The midday sun is warm, and the temperature in the north is slowly warming up since the end of the year.

The soldiers of Ironwood City had already closed the gates of the city at this time, and the soldiers had already stood in the battle position of the city wall according to their usual training, and the beacon fire on the battlements was ignited and thick black smoke was emitted.

Viscount Sot was also alarmed, and sent his two younger brothers to take some soldiers to the outer city to check. Dressed up and sitting in the castle.

"Honey, what's going on."

The commotion in the castle also alarmed Richard's mother, Lady Kaylin.

"It's okay, it's just a puff of black smoke, maybe it's a nobleman's guard passing by."

This is also the rule set by Richard.

Watchtowers were erected in many directions of the city, and smoke was lit when there was a possible enemy.

One smoke says that the danger is not too great, and it is enough to do a good job of basic response, two smokes indicate that there is a strong danger, and the city should be mobilized, if it is three smokes, it means that the offender is very strong, and when you are on guard, you must be ready to break through and flee for your life.

Kailin nodded worriedly and returned to the inner house, she is a well-informed woman, and naturally knows that at this time, she has made the greatest contribution to managing the maids and ladies in the inner house.

At this time, Richard had already come to the outside of Ironwood City, and he was somewhat relieved to see the closed gates and billowing smoke.

If the guards of Ironwood City, who had been training for so long, didn't react at all when they saw dozens of heavily armed warriors approaching, then it would make him angry.

"I'm Richard, open the gates and lift the guard."

Thanks to the fact that there were not many guards in Ironwood City, and Richard often brushed his face in front of the soldiers, almost all the guards in Ironwood City knew Richard.

After the captain of the city gate recognized the leader as Richard, he decisively ordered the guard to be lifted and the city gate opened.

Although he didn't know where that group of well-armed strange soldiers came from, Richard's long-standing prestige had made him habitually carry out Richard's orders.

After entering Ironwood City, the soldiers with the production of the system went straight to Ironwood Fort, and the civilians were a little curious to look at this small army, after all, this group of soldiers was very unfamiliar, not that they were familiar with the guards of Ironwood City.

"Hey, Richard, it's okay, who are they?"

Richard and his people happened to meet the second and third uncles who came to check on the situation on the street.

"It's okay, they're soldiers I've trained separately, and they're all my own."

Richard stumbled casually.

"I've never seen these people." The two uncles muttered suspiciously.

However, out of trust in Richard, he did not stop him, but joined the team and returned to the castle together.

Upon returning to the castle, everyone was surprised by the well-equipped soldiers, and some even speculated that they were the guards brought by the nobles of the Northern Marquis' Mansion or the royal capital.

The soldiers produced by this group of systems were all dressed in iron armor, and the three swordsmen were dressed in expensive plate armor, and the most perverted were the crusaders, with closed helmets that were simply a tin can.

And Richard's Ironwood City Guards are equipped with cost-effective cloth armor, after all, the Hunter family is not a wealthy noble, and it is not realistic to equip expensive plate armor.

Richard could only settle for the next best thing, gathered the half-hung blacksmiths and blacksmiths in the territory, established the equipment workshop of the Hunter family, and finally came up with a set of cloth armor and iron-bone animal skin helmet, which had a good comprehensive cost performance.

Ignoring the curiosity of the people in the castle, Richard instructed the officers of the camp to settle the soldiers in a separate barracks and then take the crusaders to his father, Viscount Sauter.

"Ron, when you see my father in a while, you will ignite your fighting spirit and show your strength, can you do it."

"Hmm"

The crusader named Ron was relatively silent, and he didn't speak much, but he had a very down-to-earth feeling.

Soon, Richard took Ron to meet his father in the castle's vestibule.

At this moment, Viscount Sauter is still neatly wearing armor, and there are some traces of repair on the plate armor and arm guards, but it is very well maintained and still has enough protective ability.

Viscount Sauter had already noticed Ron on the side, and looked at Richard with some inquiry in his eyes.

"His name is Ron, and he will be my lieutenant from now on."

"Where did he and those soldiers come from?"

Apparently, Viscount Sot had also noticed this group of system soldiers.

Richard was a little hesitant when he heard this, and he prepared a stomach full of perfunctory words, but found it difficult to say them to his father Sauter.

These lies were easily exposed, and he could fool the two uncles without any burden, but he did not want to lie to Viscount Thoth.

"Are they reliable?"

"Reliable."

"That's good."

Sensing that Richard didn't want to answer his question, Sauter took the initiative to skip the topic, he had absolute trust and incomparable doting on Richard, the genius son, and believed that Richard had his own reasons for doing things.

"Father, it's time for our feud with the Will family to come to an end."

"Are you sure?"

Although Sauter doesn't know much about territory management, he also knows that the Hunter family and the Will family are not harmonious, and it can even be said that they are feuding.

The Hunter family and the Will family's territory are next to each other, and the Hunter family's territory is next to the Iron Wood Forest Sea and is further north.

Before Richard's grandfather was conferred the title of meritorious service, this large area of land next to the iron wood forest had long been regarded by the Will family as their own territory, and cross-border reclamation and cutting down iron wood for sale were the regular operations of the Will family.

It's a pity that Richard's grandfather chose this borderless land as his fief after his battlefield exploits.

The Will family did not dare to disobey the orders of the kingdom, but Liang Zi took over at that time.

The Will family has a longer heritage, and although the family now only has one knight, Viscount Will, there are as many as ten quasi-knights, which are stronger than the Hunter family, and they have been making small moves.

In the past, the Hunter family would always suffer some small losses, but in the past two years, Richard has managed Hunter better and better, and has constantly cracked down on the Will family's transgressions.

In particular, Richard's reduction of land taxes and the standardized management of commerce made a large number of Weir family's territories flow to the Hunter family's territory, and caravans are more willing to trade in Ironwood City.

The Will family's territory has shown signs of decay, so in the past two years, the Will family's small actions have become more and more frequent, and there have even been vicious incidents of seizing caravans and chasing fugitive farmers across the border.

In general, there is nothing wrong with the Will family itself, and the prosperity of Ironwood City will inevitably lead to the decline of the Will family, and further conflicts between the two sides will occur sooner or later.

"Ron"

Faced with Viscount Thoth's question, Richard did not answer directly, but signaled to Ron.

Ron nodded and stepped forward, a faint blue-gray fighting aura ignited.

Sauter looked at Ron incredulously.

"Knight?" Sauter was incredulous.

"Hmm," Richard replied in the affirmative.

Sauter looked at Ron, ready to say something.

"Ron, you go back to the barracks first, someone will arrange a separate place for you."

"Yes, sir."

Ron stepped back to the door, saluted respectfully, and walked to the barracks where he had come.

Listening to Ron's footsteps drift away, Sauter lowered his voice and asked, "Is he reliable?" ”

"Absolutely."

"Whew"

Viscount Sauter squeezed his hand and squeezed it.

"Richard"

"Father"

"Do what you want."

"Yes"

……

After Richard left, Viscount Sauter pulled out his sword and swung it a few times, as if to vent his inner restlessness, and finally retracted the sword and regained his calm.

"Perhaps, our Hunter family will also shock the Northlands."

…………