Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Knight's Summons

After settling the affairs of Salt Island, Ryan took the time to return to Sea Rock City. As a noble of the Faher family, it was perfectly normal and reasonable for him to return accompanied by two female elven guards and a human personal maid.

"So this is the Riverlands," Bethalia said, looking around the docks of Sea Rock City with great interest. "If I recall correctly, back in our day, this was still a wild frontier where wood elves roamed, wasn't it?"

"What do you think, Elrina?"

"I don't know," Elrina replied stiffly.

"The human empire is truly impressive, though," Bethalia remarked deliberately. "The Elven Empire occupied the continent for so many years, yet could never extend its rule to the Riverlands. Once the human empire took over, the Riverlands simply became the River Province."

Elrina remained silent.

The group made their way through the streets and back to Gull Fortress. Seeing that Ryan had yet another sexy, alluring dark elf by his side, it would be impossible for the men of the Faher family not to feel a twinge of jealousy. However, Ryan was now the most favored son of Marquis Faher, and offending him meant offending the Marquis. The men decided it would be better to just head to the pleasure houses and find some dark-skinned women to vent their frustrations.

When Marquis Faher first laid eyes on Bethalia, he was equally stunned. *Though this boy neither looks nor acts like me, he certainly inherited my bloodline when it comes to choosing female companions—never picky, always seeking a balanced and nutritious variety... No, he’s even better than I am!*

"And who is this?" he asked Ryan.

"A close friend of my wife's," Ryan fabricated an excuse. "She arrived from the Red Soil Plateau and is currently visiting Ironport City."

"Is she a dark elven noble?" the Marquis lowered his voice and leaned in to whisper.

"Of course," Ryan replied. "Does she not look like one?"

*She looks more like a flirtatious socialite to me...* Still, Marquis Faher knew that the dark elves were generally known for their exotic beauty, so he didn't doubt her identity, merely offering her a respectful nod. *Black and white, he really knows how to play.*

Ryan snapped his fingers, signaling Deya to bring out the memorandum, and began negotiations with the Marquis: "Father, as the Lord of Salt Island, I demand to implement the Imperial Feudal Laws. I request that all mines, timber yards, fisheries, as well as the shipyards and fleet bases on the island, be brought under the direct control of my fief."

"Absolutely not," the Marquis rejected him flatly. "The rest is negotiable, but the shipyards and fleet bases belong to the family. I cannot give them to you."

"Salt Island must have its own shipyards and fleet bases," Ryan insisted, refusing to back down. "These two occupy the best deep-water ports on the island. If the family insists on keeping them, then please move the shipyards and fleet bases elsewhere."

The Marquis was so angry he laughed. *I am the head of this family—who gave you the courage to dictate terms to me?* Then he paused. *Wait, with the population and economic strength of Salt Island, even if he reclaimed the ports, he couldn't possibly maintain a shipyard or fleet base... Is he just trying to haggle?*

"How about this," the Marquis suggested with a smile. "The land on Salt Island is yours, of course, but the family fleet requires these shipyards and bases for maintenance and resupply; the family cannot concede on this. As for the loss of your interests, perhaps we can offer you some compensation through a leasing arrangement."

"That is acceptable," Ryan nodded. "Let us set the rent based on the usual supplies Sea Rock City provides to Ironport."

The Marquis had no objection, as the family had always been responsible for the shipyards, bases, and all necessary supplies before the island was granted as a fief.

Deya recorded this silently, her heart racing. Back at Blood Fortress, Ryan had told her that his true goal was merely to reclaim the mines and timber yards. Clearly, if he had asked for those directly, the Marquis would have haggled and cut him down significantly. By first demanding the shipyards and fleet bases—the lifeblood of the Faher family’s smuggling income, which the Marquis would never relinquish—Ryan had created space to "concede," making the recovery of the mines and timber yards seem perfectly reasonable to the old Marquis. *I've learned a new rhetorical technique!*

Having been subjected to Ryan's outrageous initial demands, the Marquis was in a foul mood. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes," Ryan said. "I want to recruit knights in Sea Rock City."

"Go ahead, do as you please," the Marquis waved him off, signaling for him to leave.

In this Western fantasy world, knights were divided into two categories: those with land and those without. Those with land generally had to guard their fiefs and would not come unless summoned by their liege, Marquis Faher. Those without land spent their days wandering Sea Rock City, earning money by serving the nobles of the Faher family, or waiting for an opportunity to catch the Marquis's eye and secure a fief. A fief was the lifelong dream of every knight, for "landless knight" was not a flattering title.

Ryan rented a tavern in Sea Rock City and announced to the landless knights drinking there that Ryan Faher would be treating all family knights to free drinks. Soon, over thirty landless knights filled the tavern, occupying every seat and counter.

"Lord Ryan!" someone shouted drunkenly. "Is it true you're buying us drinks?"

"I don't answer stupid questions," Ryan said with disdain. "Some of you may already know that the family has recently granted me Salt Island..."

"Is that the godforsaken Salt Island where birds don't even lay eggs?" another man laughed rudely. "I'm not interested. Can we keep drinking here?"

"You interrupted me," Ryan pointed. "Drag him out."

Behind him, Bethalia, acting as a guard, stepped forward instantly. The knight tried to draw his sword, but Bethalia was faster; a single slap sent him reeling, followed by a kick that sent him sprawling to the floor. She grabbed the knight by his ankle with one hand, dragged him out of the tavern, and tossed him onto the road before returning to Ryan's side.

The tavern fell deathly silent. The knight who had been thrown out was a burly man weighing well over two hundred pounds, yet this dark elven guard had tossed him aside like a dead dog. The remaining landless knights felt a surge of fear and wiped the mocking expressions from their faces.

"Salt Island has vast tracts of land," Ryan said arrogantly. "You are my father's vassals; I have no right to conscript you as my knights. But if any of you have eldest or second sons who wish to earn military merit and gain a fief, you may come to my scribe, Deya, to register them as knight-squires. This is a grace I grant you; receive it with gratitude."

Looking at the knights, who were drinking in heavy, sullen silence, Deya suddenly found the courage to speak up: "Gentlemen! I know Salt Island may not seem like the best choice to you. But the Faher family has little land left to grant. If you continue to wait, will a better opportunity truly ever come?"

"Before you became dubbed knights, weren't you all born as poor farmers, hunters, and woodcutters? If you had always sought safety and never dared to take risks or gamble everything, how did you become knights in the first place? Was it merely good luck?"

"Shut up!" a knight suddenly roared, slamming his goblet onto the table, startling Deya. He walked over to her with a grim expression and said in a hoarse voice, "Faus Gerich, my eldest son... I am willing to send him to Salt Island to serve as Lord Ryan's squire."

Deya looked at him in surprise, her expression quickly shifting to delight. "Very well! Let me record your son's name..."

"I want to sign up too!" another landless knight raised his cup and shouted. "I've waited eight years; I won't let my son suffer as I have! Lord Ryan, I entrust his life to you! Please grant him war, honor, and death, each as heavy as courage itself!"

"Me too!"

"I'm signing up my son as well!"

The landless knights swarmed forward, surrounding Deya and clamoring to provide their family names and the names of their eldest sons. Deya was surrounded, writing down names, asking questions, and occasionally calming the crowd to maintain order. She was incredibly busy, but her face was radiant with a joyful smile.

"Her speech was quite infectious," Elrina remarked. "The knights clearly know who is more worthy of their trust."

"It doesn't matter," Ryan said calmly. "My goal has been achieved."

"Let's go; there are other things to do."