Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Lorant secured chains around the gate of the exotic beast warehouse to prevent the mischievous Crystal Ice Flame Dogs from sneaking in. He enjoyed the evening breeze that greeted him.

The temperature was still high in autumn, but the evening wind brought a cool touch as it brushed through his hair.

Ruth served dinner in the pavilion in the courtyard, while Silem had already closed the shop and was happily eating from his bowl.

"Lorant, come quickly," Ruth called out, keeping an eye on the commotion at the warehouse.

"Coming, coming!"

After dinner, Ruth and Silem took the six Crystal Ice Flame Dogs for a walk, as Lorant had instructed.

Their main walking route was around the towns near the Animal Pet Shop. They wanted to explore the area and see what facilities were nearby.

Others might not be aware, but Lorant knew all too well that although the current size of the Animal Pet Shop seemed substantial, it was far from enough for the beasts that required vast spaces for activity.

Fortunately, there were only twelve Crystal Ice Flame Dogs for now; otherwise, even this large courtyard would not suffice for their needs.

These beasts were incredibly fast, and if they were allowed to run freely, this small courtyard would be inadequate.

Expanding the territory was something that needed to be addressed sooner or later.

So during this period, Ruth and Silem would always take walks around the vicinity after dinner to decide which direction to develop next.

Lorant, who had suggested taking post-dinner walks, always complained about being too tired and needed rest, then comfortably lay in a recliner watching them leave under Ruth's concerned gaze and Silem's accusing eyes.

"Little Lorant! Are you here?"

Lorant, lying in the recliner enjoying the evening breeze, was just starting to feel drowsy when he heard a clear female voice outside.

He recognized it as Jaina's voice, sighed, and reluctantly got up to open the door.

"Coming!"

Jaina came alone.

Seeing Lorant open the door, she greeted him with a smile, "Good evening, little Lorant."

"Good evening, Lady Jaina."

Lorant stepped aside to let her in.

He settled Jaina on the sofa in the living room and brewed her favorite tea.

Jaina accepted the tea with a smile, "It seems I really need to come to little Lorant's place for tea. Ever since we placed that order with you, the Knight Regiment's benefits have decreased."

Seeing Lorant remain unperturbed, she pouted, "You're not a cute kid at all. Alright, let's get down to business. I'm here today about the cooperation we discussed earlier."

"Little Silem should have brought back the deposit we paid you."

Lorant nodded, unable to suppress a smile, "He did bring it back, but he was quite scared along the way and even threw a tantrum when he returned."

Jaina chuckled and covered her mouth, "Really? It seems he was frightened. However, the escort praised him, saying he was quite alert."

Of course, she wouldn't let an apprentice knight carry such a large sum alone. Any mishap could cause significant trouble.

So, as soon as Silem left the Knight Regiment's premises, an eighth-level knight followed him secretly.

However, out of some playful mischief, Jaina didn't tell Silem about this.

Lorant found Jaina's mischievousness somewhat exasperating.

After meeting her several times, he felt he could describe her somewhat malicious interests.

"Please rest assured, nine months from now, five hundred Crystal Ice Flame Dogs will be delivered to the Knight Regiment."

Jaina waved her hand, "We trust you, little Lorant. I'm here today for another matter."

Lorant raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What is it?"

"Well, I noticed that you posted many live capture missions on the platform."

Not only did she notice; Jaina received the corresponding message as soon as Lorant posted the mission.

As the recommender, she bore responsibility for Lorant.

If Lorant breached any agreements, her own credibility might be affected.

This was one reason why high-level professionals rarely vouched for ordinary people.

"I did post many missions. Is there a problem?"

Hearing Jaina's words, Lorant became nervous.

Had something gone wrong with his missions? Were there regulations against posting such tasks, prompting Jaina to seek him out?

"No, no, not at all. My point is, I saw that your live capture missions cover almost all types of first-level exotic beasts. So, are you trying to acquire all types of first-level exotic beasts?"

Relieved that he hadn't caused any trouble, Lorant sighed, "Not just first-level exotic beasts, Jaina. If possible, I want to acquire all types of exotic beasts to see them myself."

"You know, breeding animal pets requires exotic beasts, but I haven't seen many of them, which slows my progress."

"That makes sense," Jaina nodded. "I still represent The Knights of the Thorns and would like to discuss another transaction with you."

"A transaction?" Lorant looked at Jaina in confusion. Five hundred Crystal Ice Flame Dogs weren't enough for The Knights of the Thorns?

"Yes, a transaction. You should know that the place with the most comprehensive variety of exotic beasts is not the Black Forest." Jaina smiled, "It's the Lopulo Mountains, the natural barrier separating exotic beasts from intelligent beings."

"It is also the first line of defense for intelligent beings."

"There you will find the most comprehensive variety of exotic beasts in the world. If you want to acquire all kinds of exotic beasts, only the Lopulo Mountains can meet your needs."

"And our Eight Knights happen to guard one of the entrances to the Lopulo Mountains."

"We can provide you with comprehensive live acquisition orders, collecting all exotic beasts from level one to five." Jaina was like a weasel trying to lure a little chick into her mouth.

"Level one to five!" Lorant became excited, his breathing quickening.

The reason he had only posted an order for all level-one exotic beasts was that any beast above level one possessed considerable offensive power.

Capturing a level-one Spring Rabbit, Lorant could do it himself.

But just one level higher, a level-two Claw Wolf left him helpless.

It could be said that true exotic beasts start at level two, and with each increase in level, their offensive power more than doubles.

The difficulty of capturing them alive increases exponentially.

"Yes, all exotic beasts from level one to five, two of each kind, one male and one female." Jaina knew Lorant couldn't resist such an offer and confidently blew on her teacup.

"So what will I need to pay?"

"The remaining payment for five hundred Glass Ice Flame Dogs, twenty million gold coins."

Lorant's eyes lit up at Jaina's words, ready to agree immediately.

But before he could speak, Jaina took a deep breath and said, "That's not enough."

Lorant: "…………"

If it's not enough, why did you say it!

"You must understand, little Lorant, these are level-five exotic beasts! To capture them alive, you'd need at least an eighth-level professional."

Lorant composed himself. "Ms. Jaina, how much are you asking for?"

"Ten times." Jaina held up five fingers. "Twenty million is not enough; it has to be two hundred million."

"Two hundred million..." Lorant hesitated upon hearing this price. Just half an hour ago, he thought he was a wealthy man, but now it seemed he was far from it.

With Jaina's words, he instantly felt impoverished again.

"Yes, two hundred million." Jaina leaned back on the sofa, confident that the deal would go through based on Lorant's expression.

No researcher could resist such an offer related to their research.

This was a lesson Jaina had learned over the years from her husband.

"Jaina, I can't afford that..." Lorant was indeed tempted but had to reluctantly refuse due to his financial constraints.

"Don't rush to refuse, Lorant. We don't expect you to pay now. The Knights of the Thorns can accept your debt, which you can repay later."

Jaina believed she had offered very favorable terms, almost implying that the Knights of the Thorns were doing this for friendship with the Animal Pet Shop rather than money.

This was the result of a collective decision by the commander and four deputy commanders of the Knights of the Thorns, influenced by William's assurance and the images provided by Jaina. The importance of the Animal Pet Shop in their eyes had skyrocketed, even reaching the same level as the dwarves' 'Fire Dragon' forge as a 'necessary partner.'

After deliberation, Commander Jane decided to have Jaina sign a long-term cooperation agreement with Lorant, securing their relationship with the Animal Pet Shop before other Knight Regiments or the Congress of Magic could react.

This was the plan of the Knights of the Thorns.

After hearing Jaina out, Lorant fell into deep thought.

Apart from the twenty million gold coins owed by the Knights of the Thorns, he still needed to pay another one hundred and eighty million!

Even buying the entire abandoned town around him would cost only forty million gold coins!

But thinking about it from another angle, using Glass Ice Flame Dogs to offset the debt...

It didn't seem like an insurmountable amount.

Moreover, without mentioning anything else, the Windbreaker Horses that his Animal Pet Shop would launch in three months would surely drive all knights mad!

He couldn't believe any knight would refuse a loyal and intelligent mount!

Thinking this, Lorant looked at Jaina with anticipation. "Jaina, may I ask how many knights there are in the Knights of the Thorns, no, in the Eight Knights?"

Jaina paused for a moment. Although she didn't know why Lorant asked this, it wasn't a secret and could easily be found out.

"Each of the Eight Knights has roughly the same number of members. Our Knights of the Thorns, following an elite policy, have the fewest members, about twenty thousand knights."

"Throughout Mauplan, there are approximately three hundred thousand official knights. Including trainees, the number reaches nearly five hundred thousand."

Jaina didn't understand why Lorant's eyes kept getting brighter after hearing her words.

She felt he was scheming something, looking exactly like her apprentice when he was up to no good.

Lorant felt reassured. Without saying much, if the Knights of the Thorns were willing to equip their knights with Windbreaker Horses, he wouldn't have to worry about debt anymore.

How wonderful.

Having made his decision, Lorant still pretended to hesitate. "Well, of course, I'm willing to sign this order, but it is quite expensive. I might need some time to pay it all."

"It's alright, Lorant. We can break down the entire order into phases. Within a month, we'll deliver the Level 1 aberrants and part of the Level 2 aberrants, with the total value covering the remaining balance."

"Over the next two to three years, we will deliver the rest of the aberrants to the Animal pet shop."

"Once we've fulfilled our part, we can discuss your payment schedule further."

Lorant nodded obediently.

Two to three years? He was confident that in just three months, The Knights of the Thorns would be working collectively to pay off their debt.

After all, how could knights call themselves knights without mounts!