Chapter 146
Chapter 146: This is all my responsibility. (1)
Although Marquis Branford led the charge, half of the assets belonged to the royal family, and the other half belonged to the Crown Prince faction nobles.
Thus, the flags representing each family fluttered everywhere alongside the royal insignia.
The grandeur made everyone’s hearts swell.
“Wow, are you really giving all of this to us?”
Belinda’s feelings were a mix of delight and a hint of regret.
Given how much Perdium had struggled, wouldn’t it have been better if support had arrived sooner?
She didn’t quite understand the complicated political relations, but one thing was clear—Perdium had risen to a more significant position than before.
And it was all thanks to Ghislaine, making her feel incredibly proud as someone who had taught him.
“Ahh, our young master has truly grown.”
Rosalyn, who was staying at the Crow Mansion, also came out beyond the castle walls to send Ghislaine off.
A peculiar sense of regret lingered on her face.
“Take care, Baron. Make sure to look after your health.”
“Yes, young lady, you take care too. Please do well with the cosmetics sales.”
“Understood. When do you plan to return to the capital?”
“The tax collectors will come and go frequently, but I can’t say when I’ll be back in person. Well then, I’m off. Please make sure to settle everything well.”
“Is there nothing to discuss with me other than money?”
Rosalyn pouted in disappointment.
However, Ghislaine didn’t care at all about her reaction.
His mind was solely focused on getting back quickly.
He looked around at the people and shouted.
“Is everyone ready? We have a lot to carry this time, so let’s be sure to check properly.”
“Yes! Everything is ready!”
“Good, then let’s get moving!”
At Ghislaine’s signal, the wagons started to move slowly one by one.
Caw! Caw!
The crows circled in the distant sky, lamenting the departure.
Yet, no one followed, seemingly unwilling to leave home.
Rosalyn watched Ghislaine’s retreating figure, lost in thought.
“Is the Territory of Penris really that great? What could it possibly be like…?”
She remained in her spot until Ghislaine vanished from view.
*
“The weather is clearing up, so we need to prepare to march to the Northern Fortress.”
Zvalter remarked, and the Chief Officer, Baron Homern, nodded in agreement.
“Yes, it’s about time for the barbarians to start making their moves.”
The two were enjoying tea while discussing the current state of affairs.
Their expressions were more peaceful than ever.
Suddenly, Zvalter smiled wryly, possibly thinking of his son.
“He said he was going to sell cosmetics, but it seems he has been in the capital for quite a while. I hope he’s able to make a lot of connections. He’s had very few friends since he was young.”
“That’s because of his terrible temper… Ahem, still, the Grand Duke must have grown a lot, right? Even if he hardly meets other high-ranking nobles, he must have made some friends his age.”
“Right? Even if it’s a poor territory, he became a lord at that age, so he should have made a few friends.”
Homern frowned slightly and shook his head.
“The problem is that he is going out to sell like a merchant. The young nobles of the capital have a strong sense of pride, so he might have only made terrible friends.”
“Ahem, I told him not to go, but he insisted.”
“Let’s hear about what kind of friends he made, and if they’re unsatisfactory, give him a serious talking to. For a noble, who they associate with is important, isn’t it?”
Zvalter nodded gravely.
“Don’t worry. Even if he’s made some money and his nose has gotten high, he still lacks experience, doesn’t he? If he’s made bad friends, I’ll give him a good talking-to.”
“Hahaha, indeed. The Grand Duke’s behavior has conveniently gone unchecked since the war; I think it would be good to discipline him this time.”
The two chuckled as they faced each other.
With the fortress territory running smoothly, their hearts felt at ease.
Though still poor, it was much better than before receiving the runestone support.
Receiving food from Ghislaine was also a blessing for those who had endured hardships, and they were thankful for that.
“Hmm, but I hope he didn’t cause any trouble in the capital? It feels uneasy.”
“Surely not. You know the power of the capital nobles, right? No matter how reckless the Grand Duke is, he wouldn’t have caused any issues there.”
“Still, with someone so unpredictable…”
“Oh dear, don’t worry. He’s a country bumpkin visiting the capital for the first time. He would have been too intimidated to do anything.”
“Hmm, is that so…? Well, I suppose he seems to have some thoughts of his own, so he would be careful.”
Cardenia was a place that could leave one breathless just by seeing its wonders.
When Zvalter first visited the capital, he was too busy marveling at everything to speak.
Even if Ghislaine had a foul temper, he wouldn’t have acted recklessly on his first trip, Zvalter thought.
“Alright, let’s prepare the troops as soon as Randolf returns.”
“Understood. It’s quite nice not having that noisy fellow around, but he will be back soon.”
Randolf, who had gone to train the mercenaries, was unable to return without Ghislaine.
So, with only the cultured and gentle people remaining, Perdium naturally felt peaceful and quiet.
The two resumed their elegant tea drinking, smiling softly.
Praying that this peace would last long.
Then, hurried footsteps drew near.
Bang!
“Lord! Big trouble!”
The man who burst through the door was Treasurer Albert.
Seeing him in such a disheveled state, which was so unlike him, meant something big had surely happened.
Zvalter jumped up and grabbed the sword that had been at his side.
“Have the barbarians already moved? If so, we must quickly gather the troops to support the Northern Fortress…”
“No, that’s not it!”
Albert shook his head and shouted. Zvalter responded, bewildered.
“Then did monsters come out of the Forest of Monsters?”
Again, Albert shook his head vigorously.
“Did Elena bring a boyfriend or something?”
“I’d rather it be that.”
“Then what is it? Just tell me quickly!”
“The Grand Duke…”
“Ghislaine? Why is Ghislaine, who went to the capital…?”
Albert shouted with a pale face.
“They say he got into a quarrel with Marquis Branford in the capital!”
Zvalter briefly pondered whether he had misheard before letting out a hollow laugh.
“Branford? Is there even such a marquis? I guess it’s been a while since I’ve been to the capital.”
“No! It’s Marquis Branford!”
“Branpad?”
“Branford! The Minister of the Interior from the royal family!”
Zvalter blinked in silence before awkwardly laughing.
“Really…that Branford? You’re joking, right?”
Albert sealed his lips tightly and shook his head again.
Thud.
Zvalter, his face drained of color, slumped back into his seat.
Instead of the dazed Zvalter, Homern urgently asked.
“What do you mean? Give me details!”
“They say the Grand Duke provoked Marquis Branford and was subsequently detained.”
“No way, wasn’t the Grand Duke supposed to be on a business trip? Why would he suddenly provoke Marquis Branford? He’s not someone you can just meet like that!”
“I don’t know either.”
Zvalter found it hard to believe Albert’s words.
“Is that information certain? It’s not just a rumor, is it?”
“I heard it from a merchant who came to the territory. We don’t have any informants in the capital, do we?”
“Then isn’t it just a rumor?”
“Travelers and merchants from other regions said the same thing. It seems to be a fact that they had a quarrel, at the very least.”
Zvalter let out a deep sigh. If that idiot Ghislaine were involved, then it was completely within the realm of possibility.
“Ugh…”
As the two sighed alternately, Albert urged them.
“We have to find a solution. At this rate, the Grand Duke’s head will roll!”
Homern jumped up and yelled irritably.
“What solution? If the rumor has spread this far, they’ve probably all been finished off! You wouldn’t ever guess he would get into trouble like this!”
“Still, unless they completely sever ties with the Northern Duke, they might spare the Grand Duke’s life.”
Albert’s words snapped Zvalter to attention. If that was the case, there was still hope.
No matter how troublemaking he was, he was the lord’s son and the heir to this place. They couldn’t just let him die.
Zvalter opened his mouth with an anxious expression.
“First, let’s prepare a grand gift and send an envoy to the capital. We have no choice but to beg them to forgive my son’s rudeness.”
Homern nodded in agreement.
“Since he’s known to have a few screws loose, why not ask for mercy? We could say he acts out occasionally and didn’t mean any harm.”
“Yes, we should go with that. Though he’s my son, he is indeed quite the fool. There’s probably already plenty of rumors about him in the capital.”
The three men busied themselves.
After gathering their retainers to discuss countermeasures, they began writing apologies and scraping together whatever wealth they had left.
Just then, the soldier guarding the castle gate rushed in, shouting.
“An army is approaching the castle!”
“What? What army all of a sudden?”
Zvalter and his retainers were taken aback.
There hadn’t been a messenger from the checkpoint at the edges of the territory.
If that was the case, it meant they had marched in forcefully or taken another route circumventing them.
Zvalter leaped up from his seat and pressed the soldier.
“Did you check the flags? Where did the troops come from?”
“Th-the problem is… there were just too many flags…”
“Too many flags… Does that mean it’s the Allied Forces?”
“Even so, their troop numbers are relatively small.”
Homern trembled as he probed further.
“So, which family’s flag was flying?”
“The royal flag at the front, followed by 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, and the House of Count Bromson…”
“…….”
Every name mentioned belonged to nobles of considerable influence in the kingdom.
Zvalter felt his legs give way and crumpled into the chair.
“These are all nobles from the Crown Prince faction. With the royal banner included, it’s clear that Marquis Branford sent the troops. It seems that Ghislaine got into some real trouble.”
“Wh-what should we do?”
Homern hopped anxiously, but Zvalter remained silent.
If they wanted to show force and ask for an apology or moral damages, he would concede.
“But what if they try to take over the territory?”
He wouldn’t take such a tiresome task upon himself merely because his troublesome son got into a scuffle, but he had to keep the worst-case scenario in mind.
Though rare, there were instances when someone would use a flimsy justification to seize a lord’s territory and hand it over to another noble they were backing.
“Why does something like this happen all of a sudden… how troublesome.”
It was an age where even stationing an army at the border could serve as a pretext for war.
Yet, how had the royal family and high-ranking nobles’ forces suddenly appeared before the castle without any of those procedures?
This was something beyond the ordinary.
Feeling an immense pressure after hearing bad news and finding himself in this situation was overwhelming.
After a moment’s contemplation, Zvalter resolved firmly and spoke in a heavy tone.
“Gather the soldiers.”
“My lord, surely you’re not…?”
Homern’s worried tone made Zvalter grit his teeth while gripping his sword.
“Just because we lack money doesn’t mean we should throw away our pride!”
“I have none of either.”
Homern silently retorted in his heart while bowing his head.
“If the Grand Duke is indeed captured, it could be dangerous. No matter how reckless he is, we have to ensure his safety, right? He’s the heir of our family!”
“Let’s hear the story first. If they take him hostage and demand an apology, we’ll comply as long as they don’t try to push us around and threaten us with force.”
“Ah, understood.”
Under Zvalter’s determined gaze, all the retainers bowed their heads.
“We might have to enter negotiations swiftly, so all retainers from the Chief Officer’s office, come with me.”
At those words, some retainers’ faces turned grim.
If a battle were to occur suddenly, it would be difficult to even protect themselves.
However, they couldn’t refuse when the lord called for them.
With no choice, everyone followed along hesitantly.
Ding ding ding ding!
The bell for soldier assembly rang.
The soldiers in the castle were bewildered by the sudden call but completed their battle preparations quickly.
Boom!
The castle gate opened, and Zvalter, fully armed, mounted his horse.
Following his lead, the soldiers began to move slowly toward the approaching forces of Perdium.
