Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Down the hole we go (2)- Mantis’s treasure hunt

The group travelled to the plain reddish ground for as long as they could.

Theo felt the heat kicking in now. His hair was drenched in sweat.

The others were not faring too well too.

Clara and Elias were shifting their armor one too many times to help with the heat.

Even the baron, who was supposed to be this ’powerful’ individual, also frowned with an expression that almost said, ’I can’t be asked’.

Soon, when the baron stopped and looked around to check something, his gaze went to a different kind of rock a little further. Theo couldn’t tell if it was the right direction he was looking at, but he followed.

The baron was sweating and being a little grumpy, making Theo finally realize that they were not on the track.

’He is looking for the shade, isn’t he?’ He thought with an inward chuckle.

When they were at the rock that was shaped weirdly. Theo felt like his guess was right.

The baron entered the shaded area and took a sigh of relief before telling everyone else to do the same.

Everyone quickly entered and stood there in silence. The winds were finally feeling cool now that they were in the shade.

"This heat is really frustrating. We didn’t bring any equipment that could help us right now." The baron spoke grumpily while cleaning his face with a clean cloth.

Theo did the same, and so did the others.

They stared outside at the reddish dust carried by the wind with a plain look.

"Do you know the way now, father? We took a detour." Theo asked, making the baron look at the terrain again.

His eyes soon went to Elias, who straightened his back.

"Ahem... Attendant Elias, send your beast toward the hole and tell us how much distance is left." He asked, making Elias stop for a moment before a smile formed on his face.

"Certainly" He spoke in confidence while breathing heavily due to the heat. A flash of light came out of his head, and just like that, Chip was out and flying toward the hole.

"Always remember, Theo." The baron spoke after he had magically taken out a big bottle of water from a small titanium-textured box.

Theo and Clara’s eyes lingered on it with surprise before they went back to normal. Everyone could tell what it was without asking, yet the curiosity remained.

"No matter how strong you are, there will always be things you will not be good at." He spoke again after the big bottle was placed in the small box.

"You need to embrace that and get help from the people around you. There is no shame in that." He said while looking at Elias, whose eyes were closed but twitching as if he was trying to control his smile.

Theo nodded respectfully. The baron kept spouting informative things that he knew already. But they still had an impact on him.

There was silence for a few minutes until Theo couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

"By the way, father." He continued, "Was that the spatial storage you used earlier?" He asked with curiosity.

The baron smiled and took out the box from the inner side of his plain grey armor again. He wasn’t wearing the same golden armor as he had before.

"Yes, it’s one of the best things money can buy you out in the world, Theo. It’s supposed to be as expensive as buying 10 territories’ worth of a noble’s land." He spoke with a smirk.

Theo’s eyes widened in shock, and so did the others. He tried mentally counting the amount, yet he couldn’t.

"That’s... a lot."

"Hahaahaha! That’s right. Though I got it as a gift." He spoke with a cheery mood as if a great memory had flushed before his eyes.

Theo smiled too; he liked this side of the baron more than the other, more serious one. The serious demeanor was when the baron had too many responsibilities on his shoulders.

And Theo knew the baron didn’t want this many responsibilities. That was why he was determined to retire early and not go beyond being a baron.

"This can hold a full carriage’s worth of things inside. It can only be made by a single person in our whole kingdom, maybe the world." He spoke while looking at Theo again with a knowing smile.

"That person is a unique tamer just like you."

"!!"

"Who is it?" Theo asked in curiosity.

"It’s a whole kingdom’s secret, I can’t be telling that to you just yet." He said before looking at the endless red terrain again.

"It will be a different thing if you became the head of the family, though" He spoke casually.

It was as if Theo hadn’t heard what the baron said, but after seeing Elias open his eyes, who was supposed to be concentrating on Chip, and Clara looking shocked.

He knew he had heard the right thing.

"Ahahaha... that was funny, father." Theo chuckled awkwardly, but when he looked at the serious expression on the baron’s face, he knew he couldn’t get out of this conversation.

The baron had only said this to him because he wanted an answer, and times like this were when Theo felt the pressure of being in a noble family.

"... If you will allow, I think Big Brother Lucien will be a better choice, father," Theos spoke with a serious demeanor too; he wasn’t joking anymore.

"I know, he is 100 times better than you." The baron spoke bluntly, and Theo felt like he had taken a dagger through his heart.

"But I know.... And I know that Lucien also knows that... you will surpass everyone if given the chance... just like this one."

Theo took a deep breath, his mind diverted to what being a head of the family would be like.

’Hearing something like I will surpass everyone... it’s going to take a huge toll on my mind... shit.’

"But that will come after you actually surpass all the obstacles that are coming toward you, not the other way around," Baron spoke and couldn’t help but laugh.

"You surpassing level 10 will be the most difficult thing in your journey, Theo. Level 15 is something I will not even consider right now."

He said, got up, and stretched.

"Your attendant here has already found the location, let’s go."

While the baron had already gotten out of the shade and stood to look around.

Theo was in a daze under the rock for a few more minutes, while looking at the ground.

But soon enough, a shiver went down Clara and Elias’s faces when he looked up.

There were the same crazily determined eyes that had made them both want to join his journey for as long as it took, be it forever.

The baron grinned when he saw him too. It seemed he was back to the grind yet again.

CRICK CRICK CRICK

Between all of this, everyone’s gaze shifted to the shaded area where a crimson-coloured mantis was using its forelegs to try to excavate the rock.

’What happened, mantis?’ Theo asked.

And he got an answer that he wasn’t expecting at all.