Magic Pearls

Early in the morning, sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains, casting bright stripes across the bed.

Russell stretched and woke from his slumber. He opened his eyes to find no fatigue or stinging, only a sense of refreshment and boundless vitality.

Perhaps it was the vigor of his youth, the quality of his deep sleep, or perhaps his Battle Aura was constantly refining his physique. In any case, he was quite satisfied with his current body.

It was brimming with health!

He reached out and pulled the rope bell at the head of the bed. The other end led to the servants' quarters, causing a bell labeled "Master's Bedroom" to chime.

A servant could not be by their master's side at every moment.

Therefore.

The rope bell was an essential device.

Ah, that was a good sleep. Even though I spend a long time tossing and turning in the Dark Dreamscape every night, it hasn't affected my rest at all. If anything, I'm sleeping more comfortably than ever. Russell felt a surge of joy, but the next moment, his eyes widened. "The river mussel!"

Last night in the Dark Dreamscape, he had discovered a river mussel that appeared to be gestating a Magic Pearl, but he hadn't been able to leave the dreamscape.

Even when the Little Dream Dragon grew tired and the Dark Dreamscape dissipated, he would simply fall into a deep sleep and be unable to wake up.

Thank goodness, I didn't forget about my mussel... I wonder if it ran off overnight.

Clang, clang, clang.

A knock sounded at the door, accompanied by the Head Maid's voice: "Good morning, Master."

"Good morning, come in." Russell had already climbed out of bed.

The door was pushed open, and the Head Maid, Leona, entered with three maids—Irene, Phoebe, and Olivia—each performing their duties just as the maids at Fluorite Castle did.

Some made the bed, others tidied the table, and the rest prepared his washing supplies.

However, it was evident that these three young maids were slightly less skilled than those at Fluorite Castle.

The quality of the maids themselves was also somewhat lower; Irene was covered in freckles, Phoebe had buck teeth, and Olivia appeared short and stocky. Only the Head Maid, Leona, was tall and beautiful. Russell still remembered that when she bent over, her backside was perfectly round.

Once Russell finished washing, Leona and the maids left one by one.

The male servant, Ram, knocked and entered: "Master."

"Hmm." Russell did not refuse the male servant's help with dressing. These aristocratic habits were already etched into the bones of this body.

"Master, do you need to practice your Battle Aura this morning? If so, you can wear this training outfit." Ram was serving Russell for the first time and, unfamiliar with his master's preferences, asked with some trepidation.

Russell commanded indifferently: "The training outfit."

He did not show his approachable side. Familiarity breeds contempt, and distance breeds disrespect; mastering the balance between the two was an art.

After dressing, he went downstairs for breakfast.

"My Lord!" The knight instructor, Eric, and the four Knight Retainers were already eating.

Russell sat at the table: "Good morning."

"Master, your breakfast." Butler Morris personally brought the meal over. Compared to the buffet breakfasts at Fluorite Castle, the food here was a bit meager, consisting only of fish-egg risotto, bread, milk, and a small dish of jam.

Halfway through the meal, Charles finally came downstairs, yawning: "Good morning, Russell. It seems self-discipline has become your instinct."

Russell replied casually: "Good morning."

Breakfast finished.

Butler Morris walked over to report: "Master, Foreman Old Hans is here with the five Tunic Chiefs to receive your instructions."

"I was just looking for him," Russell thought, then said, "Send them in."

Stepping out of the manor, the sun was bright, chasing away the chill left over from the night.

Old Hans and the five Tunic Chiefs greeted Russell immediately, then followed him step by step toward the Glimmering River at the bottom of the slope.

"Old Hans, are there any river mussels or shells in the Glimmering River?"

"Yes, Master. The Glimmering River has not only river mussels but also large snails. Sometimes the Baron Master sends people to collect a batch of river delicacies, and the serfs can take the opportunity to catch a few mussels and snails to enjoy the taste."

Everything in the territory belonged to the lord, so even the fish and shrimp in the river were his private property.

Unless the lord permitted it, serfs could not fish in the river on their own.

"I see... Old Hans, I'd like to eat some river delicacies today. Could you help me catch some mussels and snails?" Russell ordered with a smile.

If he were to catch the mussels himself, it would not only be unbecoming of an aristocrat, but the act itself would be quite abrupt.

Old Hans rolled up his pant legs without hesitation: "It is Old Hans's honor to serve you, Master."

The five Tunic Chiefs naturally didn't want to fall behind and followed suit, rolling up their pant legs and stepping barefoot into the icy water of the Glimmering River behind Old Hans.

The ice age had receded late, so the water level of the Glimmering River was still quite shallow, barely covering their ankles.

Before long, the men had brought up a large pile of mussels and snails—their technique was skillful, making it obvious that they had certainly snuck off to catch river delicacies many times before.

"Wow, what's going on here?" Charles had finished his breakfast and walked over curiously. "Are you dredging for mussels?"

Russell laughed: "I wanted some river delicacies for dinner."

"Heh, river delicacies! I'm in for a treat. The river delicacies from the Glimmering River are a local specialty." Charles loved both wine and food. "Usually, they're only supplied to Fluorite Castle; it's a rare sight."

Up on the slope, Eric and the four Knight Retainers were diligently practicing their Battle Aura and did not come over to join the excitement.

Suddenly.

Old Hans held up a black river mussel the size of a basketball and shouted excitedly: "Master, praise the dragons! Heavens, look at this mussel. I've never caught one this big before."

With that, Old Hans trotted over, cradling the mussel like a treasure.

Russell's eyes lit up. He strongly suspected that the light of magic he had seen last night had emanated from this very mussel, and that it must contain a Magic Pearl.

Before he could even give a hint, Charles shouted: "Russell, quick, open it! A mussel this big might have already gestated a Magic Pearl! Legend says some large shells can gestate Magic Pearls just like a Gem Dragon!"

Gem Dragons could nourish gemstone veins and were miraculous creations of the earth.

Magic Pearls were clearly not comparable to gemstones, but they were still rare magical artifacts with miraculous effects.

"Can you pry it open, Old Hans?"

"I don't have a knife, Master."

At that moment, a steel longsword was handed over. Eric had approached at some point and offered his own blade.

But even after prying for a long while, Old Hans couldn't force the large mussel open.

"Let me!" Eric, unable to watch any longer, crouched down. He channeled his Battle Aura into the steel sword and thrust it hard into the gap of the shell. The tightly closed shell could no longer withstand the pressure and was pierced by the tip of the blade.

Crack.

With a forceful push from Eric, the large mussel cracked open.

He discarded the steel sword and used his hands to pry the gap wider, forcefully pulling the two halves apart to reveal the golden-sheened mussel meat inside.

Scraping away the meat revealed a mantle, and beneath it were five irregular, rounded protrusions—the largest the size of a chicken egg, the smallest the size of a marble.

"Wow, pearls! There really are pearls!" Charles said excitedly. "This time, we really must praise the dragons. Russell, there really is a Magic Pearl inside!"

In this world, there were no ordinary pearls; any pearl was inherently magical.

Just as the gemstone mines nourished by dragons all possessed miraculous magic, once the magic was exhausted, the gemstones would shatter.

The same was true for pearls.

"Well done!" Russell clapped his hands lightly. Although he had guessed it last night, he was still thrilled to have actually caught the pearls.

After all, this was the first benefit he had obtained by relying on his own cheat.

He immediately ordered: "Butler Morris, have the kitchen prepare a batch of milk tea to warm Old Hans and the others up."