From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

On one hand, this was because she was a spellcaster, and people naturally revered those with extraordinary powers, and on the other hand, it was because Vanessa was a trusted member of the Fischer family.

A female servant also followed her, responsible for carrying things.

In reality, Vanessa’s position within the Fischer family was akin to that of a housekeeper, a bit higher than Archibald and Erik.

After years of training by Irene, Vanessa handled various matters in an orderly and well-cultured manner, being elegant without losing dignity.

Even with a noticeable limp in one leg, Vanessa never felt dejected or ashamed of her disability, and anyone could see the composure and confidence in her eyes.

People still held the young lady, who was always gentle and smiling, in great affection and respect.

Upon arriving at the church, Vanessa sought out the old priest to inform him of the family head’s arrival at Level 2.

“Are you serious? He has actually reached Level 2!”

The old priest, who was praying, had a dramatic change in expression and quickly rose from in front of the statue.

With her hands behind her back, Vanessa nodded lightly and smiled as she said,

“That’s the situation. The Lord Baron hopes that you could write a letter to the bishop, requesting the church to dispatch someone for the verification of his extraordinary power.”

“Ah, definitely, rest assured on that.”

The old priest nodded his head and after pondering for a moment, said:

“I will go with you to the Fischer household to personally congratulate Lord Baron Byrne, oh, Mr. Byrne.”

Vanessa calmly smiled and continued, “There’s no hurry for that. In time, after the family head becomes the lord, he will host a banquet and will surely invite you.”

The old priest shook his head and waved his hand with a smile.

“It’s different. I will still go then, but today I must go as well, to have a private exchange.”

Vanessa paused for a moment, then quickly understood the old priest’s thoughts.

Attending the banquet was a formal affair, but offering congratulations in person at the first opportunity would foster closer relations.

By the time the old priest and Vanessa arrived at the Fischer family, they found they were not the only ones there. The drawing room could almost be described as a full gathering.

Elder Aaron of the silver descendants clan was the first to arrive.

Then came sea merchant John, followed by Verne from the Verne family, Moore, the leader of the East City Dagger Brotherhood, and the sheriff of Nasir Town.

Having received the news, everyone had made it to the Fischer family more or less immediately.

In the drawing room, apart from Byrne, the old priest held the highest status, hence despite being a latecomer, he was seated closest to Byrne.

Byrne had anticipated the current situation and waited with everyone for the evening banquet with a smile.

This banquet was not the official celebration for “achieving Transmutation” and “becoming a baron,” but a private gathering of their circle, different in nature.

At the banquet, Byrne smiled as he looked at the people around him, noting that some were excited, and others appeared uneasy. Everyone realized the Fischer family would henceforth be different.

“All my old friends gathered together; I’m very pleased, it has been a long time since we’ve had such an occasion.”

The white-haired sea merchant John laughed, let out a sigh, and with open arms said,

“It’s easier to conduct business being around the Fischer family. In the future, there will be many more such occasions, Lord Byrne.”

He usually addressed Byrne as Mr. Byrne, but now he addressed him straightforwardly as “Lord,” even though Byrne had not yet become a formal baron. However, the way everyone looked at him had changed.

Now, Byrne’s status was incomparable to before; everyone was careful with even the smallest details, showing him respect in every move they made.

Sea merchant John was not the only one ready with gifts, but he brought forth a Class 2 Extraordinary Material.

The others were surprised. Over the years, the prices of mysterious rare artifacts and extraordinary materials had skyrocketed, yet John had readily produced a Class 2 Extraordinary Material.

Could he possibly bring out an even more valuable gift for the official banquet?

Instantly, several people felt uneasy, thinking that their gifts paled in comparison and did not sufficiently respect the Fischer family’s face.

A mere commoner, what status could he possess to dare bring a gift more precious than ours?

The silver descendant elder, Aaron, with a calm look and straight and respectful tone, said,

“Nasir has already become a possession of the Fischer family, and with Mr. Byrne arriving at Level 2, the lands of the four towns on the East Coast, all the major families, and the extraordinary exponents will thoroughly remember the name Fischer.”

Due to Aaron’s blunt nature, even his flattery seemed a lot more sincere, but Byrne merely smiled and did not respond.

The old priest smiled, looking at Byrne seated beside him, and said, “Mr. Byrne, I haven’t said this before, but now is the right time to tell you.”

“After becoming a true noble, the social circles you engage with will be completely different, and perhaps you could try to become better acquainted with the bishop’s assistant priest.”

“He never paid much attention to a minor knight clan before, but now it’s entirely different.”

The old priest paused a moment, hinting, “It would definitely benefit the Fischer family’s future.”

Byrne nodded repeatedly, assuring that he would remember the old priest’s words and would take good care of the assistant priest when he comes to Nasir.

The private gathering lasted until late at night, where much was discussed. Sea merchant John and Moore, the leader of the Brotherhood, being commoners and not extraordinary exponents, had the lowest status; they barely spoke a few words of their own and were primarily bystanders at the gathering.

After everyone else had left, sea merchant John stayed behind alone.

“John, do you have something else to discuss?”

John nodded and immediately said, “It’s about the factory that the Fischer family is about to set up. I also want to invest a sum of money in it, Lord Byrne.”

“Hmm, it’s not that it’s impossible,” Byrne nodded.

Even if the Fischer family wanted to bear the investment of two factories, it would be very straining, and inviting others to join was something he and Irene had considered.

After hesitating for a long time, sea merchant John still spoke up:

“Ah, actually, I have another matter I wish to ask you. Have you heard of the existence of the Spirit Realm?”

The Spirit Realm!

The keyword made Byrne cautious, and he nodded and said carefully,

“I indeed heard about it in Fein City, but I don’t know much about the Spirit Realm.”

Sea merchant John chuckled and said:

“Not knowing is just right, hehe. The Spirit Realm is a place of mystical convergence, the most secretive and extraordinary place in the world.”

“They say that some people in the world have obtained unprecedented knowledge and power from the Spirit Realm, and the entire world will change because of it!”

Sea merchant John showed a secretive expression and said in a lowered voice:

“I know that some people on the East Coast have really reached the Spirit Realm and can even go there frequently!”

“Really?”

Byrne pretended to be shocked as if finding it hard to believe, and said:

“I’ve heard that only occasionally do people accidentally enter the Spirit Realm from their dreams. Can people really enter there reliably? That seems unlikely!”

In his heart, he also found it interesting. If it weren’t for the Lord of the Lost, the Fischer family would find it difficult to enter the Spirit Realm.

All sorts of mystical knowledge and intelligence about the Spirit Realm are extremely precious and rare among the Extraordinary nobility circles; in places like the black market or the Alchemy Council, selling them could bring considerable profit.

Because of caution and the principle of confidentiality, the Fischer family had always refrained from selling the intelligence they knew, fearing it might provoke queries from potent forces about how they came to know of it.

Although the black market and the Alchemy Council both claim to keep the seller’s identity confidential, the Fischer family doesn’t trust them completely.

Sea merchant John sighed and, squinting his eyes, revealed his innermost thoughts:

“I plan to make a desperate gamble and buy a method that allows stable entry into the Spirit Realm!”

“They say there’s every miracle and wonder in the Spirit Realm, and even a mortal might become Extraordinary there!”

This seemed too risky.

Byrne maintained an extremely solemn expression but felt inside that John’s choice was a path to his own doom.

Indeed, the Spirit Realm has every miracle and wonder, and there lies infinite possibility.

It even includes the chance for a mortal to ascend to Extraordinary status!

However, the myriad mysterious and eerie beings in the Spirit Realm outnumber those in the real world by dozens of times, making it dangerous even for Extraordinary Exponents.

He, a mere mortal, entering, would be like a plump lamb entering the midst of a pack of tigers.

Sea merchant John said through clenched teeth: “Yes! I want to go to the Spirit Realm, I want to explore the method by which a mortal ascends to becoming an Extraordinary!”

“I’m already over sixty, and I’ve lived my life just as a normal merchant. I’m not content with that, and even if there’s only the slightest chance, I want to take the gamble!”

“Hm, God will protect you, John.”

Byrne nodded, but deep inside he recalled how Irene had tested John two years ago.

At that time, Irene tested John on his attitude towards the gods, not knowing if it was pretense or simple caution, John immediately acted as a devout believer of the Storm.

So, at the family council meeting, Byrne had cast a dissenting vote on the scale of faith.

He refused to make John a Blood Receiver like he had once drawn Grandma Narda, even against the appeal of sea merchant John.

Irene, however, had voted in favor on the scale of faith.

She said she could feel that deep within John’s heart, there was actually no belief in the True Gods.

Additionally, he had maintained a very good relationship with the Fischer family for over a decade and being astute, he would be unlikely to act rashly even after receiving the blood.

Maybe it’s time to hold another family council meeting, Byrne thought to himself after John left.

He had just presented the most valuable gift, overshadowing everyone present, and he was sure it would make some feel discontent.

But John, in an attempt to please the Fischer family, had really gone all out.

It was evident that in John’s heart, he was deeply tied to the Fischer family.

“John is full of desire for Extraordinary power, and at the same time, he is a savvy person who understands the rules well. If he becomes even more closely connected to the family, it would definitely be beneficial.”

“Moreover, the matter of doing business has taken up too much of my energy…”