Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence

Vanilla is one of the important specialties of the Black Forest Territory's plan, and thanks to the arrival of the Dawn Goddess's divine power tide, vanilla is among the crops that will have a bumper harvest this season.

So, when talking to Vandal about the good news from here, Su Li asked with great interest, "Are there any results in vanilla cultivation?"

Vandal immediately nodded and said, "That's right. Under the full impetus of Edmond's divine術, a batch of vanilla has matured rapidly, and we have now planted 30 acres of land."

"If this vanilla field is not damaged in the war, under the protection of the Dawn Goddess, vanilla will surely have a bumper harvest this year. We may even yield three or four pounds per acre."

Vanilla beans, this spice, are worth as much as gold! One pound of vanilla beans can be directly exchanged for one pound of gold, translating to a value of dozens of gold crowns.

If there is a bumper harvest, these 30 acres of vanilla orchids can produce 120 pounds of vanilla beans, bringing more than 5,000 gold crowns in revenue to the territory!

Don't underestimate 5,000 gold crowns. If each specialty can bring back several thousand gold crowns in revenue, the territory can harvest more than 20,000 gold crowns a year just by farming.

This number is very considerable and can sustain a well-equipped and well-trained army for the territory.

So, Su Li pondered and said, "Hot Spring Village is located in the northeast direction of Greenleaf Hills, which is still a distance from Black Forest Castle. As long as our territory's army can defeat the Green Dragon's affiliated legion and inflict heavy damage on them, they won't have enough numbers to discover this place. So, you must send people to take good care of this place."

The vast fertile fields of Bjorn Bay are in the east of the territory, and they are likely to be invaded by monsters, so food production has already been affected. We can't afford to have the spice production suffer another heavy blow.

Vandal immediately nodded in agreement: "I will arrange for a nun to bring a team of loyal slaves to produce here with peace of mind, and we will never give up this place until the very last moment."

"Okay, let them produce with peace of mind. I will send a resident knight from the Corona Knights to bring a team of attendants to guard this place."

After saying this, Su Li continued, "Herbs will also have a bumper harvest next season, so you must take good care of everything. Then, you must lead the people from various orders to produce potions with all their might. Before the decisive battle breaks out, I hope to equip every knight with a healing potion."

This is not an easy task. You should know that even the most basic healing potion costs 1 to 3 gold coins. Although the price is not high, production is not easy because many territories don't have that many herbs, and it's a huge consumable. Even a noble with deep pockets may not have five or six hundred bottles in their treasury.

A knight family would only store a few bottles for their knights to use on the battlefield.

Vandal calmly assured him: "In the next period, monsters will besiege the city, and the nuns from various churches will return to the city from the countryside. I will gather them to produce with all their might. The output of the territory's elixir farm is enough to support our consumption for a month or two."

These two things were what Su Li was most concerned about. Vandal then reported some information about farming, such as the water conservancy of Hot Spring Village and the reclamation of Bjorn Bay. Su Li only listened roughly and entrusted all these affairs to Vandal.

While the two of them were talking about farming affairs, a knight galloped from afar and reported to Hild, who then looked happy and came to Su Li excitedly, saying, "Lord, good news! Knight Connor has brought a knight squadron to our territory."

"Knight Connor?" Su Li frowned and thought for a long time, but he couldn't remember who this person was at all.

Don't think that his cultivation speed is very fast, but that's basically all thanks to Hild. Hild personally experienced every blood surge, breath, and heartbeat with him, helping him adjust his cultivation rhythm and guiding him in his cultivation.

Su Li's shoulders only bear the burden of flourishing grass, gentle breezes, and bright moons, and of course, two beautiful legs.

He himself is actually only of average talent and doesn't have the ability to remember everything he sees.

So, he really didn't have any impression of this person, so he asked, "Who is Knight Connor?"

Hild was slightly surprised, but she just assumed that the lord was forgetful, so she softly reminded him: "Like Schwartz, he is your father's guardian knight."

"Father?" Su Li was even more stunned. No wonder he didn't have any impression of Knight Connor. He almost didn't have any impression of his nominal father!

It's not that he's cold-blooded or ungrateful, nor is it that he's disloyal to his relatives, but that his inner essence is like a lonely soul wandering in another world.

Alone as a stranger in a foreign land, the only relatives he truly recognizes are Hild and Avril. They are the ones who have been with him unconditionally when Su Li was at his loneliest and most confused.

The remaining ones, Orstein, Schwartz, and even Ingrid and Phyllis, were all subdued by him through various means.

It was only later, with constant interaction, that these people gradually formed a solid and close relationship with Su Li, whether through shared aspirations, growing affection, or "growing affection."

Knight Orstein is like his right and left hand, a comrade-in-arms like Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da.

Phyllis has even become the mother of his child. Blood is thicker than water, and love has turned into affection.

On the other hand, he only met his nominal relative, Earl Sunna, once, and he only said one sentence to Knight Connor. It's normal not to have any feelings for them; it would be strange to remember them.

So, Su Li frowned slightly and asked, "What is Knight Connor here for?"

Could it be that his family is already eager to collect taxes after he has just started building his career?

This is really a problem. If the clan leader asks him to contribute a sum of wealth to the family, should he fulfill the obligations of a family member?

Hild softly comforted him: "It shouldn't be anything bad, right? When family members come, it's always a connection from blood relatives. We should meet them out of both emotion and reason."

Su Li nodded and said, "Then let's go back and see."

At worst, he would meet soldiers with soldiers and water with earth.

Then, Su Li whistled, and Deathclaw, who was soaring in the sky, immediately circled around, drawing a beautiful flight curve in the sky, and swooped down.

Although Deathclaw is huge, he is very immature in his heart. He swooped down, and his wings directly stirred up a gust of wind. Some of the weaker armed attendants were blown off their feet by the gale.

The gale made Su Li and Hild's crimson robes flutter, but fortunately, Deathclaw flew swiftly and stopped very steadily. He stopped abruptly and stood firmly in front of Su Li.

Then, Su Li jumped onto Deathclaw's back and flew directly towards the castle.

His guard knights then neatly mounted their horses and followed behind, galloping after the griffin's figure.

Soon, Deathclaw landed directly in the courtyard in front of the castle's main building. The gale stirred up by his wings made the moon crown trees in the courtyard rustle, and the fragrance of the courtyard filled the entire castle.

This powerful aura and majestic presence instantly alarmed everyone in the castle who was waiting for him.

The Dean of the Provincial Affairs Office, Lord Rongen, the priest of the Radiant Goddess Church of the territory, came out of the room first. He directed two Black Forest Guard knights to lead Deathclaw away, and then said to Su Li, "Lord, I have arranged for your family's knight order. Knight Connor is waiting for you."

Knight order?

Su Li's eyes lit up. As far as he knew, the Bauhinia family only had one knight order, the Crimson Night Knight Order.

This was the elite of the family's elite. All members were elite knights. When developing Bauhinia Valley, the Crimson Night Knight Order, wearing Blazing Soul Law rune armor and holding high the Bauhinia battle flag, was the nightmare of all the green-skinned warbands and beastman howler herds.

Could it be that Knight Connor brought the Crimson Night Knight Order?

Su Li then walked towards Rongen's back and faced Knight Connor, who looked somewhat familiar.

Although it had been half a year since they last met, Su Li finally remembered his appearance after seeing him. He smiled and stepped forward to hold his right hand, saying, "Welcome to Black Forest, Knight Connor. The arrival of family members makes us knights in this foreign land feel especially cordial."

Knight Connor snorted and said, "So, young master Su Li still remembers the family. That unworthy son of mine, Stern, still knows to write a few letters back to report his safety. Young master Su Li, except for reporting to the family after arriving in the territory, has been unheard of since then!"

"If the family hadn't learned of young master Su Li's feat of defeating the chosen demon from the priest of the Radiant Goddess Church, the family would have thought that young master Su Li had disappeared without a trace in the Border Prince Territory. The Earl asked me to ask young master Su Li if he still remembers him as his father, and if he still remembers the Bauhinia family?"

Su Li turned to look at the Seal Minister Raun, who was beside him. When did he write a letter to the family?

When he left the family, he only felt like a tiger and leopard breaking out of an iron cage, and a dragon breaking free from golden chains. No one could restrain him anymore.

How could he think about repaying the family?

At that time, he had the heart of a young wanderer, only thinking about wandering around the world. How could he have thought about the fetters behind him?

Not to mention this world with inconvenient transportation, even in his previous life on Earth, in that world with developed communication, how many young people would contact their parents in their hometown from time to time when they were out adventuring?

Seal Minister Raun retreated silently, avoiding Knight Connor's gaze, and quietly raised a forefinger, pointing to the second floor of the main building.

Su Li immediately understood. When he first entered the territory, the people on the second floor could only be Hild and Avril. Avril was so innocent that she couldn't think of things that Su Li couldn't think of.

So, it could only be Hild who considered everything thoroughly and silently wrote a letter for him and sent it back to Bauhinia Castle.

The reason why she didn't tell Su Li was obviously because she clearly saw Su Li's sense of estrangement from the family.

If Su Li was a normal bloodline of the Bauhinia family, it would be impossible for him not to mention the family at all. But Su Li had transmigrated, and he had only met his nominal father once, so naturally there was nothing to mention. He couldn't even recognize all of his brothers. How could he not be estranged?

She was such an intelligent girl, of course, she had already quietly observed everything clearly.

She actually suspected whether Earl Bauhinia still remembered his son's appearance, but the family's bloodline and connection were not transferred by emotion.

After all, blood is thicker than water. Although Su Li was somewhat estranged from the family, when Su Li's career achieved something, the family decisively gave him more additional investment and sent more family resources to help him.

Of course, Su Li could also hear the closeness in Knight Connor's words besides the blame. After seeing Raun's gesture, he immediately said, "How is that possible? I always remember the Bauhinia bloodline in me. Knight Connor, have you seen the banner flying in the castle? I have never forgotten the oath I made to my father."

"It's just that life in the Border Prince Territory is too difficult. I have endless affairs to deal with every day, and endless battles to fight. The territory has not yet gained a firm foothold, and the threat of dragons hangs over all of our heads like a sharp sword, and we may be destroyed at any time. In this case, what qualifications do I have to report peace to the family?"

These words of his were sincere and finally moved Knight Connor. Knight Connor also learned about the plight of the Black Forest Territory in Stern's letter.

As for what Su Li said, he believed a little about the endless battles, but he didn't believe half a point about the endless affairs to deal with. He had learned about young master Su Li's nature in just three days, and in his communication with Stern, he had learned more about young master Su Li's life of singing and dancing every night in the Black Forest Territory.

But the Bauhinia banner fluttering over Black Forest Castle was better than all the words. Young master Su Li had indeed fulfilled his promise, adding glory to the family banner and letting the Bauhinia banner fly in a wider sky.

This was enough for the family to continue to add resources to him! For the family, a strong Black Forest Territory was far more important than a close offspring. Only more territories and higher prestige would make the family's inheritance more stable.

So, Knight Connor accepted his statement and scolded him with some disappointment: "The more this is the case, the more you should contact the family. Are you a rootless person without a family?"

"You must know that the bloodline in you is your strongest backing. The family will not let the territory of every outstanding offspring be easily destroyed! When the territory of any family bloodline is threatened, the family will appropriately extend a helping hand. Only when the family grows stronger will all the family's territories be safer."

"This is the same for every bloodline branch. Would you stand by when Bauhinia Castle is in crisis?"

At this time, even the most upright person knew what to say. Su Li resolutely replied: "Of course not! Bauhinia Castle is our root. If the family is in trouble, our Black Forest Territory will definitely support it with all our strength."

Knight Connor nodded in satisfaction and showed a smile, saying: "That's right. Since you as juniors can think so, how can the family turn a blind eye to your plight?"

"Earl has heard of your feats and achievements, young master Su Li, and asked me to bring a whole squadron of Crimson Night Knights to the Black Forest Territory. From now on, this knight order will set up a branch in your territory to help you in your conquests."

"You can rest assured that the Crimson Night Knight Order is a secular knight order, created by the Bauhinia family, and will follow the orders of the lord of the Bauhinia family."

"Unless your orders are too unreasonable, the Crimson Night Knight Order will follow military orders."

A whole squadron of Crimson Night Knights?!

Su Li was overjoyed. Although he wasn't sure about the exact size of the Red Night Knights of the Zijinghua family, a barony's knight order wouldn't exceed 12 squadrons, and might likely only have five or six.

Now that a squadron of knights had been transferred, that was a full 120 elite knights! Before the Black Forest Territory expanded its army, it didn't have this many elite knights.

Su Li immediately said excitedly, "That's great! With your addition, our chances of winning against the Green Dragon will significantly increase by another 20-30%."

Knight Connor proudly stroked his hard, brown beard, clearly very pleased with the size of the knight order.

He raised his chin, like an elder assessing his descendants, and said, "Young Master Su Li, you mustn't be arrogant and careless. Although the Red Night Knights are here to help, the development of your territory cannot fall behind."

"Before you returned, I inspected this castle. The castle's scale is decent, but the number of knights is only so-so. There are only two squads of elite knights in the castle, how can that be enough for the war against the Green Dragon? You can't rely too much on defensive fortifications; remember that in war, the most important thing is still people!"

Stern, who had been listening with boredom, was instantly shocked and widened his eyes. He quickly looked at his father. 'Old man, don't坑 (kēng) your son! What are you doing? Are you educating the lord?'

He had been fighting bravely ever since he left Zijing Fort, always being the first to charge and risking his life several times to earn honor and join the Black Forest Guard Knights.

The entire Black Forest Guard Knights was not only the pride of the territory but also the lord's most loyal guards.

No one dared to question the lord in the slightest, but his father dared to lecture the lord as soon as he arrived? He couldn't imagine how his knight captain and teammates would train him when his father left!

Su Li was also stunned for a moment, but since Knight Connor had brought reinforcements, he was in a good mood and didn't take it to heart. He smiled and said, "Knight Connor is right, the decision of victory or defeat in war always lies with the people. A demoralized army, no matter how powerful its equipment, will collapse at the first touch. We need more elites to fight against the Green Dragon. I wonder how many people Knight Connor has brought in total this time?"

Knight Connor was very satisfied with Su Li's humble attitude and said even more proudly, "In addition to a squadron of Red Night Knights, there are also two armed attendant battalions formed by the Earl, totaling 300 people. Furthermore, the Earl has ordered the recruitment of an exploration and adventure group. Many knights in the territory have heard of Hilud's deeds and enthusiastically signed up, requesting to come to the Border Prince Territory to serve under you, Young Master Su Li. This includes 13 elite knights, 89 formal knights and trainee knights, and more than 200 armed retainers."

"Finally, there is also an armed merchant caravan of 500 people. They heard that you, Young Master Su Li, have a close relationship with the dwarves and brought a large amount of wealth and specialties, mainly from the Thorns River Valley, including salt, pickled pork and pickled fish, iron oak wood, religious icons, and finished brassware. Although most of them will leave after the transaction, the Blue Heron Mercenary Group may stay."

"As a lord, you must have heard of the Blue Heron Mercenary Group. They come from the famous mercenary province of Tirthys, known for their expertise in halberds, great shields, and crossbows, and have been serving Maleberg as mercenaries for a century. Their grand leader is ambitiously expanding the mercenary group's business, and you can attract them to set up a base and fortress in the Black Forest Territory."

Obviously, Knight Connor was imparting experience to Su Li as someone who had been there before.

And he had the capital to be proud of, he brought a full thousand family-supported personnel, even if not mentioning the quality and level of this support, this scale alone was unparalleled.

In the era of cold weapons, being able to bring a force of thousands of people, cross thousands of miles, without a large number of attrition, this was considered a capable general in the unified dynasty.

And in the various territories of the empire, this kind of talent was the backbone and confidant of a territory.

He naturally had the confidence to give some pointers.

After all, there weren't many troops left in the Black Forest Territory; the main force had already been taken into the forest by Knight Erstein.

In Knight Connor's eyes, the current size of the Black Forest Territory's army could only be considered passable. In half a year, Young Master Su Li had developed from the five elite knights at the time of departure to the current 24 elite knights, which was not bad.

But to fight against the Green Dragon, it was obviously still far from enough; the main force still had to be the Red Night Knights he led.

So he patted Su Li's shoulder casually and said, "Young Master Su Li, don't worry, we will help you hold the castle and never let the Green Dragon destroy your territory. Moreover, the Earl has already paid the Red Night Knights a year's salary."

"If you really can't afford the salaries of so many elite knights in the future, the Earl will allocate a portion of the finances allocated to the Red Night Knights to this branch."

Su Li smiled faintly and said, "Then I will have to rely more on Knight Connor for the war against the Green Dragon."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Knight Connor raised his chin and continued casually, "Young Master Su Li, leave the war to us. You just focus on cultivation. Although you have become a lord, your strength cannot fall behind; you can't always be a trainee kni…"

Knight Connor suddenly widened his eyes: "Young Master Su Li, you are already an elite knight?!"

"Knight Connor, watch your behavior and attitude." A stern and cold voice came from behind, followed by Hilud's heroic and powerful footsteps, accompanied by the incomparably powerful aura of a Chosen Knight.

The entire courtyard seemed to be shrouded in a huge golden figure. With the afterglow of the setting sun behind her, Hilud held the hilt of her sword. Although she was not very tall, her aura suppressed the entire castle like a mountain.

Knight Connor was directly shocked to the point of stiffness, losing the ability to think. He squeezed out a terrified voice from his throat almost like a murmur: "Hilud! You are already Chosen-level?! Didn't the Church rumored that you just advanced to Champion-level?!"

The moment he saw Hilud, Knight Connor took his hand off Su Li's shoulder as if he had been electrocuted.

He couldn't believe what he had just done!

He had actually presumptuously patted the shoulder of a Chosen Knight's lord!