Shamelessness is Also a Virtue

Li Ang was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "If I'm not mistaken... Grand Duke Alma is plotting against your territory?"

Oden's eyes widened in surprise. "What a clever boy! That's right, he's vying with me for control of Long River Town, and my territory is often harassed by bandits he colludes with. But I'm stuck in the Noble Council and can't leave... It's a shame I only have one daughter, otherwise I'd really like to have you as my son-in-law!"

Li Ang looked at Oden's big nose and small eyes, then at his receding hairline, and felt a surge of sympathy for Sir Rayman—the daughter born from such a visage...

Fortunately, he only had one daughter.

"I choose to become a Pioneer Lord. But I am willing to form an alliance with you, Your Excellency the Count. If you are willing..."

Without further hesitation, Li Ang made his choice.

Oden nodded. "Then, I hope that when you pass by Fletcher Village, you will eliminate the group of bandits entrenched there..."

Bandits?

They must be Duke Alma's men...

Fletcher Village was named after Oden's surname, making it clearly Oden's core territory.

It seemed that in his private conflict with Duke Alma, Count Oden was at a disadvantage.

This was probably related to his lack of a direct heir. A newly appointed noble without roots, and without a son, would naturally become a target as he aged.

"Since there are bandits harming the village, I naturally cannot refuse... However, why don't you let Sir Rayman..."

"Rayman is the deputy commander of the Lion Knight Order. Before he becomes the Grand Commander, he cannot have direct conflicts with other high-ranking nobles," Oden said, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness.

Li Ang understood.

The Lion Knight Order was a national knightly order, and the Grand Commander had to be elected by all high-ranking nobles. Therefore, Sir Rayman needed to maintain a relatively good relationship with Grand Duke Alma.

Moreover, 150 years ago, it was Grand Duke Alma's Horton Family who helped the 'usurper' Alfred gain the allegiance of the Lion Knight Order. Grand Duke Alma had significant influence over the Lion Knight Order.

After a few seconds of silence, Li Ang suddenly grinned. "There probably aren't many people willing to offend a powerful Grand Duke..."

Oden seemed to smell something unpleasant and stared sharply at Li Ang.

But Li Ang showed a foxy smile. "Perhaps I'm the best candidate? Even the only reliable candidate? If that's the case, could you sponsor... oh no, lend me some military supplies, so I don't encounter any difficulties dealing with those bandits..."

Oden's tone was no longer gentle. "Are you trying to blackmail me?!"

"No, no, no... a loan, just a loan..."

Oden rolled his eyes. "Kid, has anyone ever told you that you're a bit shameless?"

"Thank you for your compliment..." Li Ang performed a knight's bow.

Oden was furious. "Do you consider shamelessness a virtue in your heart?!"

They began to stare at each other.

One glared with wide eyes, the other smiled with a grin.

"One thousand Dinars should be enough! Remember to pay it back!"

Oden finally puffed out his chest and blurted out.

"I will, I will..." Li Ang said with a smile, his attitude very good.

Oden clenched his fist, his face twitching, and finally opened the certificate on the table, wrote 'Long River Forest' on it, and then stamped it with the Noble Council's steel seal.

"If you encounter danger, you can seek help at Brave Shield Fortress or the towns and villages under my jurisdiction—but similarly, if my territory is in danger, or when my people cannot conveniently appear, I hope you can provide assistance. You will gain the friendship of the Fletcher Family for this... but remember to repay the money!"

"Alright, it's a deal!"

Actually, Li Ang's planned area of expansion was Long River Forest...

He had arranged to meet with Kloze and the others in Long River Town.

Long River Forest was indeed very dangerous, with various forces such as the Gatu nomadic tribes, the Mistveil Mountain barbarians, and the Noldo Elves appearing in the vicinity.

But precisely because it was dangerous, dark characters like assassins or cultists rarely appeared there.

What Li Ang feared was a dagger from behind; he didn't actually fear a battlefield in the open.

By the time he left the Noble Council, it was already evening, and the fiery clouds in the sky were consuming the last vestiges of light.

Li Ang now possessed two items.

A small Pioneer Lord's emblem and a large money bag.

The person who saw him out was the same smiling young attendant, who also handed him the one thousand Dinars.

Perhaps not expecting Li Ang to not only bring "a little something" to the Noble Council but to leave with money, the attendant showed unusual enthusiasm, even offering to help Li Ang carry the money bag to his horse.

But Li Ang refused his kind offer.

Gold...

A large bag of gold!

Li Ang savored the heavy feeling of holding the gold in his arms... He felt it was comparable to holding a fairy with a devilish figure.

But in reality, the small emblem he casually tucked into his embrace was far more valuable than this bag of gold coins.

It was a silver emblem shaped like a lion, representing Li Ang's status as a reserve Baron, roughly equivalent to a knight's status. From then on, he could trim the swallowtail of his banner and become a member of the ruling class.

Of course, this was subject to review and assessment. If the territory was not successfully established, his knightly status would be revoked.

Years ago, you could just build a wooden castle anywhere on the border to pass inspection, but that won't fly anymore.

Nowadays, the standards for inspection have become very complicated.

The land occupied must be outside national borders, the territory must have a long-term resident population, and there must be an army and buildings sufficient to protect the residents.

Furthermore, there must be flat roads leading to the territory, and it must be ensured that there aren't too many bandits in the surrounding areas.

After all, the envoy responsible for the on-site inspection also needs to ensure their own safety on the journey…

Li Ang coughed… The one thousand dinars he borrowed were only enough to purchase supplies and building materials.

The spoils of war he obtained from the pirate camp were mostly items the pirates hadn't had time to sell or were keeping for themselves. Only the dozen or so sets of Meitengheim infantry armor were relatively valuable.

But those bulky pieces of equipment had been sitting unsold for over a month even with the pirates… and now that they were in Li Ang's hands, they wouldn't be easy to liquidate either.

Besides, he also had to consider the feelings of his subordinates, the Meitengheim people, so he could only let Kloze and the others move slowly with them.

Looking at the darkening sky and calculating Kloze's travel pace, Li Ang decided to find an inn for the night. He had been traveling for several days and was exhausted.

"Adventurer" Inn—or rather, a tavern.

In this era, inns and taverns were one and the same.

This seemed to be a common sign in most cities on Pendor, but it was definitely not a chain hotel…

After all, the concept of chain stores was only just emerging on the more commercially developed Buckley Continent; Pendor basically had no such concept yet.

When Li Ang first 'descended' onto this continent, he had considered opening a chain hotel, but he later abandoned the idea due to being on the run and the terrible public security in Mistveil City.

Because inns in this era were common haunts for thieves and 'energetic social groups.'

And you could find assassins from the Crimson Brotherhood and slave traders in almost every tavern—it was where they solicited business.

Therefore, Li Ang specifically chose this inn, located next to King's Avenue, which he estimated to be relatively safe.

As Li Ang walked into the inn, he was very cautious.

This was not only because he might encounter assassins who wanted him dead, but also because he was carrying too much money…

But, but…

Whether one is deliberately careful or completely unguarded, if a person is unlucky enough, accidents will always happ