On the 27th day of the first month of the 1779 calendar in the Galinthia Continent, Laurist returned to Monolith Castle.
The family did not hold a new year celebration this year. Firstly, Laurist, as the head of the Norton family, was not in the territory, and secondly, it was inappropriate to hold such a celebration during a time of war. However, the conquest of the Iberian Kingdom had been completed. The Winston and southern provinces had entered the sphere of influence of the four northern families, and the Fisablon family was trapped in the three provinces of the grasslands. Laurist now had the crown of the governor of the capital of Winderbry, which meant that the Winston province would also become a direct territory of the Norton family.
One could imagine that even though there was no new year celebration this year, it would be even livelier the next day. Another group of nobles would seek shelter under the Norton family's wings. At that time, Laurist would also confer a large number of nobles and honorary nobles in recognition of their contributions to the family in the past two years.
The news that the mountain barbarians were going to attack the family's territory at the end of last year did not cause panic in the territory, but the heavily guarded Monolith Castle was still shrouded in a tense and somber atmosphere. Laurist returned to the back of the central castle, only to find that only Delia came out to welcome him with her one-year-old son. It was only after asking that she found out that her two nieces, Aridoli and her sister Fina, had gone to the new Baron Dina in Delemark province. Delia refused to go with them because she was worried that the weather would be too cold for her baby son to catch a cold.
The other two new concubines did not expect Laurist to return in January, and had returned to their own families at the end of last year to celebrate the new year together. Alright, so be it. Delia would warm the bed at night anyway. However, Laurist still did not sleep well, because his precious son was too noisy at night. If he was not breastfeeding, he would cry and throw a tantrum because his mother was not by his side. In addition, Laurist had tormented Delia three or four times in a row, so he could not sleep for the whole night.
Laurist prepared to go to the study to catch up on his sleep. Just as he was walking towards the study with a yawn, he saw Schwald appear in front of him. "Your Highness, Lord Tagger and Mister Dubeuf have been waiting in the reception room for more than an hour."
Laurist was not surprised that Tagger had come so early, but who was Dubeuf? That sounds familiar.
Seeing the confused look on Laurist's face, Shiwald knew that he could not remember. "Your Highness, Mr. Dubeuf was the former leader of the Five Swords Mercenary Group. You later appointed him as the mayor of Twin Mountain Towns."
Oh, I remember now. Back then, I hired the Five Swords Mercenary Group to guard the sentry post at the junction of the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range and the Five Swords Mercenary Group as the first line of defense against the Mountain Barbarian Tribe's invasion, providing timely warnings for the Family. However, when he made a trip to the Mountain Barbarian Tribe, he found out that the neighboring Mountain Barbarian Tribe was in a state of internal strife, so he didn't have time to go up and down the mountain to plunder. Therefore, apart from a few small-scale attacks by the Mountain Barbarians in the two years after it was first built, the sentry post between the two mountains had been peaceful and uneventful. Its importance had greatly decreased.
Later on, the Family developed the Black Mud Swamp on this side of the Territory and built a long defensive wall between Turtle Mountain and Crouching Bull Hill on the border of the Territory. Then, they built Turtle Mountain Fortress and Crouching Bull Hill Fortress and stationed two Guard Battalions. The sentry post between the two mountains outside the Family's Territory could be abandoned, and the Family terminated the employment agreement with the Five Swords Mercenary Group.
After Laurist terminated the employment agreement, he still wanted to incorporate the Five Swords Mercenary Group into the Family's armed forces. However, the leader of the Five Swords Mercenary Group, Dubeuf, rejected this proposal. He said that he was old and did not want to continue his life of fighting. The mercenary group was about to be disbanded, and the members of the group could freely choose whether to join the Norton Family's armed forces.
However, Mr. Dubeuf was a little reluctant to leave the two mountains where he had lived for several years. Due to the peace in the past few years, the two mountains had already developed into a small village. Many mercenaries and adventurers used this place as a base to explore the Demonic Dragon Mountains. There were also small merchants who were familiar with the customs of the Mountain Barbarians who ventured deep into the Mountain Barbarian tribes to trade goods. This led a few quick-witted Mountain Barbarians to barter with the local specialties of the Demonic Dragon Mountains, turning the small village into a small window to connect with the Mountain Barbarians.
However, at that time, Laurist had just returned from the Mountain Barbarian Tribe. His experience of not being able to speak to others made the Mountain Barbarian Tribe the greatest taboo in Laurist's heart. He had never thought of using this small sentry post to infiltrate and influence the Mountain Barbarian Tribe. Since Captain Duboff didn't want to leave this sentry post, Laurist waved his pen and appointed him as the mayor of this newly named Twin Mountain Town. Other than paying taxes to the family every year, the family wouldn't interfere with Twin Mountain Town anymore. Everything was left to its own devices. To Laurist, this place was outside of the Family's territory, so the Family did not care whether it was there or not.
That was until the Family established the Wallibell Intelligence and Investigation Bureau. As the supervisor, Tagger keenly noticed this small town that was outside of the Family's territory. He sent people to carry out a detailed investigation of the town. The result was that under the management of Dubeuf, the former leader of the Five Swords mercenary group, the town had developed in an orderly manner and had a bright future. Moreover, Mayor Dubeuf knew his place. He had always thought that Two Mountain Towns belonged to the Norton Family. He did not act recklessly just because the Family did not interfere with Two Mountain Towns. Every year, other than paying taxes to the Family, the extra funds were used to develop the public service facilities and housing construction in Two Mountain Towns. This made Two Mountain Towns a town with a population of more than two thousand people. They mainly hunted, gathered herbs, and traded with the Mountain Barbarian tribes.
Two years ago, Tagger had submitted a report about Two Mountain Towns to Laurist. He believed that Two Mountain Towns could be brought under the Family's management. They could invest funds to develop it and turn it into a large scale trading market with the Mountain Barbarian tribes. It was similar to the trading company set up by the Kemmes Family in the eastern part of the Northern Lands that specialized in trading with the Mountain Barbarian tribes. Not only would it allow the Family to obtain large amounts of precious herbs and specialties from the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range, but it would also allow them to inquire about and understand the movements of the Mountain Barbarian tribes.
However, at that time, Laurist's mind was filled with the scheming with the second prince and the plan to attack the Maradus Principality. Coupled with the memories of the miserable experiences of the Mountain Barbarian tribes, he had neglected this report. He had casually replied that he understood and put the report away in the archives. But no matter how he avoided it, what would come would come. The threat of the Mountain Barbarian tribes to the Family's territory had always existed, and now it was finally imminent.
"Get me a basin of ice water to wash my face, then bring the two of them to see me in the study." Laurist felt that he should wake himself up and properly understand how the alarm about the Mountain Barbarian tribe's impending attack on the Family came out.
Tagger and Duboff were quickly brought to the study. After greeting Laurist, Tagger reported how he had raised the alarm.
The matter was first discovered by Mayor Duboff of Twin Mountain Town. Duboff reported that every autumn was the most active period for the Mountain Barbarian tribes in the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range. The trade between Twin Mountain Town and the Mountain Barbarians was also the most frequent. Mayor Duboff discovered a very strange phenomenon when he was inspecting the trading market. This time, the Mountain Barbarians who came to Twin Mountain Town were mostly unwilling to bargain with the merchants. Even if they suffered losses, they would complete the transaction with an indifferent expression. Moreover, the materials they purchased were mostly ironware and weapons.
This was not right. Mayor Duboff immediately became vigilant. It wasn't that the Mountain Barbarians had never suffered losses when trading with the merchants, but the Mountain Barbarians who came to Twin Mountain Town to trade in the past few years were all wily old foxes. Their brains worked faster than the other, and the number of merchants who were deceived by the Mountain Barbarians who came to trade was not small. But this time, these Mountain Barbarians were so honest in their transactions. They didn't care about suffering losses, and even bought so many ironware and weapons instead of the various daily necessities that they used to like the most. This made people feel strange.
Mayor Duboff secretly found an old Mountain Barbarian, who had been saved by Mayor Duboff in the past. That was the first time the old Mountain Barbarian had come to Twin Mountain Town. He had met a group of tyrannical mercenaries who had taken a fancy to an intact white leopard skin that the old Mountain Barbarian had brought to sell. They insisted on exchanging it with a poor quality longsword, and even bragged that it was a divine weapon. The old Mountain Barbarian touched it with his own short dagger, and the divine weapon broke into two. The old Mountain Barbarian refused to exchange it, so the mercenaries accused the old Mountain Barbarian of breaking their divine weapon. They swarmed up and beat the old Mountain Barbarian until he vomited blood.
At this time, Mayor Duboff happened to pass by and rescued the old Mountain Barbarian. After finding out the truth, he punished the mercenaries. From then on, the old Mountain Barbarian and Mayor Duboff became good friends. They had always been in contact, and he often brought some rare local products and medicinal herbs to Mayor Duboff's home as a guest. With such a friendship, Mayor Duboff believed that the old Mountain Barbarian would reveal some information to him.
Sure enough, the old Mountain Barbarian told Mayor Duboff that last year was the Kupperwisen Festival of the Mountain Barbarian Tribe, which was held once every twelve years. It was also the year when the Mountain Barbarian Tribe's most worshipped Mountain God, Kupperwisen, was born. All the Mountain Barbarian Tribes held various commemorative celebrations and activities that year, such as carrying out a monthly blood sacrifice, slaughtering a large number of livestock as a sacrifice to the Mountain God. Also, all the Mountain Barbarian Tribe's chiefs went to the Holy Land of Mount Smolmegen to participate in the Bevis Conference. Of course, those who participated in the conference were all big Mountain Barbarian Tribes, and the chiefs were all Qiangbasens of the various regions of the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range.
The biggest Mountain Barbarian Tribe near the Norton Family's territory was called the Habibaba Tribe. The chief was Big Qiangbasen, which was equivalent to the Grand Duke of a human country. He also had jurisdiction over more than twenty Mountain Barbarian Tribes. In the past, the Habibaba Tribe had always been fighting with another big Mountain Barbarian Tribe for the title of Big Qiangbasen. This time, when they went to participate in the Bevis Conference, that Mountain Barbarian Tribe finally admitted defeat, and the chief of the Habibaba Tribe got what he wanted. He became Big Qiangbasen. After returning from the conference, Big Qiangbasen decided that it was time to show the people of the flatlands at the foot of the mountain some power. All the Mountain Barbarian Tribes had received orders to mobilize, and it was very likely that the allied army of the Mountain Barbarian Tribes would descend the mountain to plunder next year. Therefore, this year, the Mountain Barbarians who came to trade mostly purchased ironware. They wanted to melt these ironware to forge arrowheads and weapons.
The old Mountain Barbarian advised Mayor Duboff that it was best to hide next year and leave Two Mountain Towns, so as to not stand in the way of the Mountain Barbarian Army's vanguard to avoid any mishaps. This time, the Mountain Barbarian Army that would descend the mountain was at least a hundred thousand strong. Big Qiangbasen heard from the Mountain Barbarians that the Norton Family's territory was developing very quickly, and he had set his sights on the Norton Family's territory. He also heard that some traveling merchants had been bribed by the Mountain Barbarians to become their spies, and when the time came, they would even lead the way for the Mountain Barbarian Army …
After Mayor Duboff received the news, he reported it to his family. Tagger personally went to investigate, and discovered that the news was true. Not only did the old Mountain Barbarian who was on good terms with Mayor Duboff divulge the news, many Mountain Barbarians who came to trade, under the temptation of fine wine and some exquisite luxury goods, also divulged the news that the Mountain Barbarian Army would descend the mountain to plunder next year.
At the end of November, the old Mountain Barbarian came to Two Mountain Towns for the last time, and told Mayor Duboff that a group of Mountain Barbarians had come to the Habibaba Tribe. They had come to request Big Qiangbasen to immediately organize a large army to invade the Norton Family's territory, and had solemnly vowed that the Norton Family's territory was currently incomparably empty, and that there weren't many troops in the territory. When the old Mountain Barbarian came down the mountain, he didn't know whether Big Qiangbasen had agreed to the Mountain Barbarian's request, but he was only worried that Mayor Duboff would be caught off guard and suffer an unexpected disaster, so he told Mayor Duboff to hide first.
However, as Laurist had expected, it was impossible for the Mountain Barbarian Tribe to descend the mountain to plunder near winter. Even if Big Qiangbasen wanted to agree to the Mountain Barbarian's request, it was impossible. Without enough winter clothing, the Mountain Barbarians wouldn't be able to go down the mountain and return to their old homes. When the snow came, they might even freeze to death without using their weapons. Laurist estimated that the earliest the Mountain Barbarian Army would descend the mountain would be April, after the rainy season had passed.
Laurist sneered at the Mountain Barbarian Army of more than 100,000 Mountain Barbarians. The current Norton Family wasn't like in his father's era, where a few hundred Mountain Barbarians could plunder the family's cattle and sheep and run amok in the family's territory. The current Norton Family was simply a colossus, and its strength was comparable to a kingdom. Whether it was the military equipment or the family's armed forces, it was unknown how many times more than the primitive Mountain Barbarian Army. Not to mention 100,000 Mountain Barbarians, even 100,000 more Mountain Barbarians would be food for the Norton Family.
"Your Highness, I have a map of the gold mine to offer to you." Mayor Dubeuf stood up and carefully took out a tattered piece of animal skin and placed it on the table in front of Laurist.
Tagger was stunned. He clearly hadn't expected this situation. It seemed like he didn't know that Mayor Dubeuf had this map of the gold mine.
"Actually, I wasn't the one who discovered this gold mine, and this gold mine also has an owner." Mayor Dubeuf explained, "Two years ago, an old mercenary was poisoned by the Mountain Barbarian Tribe. I found him unconscious while hunting, but unfortunately, he was too poisoned and couldn't be saved. Before he died, he gave me this map." In the past two years, I've searched carefully and discovered that the gold mine is here. It's in the depths of the Black Forest, between Crouching Ox hill and Boulder Castle. There are hills and streams in the depths of the forest. That's where the gold mine is. "However, there is a Mountain Barbarian Tribe of twenty to thirty thousand people in this area.
Your Highness, to be honest, I have my own selfish motives. I also wanted to monopolize this gold mine. However, I discovered that I can't deal with this Mountain Barbarian Tribe, so I can only offer this map of the gold mine to you. "
Laurist admired Mayor Dubeuf's frankness. At this moment, he thought of the Mountain Barbarian cavalry he had encountered on the way from Maple Forest Manor to Monolith Castle. After Josk's godly arrow showed its power, the Mountain Barbarian cavalry abandoned their wounded comrades and fled into the Black Forest. Afterwards, when he checked the corpses of the Mountain Barbarian cavalry, he discovered that they all had a small leather bag filled with golden sand. Back then, he suspected that the Mountain Barbarian Tribe and the Mountain Barbarian Tribe that Mayor Dubeuf mentioned were very likely the Mountain Barbarian cavalry he had encountered back then.
"Thank you, Mayor Dubeuf. We will remember your contributions to the family. The family will not mistreat our loyal citizens. We thank you for your efforts." Laurist stood up and expressed his gratitude.
"You're welcome. It's my honour to serve the Norton family. "Mayor Dubeuf hurriedly returned the gesture as if he was overwhelmed by the favor.
"Tagger, bring Mayor Dubeuf to Monolith Castle to rest for a few days. When the Flying Tiger Army arrives, we will hold a military meeting to discuss how to deal with the Mountain Barbarian Army. At that time, we will need to trouble Mayor Dubeuf to introduce the situation of the Mountain Barbarians to us. That's all for now. "
"Yes, Your Highness." Tagger stood up.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I am happy to serve the family." Mayor Dubeuf said.
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