The Herb King

The land bought by Rendell was near Barden City so it would take some time to travel on foot so Aethelwolf decided to use their newly bought flying carriages to go there. And with a Level 2 flying mount pulling the carriages, they didn't have to worry about the speed of their flight.

The flying carriages were inscribed with floating inscriptions making them capable of floating in midair. The only issue was its flight speed which was quite slow. However, the magical beasts pulling these floating carriages were Level 2 Wind Gryphons and they were capable of flying at lightning speed. They are creatures with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and their front feet also have an eagle's talons. They are fearsome magical creatures who could fight well in both land and air!

"Woah! It's so beautiful!" Hyacinth exclaimed as she looked through the window of the floating carriage. It was her first time riding a floating carriage so she was very excited.

Olivia stared at her with a smile. She was an aerial magical beast so she was already used to flying above the skies, but she also love the feeling of being able to fly freely.

The stern-looking Einar who was acting as the driver of the floating carriage also revealed a look of amazement.

It wasn't just them, Rendell as well as the engineers and architects eagerly watched the beautiful scenery through the windows.

When he saw this, Aethelwolf played his guitar, making the journey more relaxed and filled with joy.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. The two Gryphons slowly descended to the ground.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

After landing, the group exited their carriages.

"Rendell, tell the architects and engineers to inspect the area. Give this blueprint to them. Let me know what they think after their observation." Aethelwolf said as he handed a blueprint to Rendell.

Rendell stared at the blueprint and he was shocked when he saw the building drawn. It was actually a huge fortress! He couldn't help but stare at Aethelwolf inquisitively, but when he saw the latter's serious look, he could only nod his head. "Yes, Sir Aethelwolf!"

He finally knew why his boss was so secretive about this. The fortress in the blueprint was huge enough to accommodate more than two hundred thousand soldiers and it was even equipped with advanced weapons that he couldn't identify. The only thing he could tell was that they looked like magic cannons, but their shapes were strange and they looked even more imposing than the mounted weapons attached to the walls of Lion City!

'I must make sure that these engineers and architects wouldn't tell anyone about this!' He muttered coldly in his heart. He got a clearer picture of Aethelwolf's plan and it made him feel a bit nervous since it could be considered as an act of rebellion. The Leone Imperial Family would never allow anyone to build a fortress that was as huge as that and once they learned that Aethelwolf was constructing such a thing, there might even be a conflict between both sides! He must prevent things from escalating into that situation even if he had to intimidate the engineers and architects!

Rendell left with heavy strides and he led the engineers and architects to observe the plot of land.

"Sir Rendell, what are we building in this location?" An architect asked as he craned his neck to take a peek at the blueprint in Rendell's hands.

The others were also curious about this so they perked up their ears.

Rendell paused his steps and looked at the architect. He then retracted his gaze from him and scanned the faces of the others. His expression suddenly turned cold as he muttered in a solemn voice. "This matter is of great importance so I want everyone here to keep this matter a secret. You must not disclose anything that would happen here today to anyone, including your families and closest friends."

When they heard the seriousness in his tone, everyone suddenly became nervous.

Rendell showed them the blueprint and said. "We are going to build this fortress. Everything must be done according to the specifications in the blueprint. The weapons are quite special so we have to make a separate order for this to our most skilled blacksmiths. As for the defensive walls, we will be using..."

When the engineers and architects saw the design of the fortress and its specifications, they were horrified and a terrifying thought surfaced in their minds.

Is Sir Aethelwolf plotting a rebellion?

Their legs turned weak when they thought about this and they wanted to flee right away, but under Rendell's cold gaze, none of them dared to make a move.

"Sir Rendell, with all due respect, the Leone Imperial Family would punish us once they hear that we are building such a thing! You must think it through!"

"That's right! Even if the Lassiter Household is strong, we don't have the power to go against His Majesty!"

Rendell's expression darkened when he heard their complaints. "Enough!"

Everyone immediately shut their mouths when they heard his roar.

"This task is personally given by Sir Aethelwolf! Don't forget that he gave your families a warm home and he even gave your children ample resources. I know that building this fortress means going against the Imperial Family, but you guys have to remember that the man we follow is Sir Aethelwolf! Do you understand?!" Rendell's words made everyone turn silent. They all received Aethelwolf's help and even their families received a lot of benefits after joining the Lassiter Household.

"If you guys complete this task well, I'll beg Sir Aethelwolf to give you guys one Awakening Pellet each. Furthermore, I'll also try to fight for more benefits for you guys. Say, for example, becoming a true member of the Lassiter Household." Rendell revealed a smile.

The engineers and architects hesitated when they heard this.

They were only hired by the Lassiter Household under a contract and the benefits they received were only a little bit better than the others in their field. Once they become true members of the Lassiter Household, their salaries would double or even triple! They would also receive more benefits and bonuses!

Everyone's eyes flashed with determination.