[{"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-73":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},1688673,2155,"Chapter 73 : Chapter 73","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-73",73,"\u003Cp>Chapter 73. Advancing with Caution\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli stood at the edge of the second-floor terrace of the lord’s keep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze followed the few wagons of the Nors Merchant Guild as they jolted out of the valley mouth, their beds loaded with heavy chests of gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What those one thousand gold coins had bought him were one thousand five hundred more mouths to feed in the future, and one thousand five hundred laborers to build up his lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it worth it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On paper, it was an enormous loss. But for a man who needed to take root in the wasteland and rapidly accumulate manpower, population was the most precious resource of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He withdrew his gaze and turned to walk down from the terrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the open ground behind the keep, near the edge of the newly planned residential quarter, the place was a thunderous clamor of voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly arrived eight hundred slaves were being directed by Ulu and Dars, who had just returned from trading in Thorn City. Under their command, the group had formed a crooked, disorderly line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Line up! Line up! Stop shoving, all of you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many times have I told you already? Stand by squad!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred men to a squad! Where are the squad leaders? Get out here! Keep your own men in order!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ulu’s voice had already grown hoarse from shouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over here! Over here! Manager Ulu, bring Squad Twenty over here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dars’s voice was steadier by comparison. He was directing several older slaves as they guided one of the newly separated squads toward a row of large wooden sheds that had only just been put up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheds were crude, but at least they could shield people from wind and rain. They were a hundred times better than sleeping out on the open wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli did not disturb them. He merely stood at the edge of the crowd not far away and watched in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ulu and Dars worked together reasonably well, and the chaotic scene was gradually becoming more orderly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of the new slaves wore expressions of confusion and fear at having just arrived in a strange place, but at the very least, no major disturbance had broken out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At last, when the final squad had been led into the wooden-shed area, Ulu wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he turned his head, his eyes happened to fall upon that striking white-haired figure standing at the edge of the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord!” Ulu jolted violently, then hurriedly tugged at Dars, who was still counting heads beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dars! Quick! The lord is here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men ran through the crowd and came before Eli, bowing in unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has all been settled properly! Following the old arrangement, the eight hundred men have been divided into eight squads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each squad has one hundred men, and a temporary squad leader has been appointed to keep watch over them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Together with the seventeen squads we had already settled before, our Obsidian Territory Valley now has a full twenty-five slave squads!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look of pride and reverence mixed together on his face as he spoke with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord! Counting the knights, the soldiers, the freefolk, the craftsmen, and all their families as well…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are nearly three thousand mouths packed into this valley now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… this is all thanks to you, my great lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nearly three thousand people…” Eli repeated the figure softly, his gaze sweeping over the lively camp before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In only a few short months, it had grown from the few hundred people exiled here with him into a settlement of several thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That should have been an achievement worthy of excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet Ulu’s heartfelt cry of “my great lord,” together with the sheer size of the population before his eyes, pricked him lightly like a fine needle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caron’s advice before leaving, sharpened by a merchant’s cunning and an outsider’s clear-eyed judgment, surfaced in his mind once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…My lord, are your recent movements not becoming a little too conspicuous?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Eli had not shown his usual expression of approval, and had instead slightly furrowed his brows as though lost in thought, Ulu’s excitement froze on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking that he must have said something wrong, he looked helplessly at Dars beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dars, whose thoughts were far simpler, assumed Eli was concerned about supplies and quickly began reporting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord! The grain, salt, and iron I exchanged for in Thorn City have all already been unloaded into the warehouses!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old John has already sent people over to collect a batch of iron, saying it is needed to reinforce the city wall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hadi has also had part of the grain taken away and stored.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after hearing that the supplies had been successfully put away did the thoughtful look on Eli’s face ease somewhat. He nodded to Dars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Dars, you worked hard this time. Well done.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being praised in public by Eli, Dars’s dark face immediately flushed red. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You praise me too much, my lord! Actually… actually, Manager Caron was the one who helped the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He has broad connections, and he knows people well. The managers of those trading houses all gave him face, and the prices were fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the transaction, he even invited me to… ah, to a meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he reached the end, his voice grew quieter, as though he felt a little embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understanding immediately, Eli curled his lips into a faint, helpless smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That shrewd Caron…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merchants pursued profit, but they also understood better than anyone how to invest in personal ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caron’s attentiveness, along with the advice he had offered earlier, was nothing more than a sign that he had set his sights on Black Territory as a thriving money tree in the making.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s gaze shifted once more toward the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dozen or so children who were obviously from the newly arrived slave families, perhaps six or seven years old, were gathered together not far away in a timid but curious cluster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were secretly watching the soldiers in the training ground, where blades and spears flashed through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On their little faces were both fear and a vague, uncomprehending yearning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he saw that scene, the vague thought in Eli’s mind became clear once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Ulu and instructed him, “Ulu, arrange for someone to conduct a count as quickly as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the entire Black Territory Valley, including slaves, freefolk, craftsmen, and soldiers’ families—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I want to know exactly how many children there are under the age of twelve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Count the boys and girls separately, and sort them roughly by age as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ulu froze for a moment, clearly not understanding why Eli wanted the number of children counted. But he immediately nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, my lord! I will arrange it at once!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli nodded and said nothing more. Then he turned and left the noisy settlement area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked slowly back toward the lord’s keep along the main road that had been cleared through the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every soldier, free commoner, and slave he passed stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli merely answered with a slight nod. His thoughts had already drifted much farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caron’s reminder, offered from the perspective of an outsider, had struck the calm surface of his mind like a stone thrown into a still lake, and the ripples only continued to spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too conspicuous…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first baron among the Frontier Knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was already something that broke convention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had taken Lucerne City, repelled the beast tide, and then successively completed two massive slave transactions totaling two thousand three hundred people…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this stretch of the Western Frontier, where resources were scarce and development was painfully slow, such things were as eye-catching as a torch blazing in the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those traditional nobles who had huddled behind the defensive lines and entrenched themselves in the Western Frontier for years—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would they think when they saw an exile like him thriving so smoothly upon what had once been their abandoned ground?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would they be comfortable with it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would wonder: where, exactly, was all of Eli Pendragon’s wealth coming from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black Territory occupied no more than a barren corner of desolate land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucerne, too, was nothing more than a thoroughly mediocre city in the Western Frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So how was he able to sustain such an enormous population and such staggering construction costs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he… truly discovered something extraordinary deep in the wasteland?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some hidden treasure, perhaps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such suspicious gazes would be like invisible thorns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them, the most significant gaze of all undoubtedly came from Sir Lucius La Roche of Thorn City—the deep-minded man who held the highest authority in the Western Frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had supported Eli partly to drive a stake into the southwestern reaches of the Western Frontier, creating a counterweight against the potential threat of remnant federal forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had also done so in order to entice the other nobles to invest more heavily in their own Frontier Knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if that stake became too strong, too dazzling, perhaps even difficult to control…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would it still be what he wanted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would Lucius truly be willing to watch Eli expand at such a shocking speed right beneath his nose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli’s footsteps came to a halt before the steps of the lord’s keep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his head and looked at the building, rough stones piled together into the structure that symbolized the core of authority. Then he turned and looked back over the bustling scene in the valley…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heaviness unlike any he had ever felt before quietly spread through his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer the Frontier Knight who needed only to think about how to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon his shoulders now rested the lives and futures of nearly five thousand people from Black Territory and Lucerne City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah…” Eli let out a long breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To stand out meant risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To expose one’s sharpness too openly often invited disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caron was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least for now, he had to settle down and turn conspicuousness into restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keep a low profile. Lie low. Digest what he had gained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to truly absorb the newly arrived population into his territory, turning them into productive strength and into defensive strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reinforce the walls. Train the soldiers. Cultivate the land. Stockpile supplies…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly, he would drive his roots deeper and deeper, until they held fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with roots sunk deep enough could branches flourish above, and only then could he stand firm through whatever storm the future might bring.\u003C\u002Fp>",1786,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.844Z",1,"novelbin.me","e589e3212f1cc00e0b99c528001667cab723045d62323f0adaa4581d9c4eafcb","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-74","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-72",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]