Affairs of Firefall Territory

A contract was reached before the statue of Sharess, the Goddess of Nobility, bringing a temporary peace between Ye Wei'an and Lady Selina.

The following days in Firefall Fortress were quite peaceful.

Ye Wei'an lived a very disciplined life.

Every day after breakfast, he would appear punctually in Baron Harandir's bedroom to cast [Lesser Restoration] on him, allowing this convenient father of his to feel a bit more comfortable.

For the rest of the time, Ye Wei'an would stay in the family library, researching the legacy left behind by his ancestor, Aslan Xiaxing.

In truth, for a sorcerer, the spellbooks left by Aslan offered little help.

However, among the legacy, Ye Wei'an discovered other surprises.

According to the family tree, the Summerstar Family had not produced any spellcasters before.

It wasn't until the generation of Aslan's grandfather that his grandfather's younger brother married a Harpell Sorcerer of commoner origin.

According to Aslan's memoirs, it was under the influence of this grandmother that he embarked on the path of magic.

The notes left behind by this female sorcerer contained many insights regarding the awakening of magic and bloodline resonance.

Compared to Aslan's legacy, the notes of this great-grandmother were far more helpful to Ye Wei'an.

For instance, he grasped many techniques on how to project magic over greater distances from these notes.

Sometimes, when he grew bored of reading, he would head to the training grounds or the stables, carrying a mug of ale to observe the drills and chat with Cain and the rank-and-file soldiers; his approachable demeanor won the hearts of many.

As for the task of taking over funds and supplies from Lady Selina, Ye Wei'an handed it over entirely to Lina.

This head maid was the first person Ye Wei'an poached from the Summerstar household after reaching the agreement.

Compared to the still-naive Ailian, Lina, who was four years older than Ye Wei'an, appeared exceptionally steady and experienced.

As a former head maid, she was highly skilled in such logistical management and quickly stepped into the role of "Chief Administrator."

On the first night after taking office, Lina found Ye Wei'an in his room to report on the day's work.

"Regarding the funds, Lady Selina made excuses about needing time to consolidate them and asked us to wait two days, so only the goods were handed over today. We have received 1,200 pounds of rye, 300 strips of smoked meat, and 50 sets of light chainmail into storage."

As she said this, the maid's voice carried a hint of coldness:

"However, the treasurer under Lady Selina seems to think you are inexperienced. He attempted to mix aged, moldy grain into that batch of rye, and while checking the chainmail, he deliberately tried to pass off several pieces with rusted or broken links as standard."

Ye Wei'an looked at her: "How do you intend to handle it?"

"I impounded the entire batch of goods on the spot and had the guards seal the warehouse." Lina's reaction was even more decisive than Ye Wei'an had imagined. "The steward tried to use the Lady's name to pressure me, but I rejected him outright. That man is currently locked in the side room awaiting judgment."

"Well done, Lina. It seems putting you in this position was the wisest decision I've made these past few days." Ye Wei'an nodded with satisfaction.

"Go tell Cain to take some men, drag that steward into the courtyard, give him twenty lashes in public, and then toss him back to Lady Selina. Tell her I don't want a next time. In the future, if you encounter anyone else with sticky fingers, there is no need to ask for my instructions—handle it just like this."

"As you command, Young Master." Lina bowed slightly, then flipped the inventory list to the next page. "There is one more practical difficulty. If the handover continues at this pace, according to your current assets, the total volume of supplies we need to transport will far exceed your current capacity—we are severely short on wagons."

Ye Wei'an pondered for a moment, pulled over a memo pad, and wrote rapidly.

"Go, find someone to deliver this note to Thorn, the guild master of the Timber Guild in Firefall Town," Ye Wei'an pushed the note toward her. "You may place an order with him; he will provide the wagons we need at the lowest possible discount."

Lina took the note and couldn't help but sigh: "It has been four years, and the Young Master has built quite a network; these greedy merchants are not easily persuaded to offer discounts."

"That is all thanks to the opportunities provided by Lady Selina and the 'Gray Crow'." Ye Wei'an laughed at himself. "If they hadn't been up to so many schemes, I wouldn't have had the chance to meet these people."

With the report concluded, Lina elegantly organized the account books.

"You've worked hard these past few days, Lina." Ye Wei'an praised her sincerely. "You have performed even better than I imagined; choosing you was truly my best decision."

"This is my duty, Young Master." Lina bowed slightly. "After all, I wouldn't want my new boss to go hungry while out pioneering."

Lina did not leave immediately; instead, she took a small step forward, reached out, and gently straightened Ye Wei'an's slightly disheveled collar.

"Young Master, the business is finished; now it is time for Big Sister Lina." Her voice was much softer, no longer as rigid as before. "You have been sleeping far too late these past few days while organizing those books in the family library. If you exhaust your body before becoming a pioneering lord, Ailian will cry, and I will... also feel very heartbroken."

"Understood, Big Sister Lina." Ye Wei'an enjoyed the girl's concern.

"That's good." Lina returned to her dignified posture.

She took a step back and performed a standard maid's curtsy: "Then, please rest early, Young Master. I must sleep as well; there are two thousand pounds of oats waiting for me to count tomorrow morning. For the sake of your grand vision, Lina will guard your wealth well."

And so, through Lina's efforts, Ye Wei'an's pioneering supplies began to accumulate in an orderly fashion.

While dealing with these trivial matters, Ye Wei'an did not forget the Champions who sacrificed their lives during the bandit raid.

He personally visited the homes of the three soldiers and handed the compensation directly to the grieving families.

This act caused a massive stir among the soldiers in the territory.

In this day and age, it was the norm for lords to treat soldiers as expendable resources; a commander like Ye Wei'an, who possessed both strength and a willingness to care for them, was truly rare.

At the same time, Ye Wei'an's deeds spread like wildfire, carried by the mouths of the soldiers who had benefited from his grace, quickly permeating the entire Firefall Territory.

At first, it was just the soldiers in Firefall Fortress bragging loudly during shift changes: how the illegitimate young master used cursed fire to burn the vile bandits to death, and how he led them to capture the mastermind in just one day and night.

Soon, the stories of Ye Wei'an capturing gangs and punishing bullies in Firefall Town were added to the narrative by the townspeople.

Now, the entire territory was buzzing with discussion:

The eldest son of the Summerstar family, who had been sent to Suzar for many years, had returned with his studies complete.

He was not only a master who had become a powerful mage, but also a rare nobleman willing to lower his gaze to look at the common folk.

Because the number of townsfolk who had received his kindness was too numerous to count, stories of him "subduing bandits with one hand" and "publicly rebuking greedy stewards" were passed from mouth to mouth, even becoming embellished with a legendary sheen.

In the eyes of the downtrodden farmers who had suffered enough under harsh exploitation, the deeds of Ye Wei'an were gilded with a radiance akin to that of a saint, causing his reputation in the countryside to rapidly climb to the peak of "worship."

At this time in the rural Firefall Territory, the most common scene was a few farmers resting at the edge of their fields, sitting together while smoking inferior tobacco leaves and fantasizing:

"If this Lord Ye Wei'an could take over the territory, I reckon we could pay thirty percent less in taxes this year, right?"

"Thirty percent? I think fifty percent is possible! Haven't you heard? The gold coins he sent to the families of the fallen guards are enough for us to farm for ten years!"

The farmers would sigh with wild imagination, usually ending with a long, regretful exhale: "What a pity... compared to ability and character, the Goddess Sharess cares more about the purity of bloodlines. That coronet, in the end, will still have to be worn by the Second Young Master."