Backlund, Empress Borough.
Audrey was about to leave the house when she noticed Susie lying by the door, giving her a meaningful look.
"..." Audrey was slightly taken aback. Just then, she heard her father, Earl Hall, calling from outside.
"My darling daughter, are you about to head out?"
Audrey's face bloomed into an elegant yet affectionate smile. She stepped forward, linked her arm with the Earl Hall's, and said with a smile, "Yes, I'm going to visit Glaint and take a look at his latest work."
"Glaint, is it?"
The Earl gave her a knowing smile. "Only Glaint?"
"And a few friends I get along with."
"Would one of them happen to be Baron Hastur Campbell?"
Audrey was unaffected by the question and replied naturally, "Mr. Hastur is a very knowledgeable gentleman. He often gives me reliable advice on certain matters."
The Earl patted Audrey's hand and sighed lightly. "I don't object to you making friends, but you've been going out rather frequently lately. Some idle gossip has already reached my ears."
Before Audrey could answer, the Earl chuckled softly. "Of course, I've always believed my daughter knows how to maintain proper distance in her social interactions. There's no need for me to worry."
"It's getting late. Go ahead, but remember to come back early."
Audrey gave him a sweet smile and nodded. "Mm, I'll be home before nine tonight."
With that, Audrey waved, and together with Susie and her maid, she left the villa, got into a carriage, and headed for Glaint's home.
Inside the carriage, Audrey pouted slightly, still displeased about the little episode earlier.
It must have been someone whispering to her father. Otherwise, Earl Hall, who usually granted her plenty of freedom, wouldn't have specifically made such remarks before she went out tonight.
"So annoying. Those nobles clearly have so many matters they could discuss, yet they insist on talking about my private affairs."
In irritation, Audrey lightly patted Susie's head. Susie only opened her eyes, glanced at her, and went back to dozing.
Before long, the carriage arrived at Glaint's villa.
The maid stepped down first to assist Audrey, while Susie shook out her shining golden fur, then, imitating Audrey, walked gracefully down the steps one by one.
"Susie's learning my walking style…"
Audrey glanced back at Susie, her face flushing slightly. Having a Beyonder dog was interesting, yes, but watching Susie gradually mimic her in so many ways, even surpassing her in some, always left her feeling a bit uneasy.
She could feel the pressure, worrying that someday Susie might outshine her in every aspect.
Especially since lately Susie had been studying the Loen dictionary, and when in private, carried herself like a scholar.
But before they even reached the entrance of Glaint's villa, Susie's fur bristled all over. Forgetting to imitate Audrey's elegant gait, she tucked her tail and quickly pressed herself against Audrey's legs.
Audrey lowered her head, instantly understanding what Susie meant.
She seemed to have encountered her natural enemy and was too frightened to enter.
Audrey found this strange. She had brought Susie here more than once, and nothing had happened before. Why was she suddenly so scared now?
Just as Audrey hesitated at the doorstep, the door opened, and Glaint stepped out with a broad smile to welcome them.
"Woof…" Susie let out a small bark, then whimpered and hid behind Audrey's legs, refusing to come out.
Could Susie be afraid of Glaint?
Audrey was stunned for a moment, then quickly switched into her "audience" state, carefully observing him tonight.
Glaint's face was full of joy and excitement, as if something wonderful had recently happened. His eyes were also different, especially the look he gave Susie, brimming with absolute confidence.
Before, when facing Susie, his gaze always carried both fondness and nervousness.
His spirituality is leaking… Could it be that Glaint has advanced to Sequence 8?
Didn't Mr. Hastur once mention that Sequence 8 of the Apothecary pathway is called Beast Tamer?
Beast Tamer? Susie? A Beyonder animal? Audrey quickly pieced it together and understood why Susie reacted so strongly tonight.
For an Beyonder animal, encountering a Beast Tamer was like meeting a natural predator.
"Susie doesn't seem to be in the best mood tonight. Why don't you take her for a walk in the garden?"
Audrey instructed her maid to lead Susie away so she wouldn't have to endure her fear of Glaint.
"Woof!" Susie barked once, then vanished into the night.
"Miss Audrey, I suddenly realized Susie really is an exceptionally outstanding little dog," Glaint said, still staring in the direction she had gone.
Audrey's expression turned serious. "Glaint, I won't allow you to harbor any thoughts about Susie. She is my dear companion."
Glaint gave an awkward smile. "I was only a bit envious."
In truth, he had just been considering asking to buy Susie from Audrey, but before he could voice it, she had cut off the idea.
As long as Audrey wasn't willing, no amount of gold pounds could sway her.
"Let's head inside. We shouldn't keep Mr. Hastur and the others waiting." Audrey urged, and Glaint quickly led her to the second-floor study.
Inside, aside from Hastur, there were Xio and Fors.
Seeing Fors healthy again, Audrey happily congratulated her on her recovery.
"Thank you. This incident really taught me a lot," Fors said with emotion, glancing at Hastur.
Since returning to normal, she had reflected much.
To her, it seemed better to live joyfully in the moment, staying home, writing novels occasionally, indulging in good food, than to risk life again in the Beyonder world.
After Audrey sat down, Glaint cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention.
"Two days ago, I advanced to Sequence 8, Beast Tamer." His announcement drew envy and sighs from Xio and Fors.
They had entered the Beyonder world earlier than Glaint, yet now lagged behind him.
As expected of a noble, wealth makes all the difference.
Xio felt a pang of jealousy. If she had that much money, she too would have already bought the necessary ingredients to reach Sequence 8.
"Should I start putting in more effort?"
The thought crossed Fors' mind, only for her to smack it down herself. She had promised to enjoy life. The higher the Sequence, the greater the danger.
Audrey smiled. "Congratulations on your promotion, Glaint."
Unable to hide his joy, Glaint still feigned modesty. "It was just luck. I happened to fully digest the potion after my recent pharmaceutical research, then spent a fortune to buy the formula and ingredients."
Audrey glanced at Hastur, who kept his mild smile, and thought silently: No, Glaint, it wasn't luck. It's because Mr. Hastur has been guiding you all along.
If Mr. Hanged Man could find her ingredients, perhaps she could advance too.
Sequence 8… while Miss Xio and Miss Fors were still at Sequence 9.
After enjoying a small sense of superiority, Glaint asked Hastur, "Now that I'm a Sequence 8 Beast Tamer, how should I aim for Sequence 7?"
"As a Beast Tamer, you probably need to tame animals, perhaps like the lions in a circus act," Hastur suggested lightly.
"I've always wanted to buy a dog as smart and adorable as Susie."
Clearly, Glaint still couldn't let Susie go. Audrey decided she simply wouldn't bring Susie along next time she visited.
'Tsk, Susie… she's destined to become the Dream Hound someday.'
Hastur chuckled. "I'd like to find a clever and cute cat myself, but haven't managed yet."
Xio thought for a moment and asked, "How much would it cost to buy a dog like Susie?"
Audrey recalled and said with a smile, "Susie was a bonus gift when my father bought a hunting dog. She's probably worth about 450 gold pounds."
"450 gold pounds?!" Xio was utterly stunned. Even selling herself wouldn't fetch such a price!
And that was just the bonus. How much did the hunting dog itself cost?
She didn't dare ask, fearing the answer would crush her.
Glaint added, "Even 450 pounds wouldn't buy a dog as smart as Susie. That was only because of Earl Hall's status. After all, the hunting dog he purchased cost tens of thousands of gold pounds."
"Tens of thousands?!" Both Xio and Fors gasped. In their entire lives, they hadn't seen that much money combined.
And that was just for one hunting dog! Compared to that, humans seemed worthless.
They exchanged a helpless glance, almost wanting to huddle together for comfort.
Even Hastur's expression stiffened for a moment. Tens of thousands of gold pounds was no small sum, even for him.
Audrey maintained her polite smile, but inside she thought Glaint was talking far too much.
She knew exactly how dire Hastur's finances were. Surely, such a price must sting him deeply.
She snuck a glance, only catching the fleeting expression on Hastur's face.
Mr. Hastur must be envious, right?