Ch. 16
Chapter 16. Strong-Arm Tactics
The rising eastern sun cast golden radiance across the valley of the Obsidian Territory, dispersing the morning mist.
Inside the lord’s tent, however, the atmosphere carried a trace of delicate awkwardness.
Eli sat behind the rough wooden table, his fingers tapping unconsciously against its surface.
His eyes rested on the unfolded map before him, but his thoughts had clearly drifted elsewhere.
Ella approached with a cup of herbal tea that gave off a light, fragrant aroma and set it gently by his hand.
Her movements were gentler than usual. Her gaze flickered quickly across Eli’s face before dropping just as fast.
“My lord, your tea.”
“Mmm... good.” Eli lifted the teacup.
His fingertips brushed the back of Ella’s hand by accident, and both of them recoiled as though they had been burned.
The air instantly froze, leaving only the faint steam curling up from the teacup and the slightly disordered sound of their breathing.
The embrace from last night, born of both lies and protectiveness, seemed like an invisible veil hanging between them.
It made every ordinary touch feel sensitive and enough to set their hearts racing.
The tent flap was lifted, and Brandon’s weathered face appeared at the entrance.
Seasoned as he was, his eyes swept swiftly between Eli and Ella. He caught the lingering flush on Ella’s face and the faint unease in the air between them, and his grizzled brows twitched almost imperceptibly as understanding dawned on him at once.
The old hand’s mind began calculating immediately.
So the lord and Miss Ella really did have an unusual relationship.
That was a good thing.
Once there was an heir in the future, it would do wonders for uniting hearts and steadying the territory.
If he remembered correctly, there still seemed to be some precious blood deer blood in storage.
It looked like, from now on, his attitude toward Miss Ella would have to become even more respectful.
None of that showed on his face.
“Ahem.” Brandon cleared his throat and walked in with a solemn expression. “My lord, you were looking for me?”
“Sit.” Eli pointed to the chair opposite him, pulled his thoughts back into order, and then pointed at a spot on the map near the riverside high ground.
“The location of the lord’s castle is provisionally set here. What do you think?”
The Black Territory’s basic construction had already begun to take shape, and the crude cluster of wooden houses now provided basic shelter.
As for the lord’s fortress, the core of authority and the center of defense, it could no longer be delayed.
Brandon studied the marked position carefully, then recalled the terrain from memory and nodded.
“An excellent location, my lord.
“With high ground at its back, it overlooks both the camp and the river. Easy to defend, difficult to attack.
“And it is also far from the mines and the future workshop district, so it is comparatively quiet and secure.”
He paused briefly.
“More importantly, my lord, our territory is already beginning to run on its own course.
“There will only be more affairs, and they will only become more complicated.
“We need a place of at least some dignity to hold discussions, conduct official business, receive visitors, and perhaps even... receive envoys from other territories.
“This concerns not only your personal authority, but also the dignity and future development of the entire Black Territory.”
Eli nodded.
A core structure that symbolized power and order was of great importance in uniting hearts and displaying strength.
“Good. Then the location is decided.”
“You are to organize the manpower as soon as possible and draw up a detailed construction plan. I want estimates for materials, construction time, and labor requirements.
“Remember, there is no need to make it too complex for now. It may be upgraded later.”
“Yes, my lord!” Brandon answered at once.
“But my lord, there is another matter even more urgent at hand.
“There is a little more than a month left before spring, and this is precisely the critical season for preparing the fields.
“We need a large quantity of seeds, plow oxen, and farming tools to reclaim wasteland. We are also far short on slaves, and both mining and castle construction require more manpower.
“And...” He glanced at Eli.
“You mentioned before that the territory needs to establish a set of operating systems.
“If we rely only on the few of us to keep watch over the slave foremen, the efficiency is far too low, and mistakes will be easy to make.
“We need to recruit, or train, some people who understand management.”
Eli had already prepared for this.
He pulled out a heavy money pouch from inside his clothing and pushed it in front of Brandon.
“There are five hundred gold coins in here.”
Brandon’s eyes lit up as he looked at the bulging pouch. “My lord, this...”
“Your assignment,” Eli cut him off. “Take enough guards and leave immediately. Make another trip to Thorn City, or go to some nearer large town where merchant caravans gather.”
“First, purchase everything needed for the spring plowing: quality wheat seed, bean seed, all kinds of vegetable seeds, iron farming tools, and... plow oxen... Use your judgment.”
“Second, buy another three hundred slaves. Young adult men should make up the majority.”
“Third...” Eli lowered his voice. “Look carefully for a kind of purple bean seed with spiral patterns on the surface.
“It is drought-resistant and high-yield, making it especially suitable for the barren soil of the western frontier.
“It also has a distinctive taste. If you can find it, buy all of it.”
Brandon’s mouth twitched slightly as he listened to the string of assignments.
The tasks themselves did not sound overly difficult. But a round trip to Thorn City would take at least more than ten days, even at the fastest pace.
“My lord...” Brandon’s face filled with concern.
“I will certainly do my utmost to complete the task. It is only... the time for a journey there and back will not be short.
“If I take too many guards with me, the territory’s safety...”
“Lord Wolfgang and his people are brave, but they are too few in number.
“The new recruits are insufficiently trained. If sand bandits or a larger beast pack were to attack...”
Brandon’s concern was not without reason.
Eli’s heart also tightened. He really had been a little too impatient.
After a moment of thought, he remembered the personal guards of his father’s Black Crow Knights.
Especially Captain Buck, his father’s vassal. In Eli’s memory, he was a knight of the Gold rank.
A bold idea instantly took shape in Eli’s mind.
“As for the guards, you need not worry.” A smile curved Eli’s lips.
“I will find a way to leave enough strength behind here.
“You may go without concern. Take... mm, the second group, forty soldiers in all, to ensure safety on the road.
“As for the territory, I have my own arrangements.”
Brandon looked at the familiar and yet slightly unfamiliar smile on Eli’s face.
His heart gave a thump. He had a vague feeling that the young master was about to do something “outrageous” again.
But he knew Eli’s decisiveness well, so he said nothing more and carefully put away the money pouch.
“Yes, my lord! This subordinate will make preparations at once and depart as soon as possible!”
Just as Brandon was about to take his leave, Eli seemed to remember something and added casually, “Oh, right.
“Take this opportunity to register the detailed information of everyone currently in the territory as well. Name, age, special skills, place of origin... conduct a proper ‘population census.’
“We may even discover a few more useful people like Old John.”
Brandon stumbled mid-step and nearly pitched forward.
He spun around abruptly, the corners of his mouth twitching, his voice rising.
“My lord?! This... this is abusing the elderly!”
He pointed at his own black-and-white hair.
“Look at this! Just look at these old bones of mine! Do they look like they can survive this kind of torment?
“This job... this job should be handed to Esther or Miss Ella instead. They are young, have good memories, and they are much more meticulous.”
Eli could not help laughing. “Enough, enough. Just focus on the earlier tasks.”
Brandon looked as though he had just been granted a royal pardon, and hurriedly slipped away.
Very soon, the camp became busy once more.
Brandon gathered forty soldiers, took the procurement list and the heavy bag of gold, and departed the Obsidian Territory in the morning light, heading in the direction of Thorn City.
Meanwhile, Ella and Esther received the new task of conducting the “population census.”
Esther carried a great stack of rough papyrus sheets and charcoal pencils, while Ella carefully questioned and recorded each person’s information as they moved through the camp.
The soldiers did their utmost to maintain order, shouting themselves hoarse as they directed the slaves into lines for registration, all of them so busy that sweat poured from their foreheads.
As for Eli, he made his way toward the tent area where Buck and his men were resting for the time being.
Buck and the others had just finished the fairly hearty breakfast provided by the Black Territory and were checking their horses and equipment, preparing to depart for the royal capital and report back.
The moment they saw Eli approach, Buck immediately rose with his men and saluted.
“Young Master.”
“Captain Buck, did you rest well?” Eli asked with a beaming smile.
A faint sense of foreboding rose in Buck’s heart.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Young Master. We rested very well.”
“That is good.” Eli nodded, the smile on his face growing even more “sincere.”
“It is like this, Captain Buck. I have received a secret letter from Father. He has ordered you to remain here for the time being and assist me.
“So, you need not return to the royal capital for now. Stay here and help me.”
“What?!” Buck and the several knights behind him all froze, thinking they had misheard.
“Young Master, this...” Buck’s expression changed.
“How could that be? The Marquess is still in the royal capital waiting for us to report back.
“And besides, we bear the duty of guarding the Marquess. How could we possibly—”
“Ah, that is not the right way to look at it.” Eli waved a hand and cut Buck off.
“Report back? Easy. Write a letter with your own hand.
“I will have my Coalball make a trip and carry both your letter and mine back.
“And besides, would I, Eli, really lie to you?”
No matter where they were, the ravens of House Black could always find the location of Black Territory.
This was also one of the core secrets of House Black.
Buck, who had seen great matters in his life, was naturally not someone Eli could truly bluff so easily.
He merely found the whole thing somewhat amusing.
Yes, this was the familiar Eli.
Forcing others to stay, and doing it with such perfect self-righteousness and grandeur.
In that, he was the complete opposite of the upright Marquess.
Instead, he resembled the Marquess’s elder brother far more, the one who had died in the Northern War, the titled Blackwind Knight who had established the fame of House Black: Gordon Black.
“Ten days. Just ten days. You and your men will be incorporated into my personal guard and will obey my direct command.
“You will be responsible for patrolling the territory and training the soldiers.”
Buck looked at those two overlapping figures, and at everything he had seen and heard within this territory.
The look in his eyes gradually softened.
As though resigning himself to it, he lowered his head and placed his right fist over the left side of his chest.
“As you command, Eli Black.”