Volume One: The Forest Knight Chapter 40: The Battle to Reclaim Maple Leaf Manor (VI) – Part Two

“Heh heh! Didn’t you always tell us to think more?” The two replied happily.

“Yes, only by learning to think can one truly progress. Remember, relying solely on force rarely solves problems. You need to use your minds—once you master wisdom, you seize control of your own fate.” Berrion tapped his forehead as he instructed them, “I’m glad you’ve recognized the conflict between civil administration and military development in Nolanburg. But there’s no need to be troubled by it. This isn’t unique to us; nearly every noble estate faces such issues. From the kingdom itself down to the smallest farm, it’s the same everywhere.

In our era, the population and output of a region are largely fixed, and its resources limited. If you channel those limited resources toward military development, the army grows strong, but the welfare of the people suffers. If you focus on civil prosperity, the domain becomes wealthy, but the combat strength of your soldiers wanes. For this reason, most lords employ two main strategies to resolve this problem.”

“What are those two strategies, sir?” Iom and Barrett were now thoroughly engrossed in Berrion’s explanation, eager to hear the answer.

“The first is to invest resources in the domain’s strengths. Take our Brick Duchy’s north and south factions. Northern lords excel at warfare; they prioritize military development and neglect civil affairs and the welfare of their subjects. So, whenever there’s a war with nations like Olian, it’s the northern lords who distinguish themselves, earning the duke’s trust and rewards to offset their domain’s limited output.

Meanwhile, southern lords focus on commerce and civil life. They have wealth, people, and grain—but lack soldiers and their fighting power is weaker. To compensate, they fortify their castles to be nearly impregnable. Their prosperity allows them to hire mercenaries to guard their estates and protect themselves.” At this point, Berrion felt a dryness in his throat, took a sip of ale, and continued.

“The other strategy is a balancing act—developing both the domain and its military. Few manage it well. Trying to serve both ends often results in mediocrity on both fronts. Many lords in the Donbas Hills and Krivo Hills follow this path. They train troops to fend off pirates and bandits while also developing brewing and commerce—but rarely succeed in both. For example, Krivo Hills sees pirate raids breach their manors and castles nearly every year.” Berrion spoke at length to the two, trying to keep it concise, yet he still said much. He wondered whether they could fully comprehend it.

After Berrion finished, Iom and Barrett felt overwhelmed. Iom rubbed his temples and said weakly, “Sir, please just tell us what we should do. I think I understood most of what you said, but some parts are still fuzzy. My head’s spinning—I need time to digest it.”

“Sir, I feel the same. I just want to know our next steps,” Barrett quickly echoed.

Berrion couldn’t help but laugh at their words. “All right, I suppose my words were wasted. When we return, you both must learn to read and write. If you don’t, your level of education will remain abysmal.”

“Education?” Iom and Barrett exchanged glances, curious about the new term Berrion had used.

Seeing their reaction, Berrion realized he’d misspoken and covered it up by taking another drink. He’d been a lord long enough that even a slip of the tongue didn’t faze him. He continued, “The development of Nolanburg is about overall balance, but different times and places require different priorities.”

“Sir, please speak plainly. All this talk of overall balance and shifting priorities is just too complicated,” Barrett complained in earnest.

“These past months, our focus has been on domain construction—building castles atop Storm Peak, erecting walled houses, reclaiming wasteland—so that everyone can have enough to eat, warm clothes, and a roof over their heads. But soon, our priority must shift to military development.

When we return, our castles and walled homes will be mostly complete, and much wasteland will have been reclaimed. We’re no longer short of money or grain—no need to worry about going hungry.

So, for the foreseeable future, we’ll concentrate our efforts on recruiting and training soldiers. When the pirates come, we’ll be ready to defend our homeland and protect our people from harm. We focus on construction in the first half of the year, and train our troops in the second half. Yet throughout the year, we maintain overall balanced development.”