Paul originally had no objections to Henry’s handling of the corpses of Marltz Kent and his son. Burying them according to the standards of commoners, which basically meant a hasty burial, seemed sufficient.
However, he was determined to acquire the lands of the former Kent family, including Emden and its surrounding territories. Marltz was, after all, a high-ranking noble. What if his remaining family members and those still loyal vassals, dissatisfied with such a casual burial, stirred up trouble?
Thus, Paul consulted with Henry, deciding to bury Marltz according to his previous title of Count.
It was only when they were discussing this that they realized they hadn’t personally confirmed Marltz Kent’s death. Hurriedly, they rushed to the chapel in the cemetery to open the coffin and verify that it was indeed Marltz inside.
Upon opening the coffin, Paul and Henry were taken aback. It was summer, yet the body had not decomposed. Instead, it appeared desiccated, as if all moisture had been drained from it. Nonetheless, the wrinkled face was unmistakably that of Marltz Kent.
Although the sight was unusual, Paul concluded from his knowledge that Marltz was certainly dead. For assurance, Henry bravely checked for breath at Marltz’s nostrils but found none.
Looking at the mummified Marltz Kent, a sense of déjà vu washed over Paul, a vivid image flashing in his mind: Marltz suddenly rising and yelling at them, “Vos—Loda—”.
“Alright, let’s bury him and leave this place,” Henry said, covering his nose in disgust as they left the chapel.
Later, the two visited the cathedral in the city to see Bishop Leonard. This poor old man had suffered a stroke after being imprisoned by Marltz Kent. Upon Alda’s forces taking over Center City, he was taken back to the cathedral, but he was completely paralyzed and often fell into unconsciousness.
His student, Anderson from the North Shore Monastery in Lakeheart Town, hurried over upon hearing the news and had been taking care of Leonard.
Anderson had planned to attend a conference at the Holy See to announce a series of ‘terrifying discoveries’, but his mentor’s illness delayed his plans.
Leonard, lying in bed, struggled to sit up when Paul and Henry arrived, but Paul quickly motioned Andrew to keep him down.
Paul expressed sympathy, “Old Dean, just lie there.”
Although Leonard was dogmatic and rigid, he had never caused any trouble for Paul with his religious status. During his tenure as the dean of the monastery, he even contributed to the educational efforts in Lakeheart Town.
Seeing the old man in this state saddened Paul. He learned from others in the church that Leonard had been arrested for questioning Marltz about his suspicions of witchcraft, just as he had once questioned Paul in Lakeheart Town. Unfortunately, Marltz, unlike Paul, lacked patience, and the power in the hands of a duke was not something a count could contend with.
Leonard tried to speak, but only managed a guttural “Uh… uh…”, indicating his difficulty.
“The Lord of Light will cast the evil soul of Marltz Kent into hell,” Anderson cursed by his side.
After a brief exchange, Paul and Henry left.
The church’s influence in the Northwest Bay had been severely undermined after Marltz Kent became a duke. The regional bishop was imprisoned, many officials were arrested and sentenced, and the only military force, the Religious Tribunal, was ambushed, disarmed, and temporarily disbanded.
The Holy See’s headquarters seemed somewhat lethargic in responding to the plight of the Northwest Bay Church. On one hand, the Northwest Bay was too remote and out of reach, and on the other, they were overwhelmed by the vigorous witch hunt in the Horn Bay.
Paul heard from Anderson that the scale and depth of the Horn Bay Church’s witch hunt had exceeded the Holy See’s expectations, creating a situation they now found hard to escape.
Back at the Duke’s residence, Henry cautiously asked, “Paul, how are you handling the list I gave you?”
Paul reassured him, patting his chest, “Don’t worry, they’re all locked up in prison.” Official source is novel•fire.net
Henry nervously said, “Um… just keeping them detained is fine, don’t let anything happen to them.”
“Rest assured, they’re well fed, three meals a day. They’ll be chubby and healthy when they come out.”
Before entering Center City, Henry had given Paul a list of members of the Ferdinand family, all of whom Henry suspected of collaborating with Marltz Kent or posing a threat to his succession as duke. The Alda army, arriving before other lords of the coalition, arrested everyone on the list.
Of course, they wouldn’t face any life-threatening danger. Once Henry successfully became the Duke of the Northwest, a ‘special pardon’ would be granted to display the new duke’s benevolence.
“But we had an agreement,” Paul reminded Henry. “I get half of the Ferdinand family’s treasury. This war has left me in a lot of debt.”
Henry, looking like he was about to cry, said, “Now your soldiers guard the treasury’s door. What are you telling me this for?”
“I was actually hoping to ask for more!”
“Don’t do this. If you take more, I really won’t be able to become the duke. I’d be too ashamed to face my family.”
“Fine, I’ll have someone count every single coin in the treasury.”
On September 3, 1991, Count Malron Ganard of Baylding arrived at Center City.
On September 4, other lords of the coalition, such as Price Parker, Morley Malkan, Winifred Heller, and others, also arrived.
Accompanying them were a group of lords who had previously supported Marltz Kent. They came as defeated parties.
Paul, Malron, and Henry went out to welcome the lords. The Alda army, serving as an honor guard, left a strong impression with their neat formation, brisk steps, and gleaming bayonets, overshadowing the disorderly troops of the lords.
Upon reaching the duke’s residence, the sound of cannons booming from the direction of the city gates startled everyone.
Paul reassured them, “Don’t worry, it’s just a ‘salute’ to celebrate the end of this cruel war.”
After sixty rounds of ‘salute’, the lords sensed a warning in the stern ‘welcome ceremony’ and forced smiles as they exchanged pleasantries with Paul and others.
Only Count Derrick Heller looked enviously at the Alda army, wishing to command such a force.
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