Chapter 54: Earl Soren’s Compromise

Bruno had always agreed with the idea that war was an extension of politics, and that all military activities should serve political purposes.

Therefore, when Earl Soren agreed to negotiate and admitted defeat, Bruno immediately ordered the cessation of all military operations against Soren's territory.

In his view, the life of every Idar soldier was invaluable.

Although Idar had only lost three soldiers in the previous conflict, it still made Bruno, who was accustomed to peaceful development, somewhat uncomfortable.

However, he also clearly understood that death was an inevitable part of war, so he could only gradually adjust his mindset.

The conditions Bruno proposed in his letter were undoubtedly harsh. Whether it was territorial cession or monetary compensation, his demands were akin to a lion's bite.

But at this point, Soren's domain had no room for negotiation. With his army completely annihilated, Earl Soren was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, having lost all bargaining chips…

"This is outrageous! Such demands are unheard of! No self-respecting noble could accept such an agreement!"

Exhausted and barely holding on, Earl Soren attended the peace negotiations held outside Sorenburg, accompanied by his personal servant.

The aging noble, his health failing, was so enraged by Bruno's conditions that Bruno himself worried the old man might collapse on the spot.

In truth, nearly every clause was a point of contention… Alright, every clause was contested, but the biggest dispute was over the demand for all land south of the Soren River to be ceded.

Bruno, however, refused to back down on this issue!

He had discovered an ideal location on the banks of the Soren River to build a magnificent fortress.

About twenty kilometers from Sorenburg, there was a tidal flat at the confluence of the Soren River and one of its tributaries. This location bore a striking resemblance to the original geography of the Citadel of Namur.

Furthermore, if the Citadel of Namur was built there, the strong currents of the Soren River could serve as a natural defense against threats from the north.

Constructing a fortress there would also bring the Grand Highlands directly under Idar's control, which was crucial for the large-scale extraction of iron ore from the region.

For these reasons, Bruno was determined to secure the land south of the Soren River.

However, he had no interest in wasting his time on endless verbal disputes. So, he called for Old Ford, who had been stabilizing the situation back in Idar City, and left the negotiations to the two elderly men.

As for himself, Bruno took Lister and a few attendants to survey the Soren River in advance.

Site Selection for the Citadel of Namur

Truth be told, the Soren River had a powerful current. Had Idar's soldiers not crossed swiftly while Soren's forces were still unprepared, they might have suffered significant casualties.

[Terrain recorded successfully—]

[Wonder modeling complete—]

[Select site for wonder construction?]

A familiar prompt appeared, and Bruno immediately confirmed the selection.

Shortly after, a faint biu sound echoed in the air, and Bruno felt a sudden weight in his coat pocket. Reaching in, he knew that the construction blueprint for the Citadel of Namur had arrived.

However, despite the experience gained from building the Hanging Garden, constructing the Citadel of Namur still posed immense challenges.

The biggest problem was, once again, a shortage of manpower.

Currently, Idar was already engaged in the construction of a road connecting Thorn Valley, Idar's domain, and Fort Mann. This single project had mobilized all available labor forces.

Additionally, three other roads were waiting to be built.

With spring arriving, most of Idar's serfs and commoners would be busy with farming, making the labor shortage even more severe.

Furthermore, since the decision had been made to build the Citadel of Namur here, another road would be needed to connect it to Idar City.

In summary, Idar now had five roads and one fortress requiring urgent construction, making manpower and funds extremely scarce.

Fortunately, Bruno had not mentioned this to Old Ford yet; otherwise, the old man might have fainted on the spot.

"Wait a minute!"

Suddenly, an idea struck Bruno. He turned to Lister and instructed, "Go tell Old Ford that we can slightly lower the gold compensation, but in exchange, we want more serfs! The more, the better! We won't refuse anyone!"

"As you command, my lord," Lister responded.

The Signing of the Sorenburg Treaty

After two days of negotiations, Idar and Soren finally reached an agreement and officially signed the Sorenburg Treaty outside Sorenburg.

The terms of the treaty remained largely unchanged. After all, Old Ford was no pushover when it came to arguing.

Of course, all land south of the Soren River was granted to Bruno—this was a non-negotiable point he had emphasized.

Old Ford did, however, make some concessions regarding the monetary compensation. Bruno's initial demand had been outrageously high, purely an attempt at extortion.

In the end, the total gold compensation, including Hermann Barkley's ransom, was reduced to 1,000 gold coins. However, Soren's territory was required to unconditionally provide Idar with 300 serfs.

As for other details, they were mostly insignificant.

Bruno was very satisfied with this outcome. This counteroffensive had allowed him to annex nearly half of Soren's territory, significantly expanding Idar's domain. As a bonus, this expansion also extended the effective range of the Hanging Garden's bonuses.

All captured knights were released alongside Hermann Barkley, while the commoner soldiers were forcibly retained.

These captured commoner soldiers would be reduced to serfs and formed into several new labor teams. Along with the 300 serfs from Soren's lands, they would take on the task of building the Citadel of Namur.

"Old Ford…"

As Bruno eagerly flipped through the freshly signed Sorenburg Treaty, he called out.

"I'm here, my lord," Old Ford responded.

Bruno casually handed over a rolled-up parchment.

"What… is this?" Old Ford asked, puzzled as he took it.

Then…

A sense of dread crept into his mind.

"Soren's ambition knows no bounds, and they have long coveted Idar's lands. Though we defeated them this time, there's no guarantee they won't attack again. Therefore, I have decided to build a fortress by the Soren River, making it the cornerstone of Idar's defense." Bruno spoke with excitement.

"My lord… are you squandering money again…?"