Chapter 644: Diplomacy in the New Era
After lunch, Roland summoned Barov into the bedroom.
The Director of City Hall had never been invited here before. His caution showed in the deliberateness of each step, but beneath it ran something unmistakable — excitement, barely contained. Roland watched him and thought, with some amusement, of the old story about the celebrity who received visitors in disarray, his clothes still disheveled from bed, and found that the disorder only deepened his guests’ reverence. Some men took a king conducting business from beneath his blankets as the ultimate sign of trust.
Male officials had certain advantages that way. He could talk with Barov all night, share a bed with him without raising a single eyebrow. If it were Edith Kant, that would be gossip by sundown.
Roland set the thought aside. “How many letters arrived while I was fighting in the Northern Region and afterward in my coma?”
“Sixteen in total.” Barov answered promptly. “Most are from domain lords requesting trade or permission to visit. Two confidential letters from the Eastern Region propose peace negotiation. I’ve answered them all per your standing instructions.”
The arrangement had been made before the campaign: Barov would handle administrative affairs in Roland’s absence, reading all correspondence, sending anything critical north by carrier pigeon. Sixteen letters. A busy kingdom.
“Just a peace negotiation? No surrender?”
“No, Your Majesty. They’re unwilling to relinquish the right of enfeoffment. They also urge you to honor the traditions and dignity of the nobility.”
“Next spring they’ll know what choice to make.” Roland shrugged. “Which letters need my attention?”
Barov produced two sheets. “One from the Astrology Association in the city of Dawn. The other from the Kingdom of Dawn itself. Both arrived while you were in deep sleep. They contain something… somewhat unexpected.”
Roland took the parchment marked with a constellation seal first.
It was from the Astrologer of Dispersion Star — half a page of gracious greeting and thanks for the astronomical telescopes Roland had sent to the observatory. Then, on the second half, the letter numbed him into stillness.
They’ve tracked the Star of Extinction.
A star that burns red. Fixed in a permanent position in the sky.
Synchronous orbit. The term rose from his memory without effort. Only an object on synchronous orbit could remain stationary relative to a planet’s surface. If Bloody Moon traveled such a path, its position would make sense — apparently fixed, apparently permanent.
And they said its size appears extremely small.
So Bloody Moon is not a natural celestial body. It’s a man-made satellite.
He sat with that for a moment, then dismissed it. If it were a satellite, how could it descend? According to Agatha’s account, the moment Bloody Moon appeared in full, the entire continent would witness it — greater and brighter than the moon, its scarlet light dyeing the walls of Holy City red. Visible even through daylight. A satellite on synchronous orbit didn’t account for descent.
It makes no sense.
He set the letter aside. “Write back to the Astrology Association. Invite the astrologers to come to Neverwinter.”
Barov hesitated. “They rejected a previous invitation, Your Majesty. I’m not certain they’ll respond differently now.”
“The situation has changed.” Roland tapped the table. “The Association has found the star they want to study — they’ll go wherever they can observe it best. Tell them in the letter that Neverwinter has developed superior astronomical telescopes and that we’ve located ancient texts regarding the Star of Extinction. That should bring them.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The second document was a carrier pigeon slip — brief, as pigeon messages always were.
The King of Dawn has died. His eldest son Appen Moya has taken the throne.
Appen has ordered the elimination of church believers, severed trade with Holy City, and begun hunting down witches.
A rebellion has broken out along the border and affected our caravan.
The original plan may be temporarily suspended.
Roland frowned.
He understood Barov’s confusion — the man didn’t know what the Church had done to the Kingdom of Dawn. After Isabella and her companions withdrew, the King of Dawn would eventually die without his pills. That part Roland had anticipated. What he hadn’t anticipated was how Appen would respond: with such violence, such breadth of retaliation that it swept witches into its orbit.
Of the three policies, eliminating church believers was defensible. Cutting trade routes was an impulsive act that would anger border lords and invite rebellion — almost certainly a church-engineered outcome. But hunting witches was simply contrary to Roland’s interests, and he could see no coherent reason for it except grief twisted into rage: a young king who’d watched his father die and wanted the world to know it.
The three great families would not have counseled this. Appen had lost his composure.
“Send a formal diplomatic letter to Appen,” Roland said slowly. “Congratulate him on his coronation. Then warn him: stop hunting witches. A natural witch is not a common witch. The Kingdom of Graycastle has established a formal witch organization, and any nation that treats witches as enemies treats Graycastle as its enemy.”
Barov blotted the sweat from his forehead. “Your Majesty — are you certain you want those exact words? He’ll read it as a threat.”
“I am threatening him.”
Barov’s pen stopped.
Roland continued. “If Appen Moya insists on this course, then when we take Holy City next year, I’ll support a new ruler in the Kingdom of Dawn — a wise king who’ll stand with Graycastle in the Battle of Divine Will. Andrea of House Quinn would be a sound choice.”
Silence in the room.
“Diplomacy in the new era,” Roland said, “is built on steel and firearms. What I cannot win at the negotiating table, I’ll take by other means. Intervening in succession, supporting rivals, stationing troops — these will be the ordinary instruments of foreign policy. I won’t let any kingdom obstruct us before Bloody Moon comes.” He paused. “The letter’s purpose is simple. ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’”
Barov Mons stood very still. His expression moved through astonishment, then excitement, then undisguised awe — all in the space of a few seconds. He bent in a deep bow. “I’ll convey your will to the Kingdom of Dawn, Your Majesty.”
Chapter 644: Diplomacy in the New Era
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
…
After lunch, Roland summoned Barov into the bedroom.
Barov, the Director of City Hall, who came to Roland’s bedroom for the first time, seemed more cautious than usual but looked very excited.
Seeing his behavior, Roland could not help thinking of a story that a celebrity in history ran out to receive his subjects with his clothes in disarray, which considerably touched the visitors. It felt like his lazy behavior unexpectedly aroused a strong feeling of trust in his Director of City Hall and he had not intended it to.
He had to say that male official had a unique advantage in loyalty. For example, he could talk with him overnight, share one bed with him, and so on. But if it was Edith Kant, those things would be regarded as gossip.
Roland smiled and shook his head, setting aside those distracting thoughts. “How many letters have you received during the time I fought and slipped into a coma in the Northern Region?”
“A total of 16.” Barov quickly reported. “Most of them are from lords of various domains asking for trade or visiting, and two confidential letters are from the Eastern Region asking for a peace negotiation. I’ve answered them all as you’ve required.”
They had concluded the arrangements in a council meeting before the war. When the king led the army and marched on war, Barov would temporarily deal with the administrative affairs of Neverwinter in the king’s absence. He would be responsible for reading all letters that were sent to the king. And
the letters which were of particular importance and beyond Barov’s power to answer would be sent to the battlefront by carrier pigeon.
“Just for a peace negotiation?”
“Yes… They’re unwilling to surrender the right of enfeoffment. Moreover, they advise you to keep the tradition and honor of nobility.”
“Next spring, those people will naturally know what kind of choice they should make.” Roland shrugged. “Where are the letters for my attention? Where are they from?”
“One came from Astrology Association of the city of Dawn, the other from the Kingdom of Dawn,” Barov said, handing over two sheets of paper, “They arrived in the moment you were in a deep slumber, and it tells something that is a bit… weird.”
“Weird?”
Roland first spread out the parchment with the constellation pattern on it.
It was written by Astrologer of Dispersion Star. He had spent the first half page on greetings and gratitude. The astronomical telescopes Roland had sent to observatory had been put into use. Certainly, they should thank him for that, Roland thought, but the rest of the letter numbed him for a while.
“They’ve tracked the Star of Extinction in the sky?”
“A star that was sparkling red and was located in a permanent place?”
The first thing that came to Roland’s mind was a synchronous orbit.
Judging from his poor knowledge of astronomy, he knew that only objects that traveled on a synchronous orbit could remain relatively still with the planet.
“If Bloody Moon appeared on this orbit, it would definitely influence the planet. Plus the observation also showed that its size should be extremely small.”
“So Bloody Moon was not a natural celestial body, but a man-made satellite?”
After thinking for a moment, Roland denied his speculation. “If it was a satellite, how could it be descending to Earth?” According to Agatha’s view, the moment Bloody Moon showed up, the entire continent would witness it. It was greater and brighter than the moon, and its scarlet light dyed the walls of Holy City bloody red. Even on a bright day, one could see its outline.
“It made no sense.”
He was silent for a while before putting the letter aside. “Write a letter. Invite the astrologers to come to Neverwinter.”
“But they rejected you last time,” Barov said with hesitation, “I’m afraid this time…”
“Things have changed. Now that the Astrology Association has found the star they want to pursue, they’ll just observe the sky where the star is located,” Roland tapped the table and said, “You told them in the letter that Neverwinter has developed a better astronomical telescope and found some ancient books about the Star of Extinction. I believe they’ll come.”
“Yes.”
He spread out the second piece of paper, or a slip of paper as he would call it. As per usual, a message delivered by a carrier pigeon was always very concise.
“The King of Dawn died, and his eldest son Appen Moya succeeded the throne.”
“He ordered the elimination of believers of the church, cut off the trade route to the Holy City and has begun to hunt down witches.”
“As a result, a rebellion broke out on the border that affected our caravan.”
“The original plan may temporarily be suspended.”
Roland could not help frowning. He knew that it was normal for Barov, who was unclear about what the church had done to the Kingdom of Dawn, to be confused. After Isabella and others retreated, the King of Dawn would sooner or later die of a lack of pills. He just did not expect that Appen would hate the church so much that he even involved witches.
Of the policies Appen had given, eliminating believers seemed reasonable. But the unilateral ban on trade basically cut off the source of wealth for border lords. The church must be behind the rebellion. Yet, hunting down witches was something that absolutely went against Roland’s interests.
An order of such impulsion could not be drawn from the ideas of the three powerful Families. The only possible explanation was that the new king had lost his mind when seeking revenge for his father.
Roland had thought that the Kingdom of Dawn would be a potential ally, but this fact had disappointed him.
“Send a formal diplomatic letter to Appen,” Roland said slowly, “First of all, it’s to congratulate him for his coronation, and then warn him to stop hunting down witches. A pure witch isn’t the same as a common witch and Graycastle has established a formal witch organization. Anyone who treats them as enemies will be against the Kingdom of Graycastle.”
“Uh… Your Majesty.” Barov wiped the sweat away from his forehead. “Are you sure you want to put those words in the letter?”
“Are there any questions?”
“He won’t take it seriously. He may think you’re threatening him.”
Roland was very clear that sometimes even the feudatories under the local lords would not follow the king’s order, let alone foreign kingdoms. But the era had changed. If the kingdom did not understand diplomacy, he did not mind teaching them what it really was.
“I’m threatening him,” he answered nakedly, “If Appen Moya insists on his way, I may as well support a new king of the Kingdom of Dawn next year
when we conquer Holy City, a wise king who’ll fight with Graycastle against the Battle of Divine Will. Andrea of House Quinn will be a good choice.”
Diplomacy in the new era would be built on steel firearms. Anything he failed to earn on the negotiating table would be taken by force. To deal with other kingdoms, intervening in their internal affairs, changing heirs, supporting oppositions, and directly stationing the troops into their lands would be common ways. Roland did not want any other kingdoms to stand in his way before Bloody Moon came.
Therefore, the core of this diplomatic letter meant to show “Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”
“I, I got it,” Barov Mons answered with a complex look in his eyes. He was astonished, excited, and undisguisedly awed… He bent down deeply and said, “I’ll send your will to the Kingdom of Dawn.”