Pioneer Wizard's Notebook

The open space in front of Hewan Town.

Lind and the rangers assembled and waited on horseback.

Behind them, more than 300 town residents were summoned.

These people mostly gathered in small groups of two or three, in family and relatives, waiting anxiously.

He would occasionally steal glances at the sunflower lord ahead.

And among these.

The leather armorer, Taot, stood at the forefront of the more than thirty craftsmen.

Thanks to his age, Taut was chosen by the craftsmen to be the current representative, but he was not happy at all.

He had visited Blossoming Territory a few years ago; it was a barren territory.

Adjacent to the Ice Mist Forest, the danger level has increased dramatically under the threat of ice storms, and there is always the risk of being destroyed by the Icefield Demons!

Ever since Baron Riverbank was killed in battle, Taut has felt uneasy about the future.

Now, he was handed over to the newly appointed Baron Maria and forced to go to the Flowery Territory.

Tao Te was even more desperate, lamenting the hardships of his fate.

Oh, poor Mr. Taut! He was so talented, he should have become the kingdom's master craftsman, revered by all, but damned fate, jealous of him, fell in that terrible winter.

The bard's lament came to mind.

Taut knew he would never become a master, but who cared?

The bards in the tavern never make up any stories; since they're all just dreams anyway, they might as well have a pleasant dream before they die.

Linde walked over and, seeing that the craftsman representative's eyes were unfocused, waved his hand in front of him in confusion.

"Your Excellency Taut, can you hear me?"

Taot snapped out of his daze, his old face flushed slightly, and straightened his posture: "Lord Linde, what are your orders?"

"We're about to set off. Before we do, let's confirm the treatment of the craftsmen and other workers."

Linde described, "During these five years, you are not allowed to leave the Flowery Territory without permission. I will take care of your food needs. As long as you complete your work, you will not lack bread and meat porridge."

Unlike the serf system prevalent in the South.

The nobles and commoners in the northern provinces mostly had a status somewhere between serfs and free people.

On the one hand, they enjoyed personal rights, owned their own property and houses, and the nobles could not infringe upon them without cause.

On the other hand, their personal freedom was restricted, and they were not allowed to leave the territory or town without the lord's consent.

Lady Maria sent these artisans and workers to the Flowery Territory.

Linde has an obligation to protect their rights, and theoretically, he should also pay them salaries.

However, the Flourishing Flower Territory currently operates under a planned economy, and there is basically no currency circulating within the territory.

Linde will compensate his exceptional talents with other benefits, but it's not convenient to say it outright now.

After hearing the terms of the offer, Taut did not object.

With food prices rising daily, they are already quite content to be able to eat their fill.

With everything ready, the team officially set off.

Lind led the way, with the rangers positioned on either side of the column.

The common people wrapped themselves tightly in their cotton-padded clothes, huddled together to shield themselves from the wind and snow, and trod out a long road in the snow.

Beside them were ten maned horses and thirty wolfhounds sent from Gaoyabao, pulling sleds.

It contains the property of ordinary people and the tools of craftsmen.

Six days passed in the blink of an eye.

After a series of close calls, the group is about to arrive at Sunflower Manor.

Several residents, who had caught a cold, were lying on a sled after receiving treatment from Linde.

The others arrived safely.

Fortunately, no one was killed.

The gates of the Golem on the wall were open, and William and Hilbert, leading their soldiers, were already waiting to greet them.

Upon seeing Lind's arrival and the long line of people behind him, smiles appeared on their faces.

Linde jumped off his horse and hugged the two men with a smile.

"How has the manor been these past few days?"

"Rest assured, everything is normal. The soldiers and residents are eagerly awaiting your return day and night."

"That's good. These civilians are exhausted from their journey. Let's arrange for them to rest in their dormitories first."

Lind gave the order.

Large wooden bungalows have been built near the manor these days to serve as temporary dormitories for residents.

Each dormitory can accommodate fifty people, facilitating centralized heating for the Ash Stove Rat.

Now, the workforce has arrived.

Once the residential buildings are completed, these dormitories can be converted into factories and warehouses, directly transforming them into production area buildings.

Arrange for the newly arrived civilians to go and rest.

Lind instructed William and Hilbert: "Notify all officials of the manor to come to the first-floor hall for a meeting in one hour."

"Yes, ma'am."

After the two left, Linde went into the manor, took off his heavy wolf king leather armor, had Ash Stove Rat boil a pot of water, and took a comfortable hot bath.

After his fatigue subsided, he changed into a cashmere robe and went to the conference hall on the first floor.

At this moment, the officials of the territory have gathered here.

The right side of the long table represents the military.

Legion Commander William, two battalion commanders Philip and Judd, and instructor Wayne.

And three excited teenagers—Browder, Mark, and Warren—who had just been promoted to knights and were attending their first meeting.

On the left are officials in charge of people's livelihood and production.

The schoolmaster Hilbert, the hospital director Eloryn, the dwarf craftsman Sobo, and four dwarf blacksmiths.

And there was Taut, the craftsman representative who had just arrived in the territory and looked completely dazed.

Looking at the large group of people at the table, Lin De felt pleased.

Unbeknownst to him, the power of Sunflower Manor had grown and prospered, completely shedding the desolation he felt when he first woke up.

Linde arrived at the head seat.

The Frostfang Wolf was lying on the back of the seat, its wounds healed, its massive, pure white wolf body exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lind announced the start of the officials' meeting.

"Now that the worker shortage has been filled, the housing in the living area is officially under construction."

"William, from now on you will be in charge of leading the rangers to escort the workers to the outskirts of the Ice Mist Forest to cut down trees and transport timber."

With new maned horses and wolfhounds, the estate was able to transport timber back from the forest.

"Philip, Judd, you continue training the soldiers. If necessary, assist William in driving away the Ice Demon threat in the forest."

"The manor will select ten more soldiers with outstanding military achievements to be promoted to knight squires. Wayne, you will be responsible for teaching them combat skills and horsemanship."

Wayne's right arm is still recovering, but fortunately, teaching knights and squires is not a problem.

"Hibbert, you are in charge of the overall command of the town's residents and migrant workers."

"Taut, you are in charge of arranging for the craftsmen to build the house foundation and make the leather armor. If you have any questions, ask Hibbert and follow his instructions."

Hilbert nodded slightly.

Due to excessive tension, Tao Te stood up abruptly.

Seeing the other officials looking at him, Tao Te hurriedly bowed and sat back down in his seat, his face flushed.

After assigning them their tasks, Linde looked towards the dwarves.

"Master Craftsman Sobo, how much longer will it take to forge the stainless steel equipment?"

Sobo said, "It will take at least another half month. I need more steel to experiment; the iron ingots in the manor have been used up."

This is a problem; the steel reserves at Sunflower Farm are insufficient.

Not only is stainless steel needed, but the subsequent production and construction will also require a large number of iron tools.

A dwarf spoke up: "My lord, with the death of the White Bear King, its territory in the valley is no longer a threat, and the Stormwind Clan can search for iron ore in that area."

Linde knew that dwarves had the ability to explore ley lines for mineral deposits, and readily agreed.

"The Frostfang Wolf and its pack of wolves will help protect you. Be careful."

If an iron ore could be found, that would be the best-case scenario. Now that dwarves have joined the manor, they can forge iron themselves.

If he couldn't find any, Lind had no choice but to choose the second option—buying iron ingots from Blackrock City.

The high price is one issue, but the biggest problem is the inconvenience of transportation.

Transporting a cartload of iron ingots from Blackrock City to Blossomlands would take at least half a month, and accidents could easily happen along the way.