"Sir, you're wrong," Fatty Shi, who had rushed from Rock Castle to Maple Villa overnight, said with a serious face.
Ever since Lollister promised Christie to support His Highness with 100,000 gold coins and return all the standard equipment of the White Lion Legion to His Highness, Lollister hadn't seen His Highness again. Because His Highness had hurried to the Seven Towns of Fengle Plain to recruit soldiers, Lollister had enjoyed a few days of leisure in Maple Villa. But when the news reached Rock Castle, Fatty Shi couldn't sit still anymore.
Lollister, who was playing with his second son, raised his head in surprise. "What did I do wrong?"
Fatty Shi didn't say anything.
Lollister understood and handed his son to Elina. "Let's talk in the study on the second floor."
In the study on the second floor, Lollister opened a bottle of fruit wine, poured two glasses, and handed one to Fatty Shi.
Taking the fruit wine from Lollister, Fatty Shi drained it in one gulp and let out a long breath. He took off his cloak and handed it to Schwald, saying, "Another glass."
Then he sat on the sofa and looked at Lollister. "Locke, do you still not know what you did wrong?"
Lollister raised his eyebrows as he poured the wine for him. "I really don't know …"
"You shouldn't have returned all the standard equipment of the White Lion Legion to His Highness," Fatty Shi said.
"Oh, about that. Steward Spear already urged me to get rid of these armors as soon as possible. They're bulky and not as good as the standard equipment of our family. They're not suitable to be sold, and they take up space in the warehouse. That's why I wanted to return them to His Highness. That way, our family doesn't have to send troops to help him restore his country. "
"Hey, Locke, why don't you understand what I'm saying? I didn't say that returning the standard equipment of the White Lion Legion to His Highness was wrong. What you did wrong was the way you returned them. Putting everything else aside, these 72,000 sets of standard equipment might be outdated and useless to our family's armed forces, but if we were to sell them to the Four Duchies or the Grand Duke of Fisablun, they would be worth at least four to five million gold coins. What you said is equivalent to throwing away this huge sum of money. Also, tell me, did His Highness express anything when he accepted your gift? You don't have anything, but you still went to Fengle Plain to recruit soldiers with a clear conscience. What an ingrate! "
Fatty Shi had never had a good impression of the second prince. He felt that the second prince was a person who spoke well, but what he did was despicable. Back then, when he was leading the convoy northward, he was almost forced into a dead end by the second prince. If not for Loriste's timely arrival, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Moreover, the second prince had taken advantage of the desperate situation of the northbound convoy and lured twenty-six old students and Silver-tier knights from the Dawn Academy to join him. As a result, within a year, more than half of them had died. This made Fatty Shi, Terman, and the others from the Dawn Academy very sad and resentful of the second prince's actions.
Loriste smiled bitterly and patted his forehead. "I'm sorry, Shredder. I was wrong. I just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible so that they wouldn't be a hindrance in our family's territory. The next two years will be the most crucial time in the north. The territory exchange between the Kenz Family and the Shahin Family, as well as the conquest of the Madras Duchy are imminent. I really don't have the mood to deal with His Highness, so I just wanted to throw them a big bone and send them out of the north as soon as possible … "
"Locke, you made a mistake in treating His Highness as a dog. If you throw a big bone to a dog, the dog will wag its tail at you. But His Second Highness is a wolf. The bone you threw to him didn't make him feel grateful to you. Instead, it will make him covet our family's territory even more. He will treat our family's territory as a big fat piece of meat, and not just the bone. " Fatty Shi did not care about His Highness' status as a superior lord. He was worried that His Highness would use Loriste's promise to set off a huge storm in the family's territory.
"I'm not saying that it was wrong of you to return the White Lion Legion's standard equipment to His Highness, nor am I being stingy about the value of the equipment. Instead, it was wrong of you to do so. The best way is to give him the White Lion Legion's standard equipment bit by bit, and then get what we want from him in batches. We shouldn't be like this, where we don't even get a word of thanks!
What I don't understand the most is why you agreed to let them recruit soldiers in our family's territory. Don't you think that once His Highness has the equipment and money, and a large number of soldiers in our family's territory, won't he set his sights on our family's territory? My only thought now is to send His Highness out of the country as soon as possible so that we don't get into any more trouble. "
Loriste smiled confidently and slowly took a sip from his golden cup. "Shred, I was wrong about giving His Highness the White Lion Legion's standard equipment. I should have done as you said and given it to him bit by bit in exchange for our benefits. But you were wrong about recruiting soldiers. Believe me, His Highness won't be able to recruit many people in Fengle Plain. Haha … "
"Why?" Fatty Shi retorted. "His Highness is the former king of the Andenak Kingdom. Most of the people in Fengle Plain are refugees from the Andenak Kingdom. His Highness has a high prestige in their hearts. As long as he calls for them, it is very likely that they will obey him. In addition, our king has always been good at making empty promises. I'm sure there will be a large number of hot-blooded fellows who are stupid enough to become cannon fodder for him … "
"Haha …" Loriste burst into laughter. "Shred, you've been in charge of the family's administrative affairs for too long. Have you forgotten our family's conscription system? Haha, as a citizen of our family, we have to go to the recruit camp to awaken our fighting energy at the age of 16. If we can't awaken our fighting energy, we will have to go to the recruit camp for three months every year before the age of 20. If we awaken our fighting energy, we will have to undergo recruit training before being assigned to the regular army. Our family's preferential treatment for soldiers makes enlistment into the army the most enviable job. Even after the enlistment period is over, we can still go to the guard camp and garrison troops.
Think about it, the newly formed Hunting Cavalry Legion has already recruited all the soldiers suitable for enlistment in the family's recruit camp. There are still many vacancies, and many people from the Flying Tiger Legion and the Monolith Legion have also been selected. Therefore, they have to fill the vacancies from the Imperial Guard Camp. As for the Imperial Guard Camp, they pick people from the garrison troops of various towns. As a result, the garrison troops of many towns are not full. As for the young men who can't join the garrison troops, they are the main force of various workshops and bear the heavy burden of supporting their families. Under such circumstances, do you think that His Highness' recruitment of soldiers will be effective in Fengle Plain?
Especially when I heard that His Highness wants to use one Gold Ford to recruit soldiers as a settlement fee. He wants to recruit sixty to seventy thousand people in one go. I almost laughed my teeth out. Don't you think about it? In our family's territory, we can earn two or three Gold Ford by working hard in the workshops for a year. He wants people to sell their lives for one Gold Ford? Haha, Shi Ruide, let me tell you, His Highness can't afford to recruit soldiers from our family's territory. It has been four days, and His Highness has been running around Fengle Plain. So far, he has only recruited 143 soldiers. Haha … "
Shi Ruide let out a long sigh of relief. He picked up the cup and drank it in one gulp. "I really forgot about the family's conscription system. Now I can rest assured. As long as His Highness can't recruit soldiers, he can only worry with so much equipment. But Locke, you have to be careful. Don't let His Highness poach people from our family like he did to the north … "
"Don't worry about that. I have already ordered Tagger's Volibell Intelligence and Investigation Bureau to get involved and monitor their every move. Right, you came at the right time. I plan to go to the battlefield at the lower reaches of the Mitubro River. I will also go to Bofinger's place to inspect. I'll leave the reception of His Highness to you. I don't think I like them … "
There was a commotion downstairs. Shi Ruide walked to the window and looked down. "Sir, His Highness and Miss Christie are here. They seem very angry."
Soon, the door to the study was pushed open. The second prince's face was ashen, and Christie's face was red. She was furious. "Locke, what are you doing? You said you wouldn't obstruct our recruitment. Why are you doing this? "
"What did I do? Speak clearly. What happened? "Laurist was confused.
"We recruited some soldiers, but your people sent their families to the camp. What do you mean by this? Your people also said that since the soldiers we recruited chose to serve His Majesty, the Norton Family doesn't need to give preferential treatment to their families. Their families will naturally be settled by His Majesty! Tell me, are you the one who ordered this? "Christie was furious.
"Can you tell me what the soldiers you recruited were originally for?" Laurist's expression turned cold.
"Ugh …" Christie suddenly couldn't speak.
"This, Brother Locke, these newly recruited soldiers are just hot-blooded and willing to do their duty for our kingdom. This is an act worthy of encouragement and praise, so we shouldn't make things difficult for the families of these brave soldiers …" The second prince quickly came up to smooth things over.
"Is that so? Are you saying that the Norton Family didn't do its duty? Don't forget that His Majesty just gave you 100,000 gold coins a few days ago, and that batch of White Lion Legion's standard equipment worth five to six million. If this isn't duty, what is? I don't think there has ever been such a large tribute in the history of Galinthea. No wonder I didn't even hear a word of thanks, "Fatty Shi said in a strange tone.
The second prince's originally pale face immediately turned red, but he quickly calmed down. "Oh, Knight Shredder, long time no see. I haven't congratulated you on your promotion to a Gold Knight yet."
Fatty Shi puffed up his chest, which had a Gold Knight badge on it. "There's nothing to be happy about. As long as I keep practicing, I will eventually get promoted. Your Majesty, why haven't you replied to the Norton Family's support for a few days? Are you still not satisfied with our duty? "
Fatty Shi's words were a bit harsh. Generally speaking, when a lower level lord supported a higher level lord or fulfilled his obligations, the higher level lord must give a formal reply. The most common reply was a letter of thanks, expressing gratitude and remembering the lower level lord's efforts and contributions. For example, when a lower level lord sent troops to attack a city for a higher level lord, the higher level lord had to give a reward or promote his title or grant him a fiefdom or something.
The value of the support given to the second prince by Loriste was already the largest in the history of Galinthea, but the second prince hadn't replied for several days, not even a letter of thanks. Fatty Shi's words were a slap in the face. What was the second prince trying to do? Was he still not satisfied with such a large amount of support?
"Your Majesty, you should at least give the Norton Family a letter of thanks. The equipment of such a legion of tens of thousands of people can be thrown into the water. We have no ulterior motives. A letter of thanks is enough. Does Your Majesty think that our family's contribution is not worth a letter of thanks? "Fatty Shi pushed further.
"Haha, sorry." The second prince took a few deep breaths and showed a friendly smile. "I am very grateful to the Norton Family and my brother Locke for the support and help they have given me, a king in distress. A letter of thanks is not enough to express my gratitude. Originally, I wanted to recruit soldiers as soon as possible and set off on the journey to restore the country. On the day of victory, I would hold a grand celebration banquet in the imperial capital. At that time, I would commend my brother Locke and promote him so that he would receive the rewards he deserves. But since you are so impatient, I can give my reply now. "
The second prince nodded to Loriste. "Brother Locke, do you mind if I borrow your desk?"
Without waiting for Loriste's reply, he walked to the desk and sat down. He took out two pieces of animal skin paper and started writing. Soon, he finished writing on two pieces of paper. He took off the ring on his left hand and lit the candle on the table. He took out the red beeswax, melted it, and dripped it on the signature on the two pieces of animal skin paper. Then, he covered the surface of his ring, leaving a deep mark.
"Are you satisfied now? Knight Shredder. " The second prince smiled and handed the two letters to Fatty Shi. However, his tone was slightly sarcastic, and he deliberately bypassed Loriste.
Fatty Shi looked at Loriste, and Loriste shook his head slightly. Thus, Fatty Shi took the two pieces of paper and read them out loud.
The first piece of paper was a letter of thanks. It expressed appreciation and gratitude to Loriste and the Norton Family for their contributions and efforts, as well as looking forward to the Norton Family's greater efforts for the kingdom. It was no different from an official letter of thanks.
After reading it, Fatty Shi purposely complained, "Your Majesty, I think you should indicate how much the Norton Family has contributed to you. This is a support that can be recorded in the history of the Galinthia Continent. It cannot be skipped over so lightly. Forget it. Even if you don't write it, we will still be recorded in the family's historical records … "
The second prince's face showed signs of turning green again. Loriste coughed twice, and Fatty Shi read the contents of the second piece of paper.
The second piece of paper was a promotion order. As the lord of the Norton Family and the legitimate heir of the Andinac Royal Family, the second prince promoted Count Norton Loriste to the Grand Duke of the Northern Region. The entire Northern Region would be under the jurisdiction of the Norton Family. If there was any dissatisfaction, the Norton Family could take over the entire Northern Region.
Haha, Leurist laughed. The second prince was still trying to make things difficult for him. It was a pity that he did not know that he had already discussed the exchange of territory with his three allies. With this promotion letter, the Norton Family would be able to rule over the entire Northern Land.
"Thank you for your promotion, Your Majesty. The Norton Family is very grateful." Loriste still had to thank what should be thanked, so he bowed to the second prince.
"Haha, you deserve it, my brother Locke. Right, let's discuss the recruitment of soldiers, "the second prince said.
There was a knock on the door. Shiwald went out and quickly returned with two letters in his hands.
Loriste picked up the letter marked in blue and read it. A cold smile quickly appeared on his face. "Your Majesty, Christie, is this how you treat my trust?"
Loriste waved the letter in his hand. "I allowed you to recruit soldiers in my family's territory, but I didn't allow you to rope in my town's garrison and guard battalion. They are also part of the Norton Family's army. Your Majesty, how do you explain your actions? "
Christie argued. "Locke, we didn't rope them in. They were willing to work for the kingdom under His Majesty's call. You can't stop them from swearing loyalty to His Majesty."
Loriste nodded. "If that's the case, then why were you so angry just now? Why should I give preferential treatment to their families when they serve His Majesty? Their houses and fields are given to their families by the Norton Family because they are part of our armed forces. Now that they have given up their identity as soldiers of the Norton Family, these privileges must be taken back. We can't support His Majesty's soldiers. That's treason, and we won't do it. And we didn't stop them from swearing loyalty to His Majesty … "
"This …" The second prince smiled bitterly. He didn't expect that out of the three to four hundred thousand people in the seven towns of the Norton Family's Fengle Plains, only a few were willing to be soldiers. It took four days to recruit a hundred mercenaries and a few dozen idle fellows. It was completely different from the scene in the Redelis Kingdom. He had no choice but to deceive the guards in the town and the guards at the gate of the factory. He only recruited a dozen of them, and then this happened. He felt a headache when he saw the families of the dozen newly recruited soldiers being sent to the barracks. Not only did the families cry and kick up a fuss, but they also scolded the Second Prince and the others for abducting their children to die …
But other than the Norton Family's territory, where could the second prince go to recruit people? If he showed up anywhere else, he would definitely be attacked by enemies. For the second prince, outside of the north, there were enemy countries. He had nowhere to go. But he couldn't recruit soldiers in the Norton Family's territory, so the best way was to get Lollister to send troops for him. But Lollister had already given him such a large amount of support, blocking this path.
Lollister didn't care about the second prince's and Christie's expressions, and began to read the second letter. Soon, he put down the letter and said to the second prince, "My apologies, Your Majesty. Please forgive me for not being a good host. I have to go to the frontlines immediately. All your affairs in my family's territory will be taken over by Knight Shredder. If you need anything, please contact him. He will take good care of Your Majesty. "
"What, the Norton Family is at war with someone else?" The second prince asked in surprise.
"No, Your Majesty, it's our family's allies. The Kempis Family and the Şahin Family are attacking the Madras Duchy. As allies, we naturally have to send our family's armed forces into battle. This is our duty."
"You're attacking the Madras Duchy?" The second prince was stunned, but quickly recovered. "My Brother Locke, do you mind if I go and take a look?"
…
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