The Lord Of Blood Hill

In the end, Duke Reyes keeps his agreement with Henwell and opens the road ahead.

However, when the senior officers led by Dalton pass Reyes's camp, their expressions darken.

They have already heard that Henwell was pelted with many dead-feud hair knots in Reyes's main camp.

So, when the members of the Lord's Knight Order cross the area, they keep "accidentally" stepping over the passage Reyes's side marked out for them.

If the other side dares to provoke them in any way, the Lord's Knight Order will immediately flatten them.

Unfortunately, Reyes's side remains restrained, and Henwell also keeps his own people from causing trouble.

That evening, Henwell gathers the captains of the Lord Iron Guards and the middle and senior commanders of the Seventh Legion.

Henwell doesn't hide his exchange with Reyes during the day. After hearing it, everyone's expression finally softens a little.

Dalton sneers. "Heh... at least that old man Reyes still has some sense. He can still see that only you can save Vorry, my lord!"

"Otherwise, once this matter is over, I would definitely take a few brothers and pay them a proper visit."

"Those filthy swine actually dared to throw dead-feud hair knots at you."

"They should look at themselves first. Who do they think they are? Do they even deserve to?"

Henwell glares at him. "You talk too much."

Dalton turns to Cumberland beside him. "I won't touch Duke Reyes!"

"Go find out exactly who was bold enough to throw dead-feud hair knots at my lord. I'll go look for them later!"

Henwell picks up a book from the table and throws it at him. "Tch! Are you done yet?"

After taking the book to the head, Dalton grins awkwardly, picks it up, and returns it to Henwell's desk. "My lord, it has been a long time since you last personally made a move."

"They have probably forgotten that you are one of the top professionals on the continent."

"In my opinion, we should seize this chance to kill a few troublemakers and wake them all up!"

Henwell says irritably, "Go stand in the back."

Dalton scratches his head and stands behind Henwell.

Henwell taps the table. "This matter ends here."

"After that, none of your units are to go to Iris City and stir up trouble without permission, and none of you are to provoke any disputes."

Cumberland frowns. "My lord, Duke Reyes publicly announced a complete break with us."

"That is a major loss for us."

"You know how much we invested there. We have dozens of demonstration zones alone."

"The early water-control projects and other infrastructure have not even recovered their costs yet."

"Once we withdraw, it will mean we have thrown away millions of gold coins here for nothing."

Henwell says, "Over the past few years, we have drawn out a large population and discovered many talented people. We have already recovered enough."

"Besides, the demonstration-zone plan was originally meant to expand our influence and restore Vorry's population."

"If they are gone, they are gone. It isn't important."

"As for trade routes and commerce, that is even simpler. We can have the Phoenix family resell the goods later."

"In addition, Count Doyle of Cloud Tree City can also resell supplies. Letting them earn more is fine too."

After saying that, Henwell looks around at everyone. "Do any of you have any other thoughts about Reyes's decision?"

Everyone exchanges glances, but no one speaks.

Henwell calls on someone. "Hank, you speak."

Hank, commander of the Seventh Legion, stands and says, "My lord, if Duke Reyes does this, we need to arrange our layout in the kingdom's central region again."

"The temporary break between Marquess Descartes and Duke Reyes means we have lost our allies in the kingdom's central region, as well as many armed stopping points."

"Personally, I suggest we seize this chance to directly take down a piece of territory in the kingdom's central region."

"There are many troublemakers on the road. We can choose the most obnoxious one, the one everyone hates most, and the one making the most noise."

"If no one speaks up after we kill him, we will gain a new foothold."

"In the future, if another major internal matter breaks out inside the kingdom, we must have an armed force that can intervene in time."

Henwell nods lightly. "Mm. Being able to think of that is very good. Wizet, you speak."

Wizet, the deputy commander of the Lord Iron Guards, stands. After hesitating for a moment, he says, "Duke Reyes isn't actually breaking with us by doing this."

"To put it another way, Duke Reyes is doing this to protect you, my lord, and to protect his alliance with Peace Haven."

Everyone looks at Wizet in confusion, not understanding what he means.

Henwell says, "Oh? Continue."

Wizet organizes his thoughts. "Everyone, think about it. Since Duke Reyes values my lord so highly, why would he go this far?"

"First, a leader was taken hostage in front of all his subordinates. He must show an attitude."

"He must show an attitude that preserves his authority and appeases those below him."

"Put yourself in his place. If someone took my lord hostage in Peace Haven and forced us to compromise, what would our reaction be?"

"They threw a dead-feud hair knot, and we already want to cut them down. Duke Reyes was publicly taken hostage by my lord. That is far worse."

"So Duke Reyes must give his subordinates an outlet."

"At the same time, making a public decision also protects our people."

"Otherwise, who knows whether some reckless fool might do something drastic to our people and cause the relationship between both sides to worsen even further."

Hank is still puzzled. "But in substance, both sides have already broken with each other."

Wizet shakes his head. "No. As far as I know, our various investments in the Iris City region have never progressed smoothly."

"After all, this is a loose Neutral Alliance, and the people who came are all the ones who don't fit in elsewhere."

"Duke Reyes also can't forcefully suppress them."

"We need to understand one thing. Our productivity is the most advanced, at least among all the countries."

"The real reason the demonstration zones, industrial zones, and trade zones prosper is our advanced system."

"Once our people are no longer there to manage those projects, the neutral nobles will very quickly discover that they can't handle any of it."

"When their own interests begin to suffer, they will understand our importance."

"The management and maintenance of the demonstration zones will collapse, and crop yields will drop sharply."

"The industrial zones will fail to operate properly, reducing output and driving costs up."

"If the commercial trade zones are abolished, goods will pass through middlemen again, and prices will rise by another level."

"Very soon, they will understand just how much they lose without us."

"By then, they will forget the dead-feud hair knots and start remembering how good Peace Haven was."

"And when we are invited back, the conditions will no longer be as generous as they were at the beginning."

"As for the noble lords who have been causing trouble for us all this time, they will also be forced into major concessions."

"So the two sides have not completely broken. Duke Reyes has only left a cooling-off period."

"It allows his subordinates to calm down and those thorny noble lords to wake up."

Henwell lightly claps his hands. "Very good. Being able to see through these things proves that you can already stand on your own."

After saying that, Henwell glances at Cumberland, who answers with a smile.

This fellow understood it long ago. He simply didn't say it, and even hinted at the importance of the regions being abolished.

That way, his colleagues could react more quickly.

As for Dalton, Henwell looks at his thoughtful expression and realizes that this blockhead truly didn't see through it.