“The best-protected post?” Rory narrowed his eyes, not understanding what his friend meant.
Vice explained. “We destroyed one of their groups. It’s probably the weakest. But weakest or not, they will undoubtedly be missed by the enemy group. This means that the resources of the weakest outpost must have been transferred to other outposts by now.
We won’t achieve much by raiding the weakest. Our chances are better against the better-protected one, which must have more valuable resources.
The riches of the Defiant Tyranny were certainly in the group’s headquarters, where the strongest could protect them. However, the smaller outposts had to have something as they needed resources to maintain their operations and nurture their men.
In Vice’s opinion, their enemies had sent the resources from the weaker outpost to the stronger one. So, this place should be the most valuable of the four outposts accessible to him and his men.
He could not risk entering the enemy’s headquarters without being well prepared. He wanted to attack the one with the highest reward among the other outposts.
“A high reward naturally comes with a high risk.” One of the more experienced men in the group remarked, causing Vicente to nod in agreement.
“When will we do this?” One of the three Acolytes asked.
Vicente replied and looked at him. “In 3 nights. Soon, the royal army will bring charges against us. It will be best if we act while everyone is observing this.
They think they can hurt us… Let’s show these bastards who get screwed first!” He said in a more aggressive tone but still sitting in his chair with a neutral look on his face.
Rory understood what Vicente wanted and said. “Get ready by investigating this strongest enemy outpost.” He said to the group there. “Three days is enough for us to gather information about this outpost and place some lookouts around the area.”
With these words, the group would soon depart from there, each person going to solve different problems, but most of them focused on this problem of Defiant Tyranny.
…
Two days later…
Vicente and Rory had taken the night off to celebrate Nina’s 8th birthday.
While their men moved around Millfall for the sake of their plans, the two of them celebrated young Miss Fuller’s birthday with friends.
At that moment, the hall and living room of the Fuller residence was decorated with various festive items, along with various snacks and dishes that were common to such celebrations.
At the same time, Nina was happily playing with her local friends.
Although she had only been in Millfall for a short time, Nina and Eve went out every day to parks, shops, etc. Thus, she had already met some other children of her age and made friends.
Kids really had an easy time interacting with strangers and making new friends!
But Nina had only invited 2 local friends and an old acquaintance from Martell Village to her birthday party. So, only 3 children were there to play with her while their guardians chatted and ate.
Some of Vicente’s society partners were also there with gifts for the little black-haired girl running around with her friends.
“Vicente, your little sister will soon be a young lady. Save it for when that happens.” The wife of one of the merchants said as she handed Vicente a box.
He didn’t spy on this person’s gift and thanked her immediately.
Meanwhile, Rory was chatting with a local Baron, thanking him for the visit and the gift he had brought.
Vicente had a great relationship with at least 2 local Barons. One of them, the man who was there to congratulate Nina, was someone who had known this young man’s father since before Lauren was born!
Barons were the closest nobles to commoners. Not only that, some of them were not heirs to their position but the first nobles of their lineage. Therefore, getting along with many of them was easier, and they did not display the natural arrogance of socially well-positioned people.
On the other hand, lower nobles depended more than anyone else on partnerships with relevant commoners.
Vicente was only a merchant, but in a few years, he had a number of contracts far exceeding what Andrew had achieved in decades of work.
To give you an idea of the difference in their numbers, Andrew had contracts with 4 Barons of the province before he died. But Vice currently had 7!
“Young Point, you have a great talent. I didn’t expect you to awaken such a magnificent magical gem.” That nobleman commented to the red-haired young man he had met months ago on one of Vicente and Rory’s business trips before they moved to this city.
“Thank you for the compliment, Baron Oliver…” Rory continued talking to this man, one of the 8 barons who lived in Millfall.
Was it strange that there were 8 nobles with the same title in one town? Maybe it was on Earth, but in the Seidel Kingdom, things didn’t work like in that blue world.
The cities were not part of the nobles’ territories. They were royal domains. Therefore, in cities like Millfall, you could find several residences of nobles.
Each of these nobles had their territories, but they did not usually live in them. Generally, nobles would live in cities and maintain their businesses between their territory and such cities.
The Scott Province had 81 Barons but only 21 cities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants. Most of these nobles lived in a few of these cities, the ones closest to their territories.
While Rory was strengthening his group’s ties with the Oliver family, the doorbell of the Fuller residence rang.
Eve heard it and left Vicente’s side to answer it.
“Is anyone else missing?” She muttered to herself before opening the house’s front door to a blue-haired woman.
Eve didn’t recognize the woman, but she smiled graciously. “Are you?” She asked, imagining that there must be some mistake.
But the beautiful blonde with blue eyes similar to Nova’s was surprised to see that this was no mistake.
Nova smiled at Eve and said. “Hello, my name is Nova. I’m here for young Nina’s birthday. Vicente invited me.”
“Oh?” Eve was surprised. .
She had not expected this beauty to be invited by Vice!
‘Who is this? Is it some plan of Vicente’s? Or is he finally chasing after the opposite gender?” Eve wanted to smile.
She saw Vicente as a younger brother, even considering how responsible and intelligent he was. At the thought that this could be Vice’s love interest, Eve couldn’t help but feel happy for him.
“This way, Miss Nova.” She led the way, gesturing with one hand in the direction of the sound of several people talking.
But Nova looked at Eve intently, wondering who this woman was.
Eve was a rare beauty with curves that would drive men crazy!
“And you? How are you to Vicente?” Nova asked.
“I’m Eve, young Nina’s nanny.”
Speaking in low voices, the two made their way into the hall where most of the guests for this celebration were.
Nova smiled, noticing that Vicente had not lied to lure her into his home. ‘You really are unique… Inviting me to a birthday party was really great.’ She looked at the children running around and smiled.
Nova loved children!
As much as she had no interest in having children at the moment, she wanted to have several when she reached a more stable position within the army.
Only for that reason, she had agreed to come to this place after much deliberation.
But as she smiled at the sight of the children there, almost everyone in the area looked in her direction, standing in silence for a moment to admire her beauty.
This was a city of many beautiful women. But Nova was definitely in the top ten of the most stunning women in all of Millfall!
Even Baron Oliver could not help but ignore young Rory to look at the blue beauty.
“Captain Bain, I did not expect to find you here.” He said, smiling at her.
Nova took her eyes off the children and looked at the middle-aged man dressed in a gray suit and was surprised to see a nobleman there.
“Baron Oliver, I am the one who is surprised.” She made a gesture of greeting to a superior.
Her superiors were members of the royal family and soldiers of higher rank than her in the royal army. But as a noble of the Seidel Kingdom, Baron Oliver deserved as much respect as a deputy would from police officers on Earth.
Vicente looked at Nova and winked when he saw that she had indeed come.
He approached and said. “Thank you for coming to Nina’s birthday, Nova.”
She looked at him and smiled with interest. But first of all, she said to the nobleman there. “Baron Oliver, I would like to see the birthday girl.”
“But of course.”
Nova then followed Vicente to Nina.