Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Recruitment

The day after Philton delivered the ransom, Ronin set off for Mountain Forest Town.

He had brought a large group with him, but on his return, he took only Macken.

Although it seemed unlikely that Grey Soil Village and the Black-collar Tribe would clash again anytime soon, if war were to ever break out between Mountain Forest Town and Sain Territory, this was the most likely place for it to happen.

Therefore, leaving the Knights to live there and familiarize themselves with the local terrain would be highly advantageous for future operations.

Over the past few days, although Ridder was supposedly resting, he had merely refrained from combat and martial training. He hadn’t stopped handling his routine duties.

These included discussing training regimens with Macken, screening and weeding out unqualified militiamen, overseeing the construction of watchtowers and several Scout Camps along the border, and forming Knight Hunter Squads to sweep the forests surrounding Grey Soil Village.

Seeing how meticulously Ridder had organized the area’s defenses, Ronin was completely at ease entrusting him with the frontline at Grey Soil Village.

He couldn’t help but recall that when he had first summoned Ridder, the man had claimed to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Flame Expedition Army.

It now appeared that even with his incomplete memories, Ridder’s talents as a commander were gradually revealing themselves.

Upon returning to Mountain Forest Town, the first thing Ronin did was find Civil Servant Wilson. He instructed him to work with Macken to select sixty-four soldiers to form a complete Knight Squad.

With that matter handled, the only things left for him to focus on were the construction of the iron smelter and the kiln. Oh, right, and the daily dog training.

Black Tiger was growing incredibly fast. In just over ten days, he had grown to thirty centimeters tall and looked just like a puppy.

Perhaps because he had been spending the last few days with a few dogs they had caught, when Ronin made a few clicking sounds with his tongue, the little guy trotted over eagerly just like the others, his little tail wagging nonstop.

Indeed, environment was the best way to change a person—or in this case, a dog.

However, Ronin also knew that raising him with dogs could only train obedience. Black Tiger was a Magical Beast, after all. He couldn’t truly be treated like a dog; specialized training was still necessary.

These days, Erin had to prepare lessons daily and would spend an hour in the evening teaching David, Bella, and the others to read and write, so Ronin needed to take on some of the training duties.

He planned to wait until Black Tiger was a little bigger, then take him into the Wushan Mountains to hunt small animals.

The temperature gradually dropped. By December, the daytime high was only a few degrees above freezing, and at night, it would dip to zero. Based on past years, Mountain Forest Town would soon see its first snowfall.

To ensure they made it through the winter safely, the farmers had stopped clearing new farmland. They spent most of their time repairing their houses to withstand the wind and snow, stockpiling firewood, and gathering wild vegetables for the winter.

In the past, this had been a tense time of year. The residents of the territory had to pay the Civil Servant with money, grain, or labor for the right to fell trees. For them, every single tree came at a price.

Some people, who had none of those three to offer, could only resort to secretly gathering what dry branches they could find.

But a few dry branches were hardly enough, and as a result, people had frozen to death every winter in past years.

But things were different now. Ronin had opened up the forests.

As long as they stayed within the areas he designated, the people of his territory could fell trees without paying any price.

For all the residents, this was an incredible blessing.

Consequently, families with able-bodied men spent nearly all their time in the mountains, returning home only to sleep.

Even if it meant hacking away with stones, they were determined to bring one or two trees home before nightfall.

Though the work was grueling, they praised their Lord’s policy as they toiled.

In reality, it was simply a win-win situation.

Ronin was using their enthusiasm to speed up the clearing of the forests, accelerating the creation of roads to the outside world and the three villages to the north.

“My lord, as you requested, I’ve converted the open-air kiln into a sealed one.”

On December fifth, Potter Jim brought good news: the kiln’s modification was complete.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ronin inspected the two-meter-high kiln chamber before him. Although it was only a prototype, its shape was somewhat similar to the one he remembered.

Furthermore, all the structures he had requested—the separate kiln chamber, flues, and firebox—were in place. The only drawback was the quality of the building materials, as they hadn’t made any refractory bricks.

“Good. Now that we have the materials and the kiln is ready, we can attempt the first firing.”

Over the past few days, they had already completed the steps of preparing the clay, trimming the greenware, and air-drying the pieces.

A large batch of the feldspar needed for the clear glaze had also been mined. After being washed and ground, it was now a powder that just needed to be made into a slurry before it could be applied.

Ronin was full of anticipation.

However, he clearly wouldn’t see the results today. The pieces still needed to dry after being glazed, which would take a few more days.

With the kiln more or less ready, the next crucial element was the blast furnace for smelting iron.

Construction was also in full swing over at the new Blacksmith shop. Ronin had provided simple blueprints for its internal structure, making its construction far more straightforward than that of the porcelain kiln.

However, compared to the kiln, the blast furnace needed to be integrated with a larger bellows, and the separation of molten iron and slag at the base also required some specific design, making it a much more complex project overall.

Ronin made a detour to inspect the new Blacksmith shop’s construction. He was satisfied with the progress and believed it would yield significant results by next spring.

“My lord!”

On his way back to the castle, Ronin ran into Wilson, who was hurrying back from Cyan Bamboo Village. Behind him were three new cavalry recruits.

“Ah, Wilson. How are things over there?” Ronin asked.

During the second half of November, Wilson had taken the village chief and community leaders from Mountain Forest Town to Cyan Bamboo, Purple Fruit, and Grey Soil Villages.

Ronin had called it ’agricultural technical guidance.’ Wilson’s task was to take people to teach Siris and the others the planting methods currently used in Mountain Forest Town, so that the three villages’ agricultural techniques would gradually align with their own.

“This recent trip was mainly to check on the winter preparations in those three places.”

“Your benevolence toward your people has ensured their families have enough firewood and food. Getting through the winter shouldn’t be a problem for them.”

“I have also conveyed your order to the Commander, Horn Knight, and Village Chief Siris: not a single person in the territory is to die from cold or starvation.”

Ronin nodded. Wilson was truly becoming more and more like a proper Chief Steward, his initiative and drive having improved significantly.

Just as he was about to praise him, he felt something cold touch the tip of his nose and realized snowflakes had begun to drift down from the sky.

“It’s snowing!”

This was his first winter, and the first snow he’d seen, since he had crossed over into this world.

“You’ve all worked hard. Come back to the castle with me.”

「Meanwhile, outside Grey Soil Village.」

Ridder, along with Babulin, Tom, and others, had come to the border for a year-end showdown with Joffrey, the former Black-collar Tribe Leader.

Ridder had initially had no interest in this strange challenge, but he couldn’t ignore the days of taunts, insults, and provocations Joffrey had hurled at his sentries and Scouts.

Intending to teach his opponent a lesson, he had finally accepted the challenge.

Ridder had assumed Joffrey’s strength was average and that he wouldn’t last more than a few rounds, but he discovered the man’s skill was not low. He was likely also an Advanced Peak Knight, just one step away from breaking through to the Bronze Level.

However, under Ridder’s fierce assault, Joffrey was quickly defeated by his swift swordplay.

“Speak. You’ve been challenging me for days. What do you really want?” Ridder demanded, his sword pointed at the fallen Joffrey.

“Heh, you really are as strong as they say!”

Joffrey wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned. “Baron Reisen sent me to tell you, if you’re willing to follow him, he will not only let bygones be bygones, but he’ll also grant you a manor, servants, beautiful women, fine mounts, and more! Your life would be a hundred times better than it is now!”

“Oh?”

Ridder was surprised. He hadn’t expected that the man who had spent days clamoring to fight him was actually trying to recruit him for Baron Reisen.

Joffrey tossed his longsword aside, sat up on the ground, and continued in a low voice,

“Ronin is just a Little Baron trapped in these mountains. He’ll never get out of here. I’ve also heard his aptitude for training is terrible; he’ll probably be stuck as an Advanced Level Knight his whole life. You, on the other hand, are powerful and exceptionally talented. Following him is just a waste of your abilities.”

“Do you want to be trapped in this Forest Land forever? Don’t you want to cast off your commoner status and become a noble yourself?”

He looked at Ridder earnestly, his eyes showing a genuine appreciation for his talent. “There’s no future with Ronin. At best, he can make you an Honorary Knight, the lowest form of noble.”

At this, Joffrey’s tone shifted. “But Baron Reisen is different. He has what it takes to become the new Viscount of the northern Wushan Territory! He has a bright future!”

“With your strength, if you pledge your loyalty to him, you’ll surely become a Baron one day!”

Ridder gave his longsword a single, sharp flourish before slowly returning it to its sheath.

Joffrey saw this and assumed his words had moved Ridder. “So, what do you say?”

But Ridder just smiled. “You see the trees, but you miss the forest.”

He took two steps forward, closing the distance between them.

“If you’re following Reisen for glory, for a chance to leave this place, for a shot at a real future… then I can act as an intermediary and recommend you to my master.”

“Huh???”

Joffrey’s eyes widened. It took him a moment to realize that Ridder was trying to recruit him in return.

He was almost amused. “Ridder, how can Ronin possibly compare to Lord Reisen?”

“Lord Reisen is a Bronze Level Knight! He has a full Knight Squad and extensive connections. Your master has nothing!”

Ridder shrugged, not bothering to answer the question.

After all, Ronin’s true strength was a secret to outsiders. The Transcendents of Mountain Forest Town had all been instructed not to speak of it.

“If you’re here to recruit me, don’t bother coming back. Of course, if you wish to swear fealty to my master, then I welcome you anytime.”

Ridder glanced at the Knights standing behind Joffrey, an almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

He then turned his back on Joffrey and called out as he walked away, “Think about it, Joffrey! Sometimes, your choice is more important than your strength. Mountain Forest Town is a better fit for you than Sain Territory!”

Joffrey scowled and then snorted in disdain, bending over to pick up his longsword.

’I’d have to be crazy,’ he thought, ’to follow a lord with no future.’

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