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Chapter 17: The Best Mount
Chapter 17: The Best Mount
Leaving the courtyard, Su Nan walked toward the main tower of the inner castle.
As he passed, the patrolling soldiers greeted him with respectful salutes.
To keep his secret, Su Nan had his older brother seal the news of his becoming a wizard's apprentice.
As a result, the commoners and regular soldiers in Blackstone City knew little about Su Nan, only that the lord's younger brother was somewhat reclusive, rarely venturing out.
Only the knights, who were privy to the truth, held a genuine sense of awe and respect for Su Nan.
Entering the main tower, Su Nan headed straight for the study on the third floor.
Apart from the council chamber where he held meetings with his generals, Kui usually handled administrative tasks in the study or practiced in the training grounds.
By his usual routine, Kui should be in the study at this time.
Just as Su Nan stepped onto the third-floor corridor, he saw a beautiful maid emerge from the study.
Her disheveled clothes, flushed cheeks, and damp hair clearly indicated she had just experienced an intense session.
Noticing someone approaching, the maid turned and, upon seeing Su Nan, was startled, fumbling to curtsy.
"Master Su Nan."
Su Nan gave her a peculiar look. He vaguely remembered that this maid was a widow, and he hadn't expected his older brother to have a thing for her.
"Go on," Su Nan waved her off.
The maid hurriedly retreated.
Su Nan stood at the door for a moment before pushing it open and entering.
Kui, who had already dressed, was engrossed in a book at his desk.
Hearing the door open, he looked up and smiled naturally. "Ah, Su Nan. What brings you here?"
Su Nan didn't call him out, pulling a chair to sit down. "How's the Blackstone Mine doing?"
"Very well!"
Mentioning the Blackstone Mine, Kui's face lit up with a smile.
"In just half a month, we've earned over a hundred gold coins from selling Blackstone Iron."
"And that's just the beginning. The mine's production will increase further, and once it stabilizes, our territory will generate at least four to five thousand gold coins annually from selling Blackstone Iron!"
A viscount's territory typically earns around four to five thousand gold coins a year.
For Blackstone City to match that income with just one city's resources, the Blackstone Mine's gold-making potential was evident.
"Has Flash City reacted yet?" Su Nan asked.
The Blackstone Mine was too significant to keep secret for long.
As expected, Flash City must have already learned about the mine's reopening.
Owen, unless he was a fool, wouldn't stand by and watch Blackstone City grow stronger thanks to the Blackstone Mine.
It was a no-brainer that he would try to interfere.
Kui's smile faded, and he pondered for a moment. "The main buyers of Blackstone Iron are the lords and guilds from Thornflower Duchy, bypassing the Golden Rock Province. Owen would find it difficult to intercept the trade."
Thornflower Duchy, a duchy as renowned as Starlight Duchy, shared a border with Blackstone City.
By trading with them, the caravans could reach Blackstone City without passing through Golden Rock Province, avoiding Owen's interference at checkpoints.
Of course, Owen could send his army to cut off the trade routes.
However, that would involve Thornflower Duchy, potentially escalating the situation.
Unless absolutely necessary, Owen was unlikely to act so rashly.
We need to be wary of other tactics he might use.
"I plan to form a cavalry," Kui suddenly said.
Su Nan's eyebrows raised, quickly understanding the implication.
Owen's hold on the baron title and his ability to keep the other three baronets in check were due to his five-hundred-strong elite cavalry.
Blackstone City would inevitably clash with Owen sooner or later, so preparations needed to be made early.
The best way to prepare was to form an equally powerful army.
"It will cost a lot of money," Su Nan said.
Kui nodded, "Purchasing warhorses and armor will cost a fortune."
In this era, warhorses and armor were extremely expensive. A single warhorse and a set of armor would cost no less than thirty to forty gold coins. The subsequent training of cavalry, raising of warhorses, and maintenance of equipment would be an even greater expense. One could say that a cavalry regiment was a gold sink, and many territories' tax revenues were largely spent on maintaining it. This was why the number of cavalry a lord had was a standard for judging their strength.
Even with the Blackstone Mine as a cash cow, forming an elite cavalry would still be a significant challenge for Blackstone City.
"If that's the case, I do have a method," Su Nan said, his eyes gleaming.
"What method?" Kui's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly. After witnessing Su Nan's numerous marvels, he had complete trust in his brother.
Hearing that Su Nan had a plan, he felt a surge of hope.
"Black Rock Leopards," Su Nan said succinctly.
Kui immediately understood and his eyes brightened. He had already seen the formidable combat capabilities of the Black Rock Leopards, which rivaled those of knights. The key was that these puppet constructs were fearless, tireless, and didn't need to eat. If they could be used as mounts, they would be the best mounts!
"Can you create Black Rock Leopards?" Kui asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Su Nan replied.
Thanks to the active potion's boost, his progress in puppet crafting had accelerated significantly and was now over 90%. In another four to five days, he would master the skill and be able to create Black Rock Leopards.
"Fantastic!"
Kui was overjoyed, standing up and pacing back and forth, too excited to speak. A cavalry regiment mounted on Black Rock Leopards would be the strongest cavalry force in the Golden Rock Province. With such a regiment, even a small number—say, three hundred—would give him the confidence to retake Flash City!
In his excitement, Kui looked at Su Nan and felt a deep sense of gratitude. After returning from the mine, he had received beginner books from Su Nan to test his potential to become a wizard's apprentice. However, after reading just a few pages, his head had started to throb painfully, forcing him to give up.
It was clear he lacked the aptitude to become a wizard's apprentice, and he had mourned this for several days. But he eventually came to terms with it. It didn't matter if he couldn't become a wizard's apprentice as long as Su Nan was there. With Su Nan's support, they could surely revive the Yanest family.
After a while, Kui calmed down and patted Su Nan on the shoulder.
"Leave this to you. If it works, you'll be a great hero to our family!"
Su Nan smiled faintly, brushing off the praise, and brought up the reason for his visit.
Kui slapped his forehead and laughed, "I was just about to tell you about this."
He stood up and walked away from his desk, gesturing for Su Nan to follow.
"A while ago, I asked the Fire Fox Trading Company from Thornflower Duchy to help find what you need. They arrived in Blackstone City this morning and are probably resting at the tavern. Let's go see them."
(End of Chapter)
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