Chapter 176: Duane’s Encouragement and Provocation
After the luncheon, Baron Jick suggested a stroll around the area and a visit to the mountain to see the Hot Spring Mountain Tea trees.
Duane had Michele and Jack act as guides, using the excuse of visiting a seriously injured subordinate to stay behind himself.
Broken Wave Bay, Simone’s home.
The moment Duane stepped inside, he was hit by the strong smell of medicine.
Dr. Ronald was in the courtyard, simmering something in a pot. It had the appearance of a soft paste, likely an ointment to be applied to wounds.
"Baron, you’re back!" Ronald hurriedly greeted him.
Just then, a small head peeked out from behind the door.
"Little Vera!" Duane called out with a smile.
"Baron... sir!"
Little Vera looked timid, but she still managed to call out to him.
Though she was only three and didn’t remember many people, she had a vivid memory of the Baron standing before her—the man who had rescued her from a dungeon.
Duane smiled and beckoned. Vera hesitated for a moment before scampering over to him.
Duane affectionately ruffled her little head.
This was the daughter of Simone and Miss Constance Stewart.
Her parents were both exceptionally talented in their Cultivation, so Vera would likely be quite remarkable herself when she grew up.
"Come on, take me to see your father."
"Father’s hurt really badly!"
Vera tugged on Duane’s hand. "I’ve been taking good care of him for the past few days!"
"Such a good girl, Little Vera!"
The two entered the room and saw Simone lying in bed.
"My apologies, Baron. I cannot rise to greet you," Simone said, his voice extremely weak.
"Just stay there and rest," Duane said, sitting down beside him.
"Ronald, I bought some Special Healing Potions on my way back. Have Simone use them and let’s see how they work."
Beside them, Kaelon had already opened the Potion case, which held six vials.
"It’ll work, it’ll definitely work!"
Ronald’s eyes lit up. He picked up a vial and examined it closely. "A Magic Potion worth five or six Gold Coins a bottle! This will be very effective for external wounds like Simone’s!"
Duane waved his hand dismissively. "Then use it at once."
Simone was touched but said, "My Lord, this is too valuable!"
"These Potions were bought to be used," Duane said casually. "If we just let them sit around like decorations, there would have been no point in buying them at all."
Ronald chimed in with praise, "My Lord’s concern for his subordinates is truly touching!"
As he spoke, without waiting for Simone’s consent, he pulled back the linen bandages on his body and began applying the Potion.
The gruesome wound made Duane’s scalp tingle.
Vera, who was standing beside him, turned deathly pale.
"Kaelon, take Little Vera outside to play. She shouldn’t be here watching this."
"Alright!"
Kaelon was a gruff man with little experience with children, but he braced himself and managed to coax Little Vera outside with the promise of teaching her to ride a horse.
"How big are the claws on that Ash-tailed Mountain Cat? How did it leave a wound that massive?"
Simone gritted his teeth, enduring the stinging pain from the Potion.
"They call it a Mountain Cat, but it was as big as a large Wind Wolf! It was at least two and a half meters long, over a meter tall at the shoulder, and its claws were a whole size larger than my hand."
Duane clicked his tongue in disbelief. ’That’s not a Mountain Cat, that’s a tiger!’
"It’s a miracle you made it back alive!"
Simone’s voice was filled with the relief of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
"I thought I was going to die. But its belly was full, so it must have just eaten. After it swatted me to the ground, it just... left."
"After that, I dragged my wounded body back. I honestly don’t even know how I made it."
The man had a firm will.
With injuries that severe, only someone with a powerful reason to live would have found the strength to get back.
"I heard you found the Red Sun Grass."
Duane changed the subject. "You’ve performed a great service this time. I plan to reward you with more land."
"I also have a bottle of Iron Wall Potion for you. It will enhance your defensive capabilities."
"Furthermore, Vera is three years old now. In a little while, I’ll find some teachers for her here in Silent Shore to give her an education."
The first two rewards were standard. The third, however—finding teachers—was not only for Vera’s sake but also for the future development of the Territory.
Of course, Duane had no intention of establishing universal education just yet; that was far too impractical.
However, he could start by cultivating a group of commoners with a basic education.
Then, as the population grew, these people could in turn teach others.
"My Lord, please forget the first two rewards. These Healing Potions you’ve given me are already incredibly valuable. I can’t possibly accept anything more!"
Simone declined gratefully. "However, if it’s possible, I truly would appreciate it if you could find a teacher for Vera."
At the mention of his daughter, a smile broke through his pained expression. "I could teach her myself, but I just don’t have the time."
"Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it."
Duane smiled. "Now that I have my own ship and crew, the Silent Sea can no longer cut us off from the rest of the Kingdom."
"It sounds like your trip to the Royal Capital was a great success!"
Simone couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. The Little Baron who had once been constrained by Bard and Daniels had transformed completely.
And yet, his fundamental kindness had not changed one bit.
"My Lord, if you head northeast from the mine and walk for the better part of a day, you’ll come to a barren area of red rock. Within it, there’s a hollow where the Red Sun Grass grows."
Simone relayed the information he’d gathered. "The climate there is much drier than the surrounding area, and the temperature is significantly higher. You’ll need to bring plenty of drinking water if you plan to stay for long."
"Also, I observed the area from a high cliff. The terrain of that type covers a large area, so I suspect there’s more than one patch of Red Sun Grass."
Duane nodded slightly. When it came to this stuff, the more, the better.
He would need to research the Red Sun Grass’s reproductive cycle and growing conditions to see if it could be artificially cultivated.
"Understood. Once our guest has departed, Kaelon and I will go take a look."
Simone looked worried. "My Lord, perhaps you should wait until I’ve recovered. It would be safer that way."
A Level 5 Demon Beast was no simple foe; he worried Kaelon alone wouldn’t be enough.
"You just focus on getting better. I won’t take any unnecessary risks."
He didn’t reveal his true strength, for fear of frightening the man.
"There is something I’d like to ask you."
Seeing the Baron’s serious expression, Simone focused his attention. "Please, ask away."
"If you had the chance, would you want Vera to meet her mother?"
Simone froze, not understanding Duane’s words for a moment.
But then, it dawned on him.
He lay there, looking utterly crestfallen.
"My Lord... you know everything..."
Simone sighed. "I was young and talented then. I acted recklessly and didn’t think about the consequences. Constance was the same way."
"We thought everything would be fine as long as we were together, but some things aren’t just about two people."
"My ignorance harmed her, and it harmed Vera, too."
"I... I’ve failed them!"
As Simone spoke, the corners of his eyes glistened with tears. It was clear he was a man who cared deeply and was consumed by guilt.
He had likely spent the last three years blaming himself, which would explain his world-weary appearance.
"Miss Constance never married. She’s just been confined to her castle by her father, Viscount Raul, and isn’t allowed to leave."
"I’ll look for an opportunity to help you resolve this," Duane said.
Simone sighed. "Thank you for your kindness. But while Viscount Raul may love his daughter, from the perspective of the Stewart clan, it’s nearly impossible for him to swallow the shame of marrying her to me."
"Don’t be so pessimistic, Simone!"
Duane could hear the despair in his voice—the powerlessness of a man facing what he believed to be an impossible goal.
"You’re only twenty-three, twenty-four years old. You’re so young! You have every chance to win back your wife, Vera’s mother!"
"On the Shadow Mist Continent, the Power of Elements is growing richer," Duane said. "The number of Extraordinary Professionals is increasing, and overall strength is on the rise. You have every opportunity to reach the Celestial Tier, or even become a Shooting Star, Silver Moon, or Scorching Sun Level Warrior!"
"Tell me, if you were a Scorching Sun Level Warrior, do you think Viscount Raul would still find fault with you?"
Simone was stunned. He’d never considered it. To be precise, he’d never even dreamed he could one day become such a powerful Warrior.
After all, his own grandfather was only at the Peak of the Earth Tier.
Forget Scorching Sun; even Shooting Star felt impossibly out of reach.
However, he had to admit that if he became a Shooting Star Warrior, Viscount Raul would very likely change his attitude.
"Baron, I..."
Duane stood up, walked to the bedside, and looked down at him. "Your Cultivation has stagnated for far too long. It’s related to your state of mind."
"You have Vera with you, so you at least have an emotional anchor. But have you ever stopped to think that your wife, imprisoned in her castle, doesn’t even know if her husband and daughter are alive or dead?"
Those words were like a needle, piercing straight into Simone’s heart. His eyes went wide, and he was speechless for a long time.
"Think about it," Duane said. "Your goals need to be bigger, more ambitious."
"There’s no need to fear the Nobility, because I am the one standing behind you!"
Simone stared at Duane in shock, his eyes trembling uncontrollably.
Viscount Raul was like a mountain weighing on his heart, making him feel powerless whenever he even considered resisting.
But Duane’s words, as arrogant and overbearing as they sounded, gave him something to rely on—a pillar of support.
"Baron, I..."
"A man has to have a dream. What if, one day, it comes true?"
Duane smiled faintly, leaned down, and patted the back of his hand.
"Rest well. I want you to recover quickly, get your head straight, and start anew."
With that, he rose and left the room.
Ronald continued to bandage Simone’s wounds. "The Baron is truly the kindest Lord I’ve ever met!"
"He is,"
Simone gazed at the figure disappearing through the doorway, a single tear tracing a path from the corner of his eye.
’Simone, you’ve lived selfishly for three years. You can’t go on like this!’
’Constance, wait for me!’