New Town

After checking the authenticity of the letter, Ronald immediately believed the visitor's words. Although he did not look like a businessman at all, the knight still entertained him with the greatest enthusiasm. After entertaining the other party for a night's rest, the next morning, the knight took the profiteer on a carriage to the castle.

The baron's carriage drove along the mountain road and stopped in front of the castle gate. The servants who had received the message stood at the gate ready to greet them. Seeing the two people get out of the carriage, the male servant hurried forward and bowed. Even when he saw the black-robed merchant's concealed dress, he did not show any surprise.

"Welcome to the Cross family's castle. Please follow me, guests."

It was obvious that he was mainly talking to profiteers, compared to Ronald, who had come countless times.

The merchant followed the other's lead leisurely. It must be said that a family is different with a hostess. If the castle was a quiet residence before, now it can be called a home.

Every floor was wiped clean and gleaming. The decorations on the walls were changed according to the season. The latest one was an autumn painting of a crimson maple forest, adding a touch of early autumn to the castle.

The butler led the two to the reception room. The owner of the contract had been waiting there for a long time. The elegant woman held a white porcelain teacup with gold patterns in her hands and smiled at the visitor. The tall and silent man next to her also cast a glance at her. Although they were two different faces, they gave people the same aura.

"It's nice to see you, guest. I'm Phailer, and this is my husband Abner. What should we call you?"

The black-robed merchant bowed, and the smile on his face that had been frozen for the past few days finally changed. The red paint flowed quickly, forming a -0- expression.

"Hello, Mrs. Faierer, Mr. Abner, please call me the profiteer. It is my pleasure to serve you. I hope to establish a chamber of commerce in your territories to develop cooperation. Believe me, this will be a win-win situation."

Abner nodded slightly, looking at him with an appraising gaze: "No one will doubt this, but in my territory, please abide by the rules I set, Mr. Profitable Merchant."

"Of course, I have heard of you two for a long time! A pleasant cooperation is inseparable from the right people. Since Earl Ya'an recommended me to come here, I believe there must be a reason -"

"For example, the little gentleman who was eavesdropping at the door?"

Hearing the profiteer's words, the man hiding at the doorway immediately knew that he had been discovered. He rubbed his nose and walked out embarrassedly. The lady's eyes immediately became gentle, and she called out his name lovingly: "Mason, why are you here?"

"I saw a carriage coming from my bedroom, and I was curious so I came down to have a look. Excuse me, father and mother, did I disturb you from meeting the guests?"

The linen-haired boy answered shyly, his ears and cheeks reddened. From the looks of it, he looked very ordinary, even thinner than an average person. The food supplements during this period did not allow the boy to gain much weight, and he still exuded a pale and thin temperament.

"No, dear, come to me quickly. This gentleman is a new merchant in the territory. You will meet him again in the future."

The female Countess waved to him, and then softly explained to the profiteer: "This is our child Mason. He is not in good health, so he doesn't often appear in front of other people."

Mason smiled shyly at the black-robed merchant. He thought to himself, this doesn't need to be explained, they are all my aliases, everyone knows each other.

The latter bowed to the young master and said some pleasant words in a cheerful tone, and the scene was full of harmony. When talking about the territory, Mason showed his curiosity at the right time, and Abner simply explained it to them.

"The territory does have plans to build a new town on the site of a previous town. But I'm still looking for the right baron."

The Viscount needs to look after the entire territory and cannot monitor every town all the time. Therefore, the establishment of new towns requires that they must be guarded by bloodline people. The reputation of Cross Territory has always been bad, and Abner has not found a suitable baron yet.

Mason blinked, and an idea immediately popped up in his mind: "Is it enough to have the Baron to protect me? Then this gentleman can also do it."

He pointed at the profiteer. Abner was slightly stunned, then denied it: "In order to ensure the safety of the territory, the review of the Noble Association has always been very strict. Not just any bloodline can protect the town. Besides, this is too troublesome... sir."

He vaguely mentioned the title, after all, calling someone a profiteer in front of a child is indeed not very polite. Mason couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he heard it. Although he just mentioned it casually, if it succeeds, wouldn't that give him a reason to run out and work on infrastructure with the vest?

Seeing her child's rare suggestion being rejected, the woman looked at her husband angrily. The latter took a sip of tea and calmly changed his words: "But if it's just temporary, it should be fine. Ronald and I will help."

Mason did not expect that things would turn around after all this. He looked up in surprise and met the viscount's hidden gaze. When the tall man noticed that he was looking at him, his expression suddenly became more serious. His stern face was tense, like a marble sculpture carved with a knife and an axe. It was impossible to tell what was going on in his mind.

Faile pursed her lips and smiled, like a hundred flowers blooming: "If Mason wants to do this, I have no objection. Those who are recognized by the Earl must have sufficient strength. I believe you will protect our town."

If they cannot protect him, that is another matter. That is naturally the guest's problem. How could it be related to their lovely son?

The Lady was not worried that the other party would not fall for her trick. Being able to manage a town, even temporarily, was extremely beneficial to a businessman. Not only could he sell goods according to demand, but he could also build relationships with the people of the new town during the management process. This was a deal that could not be over-calculated.

The flax-haired boy blinked and took the opportunity to ask quietly, "Can I go and see it, too? It must be very lively when a new town is built."

He showed an envious expression on his face. Because of the curse, the boy had been trapped in a small room at home all year round and had never seen the town. His eyes were shining when he talked about the outside world.

This doting couple immediately softened their hearts. With Ronald around, they fulfilled their child's little request without hesitation and asked the profiteer to take good care of their child.

Everyone present was satisfied with the result. The profiteer was invited to the guest room, and Mason followed his father into the study. The child's little thoughts did not escape the Viscount's eyes. The tall man reached out and took a folded map from the bookshelf. The map looked quite old, with many new and old markings on it, outlining the changes of this territory with different colored pens and inks.

This was something left behind by the previous lord. Not every noble had the money to buy the expensive goods in the Mechanical City, so there were many handwritten versions left behind. Abner pointed at one of the places marked with a cross: "The new town is here."

It was some distance from where they were now, and the surrounding area was plain, which was very suitable for farming, so it was chosen as the first location. In addition, Mason also found a nearby river and forest on the map. Autumn was the harvest season, so it seemed that even the new town would not have to worry about food during this period.

"If we start construction now, we will be able to move in by next spring, just in time for spring ploughing."

Abner was a very far-sighted lord when he wasn't dealing with his son's curse. He explained to his young children, "Before that, we need to store food and charcoal for the winter. The climate in the south is cold and wet, and the winter will be very difficult."

If the dry cold in the north is a physical attack, then the wet cold in the south is a magical attack. Winter is damp and cold without the sun. Unless you stay in the living room with a blazing fire, even your toes will be frozen to the bone. Especially under the lords who are not good at governance, many civilians will get frozen sick every year.

Too many things happened this year, and the territory's reserves have not yet reached the level of previous years. Thinking of this, Abner couldn't help but frown.

"So, it's time for Ronald to take people out hunting. I will go with him this time, so you may need to suspend your training for a while. If you need, you can go to your mother to learn."

Mason had no choice but to ask Faier to train him, but wouldn't he be praised to death even if he walked with his left foot first?

The lady always has too much maternal love and filters for her children, and Mason has experienced it thoroughly during this period. If he hadn't fought desperately, she would probably have wanted to go back to the infant stage to help him bathe.

This gentle and elegant woman is always irresistible, and in her eyes, Mason is always so small and lovable. He is the flesh and blood she gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy, and the driving force for her efforts.

Even if he was a complete waste in his life, Farrel would still love him. During this period of time, Mason sometimes couldn't help but feel lucky that he was a reliable adult at heart, otherwise he would have raised a naughty child the way the Viscount and his wife raised their children, and they would have had everything they wanted.

He has a better place to go than to seek training with Faile. The flax-haired boy hesitated for a moment, raised his hand and grabbed the corner of his father's clothes. The tall man who could tear monsters apart with his bare hands froze, and his eyes slowly moved down to the face of his own child.

The other party looked at him expectantly: "Can I play with that businessman?"

It's such a small request, what reason do you have not to agree to him!

Abner agreed without hesitation. For safety reasons, he also hired a profiteer to protect Mason during this time.

The black-robed businessman who had money and could do anything agreed happily, and the two quickly established a good relationship at a speed visible to the naked eye. The female noblewoman was extremely surprised: "I didn't expect Mason to like you so much. Is it really time to make friends? I'll leave it to you to take care of him, Mr. Swindler."

After all, they are the same person, so their relationship has to be particularly good.

The profiteer readily agreed, and when they were out of sight of the others, the two looked at each other, tore the parchment, and began to plan the next three-year and five-year goals.

Who doesn't have a dream of farming? Looking to the future, Mason is ambitious. The profiteers have come, and sooner or later he will make enough money to flood the entire Cross Territory!