32: Chapter 32 Current Status of Gray Eagle Territory

Loren's impression of the Grey Eagle Territory had always remained in the memories of his predecessor.

The geographical location of the Grey Eagle Territory was excellent. To the left was a long, narrow lake, about 500 meters wide and over 50 meters deep, serving as a natural moat.

To the right were towering mountains that reached the clouds. The rock walls, over 2,000 meters high, were as straight as if carved by a knife, impossible for even birds to cross, making them the best defensive wall.

With the lake on the left and mountains on the right, the Grey Eagle Territory was situated in the middle of this pass, which was over two hundred meters in diameter.

As long as a wall was built at the front, it could completely isolate the outside world.

However, if that were all, the Grey Eagle Territory could only be considered to have sufficient defense but insufficient development; it could not be considered a good place.

The most crucial point was that behind the Grey Eagle Territory lay a vast plain, roughly thirty kilometers in length and width.

Furthermore, it was surrounded by mountains; except for access via the lake and the front, other areas could not reach the plain.

In other words, as long as he held the front and prevented enemies from attacking from the lake, he would have a secure rear base.

If this land could be fully developed, it could support hundreds of thousands of people.

The potential was extraordinary.

It was because his predecessor saw this that he spent one million to buy information about the territory from an adventurer squad that was hawking information to him...

But this was just information from memory. Only after Loren witnessed everything in the territory with his own eyes did he intuitively realize that this territory, which completely belonged to him, was not as perfect as he had imagined... Desolation was his most immediate impression.

The Grey Eagle Territory once had an owner, but it was later abandoned.

Although his predecessor had repaired it when he took over, the original territory was already dilapidated. No matter how much it was repaired in just a short month, it was nothing more than embroidering a flower on rags; it was useless.

Coupled with the fact that it had been breached once by the Bloody Corruptor, it now appeared even more dilapidated.

The first thing that caught Loren's eyes was the wall of the Grey Eagle Territory. A black flag embroidered with a purple bauhinia was planted on the wall, fluttering in the wind.

The wall was about four meters high and two hundred meters long.

The grey-black wood used to build the wall was already covered in moss, and some parts had even rotted, making one wonder how much longer this wall could last.

Behind the wall were two wooden arrow towers, seven or eight meters high, but they were already on the verge of collapse and completely unusable.

The battlements in front of the wall were sharpened wooden sticks, extending outwards at a seventy-degree angle.

Although the wall was two hundred meters long, the sections on the left and right sides, totaling about one hundred meters, were sealed off with wood.

No one could stand on them, and the sharpened wood looked like a row of thorns, sharper than a hedgehog.

In the middle, many sharp iron barbs were arranged, still stained with plenty of blood, clearly having seen battle.

This way, if there was an external invasion, one only needed to defend the front of the wall, which was less than one hundred meters long, greatly reducing the pressure of defense.

"The Lord is back!!"

The soldiers on guard on the wall looked into the distance and, upon seeing the convoy that suddenly appeared in their field of vision, shouted frantically.

The banner of the Bauhinia!!

Although Loren had not been gone long, this was the dangerous Endless Wasteland, and the soldiers left behind were more anxious than the last.

If it weren't for the fact that it was almost impossible to cross the dangerous wasteland back to Decker City on one's own, many would have deserted.

Under the excited shouts of the soldiers on the wall, the entire territory came alive.

The gate, which had already grown white mushrooms, was pushed open, and several Human Soldiers looked at the long convoy with almost teary eyes.

"My Lord, you have finally returned."

Loren, who had stepped down from the carriage, raised an eyebrow as he looked at the few soldiers in front of him, their arms wrapped in bandages and their bodies covered in wounds.

After scanning the area, his gaze fell on the leading Human Soldier, whose unhealed scar on his forehead looked somewhat ferocious.

"Kur, how is the situation in the territory these past few days?"

Kur, the guard officer appointed by Loren when he left, was the only Silver Rank Human Soldier in the territory.

Kur made a bitter face, "My Lord, on the second day after you left, seven wounded soldiers and thirteen civilians died."

"Didn't I take all the seriously wounded soldiers with me?" Loren frowned.

"They were struck by the Bloody Corruptor during the chaos. We didn't notice it at the time, and their injuries only deteriorated rapidly after you left."

Loren was very unhappy.

These damn Bloody Corruptors, they were really like persistent ghosts.

Suppressing his surging emotions, he said indifferently.

"Have all the troops assemble in the square."

After speaking, without waiting for a response, he led the convoy through the low city gate and stepped into this territory that belonged to him, leaving only Kur's annoyed figure behind.

Dilapidated, desolate; this was Loren's first impression of the territory.

The wall was broken, but the territory was even more broken than the wall.

Passing through the city gate did not immediately lead to the residential area of the territory; rather, after passing through a hundred meters of withered yellow grass, he arrived at the street.

It was called a street, but it looked more pathetic than a slum.

A road mixed with Gravel and mud extended for two or three hundred meters, and then it was out of the territory.

On both sides of the street were low houses. The newly built houses were made of wood, while the houses built of stacked Gravel exuded an air of dilapidation, which were products left behind by the previous lord.

This dilapidated street not only had low houses and rough, uncomfortable roads, but the air was also filled with a nauseating, rotten stench.

He endured his discomfort and scanned the alleys on both sides of the street. Looking at the garbage everywhere and the excrement that could be seen everywhere, he frowned deeply.

A large territory didn't even have a toilet; this living environment was probably not even as good as the slums of Decker City.

Under the notification of the guard army, all the residents in the Grey Eagle Territory had gathered on both sides of the street, looking fearfully at Loren and the group of sturdy Barbarian Berserker behind him.

After seeing the Kobold, there was even more of a commotion, and they subconsciously retreated, their eyes filled with fear of the alien race.

The Kobold Bloodline Mage Sim, wearing a black cloak and looking very ostentatious, was smug in the fearful gazes of the crowd.

He proudly raised his head. "You foolish humans, it is your fortune to be able to see the great Chief Sim..."

Barbarian Chieftain Yas had a calm expression. For these lives without danger, he always couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

Barbarian, only liked to challenge the strong.

The surrounding residents were mostly pale, their eyes dull, and many of them, like the soldiers, had injuries.

Or perhaps one could not use the term "residents" to describe these people; they were all slaves bought back by Loren, his private property.

"Resident" was a title that only free people could enjoy.

Pale complexions, low morale, scattered hearts.

A group of true remnants...

Loren couldn't even feel any vitality in these people; they were like a group of puppets.

After the territory was breached during the last Day of Blood, the impact was too great, far too great.

Looking at the slaves who immediately bowed their heads upon seeing his arrival, not daring to look him in the eye, he shook his head incessantly.

Such a situation must be changed. In a stagnant territory, let alone residents, even normal people would not feel any hope when they came here.

How should the territory develop in the future?

In Loren's silence, the convoy passed through the street.

It continued to travel for about a kilometer on the desolate grassland before arriving at the Lords Manor.

The previous lord had built two buildings in the Grey Eagle Territory—the wall and the Lords Manor.

As one of the only two buildings in the territory, although it was not as luxurious as those noble manors in Decker City, it was still passable.

Outside the manor was a courtyard wall built of stones, fully two meters high.

Inside the manor, there was a large garden in both the front and back; in addition, the warehouse, well, and stables were all complete, and there was even a dungeon dug out.

The main building in the middle was a three-story house built of huge stones. The first floor was the usual council hall, and the second and third floors were living quarters, with a total of 12 rooms.

Although it was not large overall, in the Endless Wasteland far from Decker City, it could be called comfortable or even luxurious.

The convoy, surrounded by Barbarian and Kobold, slowly drove into the manor.

The manor's maids and the white-haired butler had long been waiting here.

When Loren got off the carriage, the white-haired butler immediately led a dozen maids forward to salute.

"Welcome home, Master Loren."

After the butler spoke, the maids then spoke.

"Welcome home, Master Loren."

With this small gesture, the status among the servants was immediately clear.

Loren nodded.

These well-behaved servants were all specially purchased by his predecessor in Decker City, and they were quite good at serving people.

"Butler Paul, there is no need for such formalities."

The white-haired old butler Paul straightened up and said in a respectful tone.

"Master, I have already sent someone to prepare hot water. You can go wash up first, and dinner will be ready shortly..."

Loren nodded with satisfaction. After traveling for a few days, what he wanted to do most at this moment was to take a hot bath and get some sleep.

Immediately, as if thinking of something, he looked at Fiana behind him and smiled.

"We are back, the territory is very safe. With Barbarian Chieftain Yas here, you don't need to provide close protection; go take a hot bath first."

Fiana, with her indifferent expression, looked at Loren's deep eyes and was stunned for a moment.

Then she glanced at Barbarian Chieftain Yas, who was as strong as a bull, didn't say anything more, nodded, and turned to leave.