Even if they lost, they would just retreat to the mountains, but as long as they seized enough resources, the tribe could better survive the winter.

They thought quite optimistically, but for the common people of the Empire, this would be hell.

The Barbarian Tribes need to get through the winter, but don't they also need to get through the winter?

Not to mention, these Barbarian Tribes have no sense of morality; who talks about morality after robbery?

It's not just about looting grain; people are also targets of the Barbarian Tribes' plunder. The term "burning, killing, and looting" covers it, and slaughter inevitably accompanies plundering.

Scraping by in the fields, after being squeezed by the Church, bureaucrats, and the landlords, there's not much left, having worked the whole year just to rest for a few days.

Eating bread and singing songs, suddenly! The Barbarian Tribes came.

But for the Barbarian Tribes, it's a struggle for survival, unaffected by the will of ordinary people.

Once these Elders depart, a war between the mountains and the Empire is destined.

...

Outside a village in the Hamlet region, a large convoy appeared.

However, this was not a Walter Conglomerate convoy, because there were no guards in the convoy, while nearby there were two troops of over a hundred each.

One squad was almost entirely made up of Spearmen, wearing light leather breastplates covered by gray-brown linen overcoats, without helmets.

One of them, riding a horse and clad in a full set of Knight's Armor, should be the leader of this hundred-man troop.

In this era, whether good or not, anyone who could be equipped with armor was considered elite, but looking at the appearance of these people, it's clear they are just for show.

In reality, this is a squad drawn from the city defense force of Ovando, capable of suppressing refugees, but when it comes to field battles, they have little actual combat capability.

In contrast, the other troop of around a hundred appeared quite formidable.

One-third were Spearmen, with the rest mixed with some Crossbowmen and Musketeers, along with a few supply wagons.

There were also a few mounted knights on tall horses, equipped impeccably, and even the weakest Spearman wore heavy armor, from breastplate to helmet, with short sword, dagger, musket, and other auxiliary weapons at their waists.

Judging from the army's equipment style, this was a mixed group of noble private soldiers, as serf soldiers would not have such uniform armor and equipment, let alone afford the consumption of muskets.

Although the troop seemed somewhat disorganized, judging by their demeanor, they had clearly been on the battlefield and killed, and they were elite forces.

When they looked at ordinary people, they exuded an indifference to life, completely incomparable to the worthless city defense force.

And naturally, what they protected was the real nobility, namely Captain Michel, who had withdrawn from the front lines under the pretext of protecting grain.

A man who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, dressed in a luxurious noble military uniform, with sunken eyes surrounded by a hint of darkness, and a hooked nose and thin lips, giving him a sinister appearance.

The city defense force couldn't handle bandits and robbers, but these people were extremely effective against ordinary people. Under their control, the town's residents all behaved obediently, not even daring to raise their heads, filled with fear and unease towards the nobility.

At this moment, all the young women in town were gathered, and as Michel walked among them, he occasionally pinched their faces, forcing them to lift their heads, trembling like chicks being eyed by an eagle.

Meanwhile, the women's husbands and fathers were not far off, loading grain onto the convoy, not one daring to resist.

"Let's get out of this trash place. It's no fun at all."

After making a round, Michel looked disgusted, turning around to return to the carriage.

Gene, hearing this, waved his hand, signaling the city defense force to disperse the crowd.

Those not good-looking escaped this ordeal, but more so because the women didn't resist.

In a small place nearby, Michel found a young girl, plain-looking and not particularly beautiful, but it was precisely because the girl displayed resistance that piqued Michel's interest, leading to her capture.

He went to considerable lengths to settle this, even hiring people to deal with the girl's parents. It was then discovered that she was already engaged to someone she loved.

That night, the screams were relentless, and the next day Gene saw her body casually discarded in the wilderness.

Gene was actually unwilling to do such things; business is about long-term relationships.

He could exploit the city's populace because they had no choice.

Moreover, urban populations are transient; newcomers won't remember the past events, and things get swept under the rug quickly.

But these towns and villages are different; they are relatively conservative, everyone knows each other, and the overall environment remains largely unchanged for decades.

If the Gene Commercial Group becomes hated among them, it would affect business.

He resisted these actions out of concern for business, not for the sake of ordinary people.

But it didn't matter; once the war was over, wouldn't his title be promoted? Earn a large sum of money and expand the commercial group into the heart of the Empire.

Once he reached the prosperous areas, who would care about these miserable peasants? They had nothing to do with him.

Thinking of this, Gene quickened his pace to follow.

"Young Master Michel, with this grain, defeating the rebels at the front is easy," Gene flattered ahead, not forgetting to add in a low voice.

"The grain here is at least three times cheaper than in the city, and when they heard a big figure like you was coming, they offered an even lower price."

The meaning of Gene's words was clear: why Michel had withdrawn from the front lines with him, aside from avoiding battle, was also about money.

In simple terms, the portion Gene used to supply to the Nobility in Ovando City had changed hands, with Michel now getting a bigger share.

If it was a 70-30 split before, it's now 90-10, with 90% still going to them, and Gene had to look at Michel's face for that.

In essence, the entire Gene Commercial Group was now working for the Michel Family, the profits going into someone else's pockets, which is why they had to find excuses to lay off some workers.

Likewise, the higher the grain price difference, the higher the profits. Although the share was lower, the money that was supposed to be earned was still earned.

If anyone wanted the war to continue, Gene didn't know about others, but those big figures behind Michel certainly had a stake.

After all, victory belonged to the Empire, not the Michel Family.

It's more practical to seize the opportunity to make some money, and for this reason, Gene had hitched a ride with Michel to become an agent.

But everything Gene longed for was absolutely indifferent to Michel; his fervent flattery only earned scorn.

"Don't talk to me about these things," Michel dismissed indifferently.

Money? Doesn't that stuff grow on its own?

Trivial matters such as these annoying him, truly pathetic.

"Yes! We'll set off for the next town now, and our convoy can almost head back as well."

Despite all this, Gene responded with a smiling face; he understood this man's temperament well: never show any hint of defiance in front of him, or be prepared to die if you resist even a little.

Sure enough, Michel ignored him further, boarding the family-crest-adorned luxurious carriage, pulled by four horses, like hauling a room.

Michel could be indifferent, but Gene still had to handle all sorts of issues related to the convoy, coordinating with those farm owners, and local village bureaucrats, collecting the mess he left behind.

If it weren't for Michel, Gene wouldn't even be here.

Who the hell, given a stable and comfortable place, would not stay, coming to such lousy places for nothing fun?

Going outside, he also worried about Michel's safety, as everyone knew the chaos outside; he couldn't bear the responsibility if anything went wrong.

But someone like Michel obviously wouldn't abide by Gene's wishes; bored with city life, he tagged along for the excursion upon hearing of grain collection.

He also pulled out the guard unit, rendering the city defense force, for which Gene had spent a hefty sum, mere decoration.