When Derek saw Adrian arriving with a group of farmers, he was indeed quite surprised. However, more people were always welcome; in this world, population was an essential resource. Even if some were referred to as “two-legged livestock,” they still represented production potential.

"Welcome, Adrian," Derek said, quickly expressing his trust in Adrian, who was a blood relative. In this era, family ties could be unreliable, but they were undeniable. At least this cousin seemed dependable, with no outrageous rumors surrounding him. Moreover, the son of a village constable wouldn't have many resources to exploit. Adrian had received a basic education and even some noble training, making him a hard worker without lofty ambitions. With a bit of kinship, he would be a valuable ally. Derek felt confident he could manage someone like Adrian.

He quickly arranged for Adrian to have a warhorse and a full set of equipment. Upon checking his panel, Derek was pleased to see Adrian's avatar had appeared, indicating his readiness to obey. This was a good sign that he had mentally prepared himself for this new role.

"This place is rather rudimentary and conditions are tough, but we have the basic supplies. My business... needs some manpower, and you arrived just in time." Derek planned to train the farmers collectively and assign them to either the military or the blacksmith shop based on their personalities and obedience. Including the previous three squads, they would form five squads: three spear units, one swordsman unit, and one sword-and-shield unit. The different types of soldiers had slightly varied roles.

The blacksmith shop would expand to twenty workers, and once they were trained, the annual income could reach at least a thousand gold coins. However, sourcing iron ore and finding a market for their products would soon become pressing issues. Derek would also draw five soldiers from the existing troops to serve as new knight attendants. With stable hands, ground-level managers, and a few slaves, their small camp would swell to about a hundred people.

This operation resembled a miniature manor, with a far greater output than a typical estate. Even though the Ferreira family possessed greater potential influence, in terms of pure profit, this was already substantial. Of course, after expenses, the profits would significantly decrease.

Adrian quickly adapted to the new life. While it was monotonous, Derek’s salary was generous, and there were always opportunities for advancement. Serving as the temporary leader of the cavalry, his status had improved immensely compared to before. He firmly believed Derek's future was brighter than that of his other brothers.

As their operations expanded, the daily output of weapons increased, as did the demand for materials. Each day, they required three to five hundred pounds of iron ore, which could no longer be met through random purchases. Nearby small mines only produced similar quantities, and buying too much at once would raise suspicions. With the output of weapons under Derek's command, they could arm a thousand soldiers in just a month, which would undoubtedly impact the market—especially since prices for weapons in Watchtower City had already begun to decline.

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Understanding Derek's concerns, Adrian offered a valuable suggestion. "We might not break into the Watchtower City market, but there's one product that no one would refuse." He pointed to the horses moving about. "No noble would turn down a quality warhorse. In fact, any smuggled horse would go unchallenged in terms of its origins. We could use this as leverage to expand our business opportunities."

The northern provinces were known for producing warhorses, and many nobles and merchants kept a few. Even ordinary riding horses could fetch a good price. A common mule might cost only three to five gold coins, while regular riding horses typically started at ten gold coins, with exceptional warhorses priced at sixty to seventy gold coins or more. Most cavalrymen and knights trained on riding horses, with only a few actually equipped with warhorses.

Adrian didn’t know where Derek obtained such fine horses, but having them as bargaining chips could open up many doors. After all, nobles and kingdom officials were still human, inevitably involved in some form of benefit exchange or personal obligation. While Derek understood the rules of this world, he still operated with a mindset from his past life. Adrian, though lacking a noble title, had grown up immersed in the politics of the aristocracy, gaining a deeper understanding.

"Nobles and officials wield their power and political resources; if you can provide benefits, they won’t mind making a trade. You could start by doing business with the family; if we have warhorses... my uncle will agree," Adrian suggested.

However, Derek quickly dismissed this idea, as he had a better trading partner in mind. Doing business with the family was certainly an option, but he wanted to wait. After all, he had spent three years in the Earl's domain for a reason.

He calculated that training a subpar mule to excellent quality would take about nine months. The labor and feed costs were minimal, roughly a little over a gold coin per mule per day. However, a mule that initially cost three gold coins could sell for over seventeen gold coins after nine months. The profits were secondary; the key was acquiring resources.

Warhorses were also a scarce resource, making them valuable for trade. With his panel showing only carefully selected mules to minimize costs, Derek had previously recognized the profitability of warhorses, but had treated it merely as a standard business venture, mistakenly thinking the labor involved could yield greater returns elsewhere. With the panel system, the differences between grooms and blacksmiths became negligible, so Derek primarily raised horses for personal use.

In addition to several excellent warhorses, he had around a dozen ordinary quality horses. Fortunately, he was able to produce three to five excellent warhorses each month.

"Ugh, I've wasted so much time. We need to send someone to acquire a batch of riding horses and allocate a few from the slaves to the grooms," Derek quickly rearranged his plans. Once the current batch of riding horses reached excellent quality, they could make a move. The timeframe for this wasn’t long at all.

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