Chapter 150

Chapter 150

After suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Lindbergh got to the point.

He smiled and said, "It's still about the territory. Wait, don't rush to refuse me." Seeing Lorant open his mouth as if he wanted to say something, Lindbergh preemptively interrupted.

"I'm not here to ask you to join those damn nobles." He said this with complete ease, and Lorant and Lancelot exchanged glances, seeing deep frustration in each other's eyes.

If he wasn't mistaken, this general, although he had formally passed his title to his son, was still a member of the nobility!

Was it really that good to say so?

Lindbergh didn't care at all what he had said and continued, "Those guys from the Imperial Diet are just deliberately annoying people. You were right to reject them. For some damn barony, they want to pry into your breeding lines; they must be out of their minds."

He said this with obvious disdain.

Hearing this, Lorant was somewhat surprised. The envoy at the Animal Pet Shop had been chased away by him and Lancelot after saying only a few words, and neither of them had heard the conditions offered by the Imperial Diet at the time.

Today, upon hearing this, Lorant couldn't even muster the energy to be angry; all he felt was a strong sense of absurdity.

To trade a low-ranking noble title for one of his breeding lines?

They must really be out of their minds.

Even an E-grade breeding line was far more important to Lorant than a nominal noble title.

As for fiefs, Lorant did indeed have a bit of envy, but no matter how much he envied them, it was absolutely not worth trading one of his breeding lines for.

Not to mention, just considering the three lowest-grade breeding lines he currently had.

Although the E-grade pet Bamboo Lantern seemed to have no practical use, if Lorant announced that he was preparing to sell it, there would be a large number of people waving boxes of crystal cards, fighting over it at the entrance of the Animal Pet Shop.

Moreover, if he used the gold coins earned from selling this line to buy land, Lorant could purchase two or three baronies' worth of land.

No matter how you looked at it, the current Imperial Diet was indeed so decayed that it lacked anyone with a clear mind.

Holding backward and arrogant thoughts, doing foolish and ridiculous things.

After mocking the brainless actions of the Imperial Diet, Lindbergh continued, "However, I also learned from Lancelot and Diana that you should still need a territory of your own."

Lorant didn't hide his agreement, nodding and waiting for Lindbergh to continue.

Whether it was the Cotton Tree Farm or the Candy Rabbit Ranch, both required a large area of land.

Unless Lorant was willing to collaborate with others on all his farms and ranches, leaving none for himself, the small piece of land the Animal Pet Shop currently owned would definitely not be enough.

"So today, I came to invite you to obtain your own territory through the military department."

At this, Lancelot suddenly understood. "Is it the Land Reclamation Order?"

Lindbergh nodded. "Yes, the Land Reclamation Order."

Seeing the two of them communicating tacitly, Lorant curiously asked, "The Land Reclamation Order? What is that?"

This time, Lancelot took over the explanation.

"It's a power granted by the Imperial Diet to the military department long ago. As long as you accumulate enough military merit on the front lines of the Lopulo Mountains, you can obtain a portion of land in the Kamkuo region through the military department."

"This regulation was mainly to better develop the Kamkuo region, with the empire wanting to gradually turn Kamkuo into another territory with towns and villages, rather than leaving it completely desolate as it is now."

"But this rule hasn't been implemented for many years."

"Currently, there is still surplus land within the empire, so professional practitioners who really need a territory generally acquire it through leasing internal land or other methods."

"After all, the three major professional organizations all have their own territories, and the practitioners affiliated with them do not lack for land."

Lancelot explained, which was why he only realized what Lindbergh meant when he mentioned it.

The Land Reclamation Order had been defunct for many years.

The Cavendish family's territory was on the edge of Kamkuo, and this land was obtained by the first Cavendish Earl through military merit and passed down to his descendants.

Lorant nodded in understanding, becoming interested. "So, if I obtain my territory through this method of military merit, I won't have to become a noble, right?"

Lindbergh nodded. "That's right. Of course, the empire does have regulations stating that if privately-owned land exceeds a certain size, one can apply to become a noble. But I think you probably don't need that."

"Then, how do I earn these military merits?"

Seeing Lorant indeed showing interest, Lindbergh smiled like a cunning old fox.

"Military merits naturally come from defeating beasts." He said, pulling out a detailed record sheet from his spatial bracelet and handing it to Lorant.

"Here are the rules for exchanging military merits. You can take a look."

Lorant took the paper and read it carefully. Meanwhile, Kongwu, carrying six cups and two teapots, slowly floated over from the living room.

It politely placed water cups in front of Lindbergh and Diana first, then put the other cups in front of Lancelot and the others. Treating guests with priority was something Pence had taught in class.

After setting the cups, Kongwu poured the freshly brewed, fragrant leaf tea into them, the thin bone china cups filled with a light red liquid.

Kongwu was now quite proficient in this, having been carefully trained by Peter. The floating octopuses had all shown potential to be excellent butlers.

Lindbergh stared blankly at the ugly but somehow polite-looking large octopus nodding at him before gracefully floating away in the air.

He was completely dazed.

What had he just seen?

A flying octopus serving him tea?

Lancelot sipped his tea and tried hard to suppress his smile.

Kongwu had now become a skilled hand in the kitchen. Under the dedicated guidance of Ruth and Martha, this little creature could independently prepare quite a few dishes.

Moreover, due to its numerous tentacles, it was incredibly efficient at work, capable of doing the job of ten people with just one fish.

Lorant was already considering setting up a specialized kitchen for Kongwu, one that would suit its working habits.

With such a well-equipped kitchen, Kongwu alone would be enough to run an entire restaurant.

At this moment, however, Lorant was seriously looking at the document in his hands, unaware of the profound impact Kongwu had on this general.

The conversion of military merit was simple: as long as you hunted exotic beasts at the pass of the Lopulo Mountains and exchanged them, you could obtain corresponding military merit.

Different levels of exotic beasts could be exchanged for different amounts of military merit; the higher the level, the more merit you would receive.

According to what was stated here, a single ninth-level exotic beast was enough to exchange for a freehold roughly the size of a baron's fief.

Of course, compared to a high-level exotic beast, more people preferred to accumulate their military merit using a large number of low-level exotic beasts.

More importantly, there was no limit to the exchange of military merit. As long as you were willing, you could continue to use your military merit to exchange for land, even if it meant acquiring a territory the size of an empire in the Kamkho region.

This was a feasible matter.

Kamkho was known as the "No Man's Land."

It was a buffer zone between the human empire and the orc empire.

It was also where the Black Forest was primarily located, teeming with exotic beasts, making it almost comparable to the plains before the Lopulo Mountains.

Although the land was not barren, the rampant exotic beasts had turned it into a desolate area.

Given a choice, no one would want to stay in a place like Kamkho, where life was uncertain.

Cavendish's territory looked relatively decent mainly because his land was quite close to Mauplan. To put it bluntly, calling it an unofficial part of Mauplan wouldn't be far off.

Furthermore, the land exchanged by the military was a "freehold," meaning the empire would not be responsible for anything that happened on the land. If your land was destroyed by exotic beasts, you would have to accept your fate.

The empire wouldn't even send someone to collect your remains.

Such a vast wasteland was naturally a hot potato to others, difficult to develop even if they acquired it.

But for the Animal Pet Shop, it was different.

Combat power, the Animal Pet Shop certainly didn't lack!

Though they would have to flee if faced with three or five ninth-level exotic beasts, dealing with the scattered mid-to-high-level exotic beasts in the Kamkho region was more than sufficient.

After all, these young Ruyi Bingyan Dogs were powerful B-grade pets, no matter how young they were.

The often overlooked combat capabilities of the Windbreaker Horses were also significant.

Even the Candy Rabbits, those temperamental sweet giants, each had the strength of a second or third-level exotic beast. A kick from their strong hind legs was not something just anyone could endure.

Dealing with sixth or seventh-level exotic beasts commonly found in the Kamkho region was no problem at all.

The more Lorant read, the happier he became. This rule seemed to be tailor-made for him!

"Uncle Lindbergh, I want to ask, does the military merit system require the exotic beasts to be hunted by the person themselves?"

Lindbergh smiled mysteriously without giving a direct answer: "As long as the exotic beasts are hunted at the Lopulo Mountains, they count."

Lorant's heart leaped with joy, knowing that the loophole he had discovered was indeed tacitly approved by the military.

This way, not only could he organize students or bring pets to fight in the Lopulo Mountains to earn military merit, but he could even send people to purchase exotic beasts at the Lopulo Pass and still acquire his own territory.

Lorant made his decision immediately.

"Thank you, Uncle Lindbergh, I know what to do."

Lindbergh nodded approvingly: "That's good. Since that's the case, I'll be waiting for your good news. By the way, the exotic beasts used to exchange for military merit can be purchased at cost price, which is also allowed."

"That's perfect, Uncle Lindbergh. Actually, I've always had an idea." Lorant understood that the military deliberately having Lindbergh remind him was a sign of goodwill.

Since he had decided to acquire territory through this route, Lorant naturally wanted to reciprocate.

"The Animal Pet Shop is growing larger, and the amount of pet food needed daily is quite substantial. I want to open a specialized pet food processing factory in the city at the Lopulo Pass, directly purchasing exotic beast meat from the Lopulo Mountains for processing."

"Then transport the finished products back inland. Do you think this is feasible?"

Lindbergh, being as astute as he was, immediately saw the significant benefits a pet food factory could bring to the local area.

Not only would it increase the income from exotic beast meat, but more importantly, as the Animal Pet Shop continued to expand, the scale of the pet food factory would inevitably grow.

Such a factory would certainly bring considerable economic advantages to the area, providing hope for survival to many who were on the brink of starvation.

Even if the entire factory used magical facilities, wouldn't people still be needed to transport goods and pack them?

Such a factory would not only be welcomed at the pass where Lindbergh and his team were, but if Lorant was willing, both the Knights of the Thorns and the church-guarded passes would undoubtedly provide considerable convenience.

"Of course, there's no problem. It's a good idea. I have some idle land there myself. If you need it, I can arrange a suitable location for you," Lindbergh said with a smile.

"Thank you, Uncle Lindbergh."

Lindbergh and Lorant exchanged a knowing smile, both tactfully avoiding further details.

Neither of them should be concerned with such trivial matters. After finalizing the cooperation, the subsequent details would naturally be handled by others.

Just as they finished their conversation, Diana had already finished checking Doris's condition.