Auston City

Auston City

The Nile River was the greatest river on the Yalan Continent. This river, which ran through nearly the entire continent, began at the frigid, snow-covered Taylor Snow Mountain, gathered countless rivers large and small along the way, and finally surged mightily into the Fenglan Ocean.

It was already early spring, but the bitter chill of winter seemed reluctant to leave this continent, pursing its lips without restraint as it boasted of its own savage strength. Under the sunlight and the cold wind, the river's surface shimmered with rippling light.

Li Junshan stood on the deck. The linen sails snapped loudly in the strong wind, and in the distance, Floro City, shrouded in thin mist, finally disappeared from his sight.

"Master, this is your first time going to the imperial capital, isn't it?" Fate walked over from the deck and stood beside Li Junshan, feeling the cold and shrinking his neck a little.

"Mm." Li Junshan nodded and said, "It's my first time. Have you been there before?"

"I've been there quite a few times. My home isn't far from the imperial capital, in a village in the Kees Mountain Range," Fate said with a sigh. "I've been away from home for decades. I don't know what it looks like now."

Li Junshan smiled. "Don't get all sentimental. If one day you can break through to the rank of Magic Saint, you'll return home with a noble's crest. Your family will be proud of you."

A mage at the Magic Saint level would receive the empire's attention, and they would be courted with a noble title. At the very least, it would be the title of viscount.

"I hope that day comes," Fate said, his face full of longing.

Li Junshan smiled and said, "Make good use of your time and cultivate."

As he spoke, Li Junshan walked toward the cabin where he was staying. After entering and closing the door, he sat on the bed, took out that yellowed summoning manual, and focused intently on the rune patterns inside, swiftly tracing them with his finger.

The days passed one after another like this. Life on the ship was dull as well, and Li Junshan spent almost all day cultivating his spiritual power, though he still made no progress at all. Fate's magic cultivation, on the other hand, was faintly showing signs of breaking through to intermediate mage.

What gave Li Junshan a bit of a headache was that the little Black Dragon's appetite was simply too huge.

When he got bored on the ship, Li Junshan would summon it out to play with. In the spiritual space, the little Black Dragon simply slept, though it was clear at a glance that it was still growing. If summoned outside, it was as if it had been starving for ten-some years. A whole roast lamb would be eaten clean in the blink of an eye, and it would still curl its tongue and lick its mouth, looking completely unsatisfied as it stared at Li Junshan with pitiful eyes.

Li Junshan could only keep calling for the servants to bring food over under their strange gazes. The food prepared on the ship had originally been enough for everyone aboard, but because there was now an extra little Black Dragon, halfway through the voyage, they had no choice but to look for port cities to replenish their supplies.

Later, Bernie could not help going to Li Junshan. A summoned beast did not need to eat if it stayed in the spiritual space. He thought Li Junshan had gotten bored and summoned a Xenomorph to feed it, so he tactfully expressed that the marquis was waiting in the imperial capital and that the journey could not be delayed any longer.

After that, Li Junshan stopped summoning the little Black Dragon out. In this way, they sailed downstream along the Nile River for thirteen days, and the great sailboat finally docked. The carriage convoy then followed the main road west for another three days and finally arrived at the imperial capital of the Lans Empire—Auston City.

Auston City already had more than four hundred years of history. Although it could not compare to some ancient ruined cities on the Yalan Continent in age, it possessed a unique grandeur and desolate majesty.

Auston City was located at the center of the Lans Empire. Ever since King Andrew Airoy moved the imperial capital here from the cold northwest more than four hundred years ago, this land, which had been silent for centuries, had grown bustling. King Andrew, who was likewise a devout believer of the Church, had extravagantly ordered the construction of the tallest building in the Lans Empire in Auston City—the Central Cathedral. This unprecedented project took more than two hundred years to complete.

If the Church had not continuously provided financial support from behind the scenes, this Central Cathedral, built seamlessly into the mountainside and standing three hundred forty-two meters high from the horizon, would have been enough to make generations of the Lans Empire's finance officials cough blood and die.

When Li Junshan saw from the carriage that Central Cathedral, which had been praised countless times in epics, he was deeply shaken. This Central Cathedral, brimming with Gothic charm, was tightly connected to the towering, precipitous Kees Mountain Range. The building, constructed entirely from smooth stone blocks, had a uniquely simple beauty of line, and against the morning sunlight, it appeared natural and harmonious. Its soaring spire stabbed like a sharp sword into the clouds, inspiring awe at a single glance.

Beneath the Kees Mountain Range lay the vast Auston City. The four-wheeled carriage followed the broad bluestone avenue into Auston City. At first, the city guards thought it was a merchant caravan and yawned as they prepared to question it, conveniently seeing if they could extort a few gold coins. But the crest on the carriage that symbolized the Harriman Family instantly drove away their sleepiness, and they immediately paid their respects to the carriage with the most reverent etiquette.

The carriage raced along Central Avenue toward the city center. This avenue was entirely paved with natural white stone from Taylor Snow Mountain, and the more than three-thousand-meter-long Central Avenue could be said to have been built over piles of corpses. Li Junshan had heard Viscount Crowell say that those white stones had been transported from distant Taylor Snow Mountain to Auston City, and for this three-thousand-meter Central Avenue, more than ten thousand commoners and slaves had died quarrying the stone and transporting it along the road.

The carriage turned off Central Avenue into the Lyon District. Those who lived here were either royalty or important imperial ministers. It was also the power center of the Lans Empire. Aside from nobles, there were only nobles; no matter how wealthy a person was, they were not qualified to live here.

The carriage turned into Marquis Sweet's estate on the western edge of the Lyon District. After the driver called for the carriage to stop, Li Junshan put on a harmless smile and stepped down.

Given his status, naturally no important figure would come to welcome him, let alone Marquis Sweet himself. There were several servants standing in the courtyard to help move the luggage.

Bernie went up and whispered a few words to a servant, then came over and said to Li Junshan, "The marquis is in the rear courtyard. I'll take you there now."

Li Junshan nodded to him and followed with Fate, looking around all the way. Green here, red there—the greatest feature of the vast ducal estate was the many exotic plants growing within it. From blooming roses to the extremely rare Black Epiphyllum, which was almost extinct on the continent, the artificial hills, fish ponds, stone bridges, and flowing water had all been meticulously arranged, complementing one another perfectly. Compared to the ancient estate of Viscount Crowell, the scenery here was far more elegant.

After passing countless pavilions and terraces, Bernie led Li Junshan through a crescent-shaped archway, and an enormous platform immediately appeared before his eyes. It was built entirely from white stone, like a bright, gleaming mirror.

Dozens of racks stood on both sides of the platform, holding nothing more than weapons like sabers, spears, staves, and clubs. On the empty platform sat an old man. His hair was grizzled, his body slightly hunched, and he was holding a thick book in his hands, absorbed in reading.

"My lord marquis." Bernie led Li Junshan over, bowed, and said respectfully, "I've brought Young Master Nicholas back."

That old man was precisely Marquis Sweet. As if he had only just noticed the group approaching, he raised his head and looked at Li Junshan, then smiled faintly and said, "You must be Nicholas. You do resemble your grandfather quite a bit."

"Greetings, my lord marquis." Li Junshan performed a proper salute and said, "Nicholas brings you regards on behalf of my father and mother."

"You went looking for trouble at someone's door, defeated a Battle Master by yourself, and even killed a grand summoner's level-six magical beast. Nicholas, you really do have the same fiery temper as your grandfather Hadley." Marquis Sweet wore a smile, his eyes especially clear and bright.

Li Junshan smiled bashfully and said nothing.

"When you go to the imperial capital, the people you'll be meeting are all core members of the Harriman Family. In front of them, especially those old nobles in their seventies and eighties, don't dream of trading on your little cleverness for benefits. Be yourself in moderation. Even if you look like a fool, perhaps only then will you get what you want."

These were the words Linda had tearfully said to Li Junshan before he left, and Li Junshan agreed with them deeply.

"Bernie, take them down to have breakfast first, then bring them back later." The old marquis flashed Li Junshan a toothy smile, then lowered his head again and continued reading the thick History of Imperial Wars in his hands.

After saying farewell to Sweet, Li Junshan and Fate followed Bernie away from the training field. Servants had already prepared rooms for them. The two changed clothes, then began eating casually.

"That was the marquis." Fate bit into a piece of veal kidney, his face full of excitement as he said indistinctly, "That was my first time standing so close to a marquis."

Li Junshan looked at him with disdain. Just then, he noticed Bernie walking back and forth in the courtyard. After shoveling down a few casual bites, he took Fate and headed toward the courtyard.

Following Bernie back to the training field, they found that in the short while since they had left, dozens of people had appeared on the previously empty field. They were all youths roughly the same age as Li Junshan.

Li Junshan and the others circled around from the edge of the field and came up behind Marquis Sweet. Bernie did not make a sound, so naturally Li Junshan would not say much either. He stood quietly, curiously looking into the field.

From their exquisite clothing, Li Junshan could tell that most of these youths were dressed like nobles, lined up neatly together. As Li Junshan sized them up, their gazes also flicked toward him, both teasing and curious.

"All right, begin." A tall man standing in front of the group shouted, "Train separately according to your squads."

In an orderly fashion, the more than forty youths split into over a dozen squads and began some basic training to strengthen their bodies. Contrary to what Li Junshan had guessed, these youths not only moved properly, but a few of the taller ones were particularly strong. Hundred-some-jin stone locks flew up and down in their hands, looking extremely effortless.

"Hook," Marquis Sweet called softly. The tall man answered, then respectfully ran over and stood with his hands lowered.

"How are they? These people have been here for a month now. Have you found any promising seedlings?" Sweet put down his book and asked calmly.

The tall man named Hook said respectfully, "Reporting to my lord marquis, a total of sixty-five people were sent here last time. Apart from the seven with magic potential who have already been sent to George Academy to study, there are still twenty-three here who have the possibility of becoming warriors."

"Mm." Sweet nodded in satisfaction and said, "Observe them for a while longer. If there really isn't any potential, send them to Jim's side and see if they have any other aptitude. If they're useless, just send them home."

Hook bowed and acknowledged the order. Sweet stood and beckoned to Li Junshan, then walked straight out. Li Junshan followed under the envious gazes of the gathered youths.