Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 338 The Goddess Above the Moonlight!
The grand procession of the princess stopped at Breiburg, where Princess Freya began her week-long tour of the most populous, largest, and most economically developed city in northern Ceylon.

According to the work plan, on the first day of the inspection, Her Highness the Princess will deliver a speech to the people of Breiburg, and then lead the accompanying officials and ministers to inspect the territory's finances, taxation, military and other conditions.

Every day thereafter, Her Highness would meet with various noble officials at irregular intervals, and even go down to the grassroots level to understand the real situation of people's lives when she had time.

With the great victory in the Battle of Twin Towers and the Windblow Kingdom's offensive in southeastern Ceylon.

Gaius's side is increasingly showing signs of decline on the international stage.

More and more restless princes and nobles from all over Ceylon joined the Restoration Army.

Many nobles who were unable to meet the princess in Guimian City rushed to Breiburg, hoping to take this opportunity to meet Her Highness.

For a time, this place became another center of the entire Kingdom of Ceylon, besides Quessaon.

Besides being the largest city in northern Sikkim, Breiburg also guards the vital passage from the northwest to the heart of the kingdom, making it an essential route for the restoration army to attack the usurping family.

The strategic significance is self-evident, and Freya's choice of this place as the first stop on her inspection tour also demonstrates the great importance that the Restoration Army attaches to it.

This emphasis on Breiburg was highly supported by the local nobles, especially after Her Highness announced that she would be hosting a banquet for all the nobles in the region that evening in Breiburg, which brought their support to its peak.

Regardless of what happens in the future, this attitude at least proves that Princess Freya is willing to share glory with every noble who supports her.

In the past, the Ceylon royal family rarely had princesses who treated all nobles equally and personally hosted banquets for them. Even ordinary members of the royal family rarely got to see them.

After the news spread, many nobles from the countryside far from the city center took out their finest clothes that they usually couldn't bear to wear, hired a slightly more upscale carriage, and rushed to the banquet venue to seize this opportunity to dine with the princess.

As evening fell, the grand banquet hall was already bustling with people, where nobles and celebrities, rarely seen in public, were toasting and chatting merrily.

Only in his spare time would he occasionally glance toward the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the main character of the banquet.

During the daytime speeches, only local nobles were able to get close to the princess, but tonight's banquet was an invitation extended by the princess to all the nobles in the region.

Some minor landowners and knights had not yet seen the princess in person, but only knew from magical images and word of mouth that their princess was a beautiful and exceptionally talented sorceress.

Therefore, we are very much looking forward to the princess's appearance.

Besides the local nobles, there were also many young people who looked obviously reserved and out of place in the banquet atmosphere, standing awkwardly in the corner.

These young people mostly came from remote villages and castles and rarely had the opportunity to participate in such high-society banquets.

Their parents knew that this opportunity was hard-won, so they gave the only spot to their most outstanding offspring, hoping that they would have the chance to meet the princess and even have a chat with her.

Among this group of young people, the most unique was a tall young man standing in the shadow of the gilded relief columns.

Besides his noticeably more confident demeanor than other "country bumpkins," his aura was also extremely unusual.

Like Freya, he was an extremely rare warlock, even rarer than the mechanical warlock, the pain warlock.

Specializing in sustained shadow damage, they can weaken enemies with skills such as Corruption and Unstable Affliction, and continuously drain health during combat.

Baron Bill McCoy came from Wind Erosion Castle, fifty kilometers away from Breeze Castle. His ancestors were knighted for their meritorious service in suppressing bandits.

At the age of twenty-five, he already possessed the fifth-order extraordinary level, coupled with considerable combat power, making him a renowned genius in the Breiburg region.

Baron McCoy wore a faded dark brown wool coat, the worn stitches at the collar revealing signs of repeated mending, making him appear extremely shabby amidst the silks and velvets filling the room.

Even this outfit was the most presentable formal attire that Baron McCoy could offer.

The McCoy family owned a considerable amount of land and estates, so their living conditions shouldn't be too bad. However, being a warlock is a very expensive profession.

Whether it's acquiring monopolized sorcerer knowledge, crafting specialized magical equipment, or conducting various spell experiments that consume expensive materials, all require exceptionally high amounts of money.

After Baron McCoy's sorcerous talent became apparent, many nobles were willing to invest in him, but the conditions offered were too harsh, and the young and arrogant Bill McCoy rejected them all.

In order not to delay Bill's extraordinary appointment, the old baron gradually sold off his property until he was left with only a noble title.

Fortunately, after Bill became a Silver-ranked individual, he began to make a name for himself in the Extraordinary Arena, supporting his training with the gold coins he won in the arena each time.

His gaze was fixed on the tightly closed door not far away, and a fierce flame was burning in his chest.

The princess's hosting of a banquet for all the nobles gave him a glimmer of hope—a hope of soaring to great heights.

He was a sorcerer, and so was the princess.

He hoped to demonstrate his worth before the princess, and he even fantasized about a scene reminiscent of those often found in third-rate novels—

The princess held a competition for young people, and he emerged victorious, winning her favor and eventually...

His heart was pounding, and his intuition told him that this was the biggest opportunity of his life.

Bill McCoy, lost in his beautiful fantasy, was quickly interrupted by a mocking laugh:
"Bill, I really didn't expect to see you here."

Wearing this shabby outfit to a banquet of this caliber, I said, don't you even have a slightly decent set of clothes?"

Bill snapped out of his daze, staring at the elegantly dressed young man surrounded by several beautiful young women. His eyes burned with fury, but he clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and whispered:
"Greetings, Viscount Mitchell."

Viscount Mitchell was a nobleman who had once wanted to invest in Bill, but after being rejected, he held a grudge and did a lot of things to make things difficult for the McCoy family.

What hurt Bill the most was that the other party had also stolen his goddess, his former classmate at the Extraordinary Academy, a beautiful and elegant noble lady.

Now, the noble lady stood beside Viscount Mitchell, gently linking her arm with his, without even glancing at him.

Bill felt as if his heart had been pierced a thousand times.

Mitchell chuckled faintly, still not forgetting to recruit:

“Baron McCoy, you are welcome to come here anytime. As long as you are willing to put aside your worthless pride and arrogance, with your talent, you will soon become the most powerful sorcerer in Breiburg.”

Bill composed himself, his expression turning cold and stern, and replied in a deep voice:

"Thank you for your kindness, Viscount, but I still prefer to cultivate on my own."

Mitchell scoffed and ignored him.

Bill could hear his female companion's mockery and teasing from their conversation.

Bill bit his lower lip hard until he tasted the rust on his tongue before he finally let go.

"I will succeed! I must catch the princess's eye!"

The down-on-his-luck young man secretly made a vow in his heart!

……

At exactly seven o'clock, the west gate of the banquet hall opened, and several luxurious carriages drove into the front courtyard one after another.

Servants emerged from various corners, carrying silver lanterns, and guided the carriage to a stop.

After the carriage came to a stop, the officials in charge of the procession dismounted one after another. Marquis Raphael Harvey, the most powerful nobleman in Breiburg, was already waiting at the door.

After the caravan came to a stop, he quickly walked to the most luxurious carriage in the center of the caravan.

Lucia lifted the carriage curtain and whispered a few words to Marquis Raphael.

The latter nodded slightly, and then led his entourage of officials to the main hall of the banquet hall.

When the local nobles in the main hall saw Marquis Raphael enter the main hall through the side door with a group of unfamiliar nobles, they knew that the main character of the banquet had arrived.

They all came forward to greet him, and Baron Bill McCoy, who was in the corner, straightened up as he silently repeated the greeting he had prepared.

Before everyone had to wait long, a clear, crisp sound of a brass bell rang out, and the organ music abruptly stopped.

The nobles in the banquet hall immediately stopped talking, and their expressions became much more serious.

Led by the Marquis Raphael, they lined up in two rows to greet him respectfully.

The gilded door hinges turned gently, and the main entrance to the banquet hall opened wide, with two rows of burly guards leading the way.

The guards' boots tapped neatly on the ground, the deep sound instantly silencing the entire banquet hall.

"Her Highness the Princess has arrived!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a stunningly beautiful figure slowly appeared in everyone's sight.

As Freya stepped into the hall, the cascading light from the crystal chandelier hanging from the dome softened, and the refracted silvery-white light made her look like a goddess.

The rhythm of her steps and the lingering sound of the bells blended perfectly, and her moon-white silk dress seemed to drape her in moonlight; everything was so perfect.

Many people were seeing Freya up close for the first time and were so shocked that they could hardly contain themselves.

Freya, who appeared like a goddess, left an indelible mark on the hearts of many people present.

Baron Bill McCoy, standing in the corner, momentarily stopped breathing, his mind completely occupied by the princess's elegant and beautiful figure.

Only now did he realize that the goddess in his mind was not even one ten-thousandth as good as the princess. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that such a perfect woman could exist in this world.

The other young nobles were in no better shape. Freya's stunning appearance immediately caught everyone's attention, completely overshadowing the group of socialites and noblewomen from northern Ceylon.

It became the undisputed star of the banquet hall.

Freya parted her red lips slightly, and her soft voice reached everyone's ears:

"Please make yourselves at home, no need for formalities."

Under Freya's guidance, the atmosphere in the banquet hall became lively again.

Some young noblemen, introduced by their family elders, also began to meet Her Highness the Princess. These noblemen represented various factions within Ceylon, and their presence at the banquet today reflected the attitude of their families.

This continent has never lacked intelligent people.

The current situation in the Kingdom of Ceylon has attracted a large number of ambitious individuals who want a piece of the pie in this chaos.

In particular, the rewards bestowed upon the families who had initially pledged allegiance to Guimian City gave these families of medium strength hope.

Freya naturally accepted all the offers from these families, showering them with promises and benefits.

The atmosphere in the banquet hall quickly reached a climax, and Lucia, as the princess's representative, was surrounded by many people.

Those minor landowners and nobles who were not of high enough rank to get close to the princess naturally set their sights on Lucia, the princess's closest steward and lady-in-waiting.

Malfoy Lorthermar quietly approached Lucia at that moment and whispered:

"Sir, my distant relative has arrived. When would be a good time to meet him?"

Lucia checked the time and replied:

“Bring your relative to the study an hour after the banquet ends.”

Malfoy's eyes lit up with delight, and he said:

"Okay, I'll come back in an hour."

After Lucia dismissed Malfoy, her gaze lingered subtly across the crowd, clearly searching for someone.

Because there were so many people today, Lucia searched for quite a while before finally spotting someone in a corner.

It was none other than Baron Bill McCoy.

Upon seeing Bill, Lucia smiled and slowly walked over to Freya, whispering a few words in her ear.

Freya nodded slightly and began to move subtly toward Bill.

Bill was extremely annoyed; his plans had been completely disrupted.

He thought he could find an opportunity to get close to the princess, and even just to say a simple greeting would allow him to demonstrate his talent and ability.

But the reality was completely different from what he expected, because he discovered that there were quite a few people who had the same idea as him.

Many rural nobles from remote areas, or nobles whose families had fallen on hard times, wanted to seize this opportunity to rise above their circumstances and gain the favor of the princess.

This meant that he couldn't even get close to the princess's steward, let alone get close to her.

Just as he was fretting, Bill noticed that there were more people around him.

He was secretly surprised. He was in the least noticeable spot in the entire banquet hall, so how could there suddenly be so many more people?

When he looked up and saw the situation on the field, he was stunned.

The princess, whom he considered unattainable, was slowly walking towards him.

The shimmering light from the crystal chandelier in the hall flowed along the silver-threaded hem of the princess's trailing skirt. Her moon-white figure seemed like a phantom suspended above the mortal world, walking towards her on the rose emblem on the red carpet.

Bill's eyes widened, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Only when he realized the other person was heading straight for him did he snap out of his daze. He hurriedly tugged at his bow tie, feeling as if his limbs were completely out of his control, his whole being immersed in a massive dizziness.

He snapped out of his daze, shuddered, and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him. But the movements he had practiced countless times became incredibly stiff at this moment. He staggered backward half a step while walking, and knocked over the champagne tower that the waiter was carrying behind him.

The silver wine cup rolled on the ground with a crisp sound.

Bill's face turned bright red, and the nobles around him chuckled in hushed tones.

Bill was filled with shame, wishing he could dig a hole and disappear. Just as he was feeling incredibly embarrassed, a refined and noble voice rang out like heavenly music:
"Is it Lord Bill McCoy?"

Bill could hardly believe that he was hearing his own name from the princess's lips.

Not far away, Viscount Mitchell, who had a long-standing feud with him, couldn't help but gape. He had been busy all night, but he hadn't even managed to get past the princess, let alone get his name remembered.

Bill looked up, his gaze trembling as he climbed upwards, from the princess's exquisite shoes to her magnificent skirt, and then slowly moved to her flawless, stunning face. His heart pounded like thunder, as if it would burst out of his chest at any moment.

The carefully prepared congratulatory words swirled in my throat, impossible to utter, and finally turned into stammering:

"Yes...yes, I am Bill McCoy."

Your Highness, may you be well!

For a moment, most people’s attention was focused on Bill, wondering how such an unknown nobleman could win the princess’s favor and even call him by name.

Freya smiled gently and said to the nobles who looked puzzled:
"Many of you may not be familiar with Baron McCoy, so let me introduce him. This Bill McCoy, like me, is also a rare sorcerer."

Moreover, at such a young age, he was already a fifth-tier transcendent being in the middle of the Silver rank, with outstanding strength, and had once achieved a magnificent record of five consecutive victories in the transcendent arena.

Baron McCoy, am I wrong?

Bill's body tensed abruptly, overwhelmed by immense joy and excitement. He replied in a trembling voice:

"These are all insignificant achievements; it's kind of Your Highness to remember them."

Freya's voice remained gentle, and her words left Bill frozen in place:

"How could such a talented young man be hindered from cultivating by material possessions like money?"
"Baron McCoy, from today onwards, you may collect your monthly salary from the City of Crowns until you become a powerful sorcerer."

Bill could hardly believe his ears; his dream had actually come true!
Freya's next words were addressed to the nobles in the banquet hall:
"I plan to establish a special institution in the City of Crowns to provide early training assistance to extraordinary individuals who are in similar predicaments as Baron McCoy."

All individuals deemed exceptional by the organization, regardless of their social status, are entitled to equal treatment.

As soon as he finished speaking, others immediately echoed his sentiments.

Elio, the eldest son of the Duke of Eisenheiser family, immediately spoke up:
“Our family is willing to cover 30% of the organization’s expenses.”

Seeing that Elio had spoken, the other nobles also generously donated money.

When Bill came to his senses from his great excitement, he suddenly realized that the princess had been gone for quite some time.

This made him feel disappointed, and he cursed himself for his cowardly performance. Not only did he fail to seize the opportunity to say more words to the princess, but he also made a fool of himself, which must have greatly reduced his impression of the princess.

Time passed by, and the banquet gradually came to an end.

When the princess's stunning figure disappeared into the banquet hall, Bill's illusions were completely shattered.

Just as he was about to leave, one of the princess's maids came to his side and whispered:
"Please come to the side hall, Baron."

Bill's eyes widened, and his breathing suddenly became much more rapid.

If he remembered correctly, the direction Her Highness had just left was the side hall.

He took a few deep breaths, straightened his appearance, and followed the maid toward the side hall.

Upon entering the private room in the side hall, a beautiful figure was waiting for him inside.

However, Bill was greatly disappointed to find that the other person was not the one he had in mind.

Lucia clearly noticed the disappointment on Bill's face, a flash of disdain crossing her eyes—"a toad trying to eat swan meat"—before she concealed her emotions and said with a faint smile:

"Baron, please have a seat. I have a few words to say to you."

Although the other person was not a princess, her status was still noble and ordinary. If it weren't for this occasion, he probably would never have had the chance to sit with her in his life.

After Bill was seated, Lucia slowly began to speak:
"Baron, do you know why His Highness called your name out specifically today?"

Bill, unable to hide his excitement, gently shook his head.

Lucia said:
"It's simple, because His Highness admires you."

Bill's breathing quickened immediately, but Lucia's next words left him somewhat disappointed.

"And those young people like you."

Do you understand what I'm saying, Baron?

Bill's expression shifted slightly. As a highly talented sorcerer, his intelligence was also on point, and he roughly understood what Lucia meant.

Lucia then made her point even clearer:
"Your Highness has just returned to the country, and there are not many trustworthy people around you, let alone capable and talented ones."

The Gavin family, the Eisenheir family, the Veritas family... Although they are His Highness's most loyal supporters, they are ultimately not his own people.

Your Highness needs a group of your own people. Is the Baron willing to be one of those 'own people'?

Bill didn't hesitate for a second, his tone as if making an oath:
"I am willing!"

Lucia smiled and gently pushed a long list towards Bill, saying softly:
"Some of the people on this list are commoners from bad backgrounds, or even slaves."

Some, like you, are from noble families that have fallen on hard times.

They all have one thing in common: they possess relatively outstanding talent and ability.

His Highness hopes that you can gather them together and make them the most loyal force in His Highness's hands.

"Lord Bill McCoy, this is a task personally assigned to you by Her Highness the Princess. Are you willing to accept it?"

(End of this chapter)