Chapter 143. Level 4 Goldwin Potential

Chapter 143: 143. Level 4 Goldwin Potential

Arthur kept looking at Carlos for a while.

Carlos had seen that look before from some people. It was not surprise anymore. It was calculation.

Arthur put the pen down on the table.

"You asked what a Level 4 potential is," he spoke. "It is not a system title. It is something the family uses to decide how much someone is worth investing in."

Carlos nodded slowly.

"Then tell me."

Arthur looked at Evelyn for a moment. She was still standing near the side of the room with her tablet in hand. She had stopped writing after Carlos mentioned the Agricultural District.

"There are five levels in the Goldwin family’s evaluation," Arthur said. "Level 1 is for a Lord who can keep a territory alive. Someone who does not lose everything after their first few problems."

Carlos did not react.

"Level 2 is for someone who can grow properly. They have a stable force, a good domain, maybe a good production item. Enough that they do not need help every day."

Arthur continued.

"Level 3 is when someone begins producing something valuable outside their own territory. Trade, military strength, crafting, resources. Something that other people need."

Carlos understood that part. Food was that for him now. Wood and stone had come because other Lords needed meals. Slime Cores had come too.

"And Level 4?" Carlos asked.

Arthur leaned back in his chair.

"Level 4 is for someone who can build something bigger than one territory. Someone who has strength, production, connections, and something that can keep growing even after the Beginner Period ends."

Carlos looked at him.

"So you placed me in the Level 4 category because I have access to the Agricultural District too?"

"Partially right," Arthur shook his head. "You have a chance to become useful in a way most Beginner Lords do not. Even if they have Class A troops."

That answer was honest enough that Carlos did not get angry at it.

Arthur continued speaking.

"Most people return from the Beginner Period with a territory, maybe two or three troops, and a story about how they almost died. Some come back with a Rare building and think they are already special. Then they meet Lords who have been outside for years."

Carlos remembered the portrait Evelyn had shown him. Rows of barracks. A Blue Water Slime Barrack among them. He had thought Ironroot was growing quickly.

It was, but there were people outside who could make things inside the Lord World without waiting for a system reward. People who had resources, workers, land, and armies. And most importantly, expertise.

"You said Level 4 means the family will support me," Carlos spoke. "What does that support look like?"

Arthur smiled a little.

"Straight to that."

"I am sorry, but I am fighting with time, Uncle."

Arthur nodded at that.

"A family evaluation can give you protection first. People will know that attacking you can bring problems later. Then there are resources, information, people who understand the market better than a Beginner Lord can. We have trade companies. We have Lords with manufacturing experience. We have people who know which organizations are safe and which ones only want to take advantage of a new Lord."

Carlos listened. As expected of the Goldwins, they had all sorts of amenities, just what Carlos wanted.

"And what does the Goldwin family get?" he asked.

The room became rather quiet again. Elena looked at Arthur this time. It was one of the main questions today.

"The family gets a capable Lord connected to its name. If you become strong, the Goldwins become stronger too. We get access to trade opportunities. We get your name beside ours in public. We get to say that a Lord like you belongs to our family. But it’s only when you keep maintaining your productivity or strength. We can’t support the fallen ones, unfortunately."

Carlos looked down at the coffee cup. It had become cold.

"So, what is it that you would want from me? I can’t believe you will give me all these opportunities for free."

Arthur took a breath.

"There will be contracts if you accept support. Preferred trade terms sometimes. Family meetings. Requests. People might want to inspect your territory later, or offer investments into it."

Carlos looked at him again.

"Do they get control over my territory?"

Arthur did not answer immediately.

"No," he said. "Not automatically."

Carlos almost laughed.

"Not automatically means someone will ask for it later."

Arthur did not deny it.

"It means someone may ask. You can refuse too."

"Can I?"

Arthur looked at Elena. Then he looked back at Carlos.

"If you are strong enough, yes. It all depends on what you can do individually. What sort of people you have with you."

"Okay," Carlos spoke. "Can I consider you on my side, Uncle?" Carlos asked with a smile, and Arthur looked at him for a moment.

"You will have my support, of course," he spoke.

Elena finally had enough, she spoke.

"And where was this family support when he did not have strength?"

Elena’s hand was still under Carlos’s. Her fingers had become cold.

"When Carlos was young, nobody came," she spoke. "Nobody asked if we needed help. Nobody cared when people treated us differently because we were not part of the main branch. We did not get any help when his father passed away."

"Elena," Arthur started.

"No." Her voice was not loud, but it stopped him. "You came today because his name reached you from the ranking. Because he survived without anyone’s help. Now everyone wants to explain what he can become."

Arthur lowered his eyes for a moment. Carlos did not speak. He had heard his mother say less about the family than this in years.

Arthur finally nodded.

"You are right," he said. "I will not say the family treated you well when it did not."

Elena looked away.

"The main family does not keep track of every lower branch properly," Arthur continued. "That is an excuse, not a reason. I know that. But Carlos is here now. I cannot change what happened before, but I can make sure he is not ignored again."

Carlos looked at him carefully. Arthur did not look like he was lying, but that did not mean Carlos could trust him yet.

Arthur picked the pen back up.

"You said eight barracks," he spoke. "Is that your total?"

Carlos shook his head.

"I have eight military ones, Uncle."

Arthur wrote that down again.

"And 35 troops."

"Only the ones under my territory," Carlos said. "I have not counted the people working in the Agricultural District. They are not my troops."

Arthur’s eyes moved up.

"But they listen to you?"

"Sometimes." Carlos shrugged. "They have their own Lords. I own the District, but I don’t own them."

Arthur stayed quiet for a moment after that.

"That is still important," he said. "Many Lords would not understand the difference."

Carlos did not know if that was praise or warning. Then Arthur returned to the Pocket Dimension.

"You said the settlements inside are broken," he spoke. "And there were no settlers inside your District."

"No."

"If there were settlers, it would have changed many things."

"Why?"

Arthur looked at Evelyn again before he answered.

"Because settlers are not summons, Carlos. They are people who already belong to that world. They know things that no barrack can teach you. They can work, build families, choose where they live. A Lord with a functioning settlement is not only commanding troops anymore."

Carlos understood a little.

It was like Ironroot, but without the System bringing someone from a building every morning.

"Then an empty District is not that useful yet," Carlos said.

"It is still useful," Arthur replied. "But in the starting phase, it’s more of a burden right now. You said it needs repairs, and you have to focus on your own territory too. So it can become quite tough to handle both at such a young age."

Arthur spoke again.

"I want you to meet the main family tomorrow."

Carlos looked at him with surprise this time.

"May I ask why?"

"Because I cannot give you Level 4 support alone. I can recommend it. Evelyn can report what she saw. But there are people above me who will want to hear from you."

Carlos looked at Evelyn and she gave a small nod. Not that her nod mattered.

"They will not all be friendly," she said. "Some will think you are too new. Some will think you are exaggerating. Some may want to see everything you have before they decide what you are worth."

Carlos did not like the way she said worth. He stood from his seat.

Elena looked at him, worried that he might say something rash. Carlos only held her hand once before letting it go.

"I will meet them," he said.

Arthur’s expression eased.

"But first, I want the terms written down."

Arthur did not move but Carlos continued.

"No one enters Ironroot without my permission. Nobody gets ownership access to the Agricultural District other than me."

"Don’t worry about that. We can come to your territory, but only the ones that were given access to the Pocket Dimension during the Beginner Period will be able to access it. There are hundreds of these Pocket Dimensions."

Arthur listened.

"And my mother is included in this," Carlos said. "If the Goldwin family wants me to stand beside their name, then they stop treating her like someone they can bring to an office whenever they want."

Elena looked at him quietly. Carlos continued before anyone could interrupt.

"I will not give up ownership of my territory. And I will not agree to anything because someone says we are family."

Arthur looked at him for a long time. Then he nodded slowly.

"You are daring, I can tell you that. But I cannot accept all those conditions. No one will," Arthur spoke with curiosity, making Carlos frown.

"With time, you will realize that more than the Goldwins needing you, it will be you that will need the Goldwins, Carlos."