My Divine Pet Enables Me To Become The Biggest Winner
Chapter 127 - 126: Corroding and Coaxing

Chapter 127: Chapter 126: Corroding and Coaxing

Cersei Bertram searched the village repeatedly but couldn’t figure out what was so special about this place that York Gordon and the others valued it so much. She had no choice but to leave.

That night, they were still staying at the Taoist temple. Cersei invited Owen Bertram for dinner and had a banquet delivered from County Town.

She didn’t need to beat around the bush with Owen: "I promoted you, so whether you’re willing or not, others think you’re part of our Devin clan."

"The Devin clan treats their own well. I’m just Vanessa Thoughts of Shadow’s aunt, but now I’m also the most powerful Prescott in Waves Prefecture."

"I know that you young people have high ambitions and pride, but having a powerful force backing you up is only a good thing."

"Keep an eye on York Gordon and let me know if anything happens." She placed a Jade Communication Talisman on the table and gently pushed it towards Owen Bertram.

Owen certainly wouldn’t refuse.

As for whether he would actually report to her if something were to happen in the future...that’s another story. After all, York and his people are Owen’s people.

Cersei was satisfied with Owen’s reaction, smiling, "You have a sense of the big picture and don’t seem like someone who came from a small village.

By the way, how did your family end up in Extinct Village?"

Owen was as puzzled as he genuinely didn’t know.

Cersei didn’t stay long. She left a Sucky flag and led ten military officers, claiming to look for a suitable location for the guard post near County Town, and then left with her people.

Though the Devin family didn’t know why York and his group valued Extinct Village, they still wanted to intervene. Besides Owen, this team of military officers would be stationed at Jaafar County’s Prescott Group.

Sucky was named Ethereal Devin, from a side branch of the Devin Family. He was a true member of the Devin clan.

He spent these days hanging around with Owen near County Town, claiming to look for a location. Owen was rather impatient, as it was delaying his plan to remodel the Mechanical Dao Soldiers.

Ethereal aimed to expose Owen, a youth from a small village, to the finer things in life, believing Owen would understand the perks of sticking closely to the Devin family.

Ethereal’s way of winning Owen over was somewhat crude, so Owen decided to bring his sister along. Little were they aware that Lord Prescott has been delayed and still hadn’t arrived after four or five days.

Ethereal was in a predicament, as he wasn’t wealthy. From a side branch and a distant relative to the main family, he struggled to join the Horizon Bureau, not gaining much importance. Finally, he received an assignment to entertain Owen. The money Cersei assigned him for this task only amounted to 200 taels.

Ethereal thought he could save at least 150-160 taels, but when Tabitha arrived, each meal cost them dozens of taels...

It wasn’t that she had expensive taste; she just ate too much.

After all, this was the woman who could outeat Vanessa Thoughts of Shadow, who could refine food qi!

Ethereal felt the pain, and since Prescott was even further delayed, money became scarce.

This mission had to succeed, as it was his first assignment from the main family. He couldn’t mess up winning over a mountain village youth. Otherwise, what prospects would he have?

So, from the third day onward, Ethereal had to cover the expenses himself. In total, he only had a few dozen taels of private money, which was just enough to feed Tabitha...for a meal and a half.

Then, the dignified Sucky had to start borrowing money from his subordinates.

Not only silver, but copper too!

The military officers didn’t have much money, either. Later, they avoided their superior, who seemed like a plague.

The innkeepers in County Town began to view Ethereal with immense enthusiasm, but they quickly discovered that this government officer from Prefecture City had to scrape together his finances for every meal. He had no gold, and when silver ran out, he counted individual copper coins!

As for tips, there was no chance. Every meal was just barely enough to cover the cost.

"Huh—" The shopkeepers sneered secretly: "If you don’t have money, don’t pretend to be a big shot from the Prefecture City."

Unable to cope anymore, Ethereal Devin was finally relieved as Lord Prescott arrived.

In addition to wining and dining Owen Bertram over these past few days, Ethereal Devin had indeed been attempting to sway him to some extent. For example, he would frequently dine with Owen and endure hunger, saying, "The Devin Clan is a powerful and unfathomable force. Even Lord Prescott has to give us some face. You’ll see that even though I’m just a low-ranking serviceman, my opinion still matters to him, because I have the Devin surname."

Now that Lord Prescott had arrived, Ethereal Devin’s eyes filled with tears of excitement. He dragged Owen to the city gate to greet him, "Quick, come with me."

He was finally free!

However, Ethereal Devin still worried. He had sent a letter to his family asking for money because he didn’t have enough, and included an account of him treating Owen and his sister to meals each day. He wasn’t sure if they would send the funds—as, after all, each meal was so extravagant that it seemed like a fake account.

What would he use to give his subordinates money if they didn’t send it?

It was a headache.

Several fine horses kicked up a long trail of yellow dust as they approached the County Town from the main road. Ethereal Devin stepped forward and greeted them, "Is this Lord Matthew Prescott? I’m Ethereal Devin."

Owen Bertram stood to the side and glanced at Ethereal Devin with slanted eyes: I am the Commander and you are just a low-ranking officer, I should be the one in charge here. But seeing as you’ve been spending money on treating us recently, I won’t argue with you.

He looked up and recognized one of the trusted administrative officers for York Gordon, who was standing beside him.

Matthew reined in his horse and, ignoring Ethereal Devin, looked around and asked, "Which of you is Commander Owen Bertram?"

Ethereal Devin pointed at Owen Bertram, "This gentleman is."

Matthew quickly dismounted and, with a wave of his hand, brushed aside Ethereal Devin. He came smiling to Owen, bowing and saying, "Commander Bertram, I have long admired your great name. Such a talented young man, truly extraordinary!"

"Lord Prescott, you flatter me."

Ethereal Devin felt somewhat hurt at the side, thinking, ’I am a part of the Devin Clan, with a very prominent background, but I was just ignored like that?’

Finally, after Matthew and Owen finished their mutual exchanges of admiration, Ethereal Devin found another opportunity to approach, saying, "Lord Prescott, I have led a group of people through Jaafar County in the past few days to select a few suitable military locations for the establishment of a defense post. Please consider our recommendations."

He handed over a map of Jaafar County, which was marked with those locations.

Unexpectedly, Matthew waved his hand and directly rejected it, saying, "No."

Ethereal Devin was astonished, his face burning with embarrassment. Nevertheless, Matthew smiled and asked Owen, "As a native of Jaafar County, Commander Bertram, do you have any suggestions on where to establish the defense post?"

Owen Bertram said, "Quinn Base..."

Upon hearing this name, Matthew nodded vigorously, "Good, let’s set it up there." Owen originally wanted to introduce the advantages of Quinn Base’s terrain and location, but there was no need to say any more.

Ethereal Devin almost tore the map apart in frustration. Quinn Base was also one of the locations he had selected, but Matthew rejected it without even looking, whereas he immediately agreed as soon as Owen spoke up!

This low-ranking officer really wanted to smash something.

Nevertheless, he still had to do what needed to be done. So Ethereal Devin had no choice but to suppress his grievances and resentment, force a smile, and say to Matthew, "Lord Prescott, I have prepared a banquet for your arrival..."

Matthew pushed him aside with one hand, gestured to Owen and said, "There’s no need for a welcome banquet. I’ll be hosting a dinner tonight in your honor, Commander Bertram. With your own might, you’ve stopped the Magic Wave and averted calamity for the people. I have long admired your courage and talent, and must pay my respect with a few toasts. Please, Commander Bertram, join me!"

Owen Bertram waved his hand, "There’s no need for such courtesy, Lord Prescott."

Ethereal Devin’s face was already numb, mainly because he had been thrown to the ground and trampled on by Lord Prescott several times.

However, he thought about how his fellow military officers had long since come to treat him like a venomous snake, and he no longer had any dignity left anyway.

He just had to get used to it.