In the archduchess' study room, Saroma widened her eyes. "What?"
Thales also stared blankly at his new teacher, who had just uttered such shocking words.
'This …
'This, this, this …
'Are you really here to be a teacher?'
"I …" In the awkward atmosphere, the flustered archduchess was tongue-tied. She could not utter a single word for a long time. She could only cast a pleading look at Thales out of habit.
"Mister Hicks." In the end, Thales could not take it anymore, so he braced himself and said, "This joke is a little … Saroma and I, we …"
However, the culprit of this atmosphere, the thin Meryl Hicks, still held his walking stick and looked at Saroma with the ghost of a smile.
The next second, the young girl took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind about something. Then, she resolutely lowered her head, bent down, and picked up the 'Selected Poems of Cahill Yarrow' that had fallen by her feet.
It seemed to be very important.
She left the awkwardness to Thales alone.
But soon, he was no longer embarrassed.
"Yes!" The bespectacled Old Crow turned his head and interrupted Thales rudely.
The old man's eyes behind the monocle blinked gently. He glanced at Thales, who was about to speak, and stared at Saroma.
"You must like him very much."
Saroma, who had just straightened her back with the book in her arms, became awkward again. She had no choice but to say, "Um, we are just good friends …"
Thales nodded in agreement.
"Otherwise, without the Archduchess' deliberate protection, a hostage prince from Constellation …" Unexpectedly, the Old Crow Hicks' mocking expression slowly disappeared. He did not pay attention to Saroma and Thales' clarification. He only shook his head and continued speaking.
"It is impossible for him to stay safe and sound for six whole years in the Northlander's Dragon Clouds City, surrounded by a pack of hostile wolves."
The two students were stunned.
Hicks' expression was no longer as relaxed and contented as it was at the beginning.
Even though he was still smiling, the murkiness in his eyes had slowly disappeared.
He pulled the walking stick in his hand closer.
"What do you think, Thales?"
The prince snapped out of his daze.
He suddenly realized that the old man's words just now were not to tease them about their relationship out of boredom.
'Looks like …
I'm thinking too much. '
In the face of Hicks' question, Thales let go of the awkwardness in his heart and sighed slowly.
"I can't deny it." The teenager glanced at the girl, who was blushing slightly. He nodded apprehensively. "If it weren't for Saroma's protection, the Northlanders would not be so polite to me. I'm very grateful for that."
Saroma said nothing.
Hicks sighed softly.
"Then, may I ask, Saroma?" Just like how he addressed the prince, the Old Crow addressed the archduchess by her name without any reservations. "Why are your people, your vassals, and your subordinates so impolite to Thales?"
"Did the prince do something unforgivable to them?"
Saroma glared at Thales.
"No, Thales did not do anything wrong." The archduchess shook her head forcefully. "But he is the Prince of Constellation, so the Northlanders have a reason to hate him — this is the hatred between nations."
The new teacher narrowed his eyes. "Why? Why should the Northlanders hate the Prince of Constellation? "
"Eighteen years ago, during Constellation's' Bloody Year '…" Saroma paused for a few seconds. She looked at Thales worriedly. When she saw that the latter's expression was normal, she took a deep breath and answered, "We, Eckstedt and Constellation fought a terrible war."
Thales stared seriously at the Old Crow, who was still smiling but gave off an inexplicable sense of sternness. He suddenly understood what Hicks wanted to talk about.
"The Bloody Year. Of course, this is what Constellation calls it." Hicks' gaze was deep as he sighed with emotion. "The Bloody Year was between the beginning of Year 660 and Year 661 of the Calendar of Eradication …"
The new teacher's gaze became solemn.
"So, during the war, what did the Constellatiates do?
What made Eckstedt, who took the initiative to invade, hate Constellation so much? "
Thales furrowed his brows.
Saroma hesitated for a second, but under Hicks' smile, she still recalled the contents of the books and lessons she had in the past. She answered truthfully, "Because of the 'Fortress Treaty'.
"At the end of the war, the Northlanders were forced to negotiate peace with Constellation under pressure from many parties. They even signed a treaty.
"Other than a piece of disputed woodland northwest of the fortress before the war, and some monetary compensation, Eckstedt did not get much land or spoils of war.
"Many people, from the archdukes to the vassals, from the nobles to the soldiers, were dissatisfied with the fact that they had already broken through the Northern Territory and won victory on the battlefield. In the end, they had to return to the North with their tails between their legs. So …" The archduchess glanced at Thales cautiously again. "So they felt that this was a humiliation brought upon them by the Constellatiates' despicable methods."
As he listened to the conversation between the old and the young, Thales remembered everything that Gilbert had told him in the carriage on the eve of the National Conference.
'"Rather than saying that this was a treaty, it would be better to say that this was a record of humiliation."'
"Very well, so this is the answer. The 'Fortress Treaty', which is disproportionate to the results of the war, is the source of the Northlanders' hatred towards Constellation." When he said this, Hicks showed a puzzled expression at the right time. "However, this answer inevitably brings more questions.
"Even though you were not born at that time." Hicks tapped his walking stick and exhaled. "But, according to what you just said, why?
"Eckstedt had already obtained such a huge advantage, to the point that the entire Northern Territory and half of the Land of Cliffs were defeated by them. Why was the 'Fortress Treaty' signed like that? Why did Eckstedt only ask for compensation, but give up every piece of Constellation's land that they had painstakingly conquered and occupied for nearly half a year? "
Thales and Saroma both frowned and began to think about the old man's words.
Hicks turned his head and looked at the Prince of Constellation amiably.
"Thales, what's your answer? Do you want to take a guess? "
Thales raised his eyebrows slightly.
A memory from a long time ago flashed in his mind.
It was still in that bright classroom. It was still the same continuous, clacking sounds of keys being pressed and notes being taken.
"Qiren, what's your answer to this question?"
Over the past six years, there were not many flashes of unfamiliar but familiar memories like this. At least, it was not as frequent as when he was in those thrilling adventures six years ago.
But they were definitely not silent.
For example, right now.
"How does social relations, or rather, the position of an individual in the circle of social relations, affect an individual's behavior?
"According to the assumptions of a 'rational person' … Then, in a situation where they clearly know that their actions will bring about corresponding losses, or at least unpredictable risks, why do many individuals still habitually follow and repeat the actions of the individuals around them based on their closeness to each other?"
'But …'
In his memory, the owner of the gentle female voice, who always made it difficult for Thales to suppress his emotions but could not name, never appeared again.
"Thales?"
Thales only snapped out of his daze when Hicks urged him slightly. He quickly said, "I think …"
"Is it because of the joint intervention of many countries? I think that whether it is Hanbol, Mane of Night across the sea, or Camus Union and the other small countries in the Western Peninsula, none of them are willing to see an overly powerful Kingdom of the Great Dragon … "
But Thales, who did not stop talking, looked at the eye behind the lens. He saw the inexplicable meaning and smile in that gaze. His heart stirred slightly, and he subconsciously stopped talking.
Hicks, who was sitting on the leather chair, laughed.
His shoulders trembled, and his hands, which were holding onto the walking stick, trembled slightly.
His laughter was weak but cheerful, like a happy old man teasing a child. It did not feel gloomy at all.
'Just like a … happy crow?'
Saroma stared at the old man, puzzled.
Finally, Hicks stopped laughing and nodded. "I'm sorry … I remembered a book I once read."
Thales revealed a puzzled expression.
"According to 'The History of the War in the Northern Territory', when the two countries started negotiating, countries like Camus Union and Hanbol expressed their concern. However, Camus Union could not come to an agreement for a long time regarding the conditions for Eckstedt to withdraw its troops. Hanbol expressed that he respected King Nuven's wishes, and Mane of Night's envoy was on the way. He only sent a messenger crow symbolically to express his stance.
"From the looks of it, either the author of 'The History of the War in the Northern Territory' was boasting and falsifying the 'inside information' he obtained, or … What do you think?" Hicks raised his head and looked at Thales with a ruminating gaze.
The prince frowned again.
'So, does this mean that the so-called interference of many countries is actually quite weak, and is not worth mentioning to Eckstedt at all?
'There's another reason why Eckstedt gave up on the spoils of war, and even the peace talks between the two countries?'
"Ah, I remember again. One of my students once told me." The old man laughed. "King Nuven once generously bestowed the eight counties in the Northern Territory of Constellation to six counts as a reward to them. Similarly, the Archduke of Defense City, the Archduke of Prestige Orchid, and the Archduke of Black Sand Region also tried to take the lands they conquered as their own. "
Hicks rolled his eyes slightly. "Eckstedt even succeeded in making many families in the former lands of Constellation pledge their loyalty to the new suzerain of the Northlanders."
Thales and Saroma, who were getting more and more confused, looked at the old man with puzzled expressions.
"But in the end, the Eckstedtians still withdrew and gave up?" Thales asked doubtfully.
"It seems so." The Old Crow nodded slightly. "First, it was Count Mende of Black Sand Region, then the Gray Family under Defense City, and finally the counts of Dragon Clouds City. When their armies withdrew, the lands of Constellation that still belonged to them in name changed their flags, refused to pay taxes and join the army, chased away the Eckstedtian nobles who stayed behind, and returned to the rule of their former masters. Even many families who were originally forced to submit to the Northlanders changed sides and returned to the territory of Constellation."
Thales' heart sank.
"Why?"
Saroma asked curiously. "Could it be that the rule of the King of Eternal Rule has been so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people that the loyalty of the people and nobles is unshakable?"
Hicks rubbed his wrists and clicked his tongue. "If that's the case, why did the loyal nobles surrender to Eckstedt in the beginning? Strictly speaking, the people of the Northern Territory are also Northlanders. They do not lack the courage to fight to the death."
Saroma was instantly speechless.
But Thales, who was beside her, was lost in thought.
'Wait …
'Refused to pay taxes and join the army …
'Chased away the Eckstedtian nobles and officials who stayed behind …'
The prince had a thought.
He suddenly remembered the tense and dangerous negotiation in the Hall of Heroes six years ago. He remembered Chapman Lampard's expression. He remembered … what he truly feared.
"I understand now."
The Prince of Constellation raised his head abruptly and looked at Hicks, who was still smiling.
He said solemnly, "Back then, Eckstedt did not have the ability to rule the Northern Territory."
Saroma looked at him curiously.
Hicks' gaze changed.
In the next second, the old man raised his right hand with a smile and made a gesture of invitation to Thales.
Thales, who was encouraged by the other two people's gazes, took a deep breath and recalled the things he had thought about six years ago.
"Whether it was paying taxes, being a judge, serving in the army, or daily life, the Constellatiates, from high to low, from noble to lowly, gradually got used to their country's way of ruling: starting from the Virtuous King, the system and rules that matured step by step.
"As for Eckstedt, they could not follow Constellation's system, nor could they use Constellation's way to rule this land. Not only were the Northlander nobles not used to it, but the qualified bureaucrats that the Kingdom of the Great Dragon could send to rule the Northern Territory were also far from enough. They could only use Eckstedt's old way to rule Constellation."
The prince frowned. He remembered that not long ago, Little Joseph's father, who was a chef, had told him about what happened in their village.
The trusted aides of the suzerains of Northland came to collect taxes from the farmers. This month's tax might be a chicken or a bag of wheat, but after a few months, if your land was harvested, or if the tax collector was changed, you might have to collect a cow or two bags of wheat. It all depended on the tax collector's mood and greed, and it depended on whether the suzerain was kind or harsh.
If you were a craftsman and used a good idea to start a small business in the bazaar and made money, when you wanted to expand your business, you might have to face the covetous eyes of the suzerains or nobles, because even being able to trade in the bazaar was a favor from them.
While Thales continued to speculate in his mind, he said to Hicks, who was smiling even more widely, and Saroma, who was dumbfounded, "So, if King Nuven arbitrarily enfeoffed the land in Constellation's Northern Territory to his subjects and nobles, and let them manage their new territories according to the old tradition in the Joint Ruling Pledge, all sorts of problems will arise …"
Hicks coughed and chuckled.
The Old Crow said faintly, "As far as I know, when Eckstedt occupied the Northern Territory, Archduke Lampard, who was in charge of managing the rear, who is now King Chapman, tried to fulfill the suzerain's responsibilities and rights, just like he did in his own country. He collected taxes from the Northern Territory's residents to subsidize his expenses on the condition of ensuring a safe life.
"But it was obviously quite inefficient. The people were not willing to deal with his tax collectors."
Thales' eyes brightened when his conjecture was verified.
"Of course, because the land in Constellation is different.
"The people in the Northern Territory have gradually gotten used to another way of living and ruling. They are not blindly and obediently loyal to a suzerain who comes from the north and has the boorish style of the Great Dragon. And this is only the Northern Territory. It may be even more so in the Central Territory or even the South, because their cities are bigger and their villages are more complicated. I heard that the craftsmen and merchants even formed a trade association and had the right to negotiate with the suzerains."
Thales recalled Lampard's gaze in the past. He felt sentimental and came to a realization. "To put it simply, after Eckstedt won the war, it did not have the ability to rule the Northern Territory steadily.
"Correspondingly, once the invaders did not have this ability, the people of Constellation's Northern Territory would naturally not submit to Eckstedt's rule." The prince recalled the lowly tax collector who defected from Constellation to Black Sand Region and worked under Lampard. "Because not only could the latter not give them the life they wanted, he was also rudely harming their interests."
Thales sighed. "So, even if King Nuven's army occupied the Northern Territory, he was unable to govern it effectively. He could only use violence to subdue it."
Saroma blinked and, as usual, gave Thales a look of surprise.
The Old Crow, Hicks, shrugged. The wrinkles on his face seemed to have deepened.
"From our discussion just now, Eckstedt did not turn the land and people affected by the invasion into beneficiaries," the skinny old man said faintly. "Instead, they turned them into enemies?"
Thales nodded with a solemn expression. "So, if Eckstedt wants to continue occupying the Northern Territory, it means that they must station their troops there for a long time. They must use the archdukes' violence to suppress the continuous rebellions and disobedience, to quell the boiling anger of the people due to the change in their lives."
'Or …' Thales recalled Lampard's promise to the archdukes during 'Dragon's Blood' six years ago.
'Or the archdukes or even the king himself will personally station their troops in the Northern Territory to eliminate all possible sources of trouble. Then, gradually … it will synchronize with and move closer to Constellation's existing system.
'Make it … our own land.'
The prince subconsciously clenched his fists.
'So, is this what you learned during the Bloody Year eighteen years ago?
'Chapman Lampard?
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