3 Gold Coins

During their journey, Freyr had already spoken with Focker, who then selected six men to be Freyr's personal attendants. These six were chosen based on Focker's observations for their loyalty and diligence. The chosen knights promptly shed their armor for lighter attire and rode out of the barracks, bidding their comrades farewell, who looked on enviously… after all, being close to the master offered better chances of promotion.

Leaving the stifling atmosphere of the Earl's residence in the imperial city for the Russell family's castle on their lands was quite liberating. Here, Freyr was the highest authority, and the noble lifestyle was enjoyable. As soon as he stepped outside, a servant brought a well-bred horse with the finest saddle and bridle. It was said that Focker had personally selected this horse to please Freyr, and he indeed had a good eye for horses.

That morning, Freyr and his six attendants explored the woods around the castle twice, eventually selecting a location. On the edge of the forest, a bit farther from the castle, there was a small creek, a tributary of the Jade River (Russell River). The water flowed gently, and after checking the surroundings, there were no signs of large beasts. Freyr immediately decided to build a log cabin here.

This would be his first magical laboratory—although he was not yet a wizard and had been deemed unfit to learn magic, Freyr was not concerned about this.

There would always be a way.

After noting the location, Freyr continued exploring with his men. His behavior indeed seemed quite eccentric.

During the course of the morning, Freyr spent his time either patrolling the surrounding woods or chatting with the castle servants. Surprisingly, the first people he met with were the gardener and the florist of the castle!

Freyr handed them a list and instructed them to prepare some unusual flowers and plants according to the contents. This list soon fell into the hands of the old butler, Spencer, who carried out the instructions without comment.

By evening, Freyr finally had some free time to visit the prisoner in the dungeon. After two days and nights of torment, that wizard should have suffered enough by now. Let's see if he's willing to submit.

Confidently, Freyr returned to the castle with his attendants, but the first person to meet him was the old butler, Spencer.

"Young Master, I have already sent people to gather all the items on the lists you provided today," Spencer reported.

"So quickly?" Freyr was pleased and a bit surprised.

"Of course, this is the Russell family estate. Your orders are our duty. As soon as you handed me the lists, I dispatched riders to the nearby towns to purchase the items. They are already on their way back. However, there is a small issue..."

"What is it?"

"Your funds might not be sufficient," the butler responded calmly.

"Funds?" Freyr was taken aback. "Money?"

"Indeed," the old butler's expression remained composed, but his eyes held a hint of concealed schadenfreude, which irked Freyr. "Young Master, because you have not yet come of age, the patriarch decreed that besides your daily expenses, you are allowed to draw only 3 gold coins per month from the family as your personal allowance. Any expenditure beyond this must be deducted from the following month's allowance."

Freyr was speechless.

Money? He hadn't expected that as the eldest son of an Earl, he would encounter financial difficulties over such a trivial sum.

The old butler swiftly pulled out a monocle, placed it over his left eye, and read off Freyr's list: "Four pieces of high-quality crystal, twenty glass mirrors, a furnace, half a cart of coal. From the florist, you purchased seeds for Goldscale Flower, Arrowroot, and a large vial of Jaro Black Rose pollen, along with a set of the finest gardening tools. From the gardener, you bought two Tiger-striped Broadleaf trees and one hundred clover plants..."

The butler finished reading the list and continued, "These purchases total approximately 5 gold coins. This means you've not only spent this month's allowance but also drawn from the next month's as well... And I heard you plan to build a log cabin by the creek outside the woods. I've estimated that constructing a simple two-story cabin will cost around 3 gold coins. Additionally, the furnishings and furniture you requested will cost another 2 gold coins. So, it seems you've spent the equivalent of your allowance for the next 4 months."

Freyr was speechless.

He realized he had miscalculated.

Money!

The eldest son of an Earl running out of money!

But the flowers and plants were essential, the most basic materials for his research in Potioncraft.

Looking at the old butler, Freyr frowned and asked, "Are you saying that as my father's eldest son, responsible for overseeing the family's estate, I am only allowed to spend a mere 3 gold coins per month? Is that correct?"

The old butler remained respectful, "Yes, that is the rule. It was outlined in a letter from the patriarch himself. Though the family's estate generates thousands of gold coins in revenue each month, those funds are public. Since you are not yet of age, have not received your title, nor your own estate..."

"So, I only have a 3 gold coin allowance each month, correct?" Freyr's tone was cold. He then waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, I understand. I suppose I won't be able to purchase anything frivolously for the next few months, correct?"

"My apologies, young master. That is the Earl's order. You can only draw up to three months' allowance in advance."

Seeing the young master's displeasure, the old butler quickly took his leave.

After the butler left, Freyr glanced at Focker, who cautiously said, "Young master... I still have the 50 gold coins you asked me to keep. These were given to you by the Countess before we left the capital."

Freyr sighed. "Ah, I wondered why Mother secretly gave me that money back then... Now I understand. It seems Father was worried that this fool would cause trouble on the family estate, ruining our heritage. That's why he only gave me the title of caretaker without allowing me to access the estate's funds."

"Well, we can cut back on some expenses. 3 gold coins a month is actually quite a lot..." Focker trailed off, instinctively falling silent as he saw his young master deep in thought.It should be noted that three gold coins are already the annual income for many families.

"...Alright then, we'll find a way to make some money ourselves," Freyr declared after a brief moment of displeasure. He quickly came to terms with the situation. After all, didn't Natalie leave a secret passage for him? Behind that deceptive door lay a trove of treasures. If necessary, he could use that money.

However, it seemed that his days of banishment might not be as leisurely and free as he had imagined.

"Let's go to the dungeon," Freyr commanded with a wave of his hand. "I hope that Wizard doesn't refuse me again today. I'm in no mood for more nonsense!"