Feicui Long goes to see who it is, although there shouldn't be any strangers since the formation is designed to send away most threats, including members of the mortal races, with the exception of common animals. But even so… for someone to enter right when he deactivates it on purpose for a few seconds is just exaggerated.
When Feicui Long arrives, he looks surprised at an unknown mortal woman, who has clearly been through a lot. Her boots and clothes are very dirty and torn. The strangest thing is… she doesn't have a single wound! And where she came from is an area full of energy beasts, monsters, and other species…
Feicui Long has to say that maybe this human is probably one of the luckiest he's seen in his entire life, not only because she has no cultivation and survived those dangers, but also because she arrived at the exact moment the formation was deactivated.
All the women look at him worried and curious, including the girls. Feicui Long checks her pulse and examines everything, but in the end, the woman is not at risk and doesn't have anything serious. Feicui Long then speaks and says: "It's nothing serious, the girl just fainted due to a mix of exhaustion, hunger, and the spiritual, mental, and soul shock caused by the great impact of the newly activated formation's aura."
Callista, worried, says: "So when will she wake up?"
Feicui Long looks at her and says: "The aura projected by the formation is very powerful now, and with how exhausted she was, the shock will probably last between 3 and 7 days. We just need to give her food and water during that time. Andrea, can you please take care of this?"
Andrea, a bit nervous from being called, softly says: "Y-yes, I'll do it… but how will we feed her?"
Feicui Long scratches his head a bit, since if it were during his time as a field doctor, in that life on Earth after the Earth regained its real size, 35 times larger, and energy and laws, he had a lot of resources… many cultivators might underestimate techno-energetic societies, which combine technology with energies and laws, or even those from the incomplete path of pure technology, which, although incomplete and limited in power, offers convenience and ease that are hard to match by a pure cultivation or pure magic society, at least not as easily or cheaply as the latter.
It would be so easy to just hook up a parenteral nutrition and be done with it, but well, for now, feeding her only liquids will suffice, and if needed, grind 1 or 2 energy stones. Because cultivators or mortals, as all those below the immortal realm or those who aren't cultivators are also called, not just the 14 mortal races, don't stop needing to eat until they reach the terrestrial immortal realm. This applies to energy beasts and other beings as well, and obviously to members of the mortal races.
Even so, using energy can reduce food consumption, which is why beings as massive as mountains can exist without starving. Of course, this effect is much more notable among the superior races. With the 14 mortal races, it's more modest, but it's still there, and even though she isn't a cultivator and thus the effect will be smaller since she won't absorb all the energy, it will still have a decent effect.
He also learned this during his time on Earth, since as a war doctor who fought for the mortal races against the superior races that wanted to subjugate them, many times rations were scarce or they lost access to daily supplies. So to stretch the food, they used some stones, and what would have only fed them for 3 weeks, or 1.5 months if stretched to the extreme, lasted a full 3 months. With her being mortal, it would only be half as effective, but he believes it's enough. After all, it's just 3 to 7 days.
Feicui Long tells her: "Give her soup and juices, and if needed, take these energy stones, grind one or two, and let her consume them with the soup."
Andrea, a bit nervous, nods and goes to prepare what he said. Feicui Long gives a slightly sad smile. Andrea is a good girl, but the trauma of being abused for a whole year by Isabella's ex-fiancé is not easy to overcome. Maybe she'll never be able to recover and be near a man again…
Then Feicui Long thinks about vitamins, but really doesn't believe there's a problem… except for vitamin B12, since being in a state similar to a temporary coma, she can't eat solids, so she can't eat meat, which is their only source of it. Maybe he should buy mortal chickens and cows or an equivalent of energy beasts.
But this last thought makes him sigh in his mind. Energy beasts like cows, horses, cats, dogs, among other domesticated animal species, are very expensive. First, because they are among the few species of energy beasts innately friendly to mortals and, in fact, show no hostility toward them, which is why they live near urban environments.
Second, because this friendliness makes them easy to tame even without the taming skill and its subskills like beast taming. Besides that, they are much more defensive against mortal enemies, making them good companion beasts and battle friends, which obviously raises their cost…
In fact, Isabella's family, the Skylion family, possesses no energy livestock, because they do not have the money to afford it, since here comes the third reason: energy beasts, unlike common animals, need a good area rich in energy, otherwise they will consume double or triple the amount of food to compensate, and the alternative is to use energy stones, but that is too expensive, and ever since the loss of half their territory, even though they do not lose the things that generate the most income against the county of Krötenheim, they do lose an important source of revenue.
Although well, maybe he could ask Isabella's family for some cows or chickens, but he does not want to depend on them. Maybe he buys some, since soon anyway he goes to the city of Feldbach to buy the slaves in the guilds union of slave traders of the union, since the Skylion barony does not have one because Isabella's family banned its presence a very long time ago.
Feicui Long shakes his head and continues with his tasks. He has a lot to do, like preparing the giant fragmented formations to bring the slaves, talking to Isabella to borrow troops from the barony, preparing the foundations of the houses for the slaves to live in, preparing the food to bring them, among other things…
…
Another month passes quickly. Feicui Long stays pensive at how fast time passes; it has already been 10 months in total. Three months remain for the year to end and winter is approaching. He has only one month to accommodate all the slaves. Luckily, a good portion of the 70 houses of 100 m² is already built, while the rest already have their foundations, thanks to the power increase Mariane and he had. Originally, he can only have 100 earth golems without contract, with him having 70 golems: 50 of earth, 10 of wood, and 10 of rock, since these take up more slots than earth ones.
But with his cultivation increase in the elemental realm peak grade 7, now he can create 110, and thanks to the sovereign's bandana, he can create 135, since the boost it gives is 25 percent. He prefers to create 5 more of earth and 10 more of rock, which are equal to three. He could create wood ones, but since they equal 2 of earth and he needs more labor, he prefers to use the remaining 5 in earth golems. Mariane, on her side, can create 150, since she has always had more affinity with the sovereign's quartet and also has more control and cultivation. She has 50 earth golems, 20 rock, and 20 wood.
Thanks to the increased number of available hands, they can complete those houses and foundations, although not everything is perfect. In the first week, they run out of materials, since each granite block is 30×20×50 cm (11.81 in × 7.87 in × 19.69 in), and the spatial boxes of 35 m² can store 52,500 when completely filled. For the 70 houses, he needs 252,000 blocks, so after that first week he has to send Gloria and Caroline to buy more blocks, borrow two carriages, and buy more spatial boxes. With that and another round trip, they can bring enough blocks, the cement, and the reinforcements. Just in the houses, they spend 2.55 platinum coins.
Not counting the amount of food that needs to be carried for the trip to and from with the slaves and the troops of the Skylion family. Luckily, the barony has a good harvest and he can buy it at a cheap price.
Today, Feicui Long departs with almost all of Isabella's group, plus Gloria, Mariane, and his nieces Callista and Melina. Only Andrea, Annie his personal servant, the girls, and the strange woman named Tasha Kovalenko remain. He is not worried about leaving her with them: one, because she is a mortal; two, because that woman would not hurt a fly. He does not understand how she is alive if she is so clumsy.
As for the golems, he and Mariane give temporary control to Annie so she can lead the construction. After all, thanks to the Skylion Family's training, she knows how to read, write, and count. She is also quite smart and shares reading tastes with Feicui Long. In fact, they get along… despite Feicui Long forcing her to sign the servitude contract at that time. In fact, he feels a bit bad. Maybe he should give her a gift on her birthday in month 14. Either way, she will continue the construction with the golems.
The girls, for their part, will be under Andrea's care. She is very sweet and a good person, although she is afraid of him for being a man, so much so that the girls already call her mom and not Isabella, who is his fiancée. And it is not because Isabella is not good with them; in fact, she has gotten very close to the girls. After all, the girls are not only Feicui Long's adoptive daughters because he picked them up, but also legally under the Mortal Races Union. But even so, they call her big sister, in contrast to Feicui Long, whom they call dad or daddy.
…
The 7 days pass. In Skylion village, the troops borrowed from the barony, a total of 300 well-armed soldiers, along with carriages full of food, wait for them. Although they want to stop by to greet, time is too tight. The year only has 14 months and each month four weeks. He wishes he had more time… this thought makes him laugh a bit. As the Supreme God of Time, it seems he never has time. Maybe he should look for people to dilute his responsibility and his tasks.
The group marches to Feldbach. For this trip, Feicui Long brings his finest clothes bought in Vienna, including the ones Reiko gave him. In order to negotiate, he needs to look ostentatious, since even though the guilds union of slave merchants is just one of many unions under the mortal races union, it is a union begrudgingly accepted by the union, because the founder of the union does not like shadowy business. For that reason, grumbling, she creates this union to keep everything controlled and managed.
This is the reason why members of this union tend to be darker, more sinister, and less polite, but at the same time fiercer in business, looking down on those with fewer resources. So you can't look like someone lacking wealth.
Three days soon pass, and they arrive in Feldbach. The troops allow them in, and they wait at the Skylion family mansion, which had been purchased long ago in this city. Feicui Long and Isabella are escorted by the captain of this unit, an orc woman named Mylene, daughter of Isabella's nanny and her personal servant. A servant who, interestingly, used to be the commander of the family's troops.
When they arrive, they see a very ostentatious building with walls made of niveous marble, a beautiful white energy material, as white as snow. The sign is made of solid gold with platinum letters, and it even has embedded gems. The path is made of dark slate, another energy material. The door is made of fiery oak from the Empire of the Burning Desert. It is so extravagant that it feels disgusting to know what happens inside this place. But more than trying to look beautiful, this display clearly shows power and serves as a warning to others.
When they reach the door, they are not greeted with formal courtesy, but with looks of certain disdain and mockery. The three of them approach the reception desk, and even the receptionist speaks to them brusquely: "What do you want, dear clients?"
Feicui Long knows that getting angry or acting recklessly is the worst way to react in places like this, so he simply pulls out three identifications and places them on the desk. None of them are from the Habsburg Empire. The receptionist turns her head with a bored expression. She has dealt with people who think their ID will change things. But soon her eyes widen because...
In front of her is a noble house ID, from the Skylion family. But that is not what surprises her. What impresses her are the other two. One is a beginner alchemist ID from the guilds union of master inscribers, alchemists, and refiner-blacksmiths. But it also shows all 10 stars, proving he passed with the highest score. The other one is even more impressive because it is not the common version, but a special version from the guilds union of summoners, tamers, necromancers, and golem/puppet creators. She has never seen this special version.
But it is obviously real. The most impressive part is the symbol displaying all four professions on the chest of a crowned man, identifying the user as someone who possesses the Sovereign Quartet. All of this makes her nervous. On its own, the guilds union of summoners, tamers, necromancers, and golem/puppet creators is already stronger than her own guild. In fact, it holds the number three position among all unions. But the guilds union of master inscribers, alchemists, and refiner-blacksmiths is the second strongest by a large margin. No other guild would dare to offend it...
Feicui Long sees her becoming nervous and says, "I come to negotiate the purchase of slaves. I would like a private room."
The receptionist, sweating cold and stuttering, quickly says, "Of course, my lord. One moment. Would it be alright if I place you in the overlook?"
Feicui Long nods, and in about two minutes, someone comes to pick them up and take them to the third floor, where they are served abundant food.
Feicui Long does not taste anything. He simply waits for the merchant who will negotiate with him. Shortly after, a middle-aged man enters, smiling and friendly. He seems like a good person and a pleasant old man, but that is only a facade. To be honest, Feicui Long feels repulsion and disgust from the moment he sets foot in this union. If it weren't necessary, he would never step into this land of a thousand demons. In fact, once he establishes his own nation, he will ban this union's entry.
After a while, the old man speaks and says, "Let me introduce myself, I am Glover Maüsen. So, young man, tell me what you want. We have all kinds of slaves. Just tell me, and I will find it for you."
Feicui Long goes straight to the point and says, "Alright, Mr. Glover, I will need a total of 250 slaves. I want them to be complete families, that is, parents and children or spouses. But they must also have the professions on this list, and specifically the quantity required."
Feicui Long hands over a detailed list he prepared together with the women in the group, outlining what they need and what could be useful for the village. Old Glover looks over the list, and everything is clearly detailed: profession requirements, quantity, experience, and other things.
Then Glover nods and says, "It is possible to get this amount, although you will have to wait a bit. At the moment, we only have 350 people, and truly, we only have half the number of people with the professions and requirements you ask for. So we will need to request shipments from nearby cities. I would also like to know what races you want or prefer."
Feicui Long looks at him and says, "What do you mean, races? Any of the 14 races is fine as long as they meet the requirements on the list. As for the wait, that doesn't matter much. Just let me know when they are ready. I will be at the Skylion family mansion. Also, I want a certificate proving the slaves have the experience they claim and the profession."
With that, everything ends. The old man nods and leaves to handle the paperwork, while Feicui Long, together with Isabella and Mylene, leaves the union without looking back.