Balan Town, the most prosperous trading market town in the entire Elland Continent.

Every morning, the bells of the cargo ships in the harbor wharf were constantly ringing, and the sailors were scolding and laughing in a queue from the wharf to the tavern in the town, and the merchants were haggling and the hard laborers were silently selling their strength.

In the customs building of the wharf, Baron Aemond, the acting director of the port, takes the manifest very early every day and carefully checks whether the quantity of the imported and exported goods matches the goods registered yesterday.

Because of the corruption case last year, Baron Aemond was sent from the position of treasurer to Balan, and during this time he never complained a word, and never slacked off in the serious supervision of his affairs every day.

Half of the credit for the return of trade in the port of Balan in a short period of time is due to him!

At the same time, under his conscientious work attitude, the smuggling channels that had been formed in the customs of Balan Town were almost eliminated, and for this reason, Pedi personally sent open letters praising his merits on three occasions.

However, even so, Baron Aemond is still only the chief of affairs in Balantown, and he is still the deputy!

"Tuk Tuk"

The knock on the door, which he hadn't remembered for a long time in the morning, made Aemond subconsciously raise his head, and a hint of displeasure flashed on his always serious face... He hates being interrupted at work the most.

However, he quickly restrained the displeasure on his face, replaced it with a formulaic and stereotyped expression, and deliberately said in a low and majestic voice: "Come in." ”

Entering the office was Baron Aemond's most trusted man, his personal servant who was also his office assistant Bill, a young man as strict as he was.

"Sir Fred told you to hurry to the town's administrative building as soon as possible. Bill approached his master's desk unhurriedly, and reported with a serious face.

"Oh?" the baron put down the bill in his hand and turned his head to look out the window, it was still dark outside, and the magic clock on the wall showed that the time was less than seven o'clock. Baron Aemond knew very well that it was impossible for Fredde to get out of bed at this time of the day, unless something big happened.

"Did you say anything?" he asked subconsciously.

"I don't know. Bill shook his head slightly.

Baron Aemond was silent for two seconds before standing up from his seat, pointing to a stack of papers on his desk and saying, "Today's verification task is up to you." He earnestly instructed, "The verification task must be completed between half past seven... At half past nine, the goods will be loaded or unloaded, so you need to go to the dock to count the goods in person before nine o'clock. ”

The adjutant stepped forward to sort out the documents on the table, but Baron Aemond said in a warning tone: "There can be no smuggling at the customs, do you understand?"

"Of course, I understand. ”

...

In the town of Baran, although the war between Beenburg and Hallensburg made the trade economy less prosperous than it used to be, the war itself was one of the roots of the birth of trade.

Therefore, in the current town of Balan, the ordinary traders have completely disappeared, and have been replaced by chambers of commerce with weapons and equipment licenses (most of these chambers of commerce are actually chambers of commerce under the jurisdiction of Kawalburg) to and fro orcs, barbarians, goblins and Balan Town to make huge profits, and the grain merchants have become the darlings of Balan Town for a while.

At the same time, the town's handicraft workshops are busier than before... Every morning before dawn, candles are lit in the houses of various neighborhoods, and the streets are full of workers running back and forth.

They are busy producing the orders placed by BIENLING!

The town's administrative building, close to the wharf, is a small, independent three-storey building that rises above a high granite foundation. The entire building is painted crimson on the outside, making it stand out in the morning lights.

When Baron Aemond arrived at the building, the street under the granite steps was already full of carriages. Looking at these carriages, Aemond, who was moving quickly, slowly slowed down, and then quietly looked at the family crest on the carriage.

All strange coats of arms, none of which Baron Aemond knew. However, it was precisely because he did not know him that he was even more sure of who the owner of these carriages was... He was a new nobleman to the garrison (some of the original farmers in Balan, who were canonized by Pedi after the capture of Beenburgh in the last year's war).

"Lord Baron. The guards of the administration building greeted Baron Aemond warmly.

But Baron Aemond ignored the guards' greetings, and went straight up the steps and pushed the door open...

In the hall, a group of officers in military uniforms instantly attracted Baron Aemond's attention.

However, at this moment, in the eyes of Baron Aemond, these people became very affectionate. This intimate feeling instinctively showed an ugly smile on his otherwise serious face.

However, the officers were as uninterested in Baron Aemond as they were in the guards outside the door.

But the baron didn't care, and with a smile on his face, he stepped up the stairs to the left of the room's hall.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the conference room on the second floor.

The guards outside did not greet Aemond with a smile as the guards at the door, and they looked the Baron up and down to confirm his identity and then ignored him.

"Bang"

When the door was opened, there was no figure in the conference room as the baron had imagined, and Fred was the only one sitting alone next to the long conference table.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, man. Fred's voice was loud, with the characteristic cheerfulness of a soldier.

"I'm very sorry, General, but the goods at the customs are a bit complicated today, so I need to check them myself. "Actually, Baron Aemond's main office is in this building, so he needs to explain.

He did not appear arrogant because of his previous status higher than Fred, and from the moment he walked into the room, he carried the respect and humility that his subordinates deserved, and his tone was full of obvious flattery.

"Hope it doesn't disturb your work. Fred pointed to a row of chairs across from him and a letter in the other, saying, "This is a letter from Duke Nick from Fort Kaval." With that, he threw the letter in his hand on the table opposite, "You can take a look first." ”

"Squeak" Aemond pulled out his chair and tried to keep his face as calm as he could.

The "rustle" letter with a slight body temperature was quickly opened, and the familiar handwriting on it made Aemond's 'calm' eyes glow with excitement.

"Duke Nick told us to flank Beenburg. Fred picked up the cigar from the ashtray, "It's not an easy job," he said in a mercenary's tone, "The Duke has asked us to end the war within ten days... But the garrison corps is only more than 10,000 men, and because of the order of Baron Pedi some time ago, one of our corps is now stationed in the town of Seka. "That is to say, we have only one corps at our disposal, and this one corps has borrowed two thousand men from the police station to fight the bandits in Balan, so it will take us eight to ten days just to gather these men." ”

"With the defensive forces of the northern area of Fort Byan, we only need a thousand men to deal with. "Aemond had spent a few years in the military as a young man, and he was no stranger to the battlefield.

Fred nodded, "Yes, but I'd like to go to Byanling." He looked at Aemond, "Don't you want to go and see it?"

"If you're willing to invite me. Aemond leaned over and placed the letter on the table in front of Fred, he had already guessed why he had come to him, but he had not picked it out.

Fred's face flashed with displeasure, and he hated Baron Aemond's aristocratic answer. After a moment of silence, he said, "Count Jackf-Borg's current regime is built on the support of a group of merchants, and his territory, as well as his army, almost depends on these merchants to sustain it, if..."

Fred suddenly stopped in the middle of his words, because he suddenly remembered something during the Orc War last year... For the victory of this war, the Borg family gave everything they originally had!

And now, he is sitting here and discussing how to destroy this family.

Although Fred was born as a mercenary, he had a sense of honor that ordinary nobles did not have, and this sense of honor made it impossible for him to continue what he said next. But at the same time, as a retainer of the Reagan family and as the commander of the garrison, he was obliged to fulfill the orders of the sovereign, which was also his honor.

"I need your help, Baron. Fred said this after a few seconds of silence.

"That's what I'm here for. ”

"I need you to speak with the merchants of the Pynecollar so that they know what Duke Nick thinks. Fred didn't hesitate this time, "In the meantime, I need you to organize a militia brigade to block all trade routes from Balan Town to Fort Byan under the pretext of preventing smuggling. He stared at Baron Aemond as he did at his enemies on the battlefield, "I mean all the trade routes, including the many secret passages. ”

"I understand!" Baron Aemond said with a serious face, "I promise that from now on not a single grain will be shipped to Beenburg." ”

"Okay! soon!" Fred grinned, "If we can go through this war smoothly and win in the end, you will get the first credit for this war!"

Baron Aemond had an unconcealed smile on his face and wanted to stand up, but Fred waved his hand in advance, "I'm waiting for your news on the front line, and now, I need to have a pre-war meeting with my officers." ”

He's chasing people.

Baron Aemond had no intention of leaving, he stood up, bowed his head slightly, and then said, "Goodbye, sir." ”

...

1216 in the continental calendar, November 22, 336 in the imperial calendar, 3 p.m.,

The 3rd Corps of the Baran Town Garrison Corps fought undeclared against the Byan Territory, and after attacking the 200 patrol troops in the northern territory of the Byan Territory, they quickly advanced towards the Byan City.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Earl-Borg, who had been fighting hard in the southern part of the Byan Territory, received a military report from the Northern Territory and immediately summoned his generals to discuss what to do.

The meeting lasted three hours, with the nobles arguing over a boycott, peace, and reparations.

Eventually, the meeting ended with a roar from Jack Borg.

Early the next morning, Sir Ripnus Greco, secretary general of the Barantown Business Alliance, asked to see Geerbock Borg, who had stayed up all night.

After the two men had been talking secretly for half an hour, Jackf-Borg ordered the troops to withdraw to Fort Bynn an hour later.

Three days later,

That is, November 26, at eight o'clock in the morning,

Jackef-Borg, escorted back to Beenburg by his own soldiers, issued a proclamation to the entire Beenling: dissolve the Beenburg court and seek political asylum from Kavarburg.

In other words, he surrendered!

On the 27th, Sir Fred, the commander of the Garrison Corps of Crewe, led two brigades of the 3rd Corps of the Legion into Fort Byan!

The nearly 20,000-strong army of Harrensburg, which was following him, immediately stopped its advance, and camped at the edge of a forest stream fifty miles from Beenburg, and sent three messengers in succession, demanding that Fred hand over Jebwick-Donna.

On the morning of the 28th, representatives of the three parties held negotiations outside Bienburg that lasted 10 hours.

Eventually, Jack Bog agreed to make a public statement apologizing for the death of Viscount Biebert Donner for his miscommand in the Orc War last year.