Can't I Raise Myself? Chapter 48

Ryan thought, You're not just anyone, are you?

My brother and I are of one heart, and you're playing mind games with me? Come on, let's reveal the identity of the mole first.

"Actually, I've wanted to finalize the Director's position for a while. You exposing Adler's crimes made you the best candidate. I've been considering this, but Princess Caslathdi brought it up today... You know, even members of the royal family don't actually have the right to interfere in the governance of a territory."

"The reason I agreed wasn't because she's a princess, but because I see potential in you," Bill shook his head. "The Princess is too young. The Empire isn't as simple as she thinks, and Berman City isn't her private garden. Ryan, the Princess will leave soon. Ultimately, Berman City has to rely on us. Do you understand?"

Ryan feigned ignorance, "Mayor, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"I mean, the Princess can't promise you anything, and she's not worth risking your life for. If you want to climb the ladder, follow me. Being Director is just the beginning. I'll help you become a noble, and then you can do whatever you want in Berman City."

Bill wasn't aware of Ryan's connection to the Burning Covenant. Although Ryan was close to Jonathan, Ryan himself came from the East City branch.

His involvement in the arrest of Adler was more due to Caslathdi. Of course, Bill suspected Ryan was a Supernatural Being, so he was currently probing and trying to recruit Ryan.

Ryan felt like he didn't want to talk anymore.

If possible, he wanted to set up a mahjong table and invite Magana, Caslathdi, and Bill. Could you guys sort things out among yourselves before talking to me?

"Think about it carefully, no need to rush your answer." Seeing Ryan's silence, Bill smiled and patted his shoulder. "Perhaps you'll have a decision in a couple of days."

Bill left after saying that.

Does he seem confident he can win against Caslathdi?

Ryan cursed inwardly, These people really don't let me have a moment's peace.

"Sigh, my life has been like walking on thin ice... Can I reach the other shore?"

Washed clean failed, what about reaching the shore? Slacking off? Lying flat?

"Keep it up, Master Ryan."

The next morning, the notice of Ryan's appointment as Director was issued.

For the people at the Bureau of Governance, rather than having an outsider appointed as Director, promoting Ryan was more suitable.

The main reason was that Ryan had risen from a nobody to Director in just one month. In the eyes of ordinary people, it was impossible without connections. If their boss had strong connections, they, as subordinates, could also benefit.

Then, in the afternoon, the reinforcements sent by Magana also arrived in Berman City.

West District, a hidden stronghold.

As soon as Ryan walked into the house, he was startled by a crisp shout.

"Greetings, sir!"

Seven figures stood neatly in the room.

Five men and two women, each with a straight posture, exuding an invisible aura of killing intent.

Ryan was stunned, "What is this?"

"You've worked hard, sir!"

"?"

"Report!" The burly man standing on the far left of the seven shouted, "By order of Grand Duke Magana, we obey the commands of Lord Ryan!"

"..."

"Everyone, introduce yourselves!"

Starting with the burly man, each person introduced their basic information to Ryan.

The burly man, the team captain, named Gruk, a Third Tier Transcendent, profession Soul Eater.

Member Blood Robe, a Second Tier Transcendent, Shadow Hunter.

Member Adi, a Second Tier Transcendent, Melee Tactician.

Member Aug, a First Tier Transcendent, Dark Mage.

Member Mylen, a First Tier Transcendent, Melee Tactician.

Member Lanny, a First Tier Transcendent, Puppeteer.

Member An, a First Tier Transcendent, Gunslinger.

Ryan: "..."

Seven people, one Third Tier, two Second Tier, and four First Tier.

More importantly, these seven gave him the feeling of possessing extremely strong discipline, not comparable to ordinary organizations at all.

It even gave Ryan the illusion that these seven could take down the entire Burning Covenant in Berman City.

"Are you really sent by the Grand Duke?" Ryan was somewhat incredulous. Although Magana had said she would send reinforcements, the situation in Berman City had been shattered by Adler's death. Now that he was taking over, his future looked bleak.

Was it really appropriate to send such a luxurious lineup under these circumstances?

"Yes," Gruk replied. "The Grand Duke said that everything will be based on Lord Ryan's orders."

"Just the seven of you?"

"There are also over a hundred ordinary members. I've had them conceal themselves and await Lord Ryan's command at any time."

"I see..."

Ryan clicked his tongue. Damn it, he really owed them big time now.

"Mhm, have them hide well for now. Berman City's situation is unstable, no need to rush," Ryan said, holding up a hand. "As for the seven of you, you can stay at this base. I'll notify you if there are any tasks."

Gruk said, "Please allow us to protect your safety."

"Me? No, no, no, I don't need it." Ryan shook his head. "I'm the Director of the Bureau of Governance now, no one dares to touch me."

"This is a task assigned by the Grand Duke," Gruk insisted stubbornly.

Before they departed, Grand Duke Magana had specifically instructed them to prioritize Ryan's safety above all else, given his weakness. He had brains but lacked strength, and Grand Duke Magana didn't want Ryan to die in Berman City like Adler.

Ryan was helpless. He could see that Gruk and the others were stubborn. Unless he could convince Grand Duke Magana, it would be useless.

After much deliberation, it was decided that Blood Robe and An would be responsible for his safety. Blood Robe was a Shadow Hunter, a killer-type profession, with unpredictable changes, and a Second Tier Transcendent. Their raw strength was second only to Gruk.

Although An was a First Tier Transcendent, as a Gunslinger, she had the advantage of ranged protection. Normally, it wasn't suitable for them to stay by Ryan's side, but An's abilities could be maximized in this arrangement.

However, thinking from another angle, if these two were always with him, he would have to be careful not to expose anything during future operations.

Fortunately, the second character, 'Shally,' would be ready soon. He could assign tasks to his alt account later.

"Grand Duke Magana isn't arranging this to test me, is she? That wouldn't make sense; if she suspected something, she'd investigate secretly."

A thought struck Ryan, and he gave Gruk a task to investigate Bill and Colonel Hart. He still hadn't figured out the purpose of that ritual. Sending 'Lin Qi' would be too risky. Besides, they were working for Grand Duke Magana; Ryan wouldn't feel a pang of regret even if they died.

"Remember not to let Bill find out. I suspect he's also a Supernatural Being. As for Hart, he needs close observation too, to see if he has any connection with the Kainter Kingdom's military."

After a few instructions, Ryan left the base and took the opportunity to rent a new place in the central district.

It was no longer convenient to commute from the east district. Houses in the central district were expensive, and he couldn't afford to buy, but renting was within his means.

Ryan chose a well-located spot and rented a detached house.

Jonathan and Jack came to help him move.

"One thing, if you're going to advance, don't rush. Tell me, and I'll prepare for you," Jonathan said casually while carrying a large cabinet.

"It won't be that fast," Ryan replied, carrying items and following him. "How long have I been a Supernatural Being?"

"Hey~ You underestimate your talent. With the Burning Covenant and enough Soul Jade, breaking through from First Tier to Second Tier can take less than half a month."

After learning about Ryan's magic talent, Jonathan had specifically looked up related information. The magic tests he had here could only measure up to A-rank, but with more precise ritualistic tests, they could measure higher S-ranks.

Judging by his performance in the previous ritual, Ryan's talent was definitely more than A-rank. For S-rank talents, a breakthrough in tier within half a month was commonly recorded as normal cultivation speed.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you? Generally, someone with your talent, if they cultivate daily, consuming around three thousand units of Soul Jade should be enough for advancement."

Experience was accumulated from summaries, and the Burning Covenant could also access such information.

Moreover, talent differences represented the upper limit and cultivation speed, unrelated to the magic required for advancement. Advancement was only related to the profession. Using his Son of the Sun profession as a benchmark, he had used about three thousand units of Soul Jade for his own advancement back then.

"Three thousand?"

Ryan's expression was odd.

"Yes, about two hundred units absorbed per day... What's wrong, did you run out of Soul Jade?"

"...No, I found quite a lot from the Adler family's place."

"Then that's fine, keep it for yourself."

Jonathan didn't pay much attention. He hadn't gone with them when they raided the houses, thinking Ryan would keep whatever he found.

But Ryan was a bit puzzled. Although he had been busy with many things these past few days, he hadn't neglected his cultivation. He cultivated whenever he had free time, even absorbing Soul Jade when he was idle in his office.

Over the past few days, his Soul Jade absorption efficiency had been increasing, directly consuming three thousand units, yet he still didn't feel like he was close to breaking through to Second Tier.

In terms of efficiency, his seemed much higher than what Jonathan described.

But when it came to advancement, even though there was no system-marked level, Ryan felt it would still take about another three thousand units of Soul Jade to reach it.

"Captain, if advancing requires more Soul Jade, what does that mean?" he asked.

Jonathan paused, realizing Ryan's situation might be different, but he didn't point it out. Instead, he said, "If that's the case, it's most likely due to the profession's characteristics. The more powerful the profession, the higher the difficulty of job change and advancement."

"I see."

"Don't rush," Jonathan said with a smile, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Cultivation should be steady and solid, no need to rush for a day or two."

Ryan remained silent, contemplating what kind of profession he actually had.

As night fell, in his new room.

Ryan sat cross-legged in the room, with a pile of Soul Jade beside him.

As the cultivation process continued, the amount of Soul Jade decreased at a visible rate.

If Jonathan were here, he would likely be so astonished that he'd drop his cigarette, as Ryan's Soul Jade absorption speed already surpassed that of many Second Tier Transcendent beings.

After about an hour, Ryan opened his eyes and let out a soft breath.

"Still no good, I don't feel like I'm advancing at all. If the mana required for advancement is related to the profession, then my profession must be incredibly powerful?"

He couldn't help but think back to the day he changed professions. The scene from the Inner World was too shocking, but he couldn't find any information about either the pyramid or the pilgrimage.

According to historical records, the most recent large-scale pilgrimage customs could be traced back over a thousand years, and they had almost disappeared in modern times.

Therefore, what he saw definitely had nothing to do with the ritual Jonathan set up; it was brought about by the job change. It was a shame there was so little information about the Chosen of the Gods, otherwise, he could have referenced it to see if all Chosen of the Gods encountered such a situation.

"Forget it, I have enough Soul Orbs anyway. I don't believe I can't advance."

Relying on 'Lin Qi' to farm Soul Orbs, the speed was enough to support his cultivation.

He glanced at the status of his two characters. There were no problems, and Ryan continued to immerse himself in cultivation.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, news from the border swept through Berman City – the army of the Kainter Kingdom had crossed the Empire's border and engaged in combat with the border garrison!

Although most people were not worried about this so-called military action, believing the Kainter Kingdom was simply overestimating its abilities, Ryan knew that overestimating one's abilities did not necessarily mean they would attack Berman City.

If the situation continued like this, it was entirely possible for the Kainter Kingdom's army to reach Berman City in a few days.

As expected, the day after the war broke out, the Kainter Kingdom's army had already broken through the border defenses and officially entered Imperial territory.

This caused the nobles and wealthy merchants of Berman City to panic.

The border was not far from here; the army could reach it in two to three days of travel. If they could intercept a train, they could reach Berman City in half a day, and this time the Kainter Kingdom's army numbered over ten thousand.

The only force capable of intercepting this army was the border city of 'Kosotoya,' but so far, Kosotoya had no intention of deploying troops.

This was the drawback of lords having their own armies. The troops of a territory were directly dispatched by the lord, and their interests were tied to the lord, with little sense of Imperial honor.

Unless the Kainter army actively attacked Kosotoya, the battle would not happen.

Ryan had expected Grand Duke Magana to seize this opportunity, as as long as she led a large army, she could naturally control this southern territory of the Empire.

Without a war, the army had no legitimate reason for mobilization; deploying troops randomly would be considered rebellion.

To his surprise, Grand Duke Magana made no move. Seeing the Kainter Kingdom's army advancing towards them, Ryan began to feel uneasy.