That's right, why not go back? He could treat this trip back to the north as a new adventure. He could go back to see his family's territory and settle the resentment of homesickness hidden in the soul imprint of this body's original owner. Whether he should become a lord or not depended on the situation. If things didn't work out, he could just leave and return to Morent to be a millionaire. Why should he suffer from insomnia every night?
Thinking of this, Loriste suddenly felt his vision brighten, as if the heavy burden on his back had been lifted off his shoulders, and his entire person relaxed. But even if he felt that he had to go back, he couldn't just leave like that. He still had to plan properly. Especially when Padt recovered … …
Loriste stood at the window of his study and watched as Redi dragged Padt to the courtyard like a dead dog and tied him to the iron swivel chair. Redi then pulled on the rope at the bottom of the swivel chair and started turning it faster and faster. Padt was on the verge of death after being tied to the swivel chair for the past few days. Not only was he powerless to resist, he couldn't even scream, and could only retch weakly as a sign of protest … … Heh.
Did he really think that the motion vision ability was that easy to obtain? In his previous life, he and his comrades were known as the Great Wall of Steel. Every one of them was a man of steel, and they wouldn't even frown when they climbed a mountain of swords or plunged into a sea of flames. They wouldn't even groan when they were wounded on the battlefield, and they could even use a knife to pick out a bullet from a wound. However, they were afraid of this swivel chair, and none of them could endure it for more than two days. Every time they tried it, they would avoid it like a tiger.
It was mainly because the sky was dark and the nauseating feeling was too unbearable. Even though they were seven feet tall, they felt as soft as noodles after getting off the swivel chair. The feeling of having no control over their bodies was too unbearable. Four months ago, he used Redi as a test subject and forced him to spend two months to get used to it and recover. Bofinger also tried it after he recovered, but he politely declined. As long as they weren't forced to do it, no one would willingly endure it.
Right now, Redi was repeating the training that Laurist had forced on him, but the target was Padt. No wonder he was so happy and gloating. It was obvious that he was happy that someone was repeating his mistakes. Humans were like this. They would happily watch others repeat their bad luck. It was like falling into a pit. Although they had already climbed out, they still hoped that more people would fall into the pit.
It was the seventh day that Padt was in this state. It seemed like he would need at least two months to recover, just like Redi. Loriste felt that even if he were to return to his family's territory, he couldn't just bring Sudekamp and Padt back empty-handed. He remembered that the merchant caravan led by his third uncle was only worth a thousand gold fords. It was a very small caravan in Moronte City. However, such a caravan earned more than three hundred gold fords a year, which was equivalent to more than a thousand gold coins for the elderly of the empire. This was only Laurist's annual salary, but it was enough to push the Norton family's military and financial strength to the peak in the family's history.
Laurist didn't lack gold fords now, so he decided to take out a few thousand gold fords to form a caravan or a transport team to provide supplies to the Norton family. Regardless of whether he would inherit the territory or not, it was still a contribution that a descendant of the Norton family should make to the family. It was also Laurist's compensation for occupying little Locke's body.
However, there was still a lot of trouble in forming a caravan. Firstly, he had to decide on the size of the caravan and the type of supplies to be transported. This required Laurist to have a clear understanding of the family's territory. He needed to know what the family lacked and what they needed. He didn't want to spend a lot of effort to transport a batch of supplies only to find out that there wasn't much that could be used.
This was easy to deal with. Although Thurdkemp's cultivation of Aura wasn't very impressive, he was a know-it-all in his family's territory. He knew a little about everything and had a strong ability to calculate the storage of resources. Old Steward Kleis had already consciously trained him to be a steward. Every night, Laurist would bring Sudekamp to the study to ask about the family's territory. He would also ask Sudekamp to introduce himself and say whatever came to his mind. Laurist would jot down the information and summarize it to know what the family's territory needed.
The supplies were already taken care of, but what about the manpower for the caravan? Laurist thought about it. He, Camp, and Padt, but he wasn't sure if Redi would be willing to go with him. He would only be seventeen after this year, and no matter how hard he trained, he would only be able to reach 1-star Iron rank in two to three months. This trip was also risky, and Laurist didn't want to bring him along. He decided to put this problem aside for now. If worse came to worst, he could just hire some people at a high price to transport the caravan to the northern lands. Laurist didn't believe that he wouldn't be able to find someone with a large sum of money.
Next was the route. According to the map, there were three main roads from Morent City to the former imperial capital of the Crimson Empire, but there was only one road from the imperial capital to the northern lands. He remembered that it took him fifty-seven days to travel from the north to Moronte City with the caravan led by his third uncle. Locke rode in a carriage, and the caravan mainly used four-wheeled carriages. They could travel a hundred miles in a day. This meant that the northern lands were about six thousand miles away from Morent City.
Back when the Crimson Empire still existed, the roads were relatively smooth, unlike now where the empire was divided into three kingdoms and seven duchies. Passing through customs was a hassle. Laurist was a noble, and he was returning to his family's territory to inherit it. His caravan didn't do business, so he probably wouldn't have to pay a lot of taxes, right? He had to find out more about this. Should he contact President Peterson? Laurist thought. The Peterson Chamber of Commerce would definitely send caravans to the imperial capital, and it would be much more convenient for him to bring the caravan with him. He could think of a way to return to the northern lands once he reached the imperial capital.
Finally, there was the problem of the caravan's defense and escort. He heard that the former Crimson Empire wasn't very peaceful now. Caravans were often robbed by bandits, and there were many casualties. This news was frequently published in Morent Daily and Fariqiu Daily. Laurist had seen it many times, so he naturally wouldn't be careless when it came to escorting the caravan. He decided to hire a mercenary group for a high price, so he went to the Mercenary Guild to inquire about the price.
Laurist's face had been gloomy ever since he returned from the Mercenary Guild. No one would have thought that hiring a mercenary group of forty to fifty people to escort a caravan to the northern lands would cost a thousand gold coins, and it had to be a small caravan. The Gold-ranked mercenary group leader had also said that this was the lowest price. If the caravan had more than twelve caravans, or if the caravan carried weapons and armor, the escort fee would double. This wasn't a price hike, but there was no other way.
After six years of war, the former Crimson Empire's people had no way of making a living, and the flames of war had risen everywhere. Bandits and bandits were everywhere, and even some nobles and lords had participated in the robbery by pretending to be bandits. If Laurist's caravan carried weapons and armor, they would definitely be targeted by the bandits. If the mercenary group couldn't kill their way out, they wouldn't be able to complete the escort mission.
Laurist was prepared to transport a batch of weapons and armor, because Sadekamp had said that the family's territory lacked such equipment. The escort fee of two thousand gold coins was more than double the total value of the weapons and armor. Rather than getting a mercenary group to escort him, he might as well recruit a hundred silver mercenaries to escort the caravan. Many silver mercenaries would fight to be the first to sign up for the job if they paid twenty gold coins for a trip to the northern lands. The matter of escorting the caravan would be put aside for now, and he would think about it when the time came.
Just like that, Laurist got busy. He ran around the business district of Moronte City, inquiring about the prices of the supplies he wanted to transport to the family's territory. Perhaps Laurist treated the delivery of the supplies as a mercenary mission he had accepted, and he didn't think about what he would do after the goods arrived. He only planned to stay in the family's territory for a while before returning. Since he had so many supplies to support the family, it could be considered as his contribution and responsibility to the family. He could then stay in Moronte City with a clear conscience and enjoy his life.
— — Dividing Line — —
What Laurist didn't expect was that his busy schedule had a different meaning in the eyes of some people. The first to ask Laurist was Redi, "Master, are you going back to the family's territory?"
Laurist nodded. He was going back for a while, but it was hard to say how long he would stay as a lord. Since Redi was coming over, he decided to tell him about his arrangements. It was not a bad idea to let him stay here to look after the family. "Redi, you should stay here. The northern lands are remote and the journey is long. There might be some risks this time, so you should stay …"
"No, Master, I must go with you." "I'm your servant. How can I leave you? I won't let you keep me here." Redi interrupted Laurist's unfinished words.
Laurist was a little stunned, "What about Jarl and El's objections? The journey is too long, and it's very risky … "
"I came to Moronte City to join a mercenary group. Who knew that they would form a society instead of a mercenary group? I won't mix with them. I have no family left, so I'll follow you wherever you go. It's useless no matter who objects! "Redi said with a red face. It seemed like he had made up his mind.
"Alright, let's go together then." Laurist agreed. He did not want Redi to feel like he was abandoned. This child was a little stubborn and liked to compete with others. Since he was going back anyway, he would bring Redi along on this trip to the northern lands. Thus, Redi was added to the list of people who were going to the northern lands.
— — Dividing Line — —
When Serdkamp left the study, he bumped into Bofinger who was coming up the stairs. He hurriedly retreated to the side and bowed respectfully. He had always been curious about this middle-aged mercenary who was treated like an honored guest by his young master. Bofinger had just returned from a mercenary mission a few days ago, and had even asked him about the situation in the North and the Norton family. When Serdkamp found out that the middle-aged mercenary in front of him was also a northerner and was once the captain of the Crisen Empire's heavy armor division, he felt even more respect for him.
"Is Loke in the study?" Bofinger asked.
"Yes," Serdkamp replied.
"Thank you," Bofinger said.
Laurist was organizing the list of resources that the family needed. He asked Serdkamp a few more times because he was afraid of missing something. From the list, he could see that the family's territory was lacking in resources. He really wondered how the family survived in the north. He felt a headache coming on. If he were to transport all the resources on the list to the family's territory, it would be impossible without at least a hundred long-distance carriages. Furthermore, leading a caravan of over a hundred carriages all the way to the Northern Lands was something that he couldn't do. It seemed like he had to cut down some of the items on the list and choose the most urgent ones. Limiting the size of the caravan to twenty to thirty carriages was the easiest way to control it.
"When are you going back?" Bofinger asked Laurist.
"Ah, Bofinger, you're here." Laurist greeted him first, then leaned back and stretched. "We have to wait for Padt to recover. There's still two more months, right? I plan to leave on the 20th of November. "
"Oh …" Bofinger nodded, "I came back two days ago and asked Serdkamp about the current situation of your family. I thought you wouldn't go back. “
"It can't be helped. The family needs me now. As a descendant of Norton, I have to go back and share the family's troubles." Laurist shook his head with a smile. He felt that his words were a little too tragic. Hmm, he must have overacted. It was as if he was really going to give up everything in Morrent City and return to the family's territory to suffer.
"Right, Bofinger, you came at the right time. I have something for you." Laurist hurriedly changed the topic.
Laurist pulled open a drawer and took out a high-ranked combat aura manual and five metal scrolls. He placed them on the table.
"Bofinger, you have metal element combat aura, right? This is the combat aura manual I prepared for you. It can help you reach the peak of gold rank. There's also a paragraph in it that the original owner wrote after becoming a master swordsman. My girlfriend gave it to me as a memento of our breakup, but it's useless to me. I'm giving it to you now. I hope you can reach gold rank as soon as possible. As for whether you can become a master swordsman in the future, that will depend on your own efforts. Don't reject it. Consider it a parting gift. "
Bofinger lowered his head, his body trembling slightly …
Laurist didn't notice. He was busy talking about his arrangements for Bofinger's family. "As for the five hundred gold coins, it's not for you. It's a gift from me, the teacher, to my student Shihuard and the cute Alisa. You're in charge of it now. Shihuard's aptitude isn't bad, but he needs to pay attention to nutrition and physical training. After he awakens his combat aura, you'll be in charge of teaching him some basic knowledge. If his combat aura attribute is different from yours, I'll think of a way to get him a high-ranked combat aura manual. "
"Right, after I set off, I believe you won't be willing to continue living here. I've already asked El to buy a house near the Red Crow Tavern for your family to move there. This way, Bofinger, Old Carl from the Red Crow Tavern can take care of Shihuard and Alisa when you go on mercenary missions in the future. Actually, Bofinger, you should reconsider. If you're willing, I'll let the academy hire you as an instructor. When you reach gold rank, you can live here. This is good for the children … "
Before Laurist could finish his sentence, Boddfinger suddenly stood up and walked out the door without looking back.
"Uh …" Laurist was stunned. What did this mean?
After a while, Laurist heard footsteps in the corridor, followed by a knock on the door. Bofinger had returned.
However, Bofinger had changed into formal attire. This seemed to be the uniform of a former Crimson Empire officer, and he had a sword on his back. Bofinger took a few steps forward solemnly, then knelt down on one knee in front of Laurist. He raised his sword above his head with both hands and lowered his head to register. "The former captain of the Ninth Brigade of the Third Heavy Armor Division of the Empire's White Lion Legion, Guray Bofinger, is willing to serve Norton Laurist as his master and pledge his loyalty to the Norton Family. May the God of War have mercy on me, and allow me to accomplish great things under the Norton Family's banner, and live up to the expectations of my master. "
Laurist jumped up in shock. This was a ceremonial greeting. It was usually a greeting when a subject met a monarch to express his loyalty, such as to an emperor, a king, or a duke of a duchy. If this greeting was used on nobles, it meant that the greeting would be connected to the fate of the receiving monarch. No matter how rich or poor the monarch would be in the future, the greeting would be loyal to him for life. Even if the monarch rebelled, he would follow him to the end. This was a deeper relationship than a family knight and a family head.
"Bofinger, this is … this is …" Laurist did not know what to do.
Bofinger lowered his head in silence, maintaining his posture without moving.
Didn't they say that both sides had to communicate before greeting the monarch? How could there be such a sudden attack? Laurist had no choice but to take the longsword that Bofinger had offered. He unsheathed it and used the blade of the longsword to pat Bofinger's head and shoulders twice. He muttered, "From today onwards, our bloodlines are connected. You see me as your master, and I see you as my brother. Let the God of War bear witness to our oath, and let the years engrave our future glory. "
Laurist had no choice but to respond. If he hesitated for a long time, the greeting would make the greeting feel that he was being ignored. This was the greatest insult. If it was serious, he would commit suicide on the spot. If it was light, he would see him as a lifelong enemy.
After taking the sword from Laurist, Bofinger stood up and bowed deeply to Laurist. "Sir."
Laurist smiled bitterly. "Bofinger, why bother? You could have stayed out of this and lived a carefree life in Morrent City. Why jump into the fire pit with me? "
Bofinger laughed lightly. "I won't stay in Morrent City. To be honest, I've long wanted to return to my hometown in the north. However, I'll still have to join a family if I go back. I might as well stay by your side. Moreover, you've helped me before. Isn't it better to take you as my master? "
"What about the two children?" Laurist was having a headache.
"I've asked Shiwald. He said that you're his master, so of course they'll go with you. As for Alisa, she should be like a thorny flower in the mountains, healthy and strong. She shouldn't be like a flower in a greenhouse, weak and fragile. I think you've spoiled her too much. A daughter of the north naturally has to return to the north to be tempered by the wind and snow, "Bofinger replied.
"Sigh …" Alright, now Bofinger's family was part of the tour group heading to the north.
Boddfinger went up to retrieve the high-ranked combat qi manual. "Alright, now I can take this manual with proper reason. I hope to advance to the gold rank in two months, so that I can serve you better. "
Bofinger turned to leave.
"Bofinger, don't call me 'sir' in the future. Call me by my name like before," Laurist said.
"Yes, Sir Loke."
… …
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