For Thor, the most crucial task at hand was to condense the Seed of Life and become an apprentice knight. Achieving this within three days seemed nearly impossible; his current pace would require at least a year. Yet, in just three days, he would come of age. If he failed to become an apprentice knight by then, he would face exile.
Three days were simply not enough.
Unless he could obtain a high-grade life potion filled with abundant life force, his chances were bleak. Such potions were extremely rare and valuable. Even his father, Engel Dressrosa, struggled to acquire them; otherwise, his father wouldn't be stuck at the peak of Earth Knight level.
Thor's prospects were slim.
But now, a new possibility had emerged.
The Life Fruit was a product of high-level magical plants and the main ingredient in high-grade life potions. Even when consumed alone, its effects were equivalent to half of a high-grade life potion, which was more than enough to help him condense the Seed of Life.
Just as the intelligence report mentioned, Raine had successfully condensed his Seed of Life by consuming the Life Fruit.
Thinking about this, Thor could hardly contain his excitement. He quickly got up and headed to his room.
"Young Master Thor!"
"Young Master Thor!"
Servants greeted him respectfully along the way.
Ignoring the greetings, Thor hurried back to his room. With the help of his servants, he swiftly removed his armor, washed up, and changed into his noble attire. He then left Dressrosa Castle in haste, accompanied by three knights.
Even though these knights were merely trainee knights, they represented the last privileges Thor could enjoy. If he failed to condense the Seed of Life in three days, he would lose not just the knights, but also his servants. At best, he would receive some gold coins, but not many.
Thor, however, had no time to dwell on these thoughts.
He mounted his white horse and rode swiftly towards his destination.
Engel Dressrosa, as a count, ruled not only Dressrosa Castle but also ten towns of varying sizes. The territory was roughly the size of a small county in Thor's previous life. Lucerne Town, one of these ten towns, was about 30 to 40 kilometers away from Dressrosa Castle. On horseback, the journey took about an hour.
Upon arriving in Lucerne Town, Thor's sudden appearance startled the town's official, who hurriedly greeted him.
"Young Master Thor!"
The official spoke nervously.
"There's nothing for you to worry about. I'm just here for a stroll," Thor dismissed the official with a wave.
"Yes, of course!" The official quickly retreated, not daring to linger.
Thor dismounted and began his search.
Initially, he wondered how he would find Miguel's Butcher Shop. Despite the town's moderate size, locating a specific shop could be challenging. However, his worries soon dissipated. He discovered that there was only one butcher shop in the entire town, making it easy to find.
With determined steps, Thor entered the shop.
The butcher, Miguel, was instantly nervous upon seeing Thor.
"My lord, what can I do for you?" Miguel asked anxiously.
Thor didn't respond immediately, instead focusing on his surroundings.
Miguel, seeing Thor's silence, didn't dare interrupt and followed quietly.
The Life Fruit's aura was subtle, but Thor, trained in the knight's breathing techniques, could detect the faint anomaly.
Soon, Thor sensed the peculiar aura among a pile of fruit resembling pears.
His eyes lit up as he walked over to the pile.
"Pack these for me. I'll take them all," Thor instructed, pointing at the fruit.
"Yes, my lord!" Miguel nodded, though his expression was somewhat bitter, and quickly began packing.
"Give him a silver coin," Thor said to one of the knights behind him after receiving the fruit.
"Yes, young master!" The knight hesitated briefly before pulling out a silver coin.
"My lord, this…" Miguel was surprised and hesitant.
"Take it," Thor said calmly, suppressing his excitement. "The Dressrosa family doesn't rob from commoners."
"Thank you, my lord!" Miguel expressed his gratitude, though Thor had already left the shop with his knights.
Thor, eager to secure his prize, quickly returned to Dressrosa Castle.
Half an hour after Thor's departure, a young boy in tattered clothes arrived at Miguel's Butcher Shop.
"Go away, I have nothing here!" Miguel said impatiently.
"Boss, I just want to buy a sour fruit," the boy said timidly, fishing out a single iron coin from his pocket.
"Well, you actually have money!" Miguel exclaimed in surprise. After a moment of thought, he picked a sour fruit from the pile Thor had sorted through earlier and handed it to the boy.
"Thank you!" The boy thanked him and hurried away.
But the course of history had changed. The boy, who was supposed to stumble upon the Life Fruit and change his fate, was now back to square one.
Meanwhile, Thor, whose fate had seemed sealed, now faced a pivotal moment.
Upon returning to Dressrosa Castle, Thor rushed to his room, dismissed his servants, and focused his gaze on the Life Fruit.
Disregarding the other sour fruits, he tossed them aside.
Staring at the seemingly ordinary fruit, Thor felt his heart race with excitement and anticipation.
The Life Fruit.
This was the Life Fruit.
Even his father, Engel Dressrosa, would be tempted by it. With this fruit, he could almost certainly obtain a high-grade life potion. Such a valuable item would entice even Earth Knights, let alone others.
In the outside world, this fruit could spark deadly battles among countless Earth Knights.
If he presented this fruit to his father, Engel would likely allow him to stay in Dressrosa Castle, even as a parasite.
Rules become flexible when the stakes are high enough.
At least, that's what Thor believed.
(End of Chapter)