Chapter 477, Do You Have Skill Books
Milisen froze, swallowing her reprimand.
She pulled Philipa into the room and closed the door. "How do you know he became the Island Lord?"
"The Guild already announced it! Wu Heng is now the Island Lord, and he's got some kind of Standard Bearer title. Sheila Grey—that Elf Deputy Steward—she's now the Steward of Gold-Silver Island." Philipa plopped onto a chair by the table, grabbed a piece of fruit, and spoke between bites.
Milisen murmured, "He's rising too fast. How old is he even?"
Philipa was still excited. "It's because he's a genius! I knew it the moment I first saw him—he's not ordinary. Why else do you think I agreed to be his informant? All of this was within my expectations."
As she spoke, she smacked Milisen on the backside. "Forget about running the tavern. Let's stick with him. This tavern doesn't make much money anyway."
"Nonsense! Of course, we'll keep it open. This is where we gather intel for the Lord," Milisen said firmly.
"Fine, if you like it so much. I'm heading to the Guild to see if there's any news. I'll let you know when I'm back." Philipa took a swig of water and dashed out the door.
"Be careful on the road and don't cause trouble," Milisen called out hastily.
"Got it!"
Philipa raced downstairs and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Milisen sat by the table, her mood for bookkeeping gone. She frowned slightly.
Before, when Wu Heng was just a Deputy Steward, she and her daughter helped him gather intelligence.
But now, he was the Island Lord—he owned the entire island. The gap between them was immense.
"He won't need us anymore."
"Philipa's already grown close to him. What am I going to do when the time comes?"
...…
Inside the Guild's meeting room.
"Do you have a development plan for Gold-Silver Island?" the old mage asked casually.
Wu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "I have a rough plan. Once the island stabilizes, I'll start implementing it gradually."
"Good, you young people are full of drive," the old mage nodded.
Wu Heng asked directly, "Dean, the teleportation skill you used, and the one that lights up the sky—are those your own creations? What are their names?"
"Want to learn them? If I teach you everything, what will I have left?" the old mage said with a grin.
"Do you have a skill book? Lend it to me for a couple of days to broaden my horizons, and I'll return it."
The old mage sipped his tea. "You should focus on your own discipline. Dabbling in too many areas will only scatter your energy."
This old man was starting to sound like a schoolteacher.
"How can I learn skills from you?"
Stroking his beard, the old mage replied, "I'll discuss it with my colleagues back home to see if there's anything suitable for you. If so, I'll let you take a look. Beyond that, you'll need to reach Level 15 and join the Research Guild."
Wu Heng nodded. "Fair enough."
"I'll be leaving here tomorrow. This is my address. Write to me if you need anything. It's rare for the human race to produce someone as talented as you—it's just a pity you chose Necromancy."
Wu Heng took the address, glanced at it, and stored it in his spatial ring.
"When are you leaving? I'd like to see you off."
"Imiro doesn't want it publicized, so no need to see me off. Just write if you have anything to discuss." The old mage stood up.
"Understood." Wu Heng followed him out.
The old mage headed to Imiro's study.
Wu Heng went to discuss the island's patrol arrangements with Sheila Grey.
The City Hall had been preserved.
But the island's local guard force was nonexistent.
The Guild's squads would need to conduct training, and Wu Heng planned to supplement them with skeletons.
...…
That afternoon, Wu Heng began counting his skeleton forces.
The Gold-Silver Island campaign didn't completely wipe out the pirates, but it did clear out most of the major groups.
The corpses were all converted, adding to his numbers.
This transformation also provided Wu Heng with a solid excuse.
With the ambiguous total, Wu Heng could discreetly bring over skeletons from the other world without arousing suspicion.
No one would question where these skeletons came from.
Wu Heng positioned the skeletons strategically around the island.
Most of the island's defense now depended on these skeletons.
Without them, the Guild's personnel alone wouldn't be enough to maintain order in a city.
He visited several locations in succession.
The levels and numbers of skeletons were tallied.
The Gold-Silver Island campaign had yielded one Level 18 skeleton, the former Island Lord "Occam," and one Level 17 skeleton, the skeletal Boxer "Tolga."
There were 12 skeletons ranging from Level 15 to 16, and 75 skeletons from Level 10 to 14.
The remaining skeletons numbered over a thousand, all above Level 5.
"The overall quantity is average, but the high-level ones are decent."
Compared to the zombie world,
the number of skeletons in this world wasn't particularly impressive.
However, they significantly bolstered Wu Heng's pool of high-level Professionals.
Normally, Level 15 was a very high tier. In pirate circles, it was enough to lead a major group, and in Rentam City, such a level could overthrow the lord.
Adding 12 such skeletons at once was a big gain.
Wu Heng adjusted their assignments.
Most were stationed at the port and key patrol checkpoints.
The remainder accompanied the Guild's squads on patrol, maintaining island security.
After completing the tally, Wu Heng took a carriage back.
...…
As he approached his residence,
he could hear the distant clamor of voices.
Pulling back the curtain, he glanced outside and saw a large crowd gathered in front of the house.
Wu Heng frowned slightly.
He sent Xiaoxiao ahead to check the situation.
Before long, Xiaoxiao returned and said, "Uncle, it seems they're all merchants. Nothing dangerous—they're talking about you becoming the Island Lord."
Merchants?
Wu Heng pulled the curtain again to take a closer look.
The outermost circle consisted of merchant guards, while closer to the residence's gate stood a group of well-dressed merchant representatives and managers.
Wu Heng got off the carriage and walked toward them.
Seeing him approach,
the entire crowd surged forward.
"Lord Island Master, congratulations!"
"Island Master Wu Heng, we hope you'll take care of our trade caravans in the future."
"Indeed, when Lady Shanaila proposed your nomination, we strongly supported it. No one is more suited for this role than you."
Flattering words came from every direction.
Some even suggested introducing their daughters to Wu Heng, claiming they were quite beautiful.
Everyone had something to say, and the atmosphere was lively.
Wu Heng opened the gate. "Everyone, let's talk inside. It's no good standing out here."
The crowd poured into the courtyard.
Carefully weaving their way past rows of skeletons, they entered the building.
Most of the furniture in the hall had already been packed up. Wu Heng had only returned to fetch Minnie and head to the estate.
Minnie fetched some chairs and handed them out.
Everyone sat in a circle.
Those merchant representatives who had signed Shanaila's proposal sat at the front, looking proud and pleased.
Those who hadn't participated sat further back.
After some polite small talk,
Wu Heng said, "What I promised Lady Shanaila still stands. Gold-Silver Island's future development will rely on everyone's help. I'll do my utmost to ensure the safety of trade routes and create a better business environment for all of you."
Hearing this, the representatives beamed with joy.
Many had only signed Shanaila's proposal to save face, not expecting a Deputy Steward to actually become the Island Lord.
Now that it had happened, they naturally hoped Wu Heng would fulfill his promises and improve trade conditions.
From the back, someone spoke up. "When Lady Shanaila made her proposal, our trade guild wasn't present. To make up for it, we'd like to donate two large warships to support the island's development."
"Us too! We brought gifts to congratulate Lord Wu Heng on becoming the Island Lord."
Voices rose as one merchant after another offered their contributions.
Wu Heng thanked them all individually, maintaining a courteous demeanor.
Gold-Silver Island's population wasn't large, and after the recent battles, it had shrunk even further.
Restoring the population and improving the island's reputation would require the help of these merchants spreading the word through their caravans.
Maintaining friendly relationships and attitudes was crucial.
Wu Heng instructed Minnie to record the names of all the attending trade guilds.
Afterward, he saw the guests out.
...…
Once all the merchants had left,
Wu Heng and Minnie double-checked the house's condition. Then, accompanied by a large contingent of skeletons and four armored vehicles,
they headed to the estate.
After formally taking over the estate's defense,
rows of skeletons wielding firearms climbed the fortress walls.
The armored vehicles were parked in the courtyard, leaving Minnie's orchard and flower beds undisturbed.
The setup reminded Wu Heng of the zombie world and the prison he had occupied there.
It was like a small city, fully equipped and well-defended.
Even if pirates attacked again, they wouldn't be able to breach the walls.
"Master, where should we place the Alchemy Skeletons?"