught the attention of the two.

A few minutes later, Rain's manor.

"Brother, you're back!" Mint, Rain's younger sister, who was playing with the war dog Cookie in the front yard of the manor, was the first to notice the Talon Eagle's landing.

However, the first person Mint hugged was Anna.

"Sister Anna, I've missed you so much," Mint rubbed against Anna's chest and cooed.

Anna kissed Mint affectionately, her eyes filled with love.

Rain's return was a significant event.

Soon, the manor became lively.

After having dinner with his mother Emma, father Old Rain, and others, Rain went to the study alone.

As for the Swordsmaster branch, he decided to deal with it tomorrow.

Right now, he needed to ponder some matters.

Before heading to the Imperial Capital Tamriel, there were some tasks and matters that required his attention.

Additionally, there was something very important he needed to do, which could be considered his top priority—he needed to accumulate some attribute points first.

After his encounter with Hela's projection, Rain realized the significance of having sufficient remaining attribute points for someone with his thick skin.

The solution was simple—he just needed to raise his Seamstress profession level, which would not only grant him a substantial amount of attribute points but also increase his skill point reserves.

Regarding skill points, Rain considered that upon arriving in the Imperial Capital, whether it was to upgrade his Steel Heart Advanced Meditation to the second level or learn new magic, he would need to consume skill points.

Adhering to the principle of 'it's better to have more than you need,' Rain decided to spend the next half month solely on raising his Seamstress level.

"Knock knock knock!"

"Come in."

As the study door opened, Rain saw the beautiful woman Jennifer, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, standing at the entrance with a smile.

Today, the beautiful woman wore a one-shoulder light blue silk dress, showcasing her voluptuous figure. The one-shoulder design also revealed a large area of her fair and towering chest.

Around her swan-like neck, she wore only a string of shiny pearl necklace, with each pearl being round and large, indicating their extraordinary quality. The combination of the dress and pearl necklace gave her an overall elegant and noble aura.

"My dear, you're finally back."

"The matter I asked you to take care of last time, I've completed it. Also, I acquired something else that I think you'll like," Jennifer said as she walked into the room with a smile.

"Oh? Did you manage to collect the ingredients for the Secret Potion that I asked you about last time?" Rain thought for a moment and then realized what she was referring to.

"Hehe, the ingredients for the Secret Potion are indeed rare, but this time I've collected thirteen sets. And there's something else, my dear, can you guess what it is?" The beautiful woman Jennifer held up a box behind her and shook it.

"There's another surprise?" Rain also smiled.

He remembered that the last time he had asked Jennifer to utilize Arkson Auction House's top-tier channels to collect some dragon-related items, such as dragon bones and dragon blood.

However, he didn't sense any aura related to those items in the box.

That left only items related to increasing mana.

Hmm?

Rain's perception, through the box, detected a faintly familiar aura.

"Hmm? Jennifer, where did you acquire the Soul Energy Crystal?" Rain was surprised.

Soul Energy Crystals were extremely precious; even the Swordsmaster branch didn't have them for exchange.

They occasionally appeared at various auctions and fetched sky-high prices.

Rain was surprised that the beautiful woman in front of him had managed to obtain one.

"Ah, my dear, you guessed it?" Jennifer's watery eyes stared at Rain, surprised that he had guessed correctly.

First, the Soul Energy Crystal was not among the items Rain had asked her to look out for.

Secondly, it was during a chance encounter that she saw a list of auction items, and then she spent a considerable sum to acquire it.

The list was submitted by a fallen count family from Minster Province, planning to auction off their family treasures at Arkson Auction House.

When she saw the Soul Energy Crystal on the list, she immediately realized that it might be of great use to Rain, so she decided to buy it directly, paying a 40% premium.

This was one of the privileges she had as a shareholder of Arkson Auction House in Minster Province.

Within the boundaries of Minster Province, as long as she set her sights on an auction item, most of the time she could operate behind the scenes and acquire it in advance by paying a premium, of course, other shareholders also had this right.

Rain took the box, opened it, and indeed, inside were three neatly arranged Soul Energy Crystals.

Rain picked up one of the Soul Energy Crystals, thought for a moment, and then used it.

The effect of the Soul Energy Crystal was to promote the speed of mana vaporization.

Previously, Rain had used Soul Energy Crystals during the first stage of vaporization, but now that he had entered the second stage of liquidation, he hadn't used them once, naturally wanting to know the effect of the Soul Energy Crystal in the second stage of liquidation.

"Ding! Detected Soul Energy Crystal that can enhance mana liquidation level. Do you wish to accelerate absorption? (Note: System absorption can remove impurities and complete absorption in one go.)"

"Yes!"

Instantly, Rain felt the silver liquid in his mind beginning to increase, but this increase only lasted for less than a second before stopping.

Obviously, the effect of the Soul Energy Crystal in the mana liquidation stage was far less effective than in the vaporization stage.

Rain glanced at the system interface:

Mana: 90 (Liquidation 28%)



"It only increased by 1%?" Rain frowned, thinking to himself.

"Previously, the Soul Energy Crystal's effect was quite good, increasing by 5% in the initial stages of vaporization and then gradually decreasing to 3% in later stages. I didn't expect the increase to drop so much in the liquidation stage."

"However, from another perspective, even a second-level wizard with varying talents would take months to years to increase their liquidation level by 1%. Three Soul Energy Crystals can increase the progress by 3%, which is already quite impressive."

Thinking about it, Li Ren took the remaining two Soul Energy Crystals from the box and activated his Steel Heart Advanced Meditation.

In an instant, he absorbed them completely.

The Mana attribute on his panel now displayed: 90 (30% Liquidation).

The beautiful middle-aged woman beside him witnessed this and couldn't help but be taken aback! As a shareholder in the Arkson Auction House's Mint Branch, her horizons had broadened significantly, and she had heard plenty about the secrets of wizards that she had previously been unaware of.

Hmm?

Wasn't it said that one could only absorb one Soul Energy Crystal at a time, and a long downtime was required in between to eliminate impurities?

How could her dear husband absorb multiple crystals at once?

"My physique is special, and I can absorb more crystals than an ordinary wizard," Li Ren explained, noticing the confusion in the woman's eyes.

"I see, dear. It seems that the Soul Energy Crystal is even more beneficial for you," the woman said, her beautiful eyes suddenly brightening as she thought of something.

Because of Li Ren, her status in the Mint Province had also risen, and as a baroness, she was merely a well-off and beautiful widow.

But ever since she had latched onto Li Ren, she realized that the view from the top was truly breathtaking.

However, Jennifer was very clear about one thing—her success was tied to Li Ren's.

They would rise and fall together.

Therefore, anything that could enhance her man's strength was something she would strive for in her business dealings.

"I'll have my people focus on this Soul Energy Crystal, and I'll do my best to secure any that come up for auction," the woman said, her pretty face turning serious.

"Mhm, but won't this affect the company's cash flow?" Li Ren nodded, smiling as he patted the woman's fair back.

He knew that even with the ability to bid in advance, the cost would be substantial, and there might also be competition from other shareholders.

This matter wasn't as simple as the woman made it sound.

Business was war, and that was the truth.

When Li Ren had promoted the woman to be a shareholder in the Mint Province branch of the Arkson Auction House, it was not only to allow her to utilize her business talents but also to accumulate wealth and acquire rare resources to support his path as a wizard.

However, Li Ren never thought of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

He didn't expect that he would receive such a quick and pleasant return, which was an unexpected delight.

"Don't worry, dear. I'll take care of the business matters," the woman said.

"By the way, there might be a mercenary group called the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps coming to Mint soon. You should make proper arrangements for them. They're quite capable and have a good reputation in the north, and I think they'll be a great help to you."

Li Ren suddenly remembered the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps and mentioned it to the woman.

"Oh? That's wonderful!" the woman exclaimed with delight.

Due to the shallowness of both the Crawley family and Li Ren's background, it would take a long time to cultivate exceptional knights or wizard apprentices.

Therefore, many of Jennifer's business ideas had to be put on hold due to the lack of military support.

If a powerful mercenary group like the Frostclaw Bear Mercenary Corps joined the Hammer and Rose Trading Company, she could accomplish so much more, such as opening new trade routes and negotiating the transport of valuable resources.

The woman's plump lips pressed against Li Ren's cheek, and her large, round buttocks, wrapped in a light blue skirt, sat on his lap.

"Dear, I need a little reward," the woman said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Li Ren knew exactly what she meant.

(Omitted 10,000 words.)



After a vigorous session in the study, the exhausted woman leaned against Li Ren, panting.

"By the way, the tailor you found last time was named Yulia, right? Ask her to close her shop for a few days and come to the manor to teach me some formal tailoring skills," Li Ren said, feeling refreshed.

"Okay, dear," the woman replied, a little confused.

Shouldn't her dear husband be practicing his extraordinary combat techniques or wizard spells?

Why was he suddenly interested in learning tailoring?

The last time they made elastic underwear, it was a necessity for his transformation. But what about this time?

Did Li Ren have feelings for Yulia, the gentle and beautiful tailor?

The woman couldn't help but wonder.

"Never mind, tailoring probably requires a lot of things, like dyeing fabrics and such. You tell Yulia that her shop will be closed for a week starting tomorrow."

"I'll go to her shop and learn some tailoring skills," Li Ren decided after some thought.

Unlike the apprenticeship period, formal tailoring involved a lot of tools and materials.

As for asking her to close her shop, it was a minor matter for Li Ren. After all, these tailoring shops were all under the company's name.

Compared to enhancing his strength, the closure of a tailoring shop was an insignificant matter.

As for the profits? They were negligible.

"Okay, dear," the woman agreed, naturally having no objections.

However, the thought that Li Ren might have feelings for Yulia made the woman feel a little jealous.

Hmm?

Wasn't she satisfied?

Another vigorous session followed.

The battle only ended when the woman was clearly exhausted.

The next morning.

At Yulia's tailoring shop.

Li Ren, accompanied by Jennifer, arrived at the tailor's shop.

The shop was located in a bustling area of the Mint Trade District, and with Yulia's exceptional skills, it was always busy. But today was an exception, as a rare 'Closed' sign hung on the door.

When the tall, muscular, and handsome young Li Ren entered the shop, all the female clerks and tailors were surprised.

They had never seen the young and handsome Viscount Li Ren, the big boss of the trading company, in person.

"Good day, Viscount Li Ren," Yulia greeted Li Ren with a polite curtsy.

"Good day, Viscount!" the female clerks and tailors echoed, following Yulia's lead.

Li Ren smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright. Yulia, this might disrupt your normal business hours."

"Viscount, your presence is an honor for our tailor shop." Yulia bowed respectfully again.

Li Ren's reason for learning tailoring was not something she should inquire about.

Li Ren looked around the shop, which was not very large, approximately 70 to 80 square meters. Inside, it was divided into multiple compartments for garment making, fitting rooms, and more.

As they entered the work area, Li Ren saw various raw materials on several long tables, including common linen, linen rolls, silk, silk rolls, and various thick and thin threads.

Scissors and cutting tools were also visible everywhere.

"Yulia, I want to improve my tailoring skills quickly. What do you think I should start with?" Li Ren asked, getting straight to the point without much small talk.

"Viscount, you've already tried making simple garments like underwear." Yulia's face reddened slightly at the mention of underwear.

"My suggestion is to start with something simple yet slightly more complex, like a linen outer garment." Yulia suggested.

"Once you're familiar with it, you can learn to make linen shirts. Shirts have collars and require buttons, making them a bit more complicated. But shirts come in various colors and styles, which is excellent for improving tailoring skills."

"Additionally, if you're interested, you can also learn fabric dyeing." Yulia was knowledgeable about tailoring and spoke with ease.

"Alright, let's start with the linen outer garment as you suggested." Li Ren nodded in agreement.

With Yulia's guidance and Li Ren's exceptional learning ability, the system prompt sounded after a few minutes:

[You have made a linen outer garment and gained insight!]



[You have learned a new skill - Making Linen Outer Garments]



[Your skill in Making Linen Outer Garments has improved, +3 experience points]



[You focused on making linen outer garments for 10 minutes, +1 tailoring profession experience points]



---

In the lush, low-density inner ring of the imperial capital, there was a luxurious standalone mansion with a scorpion lion emblem on its grand entrance.

Due to the capital's much higher population density than ordinary cities, the entire city was managed in a multi-ring structure, divided into the inner ring (first ring), second ring, third ring, and fourth ring.

The fourth ring and beyond were trade and civilian areas. For civilians, owning a home in the fourth ring of the capital was the ultimate affirmation of a lifetime of struggle.

The third ring had identity restrictions, mainly inhabited by nobles, church officials, and top merchants.

The second ring, aside from high-ranking church officials, was reserved for counts and above.

The inner ring was even more exclusive.

Basically, if you weren't a duke, you had no place there.

The Dragone Empire had a thousand-year-old royal lineage with numerous offspring, vast territories, and each province governed by a ducal family. These ducal families had mansions in the capital, along with top church officials and various guardian families. Iconic structures like the Cohen Cathedral were also located here.

Living in the inner ring was a symbol of power and status in the entire Dragone Empire.

This inner ring mansion belonged to the Drakum family, one of the top noble houses of the empire.

A white-haired noble with a crew cut sat solemnly behind a large rosewood desk, listening to the report of his steward, Owen.

After a few minutes, the white-haired elder asked, "So, you've confirmed that the Sam Corps was annihilated by this young swordsman named Li Ren from Minster?"

The white-haired elder was Duke Drakum, the master of the Sam Corps.

Although there were at least ten elite mercenary corps like the Sam Corps, or teams working for them, Sam had earned the duke's favor. Now that Sam was dead, the duke naturally wanted to look into it.

"Yes, we've investigated this young man's background and abilities over the past few days."

"He has no significant background, but he's exceptionally talented, and his strength has improved rapidly. He's now a diamond-ranked swordsman in the Minster Swordsman Division."

"Additionally, he's participated in several imperial missions and events, earning the admiration of Admiral Edward, the head of the Minster Swordsman Division. Even the Duke of Minster seems to hold him in high regard."

Steward Owen bowed respectfully as he reported.

The reason for the delay in reporting after the Sam Corps' annihilation was this.

The duke had spent considerable time arranging for a thorough investigation into Li Ren's abilities and background.

In his view, if Li Ren had some strength but no background, there was no need to report to the duke. But with Li Ren's official background as an imperial swordsman, dealing with him would be more difficult.

"A swordsman?"

"The highest-ranked swordsman among the family's offspring should be Greenwood, right?" The white-haired elder frowned slightly.

"Yes, Duke. Greenwood is now an electrum-ranked swordsman, second only to the golden-ranked swordsman."

"Hmm, since this young man relies on his status as a swordsman, let's send Greenwood to meet him."

"Tell this young man that since he could defeat Sam, he must be quite strong. And you said he's young."

"I admire talented youth, and I'm willing to give him a chance. If he's willing to replace Sam and work for me, I'll let bygones be bygones regarding the Sam Corps."

"Of course, I also want the elf girl that Sam mentioned in his report." Duke Drakum thought for a moment and said slowly.

"Yes, Duke. I'll contact Lord Greenwood immediately and arrange for him to set off as soon as possible." Steward Owen bowed respectfully.

His utmost respect was for Duke Drakum, and that was the key.

When considering matters, he never acted on personal whims, befitting his status.

In Owen's view, his task this time was simple.

He would invite Lord Greenwood to join him, showcasing the Drakum family's strength as one of the top noble houses of the empire. After witnessing the gap between them, he would extend an offer to the young man.

At this point, unless the young man was a fool, he would surely seize this opportunity to serve the Drakum family.

As for the elf girl, she would also be handed over without hesitation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end