On the 34th of December, Laurist arrived at Syrovas Island with the fleet he had commandeered. One day later, it would be the 36th of December, the rest day of Galinthea's three major festivals. This was a festival to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
In ancient times, the people of Galinthea would stay at home to celebrate the arrival of the new year. The cold wind howled outside, and snow danced in the air. It was the season to stay at home. People would celebrate at home, eating, sleeping, eating, and doing nothing else. Thus, it was called the rest day. However, with the popularity of cold-resistant clothing, people started to like to play on the streets. Some shops also launched discounts for the new year, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Fatty Shi anxiously welcomed Laurist at the docks. Although Laurist had written him a letter, it wasn't very detailed, and Josk and Ell had come and gone in a hurry, only telling him that his family was in big trouble. Fatty Shi hadn't been able to eat or sleep well, and he was so worried that he even had dark circles under his eyes.
However, when he saw Laurist, Fatty Shi did not ask him what had happened. Instead, he told him a piece of good news. The letter from the north said that Terman and Yuri had successfully advanced to 1-star Gold rank. This meant that Laurist now had two more Gold Knights. The Norton Family now had eight Gold Knights.
This was indeed good news. Laurist turned to look at Aire, who shrugged. "I think it'll be next year. I have a premonition."
Laurist then looked at Fatty Shi. Fatty Shi smiled bitterly. "I might need another two or three years. I don't even have time to deal with trivial matters. How can I calm down and train? I've been stuck at this stage for more than a year …"
Terman, Yuri, Aire, and Fatty Shi were all good friends that Laurist had made during his ten years studying at Dawn Academy. They were also his closest and most trusted subordinates. When they followed Laurist and became Norton Family Knights, they were all 3-star Silver rank. Terman and Yuri's cultivation aptitude was not considered good, but hard work made up for it. After seven years in the army, they finally took a step forward and became Gold Knights.
Aire trained in the dark attribute Dou Qi that was passed down in his family. It was a type of Dou Qi that was relatively difficult to train and slow to advance in. Even though Aire was not very outstanding as the leader of the guards, Laurist believed that once Aire became a Gold Knight, he would definitely be able to amaze the world and shine brightly.
Fatty Shi was the most talented of the four, but it was a pity that he had been given a heavy responsibility by Laurist. His outstanding administrative skills had slowed down his progress in the cultivation of battle qi, and this was also what Laurist felt he owed the most.
Leurist gave Fatty Shi a tight hug. "I'm sorry, old friend. The burden I've put on you is too heavy. After a while, you'll come back to the north with me. You can stay in your family's territory for two years and cultivate well. You'll be able to get a knight's manor and castle like Terman and the others."
Fatty Shi was stunned. "What's wrong, Locke? Didn't we agree that I'll be in charge of the development of Syrovas Island?"
Loriste smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry, but we've gotten ourselves into big trouble. Cirvas Island will soon become a battlefield. Our enemies this time are very powerful. I can't leave you here. It's too dangerous here. You must return to your family's territory. We'll talk about it when we get back to camp. This isn't the place to discuss it … "
Sembarwood walked over and bowed to Loriste. "My lord, all the ships are lined up and anchored. The sailors are ready as well. Please give your orders, my lord."
Fatty Shi looked at him curiously. "My lord, this is …?"
"Oh, come, Sembarwood. Let me introduce you. This is the chief knight of the Norton Family, Shredder. If I'm not around, he can make decisions for me." Loriste introduced them to each other. "This is Sembarwood, a Gold-ranked pirate. It's rare, isn't it? But he's now the captain of my naval assault. He's done well recently. I'm thinking of promoting him to be Freya's assistant. "
Sembarwood didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked at Loriste with an aggrieved expression. "My lord, don't mention being a pirate. I'm your subordinate now. If I'm a pirate, then you'll be the head of the pirates …"
Sambarwood had thought that he was the number one cannon fodder, but in the Sad Ocean, when robbing, oh no, commandeering those ships, he realized that Loriste was even faster than him. Often, Loriste would be able to take down a ship by himself. Thus, as the captain of the naval assault, he became the general manager of the fleet who cleaned up the mess for Laurist. He organized the fleet, collected the captives, and arranged the sailors. In the end, Laurist thought that he did a good job and praised him.
Fatty Shi nodded at him. "Nice to meet you, Sembarwood. Don't mind his words. He just likes to joke. Since you've joined the Norton Family, do your best. You'll have a bright future."
However, at the same time, Fatty Shi made a decision in his heart that he must train hard and ascend to gold-rank as soon as possible. Seeing that his old friend had already become a gold-rank knight, and that the lord was recruiting gold-rank knights from the outside, he, the chief knight of the family, was only a 3-star silver-rank knight, he felt that it was a little embarrassing to show off to others.
"Freya, come here. This Sembarwood will be your assistant from now on." Loriste called out to Freya, who had come to greet him but had run over to the large merchant ship to look at it.
Freya got off the ship. "Nice to meet you. I'm Freya, the commander of the navy."
Loriste continued, "This is Toric, the vice-captain of the naval assault team. He's also an expert in naval battles. He's yours now. Freya, this is Uncle Torin, Toric's father. He's good at taking care of logistics. Look at all these ships, he helped Sembarwood manage them in an orderly manner. He'll be managed by your navy now … "
Fatty Shi asked from the side, "My lord, did you commandeer all these ships?"
Loriste nodded. Everyone knew what he meant by 'commandeering'.
Fatty Shi asked hesitantly, "My lord, why did you do this?"
Fatty Shi knew Laurist's personality very well. After being friends for so many years, he had heard Laurist say that robbery was the least skillful and most bottomless crime. What he despised the most was bullying the weak with brute force. Now that Loriste had commandeered so many ships, he must have had his reasons. Thinking of the big trouble Loriste had mentioned and the fact that Syrovas Island was about to become a battlefield, Fatty Shi wanted to know the truth.
"Let's go back and talk. You'll know soon enough …" Loriste sighed.
After returning to the camp, Fatty Shi quickly found out the reason. He slammed the table in anger and stood up, "How dare they! The Trade Federation has a system of nobility. Why do they have to make our Silovas Island the territory of the Chikerde Merchant Association?
Unlike the anger of the Norton knights like Pat, North, and Jim, as well as the two stewards Hansk and Cordan, Sembarwood, Torin, and Toric were all stunned. The pirates were unlucky to be chosen by the Norton Lord because of the commerce alliance.
Loriste had gone mad and wiped out all the ships on the Ocean of Sorrow. He actually wanted to organize an armed fleet to fight against the Chikede Merchant Group at sea. The truth made their hearts pound in fear, but at the same time, they felt a strange excitement. Since when did pirates like them, who only knew how to hide and run, have the chance to fight the Trade Alliance's fleet head-on? Just thinking about it made their blood boil.
The Chikede Merchant Group was the overlord of the southern seas. Did they have any hope of winning against such a colossus?
"Don't worry." Laurist waved his hand and said, "I'm preparing to transfer Bofinger's Heavy Armor Division from the Northern Lands over and form a War Chariot and Steel Crossbow Division. With these two divisions, the island's defense will be impregnable. The Chikede Merchant Group is only powerful on the sea, but they're weak on land. If they want to occupy Syrovas Island, they'll have to go ashore. We'll wipe out as many as they come ashore. Let's see how much manpower, resources, and money he has to fill up the land. "
"My Lord, what's the mission of our navy?" Freia asked.
"Your navy will be renamed the Maritime Legion from today onwards. Freia, you'll be the commander of the Maritime Legion." Loriste originally wanted to use the name of the navy, but after thinking that Galinthia didn't have the habit of doing so, he used the more understandable name of the Maritime Legion.
"The navy at Oxhorn Bay in the north will be the reserve training camp for your Maritime Legion. I'll let Sunbarwood help you form two armed fleets with the ships I've requisitioned. One will use fast ships for patrol, guard, and guerrilla warfare. The other will be a slower one for transportation of supplies and personnel, and will be responsible for direct combat. Understood? "
"Yes, my Lord. I understand," Freia replied.
"There's one thing I need to remind you of. I've requisitioned a large number of ships this time, and even the personnel on them. Sunbarwood has a detailed list of names. Currently, the two armed fleets are made up of our navy and the pirates who came with Sunbarwood. Their families are in our territory, so they're the most reliable. Choose the people I've requisitioned and use them carefully. After all, if anything happens at sea, it'll be hard to control it immediately. Of course, if they perform well, treat them equally. Don't treat them differently … "
"Yes, my Lord. I'll do as you say," Freia promised.
After sending Freia away, Fatty Shi said, "My Lord, it's fine if you transfer Bodefinger's heavy armor over, but Syrovas Island won't be able to handle it if you form a chariot and crossbow unit as well …"
"Oh?"
"My Lord, although Syrovas Island is large, two-thirds of it is mountainous and forested. Only the eastern part of the island is flatter, and it's the main farming and residential area. We can't afford the cost of a single chariot and crossbow unit, and we've just recruited sixty thousand refugees from the two southwestern provinces of the kingdom to prepare for development. The food we bought from His Highness is only enough to last us for four months. His Highness refuses to trade with us again. He said that the rest is military food reserves and can't be sold … "Fatty Shi explained.
"Oh, so that's how it is." Loriste had a headache. He'd forgotten that Syrovas Island wasn't self-sufficient in food. It was easy to transfer troops over, but collecting food was a problem.
Bodefinger's heavy armor was proficient in close combat and hand-to-hand combat. Although the style of their armor was the same as the standard equipment of the family's armed forces, it was like Terman's knights on the inside, with an extra layer of flexible steel armor. Although it was heavy, it had a stronger defense. However, they had to work together with the chariots and crossbows to unleash their greatest power. One for offense and one for defense, they complemented each other.
However, the chariots and crossbows needed two warhorses to move quickly, which made it easier to set up the battlefield. Without warhorses, no one could carry the crossbows and run with the troops. Also, setting up the battlefield would be troublesome, unlike the chariots that could be ready to fire at any time. This was a huge problem.
It would be best for Loriste to return to the north immediately and discuss with Master Sid how to solve this problem. There were also many things to settle in the family's territory. For example, Professor Bob's gunpowder research and Mancheni's glass production all needed to be inspected. There was also the idea of cannons and muskets in Loriste's mind. With gunpowder and cannons, once they were equipped on the warships, the so-called powerful armed fleet of the Chicant Merchant Association would all become targets. Then, they would see who was the true ruler of the seas …
The problem was that Loriste couldn't leave. He knew that the Norton Family's weakness was their lack of high-end military power. In terms of the family's armed forces, if Loriste claimed to be the second in command, then no one would be the first. Whether it was in terms of elite soldiers or superior equipment, the Norton Family's armed forces were far superior to their rivals of the same generation. Even the second prince's 300,000 soldiers were nothing in Loriste's eyes.
But apart from Loriste, the family didn't have a single Great Swordsman. After going to Morent City, Loriste realized that the seven merchant associations of the Trade Alliance had four or five Great Swordsman overseeing them, but the Norton Family only had Loriste himself.
Although they could drown the Great Swordsman with numbers, that would require the sacrifice of many loyal and brave soldiers. The bloody wounds that Master Swordsman Jared had inflicted on the Norton Family were still bleeding, so Loriste didn't plan to leave Cilowas Island for now. He wanted to wait for the Chicant Merchant Association to attack Cilowas Island.
In Loriste's mind, the Chicant Merchant Association had already lost a Great Swordsman. If another three or four Great Swordsman came, he would be able to deal with them. After killing another one or two Great Swordsman, his family's armed forces would be able to wipe out the enemies on the island. With this lesson, the Chicant Merchant Association would understand that obtaining Cilowas Island was just wishful thinking. When that happened, Loriste could return to the north without worry.
"How about this, Freya. Organize two fleets as soon as possible. Let the fast fleet be in charge of patrolling and guarding Cilowas Island. Once the other armed fleet is formed, transport food from the north with all their might. We need to stock up for at least a year," Loriste made his decision.
"Sir, what about the refugees we've recruited? Do we stop the construction we're about to start?" General Manager Hansk stood up. He was responsible for the statistics and planning of all the construction projects in the family's territory. In his hand was a thick stack of animal hide documents. It seemed like they were all things that needed to be reported.
Loriste almost went crazy. He lamented inwardly, 'Why can other transmigrators spend their days comfortably picking up girls and earning money? Why can they send hundreds of thousands of soldiers to the battlefield with a wave of their hands?' 'I don't even have food for two armies, and I have so many things to do. I'm so busy that meetings take an entire day.'
Loriste rubbed his head and asked, "Let's cut to the chase, General Manager Hansk. Tell me about the development plans you've arranged."
General Manager Hansk flipped through the documents in his hand and replied, "Sir, the main ones are the relocation of White Bird Town, the expansion of the docks, the construction of the trade zone and the town's walls and other defensive facilities, the seawall for the eastern island, the reconstruction of the seven villages and the development of the terraced fields. The remodeling of Wanghai Manor is nearing completion, and the location of the navy camp and its special dock has been confirmed. However, the location of the guard camp's fortress hasn't been decided yet. The residents of White Bird Town are resisting …"
"Hmm, what's going on?"
"Sir, the residents of White Bird Town believe that there's no need for the guard camp since they already have a garrison of five hundred men. They believe that the garrison can completely take care of White Bird Town's safety. We originally planned to build the guard camp's fortress between White Bird Town and the trade zone … "The person who stood up to reply was Padt, the commander of the third guard camp.
"Then where are the locations for the navy camp and the dock?" Loriste asked.
"Here." General Manager Hansk opened up a map of Cirovas Island. "It's on the Flagfish Ridge between White Bird Town and Wanghai Manor. There's a small bay here that can shelter us from the wind and waves. However, we'll have to spend a lot of manpower to level the terrain …"
Loriste nodded. "Then how about this. Arrange for the third guard camp to be in the original Farama Village and reinforce it. This way, the guard camp, the naval army, and the two guard squads of Wanghai Manor will form a tripartite balance. Even before the family mobilizes the army, those weaklings from the Chicant Merchant Association won't be able to break through our defensive line.
"As for White Bird Town, let's leave it for now. Let the garrison maintain law and order. However, let them know that the war between the Norton Family and the Chicant Merchant Association against Cirovas Island is about to begin. If they want to leave, we'll send them to the north. The garrison can remain neutral. After all, the Chicant Merchant Association wants to claim this place as their territory. They probably won't do anything to the ordinary residents … "
At this point, Aire, who was in charge of the guards, pushed open the door and entered with a white letter. "Sir, the second prince just sent a messenger. King Andinak the First passed away five days ago due to illness …"
The third prince is dead? The founder of the Andinak Kingdom, who had been bedridden for several years after being plotted against and the legitimate heir of the Krisen Empire's royal family, King Andinak the First, had finally passed away. The second prince had finally lost the only shackle that restrained him. He could now command an army of three hundred thousand to launch a war to revive the Krisen Empire.
Loriste took the funeral letter from Aire and muttered, "The world is about to change …"
… …
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