Fort Herynn, one of the oldest castles in Crewe, was the main city of the Harrence Highlands barbarians.

Two hundred years ago, in the last battle between the Reagan family and the barbarians, the ancestors of the Lockton family led their troops to capture it, and later when the territory was canonized, the Lockton family got this territory as they wished.

After 200 years of development, Fort Herien has become the central city of the central and northwestern Harrens Heights.

In the northern warehouse area outside Fort Helion, Banne-Lockton and his retinue of guards rode down a trail in the middle of a series of warehouses, lined with workers and guards who stopped to salute.

"Is all the pig iron that Twak Ling bought ready?" asked Bane-Lockton, looking at a carriage loaded with pig iron parked on the side of the road.

"The convoy was on the road yesterday. Sir Merleo Caffey, the court prime minister of Bane Lockton, replied scrupulously: "Pig iron worth a total of ten thousand gold coins, as well as a brigade of finished weapons and equipment, have been delivered. ”

Bane-Lockton asked, "How much money do we have now?"

"Nearly 200,000 gold coins!"

"Take out half of it to buy dwarven gear. Ben-Lockton said in a commanding tone, "In the meantime, you need to stock up on some grain and grass. ”

Merlot Cafee's eyelids twitched unconsciously, he thought for a moment and said, "The price of dwarf equipment has been rising due to the war in the Western Continent, and the fluctuations are very abnormal, we should probably wait and see for a while." ”

"How much has it gone up??" said Bane-Lockton.

Merlot Cafe immediately said: "Nearly twice the price, a set of knight armor made by dwarves used to cost only about fifty gold coins, but now it costs more than one hundred gold coins to buy a set, and sometimes it even rises to two hundred gold coins!"

"How fast is it going up!" Bane Lockton was a little surprised, he frowned and thought for two seconds before saying, "Then buy a corps first!" he scratched his nose habitually, "The price of pig iron we hoarded will go up by one percent!"

"My lord, it's better to sell pig iron than to sell finished equipment!"

"I know the profits better than you do, but unfortunately, my blacksmith has to do something else..."Bane-Lockton looked up at the scorching sun, the dazzling light made him subconsciously close his eyes, but then he opened his eyes again, he was delusional and stared at the sun!

Merlot Cafe looked at her master and couldn't help but say, "My lord, with all due respect... We have no chance of winning against Baron Pedy. ”

"I never wanted to go up against Baron Pedig, the Reagan family has absolute dominion over this territory. Bane-Lockton smiled self-deprecatingly, "Even in the minds of the people of Fort Helryne, the Locktons are just lackeys of the Reagan family. ”

"I'm not going to recognize Peddy Reagan's right to rule, he's only going to use force and killing!" said a disgruntled middle-aged knight in a knight's robe and a war tattoo on his face next to Bane Lockton, "Peddy Reagan only thinks about his own interests, does he think that he and the executioners around him can rule Crewe?

"We can't do anything...," Merlot Caffey's voice immediately overshadowed the Knight's, "Warner Wiffley Knight, watch your words, your presumptuousness could spell disaster for the entire Fort Crane. ”

"We have a cowardly prime minister. Warner Wiflley waved his hand, "So we can only stare at the moldy weapons in the warehouse every day." ”

Sir Merlot Cafe ignored the knight's ridicule, he looked at Bane Lockton, "My lord, the rule of the Reagan family in Crewe is deeply rooted, think about the previous Bell Cade, when Fort Caval did not take a stand, almost all the nobles in Harrence Heights supported him, but when Baron Peddy made up his mind, how many really supported Bell Cade?"

His voice trembled slightly, "Even the list of the eighteen lords published by Fort Kawar did not support Bell Cade at all, they were just victims of that war. He looked at the busy figures of the workers in the warehouse area, "Because those eighteen lords are in the way of Baron Pedi!"

"And you, my lord. Merlot Cafe swallowed a mouthful of spit and said, "I heard that you are gathering troops and planning to forcibly occupy the northern official road of Harrence Heights?"

"Sir Merlot—" Warner-Wiflley Knight was about to say something.

"Lord Bane—" but Merleau-Cafe didn't give him a plan, "As the Prime Minister of the Herienburg court, I should have the right to know your plans, right?" he looked serious, "Or do you no longer trust me?"

"I said that I would never take the initiative to provoke Baron Pedi. Bane-Lockton grabbed the reins of his horse, and as the whole team stopped, he looked at his court Chancellor and said, "But we must also prevent accidents, don't we?"

"What accident?"

"Bear Cade had an accident. "You don't know Baron Pedy, but I know him, and I've fought alongside him!" he stroked the fake beard on his chin, "This lord is not a ruler with a sense of honor. ”

"You mentioned the eighteen lords. Bane Lockton continued: "Some of them even supported Baron Pedie... But what about their ultimate fate?" his tone became low, "Their greatest fault was to block the new trade route that the Lord had planned, and now they're all gone, and we—" he pointed to the supplies in the warehouse area, "We're blocking his way again!"

Merleo Cafe immediately said, "We can get out of the way, my lord." ”

"Get out of the way?"

"Like Beenburg and Harrensburg, they kept their rule while turning a blind eye to Baron Pedy's reforms in their domains. ”

"Weak Ser Merlot, don't bring your weakness and incompetence upon Lord Bane. The Warner Knight next to him yelled, "Are you Lord Bane's retainer, or are you loyal to the Reagan family?"

"Only the most stupid person would choose to provoke the ruler of Kavarburg at such a time. Merlot Caffey looked at Warner Knight and said coldly: "Baron Pedy is waiting for us to make a mistake, and if we make a mistake, he will have a reason to interfere in the affairs of Fort Herien." ”

"Then he'll have to ask me about the steel sword in my hand first. Warner Cavaliers snorted.

"The steel sword in your hand will only make you doomed. Merlot Cafe's voice was so loud that the busy workers around him began to look at him, and after feeling the gaze around him, he immediately lowered his voice and said: "My lord, if you take the initiative to attack the Kawar Fort army, Baron Pedi will have a legal basis to crusade against you, and at that time, he can even let Harensburg, Beenburg, and Cowindburg join the crusade against your army. ”

"You're alarmist, and the other three families aren't stupid. Warner Rider was unimpressed.

Merlot Cafe looked at the middle-aged knight like an idiot: "A few months ago, when Baron Pedy asked us to besiege the eighteen lords, why did we choose to send troops?

"You..."

"I repeat, I will not provoke Baron Pedi on his own initiative. Bane Lockton interrupted the argument, "I hoarded food and grass and built weapons to prevent accidents, after all, the current situation is not stable. ”

Merlot Cafe was not surprised by Bane Lockton's answer, and immediately said, "In that case, you should take the initiative to dismiss the two regiments assembled in the northwest of Harrence Heights, and send messengers to explain the situation to Sir Cilla. ”

Bane Lockton shook his head noncommittally, although he had no problem with Pedy's rule of Crewe, it didn't mean that he would grovel to Pedy's submission. As the most powerful lord in the heights of Harrons, Bane Lockton has his own dignity. Moreover, this dignity of his grew during these four months as the number of gold coins in the castle basement grew.

Endless wealth emboldened Bane Lockton, and he wouldn't have the same crazy ideas as Twak to lead Cize-Devin, but he could have Karen's plans to lead Archduke Trollel.

The gold that grows every day gives Bane Lockton an opportunity to make the Lockton family exist independently of the Reagan family's rule!

Ambition burns like a wildfire ripple in Bane-Lockton's heart,

But he was not dominated by ambition.

His first thought was not to use his army to confront Pedi head-on,

He knows his strength very well,

So, there are two things that need to be done now... First, he needs to stock up on enough supplies to strengthen himself, and second, he needs a strong ally!

resources, he is trying to figure out how ...

And allies, he thought of one mentioned a few months ago by a small country nobleman... Marquis Woz-Pedro, the newly appointed Imperial Prime Minister of the Empire!

"Sir Merlot," Bane-Lockton looked at his court Chancellor, "and you are so concerned about the conflict in the northern part of Harrence Heights... How about you go talk to Ser Cyrah, then, and restrain our soldiers by the way!"

Merlot Cairfee was stunned for a moment before taking over the task, "It's my pleasure. ”

...

The northwestern territory of Harrence Highlands, which Bane-Lockton conquered and consolidated several territories and renamed it the Reign of Sist. To the east of the Sist, where the official road to the north of Harrens meets, a huge military camp has risen in the past half a month.

The two regiments of Bane-Lockton were stationed here.

To the left of the camp was a relatively chaotic camp where the soldiers of the other lords of the Fort Herien area gathered. In the northwest corner of the camp, in a barracks without even battle flags, hundreds of soldiers were drinking and entertaining or sleeping in the sun.

The lord of these soldiers was a very young knight, a maverick nobleman, a guest of Woz Pedro, a replica of the memory of Sir Muvet Feller. He was drinking the spirits of the Crane collar in the scorching sun at the moment, and discussing things in a whisper with the middle-aged nobleman in the gold-rimmed leather armor opposite.

"Your plan doesn't seem to have worked out. The middle-aged nobleman in the gold-rimmed leather armor frowned, "Peddy Reagan didn't intend to fight with Bane Lockton, he sent his guard captain Grek to negotiate with Fort Helrynn. ”

"Dear Lord Udi Cooper, you should be able to guess what kind of conditions Glick will come to negotiate with. Muvet smiled disappreciatively, "Do you think our Lord Bane will agree to those conditions?"

"Probably not... bar. Udi Cooper sat up straight, thought for a moment and said, "Even if Lord Bane were willing, we wouldn't be willing!"

Here's the answer. Muvet-Fler shrugged, "All we need to do now is wait." ”

"Wait, wait, when?"

"When Hallensburg and Beenburg go to war!"

Udy Cooper was not surprised, he said thoughtfully: "It will take at least two months before they go to war, and Pedy Reagan has a regiment stationed at Lake Garmic, and there are tens of thousands of orcs next to it, I estimate that their war will not last long!"

"In half a month, the war between Harensburg and Beenburg will break out, and it will soon engulf the entire northern territory of Crewe. ”

"Why?"

"Because someone wants them to fight. ”

"Who?"

"Pedy Reagan, and our Lord Bane!"