Victor's slender fingers tapped lightly on the saddle, as if knocking on Byer's heart, making his mouth dry and cold sweat flowing, his muscles tensed like a pressed spring, and at any moment he could burst out at a speed faster than the charge of the war horse and fled towards the camp.

As for holding the weak-looking young lord on the other side, Baier had no idea of doing so, not because he lacked the courage to take risks, but because as a former vassal, he was used to being in awe of his lord.

All Bair wanted now was to maintain control and influence over the camp, for which he was willing to pay Victor a full offering.

Although Baier is more knowledgeable than ordinary lords, it is a pity that he is not a nobleman after all, he has unknowingly touched the bottom of the lord class: what I give you is yours, what I didn't give you, don't even think about it!

Everyone waited for the lord's statement, and Bruce even took the spear from the servant and lowered the visor on his helmet, believing that there was no possibility of forgiveness for the freedmen who threatened the lord's rule.

Just as Victor was about to speak, a Blood-Eyed Raven landed on one of the team's guards, who quickly untied the letterhead tied to the Blood-Eyed Raven's leg and handed it to Victor.

After reading the sheepskin letterhead in his hand, Victor held the letterhead in his palm with an expressionless face, and asked Baier, who was kneeling on the ground, "Baier, I heard that you have a heroic sword issued by the Kingdom of Duoduo, why didn't you take it with you?"

Hearing the Baron of Wimbledon mention the Valiant Sword, Baron Bair secretly complained but pretended to be terrified and said to Victor: "My lord, I have a Valiant Sword, but it was captured by me from a gnoll bandit, not issued to me by the Kingdom of Dodor. ”

"Go back and show me the sword, and by the way, call ten men out to me, and I have something to say to them." Victor smiled noncommittally, and continued, "Do you understand that there should be old people, women and children among these ten people?"

"Yes, sir. I'll go. Bair said respectfully, wiped the sweat from his head, and got up and walked towards the camp.

Although he didn't understand Victor's intention of calling ten people out, it was clear that the lord would no longer designate them as bandits, which made Baier much more relaxed.

"Bruce, I've decided to let them go for now. After Bair walked into the camp, Victor spoke calmly to Bruce.

"Victor, I follow your will, but I still think that your kindness will cause you great trouble. Bruce shrugged his shoulders, handed the spear back to the servant beside him, and said indifferently.

While it's a shame that Bruce is missing a piece of credit for the bandits, it's also a good thing that his men don't have to risk casualties.

"It's not just kindness, it's just news from Master Edwin. Victor handed the letterhead to Bruce with a heavy face.

"Ogre!?" Bruce frowned as he read the contents of the letterhead.

While Victor and Bruce were leading a team to deal with the freeman's camp, the scout sent to investigate the entrance to the Everglades returned to the camp, where he found traces of ogre activity on the way into the Everglades. Edwin immediately used the Blood-Eyed Raven to relay the information to Victor and Bruce.

"Although it will not be difficult for us to break through this camp, there will inevitably be casualties, so in order to concentrate more forces on the ogre, I decided to let them go for the time being. After all, ogres are the ones who have a big deal on their minds!" Victor whispered to Bruce.

"Well, ogres are really hard to deal with, and we do need to concentrate. Bruce nodded, his tone solemn.

In fact, even without news from Edwin, Victor had no intention of exterminating these free people.

On the one hand, Victor could not order the slaughter of hundreds of people in cold blood in order to maintain his authority like other lords, and on the other hand, he also wanted to cover up the alchemy humans produced in the future by accepting the free people in the territory.

Once a sufficient number of alchemy humans have been produced, the freedfolk of this camp will not be able to make any waves even if they are ten times stronger.

However, although he decided to take in these freemen, Victor must also take some measures to restrain them, otherwise blind benevolence will only be seen as weakness by careerists.

"Nelson, I hope you can take on this Bair, are you sure you will win?" asked Victor, turning to Nelson.

"This Bayer is very strong, but not my opponent yet. Nelson smiled confidently.

"Don't underestimate your enemies, Baier is most likely the Bestower of the Valiant Sword, and my natural instincts tell me that he is as fierce a warrior as you are. Victor cautioned Nelson.

"If the Kingdom of Dor could also grant mercenaries the Valiant Sword, I could get three. Moreover, mercenaries never underestimate the enemy, because mercenaries who underestimate the enemy do not live long. Nelson raised the axe in his hand, and his calm words revealed the smell of indifferent life and death.

Victor nodded with satisfaction, turned to Bruce and said, "This Baier is good, are we going to recruit some people in this camp to deal with the ogre?"

Since these freedmen are willing to become Victor's lords, they cannot refuse the lord's call, not to mention that the ogre threatens all the people in the realm.

"Ogres are formidable opponents, and well-trained and united soldiers are required to destroy these terrible monsters, even those militias of yours I don't intend to take with them, and I don't trust him with this Bair. Bruce shook his head, dismissing Victor's intentions.

Ordinary militiamen who have not experienced the test of life and death cannot even hold their weapons steadily in front of the terrible ogres, and once these people collapse due to fear, it will affect the morale of the entire team, causing an irreversible chain reaction.

"Then we can only ask them to offer us supplies. ”

For these dissidents, Victor decided to exercise the rights of the lord. Moreover, the collection of offerings can also continue to weaken the group.

As he spoke, Bair returned with ten men and women, young and old.

"Good day, my lord. The men, led by Beyer, saluted Victor in awe.

"I am Baron Victor Wimbledon, the rightful owner of this realm. I have agreed to make you my people. Victor announced to the men.

Victor's decision made the freedmen happy, meaning that they would be able to live in peace in the land in the future.

"Bair, show me your valiant sword. Victor said to Byer.

Baier respectfully handed the hilt to Victor, although he was reluctant, but if this heroic sword could be exchanged for the lord's acceptance, it would also be a good result.

"Berg?" Victor glanced at Bair playfully when he saw the words engraved on the Valiant sword.

"Yes, my lord, this is the valiant sword I captured from the Gnoll robbers. Bair said bitterly.

"Bair, you asked me to keep this camp, and I can agree. However, there are traces of ogres in the territory, so you must prove to me that you have what it takes to protect this camp, or I will order all the people here to be removed. ”

Victor's words caused an uproar among the freedmen, but out of trust in Byer, they quickly calmed down again.

"My lord, how do you need me to prove it?" asked Victor with burning eyes.

As for the ogre, Bayer believes that it is Victor who is deliberately alarmist. Because they have lived here for more than two years, at the beginning, there were indeed many monsters here, but the strongest were the fierce jackals. Since the York family cleared this territory a year ago, the powerful monsters are basically invisible, and there are more and more free people who come here to beg for a living, but they have never heard of ogres operating here.

"Quite simply, this is my captain of the guard, you just need to hold on to his hands for a quarter of an hour, and I will agree to your request. A sly glint flashed in Victor's eyes, and he pointed at Nelson and thrust his heroic sword into the ground as he spoke.

"My lord, I need a shield. Suppressing the ecstasy in his heart, Baier drew his lost and recovered heroic sword, and whispered to Victor.

Bair was confident of defeating Nelson, and in the battle at Fort Whitewater, he had even killed one of Sassan's apprentice knights head-on, not to mention that he only had to hold on for a quarter of an hour in front of the captain of the guard.

However, you can't go too far, otherwise if you hurt this guard captain, it will make the lord feel faceless, and you still have to release the water appropriately today. Bayer thought to himself.

Completely unaware of it, Bayer has fallen into Victor's linguistic trap.

Byer didn't know that Nelson was actually a fierce warrior, and his strength was still above him, and if he did his best, maybe he could still compete with Nelson, if he just wanted to deal with a quarter of an hour, then the ending was doomed to be ugly.

Victor nodded and gestured back, and one of the guards tossed the heavy shield in his hand to Bair. It is made of iron oak and is inlaid with a steel plate, and the outside is also wrapped in a heavy shield of thick leather.

With a few strokes of his hand, Byer waved it lightly and said to Victor, "I'm ready, my lord." ”

Nelson, who was fully armored, stepped forward and raised his battle axe to Byer, who was five meters away, signaling that he could start.

Byer's pupils shrank, and he struck his sword the shield to pull his stance, his instincts telling him that the burly and indifferent guard in front of him was a fierce opponent and had to be dealt with carefully, so he decided to test the opponent's strength first.

However, Nelson had no intention of tempting, and rushed directly towards Baier, and the battle axe in his hand slashed fiercely at his opponent.

This axe, simple, direct, fierce and domineering, the sharp blade cut through the air, emitting a whistling sound, and there was a tragic and bloody taste.

Faced with Nelson's unreserved axe, Byer's heart sank, and he slapped Nelson's axe diagonally with the heavy shield in his left hand, trying to slap Nelson's axe away.

However, when the shield axes intersected, Baier realized that the power of the blow was amazing, and instead of being slapped away by him, Nelson's axe pressed the shield back in his hand with an unstoppable force.

Byer's 18-point physique is far more than that of ordinary elite soldiers, but Nelson's physique is a full 20 points, and his own strength is stronger than Beyer's. In the face of Nelson, who was going all out, Bayer actually wanted to have reservations, and the consequence of this information asymmetry was that he fell into disadvantage in an instant.

In the face of the sudden crushing of power, Baier showed extraordinary martial arts, he panicked, followed the force to improve and retreated, his body rotated to the right, and the adamantite sword in his hand took advantage of the situation towards Nelson.

It was Bair's comeback to win in defeat, and even if he couldn't hit Nelson, he could push him back so that he could distance himself and regroup.

Nelson didn't let him get his wish, the warriors of the War Bear mercenaries may not be as skilled as the noble martial arts, but they are all life-and-death fighting skills, once they have an advantage, they will desperately launch a violent and ferocious attack on their opponents, and continue to expand this advantage until they defeat their opponents.

Nelson did not retreat, but instead advanced, he used the battle axe in his right hand to block the slashing sword, and the axe handle in his left hand struck directly into Bair's chest.

Bair had to cover his chest with his shield, and the sheer force shook him back, and he was caught in a storm of Nelson's attacks.

Seeing the leader suppressed, the freedmen who watched the battle couldn't help but be dumbfounded, in their minds Baier had always been an invincible and powerful warrior, but now their faith in Baier was shaken.

is worthy of being the captain of the Baron's bodyguard, and it is really not something that a wandering warrior like Baier can match!

If Bair knew that the people thought like this, he would definitely vomit blood in anger.

What do you mean by a wandering warrior? I'm the captain of the Viscount's personal guard...

That's why Victor called ten old and weak women and children out to see him, and he needed these freedmen to bear witness to Bair's defeat, and at the same time to establish in the hearts of these people the impression that the lord was more powerful.

And these old and weak women and children have no fighting power, and it is basically impossible for them to be Bair's henchmen, so it is difficult for Bair to stop them from spreading what they see in the camp.

Bair didn't have the time to think about it so much at this time, Nelson had completely controlled the pace of the battle, and the continuous ferocious attacks made him stumbling and difficult to resist. He was very annoyed, if he used all his strength from the beginning, even if he couldn't defeat this powerful escort captain, he wouldn't be so uncomfortable to be suppressed.

However, Bair deserves to be the awarder of the heroic sword, and in extremely unfavorable circumstances, he still shows superb martial arts and tenacious will to fight, and from time to time tries to turn back the unfavorable situation through clever counterattacks, and even Bruce, who is watching the battle, nods secretly.

The fierce battle between these two mighty warriors left dust around them, obscuring the view of the spectators, and only the loud sound of weapons colliding with each other could be heard, and the ground on which the two men stepped on became a pothole, as if they had been trampled by a giant beast.

Finally, with a ferocious upward swing, Nelson's deformed heavy shield flew away, and Byer staggered back several steps, changing his sword from one to two, gasping heavily, ready for Nelson's next attack.

Nelson, however, stopped his attack and stepped back, and just as Bair was puzzled, he heard the voice of the Baron.

"It's time. Bair, you have proved to me what you are capable of, and I agree to your request to keep this camp. ”

Bair looked dazed, and although Victor agreed to his request, he was not as happy as he had imagined, but felt that something more precious had been lost.

Victor looked at the ten freedmen who were also at a loss, pointed to one of the old farmers and asked, "What's your name?"

"My lord, my name is Dick. The gray-haired old farmer was thrilled and hurriedly stepped forward to reply.

"Dick, I promised Bair to keep this camp, and now I appoint you as the head of this camp. I hope you don't let down the trust I have placed in you," Victor said to Dick with a smile.

"Ah!?" Dick froze in place as if struck by lightning, and the sudden happiness made the old farmer feel like he was dreaming.

"Chief Dick, I have a few things to tell you. Victor didn't care whether Dick was listening or not, and continued: "First, tell the people of this camp that I will allow them to move to my temporary camp of their own accord, and no one shall stop them. Second, without my consent, the camp is not allowed to admit other freedmen, nor is it allowed to continue cutting down the purple cane forest. Thirdly, as a lord, you are to surrender to me for worship, but in view of the current shortage of food, I will allow you to replace it with wood, stones, minerals, and catches. ”

"Yes, yes, sir. I.. I'll do it... I will do it!" After being poked hard in the back by his companion, Dick finally came to his senses and hurriedly expressed his attitude to Victor.

"Very well, in seven days, I will send someone to this camp to carry away the offerings, and you need to bring people to get ready, understand?" Victor nodded with satisfaction and said to Dick.

"Understood, sir. Dick nodded flatteringly to Victor.

After Victor and Bruce led the group away, Byer gave a complicated look at Old Dick with a confused look on his face, and turned to walk towards the camp.

The others, envious, jealous, or disdainful at the new chief, also walked back to the camp, leaving old Dick still muttering to himself, "I'm the village chief?

(The author is really not divided into chapters, but the number of words per day will not be less than 4000+, if it is insufficient, add another chapter.) ）