It was a long kiss, but for now, that was as far as they could go.

For one, the time and place didn’t allow for anything more intimate.

For another, crossing that final line before the marriage alliance was officially announced would be bad for both Ronin’s and Blanche’s reputations.

This was especially true for Blanche. As a Princess, she was already the subject of much gossip, and if she acted without discretion, she would likely become a new laughingstock.

After their brief moment of tenderness, the two left the lounge and rejoined the boisterous banquet.

The grand feast lasted for a long time. It wasn’t until the clock struck midnight that people began to leave one after another.

"My lord, you’ve returned!"

Tom and David hurried forward to greet him.

Ronin asked, "Has the Golden Feather Palace sent over the champion’s prize yet?"

"They’ve already been delivered, my lord."

Tom replied, "There were five large chests in total. We counted them—ten thousand Gold Coins in each. They’ve all been moved to your study now."

"You actually counted them?"

David had a helpless look on his face. "We did, my lord. You know Tom and I aren’t very learned. Counting all those Gold Coins was worse than hunting a couple of wild boars in the mountains."

Hearing this, Ronin burst out laughing.

Fifty thousand Gold Coins would indeed take some time to count.

And since the two weren’t good at math, they probably made mistakes and had to start over again and again.

"All right, it’s getting late. If there’s nothing else, you two should get some rest."

Ronin walked straight to his study. The five large chests were lined up neatly in the center of the room.

’The four great families didn’t try to haggle. They quickly carried out the penalty decreed by His Majesty the King. It seems Bruno’s rule is relatively stable.’

Although there was open and hidden conflict, it was all between the nobles. When it came to the Royal Family, everyone was completely obedient and loyal, at least on the surface.

Ronin walked over and opened the chests one by one.

The scene reminded him of opening chests in Shore City. That day, he had received twenty thousand Gold Coins and completed the "Prosperous Fortune" achievement.

Today, he had received fifty thousand Gold Coins.

’Based on my past experience with the one, three, and five thresholds, I wonder if I’ll complete two achievement tiers this time.’

As he quickly opened the five chests, the entire room was bathed in a brilliant golden glow under the light of the Magic Lamp. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Fifty thousand Gold Coins was equivalent to more than a decade’s income for a Baron’s Domain.

A prize like this was extremely rare in past Knight tournaments.

At the same time, a line of text popped into Ronin’s vision:

["Prosperous Fortune" achievement completed. Attribute Points +1000, Energy Essence +2000]

Immediately after, a second line of text appeared:

["Prosperous Fortune" achievement completed. Attribute Points +2000, Energy Essence +4000]

Ronin smiled. "I really did complete two tiers at once!"

He glanced at his panel. The next "Prosperous Fortune" achievement required earning a whopping hundred thousand Gold Coins at one time.

’These fifty thousand Gold Coins today were like winning the lottery. It’ll be hard to get an opportunity like this again.’

’So, earning that hundred thousand Gold Coins definitely won’t be easy.’

’Unless... I can plunder the treasury of some great noble.’

As he thought, Ronin looked at his Attribute Panel.

After the bonuses from these two achievement tiers, his Attribute Points had reached 3,003, and his Energy Essence had soared to an unprecedented 7,560!

’With so much Energy Essence, once I become a Meteor Knight, can I raise Elron from a Great Mage to an Eighth-level Mage in one go?’

’Any Magic Master, even one with the Light Attribute, possesses power that cannot be ignored.’

’For Ronin, if Elron becomes a Magic Master, it means he might be able to eliminate the negative effects of the Soul-Devouring Surge on Lurans.’

’At that time, the long-dormant Wushan Territory will welcome the return of its former Meteor Powerhouse of outstanding talent!’

’This would be a huge benefit for both Wushan Territory and for Ronin himself.’

’However, 7,560 Energy Essence might be a little short.’

’According to the current level progression, it already takes 3,500 points to go from a Sixth-level Mage to a Seventh-level Great Mage.’

’So, to go from Seventh-level to an Eighth-level Mage, it will definitely require more than 4,500 Energy Essence.’

’Therefore, to raise Elron to a Magic Master in one go, Ronin will need to accumulate even more Energy Essence.’

’Fortunately, he still has some time before he becomes a Seventh-level Transcendent, so he can continue to accumulate a fair amount from his monthly sign-ins.’

’Moreover, once he returns to Wubei Territory, Giant Stone City, and Chishan Town, there is a series of achievements he can complete.’

’For example, the Population Prosperity and Siege and Conquest achievements on his panel.’

’As long as Rogner transports the personnel that Wiggin and Kabil promised to provide to Wubei Territory, and as long as the new Civil Servant, Sailin, completes the census for Giant Stone City and Chishan Town, he can obtain another large amount of Attribute Points and Energy Essence.’

’It’s just that after this wave of densely-packed achievements is done, the ones that follow will probably be harder and harder to complete.’

’Becoming a Marquis, earning a hundred thousand Gold Coins at once, killing an Eighth-level Extraordinary Unit...’

’These achievements either have massive strength requirements or need time to manage and develop. It will be nearly impossible to complete a large batch of achievements within a few months like he had been doing.’

’Still, he has already established himself among the ranks of the powerful.’

Ronin pulled his thoughts back to the present. Before setting off to exterminate the White Whale Pirate Gang and head to Rapids Island, he needed to spend all his Attribute Points.

After allocating his points, his Knight Level progression reached Perfection at the Golden Level (2500/2500).

And by spending the remaining Attribute Points, his Mage Level also reached Mage (1699/3500).

Ronin closed his eyes, feeling the changes brought about by his increased strength.

Deep within his Sea of Qi, the "Falu Wheel" that a Golden Knight needed to break through was now just an extremely faint, illusory shadow, like a flickering candle in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment.

For an ordinary person, the disappearance of this lingering shadow would mean the Knight had broken through the Falu Wheel and entered a brand new level—the Meteor Level.

After checking the changes in his Sea of Qi, Ronin shifted his attention to his Mana Space.

With the increase in his Mage Level progression, Ronin’s Mana Space had expanded further.

At the same time, the "Seal Wheel" within the space had also been impacted, its brilliance dimming by nearly half.

’To advance, I still need 1,801 Attribute Points. With the current threefold multiplier on my monthly sign-ins, I’ll only need five months, even without relying on achievements.’

Five months. It was a long time, but also a short time.

’This trip to Golden Feather City has been truly fruitful.’

Ronin opened his eyes and, with great satisfaction, stored the five chests full of Gold Coins into his Space Ring.

In just a dozen or so days, he had not only seized a ship, earned a fortune, and sealed a business deal, but also won the beautiful woman, improved his reputation, and recruited two talented individuals.

The word "fruitful" was no longer enough to describe the gains from this trip.

’Next up, the White Whale Pirate Gang and Rapids Island.’

If all went smoothly, Ronin would soon obtain a new Noble Title and territory.