In the bedroom, Sophia stood behind Ranch, his head resting against her ample bosom, the sensation making her feel somewhat feverish, yet she asked with a hint of curiosity, "Ranch, shouldn't the Energy Reagent be five hundred gold coins a bottle? Why is the price only four hundred this time?"
"It's simple. I think Colin Rein is a good partner, and I don't mind giving him a little opportunity. With the Energy Reagent, he can establish enough prestige in the City of Crimson. If he's ambitious enough to become the lord of the City of Crimson, that might come in handy at some point."
Ranch answered with a smile while opening the system achievements to check.
[Your gold coin count has exceeded one hundred thousand for the first time! Achievement unlocked: Wealthy Merchant!]
[Wealthy Merchant]
[As a wealthy merchant, what you have in abundance is money, of course, but you also need sufficient strength to protect your wealth. You can use your money to enhance your personal strength up to your current phase's limit, but you cannot breakthrough to a higher level.]
"Spend gold coins to enhance strength!"
Seeing the effect of the Wealthy Merchant achievement, a spark lit up in Ranch's eyes.
He really needed this capability.
Without hesitation, Ranch chose to spend gold coins to enhance his strength.
Intermediate, Advanced, all the way to the limit of knight trainee…
After spending nearly twenty thousand gold coins, Ranch once again felt an increase in strength.
Although it was not as significant as the enhancement brought by the Dragon God Vessel, it was enough to be thrilling and saved him a lot of time in training.
Then, would it work the same way if he practiced magic?
Ranch wasn't sure about this aspect; now possessing the Dragon God Vessel with the Magic Affinity talent, he lacked a meditation method to absorb the magical elements in the air.
"I should have asked Xina for a meditation method."
Ranch felt a bit regretful.
At this moment, Sophia seemed to sense something, asking incredulously, "Ranch, did you make a breakthrough?"
Ranch nodded, replying, "Yeah, just a minor breakthrough, advanced from an Intermediate knight trainee to the limit of a knight trainee, still no match for you."
Sophia rolled her eyes, not believing that Ranch's strength was less than hers.
The explosive power hidden within Ranch's physique made her feel that even if she became an intermediate knight, she might not be able to compete with him.
Clearly, Sophia's intuition was right.
Ranch grasped Sophia's arm, gently pulling her into his embrace, then moved to kiss her rosy lips.
After a busy day, it was time to relax, and Sophia, equally moved, straddled Ranch's lap with her long legs.
Soon, the room was filled with delightful sounds...
...
Ranch and Sophia continued their stay in the City of Crimson for three more days. On the second day, Colin Rein approached Ranch again to purchase a hundred bottles of Energy Reagent, and Ranch once again earned thirty-five thousand gold coins, bringing his total close to two hundred thousand.
However, the market for Energy Reagent in the city seemed to be nearing saturation.
The city's merchants might still have some gold coins left, but they wouldn't spend all their money on Energy Reagents.
That Colin managed to sell so much clearly took a great effort.
To reward this effective collaborator, Ranch specially gifted Colin Rein an additional ten bottles of Energy Reagent before leaving.
Colin Rein also prepared a lavish feast to bid farewell to Ranch and Sophia, and upon their departure, he presented Ranch with a multitude of 1-tier herbs he had acquired, most notably two large bundles of wolfsbane.
Ranch accepted these herbs, which might come in handy at some point.
"Mr. Ranch, I wish you a safe journey!"
After saying this, Colin Rein returned to the estate, summoning the butler and issuing a series of instructions.
His eyes became sharp as a hawk's, and he muttered to himself, "City of Crimson, it's time it had a master!"
...
Outside the City of Crimson, Ranch and Sophia rode leisurely on the same horse, as per Sophia's request.
She was now keen on being close to Ranch, unsure why she felt this way, but each time she inhaled Ranch's scent, her body resonated with an eager longing.
"Sophia, you can tell me your wish now," Ranch said, embracing Sophia, his hand caressing her smooth abdomen, then moving downward, which made Sophia blush and quickly grab Ranch's hands, saying, "Ranch, just stop, and I'll tell you."
As Sophia began to speak, an unexpected figure appeared—a horse galloping towards them.
It was Beck Lom, an acquaintance of Sophia and Ranch, an intermediate knight recruited by Hawk Muir of the Muir family, known for his strength and reputed to have withstood an attack from a 3-tier spellbeast shadow wolf, also one of Hawk's highly valued subordinates.
"Sophia, is this how you repay Lord Hawk? And to think, you've fallen so low as to be with someone like Ranch, a total waste, it's laughable!"
Beck clearly recognized Sophia, his eyes filled with contempt as he rode his horse.
Ranch, who never had much regard for such people, felt no inclination to engage in conversation.
Instead, he took the longsword from Sophia and spurred his horse forward, charging towards Beck.
As he approached, he swung the sword.
Beck, utterly disdainful, didn't even bother to draw his weapon, merely concentrating his Knight Aura in front of his chest.
"Lord Ranch, you truly are a fool. Remember, I am an intermediate knight!"
Beck Lom laughed heartily, only to be struck by sudden, sharp pain.
Looking down at his chest, he saw a diagonal line of blood appear on his clothing, followed by a spray of blood as his upper body separated and fell.
His lower half lost balance and tumbled off the horse.
To his death, he never understood, nor did he see clearly how Ranch had managed it.
The only ones who did understand were perhaps Sophia and Ranch himself.
"The Swift Blade Technique really is effective, breaking through an intermediate knight's Knight Aura."
Ranch sheathed his longsword, which remained smooth and sharp, unblemished by blood.
Sophia, eyes filled with longing, whispered, "Lord Ranch, could you teach me that sword technique?"
Ranch was never stingy with his own people, but he deliberately whispered in Sophia's ear, "Sophia, I'd be willing to teach you the Swift Blade Technique, but I need to see your sincerity."
His words made Sophia blush, fully aware of what he meant by 'sincerity.'
During their physical encounters, Ranch had expressed a desire for her to use her mouth, a request she had refused due to the purity etched in her elf bloodline.
The idea of using her mouth was repugnant to her, unthinkable in its violation of her sensibilities.
But the Swift Blade Technique was genuinely powerful and exceedingly suitable for an elf, the favored child of the wind element.
"Only once."
Sophia eventually agreed, but with conditions.
With his objective achieved, Ranch did not haggle; he knew well that once started, there would likely be many more times to come.
The thought of Sophia's soft lips ignited a warmth within him.
He took Sophia's hand on the horse and began instructing her in the Swift Blade Technique.
The core essence of the Swift Blade Technique is feeling the force of the wind, which isn't difficult for Sophia.
With Ranch's intimate guidance, she quickly grasped the basics of the technique.
During this period, Ranch also learned about Sophia's past.
Sophia's elf tribe was cursed by the dark god, losing their ability to sense magic.
To lift the curse, the tribe's priests sent out several powerful elves to find items that could break the curse, while Hawk initially offered the reward of performing the Holy Light Baptism, a powerful magic only mages can wield.
"So, that guy Hawk is at least an advanced magus?" Ranch's gaze grew solemn; if that was the case, his time for revenge might have to be postponed.
Sophia turned around, sensing Ranch's concern, and said earnestly, "Ranch, no matter who we face, I will stand by your side."
"I am not worried." Ranch smiled, gently kissing the elf girl's rosy cheek.
From being a noble scion considered a waste to possessing strength beyond an intermediate knight, it had taken less than half a month.
Moreover, now he also had a magical talent, making becoming an advanced magus not a far reach.
However, it still required some time, and it was indeed regrettable he couldn't beat Hawk right this moment.
Thinking this, Ranch paused again and looked ahead.
Not far off, a large caravan was transporting goods, and judging by their route, they seemed to be heading to Mapleleaf, located in a valley to the right of Wolf Fang Mountains.
It was a bustling port city and Ranch's destination.