A Lackluster Reward
When Hughes originally sent Lister on this mission, he already had a plan in mind.
They neither believed that such a country existed, nor did they believe that Lister's claim that the other side was stronger than themselves.
However, if we could actually find the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty, we could leverage their strength.
After helping his Kingdom of Lucian become a new empire, he could then turn around and annex the Great Chu.
His idea was wonderful, but the final result was beyond his expectations.
Having confirmed that the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty was stronger than his own Lucian, all his original plans were now overturned.
Hughes could fully foresee the future actions of the Great Chu; war was inevitable.
The only saving grace is that the two countries are far apart, so even if they were to go to war, it wouldn't be now.
However, this day was bound to come sooner or later, like a sword hanging over their heads.
This is also why Hughes said time was running out.
The Kingdom of Lucian needs to annex neighboring countries as soon as possible to gain the strength to rival the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty.
Is the country currently at war?
"Not yet. I was originally looking for an excuse to attack the Duchy of Hyde."
"It seems we can't be so conservative now; we have to declare war on the Kingdom of Tyrande directly."
Upon hearing this, Lister immediately understood Hughes's meaning.
Declaring war directly on the Kingdom of Tyrande would be a rather radical move.
Once the Kingdom of Lucian gains the upper hand, the seven independent duchies will inevitably side with the Kingdom of Tyrande.
This means that the Kingdom of Lucian is ready to fight eight opponents at once.
Either go all out and establish the Lucian Empire in the shortest time possible with unparalleled strength.
They will either reach a stalemate, in which case if the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty sends troops, the Kingdom of Lucian will be in grave danger.
Lister silently observed Hughes across from him, showing no fear whatsoever, and even a hint of excitement.
It seemed that he actually wanted to do things this way, but originally, to be on the safe side, he decided to fight the Duchy of Hyde first.
Now that Lister has returned from his mission, it has finally helped him make up his mind to go all out!
"Regardless, you did an excellent job on this mission, and I will not go back on my word regarding the reward."
"But... what are you planning to do next?"
"Have any plans to participate in the upcoming war? I can expand the Sixth Guard and make you a general in the Sixth Army."
Hughes could also faintly sense the powerful aura emanating from Lister; he was completely different from the last time they met. He tentatively extended an invitation.
"If you can achieve great merit on the battlefield, I guarantee you will become a grand duke in the future!"
"No! I've been on this mission for over a year, and I plan to take a break for a while. After that, I'll return to the Duchy of Will, and I might even go sightseeing then."
Having already reached level 60, he had absolutely no interest in the war in the Kingdom of Lucian.
Whether the so-called Grand Duke title is just empty talk or not, even if Lister were to become a duke, it wouldn't mean much to him.
His most pressing task right now is to obtain the specially made turquoise essence to quickly replenish his attributes, and then hurry up and complete the job change quest.
Even after changing jobs, his focus will remain on alchemical ruins and the future Galactic Era.
His remarks immediately chilled Hughes's expression.
"The Seven Great Families of your Duchy of Will are truly all alike!"
In some ways, Hughes's attitude was similar to that of Yongping Emperor; if things didn't go his way, his attitude would change drastically.
"Alright! After accepting the reward, let's rest for a while."
"However, I have a task for you after you return to the Duchy of Will."
When he spoke again, his tone was no longer questioning; instead, he issued a direct order.
Lister didn't care. He didn't care whether the order was completed or not; that was entirely up to his own mood.
Lister breathed a sigh of relief and was in a very good mood after leaving the palace.
In any case, the sooner Lucian's foreign wars begin, the better.
Once war breaks out, it signifies the start of the second act.
I reckon it was because I found turquoise veins for the Kingdom of Lucian early on, which quickly replenished the country's resources, giving them enough confidence to fight.
Furthermore, Hughes has just taken office and is in high spirits, which is indeed a good thing for Lister.
According to previous accounts, the Kingdom of Lucian was expected to hold a war for nearly 20 years.
Starting the second act early allows players to enter sooner, and he can continue to cultivate new players – a win-win situation.
After the meeting, Lister stayed in the capital for a few more days.
While inquiring everywhere about where to buy Lucian's Special Turquoise Stock Solution (Grade B), they waited for the so-called reward.
It wasn't until the fourth day that Lister received his new honors in the formal council hall.
He was originally granted the title of "life count" and has since been granted the title of "hereditary count".
This honor is considered extremely prestigious by outsiders. Lucian has many lifelong nobles, but once he reaches the rank of Earl, it becomes a watershed moment, a threshold for becoming a great noble.
The most common titles and honors bestowed upon individuals were "Life Baron" and "Life Viscount".
Hereditary titles, even "hereditary baronies," are extremely valuable!
The last time the Kingdom of Lucian bestowed a "hereditary baron" title was thirty years ago.
The last time a "hereditary earl" title was conferred was more than 110 years ago.
Unfortunately, the great honor bestowed upon him by outsiders meant nothing to Lister.
Even the rewards for other items are the same, though they are quite valuable, at least a million gold coins.
But it seems to be deliberately targeting him; for him, it's all useless.
A large copper mine, three hundred bottles of Lucian's Turquoise Solution (Grade C), and one thousand bottles of the Church's High-Grade Heal Water (Grade D).
Lucian's Turquoise Solution was useless to Lister, as it could not be drunk repeatedly. Like the Heal water, it was a great resource for cultivating family power.
However, Lister's Merick Family actually only had him as a Class Holder, so anything other than B-grade turquoise essence was useless to him.
Inside a detached villa in the royal city, Lister was listening to Tim's report.
As the successor to Steward Anke, he rushed here after the news of his return to the Kingdom of Lucian spread.
He also brought several attendants with him to run errands for Lister in the royal city.
"My lord, even the Royal First Chamber of Commerce doesn't sell turquoise concentrate."
Tim stood in front of Lister with his head down, feeling both excited and nervous.
The excitement stemmed from the safe return of the family patriarch, who had been a life-long earl, and his title had suddenly become a hereditary earl.
This made the Merick Family instantly popular in the Royal City of Bode, and his status as a servant of the Merick Family and a potential future steward also rose significantly.
In particular, becoming the steward of a hereditary nobleman in the Kingdom of Lucian would, according to custom, grant him a title of nobility upon retirement, and he would be respectfully addressed as a knight by others.
Whenever he thought of these things, Tim couldn't help but feel excited, and he became even more attentive to the tasks assigned to him by Lister.
Unfortunately, Lucian's Special Turquoise Stock Solution was indeed unavailable for purchase; he had spent the last two days visiting every merchant guild in the city.
Even the few merchant guilds with royal connections were unable to purchase this item.
Seeing Lister's brows furrow, Tim quickly spoke up to explain.
"My lord, I've inquired. The specially made turquoise solution has never been sold to the public; it was previously only available as a royal gift."
"Recently, another channel has emerged: it can also be obtained through military merit, but the required merit is very high."
As expected, special strategic-grade drugs like these cannot be bought simply with money.
Thinking about this, Lister felt resentful about Hughes's reward.
Given his family's current situation, he should be fully aware of the "Seven Great Families" that Hughes keeps mentioning.
As a result, they sent him these items, which were of considerable value but completely useless to him.
He would accept even a bottle or two of specially made turquoise concentrate.
Lister secretly guessed that it was probably because he disagreed with fighting for the other party that the so-called rewards were deliberately targeted, not delivered to his liking.
Having made up his mind, he decided that since that was the case, he might as well take the initiative!
Remembering what Wang Yue had told him, that he owed him something, he immediately started to explain to Tim.