After soothing Isha’s nervousness, Li De called Vina in from her busy work outside.

He instructed his little maid to take Isha to freshen up. Girls should get along better with each other.

Kind-hearted Vina would bring warmth to Isha.

Though reluctant to leave Li De, Isha obediently followed Vina upstairs after seeing her.

Once their figures disappeared up the stairs, Li De let out a satisfied smile.

Acquiring a disciple with the Golden Bloodline was an unexpected joy. The Golden Bloodline—it was like raising a young dragon.

And such a cute and docile young dragon at that. Her delicate demeanor, beautiful eyes, and dependent nature made her endearing even without considering the Golden Bloodline. Raising her seemed like it wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

However, Isha’s growth would take a long time, so there was no rush. For now, the main task was still transporting the materials purchased by the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild to Dawn City.

Dawn City could be described as a place where everything awaited revival. Though the population had grown, everything else was lacking.

Half a Sun-hour later, upon hearing that Li De had returned, Laurent arrived at the Crimson Mage Tower as quickly as possible.

Clad in a luxurious purple robe, slightly plump, and with a kindly face, Laurent was all smiles.

"Good day, Lord Li De."

"Transport all the goods out of the city today. If manpower is insufficient, hire temporary workers." Li De got straight to the point without wasting words.

Laurent nodded. "Yes, Lord Li De. I’ve already preloaded the goods onto carts. Two transport ships are also waiting outside the city. By this evening, we’ll have all the goods moved out."

Li De was pleased. It seemed his previous promise to Laurent had been effective.

"Not bad, you’ve done well. After the Crimson Mage Tower finishes recruiting this batch of apprentices, send your daughter over as well. I’ll inform Vina."

Laurent’s face instantly lit up with a broad smile.

"Lord Li De, your generosity would make even the goddesses admire you~"

Li De chuckled, ignoring the flattery, and continued discussing the development of the merchant guild with him.

Thanks to Li De’s substantial financial injection, the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild had flourished in recent times.

Moreover, large-scale purchases had allowed the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild to forge many excellent connections within Green City.

With years of business experience and Li De as his backing, Laurent had gained much confidence. He conducted several large transactions in the war-torn border regions and earned nearly a hundred gold pucks.

Even Li De was somewhat surprised by the man’s boldness. Just a while ago, he had been robbed clean by beastmen, yet he dared to venture back.

However, Li De didn’t interfere too much in the operations of the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild. The guild was now on the right track, and as long as it didn’t delay the procurement of necessary supplies, it didn’t matter.

He wasn’t a merchant, and besides, the Golden Wheat Merchant Guild was his private property. The better it developed, the greater his returns.

Nevertheless, through his conversation with Laurent, Li De gained some new insights.

Currently, Dawn City didn’t have much income, and he had been funding it generously from his personal treasury.

Although the vampires’ two-hundred-year accumulation was substantial, even the richest fortune would eventually run dry.

Especially as the human population in Green City grew, requiring more extensive purchases.

Perhaps it was time to find a new source of revenue.

A thoughtful gleam flickered in Li De’s eyes.

Whether it was Dawn City or the Crimson Mage Tower, their true potential had yet to be unleashed. But there was no rush; his reserves were sufficient to last another year or two. Expanding revenue streams and developing trade could be approached gradually.

As Li De was lost in thought, a remark from Laurent caught his attention.

"Lord Li De, I heard that your teacher, Lord Spark, has recently emerged from seclusion at the White Tower. Perhaps you could bring a couple of bottles of elven fine wine to pay him a visit?"

Laurent, who had long enjoyed the protection of the Crimson Mage Tower, naturally understood his benefactor’s character—always shut indoors studying magic and rarely mingling among the nobility of Green City.

Fortunately, Lord Li De had changed considerably lately, likely due to rebuilding his family’s town—a positive sign. Thus, he dared to remind Li De.

The White Tower.

Li De felt a slight sense of nostalgia. This was the mage tower of his nominal teacher, Spark.

As one of the three grand mages of Green City, his status was extremely prestigious. The twelve-story White Tower was also one of the highest honors of Green City.

As for that powerful transcendent mage, for some unknown reason, he hadn’t built his own mage tower.

Perhaps for those who had entered the transcendent realm, a mage tower’s assistance had become optional.

In fact, he had never met this nominal teacher of his.

A thought stirred in his mind. Perhaps this was a good opportunity. He had successfully researched improvements to the Small Fireball and Mage Hand spells, providing him with a valid excuse for not visiting for three years.

"Laurent, you know I’ve been immersed in magical research until recently when I finally made progress. I’m not very familiar with my teacher. Do you know what Teacher Spark likes?"

Laurent’s eyes shifted awkwardly at the question but answered honestly.

"Lord Spark enjoys fine wine."

"Fine wine?"

"Yes, dwarven rum, elven wine, human bitter ale, underground mushroom wine, and so on. Lord Spark enjoys all kinds of fine wine."

Li De was somewhat at a loss for words. Mages required extremely precise control over their mental force since every magic node needed mental energy to control, leaving no room for error.

Alcohol greatly affected a caster’s control over their mental energy. Drinking excessively would significantly impair their casting state, so few mages indulged in alcohol.

For a grand mage above Level 15 to enjoy various fine wines was indeed an anomaly.

Moreover, even a merchant of modest status like Laurent knew about this preference, indicating that it was widely known throughout Green City.

"Do you have any good wine?"

"My lord, I have two bottles of wine said to originate from the ancient forest. I’ll immediately have someone fetch them."

"Good. Also, prepare a carriage for me. We’ll visit Lord Spark."

"As you wish, Lord Li De."

After Laurent left, a timid voice came from the wooden staircase on the second floor of the mage tower.

"Teacher~"

Upon hearing the voice, Li De turned around and brightened at the sight of the figure before him.

After freshening up, Isha, who had previously looked disheveled, was completely transformed. The girl wore a blue mage robe, which seemed to belong to Vina. Being rather petite, the robe appeared somewhat oversized on her.

But precisely because of this, Isha looked even cuter. A faint blush graced her pale cheeks, and her ruby-like eyes sparkled with joy.

She resembled a character stepping out of an anime, exuding a strong 2D charm.

Vina, holding Isha’s hand, smiled warmly at Li De.

"Lord Li De, Isha’s injuries weren’t severe. I’ve already used mana to heal her."

Li De nodded and stepped forward to ruffle Isha’s flaxen hair.

"Isha, you will live in the mage tower with Vina. When I’m not around, let Vina teach you magical knowledge."

Isha tilted her head slightly, enjoying the feel of the large hand stroking her. She squinted her eyes like a little kitten.

"Yes, Teacher."

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of girlish coquettishness.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com