Day 11:
In the City Lord's mansion's dining hall-
Rilden sat at the end of a long dining table, with City Lord Varkas Greybde on the other side and a dozen beautiful women in gorgeous dresses sitting between them, eating their food with noble grace, served a luxurious breakfast by several servants.
Yesterday, Rilden stayed in the City Lord's manor to celebrate purging the city from scum and Rilden becoming a Baron. After having too many drinks, Rilden slept in the guest room, only to be woken up this morning by Pesem before he even had the time to check the
Rilden, a commoner, obviously felt nervous while eating, trying to mimic the table manners of the women at the table.
After a quiet breakfast with the City Lord and women, the City Lord spoke, "How was your breakfast, Rilden?"
"It was excellent, my lord. The best I ever had." Rilden wasn't lying. It was indeed the best and most luxurious breakfast he had.
"Hahaha. I am gd." City Lord Varkas lightly ughed before going to business. "Do you know why I summoned you here for breakfast in such a way?"
"I don't know, my lord." Rilden shook his head.
"It is because I am worried about your future, d. You don't have a family or even a noble pedigree, cking the training to be an aristocrat. Nay, you are even worse than that. Until recently, you were an unskilled borer and an orphan without education. While I know you are currently studying under Madam Riversorrow, who was also my teacher when I was younger, it would take you months and years to reach a sufficient level to manage responsibly your newfound wealth. I doubt you can even manage a house." The City Lord said with genuine concern.
While unpleasant to hear, Rilden knew the City Lord was correct. He had never owned a property before, not to mention several stakes and businesses. Without his prophetic power, he knew he was an uneducated boor who would screw up soon without help.
"What are your suggestions, my lord?" Rilden asked, knowing his new lord would suggest a solution. After all, the City Lord's time was precious, and he wouldn't drag him here for breakfast with a dozen beauties for no reason.
The muscur City Lord didn't answer and stood up, slowly walking around the table with heavy steps before standing behind the now-nervous Rilden and pcing two calloused hands on his shoulders.
Thump*
"Gulp*... My lord?" Rilden asked, afraid of the big peak tier-5 warrior behind him, the image of him cleaning the brain matter of a tier-4 assassin fshing in his mind.
"Choose one." City Lord Varkas suddenly said.
"I-I, what? I don't understand, my lord..." Rilden warily said, confused.
"I mean, choose a wife, d. You see these beautiful women?" Varkas said, gesturing at the twelve women who now locked their gaze at Rilden. "One of these twelve will be your wife from now on."
"W-Wife?" Rilden blinked, looking at the twelve beauties before him, aged 18-24.
"These twelve young women are the elite daughters of the Greybde family's side branches, selected for their looks and high intelligence from when they were young, raised to become the wives and mistresses of powerful men. They have high education, can manage a household, handle finances, run a small territory, know noble etiquette, and raise a family. That is what you need right now. A reliable, loyal wife who will help manage everything for you." Varkas expined.
"I-I am fttered, my lord. But I don't know if I am worthy of your favor..." Rilden warily said.
"Hahaha! You jest, Rilden. If these girls remain unwed past 25, we wed them to wealthy merchants and less influential figures. A young and wealthy Baron like you is quite the catch for them!" Varkas ughed.
Rilden looked at the women and noticed that most girls looked at him with fiery eyes as if wanting to swallow him whole. He felt like a sb of meat in front of hungry hyenas.
"Yikes!" Rilden felt a shiver down his spine.
"Well? So what are you waiting for? Choose one." The City Lord repeated.
"But my lord, I don't know these women... Can I at least know them a bit first?" Rilden requested.
"No. You are to select one now. Select the one you are most attracted to, or use your gut. Or are none of them to your liking? Do you have special inclinations?" City Lord Varkas asked weirdly.
"No, no, no! I am straight! And they are all beautiful!" Rilden hurriedly shook his head.
"Then good! You have two minutes to select one or lose this chance. I will be very disappointed if you don't take it. Pesem, the hourgss." The City Lord turned to Pesem, who held a small hourgss.
"Yes, my lord." Pesem flipped the sand timer, and the golden sand gradually poured down.
"Time is ticking. Choose." Varkas said.
Rilden, being cornered into a sudden life-changing decision, did the only thing he could think of.
"Daily Prophet! Help!!!" Rilden mentally screamed.
[
[+3 Luck Critical Hit! City Lord Varkas is testing your loyalty and abilities! After uncovering the Ludiron Cult twice, City Lord Varkas investigated your unexpinable track record, figuring out you have awakened a powerful mutated bloodline reted to intuition or divination, and he has a very favorable impression of you, wanting to tie you to his faction. He lets you choose between twelve high-quality women as a wife to test your ability. Eleven of these women are indeed as he cimed them to be, but one is his secret, prodigious, 18-year-old daughter, who is already a peak tier-3 powerhouse.
If you select one of the first 11, you will have a perfect, albeit ordinary, wife who will help manage your household but secretly monitor your every move. But if you choose the daughter, you will be given a second test, and it is highly recommended to take this path. She is the reserved, expressionless girl with ear-length bck hair and eyes and a petite body, wearing a white dress with white gloves and a blue rose decorating her hair, sitting on your right in the second-to-st row. Not choosing any of the women will result in Varkas threateningly questioning you one st time before the time is up, urging you to pick one. If you still don't choose, he will reluctantly snap your neck then and there to painlessly kill you, not wanting you to end up in enemy hands and threaten the lives of his people.]
Almost all the time passed when Rilden finished listening to everything, making him grow pale in fear.
"FUCK!!! Couldn't you say that in the beginning?! And how is this lucky?!" Rilden shook and cursed.
"Time is almost up, Rilden. Choose. Now." The City Lord reminded, his tone carrying a chill, a cold glint fshing in his eyes, his rugged hands slowly inching to Rilden's neck.
Pesem, who was holding the hourgss, grew tense and looked away.
"I CHOOSE HER!" Rilden shakily pointed at the woman on his right, on the 5th row, almost shitting himself in fear.
"Hah..." Pesem sighed in relief just as the st grain fell.
The women's expressions turned strange as they all looked at the daughter on the 5th row, holding an expressionless face as she looked at Rilden, her thoughts unknown.
The City Lord's hands stopped, the chill in his eyes gone, before patting Rilden's shoulders while jovially ughing, "Hahahaha! Well chosen, d! Well chosen!"
"Hah... T-Thank you for the compliment, my lord..." Rilden sighed in relief, feeling he got a new lease in life.
"Everyone except Erose and Pesem, dismissed," Varkas ordered.
Except for the real daughter, Erose, and Pesem, the women and servants quietly bowed and left without a word.
"Well, let's go to my study room, shall we?" Varkas said, walking to the door.
"Yes, my lord..." Rilden shakily stood up and followed him with Pesem and the beautiful, petite, expressionless, and powerful daughter who looked nothing like her bull of a father.
After quietly walking through the mansion halls, they arrived at a rge study room with several comfy-looking chairs next to an unlit firepce.
"Come, d! Sit." The bulky man sat on one chair while gesturing at the opposite one.
"Thank you, my lord." Rilden carefully sat opposite him.
Erose and Pesem stood on the side, quietly waiting.
"Let us be honest with each other, Rilden. I have investigated your little adventures in the st two weeks in my city, and am very impressed. Idim Rhumol's purse, you're unexpinable rise in strength, Deadshiv's discovery, Madam Jhuwai's amulet, the magic ring you are wearing, the arena bet, a literal divine artifact on your wrist, the selling of a 4th-tier enchanted treasure for 2,850 gold coins, funding Ven the new promising padin of Bulthar, your unexpinable csh with Fegof Mitsk near the Alchemist's guild over Mashar and your 1,000 gold coin investment, Fegof wanting to assassinate you, and you indirectly retaliating and even profiting by revealing the location of the Ludiron Cult's hideout. And all of this from some orphaned, illiterate, and unskilled borer with no talent whatsoever.
Just one of these things is rare enough for most people to never experience in their lifetime, but you experienced all of these in under two weeks, and these are just the things I know of. And now, you selected my most talented daughter out of 12 choices. This cannot be expined with luck anymore. If you haven't awakened a unique bloodline reted to intuition or divination, I can only call you a prophet from god- which I refuse to believe since no prophet, be it of an orthodox or evil god, is as weak as you. I might be a rough and militaristic boor, but I am no idiot."
After saying all that, Varkas quietly looked at Rilden, waiting for his answer.
"I... Don't know how I should react, my lord..." Rilden warily said.
"You don't need to. I already covered up some of your little shenanigans, although if someone investigates deeply enough, they might find some clues. You fail to realize the terrifying potential of your ability and how dangerous you are if you fall into the wrong hands."
After saying that, Varkas reclined back on his armchair and leisurely spoke, "Now then, let's give you one more test, shall we?"
"What is the test?" Rilden asked, knowing he couldn't avoid it.
"It is simple. After my eldest son's death, I have no promising male heir, so I am looking for a son-in-w who will take his pce, and I decided that the new City Lord would be the one who can convince my favorite daughter, Erose, to marry him." After saying that, the City Lord turned to look at his expressionless and petite daughter. "Erose, your turn."
Erose nodded before looking at Rilden with her deep bck eyes, softly speaking with an angelic and clear voice.
"Sir Rilden, I am stuck at a bottleneck as a peak tier 3 warrior for two years now. If you help break my bottleneck, I shall unconditionally marry you. I am also fine with you marrying other women, so please don't worry..." Erose gently said without a change in expression, but her eyes betrayed a deep yearning.
"Well, you heard my girl. If you succeed, you can be my son-in-w. But if you fail, you can still marry one of the other women I showed you earlier. No hard feelings." Varkas grinned.
"This... This is the st test, right?" Rilden asked to confirm.
"It is. Now go ahead and try. I believe in you." Varkas said with expectant eyes.
"Hah... okay. I entered this mess due to my careless reliance on