A thoughtful look appeared in Agatha’s eyes.

After a moment, Agatha looked up, her expression resolute.

"Of course. From a personal standpoint, since you’ve given me this opportunity, I naturally want to advance further."

Fang Zhen nodded slightly. "It’s good that you have this attitude. As for whether or not it can be done, that’s a matter for me and the coming Cardinal to discuss."

Seeing Fang Zhen make these arrangements, Dalia, who was by his side, looked at him with an even gentler gaze.

In a way, power is an aphrodisiac, for men and women alike.

To Dalia’s eyes, Fang Zhen was now even more charismatic.

Fang Zhen had settled these two matters at the dinner table.

He was well aware that the Church had its own complete set of rules.

But to borrow a line: my rules are the only rules that matter.

If the Tade Church wanted to spread its faith in the two duchies, it needed to be clear on whose word carried the most weight in this territory.

That person could only be Fang Zhen.

As for the rules Matthew and Agatha mentioned, those were circumstantial.

Rules were made to bind the common folk. The powerful operated by a different logic.

As long as he was strong enough and the stakes were high enough, the very people who made the rules would amend them to accommodate him.

The dinner was quite pleasant, but after Fang Zhen had raised those two issues, Matthew became somewhat distracted.

Agatha, by contrast, was much more composed.

This could perhaps be attributed to physical conditioning. After all, as a Knight, Agatha was physically stronger than Matthew, who spent his years reading and rarely exercised.

Sometimes, a person’s willpower isn’t a matter of pure will, but is closely tied to their physical stamina.

After dinner, Fang Zhen spoke with Dalia for a while.

Dalia was deeply moved. She knew that Fang Zhen’s desire to elevate Matthew’s position was largely for her sake. It was a silent understanding between them. Even though Fang Zhen never said it outright, Dalia understood, and her affection for him grew even tenderer.

After the meal, Fang Zhen did not pursue any intimate activities with Dalia. Instead, he went to the study in Ashton Castle.

The study housed a large collection of books and many documents, but they had little to do with the original lord.

In truth, most lords didn’t read; a study was usually just a decorative room. The people who frequently used this one weren’t the original Lord, but Dalia and Matthew.

The two of them shared a love for knowledge and books that surpassed most nobles—a passion likely inherited from their family’s scholarly background.

Fang Zhen intended to use the study to read some historical texts and documents.

After all, he was currently using the reputation of a descendant of the Augustus Clan. It would be inexcusable if he didn’t even know his supposed family’s history.

「Two hours later.」

Fang Zhen sat in the study, looking at a parchment-bound book.

He raised an eyebrow as he read its contents.

It was a booklet chronicling the legendary life of Sword Saint Augustus.

’Just how strong was the original Sword Saint Augustus?’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The more Fang Zhen read about the feats of Sword Saint Augustus, the more astonished he became.

According to the book’s account, Augustus’s power wasn’t just in his martial skill. He was completely superhuman in several other aspects, including strength, speed, Spirit, and physique.

For instance, regarding his physical condition, no matter how strenuous the activity, Sword Saint Augustus could recover completely after just a short period of rest.

He also possessed strong resistance to toxins, fire, and frost. On several occasions, opponents who tried to poison him failed because his constitution rendered him immune. And these were just a few of the Sword Saint’s inhuman abilities.

The more Fang Zhen read, the more alarmed he grew. ’To put it in more concrete terms,’ he thought, ’it’s as if all of Sword Saint Augustus’s base stats were over 15, reaching a level where he could completely dominate any normal person.’

’He couldn’t imagine how Sword Saint Augustus had managed to achieve such physical prowess in the Nameless World.’

’If that’s truly the case, then it’s understandable why Sword Saint Augustus was considered the strongest of his time.’

’After all, his fundamental attributes were already far beyond anyone else’s.’

Fang Zhen closed the parchment-bound book.

A theory began to form in his mind.

’He had always aimed to become Extraordinary, but he still didn’t know the exact path to get there.’

But after reading this account of the Augustus Sword Saint, Fang Zhen had a new hypothesis.

’Perhaps when all of his base attributes exceeded 15, he would touch the threshold of the Extraordinary.’

Of course, this was just speculation.

’A more effective and reliable method would be to go to a world with a more mature cultivation system and seek guidance from masters who have already become Extraordinary or have at least reached that threshold.’

’They could act as his guides, clearing the confusion and fog from his path, showing him which direction to take for the next stage of his development.’

’Unfortunately, there was no one like that in the Zambein Kingdom. He would likely have to wait until his next mission, in the Curse Seal World, to find such an expert.’

Fang Zhen put the parchment book away, returning it to the study’s collection, then turned and walked toward Dalia’s bedroom.

He needed the comfort of a warm, soft embrace and gentle whispers to relieve the pressure that had been building.