Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Chapter 102 The Shocked Renault

On his way to Emberstone Ridge with two attendants, Harold happened to see the luxurious carriage of the Golden Flower Merchant Guild approaching, surrounded by a small squad of guards.

"The carriage of the Golden Flower Merchant Guild? Lady Eleanor's carriage?" Harold suddenly pulled on the reins, his pupils contracting sharply as a storm raged in his heart.

The Golden Flower Merchant Guild? What are they doing here?

Moreover, judging from the direction, they had clearly just left from Jinshi Ridge.

After all, there were no other options at the end of this road, and they couldn't just go on a picnic in the Misty Mountains out of boredom.

A strong sense of foreboding instantly gripped Harold.

Lady Eleanor personally visited Baron Matthew.

"Could it be that Goldenleaf and Emberstone Ridge had already reached a cooperation agreement?" Harold's heart sank.

This seems to explain the astonishing speed of development that Emberstone Ridge had previously experienced; the root cause lies here.

He forced himself to calm down and urged the horses to keep going.

However, when the outline of Emberstone Ridge came into view again, Harold felt as if he could stop breathing.

He became even more certain of his earlier guess.

The city wall, which was only in its initial stages when I last visited, is now fully completed!

The dark gray walls stand tall, with an average height of over five meters. The walls are thick, and the structure of the bastions and ramparts is clearly visible, gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the sunlight.

There seemed to be patrolling soldiers on the wall.

The entire territory resembled a giant clad in steel armor, exuding a chilling defensive power.

How long has it been?

A month? Or even less than a month!

This construction speed is simply unbelievable!

Without strong external support, it would have been impossible for Emberstone Ridge to achieve this on its own!

"It's over—" Harold's face turned ashen, and his palms were ice-cold.

Young Master Renault's plan has now completely failed!

The "bait" they sent not only failed to attract bandits, but actually became the bricks and stones used to build this sturdy city wall, and the swords and armor used to arm the "militia".

It might even become a bargaining chip to gain the support of the Golden Flower Merchants Association.

The scene before him was like a heavy hammer blow, shattering the last glimmer of hope in Harold's heart.

This city wall is the most powerful evidence that not only is Jinshi Ridge safe and sound, but its strength is also expanding at an unprecedented rate.

It will become a major threat to Iron Rock City in the future.

He arrived at the city gate, looking dejected. The drawbridge over the moat was still in place, and the guards at the gate, after inquiring about his origins, had not yet announced his arrival.

Knight Conrad appeared at the entrance and announced that, according to the rules of the territory, Harold could only enter the territory alone.

When Harold was brought to the lord's manor, he also keenly sensed the earth-shattering changes within Emberstone Ridge; indeed, they had underestimated the prince's power.

"Mr. Harold, what brings you here today?" Matthew asked with an enigmatic smile.

Harold chuckled dryly. "Baron, I'm here on Young Master Renault's orders to check if the twenty laborers are working properly and causing you any trouble. Also—Young Master is concerned about the bandit group's movements; I wonder if the territory is safe these days?"

"The laborers are all very well-behaved and work very hard," Matthew said calmly. "However, now that the city wall is finished, I've sent them into the mountains to cut timber, and they won't be back for a while. I'm afraid Mr. Harold won't be seeing them again."

Harold's heart sank. Going into the mountains to cut down trees? That excuse was flawless.

He knew perfectly well that Matthew must have guessed something and was deliberately preventing him from seeing the laborers.

But before he could speak, Matthew continued, "You just mentioned the bandit gang, and I was just about to send someone to inform you. Just a few days ago, a band of over forty bandits attempted to ambush us under cover of darkness."

"What?" Harold almost couldn't suppress the smile on his lips, but he still managed to put on an expression of "shock" and "concern." "My lord! Then—what was the result? Was the territory severely damaged?"

"We wiped out all the bandits," Matthew said decisively.

Harold's feigned shock instantly turned into genuine emotion.

That vicious band of robbers was completely wiped out? That's simply unbelievable.

Does Jinshiling really have the capability to annihilate that band of bandits head-on?

Harold was somewhat incredulous.

Just then, Matthew gave Will a wink.

Will left immediately, and when he returned, he was followed by two soldiers carrying some weapons, two of which caught Harold's attention.

Because those were the weapons used by the two leaders of the Blood Ravens.

Matthew stood up, took the two weapons, and handed them to Harold: "These are the bandit leader's weapons. Young Master Renault might recognize them. Take them back and give them to Young Master Renault. This will be a way for Emberstone Ridge to thank Count Kress for his assistance. Young Master Renault will no longer have to worry about this."

Harold accepted the two heavy weapons with trembling hands.

The strong smell of blood on the blade and the thick scabs of blood on the hilt seemed to tell the tragic story of the blood crow's demise.

Even if he didn't want to admit it, he had no choice but to acknowledge the fact.

But is Matthew showing off to Renault, or is he genuinely expressing "gratitude"?

He pondered for a moment and then understood Matthew's deeper meaning.

This is to give young master Renault a way out, and also a "return gift".

Matthew was telling Renault: I know your scheme, I accept your "gift" and have transformed it into strength.

I have already dealt with the threat of the robbers myself.

I'll share some of the "credit" you brought with you, so you can go back and report.

Don't try to take advantage of Ashstone Ridge again, or next time this knife might be used in a different direction.

A combination of persuasion and coercion, kindness and severity.

This Baron Matthew is incredibly cunning!

Harold's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He had no doubt that even if the two young masters of Renault were combined, they couldn't defeat Matthew. If they didn't know when to advance and retreat, they might really lose both their wife and their army.

"Yes—yes! I will certainly deliver your words and this item to Young Master Renault intact!" Harold bowed hurriedly, his tone more respectful than ever before. "The Baron is truly mighty, defeating the bandits in one fell swoop. He has done us Ironrock City a great favor. It seems that Emberstone Ridge is now impregnable under your rule. Young Master and Earl can rest assured. I—I will return to report now and will not disturb you any longer."

He didn't want to stay a moment longer; the city walls before him and Matthew's calm yet unfathomable gaze made him feel immense pressure.

"Yes, please give my regards to Young Master Renault." Matthew nodded slightly.

Harold felt like he had been granted a pardon. Carrying the two weapons that were like hot potatoes, he hurriedly left the lord's mansion and exited the city gate, then ran wildly towards Ironrock City without looking back.

Watching Harold's disheveled figure disappear into the distance, Will walked to Matthew's side and whispered, "Your Highness, would this—keep him quiet for a while?"

Matthew gazed intently towards Ironrock City and said slowly, "Hopefully. Renault may be foolish, but he's not stupid. He knows what it means for us to be able to wipe out the entire bandit group. Besides, we've helped him resolve his troubles and given him credit, which can be considered compensation for his previous losses. He should know better than to go back and report. Of course, if he's still relentless, then we won't be pushovers either."

Upon returning to the camp, Harold immediately reported everything he had seen and heard in great detail.

When Renault learned that the walls of Emberstone Ridge had been built and the bandit gang had been wiped out, he was shocked and a chill ran down his spine.

He stared intently at the two familiar weapons Harold had placed on the ground—especially the name Blood Raven engraved on the back of the blade, and its distinctive appearance.

All of this proves that these are the personal weapons of Blood Raven, the leader of the Blood Ravens, and Savage Bones.

Ashstone Ridge—Matthew, the illegitimate son he always looked down upon, not only built high walls in that desolate place, but also annihilated the Blood Raven bandit gang that had caused him so much trouble and heavy losses.

This is simply unbelievable!

This also means that all his previous calculations and investments have been completely wasted.

The frustration of meticulously planned yet utterly defeated left him deeply depressed.

"How did he do that?" Renault asked, as if questioning Harold, or perhaps himself.

Harold lay prostrate on the ground, his head bowed even lower: "Young Master—Emberstone Ridge—is probably far more complex than we imagine. They may have the Blackwood family backing them, and—Young Master, on my way to Emberstone Ridge, I encountered a carriage from the Golden Flower Merchant Guild. Lady Eleanor was likely in the carriage, and her carriage had just left from the direction of Emberstone Ridge."

"Broom? Eleanor?" Renault's brows furrowed instantly, but he seemed to understand why Ember Ridge had developed so rapidly. It turned out that Broom was behind it all.

Otherwise, where would Matthew get so many resources and manpower?

Moreover, it's not impossible that Harold mentioned something else—the Blackwood family might actually be secretly helping Emberstone Ridge.

Although Vargus dislikes Will, Alicia, the matriarch of the Blackwood family, would not abandon her son. It's possible that the Blackwood family has sent a mage to secretly protect Will.

This may also be why they were able to annihilate the entire bandit group.

That must be it; that explains it.

Renault believed in his own wisdom and keen insight, having discovered the truth of the matter.

But thinking about this, Renault couldn't help but feel a little scared. Luckily, he didn't rashly impersonate a bandit group to plunder Emberstone Ridge, otherwise he probably would have been in deep trouble.

"We must be wary of that shrewd woman, Eleanor!" The thought that this intelligent and beautiful woman, whom even his own father treated with deference, might already be colluding with Matthew filled Renault with apprehension.

The Golden Flower Merchant Guild wields immense power and has a mysterious background in the Kingdom of Augustus, making it certainly not something he can easily provoke.

But he had to report this to his father to raise his awareness, and perhaps he could even get his father's praise.

"Harold, this information is very important!" Renault said seriously, his gaze returning to the weapons of Blood Raven and Savage, his mood improving considerably.

After all, the news Harold brought wasn't all bad.

Although his plan to lure the bandits out of their hole failed and he lost a lot of money, the bandit gang was indeed wiped out.

Although it wasn't Renault Kress who personally oversaw the operation, without the weapons and supplies he sent, Emberstone Ridge might not have been able to take down these vicious bastards.

Now that Matthew has sent over the weapons, it means he wants to hand over the credit to me.

"He's smart enough to know what's good for him!" Renault narrowed his eyes, naturally guessing that Matthew did this to repay the gifts he had sent.

Although he had indeed suffered considerable losses this time, he would consider it as an expense for his bandit suppression efforts. At least he could return to Tieyan City with dignity, carrying his "merit," and report back to his father.

No longer do he have to endure the wind and sand in this godforsaken place, and no longer do he have to worry about being blamed for bandit attacks on villages. He can finally get a good night's sleep.

If he could, he would never want to come to this godforsaken place again in his entire life.

"Hoo—" Renault exhaled a long breath, as if trying to squeeze out all the frustration in his chest.

"Well—he was able to rid Iron Rock City of the Blood Raven, a major threat, so his merits and demerits are balanced."

He bent down, picked up the scimitar that belonged to Blood Raven from the ground, and said thoughtfully, "Harold."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Pass down the order: the Blood Raven Bandits have been wiped out by our army and the joint defense forces of Emberstone Ridge. Pack your bags and prepare to break camp—we're returning to Ironrock City." Renault's voice returned to calm as he spoke of Emberstone Ridge.

He already had a new plan in mind—he would make Jinshiling return the money he had lost sooner or later.

Renault's eyes were full of calculation; he already had a plan in mind.

Using the Kress family's control over the border, they set up checkpoints at Ember Ridge in areas such as trade, taxation, and the influx of migrants.

They treat you poorly, slowly extracting value from you.

In short, fatten him up first, and then slaughter him.

However, all of this is predicated on the fact that I must first go back, use this "merit" to solidify my position, and thoroughly investigate how far the Golden Flower Merchant Guild and Ember Ridge have progressed.