After reading the letter, Levi pondered whether he could profit from this war.

He concluded that getting involved now was no different from a suicide mission.

Moreover, there was another matter. As a Baron of Exploration enfeoffed by Duke Xilong, if Liya were to summon him to this war, he would have to participate or risk damaging his reputation.

Back in Kolon, he had saved Liya with the very hope of getting involved in their struggle for the dukedom and reaping some benefits.

’But... this is happening too fast!’

He hadn’t expected Fulina to start mobilizing her forces and preparing for war the moment she got the news.

He didn’t yet have the strength to take a slice of the cake.

Levi rubbed his temples, a headache forming.

A war between two of Debei’s powerful Dukes would involve at least one hundred thousand soldiers.

He couldn’t deny the strength of the Beastman Barbarians. These Warriors who roamed the Wilderness had struggled against a barren environment and fought ferocious bears and tigers since childhood.

The harsh environment had forged these powerful, agile, and ferocious Warriors. Every single Beastman Barbarian could easily defeat three to five elite Debei Warriors.

But so what? War was never a one-on-one street fight.

If it were a hundred against a hundred, Levi had no doubt the Barbarians would win. But if the numbers grew to a thousand against a thousand, the Beastman Barbarians would have no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat.

And once it escalated to a battle of ten thousand, the Beastman Barbarians would face a one-sided rout.

The biggest difference between a ragtag bunch and a truly elite army was never muscle or bravery, but the discipline and formation coordination required for team combat.

This was what determined whether they were a scattered mess or a unified force.

With High Cliff Castle’s current assets, getting thrown into this conflict between powerful Dukes wouldn’t even make a ripple.

Even Levi couldn’t guarantee he would emerge unscathed. He was strong—strong enough to be confident that if even a legendary Giant appeared, he could pierce its skull with a single spear.

He’d show it what real power—the kind that breaks all the rules—looked like.

However, he wasn’t invincible. There were things in this world that even he feared.

The most obvious one he knew of was the Dragon-Hunting Crossbow, a weapon specifically developed by humans to deal with Giant Dragons.

It had a Compound Bow Body made of Palladium and a Bowstring of Dragon Sinew, giving it a range of over two thousand paces—far exceeding that of a normal Bed Crossbow. Its Arrowhead, mixed with Refined Gold, could tear through even the toughest Dragon Scales as if they were made of paper.

According to public records alone, a total of eight Giant Dragons had been slain by the Dragon-Hunting Crossbow.

Levi certainly didn’t think his flesh and blood were any tougher than Dragon Scales!

This was also why he hadn’t gone on a killing spree back in Kolon. If he had been surrounded, he wouldn’t have dared to bet that Kolon didn’t possess such a devious weapon.

’Still, even if war is coming, it probably won’t be until next year.’

Gazing toward the south, Levi suddenly thought of something.

It was already mid-August.

A military operation involving tens of thousands of people was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. It would likely take Bailiu City half a month just to prepare for the march.

And for a legion of over ten thousand to march from the Northern Territory to Kolon would take at least another month.

By then, it would be October, and the weather in Debei would already be turning cold.

War was always time-consuming. This conflict would take at least half a year to conclude, which would be right in the middle of winter.

The land would be frozen solid, a vast expanse of white as far as the eye could see.

Anyone with any military knowledge would never choose to wage war in the winter.

It was an extremely harsh test of the besieging army’s endurance.

Fulina was clearly not ignorant of military matters. She would most likely spend the rest of the year preparing, with the real fighting not starting until around March of next year.

Simply put, Levi still had time to develop.

By March of next year, he was confident he could raise a force that could not be ignored.

Done with his thoughts, he turned his gaze to the second letter.

To his surprise, this letter was from Lorina.

Unlike Liya’s letter, this one didn’t bother with pleasantries. It simply stated that for any furs or large quantities of livestock he acquired from the Wilderness, he could contact her for a partnership to sell them.

Due to immense demand from both the Pioneer Nobles and Wilderness Natives, trade in the Wilderness was prosperous. Goods worth at least a million Gold Coins flowed into the region annually. In return, vast quantities of furs, livestock, and slaves from the Wilderness flowed into Debei, making it a crucial trade route for the Debei Kingdom.

Levi stroked his chin. ’This could be a source of income.’

Compared to the distant and uncertain profits of farming, taking what he wanted by force was clearly an easier way to make money right now.

But Levi wasn’t thinking of becoming a merchant himself. He was thinking of collecting tolls from them!

Theoretically, the land for a hundred miles in every direction was his private territory, so collecting tolls was perfectly justifiable.

But that was just a theory. To turn theory into reality, he needed a sufficient army, military strength, and subjects to back it up.

However, all of that was still a distant prospect for High Cliff Castle. Levi decided to focus on the present.

"Hog," Levi ordered, "take some men to the Kas Mountain Range tomorrow. You just need to find out if there are any humans living there."

Hog nodded, unable to hide his excitement. He was eager to prove himself to Levi and had long grown tired of the past half-month of territorial patrols. A real mission had finally arrived!

Levi didn’t give him any further instructions.

Hog was smart and, crucially, a quick learner. In just half a month, he had already mastered the things Levi had occasionally taught him.

A simple scouting mission into the Kas Mountain Range shouldn’t pose any problems.

Besides, with their mounts, few Races in the Wilderness could catch them if they needed to escape.

Once Hog confirmed there were humans living in the Kas Mountain Range, Levi could proceed with his next move.

Whether he negotiated with the Ancestors in the Kas Mountain Range or subdued them by force, Levi was determined to have them.

...

The next day, as the people of High Cliff Castle were finishing their breakfast, everyone heard a sharp, urgent whistle.

"On guard!"

From atop a tall, makeshift watchtower, the Beastman Barbarian on lookout duty shouted himself hoarse.

"Oh? After half a month, someone still dares to come and test High Cliff Castle’s mettle," Levi said with a smirk.

In the past half a month, he had completely wiped out all the Tribes within a fifteen-mile radius of High Cliff Castle, making a name for himself.

The Wilderness Natives all knew that a ruthless bunch had arrived, and no one dared to provoke them anymore.

Levi didn’t know if the newcomers were acting out of strength or courage, but they had clearly picked the wrong opponent.

The relaxed smiles on the Barbarians’ faces vanished. They snatched up the weapons they had just set down and entered a state of readiness, a thrill of excitement spreading among them.

"Let’s go and meet them!" Levi placed a hand on the Sword at his waist, raised his arm with a cry, and led the Beastman Barbarians menacingly to the edge of the hill.

From the hilltop, the view over the plains was extremely open. Following the direction the Beastman Barbarian sentry pointed, they could see blurry black figures moving toward High Cliff Castle, treading through a sea of green grass that rippled like waves of wheat.

Levi squinted, peering at them carefully. When the figures came into focus, he was slightly surprised.

"Humans?"