You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 331 Deprivation of Power

"How many blacksmiths are there?" Aaron quickly got the answer.

"57 people, but most of them are apprentices who only know how to hammer iron."

"What about your family?"

"There are probably around three hundred people," the company commander replied.

Aaron said, “Take them all away, leave no one behind. Tell the blacksmiths that they are now slaves of the King of the Valley, and they had better be sensible and not make things difficult for us. If anyone resists, tie them up.”

Roman needs these skilled craftsmen, and he also needs literate scholars.

Market towns are settlements that developed due to the prosperity of artisans and commerce. They are more complex than ordinary villages, with more social classes and are more difficult to manage.

Aaron immediately implemented military control.

Heavy armored soldiers undergo extremely long training periods and suffer the fewest casualties in war. The earliest batch of heavy armored soldiers served for three or four years and could hold the position of squad leader in an ordinary battalion.

Their long military training experience instilled in them a high level of discipline and teamwork.

More importantly, they were all literate, with each soldier possessing a vocabulary of approximately one hundred to one thousand words, which would hardly qualify them as illiterate in this day and age.

Aaron released them and within ten days he had grasped the situation here.

Leaving aside the fact that the total urban population is over six thousand, what's more important is that the age distribution, occupational structure, and grain reserves have all been thoroughly investigated.

According to the plan, Aaron was supposed to leave after kidnapping the people. However, the area surrounding Apple Town was full of powerful noble families who reacted extremely quickly. Upon seeing the town fall, they immediately cut off their escape route.

The heavy equipment brigade had no choice but to stay there temporarily.

Aaron also took this opportunity to gather intelligence on Apple Town.

After the squadron leader who was reporting on the work left, the battalion commander came to report.

"The brigade is making moves."

More than half a month has passed, and seeing that the fallen town remains unmoved in its lockdown, the noble forces are starting to get restless again.

They had previously attempted to retake the city, launching a surprise attack.

They come by day and by night, but all the surprise troops who rush into the town are hoisted up in the blink of an eye, like clay oxen sinking into the sea.

The nobles abandoned their foolish strategy of dividing their forces to attack the city.

Led by the Philin family, the surrounding barons, earls, and nobles prepared their troops and began planning a large-scale war.

There are two reasons.

Firstly, the heavy infantry and auxiliary troops have been eating town reserves of food, which should last Aaron for another two or three months, so they can't afford to delay any longer.

Secondly, this army had ventured deep into enemy territory alone and was surrounded without any reinforcements. It was as if the King of the Valley had abandoned the army, which gave Earl Philin great confidence.

"They want to devour us?"

"It should be." The captain said somewhat uneasily.

In the past, the King of the Valley had always watched over their training and growth, but now they were isolated and helpless, separated from the King's gaze, and had left their warmest homeland to come to a strange and desolate land. Even the most senior veterans could not help but waver.

“They can’t do it, Jon. Don’t panic. The King of the Valley says they are no match for you.”

The King of the Valley said they were no match for him, but everyone except Aaron believed that the emphasis of that statement was always on the King of the Valley.

They all believed that their power to defeat the enemy came from that great king.

He brought victory to his army, but now that he's gone, how are they supposed to fight?

Could His Highness possibly look this way? Jon wondered.

They could neither see His Highness's upright figure nor hear His Highness's gentle voice; their courage was like that of a traveler who had just stepped into a swamp.

Aside from Aaron… Jon never saw any wavering expression on Aaron’s square face. His gaze remained firm, resolute, and silent, like an unyielding rock.

Military life was tough, with training during the day and studying at night. But sometimes they would find ways to have fun, complaining about their superiors. They would mention the dashing and cheerful Green, the devilish drill instructor Jet, and the vengeful Kao, but rarely Aaron. They secretly said he was like a tortoise, carrying something heavy on his back, which was why he was so taciturn.

He used to have a very low profile, but now that he has become the supreme commander, everyone is surprised to find that he is calm and reliable. He was one of the first knights to follow Prince Roman.

Jon asked again, "Commander, shall we defend?"

The town has city walls, though they are somewhat low, but the heavy armor makes them very good at defense.

They believed that even if the dragon were to launch a powerful attack on their defensive array, it would be instantly killed.

Given the current situation, a conservative strategy is appropriate.

"No, we'll attack!" The most conservative Aaron rejected Jon's suggestion. "We'll never leave here unless we wipe them out completely."

Defending a city is passive; the pace of the war is controlled by the enemy. They can attack or not attack at will, while the enemy urgently needs to open a passage. The most important thing to do is to eliminate all the obstacles in their way.

"Then how do we deploy our troops?"

Aaron said, "Leave the recruits in town to defend and maintain order, while the entire heavy infantry battalion will be deployed."

Having received clear orders, Jon quickly spread the word. As the mobilization horn resounded throughout the town, the prisoners watched in terror as the horn sounded in the sky, and then saw one figure after another carrying a heavy shield walking past the gates and down the streets.

Aaron, raising his banner high, with a shield hovering above the thorny iron ring, puffed out his chest and roared, "Peerless warriors from the valley! Crush all obstacles in our path!"

……

"Are you sure you want this?"

The Iron King inquired of his noble vassals.

“Without a doubt, Your Majesty!” Sir Philin said forcefully and earnestly, “I urge you to sign this decree of stripping! Punish that disrespectful subject and strip him of all rights to the Valley and the taxes of his fiefdom.”

Io III was broad-shouldered and strong-limbed, possessing a true kingly demeanor.

He sat on the cold, black iron throne, with a woman in white standing beside him.

"The people of the Raging Tide family deserve to die!" Io III thought bitterly. "The people of the Cracked Armor family also deserve to die!"
The most despicable one is that arrogant guy Roman!

Now, at this royal council, more than half of the participants have stood up against the King of the Valley, urging him to revoke the latter's title.

This is the second impeachment.
The first impeachment was far less large in scale than the second, because the actions of the person being impeached had touched too many sensitive nerves among the nobility.

They all thought he would behave himself, but he repeatedly crossed the line that the nobility could accept.

Now even the neutral nobles were no longer willing to stand idly by and joined in, immediately tipping the scales in their favor.

They collectively begged him to issue a deprivation order.

The Black Iron King has this right, but the latter is unlikely to be stripped of his title willingly.

Just as he hoped to form a marriage alliance with Roman, so that he would address him as "Father" with the same respect as he would Ulster, the latter showed no appreciation whatsoever.

He is now accused of a series of crimes, including treason, keeping witches, murdering nobles, maliciously undercutting prices, massacring innocent people, and forming cliques.

Cruel, tyrannical, despicable, and heinous, the numerous atrocities were completely contrary to the order of the conquerors...

Even so, he still has no intention of signing the deprivation order.

The decision is in his hands; if he says no, then no.

Io III looked on coldly. The nobles who had stood up seemed to have formed a storm, enveloping the royal council. And at the center of the storm was not just him, but another person as well.

The man had unruly blue hair like seaweed, and his face was like a corroded stone statue, with rough and deep features. He was none other than the contemporary Grand Duke of the Angry Tide.

(End of this chapter)