"Hiss~ Are all the Captainâs friends this extraordinary?"
"This Cleya lady looks even younger than I am, but her combat prowess has already surpassed mine." Viery couldnât help but click his tongue in awe.
Though following Rein had already strengthened his resistance to such geniuses, Cleya was a woman, making the impact she created especially significant.
"Hmm! Iâm afraid I might only manage to remain undefeated; winning would be unlikely." Angusâs expression turned serious as he nodded.
Evelyn was even more shocked at heart; she hadnât expected this Earlâs daughter, who had a better figure than hers, to be so powerful.
She had initially thought that although the other party was a Great Knight, as a Peak Knight she could still hold her own by using some witchcraft techniques, but now it seemed she was more than one step behind.
Rein glanced at the system prompt:
[Your Skill, Rockdeloâs Guardian Staff, has increased, Experience +981]
[Congratulations, your Skill, Rockdeloâs Guardian Staff, has leveled up to lv6]
...
[You experienced a battle, Weapon Master (Legendary) Experience +43]
Upon seeing Rockdeloâs Guardian Staff reach lv6 (277/3000), Reinâs eyes immediately lit up!
Training with Cleya actually had better results than with Angus, impressive!
"Rein, letâs go again!" Cleya said seriously, exhaling slowly.
Hmm?
Suddenly, the arena fell silent!
Everyone froze, their eyes widening as they looked at Cleya and then at Rein, all tacitly agreeing to remain silent.
"Your body...." Rein thought for a moment, hesitating.
"My body is fine." Upon hearing the question, a blush of annoyance briefly appeared on Cleyaâs face before quickly disappearing.
Clearly, Cleya misunderstood Reinâs concern as being about her recovery from last nightâs activity, while in fact, Rein was just showing concern since Cleya had just expended a lot of physical strength.
"Alright then, let me know if you get tired." Rein nodded.
....
With Cleyaâs âhelpâ, Rein forcefully upgraded Rockdeloâs Guardian Staff to lv8 before the banquet.
During the banquet, Cleya resumed her role as the hostess of the Earl Habs Mansion, speaking graciously and making everyone feel warmly welcomed.
After the banquet.
Just as Rein was considering whether to continue to the Training Room, Blood Feather from the sky unexpectedly conveyed that Anna had left the mansion alone.
This caught him by surprise, leaving him no time to inform others, so he promptly followed.
Soon, Rein followed Anna from a distance, entering a greened forest area within the Meister Nobles District.
At this moment, a clear eagleâs cry echoed from the sky!
A massive eagle appeared in the sky, circling twice above Annaâs head before diving down at high speed.
This sight immediately tensed Reinâs heart!
However, he quickly noticed there wasnât a trace of nervousness on Annaâs face, which made Rein recall something.
Thus, he continued observing the scene from afar, remaining motionless.
Sure enough, as the eagle landed with its huge wings flapping, the next second, it transformed into a tall, graceful Elven lady standing beside Anna.
"Delana Aunt, why did you come personally?" At that moment, Anna, like a child who had done something wrong, clutched the hem of her skirt tightly with her fair hands, her head lowered, speaking softly.
"If I hadnât come, I fear youâd have gone to the Imperial City!" The Elven lady, named Delana, spoke in a chiding tone.
Though there was a tinge of reproach, anyone could sense the indulgence in her words towards Anna.
It was like a mother finding a child who had done wrong. Though she couldnât help but scold, her heart was filled with concern and care.
"Did you secretly look at the secret letter in my drawer?"
"Mm!" Annaâs head hung even lower, almost tucking it into her chest.
"You! The reason I didnât tell you was that I worried youâd constantly be anxious about your motherâs situation and couldnât resist going to find her. You simply have no idea about the Axon Auction Houseâs background and power...."
"I know." Hearing this, Anna lifted her head, her beautiful eyes gazing at Delana.
"Hmm? You know about the Axon Auction Houseâs background?" Now it was Delanaâs turn to be curious, a hint of surprise flashing across her gorgeous face.
But she quickly shook her head, "No, you donât! You think what you see of the Axon Auction House in this County Town is all there is?"
"The Axon Auction House is a vast organization stretching across the entire Dragan Empire, with branches or stations in any slightly larger city."
Delana extended her similarly slender and fair hand, gently brushing the hair off Annaâs forehead, speaking softly.
In her eyes, Anna was still just a child.
"Aunt, I know, their headquarters is in Imperial City Tamriel, and the inner workings of the auction house are complex, involving many shareholders, with even prominent local nobles having stakes in each branch."
Annaâs eyes sparkled brightly as she looked at her aunt with a hint of stubbornness.
"Hmm?" Delanaâs beautiful eyes widened in genuine surprise this time!
It was as if she suddenly realized the child in her eyes had grown up.
"You really know?"
"Thatâs not right, what youâre saying isnât secret, but itâs not information you can easily obtain. Anna, who have you been in contact with lately?"