Startled by Gasco's scorching gaze, the little girl quietly shifted, hiding behind the middle-aged man.
Her movement briefly snapped Gasco out of his daydreams about the future.
"Netron."
"Yes, my lord."
Hearing Gasco's voice, the middle-aged man kneeling on the floor lowered his head even closer to the ground.
"Go directly to Steward Loren. I've already instructed him—anything you want, he will provide."
"Yes, thank you, Viscount Gasco!"
Overjoyed, Netron rose and left the study with light, quick steps, heading toward the audience hall of the city lord's mansion.
Closing the study door, Gasco slowly approached the little girl, his eyes burning as if they could incinerate her on the spot.
"I truly am blessed by the heavens!"
According to the Bright Sanctuary priests, the power gained from offering a pure soul to the divine depends both on the quality of the soul and the individual's aptitude.
Regardless, a peak ninth-level warrior who completes the sacrifice will be guaranteed to ascend to Sanctuary.
Now, the key to reaching Sanctuary lay in his hands.
All that was needed was to journey to the Bright Sanctuary, betray the Frost Snow Empire, and use Gelmu City as the platform for his ascension.
Once the sacrifice was complete, he could even recruit a knightly order and become its commander.
But…
Just as he imagined this future, Gasco's expression shifted.
If he truly did that, would Duke Locke arrive the moment he ascended to Sanctuary and end his life?
"No rush… no rush…"
"I can wait…"
Gasco whispered softly.
In his current state, he could maintain his peak for at least another ten to twenty years.
Gazing at the little girl kneeling before him, he took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.
"After all these years, I've finally found a suitable one. Truly, humans with pure souls are extremely rare."
"The other four brothers probably haven't found anyone yet."
"In that case, this one I've found shouldn't be revealed now."
"After all, given Lord Cole's temperament, if he learned that I've already found someone suitable for the sacrifice, he would rush to complete it immediately."
"But Lord Cole is only an eighth-level warrior. Conservatively, he would need at least two sacrifices to ascend to Sanctuary."
"In other words, I still need at least two more sacrifices to have a chance at reaching Sanctuary."
Gasco's mind raced, weighing the pros and cons.
"But my peak won't last forever. If my strength declines, even one sacrifice may not be enough to elevate me to Sanctuary."
At that thought, Gasco suddenly leapt from his seat, rushing out of the study.
In the audience hall, Steward Loren handed a package to Netron.
"Netron, this is the reward Viscount Gasco promised you. Count it carefully—do not let anyone claim it's insufficient, or it would tarnish the Viscount's reputation."
"Hahaha, Steward Loren, you jest! How could Viscount Gasco's reward ever be insufficient?"
Netron accepted the heavy package with exaggerated respect, secretly cursing in his heart.
Too light!
According to the agreement between Netron's guild and the viscount's mansion, they were promised 100,000 gold coins for bringing back one person who could make the pearl glow and heat up.
One hundred thousand gold coins—a fortune.
A year of trade profits for Netron's guild amounted to only about 3,000 gold coins.
After accounting for expenses, maybe 2,000 coins remained.
To earn 100,000 coins, Netron's guild would need twenty years.
It was precisely this temptation that led many guilds to accept such tasks from the viscount's mansion.
After all, it was just a chance encounter.
Who knows—perhaps fortune would favor them one day?
Netron was one of those lucky individuals.
When he found the little girl, he paid one coin to secure her. If the mansion kept its word, he would profit 99,990 coins.
The remaining ten coins accounted for escort fees during this period.
However…
Jiggling the bag, Netron squinted to hide his true thoughts.
One gold coin weighed 0.25 kg.
100,000 coins would weigh 25,000 kg—about 250 catty.
The bag in his hands weighed at most 50 catty.
In other words, the promised 100,000 coins from Viscount Gasco would only amount to fewer than 20,000 coins in Netron's hands.
Although 20,000 coins was still considerable, it was far short of the promised 100,000.
But clearly, he was being cheated. What could he do?
Complain?
Did he dare to risk leaving the mansion with his life intact?
Netron's tact pleased Steward Loren.
"Now that it's counted, leave quickly."
"Remember, if anything arises again, come directly to me."
"Yes, of course."
Netron bowed, slung the package over his back, and hurried toward the exit of the audience hall.
Wanting to leave quickly, he walked at a faster pace than usual.
"Thud!"
But luck was not on his side.
Just as he reached the doorway, a towering figure appeared before him. Netron collided with it and was thrown back several steps, falling to the ground. The figure didn't move at all.
Clatter…
The bag of coins on Netron's back spilled open, coins scattering across the floor.
He looked up to see who had knocked him down and, upon recognizing the person, his face paled.
He immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed.
"Most humbly, I apologize, Viscount Gasco! I did not see your arrival and offended you. I beg that you spare me, for I have completed a task on your behalf!"
In Gelmu City, everyone knew that Viscount Gasco was the true ruler.
His taboos were well-known, discovered through the lives of ordinary people.
Netron remembered that one such taboo was that Gasco hated being bumped from the front.
(End of Chapter)
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