Elf Lord, intelligence updated daily.

Chapter 2 The Fiancée's Sister
The most prosperous territory in the world?
Does this guy even know what he's saying?

Xuefu didn't believe a single word Loren said.

She asked coldly, "Are you aware of the town's current financial situation?"

"tell me the story."

Xuefu rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Without the help of the fairy insects, the farmers would have trouble even feeding themselves with their crops."

Many people can't even afford to pay their taxes.

The economic situation in the castle is also very worrying.

The knights who guard Sandstone Town, the stewards and servants in the castle, and the cooks who prepare the meals all cost money.

Next, I'm afraid we won't even be able to afford the knights' monthly salaries.

Loren had already guessed that the town's finances would be in trouble.

The root of the problem is simple: the crop yield from the farmland is insufficient.

He desperately needs the Fairy Bugs!
Loren remembered it clearly; it was mentioned in the intelligence report.

Tomorrow morning, a rye fairy worm will emerge from the rye field.

Although rye is relatively inexpensive, it is enough to feed ordinary people.

As for the issues of taxes and compensation...

"Sherry, if we cut back a bit, how long can the castle's finances last?"

"Save some money?"

Xuefu never expected that Loren would actually use such words.

"If you only consider daily expenses, it can last about six months. If you throw a tantrum and act unreasonable with your family, you should be able to get some money out of them."

Loren ignored the sarcasm in Xuefu's words.

"I understand. Leave the problem of the spirit bugs to me."

Xuefu looked puzzled.

She didn't know where Loren's confidence came from.

Loren has been acting strangely ever since this started.

It's like he's become a completely different person...

Just then, the knight outside came in to deliver a message.

"My lord, Miss Xuefu, Miss Ailan has arrived."

"Sister? What's she doing here?"

Xuefu quickly got up and went out to greet her.

Loren followed.

Many noble children do not have a friendly relationship, such as Xuefu and Ailan.

Ailan is only a little over a year older than Xuefu, so since they were little, people have often compared her to Xuefu.

Although Alan's knightly talent was better than Xuefu's, the most discussed topic among others was their appearance.

Xuefu is really pretty.

Alan's carriage had arrived at the foot of the castle mound.

"My lord! Miss Xuefu!"

The knights who were escorting Alan came before Loren and performed a knightly salute.

A woman stepped down from a luxurious carriage.

She looks somewhat like Xuefu, but she's not as pretty as Xuefu.

"My dear sister, it's been a long time." Alan greeted her with a smile, seemingly unaware of Loren standing next to Xuefu.

"Sister, why aren't you enjoying yourself in Rose Castle? What are you doing in our run-down little town?"

Alan handed over an invitation.

"Next month is my twentieth birthday, and Viscount Rose insists on celebrating it for me, so I came here specifically to invite you."

Xuefu accepted the invitation expressionlessly.

The invitation was just a pretense; showing off was the real purpose, wasn't it?

Her sister, Elan, married a viscount, while Loren, as Xuefu's fiancé, didn't even have a noble title.

This isn't the first or second time she's intentionally showing off.

Seeing that Xuefu didn't react, Ailan continued to tease her.

"My dear sister, this lousy road needs fixing. It's making me dizzy from all the bumps along the way."

Xuefu was speechless.

Sandstone Town is poor, and with Loren doing nothing, where would they get the money to repair the road?

"Good sister, remember to buy a new outfit for the banquet. If you're really short of money, I can help you."

Xuefu raised an eyebrow. "I'm really short of money. I wonder if you could lend me some, sister?"

Alan's lips twitched. She hadn't expected Xuefu to actually take advantage of the situation.

She didn't want to give Xuefu money for no reason.

Alan was about to refuse.

Loren stopped him, saying, "Nonsense! Look at your sister, she goes out wearing only a rag, she's probably worse off than us, how can you have the nerve to borrow money from her?"

A tattered... rag?
Ailan was so angry she wanted to bite him.

This outfit is the most popular style in Rose Castle, yet Loren actually said she was wearing a rag!
They even mocked her for being broke?

What an ignorant country bumpkin!

She asked through gritted teeth, "My dear sister, how much money do you want to borrow?"

Do you have a thousand gold coins?

Alan forced a smile, "I didn't bring that much money with me this time..."

“See? I told you my sister didn’t have any money either. She couldn’t even come up with a thousand gold coins,” Loren said.

Alan's face turned ashen.

Who would carry a box of gold coins around all the time?
She was too lazy to talk to Loren, that country bumpkin, anymore. "Don't forget to attend the banquet, little sister."

After saying that, he quickly got back into the carriage and left.

After she left, Xuefu's face instantly darkened.

She didn't envy Alan, after all, Alan was married to an old man in his fifties.

But her life is indeed terrible now, and she doesn't look like an aristocrat at all.

Loren comforted him, "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Xuefu glared fiercely at Loren.

Loren pretended not to see it. "Let me see the invitation. Is my name on it?"

"You still want to attend the banquet?"

"Why not go? See what kind of banquet they hold, and we'll throw one for you too."

Xuefu hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

So this guy can make people happy too?
However, she was perfectly lucid.

She knew perfectly well what kind of person Loren was and what the situation was like in Sandstone Town.

Let alone hosting a banquet, it's questionable whether we'll even be able to stay in Shashi Town by then.

The lord's incompetence in governing the territory means the Silvermoon family may strip Loren of his right to be lord.

They'll probably be left dependent on others, living at the mercy of their circumstances.

"You shouldn't go. Just stay in Sandstone Town," Xuefu said.

"What? Are you afraid I'll embarrass you?"

Xuefu thought to herself, "Since you have such self-awareness, why do you need others to remind you?"
However, if Loren can truly change his ways, it wouldn't hurt to bring him along.

"I'm going back to practice my swordsmanship. Do you want to train with me?"

Xuefu rarely extends invitations.

If Loren truly wants to make changes, the thing he should change most is his lazy nature.

Loren does indeed intend to cultivate battle qi, but not now.

He has other things to do today.

"Let's do it another day. Xuefu, do you know where Liz is? I need to talk to her."

Xuefu looked wary. "What do you want with her?"

"There might be monsters lurking in the farmland today, I need to ask her for help."

After the events of Xue Fu administering the drug and Ai Lan's visit, Loren has confirmed the authenticity of the information.

This evening, three fire rabbits will appear in the carrot patch!

Fire Rabbits are novice magical beasts; they can spew out scorching fireballs, making them difficult for ordinary people to deal with.

If left unchecked, they will cause enormous damage to farmland.

"Are there monsters in the farmland?"

How could this guy, who spends all his time in the castle, possibly know anything about what's happening in the fields?
Besides, it's summer now, so the monsters basically don't come down from the mountain.

In summer, there are many wild berries in the mountains, so they have no shortage of food.

Xuefu sighed helplessly.

She assumed Loren was just looking for an excuse to skip training.

Seeing that Xuefu didn't believe him, Loren didn't explain much.

Rabbit meat is a top-notch delicacy.

When he comes back with the fire rabbit tonight, you'd better not eat it.

(End of this chapter)