Chapter 169: A Young Heart's Flutter

"It seems that the Coldstream Front developed a special poison that could even render Draconians infertile!" Sveta scratched his head and continued, "This even prompted a Saint-level Draconian to intervene, leading to a fierce battle between Saints on the Coldstream Front. In the end, it seems like both sides suffered heavy losses."

"Hmm." Rhett raised an eyebrow, murmuring, "A poison effective even against royal bloodlines... The inventor must be an extraordinarily talented alchemist!"

"My thoughts align with yours, my lord," Sveta agreed.

Suddenly.

Chirp

Chirp

~

A sharp cry came from outside the window. Hearing it, Rhett's eyes lit up with joy. He turned his head to see a streak of fire in the distant sky, leaving a long tail of flames as it sped toward his position.

The fiery feathers, like dazzling crystals, quickly drew closer from afar, and the flame figure soon arrived at the window of the hall.

No longer the small creature it once was, Firecrest had grown significantly, with a wingspan of nearly three meters. As it approached the window, it carefully folded its wings and squeezed inside.

Then, with a powerful push of its golden talons against the windowsill, it leaped toward Rhett.

Chirp! Chirp! ...

It continued to chirp excitedly.

Firecrest nuzzled Rhett's cheek with its head, wrapping its large wings around most of Rhett's body. Its eyes closed contentedly.

"Haha, little one, you've grown so much in just half a year!" Rhett gently stroked the back of Firecrest's neck, smiling with satisfaction.

Chirp! Firecrest tilted its head in response.

Sveta watched the heartwarming scene, smiling sincerely before quietly stepping away.

Chirp~ Firecrest took a few steps back and raised its head, gazing at Rhett with its bright eyes.

Rhett could sense the deep affection it conveyed. He patted Firecrest's head and said with a smile, "Little one, how about taking me for a flight in the sky?"

Firecrest tilted its head, understanding Rhett's intention, and its eyes sparkled. It turned around, crouched slightly, and exposed its back to Rhett.

Chirp~

This chirp clearly meant, "No problem, hop on!"

Rhett's eyes shone with excitement as he rubbed his hands together. He had been eagerly waiting for this moment! With a leap, he landed on Firecrest's back, pointing toward the clear sky. "Let's go, Firecrest!"

With that, Firecrest took off, running across the floor before leaping out of the window!

To prevent any mishaps, Rhett had already gathered a significant amount of wind elements around him, ensuring that even if he fell, he wouldn't be hurt. At his current level as a fifth-tier Mage, while he couldn't cast wind magic, controlling wind elements to slow a fall was easy enough.

As Firecrest shot out of the window, the rush of air blew through Rhett's golden hair and rustled his clothes. He grinned, spreading his arms wide to embrace the wind.

Flying in the sky—it's a dream for so many!

Now, after being transported to this world and reaching middle age, Rhett was finally living that dream.

He noticed that Firecrest's speed while carrying him wasn't particularly fast, akin to a human running at full speed. But he hadn't forgotten that in just two days, Firecrest would break through to the next tier of magical beasts. By then, its physical attributes would improve across the board, and it could fully replace a horse for travel—quick and agile!

Firecrest carried Rhett through the sky, rising and falling, twisting and turning, constantly enjoying the embrace of the wind.

Just as Rhett was reveling in the sensation—

"Haha, Father, I'm coming too!" A loud, boisterous voice called out from below.

Rhett looked down in surprise, his eyes soon filled with understanding.

It turned out that Tuck's mount, Moorg, had also grown over the past six months and was now on the verge of becoming a second-tier magical beast. Its size and shape were similar to Firecrest, and it could also carry a rider through the air!

Giggle Giggle

A small figure was nestled in Tuck's arms, tightly held by a strong arm to prevent falling. The child waved its short, chubby limbs, staring straight at Rhett with no hint of fear of the heights.

"Oh, it's Dick, my adorable grandson!" Rhett's eyes brightened as he noticed the golden-haired child, who now had a fine layer of soft, golden hair, and he smiled.

"Father, my Moorg can fly now too! Shall we race?" Tuck grinned widely.

"Give me Dick. I want to hold him."

"Father, I meant we should see who can fly faster!"

"Tuck, hand over Dick!" Rhett's tone became more serious.

"Alright..." Tuck shrugged, suddenly feeling as if he no longer existed in his father's eyes, easily overshadowed by his own son. Reluctantly, he carefully passed Dick over.

"Grandpa, Grandpa!"

At that moment, Dick's big, watery eyes were fixed on Rhett, his mouth curled into a happy smile as he waved his little hands and feet in excitement.

Rhett gently poked Dick's round cheek with his finger. It was cool to the touch, soft, and springy.

"Come on, Dick, let Grandpa take you for a thrilling flight in the sky!" Rhett exclaimed. Sensing Rhett's enthusiasm, Firecrest let out a sharp cry and shot straight up into the clouds!

Behind them, Tuck was left calling out in frustration, "Father, slow down! Wait for me!"

As the sun set and dusk settled in, Rhett, who had spent the afternoon soaring through the sky with his grandson, returned to Deep Rock Fortress.

He made his way to Relay's room and knocked on the door.

Knock knock knock

"Father, just a moment!" Relay called from inside, sensing his father's approach even before the knock.

The door soon opened from within, revealing Relay in a loose robe, smiling. "Father, I knew you'd come by. Are you here to see Kares and Kazena?"

"Father, welcome!" Kalina smiled from inside, waving her hand. She was dressed in a loose pink gown, cradling Kares in one arm and Kazena in the other, her gaze full of love and tenderness as she looked down at them.

"That's right. Seeing my newborn grandson and granddaughter right after returning from the battlefield is truly delightful!" Rhett replied with a smile. His eyes gleamed as he looked at the two infants swaddled in their blankets.

After spending a short time in the room, watching the sleeping Kares and Kazena, Rhett soon left with Relay.

Together, they headed to the magical plant cultivation fields. Earlier in the afternoon, Henk had already harvested the mature magical plants.

Now, the two of them were here to bless the water-type magical plants once again.

"Nina, come out!" Relay called as he opened the bag on his back. A round-headed, chubby snowman peeked out, its eyes darting around curiously before it leaped into the air, flying around joyfully.

After a few minutes of playful flying, the snowman finally settled down and, following Relay's instructions, began to bless the fields of water-type magical plants—Blue Leaf Grass, Ice Crystal Lilies, Water Moon Grass, Mist Lotus, Snow Vines, Frost Pine, and Frost Sunflowers—by scattering a fine mist of ice.

Watching the water-type plants, their leaves trembling in the breeze as if dancing with excitement, Rhett couldn't help but feel hopeful. "With the Snow Sprite's continued evolution, I wonder if this year's growth of water-type magical plants will be even faster?"

He turned to Relay and said, "There are still many aquatic magical beasts near Sun Lake that need blessings. I'll leave that to you! Afterward, there's a grand banquet waiting—join us when you're done."

"Don't worry, leave it to me!"

As night fell, Deep Rock Fortress cast a long, shadowy silhouette across the land, like a protective giant standing guard.

In the brightly lit first-floor hall, the faces of everyone present were illuminated with joyful smiles.

Tonight, all the castle servants, Rhett's family, friends, and followers gathered for a grand banquet.

Kalina, Mina, and Vanessa, who had been filled with sorrow and worry six months ago as the group prepared to leave for war, were now full of smiles and radiated vitality. Each of them cradled their infants as they chatted and laughed.

The castle servants, gathered around the edges of the hall, wore excited expressions. The return of their lord had restored their sense of security.

Rhett was the last to take his seat.

He descended the stairs slowly, spreading his arms slightly, a gentle smile on his face. His well-groomed mustache gleamed in the light.

"Welcome, everyone of Deep Rock Fortress. Let the banquet begin!" Rhett announced with a smile.

"Yes, my lord!" Sveta, ever attentive, immediately poured Rhett a glass of red wine.

As everyone settled in, eagerly awaiting Rhett's words, he raised his crystal glass:

"First, let us celebrate our triumphant return. The eaglet that has flown through the flames will now lead us to even greater heights!"

"It's all thanks to your wise leadership, my lord!" the crowd responded in unison.

After downing his glass of wine, Sveta, standing nearby with the wine bottle, promptly refilled it.

Rhett raised his glass again. "Second, I want to thank each of you for your companionship. Whether you fought on the front lines against the orcs or stayed behind in the territory, silently praying and contributing, you all deserve respect!"

Moved, everyone followed Rhett's lead, raising their glasses in a toast and drinking deeply.

"And finally, something of great importance—something that will have an extraordinary impact on both me personally and everyone in the territory."

At these words, the room fell silent, and everyone perked up, paying close attention.

Those who had been to the Gorge Frontline seemed to understand what was coming.

"This is... During my return to the battlefield, I was fortunate enough to advance to the rank of a fifth-tier Mage. Additionally, I have achieved remarkable feats and will soon be granted the title of Earl!"

The news sent shockwaves through the room.

Gasps of disbelief echoed, followed by a brief moment of stunned silence, and then a wave of excitement and celebration!

Some servants, caught off guard, accidentally spilled their wine, the red liquid dripping off the table, but no one paid it any mind.

"Oh my, our lord is becoming an Earl!" a maid exclaimed, jumping in place with excitement.

"This is history in the making for the Southwest Frontier—a genius Mage who advanced two ranks in just two years, rising from Baron to Earl!" Frano muttered in disbelief, his eyes wide.

He couldn't be more grateful for his decision to follow the lord and choose Eagletown as his final home.

He recalled the words that the butler, Sveta, had said to him when he first arrived: "Serving the lord will be the best decision of your life."

"Indeed." Frano smiled, gently patting his wife Laurene's pregnant belly.

Even Sveta was momentarily stunned, frozen in place as he forgot to refill the lord's glass. When he snapped out of it, he looked at Rhett with a newfound sense of reverence. In his mind, he thought, "The Green family will soar under the lord's leadership! Could it be that I will go down in history as the greatest butler to have served the Green family?"

With that thought, Sveta's face broke into a satisfied smile as he quickly refilled Rhett's wine.

"Our lord is incredible!"

In a corner of the room, Unica and Lawrence sat together, their eyes practically sparkling as they watched Rhett, the brightest star in the room. They cheered and clapped like fans supporting their idol.

Unbeknownst to them, they had moved closer to each other in their excitement.

Except for one observer—sitting further back was Armando, the straw-hat-wearing youth.

While he felt pride and joy at hearing the news of the lord's advancement to Earl and fifth-tier Mage, he also felt a pang in his heart as he watched Unica and Lawrence grow closer. There was a strange, indescribable feeling gnawing at him.

He wanted to join the conversation, but something deep inside held him back.

Especially in Lawrence's presence, Armando felt like a shadow, avoiding the spotlight at all costs.

"Sigh, when will I become an apprentice knight?" Armando thought as he sat by the window, pulling his straw hat down tighter to shield himself from the cold. He sighed again, "If I can break through soon, I won't feel the cold anymore... Yes, not feeling the cold…"

"Armando, what's wrong? Why are you sitting all the way back here by yourself?" Ellie bounced over, tilting her head with curiosity.

"Oh, Ellie!" Armando scratched his head with a smile. "It's nothing. I was just reflecting on today's training and where I fell short."

"I'm so envious! I hope you break through to apprentice knight soon!" Ellie cheered, making a fist and elbowing him playfully. "Come on, let's go sit closer—today's a big day!"

"I..." Before Armando could respond, Ellie had already grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, seating them closer to Vanessa.

Being near such esteemed individuals, with Vanessa's elegant figure draped in a luxurious purple gown just in front of him, made Armando sit up straight and tense with nerves.

He couldn't help but glance over, but when he looked back, he saw that Unica still wasn't paying any attention to him.

Feeling a bit down, Armando turned back around with a quiet sigh.

As Rhett finished speaking, his gaze swept across the banquet hall, taking in everyone's expressions, his smile never fading.