A Male Lecturer Who Understood Human Nature Made a Baron Spend 170,000 on Me

Smack! Henry slapped the letter in his hand onto the table and looked meaningfully at Perode, who wore an expression of assured victory.

Countless thoughts ran through Henry's mind as he connected everything into a single thread.

The King had long known that the Foreign Races in the east were stirring. Every year, they carried out probing raids, which was why newly invested nobles with real authority were assigned to the Eastern Border.

When Henry had been granted his title, the King had specifically instructed him to reorganize his military forces, guard the border at all times, and watch the movements of the Foreign Races.

According to Pedro's information, after Henry had settled everything in the Capital and left only three days earlier, news of an invasion by the border tribes had already been delivered to the Capital by fast horse...

"Doesn't that mean...?"

Pedro nodded and said with certainty, "That's right! Knight Henry, the King will definitely remember you this time, because the King surely wants to launch a Pioneer Act as well.

"The King has been holding the Imperial Council for twenty days already, constantly mobilizing Imperial Standing Army Legions from various regions, along with the second sons of those nobles loyal to the King... The Pioneer Act you proposed perfectly aligns with the King's intentions."

Henry nodded and looked at Pedro. "Baron Pedro, what can you provide for me? And what do I have to give?"

Pedro raised his brows. "Knight Henry really is straightforward... I can provide you with funds to rebuild your fief, and in return, you must win a fief for me.

"At minimum, land equal to four villages—a barony—so that my son can become a Pioneer Noble."

Henry frowned. "Baron Pedro, forgive my bluntness, but you are not the King's fief and have no right to join this Pioneer Act."

"My son does. My noble title is a Lifetime Honorary Title, while my son is a commoner of the Empire."

After thinking for a moment, Henry said, "Then I accept your terms. I want a Stone Castle, built to the same standard as Earl John's Mansion, in West Lyme."

Pedro was stunned. He had never seen anyone so shameless! What sort of noble was this?

Cunning Rogue Habit skill: ⑤ Social Expert activating...

Social Transaction skill: ② Fair Trade activating...

"Knight Henry, forgive my bluntness, but that demand is too high. The scale of an Earl's Mansion is enormous. It must meet defensive and garrison needs while also providing comfortable living conditions... A single barony is not enough to cover that expense."

Building a Fortified Manor from scratch generally cost between twenty and forty thousand Denar, designed to withstand attacks by bandits and invaders.

Such structures usually relied on earthen walls two to five meters thick. These walls were not only massive but sturdy enough to effectively resist outside attacks.

For a Knight Noble, a Fortified Manor was already an extremely luxurious structure.

But Henry was not satisfied with that. Since he had a chance to do it all at once, naturally he intended to "spend ahead of time"!

This was the border, and a war was about to begin. For a noble whose fief lay along the Border Line, this was a magnificent feast!

He had to possess a qualified defensive stronghold to keep other eyes away... The Pioneering War was complicated. Taking land did not automatically make it yours; you needed sufficient control over that land.

And a large structure like a castle perfectly combined military defense and residence, allowing one to effectively extend control over an entire region!

"Stone walls two meters thick and ten meters high, along with every defensive structure. The Moat, Drawbridge, gates, Tower, Arrow Tower, and all other defenses are indispensable.

"There must also be plenty of living space, including a Castle Garden and other auxiliary buildings, such as Barracks for the outer garrison. And Warehouses, Cellars, and the like."

Faced with Henry's grand speech, Pedro said helplessly, "Knight Henry, a castle like that would occupy two to three square kilometers. It would be an entire integrated complex of offense and defense! It would cost at least 170,000 Denar! 170,000!"

Henry waved a hand. "It's not like you only have one son..."

Pedro's eyes lit up. "I have three sons."

"One castle in exchange for three baronies. How about it?"

At this point, the negotiation was essentially over. But Pedro now had another concern: did Henry truly have the ability to win three baronies for him?

"Knight Henry, you must first prove your ability. As long as you can prove that you are capable of doing this, the Trade Guild under my command will immediately mobilize supplies and labor."

Henry stroked his chin. That really was a problem, so he said, "How about this? Time waits for no one. The sooner construction begins, the better.

"Find someone you trust and sign a contract with me. If I fail to provide three baronies and land equal to twelve villages, then I will pay the castle's construction costs in full. As compensation for losing the wager, I will also pay an additional 3,000 Denar.

"Baron, that is my sincerity. Now let me see yours."

"Good. It's settled. We'll sign the contract now, and I'll have people start construction tomorrow." Pedro had no reason to refuse such a guaranteed profit.

The Imperial Office answered only to the King, and local nobles had no authority to interfere. Therefore, Pedro was not afraid that Earl John would follow the trail and discover that he was "helping an outsider against his own side."

As for whether Henry could produce such a huge sum if he failed, Pedro was not worried in the slightest.

He had been using his trade network to gather intelligence from the Capital of the Empire, so he knew a little about Henry's circumstances.

After all, Henry had been one of the more prominent figures in the Capital over the past three years. If Henry truly failed, Pedro could simply make him fight in the Arena to repay the debt.

Thus, after the two discussed the details for a long while, Pedro had someone draft the contract. Henry signed the agreement and went with Pedro's subordinate to the Imperial Office to have it notarized.

"Knight Henry, since the contract has been notarized and filed, I shall take my leave. May your martial fortune flourish."

Henry had not expected this windfall to bring him so much wealth.

He was not worried at all about failing to meet Pedro's demands. His confidence came from the fact that he had cheats!

What would be the point of transmigrating if I didn't get cheats?! Besides, his Overlord Panel had a terrifying second stage. If the first stage was already this strong, wouldn't the second stage be utterly heaven-defying?

"Master, what did that boss talk to you about? Is he really giving you money?"

Bain cared greatly about money. Whether Henry could pay him wages was a minor issue; if Henry could not maintain his dignity, that would be the real problem.

"More or less. And it's a fortune beyond anything you can imagine."

Once this castle was built, it would no longer be merely a matter of money. What a castle represented was not simply wealth.

It was power! Whether it cost 170,000 or not was a trivial matter.

Bain nodded. Since Henry said it was wealth beyond his imagination, he decided not to imagine it at all.

"Oh, right, Master. When are the two Butlers and Captain Phillip arriving? The Earl's food is so delicious—they should hurry over and eat it."

"Soon, I suppose... Judging by the distance, they should arrive within the next day or two."

Bulk Transaction completed. Cooperation established. Experience +47

"Henry, you're finally back. Where did you go to have fun?"

The moment Henry returned to the Earl's Mansion, he saw Boman and Fas waiting for him. The two were already fully dressed, with their respective Retainers in tow, ready to depart.

Henry hurriedly apologized. He had not expected to speak with Pedro for so long. "Gentlemen, I'll be right there. Please wait a moment."

Henry quickly returned to his room and changed into light armor and hunting gear: an Iron-tipped Crossbow, Lance, Knight Sword, Heavy Steppe Bow, and a quiver of Armor-Piercing Sword Arrows.

Bain also put on his light armor, took his Lance and Knight Sword, and went to the stables to fetch the horses.

"Whoa, that's truly imposing! As expected of the academy's top-ranked student!"

It was Boman's first time seeing Henry fully armed. He stepped forward and gave Henry a big hug, while not forgetting to take the opportunity to mock Fas.

Henry rolled his eyes. Boman and Fas were like a pair of bickering sweethearts. If either of them had been a woman, they might have married each other already!

Fas looked at Henry's Warhorse, and the longer he looked, the more something seemed off. At last, his eyes widened. "Wait! Knight Henry, is that a Noble Warhorse?"

Boman also turned to look at Henry's visibly sturdier Warhorse, his eyes gleaming.

"Good heavens, Henry... What kind of family are you from? Weren't you born a commoner?"

Both Boman and Fas came from commoner backgrounds and were first-generation nobles. They had no family foundation whatsoever and had built everything through their own efforts.

Henry did not explain clearly, merely answering ambiguously, "Former Noble Second Son."

The two wore expressions of understanding as they inwardly cursed Henry for not being a first-generation noble at all! Sob, sob...

Henry mounted his Warhorse alongside Boman and Fas, and they raced like a gale toward the forest outside the city. Even the city guards did not dare stop them.

Though riding horses through the city violated the Odohe City Law of Earl John Territory, they were all nobles, and the guards did not dare interfere. Besides, they had not hit anyone, had they? The guards could only keep consoling themselves.

Along the way, they laughed and chatted, discussing what prey they might encounter today. Boman declared that he would definitely bring down a wild boar! He had reliable information that a herd of wild boars had been spotted outside the city.

Boman seemed to have already seen the prey fleeing in panic, while Fas refused to be outdone and claimed that he, too, could hunt a wild boar.

Henry was speechless. Wait, am I just extra baggage here? Am I part of your little game?

Following Boman, the group arrived at the hunting ground he had selected in advance. The three men and their Retainers carefully searched for tracks of prey, like cats stalking mice.

Suddenly, a young deer shot out of the woods like lightning. Fas reacted instantly, drawing and nocking his arrow in one smooth motion. His arrow struck the deer in the eye, as though the bow in his hand were a magic wand.

Standard. Henry nodded inwardly. As expected of an elite graduate from the Royal Knight Academy.

Fas was ecstatic, cheering like a child as he stepped forward to inspect his prize. Then he turned to Boman and said, "Haha, looks like this second-place finisher has drawn first blood?"

Boman snorted coldly, but still praised Fas's skill. Fas modestly claimed that he had merely been lucky and was nowhere near as powerful as Knight Boman!