Chapter 146: This All Belongs to Me. (1)
Although Marquis Branford led the charge, half of the assets were royal property, and half belonged to the Crown Prince Faction nobles.
Thus, flags symbolizing each family fluttered everywhere alongside the royal standard.
The grandeur made everyone’s hearts swell with pride.
“Wow, are you really giving all this?”
Belinda felt a mix of happiness and a tinge of sadness.
How hard has Perdium struggled? Wouldn’t it have been great if they had supported him like this earlier?
She didn’t fully grasp the complicated political relationships, but it was clear that Perdium had risen to a more important position than before.
And all of that was thanks to Ghislaine, which made her immensely proud as his mentor.
Sigh, our Young Master has really grown up.
Rosalyn, staying at the Crow Mansion, also came out of the castle to bid farewell to Ghislaine.
A strange sense of melancholy was etched on her face.
“Take care, Baron. Make sure to stay healthy.”
“Yes, Young Lady, please take care as well. And do well with the cosmetics sales.”
“Understood. When do you plan to come back to the capital?”
“Well, the person collecting taxes will be coming back and forth often, but as for my next visit, I’m not sure. Anyway, I must be going now. Please make sure to sort everything out well.”
Is there really nothing else we can talk about besides money?
Rosalyn pouted in disappointment.
But Ghislaine hardly cared about her reaction.
His mind was solely filled with thoughts of returning quickly.
He looked around at the people and shouted loudly.
“Is everyone ready? We have a lot to haul this time, so let’s make sure we have everything!”
“Yes! Everything is ready!”
“Good, then let’s depart!”
At Ghislaine’s cue, the wagons slowly began to move one by one.
Caw! Caw!
The crows soared in the sky, circling as if lamenting the parting.
Yet, no one seemed eager to follow him as he left home.
Rosalyn watched the departing figure of Ghislaine, lost in thought.
Is Penris Territory really that wonderful? What kind of place could it be…?
She lingered long, not leaving her spot until Ghislaine disappeared into a tiny dot.
*
“The weather is getting milder, so we need to prepare for action at the northern fortress.”
At Zvalter’s words, Chief Officer Homern nodded in agreement.
“Yes, it’s about time the barbarians start moving.”
The two were drinking tea while discussing the future political situation.
Their expressions were more peaceful than ever.
Suddenly, Zvalter chuckled, perhaps reminded of his son.
He let out a hollow laugh.
“He’s been saying he’s going to sell cosmetics, but he’s been in the capital for quite a while. I hope he’s built up some connections. He was always so friendless since he was a kid.”
“That’s because his temper was terrible… Ahem, but the Grand Duke has grown a lot, hasn’t he? Even though it’s hard to see high-ranking nobles, he must have made some friends his age.”
“Right? Even if it’s a poor territory, becoming a lord at that age means he should have made some friends.”
Homern frowned slightly and shook his head.
“The problem is that he went like a merchant selling items. The noble scions in the capital have strong pride, so he might have ended up with terrible friends.”
“Ahem, I told him not to go, but he was stubborn.”
“Let’s hear who he made friends with. If they don’t sound promising, give him a good talking-to. It’s important for nobles to know who they associate with, isn’t it?”
Zvalter nodded gravely.
“Don’t worry. Even if he’s making money now and has gotten a bit high-handed, he still lacks experience, doesn’t he? If he made bad friends, I’ll definitely give him a good scolding.”
“Hahaha, of course. Since the war, we’ve let the Grand Duke’s behavior slide a bit, so this opportunity to discipline him might be good.”
The two faced each other and laughed.
They felt at ease as the territory was running smoothly.
Though still poor, it was much better than before receiving support from the Runestone.
Since they had also decided to receive food from Ghislaine, for those who had struggled, this was a matter of gratitude.
“Hmm, but did he cause any accidents in the capital? It’s a bit unsettling.”
“Surely not. You know the might of the capital nobles. No matter how reckless the Grand Duke is, he wouldn’t cause trouble there.”
“Still, he’s such an unpredictable character.”
“Oh dear, don’t worry. He’s just a country boy visiting the capital for the first time, so he probably felt intimidated and couldn’t do anything.”
“Hmm, is that so? Well, he seems to have some thoughts of his own, so he should be careful.”
Cardenia was a place that took one’s breath away with its wonders.
Zvalter, when he first visited the capital, couldn’t keep his mouth shut from admiration.
Even though Ghislaine had a terrible temper, he wouldn’t have acted reckless on a first visit.
“Alright, let’s mobilize the troops as soon as Randolf returns.”
“Understood. It’s great that the noisy guy isn’t around for now, but he should be back soon.”
Randolf, who had gone to train the mercenaries, hadn’t returned yet because Ghislaine wasn’t back either.
So, the peaceful and quiet Perdium could only be home to cultured and calm individuals.
The two smiled elegantly while sipping tea.
They hoped this peace would last a long time.
At that moment, urgent footsteps drew closer.
Bang!
“My Lord! Something terrible has happened!”
The man who burst in through the door was Treasurer Albert.
Seeing him, usually so composed and calm, in such a disheveled state meant that something major had occurred.
Zvalter immediately jumped up and grabbed the sword he had set aside.
“Have the barbarians already moved? If so, we need to quickly gather the troops and support the northern fortress…”
“No, that’s not it!”
Albert shook his head and shouted. Zvalter, startled, asked back.
“Then did a monster come out of the Forest of Monsters?”
“Did a monster just pop out of the Forest of Monsters?”
Albert shakes his head vigorously again.
“What if Elena brought a boyfriend?”
“Honestly, that would be better!”
“Then what is it! Just spill it already!”
“The Grand Duke…”
“Ghislaine? Why is he in the capital?”
Albert shouted with a pale face.
“They say he got into a dispute with Marquis Branford in the capital!”
Zvalter paused, questioning if he had misheard, then let out a hollow laugh.
“Branford? Is there such a marquis? I guess it’s been a while since I went to the capital.”
“No, it’s Marquis Branford.”
“Branpad?”
“Branford! The royal Minister of the Interior!”
Zvalter blinked silently and awkwardly laughed.
“Really… that Marquis Branford? You must be joking.”
Albert tightened his lips and shook his head again.
Thud.
Zvalter’s face turned pale, and he slumped down onto his seat.
Instead of the dazed Zvalter, Baron Homern urgently asked, “What’s going on? Tell me more!”
“They say the Grand Duke got into a spat with Marquis Branford and was imprisoned!”
“No way, didn’t the Grand Duke go for trade? Why would he pick a fight with Marquis Branford out of the blue? He’s not someone you can just meet!”
“I don’t quite know either.”
Zvalter couldn’t believe Albert’s words.
“Is, is that information reliable? It’s not just a rumor?”
“I heard it from a merchant who came to the territory. We don’t have an informant in the capital, do we?”
“So it’s just a rumor then?”
“Merchants and travelers from other regions said the same thing. The fact that they got into an argument seems true, even if the details are exaggerated.”
Zvalter sighed deeply. If it was that idiot Ghislaine, it was entirely possible.
“Hoo…”
As the two took turns sighing, Albert urged, “We need to find a solution. It looks like the Grand Duke’s neck is on the line!”
Baron Homern jumped up, yelling in frustration, “What solution! If the rumor has spread this far, they’re already dead! I knew something like this would happen with that reckless behavior!”
“Still, if they’re not completely at odds with the North’s Duke, they might have kept the Grand Duke alive.”
At Albert’s words, Zvalter’s senses sharpened. If that was true, there was still a chance.
No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, he was the lord’s son and the heir here. They couldn’t just let him die.
Zvalter opened his mouth with a worried expression, “First, let’s prepare a lavish gift and send an envoy to the capital. We have no choice but to beg for forgiveness for my son’s rudeness.”
Baron Homern nodded in agreement. “Since he’s usually a bit off, how about we ask for leniency? Let’s say he sometimes has fits. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Right, we have to do that. He may be my son, but honestly, he is a crazy one. The rumors about someone strange in the capital are probably already widespread.”
The three people moved busily.
After gathering the retainers to discuss a countermeasure, they wrote an apology letter and scraped together whatever wealth they could find.
Just then, while the retainers were gathered in the great hall discussing who to send as an envoy, a soldier guarding the castle rushed in, shouting.
“An army is approaching the castle!”
“What? Suddenly, what army?”
“What’s going on?”
Zvalter and his retainers were taken by surprise.
The messenger had not arrived at the checkpoint located at the boundary of the territory.
This meant they either pushed through with brute force or took a detour.
Zvalter jumped up from his seat and urged the soldiers.
“Did you confirm the flag? Where are the troops from?”
“Th-that’s… there were too many flags…”
“Too many flags? Are we talking about an alliance?”
“The scale of troops was relatively small for that.”
Homern asked, trembling with anxiety.
“So, whose flags were on display?”
“Leading with the Royal flag, there was the House of Marquis Branford, the House of Marquis Macquarie, the House of Count Norton, the House of Count Ailzbur, the House of Count Boyer, the House of Count Bromson…”
“……”
The names being mentioned were all nobles with some clout in the kingdom.
Zvalter slumped back into his chair, his legs giving way.
“All members of the Crown Prince faction. If the Royal flag is involved, it’s clear that Marquis Branford mobilized the troops. Looks like Ghislaine got into quite the mess.”
“Wh-what should we do?”
Homern anxiously asked, but Zvalter remained silent.
If they were to demand an apology while showcasing their military might, or if they asked for compensation for dishonor, they could simply concede.
“But what if they try to take over here?”
He wouldn’t willingly engage in such exhausting troubles just because the delinquent son got himself into a spat, but he had to consider the worst-case scenario.
While it wasn’t common, there were times nobles would use all sorts of justifications to seize someone else’s territory and hand it over to their backed noble.
“Suddenly facing this kind of situation… this is tough.”
It was an era where simply stationed troops at the territorial boundary could justify war.
Yet suddenly, the Royal family and high-ranking nobles’ armies appeared before the castle without any prior notice?
This was truly out of the ordinary.
Such a situation arose right after hearing bad news, creating immense pressure.
After a moment of contemplation, Zvalter made a resolute decision and spoke in a heavy tone.
“Gather the soldiers.”
“My lord, surely you don’t mean…?”
At Homern’s worried tone, Zvalter gritted his teeth while grasping his sword.
“Do we lack money, or do we lack pride?”
‘We lack both.’
Homern could only refute inwardly and bowed his head.
“If the Grand Duke is indeed captured, it could mean danger. No matter how much of a delinquent he is, we must at least keep him alive! He’s the heir of our family!”
“Let’s hear them out first. If they want an apology while holding that guy as a hostage, we’ll compensate, but if they use that as an excuse to pressure us with force, then we will fight.”
“Understood.”
With Zvalter’s firm gaze, all the retainers lowered their heads.
“We might go into negotiations immediately, so retainers from the Chief Officer’s office, follow me.”
At those words, some retainers turned pale.
If a battle suddenly broke out, it would be hard to even protect themselves.
Yet, they couldn’t refuse if their lord called them out.
Reluctantly, everyone lagged behind as they followed.
Ding ding ding ding!
The bell summoned the soldiers.
Those inside the castle, though surprised by the sudden summons, quickly prepared for combat.
Kuwung!
The castle gate opened, and Zvalter, fully armed, mounted his horse.
Following behind him, the soldiers moved slowly towards the oncoming troops from Perdium.
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