Exploring the Maxwell Duchy

As the sun rose over Maxwell Duchy, the city was abuzz with activity. Nobles, merchants, and warriors from various parts of the empire had gathered here for the grand Duke Maxwell Heir Selection Ceremony.

With only three days left for the event, the entire duchy was filled with an atmosphere of excitement and tension.

Inside the grand Maxwell Mansion, Strider and Silvia had settled into their allocated guest rooms.

However, unlike Strider, who preferred to remain inside and cultivate, Silvia had a completely different mindset.

She had always lived in the relatively small Cromwell Barony, where opportunities for exploration were limited.

But here, in the Maxwell Duchy, everything was grand and new.

The towering buildings, the busy streets, the exotic goods from across the empire—Silvia was eager to explore it all.

Strider, on the other hand, was more focused on preparing for the ceremony.

He had little interest in wandering around the city. But Silvia was persistent.

"Brother, let's go outside and explore the city! We've been inside this mansion for two days already!" Silvia pouted, standing in front of Strider's seat in his room.

Strider didn't even open his eyes.

He was sitting cross-legged, absorbing spiritual energy from a spirit stone to refine his cultivation.

"There's nothing interesting outside," Strider replied calmly.

Silvia stomped her foot. "That's not true! Maxwell Duchy is one of the biggest cities in the empire! There are so many things we can't see back in the Cromwell Barony. Aren't you curious?"

"No."

"You're lying!"

Strider sighed, finally opening his eyes.

"Silvia, the heir selection ceremony is in three days. We should focus on preparations rather than wasting time sightseeing."

Silvia's lips trembled as she dramatically grabbed his arm and shook it. "Brother, pleeeeaase! Just for today! I promise I won't bother you after this! Please, please, please!"

Seeing her pleading eyes, Strider knew there was no way out.

If he refused, she would keep pestering him until he gave in.

"Fine," he sighed. "But only for a few hours."

"Yes!" Silvia cheered, pumping her fist in excitement. "Let's go right now!"

Strider shook his head.

He had been helpless against Silvia's persistence since childhood.

With two elite guards accompanying them for safety, Strider and Silvia left the grand Maxwell Mansion and stepped into the bustling city streets.

The moment Silvia stepped out, her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Everywhere she looked, there were exotic goods, talented street performers, powerful warriors, and rare magical creatures being sold in the market.

"Whoa! This place is amazing!" Silvia exclaimed, pulling Strider toward the main marketplace.

The street was filled with shops selling rare herbs, high-quality weapons, enchanted jewelry, and even beast eggs.

Mercenaries, adventurers, and nobles walked around, bargaining and making purchases.

Strider was calm, but Silvia was bursting with energy, running from shop to shop, looking at every shiny item with fascination.

Silvia dragged Strider into a blacksmith's shop, where finely crafted swords, spears, and daggers were displayed.

She picked up a silver sword, its sharp edge reflecting the light.

"Brother, look at this! It's so beautiful!" Silvia said excitedly.

Strider glanced at it. "It's just a mid-grade spiritual sword. You'll find better ones in the sect."

Silvia pouted. "Ugh, you're no fun."

The blacksmith, an old but muscular man, chuckled. "Young lady, if you want a real masterpiece, take a look at this."

He pulled out a sword with runes engraved on its blade. "This is a high-grade spiritual sword, forged with thundersteel."

Silvia's eyes widened, but when she saw the astronomical price, she sighed and put it down. "Maybe next time."

Strider smirked. "If you actually trained instead of shopping, maybe you could afford it."

Silvia ignored him and moved on.

As they walked further, they came across a beast tamer's stall, where exotic creatures were being sold.

A three-eyed wolf, a flaming eagle, and even a baby shadow panther were caged behind enchanted barriers.

Many nobles and warriors were inspecting them, trying to buy a suitable beast companion.

Silvia gasped. "Brother! Look at that little panther! It's so cute!"

The beast tamer, an old man with a long beard, smiled. "Ah, young miss, you have good eyes! This is a Shadow Panther cub, highly intelligent and excellent for scouting."

Silvia looked at Strider with hopeful eyes.

"No."

Silvia's face fell. "Why not?"

"You already have too much energy. If you get a beast, I'll never have peace again."

Silvia pouted. "You're so mean!"

Strider just shrugged and continued walking.

Their next stop was an alchemist's shop, where rare elixirs and pills were being sold.

An old alchemist was introducing his latest creation—a Body Refinement Pill that could enhance physical strength.

Warriors were gathering around, eager to buy it.

Strider, however, wasn't interested. He had better pills from his system.

But Silvia…

"Brother! Look at this! A Beauty Elixir that makes your skin glow for a whole month!" Silvia exclaimed, holding a pink bottle.

Strider raised an eyebrow. "Why would you need that? You're already young."

Silvia pouted. "You don't understand anything about beauty, do you?"

Strider sighed. "Buy whatever you want."

Silvia beamed and bought the elixir, completely satisfied.

Just as they were about to leave the marketplace, a group of nobles entered the area.

The crowd parted as they walked in arrogance.

Among them was a tall young man with brown hair, dressed in luxurious robes.

His aura was powerful—at the 9th layer of Mortal Transformation Realm.

Strider recognized him immediately.

Edward Maxwell.

The youngest son of Duke Maxwell and one of the candidates for the heir selection ceremony.

He was known for his arrogance and disdain toward lower-ranked nobles.

Edward's gaze landed on Silvia.

His eyes flickered with interest.

"A girl from the Cromwell Barony?"

he smirked. "I didn't expect to see someone from such a small place in my city."

Silvia frowned. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Edward chuckled. "Only that you should know your place. A baron's daughter isn't fit to stand before someone of my status."

Silvia clenched her fists, but before she could say anything, Strider stepped forward, his aura suppressing Edward's arrogance.

"Watch what you say."Strider said coldly.

The moment those words left Strider's mouth, the guards behind Edward tensed, their hands moving toward their weapons.

But before they could take action, Edward raised his hand, stopping them.

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

He told his guards, through a voice transmission.

"It's not too late to take action after the heir selection ceremony, so as not to affect the ceremony"

With that, he turned and walked away, his noble followers sneering as they followed.

Silvia huffed. "That guy is so annoying!"

Strider simply nodded. "Ignore him."

"Interesting," Edward smirked. "Let's see if he can back up that confidence after the heir selection ceremony."

With that, the group walked away, his noble followers laughing as they followed.

Silvia huffed. "That guy is so annoying!"

Strider simply nodded. "Ignore him. We'll deal with him later."

As the sun set, Silvia was exhausted from all the excitement.

"Brother, today was amazing! Thank you for taking me out," she said with a bright smile.

Strider sighed. "Just don't ask me for another trip."

Silvia giggled. "No promises."

As they returned to Maxwell Mansion, Strider's expression turned serious.

With the heir selection ceremony approaching, things were about to get much more dangerous.

But no matter what happened, he would ensure Silvia's safety—and deal with anyone who stood in their way.