Chapter Thirteen: Baron Redmaple’s Invitation (II)

After observing the terrain of the small manor for a while longer, Donald and the butler got back into the carriage to inspect what used to be the lord’s estate and now was this large manor.
Upon arrival, Donald realized the situation was even worse than Sir Jesse had described. All he saw was vast, barren land where even weeds struggled to grow, appearing gray and withered. Although this wasteland covered almost half of Baron Redmaple’s territory, its barrenness made it utterly worthless.
“No wonder it had to be sold together with this place—the royals and the nobility council are truly cunning! If I hadn’t bought it, someone else would have acquired it, only to be forced to sell it back to the royal family at a low price, ready to be sold to the next fool!”
Donald crouched down and grabbed a handful of the barren soil to examine it closely. He found that what should have been fertile soil had turned into grayish-white sand, similar to barren sandstone areas. Under natural conditions, it would take decades—given the absence of deserts—to reach such a state.
“Was it an artificial disaster, or caused by some magical beasts?”
Lacking concrete evidence, Donald couldn’t tell, but he was certain the transformation of the land wasn’t natural.
Solving this problem was troublesome, but not impossible. The issue was, if the soil quality deteriorated again after he fixed it, wouldn’t all his efforts be in vain?
So, Donald decided to put the large manor aside for now and focus solely on managing the small manor. Once he identified the cause of the anomaly, he would address it thoroughly!
“Anyway, the small manor is large enough to keep me busy for a while.”
With that thought, Donald assigned a task to Cord and asked the coachman to drive him back to town. He got off the carriage halfway there, determined to plan out the future development of the manor carefully. By then, when the butler returned, he might be quite surprised!
Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Donald’s lips.
Watching the carriage carrying the butler drive away, Donald first summoned an owl to patrol the surroundings. After confirming no one was around, he went to the center of the manor and opened the Book of Truth.
Through the owl’s perspective, Donald gained a general understanding of the small manor’s terrain. It covered about fifty acres, most of which were arable land.

“Hmm! A farm can be summoned here,… Fences can be built here to keep livestock,… This place is suitable for grazing,…” After making these plans and keeping the details in mind, Donald summoned a warhorse. For his own comfort, he used some of the energy stored in the Book of Truth to summon a saddle before riding back toward Maple Town. Since no one was around, he wasn’t worried about causing a stir or panic.

When he returned home, Codd hadn’t arrived yet; it seemed he had gone to handle the tasks Donald had assigned him. Earlier at the manor, Donald had asked Codd to make purchases in town. Firstly, the new manor would definitely require many supplies for construction, and secondly, it was to deliberately spread the news that he was a mage apprentice. Donald intentionally wanted Codd to spread the news of his becoming a mage, aiming to boost his reputation and fame. Although this would expose him to those with ulterior motives, it would also reduce many troubles. At least with his dual identity as a noble heir and a mage apprentice, those hostile to him wouldn’t dare take reckless actions.

It should be noted that as one of the former powerful nobles, the Merlin family still had some enemies. They would likely be happy to see the name Merlin disappear from history—all they needed to do was cut off the Merlin family’s lineage. Donald and his servant had suffered greatly over the years until they sold their last possessions and moved to Maple Town, when things improved somewhat. The Baron of Maple had once had a close relationship with the Merlin family, so foreign forces didn’t dare go too far on his territory.

However, living under someone else’s roof wasn’t easy, especially for Donald, who was determined to restore his family’s glory and expand it. But now, as Donald had anticipated, after Codd used a large amount of Gold Sol to make purchases in town and brought back carts full of goods to pile up in the yard, many people in town now knew that the young master of the Merlin family was a noble mage apprentice, and it was certain he would succeed in inheriting his family’s knightly status. Moreover, this future knight and mage had purchased two manors at once, suggesting that the Merlin family’s resurgence was not far off.

As the lord of Redmaple Town, who ruled over the entire town, the Baron of Redmaple naturally had the most reliable informants within his jurisdiction. The news that a mage apprentice had appeared in the town reached the Baron’s ears immediately. The fact that there was a mage in his town, though just an apprentice, and considering the young age and noble status of this person, made it necessary for the Baron to pay close attention.

After some thought, the Baron of Redmaple summoned his butler and wrote an invitation letter, sending him to Donald’s residence. Two hours later, Donald emerged from his room after finishing his meditation. Seeing the courtyard filled with various construction materials and supplies, he was very satisfied with his butler’s efficiency.

Cord, who had already completed his tasks, was in the courtyard. He brought back an invitation letter from a noble, bearing the red maple leaf emblem—the family crest of the Baron of Redmaple, the local lord. “The Baron of Redmaple? He seems to act quickly. But what does it mean to invite me? Does he intend to take over my estate?” Donald wondered, turning the intricately decorated, gold-embossed invitation in his hands.

After all, he was just a seventeen-year-old boy who had been a homebody in his past life, so he didn’t fully understand the ways of nobles. But Cord, the butler, had some knowledge on the matter. He said to his puzzled young master, “Young master, I think the Baron of Redmaple has no ill intentions in inviting you. You now hold not only an hereditary title but also the status of a formal mage apprentice. Moreover, you have caught the attention of Master Mersel, the greatest mage in the North County. Your future prospects are boundless. The reason the Baron didn’t invite you before was because you were just a fallen noble with no roots. He allowed our Merlin family to settle in his territory out of old loyalty between our families! Now that you have noble status and strength, it’s only natural for him to want to get closer to you!”

After hearing the butler’s explanation, Donald finally understood. However, his impression of the Baron of Redmaple was mixed. He was grateful that the Baron had taken them in during their difficult times. Although the Baron hadn’t provided financial help, allowing them to settle in Redmaple Town was a form of protection. On the other hand, he resented deeply that the Baron hadn’t offered any help when the Merlin family was in crisis, leading to their rapid downfall—their lands being taken, and his grandfather, father, and even mother dying as a result.

Indeed, it is rumored that Baron Redmaple is quite pragmatic and will not do anything without personal gain. But people still have emotions. When the Merlin family was struck hard, his forces were only slightly stronger than those of the local noble, Baron Redmaple. With his help, the Merlin family would have had a good chance of retaining at least half of its lands and not declining to such an extent. Helping the Merlin family would not cause too much loss to Baron Redmaple either—perhaps just some money.

Other nobles might have offered assistance, but Baron Redmaple did not. This reveals his character, and Donald has already classified him as someone unsuitable for close relationships.

Therefore, Donald is hesitant about this invitation.

“Uncle Kord, what do you think? Should I go or not?”

The butler thought for three seconds before answering, “Go! Of course you should! At least the baron is willing to let us live in the town, which is a kindness. Young master can go and see his attitude and find an opportunity to repay this favor! Besides, although our Merlin family has hope of rising again, we still haven’t regained our lost lands. Without lands, we have no foundation, and we can’t recruit family members to live in the manor. So, by getting on good terms with Baron Redmaple, we can use his influence to intimidate some of the Merlin family’s enemies from the past! Otherwise, they will surely stop at nothing to hinder young master’s progress!”

Upon hearing this, a glint appeared in Donald’s eyes as he said coldly, “Good! Then I’ll go meet this Baron Redmaple! As for those treacherous scoundrels who only plot in secret, if they dare to reach out, I’ll break their claws!”