I'm not a lord

Chapter 320 I will take care of your wife and children
"Sir, it seems there's a post station ahead?"

On the main road of Red Eagle County in Turbulent Stream County, a group of weary knights stopped in front of a post station.

A handsome young knight, seated on a tall horse, surveyed the large courtyard located beside the main road and asked curiously, "A post station? Is it a lodging place built under the supervision of the local county magistrate?"

In the past, nobles or merchants would usually stay in noble castles or inns run by merchants and priests when traveling long distances.

In Lynn's territory, officially established post stations sprang up like mushrooms after rain, replacing castles and inns as the preferred lodging option for merchants and travelers.

These post stations were usually located next to main roads, offering convenient transportation and relatively reasonable prices. They were also often spacious enough to accommodate a large number of horses and carriages.

The young man who spoke first, who looked like a servant, replied, "Your Excellency, the lodging function of this post station is just a side benefit. I've heard that Earl Baihe's messengers rest and change their mounts at the post station, which is why he can always get intelligence faster than others."

Lynn's rapid rise in recent years has attracted the attention of the entire North. People with insight will naturally study the process and reasons for his rise, and some of the policies he has implemented are often discussed.

Rumors circulated that Otto III of Amber Harbor had stolen many policies from White River Territory and had recently ordered the establishment of a similar post station system in Crown Territory.
The young knight looked up at the setting sun and said, "Interesting. Let's go in and take a look."

As soon as they arrived at the gate, a groom came to greet them and take care of their mounts.

Upon entering the post station, the young knight immediately noticed a burly, bearded man sitting at the dining table, talking animatedly.

"I've gotten the latest news, and it's absolutely accurate. Earl White River has joined forces with Earl Mirror Iron and trapped those damned Southerners on the south bank of the Tranquil River. Even if they had wings, they wouldn't be able to fly back to the Crown Territory."

This burly man had a thick, black beard and a loud voice; almost all the guests at the inn were drawn to his eloquent talk.

He continued, "The Earl of White River has summoned us warriors to completely annihilate those Southerners. You should have heard that as long as we fight bravely and make meritorious contributions, we can receive high rewards and prestigious titles. This is our chance to take revenge on the Southerners and also earn a noble title along the way!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a customer at the next table sneered, "Chavisa, am I one of those 'we' you're talking about? When did you become Earl Baihe's loyal dog? I remember you just rejected the Earl's offer last winter, didn't you?"

The guest's companion at the same table also said in a sarcastic tone:
"A prestigious title, huh? All the land in this White River Territory belongs to the Earl. No one else can own a fiefdom except him. I think this title is no different from a piece of waste paper."

"Exactly, have you forgotten that Earl of White River is only willing to sell us the woodland, just to empty our pockets of gold shields? Have you forgotten where you're from, and you're still speaking up for him?"

Chavisa quickly became the enemy of all the guests.

At this time, the majority of the people staying at the Red Eagle County Inn were impoverished nobles from the Crown Territory who had responded to Lynn's call and rushed to Turbulent County to gather.

These nobles lost their territories and castles due to the war and were forced to live in Sanhe City or several counties in Baihe Territory, relying on the floating wealth they carried with them.

Due to policy restrictions, even if they have money, they find it difficult to buy large, fertile cultivated fields and can only purchase wasteland to cultivate themselves.

But how could these noblemen, who were used to a good life, endure the hardship of land reclamation? Most of the land they wanted to cultivate was wasteland that originally belonged to woodlands.

The wasteland in Baihe Territory is divided into two types: one is the public pasture of the original feudal manor, and the other is the vast woodland that originally belonged to each lord.

Grasslands are relatively high-quality wasteland, and reclamation is relatively quick and easy. In the past two years, the local people have mainly been reclaiming this type of wasteland.

However, clearing forest land is extremely difficult, mainly due to the complex and intertwined tree roots underground.

If these tree roots are not uprooted, crops cannot be grown on this land.

However, in the era before tractors and relying solely on human and animal power, solving the problem of these tree roots buried deep in the soil was still too difficult.

Without three to five years of hard work, it's impossible to turn those woodlands into farmland.

Lynn only allowed the local government to sell woodlands to these impoverished nobles because they had plenty of money and livestock.

What? You say clearing forest land is too difficult and you don't want to reclaim wasteland?
Okay then, let's rent a place in Three Rivers City. After all, half of the properties in Three Rivers City were confiscated from the church by Lynn.

In short, these impoverished nobles could only be exploited by Lynn.

Of course, they could go to the Valley Territory or the Grassland Territory. The former is being harassed by two armies from the South, while the latter is a haven for fugitives, with conditions far worse than those in the White River Territory.

However, Lynn did give them a chance.

This war with the invading army from the south is a golden opportunity for them to regain their noble status.

Lynn couldn't guarantee anything else, but as long as they were willing to fight bravely, they would certainly be guaranteed a noble title.

Even if they did achieve military merit and obtain noble status, it would only be an honorary title, with no serfs to command and no land to inherit.

Compared to when they were nobles in the Crown Territory, the treatment they received in the White River Territory was vastly different, and they even had to risk their lives on the battlefield to have a chance to obtain a title.

If one were to die on the battlefield, the little bit of wealth that one had managed to bring out of the family castle would likely fall into the hands of others.

This is why Chavisa was attacked by the nobles present when he publicly advocated for Lynn.

Unlike Chavisa, who volunteered for the mission, these nobles were forced to go to the battlefield.

Staying in Baihe Territory will only lead to a continuous decline in the social class of one's family.

For these once high-ranking nobles, falling from their social class is more terrifying than any nightmare.

Even honorary nobles are still nobles!

At least when facing ordinary people, they can hold their heads high and put on an air of arrogance and nobility, as if they disdain speaking to the lower classes.

Lynn's few clever tricks completely subdued these impoverished nobles, forcing them to go to the battlefield whether they wanted to or not.

How could the impoverished nobles not harbor resentment?

As soon as the young knight entered the post station, he heard the complaints of the impoverished nobles. He curled his lip in disdain and muttered to himself, "Tch, a bunch of spineless cowards."

The young knight walked through several tables of guests to the bar, ordered two large full glasses of beer from the waiter, then turned and walked to Chavisa's side, placing a glass of beer heavily in front of him.

“What you just said was inspiring. This drink is on me.” With that, the young knight sat down next to Chavisa as if they were old friends.

The latter, who had been arguing with a customer, turned around upon hearing this and instinctively replied, "Thank you for the wine." But the next second, Chavisa's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise and anger, "Hans, what are you doing here?"

Hans picked up his beer and took a big gulp, then a hearty smile appeared on his lips: "If you can come, why can't I?"

"Fine, you're deliberately trying to provoke me, aren't you? Let's duel to the death right now!" Cha Weixia stood up and was about to draw his sword.

It's no wonder that Chavisa was so agitated. He and Hans were both knights of the Crown Territory and had a grudge against each other because they were pursuing the same girl.

To resolve their dispute, the two eventually went to the dueling arena.

Chavisa was slightly less skilled and was beaten to his knees by Hans in front of everyone. Not only was his honor damaged, but he also lost his beloved girl and could only watch helplessly as the latter won her heart.

Now that they meet again, given Chavisa's fiery temper, he is so angry and furious that he wants to kill Hans on the spot.

But Hans was prepared. He stretched out his powerful right hand and firmly restrained Chavisa's arm. As the veins on his forehead bulged, he said, "Relax. We do have a grudge, but can it compare to the blood feud between us and the Southerners?"

"So what? Killing you now won't stop me from going to the battlefield to seek revenge on the Southerners!" Chavisa snorted.

Although he was stubborn, his hand holding the sword hilt had slowly loosened.

This is a post station opened by the local county magistrate; how could he dare to act recklessly here?

Besides, if a real fight broke out, he might not even be able to win.

He knew better than anyone what terrifying madness lurked beneath Hans' seemingly handsome face.

Once this kid stepped into the dueling arena, he was like a completely different person. Every move he made was aimed at exchanging life for life. It was because Chavisa valued his life that he ultimately lost to Hans.

“Sit down, Chavisa. You should keep this sword to kill the people of the Southern Border. Besides, I’m about to become your comrade-in-arms. On the battlefield, you might even have to entrust your back to me.” With that, Hans released his right hand.

Cha Weixia had just sat down when he heard this and exclaimed in surprise, "Comrade-in-arms? Could it be that you are also..."

Hans rolled his eyes at him and replied, "What else? My purpose in coming to Turbulent County is the same as yours."

Chavixia clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "You kid, you only got married last year, right? You're really willing to leave your wife and risk your life on the battlefield?"

The conflict between the people of the North and the people of the South was a fight to the death, with virtually no possibility of paying a ransom to save one's life; the risk of such a war was extremely high.

After all, the Southerners came for the territories of the Northern nobles, and captured royal earls like Earl of Coldwind and his son all died in the Amber Harbor prison.

“Yulia is pregnant. For the sake of the child’s future, I have no choice.” Hans took another big gulp of beer, feeling a faint bitter taste in his mouth.

Hans was just a fief knight in the royal domain. He had some money, but not much. Most of his family's wealth was in that dead territory.

Now that he has fled to Baihe Territory with his family, his family will inevitably face the risk of falling into a lower social class.

If he doesn't take a gamble, his child will most likely end up as an ordinary person.

How many career options does a fiefdom knight who has been trained in the art of killing since childhood have?

If you don't want to clear the land, you'll have to risk your life.

Chavijaya blurted out instinctively, "Don't worry, if anything really happens to you, I'll take good care of your wife and children."

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had gone too far.

Instead of getting angry, Hans replied earnestly, "Then I'll ask you for help in advance, Chavisa. If that day ever comes, I believe you can take good care of Julia for me."

"You," Chavisha was speechless, feeling that nothing she said would be appropriate.

Hans turned his head, finished the last bit of beer in his glass, exhaled a breath of stale air, and said:
“What you just said is right. This is our chance to take revenge and win a noble title. In the past, in the Crown Territory, my identity was fixed at birth. No matter how skilled I was in martial arts, I could only be a knight.”

In Baihe Territory, as long as I continue to earn merit on the battlefield, I will have the possibility of climbing the ranks. The barons under Earl Baihe are all of lower birth, even worse off than us!

Hans's trip wasn't entirely for the children; he's still young and ambitious.

Knights were not true nobles; even the honorary title held a fatal attraction for them.

Furthermore, the Earl of Baihe bestows titles upon nobles based solely on ability, regardless of social status; even black market merchants can become honorary knights. Naturally, Hans also wanted to compete for a higher and more prestigious title.

Upon hearing this, Cha Weixia's already burning fighting spirit soared even higher. He slammed his hand on the table and said, "I never knew you had such a grand ambition. Fine, let's settle this on the battlefield. Whoever kills the most people from the Southern Territory wins, shall we?"

Chavisa was certainly after the promises Lynn made to him in this war, and he also longed for the glittering noble titles.

Besides the title, he also wanted to remain in Lynn's army for a long time.

He had already found out that Lynn was very generous to skilled cavalrymen, covering all expenses for their armor and horses, paying them high salaries on time, and even providing generous compensation for those who died in battle.

While this treatment wasn't as good as that of a proper fiefdom knight, it was far better than being a mercenary or a land reclamation farmer.

A fierce fighting spirit ignited in Hans's eyes as he firmly replied, "Then it's settled!"

Surrounded by a large number of cavalry, Lynn entered Windertown, located in the southwest corner of Turbulent County.

This small autonomous city is now bustling with activity, with streets filled with all kinds of warhorses and wagons, and even the area outside the city walls covered with all sorts of tents.

The docks on the south side of the city were equally busy, with ships from all over the swamp territory gathering there, and later ships couldn't even find a place to dock.

Lynn had barely moved into the mayor's mansion when Victor brought her the latest military intelligence:
"My lord, according to news from across the river, Leiner's main force has turned back and retreated eastward. Count Vasa of Mirror Iron has blocked the retreat of the southern invaders ahead of him. He has officially sent a letter inviting you to cross the river from Winder City to jointly besiege Leiner."

Lynn immediately instructed, "Send a letter to Vasa, telling him to hold the fort or walls. Once the troops are assembled, I will cross the river immediately."

(End of this chapter)