Arcane Emperor

"My Lord, these nags are still alive, which is simply wonderful."

"The food and clothing haven't suffered any damage, the only thing is that the cart axle we just repaired seems to be broken again, I want to ask Elder John to fix it quickly..."

After checking the supplies they had abandoned earlier, Butler Ralph's anxious heart relaxed, a smile he couldn't hide curving his lips.

Angela also let out a sigh of relief, occasionally casting curious glances at the little one in Matthew's arms, who was fast asleep.

"Far cuter than the Wind Serpent King, the Count Bie's most treasured summon!"

"Cough cough, forgive my irreverence."

Standing before the corpses, Matthew saw at least three or four precious magical items.

Whether to keep them for his own use or to sell them through some channels, either option could speed up the development of his domain.

But Matthew dared not!

The hidden danger of Fortune +4 made Matthew refuse to gamble!

Therefore, he ignored the corpse and, to prevent others from being tempted to steal, he cautioned Angela beside him, who was still shaken:

"His death has nothing to do with us; it is strictly forbidden for anyone to take anything from his body. Do not invite undue disaster."

With the example of Fortune 4 before him, and with a high level of vigilance for the impending misfortune 4, Matthew only wanted to safely reach his territory.

Angela, still unsettled, nodded her head and cautiously surveyed the members of the surrounding caravan.

She remembered quite clearly that, while My Lord was signing the contract with the young dragon, the looks from some people were unmistakably wrong.

"I shall become the sharpest sword and the firmest shield in My Lord's hand, to block all dangers and malice for him, and to eliminate all the enemies of My Lord!"

This was Angela's oath, as well as her steadfast belief!

For everything she possessed had been bestowed upon her by My Lord!

Naturally, Matthew was unaware of Angela's thoughts, and even if he had been, he had no time to converse with her at that moment.

He turned his head with a grave expression, looked towards the billowing smoke in the distance, and spoke with a resolute tone:

"Abandon these supplies; we will only take the nags with us. We must leave quickly, as the Black Dragon might come back again!"

Butler Ralph nodded without hesitation and directly called out to them:

"Abandon the cargo of cart three, Elder John, unhitch the nags; after they rest for an hour, replace the weakest one among them."

"Numbers 1 and 10, come out and pick up your weapons and round shields, take the lead in the caravan; the rest of the crew from cart three, take their places..."

Watching the experienced butler make arrangements, Matthew, who was gently stroking the little one, nodded internally.

He got back onto the carriage and found that the little one did not cause the horses any discomfort, and he immediately thought, it must be the doing of the Time Dragon.

"I hope the dragon is alright. If this Time Dragon really has some spare time, that would absolutely be an excellent support and backing..."

Thinking this, Matthew gazed toward the increasingly close Sweet Water Town, thinking of tens of thousands of people who had died without resistance or struggle.

And that most of them, facing death, didn't even know who their killer was.

An indescribable sense of crisis and indignation surged in his heart, then buried deep inside, waiting for time to ferment and for strength to grow.

As they passed by the ruins of Sweet Water Town, most of the other people in the caravan remained silent too.

Seeing the broken walls, the crumbling houses, and the charred bones scattered everywhere, they unavoidably felt a sense of fear akin to when one sees the rabbit dead and feels for the fox.

Looking warily at the ruins, Matthew wrinkled his brows in confusion; he vaguely sensed some dangerous gazes.

In the ruins tainted by the Black Dragon's corrupt breath, no life should be able to persist!

But whatever it was, Matthew had no intention of provoking it, not even having any thoughts or desires for the ruined legacy of Sweet Water Town.

A deep sense of crisis in his mind was urging him to leave quickly, to run!

Matthew acted as if nothing had happened, suppressing the sense of crisis in his heart, caressing the Magic Wand made of Fire Dragon Wood.

This was an Arcanist's gift rewarded by his father, Count Andre, when he turned six.

Amplification Spell +1, Fireball Technique can be used 3/3 times a day!

What should have merely been a childhood toy for Matthew Seth, something akin to a panda toy as a keepsake, now became the only piece of magic equipment on him.

The pale gold sunlight fell on Matthew's face, and the long-missed warmth didn't bring comfort, failing to dispel the cold in his heart.

The ruins of Sweet Water Town grew more distant until they disappeared over the horizon.

Not long after the caravan had left, a twist of spatial distortion appeared amid the swirling smoke of the ruins.

The inexplicable pressure seemed to have vanished.

Everyone felt inexplicably relieved, and thoughts and words that had been constrained within suddenly began to flow in teasing and exchanges.

Quiet discussions permeated the caravan for a time.

Smiles gradually appeared on people's faces, the occasional glance cast toward the young dragon in My Lord's arms.

"The stronger My Lord becomes, the safer we will be!"

"That's right, as long as we follow My Lord, we'll have a bright future ahead."

"When My Lord's young dragon grows up, it could protect us and our descendants for hundreds of years. Maybe we'll even be able to expand our lands; we could become knight lords..."

"Hey, you sure can dream. You, with that attitude, become a knight lord?"

"Why not? When our Lord becomes a duke, the benevolent My Lord will definitely not forget my contributions..."

"That young dragon seems a bit bigger than before; it's growing so fast..."

"That's a legendary dragon; most people won't see one in their lifetime, and here we are, able to get so close..."

"Speaking of which, it's lucky that My Lord cherishes us. If he had charged into Sweet Water Town headfirst..."

"Later on, can we brag to others that we escaped from the jaws of the Black Dragon...?"

"Haha, you've got a point!"

"..."

These various whispers came through to Matthew clearly; his vision was improving, and his body and strength were gradually increasing.

It was uncertain whether the change was sudden or had been ongoing, only becoming noticeable after reaching a certain degree.

Matthew even felt that with each breath, his body grew stronger than before, and so did the little one in his arms.

Matthew was lost in the feeling, unaware of the passing time.

His contemplative expression, caught in Angela's gaze, seemed especially charming to her.

The sun began its descent; the distant sky was filled with crimson clouds.

The dark green Misty Swamp gradually became more active.

The road following Sweet Water Town, neglected of regular maintenance, became increasingly difficult to traverse.

However, having survived the attack of the Black Dragon, the group had grown much more resilient to such difficulties.

After having faced a matter of life and death, these small concerns no longer seemed as significant.

Butler Ralph licked his lips hesitantly, pulling out the map to study and observe carefully, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening as if he'd come to a decision. He placed a gentle finger on a spot on the map.

Then, Ralph put away the map and quickly walked over to Matthew, reluctantly interrupting My Lord's deep thoughts:

"My Lord, our original plan was to rest for the night in Sweet Water Town and get through the Scarlet Moon..."

"With our current pace, if we continue for half an hour, we will reach a military outpost around 5 o'clock."

"There's usually a 10-man patrol stationed there. Under normal circumstances, the patrol's watchtower and walls would enable us to safely get through the Scarlet Moon."

"However, there's a risk of the entire unit being wiped out if there are too many mutant creatures outdoors..."

"If we rest at the outpost for only half an hour, we will reach our lands around 9 o'clock."

"But before that, we will spend two dangerous hours under the Scarlet Moon..."

Matthew snapped back to reality, focusing on Butler Ralph's hesitant face, with a familiar blue glow flickering in his sight once more.

He had thought he was facing Fate's Choice, but that wasn't the case at all!

Instead, the long-lost character attributes panel had appeared.

Matthew could only glance at it before his eyes widened in disbelief, muttering in astonishment:

"What the fuck? Are these the attributes for a Level 1 Arcanist?"