Three days later, after Neil Bergman delivered the compensation he had promised, Roland readily fulfilled his promise and sent him out of the territory.
At sea, Neil Bergman stood on the deck, staring intently at Roland on the shore.
This was the first time the two had met, but from the look in their eyes, both knew the matter was far from settled. Though each had their own concerns, no further war broke out.
Yet both Roland and Neil Bergman had already regarded the other as a mortal enemy. In the end, one of them was bound to fall completely into the other's hands.
Meanwhile, watching the three twin-sailed warships sail farther and farther away, Roland's expression was grim. He felt no joy at all over the large compensation he had just received.
During the previous battle, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group's performance had also left Roland with a faint sense of crisis.
Although the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group had fought bravely and kept the enemy completely outside the settlement, after Neil Bergman called for a ceasefire, they had slowed their offensive of their own accord without receiving Roland's orders.
Roland understood that they wanted to avoid greater casualties, but he still could not accept a military force that could be influenced by others.
This made him feel even more strongly that he needed an army that belonged entirely to him, an army absolutely loyal to him.
Moreover, after this battle, Roland had finally come to truly understand the situation in the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands. The Black Knight Pirates' protection could not fully guarantee his safety. If he had not spent a great deal of gold to hire the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group when he first sailed out to establish his territory—
Then in this sudden war, relying only on Artur's squad, let alone protecting the territory, Roland himself might have become Neil Bergman's captive and suffered untold hardships.
Most importantly, if he lost, he would undoubtedly lose Alice, whom he treasured like a jewel. He believed no one could refuse an elven girl, especially one with a figure as breathtaking as Alice's.
At the thought of this, Roland could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. He ordered Fili, "Captain Feli, send someone to White Whale Island and ask Elizabeth what use the Black Knight Pirates' protection is supposed to have."
"Why was I attacked by another Pioneer Knight only three months after establishing my territory?"
Facing Roland's fury, Fili did not delay in the slightest and immediately acknowledged the order.
"Yes, Apothecary Roland."
"The rest of you, come with me." After saying this, Roland left the shore and returned directly to the meeting room in the settlement.
Once inside the meeting room, Roland did not waste any words and went straight to the point.
"Commander O'Neal, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group fought very bravely in this battle. I am very pleased."
Upon hearing Roland's praise, a hint of pride appeared on O'Neal's face. This was the foundation on which the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group survived.
But Roland's tone shifted as he continued with a grave expression, "However, why did the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group slow its offensive after hearing Neil Bergman's call to stop fighting and make peace?"
"Aren't you a mercenary group meant to serve me and be loyal to me?"
Faced with Roland's questioning, O'Neal's expression changed instantly. He stammered, unable to give an answer.
In truth, during the earlier battle, his mercenaries' choice had not been wrong in his eyes. After all, what was being lost were the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group's own forces.
But this reason clearly could not serve as an answer to Roland. After all, Roland was their employer, and an exceptionally generous one at that.
More importantly, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group had lost more than half its members. At this time, O'Neal needed the thousand gold coins Roland paid each month even more, both to compensate the families of fallen mercenaries and recruit new ones to make up for their losses.
Therefore, despite the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group's heavy losses in the previous battle, O'Neal had no intention of ending their employment agreement with Roland. On the contrary, he had to do everything he could to preserve it.
When Roland saw O'Neal stammering, he naturally understood the key issue and did not press him further.
"Commander O'Neal, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group has now lost more than half its strength and can no longer justify its employment fee."
O'Neal's face changed drastically upon hearing this. What he feared most had finally come. He immediately stepped close to Roland, a pleading look appearing on his face. "Apothecary Roland, just give me some time. I will quickly replenish our ranks and restore our former strength. We absolutely will not compromise the safety of you or your territory."
"Don't be so anxious. Let me finish," Roland said, waving a hand.
"Alright, alright." O'Neal then realized he had been too hasty. He quickly took two steps back and waited nervously for Roland to continue.
"However, you suffered these losses because you fought for my territory, so I will not simply abandon you. The employment fee will remain unchanged for the time being, but you must use all your abilities to train a guard force for my territory."
Roland's proposal finally made O'Neal understand Roland's true purpose. Everything Roland had said before had merely been preparation for this moment.
O'Neal knew that once he agreed, he would surely lose Roland's employment contract after this territorial guard force fully took shape.
But he had no room to refuse. If Roland terminated the contract now, the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group, in its current state, would never be able to take on another job with such generous pay.
The compensation for the mercenaries who had died and the gold needed to recruit new members would become a crushing burden for the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group.
After pondering for a moment, O'Neal decisively agreed.
"Good. First, select fifty strong slaves from the territory and place them in full-time training." O'Neal's answer finally brought a faint smile to Roland's face.
"Understood, Apothecary Roland." Since he had already agreed, O'Neal was straightforward.
"Captain Artur, you will assist Commander O'Neal and serve as an instructor for the guard force as well." Roland turned his gaze toward Artur.
This was the first army of his territory. Roland could not feel at ease leaving it entirely in O'Neal's hands.
"As you wish, Apothecary Roland." Artur had even less reason to object and agreed without a moment's hesitation.
Unlike O'Neal, his relationship with Roland was not one of employment. The stronger Rising Light Island's defensive forces became, the greater the protection for his own safety.
In less than three months, he had already lost six subordinates. This had made him thoroughly realize just how harsh the living environment of the Sea of Ten Thousand Islands was. He wished Roland would expand his military forces as much as possible.
Seeing the two agree, Roland also let out a great sigh of relief.
He was a mage, after all. Not only did he know nothing about training warriors, but he also possessed no breathing technique for warrior cultivation.
For now, he could only rely on O'Neal and Artur to establish the framework of the guard force first.
As for the future, he would slowly seek an opportunity to purchase a slave who was a professional soldier and have him help train the territory's guard force.
After all, one was a mercenary and the other a guard. Neither O'Neal nor Artur could truly train a fully professional army for Roland.
After the two agreed, Roland was not stingy in the slightest. He turned to Old Nob and instructed, "Old Nob, of the one thousand gold coins Neil Bergman sent, reward the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group with four hundred coins and Artur's squad with one hundred coins. Let them distribute it themselves."
"Put the rest into the territory's accounts."
Because Old Nob had played such a major role in the previous battle, Roland had not only given him the position of deputy slave overseer, but also entrusted him with the territory's material storage and financial authority.
Although Old Nob's abilities were certainly far inferior to James's, his loyalty to Roland far surpassed James's.
After experiencing this battle, Roland valued that point more and more.
"Alright, Young Master." Old Nob grinned brightly.
At the same time, delight flashed through the eyes of both O'Neal and Artur upon receiving Roland's reward.
O'Neal in particular could ease some of his current pressure with Roland's reward.
"James, after removing fifty slaves, how many people can still be used for land reclamation?"
"Reporting to Apothecary Roland, including the one hundred and fifty slaves sent by Neil Bergman, the territory now has a total of three hundred and eighty-four slaves."
"After removing the fifty slaves undergoing full-time training, three hundred and fifty-four slaves remain."
"Of them, one hundred and thirty-eight are female slaves," James reported in great detail.
"Good. From now on, all land reclamation work will be handled entirely by the slaves. Everyone in the Loyal Lion Mercenary Group will conduct uninterrupted patrols around the clock and be responsible for the vigilance and defense of the entire territory."
"We absolutely cannot let a situation happen again where the enemy has already reached our doorstep and we still know nothing." As Roland said this, his expression darkened once more.
"Yes, Apothecary Roland."
Seeing this, everyone hurriedly answered in unison.
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