Rhett led the way, taking over from Sveta, preparing to select the newly granted territory. From the afternoon to the sunset, and then to the starry night, the two spent four hours on a field survey. Although the location of the fief had been carefully considered beforehand, Rhett still appeared very serious on the surface, as if carefully weighing the pros and cons. He led Vice-Commander Ambiru to inspect all directions around fledgling Eagle Town. Even on the barren plains, he pretended to be conflicted, hiding his eagerness for the plot of land near the Fire Pattern Mine. Ambiru, unaware of Rhett's true intentions, thought that Rhett was troubled by the lack of significant resources around Eagle Town and even offered so comfort during their ti together.
Ambiru was well aware that the southwestern frontier was also a defense line for the kingdom, though the canyon defense was the frontmost line. If any unexpected situation occurred, and the canyon defense was breached, all the nobles on the southwestern frontier would have to step up. As nobles of the Kingdom of Ginlon, they enjoyed far more rights and privileges than commoners but were also obligated to defend the kingdom's lands as a basic duty.
After the survey, Rhett finally chose the following area: extending forty kiloters west and south from the original territory of Eagle Town and expanding a certain area southwest, abandoning any expansion to the east and north. The original territory, centered on Eagle Town, resembled a circle. The new territory, however, could be likened to a broad, curved fan shape extending from the west to the south. This was a plan Rhett had carefully considered. Geographically, the surrounding areas were mostly forests and plains, with no high-value resources apart from Sun Lake and the Fire Pattern Mine. Only the Thorn Forest, which spanned more than ten kiloters, had potential for developnt, such as establishing a large village and possibly serving as a training ground for rangers and scouts in the future.
The evening wind blew through the Thorn Forest, sweeping away the leaves on the branches. As a Level 5 Earth Knight, Ambiru's formidable presence left the forest eerily silent, with no birds, beasts, or insects daring to make a sound, aside from the wind and the rustling of leaves. He held a map and a quill, ticulously marking the map with great concentration. A few minutes later, Ambiru presented the map to Rhett, "Sir Rhett, the area of the new territory has been mapped out. Please confirm it."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Ambiru," Rhett said, his eyes focusing on the map. Though it was a finely drawn map, other areas were covered, revealing only the land surrounding Eagle Town. Based on the lines and the lake's markings, Rhett could see Sun Lake to the west of Eagle Town. Knowing the fixed ten-kiloter distance between the two locations, Rhett quickly calculated that the area Ambiru marked on the map roughly matched the region Rhett had just chosen.
Rhett was not surprised by Ambiru's excellent mapping skills. As the Vice-Commander of the Canyon Defense, overseeing the big picture, map-making was a fundantal skill. "Lord Ambiru, this is indeed the area I selected, accurate and without error!" Rhett nodded slowly. At the sa ti, he thought to himself, "Should I have Ryley create a precise map of the new territory soday? As the territory expands, a detailed map would make macro-level planning much easier..."
"I'll submit this land to the royal palace," Ambiru said, putting away the map. He reminded Rhett, "Sir Rhett, if you have any thoughts of making changes, now is the ti. You know the rules—after today, you won't be able to change your mind."
"Lord Ambiru, let's finalize it. There will be no regrets!" Rhett confird resolutely.
...
Back on the gray stone avenue in front of the manor, Rhett extended a polite invitation, "It's getting late. Lord Ambiru and Count Nilo, would you both like to join for dinner at Deep Rock Castle?"
Ambiru shook his head, "Sir Rhett, the front line is tense. I won't waste ti on unrelated matters. If... the day ever cos when the canyon defense wipes out all the orcs, maybe I'll take so ti to relax!"
Rhett raised an eyebrow. Judging by Ambiru's words, it seed unlikely he'd ever have much free ti... The canyon defense served as a buffer zone. Whoever crossed that line to attack would only escalate the consumption of manpower and resources. With continuous supplies, expecting the canyon defense to wipe out all the orcs? Unless the entire orc tribe was annihilated or severely weakened...
Count Nilo shrugged, "Sir Rhett, I spent too much ti delivering ssages to the royal city recently. I've been away from Twilight City for too long and need to return soon to handle affairs." Clearly, he too was unable to stay for dinner.
Rhett felt a sense of relief at this. In the past, he was the most authoritative figure in his territory, commanding everyone's respect. But now, these two noble guests required careful attention. Compared to external banquets, Rhett preferred family dinners, where he could enjoy the atmosphere. However, outwardly he sighed and said, "It's truly a sha that I can't share dinner with you both."
"Sir Rhett, don't say that. We may et again in the future," Ambiru replied with a mysterious smile. "Before I leave, I want to give you a gift."
Count Nilo looked at Ambiru in surprise, curious as to why he was so invested in Rhett. Rhett was also taken aback as he watched Ambiru return to his carriage and retrieve a crimson bottle before walking back to him.
"Beast Wine of the Blood Moon Werewolf!" Rhett blurted out the familiar na as he stared at the bottle in Ambiru's hand, marked with a black wolf head on the neck. His thoughts drifted back to the battlefield. Beast wine wasn't a particularly valuable tonic; it was just regular wine mixed with orc blood. On the front lines, beast wine held special aning, typically consud after a battle with orcs to celebrate. Different orcs had distinct flavors of beast wine—the Night Cat's wine was cool, the Minotaur's was thick, and the Blood Moon Werewolf's wine was scorching hot when drunk!
Rhett had consud countless bottles of beast wine during his ti on the canyon defense line, but since his retirent over a year ago, he hadn't touched a drop. Ambiru's gift of beast wine instantly brought back mories of the front line for Rhett—the thrill of surviving each battle, the joy of victory after narrowly escaping death. These feelings surged back to his heart.
He exhaled deeply, took the beast wine from Ambiru, and solemnly said, "Lord Ambiru, I deeply appreciate this gift!"
Holding the cool bottle in his hand, Rhett sighed with emotion, "I haven't had any since that battle against the Blood Moon Werewolf over ten years ago."
Ambiru smiled faintly, pleased with Rhett's reaction to the wine, showing he hadn't forgotten his ti on the battlefield. With a hearty laugh, Ambiru said, "Haha, for us, beast wine is the best gift!"
Rhett raised the bottle high, feeling a surge of pride, "Indeed, the best gift!"
...
Under the manor's streetlights, the three n chatted briefly. Soon, Ambiru, without further delay, bid farewell to Rhett and left with his team. Count Nilo also took the opportunity to say goodbye, "Sir Rhett, I wish your territory prosperity. Until we et again!"
"Goodbye, Count Nilo!" Rhett waved to the count, who had already mounted his horse.
As the two n finally left, Rhett remained standing in the lamplight. He lowered his head, looking at his shadow, and whispered to himself, "I've finally beco a Viscount. But... a Viscount isn't my end goal!"
Rhett looked up and walked toward the manor. Sveta was waiting just behind the manor's gate, dressed in a padded gray coat, looking respectful.
"Master, you're back. I'll take your horse to the stables," Sveta said, taking the reins from Rhett's hand.
"Thank you, Sveta."
"It's no trouble, Master. Compared to you clearing out an evil alchemy organization, this is nothing!" Rhett smiled wryly at this.
Sveta thought for a mont and then cautiously asked, "Master, should this news be kept secret?"
Rhett shook his head, thinking that there was no need to hide it. He planned to use this news to attract more people to his territory. "No need at all. In fact, feel free to spread the news and let more people know about it!"
Sveta bowed slightly, "Understood, Master!"
Entering Deep Rock Castle, Rhett saw Tucker, Ryley, Thales, as well as Vanessa and Karina standing in a line, all congratulating him in unison, "Congratulations, Father, on your promotion to Viscount!"
Even though Rhett had sensed what was happening inside before entering, he was still overjoyed. He walked up and patted each one on the head, smiling, "You all have a heart."
Ryley, still excited, walked to the table and poured wine that had been decanting for an hour into glasses, saying, "I knew that after accomplishing such a feat, Father would most likely be promoted to Viscount. And I was right!"
Thales, his eyes shining with curiosity, asked, "Father, now that you're a Viscount, did you gain new lands?"
"Yes, the new fief is primarily to the west and south of Eagle Town, including the southwestern region."
"Does that include the Thorn Forest?" Ryley asked, his interest piqued.
"Not only does it include the Thorn Forest, but it also extends ten kiloters further west into our domain!"
"Wow~" Hearing that the territory had expanded so much, Vanessa and Karina's eyes sparkled, and even the maids nearby were excited. They had a deep sense of belonging to Deep Rock Castle, and their lord's growing domain brought them inexplicable joy.
Soon, Chef Maru entered, pushing a white tal cart from the kitchen, and placed steaming dishes on the table. Usually, Chef Maru would serve each dish personally, but today, under Sveta's orders, the banquet was especially lavish, so she had to use a cart to bring out the dishes all at once. Braised rabbit, pan-fried steak, fried chicken atballs, crispy lamb legs, spicy crayfish, sweet orange mashed potatoes, cod fillets, braised sturgeon, nut pies, flower cakes... more than a dozen dishes adorned the table, creating a grand feast.
Tucker took in the aroma, closed his eyes in delight, and seed ready to drool—he was starving and could hardly wait!
Rhett stood at the head of the table, raising a glass of red wine. Without a word, the others followed suit, lifting their glasses and standing.
"Today is a day worth celebrating. We... have taken an important step forward." Rhett began with a smile, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces, all reflecting his own joy. He cleared his throat and continued, "The promotion to Viscount is just the beginning. It ans that the fledgling eagle has taken flight. In the future, there will be more rewards and challenges awaiting us! Let us work together, overco difficulties, and create a bright future!"
His words sparked cheers from the crowd, and they clinked glasses—clink—and the banquet began. Everyone indulged in the delicious food. So dishes were local specialties, while others were inspired by Rhett's tastes from his past life, which he had guided Chef Maru in preparing. Though so dishes differed from conventional ones and didn't appear particularly grand, Rhett valued taste over appearance. After all, being a lord, if he couldn't even enjoy the freedom of good food, it would be too frustrating.
Rhett picked up a chicken atball, made from chicken breast, chopped into small pieces, stead, mixed with various seasonings, then fried and sprinkled with a dry coating—delicious beyond words.
"Oh, Tucker, slow down," Rhett scolded as he noticed Tucker taking three atballs with one chopstick—an impressive feat for a foodie that Rhett couldn't hope to replicate!
Tucker chuckled, licking his lips, "These chicken atballs are so good! But... Father, when can we eat so aquatic magical beasts?"
Thales rolled his eyes, "Big brother, at least wait for the aquatic magical beasts to breed a few more tis and grow in numbers before we can eat them, right?"
Vanessa, too, was exasperated, kicking Tucker under the table.
Rhett smiled wryly and turned to Ryley, casually asking, "Ryley, how's your alchemy coming along? Any progress?"
"Well, I'm still morizing alchemy techniques, magical plant properties, procedures, types of alchemy equipnt, and their functions. I haven't had ti to practice, but I plan to start hands-on practice this month."
"Practice makes perfect. Keep at it," Rhett encouraged.
Hearing the topic of alchemy, Thales' eyes lit up, but as he hadn't yet advanced to apprentice mage, he couldn't join the conversation. He could only suppress his excitent and silently resolve to ditate as soon as the banquet ended.
In the joyful and celebratory atmosphere, the banquet was thoroughly enjoyable.
...
To make the developnt of the Fire Pattern Mine appear more natural, Rhett began a three-day inspection of the territory. On the first day, he did not go to the Fire Pattern Mine's buried location, as that would have been too obvious. Instead, in the morning, he took Florano and Laurene to the Thorn Forest...
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