Master must have his reasons for doing this

"Master, this castle is too... luxurious. Ailiya has never seen such a big place before."

Ailiya, panting, delivered the meal to Henry's study, clearly indicating that the castle was surprisingly large.

The study in a noble's castle is usually on the third floor of the main building, connected to the noble's bedroom. Though called a study, it's essentially just a dining table and a desk.

The banquet hall on the first floor of the main building is only used when hosting a large number of guests.

Henry, seeing that Ailiya was indeed covered in sweat from exhaustion, asked, "It seems you need to be promoted to Head Maid. I plan to hire five more maids to take care of cleaning the castle's main building and other matters."

Ailiya straightened up upon hearing this. Was she about to get a promotion and a raise?

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"I'll arrange it, but you'll have to be busy for a few more days. Have you figured out the bathroom here?"

Ailiya nodded, having already understood how to heat the castle's bathroom and how to circulate the water, ensuring it wouldn't delay Henry's evening wash.

"That's good. I haven't had a good wash in days; I feel sticky and uncomfortable."

Henry sat at the dining table, the candlelight shimmering on the exquisite silver cutlery, all spoils from his first hunt of an Demihuman tribe's settlement.

Waves of heat wafted out, mixed with an enticing aroma.

Golden-brown roasted chicken breast was placed in the center of the plate, adorned with colorful vegetables and mashed potatoes drizzled with a rich sauce.

This was a standard Baron's dinner, and Henry was already enjoying it in advance. Hard work is not as good as plunder; only by farming and robbing can one rise step by step.

Henry picked up his knife and fork, carefully cutting a piece of chicken. The tender meat made the corners of his mouth slightly rise as he savored the delicate texture and rich flavor of the food.

Only eating well and sleeping soundly are the most comfortable times for humans. After dinner, Henry wandered around the castle, becoming more and more satisfied. He washed, changed, and slept soundly.

Tonight, Henry unusually had no dreams and fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Henry began his busy day because the merchants had come, drawn by the scent of profit!

News of Henry's great prowess had already spread, and those who had signed contracts with Henry a few months ago were extremely excited.

This was a big deal, and they had been worried that Henry might die on the battlefield or not have enough capital to operate.

Just two and a half months ago, when Henry's steward, Tommy, asked them to provide the subsequent goods in advance, their hearts were all in their throats.

After all, even if Henry really breached the contract, they, as small merchants, wouldn't dare to do anything to a landed noble. In that case, all these goods would be lost for nothing.

But now...

"Knight, I've been keeping slaves for you, you see! When your steward came to pick up the goods, I didn't even ask for an extra deposit! That's how much I trust you!"

"Yes, Knight, I've kept all the farm tools, livestock, and seeds ready for you at all times. I didn't sell them even when others wanted to place orders!"

Henry didn't care about these people's flattery. Merchants, like nobles, could spout lies without batting an eye.

Moreover, these people's faces were very unsightly. In the Calradia Empire, nobles and merchants had to pay a deposit before signing a contract, which was inherently a form of humiliation.

Now, the one who was truly nervous was Bern, the weapons merchant, because Henry didn't lack military equipment and might renege on the subsequent cooperation. He wouldn't dare to ask for any compensation either.

Harry wasn't afraid; his grain trade would definitely not be canceled.

"Don't worry, everyone. Since we signed a contract before and I paid the deposit, now that you're here, let's complete the subsequent money and goods transactions, and then we'll be even."

So the merchants breathed a sigh of relief, especially Bern, who offered to give Henry five sets of Chainmail and ten sets of Iron-studded Leather Armor.

Henry naturally wouldn't refuse such gifts; they were better than nothing.

Perhaps these fifteen sets of armor would make other Knights happy enough to not sleep for days, but for people like them, it was simply not enough.

With just this little bit, Boman could throw it away for you.

Both sides worked busily all day, confirming the delivery and handover times. After all the money Henry needed to pay according to the contract was spent, he still had 13,200 Denar left.

How terrifying! Do you understand the value of a Royal Knight Academy graduate?

Boman and Fas must also have tens of thousands in savings.

Seeing that Henry had no desire to communicate, the merchants could only leave, expressing their anticipation for the next cooperation.

In the following days, despite Claude and Tommy's persuasion, Henry gathered enough Serfs for "Loyalty" training. Anyway, the castle's garrison camp was large enough to accommodate so many people.

Henry conducted the training according to the Overlord Training Manual, consuming a large amount of food, and the Serfs became more and more... loyal day by day.

"Is it really okay for Master to recruit so many people all of a sudden?"

Claude looked at Henry, who was in high spirits in the military camp, and said uncertainly, "Perhaps. We have enough food and money, so there shouldn't be any problems."

Tommy rolled his eyes in exasperation and said, "Are you playing dumb? The territory's population is only three thousand right now, and Master wants to create a private army of over a thousand professional soldiers. This is extremely unhealthy for the territory's development."

"Then go tell Master. What's the point of telling me?"

Claude didn't take it seriously. Besides, Master must have his own reasons for doing this.

Tommy was so angry that he pointed at Claude, really wanting to punch him and put him on sick leave.

"You're the administrative steward. You're the one who should talk to him about this."

Claude was silent for a moment, then asked, "How are the forty new recruits that Master left for you?"

"Not bad. Why?"

Claude looked at Tommy and said meaningfully, "They were serfs before. How is it that they would let you command them without any suppression from the territory? According to common sense, they should have already run off to become bandits with their Cotton Armor, swords, and shields."

Huh? That's right, what's going on here?

Tommy's brain started working at high speed, and after working for a long time... he still didn't understand what Claude was trying to say.

"Tommy, it's not your fault. You didn't see it, so you don't know.

Do you know? Those serfs who were trained by Master for a month behaved on the battlefield like elite reserve recruits who had been trained for half a year.

Moreover, they showed a very strong fighting will when facing the Demihumans. Philip and Bain told me all this.

Do you understand? Tommy? Our Master is very experienced in training soldiers."

Claude himself didn't realize how fanatical his tone and expression were when he was speaking just now.

Tommy looked at Claude's excited expression and realized how terrifying it was. This bewitching... ahem, this ability to train soldiers is too strong, isn't it?