Chapter 97: Whose Face

Chapter 97: Whose Face

Luster City.

The city buzzed with excitement today.

The main streets were adorned with lanterns and bustling with people. Drapes with the golden flame emblem of the Luster family hung from both sides of the streets.

In the distance, tables laden with beer barrels and food were set up on the square, inviting everyone to partake.

The entire city was brimming with a festive atmosphere.

Inside the carriage, Mu Zhuo lifted the curtain and eagerly observed the lively scene and the crowd outside.

"Luster City has become much more prosperous than before."

Sitting opposite him, Ota nodded and said, "After all, Luster City is now the center of the Golden Rock Province."

After defeating the Marquis of Golden Rock, the Marquis of Koi designated Luster City as the provincial capital. The Lord's Mansion continued to use the original Baron's Manor, but it was significantly expanded.

Now, Luster City was the political and economic hub of the entire Golden Rock Province, and its prosperity was only growing.

"President, I heard that the Grand Duke of Starlight and the other five marquises have sent envoys to congratulate us. Is that true?" Ota asked curiously.

Mu Zhuo smiled, "Of course, it's true. The Marquis of Luster has enough influence to warrant such attention."

"That's quite a grand affair."

As they spoke, the carriage arrived at the Lord's Mansion.

The open space in front of the mansion was filled with various luxurious carriages, each adorned with a plethora of noble crests. There were at least two to three hundred different crests.

Ota even recognized a few familiar noble crests, clearly belonging to the nobles of the Thornflower Duchy.

"Even the nobles from our duchy have come. The Marquis of Luster must have a lot of influence!"

Mu Zhuo replied with a meaningful tone, "It's true that he has a lot of influence, but it might not be the Marquis of Luster's influence."

Ota was momentarily stunned, then his face showed a thoughtful expression.

Handing over the gifts to the servants at the gate, they presented their invitations and, after a brief inspection, entered the mansion. A servant led them to the main hall.

From a distance, they could hear the laughter and chatter emanating from the hall.

The bright and spacious hall was filled with white-clothed tables, laden with various delicacies and fine wines.

Numerous well-dressed men and women, exuding an air of privilege, gathered in small groups, holding wine glasses and chatting elegantly.

Mu Zhuo scanned the room and recognized many familiar faces.

They were all prominent figures, many of whom were viscounts or even earls.

These high-ranking nobles, who were usually unreachable to commoners, now waited eagerly in the hall for the host's arrival.

Mu Zhuo smiled inwardly, his gaze sharp as he noticed two groups that drew a lot of attention.

The first group was a cluster of middle-aged men near the center of the hall.

Compared to the other nobles present, these men lacked the refined elegance and exuded a rugged, military toughness.

They were likely the new military nobles recently promoted by the Marquis of Koi. Having risen to power recently, they found it difficult to blend in with the established nobility and thus formed their own group.

Mu Zhuo's gaze swept the room and he found several familiar faces among them—Viscount Bradley, Baron Jordon, and Baron Stally.

He was quite familiar with these three, as they often led merchant caravans to Luster City.

The other group was a cluster of teenagers, their youthful and innocent faces standing out in the crowd of adults.

Despite their youth, no one dared to underestimate them, and many were secretly watching them.

After all, these young people were the students of that one person.

A noble approached them with a smile, trying to join their conversation, but soon returned with a look of frustration, seemingly unsuccessful.

Mu Zhuo scanned the room again but found no sign of Su Nan.

He realized that Su Nan wouldn't appear at this moment and stopped thinking about it. He signaled a passing servant to stop, took a glass of wine from the tray, and forced a smile as he approached the nearest group of nobles.

As for Ota, he was directed to another hall where all the nobles' guards were gathered.

"Boring banquet."

Corey frowned, looking at the smiling nobles in the hall, a hint of impatience on his face.

"And a bunch of boring people."

Artur laughed, "Don't say that. This is the Lord's wedding. If the teacher hears you say such things, he'll definitely scold you."

Corey pouted and let out a light hum, but the impatient look on his face vanished.

He still held a deep respect for his teacher.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that his teacher was also attending the wedding, he wouldn't have been here at all.

With the time spent on this boring banquet, he could have used it to study spells or breed another Black Rock Leopard.

Xie Man secretly chuckled beside him, looking at the opulent hall and the elegantly dressed nobles, feeling a bit melancholic.

In the past, the only way he could have attended such an upper-class banquet was to help old Roger clean up after it ended.

But now, he was a guest at the banquet, and many nobles were vying to court him.

It was truly a different world now.

"Senior Xie Man."

A voice suddenly came from beside him. Xie Man turned and saw Ethan, one of the second batch of apprentices to join the base.

"I heard that the base will soon have a new batch of Red-Eyed Crows. Is that true?" Ethan leaned in, curiosity evident in his eyes.

Behind him, the new apprentices looked on with interest, clearly intrigued by the news.

Xie Man smiled and nodded. "It's true. According to Lord Amy, the teacher brought them from somewhere else. They've already hatched, and once they're raised for a while, they'll be ready for use."

"Really, Red-Eyed Crows?"

"I've never seen such a magical creature before."

"The books say that Red-Eyed Crows can spot prey from over a hundred kilometers away."

"Really? Then I must get a Red-Eyed Crow as a magical pet in the future."

The new apprentices chattered excitedly, filled with curiosity about the Red-Eyed Crows.

For those just starting to learn the ways of the wizards, everything was new and fascinating.

Xie Man chuckled. "Then you'll have to work hard. Only second-level wizard apprentices can form a pact with a magical pet. You have a long way to go."

"Yes, Senior Xie Man."

The new apprentices stood tall, full of confidence.

Xie Man and Artur watched them, both feeling a bit nostalgic.

These newcomers hadn't yet experienced the harsh realities of training, which was why they were so confident.

Once they spent more time meditating, they would realize how difficult it was to construct star rings and increase their mental power.

Xie Man and Artur had been first-level wizard apprentices for over two years, and they still hadn't constructed their third star ring.

Their mental power was far from the standards required for a second-level wizard apprentice.

Advancement seemed distant and uncertain.

The more they trained, the more they realized how difficult it was to gain power.

This only made them respect and admire their teacher even more.

According to Lord Amy, their teacher had advanced to a second-level wizard apprentice in just about a year.

His rapid advancement was something they could only dream of.

"Lord has arrived!"

A voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Xie Man's thoughts.

He looked up and saw Marquis Koi entering the hall with his bride, both of them smiling broadly.

They were both dressed in elaborate gowns adorned with jewels and intricate embroidery. The bride wore a crown that complemented her beauty, making her even more captivating.

"The bride is so beautiful," Artur couldn't help but exclaim, her eyes shining.

Xie Man chuckled, about to tease her, but his gaze caught a familiar figure standing nearby. He turned, his expression immediately becoming serious.

"Teacher."

Corey, Artur, and the new apprentices also noticed Su Nan and bowed respectfully.

The commotion immediately drew the attention of many nobles.

When they saw Su Nan, their eyes lit up, and they were eager to approach him, but they held back because the main event was just beginning.

The hall quickly fell silent.

Su Nan smiled and watched the newlyweds at the center of the hall.

In this world, there were no churches, so wedding ceremonies weren't held in chapels and didn't involve exchanging vows or rings.

The entire wedding ceremony was more like a celebratory banquet, solemn yet lively.

Su Nan found this quite nice, as it avoided all the formalities.

After a few words of blessing, the banquet officially began.

People began to mingle, toasting and chatting merrily.

Several nobles, holding their wine glasses, were about to approach Su Nan when they suddenly realized he was already gone.

Even the young apprentices had left.

The group was thoroughly disappointed.

In a reception room at the back of the hall, Su Nan lounged on a sofa, sipping his wine leisurely.

Soon, Kay walked in and seeing his appearance, couldn't help but laugh. "I knew I'd find you here. Why don't you stay a bit longer? Quite a few people at this wedding are here just to see you."

Su Nan shrugged, saying nothing.

Of course, he knew that.

In the reception room at the back of the hall, Su Nan lounged on a sofa, sipping his wine leisurely.

Kay walked in and, seeing his appearance, couldn't help but laugh. "I knew I'd find you here. Why don't you stay a bit longer? Quite a few people at this wedding are here just to see you."

Su Nan shrugged, saying nothing. Of course, he knew that.

"Where's the bride? You just left her like that?"

Kay didn't mind Su Nan's attempt to change the subject and laughed as he sat down on the sofa, pouring himself a glass of wine.

"She went back to rest. An eighteen-year-old girl, busy all day, must be exhausted."

Su Nan raised an eyebrow. "That's not good. A weak constitution isn't beneficial for the next generation's genes. Make sure she eats more Dragon Blood Fruits."

In this world, genetic inheritance was even more pronounced.

The children of knights often had better potential and were more likely to become knights themselves.

If both parents were knights, the likelihood of their children becoming knights was around 70-80%.

For Grand Knights, it was almost a certainty.

Legendary Knights were even more influential in this regard.

This is why some noble families, which had existed for centuries, often produced many strong individuals and a steady stream of knights.

It was a clear indication of genetic improvement.

If both parents were knights, their children had a very high chance of becoming knights themselves.

Unfortunately, female knights were rare in this era.

Noble daughters focused more on etiquette and social skills, learning singing, playing musical instruments, and dining etiquette, possibly including court dancing and horse riding, but not on martial training.

However, that wasn't a problem. If they lacked martial skills, they could still improve their physical constitution.

With Dragon Blood Fruits, significantly enhancing one's physique in a short time wasn't difficult.

They chatted casually for a while, then the conversation shifted to the recent status of the Starfire Church.

"Currently, the Starfire Church is making the most progress in the Crimson Leaf Province and the Frostfall Province."

"In the former, the Grand Duke's endorsement has ensured smooth sailing from the top down."

"In the latter, the province is rebuilding, and the people are suffering from hunger and cold. The Starfire Church only needs to provide a little food to gain a large number of followers."

"As for the Lake Blue Province, the Somer Province, and the Purple Bamboo Province, they haven't openly supported the spread of the Starfire Church, but they haven't hindered it either. They're probably still observing the situation."

Kay didn't mention the White Tower Province.

However, from the White Tower Marquis's decision to ally with him through marriage, his stance was clear.

"We need time to build our strength, but we can't just let the Starfire Church expand unchecked. Do you have any ideas?" Kay asked, his expression serious.

Su Nan thought for a moment.

They couldn't interfere in the territories of other provinces, so there was no way to disrupt the Starfire Church's activities there.

The only option was to ally with the White Tower Province and ban the Starfire Church from entering.

Of course, there might be other ways.

The Golden Rock Province was unreliable, but there was still the Secret Forest Cottage.

Perhaps they could start from that angle.

"I'll think of something," Su Nan said.

Hearing this, Kay's expression relaxed considerably.

He always had a lot of confidence in Su Nan. Since Su Nan said he would handle it, he must have a plan.

Knock, knock!

The sound of a knock came from the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Bradley quickly walked in, his expression serious.

"Lord, Sir Su Nan."

He first bowed to both of them, then said solemnly, "The patrol squad has reported that a village about ten kilometers north of the city has disappeared!"

Kay's expression turned grave. "Do they know what happened?"

"According to the squad's report, there were many marks of wild beast claws and teeth at the scene, along with a large amount of blood. They initially suspect that a group of beasts attacked the village, killed everyone, and dragged the bodies away."

"Beast group?"

Kay frowned, his expression uncertain.

Beast group attacks on villages were not uncommon, but for an entire village to be wiped out without a single person escaping to raise the alarm was quite bizarre.

How large would the beast group have to be to accomplish this?

The joyous occasion was marred by this news, and Kay's mood soured. He frowned and ordered, "You personally lead a team to investigate. Find the perpetrators!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Bradley nodded solemnly and left swiftly to gather his men.

"Of all times, this had to happen now," Kay sighed.

Su Nan stood up and patted his shoulder, comforting him. "Finish the wedding first. We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."

Kay nodded and returned to the hall.

After all, he was the main guest today and couldn't be away for too long.

Su Nan walked to the window, gazing northward, lost in thought.

"A beast group, huh?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end