- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 148
“Yes, Father!”
Lawrence hesitated but, under his father’s resolute gaze, eventually nodded in agreement.
Watching his son leave, Baron Pape shook his head.
He was willing to stay and take a gamble, but he couldn’t let his son do the same. His son’s future was too precious to risk, and he needed to preserve hope for the next generation.
“I hope things turn out as Lord Thor predicted,” Baron Pape muttered to himself before pulling his thoughts back to the present.
Thor, unaware of the actions of these two figures, likely wouldn’t have been concerned even if he knew.
After all, this was the Divine Reckoning—concern for one’s safety and preparing an escape were natural.
Even his brother Tono shared these worries, so Thor had no intention of interfering.
—-
Over the next few days, Thor awaited news from Rayne.
Time moved steadily forward.
On the other side, riding on Nia’s incredible speed, Rayne reached Tono’s territory in just three days.
“Rein?”
Tono was surprised to see him.
“Lord Tono, this is a letter from Lord Thor,” Rayne announced as he retrieved a letter from his coat and handed it over.
“A letter from Thor?”
Tono looked puzzled but quickly took the letter and began reading.
The letter was short but packed with information.
After carefully reading it, Tono looked back at Rayne.
“I agree with Thor’s proposal. I’ll contribute 3% of my shares for the expansion. As for Lord Bablus, I doubt he’ll have any objections. Stay here for a day—I’ll speak with him, and we should also be receiving word from the rest of the family soon.”
Tono’s tone carried authority as he gave his instructions.
“Yes, my lord,” Rayne replied without hesitation.
Tono promptly set out for Lord Bablus’s territory.
Just as Tono had expected, Bablus also agreed to Thor’s proposal. Feeling he had benefited disproportionately from the association’s profits recently, Bablus even volunteered 2% of his shares.
Meanwhile, the other members of the Dresrosa family responded positively. They agreed to meet in Tono’s territory for a family council in eight days.
—-
In Tono’s study, he addressed Rayne.
“Relay all this information to Thor,” he instructed.
“Yes, my lord,” Rayne said, then departed and began his swift journey back to Eagle Territory.
—-
On the eighth day, with Nia’s speed, Rayne finally returned.
In the castle, Thor greeted him.
Rein, exhausted and covered in dust, was still catching his breath as Thor spoke.
“What’s the situation?”
“Lord Thor, Lord Tono and Lord Bablus have both agreed to your proposal. Lord Tono has offered 3% of his shares, while Lord Bablus is willing to contribute 2%.
“In addition, Lord Tono has arranged a meeting with the Dresrosa family members in five days at his territory to discuss further plans,” Rayne reported promptly.
“Five days?”
Thor nodded. He wasn’t surprised by Tono and Bablus’s decisions.
Over time, he had come to see both his brother and Bablus as sincere individuals. Both likely felt their current shares were too favorable and saw this as an opportunity to rebalance things.
What intrigued Thor most, however, was the family meeting.
Having returned home and spoken candidly with his father, Thor now had a clearer understanding of the Dresrosa family’s strength within the Northern Province.
Over three centuries, the Dresrosa family had expanded significantly. They held 57 territories in total, including two earldoms, seven viscountcies, and 17 baronies—Thor’s included—alongside 31 pioneering territories.
Within the Northern Province alone, the family controlled 12 territories: five baronies and seven pioneering lands.
Before the recent upheaval, they had held 13 territories. However, one pioneering lord had been wiped out in the chaos.
Thor was genuinely curious about these family members.
Ever since returning to his land, he had wanted to meet them.
After all, they represented a source of trusted strength, and working together with them was the wisest path forward.
Unexpectedly, Tono had now created the perfect opportunity.
However, Thor understood one major challenge: convincing these pioneering lords to stay.
His father’s message had likely reached all the Dresrosa descendants, informing them of the situation. Undoubtedly, some would consider leaving.
While the departure of unrelated powerful lords could benefit Thor, the withdrawal of Dresrosa family members would be a significant loss.
Thor needed to find a way to keep as many of them as possible. Their presence was critical to ensuring the Eagle Trade Association’s foundation remained strong during its expansion.
But how to persuade them to stay amidst the looming threat of the Divine Reckoning?
Even within the Maine Alliance, three out of five pioneering lords had decided to leave. The odds weren’t in Thor’s favor.
For now, he set the problem aside.
“Rein, take some rest. You’ve worked hard over the past few days,” Thor said, dismissing him with a wave.
“Yes, my lord,” Rayne replied, bowing as he left the room.
Watching Rayne depart, Thor began his preparations.
He planned to attend the meeting himself.
The next morning, after giving some instructions, Thor set off alone.
Given the time constraints, he relied on Nia’s speed to reach the destination within five days.
Traveling solo meant he couldn’t bring anyone with him.
Thankfully, his current strength as a mid-level grand knight ensured he could handle threats from typical earth knights, third-tier beasts, or monsters.
Indeed, the journey to the western territories was smooth.
By the third day, Thor arrived at Tono’s domain.
Over the past few months, the changes in Tono’s territory were evident.
The most noticeable difference was its expanded size.
Once comparable to Eagle Town, the territory had grown more than twice its original area.
Farmlands now stretched beyond the town’s borders, promising a bountiful harvest at year’s end.
Tono’s territory, like Eagle Territory, had benefited greatly during this period.
The acquisition of a former Assad family descendant’s land had allowed Tono’s domain to flourish.
Standing before the gates of Tono’s castle, Thor saw his brother waiting to greet him.
“Brother!”
Dismounting from Nia, Thor approached Tono.
“Thor!”
“You’re fast as ever. That third-tier unicorn—I can’t help but envy you!” Tono exclaimed, eyeing Nia.
Nia snorted dismissively and turned her head, eliciting laughter from both brothers.
“Brother, it’s your territory that amazes me! In just a few months, it’s grown to this scale!”
Thor chuckled softly, then expressed his admiration.
“Haha, it’s all thanks to you, Thor!”
“Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to expand this much,” Tono replied with a hearty laugh.
The two brothers entered the castle, chatting and joking along the way.
During their walk, Thor gradually gained a deeper understanding of the situation.
But Tono’s next words made his brows furrow.
“Only seven lords?” Thor asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
“Yes, only seven. Three have already left,” Tono sighed.
Even though he had acted swiftly to contact everyone, some family members had left the region with astonishing speed.
In just a short time, their territories were abandoned.
This was largely because the three who left were relatively new pioneering lords. Their short tenure made it easier for them to flee without much attachment or hesitation.
“Well, that’s not too bad. When will the others arrive?”
Thor paused in thought before nodding and asking.
“Three lords are already here. The rest should arrive today, except for our uncle in the north—he’ll likely be a bit late,” Tono explained.
As they continued their discussion, Thor gained a clearer picture of the Dresrosa family’s pioneering lords in the Northern Province.
The family originally held 12 territories in the region, but with the recent upheaval, only nine remained. Excluding himself and Tono, that left seven.
Among these, two were baronial territories, three were established pioneering lords, and two were newer pioneering lords.
Their combined strength was formidable.
The two baronial lords were on par with Tono, each commanding at least two or three grand knights and over 50 full knights.
The three established pioneering lords were similarly powerful. While they lacked titles, one commanded two grand knights, another three, and the third—though possessing only one grand knight—had a force of over 50 full knights.
Even the two newer pioneering lords, despite having been in the Northern Province for just over three years, were not weak. Each commanded at least one grand knight and a dozen full knights.
If united, their strength could rival that of the top noble families.
Hearing all this, Thor’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
But amidst his excitement, he realized the difficulty of executing his plans.
The two newer pioneering lords would likely stay without much persuasion. Like Thor, they could see the opportunity presented by the current situation.
If they survived this crisis, their territories would flourish like never before.
The risks were significant, but these two were willing to take the gamble.
However, the two barons and three established pioneering lords were a different matter.
Having spent over a decade developing their territories, they were reluctant to abandon them. But their hesitation was just that—hesitation.
Without compelling reasons or changes, more than half of these five powerful lords were likely to leave.
To keep them, Thor needed persuasive arguments and favorable conditions.
His mind raced with ideas as they walked, weaving together potential strategies.
By the time they reached the castle, he had a rough plan but chose to set it aside for the moment.
He would wait until the meeting before making any final decisions.
—
Entering the castle, Thor soon met the other Dresrosa family members already present in the Northern Province.
As Tono had mentioned, there were three: two of them newer pioneering lords, the third an established one.
The first was Laton, the second Moss. Laton hailed from another branch of the Dresrosa family, an earl’s line, while Moss came from a viscount’s family. Both were Thor’s cousins.
The third, Bern, was from another viscount’s line and technically Thor’s uncle. Bern was an experienced pioneering knight who had been in the Northern Province for over 12 years.
All three were deeply curious about Thor.
His reputation had preceded him.
In just two years, Thor had secured a barony—a feat they found extraordinary.
Both Laton and Moss, despite having been pioneering lords for over three years, understood how challenging it was to earn a baronial title.
Thor’s rapid rise seemed almost unimaginable to them, filling them with curiosity and admiration.
(End of Chapter)