Richard did not expect Carla to suddenly shout like that. After all, the other party was a Grand Ancestor. His strength could even rival Carlaâs grandfather if he used special methods.
Was Carla not afraid of angering that Grand Ancestor and causing a conflict with her grandfather?
"MiâMiss, miss, please wait a moment!" A frightened voice suddenly echoed from above, surprising Richard even more.
From the voice alone, he could feel an overwhelming and terrifying power that made his heart tremble.
Yet, the owner of that voice also seemed terrified after hearing Carlaâs voice.
Richard was somewhat confused about what was going on.
"Ancestor Calamity is my grandpaâs slave," Carla said when she noticed Richardâs confusion. "Of course, he must obey me as well, and I have the authority to punish him."
"How is that possible?" Richard blurted out instinctively.
"My grandpa forced him to swear an oath back when he was still a Ruler. Now heâs almost as strong as my grandpa, but heâs still bound by that oath."
Richard didnât know whether to laugh or cry after hearing that.
Carlaâs family was truly powerful if that was the case. Not only did they control the Order of the Crimson Veil, even the two strongest existences within the Order of the Crimson Veil belonged to them. No wonder Carla could act so dominantly.
Not long after, Richard saw someone hurrying down the stairs.
This person wasnât even human, but a monkeyâsimilar to the monkeys guarding the door, with a humanoid figure.
He seemed to be an old monkey, smaller than the two at the entrance.
However, his fur was gleaming gold. Even his eyes were like twin suns, filled with majestic light.
He wore a luxurious robe like that of an emperor, and even had a diamond necklace shaped like a fist hanging around his neck.
Both his wrists and ankles were adorned with luxurious accessories as well.
"Miss, I apologize for making you wait. Is there something you need?" the old monkey asked in a tone full of courtesy.
He truly acted like a servant.
But being bound by an oath, did he really have any other choice?
It was the same case as the Fire Spirit Queen, who would never be able to escape her oath to continuously obey Richardâs commands.
Naturally, the old monkey also looked at Richard, carefully examining him.
He was clearly curious, since Richard had come with Carla and seemed to be her friend.
"Uncle Calamity, I came here for something. Didnât you promise to give me the Earth Wine? Now, give it to me," Carla replied.
Her words alone were enough to make the old monkeyâs expression look as if he was about to cry.
His hands even began to tremble.
What Carla was asking for seemed to be something extremely precious.
Richard wasnât sure what it was. It was the first time he had heard of Earth Wine.
Seeing the old monkey hesitate, Carla frowned.
"Uncle Calamity, you already promised. That wine should be ready by now," she said, and the old monkey unconsciously nodded.
He couldnât refuse the command.
"PâPlease wait a moment," he said in a trembling voice before turning back toward the stairs, though his steps were no longer as quick as when he had come down.
"If he isnât forced, he keeps breaking his promises, hmph..." Carla snorted, while Richard rolled his eyes.
"Brother Richard, Earth Wine isnât an intoxicating drink. It doesnât make you drunk at all. Itâs purely something useful for cultivation," Carla explained.
"What does it do?" Richard asked curiously.
"There are many uses. For example, since youâre currently in the Grimoire Realm and need to continuously push your limits, it will help you push your limits all the way to the final boundary. It will even make breaking through that final boundary much easier. And thatâs only a minor benefit. Another benefit is that it strengthens your mind, allowing you to master various Codices and Arcane Arts twice as fast. Itâs almost like giving you an extra soul. But thatâs because youâre human. For monkeys, its benefits are far greater than that. Uncle Calamity usually drinks it himself, because even a few drops can allow him to maintain his special mode for a longer time."
Richard nodded after hearing that.
For someone like him, who wasnât very accustomed to training on his own, strengthening the mind didnât sound particularly attractive.
Still, it was important, because there might come a day when he could no longer rely on his System.
Moreover, the help in pushing his limits to the final boundary was something he truly desired.
That way, after returning, he would only need to fill his Aether with the help of the White Ancestor, and then he would be just one step away from the Lord Realm.
Richard waited patiently.
Not long after, the old monkey returned, holding a rather small golden bottle.
He looked at the bottle with deep affection.
But when he saw Carla waiting, he could only sigh.
"Miss, here it is..." He handed the golden bottle to Carla, who quickly took it.
"Hahaha..." She laughed softly, looking very pleased.
Right in front of the old monkey, she then handed it to Richard.
"Brother Richard, you can drink it when youâre relaxed," Carla said.
"What?" The old monkey was stunned, his eyes wide open, when he saw Carla give the bottle to Richard.
However, Carla ignored him.
"Letâs go, Brother Richard," Carla said again.
Richard immediately followed her. He actually felt uncomfortable, because the old monkeyâs gaze toward him didnât look friendly at all.
Along the way, Richard continued to examine the golden bottle.
It was tightly sealed, so no aroma leaked out.
He couldnât find anything special about it without opening the cap.
In a short time, they arrived back outside, and it was still livelyâif anything, even more crowded.
Once again, Richard drew attention.
The young members of the Order of the Crimson Veil seemed to be wondering what he had been doing with Carla when visiting the Grand Ancestor of Calamity.
Naturally, Richard had already hidden the golden bottle.
He didnât want to cause any trouble.
"Do you still want to take a walk, Brother Richard?" Carla asked.
Richard shook his head. "Iâll just go to my inn. I want to drink that wine as soon as possible."
"Alright, Iâll escort you..." Carla continued to lead the way toward the inn.
There, Richard saw many outsiders.
"Uncle, give the best room to Brother Richard..." Carla directly ordered the innkeeper, a middle-aged man.
The latter could only nod and then took out a key.
"Miss, hereâs the key. The room is on the top floor, at the very end..." he said.
Carla quickly took the key and continued escorting Richard.
She seemed intent on making sure he reached his room.
They climbed the stairs until they reached the top floor.
"It should be over there..." Carla looked at the door at the end of the corridor, walked over, and opened it with the key.
Click!
When the door opened, Richard saw a large and luxurious room, with a big bed beside the window. Inside the room itself, there were three other doors in addition to the balcony door.
"This is bigger than my room," Carla said, looking amazed.
"Come in, Brother Richard," she added, entering first and gesturing for Richard to come in.
The door even closed by itself after Carla let go of it.
"Brother Richard, itâs not a problem if I relax here for a while first, right?" Carla said afterward, walking straight to the sofa.
Richard rolled his eyes when he heard that.
"Please donât stay too long. You know, people might start worrying if you remain in my room for too long," Richard replied.
He felt his head ache as he said that.