ushernet Chapter 302 The First Step in Kidnapping the School District Elf
Chapter 302 The First Step in Kidnapping the School District Elf
Chapter 302 The First Step in Abducting the School District Elf
The next day.
Roy woke up slowly, only to find that the elven girl in his arms had secretly slipped back to her room, leaving a faint, lingering fragrance in the quilt that haunted his dreams.
With the shyness in the elven girl's heart, she would rather die than walk out of Roy's room in front of the girls.
No matter how many times they had sex, the other person's reaction was no different from the first time, which Roy found very novel.
Roy entered the hall.
The goddess Astrea and her clan girls gathered together for what could be considered a routine meeting, and the air was filled with laughter and warmth as they ate.
Roy's gaze swept over the bustling dining table, and he very naturally sat down in the empty seat next to Ryu, as if he knew it was reserved for him.
This seemingly ordinary act, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, rippled through the hearts of the clan girls. Tione looked on with undisguised envy, while Astraea wore a playful smile—the girls' sour eyes all turned to Ryu.
"Awooo—!"
Under the intense gaze of so many eyes, the elven girl's usually cool and aloof face flushed with two beautiful blushes, like a red plum blossom suddenly blooming on a white snowfield, stunning and dazzling.
She subconsciously lowered her head slightly, her long eyelashes trembling as she tried to conceal the fleeting panic in her eyes. The shyness that she inadvertently revealed, besides the naivety and innocence of a young girl and the purity of an elf, also contained a touch of the unique charm of a young woman, mature and alluring.
This captivating contrast appears especially clear and alluring under the warm lighting, and the surrounding noise seems to quiet down for a moment.
Liu bit her lip, feeling extremely shy. She wanted to kick Roy away, but she was also reluctant to let him go.
Roy remained calm and composed, asking as he ate his breakfast, "What are the plans for today?"
Astraea smiled and said, "The tea party hosted by Demeter is only for the goddess and her female relatives. I have been invited several times already, and I really can't refuse."
Roy nodded, and Ryu would continue to attend the tea party as Astraea's personal bodyguard.
"Shall we continue training?" Roy's gaze swept over the girls; he also wanted to quickly eliminate the physical and mental gap brought about by the upgrade.
"Leave it to us, Commander!"
Daphne patted her arm; with her exceptionally high durability, she recovered faster than the others.
At this moment, Tione said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Commander, I would like to ask for a day off."
Upon hearing this, everyone glanced at Tione in surprise. This Amazon girl had been the most aggressive towards Roy, almost to the point of granting his every request. Yet today she was refusing Roy's invitation. They looked out the window; the sun hadn't risen in the west yet.
Tiona also flashed a bright smile and asked, "Captain, I'd like to ask for a day off too. Could someone else cover for me?"
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
Now, even the catgirl who considered herself a fool could sense that something was wrong.
The Amazon sisters both need to take leave.
The two are from the fighting kingdom of "Tir Sculla". They have no relatives or friends in Orario. Where else can they go but to hang out with them?
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!
Roy said, "I understand. You can go now."
"Commander?"
The other girls looked at Roy in surprise.
Roy smiled and said, "Everyone has their own secrets. In the Astrea Familia, that's a freedom, and you won't be forced to tell them."
"but----"
Roy then changed the subject, his gentle gaze falling on Tiony and Tiona, "If you need help, feel free to contact us anytime. No matter how troublesome the matter, we'll help you solve it!"
His strong and powerful voice conveyed a deep sense of confidence.
These words overwhelmed the girls' reason like a flood, and a warm current of happiness spread throughout their bodies.
The Astrea Familia is free; you don't have to reveal everything about yourself to be considered a companion. For example, when Anya joined, Roy and the others only asked the most basic questions, never touching on personal privacy, and there was no coercion involved.
"Captain, I love you the most!" Tiony jumped up excitedly and threw herself into Roy's arms.
"Lady Tione, you're not allowed to run away!"
"Captain, I want one too!"
Breakfast was another chaotic affair. Ryu and Astraea exchanged a glance, their expressions of relief evident. Fortunately, Roy was the leader of the Spring Clan.
Tiony and Tiona are taking leave.
Astraea and Ryu attend a tea party hosted by Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, while Lily continues her work in the pleasure district, with Anya accompanying her instead.
Roy's training plan was temporarily put on hold.
Without any adventurers of equal caliber, the remaining girls posed no threat whatsoever; Roy could easily defeat them with one hand, rendering the training ineffective.
Roy happened to have some free time to deal with another matter.
During his training yesterday, Roy noticed that several fruits on the World Tree were nearing maturity.
Roy arrived at the World Tree in the courtyard and received water from the sacred spring. His growth rate was more than ten times faster than before, and he could see changes every day. Now the tree is more than twenty meters tall and the trunk requires three people to hug it.
A dozen or so crystal-clear fruits, about the size of an adult's fist, hung on the branches. They resembled peaches, were completely fuzz-free, and were pinkish-red.
Name: World Tree Fruit Grade: Legendary (Growth Rate 81%)
Description: Upon consumption, it permanently enhances mental strength, restores 50% of maximum physical and mental strength, accelerates recovery, heals injuries, cures diseases, prolongs life, regenerates severed limbs, provides a feeling of fullness, eliminates the need for food for seven days, and, depending on individual aptitude, has a certain probability of awakening magic.
Note: The effect will be reduced if consumed separately.
Note: This product is for use only by members of the Astrea Familia. It has no effect on other people.
Note: Can be made into a potion to enhance its effects, requires a development ability (blending) of D grade or higher.
Roy touched the fruit, and the system's analysis panel popped up, with long text taking up the entire screen, stating that the effects of the "World Tree Fruit" were ridiculously numerous.
It can absolutely be called a "panacea"!
A growth rate below 80% is Epic, above 80% is Legendary, and 100% is...
Roy couldn't help but swallow hard. Mass-producing epic, legendary, and even god-level fruits was worth all the effort he put into caring for this tree.
Absorbing Astrea's divine blood is only for consumption by members of this clan; it is of no use to others, and even birds are unwilling to perch on its branches.
Roy picked the three fruits that had grown to legendary level, as leaving them on there wouldn't make much difference.
-
Through his observations over this period of time, he discovered that the fruit's growth rate slowed down as it matured.
The growth rate can go from zero to 80% in just over half a month. Starting from 80% feels like entering a new stage, and every 1% is particularly difficult.
Perhaps the sacred spring of the Great Holy Spring is limited to this.
To put it bluntly, the fertilizer wasn't potent enough!
Roy thought he needed to find some more spiritual water or special soil to cultivate the "god-level" fruit.
Roy took the World Tree Fruit with him. The note on his panel said that the fruit was used as an ingredient in elixirs and would enhance their effects, so he was definitely going to give it a try.
Daphne, Cassandra, and Haruhime staying in the Star Garden and using level-up advancement is equivalent to having two LV.5 adventurers guarding the place. Replacing them with other clans would be a waste of their talents, but the Astrea Haruhime clan is barely enough.
The wealth of the Astrea Spring tribe is well-known, thanks to their plundering of the Ishtar Spring tribe, their numerous gambling and business ventures, and their amassed fortune of countless Fali.
Not to mention, Roy also secretly robbed the Dark Faction's warehouse and man-made maze.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are as rich as a country!
The precious materials in the basement of his forging workshop alone are of immeasurable value. He has billions of dollars at home, and no number of guards would be enough.
When on expeditions, you can ask the Ganesha Familia to help look after things, but it's not really appropriate to bother them at other times, since they are in charge of the order of the entire city and they are also short-handed. They can help out occasionally in emergencies.
The number of members in the clan has grown to nine, and Roy feels that he needs to recruit more people. As the clan grows, a shortage of manpower is an inevitable problem.
Look at the Loki Familia across the way. There are two guards at the entrance. Although they are not high-ranking, they are the face of the Loki Familia. Who would dare to hit them?
Roy pondered the future development plans for his clan as he headed towards the Oralice West region.
A legendary fruit, worth over a hundred million falies. Not to mention the time cost, the Holy Spring has used countless amounts of it, so it can't just be prepared by any random apothecary. If it's ruined, Roy will kill someone.
The analysis panel clearly states that a development capability (harmony) of D level or higher is required.
This level is ridiculously high!
There are almost none in the lower realms, and "Battlefield Saintess" Amid could not possibly have such a high level of "Harmony".
However, there are no adventurers like that. You can seek out the gods. With hundreds of millions of years of skills and experience, even without the ability to develop, they are not something that apothecaries can easily exploit.
"The budding of justice—should be the madman!"
When Roy appeared, the entire street fell silent, and countless eyes were fixed on him.
Despite the stares of the crowd, Roy greeted those around him with a smile, showing no arrogance befitting a high-ranking adventurer. This amiable attitude won him the favor of many, as adventurers are usually associated with barbarity, unreasonableness, ferocity, and ruthlessness in the eyes of ordinary people.
Roy is one of the few exceptions.
Only Roy himself knew that true arrogance was not used on ordinary people; bullying the weak was the most ridiculous thing, and the strong would only swing their swords at the stronger.
A dozen minutes later, Roy arrived in the Western District.
The sounds of shouting could be heard everywhere. This area was the old city center and a bustling commercial street where you could buy many good quality and inexpensive goods. Since the "Abundant Mistress" tavern was also located here, Roy rarely came here. The reasons are obvious to everyone, but it didn't matter now.
If Freya dares to start a war, she will die in the next second!
As before, Roy suddenly became the center of attention throughout the street, as if he had become the center of the world. He was one of the top ten LV.6 adventurers in Orario, a dominant figure, the leader of the Astrea Familia, not to mention the countless legendary figures surrounding him.
Wherever he went, he attracted attention; gods, adventurers, and the common people all stared at him.
"Apples, 300 fares a pound, look where you can find apples now, you think they're too expensive, and I think they're too expensive too!"
In the silence, the sound was so jarring that Roy's gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.
In front of an apple stand stood several young men and women of different races, mostly around teens, most notably wearing school uniforms.
It's clear that this is a group of students from the school district.
The fruit stall owner sat calmly on his stool, while the students in front of him were both shocked and angry, arguing vehemently: "Are these apples made of gold or silver? How can they sell for three hundred fares a pound!"
The gods and adventurers cast mocking glances, but when the students looked over, they quickly dropped their comical expressions and became serious.
Roy smirked. These guys have gone too far.
Despite his busy schedule dealing in tens or hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business, his income far exceeds his living expenses.
In the North District, a serving of fries, including ingredients, labor, and stall fees, only costs forty fares, and they still make a considerable profit. Any restaurant business with a profit margin of at least 50% will eventually go out of business.
Apples cost at most fifty or sixty fares per pound.
These merchants dare to sell for 300 Faris, completely taking advantage of the fact that there is no market supervision department in Oralari and that those simple and honest students cannot file a complaint.
The school district returns every three years, and the guilds, clans, and merchants of Orario create an extremely welcoming atmosphere. The streets and alleys are decorated with lanterns and banners, creating a truly immersive experience!
But in the end, the money comes from the people; everything boils down to one thing: profit.
Guilds want the latest research results from the school district, various clans want the outstanding students cultivated by the school district, and merchants and shop owners also want to take this opportunity to do business in the scenic area and make a fortune.
Anyway, there will be a new batch of students in three years.
Amidst flowers, applause, and accusations of being a "promising young talent in the school district," the sense of honor is overwhelming. Which passionate teenager wouldn't be overwhelmed?
This year's duel between Roy and Alan Fourmore disrupted the plans, but now the gods and adventurers have realized what's happening and are quickly making arrangements.
Students are the most honest creatures. Even if they suffer a small loss, as long as it doesn't cause serious harm, they will accept their bad luck and swallow their pride.
but-
Among the students at the apple stand, he spotted a young figure: Lefia Viridis, an elven girl with long, thick blonde hair.
Roy smiled slightly. Wasn't this a coincidence? He had just felt that he didn't have enough manpower in his clan.
"Take it or leave it. You can ask around elsewhere; the price is the same. You can also go to the Demeter family's farm outside the city; it's cheaper there. I just don't know if you're willing to walk dozens of kilometers!" the fruit stall owner said confidently.
The fruit shop owners on these dozen or so streets have all conspired to raise prices together, take it or leave it.
The students were furious. The prices in Orario were outrageous. Was this the center of the world?
"Give me a pound of apples."
Just as the two sides were arguing, Roy's voice cut through the crowd and interrupted them.
"A madman?!"
The fruit stall owner and the students turned to look at the source of the sound, and their pupils reflected Roy's face. They were immediately startled. After the fierce duel that was broadcast live throughout the entire city of God's Realm, almost everyone knew Roy.
When Roy stepped forward, everyone was even more terrified. The air seemed to be filled with a heavy pressure. This was the monster who had reached LV.6 the fastest!
If anyone questions the duel, people would suggest he go to the Orb Mountains and see the mountain that has been flattened, leaving only a deep pit.
Everyone looked at him with the reverence one would show to a god.
The fruit stand owner's arrogant demeanor vanished instantly. He quickly got up, deftly packed a pound of apples into a paper bag, and presented it to Roy with both hands.
"Madman, no need to give it to us. Consider it repayment for the Astrea Familia's past help to us." The fruit stall owner gave a fawning smile.
"That's not good. I remember that apples have been priced at fifty or sixty fares a pound for the past few years," Roy laughed, reaching into his pocket with his right hand, actually taking out several steel coins from his spatial ring and tossing them onto the table.
After doing all this, Roy turned and left.
With Roy gone, the weight on everyone's hearts lifted. The students, looking at the steel on the table, realized what had happened and grabbed the fruit stand owner, demanding, "Why did he only pay sixty fares for the apples?"
The fruit stand owner was speechless. How could they be the same? That was an adventurer standing at the top of the Orario pyramid, a being hailed as a "madman" by the gods. He would give him away for free. If Roy could help promote him, the celebrity effect would be enough to make him rich overnight.
Students like you are only good for being ripped off!
Just as the enraged students clashed with the fruit stand owner, the timid and obedient Lefia stood in the back row, watching Roy's departing figure.
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Roy turned around, met Lefia's gaze, and smiled at her.
Lefia, who came from the school district, wasn't stupid. She immediately understood that Roy was helping them, and a sense of goodwill arose in her heart. There were still good people in Orario.
the other side.
Roy walked out of the street, pleased with the first step of his plan to abduct the school district's elf girl.
Roy didn't have any lofty ideals of "doing the deed and leaving without a trace, concealing his merit and fame." He believed that doing good deeds should leave a mark, otherwise who would know that he did it? If no one knew, wouldn't it be a waste of his efforts?
But he couldn't be too proactive, lest he scare the innocent and adorable elf; he had to proceed gradually.
As for those merchants he exposed, they might resent the Astrea Familia—just kidding, who's afraid of that? They've already offended them all back when Alexie Rofer and the others were alive.
Extortion and malicious price gouging are justified? The Astrea Familia is dedicated to fighting against such people.