When Denise saw Raven step down from the carriage looking haggard, she rarely let a smile show as she teased, "Lord Baron, did the process of 'reclaiming' Shining Gold Town go smoothly?"
"Thank you for your concern, Aunt Denise. It went perfectly." Raven stretched lazily. "Shining Gold Town will be back on Eagle Territory's map within a week."
Denise naturally didn't believe him. A disdainful smile curled her lips as she folded her arms over her chest, making the northern hemisphere look even fuller. "Ha! If that's really the case, I'd rather wash your feet!"
Raven's eyes lit up at once. "Then you'll have to wear a maid's uniform."
"I'm not leaving! I'm not leaving! I'm not going to school—"
A howl like a slaughtered pig rang out. Weston, bound like a hog, was being dragged out by Gaul and Link.
But the moment his gaze met Raven's, he immediately became docile, his face turning deathly pale.
He was utterly terrified of Raven, afraid that Raven might pull out the hand crossbow and shoot him again at any moment.
Raven glanced at Weston. With the help of divine magic, the wound on his shoulder had completely healed, but reattaching a severed limb was out of the question. Not to mention Eagle Territory—even in Monen City, there probably wasn't anyone capable of such a feat.
"What's going on?" Raven asked.
"We're sending him back to Monen City." Denise said coldly, "He's been relaxing here for too long. He needs to go back and continue his studies."
That might not have been a lie, but it certainly wasn't the whole truth.
Raven could understand. No matter how much a mother loved her son, after learning that she had been betrayed, she would inevitably feel some resentment.
Weston pleaded in a low voice, "Mom, do I really have to go back? Let me stay. I promise I'll behave..."
A genuine trace of reluctance and affection flashed through Denise's eyes. She patted Weston's shoulder. "Be good. Go back and attend your classes. Become a real man. I'll also help you find a way to restore your arm."
Watching this scene, Raven sighed inwardly.
Denise's concern and affection for Weston were genuine, but so was her resolve to send him away. Weston's betrayal of Denise was genuine, but so was his reluctance to part with her now.
Perhaps that was the complexity of human nature.
As soon as Raven returned to the hall, he ran into Old Gordon.
Seeing Raven's appearance, Old Gordon was startled as well, and anger rose on his face. "Lord Raven, how dare Viscount John humiliate you like this?!"
Raven felt a warmth in his heart and said with a smile, "No, I merely accompanied him in a little act."
"I'm going back to my room to sleep for a while. Go to Eric first and divide the money in the chest into three portions—three thousand, two thousand, and one thousand gold coins. Then wake me when Viscount John's carriage appears on the horizon."
"All right, Lord Raven..." Old Gordon nodded in agreement, only realizing afterward what amount Raven had mentioned. "My lord, did you just say gold coins!?"
"That's right." Raven nodded as though it were only natural. "Is there a problem?"
Old Gordon swallowed. "These coins weren't taken from Snow Maple Fortress's treasury, were they?"
Raven laughed at Old Gordon's reaction. "Relax. They came through legitimate channels. It's not as though I had the ability to rob a viscount!"
"But don't use these six thousand gold coins as the basis for your budget. It's hard to say how much will remain afterward."
Old Gordon didn't quite understand Raven's words, but considering that ever since Raven had arrived in Eagle Territory, he had never been wrong about anything he did, he asked no further questions and helped Eric sort the gold coins.
Although he had been mentally prepared, he still couldn't help holding his breath when he saw the chest filled with gleaming gold coins.
Six thousand gold coins!
At Eagle Territory's peak, its annual income had only been around a thousand gold coins!
With this money, they could not only renovate Eagle Fortress until it looked brand-new, but also buy more subjects from other lords, reclaim more farmland, and earn more income!
Yes, the continent prohibited the slave trade, but only people with human rights could renounce those rights and become slaves. Serfs didn't count as people, so naturally no one came to protect their rights.
The Cairns Empire had enjoyed a century of peace, and the populations of many territories had already swelled to their limits. To many lords, those people were no longer wealth, but a burden.
"I hope some of this money can stay. At least part of it." Old Gordon prayed silently. "Even if it's only a thousand—no, five hundred gold coins would be fine!"
Raven had no idea what Old Gordon was praying for. He was thinking about something else entirely.
During last night's conversation, he had planted three baited hooks.
The Slate Family, the Bloody Highlands, and Angel's Tear. No matter which point John noticed, it would ultimately lead the matter of the "bandit attack" back to the Slate Family itself.
Next, it would depend on whether Viscount John took the bait.
He had done all he could and left the rest to fate. Excessive thought was useless. Raven didn't even bother taking off his clothes before collapsing onto the bed—he was simply too exhausted.
Just as he was drifting off, hurried, heavy knocks sounded at the door.
Raven opened his eyes and saw the noon sunlight shining through the curtains. With a hint of impatience, he asked, "What is it?"
Eric's voice rang out. "Lord Raven, it's Viscount John! His carriage has already passed through Eagle Town!"
"What!?" Raven flipped over and sat up in bed, both surprised and delighted. "How did he get here so early?"
Eric said, "I heard that his steward had both legs broken in Shining Gold Town."
"Well, well. I didn't expect Viscount John to be so impatient." Raven smiled.
He had instructed Hyde to refuse all invitations from the Luke Family. He hadn't expected Hyde to exceed his expectations.
But thinking about it, it made sense. Hyde was such a proud man. First Raven had manipulated him completely, and then Viscount John had only sent a steward to meet him. It would have been difficult for him not to lose his temper.
Opening the door, Raven quickly instructed him, "Go to the kitchen immediately and have them put some leftovers from last night on a plate and bring them into the meeting room. Then, you and Old Gordon should both do your best to act as though you don't care about me at all."
As he spoke, he took off his gloves and began slapping his cheeks hard.
A little over ten minutes later, when John saw Raven in the meeting room, he was utterly stunned.
Raven looked even more listless than when he had met him before. His eyes were practically unable to open, his cheeks carried an unnatural flush, and the table held dry, hard Black Bread. The bowl of soup was pitch-black, with flies even buzzing around it. He looked as wretched as anyone could possibly look!
John now believed every word Raven had said.
Although he had seen several familiar faces when he first entered the fortress, those private soldiers had all been wearing Chainmail, and their eyes held undisguised killing intent. They absolutely could not have been disguised farmers!
"Lord Baron, Mr. John has arrived," Old Gordon said quietly.
"Oh! Is that so!?" Raven shook his head in sudden realization, then pointed at the seat opposite him. "Viscount John, please sit! Forgive me, but I'm not entirely lucid right now."
As he spoke, his hand touched the bowl of soup, and he immediately flew into a rage. "Where's the maid!? Maid! Why has something like this been left on my meeting table!?"
Old Gordon reminded him expressionlessly, "The maids are all dead."
"Oh, right. Dead." Raven nodded nervously, then looked at John. "Viscount John, what brings you here?"
Looking at Raven in this state, John felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles. A sense of shared misery spread through his heart.
If I still refuse to hand over Shining Gold Town, will Raven's present become my future?
He swallowed. "Baron Raven, about Shining Gold Town..."
"Shining Gold Town is truly a wonderful place. There are many people, it's beautiful, and the tax revenue isn't bad." Raven muttered, "It really is a fine place."
The more nonsensical Raven sounded, the more panicked John became. He said, "I've come this time to return Shining Gold Town. Five thousand gold coins. As long as you produce them, I'll immediately return the original lease document to you!"
He raised his hand, took the parchment bag handed over by his retainer Penglie, and pushed it in front of Raven.
But the latter didn't accept it as John had expected. He merely twitched the corner of his mouth slightly before pushing the parchment bag back.
"Baron Raven, what is the meaning of this...?"
"It's too late, Viscount John." Raven scratched his nose and leaned back in his chair, his empty eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Shining Gold Town is no longer important to me..."
As he spoke, tears suddenly welled in his eyes. "Oh, my little Jady, my precious pearl. She's never coming back. Never coming back..."
This time, not only John, but even Old Gordon and Eric were dumbfounded.
Who is little Jady? Why have I never seen a maid by that name in the fortress?!
But Viscount John understood.
Raven had always been known by the nickname Little Bee, so it was only natural that he had an illegitimate daughter somewhere outside. And now, it seemed that Hyde had previously used this illegitimate daughter to threaten Raven.
Because Raven had failed to carry out his task, Hyde had killed her without hesitation!
It had to be that way.
"Baron Raven, the dead cannot be brought back to life." John consoled him. "You're still young. You'll find a suitable partner and have new heirs."
That was naturally another lie. How could the Slate Family allow a puppet to have descendants?
A trace of life returned to Raven's eyes. "That's right. You're right. I'm still young. I still have a chance!"
He sat up and asked again, "What was it you came to see me about?"
John was so angry he nearly broke character.
So everything I just said was for nothing!?
But with Snow Maple Territory's safety at stake, he had no choice but to calm himself. "I came to return Shining Gold Town. As long as you can give me five thousand gold coins, I can hand this lease document over to you immediately."
"Oh! Right, Shining Gold Town!" Raven slapped his forehead and said bitterly, "It's too late. I told you, Mr. Hyde only gave me four thousand gold coins, but I failed to persuade you, and of course I couldn't keep that much money..."
"All I have on hand now is my own one thousand gold coins."
John's brows furrowed. "That's too little! You should know that when we signed the agreement, I paid ten thousand gold coins in one lump sum!"
"Then take the document back." Raven said, "Mr. Hyde has already left. Even if I obtain the document now, what use would it be to me?"
This time, it was John's turn to persuade Raven. "It's useful, of course it's useful! Baron Raven, think about it. You lost little Jady because you failed to complete your task and were punished by Hyde."
"But if you can reclaim Shining Gold Town, that will count as redeeming yourself through merit. The Slate Family will certainly reward you!"
A glimmer appeared in Raven's eyes. "Reward me?"
"That's right, reward you!" John pressed his advantage. "Fine wine, delicious food, beautiful women! The Slate Family is a count's family. They certainly won't be stingy!"
"In that case..." Raven scratched his head. "Besides my own one thousand gold coins, Mr. Hyde also left me three thousand gold coins as payment for goods. He planned to use them to purchase raw materials, build workshops, and recruit workers after reclaiming Shining Gold Town."
Hearing this, John felt both relieved and alarmed.
It seemed that the Slate Family really had decided to resolve the matter by force. Otherwise, they would never have left behind so much money.
Fortunately, he had come early. If he waited until the bandits from the Bloody Highlands came down, he would likely suffer a devastating loss!
"Then four thousand gold coins!" John said. "With four thousand gold coins, you can reclaim Shining Gold Town!"
Raven tugged at his hair and looked toward Old Gordon. "Then take all the gold coins from the warehouse."
As he spoke, he gave him a subtle look.
Old Gordon was shrewd with age. Although he didn't know what Raven had planned, he had figured out most of it from their conversation and immediately found his role. "Well, that's still too much, isn't it? You can use your own gold coins freely, but the Slate Family's..."
Raven turned toward John with an helpless expression. "Then I'm afraid I can only refuse..."
"Three thousand gold coins!" John shouted. "Three thousand gold coins, and you can reclaim Shining Gold Town."
As he spoke, he looked at Old Gordon with blazing eyes. "Mr. Gordon, three thousand gold coins is absolutely a worthwhile deal. If we truly have to resort to force, the losses caused by the bandits will also seriously affect the territory's future construction and production. That damage won't be covered by one or two thousand gold coins!"
"Hmm..." Old Gordon adjusted his monocle.
His expression seemed calm, but his heart was already bursting with joy.
To make Viscount John come crawling over and beg, then reclaim Shining Gold Town for three thousand gold coins!
This was a wonderful outcome Old Gordon would never have dared dream of!
How did Lord Baron manage this?
"I think it's worth trying. What do you think, Lord Raven?"
Raven's finger traced circles on the table. "Then I'll lose all one thousand of my own gold coins..."
Old Gordon's heart lurched. If we keep pressing him and Viscount John leaves in anger, what then?
"Two thousand five hundred gold coins!" John gritted his teeth. "If only out of consideration for the fact that I stood on your side at the funeral!"
"Then I can still keep five hundred gold coins..." Raven nodded numbly. "All right. Since you've put it that way, Viscount John, Eric, go bring over the gold coins."
"Ah... all right!" Eric shot up from his chair, still completely bewildered.
How did we reclaim Shining Gold Town for only two thousand five hundred gold coins?!
Fortunately, his strength was that if he couldn't figure something out, he simply didn't think about it. Wearing a full suit of heavy armor, he clanked and huffed his way to the treasury.
Before long, he returned carrying a chest.
"Would you like to count them?" Gordon pointed at the chest.
Viscount John waved his hand. Penglie took the chest into his arms and gently hefted it before nodding at him.
John let out a long breath. Then, as though tossing away a scalding hot potato, he flung the leather bag in front of Raven. "There are still matters in my territory, so I won't trouble you any longer."
With that, he turned and left!
Gordon caught the bag in one motion and immediately used a letter opener to open it. When he saw the lease document bearing the seals of both families and individuals, his eyes instantly reddened!
Ten years! Shining Gold Town had been leased out for a full ten years!
Old Gordon had thought he would never live to see the day it returned to Eagle Territory. Yet Baron Raven had reclaimed it only two months after taking the title—and at the impossibly low price of two thousand five hundred gold coins!
Considering his future relationship with Viscount John, Old Gordon asked quietly, "My lord, were we perhaps... a little too ruthless?"
Raven raised a brow and answered in a low voice, "Too ruthless? He still has to thank us!"
As if responding to Raven's words, Viscount John, who had reached the meeting room's entrance, turned around and bowed. "Thank you for your generosity and magnanimity!"
When Viscount John's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, a relaxed smile spread across Raven's face!
The act he had put on over the past two days hadn't been in vain.
Shining Gold Town had finally been reclaimed!
And he still had a massive three thousand five hundred gold coins in his hands!
"Gordon, Eric, perk up!" Raven suddenly slapped the table and shouted, "From this moment onward, the meeting officially begins."
"The agenda is—"
"Spending money!"
Before you continue