Chapter 37: 37 Wealth in the Castle

Chapter 37. Wealth in the Castle

The Mountain Forest Castle remained as lively as ever, yet in just half a day, its master had changed.

Roning shared dinner with the soldiers who had come from Mountain Forest Town—a meal celebrating their stage of victory.

Though the broth, side dishes, and bread prepared by the cooks were far inferior to those at Black Mountain Castle, after days of dried meat and stale bread, Roning heartily consumed several bowls.

The soldiers below felt the same.

The provisions on the road had already been quite acceptable to them, let alone the soups and dishes at this feast.

The banquet lasted about an hour. Once night had fully descended, Roning enjoyed a refreshing bath and moved into the refurbished small building.

This building was entirely wooden, divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower.

The top level was an attic, storing unused clothing or tools; the middle housed luxurious bedrooms; the bottom consisted of a living room and a resting area for servants.

Roning stayed in the largest room on the second floor, which had been cleaned quite thoroughly by the servants.

Now, he sat in the study outside the bedroom, where lit candles illuminated the entire room.

Though the light wasn’t as soft as Earth’s incandescent bulbs, it was sufficient for him to clearly see every word on the books.

Before him lay two books, or rather, martial skill manuals—Flame Slash and Fire Punch Bombardment.

Roning glanced over them briefly; both were techniques suitable for intermediate knights.

Flame Slash was likely the fiery attack used by Prinst;

Fire Punch Bombardment, being more difficult to learn, Prinst probably hadn’t mastered it—or perhaps he had but never had the chance to use it.

These two martial manuals were quite useful to Roning, as one of his attributes was fire.

"Knock, knock, knock~" The door was struck.

"Come in."

The manservant Chahar entered. "Good evening, master."

He approached the table and respectfully reported, "I have completed the task you assigned."

As he spoke, he pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it over.

"Quite speedy!"

The parchment felt delicate and smooth, but it carried a faint, pungent odor.

Roning frowned slightly. Though the smell wasn’t pleasant, after reading many books these days, he had grown accustomed.

Roning read the text of this otherworld without difficulty. It recorded:

【Money: 58 gold coins, 349 silver coins, 8466 copper coins】

【Food: Barley 18856 pounds, Wheat 16230 pounds, Flour 1000 pounds, Dried meat 500 pounds, Fine salt 30 pounds, Coarse salt 136 pounds, Gaza salt 320 pounds, Butter 280 pounds】

【Beer: Superior beer 26 bottles, Medium 138 bottles, Tart beer 5 barrels】

【Horses: Excellent warhorse 1, Ordinary warhorses 3, Ordinary horses 19, Young horses 3, Wagons 5】

【Livestock: Milk cows 4, Bull 1, Young cow 1, Female black buffalo 10, Male black buffalo 1, Young calves 3, Goats 126】

【Weapons】：Full armor sets *3, Iron spears *23, Knight swords *6, Inferior long swords *12, Longbows *8, Arrows *356

【Pelts: Sheepskin 56 sheets, Cowhide 13 sheets】

【Fabrics: Linen 87 rolls, Woolen fabric 54 rolls】

Roning carefully read through the items listed on the parchment, and his smile grew ever brighter.

No wonder so many dreamed of conquering a castle—the rewards were truly tempting!

"Prinst pledged loyalty to Rain of Sen Territory, so many things must have been handed over to Sen Territory. I never expected Mountain Forest Castle still had so much!"

"Yes, master. These provisions are enough to feed us for a year!"

When Chahar tallied the assets, his excitement was beyond words—he felt as though he had struck riches.

"And soon it will be September. I hear Mountain Forest Town still has a batch of barley to harvest. Then we’ll have plenty of fresh barley again."

Though Roning usually consumed more wheat flour, barley was also an important staple.

Not only could it serve as food, but it was crucial for brewing beer, making malt sugar, and barley tea. Additionally, the black bread made from its bran was a survival guarantee for many.

"We needn’t worry about castle provisions anymore."

Roning had originally planned to buy grain, but now it seemed ample.

Regarding money.

Combined with the seized funds from the castle, Roning now possessed 589 gold coins. Even after purchasing five magic crystals, he would still have over eighty gold coins in savings.

Now he could consider extravagant initial purchases, though magic crystals weren’t available in Mountain Forest Town.

To buy them, he likely needed to visit the nearest Horsetown.

"I haven’t firmly established myself in Mountain Forest Town; it’s not suitable to leave yet."

Roning had occupied the castle for less than five hours total. Many tasks remained undone, leaving him completely tied up.

Having others handle it was even less feasible.

The sole warrior Macken must stay by his side; others lacked sufficient strength. If they ventured out recklessly and got robbed, Roning wouldn’t know whom to lament to.

Apart from money, he focused on horses, livestock, and weapons—their value far exceeded that of food.

"These three warhorses were ridden by Prinst and Sen; after capture, they were included."

Chahar explained, "The full armor sets are basically the same."

Roning nodded, now having a basic understanding of Mountain Forest Castle’s wealth.

He also realized how attractive such wealth was to a magistrate, which explained why they clung to it so tightly.

"You’ve tallied very meticulously; this task was executed excellently."

Roning placed the parchment on the table, offering Chahar an appreciative smile. "Thank you for your hard work!"

Chahar hastily waved his hands, modestly saying, "Master, please don’t say that. Serving you is my honor!"

"Well, the castle should have warehouses and cellars. You’ll uniformly manage these supplies."

Roning began his first personnel arrangement: "Work diligently, Chahar. From now on, you are the steward of Mountain Forest Castle."

Chahar paused upon hearing this. His dream had been to become a grand steward like Holhart.

Now, he had finally taken the first step in his life—from manservant to steward!

Though only a steward in the remote Mountain Forest Castle, during this period he had realized that following this master would surely lead to a promising future!

Chahar immediately knelt on one knee. "The Seven Gods witness—Chahar will not betray your trust, master!"

"Haha, rise."

Roning raised his hand, simultaneously handing over a parchment on the table.

"Prinst’s servants cannot be used again. I entrust you with recruiting new servants. This is the salary range I’ve set; follow this standard."

"Very well, master!"

Chahar took the parchment and began reading carefully.

It categorized servants into types such as apprentice servants, laborers, kitchen chefs, kitchen assistants, personal maids, personal manservants, stewards, housekeepers, and so on, with brief descriptions and corresponding salary ranges.

The highest salary was for the steward, responsible for all management affairs in the castle but required to maintain boundaries with the maids’ quarters and their lives, earning 8 copper coins per day.

Housekeepers and chefs were in the second tier, earning 6 copper coins per day.

The lowest were apprentice servants, receiving only 1 copper coin daily.

"Our castle isn't large now, and we don’t have many staff—we're just starting. I’ll offer you a salary of 8 copper coins per day."

Rony smiled and said, "When our castle expands and there are more people and tasks under your charge, I’ll raise your salary."

For a steward in a baron's castle, earning 8 copper coins per day amounted to just 2 gold and 6 silver coins a year—not high, but within normal standards.

However, Chahar clearly hadn’t expected such treatment.

"Your generosity is truly great, my lord! I thank you for myself and for the servants who will join the castle!"

"Do well, Chahar. Improve your management skills in all areas. In the future, you will be the chief steward of the Flame Storm family!"

Rony didn’t mind painting a grand picture—after all, it made everyone feel good.

"You’ll determine the number and quality of servants, but I have a few requirements in other areas."

"Please speak, my lord!"

Rony said, "First, you must understand their family backgrounds. If they followed Prist, especially those involved in today’s betrayal, they’re definitely not acceptable!"

"Second, after selection, observe their words and actions. Those who are irresponsible in their work, lazy, or restless cannot be kept."

"Finally, and most crucially, they must be loyal to me."

Chahar memorized these three points firmly. "My lord, I have remembered!"

Rony waved his hand. "Alright, go now. Tomorrow, after I’ve met my subjects, you can begin hiring servants."

Watching Chahar leave his study, Rony stretched lazily.

After a busy day, he could finally rest quietly alone.

However, some people were destined not to rest.

For instance, David, who at this moment should be copying the homes of those three professional knights from Saine Territory in Mountain Forest Town alongside Tom.

It was unclear how much property these individuals would leave for Rony.

(End of chapter)