CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 71: THE EAST

Frozen Territory, atop Rhinohorn Mountain.

Gazing upon the steadily expanding and increasingly grand castle, Ryan couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

"I didn’t expect that in just a month and a half, Furnace City would become colder than the Frozen Territory."

"That world... it really seems to be dying. To avoid unexpected complications, Young Master Ryan, it would be best for you to stay in the Frozen Territory from now on."

Beside him, the old butler offered his advice. He genuinely feared that one day, Ryan might vanish into the eternal stillness overtaking the continent of Exneer.

"That’s not possible. If I don’t go personally, there’s no way to ensure where the spatial gate will open."

Ryan shook his head. The key factor was himself. Every time he traveled to Exneer, he always appeared near Furnace City. Then, within Furnace City, he would open the planar gate to transport people and goods back.

Anyone else simply couldn’t do it.

"What about Beard? How much grain has he managed to purchase?"

In Ryan’s absence, the old butler’s son, young Beard, had one primary mission: buy grain. The Frozen Territory’s food demand was a bottomless pit.

But right now, every fiefdom in the Northwind Province was struggling. As a result, the amount of grain Beard could acquire locally was severely limited.

So Beard had no choice but to travel farther—not to the Imperial Winged Gorge, but to the eastern lands.

Northwind Province sat in the northeastern corner of the empire. The Winged Gorge was its only connection to the imperial heartland. Looking eastward from the gorge, slightly southeast, there lay a kingdom and seven or eight major noble territories.

That kingdom was Andara, one of the eight kingdoms of the continent of Norris—and the one closest to the northern frontier. The other seven kingdoms either had the Empire shielding them or were located in the warm south, untouched by the brutal northern winters.

In a way, both Andara and the Florol Empire formed the first line of defense for humanity against the northern wilds. And thanks to the Empire’s overwhelming strength, Andara had effectively become its little brother, never daring to cross the imperial border.

Beyond Andara, there were four ducal and comital territories. Combined, their land equaled about half the size of the Andara Kingdom itself.

As for why there were still duchies, counties, and even smaller lordships in the south, the reasons were many.

These lands had never been absorbed by the kingdoms or the Empire. Partly, it was due to their pride of bloodline—many of them had fled the north during the Great Winter. Their ancestors had royal blood, perhaps even older and purer than the current kings.

That noble heritage made them unwilling to kneel to any crown. What’s more, they hadn’t fled empty-handed—they brought armies and followers.

The other reason was the Church. The Church didn’t want to see the Empire and its kingdoms growing unchecked, so it supported these highborn nobles in maintaining independence.

It’s said that after the Interplanar War of the Gods, the struggle between divine and royal authority was especially bloody.

Eventually, divine power retreated. Today, you could hardly find any church officials within the Empire.

Still, neither the Empire nor the kingdoms had been able to absorb these independent noble lands. Together, these territories formed a powerful bloc in the south.

But Ryan had no desire—nor ability—to involve himself in southern politics just yet. Beard chose not to go south into the Empire but eastward to the independent lands and Andara Kingdom for one reason:

The Winged Gorge.

If grain traveled through the gorge, you’d be lucky to keep two-thirds of it. Only merchant guilds backed by great nobles could pass through relatively intact. For everyone else, it was a place where even passing geese were plucked clean.

The profits that some nobles made from the gorge were enormous. That’s also why Duke Meyers’ proposal to move the Winged Gorge garrison to Xiangshan Plain in Northwind Province had failed. Too many vested interests were tied up there. The gorge not only connected Northwind Province—it was the most powerful military fortress in the Empire’s east.

Simply put, the Empire’s political and economic center lay in the west coast and the south—the southwest in particular. That made the Winged Gorge effectively the Empire’s single most important eastern military outpost.

To put it more gravely, it was perhaps the only full-scale legion fortress in the east.

It wasn’t just guarding against northern tribes. A third of its focus was on potential enemies from the entire eastern third of the southern continent.

The security of half the Empire’s territory depended on the Winged Gorge.

So Beard, after seeing what that place was like, chose instead to travel to the eastern kingdoms and noble territories—even though it was harder—rather than risk his grain going through the gorge.

Ryan supported this decision. In fact, he had even dispatched a hundred soldiers and two Bronze Knights to escort him.

From what he knew, the Andara Kingdom didn’t face serious threats from nonhumans. They should be able to sell grain. Those noble lands wouldn’t pose much trouble either.

And if he could seize this chance to form long-term trade ties, all the better.

"He hasn’t returned yet? According to the plan, he should be back within five days at most."

The old butler nodded honestly. He didn’t question Ryan’s decision. In fact, the mere fact that Young Master Ryan had entrusted Beard with such a critical task proved how much trust he placed in them.

In the entire territory, no one was more trusted than this father and son pair.

"And those beastmen? How’s the roadwork going?"

"Nearly finished, at least roughly. The cost was... significant."

"That’s fine. It’s supposed to be costly. That’s why we’re using beastmen—for the most dangerous jobs. I’ll be sending over a batch of slaves from Furnace City. Beastmen were fine for the heavy work at first, but we’ll need slaves for the more precise tasks."

"But those slaves... can’t be used like the beastmen."

"As you command."

Ryan’s thoughts drifted back to Northwind Province. He realized he hadn’t paid attention to its situation in quite some time.

"Once Beard returns... Actually, no—he’s still got to finish buying grain. I’ll have... Never mind, let’s have Archer come by tomorrow."

"I heard that old fellow just got married again?"

The butler answered respectfully:

"Indeed. Mr. Archer married a daughter of the Tyriel family."

"Tyriel? One of those eight baronial houses? That family’s population really is the largest."

"But I recall... isn’t that daughter about the same age as the viscountess?"

"Yes, sir."

Ryan’s eyes narrowed slightly in thought, then he smiled:

"So Tyriel’s worn out. He’s betting his entire noble claim on the Archer family. And if his daughter bears a child, that child could inherit the lordship title. Clever move."

Months had passed, and the two noble titles Ryan had initially promised were gradually coming into clearer focus. Some families had begun to realize their lack of ability. No matter how unwilling they were to admit defeat, they now had to start planning for their losses.