Chapter 213

Chapter 213

A line of servants filed in, setting several dishes in front of Lorant.

Anne smiled and stepped forward, gently lifting each lid with a respectful bow.

"Today's breakfast menu for you consists of grilled bread slices with three types of jam. The side dishes include a portion of grilled Skyling fish meat and a fresh salad of Moonlight Flowers. The soup is a cream soup, and the dessert is a milk caramel pudding."

Anne introduced each dish as she opened it.

Her voice was soothing, making you feel as if a gentle breeze had just passed by. Her speech, refined from special training at the Butler Academy, had a way of uplifting one's mood simply by listening.

Lorant nodded. "Very good, well done."

Anne smiled, bowed, and led the line of servants out of the dining room, leaving only a young Spirit Cat maid standing in a corner waiting for instructions.

Joe remained behind. As Lorant started spreading jam on his grilled bread, Joe began to report on today's latest affairs during breakfast.

He detailed the situation of the conflict in the Lopulo Mountains, a slight conflict between the Giant Lion Tribe and the Raging Python Tribe among the orcs, and whether the elves' cotton trees, nurtured by the Life Spring, were growing as expected.

Incidentally, the elves' cotton trees were thriving far better than those grown in the orc tribe by the shamans. Compared to the beast pet Slime, these cotton trees were growing at a much faster rate.

If the elves spared no expense, they could potentially bring the cotton tree by-products to market ahead of the beast pet Slime.

In addition, Joe reported on the situations at various branches of the Animal Pet Shop, the follow-up impact of the exhibition, the recent status of the Slime family, and some major cooperation matters with the Animal Pet Shop that had been sought recently.

These were tasks that Emma or Nia would normally have to nag Lorant into spending time on. With Joe's preparation, Lorant could handle these tasks effortlessly during breakfast.

Lorant felt incredibly grateful for this convenience. If he had known a butler could be so helpful, he wouldn't have waited so long to hire one!

Joe timed his report perfectly, concluding just as Lorant finished his last sip of cream soup.

"Master, the tasks that need to be handled with Miss Emma and Miss Nia, I will compile and pass them along later," Joe said as he followed Lorant, who was walking out. "As for the castle's renovation, we will officially start today, but the entire process may take a long time."

"That's fine; you handle the specific arrangements," Lorant nodded. Renovating a castle this size would take time, and he was prepared for the long process.

There was no need to rush, as fully renovating the castle would take time.

Joe gave a slight bow as Lorant left the castle gates, then returned to his duties.

Lorant strolled slowly along the corridor towards the lawn outside the castle.

Bai Ye, along with a group of Windbreaking Horses, was lounging in the sun.

Lorant had brought a batch of Windbreaking Horses in advance to stay here, mainly because he had become almost inseparable from these beast pets in his daily life.

Without them, Lorant even felt that he might have difficulty moving around.

Seeing Lorant approach, the beautiful Windbreaking Horse walked up to him, lowered its head, and let him stroke its coat, looking utterly comfortable and snorting softly from its nose.

In the absence of Little Qing, Bai Ye was undoubtedly the uncontested king of the horses. It led the Windbreaking Horses assigned to the estate, marking its territory, and had been living a very leisurely life for the past two days.

Lorant had only stroked Bai Ye a few times when a black streak dashed to his side.

Little Eight and Maomao, the two Glassy Ice Flame Dogs, chased each other like two whirlwinds, racing through the grass and gusts of wind to reach Lorant and nuzzle him affectionately.

Lorant knelt down in front of the two Glassy Ice Flame Dogs, who had flipped over, exposing their bellies and sticking out their tongues, humming softly. He smoothed the fur on their stomachs, one in each hand.

"Alright, alright!" After petting them for a little while, Lorant stood up and patted Little Eight's belly. "You two stop cuddling now, go have fun!" He said, gently pushing the heads of the two little ones to make them stand up and stop being wild.

After Maomao got up, he hummed and buried his head in Lorant's chest, twisting and cuddling.

The head of an almost fully grown Glassy Ice Flame Dog was already large enough to require both of Lorant's hands to hold. When it roared, its voice was rough and violent. But at this moment, it forced its throat to make a soft, delicate sound, whining softly in Lorant's arms.

Lorant had no choice but to sit down and scratch the fur behind the little one's ears again, not stopping until the little one was completely comfortable.

After leisurely riding a Windbreaking Horse around the estate for a stroll, Lorant sat down near the cotton tree closest to the estate.

The rare moments of peace were very enjoyable for Lorant.

He closed his eyes and leaned against the belly of the Windbreaking Horse resting nearby. The surrounding silence made him suddenly feel a little emotional.

In this world without animals, there were no natural sounds like birdsong or insect noises. Only the rustling of the wind through the leaves brought a little life to the sound.

Fortunately, there was the bestiary, Lorant couldn't help but think in his heart.

Maybe one day he could lean against a tree and listen to the distant birdsong while slowly reading a book in his hand.

While daydreaming, people's thoughts often wander.

Looking at the sunlight filtering through the leaves of the Longevity Tree above his head, Lorant suddenly felt a little nostalgic for those in the Lopulo Mountains.

Lancelot only rested for one day during the opening ceremony of the exhibition, and then the tall knight rushed back to the front lines without hesitation.

He may have once longed for battle, but now his purpose in fighting was to end the war as quickly as possible so he could return to the peaceful days at the Animal pet shop.

Lorant and Lancelot hadn't spoken about certain things openly, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.

Mo'er was also someone who had been absent from family outings because he needed to be on the front lines watching the Devouring Frogs and Radiant Peacocks, whether it was in the elves' tribe or here in the tribe.

He was more than willing and had no complaints at all.

Martha was also the most adamant about not letting him come back to rest. According to her, it was Mo'er's luck to be able to help Lorant with these tasks.

At his age, he shouldn't really be considered a child anymore. Many would have already started working outside or even have their own families.

It was only because of Mo'er's good fortune to have met a good brother like Lorant that he was still here, protected as a child.

Being trusted by Lorant and helping him was the point Martha was most proud of when it came to her son.

Lorant suddenly realized that it had indeed been a long time since he had been to the Lopulo Mountains. It was said that the military was ready to accept the involvement of adventurers. Before that happened, Lorant needed to complete the certification for the Beast Tamer.

Only by doing so could the profession gain the maximum benefit from the start.

Being able to claim a piece during the beast surge would definitely help increase people's recognition of this emerging profession.

Thinking about these things, Lorant sadly realized that he was born to be a workaholic.

Although he had been saying he wanted to rest properly, in reality, he was already planning for the future of the Animal pet shop when he had nothing to do.

Just as he shook his head, trying to push these thoughts out of his mind to clear his mind, a soft sound in his mind made him snap to attention immediately.

‘Ding!’

Lorant bolted awake. Finally, he had unlocked another successful breeding chart!

Since mastering the simulation shortcut, it had been a while since Lorant last achieved a breakthrough.

It had been several months since he last bred a completely new beast, which made Lorant couldn't help but feel anxious.

What made him even more anxious was that he had vaguely seen the breeding path half a month ago, but had been unable to walk it until now.

It felt like staring at a distant goal that seemed impossible to reach.

His initial anxiety gradually gave way to acceptance, and Lorant's mindset underwent a huge change in a short period of time.

Thankfully, the simulation finally produced a result.

Lorant rubbed his hands together and nervously stroked his face.

Like a gamer about to open a rare loot box, he wished he could perform a ritual for good luck before flipping open the breeding chart.

For a moment, Lorant even wondered if he should go out and buy a cat spirit to wear for good luck before opening the chart.

After all, he was in the orc tribe, and the orc tribe revered cat spirits the most.

It was said that cat spirits had some power to bring good fortune.

Maybe it would help him?

But the thought quickly faded.

Since the breeding chart had already shown a result, no amount of rituals would likely change the final outcome. It was better to wait until after the breeding to perform any rituals.

For now, it was best to just accept it.

Lorant took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened the breeding chart in his mind.

The next second, his eyes widened in shock.

On the chart before him was an A-rank entry.

Lorant's heart raced with excitement. The Animal pet shop already had two A-rank beasts: the ghost spider and the holy light peacock.

Besides the unreleased light-wing butterfly, these two beasts had already brought him countless surprises.

And now, another A-rank beast had appeared! How could he not be overjoyed?

The wait was completely worth it! Even if he had to wait longer, getting an A-rank beast would make it all worthwhile.

Suppressing his excitement, he carefully examined the glowing entry in his mind.

He then tapped into the description.

"Wulu Shell": A very unique type of shell beast. At birth, a unique serial number appears on the underside of their shell. Different Wulu Shells have the ability to connect with one another. When one Wulu Shell contacts another through the serial number, they will open their shells and transmit sounds and the surrounding one meter of imagery between the two locations. This transmission ability is not limited by distance; even if they are far apart, they can still communicate.

Lorant stared intently at the description.

If he understood correctly, the ability of this Wulu Shell seemed almost identical to the smartphones he was familiar with!

It was even a video call!

The sound can be transmitted over infinite distances, and it is also capable of making individual phone calls. The code on its body likely serves the same purpose as a phone number. With this kind of beast pet, people's means of communication would no longer be limited to just magical communication.

It is true that mages do have spells that allow them to communicate with each other, but these spells are only accessible to mages. Other practitioners cannot use such a convenient ability. Sometimes, even a powerful knight has to send people to use teleportation arrays to continuously search for others.

Moreover, these spells require extremely expensive materials. Every additional minute of communication consumes materials worth nearly ten gold coins.

For a low-level non-combat spell, this consumption is simply too high.

Therefore, even for mages, unless it's for something important, most would not choose to use such an ability.

It's just too costly, and most ordinary-born practitioners would find it hard to afford such a high price.

The Wulu Shell, on the other hand, completely lacks these drawbacks.

Due to its small size, the Wulu Shell has a minimal appetite, making it quite 'green and environmentally friendly.'

Even if the Wulu Shell had no other special abilities and was extremely fragile, Lorant still believed it deserved the A-grade rating.

If the Dream Weaver was an essential beast pet for mages, then the Wulu Shell was something that could revolutionize the way the entire world communicates.

Lorant was so excited that he felt like jumping up and doing a breakdance to release his pent-up energy.

However, since there was no one around, he managed to restrain himself.

Otherwise, for a long time after, the Windbreaking Horse nearby would probably look at him with strange eyes.

Lorant silently clenched his fist and couldn't help but wave his hand slightly to express his excitement.

However, this excitement didn't last long, as he soon clicked on the breeding route for the shell beast pet.

Lorant looked at the long list of complex materials and rather bizarre breeding methods and requirements, feeling helpless.

He had already known that breeding such a beast pet wouldn't be easy, but the complexity still far exceeded his expectations.

Even so, looking at the series of materials and requirements he had never seen before, Lorant couldn't help but feel disheartened.

The breeding of the Holy Light Peacock had already forced him to seek help from the elves and orc tribe. For the Wulu Shell, there were even beasts whose existence Lorant had never heard of.

He had gone through nearly all the ability charts related to beasts in the Beast Tower, but still, there were beasts he had never encountered, which inevitably shocked him.

Could it be that the beasts required for breeding this pet were something even he had never seen before?

If that was the case, Lorant didn't even know where to begin his search for those beasts needed to breed the Wulu Shell.

However, despite the challenges ahead, having a clear goal immediately filled Lorant with renewed motivation.

Even if he was searching for a beast that no one had ever seen before, Lorant was confident that with the Animal Pet Shop's current status and the rapid development of the Blue Star platform, he could find it, even if it meant turning over every stone.

With a new beast pet to prepare for breeding, Lorant's mood improved greatly, and an aura of joy surrounded him. By the evening, his good mood had reached its peak.

When he purchased the Moon Estate, Lorant had been eagerly anticipating the breathtaking sight of the moongrass blooming under the night sky.

The moongrass flowers are about 30 centimeters tall when they bloom, composed of countless small bell-shaped flowers.

During the day, the moongrass looks like ordinary green leaves, blending into the surroundings and remaining inconspicuous.

However, on a night abundant with moonlight, the moongrass would reveal their true form. When clusters of glowing bell-shaped flowers were spread out as far as the eye could see, it created an expanse of fluorescent sea.

As night fell, the entire Moon Estate seemed to be submerged in a world of soft glow.

It was so dreamlike, resembling a place out of a fairy tale.

Lorant crouched in front of a moongrass plant, carefully observing its bell-shaped petals.

The flowers of the entire moongrass plant emitted a soft glow, swaying slightly in the night, standing out significantly, and when clusters of moongrass gathered together, they illuminated the night sky.

In addition to the moongrass, there were also many moon vines in the estate. These vines climbed all the way up the exterior of the castle, enveloping the entire castle in a layer of soft light.

Even under the Longevity Tree, where moonlight did not reach, the orcs could still have a small patch of moonlight to call their own, thanks to the moongrass and moon vines.

This was perhaps the original purpose of the estate's owner who planted these expansive moongrass fields.

Life was always wondrous. In the orc race's territory, where they lived under the canopy and rarely saw the sky, a plant that gathered moonlight could grow there.

Even if they couldn’t look up to see the moon, they could still bend down and touch the moonlight.

The magic of life lay therein, thought Lorant with emotion.

Having decided to rest, Lorant truly let go of everything and rested for a few days in the Moon Estate.

Every day, he either watched the shamans dance a strange sacrificial dance around the cotton trees, hoping that their 'blessings' would accelerate the tree’s growth, or he played stickball with his family on a field that Joe and Anne had prepared.

Stickball was a popular activity among the nobles.

A trunk plucked from a specially cultivated branch was processed to form a suitable curve.

In Lorant’s eyes, this sport seemed more like a combination of golf and croquet, with a touch of competitiveness for a leisurely feel.

This also matched the overall tone of this world. No matter how high-ranking or pampered a noble was, at their core, they still possessed an instinct for violence.

In a world dominated by violence, under the oppression of the strange beasts, given the chance, no one would refuse to gain power and become a practitioner.

Influenced by this atmosphere, even sports required a certain level of intense competition to be more popular.

However, this sport really didn’t appeal to him.

He had never been a fan of physical activities. It was just that the entertainment in this world was so scarce that, if one didn’t want to stay indoors reading, there were only a handful of games to choose from.

Just breathing heavily, Lorant regretfully left the field, watching as Silem and Doris energetically dominated the game. He couldn’t help but think, how wonderful it was to be young.

However, this sport really didn’t appeal to him. Perhaps it would be a good idea to think of some games to enrich everyone’s leisure time.

Having thought of it, he acted on it. The next day, Joe had already prepared two tall goalposts in the backyard, along with a slightly elastic and very sturdy leather ball, according to Lorant’s request.

That’s right. After a brief consideration, Lorant chose soccer as the first sport to introduce to this world himself.

Although he didn’t know all the detailed rules, since Lorant wasn’t a soccer enthusiast, the main reason for choosing this sport was the suitability of the venue.

The entire back area of the estate was a flat lawn, which could basically be used as a soccer field without a problem.

However, Lorant felt these details didn’t matter much. Once people became familiar with the sport, they would naturally add appropriate rules to make the game more regulated.

So Lorant simply summarized the rules he remembered and asked Joe to prepare the field. That day, the Animal Pet Shop employees went all out playing there.

For the locals who had little entertainment, this game full of competition that needed some skill was really fun and right up their alley.

Even Silem didn't want to stop playing, and over the next few days, everyone was totally hooked. Folks from nearby villages even started imitating the game.

They didn’t need anything fancy; if there was just a relatively flat open space, they could happily start playing with their friends when they had time.

By the time the Animal Pet Shop’s vacation was over and the employees left the Moon Estate, this new game was already a hit throughout the Lopulo tribe.