Chương 4: Family Development
The Next Day,
Maximus opened his eyes, with two beauties in both of his arms.
Seeing their peaceful sleep, contrary to their wild activities last night, made him think of the past.
In his previous world, he was merely a blue-collar worker working to meet the needs of his life.
As for a wife or something, he didn't think much of that.
Even he, couldn't take care of himself, what more the addition of another person?
"Good morning!" Maximus smiled as he noticed them waking up.
"M-morning" Erica.
"H-husband" Hazel.
"You should sleep more, I'll let the chef prepare some breakfast."
"Hmm," They grunted.
As he got up, he quickly washed and called the chef.
"Good morning, my Lord," the chef bowed.
"Cook this for breakfast."
Maximus took out a variety of tier 1 ingredients suitable for recovery.
"This-" taking out the ingredients gave him a shock.
He was an old chef, so tier 1 ingredients are nothing new.
But looking at the complete variety, some of which he didn't know, made him excited.
"It's my duty, my lord," the chef bowed in excitement.
"Hmmm, Go..."
Coming back to the bedroom, Maximus looked at his sleeping wives.
"It seems that I still didn't give them a gift."
Thinking of it, the process of their marriage was too fast.
They only meet a week ago, and then boom, they were already in his bedroom.
"It's really easy for nobles in this world to do things as they like," Maximus couldn't help but sigh at the impermanence of the world.
"But good for me," he murmured.
If he didn't have anything, he would despair with the circumstances.
After all, he was merely an ordinary man in his previous life.
However, the presence of the system gave him unparalleled confidence.
Shaking his head, he browsed the system mall, thinking of what to buy for his newly wedded wives.
After a while, he finally chose three things.
[Glamourweave Dress (Tier 1) - A magical dress that increases the charm of a person adding a demeanor of their own. Price - 20]
[Healthy Cream (Tier 1) - A cream that can make your skin perfectly healthy and natural. Price - 10]
[Ring of Protection (Tier 2) - Can protect against Tier 2 attacks, and can reduce damage from Tier 3 attacks. Price - 1,000]
For the dress, he bought 6; 2 for casual wear, 2 for formal occasions, and 2 for outdoor activities.
He bought two healthy creams.
As for the ring of protection, he bought three, one for each of them.
If it weren't for the lack of money, he might even buy a Tier 3 ring of protection for safety.
[-3,140 GP]
[Maximus Shadowcrest:
Tier 0: Apprentice mage - Lvl 7 (12/64)
Potential: Trash (0/1)
Wife: 2
Children: 0
Gold: 1,740]
Seeing that he had only a little more than a thousand gold, he sighed.
"It looks like it's time to earn money."
His territory was very poor, and now it's on a downturn due to the chaos following his father's death, causing merchants to raise prices.
With the system mall, he could do the business of reselling.
The only question is what to sell?
After a bit of thinking, he thought of salt.
Salt is a scarce commodity in this place, as salt mines and such are hardly found due to the barrenness of the land.
As for the sea, it's a no man's island due to the hidden dangers, making it not worth risking for salt.
As for animal salt, that is considered a luxury.
In this land animal husbandry is non-existent.
Due to the corrosive mana in the environment, herding flocks of animals is tantamount to suicide.
The corrosive mana makes animals with low sentience manic and irritable.
If it weren't for the adaptability of humans, they might also be corroded by the mana.
So the only source of meat in this land is through hunting.
All these reasons have caused the price of salt to skyrocket, earning it the title of "sand of gold."
While he was thinking of a plan, Erica and Hazel woke up.
"How was your sleep?"
"Hmm, it still hurts," Hazel muttered.
"You're too strong, husband," Erica said playfully.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Maximus smiled apologetically as he took out the prepared Tier 1 healing potion.
"Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."
"Thanks." Although they didn't know what kind of potion it was, they trusted Maximus and quickly drank it.
"Hiss..."
A comfortable wave rushed through their bodies, especially their lower parts, making it seem like they were bathing in the spring.
"How is it?"
"It's amazing, husband!" Erica's eyes lit up.
This kind of potion is quite rare, as their only source is Berunn City, which is a mysterious independent city.
Erica had heard many legends about that place.
It's said to be the only way to reach the other parts of the Curse Continent.
"Then let's eat."
...
A week had passed.
In a chamber within the castle, Maximus sat cross-legged, running over his meditation manual.
With a crack that seemed as if a barrier was being broken, Maximus broke through to Tier 1 official Mage.
"Huh!"
Maximus felt the aura coursing within his body, now ten times more powerful.
If Tier 0 is about introducing mana into the soul, then Tier 1 involves condensing the mana within his body.
This means his spells will be stronger and easier to cast.
More importantly, the quantity of his mana is 10 times more.
"Now I have some strength to earn money," Maximus thought.
A week ago, he had devised a way to discreetly sell salt.
He planned to use a Tier 1 alchemy mask to disguise himself.
The problem lay in the amount of mana needed to fuel the alchemy mask.
With his previous strength as an apprentice mage, he could only activate it for a few minutes, which was practically useless.
As for why he chose to disguise himself and not sell openly?
Firstly, he couldn't reveal the origin of the salt, as doing so would expose the existence of the system.
Secondly, and most importantly, he was weak.
If he were stronger, these problems would not be a concern.
...
At night, in the bedroom.
Maximus lay between Erica and Hazel, living a debauched life.
If it weren't for the danger, he might have thought he was dreaming.
"Are you going out tomorrow?" Erica asked, her finger tracing circles on his chest.
"Hmmm, I need to earn money to support the family."
Currently, he could barely afford his daily training expenses.
Just the cost of a Tier 1 soul potion for his meditation is 10 gold coins.
Furthermore, his wives also needed training resources.
After all, the system generated gold coins based on their strength.
At their current tier, the system only generated 1 gold point per day.
This might seem low.
However, when compared to the meager income of his territory, which is just a few hundred gold coins, it was already a significant sum.
And this was only considering their strength at their current tier.
After advancing to Tier 1, the gold coin would be worth 10 gold.
Additionally, each tier of strength would multiply his earnings by 10 times.
"It's really good to have you, husband," Hazel murmured from the side.
After marrying Maximus, her family moved to Moonshadow City without worrying about food and clothing.
Under Maximus's care and nurturing, the once skinny and tanned girl had even transformed, akin to a phoenix reborn after just a week.
Now She eats the most delicious things and wears the most beautiful clothes.
The only thing missing is the child that Maximus promised.
"Hmmm, is that so?" Maximus grinned.
"Um, husband—" Seeing the grin on Maximus's face, Hazel blushed.
"Shh, I kind of want to try a new position."
Erica, observing this, simply rolled her eyes.
What a beast.
Fortunately, after a week of nightly activities, they had become quite used to each other.
As for Maximus's stamina, well, that was the system's doing.
After all, it's a family and power system.
If he didn't even have this stamina, then there would be no point in discussing other functions.
...
The next day, Maximus slipped out sneakily, with only his wives being aware of his departure.
Once outside the castle, he found a secluded spot and retrieved the alchemy mask.
[Alchemy Mask (Tier 1): Can deceive a mortal at most. Price: 1,000]
Securing the alchemy mask on his face, he infused mana into it as his appearance gradually changed to become more ordinary.
"Hmm, no difference."
To the naked eye, there was no noticeable alteration in his appearance.
Only if you scanned him with spiritual consciousness, will you notice that mana surrounded his body like a mold.
With everything in place, he chose his first target.
...
At Rice and Barns' shop in Moonshadow City:
"How about it? How much will you buy the salt for?" Maximus asked, watching the shopkeeper examine the salt as though it were a treasure.
"It's amazing, sir. This is the purest salt I've ever seen," the shopkeeper exclaimed.
Though Rice and Barns had connections to a major noble family, this was the first time he had encountered such pristine salt.
"Of course, it's the salt I acquired from Berunn City. If I'm not short of money I wouldn't sell such a rare commodity…" Maximus trailed off, feigning the authenticity of his claim.
"That's true. How could there be such pure salt in this region?" The shopkeeper nodded in agreement.
"Then, how much do you think it's worth?"
"Um, how about 50 gold coins per kilogram?" the shopkeeper tentatively proposed.
"Hmm, that's acceptable," Maximus agreed without haggling.
Ordinarily, salt sold for 20 to 30 gold coins per kilogram, so he didn't think much.
"That's great!"
The shopkeeper seem to earn a lot that Maximus couldn't help but froze.
Should he try to negotiate further?
But remembering that he had purchased the salt for only 1 gold per 10 tons, he felt content.
Earning such a substantial profit from such a price disparity was incredibly easy.
"How much can you take?"
"What?" The shopkeeper was puzzled as if he hadn't heard correctly.
Wasn't it his role to inquire about how much salt Maximus had brought?
"I asked, how much salt can you purchase?"
"Um... around 100 kilograms?" The shopkeeper was unsure, but he only had approximately 5,000 gold coins in the store.
"Only 100 kilograms?" Maximus sighed, but he understood.
Despite being the city of a count, Moonshadow City was still only a modest part of the land.
If not for the noble status of the city, such a shop that could afford 5,000 gold coins at once might not exist.
"Well, if you can wait, I'll send a letter to headquarters to arrange for more purchases," the shopkeeper suggested, looking for a compromise.
Salt business is a business in that you will never lose money.
"Hmmm, I'll return in a month then," Maximus decided.
"Here, please weigh it," Maximus instructed, producing a hundred-kilogram sack of salt from his storage bag.
[Storage Bag (Tier 1): Holds 3 cubic meters of space. Price: 100]
The shopkeeper swiftly had his servant measure the weight, ensuring it was exactly 100 kilograms.
Considering the worth of this transaction, which amounted to thousands of gold coins, such precision was crucial.
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"Alright, remember to have the money ready. I'll be back in a month."
"Looking forward to our next transaction."
...
After concluding the business with the shopkeeper, he now had 5,650 gold.
"Next target," he thought.
There were two other shops comparable to Rice and Barns that he could approach.
Arriving at the next one, he concluded the business and sold 200 kilograms of salt for a total of 10,000 gold coins.
For the last shop, the owner was rather well-off and he managed to sell 300 kg salt for 15,000 gold coins.
"Hmph, this should be the money they earned from the food shortage half a month ago."
About two weeks prior, when news of his father's death spread, a panic buying trend had ensued, generating a significant profit for these opportunistic individuals.
"However, now it's mine."
Glancing at his gold balance:
[30,650 GP]
He was wealthy!
"Now I can buy whatever I want," Maximus murmured with a chuckle that caught the attention of others around him.
Fortunately, he was in disguise.
Otherwise, his subjects would witness their noble lord laughing like a lunatic.
...
A month later,
"Husband, I'm pregnant," Erica announced joyfully.
"Hahaha, that's wonderful news," Maximus laughed.
"Congratulations, my lord," the servants who had examined Erica for pregnancy chimed in.
"Congratulations, Young Master," Gerald added, a hint of tears in his eyes.
The Shadowcrest family would finally have a new bloodline.
"Congratulations, Sister," Hazel said softly from the side, her envy of Erica's pregnancy evident.
"It's up to you to take care of our husband," Erica teased.
With Erica now pregnant, Hazel would have to work on taming the beast inside Maximus alone.
"Hmm," Hazel nodded, her cheeks blushing.
She also hoped that this way, she could become pregnant sooner.
"What are you two talking about?" Maximus finally noticed the two whispering to each other.
"Nothing," they exchanged a glance, communicating silently.
"In any case, this is a joyful occasion. Let's have a banquet!"
"Let's invite your parents. I also have something to discuss with your father, Francis."
He had promised Erica's father financial support, but until now, he hadn't done anything.
With sufficient funds now, he couldn't let Erica's father feel neglected.
He had traded with three merchants in his city for salt and earned almost a million gold coins.
He had sold 30 tons of salt.
Unfortunately, these cunning merchants had driven the price down to 30 gold coins.
Nonetheless, he was content since all of this had only cost him 3 gold coins.
However, he knew that this business was a one-time opportunity.
After all, only nobles dared to afford such expensive salt.
This move also caused the price of salt to fluctuate, shifting from the previous range of 20-30 gold per kilogram to 15-20 gold coins.
Because of this, he didn't dare to sell anymore.
Maximus also caught some sightings of Tier 2 Great Mages investigating his city, searching for his fabricated identity.
...
The next day, at the center of Moonshadow City,
Due to the news of Erica's pregnancy, a banquet was arranged in the castle.
With an abundance of funds, Maximus also shared his joy throughout the city by offering free food.
"The Lord is truly like a god," a beggar sighed as he tasted meat for the first time.
Since hunting was the sole source of meat, many had never experienced its taste before.
Tears welled up as he beheld the piece of meat his their stew.
"Hmmm, so delicious. Now I can die happily."
"Don't speak of such ill fortune. Under Lord Maximus's rule, Moonshadow City will prosper, and we'll have the privilege to eat whatever we like."
"That's right! Just over a month ago, we were worried about starving. Look at us now, with meat on our plates."
"Thank you, Lord Maximus. Bless my family, so that we may never go hungry."
Others began to join in, worshipping Maximus.
...
Inside the castle, seated at a table with Maximus and Francis,
"How about it, father-in-law? Is the money sufficient?" Maximus asked as he handed a storage bag filled with 100,000 gold to Francis.
"T-this is too much," Francis exclaimed in shock, gazing at the pile of money.
"Don't concern yourself with this trivial amount," Maximus waved his hand dismissively.
"Very well, then I express my gratitude to my son-in-law."
Francis had no doubts about the source of such a substantial sum.
After all, Maximus's father held the title of Count, so possessing a few million gold coins was not out of the ordinary.
In reality, however, their family had been impoverished, and the noble title was merely a label.
The land was barren, coupled with a lack of effective management resulted in financial hardship.
After all, Maximus's father was obsessed with training, focusing solely on honing his skills.
"It's no trouble. We're family," Maximus assured Francis.
"It's the luck of my daughter to have married you."
"Hahaha, I'm the fortunate one to have married such an exceptional woman."
"What are you two discussing?" Erica and Hazel approached them.
"Nothing much, just talking about you," Maximus replied with a grin.
"Oh."
The banquet continued until the next day...
...
Two weeks later,
"I'm finally pregnant," Hazel murmured, her hand gently caressing her belly.
"Your wish has finally come true," Erica smiled, her gaze also resting on Hazel's stomach.
"Now there's another little one waiting to come into the world," Maximus added, filled with happiness.
"No one will be able to help you now, husband," Erica teased.
"Uh..." Maximus was rendered speechless.
Although they were intimate every night, he just fulfilled his duty as a man.
At most, he did it a few more times.
"How about we add another sister?" Erica seriously suggested.
"I'm not in that much of a hurry," Maximus responded like a good husband.
"Then we'll take our time to search one for you," Erica said, flashing a smile.
"Hmmm, just make sure they're beautiful enough," Maximus finally nodded, sealing his words with a kiss.
What can he do?
This was the norm in this world, especially among nobles, who often had several women at their beck and call.
Considering his age, Maximus was even more restrained with only two.
Some nobles of his stature might already have ten or more by this point.
"Just don't forget to love us..."
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