Imperial Crown.

Chapter 48 Is there an answer there?
Amid the creaking sound of wooden boards, Raven followed Lux ​​all the way to the outside of the study.

Pushing open the door, Lux tapped the wall lightly.

Suddenly, lines lit up on all four walls and then went out one after another. With a low hum, the crystal lamp shaped like a flower hanging from the ceiling suddenly lit up.

The blazing white light descended, illuminating the entire room like daylight.

Although he had long known that Lux came from a noble family and had a wealthy fortune, Raven was still stunned by this scene.

Magic lamps!

This kind of thing is unaffordable for most noble families, let alone common people.

The price of a magic lamp itself is at least a thousand gold coins. If the labor and the process of burying magic arrays in the building are taken into account, one thousand six hundred or seventeen hundred is not unreasonable.

More than the annual tax revenue of many baronial families!
At this moment, Raven only wanted to say one thing.

Rich woman, please support me!

Lux was tidying up her desk. She looked up at Raven and asked in confusion, "Come in. What are you thinking about standing there?"

Raven came back to his senses and walked into the room. While helping her tidy up the desk, he said, "I was just wondering, you didn't want to come to Eagle Castle to tutor me in Elvish. Did you think the candlelight in Eagle Castle was too dim?"

"Yes, it's very hurtful to the eyes." Lux nodded, looked carefully at the cover of the book in her hand, turned around and stuffed it into the empty space on the bookshelf.

Raven was surprised to find Lux ​​so straightforward. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Even if I told you, you can't afford it." Lux answered as a matter of course.

Raven could tell that Lux's words were just based on the facts and had no other meaning.

But because of this, Raven became even more depressed.

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

Is this the gap between the border nobles and the real upper class?

“You don’t have to worry about it.” Seeing Raven’s depression, Lux comforted him softly, “Most nobles can’t afford it anyway.”

Raven almost got internal injuries from holding it in.

This is not consolation at all, it's clearly a finishing blow!

Who knows what Lux will say next. For the sake of his own mental health, Raven coughed and decided to change the subject:

"I recently invented a new product. Would you like to help me take a look at it?"

As expected, Lux's attention was immediately diverted, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes: "Is it the same new wine as Angel's Tears?"

"It's not wine, it's this." Raven put his hand on his waist and held a glass bottle in his palm: "My new invention, Angel's Kiss."

"Angel's Kiss?" Holding the bottle in her hand, Lux looked left and right against the light, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Under the illumination of the magic lamp, the liquid in the bottle takes on a noble golden luster, as charming as a flowing gem.

"Open the bottle and apply some on your wrist." Raven coaxed.

Even under the bright light of the magic lamps, Lark was still dazzlingly white.

Her long golden hair was casually draped behind her head. Under her willow-like eyebrows, her blue eyes were as calm and charming as the surface of a lake.

She has a straight nose bridge and a small nose tip, and a pair of pink and thin lips that are slightly pursed, revealing the youthful cuteness unique to girls.

Her slender fingers evenly applied the perfume on her delicate and smooth wrists, and immediately a fresh and elegant jasmine scent filled the air. She put her nose close and raised her brows slightly.

"What a nice smell, it's jasmine." There was a smile in her eyes, and then she seemed to suddenly think of something, her expression became serious, she capped the bottle and put it aside.

Raven was confused by this sudden change: "Why, you don't like the taste?"

"No, I like it very much." Lux opened her eyes wide and shook her head gently.

Raven wanted to ask more, but Lux said, "We've wasted enough time. Don't you want to learn Elvish? Let's get started quickly."

As she spoke, she opened the Sacred Words and said in the tone of a teacher testing a student: "In the first chapter, the second paragraph, which Elvish word is the most easily confused?"

At the beginning, Lux focused on the details, but after discovering that Raven had a good memory for words, she began to focus on sentence structure and grammar.

The two of them talked back and forth, and the atmosphere became more and more harmonious.

But human attention is always limited.

Gradually, Raven began to become distracted. Even though he reminded himself to concentrate several times, his mind became increasingly confused.

The voice of Lux in his ears began to distort and disappear, and his thoughts also diverged in an uncontrollable direction.

Just like every office worker who slacks off at work and every student who daydreams in class.

The content is wild and irrelevant.

In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the classroom of his previous life.

The fashionably dressed English teacher stood on the podium, her snow-white feet wearing high heels. The smooth lines of her instep flowed smoothly, and through her white and almost transparent skin, one could see traces of blue blood vessels, exuding a vivid sexiness.

“Raven!” Lux’s voice suddenly became louder: “What are you doing?”

“Ah?” Raven shuddered and answered reflexively, “I’m… thinking about the answer.”

Lux's voice was filled with anger: "Then why are you looking at my feet? Is there an answer there?"

Raven finally came to his senses.

What I am looking at are not the English teacher's feet, but Lux's!
"It's not that we can't try, but it's hard to see clearly from this distance." Raven scratched his head and asked half-jokingly, "How about... put your feet there and I'll take a closer look?"

This was indeed a bit too much. Lux was so angry that her pretty face turned red. She closed the book with a snap and pouted: "It's getting late anyway. You should go back to the castle quickly. I need to rest too."

"Oh, it's really late." Looking at the completely dark Eagle Town, Raven stood up and stretched: "Well, can I ask you for a favor?"

Lux blinked and asked with caution: "What is it?"

"Well... I'm a little afraid of the dark." Raven rubbed his hands and asked tentatively: "How about letting me stay for one night today, and I'll leave early tomorrow morning before daybreak."

"Oh... So that's how it is. You're afraid of the dark." Lux nodded and walked to the corner. Suddenly, she picked up a broom and walked towards Raven step by step.
"If you faint, you won't be afraid."

Many years later, Raven recalled the afternoon when he was kicked out of the orphanage and shuddered.

This posture has some of the charm of the old dean.

"Just a joke."

"Hey, are you really hitting me?"

"Stop, stop, stop. I'm leaving now. Lord Priest, please spare my life!"

Under Lux's "threat", Raven ran out of the church.

Watching his receding back, Lux's expression went from serious to gentle, and finally she burst into laughter, closed the corner door, and turned to walk towards the study.

Thinking back to Raven's funny look when he left, the smile on her face grew wider and wider, until it gradually faded when she returned to the study.

Her eyes fell on Angel's Kiss, and Lux ​​walked to the desk and grabbed it in her hand.

The air was still filled with the faint scent of jasmine. Lux's eyes lit up slightly, but the corners of her mouth pursed.

"Humph, Denise obviously had been using it for so long before she remembered to give it to me."

During this period, she occasionally went in and out of Eagle Castle and could always smell the rich floral scent from Denise. She didn't know why at first, but today this bottle of Angel's Kiss gave her the answer.

But Denise smelled of roses, while Raven gave her the scent of jasmine.

This made Lux feel a little better.

"Since you're still attentive, I'll let you go this time."

As she spoke, a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, she held Angel's Kiss to her chest, and walked towards the bedroom with brisk steps.

Of course, Raven didn't know what was going on in Lux's mind.

Even if I knew, I could only sigh:
It’s so hard to guess a woman’s thoughts!

As soon as Raven returned to the study in Eagle Castle, he heard a hissing sound.

Then, a beam of fire rose up in the corner, illuminating an old, wrinkled face.

“Oh my god!” Raven almost threw the “Sacred Words” away. He heaved a sigh of relief after seeing the man’s face clearly. “Mr. Gordon, what are you trying to do?”

"If it weren't for my good mental state, at least one of us would have gone to see the Lord of Light today!"

A copy of the Divine Word weighs six or seven pounds. If you throw it here, old Gordon will not be able to speak for at least 10 months.

Or if Raven couldn't catch his breath, he would take a breath after 10 months.

Old Gordon's face was filled with heaviness. He placed the candlestick on the windowsill and said in a deep voice, "My Lord Baron, there is one thing I cannot help but speak out!"

"Although my eyesight is blurry, Lord Baron, based on my 40 years of experience in serving the Griffith family, you have made a complete mistake by handing over the financial power to Denise!"

Raven raised his brows slightly.

It was indeed because of this matter.

He thought old Gordon could keep his composure, but he didn't expect that less than half a month had passed and he couldn't help it.

Throwing the "Sacred Words" on the table, Raven took a bottle of Angel's Tears and poured himself a glass. He turned his chair and looked at Old Gordon: "Tell me in detail?"

"My Lord Baron, Denise is not a suitable candidate." Old Gordon gritted his teeth and said, "Although she is nominally a member of the Griffith family, she does not have the family bloodline, nor has she given birth to any heirs for the Griffith family. She is not trustworthy!"

"Moreover, she is a lowly, treacherous profiteer who will do anything for profit!"

"Yeah." Raven nodded slightly, expressing his approval. This somewhat careless attitude made Old Gordon even more distressed:
"She has already revealed her cunning nature!"

"Oh?" Raven crossed his legs, seeming to be interested.

Old Gordon seemed to be inspired and said loudly, "In order to please you, she specially bought the temperature control array in your name, completely ignoring the tight financial situation. That's 647 gold coins! The tax revenue of Shimmering Gold this year is only 617.65 gold coins!"

"And just last month, she spent 200 gold coins from the account without any explanation, and refused to reveal where the money went. Maybe she embezzled it!"

"So, I hope you can take back her financial power immediately. Otherwise, the Griffith family, which has finally risen, will fall into her hands!"

"Well said!" Raven poured another cup of Angel's Tears and placed it in front of him. "You have been holding back these words for a long time, right? Come, have a drink to moisten your throat."

"Thank you for your consideration, Baron." Old Gordon took the glass but did not drink it: "So, you agree to my request?"

Raven did not answer immediately. He walked to a wooden board in the corner of the study and said, "This is the map of our Eagle Territory."

He held up the candlestick to illuminate the map. "Did you find anything, Mr. Gordon?"

Old Gordon walked forward and pushed his monocle: "Eagle Town is too small, not even as big as a fingernail."

Raven nodded and asked further: "Why? Why did Eagle Town, located in the heart of Eagle Territory with fertile land and abundant water resources, fall to this point?"

Old Gordon sighed heavily: "Please allow me to say something disrespectful. This is all due to Baron Donald's wrong decision."

"He was too obsessed with 'magic experiments'. In the middle and late stages of his rule, Eagle Town lost a lot of people every year. In one year, Eagle Town lost 332 people due to running away or dying!"

"No, it's not just because of that." Raven said firmly: "In the final analysis, the positioning of Eagle Town is too unclear."

"Positioning?" Old Gordon asked doubtfully.

"Yes, locate it!" Raven's finger landed on the map. "From the terrain point of view, Eagle Town is located in the center of Eagle Territory. To the north is Eagle Castle, to the south is Jinsha River, and to the east and west are natural mountains. It is a wealthy place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"But all the Griffith family heads of all generations have only regarded it as a grain production area and have never really wanted to manage it. Instead, they have regarded Shining Gold Town as the economic center!"

"If Eagle Town was really prosperous once, how could it be abandoned so easily by Uncle Donald?"

A gleam of light shone in Old Gordon's eyes, and he asked with a hint of anticipation:

"My Lord Baron, do you mean to build Eagle Town?"

"That's right!" Raven said loudly, "Golden Town and Eagle Town are only 6.4 kilometers apart. The advantages of Golden Town can be fully transferred to Eagle Town!"

“Anyone who can travel through thousands of mountains and rivers to reach Goldshire Town won’t mind walking another hour to reach Eagle Town.”

"I understand!" Old Gordon swallowed his saliva and said excitedly: "The reason you want to rebuild the road is to prepare for this!?"

"Oh, Mr. Gordon, you finally understand." Raven clapped his hands in relief: "Transportation is only the first step. What is really important is industry!"

"Restaurants, taverns, sundry stores, equipment stores, casinos, dueling arenas... and so on!"

“Only when these are built can Eagle Town be as brightly lit as the current Gold Shore Town, and even replace Gold Shore Town to become the true center of Eagle Territory!”

Old Gordon has served the Griffith family for 40 years. He dreams of seeing Eagle Town prosper. At this moment, he is also moved by the vision described by Raven. He swallowed his saliva and said excitedly: "Sir, you are really... amazing!"

"As early as when your great-uncle, Baron Eivor, Baron Donald's father, was still alive, he had thought of building a duel arena in Eagle Town. This is an important place to enhance the family's reputation and cultivate the martial virtues of the people."

"It's a pity that he was unable to fulfill this wish during his reign, and he still held regrets until his death."

"If Xiongying Town can be built as you said, it will definitely take the entire Xiongying Territory to a higher level!"

At this point, he took a deep breath and said from the bottom of his heart:

"So you have to take back the power from Denise."

"She is a businessman and will never realize the importance of Eagle Town."

Old Gordon's outlook was detailed and reliable, but ultimately, it was too limited.

And Raven did not agree with his evaluation of Denise.

"I know." Raven showed a meaningful smile: "Aren't you still here?"

Old Gordon was stunned for a moment, then he heard the hidden meaning of Raven's words: "Sir, what do you mean...?"

Raven said slowly, "As you said, Denise is an outsider. She doesn't realize the importance of Eagle Town, so I never thought of handing Eagle Town over to her."

"You are different, Mr. Gordon."

"You have sent away three family heads in a row!"

"We are a family indeed."

Having said that, Raven patted Old Gordon's shoulder heavily:

"I am going to let you take full responsibility for the construction of Xiongying Town!"

Old Gordon's breathing became heavier than ever.

Being fully responsible for the construction of Eagle Town, this will be an extremely important task, but now it falls on his shoulders!
This means that Raven has unconditional trust in him.

It is both an affirmation of his ability and a reward for his loyalty.

"Baron, rest assured, I will build Eagle Town into the most prosperous town in the entire Nord Province!"

"One step at a time." Raven raised his glass with a smile: "Why not set a small goal first."

"Surpass Shining Gold Town within three years!"

Old Gordon also raised his glass: "I will definitely not let the Baron down!"

Wine glasses clinked together.

It made a clear, pleasant and beautiful sound, just like Gordon's mood at the moment.

After finishing the wine in the glass, Old Gordon, with a gleam in his eyes, bowed and said, "Sir, I won't disturb your rest then."

"Go ahead." Raven nodded.

Old Gordon retreated respectfully. Just as he reached the door of the study, he heard Raven's voice behind him:
"Mr. Gordon."

“Don’t let anyone know your true thoughts, ever.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Gordon's eyes. He paused for a moment.
"I will follow your instructions, Lord Baron!"

After saying that, he opened the door and walked out.

At this moment, old Gordon's steps were lighter than ever. He put his hands behind his back, and his originally hunched back straightened up, and he hummed a cheerful tune.

The Baron really has a long-term vision!
Looking back now, building the workshop near Eagle Town instead of the more prosperous Shining Gold Town was probably paving the way for the development of Eagle Town.

In old Gordon's view, territory development is the foundation, and foreign trade can only bring quick money.

Now that the goal of developing Eagle Town has been set, no matter how much power Denise holds, she cannot control the future of the Griffith family!
"The adults' arrangement is indeed ingenious. They clearly took advantage of Denise, but she thought she got the upper hand."

The more he thought about Raven's recent arrangements, the more Old Gordon admired him and the more gratified he felt.

After generations of decline, the Griffith family finally welcomed a wise lord.

The corners of his dry mouth curled up into a smile: "It seems that it is time to call Fiona back..."

In the blink of an eye, another 9 days passed and it was October 10th.

That morning, just as Raven finished his meditation, he heard hurried footsteps: "Baron, here is a visiting card. I need you to take a look at it in person."

Raven said calmly, "Bring it here and let me see it."

Patty opened the door and handed over the post.

Reaching out to take it and opening it, Raven scanned the contents at a glance. His brows first frowned, and then he laughed angrily.

This is a visiting card from the Fox family.

It said that Nancy was coming to Eagle Castle to stay for a while to "escape the summer heat."

Autumn is almost over, how can we avoid the heat?

This Nancy is definitely up to no good.

She doesn't really think I'll let her live in here, does she?
Thinking of this, Raven snorted and said, "Tell Old Gordon to draft a reply for me, saying that I'm not feeling well recently and can't receive you. The wording can be polite, but the attitude must be firm."

Putting the invitation back into Patty's hands and watching her motionless, Raven asked, "Anything else?"

"No, sir." Petty said carefully, "It's just that it's too late to reply now."

"Too late? Wasn't this the visiting card that just arrived this morning?" Raven was a little confused and looked at the time on it again.

That’s right, it’s May 10th.

According to the etiquette among nobles, visiting cards must be delivered at least 5 days in advance.

"You'll know for yourself when you see it..." Patty pointed to the window.

Raven stood up, rushed to the window in three or two steps, and just as he opened the curtains, he was stunned.

There was a long convoy on the street from Eagle Town to Eagle Castle.

Each carriage was extremely luxurious and bore the Fox family crest.

Nancy, the "Flaming Rose" of the Earl Fox family, actually came directly!

……

(End of this chapter)