Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 478 - 451: Pledging Allegiance

"Guardian Knight of the Kingdom, Marquis of Moonlight Valley, and a powerful Proud Sun Knight!"

In Ironhoof Castle of Pasture City, Marvin Viscount read the intelligence report, marveling incessantly.

"I truly never thought Ronin would come this far!"

He vaguely remembered the first time he hosted Ronin in Pasture City, back when he was still the Baron of Mountain Forest Town. In those days, Ronin was in charge of a destitute territory. Many people even suspected he’d spend the rest of his life stuck in Mountain Forest Town.

Who could have imagined that Ronin would become the Kingdom’s shining star in such a short time?

"It’s true, Father!"

Mas Ironhoof was in awe of Ronin’s power, and at the same time, he was thoroughly impressed by the wise decision his father had made.

"Having Rogner follow Ronin was truly a brilliant decision on your part!"

"Hahaha..."

Marvin couldn’t help but laugh heartily. Every time he thought about it, he was ridiculously pleased with his own foresight.

"But of course. Sometimes, making the right choice is more important than sheer power!"

Mas smiled as well. "I wonder when my younger brother will become a Baron with his own territory. I imagine Moonlight Valley is quite short-staffed right now."

Marvin was optimistic on that front.

"Ronin was promoted so quickly because, in addition to Lord Lurans’s support, he has earned great merits and possesses Extraordinary Power. Rogner may be a Bronze Knight now, but compared to Ronin, he’s still leagues behind!"

"As an ordinary person, one can only rely on long-term contributions to build trust and earn merit in exchange for a noble title. Take Kabil, for example. He’s been married to McKinney for years and only just recently became a Baron."

Mas nodded. "True, but Rogner is doing very well for himself. At least he has Ronin’s trust and access to Wubei Territory’s resources."

He’d managed to become a Bronze Knight thanks to Rogner, who had purchased a Support Enhancement Potion on his behalf.

"Speaking of resources, I’m quite envious of Sander’s son, Yusuf. The status of a Mage is highly valued in Wubei Territory."

As Marvin spoke, he looked at his eldest son, Mas, and said thoughtfully, "You just mentioned that Moonlight Valley is short on people. I’m thinking of sending you to follow Ronin and gain some experience, just like Reis from Sharp Horn City. What do you think?"

An expression of delighted surprise spread across Mas’s face. "I would love to!"

As news of Ronin becoming the Marquis of Moonlight Valley spread throughout Wushan Territory, nearly all the local nobles had the same idea as Marvin. They were all eager to send their sons and daughters to Ronin—ostensibly to gain experience, but in reality, to seize a rare opportunity.

Meanwhile, after concluding his trip to the Royal Capital and seeing Lurans back to Wushan Castle, Ronin mounted Carlos and returned to Wubei Territory.

Although his wedding was imminent, he couldn’t just ignore Moonlight Valley.

Shorthanded as he was, his only choice was to first transport his capable subordinate, Wilson, and some of his assistants to Moonlight City.

Along the way, he considered whether to grant noble titles to his subordinates. After all, his territory was growing, as was the number of people under him. Granting titles appropriately would help boost morale and unity.

When he first arrived in this world, he hadn’t liked this system of enfeoffment. But as his own power grew, he realized this world was fundamentally different from Earth.

This was a world of Extraordinary Power, and the stronger he became, the fewer things could constrain him.

’Enfeoffing them or not isn’t the most important part. What matters is that all the territories must be reshaped according to my will.’

’For instance, I could implement a single legal system from the top down, stripping local lords of the right to create their own special laws.’

’Or, for another example, when I decide to abolish slavery—a system that strips people of their rights while hindering productivity and social progress—all the lords under me must execute the order without question.’

’In short, enfeoffment is possible, but it must come with reform. Then, over time, the existing system can be nudged, bit by bit, in a more appropriate direction.’

It was impossible for Ronin to leap from this world’s current stage into a modern society all at once. The conditions, in every respect, simply wouldn’t allow for it.

"Master, we’ve arrived at Swamp Town."

"Alright. I’ll need you to make a few more trips over the next few days to transport people to Moonlight Valley."

"Leave it to me, Master! It is an honor to be of service to you!"

Ronin stood, leaped from the Giant Dragon’s back, and with a few steps on empty air, landed inside Swamp Castle.

The Knights, servants, and Mages of Swamp Castle had already spotted Carlos’s silhouette. Knowing their Lord had returned, they all rushed outside to await his arrival.

Although Ronin becoming a Marquis had little direct impact on most of the servants here, their faces still beamed with pride.

A servant to a Count and a servant to a Marquis were not on the same level.

The moment Ronin landed, he was met with a wave of enthusiastic congratulations and greetings. After responding in kind and offering a few words of encouragement, he excused himself and returned to the great hall.

Ronin gathered the Mages and Knights and briefed them on the upcoming personnel changes.

First, the Mages would not be relocated, as this would affect the production of Magic Potions.

With Elron away, Jenny was now in charge of production. Erin and Yusuf would assist her, while the Basic Level Mages recommended by Bretton would be responsible for the initial processing of materials.

Second, the Knight Squad formed by Rig would also remain. After all, with over a hundred thousand people now living here, problems would arise without a sufficient military presence to act as a deterrent.

As for Moonlight Valley’s defensive forces, Lurans had already said he would have Ridder lead three Knight Orders from Wushan Castle to garrison the area, so Ronin didn’t have to worry about that for now.

The people Ronin needed to take with him were Transport Officer Rogner and his team, as well as Wilke and a group of Civil Servants. They would help him handle the initial governance of Moonlight Valley, coordinate the transport of sufficient supplies, and address other urgent issues to stabilize the disaster-stricken land as quickly as possible.

By the time he had finished making arrangements, it was already evening.

Ronin went to the top of Swamp Castle’s tower and gazed out at the distant swamp being converted into farmland.

Before he knew it, October had arrived. This year’s rice harvest had been good. The crop was already in, leaving behind a large reserve of seeds for the next planting.

Ronin was confident that after next year’s planting, rice could begin to be widely distributed as a staple crop.

As for potatoes, a shipping route now connected Rapids Island and Wubei Territory. Even if potatoes weren’t widely planted in Wubei Territory yet, large quantities could be shipped over from the island.

They wouldn’t even have to wait until next year; potatoes were already beginning to appear on dinner tables.

’This town is getting more and more lively.’

He had been traveling all over this year and hadn’t spent much time in his own territory.

Every time he returned, the changes were obvious—the towns had more people, new houses were being built, and so on.

"My Lord!" Rogner’s voice called out.

Ronin turned, asking in surprise, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Rogner saluted and said with a smile, "It’s a personal matter I’d like to discuss with you, My Lord."

Ronin was a little puzzled. Rogner and Krami were married, and Krami was already pregnant. The two of them were well-settled in Wubei Territory.

’Could it be that my asking him to go to Moonlight Valley is inconvenient for him?’

"Is it inconvenient for you to leave Wubei Territory?" Ronin asked. "It’s true that with Krami pregnant, she does need someone with her."

"You misunderstand, My Lord. It’s not about that."

Rogner quickly explained, "Krami is only two months along, so it’s still a long time until the birth. Besides, I’ve arranged for servants to look after her, so there’s no inconvenience at all."

"Oh? What is it, then?"

Rogner smiled. "It’s about my brother, Mas. He would also like to gain experience under you, like Reis did, so he asked me to see if that would be possible."

Ronin was a little surprised, but it also seemed perfectly natural.

"Is he in Swamp Town?"

"He is. He arrived three days ago."

Ronin smiled. "Then have him come see me. I happen to have something I need help with."

Ronin knew a bit about Mas. While he might not match Rogner in Cultivation, he had been specially groomed by Marvin in the art of managing a territory. He was a qualified heir to a Noble Title.

And that was exactly the kind of person Ronin needed right now.