Leslie's Letter

One month later.

More than a month had passed since Roland arrived on Rising Light Island.

With the construction efforts of over a hundred slaves and a hundred mercenaries, the east coast of the entire Rising Light Island had undergone significant changes.

Surrounding the hundreds of neatly arranged wooden houses was a simple wall built from earth and stone. While it couldn't defend against any serious enemy, it greatly reduced the possibility of beast attacks at night and also increased the sense of security among the slaves and mercenaries.

To the north of the residential area were four tall and wide granaries and warehouses, storing the entire territory's grain and supplies.

To the south were newly built livestock pens, housing a few wild rabbits and pheasants from Rising Light Island. These were occasionally used to satisfy Roland's cravings and would later be used for raising poultry to provide meat for the territory.

In the center of the residential area was a newly dug well. Although it was winter and the water storage wasn't abundant, it was sufficient for the entire settlement's needs.

Furthermore, the appearance of this well greatly reassured Roland. The fact that a well could be dug even on the edge of the island indicated that Rising Light Island's freshwater resources were likely quite plentiful.

With abundant freshwater resources, Roland could expand the farmland and support more residents.

As for the territory's current top priority, the dock, it was still some time away from complete completion.

This was because the refined iron and various ropes needed for its construction could not be produced on Rising Light Island and had to be purchased from outside.

However, the reefs in the sea near the dock had already been cleared, allowing three-masted merchant ships to approach, albeit without berths or unloading channels.

Small boats would still be needed for the final transport, but even so, it saved a great deal of time.

At this moment, a tall three-masted merchant ship was docked beside Rising Light Island's unfinished pier.

Boxes of goods were being moved from the ship into small boats. Although the process was tedious, the slaves and mercenaries working on it had joyful smiles on their faces.

After all, these were the supplies they needed for their survival, and the more they moved, the higher their quality of life would be.

At the same time, a smile flickered across Roland's face, and his heart was put at ease. Half a month prior, after the territory had initially stabilized, Roland had sent Fili back to Highland City to purchase the territory's needed supplies from Leslie.

There was also a more important matter: requesting aid from Leslie.

Yes, after much deliberation, Roland ultimately dared not rely on potions to fill the territory's revenue and expenditure gap. In the end, Roland decided he had to "milk" Leslie dry.

Therefore, Roland wrote a tearful plea for help and had Fili take it back with him.

To encourage Leslie to increase his support, Roland specifically mentioned in the letter his response when faced with the Black Knight Pirates' overtures.

Although Roland had employed some minor tactics, Leslie had already invested too much in him. Therefore, Roland wasn't certain if Leslie would agree to his request for aid before Fili returned.

So, it was only now, upon seeing the supplies filling three three-masted merchant ships, that Roland felt truly at ease.

"Greetings, Apothecary Roland." Fili, upon seeing Roland appear on the shore, quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.

Upon his return, seeing Leslie increase his support for Roland once more, Fili's regard for Roland grew even deeper, and he dared not show any slack.

"Captain Fili, thank you for your hard work. Was everything smooth this time?"

"Extremely smooth."

"That's good. How many supplies did you bring back this time?" Roland asked with anticipation.

"Reporting to Apothecary Roland, Young Master Leslie has prepared a total of fifty tons of grain for you this time, consisting of thirty tons of rye, ten tons of wheat, and ten tons of barley."

"Five tons of refined iron, over three hundred various farming tools, more than thirty head of livestock including pigs, cattle, sheep, and poultry, as well as some leather goods, ropes, silk, and other daily necessities."

"This time, Young Master Leslie also specifically purchased three slaves for you: a builder, a shipwright, and a craftsman."

"Oh, and this letter. Young Master Leslie specifically asked me to deliver it to you personally." Fili said, pulling an envelope from his bosom and respectfully handing it to Roland.

At this moment, although Roland's expression remained unchanged upon hearing Fili's report, immense joy had already welled up in his heart.

He had been confident that Leslie would not refuse his request for aid, but he hadn't expected such generous assistance.

It seemed that Elizabeth's attempts to win him over had indeed caused significant concern in Leslie's heart, otherwise, he wouldn't have provided such abundant supplies this time.

After all, the value of this batch of supplies alone was at least over three thousand gold coins, and it included refined iron, which was considered a strategic material in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands.

Due to the severe lack of various mineral resources in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, the prices of all sorts of ores remained high. Although refined iron was not a magic material, its price would multiply several times once transported to the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, with one ton costing over two hundred gold coins. And Leslie had delivered five tons this time.

This shipment from Leslie was not only expensive but also a timely arrival for Roland, greatly accelerating the territory's development and stabilizing morale. These fifty tons of grain alone were enough for Roland to last until the autumn harvest on Rising Light Island.

Therefore, Roland excitedly opened the envelope from Leslie, wondering if there were any other surprises.

Inside the envelope were three Oroko Family bank notes worth one thousand gold coins each, and a letter.

Oroko Family bank notes were essentially a simple form of transaction voucher issued by the Oroko Family to their trade partners, as clearing gold coins in large transactions was quite troublesome.

With one of these bank notes, one could claim one thousand gold coins from any of the Oroko Family's strongholds.

Of course, the Oroko Family's strength was not enough to create completely counterfeit-proof bank notes. Therefore, for every bank note issued, the Oroko Family kept a stub and a record. Anyone coming to claim gold coins with an Oroko Family bank note would undergo a multi-layered verification process.

Thus, users of such bank notes were typically long-term trade partners of the Oroko Family, and their cash withdrawals were somewhat simpler.

Upon seeing these three bank notes, the light in Roland's eyes shone even brighter. There truly were surprises.

He had initially thought that after Leslie provided so many supplies, he wouldn't be paid for the potions this month. He hadn't expected the other party to disregard such a small profit, not only paying in full for the potions Roland provided but also giving him over two thousand extra gold coins.

Feeling the overwhelming generosity radiating from the other side, Roland expressed his envy.

Roland carefully examined the Oroko Family crest on the bank notes before directly tossing one of them to O'Neal, who was standing beside him.

"Thank you, Apothecary Roland." O'Neal's face was filled with a smile as he looked at the bank note Roland handed him.

While he would never doubt an apothecary's ability to pay, it was only when he saw the gold coins that he truly felt at ease.

"This is what you deserve," Roland said, clapping O'Neal on his sturdy shoulder.

Over the past month, O'Neal's performance made Roland feel the thousand gold coins were well spent.

After handing the gold note to O'Neal, Roland carefully began reading the letter Leslie had written him.

"My dearest Roland, my friend."

"I have received your letter and am deeply concerned about the difficulties you face. I wish I could be by your side to face them with you."

"However, family matters are constant, and it is truly difficult for me to leave. Therefore, I have specially prepared numerous supplies for you, hoping you can overcome this hardship."

"Additionally, the Oroko Family is providing you with a three-thousand-gold-coin interest-free loan for your use."

"As for the Black Knight Pirates, I will resolve the issue as soon as possible. They will absolutely not affect the most sincere friendship between us."

"My friend, remember, behind you stands the Oroko Count Family. With me here, you need not fear anyone."

"Finally, my dearest friend, I eagerly anticipate our next meeting. I wish you all the best."

"Your most sincere friend, Leslie Oroko!"

The emotions expressed in the letter were undeniably sincere, and every word revealed Leslie's genuine feelings for Roland.

However, after finishing the letter, although Roland still showed a hint of emotion on his face in front of Fili, the surprise in his heart had vanished.

Firstly, while Leslie appeared to be expressing his feelings and backing him up, he was actually reminding Roland that he should consider the consequences of betraying the Oroko Family more than the Black Knight Pirates.

Secondly, and most importantly, these three thousand gold coins were a loan from Leslie, which he would have to repay later.

"Sigh, I'm still too weak," Roland sighed inwardly, having understood the true meaning behind Leslie's words.

Both the Black Knight Pirates and the Oroko Family were undeniably colossal forces to the current Roland, and he dared not offend either lightly.

This forced him to tread carefully, walking on thin ice in the chasm between the two powers, a feeling that inevitably annoyed Roland.

Since arriving in this world, the dangers around him seemed never to cease. Whether it was the Solomon Family, the Oroko Family, or the Black Knight Pirates, they all harbored ill intentions towards him to varying degrees.

It was only with the help of some luck, coupled with Roland's cautious handling, that he had managed to suppress their malicious schemes.

However, this situation was not a long-term solution. Once Roland's value grew, they would eventually be unable to control their greed and make a move against him.

Thinking of this, Roland's body trembled slightly, a sharp glint flashing in the depths of his eyes. He reminded himself once again that he must be even more careful from now on and also accelerate his progress in improving his strength.

Feeling Fili still standing before him, Roland adjusted his facial expression and said with great emotion, "Leslie is truly my best friend. Meeting him is absolutely the luckiest thing in my life."

Roland's sincere expression did not reveal any flaws to the people around him. Instead, their faces showed envy.

After all, everyone had witnessed Leslie's contributions to Roland. It could be said that Roland's current possession of this territory and his stable development were eighty percent due to Leslie's efforts.

"Apothecary Roland, your bond with Young Master Leslie is truly enviable," Fili said ingratiatingly, a smile of admiration on his face.

"You will all have such friendships in the future. Now, hurry up and unload the supplies. Move all the aid from my friend into our warehouse," Roland said proudly, waving his hand.

However, after he finished speaking, he hurriedly led Alice away first.

Because he feared that if he continued speaking, he might not be able to hold back his nausea.

As night fell, to boost the morale of the slaves and mercenaries who had worked hard for over a month, Roland organized a grand bonfire party. Roland even took out some of his reserve meat to distribute among them.

It had to be said that in this world, humans who were slaves were truly easily satisfied. Merely by receiving a bowl of meat soup per person, Roland was hailed as a benevolent lord by them.