190: Chapter 190 You're in Big Trouble

Chapter 190: You're in Big Trouble

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lister climbed out of bed.

On the rack, the thick beast-skin coat still carried a faint scent of wine from last night's victory banquet.

Taking out a spare set of clothes from his storage ring, he changed, washed up unhurriedly, and then enjoyed the exquisite breakfast that Chief Lin Mu had specially sent someone to deliver.

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After finishing breakfast, he put his armor, weapons, and other items into his storage ring, then strode out of the tent.

The moment he lifted the tent curtain, Red's respectfully waiting figure came into view. Judging by the snow accumulated on his body, he had clearly been waiting for a while.

"Good morning, Lord Lister. All the supplies needed for departure have been prepared. Chief Lin Mu and the others are waiting for you."

"Good, let's go."

After nodding slightly in response, the two walked quickly toward the main tent.

Compared to the previous few days, the snowstorm had weakened slightly today, but it was still bitterly cold and fierce.

It seemed as if the brief pause after yesterday's battle had merely been a small celebration for them.

After walking for a short while, Lister saw Chief Lin Mu and the others waiting in front of the main tent, making their final preparations before departure.

The joy on their faces from repelling the Black Wolf Tribe had not faded even after a night, as if it were firmly engraved upon their features.

Noticing his arrival, Chief Lin Mu's smile deepened.

"Lord Howard, you're awake. Why didn't you rest a bit longer?"

"Haha, it has become a habit since becoming a knight."

"Tsk tsk, no wonder you are such a successful lord!"

"You flatter me, Chief Lin Mu. You have done very well yourself."

"Not at all, not at all."

The people around them were not surprised by their mutual flattery; after all, everyone was a seasoned veteran of the "workplace."

Of course, everyone also genuinely agreed with Chief Lin Mu's praise of Lister.

Leaving aside Red and his own men, the reverence of Chief Lin Mu's subordinates present for Lister had reached a passionate level.

In this war against the Asas Army, it could be said that without Lister leading his troops to reinforce them, the White Cat-Ear Tribe would have had almost no chance of winning.

The best result if the tribe had fought alone would probably have been temporarily repelling the Asas Army at an extremely heavy cost.

It would have been absolutely impossible to do it as easily as yesterday, with barely any casualties among their Soldiers.

Not only did they successfully repel the Asas Army, but they also dealt them an irreparable, heavy blow, making it absolutely impossible for them to stage a comeback anytime soon.

In this, Lister not only demonstrated powerful extraordinary strength, but the wisdom and intellect he displayed also made them, who worshiped the Moon Cat God representing wisdom, feel heartfelt admiration.

Not only that, during last night's victory banquet, Chief Lin Mu had actively requested to establish deep cooperation between their two forces.

Unlike the preliminary cooperation established last time, this deep cooperation involved not only military transit between the two forces but also every aspect of the territories under the two rulers.

Once the cooperation was finalized, the White Cat-Ear Tribe and the Iron Thorn Territory Branch could exchange what they had for what they lacked.

The tribe's people and the territory's Serfs could not only trade freely without obstacles, but also exchange and learn new knowledge from each other, and even marry normally.

Lister was naturally pleased to see such beneficial developments for his territory.

Although the White Cat-Ear Tribe was not a large tribe, it still had seven to eight thousand members.

Since they arrived on this land, they had developed for many years and were a mature force rooted in the Western Frontier. They were incomparable in every aspect to those Pioneer Territories in their early stages of development.

Even though their geographical location was not very good and there were two other tribes eyeing them covetously nearby.

But after weighing the pros and cons, Lister still felt that cooperation was necessary.

First, because this would give him a formidable ally, enhancing his and the Iron Thorn Territory Branch's influence in the Pioneer Territory.

Second, because transporting resources from the Ironthorn Territory, Kim, and Bradley was usually slower, making the White Cat-Ear Tribe far more convenient in emergencies.

Of course, another point was his curiosity about the White Cat-Ear Tribe's extraordinary system. He wanted to understand it more deeply, and ideally, learn it himself.

Just like that, after obtaining his consent, Chief Lin Mu and the others, while overjoyed, also became much warmer in their attitude.

As the two chatted, the Soldiers not far away also finished their final inventory of the supplies.

According to the detailed post-battle statistics from yesterday, the spoils of war from their battle against the Asas Army mainly consisted of weapons, beast-skin armor, and warhorses.

The rest were small amounts of cultivation resources and various miscellaneous items.

To show his heartfelt respect to the savior of the tribe and their new partner, Chief Lin Mu looked at Lister and said generously, "Lord Howard, if you hadn't led your army to reinforce us this time, Black Stone Fortress would have very likely fallen."

"Please take your pick of these spoils first. If they are all useful for developing your territory, you can take them all. Please, don't be polite."

Scott and the other commanders and guards around them nodded in agreement, without the slightest objection or complaint on their faces.

Just as Chief Lin Mu said, being able to successfully repel and heavily damage the Asas Army this time was already a great stroke of luck.

As for the spoils of war, they meant absolutely nothing compared to the joy in their hearts.

"Then thank you, Chief Lin Mu."

Lister did not stand on ceremony. After thanking him, he waved his hand and claimed all the warhorses that were still capable of movement, as well as winter supplies like warm beast-skin coats.

As for weapons, beast-skin armor, and other spoils, he didn't want them. After all, the personnel and resources sent by Brutus had already arrived at the Iron Thorn Territory Branch.

Especially regarding war equipment, those forged by Gimel and the other Forgemasters were definitely much better to use in comparison.

Under the extremely envious gazes of Chief Lin Mu and the others, Lister put all the supplies except for the warhorses into his storage ring.

Since obtaining this storage ring, storing items had become incredibly easy and simple for him.

Once the series of preparations before departure was finished, Lister, Chief Lin Mu, and the main army mounted their horses.

The White Cat-Ear Tribe bred many horses and had a mature horse-breeding chain, making it entirely possible to provide one horse per Soldier.

This was also one of the reasons why Lister had agreed to deep cooperation.

With an order from Chief Lin Mu, the main army began to march slowly toward the White Cat-Ear Tribe's settlement.

Although the death toll among the defenders of Black Stone Fortress in this war against the Asas Army was not high, many were injured.

Therefore, the triumphant main army included many wounded who needed to return to the tribe's settlement for treatment, which made the return journey somewhat slower.

Amidst the fierce buffeting of the snowstorm, the main army finally returned to the White Cat-Ear Tribe's settlement early the next morning.

Although Lister did not feel too tired after traveling for a day and a night, he still ordered the troops to rest and reorganize briefly at the White Cat-Ear Tribe's settlement before returning to the Iron Thorn Territory Branch.

Of course, this was also due to Chief Lin Mu's warm invitation to stay.

The triumphant victory banquet.

Because Chief Lin Mu had sent someone back with the news of victory in advance, the entire tribe was ecstatic.

Even Natia, who was usually calm and composed and had anticipated it beforehand, could not help but feel excited and joyful.

Once her joy subsided, she immediately ordered the tribe's royal chefs to prepare a grand victory banquet in advance, before Chief Lin Mu's main army returned.

Under her thoughtful arrangements and mobilization of personnel, an exquisite and grand victory banquet quickly took shape in the chief's residence.

By the time the main army returned in triumph, even Lister could not help but be startled by the grand and lively scene.

Compared to the lively atmosphere inside the chief's residence, the joy among the common tribe members was not lacking either.

The streets and every household were filled with moving laughter and cheerful voices.

At the banquet, as the cups clinked and the drinking deepened, the commanders, guards, and others attending the banquet gradually grew more uninhibited.

While everyone was chatting and celebrating, Natia, who was seated at the head of one side, elegantly walked up to Lister holding a wine cup.

"Lord Howard, thank you for your unstinting help to the White Cat-Ear Tribe."

"With this cup, I, Natia, express my most sincere gratitude to the brave and noble you!"

Watching the beautiful girl before him, whose eyes shone with captivating wisdom and who possessed a dignified and elegant temperament, cleanly drain the full cup of wine in one gulp.

Lister was slightly surprised, and a warm, easygoing smile quickly appeared on his face.

"You praise me too highly, Miss Natia."

He raised his wine cup with his left hand and waved his right hand slightly, saying, "I merely fulfilled my previous promise to you. Besides, Chief Lin Mu and the others also played a crucial role."

Natia was slightly stunned. She had not expected Lister to be so humble; he was truly different from the Pioneering Lords she had met before.

Especially his deep, charming eyes and warm, comfortable smile made her impression of him instantly soar.

"I heard from my brother that we have established deep cooperation with Lord Howard. Perhaps when I have time in the future, I can visit his territory more often."

Once this thought arose in her mind, it seemed to be firmly branded into her heart.

As Lister drained his cup, the two began to chat with smiles on their faces. The atmosphere was relaxed and cozy, somewhat out of place with the surrounding boisterous noise.

Chief Lin Mu, who was drinking heartily with Red nearby, suddenly noticed their interaction and expressions, and was instantly filled with astonishment.

Was this still his sister, who, apart from him, had always maintained a safe distance from other men?

That heartfelt smile and expression were as enchanting as the Goddess of Spring, giving even him a feeling of being bathed in a warm spring breeze at this moment.

Could it be—

An unbelievable thought suddenly sprang up in his mind. Then, his gaze shifted slightly to Lister, and a mysterious, somewhat bitter smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"Lord Howard, you're in big trouble..."

The banquet lasted until the afternoon before ending. Although he had drunk some wine, Lister did not feel tipsy at all.

Red and the other knights also remained clear-headed.

Without staying any longer, Lister bid farewell to Chief Lin Mu, Natia, and the others.

Amid the spontaneous send-off and praise of the tribe's people, he led his team away from the White Cat-Ear Tribe's settlement at a gallop.

Early the next morning, at dawn.

Strands of sunlight spilled through the window into the lord's bedroom. The howling of the wind and snow outside had ceased, and the chirping of winter birds was clearly audible.

Although he had returned very late last night, Lister still did not oversleep. Instead, he got out of bed early to wash up and eat.

After enjoying the breakfast carefully prepared by Thomas and Flora, he headed toward the training grounds in high spirits.

Just as he stepped into the training grounds, the energetic shouts of training echoed in his ears one after another.

Before he had taken more than a few steps, the scene of Red and several other Silver Knights leading their respective units in training appeared before his eyes, causing him to show a look of comfort and appreciation.

Compared to before he left the territory, the number of people training today had increased quite a bit. The extra people were precisely those transferred from the Ironthorn Territory.

After responding to their heartfelt and enthusiastic greetings one by one, he also came to an empty space to cultivate.

After yesterday's great battle, his comprehension of spear techniques had deepened by another margin.

As a piercing sound like a dragon's roar rang out, intimidating cold gleams constantly flashed in the air.

As the long spear danced, his figure also leaped and dodged back and forth, and his overall execution was much more adept than before.

This post-battle improvement was not small, but it was a pity that his spear techniques were still a bit away from the mastery realm.

After thinking for a moment, he estimated that it was because the battle with Prince Asa lacked a strong sense of pressure, and he still needed to fight stronger enemies to progress.

The morning cultivation soon ended, and he then gathered everyone from the main army to assemble in the military camp's large plaza.

Since many new knights and Soldiers had arrived from the Ironthorn Territory, the total number of knights and Soldiers in the camp now added up to nearly two hundred.

This force was already a solid top-tier power in the entire Western Frontier Territory.

Not only that, the appearance of everyone in the camp had also undergone a massive change.

From the knights to the Soldiers, everyone wore new-style armor and helmets, and their weapons were uniformly replaced with long spears and...

longswords.

This new equipment was newly developed and forged by Gimel and other Forgemasters of the Weapon Development Department. It completely crushed the previous old equipment in terms of toughness, lightness, and comfort.

His majestic gaze swept over everyone, lingering for a moment longer on a small squad that, though few in number, had extremely prominent weapons and equipment.

The firearm Squad!

Compared to the weapons held by the other knights and Soldiers, they each held a newly made long firearm that exuded a dangerous aura.

In addition, a short firearm was tucked against their right thigh, and a longsword hung from the left side of their waist.

Their neat and uniform posture of standing with firearms made him involuntarily think of the military in his past life; except for the different clothing, their overall appearance felt virtually identical.

From this alone, he could tell that Locke had certainly put a lot of hard work into training them and had completely absorbed the training methods he had previously explained.

With his chin slightly raised, his eyes were filled with satisfaction as he looked at the upright and energetic crowd below the platform.

Subsequently, he delivered a slightly passionate speech, both commending the knights who had followed him to reinforce the White Cat-Ear Tribe in battle and motivating the Soldiers who had remained to guard the territory.

At the same time, he also expressed his heartfelt welcome to the newly arrived knights and Soldiers.

When his final, rousing speech concluded, he couldn't help but show a look of wanting to say more.

"Next, all newly arrived knights and Soldiers shall proceed to their new military departments according to my orders.

"