Undercurrents of Power

The next day, Derek began construction. The soldiers, temporarily reassigned as construction workers, didn't object as such tasks were a normal part of their duties. Everything had to start from scratch, and it soon became clear that all preparations were insufficient—there was a shortage of everything.

Fortunately, Lloyd and his men helped out, barely managing to keep things going. The first step was to build several sturdy wooden huts and surround the area with a ring of wooden stakes to ward off potential wild animals. Lloyd even set up some simple traps.

Next came the blacksmith shop, Derek's core resource. The bend of the river was large enough for future expansion, with ample space for a training ground later. The only drawback was that warhorses struggled to run here; even with horseshoes, they risked injury.

However, no place is perfect, and with a base established, Derek could make incremental improvements. The next task was to ensure a steady supply of resources.

In the city of Watchtower and other places, there were fixed rules and ceilings that were difficult to break. But here, in the remote mountains, the rules were weaker. Although there were still limits, they were high enough for Derek to work with.

As the blacksmith's forge ignited, it symbolized Derek's growing ambition. After a farewell feast, Lloyd took the weapons he had borrowed from Derek and embarked on a new journey.

The hard work paid off. During his free time, Lloyd received Derek's training, which led to a level or two increase in his temporary bandit class. Additionally, Derek provided professional military tactical support. With people, weapons, and morale all in place, the next step was to expand and strengthen the group.

…

A convoy from the Night Owl Trading Company was traveling along a mountain trail. They were not supported by local nobility and thus had to avoid checkpoints whenever possible. They would only pay taxes if absolutely unavoidable, which allowed them to keep their profits.

The convoy, consisting of over a hundred men, carried high-quality armor and weapons from the central kingdom, along with warhorses, leather armor, and refined iron ore. Most of the men were experienced fighters, well-acquainted with the route after many years of travel. They had become so familiar with the path that even casual mountain bandits would steer clear of them.

At night, after setting up camp, Lloyd and his men approached stealthily. The bandits, equipped with complete weaponry, followed efficiently. Lloyd was impressed by the level of their training.

"Those nobles are worth something after all. After a month of training, everyone has improved significantly."

A month ago, Lloyd's subordinates were nowhere near as formidable. This experience made him wary of the power that nobles with military training could wield. Derek's suggestions now seemed entirely reasonable to him.

However, today he had to make a strong statement. The distant flicker of firelight indicated that Wood had signaled there were no hidden scouts ahead. It was a careless move. How could they underestimate mountain bandits so much? Clearly, they had never faced real trouble, otherwise, they would have been more cautious.

"Keep quiet. Charge in and kill as many as you can before leaving," Lloyd ordered.

Soon, the firelight blazed as dozens of bandits stormed the camp, wreaking havoc. By the time the caravan reacted, several goods were burned, and many people were either dead or injured. After a night of fear and turmoil, the bandits returned one of the captured caravan members.

"Where did these bandits come from? Did they leave any message?" the caravan manager asked, suppressing his anger. The bandits had gone too far.

"They called themselves the Mountain Wolves," the captive replied. "They said if we come through here again, we need to buy a Mountain Wolf flag. If not, they'll attack us again."

The manager was frustrated but knew that paying for safety was not an issue. If they didn't, the constant attacks would be too costly. He clenched his teeth, thinking that if this were his territory, he would make those bandits regret their actions. But that was not an option.

"How much?"

"Based on the scale, two silver coins per cart."

The price was reasonable, much lower than the taxes at checkpoints. Otherwise, if the caravan turned back, they would not collect a single coin.

The caravan manager, though irritated, was resigned. It seemed the Mountain Wolves had their supporters.

"Alright, we'll buy it."

Flags were sold at designated points, and Lloyd's strength was not yet enough to monitor all the mountain paths. However, if someone was willing to take the risk, they could avoid buying the flags.

As Lloyd raided the caravans, he established his own rules. He also incorporated nearby smaller bandit groups into his own ranks, setting his own standards. If someone came to buy flags, he would also offer other goods: furs, weapons, warhorses—quality items at good prices. There would always be buyers.

Derek has been steadily building his strength by establishing order and replenishing resources. However, despite his formidable appearance, there are still inherent limitations. The number of merchant caravans is sufficient for both Lloyd and Derek at present, but resource consumption remains an ongoing concern.

After some time, Derek and Simon returned to Watchtower City. The blacksmith shop continues to operate, though it now has only one blacksmith, resulting in lower but less conspicuous profits. Additionally, Derek is refining iron ore on-site, which saves on transportation costs.

Derek quickly purchased a new batch of supplies and returned promptly. By the time Vincent learned of Derek's activities, Derek had already disappeared. This surprised Vincent, as there were no new mountain goods on the market, which was unexpected.

Derek's caravan made several trips back and forth, selling weapons through cooperation with local forces without drawing too much attention. Temporary purchases of weapons were actually cheaper than long-distance transport. Derek was willing to forgo part of the profit because converting it into cash was more important to him.

However, with a shortage of manpower, Derek had to buy some captives to serve as labor. These untrained slaves would need time to prove their loyalty. Facing these challenges, Derek decided to seek external help and wrote a letter to his uncle, requesting support.

In the letter, he detailed his current situation and expressed his desire to invite Adrian, who had just completed his knight training, to assist him. Although Adrian's training was not highly prestigious, he was still a valuable asset. Compared to remaining in the family, it might be more advantageous for Adrian to venture out with Derek for potentially greater opportunities.

Overall, Derek is gradually expanding his influence. Despite facing numerous challenges, he is making steady progress with the resources and strategies at his disposal.