Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 21 Jade Powder
【Ding! 】

A cold, emotionless yet incredibly clear voice suddenly rang out from the depths of his mind, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

[New Player Quest 3: Farmland Development (Part 2) Completed]

[Reward: 1 kg of Gongnong No. 5 seeds has been distributed to your system space]

Kruse's hammer swing didn't pause at all, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Within the system space, a small, heavy bag of seeds, exuding a strange life force, quietly appeared. But before he could even retrieve this "Gongnong No. 5" seed, then—

【Ding! 】

[Triggering Beginner Quest 4: Farmland Development (Part 3)]

[Mission Description: Survival depends on staple food! The weathered old serf Kamis, struggling to survive on the edge of a barren wasteland, unexpectedly discovers a special wild plant that tenaciously thrives. It is thanks to this unassuming plant that Kamis and his family miraculously survived years of crop failure and famine. This, perhaps, is the lifeline that Lion's Tooth Territory has been desperately searching for!]

[Task Reward: New Staple Food Crops]

A new staple food!

Kruse's heart skipped a beat, and the hammer in his hand hovered in mid-air.

The elven insects need jade powder, and the people need to fill their stomachs... and the key to solving all of this seems to point in the same direction—food!
What will old Camis discover?
Can it really become Lion's Tooth Territory's lifeline?
Kruse did not immediately set off to find old Camis.

The system notification was important, but the knight's longsword in his hand, which was about to be completed, also embodied his hard work and time.

He calmed himself, gripped the scorching hot sword blank again, and brought the hammer down with tremendous force.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The crisp, rhythmic sound of hammering filled the blacksmith's shop once again.

The knight's longsword resembles an armored sword, but is much longer, nearly a meter long, with an intricate counterweight at the end of the hilt.

This weapon tests a blacksmith's skill the most—his center of gravity!
If one loses their balance even slightly, even by the slightest deviation, their movements will become top-heavy, clumsy, and sluggish, which is tantamount to suicide on the battlefield where life and death are at stake.

That's why it has become the ultimate goal for Kruse in honing his skills recently.

Sweat slid down his strong back and dripped onto the scorching hot cutting board, instantly steaming up in white vapor.

Thanks to the "scientific" forging concepts that were ahead of their time in his mind, and the system hammer in his hand that could subtly improve the success rate, the knight's longsword that Kruze forged was of a quality that far exceeded the level of ordinary blacksmith shops.

With its smooth lines and perfect center of gravity, the sword exudes a chilling toughness.

Wilstone asserted that his skill in crafting fine knight swords alone would be enough to provide Lionfang Territory with a stable and substantial source of income.

With the final hammer blow, the sword hummed. Kruze carefully checked the straightness of the spine and the position of the center of gravity, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he hand the still-hot longsword to the old blacksmith Miller, who was watching with bated breath.

“Miller.” Kruse’s voice was hoarse from forging. “Sharpening, polishing, and attaching the handle—these meticulous tasks are yours.”

Old Miller's cloudy eyes were filled with awe. He vigorously wiped his hands on his greasy apron before respectfully accepting the longsword as if it were a priceless treasure. He bowed deeply at his hunched back and said, "As you wish, young master! This old man will do everything in his power to make it shine like a mirror and be sharp as a blade!"

Back in the slightly shady main hall of the castle, Kruse's gaze swept over the long table.

Elena was writing furiously on the unfolded parchment, but the quill pen remained suspended for a long time, the ink spreading into a small blot on the paper.

Her little head was almost sticking out of the window, her eyes darting around, clearly her mind had already wandered off somewhere else.

"Cough." Kruze coughed lightly, like a pebble thrown into calm water.

Elena jolted, nearly dropping the quill pen. She hurriedly pulled her neck back, grabbed the pen, and started scribbling haphazardly on the paper, her face slightly flushed. She dared not look at her brother again.

Kruse shook his head helplessly, then turned to Wilstone, who was standing to the side, and his tone regained the composure and authority of a lord: "Wilstone, send someone to the territory and fetch the old serf Camis. Immediately."

"Yes, young master!" Wilstone placed his right hand on his chest and readily accepted the order.

He didn't ask any questions; he was already used to obeying Kruse's orders unconditionally.

This young lord's seemingly casual actions often concealed profound meaning.

He turned and strode out of the hall to deliver the lord's summons.

Kruse had just settled into his study, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, waiting for Wilstone to bring old Camis in. Just then, a series of slightly hurried but cheerful footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Young Master! Young Master!" Butler Buffet appeared at the door, looking slightly travel-worn, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement. He strode forward and carefully placed a heavy, bulging leather bag on the table in front of Kruse, making a dull thud.

"Great news! Fantastic news!" Buffel's voice rose slightly with excitement. "Those arrogant nobles of Yote City are absolutely fascinated by the unique, flowing patterns on the dagger! In the ensuing scramble, they sold it for a full twelve gold coins!" He took a breath, his face displaying the shrewdness and pride typical of a merchant. "Moreover, exactly as you instructed, not a single copper coin was kept; it was all exchanged for this—jade powder!"

"Twelve gold coins? Jade powder?!" Kruze jumped to his feet, the chair scraping loudly on the floor. His eyes blazed with wild joy, like a torch lit in the darkness, as he stared intently at the leather pouch: "Quick! Open it and let me see!"

"Yes, young master!" Butler Buffet quickly untied the leather drawstring of the bag and carefully took out two completely different containers.

One was an ordinary wooden box, and the other was a delicate, small, and tightly sealed bone china bottle.

He respectfully presented the two items and explained, “Young Master, please look, this is jade powder. It comes in two grades.” He first pointed to the coarse linen bag, “This is ordinary jade powder, which contains a relatively thin layer of plant essence. It is usually used to nourish ordinary spirit insects, and its price is relatively cheap. Five carats are worth one silver coin.”

Then, his finger moved solemnly to the exquisite bone china bottle, his voice unconsciously lowering, tinged with a hint of reverence: "And this is top-grade jade powder! It's ground from the purest and most refined jade, containing abundant and pure life energy! Its price... is much more expensive." Buffet paused, then clearly uttered the astonishing figure, "Five carats, and it costs one gold coin!"

(End of this chapter)