Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 211 - 16: I Give You All of Me

Chapter 211: Chapter 16: I Give You All of Me

Early in the morning.

After Roman woke up, he only felt a splitting headache and his body ached all over.

Someone heard the noise and immediately came over to help him sit up, handing him a cup of honey milk to sober up.

"Nillie, why is it you?"

"It’s noon now, the celebration is still going on, I sent the maids there."

Nillie brought over a basin of water.

Roman splashed the cool water on his face, which greatly refreshed his spirit, and his headache was also alleviated.

He had blacked out from drinking last night.

"What happened? Why do I hurt all over?"

Nillie wore a polite smile, "It’s better you don’t know."

Roman tilted his head and looked at her for a moment, deciding to take her advice.

After all, it was all in good fun among his own people.

"Why didn’t you go?"

"You needed care, and I also had many things to do."

"Oh, that’s true, and with so many children coming, it must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?"

"It’s alright..."

"Let me know if you encounter any difficulties."

Nillie looked at him intently, her eyes deep like the ocean, vast and beautifully blue.

"Then I will speak."

"Yes! Speak freely, I can take care of anything that can be resolved." After Roman had washed, he took a piece of linen to wipe his face and neck.

She said, "Can you give me freedom?"

Roman’s actions halted, and he frowned, "What do you need that for?"

She lowered her eyelids, not looking directly at Roman.

She continued, "Someone needs me, my lord, I mean someone needs me..."

"But I need you too. You have to help me manage the school, Nillie. You know, there are no more than five people on this land who can handle this job."

"It’s not the same."

"There’s nothing different about it. You want to go back to the Sea Castle? To save the people of the Sea Castle? But I must tell you, to me, everyone in this land is no different from the people of Sea Castle; they all need saving—not that saving is the end, it’s not just about squashing bugs. It’s just the beginning, there are many more problems ahead, and I’m still clueless, but I have to show these people what the future holds. Is this not what you are doing? And now you’re telling me you don’t want to do it?"

"I didn’t mean that... I just... feel tormented..."

Painful emotions surfaced in her eyes.

Roman looked at Nillie. If a slave or a farmer dared to say such things in front of him, he would punch them without hesitation. How dare they bargain?

But Nillie was different.

How to put it, he considered Nillie as a person, just like Jet and Jimmy, as his most trusted Angel Envoy.

He couldn’t resort to violence or be harsh on them because violence could only maintain control temporarily.

He had to respect their opinions.

Of course, respect was one thing, but impossibility was another.

"I understand what you mean, how can I make you feel at ease?"

"...I don’t know."

Roman sighed lightly, "I can set you free. But you must admit that I can’t let all the people of Sea Castle follow you.

"You were all purchased by me at a high price. Just for you alone, I spent over a dozen gold coins. Of course, I don’t care about the money.

"But if I let you go back, you won’t be able to do anything—you know this, you can’t deceive me, especially someone as intelligent as you.

"My Nillie, I don’t mean to blame you, and I think it’s good that you are sharing your concerns instead of bottling them up, showing that you trust me.

"So tell me, express your thoughts."

"...I need an army." She suddenly lifted her head, her blue eyes unusually deep.

"Sir, I need your military support! I need you to support me!"

This kind of borrowing troops is common among the nobles.

When some lords hit a low, they would stay in another noble’s castle and then borrow troops to regain control.

Many powerful rulers began their ascent with borrowed troops.

Starting from scratch is simply too hard.

Roman’s army last year was sustained by the Salt Mine, and he only managed to recruit six hundred people.

Sea Castle was originally a territory with a very strong comprehensive strength.

But after losing their lord and years of plundering, their military forces were scattered, lacking a leader, making it impossible to gather them.

Either they got sold off or suffered heavy losses.

Now, Sea Castle had become a field of chives regularly harvested.

This is what happens to leaderless territories these days.

Unless Nillie could defeat an army single-handedly, it was impossible to safeguard the Sea Castle.

Roman bit his finger, his brow furrowed.

He could tie Nillie down, he could control her future, but that wasn’t what he wanted to see.

Consider it casting a net.

The entire Sea Castle had forty to fifty thousand people; a starved camel plus a broken ship, should still have twenty to thirty thousand people now.

Though disorganized, once stabilized, their use could be manifold.

He had to look further into the future.

Roman realized that Sige Town couldn’t handle all the development projects.

Though he had prestige and capability,

The resources he controlled were insufficient for comprehensive development.

Because the foundation was too weak.

The people he had recently plundered didn’t even have a single brick house, everything had to start anew.

Right now, he needed to proceed on two fronts, looking for new resource points to propel his plans.

For instance, ship manufacturing, Roman couldn’t possibly create a decent shipyard given the complex manpower and material needed.

It required corresponding technicians and craftsmen, starting from scratch to build a complete manufacturing system.

But Sea Castle was perfectly suited, not occupying too much of his manpower and energy, capable of developing and yielding results independently.

A moment later, he said to Nillie, "First, cultivate a group of literate students for me, and by next year, I will at least give you an Infantry regiment!"

"Really?" She was somewhat incredulous.

Roman’s army’s discipline was something she had seen, and she had also learned the details of those battles.

An Infantry regiment only had three hundred people.

But they were well-equipped and well-trained, especially the Super Long Spear formation, whose combat power could equal six to nine hundred people from this era, even thousands from the Conscript Army couldn’t face them head-on.

Unless it was the Conquest Knights, no other army could contend head-on.

And Sea Castle still had some residual military forces capable of organization.

These military forces were definitely enough to establish themselves!

"But Sea Castle must swear allegiance to me."

"I will! Sea Castle will forever serve you!" Nillie said excitedly.

"After the situation in Sea Castle stabilizes, you can stay at Sea Castle, but you must give me five people nearly as capable as you."

"Okay! I will!"

Grateful to the point of tears, she was lost for words. She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, tiptoed, and eagerly touched her lips to his.

Roman embraced her slender waist, sinuous as a water snake.

He had just woken from a hangover, presently uninterested.

After the intense kiss, she clung to him, her body flexible, her red lips breathless, her deep blue eyes like undulating waves.

She kept saying as if to prove herself: "Sir, I will always be loyal to you, I swear it, I will obey you, I am willing to give everything of Sea Castle, my everything to you, wherever and whenever..."