In fact, although Perfikot sent five Steam Knights, only one of them actually took action to annihilate the rebel tribal coalition.
The main task of the other four Steam Knights was to prevent them from escaping and to guard against any stragglers or unexpected incidents.
According to the records Perfikot checked, when the Empire sent troops to conquer the New Continent, there were existences hidden within the indigenous tribes that were stronger than titled Knights, especially one great Shaman who, after summoning the tribal Ancestral Spirit, truly became a demigod on earth.
However, such powerful figures were few and far between among the indigenous tribes of the New Continent, and the Empire naturally had equivalents, with even more in number.
At that time, the Empire did not dispatch such level warriors to solve the problem, but instead directly overwhelmed the opposition with several titled Knights and court Mages in conjunction with the army.
Based on Perfikot’s records and her inquiries with Foster, it was estimated that although these beings who surpassed titled Knights had a leap in combat power, it was not to an exaggerated degree.
Relatively speaking, it was roughly the level of titled Knights donning customized Steam Knight armor.
In the case of wearing the Steam Knight armor tailored for him by Perfikot, the old steward Foster could be considered half of such a level of existence.
Therefore, to avoid unexpected incidents, Perfikot dispatched five Steam Knights, all of whom were grand Knights, to ensure nothing could go wrong.
However, it turned out she was overly cautious. The rebel tribal alliance, despite rallying more than a thousand people and having two hundred Ancestor Warriors, had only seven or eight individuals comparable to grand Knights, none even reaching the level of a titled Knight. The source of thɪs content is N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Naturally, without any surprise, they were thoroughly crushed by a single Steam Knight.
Afterward, the five Steam Knights split into five groups. Led by several tribal chieftains, they uprooted the tribes that joined the rebel alliance. All males taller than a wagon wheel were slain, while women and children were distributed as slaves to the submitted tribes.
This move effectively dispelled the empathy of the submitted tribes, as women and children equated to tangible population, rapidly expanding the tribe’s size.
As for the food issue, after uprooting these rebel tribes, their vacated land was enough for the submitted tribes to expand their territory and sustain the increased population.
All in all, it was an outcome that satisfied everyone.
The Lord of the North’s army effortlessly crushed the rebels, demonstrating their invincible power and establishing the Lord’s prestige.
The submitted tribes expanded their territory and population, showcasing the benefits and rewards of submission to other tribes still observing from afar, ensuring everyone got what they wanted.
Moreover, to Perfikot’s unexpected delight, the Ancestral Spirits of the exterminated tribes were also brought back by the Steam Knights.
During the Empire’s past conquest wars of the New Continent, the Empire’s army had indeed annihilated indigenous tribes, capturing some Ancestral Spirits. However, most of these spirits self-destructed shortly after the Empire began research on them, causing significant losses and thwarting the Empire’s attempts to study the spirits.
But Perfikot’s situation was different. Shaman from the submitting tribes actively helped, presenting these Ancestral Spirits as gifts to the Lord of the North, putting them into a dormant state and ensuring their smooth transport to Perfikot’s laboratory.
Not only that, but the Wild Mane Tribe even sent a Shaman to assist Perfikot with inquiries related to the Ancestral Spirits.
Although the prize was greatly pleasing to Perfikot, and she was eager to head to the laboratory and start research, she didn’t immediately begin studying these Ancestral Spirits.
Because with the thawing of the Northern Territory, the first pioneers had already arrived.
The long-missed chubby Oliver once again appeared before Perfikot, saluting and reporting, "Count, I have brought about five hundred people. Considering they are to settle in the Northern Territory, I recruited them as family units. There are a hundred families in total, mostly women and children, with less than two hundred adult men, the rest being women and children.
There are about a hundred children, none too young, mostly teenagers I carefully selected, who can work alongside their parents or be sent as apprentices.
However, we didn’t bring enough food, which at most can sustain us for a month, so we might need your assistance in this regard."
At this point, Oliver’s face once again showed a shrewd look familiar to Perfikot, as he brazenly said, "I wonder where you plan to allocate my land, Count? I hope it’s close to you, so I can always heed your command and serve you."
"I suppose it’s for the convenience of fleecing me?" Perfikot gave Oliver a glance, then shook her head, feeling helpless with this chubby man.
Nevertheless, she said to Oliver, "I plan to hand over the Fjord to you. Although it is now a military camp, I hope you can build it into a port town.
Because going forward, it will become a crucial material distribution center for the Northern Territory. Most resources from the New Continent and mainland will enter the Northern Territory through here, so your job won’t be easy—hope you are prepared."
"Rest assured, the White family will certainly not disappoint you!" Oliver solemnly saluted Perfikot, vouching with his family’s surname.
This made Perfikot raise an eyebrow, then nodded and said, "I hope you will not dishonor your surname. I entrust the Fjord to you; the people you’ve brought can settle there first.
I recall Grandpa Fu stockpiled quite a bit of timber over the winter, originally to be used as firewood; after burning through a winter, there’s still plenty left. You can use them to build houses, and once everyone settles, you can go on to fell wood and replenish it.
Additionally, the Fjord’s warehouse holds substantial grain reserves that I stockpiled for winter. If you’re short on food, you can apply to Grandpa Fu for it."
"Thank you for your kindness and generosity! This really is a big help!" Oliver sincerely expressed his gratitude to Perfikot. Although he was prepared to start from scratch with nothing, the resources Perfikot provided truly helped enormously, effectively aiding him through the initial toughest phase.