Chapter 398 - 145 - 149

Chapter 145 Release Prev ChapterNext Chapter

Atop the castle, Baron Camorra looked at the distant group of people approaching with the knight leading it holding up the banner of the Norton Family.

"Is that the army of your family?" asked Baron Camorra.

Lorist merely nodded.

"What have they set out for?" he asked again.

Lorist laughed and said, "They went to teach the newcomer nobles of the Northlands a lesson on the customs of the people here. One noble actually dared to capture and give trouble to the messengers of the family, so I had my soldiers hang that guy in front of his own castle."

"And who may that be?"

"Some guy called Baron Farad."

Baron Camorra furrowed his brow in thought before he said, "I know that guy and he's very good at horse-breeding. Originally, he was the breeder of the Second Prince and he even saved his life once during their second attack against the Melein Duchy. After that, he was made a baron and sent to the Northlands. That guy is rather stubborn and the moment he arrived, he attacked the nearby Baron Slaydor and even killed all his family members before taking over the dominion."

Lorist gave a surprised look at Baron Camorra before he asked, "Why did Duke Loggins leave him be without doing anything about it? Isn't he supposed to be in charge of the dominion lords of the Northlands?"

"Well, Baron Farad was a noble entitled by the Second Prince so it wouldn't do the duke any good to antagonize him," said the baron as he shook his head. "The duke said that since the old noble of the Northlands don't really treat him with respect, he'll lord over the new ones. As long as they pay their taxes to him, he wouldn't give them any trouble. That way, the Second Prince won't have anything to pick with the duke as well."

"So the duke does fear the Second Prince after all..." Lorist said as he chuckled. "No wonder even though everyone in the Northlands know the duke's ambition of forming his own duchy, he hasn't made any concrete moves just yet. So that was the reason. With that small, little gut of his, there's no way he's gonna achieve anything great."

Baron Camorra no longer continued to speak. He regretted running his mouth too much and allowed Lorist to guess the truth of the situation without too much trouble.

"Camorra, forgive me for being candid about this, but as nobles, we have to have the behavior and pride befitting of one. I'm sure you understand as well that the values the duke holds is considered a violation against the traditions of nobility and I really find it hard to understand the duke's intentions. Can you enlighten me about them?" Lorist asked as he once again changed the subject to the ransom of the knights.

"Sigh... Actually, the duke isn't planning to pay the sum as a ransom for their freedom but rather as a reward for apprehending criminals..."

If a criminal who escaped from Count A's territory was captured at Viscount B's territory, Count A can send someone to Viscount B's dominion to bring the criminal back for punishment. At the same time, Count A had to pay Viscount B a fitting bounty as a sign of gratitude and that was an unspoken convention among the nobles.

"Wait, what did you say? A reward for handing back the criminals? What does that even mean? Don't tell me Duke Loggins thinks that Knight Hennard is a criminal?" Lorist cried out in surprise.

Baron Camorra merely nodded bitterly.

Lorist widened his eyes as he said, "That's far too ridiculous, right? Isn't this just the duke trying to save himself some money on the ransom by exploiting this tradition? I've long heard that the duke was quite the miser, but he actually used this method to free his Gold ranked knight? Does he think that others are idiots? Nobody in their right mind would label someone a criminal just because they lost in the war..."

"It's true. The duke truly thinks of Knight Hennard and the other Silver ranked knights as criminals and the reason he sent me here was to bring them back for their punishment," said Baron Camorra as he stared to the ground, seemingly wanting to bore a hole in it and jump inside to hide his embarrassment.

"I can't believe this..." Lorist said as he shook his head. "Unless, your duke has truly gone insane. It's just not right for anyone to be labeled as a criminal just because they lost in a war."

Sigh, I guess I better make it clear. It's only a matter of time before word of the duke's actions spread across the Northlands anyway. I was bound to be humiliated the moment I was sent here. I only hope that this young lord of the Norton Family will refuse to release Knight Hennard for it will be far worse for him to return to the dominion as a criminal than to stay here as a captive, thought Baron Camorra. The duke's actions against the family members of Knight Chevany had completely stoned the hearts of his men to the point that even the baron himself lost all confidence and hope.

"It's not because he was defeated. He is going to be punished for losing the money of the duke," Baron Camorra said.

"Huh? They lost his money? What does that mean?" Lorist asked as he got even more puzzled.

Baron Camorra snickered cynically before he continued, "Didn't they take over Wildnorth Town already and gathered up the 300000 gold Fordes' worth of wealth only to lose it to you? The duke was extremely mad at that fact and he thinks that the 300000 gold Fordes' of wealth already belonged to him and losing it was tantamount to causing him to lose his money. That to him was unforgivable. That's why the duke sent me here to bring buy them back to punish them..."

Good Sol! What kind of reasoning is that?! Lorist finally came to a realization. He asked, "How did Duke Loggins know about that sum?"

"It's all Knight Chevany's fault. After failing to take back Wildnorth Town, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to make it back to the dominion and decided to write a letter about the details of the battles in your dominion and sent his two attendants back to deliver it. Only one of the attendants survived the trip and managed to pass the letter to the duke. Chevany really shouldn't have written about the gains they got in Wildnorth Town. The duke was enraged upon seeing it and started to blame Knight Chevany and Knight Hennard for losing the gold that could have been his because they didn't focus on sending it back first. Not only did the duke hang the attendant by labeling him a deserter, he also exiled the family members of Knight Chevany and left them to starve on the streets without any belongings whatsoever."

"That's..." Lorist was completely flabbergasted at what he had heard. He did not have a single doubt that the duke had gone completely insane.

Understanding what Lorist was about to say, Baron Camorra continued, "The duke even ordered the corpse of Knight Chevany to be tossed into the wilderness to be fed to wild dogs. However, Knight Bitson had already secretly sent someone to sneak the body away and give it a proper burial. We will also secretly take care of Chevany's family members and help them leave the Northlands when the duke forgets the matter and is no longer paying any attention to it..."

"Your duke is truly the incarnation of greed itself. Given his almost maniacal fixation on wealth, he'll definitely want to vent his frustrations on the family members of Knight Chevany. While he isn't doing it now, one day he might think of selling them to the slave traders. You had best help them move away from the Northlands as soon as possible," Lorist said.

That was indeed within the realm of possibility. The duke who had lost it no longer cared about the opinions of others and if he truly did that, the Northland Army was bound to crumble from the chaos. Fortunately for the duke, the presence of Knight Bitson still managed to hold the army together. However, it was only hanging by a thin thread that could snap at any moment given the rumors that were spreading around which caused the army's morale to drop significantly. As the commander of the army, Knight Chevany had always acted rather righteously and he was beloved by his subordinates. Many soldiers felt that the duke's treatment of Knight Chevany was ridiculous and were already at their boiling point. If the family members of the knight were really sold to slave traders, then it was possible for the soldiers to even revolt.

Oh Lord Duke, do you have anything in your sights other than money? Without the Northland Army, no matter how much money you have, you won't be able to keep it safe! Baron Camorra nodded towards Lorist gratefully for the warning and decided that he should head back to the dominion quickly so that he can help the family members of Knight Chevany move as soon as possible.

"I think what happened to Knight Chevany was truly a shame. He was a magnificent leader. Even though we were enemies, I have to agree that he is a stellar Gold ranked knight. He had already did all he could. The true irreversible mistake was made when the duke sent his soldiers against us and gave Chevany an enemy he could not defeat. Originally, he didn't have to die, but for the sake of asking me to spare his subordinates and atoning for his failure to the duke, he decided to put himself in harm's way when he dueled me and upheld the pride of a knight till the very end. I deeply respect him for doing that and he is a true, chivalrous knight," Lorist said.

"If anything, the only mistake Knight Chevany made was pledging his allegiance to a madman like the duke. Sane people can never reason or converse with the insane, especially the paranoid ones. Duke Loggins is an embarrassment to all the nobles of the Northlands and he had dug his own grave this time. I believe that even now, he is still obsessed with the 300000 gold Fordes that were never his in the first place and is dreaming of getting it from my hands..." Lorist laughed as he pointed at the soldiers who were entering the castle and told Baron Camorra, "These are the forces of my family. If the duke wants the money, he will have to ask them for permission first..."

Looking at the soldiers from the walls, Baron Camorra felt conflicting emotions assailing him and didn't say a word.

After receiving news that 4000 plus Northland Army soldiers had lost, they thought that the Norton Family forces must have sustained heavy casualties as well. However, Baron Camorra discovered that the Nortons' forces seemed to have increased even more after visiting Firmrock Castle. From the walls that were fully-staffed by patrolling guards and the sight of the new recruits who were practicing military drills, all of them were fully-equipped and armed with metal armor. The most surprising part was that the Norton Family was still able to send out soldiers to deal with the noble that had did ill to their messengers. Baron Camorra could only laugh cynically as he was forced to admit that the Norton Family's power was going to be a huge hurdle even for someone like Duke Loggins.

Josk, Waxima and Shadekampf ascended the walls followed behind by Ruhr and Mort.

"Milord, we have completed your assignment and hung Baron Farad at the front of his own castle," reported Josk after he saluted.

"How are the casualties?"

Josk shook his head as Waxima started to laugh out loud. The two of them looked rather delighted.

"Milord, we didn't have any casualties..." Shadekampf stepped to the front as he reported. "Well, apart from a few soldiers who injured themselves when they fell from horseback because they still weren't used to being mounted. Sir Josk said that they would only get used to riding after falling a couple more times, so it's nothing to worry about. Everything went perfectly well."

"Tell me what happened in detail," Lorist instructed.

"Milord, when we arrived, Baron Farad was leading a few hundred men to fight against a nearby noble, Viscount Skim. Josk and Waxima ordered the soldiers to intercept the baron's forces immediately and crushed them within an instant. As Baron Farad attempted to escape, Josk used an arrow to kill his mount from afar and managed to capture him. He was quite the feisty guy and even said that he was a favored subordinate of the Second Prince and warned us to watch our backs. We ignored him and took over his castle before Ruhr and Mort personally hung him from a wooden rack. Sir Waxima also erected a wooden plaque beside it and stated the reason he was put to death," Shadekampf concluded.

Lorist nodded with satisfaction as the mission was completed without any casualties with the best possible outcome.

"Milord, that Baron Farad was actually quite a poor guy. We ransacked his whole castle and only found 300 imperial gold coins. On the other hand, his stable was rather plentiful and there were more than 400 fine horses there as well as two herds of goat and tens of cows. An interesting fact is Baron Farad had constructed his own castle at another noble's dominion because his own dominion was in fact a desolate place devoid of any resource. It was only later that Viscount Skim told us that Baron Farad had occupied the dominion of Baron Slaydor and everything within the dominion belonged to the Slaydor Family in the past.

"Viscount Skim also said that Baron Farad also kidnapped his subjects from their villages to force them into labor for the construction of his castle, so we returned the citizens of the viscount back to him. The rest who remained were the former subjects of Baron Slaydor, but we weren't able to find the baron himself and we heard that his whole family had been eradicated by Baron Farad. That's why we brought the citizens back here along with their livestock and left the castle and its inhabitants to the discretion of Viscount Skim," Shadekampf said.

"Good, you did very well. Have you found the bodies of the messengers of our family?" Lorist asked.

"Yes, we have. We brought them back after we cremated them and put their remains into urns," Shadekampf replied.

"Alright. We'll have a burial for them at the Martyrs' Graveyard tomorrow morning. Ruhr and Mort, you two should really get some rest now that your task is complete."

"Thank you, milord," said the two messengers gratefully.

"Also, Shadekampf, get Patt to escort Knight Hennard and the other ten plus Silver ranked knights over here. Baron Camorra, let's settle the issue today. We'll wait within the room for now. After you," Lorist said.

After that, Patt brought the knights to the walls and entered Lorist's reception room, filling it to the brim.

Knight Hennard was delighted to see Baron Camorra as he quickly called out, "Sir Camorra, did the duke ask you to come to pay our ransom?"

Baron Camorra responded by making a forced smile.

Lorist clapped his hands to call for the attention of the others before he said, "I apologize, but I have to tell you all some bad news. I believe that the ransom offered by Duke Loggins is completely unacceptable, so I refused Baron Camorra's request."

The whole room erupted into chatters right away and a Silver ranked knight could even be heard saying, "You see? I knew the duke would be stingy and offer a low price for our ransom."

Some even said, "Lord Norton, tell us how much you want. If it's okay with you, we'll make up the difference for ourselves..."

Some of them made a wild guess and said, "I think the Norton Family must have asked for a ridiculous price..."

Knight Hennard approached Baron Camorra and asked him in a low voice how much the ransom offered by the duke was. But the baron merely stayed quiet.

"Please quiet down, everyone..." Lorist said.

The room returned to its former tranquility with everyone's eyes trailed on Lorist.

"To clarify, the reason I refused the duke's request is because the price offered is a complete insult to knights like you as well as our family."

"Can I ask how much the duke offered?" Knight Hennard interjected.

Lorist looked at him before he pointed directly at him and said, "Yours is 100 imperial gold coins and theirs are 10 imperial gold coins each."

"What did you say?!" Knight Hennard was so shocked that he almost jumped with the rest of the knights being stupefied as they thought, nobody would accept that kind of price...

"I'd also like to mention that the money offered was not as a ransom for your freedom but a gratitude fee for sending you lot back to him as criminals," Lorist said.

Knight Hennard's eyes turned bloodshot as he turned to Baron Camorra and asked, "Is what he said true?"

Baron Camorra nodded with much reluctance.

"Why? What crimes did we commit? Are we considered criminals just because we became captives?" Knight Hennard bellowed as his voice turned hoarse with rage.

"Becoming a captive is not a crime. But the duke believes that you are at fault for losing the wealth at Wildnorth Town to us which was worth about 300000 gold Fordes and cannot forgive you no matter what. He thinks that the 300000 gold Fordes' worth of wealth already belongs to him. Baron Camorra, should I continue or do you want to say it yourself?" Lorist said as he turned to the baron and feigned a smile.

Baron Camorra looked at Lorist with a complicated expression as he replied exasperatedly, "Let me tell them the rest."

He understood that if Lorist was allowed to continue, he might intentionally infuse some provocative statements as he explained away. It was better for the baron himself to tell it as it was and let the others understand that the duke had only made those rushed decisions because of his anger. Sigh, I really didn't want to make this visit, but the duke forced me to come here so I had no choice...

...

"...and so Knight Bitson thought that it was better for you guys to stay with the Norton Family as captives instead of returning to the dominion. When the duke regains his calm, we will once again come to negotiate for your release." That was the only way the baron could have consoled the knights.

"There's no need to negotiate anymore. I plan to restore their freedom without collecting a random as an act of opposition to the despicable actions of the duke. He only wants money and is willing to throw away even his pride and standing as a noble for it. But the Norton Family believes that a knight's pride and dignity is not something that can be infringed upon so lightly and I don't want to receive any more insulting offers from the duke. That's why I hereby proclaim that you are all free to go. You can collect your mounts and belongings later and if you have any attendants, you can also tell us about them for their release. It's already getting late, so I request that you gentlemen stay for one more night before leaving tomorrow."

Lorist then took out a sack filled with coins and said, "Baron Camorra, here is 100 gold Fordes. Please pass this to the family members of Knight Chevany. This is my way of showing respect to a true knight like him. I hope you can help me out with this."

Baron Camorra looked at Lorist before he finally let out a long sigh as he received the sack and said, "Lord Norton, you've won completely and thoroughly. I will definitely pass this on to his family members on your behalf."

Chapter 146 Departure Prev ChapterNext Chapter

The coming of fall during the 9th month blanketed the Morgan Hills and Black Forests with a new coat of gold.

Lorist stood at the southern gates as he sent off Baron Camorra. Occasionally, the freed Silver ranked knights would show up before Lorist to pay their respects before following their attendant to the side to wait for the rest of their comrades before leaving.

Baron Camorra looked at the Silver ranked knights that gathered in the distance with a solemn expression. Eventually, he could no longer resist and said, "Your move was truly a stroke of genius. Even though I already know that the knights would stir up a storm for the Northland Army when they return, I was unable to come up with a suitable contingency plan even after pondering over it for the whole night. Sigh, the Lord Duke has truly made a huge mistake this time. Without the suppression of the Northland Army, I'm afraid the Northlands would fall into another period of instability and chaos..."

Lorist laughed lightly as he said, "The time of peril has long descended upon the land, and it's only a matter of time before the Northlands become embroiled within it. On my journey back from Morante City to the family's dominion, I've seen much of the artifacts of war from hungry peasants, rising bandit groups and homeless vagabonds. I initially thought that with the natural borders the Northlands has, it would remain the haven for the people in chaotic times like these and would be able to stay unified throughout. But I was wrong. After arriving here, I discovered that the Northlands was faring even worse that the outside world and is rife with conflict and wars. You can even seemingly hear the cries of and sufferings of the people carried by the distant winds that blow by..."

Lorist stopped smiling and continued, "As the Duke of the Northlands who has formed the Northland Army, Duke Loggins had the responsibility to pacify the Northlands and restore peace to it by unifying the nobles here and make this place to be the exemplar for the other nations across the continent. But what did the duke do? He used the Northland Army as the instrument of his reign of terror and even waged wars with it to expand his wealth. Even though he took so much resources from other dominion lords, what did he use them on? All of it was used to fund his luxurious and wasteful life of debauchery without even benefitting the Northlands in the slightest...

"Sometimes, I feel that it truly is laughable that the duke even has ambitions to form his own duchy. While having grand ambitions is a commendable thing, his fault was in his lack of courage and self-awareness. Who would ever truly support him in his endeavors? Even if the nobles of the Northlands are currently loyal to the duke, it's only because they fear the Northland Army. Nobody likes an incompetent, self-centered and morally-bankrupt person lording them around. Now that your duke has truly run into our family and crippled his own army as a result, he should've been trying his best to console his troops and buy back the freedom of the captives and learn from this lesson...

"But what did he do instead? His heart and mind is filled with thoughts of nothing but gold coins to the point that he angered even the knights who had sworn fealty to him. Did he really think the money was his? What an unreasonable, heartless, stubborn and unrighteous fellow. Baron Camorra, is such a person really worthy of your loyalty and service? I believe that if he were given a choice between a bag of gold coins and your survival, he'll definitely choose the former without hesitating even a bit and leave you for dead. I really feel that you're worth more than that, Baron Camorra. You are a talented person. While the duke has definitely given you your current position and privilege, it's only because you're of use to him and not because he appreciates your true capabilities and potential.

"Also, you are right in that I have benefitted from releasing Hennard and the other knights so that they can mess with the Northland Army and cause the duke to be unable to pose any threat to the Norton Family in the future. Without the Northland Army, I'd like to see how that duke of yours plans to get the money he craves so much from my hands. You should know that the funds are the spoils my family got rightfully from the result of the conflict, so I will definitely use it on developing my dominion. While the outside world is filled with chaos and strife, I will make the Norton Family's dominion a haven on this land of suffering."

"Developing a dominion requires more than just money: talented people and resources are equally as important," interjected Baron Camorra. Having been listening to Lorist's lecture for so long and being unable to counter any of his points, he had to find some way to vent his frustrations. "You only have money, but you don't have the ability to convert that money into resources that you can use. What you need most right now is a way to establish a trade route with the outside world and a peaceful environment that will allow you to foster your dominion. Otherwise, no wonder how resolute you may be, your words will remain as only empty promises."

Lorist nodded and smiled before he said, "You're right. I am currently trying my best to build that safe environment that my dominion requires to flourish."

He turned to his back and pointed to Firmrock Castle before he continued, "You can already see it for yourself. This is the fruit of our recent efforts. Even though we were at war, I've never stopped the construction of the cornerstone of my dominion's safety. Gold coins are useless if I can't convert them into resources and the family does lack an established trade route. But don't forget that merchants are beings who are inherently drawn to profit. When word of the family requiring goods and having more than enough money to pay for it spreads out, the merchants will naturally come knocking at our doors to make trade. I believe that as long as we continue to work hard, we will definitely be rewarded for our efforts."

At that moment, Knight Henard with his two attendants and four servants left the southern gates of Firmrock Castle and arrived before Lorist and nodded to Baron Camorra. He saluted Lorist and turned around before he lightly prodded his horse with his boots, causing it to let out a soft neigh before it rode towards the path in the distance. The rest of the Silver ranked knights also started to follow behind with their respective attendants and servants...

Baron Camorra let out a sigh before he said, "I should take my leave now. I only hope that they won't cause too much trouble when they return..."

Lorist laughed out once again and said, "The Northlands is like a dam at its breaking point. Duke Loggins who had been serving as the dam wall thought that he could go on standing without any worries. The hole I just made on that dam is only a small defect; as for when it will collapse into rubble, even I don't know the answer to that. Since we're going to part here, let me give you some advice: if things don't go well for you, prioritize your own safety. The doors of the Norton Family will always be open to you."

Having received such a frank invitation, Baron Camorra was shocked. Feeling the urge to say something, he resisted it and got back up on his horse and waved to the four guards who had escorted him to Firmrock Castle and rode towards them quickly.

As Lorist ascended the castle walls slowly, he saw Josk leaning on the crenels of the walls as he looked at the cloud of dust rising in the distance as a result of the mounts of the people who were traveling away.

"Aren't you going to train your troops today?" Lorist asked.

"Nope, I let Pete handle it," Josk replied.

Pete was one of the knights who had joined the Norton Family after the knighthood competition. His full name was Peake Pulliste and he was one of the more famous wandering knights of the Northlands. Being only 25 years old, he had already reached the Two Star Silver rank in Battle Force training and was also the winner of the archery section of the knighthood competition. Shadekampf only managed to successfully recruit him after telling him of the presence of Josk, a Gold ranked marksman, who was serving the family.

Josk had once praised Pete in front of Lorist, saying that Pete was the second most talented person in archery only inferior to himself, to which Lorist said sarcastically, "Sol, are you really praising him or are you just praising yourself?"

Josk sighed as he passed over a thick beastskin document.

"What's this?"

"Knight Hennard handed it to me before he left without saying anything else."

Lorist opened that document and saw a hand-drawn map with details like bridges, castles, bastides, cities and towns with rows of other text at the side of the map.

The longer Lorist studied it, the wider his eyes got before he finally laughed out loud.

"Isn't it merely a military planning map? What are you so happy about?" Josk asked.

"No..." Lorist said with a tone full of admiration. "Joe, look. We no longer have to worry about the duke sending more troops to attack us. The suspension bridge, the citadel and the capital of the Northlands, Gildusk City, all require three regiments of troops in total to defend while the three bastides and seven towns require at least ten companies. Hehe, I didn't think that the duke would also use the Northland Army as a makeshift garrison force for his territories... I really have to hand it for him for thinking of such a method...

"Of the 20000 soldiers of the army, more than 4000 have been wiped out by us. Now that he only has around 16000 left, deducting the 12500 soldiers he needs for the defense of his territory, he can only send around 5000 soldiers at most. Could the 5000 soldiers really accomplish what the previous 4000 couldn't? Even though I bet that the duke would definitely not be satisfied with this turn of events, even if he were to decide on sending out more soldiers, he would still need someone to lead them. I don't have to worry about Hennard going back to serve the duke now that he has done this. Heck, he might even backstab him for a change. Tabik would still need another year at least to recover and the other two Gold ranked knights of his won't be able to leave their posts either. Haha, the duke couldn't touch our family even if he wanted to..." Lorist said.

"Then we won't have to be going into battle anytime soon, right?" Josk asked.

"Perhaps. The Kenmays Family have already turned their attention to the eastern Northlands and have also expressed their desire for peace with us. You also know that the duke's situation looks quite dim as Hennard and the other knights will definitely try to rile up as much trouble as they can when they get back. The Northland Army might even revolt with all the recent incidents and the duke will definitely have lots of stuff to settle. Before restoring the situation of the Northland Army soldiers, he definitely wouldn't be able to start more expeditions against us.

"If nothing out of my expectations happens, we should have a period of peace in the near future. But that doesn't mean that we can relax and Viscount Kenmays must still be holding a grudge at the fact that his money had been taken by us, so he definitely wouldn't let a chance to cause us some trouble slip by. As for Duke Loggins, being a madman, there's no telling what he would do based on our common sense. Perhaps he might even rally up the whole of the army without caring about his own dominion to launch another expedition against us for the sake of mere gold coins.

"That's why we have to always be alert and prepared just in case something goes wrong. Also, Joe, I am thinking of leaving Firmrock Castle for some time. I can only be at peace if you're in charge of this place," Lorist said as he looked at Josk.

"Where are you planning to head to?" Josk asked.

"I was thinking of going to seek out the convoy. Ever since I read the letter delivered by Ruhr and Mort, I've been rather worried that something else has happened to the convoy after they sent the letter and have been losing sleep at night because of that. I can't help but feel unsettled by all that, so I plan to use this period of peace to seek them out..." Lorist said as he looked into the distance.

"Then who are you going to bring with you?" Josk asked again.

Lorist gave it some thought before he said, "I guess I'll have Patt come along with me. Everyone else is busy with their own tasks. I can only have Patt come after having Paulobins take over his duties at the new recruit camp."

"That won't do..." Josk said as he shook his head. "With only Patt and you, there are only two people. That's far too dangerous. Think about it: Ruhr and Mort initially traveled in a group of 12 and only 2 of them survived the journey. How about this? I'll agree to your request to stay here to guard the place, but you must bring the mounted archers squad with you. Only with Pete leading them will I be able to rest assured. If you refuse, I will start packing my luggage right away to tag along with you."

Lorist said frustratedly, "Alright, alright. I will bring the mounted archers squad. Well, you should understand that with my skills, I shouldn't run into any trouble anyway. Don't you think that bringing the whole squad along is a little too high profile?"

Josk said solemnly, "Milord, the outside world is rife with dangers and if you travel in a pair, you'll definitely attract a lot of unwanted attention. However, if you bring the mounted archers squad with you, then trouble will actively try to move out of your way. Only with that will you be able to make a swift and uninterrupted journey and find the convoy quickly enough."

Lorist nodded and said, "Fine, you've convinced me thoroughly. Instruct the guards to notify the mounted archers squad to make preparations for departure tomorrow."

...

Outside Nadegas City which was located at the border of the Andinaq Kingdom and the Madras Duchy were tightly packed tents and the main camp of the northbound convoy was in the middle of those tents.

Everyone within the large tent looked crestfallen and sullen.

"Why did the Madras Duchy refuse our request for passage? They even sent the Ironguard Legion to secure the border to prevent every single person from entering..." Charade said to the rest of his comrades within the tent.

Potterfang gave it some thought before he replied, "I don't understand it myself. Nadegas City is only 50 or so kilometers from the border of the Madras Duchy and we should have been able to cross the border after passing through Lichtana Citadel. But when our vanguard arrived there, we noticed that the forces stationed at Lichtana Citadel were on high alert as if an enemy invasion was about to happen. The defense troops at the citadel forbade our entry and a few days after that, the Ironguard Legion was mobilized to secure the border. When we sent someone to inquire about the matter, the Ironguard Legion's commander sent an officer who said that the convoy will not be allowed to enter the Madras Duchy under any circumstances."

Charade was incredibly troubled by that matter. In actuality, everyone knew the reason why the convoy was refused entry into the duchy, but they didn't mention it to save Charade some face. The reputation of Charade the Demon had long spread far and wide ever since the convoy's voyage through the Andinaq Kingdom which resulted in the deaths of more than 80 dominion lords followed by the eradication of their families. It was only natural that the Madras Duchy would reinforce the border the moment they heard about Charade's approach. Other than that, the 100000 plus vagabonds that followed behind the convoy were akin to locusts that would sweep everything clean in their wake.

"We can't even enter if we pay a toll fee?" Charade asked as he clung onto the slightest glimmer of hope left.

Potterfang looked back at him and shook his head.

"What if we only send a few across? Can't we form a merchant convoy in the name of the royal family of the Andinaq Kingdom to send in tens of carriages?"

"It's pointless. The officer from the Ironguard Legion already mentioned that they are planning to seal the border off completely for no less than a year and a half. Don't mention merchant convoys, even smaller groups of people won't be allowed entry," Terman interjected.

"Sigh..." Charade turned to an accountant he had recently promoted and asked, "How much food do we have left?"

"Sir, after sweeping the whole of the Welbassia Province clean, the food we have will be able to last the convoy and the vagabonds for three months at most. However, it's already the 9th month and winter is coming in another one month or so. Many of the vagabonds lack the necessary clothing to survive the winter and if we don't make preparations to weather through the season, the old and weak will freeze to death en masse when the snow starts to fall..." replied the accountant respectfully.

"Pass these instructions down that the family soldiers' treatment will not change and every member of the convoy will receive three meals a day, but the amount will have to be rationed. As for the vagabonds, they are allowed only 2 meals a day with each person getting one bowl of porridge per meal. It's fine as long as they don't starve to death. When the convoy is able to move, we will feed them just enough so that they have sufficient energy to travel along with us. Potterfang, increase the surveillance of the vagabonds and instantly quell any trouble the moment you see it. Also, have the vagabonds collect some firewood and dig pits in the ground to start preparing for winter. Additionally, we will have to send some men out to purchase more food and clothing just in case."

Charade's hatred for the vagabonds that followed the convoy was deep-seated. Had it not been for them, the convoy would have never fell into such a predicament. Perhaps they might even have arrived at the Northlands by now and met up with Lorist. Originally, he thought that bringing the vagabonds to the Northlands as human resource would be a good thing, but now Charade hated himself for his greed and tendency to overthink things. Couldn't he have waited for the convoy to reach the Northlands first before sending people out to bring the vagabonds in? It was primarily his fault that the convoy ended up in so much trouble.

"It's not good, Sir Charade!" Dulles of the carroballista unit cried as he entered the tent. Taking ragged breaths, he continued, "Edma and Wamp both went to join the Second Highness and brought two companies of family soldiers with them..."

Edma and Wamp were both the old students of the Dawn Academy and were acquaintances with Lorist, Terman and Charade. They currently held the positions as company leaders within the forces of the convoy.

Ever since the convoy's forces started eradicating the nobles of the Welbassia Province, the Second Highness followed behind them with his own force of 5000 to help some of the vagabonds settle down. Had it not been for him cleaning up all the trouble, the convoy would have far more than 100000 vagabonds following behind them now.

However, after the Second Highness found that Potterfang and several others used to be ex-officers of the Whitelion Legion, he had frequently visited them at the convoy to try to recruit them, but Potterfang and the rest refused his advances. On the other hand, Charade's father-in-law was moved by the offer and privately asked Charade himself to join the Second Highness's side, only to end up being severely reprimanded. In the end, Charade only had to say 'If milord Lorist finds out about this...' to cause Engelich to shiver in fear and kneel down to plead for forgiveness immediately.

Since the Second Highness wasn't able to recruit the higher-ranking officers of the convoy, he proceeded to turn his efforts to the former students of the Dawn Academy and within but a month, 7 of them had already defected to his side. However, this instance today was going too far as the two members left with the two companies of soldiers which were placed under their command.

"What kind of bullshit is this... Deploy our forces and have them surround Nadegas City! If the Second Highness isn't willing to return the soldiers of our convoy, we will declare war with him immediately and turn back to the imperial capital and fuck up the entirety of the Andinaq Kingdom!" roared Charade as he smashed his fist onto the table.

Chapter 147 Dilemma Prev ChapterNext Chapter

Charade was truly enraged, but no one within the tent took his words seriously. The act of surrounding Nadegas City to threaten the Second Highness could be considered an act of treason and was not something that can be joked around with. Everyone understood that the Andinaq Kingdom's ruler was the true heir of the imperial family, so the Second Highness could be considered a superior noble of the Norton Family. Unless Charade was willing to forsake his status as a knight of the Norton Family and attack Nadegas City as a common aggressor or bandit, he wouldn't be able to deploy any soldiers for that purpose.

"Terman, write a letter to the Second Highness and request him to send our family soldiers back. Otherwise, if word of this gets out, I believe that the reputation of the Andinaq Royal Family will definitely suffer," Potterfang told Terman.

"Alright, I'll be on it now," Terman said as he got up and left the tent.

"Alright, it's settled. This is nothing too serious and there's no need to get that mad over it. I suspect that it's merely Edma and Wamp's fault for being over eager and the Second Highness doesn't know about this matter either, since this incident will damage the reputation of the Andinaq Royal Family more than it will ours," Potterfang told Charade.

Potterfang was correct. As a superior noble, the Second Highness can instruct the Norton Family to some degree and things like borrowing soldiers or resources were always within the realm of negotiation. Even if he did poach the ex-students of the Dawn Academy, it wouldn't be much of a problem either as they weren't sworn knights of the Norton Family. In the first place, they only agreed to head to the Northlands with the convoy and whether they wanted to pledge their allegiance to the Norton would come after their arrival. That's why the Second Highness had all the right to recruit those men and they can't be blamed either for joining him for the better incentive.

However, the troops they brought with them were the soldiers of the Norton Family and the Second Highness must have some screw loose if he chose not to return them. On the Grindia Continent, revolt is one of the biggest taboos among nobles. A junior noble who directly went against a senior noble without just cause would automatically be ostracized by other fellow nobles whether he was punished or not. And should that really come to pass, there was no way that the noble family would ever rise back into power.

For example, the Family of the Pegasus, the Felim Family, had joined an alliance of 7 families to go against Krissen IV for the sake of the Silvermoon-shaped stone, but they weren't considered to have revolted and the descendant of the Felim Family, Baron Felim Chalvode, was even praised and encouraged to restore his family. The reason for that was simple: what the Felim Family did was not considered revolt because the reason they were at war with Krissen IV was becauses they refused to offer up the Silvermoon-shaped magic stone to the Krissen Imperial Family and Krissen IV was the one who waged the war to try to forcefully obtain it in the first place. The alliance of the 7 noble families were just fighting in self defense. Even though they were defeated in the end, Krissen IV did not announce them as traitors because in the eyes of the other nobles, the Newmoon War was merely an act of bullying by Krissen IV against the few unlucky noble families.

When a senior noble was powerful enough, the junior nobles had no choice but to do the very minimum required of the senior noble's instructions. However, when the power of junior nobles exceed that of the senior nobles, they could outright ignore the instructions of the senior nobles because of a simple clause: if the junior noble felt that the senior noble's actions or instructions harmed the interests of his own family, he could refuse to carry out the instructions of his senior noble. That was the sacred right of every noble and senior nobles couldn't infringe upon it no matter what. However, Charade's near-declaration of war would be exempt from the clause and be considered an act of treason.

Similarly, it was a huge taboo for a senior noble to obtain the resources or men of a junior noble without the latter's agreement and that action itself would cause incite the scorn of the other junior nobles and cause them to leave the senior noble en masse. Now that the strength of the northbound convoy surpassed that of the Second Highness, the Norton Family could turn their backs on him and join the side of the First or Second Prince without any repercussion. If that were to happen, it would already be too late for the Second Highness to show any regret.

In conclusion, antagonizing the convoy was an act that only an imbecile would dare to dream of doing. Additionally, the Second Highness did not lack troops at the moment as he could simply recruit more vagabonds into his army, given that the kingdom's arsenal had quite a substantial amount of gear left. It truly was far from worth it to antagonize the convoy over two small companies of soldiers.

Terman raised the tent flap from outside and said, "The Second Highness is here."

Charade said in an annoyed voice, "Ask him to buzz off. I don't feel like seeing him."

Even if he didn't, Charade still had to meet the Second Highness. Even though Charade was the chief of the northbound convoy, he was still a family knight of the Nortons and the Second Highness was the senior noble of the Norton Family. Unless Lorist was here, nobody could stop the Second Highness from entering the tent, especially when he had Norton Glacia following beside him.

The Second Highness had come to apologize for the issue regarding the two companies of soldiers and even graciously returned them. However. the more Charade looked at the Second Highness, the more disgruntled he became as he thought that most of the troubles the convoy now faced was thanks to the him. Even though Charade was usually a calm and rational man, he was toyed around by the Second Highness's ploys and only noticed it after he was exploited.

Potterfang on the other hand made an open objection to the Second Highness's act of poaching the members of the convoy at perilous time like that. Even though the members who were recruited were not the family knights of the Norton Family, they held important positions within the convoy. Their departure would create a lot of trouble for the convoy. While Potterfang was not against the Second Highness recruiting talented people from the convoy, the least he could do was to tie up loose ends first and allow them to accompany the convoy back to the Norton Family dominion before asking them to serve him.

The Second Highness also expressed his apologies for that matter and said that he was too rash because talented men were truly hard to find and the Norton Family's convoy had an unexpected number of them. To restore the glory of the Krissen Imperial Family, he said, he had to recruit as many talented people as possible. That was why the people within the convoy was too tempting for him to resist. However, he promised that he won't allow the troops of the convoy to join his side and also agreed with Potterfang's suggestion to let the ones he recruit accompany the convoy back to the Northlands first before allowing them to start serving him.

In the end, there was not much Potterfang could do as only a few including him, Terman, Charade, the injured Els, and the patrolling Yuriy had been accepted by Lorist as the knights of the Norton Family. The likes of his old acquaintances from the Whitelion Legion like the Gold ranked Lode Wales, the Three Star Silver Mons Malek, who was in charge of the vagabond camp, and the Gold ranked mercenary, Chino Freiyar, the Gold Swordsman Engelich who filled in for Els temporarily, the captain of the carroballista unit, Dulles, the captain of the herbalist unit, Lundmorde as well as the rest of the former students of the Dawn Academy who formed the backbone of the convoy's forces were not yet Norton Family knights. So, there was nothing that could be done if they were recruited by the Second Highness.

To the ambitious former students of the Dawn Academy, the status of a knight of the royal family was far more alluring than that of a family knight. Even though the state of the Andinaq Kingdom despite all the work the convoy has done under Charade's leadership was still rather indeterminate given that apart from the sea to the west of the kingdom, it was surrounded by enemies on all sides and the embargo the Forde Trade Union placed on it was also quite problematic. However, with greater risk comes greater reward, and joining the Second Highness now represented a chance for them to gain achievements for themselves and hopefully be elevated to the status of nobility by way of those achievements. Should that ever happen, they would be able to stand on equal grounds as Lorist and have higher status than most normal people.

Fortunately, most of the men who were poached by the Second Highness were only average at best. For instance, Edma and Wamp were merely company captains and the more accomplished former students had already been promoted to become regiment captains, thanks to Charade's keen oversight on the staffing of the convoy. With more than 20000 soldiers, 5000 carriages and more than 60000 members in total, coupled with the 100000 plus vagabonds that were following behind, it was plain to see that the rather desperate circumstances of the convoy had forced many to adapt and improve themselves till they were fit to be appointed for a higher post in the convoy.

The Second Highness also came for another reason: he wanted to know when the convoy would start traveling north again.

Charade told the Second Highness without a shred of hesitance that the convoy had been forced to stop as the Madras Duchy forbade its entry by securing its border with the Ironguard Legion. It was possible that the convoy would have to weather through winter at the Andinaq Kingdom and find another way to pass when spring comes next year. That's why Charade hoped that the Second Highness could supply them with more food and clothing so that the vagabonds tagging behind the convoy would be able to survive the winter.

However, the Second Highness refused that request and frankly told the rest of them that the Andinaq Kingdom cannot afford to bear the burden of sustaining more than 100000 vagabonds. Even though he had collected half of the spoils the convoy got from wiping out all those noble families from the former two provinces, the recruitment drive for the Second Highness's forces had sapped much of his resources dry. As for the spoils the convoy obtained from the Welbassia Province, Charade didn't offer any of it to the Second Highness and most of it went to the sustenance of the vagabonds instead. Currently, the convoy had only one choice and that was to attack the Madras Duchy to get enough resources to sustain its livelihood.

According to the Second Highness, if there really wasn't a way, the convoy could engage in a path of slaughter and perhaps even fan the vagabonds' rage and use them to attack Lichtana Citadel. Even if 100000 vagabonds couldn't take over the citadel by themselves, they would be able to at least wear the soldiers of the Ironguard Legion down to their breaking point. By that time, the convoy only had to give the Madras Duchy a little shove with its own forces to be able to conquer the citadel and allow the convoy to continue their journey towards the Northlands unimpeded.

Upon hearing that, everyone within the tent felt their hairs rise. While the Second Highness said that with a casual tone, the moment any of them thought about sending the 100000 vagabonds to face off against the Ironguard Legion, they couldn't help but imagine a mountain of bloody corpses that would surface as a result. With the obviously phenomenal death count that the vagabonds would suffer, even an abyss wouldn't be able to fit all the corpses of the vagabonds that would die from the conflict. Even 'Charade the Demon' felt a chill run down his spine when he imagined the fearsome possibility.

"No, there's no way we can do that," Potterfang said as the first one who made his objection heard. Even the ruler of the Redlis Kingdom, the First Prince, who was known for his mercilessness and brutality, only conscripted vagabond youths to become enemy fodder. If the convoy were to force even the women and children into a siege, the name of the Norton Family would forever be tarnished across the whole of the Grindia Continent. Not only would they be stigmatized by the other nobles, they would also be scorned by the commoners. 200 years of proud family history would spiral to ruin just like that.

The Second Highness waved his hands in futility and said, "Well, I don't have any better solution that that. You can either try to besiege Lichtana Citadel or starve to death while waiting for winter to pass. If you really don't intend to utilize the vagabonds, the least I can do is to offer 10000 of my men to aid your convoy in taking the citadel. However, this battle won't be an easy one as the Ironguard Legion is famed for their defensive tactics. Back then VM, they managed to hold out against my lord father's 60000 soldiers for more than half a year with only 8000 troops. Now that their numbers have been expanded to 28000 people by Duke Madras and given the fortifications of Lichtana Citadel, occupying it with only 20000 from the convoy and my 10000 soldiers is practically an impossible task..."

It was true that if things continued like this, the convoy would be stranded there and be unable to head up north and the supplies they had could only last them and the vagabonds for three to four months at most. By then, the convoy would no doubt implode and disintegrate. On the other hand, if they picked another route, they would have to enter the Iblia Kingdom. With the vagabonds being a huge burden on the convoy, there is no doubt that they'd be sitting ducks on for the Second Prince's ambitions. Additionally, the Iblia Kingdom's state was even more chaotic and the Second Prince's plundering had deprived most territory within the kingdom of food and other resources, causing the convoy's future to be even more uncertain. The 3 months of additional travel during which they wouldn't be able to resupply as well as having to defend against the attacks of the Second Prince was nothing short of a one way road to death. So, changing routes was out of the question.

The best route to head to the Northlands was still the route through the Madras Duchy which had a distance of around 650 kilometers. If the convoy traveled 15 kilometers per day, then it would only take them 40 to 50 days to reach the Northlands. The only issue was the securing of the Madras Duchy's border which stopped the convoy and the vagabonds from crossing it entirely. If they did not use the method the Second HIghness suggested, even with the support of his 10000 troops, they weren't confident that they would be able to occupy Lichtana Citadel which was defended by the famed Ironguard Legion.

As the realization settled upon those present within the tent, the atmosphere within turned solemn and heavy.

At that moment, the flaps of the tent were pushed apart as Yuriy rushed inside with an excited expression as he said, "Guys, guess who's here?"

Following behind Yuriy were Reidy and Jim. The moment Charade saw Reidy, he was utterly delighted and asked, "Rei-reidy... You're here? Where's milord?"

"Our lord misses you all very much and has instructed me to bring you a couple of letters while also checking on your status. Oh, and this is Jim, a former Silver ranked mercenary who has been recruited into our ranks by our lord. Come, Jim, let me introduce you to the others..." Reidy brought Jim around and introduced him to everyone within the tent. However, when he saw the Second Highness Auguslo and Glacia, Reidy was confused as he didn't recognize the two of them.

Terman hurriedly informed Reidy of the identities of the two, one being the Second Highness of the Andinaq Kingdom and the other being Lorist's elder cousin sister, causing Reidy and Jim to hurriedly bow and salute them.

"Reidy, and, um, Jim, save the pleasantries for later. Wasn't the border of the Madras Duchy sealed up? How did the two of you make your way here?" Charade asked impatiently.

"Oh, it's all thanks to Jim. We heard that 'Charade the Demon' caused the border of the duchy to be sealed up. However, Jim knew some folk at the fishing village near Egret Lake who helped the seven of us cross the lake with their fishing boats," replied Reidy with a face full of smiles.

Charade blushed in response as he didn't expect that his reputation had already spread so far. "You came in a group of seven?"

"That's right. The other five are guards of the family who used to be mercenaries. That's why we traveled under the pretense of traveling mercenaries and made our way here without much incident. Right after crossing the lake, we bumped into the light cavalry scouts of Sir Yuriy who brought us back here," Reidy replied.

"Reidy, is milord doing well these days? What about the situation of the family dominion?" Potterfang asked.

"Milord is doing great. As for the situation of the dominion, well, it's a long story. Ever since we followed milord back to the family dominion, all sorts of developments unfolded... It all began like this..."

Chapter 148 The Mounted Archers Unit Prev ChapterNext Chapter

After 5 days of traveling with the mounted archers squad, just before Lorist arrived at the ferry port near Metropoulos River, he arrived at a field where two dominion lords were facing off against each other in a battle with around 200 troops on both sides in total.

Well, using battle to describe this situation is indeed a little too much... At most, it's only a village-scale skirmish... Only four to five men were mounted and the troops they led were mostly farmer soldiers who were dressed rather raggedly and only equipped with farming tools.

As the neutral side, Lorist was prepared to enjoy the show from the sidelines. But it was a shame that the two dominion lords didn't share the same sentiment as they merely trashed talked each other instead of going straight into battle.

Getting more impatient, Lorist thought, just start fighting already and make way for us to pass. What's the point of sitting there and doing nothing and being in the way like that? Isn't that like going to the lavatory and occupying it so that others can't use it?

"Patt, go ask them if they're going to start fighting or not. Otherwise, demand them to make way for us to pass."

Had it not been for the five carriages full of supplies he brought along with him, Lorist would have chosen to cross the wilderness instead of taking the main path. But it just couldn't be helped as the mounted archers' arrows and the rest of the food and camping gear for the 100 plus people as well as the hay for their mounts had to be brought along. It was only thanks to Shadekampf that they were able to stuff all that into five carriages. Lorist couldn't help but lament that he only needed two rucksacks and mounts if he traveled with only Patt and regretted agreeing to Josk's proposition to bring the mounted archers squad with him.

The squad that was led by Pete only had 97 people instead of the usual 120 of a full squad. However, due to the rest of the supply carriages, Lorist had to bring along another 20 guards. Since Ruhr and Mort were so willing to tag along, he appointed them to be the captains of the guards to manage the security of the supply carriages.

Patt came back with a troubled look and said, "Milord, they want us to continue to sit here and even said that they would come to collect a toll fee from us after they settle their differences..."

"Huh?" Lorist looked back at the five supply carriages and realized that the two idiotic dominion lords had mistaken his group to be a guard escort for a merchant convoy.

"Sol... They want to collect toll from me? Lorist said as he smiled.

"Pete, bring the mounted archers with you. I'll give you ten minutes to chase them away. Capture two of them and ask them what they're fighting over," ordered Lorist calmly.

"Yes, milord," said Pete, before he whistled to signal for the mounted archers behind him to get into two neat formations and led them to begin the charge.

As they approached the spot where the two dominion lords and their men were, the mounted archers stopped their horses and drew their longbows wide. Without delay, Pete gave the order to fire and sent out a volley of arrows towards the two factions.

The two dominion lords were completely befuddled as merchant convoys usually didn't interfere with battles like that. As the volley of arrows blanketed their troops, all hell broke loose with cries of pain and agony resounding throughout the battlefield.

Patt had ordered his men to fire three volleys in total and whistled once more to instruct them to put away their bows. Subsequently, they drew their swords and split into two groups that charged towards both factions. As expected, the soldiers of the two factions crumbled instantly and the two dominion lords were the first to ride away as they saw the mounted archers approaching. The soldiers they left behind fared even worse as they melted into an undisciplined mess.

"Our mounted archers are truly quite formidable. They managed to defeat a few hundred people without even incurring a single casualty. No wonder milord requested for their formation at that time..." Patt praised.

Before he finished, an audible thump could be heard. Turning his head back, Patt saw that Lorist had actually fallen from his mount. Surprised, Patt asked, "Milord, what's going on?"

Lorist wiped the dust off his face as he stood back up from the ground. Waving his hands, he said, "I'm fine. I slipped off the horse cause my legs weren't in the stirrups...:

By the gods, that isn't the 'mounted archers' I had in mind! When he saw the troops in action, he was so shocked that he actually fell off his horse. Those are not mounted archers... They're just bowmen on horses! How did that idiot Josk train his men?

Pete brought a few captives over and reported, "Milord, according to them, this path is frequently used by merchant convoys and Viscount Darwof set up a customs point nearby to collect toll. The two dominion lords near here also wanted a part of the profit and decided to set up another customs on this path for themselves. However, this path is at the border of the dominions of those two nobles and both of them insisted that the area belonged to them. The battle that was supposed to occur back then was to be used to decide which family would own that area."

Well, it's too bad that their settlement had to be disrupted. Then again, it's their fault for picking the wrong place and barring my way.

"When was the customs point further ahead formed? How many guards are there and what is their estimated battle strength?" Lorist asked the captive that seemed to be a squad captain given his wearing a half-body leather armor that most of the other captives weren't equipped with.

"Since half a month ago, milord," replied the captive quickly. "There is a squad of garrison soldiers stationed there and they were originally part of the garrison of Viscount Darwof's newly-built town. Just recently, they were also appointed to guard the customs point and collect toll. I really don't know how formidable they are, but they're quite well equipped with some of them even having metal armor..."

Metal armor, recalled Lorist suddenly, before he called out, "Ruhr, Mort, come over here for a bit."

"Ah, milord, when we passed by this place and were about to enter the town next to the customs point to get some rest, the garrison soldiers came to apprehend us and even called us bandits..." Ruhr said.

"Pete, bring your mounted archers squad and capture all of the garrison soldiers there. Patt, accompany Ruhr and Mort over there to see if they are indeed the garrison soldiers that attacked them. If they are, hang them at the customs point on the spot," Lorist instructed Pete and Patt. He was not prepared to witness another performance of the so-called 'mounted archers'.

"Alright, milord. We'll head out now," Pete said. "Um, what do we do with these captives?"

After hearing that question, the captives all started to shiver. The moment they heard Lorist instruct for the garrison soldiers to be hung, they felt that their fates had been set in stone.

"Milord, please have mercy..." said the captives as they kneeled and cried for Lorist's forgiveness in front of his mount.

"Just release these guys. Um, you there, go to the carriages and get some bandages and medicine for them so that they can help fix up the injured ones over there. Let's go," Lorist said.

Just as they were a few kilometers away from the customs point, Lorist and the rest of the carriages were greeted by a scene of the corpse-filled ground with a few other captives who were clutching the back of their heads with their hands and kneeling on the ground. Ruhr and Mort were currently constructing wooden frames with the help of a few other mounted archer troops.

Lorist noticed that a few of the archers were bandaged up. Seeing Pete and Patt coming over, Lorist asked, "What's wrong? Are there any casualties?"

"Just 6 lightly-injured men. It won't be a problem and they'll recover in another ten days. It was mainly due to some of the enemy guards who had been hiding within the building. They got hurt when we were trying to flush them out," Pete replied.

"Milord, we finally managed to get the ferries on the other side of the shore to come over..." Patt said.

Lorist took a look around the area that he had once traveled by during his initial journey back to the Northlands and noticed many changes. The main thing that caught his attention was the ferry port which had two additional ferries. Over there, a group of half-naked boatmen were giving their best at cranking the windlasses to help the ferries dock at the bank of the river. Hmm, it seems that Baron Silas had earned quite a bit of money from the service and even added two new ferries to accommodate the increased demand.

"Just now when we were fighting off the garrison soldiers, the boatmen all jumped into the river in fear and we spent quite a bit of effort to call them back. I promised to give them one imperial silver coin each..." Patt said.

Lorist nodded and thought that the boatmen did indeed deserve a tip given how hard they worked.

Back then, the place was but a piece of desolate land. But after only half a year, a town had already been built on a hill in the distance. However, the town seemed rather tightly fortified and numerous people could be seen wielding weapons and pointing towards the customs point. It was apparent that the battle at the point had alerted the garrison troops within the town of the presence of Lorist's forces whom they believed to be enemies. They were currently doing their best to prepare for the imminent attack.

Ruhr and Mort had already erected tens of tall wooden frames and were hanging the captives by force. After only a few were hung, the rest of the captives frantically begged to be spared and some of them even started running in the direction of the town in desperation. However, Pete had long been prepared for such a possibility and ordered his dismounted archers to fire a volley of arrows in the direction of those who tried to escape and turned them into human porcupines.

The soldiers on the walls of the distant town started shouting and screaming out loud at what they had just witnessed. Lorist however ignored all the fuss and was currently lecturing Ruhr and Mort. "Are you guys idiots? Not only did you not tie them up, you didn't keep the rest at a spot where they couldn't see the wooden frames and hanged their comrades in front of them! Even pigs would try to escape after seeing that! What do we now given that they're all dead? Whatever, just hang their corpses up anyway. They actually dared to rob my messengers, I wonder how they got the guts to do that... Pete, make a plaque and carve the reason why we put these men to death on it!"

"Understood, milord."

On the opposite bank of the river, another squad of armed guards showed up. Given that they had just witnessed the spectacle over at the other side, it was only natural that they would be on alert.

"Patt, bring some men across the river first and tell Baron Silas that an old friend has come to visit to calm him down for a bit. I will pay him a visit later after I cross the river."

"Milord, I think you should just cross the river now," Patt said.

"There's no need," Lorist said as he pointed at the town in the distance. "Those people over there seem to be up to something. I'm prepared to go teach them a lesson."

The 100 plus men and the 5 carriages took more than 3 hours to be ferried across the river. Lorist was one of the last people to be transported across. Just as the ferry was approaching from the other side for the last remaining 8, more than 100 soldiers within the town on this side of the bank exited the town gates and rushed towards them as they brandished their blades and spears with the intent to kill.

Lorist's javelins and the arrows of Pete and his men instantly skewered more than 20 of the bravest soldiers of the town who rushed at the front. Following that, Lorist and Pete got mounted and raised their riding lances as they charged into the remaining group. After a the flurry of thrusting spears and slashing swords, only 30 lucky men of the original group managed to survive and ran towards the town again with their tails between their legs before shutting the gates entirely. It seemed that they wouldn't come out anymore no matter what.

"That was refreshing!" Pete said as he waved his lance around to shake off the fresh blood that coated it.

"Let's go. The ferry is approaching," Lorist said.

...

"Pete, back when I was at Morante City, I read a book that mentioned that during the dark ages that followed the fall of the magical civilization, a type of mounted archer unit emerged. Those archers were able to fire their arrows from horseback and could even shoot backwards while their horses rushed forward to eliminate any enemies that dared to give them chase. Anyone that fell into their sights would never be able to escape and they never engaged the enemy up front. Instead, they were skirmishers who rode their horses near their enemy's flank and used hit and run tactics to harass them until the enemy formations crumbled..."

Lorist was using this opportunity during their time on the ferry to impart upon Pete what he believed mounted archers should be, just like the Mongol mounted archers he had read about in his past life. "They could regroup and disperse at will and their mobility allowed them to show up on the battlefield or vanish within moments. In one instance of those legends, they even managed to obtain victory over an enemy which had ten times their own numbers after four months and didn't have many casualties. Every time their enemy sent out a group of soldiers to pursue them, they would entrap them and lead their enemies along as they shot from afar until they wore the enemy numbers down. According to the books, that tactic was called kiting because it was much like how a person would pull a kite along and never getting close to it."

"Milord, I understanding what you're trying to say. You want a mounted archer unit that can do all that, right?" Pete asked.

Lorist nodded happily at Pete's quick understanding.

"However, it's a shame that it is not possible with our troops. The mounted archer unit that you described can only exist in legends and it's not possible to pull off in real life," Pete said regrettably.

"Why?" Lorist asked with a surprised tone.

"Milord, firstly, we don't have suitable bows for that purpose. While the bows that some nobles use when they hunt can be shot from horseback, the firing distance is not far and can only reach around 40 meters ahead because they're relatively weak don't fire with much force. While that is sufficient for hunting animals like turkeys and rabbits, it's completely useless against magical beasts or soldier formations. Of all the bows available to us, the one with the strongest force and the farthest firing distance is the longbow. It can fire arrows that hit targets 100 meters away and even pose a threat to Gold ranked knights. Even though the bow itself has weaker tension than a hunting bow, hunting bows can only shoot as far because of the heavy arrowheads that are used to hunt magical beasts."

Pete continued to educate Lorist about archery, "The longbow is recognized by most, if not all, as a bow that is able to fire the fastest and deadliest arrows which makes it one of the most crucial ranged attacking methods for offense and defense alike. However, it's not suited to be used on horseback even if the horse is not moving because it's exceedingly hard to draw it and maintain balance on the horse at the same time. Sir Josk had spent huge amounts of effort to even make sure that our men can fire when their horses are stationary. Of all of us, only Sir Josk can continually fire arrows on horseback without falling off while the rest of us would lose balance after only three shots.

"Additionally, if we don't use longbows, we won't be able to match the enemy's firing distance, and if we approach them too much, we would be attacked instead and be unable to retaliate. That's why, to form the ideal mounted archer unit that milord had described just now, the first problem that has to be solved is creating a type of bow that can be used on horseback that can also rival the firing distance and strength of a longbow. Other than that, we also lack the horses that can perform like those used by the mounted archers you described. Of all the horse breeds on the Grindia Continent, none of them would be able to fit those criterias," Pete explained.

"...Hmm?" Lorist mumbled in puzzlement.

Pete continued, "Milord, the mounts of the mounted archers you read about must be robust and have excellent endurance and stamina. They must also be able to recover their energy quickly to be able to run long distances as well as being agile and reactive enough to be able to travel on both flat and mountainous terrain to be able to escape enemy pursuit. They must also be hardy enough to be able to resist cold and hot weather as well as having high resistance to diseases. Perhaps the most important requirement they must have is to be able to consume huge amounts of feed and also digest them at a quick speed. No horse on all of Grindia is capable of that."

Is this guy talking about the Mongol horse?[1] The horses the Mongols used were quite common across the Eurasian Continent, but to think that Grindia doesn't have this kind of breed... That's just a real shame, thought Lorist with much frustration.

Pete further dulled Lorist's hopes as he said, "Milord, look at our mounts. These Northlander Horses are different from other breeds and they can be considered to be the more balanced type among their kind. While they are easy to raise and take care of, they are far from being able to serve the role of those horses used by the mounted archers you talked about. Also, the reason three out of five of our carriages are filled to the brim with grain and oats is because we are worried that we won't be able to find enough feed during our journey. If we don't have enough, the horses would lose weight and when coupled with a long distance journey, these Northlander Horses would end up completely useless.

"If the mounted archers that you mentioned rode Northlander Horses, each rider would have to bring at least 7 to 8 mounts with him so that he would always have a fresh mount to switch to and loads of horse feed to be able to maintain the horses' physical condition. Using the battle you mentioned as an example, two regiments consisting of 2000 riders would require at least 10000 Northlander Horses. While Zeno Horses and Baligali Horses are better for long distance trips and have great endurance, the way to feed and maintain them is even more complicated than that of Northlander Horses."

Lorist had no choice but to admit that Pete made quite a few good points. Lorist wanted to form mounted archer units after all, not horse-breeders. Even if each rider could take care of 8 horses on his own, there was also the problem of them being mistaken as a horse merchant.

Stroking his nose, Lorist suddenly felt rather embarrassed as he had made the decision to form a mounted archer unit without even understanding the basics of archery and horsemanship. Had it not been for Pete's explanation, he might have blamed Josk for not trying hard enough to make the unit of his dreams. It was primarily the fault of the knight training course instructors back in the Dawn Academy who always said that knights should be brave and courageous during a charge and that using a bow is an act of cowardice. That had caused Lorist to neglect archery training almost entirely to the point that he could only use javelins to attack enemies at a distance.

Oh well, I guess after I settle most of the pressing matters and have enough time, I can go find some people to start research on whether we can make bows that are shorter than longbows that they can be used on horseback. I'm only worried about whether its firing range and strength can compare to that of a longbow though, pondered Lorist during the rest of the journey.

[1] A special breed of horses native to Mongolia. See: Wikipedia.

Chapter 149 Blockade Prev ChapterNext Chapter

When Lorist arrived at the western bank of the Metropoulos River, he noticed Baron Silas standing at the port wearing the golden-threaded extravagant plate armor that he had gifted him the last time they met. The insignia of Baron Silas's family had already been engraved upon it: a rhombus-shaped icon of a gemstone could be seen in the center of the armor.

The moment the baron saw Lorist, he broke into a smile. Having not met him for more than half a year, Lorist noticed that the baron had gotten a little fatter: originally, the plate armor was a little too big for the baron. However, some fatty meat could be seen protruding from the opening at his waist. On the other hand, the baron had quite a bad memory as he had forgotten what Lorist's name was.

Naturally, Lorist didn't take any offense as he understood that it wasn't easy to remember the name of someone whom one didn't get to meet often.

"I'm called Norton Lorist. As an old friend, feel free to call me Locke," Lorist said.

"Ah, that's right, you're Baron Norton. I recall that you've gifted me with a nice carton of wine before..." Baron Silas said with delight.

Lorist was completely speechless.

Pointing at Baron Silas's armor with his horsewhip, Lorist reminded in an unsatisfactory tone, "Baron, that armor you're wearing is given to you by me. Don't tell me you forgot..."

Blushing with embarrassment, the baron seemed to finally recall who Lorist was and said, "Hehe, old brother of mine, I'm really sorry about that. It's because far too many nobles come to visit and this one is always busy receiving them as guests... I'm also getting a little old and you know what that does to one's memory, so I hope you bear with me. Back then you brought a convoy through here to get to your dominion to inherit your title, right? You look far better than you were back then. I'm sure that things have been going well for you?"

"Hehe, it's alright. Your business also looks like it's flourishing. You even got two new ferries. As they always say, money will come knocking if you're at the right place and at the right time..." Lorist said as he laughed.

The baron shrugged and said, "Those two boats weren't purchased by me... Oh, right. Just now I saw you and the rest fight on the opposite bank. Did you get into trouble with the garrison soldiers of Viscount Darwof's customs point?"

"It's nothing serious. The soldiers at the custom point dared to rob my messengers because they took a fancy to their metal armor. It's fortunate that two of them managed to get back to report what happened. On the way here, I figured I might as well clean up scum like them by hanging them all to death," Lorist said candidly without batting an eye.

Baron Silas clapped his hands in admiration and said, "Great. It's only right that those fools who don't know what's best for them to be taught a lesson. A few months back, Viscount Darwof even sent his men here to demand me to share half of the transport fee for the ferries to him and threatened that he would seal off the banks from the other side if I didn't. Did he think I was an idiot? That Viscount only occupies half the area of the opposite bank and I can easily move my port to another spot. Naturally, I refused his demand and changed where my ferries docked. It would only take the passengers a little more time to reach the main road anyway."

"Then why was it switched back here?" Lorist asked as the current port was the same one he used back then.

Baron Silas pointed at the two new boats and said, "You've noticed the new additions to my inventory, right? After noticing that I ignored his demands, the viscount commissioned for someone to build him two new boats to set up a new ferry port to compete with my business. However, when the ships were complete, he realized that more than 50 kilometers along the western bank of the river was within my dominion and he had no place to dock his ferries. In the end, he sent someone to negotiate for him to have a share in the profits of the dock in exchange for investing the two ferries with me. Even so, I didn't give him the slightest damn and in the end, he had no choice but to gift the ferries to me so that I would move the port back to the original location. That way, he can also profit a little from collecting a toll at his newly-formed customs point over there.

"Old friend, you should know that I am quite lacking in academic and martial disciplines... My only redeeming point is my generosity and eagerness to help to others. Hearing his plight, I decided to accept his ferries and move my port back to the old spot. However, many merchant convoys came to complain to me that the viscount is getting more overboard with the toll as of late. I've been long worried about something like that happening as it would deter merchants from using my ferry service. How would I survive then? Just as I was about to send someone to warn them, you came over and taught them a lesson. How fortunate..."

To show his welcome and accentuate his friendship with Lorist, Baron Silas gave him a 'hugely generous' discount of 5% off for the ferry service.

However, he wasn't able to invite Lorist back to his bastide for a meal as he had no choice but to stay put at the port. That was because many merchant convoys would use his ferry service to cross the river for a rather huge sum of money and he was willing to sit there and collect the sum himself rather than let his subordinates handle it in fear of them embezzling his money.

Since that was the case, Lorist decided to set up camp on the spot and depart the next day. He also invited the baron to have dinner with him, to which the baron gleefully accepted; he even had his servants bring a few bottles of fine wine over.

With the tables and chairs were laid alongside the riverbank, 'scales' of sparkling silver could be seen blinking within the river due to the light of the Silvermoon, giving the scenery an almost ethereal quality. Lorist felt that enjoying his meal there was an extremely soothing and tranquil experience. It's no wonder that Baron Silas mentioned that he was satisfied even though he only had normal bread every night at the port.

The cool breeze from the river washed away the heat and drought brought upon the land during the day. Even though it was already autumn and cool breezes blew rather often, the heat of the sun was not one whit inferior to that of summer. After bathing by the river and refreshing himself, Lorist donned nothing more than a loose robe and dined together with Baron Silas.

Since it wasn't a formal banquet, the baron didn't mind Lorist's casual appearance. Instead, he expressed his envy for Lorist's healthy and lean physique.

"Back when I was studying at the imperial capital, I also had a figure like yours... Those days were good... We would leave the academy after class and mess around all over the place to hook up with beauties..." Baron Silas rambled nonstop as he started to recall the good old days of his youth and misadventures.

"I apologize for letting you see such an embarrassing side of me. When one gets old, one can't help but reminisce the days of one's youth..." said the baron apologetically. After all, it was only his second time meeting Lorist, so he felt that it was slightly inappropriate for him to be talking about himself on such friendly and informal terms.

"It's fine. Your stories were rather interesting as well. Everyone has a tale or two of their rowdy youth that they'd love to share," Lorist said as he raised his silver cup to toast the baron,

Baron Silas downed half the cup before he asked, "By the way, why have you brought so many men with you this time? Would you mind telling me about it?"

"Well, Viscount Tebri Tim is a good friend of mine whose dominion is in the northwestern part of the Redlis Kingdom. His family has always had business relations with ours and we have been trading with him using the produce from the Northlands for other resources that we need," Lorist recited out an answer he had long prepared beforehand.

"The Redlis Kingdom? Where is it? I feel like I'm forgetting something..." said the baron as he scratched on his head. Still unable to figure out what was on the tip of his tongue, he ordered one of his attendants to bring him a beastskin map.

Upon seeing it, he recalled the thing he was struggling to remember. "Aha, brother, I think you have to take a detour around here. Look, the route starting from Vanades City all the way to the Lichtana Citadel at the border of the Andinaq Kingdom has already been completely sealed off. Apart from army supply convoys, other merchants or people are forbidden to use this route."

Lorist took a look at the map and there was indeed a red line along the path from Vanades City to Lichtana Citadel. The border between the Andinaq Kingdom and the Madras Duchy was also colored red.

"What's going on? Did the duchy go to war with the Andinaq Kingdom? Why has the border been sealed off as well?" Lorist asked.

"No, it's something more fearsome than war. Brother, have you heard of a man called Charade the Demon and his misdeeds within the Andinaq Kingdom?" Baron Silas asked as he lowered his voice mysteriously.

"No, I haven't. You should know that my dominion is located within the Northlands that has always been rather isolated. News of the outside world hardly travel all the way there within a short period of time," Lorist said as he shook his head curiously. Feeling troubled, he thought, Charade the Demon couldn't possibly be referring to that fatty, right? What did he do to cause such a big stir to the point that he was labeled a 'demon'?

"Charade led an armed convoy and even gathered more than 100000 vagabonds as he rampaged through the Andinaq Kingdom while spreading his poison throughout all three provinces within the kingdom and paving out a path of blood in his wake. Like locusts, the people of the convoy killed wherever they went as well as pillaged and devoured whatever they set their sights on, leaving behind only a piece of desolate wasteland. Of the 130 plus noble families within the Andinaq Kingdom, less than 50 of them remain thanks to the effort put in by the Second Highness. The other nobles have all been sent to the gallows by Charade the Demon.

"Right now, the Andinaq Kingdom is practically completely sapped dry. That's why the demon turned his sights on our Madras Duchy. It's fortunate that Lord Duke Madras noticed the threat early on and sent out the Ironguard Legion to secure the borders to stop Charade the Demon from entering our duchy. If he does get in, it'll be over for all of us. Thinking back at the fate suffered by the Andinaq Kingdom, it truly would be a fearsome nightmare if the same were to happen here!"

Baron Silas continued his embellished account of the rumors he had heard from the merchant convoys that crossed the river, which painted Charade as a green-faced, fanged demon boasting a huge size of 3 meters in height and breadth, complete with horns on his head and a demonic tail sprouting from his hind. The worst part was that Baron Silas actually believed that Charade had to consume at least 99 human hearts during every single one of his meals coupled with hot sauce made from fresh human blood.

Resisting the urge to laugh out loud at hearing the baron's description of Charade, Lorist thought that even if Charade morphed into a demon like that, he still wouldn't lose all rationality and go on a rampage. However, as it was the first time Lorist heard of news of his convoy from another party, he looked at the red line on the map with worry as it meant that the convoy was prevented from advancing towards the Northlands. The more he thought about his friends a tthe convoy, the lesser he smiled.

"How long has the blockade been enacted?" Lorist asked.

Unhappy that Lorist had interrupted his imaginative story, Baron Silas replied, "It should have been around 1 month already. 30 days more or less."

"Then is there word on when it will be lifted?" Lorist asked again.

"I don't really have much of a clue about that. The merchant convoy that came along yesterday was originally on its route to trade within the Andinaq Kingdom and they stayed at Vanades City for more than 10 days. After hearing that the blockade would be around for at least a year and a half, the merchants decided to turn back and return. I say, brother, if you're heading to the Redlis Kingdom, you'll have to take another route. First, get to Vanades City and head to the Farkel Duchy from there. After that, travel through the Handra Duchy to arrive at the Forund Duchy and you can enter the Redlis Kingdom from there. However, that route is more than twice the original distance you have to travel and you will be passing through war-ravaged lands, so there are many variables to look out for," Baron Silas said as he looked at his map.

"That's right. That was why I was worried that the blockade would be upheld for a long time. This is the route that we've always used; if we use another, we won't be familiar with it and our safety would also be put at risk. That's far too much trouble," Lorist agreed as he nodded.

"Actually, I believe that staying within your own dominion is much safer. In times like these, it's quite dangerous to bring your merchant convoy outside even if your family soldiers are capable. Things can still go wrong one way or another," Baron Silas said as he sighed.

Lorist shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, unlike you, I don't have such a profitable service which allows you to earn money just by sitting still and collecting transportation fee. My dominion is in the Northlands and without making trading trips like these, I wouldn't have any income at all. I'm not in the position to sit still and do nothing, am I?"

Baron Silas raised his wine cup again and said, "Then, here's a toast to your safe journey and the profits you will make from it."

The two of them continued to make merry before they parted.

Upon returning to his tent, Lorist asked Patt, "Hey, do you remember the flag and family insignia Tim gave us? Did you bring it along?"

Surprised, Patt said, "We should have brought it... I remember Shadekampf putting those two items in a chest somewhere. He said that with those two items we will be able to pretend to be Mister Tim's men when we need to do something that is inconvenient for our family."

Lorist nodded and said, "Spread the word to everyone to not refer to themselves as soldiers the Norton Family but rather escorts for the merchant convoy of the Tebri Family. Also, hang up the flag Tim gave us on the horse carriage."

"What's going on, milord?" Patt asked.

"Charade and the northbound convoy have gotten into some trouble. The Madras Duchy actually blockaded their borders to stop them from entering. I have a feeling that they already know that the convoy belongs to us, the Norton Family and I worry that trouble will find us if we travel so openly without hiding our identities," explained Lorist.