The Arrival of Lajos Assad

The Arrival of Lajos Assad

Thor had been greatly anticipating Lajos Assad's arrival. As he waited, time quickly passed. The month soon came to an end, and as the new month arrived, a caravan appeared on the road from Loren City to Eagle Ridge.

Of course, there had originally been no road here.

But after Thor led people through it several times, a path had gradually been trampled out.

Lajos Assad was slowly making his way along that path.

He did not have many men with him, only forty or fifty in total, with barely more than a dozen knights. However, they had brought several wagons, their wheels sinking deeply into the ground, clearly loaded with a great deal of heavy cargo.

At the front of the procession,

Lajos Assad rode a snow-white steed.

"My lord, another day should be enough for us to reach Eagle Ridge."

Ram spoke respectfully.

"I know."

"Pick up the pace. We should reach Eagle Ridge by noon tomorrow. I trust my friend will give us the finest welcome."

Lajos Assad spoke with a smile.

Yet after speaking, a trace of worry and unease lingered deep within his eyes.

It was not merely concern for his own circumstances, but also uncertainty regarding Eagle Territory.

That day, that figure had painted for him a brighter future, stirring his heart and prompting him to sell Blazing Oil to that descendant of the Dreyrosa Family.

But as time passed,

he could not help doubting the words of that Dreyrosa Family member.

The Dreyrosa Family was even weaker than the Assad Family. Would they truly provide one of their descendants with such immense support?

That was a Great Knight and dozens of Formal Knights.

Even for a Count, such strength was far from insignificant.

At least, from what he knew, his second brother had also chosen to become a Pioneer Knight and had even earned their father's favor. Yet in the end, he had received only a little over twenty Formal Knights and more than a hundred Apprentice Knights. He had been given more gold, but only ten thousand gold coins.

No matter how he thought about Thor Dressrosa's words, they seemed suspicious.

So after hesitating for a while, Lajos decided to come and see for himself.

On one hand, he wanted to make a final confirmation. On the other, he wanted to see what Thor Dressrosa's territory had become and whether it could truly help him fulfill his ambitions.

If it could not, he would have to consider other paths.

"Perhaps I could try other territories."

"But my strength is still too weak, and I do not possess many things that could move those lords. The risks would still be rather great."

Lajos muttered to himself, unable to help sinking into thought.

Time continued to pass quickly.

In the blink of an eye, another day went by.

When the midday sun rose,

Lajos and his group finally saw the Maine River Valley ahead, along with stretches of farmland and buildings.

Yet the moment he saw Eagle Ridge, Lajos's eyes widened. He even instinctively rubbed his eyes.

Because the territory before him completely exceeded his expectations.

There was none of the disorder, ruin, or wilderness he had imagined. Instead, everything was neat and orderly. Fields of wheat dotted the landscape ahead, while a massive castle stood at the center in the distance, towering, upright, and solemn.

It looked utterly out of place for the territory of a newly established lord.

If Lajos had not been certain that this was Eagle Ridge, he might have suspected that he had arrived at some Baron's territory.

"My heavens, he... he actually built this place into something like this."

"A castle... He even has a castle."

Lajos spoke in disbelief, his heart filled with shock.

Naturally, Lajos had later learned more about Thor Dressrosa. He knew that it had been less than four months since Thor had come here as a Pioneer Knight.

Yet the territory before him was something that, let alone four months, an ordinary Pioneer Lord might not achieve even after two or three years.

Amid his shock, a trace of delight inevitably spread across his face.

At that moment, several knights in the distance swiftly rode toward them.

When he saw who was coming, Lajos's smile grew even brighter.

He quickly dismounted.

The figures in the distance soon arrived.

They dismounted as well.

Thor strode forward.

He embraced Lajos.

"Welcome, my friend."

His gentle voice rang out, carrying a sincere smile.

"I had also been looking forward to meeting you, my friend."

"Honestly, my friend, you have truly surprised me. It has only been four months, yet your territory has already reached such a scale."

Lajos spoke with feeling.

"Only through the Goddess of Life's blessing has everything gone so smoothly."

"Come. I have prepared a lavish dinner for you, my friend. You must be hungry already."

Thor smiled and nodded before inviting Lajos forward.

"The honor is mine."

Lajos smiled and nodded.

Thor then led Lajos and his group into the territory.

Once he entered the territory, Lajos was undoubtedly even more astonished.

The entire territory was better than he had imagined. The roads were clean and broad, and smiling figures could be seen everywhere.

Lajos could not see the numbness, despair, or vacant eyes common in the people of other territories. All he saw was hope, longing, and reverence for Thor Dressrosa.

It was simply unbelievable.

He knew that these people had still been slaves just a few months ago.

Since when had slaves become so full of life?

The way he looked at Thor changed once again.

And when he reached the area near the castle, another flash of shock appeared in his eyes.

Knights passed by one after another.

Quite a few of them were Formal Knights.

Although Thor had told him that he possessed more than forty Formal Knights, Lajos was still deeply shaken when he saw so many of them in person.

These were Formal Knights.

At its current scale, Eagle Ridge truly did not lag behind any Baron's territory.

In some respects, it had even developed better than certain Baron's territories.

It was almost unimaginable.

Amid his shock, his smile grew increasingly brilliant.

Because the better Eagle Ridge developed, the more beneficial it would be for him.

As for his previous unease, tension, and anxiety, they had all completely vanished at this moment.

In their place was anticipation.

Anticipation for the future.

After all, with Eagle Ridge's current scale, he could almost certainly say that Thor would become a Baron. And by relying on a Baron's territory, his trade could truly flourish.