Grouping

"If you become a lord, I can grant you a knighthood, allocate several towns to you, introduce you to Duke Theodore, and you might even obtain a noble title."

Finley said apologetically.

"If I don't become a lord, then all I can do is give away the Arts I have..."

If Finley didn't become lord now, he really couldn't give Fran anything. He was penniless now, with hardly any soldiers under his command, so naturally he couldn't offer anything.

Fran frowned, tapped her fingers on the wall beside her, and then continued:

"Alright then, that's settled. I'll make you a lord, and you can pay me the reward then."

From his words, Fran knew that he probably had nothing left to give Fran.

Besides, Fran herself wouldn't think much of what a poor knight could possibly have; she usually spends a lot of money just to learn two spells.

Her goal wasn't to get paid by Finley, nor did she need such a thing.

What she really wanted to experiment with was how this Territory Token she possessed should actually work.

Since I can't find any clues to use this Territory Token right now, I might as well get someone I know to gain Duke Theodore's support and become the nominal lord first.

She knew that in her current state, she had no way to do anything on this territory.

Duke Theodore is a powerful second-tier knight, and he also has the Territory Blessing. His strength is top-tier even among second-tier knights.

The leader of the Blood Wolf Knights that Fran will encounter next is clearly in the lower middle range among Second Order Profession User, and is absolutely no match for Duke Theodore.

Therefore, it would be better to make the knight she has met now a nominal lord. With such a relationship, Fran can use this connection to carry out any plans she has in the future.

Furthermore, if Finley does win the duel, she will only need two years to gain de facto recognition of this territory. In those two years, if she becomes a Second Order Mage, she might very well have some ideas about this territory.

"Huh?" Finley hadn't expected the other party to agree so easily. He scratched his head and remained silent.

"How wonderful it would be if, in the future, I could look back on my time as Adventurer, fighting for the position of lord for a knight."

"This experience can also serve as a topic of conversation for my future adventures."

Fran offered herself an excuse, while Finley scratched his head and accepted it.

He had no choice but to accept, because he desperately needed Fran's help.

He had just witnessed Fran's battle; she defeated Andrew with ease, suggesting her strength was among the best of all the knights' subordinates.

"Welcome to the team! May I ask your name?"

"Elan."

Eric walked excitedly back to his temporary post, where soldiers greeted him along the way, but he went straight to his temporary requisitioned house.

Inside his house, another knight in dark brown armor was already waiting; this knight was his temporary ally.

"Eric, what are you doing so late?"

Eric replied with a smile:

"Sorry, Cliff, something interesting happened on the way here. It seems that Fink has decided to participate in our Knight's Duel."

"Oh, he actually wants to participate too. Where is he going to find followers?"

Cliff retorted directly, knowing that Fink had no one under his command, yet this kind of person actually wanted to participate in their Knight's Duel.

"That's the interesting part. That Fink rescued a random passerby from my grasp on the street, someone who had somehow ended up here, and recruited him into his team."

"I suspect we'll see Fink taking that random guy to Knight's Duel later on."

"That passerby was actually quite capable; he was much better than the scoundrels under his command."

Upon hearing Eric's words, Cliff chuckled, then put the matter aside and began to talk about something else.

"How's the equipment you bought for those attendants coming along?"

"No problem, I specifically confirmed with that mage that these items can be brought into the duel."

The equipment he was referring to was specially made full-body armor that would make their followers more durable.

While followers do play a role in duels, their impact is truly limited and not something that can determine the outcome of a battle.

After all, as First Order Profession, they could easily crush even ten of the opponent's followers, let alone two.

The equipment he purchased was simply to allow his followers to better hold off the enemy, creating opportunities for his knights to attack.

Therefore, he specially purchased a complete set of enchanted armor to allow his followers to withstand more attacks.

They were also given some crossbows and throwing magic items to help these followers make a greater contribution.

"If our groups are together, we need to eliminate the others first. After that, we'll leave the followers behind and have a duel."

Cliff reiterated their shared goal.

The entire Knight's Duel will be divided into two groups. All the knights in each group will engage in a free-for-all. The winner of the free-for-all will then face off against the winner of the other group in a final showdown to determine who will be the new lord of White Flower Territory.

"I hope Fink is in our group too, so I can teach his reckless lackey a lesson."

Eric said jokingly.

"So, roughly how many knights are participating now?" Cliff asked.

"Eight or nine people, I'm not entirely sure, but they'll probably be divided into two groups. If there are nine people, then one group will have five people and the other four."

At that moment, a soldier shouted frantically outside the house, panting heavily.

"Lord Eric, the Earl has announced the group assignments for the Knight's Duel. I've copied the list down from the bulletin board."

The two exchanged a glance, then Eric went outside and took the list.

"What do you think will happen?" Cliff asked.

"We can only hope for divine intervention," Eric replied.

Eric unfolded the slightly folded paper, glanced at it, and exclaimed with delight:

"Thank goodness we're in a group of four, not a group of five..."

Eric then saw the last name in the group and said expectantly:

"Fink is in our group too."