Choices, Secrets

The carriage window was quietly rolled open, and a handsome, aloof young wizard with white hair casually peered out through the window.

It was Ronan was on his way to the Cold Stone Manor to receive a "Talent Transplant".

"They insist on traveling in their own carriage, escorted by servants from the manor; visitors who come alone are not accepted."

"Even in such a state of decline, the family still clings to these outdated and corrupt customs."

Ronan shook his head and gently closed the car window.

Shortly after Barrysha helped him make contact with the Cold Stone Manor, he received a response from them.

However, the specific details regarding the "Talent Transplant" still need to be discussed with the rumored Madam Livy after he arrives at the manor.

Cold Stone Manor is located on a snow-capped mountain dozens of kilometers away from White Stone Fortress. If you fly there directly using a flying device, it will only take about ten minutes to get there. However, the other party insisted that Ronan ride in the manor's specially provided carriage, perhaps in order to preserve the last bit of dignity of the former wizarding family.

Ronan sat in the swaying carriage, casually flipping through the descriptions of the talent abilities of the various second-tier magical beasts that Cold Stone Manor could provide.

He already had a few preliminary choices in mind, and he was just waiting to get to the place, learn more about it, and then make a final decision.

The carriages provided by the Cold Stone Manor were not slow either. They were pulled by a type of warmblood horse unique to White Stone Highlands, which was very large and almost as tall as two people.

With its wide hooves, it is well-suited for running on snow. Its body is pure white, but its eyes and mane are light blue, making it an excellent horse for sale.

After taking about three times the flight time, Ronan finally arrived at his destination.

As Ronan stepped down from the carriage, carrying his long robe, he was surprised to find that he was standing on solid Frozen Earth, and there was no snow in the area.

A vast expanse of snow and mist shrouded the mountains, enveloping a white mountain village not far away in a circular pattern, with the outline of a huge castle.

Outside the manor are scattered large and small blue-gray stones frozen by frost, and flocks of Long-tailed Pine Dove with gray-blue plumage perch on the stones, which is probably the origin of the name Cold Stone Manor.

At the entrance of the manor, there was a small, bare, gray grove of trees covered with icicles. Ronan saw several carriages similar to the one he was riding in parked at the edge of the grove.

"Has anyone else come to visit Madam Livy?"

Ronan asked the coachman who was leading the way, and the latter nodded respectfully and replied, "Yes, sir. Three other sirs have arrived at the manor before you."

It seems that Cold Stone Manor has a good reputation, and the monster rumors circulating nearby have not taken the wizarding community too seriously. Ronan nodded and walked into the manor.

There were servants waiting at the entrance of the manor, specifically to await Ronan.

Ronan followed behind the manor's male servant, strolling towards a white-spired castle ahead.

The manor was desolate, and some withered and dead plants could be faintly seen on the frost-frozen ground.

Ronan casually used his mental power to pluck a plant and gently rubbed it in his hand.

It is an iris.

A rather cold-hardy species of iris.

Unfortunately, the climate and temperature in White Stone Highlands are too low. Without the maintenance of the Rune Array, even the cold-resistant iris varieties will die quickly in the ice and snow.

However, it's not very common for ice wizards to like irises... Ronan thought casually, unknowingly approaching the huge white castle.

The tall male servant who had led the way pushed open the castle gate and stopped, gesturing to invite Ronan in.

A light red carpet stretched from the castle entrance all the way to the entire hall. The castle was brightly lit, and the temperature was not much different from that outside.

At first glance, the interior decorations are in a very traditional wizarding and aristocratic style.

"Is that Lord Linas?!"

A woman's voice could be heard coming from inside the castle.

Ronan had noticed several people sitting in the castle hall earlier, and they all instinctively looked at him when he pushed the door open.

"Yes."

Ronan responded that before coming, he had used the Magical Item Fragment to replicate the aura of an ordinary late-stage level one wizard, in order to conceal the extraordinary and powerful mental fluctuations within himself.

"We've all been waiting for you... you've finally arrived!"

The woman who was speaking quickly approached Ronan, her voice filled with joy.

This is a woman wearing an exquisite blue dress, with blonde hair, green eyes, and faint crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, but she looks mature and charming.

The woman exuded the aura of a mid-level second-tier wizard, but she showed none of the reserve or arrogance of High-Level Wizard in front of Ronan. Instead, she was unusually friendly, as if she and Ronan were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.

"The service was pretty good."

Ronan silently made his assessment in his mind, then politely inquired, "Are you Madam Livy?"

"Yes, you guessed right."

A beautiful witch named Madam Livy came up, naturally took Ronan's arm, and affectionately led him toward the castle hall where a few people were gathering.

"Your physique is remarkably robust, unlike that of an ordinary wizard."

Madam Livy took Ronan's hand and gently pinched his arm twice, letting out a soft laugh. Her warm breath brushed against Ronan's earlobe, making Ronan feel uncomfortably uncomfortable.

However, Madam Livy appeared quite tactful. After leading Ronan closer, she gently released his hand and then briefly introduced him to the people present, "Mr. Linas has come to the Cold Stone Manor for the same purpose as everyone else."

Some people on the field nodded slightly to Ronan, while others glanced at him indifferently and then turned their heads away.

This was not a gathering of wizards; these people were just "customers" who had come to visit. Madam Livy's initiative to introduce the visitors seemed rather strange.

Ronan casually found a chair and sat down.

There were four wizards on the field who had come to receive "Talent Transplant" like him: one was a level two wizard, and the other three were level one wizards in the late stage, just like him.

Madam Livy is the strongest among all the people on the field.

"Now that all the guests have arrived, I will take Mr. You Ji Ke inside first. The rest of you can rest for a while; the wait won't be too long."

Madam Livy smiled and addressed everyone, then clapped her hands, and servants from both sides of the castle came out to serve refreshments and tea to the wizards present.

The person named You Ji Ke, Madam Livy called out, was the second-level wizard among the guests.

He was a thin man with a cold and sharp gaze and sparse hair. He quickly stood up and followed Madam Livy toward the back of the castle hall.

Ronan sat in his seat, idly passing the time. The other wizards around him didn't seem to have any desire to interact with each other either; everyone sat quietly.

The refreshments and tea served by the castle servants were all cold, and Ronan had no interest in even taking a bite.

He began to observe the interior of the castle.

They were now in the very center of the castle hall, with a spiral staircase on each side leading to the second floor.

Ronan's gaze followed the stairs to the second floor, where he found the dimly lit corridor filled with portraits of various people.

They were all women.

She possessed an elegant and noble air, and her appearance bore a slight resemblance to Madam Livy.

Some of the women in the portraits are still moving, making gestures such as rubbing their cheeks, blinking, or even yawning.

In such a quiet environment, there was a rather eerie and unsettling feeling.

Ronan, however, was not surprised at all.

He had heard of this special portrait painting technique, which was a kind of alchemical method used by wizards. It could preserve some of the spirit of the person in life, making them look exceptionally lifelike.

Some more extreme cases even allow their entire soul to reside within the body after death, remaining there for up to a thousand years.

"In a family where only women are eligible to inherit, what is the role of men? Are they only there to reproduce?"

Ronan suddenly understood why Madam Livy's behavior seemed somewhat "licentious".

This may be how the Cold Stone Manor family continues its lineage: by acquiring the seeds of powerful wizards through various means, they can then cultivate their own descendants.

With the family's talent dwindling, there's no need to be reserved in some ways. Ronan sat there, making random guesses, which was a way to pass the time.

Inside the castle, the old clock ticked away, and after an unknown amount of time, two figures returned to the hall.

It was Madam Livy and the second-level wizard You Ji Ke who had left earlier.

You Ji Ke, who was only at the early stage of level two when he left, has now begun to emit mental energy fluctuations at the mid-stage of level two, but they are somewhat unstable, as if he has forcibly increased his level through some means.

But You Ji Ke still seemed quite pleased, his stern face unable to hide his excitement.

To Ronan's surprise, You Ji Ke, who had previously been quite aloof, seemed to have undergone a significant change in his attitude towards Madam Livy after his trip inside.

Subtly, they showed a kind of heartfelt respect for him, a respect that even bordered on flattery.

His appearance also underwent some subtle changes—his originally sparse hair became thick and coarse, his slender figure seemed to have become stronger, and he exuded a slight heat, which was a sign of surging blood and enhanced physique.

Ronan was a master of physical training and was extremely sensitive to these changes in the other person's body.

Will Talent Transplant affect physical constitution?

Ronan frowned slightly, a deep sense of doubt rising in his heart, but his face remained expressionless.

The return of the two caused the wizards waiting on the field to sit up straight.

"As agreed, Mr. You Ji Ke, you will need to stay at the estate for two months."

"Clear."

Having just completed the ceremony and receiving some improvements, You Ji Ke nodded respectfully to Madam Livy, and then, led by several castle servants, left the hall and went to another part of the castle.

"So... who's next?"

After seeing You Ji Ke off, Madam Livy, with her usual smile, looked at the few people remaining in the hall.

A female wizard with slightly dark skin stood up and followed Madam Livy away.

Over the next period of time, Madam Livy would return approximately every one or two hours.

Some of the wizards who left with her returned with her, while others did not.

Madam Livy explained that those people left immediately after undergoing the "Talent Transplant".

There's nothing suspicious about that, since the wizards present aren't friends with each other and there's absolutely no need for them to come back and look at them again.

Finally.

It was Ronan's turn.

In the softly lit corridor, Ronan followed behind the gracefully walking Madam Livy, his mind still preoccupied with the matter of You Ji Ke.

He always felt that there were some secrets hidden in the Cold Stone Manor.

This secret may be the reason why monsters appear near the Cold Stone Manor, people frequently go missing, and even formal wizards disappear.

But Ronan thought it was unlikely that there might be any danger.

Given that so many ice wizards come every year for "Talent Transplant," if Cold Stone Manor were a "devil's den" that occasionally "eats people without spitting out bones," it would have been exposed long ago and leveled by a united front.

Wizards who can afford "Talent Transplant" are generally from good backgrounds, and those who dare to take the initiative to seek help are not pushovers.

White Stone Fortress is a gathering place for grey-robed people, not some Black Wizard Land.

Ronan is more inclined to believe that the secret hidden within the Cold Stone Manor is something that those in the know tacitly agree on and abide by.

This kind of thing usually also means benefits that you don't want others to know about.

"Lord Linas appears to be of noble birth. Is he from some powerful Wizard Land?"

Madam Livy, who was leading the way, suddenly struck up a conversation with Ronan.

Ronan shook his head calmly, "Not particularly powerful... and I spend most of my time traveling alone."

Madam Livy stopped, turned around, smiled at him, and said nothing. She simply pushed open a door to the side and said to him, "We've arrived."

Inside the door was a small, softly lit room with little furniture, except for a set of rather exquisite gold table and chairs.

The two sat down at the table, Madam Livy pushed several Rune Stone toward Ronan. She wore several beautiful gemstone rings on her hands, which made her fingers look even more delicate and smooth.

Ronan picked up the Rune Stone on the table and scanned them one by one. The contents recorded inside were similar to what he had seen in the carriage on the way here, only more detailed.

"Let's go with the second-tier Cold Scale Python."

Ronan made a decision after thinking it over.

The Cold Scale Python is a first-tier magical beast that is very difficult to break through to the second tier.

However, once one advances to the second tier, it signifies a bloodline evolution, granting them greater abilities and potential than other magical beasts of the same level.

After "Talent Transplant", the affinity effect of ice-type energy will be stronger.

Meanwhile, the Cold Scale Python's innate ability is the instant-cast second-tier [Ice Rain Armor], a defensive second-tier spell that is considered an advanced spell of the first-tier [Ice Armor]. It can not only serve as Spell Anchor in the [Frozen Earth] domain, but it is also quite practical.

Ronan has no shortage of offensive means, but his defensive means are not particularly abundant, so Talent Transplant the Cold Scale Python talent is the best choice for him.

Madam Livy's eyes flickered, and she said softly, "I only have one copy of the Cold Scale Python bloodline, which I just used on a wizard before you... Linas Linus, you may consider another option."

What a coincidence!

Ronan remained expressionless, but a strange emotion was slowly welling up inside him.

But he didn't say anything, and directly took out his second alternative and made a new choice.

Logically, the next step should be negotiation and preparation.

Madam Livy gently pushed the Rune Stone on the table aside, her emerald-green eyes looking directly at Ronan, and said softly, "Actually, I have a few better options here. Would you like to hear them before making a decision?"

Ronan's eyes narrowed slightly, a faint glint in them. He wasn't surprised at all by Madam Livy's sudden new suggestion; instead, he felt a sense of relief—"It's finally here."

He nodded calmly and said to Madam Livy in front of him, "Why don't you tell me?"