"Father-in-law and mother-in-law, Lottie has been wondering for a long time why you two haven't come to visit her yet. My territorial doctor said that Lottie will give birth in a few days. She has been extremely anxious in the past two days, and I am a little at a loss.

I feel more relieved now that you two are here."

In the northwest of Boulder Town, Art and four accompanying guards personally greeted Baron and Mrs. Galvin who came from Fort Sap to the valley to visit and take care of their expectant daughter.

In order to save time, the Galvins did not go south and go east through Provence. They took ten guards, a few servants and a carefully selected strong peasant woman who had just given birth to pull two empty carriages and headed east directly from Chateau de Sap.

, passing through the mountainous area where the road is rugged and difficult to travel, take a shortcut to the northwest of Jushi Town.

The road was not easy to walk, and there was a section of the road that was often blocked by falling rocks and debris, making heavier carriages impassable. Therefore, Art's caravans almost always took their goods and took a detour through Provence to reach Chateau de Sap.

"It's all because of you old guy, I told you to come here earlier, come here earlier, but you have to go to Flanders to discuss something. I don't believe you can't discuss anything without Flanders!" Gower

Lady Vane sat in the carriage and kept scolding Baron Galvin, who was accompanying him on horseback.

"What do you know about a woman~" Galvin muttered, but his tone sounded like he was apologizing.

Art expected that his father-in-law would have been scolded by his mother-in-law all the way here. At this time, his mention of Lottie's recent restlessness made his mother-in-law very angry. The atmosphere was a bit unhappy. Art adjusted his sitting position and prepared to change the topic.

Art lifted the reins to the left, letting the horse under him approach the carriage, and asked his mother-in-law, Mrs. Galvin, in the carriage: "Mother, how is Felix lately? I haven't seen him for several months."

Speaking of her only son, Felix Galvin, Mrs. Galvin's expression has obviously softened a lot. It seems that Felix has been doing well recently.

"Child, don't tell me that Felix has grown up a lot since he came back from serious injuries in the Northland. Now he no longer drinks and plays with the children of the squire lords in the territory, and is obsessed with training Sapp.

Army, this time he is leading soldiers into the southern mountainous area to eliminate a small group of bandits, so he will have to arrive in a few days."

"But that guy is just as obsessed with the so-called career as your father-in-law. He hangs out with the soldiers all day long. Last month, a viscount from the Côte d'Or province came to Sapp with his fourteen-year-old daughter. This fool actually

I can’t even see a girl, it makes me angry~”

Baron Galvin spoke up again, "What do you know? That guy from Codor is a fence-sitter. He married his second daughter to the son of a squire because the squire was related to Count Bernard; he also married his second daughter to the son of a squire.

The third daughter was married to a knight in the city of Yona because there were rumors that the knight's mother might have a close relationship with Count Baldwin; now he has pushed his youngest daughter to Felix, who knows who it is?

Don’t you want to get involved with Flanders? Such a family is extremely stupid. How could I let Felix have such a wife?”

Mrs. Galvin's face suddenly darkened again, not for anything else. She did not force Felix to marry the viscount's youngest daughter, but she didn't like Galvin's attitude very much.

"I said you old guy, why have you been quarreling with me lately? Do you think I'm old? Have you found a bond in Longxia again?" Mrs. Galvin opened the window of the carriage and looked like she was going to talk to Gao.

Irvine's desperate posture.

Galvin waved his hands and shook his head in denial.

Art's flesh tightened for a moment as he looked at it, and he couldn't help but raise his head and touch his forehead and sigh softly.

"Mother-in-law, mother-in-law." Art quickly distracted Mrs. Galvin's attention.

"Art is calling you!"

Mrs. Galvin then stopped talking and said to Art: "Your father-in-law has changed a lot since he joined Flanders. He..."

"My father-in-law must consider the overall situation." Art immediately interrupted his mother-in-law's ramblings.

"Speaking of Felix's training of the army, how's it going?" Art brought the topic to matters outside of the family.

"I have put all the armies in the Baron of Sarp under Felix's control. He established Sarp's standing soldiers and levied peasant soldiers based on your military structure."

"The recruitment of peasant soldiers was to be organized by the vassals. He ordered that each knight territory must form one heavy, two light, three cavalry, including the knight himself, and ten lightly-armed peasant soldiers. In addition to the forty-day service period each year, these cavalry and peasant soldiers

In addition, they had to go to Sarp Fort for a day of training every month. The other directly-controlled territories without knights also formed light infantry peasant teams ranging from five to ten people according to the number of residents, with each village elder or the elder's son as the captain.

.Currently, there are 86 registered farmers and soldiers in Fort Sap. Fortunately, the people in Fort Sap are relatively wealthy, otherwise they would really not be able to afford these farmers and soldiers."

"Where's the standing army?" Art was more concerned about the standing army formed by Felix. The peasants and soldiers could still fight by defending the land with high walls, but going out to fight in the city was a bit reluctant. At the critical moment, the standing army still had to be relied on.

Speaking of the standing army formed by Felix, Galvin's face felt painful. There were about twenty sergeants stationed in Sapp Castle before, but their military pay, weapons and armor were better than those of Galvin's caravan.

The guards are slightly inferior, so Galvin's expenditure on the standing army is very low.

However, the situation completely changed after Felix took over the army at Fort Sapp.

"He almost eliminated all the city-defending sergeants I originally formed, and then selected ten of the most elite guards from my caravans as the skeleton, and recruited more than thirty young men from the Sapu region and elsewhere.

An army was formed. This army hollowed out all the armaments of Sap Fort and equipped them with swords, axes, hammers, gongnu, and even ordinary soldiers were equipped with cotton armor."

"That's not all! He actually gave ordinary soldiers a military salary of fifty pfennigs per month, and officers even received a high military salary."

"It's enough to have a full army and high pay. Anyway, it's only forty or fifty people. I can barely afford it. But recently, he actually told me that he plans to form a cavalry team of twenty cavalry! That's simply crazy.

How much does a war horse cost? How much does a set of cavalry weapons and armor cost? How much does it cost to raise grain and fodder for a war horse? He really thinks that my purse can give birth to his own calves."

The more Galvin talked, the more excited he became. He was able to invest half of his family property in Flanders, Count of Longxia at one time because he knew that once the trade was successful, the profits would be huge, and it would be a one-time deal. But Felix now wanted to raise

A gold-eating beast would give Galvin a big head.

Mrs. Galvin didn't think so, "I quite agree with Felix's approach. Since you are willing to give Flanders a million pfennig as a bet, why don't you want to spend another million pfennig to build a family?"

A strong army? If you have a strong fist, you can stand on your own, so why bother to surrender to others? Look at this kid Art, what did he rely on to transform from a commoner to a baron? It’s not the sword in his hand!"

Galvin was unable to refute for the moment, "It's not that I object to Felix forging swords for the Saphugue family. The main reason is that my wallet is really unable to support it now. Since the relationship between the two earls Baldwin and Bernard has deteriorated, I

The southern goods trade in the Western Territory has shrunk again and again. After selling the shops in the Western Territory, my goods are not easy to sell out. Now I only rely on the southern goods trade with Codor Province to maintain the status quo. How can I have enough money to form a cavalry?

"

"Damn it! Let you be so arrogant in front of Flanders!" Mrs. Galvin scolded.

Art knew that his father-in-law was short of money now, so he lightly kicked the horse's belly and rushed to Galvin's mount, "Father-in-law, the situation in the entire country is delicate now. If you are not careful, you will be in trouble. Take advantage of some time to sharpen your sword."

It’s not too late. As for the money issue, I will find a solution.”

Galvin raised his head and said, "Art, your army has exceeded 600. That's not 600 pieces of wood. Your pressure is much greater than mine. You should take care of yourself. Sapp Castle can still support it for a while. I am now

I regret that the share of the money I left you was too small. I don’t know what Art has secretly seized in the past few months, and I don’t know whether Art has successfully borrowed money from the Holy Order’s treasury, so he is worried that Art is also the same now.

Weak support.

"Father-in-law, now that the Wells family and the Sapuyug family have been married, they naturally support each other."

Art suddenly lowered his voice, "During this period, I obtained nearly one million pfennigs, which is barely enough to cope with the coming situation. When you return to Sap this time, I will send someone to escort you with two hundred thousand pfennigs."

Go to Fort Sapp as a military expense for Felix to organize and train his army."

Galvin glanced at Art in surprise, and Art nodded.

"Okay, if you are really rich, I won't pretend to be so, but you must leave enough for yourself. After all, Felix is ​​just making a small fuss. Your army really needs bloodthirsty swordsmen.

"

"I know my father-in-law." Art replied respectfully.

Galvin suddenly remembered something and said to Art: "Art, you should know about the postponement of the uprising?"

"um, yes."

"Flanders has also suspended the deployment and mobilization of the army. The Longxia Army is still secretly training in the Longxia area. By the way, Flanders specifically mentioned you last time and said that he hopes you will visit him in Longxia."

“Extremely happy!”

While they were talking, the group of people had already arrived at the Boulder Town camp. Obote and Benson had already been waiting outside the fort gate with the patrol soldiers in the camp. Art led Sapp's team and walked into the camp to rest for a while.

After resting, we continued towards the valley...

............

In the early morning of the second Sunday in March, a loud baby cry echoed through the silent valley as the sun rose.

This valley welcomed its first new generation in hundreds of years.

"My Lord Baron, congratulations. Madam has given birth to a healthy young master for you." Farnaz, a doctor in the valley, personally took Emma and Lawrence's wife to deliver Lottie. She used a fine cashmere blanket to wrap the newborn baby

The born baby was wrapped and handed to Art.

There was a burst of cheers inside and outside the mansion, and the officers, officials and representatives of the people who had been waiting inside and outside the mansion all night rushed to tell each other that a lord has a successor, which is definitely something worth celebrating for all the people.

On the other hand, Art, who was a new father, was a little confused. He stretched out his hands to carefully lift up the baby wrapped in a fine blanket, and repeatedly looked at the ball of flesh in the swaddling clothes with eyes closed. After a long time, Art couldn't hold back two breaths.

One word, "How ugly!"

The crowd burst into laughter.

Art couldn't bear to look at it, so he quickly handed his swaddling clothes to Mrs. Galvin, who had already smiled and opened her hands. Then he hurriedly opened the door and walked to Lottie's side, holding her hand tightly.

hand.

Lottie was exhausted and pale. When she saw Art coming over, she forced a smile and said, "In the future, you will have one more person to worry about."

Art leaned over and kissed Lottie gently on her haggard cheek.

"What will our child be called? Have you decided not to?"

Art thought of many meaningful or beautiful names in advance, but after thinking about it, he still felt that it would be simpler to make a living.

"George Wells..."

............

In mid-March, there was a more lively scene in the Valley Wooden Castle than at the wedding ceremony of the palace guard knight Art. There was an endless stream of guests coming to the Valley Barony to celebrate the Baron's son.

This time, the guests were no longer mainly the lords and squires of Sarpburg. Almost half of the lords, squires and nobles in Tyniec County rushed to the valley one after another to attend the naming ceremony of the direct line of barons.

These people are not stupid. Frontier Baron Artwood Wells has become too famous in Tyniec County recently. They know that if they do not take the opportunity to show their obedience to Art this time, it will not be long before the black-robed patrolmen and even the intimidating
To be continued...