"Opportunity?" Old Fulin's held back the anger in his heart. His face slightly changed.: "What does you mean?"
"You remember that I had an alchemist friend. He had given me recipe which is simply but has very strong destructive power. If we use this alchemy product then killing the beasts and clearning the area outside the passage won't be a problem."
"Alchemy?" Old Fulin thought of match. The recipe was given to Dudian by a mysterious alchemist. Old patriarch hesitated a bit.: "Can you use it? Would he blame you if he knew that you had used his recipe to make the product?" Ryan family has suffered because of the alchemists as they have destoryed Ryan family's fiefdom. The old patriarch had fear in his heart when the topic of alchemist was brought up.
"I have helped him a lot." Dudian said.: "He will not mind me using this product."
Old Fulin asked.: "Di you helped him before you were jailed? "
"For a long time." Dudian said bluntly. Moreover he added after a moment.: "If the things go smooth we have to few gifts to him because of his past help."
Old Fulin nodded.: "Yes, gift can always enhance the good will even if he does not mind them."
Dudian replied.: "I need thousand gold coins to buy materials."
Old Fulin was hesitant. In addition to hundred thousand gold coins that would be used to rent the passage they will have extra 10000 gold coins at hands as surplus. It is all the capital their family had right now. He was going to bet on Dudian a bit more.
Dudian went downstairs to find Barton, Joseph and Kroen as he got the money. He left the castle with them. As they drove the carriage he checked if there was someone tracking them. After he was sure that there were no unwanted guests they drove to other towns to buy sulfers and the other materials to produce the gunpowder. They transported the materials to the small workshop which they had initially produced the match.
After the signing the contract with Scott consortium they had disabled the lease of the small workshop. The twenty slaves that he had bought were transferred to the Ryan castle as servants.
The gunpowder was totally different from match production. Although both of them were considered as alchemy products but because of destructive power of the gunpowder it would be banned if it came to light. That's why he only trusted Barton, Joseph and Kroen with the production of the gunpowder.
"Wear your masks and gloves. " Dudian began to teach them the production process as they had bought all the necessary materials and tools to successfully produce gunpowder.
...
...
A few days later.
Dudian returned to Ryan castle and found Old Fulin.: "Now you can go to Holy Church and rent the passage."
"Are you ready?" Old Fulin asked.
Dudian nodded slight. "It 's ready."
Forin slowly nodded and said: "Well, I'll go then." He called the butler to prepare a carriage. Old Fulin returned to the castle in the afternoon. Moreover he brought back the contract with him. There were many regulations that had to followed which were clearly stated by the Holy Church. The most important matter was to pay attention to the closing of the gate. If any monster broke into and came to this side then the loss caused by it would be beared by Ryan family.
"The passage belongs to us from this day until this time next year." Old Fulin had a tired expression as he looked at Dudian.: "Although we have used a lot of money but don't put much pressure on yourself. In dangerous case where you see that you are not match to the monster then escape. Don't put much of a fight. The money is something that can be slowly accumulated."
Dudian sighed and patted Old Fulin's shoulder: "Don't worry too much! Nothing will happen to me. If there is an accident then just dissolve the consortium and go under the wing of another consortium. The income from textile machine wouldn't bring Ryan family to its glorious period but will be enough to rate you as a second-rate aristocratic family. You will be well better off."
"I believe you will be able to come back!" Old Fulin patted Dudian's back. He continued in a heavy tone.: "You must come back!"
Dudian deeply looked at him. He pulled his palm, turned and left the hall.
Old Fulin stood silent as he looked at the back of the boy. He felt a weird feeling when Dudian had patted him. As if he was the father of the kid. The moment Dudian had left it felt as if Old Fulin had sent him to hands of death alone. Old Fulin had gotten close to the boy in the last month. He would tell him about details of family business and they would debate about the situation. He knew that how much the kid had affected Ryan family in the last month or so.
It was the first time that Old Fulin had encountered a talent which could earn over hundred of thousand gold coins in a month time. There was difference of heaven and earth if Old Fulin compared Dudian to the young masters and misses of the aristocratic families which grew up in greenhouses. If the boy was nurtured well then his future would be full of glory. Unfortunately, the Ryan family had nothing to help or support him with. He could only rely on his own to fight and break out.
...
...
Dudian packed the bow, arrows and luggage. He rode the horse and came to the small workshop. Trio had been waiting for him for some time.
"Are you ready?" Dudian asked Barton.
Barton wiped the sweat from his forehead.: "Everything is ready to go. We have packed them into the carriage."
Dudian nodded.: "Barton will follow me until the wall. The two of you shall go back to the Ryan castle. Try to learn everything that you can whether it is just theoretical knowledge or doing things."
Kroen and Joseph looked at each other and spoke in worried tone.: "I have heard that the place where you are going is extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to go alone?"
Dudian looked at them and saw the concerned expression on their faces. His heart warmed.: "I will take you if you are strong enough in the future. So make good efforts. Don't be lazy because of ease. Don't forget the humiliation you have suffered! Don't forget the goals that you have set!"
Trio were startled. A moment letter they nodded in affirmation.
Dudian smiled. He whipped the horse and lead the way in front.
Barton jumped into the driver seat of the carriage. He shook the horse's rope and followed after Dudian.
Kroen and Joseph stood on the street and watched them go away. Both of the waited there until the shadow of the carriage disappeared at the end of the street. Both of them returned to Ryan family afterwards.
...
...
Dudian took out the map to check the route. They didn't stop as they rode all the way out of commercial district and came to the wilderness. Ocassionally they would encounter wild tiger and wolves which he killed easily. At the border fortress he showed his hunter medal and Ryan family's insignia to pass.
After the border fortress they went into the radiation zone.
After few hours of riding Dudian and Barton finally reached the underground passage. The giant wall was standing like a link between heaven and earth. His eyesight was better in comparison to the first time that he had seen the giant wall so he could see that the top of the wall reached a thousand meter height. It was simply an apalling sight as there were only a few buildings which were hundred meters high in the old era.
The tall buildings of that era were meant to be lived inside so they were 'hollow' in a sense. But this wall was a perfectly build wall whose difficulty would be completely different to building a high-rise.
Barton was completely stunned at the scene. He didn't expect that the word he head heard -'the giant wall' would be literally giant.