Chapter 22

"Big Sister Jilis, you are so beautiful..."

"Ah, little brother, you are great too!"

The room echoed with the intimate whispers of a man and a woman.

Then came the prolonged and rhythmic sounds of flesh colliding: slap, slap, slap, slap, slap, slap...

Gordon stood outside the room, his cheeks twitching: "Why does this luxurious duke suite have such poor soundproofing?"

What should he do?

Leave? That would waste all the time he spent tonight. Break in? That was even more impossible.

Gordon could only continue waiting outside.

After a long while, the woman's moans grew louder, and the man let out hurried, low growls.

After a while, it seemed to quiet down inside, and Gordon knocked on the door again.

"Who is it?" a young man asked from inside. His voice was lazy and casual, filled with the afterglow of passion.

"Gordon Freeman."

"Oh, the one from the Mage Guild..." The sound of rustling clothes was heard, and then a man wrapped only in a robe opened the door.

He was half a head taller than Gordon. It was worth noting that Gordon, as the descendant of a knight, had excellent genetic traits and was considered "tall and straight" even among the burly men of the North. This Mr. Lannister, however, could be described as "tall and slender." The reason was simple: Mr. Lannister's figure was overly slim and graceful, with pale skin and long black hair. If not for his Adam's apple and deep male voice, one might mistake him for a woman.

Moreover, Mr. Doran Lannister's face was even more likely to cause confusion.

A slightly handsome girl or an overly delicate handsome boy—both descriptions could apply to his face. If not for his Adam's apple and deep male voice, it would be hard to tell his gender at first glance.

"Oh, someone has come, so see you later, my dear brother." On a large bed that could accommodate ten people, a voluptuous beauty lay. Seeing Gordon enter, she casually wrapped herself in a gauze and walked to Doran Lannister, giving him a kiss, then swayed her hips and left. Before leaving, she even gave Gordon a flirtatious glance.

Damn, living in a luxurious mansion and sleeping with beautiful women, this guy's life is too decadent!

Gordon became even more determined to get something out of him.

"Please sit, Mr. Gordon." Doran Lannister gestured for Gordon to sit. "What would you like to drink? I'm sorry, I only have fruit juice. As mages, you should understand."

"Blueberry juice." Gordon casually mentioned a popular drink in the North. His attention was on Doran's hand. On his right middle finger, he wore a ring. Gordon remembered this ring very well because it was a Vigor Ring he had made.

Doran noticed Gordon's gaze and smiled. "You noticed? This ring is a very interesting magical trinket. I've studied it for a long time but couldn't figure out its principle. However, its effect is great, and any man would like it. Do you know what it is?"

Doran's show-off made Gordon want to laugh. The creator himself was sitting right in front of him!

Gordon said, "This is a ring that can cast an enlargement spell on a specific part of the body. As for the part it enhances, you must have used it many times when you were with that beautiful lady just now."

"How do you know that?" Doran stood up abruptly.

"Because this ring was made by me."

Doran looked doubtful. "Really? What's the principle?"

"Adding a set of runes that bind and concentrate magical energy on a specific part. However, the specific details are a trade secret, so I can't disclose them. This ring comes from 'Duro's Treasure Chest' magic shop. If you don't believe me, you can ask there."

"This ring was recommended to me by Jilis. She said I would get five gold coins as a commission if I bought it. I bought it to please the lady, but I didn't expect it to work so well."

Duro's actions were indeed quick. He had established the sales network for the Vigor Ring in Amber Mask just a day after Gordon gave him the suggestion. Although this young boss wasn't very good at business, he had connections.

Doran already believed Gordon, as this was something easy to verify and there was no need to lie. He continued, "One last question, please satisfy my poor curiosity. Why does the enlargement spell not only increase the size but also improve endurance?"

"Mr. Doran, during the spell's effect, not only does the size increase, but the side effect is the dulling of nerve endings, reducing your sensitivity, so you can last longer."

"Dulling of nerve endings?"

"Oh, just a term from human anatomy. Only mages who specialize in necromancy know this term." Gordon realized he had slipped and quickly covered it up. He believed that a wealthy young mage like Doran would never study necromancy, which involved dealing with corpses, so he wouldn't be caught out.

"Mr. Gordon, your knowledge is truly vast! I have a bottle of Purple Moon vintage from 841. Would you like to try it? Don't worry, this wine has been specially treated and is different from ordinary alcoholic beverages. Many wealthy mages enjoy it." Doran became more enthusiastic. If his earlier politeness was just out of noble manners, now he was genuinely treating Gordon as a friend.

This change in attitude reminded Gordon of the saying "tea, good tea, best tea."

But this was reality. If you had no value, why would others respect you?

"Your Vigor Ring is a brilliant invention!" Doran praised generously. "You know, as a mage, I spend most of my time buried in books, so my physical condition is average. To enjoy a good night with the ladies, I always prepare a transformation spell to make myself stronger. Now with the Vigor Ring, I can save a spell slot."

Gordon was amazed. No wonder this wealthy noble son had reserved a fourth-level spell for intimate moments.

Through their conversation, the two quickly became familiar. If an outsider saw their enthusiastic exchange, they would never guess that Gordon and Doran had only met less than an hour ago.

Doran Lannister was well-mannered, witty, and humorous. Despite his focus on the transaction, Gordon didn't feel the least bit annoyed by the tangents. It wasn't until the bottle of Purple Moon wine from the West was finished that the conversation finally turned to the main topic.

"I came to the North for a tour and received a lot of help from my uncle. His birthday is coming up, and I want to give him a unique birthday gift to express my gratitude. Well, I left home in a hurry and didn't bring much besides money, so I have to entrust someone else with the gift." Doran said, looking a bit embarrassed when mentioning his departure. This made Gordon think.

"Left in a hurry? Didn't you run away from home?" Gordon guessed.

It wasn't uncommon for wealthy noble sons to escape the family's constraints to seek freedom.

"I was still worried about the gift, but since the god of fate brought me to you, Mr. Gordon, the creator of the Vigor Ring, everything is solved. I hope to give my uncle a Vigor Ring. Of course, as a gift, it should be more luxurious and prestigious to match his status."

"Who is your uncle?"

"Didn't I mention it?" Doran realized and then said a name that made Gordon gasp, "Robb Antelore."

Lord Robb Antelore, the ruler of the North, one of the three great dukes of the empire, the orc slayer, and a former legendary mage. His life story was an epic.

If Robb Antelore was Doran's uncle, then... Gordon suddenly remembered that the Lannister surname was also significant. Although not as powerful as the three great dukes, the Lannister family had produced many excellent spellcasters. Since the founding of the Platinum Empire Ferelden, seventeen out of twenty chief court mages were Lannisters. Moreover, the Lannister family had long been closely related to the Antelore family through marriage.

"You know, my uncle's most famous reputation in the outside world is not his feat of slaying four orc warlords, but his hobby—beautiful women."

For a powerful noble, liking beautiful women was not a big deal. In fact, if he didn't use force or other uncouth methods to obtain them, this hobby could be described as "elegant" or "romantic."

For example, when Doran mentioned his uncle's hobby, his expression was full of admiration and longing, as if he were talking about an idol: "However, due to injuries from his early years, his health has been declining, and he even dares not take too much of the drugs that enhance male abilities. So now Uncle Robb, facing his thirty-seven wives, feels a bit overwhelmed..."

Doran looked a bit embarrassed. After all, exposing his uncle's "weakness" in front of others was not a glorious thing.

"So you want me to make a Vigor Ring for your uncle so he can enjoy intimate moments again?"

Doran nodded. "Yes."

"No problem, I can create a special Vigor Ring for Duke Robb. Not only will it have the enlargement spell, but I can also enchant it with Bull's Strength, Bear's Endurance, and Cat's Grace. This will give your uncle powerful thrusts, long-lasting endurance, and the flexibility to perform various positions."

"Oh, my god, you must be blessed by the god of invention! Where do you get all these brilliant ideas?" Doran's eyes sparkled, and he grabbed Gordon's hand. "Please! Please make one for me too!"

Gordon smiled sincerely. "Of course, my friend. Now, let's talk about the payment."