"Good afternoon, Lady Furina."
Upon seeing Furina, Navia was momentarily taken aback before greeting her.
"Oh, it's you, Navia... So, Lu Heng went out with you?" Furina mused thoughtfully.
"We went to see a very interesting card," Lu Heng said with a smile, then changed the subject. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
At the mention of this, Furina sighed. "I was planning to ask you to join me for lunch, but who knew you weren't at the shop? I decided to wait for you, but who'd have thought I'd end up waiting until now?"
Navia keenly sensed a hint of resentment in Furina's tone.
This doesn't look good!
Lu Heng chuckled at her words. "What a coincidence—I haven't eaten either. Shall we go together later?"
"I was waiting for you to say that!" Furina nodded.
"Navia, you should join us. My treat," Lu Heng turned to her.
"Next time. Next time, it'll be my treat. Didn't I mention earlier that I have some business to take care of in the Fleuve Cendre? I'll grab a quick bite there. Next time, I'll treat you to a proper meal!" Navia quickly waved her hand in refusal.
Originally, Lu Heng had planned to escort her back to Poisson, but since Navia had some matters to attend to in the Fleuve Cendre, she chose to return to the shop first.
Furina was clearly waiting to have lunch with Lu Heng, and the two of them probably had important matters to discuss. Now wasn't the time for her to intrude—she might end up overhearing something she shouldn't.
Wriothesley stood to the side, observing everything quietly.
Navia quickly bid him farewell before heading toward the Fleuve Cendre with Melus and Silver.
After Navia left, Lu Heng turned his attention to Wriothesley.
He had quite the impression of this prison warden.
Exiled to the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley had served his sentence and eventually became its administrator, earning the title of "The Duke."
Having completed his sentence, he was now a free citizen and could freely visit the surface during his leisure time.
Beyond that, Lu Heng remembered one other thing.
During the trial back then, Wriothesley had pleaded guilty too quickly, leaving Furina somewhat disappointed and causing her to leave the courtroom early.
Disappointing the Hydro Archon was no small matter. Later, Wriothesley had sent her quite a bit of tea as an apology, and Furina had spoken highly of the tea from his collection.
"Mr. Lu, your name has been echoing through the depths these past couple of days," Wriothesley said with a smile.
"Is the Fortress of Meropide considering purchasing cards as well?" Lu Heng asked in return.
"It's under consideration," Wriothesley nodded.
The Fortress of Meropide was far more than just a prison for criminals.
It held many secrets, and safeguarding those secrets required even greater strength.
Before, his own power had been sufficient, but now, it was beginning to feel inadequate.
Whether it was the ever-increasing pressure behind the fortress's gates or the secret construction of a massive ship, more power was needed to handle it all.
"What's the plan?" Lu Heng inquired.
"I'm not as wealthy as the Palais Mermonia... Let's start with 100 million Mora," Wriothesley said.
And that's not considered wealthy?
Lu Heng smiled without comment.
The Fortress of Meropide's financial capabilities were nothing to scoff at.
For instance, the automated machinery factory below generated income for the fortress by producing autonomous constructs.
The prisoners were paid in特许券 (Special Vouchers), but the income was in Mora.
If not for Wriothesley's covert plans consuming a significant portion of the funds, Lu Heng suspected he could easily rank among Fontaine's wealthiest individuals.
Wriothesley purchased some equipment to arm his subordinates—this portion wasn't included in the 100 million Mora budget.
Then, the card draws began.
Furina sat to the side, sipping milk tea through a straw as she watched the proceedings with interest.
Wriothesley opted for 10,000 draws at once.
Purple light shimmered.
"It seems the probability of gold is indeed quite low. Obtaining power at the level of an Archon or higher is truly difficult," Wriothesley remarked without a trace of disappointment, as if he had expected this outcome.
"Five purple cards aren't bad either," Furina chimed in after a glance.
Wriothesley agreed.
Lu Heng skimmed through the cards.
[Sharpness Enhancement]
Tier: 4★ (Purple)Type: [Enhancement Card]Trait: [Rune]Description: A versatile enhancement rune. Even if applied to an iron ball, the ball's shape would remain unchanged, but it would gain the cutting edge of a blade.
"Seems quite useful, no?"
Wriothesley's tone was light. "If I use this on my gauntlets, would punching someone also count as stabbing them?"
"That's one way to put it," Lu Heng nodded.
The card's strength lay in its ability to add extra sharpness.
For example, if a five-star weapon had a sharpness value of 100, dealing 100 damage, this card could enhance it to 120 sharpness, increasing the damage to 120.
"Since the card itself is four-star, its enhancement effect on five-star items is notable but not overwhelming. The most significant boosts are for four-star and below, but the potential is clear," Lu Heng explained.
"Indeed."
Wriothesley was no fool and immediately grasped the implications.
Lu Heng moved on to the second card.
[Level +1]
Tier: 4★ (Purple)Type: [Single-Use External Enhancement Card]Trait: [Universal]Description: Unconditionally raises the level of an object or living being by one. The upgraded level cannot exceed four stars.
"This…?"
Furina looked at the card, then at Wriothesley.
Wriothesley pondered for a moment before pulling out his Vision. "Can this be enhanced?"
"If that's what you want, it's possible."
His line of thinking was quite ingenious.
The card's trait could indeed fulfill this application.
"It's a one-time use... Think carefully about how to use it," Lu Heng offered no further advice.
Whether Wriothesley chose to upgrade his Vision or elevate a three-star card to four-star was entirely up to him.
"I'll give it some thought later."
Wriothesley turned to the next card.
[Small Gains, Great Rewards]
Tier: 4★ (Purple)Type: [Passive Card]Trait: [Absorption]Description: Every time you defeat an opponent, regardless of their strength, you gain all-around growth (excluding equipment). The extent of growth depends on the opponent's strength.
"This…?"
Wriothesley couldn't help but look at Lu Heng, as if asking, Is this for real?
Defeating an opponent and gaining combat experience was one thing, but all-around growth?
The description was brief, but card descriptions often carried a conceptual weight—some more than others.
Wriothesley wondered—did this mean that defeating an opponent could also enhance his learning ability? His memory?
"Probably exactly what you're imagining," Lu Heng confirmed.
"If that earlier Level +1 card had been gold and used on this one..." Furina couldn't resist interjecting, "Wriothesley could just farm points in the Fortress of Meropide, and within a few days, he'd be an Archon-level being? Give it a year or two, and Wriothesley, have you considered competing for the Cryo Archon's throne?"
"That's too fantastical."
Wriothesley laughed. "Still, four-star is more than enough. At its peak, it might even let me hold my own against an Archon, no?"
"True. A single card might not be enough, but with multiple, even an average Archon wouldn't stand a chance," Lu Heng agreed.
"The description doesn't specify the method of defeat..."
Would arm wrestling count? Card games? Eating contests?
"That's absurd," Wriothesley remarked in amazement.
He examined the remaining two purple cards.
Unfortunately, one was mediocre, and the other was practically useless.
"A tremendous haul!"
Wriothesley expressed his gratitude earnestly.
"I won't disturb the two of you during your lunch. I'll head back and test out Small Gains, Great Rewards," Wriothesley said.
"Alright. Don't forget to upgrade your equipment," Lu Heng reminded with a smile before turning to his lunch companion. "Shall we?"
"Let's go!"
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T/N:
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