Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Assets
After the three came to an agreement, Raymond returned home to prepare.
He supposedly had both an older and a younger brother, so it wouldn’t be a problem for him to venture out to Black Forest Island with Duane for a while.
To Duane, Raymond joining them gave him more confidence for the Black Forest Island expedition.
After seeing the two of them off, Duane walked into Auntie Mara’s kitchen and got busy.
This time, in addition to simmering the soup, he also cooked simple dishes like shredded potatoes, shredded potatoes with stir-fried meat, and braised potatoes.
It was more food than Duane could eat alone.
Luckily, Ralph and Mara were around to help share the load.
If there was still too much, he could have Mara give some to Jack and John.
Coincidentally, Duane had mentioned that very morning that he would prepare enough food for them. These hearty, oily potato dishes were perfect.
Little did Jack and John know, this day marked the beginning of a potato-filled diet that would last for several months.
After a flurry of activity, Duane’s Basic Cooking Skill Level increased to (Entry 65/200), while his Fire Source Beast Bone Soup reached (Entry 43/200).
’The skill progression for Fire Source Beast Bone Soup has slowed down.’
To break through to the next level, Duane estimated he would probably need to make about ten more bowls.
He downed the entire large bowl of soup and was once again rewarded with +0.1 attribute points. After adding it, his Strength rose to 4.3.
’I wonder if the effects of the Fire Source Beast Bone Soup will diminish over time.’
Each of the three times he had drunk the soup, it had given him attribute points.
If the soup’s effects were always this consistent, he could use it to farm points.
’How high does my Strength Attribute need to be to become a Basic-level Warrior?’
Warriors have three major levels: Ordinary Level, Tier Level, and Star Level.
Each level is further divided into three ranks.
Basic Level, Middle Level, and Advanced Warriors belong to the Ordinary Level;
while warriors like Kaelon and Carter, who are Human Tier, Earth Tier, and Celestial Tier, belong to the Tier Level.
The Shadow Mist Continent, where the Pruck Kingdom is located, developed late, and the Power of Elements is said to be less dense than in other places. Reaching the Celestial Tier here is already considered being among the ranks of the truly powerful.
In other places, only Warriors who reach the Star Level ranks like Shooting Star, Silver Moon, and Scorching Sun can be called truly powerful.
’The mark of a Basic-level Warrior is the ability to lift a 220-pound object for five seconds. Awakening a Fighting Qi Seed marks the step into the Middle Level.’
’A Middle Level Warrior, on the other hand, can swing a 330-pound object with ease and lift over a thousand pounds!’
The thought filled Duane with longing. A Middle Level Warrior’s strength was comparable to a world champion weightlifter.
As for Advanced Warriors...
A Middle Level Warrior who continuously nurtures their Fighting Qi Seed until it gives birth to Fighting Qi becomes an Advanced Warrior.
At this level, a Warrior’s strength is no longer limited to just power and technique. They can use Fighting Qi for both attack and defense, giving them a much wider range of abilities.
After eating and drinking his fill, Duane practiced with his sword for another hour or so, but his Skill Level only increased by 5 points. If he wanted to make another rapid breakthrough, practicing alone was clearly not going to work.
He planned to find an opportunity to spar with Kaelon or someone else.
"My lord..."
Ralph returned to the castle under the cover of night.
Duane had just put away his sword and was about to take a bath and rest. Seeing Ralph return, he stopped.
"It’s late, Ralph. Have you eaten? If not, ask Mara to prepare some dinner for you."
"Thank you for your concern, my lord. I’ve already eaten out."
Ralph was very grateful for Duane’s concern. The young master had rarely said such things in the past.
"My lord, these are the two I’ve found for the positions of Male Servant and maid. Do you think they are suitable?"
He took a piece of paper from his coat and handed it over.
"So quickly?" Duane was surprised at his butler’s efficiency.
"I asked for recommendations from some acquaintances."
Having been the butler for all these years, Ralph was used to hiring and firing staff for the castle. It was only natural that he had some connections.
Duane took the paper and saw the detailed information of two individuals recorded on it.
Owington, male, 21 years old. Height: 6’0", weight: 160 lbs. Passable appearance. Literate. Strength approaching that of a Basic-level Warrior. His grandfather once served in the Kingdom Legion before retiring due to serious injury. His father is a small beer merchant in Pruck City.
Jasmine, female, 18 years old. Height: 5’8", weight: 101 lbs. Passable appearance. Skilled at tailoring and weaving. Her father is selling her into servitude for a lump sum of one Gold Coin, as they urgently need money for her seriously ill older brother.
Duane nodded silently after reading.
The literacy rate in this world wasn’t as low as in the Middle Ages, but it wasn’t much higher either.
In a barren place like Black Forest Island, there were likely even fewer literate people.
Having a Male Servant who could read and write was a good thing.
As for the maid, being skilled with a needle and not too ugly was good enough; there was no need for her to be cultured.
From these aspects, Owington and Jasmine seemed quite suitable.
’Is one Gold Coin a high or low price for being sold into servitude?’
The basic currency in this world was divided into gold, silver, and copper. 1 Gold Coin could be exchanged for 100 Silver Coins, or 10,000 Copper Coins.
For ordinary families, they only ever dealt with Silver and Copper Coins in their daily lives. Gold Coins basically only circulated among the Nobility and wealthy merchants.
Ralph said, "A price like that is equivalent to nearly two years of a common family’s total income. For a girl like Jasmine, if her father wasn’t in such a rush to sell her for quick money, the price could have been higher."
Duane couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the girl.
But that was how this world worked; it was common to sell a daughter for the sake of a male heir.
"You can arrange a meeting with them tomorrow. If they seem suitable in person, we’ll choose them."
Duane didn’t have any special requirements, so he left the matter to his butler.
"Yes, my lord."
Ralph bowed slightly. "If they meet the requirements, given their different statuses, you only need to provide Jasmine with food, lodging, and clothing. However, Owington will require a salary. What do you think would be appropriate?"
Duane stroked his chin, pondering. "What’s the usual standard?"
"Castle servants are divided into four grades. Besides room and board, a newcomer gets about 10 Silver Coins a year and three sets of clothes. However, a personal Male Servant is usually equivalent to a second-grade servant, earning 28 Silver Coins a year with four sets of clothes."
Duane was surprised. He hadn’t expected the compensation to be so detailed.
In terms of salary alone, a Male Servant earned less in a year than an ordinary self-sufficient farmer. The only benefits were room and board, plus free clothes.
In comparison, they would have more disposable money each year than a self-sufficient farmer.
"The conditions on Black Forest Island are poor. If he asks for a higher salary, we can raise the pay for each servant grade a little to show my sincerity."
He looked at Jasmine’s information on the paper. "Also, even though she’s a house slave, give her something at the end of the year. Hmm, give her one hundred Copper Coins for the New Year’s celebration."
Ralph was stunned for a moment, then smiled in praise. "You are truly generous, my lord. They will surely be grateful!"
Duane changed the subject. "We’ll be leaving for Black Forest Island soon. I need you to help me take inventory of Lakefront Manor’s assets. We’ll take what we can and sell what we can’t for cash as quickly as possible."
The old butler praised him silently in his heart.
Since waking up, the young master was acting more and more like the head of the house. Perhaps going to Black Forest Island wouldn’t be as bad as he’d thought.
"My lord, I have already inventoried the castle’s assets."
Ralph was a competent butler. He had already started this task as soon as he learned they would be leaving Lakefront Manor.
"The current funds in the manor are equivalent to about 583 Gold Coins."
"As for valuable assets, Lord Carter left behind two sets of Heavy Armor, one Storm Greatsword, and one Profound Iron Shield. There are also twenty sets of Cloth Armor, six sets of Light Armor, four Two-Handed Swords, nine One-Handed Swords, thirteen Iron Shields, ten Longbows, and over a thousand Arrows."
"There are also two Breathing Skill manuals and four Combat Techniques manuals."
"Besides these, the rest are just clothes, quilts, wine, and other beverages."
At this point, Ralph paused for a moment.
"These were all Lord Carter’s personal belongings, so we can take them. As for the cattle, sheep, and horses in the manor, aside from your own horse, the rest are assets being reclaimed by the Kingdom. They have already sent people to take inventory, so I’m afraid we can’t take them."
The Kingdom was reclaiming Lakefront Manor and had already inventoried its goods, which put an end to Duane’s idea of selling them for cash.
Besides, transporting a large number of livestock by sea was very inconvenient, involving issues like fresh water, food, and more. He couldn’t have taken them even if he wanted to.
"That’s quite a lot," Duane remarked.
Duane couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. Carter was truly one of the Pruck Kingdom’s top powerhouses; his accumulation over the years was substantial.
Leaving aside the Gold Coins, just the Storm Greatsword and the Breathing Skill and Combat Techniques manuals—items monopolized by the Nobility—were things a common person could never hope to buy.
"Thank you, Ralph. Taking inventory in advance saved us a lot of time."
Duane added, "Contact Julian later and see how many ships we need to rent."
"I understand, my lord."
Ralph’s mood suddenly became a little uneasy.
He knew that soon he would have to leave the city he had lived in for decades for a strange new place.
"My lord, I would like to bring my family with us to Black Forest Island," he said.
His family lived at Lakefront Manor.
"Of course you can!"
Duane certainly had no objections to this; trustworthy people were exactly what he lacked.
"I hear your son, Haien, is skilled at farming. After we go to Black Forest Island, he can serve as my Agricultural Officer."
Agricultural Officer?
A look of pleasant surprise appeared on Ralph’s face.
Historically, there were indeed cases of a nobleman’s butler’s child becoming an official under that noble, but such situations were not common.
Most of the time, the Nobility preferred to appoint their own relatives, friends, or political allies, not people of common birth.
Although an official was not a noble, they were not in the same class as a commoner.
If his son Haien could become the Agricultural Officer, it would be a chance to change his destiny.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Ralph bowed in thanks, but then added with some worry, "For an arrangement like this, shouldn’t you discuss it with Julian first?"
Agriculture was, in fact, also part of Julian’s responsibilities.
Appointing Haien to manage agricultural affairs would, to some extent, diminish Julian’s authority.
Duane nodded. "I will speak to him about it. I’m sure he won’t have any objections."
Haien was skilled in planting and animal husbandry but had no management experience. He would inevitably have to learn from Julian.
When the time comes, Julian can just be responsible for assigning Haien’s work. It would be equivalent to them having a subordinate-superior relationship.
That way, Julian probably wouldn’t have any objections.
