System: Build My Own Territory Chapter 996 - 292: Are You Trying to Rebel?

Yet, he remained the undisputed Lord, the supreme commander of all within his domain!

Unless an absolute necessity arose, he saw no reason to personally step onto the dangerous battlefield.

For, only by ensuring his own survival could his territory continue its path of advancement!

Lynn’s gaze drifted far beyond the walls of the Manor Castle.

There, bathed in the dim light, were soldiers clad in gleaming armor, forming an imposing line.

They advanced like a relentless tide of steel, their formations flowing along the gravel path weaving through the cultivated farmlands.

It was only after the entire troop had vanished into the obscuring veil of the night that Lynn finally retracted his intense focus.

He had dispatched Rose and Wesley, along with a formidable force of 3,800 soldiers, towards Alba Town with the objective of eradicating both Connelly Manor and Louis Manor.

This strategic move, of course, carried inherent risks.

The act of marching under the cloak of night, with visibility severely hampered, meant soldiers could easily stumble over unseen obstacles like gnarled tree roots, leading to debilitating sprains or even fractures.

Should the gravel road prove uneven, the very horses carrying the troops might falter and fall!

Beyond the immediate dangers posed by the treacherous terrain,

troops maneuvering at night were exceptionally vulnerable to falling prey to enemy-laid traps!

These could range from concealed trenches and spiked pitfalls to cunningly disguised horse traps.

For the attacking force, night marches did present certain unexpected advantages.

The darkness provided cover, allowing for a stealthy approach to the target.

An assault could then be launched while the enemy remained unsuspecting and undefended.

Thus, catching the opposition completely off guard.

However,

night also served as the perfect cover for the enemy to spring their own ambushes!

The hidden assailants could equally leverage the darkness to their benefit, lying in wait within the shadowed embrace of roadside forests or deep valleys.

Patiently awaiting the marching troops to draw near before launching a sudden, devastating assault!

The ultimate success of any offensive maneuver, be it a direct attack or a surprise ambush, fundamentally depended on the commanders' astute grasp of tactical intelligence and impeccable timing.

Observing the prevailing circumstances, however,

Lynn harbored no belief that Jon Zuck or the two Manor Lords residing in Alba Town would resort to setting ambushes along the troop's projected route.

Firstly, it was still the cusp of August, the peak of the summer harvest season.

Not only did his own territory demand immediate attention for harvesting and subsequent planting,

but other manor lords, whose economies were similarly centered on agricultural production, were facing the same pressing needs!

It was possible that other manor lords commanded fewer arable fields than his own domain.

Yet, these lords possessed limited manpower and fewer agricultural implements.

The prospect of them completing the harvest and planting across all their lands within such a compressed timeframe seemed remote.

It was even less probable that they would willingly abandon their crucial agricultural endeavors, which promised bountiful yields, to engage in a conflict against an adversary of unknown strength.

It was a well-established fact that

manor lords were inherently avaricious individuals, willing to pursue any gain without scruple.

No manor, nor any Lord, would willingly undertake actions detrimental to their own vested interests!

Secondly,

aside from the successful capture of spies attempting to infiltrate Morgan Town,

he had received no indication of any forthcoming support from Jon Zuck or his allied manor lords for his current military undertaking!

He even harbored a prevailing suspicion that

Jon Zuck, acting as the mastermind, might conspire with eight other supporting manor lords,

who collectively possessed sufficient military might to easily overwhelm an unknown Lord like himself.

Finally, there was the matter of Jon Zuck’s Viscount title, which implied a higher authority awaiting him.

Aware of the troop strength within his own domain, Jon Zuck, recognizing he was outmatched, was likely awaiting external reinforcements!

In the subsequent moment,

Lynn decisively dismissed this line of thought.

The most plausible source of assistance for Jon Zuck would undoubtedly originate from Marquis Duca!

This was because,

at the present juncture, the Sword and Shield Corps soldiers garrisoning Spirit Reef Port were actively contending with assaults launched by Marquis Polk!

If both opposing forces maintained an equal footing in terms of strength,

the defending garrison would benefit immensely from their fortified walls, providing crucial defensive advantages.

Unless the attacking force fielded a significantly larger contingent of soldiers, numbering several times over,

breaching such formidable walls would prove an exceedingly difficult undertaking, potentially consuming days, if not entire months!

Marquis Duca’s Sword and Shield Corps were currently stretched perilously thin across multiple fronts.

Even if Mark Ducas possessed a sufficient reserve of troops,

amidst the raging inferno of the Imperial Authority Wars,

he would prioritize deploying those forces for the defense of his own core territories.

Or, alternatively, dispatch them to reinforce critical positions should Spirit Reef Port face an imminent crisis.

Rather than diverting tens of thousands of his elite Sword and Shield Corps soldiers to the remote Southern Border Land of the Kaldi Empire!

Considering the substantial expenditure of time and resources required,

and more crucially, the imperative to maintain vigilance amidst the ongoing Imperial Authority Wars,

preventing the Ducas Clan from consolidating further advantages during this conflict was paramount!

When weighed against these critical strategic imperatives,

it was highly improbable that Jon Zuck, a mere Viscount of little consequence, would receive any significant military backing.

Even if the city of Kakasong were to fall under enemy occupation,

Mark Ducas would likely refrain from any direct military intervention!

This was particularly true given the remote location and the common practice among many manor lords and Lords to deliberately underreport the actual taxes collected from their territories.

Indeed, numerous manor lords and Lords were known to outright refuse the payment of production taxes levied on their domains.

A Marquis presided over vast expanses of land!

Given the sheer scale of a Marquis's power and the inherent complexities of managing such extensive territories,

it became an arduous task to ensure that every vassal within the Marquisate faithfully fulfilled their tax obligations.

This challenge was amplified for a locality like Kakasong City, situated precariously at the empire's periphery.

As long as these vassals maintained their allegiance and refrained from outright rebellion,

Lords often found it pragmatic to adopt a policy of willful ignorance.

The rationale being that the financial cost associated with administering or forcibly subjugating these cities far exceeded any potential tax revenue generated!