I'm not a lord

Chapter 318 Lynn, Guardian of the North

Victor had no clear evidence that the earls at Golden Deer Castle intended to use the Southern Invaders to blackmail Lynn.

But from Lynn's perspective, this speculation is actually quite reasonable.

After all, Golden Deer Fortress's communication with the outside world was not completely severed, and the movements of the Southern Invading Army were completely public knowledge.

Lynn knew that the garrison at Golden Deer Fort would find out sooner or later.

Judging from the actions of Golden Deer Fort before the Battle of the Sami River, the decision-makers, led by Anna, clearly placed their hopes on the invading army in the south.

This is why Lynn chose to use a high-risk tactic of feigning a retreat to lure the enemy into a trap.

If the enemy wants to take advantage of a situation, then create a situation for them to take advantage of.

As for the subsequent games and final battles, the competition will be about the two sides' ability to adapt to changing circumstances and the hard power of their armies.

Now, the remnants of the Golden Deer Fortress will most likely try to repeat their old tricks.

The price Count Gae is demanding is outrageous; he's clearly not interested in making peace.

Lynn's assessment of this was: "Blackmail? What right do these losers at Golden Deer Fort have to blackmail me? They don't even deserve it!"

Not granting fiefdoms was Lynn's absolute bottom line.

If the surrendered generals were really granted fiefdoms, wouldn't the brothers who had fought alongside Lynn also get their share?

Should the fierce generals who charged into battle for him also receive a share?

He may bestow wealth and titles, but he will not divide the land.

Furthermore, the swamp territories had already become accustomed to a preliminary form of centralized power, with only a few feudal nobles remaining in the border regions.

Lynn could never turn back the clock of history.

Victor pulled out a piece of scrap paper, picked up a pen and jotted down a few sentences, asking as he wrote, "So, in the next round of negotiations, should we directly reject Gae's demands?"

Lynn smiled faintly and waved her hand gently:

"No rush. Let him dream for a while. I won't ignore the Southern Invading Army led by Reiner. If he dares to cross the river and head north, I'll turn them into fresh manure for the Swamp Territory."

Based on the intelligence available at present, Count Reiner's fighting style has become completely bandit-like.

This commander of the invading army in the south seemed to have no ultimate goal, but only wanted to muddy the waters and create more chaos.

Wherever he went, he plundered and looted resources, and his army burned, killed, looted, and bullied men and women, showing no sign of wanting to rule the area.

This will undoubtedly make him sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of the North.

It would be a grave mistake to assume that the serfs and citizens of the North were weak and easily bullied.

Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a strong adult with hands and feet who can pick up farm tools.

However, Reiner also seemed to be wary of the power of the vast Northern people.

After occupying a place, he would often plunder and then leave, never staying long. His main force could advance more than ten kilometers westward almost every day.

"Does Your Excellency intend to divide your forces and march south to confront Leiner?"

Victor was clearly excited. Expanding territory was exciting, but it was still a bit less satisfying than dealing a heavy blow to the southern invaders.

Furthermore, he believes that Lynn now needs to raise a banner called 'Guardians of the North'.

This would allow Lynn to clear his name of some minor blemishes and firmly establish himself on the moral high ground.

Since Otto III landed at Amber Harbor last year, the Southerners have won many battles.

They have not only occupied almost the entire Crown Territory, but have also extended their reach into the Swamp Territory and the Valley Territory.

If Lynn becomes the first Northern nobleman to decisively defeat the Southern invaders, he will gain unparalleled prestige and be able to rightfully establish himself as the new King of the North.

However, splitting forces inevitably carries risks.

Even including the recently recruited court cavalry and serf conscripts, Lynn's forces numbered less than seven thousand.

With such limited forces, maintaining the siege of Golden Deer Fortress while also sending troops south to fight the invading army from the south seemed like a stretch.

Lynn didn't answer Victor's question directly. He stared at the map for a while longer before asking, "Where's Kalebo? Hasn't he returned yet?"

Previously, Lynn had ordered Foreign Minister Kalebo to go to White Eagle Castle in the south to confirm the true situation of the siege and defense of White Eagle Castle.

Victor recalled the date of Kalebo's last letter and replied, "He should be on his way back."

Lynn frowned, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said:
“Leiner’s Southern Army has a large force. To completely wipe them out, we need the cooperation of multiple forces. If Earl Vasa of Mirror Iron can take White Eagle Fortress before mid-May and cooperate closely with our army, then I am absolutely confident that we can wipe out those more than 10,000 Southerners.”

Lynn was once a notorious bandit leader in the Vale, having suffered multiple rounds of attacks from the Vale nobles and repeatedly escaping death.

Having gained more experience in being besieged, he naturally learned how to annihilate a cunning bandit gang through repeated post-battle reviews.

Now the roles are reversed: Lynn has become the high-ranking nobleman tasked with suppressing bandits, while the impoverished noble alliance from the South has become the large bandit gang about to be besieged.

The core principle of suppressing the bandits is this: the stronger the troop strength and the thicker the encirclement network, the better.

Lynn then added, "In this war against the Southern Invaders, we must mobilize all available forces as much as possible. If possible, the nobles and autonomous cities of the three duchies should send troops to participate in the war."

Tell them this is a war between the North and the South, and I will lead the people of the North to defend the North!

A line from a movie once left a deep impression on Lynn: 'A man should have three wallets. The first is how much money you actually have; the second is your credit—how much money you can access in other people's wallets; the third is how much money people think you have.'

This line could be perfectly applied to the war that Lynn faced.

In this war, the army he possessed could be divided into three types: the army he actually controlled completely, the army he could borrow or mobilize, and the army that others believed he possessed.

In order to acquire as many troops as possible, Lynn must make the most of his reputation and resources and borrow some resources from others.

That afternoon, the conscription order from Earl of Shirakawa was delivered to the desk of Mayor of Golden Deer.

"This is Earl Shirakawa's conscription order. He requests that five hundred armed citizens be recruited from our city." The mayor immediately passed the problem on to all the councilors.

One legislator immediately stated: "This is definitely not acceptable. According to the previous verbal agreement, Golden Deer City will maintain glorious neutrality in the war."

"Look again carefully. These five hundred men aren't going to attack Golden Deer Fortress; they're going south to fight the Southerners." Reminded by the mayor, the councilor who had initially spoken was speechless: "Ah, this..."

A burly member of parliament immediately stood up and stated his opinion. He looked around at the dozen or so members present and declared in a firm and resounding voice:
"Since we're going to fight the Southerners, there's no reason to back down. If we don't completely drive them out, not only Golden Deer City, but the entire Northern Territory will forever lose its peace!"

In the eyes of most citizens of Golden Deer City, the conflict between Earl of White River and Duke of Swampland was a civil war among nobles on the same duchy.

They've already helped Anna once and made some sacrifices, which is more than enough. There's no need for them to participate in the subsequent war.

Regardless of who wins, Golden Deer City remains Golden Deer City, and the ruling class in the city can still enjoy privileges, while the citizens can still maintain their status as free citizens.

Moreover, Count Shirakawa's kindness and magnanimity are widely recognized, so surrendering to him would not result in being plundered by rebel soldiers.

However, if it were southern invaders who ruled Golden Deer City, the situation would be very different.

News of the misdeeds of those Southern thugs in the Valley Territory spread, and several small and medium-sized municipalities suffered at their hands.

Golden Deer Keep is one of the wealthiest places in the entire North. If it falls into the hands of the Southerners, it will be even more miserable than a princess captured by goblins.

That evening, the Jinlu City Council passed a resolution to 'send troops south' with an overwhelming majority.

They refused to attack Golden Deer Castle.

But if it's about fighting the invaders, then the citizens must lend a hand!

Over the following week, as messengers carried Lynn's voice to various places, similar stories unfolded throughout the Marshlands.

Thousands of soldiers left their homes and flocked from all directions to the military camp north of Hafen, which was Lynn's designated 'allied command center'. Why not make the most of a ready-made, high-quality military camp?

Furthermore, Hafen has excellent geographical conditions, connecting various regions of the Marshland through tributaries of the Tranquil River, and also linking with the other two duchies through the main channel of the Tranquil River.

Along with the soldiers, there were also large wagons loaded with grain and supplies, with many autonomous cities and manors contributing their meager efforts.

Small streams add up, and before long, a large army will be assembled in Hafen.

During this time, Lynn's tug-of-war with Golden Deer Fort did not stop.

He successively sent envoys to contact court counts such as Gae and refined and clarified the terms of the negotiations.

Through his constant probing, Gae did indeed reveal his intention to use the southern invaders to put pressure on him.

Foreign Minister Kalebo had already returned to the military camp. Upon learning what had happened, he sneered, "Sir, these losers are still dreaming."

Lynn picked up the flask and personally poured a glass of mead for Kalebo, smiling as he said, "There's no need to wake them now. How's the battle at White Eagle Keep going?"

It's already the end of mid-May, and the temperature in the North is gradually rising. Soldiers resting in the barracks are all wearing cool linen short-sleeved shirts.

This jar of mead was just pulled from the well; it's a perfect remedy for cooling down and relieving summer heat.

Callebo raised his glass with both hands, took a small sip, and replied:

"My lord, in my opinion, Duke Herman of the Valley should not be able to hold on for long. When I left, he was already very weak, and the morale of the garrison in the city was also low. By the end of this month, you may receive a report of victory from Count Vasa of Mirror Iron."

Caleb's tone revealed undisguised regret and sorrow; he had ultimately shared a relationship with Hermann as ruler and subject.

Moreover, he has a good relationship with Hermann's wife and daughters; the Duchess recently wrote to inquire about his well-being.

Lynn picked up his wine glass with his right hand and sighed:

“I am also saddened by Herman’s fate, but his death is undoubtedly good news for the entire North. Once Vasa takes White Eagle Fortress, he can mobilize the entire Vale Territory to fight against the Southerners, which is also beneficial to us.”

When Hermann decided to defend White Eagle Castle to the death, his fate was sealed, and even Lynn could not help him.

Kalebo quickly put down his wine glass and said earnestly, "My lord, please believe me, I am now your Minister of Foreign Affairs, and of course, I will prioritize the interests of Baihe Territory."

“I’ve always trusted you, otherwise I wouldn’t have made you my first foreign minister, would I?”

Lynn patted Kalebo on the shoulder with his left hand and then instructed, "Now I have another task for you. You've been traveling for so long, so you can also go back to White River Territory to recuperate for a while."

“Serving the adults is not tiring for me.”

"Alright, I told you to rest, so rest. Your mission this time is to return to White River Territory, unite those minor nobles who fled from Crown Territory, and get them to participate in the war against the Southern People."

The minor nobles Lynn mentioned were actually the fiefdom nobles of the western region of the Crown Territory.

Last winter, he ordered Caleb to persuade the nobles to surrender.

Lynn was willing to grant them honorary noble titles and protect their families, provided they were willing to surrender their land and troops.

However, these nobles preferred to hold onto their family castles rather than hand over their lands to Lynn for nothing.

The climate was too harsh at the time, and Lynn could not send troops to conquer these territories, so the matter was eventually dropped.

In the spring of this year, Reiner and Harvey led two armies from Amber Harbor on a westward expedition, burning, killing, and looting along the way, and also conquering many small and medium-sized noble castles.

Some lucky ones managed to escape and fled west with their families and belongings. Some fled to Jingtie Territory, while others fled to Baihe Territory.

Having lost their lands and subjects, these nobles naturally became the new impoverished nobility.

However, they had some spare cash, either by purchasing houses and properties in autonomous cities like Sanhe City, or by contacting officials in Baihe Territory in an attempt to buy some land and people.

Chloris, who was in charge of handling the daily affairs of the White River Territory, did not dare to act on her own and immediately reported to Lynn with an urgent letter.

Lynn's attitude was simple: people could not be bought or sold, but land could be sold at will.

The Baihe Territory has now implemented private land ownership, and many serfs have become free farmers who own land.

Once land is privately owned, land consolidation will inevitably occur.

Wealthy people can buy more land and recruit tenant farmers who have no land.

As far as Lynn knew, some wealthy local farmers in White River Territory had even begun recruiting refugees from the Royal Territory to serve as tenant farmers.

He didn't have many ways to stop this kind of thing.

Fortunately, the Baihe Territory has no shortage of land. Once these tenant farmers have accumulated some assets, they will be able to purchase livestock for land reclamation.

The land Lynn sold to the impoverished nobles was almost all wasteland. You're rich and powerful, aren't you? Then go and clear the wasteland! Wasteland is cheap and plentiful!
However, based on the principle of making the best use of people, Lynn now wants to mobilize these impoverished nobles to participate in the war.

(End of this chapter)