Vicente would spend the next three days updating himself on the details of the operations his family had completed in recent months and those still in progress.
In the midst of this, he began the training Benson had given him to try to control his new power and master the transmutation of metals.
During his training, he changed the mana wealth in the part of the city where his estate was, increasing the mana density there.
That wasn't enough to make the biggest local players worry or even come to his door to ask questions. But it was enough for everyone who cultivated nearby to notice an improvement during their meditations.
Meanwhile, he was producing materials for his family, but as he was focused on becoming a 4th stage blacksmith, he mainly focused on producing 3rd-grade ammunition rather than new weapons.
But he took advantage of the resources that were available to his family to produce two new robotic armors, the most he could do per hour.
To make more or better 4th-grade armor, he would have to wait for the order he had placed in Chilldale before.
But even if he had to wait, he had made enough in these three days for his family to already become stronger, both with the ammunition and armor and with the resources he had brought with him that could be useful to his men.
He didn't expect to face the vampire within the next month, but if he had to, he would already have more power three days after his return than he did that day.
Vicente had also been cultivating and training during those days. Unfortunately, he needed to complete some requirements that were difficult to fulfill quickly or with the help of external resources for him to advance again.
Today was finally the day for him to meet the Duke of the Province!
...
It was the middle of the day when Vicente left his house with Rory and Eve and rode in a beautiful brown carriage to the estate of the city's most important and influential man.
After a few minutes, the Fuller family carriage entered a 12,000-square-meter estate in Saltstar City's wealthiest area.
Lawns and many special facilities were throughout the estate. The Duke was the highest-ranking noble who could afford a small military force, a personal guard of up to a few hundred members.
As such, his family's headquarters was not merely a beautiful large estate but a real headquarters for an organization!
There was a main building, the Duke's house, but also training compounds, cultivation areas, sleeping quarters for servants and subordinates, a beast area, etc.
The three people who had just arrived had never seen anything like this before, so they observed this place with curiosity as their carriage slowed down, stopping in front of the main building of this place.
"We'll soon have a place like this," Vicente commented to Rory and Eve, "Nova is already working on it, and today, I'll see if I can get the Duke's support."
"Will he accept? Wouldn't that be competition for him?" Eve asked as the men in their carriage moved to open the vehicle doors for them.
Vicente said, "He definitely wouldn't accept in any other situation. But now he may have to accept things like this if he wants to preserve his own family."
"In short, this is our opportunity amid the crisis," Rory expressed, referring to what he had learned from Vicente.
Vicente agreed as he nodded to his friend. Soon, they got out of the vehicle and found a group of people waiting for them at the door of the building that was supposed to be the Duke's house.
There were 10 people there, four of whom were guards standing around, while the other six were important subordinates of the family or even members of the Scott family.
A middle-aged-looking man with the aura of a High-level Mage stood a little ahead of the group next to two women, probably his wife and eldest daughter.
In addition to these three, a man dressed as a butler stood next to the mature-looking woman, while a sharp-looking young man stood next to the young-looking woman.
The last one there was an old man with white hair, probably one of the Duke's trusted men.
"Your Grace," Vicente greeted the man at the front of the group, smiling as he made a greeting gesture.
"Young Vicente," Duke Scott said with a smile on his face, finally having the chance to interact with this young merchant and blacksmith after months of his absence from the city.
They quickly introduced each of the most important people in their respective groups before the Duke invited Vicente's group inside. There, the family dining room was prepared for today's big lunch.
Soon, Vice and his companions were seated in different places around a 12-seater table, where various dishes were ready to be served.
Vicente sat to the right of the Duke while the Duke's wife was on the left, just in front of him.
Of the Duke's group, the only ones who didn't sit at the table were the family butler and the guards who were stationed around the dining room.
The group began to eat while talking about less important things, with the Duke asking how Vicente's trip out of the kingdom had been.
The Duke was aware of this. After all, it was public information that Vicente Fuller had left to learn more about his craft, the forging.
Vicente told the Duke what anyone could find out with a simple investigation, which wasn't much for him but was plenty for the members of that family.
"So you're already an Earth Sovereign?" The brown-haired young woman next to the Duke's wife asked, surprised that a young man the same age as her was already a powerful 4th stage magician.
"Yes, I was lucky enough to find some opportunities when returning from Chutha Dynasty," Vicente replied as he looked at the woman.
"That's impressive," Duke Scott commented, seeing that Vicente's value was even greater than he had previously estimated.
'This young man won't be in my province for long. But for as long as he's here, he'll have a lot of influence,' He thought as he cut up the meat on his plate.
"So what are your plans, young man?" The family matriarch asked while holding a glass of wine in one of her hands.
"For now, all I want is for my family to survive the challenges in our path," Vicente changed his tone as he spoke in a deep, worried voice, "I don't know if you're already aware of the threats coming from the north. But a calamity that could change the entire continent is approaching us all.
If we are not prepared and united with the same goal, in 5 or 6 years, we may see the end of our own families!"
