Veteran Elite Soldiers

The beginning is always the hardest. Once the first deal is closed, everything else will be much easier.

Whether it was telepathy or they had received prior notice, two other neighbors from nearby also came to visit the next day.

Like the unfortunate Coelho, they also received a friendly greeting from the Lord of Maple Leaf Town.

Unlike Coelho, whose misfortune struck out of nowhere, and unlike the nobles who led troops to seize people, they simply picked up a few refugees along the way.

Although his operating methods are somewhat similar to Hudson's previous practices, he definitely didn't lead the wrong way. The fact that the owner hasn't come looking for him yet proves his character.

Whether you're herding one sheep or a flock, it's all the same. In any case, I'm just acting as a mediator; whether they reach an agreement in the end depends on them. Hudson doesn't mind doing the same favor three times.

As for selling weapons, that was just a habitual side effect. It wasn't that Hudson wanted to make money off them, but rather that he wanted to use their money to do their bidding.

Equipped with iron weapons, even serf soldiers who have just put down their hoes can still be quite lethal.

Armed with four- or five-meter-long spears, they would form ranks and attack; even if they couldn't kill anyone, they could still terrify many.

If a war were to break out, a few hundred serf soldiers could at least achieve a score of 30 to 50 to 1. If they were lucky, they might even be able to set a record of 10 to 1 or 8 to 1.

Of course, we suffered greater casualties. After all, the enemy was an elite force from the Northern Frontier, and being able to exchange ten or eight times their casualties for them wouldn't be considered a loss.

This is the foundation for taking the negotiating table. If we had the strength to inflict dozens of casualties on the other side on the battlefield, it would be enough to make the Lord of Maple Leaf Town think twice before acting.

Unlike those lords who are well-developed and have an overpopulation, they can fight with their neighbors for no reason, and it doesn't matter if dozens of people are killed or injured.

As a lord in the early stages of establishing a territory, every member of the workforce is valuable, especially the elite soldiers who have been painstakingly trained.

Losing a few or a dozen soldiers in a battle may not seem like a big problem, but the trouble lies in the fact that this is not the Northern Frontier, and they do not have the ability to replenish their ranks in time.

With only a few hundred private soldiers, they lost a tenth of their forces after just a few minor skirmishes, and simply couldn't afford to cause any more trouble.

As local bullies, they weren't so easily subdued. After all, there were rules in noble duels; no matter how far things escalated, nobles couldn't be killed without authorization.

Failure is just the beginning. Calling on friends and family and trying to get revenge are all essential steps.

Once war breaks out, the only way to end the conflict is to fight it out repeatedly until the other side is completely defeated.

In the world of the aristocracy, fighting and killing are merely a spice of life; the real focus is on interpersonal relationships and social interactions. Wise people know how to weigh the pros and cons.

In Maple Leaf Town, just as they had agreed on a time to strike with their allies in the Northern Frontier, preparing to put pressure on the local nobles by attacking simultaneously, Kateley received an invitation from Hudson.

"Uncle Holman, I think I've done something stupid!"

As she spoke, Kateley handed over the invitation. The deep sorrow that rose between her brows seemed to reflect endless frustration.

To the average person, this was just a mediation document, but to Baron Katerley, it was undoubtedly a signal that the Three Horsemen of the Salam Mountain Range were aligning themselves with Hudson.

If this is not handled properly, he will face a baronial territory plus three Knight's Territory should a conflict break out between the two sides in the future.

What left him speechless was that he had created this passive situation himself.

Sending lackeys to potential rivals— Baron Katerley must have wanted to slap himself for it.

Being neighbors with the infamous Mountain Baron was bad enough, but now they've sent him three knights.

Although the invitation suggests that the two sides have not yet truly come together, Baron Katerley believes it is only a matter of time.

"Ketteri, this isn't your fault. The territory can only grow if it has its people. Even if we could turn back time, we would still have to do it this way."

The three unfortunate knights wanted to form an alliance with the Mountain Baron, but that depended on his acceptance. The disparity in strength between the two sides was vast; an alliance was essentially a form of subservience.

Both strength and geographical location dictate that these three Knight's Territory must choose between us and the Mountain Baron. Given the divide between the northern and southern nobles, even if we were to extend an olive branch, they would likely side with the Mountain Baron.

Now, it's simply a matter of bringing that timeline forward. This small price is worth paying to acquire the labor force needed to develop the territory.

The only problem is that the Mountain Baron is involved; if we try to extort money from them again, they probably won't give in easily.

Though he spoke casually, Knight Holman was far from at ease. The Coslo Family was troublesome enough on its own, but with the addition of three smaller knightly families, their path to expansion southward was effectively blocked.

If that were all, it wouldn't be unbearable. What's more troublesome is that if the relationship between the two sides cannot be handled well, even if Maple Leaf Territory changes its development direction, it will always have to worry about being betrayed.

They were forced into this situation. Maple Leaf Territory still has several enclaves outside its borders. For a large noble family, having multiple enclaves is manageable. But a small baronial territory cannot do that; to develop, it must concentrate its territory.

With several nobles in between, consolidating the territory required exchanging it with the neighbors. Since interests were involved, such matters were difficult to resolve quickly.

This land-exchange dispute will most likely need to be resolved on the battlefield. It can be said that from the very beginning, the Northern Aristocrats were set up by Count Pierce, forcing them into war.

This current dispute over people is just providing everyone with a plausible excuse to start a fight. Ostensibly, they are demanding the people, but in reality, they not only want the people, but also want to use this opportunity to force their neighbors to accept land exchanges.

With their military strength, most of the Northern Aristocrats had the power to force their neighbors to compromise. But Ketley was unlucky; a powerful neighbor emerged to the south.

The best solution would naturally be to cripple the enemy in a single battle and resolve this threat by force. Unfortunately, Kateryn's strength was limited, and he lacked the confidence to take action.

If he were like Baron Ciss, commanding eight hundred soldiers, Catley would never be so conflicted.

The gentle sunlight shines down on the earth, and the ever-flowing Huanhua Stream exudes a unique charm under the autumn breeze.

As the dividing line between the Mountain Territory and the Maple Leaf Territory, the two banks of the Huanhua Stream are like two different worlds. On one side, the grass grows lush and the birds and beasts roam freely; on the other side, serfs toil diligently.

Although this season's harvest was meager, every little bit helps. For serfs who had toiled with the crops for generations, every grain of rice was precious.

Most importantly, once they started working, the food rations also increased. Compared to the original minimum living allowance, it was increased by more than 50%.

For ordinary serfs who had just experienced war, going from being five-tenths full to eight-tenths full was a remarkable breakthrough.

Separated by an unassuming stone bridge, five lords gathered to discuss the future development of southern Wright County.

Hudson glanced at the group of three knights and smiled, nodding at them. Even a rabble is a soldier; they may not be able to fight, but they can still intimidate.

Before actual combat, no one knew how much damage an 800-strong motley crew could cause.

Whether it's fifty or thirty, for Baron Katerley, whatever the figure, it's a losing proposition.

Most importantly, the opposing side also had the Mountain Baron's private army. Judging from the ranks alone, the three hundred soldiers Hudson brought were undoubtedly the kingdom's elite.

Their perfectly synchronized steps, despite being only three hundred people, created the imposing presence of a thousand troops, which was extremely intimidating.

In contrast, Baron Katerley's 300 Goblins northern troops were at a disadvantage in terms of morale.

Two menacing teams faced off across a stream. Under the shadow of their menacing aura, the eight hundred nearby soldiers felt a deep unease.

Upon seeing this, Baron Katerley, who had previously harbored some ulterior motives, completely abandoned his unrealistic ideas.

This lineup, this killing intent—they're clearly Veteran Elite Soldiers. Although it seemed somewhat abrupt that such a force appeared in the hands of a minor southern nobleman, Kateley preferred to believe his own eyes.