It was another bright and sunny day; the weather had been excellent these past few days.

Richard, too, was in a carefree mood.

In the Barend Duchy, outside the main camp of the allied forces,

Richard sat before a barbecue, grilling lamb meat. Some unique spices were placed beside it; this was not a task that should have fallen on Richard’s shoulders, but the Golden Dragon Kingdom had no taboos against their leader getting their hands dirty. To Richard, grilling lamb meat was a rather interesting pastime.

He brushed the spices onto the meat, the rich aroma quickly wafting through the air.

Spices were not cheap in the Golden Dragon Kingdom; to the average household, they counted as a luxury. However, Richard was someone who paid exacting attention to the quality of his life. While he would never indulge in debauchery, he would definitely make sure he lived comfortably, given the opportunity.

“Archduke Richard, the lamb is ready.”

Baron Bandel had sat down with Richard, Ron, and others. Richard hadn’t invited him over, but ever since Baron Bandel pledged himself to Richard, he had ceased caring about matters of “face.” Seeing Richard grill lamb meat, he had approached the table without hesitation.

“Mm-hmm, try this.”

Richard sliced off a piece of lamb using his longsword and handed it to Baron Bandel. When it came to those who took the initiative to ally themselves with him, Richard made sure to display the appropriate demeanor and offered some semblance of courtesy.

Baron Bandel wasted no time, either, and ripped a chunk of lamb from his sword, stuffing it into his mouth.

“How is it?”

“Delicious, truly delicious! The finest delicacy in the world, this lamb is perfectly grilled, the outside crispy, the inside tender, the heat just right.”

Baron Bandel chewed loudly, singing exaggerated praises through his mouthfuls.

Richard, for his part, didn’t suspect anything; with so many spices rubbed into the meat, it was bound to taste good. He cut off another piece and handed it to Ron.

Ron, however, would not feign praise. After a couple of smacks of the tongue, he said with a strange expression, “My lord, you forgot to add salt.”

Ron was an honest man and one of Richard’s own; he simply spoke his mind.

Both Richard and Baron Bandel remained silent.

“I’m quite fond of mild flavors; this is perfect, just perfect,” the baron finally offered after a brief pause, attempting to smooth things over.

Meanwhile, Richard found the salt he’d accidentally spilled amidst a crowd of bottles and jars, then evenly sprinkled it over the meat. He cut off a piece and placed it in his mouth; the taste was not bad at all.

Military men tended to have voracious appetites, and these three knights were no exception; soon the entire lamb was gone.

“Archduke Richard, reinforcements from the Sixth War Zone have arrived.”

Just as Richard was about to prepare some side dishes, Quill arrived with new intelligence.

“Let’s go. Back to the main camp.”

Richard stood and walked toward the main camp. Although he didn’t need to personally welcome these reinforcements, it would be improper for him to not be present when they arrived.

Although the troops of the Sixth War Zone hailed from several noble houses, the Nade Family led them in Richard’s absence. While there were no hierarchies among the nobles, the military valued strength, and the Nade Family was clearly the strongest among them, naturally taking the lead.

As the army marched into the camp, Richard inspected the two thousand soldiers. The quality of the troops was acceptable, if not exceptional.

Despite being united under one banner, each noble house in the north could field no more than five hundred professional soldiers, save for the Lancelot Family and a handful of counts. Of these two thousand reinforcements, over half were auxiliary troops. However, these auxiliary soldiers were well-equipped, young, and strong, having received basic training; they were certainly stronger than farmers drafted into service at the last minute. Each noble house had dug deep into their reserves and made no attempt to deceive Archduke Richard.

With this addition, Richard commanded a force of seven thousand soldiers, with good numbers and quality. With proper organization, they could achieve formidable battle prowess.

Since the nobles had formed an alliance, they needed to organize a banquet, even in these wartime circumstances, to allow the families to greet one another and strengthen their connections.

The banquet tent, large enough to accommodate so many, was set up within the encampment.

“This is Viscount Nade.”

“This is Baron Bandel, the commander of the Fifth War Zone. He’s on equal footing with the Hunter family.”

“I wouldn’t presume. I have completely thrown in my lot with Archduke Richard. Once the tax collector and constable Archduke Richard sent arrive, I will no longer concern myself with matters in the territory and will serve at Archduke Richard’s side.”

Baron Bandel assumed a fearful demeanor when introduced by Richard, showing no inclination to claim equality with the Hunter family. Regardless of whether it was genuine or an act, his posture was pleasing to the eye.

Richard was indeed pleased, but Viscount Nade felt his heart drop. He had met his match. In these times, one had to be prepared to compete with others eager to lick boots.

Despite feeling this, Nade maintained a smile on his face. “I see we are all here to serve Archduke Richard. The Nade family has entrusted the governance and taxes of our territory to officials sent by Archduke Richard. Several of our younger generation have entered the official school in Tie Mu City and will join Archduke Richard’s service upon graduation.”

Ever since heeding his eldest son Creman’s advice, Nade had wasted no time. He not only fully cooperated with the officials sent by the Hunter family, but also sent all the younger members of his family who were suitable to study at Tie Mu City’s public school. With Tie Mu City’s training methods, it was hard to say which faction the descendants of Nade would align with in the end. If they remained loyal to Archduke Richard, everything would be well, but if they dared to turn traitor, the first to rise against them might well be their own kin.

By doing this, Viscount Nade had effectively tied himself onto the Hunter family’s ship, a vessel that, though it appeared small, was in reality incredibly sturdy.

Viscount Nade’s conversation with Baron Bandel appeared to be a friendly exchange of pleasantries, but it was in fact a veiled threat. The message was clear: I’ve been serving as your dog longer and more thoroughly than you have; back off.

The two men held their cups, the atmosphere seemingly harmonious, but sparks flew with every glance exchanged.

Richard didn’t bother to engage in their confrontation. The chaos was about to descend, and his power grew stronger by the day; more people would defect to his side in the future.

Having subordinates from different factions compete with one another was not necessarily a bad thing for a leader, as long as the conflict remained within a certain scope and didn’t harm the overall interests of the organization. Richard was more than happy to let them vie for position.

However, a far more pressing matter now presented itself to him.

The scout lions discovered that there were unusual movements of the cannibal demons in the direction of Heuer Fort. A large group of these demons was rushing toward Barend Duchy.

Though they were still far away, and it was difficult to ascertain their intentions, Richard had a strong premonition that these cannibals were heading straight for him.

Their string of victories had finally caught the attention of the main force of the cannibal demons. Although this was only a small contingent, their strength far surpassed the minor tribes on the fringes of the empire.

Their true trial was about to begin…