Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Speaking of which, how does Lancelot do things? There isn't even a decent place to sit in the shop." Jaina didn't rush to state her next proposal; instead, she complained slightly as she looked around the small shop.

Lorant said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry. Because we were eager to open, I asked Mr. Peter to do the renovation this way."

"Peter is getting less reliable with age. He's been a butler his whole life and yet he's regressing."

Lorant shook his head, "This was mainly my idea. It's not anyone else's fault. By the way, what you proposed was..."

Lorant deliberately mentioned Peter to test Jaina's true identity.

Jaina played along by complaining about the old butler.

Only now did Lorant truly believe that the person in front of him was indeed the deputy leader of the Knight Regiment that Lancelot had mentioned—his teacher.

"I don't know if Lancelot has mentioned it, but I am the deputy leader of The Knights of the Thorns," Jaina said seriously, pointing to her knight regiment's emblem.

Lorant nodded after looking at the emblem, "He did mention it."

"That makes things easier. Here's the thing: I came today to confirm the true strength of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs. If they really possess five innate skills and can reach the strength of a level five to seven beast, as you say."

"I want to formally propose cooperation on behalf of The Knights of the Thorns," Jaina said, shocking Lorant.

Five minutes later, sitting in the pavilion in the backyard, Jaina elegantly sipped the tea Lorant personally brewed, closing her eyes contentedly.

"Vine Red Fragrant Tea. I also love this tea, but unfortunately, its production is too limited and the price is quite high, making it hard to afford daily," Jaina commented.

"This was brought by Butler Peter. I also like it very much."

"It seems that when I crave it, I can come here for some tea." Jaina smiled, "Even if the price is high, I doubt it would be an issue for you, shopkeeper."

Lorant smiled awkwardly, "How could it be? I'm from a poor family."

Jaina: "A Crystal Ice Flame Dog costs fifty thousand gold coins, and even a reservation requires ten thousand. If I'm not mistaken, that reservation list isn't short."

"If you're not considered wealthy, then we must be truly impoverished." Jaina teased with a smile.

"Fifty thousand gold coins is actually not expensive. After all, it took me a lot of time and effort to breed these pets. A pet comparable to a level seven beast is worth every coin," Lorant explained seriously.

"Ha, don't worry, little one. I'm not here to haggle with you." Jaina couldn't help but laugh at Lorant's anxious expression, "Although I'm the deputy leader, The Knights of the Thorns aren't my personal property, so I don't have to spend my own money."

"I wouldn't care even if it cost a hundred thousand per dog."

Lorant secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Jaina was going to start haggling.

"If we're talking about it, even a pet at the level of a level five beast is worth fifty thousand gold coins."

"But how can I be sure that they will grow up to have such strength?"

Lorant relaxed completely, leaning back and taking a sip of hot tea calmly, "That's simple. In three months, everything will be clear."

"Though they won't be fully grown in three months, they should have the strength of a level five beast."

"The Knight Regiment can wait until then to decide whether to order the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs," Lorant smiled.

Jaina agreed, "Of course, if your pets prove to have such abilities, not just our Knights of the Thorns, but the Eight Knights will likely vie for them."

"But if you don't have enough pets then, we'd have to wait another nine months, right?"

"But if we place an order now, we'll be three months ahead of other groups!"

"I trust Lancelot and I trust you, young Lorant, but to convince others, we need more evidence."

Jaina looked at Lorant earnestly, a grand twelfth-level knight adopting a girl-like demeanor.

"Our Knights of the Thorns often struggle against other groups due to our composition. Can you help me out, considering I'm Lancelot's teacher?"

Lorant was somewhat hesitant. Currently, the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs only had the strength of a level three beast, and he couldn't make them grow overnight.

"Lady Jaina, although I want to prove the potential of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, as you can see, they are still pups with only the strength of a level three beast."

"However, from what I understand, besides strong physical attributes, a level five beast is characterized by the number of innate skills."

"Five innate skills are typically a feature of level six or higher beasts, right?"

Jaina nodded, "Yes, the number and strength of innate skills are indeed criteria for assessing a beast's level."

Seeing Jaina agree, Lorant continued, "If that's the case, confirming their skills could also confirm their potential, right?"

"Although the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs are young, their innate skills have already awakened. Compared to adulthood, the only difference is in power. If Lady Jaina can verify this, wouldn't it be worth the trip?"

William, who had been sitting restlessly nearby, finally spoke up, distracted by the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs' antics.

"Jaina, give me a month! I'll thoroughly study these little ones and provide a certification."

Jaina thought for a moment and reluctantly said, "Alright, why don't you let them demonstrate their skills now, and I'll record it with a crystal. If that doesn't work, we can wait a month."

"No problem. Come here, Little Eight."

Lorant readily agreed, calling Little Eight over.

Since Lorant and the others sat in the pavilion, Little Eight had stayed near its siblings but kept an eye on Lorant.

Now, hearing his call, it wagged its tail and ran over, circling around to stay farther from Jaina before settling beside Lorant.

Clearly, Jaina had left a deep impression on it.

"Oof!" Little Eight nudged Lorant's hand with its head in a very human-like manner, all the while keeping a wary eye on Jaina.

It was as if it was warning Lorant that this woman was dangerous.

"Little Eight, fire a [Flame Orb] over there." Lorant pointed at the water.

Little Eight rubbed against Lorant's hand, and seeing no further reaction from Lorant toward Jaina, it let out an unsatisfied humph.

But it still obediently flicked its tail.

A ball of icy-blue flame burst forth, igniting a large area of the water before disappearing completely after several minutes.

Jaina held a crystal stone, and above it floated a magical rune, which also appeared over her right eye.

As long as the rune existed, anything Jaina could see would be recorded by the crystal stone. Although the duration was short and consumed a great deal of mana, it was quite convenient at the moment.

"Little Eight, demonstrate [Flame Bite] and [Flame Step]."

Little Eight ran around the pavilion with light steps, leaving a trail of icy flames on the ground.

When it circled back onto the fiery path, Little Eight's speed visibly increased, leaving behind several afterimages.

Jaina nodded in satisfaction; such speed could rival that of a fourth-level creature known for its swiftness.

However, Lorant knew that it hadn't even begun to run at full capacity yet.

If it did, Lorant wouldn't be able to see its movements clearly.

"The remaining two skills require a bit of your help to showcase properly."

"One skill allows them to move normally in both high and low temperature environments, while the other is [Fire Seed], a tracking skill."

"A tracking skill?" Jaina looked up with interest. "What exactly does it do?"

"As long as something has been touched by its flames, the Lapis Ice Flame Hound can track it for several days over a considerable distance, though I haven't tested the specifics."

William rubbed his hands together. "That's easy, I'll give it a try."

He raised his hand and drew a circle in the air, and a white-furred creature, bound by invisible chains, was lifted out.

It was a fluffy, pure-white ball of fur.

It was placed on the fiery path where Little Eight had just run, looking like a plump white dumpling dipped in vinegar.

This was a first-level creature called the Snow Rabbit, a timid creature living in frigid regions. Due to its natural resistance to magic, it was popular among mages.

William released the Snow Rabbit, which paused momentarily, its red eyes hidden beneath its long fur, staring intently at Lorant.

Even as a first-level creature, its instinctive aggression was deeply ingrained.

It wanted to attack Lorant.

Before it could make a move, William frowned and fired an arcane missile that grazed its fur, striking the ground.

In the next second, the Snow Rabbit bolted, quickly vanishing from sight.

"Let's wait a bit longer, so it runs a bit further. Then have your dog find it, and I'll follow them." William watched the Snow Rabbit disappear and turned to Lorant. "I've cast a tracking spell on the Snow Rabbit that records its movements."

After waiting a moment, when William felt they were far enough apart, Lorant nudged the bored Little Eight lying on the ground.

"Go, bring back the one that was touched by your Fire Seed."

Little Eight shook itself, lifted its head, sensed something, and darted off.

William muttered a few incantations and vanished on the spot.

He followed his own mark.

Jaina and Lorant relaxed and chatted idly.

"Little Lorant, if you need anything, feel free to come to me. I usually stay at the headquarters of The Knights of the Thorns." Jaina grew more fond of Lorant the more she looked at him. A child as handsome as he was easily endearing.

And someone who was both good-looking and capable was even harder to dislike.

Plus, he was Lancelot's partner, so Jaina felt a certain affection by association.

"Lady Jaina, I actually do have something I'd like to ask."