Stone Pass, inside the ruling mansion.
The atmosphere was extremely depressing.
Baron Dylan sat on the head seat of his study, looked at the businessman in front of him with a gloomy face, gritted his teeth and said, "That damned little thing is really vicious."
But the businessman standing in front of him didn't dare to answer.
Identity is here.
However, in the room, two vassal knights who are deeply trusted by Dylan dissuaded him: "Master Dylan, there is no need to be so angry, maybe the forces behind Baron Kant want to push him out so that you don't have to be completely controlled." For you, after all, you hold the key points, which is equivalent to strangling their throats."
What the vassal knights were referring to was naturally the natural dividing line between the Nalun Desert and the Lion Principality, which was the only gap in the majestic Sanwaya Mountains, the Stone Pass.
This is where they are now, where they are firmly in control!
"snort."
Baron Dylan's face was still gloomy, and he hummed heavily, but his expression was slightly relaxed.
His vassal knight was right.
Sitting on a favorable location.
In particular, the Stone Pass is the only passage to and from both sides of the Sanwaya Mountains. Even if there are some country roads and animal roads that can bypass this pass, they can always be found and blocked as long as they are strictly checked.
What's more, entering the Nalun Desert requires a lot of supplies, especially fresh water, which is the most important thing.
There must be many and mixed caravan personnel.
You can't transport much salt even if you travel lightly.
Therefore, it is necessary to replenish supplies at the Jianshi Pass to ensure safety after entering the Nalun Desert. If you want to go around the pass and enter the desert for cheap, there is no doubt that it is tantamount to risking your life to enter the desert. Will you be able to open up trade in the end? It can be said that whether he will die in the desert is the most important concern.
In the past, those spy caravans all seemed to leave south after replenishing their supplies at the Jianshi pass, but actually entered the Nalun Desert after circumventing the pass carefully.
As the local lords, these Baron Dylans have long been aware of it.
At that time, the path will be blocked several times.
They even hired gangs of robbers to enter the small roads and deserts to plunder. With the weak guards of the merchants, it was impossible to stop the hired professional robbers.
After all, bandits in this era are sometimes no different from mercenaries.
Baron Dylan, who has already developed, naturally has this capital!
Thinking of this, his face became much better, and he waved to the businessman and said: "Okay, you go down, don't pretend to be public, just pretend you don't know anything, and wait for my arrangement for the rest."
"Yes, Lord Dylan."
The businessman wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and hurriedly exited the study.
The other two vassal knights in the study looked at Dylan. They had been together for a long time, and they obviously understood the baron himself and had arrangements for them.
Sure enough, Baron Dylan asked, "How many soldiers do we have now?"
"38 knights, 150 knight squires, 500 pikemen and 100 archers."
The vassal knight in charge of troop management replied: "If you expand the troop, you can also form 1,000 armed militias, 2,000 recruited farmers, and 500 hunters to form archers."
"Well, these are our own troops." Baron Dylan narrowed his eyes.
These soldiers are all his original troops.
It is tantamount to clenching the teeth at Jianshi Pass and giving up all the armed forces that can be assembled after development.
Including conscript farmers who only wield a pitchfork.
In the past, this was considered the confidence of Baron Dylan to protect himself, but in the past three months, he used the salt trade and large silver coins to open the way, and the overall level of the army has risen rapidly. This former confidence has long been ignored by him.
Baron Dylan continued to ask, "How about those mercenaries?"
"Now there are various robbers and gangs of robbers as mercenaries, with a total of 1,600 people."
The vassal knight replied: "You can go to the battlefield with standard weapons, and the combat effectiveness is not bad." The cavalry is the strongest group of mercenaries recruited this time."
"Sounds good." Baron Dylan nodded slightly, but his eyes were a little gloomy: "But the question is, can the reliability of these guys be guaranteed?"
"Ordinary mercenaries, 30 small silver coins per person per month."
The vassal knight immediately replied: "But the 600 mercenary cavalry who were born as horse thieves will need 80 small silver coins every month, and an additional 20 small silver coins will be added during wartime."
"That's a big silver coin." Baron Dylan snorted coldly: "I can pay back the money."
"That's where reliability comes in."
The vassal knight also showed disdain: "These mercenaries are all greedy guys who are greedy for money. At least no one around the nobles can hire them for a long time, so we are the only ones. It is not enough to use silver coins to cultivate their loyalty." problem, at least they won’t betray us on the battlefield.”
"No, that's not what I said." Baron Dylan turned his mouth up and smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes: "There is no reason to betray us on the battlefield, but the price is not enough."
The two vassal knights were silent, and these words could not be refuted.
However, Baron Dylan did not delve into this issue. He sat on the chair and tapped his hand on the table: "Next, there will definitely be many caravans and spies in my pass. This is the most troublesome."
"Please tell me, Lord Dylan."
The two vassal knights spoke.
"Well, you really need to be busy."
Baron Dylan nodded, knocked on the table and said: "Let our mice move, and it is best to place them in any corner of the entire pass. I don't want my territory to become a sieve that anyone can enter. At that time, I really It would be embarrassing, and I think you two understand that."
"We will do our best!" The two vassal knights replied in fear.
"That's the attitude I need."
Baron Dylan smiled: "But don't worry, I will remember your loyalty when this turmoil passes." After a pause, he looked at the two and said solemnly: "At that time, I will arrange a meeting for you You will definitely not be disappointed if you have an actual fief and 2,000 large silver coins as a bonus."
The faces of the two vassal knights were already beaming with joy. When they heard Baron Dylan's words, they immediately knelt down on one knee and saluted their chests respectfully: "My lord, we will do our best to complete the task you have given us!"
"very good!"
Baron Dylan nodded with a chuckle, and waved his hand at the same time: "Go down, cheer up tomorrow, and let our mice take a good sniff, where are those dirty bedbugs?"
"Yes!" The two continued to salute before exiting the room with gratitude on their faces.
But when the two left.
Baron Dylan's face suddenly darkened.
"Hehe, I can't sit still anymore, are you starting to find a way out?"
He held the armrest of the chair tightly with his hands, and his expression was extremely bad: "You two guys have started to have a different heart for me, really think I didn't notice it? Your extraordinary power is all inspired by me, Even you guys are starting to betray me now, I really didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it!"
"They are all former soldiers. You have become a baron, and they are still vassal knights who are not good enough under your command. How could they be willing?"
In the room, a calm voice appeared in the darkness.
Baron Dylan didn't panic, but narrowed his eyes and said, "But don't they know how to be grateful, heh, grateful, well, it's ridiculous that this word will come out of my mouth."
"That's right, it's really ridiculous." The calm voice chuckled, "It's like you betrayed Princess Sophia and the Silver Plate Kingdom on the battlefield, and then you can become this nobleman and really step into this class, isn't it? ? You also use them as stepping stones."
"You know so much." Baron Dylan seemed unable to hear the sarcasm and sneer in this mouth.
"certainly."
The man in the shadows finally came out.
Limping, he came to the chair next to the study and sat down, smiled lightly and said, "Well, you're right, Baron Dylan, the people around you are starting to betray you, if you don't consider As for my way of retreat, I think that if I insist on it in vain, the final consequences will definitely be very miserable."
"You're threatening me." Baron Dylan had a gloomy face, which was rare but not violent.
"I'm just telling the truth."
This person raised his head, and it was the spy chief who was under the house in the pass.
He had a deep understanding of Baron Dylan's character, and he didn't force him too hard. Instead, he changed his tone and said, "Sometimes you can turn to others too early, and you will be reused, especially at this critical juncture. You can get unimaginable benefits, such as increased rights, promotion of title..." He looked up at Dylan: "There is also the qualification to become a hereditary noble and become a high-ranking noble!"
"This condition is very generous and reasonable." Baron Dylan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, as if he had made up his mind: "Okay, please answer Earl Aishaja, I am willing to be his most loyal baron."
"No, no, no." The spy chief smiled, "You are the most loyal Viscount."
Baron Dylan also smiled: "Thank you Earl Agatha."
"She is the most benevolent." The spy chief nodded: "However, you also need to pay a certain amount of loyalty now, such as sending troops into the Nalun Desert to recover the salt mines that have fallen outside the principality."
"It's a bit difficult. You know my troops are not yet capable of going into the desert."
Baron Dylan squinted his eyes and replied, "It's really difficult."
"No, you still misunderstood."
The spy chief chuckled: "You have troops that can enter the desert, such as a 600-man mercenary cavalry, well-equipped, powerful in combat, and have sufficient logistical supplies."
"I don't understand." Baron Dylan frowned.
"This Stormwind mercenary group was once very popular with Earl Agatha."
The spy chief smiled and said, "Don't disappoint the reputation of this elite cavalry."
"No." Baron Dylan looked at the smile of the spy chief, but felt a little chill in his heart. He had doubts that he could recruit such an elite cavalry team, but now he was right.
This 600-strong mercenary regiment is the secret force under the charge of the Countess of East County, Agatha!
(end of this chapter)