"Are you satisfied with this batch of troops, Viscount?" Robson asked with a smile.

He had personally selected and trained these men, carefully getting them to just above the threshold of the third tier of experience.

"Satisfied? I’m quite satisfied. You truly live up to your reputation, Sir," Viscount Luke said, nodding.

To the southern nobility, second-tier Frank Knight Recruits were already considered qualified cavalry, let alone third-tier Frank Cavalry.

This wasn’t just qualified; this was elite! An elite army! In the south, cavalry like this was the best some barons could ever hope to command. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Even now, Viscount Luke still felt a bit dazed.

"I’m glad you’re satisfied, Viscount. Actually, there’s another matter I was hoping to trouble you with," Robson said.

"Oh? Please, speak freely, Sir," Viscount Luke replied.

"As you know, Viscount, the fighting on the front lines is intense. Qimo Fortress is in a strategic location, yet it doesn’t receive the attention it deserves from the higher-ups.

As the Commander-in-Chief of Qimo Fortress, I can only find my own solutions.

There are still empty barracks in the fortress. I was wondering if you might have channels to introduce me to some noble lords who would be willing to bring supplies and help defend Qimo Fortress, all in service to His Majesty the King," Robson asked.

Viscount Luke was an old hand at court politics; he understood Robson’s meaning immediately.

Robson would be responsible for training the soldiers, and he, Luke, would be responsible for bringing in clients. The two of them would make money off the other nobles together.

The reason for phrasing it so circuitously was mainly because the arrangement sounded bad on paper, both for the clients beforehand and for settling accounts afterward.

No matter how extensive Viscount Luke’s connections were, right now he could only pull clients from the Siriel Defense Line. Everyone’s forces were stretched thin—every man accounted for. Even moving a few dozen soldiers would look bad.

But now, Robson had reframed it as "reinforcing Qimo Fortress" and "helping a friend complete a mission for His Majesty the King." This sounded much more in line with the chivalrous spirit of mutual aid and camaraderie.

Afterward, when it came time for payment, they would most likely just skim from the military supplies allocated by the Kingdom.

These were critical times, and paying for supplies at market price was too costly. With this pretext, things would be easier for everyone. At least their consciences wouldn’t bother them as much.

’It’s all for His Majesty the King, after all,’ they’d say. ’These are just normal expenses.’

Viscount Luke frowned. What he had discussed before was official business for the Gutierrez family. The Gutierrez family could afford to be generous, but that didn’t mean he, Luke, could be.

Especially for matters that concerned him so directly, Luke had always been extremely cautious.

"Sir, there is no shortage of noble lords in our Frank Kingdom. It’s just that I worry about the Kingdom’s bureaucrats....

As you know, the recent arrival of His Highness the Prince has made those bureaucrats somewhat arrogant. They no longer show us gentlemen the respect we are due," Viscount Luke said.

Hearing Viscount Luke’s words, Robson felt a hint of disdain.

’Bureaucrats showing no respect for the nobility? The Western Front is completely dominated by the Noble Alliance Army right now.’

As for Viscount Luke’s words, his meaning was quite easy to understand. He was simply complaining to angle for a larger share of the profits.

After all, this line of work required smoothing over many connections. Any troop movements would require Viscount Luke’s involvement, which was why Robson wasn’t trying to go it alone.

"Alas, I really don’t want to make things difficult for you, Viscount. It’s a shame Viscount Fuman is so busy lately. If this is impossible, I suppose I’ll just have to wait for him to finish handling the fortress’s affairs," Robson said with a sigh.

Although Viscount Luke would have to put in considerable effort for this deal, his potential rewards were also great.

Putting aside everything else, once they established a reputation, the middleman’s cut alone would be enough for Viscount Luke to make a fortune.

And could they build a reputation? One only had to look at how satisfied Viscount Luke was with the cavalry earlier.

This was wartime. Real power came from the barrel of a gun. The southern nobility were a classic case of having money but no men. Their demand for trained soldiers was skyrocketing. This business was practically free money.

Robson would not yield an inch on a deal like this.

"Ah... Sir, now that’s where you’re mistaken.

All of the fortress’s logistical work is already on Viscount Fuman’s shoulders. How could we possibly trouble him further?

This matter may be slightly difficult, but Qimo Fortress is a vital stronghold on the Kingdom’s Western Front. It guards the Somme River passage for the Kingdom and must be properly defended.

Leave this matter to me," Viscount Luke said with a smile.

Viscount Luke had just been acting out of a merchant’s occupational habit of haggling. How could he not see that this business was a goldmine?

Not only was it free money, but based on his understanding of the southern nobility, as long as the first batch of delivered soldiers was up to par, his doorstep would be worn down by visitors.

At that point, it wouldn’t just be about money. The nobles coming to his door might even end up owing him a favor. After all, Robson’s training slots couldn’t be unlimited. Even if Robson allowed it, the size of Qimo Fortress was a limiting factor.

"But weren’t there difficulties? Perhaps we should..." Robson teased.

"If there are difficulties, one must overcome them. It’s all for His Majesty and for the Kingdom. I, Luke, can certainly overcome a small difficulty like this," Viscount Luke said with a laugh.

"Your righteousness is inspiring, Viscount. I’m sure future history books will have a passage dedicated to you," Robson chuckled.

...

Now that the main points were settled, all that remained were the minor details.

The two discussed these aspects for a while and broadly finalized the terms.

According to Robson, a soldier’s daily food intake should reach four *jin* of wheat. They must also have daily supplements of fats and protein. Robson would also accept fish as a resource.

Without a doubt, this standard far exceeded that of a normal soldier in the Kingdom. Even the Kingdom’s elite army didn’t receive such treatment.

But it couldn’t be helped. Lord Robson’s training requirements had always been strict. If the soldiers were to withstand such a trial, the nobles backing them had to hand over the corresponding supplies.

As for military pay, two Silver Coins a week was a must. Although they were all Peasant Soldiers, money was a powerful motivator.

Of course, considering the "losses" these Silver Coins might suffer en route, the final wages that actually reached the soldiers’ hands might change slightly.

Besides, even if the money were given to them, their noble lords would just squeeze it back out of them later. It was almost better not to give it in the first place.

Viscount Luke didn’t argue about any of this. He was actually a little surprised at how low Robson’s quote was.

After all, most of what Robson was demanding were military supplies. The Western Front was the southern nobility’s home turf to begin with. The so-called "military supplies" were actually just funds raised by the southern Governors themselves, supplemented by some support from the King.

Even the transportation method was by sea, delivered to the various ports via the Somme River.

Some geniuses had even considered using Space Rings for logistical transport, but unfortunately, the production cost of Space Rings was too high, the manufacturing scale was small, and they typically had small interiors of no more than a hundred cubic meters.

Besides, Space Rings also had to account for wear and tear, making it clearly uneconomical to use them for transporting grain.

This was also why the King had such a high tolerance for the corruption on the Western Front. After all, these resources belonged to those nobles in the first place. It could be considered taking from the people to be used for the people.

Not to mention, the wise His Majesty the King was recently shifting royal resources toward the Western Front. Their biggest expense, conversely, was that batch of Silver Coins.

But even so, it was still a huge profit. An experienced mercenary cost at least one Silver Coin a week, and Robson’s was a one-time purchase deal.

And according to Viscount Luke’s experience, Robson would only need one or two weeks to complete the soldiers’ training. It was an absolute windfall.

Viscount Luke even felt that he could double the price and still have no shortage of clients. After all, the southern nobility were so rich, money was all they had left.