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In the Clinton Empire, the title of Duke carried immense authority, second only to the king. They wielded nearly unrivaled power—one man above tens of thousands. Such a figure wasn't someone Luca, or even the entire Howard family, could afford to provoke.

Lucia's tone turned serious as well. "Sophia's right. It's best to stay away from royal women. Their relationships are entangled in a web of complex politics. One misstep and you could be caught in a dangerous whirlpool."

"What are you two thinking? I'm just curious, that's all. It's not every day you see such a young Platinum Grade professional," Luca said, somewhat exasperated. These two really had quite the imagination.

Nevertheless, he couldn't help but grow more curious about Lucia's background. What sort of influence did his teacher possess to be on such close terms with the Queen of the Empire?

While Luca was lost in his thoughts, a sudden commotion broke out in the banquet hall.

"Count Ryan is here!" someone exclaimed.

Hearing this, Luca looked over and saw the crowd parting to make way.

Ryan, dressed in a luxurious count's ceremonial suit, entered the hall with Lady Lenna by his side.

Lady Lenna looked a bit haggard, probably still reeling from the ordeal involving Rudolph.

However, compared to a few days ago, she appeared much better. Though her face remained pale, she could at least move around unaided.

"Now that all the guests have arrived, let's officially begin tonight's banquet!" Ryan, a man of swift and decisive action, wasted no time and got straight to the point.

The hall gradually quieted down, and all eyes turned to him.

Ryan scanned the room, his voice resonating with authority as he spoke, "A few days ago, due to my negligence, the Nightmare Cult managed to infiltrate Riverfall City, nearly leading to its downfall."

"If it weren't for all of you risking your lives to buy us time, this city wouldn't still be standing today. On behalf of Riverfall City and its hundreds of thousands of residents, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you!"

With that, he bowed deeply in apology.

The attendees were taken aback by his gesture, scrambling to dissuade him, but Ryan waved them off, not allowing anyone to stop him.

He sighed, shaking his head. "This was entirely my fault. If I had detected the Nightmare Cult's conspiracy and Rudolph's betrayal sooner, Riverfall City wouldn't have faced such a calamity, and we wouldn't have lost so many soldiers."

"Unfortunately, what's done is done, and there's no use dwelling on it. I will ensure that the families of the fallen receive double compensation to provide them with at least ten years of financial security. It's the least I can do for them."

"In addition, I have prepared gifts to honor the contributions each of you made that day."

He clapped his hands, and a line of servants immediately stepped forward with trays, each carrying an intricately crafted pouch.

Ryan continued, "These are small tokens of my appreciation. Please, accept them."

With his words, the servants respectfully presented the pouches to each of the attendees.

Luca also received one.

He opened the pouch and glanced inside, only to find a staggering 300 gold coins.

It was the same for everyone else.

Luca couldn't help but be taken aback. Ryan's generosity was indeed astonishing!

There were at least a few hundred people here, which meant he was handing out a total of 100,000 gold coins!

After distributing the gold coins, a faint smile appeared on Ryan's face. "In addition, I need to offer my special thanks to a young man. Without his timely intervention in uncovering the Nightmare Cult's plot, Riverfall City would likely be in ruins right now, with everything beyond salvation. One could say that he is the hero of Riverfall City!"

As he spoke, Ryan glanced around the hall, smiling as he asked, "I wonder where Mr. Luca is? Please, step forward."

Upon hearing his name, everyone's gaze turned in unison toward Luca, who was standing in a corner.

"Huh?" Luca stood there, utterly bewildered, never expecting that he would be singled out.

"Huh, what? Hurry up and get over there!" Lucia urged, nudging him forward.

Rising to his feet, Luca couldn't help but feel a bit excited, wondering what kind of reward Ryan had in store for him.

As Luca approached, Ryan extended his heartfelt gratitude. "Mr. Luca, you truly are a young man of exceptional talent. Sophia has already informed me of everything that transpired. Besides thanking you on behalf of the residents of Riverfall City, I also owe you my deepest gratitude for saving my wife. If not for your intervention, she might not be with us today."

Luca scratched his nose awkwardly and forced a smile. "You flatter me, Lord Count. I was merely lucky."

He felt somewhat undeserving of such praise since, ultimately, his actions were driven by self-interest when he saved Lady Lenna.

Ryan let out a hearty laugh. "There's no need for modesty on such matters. Saving the lives of so many people in Riverfall City, along with my wife's life, deserves nothing short of the highest praise and thanks."

"Charles, bring forth the gift I've prepared for Mr. Luca," Ryan called out.

The old butler responded promptly and walked over briskly, carrying a square tray draped in fine silk.

Ryan lifted the cover to reveal three items: a bronze medal, a black noble's robe, and a silver card inscribed with the words "Four Seasons."

"You saved Riverfall City and its hundreds of thousands of residents, which is no small feat! I have already submitted your application for a viscountship to Marquis Bronte. If there are no complications, it should be approved within a few days," Ryan announced with a beaming smile.

"When the time comes, you will be able to choose your own fief from among the thirty-six counties of the Four Domains. Additionally, here are 10,000 gold coins as an extra token of gratitude."

[Ding! You have earned the title of Viscount in the Clinton Empire. Congratulations on becoming the first adventurer to receive a noble title!]

[Reward: 10,000 gold coins, Reputation +1000!]

[Current Reputation: 4128!]

"Thank you very much, Lord Count!" Luca said, his voice filled with genuine joy as he glanced at the notification in front of him.

In Eternal Game, no matter which faction it was, it was exceedingly difficult for players to earn noble titles or official positions. The only way was to slowly accumulate reputation points over time.

If he remembered correctly, in his previous life, it took him a full four months of grinding to obtain a baron title. Yet in this lifetime, he effortlessly became a viscount. This was definitely a delightful surprise for Luca.

At this moment, everyone in the hall looked at Luca with a different gaze. In the Clinton Empire, climbing the noble hierarchy was incredibly difficult. A baron was already entitled to their own fiefdom and village, while a viscount governed an entire city.

In other words, starting from today, Luca was no longer just an ordinary adventurer—he had become a noble of the Clinton Empire! This was a genuine leap in social status!

"Big Brother Luca is truly amazing, becoming a viscount at such a young age!" Kaman exclaimed with unconcealed admiration on his face. Luca was only two or three years older than him, yet his strength and accomplishments had already reached heights that Kaman couldn't even dream of attaining in his entire life.

He clenched his fists, silently vowing that one day, he would become someone just like Luca.

"Who would have thought that the young man Miss met in the square back then would grow to such a level in such a short time?" Cassman's expression was filled with emotion.

Back then, Luca was just a fledgling whom he could have easily crushed with one hand. Yet, in just a few days, he had become a viscount. Luca could be said to be the fastest-growing genius Cassman had ever seen in his life!

"Of course! He's my student after all. How could he be anything less?" Franklin laughed heartily, his face brimming with pride that he couldn't hide no matter how hard he tried.

Taking Luca as his student was undoubtedly the best decision he had made in his entire life!

"A viscount, of all things!" Even Lucia's eyes were filled with surprise. One must know that even in the imperial capital of the Clinton Empire, such a young viscount was extremely rare. Only the scions of powerful families or those who had achieved great military merit could attain such a rank. She hadn't expected Ryan to value Luca so highly. It made her feel an inexplicable sense of pride as well.

Outside the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion, a group of players had witnessed the entire scene, and a wave of astonished exclamations erupted instantly.

"Luca must be the first player to earn a noble title, right?"

"Incredible! He truly is the pride of us Riverfall City players, achieving a noble rank so quickly!"

"A viscount's title must require at least 3000 reputation points, right? I haven't even managed to reach 100 points yet. How did he pull it off?"

"Do you think Luca is an employee of Zenith Technology Company? The gap is just too wide!"

…

A chorus of complaints and grumbling broke out among the players. Some even suspected Luca of being a staff member from Zenith Technology Company. How else could he have achieved such a massive advantage over regular players?

Luca, however, paid no mind to such speculations. Smiling, he carefully placed the noble medal and the 10,000 gold coins into his Storage Ring.

He had spent almost all his funds on purchasing Ghostwood Root earlier, leaving his wallet nearly empty. This 10,000 gold coin reward was just what he needed to replenish his finances.

Afterward, Ryan continued distributing rewards to others. Cassman and Catherine, who had also contributed significantly in the recent campaign, were each awarded a baron's title. They were both visibly taken aback by this unexpected honor.

Once all the rewards were handed out, the banquet transitioned into the noble networking phase—a prime opportunity for everyone to build connections, and many had been eagerly awaiting this moment.

As the star of the night, Luca naturally found himself surrounded by various noble figures of Riverfall City eager to engage in conversation. Even Kaman and others approached to offer their congratulations.

Luca responded to everyone with a warm smile, showing no hint of arrogance despite his newly acquired title of viscount.

In his previous life, although his rank hadn't been particularly high, he had managed to reach the status of marquis and held a territory in Eternal World. That nation had been far larger than the Eternal Continent, so Luca was no stranger to such social events.

On the other hand, Cassman and Catherine seemed a bit out of their element, clearly unaccustomed to such gatherings due to their lack of preparation and experience. Their awkwardness and unease were practically written on their faces.

Noticing their discomfort, Luca stepped in to help alleviate some of the pressure, taking on more of the conversations himself.

The two of them let out a long sigh of relief, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at Luca.

The networking segment ended quickly, and Luca, finally free, was about to grab a few snacks and take a short break.

Just then, the old butler Charles approached.

With a respectful demeanor, he said, "Viscount Luca, Lord Count has requested your presence in the second-floor conference room for a discussion."

"Discussion?" Luca's eyes lit up slightly as a few thoughts crossed his mind. He had a vague idea of what this might be about.