"Your Lordship, you're wrong."
Ever since
Lorist, who was playing with his second son, looked up in surprise. "What did I do wrong?"
Fatty Shi kept his mouth shut.
Understanding the hint, Lorist handed the child in his arms to Yilina, who stood nearby. "Come on, let's talk in the upstairs study."
In the upstairs study, Lorist opened a bottle of fruit wine, poured two glasses, and handed one to Fatty Shi.
Fatty Shi took the wine Lorist offered, downed it in one gulp, and let out a long breath. As he removed his cloak and handed it to Schwade, he said, "Another glass."
Then he sat on the sofa, looked at Lorist, and said, "Locke, do you still not know where you went wrong?"
Lorist raised an eyebrow as he poured him more wine. "I really don't know..."
"You shouldn't have returned all of the White Lion Corps' standard equipment to the Second Prince," Fatty Shi said.
"Oh, that. Steward Spear has been urging me to get rid of those suits of armor. They're bulky, their defensive capabilities aren't as good as our family forces' current standard equipment, they're not suitable for sale, and they take up too much space in storage. So I thought I'd return them to the Second Prince — that way our family forces wouldn't have to send troops to help him reclaim his kingdom."
"Sigh, Locke, how can you still not understand what I'm saying? I'm not saying that returning the White Lion Corps' equipment to the Second Prince was wrong — you were wrong about *how* you returned it. Setting everything else aside, those seventy-two thousand-plus sets of standard equipment are outdated and useless to our family forces. But if you sold them to the four central duchies or to Grand Duke Fisablen, they'd be worth at least four to five million gold Forde. With a single sentence, you threw away a fortune. And tell me, after the Second Prince received this gift from you, did he show any gratitude? Not a whit — he just calmly went off to recruit soldiers on the Fengle Plains. An absolute ingrate!"
Fatty Shi had never had a high opinion of the Second Prince. He felt the man talked a fine talk but acted like a scoundrel. Years ago, when Fatty Shi had led the caravan north, the Second Prince had nearly driven them to a dead end — if Lorist hadn't arrived in time, the consequences could have been catastrophic. Worse, the Second Prince had exploited the caravan's desperate situation to poach talent, luring twenty-six veteran students from
Lorist smiled bitterly and slapped his own forehead. "I'm sorry, Shrade. I was wrong. I just wanted to get rid of them quickly so they wouldn't be underfoot in our family's territory. The next two years are the most critical period for Northland — the territory exchange between the Kenmais and Shahin families, the campaign against the Madras Duchy — these matters are all imminent. I simply didn't have the patience to dance with the Second Prince and his people, so I figured I'd toss them a big bone and send them on their way out of Northland as soon as possible..."
"Locke, your mistake was treating the Second Prince like a dog. If you throw a big bone to a dog, it'll wag its tail for you. But the Second Prince is a wolf. The big bone you threw him won't make him grateful — it'll only make him covet our family's territory even more. He'll see our lands as a juicy piece of meat, not something to gnaw on and leave behind." Fatty Shi had no qualms about speaking disrespectfully of his superior lord now. What worried him was that the Second Prince might use Lorist's promise as a pretext to stir up trouble in the family's territory.
"I'm not saying it was wrong to return the equipment, and I'm not being stingy about its monetary value. The problem is the way you gave it to him. The best approach would have been to give him the equipment bit by bit, in several batches, and get what we want from him each time — not just hand it all over without even receiving a 'thank you.'
What I can't figure out is why you agreed to let them recruit soldiers in our family's territory. Don't you think that once the Second Prince has equipment, money, and a large force within our lands, he might start eyeing our territory? My only thought right now is to escort the Second Prince and his people out of here before they cause us any more trouble."
Lorist smiled with a knowing confidence, lifted his golden goblet, and took a slow sip. "Shrade, you're right that I was wrong about giving the Second Prince the White Lion Corps equipment. I should have done it your way — bit by bit, to extract our benefits and advantages. But on the matter of recruiting soldiers, you're wrong. Believe it or not, the Second Prince won't be able to recruit many people on the Fengle Plains. Ha ha..."
"Why?" Fatty Shi shot back. "The Second Prince is the former king of the Andinak Kingdom. Most of our subjects on the Fengle Plains are refugees from the Andinak Kingdom. He still commands great prestige in their hearts. All he has to do is raise his banner and they'll come flocking. And on top of that, our 'king' is always drawing pretty pictures in the air — making empty promises with his silver tongue. He'll have a whole bunch of hotheaded fools rushing to be his cannon fodder..."
Lorist burst out laughing. "Shrade, you've been managing the family's territorial administration for so long, have you forgotten our family's conscription system? Ha ha. As our subjects, all males must go to the recruit camp at age sixteen to awaken their
Think about it — the newly formed Hunting Cavalry Corps recently swept up every eligible recruit from the family's camp and still had plenty of vacancies. The Flying Tiger Corps and Rock Corps also took their pick of recruits, so they drew from the Guard Battalion to fill the gaps. Then the Guard Battalion pulled people from the town garrisons, leaving many garrisons understaffed. The young men who couldn't join the garrisons are the backbone of our workshops and factories, shouldering the burden of feeding their families. Under these circumstances, do you really think the Second Prince's recruitment drive on the Fengle Plains will be effective?
Especially when I heard the Second Prince plans to offer a single gold Forde as a resettlement bonus and wants to fill sixty to seventy thousand spots in one go — I nearly laughed my teeth out. He didn't even consider that in our family's territory, a year of hard work in the factories and workshops earns two to three gold Forde. A single gold Forde for someone's life? Ha ha, Shrade, let me tell you — the Second Prince can't afford to recruit soldiers from our territory. It's been four days already, and he and his people have been running around the Fengle Plains. So far, they've recruited a grand total of one hundred and forty-three. Ha ha..."
Fatty Shi let out a long sigh of relief, raised his glass, and drained it in one go. "I really had forgotten about the family's conscription system. That puts my mind at ease. As long as the Second Prince can't recruit soldiers, all those suits of equipment will be useless to him. But Locke, you should still be careful — don't let him poach from our family again like he did with the northern caravan..."
"Don't worry about that. I've already ordered the Volibear Intelligence Bureau in Tager to fully monitor their every move. Oh, and you've come at just the right time. I'm planning to visit the battlefield downstream along the Mitobulo River and inspect things at Bodfeng as well. I'll leave hosting the Second Prince and his people to you — I don't think I can stand them much longer..."
A commotion erupted from downstairs. Schwade walked to the window and looked out. "My Lord, the Second Prince and Miss Krisha have arrived. They look quite angry."
The study door was pushed open almost immediately. The Second Prince's face was ashen, and Krisha's was flushed red with fury. "Locke, what do you think you're doing? You said you wouldn't obstruct our recruitment — so why are you doing this?"
"What did I do? Explain yourself — what exactly happened?" Lorist was utterly bewildered.
"We recruited some soldiers, but your people sent their families to the military camp too! What's the meaning of this? Your people also said that since those soldiers chose to serve His Majesty the King, the
"Can you tell me what those soldiers of yours were doing before they were recruited?" Lorist's expression turned cold.
"Uh..." Krisha suddenly found herself unable to speak.
"Look, Brother Locke, these newly recruited soldiers are simply filled with patriotic fervor, willing to fulfill their duty to our kingdom. This is an act that should be encouraged and praised. We shouldn't make things difficult for the families of these brave men, should we..." The Second Prince hurried to smooth things over.
"Is that so? Are you implying that our Norton Family hasn't fulfilled its obligations? Don't forget that just a few days ago, His Lordship provided you with ten thousand gold Forde and that shipment of White Lion Corps equipment worth five or six million. If that doesn't count as fulfilling our duty, then what would? I don't think the Galentea Continent has ever seen such a generous tribute in its entire history. No wonder we haven't even heard a single word of thanks." Fatty Shi spoke up from the side, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The Second Prince's ashen face flushed crimson, but he quickly composed himself. "Ah, Sir Shrade, it's been a while. I haven't yet congratulated you on your promotion to Golden Knight."
Fatty Shi puffed out his chest, where his Golden Knight badge was pinned. "Nothing to be particularly proud of — anyone who keeps cultivating will eventually be promoted. Your Majesty, it's been several days and you still haven't replied to our Norton Family's support. Are you dissatisfied with the obligations we've fulfilled?"
This was a pointed remark from Fatty Shi. Generally speaking, when a lower lord provided support to or fulfilled obligations toward a superior lord, the superior lord was required to give a formal response. At the very least, this took the form of a letter of thanks acknowledging the subordinate lord's contributions and efforts. In cases where a lower lord sent troops to fight in siege battles for a superior lord, the superior lord would grant rewards, elevate their rank, or bestow additional territory.
The support Lorist had given the Second Prince was, in terms of value, the single largest contribution in the history of the Galentea Continent. Yet the Second Prince hadn't responded for days — not even a letter of thanks. So Fatty Shi's words were essentially a slap in the face: *What exactly do you want, Second Prince? This level of support isn't enough for you?*
"Your Majesty, the very least you could do is give our Norton Family a letter of thanks. Even equipment for a corps of tens of thousands, if thrown into the water, would make a splash. We're not asking for anything extraordinary — a single letter of thanks would suffice. Does Your Majesty truly believe our family's contribution isn't even worth that?" Fatty Shi pressed further.
The Second Prince put on an amiable smile. "I am deeply grateful to the Norton Family, to my Brother Locke, for the support and aid you've given a king in exile. A mere letter of thanks cannot express the depth of my gratitude. My original plan was to recruit soldiers as quickly as possible and embark on the campaign to reclaim my kingdom. Upon my triumphant return, I would host a grand celebration in the imperial capital and honor my Brother Locke then — elevating his noble rank and granting him the rewards his merits deserve. But since you're so eager, I can give my reply right now."
The Second Prince nodded toward Lorist. "Brother Locke, you don't mind if I use your desk, do you?"
Without waiting for an answer, he walked to the desk, sat down, took two sheets of animal-hide parchment, and began writing with swift strokes. In short order, he had filled both pages. He removed the ring from his left hand, lit the candle on the desk, took the red sealing wax, melted it, and dripped it onto the signature lines of both parchments. Then he pressed the face of his ring into the wax, leaving a deep imprint.
"Are you satisfied now, Sir Shrade?" The Second Prince smiled as he handed the two letters to Fatty Shi, his tone tinged with mockery. He deliberately bypassed Lorist.
Fatty Shi glanced at Lorist, who gave a slight shake of his head. So Fatty Shi took the two sheets and read them aloud.
The first sheet was a letter of thanks, expressing appreciation and gratitude for the contributions and efforts of Lorist and the Norton Family, along with hopes that the Norton Family would continue to make even greater efforts for the kingdom. It was no different from a standard official letter of gratitude.
After reading it, Fatty Shi deliberately complained, "Your Majesty, I think you should have specified the exact magnitude of our Norton Family's contribution. This is the sort of support that deserves to be recorded in the history books of the Galentea Continent. It can't just be glossed over so casually. Oh well, even if you don't write it down, we'll record it in our family's chronicles..."
The Second Prince's face showed signs of turning green again. Lorist coughed twice, and only then did Fatty Shi begin reading the contents of the second sheet.
The second sheet was a commission of noble rank elevation. As the Norton Family's superior lord and the legitimate heir of the Andinak royal line, the Second Prince was promoting Norton Lorist from Count to Grand Duke of Northland, placing the entirety of Northland under the Norton Family's jurisdiction, with the authority to suppress any who defied this decree by force, and so on.
Lorist chuckled. The Second Prince was still trying to make things difficult for him. What a shame he didn't know that Lorist had already discussed the territory exchange with his three allies. With this letter of rank elevation, the Norton Family's rule over all of Northland would now appear completely legitimate.
"Thank you for your promotion, Your Majesty. The Norton Family is endlessly grateful." Where gratitude was due, it was given. Lorist performed a formal audience salute to the Second Prince.
"Heh heh, you've earned it, my Brother Locke. Now then, let's discuss the matter of recruiting soldiers," the Second Prince said.
A knock came at the door. Schwade went out and quickly returned, holding two letters in his hand.
Lorist picked up the letter marked with a blue cipher and read it, a cold smile soon appearing on his face. "Your Majesty, Krisha, is this how you repay my trust?"
Lorist held up the letter in his hand. "I permitted you to recruit soldiers within my family's territory, but I never gave you permission to poach from my town garrisons and Guard Battalion. They are also part of the Norton Family's armed forces. Your Majesty, how do you explain your actions?"
Krisha jumped in, twisting the argument to suit her purpose. "Locke, we didn't poach anyone. They volunteered to serve the kingdom of their own free will, inspired by His Majesty's charisma. You can't stop them from pledging loyalty to their king."
Lorist nodded. "If that's the case, then why were you so angry just now? Why should they go serve His Majesty while you still expect me to support their families? Their houses and farmland were granted to their families precisely because they were members of the Norton Family's armed forces. Now that they've renounced their status as Norton Family soldiers, those benefits naturally must be revoked. We can't very well be seen supporting His Majesty's soldiers — that would be an act of treason, and we won't do it. Besides, we didn't actually stop them from pledging loyalty to His Majesty..."
"Well..." The Second Prince smiled ruefully. He hadn't expected that out of the Norton Family's seven towns on the Fengle Plains — three to four hundred thousand people — so few would be willing to enlist. Four days of recruitment had yielded only about a hundred odd mercenaries and a few dozen idle drifters, a far cry from the flood of volunteers he'd seen in the Redlis Kingdom. With no other option, he'd resorted to poaching from the town garrisons and the Guard Battalion soldiers standing watch outside the factories. He'd only managed to recruit a dozen or so before this mess erupted. Seeing those newly recruited soldiers' families being sent to the military camp gave him a splitting headache. The families weren't just wailing and causing a scene — they chased after and beat the new recruits while cursing the Second Prince and his people for luring their sons to their deaths...
But where else could the Second Prince go to recruit? Anywhere outside the Norton Family's territory, the moment he showed his face, enemy attacks would be guaranteed. For the Second Prince, everything beyond Northland was enemy territory — he had nowhere to go. Yet within the Norton Family's territory, he couldn't recruit anyone either. The best solution would be to have Lorist send troops on his behalf, but Lorist had already given him such enormous support that this path was effectively sealed.
Lorist ignored the alternating red and green expressions on the Second Prince's, Krisha's, and the others' faces and began reading the second letter. He soon set it down and addressed the Second Prince. "I apologize, Your Majesty, for my poor hospitality, but I must depart for the front lines immediately. Sir Shrade will take over all matters regarding your stay in our family's territory. If you need anything, please contact him — he'll take good care of you."
"What? The Norton Family is fighting someone?" the Second Prince asked, somewhat surprised.
We naturally have to send our family forces into battle. It's our duty."
"You're attacking the Madras Duchy?" The Second Prince was taken aback but quickly recovered. "My Brother Locke, you don't mind if I come along to have a look, do you?"
... (To be continued.)