Ryan once again carefully thought about his actions, convincing himself that he hadn't touched upon those matters most sensitive to the great nobles. Many of his actions could be excused with reasons such as being new to the territory or eager to serve. It could be said that there are few fools among the great nobles; just showing some signs was enough for a royal decree to land in his hands. This was both a warning and an attempt by the king to court him.
Ryan knew he had to personally lead his troops into battle this time. He had to ensure that he was in step with everyone else, to avoid the collective displeasure of the great nobles before he had firmly established himself, and to prove his own strength.
"Given that, I will personally lead the troops from the barony to meet with the main army of knights near the Adenson Forest at the Varemi camp," Ryan decided. The inevitable had to be faced; when confronted with troubles, one must face the difficulties rather than flee.
"I will go with you," Suriya suddenly said. "This year's knightly war falls to Marquis Connally to serve. He is not a noble skilled in military matters. Father intends for you to command the troops of Winfort."
"There's no need for Miss Suriya to..." Ryan started to protest, but the female knight's determination was unwavering. "I must participate in the knightly war. I am a Holy Grail Knight, the daughter of the Duke of Winfort!"
"Then all I can say is, this summer, I look forward to working with you, dear Miss Suriya." Ryan knew her mind was made up, so he said no more.
The female knight did not stay long with Ryan. Being unmarried, it was not appropriate for her to stay overnight at a man's home. After exchanging a few more words, Suriya mounted her Pegasus and flew away.
"Mr. Ryan...are you going to war again?" Emilia asked worriedly, the little maid coming to Ryan's side, her big eyes shimmering.
"Only war can ensure our survival in this dark world," Ryan said, gazing out the window at the moonlight and the bonfire party of the midsummer festival, shaking his head gently.
To protect this prosperity, to achieve peace and tranquility, only through war, only through continuously declaring war on the darkness.
"You must return victorious, Mr. Ryan," Emilia said, knowing she couldn't do much else but stand by Ryan's side and whisper her blessings.
"Emilia, I'm not leaving for war tomorrow," Ryan said with a bitter smile, patting the little maid's head. "Study hard. Are you being bullied at school?"
"No, President Suriya always takes me with her. The students think I'm her maid, so no one bullies me." Emilia nodded vigorously, pleased. "Miss Suriya is the president of the academy council, really kind, and treats me very well."
"That's good." Ryan said no more, clearly preoccupied with his thoughts.
Emilia felt as if the relationship between her and the man before her was gradually growing distant.
Back in Marlinburg, it had just been her and Ryan, getting along quite comfortably. He would chat with her and joke around when he had time, even after other maids joined the household, it didn't affect their relaxed atmosphere.
But now...
The girl looked at Ryan's back and sighed to herself. She really wished she could be of help to Mr. Ryan.
She made up her mind to study hard, hoping to be able to assist him in the future.
...
For the Midsummer Festival, Ryan and his retainers recruited about two hundred infantrymen.
A week later.
Karsonberg stood with his hands behind his back next to Ryan: "My baron, we've recruited 207 infantrymen in total, including 102 pikemen, 41 sword and shield men, and 64 archers."
The newly recruited troops stood on a plain, undergoing inspection by their lord and receiving new weapons and armor.
The baron was not very satisfied with these new recruits; most were too weak or too ignorant, few meeting the baron's standards for new soldiers. Ryan knew that serfs from birth lacked nutrition and basic training, naturally short and frail. The nobles' task was to select the strongest among them, those capable of wielding weapons.
Thus, Ryan decided to recruit only about 200 men instead of the planned 300, ensuring both the continuation of farming and labor as well as maintaining public order.
He was not worried about theft.
"The king has issued a conscription order. I will lead our men to the Varemi camp to report to Marquis Anxi in August," Ryan turned and looked at his two ranger knights. "My knights, tell me, how much can you train these soldiers in one month?"
"It will be difficult to train them properly in one month, my baron," Olivier spoke up, the handsome ranger knight stroking his beard. "We can only do our best."
Ryan could only look to his brother, Angeron, for help.
"Don't look at me, brother. These kids can't withstand my training. They are all weaklings and scum," Angeron disdainfully said, his genetic prime unable to see the worth in these recruits. "Brother, if you want me to help you train soldiers, you'd better give me someone robust... like you."
"Never mind..." Ryan thought, knowing only he could withstand his brother's blows.
After being resurrected, Angeron was very weak, lacking both his power armor and axe. The disappearance of the Butcher's Nail also affected his combat effectiveness. According to his brother, his current strength was only about fifty percent of his peak, possibly recovering to seventy or eighty percent in two to three years. The power armor and axe, however, were irreplaceable.
One month was neither long nor short for training; they could achieve some results with intensive effort. However, Ryan was displeased that his two knights were not skilled in training troops; Lopes and Olivier were from knight-errant backgrounds, lacking in training new recruits.
Well, Ryan turned to the last person in the crowd: "Then it's up to you, Hex."
A young knight with starry eyes and fine eyebrows stood behind everyone, a thin scar running from his left eye to the tip of his right nose, giving his face a somewhat fierce appearance.
This ranger knight, recently knighted by Ryan, came from the duchy of Le-Angeron in Britannia, a second son of the Hiss family, sent to the Imperial Capital Brunswick's Army Academy due to inheritance issues.
When the knight returned home after completing his studies, his family's lands had been destroyed by beastmen, countless people and his relatives turned to dust. When he sought the king, he received shocking news: due to the family's failure to defend their lands, their noble title had been revoked.
Hex knew he couldn't restore his lands, so he took his family's crest and became a ranger knight again, coming to Baron Gien's territory to offer his services upon hearing of Ryan, a Holy Grail Knight, offering actual land titles.
Hex was skilled in martial arts, training, and formation, his years of study in the Empire making him proficient in infantry training and tactical command. After evaluation, Ryan quickly favored him, and he immediately swore allegiance to the new Holy Grail Knight.
"Of course, my baron," the ranger knight's face darkened, rarely smiling, simply indicating his compliance upon hearing Ryan's command.
The knightly war was about to begin, and Ryan had much to do. After arranging for Olivier and Hex to accompany him to the campaign, with Lopes and Angeron staying behind, Ryan called his steward Karsonberg: "Is there enough grain in the warehouse to last the army forty days?"
Participating in the knightly war, a lord must provide his own army's provisions, a tradition. Lords serving the king for forty days annually must gather forty days' worth of provisions for their troops to serve the king without compensation. If this period is exceeded, the king must provide military pay and food supplies.
"If you intend to adhere to the Baron Gien's standards for troop deployment, then it's barely enough," Karsonberg calculated, arriving at a number. "It might be tight, but we only need to reduce some unnecessary expenses..."
"I will purchase more grain from the merchants," Ryan nodded. "We cannot let our granaries be empty."
"This is the best choice, my baron," Karsonberg felt this was the best solution, admiring the baron's strong domestic capabilities.
Then Ryan called Gasparton, his tax collector, to prepare for tax collection, instructing him to bring church officials and soldiers, as serfs resisting tax violently was not new.
This issue was severe everywhere, especially for road tax collectors, a truly high-risk profession. It's said that road tax collectors surviving two years are considered "long-lived."
After arranging matters, Ryan received news that merchant Oliver had come to visit, so he immediately said: "Bring Mr. Oliver in."
The rotund Imperial merchant came in smiling, bowing respectfully to Ryan: "Baron, good morning."
"Good morning, Mr. Oliver, I was just about to look for you," Ryan stood up to show his warmth, then motioned for Oliver to sit in a soft chair. "How is the development and expansion of the town going?"
"This is exactly what I wanted to report to the baron. We've expanded the town along the walls by a third, and many are interested in the newly developed land, including... elves," Oliver hesitated before speaking.
"Elves?" Ryan was intrigued.
"Yes, wood elves from Saint Lorenz, or here called the Aisoloron Forest. They seem to be seeking stable trade partners and to establish observation posts," Oliver continued. "But they refuse to negotiate with us, claiming they will not communicate with deceitful, cunning humans. They only wish to speak with Holy Grail Knights."
"Why didn't you bring them to me?"
"They... are reluctant to approach crowded places. Seeing the Holy Grail Knight absent, they said they would return in a few months," Oliver said frustratedly. "No matter how I persuaded them, they wouldn't listen. I even told them to wait here while I fetched the baron, but they suspected I was going for the army, so..." Oliver shrugged. "They vanished."
"Alright, a cautious bunch. Let's wait for next time. It seems the pointy ears didn't plan to settle everything in one go this time; they were just probing," Ryan laughed.
Wood elves are secretive and utterly isolated, residing in the large Aisoloron Forest in southern Britannia. Although they signed a treaty with Britannia, it was a loose mutual recognition and mutual assistance agreement.
Wood elves trade with knights, but after being deceived countless times by "treacherous" and "despicable" humans over countless years, they've become wise. They only trade with lords who are Holy Grail Knights.
In other words, they only trust Holy Grail Knights.
Regardless, these matters would wait until Ryan returned from the campaign: "Let's not discuss this now, Oliver. I need your help purchasing some grain."
"This is easy, my baron," Oliver replied seriously. "I've established trade relations with merchants from Winfort and Boldro. As long as the quantity isn't too large, I can acquire it."
"Excellent!" With this worry resolved, Ryan felt relieved.
Then, the baron called Hadrian, a wealthy merchant from the southern kingdom setting up workshops along the river. His progress was the slowest, as most workers were busy building castles and tilling fields, and many tools and equipment needed to be transported from Marlinburg. Ryan needed to be patient.
"Please arrange it as soon as possible, Mr. Hadrian." As Ryan's tenure as a lord grew longer, the Holy Grail Knight's authority increased.
"Of course, Lord Ryan."
The following time was spent managing affairs and inspecting the territory. Ryan also often took time to visit his brother "for a beating." Angeron was more than willing to teach his brother, and Ryan gained much from these sessions, feeling his mid-legendary strength inching towards another breakthrough.
...
Time moved to early August, the season of flowing fire and golden light, the clear skies of high summer, the scorching sun baking the earth,
The army was ready to march.
Ryan's army for this knightly war consisted of himself, Hex, and Olivier, three knights, five knight attendants, and fifty-three infantrymen. Due to the small number of soldiers, Ryan did not call for additional camp followers.
Ryan, dressed in a gray knight's psychic precision power armor, wielding a griffon war hammer, and wearing a Holy Grail Knight badge on his chest, rode his pure-blooded elven warhorse, Grape, and called out to his soldiers: "Are you ready? My soldiers?"
"My baron! We are ready!" After a month of training, the infantrymen somewhat resembled a military force, at least managing to stand in formation and await orders.
More would depend on the baptism of blood and fire.
"March!" The town gates opened, and the newly appointed baron led his troops out of the town, heading towards the Varemi camp near the Adenson Forest.
On the castle tower, the dark elf Orica watched alone as Ryan led his troops away.
"Master..." A silver pendant hung around Orica's full chest, specially crafted by Ryan to protect her.
Clasping the necklace tightly, Orica pressed the pendant against her heart.
"Master..."
"Master?" A dazzling white light appeared behind her, and the dark elf instinctively turned around, only for a pure white hand to touch her forehead.
Orica struggled futilely for a moment before her body went limp, facing the formidable power of the newcomer, she had no chance to resist, barely managing to say: "Lady of the Lake?"
"Orica, Orica-Kolendia?" The Lady of the Lake smiled gently, yet her presence was undeniably dangerous.
"You recognized me! Lilith!"
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