Choice

"If you are willing to become nobles, then I'll take you both over there and let you enjoy the life of noble lords."

"If you're unwilling, then I'll go and decline His Majesty Ceres's offer."

"Wait, wait, wait..."

Locke's father rubbed his forehead. He felt that he needed to sort out everything Locke had just said.

His son, Locke, was a Saint-level mage.

Locke had already admitted this while the villagers were still present.

Saint-level Experts were practically legends, even within the Frost Snow Empire.

The might of Saint-level Experts had been built upon one crushing war after another.

Even Ninth-level Warriors were no different from ants before Saint-level Experts.

Of course, limited by their own knowledge, the villagers only knew that Saint-level Experts were incredibly powerful and could kill tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in an instant.

If word got out that their village had produced a Saint-level Expert, the people of the surrounding villages would surely be consumed by envy and jealousy.

But beyond that, the villagers could not comprehend much more.

After all, to the villagers of Pu'er Village, who was a Saint-level Expert did not have much impact on their lives.

What they cared more about was who could lead them to a better life.

In that regard, the villagers all felt that Locke's younger brother, Cole, the current president of the Luqi Merchant Guild, had done better.

Every year, Cole brought people from the Luqi Merchant Guild to Pu'er Village to purchase the village's medicinal herbs, offering the highest prices in all of Enbo Territory.

What these villagers did not know, however, was that Locke had also made an indelible contribution to the Luqi Merchant Guild's development to its current scale.

During the early stages of the Luqi Merchant Guild's development, President Luqi had used Locke's name to intimidate bandits along the trade routes.

Whenever the Luqi Merchant Guild's goods were robbed, or high-level magical beasts blocked the trade roads, Locke personally stepped in to resolve the matter.

However, after Locke's younger brother Cole broke through to become a Rank 7 Warrior in recent years, the Luqi Merchant Guild had completely established itself.

At the very least, Locke had not received any requests for aid from the Luqi Merchant Guild in the past ten years.

Manla paced back and forth through the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

If he had been able to beat Locke, Manla would have wanted to smack him on the head and see whether something had gone wrong with his brain.

That was a noble title...

And it was a Grand Duke title, the highest rank in the Frost Snow Empire aside from His Majesty the Emperor.

If news of this got out, not only Locke, but even he himself would probably be cursed as an idiot by countless people!

Tell him, who in this world besides an idiot would give up such a title?

But when he thought of his son's personality...

"Ah..."

Manla finally let out a sigh.

Though he liked his current life and enjoyed chatting with his old friends in the village.

Because both his sons had become the village's most accomplished people, everyone treated Manla with great respect, and Manla greatly enjoyed everything as it was now.

But if he could become a noble, then it was not as though he could not give all this up.

"Son, there's no need to think any further. Your mother and I will go with you right now."

"Quick, quick, quick! Old woman, hurry and see if there's anything in our home that needs packing. We're going over there with Locke right now."

"I'm afraid that if we wait too long, this brat will lose his mind and give the noble title to someone else."

"Ah, ah, ah, I'll pack right away."

For all these years, Locke's mother had been accustomed to letting Manla arrange everything.

As long as it was a decision her husband made, she would never object.

"Alright, alright, Father. I understand what you mean."

Seeing his parents begin to pack in a flurry, Locke said with a wry smile, "Don't worry. Since you both want to experience the life of noble lords, I naturally won't give this title away."

"However, Father, Mother..."

"The war over there has only just ended. Many places have been destroyed and have not yet been rebuilt."

"How about this? I'll first go to the Imperial Capital and meet His Majesty Ceres to settle this title."

"Then I'll have the soldiers under my command begin building the territory's city and the lord's manor."

"Father and Mother, stay here for a while first. I'll send Cole a message and have him come here to pick you both up when the time comes."

Looking at Locke, Manla nodded in satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder.

How far Locke had grown had already completely surpassed Manla's imagination.

Yet Locke had never changed. He was still a good son who was filial to his parents and a good elder brother who cared for his younger brother.

"Alright, go take care of your business first. We'll go with Cole."

"Mm."

"Whoosh..."

"Lord Locke."

Locke had just descended from the sky when the guards outside the tent immediately stepped forward to salute him.

"You've worked hard."

After nodding to the guard, Locke walked toward his tent and asked, "By the way, that guy hasn't died over the past half month, has he?"

"No. Following your orders, Lord Locke, we only gave him some thin porridge every day."

"A few days ago, the prisoner broke free of the ropes. Following the instructions you left behind, I cut off one of his hands. He's been much more cooperative since then and hasn't caused any further trouble."

"Oh?"

Locke raised an eyebrow.

As expected of a Saint Domain warrior.

With most of his bones shattered, and only a single Water Therapy spell keeping him alive, he had actually recovered enough in around ten days to break free of the ropes.

If Locke had not made arrangements in advance, the man might have already escaped in secret.

"Good work."

Locke gave the guard an approving nod.

"Also, send word to the five captains later. Tell them I'm back and have them come see me."

"Yes, Lord Locke."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the guard. Then Locke pulled open the flap of his tent and entered.

Compared to half a month ago, there was now an X-shaped wooden restraint driven into the ground inside Locke's tent.

A blood-covered man was tied to it with ropes.

The ropes binding the man had nearly sunk completely into his flesh. It was as though there were no bones in his body, his skin and flesh hanging loose and slack.

Moreover, the man's right hand had been severed at the elbow, with dried blood still crusted over the wound.

Locke did not feel the slightest bit that the treatment this man had received was undeserved.

Only one chapter today. Updates will return to two chapters tomorrow.