While the soldiers, led by Alganis, were unloading the carts, Victor returned to the castle. It was time to investigate why the belt in his inventory had changed colour from red to silver.
Back in his office, he opened the menu and again looked at his armour. The belt was still silvery.
The lord extended his hand and touched the window, and in the next second, a much larger window appeared.
This was essentially an inventory, filled with a vast number of different objects—flasks, scrolls, folios, all marked in red.
Evidently, red indicates items that are currently unavailable for use. This conclusion arose from his experience with the belt, which he could now utilize, suggesting it functioned as a storage depot.
Searching through the inventory, he found a book marked in silver.
Victor tapped the book icon, and it materialized in his hand. Runic script began rearranging itself into intelligible text. Within a minute, the title 'Paladin's Benediction' appeared on the cover.
Opening it, the lord was flooded with information even before reading the first line. Knowledge poured into his consciousness like waves.
The book described how a Paladin could cast blessing spells on themselves and their allies. There were three blessings, and the one described here would enhance comprehension of combat techniques and accelerate strength growth.
Simply reading the book, he felt energy coursing through his body. Like fire and ice flowing alternately through his veins, he experienced alternating sensations of heat and cold.
Focusing internally, as taught by Alganis, he could visualize this energy. Normally, it resembled boiling water with tiny air bubbles. Now, it was like fire, followed by cooling ice.
Fire cleared paths wherever it passed, while ice cooled them afterwards. It reminded him of metal plunged into water during tempering.
Watching this phenomenon, Victor felt weakness spreading through his body. Despite his efforts, darkness crept into his vision, and he lost consciousness.
Regaining consciousness, he found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. Turning his head, he saw Lulu asleep sitting on a chair, resting her head on the mattress.
Tenderly stroking her hair, he woke her up, urging her to sleep in her own room.
— My-lord-i-e-en, whaaa-at? — Lulu cried out, half-asleep.
— Calm down, I'm perfectly fine, — reassured Victor. — How long was I unconscious?
She collected herself for a moment, wiped tears from her cheeks, and recounted what happened. According to her story, he slept for ten days straight. Jin had forbidden telling anyone except Alganis.
Also, a messenger from his father had returned, bringing a letter, but nobody had read it, as none had authority to open it.
Everything on the estate was peaceful, with no incidents; everyone was adhering to his previous orders.
After listening to her tale, he convinced her to retreat to her room, as it was still deep into the night.
As soon as Lulu left, Victor opened the menu to check for changes. When the menu window appeared, he was surprised to discover substantial improvements in his attributes.
Strength: 29 (+6 points)
Agility: 27 (+7 points)
Intelligence: 18 (+8 points)Luck: 9 (+2 points)
Armour Usage: Improved from -74% to -56%
Victor suspected intelligence was influenced by specific books, though it was somewhat surprising that they were Paladin-related texts. Why luck had risen was unclear.
Putting the book back into the inventory, he decided to visit his study. Dawn was two hours away, and after sleeping for ten days, he felt refreshed.
There was just one problem — putting on his clothing. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't dressed himself once, and the garments were incredibly elaborate.
Ultimately, after half an hour of fruitless struggle, furious, he summoned servants for assistance. Five minutes later, two maids arrived and helped dress him, finishing the job in approximately ten minutes thanks to their expertise.
Leaving his room, the lord vowed to introduce sensible fashion to this world as soon as possible, abandoning the madness of strings and knots.
Entering his study, he spotted a letter from Count Shermanyn on the desk. Victor broke the seal and, seating himself, leisurely began reading.
Half the letter consisted of empty diplomatic niceties, while the second half contained meaningful details.
The count thanked him for the gift and, in return, sent alchemical potions to strengthen his body and enhance magical powers.
On one hand, it was a grand gesture, but considering the count believed he had no magic, it could be seen as mockery. However, knowing his father, it was more likely a sincere attempt to assist him—or aid Alganis, indirectly benefiting his son.
Judging by the quantity of potions, their approximate value was at least a thousand gold coins—too substantial to be mere mockery. Even selling them would yield profit disproportionate to the wine-making expenses.
After pondering this, he read the closing lines, which did not uplift his mood. The letter mentioned the birthday celebration of Duke Leomville. As the duke's son-in-law, his attendance was mandatory.
Receiving such a missive, any lesser noble would leap for joy. Invitations to such banquets were rare even for the duke's own barons, let alone a baron subject to another lord.
What made it worse was the need for a worthy gift. Since his father hadn't advised him, finding an appropriate present would be his burden—and he had no clue where to start searching.
Setting aside the letter, Victor leaned back in his chair, resembling more a wooden throne.
The entire study was furnished with heavy wooden furniture, but the imposing chair with a 150-centimeter-high backrest seemed overly ornate. The bare walls were decorated with ornamental weapons, shields, and other war paraphernalia.
Behind him stood a floor-to-ceiling bookcase stocked with bulky tomes. Their parchment emitted an unpleasant odor, leaving no escape, and at first, Victor even planned to discard them altogether.
Twenty minutes later, retrieving a clean sheet of parchment, he resumed listing inventions from his previous life relevant to this world.
At some point, he failed to notice the door swinging open, admitting Lulu with an extremely displeased expression.
— Again, my lord? — she complained loudly.
Raising his head, Victor smiled warmly. Her antics and constant nagging about his health always cheered him up.
He searched his memory for recollections about this maidservant, recalling only that she'd been around since childhood, serving the original owner of this body.
— What time is it? — the lord asked, grinning.
— Time for breakfast, and you really need more rest! — Lulu persisted.
Victor, ordering breakfast to be prepared, sent her ahead, tidying away his sketches and notes into a secret compartment hidden behind a stone panel in the wall. Completely forgetting he had an inventory where everything could be safely stored.
Descending downstairs, he found Alganis already seated at the table, beaming at his master. Wearing the breastplate from his new armour set, polished to perfection, he clearly reveled in the gift.
People hearing about armour usually picture heavy cavalry equipment. Imagine a knight—a veritable immobile steel wall astride a horse.
But Alganis wore only a breastplate and helmet, which, given their mythril composition, weighed no more than ten kilograms. For a Bronze-class warrior, it felt like wearing a regular shirt.
Welcoming him and taking his seat, they conversed idly as servants brought food, predictably another hated chicken dish. Fortunately, Victor was very hungry, otherwise, he might have lashed out at the cook.
Finishing breakfast, the pair left the castle, mounting horses and riding toward the seaside village, a place the landowner had long desired to visit.
***
Earth's sea holds untapped riches. One of the simplest treasures it offers is salt. Victor knew roughly how salt was extracted, but precision required experimentation.
Salt naturally exists in this world, sourced from mines. Unfortunately, without proper processing, it appears dull and has a bitter aftertaste.
Humans seldom consider the health benefits of iodized salt.
One reason he pondered this product was the prevalence of goitre among peasants. Even without medical knowledge, identifying it was straightforward, as neck swelling resembles a bird-like deformity, earning it the odd name.
He'd seen cases everywhere, and the root cause was simple: salt was too expensive for common folk, and treatments were costly. However, his land held resources that could supply iodized salt, a natural remedy for this disease.
Approaching the village, he noticed the fields had not been cleared or prepared according to his orders. Alganis explained that, due to the absence of bodies of water nearby, expanding arable land made no sense here.
Riding into the village, it was evident that his orders were faithfully executed. Everything was clean, and, importantly, there were no unpleasant odours.
Victor involuntarily recalled his upcoming trip to the duchy, causing another headache. The real trouble lay in the cities' unbearable stench.
Historical films depict filthy streets and poor sanitary conditions confined to slums. Only in this world did he learn that hygiene existed exclusively around elite palaces. The rest of the city resembled a communal toilet.
Walking down a street, if nature called, you'd simply duck into an alley to relieve yourself, often finding company.
Shrugging off these thoughts, the lord refocused on his current affairs.
Upon entry, the villagers, as in other settlements, began falling to their knees, and a middle-aged man, rushing toward them, also collapsed on his knees.
It turned out he was Kotter, the village elder, whom Victor immediately instructed to gather twenty men and follow them to the shoreline.
Without waiting for compliance, he rode ahead, and an hour later, they reached the coastline.
The sea here differed little from Earth's waters. Those attempting navigation mentioned intelligent monsters living in the depths, attacking ships and anyone foolish enough to leave solid ground.
Victor had no plans to sail anywhere; his priority was determining whether salt could be harvested here.
He leapt off his horse and sat on the sand, gazing at the ocean. On Earth, he had only seen pictures online and never dreamed of experiencing it firsthand.
While the lord sat, contemplating the sea, the peasant labourers arrived with shovels and, receiving orders, began digging trenches. According to his plan, they needed to dig six pools and connect them to the sea via a channel. Extracting salt is relatively simple, but crude evaporation produces bacteria and dirt, not pure salt.
Victor lacked precise methodology, so he decided to experiment, thinking of adding more pools later for purification.
Issuing orders and explaining the sequence of operations, he did not wish to linger here and rode back to the castle.
Along the road, the lord mulled over what else could be done, but for now, he had exhausted his options. Implementing these projects drained his resources and energy.
Money was disappearing into buying food, as granaries were empty. Currently, everyone on the estate lived off the castle's coffers, even commoners received provisions from the lord, a fact that might scandalize traditional nobility.
Approaching the castle gates, he saw soldiers and knights gathered, flying unfamiliar flags. Hurrying to greet him was a maid, announcing that Baron Selitas had arrived as a guest.
Victor was stunned, but Alganis was outraged, as visiting nobles were supposed to announce their visits beforehand. This was a major breach of etiquette.
Ignoring the commotion, they rode into the castle courtyard. Dismounting, the lord headed to the dining hall, where he found a blonde-haired man of about twenty-five years old seated in a chair by the hearth.
The man appeared slightly overweight but had trustworthy big blue eyes.
Selitas rose from his seat upon seeing the lord enter, bowing gracefully, flawlessly adhering to courtly manners.
— Baron Baltas, allow me to introduce myself, Hector Selitas, — the visitor introduced himself. — Please excuse my sudden arrival; my messenger was sent to you but never returned. Fearing something had gone wrong, I decided to come in person.
This was a standard excuse for surprise visits, especially since they were both barons, rendering such explanations acceptable.
— Please sit, Baron, we're always happy to welcome guests, — Victor invited, gesturing toward a chair.
They discussed weather and kingdom affairs for nearly an hour before moving on to business.
— Hector, I assume there's more to your visit than casual conversation? — the lord finally inquired.
— Indeed, I should have welcomed you earlier, — Selitas admitted sheepishly. — But you're right; I've come on business. Your wine intrigues me, and I'd like to strike a deal with you.
Victor grinned slightly, unsurprised by the man's motives. Even a fool would guess the reason for his visit, and given his speedy arrival, interest in the wine was beyond expectation.
— So you have suggestions, I presume? — he asked.
— More of a proposal, and I sincerely hope you'll accept it, — the baron replied.
Negotiations were uncomfortable for Victor, as leaving his estate required passage through Selitas' or Clint's lands, both of whom could hinder him.
They couldn't blockade him outright, but introducing excessive taxes on his caravans or orchestrating attacks by bandits they labeled "unstoppable" would suffice.
— What's your offer? — he pressed, weighing his options.
— I suggest that I become the exclusive seller of your wine, purchasing it for fifty gold coins per barrel, twice your current price, — Selitas proposed with a smug grin.
Victor pondered briefly and counteroffered.
— I'll give you fifty percent of all my wine production, but you won't be able to sell it higher than seventy gold coins. Also, I assure you, I have more to offer.
With this remark, he subtly conveyed to the man opposite him that he wouldn't get a better deal.
— Agreed, when the contract is ready, we can sign it, — Selitas eagerly consented, rising from his chair. — And now, could you treat me to dinner? I'm famished from traveling.
«Seems like a decent guy, might want to keep him closer», the lord mused fleetingly and instructed Jin to arrange the finest reception possible for the guest.