Chapter 328: Rescuing Refugees
The orc army began its siege on Carlisle City and Darkmoon City.
Though they relied on rudimentary siege equipment, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the defending forces.
Taking advantage of the orcs' distraction with their sieges,
Matthew, unwilling to charge into the orc camp directly, led his soldiers and adventurers to clear the surrounding area of trees and timber that could be used for siege machinery.
Burning it would be a waste; instead, turning it into traps was the best option to ensure it wasn't squandered.
Some seasoned adventurers even hollowed out and weakened the quality timber.
Once the orcs invested effort into turning it into siege equipment, it would collapse under its own weight, nullifying their hard work and lives in an instant.
That particular satisfaction was enough to delight them!
Besides sealing off the area, suppressing and hunting down wolf riders scouting for information,
Matthew also led his forces and adventurers in rescuing nearby surviving refugees.
"No matter their age or condition, anyone alive brought safely to Bay Territory will earn you 20 silver coins per person!"
Matthew set a clear tone, establishing the purpose for the entire rescue operation.
Adventurers, eager for a new task, welcomed this well-paying and manageable mission.
"Stay in line, or don't blame me for being harsh."
"Follow me, and you'll survive. I've already saved over 800 people…"
"Don't run around; orcs are everywhere outside!"
"Where are we going? To the safest place around, of course!"
"Trust me, no place in the eastern province is safer than where we're heading."
"Don't overeat; you might hurt yourself. Take it slow."
"…"
The increasingly experienced adventurers skillfully persuaded hesitant refugees, transporting them to the Bay.
Matthew and the Bay Territory even adopted some of their methods, making adjustments and gathering valuable insights.
Observing all of this, 343 felt a peculiar sensation.
Other nobles were getting hammered, fighting the orc soldiers head-on.
But their contributions, compared to Bay Territory's efforts to contain and surround the orcs, were hardly more impressive.
Even the combat experience from engaging the orcs was beneficial for training Bay soldiers and increasing their combat prowess.
Moreover, 343 could see that Matthew's biggest gain was the constant influx of rescued refugees.
Elderly, unable to flee, had mostly been killed by the ruthless orcs.
The remaining refugees were predominantly able-bodied adults and children, grateful to Bay Territory and eager to be integrated.
According to 343's estimate,
in less than a month,
Bay Territory's population could swell by 200,000!
If they could successfully assimilate these refugees, Bay Territory's growth potential would skyrocket.
Over the past few days, 343 had observed many surprising things within Bay Territory.
Thousands of captive trolls,
"voluntarily" producing a continuous supply of Vitality Potions!
343 noticed that the trolls weren't particularly mistreated; in fact, they were well-fed and cared for.
She even saw trolls huddling together, learning the common language in their clumsy manner.
This was nothing short of miraculous!
Tens of thousands of hard-working kobolds,
producing massive quantities in the steel and military factories.
Transformed golems handling logistics and task distribution.
This was a strange territory,
yet it gave 343 a unique sense of comfort.
Watching Matthew head off to the next group of refugees, 343 pondered:
"Can Bay Territory sustain this pace?"
She believed it could!
Matthew cast a Communication Spell to contact Butler Ralph, instructing him to prepare for the next batch of refugees.
Swiftly, he tracked down another group of orc soldiers using magic.
Leading his soldiers in a charge, Matthew quickly broke through.
With several Fireball spells leading the way and his elite cavalry scattering the enemy, Matthew swiftly ended the skirmish.
However, he soon noticed a pattern.
The closer they got to the central and eastern regions, the larger and more numerous the orc groups became.
Clearly, these orcs weren't under the same command as those battling Bloodmoon City.
For Matthew and the adventurers, this was excellent news.
They had no shortage of trolls to hunt, or refugees to rescue.
What Matthew most anticipated, though, were the towns and castles overrun by orcs.
After clearing them of orc soldiers, Matthew often came into possession of the residents' treasures, amassed over decades or even centuries.
A mountain of coins was the least of it.
Stockpiles of food, rare minerals, and magical resources always brought joy.
And the undamaged books—those were true treasures!
With these additions, Bay Territory's modest foundation could strengthen swiftly.
In simple terms, the knowledge, skills, and secrets in these books
provided ample material for the training academy.
And naturally, Matthew was the first to enjoy the nobles' prized collections.
Carefully studying them, he gained deeper insights into the material plane and valuable knowledge.
For example, training methods for skills and feats,
or modified versions of alchemical potions and spell models.
Some even revealed undiscovered mines and resource locations.
In just three days, Matthew's plunder exceeded 5 million gold coins in value.
The costs of the battle were fully recouped!
As Matthew put it, the orcs had done him a significant favor.
He didn't have to become the villain by targeting innocent nobles; he simply acquired their fortunes.
The most amusing part was when Matthew encountered still-standing castles.
From these transactions, Matthew learned a vital piece of information.
If a conquered territory lacked an heir and he reclaimed it, recording the events accurately,
he could inherit it by paying a small fee.
This rule aimed to prevent developed territories from falling to waste and squandering resources.
If there was an heir,
they still had to pay him 1/10 of the estate as a reward for his help.
Matthew carefully documented these newly acquired lands.
He also reported them to Knight Harley through 343.
These unexpected gains had immense value to Matthew.