Daughter of Misfortune

"Daughter of Misfortune is actually someone with a miraculous talent?" Nalant's eyes widened in disbelief.

It was merely a simple change in identity, yet it could overturn the understanding of the entire continent.

"My lord, should we take this Daughter of Misfortune to Wheat Leaf Village for disposal now..."

"No!"

Nalant looked at the frail girl and frowned as he pondered for a moment, rejecting Captain Quick's suggestion.

Perhaps this girl was the key to resolving the Dark Creature invasion a week from now.

"This..."

Quick froze.

It was not just him; the surrounding serfs were stunned as well.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Nalant understood that he was currently the only one who knew the truth about the Daughter of Misfortune. They certainly could not understand!

So he changed his wording. "Take her back to the castle first. I'm a little tired today. We'll deal with her another day!"

The truth definitely could not be revealed, at least not in front of so many people. Once it leaked out, the consequences would be unpredictable.

"Yes, my lord!" Though he found it difficult to understand, Quick did not hesitate to carry out the order as a subordinate.

"Wait! My lord, you cannot do this!"

However, a voice of objection came from the back of the crowd.

The crowd parted, and a middle-aged man in a silk formal suit rode forward on horseback.

The horse beneath him was actually a true warhorse, instantly making Nalant's mottled horse look inferior.

"Civil Administrator Anthony greets my lord!"

The one riding a warhorse and stealing Nalant's thunder was none other than Storm Territory's civil administrator!

Logically speaking, as the lord of Storm Territory, Nalant held the power of life and death within his territory. No one should have dared to defy his wishes.

But the problem was that Nalant had obtained his title and territory through the earl's achievement competition.

When Nalant came to Storm Territory, aside from the horse beneath him, every other possession and subordinate had been assigned by the earl, including the butler and his only squad of guards.

The guard squad and butler had already been given to Nalant and would follow him for life, so they were still considered loyal.

But Civil Administrator Anthony was different. A civil administrator only stayed in Storm Territory for three years, and he was also responsible for overseeing the territory's development and reporting its monthly achievements.

Therefore, Anthony was still technically one of the earl's men. Furthermore, he held the title of honorary knight and was considered an honorary noble, so he had no fear of Nalant.

"Anthony, what is your objection?" Nalant's voice immediately turned cold.

Anthony was no good man. Viscount Aldin had deliberately sent him to make trouble for Nalant. In the mere two days since arriving in the territory, Anthony had caused him no end of trouble.

As for Viscount Aldin, he was the earl's younger brother. Nalant being assigned to this "Land of Misfortune" was all Viscount Aldin's doing.

Viscount Aldin had even secretly assigned five guards to Anthony under the excuse that Storm Territory was too dangerous, making Anthony even more brazen before Nalant.

"My lord, the Daughter of Misfortune will bring disaster to the territory. Yet because you are tired, you intend to place all the people of Storm Territory in danger. Do you not know that the longer a Daughter of Misfortune exists, the more dangerous she becomes?"

Anthony's words struck at the heart of the matter, instantly making the serfs, who deeply feared Dark Creatures, uneasy.

Although in most cases, burning the Daughter of Misfortune to death before the night of the meteor shower could prevent Dark Creatures from coming, there had been cases where Dark Creatures still attacked after the Daughter of Misfortune died. Though these were isolated incidents, people always remembered that the sooner a Daughter of Misfortune was killed, the better!

And Anthony was not finished. He continued in a sarcastic tone, "Besides, my lord, you have been in the territory for more than two days, yet you have not even inspected it once. May I ask how you could possibly be tired?"

"That's right! The lord has never inspected Storm Territory. How could he be tired just from staying in the castle?" For a moment, such bold doubts arose in the serfs' minds as well.

"Sir Anthony, my lord developed a fever and fell unconscious from exhaustion on his journey here. He only regained a little strength at noon today. Please understand your place. Who exactly is the lord of Storm Territory?" At this moment, Captain Quick stepped forward and immediately refuted Anthony.

Quick had also felt helpless about being assigned to the "Land of Misfortune."

But serving as captain of the guards under a lord was still an opportunity. Thus, he hoped his lord would rise to greatness, preferably becoming a hereditary noble one day. Then their status would rise with his.

"Quick, you are merely a lowly captain of the guards with no title. If you dare disrespect me again, I will file a complaint against you with the Noble Council of Tulip City!" Anthony looked down on Quick's commoner status and coldly threatened him.

"Enough! Anthony, this is my Storm Territory. Everything in this territory is decided by me, including you!" Nalant's furious shout rang across the entire scene, and his gaze toward Anthony became icy.

At that moment, perhaps sensing Nalant's anger, the Purple Sprite that had been quietly nestled in his arms suddenly moved. It poked half its head out from his collar and curiously surveyed its surroundings with its large, watery eyes.

"Ah, what is that?!"

"It's... it's a Sprite! A purple Sprite!"

"It really is a Sprite! It's my first time seeing one. It's so beautiful!"

The Sprite emitted a gentle glow, instantly becoming the center of attention in the dark night. At that moment, both the serfs and guards cried out in surprise.

Even children of three or four knew of the existence of Elemental Sprites.

That was because lords posted rewards throughout their territories all year round in order to collect Sprites. Anyone who found one would receive a reward in gold coins.

In this world, one gold coin was worth the equivalent of ten thousand yuan in Nalant's previous life. It could allow a serf family to live comfortably. Faced with such temptation, it was impossible for the serfs not to care.

How could I have forgotten about the little fellow? Isn't it perfect for shutting Anthony up? Seeing everyone's astonishment, an idea flashed through Nalant's mind. "Anthony, didn't you ask why I was tired? This is the reason for my exhaustion—the Purple Sprite I just found!"

"And do you know what a Sprite represents? It represents luck. It represents the God of Glory's favor upon me. So I am not worried that misfortune will descend upon Storm Territory!"

Nalant's tone became aggressive, and Anthony was instantly rendered speechless.

Elemental Sprites were not easy to find. Finding one required enormous effort and energy, and being able to find one truly represented good fortune.

"Nothing to say? Civil Administrator Anthony, I now order you to disappear from before me immediately. Otherwise, I do not mind exercising my authority as lord, even if it means suffering punishment from the earl afterward!"

Anthony's expression kept changing. He could not understand how the cowardly, useless second son of a baron had suddenly become so forceful after setting out. Finally, under Nalant's sharp gaze, Anthony said to the five guards behind him, "Let's go!"

After that, Anthony slunk away from the crowd.

"Quick, dismiss the serfs and bring this girl back to the castle!" Only then did Nalant's tone soften.

"Yes, my lord!"

Quick was extremely happy at this moment. His lord had obtained an Elemental Sprite on only his second day in the territory. This was a very good beginning.

Soon, under the guards' orders to disperse, the serfs who had seen a Sprite for the first time returned to Wheat Leaf Village, thoroughly satisfied.

"My lord, you've returned!"

When Nalant returned to the castle with Quick and the others, Thomas, having received word, was already waiting with a servant holding a copper basin.

Thomas stepped forward and took hold of the horse's reins. After Nalant dismounted, Thomas swiftly handed him a wet towel to wipe his face and hands.

After enjoying his butler's attentive service, Nalant spoke comfortably. "Thomas, take that girl to the inner castle. Have her wash up, then send her to my bedroom!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Thomas glanced at Vivian, who had kept her head lowered the entire time. He did not notice that she was a Daughter of Misfortune, nor was he surprised that his lord wanted a girl cleaned up and sent to his bedroom.

Such things were common among nobles. A noble's nightlife was often just this plain, unpretentious, and dull.

"My lord, then I shall take my leave as well and make arrangements for the night watch!"

Watching Thomas lead the Daughter of Misfortune into the inner castle, Quick wanted to offer some advice, but ultimately gave up. He merely looked at his lord with a complicated expression.

On the road, everyone had thought their lord's persistent fever was caused by excessive fright. Now it seemed that was not the case. After all, not many nobles would dare let a Daughter of Misfortune "spend the night" in their bedroom without considerable courage.

"Go!"

Nalant did not realize he had become a "lecherous demon" in his subordinate's eyes. He dismissed him with a word before entering the inner castle himself.