Threat

As the bells rang, fully armed guards scrambled onto the wooden wall. Nalant made a rough estimate; there were at least twenty heavily armed guards on this section of the wall alone.

"With this kind of manpower, there must be at least forty or fifty guards in the camp!" Nalant's expression turned grave, and at the same time, he became even more curious about what exactly was hidden inside the camp.

Under normal circumstances, a baron could afford to maintain a force of about seventy or eighty men; the wealthier ones might manage a hundred at most.

Any more than that would be beyond a baron's means. After all, a baron with a population of ten thousand usually found it difficult enough to support a hundred guards.

Yet, this Quinte had placed half his forces in a camp within the buffer zone, which naturally suggested something suspicious was afoot.

"Who goes there!" Just then, a burly, middle-aged man stepped out onto the wooden wall.

The man wore a suit of iron armor and radiated an imposing aura.

Nalant scrutinized him carefully and discovered that the man was not only a Title Knight but also possessed strength superior to his own—he was a mid-stage Bronze Knight.

"I am the new lord of Storm Territory. And who might you be?" Nalant stepped forward, feigning ignorance as he asked the man on the wall in a deep, steady voice.

"So, it is the Lord of Storm Territory. I am Sir Dili, a vassal of Baron Quinte! My Lord, you have trespassed into the territory of Baron Quinte; I must ask you to withdraw immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Sir Dili, standing on the wooden wall, wore a fake smile, though his tone was arrogant and haughty.

"Baron Quinte's territory? Sir Dili, I recall this being a buffer zone. Since when did it become part of the Barony of Quinte!" Nalant's expression darkened. The other party was clearly planning to be shameless and turn black into white.

"Furthermore, this is not only a buffer zone, but a large portion of it belongs to my Storm Territory!"

It had only taken four or five minutes to walk from the border, and Nalant had been calculating the distance the entire time; his group had traveled no more than four or five hundred meters.

By this calculation, Baron Quinte had not only violated regulations by building a camp and stationing troops in the buffer zone, but he had also encroached upon the land belonging to Nalant.

"My apologies, My Lord, I do not know what you are talking about. This is the territory of the Barony of Quinte. Moreover, Baron Quinte has issued an order that no one is to approach this camp. I suggest you leave quickly, or suffer the consequences!"

Upon hearing Nalant's words, Sir Dili's face turned black, and his fake smile vanished entirely.

Following his words, the guards on the wooden wall raised their longbows.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Seeing this, Quick and the others reacted instantly, drawing their longswords to shield Nalant, while Vivian and the other guards quickly nocked arrows to face off against those on the wall.

"My Lord, I advise you to be content with being a lord and enjoy your remaining days before the Dark Creatures break through your castle. This buffer zone is not something you can touch! Besides, this is the dense Blazing Forest, where Magic Beasts frequently appear. If you stay here too long, you might find yourself in danger!" Seeing that Nalant and his men were not only unafraid but prepared to resist, Sir Dili spoke again.

This time, he had completely dropped the facade. Dili even deliberately flared his Battle Qi, the powerful radiance of a mid-stage Bronze Knight enveloping his body.

The scene fell silent. The two sides stood in a tense standoff for over ten seconds. During those ten seconds, Nalant's gaze remained steady, fixed intently on the arrogant Dili.

"You are quite right; this place is different from others!" After more than ten seconds, Nalant suddenly laughed, a very cheerful laugh. "Quick, Vivian, lower your weapons. We are leaving!"

With that, Nalant led his eighteen men back the way they came.

Watching them leave, Dili wore a smug, satisfied smile. "Haha, to think he was just a cowardly lord. He left after just a few words! That saves us the trouble."

"Sir Dili, will there be any repercussions for provoking him like that?" a guard captain beside Dili asked cautiously.

"What repercussions could there be? The Baron has already sent word to tell us not to worry if we encounter this lord, just to scare him off. It is said he is merely a pathetic second son of a baron!"

It turned out that a few days ago, when Quinte learned that a new lord had arrived in Storm Territory, he had already sent people to investigate. Upon learning that Nalant was only a baron's second son, he had relaxed, not taking Nalant seriously at all.

"I see! Sir Dili was truly imposing just now!" The guard captain immediately offered flattery.

"Haha, he is just a boy who hasn't even grown his hair out yet. Not to mention we have fifty guards in this camp, I alone could wipe them out!"

"That is true! That is true! Sir Dili is a mid-stage Bronze Knight, after all!"

"Hmph, I am heading down. Keep the guards alert to prevent that Storm Territory lord from pulling any tricks! By the way, give the guard who went on watch ten lashes when he returns; he must have been sleeping in the woods." Having said this, Dili descended from the wall.

"It is too hateful, My Lord. We should report this to the Earl immediately. The Earl will surely demand an explanation from Earl Blackiron!" On the way back, Quick spoke with resentment. Dili's arrogant attitude had made every guard's blood boil.

"Quick! If that Dili was so fearless even after being discovered, do you think telling the Earl would be of any use?" According to the memories of the original owner, such matters usually devolved into long, drawn-out disputes.

Because the Blazing Forest was on the edge of the principality, it had little impact on the Earl or the King, aside from affecting Nalant himself.

Even if the King eventually ordered Earl Blackiron to handle it, they would likely find excuses to delay. After all, this place was too remote. Unless both Earls made it a serious issue and escalated the situation, the King would never truly pay attention.

Furthermore, Nalant actually had his own selfish motives. The camp was built on his buffer zone, which meant that if possible, the benefits there could be his.

If the King or the Earls found out, he would only be able to watch from the sidelines.

"But, My Lord, they are violating the rights of our Storm Territory!" Quick said, clearly unwilling to let it go.

"Ding! Task to locate the camp completed. Reward: New plant variety has been issued!"

"Ding! Baron Quinte is determined to encroach upon your interests and has threatened you, damaging your dignity as a lord. You should deal the enemy a sufficient blow!"

"System Side Quest: Destroy the camp in the buffer zone and kill or drive out the enemies."

"System Reward: One Basic Battle Qi Manual, information on two Sprites!"

Hiss! Information on two Sprites? Just then, the system's chime echoed in Nalant's mind. Upon hearing this, he nearly jumped from where he stood. This reward was too generous.

He didn't care much for the Basic Battle Qi Manual, but information on two Sprites was a rare treasure for developing his territory.

The task issued by the system was, in fact, exactly what Nalant had been thinking.

He clearly remembered Dili's threats, not to mention the serfs they had abducted.

More importantly, Nalant knew that if Quinte was willing to break ties with his neighbor to seize this land, there must be something valuable there. It was in his buffer zone, and he wouldn't let Quinte have it, even if the Sprites belonged to him.

Seeing that Quick was still fuming, Nalant suppressed his excitement and said, "Quick, have you forgotten that one doesn't necessarily need the Earl to intervene to defend the territory's rights?"

"My Lord, you mean..." Quick's eyes widened.

"Didn't Sir Dili say it himself? This place is different from others; this is the Blazing Forest, where Magic Beasts frequently appear! If one day they were all wiped out, that would be perfectly normal!" Nalant smiled slightly.