[Beep! Mission established, beginning scan!] The A.I. Chip carried out Leylin's commands loyally.
Soon enough, the latest results were transmitted. [Compared to previous data, target's vitality has risen by 0.01, strength by 0.02, spiritual force by 0.005. No obvious adverse reaction.]
"The flesh of high-ranked professionals does indeed provide a great boost for regular humans…" Leylin nodded. He understood that these numbers were exaggerated, and if it were himself the amplification to his stats wouldn't reach even 0.00001. This was the difference created by the varying base stats.
"Ah… you devil! You're a devil worshipper!" At this moment, Mahnke, who was still on the ground, shrieked. Though Cyric the God of Murder had always possessed a bad reputation, he was still a good samaritan when compared to demons and devils.
Knowing that the wizard keeping him captive was a follower of a devil, Mahnke completely lost all hope. As a member of the dark realm, he naturally knew that the followers of devils liked to sacrifice flesh, blood, as well as the souls of the followers of gods in order to obtain rewards from the devils.
"Kill me! Kill me quickly! Don't profane my soul, else the gods won't let you off!" Mahnke yelled hysterically, but paired with his dry throat his voice was like a broken bellow and it couldn't travel out of the jail.
"Shut up!" Leylin's brows furrowed as he kicked outwards, causing Mahnke to faint.
"Now, here's the most important part. Detect Alignment!" A bundle of white light in Leylin's hands covered Howard.
Soon enough, glee appeared on his face, 'The alignment is still neutral! It seems like as long as it doesn't profane the soul all the terrible consequences will be taken up by Beelzebub. The ability to grow in strength by devouring flesh and blood is rather valuable…'
Of course, Leylin knew very well that the part with the greatest energy was the soul. The energy he would acquire from a person's flesh and blood alone wouldn't even be half the total that the body had.
However, profaning the soul was labelled chaotic and evil. Leylin could only resign himself to part with that desire of his. Leylin nodded and retrieved the Devilblood Dagger, giving Howard an instruction, "Alright, you may go! After you leave this jail, you will forget everything you've just done!"
"Understood!" Howard staggered out, leaving Leylin alone in the jail, deep in thought.
'It takes a lot of energy to turn the power of flesh and blood into spiritual force. On top of that, I'll need to ensure that I wipe out the memories of the soul in its final moments…' Numerous possibilities streaked through Leylin's mind, allowing him to make more plans regarding the Devilblood Dagger.
He'd originally planned on travelling outside to use the Devilblood Dagger, hunting to quickly increase his strength. But due to the need to keep a low profile, he had no choice but to exercise patience.
But now? The situation was now very different. Leylin had been bullied in his home territory, and he urgently needed great power. Otherwise, the Faulen Family could very well be wiped out just like Isabel's!
Of course, there were slight differences in their circumstances. Isabel needed to pray for strength from devils and demons, while Leylin only needed to rely on himself.
"After a little modification, I will be done here! Mister Mahnke… It's now your time to shine…" Blood red radiance flickered on the surface of the Devilblood Dagger, reflecting Leylin's expressionless face. He glanced at Mahnke on the floor the way he would at a dead man, or perhaps a swine before slaughter.
The devouring power from the dagger was intoxicating, but with his own grasp of the law of devouring Leylin could control it skillfully.An unceasing stream of heat gathered in the dagger in his right hand, extending to his entire body.
A sense of comfort stimulated a great breakthrough in his spiritual force, sending it spurring towards a deeper level of the Weave. At this moment, the A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded by Leylin's ear. [Beep! Detected change in stats to host body. Vitality increased by 0.2, spiritual force increased by 0.05.]
Countless prompts refreshed, allowing Leylin to see his stats increase. His spiritual force, which had long since reached the peak of rank 6, finally broke through with this burst of strength.
*Crack!* A slight sound could be felt directly from his soul, and Leylin felt his spiritual force making contact with an even more terrifying level of the Weave.
He understood what had happened, "The third level of the Weave! I've contacted the third level of the Weave and officially become a rank 7 wizard!"
At this moment, the A.I. Chip's voice was transmitted.
[Beep! Host's spiritual force has contacted level 3 of the Weave. Advanced to rank 7 wizard (spiritual force +0.5)]
[Host has advanced to rank 7 as a wizard. New additions: Rank 3 spell slot (1), rank 2 spell slot (1), rank 1 spell slot (1)!]
[Detected drastic changes to host's stats. Recalculating…] The A.I. Chip refreshed the screen with more information. In just a moment, Leylin's stats were renewed.
[Leylin Farlier. Age: 15. Race: Human, Rank 7 Wizard. Strength: 2.5. Agility: 2. Vitality: 3.7. Spiritual force: 7. Status: Healthy. Innate talent: Sturdy, Erudite. Spell slots possessed: Rank 3 spell slot (1), rank 2 spell slot (3), rank 1 spell slot (4), rank 0 spell slot (???)]
'Forget the spiritual force, I'd long since reached its limit. But the increase to my other stats… It's practically the sum of my fifteen years of growth…' Leylin's eyes flickered, 'Could it be that now that I've reached fifteen and become an adult, my body's stats have all reached the average standard, and more importantly, my growth is now complete? This way, I'll be able to advance and accept more strength?'
Leylin looked at the spell slots, "As expected. I got a rank 3 spell slot after advancing to rank 7, it looks like this Goddess of the Weave is impartial to all wizards…"
The increase in spell slot numbers followed unfathomable rules. Some enchanted tools could increase the number of spell slots, and it was rumoured that those the goddess favoured could have more spell slots after advancing. However, there were two ironclad rules: One, one could have no more than 9 slots for a rank. Two, Only after reaching a certain level could wizards gain spell slots of certain ranks.
In other words, Leylin was now a rank 7 wizard, and he could at most only have rank 3 spell slots. It was impossible for him to have rank 4 spell slots, and even if he were to find a bunch of enchanted rings that could increase the number of spell slots, there would still be a limit of 9. It was impossible to have more than that, even for rank 0.
Furthermore, this iron rule was for all wizards. Even legendary wizards and those related to gods were treated the same way, with no change. Seeing the limitations that the gods put on wizards, Leylin's lips curved.
'Seems like the Magi left a very deep impression on the gods during the ancient war, to the point that they felt fear. They didn't hesitate to shackle the spell-casting professions. Is that to prevent a repeat occurrence of the Magi?
'If there comes a day that the shackles of the Weave are destroyed, what sort of interesting things are going to happen?' Leylin chuckled, beginning to feel a little anticipation.
'And then there's the power from devouring flesh and blood…' Leylin stood up, staring at the skeleton on the floor. He put the Devilblood Dagger away, and his brows began to furrow.
He felt that his body was swelling like an obese person who had eaten far too much, to the point that even his soul could not take it.
'It seems like this ability can't be used too often, especially before the body has digested all the energy. If that happens, the berserk life energy could become the most fatal toxin!'Leylin shook his head, knowing that this Devilblood Dagger should not be used lightly.
'In addition, no one can know of this, or else I'll be confirmed to be a devil worshipper. It'll be game over for me then…' At this thought, Leylin immediately began to clear up the skeletal remains on the ground.
Things that made it evident that they had been used for evil rites and the like and could not be left lying around. They were best removed by burning.
As for the souls the Devilblood Dagger absorbed, Leylin had modified its effects on them. They went through unimaginable suffering before their death that served to completely fragment their memories, leaving no traces at all.
'With the Devilblood Dagger, all my accumulations can allow me to pass through the many ranks of wizards quickly…' Leylin's eyes flashed with a glint of light, 'This means it's necessary to find something to hide all this…'
This advancement was unnatural, and if just one person found something was off, Leylin knew that he would probably need to move away alone and hide himself in the name of training in seclusion.
After gaining enough strength, he would immediately travel in order to hide his unusual growth. And the many battles with Viscount TIm's pirates would clearly be a great source for such a thing. Viscount Tim, and even Marquis Louis, would very soon find out that in a bid to obtain more profits, they had chosen a very terrifying enemy!
The devil was thirsting for his enemy's blood to grow, and would soon take over the World of Gods.
-x-X-x-
With the Faulen Family's prestige and reputation in the island, it wasn't difficult to cobble up a patrol. However, on the field where grain was drying, Leylin frowned at the sight of his subordinates.
"Getting fifty from the port and another thirty from the manor… Is this our limit?" A sparse crowd stood at the field, awaiting Leylin's inspection. While they had done all they could to rub their leather armour and weapons till they were sparkling clean and tried their best to stick their chests out, Leylin still felt they looked like nothing but a bunch of rowdy people.
'It's alright if you get them to patrol and maintain order, but once you bring them to a bloody battlefield…' Leylin shook his head inwardly, though the expression on his face showed excitement.
"Residents of the Faulen Island! There are a group of horrible, evil pirates about to reach the coast. They will slaughter your parents, steal your copper and bread, and humiliate your wives and daughters. Those low-lives are capable of anything!" Leylin did his best to sound agitated to stir up the masses.
Was there a need to announce what the pirates would do to them? The troops began to get restless and immediately knew that Leylin spoke the truth. It might even be an understatement.
"Well then… tell me! Are you willing to let this happen?" Leylin's sharp voice resounded in the field.
"No!" "No!" Though many of them were mercenaries who only worked when money was involved, most of them were farmers who had enlisted. Their families were here, and even the mercenaries had settled down here. At the very least, when it came to protecting one's family and wealth, these people were rather enthusiastic and hot-blooded.
Hence after being provoked, all of them were flush with anger as they roared with all the strength they had.
"Good! As the master of this territory, I call on you to pick up your weapons and prepare to fight bravely to protect your home!" Leylin spoke so loudly that his voice could be heard from every corner of the field.
In such a feverish atmosphere, there could be one or two who remained timid or rational, but they would soon be drowned out by the crowd, dragged along with the flow.
"Our Faulen Family will not treat any of you unfairly!" Leylin clapped his hands, and two bodyguards went up on stage with numerous boxes.
The large copper locks were opened, revealing brand new armour within. There was even some chainmail that was made of metal rings. Not only did this metal armour provide a greater defence than leather armour, it was more flexible to boot. It was practical, but there were high requirements on its forging so these items had no market.
Beside the armour were even greater quantities of shining weapons. Vorpal swords, curved blades, hammers, lances… there was anything one could need.
On top of that, these weapons were in good shape and they had a layer of oil on the surface. There were no signs of rust or corrosion, and they radiated a lustre from their sharp edges.
"All those who take part in this operation can choose a weapon of their own! Vice captains and those ranked above can all choose a set of armour!" Leylin's scanned the crowd. Evidently, these excellent weapons were attractive to the point that people would risk their lives for them. Leylin found a few fellows whose eyes were shining.
'Of course…' For this reason, he raised his voice intentionally, "If you can contribute in this battle, there is no reason why we can't reward you with these weapons and armour!"
With this promise, there was a huge uproar in the crowd below. In this age, metallic weapons and armour had a very high value and could even be said to be treasures passed down generations of knights. Many of them didn't dare to believe Leylin's promise.
"There's no need to doubt me, I vow in the name of the Faulen Family!" Leylin looked especially solemn, making this guarantee with his name as a noble. Though this meant nothing to him, with the values of the World of Gods the promise of a noble still held quite some value.
Hence, many soldiers could not help but begin to cheer.
Leylin cleared his throat and urged for the last time, "In addition… If there are injuries or even deaths in battle, I will offer compensation. If you die in battle, your rewards will be given to your family!"
"Faulen!" "Faulen!" The soldiers below began to cheer in their excitement. Injuries and death were the worst fates for veterans in a feudal age. Leylin was even willing to compensate them for it, which was something even churches didn't do!
'This should be able to somewhat boost their morale, right? Though… it's just this once!' Leylin stared at the soldiers whose moral was at the peak while laughing bitterly inside.
With his actions, he would suffer losses even if they won the battle. It was the entire reason why lords seldom did things like this. Those weapons and armour alone were the accumulations of the Faulen Family over the year, and a large part of the family's wealth.
However, this was a special circumstance, and Leylin had no choice but to do this. After all, if the Faulen Family were to cease existing, these items would be useless.
The soldiers outside began preparations for battle, while a small meeting was being held in the manor.
"We'll leave the manor to you, Uncle Leon," Leylin spoke to the housekeeper on his right, "I've already sent down the order that you'll be in charge of everything in the manor."
"I will definitely protect everything for you!" Leon's placed his right hand on his chest as he promised.
Leylin nodded, feeling assured. His mother, Claire, and Clara had all been sent to the church of knowledge at the port in secret.
With how shrewd Bishop Tapris was, it would probably be the best place for them on the island if he and his father met danger.
Based on what Mahnke said, the assassins he had captured were the only ones that the enemy had sent, but Leylin considered the fact that Viscount Tim might be driven to desperation.
After Leon left, only Isabel, Jacob and a few leaders with professions remained. They were the strongest, and Leylin had nothing to hide from them.
"Based on the information I've received, there are over a hundred people amongst the pirates, and the leader is a rank 10 Professional!" At this point, Leylin looked grim, and everyone except Isabel gasped.
"A hundred men, and a rank 10 Professional? This kind of strength isn't second to the power of a famous pirate crew! Why would they come here?" Jacob gasped.
In reality, the truly strong would not do something as beneath themselves and dangerous as become pirates. With their strength and reputation, they could become public security officers in any large city, and could even become nobles.
It was illogical for someone like them to attack the Faulen Family.
Leylin nodded as he sneered. "Hehe… This is a famous pirate group. Have you heard of the Black Tiger?"
"Black Tiger Pirates?" The shock in Jacob's eyes grew even more profound, "They… they operate in the seas of the Baltic archipelago, and they shouldn't have any grudges against our Faulen Family…"
"Sometimes, there needn't be grudges to start a fight for benefits. What aren't those greedy pigs capable of?" Isabel stood out, unsheathing the black longsword in her hands.
*Swish!* A flash of black light passed, splintering the table in front of them and splitting it apart.
"Or… are you scared?" There was a murderous glint in Isabel's eyes, as if she would kill if anyone dared say no.
"Ah, I forgot to tell all of you. My cousin is a rank 9 and will act with us!" Leylin cleared his throat.
'This strength… It's clearly above rank 5. I just don't know if she's a warrior or knight-errant…' Though Isabel looked like a little girl, these team leaders here did not dare belittle her. A rank 9 was enough to crush them.
Jacob nodded, a hint of glee flashing in his eyes.Since she was a rank 9, with a young master who was a wizard, taking care of a rank 10 was not entirely impossible.
If Jacob could see that, the old foxes were obviously aware of that too. Hence, they immediately knelt on one knee to express their loyalty to Leylin, "We are willing to be young master's blades and obey all your instructions!"
'These people…' Leylin shook his head instead, feeling a little fed up with the situation. However, he had no choice but to continue pretending.
"Good, we leave now! We have to strive to catch them off their guard!" With a traitor like Mahnke, Leylin knew the strength of the Black Tiger pirates and what they could be hiding like the back of his hand.
"It's too foolish to wait for them to reach the coast. I don't want the battles to affect this territory…" Leylin looked around, spreading out a yellowed map. It showed the detailed topology of the area surrounding Faulen Island, and even contained information about the ocean currents and wind directions.
Just this map alone had a value of over ten gold coins, and it was something the Faulen Family had gained over decades of hardship and exploration. It definitely was not to be sold outside.
"The Black Tiger pirates are now here." Leylin tapped at the map. This was an uninhabited island not far from the Faulan Island, and there wasn't any shipping route nearby. Even with their opponents on alert, it was still possible to hide for a period of time.
-x-X-x-
*Whoosh!* The night sea winds had a fishy, chilly smell that made Jacob shrink back.
As a member of the Faulen Family, he might have long since gotten used to these winds and waves, but the deck that was creaking up and down, as well as the billowing sails above, made him as if he was in a dream. This feeling reached its peak when he saw Leylin, standing proudly at the head of the ship.
They were in a typical double mast sailboat. They weren't squeezed together even with over 80 people there.
But it wasn't difficult at all to acquire such a thing with the Faulen Family's status. No, what shocked Jacob was Young Master Leylin's behaviour!
'No… Actually everyone is shocked…' Jacob looked at the leaders beside him who were scared out of their wits, yet at the same time had a fire burning in their eyes, and chuckled wryly.
Just before they had left, Leylin had cast Nondetection in front of everyone. By Oghma! This was a rank 3 spell, and the young master had not used any items or scrolls at all!
That he could cast a rank 3 spell by himself meant Leylin was rank 7. Without any warning, their young master had become a rank 7 wizard!
'Gods… Isn't advancing as a wizard supposed to be the most challenging? Young master's advancement to rank 5 just two years ago was already enough to have mouths fall agape… And now…' Jacob sighed. His abundant experiences as an adventurer left him clear on what exactly a fifteen year old rank 7 wizard meant.
If nothing were to happen, he could possibly become a great rank 15 wizard in a few centuries of training! There were few great wizards in the Dambrath Kingdom, and a few of them hired by the royalty had great statuses. His majesty the King had generously given them positions as Earls and territory to rope them in.
However, no great wizard cared for such things that drove others crazy with envy. At their level, the only thing in their sights was the realm of Legends.
And now, a great wizard was about to appear in the Faulen Family? Jacob suddenly felt giddy.
"Cousin Leylin, you've worked hard in deceiving me…" Beside Leylin, Isabel didn't have as many thoughts. While she seemed to be complaining, it was obvious that she was delighted by Leylin's achievements.
"I never thought my cousin was a genius as a wizard!" Isabel's eyes twinkled like there were countless stars in them.
"Hehe… everyone has their secrets, just as you do!" Leylin got closer, causing her to look panicked, "I anticipate the day where you will tell me…"
"What kind of joke is this?" Isabel turned her head and left, while Leylin sank deep into thought.
'There's no other choice but to do this…' Leylin sighed. The reason he had shown his strength right before the battle was to strengthen his men's confidence and will to resist.
Otherwise, the moment they knew that they could be against the personal guard of a Marquis of the Kingdom, even if moral did not immediately crumble, it would be greatly diminished.
Now, with such a young wizard, some would think it was worth it to risk their lives. Even if those regular soldiers did not know what being a 15 year old rank 7 wizard implied, others would gladly warn or tell them.
'Furthermore, our target this time is only a notorious group of pirates. Even if someone intentionally leaks this out, many would not believe it…' Leylin sighed once more. He had already done all that he could to the best of his abilities, and all that was left was their luck.
"My lord, we're here!" A sailor with triangular eyes and a gaze as sharp as a poisonous snake came before Leylin, reporting quietly. There was a thirst in his eyes for blood, as well as a fervour for destruction.
If this was a gaze seen in the manor, Leylin would send down the order for this person to be hung, but now?
'This is the right attitude if you want to kill someone!' Leylin was confident that with his methods, even if this person was a poisonous snake, he'd be able to tame him.
"Your name is Robin Hood? You're a great first mate and navigator! Are you in charge of this ship as well?" Leylin observed the man. He could sense a bloody aura that came from frequent killings, which made it obvious that this person had a very 'exciting' life in private.
"Yes, young master Faulen!" Evidently, Robin Hood was surprised that Leylin had been able to remember his name.
"Good!" Leylin had his hands behind his back as he watched the faint image of the islet from the fog. He quickly commanded, "Send down the order. Everyone is to remain hidden. Try not to make any sounds."
In order to take precautions against the detection and divination spells, Leylin had especially boosted himself with Nondetection before leaving, and had been exceptionally cautious and nimble along the way. It could be said that the chances of being discovered were very low.
Besides, even if they were discovered, nothing much changed except for the scale of the losses that would be incurred.
When the first wave sneakily swam up to the shore and began to mount a secret attack on the opponents' anchored ships, Leylin knew that the general conclusion had been decided.
Watching the bloody battles, Leylin suddenly laughed. "Seems like the pirates aren't as strong as I imagined them to be…"
Initially, he had thought that they had the support of the nobles and might have superb equipment and even maybe a magic weapon, but from the looks of it… These pirates wore shabby clothing, and there were even some people of other races and mixed blood in their midst. There weren't really powerful people in there, and it felt like they were just cannon fodder and not the real deal.
'Even if we manage to subdue these pirates, they would just be treated as replaceable?' Leylin stroked his chin as he thought of something.
In such a situation, where his side had been prepared and launched a secret attack with equipment of superior quality to theirs, there was no possibility of failure if their numbers were about equal.
'Of course, this is a world of exemplaries. The situation might change if a few powerful people show up,' Leylin stared at a corner of the camp on the barren island. He could sense powerful energy undulations from there.
"Is that leader of the Black Tiger pirates a rank 10 Professional?" Leylin sneered, "Jacob, take over the command. Pay attention to their ships and don't let anyone get away!"
"Understood, young master!" Jacob answered loudly. He already wanted to prostrate himself when he looked at Leylin's skills as a commander. Leadership came naturally to the young master, and such a thing was something he had never been able to learn himself.
'This potential... Does that mean there really is a darling child of the gods in this world?' Jacob had no time to be bothered by the shock to his worldview, and did all he could to constrain the formation of the troops and surround the camp.
"Isabel, come with me. Let us see to that leader, Steve!" Leylin rapidly moved towards the frontlines of the battle, with Isabel following closely behind.
...
As the infamous leader of the Black Tigers, Steve had the boorish and villainous face unique to pirates. He had long since lost an eye and an ear, the price he paid when his first mate mutinied against him.
Of course, this fellow who dared betrayed him had soon gotten his limbs cut off, and was tossed into the sea. The man could only repent with the sea god.
After being recruited by Marquis Louis, it had been made clear that if he were to be successful in this operation, he would become a knight with land of his own, and he might even become a real lord!
'I'll become a lord in the future!' Every time he thought of this, Steve could not help but gaze at his right hand. He had lost it, among many other things, in ten years of bloody fights and struggles. Still, he felt like the sacrifice was worth it. As he was right now, he was a rank 10 fighter, and the Black Tigers that he led had made a name for themselves in these waters.
'The target this time is only the manor of a baron that has lost most of its elites. How powerful can they be?' Steve thought indifferently. If not for him restraining them with all his might, all his underlings would have gone out to have fun long ago.
Up to this point, everything was going well without a hitch. But all of a sudden, yells and shouts could be heard that immediately woke Steve up from his reverie.
"What's going on?" Steve tossed the bottle of rum in his hand away, and his right hand opened up a huge tear in the tent. He arrived at the camp.
"It's an enemy invasion! There are too many of them, and they have excellent equipment!" His second mate, a tiger-headed merman, came before him, expression unable to hide his panic.
After noticing the situation, Steve's face twitched. This crafty captain immediately felt that this was not going well, "Where did they come from? Why did the detection spells and alarm points not react? More importantly, who are they?"
Even now Steve didn't think these people were sent by his target. With Leylin's Nondetection spell, the detection magic artifacts he had bought at exorbitant prices lost their effects. The alarm points had all been discovered and removed by Leylin.
Steve grabbed the collar of the second mate and shouted, "Get the men and charge to the ship!"
-x-X-x-
The ambush was a huge blow to the Black Tigers' morale. Still, Steve retained some confidence in his men. Though they were nothing more than scumbags and trash, they possessed many skills. They would be able to stay alive despite the bad situation they currently found themselves in.
For what it was worth, they were pirates after all. Land fights were never their forte. Their true expertise lay in bombing, boarding, and fighting with ships. If he could only retreat to the ship, it would be perfectly easy for him to mount both offence and defence. It could even be possible for him to turn the tables.
'When the moment comes, I must absolutely wring this daring bastard's head off!' Steve thought to himself viciously.
With their captain's signal, the crew began to draw closer to the ship. However, a wave of burning heat suddenly approached them, causing the colour to drain from Steve's face. "Shit! Dodge, quickly!"
*Boom!* The enemy's fireball landed less than five metres away from him, and the resulting sea of flames engulfed almost everything in its vicinity. Steve managed to escape, but the rest weren't half as lucky. Even his trusty second mate, the one with the head of a tiger shark, was burnt to a crisp.
"Fireball! They have a wizard!" This sudden news was like a slap across Steve's face. Not only was his opponent sufficiently equipped, they even had a strategic resource like a wizard.
Just then, he caught an eye of the said wizard. It was a young lad, his curly golden hair matching his deep blue eyes. He was barely an adult.
A wizard of this age? Steve furrowed his brows as he realised that the young lad looked faintly familiar.
"Hold up, he was one of the target of this mission! That's the Faulens' young master!" Steve was immediately reminded of him, and he had the urge to curse at his informant, "Wasn't he supposed to be rank 5 at most? It doesn't seem like it…"
"I want his head!" Steve was rid of any other choices at this stage of the game, and he could only roar orders as his muscles constricted.
Leylin spotted Steve at the same time. The extraordinary vibes he gave off showed that he was their leader, and he shouted as well, "He's the head of the pirates. 50 gold coins for anyone who can finish him off, and on top of that you don't have to pay tax anymore!"
"50 gold coins? And you get to not pay taxes? Charge!" Many of the guards went into a frenzy. This price alone was enough for ten lives; the guards charged up front without any second thoughts.
Of course, Leylin didn't stand and watch idly. Two powerful buffing spells descended upon his men, increasing their drive and strength. "Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength!"
'The wizards of this world are supported by the Weave, allowing them to use magical attacks and buffs extremely quickly…' Leylin knew better than to neglect the importance of the Weave. The fact that it was able to continue to exist for so long meant it had to have some advantages.
And during the battle, Leylin realised that his men usually fared better if he enhanced their abilities using his power. Moreover, the Fireball from earlier was like a missile. Common people would not be able to escape its destructive powers.
'With the support of the Weave, won't a wizard with enough spell slots be a walking cannon?' Leylin smiled, if the power of this world was how he imagined it to be, the status of wizards would probably be even higher.
At the same time, Steve showed what it meant to be a rank 10 warrior. "AH! Rapid Charge!" His entire body was enveloped in a hazy light. After triggering his distinctive warrior skill, it was as if he had turned into an armoured steel tank as he charged towards the guards.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!* With his great energy, he knocked down many of the guards. They were sent flying, as if they'd been hit by a high-speed train, and every now and then the sound of bones cracking rang out.
But the damage went both ways. Steve was injured by many of their spears and swords, and many bloody wounds appeared on his body.This degree of injury posed no hindrance to him, but the blood continuously leaking from his wounds would cause a bit of trouble. This was especially true as the pirates were surrounded, about to be wiped out by the oncoming soldiers.
"Surrender now, and in my name as a noble I'll treat you right as a captive." Leylin said. As long as he could capture Steve alive, maybe even have him become an eye witness, he would've gained incredible advantages for the Faulen Family.
"Surrender? To a brat like you?" Steve mocked back. It was like he'd seen something ridiculous.
"Or should I say… Do you think I'm limited to just this ability?" A sinister smile slipped onto Steve's face as a sacred light engulfed him wholly.
'Is this… Divine force?' Leylin stepped back. He had little experiences with this sort of power, but the impression it left was engraved deeply in his mind.
"Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Nightshield!" In the blink of an eye, Steve cast three rank 1 spells on his body. Leylin's brows wrinkled as he watched Steve's wounds recover quickly under the brilliant light of divine force.
'Divine force is indeed troublesome! Instant spells like these can be restored through daily prayers, so even with the usage limitations it's still unfair…'
Steve was back to his prime condition after the buffs, and his injuries had healed.
"Kill!" He charged towards Leylin with great power, and a clandestine glow covered the sword in his hand.
"Eldritch Blast!" The qi of a rank 10 fighter concentrated in his hand to become a shining blade which blasted out.
*Schlick!* The soldiers in front of Leylin were hacked into two halves, and blood and gore splattered in all directions.
'Well, this is troublesome…' Leylin sighed, massaging his temples.
[Data collection completed! Creating target entry.] The A.I. Chip reported, quickly projecting Steve's details in front of him.
[Name: Steve. Gender: Male. Estimated stats, Strength: 10+, Agility: 7, Vitality: 6. Spirit: 4. Professions: Rank 10 Fighter, Rank 3 Cleric! Evaluation: Undecipherable undulations in his right hand, target is extremely dangerous!]
'Right hand?' Leylin looked at the iron hook in Steve's right hand. The originally dull blade was now drenched in blood, with strips of flesh hanging off it. It looked exceptionally macabre.
"I'll go up to block him! You wait for an opening to try and cast spells!" Isabel drew her black sword out as she saw Steve nearing Leylin, becoming a human shield.
"Where did this wench come from? Piss off!" Steve's eyes were bloodshot. The sword in his left hand slashed down mercilessly, violent like a gust of evil wind. It had none of the protective care one normally held for a lady.
*Clang!* The machete was blocked by a black sword, and the collision created a profound noise.
"My revenge starts with you!" Isabel's expression was ice-cold.
"There's so many incompetent idiots I've killed, who knows which ones you're from?" Even with such a reply, Steve had already grown wary of Isabel. Considering that she could hold off a rank 10 fighter who was going all out, she was no easy opponent.
*Thump!* The iron hook in Steve's left hand shot out like a venomous snake, but it too was blocked by Isabel's sword. Sparks flew everywhere.
The impending battle between the two caused many pirates, and even her own soldiers, back away subconsciously. They didn't dare to get caught in the fight.
'Looks like I still don't have enough manpower to kill a rank 10 fighter.' Leylin thought in worry as he watch the gruesome exchange between the two.
'According to the data, I'll need at least 200 fully armed elites to kill Steve, and even they will have to be willing to give up their lives and pay a painful cost. Of course, if we have more Professionals the injuries would be halved, but all in all I don't have enough manpower right now…
'And although Isabel had enhanced her own strength through demonic sacrifices, she still isn't enough to be an opponent…' Progress in one's profession wasn't as just incremental. And anyway, Leylin didn't believe that those demons wanted nothing from Isabel anyway.
"Ugh…" Suddenly, a groan sounded from the battlefield. It was Isabel's.
One of her arms had been fractured, and she was forced to hold it in her sleeve. And yet, she remained as stoic as ever. Things like that which could have caused ordinary girls to weep and scream did not disturb Isabel at all.
"I'm afraid this cannot go on, I'll have to unseal it! But…" Isabel throw a glance at the onlookers and hesitated.
"Isabel! I think it's time to withdraw!" Just as Isabel was about to give it her all and charge at Steve, Leylin's voice came through. Out of her confidence in Leylin, she abandoned her original plan and start backing away.
"Thinking of leaving?" The expression on Steve's face was sinister as ever, but that changed when an arrow was shot.
*Shoo!* The arrow was like a venomous snake. Its angle was tricky, leaving Steve with no choice but to retreat.
*Splat!* The arrow shot into the ground behind him, its feathered end still quivering, making it look like a small snake trying to burrow into the ground.
-x-X-x-
'That was close!' Steve could feel some cold sweat on his palm. Only he knew how dangerous that had been.
Once he regained his senses, he glanced at Leylin. The youth now had a crossbow in his hands, and there was a merciless expression on his face. Isabel had pushed her way to stand beside him, and aside from her Jacob and a few other soldiers had rushed over in a hurry as well.
With Isabel delaying them, Leylin had enough time to defeat the enemy and even seize the pirate ship. Now, Jacob brought the rest of the soldiers and the many crossbows in the Faulen Family's collection and surrounded the area.
The Faulen soldiers had gained the upper hand in all the other zones, and more and more soldiers gathered together. Under the light of the flames, Steve's face turned pale as a corpse. He knew very well that after the battle was over, the Black Tigers might just be erased from history.
'What's going on? Why did things turn out this way?' Steve was completely dazed.
However, his fox-like cunning that had been honed over the years told him that this was the time to escape. As long as there were some people left alive, he would be able to pull the Black Tigers back together, and bring about their rise once more. When the time came, he would exact extreme vengeance on this young wizard!
"Shoot!" But how could Leylin give him the chance to do so? With his command, the countless crossbows that Jacob directed on his own produced terrifying sounds. Numerous arrows blocked all the escape routes that Steve had.
"Damn it!" Steve cursed, his figure twisting at a strange angle in midair. A dark shield appeared, crashing into a sharp arrow.
The dark-coloured shield shattered to pieces, but the power of the arrow was greatly reduced. It could only leave a shallow cut on Steve's body.
*Boom!* Steve's body fell freely to the ground. He glared at Leylin venomously, and then rushed out of the camp. Once he got outside, he would definitely be able to leave with ease. He was still a rank 10 fighter after all.
At this moment, things suddenly changed! A huge white spiderweb opened up from the ground, shrouding him in darkness.
'But when did he–?' Steve's expression filled with fear as he recognised this web, 'Rank 2 spell, Web. Once it twines around me, I'll be caught…'
He looked fierce as he raised the sword in his left hand. However, Leylin had long since set this trap. How could he give Steve the chance to escape?
"Ray of Enfeeblement! Sleep! Restrict!"
A few rank 1 spells flashed over Steve's head. With the drain from the huge battle just prior, Steve was unable to dodge them in time. Immediately after, he felt a sense of confusion, as his body suddenly weakened.
*Clang!* His machete fell to the ground, and immediately after Steve was caught up in the web. It was extremely sticky, and even a reckless bull would not be able to escape from it.
"Take aim. Prepare to shoot! The opponent is a rank 10 warrior, so be careful!" At this moment, the soldiers holding crossbows aimed at Steve calmly. Only morons would miss an immobile target like this.
"You're still thinking of running because you have a trump card up your sleeve, don't you?" Leylin approached the spiderweb, watching Steve from above, eyes full of mockery.
"Don't think you can hide the Lifesteal effect on your right hand. I'm a wizard!" When Leylin said this, he could see that Steve's eyes were first filled with fear and despair, followed by a desperate struggle.
Leylin snickered, quickly retreating and dodging the bloody rays shooting from his hand.
"Be careful. The hook on his right hand has the Lifesteal effect. Don't let it touch you, or your life force will be absorbed…"
Leylin smirked at Steve, causing him to pale even further The terror from being completely seen through caused the pirate to feel muddle-headed. "You're a devil. A devil!"
"Knock him unconscious," Leylin's eyebrows furrowed, "And then get rid of his arms and legs!" Without the assistance of a powerful cleric, such terrifying injuries would end up crippling him.
As for how to deal with this person, Leylin did not have plans yet. As he had been at the forefront in hindering the Faulen Family, he should have made contact with Viscount Tim before, which made him a pretty good witness. But who would believe the words of a pirate? At the most, it would cause some slight trouble for the Viscount.
"His true value is in keeping him from Tim…" Leylin watched the amputated Steve who was now unconscious, his eyes profound. In his view, the pirate only had two functions. One was as bait, attracting more assassins and experts over from the other party so he could ambush them. However, things could easily go wrong that way. If an existence that Leylin could not deal with arrived, that was just shooting himself in the foot.
On the other hand, he could use Steve to negotiate with Tim, forcing the Viscount to back off. After all, the Faulen Family wasn't the only one with land in the seas. Once his side showed their power and sent Steve back, saying that they had no plans to go to war, he could be able to achieve a period of harmony.
Of course, Leylin never counted on the benevolence and hesitation of his enemies for his own safety. However, giving himself more time was a good method. After all, his strength was still increasing by the day, and on top of that with the complete wipe-out of the probing on the Faulen Family, perhaps they would pause for a bit anyway?
Leylin stroked his chin, "Be quick about it. Bring all the slaves. Kill those who resist."
""Understood!"" Numerous soldiers yelled together. After seeing that their leader, Steve, had been taken captive, most of the pirates had lost their morale, and with the suppression by Isabel and the crossbowmen they were utterly defeated. Even those futilely thinking of swimming across the sea were killed by the sailors on the ship, not letting any leave. Soon, a whole region of the sea was dyed red.
In this situation, even the fiercest pirate would involuntarily have thoughts of surrender. Soon enough, the sounds of weaponry being tossed to the ground sounded. The soldiers hurried to tie these people up and sent them to the ship.
"Set fire to this place before we leave," Leylin commanded.
Following that, he returned to the double mast ship he had arrived in. At the moment, the seized pirate ship had been tied up behind theirs. It was the spoils of their battle.
Seeing the sea of red, Leylin listened as Jacob reported, "Nine soldiers are dead, fifteen critically injured. The rest have some form of light injuries…"
This was even though this was a surprise attack and they had the advantage in equipment. Jacob could not help but feel embarrassed at the results. He'd gotten a better understanding of the ferociousness of pirates today. If the Black Tigers had managed to set foot on Faulen Island, the consequences would've been dire.
"Mm. What have we captured?" Leylin looked calm, not minding such a tiny issue.
"We have killed 37 pirates and taken 52 prisoner. There are a few with unknown whereabouts. We have taken Steve, and the Black Tigers can be said to be completely wiped out." At this point, Jacob began to look excited, "It's a pity that there aren't any spoils. There's only some rum and jerky. We haven't found any letters or anything…"
Leylin shook his head and laughed involuntarily, "Pirates are poor anyway. What more do you want?"
These low-ranked pirates did not have much money on them anyway, and if they were lucky enough to get a large amount, that would quickly be wasted on the bad alcohol in the harbour, barbequed meat and gambling dens. When, on the next day, they had not a single copper in their pockets, they would follow their captain to sea like wolves, roaring as they attacked other ships.
'Even if you add up the wealth of all the prisoners, that would still be nothing compared to Steve's own private hoard!' Leylin chuckled.
'I really need to interrogate Steve well. Though it's unlikely that he has a letter from nobility, I need to know about his stash and things like that…'
If he could find evidence of a connection with Viscount Tim, Leylin would not have to be vexed. However, this was impossible.The other side would not be so foolish as to leave letters and the like behind. Hence, Leylin could only give this a try without placing too much hope in it.
As for money… that was just a consolation prize. At the very least, these soldiers would need to be rewarded amply for the deaths, else nobody would be willing to work under him.
Having taken care of everything, Leylin walked to the hold of the ship. As there were many more captives to return with, the concealed hold was very squeezy and somewhat chaotic. Leylin naturally would not imprison the group on the pirate ship behind them, that would only be creating trouble for himself.
Even in this situation, Isabel had a room of her own. This was a privilege reserved for the nobility and the strong.
"Can I come in?" Leylin asked after walking up to her door.
"Please!"
Opening the door, Leylin entered the room and cast a silencing spell. This immediately resulted in a serious look on Isabel's face.
Leylin twitched his nose. There was a herbal smell in the air, and Isabel's clothing was slightly in disarray. Evidently, in her hurry, she had not had everything arranged properly.
-x-X-x-
"You won't be able to do things like that easily on your own, you know." Leylin chuckled as he sat beside Isabel, pulling at her arm.
"Don't…" Isabel began to struggle.
"Sit properly!" Leylin's thunderous expression made Isabel's momentum to flag. Even the strength she possessed seemed to weaken greatly.
Leylin rolled Isabel's sleeves up. What he saw was not the pale and exquisite skin belonging to a young girl, but a strange arm filled with scales. On the upper arm, there was a curved injury that had been caused by Steve.
"Demonification? And it seems to be a rather high-level conversion ritual…" Leylin raised his shoulders, and then skilfully used magic energy to heal her wounds. He then bound them.
"It's ugly, isn't it…" At some point, Isabel turned away, her voice choked with sobs.
"No, in fact it's still alright," Leylin answered seriously. He didn't look much better when he transformed as a Warlock, and became an existence which had practically abandoned its human form.
"One more thing…" Leylin appeared to be focused on healing her, and he spoke softly, "I want to set up a private fleet. I hope for your help."
"Become a pirate? Why?" Isabel was dazed for a moment. A private fleet was only a dressed up way to refer to a pirate crew.
Leylin smirked at the question. "They've come and bullied us, it's only fitting that we repay the favour."
"As for the people to be used… I was planning to use my status as the master of the territory here to hang the Black Tiger pirates. Let's just consider it recycling our trash!"
"In addition, I've found a pretty good first mate for you. Robin Hood performed well today, and more importantly, he is used to the ways of pirates. With our people as the backbone and the pirates at our foundation level, we can use the pirate ship we seized and Steve's wealth to quickly assemble a crew. I'll need you to control them tightly…"
Leylin swiftly bound her wounds in gauze, and Isabel wiped away the tears on her face, regaining her robust and healthy image. However, Leylin felt that the crying girl from before more suited the memory of his young cousin.
"Why do you think I will agree?" Isabel looked at Leylin.
"Because it's a request from your dear cousin!" Leylin chuckled, resulting in a flush on Isabel's face.
"I'll consider this matter. Go out first!" Evidently, Isabel was feeling cramped in the narrow hull alone in a room with Leylin.
"I quietly await your favourable response!" Leylin headed out, closing the door politely. In reality, he knew that she would agree; this was also good for her.
'A high ranked demon? Goodness…' Leylin stroked his chin, his eyes twinkling.
Controlling a pirate crew may seem slightly immoral on the surface; after all, it was dishonourable for a noble to do something so sinful. However, Leylin knew that under the cover of glory, sophistication and grandeur, the nobles of this world all concealed some sort of evil within them. Every gold coin they used was stained with the blood and tears of innocents.
Even his father, Baron Jonas, had always wanted to obtain support from some pirates, or create a raiding fleet to attack others himself. He had been working hard on this, but he had been a noble for far too short a time. It was difficult enough to just get his own territory organised, so he had yet to fulfill his wishes.
As for offending pirates? Heh, no noble was going to care about that!
'This outer sea was discovered recently, so there aren't a lot of great powers operating here. It's still a piece of blank paper. How could Marquis Louis alone get all the benefits on the sea?' Leylin snickered. Whether it was purchasing high-grade spell materials or creating a wizard tower, everything required a huge amount of resources and gold coins. How could he surrender the profits he could get on the outer sea?
On top of that, he wasn't one to take beatings without retaliating. He would definitely ruthlessly pay the Marquis back for his 'favour'. He was just someone with control over the Baltic archipelago, a trade fleet, and a few pirate groups, so was he that amazing? If not for having apprehensions about the families on Faulen Island, Leylin alone could take him on in a war, and give him a huge headache.
'After establishing a pirate group, cousin will have a place to take shelter. After all, the gods don't focus much on a place like the outer sea where crooks mingle with honest folk. The occasional sacrifice can be hidden as much as possible…'
Whether Isabel could understand the reasons behind Leylin's painstaking efforts was another matter. Leylin was sure that as long as he was the one making the request, she would not reject him.
The waves kept crashing into the body of the ship, shaking it slightly. A few seagull-like birds were soaring in the sky, producing cries from the distance.
"This isn't too far from Faulen Island. It's a short journey, so this shouldn't be a problem…" Leylin held onto the railing, watching the dark sea below him. The sea was never a peaceful place. Tsunamis, storms or even numerous deep-sea creatures could destroy a whole fleet in an instant.
Hence, for sailors on the outer sea, it was like treading on thin ice every single day with the possibility of entering the embrace of death at any moment.
'There seem to be countless gods with dominion over the sea, like the Storm Goddess that Steve worships.' Leylin began to look serious.
Steve surprisingly had some abilities as a cleric. While he could only cast low-ranked divine spells, that was enough for Leylin to be on his guard.
Fortunately, the Storm Goddess was known for being temperamental. She regularly caused tsunamis and storms, destroying numerous ships and fishing boats. Her faith stemmed from the terror she induced.
As a result, Steve must have made the Storm Goddess feel delighted during a certain ceremony or while praying, which was why she had made an exception and bestowed some divine force to him. If not, no matter how Leylin looked at it, he could not link Steve to a clergy.
Even so, that was still very troublesome. No matter how much of a bastard Steve was, he was a cleric, and Leylin could not get rid of him easily.
If he was alone outside, he could eliminate him easily. As long as news did not get out, all was fine. However, there were too many people here and so many prisoners. There were also the escapees. There was no way to dispute the fact that Steve was in his hands. If he were to die, things would be difficult to handle.
Leylin did not want to attract even attention of the church of a real god, much less hostility.
'What a pity. He's a rank 10 warrior, and a cleric at that…' A hint of red light appeared in Leylin's hands. The Devilblood Dagger flew between his fingers, rippling with a dangerous luster that quickly died down.
While he could now transform the flesh devoured into spiritual energy and hasten his advancement as a wizard, it wasn't without any requirements.
He needed to completely digest the energy he absorbed between successive devourings. In addition, this sudden increase in power would be a great test in his control as a wizard.
If a rank 1 wizard rapidly became a Legend, he would first be destroyed by the berserk, uncontrollable magic in his own body. Thankfully, Leylin had a huge advantage in this area. His main body was already half god, and his control of energy was exquisite. Magic was similar both here and in the Magus World, and his strength as a wizard was only equivalent to that of a rank 1 or 2 Warlock.
This set of worries was why Steve had been lucky enough to survive this far. Otherwise, Leylin would have long since reduced him to a pile of bones.
Leylin had specific requirements when it came to flesh now. Only Professionals or powerful demonic beasts met his requirements for life force. As for those pirates? They were nothing to Leylin, and even if he were to devour all of them, they could not be compared to Steve. This was even ignoring the impurities in their energy.
"The ranking of energy in this world is very strictly regulated…" Leylin took a look at his stats. As he had not used the Devilblood Dagger, they stats were the same as before.
"For an adult, 1, 10 and 20 are all thresholds!" Leylin had a greater understanding of these numbers.
It was difficult for a normal human to break past the value of 1 in any stat, becoming a Professional. And these difficulties compounded in the future the stronger one became.
10 points was a huge threshold to break through. Leylin's own greatest stat was his spirit at 7. Based on his calculations, it was only after he became a rank 10 wizard that he could break through this barrier.
'Wizards above rank 10 are considered experts in the World of Gods… So is this the boundary line that divides us? Just one stat breaking past 10 makes one an expert…' Leylin had a feeling that increasing his stat points in this world would be very hard, increasing in difficulty the further he got. Once his spirit reached 10, and especially after he became a great wizard, perhaps even the Devilblood Dagger could only give him light support.
'A stringent world that suppresses power that is out of the ordinary. Even the gods have to abide by the rules of the world…' Leylin's eyes burned with fervour, eager to give this a try.
At this moment, he heard cheers elsewhere, "We're here! I see the lighthouse at the harbour!"
Leylin raised his eyes and looked into the distance. As expected, there was a yellow light seen from within the fog. It represented the warmth of the Faulen Harbour, and Leylin could not help but reveal a smile.
-x-X-x-
The moment he got off the ship, Leylin saw someone unexpected. The housekeeper of the manor, Leon, had come before him. It was evident that he had been waiting for a long time, and there were even water droplets on his clothes formed from the mist. "Young master, young master! The master is back, and he's said that you are to notify him once you're on shore!"
"Father has returned? Good, I'll see him right away. Take care of the things here, as well as the spoils of war and the captives…" Compared to sneaking around during the last attack, Leylin was now strutting about boldly. He was even hoping to intimidate those who were harbouring unlawful thoughts with this victory.
However, the only ship entering the harbour was Leylin's own warship. The Black Tiger itself had disappeared with his cousin Isabel, accompanied by a portion of the pirates.
Only a few unlucky pirates were here besides the few spoils of war. Of course, there was also the ex-captain, Steve.
"Understood, young master!" Leon bowed low. Just the injuries from the soldiers behind Leylin alone made it clear that this battle had been very intense.
"Mm. Jacob, get Steve. Let us be off!" Leylin got on the carriage by himself, followed by Jacob with their prisoner. Steve had a black sack over his head, as Leylin did not trust such a high-ranking captive to his subordinates. If he did, there was a chance of something going wrong.
"Father…" The moment the carriage got to the manor, Leylin saw his current parents, Baron Jonas and Lady Sarah. They stood in wait at the door of the manor, eyes full of worry.
Leylin immediately got off the carriage and was pulled into Mistress Sarah's arms, "Oh, my poor child…" It was obvious that even though she somewhat had an idea of what Leylin had done, Mistress Sarah was still worried.
"It's good that you're alright!" Baron Jonas maintained his poise as a noble, though there was a hint of joy in his eyes.
Leylin looked past his father, and then at his mentor Ernest. The wizard gave him an encouraging look of approval, and dragged his wizard robe closer around himself, hiding with the crowd. Wizards weren't that good at expressing themselves.
At this moment, Leylin saw numerous elite troops behind Baron Jonas, all wearing armour. Their cold gazes made him feel a sense of danger.
"Rank 5 warriors! And there are so many at that. Father, where did you get them from?" Leylin could see respect in the eyes of the fighters, especially from their leader, but there wasn't the reliance and concern that their own men had. These troops were evidently reinforcements from an external source.
However, this was a trivial matter.
"Child, don't get so reckless in the future. It's unbecoming of a noble to rashly lead troops alone…" Jonas admonished Leylin. If his only successor were to die in this battle, he would not be able to handle it.
"By the way, Father, please allow me to show off my spoils as well as the captives…" Leylin clapped his hands, and Jacob himself brought Steve up.
Though his limbs had already been cut off, and he was basically a cripple without the help of high-level divine spells, he still needed to be watched.
"Oh?" Baron Jonas' eyebrows lifted, not reacting at all to the captives and junk blades that Leylin showed.
In his opinion, Leylin had merely eliminated a small wave of pirates, maybe less than 20 in total. They were probably fishermen who had lost to their desire for wealth, which was why he didn't pay much attention to them.
But then Leylin lifted the black sack over Steve's head, exposing the malicious face to the daylight. Due to the blood loss, his face had paled, which did nothing to reduce the fear caused from looking at his face. Even Mistress Sarah shrieked, taking a few steps back in her shock and disgust.
"Leylin, you frightened your mother. You shouldn't dirty the eyes of a noblewoman with such a lowly captive…" Baron Jonas had been born as a noble of a military family, and he did not feel uncomfortable when met with this situation. But even his brows furrowed slightly.
Jonas could not understand why Leylin had brought a disgusting captive with sweat, blood and grievous wounds in front of him. What he did not see was that the elite warriors behind him now had a different look in their eyes.
Although Steve was crippled, the thick calluses on his body and the firm muscles mixed with the powerful aura of a high-ranked fighter that had yet to dissipate. They had an inkling about what this was.
"This is Steve, leader of the Black Tigers." Leylin said simply, but that caused Baron Jonas' eyes to widen.
"Gods!" Baron Jonas no longer cared about the filth on Steve's body as he approached him, pushing aside the messy hair at his forehead to size him up carefully.
"Indeed it's him. This is the leader of the Black Tigers, rank 10 fighter Steve! Numerous large chambers of commerce have jointly set up a bounty of 500 gold coins for his capture! One of the bounty postings is even at our port, I couldn't get it wrong…"
A long while later, the baron sighed and stared at his son with a complicated expression. This child seemed to always surprise him. His expedition might even have resulted in him being killed by assassins had Leylin not requested Ernest to come help out.
Still, he asked with disbelief, "Since Steve is here, where's the Black Tigers?"
"They've been wiped out," Leylin answered lightly. Jacob and the soldiers behind puffed up their chests in pride, staring hard at the elite warriors behind the Baron.
"Good! Seems like we need to have a serious talk." Baron Jonas had a complicated expression on his face.
After Leylin came back, laughter and merriness returned to the manor once more. Even the housekeeper Leon, who always looked gloomy, revealed a rare smile as he directed Clara and Claire to prepare the banquet.
During this period of preparation, the baron stayed in his study room, having chased the maids out to leave only Leylin and Ernest behind other than himself.
"The information Leylin provided was very helpful. Even though I had to pay a huge price, I'll take care of the issues with the church of knowledge…" Baron Jonas' voice was hoarse and low. Leylin astutely noticed his bloodshot eyes and thebits of white hair near his ears.
It was obvious that being oppressed by a person of high status like Marquis Louis left the baron stressed and vexed. Though they could now act a bit more freely, the trauma from the Marquis' actions had yet to dissipate.
"It's only my duty. After all, I'm part of the Faulen Family!" Leylin appeared to be very humble.
This attitude had Baron Jonas nodding inside, "Since we know who our opponent is, things will be easier. Though I met with a few assassination attempts during the trip to the continent, I'm thankfully unharmed. I even got to see Earl Griffith!"
"Earl Griffith, the warlord of that place?" Leylin's eyes twinkled, immediately remembering him. It seemed that Baron Jonas had paid a price, yielding a share of profits to acquire some support from the regional nobility.
"They've dispatched a group of horsemen with numerous rank 5 fighters. The leader is a rank 9, which will be enough to ensure the safety of our manor…" Baron Jonas watched Leylin with a sorry look in his eyes.
He believed that the assassination attempt on his son was because he had taken most of the elites. If not for that, he wouldn't have been forced to struggle against a terrible group of pirates.
He had tried to leave behind Ernest and Jacob who were both Professionals to protect the port. However, relying on the protection of others was not a long-term solution. Leylin frowned slightly.
Baron Jonas saw all this, and it caused him to nod even more. 'This child already has enough wisdom to lead our family.'
"Well then, how do you think Steve should be dealt with? After all, he is your prisoner…" Baron Jonas chuckled, wanting to see how Leylin would act.
"Dispatch a messenger to make negotiations and then return him to Marquis Louis. In exchange we can set up a peace treaty. How about that? Our family is quite weak after all…" Leylin did not hold back as he spoke.
"Good!" Baron Jonas was on the verge of applauding his child. He definitely had not been so rational at such an age; he would have complained about his vengeance after the humiliation.
Seeing this ability to give up and maintain a low profile, Baron Jonas would hand the family over to Leylin even if he was useless in other areas.
"Who do you think is the most suitable?"
"Bishop Tapris of the church of knowledge. He's a friend to both sides, so he would make a suitable messenger." Leylin emphasised that he was a 'friend', and Baron Jonas obviously could tell what Leylin was implying.
He muttered to himself, "He is a good choice…"
With his status as a bishop of the church of knowledge, Tapris was the most suitable mediator. He could even increase the prestige of the god of knowledge this way, so he probably wouldn't reject them.
After everything was settled, Leylin mumbled, "Father, I still have some things to tell Master Ernest…"
-x-X-x-
Leylin's solemn tone immediately had Jonas on his guard. He glanced towards Ernest, and the man immediately flicked his fingers. He'd cast Nondetection and Sound Isolation.
With all the preparation done, Leylin spoke quietly, "I've already become a rank 7 wizard…"
"What? …. Wha– what?" Ernest's eyes grew as round as saucers. He'd been completely thrown off his lack of reaction.
"Hasn't it been less than a year since you broke through to rank 6?" Ernest's expression was comical, as if he wanted to both cry and burst out in laughter.
"Oh Goddess, do you speak the truth?" Ernest's face was on the verge of pressing into Leylin's nose.
"In the name of the Goddess of the Weave, Mystra, I swear that all I say is true!" Leylin looked serious as he swore on the name of the goddess that numerous wizards held faith in.
The price of offending the Goddess of the Weave was that one could possibly be permanently restricted from using the Weave, rendering them a piece of trash. Leylin's pledge was very serious, and Ernest believed him immediately.
"Heavens, what are you? A bastard son of Mystra?" This rate of advancement immediately depressed Ernest. He was still a mid-rank 9 wizard, so by the looks of it Leylin would probably catch up to him in a year or two.
It was normal to be overtaken by one's student, but to be surpassed by a punk who wasn't even twenty yet? Ernest grew very dispirited, almost on the verge of hiding away into a corner and drawing circles on the ground.
Meanwhile, Baron Jonas turned awkward, not getting it at all. He truly knew little about wizards, so he immediately suppressed his awkwardness to ask, "Ernest, my friend, what does this mean? Why the reaction?"
"Oh, my apologies, my friend!" Ernest flushed, and then replaced that with more fervour, "Leylin is a fifteen year old rank 7 wizard! From what I know this talent puts him among the top hundred talents of the past 300 years!"
At this point, he turned serious, "Don't underestimate this ranking. Many of them became great wizards in the future, with some even becoming Legends…"
"...Cough cough… So…" This instantly shocked Baron Jonas. He watched his son, eyes full of disbelief.
"While I don't have any acknowledgment from the wizard guild, it's no problem to cast rank 3 spells…" Leylin looked towards his mentor, "If news of this gets out during negotiations, do you think Marquis Louis will back off?"
The great chances of Leylin becoming a great wizard was enough to inspire fear. After all, few high-ranked wizards in the Dambrath Kingdom obeyed the royal family. If they found out that the Faulen Family had a genius wizard, the possibility of the other side conceading was high.
Of course, the other possibility was that they would be driven into a corner, sparing no expense to eliminate Leylin so as to avoid any repercussions. This way, they would not be harmed.Of course, they might be driven to a corner and spared no expense to kill Leylin in order to take care of whatever repercussions there might be. This way, they would not be at harm.
"Well, that's very possible, but there are also other options. After all, growth and talent don't represent power…" Ernest warned.
"No, no! This news absolutely cannot get out. I will send down an order for everyone to keep their lips sealed!" Baron Jonas immediately understood. Even if there was a mere 0.0001% possibility, he was unwilling to risk Leylin dying.
After all, with Leylin's talent, it would only be a matter of time before he became a high-ranked wizard if nurtured well. He even had hope to become a Legend! Compared to that, the losses now meant nothing.
Seeing his father and master so resolute, Leylin could only laugh wryly and toss this thought away.
"Alright! However, Father, please allow me to train my magic in secret outside the manor in the future…"
"Training in secret…" Ernest could not understand it. Wizards weren't the kind to practice hard like that; was there a need to abandon a life of luxury in order to train one's will?
But watching this student of his, a 15 year old who had become a rank 7, Ernest wisely chose to shut his mouth. Leylin's achievements would represent everything. Who knew, this method could allow him to make rapid progress.
Ernest touched his chin, feeling that he might should probably start training like this.
"Since your mentor isn't against it, I have no opinions. Remember that you're the future of our family, always prioritise your safety! Even if I were to lose the Faulen Island, I can't lose you. Do you understand?" Baron Jonas warned.
"Yes!" Leylin nodded then followed up, "There's something else, and it regards the management of the family."
"Oh! Seems like you're giving me a lot of surprises today!" Baron Jonas was actually extremely fatigued now, but he still rubbed at the area between his eyebrows, looking like he was listening closely.
"I think we should alter our system of giving rewards based on the services rendered at our family port."
Leylin's first words were already astonishing, "I noticed that this occurred because we're too weak to protect our own territory. It's likely that we'll have a lot of enemies coveting our land. We need to recruit even more soldiers and Professionals to expand out power, which means we need more sources of revenue."
"That's easy to say, but most of the trade on these seas is taken up by Marquis Louis' Baltic archipelago. What can we offer?" Baron Jonas smiled wryly. No noble would reject opportunities to expand their strength and wealth. He'd also explored this before, but had not gotten any gains.
"Leylin must've mentioned this because he has a proposal. Let's consider it first." Ernest was aware that this student of his always made plans before acting, and would never say anything without thinking it through beforehand. This aroused his interest.
"I've checked, and there are only three things that make great profits with a foundation in sea trade: slaves, sea salt and sugar," Leylin's eyes glinted, "The slave trade has a bad reputation and it's been controlled by Marquis Louis. We can't interfere with that, so I'd choose sea salt and sugar!"
"Sea salt and… sugar?" Baron Jonas scratched his hair in confusion, "But our island isn't anything like those in the south with spices and cane sugar. Those plants can't survive here…"
"No! I plan to buy coarse sugar, and then refine it into high-grade white sugar for sale. As for the sea salt, I'm planning to use fish floss!"
"Fish floss?!"
"Yes! Mash the flesh of the fish and dry it in the sun, and then use techniques to preserve it for a long time. Because there's salt and meat, I'm sure it will be welcomed by the commoners and adventurers on the continent!"
Leylin was someone who'd travelled over from another world. He'd be foolish if he didn't use the knowledge he gained from his previous world to gain some benefits.
Though there were differences in the physical laws of the two worlds, there were still some similarities. Concerned about the family's strength, Leylin was trying to expand their revenue to help himself in the future. He'd long since thought this through.
While he only somewhat remembered the methods to refine sugar and create fish floss by drying them in the sun, that was alright. He was a noble! As long as he supplied them with a general idea, his underlings would make it a reality.
Though Leylin remembered a lot more as well, he'd run tests through the years and he realised that he could only build an industry around these two items, they complemented the laws of the World of Gods.
As for other techniques, it wasn't that they could not be used, but they would destabilize the situation now. Paper would definitely be valued highly by the church of knowledge, so he could easily gain the favour of Oghma. However, he would attract the ire of the other gods, and Leylin was afraid of that.
Refined sugar and fish floss were two things that wouldn't have as great an effect.
After Leylin explained his thoughts on this industry, Baron Jonas sank into deep thought. While he did not know about this, Leylin's words seemed to be plausible. At the very least, Ernest beside him had eyes that were twinkling as if he had seen sudden huge profits.
"In that case, you can try that!" At the end, Baron Jonas agreed. After all, Leylin had proven with his battle achievements that he was not just a braggart. What was the harm of letting him try? At worst, it could be considered business training.
As a successor of a noble family, one might not need to know how to manage businesses, but they couldn't afford to be cheated by businessmen.
"However, be cautious!" Jonas warned after thinking it over once more. He was still worried.
"I understand. Many thanks, Father!" Leylin stood and bowed.
In reality, he just needed to have the approval of the Baron in name. As for the people and money? Steve would probably be more than 'willing' to provide that.
"The banquet's almost prepared, let's go together. By the way, where's your cousin Isabel?" Jonas asked suddenly at the end.
"Oh… I let her leave…" Leylin's eyes flashed with his unhesitating answer. He still didn't want to divulge the fact that he was establishing a pirate crew.
"Is she gone? That's good too!" Baron Jonas nodded and did not ask more, leaving with his hands behind his back.
It was evident that he'd long since had his own conjectures on Isabel's change. However, the situation had been urgent then, and he'd felt bad about abandoning a diligent branch member of the Faulen Family. That was why he'd said nothing then, and now that she'd left, there would now be no awkwardness between them.