Chapter 14: Unable to Quit

“The court now announces its ruling! Given that Duke Philip, the lord of the Homer region, is unable to fulfill his rights and obligations toward the Leon region, and since the former lord of Leon, Poninsky, has had his noble and lordly status revoked by this court, this court, on behalf of the Kingdom of Nicosia, reclaims sovereignty over the Leon region. At the request of Baron Komer, the lord of the Caucasus, and Duke Philip of Homer, after deliberation, the court accepts Baron Komer’s request by a vote of three to two. Baron Komer will temporarily assume the rights and obligations of the lord of Leon for a period of one year. After that, the court will render another decision based on the investigation results and the documents provided by Duke Philip of Homer.”
With the clear sound of a bronze gong, the dispute over who should act as the ruler of the Leon region, which had dragged on for over a month, finally came to an end. This marked a new era—subordinate lords had successfully seized control of another fiefdom from their superior lords, something unprecedented in the kingdom’s history. While it brought great hope to countless minor lords, it also served as a warning to the greater lords.
Of course, the greatest beneficiary was still His Majesty the King, as control remained in the hands of the kingdom. Although Leon was quite remote and its law and order were in disarray, it was still an established territory that had once had hundreds of thousands of slaves. Whether it was the Caucasus or Homer, proving who was the most suitable ruler for Leon depended on the kingdom’s stance, and in this regard, the Caucasus clearly had the upper hand.
“Matthew, are you ready over there?” Tez picked up his wine glass but showed no intention of drinking. His expression wasn’t relaxed after making up his mind; his brows remained furrowed, as if he was still pondering something.
“What exactly are you worried about?” Matthew, whose face was red with excitement, plopped down in a chair. He had long been puzzled by his old friend’s behavior. It was one thing to refuse to support the Caucasus’ demands, but it was another to show no opposition when he asked for his opinion. Matthew really couldn’t figure out what his friend was thinking.
“Do you think Philip will accept this reality?” Ignoring his question, Tez continued to ask questions based on his own thoughts.

“Well, I think if he’s smart, he should accept it. Philip’s nose is sharper than we thought—it, the Blue Dove Regiment has been formed, and the Iron Cross Regiment has also changed its guards. What can he do if he refuses? Rebel? He’s not that stupid. At most, he might issue some strongly worded statements. As for the Edict of Utrecht, he never implemented it in the first place, and it’s still not being followed now. That’s all.”

Matthew thought his old friend was overreacting to Philip’s attitude. The great lords dared to resist the Edict of Utrecht for good reason—it violated the kingdom’s original Land Laws, and the later revised versions hadn’t been approved by the nobility council, leaving them legally unsupported. Otherwise, without such a legal basis, the great lords wouldn’t dare openly defy the royal authority.

“No, Matthew. I think you underestimate the impact of this. Although the Star Chamber didn’t directly hand Leon over to the Caucasus, this has set a precedent. All the lords, big and small, are paying attention to it. In fact, everyone knows that the judges represent the king’s will. That kid’s tricks in Jazair are just to deceive others. In the eyes of the great lords, this is a very bad start. The lesser lords will rush to follow suit and find ways to seize opportunities. For the great lords, this is like tightening the noose—they won’t give up so easily.” Teyz shook his head gravely.

“Isn’t that better? If those guys refuse to accept the Edict of Utrecht, then we should let those who are willing to accept it govern the kingdom’s lands. We need to make them understand that the king is the sole ruler of this country, and everyone else is a servant, at most differing in status.” Matthew retorted firmly.

“If it were that simple, that would be great.” Teyz sighed softly. His old friend was certainly skilled in warfare, but he seemed somewhat careless about politics and situations outside the kingdom. “If the kingdom weren’t under external pressure, this would indeed be a good approach—gradual and natural. But with the current situation, we have to consider everything more carefully.”

“Are you referring to the orcs or the Light Church?” Matthew asked warily.

“Just these two factors might at most cause some trouble for the kingdom, but if the major lords all take this matter too seriously, and those with ulterior motives try to exploit it to create chaos, then we must handle it with caution.” Tez’s expression grew even darker.

Matthew carefully considered the implications of what the other man had said. The Light Church’s relationship with the kingdom wasn’t very good, but it was even worse with Philip, so it seemed unlikely they would team up. As for the orcs, to the west, there was the Iron Cross Army, with the Olive Leaf Army as a backup—so the orcs would have to weigh whether it was worth it to attack. To the east? That was the territory of the two major lords in the north. Logically, both lords would defend their lands at all costs, and they had been strengthening their military forces there for a long time. It seemed highly unlikely for the orcs to break through their defenses. So what exactly was his friend worried about? Could it be Zelin? Even if Zelin and Philip joined forces, it still seemed impossible for them to challenge the kingdom’s military superiority.

“Matthew, there are some issues we can’t help but consider more complicatedly. We might think it’s impossible for them to unite because of various conflicts among them or many other constraints. But think about it—if they allow this trend to continue, in a few years, the system they’ve always tried to maintain will collapse completely, leaving them no chance to resist. Instead of that, might they choose to take a risky gamble now?” Tez’s speech slowed down, and his voice grew lower.

“Then why don’t you suggest to His Majesty the King that we postpone making a decision?” Matthew asked after a long pause. Though he didn’t agree with the other man’s view, he had to admit that such a possibility didn’t entirely rule out the chance—it was just extremely unlikely, almost negligible.

“This is an opportunity. If we can successfully control the situation this time, the kingdom could regain its former glory within a few years. That’s why I want to take a risk. But risks often come with a price. I’m warning you so that we can prepare more thoroughly and achieve the greatest benefit at the lowest cost,” Tez said with a sigh. It was like going straight into a tiger’s den despite knowing there were tigers there—there was no choice.