Chapter 111: Visit

Raven looked at his body status and was stunned to see the changes.

After that, he closed his eyes and entered the memory library's first floor.

"Congratulations, kid!" Zera appeared in her illusionary elven form and continued with a smile.

"You can use the second floor for 30 minutes per day. Would you like to explore it?"

"Yes, please." Raven nodded.

The surroundings shifted instantly, transforming into a grand hall adorned with ornate tables, rows of bookshelves, and elegant chairs. Multiple chandeliers hung from the ceilings, casting a warm golden glow that lit the magnificent space.

"What do you like to see first?" Zera asked as she appeared beside him.

"Guide me to the place where spirit techniques are stored," Raven said while glancing around.

With a nod, she walked ahead and guided him to a tall, golden-painted shelf with hundreds of books arranged in order.

"All the books stored here belong to Rare ranks."

Raven nodded solemnly and asked for a suggestion.

"Which one is most suitable for me?"

Meanwhile, Zera suddenly ascended in the air like a feather and moved towards the top of the shelf.

Then, she touched each book to check the contents and took out a book with an emerald gem on the front cover.

"This one suits you better." As she spoke, she flipped the first page and explained.

"It's called Lotus Bloom Technique. To practice this technique, enter your 'Mind Space' and recite a short chant in the rune language while visualizing a lotus. After that, you will find yourself in a strange empty void, and a strange lotus appears before you. All you need to do is sit in a lotus position beside the lotus and breathe in and out."

Raven took the book from her hand and started reading it.

Thanks to his 'Instant Memorize' skill being completely comprehended, it didn't take him 20 minutes to memorize the whole book.

Once done, he left the memory library and sat in bed. Then, he entered the mind space like the book mentioned and started visualizing the lotus while closing his eyes.

A second later, Raven sensed a change in the surroundings and opened his eyes.

To his shock, what he saw wasn't the spell models assimilated within the Elemental Circlets but a strange empty void.

Strangely, a small crystalline lotus in its bud form appeared near his feet, looking beautiful.

Raven slowly looked at his own body and soon froze. At that moment, his hands, legs, and chest appeared reddish, giving him an eerie feeling.

'Is this the negative spirit essence Zera talked about?'

Only a few white and golden dots appeared on his shoulders and heart region.

Although he had no information about this negative spirit essence, he strangely felt evil and wickedness.

After a short moment, he turned his gaze towards the surroundings.

At that moment, he saw two types of orbs hovering in space and appeared to be colliding with each other occasionally.

Raven closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and breathed out after holding on for a few seconds.

At that moment, the nearby white cloud-like orb started moving closer toward the lotus while the nearby red orb moved further away.

Soon, the white orb entered the lotus and reappeared in a pure golden color!

After that, the golden orb moved towards Raven's soul form and assimilated into him.

The next second, Raven felt a shock run through his body. It wasn't a painful shock but something pleasant.

He instantly woke up in his bedroom and showed a surprised look.

'What was that?' He couldn't help but ask.

[You must have absorbed the purified positive spirit essence. Go and continue to increase your spirit using the 'Lotus Bloom Technique.' At this rate, you only need 7 years to improve your spirit power to the peak level.]

'7 Years? That's way too short. Is this the effect of the rare rank spirit technique? How do you calculate this absorbing timing?' Raven asked curiously.

[With a Rare technique, a person can increase their spirit to 0.08 or even 0.1 points daily. On the other hand, a person with an uncommon technique can increase their spirit power only up to 0.04 points daily.] Zera answered calmly.

'What about the common technique?' Raven asked.

[0.01 or 0.009 points per day. It will take forever for them to increase their spirit power.]

'I'm not unlucky after all.' Raven said with determination.

Zera remained silent at his words.

Meanwhile, Raven left the room and moved to the backside of the mansion building.

Three buildings appeared before his sight beyond the Holmes' mansion compound gate. Raven quietly walked into the backyard, moved out of the compound using the small metal gate, and approached the three buildings.

The first two were modest two-storied structures, each divided into several rooms that functioned as quarters, likely designed to house staff or guests. The third building, however, was far more imposing—a large, rectangular structure with high ceilings that lent an air of grandeur. Inside, it was divided into five expansive hall-like rooms.

They were training halls for his future knights.

Raven moved forward and checked on their progression individually.

First, he went to meet Augustus and Westin, who were practicing rogue techniques under the guidance of Reece.

Both had already become official Walkers and learned two Rogue skills.

Raven then moved towards the next hall, where Marcellus was teaching swordsmanship. But What shocked Raven was that Marcellus's spirit power had already reached around 185 points!

[He will become an Expert Rank Swordman in three years.] Zera commented in his head.

'What about Jacob?' Raven asked as he stood near the entrance and watched the young boys practicing swordsmanship energetically.

[He has no free time because he is doing all your errant work. But if he stays in a quiet place and focuses on improving himself, he will make a breakthrough in three to four years. Use the Shackle potion if he takes too long, and let him break through forcefully. Be warned, however. There is a 50% chance of failure, making him a mindless monster.] Raven knew it, too. Still, he chose to take the risk mainly because he had a cheat code called 'Luck.'

If he had a bit later to activate the 'Fortuitus Finder' spell, he might've been taken over by Casper and become something evil!

'Thankfully, everything worked out well.' Raven muttered inwardly and noticed that all five graduates had become official walkers.

Raven then moved towards the third room, where three people practiced spearmanship.

Upon noticing his arrival, all three stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads.

"Good morning, Teacher!"

A smile appeared on his face.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Yes, he was the one who had been teaching them spearmanship with the help of Zera for the past year.

Among them, the girl named Lorelai, who had wavy blonde hair, surpassed his expectations.

She improved faster than the others in less than a year of training, creating an invisible aura.

"Good. Continue your practice until you run out of stamina. Albert, your footwork still needs improvement. Your spear should move faster, not your footsteps. And you always keep your left side unguarded. If an archer is nearby, he will likely choose you as his target…"

"Brynn, your body is always acting stiffly. Follow my movement." Raven took the Frozen Ender spear out of thin air as he spoke and grabbed it with both hands.

"Memorize how I move. Your focus should always be my footwork, not the spear." As he spoke, he took a step forward and then asked.

"What I'm about to do now?"

"stab," Brynn responded.

"Wrong." Raven turned his gaze towards Albert.

"Slash?" Albert guessed hesitantly.

Raven shook his head with a knowing smile. "Not quite. Lorelai, your thoughts?"

The blonde-haired girl narrowed her eyes, carefully observing Raven's stance. After silence, she said, "You're preparing for a feint."

A pleased grin spread across Raven's face. "Exactly! A feint can mislead your opponent and create an opening. But to execute it properly, your body movements must remain fluid and natural. Watch closely."

Raven shifted his weight onto his front foot, faking a thrust. The spear darted forward, then quickly reversed direction into a sweeping slash. The motion was smooth, almost deceptive in its simplicity.

"See? Even the smallest hesitation from your opponent can be exploited. That's why precision and subtlety are your greatest weapons."

Brynn and Albert nodded in understanding while Lorelai's gaze followed every movement, absorbing his lesson like a sponge.

"Now, practice. Start slow, and once you've mastered the rhythm, increase your speed," Raven instructed, stepping back to let them try.

He stayed with them for over two hours and moved to the next room.

Felicity was teaching Fiona and Sam about the basics of archery, mostly theoretical knowledge.

As Raven predicted, Fiona's marksmanship level improved after the third month. Thanks to the strict food schedule Felicity arranged, she also became a lot more muscular. Not enough to scare boys from approaching but enough to make them hesitate.

Next was Sam. Unlike Fiona, Sam's archery skill was poor, causing Felicity to come to his study and complain multiple times.

'But his theoretical knowledge far surpassed Felicity. Although his accuracy is worst, his predictions are always spot on. If Sam has the same talent in archery as Fiona, he will rise to become one of the geniuses of the Empire.' But Raven wasn't giving up on him.

'If I give him the 'Potion of Insight,' there is a high chance he might awaken as an Archer right away.' But that would be more like doing favoritism to a single person.

'He has to earn that by himself.' Raven quietly moved towards the next room, where nine people sat in the lotus position and meditated. Selene also sat among the group of kids and was in the middle of comprehending her spell models.

'Her spirit power has long reached the bottleneck.' She also constructed three more spell models: Spatial Storage, Shadow Slash, and Nightwalker's Grace.

As long as she had given around 5 years, she would become a Radiant Wizard!

Raven slowly turned his gaze towards the others.

Like others, Edgar's group also improved their spirit power up to 10 points and even built 3 to 4 spell models. Rebecca was the one who managed to create five spell models in her mind and also comprehended them all.

'If she has a Rare rank spirit technique, she might have already become a Radiant Wizard.'

After that, Raven returned to the mansion and soon met with Jacob and Quincy in the main hall.

"Greetings, My Lord!" Both greeted them at the hearth.

"As you have suspected, the 'Mind of Insight' potion's worth became so low now, My Lord." Jacob started, his voice showing a hint of regret.

"And there is a rumor that Johnathan's disciple plans to make a Rank-2 version of 'Mind of Insight,' My Lord."

A smirk appeared on Raven's face.

"Let them try all they want. If it's Alchemist Johnathan, he might have a chance to make a Rank-2 potion in a year or two after experimenting countless times. But others needed a century or even more." It wasn't because Raven was arrogant.

He said that because the materials to make a Rank-2 potion, which had a similar effect as 'Mind of Insight,' were entirely different.

"Anyway, I have one last job for you. After that, you can train all you want."

"Say it, My Lord." Jacob straightened his back and asked.

"Go to the capital one last time and meet with Lady Judith. I want you to deliver something to her personally." Raven said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Quincy suddenly froze.

"Y-You mean the Legendary Alchemist Judith?"

Raven nodded as he took out a sealed wooden box and gave it to Jacob.

"Book the same mansion we booked at Crown's Tavern last time and stay there for a week. An invitation letter will come." He paused for a moment and then added.

"Also, inform the Royal Bank manager of Giaris City about your visit before leaving."

Although Jacob and Quincy didn't understand how informing the bank manager would help them meet the Legendary Alchemist, they trusted his words.

Both then stood up from their seats and left the mansion.

[What are you going to do next?]

Raven looked at the ceiling and pondered.

'I'm thinking of my next course of action.'

"Emanuel." He suddenly called out.

Within a few seconds, the young butler ran from the kitchen and bowed his head.

"Did you call me, My Lord?"

Raven nodded and spoke as he took out a leather bag.

"I'll be out for a while. Until I come back, take care of all the necessaries. This bag has a total of 100 gold coins. Use them wisely."

"Yes, My Lord! What about the next Spade council meeting?" Emanuel asked.

"When is it?" Raven frowned.

"It will be held around the end of February," Emanuel answered.

Raven nodded his head and stood up from his seat.

"If I don't return, send an apology letter to Count Spade for not attending the meeting. And tell Marcellus to watch over their training."

"Yes, My Lord." Emanuel nodded and soon asked as he noticed he was leaving right away.

"Shall I arrange a carriage for you, My Lord?"

"No." Raven waved his hand and quietly walked out of the mansion house. Then, he left the mansion compound gate, walked on the cobblestone road of Bristol Street, and soon saw a hansom carriage parked around the corner.

As soon as he arrived closer to the carriage, the coachman tipped his hat and greeted him.

Raven nodded his head as he took out three silvers and spoke.

"Azmar Railway Station, please."

"Hop in, Sir." The carriage driver said while taking out the cigarette in his mouth.

As Raven entered the carriage, the coachman whipped the horse and started driving.

After traveling for around 30 minutes, the carriage finally arrived at the Azmar Railway station.

Raven thanked the coachman and walked towards the railway station.

After waiting for a while in the queue, Raven managed to get a single ticket to the Darkcross Town. Although it was in the second compartment, he didn't mind traveling with the crowd.

…

Darkcross Town, Baron Alexander's Territory.

21st December, Year 1421, Rune Era.

It was around 7. A.M.

A black-haired boy, around 170 cm tall, stood on the roadside and stared at a single-story house with complicated eyes.

It was the place Raven had spent around 15 years!

'It seems someone else has moved in.' He saw two young kids playing in the front yard while a blonde-haired woman in her twenties was cleaning the yard.

He wanted to meet the house owner and other neighbors, but he stopped himself.

'Involving myself will only bring them more trouble.' Thanks to his photo being released in the newspapers, he knew his classmates and friends might have also discovered the truth.

Shaking his head, he took a stagecoach carriage and moved to the Nobles' Street.

The carriage passed through the crowded street roads, moved past the town's square, and soon entered the Nobles' Street Road.

A few minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of a two-story house with a compound wall encircling it.

"50 coppers, young man!" The coachman said.

Raven walked out of the carriage and threw one silver coin towards him.

"Keep the change."

Meanwhile, the coachman skillfully caught the coin and tipped his bowler's hat before driving the carriage.

On the other hand, Raven moved towards the entrance gate, unlocked the simple lock, and walked into the compound.

He soon appeared before the house's entrance door and knocked on it twice.

A few seconds later, a blonde-haired woman in her late thirties opened the door and peeked outside.

But as soon as she saw Raven's face, her expression froze.

"Raven??" She hurriedly looked around to see if anyone was watching them, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the house.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She couldn't help but look at him angrily.

"Do you know how shocked I was when I learned that you are a prince of this Empire? And how the hell did you kill Sir Gavin? I read all the articles! It said you casually appeared in the courtroom and killed him with a touch. Haa, never mind!" She locked the door and took a deep breath to calm her heart.

Initially, she thought of him as a young master of a noble household and thought of pulling him into the organization she was working for. But she was deeply startled after hearing the news of his appearance in the capital and his real identity being revealed.

"May I sit?" Raven asked as he walked towards the main hall.

"Y-Yes!" She suddenly realized how rude she was to royalty and bowed her head.

"I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness."

Raven quietly sat on the ornate sofa in the middle of the main hall and spoke while bowing his head.

"Thanks for your help, Teacher Elizabeth. I might have lost many things if you hadn't helped back then."

"Haa, I don't know what to say right now." She also sat on the chair on the opposite side and turned serious.

"Let's talk about the other things later. Why are you here? I don't know if you know this news, but everyone closer to you is being monitored closely. Thanks to the Organization I'm working with, I discovered they are the shadow of the Royal Family and seem to be looking for you desperately."

"I'm aware, Teacher." Raven wasn't shocked by this news. That was why he refrained from meeting the house owner and the neighbors.

"Yet you still came here to meet me, huh?" She knew this kid was the smartest among all the students she had ever seen and narrowed her eyes.

"Go on. What are you trying to pull?"

Raven waved his hand and took a wooden box out of thin air before giving it to her.

"This is the gift I'm presenting to you for saving my life and caring for me during school days. Please accept it, Teacher."

"Oh? I can't say no to the gift my favorite student is giving me, right?" Elizabeth carefully took the wooden box and opened it slowly.

She soon saw two vials placed inside, which appeared to be wrapped in sponge-like cloth. One vial contained pure black liquid, while the other one contained red.

"Potions? What are these potions?"

A smile appeared on Raven's face.

"Intermediate Affinity potions of Darkness and Fire affinities."

Her whole body froze in shock.

"T-This… How did you get your hands on this? Even in the Mainland continent, not even a noble can get their hands on this potion easily!" She instantly realized the slip of her tongue and sighed.

"This is too precious for me to accept, Raven. I mean, Your Highness." Although she said those words, her hands were unwilling to let go of the wooden box.

"I don't know if you've heard this, but the Wizard Union has been selling the affinity potions for a while now. However, the information hasn't been leaked to the public because it will cause more chaos. As long as you have enough money, you can buy them here cheaper."

Elizabeth nodded her head in understanding.

'I also read in the article that Judith appeared in the courtroom and revealed that she has affinity potions. It seems her words are true.'

"Then I will gladly accept your gift." As she spoke, she touched her golden bracelet and stored it inside.