Chapter 166:

Chapter 166: Chapter 166:

Chapter 166:

He then raised his hand and began performing a quick chant, causing the mana around his body to shift as several faint traces of light appeared around him.

Osborne watched quietly, wondering what kind of spell the old man was about to use.

He had already witnessed the man’s incredible control over magic, but seeing him cast another spell at such close range was still an interesting experience.

The next moment, his figure began to vanish.

"I’ll be waiting for you at the Azure Tower, you better not make me wait."

The old man said before his figure vanished completely.

The moment the old man left, Osborne let out a breath of relief before turning on his back, staring tiredly at the forest canopy.

He hated to admit it, but all that action just now, really took a lot out of him.

He had spent the entire encounter trying to avoid angering someone who could probably kill him with a casual movement, and even after the misunderstanding had been resolved, he still had to maintain a respectful attitude while negotiating the terms of their new relationship.

It was certainly more exhausting than he had expected.

’What a troublesome old man.’

Osborne couldn’t help but think back to their encounter, especially the way the old man had gone from accusing him of being a thief to suddenly demanding that he become his disciple.

He wasn’t sure whether he should feel fortunate or unfortunate about the whole situation, but at least he had managed to walk away with his life and an unexpected connection to someone powerful.

As for the herbs, well, he had already harvested them, and there was little point worrying about something he couldn’t change anymore.

Besides, the old man had already agreed to let the matter go.

’The Azure Tower, huh?’

Osborne briefly recalled the name before closing his eyes.

He would have to find out more about the place eventually, especially since it was where his new master expected him to visit, but that could wait until he had taken care of his current responsibilities.

For now, he simply wanted to rest.

---

After resting up, Osborne got up to see the Alpha Lightning Wolf at his side.

The beast let out an excited cry upon noticing that he was finally awake, its tail moving from side to side as it approached him.

Osborne looked at the creature for a moment before smiling faintly.

’You’ve been standing guard while I rested, haven’t you.’

He reached out and patted the beast, which seemed to enjoy his touch as it lowered its head and leaned closer to him.

Although the Lightning Wolf had been knocked unconscious by the old man’s attack, it had recovered before him, and judging by the way it had remained close to his side, it had probably been keeping watch while he rested.

Osborne couldn’t help but appreciate the creature’s loyalty, especially since it had taken most of the force from that attack and prevented him from suffering even worse injuries.

"Here, that’s your reward for being a splendid hound."

He took out several blades of Moonlight Grass before feeding it to the Alpha Lightning Wolf.

The beast immediately opened its mouth and happily swallowed the herbs, letting out a satisfied growl as it enjoyed its reward.

*********

The beast became excited, quickly devouring the herbs with relish.

Osborne watched the Alpha Lightning Wolf finish eating before giving it another gentle pat on the head, pleased that the creature seemed to enjoy its reward.

Although Moonlight Grass wasn’t particularly useful to him anymore, considering how much he had already harvested, feeding a few blades to the beast wasn’t much of a loss.

Besides, the Alpha Lightning Wolf had been quite helpful during their recent encounter, and he couldn’t exactly ignore the fact that it had taken most of the old man’s attack for him.

Once it was done, Osborne had it take him out of the forest.

After travelling for a while, they eventually reached the road.

Osborne looked around to make sure there wasn’t anyone nearby before retrieving the beast back into his sub-space.

He wasn’t particularly interested in explaining why he was travelling around with a Lightning Wolf, especially when there was no need to attract unnecessary attention at the moment.

He then waited along the road.

Osborne didn’t have to wait too long before a carriage appeared in the distance, moving in the direction of town, and after confirming that it wasn’t already occupied by too many passengers, Osborne raised his hand and called it over.

The driver slowed down and stopped beside him, briefly looking at the armoured figure before asking where he intended to go.

Osborne gave him the name of the town and paid for the ride before getting on.

The carriage soon continued along the road, carrying him towards his destination.

*******

The carriage stopped right outside Albert’s estate.

Osborne got off and paid the man before making his way to the gate.

The estate looked just as impressive as he remembered, with its large walls and well-maintained surroundings reflecting the wealth of its owner, and although he had visited the place before, he still couldn’t help but notice how much security was stationed around the entrance.

Considering Albert’s position as a wealthy merchant, it wasn’t particularly surprising that he would take such measures to protect his property.

Osborne approached the gate and exchanged a few words with the men stationed there, informing them of his arrival and asking them to relay the news to their master.

The guards exchanged glances before one of them turned around and headed inside, leaving Osborne waiting by the entrance.

He didn’t mind the wait, since he had come here to meet Albert anyway, and considering the merchant’s usual attitude towards him, there was little reason to believe he would be turned away.

After a short while, the guard returned.

"His lordship wishes to speak with you now."

The man said before both guards opened the gate for Osborne.

Osborne thanked them before stepping inside.