Training Through Battle

"Father, don't worry too much. Even if Count Colt can't win in one battle, at the very least he can divide the land and rule it. Besides, I don't intend to rely on others. As long as the Golden Sunflower Family is strong enough, we can be invincible."

"Victor, you're even more of a gambler than I am, but at least this statement is true: as long as you're strong enough, you'll naturally have more options. After you were promoted to viscount, you also obtained the right to expand in the north. Now is the perfect time to strengthen yourself. Unfortunately, the Golden Sunflower Family has basically used up all its resources, so you'll have to rely on yourself for the time being."

"Father, don't worry too much. I actually had some profitable businesses, but back then we were still a baronial family and our strength was not yet great. If we exposed them, not only would we not make money, but we would also bring disaster upon ourselves."

Victor told Wembley everything about the White Sugar business he was doing in partnership with Iron Birch Territory.

"There's actually such a thing. If it's as you say, the business would be worth at least tens of thousands of gold coins a year, enough for our family to rise to a higher level in a short time. But it's good that you've been patient enough to never do this kind of thing in the Golden Sunflower Family."

"I had prepared for this a long time ago, but unfortunately, the Golden Sunflower Territory is not suitable for growing crops like sugar beets and sugarcane. If we were to purchase them from other places, and the scale was too large, it would easily attract the attention of other nobles. Most importantly, the interests involved are too great. Even though I am already a viscount, it is a dream to monopolize this business. Cooperating with Count Colt is the best choice, especially since he has offered very good terms."

"However, this year, we probably won't be able to ship large quantities of White Sugar yet, and your territory's construction budget is probably not enough. What are you planning to do about it?"

"Regarding the loan, I have already sent a letter to Vitri of the Gorn Trading Company, intending to borrow money using the iron mines in the territory. The initial amount is set at 20,000 gold. I will give you the gold. I would also like to trouble you, Father, to help me purchase serfs and send them to the Two Rivers Territory. I plan to cultivate all the land on the Great Fish River this year, which will be about 10,000 hectares. This will require a large amount of labor."

"I have no problem with that. The price of serfs hasn't changed much compared to last year. Gold can buy nearly 100 slaves. The problem is, do you have enough food? Even with the wheat in your reserves, your wheat production probably won't be enough to meet the needs of your territory's population and livestock."

"There's no problem with that. I've already discussed it with Alex. I don't need to spend money to buy grain. Alex can just transfer a ton of wheat from Northwind City's grain reserves to the Two Rivers Territory. I'll return it to Northwind City when the wheat production increases next year."

"At the end of last year, I transported 1 ton of wheat. This year, the 1,000 hectares of wheat you planted can yield about 5,000 tons. Adding this ton, the total is 1 ton, which is more than enough. You can also have several thousand tons in reserves."

Wembley did a simple calculation of the territory's food consumption and came to this conclusion.

"Yes, there is plenty of surplus. Besides, I have a lot of livestock in my territory, which can provide a lot of food. There is no need to worry too much about the food problem."

"As for other supplies, after all, people can't be satisfied with just food."

"It's not a big problem. The Two Rivers Territory can already meet the most basic production needs. The only problem is that there is a shortage of cloth. I plan to purchase a batch from the Gorn Trading Company. Once our wool spinning reaches a certain scale, we should no longer need to purchase from outside."

"That's right. Two Rivers Territory, so you'll definitely have no shortage of steel. We've also purchased a lot of other supplies before."

"Yes, Father, as long as the iron ore mining goes smoothly, this year's steel production will not only meet the needs of the territory's construction, but also provide a portion for foreign trade, which will also generate income."

"Speaking of iron ore, Father, there's something else I'd like to suggest to you."

"Victor, just say it. You're a viscount now, there's no need to consult me on everything."

"I understand, but you are still my father, right? In order to obtain labor for iron mining, I plan to organize an army this year to clear the northern grasslands of the Two Rivers Territory, eliminate several nearby Barbarian Tribes, and capture slaves for mining."

"You can handle this matter."

"That's right. Currently, the troops in the Two Rivers Territory, whether combat soldiers or Auxiliary Troops, have all participated in actual combat and have a certain amount of war experience, which has indeed greatly improved the army's combat strength. I plan to transfer the troops stationed in the Golden Sunflower Territory to the Two Rivers Territory to participate in this operation to sweep away the Barbarian Tribes. This can also be considered as training through combat to improve their combat capabilities. Originally, I had already withdrawn the main force from the Golden Sunflower Territory when I expanded the Two Rivers Territory. Even if it's just to prepare for possible wars in the future, we still need to ensure the combat strength of the troops currently stationed there."

"What you say is true. After you took Ron Santos away, although I reorganized the remaining troops in the territory into two mixed infantry and cavalry detachments as you requested, their combat effectiveness was definitely affected. Allowing them to go north to fight will also help ensure the army's combat effectiveness. Besides, it's a home game, so there's no need to worry about unnecessary losses. Go ahead and do it, Victor."

"Father, who are the Detachment Commander of these two mixed infantry and cavalry detachments in the territory, and what are their abilities?"

"Oh, you know them both, Zieg and Rodriguez. They used to be Company Commander. After Santos and Foss left, I put them in charge of these two units."

"These two are still a bit young, and they didn't participate in the Civil War with us, did they?"

Wembley thought for a moment and nodded. "Indeed, at that time, the two of them stayed behind with Ron to guard the territory."

"So, in that case, the army in the Golden Sunflower Territory by Sir Paul and these two, right?"

Yes, that's how it is for now.

"Sir Paul is quite old, he must be fifty-eight this year, I can't quite remember."

"He's fifty-nine now, and will be sixty next year. Since returning from the last Civil War, his health has been deteriorating, and he looks much older than before."

"Father, Sir Paul may not be suitable to continue serving in the front-line army. I have a suitable candidate here. I would like him to be in charge of the defense of the Golden Sunflower Territory. What do you think?"

"It seems you value this person highly. The only one who can replace Paul is Santos. He shouldn't be from our Golden Sunflower Territory, right?"

"Yes, I met him during the battle with the Barbarian Tribes. He is a mid-level officer in the Iron Birch Territory named Marvin, the Battalion Commander of an independent border battalion. His abilities are beyond question."