"...Even the mission to defeat the Gug Titan was completed easily?!"
This is incredible! He knew how ferocious the Gog Giant was. With its huge size, surging strength, bloodthirsty desire, and extraordinary vitality, it could be said to be a perfect killing machine.
Even the knights of the church, the seven "Prayers for Mercy" who were equivalent to mid-stage Righteous Mind warriors, did not dare to take it lightly when facing such a ferocious beast alone.
If he encountered a skull ghost, he still had the confidence to kill it after a fierce battle; if it was a Gug giant, there would be no need to hesitate, just run away! Even a hundred of him would not be enough for it to kill.
This kind of extremely risky commission usually requires a team of more than a dozen experienced adventurers with perfect coordination, and they dare to set off after at least a day of preparation and training, and there is no guarantee that there will be no casualties.
And she actually took the order in the afternoon and completed it in the evening? This is too efficient, doesn’t she even need to prepare?!
“…He used magic to subdue a warrior at the peak of Righteousness in the guild!? Damn it, that stinky old rat man wouldn’t make up false information to fool me, right? How is this possible?!”
However, the following content almost made his eyes pop out!
What is the concept of the peak of mindfulness? My martial arts instructor, who comes from an inland swordsmanship family, is only in the late stage of mindfulness, and is still one step away from the peak.
And the peak of mindfulness, who is one level stronger than the martial arts instructor, couldn't even last a single round in front of Qi Ji?
She was able to subdue the peak of righteous thoughts in an instant, and she did it with magic. Is there any other possibility for her identity? A magician!
It was unbelievable that a magician appeared in the territory of the Templar Church, which rejected wizards. Lanchester's common sense told him that this was impossible and he thought the intelligence was false.
But on second thought, it didn't make sense. Let's not talk about whether the rat man dared to deceive me, even if he made up false information, it was too outrageous, right?
If Qi Ji really did the things mentioned above, it would cause a huge commotion, and her rumors would become popular among all adventurers in no time.
There's no need to ask anyone to investigate such a big matter. He can just go to the guild and ask.
Moreover, the warrior at the peak of righteousness who was subdued was actually Wadin's bodyguard. Lanchester had just met him tonight, and he later asked him to find a few reliable strong men to serve as his bodyguards.
Although Wadin did not indicate where the former bodyguard had gone, it was logically consistent with the description in the intelligence.
If he wanted to lie, it would be impossible for him to make up a lie that is so easily proven false, otherwise there must be something seriously wrong with the Rat Man's brain.
Lanchester didn't think that the ratmen, who were always shrewd and smooth, could be so stupid, so the information was true, at least most of it was true.
Qi Ji... this stunningly beautiful girl is truly a great wizard at the level of a mage!
"Tsk, this is a difficult problem..." After reading the report, he rolled up the parchment and leaned against the wall, thinking.
Since he is a magician, he is unlikely to be from the Templar State and is most likely a foreigner.
The Crestor Dynasty in the north, the Glorious Plantagenet Empire in the east, the Stardust Federation further away, and even the Jielian Islands in the South China Sea are all possibilities.
His previous thought was that no matter how strong Qi Ji was, she was still a commoner. As a son of a noble, pursuing her should be a piece of cake for him.
However, when the strength reaches a certain level, this statement is no longer applicable.
Because those who have reached the level of magician are undoubtedly the top powerhouses in the human world. They attract much attention wherever they go and it is almost impossible for them to be ordinary civilians.
In other words... my aristocratic background may not be useful to her.
And thinking about Qi Ji's attitude at the dinner just now...she didn't seem to be very interested in herself.
Although she was handsome and impressive, she just wasn't interested.
"hateful!"
He pounded the wall angrily.
For more than 20 years, Lanchester has been accustomed to using power and wealth to oppress others. These two trump cards that he was proud of failed for the first time, leaving him suddenly at a loss.
Do I really have to give up just like that?
"No! I won't give up..."
In fact, Lanchester is very sure that he likes the sexy and seductive type, the mature and gentle type, and is not very interested in the petite loli type.
But Niuzi didn't listen to him.
Since yesterday, Qi Ji's figure and face, as well as various arousing and erotic scenes, have been appearing in his mind all the time.
The blush of love... the blurred and absent-minded eyes... the tense and twitching instep... the trembling and frightened moan...
Just imagining all these scenes made his lower abdomen feel hot and his body stand tall.
——No! I absolutely cannot give up!
He felt that turning the fantasy in his mind into reality must be the greatest pursuit in his life!
"Lancaster! Use your brilliant brain and think of a solution!"
After leaning against the wall and thinking for a while, he suddenly thought of something. A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. He raised his head and walked towards a room deep in the mansion.
He decided... to ask his father for some advice.
Chapter 49 Baron Augustus the Lionsmith
"Tuk-tuk!"
"Dad, I'm coming in."
Lanchester knocked on a wooden door decorated with gold, waited a moment, turned the handle, and pushed the door open.
Behind the door is a study with a stable style. A large number of books and documents are neatly stacked on the tall and heavy shelves, and the faint fragrance of ink and paper is in the air.
On the wall opposite the door hangs a huge oil painting. A lion with lush mane stands majestically in the center of the canvas, showing its sharp and ferocious fangs.
In front of the painting stood a large square desk with piles of documents and materials on the table. A tall, dignified middle-aged man was sitting behind the desk, reading through the documents.
Hearing the knocks and the sounds of the door opening, he put down the paper and pen in his hand, raised his head and looked at Lanchester. The seriousness in his brows gradually melted away, and was replaced by kindness and doting:
"Little Lance is back? Is the dinner at Iris's house okay?"
This man had the same red hair as Lanchester, and he was Lanchester's father: Baron Augustus the Lionsmith.
Augustus had gray hair on his temples and looked old. He was about fifty years old. As the father of Lanchester, a young man in his twenties, he seemed a little old.
"That's all," Lanchester shrugged disapprovingly, "Dad, I want to discuss something with you."
"What's wrong?" Augustus narrowed his eyes.
He had noticed his son's behavior was a little strange since last night. In order to celebrate Lanchester's triumphant return from hunting, he specially prepared a grand celebration banquet, but as the protagonist of the banquet, Lanchester left halfway.
Lanchester is pursuing Lunxi, which is also a consensus among the powerful circles in Stio. In their view, it is natural and reasonable for the two to get married, as they are both talented and beautiful.
Therefore, after hearing the news that Lunxi refused to come and the banquet ended abruptly, they would naturally link the two events together and regard them as cause and effect, thinking that it was Lunxi's refusal to attend the banquet that caused Lanchester to be angry about it.
That's why old Edward asked Luncy to apologize to Lanchester, because in his eyes, Luncy's behavior damaged the harmony between the two families.
But as Lanchester's father, Augustus knew very well that the reason for his son's anxious departure had little to do with Lancy.
Because based on his understanding of his son, if this was true, then after leaving, Lanchester would either go back to his room alone and sulk, waiting for him to comfort him; or go to Iris's house to find Lancy with great fanfare.
But Lanchester actually ran south alone, and Iris Manor was in the completely opposite direction.
It was really weird and totally out of character for him.
Moreover, Augustus also noticed that his son's attitude towards Lunxi was obviously not as enthusiastic as before, and it seemed that his attention was attracted by something else... This was not what he wanted to see.
And all these changes happened after the hunt yesterday morning.
What happened?
He has not had much free time lately because he has been dealing with a lot of special matters, so he has not asked.
Now that his son had come to him on his own, and obviously had something to ask for, he could take this opportunity to have a good talk with his son and understand the reason behind the matter.
"Well, Dad, what do you think..." Lanchester hesitated and thought for a while, "How attractive am I to girls? I mean... excluding our family's status and money, what about my own charm as a person...?"
Augustus didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "My dear son, of course you are very charming. Which girl can refuse such an excellent man?"
Although he said this, his heart sank a little bit.
Doesn't he know what kind of personality his son has?
He has been a playboy since he was young. All he thinks about is women. The so-called friends he makes are all nondescript. He idles around all day long and has no desire to make progress.
He was quite diligent in his training. He spent a lot of money to hire a professional swordsmanship master from the inland to teach his son, and also bought a lot of magic potions for nourishment. Finally, he was promoted to the peak of tempering skills, which was rare.
But he suspected that his son's fundamental purpose of practicing was to improve his physical fitness so that he could better control women and indulge in lust.
He often uses any means necessary to get the girl he likes, and every time he makes trouble, he has to step in to settle it.
To put it bluntly, if it weren't for his well-off family, only a person with cerebral palsy or a blind person would be interested in such a licentious, extravagant, and arrogant man.
But even so, Augustus was reluctant to beat or scold Lanchester.
Who told me that I only have this one son? He was born in my old age, so I really can't blame him at all.
As for children, they are full of energy when they are young, and it is normal for them to like to play...They will naturally mature and focus when they grow up, so there is no need to worry too much.
——He could only comfort himself in this way.
"Why do you suddenly ask such a question?" Augustus clenched his fists, his face slightly serious.
The son would never ask this kind of question, because he would never regard power and wealth as something outside of himself, as something separate from "myself".
Augustus thought it necessary to get to the bottom of things.
"Dad, if... I mean if, if I fall in love with a girl who doesn't care about money and reputation at all, what are the chances of me winning her over with just my personal talent?"
"Why, don't you have enough pocket money?" Augustus smiled and opened the drawer, pulling out a check from a private bank. "Is two thousand aire enough? Use it first, and come back to me for more when you're done."
He didn't care about money and fame. This wasn't the first time this had happened. It was just that he hadn't given enough.
I thought what was bothering my son was some big deal, but it turned out to be just this. It seems that I have become too suspicious because of recent events.
"No, that's not what I meant!" Lanchester shouted quickly.
Augustus stopped writing the check and looked at him in confusion.
"Well, I'll get straight to the point." He sighed and decided not to beat around the bush:
"I recently fell in love with a very special girl, and I want to marry her...but she is an adventurer at the level of a mage, and money and status are not important to her, so I..."
"What?!" Augustus' smile disappeared instantly when he heard the words "marry her" and he stood up. "Are you kidding me!? Didn't I tell you that Lancy is your future wife?!"
"No, she's really special! If I could only have one wife in my life, she'd be the only one I'd accept!"
"What nonsense!" Augustus was really angry this time. "I will never allow you to marry a strange person!"
Lanchester was anxious: "She is very, very beautiful, very, very cute, I must..."
"Pretty? What's the point of being pretty?" Augustus snorted disdainfully. "Marrying Lunxi will allow us to obtain the wealth of the Iris family, strengthen our power, and highlight the dignity of the Lionsmith family - what can she do!? Go to bed with you!"
For aristocratic marriages, the only criterion is "equal status". All other factors are insignificant... no, they are not worth considering at all!
Lanchester wanted to say something, but Augustus shouted:
"I didn't care about you before, but this time I can't let you do what you want! This is a matter that concerns your future and the future of our family. We can't mess around!"
Seeing his father's tough attitude, Lanchester also made up his mind and gritted his teeth and said:
"I don't care! If I can't get her, my life will be meaningless! You must help me!"
"You..." Augustus was so angry that his face turned red. He was about to curse, but suddenly calmed down.
He realized that his son was now determined to hang himself on a tree, which was obviously a dead end. For example, who said that "getting" is equivalent to "marrying a wife"?
He also realized that it was unrealistic to force his son to give up now.
So it is better to unblock than to block, so just try another method.
"You said, that girl... is a magician?" Augustus keenly grasped the word after calming down, "Or an adventurer?"
Although it was unbelievable that a magician appeared in a place called Stio, his son never lied to him and was very thoughtful.
He said he was a magician, that must have been after thorough investigation and analysis, and he had solid evidence to back it up, it couldn't be false.
"Yes, she is from another place. She just came to Stio yesterday and is with my hunting team." Seeing that his father seemed to be showing signs of compromise, Lanchester spoke less harshly.
"I see..." Augustus sat down slowly, crossed his legs, and stroked his stubble with his hand.
After a few seconds, he put down his hand and said with a smile:
"Well, you can try to catch up. If it's really difficult...your father will give you a little help."
"Really?!" Lanchester was overjoyed.
"Of course, you are my son." Augustus opened the drawer again, rummaged around for a while, and took out a metal card:
"Go to the Mana Tide Club in the North District, show this business card to the front desk, and ask for 'Mr. Shattuck'. I think he will be able to find a solution."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Lanchester grabbed the metal business card and was about to jump up with excitement, "Dad, I love you!"
