Chapter 133: Planning to Go to Sea
Night fell.
Raymond dragged his exhausted body back to his residence in Lingang Village.
It was a small courtyard he had paid to have built himself, containing only four simple houses made of wood and stone.
"Master, you’ve returned!"
He had hired two servants, one man and one woman, both natives of Black Forest Island.
The male servant acted as a steward, helping manage the fields.
The female servant, meanwhile, handled domestic affairs.
Although the Baron provided three free meals a day, Forest Village was a bit far from here. Making the round trip just for a meal was too much of a waste of time.
"Prepare a barrel of hot water. I want to bathe."
Raymond unstrapped his armor as he spoke, then sat down in a chair to rest.
As one of the key figures at the Baron’s side, his status on Black Forest Island was very high.
But because of this, he was swamped with endless tasks every day, especially recently.
He reached into his pocket, took out a wooden box, and opened it. Inside lay an exquisite glass vial, filled with a dark red liquid that sloshed gently.
A High-Level Body Tempering Potion, priced at 20 Gold Coins per vial.
Even though his monthly salary was much higher than others of the same level, he still couldn’t afford a single vial after a year of saving, not counting extra income from hunting Demon Beasts.
’Lord Carter showed me great kindness when he was alive, and now his son, the Baron, is doing the same...’
Duane had given him status, power, and a considerable amount of supplies.
’It’s a debt I can never fully repay.’
Soon, the female servant entered. "Master, the water you asked for is ready."
"Good."
He rose and walked toward the bedroom, poured the potion into the hot water, and submerged himself, beginning to circulate his Breathing Skill to absorb the medicinal power.
A scorching heat washed over his entire body. Raymond could clearly feel every pore opening, greedily absorbing the medicinal power from the water.
He felt invigorated, and a particularly intense burning sensation appeared in his abdomen.
"This is..."
Raymond froze for a moment, then was overcome with elation.
"This is the sign of a breakthrough!"
He immediately shut his eyes and focused completely, directing the Fighting Qi pumped from the Fighting Qi Seed in his heart toward his abdomen.
HUMMM—
A faint tremor ran through him, and he instantly felt a sense of immense relief, as if a great weight had been lifted.
The burning sensation in his abdomen vanished, replaced by what felt like an abyss, capable of holding any amount of Fighting Qi that poured into it.
He opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them, his face filled with joy.
"I’ve broken through!"
Raymond clenched his fists and stood up from the water, the lines of his muscles perfectly defined and powerful.
He had finally broken through to become a Human Tier Warrior!
A twenty-four-year-old Human Tier Warrior was absolutely among the most elite of commoners.
’This is all thanks to Lord Carter’s gift and the Baron’s nurturing!’
The excitement from his breakthrough in Raymond’s gaze shifted to one of deep respect for Duane.
He had once thought about returning to the Pruck Kingdom to make a name for himself after the Baron’s position was stable.
Now, that thought had vanished completely.
On Black Forest Island, serving Duane would not only allow him to repay his debt of gratitude but also let him carve out a future for himself.
This wasn’t some backwater with no opportunities for advancement.
While Raymond was having his breakthrough, Heck was gathering his companions in a bedroom to talk.
They were all young men who had set out to seek a better life.
This cargo ship was the fruit of their families’ combined efforts and savings.
Faced with the Baron’s recruitment offer, they needed to carefully consider whether or not to become his exclusive crew.
"I think it’s a good option," said the navigator, Jim. He was the youngest of the group but had studied navigation and was considered somewhat learned.
He continued, "Although serving a nobleman means we won’t be as free as we are now, we could gain many things we can’t get otherwise. Besides, you all saw today that Black Forest Island isn’t without its merits."
First Mate Mackenzie couldn’t help but nod in agreement. "They have iron ore, oak trees, grain, and even salt... We don’t have to worry about them suddenly having nothing to sell."
"And from what I can see, Baron Duane has a very promising future. The islanders all admire him greatly!"
"It’s just..."
His tone shifted. "I don’t know if our wives and children would be willing to leave their familiar surroundings to come live here."
"That’s what I’m worried about too," Heck said with a sigh. "I don’t know if they’d be willing."
With that, he looked at the boatswain, who hadn’t spoken yet. "What are your thoughts, Barbossa?"
Barbossa was the ship’s Boatswain. He was the oldest and also the strongest, a Middle Level Warrior.
"For now, this place does seem pretty good, and Baron Duane is very charismatic. But the only thing that worries me is his relationship with the Starfall Islands."
His gaze was filled with concern. "If Viscount Freddy from the Starfall Islands sends a fleet to attack Black Forest Island, the Baron will be in a very dangerous position."
As soon as he said this, the others fell silent, their expressions turning grim.
That was right. They had all been amazed by Duane’s capture of the Gale Corps, but they hadn’t considered the risks that came with it.
"You’re right!"
Heck made a decision. "This is something we need to consider carefully!"
He didn’t mean they should refuse to serve Duane, but that they needed to consider whether taking such a risk was worth it.
"However, that doesn’t stop us from agreeing to help the Baron with small favors."
Everyone agreed. Maintaining a friendly relationship with Duane was essential.
If nothing else, the value of today’s single shipment of goods was more than enough reason to do him this small favor.
The next day, Heck and his men assisted General Affairs Consultant Julian in recruiting sailors on the island.
The criteria were: young, healthy, quick-witted in appearance, and agile. Being able to swim was a plus.
Many of the locals came to apply, most of whom were fourteen or fifteen-year-old kids.
Compared to their fathers’ generation, who had spent most of their lives in a daze, these kids had a spark of vitality about them.
In less than a day, twenty young prospective crew members had been assembled.
For the next six days, they would undergo strict training and guidance from Heck and his men.
「Forest Village Castle.」
Duane was still eating breakfast when Raymond rushed over to greet him.
He thought there was some urgent matter in Lingang Village, but he hadn’t expected such good news—that Raymond had successfully broken through.
Duane was overjoyed. "A single High-Level Body Tempering Potion was enough for you to break through! Raymond, your aptitude is truly excellent!"
If he hadn’t been born a commoner, but instead came from a wealthy or noble family with some financial foundation, he probably would have reached the Human Tier long ago.
"This is all thanks to your gift!"
Raymond dropped to one knee. "My Lord, if it weren’t for you, I don’t know how much longer I would have been stuck at the Peak of the Advanced Level!"
Duane quickly told him to rise, but he did not stand up immediately.
Raymond explained the plans he once had for himself, but finished by saying in an exceptionally firm tone:
"My Lord, from this day forward, you are the master I will follow forever. I will always belong to Black Forest Island!"
Duane knew that Raymond had initially followed him to repay his debt to Carter. He also knew that such a debt of gratitude couldn’t last forever.
But now, the debt to Carter was a thing of the past. The debt Raymond now owed to him was one that would be difficult to ever repay.
"I accept your pledge, Raymond. Black Forest Island will be your second home!"
Duane helped him to his feet, having now completely secured the loyalty of his second powerful warrior.
’Those twenty Gold Coins were well spent!’
"In six days, I plan to leave Black Forest Island and head to the Silent Shore first."
Duane began to lay out his plans.
"I plan to take Garrot with me when I leave the island. You and Michele’s squad will serve as the escort."
"No problem. I will follow your arrangements completely!"
Raymond agreed without hesitation, then asked, "Will there be any problems on the island?"
"It will take at least two months for a round trip from the Starfall Islands, so they won’t be coming that quickly. As for the prisoners, they don’t have the strength to escape or cause trouble."
Duane was quite confident about those two matters.
As for the newly recruited people, Simone was very stable—as long as Little Vera was happy, he would be too.
Gaius wasn’t very ambitious or opinionated, so he was also relatively stable after submitting.
Hardy, on the other hand, had a bit of ambition, but not much, and his strength didn’t permit him to act on it anyway.
"I will instruct Kaelon to contract our defenses for a while. No exploring into the Mountain Range or Thorn Valley."
Duane said, "This is my first time leaving Black Forest Island. I have many important things to do, so consider this a crucial operation. Be prepared!"
"Yes, I’ll go inform them right away."
Raymond went off to make preparations.
Duane also needed to make some preparations of his own.
First, there was the letter to be presented to King Eric, accusing Viscount Freddy.
Second was the gift he needed to prepare for his visit to Count Kais.