Chapter 217: I Bring News

Chapter 217

I Bring News

"Poison users from Rhea City, huh?" Owen sipped his tea, glancing at his men. He was already aware of the arrival of the Seven Night Poison group but hadn’t anticipated that they would entangle themselves with his people. If he had known earlier...

"Yes, they are currently being held and questioned by the association," Ellie replied after explaining the encounter to the young lord in front of her. She had a feeling he already knew about the intruders from another kingdom. This group was a large and powerful faction in Rhea Kingdom, so their movements were no trivial matter.

However, Eldest Young Lord Owen didn’t elaborate much on this, as if he didn’t want her involved. This situation concerned inter-kingdom affairs, but how could Ellie not get involved? Valuable resources were waiting for her; backing off would mean losing food for the little Apple.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you." Ellie glanced at him nervously. The young lord was hard to read; she never knew what he was planning. But deep down, she felt that if it was something she requested, he would likely grant it. So, she decided to give it a try.

"What is it?" Owen raised his eyebrows. He rarely saw Ellie ask for anything, as it was usually him who provided for her. Thus, this request intrigued him.

"Well...I understand that those who intrude into Ares Kingdom without being dealt with by Rhea Kingdom would strain the relationship between our kingdoms. But...I know that these criminals have a stronghold in Rhea City. They are poison users, and they came to Ares this time to find something that attracts poisonous creatures. This means their stronghold must be full of poisons, right?"

"Mmm, that’s true. I’ve heard they use many poisonous creatures for their experiments, and their base is full of them. In Rhea, that place is known as the City of Poisonous Beasts."

"Ah...so...I want to go there..." Ellie locked eyes with the young lord again.

"Why?" Owen didn’t criticize her request. As long as Ellie had a good reason, he could take her there.

"Well...you probably already know that I have the little Apple as one of my bonded plants." Ellie introduced her little companion to Owen. Since he already knew Luke’s identity, there was no need to hide the little Apple from him. After all, the fact that she was a demon frog user would soon be common knowledge.

"Mmm, this one is called Little Apple?" Owen wasn’t afraid, even though its colors were quite unusual. He boldly sent his lightning magic into the little Apple’s body. Initially, Ellie was startled by his actions, but upon seeing the little Apple happily hopping to absorb the lightning power, she remained silent.

"These are plants, right? So, they naturally like lightning that give the life force," the eldest young lord of the Setter family explained casually, sensing Ellie’s curiosity. It was as if he was willing to share everything if she wanted to know about him.

This openness made Ellie feel more at ease. Initially, she was very afraid of Owen. He acted like he knew her every move, making her feel exposed to all her secret cards and didn’t want to be near him. However, as she learned more about him, her unease gradually subsided.

"Lightning that gives life force?"

"Yes, I think you might like it too."

"Hmm?"

"Don’t you also have botanic powers that grant life? Our powers are similar in a special way. My power, however, is too unique that it almost cost me my life."

".............." Ellie couldn’t hold Owen’s gaze for long. His intense eyes made her feel flustered.

His eyes were too sincere. Every word and action considered her feelings first. She doubted anyone could resist a man like this, not even herself...

"So, can you tell me why going to Rhea City is related to your little Apple?"

"Oh, right...Actually, my little Apple can level up through poison. So...if it consumes a lot of poisonous creatures, its level will increase quickly. Previously, I completed a mission involving the cleanup of beast corpses, and its level increased to level 1. I realized that absorbing a lot of poison is beneficial for it." Ellie stroked her little companion.

"Level up through poison?"

"As you mentioned, that city is full of poisonous creatures, right? So..."

"You don’t need to go to that city. Your appearance following a request from the Setter family would easily expose your identity. If you want to keep Luke’s identity a secret, you should stay away from the Setter family," Owen warned. Ellie, not having considered this, was momentarily stunned.

"Ah...right." It seemed her request wouldn’t be fulfilled after all...

"But I have a better way to level up your little Apple."

"Huh?" Not letting Ellie feel down for long, the great Owen already had an alternative in mind and told her immediately. Seeing her eyes sparkle like that brought a small smile to his lips.

For him, seeing those eyes fixed on him made everything he did feel worthwhile.

"In the 5th floor, there’s a city surrounded by poisonous beasts. The original inhabitants of the city are also poisonous beasts. Before, I thought it was of no use, so I didn’t pay attention. But if I know you need it..." His gaze became serious again. However, Ellie quickly declined.

"No, I don’t need another city in the 5th floor."

"Hmm? Why?" Owen paused immediately. He thought Ellie would be pleased with this, not expecting her to reject it so vehemently.

"Earlier, you gave me 4 cities, making me a “duchess.” If you give me another city, I’ll probably be called a princess. I don’t want any more titles."

"Are you afraid of being called “Princess”?" Owen couldn’t help but smile. Initially, he was puzzled that the girl accepted the cities too easily. It was clear she didn’t want to stand out. Now he understood. It seemed Ellie didn’t realize the implications of being a city lord. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted with such fear.

"Actually, I didn’t want to be called a duchess either," Ellie pouted slightly with displeasure, feeling like she had been tricked into accepting a hot potato.

"Having the title of duchess is beneficial for you. It ensures no one can pressure you too much. Compared to...being a commoner with significant ties to the Setter family, false accusations like those attempts from the Hart family won’t happen again.”

“They’ll be more cautious with their words. If you were appointed as a princess, they’d have to think twice even about looking at you. I want you to live peacefully in the institute, not be at the mercy of others," Owen explained earnestly, showing he intended for Ellie to become a "duchess" from the start.

Ellie wanted to argue, but she swallowed her words. Thinking about how recently she had received positive responses for everything she did, unlike before when even entering the dining hall drew stares. Some people, knowing she was associated with the Setter family, tried to get close, like Xeno, the merchant’s son, who tried to manipulate her. But after becoming a duchess, he was too afraid to cause any trouble. Even so...being a duchess still came with duchess-level problems.

Ellie wasn’t sure what was truly better or worse.

"If you don’t want to take over a city in the 5th floor now, I can take you there to hunt beasts occasionally. What do you think?"

"That would be...thank you." In the end, she still had to rely on this eldest young lord. She felt she was still very weak. Until the day she could reach the 5th floor by herself, she wouldn’t be satisfied.

"But you didn’t come here just to drink tea with me, did you?" Ellie shifted the conversation, focusing on why he had come.

Owen paused slightly. How could he explain that he came to this city just to create a garden for her? It would be too embarrassing if he said that. So, he cleared his throat and made up an excuse instead.

"I just came to tell you about the mission to find the Masqueraded Steed. Recently, some people have seen it in the 6th floor. I thought you might have time to take on the mission."

"Oh, that’s...alright. If you need my help on any day, just let me know. I have about 3 weeks free."

"Alright, I’ll discuss it with the family and let you know." Owen nodded. He looked at the petite figure before him, now with a slight, squeezable chubbiness to her cheeks. Previously, she had been thin and stunted but still adorable. However, seeing her looking healthier and more mature now, Owen thought she looked just as cute.

He stared at Ellie for a while until she furrowed her brows slightly, prompting him to finally look away.

"Well, I won’t keep you any longer today. I should get going."

"Alright." Ellie saw him off. She watched his broad back as he swiftly left the city. Even Owen had to be cautious not to be followed when coming to her city. She felt that he truly cared for her.

However, thinking about the future, she remembered that this year was the year he was supposed to lose his life at the institute. Her small brows furrowed even more, feeling a sudden pang of unease.

In the novel, many things hadn’t happened because she had changed them, but there were still many events that remained the same. One clear example was Nara’s status, which hadn’t changed at all. Despite numerous misfortunes, Nara was still doing well. Ellie felt quite worried. Even though Young Lord Owen was exceptionally skilled, there might still be a day when he could make a mistake.

From what she knew, Young Lord Owen was supposed to enter the institute in the second half of the year. Due to his skills and age, the institute placed him in the fourth year, making him a senior to Young Lord Aman by 1 year. Everything seemed to go well initially, and people were excited to study at the same institute as him. However, during a tournament, a fierce beast attacked, and Young Lord Owen was killed by it. No one knew where the beast came from.

Initially, Ellie didn’t think much about Young Lord Owen’s death, but it had some interesting aspect: the highly skilled Young Lord Owen dying from a mere beast attack!

It shouldn’t be forgotten that he was someone with immense power, capable of taking over cities with ease. Then, how could he die from a beast attack?

Unless...his condition hadn’t fully recovered or the beast in question was a "demonic beast."

The small girl clenched her fists tightly. Everything seemed completely abnormal. Why was Young Lord Owen suddenly sent to the institute when he didn’t need to go? Someone like him had nothing to learn from the institute. And why, shortly after his recovery, was he sent to study? Why was the Setter family in such a hurry?

"It couldn’t be that there’s more to this, could it?" Ellie bit her lip thoughtfully. She didn’t want to dwell on negative thoughts any further.

Ellie couldn’t deny it any longer; Young Lord Owen’s status was indeed important to her. If anything happened to him, she would be affected as well!

While Ellie was in her 4th-floor city, 4 women appeared in the 1st-floor forest area of the Fragrant Held Forest. They looked around, searching for the capable man who was their benefactor. However, after nearly two hours, they didn’t even find a trace of him.

"Could it be that he completed the mission already?"

"No! How could that be? He...he didn’t even tell us he was leaving."

"That’s right. Or maybe something happened to him? Maybe he got injured while helping us fight the thieves?"

"It’s possible. When he had us follow the association members to city, he didn’t come with us. Maybe he didn’t want us to know he was hurt."

"He...he’s really kind." Emma clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes reflecting a touch of sorrow. She truly wanted to go on another mission with him and see him more. Her admiration for him had grown into affection. Coming from a noble family, Emma never thought she would have such a day; the day she experienced genuine "love" for someone.

Nara watched Senior Emma’s dreamy expression with a hint of regret herself. She also wished to get closer to him. But after finding out that he was only a 1-star rank hunter, Nara changed her mind.

Originally, she liked him for his strength. But what kind of strong person would be just a 1-star rank hunter!? Even the common hunters she knew were at least 2-star rank. Nara felt it would be easy to find a 2-star rank hunter as a partner. Previously, many men admired her and wanted to build relationships with her, but she still needed time to choose. For someone as perfect as her, she should find a man much better than that!

"Senior Emma, how about we join Senior Luke on another mission if we see him again? I believe that since you and Senior Luke are destined, you’ll meet again. Today, we should hurry and complete our missions; otherwise, our professor might scold us." Nara smiled warmly and sincerely.

Since she no longer wanted Senior Luke, it would be good to leave him to someone else. She was really curious to see if a high-born lady could be as happy as she used to be after marrying a 1-star rank hunter.

Emma, unaware of Nara’s intent to destroy her out of jealousy, couldn’t help but smile at Nara’s pleasant words.

"That’s right. Since Senior Luke and I are destined, we’ll meet again. You’re right..." Mirin and Lucy exchanged glances, surprised at Nara’s sudden change in demeanor. But since Emma had softened toward Nara, their missions were going more smoothly. So, they decided to let things continue as they were...