Relocation and Territory Exchanges

After the three finished discussing the distribution of the spoils, Edmund took out another document, which was his summary of the results of Baron Benn's interrogation.

"This contains all the intelligence obtained from Baron Sweet Sorghum, including the noble territories in the vicinity and the current military distribution throughout the western region."

Edmund handed the documents to the two men as he explained.

Gilles and Texera began to examine the document, becoming more and more engrossed in reading it. Gilles couldn't help but exclaim, "This intelligence is very important and will be of great help to us. I didn't expect Baron Benn to be so cooperative."

How is he now?

"Well, in order to get the Baron to cooperate, I had to use some methods, which may have made him sick. As you both know, plagues can easily break out during wartime. He is not in good condition right now, so in order to prevent the spread of the disease, I had no choice but to isolate him."

Gilles and Texera understood that the captain of the Edmund fleet must have used torture to extract a confession, and that Baron Benn was probably not sick, but seriously injured and dying. However, neither of them felt anything was wrong.

Even though Baron Benn was a nobleman, he was still a nobleman of the Grand Duchy of Vera, and had little to do with them. His death while carrying out a mission could only be attributed to his bad luck.

Neither of them considered that Edmund had concealed the true nature of Baron Benn from them, since they didn't consider Baron Benn to be an important person.

Edmund observed the two carefully and found that they did not have any objections to Baron Benn's issue. Edmund breathed a sigh of relief, "After all, they are first-generation nobles and don't care so much about the unspoken rules of the noble circle."

The unspoken rule in aristocratic circles is that when two noble factions clash, the victorious party and the defeated and captured party can gain their freedom by paying a ransom, and must maintain respect for their noble status during their captivity.

Even if the two sides are locked in a life-or-death struggle, respect must be maintained, and nobles must not be allowed to die at the hands of non-nobles.

Edmund didn't care about these so-called unspoken rules and traditions. His family's rise in status was achieved by defying tradition and daring to explore new paths.

However, Edmund could not publicly proclaim these matters. After all, the Raine Kingdom had many old-school nobles who cared a lot about tradition and had a strong sense of identity with their noble status. If they knew that Edmund had ordered his soldiers to torture and harm a nobleman, they would definitely cause trouble.

Fortunately, Gilles and Baron Texera didn't care about the matter at all. They didn't care even if Baron Benn died, and they wouldn't investigate the cause of his death.

Edmund was relieved to see that the two men didn't seem to care about the matter. He simply reminded himself to finish the job as soon as possible and make sure that Hashim and Bertley's torture of Baron Benn wouldn't be exposed.

"Then let's arrange for him to have died of an epidemic. To prevent the spread of the disease, let's just cremate the body. That way, there will be no way to prove this."

Edmund put the matter aside for the time being and began to analyze the intelligence.

"Seniors, please look at this Sweet Sorghum Territory. It is located in a valley of a coastal mountain range, surrounded by mountains and coastline."

The only way out is through the two roads that the two sides have sent troops to block. As long as we lock down these two roads, we can attack or defend as needed.

I plan to use the existing manpower and resources in this territory to establish two outposts at these two passages. This way, we can hold these two key routes with a small force and secure our retreat.

"An escape route?"

Gilles asked curiously.

Edmund nodded. "Yes, I don't plan to continue north along the coastline. I plan to use this place as a base to attack the surrounding western noble territories, spread unrest throughout the west, and lure their troops back."

Even if their main army returns, as long as we establish defensive outposts along these two key routes, we can guarantee that we can hold this territory even if they launch a full-scale attack.

Gilles and Tesla then began to gesture on the map, and indeed, just as Edmund had said, this Sweet Sorghum Territory was a good place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

"Speaking of which, this territory does not cover this valley. Is it possible that there are other passages leading to the outside?"

Gilles asked a question.

"I've also considered this. I've sent scouts to explore the surrounding terrain to ensure that any such passages can be detected."

Another task is to map this valley. I'll probably be going with them, since I'm quite skilled at mapmaking.

"If you go along to scout the terrain, who will be responsible for launching attacks on other Western nobles?"

Texera finally broke his silence. He felt that Edmund was neglecting his duties. Their primary task this time was to attack the western part of the Grand Duchy, help draw away some of the Duchy Army, and reduce the pressure on the Baron Colt.

Edmund began to explain, "Actually, I have my own reasons, my two seniors. You both know about my family's situation. My father fought in the Kingdom Navy for half his life and finally brought the family from the viscounts to the Count have today."

But that's all there is to it. Land in the kingdom is extremely scarce. Even a Count's territory is only a little over two thousand square kilometers. You two should understand this too; your family territories are less than a hundred square kilometers each.

Gilles and Tesla nodded, but unlike Edmund, they didn't dwell on the small size of their territory. Being nobles was already incredibly fortunate for them, especially since their lands were still under development and lacked manpower, resources, and everything else.

Edmund then said meaningfully, "You two seniors should know what will happen after this mission is successful."

"You mean the Grand Duchy of Vera was destroyed, and this land became an overseas territory of the kingdom?"

"Indeed, although this place is far from the kingdom, as you two have seen, the land here is still quite fertile. A baron has a territory of nearly 400 square kilometers, with more than 10,000 people, and has accumulated so much wealth."

Gilles and Tesla nodded again. At first, the two didn't know much about the Grand Duchy of Vera, only that it was a country on the other side of the Tears of God Inland Sea. They were a little reluctant to be sent on the mission, but now that they had received so much money at the beginning of the mission, they were looking forward to the upcoming combat mission.

"If I were to say that the kingdom will Land Reassignment some nobles to this land in the future and expand the original territory, well, it would be a replacement of one to four or one to five, I wonder if you two would have any thoughts on that."

As soon as Edmund finished speaking, Gilles and Texera stood up. Texera, in particular, spoke first before Gilles could, "I know the kingdom will definitely appoint some nobles here to help the kingdom control this land, but is the one-to-five exchange really true?"

The two originally had no intention of exchanging their territory for the Grand Duchy of Vera. After all, although the territory of the Raine Kingdom was small, it was still their homeland, and their relationships and positions in the Kingdom Navy were all there. If they moved to a place so far from their homeland, many things would be inconvenient, and they might even have to give up their positions in the Kingdom Navy.

But just as Texera asked, the land exchange was so many times more expensive, and in the past few days they had also learned about the situation of the Grand Duchy of Vera. They knew that although the country was small, it had good natural endowments, rich land, a large population, and high-quality land. Otherwise, Baron Benn could not have accumulated so much wealth.

If, as Edmund suggests, the land could be exchanged for four or five times the area, the two would certainly be very willing, even if it meant giving up their positions in the Kingdom Navy. A good territory is the guarantee for a noble family to establish a legacy.

Edmund answered affirmatively, "I got this information from my father and Laou Allen. It has been approved by the King and is 100% accurate. It just hasn't been announced yet, so many people don't know about it."

Gilles and Texera gasped in surprise. As expected of a rising star in the navy, they knew such confidential information. However, their expressions quickly turned eager. Exchanging their territory for this place would probably be of great help to Edmund.

"Actually, you two seniors don't need to worry. The Kingdom Navy's first choice for this mission is definitely one of our own. You two have already proven your loyalty to the Kingdom and the Kingdom Navy. As long as you are willing to make the exchange, the Navy will definitely support you."

I think you two should be bolder. This time, we can achieve even greater feats. We can set our sights higher, such as acquiring more and richer territories. You know, the baronial families in this land own at least 300 square kilometers of territory, and there are at least one or two thousand outstanding members, not to mention the viscounts and even Count above them."

Gilles and Tesla naturally understood Edmund's meaning and couldn't help but feel excited about the future.