In the Middle Ages, people drew cards to be promoted to nobility.

As Leonard stammered about the story, the context of the matter gradually became clear.

The desert bandits that Leonard refers to are an old bandit gang mainly composed of Zoroastrians, entrenched in the Jordan desert, and have been running rampant for many years.

Relying on their ability to come and go like the wind and their familiarity with the distribution of water sources and oases in the desert, they often attack villages when the Border Patrol is away.

Extorting a large amount of wealth, cattle, sheep and food from the villagers who were already living in poverty.

Occasionally, they would also loot the few merchants who had passed by, or the noble estates that were not well defended.

Even Count Leonard, the lord of Castle Kalle, could not do anything to them.

Leonard was also unlucky. He set out with five sergeants this morning, intending to go to a wealthy village under the jurisdiction of Fort Montreal to buy war horses.

There is a large horse market there.

The owner behind the horse market is the Countess Stephanie, the wife of Count Leonard, an iron-blooded rose known as the knight in skirts.

Count Leonard plundered Ayyubid's caravans and defeated the Bedouin tribes to capture horses, which were occasionally sold here.

Not long after they entered the territory of Fort Montreal, they encountered this group of robbers.

Lothar frowned and looked solemn: "Leonard, are you the only one back? How many people have we lost?"

Leonard immediately fell to his knees and said with a mournful face: "Sir, we had no losses. They learned that we were your sergeants, snatched the coins away, and left."

Lothar was slightly startled.

He didn't know whether he should be happy or unhappy.

Glad no one died.

Unfortunately, human life is worthless in this day and age.

Lothar thought thoughtfully: "Fort Montreal is also the fiefdom of Count Leonard, right? Didn't they say anything about this 'robbery that occurred in the Earl of Jordan'?"

Count Leonard was undoubtedly a powerful noble in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but Lothar had very little contact with him.

Since Lothar was pushed onto the political stage of the kingdom by Baron Godfrey, he has been deeply branded as a royalist and has become the little brother who cheers for Baron Godfrey.

At least, that's what it seems to outsiders.

Leonard quickly said: "Sir, I met with Count Leonard's wife, Countess Stephanie. She was once the sole owner of this land, and Count Leonard relied on his marriage to this countess to become his wife. To obtain the title of earl."

Lothar knocked on the table expressionlessly: "Let's get to the point! I don't need you to explain to me how Leonard, the former Archduke of Antioch, was driven out of the dukedom and relied on marriage. Reborn.”

Leonard said with fear: "Lady Stephanie did not meet me, but one of her knights told me that a new army will be organized in the near future to encircle and suppress this group of bandits, and asked me to come back and wait for news."

"wait for news?"

Lothar scoffed.

As a neighbor, it stands to reason that Countess Stephanie of Jordan, whether it is a visit or an invitation to a banquet, there is always a "human exchange".

But it has been three days since he arrived at Jorgesburg, and the invitation has not yet been sent.

Either he looked down upon him, or Leonard was hostile to him.

Lothar felt that the latter was more likely. After all, Balian defeated Guy, the relationship between the Royal Party and the Queen Mother Party deteriorated sharply, and he clearly stood on the side of the Royal Party.

"I don't have the patience to wait any longer."

Lothar secretly calculated in his heart that the wealth accumulated by this group of desert bandits for so many years must be considerable, if they could find their lair.

The territory's current financial situation, which is unable to make ends meet, can definitely be improved.

In addition, the problem of war horses also needs to be solved urgently.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to train hussars even if he has money now.

Lothar planned to train at least twenty wing cavalry in a short period of time to form a large-scale combat force.

However, in order to encircle and suppress this group of bandits, the number of cavalry in the territory is still too small.

There are only three newly trained hussars. Counting Hans and himself, there are only five.

Relying on these five people to find the desert bandits who come and go like the wind in the vast desert and successfully defeat them is simply a fantasy.

If this group of robbers is so easy to deal with, it is impossible for a powerful nobleman like Count Leonard to be helpless against this group of robbers.

"Leonard, do you think this group of desert bandits and my subjects are colluding? Or, at least some of them have joined in?"

Lothar suspected a mole.

Leonard looked horrified: "Father in heaven, I promise that my boys and I will never collude with this group of robbers. Those robbers are all shameful pagans. If we dare to collude with him, we will seek for your lord's benefit." Your wealth will definitely go to hell and be tortured by the devil for ten thousand years!"

Lothar shook his head and said: "I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about the people! In those six villages, especially in the village where half of the people are pagans, there are probably people who have colluded with this group of bandits."

Leonard breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, sir, I also think there is something wrong with them. These damn guys not only don't thank you for your generous kindness to them, but they repay kindness with hatred. They are damned!"

Lothar sneered: "Don't you think it's because they thanked me for my generosity that they gave up taking your lives?"

"Otherwise, that gang of robbers dared to offend even Count Leonard, so why wouldn't they dare to offend me, a mere Baron of Yogurtsburg?"

At this time.

A prompt sounded suddenly in Lothar's ears:

You have completed the milestone: Model fiefdom (your fiefdom has at least 2,000 acres of land and a population of more than 200 people above the subsistence level)

You have activated the advanced milestone: Model territory (your territory has a population of at least 1,000 people above the subsistence level, and a wealthy population of more than 200.)

You have obtained a three-star special item: "Archangel's Statue".

Archangel Statue: When you place this prop within your territory, the loyalty of all residents in your territory will be slightly increased towards you, and the favorability towards your enemies will be slightly reduced.

Lothar thought for a moment and understood that this was probably because he stopped imposing heavy taxes on the Zoroastrians, which improved the living standards of the pagans living under his rule, and finally managed to provide a population of 200 people above the food and clothing line. number.

As for the two thousand acres of land.

The most indispensable thing here is the gravel desert. Although there are only six villages in Yogurtsburg, the land covered is probably equivalent to some counts in Western Europe.

"It seems that the current situation in Yogurtsburg is still very bad. Only less than one-fifth of the people have enough to eat."

Lothar frowned.

Food and clothing are the basic conditions for human survival.

Lothar tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "It is impossible to reduce taxes any more, we still have to open up more money. On the other hand, this group of desert bandits who often extort my people are also urgently needed to be dealt with."

Lothar just thought about it for a moment and decided on an idea.

Since the desert bandits that come and go like the wind are difficult to catch, let's just sit back and wait.

He looked at Leonard, who was still kneeling on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "Leonard, you lost the wealth I gave you to buy a war horse. How should you repay your guilt?"

Leonard, who was trembling, said with a cry: "I'll let you do whatever you want, sir. I just ask you to forgive my sins after death and allow me, a devout believer, to ascend to heaven."

Lothar stood up and looked down at the other party: "Do you know what disappoints me the most? You didn't dare to fight and just watched you lose the property I entrusted to you. I can't forgive you for such a crime."

Leonard choked and said: "Sir, there are too many of them, we can't be their opponents. I promise, we are not Judas who betrayed us, we are just..."

"Okay, Leonard. I'll give you a chance to make a difference. Whether you can survive or not depends on whether you can grasp it."

In fact, Lothar knows, does he blame Leonard for this?

Don't complain either.

No one wants to meet a robber.

If they fight hard, their entire group will be wiped out and their money will be lost.

But being clear about rewards and punishments is a characteristic that a lord must have. Lothar must not just lift it up high and put it down gently.