"Your Majesty, why must you force someone's hand... Without our
"Lorist, my brother, can you really just watch this great war of imperial unification play out from start to finish, with the Norton Family standing by as mere bystanders? When your grandchildren someday ask you what part you played in this magnificent war, are you going to tell them you were just a spectator?" The Second Prince had shifted to an emotional appeal.
Lorist rubbed both arms, goosebumps falling to the ground in flakes. "Enough — that's disgusting. So cloying. When did Your Majesty decide to take up a career as a troubadour? Besides, your question is very simple. I'll tell the children that Grandpa was watching a bunch of fools fight each other to the death — mmm, quite the spectacle..."
"You—" The Second Prince flushed with anger, glaring at Lorist. Lorist remained utterly unfazed, acting as if he hadn't noticed a thing.
"The Norton Family must send troops to join this war. As the Grand Duke of the Northland, you are obligated to serve the kingdom and make your due contribution to the great cause of unifying the empire!" The Second Prince pressed him forcefully.
"Fine. As the kingdom's Grand Duke of the Northland, I'm willing to serve. How about this — I'll go to the front lines myself, sword in hand, and fight the enemy alone. But Your Majesty has no right to demand that the soldiers of the Norton Family lay down their lives in vain. As head of the Norton House and the Duke of the Northland, I reserve the right to refuse any unreasonable demands and orders from Your Majesty..." Lorist's expression was serene, brimming with confidence.
"Er..." The Second Prince's spirit deflated. Lorist was completely impervious — there was absolutely nothing he could do. That bit about going to the front lines alone with a sword sounded nice, but it was just another way of saying he wouldn't follow orders. You stroll the front lines alone with a blade, kill a couple of grunts, declare you've fulfilled your duty, then slap the dust off your backside and go home to watch the show — that was no different from sending no troops at all.
"Fine, brother Lorist. Just tell me what you want. As long as I can manage it without putting myself in a difficult position, I'll agree to your terms..." The Second Prince had practically surrendered. As long as Lorist agreed to commit troops, any demands or conditions could be negotiated later. As for when those promises would actually be honored, that could be delayed indefinitely.
"I need a sense of security," Lorist said.
"A sense of security?" The Second Prince's eyes widened in surprise. "What on earth is that? I've never heard of it before."
"If Your Highness agrees to hand over governance of Muyean Province to the Norton Family, then I'm willing to send troops to join the campaign." Lorist laid out his demand with complete bluntness.
"Muyean Province? That's impossible—" The Second Prince shot to his feet.
"Oh, then I'm afraid we have nothing left to discuss. Guards, escort His Highness out—"
"Wait, Lorist, brother, we can still negotiate." The Second Prince grew frantic. What kind of negotiating tactic was this — one disagreement and the man was throwing you out? That wasn't how discussions worked.
"Your Highness, I'll be heading back to the Northland tomorrow. I wish you a smooth and successful campaign." Lorist shook his head, making clear he had no intention of continuing the discussion.
"No, Lorist — brother, just tell me first what that security thing has to do with you wanting governing rights over Muyean Province..." The Second Prince refused to leave, looking every bit the man who would not rest until he had his answer.
Lorist stared at the Second Prince as though looking at an idiot, saying nothing. The Second Prince flushed with anger: "Lorist, what's the meaning of this?"
"Your Highness, if you truly don't understand, then please turn around and look at the map hanging on the wall." Lorist let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
"A map?" The Second Prince turned to look. Sure enough, a full map of the Norton Family's territories hung on the wall behind him — but it was a colored map, with large swaths painted in red, yellow, blue, and green. What did all those colors represent?
The Second Prince rose to his feet and walked to the wall for a closer look. Hmm, the Northland was painted green, the sea was blue, the Dremuk Province and Winston Province were light green, the Southern Province and West Deglar Province were pale yellow, the provinces surrounding the imperial capital and the eleven central provinces were golden yellow, only the Fisaburen Family's East Wasteland Province and Jinchuan Province were deep red, while the Muye Plains Province bordering the Northland was light red. Additionally, the Wyrmmountain Range and the Barbarian Plains territory were black-gray.
What did this mean? The Second Prince quickly noticed the color legend at the bottom of the map. Green: safe zone, family directly administered territory. Light green: secondary safe zone, family administered territory. Blue: the color of the sea. Pale yellow: secondary safe zone, allied family territory. Golden yellow: royal directly administered territory, third-level safe zone. Deep red: enemy territory, danger zone. Light red: first-level alert zone, secondary danger zone. Black-gray: unexplored territory, danger level unknown.
Very good, very impressive — this color-coded map made the situation at a glance perfectly clear. But the Second Prince's mood quickly soured: "Lorist, tell me, why are our royal directly administered provinces all rated as third-level safe zones instead of first-level?"
"What do you think, Your Highness? This safety classification isn't up to you or me — it's based on merchant feedback and the law-and-order situation in each province." Lorist was perfectly calm.
Only traveling in groups could ensure safety.
Looking at the color-coded map again, the Second Prince quickly understood what Lorist meant about the sense of security and why he needed the Muye Plains Province. The Northland had only four routes leading outward: one sea route through North Sea City, and three land routes — one each through Muye Plains Province, Winston Province, and Dremuk Province. But Winston Province and Dremuk Province were both administered territories of the Norton Family, colored light green, safe and worry-free. Only Muye Plains Province was light red, an alert zone. Lorist had to guard against the Fisaburen Family launching a direct raid on the Northland through Muye Plains Province...
Heh, he hadn't expected that Lorist truly regarded the Fisaburen Family as a potential rival, the most dangerous enemy, even after they had signed a ceasefire agreement. It seemed the Grand Duke Fisaburen's claims about the four Northern families forcing their family to open trade routes and compelling them to sell daily necessities and supplies were all true — it was plainly an attempt to squeeze dry the Fisaburen Family, which possessed Jinchuan Province, a province rich in gold mine resources. Hmm, yes, the more conflict between the Northern four-family alliance and the Fisaburen Family, the deeper their enmity would run, and the more there would be to exploit and provoke in the future.
The Second Prince stood before the color map, his imagination running wild, and it took a long while before he came back to himself. "Lorist, my brother, didn't the Grand Duke Fisaburen sign a ceasefire agreement with all four of your families? I've heard over the past three years that your commercial cooperation has been very close, and you're all nobles of our Andinack Kingdom. You even married the Grand Duke's own granddaughter, Princess Cylvie. What I don't understand is, why do you still mark Fisaburen Family territory as enemy territory? Don't you think that's highly inappropriate?"
In the Second Prince's view, Lorist wanting the Muye Plains Province was purely unnecessary. Just destroy the iron-chain bridge leading to Muye Plains Province and be done with it! Without that bridge, could the Fisaburen Family's armed forces grow wings and fly over the chasm to raid the Northland? Besides, the Fisaburen Family had long since withdrawn their armed forces from Muye Plains Province — that territory was already effectively under your Norton Family's control. Why force the issue and make me look bad by insisting I acknowledge administrative jurisdiction over Muye Plains Province? Couldn't everyone just turn a blind eye and leave it at that?
Never mind that administrative jurisdiction over Muye Plains Province belongs to the Fisaburen Family — even if I wanted to transfer it to you, there's no precedent for it. One family gets one directly administered territory and two administered territories, and that's already the maximum. You wanting three administered territories puts me in an impossible position. Besides, Muye Plains Province isn't exactly a prime piece of land — it has virtually no population, and though it's large in area, it borders the Northeast Steppe, constantly facing raids and abductions by barbarian tribes. It used to be a banishment ground for imperial convicts. Isn't the Norton Family going to far too much trouble over this worthless place?
Lorist sneered. "Your Majesty, if our four Northland families hadn't backed the Fisaburen Family into a corner, do you think you would have been able to reclaim Grand Duke Fisaburen and his family so easily? Have you forgotten how the Fisaburen Family once backed the Second Prince to establish the Iberian Kingdom? Do you truly believe that marrying a woman from the Fisaburen Family guarantees their loyalty to you and the Kingdom?"
"The Norton Family never forgets who its enemies are. Even though a ceasefire agreement has been signed between us, we have not forgotten how the Norton Family's forces were lured into an ambush in Muye Plains Province — a trap jointly devised by the Fisaburen Family and the barbarian tribes of the plains. Tens of thousands of our brave family soldiers fought through seas of blood before perishing on that battlefield. Muye Plains Province is a place of heartbreak etched into the Norton Family's very bones. It is where tens of thousands of our finest warriors departed for the Kingdom of the War God..."
"For the cause of reunifying the Empire, and in obedience to Your Majesty's decree, the Norton Family endured humiliation and bore the burden, shaking hands with our enemies and laying down our arms. We have patience in abundance. We sharpen our blades and ready our horses, waiting for the moment to arrive. Even if Your Majesty does not agree to transfer Muye Plains Province to our family's jurisdiction, it doesn't matter. There will be an opportunity in the future. We will take it with our own hands — use our own hands to avenge those tens of thousands of sacrificed soldiers..."
The Second Prince was overjoyed. Now he understood — the real reason Lorist insisted on having Muye Plains Province was the shame of that family military corps being utterly defeated by Grand Duke Fisaburen there, resulting in their complete annihilation. Heh, there was no longer any need to worry about collusion between Grand Duke Fisaburen and Lorist. If Lorist got his way and forcibly wrested administrative control of Muye Plains Province from the Fisaburen Family, that would be an equally devastating humiliation for them. They would surely stop at nothing against the Norton Family...
Trading the godforsaken wasteland of Muye Plains Province for the Norton Family's military participation, while simultaneously aggravating the Fisaburen Family and turning the two families into mortal enemies — this was an incredibly worthwhile deal for the Second Prince. As for the restriction that a family could possess at most one directly administered territory and two administered territories, that could easily be circumvented. Muye Plains Province was not a directly administered territory of the royal family; it belonged to the Fisaburen Family's jurisdiction.
Have Grand Duke Fisaburen transfer Muye Plains Province to Lorist's jurisdiction, in exchange for the Norton Family's participation in the war — the only party to lose face would be the Fisaburen Family, while the Kingdom would profit. As king, he would simply be riding the current and lending his confirmation. This wouldn't harm his reputation for wisdom and foresight in the slightest, and it wouldn't cost him anything at all...
But what kind of compensation should he offer Grand Duke Fisaburen? The Second Prince began to ponder this question. He couldn't very well have the Norton Family commit their forces while the Fisaburen Family held back — if that happened, Lorist probably wouldn't give his all either. In the first phase of this surprise offensive, the Norton Family's forces occupied an extremely critical position. He couldn't afford to let everything fall apart at the last moment...
"How about this, Lorist, my brother — I agree to transfer Muye Plains Province to the Norton Family's jurisdiction. But as you know, Muye Plains Province is not a directly administered territory of the royal family. It belongs to the Fisaburen Family's jurisdiction. This requires persuading Grand Duke Fisaburen, and as king, I don't have the authority to simply transfer the province to you. However, since you've made this request, I give you my word that I will see your wish fulfilled. I will do my utmost to persuade Grand Duke Fisaburen. Can you wait patiently here for three days?" The Second Prince was being exceedingly earnest at this moment.
Lorist bowed deeply in a formal salute. "Your Majesty, in accordance with your wish, I shall wait here for three days. If you can arrange for the Fisaburen Family to transfer Muye Plains Province to our jurisdiction, then the Norton Family will spare no effort in this war to reunify the Empire, and remain loyal to Your Majesty and the Kingdom."
The Second Prince departed in a hurry. Lorist allowed a smile to cross his face. To others, Muye Plains Province was nothing but a desolate, sparsely populated wasteland fit only for grazing — a place where even the birds refused to relieve themselves. But in Lorist's eyes, it was a treasure trove for the Norton Family to develop trade and conduct marketplace exchanges with the barbarian tribes of the Northeast Steppe. Through commerce, the family would gradually influence those barbarian tribes and turn them into their own subjects and a market.
The palace-style garden villa estate sitting on the white-gold sand beach was extremely lively over the next three days. Through various channels of gossip, all the nobles learned of Lorist's demand—that Muye Plains Province be placed under the Norton Family's jurisdiction. Duke Kenmaes, Duke Phelim, and Duke Shahin all came to verify the matter personally, but Lorist kept his mouth shut. His reticence, however, only served to confirm that the rumor was no rumor at all.
On the first day, the Second Prince went to negotiate with Grand Duke Fisaburen. The old man reportedly flew into a towering rage, drew his sword, and swore he would go find Lorist and fight him to the death, declaring that Muye Plains Province was the Fisaburen Family's territory and that he would sooner die than let it slip from his grasp. That brat Lorist had gone too far—he would rather duel the man to the death than sacrifice his family's honor. But the old man was all bark and no bite; he absolutely refused to actually challenge Lorist to a duel, and when the Second Prince offered even the slightest show of resistance, the old man seized the excuse to retreat, shut his doors, and refused to hear any further persuasion.
The Second Prince was undaunted and returned for a second visit the next day. This time the old man did not lose his temper. He simply sat and listened in silence, saying nothing at all.
On the third day, the Second Prince pressed on yet again, and this time the old man's resolve wavered. He declared that for the great cause of Imperial unification, to fulfill His Majesty's wishes, and to avoid placing His Majesty in a difficult position, he was willing to swallow his humiliation and transfer Muye Plains Province to the Norton Family's jurisdiction. However, he demanded that the Second Prince compensate his family with land—specifically, that the Crown grant them an inland province as family territory.
The Second Prince mulled it over for a moment and agreed to Grand Duke Fisaburen's terms. The territory he promised, however, did not lie among the Crown's directly administered lands—it was currently part of the Commercial League's domain. The Second Prince pledged that if this preemptive war achieved its first strategic objective, then the recovered province of Andewulf would become the Fisaburen Family's territory.
True to his well-established habit of drawing big pies in the sky and promising things that belonged to others, the Second Prince's offer surprised no one. Grand Duke Fisaburen accepted the promise but insisted that the Second Prince sign a sworn oath on the spot. Only then did he allow the Second Prince to accompany him to the villa where Lorist was staying. There, before the witness of the assembled nobles, the Grand Duke formally transferred Muye Plains Province to Lorist, with the Second Prince signing as notary. Once all the paperwork was complete, Grand Duke Fisaburen slammed down the signing quill and stormed out in a fury...
On the thirty-second day of August in the year 1786 by the universal calendar of the Galentea Continent, Grand Duke Fisaburen, in the presence of King Ogsello I of Andinauk and a host of nobles, transferred jurisdiction over the Fisaburen Family's administered territory of Muye Plains Province to Northland Grand Duke Norton Lorist, making the Norton Family the only noble house to hold one directly administered territory and three administered territories.
...