NOVEL NEXT Chapter 141: Sterling
At noon, during hours like these, the Golden Leaf Auction House was quite crowded with upper-class visitors.
Some came merely to look around, while others placed bids on items that caught their interest.
The shop was located in the same hall as the auction auditorium.
However, during normal days, the auditorium wasn't visible — only a wide, flat floor filled with many tables, each holding an item encased in glass that didn't seem easy to break.
Of course, no one dared to act recklessly here even though there were no special guards — only attendants assisting the guests.
Richard had only come to meet Sophia, but it was difficult not to be captivated by some of the items.
Although most were only Tier 3 weapons, many possessed unique and special abilities.
There were even several pieces of clothing being offered.
Most were luxurious garments — robes, dresses, surcoats, and cloaks — said to adjust automatically to the wearer's body size.
Naturally, they weren't just ordinary clothes. Some were sturdier than armor or enchanted to resist attacks.
However, despite the many items that caught his attention, when Richard spotted Sophia — her hair neatly tied up as she directed a few attendants to arrange the displays — he quickly refocused on his main purpose.
He walked toward the woman who, just yesterday, had lain with his father.
He hadn't seen that far, only up to the point where they passionately kissed, but he had heard her moans of pleasure.
It was something undeniable.
Richard didn't view it negatively. After all, everyone had someone they liked.
Sophia liked Edward — that was her right. And being intimate, that was their right as well.
However, for Sophia, after growing close to Richard and then being discovered by him in that situation, her feelings were undoubtedly in turmoil.
When she saw Richard walking toward her, the usually composed woman instantly looked nervous and flustered.
Even if Richard had been an ordinary boy, he would have begun to understand matters of affection by now.
But Richard was not an ordinary boy. Sophia often doubted whether he truly was a child.
To her, it felt no different from having her secret exposed to an adult.
For a moment, Sophia froze, seemingly unable to decide how to react.
"Lady Whitewater..." Richard greeted her first.
"Oh, Richard, what brings you here?" Sophia responded spontaneously.
Richard remained calm, though she was the one panicking.
"I need your help," Richard said, wearing an expression as if nothing were wrong.
He then explained his problem to her.
Sophia seemed distracted as she listened, but it wasn't hard to understand.
Even without hearing every detail, she grasped the situation and nodded.
"I'll ask around through my connections. But it's still uncertain whether your horse can be found — the thief might not sell it," Sophia said.
"Alright, I'll wait," Richard replied.
"Wait until nightfall — or maybe longer. If anyone brings your horse to any merchant within or around this kingdom, I'll know and inform you," Sophia assured him.
Richard nodded and soon left, realizing how awkward she felt in his presence.
He returned to his inn.
There, he finally released Sister Lisa from the Dragon Hall.
Of course, she still looked confused. Even when she had been kidnapped by the Lord of Crimson Veil, she might not have fully realized it.
"Richard, what happened?" she asked.
Richard didn't mind telling her what had happened, explaining everything briefly yet clearly.
However, it was all difficult for Sister Lisa to comprehend.
She pondered for a long time to make sense of it before finally returning to her room.
Richard, left alone, wore an uncertain expression. He wasn't in the mood to absorb Aether due to the situation and was unsure what to do.
He had never imagined losing his horse.
If Athena had still been weak, he might not have cared much, but she had already reached Tier 37.
In the end, Richard kept waiting. Evening came, but there was still no word from Sophia.
As he continued waiting, the sky turned dark.
DING!
(Your Heavenly Water Points increased from 39 to 52!)
Incomplete Heavenly Water (52 Points)
The System notification appeared, but there was still no message from Sophia.
Richard couldn't help but suspect that his stolen horse might not have been sold.
However, not long after, someone knocked on his door.
"Richard!" Sophia's voice called from outside, instantly reviving his restless spirit.
He quickly opened the door.
"Lady Whitewater, any news?" Richard asked at once.
"I've found out where your horse is," Sophia replied, surprising Richard.
"Where is it?" he asked again.
"First, let me tell you that the one who stole your horse is a man named Sterling. He's not just a beast tamer — he possesses the ability to absorb their powers. Any beast whose ability he absorbs loses its power completely. What's more astonishing is that he can even sell the absorbed abilities to others. So, it's safe to say his goal with your horse was to absorb its abilities." Sophia explained in detail.
'What the hell…' Richard thought, growing anxious again.
If Athena lost her powers, of course he'd be furious.
He cared deeply for his horse — how could he bear for her powers to be taken away?
After thinking for a moment, his eyes widened as he imagined the worst-case scenario.
"H-has he already taken Athena's abilities?" he asked.
And—Sophia gave a slight nod, making Richard stagger.
"Don't panic yet. Like I said, the ability can be given to someone else — and it can also be returned to your horse."
"Really? Wait—how strong is that man?"
Richard naturally had to consider his opponent's strength if he intended to confront him.
If he was too powerful, Richard would summon the Fire Spirit Queen again.
"The good news is, he's not that strong. He's still young — only a little older than the tournament participants, but..."
"But what?"
"He controls many beasts."
"Are they very strong?"
"Some of them might be extremely powerful, but Richard, I'm actually worried this could be a trap set for you. That's why you must not go alone."
"What about that man's background?" Richard asked once more.
He wasn't thinking about how capable the man was; rather, for someone to dare steal in the middle of the capital, he must have some sort of powerful background.
"I've only recently heard this person's name, so I don't know much about his background. It's not even in the Golden Leaf Auction House's intelligence records. However, judging by the details I've gathered, he must come from a significant background," Sophia replied.
Richard furrowed his brows.
"As for his location, it's said that he's somewhere on the border between the One-Star Province and the Two-Star Province," Sophia added.
"Thank you," Richard replied.
That was fairly close, as those two provinces bordered the capital itself.
In fact, the capital stood right at the edge of those provinces, but aside from the city, there was another area often referred to as their shared border.
In that area lay a massive lake connected to the capital's river — commonly known as Star Lake.
"Be careful!" Sophia reminded him before taking her leave.
Richard began to plan how he would deal with the man who dared to steal his horse.
As he thought about it for a moment, an idea struck him.
He quickly moved, heading downstairs.
His destination — Gray's room.
He knew that man hadn't left yet.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
He knocked hard on the door, not caring whether Gray was in the middle of sleeping with Laura.
When there was no response, he knocked even harder.
"Who is it?" Gray's voice finally came, clearly annoyed.
"It's me, Richard!" Richard replied flatly.
So what if Gray was the runner-up of the royal tournament? He still didn't deserve Richard's respect.
Not long after, the door opened slightly, revealing Gray in a robe.
Although he tried to compose himself, his hair was still messy — clearly not from lying down or sleeping.
"Richard, is there something you need?" Gray asked in a polite tone.
Aside from courtesy, he was genuinely curious why Richard was looking for him.
"I need your help with two things, and the first is to spread an announcement for me," Richard said.
"An announcement?" Gray was stunned to hear that.
"Announce to the people of the capital that I want their help to capture the one who stole my horse. And I want you to join as well. Everyone who participates will be regarded as having done me a favor. When I become a Grand Sovereign in the future, I'll repay their kindness." Richard explained.
It might have sounded like he was waving his tail in everyone's face, but he knew how others saw his potential. After all, even someone like the Lord of the Crimson Veil had shown him nothing but respect, just to get him to join the Order of the Crimson Veil.
Of course, he wanted to see just how much influence he had in the capital now.
By this point, people must have already heard how he made the Lord of the Crimson Veil retreat — surely their view of him had become far more reverent.