On his warhorse, Viscount Wayne was fully covered in chain mail crafted by high-level blacksmiths. This included the complete set of neck, arm, and leg mail forged from iron. In terms of defense, he had everything.
There was nothing he could do. As the supreme lord of the northern county, he needed such protection, and he could afford it.
Behind him were 300 knights.
Their equipment wasn’t bad.
On the triangular flag on the top of the lance, there was the family emblem of Viscount Wayne.
There was a red-eyed swallow holding a sword and a shield, surrounded by flowers.
This meant that he had real power, a fief, and an army. The sword and shield represented everything, and the three flower buds that could be seen in the flowers represented that his family had been around for 300 years.
However, that swallow was not something to be proud of. Instead, in the eyes of Viscount Wayne, there was a bit of irony.
The swallow represented the commoners.
This proved that his family was a noble that had made contributions from the commoners.
The red eye, on the other hand, was like the red eye of an eagle. It meant that his family had a marriage alliance with the royal family. They were one of the noble families that the royal family valued the most, and were the most important noble allies of the royal family.
The eagle and the lion were often the symbols of the royal family.
The symbol of the Dukedom of Leo was the lion.
The eagle was a branch of the bloodline that was closely related to the royal family, and it also represented the top-tier noble families.
In any case, the noble families were all connected by marriage. Their bloodlines had long permeated each other. It did not matter even if they had the same bloodline, because that was the truth. They relied on marriage in exchange for mutual support.
However, Viscount Wayne wanted to go one step further. It would be even better if he could replace swallows with eagles!
“Now is the chance.”
He muttered to himself.
Turning his head, behind him and his personal knight, a bunch of mercenaries dressed in different clothes but holding weapons formed a long snake, following closely behind him. They walked quickly, each of their faces filled with fanaticism and excitement.
The desire for wealth, as well as the desire to change one’s social class, had all evolved into a desire.
Viscount Wayne was the same.
“It’s over there.”
He looked forward. On the horizon in the distance, a majestic mountain range appeared before his eyes.
From the horizon on the left to the horizon on the right, it seemed endless. It was precisely this almost majestic mountain range that blocked the invasion from the vast desert further north.
This was the Senwaya range, the best backer of the Dukedom of Leo.
It used to be.
And now, it was!
Especially after the discovery of the salt mine in the Nahrin Desert, the Dukedom of Leo had also brought along its economic backer.
In a short period of time, the Dukedom of Leo had gotten rid of its original economic structure. It did not need to use crops and handicrafts to exchange for various goods. Just the tolls and commission from the trade caravan were enough to make it rich.
It was all because of that salt mine, the salt mine that did not belong to the Dukedom of Leo at the moment!
The noble families began to move restlessly.
He, Viscount Wayne, was one of the most direct leaders.
That’s right.
Viscount Wayne, the lord of the northern county, was this person who stood out.
He was also willing to stand out, willing to be used by the high-ranking noble families of the southern county. He was even smug about it. Finally, he had a chance to come into contact with the true, most powerful forces of the Dukedom of Leo.
If he did not have any value, it meant that this guy had no value at all.
That was no different from a dead person.
On the contrary.
If he could indirectly use the others’ help.
This was a win-win situation. Wayne liked this feeling very much. For this reason, he was willing to stand out.
Although he ruled the entire northern county, this vast land was so barren and dangerous. The annual output of all the farms under his jurisdiction could not even compare to the few farms by the river in the southern county.
Even the most profitable fur products in the Senwaya range could not compare to the money earned from trading by the river.
Most importantly.
Viscount Wayne’s title was only Viscount.
In the southern county and the eastern county, he was only a middle-level noble. From this, one could see the status of the northern county.
In the Dukedom of Leo, it was often said that the nobles in the northern county were a group of beggars with noble titles. Even the honorary nobles in the palace were not willing to work in the northern county. It was obvious that they looked down on this barren land.
How could he, Viscount Wayne, be willing to be looked down upon by the mainstream noble circle forever?
That’s right.
Even he did not join the noble circle.
The noble of the southern county was the real noble. In the past, it could be considered as the eastern county. As for the noble of the northern county, they were no different from ordinary country bumpkins. In fact, the commoners of the southern county were comparable to the knights of the northern county.
In the circle of the true noble, this was undoubtedly a disgrace to the honor of the noble.
But now, it was different.
As long as he captured the Stone Pass, then he would have the stepping stone to become a noble.
And if he occupied the salt mine in Nahrin desert, even if he had to share the spoils with the other nobles of the Dukedom of Leo, even if he contributed the least, he would not be able to get the lion’s share. Viscount Wayne also knew that he would completely become a noble.
This was a chance for his Wayne family to undergo a qualitative change.
He did not need to be overly greedy.
He just needed to take things slowly and steadily.
The Wayne family began to prosper. It took them 220 years to become the supreme lord of the northern county.
It was also because of his grandfather’s great contributions that he obtained the status of supreme lord of the northern county. A few years later, he passed it on to his father, who passed it on to him before he died.
In other words, it took three generations to exchange for the 80-year-old position of supreme lord of the northern county.
As for him…
He was the viscount of the new generation of the Wayne family.
He could finally obtain a new change in the 16th year after inheriting this title and estate.
As long as he didn’t lose the title of lord of the northern county and marry the high-ranking nobles of the southern county, the Wayne family would be able to use the geographical advantage to grow into a true high-ranking noble.
The entanglement of interests and realistic marriages were the most reliable means for the noble to form an alliance.
There was one in each of them.
Viscount Wayne could wait.
At worst, he could become a high-ranking noble in his grandson’s generation.
At that time, the Wayne family would no longer be a Viscount. It was even possible that they would become a count. Their bloodline would even be intertwined with that of the royal family. Even the archduke would have his bloodline.
It was not impossible. Just thinking about it made Viscount Wayne tremble. He could not be more excited.
“Pass the order!”
He shouted.
He turned to the messenger behind him and ordered loudly, “Tell those cute boys to work harder. I need to reach a place 30 miles away from the pass by nightfall. At that time, I will find a village to let everyone rest!”
“Yes!” The messenger nodded and immediately rode his horse to deliver the order.
