Chapter 88: You Earn Money to Spend It (2)

A few days later, at Keter’s office, Dork was packing a bundle of supplies about the size of a person.

“Why the heck is this thing needlessly sharp at the bottom?”

The item Dork was grumbling about as he shoved it into a bag was a top-tier elixir. This pink liquid, barely a mouthful, was valued at a staggering fifty thousand gold, a sum that could buy a grand mansion in a major city. Its effects, however, were clear: a single drop could cure any disease or wound and even clear a broken mind.

There was a saying that a top-tier elixir could save someone with a severed head. Although, of course, the elixir would need to be poured on the wound immediately after decapitation.

The bag also contained other jaw-dropping things. There was a thousand-year-aged mandrake, capable of rejuvenating an aging body; a Reinforcement Pellet, a secret dwarven elixir that hardened bones like steel when consumed; Nature Essence Pill, an elven secret elixir that dramatically boosted elemental resistance and affinity. There was also a pile of monster cores and Inner Essence Pills imbued with the power of high-level monsters.

“If people knew what was in this bag, they would faint from shock.”

The total value of the bag’s contents was three million gold, equivalent to the annual budget of Sefira.

“Big Brother! I’m done packing!”

Two people entered the living room when they heard Dork. Keter strolled in leisurely with a yawn, along with Luke, whose demeanor had drastically changed. He had a gentle, friendly face, but now had a sharp, intimidating gaze. Though only a few days had passed, it was clear he had endured immense trials and grown significantly.

“I feel like I could beat anyone in Sefira now—except the patriarch.”

“Calm down, Luke.”

“I refuse. The current me has earned the right to glare.”

“Fine. Just don’t come crying when your eyes pop out during teleportation.”

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

“...Alright, we can’t have that.”

Luke softened his gaze, his face returning to its former gentleness, but he couldn’t hide his surprise as he looked at Dork.

“Huh? Mr. Daat, did something happen yesterday? You suddenly seem... different. And taller.”

“Haha, you can tell?”

While Dork was pleased by Luke’s observation, the mere thought of the previous day made him gag internally.

“B-Big Brother, I feel like my stomach’s going to explode! Please, no more...”

From morning to evening, Keter made Dork drink elixir after elixir like water. Clutching his bloated stomach, Dork groaned in pain, but Keter didn’t care and brought another viscous green liquid to his lips.

“Hehehe, drink it, Daat. Seize your destiny.”

“Noooo... Gurgle...”

Though it seemed like Keter was forcing him, the order was meticulously planned. The only oversight was underestimating Dork’s small frame. Keter stayed by his side all day, guiding him to fully absorb the elixirs.

With the addition of medical techniques that amplified the elixirs’ effects two-fold, Dork was completely transformed overnight. He knew nothing of aura or mana cultivation techniques, yet his body now held ten years’ worth of aura and two years’ worth of mana. His height and skeletal structure had also grown significantly.

Granted, he had only just caught up to Luke, as he had originally been as small as a boy. But still, for Dork, it was a monumental change.

He’s regained the ten years he lost.

Training favored younger bodies, as the time it took to adapt and accept changes was short. For someone like Dork, who had never trained or cultivated techniques in his life, his body had already stiffened with age. Ordinarily, starting training now would have been nearly meaningless.

But Keter had made the impossible possible—with three hundred thousand-gold worth of elixirs and inner essence, and with human modification techniques learned from the world’s greatest doctor and chimeric mage, Franken.

Master Franken, your teachings have truly been invaluable.

Keter would have liked to learn more medical techniques if they could meet again, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. Though Franken was indeed in Liqueur, he wasn’t above ground. He had gone underground long ago.

I don’t even know which level he’s on down there. Searching for him would be impossible.

Searching for someone in Liqueur’s underground was akin to looking for a needle in a desert. So, Keter decided to give up on it.

In any case, Dork had been reborn. He was previously below average, but now he was as powerful as a one-star knight through the power of elixirs.

I could probably raise the others to three-star without much trouble too.

Of course, elixirs could only enhance physical abilities and increase aura reserves to a certain extent. What mattered more were combat knowledge and a body trained to its utmost limits.

I’ll take care of that myself. And in the process, I’ll hone myself too.

Before departing, Keter left one last instruction: “Dork, listen. Soon, the Flying Wolf Tribe will come to Liqueur. I sent them, and they see me as their benefactor. Keep them in line so they don’t get any funny ideas.”

“The Flying Wolf Tribe? Aren’t they one of the Seven Cursed Species? The ones who defied even the emperor? Will they really listen to me?”

“I gave them some basic training before sending them. They will follow orders.”

“As expected, thank you, Big Brother. Have a safe trip.”

“Alright, I’m off."

Keter slammed his hand down on the teleportation magic circle. Just like when he had entered, he used the power of Akrah’s ring to escape Liqueur.

With a flash, sparks of orange light scattered in all directions. As the teleportation began, Luke felt a tear slip from his eye. The week he had spent in Liqueur with Keter had been the hardest week of his life. When he returned to Sefira, he planned to spend all day resting. His body and mind were at their limits. Keter had even told him to rest properly once the job was done, so he felt justified.

But Luke was mistaken. Keter had said that the work in Liqueur was done, not that all their tasks were over. This was just the beginning of the true hardships.

* * *

“

Hum~

They’re all growing nicely.”

In Keter’s living quarters, Jacques was carefully tending a plant as though handling a newborn baby. He had purchased it out of his own pocket, meant to soften Keter’s rough aura. The plants were chosen for their calm and orderly charm rather than vibrant colors, ensuring they wouldn’t offend Keter’s tastes.

Bzzzz.

“Huh?”

Jacques bent down, hearing a strange noise coming from under the shelf the plant pot was on.

“Where’s that sound coming from? Is it from downstairs?”

Just as Jacques pressed his ear to the floor to locate the source, a flash erupted.

Whoosh! Crack!

A magic circle carved itself onto the floor.

“What the?!”

When Jacques stumbled back in shock, the shelf sitting over the circle was flung outside its boundary in an instant.

“

Ack!

”

Jacques dove out of the way to avoid the flying shelf and pots, but soil rained down over his head. The magic circle cleared its area of all objects, not even allowing the smallest grain of sand. It was a safeguard to ensure that the teleportation site was completely free of obstructions.

Crash!

Once the area was clear, orange sparks exploded from the circle, and two figures appeared.

Thud! Thud!

Luke appeared slightly suspended in midair, stumbling awkwardly upon landing, while Keter landed gracefully, as if stepping down a staircase.

“Ugh...”

Luke clutched a pillar, gagging from nausea, while Keter clicked his tongue at the chaos in the room.

“Gramps, what happened? Did a war break out while I was gone?”

“...”

Jacques was speechless, overwhelmed by both the relief of seeing Keter return safely and the heartbreak of his beloved pots lying shattered.

At that moment, the doors to Keter’s living quarters burst open, and knights and soldiers poured into the room.

“Lord Keter!”

A knight with an arrow already nocked on his bow gasped in surprise, quickly lowering his weapon.

“What’s the meaning of this? Why are you barging in here unannounced, and with weapons drawn?” Keter asked.

“Lord Keter, allow me to explain,” Jacques said, now composed.

Gesturing for the intruding knights to leave, he said, “As you can see, I am unharmed. Please leave.”

"Understood, Mr. Jacques. Apologies for the intrusion, Lord Keter."

The knight saluted and led the soldiers out.

As Luke wiped his mouth, now recovered from the teleportation sickness, he asked cautiously, “Father, there isn’t an actual war, is there?”

A fully armed knight entering the quarters of a direct descendent of a noble family unannounced was unheard of outside of wartime. Adding to the strangeness, ten soldiers accompanied the knight into the room, which was too many to have been guarding the room. This meant they were a patrol unit, which usually comprised three people, but this was more than triple.

With a slightly troubled expression, Jacques replied, “Not a war, but a significant incident did occur just two days ago. Before explaining, I must say it’s a relief to see you return safely, Lord Keter.”

He bowed deeply, and Keter waved him off nonchalantly.

“Just tell me what happened.”

“There was an intruder. They attempted to break the Bydent’s knights out of prison.”

“What?! An intruder?!” Luke exclaimed, but Jacques continued calmly.

“Calm down, Luke. The intruders were all killed, and the servants who aided them have been captured. The enhanced security is part of the patriarch’s plan to summon the knights and soldiers stationed outside back to the estate.”

“Did the patriarch formally protest to Bydent? A fight between families within the same kingdom is forbidden, isn’t it?”

“The individuals who appeared at the prison were assassins. They immediately took their own lives when they were captured, so it is difficult to link them to Bydent definitively. As for the servants who unlocked the doors, while they admitted to taking money, they vehemently denied colluding with Bydent.”

“So Sefira just ended up taking the hit again, didn’t we?”

Unlike Luke, who was fuming, Keter calmly set down the luggage he had brought.

“It wasn’t about taking a hit; we successfully defended ourselves. Judging by the situation, it seems no one on our side was hurt.”

“You’re right, Lord Keter. The intruders never even reached the prison. It was all thanks to Lord Taragon.”

“Oh, Taragon did something, did he?”

“He noticed the suspicious movements of the servants early on, hid out for half of the day, and neutralized the intruders before they could do anything. The patriarch personally praised him.”

“Considering Father’s personality, I bet that was just verbal praise. He should reward Taragon with something everyone else would want too, don’t you think?”

“Given the patriarch’s disposition, you’re probably right that no formal reward was given.”

“Well, whatever. Has Gyro arrived yet?”

“Sigh, I was going to bring that up first. Do you know how much trouble that man has caused Sefira?”

Gyro was the former Sword of the South and the wielder of Demon Sword Obelisk. Jacques furrowed his brow as he recalled their first encounter.