Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 1574: Chapter 152: Mr. Lind, Are You Interested?

”Where can’t we fight?” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ clapped his hands, ”Don’t be fooled by how that island seems to be right opposite Basia City. In reality, if you follow the coastline north, there’s a bay within a large mountain... ah, speaking of which, its structure is somewhat similar to Hill’s territory in Teraxil!

But you can only approach it from the sea. If you want to reach it from land, you’ll have to cross a gigantic mountain range, even higher and steeper than the cliff where Hill currently resides.”

”Hmm?” Hill asked, somewhat confused, ”But, Aesces, it seems like they haven’t opened land access to you, right?”

”So, Mr. Lind... are you interested in becoming a lord?” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ turned to look at Lind.

”Me? I’m not... wait, Lord?” Lind finally understood why these Undead Tribe members explained matters concerning the Pearl and Danboro so clearly... it wasn’t for the Great Sage Belfran, who was close to them, to hear, but to inform him, the one kept in the dark: the information the Undead Tribe had obtained was accurate and real.

”Count Stelter has already filed official documents with the King and the Royal Family meeting to appoint Ditte as the new Earl. You have been granted a lord’s position, officially splitting the family.

And Ellie is also... granted a lord position, and as a rare female noble, she too has been completely separated from the family.

Speaking of which, Count Stelter has acted decisively. Although the documents haven’t been sent back to Basia City, they have been officially filed with the King’s Parliament, and no one can use Ellie’s matter against your family anymore.”

Lind clenched his fists, ”Ellie is a lord too?”

”That’s right.” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ nodded with a smile.

”Huh... so my baron title is split in two, right? And then the territory... Did you, have you seen a town near Basia called Linsel?”

”Let me check the information.” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ looked at him curiously and quickly searched on his tablet.

”This thing can store so much information! That’s great, I want one too. I’ve memorized so much alchemy material that I’m going to die.” Lind spoke casually with a smile.

Then, in the sympathetic gaze of ’Lu Huayu’ beside him, he slowly bowed his head.

Still surrounded by his Water Ball, a thin stream of water flowed out, wrapping around his right hand... the three wounds he had carved out on his own slowly healed perfectly in the water, yet the sharp pain lingered in his heart.

He felt as though even his tendons and bones hurt.

”The heart is linked to the fingers, injuries to the hand hurt a bit more, bear with it, it’ll be better soon.” ’Lu Huayu’ gently comforted this poor child, while in his heart he gained a deeper understanding of the ruthless nature of Snow Old Dog... no wonder he was urging him to have Ditte help Lind buy several shops early on.

With Lind’s cleverness, even if he lacked money, he wouldn’t offend the Undead Tribe for this.

Especially now that the family had completely abandoned him.

”Linsel Town, hmm... indeed, it’s mentioned that on the day Ditte’s inheritance documents were confirmed, a Baron Finch acquired this territory. He was originally a lord on the desert side, having lost his own territory due to desertification 20 years ago.” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ couldn’t help but look up at this unlucky kid.

It seems that to cast Ellie out of the family and pass down the title swiftly, Count Stelter took everything he once promised Lind and gave it away as gifts.

”I... I thought that even if I made many mistakes and Ditte had already forgiven me, what should be mine would still be given to me... but it turns out, it’s not?” Lind, unable to accept reality, curled himself into a ball within the Water Ball.

”Isn’t it normal?” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ seemed unsurprised, ”When a family needs to sacrifice the interests of certain members, it’s sure to target the one with the lowest status in the family.

You were already that, and then you exposed yourself...”

”Old Dog!” ’Lu Huayu’ gently interrupted him before he could utter more harsh words, ”He’s already paid the price for the past, don’t be like that.

Besides, aren’t we planning to move with him to the new territory?

Have you not mentioned that you could catch a canopy from the mountain and land directly on Eye of the Sea God Island?”

”Is the territory safe? If the Moon Clan wants to attack, would it be easy?” ’Old Age Striking King’ looked around, pondered for a few seconds, and eventually chose to go along with the mischief.

”It won’t be that easy.” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ chuckled twice, ”The outside mountain ranges, especially those along the coast, are made of the hardest stone cliffs. If we think of a way to polish them, add some material, outsiders won’t be able to climb upwards.

Easy to defend but difficult to attack, plus it’s easy to live.

Though the hills inside are steep, mountains at angles of 30 to 45 degrees aren’t impossible to climb; the soil might be barren, but it’s not entirely infertile.

Families dealing with Hill often have seeds in their bags, don’t they?

We can plant them when the time comes!

Hill’s flowers and plants easily take root, so there’s no need to worry about soil erosion... then we can plant some fruit trees!

In that valley, it’s warm in winter and cool in summer, with two waterfalls too!

The land on the plain that can be cultivated is about 1,000 acres, plus there are two small veins: iron and Energy Baryte.

This place definitely can’t maintain an army, but it allows the lord to live quite comfortably.

So, Young Master Lind, are you interested?”

”Lord, even in the mountains or the desert, there are at most 500 acres of territory, no more than that, and besides, I’m out of money,” Lind said lifelessly.

Right now, he doesn’t even know whether to thank Ditte for his sudden whim... If he hadn’t spent all his money buying those shops, he might still have hoped to use it to buy an estate of about 100 acres as his territory.

A lord without any territory is less than a dog in noble society, unless he can become a Mage soon... But if he were a Mage, what would a lord mean?

Still, if he hadn’t bought those shops early, by the time the paperwork comes down, he would be a branch of the Stelter Family, and such a cheap price would no longer be possible.

No wonder Butler Ted agreed to Ditte’s request without even considering it, not even asking the Earl... Presumably, he knows that Count Stelter has a bit of guilt for his unlucky son, Lind.

Helena and Ditte surely don’t know about that.

Lind felt himself on the verge of madness... The fact that he could suppress his impulse to yell and scream was only because he remembered the presence of this ally beside him.

He couldn’t act too useless in front of his ally... Otherwise, he might not even receive rent in the future.

”I remember, for those wilderness lands, anyone with a noble title can buy them, right?

The real trouble is with those already developed town territories, areas with good grounding and nearby water sources, places like this that nobody knows about shouldn’t be too expensive, correct?

I could pay your rent in advance! Even 50 years would be fine.

After all, we can’t purchase property.

Moreover, this way, it ensures you won’t suddenly sell off the house, a win-win situation~” ’Lu Huayu’s’ gentle voice flowed into Lind’s ear.

He looked at his Undead Tribe friend like a lifesaving straw... The battered Lind could no longer afford to consider causes and consequences or interests and disputes.

He was well aware that if he couldn’t secure his territory before the documents arrived in Basia City, with his status suddenly decreased, even if Ditte let him live in the castle, life would still be tough.

There are people who flatter the high and step on the low everywhere... Moreover, those past years, his life had been too good.

”Even if I sold that house, I couldn’t sell it to anyone outside the Stelter Family, that was the contract I signed when I bought it at a low price.

I know you’re saying this to help me... I truly, genuinely, thank you enormously.

But, even if I had enough money, I could only buy some of the territory, even if I bought that section of the valley, it’s useless to block it off inside... Once we have it built, there would soon be someone ready to take advantage.

By then, if they block the waterways, what could we do?

The Undead Tribe, you can’t simply act against people who haven’t directly violated you, right?”

Looking at Lind who repeatedly mentioned ”us,” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ spoke calmly: ”If you are willing to sign an exclusive agreement with us, we might be able to help you become a Baron.”

”What... do you mean?” Lind abruptly lifted his head... Such good treatment instantly made him vigilant, ”What do I... have that’s worth this from you?”

”It’s simple, we need a place where, apart from the Proud Sky Alliance and Lu Huayu’s Doomsday as well as a few affiliated families from both sides, no other members of the Undead Tribe can enter.

For this reason, we can even help develop this territory.

You should know, we of the Undead Tribe were once construction workers back in the day.

We can’t build skyscrapers, but a few floors or a standard castle are well within our means.

Didn’t you also see the dike we built?” ’Snow Cloud Peak’ said nonchalantly, ”Originally, we planned to invite a few penniless knights to divide up the valley, even buying the lowest possible baronial titles for them.

But doing so doesn’t come without risks, whether they can get along peacefully, whether their scheming would tear the valley apart, all remains unknown.

Our goal is to find a suitable place, establish a safe enough ground for family members to rest without any interest in managing those trivial disputes.

Therefore, you are actually more suitable.

Of course, you must understand, any contract signed with us, the Undead Tribe, must be witnessed by Aesces, so as long as you and your bloodline remain, and the valley’s title of nobility doesn’t vanish, it cannot be revoked.”

Lind lowered his head, pulling at his hair, he needed to think carefully: Once he accepted the invitation from the Undead Tribe, he would truly and completely break away from the family.