Chapter 199: Unexpected Allegiance

Tom encountered Ronin on his way to the inner keep.

"My lord, I have brought back all the horses you purchased in Pasture City."

Ronin nodded. "Thank you for your hard work. Go and inform Chahar later; he can handle the rest. I thought I caught a glimpse of Sir Rogner and Lady Clamy from the tower just now. How did they end up following you to Marsh Town?"

"I was just about to report that to you, my lord."

Tom said, "When I went to the stables to collect the horses, Rogner saw that I was the only professional knight in the company, so he brought Clamy along to escort me back. At the same time, they wanted to take this opportunity to visit Marsh Town for leisure."

He added, "Though Sir Rogner and Lady Clamy do enjoy traveling, I have a feeling they might have other reasons for visiting you."

Ronin pondered for a moment but could not fathom a reason; perhaps the two really had just come to Marsh Town for a holiday.

"Come, let us go and meet them together."

Had it been anyone else visiting, Ronin would not typically step outside to welcome them.

However, he held a very favorable impression of both Rogner and Clamy, and having received Count Marvin's benevolence on multiple occasions, it was only proper for him to greet them in person.

"It has been a long time, Rogner, Clamy."

Ronin walked out of the castle with a smile, greeting them warmly.

"Long time no see, Lord Viscount!"

In truth, it was not just Rogner and Clamy who had arrived; Ronin also spotted eight or nine unfamiliar faces whose attire suggested they were squire knights.

Rogner then stepped forward to introduce them. "This is Grado Hartel. His father is Sir Soli, the captain of the fourth knight squad of Ironhoof Keep."

Ronin recalled meeting Sir Soli at a banquet in Pasture City; the man possessed the strength of a peak bronze-tier knight, a mere step away from becoming a silver knight.

Furthermore, Ronin had shared a few dances with Jenny Hartel, and Count Marvin had even asked him what he thought of the girl at the time.

"Welcome to Marsh Town, Sir Grado."

Ronin extended his hand with a smile and shook Grado's, before looking at the nine unfamiliar faces behind the trio. "And these are?"

Rogner smiled and replied, "Those are our accompanying squires and servants."

Ronin gave a slight nod, though a touch of surprise stirred within his heart.

They had not only brought an unfamiliar face like Grado but had also come to Marsh Town with squires and servants—did they intend to settle here permanently?

As if sensing Ronin's bewilderment, Rogner exchanged a glance with Clamy and Grado, and then, in unison, the three unexpectedly dropped to one knee.

This sudden turn of events caught Ronin completely off guard. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Lord Ronin, please allow us to follow you, to become your knights, to fight for your honor, and to fight for your territory!"

This was...

Ronin had always considered himself quick-witted, yet faced with such a scene, he could not help but fall into a brief stupor.

He had just been guessing whether these individuals had come bearing some request from Count Marvin, never anticipating that the three had come to pledge their allegiance to him.

Not only was he thoroughly bewildered, but Tom, who had accompanied them along the way, was equally shocked.

Rogner, a scion of the viscountal house of Ironhoof Keep and a young advanced knight, had actually chosen to follow Ronin?

In that daze, Tom suddenly understood: the current Lord Ronin was now the master of the Northern Crow territory, with a far grander future ahead of him, a status and position that the master of Mountain Wood Town could never match.

"You all... please stand up first."

Ronin did not grant his immediate consent; instead, he stepped forward and helped the three of them up one by one.

Rogner and the other two felt a wave of astonishment. At a time like this, shouldn't the lord say something like "I accept your fealty"?

What did it mean to help them up? A rejection?

"Come, let us go inside the castle to converse further."

Ronin invited the three into the castle. "I need to understand your thoughts, and before you bind yourselves to me, you also need to understand a bit more about me."

Rogner and his companions were different from Ronin's other followers.

The knights currently under Ronin's command were either surrendered foes or commoners who had been promoted to knighthood, possessing no particularly complex backgrounds.

But behind Rogner and the other two stood established families; even if they swore fealty to Ronin and placed his interests above all else, they would never completely sever ties with their own houses.

Therefore, there were certain customary practices that were altered under Ronin's rule, and he had to ensure they understood this beforehand.

The group arrived in the sitting room, where servants presented drinks and fruits to the lord and his guests.

Ronin took the opportunity to review the circumstances of the three individuals.

Rogner Ironhoof, twenty-one years old, an advanced knight, and the second son of Viscount Marvin;

Clamy Snow, twenty-one years old, an intermediate knight, the eldest daughter of Baron Tarun, and Rogner's fiancée, with word being that the two were soon to wed;

Grado Hartel, seventeen years old, a primary knight, and the second son of Sir Soli.

Though all three hailed from noble households, none of them possessed the right to inherit their family's titles or estates.

After all, they were either second sons or a daughter; according to the laws of succession, such honors would never fall to them.

Thus, their fates had long been sealed: they could either remain with their families to manage domestic affairs, or they could take what resources they had and venture out to serve other lords in pursuit of status and wealth.

Rogner and his companions had chosen the latter course.

The Northern Crow territory was a rising domain, and its lord, Ronin, possessed immense potential, making him a most suitable object of allegiance.

This was their own intention, and perhaps the families behind them harbored a similar design.

To accept, or to refuse?

In truth, Ronin had never entertained the thought of refusal.

Back when he was merely the Baron of Mountain Wood Town, having a dozen or so professional knights beneath him seemed quite sufficient.

But now he was a Viscount of the Northern Crow territory, and his domain was bound to expand in the future, bringing with it a growing population and accumulating wealth.

There was a common saying: "When the neighbor stores grain and I store guns, the neighbor becomes my granary." The underlying truth of this adage was that the neighbor lacked sufficient martial might.

If Ronin wished to maintain the stability of his territory and safeguard its riches, he would require a greater number of professional knights or mages.

After all, those who mastered extraordinary powers were the true symbols of might in this world.

Yet waiting for the small-town folk to awaken their extraordinary talents naturally, and then waiting for them to advance from primary to intermediate and advanced levels, would take many years—a process far too slow.

Under such circumstances, accepting the fealty of outside powerhouses was an inevitable choice.

Rogner, Clamy, and Grado were all excellent talents; Ronin had no reason to turn them away.

"I can accept your allegiance."

Having understood everything, Ronin delivered the reply they had hoped for, though his tone quickly shifted. "However, there are two points I must make clear to you beforehand."

Rogner and the other two listened intently. "Please speak, my lord."

"First, since you have chosen to follow me, I expect you to obey my arrangements and execute my commands without wavering."

"That is precisely what a follower ought to do."

Rogner said, "Please do not doubt our sincerity!"

"The lord's interests reign supreme," Clamy chimed in.

Grado seemed to possess a bit less courage, yet he followed suit in declaring his stance: "Everything shall be done according to your lordship's arrangements."

To be loyal to one’s lord and obey his orders is the duty of a professional knight.

Since Rogna and his two companions had chosen to follow another, they had already prepared themselves to obey commands.

Rongning nodded. “Second—and more importantly—if you follow me, I will raise your status and improve your treatment, but for at least the next ten or twenty years, I will not easily grant you lands.”

Rongning had no intention, for now, of carving out several baronies within his own Wubei domain.

How Wubei would develop, how its population would be mobilized, how its land would be utilized—these decisions rested solely with him.

Once he enfeoffed his followers as noble lords of fiefs, according to the kingdom’s laws, any policy he wished to implement within those territories would require consultation with those vassal lords.

Though these vassals would almost certainly comply with his edicts, such consultation inevitably introduced the possibility of friction in enforcement.

For a long time to come, his goal was to concentrate all strength upon great undertakings.

“If you can accept this, then I accept your allegiance.”

Rongning looked at the three men. “You have time to consider.” (End of chapter)