Chapter 36: One Month Later! The Gold Mine Can No Longer Be Hidden!

The huge sum of money and supplies compensated by Baron Carter greatly eased the financial pressure during the early construction phase of Vanguard Valley.

The name Roko Raymond also spread in a small circle among the nobles of New Wind Province, along with the news of him forcing Baron Carter to pay compensation and cede land.

A pioneer knight who had just arrived at the border was actually able to make the well-established old Baron Carter suffer such a huge loss, which undoubtedly attracted the attention of many.

Some nobles scoffed at this, believing Roko had only succeeded by luck, relying on the Raymond family name and the timely support of his two uncles.

"Hmph, if it weren't for those two fellows Leo and Ban En taking action, he would have been torn to shreds by Carter long ago!"

"Just a green lad relying on family protection, what real ability could he have?"

There were also some clear-headed nobles who saw deeper things.

"That old fellow Carter is no pushover; Roko being able to make him bow is definitely not just by relying on external force."

"I heard that Roko is young but ruthless, first launching a night raid to wipe out Carter's vanguard and capturing Morris, which forced Carter to negotiate."

"This lad cannot be underestimated."

Prada City, Duke Auston's Mansion.

Duke Auston listened to his subordinate's detailed report on the conflict between Roko and Carter, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Hehe, it seems my judgment was correct."

He picked up his black tea and took a light sip.

"This Roko is indeed not a creature of the pond."

"To be able to stand firm in such a short time, knowing how to use family power to deter opponents, while not forgetting to keep a sense of proportion and not pushing Carter to a dead end."

"This temperament and means are far beyond his peers."

E Lan stood to the side, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes as he heard his father's high praise for Roko.

He admitted that Roko did have some ability, but deep down, he still harbored a sense of comparison toward this suddenly emerged son of the Marquis.

"Father, he still relied on the power of Baron Leo and Baron Ban En after all."

E Lan couldn't help but say.

Duke Auston put down his teacup and looked at his son.

"Being able to borrow power is also a skill."

"What's more, being able to make two powerful barons travel thousands of miles to bring troops to support him in person already shows that Roko is not without weight within the Raymond family."

"Continue to pay attention to him; perhaps in the future, his achievements will exceed my imagination."

On the other side, Li Li An learned that Roko had not only "defeated" the fierce Baron Carter but also received a large amount of compensation.

Her large eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement.

"Father! That Roko is so amazing!"

She pestered Duke Auston, acting like a spoiled child: "I want to go see his territory!"

Duke Auston shook his head helplessly and said somewhat perfunctorily.

"Li Li An, not now."

"Vanguard Valley has just experienced a conflict, the situation is not yet stable, and it is located at the border, which is too dangerous."

"Wait until the situation there stabilizes in the future, then you can go, alright?"

Li Li An pouted, somewhat unhappy.

But she also knew that what her father said was the truth, so she could only temporarily suppress her curiosity.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Vanguard Valley.

With the threat of Baron Carter removed and the injection of a large amount of funds and supplies, the development of the territory was back on track.

Roko's life also became more regular and fulfilling.

His morning cultivation had never been interrupted.

【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】 surged endlessly within his body; every time he circulated it, he could feel a subtle increase in strength.

Finally, one morning.

Accompanied by a faint roar within his body, a more scorching and violent current instantly coursed through his entire body.

Roko slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within, a satisfied arc appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Knight realm, finally reached!

Although it was only the initial stage, it was already quite good.

Not far away, Fula, seeing the surging energy around Roko, felt joy in her heterochromatic eyes.

Her own progress was even more astonishing.

SSS-grade talent, combined with a top-tier breathing method like 【Flame Griffin Breathing Method】, and Roko's unsparing allocation of resources, made her strength advance by leaps and bounds.

Pale red flame-like energy almost condensed into substance, swirling around her.

Every punch and kick carried a whistling sound that tore through the air.

In just one month, she had remarkably reached the peak of Knight!

She was only one step away from the Great Knight realm.

"Master, you are so amazing!"

Fula ran to Roko's side, looking up with her small face, her eyes full of reliance.

Roko smiled and ruffled her cat ears, drawing a comfortable shiver from the little cat-kin girl.

"Fula is also amazing."

Outside of cultivation, Roko would also spend time accompanying Fula and Martina.

Sometimes, he would take Fula for a walk by the river, watching the little cat-kin girl carefully stepping on the pebbles, her silver-gray tail swaying gently behind her.

Or, he would bring some exquisite cakes or roast meat to Martina, who was obsessed with work.

Watching the little fox complain about delaying her work while unable to stop herself from secretly licking the corners of her mouth.

Seeing this scene, Roko couldn't help but want to laugh.

The warm daily life diluted the tension and boredom of border pioneering.

Martina remained that incredibly efficient butler.

Territory construction planning, material allocation, population management, slave supervision.

Even the work progress of the dwarf blacksmiths was arranged in an orderly manner by her.

Under her management, Vanguard Valley changed every day.

The originally messy camp gradually became orderly.

Roads were widened, new wooden and stone houses were constantly being built, and quite a bit of farmland had been reclaimed.

The foundation of the castle in the distance had been completed, and the tall stone walls were extending upward at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The prototype of a sturdy fortress had initially emerged.

On the gold mine side, under the joint supervision of the knights left by the two uncles and Hart, extraction work was also proceeding in an orderly manner.

A steady stream of gold ingots was transported back to Vanguard Valley, enriching Roko's treasury and making Martina bloom with joy every day.

【Favorability: 60】

【Loyalty: 40】

Days passed, and Vanguard Valley was filled with a thriving atmosphere.

Beneath the calm, the undercurrents had not stopped surging.

New Moon Town.

Inside Baron Carter's castle, the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.

A scout knelt on the ground, trembling as he reported the latest discovery.

"Baron, your subordinate can be certain."

"That Roko dug out a gold mine in the valley!"

"What?!"

Baron Carter stood up abruptly from his seat, his fat face filled with shock, greed, and deep unwillingness!

A gold mine!

It was actually a gold mine!

No wonder that lad was so tough!

No wonder Leo and Ban En ran over in person!

The immense wealth was right before his eyes, within reach, yet because of a damn contract, he could only watch!

"Ahhh!"

Baron Carter let out an angry roar, flipping the table in front of him to the ground.

The high-value porcelain was also smashed to pieces.

"Roko Raymond!!"

He gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with raging jealousy.

The compensation he gave was a drop in the bucket compared to a gold mine!

He felt like a fool, played in the palm of the hand by that young son of the Marquis!

The binding power of the Kingdom contract was extremely strong; he dared not openly violate it.

Once the Kingdom ruled a breach of contract, his title might not be guaranteed.

But, just give up like this?

He was unwilling, so unwilling! ===== CHAPTER 37 =====