Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The news that the Norton Family was in trouble did not come from the north. Instead, Knight Massa of the Dena Family garrison had sent a letter from the frontlines of the Falichun Plains, telling her that the Norton Family was in internal strife. The three main armies of the Norton Family at the frontlines insisted on returning to the north. The king was regretting his decision, so the garrison of the Dena Family had to return as well.
However, due to the long journey and the fact that they were carrying the spoils of war, the Dena Family garrison of 1200 people would only be able to return to the territory of the Delemark Province in May or June next year. Knight Massa had already arranged for the garrison to spend the winter and the rainy season of the next year in the capital before setting off again. He had also attached a list of the spoils of war. With the help of the Norton Family's armed forces, the Dena Family garrison had only suffered a few casualties, but they had made a huge profit. The total value of the spoils of war was almost 3000 gold coins …
Laurist did not have any objections to the Dena Family garrison following the Norton Family's armed forces, nor was he interested in how much they had plundered in the Falichun Plains. What he cared about was what Knight Massa had said in the letter about the three main armies of the Norton Family returning to the north due to the civil strife in the north. It was a pity that Knight Massa had only heard about it in the letter, and had no idea what had happened in the north …
"Alice, you said that you had sent a servant to the north to deliver a letter to your sister, but they were stopped at the ferry. I heard that the first army of the Norton Family had taken over the defense of the river and temporarily cut off all communication between the north and the outside, right?" Laurist asked.
"Yes." Alice nodded. "The pontoon bridge at the ferry crossing downstream of the Mituburo River has been removed, and only two boats can cross the river. However, there was a notice posted at the ferry, saying that because the Duke of the North was seriously injured in the battle with the Storm Sword Saint, in order to prevent the enemy from plotting anything, the Duke of the North will temporarily cut off all communication between the two sides while he recuperates. The ferry will only be reopened when the situation has stabilized. So the servant I sent to deliver the letter came back. "
This was a little strange. Did something really happen in the family? Laurist stroked his beard. His beard was now half an inch long, and when he washed his face in the morning, he looked just like Zhang Fei in the legends of his previous life.
In July, Andrea hadn't received any letters from her younger sister, Fina, and aunt, Delia. She was also worried about her younger brother, who was studying in the Dawn Academy in the North, so she wrote a few letters for two servants to deliver to the North. Of course, she didn't reveal that Lollister was in Baron Dina's territory. Instead, she expressed that she was very concerned about Lollister's whereabouts and recovery. As Lollister's lover and the mother of his illegitimate child, her performance was perfect. Even if these letters fell into the hands of others, no one would suspect anything.
However, to Alice's surprise, the two servants who delivered the message came back after half a month. They told her that the Norton Family's First Regiment of Armed Guards had taken over the defense of the Mitobro River. Not only did they remove the pontoon bridge downstream, but even the iron chain bridge leading to Winston Province was also banned. It was said that the Duke of the North was seriously injured in the battle with the Storm Sword Saint and needed to recuperate. At the same time, in order to prevent people with bad intentions from plotting against them, the Norton Family had cut off all communication between the north and the outside.
Since the letters couldn't be delivered, Alice went to find Laurist. Laurist thought it was normal at the time. When he left the north, he had entrusted the safety of his family's territory to the commander of the First Armed Guard Corps, Berunik. Now that he was not in the north, and the Trade Alliance had sent a Great Swordsman to assassinate him, the focus of their attention was naturally on the north. Although he didn't have to worry about the safety of his family, the north would inevitably be harassed by those Great Swordsman. Thus, it was not surprising that Berunik had taken over the defense of the river and cut off communication.
But now, Alice brought news from the north. This news was from the Norton Family's three main armed guards at the Mana Hill Plains. Furthermore, the Norton Family's three main armed guards had directly set off for the north. It seemed like something big had happened.
But what did Knight Massa's letter mean when he said that the second prince was regretting it? Could it be that the second prince had a hand in the chaos that had happened to the Norton Family? That was impossible. The second prince wasn't a brainless person. Laurist had already become the Guardian Sword Saint. If the second prince didn't treat him well and still caused trouble for the Norton Family, then his head must have been kicked by a donkey …
Laurist couldn't think of anything that could have happened to the family's territory after thinking for a long time. Berunik would never betray him. Fatty Shi was his close friend, and the commander of the Second Armed Guard Corps was in charge of the north's capital, Wrath Bear City. Although Olivier was a bandit, he was loyal to Laurist. Furthermore, the family's territory also had the Walebell Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, which was controlled by Schneider and Tagger. Laurist couldn't think of anything that could have caused the chaos in the family's territory.
In the end, Laurist decided to let Redi make a trip to the north to see what had happened. His internal injuries were almost healed, and in another two or three months, he would be able to practice the Goldwater Technique again to recover his strength. Furthermore, he wouldn't need Redi's help to guide his inner force when he was going to use the Dan Sea Qi Induction Technique. Redi had been very restless during this period of time. He had already made love with Alice's maid, Sunirulu, but he still refused to agree to marry her, causing Alice to almost bleed from anger.
Redi accepted Laurist's mission and left under the tearful eyes of his little lover, Suniruru. His itinerary was to first go to Syrovas Island and then take a boat from the island to the North. He estimated that it would take three to four months to go back and forth. But what Laurist didn't expect was that in less than two months, at the end of December, Redi braved the snowstorm and rushed back. He even brought someone with him — Tagger, who was in charge of the Norton Family's intelligence network.
With Tagger's help, the changes in the North were soon presented clearly to Lollister.
In the eighth month of the previous year, Laurist fought the Storm Sword Saint at the frontlines, and both sides suffered heavy losses. When the news reached the north, the higher-ups of the Norton Family were both excited and sad. They were excited that Laurist had become the Sword Saint of the Kingdom, but sad that Laurist was heavily injured and was brought to the imperial capital by the second prince to recuperate.
Following that, the Hunter Corps did not listen to Fatty Shi's orders. Jost and Roth, the Ferocious Tiger of the Flying Tiger Corps, led troops south on their own to find trouble with the Trade Alliance to avenge Laurist. Fatty Shi had no choice but to send the Bear Fury Knights stationed in Vandinas City to the empty Makinohara Province to prevent the attacks and harassment of the Grass Barbarians.
Similarly, Roth and Jost led two corps to the frontlines, leaving Fatty Shi with a mess. Nearly five hundred thousand immigrants were forced to migrate to the south. Freya, the commander of the Fourth Guard Corps, and Ell, the commander of the Fifth Guard Corps, complained incessantly. On one hand, they had to maintain order among the immigrants, and on the other hand, they had to ensure the logistical supply line that spanned eleven provinces. The Fourth Guard Corps and the Fifth Guard Corps, which had a total of seven corps, were simply not enough.
Fatty Shi had no choice but to send another corps from the Second Guard Corps as reinforcements. Thus, the Second Guard Corps, which was stationed in the south of the Northern Lands, was only left with one corps to defend the capital, the Bear Fury City. Fatty Shi had no choice but to send a corps from the First Guard Corps, Bellunic, to take control of the three external routes.
In January of last year, Laurist was assassinated by a swordsman sent by the Trade Alliance. He was protected by Master Swordsman Seuss and Redi as they fought their way out of the city and escaped to the Delemark Province. Afterwards, Master Swordsman Seuss and Genolio led the guards to distract the attention of the assassins and fought their way back to the Northern Lands, arriving at the Bear Fury City. Redi and Laurist disappeared without a trace, and there was no news of them ever again.
Following that, the Bear Fury City was harassed by the swordsman. Fortunately, Princess Sylvia's adoptive mother, Master Swordsman Sandy, was there. She, Master Swordsman Seuss, and Fatty Shi's father-in-law, Master Swordsman Erik, became the three guardians of the family, stopping the swordsman from the Trade Alliance from attacking the Bear Fury City's castle. However, the news of Laurist, the head of the Norton family, being missing still spread throughout the Northern Lands.
No one expected that at the most critical moment of the family's territory, Maplewood Manor's Steward Hansk would suddenly launch an attack. He first invited the First Guard Corps' Commander Bellunic to a banquet, saying that he wanted to inquire about Laurist's whereabouts. As an old official of the Norton family, he was naturally very concerned about the missing head of the family. Bellunic was from the Maple Forest Manor, and could not refuse Steward Hansk's invitation, so he went to attend the banquet.
During the banquet, Steward Hansk suggested that now that the family head's whereabouts were unknown, and the entire Northern Lands were in a state of panic, could the young master of the Maple Forest Manor, Lescott, be the temporary head of the family to stabilize the situation in the Northern Lands?
Corps Commander Bellunick had refused Steward Hansk's request, but he hadn't expected that Steward Hansk had come prepared. He had hired two Great Swordsmen from who knew where to subdue Corps Commander Bellunick on the spot and put him under house arrest at Maple Forest Manor. At the same time, he summoned his old subordinates to take control of the First Guard Corps, and at the same time, he summoned the guards of the various towns in the family's territory, and in the name of Young Master Lescott as the temporary head of the family, he sent his troops to Bear City …
"Wait …" Laurist could not understand no matter how hard he thought about it. "I clearly purged the guards and the family's armed forces of people from Maple Forest Manor, so how did Hansk gather his old subordinates to take control of the First Guard Corps? And how did the soldiers in the corps listen to Hansk's words?"
"Sigh …" Tagger let out a long sigh. "Your Highness, you have neglected one of the family's armed forces. It is the Garrison Battalion. "
Leurist came to a sudden realization. The garrison camp was mostly made up of retired soldiers from the three major armies. They were responsible for watching over the family territory's material warehouses, prisons, top-secret factories, mines, and production bases. It was also to give these retired family soldiers a place to make use of their remaining energy. The Norton family's armed forces had a total of five Garrison Battalions, all within the family's territory in the Northern Lands.
More than ten years ago, there were at least one to two thousand people in Maple Forest Manor who had joined the family's armed forces. At that time, Laurist, who had just returned to the family's territory, hated the lack of soldiers. Almost all the young adults in Maple Forest Manor had joined the family's armed forces. As time passed, the family soldiers from Maple Forest Manor were replaced by new soldiers. After they retired, they joined the Garrison Camp and continued to serve the family.
In terms of loyalty, the guards were the most loyal to the Norton family. However, it was questionable whether they were loyal to Lollister. From a certain point of view, it was more like they were branded with the mark of the Maplewood Manor, and Laurist's efforts to promote outsiders and ostracize those from the Maplewood Manor made them feel abandoned. Thus, it was easier for Young Master Leske, who was born in the Maple Forest Manor, to gain their loyalty.
Since these soldiers of the Garrison Barracks were retired from the various corps of the family armed forces, and most of them were leaders of the soldiers before they retired. That was why they responded to General Manager Hansk's call and replaced the middle and lower ranking officers of the First Guards Legion, easily taking control of the entire legion. As for the guards of the towns, needless to say, they were also retired veterans. Because they had been trained in the various corps of the family armed forces, most of them took up the position of captain in the town guards. When they called for help, the guards below naturally followed blindly …
Lollister's expression turned ugly. "Didn't Baron Shredder take any effective measures?"
Tagger smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, Lord Shredder and General Manager Spear walked right into the trap and were placed under house arrest by General Manager Hansk …"
Tagger continued to narrate. After General Manager Hansk took control of the First Guards Legion, he gathered the guards of the various towns and gathered a total of nearly 50,000 men to march towards Raging Bears City. The commander of the Second Guards Legion, Lord Overkiss, did not show any weakness. Although he only had one legion under him, he still refused to surrender. He strengthened the defenses of Raging Bears City and prepared to fight against the rebel First Guards Legion and the guards of the various towns and cities.
With a family civil war about to break out, Fatty Shredder and General Manager Spear decided to go out of the city to persuade General Manager Hansk to stop at the brink of the precipice and not become the Norton family's eternal sinner. However, they did not expect to be placed under house arrest by the crazy General Manager Hansk as soon as they went out. If it wasn't for General Manager Cordan, who pretended to agree with General Manager Hansk's idea and suggested that Young Master Lesk be the temporary head of the family, General Manager Hansk might have hung Fatty Shredder on the spot.
It was said that General Manager Hansk angrily called Fatty Shredder a treacherous villain. Lollister trusted Fatty Shredder too much and entrusted all the administrative power of the family to him, causing the family to go down the wrong path. Fatty Shredder questioned him gloomily about what he had done wrong to cause the family to go down the wrong path. General Manager Hansk thought for a long time but could not come up with an answer. His embarrassment turned into anger and he was about to order Fatty Shredder to be hanged.
At this time, General Manager Cordan came out to persuade him, saying that Fatty Shredder was Lollister's most trusted aide. If he was hanged, Lollister would be furious when he returned. At that time, not only would General Manager Hansk's plan be ruined, but it would also affect Young Master Lesk and Madam Elina and her son from Maple Grove Manor. General Manager Hansk had no choice but to suppress his anger and place Fatty Shredder and General Manager Spear under house arrest.
Lollister was also very depressed. He asked Tagger, "What is General Manager Hansk's plan? No matter what he does now, once I return to the family territory, he can only dream in vain. Isn't he afraid that the more trouble he causes, the more severe my punishment will be when I return? "
"It's like this, Your Highness. General Manager Cordan revealed that General Manager Hansk has sent messengers to the frontlines of the Mana Hill Plain. In the name of the Norton family, General Manager Hansk has sent messengers to His Majesty to appoint Young Master Lesk as the acting head of the family. Before Lollister recovers from his injuries, General Manager Hansk said that the three armies of the Norton family will do their best to cooperate with His Majesty to attack the Trade Union and win the battle of the Mana Hill Plain."
Tagger replied, "General Manager Hansk's plan is to let Young Master Lesk obtain His Majesty's approval to suppress Lollister. After all, Lollister is the Grand Duke of the North of the Andinac Kingdom. Even if he becomes a Sword Saint, he still has to respect His Majesty's opinion. This way, even if Lollister returns, he will not be able to punish Young Master Lesk. General Manager Hansk hopes to divide the North into two parts. The original family territory will be handed over to Young Master Lesk, while the rest of the North will still be under the control of Lollister, the Grand Duke of the North! "
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