Chapter 80

Chapter 80

In the following days, the beast tide fortunately stabilized and did not continue to expand or intensify.

This was undoubtedly good news for everyone.

When the beast tide no longer surged endlessly, it was the time for professionals to gradually erode and eliminate it.

Even in such a situation where countless high-ranking professionals were present, rarely requiring professionals to face off directly against stronger beasts than themselves, casualties still occurred among humans.

The professional who had been impregnated by the bloodsucking stilt spider ultimately succumbed after three days of struggle, as all nutrients in his body were drained, leading to his death.

In addition, there were those burned by flames, corroded by venom, and driven mad by mental control.

Every day, various injured individuals were sent to the priest camp.

Some managed to survive and leave the priest camp, while a small number remained there forever.

Relatively speaking, the Fifth Outpost had the least losses among all outposts this year.

One reason might be that a team of beast pets with an average level around seven had been more actively helping combat the beast tide than most professionals.

After all the bloodsucking stilt spiders in the beast tide were captured, the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs returned to the Fifth Outpost to continue their daily "entertainment," which was hunting the beast tide.

With practiced coordination, these pups could easily handle hundreds of beasts at the edge of the tide simultaneously.

Or they could work together effortlessly to toy with and kill a seventh or even eighth-level beast.

Their presence made the sixth-level knights, who also acted independently within the light barrier, feel both ashamed and frustrated.

However, this wasn't surprising. To be honest, an ordinary sixth-level knight might not necessarily gain any advantage when facing a single Crystal Ice Flame Dog alone.

And when the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs teamed up, ten of them could achieve far more than ten sixth-level knights combined.

Crystal Ice Flame Dogs were naturally pack animals with considerable intelligence, making them capable of achieving synergy greater than the sum of their parts in battle.

Moreover, compared to these little creatures, professionals were far inferior in terms of stamina.

During this beast tide, ten Crystal Ice Flame Dogs could be considered equivalent to twenty sixth-level professionals, a formidable fighting force that could significantly influence the entire battle.

As for why there were only ten Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, it was because Little Eight stayed with Silem in the rear to avoid danger.

Little Seven 'Manu' was kept by its owner Lancelot, and their recent teamwork had steadily improved through battling one beast after another.

Meanwhile, the weather grew colder.

Lorant rubbed his hands and walked into Mauplan's real estate center.

Even wearing clothes made from the hide of a sixth-level beast that could generate heat and a soft scarf around his neck, he couldn't completely fend off the cold wind.

Lorant was thoroughly chilled, with red tips on his nose and fingers.

"Hello, how may I assist you?" Seeing someone enter, the young man behind the counter quickly approached.

Lorant looked around and asked, "Is Emma here? I bought some land from her before, and I have some follow-up matters to discuss with her."

Perhaps Lorant's words were too ambiguous, and the young man's expression changed.

People who said such things usually came to complain about property issues. He had seen many such cases during his month of work here.

The young man's eyes flickered, and he put on a smile.

"Manager Emma is off today, sir. If you have any requests, please tell me, and I will relay them to her." The young man blinked sincerely.

He planned to send this customer away first and then inform Miss Emma later so she could prepare herself.

Regardless of the situation, it didn't seem wise to let Miss Emma deal directly with this unknown visitor.

Hearing this, Lorant looked curiously at the young man. "Emma is already a manager? She was just a newcomer not long ago. Time sure flies."

"Yes, sir. Miss Emma is now the hall manager. She is very capable and always considers the needs of her clients, which led to her exceptional promotion." When talking about Emma, the young man's expression revealed unhidden admiration.

This manager had become a legend in the real estate office, transforming completely in less than half a year and even catching the attention of the Knight Regiment, promising a bright future.

"Well, since Emma isn't here, can you help me find my previous contract?" Lorant wasn't insistent on seeing Emma; he just thought it would be more convenient to have someone familiar handle the matter.

"Of course, no problem at all." Seeing that Lorant didn't seem to be looking for trouble, the young man relaxed and cheerfully accepted the purchase agreement from Lorant. After guiding him to the waiting area, he ran into the main hall.

A moment later, Emma hurried out from behind the counter toward Lorant.

"Mr. Lorant, I apologize. Our clerk was unaware of my day off, causing you to wait." Emma rushed over, slightly out of breath.

This scene reminded him of several months ago.

That novice girl had run up to Lorant, earnestly explaining a large amount of information to a boy whom everyone thought was unreliable.

Now, although she was still the same girl, she had changed significantly.

Emma wore a slim-fitting light brown sweater and a pair of exquisite leather shoes made from beast hide.

Her hair, now a bit longer, was carefully styled and fell smoothly over her shoulders.

She exuded a faint fragrance, likely from using perfume.

Just by looking at her appearance, one could see the dramatic transformation from the impoverished girl in rough linen clothing.

The most noticeable change in Emma was not her attire but her overall demeanor, radiating confidence.

Lorant looked at her in some surprise, momentarily unable to recognize her.

"Emma? Oh, it's great to see you again. You look completely different from the last time we met."

Emma knew Lorant was complimenting her. She smiled gracefully and sat down opposite him with poise.

It was hard to believe that not long ago she had been an awkward commoner girl. Now, she seemed more like someone from the upper class, well-educated and of good birth.

"You've also changed, Mr. Lorant. If you had come here dressed like this a few months ago, I might not have had the chance to serve you." Emma couldn't help but laugh as she spoke.

Lorant also chuckled.

A few months ago, he had walked in wearing tattered linen clothes, overlooked by everyone. Among all the staff present, only Emma, who had just started her career, had chosen to warmly welcome him.

Now, dressed in luxurious attire worth hundreds of gold coins, he immediately drew everyone's attention upon entering. Emma, now a manager no longer confined to the counter, exuded the aura of a rising star in the workplace.

In Emma, Lorant saw a reflection of Nia, the strong-willed manager of the Slime House.

"Mr. Lorant, are you here today to purchase more land around your shop?" After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Emma quickly steered the conversation back to business.

"That's right. I'm here for that very reason," Lorant nodded. "I want to buy the entire town."

Emma's expression blanked for a second.

"The town... You mean the abandoned town where your current land is located?"

Lorant nodded, matter-of-factly: "Yes, I remember that in the contract I signed, I had the right of first refusal for that land."

He seemed unaware that he was discussing a transaction worth forty million gold coins, remaining remarkably calm.

This decision had been made long ago by Lorant, even though the Animal Pet Shop was still operating at a loss.

They were even indebted to the Knights of the Thorns for a substantial order.

But this did not deter Lorant from having expansion plans for the Animal Pet Shop.

In fact, the Animal Pet Shop had reached a point where expansion was necessary.

Firstly, the Windbreaker Horses were gradually hatching. Currently, there were only a hundred, and they ventured out daily to complete logistical tasks, returning to the shop only at night. This didn't occupy much space yet, but once the rest of the horses hatched and the beast tide ended, the shop's area would be insufficient.

Even if they found another horse farm for breeding, keeping a portion at the shop wouldn't solve the problem.

Secondly, the appearance of the Bloodsucking High-legged Spiders made Lorant realize that his exotic creature warehouse was running out of space.

During the beast tide, the Animal Pet Shop captured forty-seven Bloodsucking High-legged Spiders, which were currently housed in several dilapidated wooden sheds outside the shop.

After William designed a simple cage with protective spells, these creatures were temporarily placed there.

However, this wasn't a long-term solution. The Animal Pet Shop urgently needed to expand its facilities to accommodate high-level exotic creatures.

The warehouses for ordinary and sub-level exotic creatures were also becoming insufficient due to the continuous delivery of orders from the Knights of the Thorns.

All these factors pushed Lorant to decide on a comprehensive expansion, buying the entire town outright.

What had seemed like an unattainable goal not long ago now appeared feasible.

Emma nodded quickly: "Yes, you do have the right of first refusal. However, the town is still under the name of the Knight Regiment, and there are seven leased plots. So, you'll need to discuss the specifics with the Knight Regiment."

"If necessary, I can contact the person in charge of the Knight Regiment for you."

Lorant frowned slightly, not expecting so many complications.

He had hoped for a simpler transaction, but he sighed inwardly.

"Alright, please contact them. How long will it take? Can it be done today?"

He had many other matters to attend to. Even without the shop being open, a multitude of trivial tasks awaited him every day. Lorant didn't have much time to spare.

Emma quickly stood up: "I'll contact them right away. The land was recently transferred from the Holy Sword Knight Regiment to the Knights of the Thorns. Their representative is still in Mauplan City, so we should get a response soon."

Lorant raised an eyebrow.

Transferred to the Knights of the Thorns? If this wasn't their doing, Lorant would eat Little Eight alive!

Yet Jaina hadn't mentioned anything. What were they planning?

Emma returned shortly, looking incredulous.

"Mr. Lorant, I just contacted the Knights of the Thorns. Their representative said they could transfer ownership of the town to you today. As for the price, they said it could be added to your account with the Knights of the Thorns."

She spoke as if she were discussing something trivial, not a massive piece of land worth forty million gold coins.

Adding it to the account...

Could she really comprehend this?

Lorant showed little reaction. After a moment's thought, he nodded: "Should I go to the Knights of the Thorns or sign the documents here?"

"Here, here is fine," Emma said, still in a daze, as she took out the contract that had just arrived via teleportation array. She watched Lorant read it calmly, sign it, and then leave.

Seeing Lorant disappear into the teleportation array, the young man who had greeted him earlier cautiously approached Emma.

"Emma, did you just close a forty-million-gold deal?" He looked at the contract in her hand, incredulous.

Emma nodded, still in a daze.

With her current status, every time she completes an order of this caliber, she earns a commission.

In other words, in just a few minutes, she made four hundred gold coins!

This amount of money is more than what an ordinary family could save in a lifetime!

Mr. Lorant is truly her lucky star!

...

Lorant carefully read through the terms and conditions before deciding to sign, confirming there were no issues.

Even though everyone knows that someone offering help for no reason is either up to no good or has ulterior motives,

firstly, Lorant still had a certain level of trust in The Knights of the Thorns.

Secondly, he now believed he had enough leverage to sit at the table with confidence.

Even if The Knights of the Thorns had any ill intentions, he had ways to handle it.

Lorant is no longer the helpless boy who relied solely on Lancelot's protection and the kindness of others.

As the Animal Pet Shop gradually comes into the public eye and influences more people,

even the Knight Regiment or the Congress of Magic would have to think twice before making a move against him.

Upon arriving home, Lorant saw Jaina accompanying a tall and slender knight waiting at the gate.

After leaving the property office, Lorant had been delayed in Earl's Castle, and Ruth hadn't returned home during this time.

Lorant asked her to stay in Earl's Castle until the beast tide was over.

Ruth found it somewhat boring being alone in Earl's Castle, but thankfully, with the teleportation array, Lorant would send Silem over every night to keep her company.

Lorant was intercepted by Ruth inside the castle and had to endure a long period of concern before being allowed to leave.

"Lorant! You're finally back!" Jaina immediately pushed open the French windows and ran in when she saw Lorant return.

Entering the house without the owner's presence would be considered quite rude, so they waited at the door.

If this were in the past, Jaina would have barged right in regardless, but the recent collaboration between the Animal Pet Shop and the Slimes, bypassing the Knight Regiment and the Church, served as a wake-up call for The Knights of the Thorns.

It turns out the Animal Pet Shop can operate completely independently of the Knight Regiment.

Though it currently operates within the Knight Regiment's territory and under their jurisdiction, anyone can see that the Animal Pet Shop is not dependent on its location. If Lorant wished, both the Church and the Congress of Magic would welcome the entire shop onto their grounds.

Setting aside other factors, the current revenue of the Animal Pet Shop alone is enough to make the local finance minister breathe a sigh of relief each quarter.

This is why the Knight Regiment quickly exchanged land with the Holy Sword Knight Regiment, who were not fully informed, to strengthen their relationship with the Animal Pet Shop.

"Lorant, this is Paul, the logistics officer of The Knights of the Thorns," Jaina introduced the tall, pale knight.

Due to his tall stature, Paul looked even more frail, like a skeleton wrapped in thin skin, frighteningly emaciated.

Lorant glanced at Paul with some concern, feeling that he might be more robust than this knight.

"Hello, Sir Paul."

"Cough, cough, nice to meet you, Mr. Lorant. Just call me Paul." The knight kept coughing, clearly unwell.

Seeing Lorant's worried look, Paul coughed and smiled.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lorant. It's an old ailment."

Jaina fetched a glass of water for Paul, "Paul's condition stems from an old injury that wasn't treated in time. Don't worry about it, Lorant."

Lorant reluctantly suppressed his concern and nodded, sitting opposite them.

"I assume you've signed the property agreement, right? Cough, cough, congratulations, Mr. Lorant, for achieving so much at such a young age. Cough, cough." Paul drank some water and seemed more comfortable. "Truly admirable."

"The payment can be processed along with our previous orders," Jaina said. "As a long-term partner of The Knights of the Thorns, we trust your financial management."

Lorant smiled, "Thank you for your trust, Lady Jaina. I also have full confidence in The Knights of the Thorns and signed the agreement without hesitation."

The two foxes exchanged a knowing smile, showing their most sincere expressions.

"Of course, you don't need to worry about the land anymore. With the ongoing beast tide, we can't reclaim the nearby leased plots yet. Once the beast tide ends, The Knights of the Thorns will handle everything."

"You'll only need to think about how to renovate the place then," Jaina assured him confidently.

Lorant was pleased, "I'll leave it to you, then."

Paul coughed, "I'll handle the coordination with the Animal Pet Shop. Don't worry about the tenants; we'll take care of everything."

Seeing no objections from anyone, the matter was settled.

Seeing Lorant accept all the goodwill from The Knights of the Thorns without batting an eye, Jaina couldn't help but marvel inwardly at how much more cunning this little fox had become.

Or perhaps, how much lazier he had become. Previously, even if it was partly an act, he would still show some embarrassment or gratitude!

"Cough, cough, let's talk about another matter," Paul said, looking at the unchanged smiles on Jaina and Lorant's faces.

"Oh? What else is there?" Lorant looked puzzled.

He almost asked, "Aren't you here just to give me benefits? What else could there be?"

That expression made Jaina twitch her lips, "Of course, Lorant. If I'm not mistaken, we haven't discussed the Windbreaker Horses yet!"

Lorant suddenly realized, "Oh, is that right? My apologies, I overlooked it. I thought after finalizing agreements with the various outposts, it was done. I forgot about the Knight Regiment!"

Jaina gritted her teeth as she looked at the innocent appearance of the little fox.

Ever since she arrived at the Animal Pet Shop and stayed in the exotic beast warehouse, listening to William introduce those tempting beasts, Jaina had been constantly trying to discuss business about the Windbreaker Horses with Lorant.

However, every time Jaina proposed buying all the remaining Windbreaker Horses in one go, Lorant would evade the topic.

Either the water had boiled over or the beast feed had burned; in short, he had managed to avoid being cornered by Jaina until now.

"Cough, cough. With the recent beast tide, everyone is indeed busy. We haven't had the time to properly discuss matters with the shop owner; it's our own fault." Paul said calmly, glancing at Jaina who was grinding her back teeth.

Lorant couldn't help but give this sickly knight a few more looks, feeling that there was more to him than met the eye.

If Jaina was an overt fox, then he was an insidious one.

More cunning and adept at disguise, no one could truly fathom his real intentions.

"Indeed, the first batch of Windbreaker Horses has not yet hatched, and the second batch will take another week to be born," Lorant said seriously.

He wasn't trying to forget their past kindness and sever ties with the Knights of the Thorns.

It was simply that Jaina's desire to buy all the Windbreaker Horses outright was something the Animal Pet Shop found hard to accept.

"Preliminary estimates suggest that the first batch will have three hundred and eighty-six Windbreaker Horses, making a total of four hundred and eighty-six."

"I can offer two hundred to the Knights of the Thorns, while the remaining two hundred will be evenly distributed among ten outposts. The Animal Pet Shop will also retain some for individual sale."

"What do you think, Paul?"

Paul thought for a moment. "Those sold individually, anyone can buy them, right?"

Lorant knew what the knight was thinking and replied helplessly.

"Anyone can buy them, but I don't recommend the Knight Regiment purchasing them individually. It's important for adventurers and professionals from other regions to see them too."

"Alright, let's seal the deal!" Paul nodded agreeably, completely ignoring Jaina's attempts to speak up.

Currently, the animal pet market is entirely seller-driven, and Lorant's wishes are the most crucial factor.

Without exception.

If he refuses to transact with you, it's nearly impossible to obtain these pets through other means.

Perhaps due to her status, Jaina always felt that Lorant should be more 'compliant.'

Though she had been trying to adapt to her changing position, deep down, she harbored some subtle yet deeply ingrained biases.

Paul, on the other hand, had no such misperception.

When he met Lorant, the latter was already the owner of the Animal Pet Shop, and Paul never felt any superiority when dealing with him.

This was why the leader of the Knights of the Thorns ultimately decided to have Paul replace Jaina in handling negotiations with the Animal Pet Shop.

"Oh, by the way, Paul, how many Windbreaker Horses does the Knights of the Thorns need? Have you decided?" Lorant asked, seeing that their discussion was progressing smoothly.

Paul answered without hesitation. "We've decided. The Knights of the Thorns currently have twenty-three thousand knights, and we plan to equip each knight with a Windbreaker Horse in the near future."

"Of course, we understand the current production limitations. As long as we can achieve this goal within two to three years, we'll be satisfied."

Each Windbreaker Horse costs ten thousand gold coins, and Lorant did not offer any special discounts to the Knights of the Thorns.

In other words, after the Knights of the Thorns placed this order, even accounting for the land Lorant bought from them today, they would still need to pay the Animal Pet Shop an additional ten million gold coins.

Lorant silently calculated and gave Paul a sincere smile.

"No problem, Sir Paul. I believe our Animal Pet Shop can meet this requirement."

Paul shook his head slightly, coughing again involuntarily. "Cough, cough. Not only that, I'd like to discuss cooperation regarding two types of beast pets, Slimes."

Despite the entire Knight Regiment having to work hard to capture beasts for the Animal Pet Shop to repay their debt, the Knights of the Thorns were not planning to end their cooperation.

After seeing that following Lancelot, the Mauplan Church announced the establishment of a Slime ranch, their interest was piqued.

No matter what, their relationship with the Animal Pet Shop should come before the Church's.

After witnessing the potential of Slime pets over the past few months, it was clear to everyone that this market was ripe for development and held immense potential.

If possible, no one would refuse a share in such a lucrative market.

In the Knights of the Thorns' plan, since Lorant had agreed to cooperate with the Church, there should be no reason for him to refuse their partnership.

However, to their surprise, Lorant gently shook his head. "Paul, I'm sorry, but it's not that I don't want to. The production of Slimes is difficult to increase in the near term. I estimate that it will take until the end of summer to fill the first Slime ranch."

"After that, I've already promised Archbishop Frank to collaborate on a second Slime ranch."

"So, until next winter, the Animal Pet Shop won't have plans to establish another Slime ranch."

Paul was deeply disappointed. These words meant that before next winter, although the Slime market would continue to expand, the only beneficiaries besides Lancelot and the Animal Pet Shop would be the Mauplan Church.

To get a share, they would have to wait until the year after, by which time the early adopters would have already made substantial profits.

But Paul had no choice but to watch the opportunity slip away.

Although the Knights of the Thorns, thanks to Jaina, were among the first to learn about Slime pets, they failed to recognize the business opportunity.

Once the Slime House is established, it will even allow the Church to perceive its benefits before they do.

Paul could only sigh inwardly, regretting that he wasn't the one who had interacted with the Animal Pet Shop.

"Alright, Lorant, I understand. We won't disturb you then. We'll complete our orders as soon as possible." Thinking about how the appearance of the beast tide is gradually fulfilling their extravagant order for 'all first to fifth-level live exotic beasts,' Paul's mood improved considerably.

Once these items are transported, they will only owe the Animal Pet Shop ten million gold coins!

How wonderful!