Ships at the Dock

The next day, Lynn slept in for the first time in his life.

When he opened his eyes, the bright sunlight had already pierced through the clouds like a sharp sword, flooding the room.

The thin layer of frost that had accumulated on the window overnight was quietly melting, with water droplets sliding slowly down the glass, leaving behind winding trails.

Spring in the Northern Border was almost here.

Lynn turned his head to see Yagna still sleeping soundly.

Her long golden hair was spread across the pillow, gilded by the sunlight into a soft halo that looked like flowing gold.

Her head was tilted slightly, and her exposed skin appeared exceptionally fair under the light.

The few red marks on her neck looked like the last stubborn roses of winter—glaring, yet possessing an indescribable beauty.

He scratched his head, the seductive scenes of the previous night flooding his mind; he couldn't help but feel that this young girl was truly something else.

Should he say it was to be expected of a Northern Border girl?

Just like the winter blizzards of the North, that wild intensity arrived without warning.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door, and Second Brother's voice came from outside the bedroom:

"Big Brother, are you up? Torima and the others have already transported the Demon Bear carcass over."

"I'm coming."

Lynn nimbly got out of bed and dressed. With the reinforcement of his powerful physique, the fatigue accumulated from yesterday had long since vanished.

Seeing that only a faint wisp of flame remained in the fireplace, he tucked the cashmere quilt in around Yagna.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Second Brother greeted him with a mischievous grin:

"Big Brother, congratulations."

"Talk business."

Lynn rolled his eyes at him, threw on his coat, and walked straight ahead.

Second Brother hurried to catch up: "Torima and the others built a large cart and transported the Demon Bear carcass here overnight. I checked it; the fur is completely intact, no one touched it, and the bear meat is all there too."

"Good. Organize the men immediately to skin the bear and process it. Cut the meat into two-kilogram portions and distribute one to every household in the territory."

Lynn had already decided on the distribution method for the Demon Bear carcass yesterday.

The Magic Stone he had extracted from the Bear Heart belonged to him, and he had already added it to his [Strength]. Although he remained at B-rank, he could clearly feel the increase in his power after waking up.

The fur was actually more valuable than the Magic Stone, especially the hide of a seven-meter-tall Demon Bear, which was quite rare throughout the entire Continent of Diavas.

The wealthy high nobles in the Southern Border loved collecting such rare items.

Lynn estimated that this bear hide could sell for at least one hundred Northern Gold Shields, and if transported to the Southern Border, the price could easily exceed two hundred.

But he certainly couldn't keep all the benefits for himself.

According to the customs of the Horse Bandit team, this money would be split equally among all the bandits.

As for the bear meat, it was actually the least valuable thing.

In this day and age, there was no such thing as cold-chain logistics; if the meat wasn't eaten quickly, it would rot.

Bear meat was particularly gamey, even more so than mutton.

With only the few meager local spices available in the Northern Border, there was no way to suppress the rank smell of the meat.

Distributing these nearly two tons of bear meat to the serfs for free was the best way to handle it.

Although the meat was gamey, it was still precious protein, and for the serfs, it was always edible if they just endured it.

By the time Lynn walked to the small square of the Castle, Torima and the carpenters had already returned to White Bear Town.

They had spent the whole night building carts and transporting the bear, and they were already exhausted.

Once they went back and caught up on sleep, they would dive back into the work of crafting heavy plows; there was simply no stopping.

Old Albert and his son, Little Albert, were hovering around the Demon Bear carcass, whispering as they inspected it.

Hearing footsteps, Old Albert turned his head immediately. Seeing it was Lord Lynn, he instantly put on a bright, sunny smile:

"My Lord, I'm not here to bother you today. I just believe that you need your most loyal servant to solve your troubles for you." Old Albert's sycophantic smile was entirely genuine now, without a hint of pretense.

"Later, take some men and distribute the bear meat to the serfs for me. Remember, every household must receive their share. If any serf complains to me that they didn't get any, I'll make up the difference with your own flesh. Also, go to White Bear Town and call for a few tanners to process the bear hide."

Lynn glanced at Old Albert before turning his gaze to the dead Demon Bear.

The thing was nearly two meters tall even while lying on the ground.

Although it had been dead for a night and the body was stone cold, the lingering, terrifying aura was still enough to make a child cry on the spot.

"Understood, my Lord!" The forty-year-old man stood at attention on the spot, and his son, Little Albert, followed suit.

After Lynn issued his orders, the small square in the center of the Castle quickly became bustling.

Bear hide required professional processing to remove the rank smell and prevent decay.

Old Albert had summoned several skilled tanners from White Bear Town.

The tanners set up a massive wooden frame in the shade of the Castle to stretch the hide, making it easier to scrape off the excess fat and residual flesh.

After washing and letting it dry slightly, the tanners would take the hide back to White Bear Town for further processing.

In this era, tanning leather was basically done using various types of urine, and the smell was truly something one couldn't compliment.

In White Bear Territory, tanners were almost the lowest-ranking among the Free People.

No one wanted to associate long-term with people who always carried a strange, pungent odor.

While the tanners processed the hide, Old Albert also called over a group of strong, sturdy serfs.

The serfs worked in teams, quickly dismembering the skinned Demon Bear and cutting it into two-kilogram portions.

The excess internal organs were hauled out of the Castle in small carts to be used for making compost.

By the time the sun set, the once-complete Demon Bear carcass was reduced to nothing but a bare, massive skeleton; the hide, meat, and organs had all been hauled away for processing.

"My Lord, how should we handle this skeleton?"

Old Albert stared at the bear skull, which stood eighty centimeters high, looking troubled.

They couldn't just display this thing in the Castle; it was creepy enough at night.

"Hand it over to the tanners as well. Have every bone cleaned thoroughly and stored properly in the White Bear Town warehouse. I have a great use for them."

Lynn knew someone who loved collecting these seemingly terrifying curiosities.

And that person would be arriving in White Bear Territory very soon.

Over the following week, Lynn barely left the Castle.

It was as if some strange switch had been flipped in Yagna; she abandoned her former shyness and passivity, actively pestering Lynn to make a baby every single day.

One afternoon in late March, they even had a battle in the study.

According to her, she would continue to pester Lynn until she was truly pregnant.

Lynn was naturally happy to oblige.

He also hoped to take the Shallow Beach Territory to the south as soon as possible.

That territory was broader and more fertile than White Bear Territory, and it had a larger population.

While busy making babies, Lynn also kept track of the days and monitored the position of the pixelated figure representing Lao San on his map.

It had been nearly twenty days since Lao San set off for Three Rivers City; it was time for him to return.

On the afternoon of the last day of the seven-day holiday, a single-masted galley sailed into the small dock next to the Castle.

Lao San had returned, and arriving in White Bear Territory with him was the Black Market Merchant from Three Rivers City, Leon.