Chapter 123: Lord Beckert

The iron vein’s reserves, calculated by gold coin value, are worth at least five thousand gold coins.

Yet he, unaware, plans to auction it off with a starting bid of three hundred gold coins.

The iron ore auction will be held tonight,

and because the starting bid is so low, many nobles can’t resist the temptation and are preparing to attend!

【Intelligence Three: On the trade route between Baron Cain’s territory and Baron Beckert’s territory lies a gray stone bridge.

Beneath the bridge, at the riverbed, lies a metal chest containing jewels and gold coins, with a total value of four hundred gold coins.

This was the result of Baron Beckert’s guards disguising themselves as bandits and ambushing a passing noble caravan three years ago.

But during the attack, a mistake occurred, allowing the caravan’s manager to flee with the chest.

Although the manager was eventually caught and killed to silence him, he had already thrown the chest into the river before dying, leaving Baron Beckert’s guards unaware of its whereabouts.

Over time, the chest’s location was forgotten by everyone.】

【Intelligence Four: Due to your agreement with the Tulip Trading House, one of their caravans will arrive in Stormhold today.

The caravan brings not only daily necessities needed by your subjects, but will also purchase all valuable frontier specialties!】

【Intelligence Five: Due to prolonged use of Dragon’s Blood Grass, your territory’s first seven Firehorses will break through and become true first-rank demonic beasts—Flamehorses!】

【Intelligence Six: The border between the Chaotic Wasteland and the Death Mountains is not only a favorite research site for wizards, but also a prized material source for alchemists.

Travel thirty li from the two o’clock direction of Dragon’s Blood Grass Gorge, and you will find a black pine forest containing a stone house.

This is the ruin of an alchemist; find it, and you will obtain a runic enchanted weapon.】

More than a week has passed since your last return from Resurrection Island.

During this week, Stormhold’s development has progressed rapidly.

Especially with the addition of ample labor, the five hundred wooden huts have been completed.

Though extremely crude, they at least provide shelter from wind and rain.

Thus, after the huts were built, Gervas relocated the slaves from Black Pine Village, the Hunting Village, and the group of archers from Evlan—all into the new huts.

Though among these slaves, except for the Hunting Village villagers, none have yet met the requirements for amnesty.

But their diligent labor during this period has been evident, so Gervas allowed them to move into the huts as a form of indirect motivation.

Especially now that a new batch of Resurrection Island slaves has arrived, and Gervas does not restrict communication among slaves, the earlier groups will become the best examples for the new arrivals.

Then, without a whip, these new slaves will strive for their future freedom and better lives.

In addition to the town’s development, the sugarcane island and ice warehouse have also been completed.

On the sugarcane island, seven wooden huts were built, capable of housing five families—roughly thirty people—and including a warehouse and a sugar refinery.

In truth, the sugar refinery is very simple: just five stove burners.

Because sugar production requires no more than this.

First, wash the sugarcane, then extract the juice, and boil it in the five stoves.

Start boiling in the first pot; when the juice thickens slightly, ladle it into the second pot.

Continue this process; when it reaches the final pot, boil the juice until it becomes a thick paste, then remove it and place it in wooden molds to dry.

What dries thus is authentic brown sugar.

As for white sugar, simply bleach the brown sugar to obtain pure white sugar.

Thus, the completion of the sugar refinery means sugar production can finally begin.

As for the ice warehouse, not only has the path from town to the warehouse been widened, but sturdy wooden fences have been erected around the entrance and perimeter to prevent unauthorized entry and wild animal intrusion.

Inside the ice cave, stairs and lighting equipment have also been installed.

Notably, due to the cave’s unique environment, the lighting consists of two glow pearls.

And since glow pearls are expensive, Old John assigned five personnel to the ice warehouse.

These five are responsible not only for guarding the cave’s security but also for daily ice cutting and hauling.

This way, outsiders need not enter the cave, eliminating the risk of glow pearl theft.

Of course, these five all have family members remaining in town and are relatives of the guard unit, so their own theft or escape is virtually impossible.

…

Upon waking in the morning, hearing the ding-ding sound in his mind, Gervas leapt straight out of bed.

Good heavens! Gervas exclaimed in astonishment!

What had he just heard!?

An iron vein worth five thousand gold coins?!

That’s equivalent to the entire fortune of a frontier baronial family—including land, castle, and all.

Now, Baron Beckert intends to “gift” this great fortune away!

For such a windfall, Gervas would never let it slip through his fingers.

As for whether it’s too conscience-stricken—

Please, if Baron Beckert hadn’t planned to cheat others, this fortune wouldn’t have fallen into an outsider’s hands.

Ding-ding!

The bell at the bedroom door rang; Carolyne, the maid, entered gracefully with a basin of clean water.

“Good morning, my lord!”

“Hmm! Good morning, Carolyne! By the way, you look especially beautiful today! Carolyne!”

Watching the obedient and thoughtful maid, Gervas, though not yet taking advantage of his own staff, did not hesitate to lavish verbal praise.

“Really?” Carolyne’s eyes sparkled; her heart felt as sweet as honey, convinced her careful grooming had been worth it.

At once, Carolyne prepared to give her lord a flirtatious glance and ask precisely what made her look so beautiful today.

But Gervas had seen right through her; before she could speak, he said at once: “Enough, Carolyne. I have many matters to attend to today—begin attending to my morning ablutions now!”

The maid’s breath hitched; she immediately wore a pouty expression.

Gervas feigned not to notice, already standing before the bronze mirror, waiting.

Please, a taste of sweetness is fine—but absolutely no letting Carolyne feel satisfied.

Otherwise, future praise will lose all effect.

The personal maid’s tail would shoot straight to the heavens.

After ablutions, the daily punishment was, of course, unavoidable!

After a flurry of motion, Gervas finally left for the dining hall, thoroughly satisfied.

And as he had just said, today was indeed busy.

Aside from the intelligence matters, according to Old John’s report, the blacksmiths had sent word.

The eleven crossbows Gervas had ordered a week ago, jointly crafted by blacksmiths and carpenters, were completed.

In addition, the bed crossbow Gervas brought back from the Skullship battlefield had also been modified.

The craftsmen had not only built a wheeled mobile base to accompany the bed crossbow, but also installed a winch mechanism for drawing the string.

Now they awaited Gervas’s inspection.

Besides the forge, Isabella the witch had already sought out Old John, requesting to meet Gervas.

She had extracted from the previous Flame-Scaled Dragon a concentrated liquid capable of enhancing the strength of a Title Knight.

She hoped Alan would come immediately after waking to confirm the liquid’s effects.