Chapter 35: Searching for Talent

The woman lazily waved her delicate arm. "That's even better. Didn't he deposit part of his gold with us? Dead men don't enjoy royal legal protection. When he dies with no witnesses, we can swallow the gold easily. Still, I am reluctant to see such a clever, sensible boy die before I get a taste of him."

Having said that, the woman shackled her own foot, her face flushing strangely. "Inject the orcs in the basement with the rage serum, then bring them here. I've already tied myself up, so I won't crush them with my berserk power."

Simon wiped the cold sweat from his brow, worried. "Be careful not to squeeze the life out of the orcs again. These sturdy creatures are hard to find nowadays. Since the Northern Province was destroyed by the gray fog, the price of orc slaves has skyrocketed. Do you know how much I spent to buy those orcs?"

"This is the price you pay for making me wait, Simon, just a small price," she replied.

Field stepped out of Maple Leaf Manor, the sunlight soothing his nerves. "Phew, now that the money issue is resolved, it's time to purchase supplies. This time, more food and livestock."

Due to the unique environment of the Nightfall Domain, even after removing the pollution, the soil fertility was low, and agricultural output would be minimal. Field planned to build a ranch, primarily raising chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle. Their manure could effectively enhance soil fertility.

It's worth mentioning that prices varied in each city of the empire. A copper coin could buy a loaf of bread in Golden Eagle City, but in the impoverished western mountain regions, it would only buy the aroma of bread. The shopkeeper might let you have a sniff.

As a city with a thriving service industry, Maple Leaf City was uninterested in war. The number of slaves was minimal, and only human slaves were available, mostly women and children. The price of able-bodied laborers had tripled compared to women.

Food and forage were also major expenses. The Nightfall Domain produced nothing, so Field had to support the entire territory out of his own pocket. It wasn't Field exploiting the people; it was the people exploiting Field. Only Field, with his modern perspective, would engage in such a loss-making venture. Any other noble would never do it.

"Before buying anything, I need to recruit some management and administrative talent," Field rubbed his temples. "The entire territory has only two literate people, and Kaa's management skills are average. We also lack craftsmen; the large winery needs repairs."

After organizing his thoughts, Field told his guard, Hammer, "Take the gold back to the inn first. Then join me at the tavern."

Taverns in the medieval era served as talent markets and were among the most well-informed places.

After taking care of everything, Field arrived at a tavern in Maple Leaf City and pushed the door open. The place was filled with noise, people of all shapes and sizes bragging about their glorious deeds, some playing cards or dice games. Everyone seemed to be laughing heartily, but those smiles were just masks. Who knew how despondent they'd be when sober?

Field, clad in a black noble's robe, a steel longsword at his waist, and three guards behind him, startled everyone into silence. They looked at Field oddly, thinking he was there to catch an escaped criminal.

"Three pints of barley beer," Field tossed some silver coins like a magician. "Keep the change."

Realizing Field wasn't there to arrest anyone, the tavern instantly returned to its lively state.

"Sir, thank you for your generosity," the bartender respectfully placed the wooden mugs down, smiling broadly and quickly pocketing the silver coins. Three pints of barley beer only cost fifteen copper coins, so Field had overpaid significantly.

"Don't rush. I need some information first. Tell me the latest major events in the empire."

Field rewarded the beer to Hammer and the others; he himself wasn't interested in the coarse, sour barley beer.

"Have you heard about the arms theft in Bull Domain? Count Nibelungen has started an investigation, and of course, the unlucky Bull Baron is going to be severely punished. But I'm curious, who could quietly steal over 2,000 sets of armor? Only the devil could do that."

"Two thousand sets?" Field frowned. He had only found about five hundred. It seemed the old Count Nibelungen had inflated the numbers to balance his accounts. This was good news. If the count had reported accurately, it meant he was determined to find the culprit. But inflating the numbers meant he also wanted to profit, probably intending to kill some random bandits to settle the matter.

Noble tricks always revolved around their own interests.

Field smiled slightly. "Very interesting. Anything else?"

"Another major event, the empire's royal family lost a fifth-tier artifact, the Eye of Vows, a war trophy from those damned heretics. It's said to mesmerize people and turn them into puppets. The heretics have become rampant, linked to their large-scale western expedition. The imperial capital of the Purple Gold Empire, the rich gatekeeper and barrier of the inner sea, has been besieged for a month. As for the other cities of the Purple Gold Empire, all have fallen."

"Anything else?"

Field had no interest in this news since it held no value. Whether the artifact was stolen or not had nothing to do with him in the Nightfall Domain. Anyway, he didn't steal it, and he had no ability to covet a fifth-tier artifact.

The bartender wiped the mug in his hand. "No more. If you're not satisfied, I can offer you a pint of barley beer."

"I need to find some people to help me with work. Do you have any channels?" Field wasn't interested in drinking.

The bartender, with a knowing look, whispered, "Scarface, a true desperado, will kill his parents for twenty silver coins. Or the Mad Dog Mercenaries, a group of complete lunatics proud of eating their enemies' hearts. They charge a high price, not acting for less than thirty gold coins, but they have a reputation for killing their employers, so be cautious."

"I don't need assassins or mercenaries," Field waved his hand, knowing the bartender misunderstood. "I need capable people. Specifically, those with practical skills like management, architecture, herbalism, or craftsmanship."

"Ah, that's rare. Don't you want to seek out other nobles' offspring?"

Nobles typically appointed knights or squires to manage affairs. Don't think of squires as lowly; it was a noble channel for "winning from the starting line." Squires were usually second sons of noble families sent to other lords to learn martial arts and knowledge, while also helping out and getting acquainted.

"I'll think about it. There is one person, though, the prison warden Tate. He can read and write but is a rigid fool who refused bribes and insisted on justice. Haha, foolish to the core, he was framed by his subordinates, lost his job, and now drinks alone."

This sounded promising. Field nodded.