In a private room of a certain mansion.
About twenty nobles were seated around a large table, engaged in discussions. Among them, the most notable figure was Baron Isaac, who had led the public opinion in the central hall earlier.
“So, what’s the disposition of our forces?”
“The thousand central forces are all positioned in the inner castle. The two outer walls are manned by five thousand guards, and the outer gates have been reinforced with the Silver Bear Knights.”
Isaac’s question was answered by a young knight named Devante. He was a member of the Chain Knights and also a commander of the guards.
“Hm. Concentrating the main forces in the inner castle… It seems they’re preparing for any unforeseen circumstances. This works well for us. But who ordered the Silver Bear Knights to the outer walls? Was it the knight commander or the temporary commander?”
“I believe Sir Waylon, the interim commander, requested the Silver Bear Knight Commander handle it. There was some dispute over it, but Commander Carlo conceded.”
“And you foresee no issues with this?”
Isaac turned his gaze to a cold-looking knight in his mid-40s.
“If you’re referring to the Silver Bear Knights, there won’t be any issues. With the knights divided into groups of three, subduing them shouldn’t be too difficult.”
The confident speaker was Baron Lamar, the deputy commander of the Chain Knights.
The Chain Knights were an auxiliary knight order, composed of top-tier Sword Users to entry-level Experts, awaiting vacancies in the formal knight orders like the Golden, silver, and Iron Bear Knights.
Knights, while individually powerful, also held pivotal military roles, often serving as commanders of various units while being part of a knight order.
Members of the Chain Knights served as commanders of guard corps in Conford Castle and other strategic forts of the Count’s domain.
Baron Lamar also held the position of deputy commander of the Conford Castle guard corps.
“Alright. We’ll leave handling the Silver Bear Knights to Baron Lamar and the Chain Knights. Now, on to the deployment of retainers and personal knight orders…”
Thus, they meticulously plotted the takeover of the gates. As the meeting drew to a close, an elder noble from the council inquired, “But are you sure it’s alright to leave the inner castle alone? If we fail to secure the mansion, all this will be meaningless.”
“We’re not aiming to start a civil war. If Viscount Jaden and his men can enter the castle without bloodshed, creating a pretext will be straightforward. Plus, Viscount Jaden is bringing 200 knights. The inner castle only has around fifty knights left. It won’t be difficult to take control of the mansion even by force. They’re not fools; they won’t want a bloodbath.”
“A pretext…”
“When the current Count passes, it’ll inevitably lead to a succession conflict. Controlling the main castle at that time will provide a significant advantage.”
If the plan succeeded, they could take the families of the central figures in the Ashton County as hostages. With such leverage, neither the central forces nor the Golden Bear Knights could wield their full strength, securing dominance for their side.
“Moreover, with our collaborators in the capital swaying the royal court, acknowledging Viscount Jaden as the next Count won’t be difficult.”
“Indeed. Once the tide turns, the vassals won’t have any reason to support Dylan.”
Loyalty to the Count’s family was not significant enough to sway many. In chaotic times like these, it wasn’t hard to see where the real benefits lay.
“Alright, everyone, prepare yourselves. The key is to avoid bloodshed as much as possible. Remember, we must overwhelm them with superior force and subdue them instantly.”
With that, the meeting concluded, and the participants began to leave one by one. Baron Lamar, the deputy commander of the Chain Knights, watched until the last person left before rising from his seat.
“Let’s go. We have much to prepare.”
“What should we relay to the Guard Captain?”
“Tell him not to worry about securing the gates, but to keep a keen watch on the inner castle’s movements. I’ll send a few capable men to assist him—he can use them as his arms and legs if needed.”
At Baron Lamar’s slight gesture, five well-trained knights approached Devante.
“They look reliable. Were these men involved in ‘that operation?'”
“I suggest you curb your curiosity. Now go.”
“Understood.”
Devante bowed slightly in respect and led the five knights out of the room. Once everyone had left, baron Lamar took out a brass mask from inside his garments and smiled slyly.
***
The next dawn.
Bang!
“We’re in big trouble!”
A knight, his face pale, burst into the temporary operations headquarters of the Count’s mansion, shouting urgently.
“What’s going on?”
Interim Commander Waylon, who had been dozing in his chair, jumped to his feet, his voice sharp.
“I-it seems a coup has taken place during the night!”
“What are you talking about!”
Everyone in the operations headquarters turned to the messenger in shock, and commotion erupted in the hallway with shouts of “Emergency!”
“Just now, a Silver Bear Knight, covered in blood, arrived at the inner castle gates. He said that traitors have apparently taken control of all the outer gates…”
“……!”
Shortly after, interim Commander Waylon, silver Bear Knight Commander Carlo, and Philip were gathered in the headquarters.
“What about Guard Captain Dwayne?”
“It seems he has sided with them. As soon as the news reached the inner castle, he went out to assess the situation and hasn’t returned.”
Bang.
“Damn it.”
Baron Carlo slammed the table in frustration.
“What a disgrace. Tarnishing the name of the Silver Bear Knights!”
Urgent scouts sent to the gates reported that some Silver Bear Knights were bound and captured, but the rest appeared to have joined the traitors, boldly guarding the walls against them.
They managed to scout the First Outer Wall, but couldn’t even approach the Second Outer Wall, the farthest perimeter.
“What should we do? Viscount Jaden is expected to arrive around noon.”
“What should we do? We need to kill all those treacherous dogs!”
Furious at the thought of his knights betraying him, commander Carlo looked ready to charge the outer walls immediately.
Philip held him back, speaking calmly.
“Let’s stay calm. First, we need to understand their intentions. And we need to figure out how deep this conspiracy runs.”
The forces that seized the outer walls weren’t just the guards and the Chain Knights. At the gatehouses that controlled opening and closing the gates, not only the regular army but also private soldiers and knights of noble families had taken positions.
To reach the outer walls, they would have to pass through the city. If the traitorous forces were hiding there, they risked being surrounded.
“No, now is precisely the time to strike! The enemies are spread thin, covering the expansive outer walls, and their knights are not up to par. We stand a good chance of victory. We need to break through one of the gates before more nobles join their side and tighten their grip!”
“Even if we break through one gate, what will it mean? Moreover, we lack the strength.”
“Do you think their numbers alone can hold back our Silver Bear Knights? We have more armored knights; we can win this!”
“Enough!”
The interim commander, waylon, interjected, halting the debate between Philip and Commander Carlo.
“Sorry, commander Carlo, but we cannot afford to strike first.”
“Why not!”
“Our primary objective is what?”
“Obviously, it’s to protect the Count’s family.”
“Exactly. And the most crucial part of that is ensuring the Count’s safety. Do you agree?”
“Ugh. Yes.”
“If we send our forces out to attack and encounter another surprise assault like a few days ago, what then? And even though they’ve betrayed us, they are still members of the Count’s family. If our misguided actions cause an internal civil war, can you bear the consequences?”
“Damn it.”
Commander Carlo was forced into silence.
“The commander is right. If a battle breaks out inside the castle, the risk of casualties among not only soldiers but also civilians is too high.”
“Then what do you propose we do? Just sit back and let Viscount Jaden’s forces enter?”
“Of course not.”
Philip’s enigmatic smile made Carlo furrow his brows, unable to fathom what Philip was planning. But his discomfort was short-lived.
Click.
“You’ve all worked hard.”
The door opened, and upon seeing who entered, carlo’s eyes widened in shock.
“Ho-how are you here?”
Raul had entered the operations room.
***
“This is odd.”
“What do you mean?”
“There should have been some reaction by now. Isn’t it too quiet?”
At the central rampart of the First Outer Wall, Guard Captain Baron Dwayne and Baron Isaac stood side by side, gazing at the tightly shut inner castle gate beyond the city.
“They must have assessed the situation by now, feeling paralyzed. Plus, with the interim commander and the Silver Bear Knights’ commander not getting along, coming to an agreement won’t be easy.” said Baron Isaac.
Despite Isaac’s explanation, Dwayne remained skeptical.
“No. From what I know of Baron Carlo, he has strong opinions but would never outright refuse a superior’s decision. Even with misgivings, he’s the type to obey orders diligently. He wouldn’t reject the interim commander’s directives.”
“Then it must be Waylon, hesitating due to his sudden responsibility. He wouldn’t be confident in his own judgment.”
“I hope that’s all it is….”
Even so, by now they should have sent at least an envoy to understand our intentions.
‘He’s not someone who’d be so incompetent as to be unable to respond at all.’
In any case, letting more time pass wouldn’t necessarily be bad. Once they joined forces with Viscount Jaden, the hardest part of the conflict would be over.
No matter how powerful the Count’s forces were, their side would have over three hundred knights. In the event of a clash, whichever side won, the downfall of the Count’s family was inevitable.
‘Thus, they won’t make such a foolish decision. A political battle favors us more.’
Viscount Jaden had strong allies behind him. Even if Dylan was the legitimate successor, could he really take on the experienced Viscount Jaden with only half of this cramped estate under his control?
Baron Dwayne switched allegiances because he believed Dylan couldn’t. He had no land of his own, holding his position but intrigued by Viscount Jaden’s offer of land.
‘It’s unfortunate, Count Melvin. Had you been here, I’d have never made this choice.’
Half of those present probably sided with Viscount Jaden for similar reasons. Changing allegiances early would reap more rewards if the regime changed.
‘Hm. I should probably request inner lands for my fief. Holding territory near the Gold Belt is too costly…’
As Dwayne mused over his envisioned future, an unexpected retaliation began.
Creak. Beep.
“Ah, ah. Can everyone in the castle hear me?”
Raul’s voice echoed through the entirety of Conford Castle via a magical loudspeaker.