New Goal

"So, as Viscount Kane, I only have 500 Gold Coins at my disposal?"

Li Si received an affirmative answer from Joyce and rubbed his temples with a headache.

Just how much of a spendthrift had his predecessor been? He had burned through the Kane Family's annual income and years of savings, yet after all those years, he had only become a Novice Mage. No wonder he was about to become the laughingstock of the Fies Nobles.

He had thought he would be able to live a financially carefree life. He had not expected that even after being reborn as a noble, he would still have to face a financial crisis.

Five hundred Gold Coins sounded like a lot, but it was really only so-so. An ordinary piece of magic equipment alone could cost over a hundred Gold Coins.

"Prepare 300 Gold Coins for me first. I have a use for them."

Li Si listlessly gave Joyce the order. Joyce did not ask what they were for and simply bowed in acknowledgment.

"Do we have any other properties in the city? Preferably somewhere with a spacious open area and a little more secluded."

Joyce thought for a moment.

"I do not know whether you have any other requirements, but if that is all, there is a warehouse with a courtyard on Beilei Street. It is usually used to store some goods from the estates and shops outside the city. If you need it, I can make arrangements now and have it cleared out by tomorrow."

"Clear it out first." Li Si hesitated after speaking, then asked, "How many family guards do we have now, and what are their strengths?"

Forgive Li Si for asking. His predecessor truly had not cared about even matters concerning his own safety, but this was extremely important to Li Si's next plan.

"Under royal law, you may have a guard force of ten, but only three are currently hired. At the same time, the family has trained three dedicated guards, making six in total. One is a Gold Warrior, one is a Silver Warrior, and the rest are Bronze Warriors." (Note: The number of guards permitted to Court Viscounts is strictly regulated, after all, all court nobles are gathered in the capital.)

"What weapons are they good at?"

At that, Joyce looked up at Li Si and said hesitantly, "I am not entirely sure. Captain Welf should be skilled with a longsword, while the other guards mostly use spears. Would you like me to ask them for the details?"

Li Si considered it. "Forget it. Go have Welf come to the study. Also, prepare a set of ordinary servant's clothes and place them in my room tomorrow morning."

Joyce bowed and left the room. Shortly afterward, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

The door opened gently, and an exceptionally burly middle-aged man wearing light leather armor walked in. He placed his left hand over his right chest and bowed.

"Good morning, Young Master Li Si. What are your orders?"

Li Si looked at the family's only Gold Warrior guard. As expected of a warrior class that placed the greatest emphasis on physical strength—his arms were nearly as thick as Li Si's two thighs combined.

"I want to strengthen my body a little lately. What weapons are you and the other guards skilled with?"

Welf was slightly surprised. Hadn't his viscount always been obsessed with magic research, never leaving home? Even the guards' work had become much easier. Why had he suddenly decided to train his body? Could it be...

"If you only wish to improve your health, you do not need to handle weapons. We can assist you by starting with basic strength training, such as your upper body and waist."

Li Si's face darkened. As if he could not understand what Welf meant. He waved his hand and said directly, "You do not need to worry about that. I want to start with weapon training. I do not know which weapon will suit me, so I want to try them all."

Welf did not mind. He was not a family guard raised by the Kane Family; he had merely signed an employment contract. Besides, as a Gold Warrior, he received a certain degree of respect even from some small and medium-sized nobles. An occasional little joke was harmless.

"I am skilled with sword and shield. Among the guards, some use spears, bows, sabers, axes, and hammers. None could be called masters, but it will be enough to give you an understanding of them."

"Fine. I'll have Joyce clear out a warehouse on Beilei Street. Tomorrow, bring two guards with you, along with the weapons, and take me there to practice."

Although he found it strange that they would not simply train in the manor's courtyard, Welf did not think much of it. He could not guess what a noble lord was thinking anyway. It was enough to follow orders.

After Welf closed the study door and left, Li Si let out a breath and lightly tapped the redwood desk before him, decorated with gilded bronze.

It was time to put his second class specialty on the agenda.

Warrior class specialty: Proficiency in All Weapons!

This was one of the easier warrior class specialties to obtain. It did not require completing any prerequisite quests.

As long as proficiency in ten types of weapons reached the intermediate level, it would be acquired automatically.

The effects of Proficiency in All Weapons were also quite straightforward. Unlike other specialties that boosted various attributes, all of its effects were reflected in one's mastery of the weapons in hand.

[Proficiency in All Weapons—Strength receives a 2x numerical modifier; the initial proficiency of all weapons is fixed at intermediate level; mastery level of the weapon with the highest personal proficiency +1]

After careful consideration, this was the warrior class specialty most suitable for Li Si. He had the All-Rounder talent and could master skills from other classes. The increased proficiency in all weapons from Proficiency in All Weapons would be extremely useful to him.

Of course, the biggest benefit came afterward.

It unconditionally raised the level of the weapon in which he had the highest proficiency by one!

In the game "Divine Revelation," weapon proficiency levels were also divided into low, intermediate, advanced, and Legendary-level. Setting aside the game's NPCs, it was extremely difficult for players to raise weapon proficiency to Legendary-level. This was why Proficiency in All Weapons was so popular among warrior players.

After all, as long as their proficiency with a weapon reached the advanced level, it could be directly raised to Legendary-level weapon mastery. Its effect was no weaker than that of other top-tier specialties.

This effect could also apply to staff-type weapons, which was why Proficiency in All Weapons made many mage players green with envy.

Thus, in his previous life's game, there had been very few players with Legendary-level Staff Mastery. A considerable number of them belonged to special classes such as Magic Swordsmen, which could obtain Proficiency in All Weapons.

Since he possessed the All-Rounder talent, he naturally would not pass up Proficiency in All Weapons, a class specialty he had envied greatly in his previous life.

That would be the focus of his efforts for the coming period: study arcane arts diligently while mastering Proficiency in All Weapons as quickly as possible.

As for other class specialties, he probably would not have a chance to obtain them anytime soon. The top-tier specialties of other classes in his memories were not something he could access yet, and he did not want to settle for just any class specialty. After all, cases like his mage class specialty, Magic Energy Thinking, being a lower-tier specialty of Arcane Mind and directly replaceable were rather uncommon.

What troubled Li Si now was how to avoid the fate of death awaiting him more than three months later.

It was the opening of the Fies Kingdom's main storyline in the game. He had too little information in hand, as though he were facing a mass of fog and did not know where to begin.

He also did not know whether he had already caught the attention of the mastermind behind it all. What happened on Lan Gai Street today had served as a reminder: he would need to keep a low profile and disguise himself whenever he went out in the future. Otherwise, anything he did would be as transparent as glass to anyone watching him closely.

"The road ahead is long and arduous!" Li Si sighed.

Forget it, no more overthinking. He should hurry up and try out the fresh new Arcane Subsystem!