Andrew's Resolve

Derek had not wasted a single word throughout the letter.

But his Second Uncle Andrew was a clever man. He would surely understand the meaning behind the words.

He needed people!

Derek sent his Knight Squire Simon back with several soldiers, and they did not return empty-handed.

There were the soldiers' wages to send home, gifts for Second Uncle Andrew, and settlement allowances.

What were settlement allowances for?

Naturally, they were for recruiting people.

As the actual administrator of Haystack Village, no one could stop Andrew if he wanted to pull a few strings in private.

For his son's future, he would certainly be willing to take some risks.

Even if his elder brother discovered it, at most he would be scolded a little.

Could someone really bring themselves to punish their own younger brother for secretly poaching people from the family for their own son?

Derek had arranged the human relationships perfectly.

Simon was extremely excited. Following Lord Derek had completely changed his fate.

In less than a year, the farm boy had become a strong Knight Squire.

What he had seen and experienced had also greatly broadened his horizons.

And, of course, Lord Derek was simply incredible.

He had met members of the Ferrera Family, but not one of them could compare to his lord.

In his eyes, Baron Ferrera would have been right to pass the title on to his lord.

Taking several soldiers with him, Simon returned to Haystack Village.

He first delivered the soldiers' letters and wages to their homes. The money was enough for their families to live comfortably, perhaps even take in one or two more mouths to feed.

Going out to serve as a soldier meant one less ration to provide and an additional source of income. That was enormously significant to farming households.

In truth, vast numbers of infants were abandoned or drowned every year, which was also one reason population growth remained slow.

Simon's arrival naturally alerted Andrew.

As the sheriff, he questioned every outsider, much less several fully armed soldiers.

But when he arrived, he discovered that it was all a misunderstanding.

"Simon? You're the lad who left with my nephew?"

Andrew had a good memory, and Haystack Village was small, so he recognized Simon at once.

But when he looked at Simon again—the Leather Armor reinforced with numerous iron plates, the black longsword at his waist, his burly frame, and the fierce air about him—

If he had not known the man, he would have thought him some Wandering Knight from elsewhere.

There was also a sturdy Warhorse beside him, a real Warhorse, not one of those beasts kept merely to make up the numbers.

Andrew remembered that when his nephew had left, he had ridden nothing more than an ordinary packhorse.

That set of equipment had to be worth ten or twenty Gold Coins. Had his nephew really made something of himself?

That was far too fast.

Andrew could hardly believe it, but Simon was no longer some farm boy he could casually berate.

Fortunately, Simon knew that Andrew was very close to his own knight lord. Upon seeing him, he took the initiative to approach and bowed.

"Sheriff Andrew, I have a personal letter from my lord for you, letters to be passed on to Baron Ferrera and the others, as well as some gifts."

Derek had not only written to Andrew. Naturally, he could not forget to cultivate the others as well.

Still, those were merely polite greetings accompanied by a few small gifts.

Only then did Andrew believe that his nephew had truly made something of himself.

For a noble's second son, finding a path of his own was truly difficult, just as it had been for Andrew himself.

Seeing that there were too many people around, he brought Simon back to his home.

He asked about what Derek had been doing. Simon merely vaguely said that he was conducting some business and did not elaborate.

But these days, not just anyone could engage in business, especially anything with even a little scale.

Could some important figure under Count Perez be supporting him?

Andrew made his guess. Thinking of his nephew's outstanding performance, and how he had left the Knight Order for no apparent reason, could he have become some important person's proxy?

Once they were home, there was no need for so much restraint.

Andrew opened the letter directly. As a seasoned man, he immediately saw the implication behind Derek's words.

So... should he accept his nephew's invitation?

Of course he should.

Andrew made his decision very quickly.

Adrian could at most become a Banner Captain in the Ferrera Family, and more likely than not, he would not even achieve that.

There was enormous pressure from competition with his elder brother's son and the children of his other brothers.

By the next generation, they might even be reduced to farming.

Without a noble title and a Fief, it was impossible to preserve the family's glory.

And that glory was not something collateral branches could enjoy for long.

Rather than decline after one generation, it would be better to take a chance alongside Derek.

Simon then presented the gifts at just the right time.

Inside a standard wooden chest were longswords.

There were ten longswords in total, nearly equal in value to the Refined Iron sword he had given away.

Derek was very generous. Excluding labor costs, the total cost to produce them himself was only one Gold Coin.

Whether Andrew used these gifts himself or sold them for money, they would be very easy to dispose of.

This only strengthened Andrew's resolve.

"Simon, come with me to Ferreira Castle now and deliver the gifts and letters to the Baron."

The two rode hard all the way, and Simon was granted an audience with Baron Ferrera.

But he kept his mouth tightly shut and revealed no further information.

Baron Ferrera did not press him. After all, Derek was his son. It was a good thing if he could build a little career for himself.

At the same time, he noticed Andrew's little intentions, but... never mind.

The Ferrera Family was such a sprawling concern that, at least openly, he had to maintain a certain degree of fairness.

But in private, a little favoritism was perfectly normal.

Derek was, after all, currently his most outstanding son. It was inevitable that he would receive more favor.

He simply had not expected Andrew to swing his hoe far more ruthlessly than he imagined.

Adrian was currently only one of the Ferrera Family's Cavalry, without even an official position or title.

His so-called knight training consisted of nothing more than basic instruction.

With Baron Ferrera's approval, Andrew took him away directly.

Adrian was actually somewhat unhappy. The family's equipment, Warhorse, and weapons all had to be left behind. Though he could go out and make his way in the world, it was still hard for him to accept at first.

Andrew gave him a severe scolding for it and made him see reality clearly.

"Do you think your cousin will mistreat you if you go to him?

Work hard for him, just as I am loyal to my brother. Derek is your Liege Lord.

Don't get sent back. I'll let your younger brother inherit the family property. If you return, then obediently go farm the land."

Andrew was ruthless enough—or perhaps he had endured frustration for a lifetime and had been holding in this resentment all along.

He could no longer fight for himself, but his son still had a chance.

While arranging to recruit people for his nephew, he also taught Adrian some lessons in handling affairs.

Then, before Baron Ferrera could react, he urged Simon to flee with the recruits.

There were fifty sturdy young men in all. Haystack Village had practically been emptied out.

Even the following year's planting would be affected slightly, but Andrew was all in.