- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 163
The morning sunlight bathed the landscape as Thor and his group returned to the Tono Territory.
Finally, Thor got his first proper look at the elven girl. Her flawless features, exquisite beauty, and the faint aura of life around her left him momentarily stunned.
Unlike Anna, the aura of this forest-born elf exuded an innate gentleness, drawing attention effortlessly.
“Master!”
Anna approached with a bright smile, greeting Thor as he dismounted.
“So, Anna has already signed a contract with you,” said Eivira, floating down from above. Her expression was one of curiosity as she circled Thor mid-air.
After spending a full day with Anna, Eivira had gotten to know her well. And from their conversations, the name she’d heard most frequently was Thor’s. Naturally, her curiosity about this human had only grown.
“Greetings, I am Thor Dresrosa. It is a great honor to meet you, fair elf.” Thor offered a noble’s bow, his voice warm and sincere.
“Hello, the honor is mine,” Eivira replied, a touch flustered as she hurried to introduce herself. “I am Eivira.”
“Eivira, what a lovely name!” Thor said, smiling.
“Thank you for the compliment, Sir Thor,” Eivira responded with a smile of her own.
After a moment of hesitation, she added shyly, “Sir Thor, might I stay in your territory for a while?”
Eivira’s gaze was cautious, as though afraid of being refused. As a forest elf who had fled the natural woods, returning too soon would invite the queen’s wrath. Moreover, she had taken a liking to Anna and wanted to stay close to her.
“Of course!” Thor replied, a bit surprised but quickly breaking into a smile.
He had been wondering how to convince this elf to remain in his territory, yet here she was asking of her own accord. It saved him quite a bit of effort.
“Thank you so much! As payment, I can assist you with your work,” Eivira said earnestly.
After hearing Anna’s tales, Eivira had developed a favorable impression of Thor. He seemed unlike other humans—better, even, than the one who had promised to help her find Alcia.
“Then I thank you in advance,” Thor said, his eyes lighting up as he accepted with a smile.
The three continued chatting for a while before Eivira, her curiosity piqued, began exploring the items around her.
Meanwhile, Thor pulled out the mysterious vial of potion he had taken from Stein.
“Anna, do you recognize this?” Thor asked.
“Let me see,” Anna replied, intrigued. She took the potion, carefully inspecting it. Removing the cork, she sniffed the contents lightly before her eyes lit up.
“Master, I think this is a berserk potion! Let me confirm the grade,” she said, her excitement evident as she continued examining it.
“A berserk potion?” Thor exclaimed, his eyes widening.
He knew well what berserk potions were. Unlike life potions that enhanced life force, berserk potions unleashed it explosively.
Even a low-grade berserk potion could temporarily allow a knight to fight beyond their level—granting a formal knight the power of a great knight. A mid-grade potion could push a great knight to the level of a Earth Knight, while a high-grade potion could rival the immense power just below a sky knight.
Though berserk potions came with severe side effects—sometimes even destroying the user’s body—their utility made them highly coveted. Their value was often double that of life potions of the same grade, and in the resource-starved Northern Province, the price soared even higher.
For instance:
-A low-grade life potion might cost 100 gold coins elsewhere but fetched 200–300 coins in the Northern Province.
-A berserk potion of the same grade could sell for over 1,000 coins locally.
High-grade berserk potions were a different beast altogether, commanding prices exceeding 50,000 gold coins and rarely available for purchase. Even the Marquis of Leyman would hoard such treasures rather than sell them.
As Thor’s thoughts raced, Anna completed her inspection.
“Master, this is definitely high-grade!” Anna announced, her voice brimming with excitement.
“High-grade?” Thor’s breath caught, and his pulse quickened.
A high-grade berserk potion wasn’t merely worth its weight in gold—50,000 gold coins were just its monetary value. Its true significance lay in the edge it provided in battle.
Such a potion could elevate a Earth Knight to the power of a sky knight for a short time. For a great knight, it meant a chance to wield the strength of the strongest Earth Knights.
Even for a sky knight, the potion had its uses. Its potential was immense.
“Ha! It seems my luck is truly extraordinary this time,” Thor laughed, unable to contain his elation.
“Master, I can actually brew berserk potions myself,” Anna said, grinning mischievously as she noticed Thor’s delight.
“Really?!” Thor exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
“Yes! Although, for now, I can only brew low-grade ones,” Anna admitted. “The main ingredient, the leaves of the bloodthirsty flower, is incredibly rare. If we could find enough of them, I could teach others in the territory to brew potions as well—though it would take some time, as berserk potions are trickier to make than life potions.”
“The leaves of the bloodthirsty flower?” Thor asked, puzzled. The plant was unfamiliar to him.
“Yes, it’s a rare magical plant that only grows in areas steeped in death. The stronger the plant, the higher the grade of berserk potion it can produce,” Anna explained patiently.
Thor nodded thoughtfully.
The idea of brewing berserk potions in his territory was tantalizing. If it could be done, it wouldn’t just bolster their defenses—it would open a new and highly lucrative source of income.
However, given how difficult it was to acquire the bloodthirsty flower, Thor reconsidered and decided to abandon the idea for now.
Places steeped in death and carnage, while theoretically possible to locate even in a resource-scarce region like the Northern Province, were not only rare but also inherently dangerous. Taking such risks wasn’t necessary at this point.
“By the way, Anna, Eivira will be your responsibility,” Thor said after a moment, a new thought striking him.
“Make sure to keep her identity as an elf concealed. You know as well as I do that human society isn’t safe.”
“Understood, Master. I’ve already spoken to Eivira about it,” Anna replied with a serious nod.
After all that had happened, Anna was acutely aware of the dangers such exposure could bring.
“Good. You should get some rest now. In a couple of days, we’ll likely return to the estate,” Thor instructed before waving her off.
“Yes, Master!” Anna acknowledged, retreating with a bow.
Thor, however, made his way to the study, as he still had numerous tasks to address. Being the true master of the Eagle Chamber of Commerce meant that many decisions required his personal attention.
Once inside Tono’s study, Thor worked tirelessly until late into the night, addressing outstanding matters and delegating tasks for future operations. Only when the moon hung high in the sky did he finally pause to reflect.
As dusk turned to night, Thor sat at his desk, rhythmically tapping its surface with his fingers. His thoughts wandered, replaying the events of the day to ensure nothing was overlooked.
With the territory expanding and responsibilities growing ever more complex, Thor had developed the habit of frequent reviews and reflections. This process not only helped him catch errors but also solidified his understanding of ongoing matters, guiding his future actions.
The results spoke for themselves.
Thanks to this disciplined approach, Thor had consistently handled challenges well—and each time, he grew more adept. Take the recent incident with Stein Campbell: every detail had been meticulously accounted for, leaving no room for error.
Unless, of course, someone could turn back time—an impossibility, as even the most powerful aristocratic families lacked such capabilities. Stein’s demise was as final as it was untraceable.
“Perhaps,” Thor mused, his fingers tapping with renewed vigor, “I could eliminate the remaining lords as well.”
The idea sent a chill down his spine even as it ignited his ambition. What if he could systematically remove all the powerful pioneering lords in the region?
These figures were bound to become future obstacles for the Eagle Chamber of Commerce. Dealing with them now, one by one, would prevent trouble down the line. With his current strength, the task seemed deceptively simple.
And the rewards?
Beyond their territories and assets, these lords were hoarding unimaginable wealth. Stein Campbell alone had assets exceeding 170,000 gold coins. What about the others?
Thor ran the numbers in his mind. If each lord held even a modest 50,000 coins, eliminating dozens of them would yield a fortune so vast it defied comprehension. And given their actual holdings, the figure could be exponentially higher.
The sheer scale of this potential windfall made Thor’s pulse race. With the thorn juice in his arsenal to ensure their traces were wiped clean, it seemed feasible. The same fate that befell Stein Campbell could easily befall them all, leaving no evidence.
The more Thor thought about it, the more tantalizing the prospect became. With such wealth, he could forego slower, incremental growth strategies for the Chamber of Commerce. Instead, he’d have the resources to propel himself to the level of a sky knight in no time.
His breathing quickened as the possibilities unraveled in his mind.
But then Thor froze, a cold shiver running down his spine as clarity returned. His excitement gave way to unease as he realized the enormity of what he was contemplating.
Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead as he shook his head, forcing the seductive thoughts from his mind.
Sure, the plan seemed sound in theory, but the risks were insurmountable for someone of his current stature. Even the Dresrosa family, despite their growing strength, wasn’t equipped to handle such fallout.
The Dresrosa family’s recent ascension was undeniable. With Earl Engel promoted to a sky knight, the family’s elevation to a marquisate seemed inevitable. But a marquis family, even one with a sky knight, couldn’t afford to antagonize all the powerful lords of the Northern Province at once.
Moreover, Thor reminded himself, no plan was truly foolproof. If every influential lord perished suddenly, suspicions would mount.
In a world ruled by extraordinary powers, evidence wasn’t always necessary—suspicion alone could lead to retribution. And with only the Dresrosa family left standing in the region, the implications would be impossible to ignore.
Thor shuddered at the thought. The weight of such collective hostility would crush even the most well-prepared schemes.
By contrast, Stein Campbell’s death was a calculated risk. A single lord falling to external threats, like the beastmen uprising, was entirely plausible. Even if the truth surfaced, it would likely devolve into a feud between the Dresrosa and Campbell families, leaving Thor himself unscathed.
After all, the Dresrosa family now had a sky knight in its ranks, while Stein’s father did not. The balance of power tipped in Thor’s favor.
“Seems I’ve been getting carried away,” Thor sighed, shaking his head in self-reproach.
Things had been going too smoothly lately, and the success had emboldened him to consider reckless ideas. The notion of eliminating all the pioneering lords was, in hindsight, sheer madness.
Thor leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply.
For now, he would focus on consolidating the gains he had already made. After all, steady progress was the surest path to lasting success.