Magical Beasts Attack

The next day.

Roland's first order of business was to summon the three slaves with special skills that Leslie had sent him.

Martin, the architect.

Lux, the craftsman.

Anthony, the shipbuilder.

None of them were old, all in their thirties. Because they possessed special skills, their mental states were quite good.

"Greetings, Lord," the three bowed respectfully upon seeing Roland.

"Mm, tell me, what can you do?" Roland was very direct.

In the recent period, Roland had developed a method for managing slaves while managing his territory.

Based on his experience during this time, he concluded that with slaves, authority must outweigh kindness, and punishment must outweigh reward. Once this balance is lost, not only might he not receive their gratitude, but the slaves might also develop unnecessary thoughts.

For instance, the bowl of soup Roland had rewarded each slave with last night was a point of balance he was seeking. It wasn't that Roland couldn't afford more meat.

If he gave them more, Roland wouldn't be seen as a benevolent master in the eyes of the slaves, but as foolish and weak.

If he were branded with such titles, it would not only easily cause the slave population to become lax and increasingly greedy, but they would also believe that a weak master could not possibly protect them, leading to outright rebellion.

There were quite a few lords on the Saint Nor Continent who were compassionate towards their slaves, and it was in such circumstances that they were killed by their own slaves.

Therefore, to this day, most lords on the Saint Nor Continent ruled their slaves with high pressure and brutality, deepening the fear in their hearts, ensuring they wouldn't dare to harbor any disloyalty.

Although Roland wasn't that extreme, in the past month on Rising Light Island, at least ten slaves had been subjected to the whip.

Of course, the twelve older children from before were an exception. If they were to become Mages in the future, they would undoubtedly shed their slave status. Roland couldn't treat a group of future Mages the same way he treated other slaves.

Thus, Roland's direct, even somewhat cold, attitude at this moment didn't cause any dissatisfaction among the three. Instead, they became even more subservient.

The three glanced at each other, and then Martin, the eldest, spoke first, "Master, I can build houses, slave barracks, bridges, and small walls."

After Martin finished, craftsman Lux cautiously added, "Master, I can forge some farming tools, general tools, and some simple swords and spears."

Roland nodded slightly at this and then shifted his gaze to the shipbuilder, Anthony.

Upon seeing Roland's scrutinizing gaze, Anthony quickly replied, "Master, I can build small fishing boats and single-sailed merchant ships that can sail in coastal waters."

Anthony's answer finally brought a hint of interest to Roland's face.

After all, he was currently in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, and in this place, ships were absolutely crucial for a territory.

If he could have a powerful fleet, not only would the security of his homeland be fully guaranteed, but he would also undoubtedly hold an absolute advantage in both trade and warfare.

"Elaborate."

"Yes, Master." Seeing Roland's interested expression, Anthony's face lit up with joy. He continued, "Master, a small fishing boat is generally six meters long and two meters wide, capable of fishing within three li of our island."

"As for the single-sailed merchant ship, it's usually around ten meters long and four meters wide. It can be used for short-distance trade, with a maximum sailing range of no more than three hundred li, as its hull is too fragile compared to double-sailed and triple-sailed merchant ships, unable to withstand attacks from sea Magical Beasts and giant waves."

Roland had to admit that if his territory were to develop in the future, Leslie would have made an immense contribution. Not only did he clearly understand what Roland needed, but more importantly, he had the means to provide it for Roland.

If such a friend had no ulterior motives, Roland truly wished he could have a couple more.

However, this was clearly impossible.

The human nobles of the Saint Nor Continent had long since lost their former glory. The pursuit of profit was etched into the very bones of every noble.

Leslie had paid such a high price just to become good friends with Roland; anyone would find that hard to believe.

Seeing Roland's prolonged silence, Anthony became somewhat uneasy, fearing he hadn't earned his new master's approval.

As if sensing his distraction, Roland's gaze immediately refocused on Anthony.

"What is the approximate cost of building a small fishing boat and a single-sailed merchant ship?"

"Small fishing boats are relatively simple, using ordinary wood. They only require some common materials like iron nails, tar, and hemp rope. The cost is not high, with an expenditure of only thirty gold coins."

"However, the materials for single-sailed merchant ships are more complex. The wood must be oak or fir at least ten years old. It also needs to be air-dried, cut into shape, soaked in preservative, and finally coated with a waterproofing agent."

"The construction process is not only complicated and lengthy, but the required materials are also far beyond those for small fishing boats. The cost of one ship is about two hundred gold coins." Anthony spoke rapidly but clearly, as if wanting to demonstrate his professionalism to Roland.

However, his words left Roland feeling dizzy. He truly hadn't expected the construction process of a mere single-sailed merchant ship to be so complicated, and the cost alone was as high as two hundred gold coins.

Adding labor costs, the selling price of a single-sailed merchant ship would have to be over five hundred gold coins.

From this, Roland couldn't help but feel Leslie's immense wealth again. He had directly provided three triple-sailed merchant ships for Roland's use without a second word.

"How much cargo can a single-sailed merchant ship transport at one time?"

"Reporting to Master, it can carry about ten tons at a time."

Hearing this, Roland made up his mind. In fact, Leslie sending Anthony to Roland wasn't for him to build single-sailed merchant ships for Roland, but to build small fishing boats to collect food for Roland.

After all, Roland already had the three triple-sailed merchant ships Leslie had lent him, which were sufficient for transport. He didn't need single-sailed merchant ships for the time being.

Moreover, the disadvantages of single-sailed merchant ships for Roland at this moment—expensive to build, requiring a large crew, and currently useless to the territory—immediately extinguished Roland's interest.

"For small fishing boats, how many people do you need, and how long would it take to build one if you had enough manpower?"

"Reporting to Master, I need at least seven people, and it would take about half a month to build one small fishing boat. If the manpower is doubled, I can build a fishing boat in ten days," Anthony replied after a moment of silence.

"Mm, I'll give you ten people. While ensuring quality, use your fastest speed to build four small fishing boats first."

"Understood, Master. I guarantee your task will be completed," Anthony quickly replied.

"Alice, take him to choose some slaves."

"Yes, Young Master." Alice nodded slightly and then led Anthony away first.

"Martin, you'll first get acquainted with the situation in my territory and help me reorganize the layout of the living area."

"Understood, Master," Martin replied respectfully.

"Lux, find a suitable spot in the living area for Martin to build you a workshop. Start by crafting some common tools needed for developing the territory."

"Understood, Master."

"Alright, you may all go and get to work." Roland said, giving a slight wave of his right hand to dismiss them.

After the two left, Roland was about to begin today's potion refining.

However, just then, loud crashing sounds echoed, like the roar of the sea, shaking the slaves working throughout the settlement and throwing them into disarray.

Roland's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. Although he hadn't encountered any trouble since arriving on Rising Light Island, this was the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands, and he had never let his guard down.

Therefore, Roland immediately sent someone to summon the members of Artur's squad. Under their escort, he hurried towards the direction of the loud crashing sounds.

Meanwhile, on the northeast coast of Rising Light Island, at the dock.

At this moment, creatures about half a person's height, resembling crabs, were leaping out of the sea one after another, madly attacking the slaves and mercenaries who were building the dock.

Their stout crab legs allowed them to move at a good pace even on land. Especially their two large claws held high above their heads, like two heavy sledgehammers. Wooden planks in their path shattered under their heavy blows, proving no match for them.

"This is bad, Armor Crabs, Level 2 Magical Beasts! Everyone run!" At this moment, Fili, who was in charge of construction at the dock, saw this scene, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly shouted to the bewildered slaves around him.

Finally, under his roar, some of the panicked slaves scrambled towards the depths of Rising Light Island.

However, it was clearly too late. Several slaves who were a step slower, facing the surging Armor Crabs, were instantly torn to shreds like fragile paper, their fragments scattering. Blood splattered through the air, dyeing the originally blue-black Armor Crabs a deep crimson.

When Roland arrived at the dock with Artur, he saw Armor Crabs frantically chasing the mercenaries and slaves, occasionally tearing apart and devouring the stragglers.

Upon seeing this, Roland became furious. These were all his property.

"Captain Artur, take your squad and rescue the people first." Roland, with a dark gaze, ordered Artur.

"Understood, Apothecary Roland." Artur immediately replied. The Level 2 Armor Crabs were clearly not something he took seriously.

So, Artur immediately led his subordinates to intercept the Armor Crabs that were chasing the slaves and mercenaries.

With the addition of ten Intermediate Warriors, the frantically fleeing slaves and mercenaries breathed a sigh of relief and quickly retreated behind Roland.

At this moment, O'Neal arrived in a hurry with over thirty Professional mercenaries. Upon seeing the battle at the dock, his expression also changed, and he quickly rushed to Roland's side.

"Apothecary Roland, are you alright?"

Upon seeing O'Neal, Roland's expression slightly improved. Earlier, under Roland's orders, O'Neal had led the mercenary group to the depths of Rising Light Island to chop trees and provide lumber for the dock's construction.

Because the Professionals were strong and robust, under Roland's command, O'Neal had brought almost all the warriors of the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group with him.

This resulted in the dock having no Professionals at all. The remaining mercenaries were all ordinary people, and faced with Level 2 Magical Beasts, they were naturally routed.

This was naturally Roland's oversight, but it was clearly too late to dwell on it now. So, upon seeing O'Neal, Roland immediately instructed him to organize his men and launch a counterattack against the Armor Crabs.

"Understood, Apothecary Roland." O'Neal said, then waved his hand and immediately began organizing his men and arranging their formation.

From this, one could also see O'Neal's prestige within the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group. With him present, the routed mercenaries instantly transformed into battle-hardened warriors. Under his command, they quickly formed small squads and slowly advanced towards the Armor Crabs.