"Master, may we take these two pieces of Fire Pattern Ore back to the blacksmith shop?" Leonid asked expectantly. "We plan to use it as a replacent for wood as fuel for forging tools in the future. I believe that using Fire Pattern Ore to ensure a constant and stable fire will reduce the likelihood of forging mistakes."
"Of course, no problem!" Rhett responded casually. "But be mindful—the flas generated by the Fire Pattern Ore burn hotter than ordinary fire, so you must carefully control how much ore you add to the furnace."
"Understood!"
"With good fuel, I expect you to produce results," Rhett said, his gaze sweeping across the two of them as he assigned them a task. "My trainees need so mid-grade longswords, and this shouldn't be too difficult for you."
Andre patted his chest confidently. "A small task, leave it to us!"
...
In the following days, Rhett continued modifying the area around the Fire Pattern Mine until he had shaped the surroundings into a gentle slope about a hundred ters wide. The extended distance made the slope barely noticeable. Now, all that remained was for the population of the territory to increase before they could begin mining the Fire Pattern Ore.
On the morning of July 16th, Rhett finished his ditation and slowly descended the stairs, recalling from the previous simulation that today was the day to arrange Thales' marriage. A smile played on his lips as he thought about how, once Thales was settled, all three of his sons would have their futures secured, leaving him with one less concern.
Feeling content, Rhett made his way to the first-floor hall for breakfast as usual. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Ryley supporting Karina, bringing her before him. Karina had her head slightly lowered, one hand gently resting on her stomach, her expression shy. Rhett's heart skipped a beat.
"Father, we have good news to share!" Ryley said excitedly, trying to contain his emotions, but Rhett could still sense the joy radiating from him.
"Oh? What news could make you so happy?" Rhett pretended to be surprised, though he had already guessed the reason—Karina was pregnant!
"Karina is pregnant!" Ryley's words confird Rhett's suspicions. He gently took Karina's left hand, looking at her with deep affection.
Rhett realized his guess had been correct. Although the simulation had indicated that this event would occur on July 29th, it was only thirteen days earlier than predicted. This slight deviation didn't seem significant to Rhett. Perhaps so small detail in reality had made a difference, leading to a few more intimate monts between the couple, resulting in this early pregnancy.
"What? Karina is pregnant?" Before Rhett could respond, a surprised voice echoed from upstairs. Vanessa hurried down the stairs, her purple dress swishing as she moved. She stopped in front of Karina, glancing at her stomach in amazent. "Oh, what wonderful news to hear in the morning! Congratulations to both of you on this beautiful blessing. It looks like... Dick will have a close playmate in the future."
At this mont, Rhett's mind shifted to the system panel, where two question marks confird that Karina was indeed carrying twins. A genuine smile spread across his face as he placed a hand on both Ryley and Karina's shoulders. "Thank you both for bringing new life to the Green family. Our family grows stronger because of you."
Soon after, Tucker and Thales joined them, and upon hearing the news of Karina's pregnancy, they also offered their congratulations. Even the breakfast that morning was filled with an atmosphere of joy.
Later that morning, Rhett was conducting his usual magic training at the training ground when Sveta hurried over with news. "Master, Lord Roy from Maplewood Town has co to visit you. The guards relayed the ssage that they have already reached the town gates and should be on their way to Deep Rock Castle."
Rhett feigned surprise, muttering to himself, "Roy? What could bring him here at this ti? Could it be related to Thales?"
"Master, should I prepare a lavish luncheon? If so, I'll send soone to Sun Lake to catch so fresh seafood and have Chef Maru start preparations," Sveta suggested with a slight bow.
"Yes, please do. Sir Roy is an important guest, and we must not be careless. Along with the seafood, have soone gather so mushrooms from Thorn Forest as well," Rhett instructed after a mont of thought.
"Understood, Master."
As the convoy from Maplewood Town ca into view, the white banners bearing a large red maple leaf fluttered in the wind. The convoy soon arrived at the manor's entrance and stopped. Rhett greeted them with a smile, saying, "It's been a while, Sir Roy. The red maple syrup I tasted at your place last ti still lingers in my mory."
Roy dismounted and enthusiastically approached Rhett, giving him a warm hug. "Sir Rhett, it's only been a few months, and I've already heard the news of your promotion to Viscount. It was quite a surprise! I heard it had sothing to do with your successful elimination of an evil alchemy organization?"
Rhett remained calm and did not deny it. "Indeed, Sir Roy. Let us discuss it more inside the castle."
Roy nodded and then called out to the carriage behind him, "Mina, it's ti to co out."
The carriage's curtain lifted, and a petite young woman in a beige dress stepped out, positioning herself shyly behind Roy. She greeted softly, "Hello, Sir Rhett."
This must be Thales' partner—Mina. Rhett observed her closely. She had long black hair and a delicate appearance, though she seed a bit introverted. However, that suited Thales quite well. Smiling, he said, "Mina, you are a lovely young lady."
In the first-floor hall of Deep Rock Castle, Rhett briefly recounted the story of the evil alchemy organization's eradication, though in a more simplified version. Roy listened in amazent, sipping tea as he remarked, "Remarkable. I suspected back in Maplewood Town that Sir Rhett's combat abilities were extraordinary, and this certainly proves my hunch correct!"
Mina, who had accompanied Roy, was indeed as quiet as described in the simulation. She spoke very little throughout the conversation, though she seed captivated by Rhett's story. Her eyes sparkled as she involuntarily praised him, "What an incredible tale, Sir Rhett. You're truly amazing. A retired soldier who saved my father, eradicated evildoers, and earned a promotion... You would be the protagonist in a novel!"
Rhett found this amusing and chuckled. "Haha, how could I be a novel's protagonist? The real protagonists are always highly talented. At my age, if I were a protagonist, I'd be at least a Grand Mage by now."
"Don't take it to heart, Sir Rhett," Roy laughed, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "My little daughter may not speak much, but she loves reading novels and hearing all kinds of exciting stories. In this regard, she and Thales should get along quite well..."
With that, Roy turned his gaze expectantly to Rhett, as if waiting for his response.
"Hmm... that's true. I've also heard about the close relationship between Thales and Mina. It seems they often exchange story plots," Rhett remarked, following the thread of the conversation.
Hearing their fathers discuss the matter so openly, Mina blushed and lowered her head, nibbling on a piece of cake.
"Mina!" A familiar voice suddenly called out, causing Mina to look up abruptly. She saw the figure she had been thinking about—Thales, who had hurried down the stairs. He approached the table and sat beside Rhett, directly across from Mina.
His face bead with joy. "Today really is a good day, Mina! You actually ca!"
Mina was equally thrilled to see Thales, but knowing the purpose of her father's visit, she felt a bit shy and lowered her head again.
Seeing this, Roy glanced at his daughter's bashful expression, then at Thales, and said with a smile, "Thales, it seems your relationship with Mina is very deep. She's been ntioning you to every day for months."
"I'm honored because Mina and I are truly in love," Thales replied sincerely and confidently. Although he was usually introverted, he was not timid. When the situation called for it, he would not hesitate to step forward.
Rhett looked at Thales with pride. Since his youngest son had bravely expressed his feelings, as a father, he felt it was ti to take action. He turned to Sir Roy and said, "I've long noticed how much Thales cares for Mina. Since we agreed to bring them together, and now that they're so in sync, why not settle their marriage today?"
"That sounds perfect!" Roy's face lit up with a smile, and he quickly added, "Sir Rhett, in that case, why not also set a date for the wedding?"
"Hmm... the sooner, the better. How about the 8th of next month?"
"No problem," Roy agreed without hesitation.
...
Ti flew by, and soon it was the end of July. On the night of July 29th, the warm glow of the fireplace in Deep Rock Castle's fifth-floor hall created a cozy atmosphere. Rhett and Ryley sat across from each other. Rhett, leaning back in a soft chair with a teacup in hand, listened quietly to Ryley's report. Although Rhett was the lord, it was Ryley who usually handled the day-to-day affairs and finances of fledgling Eagle Town. When Rhett remained silent, Ryley had the highest authority.
Holding a list in his hand, Ryley reported calmly, "Father, as of 9 p.m. tonight, we can confirm that 103 refugees have sought refuge in our territory. Seventy-one are n, and thirty-two are won. Thirty-nine of them co from the sa village—Red Pine Village, which was persecuted by the evil alchemy organization three years ago. These people were away farming in distant fields at the ti and avoided the danger. Forty-one others are from Fima Village, with a similar situation. The remaining twenty-three are either scattered refugees or people from villages that were also persecuted."
He continued, "Among them are eight carpenters, one tailor, and two stonemasons, with the rest being ordinary refugees."
As Ryley spoke, his gaze towards his father was filled with admiration. He had once tried various thods to increase the population of the territory, but with little success. Yet, his father's actions had effortlessly attracted a large number of people. Although only a little over a hundred had arrived so far, after learning the reasons behind their migration, Ryley was confident that many more would follow. He had heard that the evil alchemy organization had hard countless people and villages. It was likely that even now, people were on their way to seek refuge in fledgling Eagle Town. This first wave of arrivals was just the beginning, and more would soon follow.
Rhett took the list from Ryley, glanced at it, and slowly said, "Of course, we should welco these people into our territory."
"And as the territory expands, it's also ti to establish a few more villages. The carpenters among this group can be assigned to the lumber mill and help with the construction of the new villages."
Ryley thought for a mont before responding, "Indeed, there is a need to establish new villages. I suggest placing them around the Fire Pattern Mine and Sun Lake, focusing on fishing and mining industries."
Hearing Ryley's thoughts align with his own, Rhett felt gratified and nodded approvingly. "Not just those two areas—there's also the land around Thorn Forest, which is ideal for forestry and training rangers."
"Oh?" Ryley's eyes lit up as he imdiately added, "That makes sense. I've been to Thorn Forest several tis with Breg over the past few months, and I've beco more familiar with the area. The terrain and environnt there are indeed perfect for ranger training!"
"The only challenge now is managing these villages," Ryley said thoughtfully. "These three locations are relatively far from fledgling Eagle Town. I can manage fledgling Eagle Town, but traveling back and forth to these other locations daily wouldn't be practical. Therefore, I believe we should appoint dedicated managers for each village. For financial matters, we can establish a system with bookkeepers and tax collectors, and I'll periodically review the accounts."
"Florano can serve as the village chief for Thorn Forest. His extensive experience in wilderness survival and understanding of the forest makes him the perfect candidate for that role," Rhett suggested, naming Florano as the first candidate.
"That makes sense," Ryley agreed without hesitation.
"As for the village chief of the Fire Pattern Mine, we need to decide on soone soon. For now, we should find soone reliable and obedient. I'll handle the planning and system design; they just need to implent it."
Rhett already had a suitable candidate in mind—his old comrade, Wydis. Having survived many battles together, they knew and trusted each other deeply.
...
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