CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 84: RESPONSIBILITIES TO FULFILL

"Ahem." Lin Ke awkwardly cleared his throat twice, "Um... Your Highness Rica, I can currently support myself, so there’s no need for you to..."

"For my coming-of-age gift, my father promised me three sub-planes, my mother gave me two, and my brothers will also contribute one, plus I have an Earl’s Domain on the western side of the Endless Mountain Range." Rica proudly lifted her chin.

Ove, Fulon, and the others around heard this and their hearts twitched violently.

Goodness gracious...

This is a little rich lady.

Lin Ke broke out in a cold sweat internally, but outwardly he remained calm, "I only have one plane, and it’s the one Viscount Garoce is currently embroiled in, besides, I currently have no territory, nor any assets..."

Rica was delighted upon hearing this, "Then you’ll be mine from now on!"

However, Lin Ke shook his head, "No, I won’t become anyone’s property. Any living being is not an independent individual if their existence in the world depends on something other than themselves."

Lin Ke looked at Rica, "Do you want me to be that kind of slave?"

"Then I will resist! I will fight to the end, refusing to yield!"

"Moreover, I don’t think a sub-plane is something precious. To me, what’s precious comes from the love of family, the teachings of teachers, and the understanding and strength of one’s self."

"Please stop insulting me!"

Lin Ke’s face was tight with tension.

Unexpectedly, after listening to Lin Ke’s words, the glimmer in Rica’s eyes grew even brighter.

She turned her head to her housekeeper, "Uncle Curry, this person isn’t interested in my lineage, nor in my money! And... and I really like what he said!"

"Princess, as long as you like it." Housekeeper Curry did not comment but softly advised, "Miss, perhaps let Young Master Lin Ke finish first, the Purple Poison Giant Frog is still waiting."

Rica nodded heavily, her eyes twinkling like stars as she returned to her seat, waved her small hand grandly, "I still want to eat sour cakes, three... no, eight of them!"

Upon hearing the number, Curry Housekeeper, who was lurking in the corner like a shadow, his eyes lit up, and he spoke somewhat excitedly towards Lin Ke, "Young Master Lin Ke, please be sure to let our accompanying professional [Chef] learn how to make your ’sour cakes’! We can offer ten thousand gold coins!"

Curry Housekeeper offered Lin Ke ten thousand gold coins as casually as Lin Ke would offer Granny Hisai a copper coin.

Lin Ke’s heart twitched, his eyebrows raised, "No problem! I will definitely have my professional nutrition management consultant teach your [Chef]. Also... Uncle Billy, go have the kitchen prepare more of the sour... sour cakes for Princess Rica to enjoy at the banquet."

"Professional nutrition management consultant? Great!" Curry Housekeeper’s eyes lit up upon hearing this term he had never heard before, but it sounded impressive.

Lin Ke smiled slightly.

In fact, there was no "professional nutrition management consultant," just a cook from the kitchen.

But saying it like this raised the prestige a bit, right? This way, the ten thousand gold coins would be worth it?

Truly... as expected of a princess...

Ten thousand gold coins to buy a recipe for sour cake, and there’s even a professional [Chef] accompanying them.

And after Lin Ke finished speaking, Housekeeper Curry said nothing more but bowed his head and retreated behind Rica.

The so-called Purple Poison Giant Frog stood up at the sight and respectfully bowed, "Ribbit, I came this time seeking the assistance of the Azanen Clan, ribbit..."

After speaking, the Purple Poison Giant Frog placed its moist, three-fingered hand by its mouth and coughed lightly, then, in an operatic tone, announced, "The once-every-six-years war is about to begin, Torrents Clan bordering the Lava Swamp! Fulfill your responsibilities, follow the waves of the ’Lady of Tides’, and fight against the Star Ocean together! Ribbit!"

After finishing, the Purple Poison Giant Frog coughed twice more and returned to its seat.

Torrents Clan, Garoce’s true meaning is "Torrent," which is the bloodline of an Azanen ancestor.

Lin Ke rubbed his temples, nodding slightly, "We will undertake our responsibilities... however... we may need to discuss in more detail about the approach."

At first, it was thought to resist the Magical Beast tide from Lava Swamp, but now it seems there’s also a need to resist the Magical Beast tide from the Star Ocean as well.

"And one more thing, ribbit, esteemed Mr. Lin Ke..." The Purple Poison Giant Frog squatted down like an ordinary frog, looking Lin Ke in the eye, "There are many Kings of Magical Beasts in Lava Swamp, the Lady of Tides can only suppress part of them, if you send out all your forces, those rebels may attack your territory."

"So, does this mean that there are Magical Beasts coming from the swamp?" Lin Ke had a headache.

Indeed it was!

"Yes, unless the Lady of Tides breaks through further," nodded the Purple Poison Giant Frog.

"Alright, thank you, I understand." Lin Ke sighed.

What a trap, Azaenn Castle is so dangerous after all...

But he still reluctantly invited everyone, "If you don’t mind, would you join me for tonight’s banquet? There’s also a performance to enjoy after the banquet."

Upon hearing they’d stay, Rica nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes!" but immediately pouted upon hearing about eating, "Eating again..."

"I have to return to the swamp, and I don’t really like human food, ribbit." The Purple Poison Giant Frog bowed politely, "I’ll be leaving first, ribbit."

After speaking, the Purple Poison Giant Frog walked towards the door.

"John, see Mr. Purple Poison Giant Frog off, walk slowly." Lin Ke gave John a signal with his eyes.

John immediately understood and stepped forward to greet them.

"Gentlemen, if you don’t mind, we can go outside the castle for a short rest. I will bring some interesting things over later." Lin Ke stood up and made an inviting gesture, then said to Uncle Billy, "Uncle Billy, please make arrangements as we do for our highest standard outings. I have something to do with the teacher, about ten minutes."

"Yes, Young Master." Butler Billy bowed and then smiled to Viscount Garoce’s housekeeper and Princess Rica’s housekeeper: "Come, gentlemen, please follow the head maid of our castle to arrange your food and lodging."

Everyone has some preferences and dislikes, and knowing how to avoid these is one of the essential lessons for a housekeeper.

Count Akel’s housekeeper was indifferent, but Princess Rica’s housekeeper glanced at another person before saying apologetically, "I need to stay close to protect Her Highness Rica. As for the rest... he is our [Chef]."

Butler Billy understood and let the head maid lead the others away, while he led Rica and her people.

...

Lin Ke and Ove came out, exchanged a few simple words, and then flew into the woods together.

"Little Lin Ke, what do you want to do?" Ove asked with some curiosity.

"Chess." Lin Ke replied succinctly.

Very simple.

Make chess!

Originally, Lin Ke didn’t pay much attention to these entertainments, but now he thought that these chess activities were perfect for noble gatherings, otherwise, sitting there awkwardly would be too boring and embarrassing.

Seeing Lin Ke filled with confidence, Ove said no more and helped Lin Ke. Using a tree as material, they made two chessboards and chess pieces.

Ove, with a simple wind magic "Wind Blade Cut", cut three chessboards according to Lin Ke’s demands and polished them smooth, then cut several small chess pieces.

"Lin Ke, try using your skill." After finishing, Ove didn’t carve letters but indicated for Lin Ke to do so: "Remember, control."

Lin Ke had almost forgotten he was already a level two [Scholar], thinking Ove would quickly finish.

His eyes brightened; he crouched down and picked up a piece of round wood. The "Knowledge" blood within his Soul Space began to stir, transforming the bloodline energy into professional energy, surging through his body.

In an instant, the skill slots he constructed filled with energy, ready to be released at any moment.

Then he tried hard to control the energy, inputting it little by little, gradually forming a streamlined air pressure shield around him.

But under his control, the air pressure dissemination speed immediately decreased, forming a thin air pressure shield in the air, one side with high pressure, the other side low.

Then Lin Ke manipulated this air pressure to roll up, like rolling a piece of paper.

This was an extremely difficult operation!

You must know, air pressure refers to the atmospheric pressure acting on a unit area, numerically equal to the gravity experienced by a vertical air column extending from this area to the upper boundary of the atmosphere.

A palm-sized sheet of air pressure, once rolled, became very difficult to control.

Lin Ke held his breath, and even Ove couldn’t help but widen his eyes at Lin Ke’s maneuver.

In midair, the thin air pressure rolled up, finally becoming two-finger-sized sheets, looking like a giant pen.

Lin Ke had considered using air pressure directly to create a pen, but such a pen tip would not be sharp at all, unable to engrave.

When Lin Ke finally rolled up this air pressure pen, both he and Ove breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent control." Ove praised at the side: "Next, you must control the strength and the ability to sustain output."

Lin Ke nodded, cautiously using the air pressure pen to engrave on the round wood in his hand.

Ultimately, as he operated more skillfully, with wood chips flying, he finished engraving three sets of chess pieces in no time.

Only, he was exhausted.

The magic power consumption wasn’t much, but his spirit was extremely fatigued in such tension.

"It’s done, teacher, let’s go." Satisfied, Lin Ke picked up a set of chess pieces, and Ove took the other two sets, flying towards the castle.

The words carved on the chess pieces were basically the same.

King for king, elephant changed to ox, cannon to crossbow, horse to magic representing ancient mages, the rest basically remained unchanged.

Although Ove was curious about the chess, he didn’t ask much.

Because Lin Ke assigned him the task, to stay aside as a grumpy, irritable, and distant Star-Grade [Scholar], and naturally, he would understand when the time came.

As for Ove’s character setting... rational people are certainly likable.

But a grumpy, irritable madman would make people wary.

Before Garoce returned, Lin Ke had to ensure that Azanen, to outsiders, appeared as a succulent hedgehog, not succulent meat.

Ove was precisely Azanen’s thorn!