Chapter 340 - 126: I Am Lynch, I Got Stronger

Chapter 340: Chapter 126: I Am Lynch, I Got Stronger

"According to her feedback, her superiors have accepted her initial report. She’s been assigned a new mission and is now heading to other areas in the Southwest Province to investigate two other targets who have also recently distinguished themselves and are likewise ’suspected of being the Seventh Prince.’"

At this, Aus paused. A complicated expression crossed his face, and his voice deepened slightly. "She also brought back some intel... It’s now more or less confirmed that my Third Imperial Brother was indeed behind the attack I suffered on my way to the North Wind Legion. It’s just... this news is really hard for me to accept."

"Oh? What do you mean?" Lynch had already guessed most of it, but as a good friend, he decided to play the part of a supportive listener, giving Aus an opportunity to vent.

"SIGH..." Aus let out a soft sigh, his eyes downcast as he continued, "Among all my brothers and sisters, my Third Imperial Brother was always gentle and courteous. He was even friendly to me, his powerless seventh brother. He’s always had an excellent reputation among the royal family and the aristocrats of the Imperial Capital, known to all as the ’Virtuous King.’ I never would have thought..."

Hearing this, Lynch took a sip of his tea, his expression serene. "Aus, there’s an old saying from my hometown: ’You can know a person’s face, but not their heart.’ The lure of power, especially the lure of the throne, is enough to turn the gentlest lamb into the most savage wolf."

"Of course, it’s still too early to jump to conclusions. Who knows? This so-called ’Virtuous King,’ the Third Prince, might just be a pawn pushed into the spotlight. The real mastermind could be lurking in even deeper waters. The struggle for the throne has always been treacherous and unpredictable. Anything is possible."

Aus took a long moment to process this before finally nodding and suppressing his complicated emotions. "You’re right. I was being too sentimental. I’ll keep an eye on this matter, but I won’t let it affect my decisions for Lakefront Town."

"That’s the spirit," Lynch said approvingly, gesturing for him to continue.

"The second matter concerns the Moonlight Well." Aus opened another file, which contained a construction blueprint and a thick stack of densely written supply lists. "The construction is proceeding relatively smoothly."

"Following the blueprints provided by the Moon Priestess, we’ve chosen the center of Mirror Lake as the well’s location. By using the natural lake as a medium for energy conduction and amplification, we can incorporate the entire Mirror Lake area into the moonlight energy collection system, which will yield better long-term results."

But in the next moment, his tone became resigned as he pointed to the long list. "But my lord, the construction cost for this Moonlight Well is just exorbitant."

His tone was full of heartache over the expense.

"Even though we already have the core of the Moonlight Well, the Moonstone, constructing the well itself requires a combination of many other materials. Auxiliary materials like Star Jade, Mithril, Yin-Water Driftwood, and Moon Ying Stone are all incredibly expensive and rare Magic Materials. To gather them all, we’ve used up almost all of our liquid capital and even had to take an advance on a portion of our trade income for the next several months."

At this, Aus fixed Lynch with a mournful stare.

That look seemed to say: "I work my fingers to the bone to save money, and you spend our entire fortune with a single wave of your hand... Do you have any idea how hard I have it?"

"Er..."

Lynch felt a pang of guilt under that reproachful gaze and couldn’t help but give a dry cough, trying to come up with a few words in his defense.

However, Aus didn’t give him the chance. He abruptly changed the subject. "Fortunately, the exploration team cleared out a lot of ancient junk from the safe zone of the Ancient Elf ruins. I had people sort and process it, then contacted my senior, Amadis, and a few reliable traveling merchants. We sold off some of that ’junk’ in batches through their channels."

"The response was unexpectedly good. Collectors and researchers of Elven culture, especially from the Imperial Capital and several large northern cities, were falling all over themselves for these ’Ancient Elf relics.’ The merchants and I hyped them up a bit, and the final selling price wasn’t bad. It was just enough to offset the enormous expense of building the Moonlight Well."

"When all was said and done, we even had a small surplus on the books, which in turn helped fill some of the gaps in the town’s daily operating budget. But, my lord, the next time you have one of your ’grand plans,’ can we... maybe... make a budget first?"

Aus’s tone was filled with the resignation of a long-suffering steward.

Lynch breathed a small sigh of relief and put on a placating smile. "Aus, we have to look at the big picture, you know..."

"The Moonlight Well has a huge upfront cost, but once it’s built, it’ll be a strategic asset that continuously produces Moonlight Essence. It won’t just help Sea Song with her cultivation, purify the environment, and nourish life—it will also bring us more intangible benefits and strategic advantages in the future. This investment is absolutely worth it!"

Seeing that Aus’s expression was about to sour again, he quickly raised his hand and promised in all seriousness, "Next time there’s a big project, I promise I’ll discuss it with you."

Seeing his lord make such a declaration, Aus finally, reluctantly, withdrew his gaze. He was, for the moment, placated.

In truth, he of course understood the value of the Moonlight Well. It was just that as the one personally managing the project, watching a fortune flow away like water, feeling that gut-wrenching pain was an instinctive reaction.

Besides, they had only managed to break even this time because the Ancient Elf relics sold well. What if they weren’t so lucky next time? Making a budget beforehand was absolutely essential.

After putting away the list, Aus continued his report. "The main structure of the Moonlight Well is expected to be completed in another month. At that time, we can proceed with the core activation ceremony. Sea Song will be presiding over it. My lord, please remember to attend."