As a loyal subordinate personally elevated by Duke
If the
The purpose of establishing the Northland Corps was to counter the Border Defense Corps of Duke Fisablen, the Second Prince's father-in-law, and to serve as the future military force and backbone of the Northland Lukins Duchy. But now the Northland Corps had become a tool for the Duke to blackmail and threaten the noble families of the Northland territories. Although the Duke's own domain earned barely over sixty thousand Imperial gold coins annually, the wealth he had extorted from the various noble families of the Northland was enough to raise three more Northland Corps. Yet the Duke refused to do so—all that money went toward indulging his luxurious lifestyle.
Now, the Duke's favorite pastime was leveraging the mighty Northland Corps to force the noble families of the Northland into submission, compelling them to pay tribute, and he never grew tired of it. But Baron Kamora, who had participated in building the Northland Corps, knew only too well that the greatest flaw of this armed force in the Duke's hands was its complete lack of combat experience. The Northland Corps had been established over two years ago and had never once set foot on a battlefield.
Just like today—those arrogant Silver Knights of the Northland Corps showed their true colors the moment things got serious, some even so terrified by the sight of their fallen comrades that they wet themselves. In the past, the noble families who had been dispatched as envoys would tremble and submit at the mere mention of the twenty-thousand-strong Northland Corps. But today, they had finally encountered someone who refused to buy into the bluff. Not only had they beaten the Duke's Golden Knight senseless, they had also killed seven Silver Knights of the Northland Corps and robbed the surviving Silver Knights. For both the Duke and the Northland Corps, this was a humiliating and catastrophic disgrace.
Baron Kamora let out a deep sigh, raising his head to fix his gaze on
Lorist chuckled softly. "My dear Baron, you're quite the character. I truly admire how you can make lies sound like the honest truth. In reality, we both know the true origin of those hundred thousand Gold Forde, don't we? Even if the hundred thousand Gold Forde belonged to the Duke, once he entrusted them to the Kelmess Family to purchase military supplies, they were no longer his concern. That becomes the Kelmess Family's loss. The Duke should be pressuring the Kelmess Family to expedite the procurement of supplies—why on earth would he come to us, the Norton Family, demanding the return of funds? That hardly aligns with the code of noble conduct, does it?"
"So you're saying the Norton Family truly intends to oppose the Duke?" Baron Kamora stared at Lorist and asked.
"Heh, I don't think this is the Norton Family's fault, do you? Baron, you may have heard of the ancestral precepts passed down by our Rage Bear forebears. Apart from the Krisen Imperial Family and one's own elders, no member of the Norton Family will ever bend their knee before another. When Duke Lukins extended his greedy claws toward our Norton Family, you really shouldn't be surprised by the outcome. As for the Northland Corps—if the ones who come knocking at our gates are all like this..." Lorist gestured toward the twelve Silver Knights standing meekly in neat formation not far away. "Then the more the merrier. And do remind them to stuff a few more coins into their purses. Trust me, it'll be very beneficial for keeping their lives."
Baron Kamora rose to his feet in fury. "I will relay everything that happened here today and the Norton Family's attitude to the Duke in full detail. Lord Norton, since you insist on going your own way, then may you fend for yourself!"
"Heh, Baron, thank you for your kind wishes. I've always considered myself a rather fortunate man. Your visit today even allowed me to make a small profit—thank you ever so much. Well, the hour is getting late. For the sake of your safety, I won't insist on keeping you at the castle for the night. I'll send an escort to see you off tomorrow morning." Lorist said with a cheeky grin, paying absolutely no heed to Baron Kamora's threats.
Baron Kamora was beyond anger at this point. The young new head of the Norton Family before him was even more of a scoundrel than the Duke himself—and far more overbearing. He could only stiffen his face and give a cold nod. "Farewell."
With that, he strode out.
Lorist looked at the twelve well-behaved Silver Knights standing in tidy formation and barked, "What are you lot standing around for, waiting for supper? Pick up that fool on the ground and your comrades' corpses and get the hell out. A damn Duke thinks he can push his way into our home? Does he really think the Norton Family wouldn't dare chop off his claws?"
...
"If we had simply haggled with him over those hundred thousand Gold Forde and the construction materials, perhaps things wouldn't have escalated to this point of tearing off the mask..."
The one speaking was old Steward Kreis. Though he hadn't voiced his opinion during the confrontation between Lorist and Baron Kamora, he now believed Lorist had chosen the worst possible outcome. If they could have simply sent the Duke's envoys away with a few gold coins and some materials, that would have been the best result.
Lorist walked over with a smile and pushed the old steward's wooden wheelchair. "Grandpa Kreis, I've thought about it. Unless we hand over all hundred thousand Gold Forde to that damn Duke, he will never let it go. Moreover, the moment we yield even once, he'll think he has us completely under his thumb, and he'll only squeeze harder and harder. He won't stop until he's squeezed every last drop from the Norton Family. Since we'll inevitably end up at odds with him anyway, we might as well slap him early and wake him up. Does he really think that Northland Corps he relies on is all-powerful and invincible?"
"Even if his Northland Corps is entirely made up of those spineless Silver Knights from today, there are still over twenty thousand of them. The Norton Family's strength is nowhere near enough to match them..." the old steward said worryingly.
"Heh, don't worry. As long as we have Iron Fortress Castle, they can't set foot in our family's territory. Numbers are useless. Before the walls of Iron Fortress Castle, they'll only smash their heads in and bleed—there's nothing they can do to us." Lorist had tremendous confidence in the newly built walls of Iron Fortress Castle, and this was the main reason he dared to fall out with the Duke.
"By the way, Grandpa Kreis, since everyone's here, I'd like to discuss something with you all. I'm planning to immediately deploy troops to attack North Wild Town," Lorist said.
"You're confident?" the old steward asked, taken aback.
"Confident, but I can't guarantee how heavy our casualties will be."
Lorist gathered everyone around and began discussing the plan to attack North Wild Town.
After hearing Lorist's explanation,
Lorist figured that after Baron Kamora returned to the duchy, it would take at least fifteen days before the Duke could mobilize an army to march against the Norton Family and appear at their gates. He planned to use those fifteen days to capture North Wild Town and excise this cancer from the family's territory.
Lorist proposed sending one company and one squad of soldiers from Iron Fortress Castle, keeping two squads of guards for defense. From the family's side, Maple Forest Castle would contribute one company, along with the mercenaries from the garrison camp—roughly a thousand men in total—to launch the attack on North Wild Town.
Patchiko voiced his objection, arguing that it would be best to wait another half year. He pointed out that Lorist had overlooked a critical factor that could easily lead to failure: the thousand-plus family soldiers he planned to send against North Wild Town were all freshly recruited, having received no systematic discipline or military training. They could barely be called a rabble, their combat effectiveness not much better than farmer levies. Their opponents, on the other hand, had deep trenches and high walls with a heavily fortified defense. The sheer advantage of terrain alone was enormous, to say nothing of the defenders outnumbering the attackers by more than two to one—and there was even the possibility, as Lorist himself had worried, that women and children would be mobilized to defend.
Lorist smiled bitterly. "We don't have time. After Baron Kamora returns, even if the Duke can't immediately march his army, he'll send two thousand armed men from the Kelmess Family to lead the vanguard. We'll have to forge an elite family army through actual combat. Even if the casualties are heavy, there's no other way. Compared to the Duke's Northland Corps, North Wild Town is still a relatively manageable enemy—let's tackle the easy one first and save the hard one for later. The battle against the Northland Corps won't be decided quickly; we must prepare for a prolonged fight."
"Can't we find a way to launch a surprise attack or seize the gate, catching North Wild Town off guard?" Pat asked unwillingly from the side.
Lorist shook his head...
Old Steward Kreis explained the reason to his beloved grandson. "When we march to attack North Wild Town, it's not as simple as picking up and leaving. We need to muster the soldiers and prepare the supplies for the expedition—that alone takes two or three days. And with the family castle so close to North Wild Town, any movement will be discovered immediately. Besides, many of the servants and hired workers on the estate have close ties to several families in North Wild Town—there are relatives of relatives in between. The moment we decide to deploy troops, North Wild Town will likely learn of it right away. By the time we arrive, they'll have long since completed their defenses. So tricks and schemes are useless; we can only attack head-on."
"Very well. Patchiko, you're in charge of mustering and training the soldiers at Maple Forest Manor. Joss, after you escort Baron Kamora and his men through Iron Fortress Castle tomorrow, pull that company made up of slave laborers over and transfer one squad of veteran guards as well. Have Ovejkis defend Iron Fortress Castle. Paulbins, you go with them on the march. Reidi, run to the garrison camp tomorrow and have Husky and
Lorist made the final decision. "That's settled then. In three days, we march—attack North Wild Town."
...
Just as Lorist and the others were discussing the deployment against North Wild Town, the area in front of Maple Forest Manor's castle was in an uproar. Three or forty bored soldiers of the Northland Corps were hurling insults at the guards atop the castle walls. They had many demands—alcohol and meat, cash rewards from the Norton Family, and most importantly, women to comfort their lonely hearts and while away the long, dreary nights.
The Northland Corps soldiers were chanting in unison, demanding money, wine and meat, women...
Just then, the castle gates swung open. The haughty Silver Knights who had ridden in that morning emerged on foot, looking like roosters that had lost a fight, heads hung low in defeat. They hadn't even brought back their mounts. On their shoulders they carried, in their arms they cradled, seven or eight corpses. And that Golden Knight Tabek, the one with eyes on the top of his head, was curled up on a long cloak, being gingerly hauled along by four Silver Knights...
The Northland Corps soldiers were utterly stunned. It wasn't until a
After picking at some food, Baron Kamora paced back and forth inside his tent in agitation. He wasn't particularly concerned about being attacked by the Norton Family during the night. Traditional noble families like theirs had their own pride—they wouldn't resort to something so dishonorable as striking under cover of darkness.
Even if that young new head of the Norton Family was more of a rogue than the Duke himself, he would still disdain such a petty act.
The diplomatic mission had already failed. This was something neither the Duke nor Baron Kamora had anticipated before setting out. Now that the Norton Family had fallen out with the Duke and become enemies, a furious military retaliation upon their return was an inevitable outcome.
The night had grown deep, yet Baron Kamora still didn't want to sleep. What gnawed at him was his inability to determine the Norton Family's true strength—he couldn't understand what gave them the confidence to oppose the Duke. Even if the Norton Family's soldiers wore iron armor, making them better equipped than the Northland Corps' troops, the Northland Corps still fielded over twenty thousand men. Why weren't they afraid of an army appearing at their gates? What exactly were they planning?
A soldier from the Northland Corps stood at the entrance of the tent and peered inside. Baron Kamora asked, "What is it?"
The soldier replied, "My lord, there are several people outside. They say they are the elder and garrison captain of North Wild Town, within the Norton Family's territory. They wish to pay their respects to you, my lord..."