Wedding and Guests

Half a month later.

Crouching Dragon Ravine was filled with a festive atmosphere. The castle had shed its usual appearance, decked out in vibrant, fiery red decorations.

The servants had prepared a full spread of dishes. Aside from the fruits and seafood produced within Crouching Dragon Ravine, everything else—expensive melons, fruits, and snacks—had been specially purchased from large merchant shops. Lin Lei's private treasury had shrunk by at least half for this occasion.

The guest list was not extensive. As a newly minted noble, Lin Lei had not yet established many connections. Aside from Miss Alice from Flower Territory, the rest were merely Aierlan's parents, relatives, and friends.

To Lin Lei's surprise, the Dwarf Chamber of Commerce had also sent representatives. Lin Lei guessed they must have received news of the mineral deposits in Crouching Dragon Ravine and were looking to curry favor with him.

The leader of the Blue Moon Mercenary Group sat at a side table. They were now considered a part of the Crouching Dragon Ravine territory. Under the dual pressure of internal strife and external threats, Lan Linglong had agreed to become the territory's mercenary force.

Crouching Dragon Ravine only took a ten percent cut of their profits. In return, they could be unconditionally conscripted for battle during major crises, effectively serving as the territory's official mercenary group.

The remaining guests were the high-ranking officials who had grown alongside Crouching Dragon Ravine. Furell, who had been away on a mission, and Vix from Green Goblin Town were also in attendance, making the event feel exceptionally lively.

"What are these? I've never seen them before, but they look incredibly tempting."

Miss Alice gazed at the food on the table with curiosity.

"It's Tilapia, a rather excellent edible fish. They live in the water, and this one was quite large. My fishermen caught it and sent it over specifically. You should try it."

"Tilapia?"

Miss Alice picked up a fork, gingerly lifting a piece of golden-brown fish meat, and placed it in her mouth. She chewed a few times, a flavor more delicious than anything she had ever tasted blooming in her mouth. Her eyes brightened instantly.

"This is wonderful. I've eaten fish before, but they were always full of a fishy odor that made them hard to swallow. This is different; I don't detect a hint of that smell. It's purely delicious. Baron Lin Lei, how did you manage this?"

Lin Lei smiled slightly and explained.

"My two little chefs managed it. They are Halflings I purchased who are quite skilled at cooking. If Miss Alice wishes, you can send people to learn their techniques.

Crouching Dragon Ravine backs onto the sea, so our most notable resource is our abundant seafood. We will certainly be selling to the surrounding areas in the future, and I hope Miss Alice might look after us then."

Miss Alice was eating happily; it was clear she was a gourmet. She was not opposed to Lin Lei's way of promoting his territory's specialties and agreed immediately.

Afterward, Lin Lei did not linger by Alice's side. He and Aierlan were the stars of the banquet. Although Aierlan was handling her own family, he still needed to attend to the other guests; he could not afford to neglect them just because of Alice's noble status.

"My dwarf brother, I am very glad you could attend my wedding banquet."

Lin Lei encountered a dwarf who had come to toast him and spoke heartily.

The dwarf was not as boorish as usual; instead, he bowed to Lin Lei with gentlemanly grace to offer his congratulations, which only deepened the smile on Lin Lei's face.

A noble who can be praised is not necessarily a good noble, but hearing others sing one's praises is certainly a wonderful feeling.

Happy times are always fleeting. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the banquet came to an end.

Lin Lei was feeling quite tipsy by then. Given his strength, he wouldn't get drunk even if he bathed in alcohol, but he was happy today. He hadn't used his power to purge the spirits, letting the wine take its natural effect, which led to his current state.

The departure of the guests was handled entirely by the butler, Cress. Lin Lei only needed to enjoy the happiness of a newlywed man and play the part of a satisfied husband.

The next day.

Lin Lei rose from his five-meter-wide bed. His head felt heavy from the previous night's drinking, but after circulating his internal energy for a moment, he felt completely clear-headed.

"Where is Aierlan?"

Lin Lei felt a flicker of confusion. He remembered holding a beautiful woman in his arms, but he had woken up alone. It seemed drinking really did cause trouble; he hadn't even noticed her getting up.

"Master, you're awake. I saw you sleeping so soundly that I didn't want to disturb you. I've ordered the servants to prepare breakfast; please get up and eat."

Aierlan, her hair coiled up and dressed in red, pushed the door open. Seeing that Lin Lei was awake, she said happily.

Lin Lei pulled her onto the bed for a moment of tenderness before finally getting up to eat.

"Cress, are last night's guests still here?"

Lin Lei asked his butler nonchalantly, having specifically ordered him to arrange lodging for the guests the night before.

"They have already left Crouching Dragon Ravine, Master."

Cress replied respectfully.

"Did Aierlan's parents leave too? They didn't stay to tour a bit longer?"

"They left. They said there was business at home that needed attending to, and they had gone to great lengths to squeeze out the time to come."

"I see," Lin Lei said with a hint of regret.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Lei set off toward the Cuju Field that was currently under construction.

Cuju was very popular among the nobility, and the kingdom held several tournaments every year with generous rewards.

However, Lin Lei wasn't building the Cuju Field to compete. He was doing it purely for fun and profit. He had once been a fanatical fan who could only watch matches on TV, never able to step onto the pitch himself. But every fan has a dream of playing, and now that Lin Lei had the means, he certainly wouldn't give it up.

Crouching Dragon Ravine was developing rapidly, and most residents had spare money. While the territory didn't lack shops for daily necessities, it was severely lacking in entertainment. Aside from two or three taverns for drinking, there was nowhere else to relax.

Therefore, Lin Lei was building not only the Cuju Field but also a Colosseum, a Racecourse, and various other entertainment facilities. The investment was massive; the materials alone cost hundreds of thousands of gold coins, not counting labor and land usage fees.

Despite the high costs, Crouching Dragon Ravine could afford it, and Lin Lei was very optimistic about the money-making potential of these facilities.

Just thinking about the old football leagues—where ticket revenue alone was counted in the billions, not to mention the income from betting and peripheral activities—made Lin Lei drool.

The Cuju Field is located on the east side of Crouching Dragon Ravine Magic School, covering an area roughly the size of two football fields. Its location was specifically calculated; it is far from residential areas and surrounded by vast open space, meaning Lin Lei won't have much trouble turning this place into a red-light district in the future.

"Furexi, how is the progress on the Cuju Field?"

Lin Lei spoke to Furexi, who was supervising the work under the sun. Furexi is a Bugbear and Furell's brother, though his mind isn't as obsessed with martial force as Furell's; instead, he shares the same love for engineering as the smaller goblins.

"Lord, this project is simple. It only requires erecting walls and building tiered seating for convenient viewing. As long as the materials are sufficient, I can finish it in half a month."

Furexi guaranteed, confident that he is second to none when it comes to engineering.

"Very good. I look forward to your results. If you encounter any difficulties, report them immediately, and I will help you solve them."

Lin Lei patted his shoulder to show his appreciation.

One has to admit that goblins truly possess unique talents in engineering and architecture. Since he granted them the right to read books on construction, they have all become architectural experts. Now, the construction in his territory is basically completed by these goblins.

If he hadn't fully discovered the goblins' talent for engineering, the nearly completed Silver Barracks wouldn't have required him to spend one hundred thousand gold coins to hire human master architects.

"Now, when those farmers build houses or barns, they don't even look for humans anymore; they all seek out these goblins to build for them. In their words, the goblins build things both well and fast. Rather than wasting a lot of their own time, it's better to spend a little money."

Lin Lei sighed with emotion.

"Back when Furell first came to Crouching Dragon Ravine, all he saw was hostility, disgust, and fear. Now, the goblins have slowly begun to integrate into human life."

Lin Lei did not stay at the construction site for long. After patrolling, he arrived at Crouching Dragon Ravine Magic School, where he happened to see his younger sister, Avril, learning magic from Aierlan.

"My lady, why did you come out so soon? Shouldn't you be resting a bit more? It's not like one day of lessons makes a difference."

Lin Lei walked toward Aierlan and said with concern.

"..."

Aierlan looked at Lin Lei with a confused expression.

"Why shouldn't I come out to work? Why should I rest? I have always come to teach magic at this time."

"No, aren't you... you know, it's not suitable for you to move around."

Lin Lei gestured wildly as he tried to explain.

"Haha, you mean that? Although I am a mage, my physical strength is no worse than an average warrior. It has no effect on me at all."

Aierlan lightly covered her lips and smiled.

"..."

Lin Lei also gave an awkward laugh, the muscles in his face twitching involuntarily.

Damn it, I forgot this isn't a world without magic.

He thought with a hint of sadness.

"You two continue. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be going."

Lin Lei fled in a panic, not daring to look back.

"Sister, what are you laughing at? I didn't understand the conversation between you and my brother. Tell me, won't you?"

Avril looked at Aierlan with innocent eyes, which radiated a pure light.

"Uh..."

Now it was Aierlan's turn to blush from the question.

Good and evil both have their ends; she had brought this upon herself.

"Lord, this is a letter sent to you by Viscount Edward. According to the messenger, this should be an order conveyed from the higher-ups."

As soon as Lin Lei returned to his Lord's Mansion, the butler, Cress, stepped forward and handed him an encrypted letter.