Chapter 395 - 369: Simple Dock

The northern part of the Wubei Territory was once just quiet wilderness and forest land, but it had been gradually changing ever since the first construction workers arrived nearly three months ago.

Rows of simple shacks had been erected, providing enough shelter for the workers building the port.

Not far from the shacks, a few slightly nicer houses stood, reserved for the project’s managers.

"My lord, look over there."

Led by Amon, the man in charge of the port’s construction, Ronin arrived at the coast.

Following Amon’s pointed finger, he saw the simple dock under construction to the north.

Men were energetically driving wooden pilings deep into the ground with earth rammers. Nearby, carpenters were assembling the wooden decking, constructing a pier that rose several meters high. Once finished, people would be able to walk right onto a ship’s deck from the pier.

"Sir Reis has already had several strong swimmers check the underwater conditions multiple times. Everything is normal—no protruding reefs. Navigation won’t be an issue at all."

A proud look flashed across Amon’s face. He had seen this spot’s potential at a single glance, and it turned out his judgment was excellent.

A short while later, Ronin walked to the base of the pier.

Looking at the thick support pillars—so wide one could barely wrap their arms around them—he had no doubt about the pier’s load-bearing capacity.

"Amon, how long do you think a simple dock like this will last?"

"A long time!"

Amon was full of confidence. "My lord, we may call it a ’simple’ dock, but I assure you, we didn’t dare cut any corners. With proper maintenance, this dock will last at least seven or eight years! By then, your main port will have been long completed!"

Ronin nodded.

’Even if he’s exaggerating, it should last for at least half that time, right?’

’Any less than that would be a construction failure. And even if I didn’t hold them accountable, Vitorino would.’

’A noble’s money is not to be wasted so easily.’

"How much longer do you estimate it will take to complete this dock?"

Ronin asked, "I need to arrange for the ships to be sent over in advance."

Amon glanced at the ongoing work on the dock and said with a smile, "Seven days at most, my lord. You can make arrangements ahead of time. Although the dock itself is short and can only berth two ships at once, this whole area is suitable for anchoring. We can fit a double-digit number of ships here!"

The implication was clear: Ronin could bring over as many ships as he had.

’Seven days... It would take about seven days to sail here from Rapids Island, wouldn’t it?’

’In other words, it’s time to tell Karda and his men to get ready.’

"My lord, you’re here!"

Reis, who was in the middle of training the Navy, walked over. These days, the Knight often had a smile on his face, though it was hard to tell if it was genuine or forced.

Reis was a focused man by nature, always striving for perfection in everything he did.

After over a month of his training, the thirty able-bodied young men recruited from Swamp Town had all overcome their fear of the sea. Skills like coastal diving and jumping from heights were no longer a problem for them. The next step was to focus on enhancing their Physical Ability.

Now that Elron had created the Awakening Potion, Ronin planned to select a few promising young men from the Navy, Infantry, and Archers to cultivate. They would serve as role models to inspire the others and unlock their potential.

After inspecting the port, Ronin made a trip to Rapids Island to inform Karda that the simple dock at Wubei Port was nearing completion.

Karda and his men were overjoyed to hear the news.

Karda and the others were ambitious men; being permanently stationed on Rapids Island was not their ultimate goal.

Opening a shipping route between the Wubei Territory and Rapids Island would be their first step off the island.

In this age, without satellite navigation, one needed extensive sailing experience to maintain a course and reach a destination across the vast, open sea.

Although Captain Vic had considerable sailing experience, it was all concentrated in the Screaming Sea; he had never ventured south across the North Sea.

Normally, establishing a new route would require a period of exploratory trial runs.

However, Ronin had already instructed Carlos to familiarize itself with the surrounding waters. Once the ships set sail, it would act as a real-time beacon, guiding their course.

By the time Ronin returned to Swamp Castle, it was already March twenty-first.

"My lord, a letter arrived from Wushan Castle four days ago. Sir Elron sent Tom to Wubei Port to find you, but you had already left."

As soon as Ronin returned, his butler, Gallon, reported the news.

"What did the letter say?" Ronin asked.

Gallon shook his head. "I don’t know, my lord. No one has opened it. It’s still sitting on your desk."

Ronin paused for a moment. He then remembered that he had never given anyone permission to open his letters.

’It seems I need to create a system for the mail. Personal letters can remain sealed, but for other matters, I should allow others to read them.’

’If Wushan Castle sent a plea for help and no one acted on it because I was away, it might have been too late by the time I got back.’

Ronin went straight to his study, broke the seal on the letter on his desk, and began to read.

He frowned slightly. The letter simply asked him to return to Wushan Castle as soon as possible, but it didn’t specify the reason.

But knowing Lurans’s personality, something important must have happened.

’Could it be that Grandfather has broken through and become a Silver Moon Knight? Does he want me to come back and celebrate?’

With this thought, Ronin put down the letter and walked out.

"My lord, are you leaving again?" Gallon asked.

Ronin nodded. "I’m making a trip to Wushan Castle."

"It’s lunchtime. Why don’t you eat before you leave?"

Gallon said quietly, "Mrs. Bandele has learned to prepare the dishes you requested. It’s just a shame you haven’t been eating in the Wubei Territory for the past month."

As the territory’s supply of vegetables and meat had grown more abundant, Ronin had made some requests regarding the cuisine. He wanted more than just roasted meat and bread; he craved things like vegetables stir-fried in lard and soy-braised pork.

After a period of research and experimenting with seasonings, Mrs. Bandele was now able to prepare dishes just as Ronin had requested.

It was a pity. Since the beginning of March, Ronin had spent most of his time in Chishan Town. Upon his return, he had immediately gone to the northern coast of the Wubei Territory, and from there traveled to Rapids Island for several days. He simply hadn’t had time to try the new dishes.

"Send it to Elron and the others."

Ronin said with a smile, "Consider it a reward for all their recent hard work."

After saying this, his figure disappeared around a corner. Moments later, Carlos soared into the sky, heading toward Wushan Castle.

Gallon hung his head and sighed deeply.

’The lord is getting busier and busier,’ he lamented to himself. ’He doesn’t even have time to sit down for a proper meal.’

As his personal manservant, he no longer even had the chance to help his lord dress. With a sense of helplessness, he could only focus his energy on managing the castle.

A little over an hour later, Ronin arrived in Lurans’s study.

Three months had passed, and Lurans was no longer on death’s door. His complexion was now ruddy, and his Spirit was excellent.

"Grandfather, you sent a letter calling me to Wushan Castle. What’s happened?"

Ronin asked with a speculative smile, "Don’t tell me you’ve already had your breakthrough?"

Lurans smiled and shook his head. "I feel like the breakthrough will happen in the next day or two, but it hasn’t yet."

He paused, and his expression suddenly turned grave. "I fear something has happened to Dean Miloslav!"