After unlocking his third limiter, Roy discovered that he could increase his stats to 300-320 points. A normal person, even with four limiters removed, might be unable to do it. It was possible for him because he was a dragonkin. Most importantly, after he became a dragon's disciple and gained a lord-rank physique in the ancestral land, his physical limit surged to 500 points for every basic stat. That's why after having a meal extremely high in medicinal and power-boosting values, his stats shot past 300 points.
"Exactly what kind of precious ingredients were used to make these dishes?" It was Roy who questioned the excellent chef and her master.
All the dishes were to his taste, but the ones he found the most delicious had the most chunk of meat in them. It wasn't because they tasted better than the rice and the vegetables, but because they were of a higher quality than them.
"It's enough to cost a fortune," Damien replied to his cousin in a casual manner, unbefitting of a lord as he used a black napkin to wipe the oil off his lips.
"Even a Count wouldn't dare be so extravagant," Sandra added. "I was honestly surprised that master allowed the usage of such ingredients."
"Any other day... and he would be too stingy to let me taste it."
The last sentence was muttered in a low voice comparable to a mosquito's buzzing.
It was, however, heard by Roy and Damien as their basic stats were above 300.
The former wondered whether she would be punished for saying such things about her master in public.
But the latter proved him wrong and didn't bother mentioning that he had heard her.
"I know you held this banquet in celebration of us getting married, but I didn't think you would go this far and feed us such good stuff," Roy said as he gripped his wife's warm hand and looked at Damien unwaveringly. His gaze seemed to hold a complex meaning.
"What are you trying to say?" Damien looked him in the eyes and responded calmly, "Be clear."
Roy narrowed his eyes at him as he deflected, "That's what you should do."
The two cousins were talking in riddles. The people around them weren't able to understand what they were talking about, but their ears perked up, showing that they were interested in their conversation.
"Oh, how did you find out?" Damien's eyebrow raised as he questioned him.
"We have spent a short time together, but as they say, first impressions always matter." The listeners could see a thoughtful expression on Roy's face as he continued, "My first impression of you is that you aren't the type to give benefits of such kind for free. Not to mention, there's no such thing as a free meal in this world. Even among brothers, there's some string attached when it comes to things like this. I am pretty sure you must have a reason behind hosting us so graciously, and it isn't good. You tried to hide it. What exactly is it?"
It was Roy's life experiences that allowed him to come to such a conclusion.
For example, Damien trained him earnestly because he wanted him to come out on top in the awakening ceremony and bring honor to their clan.
Arlo treated him like his son because he felt guilty for ignoring him for years, but not all of it could be attributed to such a simple reason. One might host a beggar in their home out of guilt or sympathy for a day or two, but only a fool would let a beggar stay in their house forever. Thinking back to when he trained him, Roy realized that he had an intense desire to make him strong. Where it came from was something he couldn't pinpoint, but he guessed it might be because he wanted to see him defeat the Empire's Youngest Prince, or he might have some other reasons.
Lastly, his stepbrother, Arthur, gave him the elixir because in the entire Baldwin Clan, only he had the chance to earn the tokens to the mystical realm of the forbidden capital this year.
"Your deduction is right on point. I could have concluded this banquet with nothing special as you are just a cousin I barely know." With a thin smile flickering at the corners of his mouth, Damien said, "But I went to such length because a great danger lies ahead in your path."
'Does he know that I am planning to explore the Ashen Land tonight?' Roy took his words personally. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought that.
"Our destination is Constantine County. Could it be the road between here and there is infested by beasts again? But we cleared it a quarter of a year ago."
Julian was quite knowledgeable about the regions surrounding his birthplace. As a count's son, even though he wasn't interested in geography, it was forcefully drilled into his brain by his teachers, who were hired by his cold father.
He knew that the road connecting the summer lands and Constantine County would be infested by beasts once every three years. It happens because the wilderness through which the road passes through was home to lustful beasts that copulate a lot. When their population increases to a point where the forest isn't enough to support them, they spread out and make trouble on the road, looting and killing merchants and innocent passersby.
Annihilating them was out of the question, as it would take a lot of manpower. The forest was their homeland. Chasing and hunting them there was an extremely hard task. The loss alone would be so astronomical that the Count, aka Julian's father, would be acquitted by the Court. He would lose his status and also his land. That would be a hard hit to their family.
Thus, the Count had only ever demanded the clearing of the road from the beasts.
The last subjugation took place only three months ago.
