Chapter 176: Family Separation Plan
Owen had the idea of separating the families in order to create a stable development space.
Five fingers clenched into a fist would make people feel aggressive, but if they were separated, the threat would not be so great.
Therefore, Owen planned to relocate the converted nomadic tribe to the vicinity of Mara Town, maintaining only trade contact with the territory. This would greatly reduce the apparent total population of the territory. At the same time, it would also allow him to absorb other scattered nomadic tribes in the Northland, killing two birds with one stone.
Then there was the barbarian tribe. Owen planned to move them to the Wild Bull Territory. This would also make it easier to conceal the ever-expanding mining operations underground. After all, even underground, there would inevitably be vibrations, so there was a need for an isolated barbarian tribe.
In addition, this barbarian tribe would also be responsible for preventing other Northland barbarians from going south. At the very least, they would be able to provide early warning when facing a southward barbarian army, and even infiltrate the enemy’s ranks.
In this way, the population of the territory would be reduced by at least one-third. Even if there were a continuous influx of outsiders, it would not be able to recover within at least three years.
Owen decided to discuss this matter with Maya first because he couldn’t handle it alone.
Separating families was not something that could be done on a whim. It had to be done naturally, without anyone noticing the flaws. Otherwise, if it was done in a grand and obvious manner, anyone would be able to see the problem.
Fortunately, both the nomadic tribe and the barbarian tribe had always been very exclusive. Moreover, Owen had initially arranged them on the outskirts of Autumn Field Town, providing a sufficient reason for their departure.
When he mentioned this to Maya, it turned out that they had the same idea, and they immediately began a lively discussion.
However, the nomadic tribe had Bella in charge. She had rich experience in managing nomadic tribes and wouldn’t cause any trouble. The barbarian tribe was different; they lacked a leader.
As the old saying goes, a snake cannot move without a head, so they still had to think of a solution.
“There’s no rush. Let Bella arrange for the nomadic tribe to gradually leave and gather in the direction of Mara Town. We’ll deal with the barbarian tribe later.” Owen slumped in his chair. The hard work during this period had made him physically and mentally tired, and even Dier’s nourishing soup wasn’t as effective. It seemed that he needed to rest well for a while. As the old saying goes, one can only store up energy by resting.
“Alright, it’s not appropriate to make too much of a fuss about this matter. I’ll arrange for it to be completed within half a year.” After saying that, Maya got up from Owen and turned to leave without hesitation, leaving only the exhausted Owen to recover.
After being strengthened twice, Owen was finally able to walk by himself before dark. However, he always felt like something was missing between his legs. When the wind blew, he felt a sense of melancholy, as if leaves were falling. He couldn’t help but sigh that having too many women seemed to make life even harder.
Returning to the castle, the house-elf butler had already thoughtfully arranged everything.
For house-elves, the days when their master was away were the most painful and difficult to bear.
After changing his clothes and washing his hands, Owen sat at the dining table and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with Dier. As usual, Charle stood quietly by the side, her usual maid outfit contrasting sharply with the exaggerated halberds she carried on her back, which resembled executioner’s axes.
Because he had lost a lot of stamina, the main course for dinner was a plump roasted leg of lamb.
The golden-brown roasted leg of lamb was still sizzling with oil. While it was hot, a mixture of cumin, chili pepper, and black pepper was sprinkled on it. The aroma immediately exploded, filling the entire space like an erupting volcano.
Owen, who had exhausted a lot of stamina, couldn’t help but swallow his saliva. He picked up his knife and fork, and with a gentle push, a piece of steaming hot lamb was separated from the leg. It was evident that the leg of lamb had been specially treated before roasting; otherwise, it wouldn’t be so tender.
As soon as the lamb entered his mouth, before his teeth could even chew, the slightly gamey lamb fat and the delicious meat juice filled his tongue, making Owen nod repeatedly. It was the perfect flavor.
Owen didn’t know what kind of roast lamb others liked, but he just loved the slightly gamey taste. It was delicious.
Next came roasted lamb chops, roasted cartilage, roasted tenderloin, and roasted sirloin. There was only a bowl of vegetable salad as a side dish. After all, he was young and healthy, and eating too much meat wouldn’t upset his stomach and keep him awake at night.
After eating and drinking his fill and reading for a while, Owen didn’t take a bath or rest. Instead, he went to the secret chamber in the dungeon and summoned Bella.
The demonized half-horse female knight, who was once obsessed with hatred, was now in a much better mental state. After all, she had a career and a girlfriend, so her mood was naturally much better. Even her coat color had become much brighter. She was also wearing a special dress sewn by Ai Mi Er, the kind that covered her horse butt, and the lower part extended to her horse legs, trying to avoid exposing any weaknesses. After all, she was now a person of status.
“Master.” Bella had received the message beforehand, so she wasn’t surprised to be summoned.
“Did Maya tell you about the next arrangement?” Owen, feeling sore legs, sat down on a chair, while Bella, understandingly, bent her four hooves and knelt down. However, she was still much taller than Owen.
“She has already told me. I will arrange for them to leave in the form of small tribes and form a nomadic tribal alliance in order to absorb more nomadic tribes. They will gather in Autumn Field Town before winter arrives to spend the winter, gradually developing a sense of belonging to the territory.” Maya had instructed Bella on many things, and now she spoke in an orderly manner, making Owen nod repeatedly as he listened.
Maya had indeed thought things through more thoroughly than Owen, but there were still some problems she couldn’t solve, such as Bella’s strength.
In the territory’s future development plan, Bella occupied a very important position. It could be said that with her, the loose nomadic tribes could be united into a force that could not be ignored. Without her, they would be scattered like sand. Therefore, her safety was very important.
But Bella’s strength was, how should one say it, she could fight and run, and she had a size advantage. It would be difficult for ordinary people to threaten her, even if there were enough of them. However, if she faced a true expert or a large army siege and couldn’t escape, she would be doomed.
Her large size was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Without sufficient skill and strength to compensate, she would be almost helpless against a true expert, easily disemboweled and dismembered.
There was no helping it. Bella was just the daughter of a merchant, and later she led the tribe mainly by her brains. She had never learned any martial arts and only started learning combat skills after coming to the territory.
This wouldn’t do. Bella was crucial to the territory’s future strategic plan. It wasn’t necessary for her to be a one-man army, but she had to at least be able to protect herself. Therefore, Owen had prepared a special strengthening template for her.
The strengthening process of the template was very simple. The figure of a mounted warrior smoothly integrated into Bella, and in the blink of an eye, she looked different, appearing more heroic and extraordinary.
In fact, Bella’s foundation wasn’t bad. Because she had merged with her beloved horse during the demonization process, her potential was greater, but it had not been brought out. With the template’s enhancement, her spirit was instantly ignited.
Owen took out the Tiger’s Might Armor, Tiger Head Golden Spear, Horse-Slaying Sword, Treasured Bow and Arrows, Iron Claw Grappling Hook, and other equipment he had prepared beforehand.
Bella familiarized herself with the equipment and put it on, then waited for Owen’s orders.
