Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

Taking the slaves away would undoubtedly provoke a reaction from Blade City. If they decided to pursue, the only real way to handle it would be to deploy soldiers to intercept them—there were no other viable options.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but thoughtful. The key issue wasn't just moving the slaves; it was ensuring they reached Sedona City safely without significant losses or complications. He would have to consider the following:

Guard Force: The escort team must be strong enough to deter any pursuit. A show of strength might make Blade City hesitate to send their forces after them.

Route Planning: Leveraging the river for as much of the journey as possible could reduce the risk of being intercepted. The fewer opportunities Blade City had to attack, the better.

Diversion Tactics: Setting up decoys or false leads might draw Santner's forces away from the true route. Misdirection could buy enough time to secure the slaves within Sedona City's territory.

Negotiation or Leverage: While Santner might not be open to discussions, having some leverage—like threatening to expose his control over Blade City's lord or his dealings with Moon Fruit—might force him to think twice about retaliating.

Lucas understood that this operation would be a calculated risk. However, with careful planning and resource management, the benefits of gaining 1,000 additional workers for Sedona City far outweighed the potential costs.

But now Lucas faced an awkward situation: insufficient troops. If this were a defensive battle fought on home turf, it wouldn't be an issue; relying on superior logistics alone could wear the enemy down.

The problem was that the newly recruited soldiers had only just begun training. Many of them were physically weak and lacked discipline. Sending them into battle would only result in high casualties. Even if they managed to defeat the beastkin knights, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best.

Originally, Sedona City had about 100 seasoned soldiers, but 25 of them had been reassigned to the Guard Division, leaving only around 80. Even with high-quality weapons and equipment, facing Santner's 300 well-armed beastkin knights would still result in heavy losses. Even in victory, fewer than one in ten might survive—and that was a price Lucas wasn't willing to pay.

Beastkin knights weren't like Baron Omar's ragtag band of horse thieves. Those bandits' defeat at Lucas's hands had been well-deserved.

The key issue was that Lucas's forces would be on the defensive, not the offensive. The main objective was the 1,000 slaves. If Santner had any sense, he would focus on slowing the slaves' progress. In such a scenario, it would be Lucas's side that would suffer from attrition.

If he had just two more months, by which time the new recruits would have completed basic training, Lucas would even consider dispatching forces to blockade Blade City's gates directly.

Given the high potential for losses in direct combat, Lucas could only rely on strategy. Several ideas crossed his mind but were quickly dismissed. Sedona City's development was still too recent, and many of the necessary tools and measures weren't yet in place.

"I could go and distract them," Freya suddenly suggested. Now that the princess had been found, she wanted to do her part to help the enslaved beastkins.

Lucas's dark eyes flickered briefly before he shook his head. "It's useless. You alone won't be able to draw away many of them."

"..." Freya fell silent. It was true. The beastkin knights who had been chasing her before were only about twenty in number—a drop in the bucket compared to the total number under Santner's command.

"Wait, Santner was plotting to kidnap noble children. Could we spread that information around?" Freya's ember eyes lit up with the idea.

"It won't work. By the time the nobles receive the news and react, several days will have passed. The slaves likely wouldn't last that long," Lucas said, rejecting the idea once again.

"True!" Freya scratched her cheek and turned to look at Annie. She sighed inwardly—thinking wasn't her strong suit, after all.

"Young Master, what if we use a treasure map as bait?" Annie suggested softly, her brown eyes blinking thoughtfully. "If the bait is tempting enough, Santner would certainly dispatch a large number of beastkin knights."

"Go on," Lucas said, raising an eyebrow. Using a treasure map to lure them out could indeed force Santner to deploy most of his knights.

"Uh..." Annie gave an awkward laugh, her brown eyes darting nervously. "I haven't quite thought of the rest yet."

"..." Silence fell over the group.

"Freya, haven't the beastkin knights Santner sent been chasing after you this whole time?" Lucas suddenly thought of an idea and turned to Freya. "Can you confirm if they're still near Sedona City?"

"I suspect they've already entered Sedona City," Freya said, her ember eyes narrowing coldly. "With the heavy snowfall these past few days, they wouldn't have been able to move far. It's highly likely they've made their way into the city."

"Mina, have someone keep an eye out for any unfamiliar beastkins in the city," Lucas instructed the cat-eared maid. "If you find them, don't alert them."

"Understood!" Mina swayed her hips as she left the study room, ready to brief the intelligence agents—or perhaps even take on the task herself.

"Now, it's time for us to put on a little play." Lucas said, a glint of cold determination flashing in his black eyes.

"A play? What kind of play, young master?" Annie asked curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough," Lucas replied with a cryptic smile before his tone shifted, becoming more commanding. "Annie, get ready to issue orders."

"Yes!" Annie immediately grabbed her notebook, poised to record Lucas's instructions.

"Order the War Wolves to prepare seven days' worth of compressed military rations... Freya, you'll need to cooperate with their operation."

"Understood!" Freya responded firmly, ready to follow the plan.

By evening, the heavy snowfall had finally stopped.

The Drunken Night, the largest tavern and dining hall in Sedona City, quickly became bustling with activity again. As the go-to spot for meals, it was always packed. While some residents cooked at home, most came to eat on the first floor of Drunken Night. Others opted for simpler fare like steamed buns from the bun shop or a splurge at the pizza shop. The wealthier patrons, however, preferred to reserve private rooms on the second floor of Drunken Night, where they could enjoy a more refined dining experience.

At this moment, the beastkin knights sent by Santner to capture Freya had gathered in one of these second-floor private rooms.

"Any luck contacting the Black Iris Organization?" asked Karl, the dog beastkin leading the group.

"No. We've left markers, but no one has responded." Replied a fox beastkin subordinate.

"Damn it! Don't tell me there's no Black Iris presence in Sedona City? Weren't they supposed to have agents spread throughout the entire Siacan Kingdom?" Karl roared, his anger boiling over.

They had been on the move for 1 month without capturing Freya. Worse yet, they had lost her trail entirely six days ago. Forced to take shelter from the heavy snow, they had now been stuck in Sedona City for three days, growing increasingly frustrated with their lack of progress.

"Lord, could it be that Freya has already left? Maybe she never even entered Sedona City?" One of the beastkins whispered.

"Impossible. Unless she wants to freeze to death, the only place nearby to shelter from the snow is Sedona City. She must have come here," Karl waved his hand dismissively, speaking with certainty. "She's definitely hiding somewhere in the city. If we don't catch her soon, Prince Santner will be furious."

The beastkins around him shuddered at the thought of Santner's severe punishment.

"Should we search house by house?" Asked a pig beastkin.

"Slap!"

Karl immediately slapped him hard on the ear, his face angry. "Do you want to get arrested by the guards from the Guard Division?"

Just thinking about it made Karl seethe with anger. When they first entered Sedona City, they had simply wanted to find a place to relieve themselves. Instead, they were told they would be fined. They couldn't accept that—how could they be controlled over something as simple as relieving themselves?

When they tried to resist, they were beaten. The worst offenders were shot with short arrows in the arms or legs, then dragged off. Only the seven of them, who hadn't reacted in time, remained.

They had later lied, claiming they didn't know the others who were arrested. If they hadn't done so, they too would have been taken away. Karl even secretly admired his quick thinking.

During their three days in Sedona City, they also learned that the armored knights were from the Guard Division.

"What about the ones who were arrested, Lord? The Guard Division said that their actions were severe and that they drew swords. They won't be released for at least three months of labor reform," One of the beastkins asked.

"Hmph! Once we catch Freya and return, I'll request that Prince Santner send someone to wipe out Sedona City," Karl said coldly.

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