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That evening, after everyone finished a reunion dinner, Baroness led the two children to rest, and Irene also returned to her room to do her homework. Baron Wembley and Victor came to the study to chat, which could also be considered Victor reporting on his recent work to the Baron.

Victor first reported to the Baron on agricultural reform. The planting technology for Golden Sunflower had improved, and by refining the oil-pressing techniques, the territory's sunflower seed oil production had increased by twenty percent. Based on previous sales figures, this would increase revenue by at least three hundred gold coins annually.

"How did you manage this? I thought that with the existing planting area in the territory, the annual 1,500 gold revenue from sunflower seed oil had already reached its peak," the Baron asked curiously.

"It was mostly good luck. I had the help of a technical expert. However, for now, without new production technologies being put into use, it will be hard to achieve another major boost, so that expert has already left," Victor chose a vague reply.

Sensing something, the Baron did not press for details.

Next, Victor reported on the conscription efforts. The new recruits had been training for nearly two months now, and complete squad drill along with simple tactics had already been completed. Victor also proposed that this expedition northward would be centered around the new recruit troops. After all, the families of the recruits would also be heading north together to open up the wasteland, which would strengthen the soldiers' resolve to defend their homeland.

"Currently, all preliminary preparations have been completed, and the scout squad has already arrived in North York County. Material preparations are also basically finished, stored at the Linshui Town docks, ready to be called upon and departed at any time. I plan to bring all the families of the new recruits along, totaling over 5,000 people including the new recruit troops themselves. Therefore, I have prepared various supplies, including grain, sufficient for 8,000 people for a year," Victor roughly outlined the northern reclamation plan.

"Very good. You've basically considered everything that needs to be considered. However, there are still some issues. Many nobles are opening up the wasteland northward this time. In times like this, it is inevitable that you will have contact and conflicts with other northern-bound nobles or local Northland nobles. You haven't explained how you will handle such situations," the Baron asked.

"I will leverage their strength against each other. Since I've already decided to align with Alex Iron Birch, I can pull his banner for certain matters. After all, many of the nobles heading north were invited by him, and there are also many Northland nobles who support him," Victor replied.

The Baron shook his head. "Not enough. Although Alex is very powerful, most of the northern-bound nobles can only be considered his collaborators rather than subordinates. Even we might not necessarily obey Alex's arrangements."

Immediately following that, the Baron continued, "Therefore, I can provide you with a safeguard to give you more confidence when facing these disputes, and even allow you to leverage the rules and order of the entire principality to gain an advantage in conflicts."

He paused.

"After signing the territory exchange agreement, I will pass the title of Baron to you. You can head north with the status of a Baron."

Victor asked in great surprise, "Can this be done? Normally, the King and the Noble Council must dispatch envoys to jointly witness and ratify the transfer of a title. Not to mention that there isn't enough time to report to the Capital City, setting up the ceremony will certainly be too late, and we still need to invite other nobles to witness it."

The Baron stated, "Since I am doing this, it is definitely feasible. I will directly draft a document and report it to the Capital City. Currently, both the Noble Council and the King have many things to do, so there is no need for them to send people to witness it; they just need to issue us two documents. This way, it will happen to let them deliver the documents to Count Colt, and when you go there to pay a visit, you can simply pick up the certification documents."

"As for the ceremony and such, even if you wanted to invite people, not many would be able to come since they are all busy with things like territory exchanges, so don't even consider a ceremony."

The Baron said decisively, "As long as you have my Lord's Seal, the Baron's coat of arms, and the certification documents, you are the Baron of the Golden Sunflower Territory, possessing decisive legal authority."

"I understand, Father. Thank you very much for your support. I will definitely expand the power of the Golden Sunflower Family and guard the family's glory," Victor said.

The Baron patted Victor's shoulder with gratification. "I am equally proud of you. I believe you will definitely be able to transform our family's Baron title into a Viscount title."

"Alright, it's getting late, let's end it here for today. I'm getting old, and having just returned home, I still feel quite exhausted."

"Alright, Father, you should get a good rest, leave the rest to me," Victor assured him.

Subsequently, Victor returned to his room.

To be honest, even when Baron Wembley had previously mentioned passing the title to him, he hadn't felt particularly excited, since in his view, it was truly a natural progression of events.

Yet this time, Baron Wembley speaking to him once again about passing on the title and pushing to finalize his territory as soon as possible made him feel his father's support, while also generating no small amount of pressure.

This northern reclamation must be done well, and done brilliantly. The sooner I turn the territory into strength, the sooner I can achieve the elevation of the family's title, Victor thought to himself.

Number 1, further optimize the immigration plan to ensure maximum avoidance of losses.

Victor, task confirmed.

The next morning, Victor had breakfast together with his father. Soon, Baroness and the several children all came to the dining room to share the meal together.

After the meal, Baron Wembley brought him along to officially announce the decision to everyone.

Baroness said, "Congratulations, Victor, you've finally become a Baron. It's just a pity that your mother is no longer a Baroness."

Victor hurriedly said, "Mother, from now on you'll be the Baron's mother."

Irene also offered her blessings to Victor. "Congratulations, older brother. You will definitely become an outstanding Baron and be promoted to a Viscount."

The two little ones probably didn't understand yet, but they were also clapping and cheering on the side.

Victor looked at his family with a smile. Such a warm family was also what he cherished; he had to strive not just for himself, but for the family as well.

Afterward, Wembley brought Victor to Stone Castle and notified all the civil and military officials of the territory. After everyone arrived, he spoke of this decision publicly and requested the territory to begin preparing for the title succession ceremony.

After the meeting, Victor said to the Baron, "Father, didn't you say we weren't going to hold a ceremony? We won't be able to invite too many people to attend anyway, so isn't holding an event like this a bit wasteful?"

Baron Wembley said, "Send the invitations as normal, whether they come or not is another matter. At least my face still holds some weight throughout the Eastern Four Counties. Despite the tight schedule and the fact that the King and the Council cannot dispatch anyone to attend, we must still throw this ceremony brilliantly and legitimately. Everything that ought to be there must be present."

"I understand, Father, I will start preparing right away."

Victor then left Stone Castle, went to Linshui Town to begin leading people in preparing for the ceremony, and dispatched messengers to notify various nobles. At the same time, he did not neglect one thing for the other; immigration work was still proceeding in an orderly fashion. Victor placed an order with merchants for 6,000 sets of cotton-padded clothes and winter gear, ensuring that everyone would be equipped with a set before heading north.

Time flew by quickly. In the blink of an eye, a week passed, and the day of the inheritance ceremony arrived. Because the schedule was extremely tight, many territorial nobles were unable to attend in time, but they had all sent special envoys to deliver congratulatory gifts.

Victor found Baron Wembley at the venue. At that moment, he was chatting with Viscount of Bitter Bamboo William and Viscount Blue Rose Ronald.

Spotting William and Viscount Blue Rose, Victor immediately stepped forward and delivered a military salute. "Lord Legion Commander and Legion Deputy Commander, thank you for being able to attend my inheritance ceremony."

William said with a smile, "Time flies indeed. Last time you were still my subordinate, and immediately you're going to be a Baron."

Ronald also smiled and said, "That's right, Victor. Maybe the next time you return from the Northlands, you'll be a Viscount."

Victor said, "Thank you for your care and affection."

Ronald suddenly chimed in, "This time, James is also heading north, to a place not far from your territory. If possible, help him out."

Victor hurriedly replied, "You're too polite. Even if you didn't say it, I would do so; James is also my good friend."

Viscount Ronald spoke earnestly, "This time I secured 50 square kilometers of territory in North York in exchange for over 200, giving it to James. If he can earn enough merit in battles against the barbarians to be ennobled as a Baron, this piece of territory will be his starting capital. If not, upon his death, this territory will be reclaimed by the Blue Rose Family. James has an impetuous personality, and I'm afraid he might take risks for military merit. Since you are his good friend, I must trouble you with this."

Victor expressed his agreement.

"Then I'll leave it to you. You're already a Baron now, so he will listen to you in the future," Ronald said with a smile.

The ceremony went smoothly. After it concluded that day, Baron Wembley dispatched the documents to the Capital City, and the title succession was essentially completed.

That evening, Victor and his father came to the study once more.

"From now on you are the Baron, and I have become the former Baron," Wembley said with a smile.

"Father—" Victor wanted to say something, but Wembley stopped him.

"There is no need for such petty sentimentality. This is one of the few things I can do for you. Over the years, I have witnessed your hard work and dedication with my own eyes. Relying on your suggestions, the Golden Sunflower Territory was able to welcome truly massive development. In the past, the territory's total annual revenue combined didn't even reach 1,000 gold coins. Your grandfather and I wrung our brains and exhausted our efforts, yet the troop scale always exceeded the limit, consuming the vast majority of the territory's income. While we managed to avoid getting into debt, there wasn't much surplus money left in the Inner Treasury either."

Wembley said with some regret, "Fortunately, we later made changes to the territory, doubling its income in a single year. What a pity, though—if the territory could have had this kind of revenue ten years earlier, our family could have long since been promoted to Viscounts."

Baron Wembley happily said, "However, there's no need to dwell on that. Fortunately, with you here, I have confidence that I will live to see the family's title promoted to Viscount before I die."

Victor replied, "Father, you flatter me. Without the foundation laid by you and Grandfather, my reforms wouldn't have had any effectiveness either. My success also relies on the family."

Wembley smiled. "Victor, you remember what Ronald said to you during the day, right?"

"Of course, I will help James."

"You can indeed help James. While friendship certainly exists among nobles, everything should still be based on interests. Ronald has sent three inland transport ships, each capable of carrying 300 tons of cargo, along with a team of experienced boatmen and sailors. Following the Blackwater River tributary, they can enter the sea and sail along the coastline straight to the shores of your territory. Those sailors are familiar with this route and can safely deliver the fleet. This route is five days faster than the original method of shipping downstream to Northwind City and then transferring by land, and it also saves a lot of costs. These are the conditions upon which I agreed to let you help James."

A load capacity of 900 tons, coupled with a new water transport route, shorter transit times, and lower shipping costs—the plan must undergo major modifications, Victor thought to himself.

"Afterward, James will also serve as your subordinate, and the military exploits he earns will be distributed by you."

Victor was very surprised. "Wouldn't James become my vassal then?"

Wembley smiled and said, "Of course, that is also the price, and Ronald has agreed to it. Even if it fails, the territory can be reclaimed; if it succeeds, the Blue Rose gains a Baron branch. No matter how you calculate it, it's a win."

"Therefore, you shouldn't carry any burden; just do your part well. Once you have the status of a Baron this time, Alex will also look at you in a different light. You must strive for more benefits and gain even greater support from him."

"Opening up the wasteland northward is definitely not easy. If it were easy, those nobles in the Northlands certainly wouldn't have given up these opportunities. You must strive for the support of the Margrave, in every aspect. Only when they make a sufficiently large investment in you will they go all out to help you when danger arises, otherwise your previous investments will go down the drain."

Victor said solemnly, "I understand, Father, thank you for your teachings."

Wembley waved his hand. "These are trivial matters; with your own capability, you would quickly figure them out and handle them well anyway. I am simply telling you in advance."

"Since that's the case, your transport capacity has also been enhanced. Aside from the people you previously planned to take away, you should also take half of the serfs withdrawn from the enclave, and go to the Weaponry Workshop to pull half of the craftsmen to follow you. With a thicker foundation, you can command more respect and make people willing to believe that you can succeed."

"Ron will also go with you; he is familiar with the customs there. I will give you another letter to deliver to your eldest uncle, Soros, when you pass by the Edelweiss Territory. In recent years, the state of the Edelweiss Territory hasn't been very good. The Edelweiss medicinal slices they originally operated have had much of their market eroded by tea coming from the east, and now only northern people drink it, causing the territory's income to plummet sharply. Every year I have to send 100 to 200 gold coins to relieve them. When you go this time, see if you can help them out. Furthermore, he has to contribute as well; you will directly borrow troops from him—borrow cavalry. In the Northlands, cavalry are much more useful, and anyway keeping them is a waste of money, so you might as well help them out."

"I understand, Father," Victor nodded.

Number 1, formulate a financial optimization plan targeting the Edelweiss Territory, modify the original immigration plan, and incorporate the new route, transport capacity, new immigrants, and increased troop strength.

Victor, task confirmed, calculation beginning.