Following the events surrounding Valhalla and the distribution of spoils, a wave of desire for war swept through the camp.
Gladiators and barbarians who were unable to fight gathered outside the tribal hall, hoping that their leader would take them out to plunder again.
Todd had no such plans. First, with the population increasing, the camp needed to be expanded again; second, the enemy had become aware of the situation, making raiding more difficult; and third, snuff production had entered a crucial mixing stage, requiring him to oversee the workshop.
Five days after the banquet, Todd was sitting in the spice room of the workshop, holding a bamboo tube with one end inserted into his nostril and the other end aimed at a pinch of powder on the table, taking a deep breath.
A pungent, spicy smell made him sneeze several times in a row.
"This smell is too strong!" Todd rubbed his nose hard. "What the hell did you guys put in it?"
Minnie looked at the grinding bowl and said with some surprise, "It's all just common ingredients: tobacco leaves, peppercorns, clematis..."
After listening for a while, Todd offered two suggestions: "First, reduce the proportion of tobacco powder; second, remove some irritating ingredients and add some cooling seasonings."
After explaining all this, Todd straightened up and twisted his waist, then saw Rachel standing at the workshop entrance waving at him.
"What's wrong?" Todd walked out the door, only to find that Rachel didn't stop.
The latter went to a secluded corner and said to Todd, "We interrogated the prisoners and learned something important."
"What is it?"
“Fioch is dead.”
Todd was taken aback when Rachel opened her mouth.
"Fioch is dead?!" Todd asked again in disbelief, "Was your supervisor the one with the red ring?"
Rachel nodded: "The Crown Prince of Ulster, Fergus's only son."
Todd, who had a rather favorable impression of the young man who loved martial arts and was humble and cautious, sighed softly: "How did he die?"
"Poisoning. Although Concherber denies it, almost everyone in Ulster believes he was the one who did it."
Todd's face contorted with disgust: "Because of power?"
“Conchierber’s prestige in the country is declining, and more and more people support Fioch’s rise to power. Therefore, getting rid of Fioch has become Conchierber’s only option.”
"What is the situation in Ulster now?"
“Chaos, disorder.” Rachel frowned. “Arguments and accusations are commonplace in the council chambers, and murder and kidnapping have become daily occurrences on the streets. After Fioch’s death, another major event has occurred in the country.”
"What?"
“Fioch’s father, Forgus, led five hundred of his family’s warriors away from Ulster and joined Connaught.”
Todd frowned at first, then his eyes lit up: "You mean, Connaught will soon be at war with Ulster?"
"It's not that war will break out soon, it's that war has already broken out. Foggs's treason happened a month ago."
Todd listened to Rachel's advice and used a twig to draw a simple map of the North on the ground.
Looking at the map, Rachel asked, "Are you planning to take this opportunity to launch an offensive?"
Todd nodded and said, "If Ulster and Connaught go to war, then now is the best opportunity for us to expand our power."
"We just won a victory at Marozzi, capturing enough food to last us for six months, and nearly five hundred prisoners. So, where do you plan to attack next?"
Todd, crouching down and fiddling with a branch in his hand, asked Rachel, "Where do you think is the best place to attack?"
The latter placed a stone north of Froststone Camp: "How about Kaulanthu Castle? According to Vulgar's confession, it holds a large amount of gold and silver treasures. Looting it will greatly increase our strength."
“That’s not a good idea. After capturing Marozzi Castle, the Ulsters will be even more wary of attacks from the south. Their troops may very well be waiting for us on our way, ready to fight us at any time.”
Rachel thought for a moment and moved the stone to the south: "How about the Cooper Pass? If we take it, we can open up a land route to the East, which will benefit our snuff trade."
"Taking the Kupur Pass is indeed an important part of the trade. But now that we have taken it, it means we have to divide our forces to guard it. Moreover, the development of snuff products is not going smoothly, and it will be some time before we can officially start trading."
Rachel glanced at the map again, rolled her eyes at Todd, and threw a pebble at his feet: "I really can't think of anything else!"
Todd smiled, picked up the pebble, stretched his arm as far as it could, and placed it at the northernmost point of the entire map, under Rachel's astonished gaze.
"Do you remember that port city we passed through on our way to the Land of Shadows?"
Rachel's eyes darted around, and she exclaimed in surprise, "You want to attack Ancient Gu City?!"
Todd gestured for her to be quiet and whispered, "Gugu City possesses the largest port and the largest slave market in the Kingdom of Ulster. The slave camps alone hold over ten thousand slaves. If we could conquer that place..."
Rachel shook her head vigorously: "Your plan is too far-fetched! If it's a military march, it'll take ten miles to get from Froststone Camp to Ancient Gu City! Not to mention how to get supplies in enemy territory, just the enemy troops blocking the way will make it impossible for you to move an inch!"
Todd looked at Rachel with amusement: "Have you forgotten so quickly? The most convenient route from Froststone Camp to Ancient Gush City is not by land."
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