And Byron also harvested countless scapegoats and Pathfinder Stones.

Time flew by amidst chaos and disorder, and before the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed, fully entering the rainy season of the Bantaan Archipelago.

BOOM! RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

The rain poured down, and thunder rumbled overhead from time to time. Empowered by the copious moisture, the Source Tide between heaven and earth became extraordinarily active.

Even the naked eye could see many translucent Storm Elves with bird-like wings frolicking and playing amidst the thick, lightning-streaked clouds.

In the natives' legends, they were called Thunderbirds, a common sight atop Totem Poles.

[Thunderbird Warriors] were also the most powerful kings among all Beast Spirit Warriors.

Unfortunately, in such a Low Magic World, unless they were fortunate enough to find a suitable habitat in time, their lifespan would likely only last the duration of a storm.

"What perfect weather," Byron mused.

At the highest level of Torrent Fortress, Byron stood before an open window, extending his hand to watch the rain curtain splash onto his palm and flow down.

Violet, the reserve [Witch of Calamity], was growing ever fonder of the sea and resentful of the land, while he, the [Storm Knight], was becoming increasingly fond of stormy weather.

He wished he could transform into a Wild Hunt Knight, galloping over the waves' raging surge.

And the reason he could afford such leisure and comfort was related to the main structure of the great Edge Fortress, Torrent Fortress, finally being completed before the rainy season arrived.

Those [Bear Spirit Warriors] and their ancestral spirits are practically the Mandate of Heaven for the construction industry. Containing a strength in their human bodies to rival large construction machinery, a project that normally might take years to complete, they finished with ease in just two months. Those excellent talents are indispensable in the major construction projects I have planned for the future. With such strength, why bother fighting and killing? They and their ancestral spirits are naturally meant for the construction site. Come to me. Not only will I provide food and shelter, but I'll also offer you assignments, solving your... staffing issues in the Sacred Golden Empire!

Especially with the last offer, presenting such generous terms, surely few natives could resist.

From the sky above, this large Edge Fortress looked like a huge ten-pointed star nested within layers, with the main body made of three levels of granite structures.

The first level was an impregnable, solid fort body. Its relatively limited space was mainly used for storing food and ammunition. It also housed a secure small prison with direct access to an underground well and three secret escape tunnels.

Following a staircase that was impassable by ten thousand even with a single defender, one could ascend to the fortress's second level.

This was where the city defense soldiers and [Fortress Experts], [Fortress Guards], and other fortress-Sequence Transcendents resided.

The edge of the fort body had a parapet and merlons, and behind them were numerous gun positions.

The arsenal's hastily produced cannons were being put into position one after another.

These included the 68-pound heavy fortress cannon, primarily for defending against sea attacks; its barrel walls were thicker and its length exceeded that of standard cannons. Also part of the arsenal was the Cofflin Long Cannon, with its extremely long range. For close-quarters combat, there was the Carronade. Additionally, there were small revolving cannons with rapid firing rates and wide firing angles, and heavy firearms provided to the fortress-Sequence [Sniper Musketeers] to specifically target individuals and horses.

All in all, totaling several hundred, the collective firepower was several times more terrifying than that of a first-rate battleship.

The third level was a vast open space, a normal hollow castle, not much different from the solid and sturdy common fortress-like structures.

The arsenal, boot camp, command center, Governor's Mansion... and so forth, a series of critical buildings were all located here.

Although the main body of the fortress was complete, the specific interior decorations, armaments, personnel assignments, and so on, constituted the bulk of the time-consuming work.

As the "Fortress Defense Manual," by the Fortress Experts put it.

To guard such a fortress, personnel alone required 3,300 full-time professional soldiers of various types, plus 750 non-combat staff.

To face a siege lasting at least two months, another 280,000 pounds (127 tons) of gunpowder and 350,000 pounds of lead for ammunition were required.

These alone were an even more troublesome major project than building the fortress itself.

However, Byron was full of confidence in the future of this fortress; confident there would be manpower, funding, and industry.

Standing here, looking down the hillside, there lay a burgeoning port city.

A shipyard had been built around the large dry dock, and a swordsmithy took full advantage of water power. The core of this burgeoning industrial area was the metallurgy factory, still emitting subtle flames and rising mist amidst the heavy rain.

This proved that the place was not just a port city, but also an industrial city that had begun to embark on the path of industrialization.

Soon, endless streams of men and women would fill the streets and alleys, becoming the backbone of Byron Lancaster's future return to his homeland to fight for dominance!

What this fortress lacked most now wasn't people or supplies, but a master who had reached the Third Order.

At this moment, Byron suddenly heard a burst of conversation coming from the castle hall downstairs:

"Everyone, once we follow the Captain and seize the treasure of Silvergold Island, what do you all want to do?"

Apart from Violet, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with Byron by the window on the top floor, the direct combat personnel of The World's Fastest Three-Master, The Golden Deer, had all gathered downstairs.

As soon as this heavy downpour stopped, they would set off immediately.

The first mate, [Iron Wall] Bruh; the second mate, [Phantom Blade] Gus; the Sailor Chief cum Captain of the Guard, [Bayfolk Berserker] Eight Fingers; the Gunner Chief, [Artillery Expert] Wayne Dote.

And the singer, [Chameleon] Jacqueline.

Chef cum Storekeeper, [Blood Red Whiskey] Alfred was in charge of scouting ahead; [Shipwright] Little Hans was racing against time to finish the First Tudor Mixed-Sail Ship in the world and wouldn't participate in the adventure.

Catherine needed to be constantly stationed at the International Port and didn't have the capital to adventure.

The rest of these people were Byron's direct lineage, the core team he could deploy.

The one who had just spoken was none other than the money-loving Gus.

Sitting on the sofa, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

SNAP!

His Second Order core ability, [Phantom Blade], was activated. CLATTER! Gold Coins suddenly poured down from above, turning the whole room into a brilliant golden color.

This made the other companions' eyes gleam with excitement.

The promotion path for an assassin is to carry out assassination mission after mission, one bloody series of killings after another.

In the International Port, this chaotic and diverse hunting ground, Gus had finally awakened his Second Order Professional Rank core ability, [Phantom Blade], a few days ago.

He could control illusions of sight, hearing, and perception... even manipulate one's sense of presence.

One moment he could be wielding a greatsword; the next, he could transform it into a firearm. By imbuing it with a sense of presence, it could genuinely be used to kill.

Thanks to Gus's exceptional talent in manipulating presence, his professional ability, though only recently awakened, was already more proficient than that of many veteran colleagues.

Even others of the Second Order, if they opened their Spirit Vision, couldn't distinguish the authenticity of these Gold Coins without careful scrutiny.

Gus grabbed a handful of the heavy Gold Coins, which clinked loudly.

"I'm going to save all my money. When I'm old and retired, I'll buy a huge manor and enjoy the latter half of my life to the fullest. Whenever I encounter a problem that can be solved with money, I can take a deep breath and say, 'It's great to have money.' Not sigh helplessly and lament, 'If only I had money.' So, everyone, saving money from now on is the best way to secure your future."

Eight Fingers, the Honest Man, true to his nature, nodded in complete agreement:

"Indeed, Gus is right. I also want to deposit the money I earn in the bank run by Miss Catherine and the Captain. I don't feel safe putting it anywhere else. Miss Catherine doesn't charge a single copper coin in management fees and won't let my hard-earned money devalue. She's truly conscientious."

Wayne Dote, standing nearby, couldn't agree more.

Hearing their utterly mundane dreams, [Chameleon] Jacqueline scoffed disdainfully, her face gleaming:

"Can you even enjoy it when you're old? When I have money, I'm definitely going to spend it like water and go to the Old Continent's high society to do... the most decadent things! And when the Gold Coins are all spent, I'll rob them!"

This individual, born of Great Nobles, surprisingly seemed more like a qualified pirate than the others, who only wanted to honestly save money.

Living for today, carefree and unrestrained.

Bruh wore a happy smile on his face.

His granite-like face had softened considerably since falling in love.

In noble families, there was little talk of free love; preserving family wealth was a million times more important than love.

He had unexpectedly found a soulmate in the stunningly beautiful [Fairy] Miss Rigel and was already very content with this engagement.

"As for me? When I come back with endless gold and silver, I am going to marry my fiancée..."