Ten Years Later

Olivier had Simba grow larger, then sat upon its back, traveling toward the Imperial Capital of the O'Brien Empire while enjoying the sights along the way.

There was no urgent business, nor was he in a hurry to return to the capital. Olivier's pace was leisurely, and as he passed through many cities, he took the time to properly appreciate the exotic scenery, taking several months to finally reach the O'Brien Imperial Capital.

Along the way, the architecture, delicacies, and customs of various regions; the mages dressed in gorgeous robes; the warriors clad in all manner of armor; and the various strange and bizarre magical beasts all served to open Olivier's eyes.

By auctioning off the magical cores of the beasts he had killed on a whim, Olivier easily transformed from a pauper into a wealthy man. That was simply how the world worked—with strength, money could be obtained at will.

He spent a period of time living a life of extravagance, eating the finest food, staying in the best accommodations, and enjoying the best entertainment.

Olivier, dressed in white and possessing a handsome appearance, was lavish with his spending. He also had Simba transform into a miniature white cat to hold in his arms, lending him an air of mystery. Along the way, he stirred the hearts of many noble maidens and young wives. Olivier would flirt with them, but he was never serious; at most, he would take some liberties with his words or hands, but he never truly committed. To him, ordinary beauties, no matter how lovely, belonged to a different world.

It was a very famous restaurant in the Imperial Capital, a gathering place for high-ranking officials and nobles. After returning to the capital, Olivier had originally intended to head straight back to his family estate to see Blumer, but he had a sudden change of heart. He had eaten many delicacies on his journey, but having been born in the capital and previously preoccupied with cultivation, he had never actually dined at the city's renowned restaurants. He decided to indulge on a whim.

The restaurant was not crowded. Olivier held Simba and found a window seat, from which he could overlook the bustling streets of the capital. Seeing Olivier dressed in a cloud-patterned white robe with an extraordinary temperament and a golden pet cat, the waiter immediately recognized him as a young master from a wealthy family—someone of high status—and dared not show any negligence.

Soon, several exquisite dishes and a pot of fine wine were served. There was Tongue Dragon Beast meat, Turtle Dove Beast liver, Flat Spirit Vegetable, and more—all signature dishes of the restaurant. Each dish was worth dozens of gold coins, and a single meal cost several hundred, a price the average person could not afford.

"The taste is truly excellent." Olivier ate with satisfaction, his palate well-pleased.

"If only we could come here to eat every day, how wonderful that would be!"

At a nearby table of six, consisting of both warriors and mages, they had just been served and, after a few bites, were full of praise. One of them drooled as he spoke.

"Stop daydreaming. We barely survived a brush with death to kill a single seventh-rank magical beast, and only then did we have the money to eat here once."

In the Yulan Continent, a seventh-rank magical core was generally worth only fifty thousand gold coins. Split six ways, that was less than ten thousand each. Given their abilities, they had no idea when they would be able to kill another seventh-rank beast, so how could they afford to dine here often?

"This is a place only the great families of the Imperial Capital can frequent. Don't even think about it."

The others mocked him; it wasn't that they didn't want to, but they knew their own limitations.

"Speaking of the great families of the capital, the most prominent is the Achisoren Family. Ten years ago, the genius swordsman Lord Olivier had just entered the Saint-level when he challenged the number one Saint-level powerhouse, the 'Haydson' of the Rock, and survived. Ten years have passed, and Lord Olivier must have surpassed Lord Haydson to become the strongest Saint-level expert. And his younger brother, Blumer, not only became a disciple of the War God but also broke through to the Saint-level this year at the age of forty-two—five years earlier than Lord Olivier—becoming a new genius swordsman. He even challenged the 'Tyrone' of the Starry Sky and did not lose. Two swordsmen in one family; what a legendary house."

Their tone was filled with envy and admiration.

"I didn't expect Blumer to have already broken through to the Saint-level. I've returned at just the right time."

Olivier had not known when Blumer had reached the Saint-level, but naturally, the earlier, the better.

"However, I think Lord Olivier is still more formidable. He achieved everything through his own cultivation. Lord Blumer not only studied under the War God but also had a Saint-level brother to guide him, making his breakthrough much easier. Furthermore, when he first entered the Saint-level, he couldn't defeat the 'Tyrone' of the Starry Sky like Lord Olivier did."

This person admired Olivier even more. Perhaps for those without a strong background, Olivier was their role model, and they harbored an inherent sense of imbalance toward those with powerful connections.

"Lord Olivier and Lord Blumer are both genius figures of our O'Brien Empire. However, the greatest genius of the entire Yulan Continent is still Lord Linley. He became a Saint-level expert at twenty-seven, and even then, his strength was on par with Lord Haydson. He must be even stronger now. I believe Lord Linley is the true number one Saint-level powerhouse, him and that mouse magical beast of his."

"That's true. Lord Olivier hasn't appeared for nearly ten years, while Lord Linley has already established a kingdom in the Chaos Territory."

"I still prefer Lord Olivier and Lord Blumer more. After all, they are from our O'Brien Empire, and they aren't married yet."

The only female mage at the table spoke up.

These people were between twenty and forty years old. The strongest among them had only just reached the seventh rank, while the others were around the fifth or sixth, and the female mage was only at the fourth rank.

"Look at you, you lovesick fool. What does it matter to you whether Lord Olivier is married or not?"

The female mage was the youngest in the group, possessed good talent, and was quite pretty; it was clear she was doted on by the others.

"Boss, your brother is even more impressive than you. Your whole family is full of monsters. But to think there's someone named Linley who is even more of a genius than you, you monster."

Simba transformed into a cat and sat on the table, eating the delicacies. Olivier wouldn't let it speak aloud, so it had to communicate through their soul contract. Along the journey, Simba had come to understand Olivier's personality and had reverted to its rogue-like style. Olivier often had it turn into a cat to flirt with beauties, so although they had signed a master-servant contract, they were, in reality, partners in crime who ate, drank, and caroused together.

"Linley? It would be quite easy for me to defeat him now," Olivier said proudly.

Calculating by time, the current Linley was still quite a distance from the peak of the Saint-level, likely on par with Simba. It wasn't until later, in the Necropolis of the Gods, that he would reach the peak of the Saint-level.

"The current Linley should be about the same as you."

Olivier sent another telepathic message.

"Boss, how do you know? Haven't you been cultivating in the ice plains all this time?"

Simba was very puzzled. The two had heard of Linley along the way, and it was said he hadn't made a move in a long time. How could the Boss be so certain?

"Of course I know. Why else would I be the Boss?"

Olivier didn't explain, nor could he. Was he supposed to tell it that he was a transmigrator?

"However, Linley is indeed very formidable. If you don't improve, it won't be long before he surpasses you. And his mouse magical beast is no worse than you. Don't offend them in the future, or don't blame me if I don't look out for you."

Olivier added.

After all, Linley had a massive background. If Simba were to offend Linley and sour the relationship, it would be troublesome, so Olivier felt it necessary to warn Simba.

"No way, Boss. Didn't you say Linley isn't as good as you?"

Simba was confused. Linley couldn't beat the Boss, yet the Boss's attitude was clearly off. It knew that Olivier was extremely arrogant and didn't hold most people in high regard; it had occasionally heard him speak of the High Priest and the War God without much respect.

"You just need to know that Linley's background is immense, far exceeding that of the High Priest and the War God. So, there you have it."

Olivier said no more. He knew Simba understood.

"Oh."

Although Simba was very curious, seeing that Olivier had no intention of elaborating, it could only keep its questions to itself.

Achisoren Ducal Mansion.

Ever since Blumer became a Saint-level expert, Emperor Joanne had elevated Blumer's title to Duke.

Although the Duke's mansion remained in its original location, it had changed significantly; the main gate was noticeably taller and more imposing than it had been ten years ago, and the two massive stone lions flanking the entrance were sculpted based on Snow Lions, with the golden characters of the Achisoren Family Duke's Mansion gleaming brightly.

Simba felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the pair of stone lions.

"Not majestic enough."

The Snow Lion Simba took a glance and boasted pretentiously.

He simply failed to consider that in his current form as a cat, he was even less majestic, only good for acting cute.

Olivier walked straight toward the mansion, thinking to himself that he was finally home.

"Halt! Who are you? You cannot just wander into the Duke's mansion."

The guards blocked Olivier's path.

Even the guards have the strength of a Level 6; not bad.

Deep in his memories, the Achisoren Family had been in decline, and when Olivier was young, there wasn't a single person in the entire mansion with strength above Level 6.

"I am Olivier, Blumer's older brother. I am returning home; are you certain you want to stop me?"

Olivier smiled.

Indeed, it had been quite some time since he had been home, and there were likely few people left in the mansion who would recognize him. Being stopped was frustrating and even laughable, yet it was also within reason. Olivier did not get angry; after all, this was his home, so he politely informed the guards of his identity, intending to call for Blumer if things didn't go smoothly.

"You... who are you? Lord Olivier?"

The guards were visibly stunned; Olivier was the pride of the Achisoren Duke's mansion, and there was no one who did not know him.

"The genuine article."

Olivier added.

"It really is Lord Olivier! This is wonderful!"

The two guards looked Olivier over and exclaimed in pleasant surprise.

"Lord Olivier, you've returned! I will go notify Lord Blumer," one guard said.

"Lord Olivier is back! Lord Olivier is back..." the other shouted while ushering Olivier into the mansion.

I didn't expect them to actually recognize me. Not bad, not bad at all.

It was beyond his expectations; he had assumed he would be given a hard time, but he hadn't anticipated that the guards would actually know who he was.

It turned out that whenever Blumer recruited anyone into the Duke's mansion, he would bring them before a portrait of Olivier, making them memorize his appearance. This was a mandatory rite of passage for everyone in the Achisoren Duke's mansion, which was why, once prompted by Olivier's name, the guards had recognized him.