Chapter 862: Obstacles
In his mansion at Rock Ridge, Earl George Nery finally received the letter from the Western Region.
He broke the seal and read it once, quickly. His face clouded before he’d finished the first paragraph.
“What does it say?” asked a restless baron near him. On his chest he wore the kamon of the River God—the mark of the Levitan family, whose domain straddled river intersections and counted for something in the local hierarchy. His voice had the pitch of a man who had been waiting too long in a room with too many other anxious men.
There were over twenty nobles in the study. Nearly half the feudal lords surrounding Redwater City had gathered here.
George didn’t answer immediately. He glanced at the baron with cool disinterest, passed the letter to Guye Yurianne, Earl of Tririver, and waited for him to finish. Only then did he speak. “Roland Wimbledon has stripped the Willow Town lord of all authority and seized his domain.”
The room erupted.
“The new king—he actually did it?”
“What does he want? To take our titles, as we’ve been hearing?”
“How can he do that? My title comes from my grandfather’s grandfather!”
Someone said, half-hopeful: “Willow Town sits right on the Stronghold’s doorstep. It’s tiny. It doesn’t mean he’ll do the same to Redwater City.”
“Maybe he didn’t move on the king’s city earlier because he lacked the capacity. Perhaps we should wait and see.”
George let the noise run itself out, then cut it off with a short, contemptuous laugh. “Is Redwater City farther from the Western Region than the City of Evernight? Are your combined domains larger than the whole Northern Region?” He let the silence confirm the obvious. “You’re not blind and you’re not stupid, so stop pretending. Roland Wimbledon’s intention to strip every noble of power is not news. The Northern Region showed it. The businessmen have been hinting at it for a year. Willow Town just provided the written proof. And now you’re wondering whether you’ll be next?”
“Mind your language, Your Excellency.”
His bluntness had drawn frowns around the room. Guye waved a calming hand toward the Earl of Rock Ridge before the temperature could rise further.
“In fact,” Guye said, in his measured way, “I believe everyone here already understands that the new king is not an ordinary man. Everything he has done since arriving at Border Town has defied expectation. Judging him by old standards is pointless. I sent men to the Western Region. Roland Wimbledon does not conceal his intentions—he plans to abolish feudal power while leaving titles intact. This has become the stated mission of his reign, and the slogan has been posted openly in the city square.”
His voice had the effect of releasing pressure from the room, and the nobles settled.
“You may say,” he continued, “that Redwater City is not his domain. But Longsong Stronghold wasn’t his domain either, and neither was the Northern Region. Roland Wimbledon will be King of Graycastle. When that day comes, if he declares the entire kingdom his domain, what recourse do we have? And that day will come.” He paused. “If we lose our lands and our subjects, what do we have left?”
“But what can we do?” Baron Huth interrupted, his impatience bleeding through. “King Timothy was defeated. The church was defeated. Who else can stop him? When the Western Region army came through Redwater City last time, we saw them fight. Within sixty meters, the snow powder weapon is irresistible—even heavy-armored knights can’t close the distance. How do you resist that?”
Several voices agreed. The room began to fold toward despair.
“There is a solution,” George said, cold and precise. “The snow powder weapon is powerful, but it has a weakness. It needs open ground. The larger the space, the greater the effect. In a confined environment, its power is limited.”
“A confined—environment?”
“A lord’s castle, for example.” He let his gaze move deliberately around the room. “When Roland Wimbledon arrives at Redwater City, he will sleep in the castle. He will bring few guards—only a handful can be quartered inside. If we place enough of our own men there in advance, we hold the advantage of position.”
“Did Lord Delta agree to this?” Levitan asked, unable to keep the surprise from his voice.
George shook his head with undisguised contempt. “You know his character. Point a sword at his throat and he still won’t resist. But he’s done me an unexpected favor—the castle is riddled with secret passages that open into the outer city. As long as we insert our men before Roland arrives, they won’t be found.”
“How did you learn of these passages?”
“Delta likes to dig. Has for years. I bribed the masons.” George allowed a thin smile. “A cautious man—or perhaps merely a frightened one—builds himself more than one door. I had originally planned to use those passages against Delta himself. They’ll serve just as well for Prince Roland.”
“But this is treason—” Huth muttered. “And if Roland dies, his army flattens us.”
“Who said anything about killing him?” George knocked the table once, hard. “We seize Roland Wimbledon alive. While he breathes, his army won’t risk a direct assault. We may even force them to withdraw entirely. Once word spreads that the new king has been captured, every noble in the kingdom who has been keeping his head down will have reason to act. Don’t forget: the Western Region is the only territory he truly controls. When the moment comes, it’s far from certain that the Duke of the Northern Region will continue to support him.”
“But after all, he is—”
“He has not been crowned.” Guye Yurianne cut in, calmly. “No coronation. No proclamation as king. We can select another Wimbledon—one who values the aristocracy and respects tradition—as our king. There are candidates in the king’s city, if we choose to look.”
“By that time,” George said, lowering his voice, “someone may well step forward before we need to search.” He let the implication settle. “And you know what the stakes are. Lose everything, or restore your family’s fortune. What exactly are you hesitating about?”
The calculation played out in plain sight across the room. The nobles he had summoned had backed Timothy; they were not men who would choose Roland willingly even without the conflict of interests. And the prospective gains—that was what pushed the cowardly ones across the threshold.
None of them, George reflected, were difficult to predict. Without leadership they were nothing—a rabble dressed in old crests. He was the only man here with the capacity to assume authority over Redwater City and manage the Central Region after.
After a moment, Levitan and several others arrived at their conclusions.
“What do we do next?”
“Transfer some of your reliable knights to my command,” George said. “Then wait.”
Chapter 862: Obstacles
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
In his mansion in Rock Ridge, Earl George Nery finally received the letter from the Western Region. He unsealed the letter and glanced over it, his face clouding over.
“What did it say?” Asked a restless Baron. On his chest, there was a kamon of God of River, indicating that he was from the Levitan family, whose domain was located at the intersection of river courses and was regarded as a fairly famous family in the local area.
There were over twenty nobles like him in the study room.
Nearly half of the feudal nobles around the Redwater City had gathered here.
Instead of answering him immediately, George glanced at him coldly and handed the letter to Guye Yurianne, the Earl of Tririver. After the latter read through the letter, George began to speak slowly, “Roland Wimbledon has taken away all the power of the Willow Town lord and occupied his domain as well.”
“The new king… really did it?”
“Hell. So what does he want to do? To deprive us of our titles just as the news we received has suggested?”
“How can he do that? That title is passed down from my grandfather!”
Someone suddenly said, “Willow Town is too close to the Stronghold and it’s very small. It doesn’t mean that he’ll do the same to Redwater City, does it?”
“I guess He didn’t seize the entire king’s city before is because he doesn’t have the capacity. Maybe we should wait.”
Hearing that, George could not help sneering in anger. He said,” To the Western Region, is Redwater City farther than the City of Evernight? Are your domains larger than the whole Northern Region? Are you blind or stupid? It’s not news that Roland Wimbledon wants to take away the power of all nobles. You see what happened in the Northern Region. The businessmen have hinted it repeatedly, and now the Willow Town provides the best example. And now you’re wondering whether you will be the next?”
“Please mind your language, Your Excellency.”
His mean and rude remarks made the nobles frown.
“Let me explain,” said Guye, waving his hand toward the Earl of Rock, “In fact, I believe everyone is aware that our new king is definitely not an ordinary person. Since he went to Border Town, everything he has done is beyond imagination. So it’s meaningless to judge his actions by the old standards and your past experience. I have sent my men to the Western Region. Roland Wimbledon doesn’t conceal his real thoughts. He plans to abolish the noble’s feudal power and just reserve their titles… This has basically become his mission of his ruling, and the slogan has been openly put up in the city square.”
His calming voice eased the mood of the nobles. He continued to say, “You may say that Redwater City isn’t his domain. But the Longsong Stronghold wasn’t his either, let alone the Northern Region. Roland Wimbledon will be the King of Graycastle sooner or later. When that day comes, even if he claims that the whole kingdom is his domain, what else can we do other than accept it? And that will definitely happen.” After a short pause, Guye said, “If we lose our domain and subjects, what else do we own?”
“But what can we do?” Huth, another Baron, interrupted impatiently, “King Timothy was defeated, so was the church. Who else can stop him? Last time when the Western Region army came to Redwater City, we saw how they fought. Within 60 meters, the snow powder weapon is irresistible, and even heavy-armored knights can’t approach. How can we resist such power?”
Hearing that, the crowd chimed in.
“Of course there’s a solution,” George said in a cold voice. “Although the snow powder weapon is powerful, it has some flaws. It can only be used in an open space. The bigger space, the more powerful. But when in a confined environment, its power is limited.”
“A confined… environment?”
“The Lord’s castle, for example,” he said word by word while glancing at the nobles who were present, “When Roland Wimbledon arrives at Redwater City, he’ll definitely live in the castle. Only a few guards can live there, so as long as we can arrange more men there, we’ll be in an advantageous position.”
“Did Lord Delta agree to cooperate with you?”Levitan asked in surprise.
“You know his personality. It’s impossible for him to do such a thing. Even if he was pointed by a sword to his neck, he would not resist.” said George, shaking his head dismissively, “But he really did me a lot of favor. In the castle, there’re lots of secret paths which lead to the outer city area. As long as we send our people in the castle ahead, they won’t be found.”
“How did you… know it?”
“Thanks to Earl Delta, he likes to dig here and there in the city, and I bribed the masons for the information. As the saying goes, a crafty person has more than one hideout. I don’t know whether he’s cautious or timid,” George sneered and said, “I originally planned to kill him in this way, but I think it’ll work just as well on Prince Roland.”
“But this is treason…” Huth muttered, “And if Roland Wimbledon were killed, his army would likewise flatten us!”
“Who said we’re going to kill him?” replied George, knocking on the table with displeasure. “As long as we seize Roland, we can have the situation under control. Since the new king is alive, his army won’t dare to put his life at risk. Maybe we can even force his army to retreat. Once the news spreads,
those nobles will definitely side with us. Don’t forget, the Western Region is the only domain he’s truly had his hands on. When that day comes, it’s hard to say whether the Duke of the Northern Region will still support him.”
“But after all, he is…”
“He hasn’t been a real king yet, Baron Huth.” Guye Yurianne interrupted him, “He hasn’t held the coronation, nor did he proclaim himself as a king. We can select another Wimbledon, who believes in aristocracies and follows the traditions, as the king. We’ll find such a man in the king’s city as long as we try.”
“By that time, maybe someone will stand out before we look for him.” George lowered his voice, “And we should know how much we’ll benefit from this. Losing everything or glorifying your family, what are you hesitating about?”
His words immediately caused a stir among the nobles. Obviously, they already knew what they should choose.
George Nery was not surprised by the result. The nobles he summoned had been in favor of Timothy before. Even if Timothy was dead, they would not choose Prince Roland with whom they had a conflict of interests. Further, the prospective benefits were enough to tempt this group of cowards to take a bold action.
However, their ability was limited. If no one led them, they were nothing but a rabble. He was the only qualified person to assume the post of the lord of Redwater City and run the Central Region.
After a moment, Levitan and his party seemed to have made their decisions. They asked, “What’re we going to do next?”
“Put some of your reliable knights under my command… Then, just wait,” George said with confidence.