One Thousand Gold Coins and a Condition

Raven's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the face before him, then he chuckled softly. "What a coincidence, we meet again."

The candidate maid standing before him was none other than the barmaid he had encountered during his night visit to Shining Gold Town – Patti.

Her chestnut hair was no longer tied in a bun but cascaded over her shoulders. Her eyes, filled with confusion and panic, began to plead urgently, "My Lord Baron, I didn't know it was you. That night I..."

"Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong," Raven said with a smile. "But why are you applying to be a maid? What about the tavern?"

Patti lowered her head, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. "After you left that night, my father had a huge argument with Pompey and the others, and they trashed most of the tavern."

"Later, after closing time, he started verbally abusing me, saying I was just like my mother, that we were both..." She bit her lip lightly, struggling to finish her sentence. "...promiscuous women. He even hit me and kicked me out of the house."

"He told me that if I couldn't earn back the tavern's losses, I wasn't allowed to come home. He even gave me a very... very revealing outfit and told me to find work that suited me, to go join those women standing on the streets."

"I didn't want to do that, so I used my own meager savings to stay at an inn. The next day, I saw your notice recruiting maids."

Raven nodded slowly. He had guessed that someone as image-conscious as Old Jones would fly into a rage.

Well, in truth, any man would get angry in such a situation. Being short was a man's eternal pain, and few men were as short as Old Jones – after all, he was a "pacifier."

But taking his anger out on those close to him, even transferring his rage to his innocent daughter, without considering either benefit or kinship, just to salvage his own pitiful self-esteem, was rather pathetic.

"I'm looking for a personal maid," Raven said slowly. "You should know what responsibilities that entails."

"Yes, my Lord Baron." A blush spread across Patti's face. She looked up and met Raven's eyes directly. "The head maid told me, and I fully understand the responsibilities."

"Really?" Raven smiled playfully. "You know, once you agree, starting today, you will belong to me completely."

"I am willing..." Patti's voice trembled slightly, filled with shyness and nervousness. "I am willing, to give everything to you, my Lord Baron."

As a lord, Raven was sufficiently dignified and wealthy. And as a man, Raven was not only witty and humorous but also possessed great gentlemanly demeanor and was extremely reliable.

Patti had already developed a good impression of Raven from his behavior at the tavern that night. Now, knowing that he was the Baron she would be serving, she was naturally even more willing.

"Very good," Raven said. "Starting today, you are my personal maid."

His gaze swept over the other three maids. "As for you three, each of you can go to the head maid to collect a reward. If you wish to stay, you can remain as ordinary maids; if not, you are free to leave."

All three young women couldn't hide the disappointment in their eyes, but they dared not question the Baron's decision. They replied in unison, "Yes, my Lord Baron!"

After the three of them had left, Raven, a slight smile on his face, beckoned Patti. "Come here, let me have a look."

Patti walked forward, standing timidly before Raven.

She was indeed suited for the maid's uniform. Her tall stature and full figure were accentuated by the tight and alluring clothes, making her incredibly enticing.

And ever since he had tasted Freyra, Raven had been abstaining for over two months.

Taking her soft palm in his hand, Raven could clearly feel her body temperature rising due to nervousness. He gently kneaded her fingers, and with a slight pull, drew her soft body into his embrace, burying his head into the softness.

Patti said with a hint of alarm, "My Lord, it's still... it's still daytime!"

"Then why can't I see anything?" Raven made a joke, and amidst Patti's startled cry, he scooped her up by the waist. "It's a rare day off today. As my personal maid, you need to get to know your master's habits."

With a kick, Raven kicked open the door and tossed the soft, warm body in his arms onto the bed, then lunged forward.

"My Lord... I'm still... a virgin..."

"My Lord, the curtains...!"

After a passionate and satisfying battle, Raven sat up in bed, feeling refreshed, and took a small sip of Angel's Tear.

He turned his head, his gaze falling upon Patti on the bed.

The newly appointed personal maid had just fulfilled her duties and had fallen into a deep sleep, unable to withstand the exertion. Her hair was messily stuck to her face, and her slightly parted lips were a little red and swollen, her brow still furrowed.

She lay on her side, half of her body hidden beneath the thin summer quilt. Her shoulders were rounded and sensual, and the supple curves from her ribs to her waist, and from her waist to her calves, were fully displayed.

Perhaps not slender, but her frequent labor had made her body very strong, especially those full, powerful thighs, which had given Raven a rare pleasure.

Gently rising from the bed, the disturbance caused the maid to stir. Patti opened her eyes. "My Lord, let me help you get dressed."

She tried to get up, but as soon as she moved her legs, she winced and let out a soft cry.

"Just lie there quietly," Raven said, looking back at her with a smile. "You'll have plenty of time to serve me later."

Patti lay back down on the bed, covering herself with the thin quilt.

After getting dressed, Raven walked towards the door. Just as he reached the entrance, he heard Patti ask, her voice shy and nervous, "My Lord, have I... fulfilled my duty?"

Raven chuckled lightly and said, turning back, "I am very satisfied."

With that, he walked out of the room.

Patti immediately covered herself with the quilt. Although the head maid had taught her those words, the fact that she had actually managed to say them just now was truly, truly embarrassing!

Rest time always passed quickly.

Less than two days later, on the eighth day of Raven's arrival in Shining Gold Town, the first batch of goods, one hundred and twenty sets of leather armor, arrived. The recruitment work, which had been thoroughly prepared, also commenced.

The tests were still the same three that Raven had designed earlier: lifting stones, walking a balance beam, and archery.

However, to select the best among the best, a long-distance run around Shining Gold Town was added. In the end, all one hundred and five spots were filled, and with Simon, Link, and Gaul appointed as platoon leaders, Raven now had three teams of thirty-six men each.

Unlike Eagle Town, the residents of Shining Gold Town did not lack food or clothing, so simply distributing grain would not generate much enthusiasm.

Raven went with the flow and implemented the military pay plan he had been contemplating – ordinary soldiers would receive a salary of one silver coin and twenty copper coins per month, his personal guards would receive three silver coins and sixty copper coins per month, and the salaries of the three platoon leaders would be doubled on top of that.

To win over the hearts of the people, Raven handed over the salaries for the first two months to his personal guards in front of all the new recruits.

It only cost 180 silver coins, or 1.8 gold coins, but it ignited the enthusiasm of all the new and veteran soldiers, and let them know who was the one paying them.

As a lord, one doesn't have to do everything personally. Eric and three newly promoted platoon leaders were enough to handle the training. However, to strengthen his authority within the army, Raven monitored the troops for the first few days and personally ordered the punishment of several individuals who disobeyed orders.

As a result, Raven was exceptionally exhausted these past few days and required the "warm service" of his personal maid every morning.

On the morning of the twelfth day in Shining Gold Town, Raven woke up once again to enthusiastic service. He reached out and touched the soft body, a smile appearing in his eyes.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door: "Lord Baron, Priestess Laxus has come to visit."

"Why is she here?" Raven was startled and patted the shoulder of the girl beneath him, "Patti, stop."

"Yes, Lord Baron," Patti stood up timidly, her cheeks flushed as she began to help Raven change.

This was what Raven liked about her; not only was she obedient, but even though he had seen her entire body, she still maintained a maiden's shyness.

Looking at the formal wear in the mirror, Raven said, "Not this one, still the cotton lining."

"My lord, do you need to wear armor again today?" Patti asked in surprise. "You've been at the training grounds for three days straight."

Even so, she still took out the cotton clothes that weren't particularly good-looking and helped Raven put them on piece by piece.

"Yes, the soldiers in Shining Gold Town have better physical fitness and are smarter, but they also have more of their own ideas and are somewhat undisciplined," Raven said helplessly. "Now I finally understand why General Qi said he didn't want any town soldiers."

Patti obviously didn't understand this remark. In fact, she never tried to understand it, nor did she ever ask, perfectly fulfilling her duty as a personal maid.

After putting on the enchanted chainmail and opening the door, Raven was stunned because Laxus was actually waiting right outside his room.

Today, she wasn't wearing the usual priestess robes, but a common goose-yellow dress worn by ordinary girls. It contrasted with her fair and delicate skin, making her seem as if she were bathed in light. Coupled with the braided pigtails hanging on her shoulders, an aura of youthful sweetness wafted towards him.

Laxus, standing at the door, caught the lingering scent of hormones from the room and saw Patti's slightly flushed face. She immediately understood what had just happened inside. She slightly averted her gaze and bowed, "Baron Raven."

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Patti's face, "And this is...?"

"My personal maid, Patti," Raven introduced. "Patti, this is Priestess Laxus from the church in Eagle Town."

Patti bowed respectfully, "Priestess Laxus."

Laxus returned the bow and then asked, "Baron Raven, you're wearing armor. Is there something important you need to attend to?"

"Just going to train the newly recruited private soldiers," Raven said. "Is there any official business that brought you here?"

"No, there isn't," Laxus shook her head. "I just came to Shining Gold Town to purchase some daily necessities and decided to stop by and see you."

"Since that's the case, why don't you stay a little longer? Make a list of the things you need to buy, and I'll have my subordinates handle it," Raven said with a smile. "Besides, we have Angel's Tear prepared here, you can use it anytime."

Upon hearing "Angel's Tear," Laxus's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful... However, I have a humble request."

"We don't need to be so formal between us," Raven said. "Whatever you want, anything at all."

Laxus said, "Then please call me Laxus. It's tiring to always use honorifics."

"Of course, but that's not entirely fair," Raven said casually. "Then please, Miss Laxus, also call me Raven."

"Okay," Laxus's sapphire-like eyes revealed a smile. "Raven, if it's possible, can you let me see how you train soldiers? I'm actually very curious about what a baron does every day."

"It might be quite strenuous, Laxus..." Raven swallowed the word "priestess" that was about to leave his lips. "It's not an easy job."

Laxus revealed a bright smile. "I'm a second-tier Divine Spellcaster too, don't treat me like a delicate young girl."

"Alright, then follow me."

Raven and Laxus walked out of the administrative hall side-by-side, heading towards the northeast of Shining Gold Town.

"Baron Raven, you're still single, and you've hired a personal maid already. Isn't that... a bit too early?" Laxus asked seemingly casually.

"But I'm a man," Raven said with a smile, patting his own shoulder. "And I'm strong and healthy. As far as I know, the Church doesn't excessively advocate for abstinence."

"But you are a lord after all, you shouldn't waste your energy on other things," Laxus said, fluttering her large eyes. "Besides, you'll have a wife someday."

After she said this, Raven suddenly stopped. His sculpted face moved closer to Laxus.

"Ah!" Laxus was startled. "Raven, what are you doing?"

"I'm looking at what my future wife might be like," Raven said, drawing out his words. "Will she be as beautiful and captivating as Miss Laxus?"

"Don't, don't talk nonsense..." Laxus lowered her head, her lips parting shyly. "I'm a priestess!"

She felt her heart had never beaten this fast before.

"Hehe, just teasing you." Having teased Laxus, Raven was in a great mood. "I hope the Lord of Light doesn't blame me."

"Raven!" A hint of shyness and annoyance flashed across Laxus's face. She looked up to find Raven had already walked ahead and quickly hurried to catch up.

A day passed quickly.

That evening, Laxus and Raven returned to the administrative hall.

Raven went to his bedroom to take off his armor and change, while Laxus sat by the dining table, resting her chin on one hand, quietly recalling everything that had happened today.

They had gone to the northwest of Shining Gold Town, where the temporary training grounds were located. Next to them were two rows of temporary dormitories. It was said that Eagle Town had already begun constructing proper barracks.

As soon as they entered the training grounds, Raven seemed to transform. The smile on his face disappeared, and an aura of authority and killing intent permeated the air, making every private soldier who saw him tremble in fear.

This was the imposing presence that only a few superiors possessed, like Marquis Anthony Edwards in the capital.

Unlike many nobles who would seek shade, bring maids, and fruits even in the military camp, Raven stood under the scorching sun with all the soldiers. However, he thoughtfully made sure Laxus stood in the shade.

The training process was undoubtedly monotonous, consisting of standing at attention, formations, left turns, and right turns. But Laxus watched with great interest. She noticed that the eyes of the trained soldiers were undergoing a transformation.

She even saw a few guys who had whistled at her before, but now they completely avoided eye contact, only obeying orders.

Soon, she discovered the reason for this change, or rather, one of the reasons.

A brown-haired guy whispered a joke mocking Eric's appearance, and then Eric gave him ten solid lashes on the back in front of everyone. He was gasping for air.

Then Raven took out a potion and forced him to drink it in front of everyone. After his back wounds closed, he was immediately sent back to training. The man immediately became obedient, looking at Eric with some resentment, but filled with gratitude towards Raven.

Laxus was stunned. That was a healing potion worth five gold coins a bottle, and Raven was actually so generous to his own soldiers!

Of course, she didn't know that the potion came from the self-replenishing healing potion Raven had obtained from Donald.

Raven had also tested this potion. It could automatically generate a bottle approximately every five days, but once the potion left the bottle, its effects would be completely lost within six hours, regardless of how it was preserved. The idea of storing or selling it was a bust, so it could only be used for occasional emergencies.

At noon, Raven even ate the same lunch as his personal guards – hard, stone-like black bread, paired with a pot of unlimited vegetable stew.

Moreover, Raven had also considered Laxus and specially arranged a separate meal for her, but she refused. This gesture also won her a lot of favor with the personal guards.

By the end of the day, Laxus's impression of Raven had become more three-dimensional and profound, and she also deeply understood Raven's hard work and exhaustion.

The summer sun was fierce, and the ground of the training field was baked dry and hard. The air close to the ground was distorted by the heat, and the personal guards were dripping with sweat.

Even Laxus felt deeply exhausted by the end of the day, let alone Raven, who was wearing heavy chainmail.

But he never complained of fatigue or showed any sign of weariness. His willpower, like steel, was truly awe-inspiring.

Light footsteps approached. Laxus looked up and saw Raven, who had changed into loose, casual clothes, sitting opposite her. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I just wiped myself down; I smelled too strongly of sweat."

As he spoke, he picked up a bottle of Angel's Tear and poured a glass of wine for Laxus.

"I'll do it," Laxus's fair fingers brushed against the wine bottle, touching Raven's hand. Her fingers slightly retracted but did not let go of the bottle.

"Alright," Raven withdrew his hand and watched the beautiful woman pour him a glass of fine wine. "How do you feel after today?"

"It was really hard work," Laxus sighed. "If it were me, I probably couldn't have lasted a day. Such hard work definitely requires someone to serve you."

"So, you don't mind me having a personal maid?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"This..." Laxus lowered her head. "How many maids you have has nothing to do with me."

Seeing her shy expression, Raven burst into laughter.

Hearing his laughter, Laxus knew Raven was deliberately teasing her again. She pouted, "I was going to help you, but now... forget it!"

Raven was taken aback. "Have you heard anything about the mage potions?"

The Church of Light had always been a major vendor of God-Given Potions – or, as they put it, "appropriate rewards for the generous donations of devout believers."

Before leaving Shining Gold Town, Raven had inquired with Laxus and learned the exact price of a second-tier mage potion from her. He also knew that it wasn't something that could be bought with money alone.

Laxus pouted. "Hmph, not anymore."

"Alas..." Raven suddenly sighed. "If that's the case, then fate has not destined me to walk the path of a mage."

Laxus didn't respond, her gaze shifting to the side indignantly.

"The Griffith family is cursed with a bloodline. For centuries, no one has lived past forty. I had hoped that if I embarked on the path of a mage, I could uncover the secret of this curse and break the shackles that have always weighed down our kin."

Raven sighed sorrowfully as he said this. "It seems I am destined to be unable to overcome this hurdle. I wonder if this cursed bloodline of mine should be passed down."

Hearing Raven say this, Laxus's heart softened immediately. She twirled the end of her braid with her fingers. "Actually... it's not impossible."

"Really?" Raven's eyes lit up.

"I knew you were trying to coax me again!" Laxus pouted, but she also knew that what Raven said was true. She spoke the truth: "I received a reply from Bishop Thomas. In it, he said he could allocate a second-tier mage God-Given Potion to me, but the donation of two thousand gold coins is mandatory and must be made by the end of the month at the latest."

The Church had the right to use the empire's postal relay system, and they used the best available. Traveling from Eagle Town to Monen City in ten days, likely at a gallop, had shortened a month's journey to one-third.

"This..." Raven's brow furrowed.

Laxus asked, "Is there a problem?"

"I don't have that much gold on hand at the moment," Raven said helplessly. "Although I received a sum of money earlier, a considerable portion was used for the construction in Eagle Town. Now, I can only access a maximum of 1000 gold coins. Can you extend the deadline by another month? I should have enough when the next payment comes in."

"That's probably difficult," Laxus shook her head, her flowing blonde hair scattering across her forehead. "I don't have any personal dealings with Bishop Thomas. Even this time, he only agreed out of respect for my teacher."

Raven's brow furrowed deeply. If he missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to obtain such a potion before the Nord Province descended into chaos.

Seeing his worried expression, Laxus said, as if intentionally or unintentionally, "Actually... 1000 gold coins, I could lend them to you first."

"What?" Raven suspected he had misheard. "1000 gold coins, that's not a small sum. Laxus, you must not do anything against the church's rules!"

"What are you thinking?" Laxus chided him. "I would never misappropriate tithes. Besides, even if I did, it wouldn't be as much as 1000 gold coins."

Raven awkwardly touched his nose. "It's me who thought too much. But where did you get so much money?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Lord Baron," Laxus said with a touch of youthful pride and mystery. "This money is from legitimate sources, anyway."

A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes:

"However, if you want these 1000 gold coins, you need to agree to one condition."