Recently, Edward found himself in dire need of money.

After the battle, he disbanded the mercenary group, and together with Howard, they had a remaining force of 3768 troops.

The subsequent siege was a tedious affair; Howard and Edward had no intentions of launching a forceful assault, thus prolonging the standoff.

A month later, Howard sent Vettel to meet with Rolf to inquire about the estimated time needed to build the fleet.

Upon hearing the query, Vettel couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

“My lord, shipbuilding is not like conscripting soldiers; it can’t be rushed. Considering the number of ships Rolf mentioned, even at a fast pace, it would take at least a year or two.”

Howard pouted slightly, “I can’t wait that long. The New World trade is booming; am I supposed to waste time in the Mediterranean? Think of a way to acquire a fleet more quickly.”

Vettel thought to himself that ships were not like swords; they couldn’t just be acquired in batches – sometimes it took over a year to build a single warship.

Nevertheless, under Howard’s urging, Vettel suggested, “Perhaps we could directly purchase ships from other lords? But if a lord has built ships, they surely have plans for them. Selling them to you seems unlikely. I don’t think buying ships is feasible, my lord.”

Howard bit his lip in frustration and instructed Vettel, “For the same ships that cost about ten or so gold coins to build, let’s offer to buy them for twenty or more. If we raise the price high enough, some lord is bound to be tempted. Contact Count Luka and Count Sicily; I’ve heard they have many ships.”

Vettel set off to carry out the orders, but as he rode away from the siege camp, he couldn’t help but think: Lord Howard is truly a unique character, his thoughts are beyond our comprehension.

He shows no urgency in a siege, yet he’s so eager to reach the New World.

The siege of Thorn Castle continued for another month, with neither Howard nor Resarite showing any urgency.

This time, Resarite brought nearly a thousand conscripted soldiers, making a significant contribution to the forces, which pleased Howard. .

One sunny afternoon, Resarite lounged in a hammock, leisurely enjoying a banana from the New World.

Without any forceful assaults, a siege like this incurred minimal losses.

Over the month, the casualties amounted to just over a hundred, a relatively low number for a war.

Edward left the command of his troops midway, entrusting a baron with the leadership, and returned to manage his domain and mercenary group.

Before leaving, Edward asked Howard, “What do you think would be a good name for this mercenary group?” Howard, straightforward as always, replied, “You’ve invested the most gold coins and are the major shareholder. It’s your decision.” Edward then chose, “Let’s call it the Briar Troop.” Howard agreed.

Half a month later, Vettel reported that Count Luka agreed to sell Howard 5 escort ships and 7 transport ships for 175 gold coins, a price far exceeding the cost of building them.

Vettel suggested not to be impulsive as Count Luka’s demand seemed exorbitant.

However, Howard immediately handed over the gold coins to Vettel and inquired about Count Sicily’s response.

Vettel informed him that Count Sicily, also engaged in New World trade, was in high demand for ships and refused to sell any.

Understanding the situation, Howard acknowledged the news, and a slightly anxious Vettel set off to purchase the ships from Count Luka.

Seven days later, the fleet arrived at Ferrara’s harbor.

Rolf, brimming with excitement, came to meet Howard to express his gratitude.

Howard, munching on an apple, joked with Rolf, “Ah, Rolf, we’re right under the enemy’s castle. We’re in the midst of war, and you just stroll in here to see me. Aren’t you afraid of getting caught in the crossfire?”

Rolf, laughing off Howard’s jest, eagerly discussed the fleet.

An hour later, he left the camp, having further deliberated with Howard on the development of the fleet.

Thanks to Howard’s purchase, the completion of the fleet was significantly expedited, though it still required at least a year of shipbuilding.

Moved by Howard’s enthusiasm, Rolf decided he would acquire the remaining ships himself, meaning no more would need to be built; those under construction would be completed as planned.

The shortfall in the number of ships was made up by Rolf’s purchases.

Rolf, acquainted with the Governor of Milan, managed to buy ships directly from him, completing the planned fleet numbers.

Two months passed, and coincidentally, the first batch of ships was completed, marking the completion of Rolf’s fleet.

Meanwhile, Howard and Edward’s army successfully captured Thorn Castle.

The prolonged siege, leading to a shortage of food and water, caused the soldiers to desert, proving the effectiveness of the strategy.

The remaining target was Fernando Viscount’s other fortress, Ilona Castle, which Howard and Edward’s forces were currently besieging.

It was estimated that it might take another two to three months to capture it.

After the completion of Rolf’s fleet, the trained sailors boarded the ships, and within four to five days of adjustments and brief voyages, they mastered the practical operation of the vessels.

Rolf hired an admiral, a Catalan with extensive sailing experience, who had even served as the Grand Admiral of the Castile Kingdom’s national fleet in his earlier years.

This was no cheap hire, indicating Rolf’s uncommon business acumen as a feudal noble.

The admiral, named Antonio, belonged to the Kentaro family.

His uncle was the chief merchant of the Castile Kingdom, representing the Kingdom’s economic interests in the Strait of Gibraltar.

He had been personally summoned and commended by the King of Castile and wore a distinguished Gold Flower Medal of Honor.

Antonio, a renowned fleet admiral, impressed Howard with his capabilities after a conversation, validating Rolf’s choice.

Antonio’s discussions about the sea and navy reminded Howard of Resarite’s passion.

Howard, recognizing Antonio’s competence, commended Rolf, “You’ve chosen well, Rolf. I’m quite optimistic about him.”

A month later, Howard successfully captured Ilona Castle.

The victory brought joy to Howard, and even more so to Knight Lemok, Anna’s father.

Anna, usually reserved, smiled at her father in celebration.

Knight Lemok immediately had his family crest hoisted on the castle walls and led his troops to reclaim his own domain.

He successfully acquired a baron title from Viscount Fernando, who was consequently demoted to a baron.

Howard playfully teased the newly titled Baron Lemok, “Our Baron now has a castle to his name, quite impressive!” Baron Lemok, patting his beer belly, laughed, “Ah, Lord Howard, don’t make fun of me. We owe this victory to you; without your help, we wouldn’t have succeeded.”

The war came to an end, and Howard returned to Nok with his troops, while Edward’s forces headed back to his domain.

On the journey home, Kaido commented to Howard, “We really gave Lemok quite a hand this time. His troops were scattered right from the start, and it was entirely up to you and Edward to win this war.” Howard nodded in agreement; Kaido’s words were true.

Anna’s troops, led by her knight squire, took a different route back to Nok, while Anna herself stayed at Thorn Castle to help manage the castle’s affairs.

With Anna absent, the others spoke more freely.

Bosiden also remarked, “Indeed, that Knight Lemok really doesn’t have much capability. His troops were decimated at the beginning, and he didn’t even hire mercenaries. He just watched as Lord Howard and Lord Edward fought the war with their men. Knight Lemok is quite crafty in his ways.”

Vettel, the finance minister, sensitive to losses, presented a bill to Howard, “In this campaign, Fernando’s forces exceeded our expectations, so our losses amounted to over 1300 men. Including the compensation for the families of the fallen and the recruitment expenses at Nok Castle and Fernsouth Castle, we spent a total of 23 gold coins for Lemok’s sake.”

Howard, sensing Vettel’s dissatisfaction with Lemok, turned to Alonso and asked, “Alonso, what do you think about Lemok’s strength?” Alonso, feeling the pressure from the other nobles, dared not to lie, “I feel Lemok has no real strength.”

Seizing the opportunity, Bosiden spoke up, “My lord, is this alliance treaty with Lemok truly necessary? Imagine if we need his help in battle, but his troops have such little combat power. Why do we need such an ally? The cost-benefit ratio is off. Aligning with Lemok seems to be a loss for us, with no gains in return.”

Margaret was not present, but her knight squire, leading her troops, was with Howard.

Margaret’s knight squire addressed Howard, “My lord, although it may not be my place to speak, I would like to say something.”

Howard, slightly surprised, encouraged her to speak.

Margaret’s knight squire then said, “Although my lady is not here and the entire battle command was entrusted to me, Lady Margaret has expressed her stance. She has stated that she stands with Knight Anna.”

Updated from 𝘪.𝘤𝑜𝘮