Loren's impression of Gray Eagle Territory had always been based on the memories of his predecessor.
Gray Eagle Territory was in a highly advantageous location. A long, narrow lake lay to the left, about 500 meters wide and over 50 meters deep, serving as a natural moat.
To the right stood towering mountains. Their sheer cliffs, over 2,000 meters high, were as straight as if cut by a blade. No birds could cross them, making them the perfect defensive wall.
With a lake on the left and mountains on the right, Gray Eagle Territory lay in the middle of a pass just over 200 meters wide.
All he had to do was build a wall across the front, and the territory would be completely cut off from the outside world.
But that alone would make Gray Eagle Territory easy to defend but difficult to develop—not exactly a good place.
The most important thing was that a vast plain stretched behind the territory, roughly thirty kilometers long and wide.
It was also surrounded by mountains. Aside from the lake and the front entrance, there was no way to reach the plain.
In other words, as long as he held the front and prevented enemies from attacking across the lake, he would have a secure rear base.
If fully developed, this land could support hundreds of thousands of people.
Its potential was extraordinary.
His predecessor had been drawn to that potential and had spent over a million buying information about the territory from an adventuring party that had tried to sell it to him.
But that was only what he remembered. It wasn't until Loren saw the territory with his own eyes that he realized just how far it fell short of his expectations. Its desolation was the first thing that struck him.
Gray Eagle Territory had once had an owner, but it had later been abandoned.
His predecessor had done some repairs after taking it over, but the territory had already been in ruins. A month of repairs could only amount to putting a flower on a pile of rubble. It had been pointless.
On top of that, the Bloody Polluters had breached it once. Now it looked even more dilapidated.
The first thing Loren saw was Gray Eagle Territory's wall. A black flag bearing a purple thorn blossom had been planted atop it, fluttering in the wind.
The wall was about four meters high and two hundred meters long.
The gray-black wood used to build it was covered in moss, and some sections had even rotted. It was hard to say how much longer the wall would hold.
Behind the wall stood two wooden Arrow Towers, each seven or eight meters tall, but both were on the verge of collapse and completely unusable.
The battlements in front of the wall were made of sharpened stakes angled outward at seventy degrees.
Though the wall was two hundred meters long, roughly a hundred meters of it on either side had been blocked off with wood.
No one could stand on those sections. The sharpened stakes stuck out like a row of thorny barbs, sharper than a hedgehog's quills.
A number of sharp iron hooks had been set up in the middle, still stained with blood. They had clearly seen battle.
That way, if an enemy attacked, the defenders only had to protect less than a hundred meters of the wall's front, greatly easing the burden of defense.
"The lord has returned!"
A soldier on watch atop the wall peered into the distance. When he spotted the convoy appearing in view, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The purple thorn blossom flag!
Loren hadn't been gone long, but this was the perilous Endless Wasteland. The soldiers left behind had been more nervous than one another.
If it weren't practically impossible for anyone to cross the dangerous wasteland alone and make it back to Decker City, quite a few would probably have deserted.
At the soldiers' excited shouts from atop the wall, the whole territory sprang to life.
The gate, already growing white mushrooms, was pushed open. Several Human Soldiers gazed at the long convoy, their eyes nearly brimming with tears.
"Lord, you're finally back."
As Loren stepped down from the carriage, he saw the soldiers before him, their arms wrapped in bandages and their bodies covered in wounds. His brow lifted.
After looking around, he turned his gaze to the Human Soldier leading them. A scar on the man's forehead had yet to heal, giving him a somewhat fierce look.
"Kool, how has the territory been these past few days?"
Kool had been appointed guard captain when Loren left. He was the only Silver Grade Human Soldier in the territory.
Kool grimaced. "Lord, the day after you left, seven wounded soldiers and thirteen civilians died."
"Didn't I take all the seriously wounded soldiers with me?" Loren frowned.
"They were hit by the Bloody Polluters in the chaos. We didn't notice at the time. Their wounds only worsened rapidly after you left."
Loren was furious.
Those damn Bloody Polluters. They just wouldn't leave him alone.
Suppressing his anger, he said flatly, "Have all the troops gather in the square."
Without waiting for a reply, he led the convoy through the low gate and into his territory, leaving Kool standing there in frustration.
Dilapidated and desolate—that was Loren's first impression of the territory.
The wall was in bad shape, and the territory was in even worse shape.
After passing through the gate, they didn't enter the residential district right away. They crossed a hundred meters of withered grass before reaching the street.
Calling it a street was generous. It looked even more wretched than a slum.
A road of broken stone and mud stretched two or three hundred meters before ending at the edge of the territory.
Low houses lined both sides. The newly built ones were made of wood, while the stone houses had a shabby air about them. They were remnants of the previous lord's time.
The run-down street was lined with low houses, and the road was rough underfoot. A nauseating stench of rot hung in the air.
He endured his discomfort and scanned the alleys on either side. Seeing garbage everywhere and human waste scattered about, he furrowed his brows.
A territory this large didn't even have a toilet. The living conditions were probably worse than the slums in Decker City.
At the guards' summons, all the residents of Gray Eagle Territory had gathered along the street. They watched Loren and the muscular Barbarian Berserkers behind him with fearful eyes.
When they saw the dog-headed men, they grew even more agitated and instinctively backed away, their eyes filled with fear of other races.
Wearing a black cloak and looking thoroughly flamboyant, the dog-headed Bloodline Mage Sim basked in the fearful stares of the crowd.
He raised his head haughtily. These foolish humans are lucky to lay eyes on the great Chieftain Xim.
The Barbarian Chieftain Yas remained impassive. He had never bothered with harmless creatures like these.
Barbarians only cared to challenge the strong.
Most of the people around them looked ashen and numb. Many, like the soldiers, were injured.
Or perhaps it was wrong to call them residents at all. They were all slaves Loren had bought, his personal property.
Only free people could be called residents.
They were pale, demoralized, and scattered in spirit.
A group of true stragglers.
Loren could hardly sense any life in them. They seemed like a crowd of puppets.
The Bloody Day, when the territory had been breached, had left a devastating impact.
Seeing the enslaved residents bow their heads as soon as he arrived, afraid to meet his eyes, he couldn't help shaking his head.
This situation had to change. The territory was stagnant as a pool of dead water. Even ordinary people would feel no hope here, let alone its residents.
How was he supposed to develop the territory in the future?
As Loren remained silent, the convoy passed through the street.
They continued across the barren grassland for about a kilometer before reaching the Lord's Manor.
The previous lord had built only two structures in Gray Eagle Territory—the wall and the Lord's Manor.
Though it was one of only two buildings in the territory and couldn't compare to the luxurious noble estates in Decker City, it was still decent enough.
A stone wall, a full two meters high, surrounded the manor.
There was a spacious garden at both the front and back of the manor. It also had a warehouse, a well, and stables, and even a dungeon.
The main building at the center was a three-story stone house. The first floor was used as a meeting hall, while the second and third floors served as living quarters. It had twelve rooms in all.
It wasn't particularly large, but in the Endless Wasteland, far from Decker City, it was comfortable—even luxurious.
Surrounded by the Barbarians and dog-headed men, the convoy slowly rolled into the manor.
The maids and the white-haired butler were already waiting there.
As soon as Loren stepped down from the carriage, the white-haired butler led a dozen maids forward to greet him.
"Welcome home, Master Loren."
Only after the butler spoke did the maids greet him as well.
"Welcome home, Master Loren."
That small gesture made the difference in rank between the servants immediately clear.
Loren nodded.
These well-mannered servants had been specially bought by his predecessor in Decker City. They were reasonably good at attending to people.
"Butler Bohr, there's no need for formalities."
The white-haired butler, Bohr, straightened and said respectfully, "My lord, I've already had someone prepare hot water. You can wash up first. Dinner will be ready soon."
Loren nodded in satisfaction. After traveling for several days, all he wanted was a hot bath and a good night's sleep.
Then, as if remembering something, he looked at Fiana behind him and smiled.
"We're back now, and the territory is safe. With Yas here, you don't need to stay by my side to protect me. Go take a hot bath first."
Fiana, her expression indifferent, met Loren's deep gaze and paused.
Then she glanced at Yas, who was as strong as a bull, and, without saying much, nodded and turned to leave.
Before you continue