Chapter 73: Reasoning

After crossing over, in order to become a competent lord, one had to be proficient in governance, law, and all forms of agricultural development. Most importantly, one needed to understand in detail the workings of glassmaking, winemaking, cement, gunpowder, and muskets. Then, by following the path of building high walls, stockpiling grain, and biding one’s time before claiming the throne, one could devote several years to technological advancement within one’s own domain and, through painstaking effort, eventually embark on the grand conquest of the realm.

Unfortunately, Charles had mastered none of these. Seated at the baron's desk, where official matters were usually handled, he gazed blankly at the towering stacks of documents before him—piles far exceeding even a high school student’s study materials.

He casually flipped open one volume, but after reading barely half a page, his head was spinning. The pages were filled with records of the territory’s production, sales, taxes, and more. He could understand the words, but to identify problems or offer his own advice was truly beyond him.

“Grandpa Simon, perhaps you could just explain the main issues to me,” Charles said straightforwardly, turning to the elderly man standing beside him. This steward had served in Goldflash Town for decades, and none in the entire domain were more knowledgeable about such matters.

After more than an hour, during which he asked several questions, Charles finally gained a rough understanding of many aspects of the territory.

Goldflash Town owed its existence to a small gold mine; without it, the town—now home to over ten thousand people—would never have formed here. Aside from the mine, over eighty percent of the land was unsuitable for growing grain, and most of the remaining arable land was used for cultivating fruit and tea trees. The soil here was simply ill-suited for crops; the vast majority of grain had to be bought from Stormport.

Deep within the Moonlight Forest, there were also numerous rich veins of silver, iron, and even gems of various kinds. Yet, the ever-present dangers of wild beasts, poisonous insects, and the tangled primeval forest had deterred both Baron Buyanno and his predecessor. They had considered exploiting these resources, but the risks and costs far outweighed any potential gain.

As a town bordering the forest, its greatest income naturally came from timber and animal pelts. However, in order to secure Charles a place at the Imperial Royal Academy, the baron had signed an unequal agreement with Viscount Mark of the North, pledging a year’s worth of timber and pelts to him at outrageously low prices.

“Because of these prior cheap sales, most of the merchants in the territory have begun to complain, and some have even moved away,” Simon sighed.

“So, the biggest problem now is Viscount Mark?” Charles drummed his fingers on the desk.

“Precisely. Goldflash Town’s greatest asset is the gold mine, which allows us to maintain a strong guard and gives people confidence to trade here. But now, with pelts and timber monopolized by Viscount Mark…”

Before he could finish, Charles waved his hand with a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll have a serious discussion with Viscount Mark. I’m sure he’ll agree.”

“Ah? Young master, how exactly will you persuade him?” Simon looked at him in disbelief.

“I’m someone who likes reasoning with others, and I appreciate those who reason back. If logic fails, then we’ll see what happens,” Charles replied, narrowing his eyes with a gentle smile.

The hallmark of the farming genre was that major crises rarely arose early on. But now, with just over two months left before the barbarian army’s invasion, there was no time for steady development.

Simon watched him leave, utterly bewildered, unable to imagine what method Charles might use to sway that greedy bloodsucker.

…

There was but a single road from Goldflash Town to the northern city of Sain, skirting the edge of the Moonlight Forest and avoiding the difficult hills and mountains. Several territories had paid dearly to open this trade route.

At that very moment, a caravan was driving heavily-laden wagons along the road. Seated in one of the lead carriages, a well-dressed man scoffed, “That country bumpkin is astonishingly rude. Imagine entertaining us with such rubbish!”

The middle-aged man leading the team chuckled. “You have to understand them. These yokels depend on such things to survive, so naturally they resent us. Didn’t you see the way they looked at us, as if wishing they could devour us whole? Ha!”

He could not help but laugh as he recalled the aggrieved faces, experiencing a strange sense of satisfaction.

“Heh, well, they came to beg us after all. It’s like…”

Boom!

A high-pitched whinny followed. The two horses at the front reared in terror, halting the carriage so suddenly that the wagon behind, drawn by oxen, nearly crashed and overturned them.

“What happened? Are we being robbed?” Both men were instantly alarmed.

Their caravan had dozens of guards; even bandits would think twice before attacking. Besides, they traveled under the Sain family’s banner—who would dare provoke the wrath of Sain City’s soldiers?

“A monster!” came a terrified scream from outside. Guards and workers all shrieked, a cacophony of hundreds of voices streaming in, leaving the two men utterly lost as to what to do.

Monsters—there had been frequent sightings of terrifying creatures lately, monsters of immense strength and savage cruelty. Had they run into one now?

Buzzing, incessant and intense, suddenly filled the air. One by one, the oxen and horses collapsed, and the accompanying guards and drivers fell with agonized cries.

Trembling, the two men parted the curtain and saw, to their horror, a yellow wasp larger than a fist. Before they could react, a venomous stinger pierced each of their shoulders.

The dreadful poison took effect immediately, and both men fell unconscious.

The buzzing gradually faded, leaving only the groans of the fallen.

Dozens of strong oxen and horses lay dead; of the over a hundred people present, most were also unconscious, with only a handful of guards—thanks to their robust constitution—remaining alert.

Yet this awareness was a curse, for a pack of forest wolves suddenly burst forth, eyes shining green with hunger, striking terror into their hearts.

The captain of the guards hastily opened a birdcage, slipped a hastily scrawled note onto the bird’s leg, and tried to send it to Sain City for help.

Alas, the gray bird had barely taken flight when a stinger struck it down, and it tumbled to the ground, where the monstrous wasps tore it to pieces.

Howling, the wolves had at first seemed to be fleeing, but upon seeing such a feast, they halted. At the pack leader’s bay, they surged forward.

In the blink of an eye, the screams were silenced, and when the wolves finally departed, not a living soul remained.

Back at Maesterlin Manor, Simon found Charles upon his return. “Young master, about the earlier incident—those who were killed…”

“Oh, there have been terrible monsters in the forest lately. They just happened to run into one. I heard they were all torn to pieces—truly unfortunate.” Charles shrugged, wearing an expression of helplessness.

“When their people come to ask, just explain everything clearly. I enjoy reasoning with people, and I wouldn’t want anyone to misunderstand.”