Lynn had encountered the greatest setback since his transmigration.
He tried his best to make Elysia believe that the more work she did, the more profit they would earn, and the faster they would pay off their debt.
He also used the clause in the mortgage agreement about returning Blackstone Fief to ignite her enthusiasm.
However, she actually only agreed to a twenty-hour work system!
Damn it, as someone whose body was enhanced by magic, she clearly didn't need to rest that long!
Straightening his nearly scorched hair, Lynn looked at Iyanna, who was engrossed in eating.
...He wouldn't need to go out for the short term, so what could she do?
Increase their food expenses?
No, he absolutely could not let her eat for free.
Lynn rubbed his chin, racking his brains to think of how to utilize her labor.
Then, he looked at the few black stones in front of Theodore.
Speaking of which, he had previously noticed the difference between the two black stones that had transformed into Magic Stones.
"Theodore, why do I feel that the smaller piece of black stone has a higher density of fire magic patterns?"
He picked up the Magic Stone that had been discovered first and voiced the doubt in his heart.
"Indeed, I have noticed this point as well.
According to my deductions, the conversion efficiency of the Magic Stones is related to the contact area and the strength of the magic it comes into contact with.
In other words, a stronger witch using stronger magic to transform a smaller black stone will result in a purer Magic Stone."
Hearing this explanation, Lynn became even more confused:
"Then why not just have Employee Number One directly roast crushed black stone powder?"
Theodore pushed his single-sided monocle:
"That's where the problem lies. The natural hardness of the black stones is very high, and grinding them is very time-consuming, unless we have the assistance of livestock or hydraulic machinery.
But we don't have enough livestock here, and there are no rivers nearby."
Indeed, there were no surface rivers around Blackstone Fief, and the livestock in the town, all told, only consisted of the old donkey that had previously pulled the cart and the old horse that was now pulling the cart.
Such an aging workforce was naturally incapable of handling the arduous task of grinding.
This was indeed difficult to handle... or was it?
Grinding?
Lynn's gaze shifted to Iyanna, who was chewing with large mouthfuls.
Besides her appetite being a billion times larger, she had stamina when stamina was needed, and strength when strength was needed.
Moreover, this way, he could finally stop her from eating for free during this period.
Thinking of this, Lynn revealed a gentle smile:
"This thing is much more useful than oxen and horses."
"Mmm?"
————————
In the shadows of the stable, the silver-haired witch was maintaining her output with a face full of sorrow and indignation.
Her fair hands were like two high-powered flamethrowers, with crimson flames continuously spewing forth from her palms.
The high temperature distorted the air, and sweat slid down her exquisite cheeks.
"In order to take back my father's territory..."
She gritted her teeth and used herself as a human-shaped blast furnace.
And in the open space outside the stable, the style was even more wild.
"Ora! Ora! Ora!"
Accompanied by energetic shouts, Iyanna held a granite stone pillar as thick as a thigh in her right hand and frantically pounded it against a specially made stone mortar.
And her left hand was not idle either; the wood from the crooked tree forest was chopped into small pieces suitable for burning by a swinging axe.
Because Lynn had told her that as long as her speed of producing raw materials was faster than Elysia's speed of burning finished products, she could get extra meals, her production efficiency was extremely high.
"Awoo! Sister Elysia! I've stockpiled another batch. I'll leave it at your door for now!"
"Eh? Slow... slow down a bit!"
Looking at Elysia continuously releasing flames in the stable, and then at Iyanna wagging her tail and happily engaging in internal competition, Lynn couldn't help but have tears well up in his eyes.
This was what a healthy employee relationship was!
Wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, Lynn walked to the area where Elysia had stacked her finished products.
He grabbed a handful of crimson Magic Stone powder and held it up to his eyes to examine it.
Although the specific efficacy of the Magic Stones still needed further exploration by Theodore, and their special nature prevented direct sales, he was quite certain that this would be their most important product.
Furthermore, the workplace needed to be optimized. He couldn't just let them work in this kind of environment all the time.
After all, an unprofessional work environment would lead to product loss and a decrease in quality, which was absolutely not allowed.
This area didn't even have a place to shelter from the rain. What if the products got wet?
Lynn decided to find a carpenter to come over and renovate this place after some time.
However, for now, let him seriously enjoy this wonderful scene.
"So beautiful, this thick rising black smoke is truly a symbol of wealth."
"Oh my~ Is that so? Why is that?"
"Smoke is a byproduct of production. More byproducts naturally represent higher efficiency,"
"So that's how it is~ Thank you for your explanation, Lord Lynn."
"Hmph hmph, you're welcome... wait, how did you get in here!"
Lynn, who had been conversing with a soft and magnetic female voice for a long time, abruptly reacted.
He whipped his head around and then saw a bewitching demi-human female standing beside him at some unknown time.
Fiery red hair cascaded down behind an elegant long dress like a waterfall, and a pair of tall fox ears twitched slightly in the wind.
Her eyes were narrowed into slits, so her pupil color could not be seen, and the smile on her face carried a special charm due to the beauty mark under her left eye.
But these were all minor matters...
Lynn stared in horror at the pair of front armor that had nearly crashed into his face—
‘Why didn't you mention such a big matter sooner?’
He raised his head, looked at this squinty-eyed demi-human big sister, and immediately said in a loud voice:
"You have trespassed into my castle without my permission! I shall invoke the castle doctrine..."
Before Lynn could finish his words, his mouth was... blocked, by the other party's outstretched right hand, her slender little finger adorned with a ring?
"???"
"Lord Lynn, this is truly embarrassing...
In that case, how about I give you some compensation?"
After saying this, she placed her other hand on her own collar.
"Why are you shouting for no reason... ugh ahhhh!"
Elysia, attracted by Lynn's loud shouts, poked her head out from the stable, and then was immediately frightened into screaming by the scene she saw.
"Why is there a demi-human pervert in my family's castle!
Lynn! What are you doing!"
"Oh my, please don't say that~ We haven't reached that step just yet~
Such fast progress is quite troubling for me."
The demi-human female, who had withdrawn her hands, shyly covered her reddened cheeks, the red fox tail behind her swaying slightly.
On the other side, Lynn, who felt as if he had just taken a hit from Unlimited Void, clutched his chest and warily took a step back.
Although the system had not popped up, indicating that this demi-human had no magic or Battle Aura, for some reason, he felt that the other party was even more terrifying than that princess.
"Who... who are you?"
"Eh? Do Milanese nobles ask for a girl's name like this? How unromantic~"
The fox woman giggled, striking a bewitching pose:
"You can just call me Daina, Lord Lynn.
I have come on behalf of my cute little sister to discuss the matter of the trade agreement with you...
Of course, perhaps there is some other purpose as well~ For example, to eat some of Milan's local specialty snacks?"