Western Fantasy Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 114 The Heir of the Southern Territory

After leaving the police station, the group walked along the street, admiring the city's scenery. These sights might not have meant much to Connors, but for Sylvia and Theodore, everything they saw was new and exciting.

"Lily Town has changed a lot since the last time I came here." Sylvia looked at Connors with a puzzled expression: "How did you manage to build so many exquisite buildings in such a short time?"

No matter where they were, the efficiency of construction projects always gave the local lords a major headache. No matter how meticulously they planned, they could not complete the project within the expected timeframe. The construction time was always dragged out and was extremely long, often leaving them in a dilemma.

Do it, but there's no end in sight; this feeling of uncertainty is awful.

If we don't do it, it's heartbreaking to just throw away all that material and time investment.

Connors thought for a moment and asked, "Do you pay wages?"

Theodore shook his head: "In construction projects, most of the workers, except for the designers, are slaves, which will save us a lot of money."

Connors shrugged helplessly: "That's the reason. If efficiency is low, it's probably because not enough money is being spent. The slaves are working for free. Whether they work efficiently or slack off, the results have nothing to do with them. So why should they work hard?"

"Trying to have it all usually results in more harm than good."

Theodore and Sylvia both looked thoughtful after hearing Connors' words.

Although the two men were strong enough to easily beat Connors to a pulp, they were far too naive in terms of business acumen and humanity compared to Connors.

The people of his time were far more complex than those here; they schemed against each other, deceived one another, constantly trying to figure out what others were thinking, and using human nature in various ways to lure others into the abyss.

Connors shook his head and continued confidently, "Furthermore, I believe that the Steel Dragon Kingdom's production structure and national system are far too backward. With just a slight change in thinking, and relying on extraordinary power, it can easily improve its national strength."

Theodore raised an eyebrow: "How so?"

"Father, look, if we can leverage this advantage, the country's development speed will be incomparable. For example, we can distribute the production spirits and contract the land to farmers. We will only be responsible for acting as the central hub, the brain, to regulate and ensure that the economy does not collapse and that the environment is fair. In this way, everyone's behavior will be market-driven, and everyone will strive and fight for themselves. Everyone will inevitably work harder to earn more wealth. Only in this way will the country not be stagnant."

"In this dog-eat-dog competition, technology will develop, talent will emerge, and national strength will become stronger and stronger."

Sylvia and Theodore listened very attentively. These were things they had never heard of before, and although they were very challenging, they could find many possibilities if they thought about them carefully.

"Furthermore, Father, Sister Sylvia, don't you find this absurd? We've lived like this for hundreds of years, and yet nothing has changed. Farmers are still tilling the land with hoes, the means of transportation is still horse-drawn carriages, and the types of weapons haven't changed at all..."

'

Sylvia asked, somewhat puzzled, "What else can we use to travel if not a carriage?"

Connors smiled slightly: "Come with me, I'll show you something that will overturn your worldview."

These mysterious words piqued the curiosity of Theodore and Sylvia.

Connors led them to the testing grounds in the backyard of Lilyburg.

The place was very empty, with no one in sight. The exposed roof was made of crisscrossing steel frames. Upon entering, Theodore and Silvia were inevitably drawn to the enormous creature draped in black cloth in the center of the arena.

Connors approached the black cloth, gently tugged at it, and the cloth slid down completely.

Theodore and Sylvia were stunned.

A massive steel structure stood before them, its complex structure and sharp angles inspiring awe.

"What is this?" Sylvia asked, though she was talking to Connors, her eyes seemed fixed on the enormous creature in front of her.

Theodore also cast an inquiring glance. After all, he was a Sky Knight and had seen and heard quite a few outrageous things. He quickly recovered from his surprise.

Connors patted the steel lightly and laughed, "This thing is called the Magic Crystal Train, but it's only a prototype at the moment. Once it's perfected and put into use, it probably won't even take a day to travel from Lily Town to Lion Keep."

Theodore's eyes flashed, and he understood the unspoken meaning in his son's words.

He said that when things are perfected in the future, there will be no doubt, no hesitation, only certainty, as if it were a predetermined fact that is about to happen, which shows that he has full confidence in it.

Sylvia frowned, deep in thought. She looked around the magic crystal train, like a young woman visiting the city for the first time.

Noticing the ladder at the end, she looked at Connors, her gaze seeking approval.

"Please make yourself at home." Connors smiled and gestured politely.

Sylvia nodded, climbed the ladder onto the train, and walked hesitantly into the driver's cab.

What came into view was a large control panel. He couldn't understand the things on it, but he figured they must have been something Connors had made.

Sylvia looked around and found that the space was not very large, perhaps even smaller than a slightly wider carriage.

She stepped out of the cockpit, stood by the railing, and asked, "What's the use of this thing? It doesn't seem like it can pull anything, does it?"

'

Connors shook his finger: "This is just the front of the train. In the future, it will be fitted with carriages, which will be about the same size as the front, but empty inside."

Theodore's pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately realized the value of this item.

Although there are many ways to travel from Lily Town to Lion Keep within a day, there is no doubt that those methods are special cases and cannot be popularized.

But this thing is different. If it's really as Connors said, its strategic value is extremely high, even higher than the entire Great Wall City.

Most notably, if used in war, it can quickly transport soldiers to the front lines, and many variations can be derived from this.

"However, the production and maintenance costs of this thing are quite high, and it also requires the laying of railway tracks. These are its drawbacks. Small cities generally can't afford to build this thing." Connors shrugged, his tone quite relaxed.

"Make a list of what you need for Sylvia. The resources needed for producing and researching this thing will be provided by Lion Keep." Theodore's tone was calm, yet it revealed a sense of pride.

Connors raised an eyebrow: "What are the conditions?"

Theodore turned around, looked him in the eyes, and said, "I want you to take on the task of integrating the Southern Territory, using Lily Town as a framework. If you encounter any difficulties along the way, just let me know, and I will help you solve them."

Connors lowered his head in thought, silently calculating in his mind.

Given the current size of Lily Town, it certainly cannot absorb the entire Southern Territory, but the integration can be divided into several stages, gradually dismantled, and completed step by step.

However, the most difficult part is not this. The real challenge is who will be in charge after the Southern Territory is integrated.

This is why he has always been resistant to the integration plan.

He's very willing to help him expand his territory; as the saying goes, the bold get rich, and the timid starve.

But if the price is that he will eventually lose ownership of Lily Town, he would rather take it one step at a time and develop it steadily.

Connors asked hesitantly, "That's it?"

"And one more thing," Theodore said, with his hands behind his back, "I hope you will become the next heir to the dukedom."

These words struck Connors like a bolt from the blue.

His first reaction was to turn his head and look at Sylvia, only to find her calm, as if she had expected this.

Everyone in the Southern Territory knows that the Duke is grooming Sylvia as his heir, which is why he appointed her as the Grand Steward of the Southern Territory to oversee all affairs, so that she can become familiar with the place as early as possible.

Sylvia seemed to see through Connors' thoughts and smiled slightly: "My father and I considered this when we were drafting this plan. Who should manage Lily Town after integrating all the resources in the Southern Territory? If Father were to take over, you might have reservations. Father was in a dilemma for a long time, so I made this suggestion."

"You and I are different. Your status as heir will be registered in the kingdom. After the integration is completed, your father will retire behind the scenes and focus on cultivation, existing as a guardian deity of the Southern Territory, while I will assist you in managing the Southern Territory."

Connors listened, lost in thought for a long time. This gift was far too grand. He asked with difficulty, "Why...why?"

Sylvia didn't speak; she knew that this question should be answered by her father.

Theodore looked at him, smiled slightly, and a rare change in expression appeared on his face.

"Because you are my son."

Connors opened his mouth, his feelings a mix of emotions, and said, "You know that's not what I wanted to ask."

"If I had to give a reason, it would be that I don't really enjoy managing territory. Forging my physique and developing my elves are things I'm much more passionate about. Among the other children, apart from Sylvia, none of them have shown any outstanding leadership skills. I can't trust the Southern Territory and the Jon family to be in their hands."

"To be honest, I wasn't entirely at ease with you either, but it wasn't until I saw the prisoner being brought in that I saw another side of you—you weren't soft-hearted at all."

Connors pursed his lips. In his previous life, he also had a father, but because of stock speculation, he scolded him without any regard for feelings, and they had a very bad falling out. They hadn't spoken much to each other before he transmigrated.

After leaving the forge's testing grounds, they discussed many details of the Southern Reach Integration Plan. In the evening, Sylvia and Theodore left Lily Town.

Time flies, and another month has passed.

That day, Jeremy was sipping fine black tea in the garden, admiring the exquisitely maintained garden, basking in the sunlight, looking quite content.

Just then, a maid rushed over and said, "Lord Jeremy, two knights from the Duke's Castle have come to see you."

How disappointing... Jeremy pouted, stood up, and said, "I understand."

He entered the living room, where two tall, stern-faced knights stood. They wore crimson armor and black cloaks, their armor adorned with exquisite flame patterns, resembling a burning firework.

The moment Jeremy saw them, his pupils contracted sharply.

The Lion Knights?!

How could it be them?!

The appearance of this army, which is directly under the command of the Duke of the Southern Border, inevitably means that the Duke is involved, and this is no small matter.

The two knights had clearly noticed him as well. They took out a document and held it up in front of him, saying coldly, "Marquis Jeremy Hughes, this is an order from the Duke. He wants you to go to Lion Keep immediately to cooperate with the investigation of a case. We will escort you throughout the process."

Jeremy took the document with a grim expression, and saw the clearly visible lion emblem on it, a seal personally stamped by the Grand Duke.

What exactly happened? Jeremy hadn't figured out the situation yet, but that didn't stop him from realizing something was wrong.

"What guards? It's practically an escort!"

He was furious inside, but dared not show it.

The Knights of the Lions are extremely loyal to the Duke. If he shows any disrespect, they are very likely to kill him on the spot, after all, this has happened before.

Jeremy took a deep breath: "I understand. Let me get ready."

"The Duke's orders are to leave now," one of the knights emphasized expressionlessly. Another knight quietly came up behind him, blocking his escape route.

Jeremy cursed inwardly, forcing a stiff smile: "Okay, I understand."

Although he also had Earth Knights under his command, putting aside whether they could defeat them in terms of combat strength, if he dared to do such a thing, he would probably be directly judged as a dangerous element by the Lion Knights, and before the knights even arrived, he would be hacked to pieces.

What Jeremy Hughes didn't know was that, besides him, the other four city lords had also been invited to Lion Keep by the Lion Knights.

They were kept around for the sake of the Southern Territory's development, but after the unification of the Southern Territory, there is only one city, and the nobles are no longer blindly demanding. The factors that prevented Theodore from dealing with them have disappeared, and their existence has instead become an obstacle to the unification of the Southern Territory.

Theodore decided to deal with them first.

The higher one's position, the more important it is to have a legitimate reason for their actions. The prisoners they brought back from Lily Town were a very good tool for this purpose.

Not long after, Jeremy met several other city lords with equally gloomy faces in the guest room of Lion's Keep. When he saw them, he understood that the Grand Duke wanted to punish them because of the incident in Lily Town.