The Boy with Affinity with All Things

After his thoughts turned, Thor looked again, but in the end, he suppressed the chill in his heart and turned his gaze back to Ryan.

"Have the slaves been delivered?"

There was a trace of anticipation in his voice.

Compared to an idiot, what he cared about more at the moment was that boy with "Affinity with All Things."

"They've already been delivered!"

"We also found the boy named Allen. Would you like to meet him, my lord?"

Ryan nodded and spoke respectfully.

"Bring him in."

Thor pondered briefly before nodding in agreement.

Soon, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy with a sallow face was brought in.

"Master!"

Allen looked uneasy. Upon seeing the young nobleman in the room, he quickly dropped to his knees.

"Get up."

Thor's gentle voice rang out as he looked at the boy.

"Allen, do you want to become a free man? Perhaps even a knight?"

Thor spoke softly as he looked at the boy.

His words immediately stunned the anxious Allen. Then his eyes widened, and he looked up at the noble lord before him.

"Y-you mean it?"

"Master, I... I can become a free man? Become a knight?"

Allen's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Of course."

"But you'll need to work for it."

Thor smiled and nodded.

"Master, what do I need to do?"

Allen was direct. Prostrate on the ground, he spoke in a trembling voice.

"Work for me. I have a group of Unicorn Horses that need raising. If you can raise them well, I can release you and even your parents from your contracts and make you free people. And if you do even better—say, by helping the Unicorn Horses advance—I can even teach you the Knight's Breathing Technique and have a Formal Knight train you."

Thor spoke seriously, his gaze fixed on the boy before him.

After acquiring the slaves, he had already learned everything about the boy.

This batch of slaves included not only Allen, but Allen's parents as well.

It was simply that no one had discovered Allen's talent for "Affinity with All Things."

"Master!"

Hearing Thor's words, Allen's body trembled as he stared at Thor in shock.

Thor's words were simple, yet Allen knew that his master before him had likely discovered his secret.

It was a secret that even his parents did not know.

He could help living creatures advance.

He found it hard to believe. He did not know how his master had learned of it.

Nor did he know what his master intended to do.

His heart grew even more uneasy.

"Don't worry. On this vast continent, there will always be those favored by the Goddess of Life. You are not unique. Just do your job properly, and I will fulfill the promises I've made to you."

Thor seemed to see through his unease. He chuckled, then spoke seriously once more.

"It is my honor to serve you!"

"My master!"

After hearing Thor's earnest words, Allen's uneasy heart finally calmed somewhat. He hurriedly prostrated himself again and spoke with unprecedented respect.

"Get up."

"Work hard. Follow me, and you will have a future like an eagle soaring through the sky."

Thor smiled and nodded.

"Yes, my master!"

Allen quickly got to his feet, his eyes filling with anticipation.

All his previous unease and nervousness vanished at that moment.

He had kept this secret buried in his heart all along, never daring to reveal even the slightest hint of it.

He had feared that something might go wrong and bring him a terrible disaster.

Now that he could finally reveal it, the pressure in his heart suddenly eased considerably.

For Thor, having Allen serve him wholeheartedly was also necessary.

After all, if Allen continued concealing this power, it would be extremely detrimental to the development of his territory. This was the best choice now.

He could even begin preparing to capture and raise Unicorn Horses as soon as he returned.

The Unicorn Leader had a chance of advancing into a third-rank magical beast. Though the odds were small, things would be different with Allen.

Once the Unicorn Leader advanced into a third-rank magical beast, it would become a powerhouse comparable to a human Earth Knight.

If he could form a contract with it then, not only would his territory receive a tremendous boost, but his own strength would also greatly improve. He would truly possess the power to establish himself throughout the Northern Province.

As for his promises, he was naturally not joking.

Within Eagle Ridge,

the Merit System was gradually being perfected.

As long as Allen earned enough merit, it would not be much of a problem.

After bringing Allen under his command,

Thor began making the final purchases for their departure.

There was still some time before the wheat ripened, so they naturally needed a large amount of food.

Other supplies also needed to be purchased, such as materials for Magic Crystal Cannons.

Loren City could basically provide all of them.

Purchasing these items took nearly two days.

It was not until the third day

that the group finally departed Loren City in grand procession.

After three days, Loren City's bustle had gradually faded.

Large numbers of Pioneer Knights, lords, and nobles gradually left Loren City as well.

The streets gradually became deserted.

Thor's group set off in grand procession.

Compared to their swift journey there, the return trip was undoubtedly much slower.

Around the ninth day,

they finally returned to Eagle Ridge.

More than ten days had passed, but Eagle Ridge had not changed much.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

After Thor settled the five hundred serfs,

he began handling the administrative affairs from the past ten-odd days and dispatching people to transport the Stone of Thunder to the iron mine.

What a joke. Now that he had acquired the primary material, it was naturally time to forge Magic Crystal Cannons.

Not too many, of course.

But Eagle Ridge and the iron mine both needed some.

That way, they would be prepared for any unforeseen events.

Whether they faced orcs, magical beasts, or other Pioneer Lords, it would give them a few more chances of victory.

After dealing with these matters,

Thor's gaze settled on the herd of Unicorn Horses.

The intelligence reports had appeared all along, but he had not gone to obtain them. The main reason was that he had no way to raise them.

Magical beasts were not livestock; raising them was extremely difficult.

Trying to raise them rashly without sufficient ability would inevitably lead to heavy losses.

But now that he had Allen, none of those problems were problems anymore.

As for Corin Emerson, there was no rush. He had plenty of time. Once he developed for a while longer and his strength improved again, there would be no need for that man to remain alive.

After all, the Northern Province was extremely chaotic, and orc incursions occurred frequently. No one would notice the loss of a single territory.

What belonged to him, Thor Dressrosa,

would not be so easily stolen.