Chapter 129 "I didn't take it to heart" (5,000 words long chapter!)

Whether it is great nobles like the Earl of Stag and the Earl of Green Leaf, or the small and medium nobles under them.

Everyone feels the prosperity here.

And the style is incompatible with the outside world.

The capital of the Frost Moon Kingdom was also prosperous, but that prosperity was cold, hasty, and completely different from here.

It seems like this is not the same world. The outside world is realistic, but here is a bit dreamy.

Just like what is described in those deceptive little books that trick children into becoming adventurers.

Many adventurers come back here with a lot of spoils, and then go to the market to sell them or submit tasks to the Adventurer's Association.

The market is very busy, with people selling fruit, bread, and some novel items, such as small parts from strange relics.

Some areas at the back also sell tents and other travel equipment.

In short, they are not like adventurers from other regions, who are either completing trivial errands or engaging in hand-to-hand combat with wild beasts in the wild, looking like they are forced to make a living.

The nobles couldn’t see any further away, they were just standing at the door and hadn’t gone in.

The guard at the door was surprised by their arrival.

However, the guards selected by Rand were all very discerning, and they were obviously great nobles, so they were very easy to judge. He did not let them go through the normal process, but instead reported it immediately after confirmation.

The one who came to greet them was Taran. Taran was on vacation during this period, and Rand arranged for him to come to the hideout to observe and learn.

Now is the perfect time to arrange for the reception of these nobles.

Although Rand had no idea why they suddenly came here, they couldn't be here to punish them for detaining the knights of these small and medium nobles, right? Rand felt that Earl Stag and Little Earl Green Leaf would not do such a thing.

After receiving the notification, Rand waited in the lord's hall.

The nobles followed Taran through the wide and smooth road of the resort and went up the mountain road.

As a hideout for the upper class, it shocked these nobles more than the holiday villa on the lower class, especially the giant snake bones hovering above the lord's hall.

They didn't know how Rand killed such a terrifying beast, but it didn't stop them from being shocked by the sight.

Then they were led into the lord's hall.

The decoration style of the lord's hall is different from that of these nobles. For great nobles with a long history, such as the Earl of Stag and the Earl of Green Leaf, the styles of the lord's halls in their territories are mostly exquisite, as reflected in the use of a large number of luxurious decorations.

At first, they did not have much expectation for Lord Rand's Hall, even though they had seen the holiday villa at the foot of the mountain. Although they did not know what the holiday villa meant.

There may be some arrogance in this from these long-standing noble families.

It wasn't until we walked along the mountain road from the holiday villa to the hideout and saw the giant snake bones that we were shocked.

The same thing happened after entering the lord's hall.

Indeed, this place is not exquisite. The only thing that can be called luxurious is probably the gilded red carpet in the center of the hall.

The style here is completely different from the traditional aristocratic hall.

Although the patterns may not be much different, they are all stone pillars, carpets, some flags and curtains.

But the style is grand and simple. When you look from the door to the end of the hall, you will be attracted by the huge stone chair that seems to be prepared for giants.

Rand just sat there.

The huge stone lord's chair does not make Rand look short. Instead, it makes people feel that Rand seems to have such a majestic figure.

There was some envy for a moment, and some nobles even began to hesitate whether to decorate their own lord's halls in the same style.

When these nobles came in, Rand got down from his chair and walked up to them to greet them.

Glancing at the small and medium-sized nobles behind Count Stag and Little Count Greenleaf, Rand didn't know them, but he could sense their obvious fear.

Rand just laughed and said, "Everyone, may I ask what can I do for you?"

The Stag Earl and the Green Leaf Earl looked at each other, and then the Stag Earl said, "We are here to mediate."

"So they were the ones who sent people to invade Crescent Territory?" Rand asked with some amusement.

He was prepared to deal with these nobles, but he didn't expect them to be so smart and send someone to mediate so promptly.

But mediation was also in his initial plan.

Without waiting for Lord Stag and Lord Green Leaf to continue.

Rand was very considerate. He laughed a few times, then nodded and said, "Why bother you two to come here in person for such a small matter? Just tell me."

Then he looked at the small and medium nobles behind Earl Stag and Earl Green Leaf.

Rand was not tall, at least not as tall as Taner, and not strong either. He looked like a young man of normal build.

And Rand didn't show any special expression at this time, but these small and medium-sized nobles were still a little timid.

Before sending out their knights to rob, they never thought that they would be afraid of a newly promoted viscount.

But whether it is the failure on the battlefield, or the discovery that Viscount Rand seems to be very good at domestic affairs, it is very terrifying.

This means that Viscount Rand's development speed will be unprecedentedly fast, and he will soon develop to the point where he can crush them with one finger.

And they border Rand.

This means that Rand can crush them at any time after it develops, and now, they have no way to stop Rand's development.

Now they can only hope that Rand will really give face to their feudal lord.

Rand glanced at the faces of these small and medium-sized nobles and said calmly: "It's okay, I don't care. Just pay the ransom normally, and I will release you after the ransom is paid."

Rand naturally cared a lot about it. He was a narrow-minded person. In fact, he had already prepared two or three revenge plans. He said it out loud just to save face.

One was to show that he was of higher class and that he did not take these people seriously; the other was to show that he was giving face to the Earl of the Stag and the Little Earl of the Green Leaf.

And he didn't lose anything by collecting the ransom.

Especially the young Earl of Green Leaf. The young Earl of Green Leaf is now nominally the lord of his Crescent Territory. If one really wants to disgust him, there are many ways to do so. But so far, the young Earl of Green Leaf has not caused him any trouble. Instead, he has helped him with some small favors.

After hearing Rand's words, the small and medium nobles suddenly felt humiliated. They did not take it seriously and just brushed it off.

Does that mean they have never considered them enemies? But now they dare not provoke Rand, let alone have a fight on the spot.

So I had to force myself to smile to show that I understood, and then I smiled again.

Then Rand stopped looking at them and turned his gaze back to Earl Buck and Little Earl Greenleaf: "Since you are here, let me show my hospitality as a host?"

Now is a good time to promote the territory’s specialties.

Afterwards, he took Earl Stag and Earl Green Leaf to the holiday villa at the foot of the mountain. As for the small and medium-sized nobles, they were not qualified to be entertained by him personally, although there were nobles of the same level as him among them.

The first stop was not a pub but a clothing store.

Rand focused on promoting the hideout series of leather armor, as well as the adventurer sets for men and women that were both beautiful and practical.

The hides and furs come partly from the surrounding mountains and forests, and partly from the Underdark.

Ever since the appearance of the Tauren tribe, Rand knew that there was an entrance to the Underdark near the hideout, or at least an unstable portal.

Those who come to the surface from the Underdark include not only Minotaur, but sometimes also Mind Flayers and Eye Monsters, but the most common one is the Loth Beast.

The skin of this underground creature that looks a bit like a cow is of very high quality for making leather armor.

And now, the Frost Moon Kingdom's looting operation is about to begin. Many noble looting groups may have entered the territory of the Southern Kingdom. Rand has a lot of preparations to make, and has not started yet, which can be said to be a bit slow.

Iron is something that every noble is short of, and not all noble territories have the craftsmanship to forge iron armor, so leather armor is used as a substitute.

These noble territories can certainly produce leather armor, but many of them may not have so many wild animals to provide them with leather.

The den was different, there were mountains and forests near the den, and creatures from the Underdark popped up from time to time, so the leather was a little overflowing.

The young Earl of Green Leaf was very excited. After taking a look at these leather armors, he waved his hand and ordered a large batch.

The Stag Count was not in great need of leather armor. He only bought a few female adventurer suits. He didn't know what they were for.

The next stop was the tavern. For the safety of the two nobles, Rand cleared the place, leaving only the three of them and the tavern staff.

And out of respect, Olenna only protected secretly from a distance and did not get too close.

The two nobles looked at the elf waiter with a knowing smile, and then each ordered a glass of iced distilled ale. It was almost summer now, and the iced distilled ale was just right.

They soon realized that ice cubes improved the taste, and that the beer produced by the distillation process was much better than conventional brewing.

"Are you interested in buying the Crescent Moon brand beer?" Rand asked with a smile.

…

The beer in the hideout is finally no longer unsalable. To be more precise, the production capacity is a bit insufficient, but Rand is unwilling to consume too much food. There will be more and more wars in the future. The economy is indeed important, but food is the foundation.

So Rand decided to learn about some of the countries in his past life.

He sent people to build liquor factories in the territories of these two nobles. And unlike the cooperation with the White King, he did not even provide technology this time, and everything was under closed management.

In short, it means building factories in your territory, hiring workers in your territory, purchasing raw materials in your territory, and then selling products in your territory.

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However, these two nobles are not without benefits. At least they don't have to buy them at the dens. The prices at the dens would be much higher due to the transportation costs, but the local factories don't have this problem. Rand also promised to give them dividends.

So even though Rand was the one who earned the most, the two great nobles were also very satisfied. After all, in the Northern Union, most of the nobles liked wine. Although wine was of a higher quality, beer was also good.

After selling them the local specialties, he took them to see the various features of the holiday villa.

However, Earl Stag and Earl Green Leaf finally breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the weapons sold in the blacksmith shop in the hideout were good but in small quantities.

It seems that although Rand's military and internal affairs capabilities are very strong, its foundation is weak. After so long, it seems that the iron mine has not yet begun to be developed, and it is not developing as fast as imagined.

Theoretically, the faster Rand developed, the more benefits they would gain, and the happier they should be. But for some reason, when they found that Rand's development progress was also hindered, they all felt relieved.

Of course, Rand didn't know the psychological activities of these two nobles.

Finally, let’s talk about business.

In an undisturbed house, the young Earl of Green Leaf said that he and other nobles' raiding group were ready and wanted to pass through the Crescent Moon Territory and go to the Snow Fox Territory to raid.

Rand took out a map and asked, "How do you want to go?"

Although the young Earl of Green Leaf lost a lot in the civil war, it does not mean that he is a waste. At least he knows something about military affairs. After taking a look, he drew a route on the map.

"There should already be a road here. If Viscount Rand doesn't mind, we can help repair it."

Rand took a look and drew a few circles on the map. "Here, here, and here, there are villages. Please restrain your men and do not plunder my territory, otherwise our army will be dispatched."

The reason why Rand gave a special reminder was that as a commander who had participated in the civil war in the Frost Moon Kingdom, he knew the habits of these noble armies too well.

There is no money for those who are conscripted, so where does the salary come from?

Of course it’s grabbing!

When greed takes over, it's hard to tell friendly forces from enemy ones, and the best thing to do is to grab them first.

And Rand would never allow them to do that.

The young Earl of Green Leaf nodded. If it was any other small noble, he would not consider the opinions of those small and medium nobles at all on whether to resupply on the spot, but Rand was different.

Then the little Earl of Green Leaf also left, and Rand asked him to go to the small classroom in the holiday villa to see his daughter first.

Only Rand and Count Stag were left in the secret room.

Rand drew another line on the map: "Our raiding group has arrived at the border. Once the defense line is repaired, we can set off immediately.

Count Buck knew nothing about military affairs and just nodded. The military plan was almost entirely decided by Rand. He was only responsible for providing connections, money, and troops, and then waiting to divide the spoils.

And Rand also likes allies who will not interfere in his affairs.

Originally, Rand was going to discuss the details of the military plan with Earl Buck. After all, Earl Buck was equivalent to an investor, and it was only natural for him to introduce the plan to the investor.

But no matter what Rand said, Count Stag just closed his eyes and said, "Yes, yes, yes, right, right, anyway, I don't understand, you are right."

Rand soon ran out of words and had to stop talking.

This is too much trust in him.

After thinking for a while, there was nothing more to talk about: "How about we go down the mountain together?"

Earl of the Stag looked at Rand with contempt. He could see that Rand didn't want to marry them at all. He probably had made his choice long ago. He originally wanted to take his daughter away.

But he doesn't think so now, and he wants to send his sons here to study.

Rand has such outrageous military and domestic affairs capabilities. Since the course has been opened, it is not as if they will not teach anything at all.

As long as they learn half, no, as long as they learn one-tenth of Rand's skills, he will not worry about having no successors.

The Stag Earl raised his chin and said, "Let's go."

When we arrived at the small classroom at the foot of the mountain, the little Earl of Green Leaf had not left yet.

Emm, I'm sitting there listening to the class.

It is a bit like the parents’ campus activities in Rand’s previous life, where students listened to the lectures in the front and parents sat in the back of the classroom watching their children listen to the teacher.

The teacher today is Elsa. Earl Stag always feels that this indifferent beauty is the female thief holding a scarlet curved dagger in the previous incident of the rebellious son in the troupe.

So are the people in Crescent Moon Territory all-rounders? Not only are they extremely powerful in martial arts, but they are also very knowledgeable.

Like Earl Stag and Earl Green Leaf, he found a seat at the back of the classroom and attended the class with them.

He was originally quite confident in his ability to educate his offspring, and did not change his mind after listening to the class.

But at least this teaching method may not be worse than one's own education.

If he sent both his son and daughter over, wouldn't he not have to spend all his time and energy educating the children, lest they become like the descendants of that unlucky old Marquis of Black and Brown?

But then I thought it wouldn't work because the heir still had to stay with me, but the other children could be sent over.

Of course, Rand didn't know that Count Stag was planning to provide free education, and he just sat there listening to Elsa's lecture.

Elsa was not nervous and taught at her own pace.

Today's lesson is the details of territory governance.

For example, how to deal with priority issues, and how to prevent subordinates from deceiving their superiors.

Or how to test the results and make future development plans.

Since the current courses are at the basic stage, they are simple and practical, at least they are very practical for teaching future generations. However, for nobles like the Earl of Stag and the Little Earl of Green Leaf who already have rich governance experience and their own governance principles...

There was nothing profound or difficult to understand. At most I verified it with my own experience and nodded in approval.

There is another interesting thing. There is a noble boy here who is the son of Earl Stag. He seems to like the daughter of Earl Greenleaf, but Rand only allows them to take classes together and does not allow them to contact each other at other times.

They were naturally unwilling to accept it at first, as they were young and full of vigor, but unfortunately they witnessed the horror of Elsa, Ryza, and Ellie.

After being beaten repeatedly, they finally faced reality.

In fact, if Rand hadn't prepared a special healing potion, he would still be covered in bruises.

The Earl of the Stag naturally knew that his son had come here secretly, and he also received the letter sent by Rand. The reason why he did not send someone to pick him up immediately was that he was actually wondering whether Rand was interested in men.

Now it seems that Rand's taste is too high. The appearance of this female thief in class is really too exaggerated. He doesn't know how his son and daughter can still listen to the class seriously under such circumstances.

Could it be that my son and daughter are also potential students? Not today.

I recommend a light-hearted novel similar to the soul, written by a ten-year-old author, "Something is Wrong, They Are Really My Wives"

(End of this chapter)