[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela":3,"chapter-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-64":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Exiled from the Start and Dominating the Wasteland with an Intelligence System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688664,2155,"Chapter 64 : Chapter 64","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-64",64,"\u003Cp>Chapter 64. Cornerstone\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Obsidian Territory was filled with the busy vigor of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above and below the wall, the soldiers were clearing away the last traces of the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scorched earth was being turned over. The massive beast carcasses were being butchered apart, and their thick hides were stripped away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elderly women led nimble-handed women in scraping off the fat and laying the pelts out under the sun to dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great slabs of dark red beast meat were skillfully cut apart by experienced butchers, rubbed with coarse salt, and hung on ventilated wooden racks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huge skeletons were smashed open and thrown into boiling cauldrons to render fat and make bone broth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bonfire feast of the previous night—that revelry of mourning and fury, in which flesh and blood had been used to honor the heroic dead—had consumed part of the spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the legacy left behind by the beast tide was simply too enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain-like heaps of beast meat, rendered fat, and hides had filled the warehouses of Black Territory as never before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli had even given orders to distribute extra meat to all the subjects, including the newly arrived slaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief frenzy came a longer-lasting sense of solidity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The food crisis, that sword which had always hung over the heads of the pioneers of the wasteland, had actually been driven back for the time being by this brutal victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether for Obsidian Territory or for Lucerne City, there would be no need to worry about filling their stomachs for quite a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli stood before the window of the lord’s keep, gazing down at the orderly bustle in the valley below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This abundance, bought with blood and lives, brought a faint measure of comfort to his heavy heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But population—people—was the true cornerstone of a territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wounds of war needed to heal, and the consolidation of Black Territory, as well as the restoration of Lucerne City, both required manpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Estor.” Eli turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Make another trip to Thorne City,” Eli said, his voice calm and steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Find Supervisor Caron of the Nors Merchant Guild and tell him that Black Territory and Lucerne City still need more people—able-bodied workers. Tell him this: however many he has, I want them all. The price will be on the same terms as last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Eli walked to the desk. After a moment of thought, he quickly began writing across a sheet of parchment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To Sir Lucius La Roche, Governor of the Western Frontier...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Your loyal Pendragon reports to you: Black Territory has successfully repelled a large-scale beast tide that surged out of Nightsong Forest. The battle was brutal and came at grievous cost, yet the territory was ultimately held...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...The scale and ferocity of this beast tide far exceeded all recorded accounts. Its origin lay deep within the forest, and I fear it was no mere coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sir Lucius must remain vigilant, for other regions of the Western Frontier may also face similar calamities...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Obsidian Territory and Lucerne City both lie in ruins and are in urgent need of recovery and rest, yet Pendragon shall never forget his duty to guard the Western Frontier...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He described the beast tide in detail, while subtly emphasizing the price he himself had paid and the losses he had suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he did not forget to express his stance of loyal service to the Western Frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, he pressed a wax seal bearing the emblem of a black dragon with outspread wings onto the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take this letter as well. Deliver it into Sir Lucius’s own hands.” Eli passed the sealed letter to Estor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood! Rest easy, my lord!” Estor accepted the letter, tucked it away with care, and quickly departed to carry out the task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after Estor left, the heavy wooden door of the council hall was lightly knocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in,” Eli answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened, and Griffin, Hans, and Emilia walked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their expressions were different from usual. There was a new awkwardness and solemnity to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three exchanged glances, seeming to push the matter onto one another. In the end, Griffin drew a deep breath and stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how hesitant and uneasy they were, as though they wished to speak yet could not, Eli could not help finding it a little amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning back in his chair, he asked at leisure, “The three of you look as though you’ve run into a terrible problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Embarrassment flashed across Griffin’s face. He rubbed his hands together, apparently trying to organize his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alliance Lord... no, Baron!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He corrected his form of address, his tone turning even more respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We... We came today to beg a favor of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this beast tide... if you had not warned us in time, and if you had not opened Black Territory to take us in... then the three of us, along with all the subjects and soldiers we brought with us, would likely already have been buried in the beasts’ bellies, leaving not even bones behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bitter, self-mocking expression appeared on his face. “After living through this brush with death, we... have seen ourselves clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps... we are not fit to be lords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When faced with a true crisis, we lack both the strength and the wisdom and resolve needed to protect our people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hans also nodded vigorously. “Griffin is right, Baron! If not for you this time, the dozens of men under me wouldn’t have survived either!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I keep acting as a lord... I’ll only lead them all to their deaths with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emilia stepped forward as well. “My lord, it was you who gave the people of Frost Territory a second life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I continue as a lord in name only, I will only drag those who trust me into danger again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We... humbly beg you to take us in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bent her knees slightly and performed a proper vassal’s salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Griffin and Hans also dropped to one knee without hesitation, pressing their right hands to their chests and bowing their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The three of us are willing to relinquish our status as frontier lords and acknowledge you as our liege, becoming vassals of the Pendragon Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this life and this world, our loyalty shall never waver.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence filled the council hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli looked at the three kneeling before him, his gaze deep and unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The terror of the beast tide, it seemed, had completely shattered their fantasy of standing on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To submit willingly and seek protection was the most realistic and wisest choice they could make now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That clear-eyed understanding actually made Eli think a little more highly of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remained silent for a moment. He offered no false modesty, nor did he show excessive excitement. He merely nodded slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a simple word, yet it carried the weight of a thousand promises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them abruptly lifted their heads, and their eyes shone with excitement and immense relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I accept your loyalty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli rose and walked before them, his gaze passing across all three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From this moment onward, Easton Territory, Clive Territory, and Frost Territory are formally placed under the protection of the Pendragon Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the three of you will still govern your former territories on my behalf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, my lord!” The three responded in unison, their voices trembling with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However,” Eli continued, changing tone slightly, “submission does not mean abandoning responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your former territories must recover and grow as quickly as possible as well. They must become sources of support for us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned to the desk and picked up a map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You will each return with your original subjects and soldiers. In addition to that—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will assign each of you one Black Crow Knight and ten veterans from Black Territory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Griffin and the other two shuddered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had thought that merely being allowed to retain their administrative positions was already more than they could hope for. They had never expected such additional support on top of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord’s great grace is beyond anything this subordinate could repay, even in death!” Griffin’s voice choked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, rest easy! Hans will build his territory into a fortress of iron!” Hans thumped his chest hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Frost Territory will not fail the trust you have placed in it, my lord!” Emilia promised solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go,” Eli said, waving a hand. “Take my men, and take hope back with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We obey, my lord!” the three answered together before striding out of the council hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching their backs as they departed, Eli let out a soft breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another solid step had been taken in integrating the surrounding powers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just sat down, preparing to deal with the pile of paperwork awaiting him, when hurried footsteps sounded outside the door once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dust-covered messenger was led in by the guards. He removed the copper tube strapped to his back and presented it with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord! An urgent letter from Lord Brandon in Lucerne City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli took it at once and quickly read through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...In accordance with your instructions, using the seventy-five soldiers you left behind as the core, we have urgently recruited one hundred and twenty-five new soldiers, bringing the total defensive force in Lucerne to two hundred men...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...By relying on the city walls and holding firmly, and with Lucerne City being relatively far from the forest, the attacking beast herd numbered only a little over four hundred and its offensive was scattered...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Relying on the city walls, the defense of Lucerne was comparatively easy. We suffered only nine dead and a little over thirty wounded, and have successfully repelled the beast herd...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...A number of beast carcasses and hides have been seized and placed into storage. The city defenses remain intact, and the people’s hearts are gradually settling. Only the consumption of grain stores was somewhat heavy and will require later replenishment...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah...” The heart Eli had kept hanging in tension finally settled completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucerne City was safe. Brandon had done a splendid job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without question, that was the best news he could have received.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gently set the letter down on the desk and looked out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the valley, soldiers were still working together to butcher beast carcasses. Women and children were airing hides in the sun, and from farther away came the faint clanging sounds of wall repairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was thick with the reek of blood and beast, not fragrant in the slightest, yet brimming with life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no earth-shaking proclamation of victory, no grand and stirring ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, only one thought remained in Eli’s heart, simple to the point of seeming extravagant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If... every day could be like this, without disaster descending out of nowhere, without war pressing at the doorstep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things could simply continue to develop in peace like this... how wonderful would that be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight passed through the glass window and fell upon his snow-white hair and the sharp side of his face, worn by fatigue yet still keen, casting a faint halo of light around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This brief peace and hard-won sense of stability was nothing more than a moment to catch their breath—bought for Obsidian Territory with countless lives and rivers of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>",1894,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.844Z",1,"novelbin.me","50634178d05240ea8320ed08b17331f734c4f8c5ead9f9af4ad64881529f034a","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-65","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-63",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]