Ghost?

"My Lord, I was just about to report to you. This morning, a servant went up to check and said they smelled a very pleasant fragrance, even richer and more delightful than perfume. It's coming from the ambergris you had me set out to dry!"

"Oh? The fragrance has emerged? It seems it has dried!" Nalant was overjoyed. While dried salted fish and salt were profitable, he was looking forward to the ambergris even more, for perfume was where the true, exorbitant profit lay.

Although Nalant hadn't obtained any more ambergris in the last few days, the whales were still present off the coast, continuing to chase the slippery flying fish in a chaotic frenzy.

Nalant knew there must still be plenty of ambergris expelled by the whales in the sea; it was simply a matter of time before the waves washed it ashore.

The two pieces he had obtained previously were already enough to last him for a while.

"Thomas, take those two pieces of ambergris to the mill immediately and grind them down. Remember, this stuff is extremely precious; not a single scrap is to be lost!" The ambergris had dried just in time for the caravan's departure to Tulip City, and Nalant was prepared to test whether he could truly make a fortune.

"Yes, My Lord!"

After finishing lunch, Nalant instructed Quick to lead the guards in training, while he himself called for Vivian and walked into the inner keep.

"My Lord, Sister Vivian!" As the two walked into the inner keep, Sherry, that little loli, came running out from the kitchen. "My Lord, what are you two planning to do?"

Because Sherry had been exposed to many noble scions back at the Rose Tavern, she did not harbor the bone-deep fear of nobles that other serfs possessed—though, of course, the respect remained.

"I will need volunteers to help me test some perfume later, so you should come along too, Sherry!" Nalant didn't mind Sherry's liveliness; in fact, he found the girl quite interesting and rare.

"Yes, My Lord!" Sherry's face immediately lit up with joy. She stepped forward, took Vivian's hand, and followed Nalant upstairs.

The main body of the baron's castle had four floors.

The first floor consisted of the dining hall and various multi-purpose halls.

The second floor was reserved for guest rooms and activity spaces.

The third floor was Nalant's private space, including his study and bedroom; only Nalant and Thomas were allowed to move freely here.

The fourth floor contained various storerooms used to house the Lord's wealth and possessions, such as gold and silver utensils or precious treasures. In addition, there was a small vault for storing gold and silver coins.

Unfortunately, Nalant didn't have much wealth, so the fourth floor was currently empty. Consequently, Nalant had Thomas clear out a well-lit storeroom to serve as his laboratory for future inventions.

Bringing Vivian and Sherry into the laboratory, they found only a few empty wooden shelves and a long wooden table inside.

"My Lord, there's nothing here! Where is the perfume?"

Sherry looked around like a curious baby, but she didn't see the perfume she had been expecting.

Sherry had seen perfume back in Tulip City and was very much looking forward to that pleasant scent.

"Steward Thomas will bring it soon!" Nalant replied with a smile.

"Eh, My Lord, there's someone over there!" Just after Nalant answered, Sherry said something shocking, pointing toward the corner of the room.

"Someone?!" Nalant was stunned by Sherry's words; there was nothing in that corner but a wooden shelf.

"My Lord, someone over there is saying that you and Sister Vivian are hateful monsters and wants you to leave quickly!" Before Nalant could clear his thoughts, Sherry continued with absolute certainty, even as fear crept into her own eyes.

Damn, this castle isn't haunted, is it? Nalant felt his back crawl at her words. With his eyesight as a Title Knight, he truly saw nothing but an empty wooden shelf.

Clang!

The next moment, Nalant drew the longsword he never left behind and headed toward the corner.

"Sherry, where is this 'person' you're talking about?" Nalant knew that although Sherry was lively, she wouldn't dare play pranks on him, her Lord.

"My Lord, it seems to be coming from behind the wooden shelf!" Sherry focused for a moment and gave a firm answer.

Hearing this, Nalant held his longsword in one hand and carefully pushed the wooden shelf aside.

Squeak, squeak, squeak!

Whoosh!

The moment Nalant moved the shelf, a small black shadow scurried out from the corner, squeaking!

Nalant's reflexes were lightning fast; his longsword immediately traced a flash of steel in front of him, and with a swift strike, the small black shadow was cut in two.

"Ah! It was just a mouse! My Lord, how could I hear it talking? Am I a monster?" The next moment, Nalant felt slightly relieved, but the girl Sherry was pale with fright.

Because there was a lack of animals in the castle and Sherry hadn't been outside these past few days, she didn't know about her own innate ability.

Discovering that what she had heard was actually the speech of a mouse left her deeply shaken.

"Don't be afraid, Sherry, this is a gift bestowed upon you by the Lord!" Vivian, drawing from her own experience, understood Sherry's current situation.

As for whether this talent was bestowed by the Lord?

Vivian felt that the God of Glory only favored nobles, and since she and Sherry had only gained these miraculous talents after drinking the medicine the Lord gave them, she preferred to believe that this was the power bestowed by the Lord.

"Ah! A talent bestowed by the Lord?" Sherry stared with her mouth agape after hearing Vivian's words.

"That's right, Sherry. Do you remember the bowl of soup the Lord gave you? That was the soup that granted us our talents. My talent is archery, and your talent might just be the ability to talk to small animals!" Vivian nodded affirmatively.

"My Lord, is what Sister Vivian says true?" It was only then that she remembered the bowl of tea; so that was the reason the Lord had given it to her. At the same time, recalling Vivian's marksmanship, Sherry believed it for the most part.

"Yes, that's right. Sherry, your talent is the ability to communicate with small animals. Tomorrow, I'll take you out of the castle to see other small animals!" Nalant hadn't expected Vivian to have the qualities of a shill, but he didn't refute her. If they were happy to believe it, that was all the better.

"Yay! Thank you, My Lord! I can actually communicate with small animals!" Sherry immediately turned her fear into joy. One had to know that she had always loved small animals the most. If she could talk to them in the future... Sherry was already imagining herself walking down the street with small animals in tow.

"My Lord, Sherry will be loyal to you for the rest of her life!" Finally, the little loli knelt before Nalant and swore her oath in an incredibly sincere tone.