On the afternoon of September 20, a group of Mountain Dwarves slowly escorted thirty goat carts through the wilderness.
The leading Mountain Dwarf rode a Horsehead Mountain Goat and held an iron hammer, vigilantly watching the surroundings to ensure the convoy's safety.
Now that they had reached the human borderlands, the cargo they were escorting forced him to remain cautious.
All of a sudden, several hundred knights lying in ambush throughout the surrounding wilderness rose to their feet. They hurled the spears in their hands, then immediately launched their attack.
The entire operation was swift and decisive. More than thirty Mountain Dwarves who failed to react in time were pinned to the ground on the spot.
"Enemy attack! Everyone, defend! Protect the ore!"
The leading Mountain Dwarf waved his iron hammer and shouted his orders.
Looking at the humans emerging from all around them, even he was not foolish enough to miss the obvious: news of their escort had leaked, and these greedy humans had ambushed them in advance.
Olcott picked his target and charged straight at the leading Mountain Dwarf.
Before long, the hammer and longsword clashed. Their unleashed Battle Qi intertwined, and both humans and Mountain Dwarves kept well away from that area.
Soon, the other Silver Knights found their targets and engaged the Silver-grade Mountain Dwarves.
Watching the situation on the battlefield, Velin immediately felt that victory was assured.
They had many-against-one fights, two-against-one fights. They held an absolute advantage in numbers, both among the elite combatants and on the lower battlefield.
"Damned humans! You're courting death!" The leading Mountain Dwarf watched his subordinates dwindle in number. He erupted with hidden potential and forced Olcott back, leaving the High-Silver Knight, already past fifty, struggling to defend himself.
"Edgar, Brian, come help me!"
After dispatching their opponents, the two Silver Intermediate Knights immediately went to support Olcott.
Facing the combined assault of the three men, the Mountain Dwarf leader gradually fell into a disadvantage. Olcott seized an opening and severed both his arms.
"Ah—"
"Damn it!"
The Mountain Dwarf leader looked around. Only a handful of his subordinates remained, while most had died at human hands.
"Humans, you will pay the price. Marquis Dalag will definitely find you."
"Heh. That's assuming he can find us first."
The next moment, the Mountain Dwarf leader was killed. The remaining Mountain Dwarves suffered no exceptions; all died beneath blades and swords.
Afterward, everyone began clearing the battlefield, collecting the Mountain Dwarves' heads and recovering the bodies of their fallen comrades.
To avoid any unexpected developments, the group did not linger. They planned to divide the spoils after returning to Lake of Praying Stars.
After the main force left, Velin tossed a Centaur token that had been washed with Deodorizing Potion into a concealed patch of grass, using it as planted evidence.
On the way back, Olcott chose to make a circuit around the border of Sepulo Province as a precaution, feeding their enemy false information.
Inside a wooden cabin at Lake of Praying Stars, Velin placed the casualty report and inventory of supplies on the table. The meeting to divide the spoils officially began.
As the temporary commander-in-chief, Olcott did not hesitate to serve as the host of the division meeting.
"The seized spoils will be divided into two categories. One consists of Mountain Dwarf heads. The other consists of Mountain Copper, Nubian Black Goats, Horsehead Mountain Goats, and weapons and equipment. I propose we divide them according to different ratios."
"The Mountain Dwarf heads will be divided according to the number each of us killed. The other supplies will be divided according to contribution."
The other three nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Olcott continued, "In this battle, the men I brought suffered seventeen Bronze Knight deaths and twenty-three Bronze Knight injuries. Edgar lost eleven Bronze Knights, with nine Bronze Knights injured. Brian lost six Bronze Knights, with thirteen Bronze Knights injured. Velin had three Bronze Knights injured."
"In this battle, we obtained a total of two hundred and thirty-seven Mountain Dwarf heads: eighty-three ordinary ones, one hundred and forty-eight Bronze-grade ones, and six Silver-grade ones."
"So..."
Half an hour later, the meeting ended, and everyone received their share of the spoils.
From this battle, Velin received six carts of Mountain Copper ore, totaling around twelve tons; twelve Nubian Black Goats; six Horsehead Mountain Goats; thirty sets of Dwarf weapons and equipment; one Silver-grade Mountain Dwarf head; sixteen Bronze-grade Mountain Dwarf heads; and twenty-six ordinary Mountain Dwarf heads.
These Mountain Dwarf heads were not particularly useful at the present stage, but they would be of great use once he became a Baron and sought promotion to Viscount.
Within the Ilia Kingdom, those below the rank of duke could advance their titles through War Merit.
Of course, every rank also had age requirements.
For example, although the Ex Family, an earl family, had long possessed the strength and War Merit required to become a marquis family, it had only existed for seven hundred years. It was still one hundred years short of the eight-hundred-year inheritance requirement.
The day after the spoils were divided, the three men gradually led their respective troops away from Lake of Star Prayer.
After everyone left, Velin entered farming mode. He continued developing his territory, urging the construction of the castle and organizing military training.
To prepare for the Gnolls two months later, Velin even began organizing free commoners and serfs for collective training so that he could quickly replenish his forces after casualties.
"My lord, you summoned me." Belder came to Velin's study, struck his chest in salute, and spoke.
Seeing this, Velin set down his pen and instructed Belder, "I have a task for you."
"Please give your orders, my lord."
"For the next two months, I need you to lead the army and organize collection teams. Gather everything usable within a radius of ten kilometers and bring it back."
"Remember, destroy everything that cannot be gathered. Do not leave behind the slightest thing."
"Yes, my lord."
After accepting the order, Belder promptly left the study.
Velin walked to the window and looked at the calm lake. He muttered to himself, "Two months. With a scorched-earth strategy and not a scrap of food left nearby, I'd like to see how those attacking Gnolls plan to deal with this."
Only a little over two months remained until the monster attack. He had to speed up and improve his strength.
Soon, the night of October 1 arrived, and Guidance of Fate once again brought Velin valuable information.
At the bottom of Lake of Star Prayer was a cave where a Seven-Colored Life Flower grew.
"Seven-Colored Life Flower."
Velin got out of bed, walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a book that recorded many magical plants.
Soon, he found the information he wanted.
"The Seven-Colored Life Flower is a rare magical plant. It is said to be a plant favored by the Goddess of Life. It can rapidly heal injuries, repair hidden bodily damage, restore bodily functions, extend one's lifespan, and is an exceptionally rare magical plant."
"Furthermore, the Seven-Colored Life Flower can improve the consumer's Magical Talent."
"It is immensely valuable. Discoverers are advised to hand it over to the Holy Temple of Life, thereby earning the favor of the Goddess of Life."
Upon seeing that last sentence, he did not need to think about it. The church had definitely added it.
For an immensely valuable magical plant like the Seven-Colored Life Flower, no normal person would believe that nonsense. Other than fools, who would hand it over to the church in exchange for some illusory honor?
Before you continue