Slippery Flying Fish (Seeking Votes!)

The sprite was a magical existence. Ordinary creatures or Magic Beasts would not attack it, so Nalant did not worry that the blue sprite would be in any danger heading toward the beach.

Sure enough, when the blue sprite arrived at the beach, the Merman Sea Monsters merely watched it with curiosity, neither attacking nor chasing it.

The blue sprite chirped "migu migu" as it descended into the seawater.

The little fellow finally stopped at a distance of about fifty meters from the shore.

Thanks to the incredibly clear water, Nalant saw a patch of colorful coral down below.

As the blue sprite hovered, blue light slowly gathered on its body. When the radiance became dazzlingly bright, rings of light began to ripple outward!

As the blue light swept across the coral reef, the underwater corals became even more vibrant.

If this were my past life, this place would probably become the most beautiful tourist destination, right? Nalant felt like crying but had no tears.

Splash! Splash!

At this moment, a great commotion suddenly erupted on the sea surface. Groups of sea fish were swimming from the deep sea toward the shallows, leaping out of the water from time to time, appearing incredibly lively.

"Flying fish?" As a Title Knight, Nalant had keen eyesight and discovered that the school of fish was all of the same species.

The fish were not large, only about the length of a chopstick, with bodies that shimmered like silver. The most peculiar feature was a pair of pectoral fins that resembled a bird's wings, allowing them to glide briefly just above the surface of the sea.

"Do you know what kind of fish that is?" Flying fish existed in his past life, but he did not know if they were the same as those in this world.

"My Lord, that looks like a Slippery Flying Fish!" Kenbi Cowdung spoke up weakly.

"Slippery Flying Fish?" Nalant had not expected anyone to actually recognize them.

"My Lord, the Slippery Flying Fish is a bad fish. They aren't edible. Once, a villager in the village picked up one of these flying fish on the shore, and he ended up having diarrhea for three days; he nearly starved to death. Besides us, even the seabirds won't eat them, as they're also afraid of getting diarrhea..."

"..." Nalant mourned for that serf, and at the same time, he mourned for his own gold coins.

In this situation, it was clear that the blue sprite had been a waste of effort. A fish that caused diarrhea... even if he had the ability to clear the Merman Sea Monsters from the coast in the future, these Slippery Flying Fish likely had no economic value.

With mixed feelings, Nalant did not linger at the beach any longer. With a heavy heart, he led his guards back the way they came.

He had originally planned to head west to finish patrolling the entire Storm Territory, but since the villagers said there were Magic Beasts in the west, he would have to wait until he was fully prepared before completing the rest of the patrol.

He hadn't even worn his leather armor when he left today; if he truly encountered a Magic Beast, his combat effectiveness would certainly be inferior to being fully armed.

"Vivian, is there a blacksmith in Wheat Leaf Village?" Fishing was a matter of urgency, and what was most lacking for fishing were artificial lures and spoons. After returning to the castle, Nalant began to make arrangements.

Naturally, he could not continue to use iron spoons to make the next batch of bait, especially since he couldn't find that many spoons.

"Yes, My Lord, Ferdie the blacksmith in the village runs a smithy!"

"Good, there really is one!" Nalant was overjoyed and immediately instructed Quick, "Quick, take the spoon and fishhook I brought back to the smithy and order one hundred sets. Tell him to make them as soon as possible. You can go to Steward Thomas later to collect the money needed."

"Also, go to the Swordwood Forest and select thirty Swordwood trees as thick as a thumb to be felled and sent to Misfortune Village so they can be crafted into fishing rods." Sea fish came in all sizes; Nalant knew that if he used ordinary tree branches, there would be no way to catch them.

"Yes, My Lord!"

Although he had only patrolled a small part of the territory today, it had taken up Nalant's entire morning. After Quick left, Thomas came to report that lunch was ready.

"After gnawing on bread and smoked meat for half a month, I finally get to eat fresh food!" At the long table, sipping the incredibly delicious fish soup, Nalant couldn't help but moan in satisfaction.

For half a month, eating smoked meat and bread every day had been hard on him, a true foodie from China in his past life. Now, he finally had a chance to rescue his taste buds.

"The only fly in the ointment is that there is no cook!"

In the original owner's memories, even in the castle of his not-so-wealthy father, Baron Andrew, the richness of the food reached the minimum standard for nobles, and there were even four or five cooks.

Of course, the low standard of dining in Nalant's castle was partly due to the cooks, but the source of the ingredients was also a factor.

The commoners had no surplus grain to raise animals, and Nalant had arrived empty-handed. Currently, there wasn't even a chicken or duck raised on his territory; wanting to eat an egg was impossible.

I must work hard to live the life of a lord without shame or worry soon! Other nobles had operated their fiefs for decades or even centuries to gradually improve their lives, but Nalant felt that as a transmigrator, he should reach the level of other nobles within a year or two at the latest. After all, he was a man with a golden finger.

"My Lord, there are new gold coins recorded today. Let me report them to you!" Thomas held an account book and spoke cautiously.

Regarding "vulgar matters" like money, nobles left them to the castle steward to manage. Whenever there were large expenditures or significant income, the steward would report them to the noble during a meal, which saved the noble from wasting extra energy managing these affairs.

"Hmm, tell me!"

"My Lord, the castle originally had nine gold coins, thirty silver coins, and two hundred and ten copper coins. After adding the wealth you brought back today, the castle now has a total of thirteen gold coins, thirty-nine silver coins, and three hundred and fifty copper coins."

Hmm, I, a dignified lord, now only have 130,000 in funds! Nalant thought to himself after hearing the report.

This amount was really nothing for a lord; it wasn't even enough to repair this dilapidated castle.

This Baron's castle had been breached by Dark Creatures several times. Although the walls and structure were intact, furniture and decorations were lacking. It needed to be completely renovated and decorated inside and out.

For example, the corridors and the great hall had to be carpeted; otherwise, it was just a bare stone floor, which didn't look like a noble's residence at all. He also had to place some art, gold and silver utensils, or lamps in the castle to show off his wealth; otherwise, if word got out, he would be ridiculed by other nobles.

Nalant didn't care about a noble's dignity for his own sake, but reputation wasn't as simple as "I like it, I'm happy" like in his past life.

A bad reputation would affect future trade between Storm Territory and other territories or other matters.

In this world, a noble's reputation was equivalent to a business card.

If you were known for great fame or a good reputation, then in any territory, people would look up to you and treat you as an honored guest.

If you were notorious or known for being poor, then forget about making friends; it would be good if people didn't look down on you.

Once the sea fish are caught in a few days, I can sell some for money. Also, after a while, I can cut down some mature Swordwood to sell! Nalant calculated in his heart.