Chapter 147: 147 Reaping Benefits

Chapter 147: Plucking the Wool

Rowning wanted to form a small knightly unit; this time, he needed to purchase at least six warhorses and twenty riding horses.

The warhorses were for the professional knights, the riding horses for the cavalry.

The quality of horses in Pasture City was renowned throughout the Wushan Domain and its surrounding regions, and today Rogner had brought Rowning to the finest stud farm—every single horse here was of exceptional caliber.

Excellent quality meant higher prices, and the gold coins required from buyers were no small sum.

Through Rogner’s detailed explanations, Rowning finally understood the approximate price ranges for each grade of warhorse in Pasture City.

Common-grade warhorses cost 40 to 60 gold each; fine-grade, 100 to 150 gold; excellent-grade, 300 gold and above.

Riding horses for the cavalry also varied in price, ranging from 3 to 20 gold depending on their quality.

As Rowning gazed at the horses in the stables, they ceased to be living creatures—they became golden coins gleaming under the sun.

If sold at market price, these hundred-plus horses could fetch an astonishing fortune.

But Baron Marwen had already instructed Rogner to grant Rowning the greatest discount possible.

Thus, Rowning purchased all warhorses at the lowest price within their respective tiers, and the riding horses at mid-range rates.

Such an opportunity was not to be missed.

He still had 1,562 gold coins in hand—he simply had to buy more.

After all, when the village is gone, the shop vanishes too. He couldn’t expect Baron Marwen to offer discounts every single time; after all, running a stud farm was a business.

Yet he couldn’t buy too many either—Shanlin Town’s conditions simply wouldn’t allow it.

Feeding these horses demanded vast quantities of fodder.

Beyond grass, to maintain the warhorses’ condition, he needed corn, oats, alfalfa, bran, soybeans—

Shanlin Town’s agriculture was painfully monotonous; oats were scarce, let alone corn or alfalfa.

Even the soybeans grown there were planted in minuscule plots, barely enough to sustain Rowning’s own needs—how could there be any left for horses?

These horses, once brought home, would mostly have to subsist on grass alone.

After careful calculation, Rowning made his decision: two fine-grade warhorses, twelve common-grade warhorses, and thirty riding horses.

A quick tally revealed that these forty-four horses alone cost him a staggering 980 gold coins!

And this was after the discount—had he paid full price, he would have drained every last copper he owned and still fallen short.

After paying the deposit, Rowning received the purchase contract and arranged to collect the horses upon returning from Wushan Keep.

“Over five hundred gold left… I’ll buy some fodder, seeds, wrought iron…”

Rowning sighed inwardly. The three thousand gold he’d earned from Wushan Keep had nearly vanished.

Purchase was merely the first step. Feeding came second. Armament was third.

Surely, warhorses needed armor for protection?

Clothing them in iron barding would cost another fortune.

Rowning’s thoughts turned to the blackiron trees.

In ancient times, there were vine-armored soldiers—he now had ironwood soldiers. Why not form a cavalry of ironwood riders?

But no matter how one looked at it, it was still a massive expenditure.

Now Rowning finally understood why everyone said a true baron must possess a complete knightly unit.

Forming such a unit was not merely a display of martial strength—it was a display of wealth.

Only nobles who possessed both power and fortune could truly be called nobles.

With the horse purchase settled, all of Rowning’s business in Pasture City was complete.

That evening, when Baron Marwen received the list, his lip twitched. “This boy—when I asked him earlier how many horses he needed, he never mentioned this many!”

Yesterday, Rowning had only spoken of common-grade warhorses and riding horses—never once mentioned fine-grade.

Now, two fine-grade warhorses had been added—clearly an afterthought.

Rogner chuckled, “I think he’s nearly out of gold. Otherwise, he’d have bought even more.”

“He really knows how to squeeze every last coin.”

Marwen set the list aside, no longer paying it mind. He had already gifted Rowning a Stepping Cloud Steed—adding a few more horses meant nothing.

Besides, he could see Rowning was no longer the same man as before. Supporting him now was profitable.

…

Since the Ironhoof Fortress caravan still needed several days to prepare, Rowning was granted a rare few days of rest.

Originally, Rogner and his girlfriend, Knight Clami, had invited him to tour Pasture City—to visit the arena and the gladiatorial grounds.

But Rowning politely declined, citing exhaustion from travel.

Publicly, he claimed he needed rest. In truth, he was training his fourth-rank combat techniques and magic in his private villa.

Since his ascension, he could now learn the Wind Blade combat technique and the spells Tearing and Wind Tentacles in wind affinity.

In fire affinity, he could master the Flame Whirlwind technique once used by Raisen, and the Flame Pillar spell.

Of these, only the Tearing spell had been obtained from the magic core of the Storm Wolf—the rest had been gifted to him by Rulans.

Through study, Rowning realized combat techniques and magic were strikingly similar in form—both were applications of supernatural power.

For instance, Wind Blade involved coating mist with aura, then skillfully condensing, controlling, and splitting it into a dozen razor-edged wind blades.

Tearing, by contrast, summoned wind elements through engraved magical runes to strike.

The difference? Wind Blade covered a wider area; Tearing inflicted greater damage.

“Wind Blade!”

Rowning murmured. The Flowflame Sword arced through the air, and razor-edged wind blades howled like scythes toward Macken.

Macken did not employ a technique—only summoned an aura armor around his body and struck with palm blasts to deflect Rowning’s assault.

With a violent crash, Macken neutralized the full force of Rowning’s strike—only a few stray wind blades pierced through the palm blasts to strike his aura armor.

The armor trembled faintly, then settled back into stillness.

“Decent power—but weaker than Tearing,” Rowning mused, rubbing his chin as he recalled the techniques and spells.

“It’s a pity a spell’s power doesn’t scale with the mage’s strength. If I could pour more aura into it like a combat technique, Wind Blade would be the strongest single-target attack.”

It was said only a Magister could enhance the power of ordinary spells—but Rowning had no idea how.

Perhaps he needed to consult a magic tutor—or raise Elron’s power, so he might recover more memories and knowledge of magic.

Three days passed in a blink.

Rowning had mastered his second wind spell: Wind Tentacles.

This spell manipulated wind into lashing ribbons to bind an opponent’s limbs in midair, restricting their movement—its effect was nearly identical to Elron’s Light Bind.

But as a fourth-rank wind spell, its binding force far surpassed that of Light Bind.

Ronin had tested it on Macken and Tom. The former could only break free by unleashing his full strength; otherwise, the bonds would hold him for at least three or five seconds.

As for Tom…

Poor Tom had been bound motionless for a full three minutes, only managing to escape when the magic’s power slowly waned with time.

“Lord, Alphonse, the steward of Ironhoof Castle, has arrived,” Tom said, stepping into the courtyard.

Ronin’s heart stirred—he suspected the Ironhoof carriage was now ready, and they must set off for Mount Black Castle.

This time, Mount Black Castle would be far more lively than last.

(End of Chapter)