4: Count Iris

Inside the hall, the light was dim and the atmosphere was solemn.

Clad in a luxurious gold-trimmed robe, the burly Earl Lante Ailisi sat regally upon the high seat. As a powerful noble governing three prosperous counties and a High Earth Rank Knight, his mere presence radiated a suffocating pressure. With an indifferent expression, he slowly sipped expensive wine as red as blood from a crystal glass. For his biological son who had just entered the hall—bruised and battered, with blood at the corner of his mouth and clearly suffering from severe injuries—he didn't even lift an eyelid, as if the boy were merely an inconsequential shadow.

The wound on Linn's cheek, carved by Karl's ring, burned with a stinging pain, and his mouth was filled with a nauseating metallic taste of blood. He slightly tilted his head up, forcing himself to look directly at the figure on the high seat, and spoke in a tone that suppressed all emotion, calm to the point of deathly stillness:

"Linn greets the Lord Earl."

Regarding this cold, "bargain" father, Linn would never call him "father" again.

Only then did Earl Ailisi slowly lift his eyelids. His deep, sharp eyes swept over Linn's wretched appearance like a hawk's, devoid of any fatherly concern or emotion. Instead, a flash of undisguised disgust crossed them, as if he were looking at an eyesore of a defective product. He didn't care about Linn's form of address either! In fact, he felt that being called "father" was a disgrace to himself.

"Linn," the Earl's voice was cold, carrying a metallic resonance that echoed through the hall, "The family spent immense resources to send you to the Holy Brilliance Academy for further studies, yet you only brought back a Third-class Graduation Certificate. You have truly disgraced the Iris Family."

How damn shameless! Immense resources? A surge of rage suddenly flared in Linn's heart, nearly breaking through his forced composure. *Do you really take me for a fool to be toyed with? As a noble of the kingdom, the academy's basic spots were free to begin with; what talk of 'spending'? Over these past three years, the family almost forgot my existence. All tuition and living expenses were barely covered by my desperate part-time jobs and the help of my friend Payson!* His heart was in a state of upheaval, but Linn's face remained impassive. He knew that any rebuttal at this moment would only invite a more cruel blow.

Linn bowed slightly and responded in the same flat, emotionless tone, "Linn is of dull aptitude and has failed the Lord Earl's... cultivation."

Earl Ailisi waved his hand dismissively, clearly not caring whether Linn's answer was sincere or false. In his eyes, this son was no different from the slave cannon fodder about to be sent to the battlefield; his only use was to squeeze out the last bit of residual value for the family. Perhaps Linn had been kept around just for such a situation, to be used in a time of need.

"Linn, you are already eighteen years old and have just graduated from the kingdom's top academy. It is time to make some contributions to the family." The Earl's tone was devoid of fluctuation, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness. "I presume Allen has already mentioned to you that the kingdom is preparing to vigorously develop the Storm Sea Region. I am leaving this precious opportunity to you. What do you think?"

Truly a noble who plays with power and sucks blood; he can talk about death as if it were life. Linn sneered inwardly. The Storm Sea Region was a perilous place that even the Royal Navy found headache-inducing—infested with pirates and sirens, with a harsh environment. This was no opportunity; it was clearly a death warrant!

But he knew deep down that resistance was meaningless at this moment. He bowed again, lowering his posture even further, his tone even carrying a hint of deliberate respect: "It is Linn's honor to serve the family and the kingdom. However, the journey to the Storm Sea Region is long, with pirates everywhere and dangers lurking at every turn. To ensure the mission can be successfully completed and to live up to the trust of the Lord Earl and the kingdom, I ask the Lord Earl to provide some assistance. Surely, the entire kingdom will sing praises of the Lord Earl's benevolence and foresight."

At this moment, Linn understood that no matter how much resentment and anger he felt, he had to suppress it. Whether it was flattery or showing weakness, he had to fight for as many resources as possible. Otherwise, with his current state of having nothing and being heavily injured, he might not even reach his destination before quietly dying on the road.

Earl Ailisi seemed somewhat satisfied with his tactfulness. His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his chair as he said indifferently, "Naturally. The family will provide you with twenty Apprentice Knights, led by an experienced Bronze High Rank knight captain, along with two Bronze Middle Rank Knight squad leaders. Additionally, there will be three hundred gold coins as startup capital, and a precious level three potion to help you break through to the Silver Rank, which can be considered an investment in you. Use them as you see fit during your pioneering."

???

Just this?

Linn's heart instantly sank to the bottom. He couldn't even bring himself to give me a single Silver Rank warrior. Combined with a potion of unknown utility and three hundred gold coins, this little bit of power to pioneer the Storm Sea Region that even regular armies found troublesome? With this lineup, encountering any random Silver Rank pirate group would likely mean their total annihilation! This Earl father truly couldn't even be bothered to do the bare minimum of keeping up appearances, showing no regard for the kingdom's orders. An old Earl family giving him only this much manpower. If reporting him were effective, Linn would really want to go to the royal capital and file a formal complaint immediately!

However, even though ten thousand "grass mud horses" were galloping through his heart, he didn't dare show the slightest bit of it on his face. He took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions, and bowed again: "Thank you for your generous support, Lord Earl. Could the Lord Earl also grant Morton to me?"

"Certainly. You are dismissed!" Earl Ailisi acted as if he had completed a trivial task and hurriedly drove him away. "Go to the butler immediately to collect your men and supplies. Depart tomorrow morning; you must reach Tianhai City by July 15th! To secure this spot for you, the family has delayed until the final deadline. Once there, there will be a harbor for setting sail, and the kingdom will also provide some basic supplies and ships according to regulations. Do not waste time!"

That impatient tone was as if seeing Linn for even one more second would soil his eyes. As for words about successful pioneering providing tax feedback to the family, Earl Ailisi didn't even bother to say them; he didn't believe Linn could actually gain a foothold in the Storm Sea Region.

"Yes, Lord Earl." Linn lowered his eyelids, hiding all the churning emotions in his eyes. He bowed once more and turned around, walking step by step, difficult yet firm, out of this cold, oppressive hall that was devoid of any familial affection.

The heavy doors behind him slowly closed, isolating him from that suffocating power and indifference.

Walking to a corner where no one was watching, Linn finally couldn't hold it back anymore. He coughed violently, which aggravated his abdominal injury and brought a wave of intense pain. He leaned against the cold wall, gasping for breath.

Looking at the light money bag the butler had just shoved into his hand—feeling almost like a mockery—and the glass bottle labeled "Essence of Law Radiance Potion" which actually had weak energy fluctuations, Linn, though only a Level One Apothecary, knew from his professional knowledge that this was just an inferior-grade level three potion.

Yet, amidst the intense pain and wretchedness, his gaze gradually became as sharp as a blade, burning with an unyielding flame.

The Storm Sea Region... a dead end?

No, for him who had nothing, that place was far away from this nauseating castle and these so-called "relatives." Perhaps it was the beginning of a dragon returning to the sea and an eagle striking the sky!

He tightly gripped that inferior potion, his knuckles turning white from the force.

All the humiliation I just suffered, along with the original owner's hatred—I have noted it all. One day, I will return with power and glory, and make all those who looked down on me, trampled on me, and wished for my death pay the price they deserve!

Returning to his residence, Linn visited the injured Old Mo. Fortunately, they were all external wounds that hadn't harmed his internal organs. He told him the news of taking him along, which made Old Mo overjoyed. If Linn's status was similar to a servant's, then Morton had been treated even worse than a servant over the years.

After seeing Morton, Linn, his body aching all over, threw himself onto the bed. Looking at the "resources" in his hand, he gave a self-deprecating smile. With just these things given today, he wondered how long he could last as a pioneer in the Storm Sea Region.

The purchasing power of gold coins commonly used on the continent was actually quite good. The conversion was one gold coin to one hundred Silver Coins or one thousand Copper Coins. Three hundred gold coins was a fortune that commoners could never earn in a lifetime, but for an Earl-level noble, it was just a drop in the bucket. If it weren't for the fear that Linn would die immediately and the kingdom would continue to call on the Iris Family to provide someone for pioneering, they probably wouldn't even have been willing to give these three hundred gold coins.

Then Linn took out the potion. The transparent glass bottle contained a pale green liquid. Opening the bottle and feeling the energy fluctuations inside, Linn didn't hesitate and drank it in one gulp. He believed that at this critical juncture, they wouldn't take his life.

The potion entered his mouth and immediately transformed into magic element energy, rushing into his limbs and bones. Linn immediately sat cross-legged in meditation and entered a cultivation state, afraid of wasting even a bit. Increasing his strength even slightly before reaching the Storm Sea Region would mean one more means of survival.