The Lord: Raising a Maiden in the World of Torment

"But it's not tax season yet, sir!" one of the farmers protested tearfully.

Lynx's expression remained cold. "Because of the undead invasion, protecting you has been costly. We need more resources. If you've got any complaints, we'd be happy to send you straight to hell."

Field's instructions were simple: collect taxes. If their ruse was uncovered, plundering was a perfectly acceptable fallback.

After all, this wasn't Nightfall Territory. No one here knew who they were.

Of course, sticking to tax collection was the safer option. The slave militia's combat prowess was unreliable at best, and any skirmish with the village militia could lead to unwanted complications.

"Fine! We'll pay! Full taxes!" the village chief snarled through gritted teeth, immediately ordering the villagers to bring out livestock and grain. At the same time, he tried to curry favor with a servile smile. "If the baron wants a maiden as well, I'll provide one."

A maiden?

Lynx frowned. Field had made no mention of such a demand, which was clearly something Baron Bull had initiated.

One of the slave guards seemed ready to refuse, but Lynx quickly stopped him. Rejecting the offer would blow their cover instantly.

"Fine, bring everything along."

Within moments, Horn Village was thrown into chaos, like boiling water poured onto an anthill. Villagers scurried about, frantically gathering their offerings.

Two cows, four sheep, a mix of chickens and ducks, five carts of grain, and a total of seven gold coins, twenty-three silver coins, and fifty copper coins.

The entire village looked as if it had been ravaged by a bone-scraping knife. Cries and pleas filled the air, the villagers mourning the loss of over half a year's hard-earned wealth in a single night.

"Nobles are terrifying," Lynx thought to himself, clicking his tongue. He, too, had once fallen into slavery because he couldn't pay his taxes.

Whether the villagers had been hiding anything didn't matter—it wasn't his problem. The haul was free for the taking.

"Holy cow, that's a lot of livestock!"

Field, who had been overseeing the transport of weapons and magical equipment, couldn't help but exclaim when he saw the spoils Lynx brought back.

In another bastion, Field had discovered the mist-repelling lanterns that the bearded officer had been so fixated on—three in total—as well as a large stash of magical potions, most of which were for healing wounds. The combined value was easily over 200 gold coins.

Even with this incredible bounty, Field was astonished by the taxes collected from just one small village. How high must their tax rate be?

Lynx had only plundered a single village, yet his twenty-man team couldn't even carry everything back.

Livestock, grain, money—Field realized he wouldn't have to worry about food shortages in Nightfall Territory for some time.

The only thing that gnawed at him was the bitter truth: he had essentially robbed a village.

Don't get soft now—survival comes first. Field rapped his knuckles against his head, trying to silence the moral conflict. Advanced moral ideals from his homeland had no place in this brutal, medieval world where the strong preyed on the weak.

I'm barely surviving myself. Why should I care about anything else? Field shook off the guilt. Only by staying alive can I make a difference. Besides, Nightfall Territory is a buffer zone for Bull Territory. These 'support funds' are rightfully mine.

Feeding his own people was his first priority.

"Well done. Everyone gets a silver coin." Field smiled, generously rewarding Lynx and the others—using someone else's money, of course. "And listen up—once you save up a full gold coin and give it to me, I'll grant you your freedom. You'll become free citizens of Nightfall Territory."

The slaves erupted into cheers, their voices like a tidal wave. For the first time, they saw a glimmer of hope.

"Sir, let's head to the other villages and collect more taxes!" Lynx, freshly motivated by Field's "reward," was now fully on board. His earlier sympathy for the Bull Territory villagers had vanished without a trace.

Why should we sympathize with the villagers getting plundered? They're from Bull Territory, not Nightfall.

Field clenched his fist in encouragement. "Exactly! Squeeze every coin out of them! Let's aim to finish by morning—we're on a tight schedule. Go, continue posing as Bull soldiers and collect their taxes. There'll be more rewards waiting for you."

But they needed to work fast. The other cities in the Empire weren't led by cowards like Richard. Sooner or later, someone would notice the crisis in Bull Territory and send reinforcements to crush the corruption. Field had no intention of being caught in the crossfire.

"Um, sir, there's also... this little girl," Lynx said, dragging over a young girl dressed in plain robes. She looked about twelve years old.

Do I look like some creepy old man?! Field's face twitched as he looked at the girl. Who brings a loli to me?!

Field's mind froze for a second. He wanted to lash out, but seeing Lynx's sheepish expression, he suppressed his anger and asked, "What's the story here? Why did you bring back a child?"

"She was offered by the villagers as a tribute to Baron Bull. I didn't think it was anything good, and I didn't want to invite trouble. But to avoid raising suspicion, I brought her back. Please punish me, sir."

"No punishment necessary. That was quick thinking, Lynx. From now on, you'll lead the guard squad." Field congratulated himself for having the patience to handle this matter calmly.

The girl didn't seem particularly special, aside from being a little more delicate-looking than average. After asking her a few casual questions, Field decided to take her in. She already knew too much about him, so releasing her wasn't an option. Besides, she wouldn't fare well if sent back to the village.

The next morning, the gentle sunlight bathed the camp in warmth. The cacophony of clucking chickens, quacking ducks, and mooing cattle filled the air.

Ashina's long eyelashes fluttered as she yawned lazily.

The exhaustion from yesterday's battle had melted away. She felt wonderfully rested, lying on a soft mattress that carried the faint scent of gardenias—a far cry from the cold, damp iron cage she once knew.

Thank goodness the lord chose me as his Chosen One. Lord Field is truly a good man, she thought with a contented smile.

Her long, toned legs shifted against each other, producing a soft rustling sound that was both inviting and distracting. She wished she could sleep for another hour, but she quickly got up. Field had mentioned they would be entering the gray mist first thing in the morning.

"How did you sleep last night?" Field asked as the mature and graceful Ashina jogged towards him. The sight of her nearly caused him to lose his composure as her chest bounced with enthusiasm.

"There's no need to rush. I'm still planning the route," he added, forcing himself to stay focused.

"I slept wonderfully, sir. Please, carry on with your plans, my lord," Ashina replied with a slight bow, her voice warm with gratitude.

Ashina nodded in partial understanding, then stood obediently to the side, waiting for further instructions.

The Northern Province was vast, encompassing once-prosperous cities and villages, including Nightfall Territory. Now, it was a wasteland, corrupted and crawling with monsters. At the heart of Nightfall lay a sprawling estate that had belonged to a female baron, Sophia Starrynight. Her estate overlooked Starrynight City, a symbol of her former glory.

"With my current resources, building a castle from scratch is pure fantasy. The best plan is to secure the estate first and use it as a base to gradually reclaim Starrynight City," Field murmured, tracing the lines on his map.

The map in his hand was already seven years old.

Back then, many frontier knights had dreamt of reclaiming the Northern Province. They had marched north with their retainers and slaves, brimming with ambition. Few returned. Those who stayed behind had undoubtedly been transformed into monsters.

"They're probably mini-bosses or something now. Just great—more trouble for me." Field sighed inwardly.

His strategic plan looked good on paper, but the risks involved were enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.