Caravans and Paying Homage

Chapter 45: The Convoy and Pledging Allegiance

"Yes, why not go back? I can treat this journey back to the North as a new adventure, go back to see the family estate, and also resolve the homesickness and resentment hidden in the soul imprint of the original owner of this body, Little Locke. Whether to become a lord will depend on the situation. If it's impossible, I can just leave. It's not too late to go back to Molent City and become a small rich man. Why suffer from insomnia every night, agonizing over it?"

Thinking this way, Lorist felt his vision suddenly clear, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and he felt completely relaxed. However, even though he felt he should go back, it wasn't something he could do on a whim. Lorist still needed to plan carefully, especially after Pat recovered...

Lorist stood by the window of his study, watching Ready drag Pat into the courtyard like a dead dog, tie him to the iron spinning chair, then grab the pull rope under the chair and start spinning it, faster and faster. Pat, tied to the spinning chair, had been tortured to the brink of death these past few days. He was no longer able to resist, and could not even scream, only occasionally letting out a weak retch as a form of protest...

"Heh heh, asking for trouble. Did you really think that Dynamic Vision ability was so easy to obtain? Back in my previous life, my comrades and I were known as the Iron Wall, all of us upright and strong men. We wouldn't flinch going through mountains of knives or seas of fire. We wouldn't groan even when wounded on the battlefield. Picking bullets out of our wounds with a knife was as easy as talking. Yet, we all feared this spinning chair. None of us could last two days. We'd try it once and then avoid it like the plague.

The main reason was the unbearable nausea and vomiting sensation of spinning until you're dizzy. We were all seven-foot tough men, but after getting off this spinning chair, we were all as limp as noodles. That feeling of being unable to control yourself was truly unbearable. More than four months ago, I used Ready as a test subject, and it took almost two months of forced training for Ready to adapt and recover. I remember Bordefinger tried it after his injury healed, and then he politely declined. Unless forced, no one would voluntarily persist.

Now, Ready was just repeating the process of forced training that Lorist had put him through, but with Pat as the subject. No wonder he was so cheerful and schadenfreude, clearly happy that someone was repeating his misfortune. People are like this; they are very happy to see others go through the same unfortunate process they did. It's like falling into a pit; even after climbing out, you always hope more people will fall in.

This is Pat's seventh day like this. It seems, like Ready, he won't recover in less than two months. Lorist felt that even if he went back to the family estate, he couldn't just bring Sertkamp and Pat back empty-handed. He remembered the family merchant caravan led by his third uncle back then, worth only a little over a thousand gold Fude. For Molent City, it was just a small-scale caravan. Yet, such a caravan, making one round trip a year, earned over three hundred gold Fude, equivalent to over a thousand imperial old man gold coins. This alone, which was just Lorist's annual salary income, had brought the Norton Family to the peak of its historical power and wealth.

Lorist was not short of gold Fude now. He decided to spend several thousand gold Fude to organize a merchant caravan, or perhaps a transport team, to provide a batch of supplies to the Norton Family and support the increasingly difficult situation of the family. Regardless of whether he would inherit the territory, this was at least a contribution a descendant of Norton should make to the family, and it could be considered Lorist's compensation for occupying Little Locke's body.

However, organizing a merchant caravan still involved many troubles. First, the scale of the caravan and the goods to be transported required Lorist to have a clear understanding of the needs of the family estate, knowing what the family lacked and what it needed, rather than Lorist procuring a batch of goods, transporting them with great effort, only to find that not much of it was useful.

This part was easy. Although Sertkamp wasn't particularly good at cultivating Battle Qi, he was a know-it-all in the family estate and knew a little about everything. He had a strong ability to calculate the storage of goods. Old Steward Kress had already begun to train him in the direction of a steward. Lorist brought Sertkamp to his study every evening to inquire about the situation in the family estate, or let Sertkamp introduce it himself, speaking whatever came to mind. Lorist took notes, and then by compiling them, he could know what the family estate needed.

The question of what supplies were needed was solved, but what about the caravan personnel? Lorist thought about it and it was just himself, Sertkamp, and Pat. He didn't know if Ready would be willing to go with him. He was not yet seventeen this year, and no matter how hard he cultivated, he could only advance to Black Iron rank one star within these two or three months. Moreover, this journey also carried risks, and Lorist did not intend to take him on an adventure. This problem would have to be put aside for now. If it really didn't work out, he would hire people at a high price and escort the caravan, oh, the transport caravan, to the North. Lorist didn't believe that with a large sum of gold Fude, he couldn't find anyone.

Next was the route. According to the map, there were three main roads from Molent City to the former capital of the Krissen Empire, and only one road from the capital to the North. He remembered that Little Locke had taken fifty-seven days to travel from the North to Molent City with his third uncle's caravan. Little Locke was in a carriage, and the caravan mainly used four-wheeled cargo carriages, traveling about a hundred miles a day. This meant that the North was about six thousand miles away from Molent City.

Back then, the Krissen Empire still existed, and the roads were relatively smooth, unlike now. The entire empire was divided into three kingdoms and seven duchies. Passing through checkpoints along the way would be troublesome. Lorist, as a noble, was returning to his family estate to inherit it, and the caravan he led was not for trade. He assumed he wouldn't have to pay much in customs duties, right? He needed to inquire about this situation. Should he contact President Peterson? Lorist thought so. The Peterson Merchant Guild must have caravans going to the capital. If he traveled with their caravan, it would be much more convenient. Once in the capital, he would find a way back to the North.

Finally, there was the issue of the caravan's defense and escort. He heard that the former Krissen Empire was not very peaceful now, and caravans were often plundered by bandits, resulting in many casualties. These news were frequently reported in the Molent Daily and the Faliqiu Commercial News. Lorist had seen too much of it to be careless about escorting the caravan. He decided to hire a mercenary group at a high price for escort, so he went to the Mercenary Guild to inquire about the prices.

After returning from the Mercenary Guild, Lorist's face had been gloomy the entire time. No one could have imagined that hiring a mercenary group of forty to fifty people to escort a caravan to the North would cost a thousand gold Fude, and they even required it to be a small caravan. The mercenary group leader, who was of Gold rank, clearly stated that this was the lowest price. If the caravan had more than twelve carriages, or if the cargo carried by the carriages included weapons and armor, the escort fee would be doubled. This was not price gouging, but a necessity.

After six years of succession wars, the former Krissen Empire was now suffering from famine and war, with bandits and outlaws everywhere. Even some nobles or lords were involved, impersonating bandits and robbing travelers. If Lorist's caravan carried weapons, armor, and other military supplies, it would definitely be targeted by those bandits. If the mercenary group could not fight its way through, they would not be able to complete the escort mission.

The supplies Lorist planned to transport included a batch of weapons and armor, because Sertkamp had said that the family estate was severely lacking in such equipment. The escort fee of two thousand gold Fude exceeded the total value of that batch of weapons and armor by more than double. Instead of letting a mercenary group escort it, it would be better to temporarily recruit a hundred Silver mercenaries himself and organize them for escort. Twenty gold coins for a trip to the North, and many Silver mercenaries would eagerly sign up. This caravan escort issue would also be put aside for now and dealt with later.

Lorist became busy like this, running around the commercial district of Molent City during this period, inquiring everywhere about the prices of the supplies he was preparing to transport to the family estate. Perhaps Lorist treated transporting supplies to the family estate as a mercenary commission he had accepted. In his heart, he didn't think about what to do after delivering the supplies. He only planned to stay in the family estate for a while and then return. Anyway, with so many supplies supporting the family, it counted as his contribution and responsibility to the family on behalf of Little Locke. From then on, he could live in Molent City with a clear conscience and enjoy his life.

What Lorist didn't expect was that his busyness during this period was interpreted differently by those who paid attention. The first person to ask Lorist was Ready: "Master, are you preparing to return to the family estate?"

Lorist nodded. He was planning to go back, but how long he would stay and whether he would become a lord was uncertain. Since Ready had come over, he might as well explain his arrangements for Ready, telling him to stay and look after the house was also good: "Ready, you stay here. The North is remote and the journey is long. This trip might also be risky, so you should stay..."

"No, Master, I must go with you." Ready firmly interrupted Lorist's unfinished words: "I am your attendant, how can I leave you? I will not let you leave me behind."

Lorist was a little stunned: "What about Old Gall and Er opposing it? This journey is too long and very risky..."

"I originally came to Molent City to join a mercenary group, but who knew they didn't form a mercenary group and instead became a social organization? I won't associate with them. I have no relatives anymore. Now that I follow Master, naturally, wherever Master goes, I go. It's useless for anyone to object!" Ready said with a flushed face, clearly having made up his mind.

"Alright, then we'll go together." Lorist agreed. He didn't want Ready to feel abandoned. This child was a bit stubborn and liked to be contrary. Anyway, he was planning to return, so this trip to the North would be considered taking Ready on an adventure. Thus, Ready became one more person in the group going to the North.

As Sertkamp left the study, he happened to meet Bordefinger coming upstairs. He quickly stepped aside and bowed respectfully with his head lowered. He was already very curious about this middle-aged mercenary whom the young master treated as an honored guest. A few days ago, Bordefinger had just returned from a mercenary mission and had asked him in detail about the North and the Norton Family. When Sertkamp learned that the middle-aged mercenary in front of him was also from the North and had served as the captain of a heavy armored regiment in the former Krissen Empire, he was even more awestruck.

"Is Locke in the study?" Bordefinger asked.

"Yes," Sertkamp replied.

"Thank you," Bordefinger said.

Lorist was organizing the list of supplies needed by the family. He had just asked Sertkamp some questions for fear of any omissions. From this list, one could see how scarce the resources the family estate could utilize were. He really doubted how the family had survived in the North. Now he had a headache. If all the supplies on the list were transported to the family estate, it would be impossible without a hundred long-distance cargo carriages. And leading a convoy of a hundred carriages for thousands of miles to the North was beyond his capabilities. It seemed he would have to reduce some items on the list and purchase the most urgently needed supplies. Limiting the caravan to twenty to thirty carriages would be the easiest to control.

"When are you going back?" Bordefinger asked Lorist.

"Ah, Borg, you're here." Lorist greeted him first, leaned back, and stretched: "We have to wait for Pat to recover, which is still more than two months away. I plan to set off around November 20th."

"Oh..." Bordefinger nodded. 'I asked Sertkamp a couple of days ago about your family's current situation. They are in trouble both internally and externally. I thought you wouldn't go back."

"There's no other way. The family needs me now. As a descendant of Norton, I must go back and share the hardships with the family." Lorist smiled and shook his head. He felt that his words sounded too tragic. Well, it must be an over-the-top performance, as if he were truly giving up everything in Molent City to return to the family estate to suffer.

"By the way, Borg, you've come at the right time. I have something for you." Lorist quickly changed the subject.

Lorist opened the drawer, took out an advanced Battle Qi Manual and five gold yuan scrolls, and placed them on the table.

"Borg, you cultivate Metal Attribute Battle Qi, right? This is a Battle Qi Manual I prepared for you. It can be cultivated to the peak of Gold rank. It also contains some insights and experiences written by the original owner of this manual after he advanced to Great Swordsman. The manual was given to me by my ex-girlfriend as a breakup gift, but it's useless to me. Now I'm passing it on to you, hoping you can break through to Gold rank as soon as possible. As for whether you can become a Great Swordsman in the future, it depends on your own efforts. Don't refuse, consider it a farewell gift from me."

Bordefinger lowered his head, his body trembling slightly...

Lorist didn't notice, only continuing to talk about his arrangements for Bordefinger's family: "As for these five hundred gold coins, they are not for you, but a gift from me, your teacher, to my student Shiward and the lovely Alisha. You will be the custodian for now. Shiward has good talent, but also pay attention to nutrition and physical training. After he awakens his Battle Qi, you will be responsible for teaching him some basic knowledge. If his Battle Qi attribute is different from yours, I will find a way to get him an advanced Battle Qi Manual."

"By the way, after I leave, I believe you won't want to continue living here. I've already asked Er to buy a house near the Red Raven Tavern for your family to move into. This way, when you go out on mercenary missions, Shiward and Alisha can be looked after by Old Gall at the Red Raven Tavern. Actually, Borg, consider this: if you're willing, I'll have the academy hire you as a teacher. You can live here once you advance to Gold rank, which would be good for the children..."

Before Lorist could finish speaking, Bordefinger suddenly stood up and walked out the door without looking back.

"Uh..." Lorist was stunned. What did this mean?

After a while, Lorist heard footsteps in the corridor, followed by a knock on the door. Bordefinger returned.

However, Bordefinger had changed into formal attire, which looked like the dress uniform of a former Krissen Empire officer, and he was wearing a sword. Bordefinger walked forward solemnly a few steps, then knelt on one knee in front of Lorist, holding his sword with both hands above his head, and said with his head bowed: "Gurey Bordefinger, former Captain of the Ninth Company of the Third Heavy Armored Regiment of the White Lion Legion of the Imperial Defense Army, voluntarily pledges allegiance to Norton Lorist as his lord and vows loyalty to the Norton Family. May the God of War bless this subordinate and allow me to achieve great deeds under the Norton banner, not failing my lord's expectations."

Lorist jumped up in shock. This was the ceremony of pledging allegiance. It was generally a ritual of loyalty performed by subjects when meeting their sovereign, such as an emperor, king, or the Grand Duke of a duchy. If this ceremony was used for a noble, it meant that the performer and the lord receiving it would have their destinies intertwined from then on. Regardless of whether their lord became rich or poor in the future, the performer would faithfully accompany him, never wavering for life, even if their lord rebelled. This was a relationship even deeper than that of a family knight and a patriarch.

"Borg, you are... you are..." Lorist didn't know what to do.

Bordefinger kept his head down, motionless, maintaining his posture.

Didn't they usually communicate beforehand before performing the ceremony of pledging allegiance? Why the sudden ambush? Lorist had no choice. He stepped forward, took the long sword Bordefinger offered, drew it from its scabbard, and lightly tapped the top of Bordefinger's head and his shoulders with the flat of the sword, muttering: "From today onwards, our bloodlines are connected. You see me as your lord, and I see you as my brother. May the God of War witness our oath, and may time engrave our future glory."

Lorist had to respond. Lingering indecision would make the one performing the courtesy feel ignored, which was the greatest insult. Some would commit suicide on the spot, while others would consider the issuer an eternal enemy.

Taking the sword Lorist handed him, Bordefinger stood up and bowed deeply to Lorist. "My lord."

Lorist gave a wry smile. "Borg, why bother? You could have stayed out of this. You could have stayed in Molent City and lived a carefree life. Why must you jump into this fire pit with me?"

Bordefinger chuckled. "I wasn't going to stay in Molent City anyway. To be honest, I've wanted to return to my hometown in the Northland for a long time. But returning home would still require joining some family. It's better to follow you, especially since you've shown me kindness. Isn't it perfect to pledge allegiance to you as my lord?"

"And what about the two children?" Lorist's head was starting to ache...

"I asked Shiward. He said you are his master, so of course, he has to go with you. As for Alisha, she should grow strong and healthy like a wild thorny rose, not like a delicate flower in a greenhouse. I think you're spoiling her too much. A daughter of the Northland should return to the Northland to endure the tempering of wind and snow," Bordefinger replied.

"Sigh..." Alright, the traveling group heading to the Northland had just gained Bordefinger's family.

Bordefinger stepped forward and took the high-level Battle Qi Manual with the Metal Attribute. "Alright, now I can legitimately take this manual. I hope to reach the Gold rank within two months so I can better serve you."

Bordefinger turned to leave.

"Borg, don't call me 'my lord' anymore. Call me by my name like you used to," Lorist said.

"Understood, Lord Locke."