EPISODE 8

I observed the entire group of Fang Knights. There weren't as many as I had expected.

"Are these all the members?" I asked.

"That's correct," Osel replied.

To be exact, there were five people. The treatment seemed somewhat excessive for the family head's son, but it was likely better than being ganged up on.

In any case, this was an unexpected turn of events. In my previous life, no knight from the family had ever visited me, indicating that my changed behavior had caused this.

Has Kayan already reported to the main house?

It had only been a week. Although the distance between the mansion and the main house made it physically impossible to communicate in such a short time, it made sense if he had used a magical communication method.

"Why is the main family looking for me?" I asked.

"It is the family head's order," Osel informed me.

"An order? What order?" I pressed.

"Yes. I will now relay my lord's message." Osel, standing at the front, cleared his throat and declared, "Luan Badniker is to visit the main house before the end of the month to participate in the second blessing ceremony."

A brief silence ensued.

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Yes," Osel replied.

I burst out laughing. "So you are asking me to participate in the second blessing ceremony?"

"That is the family head's order," Osel replied matter-of-factly.

"Why should I?"

Osel looked puzzled by my words. "I'm sorry, but we are simply following orders. We have no way of knowing the family head's intentions."

If it were me from my past life, I would've been cheering by now.

The Iron-Blooded Lord's order to participate in the second blessing ceremony would've been interpreted as my father offering me one last chance.

Naturally, I had no such nostalgic thoughts right now.

Something about this smells fishy.

Did Kayan's report reach the Iron-Blooded Lord's ears through the Council of Elders?

"Wait. How long did you say I had?" I asked.

"Before the end of the month," Osel answered.

"What date is it today?"

"It is December 17th."

"That is less than two weeks away!" I exclaimed.

Two weeks wasn't enough to travel from the mansion on the empire's outskirts to the main house, even by carriage.

I stared at the knights in the distance, convinced they were talking nonsense to mess with me.

"We won't be late if we go through the mountains," Osel remarked.

"Mountains?"

"The Jewel Mountains."

I seemed to have heard that name somewhere.

"We spent about a week traveling through the Jewel Mountains to get here," Osel elaborated.

Now I understood why their group was so small. They had originally come to guide me through the mountain range, and a large group would have been impractical for navigating the rough terrain.

I have no choice if it is the family head's command.

In the Badniker family, the family head's command was absolute. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that his word was law.

It sounded like I was given a choice, but the collectors would come for me in force if I refused—not to sever my tendons, but to take my life.

Honestly, I didn't like it because I felt like I was being dragged along. However, going home wasn't necessarily a bad thing for me.

The Badnikers' main house housed the Council of Elders and the family head. If I showed them the White Sun Eclipse directly or negotiated with them, I could avoid worrying about the family's interference for a while.

Naturally, my siblings there would pick a fight with me but that didn't matter much. I would ignore them if possible and trample on them when they crossed the line.

I made a quick decision and nodded. "Okay, let's go. Hurry."

"It is late today. Why don't we start early tomorrow morning?" Osel suggested.

The sun was still high, but it would likely set before we reached the Jewel Mountains, or whatever it was called.

"The mansion has guest rooms, so you should stay the night—"

"Thank you, but we've already booked rooms in a nearby city," Osel interrupted.

I see.

I nodded and looked at Osel.

For some reason, he wore an irritating smile. I couldn't help saying something. "Did you say your name is Osel?"

"Yes."

Since it was his first time and he wasn't under me, I warned him lightly, "Don't interrupt me again."

Osel only lowered his head slightly, a smile still on his face. "I'll keep that in mind."

***

The knights departed, and I started preparing.

I didn't need to pack much, but I was heading to the mountains for a week, so I couldn't go unprepared.

I started with activewear for easy movement, a knapsack, and a bedroll.

The servants looked confused but didn't ask questions. They still seemed uneasy around me.

I felt a bit sorry for them, but it was convenient not having to offer explanations or excuses.

"What about food?" I muttered.

I couldn't possibly fit a week's worth of food in a knapsack. Even if I managed to cram it all in, the food would spoil before long.

While it was unlikely the knights would let me go hungry, it didn't hurt to prepare for the worst. Since we were headed to the mountains, I could always hike and forage for food if needed.

I had assumed the knapsack would contain space for basic cooking utensils and seasonings, but there was none.

I looked at my full knapsack and murmured, "I should go to the mansion's warehouse."

I had raided the warehouse before leaving the mansion in my previous life.

Inside, I had found useful artifacts back then—a bag with expansion magic, a wristwatch more versatile than a compass, and a sword that, at first glance, resembled a ring but could change its shape and size at will.

Would these be enough to get me through this trip?

After a quick trip to the warehouse, I returned to my room and stuffed things into my newly acquired bag.

It wasn't a powerful magic tool, so its capacity was limited. It was about three or four times the size of an ordinary bag. Additionally, it only reduced the volume; the weight remained the same.

Once I had everything packed, I strapped the bag on. It felt heavy, but not enough to slow me down. In fact, it would make for good training to climb the mountain with it.

"It reminds me of Spirit Mountain."

A specific training involved conquering Spirit Mountain while dragging a steel bar the size of a house. There was no time limit, but I nearly died ten times, as the area was filled with lurking monsters.

Eventually, I reached the summit. Then my master threw me a large, delicious peach.

It wasn't just the satisfaction of completing the grueling task that made it taste so good—it was simply the most delicious fruit I had ever eaten.

Later, I heard from Eldest Senior Brother that the peach was a great elixir.

"Elixir..."

Once again, my thoughts turned to elixirs.

Internal energy circulation was usually the safest and most reliable way to accumulate internal energy.

In contrast, inheriting someone else's internal energy, forcibly taking it, or consuming elixirs all carried significant risks.

This didn't apply to my present self.

Consuming an elixir wouldn't cause digestive issues or side effects. After all, I had already walked this path before.

My focus now was on accumulating internal energy, honing external skills, refining the martial arts I had mastered, and gaining practical experience.

"No, wait a minute." The word "elixir," combined with the Jewel Mountains, triggered a buried memory. "Was it... Infernal Solar Grass?"

It was a type of grass with Extreme Yang Qi. Legend had it that its growth would stop the moment human eyes saw it.

In other words, the more remote its location, the higher the quality of Infernal Solar Grass that could grow.

"The Jewel Mountains. Where did I hear that before...?"

It was rumored that the largest Infernal Solar Grass in the empire was found there. The details remained vague, however, because no one had ever actually seen the plant.

The peculiar fame of the Jewel Mountains' Infernal Solar Grass stemmed from a notorious criminal—the Fire Demon.

He was an arsonist who would terrorize the empire in a few years, burning down a dozen villages in just one year and causing nearly 10,000 casualties.

This person was ultimately subdued by the knights while planning an arson attack in a large city. This fact emerged after investigating his past.

On the surface, he appeared to be an ordinary man—originally a mage from the Red Tower.

According to the testimony of the people around him, he never appeared particularly dangerous.

Given the scale of the damage, the interrogation was extensive. Eventually, the cause of the ordinary mage's transformation into the Fire Demon was uncovered: the Infernal Solar Grass.

The line between medicine and poison was thin. When taken in excess, medicine could become poison. Conversely, poison could become medicine if handled correctly.

Thus, the mage, unable to fully digest the Infernal Solar Grass, transformed into the Fire Demon.

"It isn't a particularly helpful memory."

Of course, the Infernal Solar Grass was the elixir I needed the most right now.

While I could handle it—despite its ability to drive a normal mage crazy—that didn't change the fact that I only knew it was somewhere in the Jewel Mountains.

The mountain range was vast, and exploring even a single mountain took weeks. Searching the entire range seemed impossible without extraordinary luck.

Lost in such thoughts, I almost finished packing my luggage when I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," I said without looking back.

"Yes."

It wasn't until I heard a business-like voice that I stopped what I was doing and turned my head.

"Excuse me, Young Master Luan."

An unexpected figure stood there: red hair, a suit, and a posture so straight it made my back ache just from looking at it.

Their face was as stiff as a brick. Unlike the other knights, I recognized this one.

Where did I know it from?

She was the woman whose very name could make me tremble with fear—Arjan, the butler who had beaten me just before I returned to the past.