Chapter 156 (2/2)

Lilith and Molly had nothing to fear when they saw Wharton in this state. They were extremely relaxed during dinner, no longer carrying the look of fear and apprehension like last night.

Clyde took out 300 gold coins and pushed them towards Link, “These are the remaining gold coins. The compensation and repair works cost a total of 3700 gold coins.”

The 300 gold coins filled the money sack to the brim. Wharton stared jealously at the golden treasures while eating his favorite roasted geese. He was however, not focusing on the delicious flavor of his favorite food, but instead, thinking about keeping the gold coins for himself.

However, he was afraid to even move an inch as Link was present.

Link did not keep the money sack. He snapped his fingers and cast the Magician’s Hand, adding 200 more gold coins into the sack, making the total 500 gold coins. He then pushed the money sack back towards Clyde and said, “Brother, you should keep this money. You will need this when you go back to the Silver Fortress.”

Clyde was a person of good character and was competent. He was also a blood relative and was definitely trustworthy. Even though he did not accomplish much in the Silver Fortress these few years, it was probably due to his lack of wealth which restricted his actions.

Link had no reason not to support him.

The God of Light wanted him to save the world. These outrageous missions would ignite the burning passion of any online gamers. However, Link was now a calm Magician and could rationalize the situation clearly. In order to save the world, he had to be down-to-earth and let his actions speak for themselves.

One of the methods to do that was to improve his reputation, creating connections with everyone that he could, creating a strong alliance. This was his worldview ever since he stepped into the World of Firuman.

In fact, this was also the reason he chose to accept the Ferde Wilderness as his territory. If he could successfully turn the wasteland into a prosperous city, his reputation would increase exponentially. At the same time, talented individuals would also join his territory as word got out, allowing him to create an even stronger alliance.

Back to the main point.

Upon hearing Link’s offer, Clyde was elated and took the money sack back without hesitation, “Third brother is really generous! I will politely accept it then.”

It was true that he was running out of money. He had less than 10 gold coins left in his pocket. When he was out hunting or drinking with his friends in the Silver Fortress, he had to constantly watch his spending. These 500 gold coins were just what he needed.

This made Wharton extremely envious. He could no longer contain himself and asked, “Brother, I heard that you can turn stones into gold?”

“No.” Link knew exactly what Wharton was planning. He simply shook his head and replied curtly.

While Wharton was also his blood brother, his character was nowhere near Clyde’s. Wharton was extremely selfish and manipulative. Link could not hurt him as he was still a family member, but he could choose to stay as far away from him as possible.

His attitude came as a shock to Wharton.

Link ignored him and continued, “It is father’s funeral tomorrow. After the funeral, I will return to the academy immediately. Mother and sister, you two will accompany me.”

The two women were relieved and extremely happy to finally be released from Wharton’s demonic clutches. They immediately nodded in agreement.

Wharton did not expect Link to be leaving so soon. He still hadn’t received any benefits or money from his wealthy brother! He immediately said, “The Winter Festival is coming, why not leave after that?”

“No.” Link once again gave a short and curt reply. The rage inside Wharton was building up.

Link turned to Clyde and said, “Brother, my land is just at the Ferde Wilderness. It is not too far from here. You are always welcomed to visit.”

“The Ferde Wilderness? No problem at all, I will visit whenever I’m free. Please entertain me when the time comes,” Clyde laughed. Even though the Ferde Wilderness was pretty barren, Link was a comfortable person to speak with. Going to the Ferde Wilderness was definitely a better choice than to stay in this oppressive castle and face Wharton’s mood swings.

Wharton could not contain his rage anymore and sneered, “That is just a piece of barren land. I had higher expectations.”

Link looked at Wharton and spoke in a serious tone, “It is a barren land now, but in three years, everything will change.”

The mining of the anti-magic soil, changing the climate using magic and developing sea trade routes were just some of the plans he had for his land. In a few years, he would definitely see that the Ferde Wilderness become a land of miracles.

Link’s declaration seemed extremely impossible and arrogant. If this happened yesterday, Wharton would have ridiculed him and dismissed his ideas as preposterous. However, he was at a loss for words now. His third brother had abilities completely beyond his imagination. He had no idea what kind of miracles he could achieve next.

Even Clyde was worried at Link’s confidence, “Third brother, I have complete faith in your abilities. However, building an entire settlement from scratch requires a huge amount of gold coins. Is that even possible?”

Link nodded, “It will be.”

He already had everything planned. He would first make sure the Ferde Wilderness could stand on its own by constructing basic infrastructure. These were all essential investments and would take up to around 40000 gold coins. He would then start to mine the anti-magic soil and exploit their market value to boost the economy. When the economy of his territory began to take off, he could then fully focus on expanding it to a larger scale.

Therefore, first step, 40000 gold coins.

Time to earn some money when I get back to the academy, Link thought.