Worlds Conquest

This time, Ryan didn't just bring a hundred men—he brought nearly two hundred knight squires and eight hundred commoners and peasant soldiers in tow.

He knew clearly that this departure wasn't a minor skirmish, nor was it something that would be wrapped up within two weeks.

As the troops of the Frozen Territory crossed forests and swamps, Baron Hatton felt tremendous pressure. Only after he sent envoys and learned that Ryan wasn't coming to attack him did he finally breathe easy.

"Not long ago, I also sent some troops—along with Lien—to Baron Barnes's Northern Flower Fortress. Ryan, do you really think we can take on a viscount?"

Hatton still held considerable fear toward the two viscounts of Zeroth County.

"Relax, Baron Hatton. No matter what happens, you're still just a baron. If it comes to that, you can simply say that Lien acted without your knowledge."

Ryan replied calmly. He understood Hatton's anxiety well. From Hatton's perspective, both Baron Barnes and Baron Ryan were treading dangerous ground.

Ryan's army passed through Hatton's domain, but from there, the route became more difficult—he could not let his troops march through other nobles' territories. They had to travel through wild, unclaimed lands.

And untamed wilderness, undeveloped by any noble, was never easy to traverse. If not for the strict discipline and command of Ryan's forces, there would likely have been deaths on the march.

Eventually, Ryan's force of one thousand troops reached Baron Barnes's territory. Though eight hundred of them had little combat ability, Baron Barnes didn't know that. As he looked upon the neatly assembled soldiers, he was secretly shocked.

"Baron Ryan, the entire Northern Wind Province has underestimated you."

The slightly weathered Baron Barnes spoke with a mix of awe and excitement. Many imperial nobles were already at his age, since they could only inherit their titles after their fathers passed—and by then, they were no longer young.

In fact, Baron Barnes's eldest son was a year older than Ryan.

"I've already set aside a large stretch of wasteland and built housing. Your soldiers can settle there."

Barnes led Ryan to a military training ground he had carved out specially. It was large—enough to hold two to three thousand people. Naturally, he couldn't allow all soldiers to garrison inside Northern Flower Fortress; only a small number of knight squires could enjoy that privilege.

"This land is a bit… crude."

Ryan frowned at the barren field and the flimsy-looking buildings.

"My soldiers will build their own barracks. I'll need you, Baron Barnes, to provide lumber."

"There are wooded hills nearby. Just send some men, Baron Ryan, and help yourself."

Once the troops were settled, Ryan took his knight squires and headed to Northern Flower Fortress. Situated on a nearby hillside, the ancient castle had stood witness to centuries of Northern Wind Province's history.

Rumors claimed it was one of the three strongest fortresses in the entire province, once reinforced with magical wards by a peak Sanctum-rank mage.

If it were only larger, Ryan imagined the counts of the region would already be vying for it.

"With this fortress in your hands, your territory is essentially untouchable."

Ryan said this with sincere envy. His own Horn Ridge stronghold was designed for defense, but it still didn't compare to Northern Flower—at least not yet.

However, once Mage Luna's wizard tower was complete, Ryan planned to make a formal request—after all, her golem's ability to shape and manipulate stone even surpassed Sanctum-level mages.

Hearing Ryan's words, a flicker of pride showed in Barnes's eyes. It was thanks to the foresight of his ancestors that he now had the confidence to stand up to the other nobles of Zeroth County.

"Now that we've reached this point, Baron Barnes… I assume you've gathered more than just us two nobles?"

At the welcome banquet, Ryan glanced around and saw only Lien and members of the Barnes family. He had already begun to guess the answer.

As expected, Baron Barnes sighed.

"Baron Ryan, we have far too few supporters. Aside from you and Baron Hatton, the others have only quietly hinted at interest. In the end, they were drawn in by the two viscounts."

"Which is understandable. One of them holds Zeroth City, an unassailable position. The other reportedly commands three thousand soldiers. Neither of us can compare."

"But what I don't understand," Ryan continued, "is why you, Baron Barnes, wouldn't accept their offers? With your strength, either viscount would surely offer you generous rewards."

"What they offer… is nowhere near as valuable as what we could take for ourselves."

Barnes looked Ryan in the eye, finally laying bare the real motivation behind all of this.

"Ryan, are you aware? In the southwest corner of Zeroth County, beyond Zeroth City and across the Camelan River, deep in the Icepeak Forest, a magic crystal vein has been discovered."

"A magic crystal vein?"

Ryan's eyes widened, staring at Barnes as he couldn't help but ask:

"What scale is it?"

"Just a small-sized one," Barnes replied with a chuckle. He knew what Ryan was thinking.

"A small crystal vein would yield no more than a hundred thousand crystals, but even that is an immense fortune. As you know, Ryan, the value of magic crystals far exceeds their weight in gold."

Ryan was a bit disappointed. If it were medium- or large-scale, he would've rushed back to the Frozen Territory immediately to bring Mage Luna into play.

Even so, a small vein might pique her interest. But Ryan had no intention of revealing the Frozen Territory's greatest trump card so easily.

"But in those Icepeak Forests, near the crystal vein, there were also iron deposits… and a gold mine."

"Initial surveys suggest that the gold mine may even be worth more than the magic crystals."

"If we surrender to the viscounts, we'd be lucky to get a few scraps of gold. But those crystals… they're what I truly need."

"Two of my children have tested positive for strong magical talent. And Northern Flower Fortress—this very place—requires a steady annual supply of magic crystals. As long as I have enough of them, no one will ever breach these walls."

That was part of the reason—but Ryan could tell there was more. Still, even this much justified Barnes's resolve to defy the viscounts.

"Of course, Ryan, this isn't just about the mines. The greater game is the redivision of all lands in Northern Wind Province."

"In Zeroth County, Viscount Dragón is no longer satisfied. He wants to remove the aging Viscount Miles from Zeroth City."

"And those newly minted knight-lords? Now that they're about to receive their titles, they find the leap to fifth-rank nobility too far—and they're demanding a redrawing of territories."

"With the Empire turning a blind eye… they mean to do it themselves."