- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 124
Anna posed some challenges. First, as a half-elf girl, she was inevitably connected to the elf race. Even if she were only half-elf, the elves would likely reclaim her if they discovered her, especially now that Anna had signed a contract with a nature spirit, transforming her into something akin to a nature spirit herself, making it even more likely the elves would demand her return.
Then, there was the matter of Karlenina—Anna’s full name was Anna Karlenina. Although Anna hadn’t shared her story, this alone hinted at complications.
As one of the three great duchies, the Karlenina family was not a force Thor wanted to cross lightly.
At least, not yet.
So from the beginning, Thor had prepared accordingly.
“Good that you understand,” Count Engel said. “Take a few days to rest at home. You came back rather suddenly, and I’ll need some time to make arrangements.”
“It will take around half a month. Your territory should be fine during this time, right? You should have left Pelos behind; placing all your safety in the hands of others is not the wisest choice!”
Count Engel nodded, though he frowned slightly as a thought struck him.
“Father, Rayne has already advanced to grand knight, and Steve has also leveled up. With them and the Maine Alliance, the territory should be secure,” Thor explained with a smile.
He knew his father likely misunderstood his choice.
“So quickly?”
Count Engel was taken aback by Thor’s words.
Steve’s advancement wasn’t surprising; as Thor’s appointed knight captain, his strength had been close to a grand knight already, so a breakthrough was expected. But Count Engel hadn’t anticipated Rayne’s rapid progress.
It had only been a little over a year.
This speed was truly remarkable.
“Yes, Rayne broke through several months ago, and his strength now even surpasses a second-tier peak orc,” Thor replied, pride showing in his expression.
“Very well. Use him wisely; Rayne will be one of your greatest assets in the future.”
“It’s late now, and you’ve had a long day. Let’s leave it here. Get some rest, and you can take this book with you for now.”
Count Engel nodded, glancing at the time before speaking to Thor.
“Father, I didn’t bring much back, but I hope this will be useful to you.”
Thor took out a wooden box containing the life-giving fruit.
“Alright, leave it on the table,” Count Engel replied with a nod, though he didn’t think much of it.
Even though Thor had become a baron, he didn’t expect him to have anything too significant to offer.
However, he was happy to accept his son’s thoughtful gesture.
“Yes, Father.”
Thor nodded without explaining, placed the box on the desk, and then left the study.
The night had fully settled in, and the castle was enveloped in a peaceful silence.
After Thor left, a servant promptly led him to his room.
The familiar room and bed filled Thor with nostalgia.
Shaking his head, he prepared for the night, then lay down to rest.
As the night deepened…
*Ding! The Daily Intelligence System has been updated!*
“Open it.”
Thor’s consciousness immediately immersed itself in the system’s latest insights.
Meanwhile, in the study…
Count Engel remained awake, deep in thought.
His brow furrowed more tightly as time passed.
It wasn’t until early morning that he finally decided to turn in for the night. But as he stood up, his gaze fell on the wooden box Thor had left on the desk.
“Thor,” he murmured with a faint smile, picking up the box and opening it.
A fruit he didn’t recognize appeared inside, momentarily puzzling him.
“A sour fruit?”
But as the confusion settled, his eyes widened.
“What… what is this?”
His voice trembled, and his breathing grew rapid.
He sensed something unusual emanating from the fruit.
Without hesitation, he reached out to touch it.
The instant his fingers brushed the fruit, his expression shifted drastically.
“This… this is a life-giving fruit!” he whispered in astonishment, his eyes widening further.
“Thor!”
A thought struck Count Engel, and his gaze darted toward the door.
“Charlie!”
The words left his mouth, barely containing his excitement.
“Yes, Master!”
Butler Charlie entered the room.
“Check if Thor is still awake. If he is, have him come here. If he’s asleep, let it be.”
Count Engel instructed.
“Understood!”
Charlie quickly left to carry out the task.
Left alone, Count Engel paced the room, his gaze occasionally flicking back to the box, his expression shifting from disbelief to awe.
After a while, the door was knocked upon once again.
“Come in.”
“Master, Young Master Thor has retired for the night,” Butler Charlie announced.
“Alright, I understand.”
Count Engel exhaled deeply and nodded.
Charlie withdrew, leaving the Count alone.
As dawn broke, the morning light cast a warm glow over the castle.
Thor, after being tended to by Anna, dressed and prepared to head to breakfast when Butler Charlie appeared at his door.
“Young Master Thor, the master wishes to see you.”
“Alright,” Thor smiled, unsurprised by the request.
After signaling to Anna, he followed Charlie back to the study.
A moment later, he entered the familiar room once again.
“Charlie, notify everyone that we’re not to be disturbed.”
“Yes, Master.” Charlie nodded, then quietly exited the room.
The door closed, leaving only Count Engel and Thor in the room.
The wooden box remained untouched on the desk.
The air grew heavy with silence.
Count Engel looked at Thor, struggling to find words as he tried to speak.
“Father?”
Thor finally broke the silence with a soft call.
“Thor, you know what you’ve given me, don’t you?”
Count Engel took a deep breath, his voice low as he looked at his son.
“Yes. It was an unexpected find. Father, you’re close to achieving Sky Knight status. With this life-giving fruit, you should have a chance to reach it.”
Thor nodded, his tone earnest.
When Thor discovered the Tree of Life, he immediately thought of his father.
The family had given him substantial support, so Thor naturally felt the need to give something back.
That mature life-giving fruit was undoubtedly the best choice.
As one of the primary ingredients in high-grade life elixirs, even consuming the life-giving fruit alone could allow an Earth Knight to break through to Sky Knight.
His father, Count Engel, was already at the peak of Earth Knight. With the life-giving fruit, he might not have a high chance of advancing to Sky Knight, but there was at least a significant possibility.
The first life-giving fruit Thor obtained was intended to change his own fate, so he had kept it. But he had no reservations about offering this second one.
Listening to Thor’s words, Count Engel’s expression grew more complex, and he looked deeply at Thor.
After a moment, he sighed softly.
“Take it back.”
“You need it more than I do.”
Despite feeling his heart tremble at the thought, Count Engel spoke decisively.
The eagle must protect the fledgling—this was the Dressrosa family’s guiding principle.
And he had always upheld it.
Thor showed exceptional potential, but his limited strength and talent would ultimately be the biggest obstacles to his future growth.
The life-giving fruit could indeed help Count Engel attempt a breakthrough to Sky Knight, but it could also significantly bolster Thor’s talent and strength.
With the life-giving fruit, while it might still be difficult for Thor to become a Sky Knight, it would give him a fighting chance at becoming an Earth Knight.
Thor was taken aback by his father’s response.
After his surprise faded, he said nothing more.
An immense surge of life energy coursed through him.
A terrifying chill spread across the room, and faint frost began to form on the floor beneath his feet.
“What…?”
Count Engel was startled by the sudden outpouring of life energy. But then his eyes widened in shock, and he leaped to his feet.
The overwhelming aura wasn’t that of a trainee knight, nor a formal knight.
It was that of a grand knight.
“You…?”
Count Engel’s eyes were wide, unable to fully grasp the shock he was experiencing.
A grand knight.
His son was already a grand knight.
Count Engel had known Thor’s talents were not extraordinary—becoming a trainee knight by eighteen and forming his life seed was likely a stroke of luck. His greatest potential was thought to be that of a formal knight; becoming a grand knight was doubtful.
Yet, in under two years, here was his son, a grand knight already.
“Father, the life-giving fruit is of little use to me. It would benefit you much more. If you can break through to Sky Knight, the Dressrosa family might actually rise to the rank of marquis, which could be of even greater help to me.”
Thor’s voice was steady, yet earnest.
He wasn’t exaggerating.
If the Dressrosa family became a marquisate, Thor would reap significant benefits, especially when expanding in the Northern Province.
A marquis and a count were worlds apart.
There were over a dozen counts in Frostmoon Province alone, and the Tulip Kingdom had fifty or sixty of them, but there were fewer than twenty marquises in the entire kingdom. Marquises were among the kingdom’s top-tier nobility.
“Thor, I must admit, you’ve truly surprised me this time.”
“I now believe you really have been blessed by the Goddess of Life!”
“I’ll accept the life-giving fruit.”
Count Engel took a deep breath, his gaze lingering on Thor as he spoke slowly.
This time, he didn’t refuse. Thor’s actions had shown him his son’s intentions, and his heart was deeply moved.
“Father, then I’ll look forward to hearing good news from you!”
Thor nodded with a smile, his expression relaxed.
One life-giving fruit was a small price to pay, especially now that he had the Tree of Life, which would yield more in the future.
And if the life-giving fruit allowed his father to advance—even if the family didn’t rise to marquis status—the gain would be invaluable.
A Sky Knight.
It would be his own father who would achieve it, making it all the more significant than the likes of Neil Morton.
“Becoming a Sky Knight isn’t easy. Our family also has a Star Moon Fruit. I’ll see if I can gather information on another key ingredient. Only then will we be able to create a stable high-grade life elixir. There’s no need to rush; we still have two years before the kingdom’s war,” Count Engel replied with a serious tone.
Thor nodded, not offering any objection.
Having entrusted his father with the life-giving fruit, he would leave the details of its use to Count Engel’s discretion.
The two talked for a while longer before Thor took his leave.
Watching Thor go, Count Engel sighed, shaking his head.
He hadn’t expected that one day he would receive such a magnificent gift from his own son.
A life-giving fruit was indeed a rare treasure.
It was one of the three key ingredients in a high-grade life elixir, and it was the most valuable and unique of them all. Acquiring it was extremely difficult.
If a life-giving fruit appeared at an auction in the capital, it would be priceless.
It couldn’t be measured in gold coins alone.
Even a typical count wouldn’t easily obtain one; it would be challenging even for a powerful count.
*(End of Chapter)*