Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence

If there's anything meaningful and hopeful in this desperate, dark world, it's the experience and strength gained after the war.

Bathed in the grace of the gods, many soldiers and knights experience a surge in their bloodlines, yielding considerable gains.

This is why the empire's citizens love the battlefield; in a nation flourishing with martial spirit, military achievements can truly change one's destiny.

But after the good news, Dietrich began reporting the grim results: "Lord, our losses in this battle are extremely heavy. Over 1,600 soldiers died directly in combat, and more than 2,000 soldiers, free people, and slaves died from untreated injuries."

He sighed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the bitterness, and said, "Lord, with so many dead, we lack the ability to properly bury them. The spirits of the Holy Knights have returned to the goddess's embrace. To prevent vampires and necromancers from defiling their remains, over three thousand bodies are being purified in holy fire, their ashes to be mixed into the mortar of the fortress walls—as the 'Doomsday Prayer' says, 'Flesh and blood build the Great Wall, heroic souls guard the frontier.'"

Su Li clenched his fist. The sheer scale of the battle made his scalp crawl, his sorrowful voice squeezed out between his teeth: "I swear by the Radiant Sun Holy Emblem, this number is soaked in the blood of too many of our people! Does this not mean we lost half our territory's population in this one battle? Every family in mourning, every household draped in linen!"

Dietrich looked up and comforted Su Li, "The situation is not that dire. After all, we mobilized many free people and dwarves for this battle, and many of the fallen soldiers were church knights and followers of the Radiant Sun Goddess."

This reminded Su Li of when Silverspring Valley faced a fierce monster siege.

It could be said that the Church Knights formed at least one-third of the Black Forest Territory's army, and perhaps nearly half when including the broader followers and freemen militia.

So, there was no point complaining about the high influence of religion and the gods in the territory, as they truly made outstanding contributions.

Then, Su Li turned to Oliver, the Premier of the Provincial Council, and asked, "How did the battle go in Silverspring Valley?"

Oliver tapped the ground with his gilded scepter, startling a carrion crow perched on the window frame. The Provincial Secretary's face was like weathered granite, the gear emblem etched on his brass eyes gleaming coldly: "Very tragic. Silverspring Valley's castle is relatively small, and the monsters attacked from all sides with vines, assaulting day and night, causing heavy casualties among the Church Knights."

"But weeping should be left to the choir, Lord. Every corpse saves us thirty pounds of black wheat—the compensation for the deceased's family is seventy percent cheaper than feeding the living."

Good heavens, truly worthy of being called the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister.

While Su Li was still lamenting the deaths, he was already calculating how the food supply would be eased by the dead.

A sudden silence fell under the Blessed Wisteria Tree, with only the north wind carrying ashes from the crematorium outside the city flying over the fortress. Su Li's fingers stroked the gold-threaded hilt of his perfect-grade rune sword, "Twilight Judgment." This dark world allowed no weakness of heart.

In any case, the dwarves, with their hundreds of troops, plus a group of free people and church followers, did significantly reduce the Black Forest Territory's casualties.

Next, the top priority for the territory was undoubtedly to restore its population.

Su Li looked at Oliver and said, "My esteemed Premier, what suggestions do you have for restoring the territory's population and farming?"

Oliver calmly replied, "Lord, the Provincial Council and I have already developed a detailed plan in this regard, and now we just need your approval and funding."

"Allow me to introduce the core content of this plan. I believe the territory was too free and undisciplined before, and you, Lord, were focused on the construction of Bjorn Bay. This led to the territory not having strong financial intervention and subsidies, failing to mobilize the activity of the territory's people, and failing to show the territory's attractiveness. More precisely, the territory's wealth is just some broken copper and scrap iron stored in warehouses."

"The Provincial Council's plan is to increase financial investment, using territory investment to attract more refugees to our territory, while also attracting the people to develop more land."

Su Li frowned and asked, "More financial investment? Will our territory have a fiscal deficit?"

Oliver immediately shook his head and said, "Lord, you don't need to worry too much about the fiscal deficit. First of all, we have war reparations that can greatly satisfy our investment needs. If the territory wants to develop rapidly, it must have a large amount of capital as initial investment. Otherwise, how could a desolate land develop into prosperity in just a few years?"

"As students of the Middenheim Royal Griffon Military Academy and chosen of Verena, our many scholars have debated in the academy and council, and many believe that an important reason for the slow progress of the Empire's development of the border principality is the lack of strong support from great nobles and lords."

"In fact, if the Empire's nobles could be more far-sighted and invest 100,000 gold crowns in this land, after the territory is stabilized, they could earn 200,000, 300,000, or even 500,000 gold crowns in a few years."

"And short-term fiscal deficits are a healthy state for the government, meaning we can develop and grow at a much faster rate than usual."

Short-term, controllable fiscal deficits and debt are a healthy state for the territory. Su Li felt enlightened after hearing this.

He had been thinking about this problem all along. Besides the help of the Goddess of Dawn, what other means did he have to develop and farm?

It seemed that Oliver's proposed territory investment plan might be a good new growth engine.

Su Li asked, "What are you planning to do specifically?"

Oliver took out a map of the territory inlaid with troll scalp from his waist, and after unfolding it, his finger slid over the reclaimed area marked with ghoul grease. "The iron ore veins in the Bloodpine Forest and the Grey Mountains need fresh blood. Use spoils to lure in vagrants, use tax exemptions to tame serfs, use squire qualifications to buy off miners—when the starving rabble rush to the wilderness for bread, we can pave the road to the gold mine with their corpses."

"Lord, it should be difficult for you to get a concrete impression just by talking, why don't we take a look at the city?"

Su Li thought for a moment and nodded. He had been resting for so long, and today was his first day out of bed. It was time to see the state of the Black Forest Territory.

Oliver was clearly brewing a new policy. After receiving Su Li's assurance that he would support his investment, Oliver directly took Su Li to the Carnival Square in the south of the city.

This was still the liveliest area in Black Forest Town, with a large number of free people gathered here waiting for the territory's response. When the Keeper of the Seal, Laun, announced to them with the government officials that the generous Lord would distribute 30% of the spoils of war to them, the Carnival Square, as its name suggested, instantly plunged into an ocean of revelry.

In addition to the people of the freemen militia, a large number of free people, refugees, and farmers from the territory also gathered here. In their eyes, besides envy for these warriors, there was also confusion about life in a foreign land.

The Green Dragon's invasion destroyed their villages, and the traces of the ravages of war had not yet been cleared on the west side of the town, let alone their rural villages?

The Minister of Agriculture and the Church of the Dawn were also unable to do anything about this. Fandral stayed under the Blessed Wisteria Tree, and he needed to prioritize ensuring the survival of the territory's extraordinary grains and spiritual trees.

The sisters of the Church of the Dawn also needed to prioritize taking care of the fertile farmland of Lord Bjorn Bay. These disaster-stricken farmers did not dare to expect the Lord to provide disaster relief, so where else could they go?

Just when everyone was confused and at a loss, in the square where the morning mist had not yet dissipated, Oliver struck the bronze bell with his gilded scepter. As the dwarven engineers started the steam crane, thirty four-wheeled carriages loaded with seeds slowly drove out of the castle, leaving deep marks on the stone road. The banners of the Zijing family and the noble crests of the griffon were inserted on the carriage shafts.

Seeing the government officials in front of the carriages, the people immediately gathered around. The Black Forest Territory's bulletin board was located south of the Zijing Palace, on the east side of the bridge connecting Zijing Town. The territory's important government affairs, celebrations, tax activities, etc., were all publicized here.

All the disaster-stricken refugees and civilians who had lost their farmland were eager for the Lord to give them some mercy and tolerance.

"In the name of Zijing and the Twin-Tailed Comet!" The government official directly unfolded the gold-lettered proclamation: "All those who voluntarily move to the new reclamation area in the Bloodpine Forest will receive three bags of winter wheat seeds and two draft horses per household, and will be exempt from 20% of the Nineteenth Tax within five years!"

With his voice, the gold-lettered proclamation emitted a golden light, which was dragon blood mixed into the gold powder burning in the morning light, meaning that this decree had passed the justice of the gods and would take effect fairly for everyone.

The ragged freemen stirred, heading to the new reclamation area in the Bloodpine Forest! This was indeed a policy that had not existed before. Could it be that the Bloodpine Forest had now become a safe area?

More importantly, the Lord had given them a tax exemption again, which meant that as long as they could diligently reclaim this winter, they had a high probability of surviving this Green Dragon's war disaster!

Su Li stood under the religious statue of the Radiant Sun Goddess and watched the cheering crowd, raising an eyebrow. He was clear about the tax exemption. After all, this was an important means for him to gain virtue. He did not lack money after winning this battle against the Green Dragon, and returning some of the tax ratio to the people who had suffered from the war to help them survive the disaster and cold winter was a proposal he had agreed to long ago.

But this investment project was not low. Three bags of winter wheat seeds and two draft horses per person?

Su Li turned to look at Oliver and asked, "Such generous investment? I feel that many families' assets may not have this much."

Su Li, as the Lord, basically did not ask about these details. After he agreed to Oliver's investment request, he directly gave him 15,000 gold crowns, which was the largest amount of wealth he could use at the moment.

After giving so much wealth to the Provincial Council, Su Li did not care how they spent it, he only wanted results!

Before winter came, the territory quickly healed the wounds of the war, and the farming industry flourished. If the last round of grain was harvested, then naturally everything would be good, he could continue to enjoy life, and the officials of the Provincial Council could also receive a lot of year-end rewards. But if there was no effect, then don't blame Su Li for starting to liquidate!

Oliver calmly replied, "Lord, our Provincial Council believes that all of this is extremely necessary. First of all, only such a rich investment and subsidy can attract a large number of refugees and immigrants to our territory. With the territory's population greatly reduced, we can only quickly restore vitality by attracting a large number of refugees."

"Secondly, although we have received the Green Dragon's guarantee that it will not attack our Stormshadow Fortress, a single pillar cannot form a palace, and a lone peak cannot stop a flood. If there is only one Bloodmist Hill standing alone in the Bloodpine Forest, it is difficult for us to say that we have effectively grasped the thousands of miles of fertile land west of this Bloodpine Forest."

"Therefore, we must reward heavily to attract our people to go to the western Bloodpine Forest for reclamation. Only a large number of settlements and fortresses echoing each other, and a considerable number of farm guards, freemen militias, and regular garrison troops cooperating, can simultaneously reduce the pressure on both sides and strengthen our control over this area. Otherwise, our garrison troops may be attacked by monsters as soon as they leave the fortress, and ore trucks may be looted as soon as they leave the mining area."

Hearing this, Su Li nodded slightly, saying that it made sense.

But before he could respond, the government official in front of him announced the next decree in a loud voice.

"Fifth Special Permit," the government official's voice suddenly rose, "Any mining family that has served in the Grey Mountains iron ore mining area for three full years, their eldest son can obtain the qualification of a high-level direct subordinate squire!"

As soon as this order was issued, a burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd.

High-level direct subordinate squire, this meant that their children would wear griffon mosquito nets, their names would be engraved on the Heroic Spirit Monument, and when the bells of the end were rung, they would ride with the Lord in the Raven Chariot to the eternal night realm guarded by Morr.

"High-level direct subordinate squire qualification? Praise the Lord, praise the generosity of the Provincial Council!"

"Great, great! The Radiant Sun Goddess is above, you have given us a bright future, I will go home and let that stupid woman pack her luggage immediately."

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"In the name of the Twin-Tailed Comet, I am willing to open up territory for the territory with my flesh and blood!"

In the deafening cheers, Su Li noticed an one-armed veteran biting two reclamation orders with his teeth, and a light that was more fiery than the iron ore veins was jumping in his turbid eyes. Perhaps when these lights went out, there would be a few more graves with Zijing flower flags on the map of the Black Forest Territory.

Perhaps the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister, Provincial Council President, Oliver, had no warmth and light when formulating these policies, but was full of darkness and iron-blooded colors.

But the effect was immediate. In less than five days after he issued this reclamation order and special permit, the refugees gathered in Black Forest Town quickly disappeared. At the cost of the rapid decline of the granaries in Black Forest Castle and the livestock in Su Li's noble pasture, these refugees had the assets to go to the frontier to open up.

Even those farmers who did not enter the mining area and the Bloodpine Forest quickly returned to their villages and tried their best to restore production, striving to replant a batch of winter wheat before the severe winter arrived.

Su Li flew in the air riding Deathclaw, and could see the black land that had been burned on the ground being re-yellowed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Meanwhile, engineering masters from the dwarves were also directing ogre construction teams in the rapid construction of water conservancy projects, infrastructure, and monastery temples across the plains.

As Su Li patrolled the sky on his griffon, he could see villages and farms everywhere being rebuilt after the destruction caused by the green dragon, including houses, camps, and most importantly, monasteries.

With construction booming everywhere, the demand for dwarves in the territory increased further.

Population, population, what Su Li needed most at the moment was population.

Oliver's reclamation order could indeed attract a large number of immigrants to Hei Sen Territory, but in just five days, it was difficult to cause a qualitative change.

Therefore, the territory now had to mobilize as many people as possible, and there were only two ways to do this. The first, without a doubt, was to try to treat as many injured residents as possible in this war, and to arrange for a large number of wounded soldiers to be discharged and return to production.

The second was to send the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Gray Mountains to recruit more dwarves.

Thinking about these things, Su Li patrolled the territory and then went directly to the Saint Shalyah Hei Sen Temple in the territory. This was the largest temple of the Shalyah Church in Hei Sen Territory, and also the largest and most complete temple in the territory.

The hospital was filled with the strong smell of herbs. After more than ten consecutive days of high-intensity rescue, the wounded soldiers had basically been properly settled. Of course, according to the consistent dark style of this world, another way of saying it would be that the wounded soldiers who exceeded the medical level had basically died, so the rest had been treated.

Su Li's old friend, Dogelin, was lying on the bed wrapped in bandages all over his body.

This dwarven champion-level ranger's bravery and ferocity in battle had won the praise of countless knights in the territory.

In the fierce battle for the Black Pike Building, he fought to the death, and his iron-dun-like figure stood firm in front of the staircase from beginning to end.

At the end of the battle, his beard was corroded into shredded iron slag by troll acid, and half a chaos wood thorn was inserted into his right eye socket. It was a corrupted branch from the treant's core. Until he was transported to the hospital, this branch was still wriggling, trying to drill into the dwarf's brain.

When Su Li was being treated, under this dwarf's cracked mithril breastplate, three penetrating wounds were still oozing emerald-colored pus, a gift from the gnoll poison arrows blessed by the green dragon. The most deadly wound was hidden under his lifted left shoulder armor. Treant thorns crushed his heavy armor, carving three ribs into a broken holy emblem pattern.

When Su Li came to see him, he was already unconscious, and only scratched a line of dents on the bed with dwarven blood and a broken axe blade - "Mix my ashes into black powder".

But fortunately, pure tears flowed from the Shalyah statue, and the corrupted branch in Dogelin's corroded right eye socket was directly purified. Of course, such a tragic injury could not be restored. As the price or glory of participating in this battle, this champion-level dwarf permanently lost one eye and would only be able to wear a brass eye patch engraved with luxurious dwarven patterns in the future.

However, Dietrich was still full of rage towards this stubborn dwarf. Su Li heard Dietrich's violent roar as soon as he came in: "Dogelin, you bastard, idiot! If you dare to secretly teach the dwarves to use gunpowder to treat sepsis for the wounded soldiers again, I will replace all your ale with Shalyah wormwood juice!"

Originally, Su Li felt that it was a bit inhumane to yell at Dogelin, but after hearing this, he suddenly felt that yelling at this dwarf was not unreasonable.

And Dogelin still stubbornly sneered, his loud voice shaking the medicine jars: "Save your strength, big guy, what do you girly monks know about treatment? Have you seen this Khorne claw mark on my back? I branded it with a gunpowder soldering iron. The dwarves' tough physique should be treated with some manly methods."

Medical Knight Commander Dietrich angrily lifted the dwarf's curtain and roared, grabbing his coarse linen green robe: "So you taught those rookies to cauterize wounds with detonators? A full 4 dwarven wounded soldiers went to see your dwarven ancestors in the explosion!"

Su Li helplessly slapped his forehead. Where there were these stubborn dwarves, there would always be a lot of trouble, although they might have been well-intentioned at first.

If he didn't go in again, this dwarven ranger would be ashamed to transform into a dwarven slayer.

So Su Li stepped forward and said to the two: "Okay, stop arguing. There were no potions before, and the medical team was too busy. Using gunpowder to treat injuries is better than waiting to die."

Seeing Su Li, Dogelin and Dietrich, who were fighting together, immediately separated. Even so, the two still glared at each other angrily.

Dogelin muttered: "Grongni's hammer! I'm going to grow mushrooms lying on this broken iron bed!" His incomplete beard was still stained with dwarven ale he had stolen last night. "The Redbeard Fortress's furnace won't wait for the wounded - unless you want the patriarch to think I've become a softie? My old friend, I feel like I've fully recovered and should return to Redbeard Fortress. I've been out for several months, and it's been a long time. It also saves some annoying guys from disliking me."

Dogelin wants to leave?

Su Li refused this suggestion without even thinking, and said: "My friend, you came from Redbeard Fortress with a full beard and two barrels of dwarven mead. Now that you're going back wrapped in bandages, how can I explain it to the Redbeard clan chief? How can I ask him to continue helping? The Redbeard clan will think that the sacred covenant of Hei Sen Territory is branded with scars."

The dwarf suddenly burst into thunderous laughter, shaking the glass bottles in the medicine cabinet: "Ha! Those old stubborns can't wait to see me make a fool of myself! But speaking of helping, old friend, what help do you need me to provide?"

So Su Li took out a letter covered with a griffon crest from the lining of his dragon skin cloak and handed it to Dogelin, saying: "I need you to send a team of rangers familiar with the road to send this letter to the honorable son of Grongni. Our territory has seized a large amount of dwarven oath gold and needs a large number of dwarven engineers who are proficient in engineering construction and forging masters who are skilled in forging."

"You know, we killed a lot of trolls in this battle, and there are more than six hundred pieces of troll skull wine vessels alone. This is the best wine vessel for drinking troll brew. I think a lot of dwarves will be willing to immigrate to our territory! This is much more exciting than drinking some dog-shit beer!"