"Hee hee..." Heidi's eyes curved as she was complimented. She smiled and said, "If you like it, you're welcome to come often. Eat more!"
Apparently disliking the warmth between the two, Hibell subconsciously pouted and changed the subject. "Have you heard? Kolon has captured several more strongholds from Gando, and the situation is becoming increasingly bleak for them. It is said... the Black Swamp will also be affected. When that happens, will we have to confront the Wizards from Kolon?"
"Hibell, your news is outdated." Lawson smiled and shook his head. "Just a few days ago, Kolon's front lines collapsed, and two Legendary Knights were surrounded and killed on the battlefield. For the short term, they likely won't mount another attack."
"How could that be?" Hibell asked, surprised. "Does the Gando Kingdom still have generals capable of such combat prowess?"
Carl also looked up, a hint of astonishment in his eyes. He knew all too well the decadence in the Gando Kingdom's upper echelons. Several Dukes dead or wounded, the number of Legendary Knights greatly diminished... who could have turned the tide under such circumstances?
"It wasn't someone from Gando." Lawson shook his head. "Nor was it someone from the Sake Kingdom. It was Tucker. Thunder Spear Tucker. His Black Armored Army suddenly counterattacked, causing a major defeat for Kolon."
"Huh?" Hibell was taken aback. "Wasn't he Kolon's vanguard general?"
"He was," Lawson said. "That was before. He is now the husband of Du Na, the daughter of the Sake Kingdom, and he has been promoted to a Legendary Knight."
Carl was also surprised.
"Humph..." Hibell quickly recovered, a cold smile on her face. "So, he betrayed Kolon this time, allying himself once again with Sake, and engineered the deaths of two of Kolon's Legendary Knights."
"Exactly," Lawson nodded. "For this merit, Tucker was granted the title of Marquis of the Sake Kingdom, and his past wanted status has been revoked."
It is said that he killed the two Legendary Knights in a fair fight on the battlefield; his strength must be formidable.
Legendary Knight! Typically ranked alongside an Official Wizard. Of course, just as a Great Knight is no match for an Advanced Wizard Apprentice, a Legendary Knight is generally no match for a Wizard.
"Look!" Hibell glanced at Carl. "I told you, offer enough benefits, and this Thunder Spear would betray even the gods. Marquis... It seems even the Sake Kingdom doesn't like him much."
Eliminating two Legendary Knights from a rival territory and marrying a princess, he should by rights be appointed a Duke. Being made a Marquis shows that even the people of Sake hold Thunder Spear Tucker's character in contempt.
"It's none of our business." Heidi waved her hand. "Why discuss it?"
Like most women, Heidi disliked politics and had no interest in the frontline situation of the warring states. As long as the war didn't reach her doorstep, she wouldn't care.
"By the way!" She glanced over and asked, "Carl, you don't need the Gold Coins you have right away, do you?"
"Gold Coins?" Carl nodded. "I won't need them for now."
In the Swamp Alliance, transactions were primarily through points and Magic Stones. He lived a secluded life and rarely needed Gold Coins.
"How about lending them to me?" Heidi's eyes shone as she said, "I'm planning to make some investments. I'll pay you twenty percent interest per year, and we'll settle it all at the end of the year. If the loan continues, the interest can be compounded."
Twenty percent? Borrow one hundred and pay back one hundred twenty, with compounded interest too... The rates weren't low.
"Heidi." Hibell grabbed Carl's arm, stopping him from impulsively responding, and asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"This..." Heidi's gaze flickered. "There are some things that are inconvenient to mention."
"It's about acquiring real estate, isn't it?" Hibell smiled and said, "As the number of Wizard Apprentices in the Swamp Alliance increases, the value of the nearby land will also go up. Now is indeed the best time to start."
Carl suddenly understood. The Black Swamp used to be a deadly place, a no-man's land for humans, with not a soul within dozens of miles of its border. Now it was different. Wizards might live in isolation, but they couldn't completely detach themselves from ordinary people and live as true hermits. All sorts of supplies, including food, came from human society. Take Adolf, for instance. He could be considered relatively indifferent to worldly possessions, yet his manor still had quite a few servants and Knights as guards. Other Wizard Apprentices had even more ordinary people around them. These people couldn't stay in the Black Swamp for extended periods, so they built a settlement on the outskirts, which was growing larger and larger. It was said that there were discussions to build the settlement into a city. If that were true, then buying land now would undoubtedly be an extremely profitable business. Unlike in the Swamp Alliance, large transactions among ordinary people were mainly in Gold Coins. And because it was located near the Black Swamp, resources were scarce and prices were very high—almost ten times that of Sigerno City. These pastries on the table, for instance, were worth several Gold Coins.
"That's right!" Her plan exposed by Hibell, Heidi could only shrug. "Want to join in?"
With only fourth-level Wizard Talent, she had already given up on making much progress on the path of wizardry and instead turned to studying gastronomy and how to make money.
Hibell looked thoughtful. She had this idea but no time. Carl, though not very talented, also had no intention of giving up his practice.
"I have a question." Carl raised his hand. "How are Gold Coins exchanged for Magic Stones?"
"Gold Coins and Magic Stones—there's no official exchange channel. The market price fluctuates a lot. Right now, it's more than two hundred Gold Coins for one Magic Stone," Heidi said, well-informed. "Don't underestimate ordinary people, especially some Knights and Great Knights; they also possess quite a few Magic Stones."
"If you two don't have the time," Heidi continued, "you can invest by speculating on the land, and I'll charge a certain fee for it."