Fiana's Disappointment

The Archdemon Bloodline was undoubtedly of a higher order than the Bauhinia Family Bloodline within him.

It could be called one of his most powerful trump cards.

Once his bloodline awakened, his combat strength would definitely rise dramatically.

In this perilous world, powerful strength was the most fundamental guarantee.

But the problem was that the mission required him to earn ten million within three days. That difficulty was enough to make an ordinary person suffocate.

Even back on Earth, with his vast network of connections, earning ten million in such a short time would have been extremely difficult.

Loren fell into deep thought.

"Startup capital. We're back to this problem again.

"My predecessor was refused when he tried to borrow money from the Fairy Bank. He was also refused when he sought support from those Nobles who had old ties with the Orchid Family."

"Was making money really this hard?"

He simply could not refuse the reward offered by the system. And even without the system mission, making money was something he had to do.

His thoughts began to turn. Frowning, he searched through the memories left behind by his predecessor. He needed more information before he could make a judgment.

A moment later, Loren's expression turned somewhat strange.

Ten million Puke was an astronomical sum to ordinary people, but he was a descendant of the High Noble Orchid Family. How noble was his status?

With that identity, how could he possibly lack money anywhere?

With a little maneuvering, not to mention ten million, even twenty or thirty million would be effortless. Did he really need to lower himself and beg people as his predecessor had?

High Nobles naturally had ways for High Nobles to make money. The power and status brought by such an identity were absolutely beyond comparison with those ordinary adventurers.

Born into nobility, his status was beyond words. Why should he humble himself so much?!

After considering his next steps for a moment, Loren instantly steadied himself, a calm smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

He rose, smoothed out the wrinkles in his noble robe, and gracefully walked out.

Creak~

The moment Loren stepped out of his room, his bearing quietly changed.

His outrageously handsome face gained the calm composure of someone who had weathered countless storms, while his dark eyes carried a trace of world-weariness that did not belong to someone his age.

Combined with the classically elegant noble temperament he had cultivated since childhood, he gave off a stunning impression.

Only time could brew a temperament intoxicating enough to captivate others.

This was true for women, and it was true for men.

It was difficult to imagine that such a young man could possess that heart-stirring quality—the calmness and composure forged after time had washed over him and he had endured waves and storms.

If a woman were present, she would surely marvel at how such a handsome young man could exist in this world.

The inn's corridor was very low and cramped, filled everywhere with a sense of decay. The oil paintings hanging on the walls had faded slightly, even losing their original colors. Its only saving grace was the exceptional brightness of the candles mixed with Magic Beast fat.

Fiana, who had stormed out in anger, had not left the inn. Instead, she stood on the balcony at the end of the corridor, gazing into the distance. From where she stood, she happened to be able to see Loren's room.

Clearly, she was still thinking about him.

Though deeply disappointed, Fiana was still briefly struck by the sight of the impossibly handsome young man when Loren appeared.

But she quickly returned to calm.

Loren's reputation within the Orchid Family was fairly ordinary. Calling him useless would be excessive, but mediocre was an entirely fitting description.

If he had not voluntarily given up his claim to the grand ducal title and come to the northern border to become a Pioneer Lord, showing at least some courage,

she would never have agreed to Grand Duke Orchid's order to become his guardian.

She had once been filled with hope, believing that the person she was to protect was a truly ambitious figure with a grand vision.

But after two months of contact, she discovered that Loren was merely someone whose aptitude could not have been more mediocre.

Whether it was building his territory or resisting the invasion of the Bloody Polluters during Bloody Day, his performance could only be described as ordinary.

She feared that any random descendant of the Orchid Family would have been better than him.

Yet considering his status, and the fact that he had not surrendered even after his territory was breached, she had still fulfilled her final duty by giving him her savings.

Fiana knew that once this money was given away, the chance of getting it back was infinitely close to zero.

In her eyes, Loren would have a hard time surviving the next Bloody Day. If he once again faced the encirclement of countless monsters like last time, even she could hardly guarantee his survival.

Loren's gaze softened as he looked at Fiana standing on the corridor balcony.

No matter what, this twenty-six-year-old girl was currently the guarantee of his personal safety, and she had just given him all her savings.

No matter what, he had to accept that kindness.

"Now that I've obtained the Eye of Truth, I can check my subordinates' loyalty. I wonder if I can check Fiana's as well?"

As soon as the thought arose, Loren felt a cool sensation in his eyes. Then an unfamiliar status panel appeared in his mind.

Fiana Grant

Level: Early Platinum-grade

Bloodline: Human/Unknown (A+ grade, awakened)

Loyalty: 90

Class: Snow Dance Swordsman (S-grade), Class Skill (Blizzard Sword Qi, S-grade, unleashes sword qi to indiscriminately attack surrounding enemies)

Bond: Dancing in the Snow. In cold environments, all attributes increased by 30%.

Introduction: A Platinum expert with formidable power. She is utterly loyal to you.

After seeing Fiana's attributes, another stream of information appeared in Loren's mind.

Loyalty 100: Diehard loyalty. Never betray.

Loyalty 90–99: Absolute loyalty. Firm in conviction and impossible to win over, unless you kill close relatives such as their parents or children. Otherwise, they will never betray you.

Loyalty 80–89: High loyalty. Willing to risk their life for you and difficult to win over.

Loyalty 70–79: Moderate loyalty. Willing to risk their life for you, with a small chance of being won over.

Loyalty 60–69: Normal loyalty. Willing to serve you, with a chance of being won over.

Loyalty 0–59: Harboring ill intentions. May betray you at any time.

Negative loyalty meant they viewed you as an enemy.

Fiana's loyalty had actually reached 90 points, the level of absolute loyalty.

This made Loren's gaze grow even gentler.

But what was with the unknown part of her bloodline?

Was Fiana of mixed blood?

Still, there were so many races in this world that mixed blood was nothing strange.

With that thought, he weighed the cloth bag in his hand. Watching the girl approach after noticing that he was about to leave, he smiled slightly and held the bag out to her.

Fiana subconsciously reached out and accepted it, but her nearly flawless face became even colder. Her brows furrowed as she stared at him with icy eyes.

"Loren, is this your answer?"

Acting on impulse!

When the territory was desperately short of funds, he still refused to face his predicament and make use of every resource available to him.

These five hundred thousand could rightly be called life-saving money, yet he was refusing it just like that because she had scolded him.

The already poor image Loren held in her heart fell even further. She was now completely disappointed in him.

A man could lack talent and have mediocre aptitude, but if he did not even possess the proper breadth of heart, what could he possibly accomplish?

For a moment, Fiana felt utterly disheartened. So be it. From now on, I'll quietly be his guardian. I'll only concern myself with whether he lives or dies, and nothing else.

Loren smiled as he looked at the girl's frosty expression.

"I rarely use a girl's money."

He had sent money home to support his younger sister while still in college, and before the age of thirty, he had built up assets worth over a hundred million. How could he lack pride?

No matter how destitute he was, he had not fallen to the point of using the savings a girl had accumulated over many years to develop himself.

Besides, as a direct descendant of the Orchid Family, although he had given up his inheritance rights, would it be difficult to obtain startup capital with that identity alone?

His predecessor had not known how to use that identity, and Fiana, his guardian, did not understand either. But that did not mean he did not.

Nobles naturally had their own ways of doing things.

Seeing the determination and unquestionable resolve in Loren's deep eyes, Fiana froze.

As a Platinum-grade powerhouse, her senses were exceptionally sharp.

At this moment, she quietly noticed that the young man who usually walked with his head lowered, as if afraid of being noticed, and whose personality had been so weak, now carried a trace of Grand Duke Orchid's bearing.

Brilliant and outstanding.

But the disappointment in her heart could not be changed by such a small transformation. When she had first met Loren, she had once held the same expectations.

In the end, he had still disappointed her.

Suppressing her emotions, she casually held the cloth bag and said nothing more with a cold expression.

Inside the cloth bag were Fairy Bank notes worth five thousand Puke each. Five hundred thousand was only one hundred notes, so it was not particularly heavy.

As the two spoke, a thin middle-aged man in coarse clothes hurried up from the stairs. His eyes swept across the corridor, and when he spotted Loren, he quickly stepped forward, his face pale.

"Lord Noble, the dozen or so warriors you placed in South Garden did not receive the holy water sent by the church this afternoon. They were corroded by evil energy and have all... died!"

Loren's entire body jolted, and his expression turned cold.

After his territory had been breached, his subordinates had suffered heavy casualties. He had transported all the warriors who might still survive to Decker City.

Those wounded by the Bloody Polluters would be contaminated by evil energy. Without prompt treatment, they would quickly die.

The only treatment was the church's holy water. He had previously arranged for the church to deliver holy water on schedule, but now all those dozen people had died?

Anger appeared on his face.

"Why didn't the church send the holy water?!"

The thin middle-aged man shuddered in fright, then stammered, "T-the church priests said that the money you paid wasn't enough."

Loren was so angry that he laughed. "So they stopped sending holy water?"

The man nodded fearfully. His legs had gone weak, and he stood there trembling, not daring to defend himself.

Seeing this, Loren helplessly shook his head. He no longer had any intention of making things difficult for the man. He was nothing more than a servant; how could he possibly afford to offend a church with priests stationed there?

With a pained heart, he waved his hand. "Leave."

The man had already prepared himself to be reprimanded and beaten. Upon hearing that, he was instantly relieved. He gratefully bowed to Loren, then, seemingly afraid Loren would change his mind, hurried off as though fleeing for his life.

Loren took a deep breath and once again felt the trouble of having no money. Those dozen warriors had all been bought from slave traders with real gold and silver, and they had not been cheap.

Now they had died just like that, another enormous loss that made his already poor situation even worse.

"I didn't know the money you paid was insufficient."

Fiana, who had remained silent at the side, spoke coldly.

Loren nodded and did not dwell on the matter. This was something his predecessor had done, and he could not be bothered to think further about it.

Obtaining money was the proper path now. He did not want to hear any more news of his subordinates dying because they could not afford treatment.

He turned to Fiana.

"Later, we'll visit several merchant associations together and first secure some startup capital. I'll need your cooperation then."

Fiana's brows furrowed slightly at his words. In the end, she still gave a light nod, but she neither spoke nor made any promise.

Inside, she sighed faintly. Even his own subordinates could die because of his carelessness. She felt an inexplicable sorrow, because she too was, in a sense, one of his subordinates.

And yesterday, Loren had received no support from several Nobles friendly with the Orchid Family. What could he use now to make merchant associations give him money?

At this moment, she suspected Loren intended to use the Orchid Family's identity to extort those merchant associations, just like other Nobles did.

If Loren truly did that, she would definitely intervene to stop him.

Doing such a thing in Decker City would most likely bring retaliation. What merchant association capable of surviving in a border city lacked a background?

Even if they were cowed for now, they would take the opportunity to retaliate later. Could Loren withstand that with his abilities?

Naturally, Loren had no idea that this cold-tempered girl was thinking so much. Even if he knew, he could not be bothered to explain. Did he need to use such despicable methods to make money?

Without further nonsense, he turned and headed downstairs, preparing to go out and earn his crucial First Pot of Gold.