Chapter 344: How to Develop Opportunistically (Taking Advantage of the Chaos)
While the soldiers were clearing the battlefield,
the long-prepared Bay Territory soldiers and adventurers emerged from their hidden locations.
They charged straight toward the orc camp.
There, thousands of orc were making their last stand.
They posed no significant threat or trouble and quickly became marks of merit and achievements.
The Bay Territory forces crushed the thousands of orc effortlessly.
Initially, the Bloodmoon City army and nobles had things to say but soon softened their demeanor.
During the sweep of the orc camp,
Bay Territory took only the unmovable spoils such as massive amounts of grain and books.
They left the more visibly valuable gold coins and weapons for the adventurers.
This act delighted the adventurers immensely.
Of course, under Bay Territory's "suggestion," the adventurers "obediently" handed over about half of their spoils to be delivered to the busy Carlisle City.
While greedy, adventurers weren't fools!
Seeing their compliance, Harley Knight had no further objections and busily prepared a celebratory feast.
Naturally, he first sent a batch of soldiers to patrol the area and track the movements of the Blackstone orc army.
At the banquet,
Matthew sat beside Harley Knight and met many of the nobles from the Bloodmoon City region.
Wasting no time on small talk, he stated his purpose directly:
"Currently, Bay Territory has a large stock of standard equipment and weapons for sale."
"If anyone is interested, you're welcome to make purchases directly from Bay Territory."
Harley Knight, already anticipating this, stood up and supported the statement:
"That's right. Thanks to Bay Territory, we received 500 heavy crossbows and 100,000 bolts…"
At this point, the other nobles "suddenly realized"
that Bay Territory and Bloodmoon City were deeply "colluding."
Tens of thousands of gold coins worth of supplies had been given so freely.
No wonder Bay Territory was allowed to "sweep up" the most lucrative orc camp.
In truth, many Bloodmoon City nobles were tempted.
Although Bloodmoon City had won this war,
it didn't mean they could relax in the coming days.
The orc threat had not disappeared!
Nearly a million orc in the Carl Plains were still wreaking havoc.
At any moment, wandering orc could charge into the area.
Bloodmoon City and the surrounding territories, protected by the Blood Moon Army, had suffered minimal losses.
However, in the main battlefield of Carl Plains, countless nobles had been wiped out, and many territories were destroyed!
What was the most urgent priority now?
Naturally, training soldiers!
The Blood Moon Army had withstood the orc forces.
They hadn't suffered the same fate as the nobles of Carl Plains.
This was largely because they had a group of well-trained soldiers.
Building military strength was imperative!
The nobles weren't short on manpower.
By slightly improving soldiers' "benefits," they could attract a steady stream of civilians to enlist.
After a few months of training and some real combat against kobolds and gnolls,
a qualified unit of soldiers could be considered ready.
However, they lacked adequate weapons and equipment.
After all, not every noble territory had high-quality iron mines.
Nor did every noble have the means to produce high-quality standard equipment.
Bay Territory had the weapons, and time was pressing.
Naturally, they would purchase a batch first!
When it came to survival, the still-pragmatic nobles of Bloodmoon City were willing to spend.
In this way, Matthew received hints of interest from the Bloodmoon City nobles.
For their purchase requests,
Matthew fulfilled them one by one.
Even when Schroder of the Arad family—who had been at odds with him—made a request, Matthew didn't show him any displeasure.
"Bring me more money. Once I've grown, it'll be easier to deal with them later!"
Matthew considered himself a "generous" person.
Charitable and always happy to help others solve their problems!
Seeing no further "orders" coming in,
Matthew bid farewell to Harley Knight and left the banquet without hesitation.
He wouldn't waste any more time!
November 31st.
Matthew led Bay Territory soldiers and a large quantity of supplies, spending 5,000 gold coins to teleport directly back to Misty Fortress.
Once again, Bay Territory displayed its wealth to the entire Bloodmoon City region.
The urgency, of course, was driven by greater interests.
In the meeting room of Misty Fortress,
everyone focused intently on a larger sand table.
Flags of all kinds were planted in the center of the sand table.
The entire Carl Plains, along with surrounding terrains, cities, and armies, were represented on the sand table.
It included the Carl Family's hundreds of thousands of troops and the orc's million-strong army.
"In the short term, the Carl Family has no intention of dealing with this million-strong orc army."
"Of course, they don't have the military strength to do so."
"This is why they keep delaying."
"While Bay Territory won't intervene, it doesn't mean we can't profit from the situation."
Hearing this, everyone immediately understood.
While the Carl Family and other nobles fought bitterly, Bay Territory could absorb more of the population.
In just these few days, Bay Territory had already taken in 100,000 people.
Counting from the start, Bay Territory had absorbed over 300,000 people from Carl Plains.
This massive population influx exceeded the number they had painstakingly absorbed over six months!
Moreover, these people from Carl Plains were far easier to "handle" than refugees or vagabonds.
As the fighting continued, Bay Territory could keep reaping the benefits.
Quietly amassing wealth!
If the fighting lasted until the end of the year, Bay Territory's population might exceed one million!
By then, Bay Territory's potential and strength would undergo a seismic transformation.
The territory would improve step by step!
Noticing the hopeful expressions on everyone's faces, Matthew coughed lightly to bring them back to reality, then continued calmly:
"I'm sure you've already guessed my thoughts."
"We must seize this rare opportunity to save as many civilians in danger as possible."
"Our primary goal is to help them escape suffering and the orc's clutches."
"Rescue them from danger…"
Hearing their lord's "righteous" words, everyone beamed with smiles.
The lord was absolutely right!
Bay Territory had always done this!
They believed their territory's actions were entirely just.
Anyone who came to Bay Territory, as long as they worked hard and persevered, could achieve unprecedented peace and a good life.
Free housing.
Abundant, filling, and affordable food.
Free access to learn skills and knowledge.
An 8-hour workday with 2 days off per week.
Far more generous pay than other regions.
And above all else,
free and attentive care for children.
This made Bay Territory an irresistible haven for any parent.
Here, it was the ideal land most people had only ever dreamed of!