SWDnovel Chapter 118 Hick's Gift and Special Treatment
Chapter 118 Hick's Gift and Special Treatment
Chapter 119 Hick's Gift and Special Treatment
"Father—My dearest father—"
Rico stood below, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. The little bit of lordly prestige he usually displayed in his own territory had long since vanished, and he looked like a mouse seeing a cat.
Seeing her husband's cowardly appearance, Mrs. Ryan, Kaina, couldn't help but glare at him fiercely. Then she quickly stepped forward and gave her father, who was sitting in the main seat, a sweet smile: "Father, please ignore him. We came here today because there is something—something important we want to tell you."
Looking at his most beloved youngest daughter, the old man's expression instantly melted away, becoming kind and gentle, and his tone softened considerably: "Oh? My dear Kaina, have you encountered some difficulties? Is there anything your father can help you with?"
Go ahead and say it.
Mrs. Lane did not speak immediately, but instead cautiously looked around at the servants standing in the hall.
Although the old man was somewhat puzzled, he still waved his hand, signaling all the servants to leave, and activated a simple soundproof barrier.
"Alright, now you can tell me, Kaina? Why are you being so mysterious?" the old man asked.
Mrs. Lane nodded, then nudged her husband Rico, who was still in a daze, with her elbow, giving him a look that said, "Speak up."
Rico, who had been confidently declaring at home that he would stand tall and save face in front of his father-in-law, suddenly lost all his courage when he met his father-in-law's seemingly calm but extremely oppressive gaze. He started whimpering and looking around, not daring to speak.
"Say something! How do you talk like that at home?!"
Mrs. Lane was somewhat exasperated, but she couldn't lash out in front of her father, so she could only urge him in a low voice while secretly pinching Rico's arm hard.
"hiss-
'
Amidst the pain, Rico seemed to have a switch flipped, taking a sharp breath and almost closing his eyes as he quickly said to the old man at the head of the table, "Father—Father! This—this is what Hick—he asked me to bring to you!"
After stammering through the sentence, Rico seemed to have accomplished some incredibly difficult task. He quickly pulled out a metal box with a special material and a surface covered with mysterious and enigmatic patterns from his pocket, and held it in front of him with slightly trembling hands.
Although Old Master Evans looked down on his son-in-law in every way, he valued and was extremely proud of his grandson Hick, who was exceptionally talented and had even become a formal wizard.
Upon hearing that it was sent by Hick, the old man's eyes lit up slightly. He raised his hand, and an invisible force lifted the box from Rico's hand, allowing it to land steadily on the table in front of him.
"Did my dear grandson specially send this to me?"
The old man stroked the cool, delicate texture of the box, his tone softening considerably.
"Did he say anything else?"
Hick also said—
When talking about his son, Rico seemed to find some confidence, and his speech became much smoother.
"I want you to drink what's in this box as soon as possible. They say it's good for your health."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, the old man became even more curious.
He knew that Hick's strength and status were different from before, and the things he brought out must be extraordinary.
He didn't mince words and immediately pressed his finger on a hidden clasp on the box.
With a soft "click," the lid popped open.
An indescribable, fresh and fragrant aura, yet imbued with powerful life energy, instantly filled the entire hall. Just a wisp of it invigorated the spirit, making one feel as if their body had become lighter.
Inside the box, on a soft red silk cushion, lay a crystal bottle.
The bottle contained about a mouthful of blood-red potion, shimmering with eerie red dots, a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
What caused Mr. Evans' pupils to contract sharply and his face to fill with disbelief and shock was a simple label affixed to the crystal bottle, on which a line of small text was written in a handwriting he recognized as Hick's:
Dragon Blood Enhancement Potion
These five words exploded in his mind like a thunderclap!
Dragon Blood!
That's a supreme material that only exists in ancient legends and the highest-level wizard trade fairs!
Every drop is priceless, enough to ignite a frenzy of competition among countless wizards!
Its terrifying life energy and transformative potential are the ultimate temptation that no wizard seeking power and longevity can resist!
And now, a whole vial, though not much, but definitely a Dragon Blood Potion, was placed right in front of him! It was sent by his grandson—no, his grandson Hick!
The old man felt his heart pounding wildly, almost bursting out of his chest.
He took several deep breaths to barely suppress the raging storm in his heart, but his trembling fingers betrayed that he was far from as calm as he appeared.
He carefully picked up the crystal bottle; it was icy cold to the touch, yet he could feel the immense, dormant energy within it, like that of a volcano.
"This—this really is—that Hick child—"
The old man's voice trembled slightly. He raised his head and looked sharply at his son-in-law Rico, who was so nervous that he was almost moving his hands and feet in unison.
"Where did he get it? He—how is he now?"
At this moment, all dissatisfaction with the son-in-law and all old grudges were temporarily forgotten due to the impact of this potion.
His only thought was—what exactly had Hick gone through?
How could they even get their hands on something like this?!
Could there be huge risks behind this?
Rico shuddered under his father-in-law's unprecedentedly sharp gaze and instinctively tried to hide behind his wife, but Kaina secretly pinched him to steady him.
"It was given to me by Hick."
Rico swallowed hard, trying to recall what his son had told him.
He said—this is the latest achievement of his laboratory, absolutely safe. He assured you that taking it would be beneficial for stabilizing your condition and prolonging your life. He also said—he's doing well now, so his family doesn't need to worry.
Rico's retelling was halting, but he managed to convey the core meaning clearly.
Kaina quickly added, "Father, Hick is always a very sensible person. Since he specifically asked Rico to deliver it, he must have thought it through carefully. You can use it with peace of mind."
Grandpa Evans looked at the bottle of medicine in his hand, which resembled a work of art, with a complex expression.
There was excitement, disbelief, awe at his grandson's abilities, and deep worry.
Dragon Blood Potion — This is an enormous undertaking!
It was so great that even this veteran wizard felt his heart pound.
Hick, that kid, how long has he been away from home? Only three years!
Has he already reached such a height? Or has he been drawn into some enormous vortex that he cannot even imagine?
Could it be about that incident from before?!
But in any case, this filial piety, this weighty gift, was truly placed before him.
The old man remained silent for a long time; the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only his slightly heavy breathing as the only sound.
Finally, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and his eyes became resolute.
He carefully placed the crystal bottle back into the box, closed the lid, as if it were a priceless treasure.
"Excellent—excellent—the Evans family has truly produced a dragon!"
The old man muttered to himself, and finally couldn't help but show an extremely gratified and proud smile on his face; his previous dissatisfaction and discontent had long since vanished.
When he looked at Rico again, his gaze wasn't exactly friendly, but the obvious disgust and rejection had disappeared.
Instead, there is a complex, even slightly scrutinizing, and—well, perhaps it could be called—"
A look of "reluctant approval".
The fact that this good-for-nothing son-in-law could produce and raise a descendant like Hick suggests that he is not entirely without merit.
"cough."
The old man cleared his throat, his tone softening considerably.
"Since it's such a kind gesture from my dear grandson, then this old man should accept it without hesitation. You must be tired from your journey; please settle down and rest at the manor. Kaina, take your husband to the guest room to settle in."
This is almost the first time in many years that the old man has taken the initiative to let Rico stay at the estate!
Kaina's face instantly lit up with a delighted smile, and she quickly pulled her still somewhat bewildered husband to a bow, saying, "Thank you, Father!"
"Um."
The old man nodded reservedly, holding the metal box as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. He got up to leave, as he needed to find an absolutely safe place to dispose of the potion immediately.
As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, without turning around, and simply said, "Tell Hick that his grandfather has received his message. Tell him—to be careful. The Evans family will always be his support."
After saying that, the old man quickly left, his back seemingly straightening up a bit.
Only Mr. and Mrs. Lane remained in the hall.
Rico was still somewhat dazed, staring blankly in the direction his father-in-law had left, muttering, "Father—did he—just now—accept me?"
Kaina looked at her silly husband, feeling both amused and exasperated. In the end, she let out a helpless sigh, but her eyes were filled with joy.
He knew that his son had achieved his goal.
"Fool! It's because of our son! But—it's a good start, isn't it?"
She took her husband's arm.
"Let's go and rest. This time, at least you didn't mess things up."
Rico scratched his head. Although the process was a bit frustrating, the result seemed to be—not bad?
At least, next time I visit my father-in-law's house, I shouldn't be kicked out immediately, right?
Just as Mr. Evans was taking the medicine, the Lanes moved into the guest room amidst those astonished gazes.
The waters of the Doring River reflected the afterglow of the setting sun, and a weary but still dignified procession stopped to rest by the river.
Kyle Arnold, who was at the head of the group, looked towards the faint outline of the manor across the river, shrouded in twilight and ancient magical protection.
"The Evans family manor is just ahead. Old Master Evans is highly respected in the neutral wizarding community and has some trade dealings with our family. We can rest there for a while, pay a visit to the old master, and perhaps even find out some recent news about this area."
Kyle addressed the family group behind him, his tone carrying a hint of respect for his elders.
"Evans Manor? Is that the old Lord Evans, who once protected several weak families and was hailed as the Shield of Neutrality?"
Sena, who was standing next to him, lit up when she heard her brother's words, and her face showed an expression of admiration. She had obviously heard a lot about the heroic deeds and good reputation of this old wizard since she was a child.
"Yes, it's him."
Kyle nodded, and seeing his sister's rare expression of admiration, he felt a little more relaxed. He patiently explained, "It is extremely difficult for the old man to maintain his independence and neutrality between the two giants, the Silent Forest and the Eternal Tower, and to win a certain degree of respect from both sides."
Back then, many in both the black and white wizard camps acknowledged his character and courage in what happened. His manor served as a rare safe haven and neutral intelligence exchange point in the region.
His implication was that he might be able to avoid the dangerous "black-clad thugs" here and get more reliable information, instead of wandering aimlessly around the border like a headless fly.
Sena nodded repeatedly, as if she could already see the image of the legendary, just, dignified, and virtuous old hero, and her heart filled with anticipation.
"Let's hurry over there! We can hear Lord Evans tell his story from back then!"
Kyle smiled helplessly as he watched his sister regain her energy, and ordered the group to prepare to cross the river and head to Evans Manor for the night.
He hoped the visit would go smoothly and that he might even get some clues about the mysterious group from old Evans.
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