Carlos slowly descended, landing near the newly discovered dock.

Compared to Wally Knight’s port, this one was small and very crude. It looked like it could barely accommodate a single twenty or thirty-meter-long ship.

Not far from the dock, a simple wooden shed had been erected. Inside, a large amount of lumber of roughly the same length was stacked.

’Normally, all goods from Rapids Island are transported to Wally’s port, then loaded onto ships and sent away. This lumber here...’

Recalling Wally Knight’s comment that "it’s been getting harder and harder to collect lumber from the White Flower Association lately," Ronin surmised that the White Flower Association had secretly built this dock. They had established their own external channel of communication to smuggle the lumber.

This way, with the supplies brought in by smuggling ships and the potatoes they grew, they no longer needed Wally to provide them with food. They had effectively broken free from their constraints and become independent.

However, they didn’t know that news from Rapids Island had already reached the higher-ups so quickly, and that His Majesty the King himself had sent people to handle the matter.

After investigating the dock, Ronin mounted Carlos and flew into the air, continuing his reconnaissance of the White Flower Association’s settlement.

Perhaps because the ancestors of the White Flower Association were all criminals imprisoned together, or perhaps because they needed to work collectively, the houses here were relatively concentrated.

Although signs of logging became more apparent the farther north he went, the area felled by humans was only a small fraction of the entire forest on Rapids Island.

The island still had abundant oak resources.

After scouting the White Flower Association, Ronin flew a circuit over the Laren Association’s residential area.

Comparing the two, the Laren Association was more "honest." Not only were there no signs of them eating potatoes, but there was also no evidence of lumber smuggling.

Their attempts to negotiate with Wally were likely motivated more by a simple desire for more food and supplies.

After investigating everything, Ronin returned to the port.

While Ronin was conducting his investigation, Lu Qi, Missy, and Wally had already begun arranging the offensive and defensive affairs for the next day.

With the advantage of the port’s defensive walls, even if the Laren Association came to seize the port, there shouldn’t be a major issue with Reis Knight leading the defense.

「Early the next morning」

A force of nearly one hundred men finished assembling outside the port.

"If I had this many men, I would’ve rounded up those troublemakers from the White Flower Association long ago!"

Wally’s confidence surged as he looked at the large contingent.

In the past, the most he could ever bring was thirty men. Outnumbered and outmatched, he never dared to venture too deep.

Now, not only did his side have more men, but they also had several Silver Knights and a Royal Griffin. The enemy would have a hard time dealing with any single one of them.

Ronin smiled and said, "This operation will only target the leaders of the White Flower Association. As for the others, as long as they don’t resist, we have no need to raise our swords against them."

Wally nodded. "I understand. After all, someone has to do the work of cutting down the oak trees later. Every man killed is one less laborer, which means one less log for the Kingdom."

Ronin couldn’t help but give him a mental thumbs-up.

It seemed that after so many years of management, Wally Knight had learned how to exploit his labor force.

Perhaps the descendants of the prisoners under Wally’s direct management had it even harder than those in the White Flower Association and the Laren Association.

After all, the lumber the White Flower Association failed to deliver still had to be supplied by someone.

The Laren Association had a degree of autonomy and could still bargain, but those under Wally’s direct control could only toil away without complaint.

With no warhorses, everyone except Missy traveled on foot.

Fortunately, although it was a mountain path, years of transporting lumber had worn a wide road into it, making the journey relatively easy.

The group marched openly and brazenly toward the White Flower Association’s territory.

As they passed the base of a hill, Missy, who was in the air, saw someone on the summit run quickly inland. It was likely a lookout posted by the White Flower Association.

With the speed of a Griffin, it would have been easy for her to chase down and kill the man if she wanted.

But according to Ronin’s plan, even if they had lookouts, they were to let them return and report. This would make the enemy gather all the resistors in one place, saving him the trouble of interrogating and screening them one by one later.

「A short while later, inside the White Flower Association’s stronghold.」

"Sir, Wally Knight is coming with his men!"

The Scout who had been on watch brought the information back. "They’ve brought a lot of people this time. I estimate there are about a hundred of them."

At that moment, two men were seated at the head of the room. The one with the build of a tiger and the back of a bear, a scar slashing across his face, was Marcelo, the leader of the White Flower Association. Beside him sat a big-bearded man.

The two exchanged a look, and Marcelo laughed. "Wally actually brought more than half of the port’s garrison this time. It looks like our neighbor is getting desperate."

He hadn’t received any intelligence from the port and was unaware that four ships had arrived at Rapids Island the day before.

Therefore, he assumed Wally had brought all his guards with him.

The big-bearded man chuckled. "He’s probably afraid that failing to deliver enough goods several times in a row will displease the higher-ups."

Marcelo nodded in agreement.

"Wally has been guarding this godforsaken shithole for seven or eight years now. He just needs to stick it out for two more to complete his assignment and leave Rapids Island. If he fails to deliver enough lumber in these last two years and angers the nobles above, all his hard work will have been for nothing."

Stationed on Rapids Island, Wally’s role was akin to that of a warden in an open-air prison. Completing a ten-year watch would earn him sufficient merit and reward. If his performance was outstanding, he might even become a Baron.

"We can’t push him too hard either. If he’s too aggressive this time, we’ll agree to his demands and send some lumber over."

Marcelo nodded. A defender of Rapids Island who wasn’t too powerful was advantageous for them.

"Let’s go. Gather everyone. We’ll go meet them."

The White Flower Association mobilized quickly. Two Knights stood on high ground and roared, and a massive crowd of people swarmed together.

Most of them wore coarse, tattered linen clothes and carried not proper weapons, but machetes and axes for felling trees. Only the twenty-odd men at the front, dressed in either Iron Armor or Leather Armor, looked the part.

These twenty-some men were the ones Marcelo had recently armed with the weapons and equipment provided by Clifford.

"Our core fighting force is still a bit small," Marcelo said, a little worried. "If we face them head-on, I don’t know if we can compete with Wally’s Knight Squad."

"Don’t worry, they can’t beat us."

The big-bearded Clifford swore with confidence, "I alone can tear his Knight Squad to shreds."

Hearing this, Marcelo’s worries were eased.

"That’s right. Wally is just a Bronze Knight. He can act all high and mighty in front of us, but when faced with a Golden Knight like you, all he can do is get on his knees and beg for mercy."

The two groups marched toward each other and soon met in a small valley.

But when they got closer and saw the approaching party, both Marcelo and the Golden Knight Clifford were dumbfounded.

The men opposite them were tall and imposing, every one of them clad in standardized armor that, at a glance, was of a much higher quality than their own.

"No, this is wrong!"

Marcelo began to panic. "This isn’t Wally’s Knight Squad!"

"What’s going on?" Clifford asked in astonishment.

Meanwhile, Ronin drew his Flame Stream Sword, its fury blazing. "Attack!"