Magic, steel, heavy industry

Chapter 69 The Enraged Baron

"Richard, do you know what you're saying? Do you think you can toy with me just because you've gained my trust?"

In Harvest Ridge, Baron Gareth sat casually on the castle's large sofa, coldly watching Richard, the trembling manservant before him.

The latter, his face pale, quickly explained, "No! Mr. Gareth, unless I'm insane, how could I dare to lie to you? I'm telling the truth, the Strong Wind Bandits were wiped out by the new lord of Anvil Territory."

Richard's tone was somewhat flustered, and he lowered his head nervously after speaking.

He knew how important that band of thieves was to Lord Gareth, since after each robbery, they would give half of their loot to Harvest Territory, which was a considerable sum of money.

Moreover, just a few days ago, Lord Gareth secretly sent over a bunch of weapons. Although they were old and worn out, there was no doubt that they were his support for the Strong Wind Thieves.

However, today, Richard received news that made him feel terrified.

The Strong Wind Thieves were wiped out a few days ago!

This is unbelievable!

He immediately reported to Gareth, who then fell silent.

Richard tentatively raised his eyes and saw a face that was almost ashen.

"You mean, that bandit gang of over 100 people was wiped out by a barren territory where they can't even get enough to eat? Are you kidding me?"

"No...this is really not a joke...our people have confirmed it..."

"You stupid donkey! How dare you!"

With a bang, Baron Gareth suddenly kicked out, his hard leather boot slamming heavily into Richard's shoulder.

The latter rolled to the ground, but gritted his teeth and dared not make a sound.

He knew Gareth's temper; he was a man-eating viper, and anything that displeased him would invite the most terrible retribution.

After venting his anger, Gareth calmed down. He sat up straight, took a deep breath, but his face remained unsettled.

"That Strong Wind, he's the most despicable worm! A fraud! Didn't he say that even my strongest knight couldn't defeat him? With so many subordinates and so many weapons, how could he be so stupid as to be killed by a child!"

"Mr. Gareth, we've captured a bard who escaped from Anvil Territory. According to him, Lord Vilan of Anvil Territory not only obtained food but also maintained a guard. It was that army that rescued them from the bandits," Richard reminded him.

Gareth's gaze was icy as he stared intently at Richard. "The Guard? You mean an army has appeared in that nobody cares about?"

"Although I don't believe it either, it seems to be true. It appears to be an army composed of serfs and free men, using very powerful weapons. The merchant also said that their marching was very orderly, clearly indicating that they were the elite of the elite."

"Bullshit! You exaggerated idiot, what kind of army is a bunch of serfs? Strong Wind, that piece of trash, actually lost to such scum, it's utterly disappointing."

"Sir, Qiangfeng is just a bandit, you don't need to be too angry with him."

"Was it for him? Without that bastard, who would send me so many gold coins every month! Who would give me back my weapons and food!"

Gareth suddenly opened his eyes wide, clutched his head, and revealed a look of despair and heartache.

The bandits were nothing to him, but the loss of the gold coins they gave him was unacceptable to this baron, who was known for his greed.

Suddenly, as if he had just remembered something, he quickly looked at Richard, "That little rascal took all of Strong Wind's things?"

Richard paused for a moment, then nodded. "I think so. After all, the grain stored by the strong winds is enough to alleviate the food crisis in Anvil Territory."

"But strong winds aren't only found in Anvil Territory." A glint of light suddenly flashed in Gareth's eyes.

Richard immediately realized and said, "That's right! Half of the valley where the strong wind is located is our Harvest Territory's territory; it's a border."

"If that's the case, then I should get half of the spoils from the bandits' extermination. That little rascal stole the gold coins that rightfully belonged to me."

Gareth clenched his fist, his voice growing increasingly somber.

"Take some men to pay a visit to Little Stone. If he returns what belongs to me, I won't hold it against him. Otherwise, I won't let Anvil Territory have an easy winter."

"clear."

……

A few more days passed.

Within the Anvil Territory, the joy of victory had gradually subsided, and Vilan had been working tirelessly these past few days, making many decisions.

First, the civil servants officially began their work. They learned from Hans and assisted him, which made the order in the entire Anvil Territory more stable.

For example, the work of collecting magic cores has always lacked dedicated managers. Now, there are dedicated civil servants in charge of this task, who are responsible not only for ensuring the order of collection but also for resolving disputes that arise during the collection process.

Then came the reception of the refugees. All the refugees from the North have now been received, and Viran has planned a resettlement area for them to build their own houses.

As the number of people increased, order became a major problem, and even some thefts occurred.

Vilan's solution was simple: to suppress them by force.

Now, the three squads of the guard take turns patrolling every day. They carry spears and magic powder crossbows, and look fierce and menacing, which has indeed deterred the bad apples among the refugees.

But one class was still too few, and it would definitely not be enough later, so Vilan directly started the second round of conscription.

The guard only has 30 men, which is enough to fight off bandits, but as the territory expands, this number is clearly insufficient.

Conscription was imperative, and even with the enormous consumption of food and gold, Vilan had no choice but to do so.

Moreover, for this recruitment, Vilan boldly set the number at 100.

Yes, a full 100 recruits, 20 of whom are Rangers and the remaining 80 are Guards.

This figure was opposed by Hans and Llorente, who both believed that the Anvil Territory did not need so many troops and that the logistical pressure was too great to afford.

However, Vilan strongly rejected their opinions, and the reason was simple: if Anvil Territory did not form a strong military deterrent, it would be targeted by others sooner or later. After all, without soldiers, who would protect Vilan's workshop?

Do you really think anyone else would pass up such a lucrative opportunity?

This reason left Hans and Llorente speechless. Indeed, the products from the Vilan Workshop were too competitive and very attractive to other lords.

As for logistics, Vilan wasn't worried either. The workshop was expanding every day, and blast furnaces were being put into use one after another. The first batch of magic powder weapons would be ready soon, so there was no need to worry about not making gold coins.

As a result, no one objected anymore, and Vilan posted the conscription notice on the square bulletin board, which immediately caused a huge uproar.