Chapter 44: Old Jack

The carriage was much faster on the return journey than it had been on the way out, and Liese’s party finally managed to enter Brightlight City just before the gates closed.

"I'm off to get a drink, don't wait up for me!"

Rhombus hopped off the carriage with an agility uncharacteristic of him, waved goodbye to Liese and the others, and vanished in a flash.

It seemed he really was craving alcohol.

Yasen shook his head without a word. As long as drinking didn't happen during a mission, he let Rhombus do as he pleased; besides, a dwarf's constitution could handle plenty of liquor.

Yara paid him no mind, blissfully rubbing her face against the little moon leopard cub in her arms, completely ignoring the tiny pink claws the little cat had stretched out in a struggle.

After much pleading and pestering all the way back, Elena had finally agreed to let her look after the little moon leopard for a while.

"From now on, your name is Little Black!"

Yara hoisted the moon leopard up to her eye level with both hands and cheerfully bestowed its new name upon it.

Elena looked helplessly at the struggling cub in Yara's grasp. Barring any accidents, this little one would be her partner from now on, yet Yara had just slapped such a casual name on it.

At the very least, it should have been something like "Dark Night Holy Panther" or "Moonshadow Assassin"!

(Little Black: I didn't want either of those!)

When the carriage reached the vicinity of Fith Street, Liese hopped down and bade farewell to Yara and the rest.

Yara merely gave a wave, turning right back to nuzzling the little black cat.

Yasen, who was driving the carriage, turned his head and said to Liese:

"We're heading to the Mercenary Guild tomorrow morning to turn in the quest. Are you coming? We can split the reward then."

"No need," Liese thought for a moment. "I have some matters to attend to. You can hold onto my share of the reward for now."

He casually tossed a pouch filled with magic crystals to Yasen and said, "These are from the kobold lair. They're worth a few hundred gold coins; factor those in as well."

Yasen caught the tossed pouch and immediately threw it back to Liese, saying:

"No need. Spoils obtained during a mission belong to the individual and don't need to be split among the team. Keep them."

"Alright then, see you later."

Liese nodded. Since that was the rule, he certainly wouldn't refuse; after all, even though he was a Lord Baron, he was currently a bit tight on cash.

These magic crystals were worth a few hundred gold coins, but more importantly, he needed such precious resources for his magical research.

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"Ah~~~"

Early the next morning, Liese woke up from his soft, spacious bed and lazily stretched.

Although the subjugation mission had only taken two days, most of that time was spent bouncing around in a carriage. Even with his physique having been significantly strengthened through exercise, he still felt a certain weariness.

After washing up, he headed to the dining room to enjoy a lavish breakfast meticulously prepared by his personal chef, then patted his belly with satisfaction.

Ever since he had whipped up some pastries for Yara in his own kitchen last time, the estate's chef had realized that Young Master Liese's culinary skills far surpassed theirs. Though it felt a bit bizarre, the chef had humbly asked the young master for pointers.

Liese was more than happy to teach his chef a trick or two; after all, he was often too lazy to cook himself, and having a chef with better culinary skills meant he could enjoy even better meals.

Take this improved egg pancake before him, for instance. Liese had specifically had the chef craft a flat griddle for making pancakes, and after some trial and error, it tasted about seventy or eighty percent like the ones from his past life. He preferred his pancakes fried a little longer; one bite yielded a soft, crispy, and fragrant texture that was simply heavenly.

Butler Joyce stood quietly behind Liese, waiting in silence.

Having not seen him for two days, Joyce, with his slightly graying sideburns, still wore his unchanging black formal attire. His elegant posture seemed as eternal as his garments, exuding even more of a noble aura than Liese, who had dropped his formalities and grown increasingly natural.

Joyce's eyes fixed on Liese, a faint, grayish spiritual radiance swirling within them.

"Advancing quickly. He's about to break through to the high Bronze tier. And this feeling... Is it a blessing from a deity? From the Elven pantheon, no less, because of that elven companion of his?"

Liese's current strength was completely unmasked before Joyce, and the butler was well aware of Liese's recent adventure with the mercenary group.

Pondering to himself, Joyce's expression remained as calm as ever, with no intention of making a move.

Liese had no idea that the butler standing behind him was actually a legendary-tier powerhouse.

If Liese had known, he would have hugged... no, he would have hugged both of their thighs!

After finishing breakfast, Liese walked out into the courtyard out of habit to limber up, picking up his longsword to review the *Noble Fencing* techniques.

Even though the existence of his system panel meant his physical strength wouldn't decline, things like muscle memory and combat intuition—aspects belonging to the conscious mind—were not reflected on the panel.

Therefore, despite having already acquired [Mastery of All Arms], he still needed to practice regularly, if only to keep in shape.

Once he finished warming up, changing into a fresh set of clothes under Rossi's attendance, Liese set off with Welf toward today's destination.

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Langai Street.

Liese stood once more before the brick cottage he had visited previously.

A month had passed since his last visit, and the surrounding area was still filled with the same dilapidated streets and muddy puddles, though the several pairs of eyes that had secretly scrutinized him before were now gone.

Understandably so. With Welf accompanying him this time, anyone who could survive in such a chaotic district possessed sharp instincts; how could they dare risk their lives to spy on a noble who clearly traveled with a high-level guard?

He shook his head. A month had passed, and according to that young girl, old Jack should be back.

"Clang, clang, clang—"

The familiar iron door, the familiar knocking. The only difference was that this time, he finally got a response.

"Who is it? Do you think I'm deaf, knocking that loud!"

A fierce voice came from behind the door. Liese remained silent, waiting quietly in front of the threshold.

Screech—

The door was yanked open violently from the inside, revealing a man who looked to be over fifty years old.

His lean and slight stature made it hard to imagine such a booming voice could come from his body. He had the appearance of an ordinary old man of the kingdom, though his expression was somewhat ferocious, topped with a head of sparse brown hair. His leather jacket was stained with grease and wine spills, making its original color nearly indistinguishable.

He looked every bit like an unkempt old man, entirely unremarkable.

Yet Liese knew that this man named old Jack was anything but simple.

In the game of his past life, old Jack was a hidden NPC. Despite his eccentric temper, he was immensely popular among players in the Brightlight City region.

Because this place was a secret shop!

Old Jack was the owner, selling magical items and equipment that were rarely seen elsewhere. Thus, his quirky personality was barely a nuisance compared to the enthusiasm of the players.

Liese had come specifically for a unique treasure in old Jack's possession.

"Pardon the intrusion, old Jack. Sent by an old friend to buy some things."

Hearing this, old Jack cast a careful glance at the handsome young man before him. Without a word, he stepped aside, gesturing for Liese and Welf to follow him inside.