Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 286: Mannan's special ability and Hessen's new backer, the richest institution in the empire

Intelligence gathering of the surrounding area is a military activity carried out in every territory.

In particular, at the year-end meeting last year, the Hesse Territory decided on a strategy for outward expansion.

It is no longer possible to further develop the north and east, so the west and south are the focus of territory development.

This year, all the territories needed to expand their territory within the border prince's territory, so Hildur had some knowledge of the intelligence around the territory.

After Su Li asked, she immediately replied, "Blue Mirror Territory is a barony in the upper reaches of the Brienne River. With Blue Mirror Lake as its core, it covers the surrounding mountains, forests, and rivers. The territory covers an area of ​​approximately 600 imperial miles and is a resource-rich territory."

"Blue Mirror Lake is the core of their territory, famous for its clarity and magnificence. It is said that a complex network of caves lost in ancient times is hidden under the lake, and adventurers are always able to find all kinds of magical items within. This is one of the reasons why the followers of the sea god Mannan chose to build their city here."

"To the east of their territory is the Cold Wind Valley, a canyon shrouded in strong winds. Strong winds howl through it year-round, and it serves as the eastern barrier to their territory."

"To the north lies the Frostfang Mountains, a mountain range of craggy limestone peaks, deep canyons, and intricate cave networks, shrouded in thick fog year-round. In ancient times, this region was a dwarven colony, hiding ancient dwarven mines and abandoned fortresses. But now, the mountain dwarves have retreated into the Grey Mountains, leaving the area deserted and largely infested with monsters. This region is also the primary source of threat to their territory: bandits, beastmen, Chaos Spawn, and even the Undead often appear."

"To the south lies their Green Bank Plains, a flat grassland dominated by large farmlands, with some pastures near the border. Further south lies the Shady Sand Forest, marking the border of their territory. This forest is not as dangerous as the Blood Pine Forest, and many villages thrive within it. Beastmen frequently raid these human settlements, so the local villagers are quite self-reliant and lack a strong sense of belonging to their territory."

After listening to Hildurd's brief introduction to this territory, Su Li couldn't help but gasp in amazement. He said, "It seems this territory is full of opportunities and challenges. This Duke Grant was able to gain a foothold here and even be promoted to Baron. I guess he has some unique advantages, right?"

You know, although the land of the Border Prince's Territory is fertile, it is still very difficult to build a territory from scratch, especially since he has developed into a baron. To provide food for such a large territory and maintain a large-scale army to fight against the evil invasion, the financial, supply and military pressures will not be small.

Hilde turned and pointed at the vast, shimmering Blue Mirror Lake in the distance. She said, "This is the key to Baron Grant's ability to gain a foothold here, and to continue his conquests and expansion. This lake is far larger than Lake Raveling, and with the mighty Brienne River flowing through it, it's a natural bathing place. It's said that the fishery resources here are so abundant that if you throw a basket of stones into the lake, you'll be able to pull it out filled with sparkling silver carp."

"Furthermore, we must carefully cultivate the Light-Scaled Fish to survive, and they can obtain a steady supply every month. Therefore, Baron Grant has close relationships with many dukes and earls, and is responsible for providing Light-Scaled Fish to these important figures in the empire. As a result, he has received support and help from some important figures."

It turns out that the smooth-scaled fish on the tables of dukes and earls were obtained in this way.

When Su Li first obtained the light-scale fish, he knew that this powerful and extraordinary fish could only be eaten by the high-ranking nobles of the empire, and only a few times a year.

Unexpectedly, this Blue Mirror Lake is actually a fishing ground for light-scale fish.

Su Li couldn't help but feel excited. He said, "If we can take over this fishery and integrate the resources of both places, we will definitely be able to further enhance the reputation of our territory's Light Scale Fish specialty! By then, our reputation will even far surpass that of the current Blue Mirror Territory. With our unparalleled scale advantage, we will be famous throughout the border princely territories and even the entire empire."

Su Li has always been optimistic and always thinks about the more favorable side of things.

But Hilde, who was in charge of the execution, wasn't as relaxed. He said, "But this won't be easy, my lord. Baron Grant has already tied up with many nobles through this business network. If war breaks out, many nobles might offer him some immediate support. These great nobles won't support us because we worship the Sun Goddess. Even if we take over this lake, we won't be able to resell the Lightscale Fish. This is a method only Mannan believers can use."

Su Li touched his chin and thought for a while. This is indeed a problem. The styles of the churches are indeed very different, and the unique abilities of some churches are difficult to replace.

If the Hesse Territory really wants to expand the light-scale fish industry, how to transport it is a problem that must be solved.

This kind of fish is precious and has very strict requirements on the conditions. They cannot even tolerate insufficient spiritual energy, and it is even more difficult to transport them alive.

"Furthermore, their territory is very rich, with abundant production of salt, dried fish, pottery, timber, pearls, wine, and finished copperware, providing them with ample financial resources. This makes their military strength fully meet the standards of a barony. They are not the kind of downtrodden territory that uses ordinary soldiers for show. They have at least 1000 elite cavalry."

"At least 1000 elite knights?" Su Li took a deep breath. This was already a formidable number. Furthermore, Baron Grant wasn't just a newly established pioneer knight. He'd been a baron for many years, and judging by his flourishing development, he was likely approaching earldom status. It was quite possible that his territory's elite knights numbered over 2000.

If the church knights and secular knights are included, they may be able to gather 3000 elite cavalry.

In a field battle, they may indeed be unable to defeat the elite commander chosen by the Goddess of the Fiery Sun, but if they rely on warships and water transportation capabilities to defend the city, the war will become a stalemate.

The only thing to be thankful for is that the Goddess of the Fiery Sun believed in by the Hessen Lords is extremely powerful. In terms of the combat effectiveness of her believers and knights, she is by no means comparable to the followers of the Sea God Mannan.

Su Li didn't need to worry about the enemy's main force rushing into Heisen Territory to burn, kill, and plunder. They didn't have the ability or the courage to do so. Playing with military tactics in front of the Chosen One of the Fiery Sun Goddess was self-humiliation.

Mannan's followers are mostly devoted to sailing and sailors, and his Knights are more adventurous. They will explore isolated islands, ruins and colonies, but are not good at direct battles with the Knights of the Sun Goddess.

Su Li then mounted the griffin and ordered the departure. As they flew along the road, Su Li continued to ask Hildurd, "What is Baron Grant like? What are his characteristics and abilities?"

Hilde said solemnly, "Baron Grant von Rehn is renowned for his bravery and self-discipline, but also notorious for his strict standards for all knights in the family, and his practice of expelling those who fail to meet the standards."

"He is the tyrant and supreme ruler of Blue Mirror Territory. No one can challenge his authority. He also commands an elite army, including cavalry, infantry, and navy. He cares far less about the lives of his subjects than you do. His army's primary duty is to protect the territory from evil monsters and preserve the lake's secrets."

"There's no doubt he's a follower of Mannan. Like their deity, his personality is extremely changeable. He might be pleasant yesterday, but today he could be enraged by a single word. Getting along with him is practically impossible. But he's also devout, even superstitious. Mannan is by no means a benevolent and loving deity. He demands sacrifice and offerings, and in exchange, he will bestow his boundless grace upon his followers, helping them overcome ever more dangerous and magnificent challenges."

Su Li frowned slightly and sighed, "It sounds like he's a very tough opponent."

He asked cautiously, "So this powerful knight is not Mannan's Chosen?"

Hildre smiled and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry about that, Lord. Apart from our territory, no other territory is so prone to encountering God's Chosen Knights! You should know that the Knights of Eternal Light, as the highest knight order on the same level as the Knights of Flaming Sun, can only deploy 12 God's Chosen Knights. We won't easily encounter a God's Chosen Knight in the Border Prince's territory."

"However, it is said that Baron Grant possesses the strength of a high-level champion. If fighting on rough waters, his combat power should not be underestimated."

Su Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was okay as long as he didn't have the strength of a chosen god. That way, even if Mannan forcibly used the mechanical deification, he would at most have the strength of a chosen god, and the situation would not get out of control.

The champion-level strength is just right for his status as a baron. You should know that Su Li’s adoptive father, the master of the Blood River Valley, the Earl of Amethyst Territory, is only at the level of a chosen god.

Going further up, many of the dukes of the empire are also at the God-chosen level, and the best among them, such as Archibald, are at the legendary level.

But Su Li did not take it lightly. Although Hessen had the advantage of the God-chosen knights, it was not infallible.

The knights' relentless charge could overthrow even a legendary knight. Nothing lasts forever. Hadn't the Hessian Lords relied on countless sacrifices, the charge of hundreds of elite knights, to unleash their mighty might and overthrow Khorne's Chosen?

Sylvanas softly soothed him, "My Lord, there's no need to put so much pressure on yourself. Wasn't our trip to Maleburg precisely to resolve this issue? And the fact that there wasn't a conflict has already achieved our original goal. The road ahead may be long, but we'll take it one step at a time, and there will always be a way. Look, haven't we already taken the first step? Don't worry, everything will be fine. You are the most wise monarch in our territory. We all admire you and will always follow your great footsteps forward."

Sometimes it is really necessary to have a green tea girl with you, at least she can provide sufficient emotional value.

Su Li heard this and smiled, saying, "You have a point. There is a famous saying in the East: The long road ahead is as hard as iron, but now we start over again."

Sylvanas immediately clenched her fists and nodded vigorously. "Yes, our Emperor once said that great things begin with a smile, and fate helps the brave."

With her comfort, Su Li felt much more relaxed for the rest of the journey. They soon arrived at the Tasir Plateau without any danger. Since the Swan Knight was already exhausted, Su Li took them to rest on the edge of the cliff on this high ground to admire the magnificent sunset scenery in the distance.

It is spring now, the weather is sunny and the setting sun casts golden rays of light, dyeing the forests, rivers and scenery on the plateau golden, which is very magnificent.

The halflings raised their tents and built stoves, while the griffin knights and Pegasus knights continued to work without stopping.

Fastrik and Ariana were sent to the foot of the plateau to deal with the Bonespeaker Cult on the edge of the Shadow Forest.

Hildurde brought more than 10000 gold crowns to the Imperial Engineering Academy Apprentice Camp on the Tasir Highlands and successfully signed a cooperation contract between the two parties.

The elites of the Imperial Engineering Academy will arrive at the Crimson Highlands with abundant manpower and a large amount of supplies, and build a white castle on the edge of a dangerous cliff, overlooking the entire Crimson Highlands.

Minister of Agriculture Fandral continued to advance along the Brienne River on a giant eagle. He was carrying a lightning-light Storm Dragon Head Eel. He had to trade this extraordinary fish in time, otherwise even the people of the Church of Dawn would not be able to keep it alive for more than a day.

In fact, by the evening, this ferocious carnivorous storm eel had already wilted and become listless, and could lose its life at any time.

It was all thanks to Fandral that he was kept alive, but this method couldn't last long. This made Su Li particularly curious about how the people of the Mannan Church had traveled such a long way to deliver the light-scaled fish alive and kicking to the tables of other dukes.

Fortunately, the broken bridge where the strange wizard was located was very conspicuous. It was right on the Brienne River. Fandral could find it by riding a giant eagle down the river.

This time, he only needed to fly over and hand over the fish to the other party to gain an opportunity. So he was the first to return, and successfully brought back a golden holy grail containing a cup of azure [Magic Water].

Within hours of drinking this magical water, one can see and commune with spirits, guiding a personal adventure or accomplishing an ambitious feat.

It was obvious that this thing was not suitable for the current use. Before he left, his female courtiers repeatedly warned him not to take any risks and deviate from his journey.

If he embarks on another adventure, it would be too much of a hassle.

So he simply turned his back on it and sealed the cup of [Magic Water] in the Holy Grail, placed it in a beautiful jeweled box, and gave it to the halfling for safekeeping. He didn't plan to take it out again until he returned to Hessen Territory.

This kind of adventure and expedition should be left to Gilles, the leader of the Black Steel Knights of Atonement. The magnificent experience and glorious achievements will belong to him, and the rare treasures obtained will belong to Su Li.

After the Holy Grail was put away, the halfling soon prepared dinner, and the delicious smell made people salivate.

Halflings are natural gourmets, especially when there is a halfling hero and his vegetable basket in the team.

Even in the wild, they made a sumptuous meal.

At the edge of the forest, the Halfling Swan Knight shot a wild deer, a natural delicacy for making hand-held meat.

After the prey fell, the Swan Knights swiftly stepped forward and peeled the hide with their sharp daggers. The bright red venison, exposed to the air, exuded a primal, fishy aroma. With deft movements, they quickly removed the entrails and cut the meat into portions suitable for cooking. The fat and lean parts were carefully selected, ideal for hand-pulled meat.

Deer blood is also carefully collected and mixed with flour to make fragrant pies, a traditional favorite of the halflings.

Then, in a clearing at the cliff's edge, the Swan Knight propped up a few flat stones in an iron pot. He poured water into the pot and added the cut venison. Controlling the heat was crucial—high heat for a rapid boil, low heat for a gradual tenderization of the meat. The venison tumbled in the water, its fat and protein intertwining, emitting an alluring aroma.

The broth gradually thickens, the aroma of the meat filling the air. At this point, they add a pinch of salt and Sichuan peppercorns, the most basic seasoning for the scalloped meat. But in this pristine forest, seasoning is unnecessary, as the wild venison itself is already incredibly delicious.

When the meat's color turns from red to darker and the broth thickens, the hand-held meat is ready to be removed from the pot. The Swan Knight fishes out the steaming venison and places it on the stone slab. Su Li and several ministers sit together, grab a piece of meat, dip it in a little salt, and put it into their mouths.

The meat is tender and juicy, with a hint of wildness. As you chew, the fat melts in your mouth, its aroma overflowing. The blood cake is grilled to a crispy, fragrant aroma, creating a wonderful contrast of flavors when paired with the hand-pulled meat.

Just as he was enjoying himself, another griffin stirred up a strong wind and swooped down from the northern sky.

A moment later, Hildurde returned with a huge reindeer. She patted Deathclaw's head and asked it to go over and enjoy the delicious meat in the wild.

Then she walked to Su Li and sat next to the stone slab.

Su Li cut off a piece of venison with a dagger, handed it to her, and asked, "How is it? Is everything going well?"

Hildreth smiled brightly and asked, "My Lord, the situation is far more perfect than you expected. Can you guess what adventure I encountered?"

Su Li couldn't help but smile. It seemed that this trip was really related to adventures. There were rich opportunities everywhere.

But didn't Hildurd go to sign the agreement? What kind of adventures could there be in an Imperial Engineering Academy camp?
Su Li asked with a smile, "You encountered a dragon attacking the camp, and the whole camp was in chaos. You accidentally found a magical hen in the camp that could lay bombs. Then you could use the spell "Chicken, you are so beautiful" to summon a bucket of bombs every day. Then you successfully defeated the dragon with exploding eggs and saved the camp. So the grateful academy gave you a pure unicorn mount, but because you are not a virgin girl, it took some effort to tame it. From then on, this narcissistic unicorn developed a habit of ogling, and had to wash its mane with rose essential oil every day. Every time it went to the battlefield, it would ogle at the enemy, shouting "You can hit me, but don't mess up my bangs!"

Hildreth burst out laughing, her mood brightening. She then happily finished the fresh venison that Su Li had cut for her and said with a smile, "Although this joke is outrageous, the situation is quite similar."

Su Li's eyes widened immediately. No way, he just made up a joke without even thinking about it, how come it actually fit in?
Hildreda smiled brightly and said, "Of course, the situation wasn't as exaggerated as your joke. When I arrived, a group of beastmen were attacking the Imperial Engineering Academy camp. A wyvern had already broken through the apprentices' defenses, causing chaos. I casually chopped off the wyvern's head and helped them repel the beastmen's attack. They saw my identity as the Chosen One of the Sun Goddess and were very impressed with me."

Su Li raised his eyebrows and asked, "Your identity as the chosen one of the Goddess of the Blazing Sun? What does this have to do with the Imperial Engineering Academy? Why would their favorability towards you soar after seeing your identity?"

Hildurd patiently explained, "It's only now that I understand the special connection between the Imperial Engineering Academy and the followers of Her Majesty Violet. Many of the engineers there are fanatical believers of the Sun Goddess."

Su Li's eyes lit up. That made sense. A group of fanatics saw the arrival of the Chosen One of the Fiery Sun Goddess and rescued them from danger. How could they not be resentful? They might even think that this was the one sent by the Fiery Sun Goddess to save them.

"Please tell me more about the engineers and how they became involved with Her Majesty Violet."

"The Terrabheim Imperial School of Engineers, also known as the Imperial School of Engineers, is the Imperium's most prestigious organization of engineers and master engineers. Founded by the Imperial genius Leonardo de Miragliano, it is responsible for many of the Imperium's technological innovations over the centuries."

"Throughout its long history, the school has been rebuilt on at least a dozen different occasions after experiments gone awry and catastrophic failures. The Imperial Engineering Academy is careful to present itself as a secular institution, with a mildly Redmarian bias (an attitude deemed appropriate for any major institution in Terrabheim). But as a deity with a special connection to the science of war, Her Majesty Violet has many followers within the school."

"Common soldiers may well consider Violet a deity to officers, but she also has some of her most fervent followers among the engineers. The Imperial School of Engineers is one of the wealthiest institutions in the Empire, supplying rune armor and engineering equipment to every province."

"Today, the College of Engineers is primarily focused on coming up with new ideas to counter the Imperial threat; anti-flight weapons, tunnel boring machines, ice rays, war chariots, alchemical bombs, and other bizarre devices (like a very large submersible, essentially a barrel with human-powered wheels turning a propeller). Unlike the School of Magic, which is a separate institution, the College of Engineers mixes alchemists, medical men, biologists, astronomers (as opposed to the astrologers of the School of Celestial Beings), and all sorts of unsavory, unhinged geniuses in one place."

Hearing those classic and familiar words—one of the richest institutions in the entire empire!—Su Li instantly confirmed that this must be an institution closely related to Her Majesty Violet.

(End of this chapter)