Chapter 282: Baron Dylan’s Anger (chapter 2)
In the administrative building at the Stone Pa.s.s.
The atmosphere was extremely tense.
Baron Dylan sat on the main seat of his study. He looked at the merchant in front of him with a gloomy expression and said through gritted teeth, “That d.a.m.ned little thing is really vicious.”
However, the merchant standing in front of him did not dare to reply.
His ident.i.ty was here.
However, the two va.s.sal knights in the room, who were trusted by Dylan, advised from the side, “Lord Dylan, there’s no need to be so angry. Perhaps the forces behind Baron Kant want to push him out so that he doesn’t have to be completely controlled by you. After all, if you’re in control of the key roads, you are literally strangling their throats.”
What the va.s.sal knights were referring to was naturally the natural dividing line between the Nahrin Desert and the Dukedom of Leo. It was also the only gap in the magnificent Senwaya Range, the Stone Pa.s.s.
It was the place they were currently in, the place they were firmly in control of!
“Hmph.”
Baron Dylan’s expression was still gloomy. He snorted coldly, but his expression softened slightly.
His va.s.sal knight was right.
He had the geographical advantage.
Especially the Stone Pa.s.s, which was the only pa.s.sage to the two sides of the Senwaya Range. Even if there were some small rural roads and some beast roads that could bypa.s.s this pa.s.s, as long as they were strictly investigated, these roads would always be discovered and blocked.
Moreover, entering the Nahrin Desert required a large number of supplies, especially fresh water, which was the most important.
There would definitely be a lot of people in the trade caravan.
Even if they traveled light, they wouldn’t be able to transport much table salt.
Thus, they had to replenish their supplies at the Stone Pa.s.s in order to ensure their safety after entering the Nahrin Desert. If they wanted to take the risk of going around the pa.s.s to enter the desert, it was undoubtedly risking their live to enter the desert. Whether they could open up a trade in the end was another matter, but whether they would die in the desert was the most important thing.
In the past, the trade caravan would only enter the Nahrin Desert after replenis.h.i.+ng their supplies at the Stone Pa.s.s. Although they seemed to be heading south, in reality, they would only enter the Nahrin Desert after going around the pa.s.s carefully.
As the local lord, Baron Dylan was well aware of this.
When the time came, they would seal off a few small roads.
They would even hire bandit groups to enter the small roads and the desert to plunder. With the weak guards of the merchants, it was impossible for them to stop the hired professional bandits.
After all, the bandits of this era were no different from mercenaries.
Baron Dylan, who had already developed, naturally had the ability to hire them!
Thinking of this, his face looked much better. He waved his hand at the merchant and said, “Alright, you can leave now. Don’t pretend to be nosy. Just pretend that you don’t know anything. Just wait for my arrangements for the rest.”
“Yes, Lord Dylan.”
The merchant wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and quickly left the room.
The other two va.s.sal knights in the room looked at Dylan. They had been together for a long time. It was obvious that they understood the arrangements for their Lord Baron.
As expected, Baron Dylan asked, “How many soldiers do we have now?”
“38 knights, 150 knight attendants, 500 lance soldiers and 100 archers.”
The va.s.sal knight who was responsible for the management of the army replied, “If we expand the army, we can form 1,000 armed militia, 2,000 peasant conscripts, and 500 archers made up of hunters.”
“Yes, these are our own troops.”, Baron Dylan narrowed his eyes.
These soldiers were all his original troops.
He gritted his teeth and used up all resources in Stone Pa.s.s to a.s.semble this troop. This included those peasant conscripts who only used sharp pitchforks.
In the past, this could be considered as the confidence that Baron Dylan had to protect himself. However, in the past three months, he had used the table salt trade and great silver coins to clear the way. The overall level of the troops had risen rapidly. This confidence that he had in the past was no longer in his eyes.
Baron Dylan continued to ask, “How are the mercenaries?”
“Now, we have recruited all kinds of marauders and bandit groups as mercenaries. There are a total of 1,600 people.”
The va.s.sal knight replied, “If we give them standard weapons, they can go to the battlefield. Their combat strength is not bad.”. He paused and solemnly reported, “But the most important thing is still the gale mercenary group that we hired. There are a total of 600 light cavalries. They are the strongest group of mercenaries that we recruited this time.”
“That sounds very good.”, Baron Dylan nodded slightly, but his eyes were a little gloomy. “But the problem is, can we guarantee the reliability of these guys?”
“Ordinary mercenaries, 30 small silver coins per person per month.”
The va.s.sal knight immediately replied, “But those 600 brigands mercenaries need 80 small silver coins per month. If they are in war, they need an additional 20 small silver coins.”
“That is one great silver coin.”, Baron Dylan snorted. “I can still afford this money.”
“This way, it is reliable.”
The va.s.sal knight also had a disdainful look on his face. “These mercenaries are greedy people who are greedy for money. At the very least, none of the surrounding n.o.ble families can hire them for a long time. Therefore, we are the only ones. It is not a problem to use silver coins to nurture their loyalty. At least, they will not betray us on the battlefield.”
“No, that’s not what you said.”, Baron Dylan curled up the corner of his mouth and smiled, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes. “There was no reason to betray us on the battlefield, if their payment is enough.”
The two va.s.sal knights were silent. There was no way to refute his words.
However, Baron Dylan did not delve into this question. He sat on the chair and gently tapped the table with his hand. “Next, there will definitely be many trade caravans and spies in my pa.s.s. This is the most troublesome.”
“Please give us your orders, Lord Dylan.”
The two va.s.sal knights spoke.
“Yes, I do need you two to be busy.”
Baron Dylan nodded, he tapped on the table and said, “Let our rats be active. It is best to place them in any corner of the entire pa.s.s. I do not want my own estate to become a sieve that anyone can enter. At that time, I will really lose face. I think both of you understand this.”
“We will do our best!”, the two va.s.sal knights answered in fear.
“This is the att.i.tude I need.”
Baron Dylan smiled. “But don’t worry. When this storm pa.s.ses, I will remember your loyalty.”. He paused, he looked at the two of them and said seriously, “When the time comes, I will arrange an actual fiefdom for you and 2,000 great silver coins as a reward. You will definitely not be disappointed.”
The two va.s.sal knights were already showing joy on their faces. When they heard Baron Dylan’s words, they immediately knelt down on one knee and bowed with great respect. “Lord, we will do our best to complete the mission that you gave us!”
“Very good!”
Baron Dylan nodded with a smile and waved his hand at the same time. “You can leave now. When tomorrow comes, get your spirits up and let our rats smell properly. Where exactly are those dirty bedbugs?”
“Yes!”, the two of them continued to bow before leaving the room with grat.i.tude.
However, when the two of them left…
Baron Dylan’s face suddenly turned gloomy.
“Hehe, you can’t sit still anymore. Have you started to look for a way out?”
His hand gripped the handle of the chair tightly, he had a unpleasant look. “Both of you have started to have disloyal intentions towards me. Do you really think that I haven’t noticed it? Your extraordinary powers were all given by me. Now, even both of you have started to betray me. I really didn’t expect it. I really didn’t expect it!”
“Both of them are former veterans. You have become a baron, and they are your va.s.sal knights who can’t make a name for themselves. How could they be willing?”
In the room, a calm voice appeared in the darkness.
Baron Dylan didn’t panic. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and said, “But don’t they know how to be grateful? Ha, grateful. Well, it’s funny that this word came out of my mouth.”
“That’s right, it’s really funny.”, the calm voice chuckled. “Just like how you betrayed Princess Sofia and the Silver Platter Kingdom on the battlefield. Only then did you become a n.o.ble and truly step into this cla.s.s, right? You also treated them as stepping stones.”
“You know so much.”, Baron Dylan seemed to not hear the ridicule and ridicule in this person’s words.
“Of course.”
The man in the shadow finally walked out.
He limped to the chair beside the study and sat down, he chuckled. “How is it? You told me right, right? Baron Dylan, the people around you are starting to betray you. If you do not consider your own path of retreat, I think that if you continue to hold on in vain, the end result will definitely be very tragic.”
“You are threatening me.”, Baron Dylan’s face was murky. It was a rare sight that he did not fly into a rage.
“I am only speaking the truth.”
This person raised his head. It was the leader of the spies under the house at the pa.s.s.
He understood Baron Dylan’s personality deeply. He did not force him too much, instead, he changed his tone. “Sometimes, if you can rely on others, you will be placed in an important position. This is especially so at this critical moment. If you rely on others, you will obtain unimaginable benefits, such as the increase in power, the promotion of the t.i.tle of n.o.bility…”, he raised his head and looked at Baron Dylan. “You will also obtain the qualifications to become a hereditary n.o.ble and become a high-cla.s.s n.o.ble!”
“This condition is very generous and also very reasonable.”, Baron Dylan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as if he had made up his mind. “Alright, please answer Countess Agatha. I am willing to become his most loyal baron.”
“No, no, no.”, the leader of the spies smiled. “You are the most loyal viscount.”
Baron Dylan also smiled. “Thank Countess Agatha.”
“She is the kindest.”, the leader of the spies nodded. “However, you need to pay a certain amount of loyalty now. For example, sending troops into the Nahrin Desert to recover the salt mines outside the dukedom.”
“This is a little difficult. You know that my troops do not have the ability to enter the desert to fight.”
Baron Dylan narrowed his eyes and answered, “This is really difficult.”
“No, you have misunderstood.”
The leader of the spies chuckled. “You have troops that can enter the desert. For example, a 600-man mercenary cavalry. They are well-equipped, have strong combat strength, and have sufficient logistical supplies.”
“I do not understand.”, Baron Dylan frowned.
“This gale mercenary group was once very popular with Countess Agatha.”
The leader of the spies smiled and said, “Don’t let down the reputation of this elite cavalry.”
“I won’t.”, Baron Dylan looked at the smile of the leader of the spies, but he felt a chill in his heart. He had originally suspected that he could recruit such an elite cavalry team, but now he was right.
This 600-person squall mercenary group was the secret force that belonged the Countess of East County, Agatha!