"Welcome back, dear Lord."

Lawrence greeted with a broad smile at the town gate, glancing at the rear,

"You've brought back so many slaves to work again!"

The more slaves there were, the happier Lawrence was now.

Autumn harvest was approaching, and food was no longer an issue.

Lawrence didn't know how to farm, but he wasn't a fool. The fields full of lush wheat spikes clearly signaled a bountiful harvest.

"These people can only do grunt work, like breaking stones and chopping trees."

Luo De casually tossed the riding whip to Lawrence, instructing, "Don't assign them to any work involving core knowledge."

These newly captured soldiers were different from the purchased slaves, and Luo De couldn't fully trust them.

Their families were still in the Earl's domain, and if given the chance, they would undoubtedly escape.

So, it was necessary to handle them cautiously.

Of course, they couldn't be allowed to freeload either.

Immediately, Luo De also informed Lawrence of Knight Chris's identity, asking him to arrange it properly.

Knight Chris would likewise not escape the fate of doing hard labor.

However, unlike ordinary soldier captives, he was afforded an extra procedure—a chain on his ankles.

This was the minimum respect for a knight.

Accompanying Lawrence to welcome Luo De was also Avril.

Luo De was quite surprised because Avril usually stayed in her room and only came out when Luo De returned to the manor.

Avril didn't step forward to disturb them.

She stood to the side, staring at Luo De, frowning slightly, examining Luo De up and down.

Only when she found that Luo De had no visible wounds did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Her expression softened, and her sweet smile returned to her lips.

"What makes you step out of the manor suddenly today?"

Luo De walked up and said proactively.

Before Avril could speak, Lawrence spoke first, "Miss Avril has been inquiring about your news these days, very concerned about you.

When I received news of your return today, I told her immediately."

Avril hurriedly explained, "Baron Rod, you said it was just training, five days is quite long for training, I also wanted to let you know about the salt mines..."

"Something happened at the salt mine?" Luo De frowned slightly.

"No, no, it's just routine reports."

Avril's cheeks flushed instantly, quickly changing the subject, "The most important thing is that you're back safely."

Everything was stable at the salt mine, nothing was really happening, it was just an excuse she made up.

Originally, Avril thought she wouldn't be worried.

Luo De was always careful and smart, he wouldn't put himself in danger.

But as Luo De's absence stretched past three days, she began to toss and turn, inexplicably restless inside.

Each night, uncontrollable thoughts of various possibilities filled her mind, scenes she'd never imagined, filled with bloodshed.

Moreover, Milly kept asking where Lord Luo De had gone, adding to her turmoil.

She knew very well that mobilizing so many soldiers meant facing something significant.

But there was nothing she could do, except pray.

So, as soon as the guard returned with news, she immediately followed Lawrence to welcome him.

Luo De was safe and sound; nothing else mattered.

Avril then softly said,

"Dinner is ready, and the hot water has been prepared. Baron Rod, would you like to bathe first, or eat?"

Luo De glanced at her in surprise.

Usually, Avril never worried about such things or took the initiative to arrange them.

This caught Luo De somewhat off guard.

However, these things weren't important. If Avril wanted to do them, she could, as it could lighten Lawrence's workload a bit.

"Let's bathe first; after traveling these days, I must stink by now," Luo De said casually.

Although he hadn't personally engaged in combat, the battlefield's scent of blood still clung to him.

In addition to the long journey and camping outdoors, he felt filthy and longed to cleanse himself.

If it were winter, he might endure for a while, but in other seasons, Luo De couldn't stand it.

Especially in summer, Luo De couldn't wait to wash every day.

"Alright."

Avril nodded, immediately turning to instruct the servants to prepare warm water.

Luo De enjoyed a refreshing bath, changed into clean clothes, savored a sumptuous dinner, and had a peaceful sleep.

Early the next morning, after waking up, Luo De's attention returned to preparations for the autumn harvest.

The blacksmith shop was bustling day and night.

Besides the usual short-handled sickles, Luo De also commissioned fifty long-handled sickles from the blacksmith shop.

These sickles were heavier than short-handled ones, with long, curved blades measuring seventy to eighty centimeters.

Short-handled sickles had blades of only thirty to forty centimeters, used for cutting individual or small groups of plants, requiring the other hand to grasp the stalks.

In contrast, the long-handled sickles used their length and blade curve to sweep across crops, allowing one to stand or slightly bend, making broad swings, covering a larger cutting range for continuous harvesting.

Undoubtedly, long-handled sickles were more efficient.

In wide and flat wheat fields, a proficient young farmer could harvest five acres in a day, compared to only three acres with short-handled sickles.

Of course, using long-handled sickles required a certain level of proficiency, and due to their weight, they needed to be used with both hands by adult men.

This was unlike short-handled sickles, which could be operated by women and children.

This also resulted in significant physical exertion when using long-handled sickles.

Therefore, Luo De had already prepared ample food for these farmers to ensure they had enough energy to sustain their high-intensity labor.

The blacksmith shop wasn't only busy forging farm tools; they also had to repair chain armor captured from prisoners, ensuring they were quickly outfitted on new recruits.

Such a massive workload made the blacksmith Hammer and his team exhausted.

Luo De understood their hard work, even if they didn't complain.

Hence, he arranged for ten apprentices to assist them specifically.

These apprentices for now were only performing simple supportive tasks; Luo De didn't expect them to learn much about blacksmithing.

By winter, they'd have enough time for systematic learning.

Meanwhile, the construction of the windmill was also in full swing.

The basic framework has been completed, with only the gear section still under testing.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Luo De instructed Chris to write a letter according to his own intentions, and then, based on the intelligence previously provided by Chris, sent someone to the post at the bottom of White Rock Canyon.

...

...

Noon.

In the luxuriously decorated study room of Eagle Castle.

A tall, thin middle-aged man with a hooked nose leaned back in his chair, slowly opening the letter brought by the attendant.

After examining it carefully for a moment, the middle-aged man nodded slightly.

"Chris has learned to be cautious."

This middle-aged man is the current Count of the Hawk Clan. He casually handed the letter to his Chief Knight.

The Chief Knight of the Hawk Count, Balrog, took the letter and quickly scanned it.

The letter stated that Chris had confirmed the location of Frost Leaf Town, but the surrounding situation was still uncertain.

He was cautiously probing and looking for an opportunity to attack.

"Initially, I thought of sending him some food, but now it seems unnecessary."

After reading the letter, Chief Knight Balrog carefully placed it back.

In the letter, Chris had already explained that there were far more beasts in the wilderness than there were at Eagle Ridge.

Additionally, he encountered a few families along the way and "incidentally" requisitioned some food.

Everyone knew that "requisition" was a euphemism for robbery.

Anyway, it wasn't the territory of our Hawk Clan, so it didn't matter.

"It's just as well; right now we can't easily mobilize troops."

The Hawk Count nodded slightly and said seriously, "The attitude of the Bailu Clan has again begun to be unclear these days, with no reply yet."

"But hasn't Marquis Cold Blade already mediated in between?"

Balrog was slightly startled.

More than a month ago, under his own accompaniment, the Hawk Clan and the Bailu Clan reached a reconciliation to jointly exploit the copper mine in the Hive Mountain Forest.

Both parties would send scribes to record the output, and then settle accounts annually, splitting the profits evenly between the two families.

And concerning the Hawk Count's child's death, the Bailu Clan promised to provide satisfactory compensation.

The cooperation contract hasn't been signed yet, so is the Bailu Clan going back on their word?

"What we see is only the surface."

The Hawk Count shook his head, "This war was initiated by the Bailu Clan, and they are vassals of Marquis Cold Blade."

If it weren't for the backing of a major noble, how could the Bailu Clan, a Viscount family, dare to provoke us directly?

After the peace talks, Marquis Cold Blade invited me to join the Northern Noble Alliance he was forming. I declined, and then the Bailu Clan's attitude became vague.

A hint of deep thought flashed in the Hawk Count's eyes.

The result is apparent; Marquis Cold Blade is not a good person.

If he had realized this two weeks ago, perhaps he wouldn't have sent Chris to Black Pine Ridge.

But there's no point in discussing it now.

After all, Lawrence is just a newly appointed baron, nothing to worry about.

"Reply to the messenger of Chris, tell him to quickly teach that baron a lesson and recover our losses."

The Hawk Count squinted his eyes, "Just don't endanger that little baron's life; no need to show mercy otherwise."

"Yes, Lord Count."

Balrog noted everything down and immediately began writing the reply.

Soon, a homing pigeon flew out from Eagle Castle.

...

...

At the same time, the hall in Frost Leaf Town had a table full of sumptuous meats.

Pan-fried bear meat, roasted flaming wolf ribs, stewed wolf meat...Luo De was continuously stuffing it into his mouth.

It wasn't because he was hungry; he was just two and a half pounds away from unlocking the next entry in the Hunting Domain: Savage Absorption.

Even if he couldn't eat anymore, he had to; Luo De didn't want to wait any longer.

Washing it down with wild strawberry wine, half a pound remaining, Luo De gritted his teeth and grabbed another piece of wolf meat to stuff into his stomach.

[The territory has hunted fifty fierce beasts and consumed three thousand pounds of meat, and you have consumed a total of one hundred pounds of ferocious beast meat, unlocking the entry: Savage Absorption]

"Burp——"

Luo De let out a long breath, finally completing it.

Chewing the meat in his mouth, he opened the entry information to check.

[Savage Absorption (Blue): You can gain extra energy from meat, doubling the efficiency of all methods that enhance physical attributes, while also increasing appetite by 100% and making you crave meat more.

The enhancement effect is temporarily void when injured, but wound healing speed increases by 500%]

Savage Absorption?

Luo De felt that the entry description seemed more like a Devourer.

There were a lot of descriptions in the entry; to Luo De, it meant increased efficiency in Breathing Technique Cultivation and also enhanced wound healing speed.

And because the body absorbs more nutrients, Luo De requires more food and naturally craves meat more.

Unfortunately, improvement can only be achieved through eating meat.

If herbs could achieve the same effect, perhaps he could even gain an immunity to all poisons.

Of course, this is an entry in the Hunting Domain, so it's reasonable that only eating meat is effective.

What caught Luo De's attention next was the entry Hunting Lord:

[Next entry: The territory accumulates fifty tons of beast hunts, accumulates five hundred fierce beast hunts, and five magical beast hunts, unlocking: Hunting Lord]

Fifty tons of beasts is not difficult; it's about the quantity of fifty or sixty wild bulls, and the fierce beasts are also manageable; Luo De could conveniently unlock another entry [Fierce Beast Hunter]

Five magical beasts is the most challenging part.

——Accurately, it's four, as it also counts the previous kill of the Two-legged Flying Dragon.

Four magical beasts are not a small number.

In his mind, Luo De calculated that he must find opportunities to collect all those magical beast rumors.

No matter what, now that Crop Lord, Breeding Lord, Hunting Lord, and Lord of the Mineral Vein have appeared, the next step is to unlock them one by one.

Since Crop Lord is purple, the other three lord entries should also be purple.

Then, what about the Great Lord of Nature?

Luo De felt an eager anticipation in his heart.

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