- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 58
Chapter 58: Post-War Assessment
“Hahaha, excellent!”
“Steve, you’ve done well this time. I’ll grant you fifty merit points for your achievements!”
“And also, make sure someone attends to Baron Pape Lawrence and his son Lawrence. Don’t let them die on me!”
Upon hearing Steve’s report, Thor couldn’t hide his delight. He hadn’t expected such a massive gain from this battle.
Out of over three thousand men, apart from the hundreds killed by the magical crystal cannons and the dozen knights slain during resistance, the majority had been captured. This included not only Baron Pape Lawrence but also his eldest son, Lawrence.
This was indeed a huge windfall.
Initially, Thor’s goal was merely to make a statement and eliminate the potential threat posed by Baron Pape Lawrence. He hadn’t even considered the possibility of capturing the baron alive.
But now, they had succeeded in doing so.
This victory was no longer just about making a statement; it opened up many more possibilities.
Baron Pape Lawrence, after all, was an old and established noble of the Northern Province, possessing significant wealth and resources. Now, with his eldest son Lawrence captured as well, Thor stood to make a substantial profit—enough to fill the gaps in his currently understaffed domains.
How could he not be excited?
“Yes, sir!”
Steve acknowledged the order and quickly departed to handle post-battle arrangements.
Although the battle had ended swiftly, there were still many matters to attend to.
In fact, there were a great many.
Leaving aside other issues, just figuring out how to deal with the more than two thousand prisoners was a huge task.
All of this fell under Steve’s responsibility.
As Steve left, Thor sank into thought. His eyes flickered as he contemplated his next move.
Everything that had happened so far confirmed that his previous decisions had been correct.
Having defeated Baron Pape Lawrence and captured him, Thor had already achieved his initial goals. No noble or pioneering lord in the Maine River Valley would dare ignore him anymore.
If he wished, Rachos’ trade caravans could now expand throughout the surrounding areas.
As long as they flew his banner, there should be no issues.
His name would soon be one that no nearby lord could overlook.
However, this was all based on the condition that the discovery of the large iron mine remained a secret. If word got out about the mine, it would undoubtedly provoke the other nearby lords and nobles.
The temptation of a large iron mine was simply too great. Even though he had defeated Baron Pape Lawrence, it wouldn’t be enough to quell the greed of all the surrounding lords.
This left him with two clear choices.
One option was to keep the discovery a secret. As long as no one knew, everything would continue to go according to his plan.
The second option was to assert dominance over all the nobles and pioneering lords in the Maine River Valley.
If he could achieve the second option, no problem would be insurmountable.
Two paths, two directions.
Each choice had its own advantages and disadvantages.
Thor found himself caught in a dilemma.
The first option was the safer one, but unexpected developments could still arise.
The second option was riskier, though not impossible.
On one hand, he had the powerful warrior Neil Morton at his side. On the other, having captured Baron Pape Lawrence, Thor knew that even though the remaining pioneering lords in the Maine River Valley were strong, their combined strength wasn’t much greater than the baron’s. With the help of the magical crystal cannons, Thor was confident he could handle them.
As thoughts swirled in his mind, Thor weighed his options carefully.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Baron Pape Lawrence and his son Lawrence were receiving medical attention.
Thor’s territory didn’t have any priests, but they did have basic healing magic scrolls and some fruits infused with life energy.
Although both men were gravely injured, their conditions were quickly stabilized.
Especially Baron Pape Lawrence, who, as a great knight, recovered more rapidly.
About two hours later, his consciousness began to clear.
As he regained awareness, the reality of his situation became painfully clear to him.
“We lost…”
He whispered to himself, feeling the severe state of his body and the bleakness of his situation. His expression reflected his disbelief.
No one could have predicted that, just moments ago, when he was full of hope, planning to capture Thor Dressrosa, he would instead find himself a prisoner.
And not just him—his eldest son Lawrence had been captured as well.
How could he accept such an outcome?
It took him a few moments to process everything before he slumped to the ground in despair.
Whether he accepted it or not, the truth remained: they had lost, and they were now prisoners.
A bitter smile crept across his face.
As an experienced baron, he knew what defeat meant in the Northern Province. This was not like the inner provinces, where there was order. Here, the only rule was strength.
He had lost. If things went badly, his entire territory could be wiped out.
This was especially true since he had brought nearly 90% of his forces with him on this campaign.
If Thor Dressrosa were to send troops to attack his territory now—or even if he didn’t—his land would struggle to hold out.
Either they would have to revert to being pioneering lords, or they would face destruction.
And becoming a pioneering lord again? Thinking of his useless and arrogant younger son, Pape Lawrence had no hope for that.
He deeply regretted his decision.
He regretted attacking the Eagle Territory.
He regretted bringing all of his forces with him, including his eldest son.
Lawrence had more potential than he did. If only Lawrence had stayed behind, then even if Pape himself was lost, his territory would have been safe with his son.
But the Goddess of Life does not grant second chances.
Everything had already been decided.
All he could do now was bear his bitterness.
Perhaps the only solace was that the Dressrosa heir had shown some mercy, choosing not to kill them.
In fact, they had even been given medical aid.
Well, it could be called mercy, perhaps.
Other than that, he didn’t know how else to describe it.
As dusk began to fall, night quietly took over.
The battlefield was quickly cleared.
One by one, the knights were imprisoned.
The many slaves were similarly claimed by Thor’s forces as new property.
Though no formal slave contracts were in place, Thor had already considered them part of his assets.
Regardless of which path he chose, Baron Pape Lawrence would undoubtedly have to pay a hefty ransom, and these captives would only be a small part of it.
What even Thor didn’t realize was that, despite the appearance of two choices, there was really only one.
(End of Chapter)