In the end, Henwell grants Pawari a cultivation spot.
But to avoid some complications, Henwell asks him to attend his wedding banquet.
At that time, Henwell will give Pawari a token, not through his own channels, but one tied to Ariusâs cultivation quota.
Henwell has plenty of spots every year anyway; he can just return a few to Arius later.
As a condition for Henwellâs help, Pawari must assist Henwell in establishing two merchant guilds within the Lumir Principality: one focused on river and inland waterway trade, and the other on maritime trade.
Running the guilds isnât Henwellâs main goal; his real focus is on training sailors and advancing shipbuilding techniques.
He doesnât need to build a fleet immediately, but that doesnât mean he wonât lay the groundwork early.
Naval development isnât like the army, it takes a long time.
Waiting until he has a port before planning would be too late.
By getting involved early, even if he canât form his own navy yet, heâll at least have trusted fleets ready when the time comes.
Faced with Henwellâs demands, Pawari can only agree.
He understands what Henwell is aiming for, but right now he must rely on Henwell.
Without Henwellâs cultivation spot, his half-taboo extraordinary path would be hard to survive in the Western Federation.
With Henwellâs recommendation, at least no one will bother him.
As for resolving the issues with his professional system later, that will come at a different, and costly, price.
The next day, Henwell leaves Livos City.
A few days later, Christian is knighted as a lordâan actual noble with real land.
Not just a knight lord under the Dienbos family, but a knight lord of the principality itself.
This officially marks his entry into the noble class. In these days, he receives a flood of gifts.
The Dienbos family supports him the most, promising to send people to help him develop his territory until his rule is secure.
Living in the manor gifted by the Dienbos family, Christian feels like heâs dreaming.
In just a few days, heâs gone from a poor wandering knight to a true knight lord.
All this change comes from the words of another knight lord.
Only that man is the most powerful knight lord on the continent.
The more the local elites and even the principalityâs envoys try to win him over, the harder it becomes for Christian to feel any loyalty.
Christian knows very well that everything he has now is thanks to Henwell.
Though Henwell only said a few words, those few words have completely turned his life around.
Today, he decides to pause all meetings to seriously think about the path ahead.
Still, persistent visitors keep coming, especially one manager from a merchant caravan.
This annoys him, so he prepares to meet this disruptive guild manager face-to-face.
As soon as they meet, Christian snaps, âWhich guild are you from? I said Iâm taking a day off. Why must you see me now?â
The manager smiles. âWhich guild I belong to depends on you, sir! Our guild doesnât have a name yet, or rather, it hasnât been formed. Once we finish discussing cooperation, our caravan will have a name, ideally one you grant us!â
Christian frowns. âYou have nothing yet, so what guild are you trying to form?â
The manager replies, âWe have the money. You have noble status. Both of us need a stable income source. Thatâs enough. To show our sincerity, weâre willing to put forward a sum to help you build your knight manor. An initial 10,000 gold coins, followed by more in installments. Altogether, weâll provide 20,000 gold coins.â
âThirty thousand gold coins is enough for you to solidify your power. Our guild will start with 20,000 gold coins, and over the next three years, weâll invest more than 50,000 gold coins. Regardless of how the caravan performs, starting next year, weâll provide you with 3,000 gold coins annually.â
âAnd if the caravan profits, there will be additional dividends. What do you think, sir?â
Christian asks, âWhat do I have to give to you?â
âNothing at all. Itâs common for guilds to affiliate with noble lords.â
Christian shakes his head. âI may be new to nobility, but Iâm not naive about the reasons behind such arrangements. Your offer is too generous. If you donât explain why, I canât agree.â
The manager remains calm. âSir, we truly just want to cooperate. We believe in your future. Offering better terms is simply an early investment.â
Christian suddenly thinks of something. âWhoâs your boss behind the scenes? You donât have to give me a nameâjust point me in the right direction.â
The manager smiles and points northeast.
Christian sighs, âSo this is the person who wants me to repay a favor?â
The manager waves his hand. âNo, no, no! Thatâs not his intention. This is my personal investment. We have many projects here, and mine just needs the right opportunity to get started. You need money, I need a chance to form a caravan. Itâs that simple.â
Christian frowns. âHow do I know you really work for him? He told me to keep it secret!â
The manager laughs again. âSir, I told you, that doesnât matter. What matters is this cooperation has no downsides for either of us. As for exposure, rest assured. We operate independently. Both our personnel and funding sources are clean; thereâs absolutely no suspicion.â
After a momentâs thought, Christian sighs. âAlright. Tell me your plan. How do we profit?â
The manager bows slightly. âAllow me to introduce myself. My name is Johnson. I personally suggest we call our guild the Pickaxe Guild...â
---
After leaving Livos City, Henwell doesnât rush his journey but slows down to take in the sights along the way.
When passing noble castles, Henwell sometimes pays visits.
Most nobles greet Henwellâs visits with suspicion.
Facing the continentâs renowned warlord, even under the watchful eyes of the Holy Lake Knights, nobles along the route feel uneasy.
The centurion of the Holy Lake Knights wears a grim expression, heâs seen Henwell more than once openly sketching detailed maps of the surrounding terrain.
Every time he sees Henwell so focused on drawing, the Holy Lake Knights sense a deep malice.
Theyâd rather see this troublemaker leave the continent soon, but they dare not push.
After three days, Henwell finally reaches the edge of the Dienbos familyâs territory.
This is the last baronial castle within the Dienbos faction.
A banquet is underway, and Henwell, naturally, doesnât want to miss it. He attends under the banner of the Holy Lake Knights Order.