Not long after, Richard and Jia Lie reached the outskirts of the city. They followed a narrow country lane heading into the distance.
Passing by a small village, Richard suddenly reined in his horse and looked towards one side of the road.
He saw a large expanse of land enclosed by walls a few hundred meters off the road—an estate. The estate had an impressive air about it, with several stone buildings in the center connected by cobblestone paths, keeping one’s boots mud-free even in rainy weather.
This was not all that made the estate attractive to Richard. The vast grounds not only featured a small lake and a nearby grove of trees but were also traversed by a stream.
To others, this might have been merely a beautiful view, but to Richard, it was a free water source and convenient hydropower.
Many of the experiments he conducted required water. Although he could use magic to extract water, it was certainly less hassle than dealing with river water directly. Additionally, he could carry out some experiments within the estate itself, saving the trouble of having to travel to Eden each time.
After studying the estate for a few moments, Richard made up his mind. He pointed and asked Jia Lie, "What’s the status of this estate?"
"Ah?" Jia Lie carefully halted his horse in front and looked toward the estate Richard was pointing to. He spoke up and said, "Master, this estate should belong to Earl Larr. Earl Larr is one of the more influential nobles in Jialan City. He uses this estate to accommodate the collateral members of his family, so it’s quite large and, as a result, quite expensive."
Pausing briefly, Jia Lie continued, "Master, the estates we are planning to visit are still a bit further. They are somewhat smaller than this one, but... everything else is satisfactory. You don’t have to worry."
"I’m not worried," Richard replied, glancing at the sun crossing the sky, "I was just thinking, by the time we reach those other estates it will already be afternoon, won’t it? If we finalize the sale and clean up, it’s unlikely we can move in today."
"Um..." Jia Lie thought for a moment, then admitted frankly, "Indeed, that is a possibility."
"Then let’s do this," said Richard, pointing again to the estate by the road, "just buy this estate."
"But, Master, there’s been no news that this estate is for sale."
"It doesn’t matter. I ask you, if this estate were for sale, what do you think would be a fair price?"
"That... it would have to be at least six or seven thousand Gold Coins, maybe even reaching eight thousand," Jia Lie speculated, then explained his reasoning, "Earl Larr is very wealthy, so if he really wanted to sell, he wouldn’t be in a rush and the price would be high."
"Then go tell the people at this estate that I am prepared to offer double the price and ask if they’re willing to sell. If they are selling, I want everything handled today so that I can move in tonight," Richard said calmly.
"Ah? Double the price, that would be..." Jia Lie felt his tongue suddenly swell in his mouth, making it difficult to speak clearly.
"Let’s tentatively say fifteen thousand Gold Coins. I will pay in Crystal Coins, proportionally," Richard said, glancing sideways at Jia Lie, "Don’t just stand there, go and ask."
"Eh, yes." Jia Lie swallowed hard and rode his horse towards the stone buildings on the estate, his mind in a daze.
It was only after he had negotiated this nearly impossible deal under the skeptical gaze of the estate owner, and then took a heavy bag of Crystal Coins from Richard to give to the owner, completing a series of contracts, that he came to his senses as if waking from a dream.
He had been somewhat doubtful about the "hitching to a powerful leg" earlier, but now he was absolutely certain that he had indeed hitched to one.
The only issue was that the leg was much larger than he had imagined. The sheer wealth, at the very least, challenged his worldview.
It was fifteen thousand Gold Coins!
Richard was indifferent about it; paying fifteen thousand Gold Coins made no significant impression on him, having obtained the Black Spirit King’s Treasure.
What pleased him was the former owner’s efficiency, driven by monetary incentive. The owner, worried about Richard breaching the contract, took the money but only carried away some precious decorations and antiques, leaving the estate behind on a carriage. Most of the bulky furnishings were left for Richard.
Also left behind were five maids and eight male servants from the nearby villages who worked there due to the proximity. The departing owner could not take them along and simply left them to Richard.
After some thought, Richard left these thirteen individuals to Jia Lie’s management, instructing him to pay their wages as before. Their first task was to tidy up a bedroom, a study, and a laboratory for him in the estate.
And so, by dinnertime that evening, he was already seated in his new study in Jialan City, starting his formal life.
Everything went smoothly.
However, sitting behind the desk in the study, Richard frowned slightly when he saw a pile of invitations on the desk.
Were these left behind by the previous owner?
Why had they not been cleaned away?
Pondering, Richard casually opened a few and realized they were not left by the previous owner. They were from many nobles in the city inviting him specifically to their gatherings, addressed to "the Master Wizard from afar."
After thinking it over, Richard pulled a thin rope on the wall.
A bell tinkled, and Jia Lie, now promoted to steward, hastened into the room.
Pointing to the invitations on the desk, Richard asked, "Why are there so many invitations?"
"Oh, it’s , Master." Jia Lie quickly explained, "The news of you purchasing this estate for a high price spread during the day. Your generosity was... quite notable. Many nobles in the city want to establish a relationship with you, so they sent invitations. I didn’t dare dispose of them on my own, so I’ve placed them on your desk."
"I see," Richard nodded in understanding, then instructed, "In the future, discard any similar invitations from people I don’t know. I have many pressing matters and no time to engage in noble societies. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Jia Lie responded briskly, getting a better sense of his wizard master’s character. He asked softly, "What should I do with these invitations on the desk now, Master?"
"Just take them and throw them away, or find a place to stash them out of my way," Richard waved his hand dismissively.
"Yes," Jia Lie said, quickly scooping up the thick stack of invitations from the desk, bowed to Richard, and carefully exited the room.
Leaving the stone building where Richard was, Jia Lie carried the invitations towards the kitchen intending to burn them. But at the kitchen’s entrance, he paused, reconsidered, and returned to his own room instead, locking the invitations in a chest left by the former owner, murmuring to himself, "What if the master needs them in the future?"