Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

It was common knowledge that the Southern Territory was not a monolith.

The vast majority of nobles were loyal to the Iseley Clan, the Lords of the South, and thus did not oppose the Little Duke—who possessed a pure Iseley bloodline—inheriting the title.

However, a small faction of nobles remained loyal only to the Old Duke, Xilong. While they showed no outward opposition to the new heir—forced by the circumstances—they did so because he was not the one the Old Duke had chosen.

But when the true heir arrived in the Southern Territory to reclaim the title, they would honor their original oath.

Liya had maintained correspondence with these nobles loyal to the Old Duke during her time in the Southern Territory, and today, her efforts had finally borne fruit.

When she excitedly found the Lord of High Cliff Castle, she was surprised to find him leisurely eating breakfast in a commoner’s home in Kalia Town.

"What’s up?" The Lord wiped his mouth and patted his belly in satisfaction.

Nothing made him feel more grounded than a full stomach. If he was hungry, he could only use about seventy percent of his strength.

"The nobles loyal to my grandfather have brought troops to aid us! They’re only half a day’s journey from Kalia Town."

Liya’s joy was plain to see. She held up the hem of her skirt with one hand and clutched a letter in the other. She had clearly rushed over the moment she received the news.

Levi blinked, then broke into a grin. "Now that’s what I call good news!"

"Old Ke, Kalia Town is crawling with people and prying eyes right now. Try to stay indoors for the next few days. If you run into any trouble, just drop my name. It works."

Levi took Liya by the arm and headed for the door. As he left, he tossed a Gold Coin, which landed on the table in a glittering arc, making a crisp sound.

"Lord..."

Cray tried to call out to him, but he had barely started speaking when Levi waved a hand dismissively without looking back, his booming voice echoing behind him.

"Keep the change! This Lord has plenty of money!"

"...But you never told us your name!" The old man Cray watched his retreating figure, his mouth agape in helpless resignation.

He turned to look at his crestfallen granddaughter and sighed again. ’What a mess...’

...

To show his grand enthusiasm for the reinforcements’ arrival, the Lord had insisted on scrounging up some old harps in the border town of Kalia.

He then strong-armed a few white-haired, white-bearded old men, who claimed their ancestors had once played, into forming a makeshift band.

In an age where the organ was in vogue, these large, plucked string instruments were complete antiques. The last people who truly knew how to play them were likely from these old men’s grandfathers’ generation.

The resulting effect was that when Monvert Kerch arrived with his army at the reception point, the scene was so awkward he was tempted to turn around and leave.

The five old men, plucking vigorously at the strings, reminded him of farmers in a brothel who only knew how to show off their brute strength on the beautiful prostitutes. The god-awful music sounded like his grandmother’s dying breath—a hoarse rasp like a black crow sharpening its claws.

With the exception of the Caster squad, all of High Cliff Castle’s commanders, big and small, were present, standing ramrod straight. At the very front, of course, were the Highland Tulip and the Lord of High Cliff Castle.

"It’s the Count of Monvert from Wolf Island, along with some other Barons. Over ten thousand soldiers in total," Liya said with a smile, her eyes on the approaching army as she spoke quietly to the Lord beside her.

"Fewer than I expected. I thought there’d be at least thirty thousand," Levi said, eyeing their banners fluttering in the wind. The flags were black, emblazoned with the imposing head of a wolf-like creature. A sword descended from above, its blade mostly obscured by the wolf’s head, leaving only the hilt and a small part of the tip visible.

Leading them was a middle-aged Knight. His face was resolute, his build imposing. He wore a suit of luxurious, azure Plate Armor, and a wolf-headed Iron Helmet added to his majestic air.

Eighty paces from the High Cliff Castle contingent, the middle-aged Knight raised a hand. Within moments, the entire army halted, the only sound being the snap of their banners in the wind.

The Lord couldn’t help but be impressed by their discipline. This army was certainly no weaker than the Thorn Corps.

The man removed his helmet, holding it to his chest, and dismounted from a wolf-like Magical Beast to approach on foot.

"Miss Liya, my people and I have long awaited this day."

Monvert bowed slightly, then his gaze shifted to the young man beside her, whose reputation had recently become fearsome. Just as he was about to greet him, the young man let out three loud laughs and spread his arms in welcome.

"Count of Monvert, long time no see!" Levi pulled the middle-aged man into a great bear hug.

"Er... yes, long time no see," Monvert replied, a bit awkwardly.

The two had indeed met once in Kolon, so it wasn’t entirely untrue, but ’were they really on such familiar terms?’

The Lion Hunter Knight’s enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming.

"Lord Monvert, we’ve already designated a place for your encampment. The journey was arduous, so let your soldiers set up camp and rest," Liya said with a small smile. "This is hardly the place to talk. We have fresh milk and food prepared in the camp."

Ever since the main army arrived, High Cliff Castle had moved its encampment from the Baron Castle in Kalia Town to a stretch of flat, sheltered ground a few miles away.

It wasn’t that the Lord had vacated the position out of fear. Kalia Town was surrounded by nearly two hundred thousand troops, an impenetrable ring of countless armies. Hemispherical white tents sprouted like mushrooms after a rain, stretching as far as the eye could see. From a military standpoint, the town itself was unsuitable for housing an army; it would severely restrict their mobility.

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