"Very nice bonus, my friend. ”

When the Flying Giant returned from Imperial Nord, Rhodes was once again reaped with a full load of gold and food. Gold crowns and silver shillings could pay workers, while grain could be stored for the winter. The geography of Blackhammer Castle means that there is always a shortage of food in this area. Even in the north, it is possible to grow its own food, but the threat of the Beastmen, Nezumi and Greenskins is always there, and the cold climate makes it difficult for farmers to harvest well, or when they are about to harvest, they are swept away by the Beastmen and Nezumen, which is not uncommon. Compared to the north of Kislev, the peasant life of the empire was already considered happy.

Blackhammer Fort is located at the very end of the northern border, and it needs to purchase enough grain and grass to survive the winter, as it has done in previous years, and this has been the case every year. It almost became a tradition.

And Rod's idea is to stock up on more food before the arrival of the evil moon this year. The concrete walls are almost complete, and if the strong walls can be relied on to keep the beasts and werewolves out again during the evil moon this year, then Blackhammer Castle will truly become a safe place in the eyes of the common people.

In this way, civilians from all over the country will continue to come in an influx. There is hope for development.

"My lord, the fine Bretonnian wine I purchased in the city of Pullen, in the Nord territory, is said to have been aged underground for two hundred years. The great nobles of Bretonnia could enjoy it. ”

Captain Roberts said excitedly. A few months of seafaring and trading life had skyrocketed his wealth, and he was almost the same as the smuggler captain at the beginning, and according to Rhodes's current salary, as well as a cut of the profits from each trip to the trade of goods, in another six months, his assets would be twice as much as that of the original smuggler captain. And there is no need to be afraid, he is now doing business for Mrs. Keighrie, doing legitimate business. No more cowering ships and bribing imperial officials.

"Looks good, thank you, Roberts. ”

Rod said politely, then uncorked the lid and ordered the servants to pour a glass for everyone present.

"My pleasure. ”

The old captain returned. The smile on his face was warmer than the stove in the room.

"My lord, I saw the new wall as I entered the city. Is that true?"

After taking a full sip, Roberts was satisfied, and he immediately opened his mouth to ask his lord. As he entered Blackhammer Castle, he saw the white walls. As far back as he remembers, he had not seen such a wall when he left Blackhammer Castle two months ago, and after two months in the Empire and at sea, he came back to see such a tall white wall. For Roberts, it was not just a shock, but a surprise. His limited knowledge could not comprehend how such a strong wall could have been built in such a short time. Ever since he met Rod, he felt like his head was running out of steam. First conquering the Norscan pirates, then slaying the manticore, and now, as if by magic, building a tall wall around the town......

In short, in front of Rod, he has too much incomprehension.

"Of course it's true. ”

Rod returned with a smile. Continue to taste the luxuries that his "sea general" brought from other places.

"Is that magic? Or what?"

Roberts couldn't understand and asked curiously.

"Of course not, is there any other wizard in Black Hammer besides Caroline? besides, Caroline is also a Frost Witch, she has to run from place to place, and sometimes she has to return to Heidelberg to stay with her father. There was no time to pay attention to the construction of the city walls. Besides, I don't think the Frost Witch knows how to build walls, right?"

"That's that...... But it's simply amazing. With this wall, people feel much more secure. ”

"That's for sure, I've counted, and in recent months, there have been significantly more people coming to Blackhammer to make a living. Both month-on-month and year-on-year ......"

Rod replied with a smile, not forgetting to taste the wine on his lips. Sisi's smooth, mellow wines always remind him of the old days......

"YoY, MoM, what's that?"

Roberts asked, frowning.

"This ...... The month-on-month comparison is the comparison with the previous month, and the year-on-year comparison means the comparison with this time last year. Statistics need to collect data from multiple sources and compare them in order to be accurate. In this way, the truth can be analyzed from the numbers. ”

After hearing this, the old captain Roberts nodded thoughtfully.

......

"Our sentinels are back. ”

Just as the wine was pleasant, the hurried footsteps of the herald sounded outside the door. There was no need to guess, Rhodes also knew that such a hurried footstep must have made some new discovery by the sentinel, and the information was transmitted directly here.

"My lord, the army, a new enemy has appeared. ”

The guard reported solemnly.

It's just that people didn't take it seriously at first.

"What kind of new enemy?"

Rod turned his head and asked calmly.

Fire, wine, and a rare summer, this is really not a good time to discuss military affairs, however, if something happens, you still have to ask clearly.

Rhodes motioned to the guards not to be obscure, this was full of brothers who could be trusted. There weren't too many people in the hut, the chief knight Virgil, who guarded the castle with Rhodes in the Battle of the Evil Moon until the end, Lawrence the Ranger, who followed him to Kislev to buy ice pepper seeds, a ranger who almost became Rhodes's affairs officer, Celta, the captain of the Norsca Marauders, Rod's lieutenant, who also blocked the sword for Rhodes in the Battle of the Black Forest, and the old captain Roberts, who followed the Lord of Blackhammer Castle, and had lived a well-off life. These people can indeed be trusted.

"Swamp Monster, my lord, it's a Swamp Monster. They appeared in the Black Forest, about five days from the border. ”

The guard's expression was solemn.

"How much?"

"About one or two hundred, or more......"

Swamp monsters, this amphibious monster originally lived in a remote swamp far away from human towns, they rarely went out, this time they took the initiative to appear in the area of human activities, it is estimated that there is a shortage of food, and they have to go out to forage for food, so they break into the forest. Essentially, they are chaotic monsters, just like the Beastmen, but compared to the Beastmen, the number of swamp monsters is pitiful. However, when a group of strange-looking amphibians appear in front of you, normal people will be terrified.

"These beasts have broken into the forest, and our people have not even noticed. Count them lucky. ”

Celta said casually.

"Don't underestimate the enemy, Celta, swamp monsters rarely appear, we don't know much about them. ”

Rhodes said.

"They just appeared in the forest, and didn't move towards the castle, so they don't pose a threat to us, so maybe we can leave them alone. ”

Virgil said.

"But civilians are scared, and logging teams are terrified. ”

Rod frowned back. Blackhammer Castle has just begun to be rebuilt, with the construction of walls and the establishment of standing patrols, all in order to strengthen the security of the area so that more civilians can come here to earn a living. Virtually all border areas have one thing in common – they are rich in resources, but they lack sufficient population. Because it's not safe. If safety concerns are addressed, the surrounding resources and land can be developed on a large scale. The formation of a strong local power is not a problem.

Therefore, Rod intends to get rid of this hidden danger. In addition, the training of the Norscans has been going on for some time, and now, it is necessary to test the results of those trainings.

"Do you mean, my lord, to attack them and drive them out of the forest?"

"We need a real win, every time we defend passively, and this time, we need to take the initiative to attack. Since they broke in first. ”

Rod said with a serious expression.