Above The Sky
Chapter 746 - 746 12 Finally Remembering the Spoils of War

746: Chapter 12: Finally Remembering the Spoils of War 746: Chapter 12: Finally Remembering the Spoils of War Ian’s analysis of the Rebel Highlanders was well-grounded.

The Leyan Territory had always been a Holy Ground for the Mountain People.

From the perspective of the Imperial People, the soil and water here were suitable for cultivating Spirit Energy Plants, making it a rare area rich in Fertile Essence.

Especially the circle of land surrounding Leyan Lake which is covered by a Natural Spiritual Energy Field, even just living there might increase one’s adaptability to Origin Quality.

Therefore, both the Rebel Highlanders and the Xuānfēng Sect wanted to take control of this area as soon as possible, and whichever side succeeded, it would still end up as meat in the mouth of the Mountain People.

Hence, the focus of Fiery Flame Land and the main forces of the Rebel Highlanders was not here.

However, with Ian’s arrival, as an Imperial person and a member of the White Folks, if he were to rule this land…

it would be utterly unacceptable.

The simplicity behind the Mountain People’s inability to accept this was that the Leyan Territory was actually next to the Midra Autonomous Region and was one of the nearest access points to the Agate Stone Plains.

Looking at the Imperial Capital, if Mordor and Odor Colony, located to the northwest of the South Ridge, wanted to reach the core cities on the eastern side of South Ridge via the roads, they would have to head southeast to Har Basin, then east towards the Midra Autonomous Region.

And if the Midra Autonomous Region wanted to head to the Agate Stone Plains, they had three options.

The first was to pass through the Solitary Flame Peak Pass, then via Leyan City, leading to a clear passage all the way.

The second option was to head south to the Milak Territory, pass through Morbush Pass, cross the river, and then arrive at the Agate Stone Plains.

The last option was to cross a mountain to the north and then follow a narrow mountain path to the northern side of the Agate Stone Plains near Nauman City.

Of course, there are also many smaller paths, such as the ancient Mountain People’s Old Road in the Totaku Basin northeast of the Odor Colony.

Taking this eastern route through the mountain pass leads directly to the edge of the Golden Plains above Nauman City.

That path was actually the one most commonly used by the Mountain People in the past, as the Agate Stone Plains used to be a dense, coastal jungle.

Overall, it appeared the Mountain People had many options, but the Leyan Territory was a must-try for them to reclaim.

They needed to test just how tough Ian, the thorn in their side, was—both for the spiritual significance of the Holy Ground and the convenience of the strategic location.

And Marquis Barton’s significant support for Ian was also with the hope that Ian could hold off the vanguard of the Mountain People, even if just to buy some time.

Anyway, since the high-level combative forces of the Mountain People, whether it be Fiery Flame Land or the Ironwing Dragon Flock, were being constrained, the mere Second Energy Level Mountaineers would surely hit a wall if they tried to breach Ian’s Armor Suits and elite troops.

As for whether the Mountain People would continue to attempt this route afterwards depended on whether Ian could inflict enough pain—in other words, this was now within Ian’s personal capability.

Ian was very aware of this and he did not trust the residents of the Leyan Territory to be fully aligned with him.

Half of the Leyan Territory’s population was comprised of Mountain People, who naturally held little trust in the Empire.

For now, they merely felt, ‘This Lord is manageable, ruling over us is fine,’ but the moment the Mountain People gained an advantage, these people would switch sides as easily as drinking water.

After all, it was unrealistic to expect the residents of a frontier city at the edge of an Imperial Frontier Province to be wholeheartedly loyal to the country…

That was just not how it worked.

It was more accurate to say that this situation was the norm during wars on the Terra Continent; one could not find that much fervor for nationalism and patriotism.

“We have to win.

If we win, the Domain Residents will follow us.

If we don’t win, no one will feel secure, and you must never assume that just because you are a Lord, the people will support you,”

This is how Ian explained it to Scott, “Instead of selecting a batch of militiamen from Leyan City, who are already avoiding a fight and whose loyalty is unknown, it would be better to wait for the ‘reinforcements’ from Marquis Barton and the Boleyn Workshop, as well as the real reinforcements brought by the Green Tide.”

“My lord, I know that the Green Tide might bring a group of mercenaries from Harrison Port,”

Scott was somewhat doubtful, “But from the Marquis’s side…

didn’t you say that we could raise as many people as we could, but are they not sending anyone to us?”

“Aren’t the mercenaries from Harrison Port just Viscounts with forces beyond their official allowance?”

Ian’s eyes twinkled as he looked at the workshop area in front of him, his lips curled into a smirk, “And what about the soldiers who escorted my grain convoy from the Marquis…

Aren’t they the reinforcements sent to support me?”

“Although they might not think so themselves, since they’ve come to my territory, I’ll somewhat reluctantly ‘temporarily conscript’ them.”

—And then, he would arm them with brand-new weapons and gear.

Upon arriving at the workshop area with his team, Ian immediately ordered the local workshop manager to come see him.

This middle-aged balding technician named Ambur did indeed look very reliable, clearly someone with ability.

When Ambur heard Ian’s request and was instructed to gather nearly all the technical workers and alchemists by evening, he found it challenging.

“My lord, I’ll go to great lengths to fulfill your command, but there are two difficulties with this task,”

As soon as he began speaking, it was clear he was a pure technician with no political agenda.

Ambur spoke candidly to Ian, “The first issue is that although we have a list of skilled workers, the workshops have been closed for a long period following the previous Lord’s death…

And over these past six months, many people have either been poached or moved away, so I cannot guarantee that we can find them all.”