Boom!
“Damn it all to hell!”
Viscount Jaden slammed his fist on the table, nearly breaking it in the process. The report in his hand detailed the outcome of Raul’s territorial war.
‘Those fools had all that support, and this is the result they bring me?’
He had provided the Baronial Alliance with the support of 90 knights, 50 of whom were armored users. Even if they were lower-level knights with subpar power armor, it was still a substantial force equivalent to the main knight order of a significant count’s household.
“How many returned?”
“S-Sir, including Sir Deoric, seven survived.”
“Argh!”
Crash, clatter!
Enraged, Viscount Jaden began decimating the objects in the room, while the messenger, kneeling on the floor, shivered in fear. He had lost 20% of his knightly power.
Replacing the knights might be possible, but the loss of power armor was a severe setback. Even so, he still commanded around 200 armored users and nearly 300 knights in total.
‘But now…’
His plan to surpass the count’s house in numbers had hit a dead end.
“Send those surviving knights to me at once. I want to hear their stories.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Without the count’s main knight order mobilizing, it was unfathomable how Raul had managed to defeat nearly 300 knights of the Baronial Alliance. After hearing the accounts from the nine returning knights, Viscount Jaden’s confusion only deepened.
‘Each front had at least 100 Expert-level knights?’
With four battlefields and even more knights at Calix, the numbers implied at least 500 Expert-level knights.
‘This is ridiculous. That’s more than even the count’s household knights!’
Either the information was deeply flawed, or some trick was used to inflate their numbers. He recalled that Raul was closely associated with Sage Gray.
‘Yes! Magic. It had to be magic! He must have used teleportation magic to cycle his knights around.’
It was a plausible theory. Believing Raul personally commanded more than 500 knights seemed less credible. But this misjudgment would trap him. If Jaden had known Raul genuinely commanded over 500 knights, he’d have abandoned the idea of pursuing counts’ ambitions.
“Convene a strategy meeting. Call everyone.”
Viscount Jaden steeled himself.
‘This isn’t over yet.’
He had invested too much to miss this opportunity. He had mortgaged his estate and trading company, built over 15 years in the Brennan Republic. He used those funds to hire knights and purchase power armor from his backers.
Returning to Ruben Kingdom, he spent lavishly on nobles and the Royal Court and engaged in numerous covert operations. Giving up now would lead to financial ruin, scattering his loyal knights.
While he wouldn’t be utterly destroyed, recovering would take an uncertain amount of time.
‘Melvin, just give up already. For the glory of the count’s house, relics like you must disappear!’
Viscount Jaden was possessed by the belief that only he could achieve the count’s house’s glory. Whether true or not, he genuinely believed it.
***
Count Ashton’s Residence, conford.
In the mansion’s conference room, the prominent leaders of the Ashton County gathered.
Among them were:
Earnest de Vogel, the County’s High Commander.
Trevor de Hesse, commander of the Golden Bear Knights.
Carlo de Ashton, commander of the Silver Bear Knights.
Carson, commander of the Iron Bear Knights.
Brayden, commander of the Chain Knights.
All key military figures were present, and naturally, Raul’s eldest brother and the heir to the county, Dylan de Ashton, sat at the head of the table.
“Young master Raul has arrived.”
With the announcement from the guard, the meeting room doors swung open, and in walked Raul and Philip with a confident stride.
Clap, clap, clap.
Not only did the gathered leaders applaud, but even Dylan stood to greet Raul.
“Well done. Congratulations on your victory!”
“Congratulations on the grand victory!”
“You’ve achieved remarkable success, Young master Raul.”
“It’s all thanks to your support. If anything, I apologize for causing undue concern.”
After exchanges of pleasantries and modesty, they took their seats. Before the main meeting began, Trevor, the commander of the Golden Bear Knights, let out a hearty laugh.
“Kahaha. Truly, no tiger raises a cub that doesn’t excel. I’m genuinely impressed, Young master Raul. To be aiming for the ‘Master’s realm’ at the age of 16! What a blessing this is!”
Viscount Trevor, now over 50, was essentially the mentor of all the knights of the Ashton County. During the unified training periods, he personally oversaw the training not only of the Golden Bear Knights but all knights under the county. When new knight trainees joined, Trevor was the first to interview them.
Raul had also received direct guidance from him during his early swordsmanship training. Despite the privilege granted due to being a direct descendant, Raul had initially left an unimpressive mark.
However, during recent visits to the mansion, Raul had sparred with Trevor multiple times, and Trevor had been pleasantly surprised by Raul’s unexpected growth.
‘Who would’ve thought he was on the cusp of reaching the Master’s realm!’
Being at the Expert level at the age of 16 would already earn one the title of a genius of the century. But to reach for Master at such an age was beyond expectations.
“It truly is a great blessing for the Count’s house. Even though the lord is in a dire state, with such talented sons, what is there to worry about?”
Viscount Earnest de Vogel, the High Commander, laughed heartily. The oldest among the current leadership at 58, Earnest had reached the high Expert level as a knight.
His family, the Vogels, had historically served as the Golden Bear Knights’ commanders and High Commanders. Recognized for their contributions, the Vogel family managed the second-largest territory in the county and had produced numerous knights.
The Vogel and Hesse families were the two loyal pillars supporting the Ashton County. From their perspective, Viscount Jaden’s actions to destabilize the county could not be tolerated.
With the Gate Incident weakening the borders of the Forbidden Forest, the estate was on high alert. An internal conflict within the county was tantamount to inviting disaster for all.
Raul’s swift action to crush Jaden’s schemes and repel the baronial challenge had earned their admiration and relief.
“Indeed. With such outstanding talents emerging in the family, it’s gratifying. But what should we do about that rogue, Jaden?”
Viscount Earnest furrowed his brows slightly.
“I suspected that scoundrel would cause trouble, but he’s certainly been a thorn in our side.”
Trevor echoed, “Why not just crush him outright? If our forces remain tied up because of him, it could spell disaster for the entire county.”
Carlo, commander of the Silver Bear Knights, suggested vehemently. The management of the Gates had already slackened, and the troops near the Forbidden Forest were exhausted from lack of rotation.
In such conditions, should a wave break out from the Gates or the Forbidden Forest, the devastation could be unimaginable.
Dylan shook his head.
“That’s not an option.”
“At the moment, we have no justification. Furthermore, even if we win the battle, there is no guarantee we can capture him,” Dylan explained.
Objectively, Viscount Jaden appeared to be a concerned brother visiting his sick sibling. Although bringing an excessive number of knights with him caused suspicion, his official reason was legitimate. He hadn’t directly harmed Count Ashton’s soldiers, making a preemptive strike difficult to justify. Earnest and Trevor were troubled because they lacked a valid pretext for action.
Moreover, there was no guarantee that they could completely eradicate Viscount Jaden if they went to battle. He could very well escape using a portal, leaving behind unresolved issues and potentially creating larger problems.
Raul then spoke up, “I have a plan. Would you like to hear it?”
“Do you have a strategy?”
“Yes, please share.”
Raul stood up, “Why don’t we take this opportunity to eliminate all the instability in our territory? First, there’s one more person whose approval we need, and I’ve invited them here.”
At Raul’s signal, the conference room door opened, and someone in a hooded cloak entered.
“…Who?”
“Thank you all for your hard work.”
“Gasp! My lord! Are you alright?”
“Your Excellency!”
Everyone in the room stood up in shock. The person revealed to be Melvin de Ashton, the seemingly incapacitated Count.
“Let’s leave the detailed explanations for later. For now, let’s hear Raul’s plan. Continue, Raul.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The very next day, whispers silently spread from Conford Castle.
-The current head of the Ashton County, Melvin de Ashton, has finally passed away.
The county was shaken once more.
*
“Have you confirmed it?”
“Yes. It appears to be true. The mansion has been entirely shut off for several days, and there’s an unusual number of couriers leaving the castle. Even the Senate…”
As the messenger continued, Viscount Jaden’s smile widened.
‘Finally!’
The opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived.
“Gather more detailed information! Find out where those couriers are heading, who is entering Conford Castle, and the movements of the knights and troops! Bring every piece of information you can find!”
“Understood!”
As the messenger left, Viscount Jaden turned and locked eyes with the assembled nobles. His time to act had come.
“The game begins now. Although there were minor operational setbacks, the outcome has set the stage we desired. From this moment, we launch our full-scale operations. Gather as many allies as possible.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Baron Tate, mobilize all spies around Conford Castle and its surrounding territories. Spread rumors about the failings and problems within the Count’s household. Foster the perception among the populace that a new successor is needed!”
“Leave it to me.”
“Dylan might rashly mobilize troops in his anger. Fortify our defenses. Also, send messengers to nearby lords again to confirm their allegiance. With Melvin dead, some may have changed their minds.”
After the meeting, Viscount Jaden returned to his office and clenched his fists. Dylan should have mobilized his forces before Melvin died—then he would have had the full authority to command all troops.
But now, dragging this into a succession conflict, commanders and nobles who wish to avoid a civil war would not follow his orders. His backers would provide the necessary legitimacy.
‘Within the family, you might be the rightful successor, Dylan, but will that hold once the Royal Court challenges it?’
While external interference in family matters was generally disdained, the Royal Court was a different case. Even as a border-count with guaranteed autonomy, they remained nobles of the kingdom.
The Royal Court typically respected family decisions regarding succession but wasn’t bound to do so. The Royal Court wouldn’t outright reject the next count, but they could certainly cast doubts.
‘After all, how much money did we pour into gaining their favor?’
It was time to reap those benefits. But he was unaware of one fatal fact: from beginning to end, he had been dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand.
To be continued