- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 56
Chapter 56: War Mobilization
“Unexpected?”
“What should we do next, Father?” Lawrence asked, looking at his father with a puzzled expression.
“Keep gathering our forces,” Baron Pape Lawrence replied confidently. “Don’t worry, this works in our favor. We couldn’t be sure whether the alchemists were at the mine or at Eagle Ridge. But now that this Thor has concentrated his forces up front, if we crush them there, we can quickly take Eagle Ridge as well.”
“The Dresrosa heir seems to have garnered considerable favor from his family. Once we capture him, I’m certain the Dresrosa family would be eager to pay a hefty ransom to get him back.”
With a smile, Baron Pape Lawrence suppressed his inner concerns, his voice calm and calculating.
“Yes, Father!” Lawrence’s eyes lit up at his father’s words.
Pape Lawrence’s forces quickly gathered, and on the seventh day, they set out in full force, marching toward the mine.
Baron Pape Lawrence had nearly emptied his domain’s military strength. He brought 100 trainee knights, over 20 formal knights, one great knight, and 3,000 slaves, leaving behind only 10 formal knights and a few dozen trainees to defend the barony. If these forces were lost, the barony would be left vulnerable.
However, Baron Pape Lawrence had no expectation of defeat. Even if he faced the heir of the Dresrosa family, the enemy was merely a fledgling pioneer lord. How strong could their forces really be? At most, they might have one great knight as protection. How many formal knights, trainees, or even reserve knights could they possibly have? After all, no noble family would devote too much of their strength to a pioneering knight.
Pape Lawrence had faith in this logic. His own family had only given him enough support to command 10 formal knights, 50 trainees, and 200 reserve knights. Even though the Dresrosa family was stronger than the Lawrence family, their support for a pioneering heir couldn’t be vastly greater. Pape Lawrence was confident.
Especially since he himself had recently become a great knight, and both his eldest son and his knight captain were at the peak of formal knight rank. With such strength, not only was he unafraid of a fledgling pioneer lord, but he could also challenge even older noble lords.
What Pape Lawrence didn’t know, however, was that the support Earl Dresrosa had given to his ninth son was substantial. Additionally, Thor’s access to daily intelligence reports had helped him gather a far greater force than typical for a new lord, making him a formidable opponent, even for experienced noble lords.
Pape Lawrence’s overconfidence was a grave miscalculation. But no one would warn him of that.
With thousands of troops, Baron Pape Lawrence marched toward the mine. Soon, Thor’s forces at the mine received word of the advancing army.
“Over 3,000 men?” Thor murmured as a knight reported the news, his brows furrowing slightly with concern.
These weren’t just goblins—they were over 3,000 human soldiers. Even though most of them were slaves, they were still a formidable fighting force. More importantly, this number suggested that Baron Pape Lawrence had likely brought all his forces, which meant there could be over 30 formal knights, more than 100 trainee knights, and potentially hundreds of reserve knights.
This was no small army.
In the northern province, an army of this size was a significant force, capable of overwhelming most territories. But Thor was not most territories.
The forces he had gathered at the mine numbered over 3,000, and his formal knights alone totaled 30, with 100 trainee knights and 200 reserve knights. Over the past few months, Thor had accumulated many valuable resources that enhanced his knights’ strength, and with his system of rewards for earning merit, his forces had grown far beyond their initial capacity.
In fact, if his current strength were revealed, it would draw the attention of many noble lords throughout the northern province. But beyond his army, Thor had one crucial advantage: three magic crystal cannons.
With these powerful weapons, Thor’s defenses were assured. Even if every lord in the Maine River Valley came at him, he wouldn’t be worried. Magic crystal cannons were not something a typical baron could control—only counts and higher-ranked nobles might possess such weapons.
Thor’s confidence in his position came from knowing that his preparations would make it impossible for his enemies to defeat him. He wouldn’t have made such a bold move if he wasn’t sure of success.
As dawn broke, Baron Pape Lawrence’s forces were less than 20 miles from the mine. Meanwhile, the defenders at the mine were making final preparations, gathering their forces, and setting up their defenses.
“Sir, everything is ready!” Steve reported, his voice filled with excitement.
This would be his first real battle—a noble’s war, not just a skirmish with goblins. For Steve, it was a trial by fire.
“Good,” Thor responded. “Remember, once the caltrops hold them back, fire the magic crystal cannons. After the bombardment, move in immediately. Make sure to capture them all.”
Thor’s voice was low and serious, his expression somber.
To minimize his own losses, Thor planned to use the cannons in this battle. However, he didn’t intend to reveal their existence if he could avoid it.
He couldn’t afford to let any of Pape Lawrence’s men escape. If word of the magic crystal cannons leaked out, it would draw too much unwanted attention. He needed to ensure that all of Pape Lawrence’s forces were either captured or eliminated.
“Yes, my lord!” Steve replied, eyes shining with excitement.
As the preparations neared completion, the tension at the mine grew. The moment of battle was fast approaching.