Chapter 268 - 214: The Lord Who Became a Hot Commodity for Noble Girls (2)

During this time, the Lord came to inspect the iron mine in the Kas Mountain Range.

When he arrived, Jos, the middle-aged Swordsman, was warming himself by the fireplace in a cozy wooden cabin, reading a book to pass the time.

Mining was tedious and boring. Furthermore, it was mostly slaves captured by High Cliff Castle who toiled here. His only job was to lead the Guards and prevent any reckless individuals from launching a sneak attack.

So naturally, he read books to pass the time.

"Lord, what brings you here?"

He clearly hadn’t expected the Lord to arrive at a time like this and hurriedly hid the book behind his back.

Levi had sharp eyes and happened to glimpse two words on the book’s cover: "Ah Bin." He hadn’t expected this middle-aged man to share his interests and instantly felt as if he’d found a kindred spirit.

"The supplies were being delivered, so I came along to check on you."

Levi brushed the snow from his clothes and plopped down onto a chair.

He had come alone, following the convoy that was transporting daily supplies. He hadn’t brought Zat and the others, nor had he given any advance notice. It was perfectly normal that Jos didn’t know he was coming.

Jos hurriedly poured the Lord a cup of hot tea, feeling restless and uneasy.

After all, he’d been caught red-handed slacking off by his ultimate superior. It was hard to keep a calm expression.

"I came this time to check on the Guards stationed here and see the iron mine’s output. But mainly, I wanted to tell you to return to High Cliff Castle for the winter solstice."

"Baisitina and Mier both miss you a lot."

Levi waved his hand, signaling for Jos not to be so formal.

Although Jos wasn’t related by blood to Tina and Mier, the middle-aged Swordsman had watched the two of them grow up, so his relationship with them was no different from that of a real uncle.

Not to mention, it was rumored that the very same unremarkable middle-aged man was the one who had pushed Baisitina’s biological uncle off a cliff—the same uncle who had tried to force her to marry a Clan Leader from a tribe in the Kas Mountain Range.

In fact, most of the Federation People knew what had happened. Only that silly girl, Baisitina, was kept in the dark.

She had even danced with joy, happy that her uncle had been punished by the heavens and she no longer had to marry an old man.

She even hid under her blanket at night and giggled to herself so that no one would find out she was happy her uncle was dead.

This silly story only came to light because a certain someone got drunk once and insisted on chattering away to the Lord.

"Time flies. I can’t believe the winter solstice is only a few days away. I remember when we were on the brink of life and death. To think that now, not only do we not have to worry about our safety, but we can also live comfortably in warm wooden cabins, doing whatever we want."

A nostalgic look crossed Jos’s face as he sighed with emotion.

"And all of this is thanks to you."

He stood up, gave a serious bow, and then sat back down.

"To be precise, you all made the right choice."

Levi picked up his teacup and took a sip of the hot tea. He, however, had a different perspective.

It was true that he had brought all of this about. But if this group of Federation People hadn’t chosen him at the very beginning—if they had chosen another Pioneer Lord instead—then none of the subsequent events would have occurred.

"That’s right."

The two of them drank their tea in silence. Outside, the howling wind whipped snow against the door. Listening to the CRACKLING of the firewood and feeling the warmth, they cherished this rare and peaceful time all the more.

Besides telling Jos to return to High Cliff Castle for the festival, the Lord was also there to check on the iron mine.

In the open-pit mine, many Wilderness People—Kobolds, Goblins, and Lizardmen—were dressed in woolen clothes and thick gloves, swinging their pickaxes and vigorously digging at the iron ore before them.

Their faces showed none of the abject misery one would expect from forced laborers; instead, they were focused solely on their work.

The Lord wasn’t some black-hearted capitalist. He made sure these slaves were fed and kept warm.

However, at the same time, they also had to work for it. The food they received was just enough to fill their stomachs, and the clothes they wore were low-quality garments that he had Lorina purchase.

But even so, it was enough to make this group of slaves weep with gratitude.

When winter came, everything in the Wilderness withered. If nothing had changed, the vast majority of them would have starved or frozen to death. But now, as long as they put in the labor, they had a basic guarantee of survival.

So the Guards stationed here had a very easy job. They didn’t even need to actively urge the slaves to work; they would do so voluntarily.

After all, their workload was tied to their food rations.

It even got to the point where stray Wilderness People who wandered here would secretly join the workforce, hoping to get a meal.

This showed that in the Wilderness, most people had trouble even getting enough to eat; they truly had strength but no way to use it.

Finally, after greeting the excited on-duty Guards, the Lord finished his business and left.

There was little else to see at the mining camp. Thanks to the slaves’ enthusiasm, the mine’s output far exceeded High Cliff Castle’s smelting capacity.

Several warehouses here were already filled to the brim with ore.

It was now the end of November, with only three or four months until next spring.

’I wonder if the Blacksmiths at High Cliff Castle, by working overtime, can achieve a one-hundred-percent armor rate for all personnel by the time we march south.’

’Especially with the addition of the Centaur Race. Outfitting all of those stalwarts, who average over the Tri-Blade level, with Iron Armor will be a massive undertaking.’

Ever since he had seen this powerful warrior Race, the idea of forging a Heavy Cavalry unit had taken root in his mind.

’If a unit like that were fully clad in Heavy Armor and charged with lances in hand, they would absolutely make the enemy tremble in fear, becoming Death Gods who reaped lives on the battlefield.’