Chapter 641 - 309: Thunder and Frost Will Speak for Me (Part 2)

Lurice looked at Baron Rod, "What is the cost of becoming the master of the Hawk Clan?"

The Black Pine Ridge army swept over Eagle Ridge with overwhelming power, and Lurice had long received information about the strength of the army.

Exceptionally sharp blades and long spears, armor of unmatched toughness.

Originally, Lurice thought she could rely on the city walls to withstand the army’s onslaught, but now she saw this dragon with its wings flapping and its face terrifyingly menacing.

The city walls could block the charging soldiers, but not a dragon that could fly.

Yet Rod offered such "beautiful conditions," the cost of which must be anything but simple.

"You are very clever, Lurice."

Rod looked at Lurice approvingly,

"It’s quite simple. From now on, the Hawk Clan will pledge allegiance to me, and I will recognize only you."

"You can continue to manage various affairs of Hawk Ridge, such as farming, mining, and tax collection."

"However, the Hawk Clan will not have a regular army. Eagle Ridge will only retain local guard team militia, with a maximum of three militiamen per hundred people."

"All mineral resources must belong to me. Of course, I will leave a portion of the iron ore for the territory’s daily needs."

"At the same time, I will appoint a few individuals to form an advisory council to assist you in managing the militia, handling government affairs, and enforcing the law."

"Every year, I will allow you to retain two-tenths of the territory’s tax revenue, one-tenth as the Hawk Clan’s income, and the other tenth for maintaining the military and the advisory council."

...

Rod stated his conditions word by word.

With every sentence spoken, Lurice’s face grew more somber.

When Rod finished, Lurice couldn’t help but stand up, "Baron Rod, are the Hawk Clan still nobility then?"

"They can be not."

Rod looked at Lurice with a calm expression,

"If the Hawk Clan is unwilling, then there’s no need for it to exist."

"There will always be other families willing to."

Rod’s tone was plain, yet it sounded extremely resolute.

For Rod would no longer allow the presence of lords in the lands he conquered.

The aristocratic feudal system is a very outdated system, even a constitutional monarchy is better.

The feudal system of nobility makes efficiency and stability very low.

Each lord independently owns land, armies, and taxes, which greatly weakens the ruler’s power.

Especially during times of war, local lords might act in disunity, making livelihoods, taxes, and military mobilization difficult to coordinate.

Furthermore, lords often waged small-scale wars and engaged in intrigues, consuming manpower and resources, while rulers found it difficult to intervene.

Rod did not like others sharing the power he held in his hands.

But Rod couldn’t change everything at once, which would be unacceptable to many people, especially the noble lords.

They might band together to resist Rod.

Rod was not afraid of enemies, but he couldn’t kill them all at once.

In other words, nobles with rich knowledge and abilities are also a scarce resource.

So Rod chose a compromise, retaining some wealth and power for noble families to make acceptance easier for them.

This provided the enemy with a hope.

And it also provided Rod’s subordinates with a goal.

However, in the future, other lords will inevitably disappear entirely, swallowed slowly by the advisory council.

"You..."

Lurice’s face froze, unable to speak for a moment.

The tent fell silent in an instant.

Lurice felt a bit breathless, took a deep breath, and sat down again,

"Then, what about my brother Zane?"

"If he stays put and hands over the soldiers he took away, I will let him live a stable life."

Rod casually said, "But if he wants to reclaim the lordship, I will not be lenient with my enemies."

"Actually, I’m just a bit interested in you,"

Rod looked at Lurice, "The Hawk Clan means nothing to me."

"Me?"

Lurice was slightly stunned, involuntarily reaching up to touch her cheek,

"What do you want, Baron Rod? Even if I surrender, I won’t become someone’s lover..."

"You are overthinking."

Rod frowned slightly, "I recognize your management abilities."

"Although you haven’t achieved much, Eagle Ridge has remained relatively calm during your brother’s absence."

"If you can continue to manage it, it would save me a lot of trouble."

"Oh, okay."

Lurice lowered her head, musing, "Then..."

"Wait."

Lurice suddenly realized something and asked, "Can the Empire acknowledge what you’re doing?"

"I mean, even though the Empire currently lacks an Emperor, once one of the three takes the throne, will they allow you to do this?"

Lurice vaguely sensed that Rod was implementing a new system, even if it was still cloaked in aristocratic guise.

"You don’t need to worry about that."

Rod smiled as he stood up, "Come with me."

Rod walked out of the tent, leading Lurice directly into the third tent not far away.

As soon as the curtain lifted and they entered, Lurice was startled and shivered,

"Is this a wolf?"

Lurice took several steps back, instinctively wanting to leave, but was stopped by Rod’s hand.

"Don’t be afraid, this is my friend."

Rod pointed to the nobleman standing by the fire and said, "He’s also a close ally of Count Ola."

"Count Ola?"

Lurice looked at the figure before her, showing a puzzled expression and instinctively nodding in salute,

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, esteemed Count Ola. Your name sounds quite familiar..."

Lurice’s gaze lowered, noticing the golden shield emblem on Count Ola’s chest, she couldn’t help but cover her mouth, swallowing hard,