CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 49: TERRITORY UPGRADE

When Lin Rui returned to the territory, it was almost dusk.

The tavern was already sending up smoke, and from afar, the smell of delicious food wafted out from the windows and doors.

The territory’s civil servant, Soro, immediately came to meet him: "Lord, I’ve successfully recruited four Half-Elves and two humans from the captives you brought back. We just need one more person to level up the territory."

As Lin Rui walked towards the tavern, he conversed with Soro, saying, "Very good. I’ll personally try to persuade more later, aiming to surpass a population of one hundred and achieve a territory upgrade. The current priority is to establish the territory’s livestock stable."

There’s no current option for a pasture in the territory’s buildings, but there’s a "Livestock Stable" in the building plans, which can house the territory’s livestock.

Soro said: "Lord, the livestock stable can temporarily house horses. However, the territory is currently lacking a talent in animal husbandry."

After all, in a broken village with less than a hundred people, it’s impossible for the talents to cover all aspects.

Lin Rui thought for a moment and said, "There’s an excellent level Knight retainer in the territory who knows how to care for warhorses. Let him manage the livestock stable for now, since it’s all horses anyway."

[Livestock Stable: A sense of belonging is instinctual for all animals; this is the shelter for all your territory’s livestock. Probability of illness and death for livestock: -80%, pregnancy probability: +50%, meat output: +10%, breed improvement probability: 0.1%.]

Essentially, as long as the warhorses and mules are kept there, they won’t unexpectedly die.

Mules can help haul logistical goods with wagons, able to carry up to two thousand units of resources at a time.

With wagons, neither lumberjacking nor mining would require farmers to haul resources back bit by bit, significantly boosting the resource gathering speed by two to three times. Each lumberyard and mining site could then produce more than a thousand units daily. The territory is currently expanding its lumberyards, operating four at once, producing over four thousand units of wood, nearly reaching five thousand daily—rather substantial indeed.

Soro had a similar thought, detailing to Lin Rui while sitting in front of him: "Lord, I’m planning to build up to four lumberyards and mining sites, having twenty-four farmers focus entirely on gathering resources. Striving to provide almost five thousand units of wood and stone daily for the territory, so that the majority of the building materials won’t need to concern you. The remaining residents will fully focus on constructing various buildings."

"Let’s do as you said. How is the construction of the Golden Pansy Manor coming along?"

"Lord, the manor is very vast, with just the wheat field covering three hundred acres. Even with the blessing of the God of Architecture, it won’t be completed until tomorrow."

Lin Rui nodded and said, "I’ll leave you with the spoils of war recently acquired by the army. You handle it in the trade market. I’ll head to the Goddess Pendulum shortly to upgrade the various building plans. Build all the structures you can."

Soro hadn’t yet responded when a chorus of cries and groans came from the tavern entrance, as a team of knights, supporting each other and stumbling, made their way inside.

"Ouch, ouch~"

"Hiss~ Don’t touch my back. Mom, I feel like I’m done for~"

"Owwwww~~~ Lusen, you scoundrel, don’t lean on me, my leg is about to break."

Lin Rui turned his head and found these knights all with bruised faces, holding their waists and limping.

The life sacrifice priest, Yvette, stepped forward and asked, "Did you get beaten by the territory’s Earth-bound Spirit again? Is this Earth-bound Spirit really that powerful in combat?"

Roger held his waist, drawing a sharp breath as he sat on a bench: "Ouch, ouch, this time it wasn’t an Earth-bound Spirit; it was a Female Demon."

"A Female Demon?" Yvette was surprised: "Is the territory really that dangerous, with powerful Earth-bound Spirits, and Female Demons capable of injuring all of you?"

Lusen crawled to the table, lamenting endlessly: "Please give me some milk quickly. This Female Demon was too ruthless—I feel like my kidneys are about to break due to her pounding."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened once more, and Silver Moon, with wet hair coiled behind her neck, walked into the tavern expressionlessly and sat beside Lin Rui.

The group of knights immediately wailed and huddled against the tavern walls, leaving a path far away: "Lord, we found a Female Demon who looks exactly like Silver Moon sitting to your left."

Silver Moon had obviously just bathed, her entire body fresh and clean, with her furry beast ears hidden beneath her silver-white hair. She now looked like a harmless girl-next-door.

Audrey walked in with a brisk step, laughing uproariously at the sight of the knights: "Hahahaha, you silly fools, you really dared go there. Can’t even get up now, huh?"

All the knights glared angrily at Audrey: "Silver Moon might not be human, but you’re truly a dog! You threw Silver Moon’s knife on the shore to her. None of what you did is what a human would do!"

"Hahahahaha, you should be grateful I only threw one."

"Grateful my foot. Silver Moon went into the water with her clothes on to bathe; it must’ve been your instigation! Oh Divine Spirit, uphold justice, please rid us of this clumsy woman."

"Hahahaha, you idiots, I arranged everything perfectly for you. Now you know who’s second in command of the territory!"

Soro watched the playful crowd, sincerely remarking, "Youth is really nice."

Lin Rui laughed as he concluded, "Youthfulness—it sounds like teamwork to me."

The sun was just right, the wind brushed through the forest treetops, and at this moment, they were in their prime of youth.

The dinner became increasingly sumptuous, as the joining of the Half-Elves elevated the culinary quality of the tavern even further.