Capítulo 14: Baron Snow

"I don't think he should train anymore; he already has an army." A muffled voice fell into Asher's ears.

"We should assign soldiers to guard him at all times. That way, there would be no need for him to train," another voice rang out, clearer than the first.

"Your Lord is an Ashbourne. Do not forget that Ashbournes aren't like other lords," another voice retorted, likely addressing the first two.

"But he has been in pain throughout the night. He just got his peace this morning, and you expect him to start again tonight?!" The first voice was now so clear that Asher recognized it as Alex speaking.

"It's the Ashbourne way," Kelvin solemnly responded.

"What rubbish! We finally have a good Lord, and you want to kill him with traditions of the past?!" Alex's voice rose a few notches.

"Lower your voices." Alec's deep, soft voice made Alex puff out. "Lord Asher has a talent that allows him to elevate things to the next level, so why hasn't he done the same for himself?"

Kelvin and Alex frowned upon hearing that. None of them knew that Asher's system focused on making him a greater lord and not necessarily making him stronger. The reason for his quick growth was his bond with Sirius, for which Asher was grateful.

"I'll continue. There is no need to debate about it."

Asher's voice fell into their ears, causing them to look at him with shocked expressions. He forced himself to sit despite the pain, feeling as if his muscles were tearing with each movement.

His arms, back, shoulders, neck, and abdomen hurt badly. Still, Asher wasn't planning to give up. He had experienced his fair share of setbacks that had cost him a lot. He wasn't going to sit back and be at the mercy of others.

"But My Lord..."

Alex couldn't continue as Asher raised his hand with his palm stretched out. This was known as the most powerful noble magic: the power of silence.

As ordinary as it looked, in the hands of a powerful lord, hundreds of thousands could be controlled. However, at a certain stage, the Lord needed to speak because the raising of hands was for the gathering of a few.

.....

Days passed, and Asher's routine became studying, touring his territory, and training at night. After training for a week, combined with the daily intake of Moonlit Starhorn milk, he gained more stamina. Now, two weeks later, he could swing his sword two thousand five hundred times with a weight of 25 kg on each limb!

At this moment, Asher sat in his study with several open books on the stone table, yet he gazed into the air. To others, it would seem strange, but he was actually looking at Ash Town's panel.

[Town's Name: Ash Town

Town's Tier: Tier two

Population: 4,800/5,000

Security: 35/100

Loyalty: 25/100]

In the span of two weeks, he watched the loyalty stat grow from 15 to 25—a significant improvement since loyalty wasn't easy to acquire. However, security was still low as it involved more than just soldiers; the walls and the internal state of the town were also factors.

Knock! Knock!

Asher turned his head toward the door. "Open."

When the door opened, he saw Mary standing outside. She bowed. "My Lord, there's an urgent case that needs your presence at the sacred hall."

"Urgent?" Asher furrowed his brows, got to his feet, and left for the sacred hall without delay.

As he walked into the hall, he saw Kelvin standing at the left side of his chair, Sirius resting at the right side, his sword leaning against the armrest, and a woman standing in the middle of the hall facing the chair.

When she heard the door, she turned and saw Asher. He looked so young that she tilted her head, expecting the Lord to be behind him.

"Who are you?" Asher asked while sitting.

The woman blinked. "You're Lord Asher?"

"I am. And you are?"

"Jane. I served Mr. Jon, the merchant you gave ten boxes of iron ore." She replied, still reeling in shock.

Never in her life had she seen a Lord so young. In the high plains, young nobles of his age went about garnering fame as knight squires, participating in swordsmanship contests, parties, and much more, but not the tasking duty of ruling over their fief.

"I remember Mr. Jon," Asher said.

"Something happened while we were on our way to the border of the wasteland. A man who goes by the name Baron Snow interrupted our journey, and when we said the goods we carried belonged to you, he gave me this to give to the lord of Ash Town."

Kelvin walked down to the woman and took the letter from her hand. There was a seal binding it! Upon seeing that seal, Asher dropped all doubts and ordered Kelvin to read it.

"I, Baron Snow, have come to know that you have reclaimed your mines. Since you have done so, you shall hand over 80% to me because of your debts. Send this woman back to me with your reply, or I will kill the merchants and send my men to your small town."

Kelvin trembled in rage. The exorbitant arrogance of Baron Snow, demanding 80% of not just a mere iron mine but one with silver intricate meridians, was infuriating. These mines were large! Just the amount Jon had was enough to clear 30% of his debt! It was clear that Baron Snow was using his might to oppress them.

Ashtown was seen as a chicken laying golden eggs.

Asher remained in control of his emotions. He knew the power of his system glowed brightly when there was trouble. "What is his name again?"

"Baron Snow," the woman replied.

"So the baron there isn't his title?" Asher asked.

"No."

"I see. So my father's land is now home to thieves. By any chance, do you know how many men he has?"

"About 100 well-trained mercenaries who are now his loyal warriors and two silver-ranked swordsmen," the woman replied. She knew their number because she had stayed there for a couple of days.

"How long does it take to get there on horseback?"

"About five days."

Asher turned to Kelvin. "Kelvin, prepare what I need for a two days' journey. Sirius and I are going to meet this renowned retired mercenary."

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