Nice and comfortable night, the soft bed almost made Byron not want to get up. It was especially perfect when he and Neda were able to walk and chat in the garden after lunch the next day. He tells Narda stories of his expedition and return, his adventures in the Northlands, and how much he misses her. The interesting story and the verses that Byron had learned before made Nellda laugh, and the two seemed to really lean together like lovers and talk to each other. After Count Craggs approved of their relationship, they didn't need to have too many scruples, which allowed both to express their feelings freely.

"If I could, I'd love to be there for you all the time, Nerda." Byron turned to his side and plucked up the courage to take her hand, and Nerda was slightly taken aback, her face flushed slightly, and the corners of her mouth curled.

"Don't do that, Byron." She tilted her head away, and though she said no, she held Byron's hand a little tighter.

"I will prove my love for you, Nerda. Although I am now an ordinary baron, I promise you that in less than three years I will be the master of a castle and impress your father. When the time comes, if you wish, I will come and marry you in a carriage full of treasures. Although I am from a humble background, I will do everything in my power to make myself worthy of you. ”

Nerda looked at Byron with some surprise, she had never seen a man like him among Swadian nobles of his age. Especially his self-confidence, as well as the fighting spirit and ambition that have existed since the first meeting and are getting higher and higher, make her look at him with admiration every time she sees him. There are too many people who have taken advantage of the opportunity to rise in this troubled world, but he is the only one who can achieve Byron's achievements.

Although his promise sounded unrealistic, Nerda was willing to believe in him, and her liking for him increased greatly. In particular, Byron's way of expressing his love, although a little clumsy and too straightforward, still made her feel excited in her heart.

In the afternoon of the same day, Byron led his troops out of Suno. Under Mathilde's watch, those northern men didn't cause him anything, and they got along well with the mercenaries in the Peony Mercenary Group, after all, robbers and mercenaries have a lot in common. The citizens of Suno did not resent them, which was a good thing for Byron, except for Dehrim, who was the most famous in Suno. At Byron's banquet at the castle, Manide also recruited more than a dozen local mercenary cavalry for him in the local tavern, and the other party's asking price was much lower than the normal market, thanks to Byron's reputation in the local area and the usual treatment of peony mercenaries.

This time, Nerda took the initiative to come to the city gate to see Byron, and gave him a gift, a simple amulet. Benoit also paid out of his own pocket to purchase a batch of supplies for them to show his support for Byron. Of course, Byron also left one of his rings to Nerda, which was not only precious, but also one of the proof of his identity when Nord recruited the pirates.

In addition to this, he commissioned the Count of Craggs to send a humble letter to King Haraus, in which he expressed his guilt for the defeat and his loyalty to the king, and stated that he would remain loyal to him and his rightful successor. This letter is very important to Byron now, and he must try to get the king to accept his return as much as possible, otherwise he will not want to have a good life in the future.

In this way, the mixed force passed through Suno and passed through Uxhall. If it weren't for the lack of time, Byron really wanted to visit the big John, who lived in Yereco, his old friend. Still, he sent a messenger with a letter and a few gold coins to comfort him. This soon spread among the troops, and Byron himself instructed him so that his soldiers would be more loyal to him because of the courtesy and favor of his subordinates.

It didn't take much time to get to the south, and Fort Gruenwald appeared before him again. Because they had already sent the news of their return, the garrison in the castle quickly released them after confirming their identities. And because Byron's domain was not far from the castle, the baron stationed here gave Byron a certain distance, and was pleased with his return, praising him as a hero of Svadia. Byron didn't have to listen too carefully to this, let alone really believe it, but Byron expressed his gratitude by giving the castle's garrison a lot of ale and dried meat. In the event of an emergency, he counted on the troops of Fort Gruenward to support him.

After the steep terrain where Fort Gruenwald is located, you enter the rich hinterland of Rhodoc. After the invasion of Swadia, the locals were finally restored to their former lives and the reconstruction project was almost complete. The orchards one after another, the fields one after the other, the well-planned towns and the countless cattle in the cattle farms, all surprised and blushed the soldiers from Vicchia and Nord.

Many of them became soldiers for their livelihood and land, and most of the Nord Bands were also the second sons of farmers or landowners before they came to the South, and it was a paradise compared to the year-round snowy fields and barren northern highlands, even if not inferior to the fertile black soil between Paraven and Suno. Those who wish to settle here have begun to think ahead of time about how much land they will get after retirement, and others who wish to continue their military life are calculating in their minds how much they will gain by looting the estates in the south. But whatever they thought, the northerners settled down and decided to follow Byron in the south.

Even those who are determined to return to their northern homeland are full of anticipation, and they very much hope that in the next raiding season, the northern Yar will lead them to this remote but rich southern land to plunder, which will definitely make them rich, and let their stories be told in their hometown.

Byron's warriors were pleased with the conditions in the south, and Byron himself was eager to return to his territory. Little did they know, however, that a crisis was brewing in the place where they were about to arrive, in the territory that Byron had worked so hard to obtain.

Fatis and Jamila had arrived in Pegond at this time, and Arenn had already met them. But it has to be said that this meeting was not friendly at all.