LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 36: Winds of Change
Aldric quickly regained his composure and continued introducing Arvind. As they walked through the training grounds, Aldric turned to Arvind with a proud smile. "My lord, allow me to update you on the progress of our new soldiers," he began.
"Training has been rigorous, but the results are promising. Among those excelling is Joran, along with several others who have distinguished themselves in the last month's training sessions."
Aldric gestured towards a group of young men and women standing at attention. "These are some of our top performers," he said, nodding to each in turn. "Joran here has demonstrated remarkable skill with the spear. And next to him, Elia, whose agility and quick thinking are commendable."
As they continued, Aldric noticed a few unfamiliar faces mingling with the seasoned soldiers. "Ah, these must be the new recruits," he said, drawing Arvind's attention to them. "My lord, these are the soldiers who have recently joined us from the three villages. Recognizing your efforts to integrate them, the military stepped in and recruited 50 personnel from these villages."
Arvind's eyes softened with gratitude. "Thank you, Aldric," he said warmly. "This act of unity demonstrates our commitment to the people of Ravengarde. By welcoming villagers into our ranks, we show that we stand as one, stronger together."
After that, Arvind and Anika decided to head to Ashford, eagerly anticipating its transformation.
---
Ashford buzzed with activity as the sun hung high above. People swarmed the streets like bees, merchants setting up their shops. The babble and yells of merchants filled the air, adding to the atmosphere of Ashford's newfound prosperity. Everyone had taken their path in this transformation. Even the children ran errands, lacking the luxuries of their counterparts from Earth.
In the glaring sun, townsfolk emerged with their children, carrying baskets while the children giggled around them. The colorful marketplace and the bustling crowd brought smiles to the children's faces. A young serf and his wife went out shopping at her urging. He knew that this place was something Lord Baron had recently constructed, and he was also one of the workers who helped build it. On the day when Sir Eldrin recruited workers, he was fortunate to be chosen.
At that time, the elders discouraged them, preferring the traditional way of life, doing what serfs had always done and paying taxes from their harvest. But he insisted. Now, looking at his smiling wife and playful children, he thought he had made the right choice. "May Mother Earth bless my lord," he whispered.
On both sides of the road, surrounded by shops—though many were still empty—there were grain shops, bakeries, and a range of products that the new merchants sold.
"White bread? We can't afford that," he murmured to his wife as they walked by the bakery.
As the young serf noticed a herbalist's shop, they approached it, then turned to the other side.
While the herbal merchant stuffed copper coins into his pouch, he reflected on his journey. He was once an ordinary serf. One day, on his way to the field, he noticed people crowding around a signboard. Curious, he learned about the loan incentive policy that the lord had launched for people like them.
Initially, he was one of those who rejected it, recalling his father's scolding about not becoming a "child merchant." He knew the risks, and it could plunge his family into an abyss. Yet, a realization struck him as he gave herbs to his injured neighbor. Now, he had become a merchant, able to repay the loan little by little. Seeing his wife's smile made him more energetic. After that, he also yelled about his business.
Meanwhile, Arvind and Anika arrived at Ashford, where workers installed wooden doors for the walls. The wood used was not ordinary but from an elemental tree known for its toughness. He noticed that they worked efficiently, each team focusing on a task. Satisfied, he nodded. The Ashford wall was nearly complete, with only 10% left to finish. The delay was due to his instruction to include future expansion plans, which doubled the estimated completion time, but it was worth it.
Upon arriving at the bustling marketplace, a stark contrast to the once quiet and lonely bakery, a voice called out, "My lord, come here, look at this cloth on me."
"It's beautiful, it suits you perfectly," Arvind responded.
"Really? Yeah!" she exclaimed with joy.
As Arvind conversed with her, he noticed, from the corner of his eye, a group of people on horseback led by an old man—Erik. Once they arrived, Arvind greeted them. "Great to see you back, old Erik! Why not join me for tea? Our old baker has opened a new shop."
Handing the reins to his apprentice, Erik walked with Arvind and sat opposite him in the spacious shop, occasionally glancing at the townsfolk.
Erik leaned his arms forward and said, "Our surveys have found many valuable minerals such as iron, copper, and tin. One of the iron reserves is near Ashford; I think you'll be overjoyed, my lord. We also found inactive crystals that we need to permanently stabilize the Nexus. There are other minerals too, which you'll see in our survey report."
Erik paused as the smiling baker brought tea and bread. "My lord, our bakery is blessed by your presence. I hope this serves you well. If you need anything, please ask... I'll take my leave now."
Arvind smiled and nodded. "Thank you, I will."
As the baker walked away, Arvind said, "You've brought good news, Erik. Look around, we're on the road to great heights, and we can't afford another Nexus crisis. So, Erik, what's your next plan?"
"I plan to continue my magic research while guiding my three apprentices to become mages. There's a lot for us to learn about elemental properties and magic. My lord, don't forget your promise from last time."
"Don't worry, I won't go back on my promise. Why don't you also prepare for the academy matters, as Ashford has an increasing demand for literate individuals."
Erik raised his brow. "I thought you were joking, my lord. The cost is immense—even the count would cry seeing it. So..."
"No, you're wrong. We're not constructing that kind of academy. I envision teaching basic magic knowledge, like history and other subjects." Arvind's mind wandered to the idea of introducing Earth's knowledge here, given the system dad's presence, as much of Earth's knowledge, such as economics and politics, remains relevant.
"Then no problem, my lord."
Meanwhile, Anika gripped her skirt tightly, battling with herself. Upon hearing Erik speak about training his apprentices, she also wanted to be one of them. She knew she had talent but had no idea how to become a mage. After wrestling with her thoughts, she said, "Sir Erik... can I be your apprentice? You know I have talent in magic from the time of the Nexus crisis."
Erik was stunned but smiled faintly as he scrutinized her. "I think of something, what it is?"
Seeing Anika's eager eyes and stiff figure, he pulled out a magic book from his ring and said, "This is a foundational magic book. After reading it, if you have any doubts or are clueless, you can come to me."
She hurriedly took it, gripping it tightly while bowing and smiling gratefully.
"My lord, she is very talented, and I am optimistic her potential may be higher than mine. Okay, my lord, it's time for me to go; my apprentices are tired of waiting."
As Erik walked out, Arvind smiled and offered compliments, encouraging her. A few seconds later, they walked out with the baker waving his hand.
After a while of aimless roaming, they noticed Shankar talking with a merchant in his shop while his apprentice recorded the details. Walking towards them, Arvind greeted Shankar, who introduced the merchant. "My lord, this man was once a serf with no hope in life. But now, thanks to our loan incentives, he runs a thriving timber business."
Arvind nodded at the merchant and offered a compliment. As they walked out, Shankar introduced him to ten successful merchants who were doing business in various areas. Some operated small caravans traveling between three villages. Shankar pointed out a fish shop, saying, "Do you see this fish shop? It's run by someone who went to River Village to get fish. And yes, your method of preserving them with salt was a clever move, my lord."
"Thank you," Arvind replied. He knew that using salt was a simple way of applying his Earth knowledge, as Ravengarde had an abundance of salt mines. How else could the people of Ashford stay strong without sodium deficiency?
Shankar continued, "Our loan incentive works like this: we give loans to merchants at zero interest, expecting them to repay within ten years. And after your suggestions, we plan to use our 80 gold coins budget to provide loans to three villages and here in Ashford."
Arvind knitted his eyebrows for a while and said, "Hmm, no problem. Do it boldly, don't worry about losses. We must catch all the small fish to get the big, fat fish."
On another part of the street, a group of farmers with hoes on their shoulders pointed at the merchant shops, whispering with envy or disdain. One serf, staring at a timber shop, said, "Do you see that shop? It belongs to my close friend. Mother Earth! I regret not becoming a merchant with him. My father scolded me in front of everyone, and I didn't insist afterward."
Another serf sneered, "It was a great choice. Do you see how arrogant they are now? I look forward to the day misfortune strikes them. They've betrayed our way of life. My elder always said only loyal serfs who farm and pay taxes will be protected by the baron. What about them? Hahaha..."
Hearing their words, others' expressions changed. Becoming a merchant was tempting—how could they not want to be like them, bringing success and smiles to their families? Among them, some wavered while others remained determined. Destiny would not wait, and reform was spreading throughout Ravengarde.
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In River Village, a dozen women approached a merchant who had spread his goods by the side of the road. "Is this a lantern that can float on water?" one woman asked curiously.
The merchant replied, "No, this lantern is meant to be hung in the house with a candle inside. It's very popular in Ashford for the upcoming festival."
"Really? But it would be great if it could float on water. I want to thank Mother River for her grace..."
After an hour of conversation, the women left with smiles, and the merchant finally sold all the goods he had brought from Ashford. Finished packing, he roamed around and noticed the bustling Kelnar River shoreline, where fishing boats were unloading fish. Upon arriving at a sole shop in the village, he asked, "Is this your shop?" as he drank tea.
"Yeah. What about you? Are you a seasoned merchant?" the woman shopkeeper asked from behind a counter.
"No, I wasn't. I was a commoner busy with the fields," he said, raising his cup of tea. "Then my lord's loan incentive policy came, and I was fortunate to be one of the recipients."
"Oh! We don't have that kind of loan yet. Are you a merchant who buys fish? Our lord's techniques for preserving fish are superb—even our village head was amazed."
"No, I sell Ashford goods like festival lanterns and more."
As they talked, the barony moved at high speed, with people busy and merchants traveling from one village to another throughout Ravengarde, bringing goods and money. Arvind's policies created a ripple effect, propelling progress to heights he hadn't expected.
---
On the road to the two baronies, workers moved with the efficiency of ants, some clearing vegetation while others removed roots. Eldrin stood with his arms crossed, staring ahead with a satisfied smile, though his face darkened as he thought about the slowing progress. The work had been fast, almost miraculous by previous standards, but time would not wait, and River Village needed a road.
"Do you see how slow it is?" he said. "It is our department's job to build infrastructure for the barony. I plan to appoint some of you to lead workers on other projects. I'll choose three of you."
After seeing their nods, he thought for a moment and pointed to three among them, the ones who had performed excellently in the last month. Noticing the downcast expressions of the others, he added, "Don't worry, everyone. There are plenty of projects for our department to build."
"You three will choose among yourselves who will construct the road leading to the river, the administrative building, or the research facilities and academy," Eldrin instructed.
As Eldrin turned back, he noticed a wooden cart—an imitation car created by Arvind using his knowledge of earth. "Take that with you... the wooden cart," he added.
With that decision, they divided the workers from the main project and split them into three groups. On the road to River Village, the air was filled with the scent of freshly cut vegetation as workers hacked away at the undergrowth.
The foreman assigned by Eldrin scolded the small leader, his sharp voice contrasting with the rhythmic thud of axes and the rustling of leaves. Within an hour, they had cleared a length of 100 meters, the once dense path now a clear, sun-dappled stretch.
Meanwhile, the other two projects also progressed. The sound of chisels shaping stone and hammers driving nails echoed through the air. Multiple logistical teams, their wooden carts creaking under the weight, delivered stones and other building materials to various sites.
The scent of sawdust and the earthy aroma of freshly turned soil blended with the crisp, clean smell of pine from newly cut logs.
---
On the wheat field, where green stems stood tall with golden wheat ears, farmers weeded while wiping sweat with their clothes. A gentle breeze passed, carrying the sounds of birds chirping.
At the edge of the field, Arvind stood with his arms crossed. "Talk about the harvest prospects," he said, eyeing the field.
Bramir shook his head as he stared at the golden ears. "It doesn't look optimistic. The crops, originally cultivated with indigenous wheat and high-yield wheat, will be harvested, but this year the farmers will face difficulties. The harvest in June might help alleviate some of the hardship, but..."
Arvind interrupted, snapping his fingers. After a moment, he said, "What about next year's prospects?"
Bramir sighed. "The aftermath of the crisis is still affecting the soil. We'll likely harvest half of what we did in June."
Arvind nodded thoughtfully. He knew that waiting for nature to heal itself wasn't an option. "Time can't wait," he murmured. "Let's plan for next year. Maybe we can use fertilizers to offset the damage."
A few minutes later, Arvind and Bramir returned.
---
As the 2 pm sun glared above, workers bustled around, loading the wagons with trade goods. Crates of magical herbs and plants, packed jars of honey, and crafted furniture were placed neatly. Faelan inspected each item, ensuring nothing was amiss, as these treasures were the jewels to gain interest in the two barony crises. This time, they were not without protection, having borrowed ten knights from the military.
Faelan gathered the key members of the caravan around him. "Listen carefully," he began, his voice steady and authoritative. "Our route will take us through a chaotic village, where the surroundings will not show us mercy. Keep a small chunk of inactive elemental crystal in your pocket and stay vigilant. The Eladorians might turn into deadly bandits."
The caravan itself was a formidable sight. Six sturdy wagons, each pulled by robust horses, lined up in a row. The lead wagon bore the Ravengarde crest: a black raven atop a silver tower, framed by golden oak roots on a field of green and blue. The coachmen and apprentices, dressed in durable travel gear, were ready for the journey ahead.
As the last of the supplies were secured, Faelan mounted his horse and took a final look around. He felt a mix of excitement and trepidation. The path ahead was uncertain, but he was prepared.
"Let's move out!" he called, and the caravan began to roll forward, wheels creaking and horses snorting.
Eladoria had lingered in the Nexus for two months, and what lay ahead was uncertain. The chaos and opportunities amidst the suffering, intense weather, and turbulent elemental energy hinted at significant events brewing on the horizon.
To be continued...