Rita Rossweisse

With all these factors combined, Xu Tianming's spiritual power was far stronger than that of ordinary Soul Masters—stronger even than Spirit-type Soul Masters of the same rank who specialized in spiritual power.

By the standards of spiritual power ten thousand years later, he had at least reached the Spirit Sea Realm. He could project his spiritual power outward, and his Spirit Sea had long since taken shape.

He had never tested the exact figure. After all, Soul Tool technology in this era had not yet reached the level it would attain ten thousand years later. Accurately measuring spiritual power was genuinely difficult.

Xu Tianming could have asked Herta, the Fools' Second Seat Executor, [Genius], to build a spiritual power-testing Soul Tool specifically for him. But bothering Lady Herta over something so trivial would probably only earn him one comment.

How boring.

Or, more directly—

Kid, don't waste my time.

So... better forget it.

Xu Tianming rose to his feet and straightened his clothes. He had broken through level thirty; it was time to put obtaining his third Soul Ring on the agenda.

He stepped out of the secret chamber. Outside, a figure immediately moved half a step forward and bent gracefully at the waist in greeting.

"Captain, congratulations on breaking through to Soul Elder."

Xu Tianming was slightly stunned.

The young woman before him wore a black-and-white head maid's dress, its layered skirt cascading down while the waist was cinched tight. Black stockings wrapped her long, slender legs, and she wore a pair of spotless black leather shoes.

A maid's cap rested atop her ash-blonde short hair, with a delicate rose ornament pinned to its brim.

Her long bangs obscured her left eye, while an exquisite tear mole adorned the corner of her right. Her visible wine-red eye held a gentle smile. Her mature, elegant aura contrasted sharply with her youthful appearance, creating an endearing charm.

"Rita?"

Xu Tianming looked at her.

"You've been waiting here the whole time?"

"Waiting for my master to emerge from seclusion and offering congratulations at the first opportunity are duties a qualified maid should fulfill."

Rita raised her head, her smile flawless.

"Besides, Captain, your breakthrough to Soul Elder today is worth celebrating."

"Just as expected of you, Rita."

Xu Tianming rubbed his brow.

"With you around, you've really saved me so much trouble."

As a character Xu Tianming had summoned when he was seven, Rita had already accompanied him for two years. During those two years, she had flawlessly taken over his daily needs and all sorts of mundane hassles.

The royal family had assigned him quite a few maids, but whether it was housework, organizing files, arranging schedules, or handling interpersonal matters, none of them could compare with Rita. Rita was practically the goddess of maids.

She could grace a grand hall and work a kitchen.

She could cook, clean, disguise herself, infiltrate, interrogate, assassinate, and when Xu Tianming slept in, she could smilingly drag him out of bed.

Of course, Xu Tianming did not like that last part at all.

Rita Rossweisse.

One of Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries.

She not only possessed top-tier combat strength, but was also proficient in espionage, assassination, disguise, and intelligence analysis. Over the past two years, using the power of the Fools and Hearth House, she had quietly spread a massive intelligence network throughout Mingdu.

The movements of personnel in noble estates, exchanges of interests between merchant guilds, every minor development within Soul Engineer academies, and even secret transactions among certain underground factions had all been gradually compiled into files by her.

Rita's importance was not the slightest bit inferior to Karna's. In some ways, she was even more important than the little sun who served as Xu Tianming's personal bodyguard.

Karna was responsible for blocking every danger, while Rita was responsible for uncovering danger before it even surfaced.

"Captain."

Rita reached out and accepted the coat Xu Tianming had taken off.

"Breakfast has been prepared, and today's classes have been rescheduled."

"This morning is Master Kong's theory class. This afternoon is swordsmanship training."

"Also, the Ordinary Alliance has sent an invitation, inviting you to an auction."

Listening to this long string of arrangements made Xu Tianming's head ache.

"Wait a moment."

"Please give your instructions."

"Can today's swordsmanship training be canceled?"

The smile on Rita's face did not change in the slightest.

"No."

"Why?"

"Lady Jingliu said that unless you are severely injured and unconscious, training cannot stop."

Xu Tianming fell silent.

Rita continued, "Of course, even if you truly are severely injured and unconscious, the training will not be canceled. It will only be changed to practicing breathing and gripping a sword while lying down."

"..."

Jingliu was truly Jingliu. She had even accounted for the possibility of him being severely injured.

"Captain, since you have broken through to Soul Elder, would you like to hold a celebration banquet?"

"No."

Xu Tianming decisively shook his head.

"There's nothing worth celebrating over something like this."

Rita nodded softly.

"Understood."

She took out a compact communication Soul Tool and entered several lines of text. Presumably, she was canceling the banquet she had prepared in advance. Rita was simply too thorough. Then, she put away the communication Soul Tool and said softly,

"Also, Mr. Karna sent word that the first group of Cloud Knights has completed their training."

"Lady Jingliu has agreed to let them enter the next stage of combat training."

Xu Tianming's expression grew more serious.

The Cloud Knights were Jingliu's direct troops, all orphans adopted by Hearth House. After three years, some of the older ones were already able to begin professional combat training. Moreover, all five hundred Cloud Knights had undergone Herta's bloodline transplant procedure, awakening the Mansha Grass Dragon martial soul and replacing their original useless martial souls. They possessed tremendous vitality and recovery abilities.

These people were the Fools' earliest core members. After receiving Herta's bloodline transplants, each of them possessed a top-tier lesser dragon martial soul: the life-attribute Mansha Grass Dragon.

After obtaining this martial soul and bloodline, as long as their heads were not cut off, ordinary injuries could not make the Cloud Knights lose their combat effectiveness.

The reason they had chosen a life-attribute lesser dragon bloodline was that life attributes were gentler, making bloodline conversion safer and increasing the Cloud Knights' chances of survival. After all, fighting the Rift Realm was no joke.

More importantly, Xu Tianming possessed the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline. Once the entire Fools had their lesser dragon bloodlines replaced, they could never betray him, the Golden Dragon King.

This was a safeguard. As for whether members of the Fools might be suppressed or influenced by the bloodlines of other true dragons, one should not underestimate Lady Herta's intelligence. With the genetic locks she had left behind, aside from Xu Tianming, the Golden Dragon King, even if the Silver Dragon King arrived, it would be unable to influence the Fools.

"Have Karna keep watching over them."

"The combat training can begin, but don't rush to throw them into large Rift Realms."

"Let them get some practice in small Rift Realms and against low-level Rift Realm Creations first."

"Understood."

Rita carefully recorded his instructions, every bit the perfect assistant. It was reassuring to watch.

"Do you have any other instructions, Captain?"

"Not for now."

"Then please have breakfast first."

Rita turned sideways and stepped aside, clearing the way.