Chapter 15: A Restless Heart
How could Maya not notice such a big change in Charle? But she was smart enough not to ask or pry. As a seasoned head maid, she understood perfectly well: you only know what your master wants you to know. Even if you find out something you shouldn’t, you must pretend you don’t.
Otherwise, what good is being a Serving Maid, even one renowned for loyalty? She’d dealt with more than a few Serving Maids herself. When the master believes your death is the only way to ensure peace of mind, then death is your only path.
Eighty percent of Serving Maids died unnatural deaths. The rest either swore to spend their lives in penance at the Serving Church or were turned into cripples who couldn’t hear, speak, or write. And that was considered the master’s mercy.
The reason for this was their unwavering loyalty. The master would entrust them with extremely confidential matters, but over time, when too many secrets were known, it inevitably led to unease. So, the only solution was to silence them permanently.
Maya was luckier than the other Serving Maids. Her relationship with the Countess she served was not typical. Apart from being master and servant, they were also lovers. This allowed her to gain more secrets and power, even reaching a point where the newly ascended Countess’s son wouldn’t dare act against her easily. Otherwise, how could she have survived until now?
Indeed, as Owen had guessed, Maya’s rich life experiences and personal encounters had shaped her into something more than a mere Serving Maid.
Of course, she still adhered to the bottom line of a Serving Maid, never harming her master in any way. But, within that boundary, what was wrong with striving for a better and happier life?
Owen was unaware of Maya’s thoughts. He was busy studying the system.
After breaking through the limitations, the progress value cap reached twenty points and had begun to touch upon the supernatural realm, giving him more options.
However, after some research, Owen realized how impractical the twenty-point progress value cap was. Any decent supernatural target exceeded the limit, or the cost-effectiveness was too low, leaving him in a state of indecision. He could only focus on the immediate situation for now.
With the breakthrough of the cap, the recovery speed of progress value had increased significantly.
Owen observed that the progress value recovered fastest from zero to three, slowing down noticeably at five. After ten, the recovery speed became increasingly slower. To recover to twenty points, it took three to four times longer than recovering from zero to ten.
Therefore, the most efficient method was to exchange for troop types worth three to five progress points, thus fulfilling the requirements for forming a cavalry.
Although swordsmen and archers were useful, cavalry possessed a deterrent effect.
Cavalry worth three progress points included only Scout Cavalry and Light Cavalry. The former was more suited for reconnaissance, while the latter’s combat strength was too weak, only capable of bullying ranged units and unorganized light infantry. In a head-on confrontation, their casualty rate was too high, making it uneconomical. It was better to directly exchange for the more cost-effective Cuirassiers.
Although exchanging for Cuirassiers, worth five progress points, was slower, these heavily armored cavalry, equipped with lances and shields, had the ability to charge enemy formations head-on. They weren’t as fragile as Light Cavalry and had improved defense against arrows, making them quite formidable on the battlefield.
With just a small squad of Cuirassiers for show, anyone who wanted to provoke Owen would have to carefully consider the consequences. After all, even knights found it difficult to withstand a charging squad of Cuirassiers.
For secrecy, Owen didn’t choose to exchange within the castle this time. He took soldiers to the Magic Horn Forest for hunting, a noble tradition. This was to prevent wild beasts lacking food before winter from emerging from the forest. Even if you weren’t skilled at hunting, you had to make an appearance and watch the soldiers do the work. It was tradition, after all.
But all of Owen’s actions were to deceive Maya. To put it bluntly, he couldn’t outsmart her and felt insecure, so he wanted to hide any secrets he had, just like men who automatically learned to stash away private money after marriage. It was purely a survival instinct of male animals.
Owen didn’t try to hide his distrust of Maya too much because he knew he couldn’t fool her with his limited skills. It was better to directly show an attitude of “you haven’t earned my trust yet.”
This was normal. He was the master, the noble, naturally suspicious of everything and wouldn’t easily trust anyone. Therefore, even Maya didn’t find anything wrong with it.
In reality, Owen’s inner thoughts were more complex. As a transmigrator, he felt a strong sense of loneliness and relied on Maya, both physically and emotionally. However, he wouldn’t completely trust her either.
The reason was simple: experience.
His rich life experiences had created a complex heart. This was why Owen was willing to trust Charle but remained wary of Maya.
In his past life, the cost of trust was at most heartbreak and financial loss. But in this world, the cost of trust was often more direct, as killing was too easy. And who knew what kind of torture he might endure for the sake of uncovering his secrets, what methods might be employed to control him? There were too many unknowns.
The unknown and fear made it difficult for Owen to trust anyone completely. Even Charle was only halfway there.
As for completely gaining his trust, Owen felt it was unlikely, even if someone died for him. This was a world with magic, where anything was possible, and death wasn’t irreversible. So, no amount of caution was excessive.
Therefore, although they had some intimate interactions that crossed boundaries, and they enjoyed and were infatuated with each other, Owen wasn’t a young man easily blinded by love. He wouldn’t easily throw away everything he had for the sake of so-called love or lust. Life’s experiences had made him more level-headed and less impulsive because he often couldn’t afford the price of impulsiveness.
Based on these concerns, Owen instinctively wanted to keep some cards up his sleeve. The Magic Horn Forest was just the first step. If he didn’t need it, so be it. But if he did, it wouldn’t be in vain.
As for why he chose the Magic Horn Forest, firstly, it was relatively close to the castle. Secondly, it was a dangerous place where people rarely ventured.
Not to mention the poisonous Magic Horn Trees and the cunning and ferocious Magic Horn Goblins, the wild beasts that lived here alone were enough to claim the lives of most people. So, apart from desperate bandits, few were willing to set foot in this place, making it sufficiently secluded.
However, although the outer areas of the Magic Horn Forest were relatively safe, it was only relative. Therefore, in addition to exchanging for some farmers, Owen had to exchange for some additional troops, some powerful troops. Otherwise, he feared he wouldn’t see any living people next time he came.
Chapter 15.2: Not Here to Suffer
Owen’s plan was to build a sturdy wooden fortress here, capable of accommodating over a hundred people and dozens of horses, most of which would be soldiers. Farmers would only serve as builders and lumberjacks. This way, if the castle needed support, this force could quickly rush to the battlefield, enough to change the tide of the war. So, this wasn’t a small project; every aspect needed careful consideration.
Farmers cost one progress point for two. Owen exchanged for ten, sending them to cut down trees and build longhouses. This would also be the foundation for the future wooden fortress because, in his plan, this place was meant to be a long-term establishment. A single wooden wall and tents wouldn’t suffice. Even though these soldiers would never complain to him, after being exchanged, they were no longer insignificant data in a game but flesh-and-blood beings.
Although Owen wouldn’t hesitate to send them into battle, even to their deaths, he would at least ensure their living standards weren’t too low during peacetime. Perhaps this would ease his conscience a little.
Apart from farmers, soldiers were the priority. Owen chose Longswordsmen and Crossbowmen, costing three progress points each. So, he could only exchange for one of each type for now, but it should be enough for the early stages.
Longswordsmen were an advanced version of Swordsmen, wielding longer single-handed swords as weapons. Because their swords were longer and swung with greater force, their techniques were more complex, unlike the Swordsmen who could only rely on thrusting to compensate for their lack of power.
In addition to increased attack power, Longswordsmen were also proficient in using shields. Combined with their more sophisticated armor, they were more suited for battlefield survival than Swordsmen, despite being slightly slower.
Crossbowmen’s firing rate wasn’t as high as Archers, but at close range, crossbows had a straighter trajectory, stronger armor-piercing capabilities, and faster projectile speed. Even a strong brown bear wouldn’t feel good after being shot by a crossbow.
The advantage of crossbows over bows was that they were pre-loaded. You only needed to pull the trigger to fire, eliminating the need to draw the string. This made them more suitable for use in a complex forest environment where enemies could appear unexpectedly.
Although he didn’t need too many soldiers in the early stages, he had to replenish his forces to at least twenty or so. Adding the more expensive Cuirassiers, Owen realized his whim had once again disrupted his previous plans. But he was used to it. Weren’t plans, just like novel outlines, meant to be changed? After all, he still had an entire winter.
Once the wooden fortress was built, the Cuirassier squad he desired would also be almost fully exchanged. Then, they could directly head to the castle.
Otherwise, if they appeared one by one, it would definitely raise unnecessary suspicion.
A small squad of Cuirassiers, not too many, not too few. In the sparsely populated Northland border, to determine their origin, unless someone followed them all the way, it would be impossible to know.
Moreover, Owen planned to have them arrive with the carriages transporting supplies. This way, there would be a direction for suspicion regarding the source of both soldiers and materials, which was better than having them appear out of thin air at the castle.
After a busy half-day, leaving behind ample supplies, Owen returned to the castle exhausted. Before he could even remove his armor, he smelled the aroma of food.
“Welcome home, Master. You’ve worked hard,” Maya said, gracefully approaching with food that had been kept warm by the fireplace. Her maid’s skirt, stretched taut by her ample hips, swayed from side to side with each step, as if beckoning him like a curtain. This, combined with the aroma of food, warmed Owen’s heart, bringing him comfort after a day out in the cold.
His relaxed muscles awakened his fatigue. Owen, with Charle’s help, sluggishly removed his heavy armor, letting it fall to the ground with a thud.
This suit of chainmail, mixed with large overlapping plates, wasn’t plate armor but a lighter and more flexible type of armor known as composite armor. It combined the advantages of chainmail, plate armor, and scale armor, offering protection for vital areas comparable to plate armor. It was a very expensive and high-quality piece, exchanged by Owen from the game to protect himself.
But no matter how exquisite it was, the weight of the metal remained. Owen’s previous body hadn’t undergone knight training. Although he was stronger than his peers, wearing it for most of the day still left him sore all over.
After helping Owen remove his armor, Charle meticulously cleaned and maintained it with specialized tools before placing it on a rack nearby.
Whether it was leather armor, iron armor, chainmail, or plate armor, it all required careful maintenance. If done diligently, it could be passed down through generations. If neglected, it would rot within a few years.
Although the Northland had a dry climate, the winter winds still brought some moisture, making it necessary to wipe clean every nook and cranny of the armor and apply a thin layer of oil.
Owen didn’t care about these things and wasn’t willing to bother with them, so Charle always helped him maintain and organize his armor and weapons.
Owen, changing into his casual clothes, sighed in relief and plopped down at the dining table, lacking any noble grace. But who could blame him when he was so tired?
The dining table in front of him was nearly twenty meters long, specifically for banquets. It was covered with delicate and expensive swan velvet. The beeswax candles on the silver candleholders emitted a honey-like sweet fragrance upon burning, uplifting one’s mood.
The set of bowls and plates were exquisite porcelain, so fine that one couldn’t bear to let dust settle on them. The cutlery beside them wasn’t just made of gold and silver but also came in various forms for different purposes. Even for soup, there were large spoons for thin soup, medium spoons for thicker soup, and small spoons for scooping up the ingredients. It was incredibly elaborate.
In reality, both Owen and Maya knew very well that these things were just for show. So, Owen only used a knife, a fork, and a spoon for his meals. As for chopsticks, because he’d have to come up with an explanation and it would attract attention, he didn’t use them.
Today, Owen’s dinner consisted of beef stew with tomatoes and potatoes, pan-fried fish belly, vegetable salad, and whole wheat bread. It looked simple but was actually quite extravagant.
Cattle were the primary labor force for farming. Even lords were reluctant to slaughter them for food unless they hunted wild bulls. Their meat consumption mainly consisted of pigs, sheep, and poultry.
As for the pan-fried fish belly, not only did it require spices to remove the fishy smell, but it also needed a sufficiently large fish, which wasn’t easy to come by.
The vegetable salad seemed simple, but gathering the necessary vegetables for a salad wasn’t a simple task, let alone now that winter had arrived.
Even the whole wheat bread was a high-quality product mixed with eggs and milk. Its sweet aroma after being baked in the oven was simply intoxicating.
This meal of Owen’s cost roughly the same as a month’s worth of food for a commoner family. But he didn’t feel any guilt while eating it.
He hadn’t transmigrated to this world to suffer. If he had no choice, he would endure eating dough, sleeping on wooden planks, squatting over dirt pits, and experiencing all sorts of unpleasant things. But now that he had the means, he had to improve his quality of life. Otherwise, what was the point of living? Was it just to share the hardships of the people in this world?
After eating and drinking his fill, Owen first took a bath, brushed his teeth, then took out half a bottle of olive oil and dragged Maya back to his room to continue exploring the thirteen uses of olive oil, leaving Charle to take his weapons and arrange the night patrol outside.
Owen might not trust Maya, but it didn’t mean he would guard against her at every turn. In reality, no matter what, Maya was just a Serving Maid. Her power stemmed entirely from her master. So, when the Countess was alive, she was highly sought after in the Imperial Capital. Even minor nobles had to greet her first upon meeting her.
However, once the Countess died, she was banished to the Northland border. If not for the Countess’s son, who inherited the title and had some reservations, she might have been eliminated.
The problem was, even knowing this, Owen couldn’t let go of his vigilance.
The people here were strangers to Owen, who had transmigrated from another world. The place was unfamiliar, the environment was unfamiliar, the world was unfamiliar. Everything was unfamiliar to him. In this situation, he felt lonely and vulnerable. He was wary of everything around him. Perhaps only when he felt he had control over everything would he truly relax.
