Chapter 333: Act 101 – Duke Toniger and the Young Lord (Part 1)
Searching for contact with Erluin’s Southern Army proved fruitless; mercenaries sent toward Graham’s Mountain either disappeared without a trace or returned with utterly useless information.
Brendel understood that the mercenaries they sent out were not necessarily reliable themselves.
Not every mercenary among this group was wholeheartedly committed: Vurn, Crenshia, and Juliette each had their own plans, while many others adopted an attitude of just getting by.
Some of those sent out had directly fled; Brendel was aware of this situation, but he had no intention of taking coercive measures—such actions would be fruitless.
Only those who sincerely stayed behind to share his hardships could be considered dependable.
Of course, Brendel didn’t intend to sit idly by. As the shadow of war descending from Parsons over Duke Toniger grew darker day by day, he arranged for those he could trust to pass through Schafflund and continue their search for the tracks of Erluin’s Southern Army.
Meanwhile, the construction of the territory was also progressing in an orderly manner—
The renovation of the city walls was finally completed at the end of Frost’s End, nearly a week behind schedule—the resources consumed far exceeded expectations, and the only ones benefiting from this were the workers recruited to repair the walls.
Initially, this project did not go as smoothly as envisioned—
Because no one was willing to work for this “unjustly positioned” young lord, Graham’s lingering reputation was still strong; not to mention that Count Rendener’s renown weighed heavily like a mountain on the hearts of these lower-tier subjects.
The originally agreed policy of appeasement almost immediately encountered troubles; material incentives could not help these people overcome their fear of the old noble power or the potential reprisals that might follow.
Antinna quickly realized that even if the mercenaries hadn’t blockaded Firburh, or if these lower-tier subjects did not harbor a similar fear of Brendel, a mass escape would have likely begun long ago.
Understanding this, the noble lady finally comprehended her mistake, reluctantly resorting to coercive measures to amend her error—and to ensure timely progress, Antinna even acted as a “noble’s lackey.”
The young lady personally brought people to the outer city, driving the residents living in shanties out, demanding they gather trembling in the square, ordering soldiers to provide them with tools, and then having the mercenaries supervise their work.
Of course, although the noble young lady minimized the violence involved as much as possible, some violence during supervision was still unavoidable, and the nickname “Demon Miss” quickly spread in private.
That day passed amidst the workers’ grudging compliance and resistance toward their supervisors.
But this change in attitude stemmed from an unexpected event—the “Demon Miss” arranged a sumptuous dinner for them after their first day’s work.
The dinner not only featured rare white bread but also a stew—
Of course, the stew was somewhat misnamed, being so light that it contained nearly no meat at all, appearing almost like a mountain spring—a clear pool where one could see the bottom. The noble lady couldn’t help but frown when she saw the pots boiling with meat, but the mercenaries weren’t being harsh; the meat was sourced from the forest, and although there was a fair amount, it was insufficient to feed so many.
She was initially worried that the workers would complain, but to her surprise, the development unfolded entirely differently.
These refugees, who had lived in slums for years, could barely move with the rich aroma of stew filling the air, and their eyes sparkled brighter than the hungriest wolves in the forest—in their view, white bread was already a rare delicacy, something only achievable during festive periods or significant days.
As for meat, that was only available at the end of the year, contingent on the lord’s mood, whether he might grant them scraps.
As for how clear it was, that was entirely irrelevant.
In fact, watching these workers devour their food, Antinna realized she had made another misstep. She recalled the dire situation she faced in Bruglas when she could only nibble on a bit of black bread each day, let alone consume meat.
But with the power of this dinner, the noble lady finally stabilized the workers’ hearts. She declared that as long as they remained on the construction site, everyone could enjoy such food every day.
This promise almost caused a stir among the crowd; although the workers were somewhat skeptical, most were willing to stay to see how things unfolded—especially since, even if they didn’t want to stay, those fierce mercenaries would help them make that choice.
However, their doubts were soon dispelled; the “Demon Miss” indeed fulfilled her promise, allowing them to have a piece of white bread and a small dish of rich stew every night.
The immediate result of this was a rapid depletion of meat reserves in the granary—because there was not much to begin with—most of the stored meat came from a small number of domesticated animals in the territory, primarily sheep or pork, some of which had been cured for a long time.
These meats had previously been supplied to Graham and his men, but now they had to be used to meet the daily consumption of hundreds, naturally leading to a supply shortage.
For this reason, Flour had brought up complaints to Antinna more than once, saying that at this rate, by the time Brendel returned, their lord wouldn’t even have a meal of meat.
This statement moved Antinna to some extent; on one side was the young lord she deeply respected, and on the other were merely the workers from the refugees—she felt she didn’t need to deliberate to know whom to prioritize.
Yet, after much consideration, she ultimately insisted on her approach. She instructed the mercenaries to hunt as much as possible in the forest—even suspending their regular training just to supplement the meat supply.
But this method unexpectedly brought about benefits; the workers gradually learned of the “Demon Miss” arranging for hunters to secure their dinners in the forest outside the city—hunting on the former lord’s private hunting grounds!
This action touched everyone greatly; some even quietly requested the mercenaries to tell her not to go to such lengths, as having white bread daily was already very good.
The workers began to worry that the young lord might punish this kind-hearted and merciful noble lady for her efforts.
But their approach only served to strengthen Antinna’s confidence. Not only that, she then told the workers—that it was actually not her, but their lord who arranged everything, reassuring them that they need not worry at all.
Antinna utilized this small explanation to attribute all credit to Brendel, further elevated by his earlier tax reductions, resulting in him attaining high esteem among these lower-tier subjects.
Of course, at that time, Brendel was completely unaware of this, as he was busy handling mining affairs in Schafflund, utterly oblivious to everything happening in his territory.
In fact, Antinna hadn’t initially realized that her actions would prove successful—she had no prior experience in governing territory, having only had brief discussions about it with Brendel during their travels.
But soon, she became aware that she had made no mistakes.
Less than a week after implementing the corresponding measures, inquiries began to filter through mercenaries asking if the lord needed more hands.
This was clearly a sign that her construction site could attract more labor, but beyond that, it indicated that someone was starting to waver between the old noble power’s lingering influence and the young lord’s emerging prestige.
This was undoubtedly a good omen.
However, the only regret for Antinna was that this positive signal did not ultimately recover the fact of the delayed construction schedule—on one hand, too much time had been wasted initially, and on the other, none among them truly understood architecture or engineering.
Master Berun’s involvement might have slightly mitigated their shortcomings in arranging manpower, but this master craftsman was not a true specialist—he perhaps possessed unique insights into crafting magical armor but was certainly not adept at restoring a section of city wall.
This predicament didn’t improve until the arrival of an old dwarf from Schafflund, Odum, no matter how unreliable that old dwarf was, he had at least learned something in one way or another from his highland dwarf kin.
After correcting several initial misconceptions, the repair process quickly accelerated, and by the end of the month, it was finally declared complete.
On the morning of the completion, Antinna invited Brendel, Medisa, Charles, and all those close to this young man. She stood with Xi and Romaine in the early morning mist, quietly observing the walls that stood shrouded in early winter fog, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
But soon after, she slightly furrowed her brows, turning to look at Brendel, who was also gazing in that direction, apologetically saying, “I’m sorry, my lord, for wasting so much time—”
Brendel looked at his aide with eyes full of appreciation.
He remembered feeling fortunate during his time in Bruglas to discover a subordinate capable of crafting magical power conduits—certainly a happier event than finding gold by the roadside.
But only today did he truly realize that what he had discovered was not merely a treasure but an invaluable gem.
Antinna was a very gentle girl but also had her own convictions—Brendel could see the girl’s persistence in her ideals and beliefs—and he felt unworthy to have such an outstanding young lady wholeheartedly serving him.
Returning to the territory, he had thoroughly learned about all the work Antinna had undertaken. He had previously worried about how Antinna, with no experience in governing territory, would face numerous troubles—he even expected that the wall might not finish until next month.
That it might not be completed until the middle of the Sleeping Moon, though not a major inconvenience, would likely pose some issues after the first snow.
But Antinna surprised him greatly; this noble lady completed the task with her usual meticulousness and seriousness, exceeding his expectations.
Moreover, the performances of Berun and Odum also satisfied him—except that the old dwarf occasionally came off as somewhat hesitant.
He looked at Antinna, responding with a slight smile of agreement, and nodded. (To be continued; for more chapters, please visit the website, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)
