Chapter 8: Leveraging Strengths
Hoffman gently stroked the hilt of his gilded sword at his waist, pondering how to get to the point. This time, his purpose was more complex. The kingdom was in a dire situation. Although there was Komer’s call for support and the full backing of the kingdom’s lesser nobles, the four great lords remained unusually silent. If Ferdinand and Haine families were quiet because they had to confront the orcs directly, then the behavior of the Zelin and Philip families was concerning.
Without the support of these four major families, relying solely on the lesser lords, the kingdom would inevitably decline or even collapse. Though these lesser nobles currently showed support for the royal court, it was hard to say how they would act once the four great lords turned against the kingdom. This strange situation proved that the four great lords truly intended to push the kingdom to the brink.
Although the kingdom could seek support from allies around it, those allies would never interfere in internal affairs. Even the legitimate Romanov family might be overthrown by the combined strength of the four great lords, given the devastating defeats the kingdom had suffered due to orc invasions. To avoid being crushed by them, the kingdom must find ways to weaken their power and unite the lesser lords under the royal court’s banner—only then might it have a chance to recover.
“Lord Baron, I heard in Jazair that Homer recently launched an attack on the Caucasus. But along my journey from Matdan to Ugru, I saw no signs of war. Is this true?” Hoffman decided it was better to get straight to the point. As the other party had said, the kingdom and the Caucasus were now intertwined. The most important thing was to use existing resources to undermine the four great lords and boost morale among the royal forces.
“Hehe, Your Highness has heard of it too? It’s true. Homer’s Storm Infantry crossed the Nise River and attacked Lyon, trying to take it over, but they failed. It’s my responsibility to protect the territories under my temporary management. Though Philip is still my lord, I had to stop his blatant defiance of the kingdom’s laws, though my methods may have displeased him,” Komer said with a smile.
As Komer spoke, Hoffman and Lenta immediately grasped the implications—Homer must have suffered a defeat. Hoffman knew Homer well; if he had been careless last time, this time he had deployed the Storm Infantry Regiment, which, as far as he knew, was the core of Homer’s army. With the Storm Infantry Regiment involved, the Knights would surely follow. With such a powerful force, this man had simply used the word “stopped” to end it all. Had Homer suffered another crushing defeat?
Seeing the curious looks in Hoffman’s dark gray eyes and Lenta’s green almond-shaped eyes, Komer knew his words had piqued their interest. “The Storm Infantry Regiment withdrew from Fortress Bruce on their own. As for Homer’s Knights, unfortunately, my militia didn’t leave them much dignity. They were terrified by those crude half-orcs. This makes me wonder how Philip’s army, at this level, can maintain peace in the region.”
“Oh?” A mix of surprise and disbelief appeared on both Hoffman’s and Lenta’s faces. Homer’s army had been defeated? Even Fortress Bruce had changed hands? This was truly exciting news. It seemed the low-ranking noble trained by Duke Tez had indeed proven useful—Homer’s army had been driven out of Fortress Bruce, meaning Homer no longer had control south of the Greenland Forest. Even Fortress Bruce had fallen into the hands of this newly appointed viscount, and the Knights had been utterly defeated. If all this was true, what credibility did Philip still have in the eyes of those minor lords?
“What, my lords, don’t you believe it?” Komer noticed the doubt in their eyes and smiled brightly, revealing his snow-white teeth. “Maybe I was just lucky. Homer’s mage corps seems to have encountered some trouble and didn’t participate in this battle. We ambushed Homer’s army in the Greenland Forest paths, catching them off guard. Although they still reached Fortress Bruce, they were already terrified. Coupled with the mages failing to show up, I had the support of a few mage friends, so they withdrew from Fortress Bruce on their own. That’s how simple it is.”
Hoffman and Lenta certainly wouldn’t believe things could be that simple. The Philip family had a deep-rooted presence in Homer for generations, with strong forces of infantry, knights, and magicians—handling this guy should be no problem at all. The only possibility was some kind of accident, but even then, it shouldn’t be that easy to defeat him. Yet, the guy’s expression didn’t seem like he was bluffing. It was hard to delve deeper into the circumstances. As long as Homer was defeated, it was exciting news. And Comer’s performance showed him to be one of the most capable minor lords supporting the kingdom. This stark contrast was undoubtedly a great encouragement for the smaller nobles. The major lords weren’t so great either—they were just weak on the inside. If even a minor lord like Caucasus could defeat them, what else was impossible?
“Oh, this is truly wonderful news worth recording in detail. It’s understandable that Homer doesn’t want to make a fuss, but why hasn’t Lord Viscount publicized it either?” Hoffman asked, frowning slightly as he tried to suppress his excitement.
“Oh, Your Highness, please understand my predicament. After all, I’m still a vassal of Philip. If his army had attacked Caucasus instead of Leon, I really wouldn’t have known how to deal with it. Lords punishing their vassals is always supported by everyone, but even if one wins by defying their lord, they’ll still be condemned. Of course, if I could become a direct vassal of His Majesty the King, things would be much easier. Then I wouldn’t feel any pity or guilt toward Philip,” Comer replied, skillfully glancing at him.
This guy! Even at a time like this, he still tries to seek his own interests, wanting to become a direct vassal of the kingdom. How audacious! The kingdom hadn’t granted direct vassalships for many years. Firstly, granting such titles required land from the king’s direct territories. Secondly, directly appointing someone as a direct vassal among the major lords would undoubtedly be seen as a provocation, potentially worsening relations between the lords and the kingdom or even sparking rebellion. So the kingdom wouldn’t dare take such an extreme step lightly. But Comer had a point—once he received direct recognition from the kingdom, he could rightfully confront Homer’s provocations without hesitation, which would be a devastating blow to Homer.
After exchanging glances, Hoffman and Lenta hesitantly said, “Lord Viscount, you must be aware of the difficulty involved in this process. It’s not impossible for the kingdom to appoint you directly, but what will Homer do? It could have unforeseen consequences for both the kingdom and you. Have you considered that, especially since the kingdom is going through such difficult times? If possible, I would advise His Majesty to consider this issue once the situation stabilizes.”
“Hehe, my lords, you’re being too cautious. Given the current situation, if the four great lords truly intend to destroy the kingdom, no amount of goodwill from you will make them soften their stance. And if they have other plans, the issue of direct appointment isn’t even a problem at all. In fact, Philip is well aware that he has no control over the Caucasus and Leon right now. Trying to conquer Leon and the Caucasus would only result in losses. Rather than having an unruly vassal serve as a negative example to other vassals and potentially trigger a chain reaction, it’s better for the kingdom to appoint me directly. This would also avoid many awkward situations. I can assure you that if the kingdom appoints me as a direct vassal, Philip won’t object at all; in fact, he might even feel much more at ease.” Komer used his eloquent words to persuade them. He knew they must have come to the Caucasus with some request, and if he didn’t take this opportunity to demand a high price, wouldn’t he be acting foolish?
Hoffman and Lenta silently pondered Komer’s words. It was clear that the four great lords had now gone their own way from the kingdom. Even if they didn’t intend to completely destroy it, after this incident, the kingdom had almost lost control over them. Now, the survival of the kingdom depended on what the unseen forces behind the four great lords planned, not on their decisions. The support these smaller lords offered to the kingdom might, under certain circumstances, influence the attitude of those unseen forces toward the kingdom. Therefore, it was crucial to gain their support now.
“Lord Viscount, your reasoning is sound, but I don’t have the authority to make this decision. I must return to Jazair and report to His Majesty, who will then make the decision. However, I will do my best to persuade Him Majesty. I believe there shouldn’t be too many problems.” Once a decision was made, Hoffman readily agreed. “But Lord Viscount, since the kingdom is still willing to consider its vassals even in times of crisis, shouldn’t the vassals do the same by helping the kingdom out?”