However, those bandits are indeed a problem…

“Sir, Angate is the territory my father granted me.” Allen raised his head and said calmly, “I don’t dare to ask God to accompany me. I will use my own strength to take back my dignity and honor!” Looking at the black-haired young man standing proudly in front of him, a trace of guilt suddenly flashed through Orlov’s heart.

“Kid, is there anything I can do to help you?”

“Thank you for your generosity and kindness, sir.” Allen bowed, his mind working rapidly.

After a moment, he said, “I hope you can issue a reclamation order in the name of Haines. All the wasteland I reclaim, as well as the farmers and output on it, will belong to me.”

“That’s fine.” Orlov nodded. “What else?”

“And I hope to borrow some money from the church in the name of holy war as the initial capital for the development of the wasteland.” Allen lowered his head, “I also hope you can assign a few guards for me.”

Olof hesitated for a moment and said, “I can only provide you with 60,000 gold coins at most. If you want more, I will be investigated by the bishop of the diocese. But I can charge no interest. You just need to repay the money within five years.”

Sixty thousand gold coins?

“As for the guards… I’m sorry, kid, there’s nothing I can do about that. The church hasn’t been allowed to have its own weapons for many years. The last religious guard was disbanded three years ago. The most I can do is introduce some mercenaries to you, and you can negotiate the specific fees with them.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Okay, kid, stand in front of me.” Orlov stood up and motioned Allen to kneel in front of him, then he took out a blunt sword from the side and lightly touched Allen’s shoulders.

“In the name of Bishop Haines, I am acting as the notary of the will of Howard Haines, Duke of the North, and I am enforcing the contents of his will to appoint Allen Haines as the Baron of Angate. He has the right to have his own banner badge and attendants, and I promise to fulfill the duties of a nobleman, guard the territory, and be loyal to the Queen with all matters within the fief.”

“Congratulations, kid.” After Allen stood up, Orlov smiled on his wrinkled face and patted him on the shoulder.

“Now, you are Baron Angate.”

……

“Angate?”

Elstin rubbed her eyes and looked at the parchment in Allen’s hand in disbelief. She turned it over and over again, as if she could read something new between the lines.

“Yes, now I am the Baron of Angate.”

Elstin was stunned for two seconds, then with a cheer, she threw herself on Allen, hugged his neck tightly, and hung her whole body on him.

Allen hesitated for two seconds before he reached out and wrapped his arms around the girl’s slender waist.

“Brother.” After a moment, Elstin let go of his hand and tilted her head to look at Allen’s face. “Are you hiding something from me?”

“It’s just a small matter.” After hesitating for a moment, Allen told Angate everything.

Elsten was his only relative now, and it was neither moral nor logical for him to hide this from the girl.

Sure enough, as Allen continued to speak, the girl’s face became increasingly gloomy.

“I’ll go with you,” Elstin said suddenly.

“No, you can’t go.” Allen, who still couldn’t let down his guard against this unpredictable sister, shook his head. “The battlefield is ruthless. Who knows if you will encounter any danger?”

“But……”

“No buts. You just can’t go this time!” Allen’s voice suddenly rose twice and then quickly calmed down.

“Elsiting, I don’t want to force you, but this time it’s very dangerous, you absolutely can’t go, understand? You are my sister, I don’t want you to be in danger…”

“But I’m not only your sister, I’m also your companion!” Elsteen glared at Allen, “When something happens, we should shoulder it together! Or does my brother want to leave me alone like he did last time?”

“We are siblings, not companions! Siblings and brothers cannot get married!” Allen became serious for once. “If you think you don’t care about what I say, then I will have to re-evaluate our relationship.” The girl responded with a stubborn look, and it took her half a minute to give in and stretch out a hand.

“Hook!” Elstin stared at Allen with her silver eyes, “You must come back alive, alive and well! I don’t want Angate or a baron, I just want my brother to come back alive!”

“…Yeah.” Allen reached out and gently hooked the girl’s little finger. “When I take down Angate, I’ll take you there and show you around the city. From now on, that will be our home. I will definitely come back alive and well.”

“you swear?”

“I swear.”

Elstin then raised the corners of her mouth, her eyes full of sweetness, she put her arms around Allen’s neck and gently kissed his lips.

“Before we go, brother… let’s practice again?”

Chapter 228: The Lost Tribe

Located in the eastern part of the Soma Empire and close to the border of the Kingdom of Aragon, the Northern Castle is definitely not prosperous.

There was no magnificent palace, nor any straight roads. There were only muddy roads filled with garbage, stinking, and full of sewage when it rained.

If you stand at a slightly higher place, you will see that the entire Northern City is in a mess due to the lack of planning.

There were low and messy houses everywhere, and winding and narrow alleys covered almost half of the Northern City like a spider web.

A few barely passable cobblestone avenues divided the entire city into several areas of varying sizes.

Slightly north of the city, there is a gently sloping hill. The hill is not very high and the terrain is very gentle, but it covers a large area, enough to build a large number of houses.

The “Inner Castle” or “Lord’s Castle” of the Northern City was built on this hillside.

Compared with castles in other parts of the kingdom, the history of the North Castle is not very long, only less than a century, but it is the result of the hard work of several generations of the Haines family.

The invasion of the evil god has caused the Northern Peninsula to be shrouded in the smoke of war for centuries, so the castles here are more focused on military rather than living purposes.

When building castles, lords would use rough stones and sturdy designs, and even consider the possibility of the castle being lost by making corridors and doors very narrow, so that two people walking towards each other would have to turn sideways to pass through.

The only thing they don’t consider is whether the people living in it are comfortable and whether life is convenient.

Near the castle of the North, some of the city’s dignitaries lived. A little further away, there were wealthy merchants and famous artists. As a result, this area became the most prosperous place in the North.

The city square is located in the east of the urban area, close to the northern town. It is bustling with people coming and going.

In a tavern on the square, Allen put the wooden cup of beer to his lips, then put it down with a frown after a moment and looked at the tall and thin man sitting across the table.

The other person had an exceptionally handsome face, blond hair, and a pair of pointed ears sticking out from under his hair. He placed a longbow on a chair beside him.

An Elf Ranger.

In the Northern Peninsula, humans are not the only race. In the Catalonia region within the Kingdom of Aragon, there live a large number of elf tribes.

As one of the largest grain-producing areas in the North, the Kingdom of Aragorn has been squeezing the living space of the elves here for decades, occupying their land and cutting down their forests, so that the elves have to leave their homes and go to other places to make a living.

The most popular profession is mercenary.

The continent of August is in the midst of a war-torn era, with nobles fighting each other and the war never ending. For mercenaries, this is the most suitable stage to display their skills.

But the elf ranger in front of him was wearing a tattered robe and his leather armor was badly worn. It was obvious that he was not in a good situation.

“My name is Thordrin, Thordrin Frostwind.” The downtrodden elf introduced himself, “I am the leader of the Frostwind Mercenary Group.”

“Bishop Orlov told me that I only need to provide food for your mercenary team, and then I can hire you to fight for me?”

“Yes, my lord. My tribe is running out of food. As long as you can provide food, ninety-eight of the most brave and skilled elven rangers are at your disposal.”

“As far as I know, the price of elven mercenaries has always been high. In addition to the North, there are many lords in the Apennine Peninsula who are willing to hire you at a high price. Why have you fallen to this point?”

“…Sir.” Thordrin raised his head suddenly, a hint of stubbornness flashed across his blue eyes, but soon, the elf’s proud head was buried deeply again, “Do you know about the rebellion that took place in the Kingdom of Aragorn five years ago?”

“I know.” Allen nodded. “The thirteen elven tribes in the Catalonia Mountains rebelled against the kingdom, but were quickly suppressed… Wait, so you…”

“Yes, we were one of the thirteen tribes that started the rebellion.” Thordrin showed a bitter smile, “The mastermind of the rebellion, the former tribe leader, was executed by King Fernando of Aragon, and the tribe was exiled…”

At the beginning, there were hundreds of people in the tribe, but as rebellious exiles, under the power of the king, no nobles in the Kingdom of Aragon dared to employ them, and they could not even hire ships at the port.

The entire tribe had to wander all the way to Soma.

But Queen Isabella I of Soma, as Fernando’s wife, treated these exiled elves in the same manner as her husband – she did not intentionally harm them, but would never allow any noble or town to sell even a grain of food to them.

Only young and strong men were left in the entire tribe because the old, the weak, women and children had all died in the wandering.

He watched his tribe members fall one by one, and as the new tribe leader, he was powerless to do anything – he couldn’t find food, he didn’t have medicine, and he was looked down upon in every village he passed. Along the way, his arrogance and self-esteem as an elf had long been shattered by the hardships of life.

“We are short of food and clothing now. If we don’t get help, I’m afraid we won’t survive this month.” The elf’s voice trembled a little. “As long as we can get a bite of food, we can do anything. Each of us can ride a horse, shoot arrows, and use weapons…”

Looking at the other person’s lowered head, Allen clenched his fists under the table and suppressed the excitement in his heart.

To other nobles, these ninety-eight elves might be a burden. But to Allen, they were exactly what he needed—he needed an army to recapture Angate Castle, but the price of this army couldn’t be too low. He only had the sixty thousand gold coins loaned to him by the bishop, and this money had to be used for the subsequent construction of the territory.

Is there any army more suitable than this elven mercenary army?

“I understand. I am willing to hire you to fight for me.” Allen looked at Thordrin, enunciating each word with a firm gaze, “But your reward is not in my hands.”

Thordrin looked up in astonishment. Just as he was about to speak, Allen interrupted him with a wave of his hand:

“I promise you, if you fight for me, I will give each of you a piece of land of your own. You will no longer be an exiled tribe, you will become the masters of the land.”

Soldering’s expression suddenly froze, and even his breathing quickened.

land!

That means they will no longer be wanderers and can settle down from now on without having to wander around and live miserable lives!

“Sir, can you make the decision? Why should I think you can make the decision?” Soldering looked at Allen doubtfully. Although it was Father Orlov who introduced this “financial sponsor” and promised a huge reward. But now that this huge reward is in front of him, he doesn’t believe it.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. All gifts from fate have a price tag. Thordlin is well aware of this simple truth.

“First of all, I think I should introduce myself to you.” Allen smiled. The other party’s doubt meant that he was already tempted by this offer. “My father is the Duke of the North, Howard Hynes. I am his legitimate son. He gave me Angate Castle as my territory. But now, it has been occupied by a group of bandits. Now I need a team of the best warriors to take it back for me.”

“And you will give us the land?” The doubt on Thordrin’s face faded a little.

“As long as you pay my taxes regularly and serve me in the military for eight years,” Allen nodded, “you can take 30% of the spoils of war.”

Seeing the thoughtful look on Thordrin’s face, Allen moved a little closer and deliberately lowered his voice: “Think about it carefully, Captain. Benefits and risks are always positively correlated… Besides, what do you have to lose?”

Chapter 229 Female Bandit

Angate Castle was built on the southern slope of a small hill in the central mountains of the northern border. Behind the mountains was the Leon Plain, one of the largest grain-producing areas in the Soma Empire.

Compared to the vast fertile plains of Andalusia in the south, the mountains and steep cliffs in the north provided the lords with many easy-to-defend and difficult-to-break passes, but the poverty and lack of production also caused countless people to suffer from hunger.

As a result, the small but productive tracts of farmland on the Leon Plain became the lifeline of the kingdom’s north.

However, Anget is located in a hilly area, which is not suitable for large carts. The grain produced in the Leon Plain is mainly transported to the south through the Antisaen area on the east side and then through the northern border.

So the Duke of the North has another title, “Guardian of the Leon Plain.”

Compared to the important northern castle, Angate is more like a “foil”.

Allen felt the mountain road was particularly bumpy while riding. Although he was good at riding horses before, he had never ridden such a long distance. His legs felt heavy as if they were filled with water, and it seemed that all the blood in his body was flowing downwards.

Although the distance from leaving the Northern Castle was not far, the army had already walked for two days.

The pain of riding for a long time made Allen deeply understand how terrible it was to travel long distances in this era.

Looking at the elven rangers around him riding on their horses with relaxed expressions, he had to admit that he was still a little bit behind.

Ninety-nine Elf Rangers, including twenty-three cavalry and seventy-six infantry. Almost none of them had helmets, and they were wearing brand new leather armor and clothes, but each of them held a longbow in his hand, a quiver on his back, and a curved hunting knife on his belt.

At the front of the team, behind Allen, an elven mercenary held the flag of the Haines family, symbolizing his noble status.

Mixed in the team were six carriages loaded with all kinds of materials necessary for building the territory – food, tools, tents, medicines, and many other necessities.

Although Allen didn’t know what was needed to open up a territory, for the Cold Wind Tribe who had been wandering for years, there was nothing more familiar than this.

However, this made the team even more incongruous, like mercenaries, or aristocrats’ private soldiers or armed caravans.

“I thought human nobles would bring a bunch of followers and servants with them when they went to war, and set up luxurious tents.”

Thordrin lightly squeezed his horse’s belly, caught up with Allen, and spoke beside him.

“If I had that much spare money, I would buy more food and tents.” Allen spread his hands, “Or buy more weapons for you.”

During the march these days, Allen had been staying with the mercenaries, eating and living together, which allowed him to quickly become familiar with this tribe of less than a hundred people.

In particular, Allen spent a lot of money to replace a set of leather armor for each soldier in this team, and also equipped them with the missing weapons.

Just as Thordrin was about to speak, the elf’s pointed ears suddenly moved, and a sharp bird cry came into his ears.

“The outriders are back.”

Elves are natural warriors, and in this turbulent era, being a warrior means having to fight the enemy at any time.

Especially for the Cold Wind Tribe, these enemies may come from all directions, or they may be the friends with whom they drank and chatted yesterday.

Therefore, vigilance became the instinct of the Cold Wind Tribe, even at such a noon that could arouse people’s endless reverie.

The hooves of the outpost cavalrymen’s horses were wrapped with soft cloth, so they were not discovered until they returned to a place not far from the team.

“Hei Ze Village is just ahead. There are bandits in the village. They have surrounded all the villagers and are kidnapping women.”

“How many people are there?”

“It’s too far to count, but there are about thirty people. More than ten helmets and three sets of mail.” The outpost cavalry took the water bag, drank it in big gulps, and wiped his lips. “Sir, what should we do?”