The Witcher World: The Path to Domination Begins in Velen

When Ron returned to the camp, it was almost dark. The last glimmer of light in the distant sky was being swallowed by the night. The torches stuck in the camp walls had been lit, and the flames flickered in the wind.

Erwin stood at the gate, either passing by or waiting, his glasses perched on his nose, clutching the memo pad in his hand.

The papers clipped to the board rustled in the evening breeze. When Ron dismounted, his tense shoulders relaxed, so gently that no one standing a few steps away would notice.

Ron noticed

"You're back," Elwin said, his voice calm, just as it was when he was assigning tasks at the camp.

Ron walked up to him, raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder. Erwin's thin shoulder slumped down, his lips twitched, but he didn't say anything.

Turning around, he followed Ron toward the courtyard, flipping the notepad over as they walked and beginning to recount the day's events.

In the courtyard, Ron sat down at the table, leaned his battle axe against the wall, and recounted the entire negotiation process at Raven's Nest.

The Baron's reaction, the confirmation of the transfer order number, the numbers and place names in the trade diary, and finally the Baron's stamp.

Erwin sat opposite him, his hands crossed on his knees, and did not interrupt him from beginning to end, except when Ron mentioned that the Baron had seen the journal, at which point he tapped his fingers lightly on his knees twice.

After Ron finished speaking, Erwin was silent for a moment, then he spoke, but not about the negotiations.

"There are a few things that need to be decided at the camp." He turned to a new page on the notepad, which was covered with dense writing. Some items were circled, some were marked with question marks, and the question marks were circled again.

"First, the land has been reclaimed. The eastern side has been restored to cultivation and planted with oats and barley. Vegetable plots have also been created on the northern side, mainly planted with turnips and cabbages, to test the soil with a short-term crop."

Secondly, the campsite has been repaired, and the gap in the central courtyard wall has been repaired; there is still a section of the north wall left, but we are short of stone, so we have to go to the river bend to purchase it.

Third, regarding the resettlement of personnel, accommodations and work positions have been assigned, but there are still five or six people whose situations have not been settled. They have been confined on the ship for a long time and their health is too poor to do heavy work for the time being, so Aina will take care of them for now.

Fourth, regarding livestock penning, the few goats captured last time have been penned up, but the number is too small and needs to be replenished; according to your requirements, the soldiers' training needs to be supplied with sufficient meat, eggs, milk and staple food.

He pushed the notepad up and turned to the next page.

"Then there's trade. I've done the math, and the current food reserves in the camp, plus the crop we're planting this season, should last until next spring."

But we can't rely entirely on spoils; seeds, farm tools, livestock, cloth, iron—" He pointed to each item with his finger.

"We can't just grab these things by robbing; we need stable procurement channels. Novigrad can do bulk purchases, but we have to sail there every time, which takes several days round trip, so it's not cost-effective."

The best approach was to establish regular trade with the surrounding villages, who had surplus grain, livestock, and craftsmen skilled in brick and tile making.

What we can provide is what they lack—weapons, armor, and a patrol capable of clearing out water ghosts, bandits, and outlaws.”

He paused for a moment

"But the problem is, no village is willing to do business with 'armed bandits'; in Velen, the name of a mercenary group is almost synonymous with robbery. Delivery to the door? They'll run away as soon as they see our flag."

"And now?" Ron asked.

Erwin pulled a letter from under the notepad. Ron recognized the handwriting; it was the deed to the estate signed at Raven's Den, bearing the baron's coat of arms.

"You are now the sergeant major under Lord Velen. This manor is not a 'bandit's den,' but a 'military outpost.'"

Erwin pushed the letter forward: "With this document, the village elders will be willing to sit down and listen to our offer."

They dared not sell to the mercenary group, but they dared not refuse the Baron's sergeant major. This was the law. In Velen, the law was thin, but the villages understood it better than anyone else.

Ron looked at the piece of paper on the table and nodded. "Anything else?"

"Once the trade routes are stable, we can make regular purchases, find a few fixed villages, sign long-term agreements, place orders, and have them delivered directly to the camp."

This is much cheaper than buying in Novigrad each time, but it's not possible right now; we don't have the funds or manpower to lay out such a long route.

Without patrols to protect the rural roads, villagers are afraid they won't get far from their village before being robbed.

"Send people to the villages to purchase goods first, and then make long-term plans after exchanging kronor in Novigrad."

Ron waited for him to continue.

"Then there's the matter of the manor's name. Now that we have the property certificate, it needs an official name. We can't just say 'I am the sergeant major of that abandoned castle' when we're doing business with people."

Erwin placed the notepad on his lap and looked at Ron: "Arenikos Manor? Or Calard Manor?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Calad Manor"

Erwin wrote a few words on the notepad and then turned the page.

"Also, while you were away, some scattered refugees came to seek refuge with you."

He glanced at Ron. "The first group arrived yesterday, three families, eleven people in total. Two more bachelors arrived this morning."

According to the rules, newcomers are first placed in temporary sheds outside the wall, and their accommodations and positions are assigned after their identities are verified.

Ron asked them how they found this place.

"The presence of people farming in the fields indicates that this is not a bandit stronghold. The patrolmen are wearing uniform robes and standard chainmail, indicating that they are not ordinary bandit groups."

For the refugees of Velen, having farmland and soldiers meant a stable and peaceful life—this was the survival wisdom of ordinary people.

Erwin paused for a moment, "But as the population increases, food consumption will also increase. Our land has just been plowed, and we haven't harvested the first crop yet."

The grain reserves are sufficient now, but if the influx of people continues to increase, the supply will become strained by autumn. It's up to you to decide whether to continue accepting more grain or to set up a threshold.

Ron didn't hesitate. "Take it. I'll figure out a way if we don't have enough food."

Erwin wrote this down: "Understood."

"There's one more thing, not about me, but about Aina."

Erwin turned to another page on the whiteboard, as if he had specifically listed this matter separately: "She's planning to start a school at the camp."

"School?"

"She taught children to recognize words and do arithmetic. She did this when she was at the temple. She had seen the site, the original castle chapel."

Located next to the north side of the herb garden, she can teach classes herself without needing any extra help, as long as you agree.

Ron leaned back in his chair. A priestess who had been expelled from the temple was running a school in an abandoned castle. Before she had even harvested her first crop of herbs, she was already thinking about teaching children to read.

"Give it to her," he said.

Erwin ticked that page, pulled a notebook from his waist—not one of the loose pages on the notepad, but a properly bound notebook.

The cover was made of thin wooden boards sandwiched with parchment, and the four corners were wrapped with copper plates. He hesitated for a moment before handing it over.

"This," he said, his voice sounding different than usual, "is the estate management plan I made."

Ron opened the book; the first page was the table of contents, with entries divided into four main categories: civilian facilities, military training, fortifications, and trade and logistics.

Each category is further subdivided into several items, with fortifications listed as wall repair, watchtower reinforcement, and main building reconstruction.

The text below "Training" reads "Soldier Training Ground" and "Militia Drill Ground," while the text below "Storage" reads "Grain Warehouse," "Armory," "Materials Warehouse," and "Medicine Warehouse."

Under the section on commerce, there are sections for trade route planning, trade agreements with surrounding villages, and bulk procurement routes in Novigrad; each item is followed by its priority, estimated cost, manpower, and construction period.

His finger stopped on one of the pages, on which was a rough plan of the manor: the walls, stables, main building, courtyard, blacksmith shop, herb garden, river bend and dock, all marked with their locations.

Several areas were circled and marked "Priority Development Zones".

Ron looked at it for a long time, not at the numbers, but at the notebook itself.

In the game, building your territory is as simple as clicking, selecting an option, and waiting for the progress bar to finish before the building is completed.

There's no need for someone to sit under an oil lamp late at night calculating costs and manpower item by item, and no need for someone to write until their eyes are red.