Raven brushed off his clothes, making himself look more presentable. After clearing his throat, he was just about to step forward.
Before he could enter, the door opened on its own. Two private soldiers in disheveled shirts staggered out, supporting each other as they crashed through the doorway.
Raven knew them. One was Volkov, and the other was Moxigan. Both had flushed faces, clearly having drunk quite a lot.
"Hic~" Volkov belched. "The booze here really packs a punch~ Whew, but why's the toilet so damn dark?"
Moxigan swayed with his tongue thick, but he was still a little more sober than Volkov. "Wait, did we come to the wrong place? This sign looks familiar."
"Who cares? We're here anyway. I can't hold it anymore." Volkov walked beneath a tree and undid his belt. Before long, the sound of rushing water rang out.
Seeing this, Moxigan also walked over and undid his belt. After taking a glance, he laughed. "Tsk, buddy, your equipment isn't up to standard. Don't embarrass yourself in front of those sluts later."
"A man doesn't need size. He needs hardness and stamina!" Volkov swayed as he spoke. "I'll show those sluts what a real man is later!"
Moxigan nodded. "Makes sense. When we go back, we'll have to put our backs into it and make ourselves proud! There are more than a dozen of us this time. We have to rank ourselves somehow!"
After relieving themselves, the two men shook their heads and staggered back inside. Raven stood around the corner of a nearby wall and sighed helplessly.
These two had spoken so earnestly in front of him during the day. One had said he was going to buy a bracelet for his daughter, while the other had said he was going to buy a blanket for his grandmother. Yet here they were, gathered at this place that night.
From what they had said, his private soldiers had come here for team bonding. Most of those on leave were probably here.
"A bunch of little bastards." Raven laughed as he cursed them, then turned toward Central Street.
They had finally gotten some time off, so he would not disturb their fun. There would be plenty of opportunities later anyway.
He soon returned to the entrance of the administrative hall. The private soldier guarding the door saluted. "Lord Baron!"
Raven nodded. "Has anyone come by?"
"President Fili came once and brought you a gift. It's already been placed in your room," the guard replied.
"Good. You've worked hard standing guard all day. Close the doors and get some rest later." Raven patted him on the shoulder, then walked toward his room.
There were no electric lights in this era. Although Magic Lamps existed, they were extremely expensive. Most lighting still came from candles and Oil Lamps. The administrative hall used candleholders, and beneath the dim light, accompanied by the creaking of old wooden stairs underfoot, it had the atmosphere of a horror movie.
When he reached his door, Raven kicked it open. Two startled cries immediately rang out.
Raven raised his brows slightly, a teasing look of realization crossing his face. "Well, Fili, is this the gift you sent me?"
Two women were crouching in the corner of the room. The cries had come from them.
They looked like sisters, with faces that were about six-tenths alike. Both had chestnut hair and light gray eyes.
"Come here." Raven lifted his foot and gently hooked the door shut.
With a soft click, the door closed. The two women's delicate bodies trembled slightly as they supported each other and rose, then slowly walked toward Raven.
Their bare feet stepped across the carpet. Dim candlelight gleamed on their smooth toenails, lively like fireflies on a summer night.
A satisfied smile appeared in Raven's eyes, because their clothing suited the atmosphere perfectly.
They wore white gauze nightgowns—loose, soft, light, and translucent.
The candlelight shone through the fabric, outlining their graceful figures. As they walked, their shapely calves appeared and disappeared, yet remained shrouded beneath the mist-like gowns.
One was tall and the other short; one was full-figured, the other slender. Hidden beneath identical gowns, they offered two entirely different kinds of temptation.
The latter's body shrank back slightly. She walked forward with her legs pressed together, occasionally trapping the soft fabric between them and outlining her lovely shape. Her youthful, bashful air made one want to pull her into one's arms and ravage her.
The former was somewhat frightened as well, but her steps were broader and her chest held high. Having worked up a little sweat earlier, the thin gauze clung to her full body. Every movement caused her plump figure to ripple.
The two women stopped before Raven. The older one swallowed. "Lord Raven, I..."
Before she could finish, her breathing suddenly quickened. Raven's hand had already settled against their spines and was slowly sliding upward. It felt as though invisible electricity were coursing through her, making her straighten involuntarily.
The younger one's breathing quickened as well. Her nostrils fluttered, and her moan held a trace of fear toward the unknown.
A beautiful sight unfolded before Raven's eyes.
The older one had a more mature and ample figure, plump like persimmons hanging from branches in late autumn. Though somewhat heavy, they looked as if they were filled with juice.
The younger one seemed not to have fully developed yet. Her skin was taut and elastic, like two green pears raising alluring curves beneath the thin gown.
Raven's hands moved around from their backs to their lower abdomens, then traveled upward, kneading each of their charms.
"Ah..." The older woman let out an enticing breath.
"Yah—" The younger woman's voice carried panic and fear.
Satisfied with the sensation beneath his fingertips, Raven asked, "What are your names?"
"My name is Winnet." The older woman's voice trembled. "This is my daughter, Della."
Raven's hands stopped. "Your daughter!?"
"Yes, my lord." Winnet lowered her eyes slightly. "My husband said this was the only way to repay his offense..."
A helpless feeling extinguished Raven's desire. Fili had actually sent him his wife and daughter.
What did that fellow take him for?
Raven shook his head lightly and sighed. "Go. You should return wherever you came from."
Winnet's body trembled slightly. She had heard that this baron was lecherous and ruthless, and she did not believe he would let them go so easily. "Lord Baron, did we do something wrong?"
"You did nothing wrong. Don't overthink it," Raven said. "Go back and tell Fili to do his work properly and put his mind to it. He should stop wasting his thoughts on these crooked schemes!"
"Thank you for your mercy and kindness..." Winnet nearly collapsed with relief. She had never expected Raven to truly let her go. She led Della in a bow toward him. "We will always remember your grace!"
The door opened and closed again. Their footsteps gradually faded, and not long afterward, a carriage left the administrative hall.
Raven took off his outer clothes and tossed them onto the bed. He kicked off his leather shoes and socks, then walked barefoot onto the balcony.
The cool night breeze brushed against him, easing the heat in his body. He bit the cork off a bottle, took a deep gulp of Angel's Tear, and smiled wryly. "That Fili..."
"He's timid, yet his thoughts run deep. He's good at figuring people out. He can be useful, but only for maintaining what already exists. He's far too lacking when it comes to expansion."
Raven's gaze stretched into the distance. It was already ten at night, yet Shining Gold Town remained brightly lit. The lights came from the taverns, clubs, and inns.
He slowly extended his hand, then clenched it into a fist, as if he wanted to grasp all of Shining Gold Town in his palm.
"This is my territory." Raven sighed leisurely, then took another gulp of Angel's Tear.
The cool, smooth liquor slid down his throat into his stomach. Its sweet, cloying flavor was quite intoxicating.
"This is what wine should be." Raven recalled the beer he had downed in the tavern. He still liked that flavor, but not because of the beer itself. Rather, it was because of the memories of an old time attached to it.
But memories were only memories.
To Raven, a tavern in the common districts was like a filthy mud pit he had once rolled around in. Going back occasionally for the experience was fine, but if he had to live that life forever, he would rather be killed.
Only two months had passed since he crossed into this world, yet Raven had already begun to lose track of which memories belonged to him and which belonged to this body. Perhaps there was no longer any difference between them.
Over these two months, Raven had achieved goals he had never imagined: he had inherited the baron's title, gained the beginnings of a force under his control, and now had Shining Gold Town back in his hands.
"Power really is a wonderful thing."
It was precisely because he held power that Fili was willing to curry favor with him at any cost. It was also because he held power that he could kill Karl without restraint, with no need to worry about possible retaliation.
In this world, only nobles counted as people. Everyone else was merely a dog raised by nobles. No one would kill someone over the death of a dog.
This was only the beginning. Since he had come to this world, Raven was not satisfied with a mere baron's title. He wanted much more.
Power in this world was not limited to titles and territories. Powerful personal strength was itself a form of power.
"A mage." Raven dipped a finger into his wine and wrote the word on the table. Then he wrote the number 2,000 beside it.
That was the price of a Second-tier God-Given Potion specially meant to awaken a mage's talent.
But Raven did not have enough money yet.
At the beginning, Denise had given him two batches of coins totaling 800 Gold Coins. After his successive expenses, 96 remained.
The income from the first batch of Angel's Tear came to 235.58 Gold Coins.
He had obtained 227 Gold Coins in the Spatial Belt.
After the redemption of Shining Gold Town, the Gold Coins he had extorted from Hyde amounted to 3,500.
That made a total of 4,058.58 Gold Coins.
The total was substantial, but so were his expenses.
He had spent 754 Gold Coins just today, and that was only the deposit. He would have to pay the same amount again later, for a total of 1,508 Gold Coins.
If the large-scale alchemical equipment proved usable, Raven planned to purchase at least ten sets. That would require another 664 Gold Coins.
Population resettlement would cost 600 Gold Coins.
Compensation for the private soldiers and the bonuses distributed this time totaled 8.64 Gold Coins.
That already came to 2,780.64 Gold Coins.
Besides that, he had to keep at least 200 Gold Coins in reserve for emergencies. Who knew what accidents might occur during construction?
"That means the Gold Coins I can use are..." Raven thought for a moment. "1,077.94!"
He was still half short of the Mage Potion.
And Raven had many other plans that required money.
"I still need to speed up my money-making." Raven scratched his hair. "Shining Gold Town is a good place, but I can't stay here for long. I need to finish everything and return as soon as possible. My focus should still be on Eagle Town."
One could not put all one's eggs in the same basket. Donald had relied too heavily on Shining Gold Town's taxes, so when the town was taken away, his finances collapsed immediately. Raven naturally had to learn from that lesson.
Moreover, Shining Gold Town had its own drawbacks.
First, it was too close to Snow Maple Territory. Viscount John had been temporarily bluffed by him, but that did not mean he would remain confused forever. If he truly decided to seek revenge, it would be impossible to guard against.
The other was the most fundamental problem: Shining Gold Town lacked a true pillar industry.
Commerce here was lively, and the flow of people was complicated and dense. The most representative industry was alcohol.
But that was also the deadliest problem.
Shining Gold Town's economy depended on alcohol sales, yet it had no local distillery. Aside from a small amount of privately brewed alcohol, most of it depended on trade imports.
That was not a major problem in peacetime, but Nord Province would not remain peaceful forever.
"By the end of the year at the latest, it should begin, right?" A dark cloud passed through Raven's eyes.
Old Gordon had once advised him that, now that Shining Gold Town had only just been recovered and Eagle Town was still in ruins, he should invest more of his precious Gold Coins into developing his territory instead of spending heavily to recruit private soldiers and arm them.
After all, the Gold Coins spent on military equipment alone this time came to nearly 500, accounting for one-fifth of the total budget.
But Raven absolutely refused to yield. If he had not been constrained by the population, he would have wanted to raise an army of at least three hundred in one stroke.
If money was not used to equip an army, was he supposed to use it to pay reparations?
Moreover, he knew that Nord Province would soon descend into chaos.
Back in Monen City, Raven had already caught a whiff of something suspicious. People were disappearing from the slums in batches, mysterious preachers were appearing frequently, and the lower-class commoners were eager to attend secret gatherings.
Raven still remembered their slogan: "When Thanatos awakens, we will gain new life."
Thanatos, the God of Death who was said to have fallen into eternal slumber long ago, would open his eyes during the Winter Month each year.
That was why Raven had determined that something major would happen during the Winter Month, and why he had ordered Old Gordon to complete the population resettlement before October.
He had considered reporting all this to the Church of Light, but Raven himself quickly dismissed the idea. If matters had reached the point where even a minor figure like him knew about them, how could those nobles and priests possibly remain ignorant?
Getting involved rashly would only cause him to lose his life sooner.
At the time, Raven's choice had been to save money and do his best to live in the upper district of Monen City. That was where the powerful gathered, and no matter what happened, they would not be affected.
But now that he had become a lord, he had an entirely new choice.
He had no power to stop the turmoil that was about to arrive, and he did not know how large it would become. Would it be stamped out easily, or sweep across Nord?
None of that mattered. What mattered was that he needed a force in his hands, a force strong enough to protect himself. That way, whether he fought, defended, or fled, he would have room to choose.
Thus, his next goal was clear.
"Recruit soldiers, and recruit another group of maids." After finishing his Angel's Tear, Raven's eyes grew brighter. "Then, once the first batch of goods arrives, return to Eagle Town."
"Since I have more room to choose, the standards for this recruitment must be stricter, and the training must be improved as well."
Raven tapped his fingers against the table. "Then I need to become a mage as soon as possible. Next month's Angel's Tear income, together with the 700 Gold Coins Denise still owes me, should be enough."
"And after that..." A smile tugged at Raven's lips. It held a trace of self-mockery, along with a hint of ambition.
"I want an army. An army made entirely of Transcendents!"
He had even thought of a name: the Zodiac Legion.
Those who practiced Ice Battle Qi would be organized together as the Aquarius Legion; those who practiced Dark Qi would form the Cancer Legion; those who practiced Steel Qi would form the Taurus Legion...
Of course, all this remained in the realm of imagination for now. He could not currently afford to gather all twelve zodiac signs—not even twelve Transcendents.
But a person had to have some dreams, right? Otherwise, what difference was there between him and a salted fish?
Moreover, he had already found the key to opening all of this: the Demon Core.
If the energy within the Demon Core could be used to strengthen him, then why could it not be used to strengthen others?
Even if this enhancement could not grant them battle qi, the improvement to their physical qualities would still be obvious.
A first-tier God-Given Potion cost 300 Gold Coins, while a first-tier Demon Core cost only four or five Gold Coins on average. The difference was self-evident.
"Hmm... I hope Fili can handle things efficiently and send me the Demon Cores soon." Raven's eyes filled with anticipation.
At the same time, in a private manor in southwestern Shining Gold Town, a sharp and willful voice rang out. "Karl is dead? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
The speaker was a girl who looked fifteen or sixteen. She was petite and wore a silk nightgown. Her delicate legs extended from beneath the hem, and her ten clove-like toes stretched restlessly in anger.
The maid knelt halfway on the floor and said in panic, "Miss Nancy, we received the news at noon, but you were conducting a magic experiment at the time, so..."
Nancy pouted and scolded her unhappily. "I said I was conducting a magic experiment, so you knew not to disturb me. But did I ever tell you that today was the day Raven reclaimed Shining Gold Town? If anything happened, you were to tell me immediately?"
"You did, Miss, but..." The maid's voice was full of grievance.
It was not as though she had failed to report it today. Before she could finish speaking, however, a bottle of magic potion had been splashed all over her. Her clothes had been ruined completely, so how could she have dared say another word?
Nancy remembered this as well, but naturally had no intention of apologizing. She angrily picked up a grape and stuffed it into her mouth. "Hmph! Tell me, how exactly did he die?"
The maid lowered her voice. "They say he tried to assassinate Baron Raven and was shot dead by Baron Raven on the spot."
"Assassinate?" Nancy's eyes widened. She sneered. "How novel. A merchant inexplicably assassinated a baron? Does Raven think everyone else is stupid?"
"Karl was a dog of my Fox Family. When you beat a dog, you have to consider its master. By doing this, Raven clearly showed that he doesn't regard the Fox Family at all."
"Help me change!" She stood up. "I'm going to find Raven and demand an explanation."
"This..." The maid carefully raised her eyes. "But, Miss, it's already midnight. If you visit a man at this hour, wouldn't that be..."
"Hmph, just some street thug. Do you think I'd be interested in him?" Nancy rolled her eyes, but still sat back down on the couch. "However, you have a point. I can't let my reputation be ruined by this 'Little Bee.' I'm going to become a queen someday."
The maid lowered her head speechlessly. Let alone a queen, Nancy had never even met a prince in her life.
"Then we'll wait until tomorrow morning." Nancy raised her head, looking like a fighting rooster. "He wants to establish his authority, right? I'll barge into the administrative hall and make him apologize to me in front of everyone. I'll make them understand—"
"The dignity of the Fox Family is not something anyone can offend at will!"
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