Chapter 170: Punishment Cannot Be Skipped!

【Intelligence Report Two: Your five formal knight subordinates, nurtured by your vast supplies and tempered by this war, will today successively break through to the Great Knight realm!】

【Intelligence Report Three: The iron mine you purchased from Viscount Pat has, after recent surveys, yielded estimates of four extractable veins.

However, only the two central veins allow direct access to the main iron ore lode.

The two flanking veins on the left and right are merely branches; they will be exhausted after two or three months of mining.】

【Intelligence Report Four: Autumn is approaching, and harvests are imminent across the border territories. Yet the alien races, like sharks scenting blood, have begun prowling the kingdom's borders.

One goblin squad of over a thousand has wandered to the border of Baron Kane's fief and gone into hiding.

This is because Baron Kane's entire expeditionary force was annihilated during this campaign, with not even he himself returning.

Upon learning this news, this goblin squad is preparing to launch an attack on Baron Kane's fief this afternoon.】

【Intelligence Report Five: As the chief culprit responsible for the tribal army's fruitless retreat this time,

you, Gervas, Baron of Stormhold, have become a target of fixation for many tribespeople.

Especially after the tribal chieftain heirs recounted your brutality following their kidnapping.

You constantly threatened to cut off their fingers, ears, and noses; thus, your reputation among the tribes has turned utterly foul!】

【Intelligence Report Six: Catherine has arrived at the Hernand family estate several days ago and has finally awaited the arrival of the Court Mage from the Royal Capital.

Under the Court Mage's Bloodline Truth Incantation, Catherine was confirmed to possess the true Hernand family bloodline.

And Catherine has finally learned the secret of her own bloodline.

It turns out Catherine's mother was the illegitimate daughter of Duke Hernand; however, due to interference by a certain party, her mother was never known to Duke Hernand.

Last year, by coincidence, Duke Hernand revisited an old place and recalled a noble Young Lady with whom he had once shared a romance.

But he later discovered that the noble Young Lady had long since passed away, leaving behind a daughter of unknown paternity who had married far away to the Southern Region.

Only then did Hernand realize that the daughter born to that noble Young Lady was very likely his own.

Thus, through extensive searching, he found Catherine!】

This morning, Gervas slept until he woke naturally.

The daily intelligence reports refreshed at the appointed time.

Upon hearing today's intelligence content, Gervas was both startled and delighted.

Regarding the reward of his fief, Gervas had been thinking of it for a long time.

As a genuine transmigrator from the Hua Kingdom, Gervas inherently possessed the deep obsession with land characteristic of Hua people.

Now, as a noble lord, land is even more the foundation of one's standing.

With more expansive land, one can produce more supplies, sustain more serfs, and spawn more soldiers.

Thus, land is undoubtedly the most crucial element in the foundation of a noble.

Yet mixed within this good news was an unfavorable report.

What is this scribe trying to pull?

Instantly, Gervas's sleepiness vanished; he simply pulled the rope by the bedside to prepare to rise.

However, speaking of it, the information at the end of today's report was also very substantial.

Catherine truly is of the ducal family bloodline.

Does that not mean she will take off right here and now?

It is a pity Farrio died a bit too early; otherwise, he would surely have suffered greatly in the future.

Click-clack!

The bedroom door pushed open, and the voluptuous and juicy... hmm... the graceful and vibrant maid Caroline entered the room with a slow, elegant gait.

"Good morning, my lord Viscount!"

Carrying a copper basin, the little maid Caroline curtsied sweetly toward Gervas.

Her words were soft and sticky; no one could have imagined that half a year ago this same person was a notorious, sharp-tongued maid.

Of course, one must admit, the magic of the Viscount title is truly immense.

Not only do his own subordinates now walk with heads held high, radiating vigor.

Even maid Caroline has become increasingly radiant and alluring.

"Caroline, good morning to you as well!" Gervas naturally maintained the demeanor of a Viscount Lord, whose joy or anger never showed on his face.

And the more he adopted such an attitude now, the brighter the light in Caroline's beautiful eyes became.

For no other reason.

This is a truly capable man.

Caroline began to carefully attend to Gervas's washing and dressing.

During this process, her ample safety airbags would occasionally press against Gervas.

Gervas did not know if maid Caroline intended it, but thinking of her current attitude of dedicated service, he did not blame her safety airbags for taking advantage of him.

"My lord Gervas, when the Tulip Merchant Guild caravan departed yesterday, Steward John entrusted them to carry news of your elevation to Viscount to the Gale Fief!"

"Once Lord Andrew and Lady Mary learn of this, they will surely feel happy and honored for you!"

"I believe my father will be happy, but as for my stepmother, if she isn't so upset she can't eat, that would count as a broad-minded attitude!"

"Hee hee hee! That is for the best; who else but Lady Mary treated you, my lord Gervas, so badly before!"

Good heavens! Gervas exclaimed, "Good heavens!"

Personal maid, is it proper for you to betray your former master like this?

Before Gervas could question her, the maid continued sweetly, "After Lady Mary sold me to my lord Gervas, I have already been my lord Gervas's person!"

"Therefore, my entire body and soul now belong to my lord Gervas!"

"Moreover, I swear by the God of Glory that I, Caroline, will never betray my lord Gervas in my lifetime!"

Good heavens! Gervas said, "Good heavens!"

"Caroline, for your diligence, I reward you with this necklace, and I will reduce today's daily punishment by one slap!"

The necklace was looted from the tribal heirs.

They likely obtained it from nobles along the southwestern border; it's worth about two or three gold coins.

Gervas had stored it all along in his space ring.

The delicate maid, seeing this, nearly melted with her eyes.

"Thank you, my lord, for your grace!"

"But my lord, I accept the necklace as reward, yet the daily punishment cannot be reduced—after all… after all, if you reduce the punishment and I don't learn deeply enough and make another mistake, what then?"

What then?

Slap! Slap! Slap!

If so, the punishment is doubled.

Amid the crashing waves, Gervas asked, "Caroline, can you remember it firmly now?"

"My lord, I… I remember!"

That damned delicate voice.

Gervas dared not linger; he headed straight for the dining hall.

It was agreed that before the Mistress was subdued, this little demon Caroline could not be eaten.

…

"My lord, according to the report from the mining master hired from Iron Wolf City, he has identified four directions that are very likely the main iron ore veins."

"However, due to limited underground passages, simultaneous mining is impossible; you must now confirm which direction to excavate!"

At the dining table, Old John reported on the estate's various matters to Gervas.

The latest progress on the iron mine was undoubtedly the most important.

Fortunately, Gervas had already learned from intelligence reports the true direction of the main ore vein.

"Old John, I will personally select the exact excavation direction for the ore vein later."

"But right now, there is a more urgent matter you must prepare for: the envoy from Eagle City will arrive at Storm Domain this morning, here for my land grant!"

"My lord's land grant is finally coming? Very good, my lord! I shall begin preparations at once!"

Hearing that the land grant had finally arrived, Old John's wrinkled face broke into a smile unlike any before.