My bloodline yearns for progress.

Chapter 48 There are no shortcuts on the path to transcendence

While Otto was studying with Lillian, Micah and Goren went to the governor's house.

Their goal was simple: to find the thief's inside man.

The method was actually not difficult, and Micah found the other party in no time.

As Otto watched Micah carry the middle-aged man, he asked with some curiosity.

"How did you find him?"

In response, Goren simply offered a brief explanation.

"When we arrived, we put Havel in a sack, said that this was the thief, and then threw him in front of the consul."

Later on, all that was needed was to observe the reactions of the servants in the governor's household.

Sure enough, one person panicked when he saw the sack, and we easily caught him.

This is a classic scam, but it's a bit of a hardship for Havel.

This poor man was almost stabbed through by the governor's sword.

Fortunately, Micah and Goren found the prisoner in time; otherwise, Javier might not have made it back.

However, Otto knew that Micah was a man who knew how to exercise restraint, and if this tactic didn't work, he wouldn't have let Javier lose his life.

Now that we've found the inside man, the next steps will be much simpler.

"We learned most of the information from this kid."

"Catch that thief tonight."

As Micah spoke, he picked up the mole and beckoned the two men to follow him to the tavern in the refugee district.

Otto naturally did not refuse. He still had the wooden shield with him, and all he needed to do was pick up the iron sword, and everything would be ready.

The three of them walked along the road, chatting as they talked about the thief's inside man.

Micah briefly explained to Otto the whole story of what they had discovered.

It turns out that the inside man and the thief were from the same hometown.

This middle-aged man used his connections to become a male servant in the governor's household. Occasionally, he would steal some calligraphy and paintings or inconspicuous antiques and porcelain, and sell them on the black market.

It was also on the black market that he encountered that thief.

Taking advantage of their shared hometown, the two drank themselves into a stupor at the tavern until the servant accidentally mentioned a fire-type seal and the valuable blanket, which gave the thief some ideas.

He suggested to the servant that the two of them conspire to steal the fire seal and the valuable blanket.

In this way, they can forge various licenses without authorization. As long as they sell the licenses in a short period of time, they can leave their hometown and live a good life with the money.

As for how chaotic Oak Town becomes, that's none of their business.

The male servant initially wanted to refuse, but earlier, he had been fined a whole month's wages by the butler for accidentally breaking a plate while thinking about the matter.

It was this accident that made the male servant determined to fight the thieves.

As for the result, it's the scene that Otto and his friends are seeing now.

The thief was using the wax seal to sell its value, while the male servant remained at the governor's house to help him keep an eye on various developments.

If it weren't for Micah and the others, this conspiracy would probably have ended very quickly.

According to this kid, they're leaving tomorrow.

"Fortunately, Havel contacted us in time."

Micah felt that this time the money was earned very easily.

As for Goren, he just wanted to finish this commission as soon as possible so he could go home and explain things to Lillian properly.

Because he had been away from home for too long, Lillian was very dissatisfied with him.

As for Otto, he was more interested in the share of the rewards offered by the governor.

However, in addition to this, he also hopes to participate in more actual combat to help him hone his combat skills and the switching and coordination between different breathing techniques.

Looking at the male servant in front of him, Otto felt a little worried.

"What if the thief has already sold the sealing wax seal?"

After all, the two had met in the so-called black market before. Although Otto had never been there, he could tell that it was a good place to sell stolen goods.

Micah simply shook his head.

"The sealing wax seal is of great importance. If that thief dares to make a move, he will surely be chopped into mincemeat."

The black market exists with the tacit approval of the rulers; who would dare to sell sealing wax seals?

However, the same logic applies to that blanket; it bears the governor's family crest and wouldn't easily end up on the black market.

"We just need to capture them and get rid of them quickly. After that, we have a camp assignment in the Blackthorn Forest, so we need to prepare."

At this point, Micah simply patted the middle-aged man on his shoulder.

The man had fainted after being subjected to Goren's interrogation.

Left with no other choice, Micah had to carry him away.

However, when it came to preparations, Otto eventually voiced his concerns.

"I have found an extraordinary profession, but it does require a kind of flame with extraordinary power, as well as a tool that can resist the erosion of the flame."

Upon hearing this, Micah was taken aback at first, and then remained silent for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Micah finally spoke again, but instead of answering Otto's question directly, he asked a follow-up question.

"Does your acquired extraordinary profession possess corresponding combat skills, spells, or special characteristics?"

Upon hearing this, Otto simply nodded.

"Yes."

After hearing Otto's answer, Micah nodded.

"That's good. Don't end up like that kid, choosing a path with no future."

You are much more mature than your peers, and you are very meticulous. In the previous adventures, we were able to succeed so smoothly thanks to you.

I think you'll have your own considerations.

Clearly, Micah had developed a great deal of trust in Otto after their past adventures, and therefore, he did not intend to interfere with Otto's choices.

After carefully inquiring about Otto's needs, Micah finally gave his answer.

"First of all, I suggest you don't look for items that can resist fire."

I suspect that you need that so-called supernatural flame because you're planning to perform some kind of self-harming ritual.

This is a test in itself; if you use extra items, it will only affect the promotion outcome.

The essence of extraordinary power lies in transcending the limits of ordinary people through one's own will.

Upon hearing this, Otto simply nodded.

In recent days, Otto has also gleaned insights into several powerful extraordinary professions, all of which require overcoming life-or-death trials to acquire, or involve reckless acts like entrusting one's life to others. Otto suspects that the Fire Seed Iron Guard is probably no exception.

Now that he had received Micah's reply, Otto was finally certain that there were no shortcuts to the extraordinary ritual.

While Otto was pondering, Micah had already begun listing the information he wanted about the extraordinary flame.