Chapter 31

Morris snorted coldly, turned his head away, and closed his eyes tightly.

As the heir to Baron Carter, he had the pride of an aristocrat; even as a prisoner, he was unwilling to easily reveal the family's secrets.

A flash of coldness crossed Roko's eyes.

He slowly drew the knight longsword at his waist, the refined steel blade reflecting a chilling light under the fire.

"Chi."

The cold blade rested lightly against Morris's neck.

Morris's body stiffened abruptly, his tightly closed eyes snapped open, his pupils filled with terror.

A faint sting came, and warm liquid flowed down his neck.

Roko's blade had already broken his skin.

The shadow of death had never loomed over him so realistically.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Morris's voice carried a sobbing tone; his aristocratic pride collapsed instantly in the face of death.

"My father has five Great Knights under him!"

"The strongest is Captain Simon, a Great Knight Peak!"

"There are also four Great Knights in the middle to late stages!"

"There are about fifteen at the Knight realm!"

"The number of Quasi-Knights is over a hundred, and there are at least two hundred Knight Attendants!"

Morris spoke rapidly, fearing that if he spoke too slowly, the sword at his neck would sink in another fraction.

Roko listened quietly, firmly memorizing this information.

Five Great Knights, fifteen regular knights.

Quasi-Knights and Knight Attendants combined even exceeded three hundred.

This force was indeed not weak for a frontier Baron.

No wonder he dared to let his son come here to scout the situation.

Having obtained the desired information, Roko withdrew his longsword.

Morris felt as if he had been granted amnesty, collapsing to the ground, gasping for air, cold sweat soaking his back.

"Watch him."

Roko gave an order to the knight beside him.

He then turned around and, with Fula, Hart, and the others, returned to the camp in the valley.

The night was deep, but the valley camp was still brightly lit.

Inside the temporary wooden house, Martina was lying on the table, looking at a newly drawn defense map of the mining area.

Her little brows were tightly locked, and her snow-white fox ears twitched from time to time.

Fula quietly poured a cup of warm water for Roko, her heterochromatic eyes carrying a hint of heartache.

Roko took the water cup and gently rubbed her cat ears, soothing her silently.

Hearing the movement, Martina raised her head, her pure white eyes looking at Roko.

"Did you ask it out?"

"Mm."

Roko roughly recounted Baron Carter's strength.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Martina's small face.

"Five Great Knights, fifteen regular knights, and the number of Quasi-Knights plus Knight Attendants exceeding three hundred—their strength is enough to crush us now."

Her little fingers tapped on the tabletop.

"A head-on fight is definitely not an option; we would undoubtedly lose."

Hart said in a deep voice from the side:

"Young Master, Baron Carter has operated New Moon Town for many years and has deep roots. Moreover, this person is greedy, cruel, and vengeful."

"Having suffered such a big loss this time, he will definitely not let it go."

"The name of the Raymond family has limited deterrent power on the border of the Xin Feng Province."

Roko nodded; this was also what he was worried about.

"Martina, what are your thoughts?"

He looked at this little fox who could always bring surprises.

Martina licked her lips, a flash of cunning light in her eyes.

"Since we can't beat them, then we talk."

"Talk?" Hart frowned.

"Yes, negotiation!" Martina said affirmatively.

"Morris is in our hands; this is the biggest bargaining chip."

"We can use Morris to exchange for some practical benefits from Baron Carter."

"For example, gold coins, or a batch of urgently needed supplies, food, weapons, and equipment."

"Even, make him acknowledge our legal possession of this area and guarantee no more harassment."

Martina became more excited as she spoke, as if she had already seen the scene of herself debating a group of scholars at the negotiation table.

"Will Baron Carter agree?" Roko asked.

"He will," Martina said firmly.

"Morris is his heir to the title; no matter how much he hurts from the loss, he must first redeem his son."

"As for whether he will retaliate later, that is naturally something to talk about later."

Martina's small face became serious again.

"Therefore, negotiation is just a delaying tactic to buy us time for development."

"We need to use this time to improve our strength as quickly as possible, consolidate the territory, mine the gold, and turn wealth into real power."

"Moreover, we are not isolated and helpless."

"Don't forget your two uncles; their territories are right in the Xin Feng Province."

"We can ask your two uncles for help. We don't need them to send troops directly; we just need them to let out some word indicating their support for you, which can exert huge pressure on Baron Carter."

"A frontier Baron would definitely not dare to offend three members of the Raymond family at the same time, especially when we are in the right."

A flash of appreciation crossed Roko's eyes.

Martina's thinking was clear and her considerations were comprehensive.

Use Morris to negotiate and buy time and benefits.

At the same time, use the family's power to deter Baron Carter.

This was indeed the optimal strategy at present.

"Good, let's do as you say." Roko made the decision.

"Hart, you arrange the personnel and prepare for the negotiation matters."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Martina, you draft a detailed plan for the specific negotiation conditions."

"No problem!" Martina patted her small chest in assurance, her snow-white tail wagging triumphantly behind her.

After the discussion, Hart and Martina each left to busy themselves with their own tasks.

Roko did not rest immediately but walked out of the wooden house.

In the camp, the injured knights had already been settled, and the military doctor was treating their wounds.

Roko walked up and comforted them one by one.

He carefully inquired about everyone's injuries and promised generous compensation and rewards.

For the three knights who sacrificed their lives, he even guaranteed that their families would be well treated.

These newly promoted knights were mostly former serfs, bandits, or ordinary soldiers.

Roko's personal concern made them feel unprecedented respect and importance.

【Favorability +5】

【Loyalty +8】

【Favorability +3】

【Loyalty +5】

Looking at the numbers constantly jumping on the attribute panel, Roko knew that these simple actions were gradually uniting people's hearts.

When everything was completely finished, the horizon was already showing a fish-belly white.

Roko dragged his slightly exhausted body back to his temporary room.

Fula had been waiting there quietly; seeing Roko return, she immediately came up, her little hands trying clumsily to help him remove his light armor.

Roko let her busy herself, his gaze falling on her slightly reddened eyes.

"Still thinking about what happened just now?"

Fula's movements paused, she nodded gently, her voice a bit low.

"Master, seeing those people die, I..."

She didn't know how to describe that feeling, just felt a tightness in her heart.

Roko sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"There will be many more scenes like this in the future."

"In this chaotic border, if you want to survive and protect the things you cherish, you must become stronger and more ruthless."

Fula nodded as if she understood, burying her small face in Roko's embrace, absorbing the warmth that made her feel at ease.