Imperial Crown

Looking at those sapphire-like eyes, Raven's heart moved: "What are the conditions?"

"Learn Elvish within half a year." Lux said with a hint of playful pride in her eyes.

"Okay, it's a deal." Raven nodded with a smile.

"Eh?" Lux was stunned for a moment: "But Elvish is difficult to learn. Do you want to..."

"No need." Raven said decisively.

Lux looked away angrily.

The history of the elves is much longer than that of the human race, and their civilization was established much earlier. It can be said to be the origin of the civilization of the entire Middles continent. Therefore, the Elf language became the first language that the human race mastered.

But later, as the human race gradually prospered and gradually developed its own language and characters, the Elvish language disappeared from daily life, and only nobles and a few scholars and priests could master it.

In the past thousand years, with the establishment of the main body of the human race on the mainland, the inheritance of Elvish language has gradually weakened. Except for a very small number of great nobles, scholars and priests, few people can speak it.

As a priest, Lux must master the Elvish language, and the learning process is extremely painful - there is no language environment, and there is a lack of application scenarios. Now even hymns to the Lord of Light are performed in the Imperial language.

"Why, do you regret it?" Raven asked with a smile: "Otherwise, would you like to change another condition?"

"No need!" Lux turned her head and stared at Raven, with stubbornness in her eyes: "We agreed, I will learn Elvish within half a year, otherwise, you will have to pay me back 2,000 gold coins!"

"Okay." Raven nodded deeply and asked curiously: "Then, if, I mean if, I let go, what conditions do you want me to change?"

As footsteps approached, Patty served dinner and placed it in front of the two of them.

Pan-seared beef shoulder with pickled asparagus, a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, and a small basket of freshly baked white bread.

After a tiring day, the scent immediately attracted Lux's attention.

"Thank you to the Lord of Light for your gift." After praying, Lux picked up the knife and cut off a piece of beef shoulder, and began to enjoy his dinner, obviously not intending to continue this topic.

"Thanks to the Lord of Light for the gift." Raven did not continue to dwell on this topic. He also cut off a piece of beef shoulder and put it in his mouth.

The aroma of butter is in your mouth. When you bite down, the full meat juice bursts out between your lips and teeth. The unique delicious taste of beef fills your mouth, giving people a huge sense of satisfaction.

The pickled asparagus has a crisp texture, and the slightly sour taste dissolves the greasiness of the beef very well, making it appetizing.

Then use white bread to dip into the thick soup full of milk and mushroom aroma. This dinner can't be said to be rich, but it is completely fulfilling.

After the two of them finished eating, the maid came up to remove the tableware, and then placed two small bowls of cream ice cream for dessert.

In this era, only nobles and a few wealthy businessmen could get ice in the summer.

"If you want me to learn Elvish, you have to give me a textbook and find me a teacher, right?" Raven said half-jokingly: "It's best to be an Elf teacher."

"Don't say it's you, I still want an elf teacher!" Lux snorted and said: "Now the elf empire is huddled in the ancient forest and has not come out for hundreds of years. There are very few elves walking on the continent. It’s so rare that you can see it just by looking at it.”

"Then you can't let me learn it out of thin air, right?" Raven spread his palms: "Does this matter also bother the Lord of Light?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Lux glanced at him dissatisfied: "In two days, I will have someone send you the Elvish dictionary and teaching materials. When you return to Eagle Castle, I will teach you in person!"

As she spoke, the dimples on her face were exposed: "If you can't learn how to do it by then, I'm going to slap my palms~"

Looking at her innocent smile, Raven could only smile and nod: "Okay, I'll do whatever you want."

Lux yawned tiredly, and Raven also felt tiredness welling up in his body. He stood up and said, "Then, good night, Miss Lux."

"Good night." Lux nodded with a smile.

That night, Raven did not ask for Patty's service and slept very peacefully.

Early the next morning, which was the 13th day after Raven came to Goldshire, Lux declined Raven's invitation to stay, took a carriage and returned to Goldshire Church with daily necessities.

At the same time, a sneaky figure pulled away.

Her name is Jenny, Nancy's confidant maid.

Returning all the way to the manor in the southwest of Goldshire, she came to the door of Nancy's bedroom. She took a deep breath and nervously knocked on the door gently: "Miss Nancy."

After a while, the door opened with a creak, and Nancy's figure appeared in front of Jenny.

She was wearing a slightly childish plaid nightgown and a pointed nightcap on her head. Now she had just woken up, her hair was as messy as a ball of wool on the back of her head, and her pink fingers scratched her hair, revealing A section of white and tender lotus root arm: "Is there any news? Tell me!"

With that said, Nancy turned back into the house, swung her white calves and sat in front of the mirror and started dressing up.

"Yes..." Jenny lowered her head and reported back: "Lax, the priest of Eagle Town, went to see Raven yesterday and visited the military camp with him and had lunch together."

"Priest Lux stayed at the Government Affairs Hall of Goldsmith Town at night and didn't leave until this morning."

With a click, the wooden comb broke into two pieces in Nancy's hand. She turned her head and frowned and asked, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because... nothing happened between the two of them." Jenny whispered, fearing to offend the unruly young lady: "Lux is a priest after all..."

Nancy understood what Jenny meant. She knew Lux's background much better than a little maid.

Although she is just a small baronial priest, her teacher is the seventh-level magician Crouch, the most famous ascetic in the empire. She can break through to the eighth level at any time, and may even become a holy magician. .

In terms of background and status alone, she is probably still above Nancy, who is the daughter of an earl.

Such a priest is not someone Raven, a little baron, can offend.

"Damn Raven!" Nancy threw half of the comb into the trash can bitterly, and hammered the table angrily: "He is obviously just a lowly and dirty guy, how could he deceive the priest of the Lord of Light? That one Lux must be a big-breasted and brainless guy.”

Speaking of big breasts and no brains, her eyes fell on the mirror, and she tried to straighten her waist, looking at the barely protruding outline, and finally pursed her lips helplessly: "Is there any other news? In the past ten days Is he really that honest?"

Jenny nodded silently: "That's true, miss. We monitored the government hall day and night and found that Raven's life is very simple..."

"In addition to being in the government affairs hall, it's also in the training ground, right? I've heard this kind of thing seven or eight times!" Nancy rolled her eyes: "A bunch of useless things, why is it so difficult for you to find a reason! "

"This month and next month, all salaries will be deducted!!"

With that said, Nancy stood up and rubbed her butt.

That hateful guy!

Although the pain was gone now, she lay on the bed for three days after coming out of the government affairs hall.

When she returned to the manor that day, her mind was full of grievances and despair - she was going to die, and if the news of being spanked spread, how would she see anyone in the future.

But after that, it was as if what happened that day had never happened. Although there were some rumors in the market, they were all based on rumors and baseless.

But this also means one thing, that is, Raven himself has a handle on her, making her always worried that Raven will expose this matter and even use it to threaten herself one day in the future.

Being threatened by a little bee is scary to think about.

I wanted to go to my father to complain, but there was no reason.

Should I tell my father that Raven bullied me and the way to bully me was to spank me?

So she sent her maids to monitor Raven's movements, hoping to catch him.

Isn't his name "Little Bee"?

Then seize the opportunity when he finds a woman. There is no shortage of women selling their bodies in Goldshire.

It is an open secret that nobles have fun, but it doesn't matter if there is a little gossip after marriage. Before marriage, such behavior will greatly reduce the reputation, and it is considered a minor scandal.

Nobles with the reputation of "debauchery" find it difficult for both men and women to find equal marriage partners, and can only be downwardly compatible. This is also a tacit secret in the aristocratic circle.

When the time comes, he will have Raven's handle, and Raven will have his own handle, so it will be a tie!

But it just so happens that such a person can't even catch the slightest hint of this.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Nancy said in a loud voice: "If you can't find it, just keep monitoring him. I don't believe it. You can't catch him!"

Jenny's face looked sad. After all, her profession was that of a maid, not a spy. It was too hard to be exposed to the wind and sun all day long: "Miss Nancy, I don't think this is an option..."

"Oh, what do you mean, do you mean to say that I am stupid?" Nancy's hand lit up with a flame.

"Don't dare!" Jenny quickly put her head on the ground: "I just think that since his nickname is 'Little Bee', is it really...useful for you to collect this evidence?"

A breeze blew through the hall, and the room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Nancy was stunned for a long time, then her breathing became more and more rapid, her little face turned red, and she realized that she had thought wrong: "Damn it, why didn't you remind me earlier?"

For a good, clean girl like herself, reputation is of course very important; but for a guy like Raven who comes from a pariah background, what does it matter if his reputation is ruined?

"Then, Jenny, what should we do now?" Nancy asked a little guilty.

Jenny really didn't want to be out in the wind and sun anymore, and her mind was spinning rapidly: "I think... the way Baron Raven is acting right now, he seems to be very short of money."

"Then let's rob his treasury?" Nancy's eyes lit up, and then she shook her head: "No, he still has an army on hand after all. It would be too bad if he was discovered."

But this also inspired her thoughts very well. She walked around the room and walked in circles. With the loose nightgown on her body, she looked like a lively morning glory.

"Yes!" Nancy clapped her hands hard: "You said before that the purpose of his meeting with these businessmen was to build a workshop, right?"

She showed a smile filled with fascinated confidence: "He has created the Tears of Angels before and built a workshop. There will definitely be bigger moves. When the time comes, I will sneak in and steal all his secret recipes. When the time comes, Angel’s Tears will be mine!”

After saying that, she looked at Jenny who was kneeling on the ground and asked, "Why don't you say anything? Isn't my plan bad?"

Jenny was speechless. Stealing secret recipes was not something a noble lady should do.

However, considering that the workshop had not yet started construction, it would take at least one or two months to complete. It was unclear whether Nancy would be here by then.

And most importantly, this way, she would not have to run out every day.

Jenny raised her thumbs with her hands on the ground: "Great, Miss Nancy, it's absolutely wonderful!"

"Humph, I said my idea was right." Nancy jumped to the window and opened the curtains, smiling brightly in the sun: "Wait, Raven, offending me, Nancy Fox, is the biggest mistake of your life!"

Under the same bright sunshine, private soldiers were training hard on the training ground in the northeast of Shining Gold Town.

As the lord, Raven stood in front of the team. When his eyes fell on a private soldier, the latter would proudly stand up.

They all hoped to be chosen by Raven to become his personal soldiers. After all, the salary of personal soldiers was three times that of ordinary soldiers like them.

But Raven's attention was not on them.

We have been in Goldshire long enough, and the recruitment of construction workers has been almost completed. The next step is to wait for the construction materials to arrive, and the riverside workshop can break ground.

And Raven did not wait too long.

On July 23, 1193 of the Guangming calendar, the first batch of building stones drove into Goldshire along the road. On this day, Raven ordered the newly recruited soldiers to escort the stones to the north bank of the upper reaches of the Jinsha River in the northeast of Eagle Town.

In the past ten days, Old Gordon has organized the people to level the land, clear the weeds and gravel on it, and even paved a gravel road leading to Eagle Town.

That night, Raven returned to Eagle Castle, which he had not seen for a long time. As soon as he entered the door, he received a piece of news that surprised him: "What, Denise left? When did it happen?"

"On July 9th." Old Gordon said.

"It's been almost half a month..." Raven frowned slightly, and his tone was quite serious: "Why didn't you tell me the first time?"

"Mrs. Denise said that you don't need to be informed." Old Gordon said carefully: "Besides, she is your aunt after all..."

Old Gordon also has his own selfish motives for this matter.

Raven always runs to Denise's house. He sees it in his eyes. Although he doesn't say it, he doesn't agree with Raven's behavior and behavior, and he is deeply dissatisfied with Denise's "improper behavior".

Now that Denise has left, in his opinion, it is a good thing for both Raven and Denise herself, so naturally he doesn't want to inform his baron the first time.

"Forget it, just go..." Raven sighed.

If it weren't for Angel's Tears, Denise might have left long ago. Now that the output of Angel's Tears is becoming more and more stable, her departure is not so surprising.

But Raven still feels a little lost in his heart.

His eyes fell on old Gordon's face, and he said with a slightly unhappy look: "Mr. Gordon, I hope this is the last time."

"I don't have many years left to live, sir." Old Gordon bent down, his voice respectful and humble: "Your will will be implemented."

There is no need for a heavy hammer to beat the drum, and Raven did not give him any substantial punishment. For a smart man, one sentence is enough, and more will destroy the relationship between master and servant.

That night, Petty was tossed around.

The next morning, the construction of the riverside workshop officially began.

According to Raven's idea, this workshop will become the center of the Eagle Town Industrial Zone in the future, so it occupies a large area, 50 meters long and wide, and 15 meters away from the river, which is convenient for water and fire fighting.

But on the second day of construction, a problem came: it was too close to the river, the groundwater was too abundant, and the foundation was two meters deep, and sewage gushed out like a fountain.

After careful consideration, Raven had to move the address of the workshop 50 meters to the northwest, re-level the land, dig the foundation, and give up the idea of ​​building an underground warehouse.

However, the previous projects were not completely wasted. The previously excavated foundation could be widened on the original basis to serve as a small canal connecting the workshop and Jinsha River.

On the fifth day of construction, the foundation was excavated and most of the foundation stones were buried, but it was caught up with a heavy rain.

The buildings in this world are mainly made of rocks and supplemented by wood. The bonding between the stones is mostly lime slurry, which needs to be slowly dried on dry days to ensure adhesion and strength. It can't withstand the erosion of rain.

In just one night, the buried foundation was soaked and rotten, and the ditch had to be dug in advance to release the accumulated water.

Looking at the muddy construction site, Raven sighed in his heart.

I really want cement!

It's not that I haven't thought about inventing cement in this world, but the problem is that it is beyond the scope of nine-year compulsory education. Even if Raven knows the general formula, he can't grasp the proportion at all, and at least it doesn't have such a wide range of applications at present.

This kind of industrial product must be placed in the hands of a big force to see profits, and in Raven's hands, it can only lose money.

If you really want to make it, at least you have to wait until you become a viscount.

Raven started a life of two points and one line again. It was like this in Shining Gold Town and it was still like this in Eagle Town.

Before, it was from the government hall to the training ground, and now it is from Eagle Castle to the construction site.

Although he didn't need to stay at the construction site all day long, he was covered in dirt every time he came back, which kept Petty very busy.

On the ninth day of construction, August 1, 1193 in the Guangming calendar, with the busy work of hundreds of craftsmen, the four city walls basically took shape, and the foundations of the inner factory buildings were also excavated. However, problems were encountered during the construction process.

Raven wanted to build a huge workshop in the workshop, one that could accommodate hundreds of people working at the same time. However, in this way, with the construction technology of this world--to be precise, with the people Raven could find, it would be difficult to build a building. Technology simply can't do it.

The foreman said: "Sir, what you want is a palace, and at most we have only built a manor!"

If that's the case, let's change it!

The factory building originally planned to be 40 meters by 40 meters was changed into nine independent workshops of 12 meters by 12 meters arranged in a nine-square grid.

On the contrary, there are no big problems with the planned warehouses and worker dormitories. These local craftsmen have more or less experience in building hotels.

In addition to matters on the construction site, there are many matters that need to be handled by Raven personally - such as the storage and distribution of transported livestock. Old Gordon does not dare to do these things alone.

On the 16th day of construction, the construction of the riverside workshop was on track. The construction plan was basically finalized. All that was left was the details. Raven could finally divert his energy a little and focus on other things-such as the Elvish language. study.

Picking up a book that was thicker than the Xinhua Dictionary, Raven's brows twitched. For the first time, he felt that there might be something wrong with his choice.

This is just an Elvish dictionary.

The real textbook was two feet long, one foot wide, and as thick as a whole beef rib. Raven had no doubt that if he swung it up, he could smash it to death for a pig.

Of course, he couldn't really test it, and he didn't even dare to be disrespectful to this book, because it was a "Book of Holy Words", which recorded the teachings of the Lord of Light and the various miracles He had performed. Bilingual writing in Elvish and Imperial languages.

"My Lord has said: Whoever glimpses the light will see the true meaning of kindness..."

Don't mention it, Elvish language is really magical. Raven just read the first two sentences and started to feel sleepy.

"I've been fooled." Raven stretched out and patted his cheek gently to cheer himself up.

He originally thought that Lux would come to tutor him personally. With the red sleeves adding fragrance, studying would not be a boring thing.

But he only guessed half of it right. Lux did agree to be his teacher, but the teacher was really irresponsible. She only taught him basic phonetic symbols and then never came again. She said she would wait until he could speak Elvish accurately. Only after reciting a hymn of the Lord of Light can the next stage of the course begin.

But the problem is that the pronunciation of the Elvish language is extremely weird, very much like the Slavic language of the previous life. The various tongue curlings and tongue flicks make Raven's tongue a little knotted. If he reads it fast, it still sounds like he is singing a rap.

Bracing himself, Raven read two more lines. Just as he was about to try to speak it in Elvish, he remembered a rapid knock on the door.

"Who is it!?" Being interrupted from his thoughts, Raven yelled impatiently: "Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm studying!?"

"Lord Baron...it's me!" Fili's cautious voice sounded outside the door: "Everything you asked for has arrived."

"This guy actually reported it himself, he is really a good flatterer." Raven smiled helplessly, put the book on the table and walked out, and saw the gold teeth exposed in Feili's bright smile: "You mean, Are they all here?"

"That's right, sir." Fili rubbed his hands and said, "Twenty first-order magic cores and two sets of alchemy equipment have been delivered to your warehouse."

"The common magic cores such as earth, water, fire, wind, steel, and blood are priced between 2.9 and 5.7 gold coins. In addition..."

"Good job!" Raven patted him on the shoulder and interrupted his offer: "Go to old Gordon and settle the balance."

As he spoke, he walked out with the sound of wind and ordered: "Flav, send the magic core to the dungeon immediately!"

"Mosingan, send me a live pig, two live chickens, and two rabbits. Also go to the dungeon and put them in different cells!"

Raven's eyes shone with anticipation.

It's time to test whether the magic core can be used on other living creatures!

…