After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

"Have you been receiving too many letters from the military lately?" Upon arriving at the Duke's mansion once again, Reid placed the small wooden box and letters on the desk, instead of turning and leaving as he had done before.

As the weather grew colder, Elena changed into her winter maid outfit and put on a white fox fur coat over it.

She calculated the financial budget required for the project and gave a soft "hmm" in response to Reid.

"Are you listening to me?"

Reid sighed, patted the small wooden box, and knew without a doubt that it was a bribe from a division commander and count to her.

Helpless, Elena stopped what she was doing, looked at Red, and picked up her teacup to warm her hands.

"So what are you trying to say? Am I not allowed to get involved in military matters?"

"Forehead……"

Red scratched his head. "Why don't you two get married first, and then deal with these more sensitive issues?"

The Duke paid no heed to Red's paranoia; if it weren't for Red's loyalty, he wouldn't have placed him in such an important position.

Similarly, Elena did not want Red to get involved in the fighting between the troops below.

It's called a struggle, but it's really a matter of the right to development.

The Northern Territory is expanding its army, but these newly established units are primarily designed for large-scale operations. For example, the eight thousand cavalrymen currently undergoing day and night equestrian training at the military camp in Kuogu City—who would dare to target them except the Duke?

However, another stark reality is that once these troops defeat the demons on the main battlefield, not to mention the Third Regiment guarding the eastern agricultural area, even the Second Regiment, which has a distinguished record, will have a very awkward position in the northern territory in the future.

After all, the Duke's original purpose in training four regiments was to rebuild the Northern Army's field combat capabilities.

But the scale of future wars... will be far beyond what a regimental-level unit can participate in!

"The construction of the military camp in the southern commercial district needs to be expedited. The Duke intends to upgrade the Knights to Knight Divisions. You have a heavy workload, and you also command the militia. However, don't expect Commander Kate to share the burden with you."

To keep Red from bothering her, Elena decided to kick him south.

"The plan to conquer the demons has been put on the agenda. Kate's second regiment... or perhaps the second division, will most likely also be sent to the demon kingdom to fight. Therefore, the heavy responsibility of defending the central district rests entirely on your shoulders."

After giving these instructions, Elena put down her teacup and continued with her work.

After standing there in a daze for a long time, Red finally understood what Rondo was fighting for.

They're expanding their army, but not the army they already have; the northern territories can't afford to support that many troops.

In short, you've been given a divisional position; whether you can become a division commander depends entirely on your own abilities.

Looking across the entire Northern Territory, perhaps only Earl Camaro had his rank filled by the Duke himself.

An elite archer regiment, a regiment composed of battle-hardened veterans, Camaro's own garrison regiment, plus Starfall City as a base, and a constant stream of logistical supplies.

The treatment was top-notch.

But now a problem has arisen: their knights seem to be short 10,000 warhorses...

"Yeah, Red is here too."

Oswald walked in carrying a stack of documents. After a brief greeting to Reid, he put down the documents, picked up the letters on the table, and patted Eleanor on the shoulder.

Just as the two were about to bow, Oswald raised his hand to stop them.

"Perfect timing, the three of us haven't chatted in a long time, let's all take a break, I have something to discuss with you."

Around the fireplace, Oswald sat on the edge of the armchair, crossed his legs, and opened a letter while puffing on his pipe.

After letting the two puzzled men sit down, Oswald glanced at the letter Rondo had written to Elena, shook his head, and smiled wryly.

"That Rondo, does he even know that Duke Dale has already amassed troops and is preparing to drive him out? Instead, he's setting his sights on the eastern territories."

Elena rubbed her wrist, calmly accepting the letter from Oswald, while Red, standing beside her, also received a cigar.

Elena spoke softly, "Luna and Kate have completed their landing in the Eastern Territory, with a total of over 40,000 soldiers and civilians. If the two sides join forces to fight a major battle, they might be able to take over a piece of territory."

Red, who solemnly accepted the cigar, clearly disagreed with this plan, even though he knew that his old comrade-in-arms Rondo had given Elena a lot of benefits for it.

"Your Grace, the main task of Miss Luna and the Second Regiment is to prepare for the war against the Central District. Commander Rondo also holds the important position of lord of Kuogu City, so neither side is suitable to carry out long-term development in the Eastern Territory."

Exhaling smoke, Oswald gave Reid an admiring look.

Before anyone knew it, Reid had become a general who could see the big picture. Of course, Reid's political talent goes without saying; he was always able to be flexible and adaptable.

"That's what I meant too."

Oswald first stated his position, then gestured to Elene, who was about to speak, to be patient.

He understood Aline's thoughts; she simply didn't want to see the negative phenomenon of one company dominating the market.

"My idea this time is to have the three regiments and the Knights participate in the noble war against the Eastern Territory. If we're going to fight, let's fight a grand and spectacular war; if we're going to take territory, then we need to have the ambition to swallow it whole."

Upon hearing this, both Eleanor and Red showed expressions of disbelief.

The four regiments and the Knights are the backbone of the Northern Army. If this punch is thrown, the Eastern Commander will be severely injured, if not killed, when attacked from both sides.

Oswald glanced at the two men and calmly said, "I have only one request: to eliminate the armed forces of the Eastern Territory as much as possible and to take as much land as possible."

During this period, Oswald was struggling with how to deal with the upcoming crisis.

The development of the Mechanical Church still needs time, but the calamity of the Southern Territory is imminent, and Oswald's premonition is very ominous.

In his time of need, Luna, who fought wherever she went, gave Oswald a lot of inspiration.

Yes, the situation is already chaotic, so what if it gets even more chaotic? Instead of getting caught up in this, we should take this opportunity to develop and strengthen our own capabilities.

"Lead the army into battle, Reid. Remember to tell the Third Regiment that they will be in charge of the territory we conquer this time..."

Late at night, the north wind howled, and the ice city welcomed its first snowfall of the year.

The soft snowflakes melted on the damp ground. Jenny stepped through the puddles and arrived at Thorne and Lilith's secluded dwelling.

Several candles were lit in the room, their light and shadows illuminating Thorne's tired face.

Happy times are always fleeting. As her belly gradually swelled, Lilith fell into comas more and more often, and unknown gray spots appeared on her body.

His wife's repeated comforting words gradually made Thorne more taciturn, and he knew in his heart what this really meant.

Jenny became one of the few people who could still see them in recent months.

Pushing open the door, Jenny, carrying a medical kit, came to the bedside and began examining Lilith without saying a word.

When her fingers touched the girl's skin, Jenny felt as if she were touching a rough but loose piece of gauze.

"How long has she been unconscious?"

Jenny's soft voice echoed in the dimly lit room. Thorne, who had brought the oil lamp, had done this kind of question and answer countless times before, and then spoke.

"I ate something at four o'clock in the afternoon and haven't woken up since."

A wisp of green magic seeped into Lilith's body. Jenny frowned deeply. Lilith's life was already hanging by a thread, and now, to make matters worse, the fetus had been affected.

"I hope you understand, Thorne, the less my magic is rejected by Lilith's body, the worse her condition becomes."

Jenny retracted her fingers, took the newly concocted potion from the medicine box and placed it on the bedside table, saying frankly, "You still have half a month, Thorne. If you drag this out any longer, your child will be the first to give up."