Meanwhile, Roland had just returned to his rented house, but he had no desire to sleep.
What he had gained and learned from Leslie tonight had completely disrupted all his previous plans.
"Nuwa, based on the information we previously gathered, how credible is what Leslie said tonight?"
"Beep! After comparison, the accuracy rate of the information Leslie provided tonight is as high as 95 percent," Nuwa immediately replied.
Nuwa's analysis was not far from Roland's own estimate. As the Oroko Family's second-in-line heir, Leslie had no reason to spend so much effort deceiving him.
So, most of what he had said tonight was likely true.
But precisely because it was true, Roland had no choice but to begin drawing up a new plan with Nuwa.
Before that, however, Roland began seriously examining the various powers of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands for the first time—forces that might become his enemies in the future.
"Nuwa, integrate all the information Leslie gave tonight into the map of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands. Mark it out for me."
"Received, Master."
As the dark-blue light screen appeared, the map of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands displayed by Nuwa after obtaining Leslie's intelligence was undoubtedly more three-dimensional. Three colors marked the territories ruled by the three major powers of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.
Roland's gaze instinctively turned toward the territory occupied by the Black Knight Pirates.
As one of the super pirate groups within the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, the Black Knight Pirates possessed immense strength and numerous powerful members. Their captain, Dylan Fikernando, was a Level 15 Advanced Sky Warrior. The group had over three thousand professional pirates under its command and mainly occupied the Azure Sea Region, one of the six major sea regions of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.
However, the Black Knight Pirates were not the sole dominant force in the Azure Sea Region. The Mandy Family, an earl family belonging to the Autran Kingdom, was also entrenched there and stood in direct opposition to them.
Each of the two factions was followed by several large pirate groups and viscount families. Their territories interlocked like teeth, creating an extremely complex situation.
The Azure Sea Region lay in the northernmost waters of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands and bordered the Beastkin Empire. Whether in terms of wealth or location, it was not an ideal first choice for developing a territory.
But with Leslie now involved, Roland had no choice but to reconsider.
After all, gaining the protection of the Black Knight super pirate group would greatly guarantee Roland's safety.
"Nuwa, after deducting the funds needed to purchase slaves, food, and farming tools, how many gold coins and potions will I have before developing the territory?" Roland asked.
"Beep!"
"After calculation, Master will possess 1,600 gold coins, 85 intermediate potions, and 50 beginner potions by then."
"Hm? How can there be so many intermediate potions?" Roland froze upon hearing that.
At present, he could only brew two Level 4 Potions per day. In a month and a half, he could brew at most ninety bottles, and some of those would be needed for trading with Leslie and for his own use. By his estimation, having around fifty bottles left would already have been quite good.
"After calculation, Master will reach the level of a Level 5 Mage in fifteen days. At that time, your Mental Power will allow you to brew three intermediate potions per day."
"You really work me like a mule..." Roland finally understood and replied irritably.
"For the sake of your life, you need to work harder."
"I understand."
However, with such an abundant stockpile of potions, the plan in Roland's mind could be taken a step further.
Although Leslie's attitude toward him had been extremely sincere, Roland could not possibly place his life and fortune in someone else's sincerity. Therefore, he would not neglect a single necessary preparation. If anything, he would make even more.
Time flew by. After signing the trade partnership with Leslie, Roland completely holed himself up in his rented house. Aside from attending an Apothecary Exchange hosted by Orson, he did not step outside again.
While brewing potions with all his strength, he did not slack off in meditation for even a moment.
Finally, half a month later, after consuming the sixth Tier 4 Spirit Agility Potion, he successfully broke through to the standard of a Level 5 Mage.
"Nuwa, bring up my current attributes."
"Received, Master."
Strength 1.2 Constitution 1.1 Agility 1.3 Mental Power 2.343/8.012 Mana 6.1/7.7 Level 5 Mage
Seeing that his Mental Power had successfully risen to 8 points, reaching the standard of a Level 5 Mage, a satisfied smile appeared on Roland's face.
Although he was still at the Intermediate Mage professional rank, he could now cast Level 5 spells. Their power was more than 30 percent greater than Level 4 spells, greatly increasing his strength.
Moreover, after breaking through to Level 5 Mage, Roland could now brew three potions per day. As long as he reserved three points of Mental Power for daily meditation, his actual income would increase by a third.
To celebrate today's breakthrough, Roland had specifically instructed Old Nob to prepare a lavish dinner and opened a bottle of fruit wine. Though it was not as good as the wine he had tasted at Leslie's place, Roland was still very satisfied.
However, just then, someone knocked on the door, and Jonathan's voice came from outside.
"Honored Apothecary Roland, Jonathan requests an audience."
Hearing this, Roland gave Old Nob a slight nod.
After receiving Roland's signal, Old Nob immediately went to the door, opened it, and welcomed Jonathan inside.
"It took you this long to bring me news?" Upon seeing Jonathan, Roland gently put down his knife and fork and asked in confusion.
"I am truly sorry, Apothecary Roland. Highland City has prosperous trade, so many mercenary groups are occupied with missions year-round. Furthermore, I did not dare choose carelessly under your requirements, so it took quite some time," Jonathan said apologetically.
"Being cautious is good, but do you have results today?" Roland did not blame Jonathan and continued asking.
"Yes, yes. These three mercenary groups all have very good strength and reputations. Please take a look." As Jonathan spoke, he hurriedly pulled out a sheet of papyrus from his clothes and respectfully handed it to Roland.
Roland was immediately intrigued. He accepted it at once and began examining the contents written on it.
Although Leslie had previously prepared an elite squad composed of Intermediate Warriors for him, how could Roland possibly hand his life entirely over to others? Besides, in his view, a small squad of Intermediate Warriors was far too few.
Therefore, half a month ago, he had entrusted Jonathan with finding a mercenary group with an excellent reputation and credibility, intending to hire them to protect Roland while he developed his territory.
Roland simply had not expected Jonathan to take so long to find suitable candidates.
The papyrus was somewhat rough and made from papyrus reeds. It was undoubtedly far cheaper than expensive parchment, but it was greatly favored by ordinary citizens.
According to the records on the papyrus, Jonathan had found three relatively suitable mercenary groups for Roland.
The Loyal Lion Mercenary Group. Its leader was O'Neal Grey, a Level 7 Advanced Warrior. The group had around one hundred members and fairly excellent equipment. Most importantly, it had an outstanding reputation. During one escort mission, they encountered a powerful group of bandits. To ensure their employer's safety, the entire mercenary group suffered casualties amounting to 30 percent, yet they never abandoned their employer. They could be called the conscience of the mercenary world.
The hiring price was approximately 1,000 gold coins per month.
The Cold Iron Mercenary Group. Its leader was Jackson Duran, who possessed the strength of a Level 8 Advanced Warrior. The group had around 120 members, operated in a relatively conservative manner, and placed great importance on keeping its promises.
The hiring price was approximately 900 gold coins per month.
The River Valley Mercenary Group. Its leader was Bertus Cariso, who also possessed the strength of a Level 8 Advanced Warrior. The group had around 140 members and was considerably stronger than the first two mercenary groups. The number of missions they completed was also above average, and they had a good reputation.
The hiring price was approximately 1,000 gold coins per month.
Seeing the prices of the three mercenary groups, Roland could not help drawing in a sharp breath.
He had known that maintaining a mercenary group of around a hundred people would not be cheap, but he had not expected it to be this expensive.
But on second thought, Highland City's average monthly wage was already two gold coins. For mercenaries who risked their lives, earning five times as much did not seem excessive. Furthermore, there were many professionals within mercenary groups, so this hiring price seemed reasonable.
Having understood this, Roland no longer dwelled on it and asked Jonathan, "The Loyal Lion Mercenary Group appears to be the weakest of the three, so why is its hiring price the same as the strongest River Valley Mercenary Group?"
"Since completing that mission, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group has become deeply favored by the various trading houses in Highland City. Whenever conditions permit, the trading houses prioritize hiring the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group. That is why their price is so high," Jonathan explained.
"I see. So they are quite sought-after."
"Yes. I waited until they finished their previous mission before coming to report to you."
Roland's interest was piqued. He could not help asking Jonathan, "Good. Can you arrange for me to meet the leader of the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group tomorrow?"
No matter what plan he made, Roland always placed his personal safety first. The same was true when hiring a mercenary group. He would rather hire a weaker group with a good reputation than hire a powerful group that did not honor its word.
That was because in a lawless place like the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, reputation would become the greatest guarantee binding a mercenary group. Roland did not wish to die at the hands of the mercenary group he hired.
Therefore, although the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group's strength was clearly unworthy of its hiring price, its reputation greatly increased Roland's favorable impression of it.
"Of course. It would be my honor."
"Good. This is your reward." Roland spoke as he took five gold coins from his clothes and handed them to Jonathan.
Faced with such a generous reward, Jonathan immediately beamed with delight and repeatedly thanked him.
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