The Master of the Manor

When Loren returned to the manor with Butler Bohr, Fiana, who had already washed up and changed into a black martial outfit, quietly appeared before him.

The cool, aloof girl looked at Loren with her familiar, excited expression. As if she had thought of something, her gaze turned a little strange.

"You just gave the soldiers new professions?"

When Loren nodded, she suddenly seemed distracted. She realized she understood this young man less and less.

She had originally thought that after his territory was breached on the Bloody Day, he was doomed to fail. He might even lose his life during the next Bloody Day.

But no one had expected him to change so dramatically in just a few days.

From casually earning twenty-five million Puke by forming a merchant alliance, to standing against a Gold-ranked Barbarian Chieftain with Silver-ranked power, to effortlessly promoting his subordinates into Rare Professions that usually took a great deal of time to train for.

At that moment, the unremarkable young man was shrouded in mystery, making people want to learn more about him. He had an extraordinary charm.

Her tone was tinged with complexity.

"How many secrets are you still hiding?"

Loren smiled faintly.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he gazed into the distant sky and spoke in a profound tone.

"I didn't have a choice before. Now, I just want to be a good person."

The girl furrowed her brows.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you understand?"

"No."

"Then that's perfect. I was just saying something random to fob you off."

"You!!"

Fiana clenched her teeth, thinking how awful the bastard in front of her was. She wanted to march over and kick him twice.

A few steps behind them, old Butler Bohr kept his head lowered, eyes fixed straight ahead, as if he were invisible. He hadn't heard a thing.

Loren laughed heartily a few times, then reined in his smile and grew serious.

Looking into the girl's captivating eyes, he said earnestly,

"Thank you, Fiana."

He offered no further explanation. After giving her a long look, he turned and walked away.

Fiana froze, watching Loren's retreating figure. For a long while, she couldn't come back to herself.

She understood what he meant.

When Loren returned to the hall and sat down, two maids in black-and-white uniforms immediately came in to make tea.

Both maids were around eighteen or nineteen, and their youthful presence added a little color to the room.

Loren picked up a porcelain-white teacup engraved with a rose pattern and slowly sipped the warm black tea.

The hot tea slid down his throat and warmed him from within, dispelling much of his fatigue.

He waved away the maid who was about to massage his shoulders.

"No need. Go on with your work. Mr. Bohr and I have important matters to discuss."

The two maids looked at Loren's nearly perfect face, then exchanged disappointed glances. They lifted their skirts, dipped gracefully in a curtsy, and turned to leave.

Both felt a little aggrieved.

They'd finally gotten a chance to get close to Master Loren, and they'd let it slip away.

"Bohr, have those Frogmen made any moves these past few days?"

Loren turned to his butler, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's.

When white-haired Bohr heard the word "Frogmen," his expression darkened.

"My lord, those Frogmen live in the water, on an island in the middle of the lake. Without boats, we can't do any real damage to them.

"But they don't seem very interested in us either. Other than appearing without warning and attacking us on the Bloody Day, they haven't launched another assault. They haven't even come ashore."

During the last Bloody Day, the Gray Eagle Territory hadn't attracted many Bloody Polluters, since its population was small. There had only been a few dozen of them.

And with Fiana, a powerful Platinum-ranked fighter, stationed there, they might have been able to hold the territory.

But at the final moment, a horde of savage Frogmen had surged out of the neighboring lake.

These amphibious creatures, with gills on their faces and the ability to breathe underwater, launched a surprise attack on the Gray Eagle Territory.

Completely unprepared, the territory found itself under attack from both sides.

The army suffered heavy casualties, and more than half the residents were slaughtered.

The Bloody Polluters had only breached the territory at the very last moment. Once the Blood Moon faded, they immediately left. Otherwise, the entire territory might have been wiped out.

"Those damned mercenaries dared to deceive us!"

Loren had paid a mercenary team one million Puke for information about the Gray Eagle Territory's location at a tavern.

Butler Bohr had been there too. The mercenaries hadn't said a word about the Frogmen in the lake, and they'd paid dearly for that omission.

A trace of coldness flashed through Loren's eyes. Sooner or later, he would settle that score.

"The Frogmen in the lake aren't very strong. If we're prepared, they won't cause much trouble."

The lake was a natural barrier. Without boats, wiping out the Frogmen would be too difficult, and the Gray Eagle Territory didn't have resources to spare for it.

"Our main focus now should be strengthening the territory's defenses and improving the army's strength."

"Once the City Hall is built, I'll lead the army out to hunt Magic Beasts and increase its strength."

After speaking, Loren looked at the white-haired butler with unusual seriousness.

"Bohr, now that I've returned to the Gray Eagle Territory, everything is bound to change.

"I'm no longer the person I used to be. From this moment on, the Gray Eagle Territory will shine with dazzling brilliance.

"We're sure to stand tall across the Endless Wasteland!"

Watching Loren's resolute, confident expression, Butler Bohr was deeply moved. He remembered the sight of dozens of Human Soldiers changing into Rare Professions in the blink of an eye.

Excitement showed in his eyes.

"My lord, I look forward to the day when, under your leadership, the territory stands proudly across the Endless Wasteland and becomes the dreamland everyone longs for."

Loren slowly nodded. "It will all come to pass."

His conviction was as hard as steel.

"Master Loren, Mr. Bohr, the kitchen has prepared the food. Would you like to eat now?"

As the two were talking, a chubby kitchen matron cautiously entered to report. A strong smell of cooking oil clung to her.

Loren waved a hand.

"Wait a little. Bohr, go call Dina and Deen. I want to discuss the construction of the City Hall and rebuilding the Arrow Tower with them."

The rewards for both tasks were precious. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could put his mind at ease.

Butler Bohr spoke up as well. "Mary, go back downstairs for now. Bring the food over when I call for you."

The plump matron hurriedly nodded and curtsied, lifting her skirt.

But the gesture looked nothing like the graceful curtsy of the two pretty maids. She looked like a round ball of flesh wobbling around.

After the matron returned to the kitchen in the back courtyard, several young maids who had been working there immediately put down their plates and bowls and crowded around, chattering excitedly.

"Aunt Mary, does Master Loren want to eat?"

"Is the master really as handsome as Annie and the others said?"

"Make sure you let me take the food in this time, Aunt Mary. I've never met Master Loren."

Aunt Mary smiled.

"Master Loren is definitely the most handsome young man I've ever seen, but don't get your hopes up.

"His guardian, Lady Fiana, is far beyond the likes of you maids.

"Now get back to work. There are still hundreds of people in the back courtyard waiting for food."

Sighing, the maids let out a collective groan and dispersed glumly, getting back to work in the kitchen.

There was a clear hierarchy in the manor. As its master and the lord of the Gray Eagle Territory, Loren was the sole ruler of the land, seated upon the throne.

Below him, Butler Bohr held the second-highest rank.

According to the usual order, the next rank would belong to the male servants, who represented the manor's prestige. A team of tall, strong, capable male servants had always been a noble's pride.

But the Gray Eagle Territory was still very simple, so there were no male servants for now.

Only after them came the ordinary maids and kitchen cooks.

The manor wasn't large, but there was plenty of work to do each day. With so much pressure, Loren, the master of the manor, was undoubtedly the subject of every maid's gossip and the center of their attention.

If a lucky maid caught the master's eye, she might be able to rise straight to the rank of mistress. How lucky would that be?

Of course, at most, a maid could become a concubine. Even so, her status would be many times higher than that of an ordinary maid.

And besides, Master Loren was such a handsome and outstanding young man. Could anything be more wonderful?

Thinking about it that way, the maids would compete for every task that let them bring Loren tea and water, or even clean his room.