In the second month of summer, the Midsummer Solstice, Margery arrived as promised.
This time, the merchant fleets brought more ships than the dock could handle, forcing many sailboats to dock by the river and wait for the preceding vessels to unload before docking at the pier.
This made Roland realize that the town's dock needed to be expanded.
Graycastle Industrial Company has successfully completed its mission this month, reducing the scrap rate of components to 40% and producing three steam engines ahead of schedule. While the factory's export products still fall short of the third-generation steam engines currently in use in the town in terms of power output, air leakage, noise, and vibration, they represent a significant leap forward compared to the initial model.
As per the contract, the Xuan Yue Bay caravan brought a 300-member artisan team. Roland settled them all in the industrial park on the southern bank of the Chishui River. In addition to building a new wooden workshop next to the existing one, he also ordered Karl to construct employee dormitories near the riverside. To ensure completion within a month, Karl oversaw the delivery of massive logs, while Anna handled the cutting. The most time-consuming wood processing phase was completed in just two days. Karl, Anna's former teacher, was stunned by her newfound abilities. Within six months, this slender and quiet girl had blossomed into a confident and radiant young woman.
Roland hosted a lavish banquet at the castle to welcome the merchants.
At the same time, liquor also appeared in the public eye for the first time.
"Every time I visit you, there's something new. Margaret didn't lie to me," Hog exclaimed. "Even the liquor is so unique—compared to this... this..." "White liquor," Margaret reminded him.
"Right, baijiu! Wheat wine and grape wine pale in comparison—it's just plain tasteless," he grinned, downing the glass in one gulp. "Your Highness, you must sell me a few crates of this." "I find it too fiery. Fruit wine suits me better," the merchant said with a smile, shaking her head.
Roland smiled. "It's all about personal taste—high-proof spirits aren't for everyone. I'm not trying to market them, just making a few to give people a taste of something new." In an era when brewed spirits still dominated, distilled spirits were clearly a rising star with immense potential. Later classics like baijiu, rum, whisky, and vodka all originated from high-proof distillates, and these spirits spawned a whole cocktail culture. But for Border Town now, it's still too early to develop this industry.
"Your Highness, I've already sent people to gather intelligence on your last instructions," Margery began. "After the Church took control of Eternal Winter, little changed there. But the resistance in Wolfheart Kingdom has grown stronger. Reports say the Church's forces are all stationed at Broken Tooth Fortress, unable to advance for over two months. Meanwhile, King Dawn sent a messenger to Graycastle, claiming the Church's move isn't to eliminate witches but to seize the mainland kingdom. He called for an alliance between the two nations to expel the Church and jointly defend the Holy City of Hermes." "How did the capital respond?" Roland asked.
"The Marquis of Wick, the Prime Minister before the throne, rejected the proposal, dismissing it as nonsense," Gamor shrugged. "This matter has caused a stir in the capital, with even the Noble houses failing to reach a consensus. As far as I know, many support forming an alliance, given that the Church shows no signs of returning power to the Winterborn Heir." "Tifeco hasn't intervened?" "The Prime Minister's response was clearly under Tifeco's orders. He's already leading troops to the Eastern Frontier," Maloran said with a grave expression. "Reports indicate a massive fleet landed in Sea Breeze County, plundering along the Eastern Frontier coastlines. They didn't spare churches, and many fjord merchants suffered as well." "A large number of refugees have fled the Eastern Frontier. Both I and Hog have taken in many," Margery added. "They say these raiders don't just loot money—they kill people too. They burn anything they can't take, as if trying to turn the entire Eastern Frontier into a wasteland. This is a devastating blow to Tifeco, who just subdued the Eastern Frontier's Nobles." While Tifeco's defeat should have been a cause for celebration, Roland felt a pang of pain upon hearing about the refugees being plundered. "Those refugees..." "Are you interested?" Margery smiled faintly. "I've been speculating since reading that letter. You might want to buy a large number of slaves to strengthen your territory's labor force. But compared to the foreign refugees from Winter and Wolfheart, these Graycastle people might not be willing to sell themselves into slavery." "I don't need to enslave them. Anyone willing to settle in Border Town will receive food, shelter, and wages for labor," Roland corrected, though he recognized this was a golden chance to expand their numbers, albeit belatedly. "How many remain?" "Most able-bodied refugees have been taken in by the Nobles and caravans. Nearly ten thousand still gather outside the capital, though mostly children and women." "No problem," Prince declared. "Will you need to consult the capital officials?" "Not at all," Margery waved her hand. "They'd welcome your escort. Otherwise, if the food rations run short and their numbers grow, it could spark a refugee uprising."
After the dinner, Roland returned to the office and summoned his personal guard, Tasa.
This incident made him realize how outdated his intelligence system had become. Had he known about the refugee crisis earlier, he could have prepared in advance and brought more people to Border Town. Currently, all his information about the outside world came from the caravan, and the monthly delivery speed was far from sufficient.
Even with troops stationed at Longsong Fortress and outposts set up, surveillance remains limited to the western frontier. To claim the Graycastle throne, one must expand their vision across the entire realm and even the continent.
Roland lacked the loyal personnel to build a full intelligence network, let alone the spies and informants operating covertly across the land. His plan was to start with the basics—sending teams to the capital to gather intelligence from various sources. While not achieving full surveillance, this approach would at least allow him to quickly grasp the overall situation and avoid the passive position he now finds himself in.
Tasa, who knows the underworld in Wangdu's Black Street like the back of his hand, is Prince's perfect choice.
"You want me to follow the caravan back to the capital?" Tasa froze in shock.
"Exactly. You have two key missions. First, secure refugees from the Eastern Frontier for me. I'll dispatch a hundred-strong escort team. The exact screening criteria will be disclosed before the caravan departs." "Understood." "Second, after the refugee influx ends, remain in the capital to gather intelligence from across the realm. You've dealt with underground rats before—you know exactly how to operate. Margary's caravan will fully support you, and you can directly request the necessary funds from them. Unlike our last mission to spread Witch rumors in Chishui City, this time there's no budget cap." He placed a revolver on the table. "Take care of yourself. I hope to hear from you soon."