While Neighbors Stockpile Grain, I Stockpile Guns

While Neighbors Stockpile Grain, I Stockpile Guns

Haton had guessed that Ryan had come to buy food because the first problem Old Baron Hatton had faced after arriving in Northwind Province had also been food.

Even though Haton did not know what had happened within the Empire that had made Ryan the lord of the Frozen Earth Territory, with fewer than ten guards following him.

But that had nothing to do with him. They were both part of the baron circle. As long as Ryan could offer a high enough price, he was willing to sell him some food.

"Ryan, my friend, what brings you here with so many people?"

Haton looked at Ryan and asked with sincere eyes.

Ryan wore a bitter expression as he spoke in his youthful voice.

"Mr. Haton, to be honest, my Frozen Earth Territory has no food at all. If I cannot get any food soon, I fear I will become the first noble in the Empire to starve to death."

After saying that, he could not help looking at Haton.

Haton looked at Ryan, just about to name an outrageous price, when Ryan suddenly grabbed his hand. The immense strength shocked Haton. He could not break free at all.

This child of the Clayton Family, cast out from the Imperial Capital, was actually a knight?

Haton was also an Apprentice Knight, so he could feel that the strength in Ryan's hand far surpassed his own.

How old was he?

Ryan held onto Haton and said nervously, "I heard that Baron Hatton has some conflicts with Knight Walter?"

At Ryan's words, the smile vanished from Haton's face, replaced by fury.

"How has even Baron Ryan heard about this?"

The Knight Walter Ryan spoke of was a Pioneer Knight.

Pioneer Lords and Pioneer Knights of the Empire needed a Pioneer Order issued by the Empire before they could claim land and govern themselves in unclaimed territory.

Such Pioneer Lords and Pioneer Knights were especially numerous in Northwind Province. For example, Baron Hatton's father, Old Baron Hatton, had sold off his family assets and territory in exchange for a Pioneer Order before coming to Northwind Province.

Pioneer Knights, however, were far more troublesome than Pioneer Lords.

First of all, Pioneer Knights were not originally nobles. Becoming a Pioneer Knight meant they had the possibility of becoming nobles.

This was a leap between classes, so Pioneer Knights were far fewer in number than Pioneer Lords.

There were only two ways to become a Pioneer Knight. The first was to be a noble's child without inheritance rights, but especially favored by the noble lord, who would pay a price to obtain a Pioneer Order for the Pioneer Knight.

The second way was for a knight—at minimum, a Formal Knight—to distinguish himself in certain campaigns, then have a noble behind him endorse him and apply to the Empire for a knight's Pioneer Order.

Either way, one had to rely on nobles themselves to gain the opportunity to become a noble.

The second method in particular required one to first become a knight, then attach oneself to a noble and fight for that noble. Only then might the knight's descendants someday obtain a Pioneer Order through the noble's influence.

For knights who were not nobles to become nobles was a hundred times more difficult than it was for noble descendants.

Walter, whom Ryan had mentioned, belonged to the second type.

Knight Walter's title as a Pioneer Knight came from Grand Duke Mayers.

That was right—the very Grand Duke Mayers who had turned Northwind Province into an imperial province.

For five or six generations, Walter's ancestors had served as knight retainers to Grand Duke Mayers. A Golden Knight had once emerged among his earliest ancestors, and they could be considered Grand Duke Mayers's absolute supporters.

Yet it was not until the fifth generation after that Golden Knight that Knight Walter became a Pioneer Knight. Moreover, Knight Walter had only obtained this ticket into nobility because he married a woman from the Mayers Family.

In truth, this was also the result of political struggle and compromise within the Empire. Back then, Grand Duke Mayers had conquered Northwind Province, yet not a single piece of Northwind Province belonged to the Mayers Family.

The Empire's other nobles did not want to see the Mayers Family possess Northwind Province. As compensation, they offset Grand Duke Mayers's achievements with a pile of knight's Pioneer Orders.

Yes, knight's Pioneer Orders. To a grand duke, they were nothing more than a pile of waste paper, yet he had no choice but to use them to win people's loyalty. Otherwise, the followers beneath him would begin to harbor other thoughts.

So even the knight's Pioneer Orders used as compensation were meant by those nobles to disgust Grand Duke Mayers.

It was not much different from Ryan's own experience. His baronial seat had been used to compensate his father, Count Clayton, during the Empire's political struggles. Compared to Grand Duke Mayers, he was merely one of those basketfuls of knight's Pioneer Orders placed before the grand duke.

Once someone became a Pioneer Knight, they no longer fought for noble lords, but for themselves. Where interests were concerned, even former subordinates could not be guaranteed not to betray Grand Duke Mayers in the future.

As for the conflict between Knight Walter and Baron Hatton, it stemmed from many sources.

Conflicts over territory, money, and resources.

The Haton Baronial Territory and Walter's Knightdom were adjacent to each other. They had even broken out into conflicts large and small over a small iron ore mine, and quite a few slaves had died.

As a baron living off his father, Baron Hatton had weaker forces under his command than Knight Walter. He also lacked ambition. Compared to Walter, who carried a Pioneer Order, Haton was like a sheep.

Haton had suffered many losses in those conflicts, so when Ryan mentioned Baron Walter, he became extremely angry.

"Has Baron Ryan come to take advantage of my misfortune?" Haton said coldly.

"Nobles cannot start wars against one another. Has Baron Hatton forgotten that?" Ryan cited an imperial rule that none of the nobles in Northwind Province had ever taken seriously.

"Walter is a Pioneer Knight. As long as the Empire does not grant him a baronial seat, he remains a Pioneer Knight."

"There is still a difference between knights and nobles."

Ryan looked at Haton. "Baron Hatton, my friend, I came to help you."

As he spoke, Ryan shouted without looking back, startling Baron Hatton so badly that his legs nearly gave way.

"Form ranks!"

Behind Ryan, thirty knight retainers raised their spears and formed a neat line within a few breaths. At their front stood Brandt, a Guardian Knight who bared his arms even in the depths of winter.

Gulp~

Looking at the thirty imposing knight retainers behind Ryan, Haton's eyes widened. They had all been wearing beast hides rather than imperial leather armor earlier, so he had thought they were merely ordinary commoners.

Thirty Apprentice Knights—and such capable soldiers at that. Where had Ryan found so many elite troops?

The Frozen Earth Territory? What a joke.

Could it be that Count Clayton had secretly given this child some support?

At that thought, Haton's expression became remarkably animated.

Seeing Baron Hatton's appearance, Ryan already understood.

He needed food. He had neither money nor land, yet so many mouths were waiting to be fed.

Then he could only take it by force.

These neighbors definitely had food stored for the winter. If he was driven to starvation, then they could not blame him for being impolite.

While the neighbors stockpiled grain, he stockpiled guns. Faced with the current food crisis, Ryan had never considered using conventional methods.

Baron Hatton was a typical noble who simply waited to eat and die. Upon hearing that the dozens of men behind Ryan had come to help him fight, there was no room left in his mind for anything else.

"Walter, you swallowed so much of my territory. Give it all back to me!"