Monster Girl Development Master.

The remaining three were, of course, his lovely Nia, and his parents-in-law, Sir Rom Harper and Mrs. Mary Harper.

Of the 500 gold coins' worth of supplies, aside from some basic tools, the rest were all ores—his recruitment of the Harper family was no secret, so buying ores was normal. However, Zhuang Sen believed that those people certainly didn't know what a dwarf blacksmith could do.

Zhuang Sen thought to himself and pinched Nia's cheek in his arms.

The latter was completely used to Zhuang Sen's groping, her face not even blushing. She just wiggled her little bottom, like a cat trying to find a comfortable little nest. She quickly found a comfortable angle, raised her head, and said lazily and cutely, "Zhuang Sen, why did you refuse Lady Lydia's request to send Lydia over?"

Due to the rules set by Count Cross, Lady Lydia couldn't come with Johnson, so she initially wanted Lydia to go with Johnson, but Johnson refused.

"Because she needs Lydia's protection more than I do, and Lydia can't protect us anyway." Zhuang Sen actually wanted to use Lydia, but rather than having another trustworthy junior officer under his command, Zhuang Sen preferred to have someone trustworthy to protect his adoptive mother.

Nia hesitated for a moment, then grinned mischievously: "Hey, Zhuang Sen, what do you think of Lydia?"

"That's good. Although she's not a bloodline inheritor, her martial arts skills are solid, making her quite strong among ordinary people. What's even more valuable is her loyalty and obedience."

Nia nuzzled against Zhuang Sen's chest, speechless. "That's not what I meant. I was asking if you have any feelings for Lydia... she's a beauty too, isn't she?"

Zhuang Sen lowered his head and poked his young wife's cheek: "What have you been thinking about all day? You don't have any weird fetishes, do you?"

Since the last dwarf inheritance, Zhuang Sen felt that Nia had become more "generous." He wondered if it was because she was confident of winning after being confessed to, and now she often played matchmaker for Zhuang Sen.

Nia puffed out her cheeks. She didn't have any strange fetishes; she just thought what the dwarf sisters in the previous illusion made a lot of sense. With their small bodies, they couldn't possibly satisfy Zhuang Sen alone. So, they could only find more women for Zhuang Sen to use. That was better than letting him go out and find those lowly prostitutes.

The sharing of dwarf girls is limited to their clanmates.

"Don't change the subject, tell me already~" Nia grabbed Zhuang Sen's arm and pulled him into her ample bosom. "I'll let you in on a secret, Zhuang Sen, Lydia's...well, it's actually quite big too~"

No, you've only been at the manor for a short time, how come you're already so familiar with Lydia? Or do women really have a special talent for socializing?

But Johnson didn't really have any particular thoughts about Lydia, the loyal female knight: "Right now I'm only thinking about a certain dwarf and a nun, I don't have the energy to spare for anything else."

That being said, Johnson did want to help Lydia become a bloodline user so she could better protect their home. Unfortunately, he hadn't yet found a suitable bloodline for her; her compatibility with tall and short people was only 30%, making the success rate too low to gamble on.

"My lord, Thorn Manor is just ahead!"

Rom Harper's voice came from outside the carriage. As a nobleman whose status was only one rank lower than that of Johnson, he naturally became the leader of the other guards and blacksmiths.

Inside the carriage, Nia immediately sat up straight upon hearing her father's voice, making Zhuang Sen want to laugh. After patting the little girl's cheek, Zhuang Sen opened the carriage window and peered ahead.

The seemingly endless forest finally came to an end, revealing a clearing and two low hills. Several flocks of sheep huddled together on the grass at the foot of the hills, while the ragged shepherd's surprised gaze quickly darted down. Beyond the grassland and the sheep lay farmland surrounding the hills, where farmers toiled, their heads lifting at the sound of horses' hooves and wheels, only to quickly lower them again to avoid offending their distinguished guests. And nestled between the two hills, a large estate, enclosed by a thick wooden fence, with a sturdy gate and a towering watchtower, awaited its master.

This is Thorn Manor, theoretically covering a total area of ​​one hundred hectares, nine-tenths of which are wheat fields, with the remainder used for growing vegetables like cabbage and lettuce. It's a very ordinary agricultural manor, and a very unprofitable one at that, because the land is not fertile, and the yields of wheat and vegetables are mediocre. Moreover, its location is remote, bordering the territory of Leon, where bandits could spawn at any time, and even without bandits, one must be wary of ferocious wild beasts. Naturally, no merchants would want to come to such a remote place with no special products.

Essentially, this wasn't a place set up to make money, but rather a self-sustaining boundary marker to prevent neighboring nobles from stealing resources or even encroaching on their land when no one was around. After all, maps of this era weren't as detailed as satellite maps, making them difficult to use as conclusive evidence. Setting up border outposts... it was much cheaper and easier to just leave some farmers here. So as long as they didn't lose money, it didn't matter; any profit was welcome.

The convoy arrived at the manor, or rather, the "wooden castle," but the gates were tightly shut.

This is strange. Zhuang Sen is flying the Black Raven's banner, and Count Cross's orders must have been delivered by the ravens long ago. He shouldn't be treating them as enemies. Besides, his group doesn't seem like they have any ill intentions.

It can only be said that someone deliberately stirred up trouble...

Zhuang Sen stepped out of the carriage and looked at the tense guards behind the wooden wall. Just as he was about to ask a question, a very greasy and unpleasant voice rang out first: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! You idiots! Can't you see that's the Shadow Raven flag? Open the door now!"

The door opened amidst shouts, and a short, stout man with sweat dripping from his forehead like oil greeted them with a smile.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Swift Seizure of Power

Neil Leon, 40 years old, a distant member of the Leon family, is the current governor of Thorn Manor.

In terms of seniority, Johnson should call him uncle. He and Clos Leon are of the same generation, but since he had no chance of competing for the earldom, he survived—although he was still exiled to this place.

It's because he's incapable of doing anything else.

However, after seeing it with his own eyes, Zhuang Sen felt that the information was somewhat inaccurate; this person was at least very capable in terms of hypocrisy and flattery.

"Ah, my dear nephew, you've finally come!"

Neil opened his arms enthusiastically, as if to give Zhuang Sen a warm hug. But looking at his fat body and his forehead that was constantly overflowing with enthusiasm, Zhuang Sen chose to ignore him and prepared to kick him if the guy pounced on him.

If such a seasoned veteran were truly enthusiastic, he would never neglect personal hygiene. This was purely a deliberate attempt to disgust him. If I'm not mistaken, he was also the one who signaled the guards to close the door. The reason isn't hard to guess: he was originally the local tyrant of Thorn Manor, and now that a lord has suddenly been parachuted in, he's definitely not happy and naturally wants to flex his muscles.

This is actually a good thing, as it saves him from having to find an excuse to seize power—Johnson doesn't want a local leader who can hinder him.

Neil looked at Zhuang Sen, who ignored him, and remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was cursing coldly: This brat has offended that ruthless guy Kloss, and he still dares to be so arrogant. Does he think he can fight against him with just a few people?

Thinking this to himself, Neil still lowered his arms, having no intention of forcibly taking him. He knew that Zhuang Sen had already awakened his bloodline, and forcing his way in would only make him lose face. However, this did not mean he had given up. He was just a bloodline awakener; no matter how strong he was, a glass of red wine laced with poison, a dagger thrust out while he was asleep, or even a crossbow bolt fired in a surprise attack could end their lives.

He wouldn't allow anyone to compete with him for his interests, especially a stupid brat whom Cross despised.

Despite harboring deep malice, Neil maintained a warm smile on the surface, even letting out a hearty laugh: "Haha, it seems you're a little bothered, nephew, but..."

“I bet you’re going to say next, ‘Don’t bother with these idiots. They’re just too worried about safety. After all, we don’t have any bloodline members here, and none of us are as daring as you, nephew.’”

"Don't associate with these...these..."

Neil finally sensed something was wrong. More sweat broke out on his face, and he immediately stopped his exaggerated movements, preparing to retreat towards the manor guards.

"What's wrong, Zhuang Sen?"

Nia got out of the carriage. The commotion outside made her unable to sit still. It wasn't that she didn't trust Zhuang Sen, but she just wanted to help him.

Zhuang Sen realized he had been dragging his feet for a while, so he simply said, "Nia, grab him."

Neil's anxiety finally subsided. He couldn't believe that Zhuang Sen would be so reckless. Wasn't he afraid that capturing him would disrupt the entire operation of Thorn Manor? Wasn't he afraid that Zhuang Sen would fight to the death?

The answer is, don't be afraid.

Because he simply doesn't have the right to fight desperately.

Nia raised her hand, and a stone bullet condensed in her palm before shooting out, shattering Neil's right leg. His agile movements instantly lost their balance, and he fell flat on his face, letting out a piercing wail: "Charge! All of you, charge! Kill these bandits!"

The manor guards stirred, instinctively pointing their spears at Zhuang Sen and his group. Their sheer numbers gave them a certain air of authority. However, this intimidation vanished the moment the vengeful female warriors raised their weapons and assumed a charging stance.

The manor guards were indeed numerous, several dozen in number, all robust young men. However, their only weaponry consisted of a wooden spear and a simple helmet. Compared to the vengeful female warriors, who wore scale armor and chainmail beneath their robes, they were no different from farmers. Moreover, even these manor guards knew that they were no match for a single bloodline warrior.

And so their last bit of momentum vanished, and the manor guards reluctantly dropped their spears and raised their hands.

"Sir Rom, lock this fat pig up first, we'll deal with him later."

"Yes, my lord."

Rom dismounted, easily lifted Neil, who was missing a calf, and walked towards the manor. Neil struggled unwillingly, wailing, "No! You can't do this to me! I'm a nobleman! I'm also from the Leon family."

Zhuang Sen scoffed, "You dare to use the surname Leon? Have you awakened your bloodline?"

Even nobles have their own hierarchy of discrimination. Those with higher bloodlines look down on those with lower bloodlines, and those who have awakened look down on those who haven't. There has even been a long-standing advocacy to expel those without bloodlines from the ranks of nobles, although it's not a mainstream voice yet, since bloodline awakening isn't something you can do at birth.

But for someone like Neil Leon, who hasn't awakened at forty and has ruined his body like this, no one would care if Johnson killed him. However, just to be on the safe side, and to prevent Count Cross from using this as an excuse to cause trouble, Johnson decided to spare his life for now, so he could interrogate him and squeeze some money out of him.

—Just by looking at him, you can tell he must have embezzled a lot.

Wouldn't this mean making a fortune to start a business?

Thank you for the gifts of nature!

……

Once Rom dragged Neil into the manor, no one stopped Zhuang Sen and his group from entering. The female warriors drove the carriage into the manor and directed the servants to unload the goods. Zhuang Sen then looked at the tense manor guards and asked, "Does anyone know where your blacksmith shop is?"

Although Thorn Manor is an agricultural estate, it still needs a blacksmith shop. Farm tools break down and need to be repaired and forged. Not to mention, in this border region, they need to be wary of roaming bandits and packs of wild animals, so self-defense weapons are also essential. Thorn Manor's geographical location means they can't go anywhere else to find a blacksmith.

Additionally, the information about Thorn Manor mentions that there is a blacksmith shop here.

"I! I know!"

"I know, sir!"

"My home is right next to the blacksmith's shop!"

Surprisingly, but quite naturally, the manor guards turned to Zhuang Sen without the slightest hesitation. This was to be expected; Neil didn't seem like a charismatic leader, but they couldn't let their guard down completely.

Zhuang Sen pondered for a moment, then randomly picked one that looked good and tossed over a silver coin: "You, you, take me there. Everyone else, go do what you're supposed to do."

Aside from one person who was overjoyed and picked up the silver coin, the other manor guards weren't too disappointed. Given their behavior just now, they could have been hanged for treason, but they received no punishment at all, which was already an unexpected surprise.

It seems the new master is a good man, much better than Master Neil!

Chapter 40: The Anti-Zhuang Sen Alliance

"My lord, we have arrived."

"Well, back off."

After dismissing the militiamen who had led the way, Zhuang Sen looked at the blacksmith shop in front of him. The structure was similar to that of the one in Glorious Manor: a small wooden hut for living quarters, with a shed attached to the outside. Inside the shed were basic equipment such as a forge, iron spade, and bellows. However, compared to the one in Glorious Manor, the size, quality, and workmanship of these machines were far inferior; after all, they were only used for making farm tools.

Although disappointed, this was within Zhuang Sen's expectations and not a major problem. He could spend a few days preparing it and have the ordinary blacksmiths assist him. As for Master Nia's exquisite works, that would naturally require starting from scratch. Fortunately, that wasn't difficult either, as the Harper family was very familiar with it, and he could handle it.

After a preliminary inspection of the future pillar industry incubation base, Zhuang Sen looked at Nia: "What's wrong? You look like you have something to say. Do you think the tools here are not good enough?"

Nia shook her head: "Although it won't work, I know what you've prepared, Johnson. I'm just wondering, Johnson, if you arrest that governor, won't it affect your reputation? Won't it affect your rule here?"

Seeing Nia's worried face, Zhuang Sen casually pinched her twice, making the little one squint her eyes before continuing to explain, "Don't worry, that good-for-nothing doesn't have that much prestige. The farmers won't rebel for him unless we do worse than him."

Nia nodded as if she understood, but not quite. Her education had not included how to rule, and she was now simply trying to think of ways to help Zhuang Sen out of a simple, excessive concern for him.

Zhuang Sen's appetite was whetted, and mischievous thoughts were bubbling up inside him. He deliberately teased, "Besides, even if these farmers really wanted to rebel, could they possibly win against us?" Including his father-in-law, Rom Harper, Zhuang Sen had a total of three bloodline users. Once they were armored, taking down seven or eight hundred old farmers in plain clothes would be child's play. If they could lose, it could only mean they were pure AI, and even then, a simple AI.

Nia nodded in relief: "Oh? But if all the farmers die, won't there be no one to farm?"

Nia blinked her big eyes and looked at Zhuang Sen nervously, as if she took his words seriously and tried her best to persuade him to change his mind.

Zhuang Sen continued to feign indifference: "That doesn't matter. Our future income comes from the forging industry. How many acres of wheat can we earn from a single suit of armor?"

"Ah, um..." Nia clutched her head in distress, speechless. That's how nobles are; people are just a part of their property. If they get in the way of making money, then they don't need them.

Nia's kind nature made it hard for her to accept this, but since Zhuang Sen wanted to do it, she could only help... No! Nia looked up and finally noticed the wicked smile on Zhuang Sen's lips, and immediately puffed out her round face.

It looks like a cute pufferfish.

Zhuang Sen thought this to himself, but didn't intend to say it aloud—he'd wait until he found a live pufferfish as a sample.

"Honestly, you're just teasing me, you bad Zhuang Sen."

Nia gently tapped Zhuang Sen's waist, pouting her lips; her face practically screamed "coquettish."

Zhuang Sen squatted down and kissed her lips: "Okay, enough joking. I plan to distribute land to the farmers—we don't make money from the farmland anyway, and we'll only be here for a year at most."

Selling off ancestral land without a second thought, especially when it's benefiting the old man. Besides, it's Earl Cross's own fault for being unfair, only giving the manor without a title or fiefdom—that means he can take it back anytime. It's not even his own land; what's the point of Zhuang Sen cultivating it?

A massive gold rush, secretly training assassins, and then meeting at Xuanwu Gate – that's the best plan.

During that year, Johnson planned to vigorously develop military equipment, "win over" the Church of War and the Church of Healing, and send his good brothers and sisters down to meet Jem Lyon as soon as Old Deng left.

If Zhuang Sen can cultivate a few monster girls who have awakened three times during this period, then he will personally send Lao Deng off on his way.