Reaching an Agreement and Choosing a Representative
"Well? I kept my word, didn't I?"
"I don't know why you wanted to learn this Breathing Technique. It's not hard to master, but improving it takes daily effort over a long time."
"And the results are mediocre. It's nowhere near as practical as training other skills."
Quint continued probing from the sidelines. He didn't really mean to disparage the Breathing Technique; what he wanted was to find out what was so special about it.
"I happen to like this Breathing Technique."
"The improvement isn't obvious at first, but the further you go, the less you have to worry about it."
"That kind of gradual progress is more reassuring. I think you could keep training it too."
"If you come across any similar Breathing Techniques in the future, get in touch with me. I'd be willing to pay for them."
Lister held nothing back and even encouraged Quint to keep improving his Breathing Technique.
Unfortunately, Quint was clearly unable to appreciate his good intentions.
He neither believed what Lister said nor wanted to spend time on such a second-rate technique.
As for Lister himself, learning passive skills was giving him something of a headache.
He now had a clear lead on the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty, but surely he couldn't wait until he got there and then seek out one faction after another to learn from scratch.
A Breathing Technique was relatively simple, and he could learn the basics in a few days. Other cultivation techniques might not be so quick to pick up.
At that moment, Lister sorely missed the skill books players obtained from killing monsters and completing quests.
For now, the timeline for the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty was still unclear. He hoped that by the time he reached it, the world of Divine Revelation would be on the verge of welcoming players.
By then, the system might unlock the auction house and the public game chat, both currently grayed out and locked, allowing him to realize his grand plans for passive skills.
"All right, I'll contact you if I find any."
"It's the fifth day now. Shouldn't you tell me about the mineral vein?"
"Are you going to keep it to yourself for as long as Lawson stays away?"
"Just how big are the reserves, to make you react like this?"
Quint had breathed a sigh of relief when Lister returned last time.
He had been in an even better mood after seeing the bodies of Kailina, Lius, and the others.
Only one question had continued to weigh on his mind: the vein's output.
Lister had refused to say, telling him only to wait a few days.
That had led Quint to suspect that the output must be astonishing. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to wait this long.
Now that it was the fifth day, he couldn't resist asking again.
"We've waited this many days already, so a little longer won't hurt. They should be here soon."
Sure enough, before long, a servant hurried over from the distant entrance.
"My lord baron, there's a visitor outside."
"Open the gate at once and bring him to us!"
At first, Quint was merely excited as he watched Lawson enter through the distant gate in silence.
But when he saw that two people had arrived and that Lawson was following behind the other person, he was at a loss.
After taking a closer look at the man in front, he hurried forward to greet him.
"Quint, Lister, it's been a long time!"
"Uncle Liyade!" "Greetings, Count Connor!"
"What brings you here in person? Could this really be a medium-sized vein?"
Even now, a medium-sized vein was the most Quint dared to imagine.
Turquoise veins were of immense strategic importance. They were far more useful to professionals than other materials and were an important raw material that directly enhanced a professional's strength.
There was currently only one large turquoise mine, and it was under the direct control of the Lucian Royal Family.
He had never dared to imagine that the vein they had discovered might be large.
A quarter of an hour later, Quint's face was flushed, his ears were almost red enough to drip blood, and his eyes were wide.
In the castle's reception room, he couldn't help crying out.
"It really is a large vein!? How is that possible!?"
The three men before him, however, all remained calm, and their eyes even showed a hint of gravity.
Quint quickly suppressed his excitement and soon realized how troublesome the vein was.
For a turquoise vein of this enormous size, never mind their three families.
Even his father, Duke Will, wouldn't dare keep it for himself.
Not unless Will II was ready to overthrow the Kingdom of Lucian.
But clearly, Will II was already old and couldn't even keep the seven great professional families of the Duchy of Will under control, much less challenge the Kingdom of Lucian, which was currently at the height of its power.
"So... Count Connor, how do you intend to handle the vein?"
The three parties appeared to be equal partners, but they all knew the truth.
Count Connor was the only one who could actually make the decision.
"We have no choice. We can only hand it over to the Kingdom of Lucian."
"If we dare keep this vein for ourselves, we'll be making an enemy of the Kingdom of Lucian."
"On the other hand, if we take the initiative to hand it over now, we still have a chance to gain greater benefits from the Lucian Royal Family."
Lister immediately nodded in agreement. That was what he had in mind too; he had only been worried that Quint and Count Connor wouldn't see it.
Now he was completely reassured. They were all on the same page, and none of them was a fool.
Quint nodded along as well, though he looked hesitant and troubled.
"We certainly have to hand it over, but as for who should do it, I'm afraid I can't step forward."
As Will II's son, Quint couldn't contact his father and report it. That would be handing the benefits to his father and his older brothers and sisters on a platter.
But if he went to the Kingdom of Lucian himself, the consequences would be even worse. Will II didn't seem like someone who couldn't bear to sacrifice a child.
If he bypassed his father over benefits this great, things would change. For now, his father had merely stripped him of his claim to the ducal title, but once this came out, they would be outright enemies.
"Mm, our Conner Family can't take part in this either."
"Lister, you'll have to make the trip."
Seeing all three looking at him, Lister had never expected things to turn out this way.
"Me?"
"Uncle Liyade, doesn't the Conner Family want to build closer ties with the Lucian Royal Family?"
Lister had originally planned for the Conner Family to contact the Kingdom of Lucian.
Whatever benefits the royal family gave them, he would be satisfied as long as he got a share.
With this opportunity suddenly being handed to him, Lister wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
By rights, once the Conner Family established a connection with the Lucian Royal Family, wouldn't that put them in a better position and put Duke Will's mind at ease?
Why did Count Connor seem intent on keeping his distance from the Lucian Royal Family?
Even Quint and Lawson Will, who were standing nearby, didn't understand what was going on.
"Heh heh! Our Conner Family passes down its legacy through professionals. We've never thought of building closer ties with the royal family."
Count Connor smiled warmly, showing no sign of being in a hurry.
"Uncle Liyade, what exactly are you thinking?"
Lister was willing to make the trip. If he personally received the royal family's reward, he would get first pick.
His main quest, in particular, also required him to gain reputation in the Kingdom of Lucian.
He would naturally be more than happy to build a good relationship with the royal family.
But this felt like a windfall from the heavens, making it seem unreal.
When he couldn't understand something like this, there might be unknown dangers lurking behind it, so he didn't dare agree lightly.
Seeing this, Count Connor shook his head and looked at Lister with some surprise.
"The Merrick Saber Technique presses forward without hesitation. I didn't expect you to be so cautious, Lister. Your personality is completely different from your father's and grandfather's."