Chapter 294 - 237 Messenger of the Court of Summer_1

Words : 2308 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

Chapter 294: Chapter 237 Messenger of the Court of Summer_1Blackwell Town maintained its initial model, massively importing food through human merchants for sustenance and then selling iron ore at relatively low prices, thanks to the addition of dozens of Giant Treants. The amount of iron ore mined from Blackwell had doubled again, but then it hit a bottleneck; although it was growing, the pace was very slow. This allowed Blackwell to remain profitable without being excessively so. Ultimately, it was about keeping a low profile; some of the iron ore, although mined, was piled up deep in the mines and not transported out. Even the iron and steel furnaces produced by the Hobgoblin craftsmen were dismantled overnight, leaving no trace behind. The visit of Feng Gedahast made Mr. Gaven realize something. Only eat as much as you can carry; never overreach beyond your abilities, or you’ll meet a swift and tragic end. The reason Blackwell could develop was not that my vision was exceptional or my abilities formidable. It was rather that by accident, I stumbled upon the right path, allowing everyone to make money and have a stake in the profits. It was only then that they acquiesced to the development and growth of Blackwell. Even the Red Ravens, who seemed to be in a competitive relationship with them, got a piece of the pie from Blackwell. With the High Road becoming busier, their mercenary tasks naturally increased. Some who were part-time merchants even ran the Blackwell route, making a handsome profit within a few trips, thus attracting more Red Raven mercenaries to join the ranks. Currently, the two largest trading groups involved in transactions with the Blackwell Iron Mine were the initial long-term partner and the Red Ravens. If Gaven were to monopolize the smelting and mining trade and organize his own caravans to take all the profits, he would be at odds with the entire Rocklands and would hardly be able to move an inch. Searᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without matching abilities, it was best to suppress that ambition for the time being. This didn’t mean Mr. Gaven had stopped exploring iron and steel smelting; rather, he moved the related experiments to Eagle Cliff Town, attempting on a small scale, accumulating experience as much as possible, waiting for the right time to expand on a large scale. With the arrival of the Purple Dragon Patrol Team, this model of profit sharing was further solidified. These elite patrol teams showed the world why their reputation was well deserved. Not only were they all professionals, but their thirst for battle was also strong. After settling in, they did not wait for things to happen but took the initiative to repeatedly plow deep into the mountains on both sides of the High Road. Be it monster nests or bandit dens, they leveled everything without consideration for the reasons. These forces, after being disturbed by the Dragon Oak Territory over the last half year, had little left and now were completely wiped out. The trading square near the Blackwell Iron Mine was permanently guarded by two hundred members of the Purple Dragon Patrol Team, serving both as surveillance of Blackwell Town and as protection. Aside from the militia of over a hundred Gnolls and defense equipment, Mr. Gaven deliberately did not retain too much defensive force there. Now, no one dared to touch Blackwell Town because doing so would be like tampering with the Komeer Kingdom’s cake, an action that could lead to instant annihilation. While Eagle Cliff Town did not have such high secrecy, it still did not have direct contact with the outside world. Whether they directly took refuge here or were transferred from Blackwell Town, the Gnolls seemed to disappear into an abyss, never to be seen again. The number of Gnolls in either Eagle Cliff Town or Blackwell Town remained consistently around five thousand. This number was sufficient to ward off most voyeurs yet not conspicuous enough to draw unwanted attention, while at the same time maximizing value creation. The surplus Gnolls naturally made their way through the Dragon Oak Portal into the Dragon Oak Mother Tree. With its vast size, the Dragon Oak Mother Tree now housed as many as twenty thousand Gnolls, and less than a third of the Dark Domain inside had been developed. Settling a hundred thousand Gnolls here should not pose a problem. This goal, however, was not attainable in the short term. The Gnoll Tribes in the Dragon Oak Territory were almost completely merged. Since they remained quiet in the Material Plane and did not cause trouble, there were not many Gnolls actively seeking to join them. Now the growth of the Gnoll population relied mainly on their own breeding. With ample supplies and safety ensured. The Gnolls demonstrated their greatest ability to survive and thrive in this dangerous world—they were prolific breeders. A female Gnoll’s gestation period is only three months, and she lays at least three eggs at a time, sometimes as many as five or six. Not ten days after laying eggs, she could become pregnant again. If left unchecked, a female Gnoll could give birth to at least ten young Gnolls a year. The hatching zones in the Dragon’s Nest within the Dragon Oak Mother Tree were expanding, growing from two to five and still undergoing further construction, with the ultimate goal being ten. Each hatching zone could simultaneously accommodate two thousand Gnoll eggs for hatching. Within half a year, the number of juvenile Gnolls within the Dragon Oak Mother Tree would far exceed that of the adults. For this reason, Gaven had to implement planned breeding for the Gnolls and pursue policies of eugenics. The Gnolls’ breeding rate should follow his development pace, not disrupt it and become a burden. This year, the number of Gnolls in the Dragon Oak Mother Tree should be kept around fifty thousand in total, which would be sufficient without causing adverse effects. In Virginia’s territory, preparations were in full swing for transplanting fruit trees and clearing land for farming. They proved with their actions that the Fae Race, when willing, were the best farmers in the world, without rival. As Mr. Gaven had guessed, those fruit trees had been escorted by the Druids and Treants, using the Awakened Trees ability all the way here. These fruit trees, after being selectively cultivated, were sent to the Dragon Oak Mother Tree to take root and become part of its ecosystem. The lesser quality trees could only take root around the Dragon Oak Mother Tree. The Fae Race found clearing fields much easier than ordinary people did. The second-level Soft Stone Technique could turn obstructive stones in the soil to clay and gravel to sludge. The third-level Plant Withering would inhibit the growth of weeds and shrubs and then quickly wither them away. The third-level Plant Growth, on the other hand, would make fruits, vegetables, and grains grow quickly and even increase the harvest yields. The third-level Awakened Plant would animate the trees, allowing them to move away from their current positions, clearing the land for farming without harming them. The sixth-level Manipulation of Earth could flatten hills into plains or create trenches hundreds of meters long. The seventh-level Manipulation of Weather could artificially induce rainfall or disperse unnecessary precipitation, making the entire environment more conducive to crop growth. In just twenty days, the ten-kilometer radius of land around the Dragon Oak Mother Tree had been completely leveled and seeded, waiting for time to foster its growth. Besides, the court of Lord Virginia, as well as the castles of the Elves—Spring Bud Fortress—had their main bodies relocated onto the Dragon Oak Mother Tree. Spring Bud Fortress itself was not built, but grown. Most of it could also be moved to the Dragon Oak Mother Tree by method of Awakened Trees. It wasn’t only Lord Virginia who was determined, but all of Spring Bud Forest had decided that from now on, the Dragon Oak Mother Tree would be their home, and other parts of the Spring Bud Forest would become a subsidiary to it. The benefits of doing this were self-evident. Although their territory had shrunk, their defense forces were now more concentrated. For now, they could only hold their position until the day when the Dragon Oak Mother Tree truly started moving. Wherever the Dragon Oak Mother Tree passed, it became the Spring Bud Forest. The relocated Spring Bud Fortress, now atop the highest point of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, merged with the canopy. Many areas of the canopy were remodeled. Especially the main hall of Lord Virginia’s court, which was directly expanded from the main trunk of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree using Wood Shaping Technique into a huge space. Thankfully, Gaven now had Energy Dragon Wings and could fly, making it easy to observe everything. If one had to navigate through the complex trunks, hanging ladders, and turntables of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree to reach Spring Bud Fortress, they’d surely end up dizzy. Other Elves visiting? Gaven couldn’t help but arch his eyebrows. The main hall doors of Lord Virginia’s court were tightly shut, guarded by a small squad of fully armed Yaling Warriors. He recognized at a glance that they were not the Yaling Warriors of Spring Bud Forest. It wasn’t that Gaven had met all of the Yaling Warriors of Spring Bud Fortress, but rather that the style of their Yaling Armor was distinctively different from that of Spring Bud Forest. The Yaling Armor of Spring Bud Forest was primarily green, inlaid with silver and white, leaning toward a simple and elegant design. The group of Yaling Warriors now standing outside the main hall sported a bold red color, inlaid with silver, each looking like a blossoming flower, resplendent and colorful. The twelve Yaling Warriors were uniform in height with standardized postures, standing like a row of spears planted there. Their demeanor was as if they were guarding their own royal court, while the Yaling Warriors of Spring Bud Forest seemed like mere guests. A familiar face, looking dissatisfied with her lips pursed, was standing not far away. Gaven immediately found a secluded place to land and waved to the acquaintance. Seeing Gaven clearly, the other’s eyes lit up, and a smile couldn’t help but emerge on the small face as she scurried over and said, "Mr. Gaven, you’ve come back just in time. We have an annoying guest here; please hurry and help Lord drive them away." This acquaintance was none other than Maqi, the personal handmaid of Lord Virginia. Normally, this Yaling handmaid didn’t think highly of Gaven, but her smile towards Gaven today indicated that she held the guest currently being entertained by Lord Virginia in even lower esteem. "First tell me what’s happening? Who exactly is the other party? They seem to have quite the pomp," Gaven didn’t rush to act. Since the other party was also an Elf, they were more likely a friend than a foe, and he needed to understand the situation fully. "Who else but the people from the Court of Summer would treat someone else’s home as their own?" Maqi said with a wrinkled nose, "The one who came is the eldest prince of the Summer Court. From the moment he arrived, if he wasn’t criticizing, he was dictating, and now he’s absurdly aspiring to a marriage alliance, wanting to marry Lord Virginia. Hmph, only a fool can’t see that he’s not just coveting Lord Virginia’s beauty but also wants to claim the Dragon Oak Mother Tree for himself. When we were in trouble, there was no one sent by them, nor a request for a marriage alliance. Now that we have activated the wartime state of the Dragon Oak Mother Tree, they are both sending envoys and proposing marriage. Where in the world is there such a good deal?" The disdain towards the Court of Summer was not confined to Lord Virginia alone. It was a unanimous sentiment among all the intelligent lives in Spring Bud Forest. Their prolonged lives granted them long memories. For Humans, a century was the lifespan of a generation, with most turning to dust. But for the Fae Race, everything seemed like only yesterday. They still vividly remembered how for the so-called greater good and for the safety of the Fairy Wilderness, the Court of Summer had sacrificed the other half of Spring Bud Forest, how they disregarded the cries of the intelligent lives in the entire Spring Bud Forest, using them as tools to seal the Enchanted Realm. From that day on, the remaining half of Spring Bud Forest parted ways with the Court of Summer. They stopped paying tribute and rejected their protection; they would protect themselves. "Come on, I want to see who dares to covet my woman," Gaven said as soon as he heard, and went straight to the main hall. Although he knew Lord Virginia agreeing to such a request was almost impossible, he couldn’t be careless, especially since the visitor was from the Court of Summer. That’s to say, even before the loss of the other half of Spring Bud Forest to the Foul Giants. Spring Bud Forest was merely one of the twelve major territories of the Court of Summer, barely making it into the top five in terms of area. Now it ranked second to last, with the smallest being a detached land wrapped by the Winter King’s Court, its annexation into the Winter King’s Court a matter of time. "Halt, outsiders are not allowed inside," when they were about five steps away from the main hall, the Summer Court warriors guarding the door crossed their halberds and rebuked them in a fluctuating tone of Elvish.

Chapter 294 - 237 Messenger of the Court of Summer_1

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