Is this cheat code from Bika? Just do it!

"But we've already sent out appeals for help to the First Prince and the Second Prince, but there's been no response. And we can't hold out for more than a few days."

The old man shook his head as he spoke.

His voice was filled with helplessness and despair; he knew he had reached a dead end.

His body seemed to have aged considerably all of a sudden, and his steps became unsteady.

"Why don't we try sending a request for help to the North? The kind Princess Safina is currently in the North; perhaps a miracle will happen."

The old servant offered his advice. He still clung to a sliver of hope that a miracle could occur and save the city and its inhabitants.

He didn't want to see this city, which held countless memories and hopes, destroyed in an instant.

"You decide for yourself." The old man glanced at the sea again with his cloudy eyes, sighed, and slowly walked away.

That lonely figure looked particularly desolate in the wind and rain, as if telling of his helplessness and sorrow.

He didn't know where the city's future lay, nor how much longer he could hold on.

He could only pray silently, hoping that heaven would bless the city and its people.

His heart was filled with pain and struggle, but he still did not give up. He believed that as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would persevere.

131. Should a rescue be carried out?

Winterfell is now a far cry from its former bustling self, thanks to a significant increase in its population.

Especially at night, bonfires are often lit around the dormitory, where people sit together and chat about everything under the sun.

These newcomers were inevitably a little reserved at first. However, as the days went by and they gradually adapted to the pace of life in Winter City, they slowly opened their hearts and integrated into this new community.

"Old man, how was your work today?" A young man turned his head and asked an old man who was obviously quite old.

The old man's face was covered with wrinkles, like the furrows etched by time. He smiled slightly and said, "It's alright, just tending to the farmland. That's something I used to be good at, so I can manage. Are you all exhausted from working in the mines?"

"It is tiring, but it's much better than before. Before, those in charge would have whips and shout at the top of their lungs. Not only did we not get any rest, but they would also beat us at the drop of a hat." The young man said, while casually drawing lines in the soil with his fingers.

"The mine foremen here not only don't bully us, but they're also quite good-tempered. As long as we work hard, even if we do something wrong, they'll point it out to us promptly and patiently teach us," the young man added, seemingly worried that the old man wouldn't believe him.

"You miners work so hard, what do you eat for lunch? Are you full? I have half a steamed bun here, do you want it?" the old man asked with concern. Although they were complete strangers before, their similar experiences brought them closer together in this peaceful environment.

The young man waved his hand, scratched his head, and said with a sheepish smile, "No need, I'm full. We have plenty of steamed buns for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as all kinds of porridge and vegetables. Sometimes there's even meat soup, although each person only gets a few small pieces of meat, but the taste... tsk tsk."

As he spoke, the young man couldn't help but lick his lips, as if he was still immersed in the wonderful taste.

The old man smiled and nodded, saying, "That's good. It seems we've all eaten about the same amount. As long as we're full, that's fine."

"How lucky we are to be here! It's truly thanks to the Earth Mother Goddess's blessing." The young man looked up at the sky and couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, this place is simply paradise." The old man recalled his nightmarish life as a slave and couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Compared to the past, this place was like heaven and earth.

"Our city lord is such a kind person."

"Yes, we have to work hard. The city lord said that as long as we work for two years, we can become citizens of Winter City," the young man said excitedly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Yes, you'll be able to get married by then, you rascal." The old man chuckled and gently patted the young man on the shoulder.

"Old man, what are you saying..." the young man retorted, feigning anger.

......

Meanwhile, Link was sitting in the hall, leisurely enjoying snacks while listening to Bai's report.

"My lord, this is a summary of the situation in Winter City over the past few days," Bai said respectfully.

Link nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Yes, that's good. The process in Xinmin can be accelerated a bit, but remember not to use any extreme methods. Everything must be handled strictly in accordance with our newly released Civil Code."

"Newcomers"—that's the name Link gave to the newly arrived slaves. After all, he couldn't keep calling them slaves, but he also couldn't confuse them with the natives, so he came up with this name.

“Furthermore, we can further motivate them. For example, each month, select the hardest-working individuals from all the new residents in each position, name them the ‘model workers’ of the month, and give them a reward. As for the reward, the simplest and most direct way is to reduce their original two-year service period by one month. This will not only serve as a role model for other new residents but also increase everyone’s enthusiasm for work,” Link said methodically.

Safina was listening attentively beside him, carefully taking notes of what Link said. Then she looked up with a puzzled expression and asked, "Link, what do you mean by 'model worker'?"

After spending more time with Link, Safina realized that there were many things she didn't understand.

Link then realized that the concept of "model worker" didn't exist in this world. He coughed and explained, "'Model worker' is just short for model worker."

“Okay, I understand.” Safina nodded. Link always managed to come up with some seemingly inexplicable, but actually novel and very useful methods.

"Also, tell Lushe to expedite the supply delivery; the mines are still facing a shortage," Link continued.

“Okay, I’ll urge Lu Xie later,” Bai replied.

"By the way, Lord Link, Commander Lina suggested that we recruit some new soldiers from among these new residents. After all, the population of Winterfell is increasing, and it's time to increase the number of city guards." Bai hesitated for a moment before raising the question.

“Don’t rush this. Let them work for two or three months first, get used to life in Winter City, and develop a sense of belonging before recruiting more. If the number of soldiers is still not enough, recruit some more from the current citizens to keep things afloat,” Link calmly analyzed.

After the expansion of Winterhold, the number of city guards does indeed need to be increased.

Just then, the head maid, Della, gently knocked on the door and stood at the entrance, saying, "Lord Link, Commander Lina has brought a ragged soldier to see you. She says she has something urgent to report to you and is currently waiting outside."

"It's so late, what could be so urgent for Lina?" Link muttered to himself, then looked up and called out, "Della, let Lina and the others in."

“Yes,” Della replied.

“Perfect timing, Bai, Safina, we’ve almost finished discussing Xinmin’s matter. Let’s see if Lina has any urgent business to attend to.” Link turned to Bai and Safina and said.

"Yes, Lord Link."

Bai nodded and moved behind Link.

Safina also put away her notebook that she used for taking notes.

Soon, Lina arrived at the study and bowed to Link: "Lina greets Lord Link and Princess Safina. I apologize for disturbing you in the middle of the night."

"Sigh, Lina, let's skip the formalities! What important matter do you have to come to me so late at night? Tell me." Link's gaze fell on the soldier in tattered armor behind Lina.

"This is our lord, and this is Princess Safina. Please repeat what you just told me to our lord and Princess Safina," Lina said to the soldier behind her.

The soldier stepped forward, looked at the lord before him and the princess beside him, and knelt down with a thud. His voice was filled with urgency and pleading: "Lord, Princess Safina! Please save our Hailin City!"

Link frowned, stepped forward to help the soldier up, and said curiously, "Where are you from, and what do you mean by saving your city? Tell me slowly and explain the whole story."

The soldier stood up, licked his slightly chapped lips, and said, "My lord, I am a soldier from Hailin City. I have come here specifically to ask for your help."

Link helped the soldier to a chair and placed a cup of tea in his hand, saying, "Have some water first. You said you came from Hailin City?"

"Yes sir!"

Link walked directly to the world map next to him and began to examine it.

"Your Hailin City is located on the northwest coast, in a remote location, and it's not in the battleground between the First Prince and the Second Prince, so it shouldn't be the First Prince and the Second Prince who attacked you, right? What exactly happened there?"

The soldier gulped down his water and continued, “Yes, sir, our city of Hailin is located in the northwesternmost part of the empire, right next to the sea. Like our name suggests, we live by the sea, primarily making our living through fishing. But for some reason, starting more than half a month ago, sea monsters suddenly began launching fierce attacks against us. Our soldiers, led by our city lord, fought back relentlessly and finally withstood the first attack. However, they have continued to attack us, making it impossible for us to go out to sea to fish. For the past half month, we have been surviving on our stored food. But if this continues, we won't be able to hold out much longer. Please, sir, help us!”

Link frowned and asked, "Your location is very close to the First Prince and the Second Prince, why don't you report the situation to them and ask for help?"

The soldier shook his head helplessly and said, "Our city lord sent scouts to the First Prince and Second Prince, as well as several surrounding major cities, for help as early as when the sea monsters launched their second attack, but we haven't received any news. All the lords have refused us with various excuses. My lord, please help us! If you are unwilling to send troops, I will have no choice but to return and perish with our Hailin City!"

Link stroked his chin.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems so.

Now that the eldest and second princes are locked in a fierce battle, the remaining minor lords are taking this opportunity to expand their territories and amass wealth. They have no time to care about a small border town.

Link looked at the soldier with a pleading expression and asked, "Do you have any letters or anything like that from your city lord?"

"Yes, sir, please wait a moment." The soldier carefully pulled a crumpled animal hide envelope from inside his armor.

Link took the envelope and pulled out a piece of parchment.

The letter contained the following:

I am Haite Came, the lord of Sealink City. Our city is under fierce attack from the sirens. I beg the Lord of the North and Her Highness the Princess to lead troops to our aid. Please!

The letter was short, but it was written in blood and bore a unique family crest representing Hailin City.

132. Decision

"Go down and rest for a while. I will give you a clear answer tomorrow morning."

Link pondered for a moment, then looked steadily at the soldier and spoke slowly.

"My lord! I beg you! You must save our Hailin City!"

Upon hearing Link's words, the soldier became emotional and knelt down again with a thud, clasping his hands together and pleading desperately, his voice filled with despair and hope.

Link shook his head slightly, his expression grave. "You need to give me some time to think this over. Even if we decide to send troops, we need to prepare carefully. We can't just rush off in the middle of the night. Lina, have someone take this brother down to get some rest."

The soldier looked at Link expectantly, then sighed helplessly, slowly stood up, and said in a low but firm voice, "Sir, regardless of whether you are ultimately willing to send troops, I implore you to give me an answer by tomorrow morning. All the brothers in Hailin City, and all the kind elders and folks, are anxiously waiting for me to return. Even if I die in battle, I am willing to die on the walls of Hailin City, to live and die with the city!"

After speaking, he lowered his head and silently followed a servant away, his steps appearing particularly heavy.

Link, with a serious expression, walked to the map again, his gaze fixed on the location of Hailin City and its complex surrounding geography. He frowned and fell into deep thought.

At this moment, Bai and Safina also came over and carefully examined the huge map with Link.

Bai pointed to a corner of the map and said, "This is Hailin City. It is located in the northwest corner of the Human Empire, on the coastal border. If we start from our Winter City, we can reach it by crossing the Thorn Ridge and traveling east along the river for several days. If we start from Gray Valley County, the distance will be even shorter."

Safina nodded slightly, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her eyes: "Yes, I heard about Hailin City a long time ago. It seems that my sister's merchant guild also has a branch there. I've heard my sister mention that a large number of fish products from the human kingdom are sold from there."

As a command-type android, Bai fully utilized his professional skills and gave a highly valuable suggestion: "Lord Link, according to the intelligence we have so far, although Hailin City is located outside the northern border and close to the territories of the First and Second Princes, it is indeed more dangerous than other places. But at the same time, it also has something we urgently need."

"Oh... tell me more about it?" Link stroked his chin, his eyes fixed on the map, his mind racing. Hearing Bai's words, he immediately became interested.

Bai pointed to the map and began to explain in detail: "First, there's the Sipurt River. This river meanders all the way to the sea near Sealink City. If we choose to travel by water, we can reach Sealink City in less than half a day. However, if we travel by land from Winterfell City, it will take us three or four days. If Winterfell City wants to achieve faster development in the future, sea transport is undoubtedly a crucial link. I think this is one of the reasons why you had Adoris Kusha build a navy. The sea near Sealink City is the mouth of the Sipurt River, which is of great strategic significance to us. Moreover, if those sea monsters are not satisfied after destroying Sealink City, they are very likely to travel up this river, which could pose a considerable threat to our northern border."

"Yes, your analysis makes a lot of sense." Link nodded slightly, agreeing with Bai's point of view.

"And there's another crucial point, Lord Link, which you may not know. According to the intelligence I've gathered in the database, after detailed analysis, Hailin City contains extremely rich saltpeter deposits," Bai said solemnly.

"Saltpeter!?" Link's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had seen a great hope.

In this era, the power of cannons and muskets was overwhelming, and the most crucial material in the black powder that these powerful weapons relied on was saltpeter.

It is said that sulfur is the most difficult to deal with, followed by nitrates, and then charcoal.

Link was well aware of the importance of saltpeter, as the low production of gunpowder was largely due to the limited production of saltpeter.

“Bai, you mean…” Link stared intently at Bai, already vaguely guessing what Bai was thinking.

"I think you've already guessed my intention, Lord Link. One of the most pressing supplies we're facing in Winterfell is saltpeter. Simply buying it is far from enough to meet our needs. Moreover, we can't keep relying on caravans to transport saltpeter from distant places. If that happens, our lifeline will always be in someone else's hands. If the supply is cut off, our gunpowder production will stop."

"Well, you're right."

"So I was thinking, could we go to Hailin City and do some on-site investigation? Maybe we can find something useful."

Bai paused slightly, looked at the map and pondered for a moment before continuing, "If my analysis is verified, firstly, we can completely occupy the saltpeter mines there and, relying on convenient sea transport, obtain large quantities of saltpeter for making gunpowder; secondly, we can take this opportunity to control Hailin City and develop it into our maritime hub, further strengthening our maritime trade; thirdly, in the name of Princess Safina, we can extend a helping hand to Hailin City in its time of crisis, while the First and Second Princes are only concerned with their own interests and launching a war, thus raising the banner of Princess Safina's benevolence, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone."

The commander truly lives up to his reputation!

To be able to come up with such a comprehensive plan and analyze the pros and cons in such a short time is truly admirable!

Lina frowned, her face full of worry, and said, "Lord Link, are you really going to the rescue? Hailin City isn't far from the First and Second Princes' territories. If they turn their attention to us, I'm afraid... the consequences will be unimaginable."

Lina couldn't help but feel worried. The Northern Territory was still gathering strength, and if they were to confront the First and Second Princes head-on at this time, they probably wouldn't gain any advantage.

Although the North has powerful dragons and exceptionally skilled female knights, the First and Second Princes also command a considerable number of mage legions. If they were to clash head-on, the casualties would inevitably be heavy.

Bai then gently stopped Lina, signaling her to calm down.

Lin Kezai carefully examined the map, weighing the pros and cons repeatedly in his mind. He stood there, lost in deep thought.

After a long pause, Link finally made a decision.

"Send troops!" Link said firmly and decisively. "Not only should we send troops, but we should send them in a grand and imposing manner! Lina, you'll probably have to stay up all night! I need you to arrange all the military matters for me tonight."

"Lord Link...are you really sure?" Lina asked again, her eyes wide.

"Yes, tomorrow morning, we will split our forces into two groups. Agnes is currently pregnant and unable to travel on horseback, so the first group will be led by Bernice, Anne Roger, Ingrid, and the Elf Queen Olica, with you in command. This group doesn't need to launch an attack; simply cross the Sipurt River and head straight for the Second Prince's territory, giving him a strong signal that we are about to attack. The Second Prince is a suspicious man; if we do this, he will worry about being attacked from both sides and will dare not make any further moves, only engaging in a stalemate with the First Prince's main army. After that, we can act freely. The second group will be led by Fiorena, Dilva, Claudia, and Claudia, who will travel with me aboard Adoris's warship to support Hailin City."

Lina said in surprise, "My lord, do you mean I should stay in Winter City? How can that be? You're going to such a dangerous place, I must go with you and protect your safety."

“No!” Link shook his head firmly and said, “You must stay. Winterfell needs you to be there. Besides, aren’t you going to train new city guards from the new citizens? It would be best if you personally took charge of training the new recruits. After all, these new recruits need to quickly fill the vacant positions to ensure the safety of Winterfell. Don’t worry, I’ll decide what to do there depending on the situation. Don’t forget, I’ll be with my dragon. Even if we encounter danger, I can escape safely.”

"This... alright..." Although Lina was extremely reluctant, she also knew that her task was of great importance.

Just like Stella and Claudia, they all have their own responsibilities now, and they need to guard a city. With missions to take care of, they naturally can't just leave easily.

"Lina, you'll probably have to work a long night tonight. Go and assemble the troops immediately, and everyone else, prepare to depart early tomorrow morning. Organize your weapons and pack at least ten days' worth of rations. To avoid disrupting the normal lives of the citizens, we'll eat at three in the morning and depart promptly at four." Link methodically arranged everything.

“Understood, sir.” Lina nodded solemnly.

"Also, I need to take the muskets and ammunition from the armory. I want to take this opportunity to test the results of the musketeer team's training over this period. After we set off, just in case, tell Hannah from the research department to replenish the armory's reserves in time," Link added.