Bringing Food Home

Bringing Food Home

When it came to profit, no noble would keep smiling and joking around.

"No need to discuss it. I have to take all the food. That's why I came."

"Can your Frozen Earth Territory even consume that much food?"

"You know I'm the Baron of the Frozen Earth? If I don't stock up, what will we eat next year? Are we supposed to keep surviving by raiding like this?"

After saying that, Ryan glanced at Haton, making the latter feel a chill run down his back.

The closest territories to the Frozen Earth Territory were Haton's and Walter's. Walter had already been stripped of anything worth taking. Was Ryan planning to raid Haton's Baronial Territory next?

Pulling the bearskin coat he had just looted tighter around himself, Haton took a step back.

"You don't need that much food either. This is enough to feed two thousand people for half a year."

"So I'll also be taking a batch of slaves."

Ryan said it as though it were only natural.

"No. You already got half the Gold Coins. Ryan, you're too greedy."

"Baron Hatton, don't forget that without me, the one killed today might have been your Knight Commander. Besides, with a Pioneer Knight possessing the strength of a Bronze Knight beside you, I doubt you'd sleep very soundly."

"I helped you remove a major threat. From now on, only your Baronial Territory will be expanding toward Walter Knightdom."

That did seem like a tremendous benefit. After hearing Ryan's words, Haton decided not to argue any further.

Ryan did not mention the Iron Ore mine. It now naturally belonged entirely to Lord Haton. At that thought, Haton felt as though he could see countless Gold Coins raining down from the sky.

Compared to an Iron Ore mine, what did these things amount to?

"Then it's settled. But I'm keeping those two Catfolk."

"Fine."

Though Ryan was somewhat curious about the beast-eared girls' anatomy, his territory still had too much to rebuild, so he chose to let it go.

After the simple division of spoils, Ryan could not be bothered with how Haton would handle matters here. He directly ordered the slaves to load all the food onto ox carts and horse-drawn wagons.

Haton did not say much about Ryan taking those carts and wagons along with him.

He knew what the Frozen Earth Territory was like. He even suspected that half the food would be used up before they arrived.

Ryan was somewhat fortunate that the Swampland between the Frozen Earth Territory of Northwind Province and the other regions had frozen over in the winter. Otherwise, just as Haton had thought, the ox carts and wagons might have sunk into the marsh, consuming most of the food.

The frozen Swampland greatly reduced the loss of provisions, but they ran into plenty of trouble while crossing the Mountain Forest.

There was no complete road leading to the Frozen Earth Territory. Much of the journey consisted of steep mountain paths.

"Go help them get the food up." In the end, Ryan used the Knight Retainers. They were far stronger than the slaves. Brandt alone even carried an ox across a ravine by force.

The endless Mountain Forest was covered in silver-white snow. What Ryan had not expected was that the slaves were being lost even faster than the food.

"More than twenty slaves have already died over such a short distance?"

Ryan could not help questioning Rosen. The latter looked uneasy, unable to explain himself.

Before long, Ryan understood what was happening.

The nobles' exploitation of slaves within their territories was endless. These slaves barely had enough food to eat, and it was the depths of winter. Only losing twenty or so while traveling such mountain roads was already thanks to the pace Ryan had set for them.

Once Ryan realized that, he had nothing more to say. He could only tell the slaves that once they reached the Frozen Earth Territory, each of them would receive black bread.

That hope gave the slaves at least a little more life.

Yet amid the bitter winter cold and boundless snow, more and more people vanished as they traveled. The procession gradually fell silent.

In that silence, the Old Steward Beard could not help speaking up.

"Young Master Ryan, you should have fought for more."

He did not quite understand, but he still believed that Young Master Ryan had little sense of the value of such things.

"If it weren't for us, Baron Hatton would never have been able to take that mine, nor all the wealth in Walter Knightdom."

"Young Master Ryan, taking only food and slaves is far too much of a loss. Even Knight Walter's armor and warhorses are extremely valuable. And that Iron Ore mine should have included a share for you."

"Haha, Beard, you finally couldn't hold it in. I thought you would have said it back in the Swampland."

Ryan laughed.

"Beard, the things in Walter Knightdom, and that Iron Ore mine, aren't so easy to take."

"Have you forgotten that Knight Walter has an heir? Even if Knight Walter is dead, that Knightdom does not belong to Baron Hatton."

"Knight Walter married a woman from the Mayers Family. Together with his ancestors' merits, that was how he obtained a Pioneer Order."

"But for that Pioneer Order to fall into Knight Walter's hands, his wife and even his son must have contributed greatly."

"His sixteen-year-old child is not in Walter Knightdom. That alone is the best proof."

"Most likely, that boy is studying in Duke Mayers's Domain."

"Now that Knight Walter is dead, he must come and inherit the territory. Otherwise, the Knightdom will soon become like the Frozen Earth Territory was back then."

"I left Baron Hatton so many things. When Little Walter returns, do you think he'll cause trouble for Baron Hatton, or for a Baron separated from him by the Swampland and Mountain Forest?"

"I've actually figured it out. Although the Empire's internal political struggles prevented Grand Duke Mayers from occupying the lands of Northwind Province, that Grand Duke doesn't seem to have ever intended to give up this place."

"Don't worry. Baron Hatton will come begging me. When that time comes, satisfying my appetite won't be so easy."

Beard stared at Ryan in shock. He had not expected Young Master Ryan to possess such foresight.

At that moment, the Old Steward's gaze returned to what it had once been.

Young Master Ryan would surely become a great noble of the Empire.

"And Beard, these slaves are actually the most important thing."

Ryan said so, but did not explain. Instead, he looked at his panel.

Spirituality: 788

Divinity: Deer Spirit's Blessing

More than seven hundred points of Spirituality were Ryan's greatest gain. Even setting that aside, population was essential to a territory's development. Furthermore, the development of the Frozen Earth Territory would cost many lives.

Ryan would need many slaves.

For the Frozen Earth Territory, what it needed most was population.

If he had not been worried that the food would not last, he would have wanted to bring back every slave from Walter Knightdom.

Besides, his seventy to eighty thousand jin of food would not last the half year Haton had mentioned.

Did they really think Baron Ryan would neglect slaves the way Baron Hatton did?

To rapidly develop his territory, some incentive measures were indispensable, and food was the most crucial thing in the Northern Lands.

Warmth and food could make these slaves work twenty hours a day for him.

Snow fluttered before his eyes, falling from the sky like flower petals. Rhino Horn Mountain stretched clearly before him.

At the end of December, Ryan returned to his loyal Frozen Earth Territory.