Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Under the faint light of the stars and the moon, the Elite Desert Bandit scattered. They picked up some dead wood and grass in the field outside the village and used them as firewood. They then lit a few bonfires in front of the tents.
At night, the temperature in the East County was slightly lower. Although it was not as freezing as the Nahrin Desert, it was still cold.
The East County was formerly known as the Winter County. The East County City, which was originally the capital city, was once the Winter City.
The meaning came from the cold air from the south. Every year, there would occasionally be snowflakes and cold rain falling. Even the slightly larger hailstones could be seen several times a year. It was the only county in the Dukedom of Leo where one could see the obvious cold winter.
The reason why the Winter County was changed to the East County was because of Kant’s aunt, the Countess Agatha who had been conferred the title of this place.
Because she did not get along with the Grand Duke of Leo, Cameron, after he was being conferred the title of the Dukedom of Leo, Countess Agatha directly changed the name of the county, directly changing the Winter County that was located in the west to East County. The name carried a meaning of deep estrangement between East County and Dukedom of Leo.
It meant that the former Winter County had completely no relationship with the Dukedom of Leo.
It had not changed ever since.
After ten years, Countess Agatha developed the East County as firm as an iron barrel.
Not to mention the Grand Duke of Leo, Cameron, who could not get his hands in, even the nobles of the other counties could not communicate with the East County through the officials. It was as if they were truly separated from each other.
The communication could be done with the trade caravan to handle matters. It was extremely troublesome.
It was practically semi-independent!
However, there was nothing they could do. Or rather, there was nothing they could do.
The official of the Dukedom of Leo, Grand Duke Cameron, was in a hurry to inherit the throne. He did not have enough time to gather the support of all the top-tier nobles. This was also why Countess Agatha, who had been given the authority, was able to divide the county.
In the feudal era, the support from the noble was especially important to the ruler.
The noble was the foundation of a feudal country.
Especially the nobles of the Western European system, they were the mainstay of the country!
As for the commoners, they were just ants that begged for their lives under the feet of the noble.
On the battlefield, they were just cannon fodder, living targets to block arrows for the noble lords. Most of the time, they were treated like servants who plowed, grazed, and hunted, and paid taxes for the noble lords!
Within the Dukedom of Leo, the noble was everything!
In reality, it was not just the East County, there was also Viscount Wayne of North County who hated Dukedom of Leo.
Ten years ago, if it was not for Cameron’s decisive decision to take advantage of the North County, which was being invaded by Jackalan, and lead his troops directly to the north, displaying the threat of force, even the North County would have been semi-independent like the current East County.
But now, Viscount Kevin of the North County was still acting as a threat to the royal family and was inserted into the northern county as a nail.
From this, one could see the internal conflicts and discord in the Dukedom of Leo.
The struggle for power.
The dispute between the king and the noble.
Kant was still helpless about this. This kind of struggle had nothing to do with him, but it was also related to him.
Kant was now a top noble. He was a powerhouse among the noble families. He had troops and money in his hands and had claimed the Nahrin Desert. He was already in conflict with the royal power.
It would be even more interesting if someone from the Lion Fort asked Kant to pay taxes or provide financial assistance.
According to the rules, Kant did have this obligation.
It was just different in the beginning.
He was exiled.
Then, he received help to rise in power despite being exiled.
As a baron, the manager at the top was in name, Viscount Wayne of North County.
But because of Kant’s royal bloodline, he was the second son of the Grand Duke of Leo, Cameron. He had the right to inherit the throne. Even a mere Viscount Wayne could not truly treat Kant as a vassal.
Moreover, Kant’s Nahrin Desert was not classified on the official map of the Dukedom of Leo.
It was close to the North County and was under Viscount Wayne’s jurisdiction.
Taking over was only a matter of circumstance.
No one cared about the once-forbidden area of civilization, the race desert.
Even if they knew that there was an Oasis Lookout in the Nahrin Desert that could allow living people to live, it was not proportional to the rewards of reclamation. No one really cared about who owned the Nahrin Desert.
Even before Kant went to the Nahrin Desert, the official scholar did not admit that this was the territory of the Dukedom of Leo.
The map also showed that it was a no-man’s land.
It was a pure desert!
This also led to an awkward situation, Kant had no actual superior.
Perhaps Cameron, the Grand Duke of Leo, who had personally conferred the title of Kant, could be considered as one. However, as the Grand Duke and Kant’s father, if he was a real noble, he should confer Kant as a viscount. The rank of a baron was too low.
He was definitely a low-level noble among the nobles.
“Ha.” Kant stood on the grain drying field, his was calm.
He was not interested in the rank of a noble. In fact, he was not interested in the so-called position of an archduke or grand duke. It was true that he could live a stable life in this world. It was his pursuit to live better by relying on the “Mount and Blade” system.
The night was getting darker. The stars and the moon had already shone with all of their light.
The torches on the ground were also burning.
The fragrance filled the air.
It was the fragrance of toast, along with the fragrance of dried meat, dried sausage, and smoked fish.
Kant and his cavalries had been trekking the entire afternoon. They only had lunch at noon. By the time of evening, they were already so hungry that their chests were pressed against their backs. They started the bonfire to prepare dinner.
However, even though they were cold, tired, and hungry, the cavalries did not forget to take care of their personal warhorses.
They were the partners that they relied on to cooperate on the battlefield.
They could be treated as brothers.
The simple trough and sink were connected. The good wheat grains mixed with chickpeas and clover grass were poured into it. In addition, it was moistened with water. It was the best food and could quickly replenish the strength of the warhorse.
This was all thanks to the agriculture of “Aaron” City.
The terraced fields outside the city had long been flourishing.
For example, the wheat fields were all common crops. Crops such as chickpeas, cabbage, pumpkin, and so on had long been planted. Along with the suitable climate and good irrigation in the Senwaya Range, it brought a rich harvest.
And take the wheat fields for example. It didn’t ripen once a year, but two to three times a year!
The land inside the Senwaya Range was very fertile.
It was like black soil.
The temperature of the Nahrin Desert, coupled with the slight chill at the bottom of the mountain, just happened to be neutralized at the surface.
Coupled with the rule power of the system, it made the construction of agriculture easier. The entire “Aaron” City had begun to enter a period of agricultural development. This was also the reason why the peasant farmers were so keen on reclamation.
With the development of agriculture, the livestock ate even better. Sometimes, they ate as much as the civilians.
Only good feed could breed a good warhorse.
This was a principle that the riders of Sarrand Sultanate agreed with.
Of course, excellent training and breeding were also needed. Otherwise, even if they ate high-quality feed, those poor horses or workhorses would not become warhorses. On the contrary, they would increase their weight and not be able to do their jobs well.
After feeding the feed and water, the bread and meat baked by the bonfire were also ready.
The outside of the meat was charred, but the inside was tender.
It was sprinkled with salt and spices, and the taste was even more delicious.
Kant ate it, but it did not feel simple. On the contrary, it felt like he was eating barbecue in his previous life.
He ate with Rolf and the Sarleon Lion Knights next to him without any restraint. They chatted about what they had seen and heard along the way. Occasionally, they would chuckle. Under the light of the bonfire, it felt more lively.
After entering the East County, they were close to Avilis Castle. It could be considered than half of their journey was done.
This place was not far from the East County City in the south.
Although the road was rugged, it was only a two-day journey for the cavalries who rode horses.
They continue to chat.
The atmosphere in the village, which had also lit torches, was very solemn.
The village chief, who was already old, was discussing with the slightly plump financial officer and the strong sheriff in the house. All of them were frowning, and they seemed to be very serious.
At that time, they were greedy for silver coins, but now, they were afraid.
This was really dangerous.
The grain drying field was just a short distance away from the village.
If these mercenaries who were as fierce as bandits were to cause a ruckus, with the militia in the village, even if all of peasants were to join forces, they would probably not be a match for them. If something bad really happened, it would probably be a bloodbath.
A bloody purge, plundering and massacring the entire village, and finally burning it to ashes.
Although it was close to Avilis Castle, there was still a distance to the castle
If something went wrong, it would take time for the troops in the castle to come over.
And after these cavalries finished plundering and massacring, they would set a fire and leave quickly. They would take advantage of the night to leave the East County, and when that time came, they probably would not even have the chance to take revenge.
The troops of the East County would not leave their own estate, let alone the North and South Counties.
“What should we do?”
The finance officer was regretting his decision.
He was the finance officer, and he controlled all the taxes and finances in the village. He looked like a low-level squire who was dependent on Avilis Castle, but with the help of the trade caravan around the village, he had a lot of money.
Without the current village, he would not be able to enjoy the glory and wealth!
“They had given us silver coins.”
The sheriff was a knowledgeable guy. He steadied his mind and said, “Can we still chase those guys away?”
The village chief also sighed, “We have to be careful.”
The village was peaceful.
If they really chased those mercenaries away and there was a quarrel, or even a fight, then they would be in big trouble.
They had not dealt with the matter, but they had stirred up a bigger problem, or even the worst outcome. Just thinking about it made them shudder. They were ashamed and angry at their greed at that time.
But now was not the time to blame each other.
“Do we report to the castle?”
The sheriff and finance officer frowned.
“Yes.” the old village chief nodded. “This is not a small matter. Since we are here, don’t we have the right to report to the Lord? Now that more than 500 cavalries have crossed the border, and they are mercenaries, they want to find some jobs. So, why don’t we use this reason to report to the castle?”
After a pause, the old village chief said in a deep voice, “When the time comes, if something happens, the castle will be able to organize troops to come and rescue us as soon as possible. It would be even better if they could come and investigate their identities.”
“Good, good Idea!” the sheriff and the finance officer agreed.
This was indeed a good idea.
Soon, a few capable militiamen quietly led their horses from the village and left at night.
They did not dare to ride their horses in plain sight. Instead, they carefully followed the remote path and traveled a long distance before they arrived at the road to Avilis Castle. They used their horsewhips to whip their horses to increase their speed.
They carried the expectations of the village and the safety of their families.
Avilis Castle was not far away.
It only took them two to three hours to reach there.
At this moment, the five of them rode their horses at an even faster speed. The stars were bright in the night, and it took them two hours to reach the castle.
Torches were lit on the city walls, and elite guards wearing mail armor were patrolling. When they saw someone riding their horses in the night, they did not panic. Instead, a cavalry team rode their horses to welcome them.
Avilis Castle had been peaceful for a long time. Not to mention the enemy, there were very few bandits wandering in this land.
Not to mention the attackers.
This group of well-trained elite guards were slightly on guard.
They were looked disappointed. To be honest, to them, they really wanted to have a little battle to have some fun.
However, the castle’s defense still needed to be on guard. Viscount Gibran was not a benevolent lord. Although he was a little older, the prestige he had left on the battlefield was getting stronger and stronger.
Thinking of this, the elite guards of the castle all became alert and carried their weapons to the city gate.
“Stop!” the leading elite guard shouted, “This is Avilis Castle, Viscount Gibran’s castle. Travelers who come here must tell us your identity if you want to get close. Otherwise, we will attack!”
His words were obviously not a joke.
The cavalry that went out to greet them were also well-trained knights and attendants.
Each of them had already picked up their longsword and lance. They looked vigilantly at the five guys who were panting on their horses. They looked at each other and lowered the weapons in their hands.
No matter how they looked, these guys did not look like attackers or bandits.
“We… We…” the captain of the militia was a little nervous.
However, for the safety of the village, he still shouted, “We are the militia of Nali Village. This evening, a mercenary group came to our village to stay. We were afraid that something bad would happen, so we came to report!”
“Mercenary group?”
On the city gate, the guards also looked at each other.
Nali Village was indeed one of the few villages under the command of Avilis Castle. However, they had the duty of gathering information for the castle on a daily basis. The so-called information was varied, and it all depended on the reactions of the villagers.
However, now that they came to report and were so anxious, there must be something wrong.
They sensed that something was wrong.
The captain of the guards shouted, “Let them come over!”
“Follow them!”
The cavalry that went out to welcome them let the five militiamen approach the castle.
However, the main gate of the castle was still closed. There was only a shed at the bottom, which could be considered as the residence of the night soldiers stationed outside the castle at night. There were also more than a dozen guards holding long lance standing there, looking at them cautiously.
After a short while, the city gate opened a crack.
The captain of the guards walked out.
“Sir knight!”
The five militiamen hurriedly greeted him.
“Yes.” the captain of the guards was indeed a knight. He just frowned at them and asked, “What’s going on? Isn’t it normal for mercenary groups to stay in your village? Why are you so flustered?”
