The morning glow of September covered the Morgen Hills and the Dark Forest in a shiny new layer of gold.
Laurist stood by the main road outside the southern city gate to send Baron Camorra off. Occasionally, there would be Silver-tier knights who had been freed would come to them and respectfully bow to Laurist. Then, they would bring their own servants and attendants to stand by the side, waiting for their companions to arrive before they would embark on their journey home together.
Baron Camorra looked at the Silver-tier knights gathering not far away, his expression gloomy. He could not help but sigh, "This is a brilliant move of yours. I knew that once they returned, they would definitely cause a huge commotion in the Northern Army and the Duke's territory. But after thinking for an entire night, I could not think of a way to deal with this situation. Sigh … His Grace … He made a mistake … Without the Northern Army to suppress them, I'm afraid the Northern Lands will be in turmoil from now on … "
Laurist laughed softly, "Troubled times have long arrived. How can the Northern Lands avoid conflict? I returned to my family's territory from Moront City. I saw many battles along the way, corpses and starving people, bandits swarming, and refugees everywhere. I thought the Northern Lands, with its natural barriers, should be able to unify itself and become a blessed land where people can live in peace and contentment in these troubled times. Unfortunately, I was wrong. After setting foot in the Northern Lands, I realized that the Northern Lands are worse than the outside world. There are battles everywhere, and the flames of war are everywhere. You can even hear the cries of the dead and the cries of the innocent in the wind … "
Laurist's smile faded, "As the Duke of the Northern Lands, he formed the Northern Army. He had the responsibility to quell the war in the Northern Lands and restore peace to the Northern Lands. He united all the nobles in the Northern Lands against the outsiders, and made the Northern Lands an enviable place to live in peace in these troubled times. But what did your Lord Duke do? He turned the Northern Army into his vicious dogs, a tool for him to amass wealth. He plundered so much wealth from the lords of the Northern Lands, but what did he use it for? It was all used to indulge in debauchery and maintain a luxurious lifestyle. There is no benefit to the Northern Lands at all … "
"Sometimes, I think it's funny. What right does your Lord Duke have to build a Lujins Duchy in the Northern Lands? It's not wrong to be ambitious. What's wrong is having the heart but not the courage, and not knowing your own limits. Who would support him? Even if those lords are now subservient to your Duke, that's only because of the Northern Legion. No one would like to have a superior lord with no talent, virtue, and incompetence sit on their heads. This time, your Duke has been badly beaten by the Norton Family. The entire expedition team has been wiped out, and the Northland Army has suffered heavy losses. Now is the time to console the soldiers, exchange the captives, and learn from their mistakes … "
"But what did your Duke do? His head was full of gold coins, and his heart was still thinking about gold coins. He even vented his anger on the soldiers who had worked hard for him. Did he really think that it was his money? Unreasonable, heartless, unjust, stubborn, and unreasonable. Lord Camelot, is such a duke really worthy of your loyalty? I suspect that between a bag of gold coins and your life and death, your Duke will choose the gold coins without hesitation, and disregard your life and death. I feel very sorry for you, Lord Camelot. You are a talent. Although your Duke promoted you, he was only using you. He did not appreciate your talent … "
"Also, you are right. I did have my own selfish motives. I gave Knight Henned and his men freedom so that they could go back and cause trouble for your Duke, and also so that the Northern Legion would not have time to target the Norton Family. Without the Northern Legion to rely on, I would like to see how your Duke plans to use my gold coins. You know that those treasures are my spoils of war. I will use them to develop the Norton Family's territory and production. When the outside world is filled with the flames of war, I will make the Norton Family's territory into a paradise on earth … "
"Developing and building a territory is not just about gold coins. You also need a large amount of manpower and resources …" Baron Camelot interrupted. He was speechless after being lectured by Lollister for a long time, and he was really frustrated. But now that he had finally said something that he was good at, he could not help but feel elated. "You have gold coins, but you do not have the ability to turn them into resources. What you need most is a transportation channel to trade with the outside world. You also need a peaceful environment to develop your family's territory. Otherwise, no matter how firm your promise is, it will all be empty words in the end."
Lollister nodded and smiled. "You are right. We are now doing our best to develop …"
He pointed at the Monolith Castle behind him. "You should have seen it. This is the result of our recent construction. Even though we have been fighting, we have not stopped building. Gold coins cannot be turned into resources, and the Norton Family does not have a reliable channel to trade with the outside world. But don't forget, when the news that the Norton Family has money and needs resources gets out, there will naturally be merchants who will send resources to trade with the Norton Family. I believe that as long as we work hard, there will be good results. "
Knight Henned was the last to leave the South Gate of the Monolith Castle with two attendants and four personal servants. He arrived in front of Lollister and nodded slightly at Baron Camelot. After that, he gave Lollister a knight's salute and turned his horse around. He lightly knocked the horse's belly, and with a neigh, the horse galloped towards the far end of the road. The Silver-tier Knights on the side also brought their own people and followed behind …
Baron Camelot let out a long sigh. "I should take my leave … I hope they do not cause any trouble when they go back."
Lollister laughed again. "The North has long been turbulent. Duke Lujins has the Northern Army as a dam, and he thinks that he has nothing to worry about. All I have done is make a small hole in the dam. As for when the dam will collapse, I do not know. Since we are about to part, let me give you a piece of advice. If things do not work out, be wise and take care of yourself. The Norton Family will welcome you with open doors … "
This was an open invitation. Baron Camorra was stunned for a moment. He wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, he did not say anything. He got on his horse and waved at the four guards who had escorted him in the distance. He whipped his horse and rode away, leaving a trail of dust behind him.
Lollister slowly went up the tower and saw Jost leaning on the sawtooth edge of the wall, looking at the fading dust.
"Did you not lead the team to train today?" Lollister asked.
"No, I asked Peter to bring them," Jost replied.
Peter was a wandering knight recruited by the Knights Tournament. His original name was Pierre Priest, and his nickname was Peter. He was very famous among the wandering knights in the North. He was only 25 years old this year, and he was a silver-level rank-2. He was also the winner of the archery event in the tournament. Sadekamp said that there was a gold-level archer in the family, which moved Peter's heart, and he was successfully recruited.
Jost had once praised Peter in front of Lollister, saying that he was the most talented archer besides himself. At that time, Lollister scolded him, "F * ck, are you praising someone or showing off …"
"Here …" Jost handed over a thick piece of animal skin.
"What is this?"
"Knight Henned gave it to me before he left. He didn't say anything."
Lollister opened the animal skin. It was a hand-drawn map. There were chain bridges, castles, manors, cities and towns on it. There were even lines of numbers written on the side.
Lollister's eyes widened as he looked at it. Finally, he laughed out loud.
"Isn't it just a military map? Why are you so happy? "Jost asked.
"No …" Lollister was elated, "Jost, look, we don't have to worry about Duke Lujins attacking us again. The chain bridge checkpoint, the fortress castle, and the capital, Gildusk City. These three places need three brigades of the Northland Army to guard. The three manors, castles, and seven towns need ten platoons to guard them. Haha, so the duke ordered the Northland Army to be his territory's garrison. Only he could think of something like that …
Of the twenty thousand soldiers in the Northlands Army, four thousand had been wiped out by us. Now, there were only seventeen thousand soldiers left. Subtracting the twelve thousand and five hundred soldiers who were stationed at the Northlands Army, we could only transfer around five thousand soldiers. Would the five thousand still dare to come after we lost four thousand? Even though that bullsh * t duke has not given up, even if there is an army, there must be a commander. Henned will not be willing to work for the duke anymore. He might even stab the duke in the back. Tabick will be bedridden for another year, and the two Gold Knights will not be able to leave. Haha, the duke wants to deal with the Norton Family, but he can't. "
"So we won't be fighting anymore?" Jost asked.
"Perhaps. The Kemps Family has changed their target to the eastern part of the Northland Army, and they have also expressed their goodwill to reconcile with us. You already know about Duke Lujens' situation. Henned and the other knights will definitely cause a ruckus when they return. The Northland Army will be in a state of panic, and there might even be a mutiny. The duke will definitely be too busy to take care of himself. Before the Northland Army is stabilized, he will not send troops to our family.
Generally speaking, we should have a period of peace after this. But we can't relax either. Viscount Kemps has been holding a grudge against us for robbing his private money. If there is a chance, he will definitely not let it go. As for Duke Lujens, he is a madman. We can't guess what he will do next with our logic. Maybe he will mobilize the Northland Army for the sake of money, and even abandon his base to fight us to the bitter end.
Therefore, we must be prepared for battle and be vigilant at all times so that there is no harm in being prepared. By the way, Jost, I want to leave Monolith Castle for a while. I can only rest assured if you are in charge of this place when I am not here, "Loriste said, looking at Jost.
"Where do you want to go?" Jost asked.
"I want to find the caravan. Ever since I received the letter from Ruhr and Maud, I have been very worried. I am afraid that something will happen to the caravan, and I can't sleep well at night. I have a very uneasy feeling in my heart, so I want to use this short period of peace to look for them … "Loriste said, looking into the distance.
"Then who are you going to bring?" Jost asked again.
Loriste thought for a moment and said, "I will bring Padt. Everyone has their own duties. I will let Paul Robbins take over Padt's management of the new recruit camp. Only Padt can leave."
"No …" Jost shook his head. "There are only two of you if you bring Padt. It is not safe. Think about Ruhr and Maud. There are twelve of them, and only the two of them are left. It is too dangerous. How about this, since you want me to stay here, I can promise you. But you have to bring the archers. I will only rest assured if Peter and the others follow. If you refuse, I will immediately pack my luggage and go with you. "
Loriste said helplessly, "Alright, alright. I will bring the archers, okay? Actually, you should know that with my skills, I will not be in danger under normal circumstances. Don't you think it will be too conspicuous if I bring the archers? "
Jost said seriously, "Sir, it is not peaceful outside now. If it is just the two of you, there will definitely be a lot of trouble. However, if you bring an archer squad with you, then trouble will avoid you. Only then can you have a safe journey and find the caravan heading north quickly. "
Loriste nodded. "Alright, you have convinced me. Ask the guards to inform the archers to get ready. We will leave tomorrow morning. "
…
This was the border city between the Andinac Kingdom and the Madras Principality, Nadkath City. Outside the city were densely packed tents, and the main camp of the caravan heading north was in the middle of the tents.
Everyone in the tent was dejected and frowning …
"Why did the Madras Principality refuse to allow us to enter? They even sent the Iron Guards to seal off the border and not let a single person pass? "Shredder looked at his worried colleagues in the tent and asked.
Bofinger pondered for a moment before replying, "We are not sure either. Nadkath City is only a hundred miles away from the Madras Principality's border, and we could have entered through the Lejida Fortress. But when the vanguard arrived, we found that the fortress was heavily guarded. The guards refused to let us pass. A few days ago, even the Iron Guards were called over. When we went to negotiate with them, the army commander sent an aide and said that unless we changed our route, they would not allow our convoy to enter the Duchy's territory. "
Shredder felt a headache coming on. Actually, everyone knew why they were rejected, but they did not want to say it out of consideration for his reputation. This was the aftereffect of the caravan's massacre in the Andinac Kingdom. He had hanged more than eighty nobles and confiscated their properties. The reputation of the demon Shredder had long been spread everywhere. The Madras Principality was no exception. No one dared to let him pass when they heard that he wanted to lead the caravan through the Duchy. Moreover, there were nearly a hundred thousand refugees behind him. If they let the northbound caravan pass, it would be like locusts passing through, and everything along the way would be swept away.
"Can't we pay the toll?" Shredder asked with hope.
Bofinger looked at him and shook his head with a wry smile.
"What about breaking up into parts? Can a caravan divided into dozens or hundreds of carriages in the name of the Andinac Royal Family pass through? "
"It's useless. The aide of the Iron Guards said that the border will be sealed off for a year and a half. Not to mention caravans, even pedestrians will be prohibited from passing through," Terman interrupted.
"Sigh …" Shredder turned to an accountant he had promoted. "How much food do we have left?"
"My Lord, you have swept through the entire Verbatia province, and the food seized is enough for our caravan and the refugees behind us to eat for three months. But it is already September, and winter will come in a month or so. The clothes that the refugees have to wear to keep out the cold are not enough. If we don't prepare for the cold in advance, a large number of the refugees, old and weak, will die from the cold when it snows … "The accountant replied respectfully.
"Pass down my order. The treatment of the family's armed forces will not change. The caravan will maintain three meals a day, but the amount will be limited. The refugees behind will have two meals a day, and one bowl of porridge for each person. It's fine as long as they don't starve to death. When the caravan leaves, let them eat until they have the strength to continue on their journey. My Lord Bofinger, let the armed forces strengthen their control over the refugees. If there is any resistance, immediately suppress it. Also, let the refugees dig underground to collect firewood and prepare for the winter. Also, we have to send people to buy food and clothes, just in case. "
Shredder now hated the refugees who followed the caravan. If not for these refugees, the caravan would not have fallen into such a predicament. Perhaps they would have already reached the north and met Lollister. Originally, he wanted to bring these refugees to the north, but now he could only hate himself for being too greedy. Couldn't he wait until the caravan reached the north before sending people to gather the refugees? It was him who put the caravan in a dilemma.
"Lord Shredder, this is bad!" Doleus of the caravan barged into the tent, panting. "Edmar and Wan Pu have sought refuge with the second prince. They also brought two platoons of the family's soldiers with them …"
Edma and Wan Pu were both senior students of Dawn Academy who had organized the convoy with Shredder Telman and the others to the Northern Lands. Both of them were now platoon jarls.
Ever since the convoy of armed forces swept all the territories and nobles in the province of Verbatia for the sake of refugees and food, the second prince had easily taken over the territories and settled the refugees, reorganized the order and developed the production. If it weren't for him cleaning up the mess, then there would have been more than a hundred thousand refugees following the convoy.
However, after knowing that Bofinger and the others were former officers of the White Lion Legion, the second prince often went to the caravan camp to talk about family matters. However, Bofinger and the others refused the second prince's recruitment. Shredder's cheap father-in-law, Ingelek, was very tempted. He privately tried to persuade Shredder to seek refuge with the second prince, but he was scolded. In the end, Shredder said that if the lord knew … Ingelek, who was afraid of Lollister to the bone, quickly begged for mercy.
The second prince couldn't recruit the higher-ups of the caravan, so he immediately set his sights on the old students of Dawn Academy. In less than a month, he had already poached seven old students. However, he went too far today. He even brought two platoons of the Norton Family's soldiers with him.
"Outrageous! Send troops and surround Nardegath City. If the second prince refuses to return our family's soldiers, we will declare war on him. Then, we will turn around and march towards the imperial capital. We will destroy the entire Andinac Kingdom!" Shredder slammed his fist on the table …
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