Dragoon Viscount's Territory.
Looking at the slaves kneeling on the ground in front of him, the anger on Viscount Dragoon's face couldn't help rising. He directly drew out the sword of the knight next to him and chopped down the two people in front in a pool of blood.
Blood flowed down the body of the wailing slave, and everyone was trembling and afraid to make a sound.
"Waste! Waste!"
Viscount Dragoon chopped wildly until the corpse in front of him stopped moving.
"That's my wealth, sir. That's Dragoon Family's wealth. You damn fools, how dare you steal my wealth!"
"Kill, kill them all, hang them all in the street!"
Viscount Dragoon roared, his eyes red with anger, and his murderous intent made the surrounding soldiers kneel down in fear.
After a long time, the body on the ground was gone. Viscount Dragoon slumped down on the chair and wanted to reach out, but found that all the silver cups had been thrown out by him.
After killing the slave, he finally calmed down a lot, and his heart was full of fear.
"No, it shouldn't be like this. Dragon's glory must not fade in my hands, and I cannot become a sinner."
Viscount Dragoon There were tears streaming down the corners of his eyes. He slumped on the chair in an awkward manner without any aristocratic demeanor, and his eyes gradually became dull.
"No, no, we can't go on like this. I'm going to find Master Marquis. Only Master Marquis can save me."
"Yes, there is also Otherworld. The wealth of Otherworld can make up for the lost wealth."
"Where are all the damn people going!!!"
"Damn Baron Ryan, damn Zero Crossing Prefecture noble, I will not give in so easily, absolutely not! The glory of the Dragoon Family cannot be desecrated!"
Outside the door, the knight Viscount Dragoon came in and knelt on one knee in front of the viscount.
"Sir."
"Now the only one who can save Viscount's Territory's glory is Otherworld."
"Augusto, I want you to take slaves to Otherworld to mine ore and bring them back."
"Follow your wishes."
Augusto Golden Knight stood up, took off his mask, and said hesitantly:
"Sir, but there are not many slaves in the territory who can mine. You have lost a lot of people in the wars in the past few years."
"Then turn all those damn commoners who can't grow food and jasmine into slaves. If these damn mud-legged people hadn't been able to sell the things they grow, how could I have lost tens of thousands of Gold Coin in a few months?!"
"All of them deserve to die, all of them deserve to die! Only by mining for me can we make up for their sins!"
Viscount Dragoon was furious and covered hundreds of civilians with his anger.
"As commanded."
The Viscount's order was executed faithfully by the knight, and soon Viscount's Territory was in a frenzy, but in the face of the military's suppression, no one could resist.
"Tax, summer tax, land tax, all will be increased by 10% for me!"
Viscount Dragoon gritted his teeth, those damn mud-legged people, as long as they kept squeezing, they could always squeeze out some wealth. At worst, they would all become his slaves and sent to Otherworld to mine.
"I have to see Master Marquis. I must go to see him."
Frozen Earth Territory.
The housekeeper Bilder came to the study, where Ryan was using the flames burning on his fingers to grill the oily lamb leg rolling over the charcoal fire.
"It smells so good."
Ryan took a greedy breath of the mutton smell that was fragrant due to various spices. It was not very pungent, perhaps because these goats had been eating so well.
"You're here, how's the ice cellar going?"
Lord Ryan asked, Bilder lowered his head respectfully.
"Sir, the three ice cellars have been sealed. Mage Missy said that the food inside will be kept fresh for at least six months."
"Well, Mage Missy is about to become a demon Mages. Send him two thousand Magic Crystal to help him break through."
"After all, he is Descendant of the noble family. Grand Mage Macken said that he might become Grand Mage."
Imperial Capital Magic Academy, all of them are debt demons Mages, but being able to borrow so much money and still follow Grand Mage shows that they are very talented.
Bilder nodded respectfully, and then stated his purpose.
"Master, Dragoon Viscount's Territory has a group of more than three thousand mining slaves heading to Thundercloud County."
"Oh?"
Ryan's eyes lit up.
"More than 3,000 people, tsk tsk. It seems that the total remaining population in Viscount's Territory is less than 15,000, right?"
"It seems that he can't hold on any longer. Carrying the family's declining reputation will probably not make him look good in the entire aristocratic circle."
There are not many things that nobles care about most, land and glory.
In other words, wealth and fame.
Wealth is a golden punk, but fame represents status in the empire.
After such a long period of deliberation, he was still able to hold on when the materials in Dragoon Viscount's Territory couldn't be sold for the first time. But the second time, which was also the last purchase before winter, when he still couldn't sell them, he decided that those things were destined to rot in his own hands.
Of course Viscount Dragoon's family will not decline because of this matter, but not making a few Gold Coins a year means that Viscount Dragoon's strength in all aspects will not be maintained next year.
What strength? The army cannot train on a large scale to maintain combat effectiveness, the nobles cannot hold banquets at regular intervals to maintain relationships with other nobles, the nobles cannot spend money to improve themselves, nor can they purchase expensive goods that represent status and face in the Southern Merchants' Guild.
This is no different than sealing off the territory.
If you want to maintain all the needs of a viscount, you will inevitably need to use the accumulation and wealth left behind.
And this... often represents the beginning of a family's decline.
From generation to generation, nobles have deposited Gold Coin in their treasury. This is a sense of accomplishment and represents the wisdom and talent of the noble family when they were in office.
Saving it inside shows that this generation of nobles is still capable and will be praised by others, but taking it outside shows that this generation of nobles is not good enough and needs to eat the wealth left by their ancestors to survive.
Such a noble is not called a qualified successor.
This is what Viscount Dragoon cares most about now. The way he became Viscount was originally not aboveboard and could even be considered dirty. Therefore, after becoming Viscount, he cares about this the most.
But now, let alone the crops in the territory, which is the most important thing, Iron Ore they can't sell now. You must know that Iron Ore was the most direct and huge source of wealth for every noble in Northwind Province in the past.
A Baron's annual income of several thousand Gold Coin at that time depended mostly on Iron Ore.
If there were a table comparing expenditures and income, Viscount Dragoon would definitely have a conspicuous deficit so far this year.
Twice, Ryan only needs two times so that Viscount Dragoon's resources cannot be sold to South, nor can they be sold to the Andara Kingdom through him. Dragoon Viscount's Territory's income will be in deficit.
"This is the disadvantage. Seventy-eight percent of the family's wealth is put in one basket, and the remaining twenty percent relies on the production of slaves and civilians."
Dragoon Viscount's Territory's life during this period was not good. Viscount Dragoon himself had no impact, but the further down the line, especially the civilians, many of whom had been forced to sell to the lords and became slaves. The slaves were even worse. The Viscount did not make any money, and they only had a meager bite of black bread in their already hungry days.
Hungry? Then you can only sneak out and eat something strange. If you are discovered, you will inevitably get slapped.
Everything in the territory belongs to the noble noble lord.
"Viscount Dragoon should be looking for Marquis of Northwind now, right?"
"It's a pity that our Lord Marquis has no channels to sell iron weapons and tools, and cannot spread the faith of light. How could Grand Cathedral of Light allocate funds?"
"When Viscount Dragoon comes back, send someone to ask if you can buy Viscount's Territory's things at a low price."
"If it can't be done, forget it. He can die in the ground if he wants."
Ryan ordered, Bilder took the order and left.
"Also!"
Ryan sat up slightly and put down the mutton in his hand.
"Viscount Miles is not in Zero Crossing City now. We should help him manage the city and help Miles Family obtain the wealth they deserve."
"Let the people from the Miles Family prevent the miners from entering Otherworld Plane for mining, but half of them will work for me."
"After they enter Otherworld Plane, they will send the one thousand miners we left in Magic Crystal Mine to the Azure Lion Tribe to mine Gold Mine. Adding the population of the Natives tribe, we have three to four thousand miners, so the mining speed can be faster."
Bilder asked hesitantly:
"Sir, I'm afraid the people at the Miles Family won't agree."
"The pickaxes and other transportation tools used by the Miles Family are all provided by Frozen Earth Territory, so they will not refuse."
"They don't have the confidence to refuse."
From the time when Viscount Miles first obtained a street in Zero Crossing City to now, Ryan has purchased a large amount of land in Zero Crossing City through many means, some of which were directly traded with Viscount Miles, and some were joint ventures, that is, held by Baron Ryan and Viscount Miles at the same time.
The price is not high, because Zero Crossing City is a city, and which streets can prosper are now all in the hands of Ryan.
If Viscount Miles hadn't clung to the farmland outside the city, Ryan could now build a manor outside Zero Crossing City and become a farmer.
If Northwind Province and Baron Ryan have already stood at the top alongside those great nobles, then in Zero Crossing Prefecture, he has absolute say that is unimaginable to outsiders.
Did anyone in Zero Crossing Prefecture notice it? Yes, for example, Baron Kendra was the first to notice this, but it was useless. Baron Ryan now helps all the nobles in Zero Crossing Prefecture, except for Viscount Dragoon.
The wealth that all the nobles have gained this year is astonishing. It is still less than half a year before Divine Grace Festival, and they have already gained 50% more wealth than last year.
In front of a large number of Gold Coin silver coins and copper coins, the nobles had no complaints.
Why is it growing so fast?
Baron Kendra also thought about it. When he personally went to the workshop in his territory and saw that all the craftsmen were only producing certain parts or embryonic semi-finished products, he understood something.
The efficiency is not at the same level as before. Even if the workshop is not expanded, the efficiency of the craftsmen is double or even triple that of the past.
There is even a Frozen Earth Territory team within Zero Crossing Prefecture that specializes in transporting the materials and tools needed by blacksmiths and carpenters, allowing craftsmen to start working almost without leaving home.
Time is money, and efficiency is also money. With the blessing of both, the production efficiency generated by Zero Crossing Prefecture allows Ryan to easily cope with orders from the Chamber of Commerce and Andara Kingdom.
Under this mode, let alone Baron Kendra, even if the two viscounts join forces, they cannot shake Baron Ryan's position within Zero Crossing Prefecture.
However, in recent days, the efficiency of Zero Crossing Prefecture has been declining.
Because of the mineral veins of Otherworld Plane, all the nobles sent a large number of laborers there, and the population in the territory declined a lot.
According to what Ryan knows recently, the population within a Baron territory has dropped by almost 40% to 45%.
Viscount's Territory usually has a population ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 to 50,000. In places like the city, there may be an additional 10,000, but it is still almost 25% less.
Earldom didn't count, Ryan, the two Earldom's population, could not be calculated at all. He had now determined that Count Winter had a dying Otherworld Plane hanging in his hands.
One after another, people are going to Otherworld for mining. Ryan cannot tell how many miners will eventually gather among them.
But with hundreds of thousands of miners working together to mine the veins, in a few years the wealth of the Northwind Province nobles will probably rise to a higher level.
This is the charm of windfall.
But it also caused Northwind Province to become deserted all of a sudden. Ryan stood on the top of Rhino Horn Mountain, looking at the strong wind blowing from the north. He didn't know whether it was because of the popularity or the weather.
"Have we prepared enough firewood?"
Behind Ryan, the female officer wearing a Foxskin cloak thought for a while and answered.
"Based on the drying, steaming and roasting in the past few months, the stock of firewood can sustain everyone in the territory for half a year without increasing."
"If we calculate it as a family of six people, it can last for two more months. According to the difference between slaves and commoners, it can last for another month and a half. If the slave family only uses twelve pieces of firewood a day, it can last for another month. If..."
"Okay, the minimum standard is 12 yuan. On average, it can maintain the temperature for two hours. If it goes any lower, you will freeze to death."
According to the standards set by Ryan, a piece of Otherworld firewood can maintain the temperature for forty to forty-five minutes, but charcoal can also provide temperature, but it will be much lower. Calculated based on one and a half hours, if the air is cold in the last half hour, it can be resisted by a closed environment and clothing.
After half an hour, add a second piece of firewood.
Twelve yuan, and the day just passed. There was no way, their firewood was very strong, but under the Northlands Winter's Chill cold, they could only hold on for so long.
If there is a bigger snowstorm this year... Ryan will have to increase the proportion of firewood distribution by then.
"If this is the case, it seems to be the best choice for those nobles to send their population to Otherworld for mining."
Others don't have the crazy preparations for winter supplies like Ryan.