It proved to be a stroke of genius to have Count Kemais deal with the
For
In Lorist's view, the Second Prince was not without talent. His reputation as the new-generation war god of the Galentea Continent was well-earned. He had been the first to use the Norton Family's northbound caravan escort forces to reclaim the ruling power of the Andinak Kingdom. Then he deployed a scheme to sow discord between Grand Duke Madras and the Second Prince who had come to his aid, causing the two to clash violently and ultimately forcing the victorious but battered Madras Duchy to cede Province Cloudgexander. On another front, facing the First Prince's assault, the Second Prince adopted a strategy of luring the enemy deep, using scorched-earth tactics and step-by-step resistance to wear down the enemy's strength. After suffering heavy casualties, he turned the tables and launched a counterattack that pushed deep into the Kingdom of Redlis, forcing the First Prince to cede two southwestern provinces in exchange for peace. Years later, when war erupted once more, the Second Prince led his troops across the Cloudsever Mountains in a surprise attack on the Fedriga royal capital, shocking every nation on the continent…
The Second Prince might be an outstanding commander, but in Lorist's eyes, he was no good king. This was not to say the Second Prince lacked governing ability — rather, he was not a wise ruler. At least in Lorist's view, the Second Prince lacked the magnanimity and breadth of vision a wise ruler should possess. Narrow-minded, vindictive, autocratic, deaf to others' opinions, self-righteous and stubborn, fond of petty advantages — Lorist could rattle off a long list on his fingers.
His greatest flaw was taking himself far too seriously, and that was the root of Lorist's lukewarm attitude toward the Second Prince. Why should it always be "I want you to do this, do that"?… Lorist was sometimes glad to be a landed noble, because it meant he could refuse the Second Prince's unreasonable demands. He didn't have to throw himself into danger like the knights serving under the Second Prince's command.
Lorist's mindset was simple: take everything slowly, and building a solid foundation was what mattered most. The Second Prince had gathered an army of three hundred thousand, pushing the one-wave offensive strategy to its extreme — but once defeated, he became a drowning dog that everyone wanted to beat. Beyond Northland, he had nowhere to go in the entire world, so he had no choice but to come back and pester Lorist.
When the Second Prince accepted the White Lion Legion's standard equipment and the hundred thousand gold forde in aid that Lorist returned to him, it meant that the Norton Family of Northland and the Second Prince's relationship had cooled to the bare minimum of overlord and vassal. Back then, the Second Prince had used the White Lion Legion's standard equipment to entice the Norton Family's northbound caravan escort into clearing away the obstacles to his ascension. Now Lorist was returning that equipment, essentially signaling that the Norton Family's ties with the Andinak royal house ended here. The Second Prince understood this perfectly well.
Count Kemais was different from Lorist. The Norton Family's formidable strength allowed Lorist to directly refuse the Second Prince's unreasonable demands or even ignore him entirely — and the Second Prince would still have to smile apologetically. But Count Kemais, being a merchant by origin, always found ways to get the Second Prince to willingly walk into whatever trap Kemais had set. Even when the Second Prince was on guard, Kemais would still achieve his goals through indirect or roundabout means.
For the next ten or so days, Count Kemais served as the Second Prince's procurer — oh, networking on the Second Prince's behalf — earnestly persuading Baron Feelim and
Just as Count Kemais had proposed to the Second Prince, requesting the Province of Siedegele as his family's territory after the destruction of the Madras Duchy, the Second Prince had agreed. In his view, Siedegele Province was a remote, isolated region. Besides the Silver Beach — known mainly as a scenic resort for leisure and vacations — it was not particularly valuable territory. Moreover, it was still in Grand Duke Madras's hands. Using another's resources to satisfy a third party was his favorite thing — he could make the Kemais family clash head-on with the Madras Duchy without spending a single coin of his own. The math was easy enough to calculate.
"Then, Your Highness, how do you plan to get Baron Shahin to join our attack on the Madras Duchy?" Count Kemais asked.
The Second Prince pondered for a moment. "What if I also elevated him to Count?"
Count Kemais shook his head. "Your Highness, you cannot keep luring people with empty titles. You must offer something truly enticing."
"Then what does Baron Shahin want?"
"He wants this." Count Kemais pointed to a spot on the map of the Madras Duchy. "He wants the Hingsen Mountain region in Delameke Province."
"Here? Why does he want this area?" The Second Prince was somewhat puzzled. This was a border region, adjacent to Winston Province — not the fertile heartland of Delameke Province, often celebrated as the kingdom's granary. Baron Shahin requesting this particular territory was rather odd.
Count Kemais explained about the mineral wealth hidden in those mountains.
"But I still wanted to bring those mines under the national treasury…" the Second Prince said, hesitating.
"Your Highness, the Hingsen Mountains are currently in Grand Duke Madras's hands. He has built seven fortress castles there and stationed a forty-thousand-strong garrison. If you want to claim those mines for the treasury, nobody will be willing to attack them. But if you grant Baron Shahin's request, he will press the assault even at the cost of terrible losses. Once he secures this region, you will receive ten percent tax revenue from those mines. That is far better than leaving them in Grand Duke Madras's hands where you get nothing, or wasting your elite troops storming those seven fortresses yourself…"
The Second Prince's eyes lit up. "You are absolutely right, my Lord Count. Tell Baron Shahin that I accept his demands. Besides granting him this region as family territory, I will also elevate him to Count."
"Your Highness, you are most wise. It is our honor to have you as our king. I firmly believe that under your command, a great imperial golden age shall dawn." This was something Lorist would never say in a million years, yet Count Kemais delivered it with perfect naturalness and fluency, as though from the bottom of his heart.
"Then, Your Highness, let us discuss Baron Feelim's demands as well."
"Hmm?" The Second Prince's smile had not yet faded when he froze at the words. "Baron Feelim's demands? Didn't I already agree to elevate him to Count and grant him the Southern Province as family territory? He still won't agree to that?"
Count Kemais let out a deep, helpless sigh. "Your Highness, have you forgotten that the Southern Province is not under your jurisdiction? It currently belongs to the Iblia Kingdom…"
The Second Prince's face flushed red. "True, it is currently Iblia territory, but once I return to the Andinak Kingdom and reclaim the throne, I will rebuild the military and reunify the empire's borders. Once I destroy the Iblia Kingdom, the Southern Province becomes my kingdom's territory…"
"Time, Your Highness. What you need is time," Count Kemais said bluntly. "Your Highness, you cannot promise away apples from trees you have not yet planted. No one knows whether that apple will be sour or sweet. You are a king — if you do this, people will see you as a cunning merchant rather than a true ruler, and that would be enormously damaging to your reputation…"
"Uh…" The Second Prince had to admit that Count Kemais had a point. But he threw up his hands in resignation. "My Lord Count, you are absolutely right. But look at my current state — other than promising future apples, do I have any other choice? I am a fallen king. Being a king while reduced to this is already deeply incompetent and humiliating…"
"Your Highness, please do not say that. Even lions doze at times. Your journey itself is a legend, and countless people will one day sing the tale of your exploits." Count Kemais flattered him smoothly. "Your Highness, in truth, Baron Feelim's demands are quite simple. He is willing to serve you loyally and fight the Madras Duchy for you. He only asks that when he attacks the Iblia Kingdom to reclaim the Southern Province, you provide him with support, protect his rear, and dispatch a legion to the Southern Province to help him repel Grand Duke Fisablen's counterattack…"
"This…" The Second Prince fell into thought.
"Your Highness, is something troubling you?"
The Second Prince smiled bitterly. "My Lord Count, it is not that I am unwilling to agree to Baron Feelim's demands — I simply cannot. As you said, as a king, I cannot make promises lightly. Even with your help, after we destroy the Madras Duchy, the best I can do is raise one White Lion Legion, and I will need that legion to march on the imperial capital. Even if I reclaim the Andinak Kingdom and reassemble the Royal Guard Corps, I will still need to guard against the Commercial Alliance and the Central Four Duchies. In the coming years, there is simply no way I can dispatch a legion to help Baron Feelim retake the Southern Province…"
After learning about the Madras Duchy's military strength, the Second Prince had mentally estimated that even with the combined forces of Count Kemais, Baron Shahin, and Baron Feelim, the victory over the Madras Duchy would leave both sides battered. So he planned to use the White Lion Legion he would raise in the rear solely to attack the Andinak Kingdom, with no intention of helping Count Kemais's faction.
The Second Prince believed that with his prestige and reputation, the Andinak garrison forces would surrender without a fight. Once he reclaimed the throne, he would need to rebuild his military to take on the Commercial Alliance and the Central Four Duchies. Where would he find the leisure to send a legion to help Baron Feelim? Besides, was Grand Duke Fisablen someone to be trifled with? His Border Cavalry Legion was nothing like the infantry legions under the Second Prince's command — sending troops there would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths.
"If Baron Feelim is willing to wait a few years — let me first crush the Commercial Alliance and the Central Four Duchies — then I can send troops to help him retake the Southern Province as his family territory. I hope you can persuade him to consider the bigger picture and endure a couple more years…" The Second Prince's words made even himself blush. If the Commercial Alliance and the Central Four Duchies were so easy to destroy, he would not have ended up in his current sorry state.
Count Kemais shook his head. He understood the Second Prince's thinking perfectly — it was primarily to exploit the Feelim Family's Light Cavalry Corps to destroy the Madras Duchy. Once his objectives were met, the matter of the Feelim Family's territory could be shelved indefinitely.
"Your Highness, I do not understand. There are actually many simple ways to help you. Why not make use of the Norton Family's military strength?"
"The Norton Family?" The Second Prince let out a long sigh. "Count, you do not understand. It is not that I do not want the Norton Family to help me — they simply refuse."
"They refuse? Why?"
"I already granted Lorist the title of Grand Duke of Northland, hoping they would send troops to help me reclaim the throne. But all he gave me was a sum of money and some armor and equipment. He flatly refused to send troops." The Second Prince looked somewhat angry.
That was a hundred thousand gold forde and an entire set of White Lion Legion standard equipment, mind you — not just "a sum of money and some armor and equipment." It was enough to buy the Grand Duke of Northland title three times over. While Count Kemais grumbled inwardly, he smiled and said, "Your Highness, I believe the Norton Family is unwilling to send troops because you have not given them what they need. From what I understand, the Norton Family has been troubled by a certain matter."
"Oh? What matter?"
"Back during the Norton Family's great battle with the Second Prince, after their victory the family forces swept through all of Northland, bringing down all the landed nobles outside our three allied families. After screening, they are still maintaining seventeen landed noble families at
"What? The Norton Family actually attacked and imprisoned these imperial landed nobles?" The Second Prince suddenly perked up with excitement.
Count Kemais sighed inwardly. "Your Highness, do forget — while these nobles' ancestors were indeed imperial aristocrats, when the Norton Family attacked and captured them, they had already become nobles of the Iblia Kingdom. They had all pledged themselves to the Second Prince. The Norton Family's attack on them was entirely justified. They were spared only because their ancestors were old imperial nobles — that was the Norton Family's mercy."
"Oh… I see." The Second Prince awkwardly offered an apology. "Sorry, I forgot. You mean…"
Count Kemais pointed to Delameke Province on the map. "Your Highness, if you agree to transfer these landed nobles here as enfeoffed lords, I believe the Norton Family will be willing to send troops to help us attack the Madras Duchy. And if you also hand over Kebor City and the remaining territories to Lorist, I believe he will agree to fight all the way to the imperial capital for Your Highness."
The Second Prince shook his head repeatedly. "Out of the question. Lorist is already Grand Duke of Northland. The Norton Family has monopolized all of Northland — if they also reach into Delameke Province, no, I cannot give them that."
"Your Highness, please consider your current situation. And besides, this is Delameke Province of the Madras Duchy, not territory belonging to the Andinak Kingdom. If the Norton Family wants to obtain this region, they will certainly have to pay a price. There is no such thing as a free lunch, Your Highness! You can only gain by giving. You are trading the Madras Duchy's territory — it costs you nothing. On top of that, you can demand that the Norton Family's forces fight all the way to the imperial capital to help you reclaim your throne. Are you really going to pass up such an opportunity? Your Highness! Do not disappoint me!"
The Second Prince suddenly fixed his gaze on Count Kemais. "Count Kemais, what is your purpose in proposing this? Did Lorist send you to lobby on his behalf?"
Count Kemais laughed. "Your Highness, your paranoia is truly something. In truth, I have only two purposes. First, the Norton Family's military strength exceeds that of our three families combined — their involvement would reduce our family legions' losses. Second, when those Norton-maintained landed nobles are transferred here, I would also like to transfer the five landed nobles that my own family maintains."
"So that is it…" The Second Prince relaxed. Count Kemais's explanation revealed his own selfish motives, and a man with selfish motives would not be colluding with Lorist.
"Still, I feel this is too favorable to the Norton Family…" The Second Prince was still somewhat reluctant.
They would be fighting all the way to the imperial capital for you and you are still not satisfied? Count Kemais smiled. "Your Highness, you can then entrust Baron Feelim's reconquest of the Southern Province to the Norton Family. I believe the Norton Family and the Fisablen Family will have quite the clash."
"That is a brilliant idea!" The Second Prince was delighted. Just the thought of the Norton Family going head-to-head with Grand Duke Fisablen thrilled him. The fiercer they fought, the better — ideally both sides would cripple each other. After he finished dealing with the Commercial Alliance and the Central Four Duchies, he could swoop in to pick up the pieces, possibly removing two major threats without lifting a finger.
"But Lorist might not agree. That fellow will not bend unless he sees a benefit." The Second Prince grew anxious and indecisive.
"You could appoint him Governor of Winston Province and give him Windbury Royal City to administer," Count Kemais suggested.
The Second Prince's head shot up, his eyes blazing with anger at Count Kemais. "Absolutely not! Then the Norton Family would control two provinces!"
Count Kemais smiled serenely. "That is impossible, Your Highness. During the attack on the Madras Duchy, there will certainly be nobles who pledge themselves to you. Similarly, in the Iblia Kingdom, there are lords who are on good terms with our family. Once we transfer all those nobles to Winston Province, the Norton Family would only manage Windbury Royal City itself, while also having to provide support to their ally, the Feelim Family. I believe this will create quite a bit of trouble for the Norton Family…"
"Brilliant!" The Second Prince clapped his hands and laughed. "Excellent idea. Let us do it."
…(To be continued.)