The Western Territory of the Empire, Oakshield Territory.
This is a county in the south of the western territory. The local lord is Viscount Robertson, Grace's father.
When Grace was very young, he was sent to the castle of the Griffin family and grew up together as Geran's playmate and follower. The relationship between the two was extraordinary.
For this reason, Viscount Robertson was regarded as a die-hard supporter of Geralan and was the envy of nearby lords.
Because of the relationship between Grace and Geran, everyone can predict that the Robertson family will be deeply trusted by the future Duke Griffin in the future.
But things have changed. As Jielan lost power, the Robertson family was gradually despised by people in the aristocratic circle.
Now, after leaving the Gryphon Territory, the capital of the Western Territory, Jerran leads his knights all the way south, constantly sending messengers to notify the lords who may support him to gather in the Oak Shield Territory in the south.
Among the rolling mountains and forests, a tall castle is revealed halfway up the mountain. Its roof is made of light brown tiles, which is very conspicuous in the sunlight and is distinguished from the tall trees around it.
Under the castle, there is a large plain close to the river valley, where some recently harvested wheat fields are scattered, and some haystacks of wheat straw that have not yet been removed can be seen.
Farmers in twos and threes were busy in the fields at the moment. Some tied up the wheat straws tightly and pushed them onto the carriage nearby. Then they wiped their sweat and patted the wooden boards of the carriage with some satisfaction.
"Get up, let's go!" The hoarse voice was full of energy.
After hearing this, the companion in front patted the packhorse's butt and led him forward.
There were many undulating potholes on the dry dirt road. The carriage filled with haystacks seemed to have an unstable center of gravity. It swayed and creaked along the way as it slowly moved towards the village in the distance.
Some gravel and soil were picked up by the riveted wheels, forming a sandy yellow dust mist under the setting sun, covering the ruts and wheels with a layer of dry dust.
Although the empire has not been peaceful in recent years, it has not had any impact on these remote villages. The local people still live a life similar to before.
If I really want to make a difference, I am afraid that some merchants will occasionally come to the small town to sell some gadgets that I have never seen before. I heard that they are all produced in the south.
The rickety carriage pulled the wheat straw stacks back to the village. It took a long time to unload these straw stacks. By the time we sat down to eat, it was already completely dark.
The tired farmer came to the house, drank several bowls of water, and then leaned on a chair by the wall to rest.
In the other corner of the room, an old woman was stirring the pot, and after a while she scooped out the cooked food. After that, the two of them sat around the table, preparing to have dinner.
"Isn't Adi back yet?" Nong Han asked the woman. The Adi they were talking about was their son.
"He was called to train in the afternoon by Li Weike from the village. He was said to be in good health. If he practices more, he might be selected in next year's selection."
"That's a good thing." The farmer drank the hot soup and then took a bite of the dry and hard pancake.
"I don't want Adi to become a soldier." The peasant woman pursed her lips and said silently.
"What's wrong with being a soldier? It's better than me. I work for the master every year and can't make much money."
"There is probably going to be a war in the empire now. It's the right time to join the army. If we can get some benefits, it will be worth the more than ten years we have worked."
As long as there is a war and a city or town is captured, soldiers will always have the opportunity to plunder. For the poor, this is probably the same as the opportunity to get rich.
"If you are lucky enough to get into the noble man's mansion, you will be prosperous." The peasant said slowly while chewing pancakes.
"But what if I get beaten to death?" the peasant woman said sadly.
"Now it's Adi. He used to have a younger brother, but it's a pity that he didn't grow up..."
"Hey, why are you sighing? Isn't this the case?" The farmer stopped his wife's worries.
"It's a gamble after all. There's nothing worse anyway. I didn't have the opportunity I have now. I wanted to be a soldier at that time, but no one wanted me."
"The sons of servants are still servants. Their status is much higher than ours. They can just act as guards and walk around the town a few times a day, and their lives are more comfortable than ours."
"Now is always an opportunity." After the farmer ate a few pieces of cake, he felt less hungry, and then his speed also slowed down. He chewed slowly and tasted it, as if he wanted to squeeze out some sweetness from the flour.
"But, alas, forget it." The peasant woman finished her meal and sat aside.
"But I heard it seems to be very good in the south."
"South?"
"Well, do you still remember that I had a cousin who was married to the South?"
"A few days ago, I went to my Alan's house and heard that my cousin had asked someone to bring something back."
"You didn't know that there was a jar of candy in that pile."
"Sugar, what sugar?"
"It's that kind of snow-white, very good sugar." Speaking of the jar of sugar, the peasant woman was full of envy, as if it was an extremely rare treasure.
"Things like that are very expensive," the farmer said silently.
"Isn't it very expensive? I usually only go to the town to buy a small spoon during the winter festival and use it to make bread."
"But now, it's a whole jar. I looked at it and it's full."
"Well, it seems that your cousin is getting rich."
"Yes and no, I just heard from Aunt Alan that her daughter, my cousin's husband, is now working as a worker in the south and can support the family. My cousin gave birth to four children and is now taking care of the children at home every day.
There is no need to go out to work anymore, life is very relaxed.”
"Ha, is it so good? You can't be lying, right? Just like those years, the conscripts said that the empire was victorious on the front line, got a lot of land, and many people got rich."
"It's the result, but it's not a defeat. Alas, what good news can we get? If there was such a good opportunity, it would have been taken by the gentlemen long ago." After saying that, the peasant lay down on the earthen bed beside him.
It's more comfortable this way.
"No, I don't think my cousin is lying."
"That jar of sugar is not fake. I even tasted some. It's very sweet and tastes good."
"How could anyone buy something so expensive just to deceive people, and then ask a caravan to deliver it to them?"
"Maybe." Nong Han didn't want to continue asking, he just felt a little bit sad and envious.
"well……"
"We probably won't be so lucky, so don't think about it."
"Alas..." After listening, the woman also sighed. In fact, she also knew that such a good thing could only happen to very, very few, very lucky people.
There was silence in the room for a long time until the woman finished clearing the dishes and sat back on the earthen bed.
"Don't we have any factories or places to make money here?"
The farmer turned over and said slowly.
"There are some, but they are far away. They are in the wealthier counties in the north. I heard them say it in casual chat."
"However, those factories and workshops have long been occupied by local people. If we want to go there and make some money, we will definitely be squeezed out."
"Also, don't forget, we can't run around, otherwise we will be caught by those patrols, and we will be whipped."
"well……"
"It would be great if Adi can be selected. If he joins the army and gets the training methods, he might be a genius. Then he will have Sequence 5, and even the knights in the town will nod and bow when they see him."
"Maybe I can become a hero in the future and marry a noble lady or something."
"Haha, you woman has pretty good ideas. It's further than what I thought when I was young. I only dreamed about it at that time. I thought about having a Sequence 3, becoming a captain, and stealing the show."
"Hey, you can't even think about it, this day."
While the farmer couple was talking slowly at home, a burst of rapid horse hooves flew past the road outside the village. The hoofs made of fine steel hit the ground and made a trembling sound, while the metal armor rubbed against the ground.
The sound conjures up many associations.
Soon, people in the village slowly poked their heads out of their homes and asked each other in groups.
"What was that just now?"
"I don't know, I just heard the sound."
"It should be the cavalry, no, it's the knights. The armor and the sound of the horse's hooves are too heavy, and ordinary cavalry can't equip them at all."
"I know, I saw it." At this time, a younger voice sounded from the corner.
"What did you see?" A group of people pulled the teenage boy out of the corner.
"I was 'discharging water' on the edge of the field and saw those knights passing by. I can say that these are the most powerful knights I have ever seen."
"Why is it so awesome?"
"You don't know, you can tell from the cloak. It's very thick and strong, and the horse is very strong. It's also covered with armor. By the way, the armor and the horse are all white and snow-white, which is very conspicuous at night, and there's that
The round shield hanging on one side is, well, the round shield is very big, and there is something tattooed on it, it seems to be a monster or something, it should be very powerful, but it’s a pity that it’s dark and I can’t see clearly.”
"Well, according to what you said, this is no ordinary knight." Others also talked about it.
"Maybe it's a team from a certain knight order in the empire."
"Ha, will the Knights come to our little place?"
"In fact, it's not that small. Go up the mountain, Mr. Robertson. Their family has its own cavalry team, but you can't usually see them. They are all on the other side of the mountain."
"It's true. During the empire's western expedition that year, I saw Viscount Robertson passing through the town with hundreds of cavalry. The formation was as majestic as possible. They all wore silver armor and had their family's coat of arms.
Burqa.”
"Wow, did Mr. Robertson later receive a reward for his military exploits?"
"It seems not. Our western lords obeyed Duke Griffin's order and did not go to the front line. They only stopped fighting later and set up defenses at the border."
"Oh, that's it." The child made a disappointed voice.
"Haha, you kid, there will always be a chance to see you in the future. I feel that war is not far away in the empire. Recently, I heard that many counties are working hard to collect grain and no longer allow casual buying and selling."
"Are you going to fight? I feel very excited, but also a little scared."
"Haha, what are you afraid of? Let me tell you, the only chance for poor people like us to stand up is to go to war. If you don't believe me, go back and ask your father."
"With this kind of money, I'm afraid it will be difficult to even give you a younger sister." After saying that, others around him also laughed and agreed.
"That's right."
"It's hard work anyway, why not take a chance."
"Then what if we lose? It's our business to lose. We have many mountains here, so we can just hide in the mountains for a while. Anyway, we don't have many grains of wheat at home. I'm just afraid that if we lose, we will raise taxes and we won't be able to pay them."
Get up, alas."
After saying that, there were a few more sighs from the crowd, and then they chatted for a while before gradually dispersing and going back to the house.
Viscount Robertson's Castle.
At a time when the lights should have been turned off in the past, the lights were brightly lit at this moment, and the castle was full of patrolling soldiers.
The meeting hall in the castle was now crowded with dozens of figures wearing armor. Under the illumination of burning torches, the faces of these people were particularly clear.
"Your Highness Jie Lann, are you here today?" Viscount Robertson is now a little stout and looks to be in his 40s. He has almost just gotten up from bed and is wearing relatively thin clothes.
"Uncle Robertson, long time no see." Gerainn simply nodded, then raised his arm slightly, and three knights came out behind him to negotiate with the viscount and tell them about the current situation, while he himself stood by the window sill of the castle,
Overlooking the town and wilderness below, as well as the scattered villages.
Not long after, a burst of footsteps stopped behind Jie Lanen.
"We have already communicated with Lord Viscount Robertson." Grace's voice rang in his ears.
"I'm sorry to trouble you this time, Grace." Jie Lann turned around and put his palm on his companion's shoulder.
"No, in fact, our family has been bound to His Highness for a long time. Who asked the father to only have my son." Grace shook her head.
Although this generation of Viscount Robertson has several daughters, his only son is Grace. After hearing what happened, although his heart was full of fear, after he was forced to settle down, he also found that there was no way out now.
Even if he escapes, where can he go? And his only son has joined Jielan's team. It seems that he will never look back. Now there is only one way to go.
After gradually clearing his thoughts, Viscount Robertson slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Your Highness, if you want to raise an army, you must seize the time and seize the leaders of several surrounding counties before the news comes from the central part of the Western Region."
"Does Lord Robertson have any plans?" Jie Lann looked at the lord and asked calmly.
"Yes, I am very familiar with the old guys around me. In fact, as long as we suddenly enter their castle and control ourselves and family members, we can easily tie them to our chariot. This way, we don't even need to kill, it is very easy.
Control this land securely."
Sure enough, when all the old shackles were broken, his mind suddenly opened up. The lord had no guilt and even excitement in the thought of dragging his old friend into the water.
"Then leave it to you, Grace."
"No problem, Your Highness."
"Well, let Trask and Linton follow you. They both carry holy swords and are also good at fighting in the mountains and forests. Try to get it done as quickly as possible. We don't have much time."
"Before the army from the west presses on the border, we must organize a force capable of fighting. Hold on for about a week, and support from the south will arrive."
"Then the real fight will begin."
"We understand."
After finishing speaking, Grace quickly walked out of the hall with a group of white lion knights. Then, under the shouts and shouts from the castle, the cavalry of the Robertson family followed closely, holding torches high, and rushed into the cold night.
After the allied team set off, the lights were still on in the castle. The armor and weapons stacked in some warehouses were moved out one by one, and then they began to be counted and distributed. When the castle gate came out, messengers rushed out on horseback from time to time. They would take the viscount.
The order spread throughout the villages and towns in the territory, and the teams that patrolled the mountains in the past and the militia guards from various places will be summoned.
Get trained, issued armor and weapons, and prepare for battle.
A new war will break out in the Western Territory, and this time the two sides are the father and son of the Griffin family.
Young lions begin to challenge the authority of their fathers, and the winner will become the new King of Griffins.
Or maybe he no longer cares about the title of King, but cares more about the true meaning behind King.
That is to lead the people to victory one after another, whether it is war, economy, or everything in life.