"It's not hard to say. It's just that there are a few twists and turns. Fortunately, thanks to the Count, we arrived at Ark Harbor smoothly. "Roger looked at Allen and smiled.
Earl Oban put down the book in his hand and leaned forward slightly. "Speaking of that, I would like to ask you, Mr. Roger, to bring me another batch of war slaves. I'm sure it won't be long before they come in handy. "
Roger was slightly surprised, but he still said, "That's not a problem, but it will take time to prepare. After all, I don't have many war slaves left. If the Count has a large number, I will have to transfer them from somewhere else. "
"I need another thousand people, at least."
"A thousand War Slaves? Alright, I see. "
Allen, who had been silent all this time, said, "Is the Count relying too much on war slaves? After all, they are just slaves and not a formal army. If we rely too much on them, we will never be able to separate the army. "
The count moved his gaze and landed on Allen, "Young baron, please tell me which territory you are from."
"Storm City, my lord."
"Storm City?" Earl Oban looked at Roger in surprise and said, "Didn't you work with the baron of Storm City before? Then this … "
"Baron Maud is a thing of the past. Now, Sir Allen is in charge of the city, and he is doing a better job than Baron Maud. This time, Sir Allen and I have come to pay our respects to you, Count Marquis. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you. "
Only then did Oban seriously look at Allen. He asked calmly, "Baron Allen, in your opinion, how can we build an invincible iron lion?"
"Financial resources, armaments, training, and experts are indispensable. As for the war slaves, I admit that they are good cannon fodder troops, but they are only cannon fodder. They should be an auxiliary part of the army, not the main link. "
"Looks like Sir Allen has his own views on running the army."
"I wouldn't dare. This opinion is nothing in front of the Count."
Oban laughed and thought for a moment. "I have a meeting later. If Mr. Roger and Sir Allen have time, why don't you sit in?"
"Count, if it's a secret, I don't think it's appropriate," Roger said.
"It doesn't matter. You are my friend and business partner. As for Sir Allen, I'd like to hear his opinion later. " Oban looked at the clock on the wall and said, "The meeting will be held in an hour. You can rest in the castle first."
He tapped the silver bell on the table, and Butler Mace came in. The Count ordered: "Please take these two to rest. They are my important guests. Butler Mace, please entertain them for me."
"Yes, my lord."
Allen and Matt were brought to an elegantly decorated room. Matt asked a servant to bring coffee and snacks, then he left. When he returned to the study, Earl Oban said to him, "Call the Black Cat over. I want to know what has happened at the border recently and the identity of Sir Allen. Mr. Mace, you have half an hour. "
"I'll do it immediately."
In the room, Allen stood at the window and happened to see the butler, Mace, not leaving. Behind him, Roger was enjoying his mellow coffee. He blew on the hot air and said, "The Count's reaction is a little strange."
"Mr. Roger, when did Earl Oban start buying war slaves from you in large quantities?"
Roger thought for a moment and said, "Earl Oban has always had business dealings with me. The largest merchant group in Ark Harbor, the Emerald Pearl, is run by the Ridley family. They have several caravans under them, and almost all of the guards they use are war slaves provided by me. But when it comes to buying war slaves in large quantities, it only started half a year ago. "
"Looks like this count is ambitious."
"Do you mean that the Count is preparing to expand?" Roger's eyes lit up. No matter when, war would always bring great benefits. Especially a war initiated by his business partners.
"It's obvious that from the city of Ark Harbor, it's not hard to tell that the wealth controlled by the Ridley family has reached the pinnacle of the title of Earl. The Count is probably no longer satisfied with worldly wealth. What he wants now is probably more power. " Allen turned around and smiled, "But the Ridley family is good at running the city, but when it comes to running the army, it doesn't seem to be their forte."
"You've hit the Count's sore spot." Roger put down his cup and said, "The Ridley family has never been good at martial arts. Otherwise, they would not have bent their knees to the relatively peaceful southern border of the empire." One had to know that the northern border of the empire was the most chaotic place. There were many mutants and tigers eyeing them covetously. "In the north, all the clans with a long history are good at martial arts. At the same time, it is also the best place to plot for military merits."
"If the Ridley family's martial arts were prosperous, they would have entered the north long ago. Why would they have stayed in Ark Harbor for hundreds of years? As for Earl Oban, as far as I know, this lord is quite accomplished in economics, urban management, and even the arts. However, in terms of personal strength, he was only Level 24. This is still one level short of the standard set by the empire. If it weren't for the fact that the Ridley family contributes a huge amount of taxes to the empire every year, I doubt that Lord Oban would be able to maintain this title. "
"Where's their army?"
Roger shook his head and said, "The Count seems to have quite a few troops on the surface. A regular army of five thousand and a war slave squad of more than two thousand." However, in reality, the number of troops that belonged to the Count's direct line was pitifully small, less than a thousand. As for the so-called 5,000 strong army, it was actually supported by several large mercenary groups. The mercenary leaders of these mercenary groups have been employed by the Count for many years to guard several important cities in the territory. For example, the Ark Harbor is guarded by the Black Wings mercenary group. "
"As for the other Sir who are attached to this Count, they are more like merchants and artists than lords or warriors."
Allen thought to himself, Is this called birds of a feather flocking together? At this moment, carriages continued to enter the castle's arch, each with a different symbol. Allen whispered, "The Count has a guest."
Before the meeting began, Steward Mace returned sweating profusely and brought a pale man with him. In the study, the count looked at the man and said, "I think Steward Mace has already told you what I want to know?"
"Yes, dear Earl Oban. However, the time you requested was too tight, so we only had time to inquire about a portion of the information. "
"Tell me."
The man bowed and said, "About the border, the last six months can only be described as turbulent." Sur City and Storm City changed owners one after another. City Lord Edward and Lord Allen suddenly rose to power and replaced the original Lord at an unimaginable speed. Especially Lord Allen. According to the information we have gathered, he seems to be the young master of a certain family. He first came to Sur City as a merchant. Then, he used some methods to let his subordinates sit in the position of City Lord, and then in turn established his position. I can only describe the entire process as marvelous. "
"Then how much do you black cats know about this Sir Allen?"
"Not much." The man grinned and said, "But one thing is certain. This Sir Allen is not from the empire."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because his identity document seems to have been fabricated by the local magistrate himself. You should know that the empire will not interfere in a place like the border. As for this Lord Allen, although the documents were fabricated by the local magistrate, the procedures were legal. Even if this matter were to be placed in the Imperial Parliament, it would only be left unsettled. That's why I said that this lord's methods are truly wonderful. "
Ou Ban frowned and said, "Interesting, he's actually not from the empire. Then, joining the Emperor's carriage and seizing the title of nobility will not be just a border area. What an ambitious little fellow. "
"Yes, this lord is not only ambitious, but also powerful." The black cat continued, "Not only was Storm City's army defeated by him, even the Black Iron Castle signed a peace agreement with Storm City for some reason. Count, I think you know better than me what kind of trash the Black Iron Castle is. "
"And something big has happened recently."
"Oh?"
"On Danny's son's side, one of his armies, together with Dawn Castle and Bauhinia, found an excuse to attack Storm City, but was repelled by Lord Allen. Not only that, but the commanders of the two armies of Bauhinia and Dawn Castle were also detained by him. For this, the two Sir have lost all face. Not long ago, they painstakingly exchanged the ransom for their commander. "
Earl Oban's eyes lit up and he said cheerfully, "In other words, this Sir Allen is very good at fighting?"
"Yes, and he himself is a valiant warrior."
"Very good, the information you provided is of great reference value. Go down with Steward Mace. He will give you the reward you deserve. "
The black cat man bowed exaggeratedly and said, "Thank you for your generosity, my lord."
Just as he was about to leave the study, Earl Oban suddenly said from behind him, "I don't want Daniel to get any information like this. If it gets leaked out." You should know what's going to happen. "
The man's back turned cold as he hurriedly turned around and said, "Although we black cats sell everything, we don't sell our principles. One of the principles is that we don't sell the same kind of information to the second master. Please rest assured, Count. "
"I appreciate your professional attitude. Do your best. I believe there will be a lot of places for you to use in the future." The count waved his hand.
Only then did the man go down. A moment later, Mace returned and said, "My lord, the other Sir have arrived."
"Alright, go and invite Sir Allen and the others. Let them enter the compartment first. Don't let anyone else know."
"Yes, my lord." r1o58
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