Late at night, white candles were lit in the basement of the Fischer family's mansion, their flames displacing the darkness, as Irene, Lucius, and Byrne gathered there.
Irene, still dressed in a black gown, sat on a chair and spoke cautiously,
"After this, we'll hold family meetings in the basement, as the hall is still too conspicuous, even the servants in the family might not be wholly trustworthy."
Byrne nodded, adjusting his glasses and saying nothing.
Suddenly, Lucius spoke seriously, "You must remember, Byrne, only those connected by blood can be truly and completely trusted."
Irene nodded, clearly in agreement, while Byrne remained noncommittal, without any rebuttal to offer.
Lucius crossed his arms and looked at the younger family members, "Let's review, why did those jungle natives die so miserably?"
"Remember, whether successful or not, reviewing is very necessary, otherwise, we will eventually taste bitter failure."
Byrne immediately said, "I think the most important issue is intelligence. If the natives hadn't been almost completely ignorant about us, they probably wouldn't have dared to charge in so recklessly."
"And the preparation of equipment and other external factors is also crucial, such as the power of knowledge that is alchemical explosives, while the natives still used traditional, ancient weapons."
Irene shook her head, calmly stating what she believed to be the facts.
"They were doomed from the start. The Lord of Bloody Cult is just a weak, mysterious entity, not worth mentioning compared to the greatness of the Lord of the Lost!"
Having said that, she closed her eyes devoutly.
Great Lord of the Lost, I have seen!
That bullet could only change its trajectory and hit its target by Your will!
With the great Lord of the Lost protecting us, the Fischer family is fundamentally invincible!
"Lord of the Lost..."
Lucius pondered for a moment; in a sense, this was indeed true.
If it weren't for the Lord of the Lost's forewarning, and instead, they waited until the enemy climbed the walls and opened the front door from the courtyard to counterattack, the outcome of the battle would have been unimaginable.
The existence of the Lord of the Lost prevented the Fischers from being ambushed or caught off guard, which was indeed a crucial point.
It's more accurate to say that all our strength originates from It.
Hmm, Him.
Lucius subconsciously looked towards the direction of the transparent bottle on the altar, his emotions complex, and finally added,
"Ultimately, the most important reason is the leader's miscalculation. No matter how brave that Priest believes himself to be, he must bear full responsibility for the dozens of lives lost."
"The warriors trusted the Priest, yet he led the charge recklessly, utterly failing to assess the enemy's strength, truly a 'brave waste'."
He paused before continuing with utter disdain for the middle-aged Priest.
"This incident is extremely severe, one of the rarest seen on the East Coast in years. The Governor and Lord Baron will certainly not miss the chance for revenge, and the natives who will die in retaliation can also blame that Priest."
Lucius took a deep breath and turned to Irene and Byrne,
"Remember, always be a wise coward, not some brave waste, because your judgments affect more than one person, and you mustn't provoke existences that the Fischer family cannot afford to."
Irene, with calm eyes, continued summarizing, "Caution, Secret Keeping, will always be the most important principles of the Fischer family."
Then she couldn't help but smile, excitement twinkling in her eyes.
"The good news is we've acquired another fortune, and we've also added new strength to the great Lord of the Lost."
Byrne finally couldn't help but retort, "Besides money and the Lord of the Lost, the only thing you care about is the Fischer family. There's nothing else in life you think about."
Irene was taken aback, asking with incomprehension, "Besides these three matters, is there anything else I need to care about?"
Byrne was momentarily at a loss for words; he certainly couldn't focus on just a few things in life like Irene did. When reading, not every book was just for its utility.
There were many things Byrne wanted to explore and know about—there were just too many interesting things in the world.
After speaking, Irene suddenly turned to Lucius, knowing that the man had completely digested the "Gladiator" Magic Potion and was eligible to advance to the next stage.
"After deducting the pension, we now have forty-five Gold Coins to use. Should we buy Class 2 Extraordinary Material?"
A Class 2 Extraordinary Material was worth at least thirty Gold Coins, and the price could potentially fluctuate upward by fifty percent, which might instantly drain all the family's fortunes.
The family needed money for daily expenses, and Baron Hovern was soon to collect an anticipated "bandit suppression donation."
Lucius fell into deep contemplation, then shook his head and said,
"Let's go to bed, Irene. Tomorrow morning, you and I need to attend Baron Hovern's banquet."
Baron Hovern had already rushed back from Fein City; in addition to expressing outrage about the whole affair, he immediately summoned the town's influential figures to a banquet.
Lucius narrowed his eyes with experience and said, "The purpose of this banquet called by the Baron is quite simple. Whether it's bandit suppression or similar affairs, lords always ask for donations from each family. It's nothing new."
Upon hearing they had to donate money, Irene immediately showed a troubled expression and, with difficulty suppressing the anguish in her voice, asked, "Can we issue an IOU?"
"Obviously not."
---
After returning to Nasir from Fein City, the first thing Baron Hovern did was invite the prominent families of the town to a banquet.
His mansion in Nasir City was naturally located in the affluent North City and occupied a vast area. Even though Baron Hovern himself rarely returned to Nasir, dozens of servants were employed year-round to stand by in the exquisite mansion.
Lucius and Irene, wearing the best clothes they could muster from their home, arrived at the Baron's doorstep together by carriage, actually seeing the real noble class for the first time.
The knight class of Cyart had generally lost their lands and were in a very awkward transitional period in terms of status. Fortunately, the existence of Extraordinary powers meant knights would ultimately be distinguished from ordinary people.
Nobles were still true nobles.
In the center of the banquet hall was a long dining table, covered with fine textiles and carved linen cloths, adorned with gold and silver utensils, porcelain, and elaborate cutlery along with an assortment of exquisite dishes.
While the food was prepared with great delicacy, no one present was there solely to dine; each person had a social agenda.
Irene observed the people in the banquet hall with a self-assured and calm demeanor. It could be said that everyone with power and influence from the entire Nasir City had come.
Elders of the silver descendants clan, heads of the four knight families including the Taylor family, plus seven well-known wealthy businessmen from various industries such as sea merchant John, the town chief, the sheriff, the Priest from the Tempest Church...
Irene stared intently at the town chief standing in a corner, overweight.
No one was speaking to him, and the chief's expression was particularly unsightly, his body shaking.
Soon after the banquet began, the prominent individuals of Nasir City engaged in smiles and conversations with the Baron, until at last, it was Irene and Lucius from the Fischer family's turn.
Baron Hovern was tall and lean, dressed in elaborate blue attire that was intricately made. Even though it didn't look much different from the clothes others were wearing, each design inside was significantly different.
His skin was extremely smooth and elastic, and despite being in his thirties, he had the face of a much younger man.
"The hero who killed the jungle native Priest, the great hero of the Fischer family! Hahaha! Mr. Lucius, I'm finally meeting you!"
Baron Hovern laughed and nodded at them, his eyes smiling and filled with ease and composure.
"And this elegant and beautiful Madam Irene, your beauty adds luster to the East Coast!"
Irene knew well the identity of this man, a suspected illegitimate son of Earl Hovern, Governor of the East Coast, though officially he was the nephew of that governor.
Either way, his status was higher than a common low-ranking noble.
"It's my honor to meet you, Baron Hovern."
"And it's my honor, Lord Baron."
Irene and Lucius gracefully greeted the Lord Baron, having gradually integrated into high society over the past two years and quickly learned the social etiquette.
After exchanging pleasantries, Baron Hovern laughingly steered the conversation to the core issue.
"There are two main things I'm here to do. The first is post-disaster reconstruction; I cannot let down the people of my territory. The second matter is to take revenge on the despicable jungle natives. By the Tempest Overlord, Cyart people must no longer tolerate those savages."
His tone shifted, speaking with utmost calmness,
"However, I alone do not have the financial resources, but fortunately, all the families in Nasir Town have stated they will contribute money and effort."
Irene and Lucius exchanged a glance and decided to proceed with the plans they had discussed.
She said with extreme composure, "The Fischer family is willing to contribute money and effort... However, before this matter, there is someone I must accuse to you."
"The town chief of Nasir Town has colluded with the jungle natives, intentionally diverting patrol teams. He must be held accountable for the tragedy that happened a few nights ago."