Chapter 127: The Solution
A heavy fog rolled in by the sea early the next morning, perfectly aiding Raymond and his men’s operation.
He had his men positioned a short distance from the pier. As soon as the first two ships docked, he immediately ordered his men to board and quickly subdue the captains and sailors.
Then, he had most of the people on these two ships disembark, leaving only the Guards to control the captains and move the ships to moor nearby.
The third, fourth, and fifth ships followed in quick succession.
These men still thought Garrot’s plan had succeeded. Only after being subdued by soldiers did they realize it was all over for them.
As the sun rose, word of what had happened at the Lord’s Villa gradually spread to every corner of Black Forest Island.
Although some people had earned a little extra money from the trade caravan from the Starfall Islands, they were still furious when they heard that these same people had tried to assassinate the Baron.
They knew that without the Baron, their lives would return to the bleak, hopeless state they were in before.
Furthermore, word spreading from the mouths of the Militia revealed that this group of merchants intended to take the people of Black Forest Island to the Starfall Islands as slaves.
This fueled the people’s fury even further, with many clamoring for the Baron to drag the group to Judgment Crossroad to be beheaded.
In their minds, Judgment Crossroad seemed to have become a place specifically for executing criminals.
Duane had Julian and Ralph go out to calm the populace and redirect their attention to the autumn harvest.
Meanwhile, he was contemplating how to deal with Garrot and the others.
Six of Viscount Freddy’s eleven ships had already returned, and it was certainly too late to pursue them now.
So, in a little over a month at most, Freddy would learn of Garrot’s operation.
And when Garrot failed to return, he would inevitably guess that they had met with disaster on Black Forest Island.
At that point, Freddy would have two choices.
’First, he could act as if nothing happened. If Garrot and his men are dead, they’re dead. It’s of no consequence.’
’Second, he might send people to demand their return, or even irrationally dispatch an army.’
’Based on the current intelligence, this Viscount Freddy has an aggressive personality. Plus, with Selena imprisoned on Black Forest Island, her husband, Torre Courtney, is also not someone to be trifled with.’
’It’s hard to say what choice two formidable Celestial Tier Warriors would make.’
’If it’s the second option, I’m on an island, all alone. It will be very difficult to deal with.’
Therefore, he needed to seek outside help.
A Baron of the Kingdom being attacked by foreign nobility—this was an issue that could be escalated to the Kingdom level.
According to Kingdom law, the King had a responsibility to protect his vassals.
Not to mention, the Akutas Kingdom already had a feud with the Pruck Kingdom.
The first King, Joseph, a powerful Silver Moon Warrior, had died from wounds sustained in a battle against King Tyron of the Akutas Kingdom.
If Duane reported this incident, the King would surely have to deal with it.
This way, he would not only gain backing but could also use this incident to boost his own influence.
After all, managing to defeat the Gale Corps of the Viscount of Burning Sword on his own was a sufficiently impressive achievement.
Once Duane’s reputation grew, any future sea trading ventures would also go more smoothly.
CLOP CLOP CLOP~
The sound of hooves echoed.
Soon, Raymond walked in. "My Lord, we have all five ships under our control!"
"Excellent!"
Although the large cargo ships borrowed from Duke Star Sea hadn’t arrived, these 30-meter-long medium-sized cargo ships weren’t cheap either.
A single one cost at least a thousand Gold Coins.
Of the five ships, even if he had to hand over a few in exchange for aid from the Royal Family, Duane could at least keep one for himself.
Besides the cargo ships, Duane could also demand compensation.
’After all, in last night’s battle, my magnificent castle was wrecked and will require a large amount of Gold Coins for repairs.’
’Also, a total of five people, including Kaelon, were seriously injured and would also need substantial funds for their recovery.’
’And as for myself, due to the night raid, I’ve been suffering from insomnia and nightmares. I can ask for a hefty sum for pain and suffering as well.’
Hmm...
These were all just ideas floating around in Duane’s head. The specifics of how to proceed weren’t for him to decide.
"Go and ask those captains for me. See if any of them have been to Pruck City or the Silent Shore."
Duane lacked captains experienced in ocean voyages. To send his message, he could only rely on these captured men.
"Are you thinking of making them swear loyalty to you?" Raymond asked.
"No, I just want to make a trip to the Royal Capital."
Duane explained, "It’s a precaution. I don’t want to face the threat from the Starfall Islands alone."
Realization dawned on Raymond. "You’ve been very thorough, My Lord!"
He and his men had already submitted to Duane back during the siege of Daniel’s Castle.
After these recent clashes, their admiration for the Baron had grown beyond measure.
Take last night’s raid, for example. If the Baron hadn’t realized what was happening in advance, they would be the ones who were now prisoners, or possibly even dead.
Therefore, they never questioned the Baron’s orders.
After Raymond left, Duane walked out of his room.
He was now staying in Forest Village Castle, whose previous owner had been Bard.
After the turmoil of the previous night, he realized the necessity of a proper castle.
’If I had walls, a moat, and other defenses, even if someone launched a sneak attack, they wouldn’t be able to just kick the gates open and rush in so easily.’
Although Forest Village Castle was second-hand and not particularly magnificent, it was much more comfortable to live in than the gloomy Daniel’s Castle.
"My Lord, Lady Selena wishes to see you."
Jasmine came to report, handing him a few sheets of paper. "This is what she asked me to give you."
Although she couldn’t understand what was written on them, the contents looked incredibly complex.
Duane took them and read them carefully.
Selena’s handwriting was clear, neat, and quite beautiful. It clearly depicted the Spell Model for Level 1 Magic Shield, which was an Arcane Magic spell.
In addition to the Spell Model, she had also used another sheet to detail the key points of casting, important precautions, the spell’s power, and other notes.
’As expected of someone who used to be a Magic Class teacher. Her work is very detailed.’
Duane carefully put the papers away, feeling quite pleased.
"Come, take me to see her."
Selena’s mind was in turmoil. What she wanted most right now was to personally care for Brison.
That was why she had sought this meeting with Duane—to ask for that chance.
Duane agreed.
He wasn’t worried about the female Mage trying to escape with Brison.
First, the place was patrolled by guards and surrounded by walls, making escape difficult.
Second, Brison’s injuries were serious. Although the bleeding had been stopped and his wounds bandaged, it would likely take a month or two before he could move normally again.
A Mage couldn’t possibly escape a castle while carrying an injured man.
After the two "star-crossed lovers" spent about an hour together, Selena emerged from the room where Brison was being held, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Ms. Jasmine, where is the Baron?" she asked.
Jasmine replied, "The Baron should be busy in the front courtyard. He instructed me to take you back to your room."
Selena hummed in acknowledgment and glanced back.
Hardy had already closed and locked the door.
"I’m sorry, Jasmine. Could you please trouble yourself to go tell the Baron... just say that I’ve thought through his proposal from yesterday."
"Well..." Jasmine hesitated. She didn’t like to keep disturbing the Baron.
"Please!" Selena’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Jasmine couldn’t stand her tearful gaze. She also remembered the Baron’s instructions that this woman was special and not to be treated like an ordinary prisoner.
"Alright..."
She glanced at Hardy, signaling for him to keep watch, then headed for the front courtyard herself.
At that moment, Duane was busy crafting a new device.
It was a light crossbow, a common weapon for infantry.
Although the range of a Crossbow Arrow is shorter than that of a longbow, the crossbow’s advantages lie in its simple operation, high accuracy, strong piercing power, and good concealability.
Therefore, once these were made and issued, they could quickly improve the unit’s ranged combat capabilities.
Unlike the current situation, where the Archers had been training for months and their accuracy was still not quite satisfactory.
Duane had already obtained the design for the light crossbow from his Mastery Level Basic Manufacturing skill. The key to making it was the Crossbow String.
He had originally been using linen, but its strength and durability weren’t very good.
As it happened, the Slaughter Masters had left behind many intact sinews when processing the Frog Fish Monsters.
This material was perfectly suited for making crossbow strings.
So lately, Duane had been working on two things at once: crafting the crossbow mechanisms, arms, and bodies, while also processing the Frog Fish Monster sinews, separating the fibers, and weaving them into crossbow strings.
The process involved multiple steps of drying, pounding, separating, and splicing, and was very time-consuming.
Today happened to be the day of assembly.
Duane glanced at his attribute panel.
His Basic Manufacturing Skill Level had already reached (392/400). He just needed to assemble these three light crossbows to break through to the Perfection level.
"My Lord."
Jasmine walked over.
Without looking up from his work, Duane asked, "Is Selena out?"
"Yes, My Lord. She asked me to come find you again, saying she has thought through your proposal from yesterday."
The corners of Duane’s mouth curled up. He knew Selena would bring this up after seeing Brison.
"Take her to the parlor to wait. Brew her a cup of tea."
Duane said, "I’ll go over once I’m finished here."