CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: A GIFT OF GRACE

Ryan inquired, and sure enough, Irina’s eyes lit up.

"A Tier-1 magic beast egg is worth only about two or three hundred gold coins. A peak Tier-2 egg might go for around fifteen hundred. Considering that the Frost Python is somewhat rare, if successfully raised, it could become an assistant to some knights or mages."

"How about I offer you 1,800 gold coins?"

Ryan nodded and smiled at Irina.

"A fair price," Ryan said, extending his hand.

And so, on the journey back to the Frozen Wastes, the party gained ten new members: Irina and nine guards from the Razor Rose Trading Company.

Among the nine guards, the two leading were official knights, and the rest were trainee knights. According to Harrington, these were all likely veterans who had retired from the battlefield.

"That Countess of Razor Rose has a fondness for keeping demons as slaves, so most of her soldiers have fought with abyssal demons. Compared to regular knights, they should be considerably stronger."

Harrington said this without much concern—after all, they too had followed Count Rimehart deep into the Northern Front.

The now fully thawed marshland had significantly slowed their pace. After traversing the bogs and part of the mountain paths, the road construction team—still hard at work—once again appeared before Ryan.

When he had left, he’d taken only two hundred men. Now, returning with tens of thousands, the sight shocked the slaves and overseers still working on the road.

"Break up these orc slaves and build five slave quarters along the road from the Frozen Wastes to the province to house them."

Following Ryan’s command, the two hundred knight retainers and the five hundred soldiers borrowed from Viscount Randa quickly rushed toward the massive and bloated convoy.

Back in his own territory, Ryan felt a great sense of ease. Seeing the growing scale of the town at the foot of Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, a look of contentment spread across his face.

Old Beard hadn’t been slacking.

Just as he thought of the old steward, the man appeared before him, looking utterly exhausted.

"Young Master Ryan, you’re back."

"Mm. This is Irina, a steward of the Razor Rose Trading Company."

Ryan nodded and gestured toward Irina, then explained the situation with the Frost Python’s egg.

"It’s good to sell it. Our food supplies are running dangerously low."

"Already?"

Ryan frowned. He’d purchased a great deal of food before.

The old steward gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"That rascal of mine took your money and went everywhere buying up serfs at low prices—blacksmiths, carpenters, even recruited a group of freedmen to settle in the Frozen Wastes."

"He bought a lot of slaves, but few nobles are willing to sell grain."

"I’ve already sent him off to open up new fields—let him learn how hard it is to come by food."

"He’s that capable, huh?"

Ryan laughed. Little Beard had surprised him. Though it meant more strain on their food stores.

"According to your orders, we’ve used the stones excavated from road construction to build stone houses as rewards. We’ve also mixed marsh soil with regular soil and transported it to the terraced fields we surveyed earlier. We’re fertilizing it with small amounts of manure to improve fertility. The cut-down trees and leaves are being woven into cloth to cover the soil and retain warmth, and the decaying leaves will naturally blend into the earth."

"Before long, you should be able to see the terraced fields from the castle."

After hearing all the changes during his absence, Ryan looked at the devoted old man with satisfaction.

"Beard, what are your thoughts on the empire establishing a baronage system?"

The old steward looked up in shock. But quickly, he dropped to his knees.

"I’m already old and don’t have many years left. I only wish to stay by your side, Young Master Ryan. If I could see you find a suitable mistress, that would be my greatest wish."

"Who says being a baron means you can’t still be my steward?"

"A baron is aligned with the Fifth Rank nobility. If my own steward doesn’t hold a baronial title, how can he properly handle my affairs?"

Ryan pulled the old man up.

"It’s settled. Once the empire proclaims the baronial territories, I’ll make you the first baron of the Frozen Wastes. In the future, Little Beard will inherit your title."

The old steward trembled. He had never imagined that one day, he too could become a noble. Shaking all over, he dropped to his knees once more, tears streaming as he bowed repeatedly.

"That’s enough. I brought back a few servants—go find Madam and ask her to train them a bit, then send them up the mountain."

Ryan quickly dismissed him. His decision left Irina standing nearby utterly stunned.

"Lord Ryan... you’re truly generous."

Even Irina wasn’t sure how to describe the magnitude of Ryan’s gift. A baronial title—just given away like that.

After all, by traditional norms, a noble’s steward was still a servant—not a slave, but essentially part of the noble’s private property.

If word of this got out, Ryan would surely be shunned by many nobles.

"It’s just a baron. You’re giving that title too much weight. The empire so easily altered the noble system precisely because barons aren’t as important as people think."

Ryan looked out at his territory. The signs of prosperity and livelihood were mesmerizing.

His gift to the old steward wasn’t some impulsive generosity. For the future of his territory, a baronial steward would be necessary to manage everything.

Just like now—those former nobles brought back from the continent of Eksnel. Would they truly show the old steward proper respect? Unlikely.

But now things were different. Times had changed. By elevating the steward’s status, Ryan naturally elevated his own as lord.

This rise wasn’t just about nominal authority—it was about increasing his prestige in the hearts of his people.

Before, Ryan was their lord. But in the future, he would be the lord of their lord.

This was also why the implementation of the baronage system hadn’t sparked much resistance from Fifth Rank nobles—their status and voice had risen once again.

With that in mind, Ryan’s heart brimmed with thoughts, and a faint smile curled at his lips.

Seeing the young lord’s smile, Irina swayed slightly. She realized that this baron was far more terrifying than she had imagined.

Thinking back to the road-building operation in the mountains, Irina understood—the entire Northern Wind Province had underestimated the Baron of the Frozen Wastes.