Chapter 337: The Opportunity to Get Rich Is Here!

In the Bai Lu District on the outskirts of the Shengcheng, the dawn of Devoe Village carried a trace of chill and moisture.

The fields exuded the unique fragrance of soil, intertwined with the crowing of chickens in the yard, outlining a poetic pastoral scenery.

Old man Ma Ji sat on the steps of his door, slowly smoking his pipe, squinting his eyes at the thin mist rising in the distance. His wife was hanging the freshly washed clothes in the yard, while his youngest son was randomly drawing circles on the ground with a branch, playing with mud for self-entertainment.

He had three children; the eldest son became an adventurer, following the footsteps of Saint Xisi and not knowing where he had gone, the second son became a soldier, serving the Emperor on the New Continent, and now his 6-year-old youngest son was by his side keeping him company.

Although the family's life was poor, it was considered self-contented.

Old Ma Ji had never read books, nor did he know characters, but he had his own set of life philosophy.

In his view, life was like the pipe in his hand, pungent and spicy at first smell, but if savored carefully, it had a flavor that cigars didn't have.

Of course, he hadn't tasted what a cigar tasted like either.

At this time, a burst of hoofbeats broke the peace of the morning.

Several horses stopped at the gate of the yard, and the people on horseback wore robes with the Devoe family crest painted on them. The young man in the lead had a face full of fat squeezed into a ball, and he dismounted in a slouching manner.

This guy was Baron Devoe's servant, Johnny—a notoriously bastard thing.

Johnny looked at the account book in his hand, tucked it under his arm, snorted in his nose, and walked lazily into the yard.

"Ma Ji, you old immortal thing, are you still alive? Why hasn't this month's tax been paid yet?"

"Paid, paid." Ma Ji stood up quickly, a flattering smile piled on his face, "I just paid it the day before yesterday, go to the town and ask, Lord Lyon has a record there."

Disgusted by the smell of chicken manure in the yard, Johnny impatiently picked his ears, his eyes filled with disdain.

"That was the tax you paid to the Empire, what about the Baron's tax? Why, planning to default on the debt?"

Ma Ji was stunned, the smile on his face gradually stiffened: "W-what? The Empire's tax, the Baron's tax... H-how is this going on? I've never heard of this before!"

Johnny snorted, his expression becoming increasingly impatient: "That's because your ears are bad, wasn't it clearly stated before? What you paid was the Empire's, the Baron's hasn't been paid yet!"

Bai Lu District was an administrative division directly under the Empire, belonging to the Shengcheng, but not all the land in this area was the Emperor's land, and some belonged to the Emperor's vassals, those big and small barons.

The reason for this situation was mainly because of historical legacy issues. After all, the Shengcheng 1000 years ago was not as big as it is now, and the population was only about 100,000. And now, an administrative district had more than 100,000 people, and the area was comparable to a Count's territory.

A system that had been running for thousands of years, if it hadn't iterated, would always have various problems.

If a person lived in a Baron's territory in the Bai Lu District at the same time, they would probably have to follow two sets of laws. One was the law of the Empire, and the other was the feudal law of the nobles.

If you encountered a prodigal master like Tichi Kosia more than ten years ago, you probably wouldn't be able to collect this money. But unfortunately, what old Ma Ji encountered was the "shrewd" Baron Devoe.

Ma Ji trembled with anger, his face flushed red: "T-this is unfair! Where is the reason for paying taxes twice? It wasn't like this when the Kosia family was in charge!"

"What did you say?!"

Johnny's eyes widened, his expression instantly becoming fierce, and he waved his hand at the thugs behind him.

"Smash it! This old thing actually dares to mention the name of that unlucky guy Kosia on the master's territory, tired of living, right!"

Ma Ji's face turned pale, and he immediately realized he had said the wrong thing, but it was too late.

And in order not to leave any handle in front of other servants, Johnny also put all his strength into showing his loyalty to the master.

For a time, the yard was in chaos, and several strong thugs rushed in and smashed everything, even dismantling the chicken coop.

"Don't, don't! That's a chicken that lays eggs!" The old woman in the distance was so anxious that she threw away her clothes and ran into the yard, begging them to stop, but she couldn't stop them at all.

Watching the house suddenly smashed, the youngest son cried out in fear, the wailing sound attracting neighbors nearby.

Seeing that there were many people, Johnny couldn't continue to bully people, so he could only glare at everyone fiercely, then stared at Ma Ji and said.

"Remember, old thing, tomorrow is the final deadline, if you can't pay the money, don't even think about keeping this broken house!"

After speaking, he gave a wink to the thugs behind him, took them and mounted their horses, caught a few hens that were still flapping around, and left the messy yard in a show of force.

Although he didn't get the money, it wasn't bad to have a meal, anyway, Master Devoe didn't look down on these few chickens.

Watching his messy home and the wailing old woman, old Ma Ji stood there ashen-faced, as if he had been drained of all his strength, not even having the strength to say a word.

Somehow, he thought of the old yellow ox he had taken to town to sell the year before last.

That was Baron Devoe's asset, and he had quite a bit of affection for it, but because it was too old, it needed to be sold.

At the time of parting, the old yellow ox shed silent tears at him, without making a sound. Now in a trance, the face in his memory turned into his own.

He didn't know what to do either.

Baron Ralph Devoe's estate.

Sunlight spilled into the estate, a rural-style villa stood quietly, the beige exterior walls covered with vines, and the red roof shimmering with a slight luster in the sunlight. The garden was full of flowers, and the artificially trimmed hedges were neat and beautiful, like scenery in a painting.

Johnny carried a heavy money box, fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and walked into the study with a flattering smile, without any of the previous show of force, only humility between his brows.

He placed the money box carefully on the carpet in front of the Baron, and after opening it, it was full of copper coins, although it looked like a lot, it was actually not worth much.

Thirty kilograms of copper coins, calculated, were only five thousand or so, and when converted into silver coins, it was only 50.

It was even stained with mud and sweat, and Baron Ralph Devoe, sitting in a carved wooden chair, was too lazy to even look at it, only feeling that the smell of copper was annoying, and said with a look of disgust.

"Johnny, I sent you to collect taxes, and you brought back this pile of scrap metal?"

Johnny lowered his head quickly, smiling apologetically and explaining helplessly.

"Master Baron, it's really not that I'm incompetent, you also know that there is really no oil left to squeeze out of those mud-legged guys. This time collecting taxes, being able to collect these is already not bad... We can't really dismantle their houses, right? It's no good for you either, is it?"

No good?

That good is too big!

Ralph sneered at the words, without any words.

If it were 1000 years ago, the ancestors of the Devoe family would never do such a thing of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, but now it is more than 1000 years of the Holy Calendar, and the farmers on his land are not assets at all, they are completely burdens, just like moss growing behind the house beams.

Because of the ancient feudal contract, as long as those guys are still breeding, his land has to be cut into pieces, planting those potatoes and wheat that can't sell for much money in an extremely low-production way.

He had long been tired of dealing with these dirty and smelly farmers all day, and he would never get rich relying on those guys in his life.

Think about it, if he could flatten all those broken houses, plan the large area of land like a palette into a winery, and hire professional breeders to plant grapes, not only would his income be far more than these copper coins, but his estate would also be filled with the fragrance of grape flowers!

By then, maybe there would be students from art schools coming here to sketch, and he could invite the children to taste the winery's specialties like an elegant and tasteful gentleman.

That's right—

Not just money!

He would also gain true decency!

Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth unconsciously revealed a smile, as if a beautiful life was right in front of him.

It's a pity that reality is full of regrets.

The law of the Empire does not allow him to enjoy rights while ignoring obligations, and even less allows him to deprive those farmers of their personal freedom and drive them out of their homes.

This place is after all at the feet of the Emperor, not a vassal state where nobles can do whatever they want, and even less a New Continent where viceroys and soldiers have the final say.

Otherwise, why would it be so troublesome, he would have long ago let Johnny take people to drive the entire Devoe village away, and then happily start his new career.

He examined the tea in the cup, as if examining his dead-silent life.

His expression gradually became cold and vicious, and he said in a measured tone.

"Continue to collect, Johnny, don't let me down. If you can't collect the money, dismantle their house beams, at least they can be used as firewood. Remember, this is an ancient and sacred obligation given to us by the Empire, if you can't fulfill it for me, you don't have to come back."

Hearing the ruthless tone, Johnny trembled, nodded quickly, and exited the room with a bitter face.

He understood very well that the reason he could show off in the village was entirely because of Baron Devoe's face.

And if he left the protection of the Devoe family, he could only be an adventurer.

After Johnny left, Ralph put the teacup back on the table, his gloomy gaze looking at the green fields outside the window, muttering to himself.

"Better all get out..."

The door closed, and Ralph's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Tea was no longer enough to comfort the fatigue in his heart, he got up and walked to the corner of the bookcase, took out a bottle of red wine that had been treasured for a long time, and poured himself a glass.

Through the crystal-clear glass, he stared at the bright wine in the cup, his eyes a bit drifting.

Taking a sip of wine, Ralph returned to the desk and sat down, picked up the latest issue of the "Shengcheng Daily" on the table, and the brow that had just relaxed for a while twisted into a deep groove again.

The front page of the newspaper reported the grand occasion of Prince Kelin's arrival in the Shengcheng with a huge space, the full-page text was accompanied by Prince Kelin's handsome and noble portrait, and the strokes were full of the citizens' enthusiastic pursuit and infinite reverence for this Prince.

Looking at that gentle and confident face, Ralph didn't show disgust, but instead revealed a bit of envy and helplessness.

He actually didn't hate big shots like Prince Kelin, and even admired him, admiring his youth and promise from the bottom of his heart.

It's just a pity that the status gap between the two was too far, and that high-ranking Prince would never notice a small person like him.

However, what made Ralph feel hidden worry in his heart was another figure standing behind Prince Kelin—

That person's name was Tichi Kosia, and he would recognize that face even if it were burned to ashes. The newspaper also had news about that guy, and it was attached with the title of Baron of Deadwood Port—

【Baron of Deadwood Port Tichi Kosia returns with honors, and with him triumphs the wealth myth of the Gana Continent!】

Seeing this line of words, Ralph unconsciously tightened his fingers holding the newspaper, his eyes revealing thick unwillingness and anxiety.

The Empire has a good saying, Demon Gods are nothing to be afraid of, what is terrible is the pervasive claws under the Demon God.

If Prince Kelin is compared to a Demon God, then Baron Kosia is undoubtedly the claw of the former.

For ten whole years there was no news, Ralph thought that the unlucky guy had long been buried in the distant vast ocean, but he didn't expect that he not only survived, but also followed Prince Kelin, and now he had returned to the Shengcheng full of wealth and glory!

Tichi Kosia... Baron of Deadwood Port!

This name seemed to carry endless mockery, echoing in his mind constantly.

He could even imagine how that guy was standing on the pier triumphantly at this moment, enjoying the worshipful eyes of the citizens, and the flattery of those lowly reporters.

And himself?

Just a small baron in a rural place, full of ambition but suffering from no opportunity to display it.

Thinking of this, Ralph gritted his teeth, flames of jealousy and resentment burning in his eyes, and behind that, there was more fear and anxiety.

He was after all the one who snatched the title of the Kosia family, and even melted the title into his own family crest.

For a noble, there is no greater shame than this, which is equivalent to erasing the traces of their existence.

Just when Ralph was feeling a headache for these successive troubles, the study door suddenly opened with a bang.

He was startled by this movement, thinking Tichi had come to the door, but saw his son coming in, and while relieved, he couldn't help but scold.

"You little bastard, not knocking again! How many times have I told you, you must knock before entering my study!"

"Father, father! Never mind the door!" Freya's eyes were glowing, waving the newspaper in his hand excitedly, chattering, "The Royal Arena is going to hold a knight assembly, that's the coming-of-age ceremony Marshal Lako prepared for his son! Do you know what that means?"

Means Marshal Lako's son is coming of age?

Besides this, Ralph couldn't think of any other meaning, and didn't feel that this kind of thing had anything to do with him.

However, Freya obviously didn't think so, this idle kid loved to watch the fun the most.

A flattering smile hung on his face, he chuckled and said.

"Old man, you know I've always wanted a knight, this kind of grand event, knights from all over the Empire will come! Can you sponsor me some money so I can go and observe?"

Ralph glanced at his son irritably, feeling a burst of anger in his heart again, pointed to the money box on the ground casually, and said impatiently: "Take it yourself."

Freya ran over happily, but the moment he opened the money box, a look of disappointment hung on his face.

"How come it's all these broken copper coins..."

Silver coins fit the status of a noble, he was embarrassed to take this kind of money out.

Ralph was even more annoyed at the words, and immediately raised his head and scolded angrily: "If you were a little more promising, our family wouldn't be left with these scraps!"

Speaking of this, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and couldn't help but pat the table and roar.

"If you had a little conscience, you should think about how much money I spent on you? Sent you to the city to study, took you to banquets in upper society, and what's the result? You're good, hanging out with a group of idle second-rate guys all day!"

Freya immediately straightened his back unconvinced, and retorted without showing weakness: "Father, I'm only sixteen! Shouldn't the responsibility of supporting this family be yours? Besides, if you want me to stand up so much, why don't you give this family to me to try?"

Ralph laughed in anger at the words, sneered and said: "Give it to you? Heh, with your virtue, even that unlucky guy from the Kosia family looks more reliable than you!"

This sentence blurted out, Ralph himself was stunned for a moment, only then remembering that the Kosia family was no longer the unlucky guy who lost all his family property back then, and it was really inappropriate to use him for comparison.

Ralph rubbed his temples irritably, waved his hand, and simply took a bag of silver coins from the drawer and threw it to Freya, saying like driving away flies.

"Get out quickly, don't let me see you!"

That was his son after all, the glory of the Devoe family was ultimately this mixed kid's.

It wouldn't be bad if he could meet a few friends truly worth making at the knight assembly held by the Marshal, it was better than playing with the dog-legged guys like Johnny he raised.

Freya caught the money bag, said "Thank you, Dad!" in his mouth, and ran out in a slip of smoke without looking back.

Before Ralph could breathe a sigh of relief, light footsteps sounded outside the door again, a playful face stretched in first, and then the swaying skirt followed the light steps into the door.

The visitor was none other than his precious daughter, Kawena.

Honestly, her cold face was much more pleasing than this sweet smile now.

Because according to Ralph's experience, as long as she showed this expression, she was bound to talk to him about money.

"Dad," Kawena said coquettishly, her voice full of undisguised excitement and thrill, "My best friend who studies dance at the Imperial Royal Academy of Art told me that Prince Kelin is going to lecture at their school, it is said to be the most cutting-edge school in the art world... You know I'm most interested in painting, can I go and see?"

Saying that, she put her hands together on her chest, looking like a fan, that expression didn't look like she was worshiping any art, but more like her head was full of the Prince from the vast ocean.

Ralph couldn't help but groan in his heart, what happened to this world?

A Prince who had been separated from the Empire for five hundred years, now coming to the Imperial Royal Academy of Art to lecture on the most cutting-edge art...

Saint Xisi above, are the people in this city crazy?

Ralph felt he was too sober.

Although he had felt that this world was full of sand coins a long time ago, he had never felt that there were so many sand coins as today, and even his own daughter was like this.

Logically speaking, this shouldn't be.

A soul that is a human for the first time cannot be reincarnated into a noble family, even if his title is watered down, even if this Baron's land is not as good as one-third of a Baron in a remote area.

Ralph glared at her, a headache, simply didn't say anything more, directly pulled open the drawer and took out another bag of silver coins, threw it on the table, and said impatiently.

"That's all, take it, if it's not enough, go ask your mother, I'm out here, don't think about it anymore!"

If this little money could let this little ancestor roll onto Prince Kelin's bed sheet, it wouldn't be a failed investment, even if it was illegitimate, he had a way to make Baron Kosia kneel in front of him and call him Dad.

It's a pity, after bringing in that face in the newspaper, and looking at his daughter, he really didn't dare to have any expectations, and even felt that even a trace of thought was an insult to that Prince.

Touching his conscience, his daughter is not ugly, but that is the Imperial Royal Academy of Art, the place where Holy Light nobles choose concubines, her friend who learns dance is probably not enough.

Kawena grabbed the money bag happily, said "Dad is the best!" sweetly, and then turned and ran out lightly, even the posture was exactly the same as his son.

It seemed there was no reliable person in this family... except for himself who was struggling to support everything.

Ralph shook his head and sighed at the misfortune of the family, prayed with a cross on his chest, but before he finished drawing this cross, the study door was pushed open again, and the one who came in was his wife, Yula.

At this moment, that exquisite face was full of excitement, like a flower blooming on dead wood.

Ralph saw her excited look, but couldn't feel any joy, instead he said first nervously.

"You wouldn't be here to ask me for money too, would you?"

Yula was stunned, then couldn't help but laugh: "Ask for money? Dear, who is asking you for money? Wait, never mind these, you quickly look at this!"

Saying that, she walked quickly to the desk, spread out the newspaper she was holding and pushed it in front of her husband, pointing to a striking news on it, and said excitedly.

"Sir Edmond Dantes met with the Bai Lu District Mayor yesterday to discuss establishing a saccharin refinery and a large winery in the Bai Lu District, the investment amount will be as high as 1 million gold coins, and involves the transformation of the entire urban area and infrastructure construction! You quickly read this line!"

The moment he saw this newspaper, Ralph was stunned for a moment, his eyes lit up instantly, and his breathing became rapid.

Dantes?

Of course he knew this surname!

That Sir Dantes was the distant relative of Prince Kelin who was very popular in the Shengcheng recently!

Not long ago, he sent someone to visit, trying to get closer to Dantes, but happened to be out, and a large group of people who had purposes like him gathered at the door, and his servant could only come back in a gray way.

But this didn't matter anymore.

1 million gold coins!

This amount was much higher than the tax revenue of the entire Bai Lu District for a whole year!

With such a large-scale investment entering the Bai Lu District, land prices would inevitably skyrocket!

Even if this winery was not opened here, they could earn a large sum by lying down!

Of course—

It would be even better if this investment could be pulled over, he had the cheapest farmers in the Shengcheng on his land!

"Dear, we are going to get rich!" Yula held her husband's arm excitedly, her eyes full of excitement.

Ralph was completely sober at this moment, he picked up the newspaper with trembling hands, read it carefully over and over again, and greedy and excited light gradually emerged in his cautious pupils.

Yula pressed her chest with her right hand, chattering and continuing: "I felt strange yesterday, our farm was unattended the day before yesterday, and as a result, many people came to rent land yesterday. Fortunately, I kept a heart, let them go back and wait for two days, and just saw this newspaper today... otherwise we would have lost a lot!"

Ralph stood up suddenly, decisively patted the table and said.

"Notify the butler, go to contact the newspaper office immediately, and withdraw the rental advertisement! Now is definitely not the time to rent land, we still have to find ways to get more land!"

He paced back and forth in the room, his chest rising and falling violently because of excitement, as if he saw a huge gold mine in front of him.

Whether his family could completely turn over depended on this one!

Suddenly, he thought of a person.

That gentleman was the branch manager of the Imperial Royal Bank in the Bai Lu District, he had exchanged business cards with him at a cocktail party a few days ago, and patted his chest to tell him that if he had capital needs, he could contact him.

Thinking of this, the corners of Ralph's mouth couldn't help but rise, like a hyena that smelled blood.

The opportunity to get rich is here!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 338 =====