Several days passed. On the surface, it seemed Conford Castle had regained its composure. However, the reality was quite different.
“We’ve captured some merchants and mercenaries associated with Baron Jerrod.”
“We’ve apprehended Baron Fontra and his family trying to flee through the east gate.”
“Merchant-chief Kaiden has come forward with information about Baron Isak.”
There was a mountain of work to do, dealing with arrests and tracking down those involved in the incident.
The problem was that both the Count and the Count’s deputy were absent to pass judgment. Raul could only arrest the involved parties; delivering any form of judgment was beyond his authority.
As a result, the inner city’s detention centers were overflowing, and they had to establish temporary holding facilities.
“Whew, the place was absolutely crawling with traitors and scoundrels.”
“Count Melvin should have taken action when he assumed the title. The disgruntled ones left with Viscount Jaden, and now their remnants are finally showing up.”
Jake and Philip clicked their tongues as they reviewed the list of detainees.
Raul seemed intent on rooting out anyone involved, even remotely. If there was evidence of tampering with the Count’s property or committing any corruption, they were arrested without mercy.
Normally, the elders, vassals, and family gatherings would object to such actions, but everyone was lying low for now.
“But is it really okay to arrest all of these people? There will surely be a lot of backlash, considering the pride of some individuals.”
“The final judgment will be made by the Count and the deputy. Also, since the master won’t be directly involved with the Count’s house anymore, it won’t matter. By the time they pass judgment, we’ll be long gone.”
As Philip mentioned, Raul was handling everything strictly by the book, without concern for potential repercussions. He had even arrested influential elders, brokers affiliated with large merchant guilds, and high-ranking officials in various associations who were usually untouchable.
The charge of treason was severe enough that everyone was cooperating with the investigations.
‘This is a rare opportunity.’
There was no better time to break wrong practices, overlooked customs, and ties to corruption. Of course, Raul wasn’t acting alone.
After defeating Viscount Jaden’s forces, an emergency joint meeting was held. Through magical communication orbs, discussions were conducted with the acting lord Dylan, the Golden Bear Knight Commander, and the Supreme Commander about the current crisis.
While Raul took the brunt of the responsibility, the meetings decided the course of action. Such measures inevitably earned resentment, but Raul didn’t mind. Once this matter was settled, Raul would barely involve himself in the Count’s house’s affairs.
The First Knight Order had grown sufficiently strong, and if everything went according to plan, Raul would soon establish a power base where no one could easily challenge him.
‘I’ll leave the Count’s house to Dylan. To do that, I need to clear out any trash that might hold him back.’
While Raul was dealing with the traitors inside Conford Castle, Vice Count Dylan was handling the external matters.
Boom!
“Enemy attack!”
“What enemies? Who’s in charge here?”
Thud, thud, thud.
Breaking through the lord’s castle gate, knights clad in armor bearing the golden bear emblem marched in confidently.
“Who…who are you?”
“You must recognize this emblem unless you’re blind. Bring the person in charge immediately.”
“Y-yes, sir! Right away.”
While the gatekeeper hurriedly rode off to the lord’s residence, Dylan issued consecutive orders.
“Seal all gates and ensure the influential figures of the territory do not leave their residences. First platoon, follow me to the lord’s residence. Second platoon, head to the barracks and take command. Move out!”
The small southern castle was swiftly taken over by the Golden Bear Knights and cavalry. The lack of resistance was due to the lord having taken his forces and knights away from the castle.
“What is the meaning of this? Even as the Count’s deputy, how can you commit such an outrageous act?”
An elderly man, likely the former baron, along with his family, was dragged out to the courtyard and forced to their knees.
“Outrageous act? Let me ask you then. Where is the current lord? Where are the soldiers? The knights?”
The wrinkled ex-baron, sweating profusely, answered.
“T-The lord has gone to subdue monsters, leaving the castle temporarily.”
“Huh, is that so? How strange. Since when did Baron Kian’s house start subduing monsters from Conford Castle? Seems like the barons nowadays think it’s normal to lead their forces to the Count’s castle without reporting.”
The ex-baron closed his eyes tightly and lowered his head, realizing the inevitability of their situation.
“I will personally look into why the troops were mobilized. But until then, baron Kian’s territory will be under the Count’s management.”
Dylan called one of his subordinates and gave orders.
“Transport them all to the main house. Arrest all involved and incarcerate them. Seal off the residence. Set up a temporary command center in the barracks to manage the barony and control access until additional forces arrive.”
“Understood, sir.”
The lords who had joined Viscount Jaden hadn’t anticipated that Dylan would respond so swiftly. In the original timeline, Viscount Jaden successfully entered Conford Castle, and Dylan and the top officials were unable to mobilize forces as their families were held hostage.
However, with Raul’s intervention, the plan of Viscount Jaden’s side collapsed entirely. Trusting Raul, Dylan moved quickly, allowing them to take over the traitorous lords’ territories with minimal resistance.
‘Now all that’s left is Baron Yahir’s territory.’
Once that was dealt with, they would have cleansed the entire northeastern region of traitors by then. So, the remaining targets were the three baronies east of Conford Castle, where Viscount Jaden and his forces were stationed.
They could pressure those baronies slowly, especially with the Central Army joining them soon.
“Hurry! We must take Baron Yahir’s territory by tomorrow!”
Dylan and the Golden Bear Knights set off at a gallop once more.
*
“Urgent news! Yahir’s southern castle has also fallen to the Golden Bear Knights.”
“What about the Baron’s family?”
“Fortunately, our men managed to evacuate them first.”
“Phew. That’s some relief.”
“I suppose… it is.”
In the meeting room of Garriot’s southern castle, where Viscount Jaden and his allies were gathered, the somber expressions were evident. The numbers attending had dwindled by a third since they set out, with only bad news continuously arriving.
Bang!
“Damn it, what a mess. Where is Viscount Jaden right now?”
“He went to meet a collaborator in the inner city a while ago.”
“Collaborator? And when will these supposed collaborators provide the promised support? We don’t even know who they are or if they’re of any real help!”
“Indeed. We trusted Viscount Jaden and took action, and now look at where we are. Can these invisible allies truly be trusted?”
As Viscount Jaden was absent, the nobles gathered in the meeting room were engulfed in anxiety and distrust, voicing their grievances.
A significant number of nobles had parted ways following their retreat from Conford Castle. Among the retreating nobles were several lords, leading to a noticeable decrease in fighting strength.
The lords who had their territories occupied were shaken, as their families were held hostage by the Count’s house.
However, the situation had become too entangled to back out now. Any attempt at negotiation seemed futile, as Dylan and Raul pushed forward relentlessly, even implying they were ready for civil war. This left them with no choice but to struggle for survival.
Clank.
Just then, the meeting room door opened, and Viscount Jaden and Baron Tate entered.
“You all look displeased. Are you having regrets?”
“N-No, of course not!”
Those who had been loudly voicing their complaints earlier now fell silent, not daring to meet the Viscount’s eyes.
“We’re talking about replacing the head of the Count’s house. Did you not expect this level of risk? If anyone here followed me without such resolve, you’re free to leave now. I won’t stop you.”
No one moved.-Having bet everything they had, they couldn’t abandon the game without revealing their hand. They had no choice but to cling to Viscount Jaden, their only remaining hope.
“I understand your concerns. But remember, we still have a chance. Right now, Dylan’s forces are only acting this boldly because that old Melvin is still alive. Do you think they can maintain this pressure once the news of his death spreads?”
The nobles nodded at Viscount Jaden’s words.
Even though Dylan was the confirmed successor, Viscount Jaden contesting the title would inevitably stir controversy.
If another option appeared, the lords would have to reconsider their positions, and those who had yet to take sides might finally show their hand.
‘But in the current situation….’
Even that wouldn’t be easy. Something significant was needed to turn the tide. As if reading their thoughts, Viscount Jaden laid out his plan for the future.
“For now, we’ll hold our position here, keeping the Count’s forces in check and buying time. Simultaneously, we’ll redirect some of our forces to assist in another critical target.”
Viscount Jaden pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into a spot on the strategic map.
“That place is…!”
The name on the map was Calix. Raul’s territory.
***
Thud, thud, thud!
Running swiftly through the corridor and entering the room, nakiya greeted him with a bow.
“You’re here, Master.”
“Yes. I heard there’s some improvement?”
“Yes, this way.”
Approaching the bed, Raul noticed Count Melvin lying there, looking slightly less pale but still breathing heavily with his eyes closed. Although he hadn’t regained consciousness, his overall condition had visibly improved compared to before.
The swelling had subsided, his fever had gone down, and his complexion had returned to normal.
“His external treatment is complete. His muscles and some blood vessels were damaged, but they are in a state where they can recover.”
“And what about his mana?”
“The ‘Mana Filariasis’ that caused his mana to reverse flow has been stabilized. With the mana collision stopped, his life is no longer in danger. However…”
“…Is there still a problem?”
“Count Melvin’s mana is not circulating. Mana should flow constantly like blood, but it’s not. The odd part is that in such cases, there are usually other physical abnormalities, but none are present.”
“So, what’s your conclusion?”
“Count Melvin’s body will recover. But regarding his mana, I’m not certain. We need him to regain consciousness to determine any further treatment.”
Raul sighed lightly. They had passed the critical phase. He had some ideas about why the Count’s mana wasn’t circulating.
“So, when will he wake up?”
“Honestly, he could wake up at any moment. At the latest, he should regain consciousness by today.”
Nakia’s prognosis was accurate.
“…Raul, is that you?”
“Yes, Father. Are you feeling more alert now?”
Before the sun set that day, Count Melvin awoke from his coma. It had been exactly fifteen days since he had collapsed.
(To be continued)