169: The Eve of the Funeral

Chapter 167: Eve of the Funeral

A night of busy work left Arthur physically and mentally exhausted. He took the land deed and other necessary items and returned to his room.

He collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

It wasn't until the next morning, when Vanka came to wake him for the funeral ceremony, that he slowly roused.

The first thing he did upon waking was to examine the intelligence. He first combined three green intelligence reports into one blue report, then opened the purple report.

Purple Intelligence / Follow-up: Regarding the construction of Mist Town, you can start from the following aspects:

1. Restore the commercial vitality of Mist Town. You can begin by rebuilding the trading post and dispatching a dedicated person to manage it.

2. The power of the Earth Vein is continuously nourishing the land around Mist Town. In half a month, the fields closest to the town will be suitable for planting.

3. Mist Town needs faith. The Townsfolk urgently desire a spiritual pillar. Active evangelism will not only win over many hearts but also attract numerous believers.

4. Mud Crabs in Mud Crab Swamp are an excellent food source. Personnel can be dispatched to catch them, and a specialized breeding farm can be established.

5. The village currently lacks a blacksmith. If a suitable blacksmith can be found, the blacksmith shop can be rebuilt.

6. Please make appropriate personnel adjustments. Specific suggestions are as follows:

This purple intelligence report contained a lot of information, and Arthur took a considerable amount of effort to read it all.

He instructed Vanka to bring him paper and pen, meticulously recording the key points for his easy reference.

Afterward, he checked the other intelligence reports:

Blue Intelligence: Have dinner with Pixie Princess Obayla, and she will repay you for saving her life.

Blue Intelligence (Synthesized): Thoroughly search the entire haunted house, paying attention to the following locations, where many treasures are hidden:

Arthur also recorded the relevant locations in his notebook.

After all this, he ate a simple meal and began to ponder his speech for the funeral.

Godwin was awakened by a hurried knock on the door.

He sat up in bed, checked the time, then got out of bed and opened the door.

The person outside surprised him. "Newt? Shouldn't you be with the Lord?"

"Sir, I've brought important news," Newt replied. Godwin cautiously eyed the two strangers accompanying Newt.

Newt probably sensed his apprehension and quickly explained, "These two are members of the Night Outcasts.

"They are our allies now, and they escorted me back."

"Also, the Lord has reached some agreements with them that require your review."

Godwin nodded and invited them in.

Then, he called a servant, asking the servant to first take the two escorts to rest, and promised to discuss the agreement with them later.

"You've returned in such a hurry, so you must have brought extremely important news. Tell me about it."

Godwin said, pouring Newt a drink.

Newt drained the wine in one gulp, then began to speak.

He first informed Godwin of the liberation of Mist Town.

Upon hearing this, the exiled noble couldn't help but cheer and punch the air.

"I never expected it, truly never expected it," he said, pacing excitedly around the room. "So quickly.

"This—this is less than a week! I never thought we'd have a foothold so soon."

Newt's face was also beaming with pride and excitement.

As someone who had witnessed the battle firsthand, he deeply understood the ferocity of the Battle of Mist Town.

"This is all due to Lord Arthur's efforts," he said. "Without him, we wouldn't have made it through."

Godwin nodded in agreement. "I knew it. I haven't followed the wrong person."

"Later, you can tell me all about it in detail. I want to know every single detail."

Newt nodded, then began to relay the orders Arthur had him bring back.

Godwin listened very carefully and quickly understood Arthur's intentions. "Ingabado?" Godwin stroked his chin. "I originally thought the priest in Grey Mud Valley was him. It seems I overthought it."

"Since this fellow wants to cause trouble, we'll make sure they don't return."

Newt asked, "Sir, most of our combat personnel are in Mist Town. Lord Arthur is worried that your side might—"

Godwin confidently waved his hand. "Don't worry, I haven't been idle here either."

"Thanks to Airo's excellent reconnaissance abilities, Jafar's team easily cleared those corrupted areas."

This was a great achievement for Jafar.

"We've already given him a taste of success, and he'll surely want to earn more military merits."

"So, to repel those cultists, why should our people risk themselves?"

Newt suddenly understood and asked, "Then how should the refugees be dealt with?"

"Lord Arthur wants to expand his forces, and refugees are indeed a good choice."

"Since these people appeared in his prophecy, they must be saved."

"Although Jafar wouldn't let his people risk themselves to save a group of refugees, I know who would."

After saying this, Godwin and Newt discussed the issue of funds.

"Money is indeed a problem," Godwin analyzed. "Our trade with Lookout Fort has just begun, and not much money has come in yet."

"However, I can provide some support. I'll have someone arrange it, and you can take it when the time comes."

After dealing with these matters, Godwin told Newt to get some rest quickly.

He then went to find the two Night Outcasts, intending to ask them what agreement they had reached with Arthur.

Vanka had prepared a luxurious noble's gown for Arthur, but Arthur had no intention of wearing it to the funeral.

"Little girl, I'm going to preside over a funeral, not attend a wedding," Arthur reminded her.

Vanka, however, persuaded him, "My Lord, you are also the Baron of Qingfeng Valley, and your appearance is of utmost importance."

"When people see you dressed in magnificent attire, they will involuntarily feel reverence and admiration."

"Oh?" Arthur asked curiously, "Where did you get that conclusion?"

Vanka said with a solemn expression, "In the village where I used to live, the villagers never wore a single good piece of clothing in their entire lives."

"Whenever the knight lord who managed our village came down for inspection, everyone in the village would run to see him."

"The knight lord and his family were all dressed in the finest clothes."

"All of us felt that he was a true person, a real noble, completely different from us mud-footed peasants."

Arthur laughed after hearing this. "Do you still think that now?"

Vanka lowered her head, thought for a moment, and replied, "No, I think that knight is no different from us now."

"Why?"

The little girl reached down and touched the sword at her waist.

The sword was too big for her, completely ill-fitting. "Because when the orcs invaded our area, he ran away with his tail between his legs. I believe that on the battlefield, he would have been slaughtered by the orcs just like us farmers."

"If splendid clothes can't change a person," Arthur asked, "then why do you think that if I wear them, I'll gain the admiration of the Townsfolk?"

"Vanka, don't forget, these people fought alongside us."

"They won't care about fancy clothes, nor will they care about noble titles."

"What they care about is what I can bring them."

"So, prepare a priest's robe for me. What I can give them now is only faith."

Upon hearing this, Vanka nodded and immediately turned to comply.