“Lord, Count Zane requests an audience!”
After Lacey’s departure for over half a month, Count Zane had come to Florencia City again.
During these past few weeks, Richard had spent some time each day inscribing magical runes on the bow. Since it was his first attempt, his progress was slow and could not be rushed.
After all, he had acquired a book on magical lore, not a direct skill.
Acquiring the magical lore book had its advantages, as it contained a vast number of magical runes. Richard could study it during his spare time.
Additionally, this process deepened Richard’s understanding of magical applications. In inscribing runes on the bow, a slight mistake could ruin it, and he had ruined several bows.
However, his first magical bow was nearing completion.
Upon hearing that Count Zane requested an audience, Richard stopped his work and went to the reception room.
Count Zane was waiting there.
Seeing Richard, he greeted him with a beaming smile.
“Count Richard, I have come to discuss whether your people could help me rebuild a castle. Of course, I will pay you a generous reward.”
Count Zane explained his purpose.
He was seeking Richard’s help to repair his castle.
Although Count Zane was mostly stationed at Stone Fort City, the city did not belong to him; his territory was south of Stone Fort City, and his castle was located there.
Having seen Richard’s grand and brightly lit castle, along with its modern amenities, Count Zane was inspired.
In this world, building a castle was quite costly. Smaller noble castles often required years of savings to build. Moreover, construction was slow.
Stones and other materials needed to be mined and transported, requiring substantial manpower and resources. A castle could take several years to build.
Even the small castle of Baron Ted cost him several dozen gold coins.
Larger castles were even more expensive; Count Zane ’s castle might cost several thousand gold coins.
Richard pondered for a moment and said, “That is possible.”
Count Zane ’s face lit up with joy. “That’s great! As for the price, I initially budgeted 5,000 gold coins. However, since your people are exceptional, how about I increase it by 50%, making it 7,500 gold coins?”
Richard shook his head. “7,500 gold coins is too little. How about 10,000 gold coins? I will send people to build it. Additionally, the construction might take a while because my workforce is limited. At the fastest, it will be about a year.”
“10,000 gold coins… Alright! A year is acceptable!”
Count Zane hesitated for a moment but finally agreed.
One year was nothing; he had planned to spend three to five years on the construction.
As a count, his financial base was quite solid.
Moreover, in the past month or so, his merchant fleet had transported goods from Florencia City, earning substantial profits and accumulating a lot of gold coins.
This gave Count Zane confidence. He agreed to pay Richard the full amount of his profits.
Thus, a large business deal was finalized.
Richard would earn several times the profit from this deal, and opening this channel with Count Zane could lead to similar opportunities with other nobles in the future.
Count Zane left cheerfully but did not depart from Florencia City, planning to stay there a while longer.
Despite being a count, he found the various delicacies in Florencia City irresistible.
“Master, there has been a small increase in the activity of bandits in the northeastern province,” Dorothy reported after Count Zane left.
“More bandits?”
The number of bandits had always been considerable.
However, after Richard wiped out those 8,000 bandits, there were hardly any left in the northeastern province.
Only a few groups of bandits, numbering around one or two hundred or even fewer, were still active.
Dorothy said, “They are likely coming from the inland.”
“Have Charlotte take action. If they encounter any bandits, they should be killed immediately.”
“Yes, Master,” Dorothy responded.
After that, Richard asked Mia, who was on the other side, “Mia, have you compiled the statistics on which products are the most popular?”
Mia, who was reading a book, perked up her cat ears upon hearing his voice and said:
“Currently, besides food, soap is the best-selling item. Every time the caravan comes, they stock up on it in large quantities. Additionally, the residents of the city also love to buy it. Master, you should stock up more; also, porcelain, mirrors, and women’s items like hairpins and accessories are popular. Oh, I’ve made a statistics table.”
Mia finished speaking, walked into the study room Richard had prepared for her, and came out with a small notebook.
As the de facto financial manager for Richard now, Mia was well-prepared.
Moreover, she had become more efficient, delegating many tasks to others while she focused on verification and oversight, providing regular updates to Richard.
Things were different now compared to the past.
With the population of the territory exceeding 200,000, it would be impossible for Mia to manage all the statistics alone; she would be overwhelmed even if she worked around the clock.
Richard took the statistics table and reviewed it.
He had previously bought a large number of small items from the online store based on intuition, then had Mia handle the inventory and place them in city shops for sale.
With these statistics, Richard could now purchase items more accurately—buying more of the popular ones and periodically introducing new products.
After reviewing, Richard gained some understanding.
It was evident that the money from nobles and women was the easiest to earn.
“Mia, well done.”
Richard praised the cat-eared girl.
Mia stretched lazily and muttered, “Master, you should hire a few more accountants. At this rate, I’ll age prematurely.”
Richard, looking at her cute demeanor, couldn’t help but gently pinch her nose and said, “Mia, you’re about to turn eighteen, right?”
Upon hearing these words, Mia seemed to remember something. She glanced at Dorothy, then suddenly blushed deeply.
“There are still a few months left.”
She left the statistics table and hurriedly walked away.
Richard was left puzzled.
Meanwhile, Dorothy, with a slightly flushed face, secretly chuckled.
Life in the castle was always filled with a subtle warmth amid its calm.
Outside the castle, however, things were still bustling.
After a few more days, the road to Stone Fort City was completely repaired.
At Count Zane ’s request, the road construction team continued south, aiming to connect Westgar City with a few larger southern cities.
With the road to Stone Fort City now open, the merchants were the happiest.
Their travel time from Florencia City to Stone Fort City was greatly reduced.
Previously, the journey would take several days by carriage, but now it only took about ten hours or even less when empty.
Even with a full load, it only took a few additional hours. Such speed was almost unimaginable before.
With this high efficiency, merchants were more than happy to pay the tolls.
On the day the road was completed, Richard’s first magical bow was also finally finished.
With the completion of this magical bow, Richard felt a significant improvement in his magical proficiency.
“Master, is it done?”
Miwei had been staying close to Richard these days, showing interest in inscribing magical runes, though she couldn’t understand them at all.
Richard picked up the magical bow, nodded, and said, “Yes, it’s done.”
He examined the magical bow.
The magical runes were inscribed not randomly, but in accordance with the bow’s grain.
Thus, Richard’s previous failures were not due to his lack of skill. The issue was that the bow bodies did not meet the requirements.
To create a magical bow, the bow must have a very smooth and even grain, with no deviations.
The wood used for the bows Richard bought was imported yew, specifically for making longbows. According to the shopkeeper, the wood was expensive.
However, even yew wood could not guarantee that every bow’s grain was flawless.
After discovering the pattern, Richard searched for several bows before finding one that was suitable.
Once the magical runes were inscribed, those who were not familiar with them might think they were merely decorative patterns.
Indeed, they looked quite elegant and filled with a sense of mystery.
The overall appearance of the bow had greatly improved due to the inscribed magical runes.
“Let’s go, let’s test it out.”
Richard, holding the magical bow, prepared to head to the shooting range.
The shooting range was located next to the barracks and was specifically set up for the training of fox archers and some talented human archers.
Archery training was not easy, but as the population of the territory grew, Richard began expanding the ranks of human archers.
In the future, fox archers would handle medium to long-range strikes, while human archers would accompany the troops.
Elves would be used for precision strikes.
“Has the master’s bow been completed?”
Seeing Richard walk out with Miwei, Dorothy and Mia both looked on with curiosity.
Richard said, “Yes, it’s completed. Let’s go. I’m ready to test it at the shooting range.”
Mia and Dorothy were also intrigued by this bow. After all, Richard had been working on it for nearly a month.
So, both beast-eared girls prepared to accompany Richard to the shooting range.
After leaving the castle, Richard, along with the three beast girls, boarded a special carriage and headed to the shooting range.
In Florencia City, there were already quite a few rikshaws.
Many people in their forties or fifties, who had no particular skills, chose to become carriage drivers.
They rented rikshaws from the city’s carriage shops every morning, turning in half of their daily earnings and keeping the other half for themselves.
As Florencia City’s population increased, the residents became more prosperous. Additionally, some people were drawn to the novelty of the rikshaws, so these drivers earned quite well each day.
However, as a noble, Richard typically traveled in elegantly decorated and luxurious carriages, though he occasionally rode a horse himself.
Soon, Richard’s carriage arrived at the shooting range.
Upon arrival, he set up a livestream.
【Wow, the anchor’s in a good mood today, bringing three beast girls with him.】
【So excited! It’s been a while since we’ve seen cat girls!】
【Excited +1.】
【Looks like the anchor is preparing to test the bow?】
【Anchor, did the runes you inscribed on the bow actually work?】
【…】
The live chat was already bustling with viewers waiting for Richard.
Having informed viewers in a previous livestream about working on a magical bow, they were eager to see it in action now that Richard had brought it to the shooting range.
“The Lord is here! All stand at attention!”
When Richard entered the shooting range, all the soldiers training there stood up and saluted him.
These soldiers were now professional, not needing to participate in labor, but training daily.
Physical training was always a priority. Without good physical fitness, one could not sustain prolonged combat.
Physical training needed to be paired with adequate food. Without enough food, physical training would only deplete one’s potential.
But with sufficient and nutritious food, physical training could continuously improve one’s fitness, increasing strength and endurance.
Richard’s physical training wasn’t just running; he also bought a lot of specialized equipment.
For archers, there was another aspect: arm strength training.
Daily exercises to lift weights were essential.
Of course, talent played a role too. While ordinary soldiers might do well, archery was particularly dependent on talent.
Unless one started training with a bow from a young age, becoming a proficient archer still required long-term practice.
Even then, they might not match the skills of fox archers.
Nevertheless, it was a necessary supplement.
Richard visited the barracks every few days and held considerable prestige among the soldiers. Each soldier looked at him with great admiration.
This time, Richard wasn’t there for inspection. He went to a shooting station and told a squad leader, “Move the target further away, to the farthest distance.”
“Yes, Lord!”
The squad leader took a few people and went off to move the target.
Typically, training targets were placed about 30 meters away.
For human archers, beyond 30 meters, accuracy was not expected.
Their bows were not very heavy, with a flat shooting range of about 34 meters, and only reaching over 100 meters with an arched shot.
Flat shooting causes the arrow to drop after a certain distance, which is unavoidable.
An arched shot involves shooting upwards, with the arrow’s trajectory forming a parabola. The feathers at the back of the arrow can utilize the wind, allowing for a longer range.
Accuracy with an arched shot relies on experience and intuition, as precise calculations of the parabolic trajectory are impractical. Additionally, shooting from a higher position increases range.
Overall, using a bow and arrow is much more complex than firearms and requires more skill and arm strength.
At the shooting range, hearing that Richard was going to test the bow himself, all the archers gathered around.
This included 300 fox archers who also gathered around.
As news spread, some soldiers from the barracks also came to watch.
“Lord, they all want to see your archery skills.”
Jim came over to report.
Richard said, “Let them come.”
It wouldn’t delay training for too long, and letting the soldiers watch would further enhance Richard’s prestige among them.
The army, now expanded to five thousand soldiers, included two thousand new recruits. Many of these recruits, influenced by the veterans, knew their lord was impressive.
But they didn’t really know just how impressive he was!
Soon, thousands of soldiers gathered around the shooting range.
【So many people! If the anchor messes up, it’ll be quite a spectacle.】
【Come on, can the anchor mess up?】
【Why not make a guess? How far do you think the anchor’s bow can shoot?】
【The anchor’s bow is similar to an English longbow. It looks pretty heavy. It should be able to shoot 300 meters with an arched shot. Given that the anchor has engraved so many runes, it should have some effect, so I guess it can shoot at least 500 meters, assuming the anchor can draw such a heavy bow.】
【I guess around 500 meters too, but accuracy is another matter.】
【You guys are underestimating the anchor! His archery is pretty good.】
【I’m guessing 400 meters.】
【550 meters.】
【600 meters.】
【…】
In the live chat, viewers were eagerly guessing.
Soon, the squad leader moved the target to 100 meters away. He seemed to think this distance was too far, so he stopped.
“Tell him it’s not enough.”
Richard said.
Someone immediately used the intercom to inform the squad leader, who then continued to move the target.
Before long, he moved it to 300 meters away.
“Keep moving it. Move it to 500 meters.”
Richard ordered.
The order was passed down, and the squad leader continued moving the target.
The shooting range was almost too short, but the target area Richard chose was quite open, with an empty field reserved for future construction. The squad leader moved the target to this open area.
Finally, the target was placed at 500 meters.
The squad leader quickly moved away with his team.
“So far!”
“Yeah, that’s really far!”
In the barracks, soldiers were also discussing. Seeing the target placed at such a distance, everyone was surprised.
They all looked at Richard, eager to see if he could shoot that far.
Richard drew his bow and nocked an arrow. Then, he pulled back the bowstring with force.
The bow was indeed quite heavy. Most ordinary adults might struggle to draw it. Even fox archers might only be able to shoot a few arrows at a time.
Even elves might not be able to shoot many arrows due to their physical limitations.
However, Richard had seen a magical rune in a book that could make drawing the bow easier. If this test was successful, he could try engraving such runes in the future.
As Richard drew the bow, it began to bend.
He was already aiming.
All the soldiers in the barracks and millions of viewers online were watching him closely.
【Wow, my husband looks so handsome when he’s focused!】
【The anchor’s strength is amazing. He can draw such a heavy bow!】
【My husband must be really impressive in some aspects!】
【Whoa, fangirl!】
【…】
In the live chat, many were focused on the scene, with some women captivated by Richard’s intense archery.
Finally, Richard released the bowstring.
“Thwack~”
“Whoosh~”
The sounds of the bowstring vibrating through the air and the arrow piercing through the air occurred simultaneously!
The arrow flew with terrifying speed, tracing a graceful parabolic arc. In the blink of an eye, it crossed the 500-meter distance and hit the bullseye perfectly!
No, not only did it hit the bullseye, but it also penetrated through the thick target and then struck the ground forcefully, embedding half of the arrow shaft into the earth.
Thanks to the automatic recording, viewers in the livestream saw the entire process.
Immediately, all the viewers erupted in excitement.
【Awesome!】
【This isn’t just a hundred paces—this is a thousand paces!】
【Seriously, that’s impressive!】
【Not just impressive, that’s extraordinary!】
【The power of this arrow is immense; even regular armor might not be able to withstand it!】
【Indeed, I don’t think 500 meters is the limit!】
【666~】
【…】
[Iron-Blooded True Man] sent 100 rockets! Comment: First tip! As a military fan, I’m stunned!
[So Beautiful, At Least Two Tons of Water!] sent 10 rockets! Comment: Love it!
[Cute Big-Eyed Bunny] sent 100 super rockets…
[Let’s Go Climb a Mountain] sent 10 super rockets…
In the livestream, many viewers began tipping generously due to Richard’s astonishing shot.
Such moments often lead to a tipping spree.
“Bullseye!”
The squad leader on the shooting range shouted.
Ordinary soldiers found it difficult to see the target from 500 meters away. At the sound of the squad leader’s voice, all of them were stunned.
Seeing Richard’s arrow cross 500 meters with such precision and power left every soldier’s face filled with astonishment!
“The lord is incredible!”
“Yeah, our lord is a divine archer!”
Every soldier was awed by Richard’s shot.
Especially the archers.
The more than 200 newly recruited archers had been training for months. The longer they trained, the more difficult shooting seemed to them.
Many of them couldn’t even guarantee accuracy within 20 meters. Let alone drawing such a heavy bow as Richard’s and hitting the bullseye from 500 meters!
For these archers, Richard was almost like a “god-like” figure.
Ordinary soldiers, while not understanding the intricacies of archery, still felt the shock.
Veterans were somewhat accustomed to the lord’s prowess. For new recruits, the impact was even greater.
Many new recruits were left with expressions that could only be described as “dumbfounded.”
Even the two sisters and Dorothy next to Richard had expressions of deep surprise.
Dorothy and Mia were well-traveled. Yet, even they had never heard of such a long-range shot.
What was even more critical was that, at such a distance, Richard had shot with such precision!
“Master is truly amazing!”
Miwei looked at Richard with stars in her eyes. This little cat-eared girl admired him the most.
“Master is so impressive!” Dorothy thought.
However, she soon remembered another aspect of being impressive… the kind she had personally experienced.
The warmth on her cheeks began to rise again.
Mia’s face also showed intense surprise. Richard’s shot had also exceeded her expectations.
“It probably hasn’t reached its limit yet.”
While the viewers in the livestream and the thousands of soldiers were all amazed, Richard spoke softly.
Yes, the shot was far-reaching, but from the way the arrow had embedded into the ground, it was far from its limit.
“You’re next!”
Richard’s eyes narrowed as he fixed on a tree several hundred meters away.
Then, he drew his bow and nocked another arrow.
On the bow, the magical runes lit up again.
As Richard prepared to shoot once more, all the soldiers looked over again. The viewers in the livestream also perked up.
Then they saw, within just two seconds, Richard had drawn the bow to its full extent.
And then, he let go of the string.
“Whoosh!”
“Thwack~”
The sound of the bowstring breaking through the air and the arrow piercing through the air came again.
The arrow flew out with terrifying speed, hitting a tree several hundred meters away with steady accuracy.
At such a distance, the arrowhead was still embedded deeply into the tree trunk!
【My goodness, that far? Invincible!】
【At least six hundred meters!】
【Is this even a bow and arrow?】
【So amazing!】
【…】
The live chat exploded again!
In the military camp, many soldiers also erupted with excitement after finding the location of the arrow.
Thousands of soldiers shouted in astonishment.
“Advanced archery is indeed impressive.” Richard thought.
At such a distance, without advanced archery skills, he might not have been able to hit the target. Additionally, his physical strength played a huge role.
Without such strong physical attributes, Richard wouldn’t be able to draw such a heavy bow.
This bow, which had taken him nearly a month to inscribe magical runes and create, was truly a divine bow.
Its range was more than double that of a regular longbow!
“Quick, measure the distance!”
Seeing Richard’s arrow shoot so far, the squad leader hurriedly took a team to measure the distance.
This process took a little time.
While the squad leader measured the distance, every soldier on the range whispered their astonishment. Some veterans continued to explain to the new recruits just how powerful their lord was.
As for the livestream, it had already erupted.
Some recently joined viewers questioned whether Richard was faking it.
But they were quickly drowned out by other viewers’ comments.
Now, Richard’s livestream was flooded with viewers every day. Newcomers were initially skeptical, but after watching the replay, most viewers believed and stayed.
There were still some doubters.
That was normal; after all, there are always skeptics.
“Eight hundred meters!”
After more than ten minutes, the squad leader finally measured the distance.
【Invincible!】
【V587!】
【Amazing!】
【The anchor’s combat power is off the charts!】
【Clearly a beauty anchor, but also so skilled. How can anyone else compete!】
【Rebellion! Let’s march straight to the royal capital and shoot the king from eight hundred miles away!”
【…】
The livestream was extremely lively.
In the military camp, the distance of eight hundred meters also caused a sensation.
All the soldiers looked at Richard and his bow with awe.
This bow was now considered a standard divine bow in their eyes!
Having tested the power of this bow, Richard was very satisfied.
Such magical bows, due to the lengthy crafting process, were bound to be few in number. Richard planned to spend some time making a few more for the elves to use.
Such weapons were quite useful in war. With such a long range, and Richard had not even inscribed particularly advanced magical runes.
Of course, too advanced magical runes were beyond his current capabilities. Such runes require a higher level of magical skill.
It’s possible to force it, though.
However, making a bow like that would probably take several years. Such a bow would have an even greater range.
Richard wasn’t in a hurry.
Perhaps with a few more lottery draws, his magical skills might improve significantly.
“Lacey should have arrived by now, right?”
At this moment, Richard thought of Lacey again.
She had been away for almost a month, so she should have returned to the elven tribe by now.
As Richard was thinking about Lacey, she was indeed getting closer.
At this time, she was already in a rather remote area, far from Richard’s territory. It was quite a desolate place, rarely visited by people.
Ahead of her, a range of mountains appeared, but at that moment, fierce flames were burning within the mountains.
Lacey looked up and saw a red dragon in the sky breathing fire and burning the forest.
“It’s about to reach the forest where the tribe lives,” Lacey thought.
“We need to evacuate the tribe quickly.”
With this thought, Lacey quickened her pace towards a lush forest.