Top Tier Perversion: Dual Cultivate Secretly

Chapter 28: Action and Execution

’...Spirit Iron...’

Something finally clicked in her mind.

Anastasia’s eyes immediately focused on Leona.

"M’lady, if someone were to discover Spirit Iron... can you craft a weapon from it?"

Leona raised her eyebrows and crossed her legs, taking a moment to actually think of an answer.

Vincent felt left out. ’System, is this cultivation talk?’

[Affirmative.]

’Why do I have no knowledge of anything?’

[Ignorance is a bliss, Host. Enjoy it while it lasts.]

Vincent was getting immune to the system’s comments and had no change in reaction.

"Spirit Iron is a metal of legends. Without one at hand, it’s hard to answer." Leona answered.

There wasn’t a rejection and that was all Anastasia wanted to hear.

"A strange ore was recently discovered by a miner and is kept at the administrative building in Gold Town. I hope M’lady has time to check it later."

The thought of a metal from the legends making an appearance lingered in Leona’s mind. If that ore was what Anastasia hinted it was, then a massive change was underway.

It would be on an unimaginable level, and everyone’s understanding of everything was about to be flipped.

Leona looked down at her tea and calmly took a sip.

"...so, do you know of any land available for farming?"

Leona swiftly brought Anastasia’s attention back to the present predicament lest she strayed too far.

’Right. Farm lands...’ Anastasia remembered what she was initially asked.

’Southern and Northern Regions have no relation with food. However... the Central Region which was taken by Duke Heinrich...’

Anastasia tried to recall the events.

’In all iterations, after Duke Heinrich took control, he would send a group of mercenaries to explore the Dark Forest. They would hunt monsters and trade them in the markets. The meat was considered a delicacy.’

’For an entire year, caravans entered and exited the Dark Forest everyday. But then, the Duke sealed the entrance and allowed entry to only his house members.’

As Anastasia recalled these, she turned to Vincent.

"Young master, while I can’t seem to remember any lands, I do know of an odd method that could bring temporary relief. Would you like to hear it?"

"Go on." Vincent took the last sip of his tea and leaned back.

"The Central Region’s Dark Forest is an uncharted territory. Monsters run rampant there and can be hunted to be eaten."

Vincent knitted his brows and stayed silent for a few seconds, letting Anastasia’s statement settle in.

He then turned to Leona.

"Why are you quiet? Why aren’t you lecturing on how that’s a bad idea and can’t feed everyone?"

Leona looked at Vincent and said, "The death of monsters is unrelated to the stability of the ecosystem. They are monsters for a reason. If there’s enough available to solve the food crisis, then hunting them is the best answer."

"...talk about double standards." Vincent clicked his tongue.

Regarding the monsters, he suddenly remembered something.

"The Southern Region was a river basin before floods, right?"

"Yes. It had fertile lands due to this very factor." Anastasia replied.

"Right. So, even if it’s flooded right now, can’t people fish?" Vincent tried to come up with a solution for the food crisis on his own.

He turned to Leona and said in a hurried tone, "We also have a lot of ships, so can’t we go to the sea and catch a lot more fish then transport them to the county everyday?"

"Think about it. There’s plenty of fish in the sea so what’s stopping us from using fish to combat hunger?"

Vincent’s words made sense to Leona.

"Fishing can indeed help. But by the time they’re transported everywhere, they would rot. Not to mention the difficulties of catching such large amounts of fishes everyday in the turbulent seas."

Leona uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.

"There’s also the threat of pirates."

Her words left Vincent contemplating and made it difficult to come to a conclusion.

’They used refrigeration to keep fish fresh in modern times. But if not ice, the fish can be preserved by salting or smoking or sun drying maybe? Though, will people even like the taste of such preserved fish?’

Vincent closed his eyes and thought deeply about it.

’If someone served me such stinky fish two times a day, every single day, I would surely riot.’

Vincent shook his head.

’Beggars can’t be choosers.’

He turned to Leona.

"You said rot, so for that I can think of a few methods. We can immediately transport the fishes to a salting or smoking facility then distribute them throughout the County. If the fish can be sun dried and it is super hot or sunny, then we can try that too."

Leona and Anastasia both looked at Vincent in a new light.

Listening to a reliable answer from his mouth did not feel right, but he really did give a proper solution.

Vincent remembered how people liked having salted or stinky fish in the modern times.

"These salty, smoky or chewy fishes will pair well with alcohol. The masses are sure to love them."

Anastasia stared at him.

Leona stared at him as well.

Vincent stared back.

"...What?"

"Nothing, young master."

"Nothing at all."

"Then why are you both looking at me like that?"

Anastasia opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Then shook her head.

"It is nothing."

Leona nodded.

"Nothing worth mentioning."

The two girls quietly picked their teacups.

Vincent’s brows furrowed.

He somehow felt insulted.

"Anyway, let’s discuss the execution and implementation. I have the highest authority in the county currently. Anastasia, brief me and Leona about the facilities and logistics..."

...

...

Vincent and Leona listened for nearly an hour.

Another hour was spent formulating the correct framework.

Officials started to arrive at the mining camp site.

Vincent eventually took an hour’s break to have lunch and freshen up.

Being escorted by knights to relieve himself in the wilderness was an awkward experience. He chose to pretend such a moment wasn’t being stored in his memory and went about his day.

As the afternoon passed, a telegram stating the arrival of grains arrived.

Three days of grains provided massive relief to Vincent, Leona, and Anastasia.

They made some changes to their plans and gathered the officials to finally let out orders.

...

Vincent stood on a makeshift wooden stage and stared at the many officials standing before him.

He cleared his throat and said while pointing at the skies, "Mobilize every fishing vessel."

The officials looked confused and wondered what Vincent meant.

Vincent pointed at another spot in the sky.

"Convert three warehouses into smoking facilities."

Everyone tilted their heads in the direction Vincent was pointing, having absolutely no clue of what he meant.

"Purchase every ounce of salt available." freewebnσvel.cѳm

Everyone was completely lost by now.

Anastasia and Leona walked up the stage in the midst of Vincent’s speech.

Anastasia unfurled a large map of D’Arc County and Leona pointed at it as Vincent spoke.

Suddenly, every order started to connect as the officials understood Vincent’s message. free𝑤ebnovel.com

An official immediately raised his hand and interrupted, "Your Lordship, there is a problem."

"What is it?" Vincent stopped spewing commands and paused to listen.

"Half the fishermen have migrated due to the Southern Floods. And what warehouses could His Lordship be talking about?"

"The ones by the docks." Vincent said and Leona pointed at it on the map.

The official looked at it and said, "Those are occupied by refugees."

"Good." Vincent nodded, making the official frown. "We have labor available for the warehouses too."

"But—"

Vincent shook his hand. "The situation is dire. If the refugees are healthy to work, make use of them and get the preservation plan started."

The officials had no more reason to refute.

Vincent’s words were absolute and they obeyed it.

As sunset approached, everyone scattered and Vincent’s commands were being executed with full force.

Vincent wrote a rough outline of his day on paper and did not forget to telegram it home as his mother had instructed.

...

The next morning.

Southern Region, D’Arc County.

Radson Bay.

"Cen ya believe it? The little Count relly just employed us!" A middle-aged fisherman said with a cigarette in his mouth.

"Old Willy, get yer arse moving. We have lots fish to catch, ya hear?" Another middle-aged fisherman said while boarding a medium-sized boat.

Old Willy took a last puff and tossed the cigarette butt in the water.

He boarded the ship right behind his friend.

"Look how excited some extra trinkets make ya, ya bastard."

"It’s a week’s pay in one day. Shut yer stinky mouth and take the wheel."

Old Willy snorted and shoved his hat onto his head.

"Set the sails, ya lazy bastards! The sea ain’t gonna jump onto the boat itself!"

Laughter erupted across the deck.

"Listen to him bark," one fisherman shouted. "An hour ago he was crying about no money for beers."

"After today’s pay, I’ll buy all the beers and even that tavern owner’s wife!" Old Willy barked back.

The deck erupted into louder laughter.

"In yer dreams!" someone shouted.

Old Willy spat overboard and pointed ahead.

"Enough yappin’. Remove the anchors and let the engine roar!"

The medium-sized steam-powered ship left the bay, venturing into the Tunlun Sea.

Three hours after sunrise, not a single ship stayed docked at Radson Bay.

...

Mirrec County.

In a busy town market.

"You want how much?" A shopkeeper put his monocle down and looked at the lady standing before his grains.

"A few gold coins worth. Are you deaf?" The lady rolled her eyes and exclaimed. "Never seen such money, have ya?"

"If you wish to scam, then go somewhere—"

A coin was tossed in the shopkeeper’s face, making him reflexively dodge.

The coin fell beside him with a clink.

Picking it up, the shopkeeper jumped, almost hitting his head on the wooden pole of his small tent.

"A gold coin!?"

His shout caught the attention of the wandering folks and nearby merchants.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and stared at the strange interaction occurring in the middle of the market.

"Where could you have stealed it from?" The shopkeeper asked while inspecting the coin as if it was a diamond in the rough.

The lady placed her hand on her waist and snapped. "Give me my coin back if ya got nothin’ to sell. I’ll take my business elsewhere."

"No. No. Please wait." The shopkeeper stopped looking at the coin and placed his complete attention on the lady.

Many people surrounded the grain shop, and the pressure to sell was now on the shopkeeper.

He went to the back of his tent and brought out worn out parchments.

He went through them and said, "I have fifty sacks of wheat, sixty sacks of barley, forty sacks of rye, and... "

He listed the amount of grains available.

"Two gold coins and everything is yours."

"Too expensive." The lady shook her head. She paid attention to the merchant’s listing and knew he was selling it for a premium.

"One gold coin and twenty silvers."

"What?" The merchant knitted his brows. "You might as well rob me."

The onlookers were puzzled. They had never a deal being made of such a caliber and were at a loss on what the fair price would be.

"I’ll pay you two gold coins if you double the quantity of wheat and rye." The lady shrugged lightly and answered.

The shopkeeper felt dizzy hearing the counteroffer.

"I don’t have any more sacks to sell. How about we meet in the middle and do one gold and eighty silvers?"

"Thirty silvers."

"Seventy silvers."

"Thirty silvers."

"Sixty."

"Thirty."

"..."

The shopkeeper gnashed his teeth and almost had bloodshot eyes.

The offer was really not going to make him rich, but he also wasn’t going to get a customer again who was willing to buy his entire inventory.

He breathed heavily in the middle of the busy street, just a foot away from the woman.

"Fifty silvers. I’ll also arrange the carts necessary to transport the grains wherever you need. Don’t tell me you are going to carry all of it on your back now, are you?"

The lady fetched another gold coin from her pocket and handed it to the shopkeeper.

"Keep the change but you will ensure my safety and provide meals until the grains are boarded into the train."

"Done!" The shopkeeper instantly responded, almost shedding a tear.

"Two gold coins? Wow..."

"Who is this lady? Possessing so much money just to buy mere grains..."

The onlookers broke out in loud chatter and commented.

The lady stood calmly by the grain shop and did not divulge any information.

To the grain merchant, she was almost like a goddess in disguise. He treated her with utmost sincerity and gave her a chair to sit down.

He pulled the curtains of his shop down and closed it.

Noticing many spectators still present, he yelled.

"Do you have nothing to do? Scram!"

With displeased looks on their faces, the crowd began scattering.

As it wasn’t midday yet, with the grain merchant as his escort, the lady went to other shops to procure grains.

Her spending spree in the morning caused quite a commotion and news of it travelled fast, spreading to other noble territories close to afternoon tea time.

A strange atmosphere soon loomed in the entirety of the Falkner Kingdom as the commoners and nobles alike took notice of these sudden food purchases.