Chapter 57: Royal Envoy

With over twenty new members joining the group, their speed slowed down, causing concern among butlers like Cord. Immediately, Donald took advantage of the evening rest to summon a level-two soldier, a Golem, and ordered it to carry his letter back to Darknight Manor to deliver to butler Cord, informing him that he would return later.
This Golem was a permanently summoned creature. With more soul energy at his disposal, Donald didn’t mind the cost of using such a large number of them. Moreover, Golems would be useful in the future—his two home Golems might have been dismantled by Mage Chris. After delivering the letter, they could also serve to defend the manor.
Although Golems weren’t as fast as many Horned Eagles, they were still fast-flying soldiers, matching the speed of human Dragon Eagles and Griffins. It would take no more than a day or night for them to return to the manor. As alchemical creatures, Golems almost never failed to follow their master’s mental commands and possessed endurance unmatched by other summoned beings, making them the ideal messengers for Donald at the moment.
Due to the fatigue from carrying new recruits, the journey back to the manor took a full five days, even at full speed day and night. By the time the convoy reached the gates of Darknight Manor, the people in the carriages were exhausted.
Yet these newcomers, who were originally mountain dwellers, were shocked upon seeing the manor. The magnificent villa, the neatly arranged farms and pastures—all appeared harmonious and perfect.
“You’re finally back, young master!”
Butler Cord, having heard the news, excitedly led William and the others out to greet him. It was the first time his young master had traveled so far, and for such a long time to a battlefield. One could imagine how anxious he must have been during that time.
“I’m back! This time, the kingdom has won. I fought in the most crucial battles, and our Merlin family will finally regain a fief!”
Butler Cord was so excited he could hardly speak.
Donald looked around but didn’t see Mage Chris, who had been hired by his teacher to protect the manor. He quickly asked, “Cord, where is Mage Chris?”
Cord calmed himself down and replied, “Young master, Mage Chris and the other two mages heard that you were returning and said you’d arrive today. They were busy conducting experiments, so they left early with their belongings for the guild hall.”
“Typical of mages!”
Donald sighed and stopped asking, instructing Cord to take care of the new recruits behind him.

Having received Donald’s advance notice, Kord had already taken care of arrangements such as housing for the newcomers. Seeing those several brand-new large houses made of pine and stone, the new servants led by Barn and Tik were filled with joy and gratitude.
The first impression of the manor stunned them. These mountain people from the border, who had never even seen true noble manors and only occasionally glimpsed the residences of town gentry when they went to sell furs and other goods, had no idea what kind of architecture Donald had created—far beyond anything in this world.
Not to mention the housing prepared for them by their master; such houses were usually reserved for minor nobles or gentry, yet here they were meant for mere servants?
Although Donald actually did not treat these people as servants, in his concepts inherited from his past life, people like nannies and cleaners were merely doing a job—their legal status was not inferior. Moreover, he always believed in the saying, “If you want your horse to run well, feed it plenty of grass,” so he treated his household servants better than other nobles.
But in this highly hierarchical world, these servants dared not overstep in any way.
Though the hired servants could not be disposed of at will like privately owned slaves, the kingdom’s courts existed to protect the rights of the noble class, and torture was reserved for servants who were lazy, deceitful, or even betrayed and murdered their masters. Commoners had little say in this world.
Among the newcomers, a few young men led by Barn and Tik were assigned to Chief Attendant William to receive training in etiquette, preparing to serve as bodyguards for Donald when he traveled. Usually, they patrolled and guarded the manor’s safety alongside the previously recruited guards.
As for their families, older women were assigned to help in the kitchen and on the farms, while younger girls were temporarily placed under the care of Head Maid Isabel, William’s wife, to receive training to become maids. The remaining male family members helped on the farms.
In this way, everyone had work to do and could earn a wage. Although it was less than that of hired servants from outside, the fact that their master provided free food and shelter was enough to fill these mountain people, who had previously lived in exile, with gratitude.
On the day Donald returned to the manor, news that an envoy from the royal capital had arrived in Stone City was already brought by Sir Jesse from the city.

“A special envoy from the royal capital? The journey took several days—by now, I should have heard news about my reward!”
Donald wasn’t surprised. He knew it must be an envoy sent by the royal family to handle matters related to rewards. After all, his military achievements were undeniable.
So he gave the messenger two silver moons as payment, sending him off happily.
While Donald himself was indifferent, Housekeeper Kord, who had been striving to restore the honor and status of the Merlinna family, was thrilled to welcome an envoy from the royal family for the first time. This was no ordinary honor reserved for mere nobles. He spent the entire night preparing to welcome the envoy with the greatest pomp.
Thus, early the next morning, when the envoy’s carriage arrived at the entrance of the manor, Dark Night had been transformed—its gates and European-style railings were adorned with rose branches, and the stone paths inside and outside had been washed clean.
The door opened, and out stepped a noblewoman of elegant demeanor and mature charm.
No one expected the envoy to be such a delicate woman.
Her identity surprised everyone present, including Donald.
It wasn’t that women couldn’t serve as officials, but traditionally, male nobles were those who represented the royal family on missions, unless it was for marriage purposes, in which case female members of the royal family would act as representatives.
Of course, this wasn’t absolute, so aside from some surprise, Donald and the others saw no issue with the presence of this female noble envoy.
“I never expected His Majesty the King to send such a beautiful envoy from the royal family. I feel greatly honored. I am Donald Merlinna, the owner of Dark Night Manor. Welcome to North County!”
Although he was almost certain he would receive a reward, Donald still welcomed the envoy with the utmost courtesy.
The female envoy smiled modestly, returning the greeting with perfect noble grace.
“I am Catherine of Kessington, Court Countess. Please call me Catherine, sir mage! This is my first time outside the royal capital. Your manor is quite splendid, Mage Merlinna! Could you show me around?”
“Of course. It’s an honor. Please follow me!”
Donald bowed and gestured for her to enter.
Behind him, Housekeeper Kord had already made preparations inside the manor. As soon as they entered, they saw a straight, clean white stone path leading to the central building of the manor—Donald’s carefully designed villa.

During the time Donald was away at war, the villa in the manor had been largely completed under the supervision of the butler. The court countess named Catherine was greatly surprised and amazed by the architectural style of the villa and the facilities in the manor, which rivaled those of a royal garden. This was by no means the villa of a minor country noble—it could even compare to the most famous Solon Beach Resort on the continent! Everything here combined in such harmony and beauty—luxurious yet simple, noble yet not cold, exuding an extraordinary sense of purity and comfort. Between the villa and the entrance path lay a circular square meticulously constructed according to geometric principles, with a white fountain at its center. At the center of the fountain stood a legendary creature, a sea nymph, very similar to the mermaids Donald had seen in his past life, with a nearly identical appearance. The water sprouted from shells held in the nymph’s hands. The semi-circular spray created fine droplets and mist in the water, and under the sunlight, colorful rainbows appeared from time to time, presenting an artificial landscape never seen before in this world. Seeing this, the countess covered her fair chest with her hand and let out a delicate exclamation. “This is… so beautiful!” While marveling at the beautiful scene, Donald, as the owner, couldn’t take his eyes off the stunning sight on her chest. It wasn’t that he was too lecherous; it was just that after coming to this world for so long, this was the first time he had seen such a beautiful “scenery.” The impulses and passion of his seventeen-year-old body were beyond the control of his thirty-year-old soul, drawing him involuntarily to a mature woman. It took the countess a while to regain her composure, and she didn’t notice Donald’s unusual behavior at all. She grabbed his sleeve and eagerly asked, “Sir Mage, what is this? Is it a magical structure created by mages?” Hearing this, Donald smiled and explained, “This is called a fountain. It’s just a simple application of alchemy! You know, Master Miesel from our North County is also my teacher and has great expertise in alchemy. I learned a bit of alchemy from him some time ago, but it’s still very rudimentary. I can only create some decorative items!”

Donald also became more exposed to the outside world and then realized that artificial fountains had never existed in this world. When building his villa, he remembered that in his past life, front yards of luxury villas usually featured one or two fountain statues and other beautiful structures as decorative elements. In the traditional garden architecture of his country, water features were even more essential, as they symbolized the vitality of a building and could bring life to otherwise cold structures.

So he spent a few days researching and eventually created a fountain. Since he couldn’t find a suitable statue right away, Donald offered 300 gold sols to a famous sculptor in Giantstone City to design and carve one.

The fountain utilized the siphon principle from his past life, combined with a bit of alchemy as supplementary power, to create a water circulation system. Before leaving, Donald had already completed all the preparations for the fountain’s setup; all that was left was to activate its mechanism. Upon hearing news of the royal envoy’s arrival, he spent some extra time getting the fountain running.

After listening to Donald’s explanation, the countess praised, “Sir Mage, you’re too modest. If this beautiful structure were moved to the capital, it might earn the admiration of renowned architects and artists across the continent and become an invention that goes down in history!”

Donald just smiled and didn’t respond. After all, the fountain was something from his past life, and he didn’t intend to expose it to attract too much attention. Good things were better kept for his own enjoyment. Perhaps selling the fountain as his invention could earn him a great deal of money and fame, but he already had enough fame and regular income from Darknight Manor. As a baron, he generally had the highest annual income among the nobles of the entire North County. Why need more money?

If introducing the fountain could significantly boost his magic level, Donald would definitely go all out without hesitation—after all, true strength was what mattered most in this world. With strong strength, power, status, and wealth would all come easily, and there would be no need to fear others’ coveting.

Without sufficient strength, revealing too many secrets would be a deadly mistake!

After showing the royal envoy around the farm, pastures, and other buildings on the estate, Donald led her to the guest room prepared by the butler.

Thinking that the main part of the villa had only been completed shortly after he enlisted in the war, with interior decorations still following the original design, he hadn’t had time to check all the facilities. The other furnishings in the villa were arranged by Butler Kord based on the style of ordinary noble residences, and he wasn’t sure if they suited his taste.

Donald continued with the inspections that hadn’t been finished the previous day while the butler was preparing dinner with the servants and the countess was resting in her room. Yesterday, he had checked the lighting system and the water supply and domestic water systems. All the lighting used pollution-free energy-crystal lamps, and the Merlin family no longer lacked those blank crystals. In particular, Donald had spent a fortune creating magnificent crystal chandelier groups in the villa’s main hall, similar to those in Western courts from his past life, making the entire space resemble a divine palace.

As for the water supply and domestic water systems, Donald was fairly satisfied. Aside from slightly insufficient water pressure and a shortage of crystal pipes, they basically provided the same performance as tap water in his past life. The alchemists had ready-made formulas for artificial crystals, used to make crystal bottles for storing alchemical potions and various corrosion-resistant alchemical tools. However, they were costly and couldn’t serve as effective energy carriers for crafting magical instruments like natural crystals.

After making slight adjustments to the manufacturing process, Donald produced water-carrying crystal pipes and large sheets of crystal glass about half an inch thick. Alchemical crystals weren’t as sturdy as metal pipes, but they allowed one to see inside the pipes. Since metal smelting technology in this world wasn’t advanced enough, Donald had to use crystal pipes that cost several Silver Moons each, even for lengths of just one foot.

The crystal glass sheets weren’t as transparent as those produced by advanced factories in his past life, but they were still smooth, free of flaws, and clear enough to see through. Installed in the villa’s windows, they allowed sunlight to shine in all day long, enabling those inside to enjoy the view outside.

This world also had similar glass windows, but they consisted of colored crystal panels glued inside, similar to those in Western churches from his past life, inlaid with gold and silver to create a mysterious and luxurious appearance. Yet they weren’t transparent at all—how could they compare to the clean and bright windows of Donald’s villa?

Afterward, Donald inspected the kitchen facilities at the back of the villa. The tables and stoves there were made of smooth stone, keeping all the cabinets tidy. Additionally, thanks to the exhaust vents and flues designed by Donald, there was much less smoke than before.

Due to the cold climate in the north, while renovating the stoves, Donald designed a geothermal system that people in this world didn’t understand. Normally, doors were closed in front of and behind each stove, allowing heat to be vented directly outside through flues. But when it got cold, those doors could be opened to warm the entire villa, making it feel like a sunny summer day.

Finally, Donald checked out the outdoor swimming pool at the back of the villa, one of his favorite features. In his past life, living in such a luxurious villa with a swimming pool, garden, and other amenities was an impossible dream for him. If he didn’t enjoy it properly now, wouldn’t it be a waste of his noble status after all this time traveling through time?

Before long, the dinner prepared by the butler was ready, and servants were sent to remind their master and guests to eat. The countess, who found everything in the guest room novel, reluctantly left her beautiful room. Soon, not only the villa but also the exotic dishes on Donald’s dining table captured her attention. After tasting one bite, the countess, who had intended to maintain proper dining manners, couldn’t help but let go of her restraint. Though her movements remained elegant, her eating speed was at least three times faster than Donald’s, the host. She finished a dish in no time, while his portion was still half unfinished, leaving her at a loss with a red face as she waited for the next dish with an empty plate.

This situation happened for the first time to her, causing Catherine to scold herself for being too unrestrained and indulging in her taste buds, forgetting all the royal noble education she had received over the years. Fortunately, Donald thoughtfully instructed the butler not to wait for him and to serve more dishes to the guests, which relieved the countess’s embarrassment. Then she forgot about her earlier awkwardness and continued to indulge in the delicious food.