Chapter 185: Castle Maid Training Program

This chapter is dedicated to the patron "Q Mu Tou" for their support. For now, there will be one update, with subsequent updates to reach a total of ten.

Stumbling and swaying with every step.

This was how Hiddleston behaved after getting off the ship, his eyes blurry and almost ready to vomit.

"Even intermediate-level magical beasts suffer from seasickness, and quite severely," Liszt sighed helplessly. After all, magical beasts lived on land.

The sailboat rocked back and forth, and even he, who had just crossed over, had experienced seasickness during his first voyage.

However, the powerful recovery abilities of magical beasts quickly became evident. By the time he led the dizzy Hiddleston back to the castle slowly, Hiddleston's seasickness had significantly subsided. His legs no longer wobbled, his eyes were clear again, and his calls grew louder. Apart from still being a bit lethargic, he had mostly recovered.

"No matter whether we can overcome seasickness, we'll bring Hiddleston along when we set sail the day after tomorrow."

The Flower Ship travels at 5 knots and would take 14 hours to reach Black Horse Island. Additionally, it would take at least another one or two hours to find a suitable place to dock.

Therefore, after the maiden voyage, they would definitely have to camp on Black Horse Island.

Without Hiddleston, Liszt felt insecure. If there were intermediate-level magical beasts on Black Horse Island, the recovered Hiddleston could at least put up a fight. With him and Marcus, two elite Earth Knights, assisting, they could either manage or escape if necessary. Hiddleston had become his source of confidence.

Walking down the nearly completed Tom Hiddleston Avenue,

the sound of hooves approached from behind.

It was Thomas returning with information about the serf Maggie, carrying the thick parchment used by the administration to record identities: "Sir, I've found out Maggie's identity. She is a new serf from Eagle Kingdom who joined Flower Town. She has no family or surname and is currently staying with the grocer's family."

Liszt took the thick parchment and quickly grasped the key point: "She's staying with them; is she a child?"

"Yes, sir. Maggie is just nine years old this year."

The thick parchment clearly stated that Maggie was nine years old, a serf with no relatives, staying with the grocer's family, and currently undergoing training in the girls' group and participating in sewing classes organized by the administration.

After reading the records,

he casually handed the thick parchment back to Thomas: "Return this to the administration."

He didn't say anything more, feeling as listless as Hiddleston.

He had thought the smoke task was considerate, preparing to reward him with a beautiful female secretary. He had even considered under what pretext to hire her. But he never expected it to be a nine-year-old girl.

"What does this mean? Am I supposed to raise her?" Liszt tethered Hiddleston in his kennel and walked into the castle alone, heading straight for the study.

The study was where he pondered matters.

"The smoke task can't be this simple. After all, it's a product of the Smoke Dragon and involves fate. There must be something else about Maggie..."

The Invisible Dragon chain tasks and the Thorns Worm chain tasks often seemed random but were usually interconnected in some way.

Therefore, he naturally did not believe that the nine-year-old serf Maggie was a random reward from the smoke task: "We need more information. Keep an eye on Maggie. Oh, Mrs. Mo Sen complained to me that the maids in the castle are overworked, especially since we host banquets daily. We need to hire more maids."

His thoughts shifted: "Perhaps we can hire Maggie as a maid and start training her from a young age?"

Regardless of her background, keeping her close would eventually reveal everything. Even if there was nothing significant, she could be trained as a potential secretary.

Ringing the bell,

he summoned Carter and Mo Sen.

"Sir, what do you need?"

"Mrs. Mo Sen told me that the maids in the castle are insufficient. Are the male servants enough?"

Carter and Mo Sen exchanged glances and said, "The servants can barely maintain the daily life of the castle, but during grand events like the birth celebration of the pixies, we are indeed short-handed... Also, sir, the castle doesn't have a name yet. With the knightly glory bestowed upon us, we know you will eventually give it a name."

Mrs. Mo Sen added, "A named castle requires many servants, especially those who work diligently and skillfully. It's difficult to hire enough in a short time, so it's best to train our own."

"Yes, we should train our own servants," Carter smiled, his face full of satisfaction. "Sir, you need more people to serve you. The honor belongs to you."

Living in the castle alone,

with fifteen servants attending to him, both stewards still complained about a lack of hands.

In the past, Liszt couldn't imagine such extravagance—fifteen people serving one person and still being busy.

But now, he agreed with the stewards: "Indeed, we should train our own servants. Now that Flower Town has enough food and clothing, and the castle has no shortage of gold and income, let's entrust Mr. Carter and Mrs. Mo Sen with the responsibility of training the first batch of twenty interns."

Then,

he expressed his wish gently: "I encountered a little girl named Maggie. She seems pitiful and very polite. If she's willing, Mrs. Mo Sen, please give her an internship spot."

"As you wish, sir."

...

Dinner, every night was dinner.

Liszt informed everyone about his plan to sail with the Flower Ship: "The Flower Ship will likely stay on Black Horse Island for a few days to search for the Black Dragon horse herd."

"My lord, I hope to accompany you to Black Horse Island," Gort immediately declared his loyalty loudly.

Liszt directly refused: "This is just an exploratory trip. Once we decide to develop Black Horse Island, Advisor Gort, I'll send you there whether you want to go or not, to arrange matters for me."

"I am always ready to serve you, my lord!"

"How is the development of Flower Town going these past few days?"

"It's going smoothly. We expect to complete all road and house construction before the first winter snow. This winter, I believe the serfs will have a comfortable winter."

"Have you prepared winter clothes and quilts for the winter?"

"The prefecture wasn't prepared, but caravans traveling to and from Flower Town have already started selling cotton quilts and coats. I checked the market; a cotton coat sells for 12 copper coins. As long as the serfs aren't lazy, they can afford one. A quilt costs 25 copper coins, but serf families should be able to scrape together enough for two."

After he finished speaking, he added, "You don't need to worry about these serfs freezing to death. They're tough; give them a bit of food, and even if you throw them into a snow pit, they won't freeze to death."

However, Liszt didn't share this view.

"Advisor Gort, do you know how much I spent on buying a single serf?"

"Uh... twenty silver coins."

"Since you know it's twenty silver coins, do you now see them as worth only twenty silver coins? Which is more valuable, a few dozen copper coins or twenty silver coins?"

Liszt asked with an unfriendly tone.

He didn't care whether Gort looked down on the serfs; equality was just a fairy tale. But it was crucial to recognize the value of the serfs and what they could contribute. Thus, he directly rebuked, "This winter, for every serf that freezes to death, twenty silver coins will be deducted from your salary."

"Oh no, my goodness, sir..." Gort dramatically clutched his head. "Please rest assured, sir. I will take good care of every serf, ensuring they all survive the winter safely. Not a single one will freeze to death!"