Chapter 551: Chapter 523: Occupation

Mo’er City.

Macken commanded Sanburn’s Knight Order, and in coordination with the forces from Mist City, he captured this major enemy city near the border with almost zero casualties.

They had already stormed the Lord’s castle and were now standing on its highest tower, from where they could overlook the entire city below.

The city was situated on the main route connecting Giant Dragon City to the border’s Mist City.

In times of both war and peace, there was never a shortage of merchant caravans passing through on their way to Mist City. This traffic fueled Mo’er City’s economy, making the Baron’s city quite wealthy.

If nothing else, its urban population of over one hundred thousand was proof enough.

"I heard Mo’er City was well-off, but this castle is a little underwhelming. It’s a far cry from Mist Castle."

Ridder smiled and nodded. He had been present to provide support, so he hadn’t needed to exert himself much during this battle, which gave Macken an opportunity to shine.

"Mist City, after all, has always been a point of contention between the two nations. It was a major city back in the age of the Empire, and Ural is a Border Count. Of course his castle would be more magnificent than this one."

Sanburn, who had surrendered and was quite familiar with the enemy’s situation, explained the reason.

Apparently, the Baron of Mo’er City had long been exploited by Count Ural.

Although the city’s economy was strong, agreements signed during its early development were extremely unfavorable to the Baron of Mo’er, which resulted in much of its wealth flowing into Count Ural’s pockets.

After the men discussed the situation in Mo’er City for a while, Ridder began to lay out the next steps.

"Placido, tomorrow you will take some men and secure the surrounding villages. From what I can see, Mo’er City has a strong agricultural economy with plenty of farmland outside its walls. All of it must be brought under our control, intact.

This will be your first independent operation. Remember to order your soldiers not to harm the civilians, destroy their homes, or plunder their property. These are matters of great concern to the Duke, so don’t mess it up!"

"I understand, Commander-in-Chief!"

Placido said solemnly.

Since joining Ronin’s ranks, Placido had been astonished that his army managed to refrain from wanton looting.

After all, in past wars, when a noble’s army conquered a new place, a period of chaos was basically guaranteed to follow.

Plundering wealth, seizing women, and killing indiscriminately were all common occurrences.

This was the first time he had ever seen an army as disciplined as Ronin’s. Not only did they refrain from wanton destruction, but they would even help civilians who were injured.

’Are we here to fight a war or to perform acts of charity?’

However, as he came to understand Ronin’s administrative policies for his territories, he began to get it.

The Duke regarded every conquered place as his own domain, and the people living there as his own subjects.

To restore order and resume production in the territory as quickly as possible, it was best to avoid self-destructive, short-sighted actions.

Besides, the wealth of an ordinary tenant farmer or commoner was nothing compared to the rewards Ronin bestowed after a battle.

"Macken, take some men and interrogate the surrendered nobles. Keep anyone useful and demote the rest to prisoners. Also, arrange for a census of Mo’er City’s population and maintain public order."

Macken grinned. "You got it! Leave it to me!"

However, at that inopportune moment, Tom’s Griffin appeared outside the castle. Upon seeing Ridder and the others, he immediately landed.

"Commander-in-Chief, you’re all incredibly fast! I can’t believe it’s only been a little over ten days, and you’ve already taken Mo’er City!"

As Ronin’s personal guard, Tom’s combat strength wasn’t high, but his status was far from low.

Ridder chuckled. "Mo’er City had weak defenses; it didn’t take much effort to capture it. Your sudden arrival must mean the Duke has new orders for us, doesn’t it?"

"Yes!"

He took a letter from his coat—one that Carolina had sent to the Wubei Territory. "Commander-in-Chief, the Duke wants Macken to return to the Purple Thunder Territory. He is to coordinate with Petro and Melonika of Wushan Territory to launch an attack on the Villa Duchy."

Macken, who had been just about to leave on his assignment, looked up with a flash of excitement and surprise. "We’re going to war with the Villa Duchy?"

Tom nodded. "That’s right. Duke Andrea betrayed the Kingdom. He conspired with Garrett to murder the Duke, his wife, and Elron, but the Duke ended up killing him instead."

Ridder’s eyebrow shot up. ’He even dared to kill a Duke? That means something huge must have happened in the Royal Capital.’ "Tom, what other news do you have? Tell us everything."

Placido was stunned. In his eyes, Ronin was unbelievably bold—to kill a Duke without a moment’s hesitation.

But what Tom said next left him completely dumbfounded.

It wasn’t just Placido; even Ridder and Macken were shocked. In just over ten days, so many earth-shattering events had taken place in the Royal Capital.

"Duke Ronin is a Legendary!"

Only now did Placido learn this information, and his heart pounded with excitement.

’I’ve actually become the follower of a Legendary expert! Surrendering was the smartest decision I’ve ever made!’

"Tom, does that mean the Duke is now the King of the Oduin Kingdom?" Placido asked hurriedly.

"Not quite."

Tom spoke with admiration. "The Duke has always been a man of his word. Even though His Majesty Bruno is dead, our lord is still fulfilling his duties as the Duke of Conqueror. He will honor his agreement with His Majesty and establish his own kingdom after conquering Giant Dragon City!"

As Tom spoke, his eyes filled with reverence.

’This is the throne we’re talking about! If the Duke wanted it, he could definitely take it.’

’But he gave it up. What incredible strength of character!’

He resolved to become a man who keeps his promises. No—he would use the Duke’s story to teach his own children, so that his descendants might become people of such integrity.

"The Duke’s character commands my complete submission!" Placido exclaimed in praise.

Ridder and Macken both nodded in unison.

"Since the Duke insists on honoring his promise, we, his followers, must also work hard to capture Giant Dragon City as soon as possible!"

Ridder’s words invigorated them all.

"Macken, weren’t you just complaining that you had all this energy and nowhere to use it? Now the Duke is transferring you back to the Purple Thunder Territory. The eastern front will likely be your responsibility from now on. Don’t let him down!"

Macken nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry, Commander-in-Chief. I won’t betray the Duke’s trust!"

He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I’ve been waiting to go to war with the Villa Duchy for a long time. Now I can finally cut loose!"

Ridder laughed as well. "I’ll be pushing steadily south from my end. We’ll see who’s faster—me, taking Giant Dragon City, or you, taking Duke Andrea’s castle."

This spurred Macken on, his motivation increasing all the more.

Taking a city is one thing, but holding it is another.

The time spent conquering a city was nothing compared to the time needed to manage the aftermath. This involved resting the soldiers, selecting new administrative personnel, establishing a government, expanding the army, managing public security, and more.

Although Ridder had conquered Mo’er City today, the earliest he could continue his southward advance would likely be in a month or two.

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