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This man was none other than Count Bronte of the Southern Territory.

As the regional capital of the Southern Territory, the position of the Lord of Southwind City held great importance, so Bronte himself had taken up the role.

However, he only dealt with major issues, leaving minor matters to his assistant, Myron.

The door to the study was knocked on. Without looking up, Bronte said, "Come in."

The young assistant, Myron, stepped into the room and respectfully said, "My Lord, I have something to report."

Bronte sighed, put down his quill pen, leaned back in his chair, and spread his hands in resignation, saying, "Myron, if it\'s about the monster riots, just handle it as per the previous protocols. I\'ve already discussed this with you."

It was the seventh time today that this assistant had come into the study to report on the various monster riots happening all over the Southern Territory.

It had completely ruined what had been a good day for Bronte.

Myron forced a smile and said, "My Lord, it\'s not about the monsters this time. It\'s good news."

"Oh? Let\'s hear it," Bronte perked up a bit. This was one of the only two pieces of good news he\'d received in recent days.

The last one was the news that Ryan and his team had managed to hold onto Riverfall City.

"It\'s related to Riverfall City, actually," Myron said as he moved to the side and started making coffee. "Previously, when Dean Kruse and his group went to Riverfall City to provide support, they brought back a young man—one who holds the title of Viscount Luca."

Bronte was surprised, "So it\'s him, huh? I didn\'t expect him to show up in Southwind City."

He had personally approved Luca\'s viscount title. Naturally, he had some impression of the young man who had performed meritoriously during the Riverfall City incident.

But what did this have to do with good news?

Myron continued, "He passed the assessment and joined the Red Maple Academy."

Bronte rolled his eyes, "That\'s it?"

A young man joining the Red Maple Academy?

This kind of mundane event was worth reporting?

He remarked, "Myron, I think your salary needs to be reconsidered."

Myron handed over the coffee, smiling helplessly, "Please, let me finish, my Lord. The way this young man joined the Red Maple Academy is rather unique. He passed the 20th floor of the Trial Tower to get in. And it was a mentor-level assessment, not a student-level one!"

Just as Bronte took the coffee, his hand suddenly trembled, and the scorching liquid spilled onto his hand. Yet, it seemed as though he felt no pain at all.

He looked utterly shocked and exclaimed, "Passed the mentor-level assessment at the 20th floor? A young boy!"

Even his sister, Luna, had only managed to pass the 18th floor back then. Within two years after that, she had become the youngest high-level professional in the entire Southern Territory, representing the pride of their region.

If he remembered correctly, this young fellow named Luca had just turned 18 not long ago—three years younger than his sister—and yet he had cleared the 20th floor?!

Such talent, even compared to those monstrous prodigies from Dawn City, wouldn\'t lose out in the slightest!

Myron chuckled, "Not only has the boy become a mentor at Red Maple Academy, but it\'s also rumored that he\'s become a personal student of Principal Orf. News of this should spread throughout Southwind City within two days, and when it does, the entire noble circle of Southwind City is going to be shaken."

A genius of unparalleled caliber, with a Superclass powerhouse as a mentor—there was no doubt Luca would become the rising star in Southwind City\'s noble circle.

Bronte couldn\'t help but sigh with emotion, "The young people these days really don\'t leave us old folks any breathing space!"

Luca was still so young and had already achieved such terrifying strength. Coupled with the powerful backing he had, his future potential was truly limitless.

No wonder Myron said this was good news.

Having such an exceptional genius emerging from the Southern Territory was indeed something worth celebrating!

Thinking of this, a smile finally appeared on Bronte\'s face, and he ordered, "Luca was recently conferred the title of viscount, but I haven\'t had the chance to express my appreciation. Now that he\'s come to Southwind City, I certainly can\'t pretend to know nothing."

"I recall that there\'s a mansion in the Noble District that hasn\'t been occupied for a long time. Give that house to him."

Hearing Bronte\'s words, even Myron couldn\'t hide his surprise.

It should be noted that the mansion in the Noble District was valued at over two hundred thousand gold coins.

More importantly, this gesture clearly showed Bronte\'s stance to the outside world.

With his protection, there would likely be no one in Southwind City daring to lay a finger on Luca!

This opportunity was something even Myron couldn\'t help but feel a bit envious of.

What a lucky boy indeed!

...

The carriage raced down the wide road.

Luke\'s reputation in Southwind City wasn\'t particularly grand, but it wasn\'t insignificant either.

This guy\'s skills in crafting mid-tier equipment were well-known throughout the Southern Territory. Unfortunately, due to having offended a noble heir of a prominent family in his early years, he was now forced to live in the chaotic Outer District.

Even so, Luke managed to make a name for himself with his abilities, and now his "Luke\'s Weapon Shop" was quite a notable presence in the Outer District.

Soon, Luca arrived at his destination.

After tossing three copper coins to the coachman, he turned his gaze to the weapon shop behind him.

The shop wasn\'t large—smaller even than the one in Riverfall City—and its decorations were very plain. In some places, the wall plaster had already started to crack, making it impossible to compare with the luxurious weapon shops in the Inner District.

The weapon shop\'s business was thriving. Behind the counter, a wide variety of low- and mid-tier weapons were displayed, and at the moment, a young shop assistant was haggling fiercely with a few customers.

"Is Luke here?" Luca asked as he stepped into the shop, interrupting the assistant who was enthusiastically showcasing equipment.

Being interrupted mid-speech, the assistant frowned in annoyance. However, upon noticing Luca\'s attire, his eyes lit up instantly.

"Alright, alright! I\'ve already told you the price. If you want to buy, then buy. If not, get lost. No discounts, and that\'s final!" he snapped at the two customers, waving them away dismissively.

Ignoring the curses from the disgruntled customers, the assistant turned back to Luca with a fawning smile. "What can I do for you, sir? The boss is forging equipment in the backyard right now. You can just tell me what you need. We\'ve got everything here, and I guarantee you\'ll be satisfied!"

Luca was dressed in a custom-made robe tailored by Lucia, made from the finest silk. Combined with his exceptional demeanor and looks, he appeared to be... well, not just a fat sheep ripe for slaughter, but a very important customer!

Luca didn\'t pay much attention to the assistant\'s look. Smiling, he said, "I\'m not here to buy equipment. Old Carl from Riverfall City sent me. Could you inform your boss?"

"Riverfall City?" The young assistant looked puzzled, not expecting that Luke would have any friends in Riverfall City.

However, he didn\'t probe further and simply said, "Please wait a moment," before heading towards the backyard.

Not long after, a rough voice could be heard faintly coming from the backyard.

"Damn it! That old bastard\'s still alive? I thought that debt was already settled ages ago…"

A few moments later, the door swung open. A burly, unkempt man with a cigar in his mouth and a full beard strode out.

His hair was curly, his body robust, and he was dressed in a black leather apron. He held a hammer in his hand, his entire body covered in grime. His sharp, tiger-like eyes sized up Luca for a moment, and he frowned, asking, "Who the hell are you to Old Carl? Why did that old bastard send you here?"

Luca briefly explained the past events and his reason for coming.

After hearing the story, Luke plopped down heavily onto a chair, smoking his cigar with a disgruntled expression. "That old bastard really has no shame. Haven\'t heard from him in years, and the first thing he does when he contacts me is to ask for a favor!"

He had known Old Carl for decades and owed him a huge favor in the early years. Afterward, one of them developed his business in Riverfall City while the other remained in Southwind City, and they hadn\'t been in touch for a long time.

Luke had nearly forgotten all about it, but who knew that old bastard still remembered? It made Luke feel a bit exasperated.

"Alright then, what equipment do you want?" Luke flicked the cigar butt away and asked gruffly, though he didn\'t show any signs of refusing to settle the debt.

Luca blinked a few times and said, "I\'d like a Platinum Grade spell spear, preferably with a boost to magic rune effects."

The corner of Luke\'s mouth twitched, and he couldn\'t help but let out a sarcastic laugh.

His face twisted in irritation as he growled, "A Platinum Grade with additional effects? You\'ve got some nerve, kid! This kind of item would cost at least 100,000 gold coins to forge. Do you really think I\'m some sucker here to be fleeced?!"

Luca didn\'t respond.

Because, in truth, that was exactly what he thought.

Luke rummaged through his storage ring for a moment, then waved his hand and tossed a black spear over to Luca. "That old bastard borrowed 100 gold coins from me decades ago. This piece is worth at least 30,000, which is more than enough to repay that favor. Take it if you want it, otherwise, just leave."

Luca caught the spell spear and examined it.

The spear was entirely black, with intricate crimson-purple patterns carved along its shaft. It felt heavy in his hand, weighing at least a hundred pounds. With his current strength attributes, wielding it was no problem at all.

He then checked the weapon\'s attributes.

[Wind and Thunder Spell Spear: Gold Grade. Usable by Demonic Rune Mages. Increases magical attack power by +380, boosts spirit attribute by +210, enhances all magic rune effects by +15%, increases attack speed by +10%. Skill 1: Surge of Wind and Thunder – Passive skill that increases the attack power of wind and thunder magic runes by 10%. No cooldown.]

With a flick of his wrist, the Wind and Thunder Spell Spear spun gracefully through the air, displaying a flurry of spear blossoms.

Sparks of lightning flashed faintly along the spear\'s shaft, accompanied by a whistling wind that radiated an imposing aura.

He glanced at his status panel and saw that equipping the Wind and Thunder Spell Spear had raised his spirit attribute to 2,340, with his base attack now exceeding 6,000.

If he used a mid-tier spell, his damage could easily break through 10,000.

"This will do!" Luca nodded slightly, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

The Wind and Thunder Spell Spear was undoubtedly a top-tier weapon among Gold Grade items and would serve him well for quite some time.

"Get lost already! The sight of you is making me sick!" Luke spat out, his face twitching in pain.

The Wind and Thunder Spell Spear was easily worth over 10,000 gold coins, and giving it away just like that… Of course, it hurt him deeply.

[Ding! You have completed the quest "Visit the Blacksmith Luke." You\'ve received the reward: Wind and Thunder Spell Spear (Gold Grade)!]