On the thirteenth of August,
"Lorist, I understand what you mean." Lady Teresti gazed tenderly at little Olga in her arms; in her heart, the child now came before Lorist himself. "I think this is fine. Does the fact that we're not married mean you won't acknowledge Olga as your daughter? I'm a scholar — I'm really not suited to be some lord's lady, because that would mean spending so much time on tedious social obligations. From now on, I'm going to pour my energy into establishing the academy. With little Olga to carry on the Nicole family name, I'm perfectly content…"
Unable to convince the resolute Lady Teresti, and unwilling to lose his temper in front of mother and daughter, Lorist had no choice but to retreat in disgruntled silence.
Still smarting from the rebuff, Lorist was in a foul mood, so he grabbed his sword and went to find Viscount Christoph, the prisoner of war. The only person who could spar with Lorist at this point was the Great Swordmaster of the first rank. After barely holding on for over a hundred exchanges, Viscount Christoph wisely surrendered, dropping his blade. He accepted the towel Schward handed him and asked curiously, "What's gotten into you today? You seem especially… fierce."
"Not much. Just in a bit of a mood. Oh, I'm planning to make a trip to Maplewood Manor in a couple of days. Want to come along?" Lorist asked.
Although Viscount Christoph was technically a prisoner of war, he enjoyed considerable freedom at
"No thanks, I'll stay here. I was just thinking of finding some quiet time to really reflect on what I've gained from our sword exchanges. I don't want to go with you only to end up being your practice dummy day in and day out…" Viscount Christoph turned down Lorist's invitation without hesitation.
Very well. Since that was the case, Lorist didn't press the matter. Instead, he headed to the rear mountain of the fortress. This was a newly constructed training ground, where
What surprised Lorist wasn't Redi's progress in cultivating the Dantian Sea Qi-Guiding Art. Rather, it was that Redi's Silver-rank
Lorist had Redi sit cross-legged. Taking a position behind him, he placed both palms firmly against Redi's back. As he guided Redi to circulate the Dantian Sea Qi-Guiding Art, Lorist simultaneously channeled his internal energy to assist. The benefit of this method was that it strengthened Redi's perception and feel of the internal energy flowing through his meridians, and also allowed Lorist to monitor various aspects of Redi's progress with the technique…
After one complete minor circulation, Lorist withdrew his palms. The condition within Redi's body was indeed much as he had guessed. Although practicing the Dantian Sea Qi-Guiding Art, Redi's Silver-rank Combat Force was still present, but he had now reached a point where he could advance no further in Combat Force cultivation. In other words, he was permanently stuck at the first star of the Silver rank and could never progress to the next tier.
The first and second layers of the Dantian Sea Qi-Guiding Art primarily involved familiarizing oneself with the minor circulation of internal energy through the twelve primary meridians and expanding those meridians. The main purpose was to nurture qi and store power. The truly difficult parts were the subsequent three layers. The third layer involved opening up the eight extraordinary meridians and connecting them to the twelve primary meridians, enabling the internal energy to complete a major circulation. Mastery of the third layer marked the peak of the Bright Force stage. The fourth layer entered the Dark Force stage, while the fifth was the legendary Transformation Force stage. Comparing it to Combat Force, Lorist estimated that the Transformation Force stage would be equivalent to the realm of a Sword Saint.
Lorist's plan to return to Maple Forest Manor in two days was not a whimsical decision. Since the assassination attempt last year, he hadn't yet visited his precious son. Furthermore, he had just received a letter from old Father Balic reporting that the shipyard was finally completed. However, fierce arguments had erupted among the master craftsmen over what type of sea vessels should be constructed, requiring Lorist to go in person and decide on the ship design.
Lorist instructed Redi to remain there and diligently practice the Dantian Sea Qi-Guiding Art, aiming to enter the second layer within three months. For this trip to Maple Forest Manor, he now had Schwade at his side, so Redi was no longer needed as an attendant.
Upon returning to Maple Forest Manor, Lorist found that Ilina was overjoyed to welcome him. The same could not be said for the two-and-a-half-year-old, tiger-headed little rascal, who had long since completely forgotten his own father. Not only did the boy burst into tears the moment Lorist picked him up, but he also crawled over and took a vicious bite, furious that Lorist had monopolized his mother, leaving Lorist caught between laughter and tears.
Lorist felt he owed Ilina and their son dearly. He decided to have them accompany him back to Stone Fortress to live, so that in the future, the little brat wouldn't fail to recognize his own father. However, on this point, Ilina was as stubborn as Lady Tressia, absolutely refusing to leave Maple Forest Manor. In the end, Lorist had to yield to her wishes.
The passage between the Blade Peak Mountains and the highlands along the Black Mud Swamp coast had been opened. The journey from Maple Forest Manor, via Poplar Town, took less than a day. When Lorist arrived at the entrance to the Blade Peak Mountains pass with his guard battalion, he found
"What are you all doing here?" Lorist asked as he dismounted.
Several years had passed, and Master Siroba no longer wet his pants at the sight of Lorist like he used to. On the contrary, he was now deeply grateful to Lorist for giving him the opportunity to showcase his talents. After all, a grand project like developing the Black Mud Swamp was something no kingdom or duchy in the outside world would be willing to pour such vast sums into for basic infrastructure, given the current state of affairs. Master Siroba was certain that once the Black Mud Swamp development project was completed, he would go down in history as its chief designer. For him, this was the true opportunity of a lifetime.
However, having once regarded Lorist as a demon, Master Siroba still felt a measure of embarrassment whenever he faced him, having been so terrified in the past that he'd wet himself several times. Thus, when Master Siroba saw Lorist, he still felt somewhat awkward and indicated for his deputy, Samben, to step forward and respond.
After bowing respectfully to Lorist, Samben said deferentially, "My lord, we are examining whether it is feasible to construct a fortress castle here on this mountainside. We are currently measuring whether the area is sufficiently large..."
"Oh?" Lorist surveyed the surroundings. He did indeed discover that this was an excellent location for building a fortress castle. This had originally been a pointed mountain peak, but now the peak looked as if it had been sliced in half by a blade. The upper part had been reduced to various rocks and rubble, filling the lower section to become part of the passage. Constructing a fortress castle here would not only command a view over the Black Mud Swamp but also seal off the main road from the Blade Peak Mountains to Poplar Town. The terrain was precipitous, easy to defend and difficult to garrison. Once a legion was stationed here, the safety of the future port city on the coastal highlands would be assured.
"You've done well. This planning and design proposal is well thought out and thorough," Lorist praised.
"My lord, at present, this idea remains only on paper. We are currently considering whether to level off that adjacent peak by half and connect it with this location. This would expand the area and, secondly, the mountain spring on that peak could become the direct water source for the fortress castle. However, doing so would double the project workload. We are currently assessing the feasibility..." Samben reported.
Lorist nodded. "I trust your expertise and believe you will make the appropriate choices for the family's prosperity. I'll leave the decision to you on this matter; I will not interfere."
"My lord, there is one more matter that requires your decision." Samben stepped forward and pointed toward the sea. "My lord, in the original planning and construction for the harbor city, the family had intended to fill in the submerged reef zone close to the shore. However, after a year of investigation and study led by Master Siroba, we have concluded that filling in the near-shore reef zone, which is dozens to a hundred meters wide, is an arduous task with little reward. The workload would be immense, and it would also create hidden safety hazards for the future harbor city. We believe the near-shore reef zone should be preserved. It would suffice to only fill in the area where the shipyard is located and construct two piers leading to the deep sea. This would be enough to satisfy the needs of the family's fleet..."
"Very well. I will be at the shipyard during this period. Tonight, you should consolidate your opinions and proposals, write up a report for me, and provide your preliminary concepts and planning blueprints for the harbor city. I will then convene the various departments of the family for discussion before making a decision," Lorist said. He then nodded to Master Siroba before mounting his horse and riding along the passage toward the shipyard by the sea.
The shipyard was situated in a recessed cove at the innermost part of Bull's Horn Bay. The open ground behind it was stacked high with enormous, air-dried logs. Old Father Barek, leading a group of master carpenters, guided Lorist and his party into a spacious hall. Inside the hall was a large pool, upon which floated over a dozen models of sailing seagoing vessels of various sizes and designs.
Old Father Barek pointed to the ship models floating on the pool and said, "My lord, these already include most of the seagoing vessel types from Galentea. However, we have been unable to agree on what type of vessel should be the first to be built. Some believe we should construct a warship, while others think we should build a merchant vessel. That is why we have invited your lordship here to make the decision."
Lorist shook his head. "Our family hasn't yet established any maritime trade routes, so there's no urgent need to build merchant vessels. Warships take a long time to build and are highly complex, and those aren't what we need right now either. The family naval battalion has only just been formed. The most important thing is to build a training vessel that the sailors can use to navigate the open sea."
"B-but, my lord, there is no such thing as a training vessel among the types of seagoing ships..." The eldest of the old craftsmen stepped forward.
"Then you can design one yourselves," said Lorist. "A training vessel has very simple requirements — medium-sized hull, a small number of long-range weapons, easy to handle, no need for high speed, and no requirement for heavy defenses. All it needs is the ability to withstand storms and undertake deep-sea voyages. The purpose of a training vessel is to train the family's sailors, help them adapt to life at sea, familiarize them with the skills of handling various seagoing vessels, and build a basic combat capability. You can discuss amongst yourselves and design a training vessel that meets the requirements I've just outlined. Can you do it?" Lorist asked.
"My lord... I think we can give it a try..." The old craftsman looked around at his companions and nodded.
"...until a final design is reached," Lorist said.
…
Upon the vast grasslands where the wind swept low over grazing cattle and sheep, a mighty fortress of imposing scale loomed against the horizon. From a distance, it resembled a fierce magical tiger lying quietly across the boundless plains.
This was the seat of power of the Eastern Wastes Province, the base of the Border Defense Corps' legendary god of war — the third-rank Great Swordmaster, Grand Duke Fasaburen — and the headquarters of the border forces. The renowned Tiger's Perch Fortress.
Yet at this moment, Grand Duke Fasaburen's face was flushed crimson with rage, his hair bristling with fury, and the silver goblet in his hand had already been crushed into a mangled lump. Anyone who received several pieces of bad news in a single morning would certainly be in foul spirits, but one report in particular had crossed this warrior-priest grand duke's bottom line.
Over a dozen Family Knights of the Fasaburen household still stood in the great hall, but not one of them uttered a word. None were willing to try and console their lord. Beyond racking their brains for some way to resolve the predicament they faced, they were utterly powerless when it came to tempering their grand duke's wrath.
"Grandfather, what's wrong with you?" Princess Sylvia strode into the somber great hall dressed in hunting attire, looking every bit the spirited huntress. The dozen-plus Family Knights present all let out a collective sigh of relief. With the arrival of the grand duke's favorite granddaughter, he would surely stop throwing a tantrum.
"My little girl, what brings you here? Grandfather is fine. I just received some bad news this morning and I'm not in the best mood…" Grand Duke Fasaburen forced a thin smile.
"Let me see — what bad news?" Princess Sylvia picked up several sheets of parchment from the table beside Grand Duke Fasaburen and began reading. "A commercial notice from the Weixiya Trading Company? They say they need to replace their mining equipment, a process that will take two years, and they're willing to compensate our family's losses in Gold Forde coins? What does this mean?"
Grand Duke Fasaburen let out a long, heavy sigh. "Sylivia. Your uncle-in-law — His Majesty the King — has actually sold the two iron mines, which are the lifeblood of our nation, to the Weixiya Trading Company to manage. For a term of thirty years. And the Iberian Kingdom only has those two iron deposits — easy to mine and of excellent quality. They are the guarantee for producing the most critical military equipment for the kingdom's armies. The previous agreement with His Majesty stipulated that one-third of the output was to supply armaments to the Border Defense Corps."
"Now that those two mines have been handed over to the Weixiya Trading Company, they claim to acknowledge the agreement His Majesty and I signed — but that agreement covers iron ore output, not finished military equipment. They talk about replacing mining equipment and whatnot, which is clearly a ploy to deceive us. Even if one-third of the iron output is converted to Gold Forde coins as compensation, what good is that to us? What we need is military equipment, not gold coins. Now there's no amount of money that can buy us military equipment…"
"Grandfather, don't worry. I know of a place that produces excellent standardized equipment. I can reach out to them for you," Princess Sylvia said.
"Where?" Grand Duke Fasaburen was surprised.
"The
"The Norton Family? No, no, no — they are our enemies. Not only did they imprison your uncle-in-law, our king, but your Uncle Kristof and over fifteen thousand Border Defense Corps soldiers have fallen into their captivity as well. I'm already racking my brain trying to figure out what price to pay to ransom them back…" Grand Duke Fasaburen shook his head repeatedly.
"Grandfather, the head of the Norton Family — Count Norton — once said something: there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. I believe that just because you regard him as an enemy doesn't necessarily mean he regards you the same way. Uncle-in-law brought this upon himself. He never should have set his sights on the Norton Family. The Nortons never provoked or offended him. They simply remained on their own family lands, honoring their oath to guard the empire's northern frontier. Yet Uncle-in-law insisted on launching a campaign against them, and after suffering defeat, he even sent a Great Swordmaster to assassinate them. That was truly despicable — not honorable in the slightest."
"The Norton Family had every right to retaliate — capturing him and throwing him in a cell instead of hanging him was already an act of mercy. Besides, didn't they treat Aunt with courtesy even after occupying the royal capital? Both my godmother and I have met Count Norton. The last time he defeated Uncle-in-law's army, he even escorted us safely home. Just let me go to the Northland, and while I'm at it, I can ransom Uncle Kristof and those captured Border Defense Corps soldiers back. What do you think?" Princess Celia grabbed Grand Duke Fasaburen's hand and began to wheedle.
"There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests… Hahaha, there's something to that. Very well, Celia — you and Cinty shall make the journey to the Northland and see what kind of answer the Norton Family gives us…" Grand Duke Fasaburen made his decision.
…(To be continued.)