Chapter 297

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Tran station

Soon, someone raised their hand and shouted, “I’m willing to join the Crown of the Ocean!”

“I’m also willing to stay; I don’t want to wander around anymore!11 Another voice expressing willingness followed.

Humans are creatures of the crowd. Upon hearing others expressing their desire to stay, even some freemen who had a hint of hesitation in their hearts raised their hands.

More than a thousand freemen, nearly all of them, decided to remain right there.

There were very few who were still hesitant, and Ji Chen didn’t pressure them. He simply advised them to stay for the time being and get a good look at the Crown of the Ocean before making a decision.

He instructed Wilus to arrange accommodations forthem.

Apart from the freemen, there was another, larger group of slaves.

When it came to the slaves, there was no need for lengthy discussions.

In a sense, Ji Chen spending gold to buy them meant they were Ji Chen s personal property, and he had the right to kill them if he wished.

After they disembarked, they didn’t exchange a word but were quickly pur to work in various areas of the territory. Ji Chen believed that in the days to come, they would come to appreciate the goodness of rhe Crown of the Ocean.

Ding-1037 units of freemen have joined the territory, no hero units discovered.”

“Ding, 1520 units of slaves have joined the territory, hero units discovered.”

Ji Chen was taken aback; there were hero units among these slaves?

That seemed like quite a stroke of luck.

However, he wasn’t overly excited because the Crown of the Ocean already had quite a few heroes, around forty of them, both white and green heroes.

He opened the territory panel to take a look

Sure enough, in the heroes section, he saw a new name.

Leysha (Purple Hero)

Ah, a hero with a purple-tier ranking. Ji Chen was intrigued to find out more about this obviously female character.

He closed the panel.

Ji Chen then headed toward the temporary place where the slaves were being housed.

The temporary lodging for the slaves was in an open area not far from the port. There were many thatched huts set up here, and the slaves were standing around, creating a noisy and chaotic scene.

Surrounding them were squads of lizardmen soldiers. Unlike the freemen who had come willingly, many of the slaves had thoughts of escaping, so they needed a military presence to keep them in check.

Ji Chen’s sudden arrival surprised both the slaves and the soldiers. They wondered why such a noble figure had come to this chaotic place.

A lizardman captain hurried over, his face filled with anxiety as he asked,

“Lord, is there something you need us to do here?”

“Nothing much, I’m here to find a slave named Leysha.”

“Alright, 1’11 go get her right away. Please wait a moment, Lord.”

After saying that, the lizardman captain immediately rushed back with his subordinates to search for Leysha.

About ten minutes later, they returned, with a young girl in row.

“Lord, we have brought the slave Leysha.”‘

“Very good,” Ji Chen nodded and turned his gaze to Leysha.

She was a young girl, and while her appearance might not be considered top-tier, she had a remarkably beautiful face and a youthful, vibrant figure that added to her charm.

At this moment, she looked anxious, clutching the edge of her clothes with trembling hands, appearing very reserved.

She didn’t understand why the Lord had brought her out alone.

Could it be, as others had suggested, that the Lord had taken an interest in her?

Thinking about this, Leysha’s grip on her clothes tightened, her cheeks turned crimson, and she almost buried her head in her chest.

I’he other slaves around her looked at her with envy, thinking that being favored by rhe Lord meant she was soaring to great heights and would live a good life from now on.

Ji Chen paid no attention to the others and first opened her panel to check.

[Leysha (Hero)]

I Race]: Human

I Level]: 8

[Current Tier]: Purple (Rare Tier)

[Potential]: Red (Legacy Tier)

[Skills]: Ancestral Winemaking (Purple skill, inherited wine-making technique, capable of producing exceptionally high-quality wine)

Ancestral Farming (Purple skill, skilled in growing wine-making crop materials)

[ Unit Trait |: Winemaking Talent (Greatly improves winemaking success rate, greatly improves wine quality, has a certain probability of producing top- quality wine)

Well, it turned our she was a lifestyle hero.

And what’s more, her expertise was in winemaking!

This was an incredible discovery!

Earlier, Ji Chen had already figured out that the New Moon Islands were most likely formed due to volcanic eruptions. As a result, the volcanic soil produced by these eruptions contained rich mineral elements, giving it a natural advantage for agriculture.

From the perspective of agricultural advantages, besides excellent soil, the New Moon Islands had very few storms, tsunamis, long hours of daylight, and more, making it an excellent place for grape cultivation.

Wine was a product in high demand everywhere, and there was never a shortage of buyers.

If the Crown of rhe Ocean added this product to its offerings, it would only mean more gold!

Gradually, Ji Chen s eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Feeling his direct gaze, Leysha became even more bashful, not knowing where to put her hands.

However, she had no idea that Ji Chen wasn’t interested in her body at all; instead, he coveted her skills.

Regaining his composure, Ji Chen cleared his throat and said, “Your name is Leysha, right?”

“Yes, Lord,” Leysha replied, feeling bashful but nodding nonetheless.

“Follow me.”

With an unmistakable tone, he made her obediently follow him. As she looked at the tall and handsome Lord in front of her and then at her somewhat dirty self, she felt a sense of inferiority and worry.

Ji Chen led her to a grand hall and motioned for her to sit.

“Leysha, are you skilled in winemaking?’1

Leysha was slightly surprised. How did the Lord know? She hadn’t told anyone, not even when she was bought as a slave, as it was her appearance that had caught their attention.

But she failed to realize that Ji Chen, as a player, could directly view her information panel.

“Yes.”

“Then how did you become a slave?”

Leysha’s expression darkened, and she began to explain her story.

“My father was a winemaker in a large noble estate. When he noticed my talent in winemaking, he secretly taught me the techniques of winemaking and farming…

We lived happily as a family until soldiers from a hostile nation attacked our estate, killed our parents, and sold me as a slave. Afterward, you, Lord, bought me and brought me here.”

Ji Chen nodded in understanding, but he couldn’t help but shake his head.

It wasn’t because of her unfortunate experiences but because of her talent.

Achieving a purple-tier hero status through winemaking at such a young age was a truly exceptional display of natural talent.

Considering her youth, there might still be potential for further breakthroughs in the future.

“The past is behind you, and your parents wouldn’t want to see you so sad…”

Seeing her looking so dejected, Ji Chen offered some words of comfort before getting to the main point.

“Since you possess such talent, it should not go to waste!

I will personally construct a winemaking workshop and allocate a dedicated piece of land for grape cultivation. Would you be willing to become their overseer, responsible for planting grapes and making wine?”

Upon hearing this, Leysha looked surprised and somewhat overwhelmed. To go from being a simple slave to being in charge was a remarkable leap in social status!

However, she quickly composed herself, and her gaze became more resolute. She clumsily performed a bow.

“I’m willing!”

“Very well!” Ji Chen nodded and immediately called for Wilus.

“Wilus, Leysha is no longer a slave; she has become a resident of the Crown of the Ocean. Assign her a residence and provide her with exclusive servants.

In addition, start planning the construction of a winemaking workshop and designate a suitable area for grape cultivation. Deploy enough residents and slaves to assist Leysha with planting and winemaking.

This matter should be given the utmost attention!”

Upon hearing Ji Chen’s stern tone, Wilus looked surprised as he glanced at Leysha, but he nodded earnestly. “Understood, 1 will handle these two matters seriously.”

Ji Chen nodded and then turned his gaze to Leysha, who looked overwhelmed with favor.

“You should go with Wilus to your new residence now. Freshen up and take some rest. You’ll be busy very soon.”

“I’m at your service, Lord!” Leysha quickly nodded. In her heart, she had already made up her mind to seize this rare opportunity and make the best of it..