Due to the significant limitations regarding materials and tools, the excavated pit traps were not deep enough; in fact, they were less than half a meter in depth. Consequently, a number of intelligent and robust animals indeed possessed the ability to climb out on their own or drag away any prey that had fallen inside.
The damage inflicted by the snare traps was not sufficient to kill the targets immediately. As long as there were other animals to assist, or if the prey itself was ferocious enough, wanting to bite through the rope to escape was merely a matter of time.
Furthermore, according to the current situation, even if Jasmine could manufacture traps with greater lethality that could kill the prey instantly, as long as she did not retrieve them in a timely manner during the night, there was still a possibility that the prey would be sniffed out by other carnivorous animals attracted by the scent of blood, who would then come and drag the catch away.
Jasmine's intention to set traps to hunt them was not a bad idea, but she had still vastly underestimated the survival capabilities and the cunning nature of the small animals inhabiting this harsh, desolate wilderness.
The traps yielded no harvest whatsoever and were even destroyed by more than half. The effort of the entire previous day could be considered completely wasted. Jasmine could hardly avoid feeling a bit disheartened, and she let out a long, weary sigh.
The two Dwarves had secretly checked the condition of the traps before Jasmine arrived. Yesterday, under Jasmine's encouragement, they had been brimming with confidence, but upon seeing this scene of devastation, they could hardly avoid becoming anxious and uneasy. They were terrified that the Lord would be angry and punish them for working ineffectively.
The Dwarves were not worried about physical punishment from the Lord; they simply did not want to hear words denying their abilities coming from Jasmine's mouth. Therefore, from early in the morning, the two of them had hidden in a secluded corner, not daring to approach Jasmine.
Jasmine naturally also discovered the unusual behavior of the two Dwarves huddling over there. She suppressed the disappointment in her heart and walked over to console the Dwarves:
"This is not your fault; your craftsmanship is very good. It is because I do not have enough understanding of the animals in the wilderness, and the traps were established without considering the actual situation, that we failed."
The Dwarf brothers looked at each other, panicked, and prostrated themselves on the ground. Hearing these forgiving words, their eyes brimmed with tears even more, and they did not dare to raise their heads to look at Jasmine because they felt deeply ashamed.
"Today, you two just help build the perimeter wall first; we will calculate the hunting matters later."
"Yes, My Lord." The Dwarf brothers knocked their heads heavily against the ground, and only then did they crawl up and run off to work as if to atone for their mistakes.
The old Butler was worried that Jasmine would suffer a mental blow from this setback:
"My Lord, if you wish to use traps to catch prey, why not order some specialized trap tools from genuine Dwarf craftsmen? I have heard that items made by Dwarves are all very good, with exquisite mechanisms. Even large ferocious beasts would not dream of escaping from them."
"Then, can the tools they make prevent other animals from eating the prey that falls into the trap?" Jasmine asked, hitting the key point.
The old Butler paused for a moment before replying: "As long as there are enough Gold Coins, genuine Dwarf craftsmen can make anything, including the sturdiest iron cages."
In the Black Dragon territory, there were naturally no genuine Dwarf craftsmen, only two Dwarf slaves who had a little talent but had never been taught by their elders.
If Jasmine wanted to find suitable trap tools, the fastest way was to go to the bustling town of Ankera nearby to seek opportunities.
After ordering the slaves to continue building the wall until it was finished, Jasmine returned to her bedroom with a contemplative expression, not having even eaten breakfast yet.
When the old Butler pushed the door open carrying the breakfast tray, he immediately saw the luggage that Jasmine had brought from the Capital scattered all over the bedroom. Clothes and books were dragged out in a chaotic mess, and even the Dragon Egg beside the bed had been tossed onto an expensive lace-trimmed shirt. It was messy to the point that it made a perfectionist and cleanliness-loving Butler like William involuntarily furrow his brows, almost dropping the tray he was holding.
"William, tell me about the situation in Ankera town." Seeing the old Butler enter, Jasmine hurriedly shoved the large suitcase blocking the way to one side, yielding the only high-legged chair in the room for him to sit on, while she held an old, worn-out map in her hand.
The old Butler did not sit down; instead, he pushed the high-legged chair to the bedside, using it as a temporary table to place the tray upon, and then signaled for Jasmine to come over and eat first.
Even the slaves in the castle were allocated a bowl of tofu pudding for breakfast; the old Butler could not watch Jasmine, in her capacity as the Lord, work on an empty stomach.
Breakfast still consisted of tofu pudding, but Jasmine's breakfast was slightly richer than that of the slaves. There was a slice of soft white bread, a portion of hot vegetable soup, as well as meat sausages left over from yesterday that had been fried again.
Because the slaves had been busy building the wall for the past two days and had not gone into the forest to find berries, today's breakfast did not include the roasted berry dessert.
Jasmine pushed the pile of miscellaneous items stacked on the edge of the bed to the side to create a small empty space, then sat directly on the bed, intending to listen to the old Butler speak about the situation in Ankera town while enjoying her breakfast.
Although the failure of the traps this morning had caused Jasmine to suffer a bit of a blow, this did not affect her appetite. She needed to recharge her energy to calculate the next step.
The old Butler glanced at the pile of messy dresses and clothes beside the bed with a look of helplessness. Suppressing the urge to bend down and tidy up immediately, he cleared his throat, recalling the news he knew about Ankera town, and gently opened his mouth to speak:
"My Lord, I have not set foot in Ankera town for nearly twenty years. My memories have faded somewhat; I do not know if that place has changed much compared to before."
Jasmine scooped up a spoonful of the still-hot tofu pudding and brought it to her mouth. The cook had added rich meat broth to the tofu pudding; it tasted both fragrant and soft, sliding smoothly down her throat.
"Twenty years? That long? Do you not stroll around the town on normal days?"
The Black Dragon castle was so desolate, with only wind and rocks on all four sides, and there were absolutely no entertainment activities. For a long time, the territory did not even have a Lord to govern it.
The old Butler could be said to be the person with the greatest power in this land, yet he was willing to stay forever in this dilapidated castle to guard it, never once going out to walk around or breathe in the lively atmosphere. This was indeed somewhat beyond Jasmine's expectations.
"I am old, my bones are weak, and my body cannot endure the bumps of a long journey."
The old Butler stood with his arms crossed, his gaze looking into the distance, and continued to answer Jasmine's question:
"Do not look at Ankera town on the map and think it is near our territory. The road is very bad; even if you travel in the best carriage, it still takes three days to arrive."