Translator: Mr Voltaire Editor: Modlawls123 Lollister stood on the wall at the back and watched the bustling crowd walk towards the castle gates.
Butler Boris and Manager Hanks came to Lollister's side. Manager Hanks asked, "Sir, why did you suddenly order everyone from the camp to come to the castle? You even stopped the construction of the castle … "
"An army of Duke Lujins has appeared in our family's territory. It's very likely that the people from Northfield Town led them in," Lollister replied.
"What? Is this true? "Butler Boris and Manager Hanks turned pale with fright.
"It's true. No one would dare to make such a joke. Ovis, after everyone has retreated into the castle, select a batch of soldiers from the laborers and form a company of guards, "Lollister said.
"Yes, sir. I'll do it now." Ovis hurriedly left.
Manager Hanks took out an animal skin account book from the bag beside him and flipped through it, "Sir, what kind of weapons and equipment do you plan to give this newly formed company?"
"What's wrong?" Lollister asked.
"There's a lot of leather armor in the warehouse, but there's only a few dozen chainmail. In the past four months, Master Sid brought his sons and the blacksmiths from the laborers and used the assembly line method that sir mentioned to produce more than 1,200 chainmail. The two companies of soldiers from Maple Manor and Monolith Castle have been assembled. However, the iron ingots are almost gone. There are only 100 iron ingots and 10,000 pounds left, just in case … "Manager Hanks reported.
Lollister understood what Manager Hanks meant, "How about this. This newly formed company will be equipped with leather armor, spears, wooden shields and short swords. Is there a problem?"
"There's a lot of these things in reserve. No problem, sir," Manager Hanks replied.
"Right, Manager Hanks, reward Master Sid with ten gold coins in my name. The rest of the blacksmiths will each get one. Let them rest for a while. After we've defeated Duke Lujins' army, we'll ask Master Sid to bring some people to the Morgan Hills to scout for iron ore and other resources, "Lollister said.
"Yes, sir."
"Butler Boris, I asked Father Barlek to settle the people in the camp at the construction site of the castle. You'll be in charge of that place from now on. After they have settled down, ask Father Barlek to bring a team of laborers to dismantle the camp outside and bring in all the useful wood and stones. After resting for two days, let them build the residential area first, understand? "
"Sir, don't worry. I will take care of these matters." Butler Boris also left.
"Sudekamp …" Laurist called out.
"Sir, what are your orders?"
"I want you to make a trip to the Kenz Family and the other lords' strongholds. Tell them that I'm going to hold a knight tournament after seeing how lively the duels are. I'll give out some weapons, equipment, and bounties as rewards for the winners. If they still want to attack us, they can wait until the conference is over. They can't attack us now anyway … "Laurist said.
"Ah? Sir, you mean … "
"Stall them. Stall the Kenz Family and the other lords to prevent them from coordinating with Duke Lujins' army in our territory. We have to eliminate the enemies on one side first. The enemies in our territory are the most dangerous ones. I'm going to concentrate my forces to deal with them first. "
"I understand, sir. I'll go in a bit, "Sudekamp replied.
"Padt, escort Sudekamp to the mission tonight. Also, send someone to find Jim for me. I need him to do something," Laurist said.
… …
After receiving the news from the mercenary courier, Laurist had moved his quarters from the front wall to the back wall, occupying what had been Miss Tresti's room. Miss Trish, on the other hand, moved down from the city wall and chose two houses in the newly built commercial district. The large house facing the street was used as the engineering headquarters, while the smaller house at the back with a quiet environment was used as her residence.
Sudekamp and Padt entered the room and saw Laurist comparing maps of different sizes, trying to find a way for a large group of people to enter the territory.
"Sir …"
"Oh, you're back." Laurist threw the map back on the table dejectedly, "I don't have a clue. There's no way. Two or three people can cross the mountains, but how can a few thousand people enter? Sigh … By the way, Sudekamp, what did they say when you went over? "
Sudekamp thought for a moment before replying, "Sir, when we went over, Viscount Kenz was holding a banquet to welcome the new lords. When I went up to explain my intentions, the new lords cheered on the spot. Viscount Kenz, on the other hand, didn't look too good. The seven lords he invited to attack us didn't say a word. Then, Viscount Kenz left for a while to relieve himself. When he returned, he announced that the Kenz Family is willing to make peace with the Norton Family and host the knight tournament together … "
"Make peace? What do you mean? We burned their manors, castles, and the new settlement they built. We took back their resources and citizens. It should be said that they hate us to death. They are like fire and water. Now, they suddenly want to shake hands with us and hold the Knight Tournament together. Is this possible? What is the Kenz Family planning? Could it be that they want to attack Monolith Castle while we're hosting the knight tournament? "Laurist stood up, thinking as he paced back and forth.
"Sir, I think it's believable. I met the head of the Kenz Family, Viscount Kenz's father," Sudekamp said.
"Hmm?" Laurist stopped and looked at Sudekamp.
"My Lord, after Viscount Gammus announced his decision, he invited us to the tent next door to discuss the rules of the convention with his subordinates. He wanted us to come up with a draft for the nobles to see as soon as possible. I didn't doubt him and went to the tent next door, only to find the head of the Kenz Family waiting for us there, "Sudekamp said.
Laurist looked at Pat, who nodded, indicating that Sudekamp was telling the truth.
"What did the head of the Kenz Family say?" Laurist asked.
"The head of the Kenz Family was very friendly. He said that everything that happened before was due to his useless son, the Viscount, acting on his own. The Kenz Family was originally a merchant family, and had just become a noble family, so they weren't familiar with the traditions of nobles. As a latecomer, they should respect a noble family like the Norton Family, which has been around for hundreds of years. It's just that the Viscount was young and impetuous, and was provoked by others, so he offended the Norton Family. He only understood after suffering a loss. "
"The head of the Kenz Family said that the Kenz Family does not wish to continue being enemies with the Norton Family. The Viscount once besieged the Norton Family's manor for three months, and the Norton Family's counterattack caused the Kenz Family to suffer heavy losses. As lords, they should help each other, and not become mortal enemies. He hoped that the conflict between the two families would end here, and that they would look into the future and not dwell on the past mistakes. The Kenz Family is willing to withdraw from any disputes with the Norton Family, and divide the territories according to the Norton Family's wishes. There will be no more objections in the future. "
"Sir, the head of the Kenz Family also revealed two pieces of information," Sudekamp said.
"Two pieces of information?"
Sudekamp nodded. "Yes. One is about the family's armed forces. The head of the Kenz Family said that they will leave for the eastern part of the north tomorrow afternoon to rescue Earl Lopez. It's said that Earl Lopez's territory is being attacked by the Mountain Barbarians. I think this might be the main reason why he took the initiative to shake hands with the Norton Family. "
Lebrist shook his head. Even if you beat him to death, he would never believe that the Kenneth family would have such noble character and unquestionable integrity. The key to making the Kenneth family make such a decision was profit. Without enough profit, the Kenneth family, a business family, would not make such a major change. But Loriste did not understand the situation in the north. He was like a blind man. Other than knowing his own territory like the back of his hand, he knew nothing about what was happening outside.
Loriste asked noncommittally, "What's the second piece of information?"
Sudekamp said, "The head of the Kenz Family said that when he arrived here, he passed by Duke Lujens' territory and found that the Northland Army was mobilizing. He asked around and heard that it was the new head of the Norton family. The new lord had chased away the envoys sent by the Duke and severely injured the arrogant Golden Knight, Tabick. This had angered the Duke and he was organizing an army to take revenge on the Norton family. Because he came here quickly, he estimated that the Duke's army will be here in a few days. He hopes that our family will be ready to defend. "
"Hmm …" Loriste thought nervously. Would the head of the Kenz Family be so kind? The Kenz Family was originally attacking Monolith Castle. Wouldn't Duke Lujens' army be here to attack together? It seemed that the Kenz Family did not know that the Duke's army had already entered the Norton Family's territory. But the head of the Kenz Family said that he would leave tomorrow afternoon to rescue that Earl Lopez. It seemed like he was in a hurry to avoid the Duke's army. Why?
If I were the head of the Kenz Family, and the Duke is someone I have to curry favor with, what would happen when his army comes? Cannon fodder! Loriste's eyes brightened. Yes, once the Duke's army arrived, Viscount Kenz would have to listen to orders. It was said that Duke Lujens had always been unwilling to let the Kenz Family's 2000 men enter the North. Now that there was such a good opportunity, why didn't he force the 2000 men to be the vanguard? With Duke Lujens' character, this was inevitable …
The more Lollister thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. The Kenneth family wanted to make peace with the Norton family so that they could jump out of the maelstrom and watch as the Norton family and the duke's army fought to the death. On the other hand, it was to preserve the family's strength. That was why they found an excuse to leave and not become Duke Lujens' cannon fodder. F * ck, they are all sly old foxes. In order to let the Norton Family fight against the Duke, they disregarded the huge losses they suffered and took the initiative to give us an olive branch so that we can focus on dealing with the Duke's army …
"My lord, this is the rules for the Knight Tournament. It was provided by the head of the Kenz Family. He said that the Kenz Family has hosted many large-scale tournaments in the past and is very experienced. As long as our family provides the prizes and prize money, the Kenz Family will pay for all the expenses. This Knight Tournament can be called the Cup of Peace. It means that our two families will shake hands and live in harmony. The head of the Kenz Family also said that the longer the tournament is held, the better. During the tournament, no one will dare to interrupt the proceedings. Otherwise, they will become the public enemy of all the knights. So even if the Duke's army comes, they can only obediently wait for the tournament to end … "Sadkemp handed over a few pieces of beast skin.
Loriste smiled. The head of the Kenz Family was digging a trap for Duke Lujens. The Duke's army will come when the tournament is being held. After the tournament is over, the soldiers will have finished watching the commotion. How will they have the morale to attack the city? Unfortunately, the head of the Kenz Family did not know that the Duke's army would not come here. They were already at Northern Field Town.
Loriste picked up a quill and dipped it in ink. He wrote a few lines: "Anything else is fine, but I think we need to break down the Silver ranks. Let's do it according to the Star rank. This way, there will be a winner for every Silver rank from 1 to 3 stars. It will be more fair. Also, just the horse and foot combat events are too simple. Let's add archery as well. Sadkemp, go and confirm it tomorrow morning. Tell them that the Norton Family can forget about the past and live in harmony with the Kenz Family. He couldn't let the Kemus Family bear all the expenses for the Knight Tournament. Since it is a joint event, we will pay for the prizes and half of the expenses. The Kenz Family will pay for the labor and the other half. "
"Yes, my lord."
Padt stepped forward: "My lord, when Sadkemp and the others were discussing the rules of the tournament, I took a look around and noticed two things."
"Oh?"
"One is that the Kenz Family already has two knights. One seems to be a soldier, and his temperament is similar to Lord Bofinger's. The other is very tall and sturdy, and has a murderous aura around him. He looks like a difficult person to deal with. The other is that the Kenz Family is recruiting wandering knights to form a small knighthood. I found about twenty wandering knights in the camp. I talked to them and found out about it, "said Pat.
"Oh, it seems that the Kenz Family has other plans. I wonder what they will do next? Padt, find two guards tomorrow and keep an eye on the family's armed force. Didn't they say they were going to rescue some earl? Just follow them and see what they are planning. "Loriste said.
"Also, I won't be participating in this Knight Tournament. You and Sadekamp will be in charge of it. Keep an eye on the winners and the top few knights. If they perform well, you can try to recruit them. But the most important thing is to pay attention to the archery competition. It doesn't matter if you are good at archery or not. Ask the top ten if they are willing to serve in our family's army. If they perform well, they can be promoted to family knights. "
Normally, knights were disdainful of archery. They believed that knights should fight with their swords and spears, and that long-range archery was a sign of cowardice. However, Loriste had been losing out in long-range combat. His own training was too slow, so he had no choice but to turn his attention to the tournament. The reason he added archery as a competition was to find a group of good archers. Perhaps the Kenz Family would think that Loriste was promoting their family's golden archer.
"Yes, my lord. We will do as you say," Sadkemp and Padt replied.
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