FLDI Chapter 173

Thanks to Bryan’s introduction, Thor had a better understanding of the people at this defensive point. Over five hundred people had gathered here, with the primary purpose of guarding the ten magical crystal cannons stationed in the area.

The highest-ranking individual here was Bryan, the court viscount. In addition to him, there were seven knightly squads—some with over a hundred members, others with only fifty or sixty. Now, with Thor’s arrival, there were eight knightly squads in total.

Excluding the forces that Thor brought with him, the five hundred-plus people here consisted of one Earth Knight, three peak Great Knights, ten Great Knights, more than three hundred formal knights, and over two hundred apprentice knights.

Yes, Bryan had already become an Earth Knight.

According to the information from Count Engel, Bryan was clearly not an Earth Knight before.

Indeed, Bryan hadn’t been an Earth Knight for long. His breakthrough had happened less than ten days ago, which was precisely why he had been chosen to lead this outpost.

If all went well, Bryan would most likely be granted the title of Court Count upon his return.

“Congratulations, Brother Bryan!” Thor smiled and congratulated him.

An Earth Knight, even if not a lord, held significant weight.

“Hahaha!”

“It was just luck!”

“Come, come, let’s have a drink!”

“We don’t have any wine, just water!” Bryan laughed, raising his cup to Thor in a gesture of camaraderie.

“It’s alright, Brother Bryan!” Thor smiled and nodded, then raised his own cup in response.

The two chatted as they drank, with the occasional knight captain chiming in.

Thor fit in smoothly with the group. There was no sense of awkwardness.

The main reason for this ease of integration was simple: Thor’s strength was far from weak. Unlike the northern frontier lords who had come before, who brought little more than the bare minimum of strength—sometimes even just a single Great Knight, hoping to take a gamble—Thor was different.

Thor had brought a solid force with him—not only were there formal knights among his ranks, but three Great Knights as well.

Three Great Knights were no small addition. Even at this outpost, their presence was a force to be reckoned with.

With the addition of three Great Knights and twenty formal knights, the defense here became that much easier to manage.

This made the others more willing to accept Thor as one of their own.

Moreover, Thor didn’t act like a noble. Despite being a descendant of the Dresrosa family, he was humble and easygoing, which made his integration with the group effortless.

During their conversation, one of the knight captains, his eyes flickering, hesitated before speaking up.

“Lord Thor, I heard that the Northern Province is opening up a large amount of land. Is that true?”

His words were quiet, but they immediately drew the attention of several others. Even Bryan’s heart skipped a beat.

“It’s true that a lot of land has become available,” Thor said with a smile, seeing the eager looks of those around him.

“The north is practically empty now, and even the west has seen many noble lords retreating or fleeing.”

As he spoke, Thor could see the expectant gazes of the knights and commanders. He smiled and nodded before continuing.

He understood their thoughts clearly. But this wasn’t something he considered a big deal—he didn’t mind talking about it.

“Really?” the captain who had spoken earlier’s eyes widened with excitement. The others reacted similarly.

While the Northern Province had been under development for years, with many lords entering each year, much of the prime land had already been claimed after twenty years of expansion. Now, anyone with some sense knew that the remaining good land was scarce.

This scarcity was one of the reasons why fewer lords were choosing to expand there in recent years.

If it were just a matter of investment risk, many noble families, like the Tulip Dynasty, would still take a chance, but fewer would. However, even with a smaller number, the sheer size of their noble base meant there wouldn’t be too drastic a change.

But when the investment risk surged and the potential rewards dwindled, it became an entirely different story.

Now, with the orc invasions and the coming of the Divine Awakening, many noble families had fled, leaving large swaths of good land behind in the Northern Province.

These knights, stationed along the northern defenses, were undoubtedly the first to know of this development.

Naturally, they had ideas of their own.

Thor didn’t mind these thoughts. The Northern Province was vast, and it was unlikely he or the Eagle Trading Association could manage it all alone.

Bringing in more nobles, more pioneering lords, would only speed up the development and economic vitality of the area. In the long run, it would maximize his own gains.

“It’s definitely true,” Thor affirmed.

“The last orc invasion destroyed countless territories, and many more were abandoned.”

“Everyone, if you’re interested, you should prepare quickly. Once the orcs retreat, there may not be another opportunity like this.”

Thor sighed, then slowly spoke again.

“Hahaha, thank you for the reminder, Lord Thor.”

“We understand!”

“Understood!”

“Thank you!”

The knights and commanders responded eagerly. Thor didn’t mind their excitement. After all, he wasn’t the one who had lost those territories. There was no need to feel sentimental; in fact, he was glad for their enthusiasm.

Even Bryan seemed to be contemplating the implications of Thor’s words.

Thor noticed and subtly nodded toward him.

Bryan paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod in return.

The conversation continued, and soon it was time to eat. After the meal, everyone bid their farewells and went to rest.

Tonight, there would be no leisure. They needed to be ready to respond quickly if the orcs launched another attack.

Watching everyone leave, Thor turned to Bryan, his voice thoughtful.

“Brother Bryan, if you have any ideas, it would be best to send someone to become a pioneering lord within this month.”

Thor spoke earnestly.

“This month?” Bryan blinked in surprise.

“Yes, this month.”

“There’s a piece of land in the west that was once the Felun family’s, but they’ve already evacuated. It’s a good piece of land, and you should have someone check it out.”

Thor nodded without providing too much detail.

Some things were difficult to explain, and rather than get bogged down in too many words, it was better to be direct.

Upon hearing Thor’s words, Bryan fell into deep thought.

He didn’t ask for more details. Since Thor hadn’t given him the full reasoning, he wouldn’t press.

Bryan was thinking about whether or not to act.

A month was too short to prepare for something this big. At best, he could send his eldest son along, but he might not even be able to send any real force.

His men, aside from his eldest son, were all royal troops. He had no authority to call them away—though he had control over them, they were not entirely his to command.

“A month is too short,” Bryan murmured. “I could only send Stuck. Even if I provided some gold, it would still be difficult.”

“Would three months work?” he asked hesitantly.

“Three months is too long. By then, other nobles will have already moved,” Thor responded, shaking his head. He understood what Bryan meant, but it was clear that if he waited too long, the opportunity would be lost.

Thor thought for a moment, then gave his answer.

“If you want, I can temporarily pull twenty formal knights from my territory to help Stuck.”

Thor smiled wryly, “Three months? By then, conflicts among the nobles will have already erupted. It would be nearly impossible to develop a territory by then.”

Hearing Bryan’s words, Thor understood the situation and, as a family member, was willing to offer help. Especially now that Bryan had become an Earth Knight, Thor was happy to offer his support, which would also bring them closer.

“Is that really possible?” Bryan’s eyes brightened instinctively as he asked.

“Of course!” Thor affirmed with a firm nod. “If Stuck is ready to become a pioneering lord, I’m ready at any time.”

“Great!” Bryan’s expression lit up with gratitude. He made up his mind in that moment.

“Thank you, Thor! I truly appreciate this.”

“Brother Bryan, you’re too kind.”

“We’re brothers, aren’t we?” Thor smiled, shaking his head.

“Here’s my token. Have Stuck take it to the territory. Uncle Marshall will hand over the twenty knights to him.”

Thor handed Bryan his noble crest.

“Yes, our brotherhood,” Bryan nodded, his heart resolute. No matter what, this time he would ensure Thor received the military merit he deserved.

Of course, there was no need to voice such concerns out loud.

Soon, Bryan called in his eldest son, Stuck.

The three of them began conversing, with Bryan doing most of the questioning, Thor providing the answers, and Stuck listening intently, clearly nervous.

After Bryan made the final decision to have Stuck become a pioneering knight, Thor began explaining the current state of the Northern Province and the challenges they would face going forward.

This was all important information that needed to be laid out clearly, allowing Bryan to make his final considerations.

As Bryan listened to Thor’s account, even he couldn’t help but furrow his brow. Stuck’s heart began to race, and he stared at Thor with wide, astonished eyes.

Neither Bryan nor Stuck had expected Thor to be so bold—daring to forcibly annex the territories of those powerful lords.

And what was even more shocking, Thor had the audacity to gamble on the Divine Awakening.

“Thor, you can’t be serious…” Bryan couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Brother Bryan, are you worried it’s too risky?” Thor replied with a calm smile.

“I’m not talking about that!” Bryan’s expression turned serious. “Thor, the Divine Awakening, yes, it may not be as big a concern for the kingdom right now. In fact, the kingdom already learned about it months ago, and the probability of it triggering is low, just as you said. But have you thought this through? With our family’s strength, we can’t swallow up so many territories.”

Bryan shook his head slowly, speaking in a lower voice. As a court noble, and due to his background, he knew far more than most other nobles. He understood the full scale of the kingdom’s power.

Other nobles might be worried, but Bryan was not as concerned about the Divine Awakening. His real worry was Thor’s boldness.

Thor was daring enough to seize the opportunity of the Divine Awakening to forcibly annex the lands of powerful lords.

This was madness.

If the Divine Awakening didn’t happen, the backlash Thor would face would be unimaginable.

Bryan couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of storm Thor would have to endure.

And it wasn’t just the Dresrosa family— even the Asad family might not survive the fallout.

There was a vast difference between an Earl’s family and a Marquis family.

Especially with powerful houses like Campbell and Spencer, both of which had Sky Knights in their ranks.

At that moment, Bryan didn’t know how to express his concern.

“Indeed, it would have been difficult for the old Dresrosa family to handle such an endeavor.”

“But that was before.”

Thor could see Bryan’s conflicted expression and his silence, so he couldn’t help but chuckle as he spoke.

“Before?”

Bryan blinked, confused.

Stuck, too, looked puzzled.

“That’s right, Brother Bryan. You may not know this, but a few months ago, my father broke through to become a Sky Knight.”

“Now, the Dresrosa family might not fear Campbell or Spencer as much as before.”

Thor laughed lightly, but what he said left Bryan and Stuck stunned.

“Thor, am I dreaming? Uncle Engel actually broke through?” Bryan stood up in shock, his voice trembling with excitement as he asked.

“Brother Bryan, this is no dream,” Thor replied with a reassuring smile. “Not only did my father break through, but Uncle Marshall is about to break through to become an Earth Knight, or he might have already done so.”

Thor nodded, clearly anticipating their reaction. He had already witnessed this same shock when he had shared the news in the western territories.

The implications of this were enormous. Bryan and Stuck’s minds were racing.

“Thor, you mean, your father, the head of the Dresrosa family, is now a Sky Knight?” Bryan asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. He was visibly shaken, almost speechless.

“Yes, that’s right,” Thor confirmed, still smiling. “And Uncle Marshall, too. The Dresrosa family has never been this powerful before. We don’t need to fear Campbell or Spencer anymore.”

The weight of Thor’s words settled heavily on Bryan’s shoulders. If what Thor said was true, then everything had changed.

Bryan took a deep breath, as though he was processing the full scope of this new reality. The Dresrosa family was no longer the same as it had been. With two Sky Knights—his father and Uncle Marshall—the family had the strength to challenge even the most powerful of noble houses.

Stuck, still recovering from the shock, whispered under his breath, “This is… incredible.”

Bryan looked at his son, then back at Thor, his expression slowly changing from disbelief to admiration.

“Thor, this is truly remarkable. You’ve grown far beyond what I imagined.”

“Thank you, Brother Bryan,” Thor said, his tone sincere. “But, it’s not just about power—it’s about taking advantage of opportunities like this one. With the Divine Awakening imminent, now is the time to act.”

Bryan nodded thoughtfully. The path ahead was fraught with risks, but Thor had just opened his eyes to the potential for something much bigger. If the Divine Awakening truly didn’t trigger, the kingdom’s elite noble families would be in for a struggle, one that Thor intended to capitalize on.

The Dresrosa family was no longer the underdog. With Sky Knights in their ranks, they could stand toe-to-toe with the strongest of opponents.

Bryan, though still concerned, couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of respect for Thor’s ambition.

Thor was right: now was the time to act.

“Very well,” Bryan said, finally making up his mind. “We’ll follow your plan, but we need to be cautious. This path you’re asking us to walk—it’s a dangerous one. But if we succeed, the rewards will be greater than we’ve ever imagined.”

Thor smiled, his eyes gleaming with determination. “I agree, Brother Bryan. And we will succeed, I’m certain of it.”

As the discussion came to an end, Thor and Bryan exchanged a look that spoke volumes. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: they were about to change the course of their family’s history.

(End of Chapter)

(Next Chapter: The Divine Awakening Begins)

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