After some light talk with them, Alaric took out something from his pocket. It was the beast soul crystal of the goblin chieftain.

Seeing him taking out this crystal, the two Knights were surprised.

Alaric glanced at the old Knight and said.

"Sir Henry, I noticed that you've been stuck at the peak of the Knight realm for quite some time."

Henry sighed upon hearing this. He was born as a commoner and his talent for mana training was discovered late so he wasn't able to make use of the best years of his life. Through sheer hardwork and effort, he managed to become a Knight and hone his swordsmanship to a formidable level. However, he was unable to advance further because he had already exhausted his potential.

This was his greatest regret.

While the old man was lamenting his fate, Alaric continued.

"Given your potential, it might take a few more years before you can advance. This might help you in breaking through ahead of time." Alaric handed him the beast soul crystal.

Henry was stunned. He didn't dare take the crystal from him, but Alaric grabbed his hand and put the crystal on his palm.

"You deserve this reward, Sir Henry. You are one of the longest-serving Knights in the household. As the heir of House Silversword, it is only right for me to reward our loyal retainers. Please accept it." Alaric smiled at him.

"…b-but this is too valuable, my lord." The old man couldn't believe it.

The beast soul crystal of a Fatal-grade monster was expensive and it was especially true for the beast soul crystal of the goblin chieftain.

A normal beast soul crystal could be sold for 500 gold coins up to 2000 gold coins depending on the quality. On the other hand, the beast soul crystal of the goblin chieftain was worth more than 2000 gold coins. After all, that creature was close to becoming a Disaster-grade.

Henry was aware of this and based on his estimates, this crystal was worth around 3000 gold coins!

Alaric gave him a stern gaze. "If you return it to me, I will throw it away."

The old Knight was speechless.

"In that case, I will put it to good use. Thank you for giving me such a precious reward, my lord. I will never forget this." Henry lowered his head as he clutched the crystal firmly.

Alaric smiled as he nodded. "You earned it."

He then turned his gaze to Aldrin. "I know what you're thinking, Aldrin. You might not have served the household for long, but I have seen your loyalty. When the time is right, I will also give you the opportunity to advance. For now, you should continue with your mana training."

(Aldrin was like an older brother to him so he didn't bother to use honorifics. Alaric would only speak formally to him in front of the other warriors.)

Aldrin was moved by his words.

"Yes, my lord! I will do my best! I won't disappoint you!" He proclaimed with unwavering confidence.

Among the warriors in the household, he had the highest potential. Some even believed that he had the chance to become a Transcendent Knight and leave his name in the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard.

Everyone had high expectations for him and this left a heavy pressure on his shoulders.

Alaric chatted with them briefly before he bid them farewell.

It looks like the household will welcome another Elite Knight soon.

Alaric thought as he stepped out of the clinic.

The household is becoming stronger, but there is still something that I need to take care of.

A kind face appeared in his mind. It was the face of his uncle, Charles Silversword.

In his past life, his uncle used poison to kill his father.

Alaric didn't know the exact date, but he had a rough guess of when his uncle would start his schemes.

This time, I will not let you harm my family!

His eyes flashed with a fearsome glint. If a Knight was nearby, they would have sensed the killing intent he was emitting.

Step. Step. Step.

Alaric heard a series of footsteps down the hallway so he immediately concealed his fury.

The maidservant in the hallway was startled when she saw him. "My lord!"

Alaric nodded with an indifferent expression. He tried to smile at her, but his face had gone stiff.

"Don't mind me." He muttered as he walked past the maidservant.

He looks scary today for some reason.

The servant thought as she bowed to him.

Meanwhile, Alaric was unaware of her thoughts.

He went straight to his room to write down his plans on how to deal with his uncle.

***

Snowflakes fell from the sky, marking the coming of winter.

It was the 30th of November and Alaric was preparing for his trip to Ryvaad, a city next to Vale.

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, Alaric gave himself a satisfied nod.

"Not bad." He praised the clothes that were tailor-made for him.

The tailor, a chubby middle-aged man wearing glasses, chuckled upon hearing his words. "I'm glad that you like it, my lord."

"Elena, give him his reward," Alaric instructed while looking at Elena's reflection in the mirror.

The girl nodded to acknowledge his instruction. She then took out a small sack that they had prepared beforehand and handed it to the chubby middle-aged tailor.

The chubby tailor grinned when he felt the weight of the small sack. "Thank you for the reward, my lord. If you need more custom-made clothes, please send someone to inform me and I will make it for you any time!"

"Mn." Alaric waved his hand, indicating for him to leave.

When the chubby tailor saw his cue, he bowed and tactfully left the room with the small sack of coins in his hand.

After he left, Alaric's face relaxed.

"You look great, my lord," Elena remarked while staring at his side profile.

Alaric chuckled. "Really?"

Elena nodded innocently.

Alaric faced her and took her in his embrace. "How about you come with me this time? The trip will be boring without you."

Elena blushed at his surprise attack and his words almost melted her that she was unable to respond for a while.