"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

"Move it! Are you trying to give that wood a massage?"

The dwarf roared, flailing his arms. Before him, a young man worked in silence.

No one else dared to provoke the craftsman. Everyone knew the dwarf craftsman was someone the Lord highly favored. It wasn’t just him; masons, blacksmiths, and even minstrels were all extraordinary in the Lord’s eyes. To use Gelan’s imitation of the Lord: "What’s most important? Talent!"

The Lord greatly admired talented people with special skills. Often, someone who knew a bit about masonry or some other small craft would receive better working conditions than usual. This wasn’t just for commoners; even some slaves could gain distinct advantages this way.

"So short-tempered?" Leech said as he walked over.

The dwarf craftsman, who had just been aggressively scolding anyone he could find, immediately bowed when he saw the Lord approach. He stooped so low he was barely knee-high. "Good day, my Lord."

Leech looked at the youth working silently. As far as he knew, the craftsman would never let an outsider meddle with this kind of work.

The youth merely called out "Lord" when Leech approached, then lowered his head and continued to work.

"He’s Pointy-nose, my new apprentice," the dwarf craftsman said with a chuckle, a completely different person from the man who looked ready to explode just moments ago. "You’ve given me too much work, my Lord. I had to find an apprentice to help out."

"And to properly enjoy your married life," Leech added with a smile.

A dwarf who worked from dawn till dusk had no time to "fight" with his new wife at night, so taking on an apprentice to help him was perfectly reasonable.

The craftsman grinned, understanding the Lord’s insinuation.

Leech was more than happy to have craftsmen marry here. A family meant they had ties, making it less likely for talent to leave.

Craftsmen were scarce everywhere. If they were unhappy in Porcupine Territory or had earned enough money, they would likely just pack up and leave.

It was just like how Leech had previously poached several skilled craftsmen with double pay. Now, Iron Stone City was guarding against him as if he were a thief. If it weren’t for the monthly Little Pill business, he was sure ’Charming’ Becky would have already sent her Knights charging over.

Construction of the watermill continued. Leech was just making his routine inspection; after all, he had just eaten and needed to digest his food.

The dwarf went back to berating his new apprentice. Even though the boy was getting an earful, others looked on with envy, wishing they were in his place.

After a while, Ark returned, limping and supported by his young son.

"My Lord!" Ark always maintained a humble posture whenever he saw Leech.

"Joe should be bringing back a new batch of slaves in a couple of days," Leech said with a nod.

East Gorge didn’t restrict the purchase of slaves, provided one didn’t buy too many. Leech knew it wouldn’t be long before other lords put a stop to his slave buying. Every lord was protective of their population. To them, slaves were a burden, but they were also the fastest way to raise a wall of cannon fodder when war broke out. In short, having too many was a hassle, but they were unwilling to give them to others, preferring to let the slaves rot on their own.

Leech had already instructed ’Lucky dog’ Joe to buy from other large towns for this reason. However, judging from the last few purchases, it wouldn’t be long before Porcupine Territory was blacklisted.

He estimated Porcupine Territory’s population would cap out at around 600. After that, buying more slaves would be next to impossible.

Slave traders usually had noble backgrounds. It would be a different story if Leech had good relations with a noble, but the Porcupine family unfortunately didn’t play the social game or form factions.

"They’ll arrive just in time for spring planting. Arrange for the new slaves to clear land and farm. And don’t let any trouble break out," he continued, instructing the limping Ark. "I know it’s harder to manage with more people. If there’s trouble, go find Gelan. He’ll know what to do."

He only had strong farmers at his disposal, but the crack of a whip could still secure the slaves’ loyalty, at least for a short time.

Ark nodded repeatedly. The recent introduction of "Work Points" had indeed made the lazy slaves a bit more motivated. But with a limited number of points available, there were too many wolves and not enough meat. Conflict was inevitable.

Before the work point system was implemented, slaves would slack off whenever no one was watching. After all, everyone got fed, whether they worked a lot or a little. Now, with the system in place and the Lord no longer providing meals, everyone wanted to work hard to eat their fill. The only way was to slave away for work points.

The advantage was that work got done faster. Whether it was building new houses or repairing the river channel, the speed was nearly double what it was before. They worked from dawn till dusk without complaint.

There was a downside, too. Competition. Desperate competition. They fought over work, and it was easy for tempers to flare.

’If you get to work, I don’t. If I can’t work, you won’t work in peace either. If nobody’s happy, then let’s just fight.’ The recent slave riots were due to this.

This was usually when Ark had to personally intervene. He’d give each person a couple of lashes from his whip and then deduct work points. The slaves would quiet down, but Ark felt that many of them were now looking at him with a red glint in their eyes, as if ready to pounce and tear him to shreds at any moment.

For the slaves, earning money was unrealistic. Work points were their lifeline.

Leech spoke again. "The castle staff is shorthanded right now. I’m going to have Simon select a few maids. Arkke can try out, but Simon is very stubborn. I can’t guarantee Arkke will be hired."

Ark immediately looked up. Becoming a maid in the castle meant his daughter could escape her status as a slave. A noble lord wouldn’t let slaves wander around the castle. Take Ark himself, for example. Though he was skilled at helping Leech manage the slaves, he was never allowed near the castle. He had a great deal of authority, but he was a slave, naturally lower in status than a commoner.

’As for the butler? That harelip... The Lord himself has spoken, would he dare to refuse?’

’But then again, it’s very possible he would,’ he thought. ’From what I’ve overheard the maids from the castle say when they bring food, he’s an old-fashioned, stubborn bastard who hides behind noble etiquette and looks down on everyone.’

’As a slave, even with the Lord’s special permission, Arkke probably doesn’t stand much of a chance.’

"Thank you, my Lord!" Ark knelt on the ground, weeping with gratitude.

Leech had originally planned to tell Ark about his idea of selecting squires for his Knights. Ark’s two sons were tall and handsome, and they could control insects. Although their control was limited to a few paces for now, with time, they might be able to recreate the sea of insects from the memories of the Iron Tusk Knight.

But on second thought, he decided to hold back. ’You can’t give all the candy at once.’ Besides, he didn’t even have a knight instructor to help with training yet. Making a grand promise once or twice was enough; you didn’t need to do it every day. Someone starving for a pie they could never eat might just decide to build a lamppost and string him up on it.

After giving a few more instructions, Leech mounted his horse and left.

He immediately ordered his eldest son to go get the little girl who was out earning work points. That’s right—he made his own children earn work points, too. Why let them get a free ride!

Although the work point system was a headache on one hand, on the other, Ark also coveted these small profits.

Soon, news that the castle was recruiting new maids and manservants spread.