Chapter 193: Ten Billion in Spending Money

Light flashed. Darian emerged from the Skyreach Tower with Maren and his troops.

He eagerly opened his notices.

His smile stiffened.

"Damn it. Cassian got there first again!"

Maren stared, then understood. She looked at Darian expectantly. Surely this would rouse his competitive spirit.

He merely curled his lip. By now, losing first place to Cassian had become almost familiar.

A video request chimed before Maren could say anything.

Cassian appeared on the screen, smiling pleasantly.

"Lord Darian. I’ve got something you’ll like."

Before calling, Cassian had completed an Exchange trade, paying with selected equipment from the recent spoils for an A-grade Talent Advancement Writ. He sent the Writ across.

Darian glanced at the delivery notice.

"Oh, shit."

"Lord Darian," Maren said wearily. "Your manners."

As his first Hero, her duty included guidance as well as protection. He was becoming less restrained by the day. What would Lord Edran think when his son finally returned to him in the Third Realm?

"Look for yourself."

Darian took an old-looking Writ gleaming with golden light from the Exchange and tossed it to her.

"Oh, sh—"

Maren stopped herself just in time.

"An A-grade Talent Advancement Writ? The sector has only been open a few months!"

Cassian waited for them to absorb the news.

"Name your price."

Selling a treasure like this told them he had no immediate use for it. That much, he did not mind revealing. It said nothing about how his own strength worked.

Darian could be overbearing, but Cassian trusted him when it mattered.

"Are you and Elara both Fortune’s favorites?" Darian asked. "She keeps finding high-Quality monsters and resources, and you bring out something like this."

He fought down his excitement.

"How about ten billion?"

Cassian’s smile froze.

"It’s priceless this early," Darian continued. "But I’ve only got a little over ten billion in spending money. If that isn’t enough, name a figure. I’ll make up the difference after my next trip to the Homeworld."

Ten billion. Spending money.

Was that a sentence a person ought to be allowed to say?

Cassian remembered his F-grade ruin. No starting troops. No resource Buildings. Not even a defense worth the name.

"Ten billion is fine."

He pushed the thought aside and smiled again.

"There’s a fresh harvest of Moonrice too. I’ll send you a few hundred grains." ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The payment arrived. Cassian sent the promised Legendary Moonrice in return.

It was the same lesson the Worlds Market had taught him. He never knew how much a buyer might pay for something.

To Darian, ten billion for this Writ was worth every Aether. Most Lords would have thought hard before spending even a billion. Seraphine, wealthy as she was, would have had plenty of other uses for that money. A Legendary Troop Sigil could cost a hundred million, or several hundred million.

By ordinary market standards, Darian’s offer was far too generous.

Cassian could afford to return the favor.

"Generous!" Darian gave him a thumbs-up, then frowned. "We’ve known each other long enough. Can’t you call a big spender like me something a little more familiar?"

The money had already arrived. Cassian smiled comfortably.

"All right. Little Darian it is."

Darian had looked hopeful for half a second.

"No! Big Brother!"

"Well, Little Darian, I’ve got things to do."

Cassian ended the call under Darian’s furious glare.

"I shouldn’t have paid so quickly! Next time, I’m holding back the last payment until he calls me Big Brother."

Maren could do nothing about his fondness for playing the elder brother.

"He doesn’t know your position within House Frost, Lord Darian. If his strength and good fortune continue, he may reach the Third Realm with you. Let him see Highcrest and meet Lord Edran. He may be begging to call you his brother then."

Darian looked dejected.

"I just want to get along with them as an ordinary person."

An ordinary person who could hand out ten billion Aether?

Maren kept the thought to herself. Her worry returned.

Marden was no ordinary retainer. He was an accomplished talent among the families serving House Frost, with standing above many of its own members. His descent had drawn the attention of powerful factions. More and more people were trying to discover exactly who Darian was.

That was hardly reassuring.

——

"Ten billion with a wave of his hand. I’ve never seen anyone throw money around like that."

Cassian shook his head, delighted.

"Swordheart just became a much more comfortable prospect."

As Riftward’s Fortune rose, his hunting territory had expanded and the monsters within it had grown stronger. Even the twenty thousand ordinary Eclipse Legionnaires, still at Level 1, could now earn him at least five hundred million Battle Essence a day through their trained arts and skills.

After the necessary spending, his reserve had grown to six billion Battle Essence.

Now he had Aether as well. If Swordheart proved dangerous enough, he could buy the Legendary Hero Souls and pay the Battle Essence needed to raise Aurelia and Liora to Nine-Star, where Celia already stood.

For the moment, he turned to his friends.

He bought two B-grade Talent Advancement Writs through the Exchange and sent one to Elara and one to Nessa. Both used their Writs, bringing their Lord Talents to B-grade.

He traded the Epic Destruction Knight Sigil from the Tower and paid additional Aether for two Legendary Destruction Knight Sigils, then sent both to Nessa. Once she reached Rank XII, she could recruit a Knight Hero to command them.

For Seraphine, he set aside enough of the Fountain’s Life Essence to bring her Aptitude to B. She received it and completed the advance.

Tobias and the other friends each received a Legendary Troop Sigil that Cassian had bought for them. What they could recruit would depend on their luck.

Their strength had risen again. Even if more veterans descended with the same forces as the last expedition, his friends would be able to put up a fight.

And House Frost’s three rescuers had set their own development aside. They were staying in Darian’s Domain.

The next morning, Cassian opened the office transfer panel.

"Transfer the Marches Commander’s office and Riftward Region’s Warden’s office to Elara Vayne."

[Office transfer offered to Lord Elara Vayne. Awaiting acceptance.]

They had already discussed it. The reply came quickly.

[Elara Vayne has accepted the office of Marches Commander.]

[Elara Vayne has accepted the office of Riftward Regional Warden.]

[Warden office relinquished. Standard Hero Contract slots −1. Current occupancy: 3 / 4.]

More notices followed. Apart from the lost Hero slot, the change would make little difference to him.

Elara called him at once.

"Swordheart has had a century to decay, but its monsters should still be at least Level 80. Be careful."

"I know what I’m doing," Cassian said with a smile. "I’m leaving the ordinary Eclipse Legionnaires in Riftward. Look after them for me. Especially their meals."

He transferred a hundred million Aether to her.

Elara nodded firmly, then hesitated.

"Surely they won’t need this much?"

She did not yet know what feeding those Legionnaires involved.

Cassian smiled without explaining. He took out the Blank Residency Writ for Swordheart Region.

"Relocate to Swordheart."

[Blank Residency Writ used. Your Domain will relocate to a random map within Swordheart Region.]

A thick pillar of golden light shot into the sky.

When it faded, Forgotten Shrine had vanished from the Riftward map.