Chapter 472 - 383: The "Dragon-fisher" on Amber Lake
Chapter 472: Chapter 383: The "Dragon-fisher" on Amber Lake
The powerful forward thrust pressed Avril back, and she instinctively hugged Raylo tighter.
The wind howled past her ears as the ground rapidly receded below.
The castle and lake of Amber Territory soon shrank until they looked like a tiny model.
Soon, the familiar silhouette of the Black Stone Mountain Range appeared on the horizon.
In the distance, the imposing silhouette of Black Stone Castle emerged against the afterglow of the setting sun.
"We’re almost there."
Raylo’s voice sounded beside Avril’s ear.
Baofeng began to descend, gliding smoothly.
Avril suddenly noticed that a brand-new camp had been erected on an open plot of land a few hundred meters from Black Stone Town.
Dozens of enormous tents stood in the camp, each one easily a dozen meters high, looking like small, gray hills.
Countless craftsmen and soldiers bustled about below, using thick cables and stakes to secure and reinforce the giant tents.
"Those tents are huge!"
Avril pointed at the camp in surprise.
Baofeng landed smoothly on the central plaza of Black Stone Castle, folded its wings, and let out a low growl.
Raylo jumped off the Griffin first, then reached out a hand to help Avril down.
"I’m going to go complete today’s Meditation session."
Avril stood on her tiptoes and gave Raylo a light kiss on the cheek before heading toward the Mage Tower with a spring in her step.
She had her own ambitions and had no desire to be a delicate flower living in Raylo’s shadow.
Raylo watched her leave.
He then turned to a Personal Guard and ordered, "Have Evan and Harlem come to my study."
"Yes, Lord."
The Personal Guard acknowledged the order and departed swiftly.
Inside the study, a map of Black Stone Territory was spread out before Raylo. Beside it lay several cruder sheets of parchment, on which the terrain of the Giant Dragon Realm was sketched with simple lines.
Soon, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
Two figures walked in.
Evan, who managed the internal affairs and logistics of the entire Black Stone Territory, was always dressed in neat noble attire, meticulous in his appearance.
The shorter but more robust man was Harlem, the new head of the Valen Family and son of the former head, Haman.
He still carried the faint smell of iron filings and smoke, clearly having rushed over directly from the forge.
"Lord."
The two of them bowed in unison.
"Sit."
Raylo gestured with his hand.
"Tell me about the Giants’ situation, Evan."
Evan immediately pulled a scroll of parchment from the leather bag he carried and began to report in a clear and organized manner.
"Lord, the construction of the Giant Camp is proceeding smoothly. As you instructed, the site was chosen to the east of Black Stone Town, maintaining a safe distance while being convenient for supplies. Currently, the main frames of all the giant tents have been completed. We expect to finish all the covering and cable reinforcements by sunset tomorrow."
He paused for a moment before adding.
"We’ve also arranged for craftsmen to rush the production of the Giants’ daily necessities. Their bodies are just too large; everything from pots and pans to tables, chairs, and beds needs to be custom-made. We’ve urgently commandeered all the carpenters in the territory and estimate everything will be completed within seven days. It’s just... the amount of wood they’re consuming is truly astonishing."
Evan’s tone held a hint of a wry smile; he was clearly stumped by the "size" of the Giants.
A single Giant’s dinner bowl was nearly as large as a normal family’s water vat.
Raylo had long anticipated this and just smiled nonchalantly.
"Wood isn’t a problem. The one thing the Black Stone Mountain Range doesn’t lack is trees. What about food? Over a hundred mouths to feed, and Giant mouths at that. That’s no small number."
At the mention of the most important resource, food, Evan’s expression relaxed.
"On that point, Lady Avril has already been a great help. She used her connections in Baisha Port to contact a large merchant caravan. The first shipment of grain will arrive in three weeks, and they’ve promised that a dedicated convoy will deliver sufficient grain and cured meat to us every month thereafter, all at a very fair price."
Raylo nodded.
Avril’s connections in Baisha Port had indeed solved many of his worries.
Black Stone Territory had its own advantages, but it had always relied on imports for food.
"Good. Making sure the Giants are well-fed and well-housed is the first step."
Raylo’s gaze shifted to Harlem.
"Now, let’s talk about their Weapons, Harlem. This concerns how much combat power they can exert, and it also concerns our future business."
Harlem was clearly prepared. He took a step forward, pulled several thick blueprints from his coat, and carefully spread them on the table.
"Lord, we have begun preparations for one hundred and twenty Giants."
He possessed both the drive of a young man and the meticulousness of a craftsman.
The exact size of the Giant Tribe hadn’t been tallied yet, but they knew it was just over a hundred strong. Harlem’s preparations for one hundred and twenty was a cautious overestimation.
"As per your instructions, we’ve prioritized Forging Javelins. This Weapon is relatively simple to make and will allow the Giants to quickly establish a ranged attack capability. We plan to equip each Giant with ten Javelins. We’ve already finished half, and I guarantee the other half will be completed within three days."
Raylo picked up a blueprint. It depicted a thick Javelin with a simple, three-edged piercing head, designed for maximum armor penetration.
’Simple, brutal, effective.’
Harlem continued.
"As for their melee Weapons, after discussing it with several senior blacksmiths, we’ve decided to standardize them as Double-Headed Hammers."
He pointed to another, central blueprint, which showed a monstrous, fearsome object.
One end of the hammer was a heavy, square block for bludgeoning, enough to smash a Heavy Armor infantryman into pulp. The other end was a sharp, conical spike, like the fang of a wild beast, designed specifically for piercing armor and delivering a fatal blow.
"Considering cost and efficiency..."
Harlem said.
"For Giants below Domain Level, we’ve designed the hammer shafts using ironwood, which is native to the Black Stone Mountain Range, and only Forging the heads on both ends with Refined Iron. This ensures the Weapon’s lethality and solidity while also drastically conserving our already strained iron ore supply."
Raylo nodded.
’This is indeed the best compromise for now.’
Previously, when it was just Kado and his dozen or so kinsmen, Black Stone Territory’s iron reserves were enough to supply them with extravagant, all-metal Weapons.
But now that the number of Giants had swelled to over a hundred, even if Black Stone Territory went all out with mining and procurement, it could no longer provide such a huge amount of iron ore.
Moreover, Raylo’s ambitions didn’t stop there.
He didn’t just want to arm his own Giants; he also wanted to dump these "Black Stone Territory specialty" Giant Weapons into the Giant City-States, opening up a brand-new, highly profitable market.
’Meticulous planning is essential.’
"This plan is excellent."
Raylo affirmed.
"Proceed with this plan. The Weapons for the Domain Level Giants must be made with the best materials, regardless of cost. As for the Giants below Domain Level, use the ironwood hybrid Forging method."
"In my name, tell the craftsmen that they’ve done a beautiful job this time. Give them double pay this month."
"Yes, Lord!"
Harlem replied excitedly.
Raylo leaned back in his chair, watching his two energetic subordinates with satisfaction.
Persuading the Wuba Tribe Leader to "invite" the entire tribe to Black Stone Territory was just the beginning of his plan. To make these Hill Giants truly commit to Black Stone Territory and see it as their home, he couldn’t rely on a mere verbal agreement.
’My plan is to boil the frog slowly,’ Raylo thought. ’I’ll use a living environment far more comfortable and peaceful than the Giant Dragon Realm, more solid and warmer homes, more delicious and abundant food, and most importantly... more powerful and superior Weapons to slowly erode any thought they have of returning to their homeland.’
’One only needs to look at Kado and his dozen or so kinsmen. During their time in Black Stone Territory, they weren’t just happy; they were so content they’d forgotten all about returning home.’
’Once these one hundred-plus newcomers also experience the vast difference between this life and their previous one, their hearts will naturally stay here.’
’A person’s loyalty, after all, can be more binding than any Magic Contract.’
"You’ve both done very well."
Raylo stood up and patted each of them on the shoulder.
"The future of Black Stone Territory depends on your hard work. Go on, I’ll be waiting for your good news."
Evan and Harlem, greatly encouraged, bowed and then exited the study with renewed vigor.
Raylo sat down again, his gaze once more turning to the window.
The afterglow of the sunset had already dyed the sky a magnificent orange-red. In the distance, the newly-risen Giant Camp cast immense shadows in the twilight.
’These tall tents are just a temporary measure.’
’Once this busy period is over, I can arrange for my people to go to the Black Stone Mountain Range, fell a large amount of timber, and build a permanent village for the Giants.’