Transmigrated with a Demon-Refining Pot: Hehehe, Refine in an instant

Another month has passed since Ron was knighted.

During this time, the pink-haired girl had become friends with Liulichuan, and the completion of their great mission was just around the corner.

Construction of the territory also progressed rapidly under Ron's extravagant spending spree, with the castle's outer walls already completed ahead of schedule.

The bluish-gray stones appeared heavy and solid in the sunlight. The four corner towers stood tall against the blue sky and white clouds, and from a distance, the entire castle resembled a crouching behemoth.

Kraft said the interior decoration would take another half month, but the main structure was already done. Construction on the magic tower on the other side had also begun.

The magic tower requires too much technology, and the serfs in the territory can't help much. They've all hired people from Oak City, and it's estimated that it won't be completed before winter.

Every day, Liulichuan would go to the construction site to discuss materials, dimensions, and rune arrangements with the other mages. Her face looked more radiant than before, and her eyes were bright, as if she had finally found what she truly wanted to do.

Ron would occasionally go to check on things, and she would pull him aside, pointing to the blueprints and explaining what to install here and what to do there. Ron didn't quite understand, but he was content seeing Liulichuan's happy expression.

The territory has recently purchased three more batches of serfs, five thousand in each batch. Ron is almost becoming Marco's biggest customer.

Viscount Evan has also been writing to Ron frequently lately, his intention to win him over is quite obvious.

However, he was clearly wasting his time and using the wrong methods.

With Lady Elena around, there's no need for such trouble.

The Viscountess was one of Ron's original shareholders; she had invested in the company.

If he could also discuss his educational background with his wife, Ron would show through his actions that he was not an ungrateful person!

As the castle neared completion, Ron instructed Dick to select some maids from the serfs to fill the castle.

With nothing else to do, he decided to turn this recruitment into a selection process.

I'll be a judge myself, hehe!

These white girls were personally selected by the lord, so they can just wait to enjoy their good fortune!

Dick posted notices throughout his territory, recruiting maids, servants, and cooks. The news spread, and far more people applied than he had anticipated.

There are now quite a few free people in the territory. The former serfs have caught a good time and are now almost all free people who can own their own land.

However, they still cannot leave the River Bend Territory at will, otherwise they might be captured by the slave-catching team and might not even become serfs.

In fact, serfs could also possess wealth and even purchase land, but they had to cultivate the lord's land first before they could go about their own business.

So they could only make ends meet, and it would take them a long time to save up enough money to buy a new linen outfit.

The lord is recruiting maids this time, and each maid will receive a monthly salary of three silver coins. That's equivalent to three hundred copper coins, which is quite a lot.

They provided food and lodging, and even gave us several sets of fine cotton clothing. We also received occasional rewards from distinguished guests. This was far better than staying home and doing odd jobs.

A long queue quickly formed at the manor gate. There were daughters of serfs, girls from free families, and experienced maids who had come from the port.

They stood in the shade of the trees at the entrance of the manor, gathered in twos and threes, chatting away.

Martha stood in the middle of the line, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, her palms sweaty.

She was the daughter of a serf family in Maple Leaf Village, eighteen years old this year, and had a pretty face. When her parents heard that the manor was looking for a maid, they sewed her a new dress overnight—although it was made of coarse cloth, it was washed clean.

Her mother said, "If you go to the manor, there will be one less person to feed at home. The wages you earn can also help support the family. Work hard, and if you're lucky, you might catch the lord's eye."

Martha blushed the whole way.

Standing next to her was a girl of about the same age, with brown hair and some freckles on her face, but bright eyes that showed she had seen the world.

The girl struck up a conversation with her: "Are you here for a job interview too?"

Martha nodded.

"My name is Lina, I'm a free citizen, and I live in Lily Town." Lina smiled.

"My dad is a blacksmith, but I can't swing a hammer. I usually do housework at home, so I thought I'd give it a try."

Martha whispered, "My name is Martha, from Maple Leaf Village."

Lina glanced at her, then lowered her voice: "Have you heard about the lord?"

Martha shook her head.

"I heard he's not even twenty years old yet, but he's already the strongest knight in the territory." Lina's eyes lit up.

"My cousin is a guard in the guard, and he said that the lord can kill the monster with a single sword strike."

She lowered her voice: "I heard that the lord trains with a wheel every morning!"

"Shh!" A woman next to her quickly interrupted her.

"No one is allowed to speak ill of the lord. Steward Dick has instructed that anyone who talks nonsense outside will be arrested and given ten lashes."

Lina stuck out her tongue and dared not say another word.

Hearing about Dick's bad reputation, the others dared not listen to any more gossip and could only huddle together and whisper among themselves.

The woman, in her thirties, wore a faded gray dress and carried an old leather suitcase. She introduced herself as Hannah, saying she used to be a cook in another baronial territory, but after the lord's defeat, they were sold into slavery, and she had come to apply for the cook position.

"You young girls don't understand anything," Hannah sighed.

"The lord is recruiting maids for the new castle. The castle is almost finished and needs manpower. This is a rare and precious opportunity."

If you are chosen, you will become maids in the castle, which is a hundred times better than being out in the wind and sun.

Martha's heart raced. A maid in a castle—something she had never even dared to dream of before.

"So... is the selection process difficult?" she asked the experienced older woman in a low voice.

Hannah glanced at her: "Let's see if you have any sense. If the master doesn't like you, you'll be fired after three days. If the master likes you, you'll be his personal maid from now on, with no worries about food or clothing."

The line moved forward a few steps.

A young woman was called in, asked a few questions, and came out blushing. Another woman went in and came out looking dejected.

"Next."

Martha took a deep breath and went inside.

Dick looked up at her.

"What's your name?"

"Ma, Masha."

How big?

"eighteen."

"What did you do before?"

"I help my parents with farming at home... I can cook, do laundry, feed the chickens... I can do anything."

Ron also glanced at her. The girl was thin, with somewhat rough skin, and had delicate features, but her pair of eyes were particularly striking.

It looks like it has a lot of head to it.

"Can you cook?" Dick continued asking pointless questions.

"Yes! My mother says my stew is the best in the whole village," Martha said nervously.

Dick told her to go home and wait for news.

Martha was a little flustered, but finally mustered up her courage and asked in a low voice, "Steward, does this mean I've passed?"

Dick was getting impatient and was about to kick her out, but then Ron spoke up:

"Martha, is it? You're a very good catch. Come report to the castle tomorrow!"

"Thank you, thank you, my lord." The other person's face turned red with excitement.

Ron is actually a very simple person. He doesn't care about abilities; those can be developed. He only cares about looks. These girls' worries are unnecessary.

Martha went outside, her legs trembling. Lina was waiting for her outside, and when she came out, she quickly asked, "How did it go?"

"It's approved!"

Martha was so excited she almost jumped up: "The lord is a very gentle person, and he wants me to report to the castle tomorrow."

Lina patted her on the shoulder, straightened her collar, and went inside as well.

In one morning, Ron interviewed over a hundred girls. He eventually hired more than twenty, bringing the total number of maids at the castle to nearly fifty, including those already employed. Including grooms, kitchen staff, and other personnel, the total number of servants exceeded one hundred.

This time, the kitchen recruited several skillful cooks, and they finally managed to develop dishes that suited Ron's taste from his previous life.

And their local cuisine was also quite good, which pleased Ron greatly.

Ron then spent a few leisurely days.

On an island in the vast ocean, a silver dragon lay on a boulder, shifting its body repeatedly, unable to fall asleep.

Finally, feeling so uncomfortable, he kept slamming his head against the rock wall next to him.

"Roar~ Roar~" (I can't take it anymore...)