Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

The air was filled with a strange yet rich aroma—the scent of minced whale meat and whale bones simmering in massive cauldrons, blended with wild vegetables and spices rarely seen in everyday life.

Some of the whale meat was stewed into richly flavored soup, while other portions were cut into thick slabs and pan-seared until crispy on the outside and tender inside, the fat sizzling loudly.

Black sausages made from whale blood mixed with grain and spices were also brought out and grilled over the fire.

Inside the town bakery, freshly baked rye bread emerged from the ovens, its crust crisp and its interior soft, piled high on tables for anyone to take freely.

Pot after pot of steaming oatmeal porridge was carried out as well, sprinkled with a pinch of salt.

And what kind of feast could possibly be complete without alcohol?

Ale!

Wine!

As though inexhaustible, barrel after barrel was brought out from the castle and set upon the tables, where anyone could pour themselves a cup.

As more and more food was laid out, the townspeople lined up in over a hundred queues were already drooling in anticipation, staring eagerly at their lord, Levi.

Yes.

Even though this was a feast for the entire population, the sheer number of people meant Levi still had to establish rules. He ordered them to form a hundred separate lines, each person carrying a clay bowl and wooden cup, proceeding in order and freely taking whatever food they wanted from the tables.

Otherwise, the scene would inevitably descend into chaos—perhaps even bloodshed—and that would ruin the entire atmosphere.

Seeing that everything was finally ready, Yalina, Rune, and the wolf-eared girl Little Red Riding Hood all came to Levi's side.

Yes, even the wolf-eared Little Red Riding Hood had to work. She was helping Yalina manage the event.

Yalina wiped the sweat from her forehead. Organizing a feast like this was more exhausting than fighting ten knights at once. She turned to Levi and said, "Everything's ready."

Levi nodded slightly, then signaled to Rune with his eyes.

"Then let's begin."

Upon hearing that, Rune raised the mallet in his hand and struck the great bronze signal-drum with all his strength.

"The lord has declared the feast open!" he shouted.

Poor Rune.

With the combat strength of a Sky Knight, no matter which kingdom he went to, he could easily obtain the status and position of a duke—an existence of immense prestige.

Yet here under Levi, he was constantly being used as a messenger boy.

He was a dignified Sky Knight—a knight of the heavens!

And Levi showed absolutely no appreciation for it.

Still, Rune himself did not seem to mind. On the contrary, he found it amusing. Besides, he was still hoping Levi could help him find the Golden Palace of Stromberg.

As his booming announcement echoed out, deafening cheers erupted throughout the entirety of Coldwind Keep Town, from the streets all the way to the coastline.

"Praise Lord Levi! Praise Lord Rune!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

"Praise Miss Yalina!"

"Praise the Lord!"

"..."

In short, every kind of shout could be heard.

At the front of the lines were the sailors who had gone out to sea this time, along with the residents and refugees who had performed especially well—those who had shown themselves relatively obedient to Levi.

They were given priority positions in line as a clear signal to everyone else:

Those who listened to Levi would receive benefits.

It was equivalent to planting a seed in everyone's hearts. In the days to come, they would watch those who obeyed Levi's orders and performed well receive more rewards than others, and they too would gradually transform into proper citizens of the territory.

Like right now.

The people at the front filled their clay bowls with huge servings of meat soup, grabbed chunks of dark bread, took several whale blood sausages, and naturally did not overlook the whale steaks either. Some only took one piece, while others took several, stuffing their bowls until they resembled small hills piled high with food. Finally, they filled their wooden cups to the brim with rich wine before reluctantly walking to the back of the line to give the next person their turn.

The people near the front were fine—there was plenty of food available.

But those farther back grew increasingly anxious as they watched one delicious dish after another being taken away. The later their turn came, the fewer choices remained for them. They constantly urged the people ahead to hurry up and leave already, yet once it became their own turn, they desperately stuffed as much food into their bowls as possible, reluctant to leave that precious spot until the people behind them began shouting and cursing for them to move.

No one dared start a fight.

Because Lord Levi had made it clear: anyone who fought would be thrown into prison. Moreover, their family members—or even everyone from the same work group—would suffer collective punishment and also be banned from attending the feast.

And if the offender happened to be a lone drifter with no family at all, they would be publicly whipped on the spot. After receiving ten heavy lashes, they would be tied up nearby and forced to watch everyone else feast to their hearts' content.

Although Levi had not been in Hornreach for very long, he was extremely forceful, always kept his word, and had already killed quite a few people.

Of course, he was also very generous—just like with this feast.

As a result, whether they were town residents or refugees, the people all feared and respected him deeply.

No one dared disobey his commands.

And because of that, this hastily organized feast remained surprisingly orderly.

There were naturally a few arguments here and there, but overall the atmosphere was lively and joyful.

People raised their cups and drank freely, indulging themselves in delicious food, forgetting all their worries as they immersed themselves in the feast. Laughter and praise rose one after another without end.

The feast lasted for four full hours.

Everyone ate until they were stuffed, their mouths glistening with grease, their bodies lazy and relaxed, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

And when they looked toward Levi, their lord, their gazes became filled with deep respect.

Levi swept his eyes across the surroundings. A flash of blue light flickered deep within his pupils.

[You brought back four sperm whales when the territory was at the brink of disaster and held a feast for all the people.]

[The territory's confidence in you has risen dramatically.]

[You have gained the support of most of your people. They will obey your commands from the bottom of their hearts.]

[Your rule over the territory has been stabilized.]

Seeing those notifications, Levi remained calm, though he was somewhat surprised deep down that a single "all-you-can-eat feast for the entire population" could produce such an effect.

But after thinking about it again, it no longer seemed strange at all.

After all, in these times, what lord would ever be willing to let his people feast like this?

Giving each person a few pieces of dark bread was already considered the lord's mercy!

But Levi?

Dark bread, oatmeal porridge, whale meat, meat soup, grilled whale blood sausages...

How many people would go their entire lives without ever eating a meal like this?

What Levi had done could no longer be called "mercy."

It was "the Lord's blessing"!

In the hearts of some of the more ignorant commoners, Lord Levi had practically become "the incarnation of the Lord" himself!

So it was hardly strange for things to have this kind of effect.

'Now this is an unexpected bonus,' Levi thought to himself. Popular support truly was a useful thing.

At last, when the sun began setting in the west, he announced the end of the feast for the entire population.

The people were still reluctant for it to end.

No one knew who started it, but someone suddenly raised their wine cup toward Levi and shouted:

"A toast to Lord Levi!"

The voices were not unified.

But that only made it feel all the more sincere.

From those actions and voices, Levi could feel a deep sense of gratitude.

What they wanted was actually very simple...

Levi fell silent for a moment. Then he too raised his cup and shouted toward the countless people before him:

"A toast to all of you of Hornreach—and to the future!"

Levi's voice was just as loud.

Most of the people heard him clearly.

Already drunk from the alcohol, they immediately roared in unison:

"To the future!"

Levi himself was getting somewhat drunk as well.

He raised his voice again.

"To your future!"

"For the next entire year, work diligently!"

"And on this same day next year, I will hold another feast like this!"

"We will pass this feast down year after year and make it the feast of Hornreach!"

The moment he said that, the people became even more excited.

Again, no one knew who started it, but the crowd erupted into thunderous shouts.

"To Hornreach!"

"To Hornreach!"

"To Hornreach!"

"..."

The sound was deafening.

The atmosphere was frenzied with excitement!

Even Yalina, Rune, and Little Red Riding Hood were infected by the mood.

Levi froze slightly for a moment before grinning broadly and roaring:

"To Hornreach!"

"To Hornreach!"

Eleven thousand people shouted along with him.

The smile on Levi's face widened even further.

And the people smiled together with him.

From this day onward, there would no longer be any distinction between town residents and refugees.

There would only be—

The people of Hornreach!

Levi's people!

And that day eventually became a local festival of celebration, passed down from generation to generation, woven into the history of mankind itself.

Levi had, in the truest sense, created history in this world.

...

After the feast for the entire population, the atmosphere throughout the territory underwent an enormous change.

The more than eight thousand refugees—or rather, citizens now—had eyes filled with hope. No one needed to urge them to work anymore. They acted enthusiastically and proactively on their own.

Take the agricultural teams, for example.

Besides tending to the strip fields where the Bittervine had been planted, they actively sought out additional work themselves, opening up even more fields.

They divided the labor cooperatively. The elderly and weak picked up stones and leveled the land, while the young and strong swung hoes, dug earth, and carved irrigation trenches and ridges.

As for the construction teams, they worked even harder.

The coal mines, lime pits, and the regions near the edge of the Mist Swamp were all bustling with activity.

Clay was continuously excavated and piled into small reddish-brown hills, left out to dry for future use.

At the cliffside mines, coal was mined and transported upward every single day before being properly stored away.

At the limestone pits, large numbers of citizens used the simplest of tools to chip away limestone and haul it out through sheer manpower.

The members of the military teams did not need to perform labor work, but they had to train together with the garrison under Levi and the Sky Knight Rune. They also had to undergo "ideological education."

In the past, many people had merely shouted slogans outwardly while inwardly dismissing them completely.

Even many members of the garrison had been the same.

But after the feast for the entire population, they realized their current lord was different. He was willing to share the fruits of prosperity with them.

Because of that, they sincerely admired Levi from the bottom of their hearts, and they genuinely accepted and carried out the orders given by Levi and Rune.

The military teams had become disciplined and strictly obedient to commands.

They already possessed the beginnings of real combat capability.

...

There are no walls that completely block the wind.

News that Levi had hunted four sperm whales quickly passed through hidden channels, crossed Frostfang Pass, and arrived at Silverclaw Castle.

The news struck like a massive stone crashing into a calm lake, instantly shattering the castle's peace.

Inside the study of the Silverclaw Viscount—

At that moment, he was seated in a tall chair, leisurely swirling an exquisite wine cup in his hand while listening to his trusted subordinate, Grey Crow, quietly report the matter of the four sperm whales.

His expression immediately darkened like a summer sky suddenly swallowed by storm clouds.

"Four sperm whales?" the Silverclaw Viscount repeated to confirm once more.

Grey Crow lowered his voice and said, "Yes, Viscount. Word is that Baron Levi of Hornreach sent sailors out to fish at sea, but they ended up bringing back four stranded sperm whales onto the beach. The Baron of Hornreach organized over a thousand people to process the four sperm whales, and…"

"And what?" The Silverclaw Viscount's tone already carried obvious displeasure.

"And… from the heads of the four sperm whales, the Baron of Hornreach harvested an extremely large quantity of whale brain oil that can be used to make smokeless candles. Conservatively estimated, it's worth more than one hundred thousand gold coins…" Grey Crow said quietly.

"Continue."

"The people from the Sea Serpent Merchant Guild and the Sword and Flower Caravan were still there. They saw it…"

The moment Grey Crow finished speaking, the Silverclaw Viscount suddenly hurled his beloved wine goblet—a work of art worth dozens of gold coins—straight at the stone wall of the castle without any warning.

The goblet shattered into pieces.

Bright red wine flowed down through the cracks in the wall.

Grey Crow's heart skipped a beat.

In all these years, this was only the third time he had seen the Silverclaw Viscount fail to suppress his anger to such a degree.

At first, the Silverclaw Viscount had never truly regarded Levi as a threat.

Even if Levi was a Great Knight, his territory was effectively a dead land. The soil was barren, incapable of growing crops. Though it bordered the sea and could rely on fishing and hunting, that kind of output was ultimately unstable.

After cutting off trade with the two territories and sending several thousand refugees over there, the Viscount had believed that Levi, the new Baron of Hornreach, would soon compromise because of the food crisis—or else recklessly launch an attack against him.

And how much of a threat could a lone baron possibly pose to him?

So what if the other side was a Great Knight?

The Silverclaw family had Great Knights of their own!

War was not something a single Great Knight could solve!

Therefore, before today, the Silverclaw Viscount had been in an excellent mood. He had guessed that within half a month—twenty days at most—Levi's territory would descend into uncontrollable unrest.

Those eight thousand refugees would take Levi's life.

Especially after Levi had forcibly requisitioned grain from the two merchant groups at low prices, the Silverclaw Viscount had become even more convinced that Levi was a fool.

But what he had not expected was for Levi to obtain four sperm whales.

To put it bluntly, while the meat from four sperm whales was substantial, it still could not feed a territory of over ten thousand people for a full month.

The important part was the whale brain oil.

And the leaders of the two merchant groups had discovered it!

In order to obtain the whale brain oil, the two merchant groups would willingly transport grain in from elsewhere.

It was true that he had closed Frostfang Pass, but Hornreach possessed a free port.

Grain would solve Hornreach's survival crisis, while the remaining gold coins would be enough to raise Hornreach's strength to an entirely new level.

And with a Great Knight backing it…

Hornreach would become a mortal threat to Silverclaw Territory!

More importantly, after losing access to Hornreach's port, Silverclaw Territory would have to pay far greater costs to transport its grain and goods outward.

In other words, the entire offensive and defensive situation had reversed!

Now it would be Silverclaw Territory that would be blockaded by Hornreach!

That was something the Silverclaw Viscount absolutely could not accept.

His eyes seemed to burn with raging fury as he said to Grey Crow: "Speak with the Sea Serpent Merchant Guild and the Sword and Flower Caravan. Silverclaw Territory can provide them assistance and ask for no compensation in return. In exchange, they can earn even greater profits."

A gray haze clouded Grey Crow's eyes.

After a brief silence, he said, "Viscount… there is another piece of news. According to confirmation from our spies, the woman beside the Baron of Hornreach, Yalina, is highly likely to also be a Great Knight."

Two Great Knights!

The Silverclaw Viscount instantly fell silent.

Grey Crow continued, "There is also another knight named Rune. Judging from the strength he occasionally reveals, even if he is not a Great Knight, he cannot be far from that level."

That meant three Great Knights!

If three fully armored Great Knights led a charge personally, the Silverclaw Knights—his greatest source of pride—would be smashed through in an instant!

The Sea Serpent Merchant Guild and the Sword and Flower Caravan possessed tremendous power. Rumor even claimed they had Sky Knights among their ranks. That was one of the key reasons the two merchant groups could conduct business across so many kingdoms.

Dealing with a mere Hornreach would naturally not be difficult for them.

But business was not conducted that way.

And accounts were not calculated that way either.

Three Great Knights—or perhaps not even three, merely two and a half Great Knights—were already enough to ensure the other side would obediently conduct trade.

Oh, you mean Hornreach had previously forcibly requisitioned their grain?

That was not forced requisitioning.

That was the Sea Serpent Merchant Guild and the Sword and Flower Caravan offering support to the territory of Hornreach.

Thus, after hearing this news, the Silverclaw Viscount immediately understood that there was nothing he could do anymore regarding Hornreach.

Nothing could be salvaged now.

Even if he reopened Frostfang Pass immediately, it would already be meaningless!

Hatred had been planted.

And once planted, it would take root and sprout. It could no longer be torn out.

The Silverclaw Viscount slumped back into his chair in dejection, all elegance gone from him.

Grey Crow remained silent and motionless.

Suddenly—

The Silverclaw Viscount suddenly shot to his feet and looked in another direction.

"No."

"There's still hope for me!"

Since there was no longer any path left internally, then he would use outside forces to shatter everything and ignite the flames of war.

"Grey Crow," the Silverclaw Viscount said coldly.

"Send them a secret message. Tell them I accept their conditions."

Grey Crow's expression changed immediately.

"Viscount… if we do this, then the Silverclaw family will no longer have any place within the Duchy of Silverbrook."

"You think there's still a place for us in the Duchy of Silverbrook now?" the Silverclaw Viscount snapped. "That damned man had already planned everything from the start. He placed Levi in that territory specifically to deal with the Silverclaw family."

"Since he abandoned the original alliance first, then the Silverclaw family no longer needs to remain loyal to the duchy."

"The Silverclaw family will have a new lord to whom we swear allegiance!"

Grey Crow fell silent for a moment before nodding.

"I understand, Viscount. Your will shall be carried out."

As those words fell, Grey Crow slowly stepped backward into the shadows.

Meanwhile, the Silverclaw Viscount sat back down in his chair. Sunlight streamed through the castle's narrow windows and fell across his face, illuminating an expression that shifted uncertainly between light and darkness.

...

Coldwind Keep.

Main hall.

The people of the Sea Serpent Merchant Guild wore dark blue robes, the anchor emblem embroidered upon them fluttering sharply in the wind. Before anyone could even announce their arrival, the guild representative hurried forward with a face full of almost sycophantic enthusiasm.

"Lord Levi, congratulations on hunting a deep-sea beast!"

"We have come to purchase the whale brain oil. So long as you are willing to sell it to our guild, we can immediately transport thirty-three thousand pounds of coarse grain and over two thousand pounds of wheat flour from the southern territories. In addition, we will provide fifty sets of refined chainmail, thirty high-quality longswords, and ten powerful longbows. We will also send healing salves, incense, ropes, sailcloth—anything useful to a lord's territory, the Sea Serpent Merchant Guild will supply it all!"

"The Sea Serpent Merchant Guild really does know how to conduct business." Levi spoke calmly. "The whale brain oil filling my cellar is worth at least two hundred thousand gold coins. That's enough to buy forty million pounds of flour, or tens of thousands of high-quality longswords."

"If this is the level of sincerity your guild is offering, then you may leave."

Levi's expression was calm yet naturally imposing.

The Sea Serpent Merchant Guild representative immediately gave an awkward laugh.

The grain Levi had forcibly requisitioned, the territory's desperate situation, the Silverclaw Viscount's pressure… all those negotiation advantages rapidly flashed through his mind.

Then he looked into Levi's eyes.

Those eyes were as unfathomable as a star-filled sky.

A chill instantly ran through his entire body.

Back then, no one had thought highly of Levi.

And yet who could have predicted the situation would become what it was today?

Still wearing that ingratiating smile, the guild representative hurriedly said: "My lord, merchants naturally pursue profit."

"Enough." Levi waved him off lightly. "We'll proceed according to market prices. I'll leave you room for profit, but forget about enormous windfalls. I think a profit margin of thirty to fifty percent is already more than sufficient."

"As for the exact amount, I'll judge it based on your sincerity."

From beginning to end, Levi controlled the entire pace of the negotiation.

Under Detection, Levi had already seen through all of the other party's hidden cards. In truth, the negotiation itself had very little meaning.

Only thirty to fifty percent profit?

The Sea Serpent Merchant Guild representative's expression changed slightly.

"Lord Levi, with such meager profits, headquarters will likely never agree."

"After all, the risks we bear are also extremely high…"

Levi had no interest in continuing the conversation further.

"You can think it over."

"The Sword and Flower Caravan is considering it as well."

"Of course, you can also join forces together."

"Or organize some pirates and come rob me."

"That is your choice."

Levi's voice turned icy cold.

The guild representative's face immediately went pale.

"That's not what we mean, my lord!"

"I don't care whether that's what you mean or not. What I mean is simple—if you're dissatisfied, come take it by force!"

"If you don't dare rob me yet still want the goods, then follow my rules."

Levi's tone remained as calm as ever, yet it carried overwhelming dominance.

The Sea Serpent Merchant Guild representative looked at Levi. Words rose to his lips, only to be swallowed back down again.

In the end, he nodded.

"Lord Levi, this is beyond my authority to decide. I must report it back to headquarters."

Levi merely nodded lightly.

The people from the Sea Serpent Merchant Guild bowed respectfully to Levi before withdrawing from the hall.

Yalina stepped out from behind him. She glanced at the departing backs of the guild representatives. Her lips parted as though she wanted to say something, but in the end she closed her mouth again.

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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

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