27: Inspecting the territory

Time always flows imperceptibly, and in the blink of an eye, it has been half a year since Linn arrived at Iron Sand Island to establish his territory.

It was a new year! On February 10, Year 31598 of the dawn calendar, Linn turned nineteen years old.

Iron Sand Island harvested its first batch of grain before the new year, and the joy of a bountiful harvest filled everyone's hearts.

Since being promoted to a Third-level Apothecary, Linn only needed to absorb the power of a level three potion before taking another, and he now showed a faint trend of breaking through to the High Silver Rank. After this period of research, his refinement of level three potions had reached perfection, and the quality of the level three potions he refined was now all of high-tier level three quality. Since his last breakthrough to the Silver Intermediate Rank, the space within the breath of life had expanded slightly, and the ripening time had increased to 12 times.

Because the level four magic plants he had planted previously were not yet mature, Linn continuously stockpiled level three potions. After subtracting his own consumption, he now had one hundred bottles of high-tier level three potions in his possession.

From December to March of the following year, the hurricanes in the Storm Sea Region were particularly violent. The terrifying currents and giant waves made it impossible to sail long distances. Linn planned to head to Tianhai City once more for trade after the storms subsided. To become a true noble, one not only had to possess thirty square kilometers of land but also five thousand subjects, including slaves, and the lord had to possess the strength of the High Silver Rank.

If the land area of Ironwood Island was included, Linn now possessed fifty square kilometers of land. However, the number of slaves was far from enough. As for the requirement for the lord to reach the High Silver Rank, it was not a difficult task for Linn. He believed it wouldn't be long before he successfully reached the High Silver Rank.

“Master, it's time for breakfast.” The fresh and refined Elise brought bread and milk, interrupting Linn, who was daydreaming in his office. Previously, Morton had taken care of his daily life, but as Morton's administrative duties grew, Linn's daily life was now entirely looked after by Elise.

“Elise, has our own warship been built yet?” Linn took a sip of the steaming milk.

“In reply to the Master, after we defeated the Split-Axe Pirate Group last time, the Master Shipwright Henry, who had been captured by them, led our own shipbuilders to construct our first warship after you pardoned him. The warship's speed is twice as fast as a cargo ship and can accommodate fifty soldiers for combat.”

“Mm, not bad.” Linn felt very gratified! Warships were one of the primary assets for survival in this vast Ocean.

After Linn finished breakfast, Elise considerately wiped the residue from the corners of his mouth. The close contact made Linn's heart race, and he hurriedly took the handkerchief to wipe it himself.

Elise smiled at Linn's embarrassment; this young noble master looked quite cute when he was shy.

Having followed Linn for over half a year, for Elise, who was tens of thousands of miles away from home, Linn's half-elven bloodline gave her a strong sense of affinity. Moreover, all the resources and treatment Linn gave her were of high standards.

“By the way, Elise,” Linn couldn't help but think of the mother he had never met in this world. “Have you ever heard of the surname Salian in the Elf Empire?”

Elise thought for a moment. “Master, there was once a Marquis family with the surname Salian in the western part of the Empire. However, many years ago, they were stripped of their title for supporting the wrong Crown Prince candidate. All family members were turned into war slaves.”

After hearing Elise's explanation, Linn vaguely guessed that his mother's family might be that elven noble family stripped of its title, captured and sold during the war, and finally purchased by Earl Alistair on the Western Continent.

The Elf Empire was located on the East Continent of Cediroat, and Linn had learned quite a lot about the East Continent from Elise.

“Elise, come for a walk with me.” After continuous cultivation, meditation, and potion-making, Linn hadn't inspected his territory for a long time.

“Yes, Master.”

Wrapped in a thick cotton robe, Linn strolled through the streets of Iron Sand Town with Elise. Iron Sand Town was the name Linn had given it. The wide, clean roads were lined with neat and orderly rows of houses. The number of free people in Iron Sand Town, including soldiers, had now reached over five hundred.

Linn granted female slaves to soldiers who performed exceptionally well, allowing them to form families. Providing a sense of belonging was also a means to ensure the soldiers' loyalty.

The streets were orderly, as Morton's management was very effective. For those who littered or relieved themselves in public, Morton's iron whip sternly taught them how to be civilized people.

At the pier, Hogan was continuously transporting timber cut from Iron Sand Island. Ocean's Second Squad was training against the sea breeze, their drills echoing throughout the pier.

Ocean was exceptionally strict with his Second Squad, training them day and night. The goal he set for himself was that their combat power must exceed Clay's Personal Guard. After several months of continuous training and frequent outings to ambush small pirate groups, the Second Squad's strength had greatly improved. They now had 20 Apprentice Professionals. Of course, this was also thanks to the Spring of Life bestowed by Linn.

Ocean was truly thick-skinned, asking Linn for Spring of Life and potions every few days. Now, Ocean was likely to be the first to reach the High Silver Rank.

Ocean's actions caused Karl and Clay, who were also captains, to feel a greatly increased sense of crisis. Karl also trained his team hard at his station. When the team was first formed, the First Squad already had several Apprentice Professionals, and now they had also surpassed the 20-member mark.

Clay's Personal Guard of 50 men originally had 20 Apprentice Professionals, but now that number had reached 30. The two brothers, Shirei and Evan, had also reached the High Apprentice Rank under the guidance of Clay and Linn's Spring of Life.

Linn still had high hopes for these two brothers; they were young, talented, and most importantly, sufficiently loyal to him.

In battle, an Apprentice Professional could handle two or three ordinary warriors without problem. Most of the soldiers had gained a shred of cultivation talent after having their bodies modified by Linn's Spring of Life. Of course, the Spring of Life was not omnipotent; for some, reaching the Bronze Rank in their lifetime would already be an extraordinary feat. Currently, the quality of Linn's army was not at all inferior to some ordinary kingdom regular troops.

Angus also didn't relax in the slightest while training his 180-man Reserve Force (including the pirates from the Split-Axe Pirate Group). The promises Linn had made to him were more than he could ever hope to fulfill.

Linn was happy to see the mutual competition among all the teams. Only through competition could their strength increase faster.

Subsequently, Linn and Elise went to inspect the blacksmith workshop and the farmland. After adding five new blacksmiths purchased from Tianhai City, the speed of forging weapons had also greatly increased. With the help of slaves, all the soldiers had obtained their own weapons over the past few months. Now, with the exception of the Reserve Force, everyone in Linn's army possessed a full set of weapons and armor.

By the farmland, Morton held that terrifying long whip, shouting at the slaves to prepare for the soil renewal in time for the March planting. To facilitate management, Morton had also recruited many lackey slaves to serve him. “Work faster, you lowly slaves! If any of you slack off, watch out for my whip—I'll show you why the flowers are so red!” Under Morton's tyranny, the slaves' working speed increased by another thirty percent.

“Elise, take me to the Shipyard. I want to see our first warship.”

“Certainly, Master!”

To strive for hegemony in this vast Ocean, high-quality warships were indispensable. Previously, when Linn's team went out for combat or inspection, they used ordinary small boats or cargo ships, and the efficiency and speed were truly unsatisfactory.