The Fishing Team Is Established

"I'm not an unreasonable man. You were deceived as well. Now, I'm giving you a chance to work for me. Whether you can seize it is up to you." Kerry had no intention of frightening these commoners and quickly explained that he had changed his mind and was offering them jobs.

Whew, as long as they were not being thrown into prison. The fishermen all breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately realized that working for a noble lord was practically a secure livelihood.

It was certainly better than fishing on their own, never knowing where their next meal would come from. Fish catches around Little Nose Bay had been scarce lately, and they would have to venture farther into the open sea for any hope of a good haul.

Their boats were all small, single-masted fishing vessels. Going into the open sea was simply too dangerous, so working under a noble was not a bad path at all.

"As you know, jellyfish have become a disaster in my territory. I need my own fishing team dedicated to catching them. After what happened with Greedy Cat Jack, I no longer trust temporary laborers. I'll select some of you to join my fishing team, but I only want the best."

First, give them a slap to make them fear him, then offer them a sweet date. Kerry briefly explained his plans for forming a fishing team, then looked at the fishermen as if to say, I only want the best. Whoever is the best, step forward.

But the fishermen did not see it that way. They felt Kerry had left something unsaid. Did he expect them to show some sincerity first?

Very quickly, a burly fisherman with a thick beard shouted, "Lord Kerry, I'm Mike. I consider myself quite capable at fishing. The jellyfish in my hold can prove it. I offer all of them to you. I'm sure no one has caught more jellyfish than I have."

Mike was helpless too. He had originally planned to honestly deliver his catch to the South Australia Island docks, which would have brought in a sizable income. But for the sake of future work, he could only offer it up without compensation.

"Lord Kerry, I offer you the jellyfish in my hold as well. I know I can't compare to Mike, but I'm still a capable fisherman."

"Lord Kerry..."

With Mike setting the example, the other fishermen quickly decided to offer up their jellyfish, hoping only to find a way forward under Kerry.

"Stop making noise. Do you think I'm short on money for a few jellyfish? Do I not know your abilities already? All of you can come for the first month. I'll decide whether to keep you based on your performance. That settles it. Later, bring all the jellyfish to the South Australia Island docks. My butler, Mr. Carson, will settle the payment with you. From now on, report to Mr. Carson and wait for my work arrangements."

After saying that, Kerry had Uncle Tom sail them home. Carson, meanwhile, had a headache coming on. It was another huge expense, and even now, he did not know that Kerry could exchange roughly two thousand gold coins whenever he wished.

The fishermen left behind, however, cheered with joy. They had not lost any money and had even found stable work.

After leaving the fishermen with an impression of his wealth and power, Kerry successfully won a wave of goodwill from them. He believed that this goodwill would soon become respect.

After returning to his territory, Kerry enjoyed a lavish lunch. Whether it was because of his mood or because the food was truly that delicious, he found today's meal especially appetizing. "Mr. Carson, today's mushroom soup was excellent. Give the cook five Silver Coins as a reward later."

Having made a fortune, Kerry naturally began spending more freely. Five Silver Coins truly were insignificant, but Butler Carson did not see it that way. Since arriving in the territory, the young master had spent money like water. At this rate, Carson would live to see the young master farming the land himself. He absolutely had to correct this habit.

"Young Master, until we find a source of income, could we perhaps spend a little more carefully? I believe you may need capital for business. If we use our funds sparingly, we won't miss a good opportunity when one appears." Old Carson had always offered advice in a tactful manner, so as not to provoke fierce resistance from his master.

Today's Kerry was no longer the Kerry from two days ago. He was rich now. Unfortunately, he had spent the past two days in the territory, so suddenly producing a large sum of money would draw unnecessary attention.

"All right, Mr. Carson. We'll soon have a large sum of income. Until then, I won't spend recklessly. Ask the cook to come over. I want to tell them personally that I'm very satisfied with their food." In the Raynor Kingdom, it was customary to praise cooks who prepared delicious meals, and those with the means would even reward them.

"As you wish, my young master." This time, Butler Carson did not stop him. It was only verbal praise and would not cost any money, which was perfectly acceptable under their current circumstances.

The cook soon appeared before Kerry. Not a mister, but a madam—and an acquaintance at that. Mrs. Wesley. She was the great mother of seven children, and great mothers were generally excellent cooks. Kerry had stayed at her home and eaten there before, but he had never found her cooking as delicious as he did today. Was it really because he was in such a good mood?

Mrs. Wesley, however, had no idea what Kerry was thinking. Ever since Carson hired her as the cook, she had been preparing all the food in the castle. Why did he suddenly want to praise her cooking today? Mrs. Wesley could not help carefully studying Lord Kerry, the master of the castle.

He was a young and strong noble.

Mrs. Wesley suddenly remembered something a friend from Little Nose Bay Port City had said: young and strong nobles generally could never have enough women.

She was already quite old, so he was clearly not interested in her. Her daughter was only nine, and Lord Kerry did not look like the sort of man who would consider three years worth it even at the cost of execution.

Then, once every impossibility had been ruled out, only one truth remained: Lord Kerry wanted someone to help arrange a match for him.

Detective Molly Wesley felt that she had seen through the surface of the matter and grasped its essence. Thus, Matchmaker Molly boldly said, "Thank you for your praise, my lord. I believe Jennifer's daughters would certainly like a young and promising gentleman such as yourself. Would you like me to arrange a time for you to meet one of them?"

Kerry had merely eaten a meal and wanted to praise the cook who worked for him. Why did he suddenly feel as though he had appeared on a matchmaking show? Were cooks in this world moonlighting as matchmakers? Was the first thing they said upon meeting someone really about finding them a partner?

"Uh, no need. I'm very busy these days," Kerry answered, somewhat at a loss.

"That's all right. It'll be the same after you're done. Jennifer has many daughters. Even if you stay busy for years, there will still be girls of suitable age..."

Kerry felt that this conversation had drifted wildly off course, and he was having trouble fending off Mrs. Wesley's powerful sense of matchmaking duty.

Kerry hurriedly changed the subject. "Sorry, Mrs. Wesley. I recruited many fishermen today, and I don't have much time after lunch. Thank you for the meal today. See you later." With that, he fled in slight disarray.

Watching from the side, Butler Carson could not help feeling deeply moved. The young master had reached the age when he could revive the family and carry on its bloodline.