269

The territory had been recruiting soldiers all the time, and this time they even put out a large-scale recruitment notice, but the number of troops did not increase as quickly as expected.

It was because of the perspective of the people of Yeongji towards the military.

"Aren't there a lot of soldiers in a territory the size of ours?"

"It's easy to live without having to serve in the military."

"There's no need to go somewhere so dangerous."

If you work hard, you get a high salary. Food prices are incomparably cheaper than anywhere else.

In the past, there was a severe shortage of basic necessities, but now it is not so, because many merchants came to get food and released many goods.

Of course, they were not living as comfortably as the nobles or the wealthy, but they were living in such poverty that they were quite satisfied with what they had.

There, they caught all the criminals and put them in the 'Labor Brigade', so public security was quite good.

The territory is constantly developing. So there is a lot of work. The pay is high, so many people earn a decent amount, play around, and then work when they run out of money.

The problem was that everyone was satisfied with this state of affairs.

"They say that if you volunteer to be a soldier, your pay will be higher."

"Hey, it's still hard. This is enough for me. Think about the old days."

"Yeah, the house is nice and clean and we're not starving, so there's no need to be greedy. If war breaks out anyway, we'll all be drafted, right?"

Since everyone was like this, no matter how large the territory was or how large the population was, it was impossible to quickly replenish soldiers.

Claude was racking his brain. Thinking about the coming war, he would need far more troops than he had now. However, since the supply was slower than expected, he couldn't help but feel frustrated.

"Oh my… … . People don't know how serious this is. We have to fight Desmond, and we have to fight the Duke. And Leipold too. There are enemies everywhere."

The people of Yeongji were unaware of political circumstances. They had no idea who they would have to fight in the future.

Now, everyone knows that Giselle is a member of the royalist faction. This is because Claude has been selling her out here and there.

The fact that the royal family was on the same side also contributed to reducing people's anxiety.

Claude actively promoted the idea of using his power as governor to give more benefits to his soldiers.

[Recruiting for the Fenris Territory Army! Tax exemption during service period! Full plate armor and latest weapons provided for free!]

The promotional material showed Claude pointing straight ahead with his finger.

[Brave warriors! Join us in the defense of the territory!]

[Let's go to the battlefield together! The glory and rewards of victory await you!]

[If you come, war starts!]

The number of volunteers increased significantly compared to before, even with the tax exemption benefit. However, it was nowhere near the number that Jiselle was aiming for.

The goal was to fill at least 10,000 people, but at this rate, it would take years to accomplish.

Claude went to see Giselle and said.

"I think some degree of forced conscription will be necessary."

"Before that, put away the flyers with your face on them. Every time I look at them, I feel more embarrassed."

"...yes."

"Are you well prepared for mandatory military training?"

"Yes, that won't be a big problem. Everyone expected it anyway."

Typically, the colonists receive basic military training for a few days each year in preparation for conscription.

This was no different in other territories, and everyone in the Fenris territory was receiving some level of military training.

To make things a little more systematic, Jiselle set up proper training centers here and there.

But that was only the minimum training, and to fight a war, they needed far more soldiers who could serve properly, so they had to find a way.

After thinking for a moment, Giselle smiled sinisterly and spoke to Claude.

"Isn't it because I've become so comfortable eating and living that I've lost all sense of tension? I don't even know who I'm fighting."

"That's true. At least eating and sleeping are no longer a problem."

"But that doesn't mean you can live like the wealthy commoners of other realms. There are still many inconveniences."

"Maybe because they lived so frugally, everyone was satisfied with this. They were happy as long as they didn't lose anything. After all, most of them were either the poor or the exploited."

"Yeah, so I guess I should create some tension. If it's easier to live without it being taken away, then I should take it away."

"So… … Are you now determined to become a villainous lord? Yes, that suits you well. You've endured that personality so far… … . Aah!"

Claude, who had been hit by Manaro, rubbed his forehead and made a pouty expression. To be honest, it was not something he had said wrong, but he felt wronged because he had been hit.

Giselle continued speaking while looking at Claude like that.

"Once you forcefully take them and conscript them, their morale will inevitably drop. Our territory army must always have high morale. That way, they can actively participate in training."

"Then how do you plan to increase the tension?"

"I have everything planned out. Just spread some ominous rumors first."

Is it a problem that life is too comfortable? Then just solve the problem.

Jiselle was still smiling sinisterly.

* * *

"Isn't Count Desmond going to invade here soon?"

"Isn't that the territory that is called the strongest in the North?"

"They already sent a scout party to our territory."

Whenever the residents of the castle gathered together, they would whisper among themselves with anxious faces. The topic of conversation was the rumor that Desmond, known as the strongest man in the North, would soon attack this place.

This was something that the key figures in the territory had known for a long time. However, the people of the territory had been so focused on developing the territory that they had not been properly informed.

One of the reasons was that they deliberately did not inform the public in order to stabilize the atmosphere in the territory immediately after the occupation.

Even when they often heard rumors that a war might break out, they all thought it was a rumor because their immediate survival was more important.

But when I heard rumors that war was imminent, I couldn't relax.

"Didn't our lord say that he was a pro-prince? Didn't he say that the royal family would protect him?"

"The Earl of Desmond is a duke. Don't you know that the duke is more powerful? I heard he's a very famous duke."

"What are you talking about! The king is the strongest! That's why you should be the king! Don't you know what a king is? You ignorant fool!"

"What, you little punk? Who are you to call ignorant when you don't even know how to read!"

As anxiety increased, fights between the two became more frequent. Still, people tried to ease their worries by recalling the achievements of Jiselle.

"I heard our lord is really good at fighting? So wouldn't he be able to block it well?"

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"Yes, our lord easily defeated Count Cavaldi and took everything from here as well."

"Oh, Count Desmond is on a whole other level than Count Cavaldi. It's not for nothing that they call it the strongest in the North."

People's opinions began to differ. There was constant debate between those who were certain that they would lose if they fought, and those who vaguely believed that the lord would be able to defend them.

Still, there were many more people who thought it would be okay.

That's just how people are. It's so peaceful right now that it doesn't feel real.

So, Lowell, the spy, fanned the flames even further, stirring up the people's anxiety by constantly agitating.

In the past, they had to hide it to make the people of the territory feel at ease, but now they had to actively inform the people of the territory and make them feel more at ease.

"Desmond's scouts have already appeared near the territory!"

"There was already a battle! The lord barely managed to drive them out!"

"That's not the problem now! The northern lords have joined forces and are trying to take this place away!"

In fact, some of the lords in the north were forming an alliance. They were moving to attack places other than Fenris territory.

Lowell deliberately spread distorted rumors by mixing lies with the truth.

The people became more anxious. They knew better than anyone that there was no other estate as pleasant to live in as the Fenris Estate.

A sense of unease and tension began to grow among the people.

"I don't want to go back to living like before, losing everything. We have to protect what's ours."

"I'm sick of starving. If another lord takes over this place, I'll starve again."

"I was already working at a construction site, so I guess I should just apply to be a soldier."

Those with intact limbs and good health began to volunteer for the army.

Although many of the laborers left, there were so many people living in the area that there was no problem recruiting new laborers.

In the first place, if there was a shortage of workers, the Fenris Territory would deploy soldiers to the construction. There was no problem at all.

Although the number of recruits has increased significantly compared to before, even that is not enough for Jiselle.

This is because there were still many people who were hesitating.

"We don't all have to go, do we?"

"Yeah, yeah. It would be dangerous if a real war broke out."

"Wouldn't it be better to wait and see and then enlist as a conscript?"

There are bound to be people who want others to fight for them and make sacrifices for them.

I couldn't blame them. It's great that someone steps forward, and it's not bad if they don't.

Of course, when the territory is destroyed, you will have to figure out how to survive on your own.

Meanwhile, a new rumor began to spread, as if to urge the people who were against it to hurry up.

"Marauders! Marauders have appeared!"

"What? Where? There are many soldiers in our territory, and there are looters wandering around?"

"We don't have enough soldiers to defend our territory because we have to block the armies of other lords!"

"Several villages have already been reduced to ashes! People have lost all their property and are now lining up for refugees!"

"So, what about the vigilantes? They've all received basic training in each village, right?"

"They all died or ran away! The number of soldiers stationed there is small, so they are retreating!"

The ominous rumor hit the territory. The people were shocked.

I thought it would remain peaceful like this. But I was wrong. There was no way others would leave this territory, with so much food and railroads, alone.

It is an era where you can take anything you want, anytime, anywhere, as long as you have the power. Whether it be other nobles or bandits, everyone will find the Fenris territory tempting.

One must protect what is one's own. Living under the comfortable protection of the lord, one forgot that.

The number of recruits increased significantly as additional volunteers volunteered after being enlightened by the rumors about the raiders. And the raiders themselves were becoming more and more notorious by the day.

"The villages have been hit again! They are running rampant throughout the territory!"

"How many of them are there that you can't stop? What are our Yeongji Army doing!"

"There are over 500 armed men! We can't stop them with a small village! They are all running away to the nearby fortresses or cities!"

"Where did you come from? Are all the bandits from the North gathered together?"

"I don't know! Rumor has it that he calls himself the 'Pillar King of the North'!"

The man who called himself the 'Pillager of the North' was wearing a mask and was looking down on a village from a low hill.

"Hey, is this the town this time?"

"Yes, my lord… … . It is a village where relocation work will begin soon."

"Tsk, didn't I tell you not to call me lord? Call me boss. What would you do if someone heard you? We're a bunch of bandits, a bunch of bandits."

"… … Okay, I understand."

The identity of the plundering king was Giselle. And the man next to him was Claude. The two were currently leading 40 knights and raiding the village.

The number of 500 people was just an exaggeration to create a rumor. In order to prevent rumors from spreading, only a small number of powerful people had to move.

"What do you think? They say that the tension is really high when you make it as close to a real situation as possible. Do you know how tense people are these days?"

"...yes."

'You are truly a madman… … . Where is the lord who destroys his own territory like this… … .'

Jiselle and the knights destroyed the village and plundered its food. It was a bit ridiculous to actually plunder, but it was definitely effective.

In fact, there were no deaths. When the vigilantes attacked, Jiselle and her party simply knocked them out. Even after doing that, people would scream and run away on their own.

In any case, the Fenris Territory was in the process of consolidating all the villages into its main fortress and city. At the same time, the task of relocating people was also being expedited.

They didn't set fire to it or anything, just in case the people who ran away came back looking for their valuables. It was a surprisingly delicate and careful task.

"Provide homes quickly for the displaced people and compensate them for the food and property they lost."

"I have clearly told the administrators of each territory to deal with this first."

"Okay, then I'll grit my teeth and work harder."

Since the migration plan was already in progress, houses were already prepared according to the population. All that was needed was to compensate for the food and property lost.

Rather, thanks to that, people's morale rose. Since they experienced something big directly, their will to protect their territory also increased.

As villages were destroyed and real refugees(?) appeared, the rumors spread even further, gaining more basis.

"Have all the nearby units retreated?"

"Yes, I have already received the order and am stepping down. I will focus solely on the mission of protecting the immigrants."

The troops stationed nearby were ordered to retreat without fighting. The soldiers were busy retreating without even knowing what was happening.

Now, Giselle, who had become the Plunder King, asked the knights beside him.

"When the barbarians were pillaging the village before, they were shouting something. What was it?"

"That… … woman is killed and the man is raped… … ."

"Let's not do that."

"Yeah, that's a little embarrassing, honestly."

"Then just scream. Let's go!"

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

The Plunder King and his forty bandits began to raid a village again.