Pioneer Lord: A Leisurely Imperial Life

Chapter 20 The Captain's Slap in the Face

Outside the base.

On a clearing near the edge of the black pine forest, Karl was directing several serfs to dig a makeshift latrine.

This is what the lord instructed me to do last night.

From now on, urinating and defecating anywhere is prohibited. Everyone must relieve themselves in the latrine. Violation will result in a deduction of work points.

Carl was puzzled.

In other towns, people just relieve themselves at home and dump the sewage on the street. I never expected that in Qifengling, they would have to find a special place to do so.

He also asked why it had to be this way.

The lord's reason was that he couldn't stand dirty things.

This attention to detail.

This is unique even among nobles.

But that's alright, at least Chiffon Territory won't be as smelly as other towns in the future.

Just then.

A clear, girlish laugh drifted over on the evening breeze, breaking the somber atmosphere of supervising the serfs' labor.

Carl turned and looked back.

The lord returned leisurely on his rock-armored earth dragon, with two maids nestled in his arms on either side.

Carl frowned.

Just as he was about to go up to greet them, he suddenly realized something and signaled the serfs to stop what they were doing, saying that it was time to stop for today.

After they left.

He then quickly walked up to the Grand Fortune Hotel.

"My lord."

"We're in the early stages of development now, so I think you should stay at the base and oversee things."

Richard, who was measuring Betty's waist, paused for a moment, then released his grip, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Are you trying to say...?"

"Is going fishing a waste of my time?"

Upon hearing this...

Karl sighed silently to himself.

It's hardly considered idleness for nobles to go out for leisure and fishing.

But it depends on the time!

Although all the serfs had been assigned their work, there were still many things that required the lord's personal approval.

But the lord...

That's really inappropriate.

After considering his words for a while, he spoke:

"How could that be?"

"I just hope that even if you have to go out, you can plan your schedule so that you don't waste the whole day."

"Today, Owen wanted to bring a few serfs to make some planks, but since you're not here, he doesn't dare to make the decision on his own."

Lina and Betty could clearly sense the seriousness in the captain's tone, so they immediately suppressed their smiles and quickly got out of Richard's arms.

Lower your head.

I didn't dare to breathe.

Richard looked at the two women's reserved demeanor, then turned to look at Karl standing in front of the Grand Canal.

Suddenly, he chuckled.

"Erka".

"There are at least several thousand extraordinary warriors in the Wolf Army, but my father sent you to assist me."

"Is it because of your tendency to say whatever comes to mind?"

A hint of helplessness flashed across Karl's tense face, and he sighed softly.

"Yes."

"I wasn't well-liked in the military, but I just couldn't help it; I would point out things that I thought were inappropriate."

"I was even whipped a few times for this."

"If you, my lord, do not like me interfering, I will try to appear in your presence as little as possible so as not to annoy you."

His tone carried a hint of melancholy, clearly indicating that his straightforward personality had caused him considerable hardship.

...

Richard's smile gradually faded.

His face turned solemn.

"No, I appreciate your honesty and sense of responsibility, just like you reminded me of the food shortage problem yesterday."

"In some aspects, I really didn't think things through. If you feel anything is wrong in the future, feel free to speak up."

"Both Chiffon Collar and I need someone like you who dares to speak the truth."

He knew it was inappropriate to be out all day; Zhouxue River was only a few kilometers from the camp, and he should have come back around noon.

He was so engrossed in his fishing that he forgot the time.

Erka's words also enlightened him.

To build a strong territory, the system alone is not enough; you also need a steward or advisor to help you identify and fill any gaps.

Unfortunately, no one chose them.

Let alone serfs.

Of the nine guards, three were completely illiterate, their level of illiteracy was ridiculously high.

never mind...

take it easy.

Let's build the wall first before considering other things.

...

Karl felt a sense of relief when he saw that the lord not only did not blame him for his frankness, but was also so tolerant.

A hint of gratitude flashed in his eyes.

As he himself said, this damned personality of his had caused him to be ostracized in the past, and he was even stripped of his oath of allegiance by Earl of the Wolf in person.

It is truly fortunate to have encountered an enlightened lord.

"Thank you for your kindness and tolerance, my lord."

He bowed again.

Richard nodded, turned around, and lifted a heavy fish trap from Da Yun's back.

He tossed it casually.

It was thrown in front of Carl.

The moment the fish trap hit the ground, dozens of gleaming silver fish continued to thrash about, resembling a pile of lively silver coins in the dim light.

It also illuminated Karl's face.

Upon recognizing what it was, his pupils constricted sharply, and he took a half-step back in shock, stammering, "..."

"My lord... my lord."

"this..."

"Did you catch all of these today!?"

There were at least thirty silver starfish in the fish trap, which made him hardly believe his eyes!

How is that possible?!

What on earth happened?!

Richard was pleased with the captain of the guard's shocked reaction and reached out to pull Lina and Betty back into his arms.

He burst into laughter!

"It wasn't all me who caught them; the two of them also contributed. Betty caught ten, and Lina caught eight!"

Lina saw that the atmosphere had eased.

She grew bolder and nestled in Richard's arms, whispering a smile to Karl:

"Captain Carl, I caught the biggest one; it weighed a full eight kilograms!"

Betty nodded vigorously.

His eyes were full of pride.

Acquiring so much high-quality life-sustaining food with one's own hands is a merit in itself, regardless of the territory!

Karl was a little dizzy from the silver light, and finally realized that he was not dreaming.

He had thought the lord was just taking his maid out for a stroll, but he never expected to reap such a rich reward.

This bunch of silver starfish was a slap in the face to his previous doubts.

He shook his head with a wry smile.

I was just about to apologize.

Unexpectedly, when he looked up, he saw a golden light pierce through the twilight, swirling and flying straight into his arms.

"ah!?"

He exclaimed in surprise and instinctively hugged it. It felt heavy in his hands, weighing at least five kilograms.

The fish's body gleams with a dazzling golden light, its scales are delicate and smooth, and it exudes a powerful aura of life.

A fish of Venus quality!?

Karl froze, his mind going completely blank.

Having served in the Wolf Territory for many years, he knew all too well how rare Venus-quality food was.

The entire Benlang Territory, with its millions of acres of farmland, produces less than a hundred percent of the Golden Star crop each year.

Each one was treasured by the Earl, used to cultivate the family's core combat power and to recruit high-level extraordinary professionals.

Besides.

Only the Earl himself and the first heir can enjoy it.

And their lord caught one after only one day of fishing!?

this...

Is that river so plentiful? Maybe we should drain it tomorrow and see...?

Just as he was completely bewildered.

Snapped!

The golden trout in his arms suddenly flicked its tail and slapped him hard across the cheek!

This sudden slap left him even more bewildered!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"hehe."

Richard and his two maids burst into laughter upon seeing this.

"Waaaaah—!"