I'm not a lord

Chapter 247 Former War God, Today's Thief Cat

"Sir, what are your orders?"

The Kalebo people were in the River Marsh County and quickly arrived at the newly built courthouse.

Lynn looked the new foreign minister up and down and smiled, "You look good lately. It seems you're having a good time in Baihe Territory."

Kalebo quickly bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I am able to live the life I have today because of your care."

For the past month, Kalebo has been enjoying an extremely pleasant and comfortable life in the River Marsh County.

Originally, he was just an ordinary official in the court of the Duke of the Valley, but after joining Lynn, he transformed into the territory's first Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Diplomat, with his salary and status rising significantly.

Most of the young ducal men who followed him to Lynn became his subordinates. The department was full of fellow countrymen who were troublemakers without seniority, and the relationship between superiors and subordinates couldn't be more harmonious.

Under Lynn's 'forced orders,' Kalebo also encountered a romance, becoming deeply involved with a young and beautiful local woman, and they had already reached the stage of discussing marriage.

Lynn first gestured for Kalebo to sit down, then handed him a stack of documents: "Take a look at this latest intelligence and share your thoughts."

Kalebo took the document and carefully examined it, his brows gradually furrowing. After pondering for a while, he tentatively asked, "Does Your Excellency intend for me to be sent as an envoy to Mirror Iron Territory?"

Lynn nodded slightly: "Not bad, quite a keen judgment."

While Kalebo may not be particularly outstanding in terms of personal ability, he has many years of diplomatic experience and a very keen judgment in diplomatic affairs.

By reviewing intelligence documents and considering the Earl's sudden summons and the current diplomatic environment of White River Territory, Kalebo was able to quickly deduce Lynn's true intentions in summoning him.

This is the insight that an excellent diplomatic expert should possess.

Incidentally, Kalebo's stats have increased significantly since he switched to the White River Territory, and his current rating is three stars.

A better environment can indeed help a person progress further.

Or perhaps it was the nourishment of love that allowed this middle-aged tree to sprout new buds.

Caleb confidently stated, "The Earl of Mirror Iron is undoubtedly an ambitious man who craves chaos and disorder. I am confident that I can persuade him to close the roads in his territory and completely block the Duke of the Marsh from retreating to Golden Deer Castle."

The current situation in the North may seem confusing, but it is becoming increasingly clear. In short, the existing order is gradually collapsing and ambitious individuals are rising in various regions.

Whether it was the bastard Maurice, the Marsh Duke Lothair, or the Vale Duke Herman, these people were all core components of the original order.

If Lothair were to return to Golden Deer Castle with his remaining troops, the system of the three dukes would still be valid, and might even become more stable as Lothair's power weakens.

A triangle is the most stable structure.

Once Otto III has established himself in Amber Harbor, the general situation in the Northern Kingdom will return to what it was before the war began last June.

Due to the weakening of Lothair's power, the three dukes might even tacitly agree to a truce with each other.

They would first deal with the 'traitors' in their territory, such as Earl Lynn of White River and Earl Vasa of Mirror Iron, and then unite to deal with Otto.

This is a foreseeable future, not mere speculation.

For an ambitious figure like Vasa who yearned for 'overthrowing the superiors', stable order was their nemesis; what they sought was disorder and chaos.

Confining the Marsh Duke to the Crown Territory would clearly be more in Vasa's interest.

In order to survive, the Duke of the Swamp will inevitably have no choice but to turn around and continue to fight Otto for control of the Crown Territory, and the struggle between the two sides may be protracted.

As long as the chaos in the Crownlands and the Northern Kingdoms continues, the ambitionrs' revelry can continue.

Lynn patted Kalebo on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Go to Mirror Iron Territory and make full use of your abilities and eloquence. Vasa is a shrewd man. He can see the situation clearly. In addition, I have clearly rejected the Duke of the Valley's marriage proposal before. I believe he will make the wisest choice."

Even setting aside the authenticity of the portrait, the Duke of the Valley's eldest daughter was quite alluring.

Noble families rarely valued a woman's appearance when choosing a wife; they were more interested in her generous dowry. Before marriage, the man and woman had most likely never even met, at most only seeing portraits embellished by artists.

If the wife you marry is too ugly to eat, then turn off the lights, have an heir, and then go find a beautiful woman to unleash your true nature.

For them, there are plenty of beautiful flowers everywhere, and they would never be fixated on just one.

In order not to provoke Count Vasa of Mirror Iron, Lynn reluctantly refused the marriage proposal to the eldest daughter of the Duke of the Valley.

The diplomatic environment in Baihe Territory is actually quite bad. In order to prevent being attacked from multiple sides, he must stabilize his allies in the south.

Even if it were only to compensate for his losses, Count Mirror Iron would make the most reasonable choice.

Lynn doesn't want another enemy in the south, but does Vasa want another enemy in the north?

Baihe Territory still controls the grain supply from Jingtie Territory, so he can't refuse to cooperate.

"Please rest assured, sir, I will do my utmost to persuade Count Mirror Iron!" Caleb made his promise on the spot.

He'll be full of energy right now, and he'll always be thinking about how to impress Lynn.

As the saying goes: If a ruler treats his ministers as his hands and feet, then the ministers will treat the ruler as their heart and soul; if a ruler treats his ministers as dogs and horses, then the ministers will treat the ruler as a fellow countryman; if a ruler treats his ministers as dirt and weeds, then the ministers will treat the ruler as an enemy.

Lynn offered Caleb such a great deal: a high-paying job, a high-ranking position, and plenty of time in advance to sort out his family and marriage.

Isn't Kalebo very motivated to work? Even though Lynn is much younger than him, he almost regards Lynn as his second father.

Perfect timing! Once he finishes this mission, he can return and marry the woman he loves, achieving success in both his career and family life.

Lynn thoughtfully instructed, "Take more young people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs out with you, let them broaden their horizons, and accumulate more experience. If you train them, things will be easier for you in the future."

Lynn appointed Kalebo to build the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because he valued Kalebo's extensive experience and his ability to mentor newcomers.

Baihe Territory is still a fledgling emerging force, which needs both talented young people and experienced veterans.

Kalebo excitedly accepted the order and left.

Lynn continued to observe the first hearing of the circuit court.

The drastic changes in the situation in the North only required him to adjust his diplomatic strategy, while the development within his territory would not be greatly affected by external interference.

Ultimately, Lynn scrimped and saved, investing almost all of the government's revenue into the army, all to ensure his own development.

Developing territory is the key.

Expanding territory and population was just a side effect.

Currently, the defensive forces of Baihe Territory include 300 militiamen from Sanhe City, 800 men under Joseph the Fourth, plus 1,000 new recruits undergoing training in Baixiong County.

With a total force of over two thousand, it is more than enough to protect an autonomous city and an earldom.

Even if Duke Lothair of the Marshland really wanted to "borrow" a route through Three Rivers to return to Golden Deer, Lynn wouldn't be afraid at all.

Two thousand professional soldiers, plus the formidable defenses of Three Rivers, were an impregnable fortress that Lothair could never cross in his lifetime.

Moreover, Lynn has already deeply bound all levels of society in Three Rivers City with interests, and both merchants and artisans are under his control. The pro-Marshland Duke faction in the city has also been completely purged.

The city had become completely shaped by him, Lynn, and no one could challenge his rule from within.

If he were to encounter external invasion, he could even mobilize thousands of civilians in the city to form an armed force, which would surely give the invaders a head-on blow.

The following day at noon, Lynn held a private farewell ceremony for the delegation in the castle hall.

This was the first time he had officially dispatched a diplomatic mission in the name of the Earl of Shirakawa, and in principle, the ceremony should have been a grand affair.

However, this mission was carrying out an important and secretive diplomatic mission, so a public farewell ceremony could not be held.

After the luncheon, Callebo led his delegation on a low-key journey south by boat, heading directly to the Iron Castle, the residence of Count Mirror Iron.

Lynn didn't rest either; that very afternoon, he led his personal guard north to begin his autumn tour of the territory. A lord's prestige in his territory isn't innate; it depends on constantly building his presence among his people.

To put it bluntly, he wanted the people to see him frequently.

However, Lynn's main purpose in heading north this time was not to inspect the territory, but to preside over this year's autumn hunting and training conference in White Bear County.

Back then, when he trained his troops in Baixiong County, he mainly relied on hunting to improve the soldiers' courage and cohesion.

The results of numerous wars have proven that this method is quite effective.

Therefore, Lynn planned to normalize the autumn hunting training, holding it regularly every autumn. This would not only train the soldiers but also eliminate dangerous wild animals in the forest, protecting the local people from their attacks.

Besides food, the White River Territory has no shortage of forests; there are almost endless forests waiting for Lynn to cultivate.

As Lynn set off, the lord's notice of his northward inspection tour had already been delivered to Albert, the county magistrate of White Bear County.

"Take some men and clean up the inside of the castle."

Little Albert was directing his people to dig the moat around the castle when he saw the notice and immediately gave instructions to his stewards.

He then added, "Arrange some pretty and clever maids and cooks for the castle, and preferably a few barbarian girls as well. I'll talk to old Soward about the barbarian girls, and you can arrange the rest of the staff."

As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the inferiors follow. Lynn took the lead in sending barbarian girls into the palace, and the officials and even ordinary people below would naturally take pride in marrying barbarian girls.

If the lord has already married one, why can't we?
Moreover, the girls of the wilderness are mostly beautiful and passionate, and their blue hair and pupils add an extra touch of mystery, completely appealing to the aesthetic tastes of the male leaders.

Even Comrade Xiao Ai secretly found a Wilderness lover behind his wife's back, and would frequently visit Manor No. 7, where the Wilderness people lived, ostensibly to take care of the newly joined Wilderness tribes in the territory.

He did take care of her, but it happened in bed.

Young Albert soon found old Soward, who was also directing his people to dig trenches.

It has to be said that the lowland tribes integrated into Baixiong County quite quickly.

In just six months, they not only learned how to cultivate farmland, feed livestock, and grow pasture and grain, but also, under the leadership of old Soward, they voluntarily sent a large number of people to participate in corvée labor.

Intermarriage between the two major races is becoming increasingly common in Shirokuma County. In just one month after the autumn harvest, more than 30 new interracial marriages were recorded, showing initial signs of racial integration.

The local Rui people, after all, had an economic advantage. They owned land, houses, and livestock, and had plenty of surplus grain, which was very attractive to the relatively poor girls from the remote villages.

It just so happened that there were more women than men on the barbarian side, and many girls couldn't find grooms from their own tribe, so the two sides hit it off immediately.

Upon hearing Albert's request, old Soward immediately nodded in agreement: "I'll arrange it and make sure the Earl is satisfied."

Old Soward's two beloved daughters, as well as the twin daughters of Hafdan, the chieftain of the High Cliff tribe, were all 'forcibly taken away' by Lynn.

How could he not know Lynn's preferences and sexual fetishes?

We must arrange a group of delicate and graceful barbarian girls for the Earl!

Old Soward then added, "Speaking of which, those deserters who escaped from the wasteland should have arrived at the salt mine by now. I'm going to the salt mine tomorrow to discuss with Hafdan how to settle these hundreds of people."

Previously, a group of six or seven hundred people had escaped the enslavement of the Rift Valley tribe and voluntarily went south to join the White River Territory.

Lynn generously accepted this group of unexpected laborers and planned to temporarily house them in the salt mine, under the supervision and control of Elder Hafdan of the High Cliffs.

Little Albert nodded, his tone respectful: "Yes, be careful on the road. You'll have to work harder on things with the wasteland people."

Due to the unique population structure of Bai Xiong County, coupled with the special status of the two barbarian chiefs in the territory, the county is like having three or even two county chiefs.

Whenever important tasks or notices were issued from above, young Albert would proactively consult with old Soward and seek the opinions of the two great wilderness tribes.

Lynn treated the wastelanders quite fairly, and the wastelanders usually didn't have any complaints.

But Albert should definitely be given the respect he deserves.

If the two major tribes of the wilderness were to really cause trouble and disrupt the lord's territory development strategy, he alone would probably not be able to explain himself.

"We're all working for the lord, so it's not hard work."

Old Soward was speaking from the heart. His two daughters were with Lynn, and his son, young Soward, was also rising rapidly in the army.

Even though he was really tired, he still enjoyed it.

The next day, he led a group of warriors from his tribe, escorting several carts of grain, barley wine, and beer north to the salt mine.

Beer is a new beverage that Lynn is promoting in the territory this year.

Since all six counties under Baihe County have had a bumper harvest, a large amount of grain can be used to brew beer and beer.

Beer generally refers to a beverage brewed from barley, with the addition of hops, and with a slightly bitter taste.

Ale is generally not limited by raw materials; alcohol made from rye, oats, wheat, and barley can all be called ale, and the taste is not fixed, depending entirely on the raw materials used by the brewer.

Even within the same village, the ale brewed by different families can taste different.

Compared to the wide variety of ale, beer's biggest advantage is its standardized ingredients. Also, because of the addition of hops, it has a longer shelf life and is easier to transport over long distances. Its only drawback is its slightly bitter taste.

Currently, beer brewing methods have been spread through the various counties and the Three Rivers City Crafts Association, and breweries throughout the territory are brewing beer on a large scale.

Just as old Soward embarked on his journey, old Hafdan at the northern salt mines was counting the six hundred barbarians who had just arrived.

These people came from three different tribes in the wasteland, and what they had in common was that they had all been conquered and enslaved by the Rift Valley tribe.

Unable to withstand the increasingly severe oppression, they banded together and escaped from the Rift Valley, fleeing to the salt mine at top speed by crossing mountains and valleys.

In order to completely deceive Lynn, Chief Augusta of the Rift Valley deliberately let these wasteland people escape, only adding a tiny bit of 'ingredient' to them.

Karula, the "Goddess of War" of the Rift Valley, was hiding among these refugees. She took off her clean animal skin clothes and put on a dirty animal skin robe. Her face and body were covered with mud, making her look like a dirty, ordinary desert woman.

Old Hafdan was very satisfied with this new workforce; more than 80% of the 600-plus people were young, while the old and frail had all died on the way to escape.

There was no shortage of labor at the salt mines. No matter how much salt ore was mined, Lynn's trading post would accept it all, and the exchange was always on a cash-on-delivery basis, with no delays or shortchanging.

To let these new laborers experience the warmth of the wilderness family, old Hafdan held a grand bonfire party that very night by the salt mine, and even brought out his treasured bread and beer to reward these 'cattle and horses' who had traveled a long way to seek refuge.

It's like a young civil engineering graduate who, under the company's arrangement, stays in a hotel, eats buffets, and participates in social events, developing fantasies about the company and the industry. Only when they arrive at a construction site in the middle of nowhere and work day and night to prepare mortar do they truly experience the hardships of society.

They're just giving us a taste of the good things first; the best is yet to come.

Right now, old Hafdan is willing to give the newcomers bread and ale, but when they actually start mining, they'll be lucky to fill their stomachs with coarse rye porridge.

Karula sat cross-legged by the roaring campfire and was also given a small piece of bread and half a bowl of ale.

She took a gentle sniff; the sweet aroma of the beer put her in a good mood, and the scent of alcohol tempted her to lower her head and taste it.

After drinking it, she sighed to herself: the wine from the south is indeed much better than that from the north. Compared to this wine, the oat wine brewed in the Rift Valley is simply like horse piss!

Immediately, Karula's gaze fell on old Hafdan on the earthen platform.

The latter was vigorously preaching about the lord's generosity and benevolence, and urging the newcomers to mine diligently, assuring them that as long as they swung their hoes, they would have no shortage of bread and beer.

Do you have to wield a hoe to get a drink of ale?
Karula curled her lip in disdain.

Late that night, a dark figure leaped silently across the rooftops around the salt mine like a wildcat, and quickly landed on the roof of old Hafdan's house.

The next morning, old Hafdan got up and looked at his wine cabinet. He tilted his head and frowned, feeling that something was missing from the cabinet.

(End of this chapter)