Family

The Noah Continent stretched over ten thousand li, with humans and Beastmen dividing it between east and west.

On the western side of the continent, from north to south, stood three human kingdoms: the Radiance Kingdom, the Misoko Kingdom, and the Oga Kingdom. To the east of the three kingdoms lay Beastmen territory.

Although disputes occasionally arose between the three kingdoms, peace and cooperation remained the norm overall, because they had to face the threat of the Beastmen together.

West of the Noah Continent lay another continent, the Sacred Tree Continent, dozens of times larger than the Noah Continent.

According to the memories of his predecessor, the Sacred Tree Continent was where powerful experts gathered.

Andres still could not determine whether the place he was in was the Yulan Continent Material Plane from the original Coiling Dragon novel.

The Coiling Dragon World consisted of the Four Supreme Planes and countless Material Planes. After the Sovereigns of each element were born, the Seven God Planes would also appear.

The original story began on the Yulan Continent Plane, one of the countless Material Planes.

However, the original novel's timeline began more than a thousand calendric eras after the birth of heaven and earth, while Andres was currently only at the beginning of the first calendric era.

The world had changed beyond recognition over time, and the original novel had never explained what the Yulan Continent Plane had been like during the first calendric era.

His predecessor had only been a Level Seven Warrior and did not know much about this plane either.

For now, Andres could only wait until his strength improved before exploring this plane.

More than half a month later, Andres and the others finally returned to the Royal Capital, Oga City.

The army had returned victorious, and Bonus, the king of the Oga Kingdom, led numerous nobles to welcome them outside the city gates.

As the commander-in-chief of this campaign, Inori received the most praise and became the focus of everyone's attention.

Andres stood silently in the back.

Once the welcoming ceremony ended, Andres entered Oga City with the others.

Bonus held a victory banquet at the Royal Palace. Since there were too many soldiers, only Inori and the many noble officials went to the Royal Palace to attend, while Andres and the other soldiers were arranged to dine elsewhere.

Rather than eat with the other soldiers, Andres returned to his home in Oga City.

Andres's home was in the East District of Oga City. Most of the people living there came from relatively well-off families. Though they could not compare to nobles, they were far better off than ordinary commoners.

Andres stopped before a standalone two-story building.

The building occupied a fair amount of space and was entirely reddish-brown. A hammer was carved onto the front door, beneath which were the words, "Raul Mitchell Blacksmith Shop."

Raul Mitchell was Andres's father, a blacksmith.

Andres's parents ran a blacksmith shop and raised two sons.

Andres also had a younger brother named Alex Mitchell. He was nineteen this year, a fifth-year student at the Oga Kingdom's Warrior Academy, and a Level Five Warrior.

A few years ago, the Mitchell Family had not lived in the East District, but in the commoner district.

Only after Andres became a Level Seven Warrior and their financial circumstances greatly improved had he moved the family from the commoner district to their current home.

"I'm back."

Andres pushed open the front door. Raul and the others had long been waiting inside.

They had already received word that Andres would be returning today.

"Andres!"

His mother, Helen, came forward and gave Andres a hug. She anxiously examined him from head to toe, and the instant she saw the gash in the armor over his chest, her eyes reddened.

They had received word long ago that Andres had nearly died in the battle of Black Mountain City.

"Mother, I'm fine now." Seeing Helen's concern, Andres smiled and comforted her.

Helen was an ordinary-looking woman, somewhat plump. Years of toil had made her look slightly older than others her age.

"That's enough. It's a good thing our son is back, so why are you crying?" Raul said calmly from behind Helen.

Raul was around 1.8 meters tall, with rugged features and a sturdy build. He wore a simple undershirt that exposed the strong muscles of his arms.

Though he was not a powerful warrior, his years as a blacksmith had given him decent physical strength.

"You're one to talk. When you first heard the news, you were even more anxious than I was!" Helen turned and snapped at her husband.

The calm expression on Raul's face stiffened, and he stubbornly said, "Nonsense. When was I anxious?"

While the couple bickered, Alex stepped forward as well.

"Brother!"

The two brothers looked very alike. Both had ordinary yet resolute features, stood over 1.9 meters tall, and possessed firm, well-proportioned muscles from years of warrior training.

"Little brother, did you train diligently while I was gone? Don't slack off. Graduate from the Warrior Academy soon," Andres said.

According to the Oga Kingdom Warrior Academy's rules, one had to reach Level Six Warrior to graduate.

Alex was already nineteen and only a Level Five Warrior. He could not be called a genius, but if he worked hard, reaching Level Six Warrior within a few years would not be a problem.

"Don't worry, Brother. I won't slack off." Alex punched Andres in the chest and smiled.

"Alright, the food is ready. Let's eat first," Helen said.

The first floor of the house was the shop, filled with weapons and iron goods for sale. The second floor was where the family lived.

Behind the house was also a courtyard and a forge, where Raul worked.

Andres locked the front door, and the family went upstairs to gather around the dining table and eat together in warm harmony.

"Andres, you're not getting any younger. It's time to consider getting married."

At the dining table, Helen cut off a piece of freshly baked White Bread and placed it on Andres's plate, her expression serious.

"Uh..." Andres did not know how to answer for a moment. Personally, he had no plans to marry yet. Right now, he only wanted to increase his strength as quickly as possible.

At twenty-nine, he was already considered an older unmarried man in the Coiling Dragon World. Many people his age might already have more than one child.

When his predecessor became a Level Seven Warrior, many people had come to introduce girls to him, most of them daughters of relatively well-off small merchants.

A Level Seven Warrior had barely entered the ranks of the strong and held a certain status within the Oga Kingdom.

But at the time, his predecessor had admired Inori, so he had refused them all.

"Andres, your mother is right," Raul chimed in. "Not long after the battle report from Black Mountain City came back, several important people came to our house to discuss marriage arrangements."

"Among them are major merchants from the Royal Capital, as well as viscounts and counts. This is a rare opportunity. You must seize it this time," Raul said.

"Why are so many people coming to our door?" Andres asked, confused.

"I heard from those important people that it's because you rendered great service on the front lines this time. His Majesty the King intends to elevate your title from Kingdom Knight to Baron. Though it won't be hereditary and won't come with land, you'll be given an important military post. You'll have great prospects ahead of you," Raul said.

Upon hearing this, Andres understood.

The battle report from Black Mountain City had returned to Oga City long ago. Since they had won, the king would naturally reward them according to their merits.

The decree for the rewards should be issued within the next few days.

As for the contents of the rewards, the king had likely already decided them, and those nobles had probably learned the news.

A promotion in title represented a rise in status. Taking up a post in the military meant more opportunities to accumulate merit. In the future, he might be able to advance further, make his title hereditary, or even obtain a fief.

By then, he would be a noble in name and fact.

Those major merchants and nobles who had come to discuss marriage had clearly set their sights on Andres's potential.