Chapter 287: Chapter 286: Lurans’ Arrangements

Ronin’s contributions in this war were indeed significant.

However, the fruits of victory could not be his alone. After all, the other nobles had contributed their strength as well.

Marvin Viscount and Baron German, for example, had committed a significant number of men and suffered considerable losses in the bloody battle for Giant Stone City. Lurans couldn’t possibly give them nothing.

That was why Ronin had been tactful enough not to ask for too much when making his requests, aiming only for the two most crucial rewards.

But from Lurans’s tone, it seemed he had asked for too little.

“Wushan Territory may have three Counts. I grant you this investiture.”

Currently, Wushan Territory has two Counts: Ossen Hyde and Ronin’s father, Wiggin.

Speaking of which, as the heir to the Marquis’ Domain, Wiggin’s title of Count is only temporary, with his fief being just Wushan City. It is purely a transitional arrangement.

The only true landed Count in Wushan Territory is actually Ossen.

“As for fiefs, in addition to Chishan Town… you exposed Baron Coren of Giant Stone City, allowing the nobles from every territory to escape that disaster. Therefore, I intend to grant that city to you.”

Ronin was overjoyed.

Other than its abundance of stone, Giant Stone City had no special resources.

However, Coren had managed it well over the years, and the population of Giant Stone Territory was at least thirty to forty thousand.

If he could acquire this workforce, it would further alleviate the population shortage in his own territory.

“If you reward me like this, won’t the other nobles have objections?”

If Lurans distributed the rewards this way, the two best fiefs—Chishan Town and Giant Stone City—would both go to Ronin, leaving little for the other nobles.

“You needn’t worry about that. Even if I were to grant fiefs, there are still Sari Town, Quicksand Town, and Casier Town to be awarded.”

Lurans’s tone was very relaxed.

Fiefs aren’t granted after every military victory. Besides, the other nobles’ contributions in this war were far smaller than yours. Few would even qualify to receive one.

Furthermore, it was you who saw through the plot of the Polante Thief Gang and Coren, saving the other participating nobles from immense losses. They won’t have much to say about you being granted two fiefs.

“The Fifth Knight Order of Wushan Castle is now at half strength. It must be rebuilt.”

Maintaining a Knight Order is immensely expensive, but for the security of the territory, the number of standing Knight Orders in Wushan Territory should be kept at five if at all possible.

“It’s easy to find Knights and soldiers, but it’s not easy to find a Leader for a Knight Order.”

Lurans looked at Ronin, his eyes filled with trust. “Therefore, I’ve decided to appoint you as the Leader of the Fifth Knight Order of Wushan Castle. I also plan to station this Knight Order in Shore City, on the southwest border of Wushan Territory.”

The Leader of a Wushan Castle Knight Order wasn’t necessarily a landed noble, but the position was highly regarded, and its holder certainly possessed the deep trust of the Marquis.

Even Coren had only begun to act on his betrayal at the start of this year.

In his early days, he had earned Lurans’s trust through his connections to the Hansen Clan, as well as his own excellent performance and loyalty.

Now, by giving Ronin the position of Leader of the Fifth Knight Order, Lurans was signifying his acknowledgment of Ronin’s power. It also sent a message to the outside world of his immense trust and esteem for him.

Ronin’s first reaction was joy. This meant he would have a force at his command.

Although he couldn’t bring this force to Wubei Territory, it could at least secure the Southwest Border Exclave.

But then, a worry surfaced.

“Grandfather, Shore City is relatively close to Moon Pass Valley. I’m afraid that by wiping out the Polante Thief Gang, we’ve offended Jesus. If I go to Shore City now, do you think his son-in-law, Ramsay, will try to launch a sneak attack?”

He had witnessed the power of a Meteor Level powerhouse firsthand.

The very reason he had fled Shore City immediately after retrieving the funds from Amicus was his fear of a sneak attack from a Meteor Level expert.

“Your concerns are not without reason.”

Lurans acknowledged Ronin’s concerns.

“Jesus is an extremely arrogant and haughty man. He’s prone to radical actions and often acts without considering the consequences.”

His tone shifted. “However, although you’ll hold the title of Leader, you don’t have to be personally stationed in Shore City.”

“You can appoint a trusted subordinate as Vice Leader—for instance, your Commander from Wubei Territory, Ridder. If you trust him enough, you can simply have him lead the troops stationed there.”

“Ramsay is a Meteor Powerhouse, after all. He won’t stoop to assassinating a mere Silver Knight, especially since killing Ridder would accomplish nothing.”

Ronin, however, weighed the options in his mind.

’Ridder isn’t just any Knight,’ Ronin thought. He didn’t want to put him in danger.

’But what Lurans said is true. To an outsider, Ridder is just a talented Knight, nothing more. He has no family backing him, nor is he a noble himself. For a Meteor Knight to assassinate him in secret would be too demeaning.’

’Most importantly, even if they took the risk and succeeded, it would only spite me. It wouldn’t fundamentally change anything.’

After some consideration, Ronin nodded slightly and said with a smile, “This will be great news for Ridder. He’s always longed for the opportunity to manage more Knight Squads.”

Clearly, he had agreed to Lurans’s arrangement.

“Then, Grandfather, what are your plans for Shore City?”

Lurans thought for a moment, then said, “For now, Shore City will be managed directly by Wushan Castle. I’ll have Albert arrange for some personnel to handle the affairs there.”

“Although that land has been reclaimed, the Polante Thief Gang operated there for many years. There are bound to be many intricate and complex factions still remaining within it. Gaining complete control will take some time, and it will certainly require the cooperation of the Fifth Knight Order.”

“As it should be.”

Ronin nodded immediately.

The Fifth Knight Order would be stationed there to defend the border and to handle these very matters.

“Alright, that basically covers the arrangements for you. The finer details can be handled by our subordinates. Now, let’s talk about your personal affairs.”

’Personal affairs?’

Ronin was a little puzzled. “What might that be?”

Lurans smiled. “News of you leading the force that annihilated the Polante Thief Gang has reached Golden Feather City. His Majesty the King sent me a letter of congratulations, and he also wants to use the occasion of Princess Blanche’s upcoming birthday to arrange for you to visit the Royal Capital and meet him. If all goes well, your engagement will be announced during the Founding Day celebration next June.”

Ronin was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this; he had completely forgotten about it.

’I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Royal Capital,’ he realized.

Ronin had no memory of Golden Feather City, as his former self had never been there. He only knew it was a bustling metropolis.

Lurans chuckled. “Indeed, you haven’t. But meeting His Majesty the King before the engagement is proper etiquette.”

“Heh, if you don’t make a good impression and His Majesty Bruno finds you lacking, perhaps this marriage won’t be finalized after all.”

His last remark was, of course, a joke.

After this birthday, Princess Blanche would be nineteen years old.

For a princess of her age to be unwed, without even a betrothal finalized, was unusual. Combined with the gossip from those two prior incidents, it was damaging the prestige of both the Princess and the Royal Family.

The Wushan Clan was a major noble house that had also made concessions, and Ronin himself was an excellent candidate. There was no reason for the Royal Family to back out of the arrangement.

“I remember Princess Blanche’s birthday is in late September, isn’t it? If I have to go to Golden Feather City, there isn’t much time.”

“Yes. For this trip to Golden Feather City, it’s best you travel by land and sea. Avoid flying there directly on your Dragon.”

Lurans couldn’t help but add, “So, once the victory banquet is over, you’ll need to set off almost immediately.”

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