Chapter 280: The Returning Caravan
Hearing the maid’s greeting, Kant was slightly stunned. “Good morning?”
He turned his head to look out of the window.
The sky was bright, but it was not as bright as noon or afternoon.
“Clang — Clang — Clang — Clang…”
A dull bell rang.
It was the bronze bell ringing.
After ringing about it eight times, it meant that it was eight o’clock in the morning. It was not dawn but morning already.
“This…”, Kant was a little stunned.
This seemed to be no different from the time when he had just come to the room to sleep.
Could it be that he had only slept for a short period of time?
Kant was puzzled.
The pretty maid pursed her lips and smiled lightly. She explained to Kant, “My lord, you slept for a day and a night. It is now the morning of the second day. I think you must be famished. You should fill your stomach with these desserts first.”
On the tray, there were desserts that were similar to yesterday’s.
However, they were steaming hot. It was obvious that they had just been made. They were sprinkled with dried dates and looked very tempting.
“A day and a night.”
Kant rubbed his hungry stomach and got out of bed.
His entire body was stiff from sleeping for a long time. He twisted his neck and sat on the chair in his pajamas. He instructed the pretty maids, “Tell the kitchen to prepare breakfast. I’m very hungry now.”
“Yes.”, a maid immediately turned around to pa.s.s on the message.
There were desserts on the table. Kant stuffed a few pieces.
It was really to satisfy his hunger. He did not like to eat sweets as his main meal, even though the price of this food was slightly higher.
This was a habit he had developed over a long period of time.
In the Dukedom of Leo, the food was mostly salty meat products.
Although there were desserts, most of them were honey. Things like white sugar, brown sugar, and other things had never appeared before. After all, to obtain this kind of sugar, one needed sugarcane, a plant that produced a very high amount of sugar.
However, the Dukedom of Leo did not have sugarcane.
In Kant’s impression, things like sugarcane had also never appeared before.
It was just like how livestock like camels had never left any records in the human countries of this world.
For example, when Kant and Manid led the camel caravan to the Stone Pa.s.s, they attracted many curious gazes. However, most of them treated the camels as a different type of large workhorse. Their movement speed was not fast, and they did not have the high explosive power of warhorses, therefore, they quickly turned their curiosity into indifference.
Among the horse breeds, the most precious was naturally the warhorse. As long as a country had a large number of warhorses, they could build a large and powerful cavalry force. They were the trump card on the battlefield and could easily decide the situation on the battlefield.
As for the horse breeds that were beneficial to the people’s livelihood and could only carry goods, they were not considered important at all.
This was the difference between the two worlds.
After all, even the crystal wall system was not the same. Even the basic laws were fundamentally different.
At least in this world, there were no camels and sugarcane. In comparison, there were no demons, spells, G.o.ds, and other things on Earth. Obviously, they were not the same and comparison was not relevant.
Soon, the pretty maids brought breakfast.
Fried steak, fried eggs, fried fish, and unknown tender wild vegetables, small skewers of edible berries.
There was also oatmeal, toast, and date palm.
The food was very rich.
From this, it could be seen that the Senwaya Range was on the right track
and began to provide some supplies to the Oasis Lookout. For example, these tender wild vegetables and berries were all brought back by the camel caravan.
They were uprooted and temporarily transplanted into a wooden basin. After watering them, they would be transported back. This could guarantee its half a month’s worth of vitality.
If they were lucky, they could even survive under the shade of the date palm tree.
The shade of the trees could block the sunlight. The running water in the ca.n.a.l could nourish these edible wild vegetables and berry shrubs. Due to the camel caravan’s carrying capacity, although the amount transplanted was not much, it could provide for the Lord Kant to enjoy three meals a day with the hard-earned delicate wild vegetables and fresh berries.
Just like Kant was enjoying the delicious food now.
The lamb chops with a fresh and tender taste, the whole fish that was fried perfectly, as well as the berries and wild vegetables that were used as side dishes.
The taste was excellent.
Kant was stunned. This was even more delicious than before he left.
After taking a bite of the soft and crisp bread mixed with the fried eggs and swallowing it, Kant turned his head and asked the maid who was waiting beside him, “Are all the kitchens nowadays managed by professional chefs?”
“You are right, my lord.”
The maid next to him smiled sweetly and answered Kant respectfully, “The three chefs and seven helpers in the council hall are all professional chefs learned by the artisan guild.”
“Well, this is very good.”, Kant nodded.
The maid added, “Even the chefs in the tavern and the chefs in the military camp are all professional chefs trained in the artisan guild. The quality of the food in the castle has improved a lot. Compared to the food cooked by our aunties, it is much more delicious.”
“I see.”, Kant chuckled. It seemed that after leaving, Firentis had recruited and trained full-time staff.
The artisan guild could train all kinds of talents.
Especially the crating talents. Whether they were blacksmiths, tailors, chefs, salt-makers, or tanners, they could all be trained. Ordinary civilians who did not have any skills became the pillars of jobs that were urgently needed in all walks of life.
Chefs were like this.
However, most of them were talents in weapons workshops, blacksmith shops, salt workshops, and sugar workshops.
The amount of salt produced in the current “Drondheim” Castle had increased from 200 bags to 500 bags. The profits they could earn each month reached 25,000 great silver coins.
Thanks to the purchase of more one-humped camels to form the camel caravan, they could transport more coa.r.s.e salt back.
However, they had to thank the excellent salt workers for replenis.h.i.+ng their losses.
25,000 great silver coins per month was a terrifying number in Kant’s eyes. If it could be exchanged for denar, he would laugh his head off!
Unfortunately, money could not be exchanged.
The denar could only be exchanged with the gold.
Therefore, Kant sent Manid to the Stone Pa.s.s to inquire about the price of gold, a precious metal.
Now, he had acc.u.mulated close to 100,000 great silver coins. If it was converted into gold, according to Kant’s rough understanding of the price, there should be 1,000 gold eagles, this kind of country-to-country currency.
It was similar to a check, which was not circulated to the outside world. Only high-ranking n.o.ble families and countries would circulate it.
However, as long as there was money, it could still be bought.
Kant only sent Manid to probe in secret.
If he could get a gold eagle, he would know the price of the gold and how much denar it could be converted into. This would give Kant a clear idea of how to make money quickly in the future and how to exchange for a large amount of denar conveniently.
Soon after breakfast, the hunger in his stomach disappeared, bringing a sense of satisfaction.
The pretty maid quickly tidied up the table.
Kant walked to the top floor.
`
The council hall had six floors. The scenery at the top was very good and could overlook the entire castle.
If he wanted to overlook his Oasis Lookout and Nahrin Desert, he could also go to the 40-meter-high watchtower to look at the surrounding scenery. It was even more magnificent and spectacular.
However, Kant was not going to enjoy the scenery.
He was going to the apprentice dormitory.
This was the basic building of the Mage Tower in the Enfath Empire. It was where the apprentices lived and rested.
Since Kant had selected this building, it had been combined with the council hall. At a cost of 50 denars per week, he was allowed to recruit one mage apprentice who had mastered a basic spell.
Kant came to the apprentice dormitory. The exquisite patterns were mysterious and graceful like the Enfath Empire.
His mind communicated with a certain golden card in his mind.
“System, use the rule card!”
Kant ordered in a deep voice.
A dialog box instantly popped up on his retina.
[ Ding… system prompt ]
[ Double recruitment (constant) used. ]
[ Apprentice dormitory: The weekly recruitment has increased to 2 people. ]
The golden card instantly shattered into pieces. Data streams gathered in the apprentice dormitory in front of him. The rules of the building had been changed. Although it was not much, it had a qualitative improvement.
This was the level up that Kant had planned.
After solving this problem, he came to the edge of the top floor of the council hall.
Vaegir marksmen were standing guard.
When they saw Kant coming over, they all bowed respectfully, “My lord.”
“Yes.”
Kant nodded.
The castle in front of him was well-planned. The roads and buildings were like a chessboard. They were clear and looked very pleasing to the eye. The military district, residential area, and crafts area were distributed reasonably, with a sense of symmetrical beauty.
This was his castle.
He turned to the Vaegir marksman on guard and asked, “Did you find anything unusual?”
“No, the castle is very peaceful!”
The other Vaegir marksmen quickly replied, “Everything is clear!”
“Very good.”
Kant smiled. “Stay alert.”
“Yes!”, the marksmen answered firmly.
Just as Kant continued to look at the other areas, a camel caravan made up of 20 camels came in from the east gate. The people around them moved aside and looked down from above. It was very eye-catching.
“Manid is back.”
Kant understood and turned to walk towards the stairs.
This time, Manid should be able to bring back a lot of good news, oh, or bad news.
After all, Kant had agreed to open up the trade caravan at the central posthouse. Any trade caravan could enter the posthouse to trade. There would definitely be a lot of n.o.ble families and merchants who would receive the news, as well as that Baron Dylan.
Baron Dylan at the Stone Pa.s.s regarded Kant’s Oasis Lookout and salt mine as his exclusive property.
Now that the posthouse trade was open.
Everyone could go and buy table salt. This would violate his profits!
If he didn’t make a move, Kant would never believe it, and Manid, who was trading and gathering information at the Stone Pa.s.s, would definitely bear the brunt. After all, everyone knew that this young man was actually Kant’s business spokesman.
He returned to the first floor of the council hall and sat in his lord’s hall.
Manid quickly walked in after arranging the camel caravan.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Kant was the first to speak. He smiled and welcomed him, “I’m very happy to see you back.”
“Thank you for your concern, Lord Kant.”
Manid stood still and bowed respectfully to Kant.
“Alright.”
However, Kant chuckled. He looked at the fatigue on Manid’s face and said, “It seems that you must have encountered some difficulties at the Stone Pa.s.s. Normally, you wouldn’t be so serious.”