Chapter 40

Max felt his heart almost leap out of his chest.

It wasn't because the other person had given him a sunflower.

It was because the little girl had said she wanted to use the sunflower as the family emblem.

And the older boy had agreed.

And he said they would make it today?

Could it be... could it be...

Max found his body trembling uncontrollably, though the tremors were slight, they felt so obvious.

If it really happened as the two children said, it could only prove one fact.

The two children had at least ten sunflowers.

Oh, the eternal twin suns and twin moons, under your shining light, the first noble of the Lances Kent continent to use the sunflower as an emblem is about to be born.

O gods, who can tell me, is this the glory of a family, or the suffering of facing countless pressures?

"You..." Max wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it.

"Grandpa Max, my brother and I are going to make the emblem. We hope you can take it further. We will have many opportunities to work together in the future."

Narasha, full of fighting spirit, blessed Max.

"Wait." Max called out to the two.

He said solemnly:

"My full name is Cheryl Max, and another identity I have is... the Deputy Head of the Royal Alchemists of the Gels Kingdom.

I lied before, I can make level six potions. If you need help, don't forget me."

"Oh, it's okay, this is my brother, Gongsun Murong, and I am Sophia Narasha." Narasha was very generous.

"You are Sophia Narasha?" Max was shocked again.

As the Deputy Head of the Royal Alchemists, he had inevitably heard some news a few days ago.

The ninth princess of the Gels Kingdom, the magical genius Lucia Gels, was assassinated.

The Marquis Hillary Francis defected.

A military purge was carried out domestically.

Another genius, even more talented than Princess Lucia, appeared.

Her combat talent was so high that it was unimaginable.

Her magical control was perfect.

She could instantly cast many large-scale spells.

She was a grand mage who had not been evaluated by the Mages' Association.

Her name was... Sophia Narasha.

She appeared right in front of him, and even gave him a sunflower.

It all made sense now.

Indeed, only extraordinary people have the right to possess extraordinary things.

"Shh~! Grandpa Max, don't shout, I need to hide my identity and strength." Narasha looked around and whispered.

Max: "..."

He really couldn't associate 'hiding strength' with Sophia Narasha.

Hiding strength? What strength are you hiding?

"Grandpa Max, we're leaving. See you later. We'll go out through the back door quietly." Narasha waved and grabbed Gongsun Murong's clothes, walking backward.

When they reached the door, Gongsun Murong suddenly turned around and said to Max, who was still in a daze, "Is the Loriel we went to at the potion shop also from the Royal Alchemists?"

After saying that, Gongsun Murong led Narasha away.

Cheryl Max looked at the back door for a while, then收回目光.

He muttered, "Loriel? A person who needs luck to successfully make a level four potion, how could he be from the Royal Alchemists?

It seems the noble who is about to have the sunflower emblem has given me this small trouble.

Well, Loriel has been doing some really over-the-top things in secret these past few years. To charge him with colluding with the Hillary Francis family?

Yes! A very good reason, I like it."

******

Gongsun Murong and Narasha walked towards the palace.

The two didn't take a carriage, they were just strolling.

It started to snow lightly.

There were street vendors selling spicy skewers on the side of the road.

There were also vendors selling duck necks, duck heads, and various braised poultry organs.

Many locals were willing to accept these, while only a few insisted that their original food was the best.

Both of them could understand this.

What's comfortable to eat in winter? Naturally, spicy skewers.

This is a delicious treat regardless of the season.

Convenient to get, cheap.

Indeed cheap, not as expensive as when Narasha first sold them.

Everyone sold them at one copper coin for two vegetable skewers and one copper coin for one meat skewer.

The flavors were varied. Some people boiled chicken soup for people to dip in, while others just boiled water.

Of course, the buyers weren't fools.

There was a clear difference in sales between the two.

"They learn so quickly." Narasha bought a few skewers and found them quite good.

"Ordinary street food, not much difficulty, after a few tries, they can learn to make it." Gongsun Murong didn't think he was being infringed upon.

He also ate two skewers of something like potato slices, finding them too hard, probably because they weren't soaked in water beforehand.

Or perhaps the ingredients weren't chosen properly.

The details are not so easy to learn.

The two strolled around, experiencing the winter in the capital.

The thugs or hooligans on the streets were nowhere to be seen.

It was likely related to the recent purges.

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived outside the palace.

They reported at the side gate, and the guards here let them in very smoothly, without further reporting.

When they found Duke Gels, he was looking at the construction of the northwest slum.

Narasha and Gongsun Murong were warmly welcomed.

"Grandpa Gels, are you looking at our house?" Narasha looked at the poorly drawn plan and recognized the location.

"Yes, before the end of winter, your small manor will be built, along with six-story buildings around it. If it were summer, the construction would be faster."

Duke Gels introduced the situation kindly.

He also subsidized some of the building materials and money. Winter was not a good time for construction, so he mobilized a large number of people with battle qi and mages.

He found this to be a good move, as it freed up a lot of space.

The problem was the high cost.

And only a small area was being transformed, which could earn money through renting or selling shops.

If the entire northwest slum were to be transformed, there clearly wouldn't be enough people.

If people from outside came in, what would happen to production in other parts of the kingdom?

The demand for supplies in the capital would also increase, would they be supplied?

It seemed other methods needed to be considered.

Narasha didn't know about others' troubles; she was happy to soon have her own manor.

She squinted her eyes and asked with a smile, "Can it be even faster?"

"Would the lovely Narasha want a grand mage battle group to build her manor? Or do it yourself?" Duke Gels asked with a smile.

"No, I need to hide my strength." Narasha quickly refused.

She added, "A grand mage battle group isn't good; their task isn't construction. Grandpa Gels, we have something very important to discuss today."

Narasha had a mature and decisive look.

"Oh, very important? It seems we are on the same page. I also have something very important to discuss today. Duke Gongsun, the ministers all agree that we cannot transform the entire slum like your family's manor."

Duke Gels first said this to Narasha, then turned to Gongsun Murong.

Gongsun Murong looked back in surprise and asked, "Is it related to the ministers?"

He continued, "We are just working on this with Lucia."

"But the ministers think it can be imitated," Duke Gels mentioned.

Narasha, eager to make the emblem, interjected, "Grandpa Gels, look, we discussed this with Lucia, right? Let Lucia do it bit by bit. The ministers insist on taking over, but then find they can't transform it.

It's not related to us, right? If they think it can't be done, they won't do it. Why push it to us? Did we ask them to take over? It's unreasonable.

Grandpa Gels, my brother and I have chosen our family emblem, and we're here to register it today."

"Let someone else handle it." Gels planned to find a manager to arrange it.

"No, it won't work." Narasha immediately stopped him, taking out ten sunflowers from a bag she had prepared and placing them on the desk.

She said, "Grandpa Gels, this needs to be done by you personally, and then reported to the Rexlar Empire."

Duke Gels laughed, "Narasha, you and your brother are mistaken. A duke doesn't need... what is this? Sunflowers!"

The usually calm Duke Gels was finally shocked. He had just recognized the ten flowers.

Sunflowers, the kingdom couldn't even produce ten.

But they were right there in front of him.

Even gray, even without leaves, they were still so beautiful.

No one would doubt their medicinal value, and no one would dare to question it.

But that wasn't the reason for their fame.

Sunflowers face the sun, under immense pressure, they still grow towards the sun.

Could it be that his kingdom was about to have a unique noble on the continent?

"Grandpa Gels, my brother and I want to use it as our emblem, you need to help us," Narasha urged.

Duke Gels came to his senses. If they were to use the sunflower as their emblem, he indeed needed to report it to the empire.

But he became hesitant again, looking at the two children and saying, "The sunflower emblem is beautiful, but do you know the immense pressure you will face?"

"How much pressure can the sunflower bear?" Gongsun Murong countered.

Narasha followed with a wave of her fist, "No one can stop us from facing the sun."

She had already discussed it with her brother.

Once they used the sunflower as their family emblem, they would face countless challenges and pressures.

They would have to work even harder, she would train, and her brother would train.

How could they not have new cards to play when they reveal their current ones?

It was a difficult decision, but the sunflower never compromised. Why shouldn't they let the storm come even more fiercely!

"Alright, I will give you the sunflower emblem now and send someone to report it to the empire.

Since you want to fight, then let's fight. But you can't take the ten sunflowers back; you need to show them when someone comes to check."

Duke Gels took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, looking at the two children with determination.

He was a bit worried, but more hopeful.

Worried that other nobles would come to challenge them.

Not to mention other nobles, he himself even felt a bit jealous.

He was hopeful to see how much more strength the two children had yet to show.

Ten sunflowers, could they be obtained without strength?

It's not like vegetables sold in the market; it only chooses the depths of the sea, without pressure, how could it thrive.

"Thank you, Grandpa Gels, you are the best." Narasha said with a blink.

Suddenly, she seemed to think of an important question, her expression became serious, and she asked, "Grandpa Gels, if someone else gets ten sunflowers, can they use the same emblem?"

"Absolutely not, a noble's emblem is unique," Gels said firmly.

"Then if they add two leaves, wouldn't it look similar?" Narasha thought of how others had changed the spicy skewers.

"Adding leaves, how could it still be a sunflower? The sunflower is beautiful because of its quality. Who dares to add leaves to it must be destroyed. Miss Narasha, what are you worried about?" Gels comforted her and asked with a smile.

Narasha shook her head, "No, not worried, it's great. This way, my brother and I can continue selling sunflowers. Grandpa Gels, you are a good person, and my brother and I have decided to give you ten sunflowers."

Saying that, she took out ten more sunflowers from her bag and placed them on the desk.

Duke Gels: "..."

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