Calamity Dragon, Starting with the Cultivation of Knight Families

Chapter 7 Gale's Heavy Bet
The so-called game world, the Silver Lion Duchy, the Galelands of the West.

The hall of the Smith family's castle was brightly lit with candles.

At that moment, there were only two people in the hall.

First, there is Baron Eric, the fifty-three-year-old head of the Smith family in Galehill.

The other person was York.

"Alright, there are no outsiders here now."

“York, my child, you should know that successfully clearing the borders doesn’t just mean killing or subduing a magical beast with territory. So, I want to confirm again, my child, you haven’t forgotten how you promised me, have you?”

Although Baron Eric was old, he was in good spirits.

People who don't know his age would never guess that he is fifty years old.

After all, given his robust physique and mental state, people would definitely believe he's thirty years old.

Therefore, even though Baron Eric was simply watching York quietly and calmly, he already exerted a strong psychological pressure on York.

Despite feeling intimidated by his father's unwavering authority and even coldness, York found immense courage.

So, after calming himself down a bit, he immediately said to Baron Eric:

“I haven’t forgotten, Father.”

"I did promise you that as long as you brought me a decree for land reclamation, I would bear the consequences alone, no matter what happened afterward."

“But, Father, this time I have suffered too great a loss.”

“I hired thirteen mercenaries, which almost depleted all my savings.”

"Therefore, I would like to ask my father to lend me five hundred gold coins for the subsequent recruitment and construction of the swamp territory."

"Of course, I won't lend this money for nothing. I will pay it back within the next three years, no, two years."

Having said that, York said nothing more, but instead looked firmly into Baron Eric's scrutinizing gaze.

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Baron Eric looked calmly at York.

York looked firmly at Baron Eric.

Finally, Baron Eric tapped his finger lightly on the table.

He spoke again, albeit casually, but instead of directly answering whether or not he would lend money, he said:
"You said before that the contracted magical beast you subdued was a second-tier magical beast, right?"

"Yes!"

York said frankly.

Upon hearing this, Baron Eric's lips suddenly curved into a rare smile.

"It seems, my child, that you received considerable help from Viscount Callum's second daughter this time as well?"

In Baron Eric's view, York's strength and wealth were far from sufficient to defeat a second-tier magical beast.

Not to mention that he only brought two knights and thirteen mercenaries with him.

Therefore, he believed that it must be York's beloved, and that Lucia, the second daughter of Viscount Callum, had given York help.

This kind of help is probably a magical item with pretty good power.

York did not deny this.

This might even be a publicity stunt he intentionally staged upon his return.

However, he knew that this was far from enough to gain Baron Eric's support.

Therefore, he also prepared a set of explanations.

"Yes, Father, Lucia really helped me a lot in this matter of clearing the land."

"Otherwise, it would indeed be very difficult for me to successfully reclaim the land."

"However, Father, I need to correct something. The magical beast I contracted is not the second-tier as I have stated to the outside world, but the third-tier!"

Third level?

Baron Eric's calm gaze suddenly showed a hint of unease.

He didn't rush to speak, but York knew it was time for him to continue.

York then began his rambling explanation.

The gist of it was that York used a one-time magical item given to him by Lucia to severely injure the swamp lizard.

Then, driven by its survival instinct, the swamp monitor lizard formed a blood pact with York.

Of course, this is not all.

Because the swamp giant lizard was severely injured, and in order to quickly regain the power to protect its territory, York sent the swamp giant lizard back to its nest and had it devour a magical plant it had cultivated. York did not recognize that magical plant, but it not only helped the swamp giant lizard recover from its injuries, but also allowed it to break through to the third tier in one fell swoop.

Tier 3, equivalent to a Grand Knight in the human knight rank.

And Baron Eric was the Grand Knight.

So it's no surprise that York was destined to get the money after this conversation.

However, York did not manage to borrow five hundred gold coins.

Instead, it's one thousand.

Without a word, and even more so, Baron Eric made a promise to York.

If York can hold out in the Swamp Territory for a year, he will lend York an additional thousand gold coins each year.

For three consecutive years, York was able to borrow six thousand coins from Galelands to develop his territory.

Baron Eric did not mention repayment.

At the same time, Baron Eric also supported two of York's squires.

There were even three craftsmen, a hundred serfs from Gale Territory, and a considerable amount of supplies.

Baron Eric has clearly begun to place a heavy bet on his third son!

Although York saw Baron Eric as stern and cold-hearted, he also knew that Baron Eric was single-mindedly focused on expanding the Smith family's power.

This is the first rare opportunity since the Smith family was founded.

A third-tier magical beast. If it takes one more step, it will be a fourth-tier magical beast, which is a mid-tier magical beast in the extraordinary realm.

The advantage of monsters lies in the fact that they are often stronger than their human counterparts and are even more likely to break through the shackles of bloodline.

Although the process of a monster's growth and breakthrough may be a bit slow, it is still worth Baron Eric's heavy bet.

After all, this was a rare opportunity, the first of its kind since the clan was founded.

An investment of six thousand gold coins is a truly significant bet for a newly emerging baronial family.

Therefore, Baron Eric naturally had additional requirements.

Although he wouldn't directly intervene in York's swamp territory, he would send a steward to oversee the money.

In other words, York can only spend this money on territory development.

It's simply impossible to divert the money to other uses!

This also shows how much importance Baron Eric attached to this matter.

Following this incident, Baron Eric began actively advocating for York.

First, upon York's successful pioneering work, he immediately went to the Duke's mansion in the Western Silver Lion Duchy to obtain the title of pioneering baron for York from the Grand Duke 'Old Lion'.

Secondly, after Baron Eric returned, he made a special trip to Viscount Callum's residence to arrange York's marriage, and at the same time, he arranged for York to marry Viscount Callum's second daughter.

Third, after York and Lucia got married, Baron Eric immediately led a team to explore the Swamp Territory with York.

When the grand procession set off for the Wasteland Swamp Territory, it was already the thirty-fifth day of the game time.

York was deeply conflicted about Baron Eric's intention to personally lead an expedition to explore the swamp territory.

For no other reason than that York was very afraid that Baron Eric would discover the dragon bloodline of the 'swamp lizard'.

Of course, York wasn't afraid that Baron Eric would steal his monster.

After all, he is now nominally a baron, and besides, in this world, a blood pact is a soul contract, which cannot be broken or traded.

Furthermore, given that he possesses a third-tier magical beast, logically speaking, unless someone is completely foolish, no extraordinary individual above the fourth tier would have any intention of targeting him.

Therefore, York's only dilemma now is whether or not he should tell his father about the miracle he received.

York had mixed feelings about his father.

Reverence is only one aspect; as for hating his indifference towards his mother and his own attitude, that's hard to say either.

After all, York's mother was a commoner, or even a servant or maid, and he himself was just an illegitimate child born to a maid.

It wouldn't be accurate to say that Baron Eric was heartless.

After all, Baron Eric was almost always very serious about his children, one could even say he was very rigid.

Furthermore, if Baron Eric were truly heartless, York would never have become a formal knight. Of course, York does not deny that all of this is also related to his own successful awakening of his bloodline.

However, York always felt a certain distance from Baron Eric, and at the same time, he was determined to hide his greatest secret: the miracle he had obtained.

Therefore, York seemed somewhat preoccupied throughout the journey.

Of course, York himself hid it very well, but all of this could not be kept from his wife, Lucia.

(End of this chapter)