Throne of the North.

Chapter 478: Northern Warriors, Wheat Seedlings in the Swamp

The house is round, with a skylight above it. The sunlight falls on the only stone tablet here, and anyone standing in the house is standing in the shadow.

Except for the human who can kneel in front of the stone tablet, he will stand in the sun.

"Would you like to see it?"

Sven looked at the knight, who was instinctively afraid. Such a solemn environment reminded him of the scene where he had taken the oath. He felt that his makeup and clothes at this moment were too messy and were not worthy of such an environment at all.

"Look, the North will not reject any warrior."

Sven brought the knight into the sunshine, and the warm sunshine dispelled all the coldness in the shadows. The knight stood in front of the stone tablet, feeling extremely cramped and depressed.

"I, I can't read."

This is not surprising. The nobles are knowledgeable, but the knights are mostly stiff and big. Even in Ryan's Frozen Territory, the Stag Legion has not fully popularized knowledge. As for the Armored Bear Legion, everyone from top to bottom, including Legion Commander Bogeld, cannot read a single word.

"The Lord Ryan favored by the North will carry out the will of the North and grant any warrior who is not afraid of the cold of the North the powerful art of breathing life."

"Lion has no right to rule over any human who practices the breathing method of the Northern Warriors, and likewise, the Warriors have no obligation to be loyal to Lion."

"The king they serve is the world that has been submerged by the North."

"Their responsibilities come from any human village or town."

"The warriors of the North will swear that they will never leave the North. They will always stand at the place where human civilization and the North are closest. They will defend the human territory and fight against the cold North to the death."

"Every warrior will live and die in the North. They will not be granted land to become nobles, nor wear crowns to compete with knights for honor. They will use the burning warmth of their lives to block the invasion of the North. The sword in their hands is the warrior's charge horn, and the armor on their bodies is the shield that protects the human territory. They will dedicate their lives and honor to the ice and snow of the North. This is how warriors are, and so are their descendants. This is how it will be in this life and in all the generations to come."

"That's what it says."

Sven looked at the knight, whose eyes had widened, and said:
"This is the condition for obtaining the Breathing of the North. To become a warrior of the North, you are not qualified to own slaves, farms and manors, pledge allegiance to the nobility, or enjoy wealth and glory."

"Fight, die, live in the snow of the north, die in the depths of ice and snow."

"Whenever orcs begin to invade human land, the warriors of the North will go to the battlefield closest to the orcs, the most dangerous, and the closest to death without any hesitation. He will die there, or kill all the orcs."

"This is an oath, an oath witnessed by the great God of Light."

Sven raised his head and looked at the golden sunlight with a firm look in his eyes.

He saw with his own eyes that Master Ryan summoned a ray of sunshine in the gloomy weather, which shone here forever, no matter it was windy or rainy, cloudy or clear, the golden sunshine was always here, even in the middle of the night, the moonlight shone down with a hint of golden color.

If there is a miracle in the North Wind Province, then this ray of sunlight is a miracle.

"No one can betray the oath witnessed by the God of Light. Once violated, anyone will be hunted down by everyone in the Northern Brave Guild until death."

"The Northern Warrior Breathing Technique. Lord Ryan calls it a warrior, not a knight, because all the extraordinary people who use this breathing technique are not knights who loyally protect the noble lords. They are warriors, warriors who will charge into the world of the North even if they are naked."

The knight stood there in a daze, somewhat incredulous. Everything else was fine, as what was said above was actually similar to the knight's creed, which was to dedicate one's life and turn loyalty into a charge on the battlefield.

The only thing is to give up all wealth and glory.

To put it simply, you can no longer become a noble, and you can no longer acquire large properties. You must know that knights all have their own real estate to a greater or lesser extent.

Which knight has not aspired to achieve great things? His small goal is to become the son-in-law of a noble lord, his medium goal is to become the owner of a manor, and his big goal is to become a noble. If he cannot do it himself, he will lay the foundation for his offspring, hoping that one day his descendants will be able to do it.

But under this condition, not only do I not qualify, I also have to give up completely on my bloodline and descendants.

“Who would accept such an offer?”

The knight swallowed, having completely forgotten that he was the one who had questioned him angrily in the hall before.

Ryan understood too well the nobles' vigilance against civilians and slaves. They would not give them any chance to rise. If these conditions were not added with extremely cruel conditions, the Northern Brave Guild would have been razed to the ground by the nobles' armies long ago, and it was most likely the Imperial Extraordinary Legion of the Winged Canyon would have taken action personally.

Even adding conditions was not enough, so Ryan used the divine gift bestowed by Archbishop Adriana. This oath and condition were truly watched by that great being.

At this time when the Empire and the God of Light were in a honeymoon period, the nobles did not have the courage to question the place favored by the God of Light. Emperor Flor had no choice but to think of other solutions after seeing this.

But he probably doesn't have the time now. Ryan's powerful strength in the northern land allows this harsh condition to be carved on this stone slab.

As for how it will evolve, it will take time to verify.

"Yes, so until now, no adventurer has chosen to become a Northern Warrior."

Sven smiled and said that the real reason was not that there was no one, but that those people were not qualified to see this stone tablet.

The knight before him underestimated the desire of commoners and slaves to become knights, because his birth was too high.

On the day when the Northern Warriors' Breathing Method was spread, a stampede occurred in the Northern Brave Guild, and people died. The situation was only quelled by the strong suppression of the knights.

The reason why things calmed down later was that ordinary adventurers needed to kill ten capable orcs alone. The actual value of this condition was about thirty gold coins. Then, at the Northern Brave Guild, they had to give up the wealth of thirty gold coins in exchange for the opportunity to learn the breathing method of the Northern Warrior.

How many ordinary people could kill ten orcs who were at least Black Goatmen? I'm afraid they had killed quite a few on the way to find them.

After this, how many ordinary people who couldn't even reach the threshold of the breathing method could resist the temptation of dozens of gold coins?

In short, in order to lower the nobles' vigilance again and again, Ryan set up many thresholds and cruel conditions.

The oath under the watchful eye of the God of Light, the threat from the entire group, the free help to the nobles in resisting disasters, and finally the high threshold conditions, all these combined together allowed the Northern Warrior Breathing Method to appear here.

And no one has visited until now. In the first few days, the nobles became dissatisfied and became a joke to Ryan.

It is believed that there will be no Northern warriors at all. Even if there are, there will only be a few of them. Those few people will probably become Ryan's knights and squires instead of abiding by the oath on the stone tablet.

The nobles would be disgusted by the appearance of northern warriors, but they had no objection to someone becoming Ryan's knight squire.

Ryan used his huge wealth to prove his strength. No matter how many knights appeared under Ryan's command, they would not be surprised.

In fact, Ryan had never thought that the Northern Warriors' breathing method would allow too many civilians to become extraordinary. As for the slaves... How could they come here to learn the breathing method when they don't even have freedom?

It is difficult for civilians because their survival is a problem. Dozens of gold coins can change the future of a family or even a civilian family. Even if they will be exploited, using one gold coin as five silver coins can change a lot.

A civilian with the guts to make such a decision would probably not be too bad off even without the opportunity Ryan provided.

Ryan's real target is the nobles.

When Ryan selects the sword bearer of Frostmourne, nobles like Lawrence, Connie, and Xilin can all become his loyal base, thus affecting a noble's loyalty to Ryan.

If he chooses ten people, not necessarily one of them will be qualified.

As for the remaining nine people, since they were selected, they are basically all good.

Ryan doesn't want to pick up the watermelon and lose the sesame seeds, he wants them all.

This was impossible, so Ryan changed his thinking.

He knew very well that a noble family was very large. A baron, in addition to being a baron himself, also had children. As for heirs, nobles believed that the more the better.

Over time, the noble families that had descended from the original nobles became very large.

Among them, a large number of bloodlines have become servants because their ancestors were not the eldest sons. The better ones are just doing odd jobs in the noble territories.

They can say that they have a faint noble bloodline in their bodies, which is irrefutable, but that's all. The wandering nobles are still the direct descendants of the nobles.

Are these people qualified to obtain power within the noble lord's territory? Impossible. Being servants and lackeys is the limit. Can they obtain wealth? They themselves are the wealth of the noble lord.

The only difference between them and slaves was that they were not afraid of death. After all, they were bloodline servants, so the nobles were relatively tolerant of them.

I also have more freedom than common people. I can say that my ancestors and the ancestors of the nobles are brothers, and even the nobles cannot deny it.

In short, they are part of a large family with a noble surname.

This won't change anything.

All this is just to prove that these people have the potential to become the Northern Warriors that Ryan wants.

In the territory of their lord, they were always treated like cattle and horses.

Change? Impossible, the noble blood in their bodies has become thin, and there is no possibility of orthodoxy at all. If a noble family dies one day, it will be like the land that was eaten up after the war, and it will have nothing to do with them.

Before this, there was no possibility for this type of people to change.

Especially those who are suppressed by their own clansmen. The clansmen in power will squeeze all their ways to gain power. In Ryan's opinion, these are the guys who are most likely to say "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west".

It would be even more typical if there was someone who was broken off from engagement, kicked out of the nobility, and then had a sudden enlightenment.

Ryan's path is prepared for them.

They have noble surnames and become Northern Warriors. Even if the nobles want to settle accounts in the end, they will find out that these people who have obtained extraordinary powers are all their own bloodlines. How can they settle accounts then?

At the beginning, Ryan thought that if such a person could really succeed, he would be fully qualified to hold Frostmourne and kill his own relatives for the sake of justice. Wouldn't that be more in line with the name of this sword?
Later it was denied because Frostmourne was to be reserved for the nobles in power.

For example, Xilin Dragun, he is the heir of Viscount Dragun and the eldest son. For example, Lawrence Xavier, as the second son, he enjoys his father's love. If Baron Xavier was not capable enough, he would have been given the title of a pioneering noble. For example, Connie Dean, his prestige in the Dean family now exceeds that of his father who is still sitting on the baron position.

These people are the direct influence of the noble territories and are the force Ryan really needs to gain support.

In comparison, the Northern Warriors and the like are just idle chess moves. If they succeed, that's the best. If they don't, Master Ryan won't lose anything.

He didn't take any risks, so naturally he didn't think about making any profit.

……

In front of the stone tablet, Sven left with the sullen knight. He could not accept such harsh conditions. Now there was one more knight of his kind in the hall. Who knows when they would look at a newly arrived and furious knight with the same look and gloat over his misfortune.

"Buy a Scott dagger. It is a weapon forged by Scott Craftsman. Scott Craftsman is from the southern earl noble family and followed Master Brock to the Frozen Territory."

At Sven's invitation, the knight awkwardly paid for an exquisite dagger.

Sven looked at another group of people again. He heard these knights were discussing the eight knight places this year. Each of them seemed confident that they could get this year's Northern Warhorse.

"When did the honor of the Eight Knights become something to be fought over?"

"Four of the eight knights from last year came back alive. Even though they died, their tombstones are still in Lingdu City for people to see. Can you also become one of the eight knights like this?"

Sven was rude, but the knights were polite to him because the girl next to Sven was very powerful.

Moreover, the knights vaguely heard that the bard Sven refused Baron Ryan's reward of lordship in exchange for more stories and fine wine.

His story also became a story passed down by poets, which greatly satisfied Sven's vanity.

With this highest honor for a bard, Sven naturally raised his head proudly when facing these knights who had no stories.

In the world of bards, superiority is not determined by status.

The knights didn't know what to say. Why did they come to Lingdu City?

Oh yes, it was for wealth. Count Sauron's knights found dragon blood and rebuilt the Dragon Blood Warrior Legion. These knights were very jealous. The nobles behind them sent them here, wanting to bring back wealth that would make the nobles smile.

Adventurers strive for the title of Eight Knights, but for most people in this world, the life of an adventurer is still a minority.

More people are still burying their heads in the land, working diligently to find wealth for survival from the land.

The nobles seemed too far away for adventurers, and the legend of the Eight Knights was equally distant and unattainable for the truly poor.

There seems to be an invisible chasm between the upper, middle and lower circles. No matter how long these people dig with hoes, they can never fill the vast ravine.

Until the seeds sprouted, the smile on everyone's face was the same.

Ryan hurried to the swamp and looked at the green shoots that grew after the rain. This was the breath of life. In the second ten days, he finally saw the vitality of the swamp.

“It’s really grown.”

All around, countless serfs knelt on the ground, staring with burning eyes at the wheat seedlings that were sticking out of the soil. They were small and thin, like leeks.

"I said that this land will give us food."

Ryan said loudly. At this moment, no one refuted the noble master in their hearts. There was a strong loyalty in their eyes when they looked at Ryan. Food is the first necessity of the people. No matter when, the noble master who can let them see food is kind. Even if they are old, they can proudly tell their grandchildren that they were once slaves of Master Ryan, and Master Ryan taught them to grow food in the frozen soil.

"I hope they will turn golden in the fall."

"The God of Light favors our piety."

At this moment, Ryan really hopes that the sun in the sky, the great god of light, can play a greater role. Sunshine is the source of all life, and people's faith in Him comes from this.

The news that wheat seedlings appeared in the swamp spread throughout the noble circle like thunder. The nobles were all amazed. They understood the difficulty of reclaiming wasteland. It was not in the initial clearing of weeds and rocks, but in the subsequent fertility of the land and the actual growth of crops.

How could the nobles not be surprised that food could grow in that swamp?

Some nobles even wanted to come and see whether the wheat seedlings growing in the land were real.

Ryan did not stop it. Farming the swamp was his ultimate means to attract nobles to join him.

The more nobles come to see it, the better, and it will also increase the prosperity of Lingdu City.

"Compared to the swamp, the land of this world is simply God's choice."

Nidhogg, Ryan stood in the vast wheat field.

Master Ryan finally no longer has to worry about food for the whole year.

Nidhogg is a city. There are large amounts of cultivated land outside each of the twenty-five cities. In a world ruled by dragons, the land is incredibly fertile. The most important thing is that there is no northern border here.

If there had not been the destruction by the dragon, the food grown in one year from the current arable land alone would be enough to last for ten years.

ten years!

It is conceivable what terrible damage the previous dragon monarchs had caused to the production of human slaves, making the human slaves extremely thin.

It's spring, and it's the busy farming season in every world. With the frost giants attracting the hatred of dragons, Ryan arranged people to start growing crops in large quantities. This is also the reason why he has been entering this world these days.

(End of this chapter)