At this sight, Caspian Vance’s face was filled with shock. He had not expected that the chess game he had pondered over and failed to solve would be so easily deciphered by Chris Shelby. Caspian Vance snorted and said, “Chris Shelby, you should know why I called you here today.”
Chris Shelby smiled faintly and replied, “It must be about Blake Noire, right?”
“You know, and yet you play dumb with me!” Caspian Vance said irritably.
“Chris Shelby, you are after all Amerosia Primus. You’ve ruined Blake Noire. Do you realize the consequences? This could easily stir up trouble throughout Middleton!”
Chris Shelby seemed indifferent.
“Blake Noire owes me money, and he refuses to pay. I just taught him a lesson.”
Hearing this, Caspian Vance frowned. Chris Shelby was bold and brazen in his actions. According to Caspian Vance’s character, he would normally not bother with Chris Shelby. However, Archer Wintersong had once asked him to take good care of Chris Shelby. Since Caspian Vance had promised Archer Wintersong, he could not simply ignore the matter.
After a moment of silence, Caspian Vance said, “Chris Shelby, let’s set aside the matter of Blake Noire for now. I called you here today because someone wants to meet you.”
Chris Shelby looked puzzled upon hearing that someone wanted to meet him. Before he could figure it out, Caspian Vance said, “Old friend, come out!”
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew.
Then, a figure stood before Chris Shelby.
“Master!”
Upon seeing the figure clearly, Chris Shelby exclaimed in surprise.
It was none other than his master, Archer Wintersong!
Archer Wintersong gave Chris Shelby a look, his face expressing resignation. He had been planning to leave, but Chris Shelby had caused so much trouble in Middleton. As his master, Archer Wintersong could not just walk away.
With no other choice, Archer Wintersong had come to see him in person.
Seeing Archer Wintersong, Chris Shelby was excited.
“Master, what are you doing here?”
Archer Wintersong glanced at Chris Shelby and said gruffly, “If I didn’t come, you might have torn Middleton apart!”
“Eh?”
At these words, Chris Shelby sheepishly chuckled.
Archer Wintersong sighed and said, “Chris Shelby, I will be leaving in a few days. But before I go, I have some things to hand over to you. One is Team Thunder, and the other is Emberwood Estate.”
“Ah!”
Chris Shelby gasped in surprise. He was not too shocked about Team Thunder, since it was just a special agency. But he was truly surprised about Emberwood Estate!
Emberwood Estate was where Archer Wintersong lived. In other words, Emberwood Estate represented Archer Wintersong himself. Now that Archer Wintersong was handing Emberwood Estate over to Chris Shelby, was he expecting Chris Shelby to take over his mantle?
Seeing Chris Shelby’s astonished face, Archer Wintersong said calmly, “Yes, I want you to become the master of Emberwood Estate.”
Chris Shelby cried out in surprise, “Master, are you joking? You’re giving Emberwood Estate to me, but what will you do?”
Archer Wintersong’s expression became grave.
“I am going to a very dangerous place, and I do not know if I can return. If I do not come back, I hope you will inherit Emberwood Estate and bring it to greater heights.”
“Master, but…”
Before Chris Shelby could finish, Archer Wintersong waved his hand and said, “Enough! Don’t say more. I am leaving everything to you. After I hand these over, I can leave without worries.”
Caspian Vance stood by, his face marked by shock. He had never imagined that in addition to handing Team Thunder over to Chris Shelby, Archer Wintersong would also bestow upon him the Emberwood Estate. The Emberwood Estate was a symbol of Archer Wintersong himself, meaning he had entrusted Chris Shelby with everything he had in Middleton.
Archer Wintersong was no ordinary figure; he was a revered imperial teacher from Amerosia. Whatever he left behind was never trivial.
“This is the token of the Emberwood Estate. With this token, you are now the master of the estate,” Archer Wintersong declared, pulling out a token and handing it to Chris Shelby.
Chris examined the token closely, noticing an engraving of a red leaf.
“Emberwood Crest?”
Upon seeing Archer hand over the Emberwood Crest to Chris, Caspian Vance let out a shout of surprise.
Caspian, looking enviously at Chris, remarked, “Kid, you’ve really hit the jackpot! With this Emberwood Crest, not only can you command Team Thunder and become the master of the Emberwood Estate, but the Emberwood Special Forces will also heed your commands.”
The Emberwood Special Forces were the foremost among Amerosia’s elite units, even more capable than Chris Shelby’s Death Guards.
With this Emberwood Crest, Chris Shelby’s presence in Middleton was now formidable.
Even if he had offended the Noire family, what of it?
With the Emberwood Crest, even the Noire family would have to bow down.
Chris Shelby left the Vance family and went directly to the Emberwood Estate. There, in a courtyard, he reclined on a wicker chair, musing to himself, “I never expected the master to entrust me with the Emberwood Estate! With this place, Daniel Williams, the Noire family, they’re all nothing!”
Chris stood up from his chair and studied a statue in front of him. Towering several meters high, it exuded a commanding presence. He recognized it instantly-it was his master, Archer Wintersong!
Chris had not anticipated his master’s secretive nature, having himself sculpted and displayed within the grounds of the Emberwood Estate.
The estate sprawled over tens of thousands of square meters, resembling a miniature royal garden. In Middleton, where every inch was precious, such a vast estate was immensely valuable.
But for Chris Shelby, it wasn’t about the monetary worth of the Emberwood Estate. What mattered to him was its power to intimidate. The estate was so formidable that even the top ten noble families tread carefully around it.
With the Emberwood Estate now in his hands, Chris could act without restraint.
The phone rang.
Esther was calling Chris Shelby, telling him to come back. Just as he was preparing to leave, he unexpectedly encountered Archer Wintersong at the gate.
“Master, I thought you were leaving. Why are you still here?” Chris asked, surprised.
Archer Wintersong did not respond to his question but simply said, “Come with me.”
Chris obediently followed. Before long, Archer led him to a study filled with various books, many of which were rare ancient texts.
Archer approached a bookshelf and activated a mechanism. With a rumbling sound, the wall cracked open, revealing a hidden compartment from which he retrieved a wooden box.