Chapter 233: Chapter 232: Small Gains

Ronin spent the next few days in the swamps.

Every night, he would find a high slope, first using a few Flame Pillar Magic spells to dry out the ground, and then taking a tent from his Space Ring to set up for the night.

With Carlos around, he didn’t have to worry about magical beast attacks.

The search for wild rice was not only tedious and dull, but also dangerous.

After all, the search took place in the wetlands, where a single misstep could send one plunging into a quagmire.

Thankfully, Ronin was powerful and had Carlos by his side; otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.

Four days passed in a flash. Ronin went from finding nothing at all to gradually making some discoveries.

He had now marked over a dozen potential wild rice locations on the parchment in his hand.

These spots were mostly along riverbanks and in shallow waters, home to reeds, cattails, and what he suspected were wild rice seedlings.

Why “suspected”?

Because while Ronin could recognize mature, tasseled rice, he wasn’t one hundred percent confident he could identify the seedlings.

He could only record the characteristics of these areas on the parchment and have Carlos memorize their locations so they could come back to check on them in July or August.

By then, the rice would have tasseled and matured, making it very easy to identify.

In the sky, riding on Carlos’s back, Ronin reached the border of Swamp Town. Just a short distance ahead lay the sea.

The swamps, it turned out, connected directly to the sea.

The winds and waves here seemed rather strong, with seawater constantly battering the coastal areas, making the conditions of the water near the shore especially complex.

Ronin had initially thought this kind of estuary would be suitable for building a port, but now it seemed unsuitable. He would have to travel north along the East Coast to find a better location.

’Today is the nineteenth. My birthday is in a few days. It’s time I set off for Wushan Castle.’

He gazed out at the sea, dismissing the idea of exploring it for now.

“Let’s go, Carlos. We should head back.”

The Giant Dragon let out a roar, wagged its tail happily, and turned to head back.

Although the past few days had been boring, Carlos had taken the opportunity to expand its diet.

The crocodiles, pythons, and marsh deer in the swamps were all delicious, especially the Second-level Magical Beast, a Giant Python, that it had caught the day before. Its meat was exceptionally tasty.

It decided it would come back to visit again when it had the time.

After all, its master had said that as long as it didn’t eat people or cause destruction, it could do whatever it wanted with these magical beasts.

Ronin flew swiftly back to Swamp Castle, where he saw Erin for the first time in a while.

The young girl was fourteen now and growing up fast. She was about five-foot-one, and in her elegant long dress, she looked much prettier than before.

Having not seen Ronin for a long time, Erin was clearly delighted. “Ronin! What brings you here?”

Ronin smiled. “I was just passing through on some business. How have you been?”

At the mention of this, Erin’s face fell.

Ever since she and her mother began studying Magic Potionology and Herbalism with Elron, her daily workload had gotten much heavier.

If she even thought about slacking off, Jenny would chide her before Elron could even say a word. Jenny, after all, had a clearer understanding of the situation—learning this knowledge from Elron was an extremely precious opportunity!

Magic Potionology was an inherently profound field. For a Mage to master it required a huge investment of time, energy, and money, with no guarantee of success in the end.

It was difficult for an ordinary person to even get an introduction to the discipline. Without connections or money, one couldn’t dream of being taught by an experienced Mage.

A teacher like Elron—experienced, free of charge, and willing to teach them everything he knew—was practically unheard of.

“Hehe, but I have learned a lot of useful things lately. I even used my new herbalism skills to treat a middle-aged woman who’d had a bad fall!”

Erin’s glum expression was fleeting; she preferred to share her happy news with Ronin.

Ronin couldn’t help but give her a thumbs-up, ruffling her long golden hair. “Looks like Wubei Territory will have another Great Physician in the future.”

Erin clenched her fist. “You can count on it. I will!”

“Haha, you’ll have to work hard, then. I’m looking forward to that day.”

Ronin and Erin chatted and laughed for a bit before he went to check on the ever-growing Black Tiger. The beast was likely as strong as a First-level Magical Beast by now.

’Once it reaches adulthood, I wonder if I can find a Storm Demon Wolf to breed it with. Then we could have a whole litter of Storm Demon Wolf pups.’

’I should have Carlos keep an eye out and see if he can catch a live Storm Demon Wolf.’

’If he can’t find one, then I’ll have to look for some large dogs to breed it with. I just wonder if they’re reproductively isolated.’

After parting ways with Erin, Ronin went straight to Elron’s office.

The Great Physician was currently hunched over his desk, writing something. Ronin guessed he was jotting down notes on his research and development of magic potions.

Hearing a sound, Elron looked up and saw Ronin. He immediately put down his pen. “My Lord, you’re here.”

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Ronin asked with a smile, “How is that task I gave you coming along?”

“It has been taken care of.”

As he spoke, he took five Purification Skill magic scrolls from a drawer.

Ronin took them and placed them in his Space Ring.

Since Natalia’s Witch Soul Power was somewhat similar to the Soul-Devouring Surge inside Lurans, Ronin wondered if the Purification Skill might have an effect on him.

He had originally planned to bring Elron with him to Wushan Castle, but he’d given up on the idea, considering how much work the man had to do.

In any case, a magic scroll’s effect was identical to having the caster cast it in person, so all he needed to do was bring a few extra Purification Skill scrolls with him.

“Elron, there’s something I need to discuss with you,” Ronin said.

“You only need to give the order, My Lord.”

Elron smiled. ’Since when is the Lord so polite?’

“Would you be interested in serving as Wubei Territory’s Finance Officer?”

Ronin continued, “A large portion of Wubei Territory’s income comes from magic scrolls, and your magic potions should sell well in the future, too. It makes you a suitable candidate for Finance Officer.”

As the territory grew and its various industries got on track, the number of investment and income projects was increasing. It was becoming far too troublesome for him to handle every single transaction personally.

Ronin needed a Finance Officer to handle these matters.

However, Elron’s smile vanished.

“By the God of Light, My Lord, please forgive me, but I’m afraid I really can’t help you with this!”

He pointed to the many bottles and jars to the side, all of which he had recently acquired.

“Magic Potionology, Herbalism, and making magic scrolls already take up most of my time. If I had to manage the territory’s finances on top of that, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have the mental capacity for it!”

Ronin scratched his head.

Although Elron had rejected his offer, he had given a perfectly valid reason.

Those three tasks certainly required immense effort. Managing the territory’s finances would not only demand a lot of energy but also involve dealing with all sorts of people, which would interfere with his research.

“My Lord, I think Chahar would be a good fit.”

Elron thought for a moment before offering his suggestion.

“He’s been the one calculating everyone’s pay in the territory recently, and he hasn’t made any mistakes. That proves he’s capable.”

Ronin nodded.

He had, of course, considered Chahar, but compared to Elron, his foundation was much weaker.

A Finance Officer also had to be responsible for management and decision-making, and he wasn’t sure if Chahar, with his commoner background, had that capability.

Besides Chahar, Jenny was also a suitable candidate.

However, she had mentioned she was on the verge of a breakthrough. Compared to a Finance Officer, Ronin would much rather his territory gain another Senior Mage.

“In that case, I’ll go talk to Chahar. A pity about his dream of becoming a head steward, though.”

Elron laughed. “A head steward has to manage the castle’s finances anyway. Since he’ll be managing the castle’s finances, there’s no reason he can’t manage the territory’s as well.”

’He’d much rather Ronin ask him to make a few more magic scrolls than ask him to manage finances.’

“Alright then, that settles it.”

Ronin stood up. “I’m heading to Wushan Castle tomorrow. While I’m gone, you, Ridder, and Macken are to handle anything that comes up.”

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