Plans and Changes

Within Bristle-Wolf City's Earl Castle stood an enormous suite, complete with a living room, reception hall, Study, and bedroom, as well as an exercise hall and Meditation Room.

Everything here had been custom-built for a ceiling height of ten meters. The exercise hall, spanning several hundred square meters, even had an extraordinary thirty-meter-high ceiling.

Its owner, Kempins Bristle-Wolf, the Northwest Count of the Dragon Kingdom, had built this private lord's residence after breaking through to become a Silver Knight. At the time, he had firmly believed he could continue breaking through, become a Sky Knight, and fly through the air using Battle Qi.

At this moment, the three-meter-tall count was resting in the living room. Thin and gaunt, he reclined halfway on a Magic Vine Chair. This type of chair could adjust its angle and length, was exceptionally sturdy, and was highly popular among Mana-Wielders.

The count closed his eyes, recalling the days from over a decade ago, when he had just become a Silver Knight.

Every noble pursued further breakthroughs for themselves, superior Bloodline inheritance for their families, and continued extraordinary output from their territories.

Count Bristle-Wolf had been no exception. Back then, he had been full of ambition. To take his family to greater heights, he had needed to continuously serve a powerful family.

Until that day, when he and his wife stepped into the trap of a conspiracy...

"Master? The eldest young master is already outside," the butler reported softly, somehow having appeared behind him.

The count opened his eyes. "Oh, he's here? Let him in."

The four-meter-tall door was pulled open, and a handsome knight strode inside.

"Father, this just arrived." The newcomer was the count's eldest son, Fernando Bristle-Wolf. Since childhood, this young man had been the most dazzling child in all of Bristle-Wolf City. He had become a Junior Knight at fifteen, broken through to intermediate rank at twenty, and reached Senior Knight two years ago, at the age of twenty-five.

The count took the slip of paper and sighed. "Rothe really knows how to rake it in. Ten thousand Gold Coins in seven years. Isn't he afraid of choking on it?"

"That greedy bastard! Smuggling salt and iron was one thing, but he actually dared to smuggle Iron Armor and Warhorses to the Frost-Wolf Family!" Fernando said through gritted teeth.

"A noble must know how to handle his subordinates. You need to give them room to grow, but you cannot indulge them too much. These past few years, I focused all my attention on Dragon Tooth City and neglected the management of these border nobles." The count placed great importance on training his eldest son, hoping he could fulfill his dream of reviving the family.

"You will face the same situation in the future. If you want to handle it well, you must grasp the right balance."

"How should I grasp it?"

"Have the Knight Order assemble, but do not set out yet. I need to teach Rothe a lesson!"

"Yes, Father!"

In Count Bristle-Wolf's eyes, the winter of the year 996 would bring a slight chill to the border, but it would only be somewhat colder than usual. As long as he had the Bristle-Wolf Knights in hand, nothing unexpected would happen.

Rothe Territory, Viscount Rothe's Castle Study. Although Viscount Rothe and Baron Gallop belonged to the same clan, Viscount Rothe's Castle was far more imposing than Baron Gallop's Castle.

The viscount's castle also had three floors and was functionally very similar to Hark's castle, but it was three times the size of the baron's castle. Outside the Main Castle stood a large Secondary Castle and warehouse.

The current Viscount Rothe, Bob Rothe, had once been a deputy commander of the Bristle-Wolf Knights. Eight years ago, in 988, the Barbarians had launched a large-scale invasion. The previous Viscount Rothe entrusted the Territory Residents to Hark Gallop while leading his own knights in a struggle against the Barbarians, only to die tragically.

Bob inherited Rothe Territory, and from then on, Rothe Territory developed at a rapid pace. Bob's methods of operation rested on two pillars: trade on Gallop Plains and connections in the Royal Capital.

In Dragon Tooth City, the Royal Capital, he had established ties with the great merchant house known as the Frost-Wolf Family. Through the Frost-Wolves, he sold Gallop Plains specialties in the Royal Capital and earned far greater profits.

Rothe Territory now had sixty households and more than six hundred people. The Rothe Family had five knights, the castle had twelve family knights, and the four fiefdom knight territories had another eight knights, including Reserve Knights. From the foundation of near-total destruction eight years ago, Bob had accumulated such strength through his management.

At this moment, the viscount was in his Study. He had just finished writing a list of supplies to be sent to the Grey Goose Tribe.

Although Viscount Bob had come from the position of deputy commander of the Knight Order, he had once studied in Dragon Tooth City, and his business connections all came from his school days.

Bob looked at the list in his hand and felt a wave of reluctance. He had painstakingly accumulated all this over several years. Every Copper Coin's worth of supplies should have been used for something more meaningful.

In Bob's view, the critical moment had arrived. Sending collateral branches out as bargaining chips was the most ordinary tactic for great nobles.

More than a decade ago, the Frost-Wolf Family of the Royal Capital had been caught in a scandal involving collusion with Barbarians. They had directly pushed out the person in charge of their business at the time to take the blame. It was said that the brother and sister later vanished without a trace.

Now, he was merely copying the practices of great families.

He did not agree with his elder brother's way of thinking back then—charging ahead himself while letting the collateral branch care for the Territory Residents.

In his eyes, the Rothe Family, as the main branch, should be preserved above all else.

But this collateral branch had no self-awareness at all. With only one Knight Apprentice left, they had actually fled with all the Territory Residents. One Knight Apprentice. Even if they preserved the people, they could not inherit a baron territory. Why could they not contribute themselves to preserve all of Rothe Territory?

Every year when Bob traveled to Gallop Plains for trade, he brought Hark along. Over these years, Hark and his sons had lived better than any other baron in the Northwest Count Territory.

Why did I bring you along to make money? Wasn't it so you could step up at a critical moment? Why do you have no gratitude at all? Now I have to pay so much food and supplies to feed those Barbarians.

Viscount Rothe was furious.

The Study door was pushed open, and Bob's son, Dell Rothe, entered. "Father, can the list be finalized? That Gray Goose messenger is getting impatient."

"Then tell him to get lost!" Bob roared. He cared greatly about noble status and standing, and he could not tolerate an ordinary Barbarian Mana-Wielder acting arrogantly before him.

"Tell him that the count's Knight Order will arrive tomorrow. By then, that Gray Goose chief of his will have to run back to the plains as if he could fly!"

"Father, that is the second thing I came to tell you." Dell took out a slip of paper. "Commander Cronie Red-Dragon sent someone to deliver this."

"What?" He only sent someone to bring this note? Cronie Red-Dragon was Kempins Bristle-Wolf's nephew and had once served alongside Bob Rothe in the Bristle-Wolf Knights.

The two men had not only been classmates in the capital and colleagues in Earl City, but also business partners along the trade route from Gallop Plains to the Royal Capital.

Now that disaster was at his doorstep, after he had already sent a plea for help to Bristle-Wolf City, all that came was a slip of paper?

Bob took the note, glanced at it, then crumpled it into a ball and threw it to the floor. "That jackal, that carrion-eating hound, that insatiable fool!

He actually says the Knight Order is reorganizing and cannot be deployed for the time being? Do you think that after draining my blood, those Barbarians will simply smell it and leave?" Though his words were cursing the Bristle-Wolf Family, Bob Rothe actually had a good relationship with Fernando Bristle-Wolf.

Fernando Bristle-Wolf had become the First Deputy Commander of the Bristle-Wolf Knights after breaking through to Senior Knight three years ago.

The commander was Count Bristle-Wolf, the First Deputy Commander was Fernando Bristle-Wolf, the Second Deputy Commander was a Senior Knight responsible for training, and the third deputy commander was Cronie Red-Dragon. Red-Dragon was the royal surname of the Dragon Kingdom.

Count Bristle-Wolf had intermarried with the Red-Dragon Family and invited a younger Red-Dragon relative to serve as a deputy commander responsible for external liaison in the Knight Order, as a gesture of goodwill toward the royal family.

Ever since Bob began large-scale smuggling seven years ago, he had known the danger of keeping all the profits for himself. Therefore, every time he went to Bristle-Wolf City for trade, he gave Fernando Bristle-Wolf a share.

Fernando Bristle-Wolf naturally accepted Bob's goodwill without hesitation, so in Bob's eyes, Bristle-Wolf City had tacitly approved of his business.

It was not only Fernando Bristle-Wolf. Cronie, Count Bristle-Wolf's butler, and the captain in charge of city defense often received benefits from Bob as well.

"Have these bastards been blinded by Gold Coins? Do they think I can just lead a horse from the plains into Bristle-Wolf City and sell it?"

"Father?"

"Every time I send out a caravan, you demand a share. My Iron Armor can only be sold to you at low prices. You always want to keep the best of my Black-Scaled Horses. I brought the Frost-Wolf Family into the plains, and you were more upset than if the Frost-Wolves had entered your castle.

Now that you see I have money, you actually stand by and watch during a Barbarian invasion. Even if the Barbarians drain my blood, they will not feed it to you!" Bob was now beside himself with rage.

People were always so righteous when sacrificing others. They even felt that those being sacrificed were not being sensible enough.

But when it was their turn to be sacrificed, they felt the whole world had betrayed them.

"Tell the Barbarian downstairs that these supplies will be delivered to Gallop Territory in three days!" Bob handed the list to his son. "Have all the knights gather at the castle. These Barbarians will not be satisfied so easily. We need to teach them to honor their promises."

"Yes, Father."

Inside a small inn in Bristle-Wolf City, two young men were drinking in a guest room.

"Everything is proceeding according to the Chief's plan. Baron Gallop's Territory has already been emptied, and Gray Goose's next move will definitely be to devour Rothe.

Bristle-Wolf, who sits by while his subordinates are destroyed by Barbarians, will be punished by the Dragon Kingdom and the Empire. These two territories will become meat on the Chief's plate amid the struggle of many parties."

"They are only two border territories, living off a little smuggled salt and iron every year. What truly matters is holding Korniko Pass."

"Yes. Once the Chief takes Rothe, he will have shut Korniko's gate. Then people can be sent to explore Night-Kirin City. As long as the Magic Arrays in Night-Kirin City can be restored..."

"Then the Palace Front Department will become Night-Kirin's master and possess all of Gallop Plains!"

"At that time, Night-Kirin City will become the stage for commoner Mages and Knights."

"Brother, with your Senior Mage strength, you will definitely gain a bigger stage. When the time comes, do not forget about your little brother."

"No way, aren't you the Chief's fellow disciple?"

"What fellow disciple? When the Chief studied under Master Zhuoqin, I was still a child. By the time I entered Master Zhuoqin's tutelage, the Chief had already joined the Palace Front Department."

"Come on, you are still fellow disciples. At least in the eyes of outsiders like us, you are senior and junior brothers!"

"What are you talking about? I am only an Intermediate Mage. Back then, I was merely an Apprentice under one of the Master's Archmage disciples. Now, I am afraid I may not even have a chance to break through to Senior Mage."

"How could that be? Once the Palace Front Department takes Night-Kirin City, Intermediate Mages like us will have a chance to break through further!"

"Come, for Night-Kirin, bottoms up!"

"Cheers!"

"You are heading to Brown Bear tomorrow, and I am going to the Salt Mine. Take care of yourself. We will meet again in Night-Kirin City someday!"

"You take care too."

By the time the Gray Goose Leader saw Viscount Rothe's supply list, several hours had already passed.

"It seems that Human Race boy was right. Bristle-Wolf will not rescue Rothe," the Gray Goose Leader said with a smile. This matched the information he had received before.

"I am still worried. Isn't your plan too risky? On Human Race land, their Battle Qi is stronger than our Iron Armor and Warhorses." The speaker was the Grey Goose Tribe's Priest, whose abilities were comparable to an Intermediate Priest.

"Do not worry. Before we take Rothe Castle, Count Bristle-Wolf will not react. Even if we take it, he will only lead a large group of knights to hide behind Stone Castle in the Eastern Region and try to scare us off."

"Old Bristle-Wolf used to be a Silver Knight!"

"But he is no longer one. I received word that this old wolf was cursed by a powerful person several years ago while chasing fame and profit. He still has not recovered. As long as he dares come out and fight me decisively!"

"We will trigger the curse on him? But then our horses will not be able to leap over Stone Castle's walls."

"Who said I wanted to leap over the walls and fight them? So many noble lords under Bristle-Wolf are gathered around him. Wouldn't it be easy for me to visit those lesser nobles at their homes?"

"So you want to hold Bristle-Wolf's main force in place while sweeping through the other noble territories?"

"That is right. Bristle-Wolf City should have some magical tricks, and we would not gain anything by going there.

But as long as we pin Bristle-Wolf's main force at Blue Magpie Castle, our cavalry can quickly harvest the territories of three or four nearby barons and viscounts. Those territories will provide us with at least a hundred slaves. That is what I truly value."

"After we sweep through them, will Bristle-Wolf directly fight us to the death?"

"He will not. We do not need to take away all the Mana-Wielders and Mana-Less. We only need to take half from each territory. Then Bristle-Wolf's vassal nobles will have to return to reinforce their own territories. Bristle-Wolf will not have enough knights on hand, nor will he come looking for trouble with us."

As October of the year 996 approached, everyone had their own plans, and every one of those plans changed because of Landen's actions.