Chapter 241

It took Brightblade some moments to stifle her laughter, after which she shot the mage a broad grin . “My other student will be most grateful for your efforts in protecting his chastity,” she said, voice still trembling with barely suppressed mirth .

Arran, for his part, gave the mage an annoyed scowl .

It wasn’t that he had hoped to have a mansion filled with nubile female servants . The thought had barely even crossed his mind . Perhaps it held a certain appeal, but it wasn’t something he had expected to happen — not seriously, at any rate .

What irked him was that the mage had thought such unusual measures necessary . As if he was some lecher who would forget all about his training the moment he saw a pretty face .

Not that he would mind having a few pretty faces around, of course . And how much of a distraction could a few friendly maids be, really?

“I’ll be taking my leave,” Brightblade interrupted his musings . “Ghostblade, remember what I told you tonight . We’ll see each other again soon . Until then, I’ll leave you in the capable hands of your new housekeepers . “

With that, she headed out the door, still snickering as she left the mansion .

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“I’ll take my leave as well,” the mage announced . “Before I go, here’s your monthly allowance of Essence Crystals . “

He handed Arran a small void bag, and Arran’s heart nearly skipped a beat when he inspected its contents . There were close to a thousand Essence Crystals within the bag — a fortune that would shock even Grandmasters .

Seeing Arran’s startled expression, the mage explained, “The Lady Matriarch intends for your progress to be rapid . There are diminishing returns in using such amounts of Essence Crystals, but she believes the gains to be worth the cost . “

His tone suggested he disagreed with the Matriarch, though he did not say so outright .

Naturally, Arran did not question the Matriarch’s command either . While he thought the gift an obscene waste of resources, he would gladly accept any help he could get . And if the crystals would be better spent aiding the progress of a few hundred novices, that was no concern of his .

“The Lady Matriarch expects you at dawn,” the mage said, already turning around to leave . “Don’t be late . ” He stepped through the doorway a moment later, leaving Arran behind with a large group of guards and servants .

Briefly, he found himself at a loss . Not only didn’t he know any of these men, he didn’t even know what he was supposed to have them do . Yet they looked at him with expectant eyes, as if they were expecting orders .

Luckily, the awkward silence lasted only a moment, as one of the men stepped forward . Burly and bald, with a wicked scar along the side of his jaw, he looked more like a brigand than a mage or servant .

“Name’s Jovan,” the man said with a stiff bow . “I’m your new steward . “

Arran felt a sense of familiarity at the man’s accent . “Ghostblade,” he replied . “You from the Empire as well?”

“Aye,” the bald man said, his expression instantly warming up . “Used to be a caravan guard, before I joined the Valley . Most of us here are imperials, though there’s a few borderlanders as well . “

“You’re mages?” Arran asked . Though they didn’t look the part, he could Sense a faint trace of Essence on several of the men .

“That we are,” Jovan confirmed . “I’m an adept, and so are your guards . The rest’s an even mix of initiates and novices . “

Arran frowned briefly . “Then you’re with the House of Seals?” he asked, unsure of whether the House would have its own members become servants .

At this, the man let out a sharp laugh . When he saw Arran’s puzzled expression, he explained, “Valley folk don’t easily accept outsiders . They’ll allow just about anyone to become initiates, but when it comes to joining their precious Houses…” He shook his head .

Now, Arran began to understand the situation . “That’s why you’re working as servants?”

“Just so,” Jovan replied . “Hard as hell to progress when all you got are the crystals you make yourself . Doesn’t help either that the teachers charge an arm and a leg just for training . “

Although he felt a touch of anger at how these men were treated by the Valley, Arran kept it in check . There was an opportunity here, he realized .

“What are you getting paid?”

“Four crystals a month for me and the other adepts,” the burly man answered . “Novices get two, and initiates get one . The pay is decent enough, all considered . “

Arran frowned as he looked around at the men standing in front of him .

Then, raising his voice, he spoke . “I’ll add double what you’re getting right now, for each of you . There’s just one condition: you’ll be working for me . Not the mage who recruited you, not the House of Seals, and not the Matriarch — just me . Any objections?”

No objections came . Instead, joyous looks appeared on the men’s faces as they realized their pay had just been tripled . And while it still wasn’t as much as talented members of the Houses would get, it would be invaluable to their progress .

Of course, Arran had no illusion that this would be enough to win their loyalty . But it was a first step, and there would be plenty of time to truly earn their trust later .

That he would have to do so, however, was a certainty .

Even if he could trust the Matriarch — something he still had doubts about — becoming her apprentice would earn him plenty of fresh enemies .

For all his sudden status within the Valley, he was still an outsider . That he was given a position like this would not sit well with everyone, and there would be trouble sooner or later .

Using his servants would be an obvious choice for any enemies he gained, and it was a weakness he wanted to address before it could be exploited .

It took him several minutes to hand out Essence Crystals to the servants, their eyes lighting up with excitement as they received their unexpected bonus .

The cost was high — just over a hundred crystals, all told — but Arran felt no regret in paying it . A hundred Essence Crystals might be a small fortune to others, but it barely made a dent in his wealth .

With the crystals handed out, the men eagerly set to work readying the mansion . After just a few moments, only Arran and Jovan remained in the hallway .

“Smart man,” Jovan said . “After that, I reckon most of them won’t sell you out for a mug of ale at the tavern . Though I can’t promise another mug or two won’t do the trick . “

Arran grinned, understanding that the man had easily read his intentions . “Any ideas on how to defeat that second mug?”

“Give them training,” the bald man answered promptly . “Good teachers are hard to come by outside the Houses . Get them some proper instruction, and they’ll be in your debt . “

“I’ll see what I can do,” Arran said, although he feared the request might be difficult to fulfill . Handing out crystals was easy, but getting other mages to give up their time might prove troublesome .

“Appreciated,” Jovan replied . “But I should return to my duties, before the others do any damage that can’t be undone . Before I go, Lord Ghostblade, is there anything you need?”

Arran thought for a moment, then said, “Have someone wake me up half an hour before dawn . “

As his steward set off to direct the servants in readying the mansion for its new owner, Arran headed into the gardens .

Between the nap in the hot spring and his anxiety at whatever the morning would bring, he knew he would not be able to sleep just yet . So instead, he set to work absorbing Essence Crystals .

He had no idea what to expect for the next day, but improving his control of Essence certainly wouldn’t hurt . And although he was long past the point where Essence Crystals could still bring rapid progress, he would take any advantage he could get, no matter how small .

He spent several hours absorbing Purified Essence, burning through a good hundred crystals — another fortune gone forever . But his void ring still held thousands of crystals, and he was pleased to feel that he’d made some progress, insignificant though it was .

Yet as he finished, he realized he still didn’t feel the slightest bit tired .

After a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to head to the hot spring . If this was his last night of rest, he might as well enjoy it .

He sat in the hot spring for an hour or two, not thinking of anything but the stars above his head . When he eventually closed his eyes, it only took an instant before the world faded around him and he was deep asleep .