bookandnovel Chapter 89 You guys are so annoying!
Chapter 89 You guys are so annoying!
Chapter 89 You guys are so annoying!
Two days later.
Spring March 21st.
[Career Advancement] Loading progress 33%.
The starry sky returned to tranquility.
The team returned to chiffon cake.
After being away for a few days, nothing unusual happened in the territory. Everything proceeded steadily and methodically, just as Richard had when he left.
The foundation of the city wall has been almost completely leveled, and the basic outline of the ground has emerged.
Interestingly...
Last time, after he left Chiffon, his camp was surrounded. This time it was the same, only this time it was a caravan led by Oscar instead of aliens.
More than twenty horse-drawn carts loaded with goods, along with a large herd of pigs, cattle, and sheep, were waiting outside the camp.
Who would have thought he would be so punctual this time? He said four days and he kept his promise exactly, without any hesitation.
Richard allowed him to rest briefly in a guest room near the wall entrance, promising to summon him later. He then rode a large cargo ship into the camp to begin unloading.
[Crab Traps] We've caught a few Iridium-starred lobsters and fat crabs from the Ice Sea. We need to put them away carefully so the caravan members can't see them.
Lina waited for his return at the gate of the lord's mansion, her eyes filled with concern, which was transformed into a gentle smile.
"Welcome back, sir."
Richard flipped off the saddle, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her forehead.
"The territory has been very well organized while I was away. Thank you for your hard work."
Receiving the praise, Lina's face was full of joy. She said softly, "It's mainly because Lord Karl and Lord Owen were keeping an eye on things that nothing went wrong."
Richard nodded, raised his hand to pat her head, his eyes full of affection.
"I brought back some delicious seafood, I'll share it with you tonight. Now I'll go and make some arrangements to put the things I brought back away properly."
"Yes, sir."
The first floor of the Lord's Hall.
Richard sat in the main seat, his fingertips lightly tapping the edge of the table. Im stood beside him, while Oscar stood in the hall with his hands at his sides.
"The goods have been counted correctly. The reputation of the Ferret Trading Company is indeed well-deserved. But judging from your expression, is there something else you want to say?"
Richard noticed that he didn't mention settling the bill and instead looked hesitant, so he guessed what was going on.
Upon hearing this...
Oscar's tone carried a hint of helplessness.
"There is indeed something I need to tell you, but it may cause you some trouble."
1
Richard frowned.
Is something strange happening outside again?
"Speak."
Oscar took a deep breath and then began to speak slowly.
"A few days ago, Grand Duke Frostmoor hosted a banquet, inviting all the great lords of the North to attend."
"During the banquet, the Grand Duke detailed the crimes committed by the orcs in recent years, who had invaded and harassed the eastern part of the northern border, and issued a punitive order on the spot."
"He plans to gather all his vassals to jointly send troops to the Cape Region to completely annihilate all the orc tribes."
"The departure date was set for early summer, with the assembly to take place in Black Crow Territory, but who knew..."
At this point, Oscar glanced up at Richard, then looked down again, speaking faster.
"But to everyone's surprise, Earl of the Wolf refused to be summoned on the spot and left the banquet early, which enraged the Grand Duke on the spot."
"The Grand Duke smashed his wine glass, vowing that he would make Benlang regret his decision today, and the banquet ended in discord."
The words fell.
You could hear a pin drop in the hall.
Im gasped, his face filled with disbelief.
Richard offered no comment, simply waving his hand expressionlessly to signal everyone to leave the Lord's Hall.
Oscar swallowed hard, bowed, and followed Im out.
Seeing everyone leave, Richard picked up the wine on the table, and just as he brought it to his lips, he suddenly let out a long sigh.
Put down the wine glass.
Leaning back in his chair, he raised his hand to rub his brow.
bother!
Oscar is right.
This news really upset him, and even ruined his wonderful mood after his spring outing!
but...
In fact, he probably understood why Earl of the Wolf had refused the summons.
Firstly, because the gains do not outweigh the losses.
The empire's style of operation tends to be group-based, especially when faced with large-scale invasions or the need to conquer a particular region.
The leader of the region will take the lead in initiating the movement.
Either don't fight.
Once a war breaks out, the entire territory is involved.
Form a massive army, crush the enemy with overwhelming force, and after conquering the territory, reward the fallen and slowly divide the land among yourselves.
This is why, despite being located in the western part of the North, the Wolf possessed an enclave in the northern part of the North, which ultimately fell into his hands.
But the Cape Territory is as barren and desolate as the northernmost part of the North. Even if we were to take it over, no one would be willing to cultivate it.
It is estimated that the Wolf Territory is currently carrying out large-scale farmland transformation based on the agricultural techniques he provided, hoping to catch up with this year's summer planting and autumn harvest.
At this time, if troops are sent to conquer the Cape region, it will be necessary to draw serfs to transport supplies.
But summer planting is about to begin, and after the serfs have been transferred, the number left is barely enough to complete the planting. Where would there be any extra manpower to transform the farmland?
In other words, if Benlang responds to the call, this year's major renovation plan will be delayed.
Millions of acres of land!
A year's loss.
That would mean losing at least several thousand gold coins, not to mention the increased production of life-sustaining food!
Given the Wolf Army's focus on honing its military strength and enhancing its capabilities, how could it possibly be willing to halt its modernization efforts at this time to conquer the Cape Region?
Even if the conquest is successful, at most you'll gain a few more garbage enclaves in the cape area, which is nothing compared to the benefits of transforming farmland.
If it were him...
If at this point in time, Run Wolf issues a conscription order to Chiffon, requiring him to lead his guards and fifty serfs into battle.
He would definitely try every means to refuse, and in this respect, Earl of the Wolf's choice is beyond reproach.
But what he couldn't understand the most was...
Why did Earl of the Wolf choose to refuse in public at a banquet attended by many lords?
How bizarre!
Others may not know, but as the fifth son of Earl of Strombard, he knew his father's character all too well.
Earl of the Wolf was always calm and composed; even if he refused to be conscripted, he would always find a tactful excuse.
He could easily discuss this privately with Duke Shuangmo, such as sending a small number of troops.
Even if they are allowed to act as cheerleaders, shouting encouragement from behind the army group, they should never be allowed to publicly humiliate others and trample on their own lord in this way.
This arrogant and domineering behavior is completely like that of a naive young man, which is really abnormal.
Could it be...
Count Benlang felt that his strength was enough to rival Shuangmo, which was why he dared to be so defiant, unwilling to obey Shuangmo's orders anymore, and preparing to break ties.
This bold guess only lingered in Richard's mind for a moment before he dismissed it.
As the power of the Holy See has grown over the years, the relationship between the lords has remained quite harmonious.
The young lords also banded together for mutual support, with the Frost, Snow Deer, and Snow Fox families being the best examples.
Only those extravagant lords who indulge in pleasure and lack ambition would turn a blind eye to the crises around them.
Earl of the Wolf is not a short-sighted man and would never do anything to undermine the unity of the North at this time. There must be some hidden reason for this matter that he is unaware of.
but...
Frost will definitely retaliate.
Having lost so much face at a banquet attended by vassals, if he doesn't do something, his prestige in the Northern Territory will be completely ruined, and how will he be able to command his vassals in the future?
of course.
A real war is unlikely to happen, because the Star Kingdom would never sit idly by and watch the top two powers in the North fight each other, wasting the nation's resources.
With the Holy See stirring up trouble within the Empire and the Titan Empire eyeing it covetously from the outside, the Empire is currently facing both internal and external crises. How could it possibly allow them to run rampant?
So...
While a major war is unlikely to break out, minor skirmishes will certainly occur frequently.
It's not too difficult for a Grand Duke to cause trouble for his vassals, such as by blocking trade routes, creating conflicts on the borders of his territory, or intimidating free citizens.
What bothered Richard the most was whether Grand Duke Frostmooth would take his anger out on the vassals of Benlang.
If you can't control the old wolf, can't you at least manipulate the wolf cubs?
That concludes the analysis.
Richard was utterly speechless.
What is this?
Just got back from a weekend vacation, and now I'm facing a problem from my boss?
How annoying!