Chapter 173: 173 Unexpected Surprise

Chapter 173: An Unexpected Surprise

The banquet hall of Dragon Breath Castle swelled with festive revelry once more.

Yet beneath the surface, a heavy shroud of unease hung over many of the nobles, their hushed, clustered conversations turning invariably toward Ronin and Rayson.

There was no doubt that the Thane family of Swamp Town was utterly ruined, leaving even Earl Orson with neither recourse nor excuse to plead their case.

Had the Earl pressed the matter, Rulance would likely have held Black Python City accountable for their negligence in eradicating the Brotherhood of the Skull.

Formidable though the Earl of Orson’s domain was, he remained a vassal to Dragon Breath Castle, and the judgment of his liege lord was not something he could yet afford to defy.

Furthermore, the night's unfolding events had shattered the old perception of Ronin; the Lord of Elven Town had finally commanded their absolute respect.

Crucially, they had witnessed Rulance's shifting stance toward the young man.

As for the trap sprung on Rayson, no one believed the grandfather and grandson had not orchestrated it together beforehand.

Thus, when Ronin stepped back into the hall, he naturally and effortlessly became the focal point of the evening.

Out on the balcony, Orson held a crystal chalice, aimlessly swirling the half-filled crimson wine as his brow furrowed deeply, his expression grim beneath the cloak of night.

Baron Rayson was no close confidant of his, but the man had been intimate with his son, Barrington, and surely knew far too much about the Brotherhood.

If Rayson broke under the pressure of interrogation and confessed, it would undoubtedly bring immense trouble to Black Python City.

"This Rayson... is a liability."

Footsteps echoed beside him as Jesus approached, chalice in hand, murmuring, "A tedious banquet, don't you think?"

The two men lightly clinked their glasses and took a slow sip.

"I beg to differ; I found tonight's display quite spectacular."

Orson replied with a smooth smile, "If you immerse yourself in the merriment, you might find a different perspective."

"Heh, I imagine your true disposition is anything but merry right now."

Jesus lowered his voice, "I look forward to your next move."

"My move?"

Orson drained the remaining wine in a single gulp, "What move could I possibly make?"

Jesus offered a noncommittal glance, and seeing no one else near, whispered, "He was too weak, leaving that region devoid of a proper counterweight."

Orson offered a faint grunt of assent, knowing precisely what the man meant.

Black Python City had intended to nurture the Thane domain, expanding its borders and strength to pave the way for a future strike against Horse Racing City.

But with Rayson gone, those meticulous plans had vanished into thin air.

Orson’s gaze drifted to the joyous, mist-shrouded form of Viscount Marvin across the hall, whose blatant ecstasy thoroughly vexed him.

Yet he had to admit that whoever inherited the Thane lands, it would not be Black Python City, meaning Horse Racing City faced no further threats from the north.

"Chaos is a ladder," Orson murmured softly to himself.

Dragon Breath Castle was in gradual decline, yet the vast territory remained too large to fail, sustained entirely by the towering presence of Marquis Rulance.

So long as Rulance drew breath, even cloistered away within the castle walls, no grand rebellion would dare shake the realm.

This stagnant peace suffocated Orson, for only in the Marquis's absence could his own grand ambitions finally take flight.

The banquet languished deep into the night before drawing to a close.

By the time Ronin retired, he had consumed countless chalices of wine, his senses beginning to blur into a pleasant haze.

"My Lord, here is the grand prize for the jousting tournament, along with the bounties from Her Highness and the other nobles. Hallworth asked me to deliver it to you."

Inside the chamber, Maken held an ornate basket, overflowing with the brilliant luster of gold and silver coins.

Ronin circulated his battle aura, dispelling the lingering intoxication and sharpening his mind instantly.

"How much is it?"

Taking the basket, Ronin gave it a light bounce, noting its substantial weight.

At that exact moment, lines of glowing text materialized across his vision:

[Achievement "Overflowing Wealth" unlocked. Attribute Points +250, Energy Essence +500.]

"Oh!"

Ronin blinked in surprise.

If he recalled correctly, the Overflowing Wealth achievement required him to acquire five thousand gold coins all at once.

It was a staggering sum, one he assumed would require securing a massive merchant contract to fulfill, never expecting the tournament to yield such a windfall.

"How could there be this much?"

The champion's prize was a mere one thousand gold pieces, and even with Princess Blanche's generous bounty of five hundred, it fell far short of five thousand.

Maken then handed him a slip of parchment, which neatly detailed the list of patrons.

"Princess Blanche 500 gold, Miroslav 480 gold, Jesus 400 gold, Orson 300 gold, Marvin 300 gold, Kabir 300 gold, Dennis 200 gold, Gehrman 200 gold..."

Ronin could not help but marvel; he had not expected so many nobles to bestow gifts, even those who had actively sought to provoke him.

The likes of Jesus and Orson had given remarkably steep sums, ensuring their public grace remained immaculate.

They truly were generous souls, he amused himself.

"Miroslav."

Ronin pictured the seventh-tier earth grand magus who sat beside Rulance, surprised the venerable man had joined the sport.

To a figure of such renown, a few hundred gold coins were a mere pittance.

Had he not wished to avoid upstaging Princess Blanche, the grand magus might well have tossed a thousand gold coins without a second thought.

With the champion's purse combined with the offerings of dozens of nobles and knights, Ronin's total earnings reached a staggering 5,250 gold coins!

He had never imagined wealth could be amassed so effortlessly.

Ronin tossed thirty gold coins to Maken and ten to Tom, telling them to purchase whatever they fancied in Dragon Breath City, before sweeping the remainder into his spatial ring.

Reclining upon his bed, he summoned his status panel.

[Attribute Points]: 251

[Energy Essence]: 951

This single achievement had granted him a formidable hoard of resources.

He glanced at the achievement interface, where Overflowing Wealth had already updated:

[Overflowing Wealth]: Acquire ten thousand gold coins all at once. Reward: Attribute Points +500, Energy Essence +1000.

The difficulty had scaled drastically.

Amassing ten thousand gold pieces simultaneously would require either another grand festival with even wealthier patrons, or a massive commercial enterprise.

He surveyed his remaining tasks; if all proceeded smoothly, he would soon ascend to the rank of Viscount and assume control of the Thane domain.

By then, he would fulfill the achievements of "Renowned Throughout the Land" and "Thriving Population," yielding hundreds more attribute points and energy essences.

With such power at his disposal, his strength would leap bounds, perhaps even enabling him to elevate Maken to the coveted Gold rank in a single stroke.

Having a Gold-rank guardian meant that even if the assassin from the Colosseum came to Mountain Village, Luo Ning no longer had to worry.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Luo Ning allocated all his attribute points to his Knight rank.

After the intense surge of enhancement brought a thrilling rush, his Knight progression leapt from 93/800 straight to 344/800.

“After strengthening my internal organs, my energy has become far more vibrant—even if I sleep only four or five hours a night, I feel not the slightest fatigue the next day.”

Luo Ning threw several punches in his room, savoring the surge of power.

Now, even his breaths grew longer, deeper than before.

If he had once been able to hold his breath underwater for three minutes, he could now hold it for at least five times that long.

At this stage, a Knight’s lifespan began to subtly extend.

Ordinarily, a Bronze-rank Knight could easily live to eighty.

Consider this: in a world where fifty was already considered old age, what did eighty mean?

“Supernatural power is truly captivating!”

For him, given enough time, he would surely witness the splendor of the pinnacle transcendent.

As long as Wushan Fortress maintained its current state, he would never lack time to grow.

(End of Chapter)