Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 985: Chapter 136: Triumphant First Battle and Massive Gains (Part 2)

The adversary could not counter Su Li’s formidable mobile units, which destined the various strongholds to be broken through one by one. Ten Champion Knights, even if there were over a hundred Elite Knights in that barracks, it might not hold.

At least when Oerstein broke through, Su Li couldn’t stop him even with seven or eight Elite Knights.

If it weren’t for attracting Manan’s knights to fight and reducing Air Cavalry casualties, Su Li wouldn’t have sent the dwarves into battle.

But all of this is worthwhile in face of these abundant spoils of war!

Five hundred Elite Knights, the slave merchants, Gray Market Trading Company, and Slave Capture Team following the army are going to make a fortune.

Clearly, with the current military equipment status of Hesse Territory, there is no need to reorganize these Manan knights. Hesse Territory’s military expenditure is already enormous, and their combat power is far inferior to the knights of the Sun Goddess. So they will all become the Slave Trade Association’s merchandise, allowing these Slave Trading Companies to earn 30,000 to 50,000 Golden Crowns.

Of course, the one earning the most is undoubtedly Su Li. Even selling at cost price of 100 Golden Crowns, it’s still a war prize worth 50,000 Golden Crowns.

But surely the sale price won’t be this low during the actual transaction. Among them, some female Elite Knights are quite valuable. Some families in the territory are willing to purchase these female knights, not only to enhance their family’s strength but also to expand their bloodline.

Handing these captives to the Provincial Affairs Council officials for refined processing could generate a value of no less than 70,000 Golden Crowns.

But clearly the gains from this battle are not merely material, as Hilude continued to report, ”The more significant spoil is the resources. The enemy army retreated in defeat, abandoning armor and staves piling up like a mountain, military equipment strewn across the valley.”

”We seized over 30 sets of Vibranium Rune Armor alone, plus nearly 1,000 Fine Level armors, and thousands of rings, talismans, and Witchcraft items countless.”

Thousands of rings and talismans?!

Su Li’s eyes genuinely lit up, knowing he can slowly mine vibranium and continuously forge armors, but knight equipment has always been relatively few.

The equipment that resonates with a knight’s bloodline includes weapons, armors, rings, talismans, and badges.

In Hesse Territory, knights generally have outstanding weapons and armor, while rings, talismans, and badges are relatively scarce, with only a few knights fully equipped. Su Li only had a few hundred of these rings and talismans.

But from this battle, acquiring thousands of rings, talismans, and such is significantly easing Hesse Territory’s military equipment shortage!

Blue Mirror Territory indeed stands as a profoundly rich Baron’s Territory, with its elite, fully equipped, well-trained army, armed to the teeth.

Then from this defeat, all the wealth Baron Grant painstakingly accumulated now falls into Su Li’s pockets!

This wave lets Su Li feast on the spoils.

After this battle, half of his knights can also be armed to the teeth, with all equipment fully equipped. By that time, the territory’s combat power will surely take a further step.

As Su Li thought this battle’s spoils reached its conclusion, Hilude then said, ”Lord, we captured a special knight who should offer a substantial ransom. Would you care to see?”

A special knight?

Su Li was slightly surprised, immediately realized and asked, ”Is it the Leader of the Black Lynx Knight Order?”

There aren’t many from whom ransom could be demanded, at least not from Manan’s knights in this battle, as Su Li couldn’t possibly let them go back.

But if it’s a member of the Mad Marquis’s Black Lynx Knight Order, that indeed is negotiable. Such foreign aid could withdraw from the war upon paying the ransom.

Within the Empire, it is almost customary to provide noble treatment to such individuals, granting them the opportunity for self-ransom.

Hilude nodded and said, ”That’s right, it’s him. Upon seeing our thousands strong army cutting through waves, appearing on the battlefield and encircling them, the Black Lynx Knight Order raised the white flag and surrendered to us.”

”Thanks to the doctrines of the Sun Goddess Church and the values of a glorious war, the surrendering parties did so without burden. Because we, as Divine Chosen of the Sun Goddess, would almost never execute captives.”

Su Li adheres to this. According to the values of a glorious war, a conqueror of honor should bring civilization and stability to occupied areas, not chaos and death. Therefore, the followers of the Sun Goddess strive to avoid meaningless wars, only resorting to force when absolutely necessary.

But even once force is resorted to, generals should still minimize war-related suffering and death: harming civilians and looting occupied towns are entirely prohibited, and surrendered enemies need to be treated with courtesy—if they also adhere to the values of ”glorious war.” In cases of offenses such as massacre of civilians or execution of captives, individuals require just trial before punishment or execution.

From this perspective, the Black Lynx Knight Order is indeed deserving of courtesy. They never targeted civilians with their blades, and the war was waged with honor. Even when wielding the strength of torrents, it was confined to the Cold Wind Canyon region.

Both parties serve their lords, and the victory or defeat in war is understandable. Winning and losing depends on ability, hence there’s no need for hatred towards them.