Chapter 146: The Auction (2)

The luxurious carriage glided smoothly through the beautiful streets of the Duchy, its quiet cabin keeping Malrik and Velrosa away from the noise outside.

But that quiet was anything but comfortable for Malrik.

He sat stiffly in his velvet-lined seat. Across from him, Velrosa rested her chin in her palm and watched him with a calm smile.

She hadn’t said a single word since the carriage door closed. She simply kept watching him, her bright smile never leaving her face.

Malrik didn’t fear her as an enemy. Velrosa was his sister, after all, and he didn’t believe she wanted to harm him or held any ill will toward him. But that didn’t make sitting with her in this enclosed space any more comfortable.

He remained silent for a while, trying to ignore her gaze, but he could no longer take it.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Malrik finally asked, breaking the silence as he furrowed his brows.

Velrosa’s smile widened slightly as she tilted her head. "Don’t I have the right to look at my cute little brother?"

She answered simply, then settled back into her previous position and continued staring at him as though he were a painting.

Malrik realized that getting into a staring contest or arguing with her about it was a losing battle, so he decided to distract her and change the subject completely.

"So, sister..." Malrik began, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. "I didn’t know you were the type to attend events like auctions. Aren’t these gatherings filled with nobles who love to flaunt their wealth and fill the place with empty chatter?"

Velrosa let out a light sigh and leaned back in her seat, causing the pressure of her presence to fade slightly.

"You’re absolutely right, Mal. I despise these suffocating gatherings," she said, twirling a lock of her fiery hair. "But I have to come. I’m looking for something specific... something that might help me break through the bottleneck for my next advancement."

Advancement?

Malrik caught the word immediately. It was the perfect opportunity to gather some information he was missing.

"By the way... I just realized I don’t know your current rank or even our eldest brother Alex’s rank."

Velrosa gave him a sly smile.

"Oh? Has my little brother suddenly become curious?"

Malrik maintained his composure and waited for her answer. Velrosa’s smile widened as she answered, her voice carrying a mix of pride and annoyance.

"I’m currently preparing to break through to the Transcendent rank. As for Alex... his rank is no secret. He’s already famous. He’s at the Transcendent rank, making him a Saint, and probably the youngest Saint in the Empire."

She turned toward the window, a hint of anger appearing in her eyes.

"That damn talent he awakened... no matter how hard I try, it always keeps him one step ahead of me."

Talent?*

So Alex has a talent like me.

Awakening a talent wasn’t impossible, but it was uncommon. Only a small number of Awakened managed to awaken a talent during their Awakening Ceremony.

Even among those who did, talents were divided into different ranks, each determining the potential and extent of what the talent could achieve.

I awakened an SSS-Rank talent... but what about Alex? I wonder if his talent is powerful too.

Malrik knew he wasn’t an exception. If he could awaken a powerful talent, there was no reason others couldn’t awaken powerful talents of their own.

"And what exactly is Alex’s talent, sister?" Malrik asked, unable to suppress his curiosity this time.

Silence fell for a moment as Velrosa looked at him, her smile fading slightly.

"Why don’t you go and ask him yourself?"

"Honestly, no one knows much about that talent or its true rank except Father and the High Elders. Talents are rather sensitive matters, after all."

Then she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Enough talking about our ridiculously talented eldest brother. It’s ruining my mood, alright?"

She returned to resting her chin in her palm, then smiled with clear interest.

"Let’s talk about you instead. That guard who was standing with Cedric outside... that’s Orren, isn’t it?"

Malrik simply nodded. "That’s right."

"I assume you recruited him, since he’s been following you like a shadow ever since?"

Malrik smiled faintly and scratched the back of his head. "You could say that. Orren is now the First Commander of my personal legion heading to Dreadmoor."

Velrosa’s emerald eyes widened, and her expression changed completely.

In the next moment, she lunged from her seat and hugged Malrik so tightly that she lifted him right off his seat.

"Oh my God, Mal!" Velrosa exclaimed excitedly as she squeezed him in her arms. "I’m so proud of you! The twins are going to lose their minds when they hear this! And the third and fourth too! Oh my God, I can’t wait to see their faces when they find out!"

"Sister... please... I’m suffocating!"

The words came out of Malrik’s mouth in a strained, broken voice.

He couldn’t understand how someone with such a delicate, feminine build could possess such brute strength. Even with Lokris doubling his physical stats, he could almost feel his bones about to break under the pressure of her arms.

"You little troublemaker! You really have grown up!" Velrosa continued squeezing him in her arms, completely ignoring his suffering.

"Now you’re a Banner Bearer and a Baron, and you’ve even recruited the knight who rejected your older siblings! You really know how to surprise me, little brother!"

Finally, she let him go.

Malrik dropped back into his seat, gasping for air as he struggled to catch his breath. Velrosa returned to her seat, smiling at him with complete satisfaction.

Malrik glared at her for a moment, then sighed.

"You’re going to kill me one day..."

Velrosa laughed happily, as if she had taken his words as a compliment. But Malrik suddenly remembered something he had been meaning to ask.

"But wait, there’s something I don’t understand," Malrik said after catching his breath.

"How can a knight refuse a Banner Bearer’s order in the first place? How does that even happen? Didn’t the Banner Bearer take action against him? Wouldn’t that be considered disobedience?"

Velrosa blinked, and a serious look returned to her eyes.

"Yes, you’re right. I have some information about this, but there is someone who may know much more about it than I do."

"Who?" Malrik asked.

"The Mistress of Whispers... my personal Seer."

Malrik furrowed his brows. He didn’t fully understand what either of these titles meant.

"Mistress of Whispers? Seer?"

Velrosa noticed his confusion and chuckled lightly. "Oh, right. I forgot you’re still a new Baron."

Before Malrik could process her words, she suddenly leaned in and pinched his cheeks hard.

"Sisterrrr!"

"You’re too cute when you’re confused, Mal."

She pinched his cheeks again, laughing at his helpless expression.

Malrik groaned, feeling as if the flesh of his face was about to be ripped off, his cheeks turning bright red.

Velrosa finally let him go, still laughing. "I’ll only tell you because you’re cute."

Malrik rubbed his cheek, giving her a disgruntled look. "Was that necessary?"

Velrosa only laughed at his red cheeks. But after a moment, her laughter faded. She leaned back in her seat and straightened her posture, her expression becoming more serious.

"Alright, enough teasing. Let’s focus on the important things, Mal. Do you know what the first thing you should focus on when you go to your new lands is?"

Malrik thought for a moment. "Knowing the state of the lands and their resources, I suppose?"

"Good answer, but no."

"That would come later. In the end, your lands are only going to keep growing, so your first priority should be building a strong and well-structured council from the very beginning. You need people you can trust to manage each aspect of your lands."

"Each department will have its own dedicated official, such as the Head of Treasury, the Head of Trade, and the Head of Resources, and each of them will hold a seat on your personal council."

"But there is another department that is no less important than the rest... the department of information."

Velrosa smiled faintly. "And this is where the Master of Whispers comes in."

"It is usually a Seer, but their role is far greater than simply giving advice," Velrosa said in a more serious tone.

"A Master of Whispers is responsible for gathering information that the council members cannot access openly. They have a network of informants and spies, keeping track of what happens within your lands and beyond, from the movements of nobles to market news and even external threats." " On top of that, they possess abilities of their own that make them invaluable when it comes to gathering information."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"And in times of war, trust me... you wouldn’t want to find yourself fighting a Seer."

Malrik stared at her for a moment, then asked while rubbing his reddened cheek.

"Hmm... I understand why they’re important in everyday life, but even in war? From what you’re saying, they don’t seem to be specialized in combat."

Velrosa thought for a moment.

"How do I explain it to you?... Have you ever met the Lady of Prophecy, Helena? She’s one of the High Elders, and the Mistress of Whispers for House Vasprian."

Malrik nodded slowly. "I’ve heard of her, but I’ve never met her before."

"Well, do you know how many Supreme-rank experts would rather not cross her? There’s a famous saying... Only a Seer can defeat a Seer. Never, ever underestimate them, little brother."

Hearing these words, Malrik finally understood the immense value of having a Seer in his service.

"I understand, sister," Malrik said. "But... how will we contact your Mistress of Whispers? How will we ask her about Orren while we’re here?"

"No problem," Velrosa said simply.

She raised a hand and tucked her silky red hair back, revealing an earring set with a stone that matched the color of her emerald eyes. She infused it with a faint pulse of mana.

Instantly, a green light flashed, and a small spectral figure of a woman, about the size of a fist, emerged from the earring and floated quietly in the air between them.

Malrik leaned in to inspect the magical entity, but something about its appearance seemed strange.

Is she sleeping?

***

Author’s Note

I hope you all have a wonderful end to the month, and I hope your salaries don’t get delayed like mine did, haha.

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Love you all!