After leaving Angstrom City, they followed a stone road for 20 miles. Suddenly, they saw a tall mountain blocking their way. However, the road did not end there. There was a mountain stream in the mountain, and a stone bridge connected the inside and outside of the mountain.
Abel knew this was an important palace. The stone road in the forest was enough to prove the value of this palace.
It was not easy to build a road in the forest. A road that could allow 2 carriages to pass side by side was 5 meters wide. It was not just paved with stones.
There were a lot of plants in the forest that could grow on their own. They would topple over the stones or grow out from the gaps between the stones.
In order to make this road last for countless years, the ground needed to be heated up so that no plants could grow on it. Then, they would have to cover it with stones.
The scale of the project was huge, and the cost was way more than a piece of land.
"Master Bennett, this is the Orwell Valley. That's where the Orwell Palace got its name from!" Steward Derek pointed at the valley on the other side of the bridge.
"Is this a man-made road?" Abel asked as he looked at the mountain stream that divided the mountain in half.
"This is a gift from the Goddess of the Moon. It is a gift from the Double Moon Forest!" Steward Derek said emotionally.
Abel watched the carriage pass by the stone bridge. Under the bridge, there was a crystal clear mountain stream with little fish swimming by.
At the same time, he realized this place was dangerous. The stone bridge was the only way in and out. He just didn't know if there were other entrances.
The stone bridge was more than twenty meters long. After coming down from the stone bridge, there was still a crack in the mountain. Next was a stone road, and on both sides of the stone road were steep cliffs.
"There is a magic circle here!" Abel suddenly felt a surge of energy. Although it was very subtle, it did not escape his senses.
"Master Bennett, your power of the will is too sensitive. There is a protection circle here, but it is not open yet!" Steward Derek said with admiration.
The carriage continued on the stone road for another few hundred meters. Soon, it was bright in front of them. The carriage exited the mountain path, and in front of them was a valley. There were trees everywhere. These trees must have been planted with a plan.
The neatly arranged trees were perfectly straight, both horizontally and vertically. Just planting the trees here took a lot of effort.
At this time, Abel also felt the change in temperature. It was still winter, but the temperature here was as warm as spring.
The carriage continued forward, and after another twenty or so miles, Abel saw a white castle that was built against a mountain.
If Abel wasn't mistaken, this palace was completely built with white Hao Jade. Hao Jade was a special stone found in the Double Moon Forest. Because it was similar to jade, it was a top quality construction material.
However, most nobles would at most use it as a floor or part of the interior. It was Abel's first time seeing a palace built entirely out of Hao Jade.
In front of him was a white palace castle made of Hao Jade. The reason why it was called a palace castle was because it was built like a castle, but the style was like a palace.
Therefore, the castle in front of him had the defense of a castle and the extravagance of a palace.
"Master Bennett, this is the Orwell Palace. It's one of the most beautiful palaces in the Double Moon Forest!" Steward Derek felt like he was in paradise every time he saw this palace.
"I like it here!" Abel said with a smile. He liked the color white.
In front of the Orwell Palace, there was a moat that separated the palace from the road ahead.
From the looks of it, the defense here was very tight. It was like a military base with many layers of defense.
Steward Derek took out an identity card from his waist and held it up. The sun shined on the wooden identity card, and it had a metallic texture to it.
The suspension bridge of the Orwell Palace was slowly lowered, and the road to the palace was connected.
The carriage continued to cross the suspension bridge. At this time, the iron gate of the palace was opened. Elven warriors in full black armor stood on both sides of the road, and a warrior in black armor with a golden badge on his chest stood in the middle.
"Jacob, the Grand Duke's order. From today onwards, you and your men will become Master Bennett's guards. The Orwell Valley will become Master Bennett's territory!" Steward Derek jumped down from the carriage and lowered his voice in front of the elven warrior named Jacob.
Abel also stepped down from the carriage and looked at the elven warriors in black armor in front of him.
He sensed a familiar scent from these elven warriors. They were all men of sacrifice, real men of sacrifice. The Orwell Palace was a training ground for the Grand Ducal Palace.
The lowest rank elven warrior was an intermediate Knight. Most of them were advanced Knights. There was only one Knight captain elven warrior, Jacob.
"Master Bennett, Jacob and the 30 elves under him are willing to die for you!" Jacob knelt down on 1 knee and yelled. The other elven warriors in black armor also knelt down and yelled, "We are willing to die for you!"
Jacob did not look like an elf. Instead, he looked more like a killing machine. The murderous intent on him was very strong. It was obvious that he was an experienced warrior. The 30 elven warriors in black armor were the same.
"I accept your loyalty!" Abel stepped up and lowered his voice. Afterward, he made a hand gesture, and all the elven warriors in black armor stood up.
"Jacob, bring everyone back first. I have something to talk to Steward Derek about. Come see me later!" Abel said to Jacob.
He had met a lot of men of sacrifice, so he knew that he didn't need to explain anything to them. However, he still didn't want to treat Jacob as a man of sacrifice. He didn't like to train humans or elves into men of sacrifice.
"Yes, Master!" Jacob yelled back and made a hand gesture in the air. Afterward, the 30 elven warriors in black armor quickly disappeared.
"Steward Derek, does the Grand Duke have anything to say?" Abel turned his head and asked after Jacob's figure disappeared.
"Master Bennett, the Orwell Valley is the territory that the Grand Duke has given to you. The Orwell Palace has always been an important place for the Grand Ducal Palace to avoid the cold during winter. It is also an important fortress!" Steward Derek explained.
"The Orwell Valley is 20 miles deep and 60 miles wide. It is all flat land and surrounded by tall mountains. There is only one entrance, which is where we just came in. Thorns have been planted on the surrounding mountains for many years. It is almost impossible to climb these mountains, so it is a natural fortress.
There are a few hot springs underground and the surrounding mountains are sealed. The climate is perfect for growing fruit trees. Since the Orwell Palace was built as a fortress, all the trees here were essential for the elves' survival. After countless years of operation, the place was filled with fruit trees.
There are 3 types of fruit trees here. One is the sweet fruit tree, the other is the moon pear tree, and the green date tree. These 3 types are the main food for the elves. The fruit trees here are enough to feed 1000 elves! "Steward Derek continued.
Abel finally understood why Grand Duke Edwina had given him this place. No matter how beautiful or valuable it was, it was not the reason. The only reason was the fruit trees here.
The climate here was perfect for the fruit trees to grow. Maybe Grand Duke Edwina thought this was the best place to test out her fertility potion. That was why she had given him such an important place.
"Master Bennett, all the elven warriors here are men of sacrifice. You can order them to do anything. Also, there are 200 elves who take care of the fruit trees here. They are all your subjects. All the servants in the palace are also your servants." Steward Derek continued.
"I am very happy with this place. I will thank Duke Albert in person on his birthday!" Abel was very happy with everything here. Maybe it would be a good place for his vacation.
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