Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 122 - 25: Nothing_2

Chapter 122: Chapter 25: Nothing_2

" I’m afraid it’s not enough," he said with some difficulty.

"Then ten thousand tons."

This is the entire annual output of tens of thousands of acres of land.

Makor’s eyes became increasingly sinister. The Grand Duke Fury planned for multiple fronts, summoning the Black Iron Land, needing at least fifty thousand troops.

Ten thousand tons distributed to each person is only 0.2 tons of provisions. With transportation losses, how much truly reaches the soldiers’ mouths?

Not to mention the countless warhorses and livestock.

He held his breath for a moment and said to the Duke Riptide, "I hope to marry your daughter, Hena Riptide. I met her at Red Tree Castle and have been infatuated with her ever since. Her face haunts my nights..."

"Hena... I remember her husband. She fell in love at first sight and insisted on marrying him. The lord of Red Tree Castle died three years ago."

The Duke Riptide recalled briefly. He had an impression of his only, youngest daughter—she was the last child of him and his lawful wife—most of his illegitimate children were born after his wife’s death.

In the past, he was somewhat restrained. His wife’s death made him even more indulgent.

"Master, Miss Hena married into the Cangyue Land twenty years ago," Ihe Scholar reminded him. "You gave her five thousand gold coins, a box of gemstones, and thirty Conquest Knights as her dowry. Miss Hena had a happy marriage, but no children post-marriage...

"This may have been related to the lord of Red Tree Castle. He was a distant relative of the Cangyue Queen, handsome and never aging. Some claimed he awakened the power of a vampire. Six years ago, the unfortunate lord died in the Jade War."

The Grand Duke sighed softly and shook his head. "I will not arrange my children’s futures."

Makor knew of this, and everyone was watching the Grand Duke of Black Iron Land.

The Duke Riptide had reigned for far too long, spreading across five or six decades, enough for everyone to know his ways.

He doted on his offspring. His illegitimate children lived in ample comfort; his legitimate children would fare even better.

"This is the Moonstone Ring, a treasure you personally gave her at birth, hoping she would give it to her husband so the Moonstone Ring could protect her husband’s safety. But the lord of Red Tree Castle was too gravely injured; the moonstone couldn’t heal him, and he died before her eyes—now she has given this Moonstone to me."

Makor presented the silver gemstone ring, with water-like ripples, as if moonlight was frozen upon it.

"I have no wife and fell in love at first sight with Hena, hoping for your blessing."

Duke Riptide acknowledged tacitly, "In that case, Hena’s dowry is ten thousand tons of grain, which I will hand over to Pine when I see him."

"Hena and I love each other genuinely. If we have offspring, he will become the future Grand Duke Fury."

Duke Riptide replied, "Do not let her suffer a second time; my unfortunate daughter has already lost one husband."

"I swear to you!" Makor vowed passionately.

"Makor..." Duke Riptide sighed.

Makor lowered his head, patiently listening.

"You are a very promising child, perhaps more outstanding than Pine. I remember when Pine was fostered here. My eldest son Gael was of the same age, and they would quarrel over various things, but quickly reconcile, right there on the lawn..."

He laboriously lifted his chubby arm, pointing to the green lawn outside the council hall window.

He seemed entranced, as if seeing two lively, cheerful boys chasing each other playfully.

One with fiery red eyes, another with seaweed-like messy blue hair.

Later, the two went their separate ways.

Pine returned to the Duke Domain, defeated his siblings, and became Grand Duke Fury.

While Gael grew increasingly sullen, like twisted tree roots spreading in the dark soil.

As one ages, they naturally speak more when facing younger generations.

After listening to his ramblings, Makor bowed slightly to the Duke Riptide again.

"I heard Lord Gael mention that the Moya Family has been restless lately."

Duke Riptide was slightly stunned, looking over to Ihe Scholar.

Moya was his Vassal Knight, his left-hand man.

Ihe Scholar sighed, When you drove him away, you didn’t think of this?

Ihe Scholar didn’t believe Makor’s words. The Moya Family had been loyal for generations, and even if neglected by the Duke, they hadn’t been cut off from treatment and had no reason to rebel, which would only lead to mutual destruction.

While Duke Riptide would lose an arm, the Moya Family would face annihilation.

He shook his head slightly at Duke Riptide.

"It’s the absolute truth!" Makor declared with conviction and then recounted many signs of the Moya Family’s restlessness.

Such as the Moya Family’s troops withdrawal, information concealment, secretly contacting other nobles, and that mistake over ten years ago was definitely not a coincidence!

Duke Riptide felt agitated, not forgetting his knight.

He was a steadfast knight in heavy armor and wielding a large shield: "I, Aaron Moya! Your Guardian Knight! I swear my loyalty unto you, even if engulfed in flames and pierced by a thousand swords, I shall remain at my post, guarding your bedside, ringing the bell, keeping vigil till your life’s end."

One of the initial three Conquest Knights who followed him, flawless in all aspects, upstanding, though overly inflexible.

He bestowed the entire Iron Flower County upon Moya, one of the few iron-producing places of the Duke Domain, establishing imposing passes, capable of stopping all invaders, neighboring Gael’s Gold and Silver Flower County.

He trusted Moya, but Moya betrayed his trust.

Moya swore to remain by his bedside, ringing the bell, keeping vigil till his life’s end.

But before he faced death, Moya had already perished first.

It was he who killed Moya.

He should not have sent Moya to seek the Conqueror’s route back then.

Now, he hears from his son and another Duke’s son that the Moya Family has become unfaithful?

And the accused Moya Family isn’t present.

Whom should he believe?

"Let Earl Moya come to see me, I want to ask clearly in person!"

Duke Riptide’s chest heaved, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

He lacked the energy, and as he aged, these matters increasingly annoyed him.

One child accusing another child of betrayal, leaving him at a loss.

If the Moya Family was truly rebellious as Makor said, how should he deal with them?

Over ten years ago, Earl Moya came into the castle, claiming he personally executed the child who committed a grave mistake.

Even in his rage, he only told the earl to get out and never appear in Dragon Castle again!

Could such matters truly alienate the Moya Family from him?

The elderly man felt immense sorrow.

That was Moya’s descendant, his strongest knight, an eighth-tier Guardian Knight.

He should have lived a long life, full of glory, but died young due to his erroneous orders, leaving no remains.

In the vast depths of the ocean, only a broken shield drifted back.

When he learned of his death, he once vowed with a clenched fist that Iron Flower County would forever belong to Moya’s land, not changing an inch!

But later, he grew to detest them, solely because that family always barged in during his indulgence and pleasure, disrupting him.

It was then he suddenly realized that a person’s will and realization were just as disorganized as sand castles, washed away by the tide, leaving nothing but wreckage, becoming nothing!

"Gael and I will handle this," Makor said, with eyes swirling with dark currents.

That said, he was about to take his leave.

"Makor..."

He stopped and turned, looking with sinister and frightening eyes at the obese figure behind the bed curtain.

Duke Riptide was a bit weary, speaking intermittently, "Tell Pine, be prepared, even if striking on all sides... he must not move..."

That aging, obese monster seemed to be holding on with his last breath, forcing himself to say:

"We cannot let the Church Court’s main army step out of the Divine Mysterious realm!"

Makor lowered his head, his face rugged like a statue eroded by the sea.

He responded softly with a calculated gaze as deep as the tides.