Surdak circled his territory on the sand table with a red banner.

A baron could own about three times the size of a knight, and in addition to occupying an entire Puss Mountain, a section of the southern foothills of the Paglos Mountains was also completely included in his territory.

In addition, a large circle of barren land around Pubao Mountain is also considered Surdak's territory.

It is said that Surdak can still have some people in his territory, but just looking at the current conditions of the territory, there are volcanic ashes floating in the sky, there are no rivers and lakes in the territory, and even the underground rivers are flowing with magma, which is not suitable for human life at all.

Bernard. The Marquis of Christie could not understand at all, and gave up the best manor on the outskirts of the city of Highlanza for the sake of a sulphur mine that was not very easy to exploit.

This kind of thinking is probably only available to people who live in the barren land all year round!

He felt that Surdak must have a feeling of extreme attachment and love for his homeland in his heart to make such a choice.

Bernard. Marquis Christie turned to the assistant behind him and said, "Gallup, you wait for the Knights to pass on to them a copy of the information about the area occupied by the Barons of Surdak." ”

The assistant meets Bernard. Marquis Christie stamped his stamp on a map clearly marked the territory area, and immediately stepped forward to take the map, and promised, "Yes, Lord Marquis. ”

The Marquis Bernard stood beside the sand table, pointed to the southernmost point of the Paglos Mountains with a thin stick, and said to Surdak: "To be honest, I have always hoped that someone would help me guard the gate to the northwest of Highland, which is located in the depths of the barren lands, and the southernmost point of the Paglos Mountains. ”

He glanced up at Surdak, seeing that his face was calm, obviously not worried about the demonic beasts in the deep mountains of Paglos, and said: "Although the conditions over there are a little harder, it is not without benefits, you are willing to choose the territory here, you are the only nobleman in this area, I hope you can take on the defense of that area." ”

Surdak didn't expect Bernard. Marquis Christie will say about it.

He had always believed that the security and defense of the city of Highlanza were the responsibility of the guard battalion and the city defense department, but he did not expect that the local nobles were also responsible for the defense of the region.

Only when he looked back did he realize that since he was the only nobleman in this area, he had the power to govern here.

This kind of power is obviously not comparable to the sheriff of the guard battalion, speaking of which, he is also a small lord in this area, although he is only a third-class baron, but who makes this area have no other nobles at all!

Bernard. Marquis Christie was worried that Surdak would not agree, so he said to him: "Of course, I will allocate a certain amount of money from the defense budget of the city of Highlandsa to help you build up the defense over there. ”

Seeing that Surdak didn't agree immediately, Marquis Bernard couldn't help but ask Surdak: "Baron Surdak, are you willing to accept this appointment from the city hall?" ”

This is the official appointment of Surdak as the local defense chief.

Surdak thought that he was the sheriff of the guard battalion stationed in the wasteland, and it was nothing to accept the appointment from the city hall, he was accepting the appointment of two departments, but he was doing the same thing.

Surdak straightened up, puffed up his chest and said solemnly, "As the magistrate of the Barren Lands of the Paglos Pass of the Hylantha Guard Battalion, it is my duty to guard the barren lands outside the Paglos Pass, Lord Marquis. ”

"Very well, Baron Surdak." Marquis Bernard nodded, and finally said with a gentle smile on his face.

He walked back to his desk, took out a piece of parchment from the table, wrote a line on it with a quill brush, stamped it with a seal, and handed it to Surdak, saying:

"It is the responsibility of every nobleman in Hylanza to defend the city of Hylandsa, and the town hall will have some support for the nobles who have contributed to it, Baron Surdak, you now have the power to recruit servants and private troops, but the number of private armies cannot exceed one squadron."

With that, he handed the parchment in his hand to Surdak, the handwriting on the parchment page was very sloppy, and Surdak could not read what was written on it except for the number five hundred.

Bernard. Marquis Christie said to the assistant next to him: "Gallup, wait a minute, you take Baron Surdak to the quartermaster office to collect defense funds." ”

It turned out to be a check! ’

Surdak took the scribbled piece of parchment and thought to himself.

Bernard. The Marquis of Christie said to Surdak: "You are in charge of how you use this part of the money, although there is no strict limit, but you are required to submit a financial statement every quarter, so that the treasurer knows where you spend the money." ”

"Yes, Lord Marquis." Surdak replied immediately.

"In addition, if you encounter anything that is difficult to solve, you can send someone to send me a letter."

The Marquis Bernard reached out and patted Surdak on the shoulder and said to him kindly.

Then, at the suggestion of Gallup's assistant, Surdak asked the Marquis Bernard to take his leave.

Bernard. Marquis Christie asked Gallup's assistant to take Surdak to the finance department of the city hall, from where he successfully received the defense funds of five hundred gold coins, which were heavy in his hand.

Later, Assistant Gallup told Surdak that as the defense chief of the Badlands and the Paglos Mountains, Surdak had the right to purchase some cheap materials from the Quartermaster Department, and that the food, weapons, and armor from the Quartermaster Department were at least 20% cheaper than those in the outside market.

……

Surdak walked out of the town hall.

The long stone steps in front of the town hall are crowded with pedestrians, and the square in front of it is bustling with people, many citizens sitting on benches in the shade of trees, and a group of children running around the fountain pool in the square.

A familiar figure had just cut through the crowd and was approaching Surdak head-on, her head bowed, wearing a tight-fitting crystal lion skin armor, a pair of high-heeled leather boots, a delicate saber hanging from her waist, and her bright red hair fluttering in the wind.

She walked on the long steps with her long legs, and without looking at her strength, she jumped over the crowd around her.

With bright red lips and azure eyes, Surdak saw Darcy at a glance from the crowd. Christie.

As if sensing Surdak's gaze, Darcy. Christie jerked her head up and looked at Surdak at the top of the stairs in surprise, not expecting to meet her here.

Her face was a little pale, her spirit was a little tired, and her eyeshadow was a little heavy.

She hesitated for a moment before stepping up and standing in front of Surdak with her proud pointed chin raised.

"Long time no see, Surdak ......" Darcy took the initiative to greet Surdak.

"Oh, long time no see, Darcy!" Surdak smiled at her and asked, "How are you doing?" ”

I haven't seen each other for half a year, and there seems to be a lot of estrangement between the two.

Darcy held the saber in one hand, looked casually left and right at the crowd, and said casually:

"Okay, how long have you been back from the maca plane?"

Surdak said: "It's been about three months, and after returning from the maca plane, I got my graduation certificate from the Knight Academy, and then I was assigned back by the guard battalion to serve as the sheriff in the middle of nowhere. ”

Darcy bowed slightly, indicating that she knew.

In fact, he didn't say a lot of details, such as the fact that he accompanied Hathaway and Beatrice on a tour of Highland during this time, which she knew.

For a while, the two of them seemed to have nothing to say, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.

Just when Surdak was a little unsure of what to say, he was ready to ask Darcy. Christie said goodbye when she came from Darcy. Christie walked out behind a noble young man, stood beside her, looked at Darcy intently, and asked:

Darcy ...... Who is this? ”

Darcy was not in a very high mood, and even a perfunctory smile was owed on his face, and he replied lightly: "Knight of Surdak! ”

Darcy introduced Surdak to Surdak: "This is my fiancé, Armand. Baron Bullwer, served in the Quartermaster Department of the Town Hall. ”

With a standard aristocratic smile on his face, the young man said to Surdak, "Hello, Knight Surdak, I have heard people talk about you, and they all say that you are a very remarkable knight in the Haylantha guard camp. ”

"Hello, Baron Bulvoo!" Surdak nodded and greeted him.

Baron Bulvoir smiled, and seeing that he was also a proud nobleman, and tried to show his bearing, he said to Surdak:

"You can call me Armand."

His tone was somewhat condescending.

Surdak looked at Darcy. Christie glanced at it, and it seemed that the tempers of the two of them were somewhat similar.

After saying hello, Armand . Baron Bulvoir with Darcy. Christie walked into City Hall.

Darcy took Armand's arm, her long red hair bouncing slightly with her steps......

Waiting for Surdak to walk down the steps of the town hall, Darcy. Christie turned her head with a stunned expression, looked at Surdak's blurred back, and sighed slightly.

……

Surdak received five hundred gold coins from the town hall and figured out how to spend it.

According to the Marquis Bernard's intentions, he can form a private army, which is not responsible for the daily security of the barren land, but belongs to the private armed forces stationed in the northwest of the city of Highlandsa, and is usually deployed by the city of Highlandsa and is responsible for guarding the gate to the northwest of the city of Highlandza.

To build a private army, you first have to recruit people, and then you have to buy horses, weapons and armor, build barracks, and so on.

The matter of recruiting manpower is the best thing for Surdak, he is going to recruit some experienced veterans in the nineteen natural villages in the barren land, they don't need to be stationed in the barracks in peacetime, they can also farm at home, but when there is a war situation, they can be quickly gathered together, which belongs to the militia mechanism.

Surdak also doesn't need to buy armor and weapons, the rebel knights who attacked the village of Wall last time left a batch of hard leather armor and knight spears and swords, he is ready to take out a sum of gold coins to directly buy these weapons and armor in his hand, as long as the accounts are done beautifully, Marquis Bernard should not care where these weapons and armor come from.

In the future, if you have the opportunity, you can apply to the Logistics Department for the maintenance and repair of weapons and armor in the name of the Wasteland Security Regiment, which can also save a sum of money.

In this way, the money for weapons and armor can safely fall into his pocket, Surdak thought.

In addition to this, Surdak ordered a batch of cheap wheat flour from the Quartermaster Service, a benefit only available to the sheriff of the city of Hylanza, which was twenty percent lower than the price of wheat flour in the market, which was all high-quality wheat flour shipped from the southern provinces.

Surdak delayed the whole wheat flour for two more days in the city of Highlandsa.

When I left La Mer, it was already four days later.

Fifteen four-wheeled wagons carrying nearly 10,000 pounds of whole wheat flour and nearly 14,000 pounds of multigrain wheat bran and beans crossed the moat into the mountain passes of Oak Ridge.

Cal. Fearing that the rebels would loot the grain wagons along the way, Kesment led a group of knights from a support squadron outside the city to escort the grain wagons to the fifth mountain before waving goodbye to Surdak.

Surdak returned to Vol Village from the city of Hylanza, bringing back a large amount of supplies as usual, but this time the supplies were obviously much more than before, the main materials were a large amount of whole wheat flour and miscellaneous grains, the Grimm Empire was not short of food, in the past, everyone would go hungry because the people here were too poor.

Raising nearly a thousand kobold slaves, these kobold slaves consume nearly a thousand pounds of miscellaneous grain every day, these miscellaneous grains are only enough for kobold slaves to eat for half a month, how to fill the stomachs of these kobold slaves is something that Surdak needs to seriously consider, if it weren't for the sulfur mine in Pusbag Mountain and some income, he really couldn't afford to raise so many kobold slaves.

When he returned to the village of Wall, Surdak saw the old village chief standing under the dead trees at the entrance of the village, staring at a row of slave shacks that had been rebuilt not far away.

This time, the slave shacks of these kobolds are no longer simple sheds simply fenced with reed mats, but are made of limestone blocks like city walls, these row houses are like semi-arc city walls, completely blocking the southern entrance of Wall Village, and a female wall has been built on the roof of the row houses, and even the river and stream in Wall Village have built a long waterway like a doorway at the entrance of the village, and there are fence-type sluices on both sides.

Since the last time the rebel knights attacked the village of Wall, Surdak planned to build a wall-like row house at the entrance of the village of Wall, so that those kobold slaves could usually live in it, and if the village was attacked by bandit groups and rebel knights, this was the first line of defense of Wall, at least to prevent those cavalry from driving straight into the village.

The old village chief has been complaining to Surdak lately that these terraced houses just need to be sturdy and not too beautiful......

The people of the village had not yet lived in such houses, but they had cheapened these kobold slaves.