That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 31 "Don't Squeeze into Circles That Don't Be Yours"

"But my lord, our crests and cloaks have been confiscated."

"Yes, without these items that signify our status, how would those militiamen know we are knights, and how would they obey our orders?"

"And according to tradition, we don't need to swear allegiance to you?"

Faced with questions from some knights, Ronan shook his head without hesitation: "Thorn Territory does not need tradition to guide its way."

He reiterated to the knights that from the moment they surrendered, they were no longer knights.

There are only two reasons why they are standing here at this moment: firstly, they have not committed any serious crimes and have a good attitude; secondly, they possess military talent. It is not because of their superior status or lineage.

Becoming a battalion commander does not mean any special privileges. Compared with grassroots militia members, the only difference is the duties, not the social status.

The knights exchanged bewildered glances; Ronan's arrangement clearly challenged their worldview.

Although they were not inherently bad, and could even be considered moral exemplars among the nobility of this land, no one could remain indifferent to the loss of their privileges.

"When faced with an extraordinary enemy, extraordinary measures must be taken. When following tradition fails to bring salvation, then bold innovation is the only course of action."

Ronan knew perfectly well that reforms ahead of their time would inevitably encounter resistance, so he did not engage in lengthy discussions of macro-level and abstract concepts such as "developing productive forces," but instead targeted the visible rebels.

"I have finished speaking. If you are willing to accept the arrangement, Thorn Territory welcomes you; if you are not willing to accept it, you can return to your original territory after the rebellion ends, and Thorn Territory will provide travel expenses. The choice is yours."

Things went more smoothly than Ronan had anticipated, because Howard and Grant were the first to express their support.

"I've made up my mind. Rather than being a knight in name only, I'd rather be a militiaman who makes a difference."

Howard bowed respectfully and said, "My lord, I am willing to obey your command."

Grant immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "Me too!"

Seeing this, the other knights also expressed their obedience, but judging from their expressions, not everyone was willing.

Of course, Ronan didn't expect everyone to genuinely agree with his ideas; he just wanted them to be obedient. Once they witnessed the rapid changes in Thorn Territory, their perspectives would naturally change subtly.

The next thing to consider is tomorrow's celebration banquet.

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The following evening, Ronan and Madonna arrived in Frost territory.

After the meeting, Ronan had lunch and packed a few things before setting off in the afternoon, leaving Bart to temporarily handle the affairs of the territory.

As for defense, Ronan was not worried: the Mountain Command would help with the defense, Lilith would clear out the mid-to-high-level evil beasts above level four, and the remaining small militia would be enough to deal with them, treating it as training.

Even if Lilith makes a mistake, Scarlett can cover for her—although she is injured, she can still easily kill some evil beasts.

Thornlands is safe now, but Ronan has something to do...

At modern speeds, a journey of less than two hundred miles could be completed in two hours, but it took them almost a whole day to reach the city gates of Frost.

While the slow speed of the carriages certainly played a role, the core factor was the presence of the evil beasts: in the Blackrock Empire's territory, the western and southern borders were areas with a relatively high density of evil beasts, and once they appeared on the main roads, traveling caravans could only detour or wait.

Therefore, most witches are responsible not only for killing evil beasts that invade their territory, but also for ensuring the safety and smooth passage of roads around their territory. Otherwise, not only will caravans dare not pass by, but they will also be condemned by other lords and even the church.

The costs of contracting, maintaining, and replacing witches are all very high, and ordinary small territories cannot afford them, so they can only pay protection fees to medium and large territories for protection.

Those that achieve defense autonomy, such as the Thorn Territory and the Mountain Territory, are actually rare exceptions.

Ronan's caravan encountered the evil beasts three times, which caused them to take many detours, and they even spent a night in White Sand Territory along the way.

Lord White Sand had previously sent an envoy to Ronan with gifts because of the defeated soldiers. Upon hearing that the big shot wanted to stay overnight at his home, he immediately expressed his welcome with the highest honors.

From the moment they met, Lord White Sand showered Ronan with compliments, and the food and wine were served in unlimited quantities. Ronan, unable to refuse such hospitality, could only return the compliments, barely eating a few bites that evening; while Madale, selectively ignored, silently ate her fill, boasting to her heart's content…

"Sir, this way please!"

The soldiers guarding the city inspected Ronan and Madonna's documents and bowed respectfully.

To these ordinary soldiers, the baron and his retinue were superior beings, whether by a large margin or a small margin.

However, the Duke's personal guards at the entrance to the banquet hall were not so polite.

"Your Excellency, this is the banquet hall where the Duke entertains his meritorious officials. Only lords of the rank of viscount and above are invited to the banquet. Your rank is not high enough, so I cannot allow you to enter and watch."

The guards spoke respectfully, but their eyes held a subtle hint of disdain.

It wasn't that he was arrogant; it was just that Ronan's clothes and cloak were patched, and he wasn't dressed as well as Ronan, giving him the appearance of a fallen nobleman.

You stinking out-of-towners, you've come to the Duke's mansion begging for food!

As for Maddalena—he clearly didn't think the female attendant was a witch, nor did he think a penniless baron could afford a witch.

"Is it possible that the hero who was treated to such hospitality is me, Ronan Sterling, the lord of Thornlands?"

Ronan, somewhat speechless, pulled out the Duke's handwritten letter. "Don't believe me? Look for yourself!"

"I have not received any specific notification, nor am I authorized to view the nobles' correspondence at will. I need to confirm with His Excellency the Duke personally. Please wait a moment."

The captain of the guards took the letter, his tone immediately becoming much more respectful, but before leaving, he still instructed two other guards to keep an eye on Ronan.

Ronan rolled his eyes, but he could understand—even modern management systems have all sorts of bizarre phenomena, let alone this backward dimension.

"Young man, I advise you to focus your energy on the right path!"

Just then, laughter came from behind.

Ronan saw a middle-aged man, pot-bellied and dressed as a count, resting his chin on his hand—an unnatural gesture clearly intended to show off the five gold rings on his fingers.

Ronan ignored him, but the guy went on to introduce himself: He was Victor, Earl of Rainbow Territory, personally appointed by the Duke of the West. His Rainbow Territory had always been the wealthiest territory in the West, producing gems of superior quality that were sold as far as the North and even the capital. He actively built churches, attended Masses, and strictly dealt with witches according to church rules; he was a devout believer certified by the church…

Instead of racking your brains to squeeze into circles that don't belong to you, why not be more practical and focus your energy on self-improvement? You're still young, it's better to turn back before it's too late.

After a bit of self-praise, Victor spoke earnestly in the tone of someone with experience.

Ronan: "Classic."

"...?"

Despite being completely ignorant of modern tropes, Victor's intuition, honed through years of experience in aristocratic circles, told him that Ronan was mocking him—a mere baron who, instead of being grateful for his teachings, was being incredibly rude!

Victor muttered as he pulled out the invitation and deliberately waved it at Ronan: "Forget it, why should I waste my breath on a mere baron?"

"urgent."

"you……!"

"As far as I know, Rainbow Territory is not on the invitation list for this banquet. Uninvited lords can only attend by making a donation, and the corresponding invitations will be different. Before Your Excellency goes on with your grand pronouncements, could you please address this junior's small question?"

Victor's face visibly changed color, because he had indeed paid for the invitation.

"I...I was clearly invited! How dare a mere baron presume to guess the banquet guest list..."

"win."

Ronan smiled slightly—he knew, of course, that Victor was putting on a brave face, because the Duke had included a list of guests attending the banquet in his reply.

Although everyone complains that short dramas are cheesy, it's actually quite satisfying to personally try them out and prove them wrong.

Unfortunately, this count's attack power was too weak, so it was pointless to even slap him in the face.

"No matter what, the fact that I attended the banquet is undeniable, while a wicked person like you can only watch from the outside!"

After two bodyguards checked the invitation and gestured for it to be accepted, Victor said, his neck stiff.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a tall figure trotted out of the banquet hall—it was Houston, the chief knight under Duke Henry, followed by the captain of the personal guard who had just gone in.

Upon seeing this, Victor immediately put on a smile: This is the Duke's confidant; his every word and action can influence the Duke himself!

However, before he could utter the compliments he had prepared, Houston walked right past him and gave Ronan a standard knightly salute.

"Lord Ronan, please forgive our oversight! The Duke has been waiting for you for some time, please follow me!"

He then sternly reprimanded the squad leader: "You are extremely rude, leaving the Duke's honored guest standing outside like this!"

The squad leader bowed repeatedly, saying, "It was my fault for being blind! Please don't take it to heart!"

"Garlic birds, garlic birds, life isn't easy for anyone."

Ronan knew this was an act for him, so he went along with it and waved his hand, "I'm hungry too, let's go."

Houston then took Ronan inside. Maidal, as his attendant, was not allowed in and was made to wait in the reception room in the side hall.

Victor's mouth dropped open; he hadn't expected that the young baron before him was actually a guest of honor of the Duke. A surge of emotions—shock, shame, remorse—filled his chest.

He pondered how to make amends and wanted to follow them in, but was stopped by the squad leader.

"Your Excellency, I need to examine your invitation first."

Victor: "Didn't we already check?"

Squad leader: "I'm so sorry, but I've personally checked it before it counts. Please cooperate."

Despite feeling high blood pressure, Victor had no choice but to present the invitation again in the face of the determined squad leader.

Unlike Ronan, he was indeed trying to squeeze into circles that didn't belong to him...

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