Imperial Crown.

Chapter 395 Level 7 Demonic Core

Many thanks to QQ Reading Dad [Autumn, Sorrow] for the reward of 588!

……

After scolding and punishing, the next step is to face the practical problems.

Since Denise, Eric and the others were here, they didn't need to hide their whereabouts any longer. They could just go back with the main group.

On the contrary, the Eagle Army who were dispersed and lurking in disguise as merchants must not be gathered together to set out together.

Normally, it would be enough to just give an order, but there is another problem.

After the plan was set, Denise and Mantheni acted together.

Since there were only two of them, they didn't need to spend too much time setting up camp and could just find a place to make do. They could also take some small paths and shortcuts that were not suitable for large-scale marches. So in less than three months, they arrived at Mangtain.

It was a similar situation with Eric.

But the Eagle Army that was planning to "sneak" into the royal capital was different.

Although they are scattered, each group must have at least more than a hundred people. They have to feed and feed the horses, and try their best not to let others see their flaws, so they can't move fast at all.

Now the vast majority have not yet left the neighboring province of Semprons.

There was no other choice but for Raven to give orders personally, telling them that the news of his successful promotion to earl was true, and asking them to return the same way they came.

"Ugh……"

After writing an order, Raven couldn't help but sigh and glared at Denise.

The Eagle Army came out this time, after all, for the head of the family, Raven.

During this period, they certainly cannot pay for their own food, accommodation and lodging - Raven is thus paying for the 1st Legion of the Eagle Army's paid travel for about 8 months.

All in all, it would cost at least 3 gold coins.

My flesh hurts!
Is it easy to make some money?

Denise whispered comfortingly:
"Look at it from a bright perspective...it can be considered a special marching training...right?"

Raven rolled his eyes.

However, this slightly awkward atmosphere did not last long. Soon, the Heinholtz family, which ruled the province of Mantien, sent an invitation to invite Raven to visit.

It would take a few days to restock the supplies, so Raven didn't refuse.

The last time he came, Raven was in a hurry to travel and was not used to the hygiene habits of the big cities of this era, so he did not go into the city.

This time I really got to appreciate the characteristics of Xiongchuan City.

The Mangtain Province is mountainous with little plain land and underdeveloped agriculture, which has led to the development of a very strong commercial tradition. Its capital, Xiongchuan City, embodies this characteristic to the fullest.

Since entering the city, you can hardly see any residential houses. Every house along the street has something to sell.

Clay pots, earthenware basins, buckets; linen clothes, trousers, sacks; black bread, rotten soup, black bacon...

All common and daily necessities can be found.

The small vendors who came into the city would bargain with all kinds of dirty talk and barter the goods they brought with them.

A large bundle of firewood for a clay pot, a few dried mushrooms for a piece of bread, or two rabbit skins, one as a reward and the other for someone to mend his torn trousers.

The further you go in, the more prosperous the streets become, and the variety of trades becomes more and more complete, while the quality and prices also increase.

In addition to hanging signs, the merchants here will do everything they can to attract customers.

The door of the blacksmith shop was open, and horseshoes and various farm tools were hung at the door, and weapons were placed in rows on shelves against the wall.

When you pass by outside, you can hear the clanging sound of iron hammering. You don't even need to go in to feel the heat wave, which is enough to make you feel suffocated.

In the tailor shop, fabrics of various colors are hung up like a rainbow, and there are wooden dummies at the door as models, wearing clothes and showing them to people.

For restaurants, a big pot is placed directly on the street. The long stone serves as both a stove and a table. The aroma of the boiling soup in the pot fills the air, and the smoked sausages hanging on top become even more rosy and attractive.

Raven couldn't help but sigh:

"Xiongchuan City really has business in their bones."

If there hadn't been another invitation, Raven would have wanted to sit down and eat something.

The castle of the Heinholtz family is called "Fort Heinholtz" and is located on a solitary peak rising from the flat ground.

This isolated peak has a total of three peaks, and the castle is built on these three peaks. Each peak is connected by a towering trail, and there is only one passage connecting it to the bottom of the mountain.

No wonder it’s called Xianfengbao.

Even from Raven's current perspective, it is almost impossible to take down such a castle. The only way is to besiege it and wait until the people inside run out of ammunition and food and surrender voluntarily.

The initiator of this invitation, Sir "Dane", the son of Count Gottfried, the head of the Heinholtz family, was waiting for Raven's arrival at the door.

"My Lord." Darnay took off his hat and saluted.

He is nearly 50 years old, but he is well maintained. Although his manners are a bit worldly and greasy, he is not offensive.

Raven returned the greeting in an equal manner: "I have heard that Duke Gottfried values Sir Darnay the most. It is really shameful that Sir Darnay actually went out to greet him today."

"I don't have any other talents, I just help my father take care of the fiefdom." Darnay said with a smile: "As a useless homemaker like me, of course I have to leave a good impression on you."

"It's impolite to speak here. I have prepared a sumptuous banquet. Please follow me, Lord Earl."

This attitude was a bit too enthusiastic, which made Raven a little wary.

There is a saying that goes, "There is no gain without pain." Raven has seen too many conducts of the imperial nobles, and the Heinholtz family is a famous business family. What does this man see in him?

Or does the old-school aristocrat have some plan for me?
However, as soon as he arrived at the main castle of Xianfeng Castle, Raven knew that he was overthinking.

Of course, Raven would not be the only guest at the aristocratic banquet. Almost all the nearby barons, viscounts, and landless nobles in the city were present, so Dane had to make some introductions for Raven.

Darnay did not have the airs of a member of the ducal family at all. When he introduced these people, he boasted more than the last.

In just over ten minutes of introduction, Raven met four "business geniuses", seven "art masters", eight "brave knights", and about a dozen outstanding talents who could be called the "future hope" of the empire.

Raven was having a hard time holding back his laughter, and at the same time he was a little curious about how this Danai developed such a personality.

Fortunately, the banquet was not as flashy as the boastful Dane would have thought.

"My Lord Earl, your Eagle Territory's specialty, Angel's Tears, is now the most famous wine in the empire. You must have already gotten used to drinking it. Today, I specially prepared for you the 'Eternal Spring', which is as famous as Angel's Tears."

Everspring Sweet Spring, produced in the Eastwood Province in the southern part of the empire, was arguably the most famous and popular wine in the entire empire before the emergence of Angel's Tears.

Dar picked up the bottle himself and poured a glass for Raven.

Not red wine, but white wine.

The texture is clear and light yellow with some grape juice texture.

Raven raised his glass and took a sip. Before he put it down, he heard Danai say:

"My Lord Earl, since you are able to create a famous wine like Angel's Tears, you must have a deep understanding of wine. I wonder what do you think of the quality of this 'Eternal Spring'?"

Raven’s requirement for wine is that it should not be astringent. How could he know anything about wine tasting?

The subsequent improvements to Angel's Tears were all handled by the former chef, Poirot.

But Raven was not at all nervous. He slowly put down the cup and said calmly:

"It's OK."

Anyway, as long as the accent is right, who can tell?

"Good!" Darnay clapped his hands. "I knew that Lord Raven had good taste. I also think this Rejuvenating Spring is too bland."

"But you have come to the right place. You will definitely be able to taste the wine that will satisfy you today!"

As he spoke, Dane waved his hand, and more than a dozen kinds of fine wine were brought up.

Speaking of Dane, he really fits Raven's stereotype of aristocratic children. He knows every kind of wine like the back of his hand and his collection is quite complete.

In addition to the Everspring Sweet Spring, there is also Insa's "Red Maple Dew", Fitun's "Frosted Pearls", the "Pope's Wine" secreted by the Church of Light, and even the "Thousand Essence" a specialty of the Orcs.

In addition to high-end liquors, there are also various "good things" that are found from some unknown corner.

One says it continues the style of the time of Keynes III, another says it is a winemaking recipe left behind by the Lord of Light when he walked the world, and another says it is a sea tribe craft, using shellfish to ferment the wine in the deep sea.

Raven's scalp tingled when he heard this.

The finished products also presented various suspicious tastes and colors.

For a moment, Raven couldn't help but sigh at how wise the law was that prohibited the private production of alcoholic beverages.

These things should be thrown into the swill bucket!

Therefore, for these wines of questionable quality and even more questionable origin, Raven just touched his lips and put them down, listening to Dane talking about how much effort he had spent to get these "rare wines".

Maybe it was because he drank too much different kinds of alcohol, but Raven actually felt a little drunk.

Looking at Danai again, he was already extremely drunk, his face was red, and his tongue was beginning to become knotted:
"Count Raven, you have been in the capital for so long, what do you think of it?" Raven did not say anything. He knew that people who were drunk to this extent did not need to talk to each other and could continue chatting with themselves.

As expected, Dane continued, "The capital is great! Everywhere is better than our Xiongchuan City, and the Royal Court is even better than the Peak Castle."

"but!"

"Don't look at it. There are many treasures and beauties in the capital. There is even a contest for Miss Capital. It is said that the winner will be worth 2000 gold coins in one night. Tsk, the people in the capital really have too much money to spend."

"However, the capital is great in every way, except for one thing: my most beloved baby is not here!"

At this point, Danai winked at Raven:
"Lord Raven, do you want to go with me?"

"This is not appropriate..." Raven wanted to refuse politely.

Darnay's wife is over 50, so it would be inappropriate to call her his darling; from the way he spoke, it seems likely that she has a lover outside.

But sharing a lover might be commonplace for the imperial nobles, but it was a bit too advanced for Raven.

"If there's anything inappropriate, let's go!" As he said that, without waiting for Raven to refuse, he stood up first and pulled Raven out.

Raven had no choice but to get up and follow.

But as he walked, Raven felt something was wrong - why was he going higher and higher?

The castles of nobles in the world come in all kinds of styles, but the layout is basically the same: the higher the status, the higher the residence.

Did Darnay put his lover in his father's room?

This is not the way to play the Oedipus complex!

Fortunately, just as they were about to reach the top floor, Dane took Raven around a corner and pressed the ring on his index finger against the wall.

Amidst the rumbling sound, slightly cold air poured in, and a pitch-black secret room appeared in front of them.

The magic lights lit up, and Danai took out a dagger, pierced his fingertips, and dripped water onto a transparent gem at the door of the secret room.

With a sizzling sound, the blood evaporated and the orb emitted a bright light. The darkness on the four walls receded, and various magic patterns returned to calm after shining. At the end, a metal box as tall as a person was revealed.

Raven's mouth twitched as he watched.

In that fleeting moment just now, Raven saw at least three basic configurations of level 5 magic, including the dreaded "Finger of Death".

What on earth is in here, a succubus?
Dane staggered in, came to the metal box, took off the necklace from his neck, and inserted the pendant into the groove on the surface.

Keng, Keng, Keng...

With a metallic sound, the box opened from the inside out, and a green light burst out from it, reflecting on the four walls, coating the entire room with a thick layer of green.

A trace of invisible pressure spread out, causing Raven's hair to tremble slightly.

Danei moved sideways, and the contents of the box appeared in front of Raven.

It was a green crystal the size of a peach pit, with sharp edges and a broad middle. It was covered with root-like scratches, and the green life force was so rich that it seemed to be overflowing!

Taking out a shriveled soybean from his pocket, Dane held it in front of the crystal. Almost instantly, the soybean began to sprout, and the sprouts turned from white to green, and branches, stems and tender leaves grew. The next moment, bean pods appeared.

Dane smiled slightly: "How about it, this is my collection, a 7th-level life attribute magic core!"

Raven nodded and praised, "It is indeed exquisite."

Although it was a compliment, it sounded a little cold to Darnell's ears, so he frowned and said, "My Lord Earl, you don't seem to be very interested?"

"No, I don't have any." Raven smiled and said, "It's just that although this magic core is exquisite, it is only found near the heart of the empire, where there are too few magical beasts. In our Nord Province, near the Bloody Highlands, magic cores are not that rare."

After hearing this, Danai felt that it was a bit boring, so he sealed the secret room and pulled Raven to continue drinking.

But when he left, Raven seemed reluctant to leave this secret room.

Raven really didn't expect that Danai, who loved to brag, could actually come up with such a treasure!

It is not just a 7th-order magic core.

The higher the level of the magical beast, the larger its body tends to be, and the larger the magic core it condenses.

For example, the magic core of a dragon - commonly known as "dragon crystal" - is at least half a person's height.

The same should be true for the 7th-level magic core.

The reason why this magic core is so small is that it comes from the legendary monster "Hydra Lizard". This monster is not only huge and ferociously poisonous, but also has extremely terrifying regenerative abilities.

It has more magic cores, so each one is relatively smaller in size.

But it does not mean that the energy contained in it is less.

If this kind of high-level magic core is used for enchantment, it will be twice the result with half the effort, and it can even restore some of the talents of the Hydra Lizard when it was alive.

If it were used on himself, by shattering the Eye of Truth and extracting its energy, Raven's magic power would be able to make great progress and he could save at least three years of meditation.

Act a little cool now so you can bargain more easily later!
As a result, Raven miscalculated.

In the second half of the banquet, Raven brought it up secretly, hoping that Danai would agree to it under the influence of alcohol, but he refused to respond.

In the next few days, Raven met with Dane again with various excuses, trying to get the magic core openly or secretly, and even offered 30 gold coins, but Dane refused to give it to him no matter what.

Moreover, within just a few days, Raven heard rumors outside that Sir Darnay had a treasure and Earl Raven was chasing after it.

This made Raven feel vaguely that he might have fallen into Dane's trap and was being used as a living advertisement!
So after the supplies were in place, Raven decisively said goodbye and set off towards the province of Samplons.

And Danai was also very proud after Raven left.

Of course, he was the one who spread the rumor, because six months later, the Heinholtz family would hold an auction in the royal capital.

This magic core is the most precious treasure.

The reason why they invited Raven so grandly and brought him to the magic core was to build momentum for the auction!

With the label of "Even Earl Raven covets it", the value of this magic core can be increased by at least two or three times!
Another ten days passed.

When the magic core was transported to the royal capital.

Dane came to the secret room in person and used his own blood to unlock the secret room's protective measures.

"Sir, do we need to do this?" The attendant behind him frowned, "Does it mean you have to hurt yourself every time you open it?"

"What do you know? This is my life!" Dane walked to the metal box and said, "Do you know how much this Hydra core can be sold for?"

"At least, at least 80 gold coins. If we operate properly, it is not impossible to break through one million!"

"This is our Heinholtz family's annual income...

Where did it go!? "

A scream of agony reached the sky!
Because inside the box, the place where the magic core should have been placed was empty, there was nothing in it.

"No, where is my magic core? Where did it go!?"

Dane was almost insane, and turned his head with a distorted expression like a wild beast, but everyone else's expression was one of confusion and fear.

"Who did it, who did it..."

Mercenary Guild?

They don't have the guts!
The Thieves Guild? Ha, those gutter rats can't even climb up there!

Who else, who else...

Dane was suddenly stunned, and a name came to his mind.

Raven.

Yes, it’s him, only him!
Only he, a 4th-level magician, could steal the magic core without anyone knowing.

Only he had the guts to steal from the eight ducal families of the empire.

"Fxck you! Mother fxker!! Son of beach!!"

"Damn you Raven, you scum, villain, idiot!!!"

"The flies in the sewers, the male dogs with human faces, the little bees that only know how to play with women..."

The guards nearby lowered their heads one after another. It was the first time they knew that their master had such a talent for swearing.