Roland breathed a sigh of relief after all five major parties had been consulted.
He leaned back in his chair, and the Nightingale moved to his back, pressing her hands to massage his shoulders.
It only took one day from defeating the Duke to occupying Lordcastle.
Things went even better than he had anticipated. After the Duke's death, most chose to surrender. The mercenaries even defected, kneeling on the ground and pledging allegiance to Your Royal Highness.
The mercenary guards then took over the surrender of Knight and Noble, while the First Army's mercenaries stood watch. The entire contingent marched eastward in a grand procession, arriving at the Long Song Fortress by 3 p.m. that day. Upon seeing the head of Duke Laine and the large group of captured Nobles, the gatekeepers immediately opened the gates to welcome the Fourth Prince into the city.
Roland didn't make a grand proclamation to summon all the Nobles in the city to declare its allegiance, but instead rushed straight to Lordcastle.
Perched at the fortress's highest point, the castle stood like a city within a city. A skirmish erupted upon entering the castle grounds. After Nightingale detonated the garden gate with an explosive pack, over twenty Guards—those who had not accompanied the Duke on the campaign—attempted to block Roland's entry. The First Army swiftly eliminated them, while the defenders' resistance with crossbows left five members wounded, two critically. Fortunately, Nana Wa, who had been with the troops, promptly treated the wounded.
Meanwhile, ten royal guards attempted to sneak the duke's family out through the castle's back door, but were spotted by an aerial surveillance system and swiftly surrounded. The duke's wife and two sons were captured—yet they remained completely unaware of the duke's defeat until this moment.
After seizing control of Lord Castle, the First Army of Border Town immediately assumed command of the castle's defenses. The Duke of Lien's castle was three to four times larger than Border Town's, boasting a far more imposing design. Its hexagonal silhouette featured six watchtowers, with the central main tower standing nearly five stories tall—a rare architectural marvel for the era. The estate included a full range of facilities: residences, warehouses, stables, and even a private dungeon in the castle's basement.
He crammed the valuable prisoners and the duke's family into the cells, disbanded all civilians, confiscated the mercenaries' weapons, and resettled them in batches into the vacant rooms of the courtyard. Meanwhile, he selected a few ringleaders to receive hefty paychecks, letting them fend for themselves—Roland saw the North Slope mines as the perfect haven for these opportunists, though he still had more pressing matters to attend to.
It's the most crucial loot phase after a battle—commonly known as' mopping up the dead.'
Roland and his group of witches combed through the castle to the last corner, even leaving no stone unturned in the vault and secret chambers. Their plundering spree yielded astonishing results. The two massive crates of golden dragons discovered in the basement alone contained an estimated ten thousand pieces. Nightingale uncovered dozens of eye-sized gems in the bedroom's hidden compartment, while Echo uncovered a secret chamber behind the fireplace. Inside the chamber, the walls were lined with rows of gold artifacts—crown thrones, ceremonial scepters, and dazzling jewels—all neatly arranged on wooden racks.
This is the financial power of a duke!
Roland gazed at the colossal fortune, then reflected on Border Town's combined autumn and winter revenues from fewer than five hundred gold dragon ore mines. The allure of plunder lay precisely in this—had it not been for the advanced industrial society, he would have succumbed to its allure.
Though it's a pity, these resources must be secured. In the foreseeable future, Border Town's labor force will grow substantially. Before the development of territorial agriculture, it will require substantial funds to import food from other regions.
The hummingbirds then lightened their treasure chests, which were escorted by Iron Axe and Prince's personal guards. They transported the spoils back to their castle via the town ship for safekeeping. Given the time required to enchant large items, the entire journey took about three days.
This was also why Roland decided not to demand the Golden Dragon as ransom the next day. Having already profited immensely from devouring a duke, he now needed living humans and livestock more urgently.
"Your Highness, are you really only staying here for a week?" asked the Nightingale.
"What's wrong?" Roland closed his eyes, savoring the tingling sensations in his shoulders.
"Is this the largest city in the West?" she murmured. "Wouldn't you prefer to stay in this more prosperous place instead of Border Town?" "The Long Song Fortress has a complex power structure that doesn't suit my ambitions. Maintaining the status quo is manageable, but any change would face mounting resistance. I can't just wipe them out outright right now," Roland chuckled. "Most importantly, the locals here are deeply influenced by the Church and won't accept you easily. I've always hoped witches could walk freely through the streets – Border Town has already made that happen." "Well," Nightingale said softly, "you've kept your promise."
Early on the third morning, Pei Luo hurriedly brought his list, and Roland, as usual, welcomed him in the lobby.
"Your Highness, I've made my choice." "Let me see," Roland said, taking the list. As expected, the majority of entries were serfs worth 2 points—about 800 in total. A hundred cattle and three hundred sheep accounted for 900 points, with the remainder being various craftsmen.
"Your Highness, is this acceptable?" "Certainly, as long as we reach the three-thousand mark," Roland returned the list to Perro. "When can you gather these people and supplies?" "Today, based on the assets and residents of the Golden Flower Territory. However, Your Highness, bringing them back to Border Town might take about half a month." "That's your responsibility," Roland tapped the table. "You've got experience organizing caravan transports, right?" "Yes, Your Highness," Perro hesitated. "Then my father..." "You can take him back today," Prince said with a smile, handing him a parchment scroll. "Sign and stamp it if you're comfortable." "Is this... an agency agreement?" Perro scanned the opening, his voice growing agitated. "Did you agree to grant the Golden Flower family agency rights? Please wait a moment." He spread out the scroll and began reading the contract carefully.
Roland nodded in approval at the other party's measured demeanor—being a partner, honoring contracts is the bare minimum.
After a moment, Perro finally looked up. "The terms above are largely consistent with what you told me yesterday, except for one thing..." He pointed to the end of the contract. "Your Highness, shouldn 't my father's name be here? He's the Earl of Gold and Silver Flower and the family's representative." Roland smiled. "Of course not. It was you, not your father, who discussed the proxy arrangements. So naturally, your name appears at the end of this contract." Perro froze for a moment, then asked in disbelief. "Your Highness, do you mean I should—" "Exactly. You'll replace the Duke and take charge of the Castle of Changge on my behalf," Roland nodded. "If the contract is executed smoothly, you'll retain the city after I become the King." He paused, pulling back his smile. "But if you break the contract, your fate will be the same as the Duke's—I can breach the Castle of Changge once, and I can do it again. Do your best, Ambassador."