Black Hawk

　　At the entrance of the trading house, Caesar hired a large carriage. Two staff members helped him load the heavy coffin onto it and secured it with ropes. 

　　The service was quite attentive. 

　　"Sir, wait a moment." 

　　Just as he was about to leave, someone suddenly called out to him. 

　　Caesar turned back in confusion and saw a beautiful female attendant, her figure graceful, approaching with a wooden box, which she respectfully handed to Caesar. 

　　"What's this?" 

　　"Is this your first time at our auction house?" she asked with a charming smile and a sweet voice. "We have a little tradition here: every auction event, the customer with the highest spending will receive a mysterious gift." 

　　Quite the savvy business move. 

　　Caesar didn't hesitate; he took the wooden box and climbed into the carriage to leave. 

　　...

　　There was no dramatic plot of "feuding after an auction and facing assassination" as often depicted in novels from his past life. 

　　After all, this was an auction hosted by the Jerome clan. 

　　Who would offend the royal family over a coffin? Unless their brain was malfunctioning! 

　　The carriage smoothly exited the city. 

　　On the way, Caesar picked up the wooden box and opened it. 

　　"Hmm? Is this… a biological egg?" 

　　He looked at the contents inside, somewhat surprised. 

　　It was a snow-white egg, four to five times larger than a goose egg. 

　　Accompanying it was a note— 

　　Dear Guest, 

　　This is an egg of a Black Hawk. Once hatched, you will gain a beautiful new companion. Thank you for participating in the Jerome family's auction, and we welcome you to visit us again. Wishing you a pleasant life! 

　　...

　　Caesar felt surprised once more. 

　　He had thought that "gifts" were typically nothing special, but it seemed the auction house was quite sincere. 

　　He had read many books in Count Stephen's study, including one that introduced the various creatures of this other world. 

　　The Black Hawk was a ferocious bird of prey, known for its exceptional flying ability, keen eyesight, agility, and aggression, sitting atop the food chain among birds. 

　　An adult Black Hawk could effortlessly snatch a sturdy cow from the ground. 

　　Due to its stunning appearance and aloof personality, the Black Hawk was favored by the nobles of Sidamire. Many noble families kept them as pets for guarding their homes or for entertainment. 

　　This gift was valued at no less than 1000 gold coins. 

　　That was why Caesar deemed the auction house very sincere. 

　　Having a pet would be quite nice. 

　　He smiled contentedly.

　　Back at Stephen's Fortress, the newcomers he had recruited were waiting for him. 

　　Caesar assigned each of them their duties, explained all the important points to note, and took them to their respective living quarters. 

　　… Just as James had done for him in the past. 

　　After everything was settled, Caesar instructed the servants to carry his "Coffin of Love," valued at eight thousand gold coins, back to his room. 

　　Once the servants left, he eagerly closed the door behind him. 

　　He opened the coffin lid and lay down inside. 

　　"Tsk tsk~ you get what you pay for; this is comfortable!" 

　　Feeling the gentle, enveloping energy wrap around him, both his physical body and mental power received nurturing, and Caesar believed the money spent was well worth it. 

　　This coffin was indeed even better than Count Stephen's, yielding superior effects! 

　　"System, I want to sign in." 

　　"Ding! Sign-in successful. Congratulations, host, you have received: Beast Blood x1." 

　　Caesar was taken aback. 

　　He thought he had misheard, and when he took out the blood, he found that while its aura was powerful, it was completely different from that of the vampire lineage. 

　　As a vampire, why would I need orc beast blood? 

　　Other beings' blood could only serve as food for vampires, providing no assistance in cultivation. 

　　The blood of Butler's Beast Warrior was on par with a Count-level strength. 

　　However, what Caesar needed now was Marquis blood or Duke blood, not orc blood. 

　　"The system doesn't act randomly; all rewards obtained from signing in must be useful to me." 

　　He pondered for a moment and suddenly recalled something, glancing over at the pet egg. 

　　Could it be… that this beast blood is meant for it? 

　　Raising an eyebrow, Caesar got up and walked over, dripping the blood onto the pet egg. 

　　A purple glow flickered on the eggshell, and the blood instantly absorbed into it, disappearing without a trace. 

　　Immediately after, the pet egg began to tremble violently, and its temperature soared, becoming exceedingly hot. 

　　The wooden table emitted sizzling sounds as the surface charred black. Caesar had to lift the egg, cradling it in his palm. 

　　The temperature kept rising, scorching like a branding iron. 

　　The egg's tremors grew even more intense. 

　　After a few more minutes, the trembling suddenly ceased, and the temperature gradually dropped, leaving the pet egg still and silent. 

　　Caesar's lips twitched: "Damn, I hope I didn't just kill it." 

　　As he was feeling bewildered, a sudden "crack" sounded in his ear. 

　　A fissure appeared in the eggshell, a sliver of purple light seeping through. The cracks quickly multiplied, and the purple light grew brighter, soon enveloping the entire pet egg.

　　Crack~ 

　　The egg shattered. 

　　A small, adorable creature emerged from within. 

　　It had sparse purple down, large eyes, and a sharp, translucent beak. 

　　The young hawk first looked around in confusion, then its gaze fixed on Caesar's face. 

　　"Chirp~" 

　　It called out joyfully. 

　　Caesar stared at it, muttering to himself, "It doesn't seem very bright, and it doesn't match the description of a Black Hawk from the books. Has it mutated?" 

　　"Let's give you a name. How about 'Billy'?" 

　　"Chirp!" 

　　The young hawk flapped its tender little wings, appearing quite pleased with the name.