Before Taking Office

The second was a hundred-square-meter house very close to the town center. It cost only two hundred gold coins, and the surrounding facilities were especially well developed. It had good cross-ventilation, north to south, but the total area was too small, and unlike the other two houses, it didn't have a yard.

The third house stood beside the town hall. It had once been the residence of the previous mayor, but after he left office, Shengdelu became the new mayor and chose not to live there, so the house had been left empty.

It was the most expensive, costing four hundred gold coins, but it had all the advantages of the other two houses. Lin Lei didn't think for long before speaking to the clerk.

"I'll take the third one. Show it to me now. If it's suitable, I'll buy it right away."

"Sure thing."

The clerk was delighted. It was clear that Lin Lei was serious about buying. After giving a few people nearby some instructions, he led Lin Lei outside.

They arrived at the entrance to the third house, Pear Garden. Two stone lions stood by the gate, lifelike and imposing. Judging by the outer layer of stone, they had been there for many years.

Lin Lei and the clerk stepped inside. As far as the eye could see, the buildings were made from precious trees such as Snow Pear Wood. Lin Lei turned back and ran his hand over the gate. It was made of refined iron, and the gate alone was worth three or four gold coins.

Instead of going straight to the main building, Lin Lei headed to the backyard. There were two wells, and looking down into them, he could still see water. He drew up a bucketful. The water was clear and transparent, and when he tasted it, he found it quite good—like Nongfu Spring water from his old world.

As Lin Lei walked through Pear Garden, he saw many varieties of pear trees, just as he'd expected. There were Title Page Pear Trees with red blossoms, Jade Luo Pear Trees with white blossoms, Fragrant Orchid Pear Trees with purple blossoms, and countless other kinds.

After taking a quick look around, Lin Lei went to the main building. The furniture was all still there. Apart from a few paintings and calligraphy pieces that had been taken away, all the larger furnishings had been left behind.

"Not bad."

Lin Lei was very pleased after looking around. Even his usually calm face held a faint smile. It was clear that this house was excellent.

"You can register here. Once you've registered and paid, you can move in today."

As he spoke, the clerk handed Lin Lei an information form. He had brought it with him when he left.

Lin Lei didn't haggle. Pear Garden was a little expensive, but it was safe and secure.

I can earn more money later. I'll leave this place to Avril and the others and spare them a lot of trouble.

Lin Lei finished registering, took out his money pouch, and paid the full price for Pear Garden. After he paid, the clerk handed him the keys and asked, "Sir, do you need servants? We also have first-rate butlers and maids."

"No, thanks."

Lin Lei shook his hand in satisfaction, then strode away with the keys to Pear Garden. He and the clerk parted ways at the garden's entrance.

Lin Lei thought, My father and mother won't be used to having other people wait on them at first. It's better to give them this house and let them manage it as they see fit than to hire servants myself.

He looked up at the sun. It was no longer overhead; afternoon had arrived.

Lin Lei didn't wander around any longer. He headed straight to the place where he'd arranged to meet Shaqima: a food stall by the town gate.

Looking around, he spotted a skinny figure standing by a place that sold flatbreads. A closer look confirmed it was Shaqima.

"What did you buy? You don't have anything with you."

Lin Lei hurried over to greet Shaqima. He looked him up and down. His clothes and trousers were just as they'd been when they parted, and both his hands were empty. Clearly, he hadn't bought anything.

"Don't tell me you didn't spend that gold coin?"

Lin Lei asked Shaqima in disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Mm."

Shaqima nodded shyly, moving his hands back and forth along his trouser legs, too nervous to keep them still.

"Did you come straight here after leaving the inn and wait for me?"

Lin Lei asked again in surprise.

"Mm."

Shaqima nodded once more. The simple boy hadn't gone anywhere.

Lin Lei covered his forehead, at a loss for words. Who got money and then didn't spend it? He never would have expected that.

"Why didn't you use the money?"

Lin Lei asked curiously. Most people would go on a shopping spree after suddenly coming into a fortune. Few were as sensible as Shaqima and kept the money untouched.

"I'm giving it to my dad. Our house needs repairs, and we need that gold coin."

Shaqima smiled simply. His plain face held an expression that made Lin Lei envious, and Lin Lei fell silent.

He had spent eight years in this world and knew firsthand how hard life was for farmers. Every year, they not only had to work the fields but also guard against all kinds of magical beasts and foreign races.

If disaster struck and a drought came, they could lose an entire year's harvest. And all of this was in Flower Territory, within human lands. Life was even more difficult in places near the Beast Race, Night Elves, and Dwarves, such as Iron Bear Territory. There were skirmishes every few days.

The land there was fertile, but every inch of it had been built on bones. It had been soaked in the blood and corpses of foreign races and humans, and only then had the soil become fertile enough.

Lin Lei thought of many things in an instant. Shaqima was still smiling brightly, but Lin Lei's mood sank.

"Let's go."

Lin Lei took a deep breath and didn't continue the conversation. He called Shaqima over, and they left town together to return to the village.

Perhaps because Lin Lei was dressed too well, they encountered five or six groups of bandits along the way, even though bandits were usually few and far between.

These bandits were desperately poor. None of them had a decent set of clothes. The one group that was properly dressed had only two bronze-ranked fighters, both low-level warriors of the first or second tier.

Lin Lei didn't lift a finger the entire way. The moment Ah Huang saw the bandits, he charged out impatiently, biting the penniless robbers until they howled in misery. He chased them from one hill to the next, and none of them could last a single round against him.

Lin Lei simply stood where he was and comforted Shaqima, who was trembling a little. Shaqima was a good-natured boy, but he was far too timid.

It was clear that the bandits weren't vicious outlaws, and Ah Huang didn't go for the kill. He scared them off in less than five minutes, then came back. Lin Lei bent down and stroked his head.

Ah Huang had already been enjoying himself, and now he wagged his tail even more happily.

The trip didn't take Lin Lei much longer because of the bandits. He returned to the village before dusk and parted with Shaqima at the entrance.

As soon as Lin Lei got home, he saw Aguda sorting through the wheat they had just harvested from the fields. Avril and Alyosha were helping him. Even though Lin Lei had hunted down a silver-ranked magical beast, the family hadn't abandoned their own harvest.

"Woof!"

As soon as Ah Huang came through the door, he rushed straight to Avril. Aside from Lin Lei, she was the only one in the family who treated him well. He ran over and pawed at her leg.

"Red Fire, you're back!"

Avril looked down at Ah Huang, who had suddenly appeared beside her feet, her face full of delight. She had a more formal name for him: Red Fire, which sounded much better than his nickname.

Still, Lin Lei preferred calling Red Fire Ah Huang. He was used to it, and it felt right.

Hearing the commotion, Aguda and his wife looked toward the door. If Red Fire was back, Lin Lei had to be back too.

Sure enough, Lin Lei stood smiling at the threshold. Yang Jian's strength let him stand there steadily without wobbling or falling.

"Brother!"

Avril let go of Red Fire, who was left staring after her in confusion, then leaped up and threw herself into Lin Lei's arms. Lin Lei patted her back reassuringly.

Lin Lei had never been away from home by himself before, and Avril had always been with him. Even though they'd only been apart for a day this time, she had still missed him terribly.

Lin Lei didn't stay at the door for long. After greeting everyone, he found a stool and sat beside Aguda and the others, helping them sort the wheat. He'd often done this kind of work before.

As he worked, Lin Lei told Aguda and the others what he'd seen while selling the bear.

"I sold the bear to Miss Alice, the daughter of the lord of Flower Territory. I got five hundred gold coins, and she also gave me a token that'll let me enter Flower Territory."

Lin Lei paused to look at Aguda and his wife. The honest, steady couple showed little reaction to the money. Perhaps five hundred gold coins and ten gold coins meant about the same to them.

Then Lin Lei continued, "She wants me to go to Flower Territory and become a centurion. Should I go?"

Lin Lei wanted to go. With the King Character System, only battle could help him improve. But he couldn't bear to leave Aguda and the others behind. After eight years together, he'd grown deeply attached to them.

"Go. You have to go."

Aguda and Alyosha strongly encouraged Lin Lei to go to Flower Territory. Only Avril was reluctant to see him leave, and she kicked up a fuss.

Alyosha, who was usually gentle and kind, scolded her. Avril ran off in tears, and Alyosha chased after her, leaving Lin Lei alone with Aguda.

Aguda had stopped working. He looked Lin Lei in the eye and said each word with solemn emphasis.

"You have to go. Don't worry about us. We've lived this way our whole lives, so what's there to be afraid of?

"I know you've never been content to spend your life as a farmer. This is the best chance you'll get. With a noble guiding you, you might make something of yourself. Otherwise, even if you know a little magic, it'll be hard to get anywhere..."

Aguda thought Lin Lei's transformation was a wizard's spell. Lin Lei didn't correct him. He simply listened in silence as the usually taciturn man offered him advice, every word meaningful. It might have been the most Aguda had ever spoken in one day.

At last, Lin Lei nodded to show he would go. As he spoke, he took out the keys to Pear Garden in the town.

"I used the money from selling the bear to buy a house. You can move in tomorrow. Don't bring too many things; you can buy whatever you need in town..."

Aguda didn't refuse. He took the keys from Lin Lei's hand.