Chapter 394 - 124 - 129

Chapter 124 Warzone Merchants Prev ChapterNext Chapter

By the time Lorist arrived at Firmrock Castle with Jim and Patt, it was already around 5 in the morning.

A huge camp outside Firmrock Castle was lit brightly with torches and loud chatters could be heard from afar.

Upon receiving the notification of the guards, Butler Boris and Old Man Balk rushed out to receive the trio.

"What's the situation of the walls like?" Lorist asked.

Balk replied, "Milord, currently it's still fine. Ever since the Kenmays Family attacked twice and failed yesterday, they've stopped attempting and set up their camp roughly 1 kilokemeter from the walls which they completed by yesterday evening. Last night was rather peaceful as well as there weren't any warnings from our lookouts at the walls."

A kilokemeter was a unit of length used in the Grindia Continent. In the old legends, the fairies were said to have used a unit of length called a 'marke', which denoted the distance between two horsemen in a fairy light cavalry unit. But when the Magic Civilization rose, marke was changed to be called kemeter by the magi and 1000 kemeters was equal to 1 kilokemeter. After 2000 years however, even though the units of measurement from that time still remained in use, the contraction of the unit names, meter and kilometer, have gotten more popular overtime and are used in most cases.

Lorist sighed in relief and asked, "Why does it look so busy within the camp?"

Boris said, "Milord, we're making wooden sheds."

"Wooden sheds?"

"Yesterday, the longbowmen of the Kenmays Family had caused a lot of casualties on the forces stationed at the outer wall. So, Grandmaster Ciroba came up with a plan to build a shed on top of the walls that will shield our forces from the long distance parabolic shots of the bowmen. If they attempt to wreck our sheds by shooting straight, their firing range will be far shorter and they will have to enter our firing range, which means we will be able to retaliate with our ballistas as well as use our walls as cover since we won't have to worry about arrows falling from above us," said Old Man Balk.

"Grandmaster Ciroba? Can his plan be trusted?" Lorist asked suspiciously.

The two other men laughed out loud before Boris said, "Milord, we only chose to use it after we discussed it with the rest and found no problems with the plan."

"Then, what if the enemy uses fire arrows to set the wooden sheds on fire? How would we retaliate if the smoke clouds our vision?" Lorist asked.

"That won't be an issue. After we finish the sheds, we will cover them with a layer of green clay to make them resistant to fire arrows. Another benefit of that is that our forces will still be able to fight under the shelter of the sheds when snow starts to fall," explained Balk.

"Then that's fine. Resume your work. I'll go check out the outer walls for myself," said Lorist as he continued to ride his horse towards the walls.

...

Ovidis was currently leaning on the walls of his room sound asleep while equipped with full armor. Nevertheless, he remained on alert and opened his eyes wide the moment Lorist entered.

"Feel free to rest up, you don't have to pay me any heed," said Lorist as he patted twice on Ovidis's shoulder. "It must've been tiring."

"Milord, I'm fine. I already slept for two hours just now. I only came back to take a slight nap after patrolling for a while and finding nothing wrong..." said Ovidis as he forcefully opened wide his bloodshot eyes.

Lorist didn't press the issue and asked, "What's the rough estimate of the casualties?"

"Milord, the Kenmays Family's two longbowmen squads are too powerful. They attacked the troops we stationed at the outer wall from 300 meters away, causing the arrows to practically fall like raindrops. Our soldiers had nowhere to hide at all and cover was useless against arrows falling from above. Within only 15 minutes, 1 whole squad was wiped out. Only 27 died from being shot at their vitals while the others were out of commission. That was when I sent another squad equipped with shields to save the rest and 30 more got hurt as a result. It was fortunate that we were equipped with metal armor. Otherwise, the casualties would have been worse..."

Ovidis continued to describe the situation of the battle yesterday. "After we retreated to the inner wall, the Kenmays Family's forces took the opportunity to occupy the outer one and were flabbergasted by the metal gates beyond it and could do naught but slash at it with their swords. From the turrets, we used the ballistas to retaliate. Given the density of enemies at the outer wall, one ballista bolt easily killed up to three enemies and within moments, they crumbled and made their retreat.

"But, that Viscount Kenmays acted both stupidly and cruelly at the same time. He actually beheaded a few of the soldiers who retreated and forced the rest to mount a second attack. That time, they brought their siege ladders to the outer wall and were prepared to use them to climb up to the second one. However, I brought tens of other soldiers to guard it and killed every enemy that managed to make their way up while mowing down their numbers with our ballistas at the same time. Even though the second attack lasted longer than the first, they retreated in the end nonetheless. There were around 260 corpses at the outer wall. Including the injured soldiers who managed to retreat, I estimate their casualties to be around 4 to 5 hundred people.

"Despite that, the viscount was still intent on having them continue the assault yesterday, causing some of his own men to grow desperate and draw their swords towards their own allies. The situation only managed to settle down after they argued for a long while before the viscount yielded and ordered his men to set up camp. I have asked Old Man Balk to bring the laborers to collect the corpses of their dead soldiers. Originally, I was going to bury it somewhere, but the messenger that came later that night requested for us to return their bodies. So I had some men strip them clean before I gave the bodies back to save us the trouble of burying them..."

Lorist was completely speechless. As expected of the former bandit Ovidis. Stripping corpses of all their belongings was already second nature to him.

"How did the defense unit fare during the two attacks?" Lorist asked.

Ovidis smiled and said, "They were fine for the most part. During the first attack. we were all within the turrets so they couldn't reach us. On the second attack the defense unit soldiers I brought with me had the protection of the wall and were wearing metal armor while we attacked enemies who were climbing upwards towards us. As the enemy soldiers had to watch out for ballista fire, they didn't pose much of a threat for us. The two longbowmen squads only fired back at us after their own men retreated from their line of fire, but we were already prepared for that. Everyone of us brought our own shields before we set out and laid them on the walls to block the incoming arrows; apart from an idiot who got shot by exposing his leg, most of us were unhurt."

...

Old Man Balk had led his laborers up to the walls. The wooden sheds he had wanted to build were rather simple. First, a wooden pillar had to be built every three meters on the wall with a rectangular support structure installed on top of it. Following that, a wooden board was laid in a downward-slanting angle. Finally, the laborers had to use safety ropes to ensure that they don't fall when they apply the thick layer of green clay onto every one of the wooden boards.

Lorist went to take a look at the sheds from one of the turrets and noticed that they did not obscure the aim of the ballistas at all. After that, he went to the roof of the turret, which was at the higher part of the wall and noticed that the were laborers building sheds which were more slanted on the higher inner wall than the ones below. Balk said, "The upper sheds have to be able to withstand snowfall during winter, so we have to make them slant more steeply to allow the piled up snow to slide off more easily. While the lower sheds would be easy to clean, the ones up here is much harder to reach, hence the steeper slant."

Lorist nodded and headed for the direction of the father-son arbalists.

A few arrows were stuck on the ballista the two were working on. They were most probably fired by the Kenmays Family's longbowmen squads during the second assault when their comrades retreated.

"What's wrong with this ballista?" Lorist asked.

"Oh, milord. This unit is almost completely ruined. Look, these arrows were manufactured during the time of the former empire and they are used to specifically wreck defense machinery like these. The arrowheads are all squared like a little shovel and are much heavier than normal ones. When these arrows are fired in an arc, their heavier weight allows them to gain more momentum as they land. Look at this ballista: after being hit by only four of these arrows, cracks can already be seen all over it. While it may still be able to fire a few more bolts, every shot represents a risk of it exploding apart splintering apart in small fragments that would harm the operators..." replied Grandmaster Fellin.

"Oh..." Lorist said as he sighed. All 14 ballistas on the outer wall had been ruined without even having the chance to fire a single bolt. Even though they were merely simplified versions, it was still a rather substantial loss.

The 1000 or so laborers worked at fast speeds to construct the sheds and managed to finish up by the time the morning sun was at its brightest. The reason for the quick completion was that the outer wall was only around 80 meters long and the materials that only had to be assembled had already been gathered at the camp outside the walls.

The forces of the Kenmays Family also noticed the situation and sent out their longbowmen squads hurriedly. When they were around 300 meters away from the walls, the longbowmen shot their arrows up high which curved and fell towards the walls from above. The first and second volleys of arrows all landed very densely on the wooden sheds. On the third volley, they started to employ fire arrows. However, given the thick layer of green clay on the wooden sheds, the fire on the arrows were extinguished the moment they penetrated the clay.

Not long after, a person wearing extremely intricate armor brought more than 10 of his attendants to approach the castle walls. After taking a good look, he went back and said something to the longbowmen squads before he returned to the camp without being able to do much.

Lorist thought, that must be Viscount Kenmays himself.

Given that their shots weren't effective, the two longbowmen squads returned with Viscount Kenmays to their camp. Old Man Balk instructed the laborers to also apply a layer of green clay onto the wooden pillars and supports that held the sheds up before asking them to collect the arrows that were stuck onto the sheds and re-applying green clay to cover up the holes the arrows made.

That whole day, Viscount Kenmays didn't order any attack at all while their camp seemed to be rather busy and chaotic.

During the evening, Paulobins and Shadekampf arrived at Firmrock Castle with a company of family soldiers. Lorist finally relaxed and believed that the castle would definitely be strong enough to resist the enemies now.

That night, the Kenmays Family showed no signs of attacking either.

Noon on the next day, three groups of soldiers numbering hundreds of troops arrived at the front of Firmrock Castle and set up camp near the Kenmays Family's army camp. Balk recognize one of the insignias which was used by one of the groups and said that it belonged to an old landed noble family of the Northlands, Count Spenseid. Before the Second Prince entitled the new landed noble families in the Northlands, the Spenseid Family could be considered as the nearest neighbors of the Nortons.

Butler Boris recognized the other two insignias on the flags of the other two groups. Those families were just like the Kenmays Family which were given a dominion at the Northlands by the Second Prince. One of the insignias that depicted a pegasus was rumored to belong to a traveling knight who had sided with the Second Prince during the power struggle within the empire. He was said to have performed really well during his days of the conflict when he led his knight brigade and had even saved the Second Prince's life once. After the internal struggle ended, he presented the riches he had earned to the Second Prince and got enfeoffed a barony by the him.

The other insignia depicted a golden three-petaled flower. Butler Boris laughed out as he saw it as the head of that family used to be an honorary noble whose beautiful wife ended up having an affair with the Second Prince. To 'repay' him for his 'contribution', the Second Prince gave him a piece of land in the Northlands but requested for his wife to remain at the Royal Capital.

Everyone laughed out loud that instant. According to Boris, that story was quite well-known in the capital and many even thought that trading a wife for a hereditary noble title and dominion was quite a good deal. That was when a sudden surge of nobles brought their female siblings, daughters and wives to meet the Second Prince, causing the atmosphere of the royal palace to be a total mess.

During noon on the next day, another four families brought hundreds of soldiers to the battlefield. Among them, three were hereditary nobles of the Northlands with the other remaining one being a new landed noble.

Lorist was quite troubled as he thought, does the Kenmays Family intend to form an alliance to go against my family? Given that the soldiers the 7 families brought are less than 2000 people, what good would that do? Don't tell me that they intend to use the nobles' troops as fodder to take the brunt of our retaliation?

While Lorist was still brainstorming about the situation, he saw another large convoy with many carriages and roughly 2000 people. However, he wasn't able to clearly see their flag.

What was surprising was that the convoy did not set up camp near the Kenmayses and instead chose another spot further away. The three camps looked like vertices of a triangle on the map.

Even though Lorist found the presence of the third group of people to be odd, Jim instead said happily, "Alright! Now we can finally have some fun!"

"What do you mean, Jim?" Lorist asked.

"Milord, those people are the Warzone Merchants. They are a neutral force that doesn't participate in conflicts and only appear near battlefields to sell products like food, provisions and equipment. Naturally, the price will be higher than the usual market rate. They also purchase loot from the winner's side as well. The camp they set up also provide numerous services in the form of food establishments, brothels as well as casinos. No matter which side one belongs to, as long as one abides by their rules, one can go enjoy their offerings without worry. Also, look at that Bloodmoon flag. It belongs to one of the three most famous mercenaries in the Iblia Kingdom, the Bloodmoon Mercenary Crew and they are on par with the Feathersoar Mercenary Crew. Then again, now that the Feathersoars are no more, there are only two famous mercenary crews left in the kingdom.

"Milord, you might have noticed that the Bloodmoon flag is being flown the highest. That indicates that the safety and security of the Warzone Merchants camp is being managed by the Bloodmoon Mercenary Crew and any side that attacks the camp will incur their wrath and retribution. The Bloodmoon Mercenary Crew also conducts a lot of business there and I've heard that they own a huge share of the Warzone Merchants organization. Four other flags of other mercenary crews can be seen beneath the Bloodmoon flag and those represent mercenary crews that can be hired by either side to fight in battles. Let me see, there's the Razorpike Mercenary Crew, the Nightbat Mercenary Crew, the Cromwell Mercenary Crew and the Pentasword Mercenary Crew. Ah, many of my acquaintances are there," said Jim excitedly.

"Are those mercenary crews powerful?" Lorist asked.

"They're about the same as us, just with more numbers among their ranks. The four crews combined have around 700 people. If Hausky and I had more than 100 people under us, we could've formed a crew ourselves as well. It's too bad that Hausky only wants to recruit trustworthy and dependable comrades, so we could only form a mercenary squad with 60 plus people," Jim replied.

Lorist gave it some thought and asked, "Do you think that Viscount Kenmays will hire them to attack our castle?"

Jim shook his head and said, "Even if he wanted to, the crews would definitely not agree to it. Attacking this castle is akin to committing suicide and not one of the leaders of the crews are idiotic enough to let their men sacrifice themselves for naught. The most he can do is to employ the crews to manage their supply lines or monitor our movements."

"Alright then, you should go there and see if you can get any information on what the Kenmays Family was planning during the past few days when they didn't attack us. I believe that some of their men will be there to relax as well, so I'm sure you can get them to spill their beans by treating them to a few glasses of alcohol," instructed Lorist.

"Yes, milord."

Chapter 125 Battles of Nobles Prev ChapterNext Chapter

Jim returned the next day during the morning and he couldn't even walk straight properly. Looking drunk and woozy while his face was still unwashed, lip marks could be seen all over his forehead, cheeks as well as throat, causing heads to turn and laughter to sound wherever he passed by. Not the least bit bothered by it, he rushed into Lorist's room excitedly without even bothering to knock and said loudly, "Milord, milord... I've heard the true reason..."

Patt looked at Jim and struggled to stifle his laughter. Lorist laughed as well and asked, "Did you just climb out from under a pile of women?"

Stunned, Jim said, "Milord, how did you know? Were you there yesterday as well?"

Lorist looked around only to notice that there wasn't a silver mirror in the room, so he took out his dagger and let Jim see his own reflection on the blade. "Look at your face..."

Jim hurriedly wiped his face with his hands and said, "Apologies, I was in too much of a hurry and forgot to wash my face..."

"Tell me, what did you hear?" Lorist asked.

"Milord, the reason the Kenmays Family no longer continued their attacks was because their soldiers refused to listen to the orders of the viscount and almost defected. Yesterday night when I was treating some of my mercenary acquaintances to some drinks, I happened to run into the people Viscount Kenmays sent to negotiate with the mercenary crews. According to them, the viscount wanted to hire the crews for a huge sum to attack our castle. However, the four cunning mercenary crew leaders, only said that they would consider it and didn't agree immediately.

"At that time, a huge group of Kenmays Family soldiers came to drink and upon their noticing of the men sent by the viscount to negotiate with the mercenaries, they started to curse out loud and proclaimed that the viscount should attack the castle himself and not send them to commit suicide. They also mentioned that had the viscount not made all the decisions himself, their 200 plus comrades wouldn't have died and the other 200 plus wouldn't be injured either. The soldiers spouted many other horrible stuff including how they originally thought that they would be able to enjoy life after joining the Kenmays Family's forces only to be sent to their deaths at the Northlands.

"After listening to what the soldiers said, the four mercenary crew leaders instantly refused the offer of the viscount and treated the soldiers to some alcohol. After that, the soldiers recounted that the viscount had wanted to attack the walls the day before yesterday and even wanted to kill some of the soldiers who had retreated, causing many of them to straight up choose to quit and prepare to go against the viscount himself if they had to rather than being sent to their deaths at the practically impregnable wall. In the end, the viscount had no choice but to have them set up camp and rest before he paid the soldiers some bonus salary to calm them down.

"I also heard that the 7 dominion lords were invited over by Viscount Kenmays to help out with conquering Firmrock Castle, but they are still having their negotiations. One of the soldiers who was standing guard outside the tent of the viscount said that the 7 nobles wanted the viscount to be the first to send his forces to attack the walls before their own forces tag along from behind. However, the viscount's own soldiers didn't want to follow that order, and that was what prompted him to attempt to hire the mercenary crews. Consequently the viscount's own soldiers warned the mercenaries so that they would not fall into that trap," said Jim as he finally finished his long report.

"Oh, if I knew that, we wouldn't have rushed back all this way and should've taken care of Wildnorth Town first..." said Patt in frustration.

Lorist said, "When I received the report, I also didn't know that it would come to this. At that time, the situation seemed pretty urgent. Half of the 3 defense unit squads had been wiped out in one go. How else would I gauge the situation?"

At that moment, loud sounds of a blaring horn could be heard coming from outside the walls.

"It seems that there is a challenger? Let's go and see..." Lorist led the rest out to the outer wall.

In front of the walls of the castle were three riders with one in the middle being a knight who wore a black bullhorn helmet and a black chain mail. On his chest was a silver insignia of a pegasus which was spreading its wings in flight. The knight was mounted on a chestnut green Northlander Horse and his hand held a riding lance.

To the left of the knight was an attendant with a large build who was equipped in greyish-white leather armor and held a swallow-tailed flag depicting the same pegasus insignia of the knight in one hand and a blow horn in the other. It seemed that the tune of challenge had been blown by that man.

To the right of the knight was a middle-aged man dressed in dark blue robes. He was currently loudly praising the knight and telling everyone present of his previous exploits and achievements.

"My master, Knight Lamboway, has obtained victory for three consecutive Weiss Cup tournaments and has been given the moniker of the Lion Cub Knight by Duke Pupadra himself. Master has also attended the Minasevic Battle and more than ten famous knights have fallen to defeat before the mighty hooves of my master's mount... Today, he has come to this impressive, gigantic castle wall to challenge the famous family of the Roaring Raging Bear, the Norton Family, to a duel... Knights of the Norton Family, do you dare to accept my master's challenge? My master Knight Lamboway will let you all know what a true chivalrous hero should look like and he will dedicate his victory and glory to the utmost fair Lady Stephanie, incarnation of all that is perfect and flawless..."

When the middle-aged man finished up, the leather armor equipped attendant once again blew the tune of challenge with his horn.

"Milord, look..." said Patt as he pointed towards the distance.

Lorist raised his head to take a look and saw that many people had emerged from the camps of the 7 noble families and the Kenmays Family. However, they did not seem to be marching into battle; instead, they were coming out to witness the duel. Some servants even quickly set up a number of bright-colored cloth shades and proceeded to bring the lavishly-dressed noble ladies to their seats.

"Mi-milord... What are they doing?" asked Jim, confused.

"Attacking. They are making a knight's challenge to our family," Lorist said.

The middle-aged man dressed in robes was once again repeating the things he had said before loudly.

Many mercenaries and women also exited the Warzone Merchants campsite to watch the commotion. When the people who gathered around increased in number, the middle-aged attendant once again repeated the things he had said with a higher volume.

"Why is that man repeating what he said? Wasn't he clear enough the first time?" Jim asked.

"The horn has to be blown followed by the introduction and the whole process must repeat thrice. If we don't accept the challenge, that knight can proudly proclaim to others that his reputation had made the Norton Family knights cower in fear and rather shiver behind our walls than face his overwhelming courage," Lorist said.

"Then let me see if he dares to be so arrogant after I put a bolt into him..." said Jim as he was just about to head to the ballista nearby.

"Are you crazy? Do you want to make us the laughing stock of everyone out there? If you really fire that bolt, all the reputation the Norton Family has built up for the past 200 plus years will have been for naught. We will be ridiculed as cowards and forever be targets of the humiliation of others," said Patt as he held Jim tight.

"Jim, this is a battle between nobles and this has been the traditional way it has been conducted since long ago. Every knight will be taught this first and foremost during the earliest days of their training. To a knight, this method of battle is sacred and glorious. If you interrupt this battle, then you would have become public enemy number one of all the knights in Grindia," explained Lorist.

"Ovidis, do you want to accept the challenge?" Lorist asked as he turned towards the silent bearded man.

"Ah, milord... But I'm just a commoner..." Ovidis replied as he lowered his head.

"Apologies, I should've given this to you long ago. I just kept forgetting," Lorist said as he held out a badge depicting an insignia of a raging bear which Patt had just tossed over.

Technically speaking, Ovidis could still be considered to be Lorist's prisoner and 'property' and he didn't have any personal freedom. The captives also included the former bandits who were currently serving within the guard squad.

"Ever since you started following me, you have won my trust with your efforts and sincerity. You have also performed rather well, recently in particular. Ovidis, are you willing to become my knight and fight under the banner of the Raging Bear?" asked Lorist solemnly.

With tears of gratitude filling his eyes, Ovidis kneeled on one knee in front of Lorist and held his chest with his right arm. "I, Zelan Ovidis, am willing to pledge my loyalty to my lord. Let the God of War witness me oath in the name of my life. I will forever walk under the banner of the Norton Family and fight at the beckoning of the Roaring Raging Bear until the moment I breathe my last breath..."

Lorist took out his sword and tapped it twice on Ovidis's shoulder. "Rise, my knight."

He then pinned the badge of the raging bear to an indentation on Ovidis's breastplate. Patt hugged Ovidis dearly and said, "I welcome your participation, brother."

After the knighting ceremony, Ovidis rushed down from the walls after saluting Lorist. Lorist shouted, "Let Shadekampf accompany you! He knows about the necessary proceedings!"

By the time the horn blew for the third time, the drawbridge of Firmrock Castle was lowered and the gates were opened. Ovidis brought Shadekampf and another guard who held the battle standard of the Norton Family out from the castle. At that moment, the crowd broke into a thunderous cheer and anticipated the upcoming battle greatly.

Old Man Balk, Butler Boris and Sueprvisor Hansk all went up the walls and jointly looked at Shadekampf as he negotiated the terms with the man dressed in robes. The two of them then explained the terms to Lamboway and Ovidis respectively and an agreement was formed quickly. Shadekampf and the guard who held the battle standard retreated backwards as the two attendants of Knight Lamboway did the same.

"Milord, what were they doing just now?" Even though Jim didn't make a noise when the knighting ceremony was carried out, his envy and admiration showed on his face nonetheless. Ever since Lorist agreed to let him follow him to Firmrock Castle a few days ago, he understood that as long as he performed well and gain enough achievements, he would be knighted in the same fashion as Ovidis had.

"They were discussing on how the challenge would be carried out whether it be on horseback or on foot as well as the kind of weapons they would be allowed to use. Since they are the ones who requested the challenge, we can request for battles that are in our advantage. For example, if Josk were the one accepting the challenge, he can request for an archery competition. That's why the challenger must ensure that they understand their own capabilities well in case their opponent requests a mode of competition that they are not familiar with and lose as a result.

"For some truly great knights, the types of challenge wouldn't matter as they are confident enough in their own abilities. However, the guy Ovidis is going to face off against is obviously overestimating himself. If Ovidis requests for an unmounted battle, he will definitely be struck dumb," Lorist said.

Going against everyone's expectations, Ovidis didn't pick to battle on foot. Instead, he had chosen to duel on horseback; perhaps it was due to his excitement of having just been made a knight of the Norton Family. The two contestants both retreated backwards until they were 30 meters apart. After Knight Lamboway lowered his helmet visor and Ovidis readied his riding lance, the both of them raised their left hands to indicate that they have completed their preparations and were waiting for Shadekampf to drop his handkerchief on the ground to signal the start of the battle, after which the both of them would begin charging towards each other at full speed.

However, a small slip up happened as the moment Shadekampf tossed his handkerchief out, it had been blown up by a fleeting gust just as it was about to land. Everyone watched the handkerchief as it twirled and danced in the air...

Lorist struggled so hard to stifle his laughter that his stomach was hurting. Jim didn't care about his surroundings at all and banged his head against the wall as he laughed out loud. Patt and the rest were also laughing, but they weren't acting as crazily as Jim was. What was originally a sacred and glorious battle had turned into a joke because of a handkerchief.

After a while, the audience once again focused their attention on the handkerchief as it gently landed onto the ground...

"Kill!" roared Ovidis as he clasped both his legs and prompted the horse to charge forward. He would not allow his enemy to win against him on the first day he was knighted.

Lamboway's lance glowed bright silver as he rode; he was a Two Star Silver ranked knight just like Ovidis.

When the two blade glows clashed against each other, a thunderous ear-piercing sound rang out before the two mounts circled around continuously while the knights ferociously struck out at one another.

That jousting match was a little different from the ones Lorist remembered seeing in his previous life where the two knights rushed towards each other wielding lances made from applewood with the intent on ending the match in one strike. In a world with Battle Force, a jousting match between two knights was more similar to the one-on-one battles between generals Lorist had read about in the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' which were far more exciting as well as heated and usually garnered more cheers from the surrounding audience.

In terms of technique, Knight Lamboway was far more practiced than Ovidis and his years of arduous training showed during the battle. However, Ovidis had more real world fighting experience on the battlefield and he attacked in a more savage way. Sometimes, he would even be willing to take Lamboway's strikes just so he could land a square hit onto him. That self-harming way of fighting quickly put Lamboway at a disadvantage as he had to withdraw his hands and feet as he parried Ovidis's strikes. Lamboway was eventually forced into a defensive position.

Ovidis shouted loudly all of a sudden and suddenly raised his lance up and swung it down like a stick towards the helmet of Knight Lamboway multiple times in quick succession. Unable to parry the flurry of strikes, Knight Lamboway fell from his horse. When he raised his head, Ovidis's blade glow had already been held by his throat.

Knight Lamboway shrugged and waved his hands helplessly as he sat on the ground before Ovidis withdrew his weapon. Subsequently, Lamboway's attendant placed the flag on the back of his horse as he blew a depressing tune with his horn to indicate the loss of his liege and their eventual departure from the battlefield.

Shadekampf quickly talked in a low voice to the loud-mouthed attendant before he saluted and left. Knight Lamboway on the other hand had stood up from the ground and saluted towards the mounted Ovidis, who in turn knocked his fist onto his left breastplate. That was a knight's salute that indicated the acknowledgement and admiration of the courage displayed by one's opponent.

"Milord, is that it? Why didn't Ovidis kill his opponent?" Jim asked.

"Normally, battles between nobles like that have no casualties unless any accidents happen. In most cases, the winning side would stay their hand and not carelessly harm their opponent who was also a knight like them. In exchange, however, the losing side would have to offer up a ransom that was equal to his worth and status. The ransom given will be the akin to the self-valuation of the status of the knight himself. If the losing knight cannot afford to pay the ransom, he has to offer up his armor, weapons and mount. The ransom was agreed upon when Shadekampf talked to that attendant just now. If there are no issues, the knight's attendant will come again later to pay it," explained Lorist.

Jim shook his head and said, "Milord, why does it seem to me that battles between nobles seem like the pretend war games played by children?"

Lorist responded with an unexpectedly philosophical answer. "That's because life itself is also pretty similar to a game..."

Chapter 126 Knight Carnival Prev ChapterNext Chapter

It was currently the 5th day since Lorist returned to Firmrock Castle after receiving the news of the initial setbacks suffered by the forces there.

The horns outside the city once again sounded: another knight had come for a challenge.

Yesterday afternoon, three challenges were carried out with Ovidis winning two of the matches and gaining a total of more than 30 gold Fordes from the ransom money. However, he was unable to continue after the second match as he had sustained a light injury to his arm. The one who replaced him was Patt who had picked to fight on foot and used his shield-bearer skills to his advantage to wear down his Two Star Silver ranked opponent who gave up in frustration after one hour of not being able to defeat Patt.

During dawn just now, when Lorist was patrolling the walls, he noticed that there were tents set up by the other noble families near the empty space in front of the castle walls and felt that his side would definitely receive a few more challenges from them. As expected, at 9 in the morning, a knight showed up and blew the tune of challenge.

Patt once again headed out and fought on horseback. However, given Patt's acquired dynamic vision, he was able to strike a One Star Silver knight which was of the same rank as him off his horse within a little more than ten minutes.

Normally, a knight would be allowed rest for an hour before accepting another challenge to ensure fairness. However, when Patt was on his way back to the castle, a wandering knight emerged from the campsite of the Warzone Merchants and issued a challenge to the knights belonging to the side of the various noble families. That was when many other lordless, wandering knights showed up all of a sudden to compete with each other in front of the castle walls, effectively turning the battlefield into a carnival for knights, causing the knights of the Norton Family to be pushed aside and forgotten.

As the wandering knights, the lordless freelance knights and the knights of the noble families faced off against each other, the whole situation became confusing rather quickly. During the afternoon, a few other noble families arrived at the place. They were not requested to come over by Viscount Kenmays to help him defeat the Nortons; the real reason they came was because they heard rumors of a knight challenge carnival being held nearby. The family knights of the newly-arrived nobles didn't even bother to set up camp and joined the fray of challenges instantly.

"Ugh... We've been forgotten," said Ovidis as he sighed and looked at the chaotic scene before the castle walls with his left arm all bandaged up.

Currently, three pairs of knights were fighting each other in front of the walls.

"Milord, I really don't understand why so many wandering knights and freelance knights came over to participate in matches over here. Usually, they would only join fighting tournaments organized by other nobles, right? This scenario, however, unfolded on the battlefield. The knights have effectively occupied the place for themselves," said Butler Boris a look of fascination on his face.

"This..." Lorist paused in thought before he continued, "As the Northlands are relatively poor compared to other territories, dominion lords here usually wouldn't organize tournaments like that because that would cost quite a bit of money. Given the chaotic situation of the Northlands for the past two years as well as the countless conflicts that broke out here, many of the lords have lost their riches or their lands, so many knights no longer continued to serve them as they had lost their means of securing a stable life.

"You should know that knight challenges like these are a lucrative source of income. If they win, the ransom they would gain was almost equal to the salary a family knight would receive for three years combined. That was why most of them scrambled right over the moment they heard that a challenge bonanza was being held here and couldn't care less about whether this was a battlefield or not since the challenges would be conducted according to very stringent rules. If they perform well during the competitions, they might also be noticed by the nobles present and gain employment. Why would they miss out on a chance like that?"

"Erm, during noon just now, Jim came and told me that there were 4 knights who had lost all their belongings and had no choice but to join his mercenary squad," Patt interjected.

"That's right, where has Jim gone?" Lorist just remembered that he hadn't seen Jim even once ever since the morning.

"Look, he's over there at the Warzone Merchants campsite and running a gambling pool for the competitions. It seems like he's earned quite a bit," Patt said.

"Sol, that bastard still can't change his old habits. While it wouldn't be a problem if they were betting on small stuff, betting on the honor of knights is a huge taboo. When he comes back, I need to find someone to teach him the proper etiquette and customs of knights," Lorist said.

"Milord, do you want to see if you want to recruit any of the wandering or freelance knights into our family?" said Old Man Balk, expressing his thoughts on the situation.

"Well, I can definitely consider that. But I still haven't seen any knight that managed to pique my interest ever since the morning and most of them seem rather plain and have only normal fighting skills. Look at the three pairs of knights who are fighting down there: none of them would be able to best Ovidis in a fight. Well, the freelance knight Waxima who fought earlier this morning still seemed okay... Patt, go with Shadekampf to visit him later tonight and see if he's willing to spend some time with us as a probationary knight," Lorist instructed.

"Yes, milord," replied Patt.

A freelance or wandering knight didn't have to accept or reject outright the recruitment of a noble family. Instead, the noble family was merely a party who was offering those knights an opportunity and choice to change their lives in the future. To both the noble family and the knight being recruited, that was a huge choice to make. Once a dominion lord gives an offer of recruitment to a knight, the knight can choose to follow the lord for a period of time ranging from one month to half a year to see if their goals and values aligned with each other before a proper decision is made. During that time, the probationary knight would receive the same treatment like the other knights serving the noble family. As a saying that Lorist had heard in his past life went, 'A ruler can pick his subordinates. However, the same is true for a talented individual in that they can pick the ones they pledge allegiance to'. Similarly, if the dominion lord is not satisfied with the knight, he can also ask him to leave the family.

Old Man Balk shook his head and said, "Milord, that Waxima might be hard for us to recruit. He is a freelance knight that is unlike wandering knights who have nothing better to do than to travel the land. Waxima is quite famous in the Northlands and he also has a rather extensive family background: his father was a Gold ranked knight who had perished in the final battle between the empire and the Forde Trade Union. At that time, he was only 7 years old and he had inherited the manor and land of his late father. However, he was known to be 'Waxima the Slow' as many people believed that he was unfit for combat and slow in his wits. But Waxima was the tenacious sort and managed to awaken his Battle Force in the end at the age of 23 using the Battle Force manual his father left for him. Currently, he's 29 years old now and he has already reached the Three Star Silver rank and it is even rumored that he had once refused an offer by Duke Loggins before. I don't think that he would even consider the Norton Family..."

"No wonder I felt that he was far more stable than the other contestants of the duels. After hearing your explanation, I now know that he is a person who has very firm foundations that came as a result of hard work and preservation. Nevertheless, we should still try to recruit him. How would we know if he will refuse or not before we even ask?" Lorist said as he nodded.

"Hehe, I'm trying to imagine the look on Viscount Kenmays face right now. At first, he wanted to attack our castle. But it ended up turning into a knight carnival. His anger must be off the roof by now," said Patt as he suddenly laughed.

Lorist said, "Those nobles are not idiots either. If we had taken over the Redriver Valley Bastide of the Kenmayses, then the noble families the viscount invited might have gave it their best to drive us away. However, now that we've burned that place to the ground and returned to our own dominion, what do you think the other nobles would choose? They can't say that they are fighting to liberate the Kenmays Family dominion from us as we don't even have a single soul on their lands. Given that they have absolutely no chance of conquering our walls with only their family knights, a number of guards and farmer soldiers, they have chosen to only make knight challenges. With that, not only would they be able to stall the viscount, they also managed to avoid thoroughly offending us. What a perfect way to resolve the situation.

"However, I bet that even those nobles didn't expect that this would blow up to become a full-fledged carnival beyond their control. Look, another group of people have arrived. It must be another noble family that has come to join the party," Lorist said as he pointed in the direction of the newly-arrived group.

...

Viscount Kenmays was so enraged that he felt like he was going to explode. Currently, he was thrashing and smashing everything he could get his hands on within his tent.

Not only did he reject the invitations of other dominion lords to watch the knight challenges, he felt that the invitations were insults to his family. The main reason he invited the other noble families over was that he wanted them to help conquer the Norton Family and not organize a knight carnival. Though, the other nobles knew that the Kenmays Family did not have any family knights which meant that they could not issue any knight challenges either. Is that their way of ridiculing my family for having a merchant background instead of a traditional noble background?

Naturally, Viscount Kenmays was also a Two Star Silver ranked fighter and he could go into battle himself. However, he understood his own temperament and abilities as the reason he so painstakingly raised his Battle Force rank was not because he wanted to compete against others but rather to put on airs to seduce women into bed with him. While he could still command his troops on the battlefield, there was no way he would be willing to lead a charge.

What Viscount Kenmays didn't expect was that the 2000 or so soldiers the family had tried so hard to recruit almost rebelled against him after two failed attacks on the castle and were still unwilling to follow his orders while accusing him of not knowing how to properly lead an army. The viscount's efforts to invite the other 7 noble families were also for naught as they had turned the war into a 'battle between nobles', letting his enemy, the Norton Family, sit back and relax as they watched the proceedings from their castle. Other than that, the sudden influx of wandering and freelance knights had further fueled the viscount's anger. If he could, he would kill all the soldiers who refused to listen to his orders as well as the knights who had disrupted the battle.

"I see you're doing quite well as a dominion lord smashing things around alone in your tent," said a cold voice from outside the tent.

Viscount Kenmays seemed like he was struck by lightning as he hurriedly stood up straight and said, "Father... You're here."

"If I don't come right away, did you think I would just sit back and watch you ruin the future of our family?" Three people entered the tent with the person at the forefront being a well-built elderly man with a benevolent expression. However, his face was rather stiff with a savage aura leaking out from his eyes. He was the true family leader of the Kenmays Family, the chairman of the largest construction merchant guild in the former empire, Viscount Kenmays's father.

The Kenmays Family leader went before his son and gave him two slaps on the face before he said anything else.

Even though the viscount was a Two Star Silver rank, he felt a chill down his spine when he faced his Iron rank father. He didn't dare to move and obediently took the slaps without resisting.

"Do you know why I'm hitting you?" asked the family leader.

"I don't..." replied the viscount.

Slap! Slap! Another two harsh strikes on the face caused Viscount Kenmays's lip to crack and blood to flow from his mouth.

"Let me ask you... Why did you force our soldiers to attack the Norton Family's castle?" the Kenmays Family leader asked in a loud voice.

"Di-didn't they burn down our bastide and take all our resources? They also conquered our construction site... I-I just wanted to take it all back for the family..." stammered the viscount in response.

"Is that so?" Slap! Slap! Six more slaps landed on the viscount's face.

"You still dare to talk back! Did you think that I wouldn't know about your personal little fund of 100000 gold Fordes that you lost to them? I'll tell you what: that money has already entered Duke Loggins's sights and he had already sent someone to the Norton Family to demand them to hand over the money and resources to him. In the end, they were chased out of the dominion and that arrogant Knight Tabik had also had both his hands crippled, not to mention all the other injuries he suffered that would take him at least one year to recover from." The Kenmays Family leader just revealed a shocking piece of news to his son.

The viscount instantly said happily, "Then... Then we should take this chance to conquer them and take back the gold before the duke gets it..."

"Idiocy! On what grounds do you think you'll be able to defeat them? They don't even put the duke in their eyes and even managed to cripple Tabik! How do you think you'll go about getting all that back?"

"But... But I've already reached their main castle during my previous attempt and even managed to besiege them for three months..." said the viscount, dissatisfied.

"Then do you know why the Nortons were so stubborn towards the duke this time? Do you know why we lost contact with the Feathersoar Mercenary Crew? Do you know why our bastide fell to them in the first place? I bet you don't. That's because the Second Young Master of the Norton Family has returned and brought a group of people with him within which includes a Gold ranked marksman! To top it off, Tabik was personally injured by the Second Young Master himself! Now do you still have the confidence to be able to fight your way to their main bastide?" said the Kenmays Family leader before he drew a deep breath and sat down on a chair near him.

"This... Is the news reliable?" the viscount asked suspiciously.

"Duke Loggins's butler told me all that personally. I even spent quite a sum to bribe the Silver ranked knights of the Northland Army who had been there as well and they told me that they had witnessed it all with their own eyes. By the time I was rushing back here, the duke was already preparing a large force to punish the Norton Family," said the Kenmays Family leader.

"Then that's great, we can attack the Nortons along with the duke," said the viscount.

"Imbecile!" roared the family leader loudly. "Do you have a pig's brain in that head of yours? Are you seriously that fixated on beating the Norton Family or are you just trying desperately to get your 100000 gold Fordes back? By the time the duke's army comes, our forces will officially be used as projectile fodder. Do you intend to end the last hope for our family? Right now, the first thing we need to do is to avoid the army of the duke and find other targets. We must abandon our original plans."

"But our losses are so huge and the Nortons took so much of our stuff..." said the viscount weakly.

"Then consider that a lesson you paid a huge sum to learn! If we run out of slaves, we can buy new ones with money. If we lose our resources, we can gather more in time. If our goals far exceed our current ability and we strive towards it desperately past the point of no return, that would spell our true downfall. Now that we've lost, we should accept it. We just picked the wrong people to mess with. The Norton Family is a family with 300 years of heritage after all. I thought at first that they have depreciated over the years, but who would've expected their Second Young Master to turn the whole family around all of a sudden? This situation is not all that bad for us either. With the Norton Family occupying the duke's attention, I believe he would not be able to find out about our other movements. I am looking forward to them tearing themselves apart..." said the family leader.

"Then, what should our family's next course of action be?" the viscount asked.

The Kenmays Family leader took out a beastskin map of the Northlands and thumped his fist on one spot. "Over here. That is where we will attack next..."

Chapter 127 The Plot of the Kenmays Family Head Prev ChapterNext Chapter

Viscount Kenmays stared at the spot his father's fist landed on while breaking a cold sweat.

"Fa-father... Are you crazy? That is Count Lopez's dominion and he is one of the most prized subjects of the king... Have you forgotten the king's words? He wants our family to work well with Count Lopez... We're supposed to distract Duke Loggins on the surface while the count works in the dark and sends the duke a critical strike with his elite troops, right? Even if we were to decide to attack him, what would we use against him? Our disobedient soldiers? Also, Count Lopez has quite a number of Silver ranked knights..."

"The king? Are you talking about that idiotic Second Prince? Right now, he already has his hands full with other stuff, so there's no way he would have time to care about the happenings in the Northlands. Before I departed towards here, I received a piece of news that the army of the Second Prince suffered huge losses at the Melein Duchy and has almost crumbled completely. Duke Melein led his army on a counterattack at the borders of the Iblia Kingdom and he is currently sweeping three districts within the royal capital with his forces. I think that the Second Prince will have to prostrate himself in front of his father-in-law, Duke Fisablen, to save his arse this time. Otherwise, he might even lose the royal capital..." said the Kenmays Family leader as he snickered.

"As for Count Lopez, do you think he is truly loyal to the Second Prince? Even though the Second Prince asked the two of our families to work together, has the count done his part? After he got his dominion from the Second Prince, he has been doing nothing but flattering him. The count only knows how to demand our family to help him out with something, but never once has he reciprocated the favor on the occasions when we requested for some additional forces from him and used the barbarians in his dominion as an excuse. Ironically, the barbarian threat he kept musing about actually dealt him a rather fatal injury and a few of his Silver ranked knights even perished in battle. Look at this," said the family head as he took out a letter.

"This is the letter requesting reinforcements sent by the count himself. With this, we can even bring all our troops in the open into his dominion and castle without the slightest resistance! When we arrive, the count will simply 'die on his sickbed' from the injuries he got. After that, we can swallow up his dominion and men and attack the surrounding nobles until we conquer the whole of the eastern part of the Northlands."

"But father, that area is quite close to the Magical Dragon Mountains... The barbarians are bound to be a threat to us... Didn't we give up on taking over the eastern Northlands so that the count can resist the barbarians for us?" asked the viscount.

"The current situation has changed completely from that time. After the return of their Second Young Master, the Norton Family's strength has increased by leaps and bounds and their land is no longer something we can aspire to take for ourselves. The plan to develop Morgan Hills will also have to be scrapped. While our losses are still minimal, let's head east and let the Nortons face off against Duke Loggins while we wipe out the rest of the nobles in the eastern Northlands and take their dominions instead."

"Father, even if we unite the eastern Northlands, the mountain barbarians will still remain a problem. The barbarians there are far more active than those of other places and they would be quite the obstacle for the family's plans for the eastern Northlands..." said the viscount, unconvinced by his father's reasoning.

"Hehe, did you forget the barbarian slaves I bought some time ago? Weren't you curious why I treated them like important people and gave them whatever they wanted? This is where they finally come into play. I can start relations with the mountain barbarians of the Magical Dragon Mountains and trade with them. I could even hire some of their troops for our own ends as well. I promised the barbarian slaves that as long as they can satisfy my requests, they will be able to continue to live their lives in luxury. With their aid, I believe the barbarians of the Magical Dragon Mountains will become a new source of wealth for our family," said the Kenmays Family head as he pointed on the map.

"Look closely at the map. If we continue our plan to force the Norton Family to submit and develop the Morgan Hills, then our route outside the Northlands will be within the grasps of Duke Loggins and he'll continue to suck out the blood and wealth of our family like a damned leech. However, if we take over and develop the eastern Northlands instead, we will be able to construct a new metal bridge across Metropoulos River to link the eastern Northlands to the outside world. As a result, our family will no longer have to rely on that duke's Hendliff Suspension Bridge and hand a part of our profits to him. Based on these reasons, I believe that focusing our efforts on the eastern Northlands will be the most optimal route for our family to take..."

"But the forces we have is not enough to carry out your plan. The soldiers are still against following any of my orders..." said the viscount while he looked rather crestfallen.

"That's because you ordered them to march forward to their deaths!" said the Kenmays Family leader angrily. "I, on the other hand, am glad that they didn't follow your orders. Apart from women and your personal fund of 100000 gold Fordes, what else do you have in your head? Did you think that you would be able to conquer those extremely well-fortified walls with only 2000 soldiers? If that were the case, the Second Prince would have reigned supreme long ago. I already thought that we were rather lucky for our forces to have arrived at the Northlands before the Second Prince suffered his recent losses. Otherwise, they would've been ordered by the Second Prince to become fodder for the forces of the Melein Duchy! I didn't expect that the first thing I heard when I came over would be bad news... 500 people! A quarter of our forces have already been wiped out within one afternoon... I... I really want to pummel you to death..."

The family leader took some deep breaths to calm down and retained his calm. "From now on, these soldiers will no longer be under your command. Muribad..."

"Sir!" One of the men who entered the tent with the Kenmays Family head stepped forward and replied out loud. He was a big-built man with a military air about him and looked to be over his thirties.

"Muribad, I hereby appoint you as the Regiment Commander of the Kenmays Family forces. Take command of that unit from now on."

"Yes, Old Master. I will not let your expectations down."

The Kenmays Family head nodded and said to the viscount, "Muribad was originally the Regiment Commander of the Local Defense Army of the Romon Empire and is a Three Star Silver rank. However, his whole family had suffered as a result of offending the nobles of his nation. I brought him and his family over and he has agreed to serve the Kenmays Family as our knight."

"Sully, come over."

The other man stepped forward. He was a dark-skinned man who was at least one head taller than Viscount Kenmays at a height of 2.2 meters. His bulging muscles seemed to give of a metallic sheen and made him look exceedingly tough.

"He is called Suleimos and he used to be a gladiator of the Hanayabarta Kingdom. A Two Star Silver rank, he was forced to fight countless death battles for the entertainment of the people. I spent a huge sum and used some favors to purchase him and had someone else teach him the ways and practices of a knight. He is also willing to serve our family as a knight. Now, you will perform the knighting ceremony on the two of them," instructed the Kenmays Family leader.

After the ceremony, the family leader asked Viscount Kenmays why he was smashing everything within the tent with abandon when he entered the tent.

Viscount Kenmays proceeded to explain the issue of the knight carnival to his father.

The Kenmays Family leader shook his head and said, "You really need to use your head more. You could have participated in the carnival without necessarily having to fight yourself and used the chance to see if any wandering or freelance knights were willing to join our family. To the Northlanders, we are outsiders who are not familiar with the land. That's why we will be able to better integrate ourselves here with the help of the knights who are willing to serve us and assimilate into the ranks of the Northland nobility..."

"Father, I think that these wandering knights are nothing more than savage dogs with poor upbringing who will leap at the slightest chance to grab a piece of meat. They are not so different from mercenaries and don't have better fighting prowess than them either. I think we should not recruit them into the family." The viscount voiced his full objection to his father's suggestion.

"You're wrong. While one or two dogs won't amount to much, if we have a whole pack of them, even ferocious wolves will have to retreat and be on their guard. Our family can't only rely on our soldiers. Even a person will need two legs to walk stably. While these wandering knights are not excellent if you consider them individually, they are perfect candidates for a knight brigade. Afterwards, bring Suleimos with you to participate in the carnival and let him pick some candidates to join our family. Other than that, spread the word that the Kenmays Family is intent on forming a small knight brigade and that we welcome wandering knights to join us."

"Do we accept everyone who applies?" the viscount asked.

"No, we will only recruit Silver ranked knights. When we begin our plan to unite the eastern Northlands, a Silver ranked knight brigade will make sure that the mountain barbarians think twice of offending us. Let any knight who comes to join us stay within the camp. I will bring Muribad and Suleimos with me to the dominion of Count Lopez tomorrow afternoon while you will mingle around here with the other nobles and focus on recruiting the wandering knights. If anyone asks, tell them that we have mobilized our forces to answer the count's plea for reinforcements," said the Kenmays Family head.

"Alright, father. I understand. You mean to say that we're not recruiting the wandering knights to become our family knights, but rather only to join our knight brigade, right?"

"Yes. You can also tell them that anyone who performs well will be promoted to a family knight one day," said the family leader as he nodded.

...

Lorist was currently watching the battles of the knights from the walls while Telesti accompanied him.

"Milord, I really don't like to witness violent acts like that..." complained Telesti. She had unwillingly accepted Lorist's invitation to watch the carnival battles moments ago. On the other hand, Vinny looked at the battles with an expression of excitement and fascination.

"My dear Telesti, you can't stay cooped up in your room all day only to analyze the construction models. That will affect your health you know. There are lots of benefits to taking a walk now and then in the sun. Don't tell me it's a waste of time. If you fall sick and can do nothing but rest in your bed, you would waste even more time as a result," Lorist said.

"Sigh..." Telesti looked at the battles with a furrowed brow. "Why do men love to fight and compete like this? Isn't it much better to sit down and chat while drinking tea?"

"That is a good idea. I have some fine tea leaves within my room. Should I invite my beautiful Miss Telesti for a lengthy chat on life while we enjoy some drinks?" said Lorist with a brilliant smile on his face.

Telesti rolled her eyes and said, "It's just another one of your tricks again... I will not be tempted by it..."

Ah, it truly is wonderful being able to flirt with a beautiful woman... Just as Lorist was about to resume his advances, Patt rushed over hurriedly with a solemn look and said, "Milord, a messenger has arrived."

Sigh, I guess I have no choice. Urgent matters come first. Lorist could only bid Telesti goodbye and head to his room with Patt.

The messenger was a mercenary who was sweating profusely. Anyone who traveled 7 hours straight switching between 3 different mounts would no doubt look like that. Lorist recognized that mercenary as one of the guys who had dueled with him back at the construction site of the military base near Poplar Coast.

Upon seeing Lorist, the messenger revealed a startling piece of information which shocked him deeply. "Milord, a military unit flying the flag of Duke Loggins appeared outside Wildnorth Town this morning. The people of the town opened their gates to receive them and there is an estimated number of 3000 to 5000 soldiers within the unit that had set up their camps outside the town. Boss Hausky has already led some scouts to try to find the route the duke's men took after he ordered me to come to report the news to you..."

"What did you say?!" Lorist refused to believe what he had just heard. He was not unfamiliar with the terrain of his dominion. Given the presence of the Bladedge Mountains, the Blackmud Marsh, the Magical Dragon Mountains, the Black Forests as well as the Morgan Hills, there was no route through which an army could enter the Norton Family dominion without passing through Firmrock Castle. He really couldn't fathom how a unit that huge could have made its way undetected into his territory.

Thinking that Lorist had not heard him clearly enough the first time, the messenger repeated what he said once more.

"Patt, bring me the map of the family dominion."

Lorist turned to the mercenary and said, "Have you notified the people at Maplewoods Bastide?"

"I have when I was on the way here. I shouted the news to the guards of the walls without going inside and traveled here right away," replied the mercenary.

"Shadekampf, bring this comrade of ours to get some rest. Make sure he has a good meal before he sleeps. It's best if he takes a quick hot-water bath as well," said Lorist as he tossed a small money pouch to the mercenary.

Patt then placed the beastskin map on top of a table.

The two of them looked closely at the map and didn't spot a single route which could allow for thousands of men and horses to cross. However, Lorist did not discount the possibility of one such route existing.

"Milord, when I was a child, I heard that Wildnorth Town had a smuggling merchant convoy but I've never seen a trace of them all my life. I think the people of the town must have used that secret route. Otherwise, they would've had to pass through Maplewoods Bastide if they wanted to reach the outside world. Unless the soldiers of the duke somehow flown their way into our territory, they must've taken that secret route," said Patt angrily.

Lorist nodded and said, "We already know that Wildnorth Town has been preparing to rebel for some time now, but since when have they got in touch with Duke Loggins? Also, the messenger must have taken at least 7 hours to get from the Maplewoods Bastide to this place and we still don't know the status of the bastide. Is that army heading for Firmrock Castle right now? Patt, get Paulobins to immediately to lead some scouts for some reconnaissance and make sure to monitor the duke's army from afar. I will also have to ask someone to let the soldiers who are camped outside of the walls into the castle before I do anything else."

Chapter 128 Request for Peace Prev ChapterNext Chapter

Lorist stood on top of the inner wall and looked at the group of people who gradually entered through the castle gates.

Butler Boris and Supervisor Hansk came to Lorist's side. Hansk asked, "Milord, why did you suddenly order the people within the camp to enter the castle and stop all the construction work outside?"

"A group of soldiers of Duke Loggins's has made its way into the inner part of our dominion. There is a huge possibility that the people of Wildnorth Town were the one who guided their entry," Lorist replied.

"What?! Is that true?!" Both the butler and the supervisor revealed faces of shock and surprise.

"That's right. Even I wouldn't dare to joke about this. Ovidis, when everyone enters the castle, recruit another group of soldiers from the ranks of the laborers and form a defense unit company," Lorist said.

"Yes, milord. I'll be on it right away," Ovidis said as he rushed away.

Hansk took out a beastskin account book from his sack and flipped it as he asked, "Milord, what are you going to arm the new soldiers with?"

"What's wrong?" Lorist asked.

"While we have a lot of leather armor within the storehouses, we only have around 10 chain mails remaining. During the past four months, Grandmaster Sid, his son and his other laborers who had been recruited because of their smithing experience had produced around 1200 sets of chain mails using the 'assembly line method' that you suggested. The two companies stationed here at Firmrock Castle and over at Maplewoods Bastide respectively have all been armed with chain mails. However, we're running out of iron ingots and only have a total of around 5000 kilograms left as an emergency resource..." reported Supervisor Hansk.

Understanding the supervisor's concern, Lorist said, "How about this? We'll arm the new soldier company with leather armor, pikes, wooden shields and shortswords. Will there be a problem that way?"

"No, milord. We have more than enough of those within our storehouses," replied Hansk.

"Also, Hansk, reward Grandmaster Sid with 10 gold Fordes on my behalf and don't forget to give his other smiths one gold Forde each. Let them take a short break in the meantime. I will need them to forage the area for mining resources after we defeat the soldiers of the duke," Lorist said.

"Understood, milord."

"Butler Boris, you will be in charge of the people I've asked Old Man Balk to bring inside the castle construction site, alright? When they finish moving, bring a group of laborers and Old Man Balk outside to sweep the surrounding area clean of any stone and wood construction material. After letting them rest for another two days, begin construction on the residential area inside the castle, understood?"

"Milord, please be assured that I will carry that out flawlessly," said Boris before he left.

"Shadekampf," Lorist called out.

"Milord, what are your instructions?"

"I want you to join the other nobles over there at the Kenmays Family's camp and tell them that after seeing the hectic battles from the walls, I would like to organize a proper knighthood contest and am ready to use some equipment and prize money as rewards for the victors. Tell the Kenmayses that if they are still intent on attacking us, wait until the contest is over since they won't be able to do anything given the current situation anyway," Lorist said.

"Ah, milord... You mean to do..."

"I want you to stall the Kenmayses and the other nobles so that they don't know about the presence of the duke's army within our territory to prevent them from launching a pincer attack from both inside and out. Currently, the enemies within our dominion is the priority and I'm prepared to gather all our forces to face them first."

"Milord, I understand. I will be going there shortly," Shadekampf replied.

"Patt, escort Shadekampf on his mission later. Also, send someone to bring Jim over here. I have something I need him to do," Lorist said.

...

Ever since he received the news from the mercenary messenger, Lorist moved his place of residence from the outer wall to the inner wall at Telesti's room. Telesti on the other hand moved down from the wall and picked two newly-built houses in the planned business sector with the larger one being the main headquarters for the construction operations and the smaller one which was situated at a quieter area as her residence.

Shadekampf and Patt entered the room only to see Lorist comparing large and small maps, seemingly in an effort to find the route that allowed the duke's regiment to make their way into the Norton Family dominion.

"Milord..."

"Oh, you're back," Lorist said as he tossed the map in his hand onto the table in futility. "It can't be possible... There isn't a road they could've used at all. While two or three people could've crossed the mountains without too much trouble, how did they bring thousands of them over? Oh, and Shadekampf, what was their reaction when you went there?"

Shadekampf thought for a while and replied, "Milord, when we arrived, Viscount Kenmays was holding a welcoming feast for the nobles who had just arrived. When I announced our plans right there and then, many nobles agreed to the proposition. However, the viscount made an unpleasant look and the 7 nobles which the viscount had personally invited over didn't make a single sound. After that, the viscount said he had to excuse himself for a while and by the time he returned, he announced that the Kenmays Family was willing to make up with the Norton Family and organize the knighthood contest jointly with us..."

"Make up? What does that mean? I burned his bastide down as well as his immigrant town and took all their resources and citizens. They should be hating us to the bone... But now they're willing to let go of all that for a knighthood contest? How is that possible? What is the Kenmays Family leader planning... Don't tell me that he's planning on attacking our castle during the knighthood competition?" Lorist asked as he stood up and paced around in thought.

"Milord, I believe they are indeed sincere about their request. That's because I've met with Viscount Kenmays's father, the family leader of the Kenmays Family," Shadekampf said.

"Oh?" mused Lorist as he looked towards Shadekampf.

"Milord, after the viscount announced his decision, he invited us to the tent nearby to discuss the details of organizing the knighthood contest and quickly made a draft of the plans for the nobles to see. Suspecting that something was amiss, I went to the next tent only to see the Kenmays Family leader waiting for us within," Shadekampf said.

Lorist looked towards Patt and saw him nod, indicating that what Shadekampf just said was true.

"Then what did the family leader say?" Lorist asked.

"He looked really angry and said that the actions of the Kenmays Family against the Nortons were purely his arrogant son's fault. Originally, the Kenmays Family had a mercantile background and they had just become a noble family recently, so he said that they weren't too familiar with the traditions and customs of nobles yet. He mentioned that as someone who ascended into nobility after the Norton Family which had hundreds of years of history behind it, their family should have treated us with respect. But due to his son's aloof ambitions and short temper, they have mistakenly wronged the us and have learned their lesson ever since.

"The family leader also said that the Kenmays Family did not wish to make an enemy out of the Norton Family, citing that during the three-month-siege by the viscount's forces on the Maplewoods Bastide, they have suffered huge losses as well. He stated that as fellow neighbors, our two families should help each other out instead of becoming arch-enemies. He wishes that our families would put our past grievances behind us and look towards a better future of cooperation in the long term. He added that the Kenmays Family was willing to forfeit and concede all their territorial arguments with the Nortons so that there would be no more room for conflict.

"Milord, the Kenmays Family also revealed two important pieces of information," Shadekampf said.

"What are they?"

Shadekampf said, "First, they said that they would bring their forces to heed Count Lopez's call for reinforcements first thing tomorrow afternoon as the count's dominion had come under serious assault from the mountain barbarians. I think that's the main reason for their sudden proposal for peace."

Lorist nodded and thought, that's right. There was no way in hell the Kenmays Family would be so gracious and let us go for nothing. The reason they made that action was because they would profit from it somehow. No merchant family would do anything unless the profits involved were high enough. However, Lorist still did not understand the overall situation of the Northlands as he was almost blind to any happenings outside his own dominion.

Lorist asked suspiciously, "What is the second piece of information?"

Shadekampf said, "The Kenmays Family leader said that when he passed through the duke's territory to arrive at Firmrock Castle, he noticed that the Northland Army was being mobilized and heard that they were coming for you, milord, the new family leader of the Nortons who had chased away the ambassadors the duke sent to threaten us and even hurt their arrogant Gold ranked knight Tabik severely, causing the duke to enter a terrible fit of rage as a result. The Kenmays Family leader mentioned that since he was able to travel faster with few people, he was able to make it in time to warn us a few days in advance of the arrival of the duke's army so that we may make our preparations."

"Hmmm..." Lorist was currently in deep thought. Why would the Kenmays Family leader bother to warn us? Originally, they were the ones that wanted to take over Firmrock Castle in the first place. I think that also indicates that they still don't know that they duke's army is already within our territory. Then again, he did mention that he was going to help Count Lopez out and bring his forces away... Is he trying to avoid the duke's army? And if so, why?

If I were the Kenmays Family leader, the duke would be someone whose good side I have to get to no matter what. That means... that the Kenmays Family's forces would become enemy fodder for the duke's army when they arrive! Lorist's eyes gleamed as he came to the realization. That's right. When the duke's army arrives, Viscount Kenmays would have to heed his orders, and if I take into account the difficulty the Kenmayses experienced to get authorization for their army to enter the Northlands... There's no reason why the duke wouldn't want the 2000 soldiers to become the vanguard of his attacks! Given the duke's personality, that much is a given...

The more Lorist pondered on that issue, the more he felt it was possible. The main reason the Kenmays Family wanted peace at a time like this was so that they could escape the worse fate that lay ahead as well as stand at the sidelines while the duke's army and the Nortons ripped each other apart. On the other hand, it would also save the remainder of their forces. That was why they chose to use helping the count out as an excuse to have their army leave the area so that their soldiers wouldn't get caught up in the crossfire. Gosh, they're all old, cunning foxes... Despite his losses, he told us about the duke's arrival and retreated his forces to not cause us any worry so that we would be able to cause as much damage to the duke as possible, which would also become beneficial for him...

"Milord, these are the rules of the knighthood contest which the Kenmays Family leader provided. He said that their family had organized quite a number of such competitions before and had lots of experience with them. As long as we are willing to supply the rewards, the Kenmays Family will be sponsoring all the costs involved to run the event. He wants the function to be called the 'Amity Cup' to commemorate the renewed good relations between the Kenmayses and Nortons. The family leader also mentioned that the longer the contest could be carried out, the better and that anyone who dares to interrupt the proceedings will become the public enemy of all knights. That's why, even if the duke's forces arrive, they would have to wait until the whole thing is over..." said Shadekampf as he passed a stack of beastskin documents to Lorist.

Lorist smiled. The Kenmays Family leader was doing his best to put Duke Loggins in as tough a position as he could and decided to organize the contest despite thinking that the duke's troops were on their way. How would the soldiers have any morale or motivation remaining to attack the castle after the contest? It was a shame that the Kenmays Family leader was unaware that the duke wouldn't be showing up at Firmrock Castle as they were already at Wildnorth Town.

Lorist took out a feather pen and dipped it into some ink and started writing as he said, "I agree to most of the stuff in the regulations, but I want to split up the category of the Silver ranked knight competitions into three according to the star rank so that there will be winners for the One Star Silver rank, Two Star Silver rank and the Three Star Silver rank respectively. Also, only competing in foot battles and mounted battles is far too plain. Let's add another archery competition for each rank. Shadekampf, pay them a visit tomorrow morning and tell them that the Norton Family is willing to forget the grievances of the past and be at peace with the Kenmays Family and mention that we absolutely cannot let them bear the whole cost of organizing the contest. Since it's a collaboration, we will split and bear half of the organizing cost and sponsor the prize money for the knighthood competition while the Kenmayses only have to pay for half of the labor cost."

"Yes, milord."

Patt stepped up and said, "Milord, when Shadekampf was discussing the details of the contest, I loitered around the area and discovered two things."

"Oh?"

"First, the Kenmays Family already have to family knights. One of them looked to be someone who had been in the military with an air that's similar to Potterfang's. The other was extremely tall and huge with a sturdy look and emitted a heavy killing intent that would intimidate anyone at first sight. Other than that, the Kenmays Family is preparing to form a small knight brigade by recruiting the wandering knights. I found out about that because I saw 20 wandering knights within the camp and had a short chat with them," Patt reported.

"Oh, it seems that they have other stuff up their sleeves as well. I really wonder what they'll be up to next. Patt, find two guards tomorrow to spy on the forces of the Kenmays Family. Let's see what they intend to achieve by using 'aiding Count Lopez' as an excuse," Lorist said.

"Also, I will not show up during the knighthood contest and it will mainly be organized by you and Shadekampf. Make sure to pay attention to the knights who get the first few places in their categories and recruit them if you can. However, I want you to focus on the archery competition specifically. It's okay if the knights there are lacking in other respects. As long as they're good at archery, ask the participants whether they want to serve in our military force and tell them that there will be opportunities for promotion if they perform well."

Commonly speaking, knights seldom cared about the art of archery as they believed that true knights would face each other off in a bloody melee battle as attacking from afar was often considered an act of cowardice. However, Lorist understood that his forces' ranged units suffered as he wasn't able to effectively train them. That was why he had no choice but to secretly place his hopes on the knighthood contest's archery competition to find him a few good archers. Also, the Kenmays Family might think that the additional competition segment was merely the Norton Family's attempt at showing off their Gold ranked marksman, so there really was nothing to lose.

"Yes, milord. we will do as you have instructed," said Shadekampf and Patt in unison.

Chapter 129 Knight Waxima Prev ChapterNext Chapter

"Milord, I've brought Knight Waxima here," Patt said.

"Who?" Lorist asked, having not clearly heard him.

Shadekampf explained, "Milord, when we left the camp of the Kenmayses, Patt said he wanted to recruit Knight Waxima as a family knight as he had won three straight challenges in a row in the morning. That was why we headed to his tent to pay him a visit. But when we were there, the men sent by the Family of the Pegasus and the Kenmays Family were already there to make their invitations."

"Oh..." The more Lorist heard, the more interested he got. However, he had never heard of a 'pegasus' family. "Wait, what noble family bears the moniker of the Family of the Pegasus? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

"Milord, did you forget? Yesterday, the first knight who challenged our family, Lamboway, wore a silver pegasus crest did he not? He was a knight of the Family of the Pegasus. Milord, do you know about the Newmoon War and the Felim Family?"

"I know about those. Hundreds of years ago, an artifact was excavated from one of the ancient ruins. It was a Silvermoon-shaped stone that was said to be filled with magical power. That stone had caused Krissen IV to go to war for it against 7 other noble families and it was termed the Newmoon War or the Newmoon Chaos. In the end, Krissen IV won a hard-fought victory and eradicated the other 7 families. However, the magical stone had disappeared and was never seen by anyone else ever since. Having ruined half of his empire and gaining nothing, Krissen IV was often ridiculed for expending so much effort on something he did not get his hands on in the end. I recall that the Felim Family was one of the 7 families that rebelled, right?" Lorist asked as he recalled.

Shadekampf said, "Milord, your memory is indeed great. The insignia of the Felim Family does indeed depict a silver pegasus. Like how we are called the Family of the Roaring Raging Bear, they are colloquially known as the Family of the Pegasus. One of the wandering knights who paid the Second Prince a huge sum to be made into a noble is Baron Felim Chalvode. According to the ambassador of the Felim Family that was sent to recruit Knight Waxima, the baron is one of the descendants from the Family of the Pegasus and he wishes to one day return his family to its previous glorious position. As long as Knight Waxima joins the Felim Family, they might actually stand a chance in the future..."

"Also, the ambassador of the Kenmays Family said that they were willing to offer Knight Waxima two times the yearly salary other families paid their knights as well as giving Waxima his own personal manor which will be complete with all the necessary infrastructure if he made it to the Gold rank," Patt added.

"Oh, then why did Knight Waxima come back with you guys? What kind of conditions did you make?" Lorist asked curiously.

"This..." Shadekampf said as he shook his head in a troubled manner.

Patt scratched his head and said, "To be honest, we don't know why he followed us here either. We didn't even make any conditions. Milord, when we went there, the other two ambassadors from the other families were already there. When we met Knight Waxima, we went straight to the point and asked if he was willing to come to our family. After we said that, the ambassadors of the Family of the Pegasus and the Kenmays Family tried to convince him otherwise and made better conditions of their own. Thinking that we didn't have a chance, we bid our farewells and left. Who knew that after hearing the offers of the two ambassadors, Knight Waxima merely shook his head and refused them before he brought his sword and mount and followed us back..."

"Then where is he now?"

"Milord, Knight Waxima is waiting right outside. I had wanted him to come inside with us, but he said that it would be impolite to enter milord's room without first being invited and that it was against the code of chivalry practiced by knights. That was why we had no choice but to allow him to wait outside..." Patt said.

"Sol, you should've said that first when you came in. It really is quite rude for me to have made him wait for so long..." Lorist complained as he hurriedly rushed outside.

...

Waxima was a tall and slender guy who acted with utmost politeness. His almost ceremonial behavior instantly revealed his traditional knight family upbringing, given that he was a little uncomfortable with how friendly Lorist treated him and even hesitated to receive the cup of tea that Lorist poured him.

"Knight Waxima, please forgive my prying, but why did you refuse the invitations of the Family of the Pegasus and the Kenmays Family? Their conditions were not bad at all from what I've heard..." Lorist paid attention to the knight as he was quite interested in him. After witnessing Waxima fight with other knights with his practiced and stable fighting style that allowed him to aptly receive and parry any strike headed towards him, Lorist felt that the knight gave of a dependable and reliable aura, similar to that of Mt. Tai. For some reason. Lorist chuckled at somehow remembering the famous saying about a mountain from his previous life.

Knight Waxima continued to stay silent before he brought out a small golden badge bearing the insignia of the Raging Bear and put it on the table. "I have come because of this."

The badge of the Raging Bear? Lorist picked out the badge and flipped it around and saw the characters spelling out 'Abelyde' engraved upon its back.

"Big brother?" Lorist looked at Knight Waxima and thought, how did the badge of my elder brother end up in his hands?

"Seven years ago, Sir Abelyde was a One Star Gold ranked knight and he traveled the Northlands to challenge all the famous knights within with none of them being his match. When he was on his way back to his own dominion, he passed through my manor. At that time, I was trying the third time to awaken my Battle Force. If I had failed back then, I would have nowhere else to go and would have no choice to leave the manor that was left to me by my father. It was because I had Sir Abelyde's guidance that I was able to awaken my Battle Force successfully in the end. Before he left, when I asked if I would be able to meet him again, he left this badge behind and smiled as he said that I could go find him with this badge when I reach the Silver rank and he would make me his knight. But when i finally broke through, I received the news that he had perished on the battlefield...

"Not knowing what I should do, I decided to visit the Norton Family anyway when I reach the Two Star Silver rank even if Sir Abelyde was already no more. However, my mother passed away by coincidence at that time and my wife also birthed me my son, causing me to be unable to leave as I had planned. Just last year, I broke through to the Three Star Silver rank and my father's liege's descendant, Viscount Beseth, went under the attack of two other new noble families, so I had no other choice but to help resist the attacks and we only managed to defeat those dominion lords earlier this year.

"I then spent three months to settle the issues within my manor like laying-off my servants before I returned it to the viscount and brought my wife and son along with my attendants over here. I only just arrived yesterday and planned to visit you this morning, but the other wandering knights in the area thought that I was planning to challenge them, so I had no choice but to defeat those two challengers. Then I thought that if I showed up at the castle walls, I might be mistaken to be challenging your family, so I returned once again to think things over. I didn't expect that just now during the evening, you would've sent your men to find me... So I followed them back here right away..." explained Waxima in a rather calm tone as if he was talking about his past like the most common things of everyday life.

Lorist, Shadekampf and Patt, however, were rather moved by his experiences...

"You've returned the manor your father left you back to the dominion lord?" Lorist asked in a surprised voice.

"That's right, milord," replied Knight Waxima calmly. "The lord my father pledged himself to is the grandfather of the current dominion lord. When I failed on my second attempt to awaken my Battle Force, the current Viscount Beseth even asked me to leave the manor and said that their family cannot afford to support a piece of useless crap like me. That's why I've decided not to follow the Beseth Family like my father did when I broke through to the Silver rank, considering that I also promised Sir Abelyde that I would become a knight of the Norton Family. This time, the reason I fought off the two noble families that attacked Viscount Beseth's dominion was to return the favors my family owes Viscount Beseth's grandfather. After returning the manor, we no longer owe each other anymore and I can leave without any lingering attachments."

"Knight Waxima, I'm really touched by the behavior that you have shown which is exemplary of a most respectable and glorious knight. Your firm belief on fulfilling promises is the best reciprocation the Norton Family can hope for. However, you should know that our family is currently in a rather dire situation. To be completely honest with you, a group of Duke Loggins's soldiers have already managed to invade our dominion. If you join us, you will have to face his men on the battlefield and nobody can guarantee your safety. Your child is also still young, so I hope you can think it over by taking your family into consideration. Joining the Norton Family now is not the most optimal choice you can make," Lorist said as he made a bitter smile.

"Milord, the path of knights is supposed to be fraught with dangers. My only regret is that I couldn't come here earlier and I do not wish to have the same regrets for the remainder of my life. If I shirk out now, my son will probably be ashamed for having a father like me..." said Waxima as he stepped in front of Lorist and kneeled down on one knee. "Milord, if you are willing to take me as a knight of the Norton Family, then can you allow me to join your forces as a regular foot soldier so that we may resist the enemy together?"

"This is the most touching pledge I have ever heard. Rise, my knight," said Lorist as he tapped onto Knight Waxima's shoulder twice with his sword. "Patt..."

Patt brought out a Silver Raging Bear badge and gave it to Lorist before he hugged Waxima heartily and said, "I welcome your participation, comrade and brother of mine. Your arrival is the best honor the Norton Family could ever receive."

...

Waxima, who had just become the knight of the Norton Family, excitedly went to fetch his wife, son and attendants while accompanied by Shadekampf. As Lorist was playing around with his elder brother's badge, Patt entered and reported, "Milord, Jim is back."

"Oh, let him in quick."

"Jim, what did the four mercenary leaders say?" asked Lorist impatiently before Jim even managed to catch his breath.

Jim wiped the sweat off his face before he replied as he panted, "Milord, the price you gave them is more than enough and all of them are willing to accept your employment. However, they have a small request..."

"What is it?" Lorist asked.

"They want you to provide them with some weapons and equipment..."

Lorist's expression darkened as he said, "Do they want metal armor as well?"

"No, not metal armor..." clarified Jim hurriedly. "Milord, if they did, I would've scolded them furiously when I was there myself. What they've requested is to be allowed to masquerade as the forces of our family while they work on the mission you gave them. That way, if anything goes wrong, they will be treated as soldiers of the Norton Family and not mercenaries from their crews. Milord, you should understand that if they were captured as mercenaries by the duke's men, they would be beheaded right away and the duke would know which mercenary crew helped us out. If they pretend to be our men on the other hand, even though they might have to endure some torture, they have a better chance to retain their lives and their crews wouldn't offend the duke on the surface either..."

Lorist's expression calmed down and softened before he nodded and said, "Alright, I can give them a couple of leather armor and weapons that have our family's insignia engraved on them. However, they have to prepare their own mounts. Also, after they sign the agreement, let them lead their men into the castle in small groups to collect their equipment before they head outside the castle once again to set up camp there. Once we receive news from Paulobins, that will be when I will depart with them."

"Alright, milord. I will go back there to get them to sign the agreement and have them collect their equipment tomorrow night," said Jim as he hurriedly rushed back.

"Milord, can we really count on those mercenary crews?" Patt asked.

"Regardless of whether we can or not, having their men on our side is still better than nothing. In terms of individual battle prowess, the mercenaries should be better than the soldiers of the Northland Army. However, if an all-out battle breaks out, there is little doubt that their coordination will be worse when compared to properly-trained armies. Other than that, we don't have enough men on our side to resist the forces of the duke with the aid of Wildnorth Town head on. In terms of numbers, they beat us hands down and we have no choice but to resist them defensively. Then again, we can't coop ourselves out in a castle for the whole time and we have to retaliate once in a while so that our forces can push the enemy back slightly and last longer. When using the mercenaries, we have to let them do what they are best at: using hit-and-run tactics from the sidelines to wipe out the enemy's scouts, ambushing their rearguard, and intercepting their attacking troops so that they will be distracted and not be able to effectively besiege the castle," said Lorist as he explained the tactics he was going to employ using the mercenaries he hired.

"But the cost of hiring one crew is far too high at 100 gold Fordes. And you will also have to pay them one imperial gold coin for every enemy they kill as well as provide them with leather armor, weapons and food supplies. Milord, I feel that it's not worth spending so much money on the mercenaries," said Patt, worried about the huge payment involved.

"If we don't at least spend that much, then the mercenaries will not fight with all they have. After collecting around 200000 gold Fordes' worth of wealth from the Kenmays Family, gold coins is not something we currently lack. If we can squash Duke Loggins's army with money, then that would've been money well spent," Lorist said.