Once he had seen the effects of the first S-rank skill, Floki ignored the pain and started learning the second one instantly.

He went through the same immense pain that almost stole his sanity, yet he endured it with nothing but willpower.

And when the time count ended, the new skill revealed itself.

╔════════════════════╗

Lord Of Fertility (S-rank)

A lord’s dominion is not only measured by strength, but by the abundance it sustains. This skill passively transforms your territory into a cradle of endless growth, causing all plant life within your domain to develop at an accelerated rate far beyond natural limits. Crops, trees, and all forms of vegetation mature in a fraction of their normal time. What would take decades can be achieved within mere months.

Beyond accelerated growth, your influence anchors life itself. Plants under your authority no longer wither with age or succumb to natural decay, continuing to thrive indefinitely unless destroyed by external force. Under your rule, the land becomes ever-green, ever-living, and endlessly productive.

╚════════════════════╝

And once more, he smiled with excitement.

"This is the skill Drake was talking about," he muttered to himself.

Floki stayed in the perfumed bath for a few more minutes before leaving the bathroom.

When he scanned his shop, there were over one hundred skills, weapons, and miscellaneous items. Among them was a rare-grade set of clothes, all in his favourite color, black.

His attire consisted of a finely fitted black doublet, smooth and clean, lined with faint silver at the edges.

A long coat rested over it, light and flowing, its form simple yet commanding.

His trousers were neat, tucked into polished boots, while a dark belt held a modest sheath for his blade. To complete his dressing, he purchased an Epic-grade longsword with a black blade that helped the user manifest their affinities with less difficulty and reduced mana usage.

The new attire and his white hair, which he had made sure to comb properly, combined well.

"This is more like it.."

Staring at his new appearance in the mirror, a smile formed on his face.

Then he stepped outside of his manor.

His new attire, gentle perfume, and overall presence instantly drew the attention of the single ladies.

They paused in their duties, staring at him for longer than usual.

With a casual wave, he ignored the attention and strode towards the training ground, curious to see the improvement of his force.

When he arrived, he was appalled.

The last time he had strolled past the field, even without properly checking on them, he could tell they were still at the very lowest level of their training.

But now, they all seemed different, as though they had been practicing for weeks, even months.

The change was much clearer among the women.

Angelina could be seen going slash for slash against a muscular soldier.

While the soldier did not back down, from their exchange, it was clear that Angelina was no longer anything close to a novice.

Floki was beyond dumbfounded. He did not expect that the Lord Of Growth effect would be this immediate. It had not even been up to one hour, yet they had improved this much.

While he was still observing, Garrick spotted him and jogged over to share the good news.

He told Floki how the sudden change had come about just a few minutes ago.

"I have trained thousands of genius knights in my world, but none of them have ever made such an improvement in such a short span," Garrick confessed.

Floki nodded. Indeed, such things were impossible to come by.

"With their current rate of improvement, they no longer need to keep practicing with makeshift weapons. They need real weapons and real combat training to further boost their experience and growth," Garrick added.

Floki agreed.

As he watched, he saw numerous soldiers break their wooden weapons under the force of their swings. It was clear they would no longer be enough.

Before leaving to check on the marketplace construction, he instructed Garrick to write down the amount of weapons needed, and Garrick accepted.

Breeze only waved at him and did not bother to come greet him.

===

"We’re done."

Evander said with a smile on his face.

Floki stood beside him as he scanned the newly constructed marketplace.

The mercenaries had indeed done a great job. Each stall and table was built properly. The wood used was not low-grade material at all, but of good quality, capable of withstanding the heat of the sun and the moisture of the rain for a long time. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"This is good."

Floki complimented sincerely, giving a nod of approval to the mercenaries who were still in their carpenter uniforms as they had just finished. They smiled in response.

"Now that I’ve completed my end of the deal, I will be returning in two weeks for my profit," Evander said with a smile, stretching his hand out for a shake.

Floki smiled. He was pleased that Evander did not believe he could make his town upgrade to a city in two weeks. It gave him more determination, not only for his own benefit but also to prove him wrong.

"Let’s see how it goes," Floki responded.

"So manly."

At the side, Thalia and Tania placed their hands over their mouths and gawked at Floki’s handsome and noble figure. His new attire made their attraction towards him even stronger.

Evander’s head twitched slightly as he heard their laughter. He cursed them in his mind, yet he could not say anything offensive to their faces.

"Do not forget to introduce my town to other merchant groups. I need more customers," Floki added.

’More customers my foot. In two weeks, your village will be mine. Yellow Orchid will be your sole supplier and buyer. I will use your hard work to prove my father and brother wrong,’ Evander scoffed inwardly, maintaining a gentle outward expression.

"Sure, sure... I’ll help you with that," he responded.

Floki was not dumb. He could sense the sarcasm in his tone. It was obvious the man would not inform anyone. In fact, judging by his greediness, he might even spread lies to keep other caravans or merchant groups from visiting Ironside.

Hence, Floki decided to use his charm once more.

He lifted his hand stylishly and beckoned the two young ladies to come closer.

The two blushed and ran towards him like teenagers running to their idol.

Tania held his right hand while Thalia held his left.

Evander’s expression crumbled instantly as he cursed repeatedly in his mind. His fist clenched as he stared into Floki’s eyes. Floki returned the look with a calm, slightly cunning smile.

"Can you ask him to excuse us?" Floki turned to Tania and said in a smooth voice.

"Sure.."

Tania turned to Evander. "Please excuse us for a minute."

"B-But.."

"It is only a minute. This is not a discussion for teenagers," Thalia quickly added.

Evander looked at the two sisters, then stomped his feet and left in frustration.

Now that they were alone, Thalia and Tania began to run their hands along Floki’s lean, muscular arms while gazing at his face. The scent of his perfume lingered, making it difficult for them to pull away.

"Do you want to ask us to stay with you? I and my sister do not mind," Thalia said seductively.

"Of course, you’re a Baron. You’re allowed to marry as many wives as you can cater for," Tania added.

The two went on for a few seconds, talking about becoming his wives.

’No way I am adding the stress of a relationship to a hell-level mission,’ Floki rejected the thought in his head.

Dating back on Earth was already stressful, and those women were normal. How much worse would it be to deal with two noble sisters with this level of charm? Completely impossible.

Yet, he did not reject them outright.

He needed them for several reasons.

First, they were his counter against Evander’s greed.

Secondly, they were clearly not of normal origin. Maintaining a good connection, especially through a false romantic relationship, was one of the best ways to build influence.

Perhaps more reasons would appear as he got to know them.

His charm seemed to have a strong effect on the two ladies.

"If you agree to date us, we will help you develop much faster with our connections. Also, do not worry about the deal you made with Evander. Even if you lose, we can still help you," they suggested.

"Unfortunately, we have a special place to be for the next weeks," Tania said with a slightly solemn expression.

Floki closed his eyes briefly, silently thanking his luck.

"I will miss seeing your faces and hearing your sweet voices," Floki said.

His words affected them more than he expected.

After some time, Evander and the mercenaries began urging the two ladies to return to the caravan.

Their destination seemed important, as they did not argue or try to delay.

Before leaving, they handed him a special magic communication scroll and departed.

.....

A/N: It is weekend so one Chapter. Thanks for reading