Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 350: Military Exercises That Shocked the Old People

“It’s better than I thought.”

Speaking of this, Jos couldn't stop praising it.

"Lord Levi, although this may be condemned by those great monks, I have to say that these guys are simply born slaves. No wonder the entire ethnic group exists as slaves in the Persian Gulf Empire."

Although they eat more than goblins and kobolds, they do work faster and harder, but the most crucial reason is that they have to use a cowhide whip dipped in salt water.

"It turns out these guys are all-rounders..." The lord muttered. He didn't expect that in addition to growing cotton, the blacks were also good at mining. This really surprised him.

As we walked into the iron mine camp, the entire picture of the iron mine came into view.

The winding valley was like a wound cut by a giant axe. As far as the eye could see, thousands of helmets made of vines were gathering on the veins, as if a colony of black ants were gnawing at the earth.

The sound of metal hitting rock echoed through the mountains and forests. The sound of horns mixed with the sound of metal hitting each other made the air buzz.

The black miners hunched their backs, sparks flying as their pickaxes rose and fell. The kobolds pushed the iron carts developed by the lord through the ore veins, and the transformed goblin workers carried baskets on their backs and poured baskets of iron ore into the carts, which were then transported back to several large warehouses, waiting for a certain amount to be transported back to Highcliff Castle.

The watchtower was filled with Fed sentinels who were doing their duty.

In fact, so many people were not needed in the past, because those kobolds and goblin miners were extremely self-conscious. The result of not being self-conscious would be being kicked out of the mine and left to fend for themselves in the wilderness. After all, if you don't do it, there are plenty of goblins who will do it.

It was not until the arrival of these black slaves who were lazy and did not work that they added guard soldiers and managers armed with bull whips.

Everyone walked into Jos's house in the cold wind. As soon as Levi sat down, he asked, "How long do they work now?"

The iron ore plays an important role in the development of Gaoya Castle to its current state. Not only can it produce sophisticated standard equipment, but the arms trade also brings in a huge amount of gold. Therefore, the lord is extremely concerned about it.

"I only have green radish tea here, so please make do with it." The crackling firewood in the fireplace made the whole house very warm. Joss took off his bear coat slowly and hung it on the wooden rack. He poured a cup of hot tea for the few people before replying, "Basically, they work from sunrise to sunset, and considering that mining is a physical job, they will be allowed to rest for two days in batches after working for five days."

"Old Joe, compared to the boss, you are more like a kind knight." Zat Niu drank the tea in one gulp while chewing Peony, and gave a thumbs up.

"Drinking can't stop your mouth." The lord unceremoniously rewarded the orc with a big slap on the neck.

The slaves working in Gaoya Castle not only have no days off under the enhanced version of 996 that he implemented, but they also have to get up earlier than the chickens and sleep later than the dogs every day.

It's not that he is really so unscrupulous, but Gaoya Castle has recently undergone a major renovation, so it is inevitable that he will be a little tired. However, no matter how tired he is, he has not been too harsh on them in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation.

"Okay, just do it as you see fit." Levi didn't give too much guidance on this matter.

Jos managed the place in an orderly manner, and it would be inappropriate for him to interfere.

As a leader, as long as the general direction is correct, you don’t need to worry about other things, otherwise it will be superfluous.

……

The lead-gray clouds, carrying a biting chill, rushed panickily over the Kas Mountains like a fleeing horse.

The howling north wind tore at the pine trees in the mountains and blew ice chips into every crevice in the tribe.

The Bear Claw Tribe huddled in the rugged valleys. Hundreds of crooked pine-wood houses, like gnawed animal bones, were scattered in the forest in a disorderly manner.

Women wrapped in old bear skins, carrying skinny babies on their backs, were hunched over to dig water from the frozen stream - their ankles, frozen purple, were visible under their ragged fur.

The men who were supposed to be hunting gathered around a campfire with an iron pot, rubbing their hands and breathing hard. The flickering flames cast skull-like shadows on their sunken cheeks.

The slingshots hanging around their waists had long been worn to the point of being hairy, and the edges of their stone axes were cracked like saw teeth - ever since the heavy snow closed the mountains, the last few nests of snow rabbits in the forest had disappeared ten days ago, and they were on the verge of running out of food.

The weather in the past two years has been so abnormal that no one expected it, so that the food stored in the entire tribe will not last through this winter, because it has lasted too long...

The children, wrapped in hard weasel skins, huddled in their mother's arms, their shriveled bellies trembling slightly as they swallowed saliva.

"Mix those potatoes into the broth!" the old chief's hoarse roar pierced the cold wind.

Around his neck hung a gray wolf tooth necklace, a symbol of glory, which dangled between his jagged collarbones as he coughed.

A few skinny women with pale faces shivered as they untied the bark bundles. The blackened frozen potatoes rolled into the broth and gradually became rotten due to the freezing, which made the old northerners around them look on with eager eyes.

Even though it is snowing heavily now, in order to prevent the children in the tribe from going hungry, the men should go hunting in the mountains and the women should dig snow to see if they can find pine cones buried underground. No matter how much they harvest, they will not have to watch the little food reserves at home decrease day by day.

But they heard that an important person was coming today, and that would decide whether they would all sleep together under this endless snow. So, under the order of their chief, everyone took out the most precious meat and the only remaining potatoes in their homes to entertain the distinguished guest.

In the wooden house in the center, a dozen chiefs sat around a brightly lit fire pit.

The bear tooth necklace around his neck that once symbolized bravery was now mostly empty - last winter, when he was starving, these symbolic ornaments had been ground into powder and mixed into bran cakes.

Sam, who had no worries about food and clothing in Highcliff Castle and looked slightly wealthy, looked at his former enemies with cracked nails and chilblained hands. He did not gloat over their misfortune. Instead, he was grateful that he was blind and led people to rob the iron mine, which led to his capture by the lord of Highcliff Castle and saved him from such suffering.

"Sam, can you really stop the cubs from chewing tree bark now?" The first person to speak was a hunched chieftain, who was already old, but still as sturdy as a brown bear. "It's not me, it's the great Lord of Highcliff Castle, the true master of the wilderness, Duke Levi!" Sam first bowed respectfully to the void to show his loyalty, then looked at these guys: "The merciful Lord does not want you all to die in this endless snow, so he is merciful and is preparing to recruit all of you as citizens of Highcliff Castle."

"There are more than 70,000 to 80,000 people in our dozen tribes alone. How can you guarantee that the so-called Lord of High Cliff Castle can afford so many people?" Several chiefs remained skeptical.

If they had no choice now and dared to say such unrealistic words, they would have torn the former tribal shaman in front of them to pieces on the spot.

The amount of food consumed by so many people every day is incalculable, and not everyone can afford it.

"He is the great Duke of the powerful country of Derby, the only remaining dragon knight in the world, the only respected master of our Highcliff Castle, and a ruthless man who can fight against the demon army in the south with just his physical strength." Sam cleared his throat and sang in the unique tone of the bards: "You bunch of wilderness bumpkins know nothing. Let alone you, it is not a problem for you to carry the entire wilderness."

The chiefs were collectively silent. They had been living in the mountains all their lives. They only knew that the Lord of High Cliff Castle was very successful in the wilderness. He once repelled the huge wilderness coalition and occupied the iron mine. As for everything that happened afterwards, they didn't know much as they were isolated from the world.

But no matter how isolated they are from the world, they know that being associated with the Duke, the dragon, and the devil is bound to be difficult.

"State your conditions." The chief who was as strong as a bear asked in a deep voice.

Since there is no such thing as free lunch, the other party cannot really be a fool who just wants to be kind.

"This is actually very simple for you." Sam's mind moved, and he quietly changed some of the conditions that Levi had already discussed with him:
"All you need is to pledge allegiance to the Lord of Highcliff Castle as your master. Our Lord's will is your will, and the enemy is your enemy. Regardless of whether the request is right or wrong, reasonable or unreasonable, justified or unjustified, you will always do your best to fulfill it for our Lord!"

"And our Lord of High Cliff Castle will protect your safety and provide you with clear spring water, delicious food and clean clothes."

Originally, the condition Levi gave was to become subjects, but after seeing the miserable appearance of these chiefs, Sam directly lowered the condition by one level, from adults to masters. Although there is only one word difference, the meaning is completely different.

"This is impossible!" A chief suddenly stood up, as angry as a wolf ready to devour its prey.

"No one asked you to join Highcliff Castle." Sam said viciously, "If you choose to refuse on behalf of everyone in your tribe, then I will see a tribe of people starve to death in the snowy mountains, become food for those hungry beasts, and finally give back to the entire Kaas Mountains. This is not a different kind of dedication."

As a shaman who has lived for half his life, Sam is a complete veteran. Except for the tyrant Lord of Highcliff Castle who he cannot see through, he knows exactly what these chiefs are thinking.

The other party disagreed not because they did not want to join, but because they wanted to haggle over benefits. However, he knew very well that negotiation was like a war. Once his side showed weakness, the other party would be like a greedy villain and would press further.

"This is a shameless negotiation! I really hope that the goddess of nature can see your ugly face and let you, a shameless villain, fall into hell forever after death!" The chief's hands were shaking with anger, and he uttered the most vicious curse for the old people.

"But you have no choice. You can only choose life or death." Sam sneered. If the goddess could really see it, she would prove that what he did was right.

After all, even the creatures left by the goddess of nature are so close to the tyrant. Even if there is really a need for punishment, that traitor should be punished first!
Otherwise he was following the guidance of the goddess of nature!
No one present was stupid, and they all understood why the other side was so confident.

With heavy snow blocking the mountains for a whole year, the potatoes in the fields were frozen to death. The livestock, which had no ryegrass to eat, had to be slaughtered after eating licorice. There were fewer and fewer wild beasts in the mountains and forests, and they could not afford to provoke those powerful monsters.

They have persisted until now and are almost on the verge of collapse. If Sam had not come, they would have only two options: either starve to death collectively in the Cass Mountains, or launch a war to attack other tribes. In the end, only the strongest few of the dozens of tribes would survive.

But if there are other options, no one wants to choose war, and the number of deaths will be countless.

"It's not a difficult decision." Sam continued to persuade, "It's not a bad thing to be loyal to the Lord of Highcliff Castle. You may not know that many apprentice knights in Debe wanted to be loyal to us, but they were all rejected."

"And aren't we regarded as barbarians and goblins by these nobles? Now a Duke of Derby is willing to accept us and make us commoners under the protection of a lord. This is a rare opportunity and a rare honor. If I were you, I would have agreed without hesitation."

These words echoed in the cabin for a long time.

The reason why this group of old people have been hiding in the Cass Mountains is not because they do not want to set foot on more fertile land, but because they are not considered commoners of Debe. Without a lord, they are regarded as people abandoned by God and are not accepted by any nobles.

"We agreed."

After the chiefs collectively bowed their heads to discuss, they finally gave their own answers.

As Sam said, they no longer had any choice.

However, whether his loyalty to the Lord of Highcliff Castle is genuine or just a pretense will be decided after seeing him in person.

……

Loud calls were heard in the mountains and forests.

The sound of falling trees was heard, as if some huge monster was roaring at the earth unscrupulously.

Amid the symphony of trumpets and earth tremors, a huge golden shadow suddenly appeared among the distant mountains and forests. The undulating valleys made it look like a giant floating in the sea.

A strange wind blew from the south, first blowing the snow off the pine trees.

Amid the rolling clouds, the full image of a golden army was getting closer and closer.

The flag with a blue background and clear patterns embroidered on it fluttered in the fierce cold wind. The sun hanging above the earth engraved with fine gold lines was extremely eye-catching.

The griffin knight holding the flag was wearing golden plate armor, and like a god warrior from the kingdom of God, he drove his mount and hovered over the Bear Claw Tribe.

(End of this chapter)