The militia immediately became tense.
"I only trust what I see with my own eyes," Bai Pu waved his hand. "If it weren't for Lady Yvette just now, we would have been killed by the monsters of the Blood Ring. Lady Yvette hails from the Blood Ring Fortress. If she is willing to join Brandon, everything she knows could become extremely valuable intelligence!"
Clearly, Bai Pu's "Respect" level reputation had an effect, and the militia accepted his statement. However, Captain Guna remained cautious and asked, "Lady Yvette, you come from the Blood Ring Fortress. Why are you hostile to the Blood Ring? Please tell me the reason!"
Yvette shook her head and said, "I am entrusted with an important mission that I can only disclose to the lord of Brandonburg. Please take me to see Duke Frederick William immediately."
Obviously, as a low-ranking militia captain, Guna did not warrant Yvette's attention.
Captain Guna hesitated for a moment and said, "Indeed, the Duke is patrolling in this area. However, I do not have the authority to take you to him, but I can first take you to see Lord Qin. She is the Duke's advisor."
"I have heard of the learned Lady Qin; she is an outstanding doctor."
Yvette looked at Bai Pu and said with concern, "Mr. Dior, will you go with me? Your injuries should be treated by Lady Qin."
Sure enough, Yvette's goodwill was not given in vain.
Bai Pu's adventure had gained initial benefits. Without Yvette's favor, as a commoner with no high faction reputation, how would he be qualified to meet the faction's high-level officials directly?
While on the road, Bai Pu didn't remain idle. During a rest, he opened that blue treasure chest.
[You have gained 109 Spiritual Points.]
[You have been given a chance to draw a Spoils Card, currently available times: 1.]
Looking at the 24 blue cards neatly arranged in front of him, Bai Pu sighed, closed his eyes, and randomly pointed with his hand.
Whoosh! The card flipped, the pattern emerged, and finally transformed into an ancient scroll.
The other cards turned into a stream of particles and disappeared into the world along with the blue treasure chest.
[You have obtained an Advanced Weapon Specialization Scroll. Using this scroll, you can learn the Combat Specialty: Advanced Weaponry (Two-Handed Hammer) Level 1.]
Good news, it yielded something.
Bad news, it's unusable.
Bai Pu sighed but still used the scroll. It is currently unusable because he lacks Two-Handed Hammer weapons, but that doesn't mean it won't be useful in the future.
As the scroll was used, a stream of information flowed into his mind. Countless experiences of wielding a Two-Handed Heavy Hammer began to merge into Bai Pu's limbs and bones, transforming into instinctive combat skills.
Soon, Bai Pu's personal attribute interface, under the "Specialty" section, had an additional "Advanced Equipment (Two-Handed Hammer Class) Level 1."
By analogy, Bai Pu also seemed to gain some insights into One-Handed Hammer Class weapons. His Basic Equipment Specialization section developed a branch of "Basic Equipment (One-Handed Hammer Class) Level 1," making him even more adept when wielding a Bone Hammer.
...
Brandon Territory, Stettin Town.
Bai Pu and Yvette met the lord's advisor: Qin.
Qin had jet-black shoulder-length curls, with deep brown eyes hidden behind hanging glasses, exuding the aura of a learned beauty.
She wore a loose black robe, yet the outlines of her high and curvaceous figure were still noticeable.
"Good day."
Qin carefully examined Bai Pu and smiled as she said, "Mr. Dior, your body seems a bit unusual?"
Bai Pu lifted his tattered linen shirt, pointing to the bluish-purple claw marks on his chest and said, "Bad luck, got clawed by a Dead Plague."
"That's not what I meant..." Qin glanced at Yvette beside her, stopped the topic, and smiled, "However, the toxin from the Dead Plague indeed needs to be removed quickly, or you might become the next Dead Plague."
Saying this, Qin took out a turquoise-embedded necklace from inside her robe and gently pressed it onto Bai Pu's chest.
"Let me do it myself..."
Bai Pu wanted to take the turquoise necklace, but Qin stopped him with a gesture. Her fair and slender fingers glided softly over Bai Pu's chest skin, as if teasing.
The warm turquoise necklace traced circles on his chest, carrying a faint milk fragrance, making Bai Pu's body somewhat stiff.
He lacked previous experience and was not adept at interacting with the opposite sex.
Qin casually rubbed the turquoise necklace on Bai Pu's chest while saying to the somewhat uneasy Yvette, "Lady Yvette, I heard you hail from the Blood Ring Fortress. The Duke and I are curious about why the peace was broken, and why the Blood Ring's vanguard crossed the Baltic Sea to invade Brandon's borders."
Yvette took a deep breath, "The invasion decision was made by His Majesty the King, and I am... the Queen's Knight."
"The Queen?" Qin's movements paused slightly, "Is it Maria Eleonora? I remember she's the sister of the old Brandon lord, married to Sweden due to the friendly relations between the two countries. How is she doing?"
"Not well. Both Queen Eleonor and Princess Christina are being held captive by the King," Yvette replied.
"Gustav? Has he gone mad?"
Qin frowned, "Christina is the mother of the Flesh and Blood Plague, bearer of the original curse! She was the first to come into contact with that cursed meteor. How could Gustav take action against her? If Christina lost control, the whole world would fall into chaos!"
Yvette shook her head and said, "His Majesty views the princess as a source of power, constantly drawing her blood for research to create the Blood Ring Army. Even the Queen, who originally didn't favor the princess, could not accept this action and defied His Majesty, leading to both being held captive."
"So, Queen Eleonor sent you to Brandon to seek aid?" Qin asked.
Yvette nodded.
"I understand, it seems that war between Brandon and the Blood Ring is inevitable."
Qin loosened her robe's collar and placed the turquoise necklace back between her bosom. "You should go meet Duke William."
The bluish-purple toxin on Bai Pu's chest had disappeared without a trace. He stood up and said, "Then I'll also go to the audience."
Having joined Brandon, getting familiar with the big boss couldn't be a bad thing.
"Hold on a moment." Qin looked at Bai Pu with a somewhat intense gaze, "To be honest, I'm very interested in your body..."
"Ahem!"
Yvette interrupted Qin's bold words, "Lord Qin, you are the advisor to Duke William. Please mind your position... Even if you have intentions towards Dior Fulri, you shouldn't make public invitations!"
"Looks like you misunderstood."
Qin smiled warmly, "My interest in Dior is not limited to what you think... I'm more intrigued by his constitution and wish to study it. Dior's constitution might be key to combating the Blood Ring."