King

In the City Lord's Mansion, Governor Pierce was sent away, and the Sith Baron finally took back his own territory.

Just thinking about the hard-earned money that he had sacrificed his life for, and was fined and confiscated after being charged with a bunch of crimes, his heart collapsed.

One after another, he was fined 10,532 gold coins. The Sith Baron was honored to occupy the top of the list of fines, more than the next two, three, four and five combined. He was nicknamed "The Great Wrong Man" ".

The figures, which are mixed and round, seem to express the professionalism of the Governor's fines. But in the eyes of the Sith, it was naked ridicule.

There is no other way. The nobles from the North who went south are the largest group of unstable elements in the southeastern province. Since Earl Pierce wanted to obtain a stable southeastern province, he naturally had to take action on the boss of this group of unstable elements.

Judging from the current results, this trick is very successful. The Sith Baron accepted the fine obediently, and none of the nobles in the North dared to cause trouble.

Hard-earned money cannot be lost in vain. As a Northland nobleman, Baron Sith's creed is - if there is a loss, you must find a way to make up for it.

"How was the investigation?"

Sith asked coldly.

There is no warmth in his words, as if he is a machine without emotions. Only the expectant look in his eyes betrayed the desire deep in his heart.

"The four small branches of the Koslow family gathered together, along with twelve noble families along the way. The total number of guards totaled more than a thousand.

However, these people should not all be escorted along the way. After entering the Maple Leaf Territory, only the members of the Koslow family and the three knights attached to the Mountain Baron were left.

If you want to take action, the best place to take action is in the Maple Leaf Collar. By then, their guard strength will be weakened to the minimum, and it should not exceed 300 people.

Considering that the number of enemy knights is quite large, plus the mountain baron is best at long-range attacks and can restrain heavy cavalry, and there is also an earth bear of unknown strength, we have to mobilize at least 600 elites to be sure.

If you don’t want to lose too much, it’s best to get a few more companies to join forces, such as Baron Kettle. "

Upon hearing this analysis, the Sith Baron almost spat out a mouthful of blood. If you follow this plan, you will probably have to account for it for the rest of your life.

Who doesn't know that he and Baron Kettle don't get along? The two had conflicts when they were in Northland, and now that they are competitors, it would be even harder to join forces.

Especially the location of the attack was chosen in the opponent's territory. After the incident, when the kingdom traced the murderer, Baron Kettle was the first target of investigation.

Baron Kettle would only agree if he was out of his mind. If they really join forces in the past, they might join forces and backhand him.

You deserve to be killed if you send troops to plunder a noble's finances. The laws of the kingdom strictly protect the personal safety of nobles, and that only protects nobles in a legal state. If you run away to commit suicide, your personal safety will not be protected.

"Idiot, it's almost universally known that that bastard Keterley is in collusion with the Mountain Baron. You still want us to join forces with him. Do you think your life is too long?

And according to your judgment, in order to capture a few local nobles, 600 elite troops are actually needed?

If so many people were mobilized at once, wouldn't it directly expose us? "

The Sith Baron almost roared and asked the three soul questions.

A subordinate who was originally quite clever, but now he has made so many mistakes. It is clear that he will not stop until he is tricked to death.

"Sis, don't make things difficult for Ravesi. These analyzes he made are not necessarily wrong.

It was just a rumor that Kettle was in cahoots with the Mountain Baron. Rumors that can make a big fuss are not inherently credible.

If the two of them really colluded with each other, didn't hide it, and waited for the critical moment to trick us, how could they leak the news in advance?

As for judging the strength of Mountain Baron and his party, I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. To fight a lion against a rabbit, you need to use all your strength, not to mention that you are facing the famous Knight of the Divine Bow.

You must know that this man's battle to become famous was based on the bones of the Holy See cavalry. Although the record of annihilating a thousand enemies is highly likely to be boasted, to become famous in one battle, at least dozens of Holy See cavalry must be killed.

It is said that there is also a great knight who suffered under this man. Ordinary knights couldn't dodge his arrows, let alone soldiers.

According to the information we collected, this person had been using ordinary bows and arrows in the army, and could not display the true strength of the magic archer.

After becoming famous, even if you can't get a divine bow, with the connections of the Koslow family, it is not difficult to get a good and powerful bow from the elves.

Unless we carry out a melee attack immediately after launching a sneak attack, this divine bow knight may cause us a lot of losses.

In fact, it's not easy to sneak attack him. Although this person's achievements are all based on a bow, but he can recover an earth bear, and his own strength will not be much worse.

We have all seen that bear. It can transform into a three-meter-tall body. It has obviously passed the most vulnerable period of its incubation.

Although the specific stage of growth is unknown, even if the Earth Bear has just passed its infancy, its combat power will not be weaker than that of a great knight.

I don't think the Koslow family has the strength to bring an earth bear from its cubby stage to the mature stage of growth in a short period of time.

Although the reality is a bit cruel, we have to admit that geniuses do exist in this world. Great knights aged sixteen or seventeen, even silver knights, are not unheard of on the mainland.

You have also seen with your own eyes the more than a hundred armored soldiers in this man's hands. Just from the military appearance, we can roughly judge that its combat effectiveness is very powerful.

The guards carried by the nobles of other southeastern provinces are also elites from each family. Although military training may be insufficient, the individual combat effectiveness is not weak. With so many people blocking the front, it was enough to buy the Mountain Baron enough time to attack.

I think that even if there are 600 elites, they may not be able to retain them. Even our fastest warhorse cannot catch up with the growing Earth Bear.

The title of King of the Earth is not in vain. It is said that as long as the Earth Bear stands on the ground, it can continuously obtain magical abilities from the ground. It once set a record of fighting continuously for seven days and seven nights.

Even if the robbery is successful, as long as the knight with the divine bow cannot be left behind. One person and one bear cooperate and launch a sneak attack on us from a distance, and it is difficult for us to escape intact. "

The old man's words instantly made the Sith Baron lose his temper. Although gold coins are good, they must be eaten.

He has been deeply involved in the orc empire for many years. If his brain was not bright enough, he would not be alive now.

Although deep down in his heart, he believed that the old man had enhanced the opponent's strength in order to dispel his idea of ​​robbing and killing the opponent.

But as the leader of a force, Baron Sith had to consider the issue of cost. Even if the robbery is successful, if the casualties are too heavy, it will still be ruined.

Not to mention how to make up for the losses, the Kingdom of Light’s subsequent investigation cannot be avoided. As a man of the hour in the two counties, his strength was always on the bright side, and he was suddenly missing hundreds of elites, so he couldn't hide it at all.

"I understand, Uncle Feren. I won't mess with anything I'm not sure about. Are there any nobles in the North who are interested in them?"

Sith asked with concern.

Just because you can't take action yourself doesn't mean you can't encourage others to take action. It would be even more perfect if we could take the opportunity to deceive our competitors.

"There are some. When I sent people to investigate, I also found spies from other nobles. But after detecting the strength of the Mountain Baron and his party, I'm afraid not many have the courage to take action."

Ravesi replied seriously.

No matter what the Sith Baron thinks, as a loyal subordinate, the first thing to do is to answer the boss's questions honestly.

After hesitating for a moment, the Sith finally gave up the idea of ​​forming a team to rob and kill. On the one hand, there are too many people participating, and the loot is not enough for everyone to share; on the other hand, it is simply because you can’t trust your teammates.

There was no betrayal, it was just because the chips in hand were not enough. When it comes to his own wealth and life, Sissy doesn't dare to bet on the moral integrity of his teammates.

The impact of robbing and killing nobles was too great. Once exposed, even the legitimate son of the Grand Duke would not be able to hide it, let alone his illegitimate son.

"It seems that if I want to control Wright County, this person is my biggest opponent. I can't get rid of him while he is still young. It will not be so easy to do it in the future!"

Sith couldn't help but sigh.

He still has a lot of strategic vision. Although Hudson is not the strongest in Wright County, his financial resources are definitely among the best among the nobles.

If you have money, you will have soldiers. This is the biggest feature of Northland. Looking at the entire continent, the same applies.

The first thing any ambitious noble would do after bulging their pockets is to expand their military power.

It doesn't require too much technical content, as long as you have a normal mind and don't mess around, you can create an elite team by throwing money at it.

"Master, don't worry too much. The Mountain Baron's personal ability is indeed outstanding, but the strength of the Koslow family cannot support his ambition.

This can actually be seen from the choice of fiefdom. The Salam mining area can indeed generate huge profits in a short period of time, but these profits are not sustainable.

The southeastern province lacks high-quality coal, and even if it has mines, it will be difficult to forge high-quality weapons and equipment.

We have all seen the weapons forged by the Mountain Baron, and the quality is comparable to the scrap metal of the Orc Empire. They can only make do with the equipment and give it to the serfs. Putting it in the hands of elite troops will simply reduce their combat effectiveness.

Once peace returns to the two counties, the huge profits from selling weapons will immediately decrease sharply.

At that time, just selling some farm tools or daily necessities will not be very profitable.

Among the fiefdom nobles in the two counties, the income of the Mountain Territory may be higher, but it is simply impossible to be as unparalleled as now.

It is estimated that this person also saw this, so he recruited people from the outside world in an attempt to develop the vast area of ​​​​the Salam Mountains.

This is a long-term project. Without the continuous investment of hundreds of thousands of gold coins, it will not be developed at all.

If nothing else happens, he will spend the next few decades developing the fiefdom.

For the small nobles, this is undoubtedly the most correct choice. Once all are developed, it will be enough to return the Koslow family to the middle-level nobles.

But that's the limit. The strategic focus is on territorial development, and he no longer has enough energy to compete with you, young master, for the dominance of Wright County.

The top priority is to integrate the fiefdoms as soon as possible. Only by concentrating our strength can Dadir City be restored in the shortest possible time.

As the largest city at the southern end of the Southeast Province, Dadir City is naturally suitable to become a commercial and trade center. This is our greatest advantage. "

Although the old man spoke lightly, as if he didn't take Harder seriously at all, he couldn't hide the envy in his heart.

If you develop steadily, you will be able to steadily enter the ranks of middle-class nobles, so why do you have to go through so much trouble?

Slowness is not important, the key is to be steady. If it doesn't work in ten years, then twenty years. If it doesn't work in twenty years, then thirty years. If it doesn't work in thirty years, then fifty years. Just waste it slowly on the land.

The input-output ratio is indeed low, but for nobles, they should not only focus on short-term economic benefits, but also focus on the long-term future.

The upper limit of the Mountain Territory is mid-level nobles, so why not the upper limit of the Dadir Territory? Even if he seizes the position of county guard, at most it can only support the Sith Baron to become a middle-class noble.

Let Hudson take advantage?

This conclusion is actually a fallacy. Before Hudson moved into the Salam mining area, the efficiency of iron smelting was not so high, and the quality was even appallingly poor.

It can only be used to forge farm tools and daily necessities, and it can even be used to forge inferior weapons. The profits from the mining area are far less than what they are now.

After excluding all the lord's expenses, the balance is only a few thousand gold coins at most. Trying to complete the investment of hundreds of thousands of gold coins is simply a joke.

If it were easy to do, the original lord would have done it, and it would not be Hudson's turn to take advantage of it.

Even now, many people in the outside world are still not optimistic about this long-term development plan.

After all, no one knows which will come first, tomorrow or the accident. It is purely irresponsible to invest all the strength of a family in a bottomless development project.

…

After everything settled, news about the conflict between the Kingdom and the Holy See finally reached the Southeast Province.

At this moment, everyone finally understood Governor Pierce's intention. What makes countless aristocratic children in northern Xinjiang sad and angry is that if something like this happens, you should tell it earlier, and we promise not to cause trouble!

The first step was to strike a sap, exposing everyone's dark history and causing the already loose alliance to fall apart.

Once trust is lost, it will be difficult to recover even if you work ten times harder.

Before everyone could take a breath, huge fines were imposed, weakening everyone's financial resources to the extreme, and they didn't even have the capital to make trouble.

The most important thing is that now everyone's lives are at stake, and they must purchase quota-priced grain provided by the Governor's Mansion. The monthly ration is only a small amount. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be prepared to go hungry next month!

The local nobles were also unhappy, but they didn't have so much resentment towards Earl Pierce. After all, after this round of attacks, the main unlucky ones were the nobles of Northern Xinjiang.

The boss always favors his own people, and the transmission of this political signal is enough to appease everyone's inner unhappiness. Except for a certain Chiyu who was still aggrieved, most of the local nobles accepted the current result.

After arriving at the territory smoothly, Hudson was a little suspicious that he was treating a gentleman with a villain's heart. Perhaps the moral integrity of the nobles was not as low as he thought.

However, the promise must be fulfilled. After entertaining him with good wine and delicious food, Hudson opened the warehouse and let everyone choose.

Anyway, I've screened them all, and no matter how I choose, I can't find anything of high quality.

It was a matter of his own life, and Hudson would not make such a principled mistake. In order to conceal the fact that he could use charcoal to forge good weapons, he even spent a lot of money to purchase some high-quality coal from the outside world.

It is not sold externally because the cost is too high. There is nothing wrong with it at all, as Earl Pierce can attest to, and the fine weapons forged by their family have not been sold out.

The cost of weapons and equipment manufactured by purchasing sky-high-priced high-quality coal from outside the province is only a little lower than the selling price in the world, and does not have the economic value of large-scale sales.

The Dalton family insists on making their own products. The most important thing is that they are not assured of the quality of the products purchased from outside. This is a magical world, and there are many tricks of evil people.

If someone adds ingredients to the weapons and equipment for sale, it would be very fatal for a big family.

Although it can be defended, it can't let the magician inspect each item one by one, right?

If you have trouble with the skills of the master mages, you might as well organize your own manpower to forge it. Anyway, the Dalton family has no shortage of iron ore and can save some expenses.

As for the small and medium-sized nobles, there is no need to worry about that. There is a cost to using hidden hands, and they are simply not worth the price.

Even if you need to check, just ask someone to help you see if the weapon you are using is cursed.

There is no need to worry about the life and death of ordinary soldiers. If the enemy is willing to spend such a large amount of money on them, it is not difficult to kill them directly.

A group of one hundred killers is enough to behead 99% of the small and medium-sized nobles. The remaining one percent are the lucky ones who happen to be away from home.

Although Hudson's approach seems to be a bit fussy, no one will find it strange. After all, it still saves some expenses.

"Hudson, cast the plate armor quickly! I see that the iron produced in your territory is not good at making high-precision armor, but it should not be difficult to cast large plate armor.

Even if the quality is slightly worse, it doesn't matter. As long as the thickness is sufficient, it is not difficult to block ordinary weapons. "

After visiting the smelting site, Adrian Knight proposed enthusiastically.

Baron Berio and Knight Guarente on the side also rarely expressed their approval of his proposal.

It can be seen that the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom are obsessed with plate armor. Many powerful nobles have prepared this thing for their private armies.

"The practicality is too low. Unless you prepare in advance, it will be difficult to use. If you have a strong family, you can prepare some and put them at home. They can be used when there is an invasion by foreign enemies.

In normal times, those dozens of pounds of iron lumps would be too tiring to wear on soldiers, making it difficult for them to adapt to long-distance marches. If it is placed on a carriage, there will be no time to wear it when war breaks out.

Take my advice, this kind of expensive toy is not suitable for poor people like you now. "

Hudson retorted unceremoniously.

Complaints remain complaints, but his heavy armored infantry plan was secretly launched. Although plate armor has many shortcomings, one advantage is enough - its defense is strong enough.

After all, this is a magical world, and warriors who have practiced fighting spirit are far stronger than ordinary people. Wearing dozens of pounds of armor, although it is a bit inconvenient, it is not difficult to move.

The three of them were advised to give up this idea because the production capacity of plate armor was extremely limited. In the territory, there are only three craftsmen who can cast plate armor. On average, they can produce thirty pairs of plate armor per month.

Even our own heavy infantry has not yet gathered the equipment, let alone selling it externally.