Chapter 95

Only now did Gervas realize he had underestimated the power of the Flame Triple Slash.

That target was made of tree stumps thick enough for two men to embrace, reinforced with leather armor.

Though worn, the leather armor still offered considerable defense.

Combined, the two had once been impossible for Gervas to cut through with a single strike.

Yet under the Flame Slash’s enhancement, he severed it effortlessly, as if slicing tofu.

It was easy to imagine how devastating this technique would be in battle—Gervas would be unstoppable.

“No wonder Duke Radiant boasted so proudly that he used the Flame Triple Slash to defeat higher-ranked opponents!”

“Even just the first layer, which I’ve barely mastered, should let me handle most opponents of my own level!”

“If I master the next two layers, defeating higher-ranked foes won’t be an issue at all!”

Gervas’s eyes gleamed with determination; he wasted no time and pressed on to train the second layer while the potion’s effect still lingered.

Of course, the second layer of the Flame Slash was far harder to master, requiring passage through many more minor meridians.

By the time the Bloodfruit potion’s effect faded, Gervas had only completed half of the second layer.

“What a pity!” Gervas sighed in regret.

But he had already gained a tremendous advantage!

Half the second layer would normally take three to five months to achieve—yet he’d done it in just one hour.

…

【Ding, daily intelligence system has refreshed…】

【Intelligence One: At the northernmost tip of Stormhold, seventy li from the coast, lies an island roughly one-quarter the size of Stormhold.】

【The island is densely vegetated, and more remarkably, it hosts sugarcane—a plant rare across the continent.】

【Intelligence Two: Refugees are a universal phenomenon in every kingdom, especially near borders.】

Thus, refugees aren’t just found in the Chaos Wastelands—they also dwell on islands out at sea.】

【On an island fifty li off the southernmost coast of Count Kenneth’s domain, over three hundred refugees live.】

【Among them are skilled craftsmen: shipwrights, carpenters, jewelers, and navigators.】

【But they are deeply hostile to outsiders—approaching them recklessly could provoke an attack!】

【Intelligence Three: The Waga fish-man you saved has found his tribe—he is the son of the Buwa fish-man chieftain.】

【Upon learning his son was saved by you, the Buwa chieftain is deeply grateful and will bring a large quantity of seafood to Stormhold to thank you.】

【Intelligence Four: This afternoon, a group of over a hundred goblins will infiltrate Stormhold.】

【They are a hunting squad from the Claw tribe; having failed to hunt successfully in the wastelands, they plan to capture defenseless two-legs in Stormhold.】

【In their eyes, Stormhold is a weak two-legs territory!】

【Intelligence Five: Your father, after over a week of travel, will arrive at Stormhold at dusk.】

【Coincidentally, Count Violet will also arrive at Stormhold around the same time.】

【Intelligence Six: The Beckert family became one of the few count families on the border because a rich iron deposit was discovered on their land.】

【After forty years of mining, the Beckert family’s iron deposit appears nearly exhausted.】

【This troubles and saddens Count Beckert deeply, for it means the most stable income his family has enjoyed for decades will vanish.】

【Still, unwilling to surrender, Count Beckert has issued a mobilization order, commanding all miners to dig deeper into the earth, frantically searching for any remaining veins.】

Days passed swiftly.

These days, Stormhold had been developing at a rapid pace.

Under the efforts of the vassals and craftsmen, houses rose one by one from the ground.

Especially the wooden huts—no technical skill was needed; with a steady supply of materials, they could be built quickly.

Stone houses, however, were more troublesome—they required shaping the stones.

This was the most time-consuming step: using crude hammers and tongs to chip each stone into the desired rectangular shape.

Of course, Gervas only built stone houses as a side project; his main focus remained on wooden huts.

Meanwhile, new farmland was being reclaimed at full speed—over one hundred and fifty mu had already been cleared.

By this winter, Stormhold would likely reclaim three thousand mu of farmland—double the original amount.

At that point, the population it could support would double… no, that was without guano or druids.

With druids and fertilization, crop yields could increase seven to eight times.

Thus, next year Gervas could support at least eight times his current population—sixteen thousand people minimum.

That was the normal population for a baron’s domain.

Two thousand people? That was fewer than a small town in the kingdom’s heartland.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Waves churned.

“Hmm, today they feel softer.”

“Do they?” Carolin turned, puzzled.

“Must be my imagination,” Gervas shook his head.

Carolin the maid nodded and carried the washbasin out of the bedroom.

As soon as she stepped into the corridor, her cheeks flushed red, a hint of irritation on her face.

“Idiot, I wore one less layer today—didn’t you notice?”

Notice?

“The waves today were clearly more turbulent than usual—I couldn’t miss that. But again: the grass right under my nose? I’m not in a hurry.”

…

“What? Goblin raiders are coming to Stormhold?”

In the castle’s war room, Gervas informed everyone of the goblin intelligence.

“That’s right. The goblins have already begun moving toward Stormhold—they’ll arrive by afternoon, around a hundred strong.”

“My lord, goblins are stronger than demon snakes, but if there are only a hundred, and we know they’re coming, Stormhold can handle them easily!”

Knight Captain Lei Meng remained calm.

“Precisely. That’s why I’m telling you now—to prepare you mentally.”

Gervas turned to Laurent. “Captain Laurent, cancel today’s morning training. Put the guards on combat readiness. Inspect all weapons and equipment.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The plan to deal with the goblins was settled easily.

Even before that, Gervas had spare time to investigate the treasures out at sea.

That was the confidence that came with increased strength.

“Lei Meng, get ready—we’re setting sail!”

…

“My lord, where are we sailing today?”

On the shore, the Stormwind was fully prepared.

After Gervas boarded, Old Jack bowed respectfully.

“Old Jack, head north—first to Stormhold’s northernmost coastline.”

“As you command, my lord!”

As the sails unfurled, the Stormwind cut through the waves toward the north.

Just over half an hour later, the ship reached the northernmost edge of Stormhold’s waters.

“Head east fifty nautical miles!”

“Yes, my lord. Helm to starboard—fifty nautical miles east!”

Old Jack expertly turned the helm; the ship instantly changed course.

The back-and-forth between master and servant, combined with Old Jack’s orders to the crew, created an immersive atmosphere—Gervas felt as if he were a Caribbean pirate.

“My lord, an island spotted due east!”

An hour later, the lookout on the mast shouted excitedly.

He paused, then added: “This island is enormous, my lord!”