Episode 1: The New Lord of Lowell – Chapter 06: Hitting the Nail on the Head

One month later, Reed did not disappoint. He invited representatives from the four neighboring lords near Lowell, who had already seen the plans and heard of the miraculous water wheel from other merchants, to come to Lowell.

Regardless of the initial doubts or reservations that these representatives may have had, when they saw the water wheel that could lift water several meters high on the river bank and heard Reed’s dazzling explanation, everyone was shocked. On the other hand, the water mill even excited some of them to the point of almost fainting.

By the time Jessica brought out the prepared folding tables, chairs, and golden umbrellas, the atmosphere had reached its climax. All the representatives expressed their excitement to meet the Lord of Lowell and buy everything.

Although the other party’s reaction was expected, Saul was still a bit overwhelmed when faced with a dozen big men surrounding him. He struggled to break free from the crowd and exclaimed loudly, “Everyone please calm down, I have something to say.”

“I am very grateful for your support for our territory’s products. I also understand your eagerness to buy them. Therefore, to be fair, I will hold an auction so that everyone has the opportunity to get these goods.” He then briefly explained what the auction entailed.

“Finally, the highest bidder will receive detailed design drawings for the water wheel and water mill, and a specialist will be sent to their location to guide production. In other words, the winner will not only receive the product, but also the production technology. Do you understand?”

There was nothing unclear about this statement. Everyone present was shrewd and almost instantly calculated how much profit they could make by obtaining the production technology for the water wheel and selling it outside. Some of the weaker landlords and merchants knew they couldn’t compete, and were disheartened, while several lords’ representatives were extremely excited.

“To give everyone time to prepare, the auction will be held seven days later. During this time, you can visit Lowell and consult with your respective lords. In addition, to be fair, this lord will not accept any form of bribery, so those with the ability should see us at the auction house,” Saul added.

After the representatives left, Jessica asked Saul puzzledly, “Why did you sell the product technology to them? We won’t be able to sell water wheels anymore, and we’ll lose a lot of money.”

Saul smiled calmly and did not answer her. In contrast, Reed was completely stunned, muttering incessantly, “This is amazing, really amazing.”

Jessica was incensed by Saul’s attitude and grabbed his ear, saying, “What kind of game are you playing? Tell me, my lord!”

“Ouch, be gentle, be gentle, you’re going to pull it off! I told you, didn’t I?” Saul was screaming and crying from having his ear pulled, thinking to himself that this was not a request, but rather coercion. How could she have no respect for himself as the lord?

“Jessica, although you are good at internal affairs, it seems that you are lacking in the economic aspect…um!” Saul shook his head and was about to take the opportunity to verbally attack her, but when he saw the fiery look in her eyes and her fidgety fingers, he quickly changed his tone.

“Anyway, you have to understand that making a water wheel is not a simple task. With the technological level within our territory, it is impossible to produce a large quantity. Moreover, the Lowell area is remote and transportation is inconvenient. Even if we could make it, it would be difficult to sell. Besides, the structure of the water wheel is not too complicated. If someone buys one and studies it for a while, they can reproduce it.”

“So, I might as well transfer the technology to them and make a big profit. That’s the best plan. As long as we have enough funds, we can recruit craftsmen and open up the roads. When we have new products in the future, it will be our turn to make a big profit. Wahaha…” Saul laughed so hard that his teeth were showing.

It felt like she was getting to know Saul for the first time, as Jessica stared at him in surprise for a long while before sighing, “You are really… What about that auction?”

Before Saul could explain, Reed exclaimed and grabbed his hand. “My lord, I admire you so much. Today, I realized how small my past knowledge was compared to your meticulous thoughts. Please promise me that I can learn the ways of accumulating wealth…no, the ways of business from you!”

With great effort, Saul held back Reed’s mouth, which was almost touching his face, and couldn’t help but yell out, “Let go; let go of me, I like girls. If you have something to say, say it properly instead of getting so close to my mouth!”

Finally managing to stop Reed’s harassing behavior, Saul said, “Anyway, the so-called auction is the best way to maximize the value of the product. Everything will be clear to you after seven days have passed.”

Suddenly remembering something, Reed slapped his own forehead and said, “I was so frightened by your methods that I almost forgot. There are two people who came with me to Lowell, and they both said they wanted to meet you.”

“Hmm? Who is it?” Saul muttered to himself, wondering how he could have fans this soon.

“One is a representative from the Adventurer’s Guild. He hopes to see you after you’ve met with the representatives of the various nearby lords. The other is someone I met in the Barin territory. He claims to be a mage, but I think he’s just a destitute fellow. Nevertheless, I couldn’t resist his persuasion, so I brought him along,” Reed said to Saul.

Upon hearing that a representative from the Adventurer’s Guild was coming, Saul immediately understood what was going on. After exchanging a glance with Jessica, he nodded and said, “I understand. You’ve worked hard these past few days. Go rest for a bit. I’ll pay you once the auction is over. By the way, take this rare opportunity to socialize with those representatives.”

Reed was a clever person, who could discern subtle hints, and he exclaimed with an excited voice, “No problem. Why rest when I can go right now? I’ve already become quite familiar with them during our travels.”

After Reed left, Jessica’s expression became serious, and she said, “We’ve arrested the Adventurer’s Guild people. They’ve finally come to us. How do you plan to deal with them?”

During these few days, Saul had gained some understanding of the various guilds on the continent—the associations of mages, monster hunters, and mercenaries—which possessed unimaginable power. Even the various kingdoms could not control them.

Needless to say, mages, who were revered by various countries and possessed mysterious powers, were terrifying. The power of the Adventurer’s Guild was also formidable, and it was not something small towns like Lowell could handle.

In short, Saul regretted his impulsive behavior from long ago.

“Um… let’s just meet with them first,” He said helplessly.

※※※

Before long, in another room of the lord’s mansion, Saul and a representative from the Adventurer’s Guild met. The latter was a man in his fifties who was dressed in overly extravagant clothing and seemed eager to show off his wealth. He appeared extremely arrogant and did not even offer a greeting to Saul.

“I am Saul Lowell, the lord of this territory,” Saul reached out his hand to him.

The man ignored him completely, not even getting up from his seat. He grunted, “I am Cole, the authorized representative of the Adventurer’s Guild. I believe Lord Lowell knows well why I am here.”

Damn it, why are you so arrogant? Despite feeling displeased, Saul knew it was not wise to get into an argument with Cole at the moment. He smiled and said, “Of course, of course. Jessica, have Kress release those monster hunters.”

Jessica knew it was not the time to act impulsively. She nodded and was about to leave, but Cole stopped her with a wave of his hand. “Wait a moment. Surely, Lord Lowell hasn’t forgotten why we’re here. What do you think we are, the Adventurers’ Guild, when our members can be arrested and released at will? Furthermore, I got news that they were subjected to inhuman abuse while in custody. I hope Lord Lowell can give me an explanation.”

Inhumane abuse? That’s a bit exaggerated, they were just doing some labor work. Could it be that there’s someone in my garrison who likes BDSM and did something secretly? I’ll have to ask Kress later.

Thinking to himself, Saul chuckled and said, “I have always respected your guild. There must be some misunderstanding about the so-called inhumane abuse. We are civilized people. How could we do such a thing? Of course, if there is such a thing, it must have been a mistake made by those below me. I will thoroughly investigate and give you a satisfactory answer.”

Recalling the statements made by the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in his past life, Saul spoke in a well-articulated manner, almost perfectly imitating those diplomats. However, Cole was not one to be easily swayed by the other party’s performance. He sneered, “Lord Lowell is quite amusing. Isn’t arbitrary arrest also a misunderstanding?”

Jessica had a fiery personality and couldn’t help but interject, “They caused trouble in our territory and bullied Mercy and her daughter. Everyone saw it clearly. What do you mean by arbitrary arrest?”

Saul quickly pulled her aside and said, “Sister, calm down, calm down!”

Knowing that Saul was right, Jessica gritted her teeth for a moment before finally nodding fiercely. Saul secretly breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Cole, asking, “So, Mr. Cole, what do you wan?”

As the development of the territory was crucial, Saul did not want to get involved with this large-scale criminal organization.

Hearing Saul’s words, Cole finally showed a satisfied smile. He nodded and said, “The lord is indeed knowledgeable and sensible. That’s it then. As compensation, the Lowell Territory should be fully open to our Adventurer’s Guild in the future, and we will establish a branch here. Moreover, this incident has exposed the inadequacy of your territory’s security forces. Our guild is willing to provide assistance and take full control of the territory’s defense. What do you think?”

Even Jessica was stunned by these conditions, which were no different from forcibly taking over the territory. The other party was obviously insincere in his demands.

Taking a deep breath, Saul constantly reminded himself to stay calm….calm down, calm down. I am now a turtle with its head tucked in, willing to compromise for the sake of the territory.

“Hahaha, Mr. Cole really knows how to joke…” After a little thought, he barely managed to squeeze out a smile.

Cole raised an eyebrow and said, “Is that so? Well, that’s a shame. Since the Lord is so confident, II hope that Lowell will not encounter any problems in the future.”

“Damn it…” Saul was furious as this was clearly a threat.

“We cannot agree to such conditions,” Jessica said coldly.

Cole, however, showed no surprise. He shrugged and said, “Since you don’t know what’s good for you… I don’t have time to waste in this small place. Hand over the people, and I’ll be on my way.”

Jessica was about to order the release of the captives but was stopped by Saul’s shout, “Hold on!”

The already standing Cole was taken aback and looked puzzled. Saul merely smiled without any expression and said, “The matter hasn’t been clarified yet. Who said we were going to release anyone?”

Cole’s eyelids twitched slightly as he turned around and looked at Saul contemptuously, waiting for him to speak. After all, Saul had only been in this world for just over a month and was still fundamentally a modern person. If he were facing a police officer in uniform, he would probably not hesitate to comply immediately. But under Cole’s unreasonable demands, he finally erupted.

You are reading story The Lord’s Chronicles at novel35.com

Damn it, isn’t this just an adventurer’s guild? I’m at least the Lord of a whole territory. Who’s afraid of who? I’ve been feeling so broke lately, and you just came knocking on my door. If I don’t make some money off you, my name isn’t Saul!

With a fierce determination in his heart, Saul became calm instead. As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, “Your people came to Lowell and caused some trouble, frightening my subjects and causing significant financial losses in my territory. If you’re seeking the release of your people, we can do so, but first you must compensate us for the losses.”

To his surprise, Saul suddenly made a 180-degree shift in his attitude. Cole’s face turned pale and then red, “Are you trying to blackmail us?”

Saul looked at him with feigned surprise and said, “What are you talking about, Mr. Cole? According to the laws of the kingdom, I am fully entitled to do this. If the adventurer guild is not willing to pay, it’s okay. They can work to make up for the losses, and I will naturally release your people after they earned their release amount. Don’t worry, it won’t take too long. A few decades of cutting wood should be enough.”

Enraged, Cole slammed the table. “Saul Lowell! I demand that you release them immediately, otherwise, you will have to bear all the consequences.”

“Ahh…” Saul yawned as if he were bored, in stark contrast to Cole’s fury, and turned to Jessica. “Jessica, please show our guest out. By the way, I will personally interrogate those guys tomorrow to find out who was behind them and dared to cause trouble in the name of the reputable adventurer’s guild.”

Seeing Cole’s face turn livid with anger, Jessica struggled to hold back her laughter as she waved a hand towards him and said, “Mr. Cole, please.”

Cole was so infuriated that he nearly slammed the door and stormed out. But, apparently afraid that Saul might really ask something, he managed to control himself and said, “How much do you want?”

“One thousand gold coins per person,” Saul said, boldly asking for a high price now that the situation had already turned sour.

“You’re absolutely…” Cole was so angry that he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“Extorting you, right? Jessica, see our guest out. I’ll personally interrogate the others tomorrow…” Saul didn’t even look at Cole, he made it clear that he was trying to exploit him. So what could the other party do about it?

Since those monster hunters caused the trouble first, the Adventurers’ Guild couldn’t argue against Saul unless they were willing to attack the territory by disregarding all consequences. Realizing this, he became even more audacious.

“Good, good, good!” Suddenly, Cole merrily laughed out of anger. “Lowell has really produced an extraordinary lord. I’ll redeem the people, but you’re on your own.”

“Take your time, and remember to look after Lowell in the future when there are good deals like this.” Saul called out at his departing back.

Cole was so furious that he nearly exploded. No matter where he went on the continent, people would give him some respect upon hearing the name of the Adventurer’s Guild. Who would have thought that this time he would be blackmailed by such a shameless man? Cole couldn’t help but feel helpless, which was a feeling he had never experienced before.

“Well, Saul Lowell, we’ll see each other again soon,” Cole muttered under his breath.

Not long after, Jessica returned and informed Saul, “The payment has been made, and the people have been taken away.”

It’s no wonder that the Adventurer’s Guild was so wealthy and powerful. They were able to pay the 5,000 gold coins without batting an eye. Saul nodded and said, “Put it in with the funds of the territory. We’re in desperate need of money these days.”

Jessica nodded in agreement, yet she couldn’t help but voice out her concerns. “Is this really a good idea? The Adventurer’s Guild is very influential, and if we anger them, it won’t be good for us.”

Saul couldn’t help but think to himself that she was actually more impulsive than he was just moments ago. He sighed and said, “What else can I do? You saw it yourself, they were clearly here to cause trouble. If we back down now, they’ll only take advantage of us and may even take over Lowell. Sigh, being a lord is not an easy job….”

Ignoring his sigh, Jessica spoke in a professional tone, “So what should we do now?”

“What else? Command Kress to reinforce the security, and our top priority is to ensure the success of the auction in a few days. As for the rest, we’ll have to take it one step at a time.” Saul shrugged his shoulders.

Nodding her head, Jessica turned to leave. After taking two steps, she suddenly turned back and said, “To be honest, I’m surprised. I thought you… well, I never expected you to make such a decisive move.”

Saul smiled wryly, “So you had such a low opinion of me?”

Jessica’s face lit up with a smile, “Maybe in the past, but now…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she burst out laughing, looking extremely happy.

“Hey, hey, we’ve gotten into big trouble, and yet you’re still laughing so happily.” Saul was both amused and exasperated.

“Hehe, honestly, I suddenly feel like you must be able to solve this problem. Which is really strange, since there’s no reasoning behind this feeling,” Jessica’s next words left Saul unsure whether to be happy or angry.

“Hey…”

“What?”

“To be honest, I already regret it…”

“You!”

※※※

Unexpectedly, nothing happened in the following days. Saul speculated that since the representatives of the major lords were present here, the Adventurer’s Guild did not dare be too blatant. However, this also meant that once the representatives left, the other side would definitely retaliate with full force.

Regardless, He couldn’t just sit and wait for death. He sought out Manson and expressed his desire to replace the weapons of the defense team. If something happened, the entire Lowell would rely on this team of only a few dozen people. If they still had equipment that was only slightly better than beggars’, he didn’t dare imagine how they could defend themselves.

After hearing Saul’s request, Manson was somewhat hesitant and said, “During this period of time, we have been making various things, and there is no extra iron in the territory. And the time is too tight to make anything, can’t we buy them from outside?”

Saul shook his head. “If we want to buy, we have to wait until the auction ends in a few days to have the funds. And time is equally tight. Can you think of a solution?”

Manson helplessly shrugged. “What can we do? I’m not a fairy who can turn iron into gold. How about this? You let your guards bring their weapons in batches, and I’ll try to maintain and polish them.”

At this point, this seemed to be the only way. Fortunately, Manson was skilled in his craft and could at least manage to make the weapons work. Saul turned to the few guards who were with him and said, “Did you hear that? Go back and have Kress arrange to bring the weapons over in batches over the next few days. We’ll deal with the equipment replacement later.”

When they heard that Manson was willing to repair their weapons, the members of the garrison were delighted. They knew that weapons handled by dwarves, even if they were scrap metal, could be improved in quality by at least three points.

As for the matter of completely replacing their equipment in the future, they hadn’t even thought about it. But to be honest, the armor and weapons they were currently wearing were all quite shabby.

Seizing the opportunity, a few members of the garrison immediately took off their swords and handed them over. Manson randomly took one of the weapons and then shouted angrily, “You bastards! Don’t you ever maintain your weapons?”

After thanking Manson, Saul suddenly remembered something and asked him, “How much iron is left in the territory? I want you to make me some small trinkets.”

Upon hearing that there was something new for him to create, Manson immediately perked up. The endless stream of new and exciting things that Saul had brought him over the past few days had allowed Manson to indulge in his craft. Upon hearing this, he became as excited as if he had just taken a hit of morphine.

Saul quickly grabbed a piece of paper and sketched out the design for the caltrops. These iron spikes were divided into four branches, cleverly angled so that when thrown, one of them would always land with a point facing up and could be buried in the ground for defense.

As soon as Manson saw the sketch, he exclaimed, “Wow, this is great!” and immediately rushed off to study it.

Saul felt ashamed, realizing that he only had a rough idea of many things and had drawn the sketch based on memory alone. It was only through Manson’s genius forging skills that he was able to bring his ideas to life. Even with this sketch of the caltrop, he had not marked the angles between each pointed nail, but Saul believed that Manson would be able to make it regardless.

As Saul left the blacksmith’s shop, his mind was a mess of thoughts. The issues within his territory were still unresolved, and now there was this external threat from the adventurer’s guild. According to the reports from the guards, there had been an increase in monster activity around the territory.

Equipment needed to be replaced, raw materials needed to be purchased, and even recruiting talent required money. All of these could only be dealt with after the auction.

It was frustrating. Reality was certainly different from games, where one could pause or save at any point of time. A single misstep could lead to disastrous consequences.

“Let’s go to the auction house.” Their hopes were all pinned on this auction.

Jessica was truly skilled in internal affairs. These days, she was busy both inside and outside the estate, commanding everything with great order. Reed, on the other hand, fully utilized his social skills getting along with the business representatives as if they were brothers. Meanwhile, he deliberately leaked some news, and many merchants came rushing in upon hearing the news of the auction.

You can find story with these keywords: The Lord’s Chronicles, Read The Lord’s Chronicles, The Lord’s Chronicles novel, The Lord’s Chronicles book, The Lord’s Chronicles story, The Lord’s Chronicles full, The Lord’s Chronicles Latest Chapter