War Reparations

The fighting on Rising Light Island continued.

In less than a moment, sixty to seventy people from both sides had fallen forever on the battlefield, a truly brutal engagement.

Watching warrior after warrior fall beside him, Neil Bergman's heart bled.

This was all the foundation he had painstakingly built over the past three years, and now, due to his own carelessness, a third of it was lost in an instant.

What was most critical was that his territory was located in the Chaotic Sea Domain. If his strength were severely depleted in this battle, his old enemies would surely seize the opportunity, join forces, and tear him to shreds, just as he had personally destroyed three small factions in the past.

This would completely cut off his path as a noble, leaving him no chance to recover.

Thinking of this, Neil Bergman could no longer hold back and shouted, "Lord on the other side, if this battle continues, it will surely be a mutual destruction, and neither of us will gain anything. How about we stop fighting and make peace?"

As his words fell, the situation on the entire battlefield seemed to gradually ease.

At this moment, Roland, who was at the rear of the battlefield, frowned upon hearing this. His gaze was fixed tightly on Neil Bergman.

For him, he naturally wanted to wipe out the enemies who had invaded his territory. However, given the current situation on the battlefield, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's team were not at any advantage.

Moreover, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group had suffered heavy casualties in the previous battles. Not only had more than twenty people died directly on the battlefield, but the remaining members were all wounded. If the fight continued, it was inevitable that their rebellious sentiments would be stirred, and a variable might arise.

It could be seen from the gradually easing fighting on the battlefield that the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group had also been frightened by the huge casualties. They instinctively agreed with Neil Bergman's suggestion to stop fighting.

Roland had to consider this, as the most powerful force he currently possessed was the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group. If they refused to obey his orders, Artur's team alone would undoubtedly be no match for Neil Bergman.

Therefore, after a moment of contemplation, Roland finally replied, "You brazenly invaded my territory, caused me significant losses, and now you want to stop and make peace? Are you dreaming?"

Hearing Roland's cold voice, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Neil Bergman's face. However, the situation was urgent, and he couldn't afford to lose face. He quickly replied, "This is a misunderstanding. I was provoked by a villain, which forced me to invade your territory."

"As you can see, if we continue to fight, both sides will suffer heavy losses. This will not benefit either of our territories. How about we stop for now?"

"Forced? How utterly shameless! Did someone hold a knife to your neck and force you to invade my territory?" Roland said with disdain.

"This... I am willing to compensate you for your losses and offer my sincerest apologies. How about that?" Seeing that Roland was not willing to let him off easily, Neil Bergman's face showed a moment of hesitation before he finally replied with some reluctance.

Hearing this, Roland's heart stirred. This battle clearly could not continue, so it was better to gain some tangible benefits. His tone could not help but soften.

"Compensation? How will you compensate?"

"I am willing to pay you one hundred gold coins to compensate for the losses I have caused you." A hint of joy appeared on Neil Bergman's face when he saw Roland finally willing to relent.

"One hundred gold coins? Are you insulting an Apothecary?" Roland was furious.

"Apothecary?" A flash of shock crossed Neil Bergman's eyes. He finally understood the key to the prosperity of the other party's territory; it turned out he was an Apothecary.

However, while he was still in shock, Roland's next words made his expression change drastically.

"All troops, listen to my command! Kill one enemy, reward thirty gold coins. For a Beginner Warrior, double the reward. For an Intermediate Warrior, double again."

As Roland's words fell, the situation on the battlefield, which had been somewhat easing, suddenly underwent a major change. The Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's team, upon hearing the rewards announced by Roland, their eyes turned bloodshot. Their actions became fierce again, with every strike aimed at the enemy's vital points.

Although they did not want to continue fighting, Roland's offer was too generous.

As mercenaries, what were they fighting for if not gold coins, even if it cost them their lives?

"Stop... stop, esteemed Apothecary, you name your price." Seeing the battlefield reignite, Neil Bergman quickly said in distress.

"Hmph, two thousand gold coins, three hundred slaves, thirty tons of grain." Roland made a sky-high demand.

"Impossible, I cannot afford such a price." Neil Bergman's face changed drastically upon hearing this.

Roland's conditions would almost empty half of his territory. How could he agree to this?

"Then what is there to talk about? Let's fight."

"No, no, I am willing to give you five hundred gold coins, fifty slaves, and ten tons of grain. How about that?"

"Let's fight." Roland had also made up his mind. At worst, he would invest all his income into this war for the next few months.

Roland might be able to endure if the fight continued, but Neil Bergman clearly could not. Once he lost this elite guard force, his territory would be lost. Thus, he shouted again.

"Half, half, I can accept half at most."

"Half?" Roland's expression showed a hint of consideration.

After all, if the fight continued, he would also suffer heavy losses. If the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group suffered too much, his territory's safety would not be guaranteed.

"They must be strong, healthy, and intact adult slaves, with the proportion of males not less than two-thirds."

Upon hearing Roland's reply, Neil Bergman finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Roland's conditions pained him immensely, he ultimately agreed in order to preserve his guard force.

As both sides reached an agreement, the fighting on the battlefield gradually subsided.

The battlefield was a mess after a great battle. Neither side gained any advantage. Especially Neil Bergman, whose guard force suffered more than half casualties, and he also had to pay a large amount of compensation. This battle almost cost him a third of his fortune.

Compared to Neil Bergman, Rising Light Island was not much better. Artur's team lost three more people in this battle. Even with Artur, there were only four left now.

The Loyal Lion Mercenary Group fared even worse. This battle alone saw thirty-two deaths and over ten seriously injured. Currently, only about fifty people remained unharmed in the entire mercenary group.

However, in comparison, the losses of the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's team did not need to be borne by Roland. Instead, they were the responsibility of O'Neal and Leslie. After all, their relationship was not one of subordination, so Roland did not need to bear the compensation for the fallen mercenaries and Artur's team.

Moreover, Roland had received a large sum of compensation from Neil Bergman. Instead, this war had made Roland a huge profit.

After the war ended, Roland had no intention of meeting Neil Bergman. After all, the other party was a Level 8 Warrior, and fearing potential danger, Roland directly handed over all subsequent matters to Old Nob to handle.

If there was a first merit for this battle, it was definitely not the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group or Artur's team, but Old Nob.

If he had not discovered the enemy landing on the island under the cover of night in advance, this battle would have ended long ago, and an unprepared Roland would have certainly suffered a great loss.

Therefore, to recognize Old Nob's contributions, Roland directly granted him the right to negotiate.

Meanwhile, after the war ended, Neil Bergman looked at his heavily wounded subordinates with a heavy heart. However, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Deeds, who was severely injured but still alive.

The value of an Advanced Warrior was far beyond that of beginner or intermediate ones. As long as Deeds survived, his territory would not face any major crises for the time being.

However, the subsequent compensation gave him a terrible headache. One hundred and fifty slaves, all of whom had to be healthy adults, would essentially deplete half of the adult slaves in his territory. Furthermore, the compensation of one thousand gold coins made his heart ache immensely.

After all, not every Pioneer Knight earned vast profits from potions like Roland. Neil Bergman occupied an island of over thirty square kilometers, and after three years of development, his territory's annual income was only around five thousand gold coins.

After deducting essential expenses, he was lucky to have one thousand gold coins left annually. Now, all of it had to be used to pay for war reparations.

However, seeing the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group and Artur's team still eyeing him covetously, Neil Bergman reluctantly accepted it all.

Just then, Old Nob, carrying Roland's mandate for negotiation, slowly approached. A shrewd smile flashed across his face upon seeing Neil Bergman.

"Respected Lord, when can I expect the compensation you mentioned?"

Although Old Nob's words were filled with respect, his expression did not reflect it. Instead, there was a sense of pride befitting a victor.

Neil Bergman was naturally displeased by this, but the situation was beyond his control. He suppressed his anger and replied irritably, "I've already sent people back to my territory to arrange it. It will be delivered in three days."

"Very good. Until then, I hope the respected Lord will properly restrain your soldiers. You wouldn't want to see the war reignite, would you?"

"Hmph, I will." Hearing Old Nob's thinly veiled threat, Neil Bergman snorted in displeasure.

He knew that Roland would not let him leave until the compensation was delivered, so he didn't say anything further.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Good evening." Old Nob yawned and then turned to leave.

Watching Old Nob's retreating figure, Neil Bergman's eyes darkened like water, as if he had suffered a great insult.