Chapter 85: Calamity! Three-Eyed Crow!
“Brother Leo, you’re being too distant. Just call Little Victor. I heard your business here is doing quite well—sothing about posture correction optimization services? I brought a few brothers to take a look and show so support.” Victor spoke while gesturing casually, appearing relaxed and approachable.
Yet within his words, both openly and subtly, he revealed himself as the leader of the group.
“Welco, welco.” Leo smiled warmly.
Since they were here to support his business, he naturally welcod them. He began introducing his latest services. “May I ask if you’re looking for horseshoe replacent or optimization services? I can explain everything in detail.”
Whenever Leo did business, he always appeared extrely professional.
However, Victor interrupted him directly. “Give each of my brothers a full set. I’ll have my servants settle all the accounts.”
As he spoke, Victor spread his hand grandly, then suddenly changed the topic. “Coincidentally, our horses are at my place. I’ll trouble you to make a trip and take a good look. Also, tonight is the last night of winter—I’m hosting a spring welcoming ball. Almost all noble-born Quasi-Knights will attend.
As the organizer, I also invite you to join, Leo.”
Leo’s brows twitched slightly. A spring welcoming ball?
These noble youths really knew how to co up with excuses for gatherings. What difference did spring even make to them?
Though thinking this internally, Leo remained polite. “I’m sorry, Victor. I still have matters to attend to. As for the ball, perhaps next ti. If it’s convenient, your servants can bring the horses here—I’ll provide the highest quality service.”
Leo knew that Victor was clearly trying to pull him into his circle.
If he attended the ball, they would treat him as one of their own, and more social engagents would follow.
But Leo had no interest in that right now—it was a waste of ti.
He had far too many things to do; he had no ti for aningless socializing.
Moreover, his business model relied on clients bringing their horses to him at scheduled tis.
That was the true value of his service.
If he started offering door-to-door service, breaking that precedent, the entire aning of his business would be lost.
“Very well.” Victor unconsciously clenched his teeth at the rejection but quickly returned to a polite smile. “Then I’ll co again when Brother Leo is less busy.”
With a signal from Victor, the group soon left Leo’s courtyard.
But shortly after, Leo heard their discussion.
“Heh, Victor, looks like your influence isn’t that great.”
“That kid doesn’t know what’s good for him. If you weren’t here, Victor, I’d have scolded him to death.”
“Yeah, just because he has so talent, he doesn’t know his place. Does he really think he can keep climbing upward? Ridiculous.”
“That’s how people from small places are—short-sighted.”
“Hah, I’ve already shown my goodwill generously. If he refuses, that’s his loss. Let’s go—the poetry gathering at the Rose Tavern should be starting soon.” Victor didn’t seem to care much. “Shia, why are you looking at us like that? You’re done here. Go inform the male servant to send the horses to Leo.”
“Yes…”
……
On the night when winter turned to spring, amidst the cold, a trace of dormant vitality was brewing.
Within Blackstone Castle, in the courtyard of a spired building, Zoro leaned expressionlessly against the sharp rooftop.
His gaze was hollow, staring straight into the distance.
Within the large dod building nearby, lights blazed brightly.
That courtyard was the largest private estate in all of Blackstone City.
Victor’s private residence—on his very first day in the city, he had spent a fortune to purchase it.
At this mont, a lively ball was underway. Faint music drifted through the air, accompanied by bursts of laughter from n and won inside.
As the noble with the most powerful background in Blackstone City, Victor had always enjoyed such ti-wasting social activities.
Zoro had always looked down on this noble youth, but he had no choice.
Victor’s family was imnsely powerful, controlling vast amounts of alchemical raw materials.
Even Laforin treated him with courtesy—let alone Zoro, rely a Knight Attendant.
Especially after Eve Sova was officially knighted, those noble-faction Quasi-Knights who had lost their leader sward around Victor like flies.
Buzzing endlessly.
It irritated Zoro greatly.
Thinking of those well-dressed n and won embracing under various hypocritical pretexts filled him with disgust.
In his eyes, soone like Victor—born with a golden spoon—was inherently detestable.
But tonight, his target was not these noble youths.
If anything happened to Victor, Count Yaoshan would undoubtedly mobilize his family’s power.
At that point, everything Zoro had would be affected.
Moreover, it was said Victor would soon return to the Kingdom Noble Knight Academy for further studies.
He wouldn’t waste ti on soone like that.
His feelings toward Victor were contradictory—on one hand, he despised him; on the other, deep down, he envied him.
On countless nights, he had imagined what heights he could reach if he possessed such a powerful family background.
But such thoughts were aningless fantasies.
So people were born into the upper class—
While others…
He turned his gaze toward another courtyard.
It was a small yard, dimly lit, with a crude straw shed built within it.
Among the castle’s structures, it looked utterly out of place.
Just one glance made it seem jarringly conspicuous.
The owner of that courtyard was a contradictory existence.
Clearly of noble birth, yet he had none of a noble’s deanor—spending his days like a stable servant, doing nial work.
But if one said he ca from the lower class, this boy progressed astonishingly fast, becoming a Quasi-Knight in just a few months.
Moreover, he seed to be highly valued by Laforin’s family.
This made Zoro extrely displeased.
So people were like barnyard chickens, yet dared to dream of becoming phoenixes—
More detestable than those born as phoenixes.
He could no longer rember where his hatred for Leo began.
Perhaps it was because Leo had injured his cousin.
Perhaps it was because his father had drowned because of that incident.
Or perhaps…
It was the resentnt of soone who had also climbed up from the bottom, yet now could only grow stronger by becoming sothing broken.
In truth, he now looked at everyone with a faint, inexplicable hatred.
But due to various reasons, all that pain and hatred had been directed entirely at Leo.
Looking at that courtyard, a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes—but he wasn’t foolish.
The castle was currently peaceful. If he made a move now, he might attract Laforin’s attention and ruin his plans.
Moreover, he had only just begun cultivating the second stage of the Divine Sacrifice thod.
But if a Beast Calamity were to erupt in Blackstone City—
Then in the chaos, a few deaths would be perfectly normal.
These past few days, the winter snow had begun to lt. Once winter passed, the Beastkin would migrate deeper into the forests.
Zoro lowered his head slightly, glancing at the black bird-shaped mark in his palm.
Recently, Ray Fley, the one skilled in archery, was not in the city.
If Calamity was to descend again, tonight was the perfect opportunity.
Having made his decision, Zoro closed his eyes, clasped his hands, and began chanting.
“A devout believer makes his vow… respectfully inviting the Black God to bring Calamity upon this irredeemable land.”
After finishing the long incantation, a chill swept over him, and the black mark in his palm began to pulse.
Imdiately after, a force surged outward with the chant.
From the sky ca the faint sound of wings flapping.
Looking up, in the night sky, a Three-Eyed Crow flapped its wings and soared upward.
The Three-Eyed Crow glanced down at Zoro, then, as if finding its target, flew straight toward Leo’s courtyard.
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