Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Zachary Diaz
The air was filled with the aroma of barbecue, with the unique lard scent of magical beasts, making one’s mouth water.
"Mmm, so delicious..."
Yorn, while gnawing on the barbecue, mumbled indistinctly, "I haven’t had fresh demon beast meat in ages!"
He took a bite, his face full of satisfaction, then suddenly remembered his situation, and his mood instantly dropped.
Louis observed Yorn while eating his meat.
Indeed, unlike his initial exuberance upon arriving in the Northern Territory, Yorn now genuinely seemed more experienced and had lost a noticeable amount of weight.
"This broken place, the Northern Territory, it’s simply not fit for living!" Yorn complained to Louis as he ate: "The permafrost in my territory, can’t even grow any crops!
And the people are lazy and afraid of hardship, give them land and they won’t farm, hand them a hunting bow and they don’t know how to use it, just waiting for me to distribute relief food! They all treat me like the Northern Territory’s number one philanthropist!"
Louis consoled him: "You just have to get through the initial period, plan slowly, and things will get better."
"If my dad didn’t send me money every month and transport grain from the South, I’d have starved to death already!" Yorn was desperately clutching his hair.
Sustaining a territory’s population by transporting grain and money?
Louis paused, now developing a newfound understanding of the Harvey family’s financial capability.
Yorn sighed deeply, looking up at the sky: "I would’ve known better than to come. Do you think my dad could plead with the Emperor to let me go back?"
Louis’s mouth twitched, somewhat speechless.
The Northern Territory isn’t a place you can just come and go as you please.
According to the "Northern Territory Expansion Order" law, if a Pioneer Lord leaves their territory without cause for too long, they would be beheaded.
"Enough with the pity act." He patted Yorn on the shoulder, "Even if you want to leave, you’ll need at least twenty years."
Yorn, looking hopeless, shook off the oil from the barbecue, changing the subject to complain:
"And before I could even catch my breath after sowing the seeds, Duke Edmund’s order came, and I had to lead troops here!"
"Tch, you really are unlucky." Louis agreed.
"Now I don’t even know if there will be a harvest this autumn!" Yorn said in distress.
He angrily thrust the skewer into the fire: "Shouldn’t this kind of thing be handled by those old Northern Territory nobility? Why drag us newly arrived pioneer nobles into this mess?
Especially against the Snow Swearers! I’ve heard they’re maniacs!"
"You said it yourself, newly arrived pioneer nobles." Louis shrugged, "No background, no foundation, the best cannon fodder."
Yorn’s smile suddenly froze, as if realizing something.
A moment later, he shook his head, not wanting to dwell on such a heavy topic, and changed his tone: "Anyway, boss, there’s one more thing."
He munched on the barbecue, speaking indistinctly: "You know Zachary Diaz, right?"
"A member of the Diaz family? I remember his territory is also nearby." Louis replied.
"Yeah, he sent out invitations, wants to gather the pioneer nobles from the southern part of Snow Peak County for a pre-expedition feast." Yorn waved his skewer: "Did you get an invitation?"
Louis paused and then shook his head slowly.
Yorn was puzzled, with a strange expression: "Huh? No way, you are..."
"Don’t overthink it, the reason is simple." Louis sneered, casually flipping the meat on the fire, "Zachary wants to be the boss of these pioneer lords, he’s just shunning me."
Yorn blinked, with a face saying "Aren’t you overthinking this?"
"Both Diaz and Calvin are part of the Eight Great Clans of the Empire." Louis smiled mysteriously, "If I were there, would he still be able to act as the ’boss’?"
Yorn suddenly understood, nodding rapidly like a pecking chicken: "Yeah, after all, you’re also part of the Eight Great Clans, if you’re there, he can’t put on airs."
He paused and mumbled: "That guy is really small-minded..."
"No, he’s not small-minded. He just knows his limits very well."
"So how are you going to deal with it?"
"When is the feast? Where?" Louis asked casually.
"Just two days from now, at his territory, not far ahead." Yorn replied, still chewing meat.
Louis stood up, brushed off the dust on his clothes: "Take me to have a look."
Yorn was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "Ha! Boss, are you going to crash the party?"
Louis laughed: "Still got some time, might as well check it out."
Yorn immediately wiped his mouth and slapped his thigh: "Alright! Lead the way!"
...
The next day, Yorn led the way, and Louis was accompanied by the knights. It took them half a day to finally reach their destination.
However, the scene that greeted them was unexpectedly desolate.
Looking out, the land was barren, with only a few patches of barely cultivated fields, the crops swaying weakly in the cold wind.
The scattered houses on the land were mostly built of wood, with simple structures, some even with leaking roofs.
The people wore tattered clothes, with numb expressions, their heads down, busying themselves with their tasks.
They glanced at the knight troupe with eyes that held little emotion, neither fear nor expectation, as if they were numb to their lives.
Louis frowned.
In Red Tide Territory, such a place would be demolished and rebuilt.
But Yorn crossed his arms, nodding: "This guy did quite well, just slightly worse than me."
Louis was taken aback, doubting his ears.
He looked back at the faces of the people, then at the ramshackle houses and the endless barren land.
This is called good?
He was about to speak when a realization suddenly hit him.
Such a territory is the norm for a pioneer lord in the Northern Territory.
No abundant resources, no proper planning, no stable supply of materials.
In such a harsh environment, just keeping your people from starving, building a few houses, and being able to farm somehow is already a success.
And what about himself?
The prosperity and stability of the Red Tide Territory was nothing like a newly established territory, even surpassing many old family territories in the Northern Territory.
The reason for that was because he was a transmigrator, and he had the Daily Intelligence System as a cheat.
With this advantage, he knew where resources were, where magical beasts lingered, how to avoid danger, and how to make the most of the conditions on hand.
In anyone else’s hands, it wouldn’t have been possible.
Louis said to Yorn: "After we finish off the Snow Swearer, you can come visit Red Tide Territory, it’s much better than here."
Yorn nodded without hesitation: "Of course, you are my boss!"