I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

"this……"

Viscount Pompeii stared at the pile of crystal shards on the table, his lips moving for a long time before he finally managed to utter just one word.

He had lived most of his life and had seen countless magicians test their magic power, from beginners to advanced levels, from grand magicians to archmages. He had even witnessed a grand archmage make a move from afar.

But I've never seen anyone manage to burst the test crystal.

This crystal is of standard guild quality, with a maximum level of Archmage. I personally witnessed that the other party did not use violent means to destroy the crystal ball.

In other words, the magic power of this young man has exceeded the measurement range of a Grand Magister.

What surpasses the Grand Magister?

Legendary mage.

There are no more than twenty Grand Magisters registered in the entire kingdom, and each of them is a strategic deterrent force, with a status comparable to a Legion Commander or an Archbishop.

The first head of the Pompeii family was a Grand Magus, who was granted the title of Earl. A thousand years have passed, and even though the family has declined and no Grand Magus has appeared since, they are still a Viscount family to this day.

As for the legendary mage?

That was an existence that even ordinary nobles like them were not qualified to understand. They only knew that people of this level were usually called sages in the church and high priests in the Elven court. They were truly transcendent beings.

Let alone a viscount's daughter, even if you voluntarily admitted to being an old monster who used forbidden magic to rejuvenate, the king would be happy to marry his daughter to you.

The viscount's fingers trembled slightly. He subconsciously pulled his hand back into his sleeve, clenched his fist, and forced himself to calm down.

He began to re-evaluate Ji Tian.

Dressed in white, with black hair, and as handsome as he was in his youth, Gregor said that the man was the same age as Elena and was recruited from a remote village in his fiefdom.

The viscount rubbed his twitching eyelids and sat back down in his chair. "Does my daughter know of Your Excellency's strength?"

"I know. Also, Uncle, you don't need to be so formal. Just call me as always."

The viscount nodded. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have had the idea of ​​you marrying into my family."

Ji Tian raised an eyebrow. "Uncle, you've come to a decision?"

The Viscount gave a wry smile. "My Pompeii family is not worthy of a legendary figure marrying into our family. I am well aware of that. But I have only one request, a request as a father."

Ji Tian listened quietly.

"Elena...she's been strong-willed since she was little, and she never showed weakness in front of others. When I sent her to the Eastern Territory, she smiled and said, 'Father, don't worry, I'll take good care of myself.' As she turned around, I saw her shoulders trembling, but she didn't look back."

The Viscount's eyes reddened slightly. "She likes you. I heard Gregory mention this many years ago. At the time, I thought it was just a young girl's first love, and that it would fade after a few years. I never expected... that she's made up her mind about you."

He raised his head and looked into Ji Tian's eyes.

"So, no matter what kind of genius you are, or what kind of old monster you've become young again, no matter how many wives or mistresses you have in the future, I beg you, please be good to Elena."

Ji Tian was somewhat surprised that the other party would say that, and he also knew the principle of "why flirt if you're not going to marry him", so he agreed, "Okay, Uncle".

The viscount stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly nodded, reached out and patted Ji Tian on the shoulder, "Remember what you said."

The two walked out of the small meeting room one after the other.

The study door was ajar, and Elena was sitting at the desk chatting with her mother.

The Viscountess glanced at her husband, then at her daughter and Ji Tian, ​​and understood the situation. She smiled and said, "Alright, alright, it's almost noon. Let's go eat. The kitchen has prepared your favorite dishes."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was much more harmonious than last time.

The viscount didn't ask any more probing questions. Instead, he poured wine for Ji Tian and, seeing that the other man didn't drink much, poured him a cup of tea. He filled his own cup, clinked glasses with his, and drank it all in one gulp.

Ji Tian also drank tea instead of wine, finishing it in one gulp.

Elena gently touched the tip of his shoe under the table, her eyes asking, "My father didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

Ji Tian shook his head slightly.

She touched it again, as if to ask, "What did you say?"

Ji Tian picked up a fork, forked a piece of roast meat, and put it on her plate.

Elena glared at him, but didn't ask any further questions.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, the Viscountess cleared her throat and steered the conversation to business, "Ji Tian, ​​you and Elena have come back for something, haven't you?"

Ji Tian put down his fork. "Yes, Auntie, I'd like to ask Uncle about something."

The viscount put down his wine glass. "What is it?"

"Have anything unusual happened in aristocratic circles in recent years? For example, has anyone been secretly running factories or workshops? Or have certain families suddenly risen to prominence?"

The viscount frowned slightly and pondered for a moment.

"Factory workshops... There are quite a few nobles involved in the North, but in the capital, everyone outwardly maintains their noble status and refuses to get involved themselves. But behind the scenes, which family doesn't own a few shops and workshops?"

He paused, then continued, "As for matters among the nobility, the most attention-grabbing thing right now is that after Prime Minister Augustus came to power, he purged a group of William's former subordinates. Five families alone had their titles stripped, and several others voluntarily surrendered, retaining their titles but losing their official positions."

Ji Tian nodded upon hearing this, and then asked:

"Are there any nobles who act discreetly but secretly control numerous factories and shops? On the surface, they have no connection with the cult or heretics, but their industrial layout seems somewhat unusual?"

The viscount's brow furrowed even more. He picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and mentally reviewed the noble families of the capital. "None."

The Viscountess then interjected, "To celebrate the passage of the new bill, with the King's approval, the Prime Minister will host a banquet tonight at the suburban estate, inviting all the nobles in the capital."

"This is Count Augustus' first invitation since becoming prime minister. No noble should refuse. We can ask him when the time comes."

The Viscountess then looked at Ji Tian, ​​her gaze gentle, her tone conveying a sense of "we're all family," and said, "Ji Tian, ​​why don't you come along? It's always good to get to know more people on these occasions. Besides..."

She glanced at her daughter, a smile playing on her lips, "With you by Elena's side, we'll feel at ease."

That sounds pretty good. Based on years of experience with online novels, attending the banquet might even unlock a hidden level called "Auction".

After a moment's thought, Ji Tian nodded and said:

"Okay, I'll go."

The Viscountess nodded in satisfaction, and the Viscount did not object. He picked up his wine glass and took another sip.

Elena nudged Ji Tian's shoes under the table again, already starting to plan what kind of dress she should prepare for him that evening.

The viscount quietly drank his wine, his gaze occasionally sweeping over the rim of his glass, landing thoughtfully on Ji Tian and his daughter.