Chapter 126: Gifts
As guests gathered near them, Raven looked at the bracelet's information.
…
[Name: Guardian's Bracelet
Rank: Rare
Description: It is a part of the 'Guardian Set' item created by Michael Sterlinghart.
Abilities:
Physical Resistance is 15% when receiving physical wounds. Rank-2 Wind Shield Spell- cooldown time: 1/hr Rank-3 Fatal Miss: Cooldown 1/day]
…
'I don't need physical resistance because of the regeneration spell. But Wind Shield spell and Fatal are not bad at all. Especially the Fatal Miss skill seems good.' Raven quietly put it in his hand.
"This puts me in a difficult spot, though," Anastasia said with a sigh and touched her spatial ring.
"Although this is not as grand as the Guardian's Bracelet, its worth shouldn't be less than that." Saying so, she took a wooden box from her spatial ring and presented it to him.
Meanwhile, Raven opened it slowly and soon widened his eyes.
A single vial, which appeared bluish, was placed inside the box.
"Intermediate Potion?" He touched the monocle and looked at the information.
"Hoo! What a surprise." He couldn't help but praise it even though it was only an intermediate potion.
In truth, a potion's value always depends on its rank. However, there was a difference even within the ranks based on the potion's type and uniqueness.
Wizards had classified the potions into eight types.
The first was the most common one available in the market, the 'Attribute Potion.' Upon consumption, it allowed one to increase their attribute permanently.
Second was the Booster Potion. It would allow one to double a particular attribute's stats for a short period temporarily. However, this one always had side effects, so walkers used it only in desperate situations.
Third was the Recovery Potions, which would help heal wounds and recover one's health.
Fourth was the Special Potion, which would temporarily grant unique effects. The Mind of Insight potion Raven concocted belonged to this category.
Fifth was the Combat Potion. These potions would allow a person to resist elemental attacks for a short period, grant unique beast-like instincts, grant hardened skin, strengthen mental Resistance, etc.
Sixth was the Transformation potions. These were rare and hard to concoct. These potions allowed a person to change physical characteristics like voice, face, hair, height, weight, etc. Some higher-rank potions even let a person turn invisible, grant a dragon's abilities, and even shapeshift into a completely different person.
The seventh one was the Ability Potion. The Ability potion would permanently allow a person to gain a physical trait or ability by causing a mutation in one's body parts. To concoct this potion, one would need a lot of precious materials, too.
And the eighth was the newly added one called 'Affinity Potion.'
The potion that Anastasia gave him as a gift was an Ability potion!
'Hawk Eye potion, huh?' Unlike other options, Ability potions were always precious. This Hawk Eye potion was an ability to grant the user a Rank-2 permanent skill called 'Eye of the Hawk.'
If a Marksman took this potion, his accuracy would increase multiple-fold!
'Such a potion would cost more than 50,000 gold coins!'
"Thank you, My Lady!" Raven thanked her from the bottom of his heart.
Meanwhile, Count Andres watched as Lady Anastasia gave Raven a precious Ability Potion and felt the Oracle might come true.
'Holmes House is going to soar higher!' At that moment, he decided to take a big gamble.
"It seems I'm being left out." Count Andres let out a fake cough and added.
"Although our relationship started in bitterness, I hope you forgive me for not noticing your true worth, Mr. Holmes." He touched his spatial ring and took a long sword before explaining.
"It's one of the seventy-two swords made by Kammalar Guild's Top Blacksmith, Samuel. Although it's only an uncommon item, its sharpness and durability are comparable to a rare weapon. Additionally, it has a unique ability, too."
[Name: Knight's Sword
Rank: Uncommon
Description: Forged using Elven Steel, the Kammalar Guild's Knight's Sword is famous for its sharpness, self-repairing ability, and high durability…
Abilities:
Moonlit Execution- Allows the user to execute a higher rank Swordsmanship Aura for 3 seconds. Caution: It consumes the user's mental power upon activation and might cause both physical and psychological damage to the user. ]
"Isn't it Knight's Sword? I didn't expect you to be this generous, Andres." Anastasia commented.
Meanwhile, all the people who attended the banquet were deeply shocked.
The ones who shocked most were Count Andres's sons.
It wasn't because of the artifact's uniqueness but due to Count Andres's character. In their eyes, their father would not give a present easily to anyone.
Count Andres gave gifts only to a few people in the banquet conducted by the Spade Council faction members all these times. They were all from the Viscount and Baron families.
'He is showing this much interest in a Knight Household?' Finnegan couldn't help but take a second look at Raven.
Unbothered by others' shocked gazes, Count Andres smiled and observed Raven's reaction.
"It's a small token of appreciation, Mr. Holmes. If the House of Ravenshield and the House of Findlay see value in you, then it would be foolish of me to stay behind."
The murmurs among the nobles grew louder. A Count gifting such a sword to an upstart? That alone was shocking enough, but coupled with Lady Anastasia's rare potion and Daley Findlay's Guardian's Bracelet, it became clear that Thomas Holmes was no ordinary young man.
Raven thanked Count and turned his attention towards the guests.
At that moment, Anastasia thought of something and asked.
"Now that I think about it, can you tell us the reason for this sudden banquet?"
Daley also nodded and looked at him in puzzlement.
Meanwhile, Count Andres suddenly thought of the possibility and widened his eyes.
"Could it be?"
Instead of responding, Raven cleared his throat to attract everyone's attention, picked up the wine glass from the nearby servant, and spoke.
"Once again, I welcome all the guests to the Holmes Mansion." He started with a smile and then continued.
"You must all be wondering why I am suddenly hosting a banquet. At first, I thought living a carefree life would be enough after losing everything. But after I got kidnapped, I realized that I was too weak to protect myself. After I was rescued, I learned that all the servants who worked in my mansion were dead, too. Even today, I don't understand the reason why they ended up dead." He paused for a moment as many nobles averted their gaze.
"Nobles like us need to be a good example for the masses and protect the people of this land. But nobody cared even when I disappeared for six months. That's when I realized I must become strong to protect my people. After thinking, I've decided to reclaim the Azmar Territory as my first step. I want to eliminate all the monsters occupying Azmar Town and rebuild the town into a good place to live. To do that, I need the help of Lord Andres and all the guests present here." He said while turning his gaze towards Count Andres.
A heavy silence filled the hall as Raven's words sank in. Some of the nobles exchanged uncertain glances while others muttered among themselves. Reclaiming the Azmar Territory? That land had been abandoned for decades, overrun by powerful monsters and outlaws. Many had considered it a lost cause, a cursed place no noble dared to touch.
Count Andres narrowed his eyes.
He tapped his fingers against the wooden table, deep in thought. "Truthfully, the Empire thinks of the Azmar Town and its surroundings as a non-habitable land. The soil surrounding the Azmar town is mostly Rocky soil and clay soil. Rocky soil is difficult to plow, while clay soil becomes too hard in winter and waterlogged during spring, making it hard to grow plants. However, the Holmes Family survived there thanks to the place being suitable for hunting, fur trading, timber, etc. After the Azmar incident, the Empire realized it was also a dangerous place for people to live and stopped paying much attention to it."
'What a load of crap. Most of the land in the Azmar Woodland border consists of red soil, making it a perfect place for agriculture. I also learned that the Holmes Family found a quartz-rich mountain deep in the Azmar woods and even found traces of gold. However, they couldn't manage to mine gold because of the dangers in the woods.' In truth, there were countless resources hidden in the Azmar Woods. If Raven could form an expedition squad and exterminate all the monsters in the outer region, he could turn Azmar territory into a habitable place.
"I heard there are still people staying in Azmar Town. Some merchant's archaeological team, I presume? How can an archaeological team stay there researching for decades without difficulty?" Raven asked.
A silence appeared in the hall.
Count also realized that more talking would only expose his involvement in this issue and end the topic.
"How did you find such information, Mr. Holmes? If such an archaeological team hides there, the law will punish them. According to the law of the Empire, the Azmar Territory is still the territory of the Holmes, and no one other than a Holmes Family member has the power to own it. As the Lord of the Holmes Household, you have full authority to reclaim it. And once you reclaim the territory, you also have the authority to own a Knight's Squad officially." Count Andres paused for a moment and then added.
"And I'll do my best to support you in reclaiming it. I can lend you my 3rd Spade Squad if it's all right. Coincidentally, the 3rd Squad leader Finnegan also attended this meeting." He deliberated for a moment and turned his gaze towards his son.
"I can appoint him as the head of the expenditure squad and let him help you remove all the obstacles." His words startled everyone in the banquet hall.
Raven knew that Finnegan was none other than Count Andres's first son and realized an underlying scheme behind his words.
In truth, Count owns a personal army of around 50,000 soldiers. Spade Squads were his elite team; almost all squad members were Radiant Walkers.
Lending such a squad would be no less than telling everyone he was planning to support Holmes House officially.
Raven knew that if he received support, it wouldn't be Raven who reclaimed his lost territory, but Count's son, Finnegan!
If he agreed to Count's help, Finnegan would become revered as a hero and rise in fame.
'Meanwhile, I will become a weak side character in the eyes of other nobles.'
"Thanks for your generous offer, My Lord. But I want to recapture the town with my power. Only then will my heart calm down. Also, I'll need everyone's help to rebuild the town afterward. I hope everyone in the banquet hall supports us through various means. With the support of the Space Council members, I'm planning to make Azmar Town into a prosperous city."
"Haha, that's the spirit." Anastasia laughed out loud and gave him a pat on his shoulder.
Count Andres smiled faintly, hiding his displeasure. "If that's what you wish, Mr. Holmes. But should you change your mind, my offer still stands."
Raven gave a polite nod, then turned his attention to the guests.
"I will visit each of your estates after recapturing to discuss trade deals, resource sharing, and ways to rebuild Azmar. With your cooperation, we can transform that barren land into something grand."
The nobles began murmuring again, but their tone was different—less skeptical and more intrigued. Some even nodded, seemingly interested in the potential profits.
The banquet hall was still buzzing with murmurs, but the atmosphere had changed. What had begun as an evening of festivity had become a gathering of political maneuvering and grand ambitions.
As the musicians struck up another lively tune, the tension eased slightly, and the noble ladies resumed their attempts to introduce their daughters to Raven. In these noble ladies ' eyes, he was nothing more than a loser a while ago. But mere gifts from the Count and two ancient family members made them realize he was far more worthy than the other youngsters attending the banquet.
Raven handled the conversations politely, offering the expected courtesies but giving away nothing of his intentions.
'I don't plan on marrying someone using Thomas Holmes's identity. It will only become more of a problem in the future.'
[But what will happen to the Holmes house once you achieve your goal of becoming the Emperor? What will happen to all the Knights and people?] Zera's question caught him off guard.
'I don't know. Maybe I can reveal the truth to the public after I become the Emperor?'
[That will be a foolish thing to do. Hmm, why not adopt someone from the distant blood of Holmes? Like someone who had been married to a different family?] Zera asked.
'I'll think about it later.' Raven decided to focus on the banquet.
Meanwhile, the younger noblemen, spurred on by pride and a touch of alcohol, began engaging in friendly duels in the open courtyard. The clashing of blades rang through the night as the sons of knightly households showcased their swordsmanship. Some sought to impress the noble ladies, while others tested their skills against rival families.
Even Count Andres's two sons participated in the duel and won among most of the Knights.
Viscountess Rowena, always one to keep her ear to the political winds, made her way to Raven, her sharp eyes betraying her curiosity. "You have an interesting way of shifting the tides, young lord. When I came to this banquet, many eyes looked down on you and showed clear dissatisfaction, but you made everyone realize how wrong they were." Saying so, she looked outside at the courtyard and watched the duels.
"The words you spoke are not something even I can spout carelessly without having enough preparation. It seems you are well aware of the Falcons, too. Are you capable of reclaiming Azmar Town without any outside help?" Viscountess asked after a short deliberation.
Raven smiled but did not respond immediately. He knew that Viscountess Rowena was a formidable player in noble politics, and her words were never without hidden meaning. "It's not whether I'm capable or not, but it's my duty as the only heir of the Holmes House, My Lady."
She chuckled softly, swirling the wine in her glass. "Indeed. And yet, men like Count Andres do not change their stance that easily. There is also young master Daley and Lady Anastasia from the Mystic Cauldron talking to you casually as if you are their best friend. I'm not fool enough not to realize your true worth, Mr. Holmes."
Before Raven could respond, she continued.
"Let me give you a piece of advice, Mr. Holmes. If you reclaim your territory as you speak, make a proxy governor in your place and enroll in the Army."
"Army?" Raven was surprised.
"You should've noticed the brewing chaos on the border, right? The war between Viser and Zenith is inevitable. If you achieve something big in the upcoming war, you can raise your family status to a true noble."
Before Raven could respond, a loud cheer erupted from the courtyard. One of the young duelists had just disarmed his opponent, and the crowd applauded in appreciation. The spectacle provided a momentary distraction before the call for the feast echoed through the halls.
"I'm looking forward to the things you will achieve," Rowena said with a smile and walked away from him.
"Hmm, her words are true. Joining the Army is the best way to raise Holmes's family status. But a single mistake can ruin everything." He shook his head and walked ahead.
The guests slowly made their way to the grand dining hall, where a feast of the finest delicacies had been prepared. Roasted venison, seasoned river fish, aromatic bread, and exotic wines adorned the long tables. The air filled with the rich aroma of spiced meats and freshly baked goods, a final indulgence before the night ended.
As they dined, Raven observed his guests. Conversations shifted from light banter to trade opportunities, alliances between noble factions, border tensions, etc.
Eventually, the guests began to take their leave as the hour grew late. The knightly households, merchants, and nobles expressed their parting words, some more formal, others more enthusiastic. Count Andres gave a final nod before departing, his expression unreadable, while his children followed him quietly.
Before long, only a few guests were left in the mansion.
"What is the main reason for inviting this banquet, Mr. Holmes? I don't think you invited me to gain favor from these local nobles." Anastasia said as she arrived next to him.
Raven stood in the mansion's main hall and gazed at the guests leaving.
"It's true that I invited you to attract the local nobles' attention, My Lady. But as you've said, the main reason for inviting you to this banquet is to discuss some deals."
"Deals?" Anastasia's brows furrowed.
"What kind of deals?"
"Let's move to a comfortable place," Raven led Anastasia through the dimly lit corridors of the mansion before arriving at his study.
As they entered his study, a warm glow from the lanterns cast flickering shadows upon the rich mahogany furniture. The scent of old parchment and ink permeated the air, a stark contrast to the fragrant aromas of the banquet hall.
Anastasia sat on the leather chair across from his desk, crossing her legs. Her keen gaze studied him, waiting for his words.
Raven poured two glasses of aged wine and handed one to her. "Alchemic potion materials, elemental stones, artifacts, and magical beasts. I want your help regarding these items, My Lady."
She took a sip of her wine, her eyes never leaving his. "I understand you need potion materials for concocting potions and artifacts for your personal Knight squad. But why do you need elemental crystals and magical beasts? I've observed that you didn't resell the magical beast corpses or reveal the corpse to any other. Are you involved in some kind of forbidden sorcery like Rayner Family members?"
She couldn't help but suspect.
"Rest assured, My Lady. I'm not fond of undead beings. All the magical beasts I brought from you are either returned after taking the bloodline essences or buried in the woods."
Anastasia furrowed her brows and then asked.
"What kind of magical beasts do you need this time?"
"Have you heard about the tale of the Mysterious Kidnapper of Arcturus?" Raven asked a strange question instead of responding.