Most of Aesop's hands were mine cores instead of mined divine stones, and not so many people specifically took out the divine stones in the ore cores. The original troglodyte wildling tribe also learned the skills of the miners in Duk Town, but their mastery of fire and proficiency was far from being comparable to that of the miners in Duk Town, which was not only inefficient but also destroyed a lot during mining.

Aesop simply ordered most of the cores to be mothballed, piled up like a hill, waiting for the miners from Duk Town to arrive. In the eyes of many people, the miners in Duke Town are quite magical, and taking the divine stone out of the core of the mine is a hammer, even faster than the magician doing this work.

Aesop consulted with Joshua that the miners of Duk Town were now fully engaged in the use of the Divine Stone, even the work of smelting iron, which they excelled at. The city-state of Salem would send someone to build a house for them, as long as the miners demanded it. Joshua agreed, and the day after entering the city of Salem, he ordered the miners to get to work and get out all the sacred stones as quickly as possible.

Another thing that surprised Isolt was that it was not only the guard team he sent to accompany the miners into the city, but also more than sixty miners who brought back more than sixty captives, and they were all strong and powerful plateau giants! This group of miners is too strong in combat, if it really comes to a critical moment, the twelve judges can still lead the army on the battlefield.

According to the custom of the Celestial Continent, prisoners of war will be reduced to slaves, half of which will belong to the lord who captures the warriors on their side, and the other half will belong to kingdoms and city-states, like the distribution of spoils. Warriors on the battlefield captured prisoners of war, and slaves were also personal wealth, and kingdoms and city-states had such slaves for other purposes, either in exchange for their own captives or for ransom.

With so many prisoners of war at once, Aesop's mouth was crooked. Joshua gave him an idea not to dispose of prisoners of war as is the traditional practice on the mainland, telling them that the slaves could redeem themselves. As long as they worked for the city of Salem or the lord, they could be paid a part of the payment, and if the reward accumulated to the amount of the ransom demanded, they could be freed.

Aesop was stunned at first, but when she reacted, she laughed, patted Joshua on the shoulder, and said: "Before you came, someone recommended you to be the clerk of the city-state of Salem, and you are indeed a talent! The residents of Duk Town have always been miners, and I think it should be a merchant family, this business is too shrewd! It will not only weaken the resistance of those prisoners of war, and they will not dare to make trouble or sabotage their work, but it will also make them work more actively and harder, and they will suffer losses on the surface, but in fact they will make a lot of money!"

Joshua nodded, "Yes, whoever dares to make trouble will deduct the calculated reward, and if the prisoners are exchanged, they will also be arranged to the end." ...... If you go to war and then you catch a prisoner of war, you can do that. ...... When it comes to exchanging prisoners of war, the cost of training these giant warriors is very high, and I think one giant warrior must be exchanged for at least three prisoners of war on our side to not suffer. ”

Aesop smiled: "Okay, from now on, you are the clerk of Salem City, and there are many specific affairs, so you can help me list the regulations." ”

While the miners of Duk arrived in Salem, there were two major events on the part of the city-state, and Aesop was busy on all fours and in desperate need of a good helper, and it was the right time to appoint Joshua as the secretary. The first major event was the official opening of the trade route in the Black Fire Swamp, the thorns were cut to fill the swamp, the gravel foundation was laid with sintered dry earth, the width could accommodate two ordinary carriages, and there were three post stations in the swamp where the caravans could rest.

This trade road was originally planned to be opened in three months, but the actual construction period was advanced by half a month. It took Amun a month to dig out a two-man wide road in the swamp, and the people of the city-state of Syria started work from the entrance as soon as Amun entered the swamp, and a month and a half after Amun walked out of the swamp, the official trade route was opened.

With the strong support of Ge Lie, Governor Xiao Mo mobilized 1,500 people, all of whom were powerful men in their prime. What's more worth mentioning is that these people did not go back after repairing the trade route, and went directly to the plain of Duk and went to the city of Salem. Salem was short of people, and it was natural that so many strong laborers would come at once, but Isolt couldn't laugh or cry.

The origins of these more than 1,500 people are complicated, including lumpenproletarians, bankrupt artisans, soldiers who have committed military records, and even exiled prisoners, punished scoundrels, and ruffians in and around Syria. Many of them had been conscripted into the army and had military training, but they were troublesome and restless in their hometowns, and many were seen by the villagers as a scourge of headaches.

They had heard that the plain of Durk was a place of opportunity, that homeless people would even become high lords, and that the lord of the city-state of Salem had been a slave. Governor Xiao Mo has banished all these troublesome guys in the territory to Salem City, and they can be regarded as taking what they need.

How to manage this group of people, Aesop also had a headache for a while, and Joshua quickly formulated the latest decree of the city-state, and most of these people were incorporated into the army, as long as they obeyed the management of the city-state and made meritorious deeds in the future, they could get the corresponding land. The city of Salem lacks nothing but land.

From the two battle fortresses in the north to the fortress on the edge of the black fire swamp in the southwest corner, the area around the city of Salem for about 200 miles is under their control. Thanks to Pharaoh Lassis II for his "generosity", Amun drew such a circle on the map of the Duc Plain, and Pharaoh "rewarded" him as a territory.

The second major event in the city of Salem was that the battle fortresses on both sides of the road leading to the north had finally been completed, the magic array had been arranged, and the walls and fortresses had already been built. There were two things that were lacking, one was a large number of ordinary divine stones placed in the various positions of the divine magic array, and the other was that there were not so many soldiers stationed there. After the miners of Duke Town arrived, they mined the missing divine stones in a short time, and the divine magic array was finally able to operate at any time.

Both battle fortresses can house nearly a thousand soldiers, and there are warehouses for stockpiling various supplies, which can be held for a long time. Each has a magic array that can protect the fortress when it is opened, and can launch a counterattack under the influence of the magician, which was designed by Amon and Link together, and is a reference to the magic circle of Memphis and Barron City. Although it is only a small fortress, it is also surprisingly expensive to build.

Fifteen hundred men officially surrendered to the city of Salem, bringing the number of inhabitants in the city to more than 7,000, excluding the old and young, women and children, and craftsmen who had to work persistently, and about 3,000 soldiers who could be organized in time of war, which almost reached the level that all the people could be soldiers.

Isolt sent a thousand soldiers to garrison two battle fortresses, each with five hundred men, the largest standing army he could send. The rest of the people in Salem could not be completely out of production, and they had to reclaim the wilderness, smelt fine iron, hunt all kinds of monsters, raise livestock, and process supplies, and only when the war began, they could take up arms and become soldiers of the city-state.

There are now 1,000 standing troops stationed outside the city of Salem, and there are 2,000 reserve troops in the city, which also take time to assemble and exercise in peacetime, which is barely equivalent to the size of a legion. There is no shortage of leading talents, and the main generals of the An-La Legion of the Eju Empire were all in the city of Salem.

The commander of the An-La Legion was Amon, the chief priest was George, the commander of the front was John, and the captain of the guard was Medanzo. Now, under the leadership of John and George, the city of Salem is experiencing a cycle of repeating what happened in the Allah Army. The thirty-six guards that John brought to the plain of Durk had become the generals of the city of Salem, and were responsible for taking turns in the military formation.

When the fortress was completed, the Salem Legion was also established, which was different from the legions in other parts of the Tianshu Continent, the Salem Legion did not have a special position of chief priest, and the corps commander directly led the priest to cooperate with the front-line soldiers in battle. Amon is already a god on the altar, and he is currently cultivating in the Garden of Eden, so naturally he will no longer be the commander of the legion, and Medanzo is also cultivating in the Garden of Eden, and he cannot go to the battlefield for the time being, the commander of the legion is George, the chief priest of the city-state, and the commander of the front is still John.

Although George and John had experience in forming and training the Allah Legion, they knew in their hearts that the current Salem Legion could not be compared to the An-La Legion of the past. Although the An-La Legion was a ragtag army that had just been formed at that time, it was after all a regular legion of the Eju Empire, with five thousand official legionnaires, all of whom were at least first-class warriors.

And the Salem Legion had only a thousand standing troops and two thousand reservists, of which nearly a thousand were not samurai. On the other hand, the total number of An-La regiments plus logistics quartermasters reached 20,000 during the war, and the city of Salem did not have so many non-combat logistics personnel to support it, and to a large extent, it had to rely on trade to replenish supplies.

George and John had never even commanded such a weak legion, and they were facing the elite legions of giants of the Assyrian kingdom. Unlike the mentality of the high-ranking generals, the people of Salem were full of confidence in victory, largely because of the prestige of the god Amun, who was a great general who was almost invincible.

Fortunately, the opening of the business road was at the right time, and the replenishment of personnel and materials was very timely. Theo really saved face, he organized a huge caravan, followed the people of the road, and entered the city of Salem as soon as the road was opened. Isolt himself went to the pass at the edge of the Black Fire Swamp to greet him, welcomed the old man and his caravan into the city of Salem, and held a banquet in the lord's house.

Theo looked at the magnificent city of Salem and was full of emotion, his former slave has become the lord of the city, this is really a place full of miracles, no wonder so many wandering explorers have entered the Duc Plain in search of dreams and opportunities! He drank a little too much at the banquet, and finally put his arm around Aesop's shoulder and said: "Aesop, you are now the lord of the city! Think about me, I have worked hard for so many years, and I have even given up my life for the title of a nobleman." ”

Aesop comforted: "Master Theo, you should also look at others, who is richer than you now for the businessmen who did business with you back then? You have already hung the title of deputy director of the city-state property administration, and the business is much better than before, and there are very few businessmen like you on the mainland, so just calm your heart." ”

The city lord of Aesop actually called him again, Lord Xiou, and the wealthy merchant poured several glasses of wine excitedly: "I just saw you before I sent a few words of emotion, usually this heart is very flat, otherwise I can grow so fat? Is it easy for business to reach my level? Have you ever seen a master of a family who personally crossed the desert to collect debts, and we only met Amun when we were in distress in the desert, no, it was Amun God!"

Aesop smiled: "Yes, you do better than others, and you pay more than others, so your business is also bigger! ”

Theo patted the fat on his chest: "Isn't this my style, I want to personally inspect business opportunities at the first time, not to mention the call of God Amun, how can I just send a buddy?"

Aesop asked again: "Master Theo is really a great skill, how did you get through the pass by transporting so many armor weapons and war horses at one time?"

Theo replied with some pride: "War horses are easy to handle, because they have to travel long distances, and each carriage is equipped with a few more horses, just mix the war horses in it." As for weapons and armor, don't forget that I'm also the logistics quartermaster of the An-La Legion, so naturally I have a way. The Dick lord of the city-state of the headland and the An-La legion stationed at the border were also very respectful, and I paid enough customs duties to let them go without careful inspection. As for the city-state of Syria, they are more cooperative, and they also ask me if I need to purchase another batch of supplies nearby!"

Aesop stood up and took a glass and said, "Master Theo, I respect you! You have solved the urgent needs of Salem City, and we will soon start a war with Enriel City in the north, and there is a serious shortage of logistics and military personnel, and that trade route is very important, and you need to continue to support it." ”

Theo also stood up and drank all the wine in his cup: "Cheers to the god Amun! I also have a hope, to open a trading house in the city of Salem, and when this war is won, it will also be my great victory." ”

Aesop immediately nodded and said, "No problem, I'll sign the paperwork now, designate the best location in the city, and immediately send someone to build your shop and warehouse, you don't have to worry about everything, just do business." ”

...... The Great War is imminent, Amon is still cultivating in the Garden of Eden, Perrin Rose is still building a space magic array, except for Medanzo, Gabriel, and Moses, everyone else in the Garden of Eden has returned to the city of Salem. Medanzo temporarily lost his strength, Moses could not enter the plain of Duk, and Amon did not want Gabriel to be involved in the war.

The two fortresses north of Salem City each had 500 soldiers stationed there, and the Great Array of Divine Magic could be used at any time, but in order to exert the full power of the Great Array, two Great Divine Wizards were needed. Raphael caught up just in time and volunteered to help defend one of the fortresses.

Raphael is not a warrior on the battlefield, but it is decent to preside over the big array in the fortress, and Yunmeng also asked to go together, in the same fortress as Raphael, saying that he can take turns to preside over the magic array in the fierce battle, but in fact, he is not worried about Raphael's safety. This ironclad beastmaster has now turned into a beautiful girl, and she is also a great magician.

Aesop originally wanted to send Yunmeng to another fortress, but Yunmeng was going to be with Raphael, and George and John were going to stay in Salem City to preside over the overall situation, so they couldn't draw another great magician, so they had to look at Link for help.

When Link saw this scene, he took the initiative to smile and said, "Aesop City Lord, now that you and George are commanders, treat me as your subordinate and send me to guard another fortress." ”

With all the preparations for the war in place, Aesop sent a letter and something to Philistines, the lord of Enriel. The letter told the Philistines that the people of Durk had arrived in the city of Salem and invited him to meet him in person. But the Philistines would never come, for the letter later said that Goliath and the other hundred giant soldiers had been wiped out, and that sixty-two had been taken prisoner.

If the Philistines come to Salem as a guest, bring with them a ransom for the prisoners of war, twenty divine stones each!, and swear in Enriel's name that they will never invade the city-state of Salem, and that his giant soldiers may accept the employment of Salem and continue to mine the mines for fine iron and sacred stones, and the city of Salem will pay half of the payment.

The item that was sent with the letter was a large lacquered wooden box containing Goliath's huge head, which had not yet decayed after being treated with magic and medicine, and could still be seen in the terrified expression of death. Aesop was well aware that as soon as the letter and the wooden box reached the Philistines, the war would begin immediately.

The slave-turned-lord had been trying to prevent the outbreak of war from breaking out as long as he could, but now he chose the time to start the war because of what Amonte had told him. Amun, a former general of the Eju Empire, commanded thousands of armies, and studied all kinds of military books under the guidance of Mary, before he left the city of Salem, he specifically said to Aesop - "Some people think of war as business, but the battlefield is definitely not a business place. It is also possible that both sides will profit from doing business, but when it comes to the battlefield, the fighters on both sides will only be killed and wounded, more or less. I know you've been building up your strength, and the city of Salem is far from being strong enough, but you have to remember that there is a kingdom behind the other side of Enriel, and your power is growing, and so is the power of the other side.

If war is inevitable, the most opportune time is not when you think you are strong, because by then, the enemy will probably be much stronger. You have to choose the time when the balance of power between the two sides is most favorable, and this is the opportunity for the weak. It's impossible to predict how the outcome will be, but if you decide to meet your fate, don't be afraid beforehand, and don't regret it afterwards. ”

So Isolt chose to go to war when everything was ready and the morale of the people was at its peak, and his letter seemed to tell the Philistines: "You have chosen this war, but it will not go according to your will." ”

**

(To be continued)