Chapter 66: Chapter 65: Return to Mountain Forest Town

Inside the smithy of Carlos the Blacksmith in Mountain Forest Town, four people were gathered: Chahar, the steward of Mountain Forest Castle; Carlos the Blacksmith and his son, Baal; and Lam, the son of Carpenter William.

After many days of work, Carlos had finished forging the plowshare for the Curved Plow. After reporting to Chahar, he had also asked Lam, William’s son and a Carpenter’s Apprentice, to come and lend a hand, completing the plow’s body.

Why hadn’t he sought out the more skilled Carpenter William?

The truth was, William had been extremely busy these past few days. Just as Carlos had a task from the Lord, so did William.

Furthermore, working with Black Iron Wood was an exhausting task, far more difficult than processing other types of wood.

If not for Chahar’s mediation, William wouldn’t have even been willing to let his own son come over to help Carlos.

“It’s finished!”

With an excited shout, Carlos, with Lam’s help, finally completed the assembly of the Curved Plow.

The handles, the plow bed, the moldboard, the plowshare, the plow beam—all the parts were there. And it had to be said, using Ronin’s blueprint as a reference, Carlos and Lam had achieved a rather high degree of accuracy in their reproduction.

“Hahaha~”

Carlos laughed heartily, walked to the side, picked up an earthenware jug of wine, and took a swig, his cheeks flushing red. “After so many days, I’ve finally completed the task the Lord assigned me!”

He wasn’t just happy about finishing the task; he was even more delighted to have created this plow.

Any artisan, whether a Blacksmith, a Carpenter, or a Mason, views their finished work as a piece of art.

Not to mention, the Curved Plow was an unprecedented creation. Although the Lord had designed it, as the very first person to build one with his own hands, he had earned bragging rights for life.

Baal and Lam could also brag about this for the rest of their lives. One was a Blacksmith Apprentice, the other a Carpenter’s Apprentice, yet they had participated in the creation of such an Advanced Level item. ’It’s like living in a dream,’ they thought.

Chahar examined the plow before him from every angle—left and right, top to bottom—his eyes shining with great anticipation.

“Well done, Carlos. I’m sure the Lord will praise your craftsmanship when he sees this Curved Plow!”

He fiddled with the handles. This plow was considerably heavier and structurally more complex than the light plows currently in use in the fields.

“I wonder how it works. Will it be more effective than a light plow?”

They trusted Ronin, but when faced with something so new, a seed of doubt always remained.

“Why don’t we take it outside and find an ox to test it?”

The two young apprentices were eager to try, one about to lift the plow’s body, the other ready to grab the yoke.

“No, no, no!”

Carlos quickly stopped the two young men. “You two rascals, don’t be reckless. If you break it, we won’t have time to make a new one before the Lord returns.”

The Flame in the two apprentices’ eyes died down.

It was true. Although the plow’s body was made of ordinary wood, Lam was only a Carpenter’s Apprentice with unsteady skills. Even with Baal’s help, it had taken him many days to finish it. If it broke, they really wouldn’t know how to explain it to the Lord.

Chahar thought for a moment. “Counting the days, the Lord has been away from the territory for over half a month. He should be returning from Pasture City soon.”

Although Ronin had told Chahar before leaving that he might be gone for a while, he hadn’t expected it to be this long, which made him increasingly anxious.

He had only just become the steward. Though these past days had been incredibly busy, it was as if a new Chapter of his life had begun, and he was very happy about it.

’If the Lord were to suddenly be gone just like that, it would be an utterly devastating affair.’

“We won’t touch it for now.”

Chahar decided, “We’ll wait for the Lord to return and show it to him then. Perhaps he’ll even offer suggestions for modifications.”

“The steward is right!”

Carlos readily agreed. “It’s better to wait for the Lord to see it first.”

Just then, one of the Guards ran over. “Steward, the Lord has returned!”

“He’s back?”

Chahar was overjoyed, the weight on his heart finally lifted. “Where is he now?”

“He’s about to enter the town.”

The Guard replied, “The Lord ordered us to inform you and the Civil Servant to go to him at once. He has arrangements to make.”

“Right, right!”

Chahar jogged out hurriedly. Before leaving, he turned back to instruct Carlos, “You all take another look at it. If there are any areas you can improve, go ahead and do so. After I report to the Lord, I’ll see when he has time to look at the Curved Plow.”

The three of them quickly agreed, their hearts pounding with nervousness.

’The Lord is back to inspect our work. Even though he’s merciful, if he’s not satisfied, we’re in for it.’

“Come on, let’s polish the plow body until it’s smoother!”

Carlos called out, and he and the two apprentices resumed their polishing.

Leaving aside the events at the smithy, Ronin was at that moment leading a caravan and a group of slaves slowly past the boundary stone and back into the town.

Returning for the second time, Ronin felt like he was coming home. This land belonged to him.

The procession moved slowly along the simple and dilapidated Mountain Forest Street (the road that cut through the town center and led straight to Mountain Forest Castle). The shopkeepers along the street, as well as the passing farmers and Peasant Slaves, recognized their Lord this time. They began to bow in Ronin’s direction, calling out “Lord.”

After more than half a month, the fact that Ronin was the master of Mountain Forest Town had been learned and accepted by all its residents.

Riding his horse, Ronin wore a friendly smile and greeted the townspeople who bowed to him, presenting a very approachable image.

The slaves following the procession were deeply shaken by this scene. From their perspective, the nobleman who had bought them seemed to be genuinely respected by the common people.

’No wonder, no wonder he lets us eat our fill every day. Where else could you find such a good noble lord?’

Some of the slaves who had regained a bit of their ability to think even began to convince themselves that they must serve their master with all their heart.

Before long, a figure darted out from the side of the procession. It was Chahar, running over.

“My Lord, you’ve finally returned!”

Chahar said excitedly. To be honest, he had been startled when he first saw so many people and hadn’t understood what was happening.

“Long time no see, my steward.”

Ronin greeted him with a smile. “How are things at the castle?”

“Everything at the castle is fine! The squat toilets you ordered before you left have been completely built!”

Chahar answered quickly, “Under David’s watch, there have been no issues at the castle. Also, Carlos has finished making the Curved Plow. Everything is progressing smoothly!”

As he spoke, Wilson the Civil Servant galloped over on his horse, dismounted before Ronin, and bowed respectfully. “Lord Ronin, welcome back!”

“Long time no see, Mr. Wilson.”

Ronin greeted him with equal cordiality. “How have things been recently?”

“Rest assured, my Lord. I have already handled the matter of dividing the town into villages and groups. Let me know when it is convenient, and I can report to you at any time!”

“Excellent!”

Ronin praised him, then pointed to the hundred-odd slaves behind him.

“We can talk about the report later. These are slaves I bought back from Pasture City. For now, I need you and Chahar to work together to settle them in, provide them with food and shelter, and register their information, just like you did with the census.”

Wilson and Chahar simultaneously glanced back and forth at the group, who appeared to be in good condition. They hadn’t expected them to be slaves; their Spirit was a little too good.

Chahar and Wilson bowed. “As you wish, my Lord!”

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