Henry’s voice was deep, laced with an undeniable authority. "You crossed my line. You invaded my fief. You thought this was just a forced levy, a test, but in my eyes, it was a declaration of war." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

A flash of regret crossed Baron Sura’s eyes. ’Why did I have to be the one to step forward?’

"I... I wanted..." Baron Sura’s voice trembled. He tried to explain, but his words were feeble under Henry’s oppressive presence.

"You wanted to disrupt my progress. Unfortunately for you, you picked a fight with the wrong person. I won’t occupy your fief, so the emperor will have no reason to blame me."

Baron Sura fell silent. He knew Henry was telling the truth. According to the Empire’s laws, conflict between nobles was permitted, but it had to adhere to certain rules.

Henry rose and walked out of the earthen fort to look over the battlefield. His soldiers had already begun clearing the field and tending to the wounded.

In his eyes, Baron Sura was insignificant. He didn’t matter. Henry hadn’t cared about him even back when he himself was still just a Knight.

These minor Border Nobility were too stagnant and complacent. They refused to learn from the commerce and Workshops of the western, central, and southern regions, nor did they expand their numbers of serfs and farms. They still clung to the outdated steppe mentality of horsemanship and archery.

"Lord Baron, does Baron Sura have any Feudal Knights? Should we go help Attendant Bain with the raiding?"

Henry glanced at the Knight holding his Execution Axe and said, "There’s no need. If a Baron like him can only raise an army this small in wartime, his Feudal Knights are even less of a concern."

"It’s pathetic. My own father is also a Baron, and the place I grew up was just an earthen fort, but my father had a standing army of two thousand regulars and a small cluster of Workshops in his domain."

Only in the last month had Henry finally gotten a clear picture of the true strength of the Border Nobility on the steppes.

In a word: useless!

His father hadn’t needed to expand his earthen fort because there were no security threats; he even occasionally went to live in Feikawen.

But Sura and the others were different. They were genuinely broke!

Selas gave a barely perceptible nod. Clearly, he agreed with Henry.

Though he was down on his luck now, he had been wealthy in the past. He couldn’t imagine a Baron being so destitute.

’What era is this? Are we even still in the Empire? It feels like I’ve been sent back two hundred years.’

Henry glanced at Selas. "You are an experienced Knight, but if you want me to grant you the title of Honorary Knight, you’ll need to continue to prove yourself."

Selas’s armor was engraved with silver patterns, and his helmet was equipped with full Face Armor, revealing only his eyes.

"My respected Lord Baron, I am willing to win glory for you in battle, in the hopes of being granted a title."

Selas bowed his head in an Imperial Knight’s salute, though the gesture was somewhat awkward since he was holding Henry’s Execution Axe.

Henry’s gaze swept over the battlefield, where his men were clearing away the bodies. This victory was not merely a demonstration of his own strength; he had to ensure it could be converted into tangible resources and power.

About two hours later, Claude found Henry to report. "Milord, the amount of loot this time is decent. For weapons, we have Long Swords, battle axes, bows and arrows, and spears, totaling over a thousand items. As for armor, there are three sets of Scale Armor, nineteen sets of Zha Armor, forty-three suits of Chain Armor, one hundred seventy-seven suits of leather armor, and over six hundred suits of Cotton Armor. It’s enough to equip a battalion of regulars."

Having followed Henry through two major battles, Claude’s standards had risen considerably. For him to call this amount of loot merely "decent" was telling.

Henry nodded. This gear could be used as spares to replace the Warriors’ equipment.

War isn’t a game. Weapons get worn down, and armor needs constant maintenance. Without sufficient reserves in the armory, you could face the awkward situation of your army being unable to perform at its full combat potential.

"And the casualties?"

"From the Elite Senior Infantry Team, one man was killed and three were wounded. The Senior Infantry Team lost forty-seven men and had thirty-two wounded. The Skilled Infantry Team lost twenty-seven men, with over one hundred seventy wounded.

"Among the skilled archers, twenty-nine were killed and sixteen were wounded. All five of the Skilled Scouts were killed. In total, the veteran units lost one hundred nine men.

"Among the New Recruit Teams, the archer units suffered no casualties. Of the armored new recruits, a total of one hundred thirteen were killed, with over three hundred wounded.

"We killed over eight hundred enemy troops and captured over four hundred, along with many maidservants and attendants."

Henry nodded in satisfaction. ’Such negligible casualties are nothing to worry about.’

"When we return to the domain, give the Engineer a ten-Dinar bonus and hire him as Westwood Laine’s Minister of Construction. Whatever you do, don’t let him and the prospecting expert run back to the Imperial Office."

’A man of his talent can’t be allowed to get away.’

"Have you finished tallying the captured people, grain, and livestock?"

"Not yet. I’ll make the final record after Attendant Bain returns tomorrow."

With Ailia’s help, Henry removed his armor and stretched his joints. "Have the cooks slaughter fifty sheep and two hundred chickens tonight," he ordered. "Let the soldiers eat their fill."

’The soldiers were the ones who seized it all anyway, so what’s wrong with letting them have some?’

"Yes, Milord."

After Claude left, Henry leaned back in his chair. A thick blanket was draped over his legs, and he enjoyed Ailia’s massage, letting his body relax.

"Milord, should I add more firewood to the brazier?"

"No, this temperature is fine."

The sky gradually darkened, and scores of bonfires were lit throughout the camp.

Henry’s order was passed down the line. The cooks bustled about, slaughtering the livestock and preparing a lavish dinner.

The aroma of lamb and chicken filled the air, drifting to every corner of the camp. Even the captive villagers and serfs could smell the tempting scent.

Before the meal began, the soldiers cheered Henry’s name before gathering around the bonfires, tearing hungrily into the golden-roasted lamb.

The rich fat coated their mouths, warming their bellies and revitalizing their bodies.

They talked about the day’s battle, competing over who had cut down more men and whose scars were more glorious. Passing by, Henry felt a little unsettled.

’Why do I and the soldiers under my command feel so much like orcs?’

The captured villagers and serfs were gathered in a corner of the camp, their eyes filled with envy and longing.

Many of them hadn’t eaten such a rich meal in a very long time, and the thick aroma of meat made their stomachs rumble.

Some of the younger children couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, whispering to the adults beside them, wondering if they could really taste such delicacies even when it wasn’t the New Year.

Henry returned to his tent, where a small table was set with his own dinner.

He didn’t join the soldiers’ revelry. Ailia stood beside him, pouring his wine. The meal was simple: meat, grain, and a salty soup.

Night deepened, and the camp gradually fell silent, leaving only the occasional neigh of a horse or the howl of a distant wolf.

Henry lay on his makeshift bed, thinking about his plans for when he returned to his domain.

These captured villagers and serfs would become his tenant farmers and serfs.

Henry would rent land to the families from the villages, making them tenant farmers who would generate a continuous yield for him. As for the serfs, they would remain serfs. But did they want to escape their servitude? They only needed to work for two years.

What people feared most was having nothing to strive for. Most serfs under other nobles remained serfs for their entire lives, and any children they had with female slaves would simply be the next generation of serfs.

But Henry gave the serfs and shepherd slaves in his domain a chance. Those who went to war and survived could rent a plot of land.

Those who didn’t go to war could still rent land after working for two years.

And that didn’t even cover those selected for loyalty training. They wanted for neither weapons nor armor, were always well-fed, and received wages on par with the ranks of the Imperial Legion.

Lying in bed, Henry reviewed his various policies and felt he was truly a great philanthropist.

Inside the earthen fort, Baron Sura lay on his bed, feeling an unusual chill. Even after lighting the fireplace with his left hand, he couldn’t dispel the cold in his heart.

Thankfully, he had sent his wife and son to Odoche ahead of time. This way, he would still have money to live out his retirement there.

As for revenge, he didn’t dare to even think about it.

Given a little more time, who knew how powerful Henry would become?

「The next morning」 When the first rays of sunlight appeared, Henry was already awake.

Attended by Ailia, he washed up and changed his clothes. The soldiers were already up as well, beginning to pack up the camp and prepare for departure.

Just as Henry finished his breakfast, Bain returned to camp with the last batch of captured villagers and serfs, bringing with him large amounts of grain and livestock.

"Milord, the haul this time is huge," Bain said, a trace of excitement in his voice.

This time, Bain had methodically swept through every settlement in Baron Sura’s domain. He had a rough idea of the total haul, and he knew this was far more profitable than simply fighting a battle.

Henry clapped Bain on the shoulder. "Get some rest. We’re heading back to the domain today. When we get back, I’ll reward you with a whole roasted pig."

"Thank you, Milord."

Claude immediately took a Record Keeper to inventory the captives and supplies for the final tally.

"Milord, Bain captured over four thousand villagers and serfs in total, including some elderly people and children. They will provide a rich source of labor for your domain.

"According to Attendant Bain, a large number of the serfs also took the opportunity to escape. Most of those brought back were self-employed farmers and tenant farmers."

Henry nodded. Population was the key to a domain’s development. These new tenant farmers and serfs would help cultivate more land and increase grain production.

’As for the ones who ran away, let them. They’ll probably just become bandits and die at the hands of some other noble.’

"In terms of food, we plundered over six hundred cartloads of wheat, oats, and pearl rice. We also seized a large quantity of dried meat and smoked fish—a considerable amount. Every time Bain went out, he took dozens of empty carts and came back with them filled to the brim."

Henry smiled in satisfaction. Food was as important as an army. With grain in his stores, his heart was at ease, and the development of his domain would be all the more stable.

"As for livestock, we have over five hundred sheep, over three hundred cattle, and more than a hundred horses. These animals will not only provide meat but also boost the production of our farms and ranches."

Henry reached out and took the thick, rough sheets of paper with the statistics from Claude. The more he read, the more satisfied he became.

’These cattle can be assigned to the farms to help with the plowing. That way, some of the serfs can be freed up to cultivate even more land.’

’No matter how poor a Baron is, if you clean out his entire domain, the income is still quite handsome.’