The River Valley lay between the northern lands and the Central Plains, serving as the hub connecting the northern and southern halves of the kingdom. Although its area was less than fifty thousand square kilometers, it was extremely fertile.

Over five million commoners lived in the River Valley, under the rule of more than fifty lords. With such a high population in an era of low productivity, the region was extremely densely populated.

Unlike the impoverished lords of the northern lands, the nobles of the River Valley were unimaginably wealthy, and almost every family had a small city of their own, like Tie Mucheng, rather than a single isolated castle.

The largest city in the River Valley was Beray, located at the very center of the valley floor. Beray, situated in a prime location, boasted a prosperity on par with Gold Dragon City. Its permanent population of nearly two hundred thousand represented almost one-third of the total population of the River Valley.

Given such a dense population, agriculture alone could not sustain the city’s economy. Beray’s industries and businesses were highly developed, and merchants traveling to and fro provided ample employment opportunities. Many landless peasants chose to settle in Beray, working at various trades to support themselves.

Whereas the political system of the northern lands was still dominated by feudal military lords, the River Valley had entered a stage of capitalist development.

The only significant difference between the development of Beray and the sixteen- and seventeen-hundreds in Richard’s hometown was the existence of powerful Great Knights in the Golden Dragon Kingdom, a mountain of feudal nobles ten times larger than the one in the Central Plains.

Even if certain social classes had amassed considerable capital, they remained little more than tools for these feudal lords to make money, existing at their pleasure.

Because there was no noble family in the River Valley comparable to the Lancelot Family of the northern lands, there were no leaders in the River Valley, and thus, no noble family like that of Flooding Snow City. Bolay City had been founded by twelve noble families, each of which held a seat in the twelve-member council that governed the city.

Under the council, the city’s governing bodies included the town hall, public security office, and city guard, each responsible to the council.

The only exception to this system was the garrison defending the River Valley, an army directly subordinate to the kingdom. In theory, this army was twenty thousand strong, and its commander was appointed directly by the kingdom, reporting directly to the Imperial Capital and having nothing to do with the River Valley.

Of course, these were merely ideals. Although the commanding general of the garrison was appointed directly by the Imperial Capital, the soldiers themselves hailed from the River Valley, and the region supplied their provisions. It was impossible for the kingdom to transport supplies from far away, so the commanding general inevitably became entangled with the noble families of the River Valley. The only question was whether this entanglement ran deep or shallow.

Currently, all twelve noble families of Bolay City were gathered in the city’s council chamber. Thirteen figures sat around the round table, twelve noble families plus the commanding general of the garrison troops stationed in the River Valley, Captain Dayne.

This level of attendance was reserved for important decisions only, and such gatherings were a rare sight, occurring perhaps once every few years. Clearly, something momentous had occurred.

“Everyone is aware of the Northern Expeditionary Army’s situation,” a portly middle-aged man seated at the table said. If not for the rule that only nobles could occupy seats at this round table, this man might have looked more like a wealthy merchant than an aristocrat.

“The Lancelot Family’s distress call arrived several days ago. I’d like to gauge each family’s position.”

“Oh, but didn’t Marquis Wade think himself too good for us noble merchants? How convenient that he’s finally remembered to seek our help.”

“Two words: we won’t help!”

A man covered in makeup and wearing gemstone-studded rings on every finger decisively refused to lend aid to the northern lands.

“If the northern lands fall, what’s to stop the orcs from attacking the River Valley?”

“What do you have to fear? If the orcs want to enter the River Valley, they’ll have to break through the Northern Gate Pass first. And if all else fails, the kingdom will step in. No matter what, it’s not our job to protect those northern barbarians.”

“Then what about provisions?”

“What do you mean ‘what about’ them? Even brothers need to keep clear accounts. If they want our provisions, let them pay for it.”

“Exactly! Let them pay for it, or trade something for it. We don’t give things away here in the River Valley!”

“Bang!”

As the nobles debated, a portly man slammed his hand on the table, drawing everyone’s attention.

“That’s enough! Have you all fallen into money pits?!”

Everyone was stunned by his outburst, but a few quickly reacted.

“Dane, what do you mean? If I’ve fallen into a money pit, then surely you’ve taken your fair share of coin?”

The portly middle-aged man was none other than the commander of the River Valley Garrison, Dane. It was hard to imagine that when he had arrived in River Valley ten years ago, he had been a fit and muscular officer; now he had grown quite a paunch.

Over the past decade, D’Eyn’s cultivation had remained stagnant, his waistline had expanded, and his personal wealth had increased tenfold.

“Sending aid to the northern lands is an order from the Imperial Capital. Do you intend to defy it?”

A trace of regret surfaced in D’Eyn’s mind. How had he allowed himself to become these people’s accomplice? He had thought them greedy, but he had underestimated their stupidity—they were completely fixated on money, unable to see the bigger picture.

D’Eyn’s words finally silenced the nobles.

“The kingdom’s orders are directed at the garrison. It’s none of our business.”

“Like hell it is!”

“Over the years, your families have enjoyed the fruits of the garrison’s farmlands. Now it’s time for you to give something back.”

D’Eyn’s words struck a chord with the nobles. The garrison’s farmlands were located in the fertile River Valley, and each noble family had benefited handsomely from them. How could they possibly relinquish such a valuable asset?

“Enough, enough. We’re not here today to fight.”

“The kingdom is asking us to support the northern lands, and they’re sending an official from the Imperial Capital to oversee the operation. We need to come up with a plan.”

The speaker was an old man dressed in brocade, his hair peppered with white, yet his face bore a spirited air. “Old Man Saide is right, and we didn’t gather here today for an argument. I expect the official from the Imperial Capital will arrive within a few days; we should think about how we’ll deal with this.”

“When the time comes, the official will order the garrison north, and with less than five thousand soldiers drawing pay for twenty thousand, there’s no way we’ll escape punishment when the Imperial Capital finds out.”

“That’s easy. We simply provide two meals a day and a few copper pieces on top of their salaries, and we’ll have all the men we need. For now, let’s just focus on getting through this crisis, and if we’re asked to deploy troops, Lord Dayne can stall for time; that shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Dane nodded. Finding an excuse to stall for a few days would not be difficult. Shortages of provisions, bandit raids in the River Valley, insufficient garrison forces—these were as plentiful as grains of sand. The nobles of the River Valley all wore the same pants, so to speak, and no matter what excuse he put forth, they’d support him. A strong dragon could not subdue a local snake, and even if this dragon came from the Imperial Capital, it would be wrangled into submission by the River Valley.

At this thought, Dane felt much more at ease.

“Does anyone know who the Imperial Capital sent?”

“They didn’t say. We’re told to expect someone carrying a herald’s arrow, and we’ll know once we see them.”

“All cloak and dagger—who knows what big shot is coming.”

“That’s enough for now. Each family should proceed with the plans as discussed. Over the next few days, hire some men to fill the gaps in the garrison’s ranks.”

“If there’s nothing else, let’s adjourn.”

Everyone dispersed, leaving Dane alone in the chamber.

Why did his heart still pound with unease?