NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 38: Neil Morton’s Shock
Chapter 38: Neil Morton's Shock
Of course, plans are just plans. Meals must be eaten bite by bite, and roads must be walked step by step. Keeping a powerful individual like Neil Morton isn't easy and can't be achieved overnight. Moreover, Thor needed to understand more about this person to feel at ease.
After instructing the maids, Thor left. As a lord, especially a pioneer lord, he had many responsibilities and couldn't stay with this guest all the time. He wasn't worried about any potential threat to the territory. A person at least at the peak of Earth Knight, or even possibly a Sky Knight, wouldn't be interested in anything his small territory had to offer. As for the exposure of his "golden finger" (special ability), there was nothing to worry about. His ability was merely an information system; who could tell how he obtained it or whether it was due to some unique talent? The continent was full of people with various talents.
After Thor left, Neil Morton rested for a while before starting to explore Eagle Ridge. As he walked around, he gained a general understanding of the place. It seemed to be a newly established noble territory, probably less than a year old. The territory wasn't large, likely just a barony. Judging by the absence of a noble badge on the lord, Thor was probably just a pioneer knight. Neil Morton knew about pioneer knights—courageous individuals who established their own territories in wilderness areas. However, they were also impoverished, struggling even to afford a few bottles of basic healing potions. For Neil Morton's condition, advanced healing potions would have been necessary, requiring several bottles. The cost could easily exceed thousands of gold coins, an amount that a lord's annual income might not cover.
This made Neil Morton curious. He was sure he had taken something that provided a significant amount of life energy. How could a baron possess such a valuable item, let alone be willing to use it? As he pondered, the sights around the territory further shocked him. He noticed people working—cleaning canals, building houses. Initially, he thought they were slaves, but a wave of mental energy revealed faint life energy emanating from them. Startled, he realized these were formally trained knights doing manual labor, something unheard of even in the Empire. The workers seemed happy, not oppressed, with smiles and hopeful expressions, quite unlike what he had seen elsewhere.
Neil Morton continued exploring, astonished by the scenes unfolding before him. He saw happy freemen without the usual servile demeanor, farmers spreading manure in fields, and small structures scattered throughout the territory for public sanitation. These were unheard of even in the Empire's capital. It felt like a new world was opening up before him.
As Neil Morton absorbed these sights, the atmosphere became lively. People were excited, talking about the return of "Knight Ryan," who had apparently gone to hunt green goblins. Neil Morton, curious, followed the crowd to the outskirts of Eagle Ridge. Soon, he saw a young knight leading several dozen others back, carrying game. They distributed the food among the people, each knight smiling warmly, without the arrogance typical of their class.
Neil Morton watched quietly as Ryan and the others left, then resumed his exploration of the territory. Thor was aware of Neil Morton's wandering but was unconcerned. The territory had no secrets, and Thor's main focus was on convincing this powerful individual to stay, if not as his guardian knight, then at least as a resident.
(Note: The iron mine produces mithril iron continuously, making it valuable like harvesting crops. The protagonist's talent issue will be resolved soon; he's not completely without talent, just not comparable to a genius like Ryan. A solution will be found.)