I'm not a lord

Chapter 268 The Shameless Princess
If judged by the standards of the White River Territory's army, then the armies under the Duke of the Swamp and Otto III could be described as a rabble, or rather, a disorganized army.

The disorganization of these two armies was mainly reflected in their unclear affiliation and lax command.

It appears that both armies have their own commanders and core leaders.

However, the generals below came from different territories, harbored their own ulterior motives, had different goals, and might even have distrusted each other.

In fact, if we only consider individual combat capabilities or small-scale group combat capabilities, Lynn's army should be far inferior to these two armies.

Ultimately, Lynn's army was still full of new recruits who had been toiling in the fields just last year. After a few months of training, they were now taking up arms and going to the battlefield.

Even though Lynn's methods of training soldiers were harsh and reasonable, he couldn't transform these farmers into battle-hardened veterans in just one year.

The training of soldiers is like brewing wine; the more battles they experience, the more experienced and composed they become on the battlefield.

In contrast, the armies of the Duke of the Swamp and Otto III consisted of professional warriors who had received knightly education from a young age. Apart from eating, sleeping, and exercising, they spent their excess energy in training grounds, dueling arenas, or battlefields.

Bring the two types of soldiers to the dueling arena for a fair fight, and the winner will be self-evident.

However, on a large battlefield with thousands of participants, the differences between individuals can be quickly erased by the collective power.

Besides, who's going to have a fair duel with you on a real battlefield?
In situations like these, the side with the stricter military discipline will have more room to maneuver in terms of strategy.

When it comes to assigning soldiers to specific tactics, it also depends on the soldiers' quality and military discipline, doesn't it?

For example, in Lynn's rescue of White Bear County, his thousands of soldiers marched more than 100 kilometers in two days with light equipment, and were able to launch a night-long pursuit after arriving at the battlefield.

If it were a traditional noble knight, apart from a few elites who could achieve this level of mobility, the vast majority of knights' squires would never be able to march at this speed.

Based on the differences between these two different armies, Lynn can assert that the Duke of the Marsh and Otto III will inevitably clash this year, and neither side can afford to wait until next spring.

Lynn put down the intelligence report in his hand and walked to the map of the northern border in the center of the study.

His eyes were fixed on the Crown Territory east of the White River Territory, and he calmly analyzed:
“Otto is currently encroaching on the Crown Territory, and the territories and people he is taking over all belong to the nobles under the Duke of the Swamp. Even if the Duke of the Swamp wants to delay, his nobles will not allow it.”

Similarly, the nobles Otto recruited from the South couldn't accept further delays. They were all there for the land, the population, and the titles. The longer it dragged on, the more competitors would flood in from the South. How much of the spoils would they get then?

There was another reason Lynn didn't elaborate on, and that was food.

The Crown Kingdom has been in turmoil for over a year. Most of the farmland north of the Jing River has been abandoned, and the farmers have either hidden in the forest, become outlaws, or fled to other places.

Now that tens of thousands of troops from both sides have gathered, with food and supplies for both men and horses, neither side will have much surplus food.

In classical times, provisions were always the lifeline of an army.

Often, even when facing a disadvantage, the side in a war has no choice but to grit its teeth and fight a decisive battle. This is usually because there is a problem with the supply of military food, leaving them with no option but to fight to the death.

Finally, Lynn asserted, "No matter who wins or loses, it won't really have much of an impact on us. The winner of this war will get all the resources of the Crown Territory, as well as reinforcements from the South. By next summer at the latest, we will be facing a powerful enemy from the East."

In other words, Lynn only has six months left to develop.

The White River Territory is strategically located right in the center of the Northern Kingdoms. Whoever unifies the Crown Territory will inevitably set their sights on the White River Territory, a decision determined by its geographical position.

After listening to Lynn's insightful analysis, Victor said with relief, "It's really lucky that we were able to capture 50,000 people before the war. My lord, luck is on your side."

These 50,000 people are undoubtedly a powerful boost to the current Baihe Territory.

After absorbing these 50,000 people, and with the recent influx of refugees from the Crown Territory, the total population of the six counties in the White River Territory has nearly doubled, and its war potential has increased exponentially.

Lynn smiled upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to the window, looking at the groups of barbarian prisoners sitting together outside the castle, and said, "Next, I plan to recruit three to four thousand soldiers. This winter, the territory will be quite busy."

Two weeks have passed, and a large number of captives of the wilderness are still stranded in Bai Xiong County; they are, of course, the last batch.

Recruiting new soldiers is a rather complicated task, especially recruiting from among the deserters.

Among them, compiling the roster of new recruits alone is a daunting task.

Apart from the clan chief and a few leaders, most of the wild people do not have their own surnames, but only a very simple name.

This means that when recruiting new soldiers, local officials must first assign a set of surnames to all the desert dwellers and also conduct a more detailed population census.

Previously, Lynn had recruited soldiers from the Lowlands and High Cliffs without compiling a roster, since the population of these two tribes was still controlled by their respective chiefs.

However, these seven newly captured tribes could clearly not be left unchecked.

Lynn's plan was to build a 4,000-strong Wilderness army based on the 700 Wilderness archers under the command of Little Soward, with himself serving as the supreme commander of this army.

This was a last resort. No matter how much he trusted Xiao Suo, he couldn't possibly let a barbarian lead such a large army of pure barbarians. That would be digging his own grave.

Besides, Xiao Su is only fourteen years old this year. No matter how outstanding his abilities are, he doesn't have enough experience.

Moreover, having Lord Lynn personally lead the Wilderness Army would make these Wilderness People realize that they are not discriminated against or ostracized in the territory, which would effectively improve the army's loyalty and fighting spirit.

Once the new recruits are recruited and the roster is compiled, these recruits need to be trained, and the corresponding uniforms and weapons need to be made. Sufficient food, clothing and barracks also need to be arranged.

In short, they were all troublesome matters.

The next day, Lynn embarked on his journey home, accompanied by his personal guard, a thousand infantrymen, and the last batch of ten thousand captives of the wasteland.

The destination of these deserters was the newly established Western Suburbs County, where they would live among the more than 10,000 local Rui people.

In arranging prisoners, Lynn always adhered to one principle: the number of Rui people in the settlement must be greater than that of the Wildlings.

This will at least reduce the probability of these prisoners causing trouble.

Upon arriving in Green Lake County, Lynn moved into the castle with his personal guard and ordered the infantry and prisoners to head south first.

It wasn't that he was infatuated with the princess's beauty, but rather that Chloris would be traveling south with him.

“My lord, please allow me to follow you. I can analyze the situation in the North for you, offer advice on the development of the territory, and sing you a song to cheer you up when you are bored. I will never make you feel disgusted, nor will I question your decisions.”

Chloris longs to stay by Lynn's side.

Especially after learning that the two major powers in the Crown Territory were about to determine a victor, she nestled in Lynn's arms, begging him to take her with him. Lynn played with her beautiful long golden hair and simply asked, "What about your mother?"

Chloris lowered her head, licked her wet, red lips, and mumbled, "I've already discussed it with her. She likes the scenery of Green Lake and wants to continue living in this castle. River Marsh County and Green Lake County aren't far apart, and I'll visit her often."

After a moment's thought, Lynn replied, "Alright, you can come back to River Marsh County with me. I'll arrange a bedroom for you in the castle."

It's not a big problem, it just means the already crowded Kawanuma Castle will become even more crowded.

The situation in the North is becoming increasingly clear.

Next spring, Lynn will continue his westward advance, aiming to unify the Marshland Duchy within a quarter.

Next, he will face immense pressure from the Crown Territory.

At that time, revealing Chloris's identity will no longer have too many negative impacts on him.

He was capable of living up to the title of the princess's husband, which gave the Northern claim attached to the title a purpose.

If Otto III truly becomes the ultimate victor in the kingdom, then Lynn could become the new banner of the entire North, leading the remaining forces of the Northern Kingdoms to resist the 'evil' invaders from the South.

After spending two days at the castle in Green Lake County, Lynn continued south.

When he stepped into the territory of the River Marsh County, Leah was leading the ladies of the castle, standing at the crossroads, eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Upon seeing her husband, Leah immediately rushed forward, holding her two-month-old son: "My lord, congratulations on your victorious return!"

Lynn dismounted and took his son from him. He gently touched his son's tender face, then affectionately rubbed Leah's cheek and said, "Thank you for your hard work while I was away."

Lynn is currently unmarried, and Leah is effectively acting as the countess's wife, managing the daily affairs of the castle and the estate for Lynn, and also taking time to care for their newborn son.

Lynn had always trusted Leah implicitly, and had even previously entrusted her with managing the finances of the entire territory.

"My lord, you are the one who truly suffers while fighting on the front lines; we..."

Leah carefully felt the warmth of Lynn's hand, but when she saw a young woman emerge from the carriage behind Lynn, her words abruptly stopped.

Chloris wore a rather simple dark blue dress today, but it did not diminish her temperament and appearance in the slightest. She walked gracefully to Lynn's side and naturally took the seat to Lynn's right. She smiled and looked at Leah, saying calmly, "You must be Leah. I've heard the adults mention you."

A flash of grievance, anger, and resentment crossed Lia's eyes, but she still managed a forced smile: "May I ask who you are?"

She was clearly asking a question she already knew the answer to.

Through her correspondence with her brother Leon, she already knew the true identity of the blonde woman before her, and she also knew that this woman would become the wife she had always dreamed of.

Chloris's existence is an open secret among the high-ranking officials of the White River Territory.

Leah hadn't expected that Chloris would be so eager to declare herself the mistress of the house.

What a shameless woman! How long have you been in Baihe Territory? Have you created any value for the territory?

Why are you?
Lynn ignored the conversation between the two women, and carrying his son, he went to Yagena's side and took his eldest daughter from his lover's arms.

Holding his son in one arm and his daughter in the other, while also flirting with the gentle and virtuous Yagena, isn't that much better than listening to two women being sarcastic and sarcastic?
Yagena clung to Lynn's strong arm and whispered, "My lord, I think I'm pregnant again."

Lynn gently rocked the two children in her arms and asked, "This is a good thing. Do you hope it's a girl or a boy?"

“A girl, so she can keep Yakinka company in the future,” Yagna replied without hesitation.

Among her lovers, Yagena was the one who knew her place best.

Anyway, she just wanted to have more children with Lin En, whether they were boys or girls, she didn't care.

That evening, Chloris checked into the castle in River Marsh County.

Her bedroom was on the third floor of the castle, right next to Lynn's bedroom.

Without a doubt, she is the new mistress of this castle.

Lynn stayed at the castle for two days, feeding the fuming Leah before heading south to the palace in the western suburbs.

Around the palace, a large number of buildings are under construction in an orderly manner.

Without a doubt, the general contractor was old Comrade Albert again.

Lynn transferred him from River Marsh County to West Suburbs County because he had several projects to be assigned to him.

Most importantly, there was this vast military camp.

According to Lynn's plan, all future recruit training will be conducted in the western suburbs.

Shirokuma Prefecture is too remote. The reason for training new recruits there before was mainly to guard against potential incursions by the local inhabitants, but there is no longer any need for that.

The western suburbs are located west of Sanhe City, right next to the Jinghe and Baihe Rivers, two vital waterways, making it very convenient to support all sides. Naturally, it is the best location for the recruit training camp.

With the help of convenient water transport, the newly built military camp will also become a strategic hub radiating across the northern border.

Old Albert led Lynn on a tour of the bustling construction site, adding, "Sir, the granary is complete, and in another two weeks, the construction of the military camp will be nearing completion."

Old Albert was indeed very efficient. He was responsible for receiving and settling tens of thousands of refugees while also managing the construction site. He managed to do both things without neglecting either.

Lynn looked around the military camp, which was already taking shape, and nodded slightly: "Yes, I have ordered all counties to recruit and count the new soldiers. The new soldiers will all arrive in two weeks."

After inspecting the construction site, Lynn summoned the main military commanders to the palace.

Apart from Lao Sanyang, who was stationed in Tuanliu County, all the other generals were in place.

This time, there was also a new face, namely Xiao Hafdan from the Gaoya tribe, whom Lynn had specially recruited from the Chixi County iron mine.

This winter, he will launch a large-scale military buildup and preparation operation to prepare for an upcoming, larger-scale war.

(End of this chapter)