The Sprite's Disturbance

"What are you standing there for? Pick up the fish, quickly!"

Nalant looked at his stunned subordinates and urged them immediately.

"Yes, My Lord!" Vivian, being the closest to Nalant, stepped forward at once and scooped up the fish. "My Lord, you are amazing! This sea fish is worth at least thirty copper coins!"

"Hm? Is it that expensive?"

"My Lord, it is true. That is the price in the Barony of Quinte; I have seen it in the market." Vivian nodded affirmatively.

Doesn't that mean I can make a fortune? Nalant felt a surge of joy. If the price of sea fish was truly this high, he could solve his food shortage and increase the territory's revenue in the future.

Without further delay, Nalant swung his rod and cast it back into the water.

He needed to confirm one thing now: that this sea fish was not just a stroke of luck.

Just like before, the silver spoon attracted a school of fish as it hit the water, and Nalant began to rhythmically dance the rod in his hands once more.

"It's starting again! The Lord is dancing again!" The eyes of the crowd lit up, especially the serfs, who stared unblinkingly at the Lord's movements.

They all wanted to learn the Lord's "secret fishing dance" so they could sneak out and catch a few fish themselves another day.

"You lot, don't look!" A few serfs, unable to contain themselves, had already started mimicking Nalant's posture while watching.

Their actions were immediately noticed by Quick, who quickly stepped in front of the serfs and sternly ordered them to look away.

In Quick's eyes, this dance was a unique skill that could generate wealth—it was his Lord's exclusive property and not to be touched by serfs, at least not without the Lord's authorization.

Seeing Quick's glare, the serfs shrank their necks and quickly lowered their heads.

Hum!

Just then, a humming sound came from ahead; the Lord had caught another fish.

Sure enough, Nalant's rod bent into a deep arc, pulled taut as the sea fish darted about.

"Damn, this one is huge!" Nalant felt a pull several times stronger than the previous fish and couldn't help but exclaim in excitement.

Because the fish was so large, Nalant didn't dare to reel it in directly as he had before; instead, he followed the fish as it swam.

Gradually, Nalant was pulled to the edge of the beach. Any further, and he would be in the Merman's territory.

"No way, get up here!" Nalant couldn't afford to be cautious anymore and risked everything by lifting and swinging the rod.

As Nalant exerted force, the sea fish, already exhausted, was finally pulled out of the water.

"Wow! What a huge sea fish!" As the fish was dragged through the air, everyone widened their eyes. The fish weighed at least seven or eight pounds.

Snap!

Just as the fish was about to be pulled onto the shore, the rod, made from a simple tree branch, finally gave way under the strain and snapped in two.

"Go on, get on the shore!"

Nalant was quick-witted; he kicked the fish's belly, and the sea fish flew onto the shore in a narrow escape, where Quick pounced and caught it in his arms.

"My Lord is mighty!" The crowd erupted into cheers!

"Haha, it's nothing!" Nalant felt quite a sense of accomplishment. Most importantly, he had confirmed that lure fishing could be used in this world, and that catching the sea fish earlier was no accident.

Nalant had wanted to catch a few more to take back to the castle and change up their diet, but with the rod broken, he decided to call it a day.

"Kenbi Cowdung!"

"My Lord, I am here!" Kenbi Cowdung was now filled with worship for his Lord; he never expected that the Lord could catch fish simply by dancing.

If only I could learn those dance moves, how wonderful that would be! Kenbi Cowdung thought to himself.

"How many days of food does your village have left?"

"Reporting to my Lord, there is only enough wheat for a little over a week! But if we could go to the Blazing Forest in the west to pick wild fruits, perhaps... perhaps we could keep eating." Kenbi Cowdung answered cautiously.

"You cannot go to pick wild fruits anymore." Nalant had his own plans, but he dismissed the idea of the serfs risking their lives in the Blazing Forest. With so much sea fish, even if there were no danger, he wouldn't waste manpower on that.

"This..." Kenbi and the other serfs turned pale, thinking Nalant was forbidding them from picking wild fruits in the territory.

In this world, every blade of grass on the land belonged to the Lord. If the Lord ordered that they could not pick them, then even pulling a small weed would be considered stealing the Lord's property.

Of course, under normal circumstances, no lord would issue such an order.

"I will make some fishing rods over the next two days. Your duty from now on will be to fish!" Nalant declared.

"Ah? Fi... fishing?" Kenbi Cowdung looked stunned.

"What, are you unwilling?"

"Willing, I am willing." Kenbi Cowdung's face was filled with excitement as he nodded like a chicken pecking at grain.

"Good!" Nalant nodded and dismissed Kenbi Cowdung. Just as he was about to pull something from his pocket, Quick leaned in and whispered cautiously, "My Lord, are you really going to teach them the secret skill of dancing to fish? Won't that leak the technique?"

"What secret dancing skill?" Nalant was confused for a moment.

Seeing that his Lord didn't understand, Quick immediately raised his hands and swayed his waist, mimicking the way Nalant had teased the fish earlier. "This secret skill!"

"..." Black lines appeared on Nalant's forehead. Did I really do such shameful waist-twisting movements while fishing?

"Quick, go tell the serfs now: not a single word about the fishing is to be leaked!" However, Quick's words served as a reminder. This lure fishing was truly an innovation in this world and could bring immense economic benefits; it certainly could not be leaked.

"Yes, My Lord!" Quick knew Nalant's mind was made up and dared not say more. He immediately walked toward the serfs, and soon, stern warnings could be heard.

After Quick departed, Nalant took a little fellow out from his bosom—it was none other than the Blue Sprite he had obtained last night.

This little creature had actually reacted just now as Nalant approached the beach.

"This is not good news!" This was the coastline, and Nalant was deeply worried that the habitat the little fellow might choose would end up being in the sea.

If there were no Mermen, Nalant wouldn't be particularly troubled, but with the Mermen present, even if it could attract some precious sea fish to settle there, Nalant would have no way to harvest them.

However, the little fellow's choices were always random, and Nalant had no choice but to accept it. "Go on, little one!"

With that, Nalant placed the Blue Sprite on the ground.

"Migu, migu!" The little fellow chirped excitedly at Nalant before scurrying down toward the beach.