The mage arrives

In addition to Gordon and Xiona, living in the castle together is a group of people with higher status under Lord Haven's command.The five soldiers including Chuck, Duro, Mrs. Dana and her priests, Dalinar, and even Quincy happily moved into Sea Cliff Fort with their families.

Especially for the injured Miss Phoenix, Gordon specially prepared a quiet and comfortable room for her, and the Phoenix knights led by Sigrid took care of her.

Anyway, there are many houses in this castle, even if an army of 500 people is stationed, there is no problem.

Among the five Chucks, Yang Qi Jian Er is now temporarily in charge of patrolling and guarding the territory.Woodrow tinkered with various instruments of torture every day with a smirk on his face.He stays in the newly built dungeon under the castle every day, and he doesn't want to leave.It seems that this dark basement with only cold stones is more beautiful than the bright spring castle garden.

In fact, after Gordon took the time to learn a few spells from the school of mind from the various magic scrolls that Dawn gave him, the need for torture is not so great.No matter how bloody the punishment is, it is not as effective as a spell that directly hits the soul.

But Gordon is a reasonable lord, he will not interfere with the hobbies of his subordinates as long as they do not cause negative effects-even if the hobbies are a bit perverted.

However, Woodrow spent a lot of effort on tinkering, and even caused the craftsmen to complain about the new instruments of torture due to the too harsh requirements, and soon made a contribution.

On the night of the fourth day after moving into Sea Cliff Fort, Gordon was still discussing with Brian and Ania about making ice golems.Woodrow brought good news.Not only did he know the names of many key people who had defected to the Aldrich family in the southern part of the peninsula from the mouth of the shadow thief Hernandez, he even made Hernandez himself ready to surrender to Gordon.

This arcane shadow thief is actually a talent.He was in the market, but he was very familiar with the various etiquettes of the Feleton noble class.Has the agility and vigilance of an excellent thief, and knows some spells to use.He is really a good man for intelligence work.

If he hadn't met an unexpected opponent like Gordon, he wouldn't have miscalculated and been arrested.

Gordon just lacked this kind of talent.Yang Qi Sharp Ear was born as a scout. Although his work in the army is also related to intelligence collection, he can only be a cameo at most, so he is not the most suitable candidate.

According to Hernandez.He served the Aldrich family only because the king of Haven saved his life when he was still sailing across the sea.So many years have passed.The favor he should have paid back has already been paid off, but because the other party treated him very well, he stayed in Black Iron City until there was no better place to go.

Gordon casts a polygraph spell.Knowing that Hernandez really wanted to rely on himself sincerely.

"Besides the threat to your life. You must have other reasons for wanting to join me." Gordon asked Hernandez who was brought to him.

The Arcane Shadow Thief who spent many days in prison said: "It's very simple. Because I don't agree with Abel's approach. I know that he is very ambitious, and he has been keeping a low profile and accumulating strength. He wants to take advantage of it. In the future, when Freyton falls into war and chaos, the country will be formally established."

"He pinned his hopes on the Northengardians?"

"The insight of the lord is really extraordinary. On the entire continent, only the Black Dragon Empire can truly threaten the Platinum Empire. But that guy who is too ambitious and has already let his reason be swallowed by delusion. But he can't see clearly, even if he really arrives At that time. He can't succeed."

Hernandez has been in the Feleton aristocratic circle with various identities all year round. He has not only seen the corruption and stupidity of this class, but also knows the strength and excellence of this class.He observed the various behaviors of the King of Haiwen every day, and knew how far he was from the real hero of the empire.

Not to mention the top figures like the three imperial princes.Even a recent rookie like Gordon is far inferior.More importantly, Abel Aldrich has a heart that wants to be a king, but he still behaves like a pirate and bandit.The same goes for the entire Aldridge family, which has no vision at all.That is to say, his children, the twin brothers and sisters Hansel and Greta, can still see clearly.

But the problem is that the King of Haven loves his idiot eldest son Simon far more than the other two more outstanding children.

In the future, even if the Aldrich family is not destroyed by foreign aggression, it will be destroyed by internal strife.

Hernandez said a lot in one breath, sighed, and continued to pour bitter water: "Actually, I helped Abel formulate the strategy of dividing and disintegrating the southern Haiwen Peninsula and gradually encroaching on it. Originally, according to his The idea is to let your own elite cavalry—that is, the troop that has been buried in your hands, go directly to the southern part of the peninsula, and slaughter all the tribes that refuse to obey the rule.”

In fact, Hernandez's strategy has been very effective.Compared with the tyrannical method of "kill all those who disobey", his method is like a slow poison, which can make the most determined rebels be disintegrated without knowing it, leaving fewer hidden dangers, and it is not easy to provoke a rebound .

But unfortunately, due to Gordon's arrival, this time-consuming plan was completely ruined.

Hernandez knew that because of this idea, he had been criticized by the group of reckless men who only knew how to kill and kill under the King of Haven.Now that Gordon has completely failed in entering the south, even if he goes back, he may not be able to do well.Might as well rely on Gordon.

Compared with the King of Haven, regardless of factors such as personal wisdom and ability, the title of "Earl of Haven" personally conferred by the emperor on his head is enough to impress Hernandez.This man who had been in the noble circle of Ferreton for a long time knew what it meant to have such a noble whose hereditary fiefdom was as large as a province of an empire.

Compared with a pirate leader with a bad background, it is more attractive to be a genuine nobleman of the empire.

Gordon accepted Hernandez's allegiance.But he just let the arcane shadow thief regain his freedom, so he can walk around.No task was assigned to him.

For a traitorous person, even if Gordon dares to use it freely, he still has to consider the feelings of other subordinates.He needs an opportunity.

Although Hernandez can only wander around doing nothing every day.But others are extremely busy.Among the five retainers who were the first to swear allegiance in Gaoyan City and followed Gordon, apart from Yang Qi and Woodlow, the other three also had their own jobs.

Among them, Chuck led 150 Redstone Guards to guard the pass of the Isthmus of Cork.Theodore led ten veterans carefully selected from the Redstone Guards to train the newly recruited private army of the Freeman family.And Rufus, who was the tallest and most intimidating, became Gordon's captain of guards.There are 40 of the most elite Redstone Guards under his command, who are responsible for the daily security of the lord and the castle.

"You limp snails that just leave puddles of sticky secretions on the ground! If you can't do two hundred squats, I'll pour you into a cauldron and stew with broccoli with milk!"

"Hey! You! Is what I'm saying funny? Or do you think you're delicious stewed with milk? You're such rubbish meat that even an ogre would vomit at the smell of it!"

"Keep going, don't stop... If you want to have a strong body, and you will fuck your own wife or other people's wives in the future, just give me a fucking move! If you are lazy, then the future will be That bastard next to you. Fucked your wife like hell!"

Hearing the shouting and cursing coming from the window, Brian waved his tentacles in dissatisfaction: "Master, those soldiers were too noisy during training! Today is the most critical moment for me, and I shouldn't be disturbed in any way."

Gordon glanced out the window at the recruits who were training in full swing.

He asked Theodore to serve as an instructor, mainly because he was proficient in various military weapons such as daggers, spears, battle axes, javelins, throwing axes, and crossbows, and he could be said to be far and near.Such an all-rounder is just right for the job of an instructor.

But unexpectedly, this one looks stocky and stocky, with a dark complexion.A soldier with a simple and honest face who can even be a distant relative of a dwarf is so devoted to training.There are so many different ways of swearing.

The training ground is just outside the castle on a piece of land that has just been compacted and leveled.The room Gordon is in now is only separated from the training ground by a wall, so the sound is indeed louder.

"Be patient, Brian. After all, the Sea Cliff Fortress has only been newly built, and there are still many areas that need to be gradually improved. In the future, we will add sound insulation devices everywhere, so that we will not be troubled by external noise." Gordon said.

Looking at Brian's funny look, Dalinar couldn't help but laugh: "Mr. Brian, you just want to try on this set of armor today, no matter how loud the noise is, it shouldn't have any effect. "

The pink brain was "chirping" and jumping on Tansen's floating disc, circling around the metal figure that was all black and glowed with blue light from time to time, and said in a tone of "you don't understand": "Dalina Apprentice, do you know what such a piece of armor means to me? Every piece of armor made for me by the master is a new experience for me, a completely different way of life, that is only A philosophy of life that can only be tasted by a true thinker, the kind that emerges from every detail..."

Brian talked a lot, but Gordon and Dalinar didn't bother to listen.However, the latter couldn't help showing a wry smile when he heard this weird mind calling himself an "apprentice".

"This guy is like this. All mages below the third ring are apprentices in his eyes. And real mage apprentices are just ordinary people in his eyes." Gordon patted Dalinar on the shoulder to express his comfort.

"I know. Mr. Bryan is from that glorious age, and he probably knows more grand arcanists than mages I have ever seen in my life. In his eyes, I am indeed just an apprentice."

Dalinar's arcane attainments are indeed not very good, but he is still very talented in the fields of mathematics, geometry, and mechanical construction.When Gordon built this special armor, he put a lot of effort into it.So when Brian officially "moved in" to his new home today, he was also there.

Brian's armor was all made of meteorite, and his height reached [-] meters. Even by the standards of orcs, he was a big man.

In fact, this is not just a set of armor, but also a golem.With Ania's help, an ice elemental spirit was fused into its metal body.Then he completely handed over the control of the golem to Brian.Because Brian's two tentacles have limited functions and are far less flexible than human hands, Gordon adopted this method.Only rely on mind control to manipulate this set of armor.

There is a large enough space in the belly of the armor, which is not only soft and comfortable, but also has a constant "tolerate elemental damage".Brian stayed inside.Originally, in the original design, Dalinar planned to install a glass plate on the abdomen, so that Brian could directly observe the external situation and command the armor to respond.

But Gordon vetoed the idea.

Because Brian's appearance is really shocking.Even for more knowledgeable mages like myself and Dalinar.It's not completely acceptable when you see it for the first time, let alone other ordinary people.Gordon didn't want to claim the title of "Evil Mage" for himself.

With Brian's amazing memory, Gordon is not only going to use him as a mobile database.It is even more prepared to let him participate in the management of the territory, mainly responsible for the statistics, calculation and distribution of funds and materials.

Financial work often requires the most trusted person to be in charge, and Brian is Gordon's servant.Loyalty is absolutely out of the question.He likes to eat meat.He also doesn't have the selfish desires of ordinary human beings, coupled with his strong memory and calculation ability, he is definitely the most suitable candidate for Gordon.

Gordon had even arranged for him a position: lord of the earl.

Since he had to deal with other people outside, Brian naturally had better not show his true colors to others.

A tall and mysterious man in the iron mask is naturally more suitable than a brain with pink flesh.

After rejecting Dalinar's proposal, Gordon took action himself, and inlaid two smoke crystals and two black jade on the head of the golem.These gems are used for constant projection illusions and sound transmission spells.Even if Brian stayed inside this huge metal body, he could easily obtain information from the outside world.

Gordon casts Mage Hand.Put Brian into this special set of armor, then condensed a trace of magic power with his fingers, and tapped on the head to officially activate the permanent spell.

Immediately, Brian's cheers came through a thick layer of metal: "Hahaha, it feels really good to look down from a high place!"

The earl's butler, who had obtained a new body, first looked down at the two people in the room with his metal head, and then ran around excitedly.

"It seems that there should be no problem." Gordon nodded in satisfaction, and then said, "Dalina, take Brian out and introduce him to everyone."

Brian's existence had been kept a secret, and no one knew about it except Xiona.Dalinar is an exception because he participated in the armor manufacturing work.

"Yes, my lord!" Dudlinar said excitedly.

Although Brian was just Gordon's servant, and he never thought highly of himself, Dalinar knew very well that this man-made creature who had experienced the Netherduran magic empire from its prosperity to its destruction was a legend in its life.If I can build a good relationship with him and get some knowledge from him, I will benefit endlessly.

Before leaving, Gordon added another sentence: "Brian, don't get too excited. Remember what I said, you must maintain your image in front of other people. Remember your identity in front of others, you are a butler with a mysterious origin My lord, when you come back in the afternoon, help me with various accounts."

With Brian here, Gordon's management of the territory is much easier.Originally, he was also worried that in the initial stage, there were too few people available around him, and he would be greatly distracted from dealing with trivial matters, and would not have time to devote himself to studying arcane arts.But now it seems that there is no problem.

Brian alone is like a team of professional accountants.It can not only calculate the various money expenditures, material consumption, population growth, etc. of the territory every day.It can also statistically summarize the changing trend from various data, so that Gordon knows what he should do.

For example, recently, due to the construction of the blacksmith workshop, the stone reserves in the warehouse are dropping sharply. If you don't hurry up to replenish, the project will soon come to a standstill.At that time, the blacksmith workshop cannot start as scheduled, and the newly trained soldiers will have no weapons to equip. Even the craftsmen who are building houses and ships will face a shortage of tools.

This is only a small piece of territory, so the ability to resist risks is relatively poor. Any problem in the production chain will have a great impact.

Fortunately, Gordon has a considerable amount of gold coins, which can buy enough building materials.

Although in his official capacity as the "Earl of Haven", Gordon was unable to conduct large transactions with the outside world.But don't underestimate the determination of merchants to earn gold coins.There are many smugglers active in the Steam Sea.Among them, even most of them are pirates by profession.

Although the price is much higher than the market price, Gordon can still buy urgently needed goods as long as he wants.

But this kind of being taken advantage of will not last long.When his own fleet is formed, Gordon's territory will be self-sufficient.

After seeing off Dalinar and Brian, Gordon noticed that the ring on his hand suddenly moved.

A blue light flashed, and in a burst of icy breath, Ice Fairy Queen Ania appeared on the stage.

The original occupants of this ring were the wind spirits, Hodor and Al.But now, these two wind elves have gone to the underground laboratory to accompany other ice elves.Together, they were responsible for the daily maintenance of the laboratory, and prepared some simple magic potions according to Gordon's needs.

As for Ania, because of the soul contract signed with him, in order to ensure her safety and his own safety, Gordon decided to simply let the ice fairy queen stay by his side.

The petite Her Majesty the Queen danced around the room and stretched.

The next arrangement was for Gordon to go with her to inspect a newly built ice golem. (To be continued..)