Vincent hums a little and watches as the sun goes down.
"My lord, we need to depart. The sun is going down, and we need to reach the nearby village before we are too late."
He nods and says.
"Yes. Let's depart."
He is done with his end of the deal, and the other party does not fulfill their end of the deal. As they depart, Gerrald and his mercenary group are partying using the gold they receive from Vincent. They are laughing and drinking happily. They don't know that misfortune will fall upon them.
"Drink! Drink! All on me! Some suckers think he can command me! Bwahahaha!"
However, before he can even be done with his laugh, his body starts to shrivel and look like all the moisture in his body gets sucked by something. He screams in pain for a few seconds before he falls to the ground, dead.
The same is happening to all his crew, all trinity of them. Not only that, but the gold they spend also disappears, including all the coins they have in their possession.
All their power, knowledge, and even essence are stripped out of their bodies, minds, and souls.
Where have they gone? Vincent.
He is looking out of the window of his carriage before something enters his body, mind, and soul. Vincent clutches his head as the rush of knowledge enters his body, and he holds back a scream when he feels his body gets very hot.
Lucky for him, it only lasted for a minute before slowly disappearing in a few seconds.
He panted as sweat poured out of his body. However, instead of frowning on his face, he is grinning from ear to ear.
He gains knowledge, physical strength, and even mana from the people who break their deal with him. He now has the physical power of a high-ranking adventurer or high-ranking soldier. He also gets a mana pool that makes him into a mid-rank mage from a Magician Guild or Magic School.
It looks like the Grey Wolf has two low-rank mages in their group, and the combination of both makes a mid-rank mage mana pool. However, what makes him excited is the amount of spells he receives from the two mages.
Spell incantations, mana control techniques, and intricate formations unravel before his eyes. He instinctively raises his right hand, feeling the flow of mana like water flowing in his veins.
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, sorting through the spells he now possesses.
He receives a dozen spells from them, but one spell makes him very happy. It is called [Earth Mending]. It is a spell that repairs damaged land by infusing mana into the land. That means he can fix his land using this spell. The downside? It is not a long-term fix because it only lasts for three months before the effect is gone unless you feed the land with good fertilizer and have good water to make the land fertile.
Juras Barony was known as a desolate wasteland, but he could rebuild it piece by piece with this spell. It wouldn't fix everything, but it would give him an edge. If he could gradually restore the land, maybe he could create a foundation for a real domain, especially when he could buy good fertilizer and some kind of magic stone that would let him produce water.
"A baron needs people. People need land. If I can fix the land, I can get people."
Vincent exhales sharply, leaning back into the carriage seat. His clothes stick to his skin from sweat because of earlier pain. Even though he still feels a slight dizziness, his mind is clearer than ever.
The contract ability… it was beyond broken.
He glances at his palm, feeling the hum of power within him. If this is what he could gain from mere mercenaries, what would happen if a noble, a knight, or even a king broke a contract with him?
The thought excites him.
But before he can dive deeper into his thoughts, the carriage bumps against a rough patch of road, bringing him back to reality. His steward, Alfred, looks back at him with concern.
"My lord, are you well?"
Vincent wipes the sweat off his brow and nods.
"Yes. Just tired. It's been a long day."
Alfred doesn't push the matter further, though his keen eyes scan Vincent with interest. The steward might not be a warrior, but he knew when something unusual was happening. The air around his new lord looks different, and he wonders what has changed to the young lord he raised since he was a baby.
The carriage continues forward, and Vincent allows himself to rest.
Tomorrow, they will reach the nearby village, and from there, they will march toward Juras Barony—his new domain.
A place where he would rise.
A place where his true power would begin to take shape.
== Line Break ==
Vincent leans back in his carriage seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his knee as he gazes out the window. The countryside outside the capital fades into the distance, replaced by rough roads and sparse villages. Soon, he would reach Juras Barony, a wasteland barely fit for survival.
After two weeks of journey, they will soon arrive in his territory. They should arrive in a week if not for the constant attack from monsters and bandits.
"If I want to turn it into a real territory, I need resources."
He crosses his arms, thinking carefully.
His [Multiverse Merchant] ability allows him to travel between worlds, but there's a risk. He doesn't know how often he can use it, nor does he know if there are limitations. He has no allies, no reputation, and no guarantees that the worlds he visits will be safe.
But the benefits…
"If I do this right, I'll turn a desolate land into a kingdom."
Juras Barony is barren, but if he can revitalize the land, he can attract people. He needs modern seeds, fertilizer, and farming equipment from an advanced world. Modern Earth is great for him because not only are the seeds more resilient, but they are also bigger. The tools are also cheaper than here because they use machines to create them.
He needs seeds that can survive the harsh conditions. Fertilizer to restore the soil. Tools to prepare the fields. But those things don't exist in this medieval world—at least the first two. The last one he can get, but it will be expensive. Even with magic, blacksmithing still requires years of experience. Mages do not want to step so low to do blacksmithing.
A normal noble would seek help from other nobles or powerful merchants, but Vincent?
He smirks.
"Why rely on this world… when I can trade with another?"