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Liu Tianyu didn't say much, but began to look around at the scene before him.
This place is less like a reception room and more like a small chapel, with a statue of a woman, about two people tall, standing in the center with a kind face, like a perfect mother.
Liu Tianyu naturally recognized her; she was none other than the Earth Mother Goddess, one of the kingdom's mainstream deities.
After shifting his gaze from the Earth Mother statue, Liu Tianyu looked up and discovered that the castle was actually topped with a transparent glass ceiling. As sunlight streamed in, it not only made the reception room even more dazzling but also added a touch of sanctity to the Earth Mother statue.
Besides that, there is a rectangular mahogany table, eight chairs on each side, and two chairs aligned with the host and guests. It seems that this living room may also serve as a banquet room.
"How do you feel about my reception room, Viscount Storm? Doesn't looking at the benevolent Earth Mother make you feel healed?"
Just then, an old yet powerful voice rang out from Liu Tianyu's left.
Liu Tianyu looked up and saw that the person who came was an old man of about sixty years old. His hair and beard were already dyed white, his face was square and dignified, and his figure was tall and straight.
She wore a deep red velvet coat trimmed with white fur, paired with white fitted skinny jeans and leather boots with spurs.
It gives the impression of a lion with all its claws and teeth, yet helplessly aging.
But when Liu Tianyu met his blue eyes, he felt that this might be a cunning old fox.
"Haha, high-end, grand, classy. Stormwind Keep's reception room is at least three levels lower than yours."
Liu Tianyu immediately added a flattering remark, which was indeed true.
After all, one is a stone castle and the other is a wooden castle, so there is really no comparison between the two.
"Hahaha, Viscount Storm, your reaction surprises me a bit. In the past, the young nobles who came to visit me were either trembling with fear or arrogant. It's quite rare to see someone flatter me like you!"
"..."
Upon hearing Count Axel's words, Liu Tianyu remained silent, pondering what the old man was trying to do. Was he trying to give him a warning?
"Ah, look at me, I'm getting old, I've even forgotten my manners. Please take a seat, young man."
After scrutinizing Liu Tianyu for a while, Count Axel looked as if he had just realized something and invited Liu Tianyu to sit down.
"So, young man, tell me, what brings you to Axelburg to see me?"
Although you've been to Axel several times, you've never visited me before. This sudden visit... surely it wasn't just a whim?"
Count Axel sat opposite Liu Tianyu, smiling, but his words were utterly devoid of warmth.
An awkward expression appeared on Liu Tianyu's face. There was nothing he could do. Before he had awakened his memories, he had come to Axel City mainly for shopping and enjoyment.
Furthermore, since the Count of Axel was not his lord, he had no feudal obligations to the Count of Axel. Given his past nature, where would he find the time to visit this old man?
Although he thought this in his heart, he certainly didn't show it on the surface and said:
"Ah! Your Excellency, the reason I didn't come to visit you before was simply because I was young and inexperienced at the time and didn't understand the rules, so I didn't come to visit you."
I deeply regret my actions at that time. This is a small token of my appreciation for you; please accept it.
"Hehehe, you young man, why bother explaining so much to an old man like me? You even brought a gift. Are you worried that this old man might do you a disservice?"
Seeing Liu Tianyu's flustered and helpless attempt to explain, Count Axel was quite pleased, especially after Liu Tianyu took out a pure silver box, a smile couldn't help but appear on his face.
Liu Tianyu stood up, gently handed the pure silver box to Count Axel, and then returned to his seat.
Faced with the pure silver box handed to him by Liu Tianyu, Count Axel did not rush to open it, but said with a hint of deeper meaning:
"I heard that Viscount Storm, you made contact with some down-on-his-luck peddler as soon as you arrived in Axel, right?"
"Ah? What do you mean by that, Your Excellency? When I entered Axel yesterday, I came into contact with quite a few people, including several of the peddlers you mentioned. May I ask which one you are referring to?"
Liu Tianyu asked with an innocent look on his face.
"Hahaha... Look at the question I asked. I'm getting old and I'm becoming quite sensitive, especially when I see young people like you. Please forgive me."
Count Axel glanced into Liu Tianyu's eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter, thus letting the matter drop.
[Ding! Count Axel, Ludendorff Esserle, Affection level: 0]
With a 0% favorability rating, they should be complete strangers, yet he suddenly asked Lord Willing's question. It seems that Old Deng really did something unethical in this matter concerning Lord Willing!
Fortunately, we made it clear yesterday that we had rejected Lord Willing’s offer of allegiance, otherwise who knows what kind of trouble might have arisen today!
Count Axel watched Liu Tianyu intently as he opened the sterling silver box, wanting to see if Liu Tianyu's intentions would satisfy him.
As an old fox, he believed he had figured out that Liu Tianyu's sudden visit to him must have a reason.
However, he didn't care. There were plenty of people who wanted his help. If Liu Tianyu's gift satisfied him, he would be happy to do a small favor. If it didn't, he would simply ask him to leave.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Merit and Merit Ratio (50/50)
"Hiss, such brilliance, even in my dazzling reception room, cannot be concealed?"
The moment the sterling silver box was opened, a bright light flashed, and Count Axel's eyes narrowed instantly.
After a while, once his eyes had adjusted to the light, Count Axel's old face instantly relaxed.
"Could this be a treasured possession of a high-end merchant, a luminous pearl?"
Well, I heard he's been bragging about this treasure, saying it can turn night into day. I've always scoffed at it, but now it seems that while it's exaggerated, it's not bad either.
Your Excellency, you must have gone to great lengths and spent a considerable sum of money to acquire this treasure from him!
When my third wife wanted to buy it for 300 Supreme Gold Coins, he wouldn't let go.
After seeing the luminous pearl inside the sterling silver box, Count Axel's tone suddenly softened from its initial sarcasm, and his address changed from Viscount Storm to Your Excellency Viscount.
[Count Axel's affinity with you has increased to 20.]
That's good, at least I don't have to worry about that old man causing trouble for me.
"Haha, Your Excellency is too kind. It's more accurate to say that I'm glad Your Excellency likes it, which means my intentions were not misplaced."
Liu Tianyu also showed a "sincere" smile and said respectfully.
"Well, Your Excellency, you've come to visit me in Axel City so suddenly, there must be quite a few things on your mind. Is there anything I can do to help?"
After casually putting away the sterling silver box, Count Axel decided to get down to business.
"Ah, yes, Your Excellency, actually I have two main reasons for coming to Axel City."
The first thing is to find qualified timber and iron merchants to purchase enough timber and iron to build a wooden wall in my fiefdom, Stormwind.
Liu Tianyu didn't really have anything to hide about this, since the commotion would be too great to conceal if he wanted to.
"Well, it's said that your Stormwind Town is harassed by hordes of goblins every winter. The simple wooden fence is indeed no match for those short and ugly monsters."
Here's what I'll do: I'll write you a letter later, and you can go to the West City and find the big materials merchant there.
He's my go-to merchant. If you need materials to build a wooden city wall, only he can handle the demand. Otherwise, you'll have to find several merchants at the same time.
Upon hearing Liu Tianyu's question, Count Axel immediately decided to write a letter to Liu Tianyu, instructing him to specifically seek out a major materials merchant.
But they only recommended someone to him, without mentioning the price or anything like that. I guess once the price is agreed upon, a lot of it will end up in his pocket.
Liu Tianyu didn't say anything about this, after all, finding one person is much simpler than finding several.
"Thank you, Your Excellency. As for the second matter, it is to come to the Adventurers' Guild in Axel City to find adventurers to exterminate the goblins."
After Liu Tianyu nodded his thanks, he continued.
"Hmm? I can understand if Your Excellency personally handles the procurement of materials for the city walls."
You can recruit low-level adventurers to clear out goblins; you just need to send someone to the Adventurers' Guild to post the quest. Why bother going there yourself?
Count Axel stroked his beard, looking at Liu Tianyu with a look of surprise and disbelief.
"Hehe, Earl, I'm not recruiting those newbies who think they're invincible. Those kinds of guys are practically useless except for delivering fresh meat to goblins."
The goblin problem has become the most critical issue hindering the development of Stormwind Town. This winter, the goblins of Stormwind Plains must be swept into the dustbin of history!
Therefore, I hope to recruit adventurers who are the backbone of the team, such as Ruby, Emerald, and Jade, rather than newcomers like Steel, Obsidian, and Porcelain. I don't think they can play any role other than dying in vain or dragging the team down.
Moreover, I myself am not entirely sure how many goblins are entrenched in the Stormy Plains, which makes it even more necessary for experienced adventurers to scout ahead.
Liu Tianyu spoke at length, but in essence, it boiled down to one sentence: I want to personally select the experts, not a bunch of clueless good-for-nothings!
"I see. If it's just about eliminating goblins, then what I just said is indeed sufficient."
However, clearing the entire Stormy Grassland would indeed be a considerable undertaking, as a pack of jackals and hyenas would pose a significant danger.
However, I've heard that besides their disgusting habit of collecting females for reproduction, those jackals and hyenas also seem to have a habit of collecting gold and silver treasures!
After listening to Liu Tianyu's words, Count Axel nodded, then suddenly changed the subject.
"Ah, that's true. Occasionally, adventurers can find a lot of wealth in goblin lairs and make a fortune."
Upon hearing Count Axel's words, Liu Tianyu instantly understood that the old man in front of him probably wanted a share of the profits.
"Well, I think rescuing the women kidnapped by goblins and collecting a reward along the way would be a win-win situation. What do you think, Your Excellency?"
Count Axel revealed a shrewd smile.
You better not be thinking about getting something for nothing! Otherwise, I'll make sure you, this old man, learn why young people can be so hot-tempered!!!
Therefore, Liu Tianyu did not speak, but simply held up three fingers towards Count Axel.
Count Axel smiled, shook his head slightly, and then opened one of his palms.
"?!"
Liu Tianyu's eyes widened instantly. Old Deng has quite the appetite! He hasn't done anything yet, but he's already thinking about taking half of the spoils. Even robbing a bank wouldn't be this fast!
"I will pay the adventurer's reward, and I will not take a penny of the spoils. As for the credit for wiping out the goblins in the Stormy Plains, I will vouch for it and report it to the authorities. I want half of it. What do you think?"
Count Axel shook his head and said with a relaxed expression.
Upon hearing his words, Liu Tianyu immediately fell into deep thought. This old man was willing to pay money and not accept the spoils of the goblin extermination, but wanted half of the merits from the goblin extermination.
After all, the Storm Steppe is so vast, who knows how many goblins there are? There are definitely several thousand!
This isn't just a few, dozens, or even hundreds of goblins, but thousands! The combined merits of all these creatures are definitely not small!
It seems that Old Deng is also getting restless and wants to expand his territory, or even move his backside out of his seat.
“Since you, Count Axel, have put it that way, I have no reason to refuse.”
After thinking for a long time, Liu Tianyu smiled and agreed to his conditions.
"Very well, then I wish Your Excellency great success in your military endeavors!"
It's almost noon now, so don't rush off. Let's have lunch together. Would Your Excellency do me the honor?
"Hahaha, Your Excellency is so hospitable, then I shall accept your hospitality!"
After the two foxes, one old and one young, reached an agreement, the atmosphere immediately became warm and friendly, with both host and guest enjoying themselves immensely.
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Golden-Tailed Counter Girl
After having lunch with Count Axel at Axel Castle, Liu Tianyu quickly led the Nord Royal Guards to search for the Adventurers' Guild.
Not long after, after asking some residents of Axel City, Liu Tianyu arrived at the Adventurers' Guild in Axel City.
Liu Tianyu looked at the building in front of him. It was a four-story building with a pointed roof and the walls were painted with the simplest white paint. However, the material was obviously marble, showing its extraordinary value.
The main entrance is a simple wooden sliding door, and both walls have large, uniform windows, emphasizing a bright and airy feel.
The top plaque features a design of a golden sword stuck in a silver shield, with the words "Adventurers' Guild" written on the tip of the sword.
This is none other than the Adventurers' Guild, a frequent feature in Western fantasy novels!
After observing the architectural style of the Adventurers' Guild and the adventurers coming and going for a while, the Nord Royal Guard, who was walking in front, pushed open the wooden door in front of Liu Tianyu.
"Come on, you lost, drink this glass!"
"Is the spell ready?"
"Isn't that natural?"
"Is the medicine ready?"
"Please, as newbies, where are we going to get the money to buy potions?"
"Hello, please have customer number 15 come to the counter."
Upon entering the gate, one is greeted by a cacophony of sounds—rough, gentle, indifferent…dozens, even hundreds, of voices mingled together, making the 200-square-meter Adventurers' Guild a lively and bustling place.
Some adventurers sat in twos and threes around a table, playing games and drinking heavily.
Other adventurer teams that had received missions were busily preparing the weapons and equipment needed for their missions.