Chapter 214: They Knew Him... for the Wrong Reason
According to Luke’s estimate, she needed roughly one more year of cultivation before she could officially break through into the Golden Knight realm.
"Even Aurielle has reached the Peak Bronze Knight realm and can already begin preparing for her breakthrough to Silver Knight," Luke muttered with a helpless sigh.
Thinking about everyone’s progress left him feeling slightly depressed.
Almost every one in Blackstone had advanced.
Yet when it came to cultivation. He was still an Early Bronze Knight.
His combat strength had increased by leaps and bounds thanks to his Titans, but his actual cultivation realm hadn’t moved an inch.
"F*ck that curse... or whatever the hell it is."
He couldn’t help but curse whoever had placed such a restriction on him.
"Haa..." After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Luke continued walking.
Before long, his eyes landed on a familiar figure wandering through the territory.
Peter Bassus.
Since it was his day off, Peter was leisurely strolling through Blackstone instead of training.
"Hmm..." Seeing him reminded Luke of Windmarch Reach.
Originally, he had planned to send Aurora there.
However, after Aurora became close friends with Raya, Luke had begun reconsidering that decision.
The two spent most of their time together, and separating them now didn’t seem necessary.
So, instead of sending Aurora, he dispatched Patrick, the newly joined Early Golden Knight, to Windmarch Reach.
After all, that territory currently didn’t have a single Golden Knight overseeing its defenses.
Even though Luke didn’t believe Patrick would betray him, he still had Patrick’s mother and younger brother remain in Blackstone.
It wasn’t meant as punishment.
It was simply a precaution.
Patrick himself didn’t find the arrangement strange.
Only Peter immediately understood the true reason behind it.
Even so, he never raised the issue.
Perhaps he understood that trust wasn’t something earned overnight.
Interestingly, throughout the past several days, Windmarch Reach hadn’t faced a single attack.
"Are they wary of the Holy Church or that hidden powerhouse?" Luke muttered thoughtfully.
As Luke walked past, Peter gave him a respectfull nod, which Luke returned with node before continuing on his way.
Although the reconstruction of the Ashveil Trade Route had yet to be fully completed, the essential infrastructure was already in place.
Safe stations had been established at regular intervals, patrol squads constantly guarded the road, and the territory’s escort service had officially begun operating.
As a result, soldiers assigned to escort missions were now granted a full day of rest after returning to Blackstone before receiving another assignment.
Thinking about the territory’s steady development, Luke continued toward his destination.
*The Silver Exchange — Merchant Guild Branch.*
The shipment he had purchased from Stormveil County had finally arrived shortly after his knights returned to Blackstone.
Even so, Blackstone’s demand for resources was growing faster than ever.
Weapons, armor, medicine, construction materials.
Every passing day, the territory consumed more than the last.
The army alone had recently expanded by another 10,000 Body Temper soldiers, 5,000 Iron Knights, and 500 Bronze Knights.
Most of those recruits were former mercenaries and adventurers, especially the Bronze Knights, who had been attracted by Blackstone’s rapid rise.
Even so, not a single Silver Knight had volunteered to join the territory.
The only exceptions remained the Bassus brothers.
Luke wasn’t particularly surprised.
After all, a Silver Knight could also commanded respect even within a Count’s territory.
Blackstone was still far from reaching that level.
Whether it was military strength, infrastructure, or overall influence, his territory still couldn’t compare to even an ordinary Viscount domain.
Many districts remained undeveloped, while facilities still existed only on paper.
Even so...
There was one piece of good news.
"At least Windmarch Reach is now completely under Blackstone’s control."
A satisfied smile appeared on Luke’s face.
After he had left the main army behind, his soldiers divided their forces and systematically secured every settlement across the territory.
Towns and Villages.
Even the remaining cities had all accepted Blackstone’s banner without further resistance.
During that time, Luke had also submitted an official request to Count Magnus for recognition of the newly acquired territory.
To his surprise...
The Count approved it without objection.
The official confirmation letter had arrived only yesterday.
"Greetings, Baron Luke."
The voices of two guards pulled him out of his thoughts.
Clad in polished silver armor, they saluted respectfully as they opened the entrance doors for him of the merchant building.
Luke gave them a calm nod before stepping inside.
The interior of the Silver Exchange was spacious and elegantly decorated.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the grand hall, while neatly arranged service counters were staffed by five or six female receptionists busily assisting customers.
The waiting area was equally crowded.
Merchants and adventurers occupied nearly every seat and sofa, discussing business among themselves.
However, the moment Luke stepped inside...
The entire hall gradually fell silent. Curious gazes immediately converged on him.
Some merchants subtly exchanged looks, their expressions saying exactly what was on their minds.
’That’s Baron Luke.’
’The infamous womanizer.’
Even the receptionists paused their work for a brief moment before turning toward the entrance.
Luke paid little attention to the sudden silence.
His identity alone was enough to draw attention wherever he went now.
As the lord of Blackstone, his name—and his presence—already carried considerable weight.
However.
If he ever found out that they were secretly calling him "the Womanizer of Blackstone,"
He was fairly certain he’d drag every single one of them outside for a "friendly" spar.
Fortunately for everyone present.
No one was foolish enough to say those words out loud.
"Where’s your manager?" Luke asked after stopping in front of one of the reception counters.
The young receptionist froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard that the Baron himself was speaking to her.
"U-Upstairs." she answered after quickly regaining her composure.
Before Luke could respond, a calm voice echoed from above.
"Baron Luke, my apologies for keeping you waiting."
A middle-aged man descended the staircase with steady steps.
He stood around six feet tall, with neatly combed black hair, a trimmed beard, and a well-maintained physique. His luxurious attire immediately revealed his high position within the Silver Exchange.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he offered a respectful bow.
"Sir, I am Jasper Merrick, manager of the Silver Exchange."
Luke acknowledged the greeting with a nod.
"Please, this way." Jasper personally led him upstairs.
They passed the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors before finally arriving at the sixth.
Unlike the bustling levels below, the entire top floor had been converted into an expansive VIP suite reserved for distinguished guests.
The VIP suite was lavishly decorated.
Gold-lined pillars, polished marble, and finely cut rubies adorned the room, giving it an air of understated luxury rather than excessive extravagance.
After both of them took their seats on opposite sofas, Jasper smiled warmly.
"Baron Luke, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time."
Luke returned a polite nod.
"Likewise, Manager Jasper."
Sensing that Luke preferred to get straight to business, Jasper didn’t waste any more time on pleasantries.
"How may the Silver Exchange assist you today?"
Luke nodded.
"Manager Jasper, I’d like to place a bulk order."
Jasper’s smile widened slightly as he listened attentively.
"First, I need G-rank and F-rank spears, along with full-body armor of the same grades."
Those would be issued to the newly recruited soldiers.
Jasper silently noted everything down.
Luke continued.
"In addition, I need a large quantity of construction materials."
Until now, most of Blackstone’s construction materials had been supplied by small and medium-sized merchants.
However, with the territory expanding at an unprecedented pace, Luke knew that relying on them alone would no longer be enough.
The Silver Exchange was far better suited for large-scale procurement.