Paul Grayman convened the military and political leaders of his territory, having Malron recount the specific details of recent events at the meeting. Everyone present was outraged by the treachery and shamelessness of the traitors.
He then explained to everyone his plan to announce to the entire Northwestern Frontier in the coming autumn, exposing the conspiracies of these traitors and sending troops to Baylding.
The steward, Ford, suggested, “Should we not first lodge a complaint with the Duke of the Northwest, letting him adjudicate the right and wrong of Baylding?”
Oh? That was an option. But Paul would not opt for it. Setting aside whether the Duke of the Northwest was fair or not, if the issue was resolved by someone else, what would become of the coal and iron mines in Baylding, and what would Paul Grayman have to do with them?
“This back-and-forth could drag on indefinitely. Are we supposed to let those traitors get away with it for even longer?” Paul disagreed with this plan.
Old Ford was somewhat worried: “But, my lord, the Duke is after all the most significant vassal in the kingdom’s northwestern territories. If we act on our own without consulting him, could it not lead to his displeasure?”
Paul appeared unconcerned: “We are not vassals of the Duke of the Northwest. If I remember correctly, ever since the establishment of the kingdom, the Grayman and the Ganard families have always been direct vassals of His Majesty the King. Our titles were granted by His Majesty himself, and we need not heed the opinions of others.”
Seeing the lord so resolute, Steward Ford said no more.
“From now on, everything in the territory must give way to the preparations for the autumn campaign. Cecil needs to ascertain as much as possible about the enemy’s reality and illusions. The staff department must formulate a battle plan, preparing for any possible scenario. The logistics department should ready ample supplies, and the equipment department must hasten the production of firearms and cannons, striving to equip a company of riflemen before the commencement of hostilities.”
The meeting concluded with the above resolutions.
Days later, a celebration for the lord’s 15th birthday was held at the Lakeheart Town Manor. Apart from the special guest, Malron Ganard, none of the invited guests attended, though some families sent gifts and birthday greetings. Paul was rather indifferent to this, enjoying a hearty meal with his subordinates and Malron.
After the birthday, Butuya sent someone to request Malron’s return. Naturally, neither Paul nor Malron agreed, “Your lord is very happy here in Lakeheart Town and wishes to stay a while longer.” Follow current novels on novel~fire~net
The messenger’s face showed a hint of panic as he turned to Malron, “Please consider carefully, my lord. Documents are piling up like a mountain in the lord’s manor, and without you, those below do not know how to proceed.”
“Pah! To hell with your ‘documents’!” Malron nearly blurted out in anger, remembering how he had been manipulated for so long.
After the death of old Grayman, Malron, mindful of the series of measures his father had taken that had caused widespread anger in the territory, resolved to be a diligent, excellent lord who would satisfy everyone above and below him, in order to restore the image of the Ganard family in Baylding. He learned and did whatever his subordinates taught and suggested.
Because his father had offended the church, he d generously to the church and prayed for two hours daily in the chapel, under the advice of Steward Angelo. Because his father had advocated for the public ownership of farmland, he substantially reduced the taxes the landlords had to pay, following the advice of Viscount Aibut. And because his father had wanted to abolish noble privileges, he granted more lands to his vassals to regain their loyalty, based on the advice of Butler Myles.
As the territory “returned to normalcy,” Angelo and others claimed that Baylding, once beleaguered by the father’s mismanagement, was finally prospering again. However, this “prosperity” resulted in an increasing load of administrative work. Every day, a pile of documents awaited Malron’s signature, a stack of reports needed his review, and a mountain of legal case files required his oversight.
Angelo and his cohort insisted that a good lord should attend to every detail, big or small, within the territory. Malron did as they said. Though he seemed forever behind on paperwork and never had time for leisure as before, he felt fulfilled. Whenever his retainers reported the addition of new farmland or the opening of new shops, he felt immensely satisfied.
That was until he overheard a conversation between Angelo and the butler. Only then did he realize he had been sidelined. The tedious paperwork and reports were merely fabrications to keep him busy. His earnest efforts had made him a puppet in the eyes of others, a fool, and a fool about to be disposed of.
Angry and regretful, Malron realized too late that the soldiers loyal to him were now far away, part of the traitors’ scheme. When he used his limited free time to stroll outside, he noticed that the traitors’ private armies had unknowingly taken control of Butuya.
A handful of personal guards remained in the lord’s manor, but what use were they? Considering the recent personnel changes overseen by the butler, there were probably very few truly loyal to the Ganard family left.
Why hadn’t he noticed this earlier? In desperation, Malron wrote secret letters for help to his former close friends. Fortunately, the traitors were unaware that their plot had been exposed, and the letters were successfully delivered to Lakeheart Town. Now that he had escaped the wolf’s den, how could he possibly return?
Following Paul’s earlier advice, Malron didn’t react rashly. He tried to remain calm and politely told the messenger, “Let Supervisor Angelo and others handle those documents for now. I grant them this authority.”
The messenger seemed to want to persuade him further.
Malron, maintaining the dignity of his title, was on the verge of losing his temper: “Hmm? What? Are you defying your lord’s will?”
Frightened, the messenger hastily apologized and left in a hurry.
Back in Butuya, Malron’s vassals panicked upon learning he wouldn’t return. Viscount Aibut immediately blamed Angelo, “Look what you’ve done! That boy must have sensed something!”
Angelo feigned calm, “What’s the panic? It’s normal for a young man, confined at home for so long, to want to stay a few extra days at a friend’s place!”
Even he seemed to convince himself of this. However, he continued, “The sky isn’t falling. If he doesn’t return after a long time, we’ll lead troops to Alda to demand his return. We can claim that the Grayman boy is trying to seize the mines of Baylding and that he lured his blood-sworn brother to Lakeheart Town under the guise of an invitation and imprisoned him. With the Grayman’s poor connections in the Northwest, who would help them?”
“You all, return to your territories, recruit soldiers, and start training. If Malron doesn’t come back by autumn, we’ll go and take him by force.”
The barons nodded, while Viscount Aibut, though reluctant, had no better plan and tacitly agreed to Angelo’s scheme. He left with a bitter remark, “If you hadn’t let him go, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” and stormed off.
Angelo watched Aibut leave, his expression fluctuating between light and shadow.