Chapter 307

Chapter 307

Lorant had a fantastic time in Kentucky.

Kentucky's nightlife was incredibly vibrant, the only city that could rival Pokara among all the cities Lorant had visited.

Pokara's nightlife was mainly due to its unique geographical location.

The two of them strolled until late at night when the shops began to close. They returned to the banks of the Holy Shield River with their arms full of small snacks and a wide variety of local delicacies.

Even the two Glassy Ice Flame Dogs and the two Windbreaking Horses were munching on meat skewers, their mouths dripping with oil.

Although Kentucky was inland, there were plenty of edible beast markings in the city. This easily obtainable marking was common on many food stalls in Kentucky.

Joe had originally planned to find a spacious house for them to stay in Kentucky, but this suggestion was rejected by Lorant.

"We came here to experience life on a boat house. It wouldn’t be nearly as fun to go ashore and stay in a regular house!" Lorant shook his head and handed an untouched sugar doll to the butler. "Alright, it's very late, Joe. Go back and rest. Lancelot and I will be fine staying here. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

Holding the sugar doll, which seemed out of place given his dignified demeanor, Joe respectfully left the riverbank. In his mind, he thought he should scout various cities and purchase some mansions for his master.

The noble lords had their own footholds in various cities. Even if those places weren’t luxurious castles, they still needed to have their own spots.

Having just a side courtyard at Moon Estate didn't seem fitting for the current master’s wealth.

Unaware of what his butler was thinking, Lorant and Lancelot returned to their cabin and soon fell asleep.

Of course, they slept in separate rooms, leaving Lancelot feeling slightly disappointed.

The next morning, Lorant rubbed his eyes and sat up to find that the Floating Giant Duck had already resumed its journey.

He pushed open the window and saw the Holy Shield River under the morning sun, its water shimmering like silk.

If you ignored the countless terrifying creatures lurking below, the river looked picturesque with its clear water and sparkling waves.

"You awake? Come on up for breakfast if you are!" Lancelot, who was on the balcony, called out when he saw the window below open. "I bought breakfast in Kentucky this morning, their local meat rolls are really tasty!"

Lorant smiled and said, "Alright! Coming!"

…

And so, whenever they passed through different cities, Lorant would stop to leisurely explore, giving the Floating Giant Ducks time to adjust to new environments.

If everything went smoothly, the Floating Giant Ducks would frequently dock in these places.

At midday and nightfall, they either stopped to feed the Floating Giant Ducks or set up camp by the shore.

Thus, in the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Lorant could clearly sense that the little one carrying his cabin was starting to show signs of fatigue. Its gigantification could only be maintained for one more day at most before it couldn't continue.

This result was already a pleasant surprise for Lorant.

Considering the time spent in various cities, these Floating Giant Ducks were able to maintain their gigantification from Mauplan to Holland while bearing some weight.

This meant they had traversed a third of the human empire's territory.

Such a journey was enough for the Floating Giant Ducks to take on the responsibility of connecting the entire imperial waterway.

So, Lorant decided that once they reached Holland later that day, he would bring the journey to an end.

They will directly take the teleportation array from Holland back to the beast pet shop, along with all the Floating Giant Ducks.

With the unconcealed progress of their journey, those who had been paying attention to the beast pet shop had long noticed this new kind of beast pet introduced by the shop.

In the surrounding areas of the last two cities, Lorant had been warmly welcomed by the local powers-that-be. People had gathered along the banks of the Holy Shield River, eager to catch a glimpse of these new beast pets.

The Floating Giant Ducks had even grown accustomed to being gazed at with admiration by the humans.

Although the beast pet shop hadn’t disclosed the specific information of these beast pets, anyone with a normal mind and rational thinking had realized their importance through their demonstrated abilities.

With the ability to travel normally back and forth on the Holy Shield River, these beast pets could completely connect different cities.

Compared to the land route without the aid of Windbreaking Horses, such a waterway was undeniably a stunning change in speed.

Initially, Lorant hoped Windbreaking Horses could serve as a means of transportation for civilians, but it became clear that meeting the needs of all practitioners would be a long-term project.

Over nearly ten years, Lorant’s fantasy of carriages as a means of transportation remained merely a toy for the noble lords to display their status.

However, the Floating Giant Ducks were different. These aquatic beasts had weak combat abilities and offered limited help to practitioners.

Nevertheless, their large size, great strength, and swimming capabilities promised significant benefits for civilian use.

The introduction of Floating Giant Ducks could potentially revolutionize the economy of the entire empire and benefit all intelligent races.

When the Floating Giant Ducks arrived at the Holy Shield River bank outside the gates of Holland, besides Joe and the staff from the beast pet shop who had come to welcome them, Lorant saw someone he hadn’t expected.

“Princess.” Lorant looked somewhat surprised at the noble girl in a light pink dress, elegantly holding a matching sunshade. “It’s quite unexpected to see you here.”

“Good afternoon, Store Manager. Good afternoon, Earl Cavendish.”

Daisy was quite gracious as she stepped forward to greet Lorant and Lancelot, then smiled and said, “Please don’t blame me for not making an appointment in advance, Store Manager. It was an unexpected situation. When my butler went to deliver the invitation to the beast pet shop, you had already set off, so I had no choice but to come find you here.”

Lorant looked at her in surprise. When he saw Daisy here, he had thought she had come because of the news about the Floating Giant Ducks, but it seemed that things weren’t as he had imagined.

Daisy maintained her smile. She wasn’t lying. Before Lorant’s departure, she had indeed planned to go to the beast pet shop but had unfortunately missed the opportunity.

“Yes, Store Manager. I wonder if I could have a moment of your time. There’s something I’d like to ask for your help with.” Daisy kept smiling and her gaze involuntarily swept over Lancelot.

Lorant also looked at Lancelot. The princess wanting to talk privately likely meant she wanted to send Lancelot away, but for Lorant, there wasn’t anything that couldn’t be known to Lancelot. If Lancelot wanted to listen, he wouldn’t mind.

Lancelot raised an eyebrow. His icy blue eyes carefully examined the princess, exuding a strong sense of scrutiny.

Daisy stood confidently in place and didn’t appear too tense under Lancelot’s deliberate pressure.

Similarly, Lancelot didn’t sense any familiar aura of ‘ill intentions’ from her, which reassured the jealous knight.

He was well aware of how popular Lorant was, so he remained constantly vigilant.

“I’ll go check on Joe and the staff feeding the Floating Giant Ducks. You talk first. Call me if you need anything,” Lancelot said softly to Lorant, glancing sideways. “It’s cold by the river. Keep your cape on.”

Before leaving, he deliberately adjusted the collar of Lorant’s cape.

Though he didn’t say much, the possessiveness directed at Daisy was unmistakable.

Daisy struggled to maintain her smile. She was a very sensitive person and could easily perceive the meaning behind Lancelot’s series of actions.

Normally, she would encounter such treatment from fellow noble ladies.

The princess gripped the umbrella handle tightly, her knuckles whitening, but then she seemed to come to a realization and quietly relaxed her grip.

She did have feelings for Lorant. After all, the beast pet shop was like a juicy, sizzling steak that no one could ignore.

What made it even more appealing was that this entire family was surprisingly all single…

From Ruth and Martha, who were highly praised among the noble ladies, to Doris and Silem, who were practitioners, the most notable figure was naturally Lorant, the shop owner himself.

Daisy could confidently say that half the noble ladies in Holland saw this young, handsome, and accomplished shop owner as their top pick for marriage.

Other noble young men paled in comparison to him.

After all, one was a spoiled noble relying on the protection of his ancestors, while the other was a legendary figure who had built his wealth from scratch. Anyone would know how to choose.

The other half of Holland’s noble ladies were likely eyeing the white-haired knight who had inherited his family’s title, excelled in both magic and combat, and looked like an elf prince.

As a princess, Daisy had never thought that her marriage might be a romantic love affair.

The phase of a young girl's infatuation had never occurred in Daisy.

From a young age, Daisy understood that, given her circumstances, marrying for political alliances and support was nearly her only path to the throne.

A year ago, her target was still Lancelot. She had met him a few times at banquets and could sense that this knight, like herself, was a very standard noble. Daisy was confident that as long as she proposed something he couldn’t refuse, she could convince him to marry her.

However, before she could even begin this plan, Daisy realized that her best marriage alliance target had changed.

She knew Lorant couldn't be won over by mere interests, so she carefully studied his preferences and aimed to become his ideal match.

Her outfit today was the result of careful planning by her strategic team.

If she could secure Lorant’s support and affection, Daisy was prepared to play the perfect wife for life and convince him of her love.

In her amber eyes, the fire of ambition burned brightly.

"Okay, Lance, I’ll come find you later." Lorant looked up at Lancelot with a sweet smile, and they exchanged knowing glances.

Under the midday sun, their eyes held only each other.