Chapter 2

Desinia Castle stood alone atop low cliffs by the sea.

Xia Zuoyi's bedroom was connected to his study and was the largest sea-view room in the castle.

When the weather was good, opening the window revealed a vast blue sky, flocks of seabirds flying low as they hunted, and a calm sea glimmering with silver light.

Reading by the window or familiarizing himself with the castle's affairs was undoubtedly a pleasure.

So Xia Zuoyi had Judith bring over a chair and set up a small round table, fragrant flowers, and a pitcher of water steeped with lemon slices.

On the Western Continent, the main beverages were wine and water.

There was no tea or coffee.

Lemons were used as cheap seasoning, and no one had ever heard of soaking them in water to drink.

After Judith tried to stop him, reluctantly compromised, and finally agreed,

Xia Zuoyi finally got his wish and drank lemonade.

It really had not been easy.

The weather by the sea was always unpredictable and ever-changing.

A light rain had fallen that morning, but before noon, the wind had already turned gentle, the sun warm, and the sky as clear as if washed clean.

Xia Zuoyi put away the financial report the old steward had submitted yesterday and could not help sighing.

A noble's wealth mainly came from taxes collected within his territory.

In order to continue researching alchemy, the late Count Matt Desinia had deliberately raised taxes, bringing in a considerable amount of money.

But alchemy was simply too expensive, and the old count had been extravagant and wasteful in his daily life, never frugal.

Thus, by the time the financial report reached Xia Zuoyi's hands, it was already facing a severe deficit crisis.

The sound of flapping wings came from beside him.

Two seabirds landed together on the windowsill, preening each other's feathers. After a brief rest, they immediately flew away again.

Xia Zuoyi withdrew his gaze and looked at Judith, who stood quietly by his side. "Do you know Visas?"

"My lord, I grew up in Visas, so naturally I know it well."

"Then take me out for a look, Judith."

"Yes."

Judith walked over to Xia Zuoyi, murmured an apology, then gently held up Xia Zuoyi's arms and lifted him from the chair, which was too tall and broad for him.

"..."

Xia Zuoyi tried hard to remain calm inside, keeping his expression as composed as possible.

I'll get used to it. I'll get used to it.

He was only six years old. He was still a baby.

The town of Visas lay over a kilometer from the coastline and was also quite far from Desinia Castle.

Xia Zuoyi had the coachman stop the carriage before it entered the main road leading into town.

He could already see countless low houses in the distance, crowds crying out their wares, and roads mixed with filthy water, mud, and excrement...

Perhaps because it had rained that morning, the air smelled even more "fresh," and there was barely a clean place on the road to set foot.

"My lord, aren't we going in?"

Seeing the young count standing on the carriage and staring only at the ground, the coachman gathered his courage and asked.

Xia Zuoyi said, "Wait here."

The Desinia crest was carved on the carriage, making it far too conspicuous.

"Judith, Kelly, let's... walk in."

For the first time, he found the word "walk" incredibly difficult to say.

"Would you like me to carry you, my lord?" Judith asked.

Xia Zuoyi paused, then silently held out both arms. "Sorry for the trouble, Judith."

A trace of amusement flashed through Judith's eyes. "It is my duty, my lord."

He carried Xia Zuoyi into town, with Kelly following behind.

The town was fairly lively.

Most of the stalls on both sides simply placed their goods directly on the ground or atop stones.

The few who cared about cleanliness would spread out a piece of burlap.

A slightly more upscale arrangement was to set a wooden table in front of a shop.

These so-called shops were merely living spaces tidied up to store goods, crude and cluttered.

Xia Zuoyi looked around.

The most common goods in the market were black bread, rye wine, cheap vegetables such as dried bean pods and onions, as well as various utensils and ornaments.

It was only after they had crossed nearly half the market that he saw two pork stalls. The strong, rank stench of pork could be smelled from far away.

Though they lived by the sea, he had not seen a single fish stall.

That was because on the Western Continent, fish cost even more than pork, and only nobles could afford it.

Fishing boats were expensive to build, and the weather at sea could change at any moment. Violent winds and waves might rise the next instant.

Most importantly, if fish was not handled properly, it would have a nauseating fishy smell, and few people were willing to eat it.

For commoners, selling fish was not worthwhile.

Xia Zuoyi committed his observations to memory.

Not far away, a handsome youth with brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in old but fairly clean and tidy clothes, kept moving back and forth among three or four stalls.

He usually approached when the stall owners were selling goods or had already finished selling them.

The rest of the time, he stood quietly to one side.

Xia Zuoyi asked in confusion, "What is he doing?"

"I'll go ask, my lord."

Before Xia Zuoyi could react, Judith had already handed him to Kelly to continue carrying, then headed toward one of the stalls the youth frequented.

Kelly was shorter than Judith but sturdier, with strong arms that held him securely.

But because she was a woman, Xia Zuoyi became uncomfortable. He shifted slightly and said, "Put me down, Kelly. I'm too heavy."

"You aren't heavy at all. You're too light. You should eat more."

Kelly could not help thinking of the young count's appetite. It seemed to have shrunk considerably since he recovered from his illness.

"You've gotten thinner!"

Xia Zuoyi discreetly glanced at his slightly round little belly, his chubby arms and legs... and declined to comment on Kelly's heartfelt concern.

Before long, Judith returned.

"The youth is named Gibran Kino."

"The stall owners said he is very good at arithmetic. When they are selling things, he helps them check whether they have calculated the prices incorrectly. He earns tips this way to support himself and his younger brother."

"How much can he earn?"

"One copper coin."

Judith could not help adding, "Most people in the market know him. Only stall owners with good business call on him to check their accounts. Three or four stalls is already the most, and they do not need him every time."

Besides, the Visas market was held only once every ten days.

The number of copper coins Gibran Kino could earn was limited.

There were three currencies in circulation on the Western Continent.

One gold coin equaled one hundred silver coins, and one silver coin equaled one hundred copper coins.

Usually, one silver coin was enough to cover an ordinary commoner family's living expenses for a month.

Xia Zuoyi looked at the youth and happened to meet his brown eyes.

After a moment, the youth expressionlessly looked away. When a stall owner beckoned to him, he quickly walked over.

Xia Zuoyi also withdrew his gaze. "What else is further inside?"

They were currently at the outskirts of town.

Judith replied, "Taverns, clothing shops, shoe shops..."

Xia Zuoyi decided not to continue looking.

"Let's go back."

"Yes, my lord," Judith said softly.

Gibran Kino could not help turning to look at their departing figures, especially the child being carried in someone's arms. He was fair and tender, clearly not the sort of child a commoner could raise.

Cloth for making clothes, shoes, and such things were all expensive.

He recalled those beautiful, sweet caramel-colored eyes from their earlier exchange of glances and clicked his tongue. "...A little noble."

For Xia Zuoyi, becoming familiar with Desinia and Visas was the first step toward bringing Par Mountain into his territory.

Par Mountain did not currently belong to any territory.

The second step was how to petition King Gadayat and obtain the land through a royal grant.

The third step was how, after acquiring Par Mountain, he could protect the natural asphalt mine he discovered there from being seized by other lords, given Visas's lack of population, insufficient cavalry, poverty, and backwardness.

No matter where it was, a mineral vein was undoubtedly precious and rare.

The coachman cracked the whip and drove the carriage back toward the castle.

Judith and Kelly sat inside the carriage, watching the young count rub his eyes as the road jolted beneath them. He seemed sleepy, and before long, he gave a small yawn, leaned against Judith's arm, and closed his eyes to rest.

Oh, how adorable.

Kelly could not help covering her chest. She could not bear to look away from the young count—his long, curled eyelashes, rosy, fair, chubby cheeks, and slightly pouty lips pressed against Judith's arm.

Oh heavens.

Kelly praised the Creator God for the count's cuteness.

It was too much to bear.

Ding.

Xia Zuoyi saw that the prestige value in the upper right corner of the system interface had increased again, rising from 11 points to 12.

Breaking from zero into double digits had all been thanks to the servants in the castle. Their contributions were truly immense.

He tapped the white building icon.

A tiny stick figure appeared, pulling a search bar behind it—

[Omniscient Library provides professional books for you. Please enter a book title or content.]

Xia Zuoyi said, "Seawater salt-making."

[Searching for seawater salt-making. Please wait... Ding. Search successful: "History of Salt-Making," "Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method and Detailed Illustrations."]

Xia Zuoyi selected "Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method and Detailed Illustrations."

[Reading "Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method and Detailed Illustrations" requires an exchange of 20 prestige points.]

When the system asked whether he wanted to exchange for it, Xia Zuoyi chose no.

He pressed his lips together and slowly opened his eyes.

Judith then saw that the young count leaning against him seemed to have not rested well. His soft, tender cheeks puffed out slightly, the corners of his mouth drooped, and he looked somewhat depressed and unhappy.

Judith gently stroked Xia Zuoyi's back and said, "My lord, we'll be at the castle soon."

Xia Zuoyi looked out the carriage window and could already clearly see the bright red flag fluttering in the wind above the castle—the Thorn Rose that represented the glory of the Desinia Family.

Black thorns covered in countless sharp spikes coiled beneath a vivid rose in submission. Deep red and black intertwined, dangerous yet impossible to resist.

Long-established noble families all possessed their own crests, symbols of identity, power, and status.

Nobles carved their crests onto everything that could display their identity.

For example, badges worn on the body, flags flying above castles, carriages used for travel... even knights' armor bore such markings.

After arriving at the castle, Xia Zuoyi went to the study and retrieved a ring of keys.

"Judith, light the kerosene lamp, then follow me."

"Yes, my lord."

Their destination was the castle basement.

It was an underground laboratory the late count had specially arranged because of his obsession with alchemy.

Layer upon layer of stone steps wound downward. Walking upon them, one could clearly feel damp moisture soaking into the stone. Moss grew in the cracks, and there was a faint smell of seawater and the moldy odor caused by dampness beneath the walls.

At the end stood a tall iron door secured with a lock.

Xia Zuoyi looked at the height of the keyhole, then silently handed the keys to Judith.

Judith took them and opened the door.

A stale, moldy odor rushed out to meet them.

No one had entered this place since the death of the late Count Matt Desinia.

Until today.

After learning nearly everything he needed to know, Xia Zuoyi decided to put his plan into action.

As preparation for the second step of his plan, he would inherit the late count's ambition and become an alchemist himself, giving him an explanation for the knowledge and materials he would need for future construction.

What was alchemy?

—Turning things that were not gold into gold, transforming stone into gold.

—Pursuing medicine, hoping to create the universal elixir known as the Philosopher's Stone.

Put simply, alchemy was a form of "chemical experiment" that mainly developed in the directions of metallurgy and medicine.

However, under the influence of feudal theology, alchemy's ultimate goals appeared absurd, laughable, and unrealistic.

Yet it could not be denied that during the continuous process of exploration, some capable people had gained many achievements through alchemy, which found practical applications in related fields.

This made countless people even more obsessed with and devoted to alchemy, taking pride in becoming alchemists.

Alchemy could be called the primitive form of chemistry.

In Xia Zuoyi's view, medieval alchemy and ancient Chinese elixir refinement had much in common, especially in their pursuit of an "elixir of immortality."

After lighting the kerosene lamps left in the underground laboratory, the pitch-black room finally brightened.

Two long tables stood in the center, covered with strange-shaped equipment and vessels, scattered manuscripts, animal hides, bones, and other things.

Iron shelves lined the surroundings, arranged with many labeled finished products.

Xia Zuoyi inspected the room and found that many items had spoiled and grown mold because they had not been properly preserved.

He did not quite understand why the old count had built the laboratory underground.

The environment was dark and damp.

Wouldn't his eyes go blind after staying here for so long?

Xia Zuoyi shook his head, deciding to move the laboratory elsewhere.

"Judith, have someone come down and move everything in the room to the attic, the largest one."

"Yes, my lord."

Xia Zuoyi wanted to acquire Par Mountain as a gift from the king. First, he needed either merit or a "gift" weighty enough to present to the king.

The Cogit Sea was close at hand, a vast natural treasure trove.

Naturally, the "gift" he had chosen was the seawater salt-drying method.