Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 430 - 403: Bruno’s Worry

In Oduin Hall, Lurans and Bruno spoke for a long time before Lurans departed.

Their main topics of discussion were the mining of the large iron deposit and the matter of the political marriage between Ronin and Blanche.

"Father, how did your talk go?" Garrett asked as he walked into the hall.

Bruno nodded. "It went well. There are no issues with the cooperation between Oduin and the Wushan Clan."

"Lurans’s temperament has mellowed considerably—he’s not as sharp-edged as he once was. But when the Villa Duchy was mentioned, I could still sense his anger."

Garrett wasn’t particularly interested in past events; he only cared about the present.

"I just sparred with Ronin."

"Oh?" Bruno looked curious. "I didn’t expect you to act so quickly. What was the outcome?"

"Although I had him suppressed and on the defensive during our match, and he eventually conceded defeat..."

Garrett stated with certainty, "I am positive he’s a Silver Moon Knight!"

Bruno nodded, his heart heavy. A nineteen-year-old Silver Moon Knight... that level of talent was a headache.

"Father, you don’t need to worry too much."

Garrett didn’t find Ronin as troublesome as Bruno did. "I can defeat him now, and I will definitely be able to suppress him in the future!"

"I don’t doubt your strength. It’s just that Ronin’s Cultivation speed is too fast."

"Then let’s talk to him about the Enhancement Potions. Whether it’s co-production or an outright purchase, we need him to provide a certain amount of the Magic Potions each year."

Garrett said, "With them, I’m confident my own strength will increase much faster."

Bruno mulled it over and nodded slightly. Recalling a prior promise he’d made to Ronin, he said:

"I previously promised Ronin that I would gift him several Griffins after his engagement to Blanche. Now that the Wubei Territory also possesses something of such remarkable value, we can consider using the number of Griffins as a bargaining chip."

"Yes. It would be best if we could obtain the external distribution rights for the Enhancement Potions," Garrett added.

If the Royal Family could monopolize such a rare item, it would undoubtedly strengthen their influence.

However, since the Magic Potions are produced in the Wubei Territory, the likelihood of monopolizing the distribution rights is low.

Bruno rubbed the bridge of his nose.

’I finally understand why my father acquiesced, and even secretly helped, when they framed Lurans and Gremes back then.’

Before the Royal Family had a Proud Sun Knight of its own, another high-ranking noble family producing one was indeed a major threat.

’Good thing the Wubei Territory is currently surrounded and not having an easy time of it.’

After a moment of thought, Bruno said, "Garrett, have someone tell Mel about your spar with Ronin today. Have him leak the news, especially to the Villa Clan, Fleming, and your uncle, Jesus."

He didn’t want the Wubei Territory to be too weak, but he didn’t want it to be too strong either. The best situation for the Royal Family was for the nobles below them to wear each other down.

A slight smile touched Garrett’s lips. "Actually, before I came here, I already had Geman go find Mel."

Bruno was taken aback for a moment, then broke into a laugh. "As expected of my son!"

...

Ronin couldn’t stop these overt schemes. All he could do was increase the Wubei Territory’s influence and strengthen his own power and forces.

When his fist was strong enough, any scheme, overt or covert, could be easily resolved.

The day before the founding celebration, all the nobles had arrived in Golden Feather City.

Last year, Blanche had vigorously promoted the Wubei Territory’s silk at her birthday banquet, landing Ronin his first sizable order. The agreed-upon delivery date was mid-June.

Therefore, Ronin had entrusted Blanche with sending invitations to these noblewomen, asking them to come to the Moon Shadow Palace the day before the founding celebration to pick up their goods.

At this moment, inside the vast hall of the Moon Shadow Palace, rows of wooden racks held up the silk gowns Ronin had brought, making the place look like a large dress shop.

Although each gown was marked for its owner, the noblewomen browsed through them casually before collecting their orders, taking in the sights.

Faced with these silk gowns—soft, smooth, and wonderful to the touch, with vibrant, lustrous colors—they were completely powerless. They wanted every single one, but unfortunately, the quantity was limited.

It wasn’t so bad for the noblewomen who had already placed orders; at least they had secured one gown each.

But for those who had come just to join the excitement, it was rather cruel. They could only watch as one desirable gown after another passed before their eyes, unable to possess any of them. The regret in their hearts was hard to describe.

Some of the noblewomen had a yearning glint in their eyes, periodically asking their maids for details about the gowns. Others stood silently to the side, gently stroking the rows of dresses as if to commit the texture to memory. And some went straight to the side hall to find Ronin.

At that moment, Ronin was already surrounded by a crowd of noblewomen.

"Mr. Ronin, these silk gowns of yours are simply breathtaking! I feel ten years younger just wearing one!"

"Yes, yes! The weather is getting hotter now, and the cool feeling it gives me is just wonderful. A silk gown is an absolute must-have for any summer banquet!"

These were the ones who had managed to buy one. Those who hadn’t were shouting, "Mr. Ronin, I wonder if the Wubei Territory has any more gowns like these? I’d like to buy one... no, I want to buy several! Price is no object!"

Surrounded by these enthusiastic noblewomen, Ronin was assaulted by a mishmash of perfumes, which wasn’t a pleasant sensation. But at the thought of the large order that was about to come in, he was willing to endure it.

’In his opinion, the quality of this batch of gowns wasn’t actually all that great.’

’After all, the mulberry and sericulture base in Purple Fruit Village was only recently established, and the gown-making workshop led by Leia the tailor was also in its early stages. Although they were all skilled at making clothes, their craftsmanship was inconsistent. On top of that, they were unfamiliar with noble gowns, so the final products inevitably had some flaws.’

’However, in the face of the ’rare’ Attribute, these flaws were negligible.’

’The sooner these idle noblewomen could own something that had never been seen before, the more it would satisfy their vanity.’

"Everyone, rest assured, the Wubei Territory’s production will multiply several times over this year. By this time next year, everyone will be able to wear a silk gown! And I can guarantee that the styles will be more varied and the craftsmanship even more exquisite!"

This was no lie.

Under Horn’s management, the mulberry fields in Purple Fruit Village had already expanded severalfold. The number of reserved silkworm eggs was also much greater than last year, so the silk yield this year was bound to be many times higher than the last.

At the same time, after a year of hard work and with guidance from master artisans that Dianey had helped find, the skill of the textile workshop had improved significantly. Next year’s goods were certain to be more refined.

Hearing Ronin’s announcement, the noblewomen couldn’t wait any longer and immediately clamored to order several gowns on the spot.

Unfortunately, Ronin didn’t want to handle the deliveries himself again, as his Space Ring might not be able to hold so many. Besides, he wanted to attract more merchant caravans to the Wubei Territory.

So, using the excuse of picking out styles in person and doing a bit of sightseeing, he persuaded the noblewomen to travel to the Wubei Territory themselves to choose what they wanted.

The journey was long, but one should never underestimate these noblewomen’s dedication to beauty. Several of them agreed on the spot.

After the commotion died down, the noblewomen gradually left the Moon Shadow Palace.

Blanche changed into a long, blue silk dress. Holding the hem, she twirled in front of Ronin. "Is it pretty?"

Ronin smiled faintly and praised, "It’s beautiful. You look beautiful in everything."

Blanche gave a bashful smile, but then suddenly grew nervous. "Tomorrow, my father will announce our marriage alliance. Are you nervous?"

Ronin pulled her into his arms and said softly, "I’m not nervous. I’m incredibly excited."