Wizard: Adventures in Two Worlds-Chapter 529 - 36: Benefits

The Noble Council, ever since it was turned into a command post, inevitably bustled with people, mostly those of high rank.

Carl and the fat man entered the room.

Bastin pulled his daughter into a corner, clearly uncomfortable with the noble aura of the place, their rustic appearance starkly out of place.

"Another one here to buy a title?"

As the two waited, a lazy voice came from the next room:

"Useless!"

"That fat man is just a greedy echidna, his desires never satisfied. Getting a title from him would take peeling off everything one owns."

"Ah!" Rita instinctively responded:

"Wouldn’t Grandpa Carl be disappointed then?"

"Heh," the person in the next room chuckled lightly:

"Re-registering as nobles isn’t confined to just this place; perhaps elsewhere it’s less troublesome."

"Don’t mention re-registering..."

"In recent decades, countless nobles have died mysteriously, some even impersonated. Buying and selling of titles, lands, it happens frequently. What’s so strange about it?"

Rita listened in shock.

In her mind, nobles with titles were always from illustrious families with longstanding legacies, but the information in the next room shattered her perceptions.

Are titles and nobility something that can be bought and sold?

"Then..."

"Shh!"

As Rita was about to ask further, Bastin gently tugged her sleeve and shook his head lightly:

"Don’t speak recklessly. Look at where we are. Just wait for Baron Karl quietly."

As an adult, he had seen enough of the darker sides of society, knowing well that being noble didn’t necessarily equate to noble character.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

And the person next door wouldn’t remind them for no reason; most likely, there’s a grudge against the fat man.

So they wished to warn Carl through them, advising him not to waste time on the fat man, as it wouldn’t be worth the cost.

"Creak..."

As ideas raced through their minds, the door opened, and the elegant Carl walked out slowly.

He nodded lightly at them, smiling faintly:

"Let’s go!"

"Grandpa Carl," Rita hurried closer:

"Your title..."

"Rita," Bastin interjected with a huff:

"Let’s discuss outside."

"...Okay." Rita pouted, only smiling again after Carl patted her head.

The three left the Noble Council and returned to their carriage.

"Baron Karl,"

At this point, Bastin spoke:

"Someone warned us that the fat man is a greedy echidna, not to be trusted."

"Yes," Carl removed his hat, put down his cane, and stretched his muscles slowly, nodding:

"That’s true; the fat man is indeed very greedy."

"Ah!" Rita expressed regret:

"Then wouldn’t Grandpa Carl be unable to reclaim the title?"

"Not at all." Carl shook his head with a smile, reaching into his breast pocket to retrieve a thin booklet:

"I’ve already reclaimed our family’s things and upgraded the title. I’m now an Earl."

"Ah!"

"What?"

They were both taken aback.

"Heh..." Carl chuckled:

"I’ve been around long enough to know people in the Noble Council. A young man won’t block my way."

"Indeed," Bastin remarked, increasingly respecting him:

"Earl Carl is clearly not an ordinary person."

This comment was sincere.

Since meeting Carl, Bastin was sure he wasn’t ordinary. How could an ordinary person remain calm so near the battlefield, even keeping their clothes pristine?

Thinking back,

Though the journey wasn’t long and few incidents occurred, Carl remained unchanged. No matter what happened, he seemed confident he could handle it.

"Wow!"

Rita, less introspective, was simply amazed:

"So... Grandpa Carl is now an Earl?"

"Yes."

Carl nodded:

"Some military merits on the battlefield go unclaimed; some are bought and sold. With money, one can buy a title upgrade."

"But only to the Earl level; anything higher is too troublesome; the Church won’t allow it."

This was indeed the work of a Wizard.

A minor witchcraft spell was enough to have the fat man compliantly act, and willingly relinquish military merits.

Even afterward, no suspicion would arise, rationalizing today’s actions smoothly.

Night had fallen.

The duo escorted Carl to the best nearby hotel, agreeing to meet early the next morning.

*

*

*

"Casting spells lightly is indeed inadvisable; even simple witchcraft provokes a reaction."

Carl sunk into the soft bedding, gently stroking his chest:

"Whenever an opportunity arises, it takes action. It seems taking my life is now bound to it."

"However..."

"There’s an advantage too!"

Thinking of a certain point, Carl’s face broke into a smile.

"With its master absent, as long as I can suppress it, I can refine it into my own tool."

"Soul centipede!"

"A Third Tier Peak construct, capable of intense pain even to a Demigod if struck. In the Otherworld, it would be a lethal weapon."

"Time for sleep!"

The Divine Domain Fragment can’t be stayed in long, as it erodes human emotions gradually, so outside cultivation, Carl doesn’t linger there.

Besides,

He’s forgotten the last time he stayed in a hotel.

Early in the morning, hotel staff delivered soft bread, sweet jam, and an array of foods, along with three fresh newspapers.

"Rustle..."

Holding a cup of milk in one hand, Carl unfolded a newspaper with the other, scanning the news.

The Clone Empire hosted the latest Institute Tournament, showcasing various new insights.

Is there already a primitive computer?

Even Gando has its artillery, and astonishingly, tanks; rumors of Angels appearing on the battlefield.

...

"Interesting."

Carl smiled:

"The three newspapers provide different perspectives on the same event, clearly backed by different factions."

"However, they all support technological creations, though as long as the Gods remain, the tech will face suppression."

For the Gods, the people are tools to harvest faith, whereas technology opposes faith.

During wartime, technological advancement is tolerated for victory, but shouldn’t obstruct the Gods’ harvest.

"Newspapers, factories, pollution..."

"Above all, it’s the war!"

Placing down the papers, Carl tidied his things, descending the stairs to find Bastin and his daughter waiting at the hotel entrance.

"What’s wrong?"

Glancing at the duo, Carl inquired:

"What happened?"

"Grandpa Carl," Rita wailed, bursting into tears:

"My aunt took all our belongings. They broke their promise and stole our money."

Bastin remained silent, his body trembling with anger and fear.

Decades of earnings vanished; how could he not be enraged?

Yet contemplating the future...

Overwhelming fear took hold.

His health wasn’t great; he regularly required Potions, and without money, treatment was impossible. Rita was far too young to fend for herself.

"I see..."

Carl pondered, then spoke:

"I plan to purchase an estate for retirement in the Royal Capital. If you have nowhere else to go, perhaps work for me for the time being."