Chapter 587: The Team

“These matters can be put aside for now. I’m preparing to leave for a while, and you and Joef should take over these affairs!”

Over the years, Wu Ming had developed a close relationship with Amilia, which made him trust her relatively.

“My lord, where are you going?”

Amilia was shocked.

She had come to rely on Wu Ming as a father figure, fearing any misfortune that might befall him. Without him, the heavenly life they had been enjoying would become a distant dream.

“I’m going to explore an ancient ruin. There might be some unexpected gains, and I must go!”

Wu Ming’s voice was low.

Seeing his expression, Amilia understood that his decision was final.

“Don’t worry. I’m only taking a few people with me. Our army will be under your command, sufficient to deter anyone with ill intentions. Also… remember! Before I return, aside from regular business dealings, do not make any commitments!”

He removed a ruby ring from his finger and tossed it to Amilia.

This ring had been specially designed; the gemstone could be opened to reveal a seal that symbolized authority over the territory.

“I swear upon my life that I will protect this estate for you!”

Amilia said solemnly.

“Good!”

Wu Ming nodded. He changed into a hunter’s outfit, appearing even more capable and stylish, and walked onto the castle’s training ground.

There, two people had already risen early and were sparring.

The clashing of swords echoed continuously. Among them was a boy and a girl, both quite young, yet evenly matched.

“Phew, phew! I won!”

After dozens of exchanges, the boy finally seized an opportunity, knocking the girl’s sword from her hand and cheering. Then, noticing Wu Ming, he immediately bowed: “Lord William!”

“Arwa, you don’t need to handle the affairs of the city guard for now. Remember the expedition I told you about? Go back and prepare well—we’re about to depart!”

“As you command, my lord!”

The boy bowed again, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his face before running off quickly.

This Arwa was none other than the boy Wu Ming had once taught back in Niya Town.

Upon hearing that Wu Ming had won the tournament, become an honored knight, and obtained his own territory, Arwa had practically abandoned everything to come and pledge his allegiance.

In fact, there were many serfs like him in Wu Ming’s domain, but their statuses had changed—they had become ordinary laborers in his workshops, working from morning until night like mere cogs in a tireless machine.

What made Arwa luckier was that Wu Ming had already written to Baron Terry, mentioning Arwa’s situation.

To Baron Terry, Arwa was just an ordinary runaway slave from his lands, hardly worth noting. Thus, he happily accepted Wu Ming’s gift and, with a stroke of his pen, sent Arwa’s entire family to the Karros territory.

At that point, Arwa could only wholeheartedly pledge his loyalty to Wu Ming.

After years of persistent training, he had nearly reached the peak of human physical ability. In terms of strength, he was now comparable to Wu Ming when he had first left Niya Town. If not for his lack of experience, he might even be able to challenge a true knight.

Even Wu Ming had to acknowledge his talent.

Among all the boys in the territory, Arwa had learned the fastest and risen the highest. He had now joined the city guard, occasionally assisting Joahn in dealing with difficult troublemakers.

With a figure of near-knight strength backing him up, Joahn naturally saved a lot of effort and had greatly praised Arwa.

“And you, Beatrice, go back and prepare as well.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Beatrice wore leather armor that exposed her tight, slender thighs. She had grown into a vibrant young woman. Upon hearing Wu Ming’s words, joy immediately flickered in her eyes.

Her eyes were a crystal blue, and her face was as delicate as an angel’s, exuding a unique charm.

In truth, this girl’s growth had been the fastest among Wu Ming’s subordinates.

Although she had served as his test subject for several years, she had benefited from the blue-blood stimulation method. Through persistent training, she had gained many abilities.

The increase in strength and physical constitution was merely the least significant aspect.

“How does it feel? Still painful?”

Wu Ming lifted Beatrice’s blue hair from behind.

On the back of her neck were several irregular triangular scales, glowing with a bluish sheen.

His method of awakening bloodlines was not the common knighthood baptism; rather, it delved deeper into the primal bloodline’s power. Combined with contributions from Alfred, Beatrice’s bloodline had become as potent as that of Count Blue Mountain. Naturally, such powerful bloodline development came with complications.

“Since taking the new potion, it’s improved a lot, and…”

Beatrice gave a mischievous smile and looked at her fingers.

There, a blue hue appeared and gradually spread, forming a layer of frost.

“This is an ability from your bloodline?”

Wu Ming’s face lit up with surprise.

“Yes, I discovered it yesterday. Unfortunately, I can only do this much…”

Beatrice showed a hint of regret.

“Even so, your physical constitution must have undergone transformation, significantly increasing your resistance to cold and freezing effects…”

Wu Ming, however, seemed very excited.

At the very least, he had found a potential way to develop arcane powers, different from knighthood baptism.

“With the specific bloodline of a high-level creature as the source of power… increasing physical strength and constitution, while also awakening certain arcane talents…”

He mused, “It’s somewhat similar to the legendary sorcerers. Could it be that sorcerers in the past emerged this way?”

With immense financial resources and influence, coupled with an unrelenting thirst for knowledge, Wu Ming had spent years collecting knowledge about this world, with the recording of books and scrolls being a top priority.

He had even dispatched a special caravan to the City of Universities to purchase books. If not for his responsibilities as a lord, which prevented him from leaving his territory for long, he might have already traveled the world in search of the secrets behind the disappearance of ancient giants and dragons.

The lord’s summons was swift.

Half an hour later, a small team of six had already gathered in front of Iron Keep.

Wu Ming surveyed the group. Beatrice and Arwa were both there, as well as a woman named Caritan, who was completely wrapped in a black robe and claimed to be a witch.

Whether or not this woman truly practiced witchcraft was unknown, but she was skilled in concocting various potions and had considerable expertise in field first aid and treatment.

Beside her stood a large man wearing chest armor and wielding a two-handed sword nearly as tall as himself. He was called Jack.

He was Wu Ming’s greatest acquisition—a free knight. It seemed he had some unspoken past and was unwilling to reveal his true identity. “Jack” was likely just a nickname, but the fact that he had undergone knighthood baptism was undeniable.

The final member was a tall, thin man in leather armor, his face covered by a black veil. He called himself Malete, a highly successful thief with decent archery skills. Unfortunately, he had been caught during an operation and ended up in Wu Ming’s hands. After being subdued and slightly trained, Wu Ming discovered he was an exceptionally skilled scout, so he was cultivated further.

“If we’re being honest, the weakest in the entire team is probably still Arwa!”

“And even he, in his weakest state, could easily defeat five fully armed soldiers or a ten-man mercenary group…”

Wu Ming thought to himself, watching the other five bow: “My lord.”

“I’m preparing for an expedition—the target is an ancient ruin!”

He slowly revealed his purpose.

“An ancient ruin?” Caritan gasped. “Such places are filled with danger!”

“But also with opportunities! Risk and reward always come hand in hand, don’t they? Or did you foresee something, my witch?”

Wu Ming gazed at Caritan with interest.

He could clearly sense that there was no supernatural power within this witch, yet she was quite knowledgeable in various arcane subjects. She had even once sold Wu Ming an ancient tome concerning primordial bloodlines.

All these clues led Wu Ming to suspect that Caritan likely came from some mystical family but had failed to inherit any supernatural powers.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain her situation.

Out of curiosity, he still hired the witch as his scholar and assistant, though in reality, it was a position of little responsibility, often functioning more as a physician.

“Could it be a prophecy?”

Jack and Malete both turned their eyes toward her. They had grown up hearing tales of witches.

Though witches weren’t depicted as cruel in those stories, they were always associated with mystery and terror. Fortunately, in this world, the Church had been severely weakened, and the religious atmosphere was surprisingly lenient. Otherwise, if Caritan had openly admitted her identity, she would have been immediately arrested by the Church, perhaps even burned at the stake.

“A prophecy? No! That is a power only high-level witches possess…”

Caritan’s chest puffed out slightly, her voice carrying a hint of pride: “Our witch lineage is far older than that of ordinary nobility, which is why we know better about the dangers within ancient ruins. You must understand, in ancient times, the continent was ruled by giant serpents, and ancient dragons and sea giants roamed freely. Even a mere sound or image left behind from those beings would carry unimaginable power.”

“A sound or image?”

Wu Ming listened, unimpressed.

“To achieve that, one would have to form a unique ‘concept’ and solidify it into a specific form, akin to a ‘true divine name.’ At the very least, it would require a sixth-tier being… Do you really think sixth-tier beings were common in ancient times, wandering the streets for anyone to bump into?”

“Besides, even if I did encounter one, it would just be my luck!”