Chapter 89: Paving the Way with Gold
The bright red glow flashed as it cut through the air in an arc.
It illuminated the dense underbrush of the dark forest, exposing all the hidden figures.
A few growling jackals darted out, snarling briefly before noticing the sheer number of humans, and with a few "whimpering" sounds, they turned to flee with their tails tucked between their legs.
Swift arrows flew forth, instantly piercing through their throats.
Several scouts rushed out, grabbing the corpses and returning before the light faded.
As the red glow gradually dimmed, the surroundings once again fell into the dark and eerie silence that matched the forest's name.
The "whoosh" sound returned, and another burst of light arose.
Alice, her face illuminated by the red light, winced slightly with a pained expression and muttered to herself:
"That must be the ninth signal flare scroll, right? Even if it's just a 0-level spell scroll, it could still sell for 20 gold coins!"
Chris, who had always been on the front lines bearing the greatest risks for the group, couldn't help but murmur with some confusion:
"What's the point of this? Scouts could've handled this—why spend so much money?"
Alice snapped out of her moment of distress and quickly reasoned it out with a hint of envy, saying:
"What else? It's for undeniable safety."
"Even if scouts lead the way, it's not guaranteed to be foolproof. Plus, our lord isn't exactly short on money..."
The phrase "not short on money" made the adventurers feel a bit sour.
But they soon realized that it was actually a good thing.
"If the lord were short on money, who would we turn to for bounties?"
After thinking it over, the adventurers gradually grew numb to the lord's habit of throwing gold around and began to feel a stronger sense of loyalty.
After all, who wouldn't want to follow a wealthy lord who was willing to spend?
Hearing the adventurers' comments, Matthew didn't pause his "wealth display" and pulled out another scroll, pouring five points of mana into it and casting it immediately.
The flashing red light continued to illuminate the surroundings.
Matthew was in no rush. He gently stroked the eager Yaya, stopping her from scouting ahead.
If they were truly dealing with a troll clan or tribe, it was very likely there were high-tier professionals among them.
Letting Yaya venture out alone would be too dangerous.
So Matthew preferred to spend more money to ensure safety.
Additionally, his frequent use of spell scrolls served as a subtle message to the adventurers.
"I have scrolls available. If you need them, you can purchase them."
"Money is important, but life is more important. As long as you're alive, you can keep making money..."
Although most of the adventurers weren't exceptionally strong, generally ranging from level 3 to 7, they could already use spell scrolls.
Matthew intended to cultivate this habit among them!
Moreover, thanks to Matthew's constant spending, the group's confidence also grew.
If the lord was willing to spend hundreds of gold coins just to travel, how much more would he be willing to spend on battle?
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Sorcery Monarch
Science FictionCrossing into Netheril, becoming a small lord. Nurturing a Time Whelp, developing arcane magic, and transforming technology. Absorbing populations from various races such as humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, drow, tieflings, and the magicborn, to...