After the battle, the field was a grim tableau of scattered weapons, trampled earth, and the occasional banner torn and fluttering in the wind. The air smelled of iron and ash, a reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded. Workers moved like ants across the landscape, clearing debris and tending to the wounded. Noah stood atop the city walls, arms crossed, watching the cleanup with a critical eye. He turned to one of his lieutenants. "Secure the borders. Double the patrols. And make sure the city rebuilds faster than a drunkard's excuse."
The city of Veridian, though battered, was already showing signs of recovery. Scaffolding rose around damaged buildings, and the streets buzzed with activity. Noah's orders were swift and precise, his tone leaving no room for hesitation. He glanced out toward the horizon, his mind already racing ahead. "Rover Province," he muttered under his breath. "Weakest of the four provinces in the Bulwark Duchy, but still a thorn in my side. Seven villages under my belt, and now we're a city-state. But let's not kid ourselves—compared to the rest of the world, we're barely a speck."
He turned to an aide who was nervously scribbling notes. "Do you know what the low-level provinces out there have? Two, three million troops. Three million! And what does Rover Province, the *magnificent* Rover Province, have? A whopping 800,000 troops. Though, to be fair, our dear Governor Voss only brought 80,000 to the party. I guess he thought that'd be enough to crush us or he for somer reason didn't have the troops. Poor fellow."
Noah's lip twitched into a smirk as he recalled the intelligence report from his assassins. "The Duke, oh the Duke. He's got most of Rover's best troops for his coronation , so that's why the governor could only muster 80000 thousand troops only ,Leaving us with the scraps. But then again, Rover's always been the runt of the litter, hasn't it?"
As he descended the steps from the wall, he signaled for one of his Umbra Assassins. "Make sure the governor's interrogation is thorough. I want every detail about the Duke. Every. Last. One." The assassin nodded and vanished into the shadows.
Back at his mansion, Noah finally allowed himself a moment of respite. He sank into his chair, the weight of the day pressing against him, but his mind was already on the System rewards. "Ah, the spoils of war," he said to himself, leaning forward to review the glowing interface. "First, let's set up that new soldier pool that I got from Power consolidation quest."
He scrolled through the options, his finger tapping thoughtfully on the armrest. "Archers… we're lacking in long-range, I already have basic militia , Let's go with that." He selected the archer option, then moved on to the rewards from the "Defending His Territory" quest. A grin spread across his face. "Upgrading the soldier pool? Daily summons increased to 1,000 per troop type? And I will be able to summon low-tier soldiers like Steel-Born Militia and Feather-Born Archers? Not bad. Not bad at all."
" Upgrade the soldier pool" noah muttered.
[System Notification]
[Soldier pool upgraded]
[Daily troops increased to 1000 per troop type of which the soldier pool is allocated]
[Troops now summoned by the soldier pool increaseed to low tier troops]
[ Militia soldier pool summon capacity increased to 1000]
[Archer soldier pool summon capacity increased to 1000]
[Militia soldier pool tier increased to low tier, now summoning steel born militia]
[Archer soldier pool tier increased to low tier , now summoning feather born archers]
With a flourish, he activated the summoning. In the courtyard below, 2,000 soldiers materialized in a flash of light. Noah leaned out the window to inspect them. The Steel-Born Militia stood tall, their armor gleaming despite its simplicity. The Feather-Born Archers were sleek, their bows elegant but deadly. "Daily summons of 2,000 soldiers. That's… significant. If this keeps up, I'll have an army that even the Duke will think twice about."
The room fell silent as he continued to strategize, his mind a whirlwind of calculations and plans. Outside, the city continued to rebuild, but within the walls of his mansion, Noah was already preparing for the battles to come.
He turned back to the System interface, his mind now focused on the next step. "System, show me the available quests for expanding our influence." The screen flickered, displaying a list of potential missions. Noah's eyes narrowed as he read through them. "Conquer a neighboring village, establish trade routes, forge alliances… tempting, but we need something more substantial."
His finger hovered over a quest titled "Provincial Power Play."
[Quest: Provincial Power Play. Objective: Gain control of Rover Province through military conquest or political maneuvering. Reward: Increased troop capacity and access to higher-tier troops.]
Noah's lips curled into a sly smile. "Now that's more like it. Time to make Rover Province mine."
He leaned back in his chair, the gears in his mind turning as he plotted his next move. "Voss is in my custody, but the Duke… he's a different beast. We'll need to weaken him before we can strike."
Just then, the door to his study creaked open, and an Umbra Assassin entered, bowing low. "My lord, I bring news from the governor's interrogation."
Noah's eyes lit up. "Speak."
The assassin straightened, his voice calm and measured. "Governor Voss has revealed the location of the Duke's supply lines. He also confirmed that the Duke's coronation is scheduled in two weeks. Most of his forces will be concentrated in the capital during that time."
Noah's smirk returned. "then , while he is distracted I will conquer the rover province in a 1 weeks without the duke knowing anything , then the the week before his coronation I will prepare all our invasion of the bulwark dukedom , and while I am preparing to launch that invasion of bulwark We'll hit them where it hurts. Assemble a strike team. I want those supply lines cut before the coronation."
The assassin nodded and vanished into the shadows, leaving Noah alone once more. He leaned back in his chair, his mind racing with possibilities. "The Duke may have the numbers, but I have the strategy. Let's see how he fares without his precious supplies."
As he sat there, the city of Veridian continued to rebuild outside his window. But within the walls of his mansion, Noah was already preparing for the battles to come, his ambition burning brighter than ever. The road ahead was treacherous, but he was ready to face it head-on.
He leaned back, crossing his arms. "Commander-type troops, huh? I almost forgot about those. System, open the commander-type troops store section." The interface shifted, displaying a new array of options. Noah's eyes gleamed as he scanned the choices. "Now this… this could change everything."