Land of Fortune?

This burly, brawny man was none other than Baron Andrew, the cheap father of Nalant.

Andrew clutched the giant axe his youngest son had just gifted him, his gaze sweeping incessantly across the great hall.

Before long, Andrew locked eyes with Aldin, who stood before the civil officials.

"Aldin, you dare to frame my Nalant? Today, I shall execute you!" With a deafening roar, Andrew's silver-tier high-rank knight Battle Qi surged wildly, and his figure streaked rapidly toward Aldin.

Bang!

In mere seconds, Andrew reached Aldin. Aldin, a mere silver-tier low-rank knight, stared at the axe blade—which was larger than his own head—and scrambled to flee.

Andrew's massive axe blade struck empty air, slamming into the floor and shattering the grand hall's exquisite marble tiles into pieces.

"Aldin, you won't escape today!" Having missed his first strike, Andrew continued his pursuit.

"My Lord Count, save me! Andrew has gone mad!" Seeing he could not outrun Andrew, Aldin immediately changed direction and bolted toward the raised dais.

The Count looked at the red-faced, bristling Andrew with a headache.

He had intended to soothe this old comrade after the matter was settled, but he had not expected him to arrive so quickly.

"Aldin, you had the guts to frame my Nalant, now have the guts to stop hiding!"

"Andrew, calm yourself first!" Aldin had already reached the side of the Count, and only then did the Count finally speak.

"My Lord Count, this subordinate is guilty, but I must kill this bastard Aldin first today! I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit afterward!" Andrew did not pursue him onto the dais, but stood at its edge, glaring at Aldin.

"Andrew, hasn't Nalant survived the incident? Restrain your impatience; I will give you an explanation shortly!" The Count sighed in resignation, then turned to the servants at the side of the hall. "Why haven't you brought a seat for Baron Andrew yet?"

"Hmph!" Hearing this, Andrew cast one last hateful glare at Aldin before sheathing his giant axe and sitting down on a stool to the side.

Once Andrew was settled, the Count pondered for a moment before speaking. "The Land of Misfortune is truly too dangerous. Although Nalant escaped this crisis, if Dark Creatures appear again in the future, his life may be at risk. I have decided to select a new fief for Nalant! Andrew, what do you think?"

"My thanks, My Lord Count!" Andrew's expression finally softened.

"Ah?" This time, it was Thomas who was dumbfounded. He had not expected his own master's prediction to come true—the Count was actually going to re-grant him a territory.

"What is it, Steward Thomas? Do you have something to say?" The crowd looked at Thomas in confusion.

"My Lord Count, it is like this: before I set out, Master Nalant gave instructions that he does not wish to change his territory!"

"What? He doesn't want to change his territory? How could Nalant say such a thing? Could it be that he has grown fond of the Land of Misfortune?" Andrew was immediately unsettled. He knew his second son's character better than anyone.

He had always been cowardly and timid, though he did not know how he had managed to slay two second-tier Dark Creatures this time.

But to remain in the Land of Misfortune—Andrew felt this was certainly not a choice his youngest son would make.

"Lord Andrew, those were Master Nalant's own words! The Master said that while others see the Storm Territory as a Land of Misfortune, to him, it is a Land of Fortune, for he is a lord favored by the God of Glory!"

Pfft!

As Thomas finished speaking, everyone in the hall could not help but burst into laughter.

The Land of Misfortune had become a Land of Fortune?

Then what did that make their own territories? A paradise of the gods?

And that final remark—surely no noble would dare boast so brazenly to others!

Even the usually dignified Count struggled to suppress a smile.

"Haha! My Lady, that second son is truly interesting! He actually claims to be favored by the God of Glory!" Lina stretched her neck to hear the words in the hall, laughing until she swayed.

Even Stella's usually calm face bore a faint smile. In this world, while servants might flatter their masters with such phrases all day long, no noble would ever say such a thing about themselves—it was simply too shameless.

Andrew glared at the civil officials with some annoyance, and the group immediately stifled their laughter.

Afterward, Andrew took a deep breath to suppress the anger in his heart and looked at Thomas. "Then tell me, how has the Storm Territory become a Land of Fortune? If there is no sufficient reason, as his father, I shall make the decision right here and now to accept the Count's offer to change his territory!"

Naturally, Andrew did not believe the claim that the Land of Misfortune had turned into a Land of Fortune.

The crowd, hearing this, stared intently at Thomas as well. They, too, wanted to know how the Storm Territory could be considered fortunate—was it because of the frequent invasions by Dark Creatures?

"Lord Andrew, after Master Nalant arrived at the Storm Territory, he was fortunate enough to obtain two Sprites!" Thomas replied respectfully.

"What? Two Sprites in one month?" The crowd, who had been waiting to watch a show, was stunned.

"And they are a Purple Sprite and a Yellow Sprite, respectively. The Purple Sprite has chosen the Swordwood Forest as its habitat, while the Yellow Sprite produces salt!"

This Yellow Sprite was, of course, a lie Nalant had instructed Thomas to tell, so as to conceal the fact that he was extracting salt from the sea.

"Hiss! Swordwood Forest and a salt mine?" Everyone in the hall gasped. This was far too fortunate!

Whether it was salt or swordwood, both were commodities that never lacked buyers.

"Steward Thomas, are you telling the truth? Nalant obtained two Sprites? And they are a Sword Wood Sprite and a Salt Mine Sprite?" Andrew's eyes widened.

"Yes, Lord Andrew. That is why Master Nalant said he does not wish to change his territory!" Thomas nodded earnestly.

Andrew fell silent. This was indeed too fortunate.

Moreover, if he forced Nalant to change territories now, his two Sprites would likely be lost.

Once a Sprite had been utilized, the products they were bound to were fixed. Whether a Sprite could continue to function after a change in location was an unknown variable.

Take the Sword Wood Sprite, for instance; if you were to move it to a new territory where no sword wood grows, it would become a useless existence from then on.

As for the Salt Mine Sprite, it is even more of an unknown variable; the Swordwood Forest is at least visible, and one can tell at a glance whether it exists on a territory or not.

But when it comes to something like a salt mine, no one dares to guarantee that the sprite would still be able to manifest salt after changing territories.

Unless the sprite has never been used before, only then would its effects be randomized regardless of the location.

"Sigh!" Andrew let out a soft sigh. He was now unsure whether he should advise Nalant to change territories or to simply remain in Storm Territory.