Winterseed -VII-

Two hours later, the Glenwood soldiers were done collecting what they came for. Ten of their horses carried large baskets of freshly harvested wheat, rice, green vegetables, and fruits. The amount was enviable; they hadn't worked for it, yet they got to enjoy most of the harvest.

While they were taking the harvest, Rowan copied their skills and merged with them. At that moment, a fresh set of exciting sword moves replayed in his head, filling him with the zeal to grab a sword and try them out. However, he copied the skills not because he wanted to use them but to pass them on to his soldiers. When they finished training, they would become stronger, which meant his territory would grow stronger.

As he was lost in thought, a beep sounded in his head, drawing his attention to a red prompt that appeared before him. Red prompts only appeared when there was a negative matter, so he knew it wasn't good news.

[ Your territory has lost a considerable amount of resources ]

Seeing the message, he could only shake his head as there was nothing he could do in this situation other than accept his unfortunate circumstances.

He stood in a small field near the village exit, the green grass highlighted by the bright afternoon sun. The Glenwood soldiers were still with him, ready to deliver their final message before departing.

Waga stood in front of them with a big smile on his face, pleased with the larger portion compared to last time.

"This month's ration is very small," he said, though his words contradicted his expression. Hearing this, Rowan couldn't help but wish lightning would strike everyone related to Waga.

"What are you saying? You've taken more than eighty percent of our harvest and you're still not satisfied? How greedy can you be?" Brandon, who had been keeping his cool, couldn't hold back any longer and retorted harshly.

"Yes, I have a pregnant wife who is famished, but you're eating all this and still complaining," one of the captains added angrily.

Reacting, a few of the Glenwood soldiers drew their swords and rode their horses forward to challenge the unarmed captains.

"Are you guys trying to pick a fight?"

The captains did not back down. Though unarmed, they weren't afraid to fight these despicable pricks.

"Stay calm, all of you," Rowan ordered, riding his horse between the two sides to stop a fruitless battle from taking place. Although he wanted to slay the Glenwood soldiers badly, he knew he didn't have the resources to do so and couldn't take any chances.

"I apologize for my men's provocation. They haven't eaten in days and are really irrational. I will correct them later," he pleaded.

Only then did the Glenwood soldiers sheath their swords and return to their positions.

"Teach your men to control their mouths. Next time, we won't spare any of them," one of the Glenwood soldiers warned.

"I will." Rowan smiled back.

Waga observed Rowan and couldn't help but be impressed by his leadership.

"I will definitely pass your good message to my lord. When he hears of it, I'm sure he would be happy to work with you and even consider helping your village build a new and stronger fence to prevent pest monsters," Waga said with a smile.

'I hope you guys get swallowed by snakes on your way back to your lord and you all get cuckold by goblins!!'

"I will be grateful if you do that. I wish you a safe journey back," Rowan bade them farewell.

"Sure," Waga replied before signaling his men to start riding toward the exit of Winterseed village.

Rowan and his men watched as they exited the village with calm looks on their faces. Only after they left did Rowan turn his back and head back to his house, followed by Brandon and his captains.

[ Your captains are feeling bad about themselves ]

[ Your assistant wishes for your forgiveness ]

Several messages popped up, causing Rowan to look down from his horse at his men; they all walked behind him with dull steps, their faces filled with conviction.

Seeing their disheartened attitude, Rowan, hungry for evolution points, immediately took the chance to cheer them up.

"You guys did the right thing. You showed those men that we are not weak but brave. Good job."

Fortunately, his words worked like magic. Brandon and the captains looked at Rowan with bright faces.

"Thank you for the praises," they appreciated him, but Rowan was mostly interested in the system's messages.

[ Your assistant and captains are touched by your words and hope to do more ]

[ You have motivated them ]

[ +80 Evolution Points ]

[ 100x Reward activated, you have received 8000 evolution points ]

[ System has taken its repayment (Remaining: 40,000) (Evolution Points: 0) ]

'Just a little more and I will be out of debt,' he thought to himself.

He responded to the grateful words of his men with a smile and continued his ride home. On the way, he passed through the homes of his people and couldn't help but be disappointed at the poor state of their buildings.

All the houses were mud structures with detached roofs. Due to the heavy rainfall in the past few days, most of the roofs had fallen, and cracks had begun to appear on the walls. Another strong downpour and these people would be out in the open.

'I will work on this after taking care of the agriculture sector and ensuring proper food distribution as well as protection of farmlands. I'm sure with my merging skills, I will be able to come up with something better in a very short time,' he thought.

He also noticed the poor clothing they wore. Most were lucky to wear rags, while others were either naked or dressed in makeshift clothes made of dry leaves, a vivid testament to the poor living conditions of his people.

As a lord ready to work, Rowan was determined to change everything as soon as he could!