The two small estates were valued at ten thousand gold coins. This price was low because it did not account for the value of the serfs on the land. This was the baron's way of looking out for Derek. However, this decision raised some eyebrows among his brothers. No one could be sure if this was just an excuse from the baron, or if the question of inheritance was now uncertain.

The baron naturally wouldn’t allow anyone else to speculate. "Derek, I want to know what kind of returns you can provide for the family?"

"Horses, weapons, armor—at the lowest prices and with priority purchasing rights. And once I acquire my own fief, the estate will be returned to the family."

"Not enough. That's still insufficient."

"Then let my elder brother bring soldiers to train with me; I guarantee I can develop a contingent of elite troops."

"You seem quite confident in your training skills. However, your soldiers do indeed show promise," the baron agreed, seizing the opportunity to make his stance clear. This was merely a special transaction. While it wouldn’t entirely dispel doubts, it would help stabilize everyone’s minds.

"Sergei, you need to work a bit harder. I'll help you out by seeking a promotion for you," the baron added, intending to use his resources to push his second son up the ranks, otherwise, lower-tier officers would simply be cannon fodder in a war.

"I can offer some assistance; I’m sure the Iron Lion Legion wouldn’t refuse a batch of cheap weapons," Derek interjected.

"Sherif, finish your knight training as soon as possible, then go find your third brother," the baron planned for his youngest son.

"Big brother, get ready for training. Even if you can’t go into battle, you need to stabilize the family’s foundation. Go train properly with our third brother."

After generations of legacy, the Ferreira family was beginning to shift from pure military aristocracy, so the eldest brother Marco was more akin to the kingdom’s nobility. The Ferreira family quickly adjusted their strategy to actively prepare for the impending war. This was just a snapshot; the baron would ramp up the adjustments even further, reallocating soldiers, intensifying training, and preparing various contingency plans.

Since the Ferreira family couldn't obtain firsthand information from the kingdom, they had to prepare in advance.

Once the New Year had passed, Derek swiftly took control of the family estates. His first order of business was to enlist soldiers. Then he launched into extensive renovations, expanding the estate. He even obtained permission to designate a piece of land for horse breeding. He abandoned the most profitable serf-based operation and openly recruited free citizens in an attempt to boost the population.

On the other hand, he also called some of the manpower back to build a new base, stockpiling resources, people, and equipment. Derek worked tirelessly, managing affairs while training soldiers. Fortunately, the knights he trained were able to assist in training others and handle errands.

With the support of Baron Ferreira, he had access to even more resources. Two months passed in a flash before Derek suddenly received news from Lloyd that a large slave-catching team was about to pass through the North. This team needed to take a mountain path, allowing Derek the chance to intercept them.

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Derek gathered nearly all his soldiers and quickly moved to the mountain base, where Lloyd was already waiting.

"My friend, please explain the situation," Derek said.

"This slave-catching team has passed through here five times, each time larger than the last. Although they didn’t say it directly, my contacts said they overheard an accent from the Holy Cross Kingdom. I’ve charged a toll, but this route is also the safest, which is why they’ve started using it recently. This time, they’ve given prior notice of their passage."

Having come five times in less than a year indicated that they were doing a booming business.

"Is there any chance we could buy the slaves directly?"

"That’s not possible. I’ve heard that it’s a shipment for a bigwig, and the slave catchers are extremely cautious, like they’re working for someone on the buying end."

"A bigwig? Tied to the Holy Cross Kingdom, I suspect they’ve forgotten the division war. The humiliation of the barbarians has yet to be avenged, and the lands split apart won’t be reclaimed," Derek scoffed; this was a shady business.

While slave trading was legal, it was highly likely that this batch had serious issues.

Delivering them to the Holy Cross Kingdom would lead to nothing good. During the division war, the Sacred United Kingdom had split into three, causing a significant loss of strength through mutual conflict. It was also during this time that the northern barbarians invaded, seizing vast territories, and to this day, those lands remained lost.

The Holy Cross Kingdom bordered the northern provinces and shared a common enemy in the barbarians. However, after the division war, both sides were eager to annihilate each other. Compared to the wars against the barbarians, they had clashed with each other more frequently. It was only in recent years that things had calmed down enough for people to dare to trade populations with the Holy Cross Kingdom.

Clearly, these people weren’t arriving by legitimate means.

After analyzing the situation, Derek felt no fear of retaliation. A noble from a distant central or southern region wouldn’t be able to touch him, especially since it was doubtful they could even trace him.

"We must intervene."

Derek quickly made up his mind.

Lloyd felt some regret; although their relationship was close and everything they had achieved today was thanks to Derek’s support, recklessly breaking the rules to take a bite of this tempting pie would undoubtedly damage their reputation.

Without a reputation, business would vanish. Moreover, if they attracted the wrath of those behind this operation, it could lead to significant trouble down the line.

"Derek, should we negotiate with them? Perhaps we can buy them after all."

Derek stared at Lloyd, causing him to squirm slightly before he turned his head.

Then he spoke, “I won’t strike here. Taking action on this mountain path means entering their territory directly... right into the Holy Cross Kingdom.”

Derek pointed to a spot on the map, indicating it was already within the borders of the Holy Cross Kingdom.

Why were so many people traveling this route? On one hand, it avoided checkpoints; on the other, the mountain range connected the two countries, making it easy to cross borders.

Did they really think everyone was conducting business lawfully?

Smuggling was where the real profit lay.

The Holy Cross Kingdom's church wielded significant power and was rife with corruption and conservatism; many goods from the Rock Kingdom were hot commodities. Those high-ranking members of the church certainly wouldn’t be short on cash.

Lloyd let out a breath, feeling relieved, but also awkward. "I'll bring some people to help you."

"No need; I can handle it myself."

Derek firmly rejected his offer. Lloyd could be informed but couldn’t participate. That was a risk.

Lloyd thought Derek might have another plan and quickly clarified, "It's not that I doubt you; it’s just that you know how important reputation is to me."

"I understand. We are friends; I won’t let a friend suffer losses while doing my work."

Derek reassured Lloyd, and once he left, he began making his preparations.