The heavy carriage lurched, its wheels grinding against the dry gravel.
Lucian hit his head against the cushioned seat, "..." thinking of what to do.
It has been two years since he visited Breezy Cove. Two years, and the seas had become even more dangerous.
The world wouldn't wait for you to be ready, or for you to catch up. He knew it, but it was still frustrating.
He had already postponed the trip to the Varia Kingdom due to merchant guild matters, then postponed it due to the army's ambush, and now was postponing it again due to his son's birth.
In that meantime the East Reavers had increased their presence in the region, becoming the new rulers.
They had no interest in trade from what the reports had said and only aimed for power and control over the area.
The prophecy didn't mention anything about the easterners gaining power, so Lucian could only assume they would lose it again in the future.
He definitely didn't want them to lose to either of the kingdoms.
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The carriage came to a halt near the golden mine's premises.
It was a large complex, with several buildings, warehouses, and even a small town for the workers.
Pushing the frustration aside, Lucian pulled his hood low over his face and pushed the carriage door open to the scorching heat, hiding his son under his cloak.
Lady Lily and Lady Rose (milk provider) also stepped out of their carriages, freezing at the sight. Their delicate figures in fancy dresses were a jarring contrast to the rugged atmosphere around them.
The space was huge, filled with mining equipment and weapons, and a small group of men who looked more like wild animals than human beings.
They were all shirtless, their tattooed muscles glistened and their sweat-soaked skin glimmered like diamonds as they trained under the sun.
Further down the yard there were more men, but they were much smaller in comparison to the ones they had just seen, probably returning from their shifts in the golden mines.
The clay walls of the buildings were painted a dull brown, and the roofs were tiled in a reddish hue. The windows were small and square, and there were no decorations or embellishments to be found. The whole place had a raw feel to it, like no woman had ever set foot here.
"It was a long journey, but we made it," Lucian made a small gesture of letting the ladies pass first.
They soon reached another part of the compound, focused on another training.
The feral army howled in the distance, rowing a practice part of the ship. The long heavy paddles were attached to the sides, and to make it difficult, sandbag weights had been tied onto them.
"Gaahh!" They chanted in unison, putting their backs into it, their muscles bulging and sweat pouring down their bodies as they heaved the heavy paddles back and forth in a rhythmic pattern.
There was no sea to sail on, so they had to settle for rowing on land. Another prop was the anchor that had a counterweight to simulate the ship being on water.
Then the captain (Lord A's) would scream "Shift!", and they would have to move from the port side of the ship to the starboard, as if the wind had changed direction.
The presence of two women made the ferals salivate, but their Master's warning look made them snap their mouths shut and return to their training.
Lucian walked briskly through the compound, the workers moving out of his way and bowing respectfully as he passed.
"Any trouble?" he asked, glancing at the two men who had been following him from behind.
"No trouble, boss," one of them replied.
"Good," Lucian continued on, leading the ladies towards the main building.
It was the largest structure in the compound. Four stories high, with a tower at the top that served as the watchtower. It was made of the same stone and enforced clay as the other buildings, but it had a more imposing presence, like a fortress.
He turned to the ladies next to him, who were following him closely, "Take a rest. I will meet with you later regarding the matter of blessing me and my child."
They had their maids but Lucian also assigned them two southern women to help them settle down in their new environment.
They couldn't speak their language fluently but they could communicate through gestures and it should be enough to start with.
Lucian left his guests to their room, and walked down the corridor, heading to the stairs that led to his office.
Lady Lily was a Royal Academy graduate. She was educated, had a very good understanding of the world, and was very knowledgeable about many subjects. A top class courtesan was more than just a pretty face, she had to have brains as well.
Lucian couldn't depend on Voice to share its knowledge, it could be lying to him for all he cared. He had been depending on Celine with questions about history, geography, economics, politics, and whatnot this whole time. But there was only so much she could share with their limited time together.
Lucian had no time to go through the textbooks and learn everything, but he had the time to listen to Lady Lily's explanation as background noise. She could read the textbook for him, then he would ask her about it, then she would explain it to him in simpler terms.
He placed his son on the bed, unwrapping him and fanning the air around him with a paper fan. His other hand was busy flipping through another report regarding his next knight rank advancement.
His body needed to go through the golden stage before he could attempt the knight rank.
The report was supposed to save him time in deciding what type of torture he was going to put himself through.
Most went with the classic routes:
1. Climbing high hills to take advantage of gold's resistance to air and corrosion.
2. Remaining submerged in humid caves or underwater to take advantage of gold's resistance to moisture.
3. Training under crushing weight and constant pressure, to take advantage of gold's density and resistance to tarnishing.
4. Training for days without sleep and forcing the mind to remain functional under exhaustion, to imitate gold's resistance to decay over time.
And many more.
These summaries were not enough to learn anything from, but it was good enough to get a rough idea.
There were so many gold stages, but none that would give Lucian a huge advantage in naval warfare against the natives.