NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 101: Turmoil in the Northern Province, A Time of Opportunity
Chapter 101: Turmoil in the Northern Province, A Time of Opportunity
Five days later, the Maine Alliance set out.
Their destination: the lower reaches of the Maine River Valley, in the northern region of the Northern Province.
As soon as they stepped foot into the area, Thor and the others from the Maine Alliance were immediately struck by the massive chaos that had overtaken the outside world.
There were shattered territories everywhere, and raging fires burned across the land.
By the third day, the group had discovered signs of destruction at three pioneer lords’ territories. In one place, a group of goblins was still wreaking havoc.
The entire territory was trampled beyond recognition. Corpses and severed limbs littered the area, and the farmlands had been completely ruined. Some magical beasts and goblins were gnawing on human remains.
However, it was evident that these creatures were not the true culprits.
“Those damn orcs, are they planning to start an Orc War?” Baron Graton couldn’t help but speak, his eyes ablaze with anger.
“That’s unlikely,” Baron Papé responded, shaking his head and speaking softly. “If that were the case, the kingdom would already be mobilizing for war. Besides, we haven’t seen any high-level orc tribes yet.”
It was worth noting that they were still quite a distance from the northern front lines, at least a thousand miles from the Autumn Leaf Territory. And yet, even in this region, they were still suffering the onslaught of orc tribes. One could only imagine what the situation at the northern front must be like.
The lords of the Maine Alliance couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Even Thor was no exception.
“Let’s deal with these orcs first,” Thor said after a brief pause. Being human, it was hard for him to tolerate the sight of these orcs feasting on fellow humans.
The group exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Soon, they took action. With a force of over a thousand men, they quickly eliminated the low-level magical beasts and orcs.
They also took the time to bury the remains of the dead.
In the midst of cleaning up, they made some unexpected gains. They found about 500 gold coins amidst the ruins of the territory.
It was clear that when the territory fell, these coins had been left behind, as orcs had no use for gold. Naturally, it became their windfall.
The discovery of 500 gold coins lightened the previously somber mood of the group, even bringing a few smiles to their faces.
Even after splitting the loot between six families, with Thor taking the largest share, he would still pocket around seventy to eighty gold coins. For Baron Papé, Baron Valmy, and Baron Graton, that amount was no small sum either—let alone for Jas Aubi and Saatchi.
And this was just the beginning.
“Looks like we’re in luck!” Thor said with a wave of his hand, leading the group further north.
The next few days brought even more surprises.
Along the way, they came across several more ruined pioneer territories. Although they didn’t find as many coins as the first time, they did gather a considerable amount of resources.
In less than ten days, excluding the 500 gold coins, the value of the resources they collected exceeded 1,000 gold coins—nearly equivalent to half a year’s income for their own territories.
There was even a delightful surprise. In the lower reaches of the Maine River Valley, they discovered a medium-sized iron mine. The value of this mine alone was worth several thousand gold coins.
At this point, the three barons and the two pioneer lords were thoroughly ecstatic. The anxiety and tension they had felt earlier vanished completely.
With such vast profits, all their problems seemed to melt away.
This was exactly what Thor needed. The discovery of the resources and the iron mine had all been orchestrated by him. To unite the entire Maine Alliance, he needed to provide enough benefit to everyone.
Words alone wouldn’t suffice. His promises might hold for a day or two, perhaps even ten days, but not forever. Only profits could sustain the unity.
If the gains were significant enough, and if Thor could continually bring them benefits beyond their wildest imaginations, then his words would carry weight throughout the entire Maine River Valley. He could easily establish dominance.
Though to fully subdue them, he would still need to grant them higher titles in the future.
But a strong start was crucial for everything to follow.
This expedition was one such start, one of Thor's many attempts.
Night slowly fell.
Stars dotted the entire sky, and the lords’ faces were filled with excitement.
Even the three barons couldn’t hide their joy.
At that moment, it felt like they could see the fruits of their labor coming to fruition.
They had no idea how many territories in the Northern Province had been destroyed, but one thing was certain: their future gains would likely exceed their original expectations.
They might not even need to face the orc tribes.
Amid the group’s excitement, Thor furrowed his brow and glanced at his golden finger.
The daily information report had been updated.
[1: To your west, a group of Frenzy Spider Beasts will appear. Their venom is potent enough to take down a herd of boars, and even Tier 2 magical beasts will be affected.]
[2: In the western part of the Autumn Leaf Territory, Lord Raymond has discovered a small copper mine within his territory. However, it has been occupied by a group of goblins, and a pioneering war is imminent...]
[3: Fifteen days from now, in the northwest of the Maine River Valley, a group of Kobolds will attack a pioneer lord’s territory. They possess extremely rare Life Grass seeds.]
[4: In the north of Eagle Ridge, the extreme cold from the Northern Glacier will soon spread, causing temperatures to plummet.]
[5: …]
[6: Thirty miles south of the Northern Glacier, in the Maine River Valley’s northern region, a canyon...]
[7: Three hundred miles west of the Autumn Leaf Territory, a group of Tigermen will chase down a tribe of Foxwomen, destroying three pioneer lords along the way...]
[8: Three hundred miles from your current location, a group of Minotaurs is assaulting a pioneer territory. In three hours, the territory will fall to the Minotaurs.]
[9: Five hundred miles to the west, a territory of the Emerson family is being attacked by a group of Kobolds.]
Line after line of information appeared, and Thor’s heart grew heavy.
The situation was far worse than he had imagined.
Over half of the ten pieces of information involved orcs attacking human territories.
And this was just the daily report. In reality, the number of attacks was likely much higher.
This was happening despite the efforts of Loren City and many powerful pioneer lords to clear the area.