The winter in the northern region is always extremely long. At the end of February, the heavy snow and howling wind still show no signs of abating, and the spring that many people have been looking forward to is completely gone.
Ice Rock City, the gate of the city.
"Colin, just send it here." Caitlin stretched out her arms to hug her younger brother, and helped him adjust the collar of his shirt, and said, "When you are free, you must come to Falling Eagle City to see me! "
"Definitely." Colin nodded with a smile, "You have to be careful along the way."
Knight Valla saluted Colin solemnly: "Lord Viscount, don't worry, I will protect Caitlin. In addition, I will definitely tell my lord father what you told me!"
"En. Make sure the Earl understands my kindness. The friendship between the Angelet family and the Uman family will last forever!" Colin said seriously.
"yes!"
The two exchanged a tacit look, and finally waved goodbye.
After seeing off Walra and his wife, Colin had just returned to the Red Castle, and before he could sit down for a rest, he saw the butler Aemon hurried over.
"Master, there is another letter from Pinewood Town."
Colin took it with a frown, opened the envelope, glanced at it hastily, and laughed angrily: "Hey! This Baron Lomba, he is really relentless!"
Pinewood Town is located to the west of Ice Rock City and is the territory of Baron Lomba.
The Baron of Lombard also asked Colin to buy food, but he was not as easy to deal with as the young and immature Earl Morrison. He bargained with Colin for a long time, and made Colin take so much trouble that he was almost unhappy And scattered.
Although he finally accepted Colin's terms of installment delivery, he was obviously very dissatisfied with the result.
As the news of the food supply in Ice Rock City continued to spread, a large number of nearby slaves flooded into Colin's territory, providing Colin with a large amount of labor.
In contrast, the territories around the Viscounty Land began to experience population loss.
At first, they were just slaves, but later, as the famine deepened, the high food prices made it impossible for many civilians to afford food.
These civilians who had run out of food also began to pack up their belongings and headed for Bingyan City with their families.
Colin, of course, never refuses anyone.
He is well aware of the importance of population in this era, and Ice Rock City, which has a large amount of food, can continue to receive influx of population.
But this obviously made the surrounding lords start to worry.
However, although they were anxious, they did not dare to do anything to Colin easily.
After all, the Black Cavalry Army is in Ice Rock City. Although it is only a remnant army, it is still not something that the little lords around can fight against.
What's more, Ke Lin just defeated the famous Pegasus Legion in the Eastern Territory in the Battle of Silvermoon City. Such a record has already made many people regard him as another rising star of the Northern Territory after the Marquis of Garcia. general star.
Of course, there are always some idiots in this world.
Like Baron Lombar of Pinewood.
He wrote many times, asking why Colin took in his citizens, and even asked Colin to repatriate all the citizens of Pine Forest Town.
This attitude obviously angered Colin.
After tearing up the letter and throwing it into the fireplace, Colin turned around and told Aemon:
"Prepare a reply letter for me and tell Baron Lomba that I can't recognize the residents of Pine Forest Town. If he wants to return to his own people, he should come to Ice Rock City in person."
"Yes, sir."
Aemon was about to step back, but was stopped by Colin again: "Wait, is there still no news from Winter City?"
"No. It is said that the Duke of St. Hilde was injured in a duel with the paladins of the troll empire, and he has not yet been able to receive the envoy we sent."
Colin sneered, apparently not believing the duke's excuse.
At this time, he suddenly realized that Baron Lomba in Pinewood Town might be a good opportunity to test the Duke...
Thinking of this, a cold light flashed in Colin's eyes, and he said to Aemon immediately, "I'll write the reply to Baron Lomba myself."
After speaking, he sat down at the desk, picked up the quill pen, and wrote a letter in a hurry.
Aemon, who is very familiar with Colin's temperament, has roughly guessed at this time—the wording of this reply letter probably won't please that Baron of Lombard...
Here Colin has already covered the sealing wax, and handed the letter to Aemon: "Send it to Pinewood Town."
"Yes, sir."
…
Five days later, that Baron Lomba really came to Ice Rock City in person.
At the same time, more than a thousand soldiers were brought along, and the murderous look made the Logue knights at the top of the city laugh.
"Just so few people, who are you scaring?" Knight Logue shook his head and smiled at the followers around him, and ordered someone to open the city gate to welcome Baron Lomba in.
Baron Lomba is a middle-aged man with a strong figure and a rough face. The beard and hair on his face are connected together, which looks like a violent gorilla.
"Where's Viscount Angelet?" Baron Lomba's voice was loud, and the snow on the city gate was shaken down as soon as he opened his mouth.
The Logue knight gave a perfunctory salute, and replied with a smile: "Master Baron, our Viscount is waiting for you at the Red Castle."
Baron Lomba's face became even more gloomy, obviously dissatisfied that Colin did not greet him at the gate of the city.
However, Colin's title was higher than him after all, Baron Lomba couldn't say that Colin was rude.
Of course, Baron Lombard was not afraid of Colin either.
After all, he is not Ke Lin's vassal. Although there is a difference in the titles of the two, they have no affiliation.
Followed the Logue knight all the way to the Red Castle, and saw that Colin had already greeted him in front of the castle.
Baron Lomba's expression softened a little, but he still had the same cold attitude.
Colin didn't seem to mind the other party's indifference, and still greeted Baron Lomba with a smile, and even held the other party's arm pretending to be affectionate, and walked to the castle with him.
Baron Lomba couldn't help but feel a little disdainful. He didn't think much of Colin, a rapidly rising Viscount, and thought that he was promoted to Viscount only after he followed Marquis Garcia to the Sky Ice Field for a walk and took some credit.
Now that the two sides have a population conflict again, Baron Lomba dislikes Colin even more.
When he came to Bingyan City this time, he was determined to bring back all the citizens who originally belonged to Pine Forest Town.
Otherwise, I am afraid that no one will help him farm in the coming spring plowing.
Baron Lomba was thinking about how to speak, when he suddenly noticed someone approaching quickly behind him.
He turned around suspiciously, and saw an armored knight wearing a horse-face mask galloping towards him, the long sword in his hand glowing with a piercing coldness!
"There are assassins!" Baron Lomba yelled immediately, and was about to draw his sword to meet the enemy, but he was shocked to find that his right arm was tightly grasped by Colin, unable to move at all.
Baron Lomba was so frightened that his ghosts froze, and immediately realized that this was a trap: "Ange..."
Before the words were finished, the strange man with the horse face mask rushed to Baron Lomba.
With a flash of the knife, Baron Lomba's head was cut off to the ground in an instant, but his body was still standing there, and the blood on his neck sprayed high like a fountain.
The guards of the Longba family were stunned by such a turn of events. How could they have imagined that their lord was assassinated at the gate of the Red Castle!
Until Colin's sharp voice sounded: "Catch him, don't let the assassin get away!"
The guards of the Longba family just woke up like a dream, and chased after the assassin who had already run far away.
The Logue knight stared blankly at this scene, seemed to understand something, and asked cautiously, "Master, are we going to chase?"
Only then did Colin let go of Baron Lomba's right arm, carefully avoiding the blood spurting from his neck, and ordered righteously:
"Of course we must chase after him! Baron Lomba died in Ice Rock City, we have a duty to catch the assassin!"
(end of this chapter)