- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 76
**Chapter 76: The Turmoil in the Maine River Valley**
Thor had never expected that when he only requested a few administrators, his father would respond with such a generous gift. Not only did his father send the five skilled administrators that Thor had asked for—each of them his father’s most capable personnel—but he also sent over a hundred craftsmen and even a high knight.
The craftsmen were essential for building up Eagle Ridge, which was in dire need of their skills, but the addition of a high knight was even more significant. A high knight was a formidable force, particularly in the Northern Province, and with the looming threat of the minotaur attack, having an extra high knight gave Thor much more confidence in his ability to defend his territory.
Of course, Thor was shocked, but it was nothing compared to the amazement of Pelos, who led the support team.
When Pelos first saw the size and development of Eagle Ridge, he thought for sure they had arrived at the wrong place. It wasn’t until Thor himself came out with a welcoming party and led them into Eagle Ridge that Pelos realized this truly was the territory of Lord Thor. His jaw dropped in disbelief.
“How could this be?” he thought.
In less than a year, Thor’s domain had grown into something so substantial. As one of the commanders of the Eagle Knights, Pelos knew all too well the challenges of the Northern Province.
Even among the sons of the Dresrosa family who had ventured north to become frontier knights, most struggled to establish their domains. It typically took them around two years to gain a firm foothold, and one son had yet to do so even after three years.
Although Thor had received considerable support from Count Engel, Pelos couldn’t comprehend how he had developed his territory so quickly. It felt like a dream.
“Lord Thor!” Pelos began to speak but then hesitated, unsure of how to continue.
“Pelos, you should address him as ‘My Lord,’” Steve interrupted with a frown, showing his displeasure.
“My Lord! Forgive me, I was just so shocked,” Pelos quickly corrected himself, bowing respectfully. “I thought for a moment that those cursed merchants had led us to the wrong place.”
“It’s fine,” Thor responded with a smile, unfazed by the slip-up. “Steve, take Pelos and get him settled. Let him familiarize himself with Eagle Ridge, and for now, let him take command of the fledgling Eagle Knight Company.”
Thor gave the order after a brief moment of thought.
Pelos had just arrived, so Thor couldn’t entrust him with too much power right away. However, as a high knight, Pelos’ skills could not be wasted, and assigning him the trainee knights was a good start.
“Yes!” Steve replied promptly.
“My Lord, thank you! I will take my leave,” Pelos said, clearly delighted. He hadn’t expected Thor to hand over command of the fledgling Eagle Knight Company so soon after his arrival. Now that he had seen the potential of Eagle Ridge, Pelos no longer underestimated it in the slightest.
With Pelos’ arrangements in place, Thor turned his attention to organizing the craftsmen. Eagle Ridge lacked many things, and the arrival of the craftsmen helped fill a major gap in its development.
More importantly, with these craftsmen and the recent boost in food production, Eagle Ridge was on the verge of becoming self-sufficient.
This was a crucial milestone, not just for Thor but for any domain in the Northern Province. Self-sufficiency was rare and difficult to achieve in the province, where many frontier and noble lords struggled to produce enough resources on their own.
If Thor could manage it, the benefits would be tremendous—particularly in terms of gold.
As things stood, a large portion of supplies still had to be bought from Loren City, costing Thor a significant amount of money. Becoming self-sufficient would not only reduce these expenses but also allow Thor to sell surplus goods, generating even more income.
Thor saw the immense value in this and was determined to achieve it.
Meanwhile, as Thor was busy managing Eagle Ridge, the timing for the predicted minotaur attack was drawing closer.
Finally, word of the minotaurs reached the Maine River Valley.
In truth, the frontier lords in the region had long known that a minotaur tribe had broken through the defenses and entered the Northern Province. Those with access to good intelligence sources were already aware.
However, most of the lords in the Maine River Valley had been unconcerned.
The minotaurs were still far from the valley, and the valley itself was in a different direction from the main battle lines. Moreover, the minotaurs had rarely ventured into the Maine River Valley, as the northern lands beyond it led to the Ice Fields, where few creatures, except for titans, could survive.
But this time was different.
Three days ago, a minotaur tribe attacked Sunset Ridge, only a hundred miles from the Maine River Valley. Three frontier lord domains were wiped out in the assault.
This news struck the Maine River Valley like a bombshell, throwing everyone into a panic.
“Damn it! How did this happen?”
“Aren’t those filthy beasts supposed to stay away from the Maine River Valley?”
“Oh my gods, what are we going to do? Should we flee?”
“But we’ve spent years building our lands. We can’t just abandon them!”
In every corner of the valley, the frontier lords were panicking, unsure whether to run or stay and defend their homes.
Even the three noble lords of the valley were no longer calm.
The most anxious among them were Baron Valmy and Baron Glaton, whose territories were closest to the site of the recent attack. If the minotaurs moved in their direction, they would be the first to face the invasion.
As soon as the news reached them, the two barons gathered to discuss their options.
“Damn it, is the Goddess of Life playing some kind of joke on us?” Valmy shouted in disbelief. “Can someone explain how those filthy minotaurs ended up in the Maine River Valley? They’re supposed to head south, not come here!”
“Are we really going to abandon our lands?” Glaton asked, pacing nervously in his castle. He, too, found it hard to accept the situation.
Valmy had spent more than a decade building up his domain, investing countless resources and efforts. The thought of leaving it all behind was unbearable.
“Those damned minotaurs might not come this way,” Glaton said after a moment of contemplation, though his tone lacked confidence.
“No,” Valmy replied with a bitter smile. “That seems unlikely. Sunset Ridge is close to us, and besides, where else would those beasts go? They won’t head for the Ice Fields—nothing survives there except titans.”
Valmy’s words left Glaton in silent agreement, a heavy sense of dread settling over both of them.
**(End of Chapter)**