- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 201
The voice slowly began to resonate, and as Thor listened to Chesir’s words, a faint hint of solemnity appeared on his face.
As Chesir had said, with the contraction of the orc tribes, the Northern Province would inevitably expand farther northward, covering a larger territory.
A vast region with enormous resources would be enough to attract even more powerful noble heirs.
The Northern Province had been developed for over twenty years, and most of the resource points had already been occupied. If it weren’t for the threat of a divine awakening that had cleared out a considerable amount of territory from these powerful noble heirs, Thor would have found it very difficult to develop, even with his ambitions.
Let alone the other noble heirs.
In this context, the number of noble lords venturing to the Northern Province for expansion had been gradually decreasing in recent years.
However, if the Northern Province were to expand once more, the situation would be completely different.
A larger region, more abundant resources—this would be enough to tempt not only the heirs of counts but even those of marquises.
Even barons, viscounts, and those with only knightly titles would not miss this opportunity.
But with such a scenario, a problem was bound to arise.
That was, some noble heirs who had previously not paid attention to the Northern Province would begin to focus on it. Once Thor had taken control of most of the resources in the western region, it would inevitably make many people envious.
Compared to pioneering new territories, plundering would undoubtedly be far simpler.
At that time, it wouldn’t just be the powerful noble heirs he had “taken advantage of” who would be eyeing his territory—many more powerful heirs would undoubtedly join the fray.
As both of them had mentioned, this wasn’t good news for him.
After all, the troubles he was about to face had already been numerous, and this situation would only increase the difficulty even further.
“Currently, in the Tulip Kingdom, aside from the three great dukes, there are a total of ten powerful marquises. All of these marquis families possess the signs of Sky Knights.”
“And this time, there is a high probability that they will increase their efforts in expanding into the Northern Province.”
Seeing Thor seemed to understand, Michael nodded, his voice low.
Listening to Michael’s words, Thor nodded in acknowledgment.
His right hand tapped lightly on the table, and then a smile slowly spread across his face.
His smile took the three by surprise.
However, Thor did not leave them wondering for long.
His voice soon rang out.
“Uncle Michael, Uncle Chesir, I understand now!”
“However, for us, this is also an opportunity.”
“More powerful noble heirs, more lords coming to expand—the Northern Province will undoubtedly be filled quickly. With our current scale, we can amass a vast fortune in the entire Northern Province.”
“As long as we can weather this crisis, all that awaits us is reward. The kingdom has countless nobles—tens of thousands, or even more. How many of them will venture into the Northern Province to expand?”
“Eight thousand, ten thousand, or perhaps even more.”
“And what kind of gold will such a massive expansion force bring?”
Thor’s voice was calm, but the content of his words made the three men shudder slightly.
All three were visibly stirred.
As Thor said, the crisis this time was indeed significant, but the potential rewards were equally unimaginable.
Currently, the only place in the Northern Province that had developed any scale or system was the Eagle Territory. With the Eagle Territory’s current capabilities, it would be nearly impossible to swallow the gold brought by all the expansion forces in the Northern Province. Even if they could claim just a tenth, or even a hundredth, of it, the amount would still be terrifying.
Even the three men felt their hearts racing in response.
“Uncle Michael, Uncle Chesir, Uncle Marshall, I’m afraid we will need your help soon.”
As the three’s hearts raced, Thor stood up slightly and gave them a small bow.
The three quickly waved him off.
“Young Master Thor, you’re being too serious.”
Marshall quickly spoke up.
“Yes, Young Master Thor, we are here to follow your lead.”
Michael and Chesir also chimed in.
“No, no, this is not an exaggeration. The danger this time may be even greater.”
“Even if my father has become a Sky Knight, it will still be difficult to stabilize things.”
“We will definitely need to rely on the three of you.”
Thor shook his head slightly.
He knew very well that, if his father had been involved earlier, and if he had already broken through to Sky Knight, it would have resolved about fifty percent of the problem.
At this moment, whether he could resolve even thirty percent was in question.
After all, a larger Northern Province would surely attract all the nobles.
Thus, the crisis he had to face would only grow.
“Young Master Thor!”
The three men’s expressions were a mixture of emotions, and they finally nodded.
“Young Master Thor, should we ask for help from the family?”
“I believe the family might be able to send additional forces.”
Marshall spoke up as if he had thought of something, looking at Thor.
“My father won’t be able to deploy any more forces from there.”
“But I’ve already written to Brother Lubi, and our uncle should be coming soon.”
Thor nodded slightly. After understanding the situation, he had already done his best to mobilize forces.
It was indeed very difficult for his father to draw upon any additional resources.
But Thor had thought of his cousin Lubi and their uncle.
His cousin had always been inclined to have his own heirs become expansion knights, and this moment presented an opportunity.
Though his cousin couldn’t come, his uncle could—a powerful Earth Knight.
“Lubi, you say?”
“That could indeed work!”
Upon hearing Thor’s words, the three men all nodded slightly.
They were all familiar with Lubi Dreesrosa. In the entire Dreesrosa family, the Lubi family was quite well-known, especially for having two Earth Knights.
Such power was even stronger than some weaker counts.
The Lubi family’s resources would likely be considerable as well.
“Uncles, if you have heirs, you can send them as well. There are endless opportunities in the Northern Province right now. Also, I can offer them a share of the profits from the Eagle Chamber of Commerce, as long as they can provide some strength.”
Seeing the three men nod, Thor’s heart stirred, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“This!”
Hearing Thor’s suggestion, the three men’s eyes brightened.
“Young Master Thor, is that really okay?”
Chesir couldn’t help but speak up.
As he spoke, the other two turned their gazes toward Thor.
“There’s nothing wrong with it.”
“The Eagle Chamber of Commerce is always open.”
Thor smiled as he spoke.
This was exactly what he had just thought of.
The best way to unite everyone was through shared interests.
It wouldn’t be a problem to bring more people into the Eagle Chamber of Commerce; his goal was to establish himself as the de facto king of the Northern Province.
Michael, Chesir, and Marshall: Binding Their Interests to His Chariot
Although Michael, Chesir, and Marshall were all vassals, binding their interests to Thor’s chariot would undoubtedly make it roll more smoothly.
“Thank you, Young Master Thor,” Marshall and Chesir quickly spoke, their hearts stirred with excitement, offering their thanks.
Even Michael’s face wore a smile.
“No need to thank me!”
“We belong to the Dreesrosa family, don’t we?”
Thor smiled as he spoke.
“Yes, we are part of the Dreesrosa family!”
The three nodded in agreement, also smiling.
After that, the three continued their discussions for a while.
It wasn’t until some time later that they slowly exited the study.
Watching them leave, Thor fell into deep thought once again.
He was considering whether there were any new forces he could mobilize.
The Northern Province was about to enter an era of great development, but it was also destined to be a time of immense turbulence.
With more territory and more expansion lords, endless possibilities would arise—but it would inevitably cause the already stable order to collapse.
Without careful preparation, both their Eagle Territory and the Eagle Chamber of Commerce would certainly be affected.
These were things he still needed to arrange.
Meanwhile, Michael, Chesir, and Marshall, leaving the study, were filled with excitement as they could already vaguely see the infinite possibilities ahead.
“Young Master Thor is truly generous. So, Marshall, are you planning to bring Jessica over?”
Chesir asked with a smile, glancing at Marshall.
“Yes, Jessica is already a full-fledged knight. It’s the perfect time to have her join Young Master Thor,” Marshall replied.
“What about you? I remember that Ferrenchi’s strength has already reached the rank of Great Knight.”
Marshall smiled and nodded before looking at Chesir.
“He only broke through three months ago, but yes, I do have that idea.”
Chesir nodded with a smile.
The two continued chatting, and no one asked about Michael.
Unlike them, Michael was the leader of the Dreesrosa Knight Order and also aligned with Count Engel, so it was clear that this force belonged to the future Dreesrosa Count, not Thor.
Especially since Michael had only one son, which made it even less likely.
“Let’s go. Today we have some rare free time, let’s take a walk.”
As they spoke, the group began to wander around Eagle Territory.
Even though they had been in Eagle Territory for several days, every time they saw the developments, their hearts couldn’t help but stir.
“The speed at which Eagle Territory is developing—looks like it won’t be long before Young Master Thor should be able to advance to the rank of Viscount.”
Chesir couldn’t help but marvel as he looked at the bustling streets and the busy, smiling figures.
“Viscount!”
“No, Chesir, you probably don’t know, but Young Master Thor has already earned the merit for advancing to Viscount. Once the situation in the north stabilizes, he should be able to rise to the rank of Viscount.”
Marshall shook his head with a smile, his expression one of admiration.
Among the three, he had been in the Northern Province the longest and naturally knew more about Eagle Territory and Thor.
At the same time, the shock in his heart was the greatest.
Others didn’t know, but he did. Not long ago, Young Master Thor had gone to the northern frontlines to fight the orcs.
For others, advancing to Viscount might be difficult, but for Thor, it might not be as hard as it seemed.
“Marshall, my goddess, are you serious?”
Hearing Marshall’s words, Michael and Chesir both widened their eyes in shock, and Chesir couldn’t help but gasp.
“This is absolutely true.”
“You should have heard about the Divine Ruins event recently, right?”
Marshall spoke with a touch of emotion, his gaze drifting towards the castle.
“Divine Ruins?”
Michael and Chesir’s expressions stiffened, and they instinctively asked.
“Yes, the Divine Ruins.”
“Most people didn’t gain much when the Divine Ruins opened, but Young Master Thor might have entered.”
Marshall spoke softly.
Even though he didn’t know all the details, he could sense the situation.
Thor and Rayne had both broken through to become Earth Knights, and Carter’s cultivation had reached that of a Great Knight.
Marshall didn’t need to think hard to know the reason.
“Are you sure?”
“Young Master Thor entered the Divine Ruins?”
Upon hearing Marshall’s words, Michael’s heart skipped a beat, and his breath became heavier. His gaze locked onto Marshall.
“I’m not sure, but don’t you think it’s strange how quickly Thor, Rayne, and Carter are advancing?”
“When Carter first arrived in Eagle Territory, he was only a novice knight. Now, just a month later, he’s already a Great Knight. I can’t think of any other explanation except for the Divine Ruins.”
Marshall spoke slowly, and although he hadn’t said everything outright, it was clear from the knights’ progress what had likely happened.
Thor and his group had gone to the northern front, advancing rapidly, which already spoke volumes.
“This!”
Michael and Chesir exchanged a glance, their breaths coming heavier as they realized the implications.
If Thor’s future had been limitless before, then now it was clear that his potential had increased by several levels.
The Divine Ruins… That was the Divine Ruins.
Even though they didn’t fully understand what it meant, they could clearly tell that their young master’s future might not stop at becoming a Sky Knight.
“Sanctuary.”
The thought inevitably rose in both of their minds.
And as soon as it appeared, both felt as if their hearts were about to leap out of their chests.
“This matter can’t be confirmed just yet, Marshall. You know what I mean!”
Taking a deep breath, Michael suppressed the turmoil in his heart. His gaze turned to Marshall, and his voice grew heavy.
“Understood!”
Marshall nodded.
Then, Michael turned his gaze back to Chesir.
Chesir, too, gave a slight nod.
(End of Chapter)