Blocking the Troops

The military composition of this world also fits the characteristics of the Middle Ages: few formal soldiers, all elites, with temporary conscripted militias making up the bulk of the common troops.

Marcus's large territory only had a few hundred soldiers, but each was well-equipped and exceptionally capable in combat.

The position of Chief Knight was more than just a title; Marcus genuinely valued Harrot.

Harrot was appointed to command a 50-man elite infantry regiment. He preferred using a two-handed greatsword, and his horsemanship was relatively average, making him best suited to lead infantry.

The elite cavalry was led by other Knights, while The Bald Man proactively requested to lead a few dozen Gladiators to form an infantry regiment and fight alongside Harrot's elite infantry.

Marcus himself was responsible for commanding the main forces and issuing orders to their elite regiments.

Although Harrot had no military experience, he was only leading 50 elite soldiers, so the difficulty wasn't high.

On his first day in command, Harrot earned the respect of all his subordinates; his strength was simply too formidable!

Even without using any supernatural powers, his mere 27 points of Strength, 15 points of Agility, and "+40 Defense" were enough to crush any elite soldier!

What's more, he also had powerful skills like Power Strike, Running, and Weapon Mastery, along with weapon proficiency bonuses.

Harrot could even single-handedly fight Trolls now! His flames could effectively suppress a Troll's regeneration, and his physical attributes, boosted by his skills, were not far off from a Troll's. He definitely had a chance to defeat a Troll.

The elite soldiers under Marcus were roughly on par with high-level Gladiators. Considering how Trolls effortlessly dominated Gladiators, Harrot naturally had no trouble dominating many soldiers.

In this world, strength was paramount. Nobles also possessed superhuman power, which granted them their esteemed status. Harrot's display of immense strength naturally won over all the soldiers.

After less than half a month of training, Harrot was already adept at leading the elite infantry regiment. His squires also upgraded one after another, while his maids, not participating in training, remained Lucanir Recruits.

Meanwhile, the five squires upgraded from New Northern Adventurers to Northern Knight Squires, with both their Strength and Agility reaching 15 points. Their combat power was comparable to Stone, the strongest high-level Gladiator.

After becoming Harrot's squires and being integrated into the "Player Troops" by the System, the five squires became incredibly loyal and grew accustomed to their rapid increase in strength. This, truthfully, startled Harrot a bit.

From the Character Panel to the Inventory and then to the Troop Panel, each System function unlocked was more powerful than the last, which made Harrot increasingly confident in himself!

One thing to note here: Harrot could not view or officially recruit any soldier in the infantry regiment through the System!

In the Mount & Blade game, players had complete control over their soldiers' ownership. Harrot also provided their wages and rations, and he could even lead these soldiers to besiege a king.

However, the elite soldiers of the infantry regiment were Marcus's direct troops. Marcus provided their military pay and supplies. Harrot was merely leading them on Marcus's behalf as Chief Knight, so the System naturally wouldn't recognize them as Harrot's soldiers.

With military training nearing completion, Marcus's preparations for pioneering supplies and personnel arrangements were also almost done.

Not many commoners were willing to leave with Marcus. Marquis Harlaus, the leader of the Northern Province, did not support pioneering, and the commoners were somewhat afraid after learning it was an act of treason.

Moreover, they were just ordinary commoners; their greatest wish was to live a stable life, and very few were willing to leave their homes.

Ultimately, Marcus set off with a total of several hundred soldiers and their immediate families, along with a small number of ordinary commoners willing to take a chance.

Their destination was the Eastern Province, ruled by Marquis Prague, who had formed the Eastern Reclamation Alliance, welcoming anyone aspiring to pioneer.

With over a thousand people in the group, two to three thousand horses and livestock, plus a large amount of supplies and wealth, their impressive scale made it impossible to go unnoticed.

Before long, Marcus's group was stopped by a contingent of a hundred cavalry blocking their path.

The leader was a Noble, and several cavalrymen beside him exuded powerful energy, indicating they were likely glorious, extraordinary Knights.

The Noble asked with a grim expression, "Viscount Marcus, what are you doing? Relocating? You haven't acquired any new territory, have you?"

Marcus replied expressionlessly, "None of your business, Elfors! Get out of the way!"

The Noble was no fool; he had long guessed Marcus intended to join the Eastern Reclamation Alliance. His current questions were merely to confirm his suspicions.

The Noble spoke up, "Does the Old Marquis know about this? He won't agree to you going east!"

This struck a nerve with Marcus. He wanted to break free from Count Harlaus's control and not be someone else's subordinate, which was why he had resolutely chosen to go east.

Marcus drew his sword, pointing it at the Noble in front of him. Flames engulfed the blade. Seeing this, Harrot and the other Knights also drew their weapons and adopted combat stances.

Marcus said in a deep voice, "I don't need his permission for what I do! Now, either draw your weapon and fight me, or get out of the way and don't interfere!"

The Noble met Marcus's resolute gaze, thought for a moment, and decided not to block them further. He said, "I have no interest in fighting you, but I will relay your words exactly to Marquis Harlaus!"

With that, the Noble led his troops away.

Marcus's soldiers collectively sighed in relief. Though the enemy was only a hundred strong, they would certainly win a fight.

However, they were heading east with their families and supplies to pioneer! Minimizing conflict was the best possible outcome.

After Elfors and his cavalry departed, Marcus's group encountered no further obstacles on their way to the Eastern Province for several days.

Bandits and wild beasts avoided such a large force, fleeing before they could even be seen, while other Nobles waited for the Old Marquis to act.

Finally, when they were only half a day's journey from the Eastern Province, the Old Marquis, accompanied by Count Sarik and a large group of other Nobles, caught up with Marcus's party.

The Old Marquis's group included seven or eight Nobles with awakened bloodlines, over 30 extraordinary Knights, and a force of more than 500 elite cavalry—a fighting force far beyond what Marcus could resist.

But this was not a war. Even if Marcus's forces were routed, what then?

Their reason for preventing pioneering was to avoid weakening the kingdom's power. Attacking groups heading to pioneer was also meant to serve as a warning, discouraging others from similar ideas.

Now, with Marquis Prague leading the call, the "kill the chicken to warn the monkey" tactic had long lost its deterrent effect. Who had the ability to defeat Marquis Prague, who was entering the legendary realm?

Since force wouldn't work, they had to try persuasion. Marquis Harlaus and Marquis Marcus stepped out alone to negotiate in front of both armies. Harlaus sincerely said to Marcus:

"Marcus, I admit I haven't treated you and Sarik fairly all this time, but, my child, the blood flowing in your veins, like mine, is the bloodline of the great hero Elvin!"

"Marcus, trust me! I will restore the honor and wealth you deserve, and you can compete fairly with Sarik for the Marquis title!"

"Whether it's the rule of the Northern Province or the title of Marquis, they were earned through our ancestors' hard work and struggle. It was wrong of me to decide the next heir based solely on personal preference."

"Forgive me, Marcus, come back! My son! It's too dangerous to develop the East!"

Marquis Harlaus's words were truly heartfelt, his eyes even welling up. After all, Marcus was his own son. Once he left Lucanir to develop the frontier, whether he succeeded or failed, they would likely never see each other again!

Marcus was somewhat moved, but he forced back his tears and refused his father's plea: "What's the point of saying all this now? I've already made up my mind. Your words come too late!"

With that, Marcus turned his horse and rejoined his troops, unwilling to speak further with Harlaus. He was afraid that if he listened any longer, he might truly waver in his decision to develop the frontier.

Harlaus lowered his head in disappointment. He didn't truly dislike Marcus; he just didn't like Marcus's overly stubborn attitude. His cold shoulder was meant to make Marcus soften and show more respect to him as a father.

Unfortunately, a series of misunderstandings led to Marcus's angry departure. Harlaus felt regret, sighed, and led his troops back.

Count Sarik, eager for his rival for the succession to be gone, considered the dozens of Gladiators a free gift and also led his troops back with the Old Marquis.

The remaining Nobles, seeing that the two main forces had left, weighed their options and concluded that fighting Marcus would only result in mutual destruction, and they would likely offend the Old Marquis into the bargain, so they simply gave up.

Let treason be treason. Marquis Prague had committed treason, and the King hadn't dared to intervene. There was no reason for them to stubbornly fight Marcus.

Finally, freed from entanglement, Marcus and his group arrived in the Eastern Province, ruled by Marquis Prague.

They had expected it to be a pioneer's paradise, a bustling and vibrant territory, but to their surprise, the desolation they encountered along the way shocked them all.

They traveled for a whole day without seeing a single village, only ruins and wilderness, not a soul in sight!

Harrot spoke up, asking, "My lord, is the situation in the Eastern Province really this bad? Is Marquis Prague…"

Marcus understood Harrot's implication. Given the dismal state of the Eastern Province, Marquis Prague was very likely a corrupt and cruel fellow.

If that were the case, the prospects for the pioneering alliance, with him at its core, would be grim!

However, Marcus knew Marquis Prague and had even fought alongside him, so he knew Prague's character. He began to explain:

"Marquis Prague enjoys adventure and combat. While he's not very good at internal affairs, he does listen to advice. I've been to the Eastern Province before, and it was definitely not like this!"

After hearing Marcus's explanation, Harrot's concerns were dispelled. But at that moment, everyone felt a sense of doubt. What had happened in the Eastern Province to make it this way?