Count Merlin swiftly banished a fleeting absurd thought from his mind. Magic? How could that be possible?
The church’s charlatans always scared ordinary people with tales of evil wizards and witches, even establishing a tribunal for this purpose. Some of these charlatans, on various pretexts, would wave around a broken stone, pretending to detect traces of magic or witchcraft.
Due to their influence, the public, especially the lower classes, deeply believed these claims.
However, to a few well-educated individuals, such tales of wizards and witches were nothing more than fabrications by the church to expand its influence.
As time progressed, many mystical phenomena received rational explanations. For instance, the ‘ghost lights’ seen in graveyards, once attributed by the church to evil spirits, were later found by alchemists to be mere spontaneous combustion of a substance called “phosphorus.”
With these lies exposed, the church looked unfavorably upon scholars who dared to explore the unknown, often persecuting them as witches.
Yet, this did not curb people’s curiosity. Even within the church, factions arose advocating the exploration of the unknown and the study of nature to better understand and approach the divine, such as the renowned “Society of Enlightenment.”
The church linked some inexplicable people and events to witchcraft or devilry, playing on people’s fears to reinforce dependency on the church. This notion had started to circulate among the high nobility, who considered wizards and magic as mere tricks to fool the gullible.
Count Merlin shared this view, although most nobles still preferred to err on the side of belief.
“Please continue the investigation, Lord Merlin. However, the reality of our food shortage remains unchanged,” the king broke the silence in the study, addressing the most pressing issue.
Princess Catherine, with furrowed brows, said, “Father, I have already ordered the collection of provisions within the royal lands, but it will take some time.”
“Even if we manage to gather some food, it won’t be enough to sustain the army for a long campaign into the south.”
King Rodney XVI fell into a silence, eventually saying, “We have no choice but to purchase from the lords who support the monarchy.”
“The king should be self-sufficient” was an unwritten rule in this world.
Following the collapse of the ancient Gubera Empire, numerous new governments emerged on its territory.
These newborn countries frequently waged war, and their rulers, lacking the vast territories of the Gubera Empire, couldn’t afford to maintain large standing armies with their wealth.
To meet military needs, they commonly adopted two strategies.
First, they maintained a small number of elite troops, like various orders of knights, supplementing them with mass conscription of civilians during wartime.
Second, they implemented a feudal system. The king granted lands to meritorious nobles, making them lords of the lands. These great lords could then give parts of their lands to their vassals, who in turn could sub-feather to theirs, down to the knights.
Lords had to raise military forces from their own revenues and were obligated to respond to their sovereign’s call during wars, offering their military forces for use.
Correspondingly, lords were not bound to pay taxes to their sovereign, or only did so symbolically. Royal households generally relied on income from their direct lands to meet their expenses. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on noᴠelfire.net
Therefore, King Rodney XVI could summon lords to bring their troops for the king’s service, but he had no authority to commandeer the food stores from their lands. Legally, he could issue such an order, but it would likely drive more lords to side with Jars.
Catherine suggested, “Let’s have our royal commissioners, previously stationed, handle negotiations with the lords in their respective regions, trying to keep the prices as low as possible.”
The king agreed, and Count Merlin accepted the command. The royal commissioners’ operations were under his intelligence network.
He presented a second scroll to the king and princess, reporting, “There’s another important piece of intelligence. Our investigation confirms that Jars is indeed backed by someone.”
The king and princess unrolled the scroll and read the report together. Catherine muttered, “No wonder. A year ago, he didn’t have sufficient strength, but now he confidently raises a banner of rebellion.”
Looking at the princess, the count said, “Our analysis suggests that the support might be coming from ‘that side’,” gesturing towards the east.
The princess glared at the count, “Don’t make baseless claims without irrefutable evidence!”
The count bowed his head, replying, “Yes, Your Highness.”
The king suddenly said, “Don’t be so harsh. Relations between countries are very complicated, often with different faces shown in public and in private.”
The princess started to say something, “But father…” but then hesitated.
King Rodney XVI looked affectionately at his daughter, his greatest pride. Despite her young age, she was exceptionally outstanding, but still needed more experience in politics.
He turned to Count Merlin, “Alright, Lord Merlin, you may go and rest for now. You’ve worked hard during this time.”
“It is my duty, I dare not speak of hardship,” the count bowed and left the study.
Left alone, the father and daughter stood in the study. The king walked slowly to the window.
Turning his back to the princess, he said, “Catherine, there’s something I need to tell you.”
The princess waited quietly for her father’s words, but what she heard left her utterly shocked.
“I plan to marry your sister to Duke Viburen.”
The room fell into silence, punctuated only by the ticking of a grandfather clock. Catherine was speechless for a moment.
Finally, she managed to ask, “Why…?”
Deep down, the princess knew the answer: Duke Viburen was the most powerful lord in the eastern territories of the kingdom, and among the lords who hadn’t yet declared their allegiance in the current conflict, he was the strongest.
The king didn’t answer; he knew his daughter understood his intentions.
“Eileen is only 15 years old, has she agreed to this?” The princess’s tone became sharp.
The king, still facing away, murmured, “15 is not so young…” but did not confirm whether Catherine’s sister had agreed.
“But Viburen is nearly 50! And with such a bad reputation! You’re actually willing to marry your own daughter to such a man!”
The princess’s voice rose, almost to a shout.
“Enough! My mind is made up! Leave now.”
The king suddenly turned around, staring sternly at his daughter. His eyes, once gentle, now held a resolute determination.
Understanding her father’s intent, Catherine looked at him coldly, “As you command, Your Majesty.”
She turned and walked out. The study door closed with a loud “bang.”
King Rodney XVI stood motionless by the window. After a long while, he sighed, walked to his desk, and slumped into his chair, weakly.
His daughter, he thought, was still too naive in matters of politics.