The sun set in the west.
Nanao.
The sky gradually darkened, tonight there was no moon nor stars.
However, the ground was illuminated with moon and stars.
This was the National Chamber of Commerce Headquarters under the Royal Family, located in the center of Nanao.
Countless uniquely shaped lights brightened the area, most of them internally equipped with luxurious Bright Crystals.
The Chamber had a special device that converted Magic Stones into pure Magic Power to supply energy.
At this moment, a grand gathering was being held in the banquet hall of the Chamber headquarters.
Outside at the grand entrance.
Hosone, dressed in a black suit, alighted from a classically elegant deep brown carriage.
Given his wealth, he could actually afford a steam locomotive, but he preferred to keep a low profile and was not fond of the noisy sound of steam locomotives.
"Have you remembered my instructions?" Hosone straightened his collar and asked the tall figure beside him in a low voice.
"I have remembered," replied the tall Knight, his face stern.
However, when he saw the brightly lit Chamber headquarters, his sternness turned into a hint of concern.
He paused, then said with care, "Sir, be careful with everything."
"Uh, I know."
Hosone nodded, his face expressionless as he walked alone toward the steps ahead.
Ascending the steps.
After the guards at the door checked the invitation, they stepped aside.
Hosone stepped through the doorway, as if entering another world.
Although the lights were bright, his figure was indistinct, quickly disappearing from the Knight's view.
…
"How does it feel now?"
"Uh, it feels a bit weaker than before; I can hardly detect it now, just feels like the air is a bit heavy, like a heavy rain is coming soon."
Renee stood at the other end of the yard, carefully feeling for a while, then replied to Colin in the distance.
"The lower limit of power and range... I think I understand now," Colin murmured as he looked down, then raised his head and smiled at Renee, "It's over, you can go take care of other things now."
He retracted the faint aura of authority that had spread from his body.
"Good Colin! Little Nasi feels like you are somewhat different?"
A small Elf hiding in the bushes excitedly flew out.
Regarding the aura of authority, although it was somewhat frightening to her, the feeling it evoked was more of awe and closeness.
Colin smiled at her, allowing her to land on his shoulder.
After realizing the unexplained presence of an aura of authority on him, he had asked Renee and the Nasi sisters to test it.
Now he had gained some new insights about it.
Overall, this presence was not much different from the aura of authority found on Giant Dragons and some creatures used for transportation, though it was slightly weaker in power.
However, for Nasi, an Elf, it seemed to not only induce the ordinary fearful paralysis but also a peculiar attraction.
'This is probably because of the influence of the Ancient Tree Heart Crystal branches.'
Colin felt an inexplicable worry, but thinking of Golden Paper, he was somewhat reassured.
This situation was probably a normal change... not likely to be a risk.
It was like using different raw materials for sculpture.
Even if the sculpting techniques and shapes were exactly the same, the final results would still present different appearances.
The energy released by the Ancient Tree Heart Crystal, which was transformed from the Ancient Tree of Life, indeed had its unique characteristics.
However, if he wanted to fully understand the nature of the aura, especially the upper limits of its power and the reactions at high intensity.
He would need to test it on more people...
After all, he couldn't bear to experiment on Nasi and the others.
Regrettably, finding such people... he still didn't know where to get them from.
Perhaps, he would need to return to Neustadt City and plan carefully.
…
Yanan Calendar November 16th.
Early morning.
Colin, unusually, walked out of the villa and went to Leibo River.
Perhaps due to the season, every morning, a misty fog covered Leibo River.
Fishermen dressed in linen shirts slowly moved through the fog, presenting a rather poetic sight.
"Five more days at most." Colin gazed at the beautiful scene in front of him, thinking silently.
Light golden particles in front of him converged into an ancient piece of Golden Paper.
On it, the Wizard Level progress startlingly reached 88/100!
After completely absorbing the Ancient Tree Heart Crystal, the enhancement brought by the Ancient Tree Heart had also come to an end.
In the past few days, Colin had tested himself with the Crystal Ball, and his talent had indeed stepped into the First Class.
And without a doubt, he was among the best in the First Class.
However, due to the precision limits of the Crystal Ball in his hand, he wasn't clear on the specific value.
But such clarity, or the lack thereof, wouldn't change his real talent now, nor would it alter the actual speed of his cultivation, so it was not a concern.
After lingering at Leibo River for a while, Colin was ready to head back to the villa.
However, just then, at the adjacent Villa No. 6, a group of people suddenly arrived.
These people were mainly dressed as workers, led by a steward wearing a gray beret.
The butler of Villa No. 6 noticed the commotion and came out, an elderly gentleman with white hair.
"Good morning, sir," the steward with the gray beret said politely.
The greater hearing provided by the First Rank Knight allowed Colin to easily hear the conversation occurring tens of meters away.
"And you are?" the butler asked perplexedly.
The steward in the beret smiled, "We are from Nate Commerce, here to inform your master that this villa has been transferred from Thorne Commerce to our Nate Commerce.
Therefore, a representative will come to collect the future rents, uh...as I understand it, there should be a twenty percent increase compared to before."