Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio Laurist was deep in thought as he read the urgent letter from Ross the Ferocious Tiger. There were three main points in the letter. The first was about the second prince's order of reckoning and the tragic fate of the nobles in the capital. The second was about the second prince coming to the barracks to request the Norton Family to fulfill their obligations under the oath before withdrawing. The third was about some inappropriate requests, but they were rejected by Ross the Ferocious Tiger and the rest.
Laurist was indifferent to the second prince's order of reckoning. He didn't have a good impression of the nobles in the capital. The nobles were rotten to the core. If he wanted the Andinac Kingdom to prosper again, he should get rid of them. If Lollister and the second prince were to swap places, Lollister would have done the same. However, his methods would have been milder, and he wouldn't have been as extreme as the second prince, who had massacred all the nobles in the capital. It could also be said that the second prince had used the crudest and most bloody methods to amass enough wealth to deal with the crisis of the kingdom through the blood and corpses of the nobles in the capital.
A person's position was indeed determined by his position. Take Ross the Ferocious Tiger for example. When he first joined the northbound convoy, he was just a civilian officer who retired because of the disbandment of the White Lion Legion. After seven years of civil war, he hated all the nobles. He believed that it was the greed and injustice of the nobles that led to the demise of a powerful empire. Hence, after the northbound convoy reached an agreement with the second prince, he was the most resolute in wiping out the nobles in the Andinac Kingdom. He personally hanged thirty or forty nobles who rebelled.
In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. As a Gold Knight of the Norton Family, Ross the Ferocious Tiger had become a quasi-noble. With Laurist's promotion to the Grand Duke of the North, it was confirmed that he would be conferred the title of Baron. Hence, he became a model noble and strict with himself, making sure that his actions were in line with the standard etiquette of the nobles. Hence, the second prince's purge of the nobles in the capital infuriated him. He thought that the second prince was insulting the nobles, and he wanted to fight the second prince.
People change. Back then, he wanted to kill all the nobles, but now, he was proud to be a member of the nobles. I forgot to mention that after this guy conquered the Imperial Capital, he found four noblewomen as his lovers. This time, he even rescued the families of the four lovers.
However, Loriste thought about it and felt that there was nothing to complain about. He was the same. It would be a slap to his face if he said that he was a loyal noble of the Andinac Kingdom. Wasn't he also prioritizing the interests of the Norton family? Perhaps in the eyes of the king, the second prince, he was more abominable than those nobles in the imperial city. It was only because his family was powerful and dominated the Northern Region that the second prince was afraid to take action.
Therefore, the second prince had stirred up some trouble again. This was the second matter mentioned in the letter. The second prince insisted that the Norton Family had not fulfilled their obligations by conquering the Imperial Capital and returning him to the throne. Instead, they wanted him to become the king of the Andinac Kingdom. However, the Andinac Kingdom was not the emasculated version of Queen Kerry's kingdom. The ceded provinces had to return to the kingdom's territory.
In other words, the second prince did not admit that the Norton Family had fulfilled their obligations before the three provinces that Queen Kerry had ceded in order to sue for peace. Haha, Loriste sneered. This was shameless. The second prince did not even care about the king's reputation and became a scoundrel. His goal was very simple. He wanted the Norton Family to fight with the Commerce Alliance and the four central duchies. On one hand, he would exhaust the Norton Family's strength, and on the other hand, he could fish in troubled waters.
Loriste looked at the map. After the Andinac Kingdom's Hengstmos Province was ceded, it formed the Principality of Zturam with the northwest region of the former Redelis Kingdom. The Grand Duke was a count of the former Andvov Province of the former Redelis Kingdom. He drowned the second prince's 70,000 troops in the Magik Province, causing the second prince's Golden Knight Balor, one of the Five Tigers, to die in the battlefield out of humiliation. Speaking of which, this Grand Duke Zturam could be considered the second prince's enemy.
The two southwestern provinces of the former Redelis Kingdom were ceded to the Andinac Kingdom due to the eldest prince's defeat. Later, they were ceded by Queen Kerry to form the Bullitt United Duchy. The rulers were three Grand Dukes who had been promoted due to their outstanding achievements in the war against the second prince. It was obvious that both the Duchy of Turam and the United Duchy of Bullitt were placed in front by the Ford Commercial Union as a buffer between them and the Andinac Kingdom. It seemed like the Commercial Union was also prepared for any eventualities. They had also anticipated the possibility of the second prince making a comeback and ascending to the throne.
It seemed that the rulers of these two duchies had a life-and-death relationship with the second prince. They were the least likely to compromise with the second prince. Of course, the Commerce Alliance behind them would not support them to compromise with the second prince either. The second prince was now acting shamelessly. He wanted to recover the two southwestern provinces and the three provinces of Hengstmos for the Norton Family to fulfill their obligations. In fact, it also represented the second prince's unease with these two duchies. He was afraid that once the Norton Family's armed forces withdrew, the two duchies would send troops to attack. Without the two southwestern provinces and the Hengstmos Province, the capital was equivalent to the front line. This was extremely disadvantageous to the second prince's reunification of the kingdom.
The second prince's idea was not bad. He let the Flying Tiger Army and the Monolith Army attack the Principality of Zturam and the Bullitt United Duchy. Even if he recovered the three provinces, he could find an excuse to let the Flying Tiger Army and the Monolith Army temporarily stay there. Then, he could sit back and watch the Commerce Alliance's reinforcements and the Norton Family's armed forces fight to the death. Not only would the Norton Family's strength be depleted, but he could also take advantage of the time when both sides were exhausted to send out their elites and take over the former Redelis Kingdom.
Laurist did not mind wiping out these two duchies. After all, these two duchies had only been established for a few years. They did not have the foundation of the Madras Duchy. With the attack power of the Monolith Army and the Flying Tiger Army, it would be very easy to destroy these two duchies. The only thing he was worried about was Grand Duke Zturam. Someone who could make the second prince suffer such a huge loss was not simple. However, if he let the Monolith Army be in charge of attacking the Principality of Zturam, he believed that Bofinger's experience would make Grand Duke Zturam helpless. There were no large rivers in the Hengstmos Province, only valleys and basins, which was suitable for the Monolith Army.
However, Laurist was very annoyed with the second prince's insatiable behavior. The reason why he insisted on letting the second prince ascend the throne despite the objections of many retainers and knights was not just because he wanted the second prince to attract the attention of the Commerce Alliance and the four central duchies so that the future enemy, Grand Duke Fisablun, would not receive any support from the four central duchies. Instead, as a ruler, he had to consider the overall situation.
Laurist did not deny that he wanted to be Wang Jianguo. Coming from a different world, he had put in the greatest effort to integrate into this world of Combat Aura. After all, his soul came from an ancient eastern country with five thousand years of history. Perhaps the original owner of this body of his was a loyal member of the Andinac royal family, but he was not. Now, he had created an unprecedented situation for the Norton Family, becoming the Grand Duke of the Northern Lands. Dominating the entire Northern Lands was something that the ancestors of the Norton Family had never imagined. From this point of view, Laurist had already done enough for the Norton Family.
Similarly, in the eyes of outsiders, the Norton Family had become the strongest supporters of the second prince. No one could find fault with Laurist's actions, except for the second prince, who had suffered greatly in the dark. However, he had his own difficulties, which was why he had disregarded the king's reputation and acted like a scoundrel.
Gifting the second prince with the standard equipment of an army, mobilizing the family's armed forces to attack the Imperial Capital, and allowing the second prince to regain the throne. Laurist had done all of this perfectly, all so that he could not be blamed for falling out with the second prince in the future. The road to the crown was full of twists and thorns. There was sunshine and darkness, but as a king, he should give people a feeling of being open and aboveboard. Any flaw in morality would become a fatal weakness for the founder of a dynasty. This was the most important reason why Laurist had rejected the suggestion of his subordinates and knights to keep the second prince in the Northern Lands.
The second prince was now courting death. If he massacred the nobles in the Imperial Capital, it would only cause the nobles to become more disunited. There might not even be nobles who would seek refuge with him in the future … Laurist picked up a piece of paper and began to write a reply. He told the Ferocious Tiger, Ross, and Bofinger that they could attack the two duchies and take back the city of Henstermos and the two provinces in the southwest of the Andinac Kingdom. Since they had already taken ninety out of a hundred steps, they might as well complete the last few steps to make the second prince speechless.
However, Laurist also made a request. After attacking the two duchies, the second prince had to send people to take over the defense of the three provinces within fifteen days. Otherwise, the Norton Family's armed forces would retreat and no longer care about the frontlines. Laurist also specified that Earl Kenneth could negotiate with the second prince. If the second prince did not agree, then the Ferocious Tiger, Ross, and Bofinger would just come back. If anyone tried to block their way or stay, they would be killed without mercy. Since the Norton Family's armed forces could attack the Imperial Capital, then they would definitely be able to do the same.
As for the second prince's third request, Laurist praised them for rejecting it well. Why should they offer the Thunder Catapults, War Chariots, and Steel Crossbows to the second prince? Even the three allies in the Northern Lands did not have such weapons. How could the second prince ask for them? Just because he was the king of the kingdom? Haha, the Ferocious Tiger, Ross was the clearest. These are the Norton Family's secret weapons. If you want them, go to war. Announce that we are traitors, then defeat us, and you will have the chance to get them.
After Laurist finished writing his reply, he asked Schwald to hang the letter on the leg of a messenger eagle. It would only take a day and a night for the messenger eagle to reach Sirovas Island. Then, it would take about three days for the messenger to deliver the letter to the Ferocious Tiger and Bofinger. This was many times faster than Earl Cummins writing a letter to Lollister from the imperial capital, then sending his squire on horseback to Lollister, and taking seventeen days to deliver it to Lollister.
After making his decision, Laurist did not need to worry about the Flying Tiger Army and the Monolith Army. He believed that the Ferocious Tiger and Bofinger would not disappoint him. Moreover, the profiteer Earl Kenneth was with them. The second prince would not be able to take advantage of them.
At this time, Laurist was extremely busy. He had to decide how to confer and transfer titles to the territory of the Dreimuk Province, and how to develop the eastern region of the Northern Lands. On the 15th of August, the construction of the Northern Lands' Dawn Academy had been completed, and he needed to go and congratulate them. The first criminal code of his family territory had been drafted, and he needed to review it. He also needed to inspect the newly formed Hunting Cavalry Unit, and he also needed to take time to accompany Delia, who was a new mother, and her seven-month-old son. Laurist wished he had the ability to split himself into two.
The most annoying thing was that there was a rumor circulating in the territory. It was said that Laurist was furious because Duke Fisablun refused to marry Princess Silvia to him. As a result, he viewed the Fisablun Family as his mortal enemy, and was bent on destroying the Fisablun Family …
The first time I heard of this rumor was when Tagger came to report it. He hemmed and hawed as he recounted the rumors in the marketplace. After all, it was no secret that Laurist had been rejected when he went to Winderbury City to ask Duke Fisablun for Princess Silvia's hand in marriage. Everyone was aware of the Duke's request. Although many people believed that their Lord was a noble who was loyal and responsible, unwilling to abandon his concubines and children, there were also many who believed that compared to the noble Princess Silvia, those concubines and children were not worth cherishing. Their Lord should not have given up on the marriage with the Fisablun Family.
Originally, this was just a joke among the taverns, and no one paid attention to it. However, as Laurist understood the strength of the Fisablun Family, he began to make targeted arrangements. Unknowingly, it turned into a rumor that the Lord was angry because of Duke Fisablun's rejection of the marriage, and was preparing to attack the Fisablun Family to snatch Princess Silvia back to be his wife. This rumor was very much in line with the wishes of the people in the family territory, and it spread far and wide …
Laurist was so angry that his nose and mouth were in disarray. He could not find a target to vent his anger on even if he wanted to. It was clearly Silvia who took a fancy to me first. How did it become me mobilizing troops for the sake of her beauty?
Tagger observed his expression from the side, asking if he should ban the spread of this rumor within the family territory, and if he should capture the spreading of this rumor and put the spreading of this rumor into hard labor?
Laurist sighed and said with a dark expression, "Forget it. If others want to say it, then let them say it. If their mouths are on their faces, then let them say it to their heart's content. Using force to prohibit them from speaking would instead confirm this matter in their hearts. Rumors stop at the mouth of the wise. Moreover, this was his own personal matter. As the Grand Duke of the Northern Lands, he should have the awareness of others gossiping behind his back …
On the 19th of August, 1777, the Galinthea General Calendar, the Flying Tiger Army and the Monolith Army of the Norton Family suddenly launched an attack on the United Duchy of Britt. In less than seventeen days, the attack swept through the two southwestern provinces. The United Duchy of Britt lost two Grand Dukes in battle, and the Duchy was destroyed.
On the 8th of September, the Monolith Army launched an attack on the Principality of Zduram. Grand Duke Zduram led the Principality's army out of the Hunstermoss Province, and stationed troops in the northwestern region to confront the Monolith Army. On the 32nd of September, the Flying Tiger Army and the Monolith Army handed over the two southwestern provinces and the Hunstermoss Province to the Andinac Kingdom's White Lion Army and the newly reorganized Royal Guards respectively, and embarked on their return journey to the Northern Lands …
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