Need Funding to Go Home!

"Dragon Flame!"

On the training ground, Barton and the others stood at the edge, eagerly watching Isaac and a brown Dragon Lizard with two small bumps on its head in the center of the field.

Five meters in front of the man and lizard stood a target.

At Isaac's command, the Dragon Lizard opened its mouth and spat out a jet of flame, striking the target with perfect accuracy!

Boom!

In an instant, the wooden target was reduced to ash before the scorching Dragon Flame!

Isaac's eyes lit up at the sight. The corners of his mouth curled upward, unable to contain his smile. He crouched down and stroked the Dragon Lizard's long, narrow head. "Not bad. Well done!"

"Huff, huff~" The Dragon Lizard snorted foolishly, narrowing its slender eyes beneath Isaac's caress, thoroughly enjoying itself.

The Dragon Lizard had changed considerably from when it first arrived. Its brown scales had grown thicker and more substantial, while the two horn buds atop its head lent it a touch more majesty. Though it was still just over half a meter long, it had grown broader than before, and faint outlines of muscle could now be seen beneath its scales.

Most importantly, it had gained two abilities: Dragon Might, and the Dragon Flame it had just displayed.

Dragon Might needed no explanation. It was an ability possessed by all Dragonblood Creatures, though its power varied greatly according to one's strength and the concentration of dragon blood. As for this Dragon Lizard's Dragon Might...

At present, it could only scare rats—ordinary rats, at that. Demonized Wild Boars were dim-witted and didn't respond to intimidation, while Demon Rats were too strong to be frightened.

But that was hardly important. Dragon Might had always been just an added bonus. What truly mattered was its dragon-blood-enhanced body and its Innate Spell, Dragon Flame.

Dragon Flame had elevated the Dragon Lizard's combat power by an entire tier. Although it could not be used many times, if the timing was right, killing a small Demonic Beast of the same level in a single strike would not be difficult.

Of course, what mattered most was that once its dragon blood had awakened, the Dragon Lizard's value had soared!

Its whole body was treasure!

Especially a Dragon Lizard that had awakened Dragon Flame. Its throat and tongue were relatively precious magical materials, which could be used to modify oneself and thereby gain mastery of the spell [Dragon Flame]. Their market price was at least a hundred gold coins!

Its own combat strength, on the other hand, was hardly worth mentioning. It had no wings, could not fly, and did not know Cliff Sword. In the end, it was still rather weak.

Even so, Isaac had no intention of selling it. He would keep raising it and see whether he could produce a true dragon. After all, it was his first time—there was collectible value in that.

More importantly, this Dragon Lizard's success had proven that his Golden Finger was equally effective at cultivating Dragon Lizards. All that remained was to replicate the process.

Still, if he wanted to properly raise this Dragon Lizard, he would need to learn another contract spell with stronger binding force.

Patting the Dragon Lizard, Isaac rose to his feet and led it back to the Beast Rearing Ground. The others exchanged glances, each seeing the same concern in the others' eyes. Young Master seemed to need them less and less...

Watching Isaac and the Dragon Lizard's retreating figures, the guard squad led by Barton felt exceedingly conflicted. To be honest, when they had first been assigned to Isaac, they had been rather dejected. It meant they had little room for advancement; barring surprises, this was all their lives would ever amount to.

But when Isaac became a wizard—and even helped their captain, Barton, break through to become a knight—the hope that had already died in their hearts was rekindled!

Perhaps they, too, could become knights?

Perhaps even Great Knights!

With that thought in mind, everyone's training enthusiasm grew ever fiercer!

However...

The facts proved that they had not been assigned to Isaac without reason. Despite all this time spent in high-intensity training, not a single person besides Barton had become a Quasi-Knight...

And now, not only was Isaac growing stronger and stronger, he had also gained a group of Magical Creatures that looked immensely powerful...

Isaac, on his way to the Beast Rearing Ground, knew nothing of the guards' complicated feelings. But even if he had known, he would not have cared.

His thoughts regarding these people were actually the same as his family's. They had served the family for so many years, so it was enough to arrange things casually and ensure they would live the rest of their lives free from worries over food and clothing. As for letting them go any further...

Isaac was no fool. Why would he spend that much money on them? Wouldn't it be better to pour the same resources into himself? He had no ambition to become king or conquer the world. There was no point in raising so many people.

At most, he would look after Smith and Smith's son, Barton.

After putting the Dragon Lizard into its stall, Isaac first tossed several thick chunks of Demonized Wild Boar meat to the two Dragon Lizards. Then he took a small glass bottle from his robes, carefully poured it into a pile of minced meat beside him, mixed it evenly, and scattered it into the Rat Pen.

Watching Rat Rat and the others devour every last bit of the doctored minced meat, Isaac's lips curled into a smile with the faintest hint of sleaze.

What he had added for Rat Rat and the others was a Potion he had researched himself—Spring Has Arrived.

It was a Potion that could heighten reproductive desire!

He would test it on Rat Rat and the others first. If the results were good, he could later consider bringing in some herbivorous Demonic Beasts to complete the supply chain. Then he would not have to keep running to Lakeside Town every few days to buy wild boar meat.

Once Rat Rat and the others had finished the minced meat, Isaac gently shut the door, leaving the space to them.

Afterward, Isaac returned directly to the laboratory. Four days had passed since the gathering, and they should be leaving for the fortress within the next two days. Before setting out, he needed to settle several key experiments.

For instance, the research on Flesh Mimicry had reached its final stage, and he could soon begin attempting to create it. The Demon Rats had preliminarily completed their fusion with the Divine Spark Network and could proceed to the next stage of condensing divine spells. The cultivation plan for the Demonized Heart had also been optimized, and he needed to collect experimental data before departure, among other things.

Back in the laboratory, the first thing Isaac intended to handle was the Demon Rats' divine spell con...

"Tsk. No materials..." Isaac looked helplessly at the Demon Rat tied to the operating table. Man and rat stared wide-eyed at each other, both utterly speechless.

Shaking his head, Isaac returned the bewildered Rat Rat to its cage. After looking around, he helplessly realized that he apparently had no experiment he could carry out right now...

Even though these projects had already been kept as economical as possible!

"Ah, I still need to make money... Perhaps I can ask the family for help?" Stroking his chin, Isaac found the idea more and more feasible the longer he considered it. He was not all alone, so why did he keep thinking he had to do everything himself?

He could absolutely go into partnership with his family. The family would provide the funds, and he would provide the technology. They could get rich together!

Solid plan!

Isaac slammed a fist into his palm, and his train of thought opened up completely!

"Smith! Smith!"

Whoosh!

"Young Master, what is it?" A gust of wind swept in. Smith, clad in a tailcoat and holding a cane, appeared before Isaac in an instant. His right hand gripped one end of the cane, poised to strike, his expression tense.

"It's nothing, don't be so nervous." Isaac waved a hand and began gathering up the experimental materials. "Pack up. We're going to the fortress."

"Now?" Smith froze slightly.

"Yes, now. There's nothing much to do here anyway. Pack up the Demon Rats and Dragon Lizards too and bring them with us. They'll starve to death if they stay here."

"Yes, Young Master."

Hearing this, Smith said nothing more. He merely nodded before turning to make arrangements. Isaac was right—there was really nothing much to do at the castle. Isaac himself was the busiest person here; if he had no issue with it, then no one else would either.

Before long, the guards had packed up everything with utterly bewildered expressions, including the Rat Rats that were in heat. No one knew how vast the psychological shadow was when they pushed open the warehouse doors and saw that scene...

As for Isaac, though he was the busiest person in the territory, he was also the quickest to pack. All he needed to take were a few Spellbooks and spell experiment manuscripts. Oh, and that cauldron, along with several test subjects.

Thus, once Barton and the others had loaded the Rat Rats and Dragon Lizards onto the cargo wagons, Isaac climbed into the carriage as well. The group set off in grand procession for Solomon Fortress at the border of the territory!

Just as on their way here, the convoy did not carry much food. After all, they were not leaving the territory, and could replenish all their supplies in the towns along the way.

Three days later, Solomon Fortress.

"What? Third Brother is here?" Inside the fortress castle, a middle-aged man looking over intelligence reports from the front lines raised his head and stared at the guard at the door in surprise.

"Yes. Young Master Isaac and the others... seem to have all come." The guard looked rather astonished as well.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave." The middle-aged man put down the report in surprise, rose to his feet, and headed outside.

The guard bowed, then turned and left.

When the middle-aged man reached the fortress's residential district, he found that Second Brother Remington and Eldest Sister Cheryl had already arrived. Both were surrounding Isaac, looking him up and down with astonishment written across their faces.

"Eldest Brother!"

On the other side, Isaac, being examined up and down like a lab rat, spotted the middle-aged man. As if he had seized a lifeline, he waved excitedly.

Caesar Solomon, the eldest son of House of Solomon, was thirty-one years old. Whether in talent for cultivation or skill at handling relationships, he was outstanding in every respect. Throughout the territory, from the troops directly under his command to the several barons granted fiefs, there was not one who did not respect him.

He was also the one closest to Isaac.

Seeing Isaac run toward him, Caesar instinctively rushed forward to steady him. Only then did he realize that his younger brother really had become a wizard. He had undergone a complete transformation—his body was far more solid than before!

"Good! Good! Good!" Caesar patted Isaac's shoulder excitedly, saying "good" three times in a row.

Remington and Cheryl exchanged a glance beside them, both revealing relieved smiles.

"I'm sorry for making you worry all these years."

"We're family. What is there to apologize for? As long as you're well, that's all that matters!" But after calming down, Caesar's brow furrowed. "You know better than I do the dangers of Legendary Wizards. Since you've chosen this path, there's something I must tell you in advance: if one day you threaten the safety of the territory, I will kill you with my own hands!"

Isaac looked at Caesar's grave expression and smiled as he nodded. He knew what Caesar meant.

The power of Legendary Wizards came from the Outer Gods. Thus, they were also the group most enthusiastic about trading with the Outer Gods. Forget history—even in recent years, there had been Legendary Wizards who slipped up during trades with the Outer Gods, resulting in entire nations being devoured clean by them!

Although, with the gradual refinement of the Truth Wizard system in recent years, many Legendary Wizards had slowly abandoned trading with the Outer Gods, their historical record was right there for all to see. And there truly were still people throwing themselves into it one after another, such as the Mad Sorcerer Association Isaac belonged to.

So there was nothing wrong with Caesar saying this. After all, aside from being Isaac's elder brother, he was also the future lord of Solomon Viscounty. He needed to answer to the people of the territory.

Still, he was a little late in saying it...

After all, Isaac was already a Mad Sorcerer...

Of course, in truth, not every failed Trade Ritual with the Outer Gods resulted in the territory being devoured. Most of the time, when the ritual failed, only the wizard himself was swallowed—unless that wizard had put the territory on the gambling table during the trade!

But that required the wizard to possess actual control over the territory. Not just any stray cat or dog could gamble away someone else's land. Isaac had no such authority, nor would he ever do such a thing.

There was no need to explain that distinction to them, though. It would only add to their worries. Whenever Isaac traded with the Outer Gods in the future, he would leave the territory first anyway.

Caesar gave Isaac a long, deep look, then patted his shoulder and dropped the subject. He looked toward the carriages covered in black cloth and said with a smile, "I hear you've made quite a few strange things. Why don't you introduce them to us?"

"Exactly what I wanted!" Isaac nodded heavily. "But let's be clear—you can't just look for free. Once you've seen them, you have to pay!"

"You little brat, didn't I just give you a thousand gold coins?" Caesar smacked Isaac on the head and laughed as he scolded him.

"What can a thousand gold coins even do? A brute is a brute!" Isaac shot Caesar a disdainful look. "Spell experiments are expensive, aren't they, Eldest Sister?"

"Hm? Oh, yes." Cheryl, who was lifting the black cloth to inspect what lay beneath, turned at his words and nodded. After looking Isaac over, she said meaningfully, "You used the Witch's Tea Party for your advancement ritual? The odds of that are very low, aren't they? Such a strong gambling streak isn't a good thing for a Legendary Wizard."

"Fortune and glory are found amid danger." Isaac shrugged, utterly unconcerned.

Not knowing the outcome was gambling. Knowing the outcome in advance was called investment.

"Come, come, enough of that. Take a look at your little brother's research results! Eldest Sister, you be the judge!" With that, Isaac pulled away the black cloth over the first carriage. Two iron cages sat atop it—one held two Dragon Lizards, while the other held over a dozen Demon Rats. Most of the Demon Rats looked somewhat listless, but a few were in good condition. Judging by their auras, they were already pregnant.

"These are... Dragon Lizards that have awakened dragon blood?" Cheryl, the most knowledgeable of the three siblings, ignored the Demon Rats and looked directly at the Dragon Lizards, her eyes shining with wonder. "This one is close to awakening as well? Is this the result of your research?"

"Hehe." Isaac put his hands on his hips, looking immensely pleased. This was one reason he had brought the Dragon Lizards over. There was no need to look at anything else—these Dragon Lizards alone could secure him funding!

"Dragon Lizards? They've awakened dragon blood? Really?" Caesar asked in surprise.

Remington beside him looked equally stunned. They might not understand magic, but they knew how powerful dragons were!

And how expensive!