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墨書 Inktalez
After the time travel, to become a qualified Lord, one must be proficient in governance, law, and various agricultural developments.
Most importantly, one must possess detailed knowledge of glassmaking, brewing, cement, explosives, and firearms. By building high walls, stockpiling grain, and taking a gradual approach to kingship, one can focus on technological advancements within their territory for a few years before starting to conquer the surrounding lands.
Unfortunately, Xiar had none of this knowledge. He sat in the Baron’s usual workspace, staring blankly at piles of documents that far exceeded the study materials of a high school student.
Xiar casually flipped open a book but felt dizzy after reading just half a page. It contained numerous records of the territory's production, sales, and tax submissions. While he could understand the content, finding any issues or making suggestions was beyond his capabilities.
"Um, Grandpa Simon, could you just give me the main issues?"
Since he didn’t understand much, Xiar straightforwardly asked the elderly man standing beside him. This man had worked in Shining Gold Town for decades and was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable person regarding this information in the entire territory.
After listening for over an hour and asking several questions along the way, Xiar finally gained a general understanding of many aspects of his domain.
Shining Gold Town relied on its gold mine; without it, there wouldn’t be a town with a population exceeding ten thousand.
Aside from the gold mine, more than eighty percent of the territory was unsuitable for growing food crops. The two percent of arable land was mostly used for planting fruit trees and tea plants. The soil here was simply not suitable for farming; most of the grain was purchased from Storm Harbor.
Deep within Moonlight Forest lay rich mineral veins containing silver and iron ore, and some even claimed to have found various gemstones.
However, the ever-present dangers posed by wild beasts and poisonous insects, along with the dense primeval forest, had led Baron Bougiano and the previous Lord to consider these resources but ultimately decide against exploiting them due to mismatched costs and benefits.
As a town near the forest, the greatest profits naturally came from timber and animal pelts. However, in order to secure a pathway into the Imperial Royal Academy for Xiar, the Baron had signed an unequal agreement with Viscount Mark from the north. This meant that all timber and pelts for an entire year had to be prioritized for him at outrageously low prices.
"Due to previous cheap sales, most merchants in the territory have started complaining; some have even moved away," Simon sighed.
"Oh, so the biggest problem now is Viscount Mark?" Xiar tapped his right hand on the table.
"Exactly. The greatest advantage of Shining Gold Town is its gold mine, which has allowed it to establish a formidable guard, enabling many to conduct transactions here with peace of mind. But now, fur and timber are monopolized by Viscount Mark..."
Before he could finish, Xiar waved his hand and smiled, "Don't worry, I'll have a serious talk with Viscount Mark. He should agree."
"Ah, how do you plan to negotiate with him?" Simon looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm someone who likes to reason things out and appreciates when others do the same. If reasoning doesn't work, then we'll see," Xiar said with a narrowed-eyed smile.
The hallmark of a farming strategy is that there are usually no major crises in the early stages. However, with just over two months until the Barbarian Army invades, there was hardly any time for him to develop steadily.
Simon looked puzzled, watching him leave, unsure of how he would manage to deal with that greedy vampire.
……………………
The only road from Shining Gold Town to the northern Sain City passed through the edge of Moonlight Forest, avoiding the rugged hills and mountains. Several territories had spent considerable resources to open this trade route.
At this moment, a caravan was driving along the road, laden with goods.
On one of the leading carriages, a well-dressed man scoffed, "This rural landowner is really rude; we arrived and he treated us with such trash."
The middle-aged man leading the group chuckled and replied, "You have to understand them; after all, these bumpkins rely on this little bit for their livelihood. Of course, they won't take kindly to us. Didn't you see how those people looked like they wanted to eat us? Ha ha!"
He couldn't help but laugh, picturing the frustrated expressions of those people and feeling an odd sense of pleasure.
"Hey, who told them to come begging? It's like they're just asking to be delivered..."
Boom!
Screech!
The two horses in front screamed in terror, suddenly halting the cart, causing the Ox Cart behind to crash into it, nearly toppling the vehicle.
"What happened? Are there bandits?" Both men were filled with fear.
The entire convoy had dozens of guards; surely, even if there were bandits, they wouldn't dare to provoke them. Besides, with the name of the Sain Family backing them, wouldn't the bandits fear being wiped out by Sain City?
"Ah, a monster!"
Outside, terrified screams erupted. The guards and workers all shrieked in unison, hundreds of voices flooding in, leaving them utterly bewildered about how to respond.
Monsters had been appearing frequently lately—powerful creatures that killed mercilessly. Had they finally encountered one?
Buzz buzz buzz!
At that moment, a dense buzzing filled the air as cows and horses collapsed one after another. The accompanying guards also fell to the ground, screaming in agony.
The two men trembled as they pulled back the curtain. A yellow bee, larger than a fist, came into view. Before they could react, a sharp stinger struck their shoulders with a swift motion.
The terrifying toxin spread rapidly, causing both men to lose consciousness immediately.
The buzzing gradually faded away, leaving behind a silence filled only with groans.
Dozens of strong horses and cattle lay dead, while most of the hundred or so people present had fallen into unconsciousness. Only a few guards, thanks to their robust physiques, managed to remain awake.
However, this state of wakefulness was one they would rather avoid, for a pack of Forest Wolves suddenly emerged, their green eyes striking fear into their hearts.
The head guard opened the birdcage in his hands and quickly attached a hastily written note to the leg of a bird, hoping it would carry news of the events here to Sain City.
Unfortunately, just as the gray bird took flight, it was struck by a poisoned dart and fell from the sky, only to be torn apart by several Strange Poison Bees!
Howl!
The pack of Forest Wolves, which had initially been running for their lives, suddenly halted at the sight of such delectable prey. At the howl of the Alpha Wolf, they pounced upon it!
The screams vanished in an instant, and when the Forest Wolves departed, not a single living creature remained at the scene.
In Mestlin Manor, Simon found Xiar upon his return. "Young Master, about what happened earlier—those who were killed..."
"Oh, there have been terrifying monsters roaming the forest lately. They just happened to be unfortunate enough to encounter them. I heard they were all torn to shreds; how pitiful," Xiar shrugged, appearing quite helpless.
"When they come asking questions, just explain things clearly to them. I do enjoy reasoning with people; we mustn't let anyone misunderstand."
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