บท 231: Alliance 2
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"Maltz Kent, that old bastard, once stole a group of my horses, claiming it was because I spoke ill of him behind his back. Of course, that's a lie. I've always been direct about my opinions of him."
"My village on the border was forcibly seized by the Kent family! That land was inherited from my ancestors who were knights!"
"And that little bastard from the Kent family, he openly captured people who had offended him right on my land without even a word of warning. Those were my subjects! Even when hitting a dog, you should consider the owner, but this kid doesn't even regard me as a lord."
"When pirates invaded my territory, he only offered help on the condition that I pledge my loyalty to him. How arrogant and unreasonable! Doesn't he know that I am a loyal subject of His Majesty the King?"
"Three years ago, Earl Cole was framed by Maltz Kent and falsely accused of secretly opposing Duke Fraule. As a result, his entire family was exiled, and the Kent family took over all of his properties. I still shiver whenever I think about it."
"He even built a dam on his land and charges us for water during the dry season. We lords downstream have to endure his extortion every year."
"Maltz Kent, you villain! You scoundrel!"
---
The hall was filled with noise as the lords vented their grievances against the Kent family, expressing their dissatisfaction with the tyrannical family.
The more they talked, the more their anger grew, painting the Kent family as the epitome of evil.
Seeing that the time was right, Earl Parker stood up and waved his hands.
"Everyone! Quiet down! Quiet down!"
As he spoke, the hall gradually fell silent, and all eyes turned to Pryce Parker.
The old earl spoke loudly, "What we're doing here today is not just talking about Kent's crimes. Words alone won't defeat him. We need real actions to bring him down."
A voice from the crowd shouted, "Lord Earl, just tell us what to do!"
With a leader stepping up, others quickly agreed, expressing their willingness to fight against the Kent family to the end.
The old earl answered immediately, "We must cooperate! Only by working together can we stand against the Kent family! Right now, this hall is filled with nearly half of the lords of the Northwest Bay, which means the other half are either supporting or at least not opposing Maltz Kent. He's currently overshadowing the Duke and manipulating the power of the Fraule family. We are at a disadvantage in terms of strength, so we must unite."
"Earl Parker is right!"
"Let's unite to fight against the Kent family!"
Seeing that there were no dissenting voices, Pryce Parker breathed a secret sigh of relief. The lords attending this meeting were all carefully selected by him, but he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.
Hmph, Maltz Kent, you've been arrogant and overbearing, thinking you could make enemies of everyone without consequence.
"Being in a position of power, Maltz will never surrender easily. We will have to fight him sooner or later. Everyone should contribute according to their means. Let's assess our current strength. I'll start: the Parker family can provide 50 knights and 1,500 soldiers."
Hearing what the old earl said, the lords in the hall began to report the forces they could contribute. They had anticipated this outcome before coming and had already calculated their contributions.
"I, from the Meierken family, can provide 50 knights and 1,200 soldiers."
"My Heller family can provide 30 knights and 1,300 soldiers."
"My Johnston family can provide 20 knights and 1,000 soldiers."
...
When it was Paul and Malon's turn, Paul reported the forces they could provide: "The Grayman family and the Ganard family together can offer 1,000 soldiers."
Earl Parker stroked his beard and nodded. It was understandable given that the Alden family was not very populous and Byerldine had suffered a rebellion last year, so it was reasonable for them to only muster 1,000 men.
After all the lords reported their contributions, they could assemble an army of over 500 knights and more than 12,000 soldiers.
Paul thought to himself, "With just half of the lords from the Northwest, we can gather over 10,000 soldiers. If all the lords across the country supported the royal family wholeheartedly, the southern rebellion could be quelled in just six months."
Paul subconsciously compared the soldiers from Alden to the farmers recruited by these lords. He forgot that most of the soldiers the lords mentioned were temporary conscripts from among the farmers. If the lords truly provided all these farmers to the royal family, managing them would be an enormous headache for the royal army. The distance to the south and the logistical challenges of feeding these men would be a disaster, far more complex than dealing with Kent's family at their doorstep. Additionally, these soldiers could not stay on the battlefield for long, as they had to return to farming.
Earl Parker was very pleased with the strength of the alliance. With a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye, he stroked his beard and said:
"Excellent! Our strength is more than enough to contend with Maltz Kent and his allies. Furthermore, we will report Kent's crimes of holding Duke Fraule hostage and his treasonous plot against the kingdom to His Majesty the King and the Church, to ensure that righteousness is on our side and to garner more support."
The lords then discussed the detailed steps of their plan.
After returning to their territories, they would begin recruiting troops and training their armies, fortifying their lands, and preparing for a potential attack from the Kent family. If Kent's forces began an assault, the other lords would be expected to come to the rescue.
Once the forces were adequately prepared, the lords would jointly write a letter to the entire nation, exposing the misdeeds of the Kent family. The focus would be on informing the royal family and the Church of Kent's crimes, including his hostage-taking, treasonous schemes, and manipulations of dark arts, as well as his usual oppression of the people.
They would also send a final ultimatum to Maltz Kent, demanding that he confess his crimes, renounce his title, release Duke Fraule, return the benefits he extorted from others, and pay a significant fine. If he met these demands, the lords would work together to protect him from the royal family and the Church's retribution, as he was also a noble and lord of the Northwest Bay, and deserved a chance to make amends.
Paul initially had some reservations. He thought that someone like Maltz Kent, after being defeated, should be ruthlessly punished, a classic case of kicking a man when he's down.
Malon discreetly advised him, "If you suggest such a thing, everyone will be scared. Maybe it's different elsewhere, but in the Northwest Bay, leaving a way out is an unwritten rule among lords—as long as there isn't deep-seated enmity."
"Leave a way out for future encounters?"
"Yes, that's exactly it. You've described it very well. There aren't many things that make lords truly go for the kill against one another."
"What kinds of things?"
"Family feuds, or... peasant revolts."
(End of the Chapter)
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