Lord: Starting with Biological Modification

In the Royal Capital, Count Leman’s mansion was brightly lit.

Inside the banquet hall, elegant music mingled with the cheerful laughter of nobles. Under the lavish crystal chandeliers, figures weaved through the crowd as glasses clinked and wine flowed freely.

Nearly all the festivity was centered on Count Leman.

But a small group of clever individuals had their eyes on Velin Klein, this rising new star.

He stood alone in a corner, holding a glass of red wine, his gaze unfocused as if lost in thought.

"Baron Velin, your understanding of the doctrine puts me to shame. You are truly God’s most devout believer!"

A newly-appointed Baron, his face flushed, raised his wine glass as he tried to squeeze into Velin’s circle.

Velin gave a slight nod and gently tapped his glass against the man’s, producing a crisp chime.

"You flatter me, my lord. I merely stated facts that already exist within the Holy Scripture."

No sooner had he spoken than a fragrant scent wafted over.

A Countess, renowned for her mature beauty, glided gracefully to a stop before Velin.

Her eyes danced, and her voice was enchanting.

"Baron, the Priest at my manor has just recently retired and returned to his hometown. I was wondering if you might be interested, in your spare time... in coming to guide my reading of the Holy Scripture?"

This blatant proposition drew gazes mixed with envy and jealousy from several male nobles nearby.

He offered the Countess a polite smile.

"You jest, my lady. With my meager knowledge, I wouldn’t dare presume to lead anyone astray."

It was a crisp, clean refusal, without a hint of hesitation.

The Countess’s smile stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal. She turned and departed gracefully, beginning her search for the next worthy investment.

On the other side of the banquet hall, Lilia was accompanying Marchioness Audrey.

Her heart was racing, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and her bright eyes never strayed from her brother’s figure.

Every word he had spoken in court, every one of his movements, was seared into her memory.

"Your brother is truly an incredible person."

Marchioness Audrey, beside her, suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with emotion.

This noble lady, who had seen her share of storms in the Royal Capital, now watched Velin from afar with a complicated expression—a mix of annoyance at having been used and admiration for a talented young man.

She recalled Lilia’s seemingly innocent words in the tailor’s shop and the perfectly timed suggestions at the salon. Juxtaposing them with the stunning reversal in court today, a wave of realization washed over her.

’To think I was used as a pawn by a wet-behind-the-ears boy.’

But then her gaze deepened. This wasn’t pure deception; he had, in fact, presented everyone with a terrifying future that could very well come to pass.

"He... He’s always been very smart," Lilia said, her voice filled with pride.

Marchioness Audrey gently patted her hand and said softly, "No, Lilia. That isn’t cleverness, it’s wisdom. It is the sign of a family about to seize its moment and rise."

Watching the young man who always seemed to keep himself apart from the crowd, she made a decision.

’I must speak with my husband. We need to deepen our ties with the Klein Clan, and pay special attention to Baron Velin.’

The atmosphere of the banquet reached its zenith when Count Leman announced that "The Last" would resume supply, with priority given to the guests present tonight.

The cheers were nearly loud enough to tear the roof off.

...

「At midnight, the clamor subsided.」

Inside the study of the Klein Manor, the flames in the fireplace danced quietly, illuminating Count Leman’s face, now stripped of all smiles and showing a hint of exhaustion.

He personally poured Velin a cup of hot, sobering tea.

"Your performance in court far exceeded my expectations."

He said this while rubbing his own cheeks, which had grown stiff from holding a smile for so long, all while looking at Velin.

"I was merely stating some facts," Velin replied modestly.

Over the past few days, he had systematically studied the Eternal Radiance Church’s Holy Scripture. The text was filled with circular reasoning and arguments that mistook effect for cause. To say it wasn’t flawless would be an understatement; it was riddled with holes.

Moreover, with this case setting a precedent, Velin was confident the church would steer clear of him for some time.

As for how long "some time" would be, that depended on when the church decided to flip the table.

"Facts? Being able to bend the facts to your favor and convince everyone—that is true ability."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"But you must be careful. Don’t be fooled by that Archbishop."

"Edmond didn’t intervene today to help us."

"He was cutting his losses."

Velin nodded and added calmly, "He needed a way out, and I gave it to him. And we, in turn, need the church to stay silent for now."

Leman leaned back, pleased.

’It’s so much easier talking to a smart person.’

"Now, everyone wants your Magic Potion," Leman said, pouring himself a cup of the sobering tea as well. "They’re willing to pay any price."

"That’s only natural. Having no heir is the unending nightmare that haunts every family."

"Though I used their own doctrine to shut the church’s mouth today, it’s only temporary. They’ll soon find a new excuse to make a comeback."

"So," Velin said, looking at Leman, "we must expand our sales network as quickly as possible. We need the Magic Potion to penetrate every family in the Haidy Duchy, making it a line that no power would dare to cross."

Leman’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes showing keen interest.

"According to your plan, in just one year, countless family heirs throughout the entire Haidy Duchy will be tied to our potion!"

He then hesitated. "But it’s expensive. The lower-ranking nobles can’t afford it at all. Are you planning to lower the price? That wouldn’t be a good idea."

"There’s no need to lower the price, Uncle."

"’The Last’ is our calling card; its brand cannot be tarnished. From now on, it will primarily target the mid- to high-ranking nobles with real power."

"Building on that, we’ll launch two new product lines."

Velin held up one finger.

"The first is a Youth edition."

"Its effects will be milder, positioned as a daily, high-end luxury beverage that gently nourishes the body and allows nobles to ’recapture their youth.’"

He then held up a second finger.

"The second is a Champion edition."

"We’ll add more essence to it and offer it specifically to mid- to High Tier Transcendent beings, and even their Magical Beasts."

One to cultivate a broad user base.

The other to harvest the wealth from the top of the pyramid.

Leman stared at his nephew, waves of shock crashing through him. He had been in charge of the family for nearly a decade, building the Klein Family’s Magic Potion business from one of many raw material suppliers in Flower Province into one of the top three potion workshops in the nation. Yet, he had never imagined that business could be done this way!

He let out a long breath.

"Not a single noble will be able to resist this temptation of yours."

Leman stood up, paced a few steps around the study, and finally stopped in front of Velin.

His hand landed heavily on Velin’s shoulder.

"Velin, you are truly the most important core member of the next generation of our family. Now, there is something on which I must have your opinion."

He paused, his tone turning serious.

"Leonard."

The air in the study froze.

This was the last visible thorn between uncle and nephew.

"How do you want to deal with him?" Leman asked, staring into Velin’s eyes.

Velin fell into deep thought.

’According to my principles, a person like him should be eliminated outright. I have no intention of letting an old enemy get the chance to turn the tables on me someday.’

’But Leonard is, after all, Leman’s own son. Executing him would shake the trust we’ve just begun to build.’

’Then again, if I let him off easy, I won’t be able to rest. And besides, showing mercy to someone like him won’t earn his gratitude. He’ll probably just think I’m weak.’

Velin mulled it over for a moment, his face an unreadable mask.