Chapter 108: Intermediate Aura
After traveling for 15 minutes, the carriage soon reached the Holmes Mansion.
Raven walked out of the carriage and entered the mansion.
But as soon as he walked in, Stephanie waited at the entrance with an anxious face.
"What happened?" He couldn't help but ask.
"An Officer from the Royal Bank has come to meet you, My Lord," Stephanie said with a stiff face and turned her gaze towards the main hall.
At that moment, a red-haired young man in his twenties sat on the sofa in the middle of the main hall, flipping through the newspaper.
When Raven looked at him, that man closed the newspaper and looked in their direction.
Then, he stood up from his seat and greeted him.
"I'm Pablo, the Manager of the Royal Bank of Zenith. I came here under the order of my superior to deliver the goods." He touched his spatial ring and took out a wooden box as he spoke.
He then placed the wooden box on the coffee table, took a golden card with runes engraved all over it from his pocket, and gave it to Raven.
"What is this?" Raven looked at the golden card and looked confused.
"This card will be your Royal Bank card, Mr. Holmes. I'm here to tell you that a VIP of our Bank has sent you 234,000 gold coins as the first-month transaction. She also ordered me to tell you that the profit amount will be delivered monthly." Pablo said with a smile and bowed his head.
"Then, I'll be taking my leave, Mr. Holmes."
As the Royal Bank manager left the mansion, Jacob felt lightning struck him.
"How did you- No, what did you do, My Lord? How come the Royal Bank manager himself come to the mansion and give you money?" He couldn't help but ask with a stupefied face.
Raven shrugged his shoulder and turned his attention towards the wooden box.
He slowly opened it and noticed a dozen potion vials with different colors were arranged inside.
After a simple analysis, Raven realized that all were intermediate-rank affinity potions.
'Three Fire affinity potions, three water affinity potions, two wind affinity potions, three earth affinity potions, two light affinity potions, and two darkness affinity potions! I never even asked, but she gave them as a gift, huh?' A smile appeared on his face.
'I can only use 'Darkness affinity potion' for myself. As for the other ones, I should use them wisely.' He stored them in his inventory and turned his gaze towards Jacob.
"If anyone from Amell and Wills families comes here, tell Emanuel to take care of the formal procedures. Call me only after completing all the formalities in the administrative department." He still recalled how the Sinclare Family made him wait in the Police Court for a whole day and decided not to waste his time there.
"Yes, My Lord." Jacob nodded.
…
Meanwhile, Raven moved towards the left corridor and entered the Alchemy Room.
Until midnight, he spent his time in the Alchemy room and concocted 5 'Mind of Insight' potions.
After that, he returned to his bedroom and sat on the bed in a lotus position.
Then, he took the [Mind of Insight] potion vial from the inventory and drank the potion in one go.
The liquid was cool and soothing as it slid down his throat, leaving a lingering taste of mint and an odd metallic tang behind. Within moments, a wave of clarity washed over him. His thoughts quickened, and his ideas formed faster and linked with precision.
Raven felt something exploded in his mind.
He didn't waste a single moment and entered the Mind Space.
Then, he appeared within the Arcanum Circlets of Destiny and looked at the mysterious crystalline lines of energy forming the gigantic hexagonal prism-like spell model.
Simultaneously, he activated the bloodline spell and noticed that all those crystalline lines carried some information.
'When I entered this circle and tried to comprehend the spell model before, it took me around two days to follow the energy flow. But I can perceive the change of the energy flow in seconds.'
As Raven focused on the one line, he soon noticed the mysterious energy was flowing constantly and gathering at the nearby edge.
As Raven tried to look deeper, a strange familiarity appeared in his mind.
Raven instantly thought of rune language and tried to decipher the energy using it.
"Kal Am Id Aive Li."
'It means the gap between Time and Space.' Just as he managed to decipher the basics, a sharp pain appeared in his head, forcing him to leave the mind space.
"I never knew I could use rune language to decipher the spell model." Raven opened his eyes and muttered with a shocked tone.
Although a sharp pain appeared all over his head like stabbing needles, he endured it like it was nothing.
[You can only achieve that because your calculative speed has briefly reached that of a Radiant Wizard. And if your affinity rank is high, you might have comprehended almost one-third of the spell model in seconds.] Zera spoke in his head.
'How much is the progression rate now?' Raven asked.
[It has increased from 4.3% to 5.2%. I can say it's a big leap. And you can maintain your 'Mind Eye' spell for 15 seconds.]
'Oh? What about the side effects of using this potion?' Raven asked.
[The headache will remain for 30 minutes. After that, you will still feel mental fatigue for another 2 hours. I suggest you rest for 5 hours before using this potion to comprehend the spell model.]
Raven agreed.
After that, he lay on the bed and decided to rest.
…
Raven then woke up in the early morning, freshened himself up, and took the Frozen Ender from the inventory.
Then, he touched the spear and entered the illusionary World.
Within a moment, he appeared in the same grassland-like area where the blue-skinned humanoid was practicing spearmanship.
Raven created a similar spear out of thin air, gripped the spear shaft with both hands, and started practicing.
His movement appeared as fluid as water, while his thrust seemed precise and sharp.
Raven's spearmanship appeared as smooth as the blue-skinned man's spearmanship and almost identical but unique.
He also infused his invisible aura with the ice-elemental energy and used the Frozen Lance Skill perfectly, like Casper!
As Raven moved his spear, his mind became more precise and sharper. Maybe it was due to his progress in the Mind Eye spell comprehension, but the invisible aura on his spear edge started radiating a faint yellowish color.
The next second, Raven noticed the surroundings started to break like broken mirrors.
Before he could even blink, Raven found himself standing in the middle of the night.
The chill in the air bit at his skin, and a haunting stillness enveloped the World.
'Chill? Wait, why am I feeling the air? I can even breathe?' A startled look appeared on his face.
As Raven's eyes got used to the darkness, he saw rows of brick houses lining both sides of the narrow street. They stood tall and still, their dark shapes only broken by slivers of dim light.
'Am I in some town?' He wondered.
His composure broke as a sudden noise came from ahead. Soon, frightened cries and distant screams filled the air, sending shivers through his spine.
Raven hesitated at first but decided to move ahead.
Before he could take a few steps, a sharp whistle cut through the noise and appeared from the sky ahead. His eyes shot upward just in time to see an arrow shooting down from the sky, glowing like a falling star. The shaft gleamed with a yellowish aura, its glow growing brighter as it neared him.
Time slowed as he instinctively activated the 'Mind Eye' spell.
But even his Mind Eye skill couldn't follow the arrow's speed!
The arrow struck with a sickening thud, embedding itself in his chest. A jolt of searing pain ripped through him as the aura flared.
Raven staggered, his vision fracturing as if the World around him were made of glass.
The scene began to crumble as his vision turned blurry.
And then, everything went black.
With a gasp, Raven jolted upright.
"What the hell was that?" He couldn't help but look at the spear in his hand.
To his short, what appeared in his hand wasn't an iron spear but a silver one!
'It evolved?'
[What happened, lad?] Zera asked.
'I managed to rank up my spearmanship and entered the next illusion. But that place looked almost like the real World. I can even breathe normally and even feel pain.'
[There is nothing to be surprised about that. Past Time spells are capable of recreating the past itself. Creating such a realistic illusion is not hard with a bit of Dream law. My owner must have chosen spearmanship as a main path for his future.] Zera said as if it were normal.
Meanwhile, Raven gripped the iron spear and looked at it using the monocle.
…
[Name: Frozen Ender (Sealed)
Rank: Uncommon (Evolve)
Experience Comprehension: 0.2%
Description: None
Unique skill:
Rank-1 Skill: Frozen Lance (Unlocked) (Cooldown: 1 hour)
Rank-2 Skill: Ice Dome (Locked)- Restriction to unlock: Reach Basic Intermediate Spearmanship.]
…
'Oh? A new skill but locked? And when can I use this?'
[It will unlock once you fully use the intermediate aura. However, your experience comprehension needs around 20% to achieve that.]
Raven nodded at Zera's words.
He also checked his status and noticed his Spearmanship skill had reached Intermediate Rank.
After that, Raven went to the training room and practiced his spearmanship for the next two hours.
Raven then freshened himself up, went downstairs to have breakfast, and met up with Jacob.
Raven sat in the main hall, his gaze fixed on Jacob, who stood a few feet away. The warm glow of the fireplace cast flickering shadows on the walls.
"Jacob," He began,
"I need you to visit the potion shops in the Capital and purchase 1,000 sets of Mind of Insight potion ingredients."
Jacob's eyes widened, his mouth parting slightly in shock. "A thousand sets, My Lord?" he repeated as if hoping he'd misheard.
After all, he brought sixty batches of potion ingredients just two days ago.
"Yes," Raven confirmed, his expression unyielding.
"Make sure to visit multiple shops to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Pay whatever price they ask."
Jacob hesitated, clearly grappling with the enormity of the task.
'It seems he isn't the only one concocting the potions.'
Jacob quickly composed himself, bowing his head. "As you command, My Lord."
Raven gave a curt nod. "Good. There will be a change of plans, so be careful when going out."
His words made Jacob's eyes squint.
"W-What happened, My Lord?" He asked cautiously.
"I plan on selling the 'Mind of Insight' potions to all famous potion shops."
His words made Jacob's face froze.
"W-Won't the Ravenshield family get offended by this?"
"She broke the trust first. And I never mentioned anywhere that I would sell my potions only to the Ravenshield family." Raven paused for a moment and then added.
"Within six months, the Ravenshield Family will make a similar potion as ours. When that happens, our profits will be considerably reduced. That's why I plan on utilizing this moment and earning as much as possible."
His words made Jacob realize how careless they were.
"We should've brought the potion ingredients randomly, My Lord. That way, they wouldn't have found the potion materials needed to concoct it."
Raven waved his hand and spoke.
"Don't worry about it. Wait, I'll ensure you have the funds."
Without further explanation, Raven rose from his seat and strode out of the mansion.
As Emanuel arranged the carriage quickly, he soon went to the Royal Bank and withdrew 200,000 gold coins from his account. Then, he returned to the mansion and gave Jacob 400,000 gold coins.
"Bring Selene and Quincy with you this time for safety. Marcellus, Reece, Leona, and Felicity will stay in the mansion from now on."
"Yes, My Lord," Jacob said stiffly, leaving the mansion hurrying.
Meanwhile, Raven returned to his room and used the 'Mind of Insight' potion to focus on comprehending the 'Mind Eye' spell.
During the evening, Emanuel visited his room and brought him to the Administrative Office to transfer the 'Will' to his name.
The process took him only 30 minutes, as Emanuel had completed the formal procedures. Although George Amell and Sara Wills showed a clear displeasure, Raven didn't even mind them.
Once the transfer was done, Raven told Emanuel to take care of the shops, which the Amell and Wills Families managed and returned to the Holmes Mansion.
Then, he decided to isolate himself to focus on training.
…
One month passed in a blink.
December 15th, Year 1420, Rune Era.
Raven woke up in the morning and entered the Illusionary World.
But he returned to the real world within ten seconds and sighed heavily.
He met the first obstacle after entering the strange town in the illusionary World.
It was the same arrow covered in a yellowish aura. Even though he had managed to comprehend the 'Mind Eye' bloodline spell to 93.4%, he still couldn't follow the arrow's speed.
Before he could take 10 steps, that arrow flew from the sky at an incredible speed and killed him mercilessly. Even when he tried to dodge in advance, it was no use.
'My 'Mind Eye' spell needs to be at least 10 times faster than normal.' He shook his head in disappointment.
Next was about his progress in Alchemy.
During the past 30 days, Raven almost stayed half the time in the Alchemy Room and concocted 180 'Mind of Insight' potions.
Surprisingly, his concoction succession rate had improved to 50%!
'And I drank 100 potions to comprehend just one spell model!' If others were to know this, they would go mad for sure. After all, he drank over potions worth 1.2 million gold coins in one month!
Just yesterday, Raven sent Jacob to the capital to sell the rest of the 80 potions and also told him to buy another 1000 batches of potion materials.
'Thankfully, the potion ingredients are far cheaper than the other potions. Or else, I might have gone bankrupt.'
[I'm surprised by your improvement in alchemy. You might reach a 100% concoction rate by the end of May.] Zera said in his mind.
'Ravenshield Family will also succeed in recreating my potion around that time.' He muttered with a nod.
As Raven tied the belt of his robe, a knocking sound came.
"My Lord!" came a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
It was Emanuel, his butler.
Raven opened the door to find him standing while carrying a file.
"What happened?" Raven asked.
"You have visitors, My Lord!" Emanuel said, his sharp eyes scanning his room.
"Visitors?" Raven raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.
He quickly took the pocket watch and checked the time by opening the outer case.
"It's only 8 A.M. Who are they? I never made an appointment with anyone, though." A frown appeared on his forehead.
Emanuel answered hurriedly.
"They are the parents of Spade Knights' Academy graduates, My Lord."
"Oh? I was expecting their arrival for more than a month. Where are they?" Raven asked, grabbing a simple black tunic and trousers from the wardrobe.
"In the guest hall. They are waiting for you," Emanuel replied.
Within moments, Raven dressed and descended the grand split staircase toward the guest hall.
Raven's sharp gaze fell on the visitors as he walked in. Fifteen people sat in the guest hall, conversing with each other.
The chatter in the guest hall ceased as Raven stepped in. His presence commanded immediate attention, and the visitors stood, offering respectful bows.
"Please, be seated," Raven said as he sat at the head of the long table.
The parents hesitated for a moment before resuming their seats. Meanwhile, Emanuel stood to Raven's right, holding the file containing the day's schedule.
One of the visitors, a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard, stood to speak.
"My Lord, we deeply appreciate you granting us this audience. We come as representatives of the parents whose children recently graduated from the Spade Knights Academy. We heard from Headmaster Ares that you plan to sign a long-term contract with our children."
The tall man hesitated momentarily before asking the question that weighed heavily on everyone's minds. "My Lord, we have heard about the terms of the contracts, but we would like to confirm them with you directly. How long will our children be bound to the Holmes Household under these agreements?"
Raven leaned back slightly in his chair.
"The terms are straightforward. The initial contract period will be 20 years. During this time, their monthly salary will be three gold coins. However, they will also be able to train using the Uncommon Knight Technique and the Uncommon Spirit Technique unique to the Holmes Household."
Murmurs rippled through the parents as they exchanged glances. Unlike the Knight Households and Nobles Households, commoners knew little about the Walkers' Techniques.
"But what happens after the 20 years, My Lord?" a woman asked, concern evident in her tone.
"If, during those 20 years, your children achieve the rank of Radiant Knight, the contract period will be extended to 80 years," Raven replied. "Their basic salary will also increase to 10 gold coins monthly."
"And if they advance beyond that?" asked an older man with a sharp gaze, his voice carrying the weight of careful calculation.
"If they achieve the rank of Expert Knight during the extended period," Raven said, "the contract will be extended to 150 years, with their monthly salary increasing to 20 gold coins."
The room fell silent as the parents absorbed his words. A younger man with a slightly nervous demeanor raised his hand tentatively. "My Lord, and after the contract ends? Will they be free to leave?"
Raven gave a slight nod. "Yes. Once the contract ends, they can leave the Holmes Household. Alternatively, they may continue serving as Knights under my banner, with salaries and benefits renegotiated accordingly."
The tall man who had spoken first frowned slightly. "Forgive me for asking, My Lord, but for a 20-year contract to potentially stretch into 150 years, doesn't that seem... excessive?"
"Excessive? No, it's quite the opposite." At that moment, Marcellus, who was staying near the guestroom entrance, interjected.
"If someone wants to become a guard of a Noble House who possesses Uncommon Spirit Technique, they must sign a lifetime contract. But Lord Thomas is only asking for 150 years of contract. Do you know how long an Expert Knight can live? More than 500 years! What's so bad about signing a 150-year contract for living 500 years?"
Raven raised his hand to stop Marcellus from speaking and continued. "I understand your concerns, but the extensions are tied directly to their progress and benefits. The extended periods ensure that both sides benefit fairly from the arrangement. As my friend said, your children won't get such a rare opportunity as this from anywhere. After all, they aren't topers of the class but below average students."
The woman who had spoken earlier interjected, her voice tinged with skepticism. "That's the reason we came here, My Lord. What if they don't advance to Radiant or Expert Knights due to low talent? Will they still be under pressure to remain?"
"No one will be forced to stay beyond the initial 20 years," Raven assured her. "If they do not reach Radiant Knight rank, the contract will not extend. However, they will still leave with the training and experience they gained and their earned salary."
A murmur of cautious approval swept through the group, though a few faces still bore signs of doubt.
"My Lord," another parent said, this time a man with a stern expression. "How significant are the techniques you mentioned—the Uncommon Knight Technique and the Uncommon Spirit Technique? Will they truly give our children an edge? And will they be able to pass down the technique to their descendants?"
[You need to add some restrictions here. Or these guys might leak the spirit technique to everyone and mess up the social order.] Zera said in his mind.
Raven also thought the same and spoke.
"They can pass down their techniques to their descendants only."
With the conversation winding down, Raven stood up.
"That will be all for today. I trust that you'll return home with the information you need. Once the contracts are ready, I will send my butler to inform you all."
The parents stood, bowing deeply in unison before departing the guest hall.
…