Chapter 283: New Administration Officer

Some of the matters Chahar spoke of were indeed problematic.

Although Ronin now held valuable things like the ironwood workshop, porcelain, and silk, he had not yet expanded them into full industries.

He was not worried about the armor made of ironwood; after all, the fully armed North Charn squad had already shown its efficacy to others during this war.

This kind of thing, which cost less than iron armor but still served a purpose, was bound to have a market.

As long as the goods were produced, with Viscount Marvin taking the lead, there would be no worry about sales.

Although porcelain and silk were not yet mass-produced, they had passed Rulance's appraisal and possessed a vast market as well.

Once Rogner returned this time, Ronin would need him and Pearson to take the caravan and open up the market, but what was needed right now was more finished products.

For this purpose, Ronin paid a visit to Ash Village and Purple Fruit Village.

During this period, Jim the potter and his apprentices had improved their skills, producing over a hundred white porcelain bowls.

However, colored porcelain was still under research, and the finished products were not particularly good.

As for Horn and Lya's sericulture, though many silkworms had died, they had harvested many times more cocoons than in previous years.

Even now, the cocoons had not yet been entirely gathered.

"My Lord, there are still too few mulberry trees."

Horn lamented, "Later on, seeing that the leaves were insufficient, I simply abandoned a whole room of silkworms that were in poor condition. Otherwise, we could have raised even more!"

"Then we shall expand the planting of mulberry trees this year."

Ronin said, "Have Wilson arrange more labor for you. From now on, Purple Fruit Village will no longer grow wheat; it will be entirely converted into mulberry fields."

The reclaimed land in Purple Fruit Village was less than nine hundred mu, and the revenue from planting barley and wheat could not compare to the enormous profits of mulberry cultivation and sericulture.

Without having to worry about food supplies, converting to mulberry fields to produce more silk and weave more fabric was the absolute path forward.

"With these words from you, my Lord, my mind is at ease!"

Horn had already planned ahead, merely waiting for Ronin's word to begin turning wheat into mulberry.

After handling these matters, Ronin rode his warhorse toward Forest Town to inspect the progress of the paper mill he had ordered before his departure.

He was already using the first batch of paper; though coarse, with uneven surfaces and pits in some places, it was undeniably a good beginning.

With the implementation of paper, the spread of knowledge within North Charn would become easier and cheaper than before, which would help elevate the overall literacy level in the future.

"Brother Ronin, can I follow you out of North Charn now?"

Irene rode upon the back of Black Tiger, tailing him at his side like a little shadow.

"Of course, my promise holds true."

Ronin had said back then that once Irene became a mid-tier mage he would take her out, so there was no need to go back on his word.

"I shall be going to Wushan Castle shortly; if it is convenient for you, come along."

"Hooray!" Irene cheered, her voice echoing far through the woods.

Ronin, however, was looking at the Black Tiger beneath her.

This storm wolf pup had been raised for nearly a year now, reaching a body length of one point seven meters, resembling a majestic, formidable hound.

Moreover, it was plain to see that it felt no strain carrying the petite Irene as it galloped along, proving its exceptional endurance.

Ronin had heard from Irene that Black Tiger could now occasionally enter a brief state of stealth, meaning it was already a tier-two magical beast and had mastered tier-two magic.

Fortunately, Black Tiger had lived with dogs for a time during its infancy and had received continuous, proper training not to bite people indiscriminately; otherwise, a stealth-capable tier-two magical beast living in the territory would be a dangerous hazard.

"Irene, has Black Tiger shown any unusual behaviors lately, like howling, sniffing, or frequent marking?"

Irene tilted her head, thinking seriously before shaking it, "It doesn't seem to have done any of that. Brother, why do you ask?"

"Oh, then it shouldn't be in heat yet."

Ronin smiled and said, "Tell me when you notice Black Tiger acting like that. I will find a male wolf for it to mate with, and then we can have a litter of pups."

A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, "That way, North Charn might give rise to a squad of wolf cavalry in the future."

Irene's face flushed crimson, and she buried her head in embarrassment.

In heat, male wolf, female wolf, mating, litters... how could he speak such embarrassing words out of nowhere?

Seeing this, Ronin could not help but laugh heartily, having momentarily forgotten there was a young maiden beside him.

"Irene, you have changed quite a bit over this past year."

Irene lifted her head, blinking her large eyes as she looked up at Ronin on horseback, her gaze full of wonder.

"When I saw you last year, you were still a child playing in the mud on the mountain, rather ordinary-looking, but now you grow more beautiful by the day."

She lowered her head again, her face instantly flushing red as she muttered in protest, "I wasn't playing in the mud on the mountain..."

She had clearly been climbing trees with her companions back then.

Over the next few days, Ronin took Irene on a tour around several towns, inspecting the production and living conditions of each while laying out his subsequent plans.

The two thousand slaves purchased from Anthony last time had already been settled in Forest Town and Black Earth Town, bringing the territory's population to over eighteen thousand.

Once the twenty thousand people promised by Wiggins and the ten thousand gathered by Karlby arrived, the population of North Charn would approach fifty thousand.

By then, Ronin would likely achieve two stages of the Prosperity achievement.

Before these people arrived, the corresponding arrangements had to be prepared in advance; Wilson had experience in this and could handle it entirely.

That night, in Ronin's study at Swamp Castle.

Celine did not know why the lord had suddenly summoned him; on the way over, he had reviewed his recent actions many times, but nothing seemed amiss.

Could it be because of his former lord, Rayson?

But it was said that Rayson had been dead for months.

"Celine, though you were once Rayson's butler, since you entered my service, I have witnessed your loyalty and recognized your capability, so I now have a matter to entrust to you."

Celine's anxious heart settled, and he bowed humbly, saying, "It is my honor to serve you, my Lord!"

"Before long, I may acquire a new piece of land to the southwest of Wushan Territory. It lacks an administrative officer to manage affairs for me, and I believe you are suited for the role."

The affairs at Red Mountain Town were currently handled by Ridal, but Ronin did not want Ridal to expend his energy on such matters; he needed a reliable administrative officer with a simple background.

Wilson could not leave North Charn for the time being, and among his subordinates, Celine was the most prudent and discerning, making him clearly the most appropriate choice.

Ultimately, Ronin still lacked sufficient men to employ; this situation might ease after the victory of this war, but in crucial positions, he still required those he could trust or those who could only rely on him.

Wilson and Chahar were the kinds of people Ronin could trust;

Celine, on the other hand, was the kind who was not yet fully trusted but could only rely on Ronin to live a better life.

Both kinds could be utilized with peace of mind.

At this moment, Celine's eyes widened; he had originally thought that given his past service to Rayson, it would be impossible for him to be heavily relied upon again.

He truly did not expect to become an administrative officer so quickly!

Sure enough, just as Wilson had said, the Lord's way of doing things surpassed that of ordinary men.

"Celine thanks you for your trust!"

He knelt on the ground in excitement, offering his absolute loyalty: "I will not fail your charge, and will do everything in my power to manage the new territory well for you!"