"After the gods' interplanar war, many great nobles came to realize one thing."
"That is—the importance of elite troops far outweighs the importance of sheer numbers."
"Only soldiers who do not retreat in the face of blood and death are capable of bringing victory. An army made up of slaves, when facing such troops, is nothing more than a mass waiting to be slaughtered."
"Yet they still fail to grasp this truth. They continue to form large armies of slaves, hoping to intimidate the enemy through sheer numbers."
"If the opposing army were the same, perhaps it would be fine. But as long as it isn't, then defeat is inevitable."
"In this war, if we hadn't arrived at such a perfect time—just as both sides were collapsing—we too would have been dragged into a bitter struggle, and many of our infantry would have died."
On the battlefield, Ryan reflected on the war in blood-soaked clarity. He realized that his decision to charge down with his troops had been a bit too bold. Had the noble soldiers on either side held their lines just a little longer, his own men would have been caught in brutal combat.
After all, his soldiers only had marginally better training than the others. The only unit he truly considered elite was his hundred-plus cavalry.
The battlefield was thick with the stench of blood, making it hard for Ryan to breathe. He tore open his expensive silk robe to cover his nose and mouth. Under the dusk sky, the fires burning the corpses stained the heavens a fiery red. The crimson sea of clouds mirrored the cruelty of war, and even the beasts in the forest grew silent in fear of the overwhelming stench of blood.
Ryan, Baron Barnes, and Baron Leon finally met with Viscount Dragon and a dozen other nobles. Beneath the blood-red sunset, a noble contract was to be witnessed by the gods—though the gods cared nothing for such matters.
"Everything in the Icepeak Forest shall belong to us. Whether it be the magic crystal mines, gold mines, or iron mines, all of it shall go to the victors of this war. And the baronies of Frozen Soil, Divine Steed, and Northwind's Flower shall fairly receive half of these spoils."
"..."
"The fairness and legitimacy of this contract shall be recognized by all nobles. By the honor of our noble status, we swear never to spark another war over the division of these spoils. The light of the Lord of Dawn shines upon our glory."
Viscount Dragon looked at Ryan and his companions and said expressionlessly:
"We shall share all of this together."
Ryan responded with a warm smile and performed a textbook noble's salute. At this moment, they had once again returned to the formal relationship between a baron and a viscount.
"As you wish."
Among Viscount Dragon's group, none of the nobles truly believed they would have lost Icepeak Forest without Ryan's forces. They could only fixate bitterly on the fact that Ryan and his allies had secured a greater share.
Particularly Baron Roch—after losing his elite troops, he had no choice but to submit to Viscount Dragon.
"The war isn't over yet," said Viscount Dragon.
"No, it certainly isn't," Ryan replied without the slightest retreat, locking eyes with the viscount. Beside him, even Baron Barnes instinctively lowered his head.
They all knew what this meant.
The war for Icepeak Forest did not mark the end of conflict in the Northwind Province. Here, they fought for wealth, prestige, and influence. But the wars on their home territories—those would reshape the future of the entire province.
And those future conflicts would surely affect how the spoils of Icepeak Forest were ultimately divided.
For instance, if Ryan and Barnes were defeated at home—if their lands were overrun, their armies destroyed, and they themselves taken captive—then perhaps they'd have to give up their share of Icepeak Forest to secure their release, or as ransom.
Conversely, if Ryan led his army to conquer all of Zero Crossing County, then Icepeak Forest might end up his alone.
Is that fair? Of course. Which is why hypocritical nobles have always found ways to break their past oaths.
"But Viscount," Ryan continued.
"You've also seen it: Count Weiss has sent his younger brother, Lord Artel, into Zero Crossing County. And more than that—he commands a transcendent-level legion."
"A third transcendent army has emerged in Northwind Province. So before that threat is resolved, perhaps we should still consider ourselves allies."
Viscount Dragon's expression shifted from gloomy to furious, and then finally softened into laughter.
"Hahahaha, you're right, Ryan. Miles actually dared to sell out the interests of Zero Crossing County—such actions are disgraceful to any noble. He has abandoned the honor of the Miles family. We cannot allow any other noble to take a share of our wealth. And Miles himself no longer deserves to be the governor of Zero Crossing County."
"Personally, I support you becoming the master of that city," Ryan replied, smiling warmly as always.
At last, the tension between the noble factions began to ease. Viscount Dragon laughed heartily and pulled Ryan aside to share the delicacies he had brought.
Ryan was surprised. Even on campaign, this viscount had brought along so many luxury items that were difficult to preserve?
But seeing the nobles around him acting as if this were normal, Ryan simply kept silent.
After all, he was already here.
"Ryan, you don't have a marriage arrangement yet, do you?"
At the banquet, Viscount Dragon looked at Ryan and nodded in great satisfaction.
"That decision still depends on messages from my father and mother," Ryan replied honestly. If his guess was right, the Rimehart family was probably already looking into a suitable marriage alliance for him. He didn't mind. This world was quite lenient toward nobles, and whoever became his noblewife certainly wouldn't look like that barrel-shaped woman from before.
Of course, Ryan wasn't in any rush. He hadn't even turned sixteen yet—just fifteen and a half.
In this world, that might mean it was time to hurry, but inwardly he felt otherwise. Back home, he'd barely be finishing school at this age.
So when the viscount and surrounding nobles started saying things like "I have a daughter" or "I have a younger sister," Ryan chose to ignore it all.
Of course, by the end of the banquet, the nobles couldn't help but sigh and arrive at one shared conclusion:
"We all underestimated this Baron of the Frozen Soil."
No one had expected the war to be won—or lost—because of Ryan. But they had to admit, when he appeared with his troops atop the hill, it was like divine soldiers had descended from the heavens. The armies on the battlefield had scattered like birds and beasts. It truly felt as if some deity were watching over this baron of the Frozen Soil.
"Perhaps... we ought to change our attitude toward this baron."
At that moment, many nobles within Zero Crossing County found themselves thinking along the same lines.
---
https://www.p at re on.com/cw/WorldsConquest/home