Ron made his way alone to the fourth floor, entering a large room estimated to be over 600 square meters in size. The walls had four large windows wide open, and the floor was covered with a red carpet. In the center of the room were two high-backed chairs facing each other; apart from that, there was no other furniture.
"It feels like I'm at a job interview!" Ron thought to himself.
Ahead in the room, a woman sat with her back to Ron in one of the chairs, her appearance hidden. Though Ron was curious about what she looked like, he suddenly noticed a small section of the red carpet beside her, which had a slightly different color from the surrounding carpet and emitted a barely audible sound of breathing.
Noting the unusual carpet, Ron frowned slightly but didn't think much of it. He set his gaze aside and walked towards the woman.
Hearing his footsteps, the woman slowly stood up, turned around, and smiled at Ron.
It was only then that Ron could clearly see her. She had long, jet-black hair that flowed like silk, occasionally falling over half her face and then lifting to reveal her beautiful features. Her eyes were a deep, ocean-blue, filled with intelligence and curiosity. She had a high, elegant nose, red lips, delicate cheeks, a captivating smile, a slender neck, and a graceful figure with fair skin. All of this combined made her look like a goddess, exuding elegance and grace.
The only drawback was her white, form-fitting gown, which, with a headscarf, would make her look like a saintly nun. Of course, if she were truly a nun, she would be a mesmerizing one, leaving Ron a bit dazed.
Unbothered by Ron's intense gaze, Feli maintained her smile and said, "Sir Ron, welcome to the Moore family!"
Ron snapped back to reality. "My apologies! I didn't mean to be so rude!"
"No worries! I should be the one apologizing," Feli continued to smile, "Please, have a seat."
Ron took a seat directly in front of her, facing Feli.
"Why should you apologize?" Ron asked as soon as he sat down.
Instead of answering immediately, Feli first tidied her wind-tousled hair, elegantly tucking it behind her ear, before responding:
"The engagement party was rather rudimentary, and many of the family elders were absent. It clearly showed a lack of respect towards you!"
"Haha!" Ron chuckled and waved his hand, "I currently have nothing to offer. If it weren't for your family's interest in me, I'd probably still be teaching at the gladiator training grounds!"
"Ron!" Feli suddenly became serious and spoke loudly, "I hope you don't underestimate yourself. From the first time I saw you, I knew you would achieve great things!"
"First time you saw me?" Ron was puzzled, "When did we meet? And why did you have such a high opinion of me?"
"Last year, I attended the championship finals at Warrior's Grove Academy as a guest."
Feli seemed to recall a pleasant memory, her face lighting up with a smile.
"Your swordsmanship was both dazzling and practical, reminding me of the legendary sword saint from the imperial capital. At that moment, I knew you were the person I was looking for."
"When I returned home, my first action was to propose recruiting you. Initially, I was supposed to marry you myself, but my family strongly disagreed. Besides, I am already betrothed to the eldest son of the Duke of Lorraine."
"So, it had to be abandoned. I'm sorry you have to marry my sister instead! So I owe you an apology!"
Hearing such praise from Feli, Ron felt more worried than pleased.
In this world, who openly expresses admiration so unabashedly? Especially a woman, an exceptionally talented woman! A once-in-a-lifetime genius, while he was just a penniless drifter!
In fact, he was only a penniless knight. Ron's experiences growing up had made him skeptical of everything. He couldn't believe he had such charm to attract a top-notch woman like her so openly.
What was this woman aiming at by flattering him so much?
With his doubts, Ron's smile faded, and he asked seriously, "So, what is it that I can do for you?"
"I think my sister has given you a rough idea of the situation."
Seeing Ron's serious expression, Feli also dropped her smile and spoke calmly:
"Perhaps she wasn't very clear because I am the one handling this matter. Let me explain in detail."
"As you know, our family has developed a new territory on the border. It is located south by the sea and north against Mount Gordo, bordering the orc lands. It is not only a treacherous area but also frequently attacked by orcs, making it extremely dangerous. I need you to establish a strong fortress there."
"That seems a bit puzzling. Why develop such a useless fortress in such a dangerous place?" Ron asked, seeking the real reason.
Feli pondered for a moment, "There are two reasons. First, it is a natural port where we have established a dock. This allows our family to transport grain, weapons, and other necessities to the border at a minimal cost."
"You might not realize how significant the profits are. Let me put it this way: previously, transporting resources, weapons, and materials overland involved various levies and taxes along the way. By the time it reached the border, only a fraction of the original cargo remained."
"But with sea transport, the loss of goods is greatly reduced, and the profit can be 80% more than overland transport. The trade of a single shipload of weapons can surpass the monthly profit of our other industries combined."
"Wow!" Ron was genuinely astonished. "I can almost see endless gold! No wonder the Empire bans private sea transport; it undermines too many interests. If I'm not mistaken, Moore's family isn't the only one involved in this?"
"Indeed!" Feli smiled, "Almost every prominent family in Lane Town is engaged in this illegal trade, including the Duke of Lorraine.
However, their methods vary. They choose to land in other territories and then transport the goods to the border by land. Although this is safer, it's further from the border, resulting in higher loss and not necessarily safer.
The security here refers not just to potential robbery but also political risks. Passing through other territories always leaves behind evidence, and that evidence means political risk. After all, the Empire strictly prohibits private sea transport.
Many rely on overland transport for their livelihoods, including powerful dukes."
"We do not wish to leave any evidence behind. So we are firmly opting to establish a territory directly on the border. As long as we avoid leaving political traces, other risks are acceptable."
"I won't hide it from you. In fact, my cousin did not die at the hands of orcs. Given this, you should understand what I mean."
"What?" Ron furrowed his brow, "He was assassinated?"
"Yes!" Feli nodded, "Not only my cousin but also other knights we sent to manage the fortress all died without exception. Hence, neither family members nor family knights are willing to go there anymore."
"We can't force them to go; after all, people are far more dangerous than those monsters! And you should know, according to Imperial law, if a territory is not managed by a member of the family for a long time, it will be revoked!"
"We invested a tremendous amount to establish that territory, and such a result is unacceptable to us!"
Hearing this, Ron felt a pang of bitterness. He finally understood why Feli had praised him so highly when they first met. It wasn't because of genuine admiration but rather because she was willing to shower praise on someone who was about to take on a perilous task!