The bustling dock, the lively crowd—the air was thick with the scent of the sea and rum.
The carriage rolled slowly into the port, and Leilin Farell gazed out through its small window at the hectic scene beyond.
Sailors, farmers, mercenaries, adventurers—all manner of people filled his sight, and he quickly sorted through them, picking out those who possessed decent strength and those who harbored ill intentions.
Having been immersed in his spell studies of late, Leilin had rarely left the manor, let alone ventured all the way out here.
"It seems the Faolan Family has managed this place even better than I expected. It's no surprise that some unsavory characters have their eyes on it."
"Hm?! There are even bards here!"
Leilin caught sight of a crowd gathered near an intersection, where a bard was putting on a performance, and he couldn't help voicing his surprise aloud.
Bards in the
Given the Faolan port's previous level of prosperity, it certainly shouldn't have been enough to attract bards traveling through to perform.
"Jacob, that bard—what's his name? How long has he been here?" Leilin asked directly.
"That bard? They say his name is Snow, and he comes from a distant northern land. His poetry is quite beautiful, and he has many interesting stories. Before, His Lordship the Baron had even been considering inviting him to perform at the manor…"
Jacob replied promptly.
With the Faolan Family's prestige, the commoners here quickly cleared a path, paying their respects to the family that ruled this port and island.
Seated in the center of the carriage, Leilin felt none of the intoxication that came with such flattery. Instead, he furrowed his brow. "There are too many people, yet the patrol appears far too infrequently…"
"Jacob. How much strength does our family actually have stationed here?"
"You mean the patrol, sir? My young master!" Jacob started, clearly taken aback by the question. But for the one who had once commanded this place, the patrol's situation had long been etched into his heart. He paused only briefly before answering without hesitation. "We have two companies here, a hundred men in total—all strong, able-bodied young fellows!"
"Strong young fellows? Able-bodied? You mean there are no extraordinary-class professionals among them, and they can only suppress ordinary sailors and petty thieves?"
Leilin was at a loss for words. "Then how many of these hundred are actual professionals? How many sets of leather armor do they have? And what about ranged weapons like crossbows?"
In this World of Gods, where extraordinary power was heavily restricted, armor and weaponry were crucial factors in determining one's fighting strength. A well-equipped, well-trained squad could handle professionals below fifth tier without breaking a sweat, and with sufficient numbers, even tenth-tier professionals wouldn't want to fight them head-on.
Of course, once someone surpassed tenth tier, no amount of numbers could compensate for the quality gap.
"
"What? They don't have any?" Leilin sighed.
"Professionals? Both company commanders are retired officers recruited by His Lordship the Baron. They have low-tier warrior strength but haven't passed the fifth-tier warrior certification. As for leather armor, only squad leaders and above have a set—twelve in total. And crossbows… our patrol doesn't carry those. There seem to be a few in storage at the manor, though…"
Jacob answered with a touch of embarrassment in his voice.
"Far too little! Far too little! This kind of force seems dreadfully thin…" Leilin muttered, almost as if complaining.
"Why do you say that, sir?" Jacob's face showed genuine surprise. "A baron commanding over a hundred elite soldiers—such strength in the Kingdom would be on par with a viscount's! And to maintain this force, His Lordship invests a massive share of trade profits every year…"
"The baron… I suppose that's true…"
Leilin had a moment of realization. Faolan Island was newly colonized territory with no established population. Even recruiting farmers to till the land was a hassle, let alone directly conscripting soldiers. The only way to gather enough manpower was through mercenary contracts—paying enormous sums and shouldering costs for food, housing, and resettlement.
In truth, were it not for Faolan Island's isolated position and the need to fend off hordes of ruthless pirates, Baron Jonas would have cut the garrison in half long ago.
Barons within the Dambress Kingdom could technically conscript similar numbers, but outside of wartime they never did, because they simply couldn't afford it. Without the trade revenue, the entire Faolan Family would have been bankrupted by its military expenses.
"The rise of nobility truly is an arduous path…" Leilin sighed inwardly. This body's grandfather had survived countless battles just to claim this barren island as a fief. Then Baron Jonas had spent half a lifetime breathing life into it, only for others to immediately set their eyes on it.
"If I were to fully equip all hundred of them…" Leilin did a rough mental calculation. In the World of Gods, armor was extraordinarily expensive. A full suit of plate armor could serve as a knight's family heirloom, worth as much as a small estate. And armor that had been modified by a wizard or blessed by a priest? The price was even more staggering—comparable to the value of an entire city!
"Replacing the patrol's armor is obviously out of the question, but there's room to think about weapons. At the very least, they shouldn't be carrying rusted iron pitchforks…"
Leilin pressed his fingers to his forehead with a sigh.
He was no longer the wealthy alter ego he had once been. In the World of Gods, even his monthly allowance was only a few gold coins, and most of that went straight into spell materials.
"A low-level wizard's options for earning money are limited to copying spells or brewing basic potions—mind-numbing grunt work, and there's no time for that anyway. Ugh, in the World of Gods, even minor nobles have it rough. Only the churches are truly wealthy! Last time I saw that Temple of the Spring Goddess, every knight was clad in full metal plate, complete with divine blessing effects…"
Leilin couldn't help recalling his observations during the last Soul Seed event. The churches' wealth was legendary across the entire continent, and none more so than the Church of Waukeen, Goddess of Wealth. Rumor had it that they had constructed their headquarters entirely of gold and silver, with gold bricks paving the floors. Sometimes, in his most desperate moments, Leilin swore that once he made his fortune, he would absolutely rob the place.
"Then… can I command them?"
Suppressing his rather treasonous thoughts, Leilin called out to Jacob outside.
"Of course! As the heir of the Faolan Family, your will is our command!" Jacob answered firmly. "Shall I signal them?"
"No! There's no need. I'm heading to the Temple of Knowledge—there's no danger there. Go and instruct them…"
Leilin spoke a few calm words, while silently adding in his mind: *Besides, you lot would be utterly useless against temple priests and paladins, and how many of you would actually be willing to raise a hand against the church and deity you worship?* After Leilin finished giving his orders, silence settled over the carriage interior. He said nothing more, merely observing the passing terrain and architecture with curiosity through the window.
"Sir! We've arrived at the Temple of Knowledge!"
As the carriage rolled into an open expanse, Jacob's voice came from the front.
Leilin looked out the window. The streets here were clean and tidy, and the pedestrians appeared well-mannered. Even farmers and mercenaries who passed through kept their footsteps hushed, as if in deference and caution—a world apart from the chaotic, noisy port.
Through the carriage window, he could see the towering, magnificent temple building radiating a dazzling glow.
The churches of the gods were always built with magnificent grandeur, projecting an aura that was both opulent and solemn.
"O God of Knowledge…" The murmur of prayers drifted in.
As it was a festival day, a great many followers of the God of Knowledge had already gathered here. The spacious广场 was packed with people.
To honor the God of Knowledge, Baron Jonas had donated the finest and largest plot of land at the port without accepting a single copper coin.
In the eyes of the priests, this was only natural.
"It seems every 'educated person' at the port has shown up!" Leilin sighed, rubbed his face, and put on a bright, sunny smile.
"Young Master Leilin!"
"Welcome, welcome!" "Oh my—look who it is…"
Numerous acquaintances crowded around him, many of them his uncles and aunts by relation. Leilin had no choice but to force a smile and exchange pleasantries with each one.
Thanks to
The cost, however, was that after all the tedious greetings, Leilin found his facial muscles had gone stiff, and a considerable amount of time had passed.
"Knowing it's a colossal hassle and still having to go through with it—the life of a noble…"
Leilin sighed and stepped into the grand, cavernous temple. He dropped a small pouch of gold coins into the donation box, drawing a beaming smile from the plump priest standing behind it.
Leilin looked around. The Temple of Oghma, God of Knowledge, was beautifully arranged—bookshelves and statues filled every corner, suffusing the space with an air of scholarly refinement.