The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

In the camp, Layton tested the newly grown machine gun in the snow.

Although this machine gun requires two people to operate, it is undoubtedly more powerful than any weapon currently in the resistance camp.

Many people swallowed hard when they saw the machine gun.

Because the gray-collar workers over there had officially declared war, Doug also began to take the initiative to annihilate the resistance army, and the pressure on the resistance army suddenly increased sharply.

Layton had only wanted a few more muskets, but he ended up getting a really big one.

This caused the smile on Layton's face to gradually be replaced by firepower. As long as this machine gun was set up in a key position, it would truly be an impregnable fortress.

If it was understandable that muskets would grow out of the snow before, then the snow in the North now can be described as a blessing from the goddess.

All sorts of incredible artifacts and rare treasures can be dug out directly from the snow.

This includes, but is not limited to, automatic rifles, light machine guns, ammunition supplies, special effects drugs, enhancement drugs, standard overcoats, sugar used as currency, and even guerrilla warfare experience behind enemy lines.

This allowed Isa and the bard in charge of the handover to repeatedly confirm that Lena was really alright. Isa could sense from this supply that Lind was truly angry.

Isa, who knew a bit about the technological development of white-collar workers, could imagine what would happen if Linde launched an all-out attack. But Isa was also blinded by concern. At least from the current perspective, Linde, although angry, still maintained basic rationality.

Meanwhile, after test-firing the new weapon, Layton remarked that the North was indeed vast and rich in resources, with an abundance of weapons and equipment. He thanked the goddess and the governor.

The resistance fighters no longer had to pull the bolt to create phantoms.

Thinking of this, Layton recalled the first soldier in the camp to pull the bolt out of the phantom.

"Oh, right, Sam."

Sam looked at the machine guns in the camp with envy, and when he saw Layton calling him, he subconsciously saluted.

"Yes, sir."

Sam was the most hardworking of all the soldiers, even more so than the Lars soldiers who had served under Layton.

"Besides weapons and equipment, two letters from you also grew in the snow this time."

Sam paused for a moment, then took the two letters from Layton's hand. The first letter was signed by his parents.

Since joining the resistance, Sam had written letters to his parents, who were white-collar workers, but those were just to let them know he was safe.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Sam opened the envelope.

The letter began by reporting that Sam's parents were doing well in their gray-collar jobs, having now secured government employment thanks to optimizing the algorithm for a special medicine.

Sam's mother hopes that Sam can come to Gray Collar and live with his family. She thinks that this newly built school in Gray Collar is much more promising than any other school like Royal Capital Academy, and with Sam's talent, he will definitely stand out.

The rest is getting married, having children, and inheriting his father's craft and pharmacy.

Although most people now go to churches to see pastors and nuns for medical treatment and medicine, churches are too far from some areas, and there are always times when they are too busy. So, there are also small pharmacies in residential areas for white-collar workers. Sam's father opened one.

Although there weren't many guests, Sam's father always said it was better if there were no guests.

Furthermore, Sam has a background in herbalism and alchemy, so as long as he passes the test, he can directly inherit his father's small apothecary shop.

As for the rest of what his father wrote, Sam can only say that the old man is still as unreliable as ever.

Just like when he left Sam alone in Doug's territory, Sam's father respected Sam's decision this time as well.

The only difference was that Sam's father mentioned that the governor had once praised Sam by name at a conference and given Sam's family a large sum of money, which allowed Sam's father to reopen the apothecary.

This also made Sam's father proud, and the father even hoped that Sam could continue his efforts in the resistance and achieve even greater success.

As Sam read, he began to laugh. Although his parents had told him many times since he was a child that he was their pride, Sam knew that this time the old man was sincere, and the stench of his farts almost overflowed from the letter.

To be honest, Sam was also a little hesitant. Life in the resistance was tough. Although Sam had made many meritorious contributions, no one would want to continue living such a miserable life if they could live a good life.

Most of the current members of the resistance are ordinary people who can't make ends meet, and the resistance is already living a very comfortable life for them. But Sam is different from them; Sam has a better place to go.

In his letter, his father said that the governor would allow Sam to return to the gray-collar area with the merchants through special channels, provided Sam was willing.

But soon, Sam saw the next letter.

This was sent to me by the governor I had never met.

Sam sensed something was wrong as soon as he held the envelope; the letter was unusually heavy.

When Sam opened the envelope, he discovered that it contained a bronze medal.

The governor's letter was very long. It began with basic greetings, stated that he had heard of Sam's deeds, listed Sam's military achievements, and finally commended him.

He also introduced Sam to the Sharpshooter Medal that was included in the envelope, as well as the benefits that the medal brought. Since Sam was not a gray-collar worker, these benefits and bonuses would be directly distributed to Sam's parents.

Finally, the governor also said that if Sam didn't want to continue living on the front lines, he could join the merchants of the Shining Gold Alliance to work in the gray-white sector. The governor warmly welcomed him, saying that as long as Sam returned, he could become an officer directly, or he could stop going to the front lines and become a gun instructor to teach trainees. Of course, he could also inherit his father's apothecary shop.

If Sam doesn't give up, the governor has the means to send Sam's original "On Liberty" to the desk of the demon chief so that the other party can study it carefully, or even have a chat with the governor if he's interested.

Sam immediately blushed. Having fought alongside the Resistance and witnessed the true nature of the North and the Daedric Empire, Sam already knew that his "Theory of Liberty" was nothing but a pile of dog shit, and calling it dog shit might even be an overstatement.

If he could, Sam would even like to go back in time and shoot the version of himself who wrote "On Liberty".

But by the end, Sam secretly wiped away tears.

Governor Lind stated that if Sam were to die on the front lines, the Grey and White Clan would spare no effort to retrieve his body and would wrap it in the banner of the North Wind Bear, burying him alongside his comrades in the Martyrs' Cemetery.

There were also many preferential policies for the families of soldiers, which Sam hoped to tell his fellow resistance fighters, but his blurred vision prevented him from seeing what was coming next.

Recalling the royal capital circle he had tried so hard to integrate into, and his various experiences in Doug's territory and the demon concession, Sam couldn't help but sob, and it took him a while to calm down.

"The bards and merchants outside asked me to ask you: have you made up your mind?"

Layton patted Sam on the shoulder from behind.

To be honest, Layton was very envious of Sam. Although the resistance had been sending people to the Grey and White Collar, mostly the soldiers' relatives and family members, Layton's main force was too deep inside, making it difficult to send people to the Grey and White Collar. This time, the Grey and White Collar gave Sam a chance to escape his misery.

"I've thought it through."

Sam nodded, the bronze medal already hanging on his chest.