Li Yu looked up at the noblewoman opposite him.
"You were also present that day, weren’t you? To break an oath and be publicly denounced can lead to utter ruin."
"I understand, I saw what happened to Antonio," Alisa said seriously, "but that’s exactly why the child can trust again."
Li Yu was noncommittal, rely asking, "Who made Torres change his mind?"
"I can’t say," Alisa shook her head.
"Then I cannot help you record the oath."
"I can pay you."
"I don’t lack money."
"How about a woman? I can find you a maid prettier than Clara."
"I didn’t discuss buying Clara with Fosto because she was attractive," Li Yu shook his head.
"What do you want then? Tell , no matter how precious, I can find it for you!"
"What I want, you can’t find."
"How do you know if you don’t try," Alisa leaned forward, lowering her voice, "I recently heard a rumor that you had asked Ireya for the right to establish a church in Green Field."
"And then?"
"If you’re willing to help , you will gain an ally. In the future, whenever you need it, I will stand by your side," the noblewoman said.
Li Yu didn’t speak, seemingly pondering Alisa’s proposal, and after a long while, he spoke.
"A trade of interests?"
"Exactly, it’s a common tactic among nobles, there’s no need for any ntal blockages. Neither you nor I would be betraying the child; our intentions are for her good. Considering your behavior, you must also be a noble in your holand and surely understand," she said.
"I am not a noble," Li Yu said, "I reject your cooperation offer. I will acquire the permission to form a church, my own way."
"Won’t you reconsider?"
"No need, I was thinking of sothing else before. You shouldn’t have co to today."
"I don’t see it that way. Even if you won’t help , I won’t consider you an enemy," Alisa said, slightly disappointed but still polite, "Nonetheless, thank you for spending this ti with ."
After concluding, the noblewoman stood up and without further ado, left Li Yu’s room.
Soon after, Li Yu tidied up a bit and then followed the narrow spiral staircase down to the first floor of the castle, where he spoke to the little maid and four children waiting at the door, "Did you bring all the tools? Let’s go."
What’s the most important thing in the early stages of a strategy ga?
The answer is—exploring the map to understand the resources around the starting area.
Li Yu had just arrived in Green Field when he asked Fosto for a map of the area.
Maps in the Bratis Continent were also considered rare items, especially those ticulously drawn, often holding significant military importance.
Local lords would usually try their best to prevent such maps from falling into the hands of outsiders. If it hadn’t been for Ireya’s unusual trust in Li Yu, it would have been very difficult for him, as a Foreigner, to gain access to the Arias family’s treasured map.
And obtaining the map was just the first step—understanding it was a technical challenge.
Unlike the modern maps Li Yu was accustod to, most maps on the Bratis Continent were oriented with east at the top, west at the bottom, north on the left, and south on the right, which looked quite awkward.
However, the solution to this problem was quite simple, just rotate the map counterclockwise by 90°.
The most eye-catching part of the map was undoubtedly the statue of the Goddess Pexia at the top, soaring in the night sky, overlooking the land below, with the different phases of the moon drawn at the four corners. However, Li Yu only glanced at this section briefly before shifting his focus elsewhere.
He focused his attention on the territories below. Contrary to Li Yu’s expectations, the Arias family’s domain was quite large. According to Fosto, if calculated solely by the area of their territory, the Arias family could rank third among all the nobles in the western territories.
But Li Yu quickly identified a problem. The shape of the Arias family’s land was very much like the carrots they kept planting—top-heavy and abnormally elongated, which also ant they had many neighbors.
Anyone who had rented a place would understand how peculiar roommates could be, their behavior ranging from the bizarre to the extre.
Even if by luck you t the kind that was easy to get along with, friction was inevitable due to proximity over ti, not to ntion sharing space with six or seven people simultaneously—there would definitely be no shortage of troubleso issues to handle.
Moreover, once the cannons of war were lit, the defensive pressure the Arias family would face would be incredibly daunting.
Beyond that, Li Yu also noticed that the largest section at the western end was painted green, covering nearly one-third of the territory. It depicted monsters with lizard heads and human bodies, marked with the red word "danger."
"What is this place?"
"Gai Gu Swamp," the old steward replied, "a green kingdom of death. The na Green Field originates from here. It is ho to all sorts of poisonous insects and monsters, as well as the savage lizard people and the evil spirits they worship. Every ti the crops are about to be harvested, those lizard people will erge from their damp, rotting caves to raid the nearby villages.
"The lords of the Arias family have always been troubled by these brigands. Even if you manage to kill all the invading lizard people this year, they will still appear tomorrow, plundering the crops, kidnapping won, and killing every villager they encounter along the way, just like rats, impossible to completely eliminate.
"There were also so who could no longer bear the harassnt from these brigands. Ignoring the decrees of the Silver Moon Church and the bans left by their ancestors, they led troops into the Gai Gu Swamp, hoping to completely eradicate those bastards. However, most of them suffered heavy losses and had to flee back in disgrace."
"What about the small part of the people?" Li Yu asked.
"They stayed in Green Field forever, becoming a part of it," the old man said succinctly, yet his words contained many tales of blood and death, as well as the unwillingness of the generations of rulers from the Arias family.
"In short, Gai Gu Swamp is extrely dangerous. Outsiders can easily be swallowed up by it, so I strongly advise you and your assistants to stay away from there. Once lost inside, even if Miss Irelia gathers all the troops from the territory, she can’t rescue you."
"I understand," Li Yu nodded, "At this stage, I only plan to conduct so basic exploration and investigation near the castle, and will not go far."
"That’s best."
"By the way, can I make a copy of this map?"
"It’s better not to," Fosto advised gently.
"Alright, then I’ll look at it so more." Li Yu didn’t argue with the old steward; he simply bent his head down to the map in his hands again.
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