69: Bath products made

"Lord, I believe that regarding the commercial aspects of Ironthorn Town, the first thing we need to do is establish a large market."

"There aren't many merchants in Ironthorn Town right now, and they are all individual vendors, so they can't form a large scale."

"A market can help attract merchants from other territories to come and sell in the Ironthorn Territory."

"And as for other aspects..."

Kim's analysis wasn't long, but it hit the mark, and Jacques, standing nearby, offered useful suggestions from time to time.

Soon, after the two had finished sharing their thoughts, Lister praised them, "Well done. Kim, Jacques, your analysis is incisive, and your ideas for implementation fit the current development of the Ironthorn Territory perfectly."

"I don't see any issues. I will have magistrate Hobbes start working on implementing your ideas as soon as possible."

"As for the problem of difficult roads, I've already had a plan. Once the sowing in the Ironthorn Territory is finished in a few days, road renovation and construction will begin immediately."

"The Lord is wise," Kim and Jacques praised... In a room on the third floor of the castle.

After lunch, Lister enjoyed a rare moment of rest since arriving in this world.

Sitting in a chair by the window, he held a cup of steaming milk and looked out the window.

In his line of sight was the endless blue sky and the dense atmosphere of daily life.

From time to time, the cheerful laughter of Bai Ze and the two Pixies playing reached his ears, making him feel incredibly at peace.

With a thought, today's three divination messages slowly emerged on the blank pages of the ancient book.

[Divination 1: Recently, Bertha Olivia, whom you arranged to work in the Workshop, has become infatuated with Malo, who displays masculine charm at work, due to her feelings of confusion, anxiety, and emptiness.]

[Divination 2: After two months of political discussions with the Church, major nobles, and various other forces, King Charlie Augustus VII of the Pedan Kingdom has pushed through the enactment of the new 'Western Frontier Territory' decree with a firm attitude, overriding all objections.]

[Divination 3: Five days later, the swordsman Liberi McBain, titled 'flower of freedom,' will pass through your territory while traveling from the north toward the Western Frontier.]

Masculine charm?

Since when did Malo have that kind of attraction? At least, Lister hadn't seen it.

Complaints aside, he had to admit that Berta had quite the eye.

Although the single Malo was already in his early thirties, because he was now highly valued by Lister, many single young girls in Ironthorn Town had taken an interest in him during this period.

But now that the higher-level Berta had made her move, could Malo still hold out?

As for whether this romance was good or bad, Lister found himself looking forward to it for a moment.

Moving his gaze down, Lister's hand holding the milk cup to his lips couldn't help but pause.

A new "Western Frontier Territory" decree... For the kingdom's top powers to discuss it for so long, it meant this decree was certainly not simple.

He just didn't know yet if the specific contents would affect him, but if they did, what would they bring him?

He silently kept this matter in mind.

Fortunately, his personality was quite open-minded; he never worried over things that hadn't happened yet. In any case, he always followed one saying... Soldiers will be blocked by generals, and water will be covered by earth!

Taking a sip of the steaming milk, a few words in his peripheral vision caused Lister's pupils to shrink.

'flower of freedom'!

A title with no small reputation in the Pedan Kingdom. Its owner, the swordsman Liberi McBain, was extremely obsessed with everything regarding the sword.

Some called him the incarnation of the sword; he had a proud record of slaying an Orc equivalent to Ninth-Rank Silver strength.

However, Lister had heard that this person's personality was somewhat dull; he didn't know if it was true or not.

Taking this opportunity, he could just happen to meet him. If he could get some pointers on swordsmanship, that would be wonderful... Leisurely times are always short. Not long after the afternoon passed, Lister heard the good news conveyed by Thomas.

The two bathing products were finished!

Without another word, he followed Malo, who was waiting on the first floor of the castle, and hurried toward the Workshop.

Ten minutes later, he looked at the purple and white viscous liquids inside the two bottled containers before him, his face showing joy.

Malo, standing beside him, said excitedly, "Lord, the two bathing items you had me find a Bathware Craftsman to make not only have a good cleaning effect but also have a charming fragrance that isn't irritating."

"I had Berta test them. According to the results, her skin felt no discomfort at all, and her whole person now gives off a pleasant scent."

"Malo, you've done very well. I'll credit you for this achievement." Lister was in a great mood as he looked at the purple liquid on his finger.

Malo bowed gratefully, "Thank you, Lord."

After observing for a while and confirming there were no issues, he looked at Malo and said with an unidentifiable tone, "Malo, it seems you and Berta have been getting along quite well lately, letting her try the bathing products first."

"Uh..." Malo was stunned, then said in a somewhat unnatural tone, "Lord, it's nothing like that. I only have some interactions with her during work. You know, the Workshop is full of rough men like me; fancy things like new bathing products aren't suitable for us."

"And Berta is the only female in the Workshop, so I thought it would be more appropriate for her to test them."

"Oh~ I see." Lister's long-drawn-out response made Malo's face increasingly awkward.

"Malo, you're not young anymore. It's time to consider your major life events. I've set your working hours, but I haven't set a rule that you can't date women."

"If you could have a son or daughter at some point, it would be considered a contribution to our Ironthorn Territory."

Hearing Lister's words, Malo understood no matter how dull he was, and then excitedly and respectfully accepted.

In the past few days, he had been teased relentlessly by the young, beautiful, and well-proportioned Berta, and his heart had long since set on her.

But he was afraid that dating a woman would delay the tasks Lister assigned, plus he felt he wasn't a good match for the exceptionally elegant Berta, so he had forcibly suppressed that restless heart.

But now it was different... Even the Lord is urging me to date, so how can I back down?

Seeing this, the corners of Lister's mouth curled up. For these highly valued subordinates, he naturally hoped they would have a happy life.

Although Berta was previously Daniel's mistress, according to his observations, Berta's nature wasn't bad; she was even a bit of a romantic.

Besides some of her own personality reasons, she was mostly deceived by the appearance Daniel put on, otherwise she wouldn't have followed him.

So this was why he approved of Malo and Berta dating. Moreover, Berta was quite smart and could be of significant help to Malo, who didn't have a high level of education.

Men and women working together makes the work less tiring!