Chapter 9

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"Actually, that's not entirely true. After all, he has awakened his combat aura," the old man said after a moment of contemplation.

"Yes, yes, if his mental power were to increase a bit more, it would be even better. A wood-element mage, a nature-element mage, tsk tsk!" Locke also felt that Cook's luck wasn't great. If his mental power had increased a bit more, he would have become a valuable auxiliary mage, making Cook a hot commodity.

"Actually, with three times the mental power, he can still cast wood-element magic, but the range and power will be much weaker, and the chances of becoming a high-level mage are very slim," the old man continued to explain.

"Alright, let's not mention the three times mental power. Training a mage is more than a viscount like me can afford," Viscount Locke said, somewhat reluctantly, but he made a wise choice.

"Actually, my lord, you don't have to be so pessimistic. Although Cook isn't useful to you, he could be very useful to high-level mages, or even to a high mage. My lord, why not do a favor and give this boy to someone who can use him? I can help with that," the old man said, his eyes twinkling, in a low voice.

"Is that so? Thank you for your kindness, Master, but Cook is a commoner and hasn't sworn allegiance to me..." Viscount Locke's heart stirred, but he replied with a difficult expression.

"Hehe, you're afraid this little guy might cause trouble in the future. If he gets lucky and earns the trust of a mage, it would indeed be a disaster for a viscount like you. My lord, do you still want scrolls related to combat aura? Especially for this young Piggy, his double strength talent might seem insignificant at low levels, but think about it: if he reaches the fourth-level knight stage where combat aura is externalized, what would the doubled strength mean for his combat power?" The old man continued to push hard.

"Thank you, Master, but I've decided to hand Harryg over to my family. I'm only a third-level knight; how can I handle such a person?" Viscount Locke thought for a moment and explained tactfully.

"True!" The old man clicked his tongue in response.

"Hehe, Viscount Locke, please come this way!" The old man then produced two scrolls and cast a magic seal on them before letting Locke take his people and leave.

Viscount Locke bowed and then carried Harryg and Cook, along with three other somewhat dejected men, away. In his heart, Viscount Locke was actually quite pleased, after all, having two talented warriors was more than a viscount should expect.

"Sir." Quev and the others saw Viscount Locke come out and, seeing the unconscious Cook and Harryg, crowded around.

"Two!" Viscount Locke said excitedly.

"Two?" Quev and the others were stunned; who would have thought there were two powerful bloodline talents?

"Both have awakened their combat aura. Take good care of them; I'll leave a message for Lady Lori." Viscount Locke carefully placed the two down and instructed Quev and the others before walking to a window to leave a message. Of course, gold coins were necessary.

"Alright, Viscount Locke, your message will be delivered to Lady Lori within a day, 800 gold coins." The person inside responded formally.

"Thank you!" Viscount Locke winced at the cost, but he had no choice. The Mage Guild had a unique intelligence network, and as long as a mage was on the continent, the Mage Guild could deliver any message within a day, with the fee based on the number of words and the distance.

Viscount Locke, carrying the unconscious Cook and Harryg, left the Mage Guild. Looking at the massive gates, he winced again. Just entering the Mage Guild cost nearly 2,000 gold coins, and his territory only generated a few hundred gold coins a year. However, Viscount Locke had a plan in mind as he looked at Cook.

"Cook, I've explained your talent in detail. What profession do you want to choose? We'll also buy your weapons and equipment this time." After Cook woke up, Harryg and Kid were gone, clearly taken to Viscount Locke's family. Viscount Locke explained Cook's talent in detail.

"Beast Tongue, of course, I'll choose Hunter." Drawing on years of gaming experience, Cook answered confidently.

"Thump!" Quev immediately fell to the ground, clearly shocked by the answer.

"Hunter, Cook, do you know that the Hunter profession isn't great? It's dangerous, and in close combat, you're no match for a warrior, and in ranged combat, you're no match for an archer. As for thieves, Hunters are helpless. Most Hunters serve as scouts, mainly for vigilance. Of course, if a Hunter can tame a powerful magical beast as a pet, that's a different story... but even our family doesn't have many good magical beasts." Viscount Locke explained patiently.

"But, but my talent and attributes aren't suitable for anything else," Cook replied weakly after a while.

Viscount Locke and Quev exchanged glances and sighed, because Cook was right. The destructive power of wood-element combat aura isn't great, and it's heavily influenced by the environment. Of course, wood-element magic is different, as combat aura and magic are two different systems.

"Then it's Hunter," Viscount Locke nodded, not really caring.

Viscount Locke and Quev then taught Cook some basic combat aura cultivation knowledge but didn't impart the cultivation method. As for talent, that has to be understood on one's own; outsiders can't teach it.

Cook then received a set of Hunter equipment: a composite bow, a quiver, twenty iron arrows, a half-plate leather armor, a pair of leather boots, a leather belt, and two sets of warrior clothing, costing Viscount Locke fifteen gold coins in total.

"Cook, here's some pocket money. Buy whatever you need." Viscount Locke generously gave Cook a gold coin and had Naris take him around. The other three guards only received ten silver coins as a reward and weren't allowed to go out, of course, they didn't know about this.

"Thank you, my lord." Cook was thrilled; he had finally earned a gold coin, and it seemed his choice was right.

"My lord, why did you let Cook choose Hunter? Even a knight with wood-element combat aura, though not powerful in attack, has good durability..." Quev asked Viscount Locke, puzzled, after Cook left.

"Hehe, it doesn't matter. Cook won't stay with me for long anyway. Actually, Cook has three times the mental power, which I didn't tell him. Do you know what three times the mental power means?" Viscount Locke asked smugly.

"What does it mean?" Quev asked in surprise.

"It means he can cast magic, but the power and range aren't great." Viscount Locke smiled.

"Cast wood-element magic? My lord, you've made a good deal this time." Quev exclaimed in surprise.

"But Cook's talent isn't enough to reach the level of a high mage, not even a mid-level mage. What use is such a wood-element mage, with only half the range and power of other mages? Besides, do we have the money to cultivate him?" Viscount Locke continued to explain.

"I see. So, my lord, what are your plans?" Quev asked, enlightened.

"Give him to Lady Lori. A high mage definitely needs some errand boys. Cook not only has three times the mental power but is also a wood-element user and has the rare talent of Beast Tongue. Although it's a weak talent, mages are mysterious, aren't they? I think Lady Lori won't refuse such a servant." Viscount Locke smiled and took a sip of wine.

"My lord is wise!" Quev quickly poured wine for Viscount Locke and flattered him.

"What? A book costs ten gold coins?" Cook asked angrily, his face full of anger. He wanted to learn to read, so he inquired, but was disappointed to find that a basic picture book for learning to read cost at least ten gold coins, and advanced ones were even more expensive.

"Hmph, if you're capable, go get a Wisdom Scroll. It's simple; just tear it open, and you'll know how to read. No need to learn to read," the bookseller sneered at Cook.

"Buy it, where can I get it?" Cook asked immediately.

"Ha ha ha! The Mage Guild has it, but you'd better bring 800 gold coins!" The bookseller laughed loudly.

"800 gold coins!" Cook was stunned.

"Hey, kid, come here, come here. I have something good. Just one gold coin, just one gold coin." A middle-aged man in a gray robe stopped Cook, staring at the gold coin in his hand and pointing to the items on his stall.

"What do you sell? Are they all wooden boxes?" Cook asked, surprised, looking at the items on the stall.

"Hehe, these boxes have good and bad things inside. The best is a magical beast egg, yes, a magical beast egg, but there are also empty boxes," the middle-aged stall owner chuckled.

"Brother Naris, is this true?" Cook asked Naris beside him.

"It's true. This stall owner is from the Mage Guild, a magic apprentice, and he wouldn't dare to cheat," Naris replied, looking at the emblem on the old man's robe.

"But didn't Lord Locke say magical beasts are very powerful? How can such a small box contain one?" Cook asked, puzzled.

"Hehe, kid, magical beasts come in all sizes. Besides, what good magical beast egg can you buy for one gold coin?" the middle-aged stall owner laughed and asked.

"One gold coin for two tries!" Cook said after a while, gritting his teeth. It was like buying a lottery ticket.

"No way, one gold coin for one try!" The middle-aged stall owner was stunned and then shouted loudly, as this was the first time someone had haggled so hard.

"Sixty silver coins." Cook said.

"No way, one gold coin, no haggling!" The middle-aged stall owner replied firmly.

"Eighty silver coins, no more. I'll leave if you don't agree. I was planning to go to the bar to have some fun," Cook hesitated, gritted his teeth, and said meaningfully.

"Fine, you're tough! Eighty-five silver coins, one try." The middle-aged stall owner looked at Cook in frustration and said resentfully.

"Hehe!" Cook chuckled, while Naris beside him widened his eyes, thinking, "Did the test go wrong? Does Cook have Fox blood?"

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