Wedding

Just as Karl was frowning over the territory's financial problems, the familiar and timely prompt sound in his mind rang out again, dispelling his worries:

[Daily Quests Updated]

[Quest Content]: Personally officiate the wedding ceremony for Otto and Marissa. (Incomplete)

Karl's mood immediately lightened.

No matter what the intelligence was, at least this matter at hand was pleasant and could be completed easily.

He immediately decided to put the bothersome economic issues aside for now.

"Brendan!" Karl called the old knight over, "Go inform Otto and Marissa, and everyone else, that this afternoon, in the open space outside the city, I will personally hold their wedding!"

The news quickly spread, and the entire Carnford was immersed in a festive atmosphere.

To hold a wedding officiated by the lord himself for people of slave origin was something that sounded like a fantasy to them.

In the afternoon, the sunlight was just right.

The open space outside the city had been simply tidied up, with a small, celebratory bonfire lit in the center.

Almost everyone without urgent tasks gathered around. Soldiers, free citizens, slaves, and refugees formed a circle, their faces filled with curiosity, blessings, and kind smiles.

Otto had changed into a rough cloth outfit, old but washed clean, and his hair was neatly combed. His face was flushed red with excitement and nervousness, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

Marissa, on the other hand, was wearing a slightly more presentable dark long dress borrowed from a refugee woman somewhere. A simple wreath woven from wildflowers adorned her head. She had been shyly lowering her head, but a happy smile bloomed on her lips.

Karl stood before them. He wore no ornate ceremonial robes, still in his practical attire, but his expression was solemn and gentle.

He surveyed the crowd and spoke loudly, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Today, we gather here not to fight, nor to labor, but to witness a beautiful thing—the union of love, the birth of a family!"

"Otto, with his diligence and loyalty, has earned his freedom and his love. Marissa, with her kindness and resilience, has waited for salvation and found her home. Their union proves that even in the harshest environments, hope and beauty are never far away!"

"Today, I, Karl von Schmidt, as the lord of Carnford, will officiate your wedding! From this day forward, you will be a legally recognized and protected married couple within the territory! May you support each other, grow old together, and build our new home!"

There were no tedious religious rituals, nor complicated procedures. Karl's words were simple and sincere. He looked at Otto: "Otto, do you take Marissa to be your wife, to cherish her, respect her, in times of wealth and poverty, in sickness and in health, until the end of your days?"

Otto's voice trembled with emotion as he shouted, "I do! My Lord! I do!"

Karl then looked at Marissa: "Marissa, do you take Otto to be your husband, to stay with him, support him, through smooth and rough times, through happiness and hardship, until the end of your days?"

Marissa looked up, tears of happiness in her eyes. She nodded firmly, her voice soft but resolute: "I do, my Lord."

"Good!" Karl smiled. "In the name of the lord, I pronounce you husband and wife! May your union bring more luck and vitality to Carnford!"

He stepped forward and took Otto and Marissa's hands.

"Kiss! Kiss!" The soldiers below began to cheer, and the atmosphere instantly became lively.

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Otto clumsily and quickly kissed Marissa on the cheek, causing her to blush. The crowd erupted in even louder cheers and blessings.

[Quest]: Personally officiate the wedding ceremony for Otto and Marissa. (Completed)

[Intelligence Reward Issued]:

[Intelligence Content]: North of Carnford, about ten meters below the cliff face, behind a patch of overgrown vines, lies a forgotten, high-quality flint mine. The mine has considerable reserves, the flint is hard, and it is accompanied by a small but exploitable amount of iron ore.

Flint! Iron ore!

Flint is a crucial material for making fire starters, arrowheads, simple tools, and weapon edgings. Iron ore, even in small quantities, can be smelted to produce basic iron tools like nails, hoes, axes, and even spearheads and swords.

The significance of this mine is immense. It solves Carnford's core problem of extreme dependence on external input for tool and weapon raw materials.

With it, Carnford's independent production capacity will take a qualitative leap.

They could even produce surplus flint arrowheads or simple iron tools to sell in Fran City, exchanging them for much-needed grain, cloth, or other resources, thereby opening up a source of income.

Thinking of this, Karl immediately took action.

Mining a cliffside ore deposit is a high-risk operation that must be led by professionals. He immediately sought out the stonemason Hans and the carpenter Vali.

He did not reveal the true source of the intelligence, but instead fabricated a plausible excuse: "Hans, Vali, while clearing the castle ruins, I found a tattered territory logbook. It vaguely mentions the possibility of a flint mine in the middle section of the northern cliff. If we can successfully mine it, not only can we make our own arrowheads, fire starters, and tools, but we can also transport surplus products to Fran City for sale, which will greatly alleviate our current predicament of having no income!"

Hans and Vali's eyes lit up at the words. As craftsmen, they knew too well what a stable source of high-quality materials meant!

"My Lord, this matter is of great importance. I must confirm it with my own eyes," said the cautious Hans.

"Of course." Karl personally led Hans, Vali, and several assistants to the edge of the northern cliff.

The terrain here was treacherous, the cliff face almost vertical, dropping into an unfathomable depth.

To ensure safety, several soldiers securely tied Hans's waist with ropes, while others held the ropes tightly. Hans cautiously leaned out more than half his body, carefully surveying the cliff face below.

After a while, Hans was pulled back.

His face was filled with excitement: "My Lord! You were right! Although covered by vines and moss, about ten meters below, the rock strata's color and texture are clearly different. We can see a large exposed layer of flint! The quality looks quite good! We can definitely attempt to mine it!"

With the existence of the mine confirmed, the next step was to formulate a mining plan.