Chương 34: Reforged Chapter 34: Westfall! Here I Come
"Old Jackson, like I said before, I want ten ships that meet near-shore transportation and fishing standards. Make them as big as possible. When can I get the ships?"
Duke's words startled Old Jackson.
He hadn't expected this seemingly inexperienced young mage to really want to build ships.
Money was being handed to him, and he couldn't refuse.
Old Jackson sighed, "I don't have enough materials for that many ships. I only have enough materials for five new ship keels. Any more, and I'd need time to gather the materials. If you only want five 30-ton new ships, I can guarantee their quality and have them done within a month. Each one will cost 50 gold coins."
A 30-ton ship was actually quite small. In Duke's familiar measurements, it was only about 15 meters long and a little over 3 meters wide. It was just a little bigger than a rowboat.
"Alright, let's settle on that. Here's the deposit." Duke immediately took out the 100 gold coins Lothar had given him that morning.
"You don't need to give that much. For a mage like you, we'll only take a 10% deposit."
"Then use the rest to help me recruit some sailors."
Old Jackson's face, full of wrinkles, showed a hesitant expression. Biting his lip, he finally spoke, "There are plenty of young men at the docks with nothing to do. I can help you recruit people. They're all good lads with decent swimming skills and character, but they're not sailors. I can't promise to let them take on high-risk jobs."
Duke smiled nonchalantly, "No problem, we'll just do some fishing and transport some legitimate goods. In fact, I hope the young men we recruit are clean-handed. If I find out anyone dares to hide even a little bit of goods..."
[Calm and Collected]
[Pyroblast]
A water tank-sized fireball instantly formed in Duke's hand and flew out, exploding in the sea next to the shipyard.
With a loud "boom," a large water column was blasted into the air.
Windsor, standing nearby, was petrified—Duke had held back this morning! If such a large fireball had hit him, wouldn't he have instantly turned into charcoal?
The shipbuilders, including Old Jackson, were all trembling, their legs wobbling.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to frighten you. But the things I'm about to do are very important, and I don't want any bad guys mixing in with my subordinates." Having said that, Duke nodded and left with Windsor.
Duke didn't go back to the house Lothar had given him but returned to the Mage Academy's guesthouse and asked the old man Norton for some paper and a pen.
He spread out a large piece of paper, about the size of an A2 sheet, on the table and picked up a quill pen that needed to be dipped in ink. He silently activated his system assistance.
System prompt:
"Beep! Detected auxiliary information such as 'Drawing Geometry' and drawing software in host's memory... System optimizing and organizing... Drawing assistance feature completed!"
In Windsor's astonished gaze, Duke took less than ten minutes to draw a side view of a sailboat and handed it to Windsor.
...
"Take this blueprint and keep it safe. Here's 500 gold coins for your travel expenses. I need you to go to Kul Tiras and bring back the family of craftsmen capable of building a ship of this caliber... uh, invite them back to Stormwind City. If I haven't returned by then, settle them in the house Lord Lothar has given me."
Windsor couldn't understand the blueprint, but he could barely recognize the name of the respected old mage Norton on the bill that could be exchanged in the capitals of the seven human kingdoms.
"Wow," Windsor gasped, realizing that Duke was planning something big with or without him!
Curious, Windsor asked, "What will you be doing in the meantime, Lord Markus?"
"Of course, leveling up—oh, I mean, practicing magic, and preparing for this investment."
The world of mages was not one a common soldier could interfere with. Although suspicious, Windsor was grateful for Duke's trust. After all, 500 gold coins was already a huge sum in his eyes—enough to provide a small family with a wealthy life for generations.
Surprisingly, Duke entrusted him with the vast sum without hesitation.
"Alright, rest assured, I, Reginald Windsor, will not disappoint you."
On his end, Duke hurried back to his 'home' in Stormwind City before leaving. Lothar truly valued him, gifting him a house in the Park District. According to pre-transmigration standards, it was a villa with two small gardens.
In his previous world, it would have been an expensive property worth millions in a major city. But in Stormwind, compared to the mansions of the nobles, it was quite ordinary.
Duke didn't invest his heart in the place.
Since the house was destined to be destroyed in the war, there was no point in being attached.
However, news of Duke's investment reached the ears of some interested parties in a short time.
Landor Blancdale burst into laughter when he heard about Duke's shipbuilding endeavor.
"That idiot—building ships? Stormwind has no specialty products to sell! We collect so much in taxes each year, only to be ripped off by the Kul Tiran merchants or the even more detestable goblins…"
"Fine, I'll watch Duke lose everything, even his pants!"
The Blancdale Family wasn't foolish. When Lothar subtly inquired about their feud with Duke, the family sternly warned Landor Blancdale.
"Do not contact Duke in any form, direct or indirect, until the situation is clear. Otherwise, angering Lothar will lead to the destruction of the entire Blancdale Family."
Temporarily unable to act against Duke, they could still 'bless' him with the worst of curses. In fact, not only Brando but many mages at the Academy of Magic also looked down on Duke's actions.
In their eyes, a noble mage engaging in trade was an insult to the profession.
Even the most neutral mages felt that Duke was wasting his talent and time. After all, the ocean of magic was so vast, and human life was too short for the time required in the pursuit of magic.
But Duke paid little heed to all this.
He hired a carriage and a group of mercenaries, and it took him five days to cross the Elwynn Forest, arriving in Westfall, southwest of Stormwind City.
"Westfall, here I come!"
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