dognovel Chapter 358 Recharge your batteries
Chapter 358 Recharge your batteries
The sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains into John's bedroom, soft and warm. Under the comfort of the sunlight, John gradually woke up, stretched and yawned. His movement broke the tranquility of the early morning and woke up Matilda who was sleeping next to him. She opened her eyes and looked at John in a daze, then stood up and said softly:
"Good morning, my dear."
After changing clothes and washing up, the two went to the two children's rooms respectively. After being awakened, the two children finally got up from the bed in a daze, yawned, washed up in a hurry, and followed their parents to the living room.
A steaming hot breakfast had already been placed on the table in the living room. The aroma filled the air, with tempting sausages, golden fried eggs, and freshly baked bread. Carl and Catherine sat down on the chairs without hesitation, their eyes gleaming with anticipation, and wolfed down the hearty breakfast.
Compared to the children who were wolfing down their food, John and Matilda seemed more calm and orderly. While enjoying their milk and bread, Matilda gently reminded the children:
"Eat slowly, don't choke."
Her voice was as soft as the morning light, adding a warm atmosphere to the busy breakfast.
John took out a copy of today's newspaper from the table and flipped through the news on the pages.
The children took the lead and almost simultaneously cleared the food on their plates. After breakfast, they quickly packed their bags. Matilda watched gently from the side, nodded with satisfaction, and then led them outside.
The carriage was waiting quietly not far away, and the driver nodded cordially, welcoming the descendants of the ruler of the city respectfully. Karl and Catherine ran towards the carriage happily, while Matilda whispered to them to be careful.
John was watching them leave in the inner castle, feeling a lot of emotions in his heart. He did not choose to let the children receive private education alone because the education resources in the territory are now concentrated in the school, and the security environment in the Earl's Castle is also very good. Letting his children go to school can also cultivate their normal interpersonal communication skills. More importantly, letting Carl and Catherine go to school with the children of the common people can not only help John establish a people-friendly image, but also make people feel good about his offspring, and win a group of people's hearts in advance when they inherit his title and territory.
After the children left in the carriage, John walked towards his office. When the guard opened the heavy wooden door for him, several White Wolf Knights who had been waiting in the room immediately knelt on one knee respectfully to John and bowed their heads. The atmosphere was solemn and serious.
"Get up."
John said in a deep voice, and after the knights stood up with his permission, he sat down at his desk and began to look through the materials with a focused expression.
Most of these materials were reports from various places in the territory and the latest intelligence from various countries. When he began to carefully browse the reports on the war between the Kingdom of Midland and the Empire of Yoda, his brows slightly frowned, and his heart was full of doubts. The reason was simple, because the armies of both sides had been a little too calm in the past few months.
Apart from the fact that there was no large-scale territorial dispute between the two sides, the nature of the war seemed to have changed to small-scale looting and harassment, and the losses caused were difficult to compare with previous years.
He was not clear about the true intentions of King Mitlan and Emperor Yoda. Perhaps they were plotting something in secret, but this complicated game of power did not require him to rush into it.
"The current situation can be delayed for another day."
He thought to himself and looked out the window. During the days of waiting, he had to complete the construction of defense facilities in the territory as soon as possible. Only in this way could he be free to fight in the subsequent war.
As Yoda's military threat increased, John thought deeply and decided not only to strengthen the defense on the border, but also to build a second line of defense in the hinterland to enhance the ability to resist the main force of Yoda's army. A solid defense system can not only protect the security of the territory, but also create more strategic options for him when war breaks out.
Thinking of this, John looked south. The victory over the Lana Kingdom a few months ago gave the Black Watch Mercenaries and the Simon Chamber of Commerce more opportunities. They successfully took root in various countries in the southwest peninsula. Especially the Black Watch Mercenaries, their strength has been fully verified on the battlefield. Even if they are only responsible for escort missions, merchants and nobles from various countries still compete to sign contracts with them and are willing to pay high fees to hire these outstanding mercenaries.
On the continent today, apart from the Yoda Empire and Kusha, only the Hall of the King of Law has not seen his influence take root.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered his fellow countryman, Karion, whom he had once appointed. Three years ago, he had brought him into the territory to popularize aristocratic education among the knights, hoping that those knights would get a place in the King's Hall so that his mercenary business could take root and sprout smoothly in the King's Hall.
He immediately ordered the guards to investigate Karion's whereabouts. An hour later, the guards hurriedly returned and replied:
"My lord, Karion is currently at the training ground outside the Earl's Castle, instructing the knights."
John was instantly relieved when he heard this. He felt ashamed of himself for not paying any attention to him since he asked him to help him train knights three years ago. So he immediately ordered people to prepare a carriage so that he could go and see his achievements in person.
The carriage sped towards the training ground outside the city. John walked into the busy training ground under the watchful eyes of the guards. He passed by teams of soldiers in training, and the sounds of shouting and weapons clashing echoed in his ears. Soon he arrived at the soldiers' residence.
Just as he was about to move forward, he heard a familiar voice. John followed the sound and came to the outside of a house. He saw a bearded man washing clothes and singing softly.
"Karrion."
John called out hesitantly. Hearing this, the man raised his head and looked for the source of the voice with a sharp gaze. When he saw John, he instantly showed an expression of disbelief, then rushed to John excitedly, hugged him with both arms and shouted:
"Sir, you are finally here!"
John looked at Karion and asked:
"How is the task I gave you before going?"
Karion patted his chest and answered confidently:
"My lord, I have already completed the training of two hundred knights and five hundred soldiers. As long as we give them fine clothes, they will look no different from nobles."
John nodded, approving of Karion's work. Then he said to Karion:
"Then you should not sit idle. Take these people to establish a branch of the Black Watch Mercenary Group in the King's Hall. The local Simon Chamber of Commerce will fully cooperate with you. When things are done, all the mercenary contracts in the King's Hall will be under your control."