Chapter 166: Owen’s Fearsome Nature

Chapter 166

Owen’s Fearsome Nature

Aman felt that he should leave the dining table as quickly as possible. Deep down, he was afraid of hearing more strange words that didn’t fit the image of his brother. Otherwise, who knew if his faith in his brother would vanish soon? He couldn’t believe how intensely his brother could flirt when he wanted to woo a woman!

“Ahem, ahem, I think we should eat this meal before it gets cold,” Steven said awkwardly.

He didn’t know how to look at his son anymore. Initially, he thought he would have to teach him more about common sense. As a father, he saw many things Owen did and felt that he lacked common sense. Whether it was giving an extravagant gift like a city-controlling stone or arranging a waiting room for the young girl. It wasn’t just matters about Ellie that he made it a big deal, there were other issues as well.

Many times, Owen trained so intensely that the training room was left in shambles. Or he criticized the skilled hunters of the Setter family as being weak. Throughout this time, many people thought it was because Owen wasn’t used to the current situation and mistakenly believed that the Setter family had to be as strong as he expected.

However...after hearing his many playful remarks toward the young lady, Steven realized that his son wasn’t lacking in common sense at all. If he could flirt this well, it meant he was intentional all along!

“I think so too.” Aman quickly shoveled food into his mouth. The demeanor of the masters at the dining table brought hidden smiles to the servants’ faces. They had always felt that Young Lord Owen was an unreachable figure, but after hearing him tease the future lady like this, it became clear that the future might not be as pressuring as they once thought.

If he loved the future lady as he did now, the one to lighten the atmosphere in the dining room would likely be the little future lady herself. Therefore...they needed to welcome this little future lady even better.

“After breakfast, I’ll escort you to your city. My people are already there ensuring safety. If anything happens, you can call on them,” Owen said to Ellie while the others ate quietly.

The young girl enjoyed the meal because Blue-tailed Rabbit meat was indeed her favorite. It was prepared exceptionally well by the skilled chefs of the Setter family, tasting even better than what she had at the institute. However, Owen’s words surprised her.

“You speak as if you won’t be there with me?”

“Do you want me to stay with you?” When she asked, it wasn’t meant to be a double entendre at all. She was merely puzzled by his statement that his men would take care of her in the city. Typically, he wouldn’t say it like that, because with Owen present, there would be no threat to her safety.

However, since he brought it up, Ellie asked innocently. Who would have thought that the young lord, who seemed to have a thicker skin than his younger brother, would turn it into a question implying she was a woman feeling slighted with her lover...?

“................” Ellie rolled her eyes out of habit, the same exasperated look she often gave Aman. This made Owen smile faintly with amusement.

In fact, Owen wasn’t naturally mischievous like his younger brother. His serious nature often made people uncomfortable. However, when he saw Ellie seeming to understand everything so well, he felt a desire to see other expressions on her face. Instead of letting Ellie remain distant from him, Owen found that teasing her made her lower her guard a bit...

Her dissatisfied yet unspoken demeanor made her look somehow endearingly charming. She wasn’t as beautiful as the daughters of noble families, but she wasn’t unattractive either. If one got to know her truly, this young girl had a charm that made it hard to look away.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or his own biased perception, but the more he looked at her, the more he wanted to get closer. She was the only one who made him want to smile and laugh together for the rest of his life. Of course, part of this was due to her being his benefactor, but another part was an inexplicable sense of comfort she brought him.

“I have other work to do and can’t stay with you. Besides, it might be better for you to have some time alone,” Owen explained what she had asked from the beginning, no longer teasing her. Ellie just nodded in response.

He had told her yesterday that the city would be her secret base, so no one would interfere there. Actually, Aman had been eager since the morning, knowing that Ellie would visit the city gifted by his brother. He had planned to accompany her, but before he could even offer, the future couple had already anticipated his move!

“Uh, by the way, how will you take Ellie to the city?” Aman asked curiously, which piqued the head of the family’s interest as well.

They wanted to know what the city given as a gift to the young girl contained. What kind of city was it? What resources did it have? However, Owen had no intention of disclosing this to Steven or the family. As both a father and the family head, Steven knew he had to consider the family’s interests, which might lead his son to distrust him.

Steven didn’t dare ask due to his position, but Aman had no such restrictions on his curiosity.

"I just want to know. If you’re taking Ellie through the Setter family cities, I’d like to tag along. Of course, I won’t disturb you two. I just want to do some extra training," Aman smiled, but his words didn’t sound convincing at all.

He claimed he wanted to train, but he insisted on going together. This meant he could still follow them wherever they went. How could that be considered a secret? In the end, Aman would inevitably end up in Ellie’s city.

Ellie was also curious about this now. She raised her eyebrows, waiting for Owen to explain. Since he said he would make this city her secret base, if he hadn’t planned for this, it would mean he was careless.

"I’ll take her there myself."

"Huh?" Aman still didn’t understand his brother’s words, but the head of the Setter family did, almost spitting out his tea. Fortunately, he only coughed a little.

"Y-You mean you’re going to escort her from 1st floor to 4th floor?"

"Yes," Owen replied simply, as if he didn’t realize how difficult it was to pass through each floor.

Otherwise, how could a family without a city in the lower floors easily jump to conquer the city in a higher floor without strong allies allowing passage? Traveling through the floors on one’s own wasn’t easy; it was often seen as harder than conquering each city individually.

"You...I think you should go through the Setter family’s cities. Traveling directly through each floor would take months to reach the 4th floor," his father suggested, disapprovingly.

"Exactly. If you’re going to all that trouble, why not just conquer cities from 1st floor to 4th floor for her?" Aman waved his hand, speaking sarcastically.

He felt a bit frustrated with the secretive nature of his brother and the young girl he had just met for a few days. It seemed like they were getting closer, while he remained an outsider.

However, Aman didn’t expect a reply to his sarcastic remark.

"That’s my intention. But the cities in 1st floor are already at their limit, and 2nd floor is nearly full as well. So, I have to hurry to secure a city in 2nd floor for her."

".................."

"!!!"

"Y-you mean you actually plan to conquer cities for her from 1st floor to 4th floor, brother?"

"Yes, today I intend to find a suitable 3rd-floor city for her."

"B-but that’s...that’s insane!" Aman nearly choked on his blood. Initially, he thought having Ellie as his brother’s lover was a good thing because she was easygoing, understood things quickly, and didn’t seem overly greedy or selfish like other women. At least when she married into the Setter family, she wouldn’t cause trouble over inheritance.

But he never expected that his brother would be so deeply infatuated with this girl without her even asking for anything!

"Owen, there’s no issue with 3rd floor, but what’s your plan for 2nd floor? Not to mention 1st floor, which is already fully occupied. There’s no way to conquer more cities there," Steven said with concern.

Although 2nd floor still had some space, everyone knew that 7 major powers were constantly vying for those remaining areas. They had been fighting over them because there were only 4 spots left. If one of the 7 groups claimed a spot, the chances for the others would diminish further.

These 7 powers had global influence, far beyond what a large noble family could handle simply because of their noble status.

"................"

"Owen," Steven wanted to smack some sense into his son but feared he might retaliate with his lightning. Nevertheless, this was no joke—Owen shouldn’t touch a problem that wasn’t ready to be touched. Otherwise, even the power of the Setter family might not be able to protect him.

"I have my own plan. You don’t need to worry," Owen reassured, understanding his father’s concerns. This man had always worried about him, whether as his son or as a tool for the Setter family. Owen was always grateful for his support. Otherwise, he might just act independently and have distanced himself from the Setter family by now.

"Plan? Your own plan, huh?" Steven exhaled, not comprehending. He looked at the young girl, hoping she might say something to help. The Setter family wasn’t that terrifying; was it necessary for Owen to make enemies with everyone?

Naturally, everyone would soon learn about Owen’s true power. Steven’s constant fear was that Owen would compete with the major powers and bring a storm upon himself and the family. But who would have thought that the eldest young lord of the Setter family possessed not just immense power but also a terrifying presence that few could rival?

While Aman had the reputation of being a despicable demon, the eldest young lord of the Setter family was far more accepted and revered. He was akin to a God of War and a "merchant" at the same time.

Many high-ranking individuals from various families viewed this young lord as the most terrifying figure, more so than all the previous heads of the Setter family combined. This was because he was someone who, once he set his sights on something, would obtain it by any means necessary. When he decided to find the best gift for his future wife, he dedicated all his strength and intellect to the task.

In a single day, he managed to conquer 2 cities on the 3rd floor simultaneously. On that same day, he announced he would trade these 3rd-floor cities with anyone willing to exchange 1st and 2nd-floor cities with him, regardless of whether those cities still had resources.

It was almost like a market frenzy!

The exchange had to happen within 6 hours, and everyone rushed to the Setter family to offer their rare cities. Many families had numerous 1st and 2nd-floor cities, as they were among the first to seize them. Even the Setter family owned more than 5 1st-floor cities. So, who wouldn’t be willing to trade resource-depleted cities for fresher, more bountiful ones?

As a result, the Setter family was almost cough up blood, feeling a mix of amazement and frustration. They practically begged the eldest young lord to grant these benefits to the Setter family itself. But ultimately, they couldn’t sway him because the family’s interests couldn’t outweigh the young girl’s preference.

The cities chosen by the eldest young lord were remote, small, and quiet, offering true privacy—essentially worthless. This was like a great benefit to their original owners. However, the former owners still had to hand over these cities and pay a sum of gold to receive the 3rd-floor cities.

In the end, the exchange was settled. The eldest young lord of the Setter family staged a formal declaration of war against the previous city owners, following all procedures. However, this declaration was merely a ruse to comply with the tower’s rules. In reality, there was no bloodshed. Only low-level beasts appeared to support the original city owners.Ah...Such obstacles were trivial. Ultimately, Owen successfully led Ellie to the 4th floor as he had promised, without causing widespread dissatisfaction. This, of course, would all unfold after today...