Chapter 311: Investment detected... [2]

Soren scanned his status and stopped at the mental power line.

[ 67740 / 150000 ]

’Hmm... I gained almost twenty thousand mental power after breaking through to the Soul-Tempered Core Stage... That’s pretty good.’

However, he knew the reason too. It was probably related to how he broke through and how long he had been stuck at the peak of the Intent Foundation Stage. Either way, he was satisfied with the improvement.

’Although I wonder what happens when Ethea breaks through this time...’

Since he was the first to advance, would he receive something else in return? Like some amount of mental power?

With a few theories in mind, he continued his inspection, stopped at affinities, and saw that Life Force affinity was already added, and as a B Rank at that.

’Although it’s a tier lower than Vital Harmony itself, B Rank affinity is still high, especially given how rare it is.’

Well, at least among humans.

’Anyway, let’s see how many investments are ongoing...’

He scrolled to the bottom of the screen and opened the Ongoing Investments tab.

’Oh... There are five of them!’

One was for Princess Roya, two were for Ethea, another was for Sister Zoe, and finally one for...

’...Bagdad City?’ Soren paused as he stared at the words. ’...It really is Bagdad City.’ He thought to himself as he re-read it a few more times. ’But does that mean... I can invest in cities?’

No matter how you looked at it, it sounded strange. However, based on what he had learned about investing so far, an investment was supposed to be about putting something of value into a person, a cause, or a venture with the expectation of future returns.

His Authority had always applied that principle to people and bonds, but there was no reason it couldn’t extend to something larger. A city was more than just walls and roads. It was its people, their livelihoods, and their future. If he had invested his strength and effort into protecting all of that, then perhaps the Authority simply recognized the city as a collective whole rather than listing every individual separately.

’That would make sense,’ he thought. ’It’s not the buildings I invested in. It’s everyone inside them... But if so, I wonder what type of returns I will get.’

He thought about it for a moment and decided not to waste time overthinking it. The Authority had never let him down before, and whatever came from this investment would reveal itself when the time was right. He just had to wait, probably not for long, though.

’Hmm...’

His gaze shifted back to the two investments under Ethea’s name. One of them had been ongoing since they departed from Kalmira. While the other was added today. This was the second time he had two separate investments running for the same target at once.

’I wonder if they’ll merge this time, or if they’ll be calculated separately...’ He mused for a moment before shaking his head. ’Well, no use thinking about it now.’

Just as he closed the status window, Malakor’s voice echoed in his mind. ’Master, Lady Ethea has finished talking with the princess.’

’Alright. Let me finish this first.’ Soren set his phone down and picked up his ice cream, taking a few slow bites as he let the day’s tension ease just a little.

[Ding!]

The familiar sound made him pause mid-bite, and a new set of messages appeared in his vision.

───────

[Investment detected...]

[Analyzing Investment...]

[Target: Roya Sol-Temur]

[Investment: You cooperated in the target’s rescue, playing a major role in freeing her from the enemy’s control once and for all. You aided in her mental recovery, helping stabilize her mind after the ordeal. Your actions also helped resolve the incident, indirectly assisting the target in completing her mission and preventing further political fallout between the Empire and the elves.]

[Analyzing target response...]

[As a result of your actions, the target was safely rescued and has expressed deep gratitude toward you and your wife. She had previously viewed you as unworthy of your wife, but after learning the truth of what you did, her perception has completely shifted. She now regards you with the highest respect and feels deeply indebted to you, as well as ashamed for having looked down on you before.]

[Evaluating investment significance...]

[Evaluation complete.]

[Investment Grade: SUPREME]

[Calculating returns...]

[Calculation complete.]

[Applying Authority Modifier: Amplification (Passive) — Baseline bonus applied. Reward tier scaling upgraded.]

[Returns granted:]

[1. Mental Power +30,000]

[2. Sovereign’s Clarity Elixir x3]

[3. Ability Evolution: Intimidation (B-Rank) -> Overlord’s Aura (A-Rank)]

[4. Knowledge Unlocked: Basic Imperial Etiquette]

[Integration initiated...]

...

[Integration complete!]

───────

’...Tasty.’ Soren took another slow bite of his ice cream, savoring the cool sweetness as it melted on his tongue. He then adjusted his posture, straightening his back and shifting his grip on the spoon to match the etiquette knowledge now present in his mind. His movements became more refined, more composed, and for a moment, he looked like someone born into true nobility.

He glanced at his reflection in the window and nodded slightly. ’Not bad... but not my style either.’

He preferred to be free and relaxed, not stiff like those nobles who spent half their lives worrying about appearances. Still, the knowledge wasn’t useless. There would come a time when he’d need to act the part, and when that day came, he wouldn’t have to waste time to learn it.

Loosening his shoulders, he returned to eating normally and finished the rest of his ice cream. The mental power boost and the elixirs were good returns. Unfortunately, only Intimidation had evolved this time, but he wasn’t disappointed. The new effect it came with was called Aura Suppression. It allowed him to consciously suppress or release his aura at will. When released, it pressed down on those around him, making it easier to control a room or force weaker opponents to hesitate. When suppressed, it made him nearly unnoticeable, allowing him to move without drawing unwanted attention.

’Not bad,’ he thought with a small smile. ’I can think of a few ways to use this.’

It especially made a good combination with Pebble Among the Stars.

’It will be even more amazing if I learn a concealment type of ability or spell...’

However, now was not the time to get lost in theory. He paid for his ice cream and bought a few more for take back with him. The cool evening air greeted him as he stepped out of the cafe, the streets already beginning to settle after the chaos of the day.

’Let’s go pick up Ethea and prepare to leave.’