Collingwood Town, "Real Hammer" Inn.

"Why is this name here?" Feige wondered when he first saw the sign. It was a shield-shaped sign, and a strong, short woman held a stone hammer.

"Typo. Originally, I was going to write about the stone hammer, but it turned out to be a strong hammer, so it became the real hammer inn. Eddie always sneaks in Feige along the way, and she retracts when she meets Feige's gaze. "Your Excellency, you seem to have changed a lot. ”

"It's more handsome, isn't it?" Fei Qi replied with a smile: "After all, I have been outside for so long, and my original impression will be a little vague, plus my whole person was summoned to the heavenly realm by the goddess, so I will definitely be affected by the heavenly realm, and some changes are normal." But it's you, you still look thin and small, not very long. No, I remember that you don't have to dress up as a man anymore, why do you still restrain yourself and don't want to grow taller?"

"Who said that, I want to grow up, but I just can't get it. And...... And it's not my fault, it's that you have too many things to arrange, and I'm very busy and tired!" Eddie finished with a pout, and then hurriedly apologized: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so excited, I just haven't seen you for a long time and I've been worried." Well, you go in first, I'm going to get my stuff sorted out, and I'll be there right away. ”

"Thank you, I know you're tired, but you're doing a great job, better than I expected, you're talented and hardworking, really good. Feiqi hurriedly praised a few words, and then said, "Okay, I'm back, you can rest assured." And I'm not starting to come to work, am I?"

As the chief advisor to Minas Ishir, there are many things he needs to deal with in the realm, and the Icepeak Fortress is too remote to be used as an office location. It stands to reason that Collingwood is also thirty miles southeast of Icechorn Fortress, which is also a remote corner, but it is a stone factory on the one hand, and a potato accumulation station on the other, and the two most important events of Minas Ithil are currently taking place here, so it has become the core of a territory without a castle.

As the oldest inn in town, the "real hammer" has been completely enclosed, and the elven officials of the territory plus Eddie live here, and now there is another Feige. When he saw Feige walk in, the innkeeper, Edmund Kantor, a one-eyed man nicknamed "Mrs. Bear", gave him a warm welcome. A bear hug, with a garlic-scented beard pressed hard against the side of Feige's face, "Oh, great, there's finally a human living in." ”

"What, aren't elves treating you badly?"

"It's not bad, they have to pay a lot of money, but they eat too many leaves, fruits and vegetables, and I have to eat them with them. Finally, you look strong and don't eat too much, right? I can finally eat normal food!"

"Well, if you're happy, that's fine. Fitch looked at the lobby of the inn, which had once been a simple little bar, but now had neatly arranged tables and chairs, where the tax officer, the accountant, and the craftsman of the realm worked. "Can you take me in my direction first?"

"Of course, this way. ”

Climbing up the stout wooden steps, there was a rattling sound, and the third room in the hallway on the second floor of the inn was Feige's. "It was the best room, sunny and the sheets and duvet covers were new. Oh, the window on the right is a little loose, just use a little more force when you close it. There's a fireplace here, I just cleaned it this spring, and I'm sure you'll love it. ”

Sunlight streams in through the windows, and dust floats slowly in the pillars of light. There is clean water in the basin, a white towel is placed aside, and a pot of orchids is placed on the desk, and the faint fragrance is refreshing. "It was a nice place, thank you for the arrangement. ”

"Actually, Eddie ordered it to do this, if you like it, my lord. ”

"Is there a spare room next door? I have two more people to live in, two women, and they just have a room. ”

"The other side is empty, I'll just move another bed, it won't take a while. My lord, can I ask if they are elves or humans?"

"It's human. Just prepare the general stuff for us, don't bother too much. Feige looked at the one-eyed bear and felt the longing in his eyes. "Well, today I want to eat meat. Broth and roast chicken should be a good choice, what do you think?"

"Of course, of course!" said the one-eyed bear. When he saw Eddie coming, he hurried to say goodbye to Feige and went downstairs humming a tune.

"There's no need to be polite to him, that's a guy who likes to take advantage of small things and brag, he must have told you that elves eat only vegetables, and he can't mix meat to eat, right?" Eddie came in with a canvas bag in his arms, and the scrolls were about to overflow. "My lord, what kind of meat did you order for yourself?"

"Broth and roast chicken? Is the food expensive here?"

"If it's still at the earl's house, then the food here won't be expensive for a lifetime. But now that we're struggling to make ends meet, I'm going to ask you to hurry up and fulfill your self-sufficiency promise. Eddie looked left and right, hooked the table with his feet, then put down the large pile of scrolls in his arms and moved a chair for Feige. "These are the income of the territory for half a year......"

"Since there is still something urgent, let's give a brief introduction. Is it that the money allocated by the church, the sale of stones, and the money in the treasure chest I gave you are running out?"

"No, that's definitely not. The money in the treasure chest should be kept to build a magic school, how can I use it. In general, there is still some money, but because of the road construction, it will soon be stretched thin. The situation in Minas Ishil can be summed up in one sentence: income becomes a potato. If these devil potatoes cannot be purified, then they are worthless, and although the territory will not go bankrupt, there will be no money to arrange the project in winter. Your Excellency, you said you had a way to purify all the potatoes!"

"Yes, definitely. How many potatoes do we have?"

"About two hundred and eighty tons. ”

Poof! Feige almost squirted out a mouthful of water. "Why are there so many? How many people are there in Minas Ihir, four thousand or five thousand?"

"Now there are nearly 4,000 people, including about 200 elves, which is already a lot. The main reason for the abundance of potatoes is the help of the elves, and among them are three magical casters of the plant realm, who perform blessings and cure diseases on the crops in the fields when they have nothing to do...... We didn't expect to harvest so many devil potatoes at first. ”

"Don't call it the devil's potato. How can it be the devil's potatoes that can grow like crazy after being cast the Blessing Divine Technique?" Fei Qi rubbed his hands, and then said, "Okay, I know you're in a hurry, so I'll solve this matter first, okay?" First, I need someone to clean the potatoes by hand, cut off the sprouts, and then chop them into pieces and dry them, and then grind them into powder. I'll use spells to help speed up the drying process. ”

"My lord, are you going to grind potatoes into flour? But there are no purified potatoes ......."

"It's only a problem to eat potatoes that haven't been purified by divine magic, right?" Feige didn't believe in the whole story of the devil potato, but he definitely had to show respect. Moreover, the key to the whole thing is to complete the purification, whether the purification is superfluous or not, so that everyone can see it clearly and be approved by the church, so that people can eat with peace of mind and solve the food problem of the territory. "As long as you don't eat it before purification, you won't be cursed by the devil, right?"

"Probably not......," Eddie blinked, feeling that Feige's way of thinking was very different.

"Of course not, because I'll be on the sidelines, using magic to protect everyone. Of course, the necessary measures still need to be taken. For example, people who work should prepare gloves, waste that is not used should be inspected and destroyed, and when it is ground into potato flour, the mill should be used exclusively for grinding wheat and oats. ”

"Well, my lord, you're very thoughtful. I was about to tell you if I would like to buy a water mill with the money from the chest. ”

"Just buy it, you will have a high income after potato grinding, believe me. Feige said with a smile.

Even if Feige didn't learn anything before, he wouldn't have forgotten all of Earl Hall's teachings. The mill was an important node for turning wheat into flour, and it was one of the important rights of the lord to manage the territory. The husked wheat is granular, although it can be made into wheat (rice), but the taste is really bad, and it is not easy to digest, far less delicious than grinding into flour and then fermenting and then turning into bread or steamed bread.

When wheat turns into flour, 10% is usually left for the cost of using the mill, and in some areas it can even reach 20%. This is equivalent to a one-time tax, and it is directly in the form of flour, so it is very important. In addition, what the craftsman wants to do must be agreed by the lord, therefore, the mill is not built as he wants. Feige paid Didlett to buy a water-powered mill, which was actually a bit of a power for personal gain. But if you really want to sort it out carefully, it can only be called class privilege under the feudal system. Moreover, a water-powered mill that can only be used to grind devil potatoes is not of much value in the eyes of ordinary people.

"After grinding into flour, I make a whole large dough from seventy tons of potato flour and then purify it. What are you doing with your mouth wide open, the flies are flying in?"

"No...... No...... You only purify once?"

"That's right. Atonement can be used for purification, but only on one target. A giant devil potato dough is also a target, and that's no problem. At most, I consume more mana, which takes a little longer. I have also seen the purification ceremony, it is too troublesome, and I will not be able to finish the nearly 300 tons of potatoes alone until next year. ”

"Can you do this?" Eddie shook his head a little dazed, and then found some water to drink. "Wait, sir, is there a place to make such a big dough?"

"It's better to have a big enough space in the cave that you can dig a hole and then pave it with stone slabs. ”

"There should have been a place in the old mine, and now there are some potatoes stored there. ”

Feige clapped his hands and said happily, "That's great." Find someone to clean it, it's best to build it like a pool, and it's best to smooth it around. ”

"But, my lord, the potato dough will spoil and won't last long......"

"I know how to spell!" Feige wasn't worried at all. "Flame and ice are the result of temperature changes, and I've learned a lot about runes. I made insulating runes for the pantry, and then froze the purified potato dough. Cut it down when you use it, cut it as much as you use, and don't you solve it?"

Eddie didn't answer, but sat aside. She stretched out her hand, and Feige shoved her water bladder over, and she picked it up and drank it. After drinking, I was stunned for a while, but I still didn't come back to my senses.

"What are you thinking, looking for loopholes in my plans?"

"Hmm!" said Eddie with certainty, "there must be something wrong." If this can be solved, why didn't anyone think of it before?"

"If you're interested, you can go to the Holy Trinity Castle and look it up, and then write a report and send it to the Holy Word Priest, maybe you can get a reward, such as making you a trainee nun or something. Feige joked, and then said, "Okay, it shouldn't be a problem." Let's do it as soon as possible, and then we'll know the result, right?"

Eddie nodded vigorously: "Tidy up the mines, hire people to wash potatoes and cut them, and buy a water mill, then I'll use the money from the small treasure chest." ”

"Use it, use it, I'll find a way to earn it when the money is not enough. ”

"Not really. If potatoes are okay, you won't have to worry about running out of money in the future, and you won't have to worry about running out of food. My lord, please make this method work, okay?"

"Well, for money and food!"

While there are many more things to do in the territory, none of them are as important as the Devil's Potato. In fact, it was thanks to Feige's timely withdrawal from the affairs of the Holy Three Castle, otherwise the potatoes in the heap would have sprouted and gone to waste, and Eddie would have gone mad. She knew what she was going to do, so she immediately prepared to do it, and as she left, she threw more than a dozen scrolls to Feige and let him watch him figure out how to solve it.

"Wait, where is Didlet, why did they all come to me?"

"There are thieves in the territory, probably a gang, and she's dealing with the thieves, so I'll leave all the chores to you. Before leaving, Eddie said, "Next door is the elven sheriff Adjutant Estelle, you can command him." I left first, taking advantage of the large number of people outside who handed over potatoes, and quickly settled the matter of hiring people. ”

"Go, go, I'm here. If you can't see me, pinch the cat's face and I'll know. ”

Midnight heard this, and let out a disgruntled cry at Feige, then pointed to the fireplace with his paws. "Shani, Shani come over and do a favor and light up the fireplace, okay?"

The veiled Shani came from the opposite room and was passing Eddie. "She seemed to know who I was and never asked why we were around you. As she cleaned up the fireplace, she said, "My lord, she is a very capable girl, you have to find a way to keep her around." ”

"I guess she's heard about you from Chaudor and Anne, right? I don't think she'll see me, so I'll inquire. And don't worry, I'm sure I won't drive her away. Feige put down the report on the construction of the road in the territory, looked at Xia Ni who was squatting on the ground and said, "Why did you suddenly talk about Eddie?"

"I smell happiness from her, I think it was brought by seeing you. ”

"Maybe so, but maybe it's because I've solved a problem that has been bothering her for a long time, and she's in a better mood. With a touch of his staff, Feige shot a flame that helped light the fireplace. Then, Midnight jumped on Shani's knees, jumped on her shoulders, and then jumped over the fireplace. It is coiled in a ball, enjoying the warmth while avoiding the bright light. Shani touched the top of Midnight's head, tickled it, and then stood silently, looking at Feige through the veil.

"There will be no castle in the territory for the time being, so I will have to live in an inn for this time. There will be a lot of inconveniences, and you and Xia Ni will do what you need. Oh yes, if you want to see Anne and Giordot, just let me know and go straight to it. Did that blue dragon say anything useful?"

"No, Festan has never heard of a green dragon that only leaves children here and there, and none of the other colors. ”

"Then we have to keep looking for it......" Feiqi looked at the scroll and said without raising his head, "Xia Ni, do me a favor, find a larger parchment and prepare the ink." ”

"Oh, okay. Shani answered, and quickly got things ready.

"I'm really embarrassed that I always call you all the time to do this and that. Fei Qi looked at the model collar sand table secretly photographed in the cat teasing stick, and while copying and copying on the parchment, he said to Xia Ni: "I'm not polite, but sincere." You're all strong, Bennie, Eddie, and you, you can do a lot of things, and I'm always asking you to take one and that, which is actually a waste of your power......"

"No, it's not like that, I like the way I am. Shani said.

"There will be a lot of work going on in the territory, and if you like it, try it. Of course, if you want to maintain the status quo, you have no problem. I...... I just want to say......" Feige looked up at Xia Ni and said solemnly, "Thank you for supporting my dream." When you have dreams, I will support you. ”

"It couldn't have been better for me. Xia Ni rubbed her veil with her fingers, then turned her head sideways and said to Feiqi, "My lord, leave the fireplace alone for an hour, I'll go and prepare some tea for you, and then don't let people disturb you, is that okay?"

"I've said a lot of thank you, so I won't be verbose. Feiqi smiled: "By the way, feed Midnight, small dried fish is a good choice." ”

Shani nodded and walked out gently.

The territory must first survive, and then it must consider development, which requires population, money, and food. However, the population did not fall from the sky, and the grain had to wait for the potatoes to slowly spread and accumulate. At the moment, the only thing that can be solved quickly is money. Fei Qi looked at the sand table openly, and captured the results of the Divine View Great Prophecy Technique, at this time, as long as he found one or two suitable mines, he would dig like that......

"The only pity is that we only know that there are a few resource points, but we don't know what each point is. And who should go? First of all, you must be able to trust, and at the same time, you must have the ability to distinguish the mineral deposits...... Wait, is Mom Ice Peak okay? He's a half-dwarf, and doesn't a dwarf know if there's a mine behind him by touching a rock?

Feige couldn't think of any other way for the time being, so he hurriedly wrote a letter. When Shani came over with tea and dried fish, he gave her the letter and asked her to find a way to contact Mohm.

"I'll tell Benny to go, and ask Mohm if he has any knowledge of the minerals, and then I'll give him a letter. It's okay to let a friend run errands, but I'm afraid the goblins will complicate things. ”

"Okay, you're more thoughtful. I don't have anything else to do for the time being, don't bother for these two hours, I need to meditate for a while. ”

There is still a lot of work at hand, but these are already backlogged, and to put it bluntly, there is no rush for a while. Eddie, who is really urgent, will definitely be reminded, and the lord of the realm is Didlet, not him Feiqi. Leaving time to meditate alone, Feige first checked the house to make sure that no one was looking, so he gently scratched himself with the soul harvesting dagger and went to hell.

"Stop howling, it's noisy!"

As soon as you enter the Hell, the voice of the Fork Demon explodes in your ears. Along with its roar, there was a woman's grieving, screeching cry. Chitana's soul fire was a white flame about the size of a football, and her young face was in the form of a shadow in the center of the flame. The flames kept hitting the red walls, but they couldn't do anything other than make their cries more unpleasant. And the Soul Crystal Room and the Spatial Turbulence Room have an invisible barrier that prevents Qi Tana from entering.

"Shut up!" Yan Rui's black aerosol soul body was much higher than Kitana's soul fire, and the contract of hell forced Kitana to obey the orders of her "master". She immediately fell silent, and the expression of her soul suddenly became joyless, sad, angry, and sad, just a cold dead face. "Fork in the road, what's going on? I was crying and howling just now!"

"It's normal now. Where did you get the soul of a high-ranking priest? Did you infiltrate the Church and assassinate it? It's just wonderful. The fork in the road demon habitually broke first and then got down to business: "When you don't come, it is incompatible with the breath of hell, and it naturally hurts, so you cry." As soon as you come, the contract will be executed, and it will be able to harmonize with the hellish environment, and it will naturally return to its normal soul state. ”

"Okay, then I see. Feiqi sat on the throne and took a comfortable position: "Kitana, what's the matter with the crystal clusters?"

"That's what was left of the furnace when the Creator created the world. Under certain conditions, it can grow into an artifact with the effect of converting language into spells. ”

"Completely. Feige watched the soul flame tremble, and although he could be sure that Qitana was telling the truth, it was not necessarily the "complete truth". He himself is good at using this method to hide information and even cause misleading, how can he not take precautions accordingly?

"Through the crystal clusters, the goddess of truth and wisdom can strengthen her understanding and mastery of this world, just as she is also the creator god. And for the great Creator, the crystal clusters absorb the advantages and rules of this world and grow, store the essence of creation, and are his preparations for destruction and rebirth. It's coming with crystals, it's going to take believers like me to the New World—that's all. ”