Faerun: The arcane mage is still too imprisoned.

[Killed 1 Level 2 Human Warrior! Gained 200 Experience Points!]

[Killed 1 Level 1 Human Wanderer! Gained 200 Experience Points!]

Current experience: 721/1000

The battle is over.

A dozen or so corpses lay in the backyard, their blood staining the stone pavement. Lance stood in the center, a few drops of blood splattered on his robe, but he himself was unharmed.

They exterminated the entire clan, plundered the property, and then left.

Where are they?!

"Disappeared!"

"Search! He must still be nearby!"

The powerful and influential people in the vicinity were also alarmed and finally arrived late to begin the search.

However, only they themselves know exactly how much effort they put in.

After all, it would be fine if we couldn't find it, but if we actually did find it, that would be bad news.

Lance had already circled around to the side of the mansion, easily climbed over the wall, and landed in the alley outside.

The alley was dark and quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos inside the mansion.

Ten minutes later, he returned to the Mole Tavern.

The tavern was still noisy.

"Lord Lance, you're back!" Cielsa exclaimed in delight.

"Hmm." Lance nodded.

"Baron Yodl and his entire family set off, accompanied by a dozen guards, including two level 1 and one level 2."

Seeing Lance's rather smug expression, Cielsa paused for a moment, then a smile spread across her purple eyes. "Lord Lance is the best."

……

In the room, Lance closed his eyes, recalling the battle of the night. The infiltration value of invisibility, the defense of mage armor, the tactical application of spell combinations... In reality, he had a deeper understanding of the power of arcane mages.

As for whether killing Baron Yodl will lead to his investigation... Let's not even talk about whether we can find Lance, even if we do find him, so what?

Anyone with eyes could see that Baron Yordle was killed by a spellcaster, most likely a formal mage.

Given Baron Yordle's style, would anyone really risk offending a formal mage for his sake?

In any country on the continent of Faerûn, one can enjoy the treatment of nobility—regardless of whether that country practices a nobility system.

Moreover, they are few in number; there are no more than twenty official mages permanently stationed in Rild City, and they are all treasures of various major powers.

As long as Lance doesn't continue attacking nobles, and as long as it's not confirmed that Lance is a madman who attacks indiscriminately, no one will make things difficult for him.

If it was done by a soldier or a wanderer, they could very well be investigated indefinitely.

The next day.

"Lord Lance, Lord Lance, can we still go shopping today?" Cielsa leaned over the bed, staring at Lance with bright eyes.

"You love shopping so much?"

"Of course! I used to work three jobs a day, so I didn't have much of a chance to go shopping," Cielsa said excitedly.

"Now that Lord Lance is here, of course I'm going to go on a shopping spree!"

"...Ahem, we need to go shopping today." Lance got up and pulled Cielsa out of the room.

"What are you buying?" Cielsa asked, hooking her arm around Lance's and pressing it tightly against him.

"The house." Lance tried to break free gently, but couldn't; the hug was quite tight.

……

Lance is never one to compromise himself, so he's bound to spend lavishly today.

The money was, of course, spent on the gold coins "generously donated" by Baron Yodl.

The real estate agent was a lean, middle-aged man. He was clearly taken aback when he saw the two people—a half-elf, young, a man and a woman, both extremely beautiful, one with sky-blue eyes and long silver hair, and the other with purple eyes and long silver-gray hair.

This combination is indeed quite uncommon.

But when Lance slammed a bag of gold coins onto the table, the agent's eyes lit up instantly.

What an honored guest! An honored guest with spatial equipment!

"What are you all standing there for! Quick! Serve our esteemed guest tea!" the agent shouted at the receptionist.

They turned around and immediately changed their tune.

"What kind of house do you two want?"

He rubbed his hands together, his tone eager and his expression obsequious.

"Quiet, detached villa with a yard, preferably two stories."

Lance leisurely sipped his tea, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "Not too big, but not too small either. Not too luxurious, but not unluxurious either. The location shouldn't be too conspicuous, but not too secluded either."

"I want a place I can move in today."

"Oh, this..."

The agent pulled out a thick catalog and searched for a long time. Finally, he chose a location—the riverside area on the western edge of the city, close to the city wall but not far from the main road.

The house is a two-story villa with a small yard. The previous owner was a spice merchant who moved away after his business failed six months ago, and the house has been empty ever since.

"The yard isn't big, but we've planted some flowers and plants, and we've taken good care of it. The house is also sturdy. There are three rooms on the second floor, and on the first floor there's a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a basement that can be used as a storage room or..." The agent went on and on.

Lance didn't reply, he just nodded: "This one, how much?"

"Um... how about eight hundred gold coins?"

The agent said, carefully observing Lance's expression, "This price is already very fair. Look at the location, this house..."

"Six hundred," Lance interrupted his rambling.

"My lord, this..."

"Six hundred. Pay now, check-in today." Lance poured six hundred gold coins from his purse, arranging them in piles on the table.

"Otherwise, I'll look for another company."

The broker stared at the gold coins, his Adam's apple bobbing.

After a long pause, he sighed and forced a smile: "Deal."

The house was a little better than Lance had imagined.

The yard wasn't very big, but it was paved with neat stone slabs and planted with clusters of small flowers that Lance didn't recognize, which were in full bloom.

The house is in the typical style of the Kingdom of Eredland, although Lance is not familiar with this kingdom.

The doors and windows were in good condition, and the locks were new—the agent had specially replaced them.

The house is fully furnished, with three rooms on the second floor: one large and two small. The large room faces south and has a window overlooking the courtyard, so it gets plenty of natural light.

Lance chose the large bedroom.

Cielsa chose the small room next door—she went in very quietly, her fingers brushing against the door frame, something flashing in her eyes, but she quickly lowered her head and didn't say anything.

Lance stood by the living room window, looking out at the street.

It was nearing noon, the sun was shining brightly, and there weren't many pedestrians on the street. Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage would pass by, the sound of its wheels approaching from afar and then fading away again.

Lance was very curious: who would be the first person to approach him?

Is he a mage? Lance made no attempt to conceal the magical traces in the Yordle mansion; if a mage were to investigate diligently, he could easily find him here.

Was he a nobleman? Although Yodl had a bad reputation, he still held the title of baron. If he died so mysteriously, people would want to know who did it.

Lance stood by the window, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the windowsill.

……

"Lord Lance, what shall we eat?"

She heard Cielsa's expectant voice from behind.

Lance turned around.

She stood at the kitchen doorway, her hands unconsciously twisting together.

She was wearing a light gray silk dress she had bought yesterday, the soft fabric draping down her body. Her head was slightly lowered, and her long, silver-gray hair slid down, obscuring half of her face.

Lance remembered that yesterday at the market, she stared at that box of honey almond candy for a long time, twisting her hands and quietly pursing her lips in the same way.

"Yes, what do you want to eat?"

Lance followed up with her question.

Cielsa raised her eyes, her eyelashes trembling.

"There are ingredients ready in the kitchen. I... have some knowledge of cooking." She paused, her voice softening, her eyes sparkling. "Would you like to try my cooking?"

Lance understood: "Okay, then I'm really looking forward to it today."

Cielsa's eyes instantly curved into a smile. Without a word, she turned and disappeared into the kitchen, her skirt fluttering lightly.

Not long after.

"That's enough." Cielsa picked up the plate, turned around, and found Lance watching from the doorway.

The pan-fried pork chop was thick and glistening with sauce. The roasted vegetables were warm in color and had a wonderfully garlicky aroma. The honey oat biscuits were neatly arranged, gleaming with an enticing amber sheen.

Lance gave it a try.

Sissa was staring at him intently, her fingers wrinkling the hem of her skirt.

"Hmm—" Lance deliberately dragged out his words.

Sissa held her breath.

"Announce!"