I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 361 Final Arrangement, Encounter in the Snow

The atmosphere in the conference room was a little solemn. Alpha looked at the people sitting around him with a determined gaze and slowly said, "Now, this is our first meeting since we started working together. Today we will mainly discuss the future development plan and our respective division of responsibilities."

The people present included the brothers Anthony and Andrew, as well as Graia, Dios, Chris, Lim, Rock Lee, Manster and Marta. Alpha knew that the purpose of gathering these people was to take into account the interests of all parties. If he was just acting for himself, he only needed Anthony and Dios. After all, they were mainly responsible for the future development and construction of the Philok Channel.

"First, let's talk about the military situation." Alpha said solemnly, "At present, we have too many soldiers. Maintaining such a large force is a heavy burden on our resources and economy. Therefore, I have decided to streamline and eliminate them. In the end, we will retain 2,000 city defenders and 1,000 mobile knights, and the rest will all be transferred to reserve forces and engineers."

You know, Alpha now has nearly 10,000 soldiers, while Lista's total population is less than 50,000. Such a large army size has indeed brought tremendous pressure to the local area.

"Lord Alpha, it is almost impossible for 3,000 people to defend the 500-kilometer area of ​​Philok. Please think twice!" Andrew was the first to object, his voice full of anxiety. Following his gaze, Chris and Lim's expressions also showed that they did not agree with this decision.

Alpha frowned slightly and explained patiently: "In fact, our most critical task right now is development. Now, we don't have a stable source of supplies. If we continue to maintain such a large force, it will undoubtedly be a waste of resources. Moreover, we must take the elite route in the future. Only in this way can we exert the greatest combat effectiveness with limited resources." Alpha was firm in his attitude towards streamlining and eliminating soldiers, and he did not show any intention of wavering.

"As for the assignment of the soldiers, Andrew, you will be responsible for the deployment of 2,000 soldiers. Make sure they are properly distributed and guard the key positions." Alpha looked at Andrew with trust in his eyes. "Glaya, you will be responsible for the training and arrangement of 1,000 mobile knights. Make sure they have the ability to respond quickly and fight flexibly."

Alpha planned to hand over the main military affairs to Andrew and Graia. However, seeing Chris's gloomy face, everyone also understood that the soldiers he led might also be disbanded. Who was it because of their previous rebellious behavior that they lost a lot of say in front of Alpha?

"Next, let's talk about administrative work." Alpha adjusted his sitting position and continued, "Dios, you are responsible for business planning and construction. You must give full play to your business acumen so that our economy can develop rapidly."

Dios nodded slightly, confidence revealed in her eyes.

"Anthony, you will be responsible for other administrative matters and ensure that all work is carried out in an orderly manner." Alpha paused and continued, "Chris, your Birmingham Army will be transferred to the Engineering Corps and will be responsible for road construction and mining construction."

Alpha knew that this mountainous area was rich in mineral resources, but due to the rugged roads, these resources had not been effectively developed and utilized. Now, he decided to use these resources to provide economic support for the development of the Philok Pass.

"Locke Lee, you are responsible for the construction guidance and ensure the quality and progress of various construction projects." Alpha looked at Locke Lee, "Marta, you are responsible for the defense of the Lista area and ensure the safety of local residents."

Alpha paused for a moment and turned his gaze to Chris and Lim, "Chris, Lim, the two of you will be responsible for the specific site selection and construction of the four large cities and four small cities in the plan, and after they are completed, you will be responsible for the security of these cities." Alpha already had a detailed plan in mind for the construction of the Philok Channel, but the specific location still needed to be inspected on the spot.

"If you have any opinions, feel free to raise them now." Alpha said, sweeping his eyes over everyone's faces. Although he provided guidance on the general direction of the plan, the specific implementation work still depended on Anthony and Dios.

"Lord Alpha, I have a request." Chris hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage to say, "Can you pardon Kalia and the others? They were once young men who sacrificed their lives on the battlefield for the people. They were just confused for a moment and took the wrong path." There was a hint of pleading in Chris's voice.

Alpha was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "In fact, everyone makes mistakes. Many people, after enjoying a luxurious life, can never go back to the hardship they once had. Since they have done something wrong, they must accept the corresponding punishment. However, in view of your plea, Chris, I will give them a chance and reduce their sentences by half."

This was the biggest favor Alpha had given Chris. In Alpha's opinion, Chris was not a good leader. He was indecisive, always hesitant when it came time to make a decision, and too kind at critical moments.

"Thank you, Lord Alpha!" Chris said gratefully. For the sake of his former brother, he had tried his best.

"Lord Alpha, I also have a question." Lim spoke, his eyes full of concern, "How will the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled among the refugees survive?" Lim never changed his original intention and was still considering these people who could not create value.

"They can follow the construction team, even if they just do some mending, cooking and cooking, I will not abandon them." Alpha remembered the previous method of work-for-relief and decided to try to give these people something to do and food to eat. He didn't want these people to develop the habit of being lazy and greedy. "For those who really can't move, I will gather them together and arrange some things for them to do within their ability."

"Anthony, Theos, and Graia stay, and the others can go back first. You can give your suggestions on specific matters, and then leave them to Anthony to handle." Alpha left three people behind, because all of Philok's affairs in the future would depend on these three people.

"Lord Alpha, I would like to ask, will our commercial channel be open to everyone in the future, or will it be selectively passed on a targeted basis?" Anthony thought for a moment and raised this important question about the development of the channel.

Alpha pondered for a moment and finally gave an answer: "It is open to everyone. However, those who enter the passage must be strictly screened. Especially the combatants, they must be effectively controlled. We must occupy an absolute advantage in manpower on this passage to ensure its safety and stability."

Alpha is determined to turn the Philok Channel into a completely free trade channel. Even if it is an enemy like the Pirate Alliance, as long as they abide by the rules, he will not stop them from passing.

"In that case, we need to arrange a large number of soldiers on both sides of the passage. Two thousand soldiers may not be enough to meet the distribution needs." Graya also realized the problem of number of people, she said with a frown.

"Then increase it to 4,000 people, 3,000 soldiers to guard the city, and 1,000 mobile knights." Alpha made concessions reluctantly. Although this would increase the burden on the commercial channel, it was the only way to do it for the safety of the channel.

"Lord Alpha, how should taxes on goods be collected?" Theos asked curiously.

"You can collect tolls for commercial routes, but not too much. You can plan the specific amount yourself." Alpha does not intend to get rich by collecting tolls. He hopes to drive the economic development of the entire region through the prosperity of commercial routes.

After discussing the specific matters, Anthony and Theos left the meeting room, leaving Graia alone who was still deep in thought.

"Lord Alpha, I don't want to stay here. I want to go out with you." Graia finally said what she thought, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes. After all, she was Alpha's escort knight and had always hoped to be with Alpha.

"No, I can only trust you here." Alpha's tone left no room for doubt. "Humans are complex creatures. In the future, after experiencing a luxurious life, they are likely to change their hearts. So, I need you to stay here and help me supervise them."

The biggest task that Alpha gave to Graia's mobile knight was supervision. He knew very well that without the power of supervision, it would eventually turn into a terrible disaster.

"Lord Alpha, but I have never done anything like this, and I'm afraid I can't do it well." Graya said a little worriedly.

"Don't worry." Alpha comforted him, "You just need to keep improving your strength. Besides, you have Nasha, Silina and others behind you. They are all trustworthy people. If you encounter a problem that you really can't solve, you can ask Manster for help. In the face of absolute strength, all conspiracies and tricks will be exposed."

Alpha understood that for a powerful figure like Philx, no conspiracy could pose a threat to him. As for Arthur, all the conspiracies against him were easily crushed by his strength.

After arranging all the affairs of the Philok Passage in an orderly manner, Alpha was finally ready to embark on his journey home. Unconsciously, he had been away from his territory for two or three months. He was very concerned about the affairs of the territory and was eager to go back to inspect and see the development and changes of the territory during this period of time.

On the day of departure, Graya, Nasha and other knights took on the important task of escorting Alpha into the Auli region. The group rode on vigorous war horses and slowly moved forward in the ice and snow.

The surroundings were all silvery white, and the biting cold wind whistled past, stinging the face like a knife. Graya couldn't help but speak, her voice full of curiosity and doubt: "Master Alpha, can the train you mentioned before really travel a thousand miles a day without stopping for a moment?"

For those who have never seen a train, the train seems like a mysterious and magical existence. It is really hard to imagine what kind of magical means of transportation it is.

Alpha nodded slightly and explained seriously, his voice echoing in the empty snowy field: "Well, the average speed of the train is not that fast, about 30 to 40 kilometers per hour. But its advantage is that it can run continuously for 24 hours without interruption. In this way, it is completely possible to travel 500 to 600 kilometers in a day and a night."

Alpha looked at the people riding war horses around him and continued, "Look, we are riding war horses now, traveling in this icy and snowy land, and the speed per hour is only 10 to 20 kilometers, and we have reached the limit of traveling more than 100 kilometers a day. But the train is different, it has no such limitation."

Alpha's thoughts could not help but drift far away. The steam locomotive he promoted was only a beginning. In his imagination, the speed of future trains would be faster and faster, which would greatly change people's travel methods and trade.

However, Alpha knew that the development of science and technology was not achieved overnight, but required a long time and the efforts of countless people. All he could do was to point out a direction for everyone. As for the specific operation and implementation process, that was beyond his personal control.

Thinking of this, Alpha's eyes flashed with a hint of regret. He was afraid that he would not be able to see the day when trains would run at high speed and completely change the world. But even so, he still firmly believed that as long as he moved forward in the right direction, the future would be full of infinite possibilities.

The group moved forward steadily in the snow and ice. Suddenly, Graya's voice broke the silence: "Lord Alpha, look, is there anyone in front?" Everyone looked in the direction she pointed, and saw a figure running hard in the distant snow.

Alpha narrowed his eyes slightly and observed carefully with full concentration. Since accepting the five senses enhancement from Philx, his visual ability has been greatly improved, both in farsightedness and dynamic perception, and there has been significant progress.

However, Alpha has not yet fully adapted to this sudden change. Every time he wants to use this ability, he must concentrate all his energy. At this moment, he concentrated and finally saw the scene in front of him: it was a woman, holding a child tightly in her arms, running hard in the snow. Alpha's heart tightened. He really couldn't sit idly by and watch such a scene.

"Let's go and take a look." Alpha said without hesitation, with an unquestionable firmness in his tone. As soon as he finished speaking, he and Graya, Nasha, Naya, and Silina rushed towards the distance.

Their horses raised gusts of snow on the snow, and the sound of horse hooves echoed in the open snowy field. With their excellent riding skills and the agile posture of their horses, they finally rushed to the woman before the pursuers behind them approached.

Almost at the same time, the cavalrymen who were chasing the woman also rushed over. A quick look showed that there were more than ten of them. These cavalrymen were wearing heavy cold-proof armor, and the weapons in their hands gleamed coldly against the backdrop of the white snow.

They surrounded Alpha and the other people and the woman, their eyes revealing vigilance and ferocity, staring at Alpha and the other people with eager eyes. However, perhaps because they realized that Alpha and the other people were extraordinary, they did not launch an attack at the first time.

"I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. They are our slaves." The knight captain stood up, with a hint of threat in his tone, but his eyes faintly revealed his fear of Alpha's strength. After all, in such bad weather, Alpha and others could travel so easily, their strength must not be underestimated.

"No, I am not their slave! They are just bandits!" The woman became emotional when she heard the captain of the knights' words, and she retorted loudly, with endless grief and despair in her voice, "They kidnapped my husband and robbed his goods, and now they want to kill us to silence us! Please, save us!" Her voice trembled in the cold wind, and the child in her arms was frightened and burst into tears, and her crying sounded particularly desolate in the silent snow field.