- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 151
The room buzzed with excitement.
With the news of Count Engel’s ascension to Sky Knight, the three barons and the senior pioneering knight, much like Bern, made their decision—to stay.
This pivotal decision smoothed the path for Thor’s discussions on Rachos’s meticulously crafted plans, making progress far easier than before.
Even the four pioneering lords, initially skeptical, couldn’t hide their gleaming eyes, filled with anticipation.
—-
This time, the shares Thor offered were considerably lower than those in the Maine Alliance. Previously, to consolidate power, Thor had allocated 24% of the profits among the Maine Alliance members, who could subscribe based on their strength:
–5% for each grand knight,
–0.5% for each full knight,
–0.1% for each apprentice knight.
But now, with the Eagle Trade Association growing rapidly, even for members of the Dresrosa family, Thor reduced the stakes:
–1% for each grand knight,
–0.05% for each full knight,
–0.01% for each apprentice knight.
Taking Bern’s advice, Thor didn’t offer any more of his own shares, using only the 16% he had pooled earlier for expansion.
The seven lords accepted the subscription terms and the distribution of shares without objection, nodding in agreement.
——
After agreeing, the seven lords collectively pledged 12 grand knights, over a hundred full knights, and hundreds of apprentice knights.
The scale of the Eagle Trade Association nearly tripled instantly.
Previously, with the departure of three baronial lords from the Maine Alliance, the association had dwindled to just six grand knights:
-One provided by Bablus,
-Two by Tono,
-One each by Baron Pape and Baron Joss,
-Plus Thor’s own subordinate, Rayne.
Now, with the addition of 12 grand knights, the total soared to 18.
In the Northern Province, even among the most powerful pioneering lords, this strength ranked comfortably within the top five.
With time, this force could potentially dominate the Northern Province, earning the association the title of an unofficial king.
——
Thor wasn’t the only one elated by this progress. The others were equally thrilled and hopeful.
The meticulous plans drafted by Rachos now seemed almost flawless.
Even with just 2–3% shares, they could already envision mountains of gold in their future.
The wealth of the western region—and indeed the entire Northern Province—was staggering, and no one understood this better than them.
Even a modest slice of these riches promised immense rewards.
If the plan unfolded as described, the resulting profits would be staggering.
Annual revenues in the thousands, or even tens of thousands, of gold coins weren’t just dreams.
With just a thousand gold coins annually, a grand knight could be cultivated. Thousands of coins could elevate their territories’ strength to unprecedented levels—a crucial advantage as the kingdom prepared for war.
As for the Divine Reckoning?
Well, that damnable reckoning was far from their minds now.
It would either happen—or it wouldn’t.
If it erupted, their gamble would fail, and they’d meet their end.
If it didn’t, they would become obscenely wealthy.
At that moment, all anyone could see were visions of gold coins dancing in the air.
—–
For the next three days, the group remained engrossed in discussions.
By the end of the third day, their plans had crystallized, and everyone’s faces still carried a flush of excitement.
Thor, too, wore a satisfied smile.
The three days of deliberations had yielded results that exceeded his expectations.
Not only had they strengthened the Eagle Trade Association, but they had also established a detailed, cohesive strategy for their next steps, addressing many overlooked details.
——
“Uncle Bern, Uncle Xieli, Brother Tono, and my cousins, I leave the coming days in your capable hands. Time is short, and we need a comprehensive understanding of the situation around us.
“However, there’s no rush to engage just yet. Who knows? In a few more days, some of these lords might offer their resources to us for free,” Thor said with a light laugh.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already sent people to monitor things,” Bern replied, equally amused.
“Some of these fools are so desperate. Just a few days ago, Campbell was probing me, trying to see if I knew about the Divine Reckoning while angling to sell his resources to me,” he added, laughing.
“It’s true—those lords are in such a panic. We can afford to take our time,” another echoed.
“This time, we’re bound to make a fortune. Once the family is elevated to marquis status, with Engel as a Sky Knight, the Northern Province will undoubtedly belong to the Dresrosa family.”
The study filled with laughter and optimism as they envisioned the future.
—–
By the fourth day, the lords departed, their faces still glowing with excitement.
Thor followed suit, returning to his territory to address pressing matters.
The three territories abandoned by the departing Maine Alliance lords—Baron Valmi, Baron Gratton, and Baron Sachi—were now under Thor’s jurisdiction, thanks to tacit agreements with Joss and Pape.
These three had already begun their evacuations days earlier, moving faster than most western lords.
Thor needed to secure these lands quickly to fully integrate them into his domain.
—-
Riding Nia, Thor’s return was swift.
In less than three days, under the glow of a setting sun, he arrived back in Eagle Territory.
The town was bustling.
The influx of resources from the three newly acquired territories had transformed Eagle Territory into a hive of activity. Even as the sun dipped below the horizon, workers moved tirelessly, their silhouettes flitting about.
Outside the town, goblins were hard at work digging.
Thor noted with satisfaction that his steward had already begun the project. The progress, though modest, was visible. At this pace, completion within a year seemed plausible.
Thor spared the scene only a brief glance before heading straight to his study, summoning Pelos and Steve.
—
“How are things progressing? Have Barons Valmi, Gratton, and Sachi completed their evacuations?” Thor asked.
“Lord Sachi has fully evacuated, transferring most of his resources to us without requesting payment.
“Baron Gratton did the same.
“Baron Valmi is still organizing his assets but should finish in the next couple of days. We’ve paid him 1,200 gold coins so far, and additional payments might reach 2,000 gold coins at most,” Pelos reported respectfully.
“Sachi and Gratton didn’t ask for payment?”
Thor raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“No, my lord. Both said they owe their territories’ development to your guidance. Without your support, they believe they would have been destroyed during the minotaur incident and feel it’s inappropriate to demand payment,” Pelos explained.
“Good,” Thor said, nodding. “Ensure Baron Valmi finishes promptly.”
“Yes, my lord,” Pelos replied.
“I’ll notify them immediately!”
Steve nodded and prepared to leave.
But Thor stopped him.
“No need to rush.”
“I called you here for something else.”
Thor gestured for Steve to hold back, his tone calm.
Hearing Thor’s words, Steve and Pelos exchanged a curious glance, confusion flickering in their eyes.
“My lord?”
Pelos asked cautiously, his curiosity evident.
“How are your current strengths? How long until you both break through to the mid-stage of grand knight?”
Thor asked abruptly, his question cutting through their confusion.
“My lord, I’m close—at most, another year,” Steve replied promptly.
“My lord, I’ll need a little longer—probably within two years,” Pelos added after a moment’s thought.
“A year, two years…” Thor muttered.
“Here’s what we’ll do. Go find Anna and have her give you the contents of Cabinet Two. I want both of you to reach your breakthroughs as soon as possible.”
He paused before continuing, as if a new thought struck him.
“Also, Pelos, how is the fledgling Eagle Knight Order coming along?”
“Yes, my lord!”
Steve and Pelos exchanged an excited look. They hadn’t expected such a windfall.
“My lord, the Eagle Knight Order is progressing well. A few members seem on the verge of condensing their life seeds,” Pelos reported with a hint of pride.
Thor’s plan for the Eagle Knight Order was clearly paying off, as their talent and perseverance had exceeded expectations. Pelos saw them as the foundation of future development in Eagle Territory.
“Oh, that’s promising!”
Thor nodded.
“Also, inform Karin to summon Christine to meet me.”
Thor gestured for them to leave.
“Yes, my lord.”
Steve and Pelos bowed and left promptly.
—-
After notifying Karin, Steve and Pelos sought out Anna.
“Cabinet Two?”
Anna raised an eyebrow in surprise but nodded.
She led them to a room, carefully retrieving two wooden boxes.
“Train well. It seems the master has high hopes for you both,” Anna said seriously as she handed them over.
“Yes!”
Steve and Pelos nodded, their faces alight with excitement.
Even without opening the boxes, they could feel the potent life force emanating from within.
Carefully cradling their rewards, they left with the utmost caution, determined to make the most of the opportunity.
Afterwards, Anna returned to her room to resume her meditation.
Thor had tasked her with reaching the third tier as a mage, and she wasn’t about to waste time.
Aside from spending an hour each day training three apprentice alchemists, Anna devoted herself entirely to meditation.
She could feel herself nearing the breakthrough to a third-tier mage, and she estimated it would take no more than a year or so.
The prospect of advancing motivated her to focus even harder.
—–
Karin quickly located Christine and relayed Thor’s message.
Not daring to delay, Christine set aside her work and hurried to meet him.
Moments later, Thor found himself face-to-face with the alchemist.
Compared to before, Christine seemed to have undergone a transformation.
Traces of elemental energy flickered faintly around her, a clear sign that her meditation efforts had succeeded. Now, she only needed to open her mental sea to become a qualified mage.
Christine’s progress was impressive, outpacing the other two alchemists.
Her talent extended beyond magic to alchemy as well.
In the short time since returning to the castle, her success rate in crafting life potions had improved significantly.
This ability had earned her the responsibility of overseeing life potion production and managing the two remaining alchemists under her guidance.
“My lord, you summoned me?”
Christine asked respectfully, her voice tinged with curiosity.
“How are things progressing?”
“How many life potions can we produce daily now?”
“What’s the failure rate?”
Thor’s gaze met Christine’s as he posed his questions.
He had entrusted the life potion operations to Anna, and later to Christine, while focusing on the Eagle Trade Association. Now, with the next phase of his plans approaching, he needed precise data to guide his decisions.
Only with a clear understanding of their resources could Thor finalize his strategies for the future.
(End of Chapter)