Chapter 191: Chapter 190: Taking Over Swamp Castle

Galier had a clear memory of the places along their route. Every day before nightfall, he would lead the party to an estate not far from the main road to rest for the night.

These estates were not large. Some were the properties of Knights from the Wushan Castle’s Knight Order, some were the territories of Pioneer Knights, and still others were estates belonging to other nobles.

But regardless of their ownership, they could stay for a night simply by paying a fee.

This was far more comfortable than Ronin’s previous trips between his territory and Wushan Castle.

The journey was uneventful, with no attacks or assassination attempts. Four days later, the party arrived smoothly at the crossroads between Sain Territory and Mountain Forest Town.

When he had first traveled to Wushan Castle, Ronin and his two companions had rested at this very fork in the road.

At the time, he had wondered if Sain Territory would belong to him when he returned, and now that thought had smoothly become reality.

“Tom.”

“My lord, your orders?”

Ronin glanced toward the mountain forest, then looked at Galier and the other knights beside him and said,

“Go to Mountain Forest Town at once and inform Ridder. Have him bring his men, the Shadow Assassin, and the captured Knights from Sain Territory to Swamp Town.”

“Oh, and have Chahar, Wilson, and the others come as well. We’re taking over Swamp Town,” he added.

Although Ronin had arranged for Marvin Viscount to control the entry and exit points of Sain Territory beforehand, external power could only be relied upon temporarily.

’If I want to truly take over Sain Territory and maintain its security and defenses, I’ll ultimately have to rely on my own men to get things moving quickly.’

Fortunately, back in Mountain Forest Town, their only enemy had already been eliminated.

Aside from the unpredictable factor of Magical Beasts, there were no other potential threats within the entire territory.

“I understand, my lord!”

Tom bowed to accept the order and, without delay, spurred his horse into the mountain forest, galloping toward Mountain Forest Castle.

Galier watched Tom’s departing figure. ’I was hoping to go with him and see Mountain Forest Town, but it looks like I won’t get the chance this time.’

’I wonder just how much this lord has changed Mountain Forest Town in the latter half of last year.’

“Galier, come with me to Swamp Town.”

Ronin said with a smile, “Reisen’s family and some of his knights are there. I’ll be leaving them all in your hands.”

Galier snapped back to reality. “It is my duty, Lord Viscount.”

Sain Territory’s most notable feature was its many swamps, which varied in size and were scattered throughout the land.

Their presence made the air quite humid and provided an excellent habitat for many creatures to live and thrive.

Baron Reisen had relied on these swamps to raise his family’s Black Water Buffalo.

’But from what I know about swamps, using them just to raise water buffalo is a waste of their true value.’

’For one thing, the peat so abundant in the swamps is an excellent organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.’

However, Ronin only had a preliminary idea of how to develop it. He first needed to understand the specific situation in Swamp Town.

After crossing two hills, a winding road led to the town at its end.

The town’s houses didn’t look much grander than those in Mountain Forest Town, but there were more of them, indicating a larger population.

As Ronin and his party drew closer, they could see men on horseback controlling the entrance to the town. Soon after, a knight came galloping out to meet them.

The knight spotted Ronin in the group at a glance, mainly because the silver, black-pupiled eye emblem of the Wushan Clan was so conspicuous.

“Falias Snow, Captain of the Ninth Knight Squad from Pasture City. Greetings, Lord Viscount of Wubei!”

Ronin smiled and gestured for him to rise. “The Snow Clan? Is that the same clan as Miss Krami?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Falias said respectfully, “Krami is my sister. She is not here today, however.”

As he spoke, he ushered Ronin inside. Soon after, Mas Ironhoof, the man in charge of securing Sain Territory, and Baron Tarren Snow also emerged from the town.

Mas Ironhoof was the heir to the Ironhoof Clan. He bore a strong resemblance to Marvin, though he was considerably taller and more robust.

’As for Baron Tarren Snow, I don’t know much about him, other than that he’s likely at the Silver Level. If Pasture City were to form a Knight Order, this baron would probably be its Knight Order Leader.’

“Greetings, Ronning Viscount!” The two men dismounted in unison to welcome him.

Ronin dismounted as well, and they exchanged salutes. He then took a moment to introduce Galier.

’In this situation, Galier’s presence isn’t just about escorting prisoners; he’s also here to assist me in taking over Sain Territory.’

’After all, everyone has their own interests. Marvin Viscount has been very good to me, but that doesn’t mean his subordinates will carry out his orders perfectly.’

’If any disputes arise, it’s good to have Galier here as a witness.’

Fortunately, Ronin’s worries were unfounded. The men from Pasture City were very disciplined.

According to Mas, when they first arrived in Sain Territory, Finris, who was commanding the local garrison, had led his men in resistance.

Unfortunately for him, Reisen had stationed most of the territory’s fighting force with the Black-collar Tribe. Finris had hardly any men under his command, so Mas and the others easily broke through his defenses and seized Swamp Castle.

Over the past few days, the men from Pasture City had done nothing more than guard the main roads and prohibit anyone from entering or leaving. They hadn’t engaged in any other activities, such as confiscating property or plundering wealth and supplies.

According to Mas, they were only responsible for controlling access. All other matters were to be handled by Ronin upon his takeover.

“Have all of Reisen’s family members been taken into custody?” Ronin asked as they walked.

Mas shook his head. “We only captured Reisen’s wife and daughter here. His son, Moravi, didn’t return to Swamp Town for the new year’s celebration.”

“So one fish slipped through the net.”

Ronin’s brow furrowed slightly. “Galier, where do you suppose this Moravi is now?”

Galier pondered for a moment. “Moravi is a student at the Wushan Extraordinary Academy, isn’t he? Perhaps he’s still in Wushan Town?”

Wushan Town is located between Wushan City and Black Python City.

The town is directly under the jurisdiction of Wushan Castle, guarded by its Third Knight Order, led by Leader Melonika Taylor.

Ronin shook his head. “I imagine Moravi has already fled.”

News of what happened in Wushan Castle has surely spread by now, so Moravi must have heard.

’If I were in Moravi’s shoes, I’d probably flee southwest into Haid’s County. He might be able to hide there and evade capture.’

’Moravi’s cultivation talent is far worse than Bretton’s. Even if he were given time to grow, the chances of him becoming my rival in the future are minuscule. He poses no threat.’

If he escaped, so be it. Ronin wasn’t concerned.

’I just wonder if Ossen has contacted Reisen in private.’

’If Ossen offered to protect Moravi in exchange for Reisen not confessing to certain crimes or revealing certain intelligence, would Reisen agree in order to preserve his family’s bloodline?’

Of course, that was just speculation on his part.

“Lord Viscount, that’s Swamp Castle up ahead,” said Mas, pointing to the fortress before them.

Ronin followed his gaze.

Swamp Castle was cleverly built upon the wetlands. Its main structure was composed of dark, hard stone. Despite enduring the swamp’s high humidity year-round, it remained solid and intact, clearly very well-maintained.

The castle’s location was also ingenious. It stood in the center of a swamp, with only a single causeway leading to its main gate. All other sides were surrounded by water.

’With enough men to defend it, the castle would indeed be difficult to assault.’

’Reisen was certainly rolling in it. The number of Gold Coins spent to build this castle must be unimaginable!’

Filled with anticipation, Ronin walked into Swamp Castle.

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