After the rainy season passed, the time for harvesting winter wheat arrived in the blink of an eye, and the
However, Steward Sperel, who had just been promoted to Count, saw things differently. He said that the Northland had never really suffered from major disasters. The real factor limiting the region's development was simply its remoteness and sparse population. According to the Norton Family's historical records, the greatest threat had always been the magical beast tides from the Barbarian Lands during winter. But those beast tides had long since been quelled and eliminated by Lorist and the family's armed forces. Now, the Norton Family was actually launching counterattacks deep into the Barbarian Lands, slaughtering herds of magical beasts just to acquire their pelts.
Beyond that, the only remaining threats were human-caused. First, the various noble lords of the Northland had fought each other over trivial matters, consuming and wasting the region's scarce human resources, leaving no one with the peace of mind to properly develop their territories. Second, the mountain barbarian tribes of the Dragonspine Mountains would periodically descend to plunder. That had been the state of affairs for the Norton Family's territories — just when development was showing some promise, the mountain barbarians would swoop down and carry off everything, rendering all their efforts wasted.
But now, the entire Northland had become Norton territory. There were no other noble lords to contend with. Lorist had conducted large-scale immigration, invested enormous sums to implement unified planning and development of the family's lands, eliminated waste and disorderly construction, overhauled the entire Northland's road and transportation infrastructure, and established multiple departments to effectively oversee the family's territories. Over three million subjects now called the Northland home, living and working in peace and contentment, naturally making the region increasingly prosperous.
As for the threat of the mountain barbarians — did it even exist anymore? A hundred-thousand-strong barbarian army had brazenly invaded the family's territories, only to be met with a devastating counterattack led by Lorist that annihilated them in a single battle. The Norton Family's sphere of influence then expanded by nearly a hundred li into the Dragonspine Mountains. The surviving barbarian tribes had fled deep into the mountain forests, and Lorist was already considering turning that area of several thousand square li into a province under the family's administration.
According to Steward Sperel, the Norton Family's territories were not merely in good shape — they were in excellent, outstanding condition. Having revived the Norton Family and established its dominance over the northern regions, Lorist would go down in history as the family's most glorious lord, admired and praised by generations to come. In other words, Sperel's advice was that Lorist should stay in the family's territories, enjoy a few years of peace and leisure, and simply avoid causing any trouble.
Lorist had long harbored the same sentiment. Since deciding to return to the Northland to inherit his title and the family's territories, twenty years had passed in a whirlwind of activity — either leading troops on campaign or fighting wars, with precious little time spent with his family. Fortunately, he had a capable and reliable team of subordinates, and through their combined efforts, the Norton Family had finally reached its current standing. Lorist felt it was time to rest and perhaps enjoy the legendary luxurious life of a territorial lord.
But it wasn't long before Lorist discovered he simply didn't have the fortune to enjoy such leisure. There were always matters large and small that demanded his attention. For instance, here came Viscount
Lorist walked over and felt Jossk's forehead — no fever? What was going on? Everyone knew that from April to September was the mating and birthing season for magical beasts. Even when the Norton Family hunted in the Barbarian Lands, they typically did so after October, when the beasts had accumulated substantial fat reserves to survive the harsh winter. That was the proper time for a hunt — when the beasts were at their fattest and their pelts at their finest. It was only April now. After a long winter, every beast was skin and bones, and the carnivorous ones were at their most ferocious. What was the point of hunting now?
It was clear that Falaya, the Hunter Cavalry Corps' commander, didn't support Jossk's proposal either, and Malek from the Family Armed Forces Division had probably given Jossk a cold shoulder as well — which was why Jossk had come to plead his case directly to Lorist. What puzzled Lorist, however, was what could possibly motivate the typically lazy and disinterested Jossk to be so eager about leading troops to the Barbarian Lands. It seemed to contradict his very nature.
"What exactly happened? Joss, you should be focusing on managing your viscounty right now, and perhaps finding yourself a partner. As your lord, what concerns me is whether the Jossk Family line can continue — not sending my soldiers to hunt in the Barbarian Lands during spring and summer. As your friend, I want to advise you: your devotion to love has moved and broken everyone's hearts. But I believe your beloved, your late fiancée, would want to see you happy and starting a family in the afterlife, rather than mourning your lost love and living out your days alone."
Lorist had encountered Jossk during his journey north. Jossk's foster father, Baron Umado, had a feud with Count Corbili. On the very day Jossk was to marry his beloved — Baron Umado's only daughter — Count Corbili launched a surprise assault on the baron's castle. Jossk's beloved threw herself from the castle walls rather than suffer dishonor, and Baron Umado was killed. Jossk, gravely wounded, was rescued by his subordinates and thereafter threw himself into a war of vengeance against Count Corbili.
In time, Lorist helped Jossk destroy Count Corbili's family, allowing him to fulfill his revenge. Yet Jossk still longed for his beloved and swore to remain single for life in memory of their lost love.
When confronted with Lorist's words, Jossk's gaze wavered. He quickly tried to defend himself, saying he only wanted to do more for the family. At the end of last year, the family had canceled its planned Barbarian Lands hunting expedition to hold the New Year celebration and the enfeoffment ceremony, which had left Count Sperel, the Finance Steward, agonizing over the losses. Demand for magical beast pelts in
Lorist smiled and told Jossk that the family's finances were in good shape. There was no need to hunt magical beasts during spring and summer, and a temporary halt to the pelt trade would actually stimulate market demand even further. Therefore, Lorist would not approve the Hunter Cavalry Corps' expedition to the Barbarian Lands. What Jossk should do now was return to his recently expanded viscounty, manage its affairs properly, and become a proper territorial lord.
Jossk's expression was somewhat strange as he left, as if he had something difficult to say, but in the end he kept it to himself. Lorist grew suspicious and instructed Genorio to find Viscount Kriston, the Director of Internal Affairs, and have him investigate what was going on with Jossk.
Two days later, Bodenfeng, commander of the Bedrock Corps and honorary director of the Family Armed Forces Division, came to see Lorist with a worried expression. He had come to discuss his daughter Alisha's marriage. Time truly flew — in what seemed like the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed, and the once mischievous and unbearably adorable little girl had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her temperament and personality had given poor Bodenfeng more gray hairs than he could count.
In Lorist's memory, Alisha was still the little girl who used to throw tantrums at him. He couldn't be blamed — after leading the caravan back north to the family's territories, he'd had no spare time to play with Alisha. He'd been too busy, running himself ragged for the family's future. He remembered that his lover, Miss Tresti, had taken Alisha as her disciple before the establishment of Niko Academy, intending to train her into a proper young lady.
"What did you say? Alisha is already twenty-eight? And she's the deputy commander of the Women's Battalion?" In the midst of Bodenfeng's rambling, Lorist heard news he could hardly believe.
The Women's Battalion occupied an extremely unique position within the Norton Family's armed forces. It wasn't part of any main legion's organizational structure, yet it enjoyed the same treatment as a main combat legion. It also wasn't classified as a garrison unit, because it reported directly to the Norton Family's matriarch, Princess Sylivia. Or rather, it was a combination of a ceremonial honor guard, field hospital, rehabilitation center, and performing arts troupe.
Lorist had once tried to transform the Women's Battalion into a battlefield medic corps, but experience proved that in the age of cold-weapon warfare, having women on the battlefield really wasn't suitable. He remembered the first time the Women's Battalion was deployed to the battlefield — it was during the invasion by the King of Iblia, the former rebellious second prince of the Krisen Empire, who had rallied the northern nobles and led a hundred-thousand-strong army to crush the Norton Family. They had been met with a storm of steel crossbow bolts, and the army had evaporated in an instant. The second prince's ambitions were destroyed in a single stroke, and the Iblia Kingdom had embarked on its path to decline ever since.
Norton Family casualties in that war were negligible — extraordinarily light. But when the Women's Battalion went to the battlefield to tend to enemy wounded, the horrific carnage wrought by the steel crossbow bolts terrified them half to death. They nearly caused a panic incident in the middle of the night from their nightmares. Later, Lorist assigned the Women's Battalion to the Flying Tiger Corps, but the result was that many of the battalion's female soldiers married the Flying Tiger Corps' male soldiers, causing a massive wave of discharges. In the end, with no other option, the Women's Battalion was re-established as an independent unit.
Lorist had no choice but to retrain male battlefield medics in each corps and convert the Women's Battalion into the family's performing arts troupe and field hospital. In this regard, the Women's Battalion actually performed quite well. Their cultural performances were well-received across the family's various legions and greatly boosted morale. At the same time, wounded soldiers received careful treatment at the Women's Battalion, improving their recovery.
Later, after Lorist married Princess Sylivia, she learned that the Norton Family's armed forces still maintained a Women's Battalion and eagerly took over its command. Lorist didn't mind and simply handed the battalion over to Princess Sylivia.
"You're saying Alisha decided to become a female knight because she saw
"Yes, Your Highness. That's why Alisha left Niko Academy at sixteen and transferred to
Bodenfeng had hoped Alisha would show her stepmother basic courtesy. But Alisha erupted, running away from home several times and leaving Bodenfeng in an extremely awkward position. In the end, it was Miss Tresti who took Alisha in, and the matter was settled.
Actually, Count Spensade's daughter was very beautiful and virtuous, giving Bodenfeng a second spring in life. In the years since their marriage, Bodenfeng had gained two more sons. But Alisha had never forgiven him, believing that her father had betrayed her deceased mother. Only Miss Tresti's words could make Alisha listen. And since Miss Tresti was Lorist's lover, Bodenfeng wouldn't dare set foot in Niko Academy to discipline his rebellious daughter even if his life depended on it. So he could only come to Lorist.
"So Alisha became Tresti's family knight — no wonder I hadn't heard anything about her," Lorist said. This was the truth. If Alisha had sworn loyalty to the Norton Family, her name would have quickly crossed his desk. Setting everything else aside, Lorist had an excellent memory and remembered the names of most of the family's knights.
"Bodenfeng, are you asking me to go to Niko Academy and talk to Tresti, to have her convince Alisha to marry?" Lorist asked.
"Your Highness, I don't know how to say this. Schward has already become Your Highness's disciple and started a family. Now that he can hold his own, whether he establishes his own household or returns to my family, it's all fine — his future is in Your Highness's hands, and I have nothing to worry about. But Alisha is twenty-eight years old and still unmarried. This is truly unacceptable."
The problem was that her father's words meant nothing to her, and she seemed to have her own ideas about her marriage. Recently, she had caused quite a stir in the family's territories. "Forgive me, Your Highness, I shouldn't speak ill of my colleagues behind their backs, but I hope Your Highness will step in and put a stop to this, lest the storm over Alisha's marriage become a laughingstock throughout the family's territories."
Bodenfeng finished this clouded, cryptic speech and departed as if fleeing. Lorist stroked his chin, bewildered for a good while before snapping back to reality. He instructed Genorio to once again visit Viscount Kriston, the Director of Internal Affairs, and inquire about what exactly was going on with this so-called "Alisha's marriage" that had left Bodenfeng unable to articulate himself clearly.
Before half a day had passed, the investigation reports on both Jossk and Alisha were placed before Lorist. He opened them, and upon reading, leaped to his feet — so that was what had happened!
...