Chapter 33:
After the Hereditary Nobles War, the promotion of new hereditary nobles became the top priority of the Grant Kingdom.
This time the Orc invasion war was divided into three major war zones, and a total of eleven barons of the Grant Kingdom died in the hereditary territory.
The Fox Dukedom suffered the most serious losses. The Duke's vassals suffered the most casualties. More than half of the territory was destroyed by the orcs. Eight barons were killed in the battle. Hundreds of thousands of people were kidnapped by the orcs. The property losses were also very serious.
The remaining three barons who died in the battle were from the territories directly under the royal family. Including Baron Stoppa, whom Richard was familiar with, they were all vassals directly under the king.
The Grant Kingdom will not deprive the hereditary nobles who died in the fiefdom of their title or reduce their territory.
Generally speaking, the title will be passed to the heir in line.
At the level of hereditary baron, there will be multiple heirs. These heirs are scattered in different legions and different provinces. Even different kingdoms, so as not to be accidentally overwhelmed.
Even professionals like William who strived for noble status would arrange for their sons to enter different legions. Not to mention the nobles with higher status.
Years of conflicts and wars have given everyone a strong sense of crisis. Diversifying investments, reducing risks, and not putting eggs in one basket is almost their survival instinct.
The battlefield on the Eastern Front was the best. Duke Jonathan did not lose an inch of territory. During the war, the Duke personally took action and killed the Orc Commander-in-Chief on the Eastern Front, the ninth-level Wolf King Dantlen.
This military achievement is very hard, and combined with the accumulated achievements in the past, Duke Jonathan's family will obtain two hereditary baronies.
Through the grapevine, Richard knew that Duke Jonathan's fourth and sixth sons would receive titles.
The battlefield on the Western Front was not fought well. Although the orc attack was finally repelled, many orc professionals were killed, and hundreds of thousands of civilians were plundered by the orcs. The royal family severely rebuked Duke Fox, and there would be no hereditary noble promotion this time.
In the center of the territory directly under the royal family, the war was fought fairly well, and a total of two baronies were granted.
One of them is Leon, the eldest son of Baron Harden. Leon's territory is located in the north of Baron Harden and west of the Platos Fortress Group. With the addition of this barony, Baron Harden can merge the territories and be promoted to a viscounty.
But Baron Harden did not do this, perhaps because he loved his children too much, and he planned to hand over the territory to his three sons for inheritance.
Two generations of the Harland family have worked hard for more than 20 years, and after this battle, they finally made enough achievements to earn a knighthood.
Before the war began, William had accumulated four major merits and six medium merits.
In this war, he gained the authority to lead an army alone, commanding two brigades to fight and holding on to Graveson Castle at the southern foot of the Eagle Mountains.
Although the battle was very difficult, William still persisted until the end and achieved great success. During the war, William killed one fifth-level orc, one fourth-level orc, four third-level orcs, three second-level orcs, and two first-level orcs. The professional killing orcs accumulated six medium skills.
Now William has accumulated six major merits and two medium merits in his name.
Before his second uncle Powell retired from active service, he was an excellent reconnaissance squadron leader of the Northern Army. After more than ten years of fighting, he also made many meritorious deeds, accumulating one major merit, three medium merit, and two minor merit.
These merits were not used by Powell when he retired, in order to accumulate merits and make the Haaland family a hereditary baron.
As soon as the Hallands became hereditary nobility, so did the Powell children.
Third Uncle Bernie also gained something in this war, and now he has accumulated one great merit, four medium merits, and six minor merits.
In addition, Richard has one great merit and three minor merits.
The combined military exploits of the four of them are enough to make the Harland family a hereditary baron.
In addition, other members of the family have also made some meritorious deeds. Although Barron died in battle, he still had three small meritorious deeds. After Ron became a professional, he also achieved two minor achievements.
These meritorious deeds can be used to promote hereditary nobles.
Having accumulated enough military exploits, it is certain that the Harland family will become hereditary barons.
However, the division of the territory cannot yet be determined.
Relatively speaking, the northern region is still relatively wild, with a very small population, and the division of territory is much easier. In other areas of Grant Kingdom, hereditary nobles have not been promoted for many years.
The situation in Dawn Continent has never been very stable, and wars often break out. Because of the pressure of the environment, most countries are very good at war.
Several countries in the north invaded by orcs have regulations that prohibit nobility without military merit.
It is rumored that Duke Jonathan wants to seal his favorite fourth son in the wealthy southern region, and is currently communicating with King Charles. The Harland family does not have such high connections. Although his father William has some friendships with some nobles, his friends are only lower-class nobles.
With William's personal network, it is impossible to seal the Haaland family in a wealthy area.
The fiefdom must be on the northern frontline, and its specific location can probably be determined.
The royal family's direct territory in the north is limited to the Borderlands.
It is not the turn of new and powerful families like the Harland family to get involved in the prosperous basin inside the Dragon Canyon.
As early as a hundred years ago, it was clearly divided.
Richard estimated that it was most likely in the mountainous area in the northern part of Geda Province. Four baronies had been sealed in this area.
The remaining area is still large, and several baronies can be awarded.
Generally speaking, the barony territory is more than 300 square kilometers and less than 1,000 square kilometers.
In the wealthy areas of the south, many baronies are less than 300 square kilometers.
However, in the northern border where there are sparsely populated areas and frequent wars. The area of many baronies greatly exceeds the standard, and many of them exceed one thousand square kilometers.
The areas of the largest baronies are even comparable to those of the southern viscounty.
The size and terrain of the Northern Territory are crucial factors.
In order to facilitate defense and guard important passages, the king would combine some fertile land with dangerous valleys and grant rewards to border nobles.
Such a policy has resulted in the general overproduction of border aristocratic territories.
The five major duchies in the north together account for almost half of the territory of the Grant Kingdom.
The area of border baronies generally ranges from one thousand square kilometers to three thousand square kilometers.
Entering November, the rewards have finally settled.
The Harland family territory was sealed eighty kilometers east of the Platos fortress complex.
The territory is not small, 30 kilometers from east to west, 40 kilometers from north to south, with a total area of 1,400 square kilometers. Most of the land is mountainous and hilly.
The territory borders the baronies of Stopa and Dirham.
This time the orcs invaded, the two baronies of Stopa and Dirham suffered heavy losses, and the population of Stopa's territory was annexed by Baron Harden. The territory now consists of just a few empty castles, waiting for the remaining members of Stopa's family to inherit.
Although Baron Dirham managed to hold on to the castle, the orcs also kidnapped seven or eight hundred of his subjects.
The reason why the territory granted to the Harland family was so large was that the royal capital required that the baron's castle must be placed in a valley in the northernmost part of the territory.
This valley can penetrate into the middle of the Eagle Mountains.
As long as this mountain pass is defended, the flanks of the Platos Fortress Group will also have stable support.
In addition, after Fort William is completed, it can also support each other with Fort Hardenburg and Fort Vick, enhancing the strength of this area and forming a complete line of defense.
The royal family also knows that the Harland family has a relatively low background. If they are only allowed to chew hard bones, the territory will not produce much, and I am afraid that the Harland family will not do their best to manage the territory.
If the rewarded territory is quickly lost, the meaning of enfeoffing hereditary nobles will be lost. Therefore, the rewards on the territory should be more generous, and the area given is almost equal to the size of a viscounty.
There are two rivers in the rewarded territory, and a lot of farmland can be opened up on both sides of the river. This territory has both meat and bones, which can be considered a good or bad result.
After obtaining the hereditary fiefdom, how to develop and manage the fiefdom will become the top priority of the Harland family.
William had already gone to the royal capital Nolan to attend the knighthood ceremony, and Richard, Powell and Bernie all wrote letters to communicate. After William came back, Richard decided to resign from the military and take charge of the management of the territory with Uncle Powell. Others in the family continue to have connections in the military.
(End of chapter)