Selena had not expected the Academic Supervisor to delegate such a thorny commission to them.
That’s right, this was not something Selena wanted to take on herself; it had been assigned to her directly by the Academic Supervisor.
If it were merely a matter of reporting the poverty and administrative corruption here, it wouldn't have been a disaster even if mobs of citizens had rioted. However, based on Ryan’s suspicion, there was clearly a financier behind this would-be insurgent organization.
Who was he? Selena did not want to know. She only wanted to take her three students and return as quickly as possible. Nothing was worse than running into a noble’s rebellion...
If there were something worse, it would be encountering a cavalry unit of about a hundred soldiers right as they were preparing to slip away.
In a world of Battle Aura and Magic, traditional cavalry had long since been phased out, or rather... they were not wearing ordinary armor, nor were they riding ordinary warhorses. Each warhorse had been genetically cultivated across generations and contained inherent magical power; warhorses standing two meters at the shoulder were not uncommon.
The cavalrymen wore magical-forged armor engraved with defensive runes, wielding either enchanted weapons glowing with the radiance of various Battle Auras or heavy crossbows loaded with Magic-breaking Crossbow Bolts. This was a true killing machine, the trump card of the noble lords!
Ryan couldn't understand where this cavalry unit had come from. A remote place like Weshel Town only had one baron. Logically, a baron would not have the financial resources to raise such powerful cavalry.
Could the Orsars have breached the gates!?
"Get behind me!" Selena gestured, and a grimoire burst into golden light in the air.
The lead cavalry captain sneered. So what if she was a Gold-rank Contracter? They had killed them before!
"All troops, listen up!" The captain raised the enchanted longsword in his hand, which was burning with peak silver-rank Battle Aura. His voice emanated through his helmet as he issued orders:
"First and Second Squads, flank left and right, seize the high ground on both sides, cover with suppressive fire from the Magic-breaking Crossbow Bolts, and restrict any large-scale spirit pets the Gold-rank Contracter might summon! Constrain her movement space!"
"Third Squad, front assault with me! Target: that blond boy! At all costs, decapitate him!"
"Fourth Squad, circle around to the back and block them, preventing them from escaping from the other end!"
In an instant, the hundred-man cavalry unit, under the command of the captain, activated like a precision killing machine!
But they clearly underestimated the true value of a Gold-rank Contracter mentor from the Imperial Beast-Taming Academy.
Perhaps they had killed Gold-rank Contracters before, but there is a world of difference between having one Gold-rank spirit pet and having several. Not to mention, Selena’s bonded spirit pet was the Gold nine-star Holy Sound Twin Spirit Butterflies!
"Xiaobai, Xiaolan!" Selena’s cold voice rang out. "Launch an attack."
The white spirit butterfly began to vibrate its wings at high frequency, emitting ear-piercing sound waves that caused those warhorses to let out cries of agony. The blue spirit butterfly stirred up a frigid wind, and the surrounding temperature plummeted sharply.
That wasn’t all. From the golden grimoire, another Gold-seven-star spirit pet leaped out.
It was the Six-Winged Cold Light Angel. She stood nearly two meters tall with six wings on her back, her posture upright and perfect. Her eyes were covered with a white blindfold. In her right hand, she held a long, slender light blade condensed from pure light energy, and in her left, a transparent blue orb mirror.
She raised the orb mirror in her left hand, and it blasted a wide area of blue light!
The cold light instantly covered the cavalry, frosting their armor. Even the surrounding grass and flowers were frozen white.
Acting alone, Selena controlled the entire battlefield!
Ryan and the others watched, stunned...
But it wasn’t over!
Another Gold-rank spirit pet popped out from the grimoire, as if Gold-rank spirit pets were free for the taking!
In the sky, a young girl with dragon horns appeared, wearing a silver dress. Her skirt fluttered without wind, flowing with a golden luster. She extended a jade-like finger and pointed at the cavalry below, and thick, biting cold spread out like silk.
Gold-eight-star spirit pet—the Silver-Scaled Saintly Elegant Dragon Princess!
Before Ryan and the others could react, the silver-dressed girl spoke in human language, "Base ants, how dare you offend my master? The noble Selena Arcania is under the protection of Idance; she is Idance’s mother. You actually dare to attack her... Unforgivable!"
Ryan hadn't expected Selena to be raising such an edgy dragon girl. The corner of the iceberg beauty’s eye twitched as well. "That’s enough, Idance, hurry up and transform into armor..."
"It’s Idance, mother..." After retorting once, Idance quickly transformed into pieces of silver scales, rapidly covering the Cold Light Angel’s originally pristine armor, outlining more graceful and powerful lines. Even the edges of the six wings on her back were plated with a shimmering silver sheen.
"[Fusion Form: Silver-Winged Dragon Radiance Angel]!" The Six-Winged Cold Light Angel now emitted a cold, mature woman’s voice, then plunged straight down from the sky toward the cavalry captain.
The captain’s pupils contracted. Not just him, but the entire cavalry unit felt terror. Was this the true power of a Gold-rank Contracter?
She could single-handedly crush a hundred-man cavalry unit?
Her methods were simply too numerous: crowd control, wide-range attacks, air-to-ground strike capabilities, and an armed angel with extremely strong individual combat abilities...
Almost in a matter of seconds, with the cooperation of Selena’s four Gold-rank spirit pets, the entire cavalry unit was slaughtered.
In the end, only a hundred corpses remained on the field, along with the standing, blood-stained figure of the armed angel.
"Return..." Holding her golden grimoire, Selena watched as each spirit pet turned into a stream of light and retreated into the book to recover their mana.
After putting the grimoire away, Selena’s gaze toward Ryan was somewhat complex.
If the mermaid she had given Ryan back then hadn’t had an unsuccessful cultivation, the strength of this spirit pet team would have risen to an even higher level. However, she didn't say much else, just spoke faintly, "Let’s go quickly."
The four continued toward Chier City, but Ryan was somewhat silent on the road...
If he remembered correctly, the target of that cavalry unit was him...?
Could it be that his brothers were already jealous and had begun to reach into the Imperial Beast-Taming Academy, interfering with academy commissions?
If it hadn't been for Selena, would he really have the ability to resist those brothers who had lived for decades or even hundreds of years once he left the academy in the future?
This battle had allowed Ryan to witness the true strength of a Gold-rank Contracter. They didn't move until they had to, and once they did, it was all-around coordination.
And they were four Gold-high-star spirit pets that could talk!
"Mentor Selena..." As the four of them traveled, Ryan asked, "Can our commission be considered completed this time?"
Selena knew Ryan wasn't asking whether the commission was completed, but about something far more obscure.
Chapter 41: Driving Away the Tiger to Swallow the Wolves
Hearing Ryan’s question, Selena pursed her lips. "According to the situation explained to me by the Academic Supervisor when he assigned the mission, this commission is considered a failure..."
"Because the strict rule of the commission is to observe for a week. However, the mentors of the Academy Commission Research Association should take the circumstances into account and grant us the corresponding star rating."
Olina and Joanna only heard that they hadn't worked for nothing, but Ryan heard the subtext in Selena’s words.
This commission was not something Selena wanted to take; it was assigned directly to her by the Academic Supervisor...
This further proved Ryan’s suspicion. He had just returned home, and those brothers were already impatient to get rid of him!
And they used such a sinister method. Even if he had died there, it would have been for nothing...
They used the academy’s commission mechanism to lure him to this chaotic land in the western part of the empire and then had him eliminated by local nobles or rebel forces.
Every noble’s growth is accompanied by risks, and they essentially live in the shadow of assassination and calculation for their entire lives.
Selena had to deal with harassment from competitors when taking students out for commissions, and Ryan had to deal with harassment from his own brothers to earn his stars...
The group traveled quickly, passing through Chier City, the provincial capital of the Western Province, and then used a teleportation array to return to the academy.
.......
Returning to the student dormitory, Ryan sat on the sofa, picked up a glass of red wine, and took a sip.
He could be certain that this had absolutely something to do with his eldest and second brothers!
The two scoundrels!
The hatred between nobles does not require head-on conflict, even if he barely interacted with his two brothers...
Heiya also knew Ryan was in a bad mood. Just as she was about to comfort her young master, she received news of a visitor.
"Young Master... Miss Clitist is here to visit..." the beautiful woman walked to his side and spoke softly.
"Bring her in." No emotion could be seen on Ryan’s face. In his mind, he was constantly thinking about how to counter those two brothers, or even make them disappear!
"Wait, take her to the side parlor to sit for a moment..." A sharp glint flashed in Ryan’s eyes as he ordered Heiya at the door.
He then walked into the study, picked up a quill, and prepared to write a family letter to his old father. Of course, it wasn't to tattle—that would be beneath him, and he had no concrete evidence.
Nobles have their own ways of retaliation!
He sat at the desk, spread out a sheet of exquisite letterhead printed with the Vilit Family crest, and began to write.
"To my noble father, the Lord of Azure—Earl Victor Veerlite:"
"I hope this letter finds you well... I have safely returned to the academy from the Western Province a few days ago."
"This trip to the West left a deep impression on me... poverty, filth, and riots permeate the entire Western Border. Everywhere there are lost, unemployed masses, and the entire border is shrouded in dark clouds of despair..."
"The once prosperous land has now become a hotbed for breeding resentment and chaos, which is truly lamentable."
Writing up to this point, Ryan’s pen paused slightly. Time to show his intent:
"This makes me full of worry about the future of Azure Port. Under your leadership, Azure Port is getting increasingly prosperous and vibrant today, but... the brighter the light, the deeper the shadows."
"Especially after this trip to the West, encountering an attack from unknown armed cavalry worries me: in Azure Port... could there also be military forces that do not obey you?"
"In this regard, I have an immature suggestion, which is... to establish the Azure Port Strategic Materials Tax Bureau."
"List all grain, weapons, steel, warhorses, naval supplies, magical minerals, and other supplies in Azure Port that might involve the military as strategic materials of the territory."
"Place all sales and transportation of strategic materials under tax supervision. Every transaction must clearly label raw material suppliers, origin, intermediates, as well as the funds involved and the transaction counterparties..."
"The Strategic Materials Tax Bureau has the authority to dictate annual sales quotas for every local merchant in the industry. Those who reach it can receive a certain share of tax rebates, and those who do not meet the standard will be taxed more!"
Simply put, this was not just a tax agency, but also an intelligence agency...
Who was buying weapons? Who was hoarding grain? Where were the funds flowing? Who had connections with external forces?
These things could be investigated clearly through the Strategic Materials Tax Bureau, and they could also directly punish those merchants buying and selling secretly by increasing their taxes!
Sold enough? I’ll give you a tax rebate.
Can’t sell enough? Then that proves you’re incompetent, or that you’re doing business in the dark.
In this way, Ryan’s eldest brother, as the administrator, could only watch helplessly as his power was carved up by the Lord of Azure, Victor.
And his second brother, Karl, as the Chamber of Commerce chairman, along with the entire merchant class he represented, would all become objects of strict supervision.
Many things they might have been hiding from Victor, doing in the shadows, but with this agency, the two of them would have to play it straight!
As for whether Victor would agree? Ryan didn't need to worry at all. This itself strengthened the family’s rule over the territory while consolidating power for him.
Any ruler, especially an aging one, cares most about personal power and personal safety.
Emperors will kill their sons or fathers; can’t nobles do the same?
This is called driving one tiger to swallow two wolves!
After Ryan finished the letter, he sealed it with wax, walked out of the study, and came to the side parlor.
Although the young man hid his emotions well, Heiya, as someone by his side and sharing his bed, noticed that his brow had relaxed a bit. This also made her feel more settled inside.
Ryan walked up to Heiya, handed the letter to her to send back to the family, then sat on the sofa opposite Clitist and took a sip of black tea. "Kept you waiting, Miss Clitist."
The gothic girl today was still in a lolita black dress, wearing black lace gloves, her slender fingertips tapping the edge of the teacup, making a faint ticking sound.
She looked up at Ryan, her purple eyes filled with a trace of anticipation. "Student Ryan... may I ask if the cultivation method you designed is ready?"
Ryan nodded slightly; he had already exchanged for the advancement method for Clitist’s tattered umbrella. He reached into his coat and handed a document to Clitist.
The gray-haired, purple-eyed girl took it impatiently and opened it...
[Spirit Pet: Sun Parasol (Xiaohei) - Silver-rank Evolution Plan]
[Target Evolution Form: Shadow Moon Canopy]
[Core Attributes: Dark, Order]
"Shadow Moon Canopy? This is good! A good name!" Clitist showed a surprised smile, kicked off her small black shoes, and swung her white-silk-covered feet, showing no noble image at all.
"One Shadow Crystal per day, ten milliliters of Moonvine sap per week?" Clitist looked at Ryan. At this moment, she really wanted to kiss that handsome face. "What a practical plan. Are you sure that as long as I follow this method, it can evolve within a month, Student Ryan...?"
"If it’s true... during this year at the academy, you can do some things to me that aren't too excessive..."
Chapter 42: Another Big Shot Appears
"Azure Port Strategic Materials Tax Bureau? Father, I don’t understand, why establish such an agency? Azure Port thrives on commerce; we should give merchants freedom!"
In the Vilit Manor, Locke and Karl sat before Victor...
Victor looked at the eagerness on his two sons' faces and smiled lightly. He picked up a silver blade and gently cut a brick of tobacco, then put the cut tobacco into his black wood pipe. He snapped his fingers, and a flame ignited.
His cigar-lighting movements were professional and elegant. Only after exhaling a long, mellow cloud of smoke did he lift his eyelids. "Freedom?"
"That’s right... freedom!" Locke had to bite the bullet and keep speaking. "The flow of gold coins should not be restricted. Whether it’s money or people, they all need freedom..."
Victor put down his pipe, folded his hands on the desk, and interlaced his fingers. He didn't answer his eldest son; his eyes were somewhat playful. "Freedom?"
A sudden look of fear flashed across the two sons' faces. How many years had it been? Their old father was still the same. He didn't need to explain anything, nor did he need to use anything to threaten others.
Because he was, by nature, an unreasonable man!
The atmosphere in the study immediately fell into a strange, quiet state.
"I understand, Father..." Finally, the second son, Karl, timely conceded.
Locke was also helpless. "...I obey your will."
"Very good." Victor puffed out a thick cloud of smoke and then waved his hand, as if shooing away flies, driving them out.
A negotiation ended immediately after an old man repeated two words...
After the two sons left, Victor’s aged fingers stroked the envelope on the table. "Ryan, you really are an insidiously good child."
......
The two brothers walked out of the study and sat down in a secret room.
"Damn it, he’s senile!" Karl, the chairman of the Azure Chamber of Commerce, couldn't hold it in anymore. He punched the crystal tabletop, making the wine glasses shake.
Compared to Locke, he was even angrier because even after that old man died in the future, he would still have to live under such supervision!
After all... the name on the inheritance document was Locke Vilit, not Karl Vilit!
Unless... he killed his eldest brother!
Of course, after such a thought popped up, he quickly suppressed it...
"Calm down, Karl." Locke’s voice carried a suppressed calmness. His heart was pleasantly surprised and proud; Victor was paving the road for him...
Even if he was under his supervision for a while, what of it?
When he died... wouldn't Karl in front of him be clay in his hands?
"Damn it, damn it...!" Karl ripped open his velvet collar, sending a few gemstone buttons flying, picked up the wine glass, and gulped it down. "Who on earth gave him such a rotten idea...?"
He strongly suspected this was his eldest brother’s doing, and then he was playing the role of the good guy in front of him...
Locke kept his composure. At this time, he had to perform well...
Perform like an eldest brother!
He stood up and prepared to leave.
"Where are you going?"
Karl was stunned, looking at his brother’s back.
"I heard that our Vilit family member was bullied in the West. As... your brother, I must demand an explanation from the Western nobles."
Karl was startled at first, then his pupils shrank...
Scoundrel...!
He cursed internally.
In the secret room, only Karl remained. He overturned the entire wine table, leaving the room in a mess...
Meanwhile, Ryan was still in the academy dormitory, interacting with the noble lady.
"Some things that aren't too excessive...?" Ryan stroked his wine glass. "For example...?"
"Oh my, how much do you want a girl to take the initiative?" Clitist quietly walked up to Ryan and kissed his cheek. "Mua~"
After kissing him, she put on her shoes and left.
After the girl left, Ryan remembered his three spirit pets and quickly let them out.
"Stupid master! Small fry! Pervert!"