The Lord Of Blood Hill

Actually, Henwell has another reward he hasn’t told Newwood about.

It’s not that he doesn’t trust Newwood, but this reward is under strict supervision from above.

Henwell isn’t allowed to share it with anyone, and he can’t even access it freely himself.

Of course, you, dear readers, aren’t outsiders!

It’s an illusory token with a single English word on it: “Summon.”

This token lets Henwell borrow elite troops from some of his companions who participated in the mission, bringing them into this world for short-term battles.

The process is complicated, and Henwell can’t use it yet.

This borrowing right only activates when Henwell becomes the leader of a nation-level regime.

Henwell suspects this might be one of the key purposes of this mission: to get top players from different worlds to meet and cooperate briefly, so they can support each other when it really counts.

But this doesn’t mean the worlds are all connected.

First, activating this right requires very strict conditions.

Second, using it demands a huge cost or a long period of accumulation.

For example, if Henwell controls the Kingdom of Vorry, he would need to accumulate ten years’ worth of the Light of Civilization to trigger it once.

Finally, and most importantly, it causes significant aftereffects. Henwell would have to invest a lot of effort explaining and smoothing over the presence of foreign troops.

This is the strongest support Henwell has received so far.

He won’t use this trump card lightly.

This method is likely a core technology of the department above Henwell, so Newwood can’t know about it.

Though they’re colleagues, they belong to different departments.

It’s best to keep departmental secrets under wraps.

After spending a few days in Peace Haven, Newwood leaves again.

This time, he might be gone for a long stretch, several years or even decades, as he plans to explore other continents.

If luck runs out, Newwood might even be lost along the way.

No matter how carefree Newwood acts, Henwell knows he’s working with his life on the line, just like himself.

Before parting, Henwell prepares dozens of tons of improved high-energy explosives for him and personally cooks a meal from the Eastern World.

Thanks to Lucy, Henwell has learned plenty of recipes.

With a little adaptation, he can make some pretty good dishes.

Newwood also hands over several elite small forces he established on the Forgotten Continent to Henwell’s control.

Though he’s only been here for a little over two years, Newwood’s abilities are impressive.

Besides setting up a pirate crew in the Kingdom of Ogiro, he establishes elite outposts in other countries as well.

After bidding Newwood farewell, Henwell dives back into his daily grind, working tirelessly like a true workhorse.

His schedule is packed every day, sometimes so busy he doesn’t return to Blood Hill Manor for several days straight.

A month after his wedding, Henwell summons the core members of the pirate crew Newwood left behind.

Called the Raging Tide Pirates, they number over two thousand with more than thirty warships.

These ships aren’t shabby pirate vessels but proper warships.

Newwood “borrowed” them from the Billie Kingdom’s Southern Navy Fleet. They’re all relatively new and still in service.

In Newwood’s words, it wasn’t theft. The other side was knocked out cold and couldn’t be woken up, so he left an IOU and took the ships for now.

The pirate crew includes over 160 professionals spread across three fleets.

Each fleet has a leader, and all three are Grand Knights.

Henwell calls these three leaders together.

The first fleet’s leader is Tigger, from the Duchy of Lumir, in his thirties and a bit sly-looking.

The second fleet’s leader is Barbosa, 45 years old, a former Ogiro Navy member turned pirate. He is always a headache for Ogiro’s coastal defense forces.

The third fleet’s leader is Orlando, 29, born into Billie nobility.

Orlando’s family fell on hard times, so he ended up as a low-ranking naval officer with no promotions.

When Newwood “borrowed” the ships, Orlando, who was still under the effects of a sedative, had just entered the Battle Knight rank and dared to fight Newwood.

In the end, both he and his ship were “borrowed” by Newwood.

Over the past two years, Orlando has grown rapidly under Newwood’s mentorship and just became a Grand Knight.

When the three finally meet Henwell in person, their faces appear calm, but inside, their emotions are tangled.

They had their doubts when Newwood ordered them to come defend Peace Haven.

Even though Newwood claimed Henwell paid handsomely to hire them, none of them are fools, they sense there’s a big secret behind it all.

Still, they make their living on the edge, and they know some secrets aren’t theirs to uncover.

Before Newwood left, he told them that if they’re willing, they could pledge loyalty to Henwell.

If not, they were free to leave and live as they please.

If Newwood ever returns and needs their help, he’ll call on them again.

Before coming to Peace Haven, they might have chosen freedom without hesitation.

Though Newwood gave them a chance to rise in rank, they don’t feel grateful, because that path was brutal.

It’s not that they were promoted to Grand Knights; it’s that only the three of them survived long enough to reach that rank.

Newwood gave them a chance to ascend, but they had to risk their lives to seize it.

Because of this, the core members of the Raging Tide Pirates harbor a deep, bone-deep fear of Newwood.

This fear crushes any thought of rebellion.

If the chance to break free ever truly arises, they’d take it without a second thought.

However, after over two months in Peace Haven, their perspective shifts.

Especially now, knowing Henwell will be their new lord.

They start to believe that following Henwell might help them fulfill their own goals.

Since they’re tasked with defending Peace Haven, they know the place far better than any visiting dignitaries.

Even spies from other nations don’t know as much as they do.

For instance, they know Henwell has an extremely advanced smelting system and understand the elite quality of Peace Haven’s army.

They even know the most heavily guarded areas of Peace Haven aren’t at Blood Hill Manor but near the western mountain range.

They know Peace Haven has dozens of Grand Knight-level experts.

They know Peace Haven is far stronger and far more ambitious than anyone realizes.