Chapter 547: Unexpected Guests

“Excellent work. I feel completely at ease with you in charge of agriculture.” Levi didn’t skimp on his praise.

The Soil Fertility Technique was a severely underestimated form of Magic; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so coveted by that fellow, Prince Filo.

It was so powerful it enabled plants to resist harsh conditions. They could defy their typical growth requirements and sprout in ways that seemed to break all logic.

But as for its underlying principles, the Lord, a complete novice when it came to Magic, couldn’t possibly understand. After all, Magic itself defied science.

“What about the blacksmiths?” Levi’s gaze shifted to where the old blacksmiths were sitting.

“We’re adding more forges and blacksmith shops,” Mier said with a serious expression. He sat in front of the other blacksmiths, dressed in a noble’s robe with his hair meticulously styled, giving him the air of a young aristocrat. “In the future, we’ll not only be able to provide all the equipment and machinery High Cliff Castle needs, but we’ll also increase our income from the weapons trade to five thousand Gold Coins a month.”

It was said that countless young women in High Cliff Castle now wanted to marry this young man, and the matchmakers were about to wear down Tina’s doorstep.

“Also, I’ve recently developed a new type of ballista that’s even stronger than the last one. It just needs to go through testing before it can be put into production.” The young man then scratched the back of his head, giving the Lord another surprise.

‘Honestly, Mier’s ingenuity is on a completely different level than mine,’ Levi thought. ‘The guy has a real genius for researching all things mechanical. Sometimes I really want to send him to the Holy Sith Kingdom for advanced studies. If he could just learn the Alchemists’ methods for creating Alchemy Items and bring that knowledge back, it would be a massive gain.’

“Alright. If you’re short on people, recruit directly from the newly arrived Old People. After all, we didn’t bring them here to eat for free.”

“Also, I’ve decided to expand the Burning Corps to four thousand soldiers, divided into four battalions. We will also establish a Standing Corps, recruiting around five thousand suitable individuals from the various races to serve as regular soldiers.” Levi systematically laid out the development plan for High Cliff Castle after his departure.

He had already decided to head to Gonda within the next few days for the Holy Light Trial to finally advance to the Legendary rank. Therefore, he needed to resolve all of High Cliff Castle’s pending matters so he could leave with peace of mind.

“Mier will temporarily serve as the Legion Commander of the Burning Corps. Leiden will act as the legion’s military advisor. Orak, Gus, and Hog, the three of you will serve as battalion captains, commanding the Beastman Warrior battalion, the Heavy Centaur Cavalry battalion, and the Jackal Wolfman Light Cavalry battalion, respectively. The Archers will be selected from the Old People and temporarily commanded by Leiden.”

“We will recruit new members and expand the Beastman Warriors to twelve hundred, the Heavy Centaur Cavalry to eight hundred, the Jackal Wolfman Scouts to five hundred, and the Old People Archers to fifteen hundred.”

This was a decision Levi made after careful consideration. All the Feder Archers had become Griffin Knights, so he needed to recruit new archers. The arrival of the numerous Old People was perfectly timed, so he decided to recruit from them.

The Beastmen and Centaurs had just enough numbers to field that many warriors. As for the Jackal Wolfmen, a force of five hundred light cavalry was considered sufficient for now.

“Finally, the Burning Corps will be assigned a military Casting Team, with three Zor Priestesses as its members. Heather will be the team leader, and Sam will be the deputy leader. The Griffin Knight Order will be an external auxiliary legion with independent authority.”

“Yes!”

The group responded in unison.

“Oh, right. Orak isn’t back yet. Let him know when he returns.”

“Don’t I get to be in charge of somethin’?” Zamanzi scratched the back of his head. He glanced at the Centaur Leader lying on the floor beside him, then at the one-eyed Jackal Wolfman.

His expression clearly said, ‘I’m stronger than you guys, so why can’t I lead a team?’

The two of them rolled their eyes, not even bothering to respond to the big oaf.

“I’m establishing a Personal Guard Team, and you will lead it. Its members will be the three hundred Beastman veterans who have followed me from the very beginning.” Levi opened his mouth to accept a green grape fed to him by Little Buji. “You will be responsible for maintaining order in High Cliff Castle. If you find anyone attempting to disrupt the peace, you have the authority to kill them on the spot! Maintain stability at all costs.”

“You will be the unbreakable shield of High Cliff Castle. Of course, I hope that one day, you will become the unbreakable shield of the Empire!”

At this, Levi smiled faintly. Everything was left unsaid, but understood.

“Got it.” Zamanzi grinned, revealing two sharp beastly fangs.

Everyone in the hall broke into a lively discussion about things like establishing a Kingdom in the Wilderness or what to do if King Debei objected… The roars of laughter were loud enough to tear the roof off.

Hearing this, Ashiru, the genuine Princess of Debei standing next to Tina, couldn’t help but shrink back. Staring at these burly Half-Beastmen who were built like Giant Beasts, she felt like a helpless little rabbit surrounded by monsters, pitiful and lost.

The Lord snapped his fingers, and the hall instantly fell dead silent. It made Ashiru wonder if the previous clamor had just been a dream.

Levi then turned to the middle-aged knight who was standing aside, staring intently at the floor. “Old Si, you will serve as the temporary commander for the Standing Corps and the Griffin Knight Order.”

He had no choice. High Cliff Castle was so short on manpower that many positions had to be held by a single person.

“No problem.” Si Kai nodded. For him, this was also a rare opportunity to gain experience.

“After I leave, the daily training for all battalions of the Burning Corps must not cease. The construction projects in High Cliff Castle’s territory must also proceed in an orderly fashion. If a major issue arises that you cannot decide on, defend High Cliff Castle and wait for my return. For minor matters, discuss them together and decide by vote.” Levi was like a father about to leave home, tirelessly going over every detail.

“Yes, Lord!”

Everyone pounded their fists against their chests, producing a series of dull thuds.

“Meeting adjourned! Let’s eat!”

At his command, Goat-man Maids flitted about like butterflies, serving one sumptuous dish after another, while young Rabbit People girls weaved through the crowd carrying jugs of wine.

The dining hall immediately fell quiet. The only sounds were the continuous chewing of food, occasionally mixed with the clatter of knives and forks against plates and the GULP, GULP, GULP of hearty drinking.

「…」

Just as the Lord had finished arranging all of High Cliff Castle’s affairs in perfect order, Miriel returned with a convoy. Unexpectedly, he also brought three people who were quite a surprise to Levi.

It was a chilly morning, with a light snow falling from the sky as usual.

The peace was broken by the sound of approaching hoofbeats as Orak returned to High Cliff Castle, leading a convoy guarded by fifty Beastman Warriors.

The convoy drove up the hill to the castle area and stopped in an open space. Orak was busy directing his men to unload the supplies. Only Miriel and three cloaked Attendants walked over to the Lord.

“Lord Levi, it’s been a while!”

Upon seeing the tall, imposing man standing before her, Masha couldn’t help but be the first to greet him. She threw back her hood, revealing a face that was delicate despite being slightly weary.

“Sigh.”

Fu Jin looked at the eager, excited Divine Maiden with a helpless expression and followed suit, pulling back his own hood.

“So it was you, Masha! I was wondering who it could be!” The Lord was stunned for a moment, then a smile uncontrollably spread across his face.

He had started trying to poach them back when the two were sent by the Ice and Snow Church to support Fulina. His efforts had little effect at first. However, thanks to his relentless persistence, when they parted ways in Bailiu City last time, the old man Fu Jin hadn’t explicitly refused him. Still, the Lord truly hadn’t expected them to come, and certainly not this soon.

“Lord Levi, High Cliff Castle has changed so much I almost didn’t recognize it. If Guild Leader Miriel hadn’t been leading the way, I would have thought I’d arrived in a prosperous town in the Debei Kingdom.” Fu Jin spoke, his eyes filled with a single emotion: disbelief.

He recalled his first time coming to the Wilderness. When he passed by High Cliff Castle back then, it was just a few scattered wooden huts. It was neither high, nor on a cliff, and it certainly wasn’t a castle.

But now, it was finally starting to live up to its name.