Chapter 401 - 149: Falan’s Discovery

Chapter 401: Chapter 149: Falan’s Discovery

"Alright. Since the Marquis wants you to join my troops, I’ll certainly bring you along."

"However, as for military matters...?" Robson asked.

"I’ll follow all the general’s commands!" Noon said, thoroughly convinced.

The scene just now had shocked him beyond words.

Over a hundred burly men were either knocked to the ground or sent running in just one minute.

’They weren’t even in the same league!’

As a scion of a great family, Noon may have been pampered, but he wasn’t a fool. He had requested this trip to the Frank Kingdom to temper himself.

’Learning from someone with real ability will surely maximize the benefits of this journey.’

Robson smiled.

’With spoiled young masters like him, it’s enough if they just don’t cause trouble.’

’If he wants to tag along, let him. It builds a connection for the future. What if I ever have to travel abroad? This connection might come in handy someday.’

"Ais, you can begin. Starting today, the entire army will be reorganized and trained."

"I want to see results within a week!" Robson commanded.

A week wasn’t a long time, but it wasn’t short, either.

It wasn’t enough time to forge them into elite soldiers, but it was sufficient to instill some discipline.

’Besides, these soldiers are mine now. There’s plenty of time.’

"As you command!"

...

Ais was a veteran commander under Robson, and he had a contingent of Tier Six Soldiers with him. Robson was naturally at ease entrusting the matter to them.

After giving his instructions, Robson and Valentino took a carriage and headed back toward Fengman Manor.

Due to last night’s banquet, there was sure to be an endless stream of visitors over the next few days.

What Robson didn’t expect was that upon his return to the manor, the first person to arrive wasn’t a high-ranking noble, but Falan.

Falan was waiting anxiously at the entrance, carrying something on his back.

"Falan? What are you doing here?" Robson asked.

"Robson, you’re finally here."

Seeing Robson, Falan’s eyes lit up. He took the object off his back and handed it to Robson.

Robson opened the bag. Inside was a stone tablet engraved with strange runes.

"What is this?" Robson asked, looking at the stone in confusion.

"Something good! I found it in the eastern part of the city. Remember what you told me about how those relays are made?" Falan said.

The memory surfaced in Robson’s mind.

After leaving the ancient ruins, Robson had asked Falan many questions about the relays and the array.

The manufacturing process for the relays, in simple terms, involved a device that proportionally shrank an array and then engraved it onto a prepared material.

It wasn’t just relays; many wondrous magical items required this technology. They were essential for integrating magic into everyday life.

Unfortunately, such a device was incredibly complex. Even if Falan understood the principles, the various materials and infrastructure required were beyond the means of any ordinary person to create.

Robson looked at Valentino.

Without a doubt, this was far more important than entertaining nobles.

"Earl Harold is visiting tonight. Remember to be back," Valentino said.

Robson nodded.

...

"What’s the situation? Where did you find this?"

Robson stared at the stone slab in his hand, but after a long while, he still couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

"Didn’t you ask me to design an array for manufacturing magic crossbows?"

"The manufacturing process for magic crossbows is complex and requires many components. Today, I went looking for suitable magical materials."

"And while I was browsing the market, I found this," Falan said.

The magic crossbow was a task Robson had assigned to Falan.

If steel armor could be mass-produced using a magic array, then why not magic crossbows?

The good news was that Falan did have a way. The bad news was that the production process for magical items was always convoluted, which raised the difficulty of designing the array by an entire level.

"We’ve arrived at the Foliar Trading Company, sirs," the coachman said.

Robson stepped out of the carriage.

The street outside was bustling with people. Before him stood a towering building of at least six or seven stories.

*Hiss...* Since coming to this world, aside from the city walls, this was the first time he had seen such a tall building.

"Robson, this is it."

"I saw it on the second floor, but I didn’t have enough money on me, so I had to come back," Falan explained.

Robson nodded. Just as he was about to go inside, he noticed a familiar crest by the entrance.

’The Guterres Family crest?’

Looking at the building before him, Robson could only sigh. ’As expected of one of the kingdom’s great merchant families. They’re seriously wealthy.’

"General Robson!"

Upon seeing Robson, someone immediately came forward to greet him.

"And you are?"

Robson looked at the man before him, not recalling ever having met him.

"Herman. Herman Gutierrez, General. I’m merely a viscount within the family, so it’s perfectly normal that you wouldn’t know me," Viscount Herman said with a smile.

The Guterres Family had its own information network; important clients were known by practically everyone.

Robson had been on the Guterres’ list of distinguished guests for a long time, and that was even more true after the events of last night.

"In that case, I’ll have to ask you to lead the way, Viscount!" Robson said with a smile.

As they walked, Viscount Herman began pointing out various items in the establishment, informing Robson of the special discounts available to him.

He had to admit, the Guterres Family’s collection was impressive. Many of the items Viscount Herman mentioned were incredibly tempting to Robson.

Unfortunately, he only had about thirty thousand gold coins on him. While that was far more than he’d had before, developing a territory was a bottomless pit for funds.

According to Marquis Oscillate, he had a good chance of obtaining the entire territory of Ehrlichland in the future.

The viscount’s domain granted by the King, though it contained over three thousand households, was minuscule compared to the whole of Ehrlichland.

"Robson, it’s right here."

Falan chimed in just as Robson and Viscount Herman were enjoying a pleasant conversation.

Robson looked up in the direction Falan was pointing. In the distance was an antique shop.

’An antique shop?’ Robson frowned. He hadn’t expected Falan to have unearthed his find from a place like this.

Humanity in this world had a history spanning thousands of years. Society was full of scions of fallen dynasties, so the antique trade was quite prosperous.

Robson had even heard a story about someone trading an entire viscount’s domain for a commander’s sword said to have been used by the founder of the First Empire, Alexander the Great.

Whether it was authentic or not was anyone’s guess.

Viscount Herman paused for a moment, then looked at Robson with a smile.

"I didn’t realize the general had a fondness for such things," Viscount Herman said with a smile.

"Ha, just a small hobby. Something to decorate the manor with."

"Falan, what other items did you see besides this one?" Robson asked, turning to Falan.