Owen clicked the emergency call icon, and the main interface receded, replaced by a small pop-up window that read: Calling.
Not long after, Wenster connected.
"It seems your System upgrade is complete. Perfect, I here…"
Thump, thump!
It was Clive knocking at the door. He held two scrolls of parchment, clearly there to submit reports.
"We'll talk later."
Owen replied in his mind, then nodded to Clive.
"Come in."
Entering the study, Clive stood still before the desk and bowed with his hand over his chest.
"Marquis, the statistical work for this year's wheat yield has been completed. This is the report for this year's and previous years' wheat yields. Additionally, there's Border Garrison Town's financial report for the first half of this year and previous years. Please review them."
After speaking, he respectfully placed the two reports on the desk. The reason for including data from previous years was to allow the lord to compare and understand the situation over recent years.
Picking up the wheat yield report first, Owen quickly scanned it.
As expected, this year's wheat yield had decreased again compared to last year. If it weren't for the large-scale planting of alkaline-resistant wheat provided by Wenster next spring, Owen estimated he would be troubled again.
Since he was mentally prepared, Owen didn't say anything. After reading, he placed the wheat yield report aside and picked up the financial report.
Seeing this, a hint of doubt flashed across Clive's face. Although Owen had only inherited his father's title this year, he had previously handled some of his father's affairs. According to past situations, he would complain about the reduced yield after reading the wheat yield report. Why was he so calm today?
Despite his doubts, Clive didn't dare to ask anything further. He simply focused on completing his work.
The statistics on the financial report were very detailed and required Owen's careful inspection.
Border Garrison Town's financial income mainly relied on selling iron and copper ore produced in Hengguan Mining Area, as well as hot magic stone and lightning magic stone produced in the Sky Magic Stone Area, bringing in at least two thousand gold coins annually.
If high-quality magic stone could be excavated and sold for a good price, the financial income would significantly increase. However, Border Garrison Town had not produced such magic stone for several years.
The biggest expenditure was on purchasing grain, and these expenses increased year by year.
"Huh? Wait, what are hot magic stone and lightning magic stone?" Wenster suddenly asked curiously.
"You probably don't have them over there. These are things unique to our world; they are stones containing a large amount of magic power," Owen explained.
"Interesting. Once the sand pit is ready, bring a few of both kinds of magic stone over. Transfer them so I can study them thoroughly."
"No problem."
After replying to Wenster, Owen continued to review the financial report. After a while, he put down the report and looked up at Clive.
"How is the acquisition of reserve grain going this year?"
It seemed there was nothing to ask about these two reports, and Clive breathed a sigh of relief. Recalling for a moment, he cautiously replied.
"Marquis, the estimated grain demand this time is slightly higher than last year. It's just that the grain prices from East Rise Fortress and Linshui City have increased by over ten percent compared to last year."
"Why did it increase again?! And by so much. Is their harvest not good this year?"
Owen frowned. This wasn't the first price increase, and grain prices rose a little almost every year. This year's increase was a bit outrageous, and he was very displeased about it.
"According to the news I received, East Rise Fortress and Linshui City had a good harvest this year, with yields even higher than in previous years."
Pausing, Clive continued, "Marquis, I have a personal guess."
"Tell me."
"I think East Rise Fortress and Linshui City have colluded. They are well aware of Border Garrison Town's grain shortage problem, so they jointly inflated the prices. They know that even if we are dissatisfied, we have no choice but to buy."
With a bang, Owen slammed the table. It was the first time he felt such indignation.
"Damn it! They are simply going too far! Border Garrison Town has to resist the invasion of Undead Creatures every winter. It's bad enough that they hide behind enjoying themselves, but they're even taking advantage of our grain situation."
"Those selfish nobles are truly infuriating. I understand why you urgently hope Border Garrison Town can achieve grain self-sufficiency. Being held hostage by their control over grain pricing is indeed helpless," Wenster also felt indignant.
Exhaling lightly, Owen calmed himself down. After a moment of thought, he questioned Clive.
"If we don't acquire grain from them, but from other places instead, how would the costs compare?"
After a quick calculation in his mind, Clive replied, "Grain prices from other places should be lower, but other expenses, including transportation costs, would increase. In the end, it wouldn't save much money, and the arrival time of the grain would be delayed, making it somewhat uneconomical."
Closing his eyes and thinking for a while, Owen finally made a decision.
"This year's reserve grain will be half acquired from East Rise Fortress and Linshui City, and the remaining half from other places. A slight delay in arrival is fine, as long as it doesn't affect Border Garrison Town's operations."
Anyway, they wouldn't be acquiring grain next year. By then, a large amount of grain would be piled up in the granaries, unable to be sold. Let's see if Duke Eddie will be anxious, Owen sneered inwardly.
"Yes, I will go and do that now."
Having received the task, Clive then took his leave. Not long after he left, the butler, Ryan, came to inform him of another matter.
After bowing with his hand over his chest, he reported, "Master, the sand pit has been dug according to your requirements."
"Oh?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "That's perfect. Go get three hot magic stone and lightning magic stone. I want to conduct some experiments."
"Understood."
There were already some good quality magic stone stored in the castle, and Ryan quickly retrieved them and handed them to Owen.
Both types of magic stone were like translucent gems, the only difference being their color: red was hot magic stone, and yellow was lightning magic stone.
With the six magic stone, Owen went to the deepest room on the first floor of the castle, ordering his personal guards to stand at the door and not allow anyone to enter without permission.
Entering the room, it was empty, with dark curtains tightly drawn, making it somewhat dim, but it didn't hinder Owen from observing the room. The sand pit in the middle was not only filled with sand but also specially smoothed, level with the surrounding floor.
This kind of work was a bit redundant, but never mind.
"Quickly place these magic stone in the center of the sand pit, open the transfer function, move the transfer point to the magic stone's position, and after activating the transfer, they will be sucked away and sent to me."
Wenster seemed eager to study the magic stone, urging him on repeatedly.
"Got it. Are your wheat seeds ready?"
"Of course they're ready."
Owen placed the six magic stone in the middle of the sand pit, then retreated to the edge of the pit, opened the main page, and clicked the transfer function.
The main page disappeared, and an egg-sized black sphere appeared in the air not far ahead. A small window popped up at the bottom right of his body, with a transfer activation button on it.
So this is the transfer point.
Glancing at the black sphere, Owen began to operate it remotely, moving the transfer point to the position of the magic stone.
Upon activating the transfer, the black hole he had seen before reappeared, directly sucking away the sand and magic stone on the ground, leaving a circular shallow pit in the center of the sand pit.
Soon, the black hole expanded to the size of a watermelon, and a translucent sphere wrapped in a burlap sack emerged from the center of the black hole.
The transfer was complete, the black hole vanished, and the translucent sphere, upon touching the sand, burst like a bubble, leaving a full burlap sack in the shallow pit.