- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 131
“Let it go?”
“Emor, since when did you become so foolish? Do you realize how much your mother went through to secure you a position in the Pat Knights?”
“Your recklessness is getting out of hand. Do you even understand what it means to attack a kingdom noble?”
Deghuri instinctively opened his mouth to respond, but a cold snort cut through the air as a figure entered the room, casting a harsh gaze on Emor lying in bed.
Seeing the newcomer, Deghuri’s expression changed, and he quickly bowed.
“Young Master Eri!” he greeted respectfully.
Eri ignored Deghuri completely.
“Cousin, they were the ones who went too far! They not only killed my pet but ruined my arm as well!” Emor protested, shrinking back at first but quickly letting his anger resurface.
However—
*Slap!*
The sound echoed in the room as Emor felt a stinging pain on his cheek, leaving him stunned, his expression one of utter disbelief.
“Cousin!”
Emor stammered, completely taken aback.
“Do you think the people of Pat City share in your stupidity?” Eri’s voice was icy. “An attack? Really?”
“Even if they had provoked your pet—so what? Do you think that just because you’re part of the Emerson family and a member of the Pat Knights, you’re untouchable?”
“It seems my aunt’s comfortable life in the Emerson family has dulled her wits. Colen is one example, and now you’re following suit.”
Eri’s words were filled with disappointment as he looked at Emor.
“Young Master Eri…” Deghuri began, but Eri’s sharp gaze stopped him in his tracks.
“Deghuri, as of today, you are no longer a member of the Pat Knights. You’ll be reassigned to the Southern Moon Province.”
“This is Grandfather’s decision. If you have an issue, take it up with him.”
Eri’s words were final.
“What!” Deghuri’s face went pale, his entire body stiffening with shock.
“Emor, go inform your father that he needs to produce 3,000 gold coins,” Eri continued, turning his attention back to Emor. “Also, it’s time for you to leave.”
“Cousin! Young Master Eri!” Emor’s voice was frantic.
Becoming a member of the Pat Knights had been a hard-won achievement, and now that it was being taken from him, he was terrified. Compared to this, the 3,000 gold coins seemed insignificant.
“Emor, let me give you one final piece of advice: you can be ruthless, but you mustn’t be foolish.”
“Ruby is not someone you can afford to provoke. Maybe if your father were here, but even then, don’t expect to be lucky every time. I’m only here now as a favor to Aunt Eris,” Eri said, pausing briefly before disappearing from the room.
Emor’s anger turned to despair as he slumped onto the floor, his eyes vacant and hollow.
No one paid him any further attention.
After Eri left, Deghuri also looked dejected.
Thor knew nothing of these developments, but the following morning, he was handed the final settlement.
“Here!”
“3,000 gold coins and three bottles of mid-grade life potions. Not a bad haul!” Ruby said with a grin, tossing the items to Thor.
“This much?” Thor’s eyes lit up in surprise.
Although Ruby had initially demanded 10,000 gold coins, they had all known that sum was unrealistic. 10,000 gold coins was about the public income of a count’s estate for an entire year—far too much for a single incident.
Getting even 3,000 to 4,000 coins would have been a success.
But not only did they receive 3,000 gold coins, there were also three bottles of mid-grade life potions.
In the Northern Province, a single bottle of mid-grade life potion could fetch over 2,000 gold coins, potentially even reaching 3,000 on a good day. Altogether, these three bottles were worth nearly 10,000 gold coins.
“Is the Emerson family really this wealthy?”
“And willing to pay?” Morris asked, just as surprised.
“It’s likely not solely from the Emerson family; part of this must have come from the Pat family. Eri delivered it himself, and he’s one of Marquis Pat’s most favored grandsons,” Ruby replied with a smile, shaking his head.
Ruby suspected that only the 3,000 coins had come from the Emersons, while the life potions were a gesture from the Pat family—likely intended to show goodwill toward Ruby himself.
But he didn’t dwell on it and passed everything to his cousin.
Considering Thor’s current position as a frontier lord in the Northern Province, he was in urgent need of resources.
“Cousin Ruby, then these aren’t really for me,” Morris said, seeming to understand. Thor, however, had already grasped the situation and returned the life potions.
“Take them. You already brought gifts for my boys that are worth a fair amount. If you refuse, I’ll have to return them,” Ruby insisted with a chuckle.
Thor hesitated briefly before accepting.
“All right, then!” Thor agreed, still slightly unsure but unwilling to argue further.
“That’s the spirit!” Ruby laughed. “Now, let’s go. The auction is about to start. You still have business to attend to, don’t you? And after, one of my boys might be heading to the Northern Province; I’ll be counting on you to look after him.”
“Understood!” Thor smiled and nodded.
“That’s the way!” Ruby said, putting an arm around Thor’s shoulders as they made their way to the auction.
“Fox girls for sale, I hear,” Ruby remarked with a grin.
Their laughter continued as they arrived at the auction venue, located in the heart of Pat City.
The Assad family’s auction was held in a massive hall.
After walking for over an hour, they finally reached it.
Entry required an invitation, which both the Dressrosa family and Ruby possessed.
After presenting their invitations, they were promptly led inside. Despite some tension between the Assad and Dressrosa families, it didn’t affect their reception.
They were even shown to a private room on the second floor.
“The level of decorum here is impressive. No wonder the Assad family is one of the most powerful count families,” Thor observed, taking in the spacious room and the courteous attendants.
The contrast with the Emerson family was stark.
In Loren City, Colen Emerson had pestered him endlessly.
In their territory, the Emerson family tried to extort them.
In Pat City, Emor caused even more trouble.
The difference between the two families was like night and day.
“Of course,” Ruby added. “It’s said that the Assad family aims to rise to marquis rank in this kingdom war. We’ll see if they succeed.”
“Brother Ruby, just how powerful is the Assad family? They only seem to have five Earth Knights publicly, right?” Morris asked with curiosity.
Hearing his question, Thor’s interest was also piqued. It was obvious that the Assad family’s strength couldn’t be summed up by only five Earth Knights.
“Of course not.”
“Their public strength is just that—public. Our Dressrosa family also only claims to have Uncle and Michael as Earth Knights. But if that were really the case, the Dressrosa family would have been devoured down to its bones a long time ago,” Ruby laughed.
Thor and Morris were not surprised by Ruby’s response. Morris clearly knew a bit about this, and Thor had his own suspicions.
Thor had already speculated when he learned his cousin Ruby was an Earth Knight, and now he was just confirming it. After all, if Ruby was an Earth Knight, then there were bound to be more hidden within the family. The Dressrosa family had been growing for over three hundred years, and Thor’s father alone had more than twenty offspring. Across generations, that number would only increase.
And this didn’t just apply to the Dressrosa family; it was true for the Emerson family as well. If Deghuri had no ties to the Emerson family, Thor wouldn’t believe it even if forced.
Seeing their expressions, Ruby seemed mildly surprised, but he continued.
“The Assad family publicly claims five Earth Knights, but I don’t know the true number. I’m certain, though, that it’s at least ten, and among them are at least three peak Earth Knights. Only with such strength can they surpass most other count families.”
“You have to understand that a peak Earth Knight is worth three to five ordinary Earth Knights. It’s a completely different level.”
“It’s similar to the Dressrosa family. Thanks to Uncle, a peak Earth Knight, we’re considered one of the stronger count families.”
Ruby spoke with a touch of admiration.
His own goal was to reach the peak of the Earth Knight rank. Sky Knight status, however, was a distant dream for someone at his level.
It wasn’t just about talent—resources also played a huge role. Rare items like the Violet Gold Grass and Star Moon Fruit were still somewhat accessible, but the Life Fruit was strictly controlled by the royal court and the three major dukes. Obtaining it was nearly impossible.
Not to mention the breathing techniques necessary for the Sky Knight breakthrough.
With enough merit, he could exchange for techniques to reach Earth Knight level, but the kind required to reach Sky Knight was exorbitantly expensive.
With his talent, Ruby would have a chance at Sky Knight rank within an empire, but in this kingdom, the chance was nonexistent. His realistic ambition was the peak of the Earth Knight rank, which would still secure his high standing within the Pat family.
In fact, the Pat family had no shortage of ordinary Earth Knights. The Assad family likely had at least ten, while the Pat family easily exceeded that number with perhaps twenty or even thirty Earth Knights.
Occupying a large part of the Frostmoon Province, the Pat family’s resources were beyond what other count families could match.
Just the income from Pat City alone brought in vast amounts of gold each year, not to mention other sources of revenue. After centuries of accumulating wealth and power, the Pat family’s strength was formidable.
Reflecting on all of this, Ruby couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
Morris’s eyes widened in astonishment, and Thor, though he’d had his suspicions, still felt a shock.
At least ten Earth Knights, including three peak Earth Knights. The mere thought of such power was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
“They’re truly powerful!” Morris remarked.
Thor nodded, sighing lightly. Who knew how long it would take for his own territory to reach that level?
“By the way, Thor, Morris, you came here for the Violet Gold Grass, didn’t you?” Ruby’s tone shifted back to the matter at hand. “It might be tough. Even if the Violet Gold Grass is genuine, competition will be fierce. Too bad I don’t have an Assad Gold Card, or it would be much easier.”
“Gold Card?” Thor looked puzzled.
“An Assad family Gold Card is no easy thing to come by,” Morris shook his head with a sigh.
Being well-traveled, Morris understood how difficult it was to obtain one.
As they continued talking, Thor suddenly spoke up, “Is it this?”
He held up a gold card.
“What’s that?” Ruby and Morris froze, instinctively looking at the card.
One look, and they were both stunned.
“This… is that…?” Morris’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Ruby’s expression mirrored Morris’s, showing genuine surprise.
“So, how does this work?” Thor asked curiously, realizing only now that the card Lachos had given him before his departure had another purpose.