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nOn the morning of the eleventh day, Howard’s army seized Manshur Village, and by the afternoon, they had also taken control of Pitz Village.

nWith this, all of Knight Zoron’s territories fell into Howard’s hands.

nHowever, Howard lacked the true authority over Manshur Village and Pitz Village, and he couldn’t usurp Knight Zoron’s title.

nAt this juncture, Bosiden approached Howard.

nDressed in a soft, ecru-colored armor neatly bound with black lines, Bosiden addressed Howard, “My lord, are you worried about not having the opportunity to claim Zoron’s lands?”

nMounted on his horse, Howard replied, “This was a defensive war on my part. Without sovereignty, even in victory, I can only demand substantial war reparations from the opponent, not claim their lands.”

nBosiden moved closer to Howard’s horse, wishing to speak privately.

nHoward dismounted, and Bosiden leaned in, “My lord, listen to me. You are now the lord of four villages, which actually accounts for more than 75% control over Baron Fernsouth’s entire territory. You can now forcefully claim the title of Baron Fernsouth. Once you incorporate Fernsouth’s entire territory into your vassal system, you will be the legitimate Baron Fernsouth.”

nHoward, elated, inquired, “How does one forcefully claim such a title?”

nBosiden explained, “To forcefully usurp a title higher than your current status, you need to spend a certain amount of money.”

nHoward, pondering the financial aspect, turned to Bosiden, “Can you estimate how much this might cost?”

nBosiden presented Howard with a figure: five gold coins.

nIndeed, for a knight aspiring to claim a baron’s title, five gold coins was a considerable sum in this land.

nSuch an amount would have been trivial to the Howard of old, but now…

nRui Village and Yami Village had only gone through one taxation season.

nCoupled with the expenses of procuring leather armor and iron swords for Yami Village’s peasant soldiers, as well as the costs incurred in the occupation of Kenfa Village, Howard’s finances were strained.

nHe currently possessed only one gold coin, along with forty silver coins and thirty bronze coins, leaving a substantial gap to reach the required five gold coins.

nAt this moment, Anna stepped forward, offering several gold coins to him.

nHoward found himself in a state of hesitation.

nResarite, eager to become a knight, urged Howard, “My lord, take it. There’s no time for doubt. If you don’t seize this opportunity to claim the baron’s title, you’ll have to relinquish control over the two villages we’ve captured.” 𝘳𝑎.𝗇t

nMargaret remained silent, her gaze fixed on Howard.

nShe believed in his judgment implicitly, content to follow wherever he led.

nBosiden, Vettel, and Alonso, who had accompanied Resarite from his original domain, all supported Resarite’s ambition.

nBosiden encouraged Howard, “My lord, the path to great power lies before you now. Do not hesitate.”

nVettel added, “My lord, such a golden opportunity does not come often.”

nAlonso, straightforward as ever, said, “My lord, I’m not one for fancy words, but I think you should take this money. Become a baron and show us all what you’re capable of!”

nOverwhelmed by the weight of the moment and the support of his allies, Howard roared in affirmation, “Alright.”

nTaking the purse of coins from Anna, Howard checked the amount and forcefully returned the excess to her.

nHe then handed over five gold coins to Bosiden.

n“Take these five gold coins,” he instructed, “I don’t care how, but make sure the job gets done.”

nBosiden, overjoyed, took the five golden Brunos – a necessary expense for the ensuing procedures and ceremonies.

nIn just eleven days since usurping the title of Kenfa Village, Howard had now also claimed the titles of Manshur Village and Pitz Village.

nMoreover, having effectively controlled over 75% of Fernsouth’s territory, he had usurped the title of Baron Fernsouth.

nFrom that moment, Howard became the Baron Fernsouth!

nThe former Great Baron Fernsouth was henceforth stripped of his title, downgraded to a knight, known as Knight Blima.

nHoward disbanded the army, and the peasant soldiers returned to their respective villages to resume their agricultural work.

nNow a baron, Howard had the authority to knight individuals.

nHe knighted Anna, granting her Yami Village, and told her, “I will repay your generous support in the future.”

nHe also knighted Margaret, bestowing upon her Manshur Village.

nLastly, he fulfilled his promise to Resarite, knighting him and granting the prosperous Rui Village.

nAnna, Margaret, and Resarite each set off for their respective domains.

nBosiden, Vettel, and Alonso, who had originally come with Resarite, were asked by Howard through Resarite about their desires.

nTheir determination was unwavering; they all chose to continue serving Howard, assisting him in his endeavors.

nOne morning, Howard summoned the three men and informed them that if they continued to serve him diligently, he would reward them with lands when he achieved a higher title.

nThis promise filled the trio with unexpected joy.

nNot being nobles themselves and having once thought the upper echelons of society were out of reach, Howard’s assurance quickened their heartbeats with excitement.

nBosiden, unable to contain his eagerness, leaned forward and thumped his chest with his right hand, declaring, “My lord, rest assured, I shall serve you with all my heart and might!”

nVettel’s face radiated determination. “My lord, have no worries. I am committed to following you!”

nAlonso added, “My lord, when I become a noble, I will always stand by your side, helping you conquer even greater territories!”

nHoward nodded and smiled in appreciation, encouraging them before asking Bosiden, “Bosiden, with the ceaseless warfare, when do you think I should declare war on Knight Blima?”

nBosiden replied, “My lord, the ongoing war is due to Fernsouth not being fully unified under your rule. Now that you hold the title of Baron Fernsouth and have the right to claim the entire territory of Fernsouth, Knight Blima, having been the Baron and now stripped of his title by you, must surely harbor deep resentment.”

n“With his experience in controlling Fernsouth, he could declare war on you at any moment. The current calmness seems deceptive, but everyone knows it’s just the quiet before the storm.”

nAs Howard listened to Bosiden’s counsel, he pondered over the looming challenge posed by Knight Blima.

nHoward asked, “Bosiden, in this calm before the storm, how do you think we should proceed?”

nBosiden clasped his hands at his chest and replied, “Although Knight Blima is no longer Baron Fernsouth, he still holds Castle Fernsouth, the only fortress within our Fernsouth territory.”

n“It would be challenging to swiftly defeat Knight Blima and seize Castle Fernsouth. I believe we should quickly bring Knight Kaido under your lordship. This way, when we declare war on Knight Blima, Knight Kaido would also lend his forces to our cause.”

nHoward remembered the engagement between Flandre and Knight Kaido, realizing there was still some time before their marriage.

nHe said, “Bosiden, visit Knight Kaido and persuade him to submit to me. If he is reluctant, don’t press him too hard to avoid any discord, especially since we have the upcoming nuptials. He is a man of knightly virtue, and I hold great respect for him.”

nAfter Bosiden respectfully took his leave from the lord’s hall, Howard turned to Vettel, “Vettel, I am in need of funds. Do you have any suggestions?”

nVettel replied, “My lord, no one ever complains of having too much wealth. Everyone seeks to increase their fortune. If you desire wealth that others cannot attain, you must undertake what others cannot achieve.”

n“Undertake what others cannot achieve?”

nHoward mused, lost in thought, considering the depth and implications of Vettel’s advice.

n“In all the villages, the economy based on agricultural products is undoubtedly the largest sector,” Howard noted.

n“The agricultural economy is unpredictable. Numerous factors can influence a village’s yearly agricultural output, and one misstep could lead to a year’s labor being in vain,” he continued thoughtfully.

n“Conversely, it’s nearly impossible to make a substantial profit solely from agricultural products.”

nAfter saying this, Vettel fell into a silence. Sensing something was amiss, Howard asked with understanding, “You’ve stopped speaking. Is there something difficult you are trying to express?”

n“Your insight is admirable, my lord. It’s not that I have an unspeakable secret; rather, I am disheartened by the difficulties in managing agricultural economics,” Vettel confessed.

nHoward pondered for a moment. “The stagnation of the agricultural economy you mentioned earlier, is it because there’s a lack of valuable agricultural products?”

n“What if we develop new specialty products for the villages? Once traders arrive, we could promote these new specialties, potentially earning profits we couldn’t achieve in previous years.”

n“In the long run, wouldn’t this be an additional source of income?”

nHoward’s words were like a revelation, radically changing Vettel’s perspective.

nAstonishment evident in his voice, Vettel said, “My lord, you’re absolutely right. How did I not think of this before?”

nIn that moment, Howard’s vision of leveraging untapped potential within traditional economies opened new pathways of thought, revealing opportunities that lay hidden within the familiar and mundane.

n𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝑜𝑚

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