novelraw Chapter 139 : Chapter 139
Chapter 139 : Chapter 139
Chapter : 139
It had been a while since I saw Baron Pierre, and he looked extremely tired.
With dry skin, dark circles under his puffy eyes, and pupils that radiated deep fatigue.
The three factors combined so perfectly that anyone could tell he hadn't slept properly.
Well, how busy must he have been lately?
The dispute between the King and the Duke of Bourgogne had risen to a level that could no longer be ignored, and the kingdom's political situation was completely fluctuating due to the things I had done.
Not only that, but Baron Pierre's family, the House of Viscount Bardi. The recent movements there were also unusual. As far as I knew, the head of the family would die soon, and a succession dispute would begin….
‘Even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough for him. Hehe….’
As an illegitimate son of the family with a weak foundation, one slip could send him tumbling off a cliff.
That was precisely Baron Pierre's condition.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I just thought it must be very hard and tiring for you. Do you sleep these days?”
“It would have been very nice if a certain someone hadn't caused trouble…. Thanks to that, as you can see, I am soaked in fatigue.”
Baron Pierre said grumpily, rubbing his tired eyes.
“Did I cause trouble because I wanted to? It happened because there was so much shaking from the outside.”
“You didn't intend for it to happen like that?”
“Surely not? Would I do that? I only stayed vigilant and prepared because you informed me. Would I have known that someone's trivial incitement would grow this big?”
“Hmmmm….”
At my feigned innocence, Baron Pierre looked at me with narrowed eyes, as if suspicious.
Baron Pierre was the one who had watched me change in real-time from the closest distance among outsiders and in the earliest timeframe.
Knowing the process of change, everything was suspicious to him.
However, even so, since he couldn't get a confirmation from my mouth, it was only suspicion.
“If you say so, then it must be so. Well, whether you intended it or not doesn't really matter at this point anyway.”
“Haha. That is true. What is important is the King's reaction, is it not? So how does the King intend to move?”
“Not good.”
At my question, Baron Pierre replied with a stiff expression.
“How much? A lot?”
“Yes. Very much. The King will not accept the result of this war. He is already preparing an army by mobilizing the southern directly-managed lands and nearby lords.”
“Oh my?”
He moved more fiercely than I thought. No, he's already trying to prepare an army? I tilted my head in puzzlement.
“Why is that? He shouldn't have the capacity right now due to fighting with the Duke of Bourgogne?”
“Are you asking because you don't know? Your Excellency?”
Then Baron Pierre asked back as if dumbfounded.
“Didn't Your Excellency already shake the Princess once and ruin the structure of the south?”
“Ah…?”
“The King will not overlook this matter. Your Excellency has already become a person of interest. The King's judgment is that giving you more power is dangerous. For this, he is even thinking of joining hands with the Duke of Bourgogne for a while. Even if he has to accept losses.”
And as soon as those words ended, a system notification sound popped up.
-Ding!
[You have expanded your territory at an excessively fast speed. Aggressive expansion provokes surrounding lords and monarchs. If you do not organize diplomatic relations quickly, you will face a great crisis.]
[Notification: An anti-faction alliance against you has been formed.]
‘Damn it!’
The long-standing tradition of [Pangea Universalise], where an alliance forms to punish a sudden powerful figure, had occurred.
‘I thought it would be fine as long as I secured a proper justification since the political situation is complex….’
To think that my maneuver regarding Princess Maceania would come back as a boomerang like this….
It was an unexpected variable.
‘If even the Duke of Bourgogne turns his back, there really is no answer. My power is still too much to fight against two heavyweights.’
Although I had become wealthy and strong, it was far from enough to fight the kingdom. If I could just somehow get past the first year of the Great Famine, the situation would change and I could hold out….
‘Hmm?’
Then, a sudden thought occurred to me, and I frowned.
Baron Pierre came here just to say that? There would be no reason to grant a favor in a clearly disadvantageous situation.
I finally understood why Baron Pierre had come.
“Negotiations with the Duke of Bourgogne must not be going well?”
“Precisely. Your Excellency’s insight is always surprising to behold.”
“Don't give me empty praise. It's embarrassing. If my insight were truly excellent, I would have prevented what's about to happen in advance.”
At my words, Baron Pierre smirked and raised the corners of his mouth.
“The King is having trouble persuading the Duke of Bourgogne.”
“The conditions demanded must be tricky, I suppose?”
“Like anyone else, he has a bit too much greed. Haha. Besides, not all the lords of the south follow the King’s opinion either.”
Indeed, from the Duke of Bourgogne’s perspective, the current situation wasn't particularly disadvantageous.
As the head of the noble faction, he couldn't ignore the unrest of the southeastern nobles, but wasn't breaking the King's power more important than that?
Rather, if the King couldn't settle the situation I caused now, his prestige would suffer that much.
‘Hmm, so that means there is still time.’
Time to escape this situation and turn the tables.
“Thank you very much for telling me. Baron Pierre. Thanks to you, I can see a way.”
“Aren't we in a give-and-take relationship? Since I am gaining a lot of benefits thanks to Your Excellency, I merely paid the price for it.”
“Ah, right. Give-and-take relationship.”
At those words, I nodded.
Yes, a give-and-take relationship. Cutting ties and forming bonds should be precise and firm. But this time, it seemed I received a little more.
Therefore, I also decided to repay him for it.
“Do you happen to know that?”
“What do you mean?”
“According to my sources, the head of the House of Viscount Bardi is in critical condition.”
“……?”
Baron Pierre’s eyes widened as if hearing it for the first time. He seemed to wonder how I, a third party, knew the family affairs that even he didn't know.
But this was not a lie, but the truth.
In [Pangea Universalise], the death of the head of the House of Viscount Bardi was quite a big event.
Through this, the Free City Alliance in the northern part of the Apennine Peninsula was shaken and sucked into the flames of war through the Great Famine. Of course, Baron Pierre was outside at that time, so he was kicked out without being able to do anything when the head of the House of Viscount Bardi died.
“Is that tr…. Ah…! No, there would be no need to say it if it were false in the first place. Since it’s a story that can be verified immediately.”
Asking back, Baron Pierre sighed and blamed himself. Then, soon with a calm demeanor, he asked me back.
“How critical is it?”
“They say it will be soon. I hear priests are already coming and going to the bedroom.”
In [Pangea Universalise], one would leave a will notarized before a priest before dying. The fact that priests were coming and going to the bedroom meant it was that critical.
“Hmm….”
At those words, Baron Pierre’s expression hardened stiffly.
To think he knew nothing until it reached this point. Even if he was treated poorly in the family as an illegitimate son, it was too harsh a treatment.
“If you wish, I will lend you strength at any time. Tell me if you need it.”
“Heh, it is fine. I cannot involve an outsider in family affairs. Thank you for the offer.”
“Well, if so, it can’t be helped.”
At the firm refusal, I shrugged my shoulders and took a step back.
“Anyway, thank you very much for telling me. I am deeply contemplating how to repay you for this. Margrave.”
“Don't worry about such things and just mind your own business. Repayment is a story for after victory.”
“That is true. Understood. Then we will talk again later.”
“Yes, I wish you success.”
Watching Baron Pierre stand up from his seat, I smirked.
Originally, I intended to hire Baron Pierre as a vassal when he got kicked out after Viscount Bardi died, but my thoughts changed.
I intended to make Baron Pierre my partner like Princess Maceania. As a lord ruling another family.
And if that happened.
‘The King of Elang’s pockets will become quite empty.’
The departure of Baron Pierre, who virtually acted as the King's money bag.
This would once again deal a big blow to the King.
* * *
Since I heard the situation, I couldn't stay still.
I immediately called Chamberlain Hamil and Treasurer Palmer.
“How is the customs union agreement progressing now?”
“Uh…. The composition is roughly finished, so it is possible to apply it all to Count Bozen’s territory. Lord.”
“Can we expand that to other southern lords as well?”
“Pardon?”
Treasurer Palmer asked back in surprise. He felt like he was going to die from too much work already, and now expand it!
“Is there any trouble? Lord. Treasurer Palmer seems surprised because it seems a bit sudden. Hoho.”
At that moment, Chamberlain Hamil stepped in from the side and spoke carefully. Realizing his mistake, Treasurer Palmer cleared his throat and quietly turned his head away.
“The King’s movements are unusual.”
“Is he trying to mobilize the army? Did you hear it from Baron Pierre?”
“Yes. Listening to the story, he seems ready to not even shy away from using force.”
“Oh my….”
Only then did the expressions of the two vassals darken as they grasped the situation.
“We need to consolidate our forces. That is why I brought up the customs union agreement.”
“That is correct. We also need new allies. Treasurer Palmer will take charge of the customs union agreement, and Chamberlain Hamil.”
“Yes, Lord. Please speak.”
“I will attach Bishop Marco to you, so please stop by the Holy See as a special envoy. We need to receive firm support for Count Bozen’s heresy charges once again.”
If the Holy See stepped forward and did so, I intended to use the rights given to me by the Holy See if the King used force.
Specifically, the ‘Sacred Guardian of Bellua’s right to convene the knight orders and the church.
Strictly speaking, the King’s action was against punishing heretics, so with the Holy See’s support, it was worth a try.
‘Of course, the most important thing would be to change the Duke of Bourgogne’s mind.’
But since I couldn't step forward right away, it was right to organize the surroundings first.
Thinking so, I gave instructions to Chamberlain Hamil and Treasurer Palmer.
Since the situation was turning urgent, there was a need to move quickly accordingly.
Going further here, diplomacy wasn't the only thing needed to prepare for the King.
It was the army.
‘The territory has become too vast, making it hard to defend.’
Since the area to protect was the size of two counties, it wasn't easy to concentrate troops in one place like before.
Building fortresses and stationing troops at every key point meant the soldiers were scattered for defense.
On top of that, since the organization was focused on infantry, it wasn't easy to respond to the opponent's surprise attacks.
Fast organization and fast support.
And powerful destructive power.
There was a reason why cavalry-focused organization was in the spotlight in the [Pangea Universalise] era.
‘Well, but it doesn't make sense to form a cavalry-focused organization now….’
Since I had already built a system focused on infantry, it was correct to use infantry as the main force and cavalry as a supporting role.
The problem was that too many numbers were needed to cover my territory with only infantry, and in other words, this meant….
‘Money! I need more money!’
Even though I was developing the domain and expanding the territory this much, there were still many lacking points!
I felt somewhat sad about it.