Nancy's "Revenge" Plan

Raven's heart stirred as he looked into her sapphire-like eyes. "What are the conditions?"

"Learn Elvish within half a year," Laxus said, a playful hint of triumph in her eyes.

"Alright, it's a deal," Raven nodded with a smile.

"Huh?" Laxus blinked in surprise. "But Elvish is very difficult to learn. Do you want to reconsider..."

"No need," Raven stated firmly.

Laxus huffed and looked away.

The Elven race had a far longer history than humans, and their civilization was established much earlier. They could be considered the origin of civilization on the entire Middle Continent. Because of this, Elvish became the first language mastered by humans.

However, as humans gradually prospered, they developed their own languages and writing systems, and Elvish faded from daily life. Only nobles, a few scholars, and priests knew it.

Over the past thousand years, with the establishment of the human majority on the continent, the inheritance of Elvish had gradually weakened. Apart from a very small number of high nobles, scholars, and priests, few people knew it.

As a priestess, Laxus had to master Elvish, and the learning process was extremely painful—there was no language environment and a lack of application scenarios. Now, even hymns praising the Lord of Light were sung in Imperial.

"What, regretting it?" Raven asked with a smile. "Or perhaps you'd like to change the condition?"

"No way!" Laxus turned her head and stared at Raven, stubbornness in her eyes. "We've agreed. If you don't learn Elvish within half a year, you'll have to return the 2,000 gold coins to me!"

"Okay." Raven nodded deeply and asked curiously, "So, if, I'm just saying, if I were to change my mind, what condition would you want me to change it to?"

Footsteps approached, and Patti placed dinner before the two of them.

Pan-seared beef shoulder with pickled asparagus, a bowl of creamy mushroom soup, and a small basket of freshly baked white bread.

After a day of hard work, the aroma immediately captured Laxus's attention.

"Thanks to the Lord of Light for this feast." After praying, Laxus picked up her knife and fork, cut a piece of beef shoulder, and began to enjoy her dinner, clearly not intending to continue the conversation.

"Thanks to the Lord of Light for this feast." Raven didn't press the topic further. He also cut a piece of beef shoulder and put it in his mouth.

The entrance was filled with the aroma of butter. As his teeth bit down, the rich meat juices burst forth between his lips and teeth. The unique savory flavor of the beef filled his mouth, bringing immense satisfaction.

The pickled asparagus had a crisp texture, and its slightly sour taste effectively cut through the richness of the beef, whetting his appetite.

Dipping the white bread into the creamy, mushroom-scented soup, this dinner wasn't lavish but was certainly fulfilling.

After they finished eating, maids came to clear the dishes and set down dessert—two small bowls of cream ice cream.

In this era, only nobles and a few wealthy merchants could obtain ice in the summer.

"If you want me to learn Elvish, you have to give me a textbook and find me a teacher, right?" Raven said jokingly. "Preferably an Elven teacher."

"Don't just talk about you, I want an Elven teacher too!" Laxus snorted. "The Elven Empire is holed up in the ancient forest now, and they haven't come out for hundreds of years. There are very few elves walking on the continent, so you can't just meet them whenever you want."

"Then you can't just make me learn it out of thin air, can you?" Raven spread his palms. "Does this matter also need to trouble the Lord of Light?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Laxus glanced at him displeasedly. "In a couple of days, I'll have someone send you an Elvish dictionary and textbook. When you get back to Eagle Fortress, I'll teach you myself!"

As she spoke, her dimples appeared on her face. "If you don't learn it by then, I'll have to spank your hand~"

Looking at her innocent smile, Raven could only nod with a smile. "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Laxus yawned tiredly, and Raven also felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. He got up and said, "Well then, good night, Miss Laxus."

"Good night," Laxus nodded with a smile.

That night, Raven did not request Patti's service and slept very peacefully.

The next morning, which was the 13th day since Raven arrived in Shining Gold Town, Laxus politely declined Raven's invitation to stay and returned to the Shining Gold Town church by carriage, along with her daily necessities.

Meanwhile, a sneaky figure slipped away.

Her name was Jenny, Nancy's trusted maid.

She returned to the manor southwest of Shining Gold Town and arrived at the door of Nancy's bedroom. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly, quite nervously. "Miss Nancy."

After a moment, the door creaked open, and Nancy appeared before Jenny.

She was wearing a slightly childish floral print nightgown and a pointed nightcap on her head. Just woken up, her hair was a messy tangle pressed against the back of her head. Her tender fingers scratched her hair, revealing a section of her fair, tender arm. "Is there news? Tell me!"

As she spoke, Nancy turned back into the room, sat down in front of the mirror with her fair legs dangling, and began to get ready.

"Yes..." Jenny bowed her head and reported, "Yesterday, the priestess Laxus from Eagle Town visited Raven. They inspected the military camp together and had lunch."

"In the evening, Priestess Laxus stayed at the Shining Gold Town administrative hall and only left this morning."

With a crack, the wooden comb snapped in half in Nancy's hand. She turned her head, her brows furrowed, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because... nothing really happened between them." Jenny spoke in a low voice, afraid of angering the spoiled young lady. "Laxus is a priestess, after all..."

Nancy understood Jenny's meaning. She knew Laxus's background much better than a mere maid.

Although she was just a priestess in a small barony, her teacher was the Seventh-tier Divine Spellcaster Crouch, the most renowned ascetic in the empire, who could break through to the eighth tier at any time, and even potentially become a Saint-tier Divine Spellcaster.

In terms of background and status alone, she was probably even higher than Nancy, who was the daughter of a count.

Such a priestess was not someone Raven, a mere baron, could offend.

"This damned Raven!" Nancy resentfully threw the broken comb into the trash can and angrily slammed the table. "He's just a lowly, vulgar fellow, how could he trick the Lord of Light's priestess? That Laxus must also be a brainless bimbo."

Speaking of brainless, her gaze fell on the mirror, and she tried to puff out her chest, looking at the barely protruding outline. Finally, she pouted helplessly. "Is there no other news? Has he really been so well-behaved these past ten days?"

Jenny nodded silently. "That's indeed the case, Miss. We've been monitoring the administrative hall day and night, and we've found that Raven's life is very simple..."

"You're either in the administrative hall or the training grounds, right? I've heard that seven or eight times already!" Nancy rolled her eyes. "Useless bunch, how can it be so difficult to catch you red-handed!"

"Your salary for this month and next month will be completely docked!"

Saying that, Nancy stood up and rubbed her backside.

That detestable guy!

Although it didn't hurt anymore, she had been lying in bed for a full three days after leaving the administrative hall.

When she returned to the manor that day, her mind was filled with grievances and despair—she was done for. If the news of her spanking got out, how would she ever face anyone in the future?

But afterward, as if that day had never happened, although there were some rumors in the marketplace, they were all baseless and unsubstantiated.

However, this also meant one thing: Raven himself held her leverage, making her constantly worried that Raven would expose this matter, or even use it to threaten her someday.

Being threatened by a little bee sounded terrifying.

She wanted to complain to her father, but she had no reason to.

Should she tell her father that Raven bullied me, and the way he bullied me was by spanking my butt?

So, she sent out her maids to monitor Raven's movements, hoping to catch him in the act.

Didn't he call himself "Little Bee"?

Then, she would catch him when he went looking for women. Shining Gold Town had no shortage of women who would sell their bodies.

It was an open secret that nobles played around. However, while some rumors after marriage were acceptable, such behavior before marriage would cause a significant drop in reputation, making it a minor scandal.

Nobles known for being "promiscuous," regardless of gender, found it difficult to find suitable marriage partners of equal standing, often having to settle for those below them. This was an unspoken secret within noble circles.

At that point, she would have leverage over Raven, and Raven would have leverage over her. It would be a tie!

But it was precisely this kind of person, who showed no sign of such behavior.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Nancy said sternly, "If you can't find anything, keep monitoring him. I refuse to believe we can't catch him slipping up!"

Jenny's face showed distress. After all, her profession was a maid, not a spy. Being exposed to the elements day in and day out was too difficult. "Miss Nancy, I don't think this is a viable approach…"

"Oh, what do you mean? Are you implying I'm stupid?" A small flame ignited in Nancy's hand.

"I wouldn't dare!" Jenny quickly bowed her head to the ground. "I just think, since his nickname is 'Little Bee,' is collecting this evidence really… useful?"

A gust of wind swept through the corridor, and the room became so quiet that the sound of a needle dropping could be heard.

Nancy froze for a long time, then her breathing became rapid. Her small face turned red as she realized she had been thinking in the wrong direction. "Damn it, why didn't you remind me sooner?"

For a good girl like herself who valued her chastity, reputation was naturally important. But for a low-born fellow like Raven, what did it matter if his reputation was ruined?

"Well, Jenny, what do you think we should do now?" Nancy asked somewhat guiltily.

Jenny really didn't want to be out in the elements anymore, so her mind raced. "I think… Baron Raven appears to be quite short on money at the moment."

"Then let's go rob his treasury?" Nancy's eyes lit up, then she shook her head. "No, he still has an army under his command. It would be too terrible if we were discovered."

But this also greatly inspired her train of thought. She started pacing around the room, and with her loose nightgown, she looked like a lively morning glory.

"Got it!" Nancy clapped her hands forcefully. "You mentioned before that he was meeting with those merchants to build a workshop, right?"

She wore a smile of mysterious confidence. "He already created Angel's Tear before. Building a workshop will definitely involve bigger moves. I'll sneak in then and steal all his secret recipes. Angel's Tear will be mine!"

After speaking, she looked at Jenny, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything? Isn't my plan brilliant?"

Jenny was somewhat speechless. Stealing secret recipes was really not something a noble lady should do.

However, considering that the workshop hadn't even started construction yet, and it would take at least a month or two to complete, it was uncertain whether Nancy would still be here then.

And most importantly, this way, she wouldn't have to run around outside every day.

Jenny raised her two hands, which were on the ground, and gave a thumbs-up. "It's brilliant, Miss Nancy, absolutely brilliant!"

"Hmph, I knew my ideas were always right." Nancy jumped to the window, pulled open the curtains, and smiled brightly at the sun. "Just wait, Raven. Offending me, Nancy Fox, will be the biggest mistake of your life!"

Under the equally bright sun, on the training grounds northeast of Shining Gold Town, the private soldiers were training diligently.

Raven, as the lord, stood at the front of the formation. Whichever private soldier his gaze fell upon would proudly puff out their chest.

They all hoped to be chosen by Raven to become his personal guards, as the pay for personal guards was three times that of ordinary soldiers.

But Raven's attention was not on them.

He had stayed in Shining Gold Town long enough. The recruitment of construction workers was almost complete. All that was needed was for the building materials to arrive, and the riverside workshop could break ground.

Raven did not have to wait much longer.

On July 23, 1193, in the year of the Lord of Light, the first batch of building stones was transported into Shining Gold Town along the main road. On this very day, Raven ordered the newly recruited soldiers to escort these stones to the north bank of the upper reaches of the Golden Sand River, northeast of Eagle Town.

Over the past ten-plus days, Old Gordon had already organized the villagers to level the land. The weeds and debris had been cleared, and a gravel road leading to Eagle Town had even been paved.

That evening, Raven returned to his long-unseen Eagle Fortress. As soon as he entered, he received news that greatly surprised him. "What, Denise is gone? When did that happen?"

"It was on July 9th," Old Gordon replied.

"Nearly half a month ago…" Raven frowned, his tone quite serious. "Then why wasn't I informed immediately?"

"It was Madam Denise who said there was no need to inform you," Old Gordon said cautiously. "And, after all, she is your aunt…"

Old Gordon also had his own selfish motives regarding this matter.

Raven always ran into Denise's room. He saw it all, and though he didn't say anything, he didn't approve of Raven's behavior or actions, and he harbored deep dissatisfaction with Denise's "impropriety."

Now that Denise had left, in his eyes, it was a good thing for both Raven and Denise herself, so he naturally didn't want to notify his Baron immediately.

"Forget it, let her go..." Raven sighed.

If it weren't for Angel's Tear, Denise would have left long ago. Now that Angel's Tear was produced more and more stably, her departure was not so surprising.

But in Raven's heart, there was still a sense of loss.

His gaze fell on old Gordon's face, and he said with a hint of displeasure, "Mr. Gordon, I hope this is the last time."

"I don't have many years left to live, my lord." Old Gordon bowed, his voice respectful and humble, "Your will shall be carried out."

No need for a heavy hammer on a resonating drum. Raven didn't give him any substantial punishment. For a smart person, a single sentence was enough; more would only damage the master-servant relationship.

That night, Patti was quite exhausted.

The next morning, the construction of the riverside workshop officially began.

According to Raven's idea, this workshop would become the center of the industrial district of Eagle Town in the future, so its area was not small, fifty meters in length and width, fifteen meters from the riverside, convenient for water intake and fire extinguishing.

But on the second day of construction, a problem arose: being too close to the riverbank, the groundwater was too abundant. After digging the foundation two meters down, sewage gushed out like a fountain.

After careful consideration, Raven had to move the workshop's location fifty meters to the northwest, re-level the land, excavate the foundation, and abandon the idea of building an underground warehouse.

However, the previous engineering was not entirely wasted. The foundation that had been excavated could be widened on the original basis, serving as a small canal to connect the workshop and the Golden Sand River.

On the fifth day of construction, the foundation excavation was completed, and most of the foundation stones were laid, but then a heavy rain struck.

The buildings in this world were mainly made of stone with wood as a supplement. The mixture used to bond the stones was mostly lime mortar, which needed to dry slowly in dry weather to ensure bonding and strength. It could not withstand the erosion of rainwater at all.

In just one night, the laid foundation was soaked and rotted. They had to dig trenches in advance to drain the accumulated water.

Looking at the muddy construction site, Raven sighed in his heart.

"If only I had cement!"

It wasn't that he hadn't considered inventing cement in this world, but the problem was that it was beyond the scope of the nine-year compulsory education. Even if Raven knew the general formula, he couldn't grasp the proportions, and at least for now, there wasn't such a wide range of applications.

This kind of industrial product had to be in the hands of major powers to see profits; in Raven's hands, it could only lose money.

If he were to truly produce it, it would at least be when he became a Viscount.

Raven returned to his routine, traveling between two points. It was the same in Shining Gold Town as it was in Eagle Town.

Before, it was from the administrative hall to the training ground; now, it was from Eagle Fortress to the construction site.

Although he didn't need to stay at the construction site all day, he returned covered in dirt every time, keeping Patti very busy.

On the ninth day of construction, August 1st, 1193, in the Calendar of Light, with the efforts of hundreds of craftsmen, the four city walls had basically taken shape, and the foundation of the factory buildings inside was also excavated. However, problems were encountered again during the construction process.

Raven had intended to build a huge workshop in the factory, one that could accommodate hundreds of people working at the same time. But with the architectural technology of this world—or rather, the architectural technology of the people Raven could find—it was simply impossible.

The foreman said, "My lord, what you want is a palace, and we have only ever built manors at most!"

In that case, they would change it!

The factory, originally planned to be 40 meters by 40 meters, was changed to nine independent workshops, each 12 meters by 12 meters, arranged in a nine-grid pattern.

On the other hand, the planned warehouse and worker dormitories did not have many problems; these local craftsmen had some experience in building inns.

In addition to the matters at the construction site, there were many other affairs that Raven had to handle personally—such as the storage and distribution of the transported livestock. Old Gordon dared not make decisions on his own regarding these matters.

On the sixteenth day of construction, the construction of the riverside workshop entered the right track, and the architectural plan was basically finalized. The remaining issues were all details, and Raven could finally shift his focus slightly to other matters—such as learning the Elvish language.

Picking up a book thicker than a Xinhua dictionary, Raven's brow twitched. For the first time, he felt that his choice might have been a bit problematic.

This was just the Elvish dictionary.

The actual textbook was two feet long, one foot wide, and as thick as a whole piece of beef brisket. Raven had no doubt that he could kill a pig by swinging this thing.

Of course, he couldn't really test it, and he didn't even dare to be disrespectful to this book because it was a "Holy Word Record," which contained the teachings of the Lord of Light and the various miracles He had performed. It was written in both Elvish and Imperial languages.

"My Lord says: All who glimpse the light shall see the true meaning of goodness..."

Surprisingly, Elvish was indeed magical. Raven had only read the first two sentences when he started to feel drowsy.

"I've been tricked." Raven stretched and gently patted his cheeks to wake himself up.

He had expected Laxus to personally tutor him, and with her by his side, reading wouldn't be such a tedious affair.

But he was only half right. Laxus had indeed agreed to be his teacher, but this teacher was incredibly irresponsible. She had only taught him the basic phonetic symbols and then never came back, saying that she would proceed to the next stage of the course only when he could accurately recite a passage praising the Lord of Light in Elvish.

The problem was that the pronunciation of Elvish was extremely strange, very much like Slavic in his previous life, with various rolled and flicked sounds that made Raven's tongue tie itself up. If he read too fast, it sounded like he was singing RAP.

Mustering his strength, he read two more lines and was about to try to speak them in Elvish when he heard a hurried knock on the door.

"Who is it!?" Raven, his thoughts interrupted, yelled impatiently, "Didn't I say not to disturb me while I'm reading!?"

"Baron... it's me!" Fili's cautious voice came from outside the door, "What you wanted has arrived."

"This guy actually came to report himself, he's really good at flattering." Raven smiled helplessly, slapped the book onto the table, and walked out. He saw Fili's dazzling smile revealing his gold tooth, "You mean, it's all here?"

"That's right, my lord." Fili rubbed his hands together and said, "Twenty first-tier Magic Cores, and two sets of alchemy equipment, have now been delivered to your warehouse."

"Among them, common Magic Cores like Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Steel, and Blood are priced between 2.9 and 5.7 gold coins. Besides that..."

"Well done!" Raven patted his shoulder, interrupting his quote, "Go find old Gordon and pay the remaining balance."

With that, he walked out, accompanied by the sound of wind, and ordered, "Volkov, take the Magic Core to the dungeon immediately!"

"Moxigan, bring me a live pig, two live chickens, and two rabbits, also to the dungeon, and place them in different cells!"

Raven's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

It was time to test whether the Magic Core could be used on other living creatures!