Chapter 374: Tamriel

Chapter 374: Tamriel

Ren briefly recounted his experiences in the Frostwind Tundra to the group.

Although Admiral Edward had received a letter of appointment from the Swordsman Headquarters regarding Ren's promotion and transfer days ago, he wasn't entirely clear on what Ren had accomplished in the Tundra.

The letter merely mentioned it in passing.

Nero, Angus, and the others were completely unaware of the situation.

So, when Ren explained that he had first killed the mutated ancestor dragon Coraxus in the Tundra, and then proceeded to sweep through the Sea God Church's stronghold in Howling Bay, taking down three of their leaders, everyone was left in a state of shock.

Even Colonel Stanley and Olenna were wide-eyed and open-mouthed in surprise.

When Ren mentioned that on his way back, he had fought and repelled the projection of the Sea Goddess Hela, whom the Sea God Church worshipped, even the well-traveled Admiral Edward was stunned, his eyes wide and his head buzzing.

The others exchanged glances, all with expressions of disbelief.

But they knew that Ren had no reason to lie.

After all, his single-handed eradication of the Sea God Church's stronghold in Howling Bay was a significant achievement, one that had earned him a promotion to the Electrum Rank Swordsman.

What was the point of boasting further?

So, it was highly likely that Ren was telling the truth.

"Ren, tell me more about your battle with that person," said Admiral Edward, his excitement evident as he pulled Ren aside to find a private room for a detailed account.

No wonder their captain had remained so calm and collected, whether facing the Dram family, an old and established ducal house, or the renowned Swordmaster Leon.

Evelyn's beautiful eyes wandered over Ren's figure, her mind racing with thoughts.

Nero let out a bitter laugh and turned to Evelyn, who stood by his side. "I wanted to surprise the captain with my advancement to a full-fledged wizard, but alas..."

"Haha, we can't help but run into such a monster," Evelyn covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle.

Meanwhile, on another front.

Greenwood, clutching his injured palm, hurried to the airship docking site with Butler Owen, boarding the next available flight back to the Imperial City Tamriel.

Inside the airship cabin.

Greenwood's palm injury had received preliminary treatment and bandaging, but proper healing would have to wait until they returned to Tamriel.

"My apologies, Master Greenwood. I didn't investigate the situation thoroughly, leading to your injury. I'm truly sorry," Butler Owen deeply apologized, bowing to Greenwood.

"But for someone so young to become an Electrum Rank Swordsman is beyond my expectations," Owen frowned.

"It's not entirely your fault. I didn't anticipate this either. He didn't even report to headquarters and was directly promoted. Such a case might only occur once in a decade," Greenwood nodded grimly, accepting Owen's apology with reservation.

After all, Owen was a trusted aide of his uncle, and as Owen had said, the situation had caught him off guard.

"Master Greenwood, could you inquire at the Swordsman Headquarters about the reasons for his unexpected promotion to Electrum Rank?"

Despite Owen's extensive connections in the Imperial City, investigating an Electrum Rank Swordsman's affairs was beyond his reach.

"It's difficult! Information about Electrum Rank Swordsmen is classified at headquarters,"

"...and since he's never been to headquarters, the Swordsmen there wouldn't know him. Otherwise, I might have some insights," Greenwood shook his head.

"It seems this matter requires Duke Dram's personal involvement to contact the relevant officials at the Imperial City Swordsman Headquarters," Owen agreed, nodding.

"Although I'm no match for this Ren, I understand his capabilities. He's foolishly pursuing both the path of knighthood and wizardry, all while relying on his extraordinary talent."

"I'm certain he's never received proper guidance."

"By the way, Butler Owen, are you really going to persuade my uncle to give up the Munster branch's shares?"

"Haha, that's impossible! It was merely a temporary solution to extricate ourselves," Owen laughed heartily.

"But what if he comes to the Imperial City and demands them back? Wouldn't that bring shame to the Dram family?" Greenwood hesitated, valuing family honor.

"Hmph, I'd worry if he doesn't come. Once he's in the Imperial City, he'll realize what it means to be an Imperial noble. Even an Electrum Rank Swordsman would find it challenging to navigate these waters."

A thought seemed to strike Greenwood, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, Butler Owen?"

"As soon as this Ren reports to the Swordsman Headquarters, I'll know. I believe Duke Dram will leverage his connections to assign this Ren tasks of considerable difficulty."

"Indeed! Even Electrum Rank Swordsmen receive assignments."

"...and with the Empire's tumultuous situation these past six months, many tasks are highly dangerous. Even Electrum Rank Swordsmen have suffered double-digit casualties," Greenwood's eyes lit up, nodding in agreement.

In Greenwood's view, this was the depth of the Dram family's influence as an Imperial noble house.

Despite Ren's remarkable talent, his small-town 'problem-solver' background would forever set him apart from the nobility.

Greenwood didn't need to confront Ren directly. Over centuries, the intricate web of connections woven by the Dram family could lead Ren to his demise, and he might never know who pulled the strings.

"Absolutely! After his sacrifice, he might even earn the Emperor's commendation."

"Isn't there a saying? Dead heroes are the greatest heroes," Butler Owen smiled slyly.

In the following days, Ren continued his routine of early mornings and late nights, immersing himself in Julius' tailoring shop.

He made sure to share meals with his family whenever possible.

During this time, Duke Munster, Bishop Sean, and Paladin Brandon invited Ren for dinners and gatherings.

Day Eight.

Ren had leveled his tailoring skill to level 9 (22/10000), and logically, he should have received hints or clues about advancing to the next profession by now, especially after reaching level 5.

But strangely, even at level 9, he hadn't encountered any such prompts, which was clearly unreasonable.

Lord Rayn's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he pondered, for after reaching level 9 in Tailoring, the experience bar became increasingly sluggish to fill. He estimated that advancing to level 10 would require at least half a month or more.

This did not align with Rayn's plans.

Before heading to the Imperial City, he intended to accumulate at least 15 skill points, 12 of which would be used to enhance a Second-Level Magic he anticipated acquiring at headquarters, swiftly boosting his combat prowess.

The remaining 3 points would be allocated to advancing the second level of the Steel Heart Advanced Meditation Technique.

After some contemplation, Rayn suspected the issue might lie in his limited repertoire of tailoring styles.

Up until now, he had been improving his tailoring skill solely through the creation of Mithril Embroidered Shirts.

"Julius, please teach me how to make other garments, like trousers and gloves," Rayn turned to the gentle and graceful woman beside him and requested.

"Of course."

Julius had previously asked Rayn if he wanted to learn other tailoring styles, but Rayn, having discovered the high experience value of Mithril Embroidered Shirts and his swiftness in crafting them, saw no point in wasting time on other styles.

However, the situation had changed.

Hours later, as Rayn consecutively mastered several new tailoring skills, the long-awaited system prompt finally arrived:

[You have crafted a pair of Linen Sandals, enhancing your understanding!]



[You have learned a new skill - Linen Sandal Creation!]



[Your skill, Linen Sandal Creation, has improved. Experience gained: +5]



[You have successfully crafted a pair of Linen Sandals. Tailoring experience gained: +2]



[You have crafted a White Woolen Robe, enhancing your understanding!]



[You have learned a new skill - White Woolen Robe Creation!]



[Your skill, White Woolen Robe Creation, has improved. Experience gained: +7]



[You have successfully crafted a White Woolen Robe. Tailoring experience gained: +3]



[Ding! Host has mastered five different tailoring skills, triggering the class advancement - Master Seamstress!]



[Requirements for advancing to Master Seamstress: 1. Tailoring level 5 or higher; 2. Strength 7 or higher, Constitution 7, and Mental Attribute 9 or higher; 3. Mastery of ten different tailoring skills. Current conditions not met! Advancement to Master Seamstress failed!]



Upon seeing this, Lord Rayn smiled slightly.

"It seems my previous idea was correct."

"Hmm? Master Seamstress is still a normal class, not an extraordinary one?" Lord Rayn furrowed his brows.

However, soon enough, his brows relaxed, and he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, "That's right. The previous advancement from Blacksmith to Armorsmith wasn't extraordinary either. It's just that the word 'Master' misled me."

After another half-day, as Lord Rayn learned five more new skills from Julius, the system prompt sounded again:

[Requirements for advancing to Master Seamstress: 1. Tailoring level 5 or higher; 2. Strength 7 or higher, Constitution 7, and Mental Attribute 9 or higher; 3. Mastery of ten different tailoring skills. Current conditions met. Do you wish to advance to Master Seamstress?]



[Note: After advancing to Master Seamstress, the original Tailoring skill panel will be integrated into the Master Seamstress skill panel.]



"Yes!"

[Ding! Advancement to Master Seamstress successful! Agility +1, Mental Attribute +2! The core skill 'Keen Hands' of the Tailoring class has advanced to the core skill 'Heart of Craft' of the Master Seamstress class.]



"Interesting, the core skill of Tailoring actually advances," Lord Rayn couldn't help but focus on the new core skill, 'Heart of Craft', its description reading:

[Core Skill: Heart of Craft (Active)]



Heart of Craft (Active) Effect: Upon skill activation, concentration and hand speed increase.

[Note: The duration of this skill is proportional to the host's Constitution and Mental Attribute.]



Driven by curiosity about the new core skill, Lord Rayn activated 'Heart of Craft'.

Instantly, the surrounding sounds—the whispers of the female clerks in the adjacent room and the bustling noises from the street—faded away from his acute senses, as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only him, the fabric, and his needle and thread.

Simultaneously, he felt a noticeable improvement in the dexterity of his hands.

His already high Agility made his hand speed incredibly fast, and with the activation of the 'Heart of Craft' core skill, it became even more astonishing, almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Moreover, this speed was not chaotic but orderly.

Within seconds, a Mithril Embroidered Shirt was completed.

Julius, standing beside him, was stunned. Instinctively, she picked up the shirt that Lord Rayn had crafted in mere seconds, and upon a quick glance, her beautiful eyes widened, and she was left speechless! After a few seconds, she managed to utter, "Young Master, I believe your tailoring skills have surpassed mine."

The shirt's Mithril threads were sewn with machine-like precision, each stitch perfectly spaced. The two Mithril embroidered lines on the chest were parallel, maintaining a consistent distance from start to finish.

This level of tailoring proficiency was something a regular tailor might never achieve, even with a lifetime of practice.

Even Julius, a talented Master Seamstress, could only achieve this level of precision in a few exceptional pieces, and only when her skills were at their peak.

Read the flawless version at 69 Book Bar!

She had been learning tailoring since she was eight years old and was now forty-two.

"No, Julius, I'm still a tailoring novice. I need to learn some new styles." Lord Rayn smiled slightly.

He had noticed from the system prompt that the experience gained from Mithril Embroidered Shirts had significantly decreased after advancing to Master Seamstress.

He required a more intricate and valuable garment to quickly enhance his Master Seamstress class level.

However, after some conversation, Lord Rayn discovered that the more complex styles Julius knew were all women's dresses, requiring proficiency in lace borders and embroidery techniques.

This caused Lord Rayn's brows to furrow slightly.

After all, it was already unusual for a male noble to learn tailoring, and spending days crafting women's dresses would be considered eccentric.

After some thought, Lord Rayn decided to continue making Mithril Embroidered Shirts.

Although it would be slightly slower, his proficiency and the new core skill ensured it wouldn't be too time-consuming.

More importantly, the time for the journey to the Imperial City Tamriel was drawing near.

Over the next two days, he successfully advanced his Master Seamstress class level to lv4 (3/1000), gaining 3 skill points and 3 attribute points.

With the additional rewards from his tailoring profession, Ren now had a total of 12 remaining attribute points, 16 skill points, and 54 golden skill points. He had successfully achieved his predetermined goal.

Ren's thoughts turned to two matters at hand.

The first was whether to bring Anna with him to the Imperial City. The Dram family, a powerful noble house in the Imperial City, had shown no restraint in their actions within Manstir. Without Ren's presence, Vieri would likely be unable to deter them.

However, taking Anna to the Imperial City presented another issue.

The Swordbearer headquarters provided accommodations within its inner sanctum, inaccessible to outsiders. This meant Ren would need to find alternative lodging for Anna in the Imperial City.

The safest option would be to send Anna back to Ferdinand Forest and contact her once he located her mother.

The second matter was a letter received a few days ago from the Ice Claw Bear Mercenary Group, stating that they were escorting Lady Lagre to Manstir.

Ren feared he might not be able to meet them in time.

"No, Ren, I want to go with you," Anna said, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ren.

"This..."

"Don't worry. If necessary, there's an ambassador's manor in Tamriel where we elves can stay. I can wait for your news there," Anna assured him.

"An ambassador's manor?" Ren asked, surprised.

"Yes!" Anna nodded emphatically.

"Alright then," Ren agreed.

The ambassador's manor, a symbol of the Empire's prestige, was one of the safest places in the entire Imperial City.

The following morning, after a heartfelt farewell with his family, Ren and Anna boarded the airship bound for Tamriel, the capital of the Dragonguard Empire.

On the airship platform, Admiral Edward personally saw them off, and Olenna and Vieri, among others close to Ren, were there to bid them farewell.

A day and a half later, the airship drew closer to Tamriel.

Many passengers, like Ren and Anna, had emerged from their cabins and were gazing into the distance from the ship's deck.

"Ren, look!" Anna exclaimed, pointing towards a vast expanse of lush, verdant forest in the distance.

Ren followed Anna's slender finger and noticed a sprawling network of crisscrossing roads and towering architectural marvels in the distant forest. Despite the distance, he could discern the diverse styles and heights of the buildings.

As the airship drew nearer, others also began to marvel at the approaching metropolis.

Passengers from the cabins joined them on deck, and the crowd grew.

Given the high cost of airship tickets and the exclusivity of this deck, most passengers were either wealthy merchants or nobles. Yet, despite their worldliness, they couldn't help but gasp at the sight of this colossal city.

"Mother, is this our Dragonguard Empire's capital, Tamriel? It's truly breathtaking!" exclaimed a young girl, barely older than Ren's sister, dressed in a white lace gown.

"Indeed, this is Tamriel, the very heart of our Empire," affirmed a noblewoman standing nearby, her eyes fixed on the distant city.

"Each time I come here, I'm struck by the grandeur of this great city," mused an elderly man with a goatee, his voice filled with awe.

Though he had visited the Imperial City before, each time he was awed by the magnificence of civilization and the Empire's might.

"The Imperial City is truly magnificent!" echoed a middle-aged man in noble hunting attire, his eyes taking in the spectacle.

Ren noticed Anna's reaction, her face a mix of wonder and something else.

"Anna, what's wrong?" Ren asked.

"Ren, do you know what Tamriel means in the Elven language?" Anna asked.

"Oh? Could it be that Tamriel was once an Elven city?" Ren wondered aloud, his eyes widening.

The pronunciation of Tamriel was indeed quite different from the common tongue.

With his exceptional eyesight, Ren could even make out the distinct Elven architectural styles—pillar towers, arches, and spires. He could clearly see the intricate and ancient engravings on the outer walls.

These seemed to be etched with Elven script and architectural designs.

"Yes, in the Elven language, Tamriel means 'Eternal Beauty.' In ancient times, it was always the heart of the Elven race," Anna explained, her voice tinged with melancholy.

"I see," Ren nodded.

No wonder the Imperial City was situated in the heart of a vast forest.

As the airship descended, the roads below became more densely packed, bustling with caravans and travelers. Even the sky seemed crowded with air traffic.

"Wow, so many airships! Are these all from different provinces heading to the Imperial City?" the young girl exclaimed, pointing at the scattered airships in the sky.

The airships varied in size, some medium and even large, a rare sight compared to the small airships typically seen in Manstir.

"Look! What are those huge pits?" a noble exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly.

Ren narrowed his eyes, focusing on the ground below.

Directly beneath them, at the city's edge, were numerous gaping pits within the lush forest.

The passengers, previously captivated by the sky, had overlooked the ground.

"There's more over there!" another passenger shouted.

"Even more in the city!"

Ren's gaze shifted to the central architectural complex, a massive spired white building complex surrounded by walls. Some sections were under repair, and the ground bore scars of numerous pits and damaged structures.

Though many passengers were unaware of the recent battle, Ren knew these were the remnants of the epic battle.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end