Trust

"Hah... finally finished..."

At noon, after working all morning, Isaac let out a long breath. With his hands on his hips, he looked at the three bottles of bright red Potion on the table beside the cauldron, his heart brimming with accomplishment.

A bottle of Bloodline Essence Potion sold for 100 Gold Coins, while the cost was only 30. The extra Silver Moon Grass was practically negligible, which meant he could make a net profit of 70 Gold Coins from every bottle!

Getting rich was just around the corner!

"Grrr..."

"Tsk." Hearing his stomach growl, Isaac shook his head, picked up a bottle of Potion, and headed outside. Food first.

"Is lunch ready?" Isaac asked Smith, who had been standing guard outside the room, as he stepped out.

"It is ready, Young Master. For lunch today, we prepared your favorite roast chicken and Falun's exquisite cake."

"You went into town? Oh, right, you had to hire Goblin Killers." Isaac suddenly understood, then asked, "Did the recruitment go smoothly?"

Smith sighed softly. "Very smoothly. After I paid, William simply told me to return and wait. He said the Goblin Killers would arrive tomorrow."

Isaac frowned at that. William was the administrator of Fisry, the town closest to the estate. As one of the only two towns in Solomon Territory that grew Potion ingredients, it could not possibly lack money. Forget five Gold Coins—even fifty Gold Coins would have been enough to hire a team of Goblin Killers with ease.

Normally, this matter could have been settled without Isaac needing to pay, or even get involved at all.

"William... I remember he was close to Second Brother, wasn't he?" Isaac stopped and turned back to Smith in confusion.

Smith sighed helplessly. "Yes. William used to be Second Young Master's Knight."

Isaac shook his head. That explained it. Although he still did not know what his Second Brother wanted, it was probably nothing more than a struggle for power and profit. As the second son, he had a chance to compete for the inheritance.

But in Isaac's eyes, it was only a chance, because their Eldest Brother was outstanding—exceptionally so!

At only thirty-three, he was already a Peak Great Knight, just one step away from becoming a High-level Knight!

After all, in the entirety of Solomon Territory, only Viscount Solomon was a High-level Knight!

And his strength was not his only advantage. He was also extremely capable at governing the territory. How could anyone compete with someone like that? What could they possibly use to compete?

Yet clearly, his Second Brother had not admitted defeat. He was preparing to make one last attempt, and Isaac had been dragged into it...

Of course, perhaps Isaac had been deliberately dragged into it.

Who knew?

"Forget it. They're only Goblins. With the Goblin Killers helping us search, they shouldn't amount to much. Whatever Second Brother wants to do is none of my business. Uncle Smith, go call Brother Barton. I have something for him."

"Yes." Smith nodded slightly, turned, and left, while Isaac continued toward the dining hall alone.

"Ah... what a mess..." Isaac sighed again and shook his head. He had not expected that even after hiding out here, he still could not escape all this troublesome nonsense...

Fortunately, it would not affect him much. This was a world of the extraordinary, where individual strength was the fundamental factor that decided everything. That was why he thought so highly of his Eldest Brother, and the same applied to himself.

Having already stepped onto the Path of the Wizard, his future was bright. He was no longer the sickly Young Master Solomon who could not even truss a chicken!

Lightly tossing the Potion in his hand, Isaac headed toward the dining hall with brisk steps.

By the time Isaac arrived at the dining hall, Smith and Barton were already waiting for him. Isaac was not surprised in the slightest. One was an Official Knight and the other a Quasi-Knight; neither was ordinary, so it was perfectly normal for them to be faster than him.

After sitting down, Isaac casually slid the Bloodline Essence Potion in his hand across the table until it stopped in front of Barton. "Brother Barton, you've been stuck at the Quasi-Knight stage for many years, haven't you? This is a Bloodline Essence Potion. Drink it first and see whether it's enough for you to break through. If it isn't, I'll give you more. This is a time when we need strength."

After saying that, Isaac began wolfing down the roast chicken as if nothing had happened. It was not something he got to eat often. A single roast chicken cost more than a dozen Silver Coins; with his finances, he truly could not afford many of them.

The other two, however, were nowhere near as calm. Smith and Barton stared wide-eyed at the bright red Potion on the table without moving, especially Barton. He was already in his late thirties, nearly forty. His physical abilities had declined severely, and he had long since lost any possibility of advancing further. Otherwise, he would not have come to follow Isaac.

But if he had a bottle of Bloodline Essence Potion...

Then perhaps he could make one last attempt!

At that thought, Barton's heart grew hot!

Compared to his son Barton, Smith was even more shocked. As Isaac's chief steward, he knew very well that the Young Master had absolutely not bought any Potions before coming here. He had only purchased materials for three Bloodline Essence Potions, so these could only have been freshly made—but how was that possible?!

He had only become a Wizard yesterday!

"Young Master, did... did you make these?" Smith asked cautiously.

"Mm. So drink it. In this estate, only you and Brother Barton are close to me. Naturally, good things go to you first." With that, Isaac continued devouring the roast chicken.

After eating, he needed to make a trip to the Cabin in the Woods and see what was going on there. He had originally planned to learn the Basic Three Arcana before going, but plans could not keep up with changes. A Goblin had appeared out of nowhere...

The estate's defenses were sufficient, of course, but what if something happened?

Although he had become a Formal Wizard and awakened his Innate Sorcery, his combat power was actually rather mediocre. Hopefully, the Cabin in the Woods would bring him some good news.

"Young Master Isaac, this is far too precious. I cannot accept it!" On the other side of the table, Barton pushed the Bloodline Essence Potion away with a conflicted expression, politely declining Isaac's offer.

He wanted it badly, but he also understood Isaac's current situation. Rather than giving it to an old worthless man like him, whose future held no promise, it would be better to give it to someone younger and more talented. That would offer the greatest Cost-effectiveness.

"Enough. We've known each other for so many years, so why are you still being polite with me? Take it. It's only a bottle of Potion." Isaac looked at Barton helplessly.

Did he not know that giving it to Barton had poor Cost-effectiveness?

The problem was that he could only give it to Barton. He had brought only twelve people from home, and the only ones he could trust were Smith and son. Smith was older and already a Knight, so the Potion would have very little effect on him. Isaac did not trust the others at all.

Loyalty was not something that could be cultivated in a day or two.

Therefore, compared to the others, Smith and son, who were utterly loyal to him, were more deserving of cultivation. They were merely a few bottles of Potion, nothing worth mentioning to him.

"Th-this... thank you, Young Master Isaac!" Barton looked at Isaac emotionally, then excitedly dropped to one knee before him, pressing his right hand to his chest. He was too overwhelmed to speak.

This was a Knight's oath of loyalty.

Isaac shook his head, swallowed the last bite of cake, then stood and left the dining hall without looking back.

"Smith, I'm going out for something. You'll look after Brother Barton. No need to follow me."