Chapter 30: The Sacrifice of Owens

For Safiya, Owens was akin to a brother, a figure of gentle reliability, ever-ready to protect all. Likewise, in Awang’s eyes, red with grief, Owens had long been regarded as an elder brother.

Their hearts heavy with sorrow, the group drove their horses hard, racing through the night, and finally returned to Uxkhal.

Upon their arrival, the once sleepy Swadian recruit at the main gate had transformed. Alert and composed, he saw his lord Draxel approaching from afar and promptly opened the city gates, welcoming him with due respect.

“Noble Count Draxel, welcome back. All is calm within the town. Following Captain Owens’ guidance, I have diligently stood guard without faltering.”

Hearing Owens’ name again, Draxel’s heart twitched painfully. He remained silent, his face expressionless.

The recruit, sensing the change in his lord’s demeanor and observing the reduced number of returning troops, realized the grave reality—Owens was not among them. He silently closed his mouth, his eyes losing their earlier brightness as he continued his guard duty.

Soon, the party arrived at the lord’s hall. Inside, the merchant Marnid was engrossed in his studies of commerce. Standing to greet Draxel, he said, 

“Lord Baron, you’re back. I’ve received word that our Kingdom of Swadia has declared war on the Khergit Khanate. Here is a scroll from the king, presumably containing his instructions.”

Handing over the scroll, Marnid presented what was likely to be a directive from the king himself.

Yet, Draxel paid no heed to Marnid, instead tossing the bags of grape seeds he had at his waist into Marnid’s arms.

“Here’s what you asked for. I need to see at least 10,000 Denars within three days.”

“My lord, it might not be feasible so quickly…”

“Three days,” Draxel insisted, his voice firm.

Finishing his words, Draxel headed straight to his bedroom, closing the door behind him with a resounding thud.

Confounded by Draxel’s sudden change in behavior, Marnid stood puzzled, trying to grasp what had just happened.

Safiya, carrying the young dragon Lein, and Awang returned shortly after. When Marnid inquired about Draxel’s condition, Safiya replied with a stern face, “I don’t want to talk. Stay away from me.” With that, she retreated to her room with Lein.

Awang, too, wore a grave expression and silently left for the soldiers’ quarters within the town.

Left alone, Marnid lingered, realizing the absence of Owens. He glanced at the bloodstained bags of grape seeds and made a silent vow: “These seeds, bought with Owens’ life, I must make them count.”

Inside the master bedroom of the lord’s hall, Draxel lay on his bed, his face void of color, a picture of lifelessness and despair.

[New Mission]

[Secure your territory and devise a strategy to defeat or capture the lords of the Khergit Khanate.]

[Evaluation: This is the directive from the Kingdom of Swadia, the document in Marnid’s possession. There’s no need for you to review it.]

Sensing his extreme anguish, the system refrained from further comment and voluntarily went offline.

This was his inevitable journey on this continent, filled with countless separations, countless deaths of comrades, and possibly even his own demise. Yet, the first encounter with such loss is always the hardest to bear.

That night, he lay restless, sleep eluding him entirely.

Upon waking the next morning, Draxel murmured in his room, “Owens, your sacrifice won’t be in vain.”

After a quick breakfast, Draxel, revitalized and having calmed his grief, went to see merchant Marnid.

“Marnid, I apologize for my demeanor yesterday. I’ve collected myself now. However, my request stands: we have only three days.”

Marnid, rising respectfully, responded, “Good morning, esteemed Count Draxel. I understand your urgency, especially now with the war underway. We must quickly amass both wealth and military strength.”

“And what progress have we made?”

“I’ve come up with an optimal strategy. We’ll use half of these grape seeds to plant in our own villages. The other half we’ll sell directly to other towns and fortresses across the kingdoms for immediate cash flow.”

“Good thinking. Tell me, what’s the potential profit from cultivation, how long until it yields returns, and what amount can we expect from direct sales?”

“The income from cultivation should be added to your weekly levies, potentially increasing them by at least 2,000 Denars. However, it might take a few weeks before you see this return as the vineyards need time to develop. As for direct sales…”

Merchant Marnid carefully recalculated and then added, “Regarding the sale, this half of the seeds should fetch around 1,500 Denars.”

Draxel appeared quite content with this figure, responding, “From today onwards, you will be the sole commander of Uxkhal’s trading operations, aside from myself. Proceed with selling this batch.”

“Understood, my lord. I’ll make the arrangements immediately. You should expect to receive the 1,500 Denars by tomorrow evening.”

“Excellent. I have other matters to attend to. Before I leave, a reminder: don’t sell the seeds to the Kingdom of Swadia. The portion we’ll cultivate ourselves should be sold within our own kingdom for the most secure and profitable returns. If others have them too, their value diminishes.”

Marnid fully concurred with this advice, sharing the same view. He quickly responded, “Lord, you’re thinking exactly as I am!”

[Evaluation: Impressive, I didn’t expect such business acumen from you.]

‘There’s much you fail to see, not just this. In the future, I plan to obliterate the vineyards in Xiko Village. That way, I become the sole source of these grapes, owning their origin. The first step towards establishing a monopoly.’

While Draxel contemplated these plans, after giving instructions to Marnid, he next visited Safiya’s room.

At that moment, Safiya was feeding milk to the obedient and calm young dragon Lein. She looked more spirited, seemingly recovering from the previous day’s sadness.

“Safiya, thank you for taking such good care of Lein. Your efforts are truly appreciated.”