Looking at the face before him, Raven first showed a hint of astonishment, then chuckled softly. "What a coincidence. We meet again."
The candidate maid standing before him was none other than the female bartender he had met on the night he secretly visited Shining Gold Town—Patti.
Her chestnut hair was no longer tied into a braid but hung loose over her shoulders. Her eyes were filled with confusion and panic as she hurriedly tried to explain, "Lord Baron, I didn't know it was you. That day, I..."
"Don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong." Raven smiled. "But why have you come to apply as a maid? What about the tavern?"
Patti lowered her head, a trace of sorrow in her eyes. "After you left that day, my father had a huge argument with Pompey and the others, and smashed most of the tavern."
"After closing up later that night, he started cursing me. He said I was just like my mother, that we were both..." She lightly bit her lip and struggled to say the rest. "Both shameless women. He even hit me and threw me out."
"He told me that if I couldn't earn back the tavern's losses, I wasn't allowed to go home. He even gave me a very... very revealing outfit and told me to find work suited to me, to join those women standing by the roadside."
"I didn't want to do that, so I spent the night at an inn with the little change I had. The next day, I saw your announcement that you were recruiting maids."
Raven slowly nodded. He had guessed that a prideful man like Old Jones would lose his temper.
Well, actually, any man would lose his temper in that situation. Being short was an eternal pain for a man, and few men were as short as Old Jones. After all, he was a "pacifier."
But taking his anger out on those closest to him, even venting it on his innocent daughter without considering either profit or family affection, merely to patch up his pitiful self-esteem, was simply too pathetic.
"I'm looking for a personal maid." Raven spoke slowly. "You should know what kind of duties that entails."
"Yes, Lord Baron." A blush rose on Patti's face. She lifted her head and looked straight into Raven's eyes. "Head Maid told me about it. I fully understand the responsibilities involved."
"Really?" Raven smiled meaningfully. "You should know that once you agree, starting today, you'll belong to me completely."
"I'm willing..." Patti's voice trembled faintly with shyness and nervousness. "I'm willing to give everything to Lord Baron."
As a lord, Raven was sufficiently dignified and wealthy. As a man, he was not only witty and humorous but also extremely gentlemanly and dependable.
His performance at the tavern that night had already given Patti a favorable impression of him. Now that she knew the baron she would serve was Raven, she was naturally even more willing.
"Very good." Raven said, "Starting today, you're my personal maid."
His gaze swept over the other three maids. "As for the three of you, each of you may collect a reward from the Head Maid. If you want to stay, you may remain as ordinary maids. If you don't, you're free to leave."
The three girls could not hide the disappointment in their eyes, but they did not dare question the baron's decision. In unison, they said, "Yes, Lord Baron!"
After the three of them had left, Raven wore a faint smile and beckoned to Patti. "Come here. Let me have a look."
Patti stepped forward and timidly stood before Raven.
She truly suited a maid's uniform. Her tall figure and full body were accentuated by the tight, alluring clothes, making her exceptionally enticing.
Ever since tasting Freyra, Raven had been hungry for more than two months.
He grasped her tender palm and clearly felt her body heat rising from nervousness. Gently kneading her fingers and giving a slight tug, he pulled her soft body into his arms and buried his head in its softness.
Patti spoke with a hint of alarm. "My lord, it's still... still daytime!"
"Then why can't I see anything?" Raven joked. Amid Patti's startled cry, he lifted her up around the waist. "Today is a rare day off. As my personal maid, you'll have to learn your lord's habits."
With a bang, Raven kicked open the door, threw the soft, burning body in his arms onto the bed, and pounced upon her.
"My lord... I'm still... still a first-timer..."
"My lord, the curtains...!"
After a vigorous battle, Raven sat refreshed at the head of the bed and took a light sip of Angel's Tear.
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Patti in the bed.
The newly appointed personal maid had just finished performing her duties. Unable to endure any more exertion, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Her hair lay messily against her face, her pursed lips slightly swollen, and her brows still faintly furrowed.
She lay on her side, half her body hidden beneath the thin summer quilt. Her shoulders were round and sensual, and the supple curves from her ribs to her waist and from her waist to her calves were fully revealed.
She might not have been slender, but frequent labor had made her body exceptionally sturdy. Her especially full and powerful thighs had given Raven a rare pleasure.
Raven rose gently from the bed. The movement stirred the maid awake, and Patti opened her eyes. "My lord, let me help you dress."
She tried to get up, but as soon as she moved her legs, she frowned and let out a soft cry.
"Just lie still." Raven looked back at her with a smile. "You'll have plenty of chances to serve me later."
Patti lay back down and covered herself with the thin quilt.
After dressing, Raven headed for the door. Just as he reached it, he heard Patti ask shyly and nervously, "My lord, did I... fulfill my duties?"
Raven chuckled softly and looked back. "I'm very satisfied."
With that, he left the room.
Patti immediately pulled the quilt over herself. Although Head Maid had taught her that line, she had actually managed to ask it just now. It was... it was far too embarrassing!
Rest was always brief.
Less than two days later, on the eighth day after Raven's arrival in Shining Gold Town, the first shipment arrived: one hundred and twenty sets of Leather Armor. The already-prepared recruitment drive began as well.
The trials were still the three Raven had designed before: lifting stones, walking a balance beam, and shooting a bow.
To select only the best, they also added a long-distance run around Shining Gold Town. In the end, the hundred and five positions were filled. After appointing Simon, Link, and Gaul as platoon leaders, Raven had three units of thirty-six men each.
Unlike Eagle Town, the residents of Shining Gold Town did not worry about food or clothing. Merely distributing grain could not inspire much enthusiasm.
Raven took advantage of the situation and implemented the military-pay plan he had long been preparing: ordinary soldiers would receive one silver coin and twenty Copper Coins per month, while his Personal Guard would receive three silver coins and sixty Copper Coins. The three platoon leaders would receive twice that amount.
To win their loyalty, Raven handed the first two months' pay to his Personal Guard in front of all the new recruits.
It cost only 180 silver coins, or 1.8 Gold Coins, in total, yet it ignited the enthusiasm of both the new and veteran soldiers and let them know who was paying them.
A lord did not need to handle everything personally. Eric and the three newly appointed platoon leaders were fully capable of managing the training. However, to strengthen his authority within the army, Raven still accompanied the troops as an inspector during the first few days and personally ordered several disobedient men to be dealt with.
Thus, Raven was especially exhausted these days and needed his personal maid's "warm service" every morning.
On the morning of the twelfth day after arriving in Shining Gold Town, Raven woke once again amid passionate service. He reached out and touched the soft body beside him, a smile appearing in his eyes.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Lord Baron, Divine Spellcaster Laxus has come to visit."
"Why is she here?" Raven froze. He patted the girl beneath him on the shoulder. "Patti, stop."
"Yes, Lord Baron." Patti timidly rose and began dressing Raven, her cheeks flushed.
This was what Raven liked about her. She was not only obedient; even though he had already seen every inch of her body, she still retained a maiden's shyness.
Seeing the formal outfit in the mirror, Raven said, "Not this one. Give me the cotton undershirt instead."
"My lord, are you wearing armor today too?" Patti asked in surprise. "You've already spent three days straight at the training grounds."
Despite saying that, she brought out the plain cotton clothes and helped Raven put them on piece by piece.
"Yes. The soldiers in Shining Gold Town are in better shape and more intelligent, but they also have more ideas of their own and are somewhat disobedient." Raven spoke helplessly. "Now I finally understand why General Qi refused to use town soldiers no matter what."
Patti naturally did not understand that remark. In fact, she had never tried to understand such things, nor did she ever ask. She fulfilled the duties of a personal maid perfectly.
After putting on his Enchanted Chainmail, Raven had just opened the door when he froze. Laxus was actually waiting right outside his room.
She was not wearing the Priest's robe she usually wore. Instead, she had on the goose-yellow dress common among ordinary girls. Against her fair and exquisite skin, she seemed to be immersed in light. Combined with the braid hanging over her shoulder, she radiated a sweet, youthful air.
Laxus smelled the lingering scent of hormones in the room. Seeing Patti's slightly flushed face, she immediately understood what had happened. She turned her gaze aside and bowed. "Baron Raven."
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Patti. "Who is this...?"
"My personal maid, Patti." Raven introduced her. "Patti, this is Divine Spellcaster Laxus from the Church in Eagle Town."
Patti bowed respectfully. "Divine Spellcaster Laxus."
Laxus returned the greeting with a nod, then asked, "Baron Raven, you're wearing armor. Do you have some important business?"
"I'm going to train the newly recruited private soldiers." Raven said, "Did you come here on official business?"
"No, nothing like that." Laxus shook her head. "I merely came to Shining Gold Town to purchase some daily necessities and decided to stop by to see you."
"Since that's the case, why not stay a while? Make a list of what you need, and I'll have my men handle it." Raven smiled. "Besides, we have Angel's Tear here. You may have some whenever you wish."
At the mention of Angel's Tear, Laxus's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful... But I have one small favor to ask."
"Between us, there's no need to be so formal." Raven said, "Whatever you want, you may ask for it."
Laxus said, "Then please call me Laxus. Always using honorifics is tiring."
"Of course. But that wouldn't be fair." Raven replied easily. "Then Miss Laxus should call me Raven."
"All right." A smile appeared in Laxus's sapphire-like eyes. "Raven, if possible, could you let me see how you train your soldiers? I'm actually curious about what a baron does every day."
"It might be difficult, Laxus..." Raven swallowed the word "Divine Spellcaster" that had nearly left his mouth. "It isn't easy work."
Laxus gave him a bright smile. "I'm a second-rank Divine Spellcaster too. Don't treat me like a fragile little girl."
"All right. Then come with me."
Raven and Laxus walked side by side out of the administrative hall and headed northeast toward Shining Gold Town.
"Baron Raven, you're still single, yet you've already hired a personal maid. Isn't that... a little early?" Laxus asked casually.
"But I'm a man." Raven smiled and patted his shoulder. "And I'm strong and healthy. As far as I know, the Holy See doesn't excessively advocate abstinence."
"But you're a lord, after all. You shouldn't waste your energy elsewhere." Laxus blinked her large eyes. "Besides, you'll need a wife someday."
As soon as she finished speaking, Raven suddenly stopped. His sculpted face moved close to Laxus's.
"Ah!" Laxus was startled. "Raven, what are you doing?"
"I'm looking at what my future wife might be like." Raven drew out his words. "Could she be as beautiful and captivating as Miss Laxus?"
"D-don't say such nonsense..." Laxus lowered her head, her lips opening and closing shyly. "I'm a Divine Spellcaster!"
She felt that her heart had never beaten so quickly before.
"Heh-heh, I was only teasing you." After teasing Laxus, Raven was in an excellent mood. "I hope the Lord of Light won't blame me."
"Raven!" A trace of annoyance flashed across Laxus's face. When she looked up, however, she found that Raven had already gone ahead, so she hurried after him.
The day passed quickly.
That evening, Laxus and Raven returned to the administrative hall.
Raven went to the bedroom to remove his armor and change clothes, while Laxus sat by the dining table with one hand supporting her cheek, quietly recalling everything that had happened that day.
They had gone northwest of Shining Gold Town, where the temporary training grounds had been established. Two rows of temporary dormitories stood nearby as well. She had heard that a proper barracks was already being built in Eagle Town.
As soon as they entered the training grounds, Raven seemed to become a different person. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by an aura of authority and killing intent that left every private soldier who saw him trembling in silence.
It was the kind of presence possessed by only a few people in positions of power, such as Marquis Anthony Edwards of the royal capital.
Unlike many nobles, Raven did not have a private area to escape the heat in the military camp, complete with maids and fruit. He stood beneath the blazing sun alongside all the soldiers, while thoughtfully having Laxus stand in the shade.
The training itself was extremely dull. It consisted of little more than standing straight, forming ranks, turning left, and turning right. Yet Laxus watched with great interest. She discovered that the soldiers' eyes had all begun to change after undergoing training.
She even saw several men who had once whistled at her. Now they kept their eyes straight ahead and did nothing but obey orders.
She soon discovered the reason for this change—or at least one of the reasons.
A brown-haired fellow muttered a joke mocking Eric's appearance. Eric then whipped him a solid ten times across the back in front of everyone. The man could barely breathe.
Raven then took out a potion and poured it down his throat in front of everyone. Once the wounds on his back closed, the man was immediately sent back to training. He became obedient at once. His gaze toward Eric held some resentment, but when he looked at Raven, it was filled with gratitude.
Laxus was stunned. That Healing Potion cost five Gold Coins a bottle, yet Raven was actually so generous to his soldiers!
Of course, she did not know that the potion came from Donald, and that it could continuously replenish itself automatically.
Raven had tested the potion as well. It could generate roughly one bottle every five days, but once it left the bottle, its effects would completely dissipate within six hours regardless of how it was preserved. His plans to store and sell it had fallen through, so it could only be used for emergencies from time to time.
At noon, Raven ate the same lunch as the private soldiers under him—Black Bread as hard as stone, along with an unlimited pot of thick vegetable-and-meat stew.
He had also taken Laxus into consideration and specially arranged a separate meal for her. She refused, however, and the gesture won her considerable goodwill from the private soldiers.
By the end of the day, Laxus's impression of Raven had become more vivid and profound. She had also gained a deep understanding of how hard he worked.
The summer sunlight was vicious. The ground of the training grounds had been baked dry and hard, and even the air near the ground seemed distorted by the heat. The private soldiers were drenched in sweat.
Even Laxus felt utterly exhausted after a day like that, let alone Raven, who wore heavy Chainmail.
Yet he never once complained about being tired or showed the slightest fatigue. His ironlike will was truly impressive.
Light footsteps approached. Laxus looked up and saw Raven, now dressed in loose, casual clothes, sitting down opposite her. "Sorry for the wait. I wiped myself down a little. The smell of sweat on me was simply too strong."
As he spoke, he picked up the bottle of Angel's Tear and poured her a cup of wine.
"Let me." Laxus's fair fingers touched the bottle, meeting Raven's fingers. Her fingers pulled back slightly, but she did not release the bottle.
"All right." Raven withdrew his hand and watched the beauty before him pour him a cup of fine wine. "How do you feel after today?"
"It was exhausting." Laxus sighed. "If it were me, I probably couldn't last even a day. With work that tiring, you really do need someone to serve you."
"So you don't mind that I have 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 out laughing.
Hearing his laughter, Laxus knew he was deliberately teasing her again. She could not help puffing out her cheeks. "I was going to help you, but now... forget it!"
Raven froze. "Is there news about the Mage Potion?"
The Church of Light had always been a major seller of God-Given Potions—though in their words, they were "appropriate-value returns for generous donations made by devout believers."
Before leaving Shining Gold Town, Raven had asked Laxus about it. From her, he had learned the exact price of the second-rank Mage Potion and also discovered that money alone was not enough to buy one.
Laxus pouted. "Hmph. There isn't anymore."
"Alas..." Raven suddenly let out a long sigh. "Since that's the case, then fate must not have linked me with the path of a mage."
Laxus did not take the bait and angrily turned her gaze aside.
"The Griffith Family bears a bloodline curse. For hundreds of years, not one person has lived past forty. I originally thought that if I embarked on the path of a mage, I might uncover the secret behind the curse and break the shackles that have weighed upon our clan for so long."
At this, Raven let out a melancholy sigh. "But now it seems I'm destined not to cross this hurdle. I wonder whether my cursed bloodline should be passed on."
Hearing this, Laxus's heart immediately softened. Her finger curled around the end of her braid. "Actually... it's not completely impossible."
"Really?" Raven's eyes lit up.
"I knew you were trying to coax me again!" Laxus pouted. However, she knew that what Raven had said was true, so she told him honestly, "I received a reply from Bishop Thomas. He said he could give me a quota for a second-rank Mage God-Given Potion, but the donation of two thousand Gold Coins couldn't be reduced, and the quota could only be held until the end of the month at the latest."
The Holy See had the authority to use the empire's courier system, and always used the best service available. Making a round trip from Eagle Town to Monen City within ten days must have required relays of fast horses to reduce a month-long journey to one-third of the time.
"This..." Raven's brows furrowed.
Laxus asked, "Is there a problem?"
"I don't have that many Gold Coins on hand right now." Raven spoke helplessly. "Although I received a sum of money before, a considerable portion went into the construction of Eagle Town. At most, I can mobilize one thousand Gold Coins. Could you ask them to give us another month? By then, once the next payment comes in, I should have enough."
"I'm afraid that will be difficult." Laxus shook her head, the golden hair on her forehead becoming tousled. "I have no personal friendship with Bishop Thomas. Even this time, he only agreed because of my teacher."
Raven's brows drew together deeply. If he missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to obtain such a potion before Nord Province descended into chaos.
Seeing his worried expression, Laxus said, as if intentionally or unintentionally, "Actually... I could lend you one thousand Gold Coins first."
"What?" Raven wondered whether he had heard incorrectly. "One thousand Gold Coins is no small amount. Laxus, you must not do anything that violates the Church's rules!"
"What are you thinking?" Laxus scolded. "I would never misappropriate the tithe. Besides, even if I did, it wouldn't be as much as one thousand Gold Coins."
Raven awkwardly rubbed his nose. "I suppose I was overthinking it. But where did you get that much money?"
"That isn't something Lord Baron needs to worry about." Laxus wore the small pride and mystery unique to a young girl. "In any case, the money was obtained through legitimate means."
A mischievous glimmer flashed in her eyes.
"But if you want this one thousand Gold Coins, you have to agree to one condition."
Before you continue