Vidoc sat quietly in the spacious, comfortable cabin at the heart of the ship. His surroundings were exceptionally peaceful, with only the occasional faint rumble of the steam engine coming through the walls.
By the light of the wall-mounted oil lamp burning sunflower oil and whale fat, Vidoc carefully took stock of the gains from his trip to Iron Tree City.
Of all his gains, the one that pleased him most was Alex's authorization. Its terms were simple: while organizing the Northern Frontier nobles against the Steppe Barbarians' invasion, he could act in Alex's name to mobilize the Iron Birch Family's private troops stationed in the Northlands, as well as those of its vassal nobles.
However, the Iron Birch Family had not left many private troops in the Northlands. Alex had already taken its core forces to the Central Region. Those remaining were second-rate units reorganized after the civil war, numbering only a little over thirty thousand. They were enough to defend the family's territory, but could hardly be counted on to join a counteroffensive.
Still, Victor was very satisfied that he could mobilize the Iron Birch Family's vassal nobles. These families were no ordinary powers. They had spent years building their strength in the Northlands alongside the Iron Birch Family, and none could be underestimated. Even after their losses in the civil war, they had largely recovered over the past three years. These lesser and middling nobles could recover far more quickly than the Iron Birch Family.
After all, they were smaller and had reaped the rewards of victory in the civil war. Unlike the Iron Birch Family, they had not lost vast numbers of elite soldiers and outstanding officers. A core of several dozen to a hundred veterans was enough for them to rebuild their private armies.
One